Pre-Market Stock Futures:

Futures are trading higher as we get ready to start another action-packed week of second-quarter earnings results. This comes after a volatile week of trading and a Friday close that saw all major indices finish lower. Ongoing rotation out of semiconductor stocks, worries over an escalation of the war with Iran, a rekindling of inflation concerns, and the possibility of an interest rate increase at some point this year all weighed on investors. When the final bell rang, the Nasdaq once again was the big loser, closing down 1.40% at 25,520, while the S&P 500 finished the week lower by 1.01% on Friday at 7,457. The Dow Jones Industrial closed at 52,146, down 0.77% on the day, while the small-cap Russell 2000 closed at 2,962, down 0.42%.

Treasury Bonds:

Yields were mixed across the Treasury curve on Friday, with buyers targeting the belly and long-end, while sellers sold off the shorter maturities. The 30-year-long bond finished the session at 5.07%, while the benchmark 10-year note closed at 4.55%. Traders cited the tech sell-off, geopolitical worries, and the strong June import prices report as factors on Friday.

Oil and Gas:

The song remains the same for the energy complex, as buyers once again bid up the prices of the two oil benchmarks. Concerns over supply disruption as the war escalates, drone strikes on regional infrastructure suspending crude loadings at Iraq’s Basra terminal, and the increase in the geopolitical premium are all among the tailwinds for the buyers on Friday. When the final bell rang, Brent Crude finished the day at $88.12, up 4.62%, while West Texas Intermediate was last seen at $82.47, higher by 4.46%. Natural gas closed Friday at $2.92, up 2.20%.

Gold:

After a very difficult week for the precious metals complex, investors received a strong finish on Friday. Traders cited softer consumer sentiment readings and a weaker dollar as reasons for the uptick. Gold closed trading at $4,017, up 1.05%, while Silver ended the day at $55.84, up 0.78%. 

Crypto:

24/7 Wall St. reviews dozens of analyst research reports every day to identify fresh investment ideas for investors and traders alike. These daily analyst notes include recommendations on stocks to buy, sell, or avoid, as well as new coverage initiations. Important reminder: No single analyst report should ever be the sole basis for buying or selling a stock.

Here are some of the top Wall Street analyst upgrades, downgrades, and initiations seen on Monday, July 20, 2026.  

Upgrades:

• Fervo Energy (NASDAQ: FRVO) was upgraded to Buy from Hold at Jefferies, which trimmed the target price for the stock to $36 from $41. This company was a recent IPO.
• Lumentum Holdings (NASDAQ: LITE) was upgraded to Overweight from Equal Weight at Barclays, with a $1,000 target price objective.
• Netflix (NASDAQ: NFLX) was upgraded to Buy from Accumulate at Phillip Securities, with a $110 target price.
• Urban Outfitters (NASDAQ: URBN) was raised to Buy from Neutral at Goldman Sachs, which raised the target price to $93 from $76.
• Yeti Holdings (NYSE: YETI) was upgraded to Buy from Neutral at Goldman Sachs, which lifted the target price for the shares to $63 from $46.

Downgrades:

• Birkenstock Holdings (NYSE: BIRK) was downgraded to Neutral from Buy at Seaport Research, without a target price.
• Charles Schwab (NYSE: SCHW) was downgraded to Market Perform from Outperform at BMO Capital, with an unchanged $105 target price.
• HubSpot (NYSE: HUBS) was downgraded to Equal Weight from Overweight at Wells Fargo, which slashed the target price for the stock to $225 from $300.
• Monster Beverage (NASDAQ: MNST) was cut to Hold from Buy at Deutsche Bank, which bumped the price target for the energy drink giant to $98 from $94.
• Truist Financial (NYSE: TFC) was downgraded to Underweight from Neutral at JPMorgan, which trimmed the target price for the shares to $53 from $53.50.

Initiations:

• BP (NYSE: BP) was started with an Outperform rating at Mizuho, with a $51 target price.
• Honeywell Aerospace (NASDAQ: HONA) was initiated with a Neutral rating at UBS, with a $231 target price for the shares.
• Microsoft Corporation (NASDAQ: MSFT) was initiated with an Outperform rating at CLSA, with a $535 target price. 
  
• Oracle (NYSE: ORCL) was started with a Hold rating at CLSA, with a $145 target price.
• ServiceNow (NYSE: NOW) was initiated with an Underperform rating at CLSA, with a $72 target price.

The post Here Are Monday’s Top Wall Street Analyst Research Calls: BP, Charles Schwab, Fervo Energy, HubSpot, Lumentum, Microsoft, Netflix, Oracle, ServiceNow, Yeti Holdings, and More appeared first on 24/7 Wall St..

Gap (NYSE: GAP) and Urban Outfitters (NASDAQ: URBN) stocks have both pulled back from recent highs, but only one deserves a retirement investor’s capital right now. Here is the direct comparison across three dimensions that matter most for income-seeking, lower-risk buyers.

Yield and Income: Gap Wins Decisively

Gap pays a dividend. Urban Outfitters does not. That alone ends the income debate. Gap’s annualized dividend of $0.70 per share offers a 2.8% yield at current prices. Management recently raised the quarterly payout by about 6%, and it authorized a new $1 billion share buyback in March 2026. Because Urban Outfitters carries no dividend and no dividend yield, Gap is the clear choice for a retirement portfolio built around income.

Valuation: Urban Outfitters Wins on Quality, Gap Wins on Price

Both stocks trade at modest multiples, but the composition differs. Gap trades at a trailing P/E of 12x with a forward multiple of 11x, a price-to-sales ratio of 0.6, and an EV/EBITDA of 6.7x. Urban Outfitters trades at a trailing P/E of 13x and a forward P/E of 12x, but with a higher operating margin of 8.8% versus Gap’s 7.3%. It also posts a profit margin of 7.5% compared to Gap’s 5.3%, with diluted EPS of $5.15 versus Gap’s $2.13. Earning more per dollar of revenue makes Urban Outfitters the better-quality business at a comparable price.

Earnings Momentum: Gap Wins

Gap beat EPS estimates in all four quarters of fiscal year 2026, with Q4’s 18.42% positive surprise being the strongest. The company has delivered eight consecutive quarters of positive comparable sales, with Q4 comps up 3% and online sales rising 5% to represent 42% of total net sales. Urban Outfitters, by contrast, just posted a significant miss in its most recent quarter, reporting $1.05 against a $1.26 estimate, a 16.7% miss in Q1 FY2026. That reverses a four-quarter streak of beats, including a 39.8% positive surprise in Q2 FY2025. Momentum clearly favors Gap right now.

Volatility: Urban Outfitters Wins

Gap carries a beta of 2.245, more than double the market’s volatility. Urban Outfitters runs a beta of 1.204, far more manageable for retirees who cannot afford large drawdowns. Gap’s five-year price return is −19.0%, while Urban Outfitters has returned 78.1% over the same period. The 10-year picture reinforces this: Urban Outfitters is up 124.1% over a decade versus Gap’s 6.6%. Urban Outfitters is the steadier compounder over time.

The Verdict

The answer depends entirely on what “retirement investor” means in practice. For an investor drawing income and needing yield, Gap is the only viable choice. Its dividend, buyback program, consistent earnings beats, and dirt-cheap valuation at 0.6x sales make it a defensible income holding, with analyst consensus pointing to a target of $30.65 against a current price of $25.43. The tariff headwind (200 basis points of gross margin pressure in Q1) is a real near-term risk, but the income case holds.

