Starbucks (SBUX) (MRX) (PHH) (SCI) (CRFN) (DDIC) Ratings, Price Targets

Starbucks (NASDAQ: SBUX), Medicis Pharmaceuticals (NYSE: MRX), PHH Co. (NYSE: PHH), Service Co. International (NYSE: SCI), Crescent Financial Co. (NASDAQ: CRFN) and DDi Corp. (NASDAQ: DDIC) ratings and price targets.

Starbucks (SBUX) was upgraded by DA Davidson from a “Neutral” rating to a “Buy” rating.

Medicis Pharmaceuticals (MRX) had its “Overweight” rating reiterated by Piper Jaffray (NYSE:PJC). They have a price target of $43.00 on the company.

PHH Co. (PHH) had its price target lowered by FBR Capital from $24.00 to $20.00. They have an “Outperform” rating on the company.

Service Co. International (SCI) was downgraded by Zacks Investment Research from an “Outperform” rating to a “Neutral” rating.

Crescent Financial Co. (CRFN) was upgraded by Zacks Investment Research from an “Underperform” rating to a “Neutral” rating.

DDi Corp. (DDIC) was upgraded by Zacks Investment Research from an “Underperform” rating to a “Neutral” rating.

Starbucks (SBUX) (MRX) (BGS) (BKI) (AVX) (CEVA) Ratings, Price Targets

Starbucks (NASDAQ: SBUX), Medicis Pharmaceuticals (NYSE: MRX), B&G Foods, Inc. (NYSE: BGS), Buckeye Technologies Inc. (NYSE: BKI), AVX Co. (NYSE: AVX) and Ceva Inc. (NASDAQ: CEVA) ratings and price targets.

Starbucks (SBUX) was upgraded by DA Davidson from a “Neutral” rating to a “Buy” rating.

Medicis Pharmaceuticals (MRX) had its price target lowered by Deutsche Bank (NYSE:DB) to $41.00. They have a “Buy” rating on the firm.

B&G Foods, Inc. (BGS) was downgraded by Zacks Investment Research from an “Outperform” rating to a “Neutral” rating.

Buckeye Technologies Inc. (BKI) was downgraded by Zacks Investment Research from an “Outperform” rating to a “Neutral” rating.

AVX Co. (AVX) was upgraded by Zacks Investment Research from an “Underperform” rating to a “Neutral” rating.

Ceva Inc. (CEVA) was upgraded by Zacks Investment Research from a “Neutral” rating to an “Outperform” rating.

Starbucks (SBUX) (KOG) (MFRM) (NU) (END) Ratings, Price Targets

Starbucks (NASDAQ:SBUX), Kodiak Oil & Gas (NYSE:KOG), Mattress Firm Holding Corp. (NASDAQ:MFRM), Northeast Utilities (NYSE:NU) and Endeavour International (NYSE:END) ratings and price targets.

Starbucks (SBUX) was upgraded from a "Neutral" rating to a "Buy" rating by DA Davidson,

Kodiak Oil & Gas (KOG) was lowered from "Outperform" to "Market Perform" by Northland Securities. They have a price target of $10.00 by the firm.

Barclays (NYSE:BCS) initiated coverage on Mattress Firm Holding Corp. (MFRM). They have an "Overweight" rating on the firm.

Barclays initiated coverage on Northeast Utilities (NU). They have an "Overweight" rating on the firm.

Rodman & Renshaw boosted its rating on Endeavour International (END) from "Market Perform" to "Outperform." They have a price target of $12.50 on the company.

AT&T (T) (SBUX) (LINE) (PRI) (ROST) (ATU) Ratings, Price Targets

AT&T Inc. (NYSE: T), Starbucks (NASDAQ: SBUX), Linn Energy, LLC (NASDAQ: LINE), Primerica Inc. (NYSE: PRI), Ross Stores, Inc. (NASDAQ: ROST) and Actuant Co. (NYSE: ATU) ratings and price targets.

Nomura (NYSE:NMR) reiterated its "Buy" rating on AT&T Inc. (T).

Piper Jaffray (NYSE:PJC) reiterated its "Overweight" rating on Starbucks (SBUX).

Wunderlich reiterated its "Buy" rating on Linn Energy, LLC (LINE). They have a price target of $44.00 on the company.

Evercore Partners initiated coverage on Primerica Inc. (PRI). They have an “Overweight” rating on the company.