For a growth-oriented retirement account focused on total return, Urban Outfitters wins. Better margins, superior long-term price appreciation, lower beta, and a higher-quality earnings profile make it the stronger compounder. The recent earnings miss creates the dip. Analysts carry a target of $83.67 against a current price of $68.22. Analysts carry a target of $83.67, against a current price of $68.22, representing potential upside for investors who do not need the dividend check today.

The post Gap or Urban Outfitters: Which Retail Stock Wins for Income Investors in 2026? appeared first on 24/7 Wall St..

Urban Outfitters (NASDAQ: URBN) posted a strong finish to fiscal year 2026, with record fourth-quarter revenue and operating profits that exceeded analyst expectations, sending shares higher in after-hours trading.

Urban Outfitters reported Q4 revenue of $1.80 billion, narrowly topping the FactSet consensus of $1.79 billion and rising 10.1% year over year. Diluted EPS came in at $1.05, though that trailed the consensus estimate of $1.24. Adjusted net income grew 33% to $130.5 million. For the full fiscal year, revenue reached $6.17 billion, up 11.1% and a company record.

The standout story was the namesake Urban Outfitters brand, which delivered +9.6% comparable store sales after years of underperformance. The retail segment overall posted +5.5% comparable sales, a record, with all brands contributing positively. The Nuuly subscription business also outperformed, reaching 420,000 subscribers, up 40% year over year, generating $568 million in annual sales and $35 million in profit.

Shares rose roughly 3% in late trading after the report, though the stock remains down 13% year to date. The analyst consensus sits at “Hold” with an average price target of $84.00, compared to current levels near $65.46. Management flagged tariff exposure and SG&A trajectory as headwinds. The next earnings report is expected around March 3.

The post Urban Outfitters Reports Q4 2026 Earnings: What You Need to Know appeared first on 24/7 Wall St..

Editor’s Note: A prior version of this article incorrectly referenced the prior CEO of J.Jill, as well as a quote from them in a 2024 earnings call, without clarifying the year.  We have updated the post to correct these issues. Please reach out to contact@flywheelpublishing.com with any additional concerns. 

J.Jill (NYSE: JILL) and Urban Outfitters (NASDAQ: URBN) reported third-quarter results revealing two apparel retailers moving in opposite directions. J.Jill’s revenue slipped 0.5% while earnings dropped 25%. Urban Outfitters posted 12.3% revenue growth and earnings jumped 16.4%. Same sector, similar operating margins around 9.6%, but fundamentally different stories.

Full-Price Pressure Hits One. Margin Expansion Lifts the Other.

J.Jill struggled with what prior CEO Claire Spofford, in a Q3 2024 earnings call called “consumer distraction due to world events” that pressured full-price selling. Since then, new CEO Mary Ellen Coyne has stepped in to right the ship and get J. Jill back on track.

Bottoms performed well, driven by a Ponte Pant campaign that provided new styling ideas. That strength offset ongoing softness in dresses. CFO Mark Webb acknowledged: “We have not yet seen the return of the strong full-price customer we saw earlier this year.”

Urban Outfitters delivered the opposite result. Co-President Frank Conforti reported gross profit rate surged over 500 basis points, driven by “significantly improved initial margins as well as lower markdown rates at all brands.” Operating income soared 90% to $109 million. The company hit a record $1.3 billion in quarterly revenue.

Urban’s multi-brand portfolio showed strength across segments. Rental service Nuuly added $30 million in revenue and grew 86% year over year. All three core brands (Urban Outfitters, Anthropologie, Free People) posted retail comps up 6% with improved product margins.

Single-Brand Focus Versus Portfolio Diversification

J.Jill operates a single brand targeting women over 40. That focus creates vulnerability when the core customer pulls back. The company’s best customer cohort grew, but the overall file contracted.

Urban Outfitters spreads risk across four distinct brands serving different demographics and price points. When one brand softens, others compensate. Nuuly generates recurring subscription revenue and introduces younger customers to the brand portfolio. This diversification delivered resilience during the same quarter that challenged J.Jill.

J.Jill announced a $25 million share repurchase program, its first since going public in 2017. Urban Outfitters maintains significant insider ownership at 33.4%.

Freight Costs Will Ease. Customer Behavior Remains the Question.

J.Jill’s freight headwinds should moderate as Red Sea rerouting costs cycle through inventory. The real test is whether full-price customers return in spring 2025. August was soft, but Spofford noted “nice sequential improvement as we moved deeper into the quarter.”

Urban Outfitters needs to sustain margin gains while maintaining growth momentum. The 500-basis-point margin expansion creates tough comparisons ahead.

Why Urban Outfitters Looks More Compelling Right Now

Urban Outfitters offers more compelling retail exposure today. The portfolio structure provides downside protection that J.Jill’s single-brand model cannot match. Margin expansion at scale is harder to achieve than at smaller operations, making Urban’s 500-basis-point improvement more impressive.

J.Jill trades at a P/E of 6.44 with a 2.2% dividend yield, creating value appeal. Analysts see 27% upside to their $18 target. But that upside depends on the full-price customer returning, and management cannot control that timing. If promotional pressure persists through 2025, the valuation discount may be justified rather than opportunistic.

Urban Outfitters trades near analyst targets with limited upside at current levels, but operational momentum and diversified revenue streams make it the safer bet until J.Jill demonstrates it can reverse the earnings decline.

The post The Single-Brand Apparel Retailer Stumbles as the Multi-Brand Portfolio Giant Surges 90% appeared first on 24/7 Wall St..

Pre-Market Stock Futures:

The futures are trading modestly higher as Thanksgiving Eve has finally arrived. After a slow start on Tuesday, all the major indices began to rally by noon and finished well in the green by the close. The initial downturn was sparked by news that Alphabet Inc. (NASDAQ: GOOG) was in talks with Meta Platforms Inc. (NASDAQ: META) to sell them its custom AI chips. Google’s own specialized chips, called Tensor Processing Units (TPUs), are optimized for AI and machine learning workloads and are typically used in its own data centers. NVIDIA Inc. (NASDAQ: NVDA) was down almost 3% by the close on the news, which started the early selling, and while the rest of the indices recovered, the chip giant finished the day in the red. By the close, the Dow Jones Industrials led the way, up 1.43% to finish the session at 47,012; the S&P 500 closed at 6,765, up 0.91%; and the NASDAQ was last seen at 23,025, up 0.67%.

Treasury Bonds:

For the second day in a row, yields were down across the Treasury curve, and the song remains the same. Hopes for a rate cut, which had fallen to as low as 20% a few weeks ago, have jumped back to 80%, and there is some talk on Wall Street that a January cut could also be in the cards. Benign wholesale inflation data and a weakening job market are all aiding the push for continued rate cuts. Plus, amid speculation that White House National Economic Council Director Kevin Hassett may be the next Chairman of the Federal Reserve, many feel he would aggressively pursue lower interest rates to lower borrowing costs. The 30-year Treasury long bond closed the day at 4.66%, while the benchmark 10-year note closed at 4%.

Oil and Gas:

After a stellar day to start the week, prices across the energy complex were lower across the board. Reports that Ukraine has tacitly accepted terms for an end to the almost four-year war with Russia sent the black gold tumbling. Add in concerns over a supply glut, and that was all it took to bring the big benchmarks and natural gas down. Brent Crude closed at $62.47, down 1.42%, while West Texas Intermediate was last seen at $57.93, down 1.55%. Natural gas was also hit hard, closing at $4.39, down 3.5%

Gold:

Gold rose again on Tuesday as buyers and sellers remained evenly matched throughout the day. Analysts noted that if the U.S. dollar weakens and the Fed does cut rates next month, the year-long rally should continue into 2026. Again, the mild wholesale inflation numbers keep the rate cut scenario front and center. Gold closed the day at $4,130, up almost 1%.

Crypto:

On Tuesday, the crypto market had an early relief rally, with major cryptocurrencies like Bitcoin (BTC) and Ethereum (ETH) rebounding from recent lows, only for the rally to fade by the afternoon. The upturn was initially driven by improving risk sentiment, an outstanding session in U.S. equities, and some easing of selling pressure, although the longer-term outlook remains cautious. At 4 PM EST, Bitcoin was trading at $87,260, while Ethereum was at $2,935.

24/7 Wall St. reviews dozens of analyst research reports daily to identify new investment ideas for both investors and traders. Some of these daily analyst calls cover stocks to buy. Other calls cover stocks to sell or avoid. Remember that no single analyst call should ever be used as a basis to buy or sell a stock. 

Here are some of the top Wall Street analyst upgrades, downgrades, and initiations seen on Wednesday, Thanksgiving Eve, November 26, 2025. 

Upgrades:

• DHL Group Inc.(OTCPK: DHLGY) was raised to Neutral from Sell at UBS with a U.S. dollar price of $49.20.
• Kymer Therapeutics Inc. (NASDAQ: KYMR) was reiterated with a Buy rating at UBS with a $90 target price.
• NetApp Inc. (NASDAQ: NTAP) Barclays reiterated an Overweight rating on the shares with a $134 target price.
• Nutanix Inc. (NASDAQ: NTNX) Barclays reiterated an Overweight rating on the stock with a $64 target price objective.
• Oracle Corp. (NASDAQ: ORCL) Deutsche Bank reiterated a Buy rating for the stock with a $375 target price.
• Snowflake Inc. (NYSE: SNOW) Citigroup reiterated a Buy rating on the shares and raised the target price to $310 from $275.
• Urban Outfitters Inc. (NASDAQ: URBN) Barclays reiterated an Overweight rating on the company with a $98 target price objective.
• Zscaler Inc. (NASDAQ: ZS) UBS reiterated a Buy rating on the shares and has a $340 target price objective.

Downgrades:

• Biohaven Inc. (NYSE: BHVN) was downgraded to Neutral from Buy at UBS with a $11 target price.
• Morgan Stanley Direct Lending Fund (NYSE: MSDL) Royal Bank of Canada downgraded the shares to Sector Perform from Outperform with an $18 target price.

Initiations:

• Ovintiv Inc. (NYSE: OVV) was initiated with an Outperform rating at William Blair with a $50 target price.

The post Here Are Wednesday’s Top Wall Street Analyst Research Calls: DHL Group, NetApp, Nutanix, Oracle, Snowflake, Urban Outfitters, Zscaler and More appeared first on 24/7 Wall St..

The futures were trading lower on Tuesday after a rollercoaster start to the final trading week for September and the third quarter. The major indexes all finished higher on the day. halting a four-day losing streak for the S&P 500 and the Nasdaq. Despite Monday’s gains, the same elements that hit stocks last week are still in play, such as higher interest rates, soaring energy prices, systematic selling from funds, continued dollar strength and, as we have mentioned, stocks are in the worst time of the year from a seasonality standpoint.

Treasury yields were mixed across the curve, as buyers had interest in the shorter maturities and yields soared as sellers arrived for the longer-dated debt. The 10-year note closed the day at a 4.54% yield, the highest since June of 2007, while the 30-year long bond was last seen at 4.67%, the highest since December of 2009. Hedge funds have been reported to still be shorting the long end of the curve.

Brent and West Texas Intermediate crude were flat to modestly higher on Monday after a strong surge higher last week. End of the quarter profit taking will likely be in play this week as futures traders have wracked up some big gains during the past three months. Brent closed the day down 0.08% at $93.34, while WTI was last seen at $89.90, down 0.14%. Natural gas closed lower at $2.63.

After a solid close to the week, gold traded lower on Monday. The December contract finished the day at $1,934.90, down 0.55%. Again, end of the quarter positioning plus the continued dollar strength and higher interest rates have weighed on the precious metal. Bitcoin closed up 0.39% on the day at $26,351.80.
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24/7 Wall St. reviews dozens of analyst research reports each weekday with a goal of finding fresh ideas for investors and traders alike. Some of these daily analyst calls cover stocks to buy. Other calls cover stocks to sell or avoid. Remember that no single analyst call should ever be used as a basis to buy or sell a stock. Consensus analyst target data is from Refinitiv.

These are the top analyst upgrades, downgrades and initiations seen on Tuesday, September 26, 2023.

AngioDynamics Inc. (NASDAQ: ANGO): H.C. Wainwright initiated coverage with a Buy rating and a $19 target price. The consensus target is $16.50. The upgrade and positive commentary helped shares close almost 5% higher on Monday at $7.35.

AstraZeneca PLC (NASDAQ: AZN): Jefferies raised its Hold rating to Buy and its $66.50 target price to $80. The consensus target is $81.79. The stock was last seen on Monday trading at $68.81.

Ballard Power Systems Inc. (NASDAQ: BLDP): HSBC Securities initiated coverage with a Hold rating and a $4.50 target price. The consensus target is $6.23. The stock closed at $3.62 on Monday.
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BHP Group Ltd. (NYSE: BHP): When Bernstein downgraded the stock to Market Perform from Outperform, it also trimmed its target price to $58 from $60. The consensus target is $65.69, and Monday’s last trade was for $55.03 a share.

Bloom Energy Corp. (NYSE: BE): HSBC Securities started coverage with a Buy rating and a $22 target price. The consensus target is $25.90. The stock closed on Monday at $13.79.

Brookfield Infrastructure Partners L.P. (NYSE: BIP): Raymond James upgraded the stock to Strong Buy from Outperform. Its $45 target price is higher than the consensus target of$42.33 and Monday’s close at $31.42.

CarMax Inc. (NYSE: KMX): Wedbush raised its Neutral rating to Outperform, and the $85 target price increased to $90. The consensus target is $81.15. The stock closed on Monday at $77.67.

Choice Hotels Inc. (NYSE: CHH): Argus initiated coverage with a Buy rating and a $145 target pierce. The consensus target is $129. The stock closed on Monday at $121.35.

Cleveland-Cliffs Inc. (NYSE: CLF): Citigroup’s upgrade was from Neutral to Buy with a $22 target price. That compares with an $18.77 consensus target and Monday’s closing print of $14.87, which was almost 3% higher on the day, after the upgrade.
CrowdStrike Holdings Inc. (NASDAQ: CRWD): Goldman Sachs reiterated a Buy rating and raised its target price to $195 from $175. The consensus target is $194.73. Monday’s close was at $159.05.

Dow Inc. (NYSE: DOW): J.P. Morgan upgraded the stock to Overweight from Neutral, but its $55 target price is shy of the consensus target of $55.58. Monday’s closing share price was $50.97.

FMC Corp. (NYSE: FMC): Redburn Atlantic downgraded the stock to Neutral from Overweight and has a $71 target price. The consensus target is $111.31. The last trade on Monday was for $67.49 a share.

Golar LNG Ltd. (NASDAQ: GLNG): Citigroup resumed coverage with a Neutral rating, and the analyst set a $27 target price. The consensus target is $32.50, and the final trade on Monday was reported at $23.42.

Nike Inc. (NYSE: NKE): The Buy rating at Jefferies has dropped to Hold, and the firm slashed the target price from $140 to $100. The consensus target is $115.45. Monday’s close was at $90.59.

Pioneer Natural Resources Co. (NYSE: PXD): Its Bull of the Day stock has seen earnings estimates on the rise again, says Zacks. Shares of the oil and gas exploration and production company last closed at $225.54, and the consensus price target is $261.54.