Collins Stewart initiated coverage on Ross Stores, Inc. (ROST). They have a “Buy” rating on the company.

Actuant Co. (ATU) had its price target lowered by Jefferies (NYSE:JEF) to $30.00.

Starbucks (SBUX) (BMY) (SDT) (BRCD) (SHAW) (BMS) Price Targets Changed

Starbucks (NASDAQ: SBUX), Bristol Myers Squibb Co. (NYSE: BMY), SandRidge Mississippian Trust I (NYSE: SDT), Brocade Communications Systems, Inc. (NASDAQ: BRCD), Shaw Group (NASDAQ: SHAW) and Bemis (NYSE: BMS) had price targets on them adjusted by analysts.

Starbucks (SBUX) had its price target raised by Morgan Stanley (NYSE:MS) to $46.00. They have an “Overweight” rating on the company.

Bristol Myers Squibb Co. (BMY) had its price target raised by UBS AG (NYSE:UBS) to $32.00. They have a “Neutral” rating on the company.

SandRidge Mississippian Trust I (SDT) had its price target raised by RBC Capital from $31.00 to $33.00. They have an “Outperform” rating on the company.

Brocade Communications Systems, Inc. (BRCD) had its price target raised by BMO Capital Markets to $5.00. They have a “Market Perform” rating on the company.

Shaw Group (SHAW) had its price target lowered by Goldman Sachs (NYSE:GS) to $24.00. They have a “Neutral” rating on the company.

Bemis (BMS) had its price target lowered by Jefferies to $29.00. They have a “Hold” rating on the company.

Starbucks (SBUX) (TSO) (RIG) (WLL) Price Targets Changed

Starbucks (SBUX), Tesoro (TSO), Transocean (RIG) and Whiting Petroleum (WLL) had price targets on them adjusted by analysts.

Starbucks (SBUX) had its price target raised by Morgan Stanley (NYSE:MS) to $46. They have an Overweight rating on them.

Tesoro (TSO) had its price target raised by Credit Suisse (NYSE:CS) to $38. They have an Outperform rating on them.

Transocean (RIG) had its price target lowered by Credit Suisse. They have a Neutral rating on them.

Whiting Petroleum (WLL) had its price target lowered by to $65. They have an "outperform" rating on them.

Starbucks (SBUX) (FOSL) (MCD) (MLNX) (OWW) (PCLN) (SAP) Get New Coverage

Starbucks (NASDAQ: SBUX), Fossil (NASDAQ: FOSL), McDonald’s (NYSE: MCD), Mellanox Technologies, Ltd. (NASDAQ: MLNX), Orbitz Worldwide, Inc. (NYSE: OWW), Priceline (NASDAQ: PCLN) and SAP Aktiengesellschaft (NYSE: SAP) getting new coverage from analysts.

Credit Agricole initiated coverage on Starbucks (SBUX). They placed an “Underperform” rating on the company.

Cowen initiated coverage on Fossil (FOSL). They placed an “Outperform” rating on the company.

Credit Agricole initiated coverage on McDonald’s (MCD). They placed a “Buy” rating on the company.

Lazard Capital initiated coverage on Mellanox Technologies, Ltd. (MLNX). They placed a “Neutral” rating on the company.

Evercore Partners initiated coverage on Orbitz Worldwide, Inc. (OWW). They placed an “Underweight” rating on the company.

Evercore Partners initiated coverage on Priceline (PCLN). They placed an “Equal Weight” rating and a price target of $525.00 on the company. They cited valuation as the catalyst behind the call.

Citigroup (NYSE:C) initiated coverage on SAP Aktiengesellschaft (SAP). They placed a “Buy” rating on the company.

Honeywell (HON) (VE) (SBUX) (SONC) (NTAP) (ALB) Downgraded

Honeywell International Inc. (NYSE: HON), Veolia Environnement (NYSE: VE), Starbucks (NASDAQ: SBUX), Sonic Co. (NASDAQ: SONC), NetApp Inc. (NASDAQ: NTAP) and Albemarle Co. (NYSE: ALB) downgraded by analysts.

Honeywell International Inc. (HON) was downgraded by Sanford C. Bernstein from an “Outperform” rating to a “Market Perform” rating.

Veolia Environnement (VE) was downgraded by UBS AG (NYSE:UBS) from a “Buy” rating to a “Neutral” rating.

Starbucks (SBUX) was downgraded by Oppenheimer from an “Outperform” rating to a “Perform” rating.