Plains All-American Pipeline L.P. (NYSE: PAA): Barclays downgraded the shares from Equal Weight to Underweight with a $15 target price. The consensus target is $16.94. On Monday, shares closed at $15.59.

Quanterix Inc. (NASDAQ: QTRX): Canaccord Genuity upgraded the stock to Buy from Hold and lifted the target price to $32 from $25. The consensus target is $28.25. The stock closed 4% higher on Monday at $25.87 after the upgrade.

Sealed Air Corp. (NYSE: SEE): Citigroup upgraded the stock to Buy from Neutral, but its $41 target price is less than the consensus target of $45.55. The stock ended Monday trading at $32.87, almost a 4% gain for the day, after the upgrade.

Steel Dynamics Inc. (NASDAQ: STLD): Citigroup’s upgrade was from Neutral to Buy with a $130 target. That compares with the lower $108.13 consensus and Monday’s closing trade of $105.01, which was higher by almost 4% on the upgrade.
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Tech Target Inc. (NASDAQ: TTGT): UBS started coverage with a Neutral rating and a $31 target price. The consensus target is set at $33.75. The shares closed on Monday at $26.67.

Urban Outfitters Inc. (NASDAQ: URBN): As Jefferies downgraded it to Hold from Buy, the $40 target price dropped to $31. The consensus target is $38.82, while Monday’s close was at $31.39.

Warby Parker Inc. (NYSE: WRBY): UBS started coverage with a Neutral rating and has a $13 target. The consensus target is $16. The shares were last seen on Monday trading at $12.22.
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With the possibility for more downside now very strong, investors looking for safety may want to consider seven stocks from the Berkshire Hathaway portfolio with among the largest dividends.

Twenty-five American industries are thriving, and see the 13 biggest mistakes in retirement planning.

Monday’s top analyst upgrades and downgrades included Aramark, Arm, Costco Wholesale, Deere, GoDaddy, Home Depot, Intercontinental Exchange, Payoneer Global, Walmart, Wayfair and Yum China.

The post Tuesday’s Top Wall Street Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades: AstraZeneca, Bloom Energy, Cleveland-Cliffs, CrowdStrike, Dow, Nike, Urban Outfitters and More appeared first on 24/7 Wall St..

The futures mostly traded higher Thursday, after a solid bounce-back day for the stock market, as all the major indexes finished the day higher. The catalyst for Wednesday’s rally and Thursday’s potential strong risk-on day was solid earnings from Nvidia and very solid forward guidance from the company. While the boost from the AI chip giant was very welcome, the market strength may run into a brick wall when Federal Reserve Chair Powell gives his annual speech at the Jackson Hole Symposium, where he is expected to remain vigilant on containing and lowering inflation.

Treasury yields plummeted by double digits in some cases Wednesday, as some of the highest yields in years had buyers clamoring to own the safe-haven government debt. The 10-year note yields dropped 14 basis points to close at 4.19%, with the shorter two-year paper last seen yielding 4.97%. The ongoing inversion still suggests recession at some point.

Brent and West Texas Intermediate crude both finished the day lower, at $82.99 and $78.61, respectively. That was well off the lows of the day after the Energy Information Administration reported a 6.1 million barrel inventory draw for the week to August 18. In addition, reports indicated that the Saudis will extend their production cut through October. Natural gas closed lower at $2.48, down 3% on the day.

Gold was a big winner on the day/ The December futures contract for the precious metal closed up 1.05% at $1,946.20. Traders and analysts cited the big jump in new home sales as a positive. Sales rose 4.4% last month against estimates for a 1.6% drop, coming in at a seasonally adjusted annualized rate of 714,000 homes, their highest level since February 2022. Bitcoin also rallied to close a stunning 2.05% higher at $26,577.20. The cryptocurrency giant had closed lower in 10 of the past 11 trading sessions before Wednesday’s rally.
[nativounit]
24/7 Wall St. reviews dozens of analyst research reports each weekday with a goal of finding fresh ideas for investors and traders alike. Some of these daily analyst calls cover stocks to buy. Other calls cover stocks to sell or avoid. Remember that no single analyst call should ever be used as a basis to buy or sell a stock. Consensus analyst target data is from Refinitiv.

These are the top Wall Street analyst upgrades, downgrades and initiations seen on Thursday, August 24, 2023.

Amazon.com Inc. (NASDAQ: AMZN): Loop Capital reiterated a Buy rating on the shares and lifted its $180 target price to $200. The consensus target is just $169.29, and the shares closed trading on Wednesday at $135.18 apiece.
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American Electric Power Co. Inc. (NASDAQ: AEP): Barclays started coverage with an Overweight rating, though its $88 price target is less than the consensus target of $96.83. Wednesday’s final trade was for $79.36 a share.
Amgen Inc (NASDAQ: AMGN): Oppenheimer reiterated an Outperform rating with a $280 target price. The consensus target is lower at $255.15 and below Wednesday’s $257.52 closing share price.

Andersons Inc. (NASDAQ: ANDE): Zacks says that agribusiness is picking up again and it selected this stock as its Bull of the Day. The shares last closed at $51.40, and the $61.67 consensus price target would be a multiyear high.

Avery Dennison Corp. (NYSE: AVY): BofA Securities raised its Neutral rating to Buy and its $184 price target to $220. The consensus target is $199.91. Wednesday’s close was at $181.29.

Beazer Homes USA Inc. (NYSE: BZH): Sidoti upgraded the stock to Buy from Neutral. Its $36 target price compares with a $35.33 consensus target. Wednesday’s closing print of $29.48 was up almost 5% after the upgrade.

BHP Group Ltd. (NYSE: BHP): Jefferies reiterated a Buy rating with a $68 target price. The consensus target is $64.13, and Wednesday’s last trade was for $57.03 a share.

Brown-Forman Corp. (NYSE: BF-B): Morgan Stanley’s upgrade to Overweight from Underweight included a price target hike to $75 from $66. The consensus target is $69.06. The stock closed almost 4% higher on Wednesday at $69.20 after the upgrade.

Dick’s Sporting Goods Inc. (NYSE: DKS): Wedbush downgraded the stock to Neutral from Outperform. The analyst also slashed the $155 target price to $115, well below the consensus target of $149.65. On Wednesday, the shares closed at $110.36.

Duke Energy Corp. (NYSE: DUK): Barclays started coverage with an Overweight rating and a $96 target price. The consensus target is up at $102.13. Wednesday’s close was at $90.23.

General Mills Inc. (NYSE: GIS): BofA Securities reiterated a Neutral rating but cut its target price to $72 from $82. The consensus target is $80.29. Wednesday’s closing share price was $67.99.
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KeyCorp (NYSE: KEY): Zacks named this as its Bear of the Day stock as analysts are cutting earnings estimates on the banks again. The shares have traded as high as $20.30 in the past year but closed most recently at $10.75. That is down almost 42% in the past six months.

Lowe’s Companies Inc. (NYSE: LOW): Telsey Advisory reiterated a Market Perform rating and nudged its $225 target price to $230. The consensus target is $241.28. The stock closed on Wednesday at $226.25.

Macy’s Inc. (NYSE: M): When Telsey Advisory reiterated a Market Perform rating, it trimmed its target price to $14 from $16. The consensus target is $16.33, and shares closed at $12.49 on Wednesday.

Marvell Technology Inc. (NASDAQ: MRVL): Susquehanna reiterated a Positive rating and lifted its $60 target price to $70. The consensus target is $70.28. The stock closed almost 3% higher on Wednesday at $61.28.
Netflix Inc. (NASDAQ: NFLX): Oppenheimer reiterated its Outperform rating. The firm’s $515 target price is well above the consensus target of $457.56 and Wednesday’s close at $429.34.

Premier Inc. (NASDAQ: PINC): As Piper Sandler downgraded the stock to Neutral from Overweight, its $44 target price dropped to $25. The consensus target is $35.80, and Wednesday’s close was at $27.16.

Safehold Inc. (NYSE: SAFE): Goldman Sachs initiated coverage with a Buy rating and a $25 target price. The consensus target is $35.34. The shares ended Wednesday trading at $20.67.

Southern Co. (NYSE: SO): Barclays started coverage with an Equal Weight rating and a $68 price target. The consensus target is $33.61. Wednesday’s close was at $14.01.

SunRun Inc. (NASDAQ: RUN): Oppenheimer reiterated an Outperform rating with a $46 target price. The consensus target is $33.61, and Wednesday’s close was at $14.00.
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Super Micro Computer Inc. (NASDAQ: SMCI): Wedbush upgraded the shares from Underperform to Neutral with a $250 target price. The consensus target is up at $349.86. Wednesday’s $279.98 close was up almost 9% on the day.

Urban Outfitters Inc. (NASDAQ: URBN): Telsey Advisory reiterated an Outperform Perform rating and bumped its $40 target price to $41. The consensus target is $36.31. The stock closed at $34.74 on Wednesday.

Walmart Inc. (NYSE: WMT): Jefferies reiterated a Buy rating with a $190 target price. That compares with a lower $177.64 consensus target and Wednesday’s closing print of $157.96.
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For aggressive growth investors with plenty of risk tolerance, the time to buy five top stocks from Cathie Wood’s ARK Innovation ETF may be now, as they could see stellar growth in the coming years despite some wild price swings.

See which famous billionaires lost everything and 25 of the ugliest cars ever made.

Wednesday’s top analyst upgrades and downgrades included Alibaba, Alphabet, Amazon.com, AppLovin, Cognizant Technology Solutions, Emerson Electric, Meta Platforms, Pinterest, Sea, Shopify, Target and Trip Advisor.

The post Thursday’s Top Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades: Amazon, Amgen, Duke Energy, General Mills, KeyCorp, Lowe’s, Macy’s, Marvell Technology, Netflix, Walmart and More appeared first on 24/7 Wall St..

After U.S. markets closed on Friday, Palo Alto Networks reported better-than-expected earnings per share (EPS) and revenue that was just barely short of the consensus estimate. Analysts and investors breathed a big sigh of relief and sent shares up by around 16% in early trading on Monday.

There were no earnings reports due out before markets opened Monday morning.

After markets close on Monday and before they open on Tuesday, Baidu, Dick’s Sporting Goods, Lowe’s, Macy’s and Zoom Video are set to report results.

Later on Tuesday, there are two notable earnings reports due.

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Toll Brothers

Shares of homebuilder Toll Brothers Inc. (NYSE: TOL) have soared by nearly 56% over the past 12 months, with nearly all of the gain coming in 2023. Since posting an all-time high a month ago, the stock price has fallen by about 8.4%.

Toll Brothers has beaten earnings estimates in every one of the past 12 quarters, and a subdued estimate for the July quarter has set the bar comfortably for still another beat. What the company has to say about its view of the second half of the year will be the most closely watched part of the earnings release.

Of 20 brokerages covering Toll Brothers, 11 have a Buy or Strong Buy rating and six have rated it at Hold. At a recent share price of around $76.40, the upside potential based on a median price target of $83.50 is 9.3%. At the high price target of $100.00, the upside potential is 30.1%.

When the company reports third-quarter 2023 results, analysts expect to see revenue of $2.4 billion, which would be down 4.4% sequentially and by 3.6% year over year. Adjusted EPS are forecast at $2.87, down 1.9% sequentially but up 22.5% year over year. For the full 2023 fiscal year ending in October, analysts expect EPS of $10.72, down 1.6%, on sales of $9.22 billion, down 10.3%.

Toll Brothers stock trades at 7.1 times expected 2023 EPS, 4.6 times estimated 2024 earnings of $10.07 and 7.9 times estimated 2025 earnings of $9.66 per share. Its 52-week trading range is $39.53 to $83.72. The company pays an annual dividend of $0.84 (yield of 1.1%). Total shareholder return for the past year was 58.16%.

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Urban Outfitters

Specialty retailer Urban Outfitters Inc. (NASDAQ: URBN) has seen its share price surge by more than 55% over the past 12 months. The stock rose to a new 52-week high last week but has pulled back by about 5.7% since then on weak expectations for most retail stocks in the months ahead. Citigroup cut its rating on the stock from Buy to Neutral last week but raised its price target from $36 to $40, a signal that investor enthusiasm for the stock may have peaked.

Analysts are cautious on the stock, with 8 of 14 having Hold ratings and another five rating it at Buy or Strong Buy. At a share price of around $35.70, the implied upside based on a median price target of $39.00 is 9.2%. At the high target of $45.00, the implied gain is 26.1%.

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Second-quarter fiscal 2024 revenue is forecast to come in at $1.25 billion, up 12.1% sequentially and 5.9% higher year over year. Analysts are forecasting EPS of $0.88, up 57.0% sequentially and by 40.1% year over year. For the full fiscal year ending in January, analysts expect EPS of $2.83, up 66.2%, on sales of $5.05 billion, up 5.4%.

Urban Outfitters stock trades at 12.7 times expected 2024 EPS, 11.9 times estimated 2025 earnings of $3.00 and 11.4 times estimated 2026 earnings of $3.13 per share. The 52-week trading range is $18.75 to $37.81. The company does not pay a dividend, and the total shareholder return for the past year was 55.12%.

The post Earnings Preview: Toll Brothers, Urban Outfitters appeared first on 24/7 Wall St..

The futures were trading lower Tuesday on disappointing China economic data, after a solid start to the trading week that saw all the major indexes finish the day higher. With the inflation index readings out of the way until September, and the final second-quarter earnings on tap for this week with results from big retailers like Walmart and Target and tech giant Cisco, the stock market is likely poised to grind through the final two weeks of the summer with low volumes. One item that could stir the pot this week is the Friday options expiration, which some strategists view as having the potential to ignite selling if we trade through certain levels before Friday.

Treasury yields were modestly higher on Monday as some light selling came into the complex. Some analysts feel that the 30-year long bond could be headed back to highs hit last November. The last trade on Tuesday saw the yield at 4.30%. The 10-year note closed on Monday at 4.20%, while the two-year paper finished the day at 4.97%. While the inversion has narrowed some, many across Wall Street now feel a mild recession is on tap for 2024.

Brent and West Texas Intermediate crude finished Monday modestly higher, as more attention continued to focus on the energy rally, which has pushed the Energy Select Sector SPDR Fund close to a 52-week high. Brent closed at $86.36, while WTI finished Monday’s session at $82.60. Natural gas was last seen at $2.84.

Gold had a lackluster day Monday, and many feel that the precious metal will stay stuck in neutral for the balance of the summer. While many view the $1,950 level of the December contract as support, the environment for the safe-haven bullion is being challenged by short T-bill rates well above the 5% level. Gold closed Monday at $1,937.90. Bitcoin, which has had a so-so summer as well, closed flat Monday at $29,392.
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24/7 Wall St. reviews dozens of analyst research reports each weekday with a goal of finding fresh ideas for investors and traders alike. Some of these daily analyst calls cover stocks to buy. Other calls cover stocks to sell or avoid. Remember that no single analyst call should ever be used as a basis to buy or sell a stock. Consensus analyst target data is from Refinitiv.

These are the top Wall Street analyst upgrades, downgrades and initiations seen on Tuesday, August 15, 2023.