Sonic Co. (SONC) was downgraded by Oppenheimer from an “Outperform” rating to a “Perform” rating.

NetApp Inc. (NTAP) was downgraded by FBN Securities to a “Sector Perform” rating.

Albemarle Co. (ALB) was downgraded by Longbow Research from a “Buy” rating to a “Neutral” rating.

AK Steel (AKS) (MUSA) (WFT) (SBUX) (RFMD) (PETM) Upgraded

AK Steel Holding Co. (NYSE: AKS), Metals USA Holdings Corp (NASDAQ: MUSA), Weatherford (NYSE: WFT), Starbucks (NASDAQ: SBUX), RF Micro Device (NASDAQ: RFMD) and Petsmart Inc (NASDAQ: PETM) upgraded by analysts.

AK Steel Holding Co. (AKS) was upgraded by CRT Capital to a “Buy” rating.

Metals USA Holdings Corp. (MUSA) was upgraded by Davenport from a “Neutral” rating to a “Buy” rating.

Weatherford (WFT) was upgraded by Pritchard from a “Neutral” rating to a “Buy” rating.

Starbucks (SBUX) was upgraded by Janney Montgomery Scott from a “Neutral” rating to a “Buy” rating.

RF Micro Device (RFMD) was upgraded by Craig Hallum from a “Hold” rating to a “Buy” rating.

Petsmart (PETM) was upgraded by Piper Jaffray (NYSE:PJC) from a “Neutral” rating to an “Overweight” rating. They have a price target of $53.00 on the company.

Halliburton (HAL) (DD) (AEIS) (AEP) (SBUX) Price Targets Changed by Analysts

Halliburton (NYSE: HAL), DuPont (NYSE: DD), Advanced Energy Industries, Inc. (NASDAQ: AEIS), American Electric Power (NYSE: AEP) and Starbucks (NASDAQ: SBUX) had their price targets changed by analysts.

Argus raised their price target on Halliburton (HAL) from $56.00 to $63.00. They have a “buy” rating on the company.

Ticonderoga raised their price target on DuPont (DD) from $70.00 to $75.00. They have a “buy” rating on the company.

Citigroup (NYSE:C) cut their price target on Advanced Energy Industries, Inc. (AEIS) to $16.00.

UBS AG (NYSE:UBS) raised their price target on American Electric Power (AEP) to $39.00. They have a “neutral” rating on the company.

Credit Suisse (NYSE:CS) raised their price target on Starbucks (SBUX) to $46.00.

Starbucks closed Wednesday at $40.42, down $0.53, or 1.29 percent. American Electric Power closed at $38.50, falling $0.01, or 0.03 percent. Advanced Energy Industries, Inc. ended the day at $13.16, dropping $0.11, or 0.79 percent. DuPont closed at $55.20, jumping $0.75, or 1.38 percent. Halliburton ended at $52.66, climbing $0.51, or 0.98 percent.

Ratings on (ISRG) (MCC) (PLT) (PM) (SBUX) Reiterated

Ratings on Intuitive Surgical, Inc. (NASDAQ: ISRG), Medley Capital (NYSE: MCC), Plantronics (NYSE: PLT), Philip Morris (NYSE: PM) and Starbucks (NASDAQ: SBUX) reiterated by analysts.

Morgan Keegan reiterated a “market perform” rating on Intuitive Surgical, Inc. (ISRG).

Gilford Securities reiterated a “buy” rating on Medley Capital (MCC).

Wedbush reiterated a “neutral” rating on Plantronics (PLT).

Morgan Stanley (NYSE:MS) reiterated an “overweight” rating on Philip Morris (PM).

Morgan Stanley reiterated an “overweight” rating on Starbucks (SBUX).

Coverage on (QRE) (RAI) (SBUX) Initiated

Coverage on QR Energy LP (NYSE: QRE), Reynolds American, Inc. (NYSE: RAI)
and Starbucks (NASDAQ: SBUX) was initiated by analysts.

HSBC initiated coverage on QR Energy LP (QRE). They placed a “neutral”
rating and a price target of $23.00 on the company.

Robert W. Baird initiated coverage on QR Energy LP (QRE). They placed a
“neutral” rating and a price target of $23.00 on the company.

Wells Fargo & Co. (NYSE:WFC) initiated coverage on Reynolds American, Inc.
(RAI). They placed an “outperform” rating and a price target of $39.00 on
the company.