Amgen Inc. (NASDAQ: AMGN): Jefferies reiterated a Buy rating on the stock and has a $310 target price. The consensus target is just $252.55, while shares closed on Monday at $260.97.

Berry Petroleum Inc. (NYSE: BRY): Piper Sandler’s downgraded was from Overweight to Neutral with a $9 target price. The consensus target is $9.40. Monday’s closing share price was $8.07.
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BWX Technologies Inc. (NYSE: BWXT): Truist Financial raised its $77 target price on the Buy-rated shares to $83. The consensus target is $78.71. Monday’s close was at $74.
CF Industries Holdings Inc. (NYSE: CF): Even though Barclays downgraded the stock to Equal Weight from Overweight, the analyst raised the $80 target price to $85. The consensus target is $86.30, and shares closed on Monday at $78.06.

Cogent Communications Holdings Inc. (NASDAQ: CCOI): Oppenheimer reiterated an Outperform rating with a $76 target price. The consensus target is $70.20. Monday’s final trade was for $70.71 a share.

Consolidated Water Co. Ltd. (NASDAQ: CWCO): When Janney upgraded the stock to Buy from Neutral, its $24 target price rose to $28. The consensus target is $24.00. The shares closed 13% higher on Monday at $25.59.

Coterra Energy Inc. (NYSE: CTRA): Piper Sandler’s upgrade was to Overweight from Neutral. The firm also raised its $30 target price to $35, above the $30.26 consensus target. Monday’s close was at $27.97.

CymaBay Therapeutics Inc. (NASDAQ: CBAY): UBS initiated coverage with a Buy rating and an $18 target price. The consensus target is $16.00. Monday’s $12.07 close was down over 10% for the day.

Eaton Corp. PLC (NYSE: ETN): Citing its investment in research and development initiatives, Zacks named this as its Bull of the Day stock. Its shares last closed at $219.04, and the $228.19 consensus price target would be an all-time high.

EnerSys (NYSE: ENS): Oppenheimer trimmed its $119 target price to $117 while maintaining an Outperform rating. The consensus target is $116.80. The closing share price on Monday was $96.18.
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EPR Properties (NYSE: EPR): As BofA Securities downgraded the stock to Neutral from Buy, its $50 target price slipped to $45. The consensus is $49.28, and shares closed on Monday at $42.79.

Keysight Technologies Inc. (NYSE: KEYS): BofA Securities lowered its Neutral rating Underperform and its $163 target price to $148. The consensus target is up at $189.21. The shares closed on Monday at $157.04.

Marriott International Inc. (NYSE: MAR): Bernstein’s downgrade to Market Perform from Outperform included a price target hike to $218 from $204. The $200.33 consensus target is less than Monday’s closing share price of $206.84.

Monster Beverage Co. (NASDAQ: MNST): HSBC Securities started coverage with a Buy rating and a $72 target price. That compares with a lower $62 consensus target and Monday’s closing print of $59.01.
Mosaic Co. (NYSE: MOS): Barclays downgraded the stock to Underweight from Equal Weight and has a $40 target price. The consensus is $43.22. The shares closed on Monday at $40.61.

Northern Oil & Gas Inc. (NYSE: NOG): Piper Sandler downgraded the shares from Overweight to Neutral with a $46 target price. The $47.67 consensus target is also higher than Monday’s closing print of $40.96.

Nutrien Ltd. (NYSE: NTR): The Barclays downgrade to Underweight from Overweight came with a target price trim to $68 from $70. The consensus target is $75.16. Monday’s $63.83 close was down 4% on the day.

Parsons Corp. (NYSE: PSN): The prior Underperform rating at BofA Securities is now at Buy, and the analyst lifted the $46 target price all the way to $65. The consensus target is just $58.44, and shares closed on Monday at $55.31.

Public Service Enterprise Group Inc. (NYSE: PEG): The UBS downgrade to Neutral from Buy included a target price cut to $66 from $70. The consensus target is $66.63. On Monday, the stock closed at $60.04.

Urban Outfitters Inc. (NASDAQ: URBN): Though Citigroup downgraded the shares to Neutral from Buy, its $36 target price increased to $40. The consensus target is $34.67, less than Monday’s close at $36.39.
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Wayfair Inc. (NYSE: W): Truist Financial reiterated a Buy rating. Its $96 price target is well above the $90.11 consensus target Monday’s close at $78.36.

W.P. Carey Inc. (NYSE: WPC): BofA Securities cut its Neutral rating to Underperform and its $78 price target to $67. The consensus target is $77.33, and the stock ended Monday trading at $65.46.

W.W. Grainger Inc. (NYSE: GWW): Jefferies reiterated a Buy rating with a $825 target price. The consensus target is just $773.18, but Monday’s closing share price was $715.68.
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As dark clouds gather on the economic horizon, these seven high-yielding Warren Buffett stocks look poised not only to survive in the current rising interest rate environment but possibly to thrive.

See how the gap in pay between film business CEOs and the industry average stacks up against those in other industries.

Monday’s top analyst upgrades and downgrades included Alibaba, Amazon.com, AppLovin, Corteva, Hershey, Lucid, Medical Properties Trust, Palo Alto Networks, Rivian Automotive, Twilio, Ventas, Walmart and Wayfair.

The post Tuesday’s Top Wall Street Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades: Amgen, Coterra Energy, Eaton, Marriott, Monster Beverage, Mosaic, Urban Outfitters, Wayfair and More appeared first on 24/7 Wall St..

The futures were mixed after a solid Tuesday that once again saw all the major indexes finish the day higher. The Nasdaq and the S&P 500 posted 2023 highs. The tailwind for stocks was the reasonably benign consumer price index (CPI) report for May, which came in at 4.0%, just below expectations for a 4.1% year-over-year increase. The core CPI number, which backs out the volatile food and energy results, came in at 5.3%, in line with 5.3% expectations. CPI inflation has now declined for 12 consecutive months, following the most aggressive Federal Reserve rate hike cycle in decades. Most across Wall Street now expect Fed Chair Powell to announce a June pause.

Treasury yields were higher for the second day running, as sellers came in big after the noon hour as the bond market also spent Tuesday deciphering the inflation data. With the odds very solid that there will not be a rate increase Wednesday, buyers could be ready to step into what will be a huge onslaught of government debt being brought to market to refill the Treasury coffers as the quarter draws to a close. The 10-year note finished the day at 3.84%, while the two-year paper closed at 4.68%, widening the inversion between the two securities.

Brent and West Texas Intermediate crude were big winners Tuesday, both closing up over 3% after a dreadful Monday that saw the major benchmarks get clobbered to the tune of 4.5%. With the CPI data coming in as good or better than expected, worries over a June rate increase have been dramatically lowered, and oil traders took advantage of the lowest price levels since mid-March to add or initiate positions. Natural gas closed almost 3% higher at $2.33.

Gold prices dropped, after initially moving higher on the CPI data, and finished the day down 0.70% at $1955.60 for the August contract. Bitcoin rallied off the lows of the day to close modestly higher at $25,930. Ongoing worries of government regulation have weighed on the cryptocurrency giant since March.
[nativounit]
24/7 Wall St. reviews dozens of analyst research reports each day of the week with a goal of finding fresh ideas for investors and traders alike. Some of these daily analyst calls cover stocks to buy. Other calls cover stocks to sell or avoid. Remember that no single analyst call should ever be used as a basis to buy or sell a stock. Consensus analyst target data is from Refinitiv.

These are the top analyst upgrades, downgrades and initiations seen on Wednesday, June 14, 2023.

Apple Inc. (NASDAQ: AAPL): Though UBS downgraded the stock to Neutral from Buy, it bumped its $180 price target up to $190. The consensus target is $186.14, and shares closed on Tuesday at $183.31.
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Assurant Inc. (NYSE: AIZ): Piper Sandler upgraded the stock to Overweight from Neutral, but its $144 target price is less than the $159.20 consensus target. The shares closed up over 4% on Tuesday at $130.32 after the upgrade.
BRP Inc. (NASDAQ: DOOO): D.A. Davidson lifted its Neutral rating to Buy and its target price to $126 from $111. The consensus target is $105.18. Tuesday’s $79.26 close was a one-day gain of over 5% after the upgrade.

Core & Main Inc. (NYSE: CNM): Northcoast initiated coverage with a Buy rating and a $40 price target. The consensus target is $33.83. Tuesday’s final trade was for $28.89 a share.

Devon Energy Corp. (NYSE: DVN): Goldman Sachs upgraded the shares to Buy from Neutral. The analyst also trimmed its $63 target price to $58, below the $62.96 consensus target. Tuesday’s close at $50.39 was a 3% gain for the day on the upgrade and stronger oil pricing.

EOG Resources Inc. (NYSE: EOG): When Goldman Sachs downgraded the stock to Neutral from Buy, it also reduced its $137 target price to $130. The consensus target is $143.74. The shares closed on Tuesday at $112.72.

First Horizon Corp. (NYSE: FHN): J.P. Morgan’s downgrade to Neutral from Overweight included a target price cut to $13 from $20. The consensus target is $13.32, and shares closed on Tuesday at $12.15.

Global Payments Inc. (NYSE: GPN): The Jefferies downgrade to Hold from Buy included a target price cut to $105 from $140. The consensus target is $136.84. The stock closed on Tuesday at $100.61.

Mobileye Global Inc. (NASDAQ: MBLY): Citigroup resumed coverage with a Buy rating and a $71 target price. The consensus target is just $45.35, and Tuesday’s close was at $40.31.
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Netflix Inc. (NASDAQ: NFLX): BofA Securities reiterated a Buy rating and boosted its $410 target price to $490. Guggenheim also reiterated a Buy rating, and its $375 target price soared to $500. The consensus target is $373.74. The stock closed on Tuesday at $435.33.

NVR Inc. (NYSE: NVR): Zacks has picked this homebuilder stock as its Bull of the Day, citing superior business economics and housing supply tailwinds. Shares most recently closed at $5,929.63, which is more than 28% higher than at the beginning of the year.

Oracle Corp. (NYSE: ORCL): As Goldman Sachs boosted its Sell rating to Neutral, the target price increased to $120 from $75. The consensus target is $105.15. The stock closed on Tuesday at $116.68.

PagSeguro Digital Ltd. (NYSE: PAGS): HSBC Securities upgraded the stock to Buy from Hold. Its $10 target price rose to $13, above the consensus target of $12.83. Tuesday’s $10.39 close up almost 3% for the day on the upgrade.
PayPal Holdings Inc. (NASDAQ: PYPL): Atlantic Equities downgraded the stock to Neutral from Overweight and has a $72 target price. The consensus target is $92.94. Tuesday’s close at $63.56.

Radian Group Inc. (NYSE: RDN): Keefe Bruyette downgraded the stock from Outperform to Market Perform with a $27.50 target. The consensus target is $26.58. The shares ended trading on Tuesday at $25.46.

Rexford Industrial Realty Inc. (NYSE: REXR): Citigroup’s downgrade to Neutral from Buy included a target price cut to $53 from $66. The consensus target is up at $69.88. The shares finished Tuesday’s session at $52.79.

StoneCo Ltd. (NASDAQ: STNE): HSBC Securities upgraded the stock to Buy from Hold, and it raised its $11 target price to $15. The consensus target is $13.74, and the stock closed on Tuesday at $13.49.

Surmodics Inc. (NASDAQ: SRDX): The Hold rating at Needham is now at Buy. Its $36 target price is much less than the $56.33 consensus target. The upgrade helped shares close 16% higher on Tuesday at $26.31.

Ulta Beauty Inc. (NASDAQ: ULTA): Loop Capital upgraded the shares to Buy from Hold and hiked its target price to $520 from $490. The consensus target is $532.86. The last trade on Tuesday was reported at $443.76, which was up almost 4% for the day after the upgrade.
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Urban Outfitters Inc. (NASDAQ: URBN): As Morgan Stanley raised its Equal Weight rating to Overweight, its $27 price target jumped to $41. The consensus target is $32.63. The closing share price for Tuesday was $33.54, up over 4% for the day on the upgrade and positive commentary.

U.S. Cellular Corp. (NYSE: USM): Its Bear of the Day is being edged out by its larger rivals that can outcompete with aggressive pricing for their service plans, says Zacks. Shares have traded as high as $32.41 in the past year but closed most recently at $16.58.

Weibo Corp. (NYSE: WB): The downgrade to Neutral from Buy at UBS came with a target price slashed from $33 to $15.50. The consensus price target is $22.28, and the shares closed on Tuesday at $14.88.
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Five outstanding companies should do very well in a falling inflation environment, and their stocks make sense for long-term investors looking to stay long the market but wanting to avoid chasing technology, which has led the market rally this year.

Tuesday’s top analyst upgrades and downgrades included Bill, Carnival, CenterPoint Energy, Editas Medicine, International Paper, Oracle, Palantir Technologies, Petrobras, SentinelOne, Trade Desk, Valvoline and Walmart.

The post Wednesday’s Top Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades: Apple, Devon Energy, Global Payments, Mobileye, Netflix, Oracle, PayPal, Ulta Beauty, Urban Outfitters and More appeared first on 24/7 Wall St..

The futures were trading mixed, with the Nasdaq futures up huge after massive numbers from Nvidia, after a dreadful Wednesday that saw all the major indexes close in the red. Once again, the leading cause for the selling was the ongoing debt ceiling issue, which is quickly running out of time for a solution. The Republicans continue to stand their ground on budget cuts and spending, and some noted there remains a “significant gap” in negotiations with the president and his team. Strategists also cited the slower reopening in China as a headwind for the markets Wednesday.

Treasury yields were modestly higher on Wednesday as bond traders continue to eye the debt ceiling talks closely. Yields on the one-month T-bill have skyrocketed over the potential for a debt-ceiling-triggered default. The one-month bill closed at a stunning 5.83%, which compares with the two-year yield of 4.328% and the benchmark 10-year note at 3.75%.

Brent and West Texas Intermediate crude both surged higher Wednesday, closing up 1.47% and 1.29% respectively, after the U.S. Energy Information Administration reported a massive draw in crude oil of 6.7 million barrels. With the unofficial start to the summer driving season starting this Memorial Day weekend, demand could increase in a big way. Natural gas also finished higher, up 3.6%, at $2.41.

Gold finished lower on the day at $1961.90, despite the debt ceiling turmoil, as the sellers returned to take profits on the bullion. Bitcoin was the big loser on the day, as the cryptocurrency giant was pounded lower to the tune of 2.93% to close at $26,413. Just over a month ago, it traded over the $30,000 level.
[nativounit]
24/7 Wall St. reviews dozens of analyst research reports each day of the week with a goal of finding fresh ideas for investors and traders alike. Some of these daily analyst calls cover stocks to buy. Other calls cover stocks to sell or avoid. Remember that no single analyst call should ever be used as a basis to buy or sell a stock. Consensus analyst target data is from Refinitiv.

These are the top analyst upgrades, downgrades and initiations seen on Thursday, May 25, 2023.

Allison Transmission Holdings Inc. (NYSE: ALSN): Citing strategic buyouts and new product launches, Zacks selected this stock as its Bull of the Day. Shares last closed at $47.57, which is up more than 14% year to date.