Wells Fargo & Co. initiated coverage on Starbucks (SBUX). They placed a
“market perform” rating and a price target of $38.00 on the company.

Dividend Yields for (DRI) (CCL) (YUM) (WYN) (SBUX)

Indicated dividend yields for Standard & Poor's 500 Index companies Darden Restaurants Inc (DRI), Carnival Corp (CCL), Yum! Brands Inc (YUM), Wyndham Worldwide Corp (WYN) and Starbucks Corp (SBUX).

These dividend data indicate dividend yields of companies in the Standard & Poor's 500 Index as of Saturday, April 30. The yield is determined by taking the latest declared dividend, annualized and divided by the price of the stock. Payout ratios are calculated based on latest quarterly dividend paid divided by earnings.

Darden Restaurants Inc (DRI) has a dividend yield of 2.73 percent on a declared dividend of $0.32. The payout ratio is 28.8 percent.

Carnival Corp (CCL) has a dividend yield of 2.63 percent on a declared dividend of $0.25. The payout ratio is 129.9 percent.

Yum! Brands Inc (YUM) has a dividend yield of 1.86 percent on a declared dividend of $0.25. The payout ratio is 44.8 percent.

Wyndham Worldwide Corp (WYN) has a dividend yield of 1.73 percent on a declared dividend of $0.15. The payout ratio is 36.0 percent.

Starbucks Corp (SBUX) has a dividend yield of 1.44 percent on a declared dividend of $0.13. The payout ratio is 38.4 percent.

Starbucks (SBUX), (RNOW) (SCG) (SFLY) (SRCL) Price Targets Raised

Price targets on Starbucks (NASDAQ: SBUX), RightNow Technologies (NASDAQ: RNOW), Scana Corporation (NYSE: SCG), Shutterfly (NASDAQ: SFLY) and Stericycle Inc (NASDAQ: SRCL) raised by analysts.

Deutsche Bank (NSYE:DB) raised their price target on RightNow Technologies (RNOW) from $30.00 to $33.00. They have a “hold” rating on the company.

Piper Jaffray raised their price target on Starbucks (SBUX) from $46.00 to $48.00. They have an “overweight” rating on the company.

Wunderlich raised their price target on Scana Corporation (SCG) to $44.00. They have a “buy” rating on the company.

Piper Jaffray raised their price target on Shutterfly (SFLY) from $40.00 to $55.00. They have a “neutral” rating on the company.

JPMorgan Chase & Co. (NYSE:JPM) raised their price target on Stericycle Inc (SRCL) from $80.00 to $85.00. They have a “neutral” rating on the company.

Consumer Stocks Like (BBBY)(SBUX) Look Vulnerable

With the economy looking eerily like it did in the worst part of the recession, and shares in consumer stocks like Starbucks Corp. (NASDAQ:SBUX) and Bed Bath & Beyond Inc. (NASDAQ:BBBY) closing in on, or at, all-time highs, it's questionable as to where they can go from here, other than down.

Anything connected to consumer spending, especially beyond essential needs, will come under pressure if oil and gas prices remain high, or grow even higher.

Credit Suisse (NYSE:CS) wrote, "We believe the sharp increase in oil prices we have witnessed will translate into a meaningful underperformance of consumer discretionary stocks, as in 2004-2006."

Morgan Stanley (NYSE:MS) also says consumer discretionary firms are among its least favored sectors.

The major question yet to be answered is whether or not increased spending on gasoline has started to cut into consumer spending at restaurants, clothing stores, and other types of consumer goods or services.

Starbucks closed Thursday at $37.97, gaining $3.43, or 9.93 percent.

Green Mountain (GMCR), Starbucks (SBUX) Shares Soar on K-Cup Deal

Shares of Green Mountain (NASDAQ:GMCR) and Starbucks (NASDAQ:SBUX) are surging today on news the two companies consummated their deal to offer Starbucks coffee and its Tazo tea in Keurig’s K-Cup portion packs.

Starbucks rival Peet’s Coffee & Tea (NASDAQ:PEET), on the other hand, was getting crushed, as realization there was very little likelihood the company will be able to make a K-Cup deal with Green Mountain.

The deal was partially pursued on the part of Starbucks in order to expand its reach in the fast-growing single-cup coffee market and increase distribution.

Peet's was trading at $42.67, down $5.38, or 11.20 percent, as of 12:41 PM EST. Starbucks was trading at $37.60, gaining $3.06, or 8.86 percent. Green Mountain was at $60.50, soaring $16.86, or 38.63 percent.

Morgan Stanley (MS) Boosts Starbucks (SBUX) on Sustainable Growth

Starbucks Corp. (NASDAQ:SBUX) got a boost in its ratings and share price, as Morgan Stanley (NYSE:MS) upgraded the company, citing sustainable growth and single-serve market.

Morgan Stanley gave three reasons for the upgrade, "1) Resurrection of unit growth domestically and validation of international operating margins greatly expands global growth opportunities; with a pick up in growth to 4-5%. 2) Likely entry into the single-serve market is a $300-500 million revenue opportunity over the next 2-3 years; our survey work suggests significant pent-up demand for SBUX single-serve coffee. 3) Underappreciated B/S story increases the likelihood of greater cash distribution to shareholders."

Saying 30 percent of current single serve coffee users may switch to Starbucks if offered, shares of single serve coffee retailer Green Mountain Coffee Roasters Inc. (NASDAQ:GMCR) dropped.

Starbucks was trading at $33.53, up $0.41, or 1.24 percent, as of 1:19 PM EST. Green Mountain Coffee Roasters dropped $40.93, down $0.82, or 1.96 percent.

Kraft (KFT) Doesn't Get Preliminary Injunction Against Starbucks (SBUX)

Kraft Foods (NYSE:KFT) announced their attempt to have a preliminary injunction against Starbucks Coffee Company (Nasdaq:SBUX) was denied by the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York.

The General Counsel for Kraft responded saying:

"We're disappointed the judge decided not to grant a preliminary injunction. While we've always acknowledged that there are certain legal hurdles for obtaining a preliminary injunction, we avidly believe this case justifies an injunction and will argue that point vigorously on appeal.

"Importantly, however, today's decision is not a ruling on the core question of whether Starbucks can terminate our contract without compensating us as the contract requires. That question will be decided in arbitration.

"Without proof of material breach, Starbucks only legitimate termination mechanism is to pay Kraft fair market value for the business, plus a premium. We believe more strongly than ever that such a payment is the appropriate outcome in this dispute."

Kraft closed Friday at $30.53, down $0.01, or 0.03 percent. Starbucks closed at $31.73, down $1.30, or 3.94 percent.

Starbucks (Nasdaq:SBUX) Introduces Mobile Payment Service

Starbucks (Nasdaq:SBUX) has launched their mobile service payment initiative, whereby customers can use their phones to scan for payment.

Canaccord says, "As of yesterday, Starbucks customers no longer have to fumble for their wallets to get their coffee – they can just scan their phones. According to the Washington Post, the coffee behemoth launched its mobile payment service on Wednesday, and Blackberry and iPhone or iPod Touch users can download an app that lets them pay through a barcode sent straight to their devices. The service is integrated with Starbucks’ existing card service and mobile app, which lets customers manage their card balance, load their card with a major credit card (or PayPal account, for iPhone users), and locate the nearest store. About 6,800 stores across the country are now offering the service, with more than 1,000 in U.S. Target (NYSE: TGT) locations. This is the second big launch for Starbucks this week, as the company also announced a new drink size on Monday, the Trenta. At 31-ounces, the Trenta bests the current Vente cup by more than 10 ounces, offering caffeine addicts an extra jolt in the morning. While the cup may seem unnecessarily large, keep in mind that the large cup size at most fast food places is 32 ounces, which is still 30 mL larger than the Starbucks Trenta."

Starbucks was trading at $33.13, up $0.12, or 0.36 percent, as of 2:02 PM EST.

Uncertainty Surrounds Starbucks (NASDAQ:SBUX) for 2011 Says UBS

UBS (NYSE:UBS) sees the Starbucks (NASDAQ:SBUX) shrouded more in shadow for 2011, as there is a lack of clarity at this time as to how the company will perform, after a solid year.

UBS says, "We believe that 2011 for Starbucks will be more of a mixed bag than 2010 - with slowing 1-year sales trends and rising commodity costs - but could also be a year that ultimately resolves several unknowns for investors. Unlike 2010, when accelerating sales drove stock momentum, near-term upside is now less clear to us. However, we believe the stock can work as investors gain clarity on Starbucks numerous growth initiatives and top-line growth accelerates."

UBS maintains a "Buy" rating on Starbucks, which was trading at 32.34, up $0.08, or 0.25 percent, as of 1:40 PM EST. UBS raised their price target on Starbucks from $33 to $37.