Antero Resources Corp. (NYSE: AR): Goldman Sachs lowered its $34 price target on the Buy-rated shares to $29. The consensus target is $31.08. The stock closed at $23.34 on Wednesday.

Autodesk Inc. (NASDAQ: ADSK) BMO Capital Markets initiated coverage with a Neutral rating and a $224 price target. The consensus target is higher at $231.83. Wednesday’s last trade was at $196.75 a share.
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AutoZone Inc. (NYSE: AZO): Jefferies reiterated a Buy rating with a $2,850 target price. The consensus is $2,772.10, and shares closed on Wednesday at $2,423.62 apiece.
Berry Global Group Inc. (NYSE: BERY): Truist Financial’s upgrade was to Buy from Hold. It also raised its $69 price target to $73, above the $71.07 consensus target. Wednesday’s final print was $60.03 a share.

Camping World Holdings Inc. (NYSE: CWH): The Market Perform rating was raised to Outperform at BMO Capital Markets, which also boosted its $26 price target to $35. The consensus target is $41.50. The stock closed over 4% higher on Wednesday at $27.45 after the upgrade.

Coterra Energy Inc. (NASDAQ: CTRA): Goldman Sachs initiated coverage with a Buy rating and a $29 target price. The consensus target is $30.58. Wednesday’s close at $25.51.

Dollar General Corp. (NYSE: DG): Jefferies reiterated a Buy and has a $285 target price. The consensus target is $241.38. The stock closed at $208.83 on Wednesday.

Eli Lilly and Co. (NYSE: LLY): UBS reiterated a Buy rating and lifted its price target to $498 from $477. The $424.22 consensus target is less than the most recent close at $425.93.

First Horizon Corp. (NYSE: FHN): Although Jefferies upgraded the bank to Buy from Neutral, it also cut its target price to $13 from $18. The consensus target is $16.75. The shares closed on Wednesday at $11.08.

Infosys Ltd. (NASDAQ: INFY): J.P. Morgan started coverage with a Neutral rating and a target price of $14 The consensus target is $18.34, and the stock closed on Wednesday at $15.57.

Integra Lifesciences Holdings Corp. (NASDAQ: IART): J.P. Morgan cut its Neutral rating to Underweight and its $56 target price to $43. The consensus target is $39.28 for now. Wednesday’s $39.15 close was down almost 3% on the day. The stock was hammered this week after a product recall.
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Intuit Inc. (NASDAQ: INTU): Oppenheimer reiterated an Outperform rating. Its $476 target price compares with a consensus target of $451.00 and Wednesday’s close at $415.92.

New Relic Inc. (NYSE: NEWR): D.A. Davidson reiterated a Buy rating but trimmed its target price to $95 from $100. The consensus target is $82. The shares ended Wednesday trading at $79.73 apiece.

Owens Corning (NYSE: OC): The Barclays upgrade to Overweight from Equal Weight included a target price hike to $135 from $113. The consensus target is $117.36. The shares closed on Wednesday at $108.24.

Palo Alto Networks Inc. (NASDAQ: PANW): UBS reiterated a Neutral rating but lifted its $200 target price to $220. Stifel maintained its Buy rating, and its price objective rose to $240 from $225. Barclays reiterated an Overweight rating and boosted the $235 target price to $245. The consensus target is $203.32. Wednesday’s $204.31 close was up over 7% for the day in the wake of stellar quarterly results.
Range Resources Corp. (NYSE: RRC): Goldman Sachs upgraded the stock from Sell to Neutral. Though it nudged its $30 target price to $31, that is still below the $32.29 consensus figure. Wednesday’s final trade was for $29.80 per share.

Sherwin-Williams Co. (NYSE: SHW): When Jefferies upgraded the shares to Buy from Hold, the analyst raised the price target to $275 from $240. The consensus target is $253.26. The stock closed on Wednesday at $228.82.

Southwestern Energy Inc. (NYSE: SWN): The Goldman Sachs downgrade to Sell from Neutral included a target price cut to $5 from $5.75. The consensus target is $7.54. Wednesday’s close was at $5.21.

Textron Inc. (NYSE: TXT): Vertical Research downgraded the shares from Buy to Hold with a $70 target price. The consensus target is $81.48. Wednesday’s closing share price was $62.28.
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Toast Inc. (NYSE: TOST): D.A. Davidson resumed coverage with a Buy rating and a $25 target price. The consensus target is $23.38, and Wednesday’s close was at $21.37.

Urban Outfitters Inc. (NASDAQ: URBN): Barclays raised its Equal Weight rating to Overweight and its $27 price target to $38. The consensus target is $28.63. The stock closed at $31.35 on Wednesday.

Workday Inc. (NASDAQ: WDAY): As Exane BNP Paribas upgraded the stock to Buy from Hold, its $240 target price increased to $275. The $211.99 consensus target is closer to Wednesday’s $181.92 closing price.
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With money market and certificate of deposit rates well over 4% and interest rate hikes winding down, it makes sense now for growth and income investors to look at blue chip stocks with big and dependable dividends.

See what has analysts and investors excited about the outlook for Nvidia.

These CEOs of major U.S. companies make 1,000 times more than their employees.

Some feel the stock market could be headed for a 20% or greater drop, with or without a debt ceiling default. Here is how investors should prepare now for a market crash.

Wednesday’s top analyst upgrades and downgrades included Chevron, Cleveland-Cliffs, Infosys, Knight-Swift Transportation, Microsoft, Nucor, Salesforce, Steel Dynamics, Wheaton Precious Metals and Zoom Video Communications.

The post Thursday’s Top Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades: Coterra Energy, Eli Lilly, First Horizon, Palo Alto Networks, Southwestern Energy, Toast and More appeared first on 24/7 Wall St..

The three major U.S. equity indexes closed lower Thursday. The Dow Jones industrials ended the day down 0.02%, the S&P 500 closed 0.31% lower and the Nasdaq retreated 0.35%. Eight of 11 sectors closed lower, with utilities (−1.79%) and consumer cyclicals (−1.27%) leading the slide. Technology (0.21%) and energy (0.12%) posted the largest gains.
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The only notable data point due out Friday is the National Association of Realtors report on existing home sales for October. Economists expect the number to decline from 4.71 million in September to 4.38 million. Thursday’s reports on housing starts and new building permits were slightly higher than expectations, and the report on new claims for jobless benefits slipped slightly week over week. Combined with comments from Federal Reserve officials that continued tightening was required in order to avoid a recession, markets opened lower and were unable to climb out of that early hole.

The three major indexes traded higher in Friday’s premarket session.
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After U.S. markets closed Thursday, Applied Materials beat analysts’ estimates for earnings per share (EPS) and revenue. The semiconductor equipment maker also issued in-line guidance for the first quarter of fiscal 2023. Shares traded up more than 4% in Friday’s premarket.

Gap posted EPS of $0.71, compared to a consensus break-even estimate, and also surpassed revenue expectations. Earnings included a tax benefit of $0.33 per share and excluded a $53 million impairment charge related to the company’s Yeezy partnership. The stock traded up about 9% Friday morning.

Palo Alto Networks also beat estimates on the top and bottom lines. The cybersecurity specialist raised fiscal 2023 guidance. It expects fiscal year billings of $9.95 to $9.1 billion and adjusted free cash flow of 34.5% to 35.5%. Shares traded up more than 9% early Friday.

Ross Stores posted better-than-expected revenue and EPS and also issued upside guidance for fiscal 2023. The company noted, however, that it expects a “very promotional holiday selling season and ongoing inflationary headwinds.” Shares jumped about 16%.

Before markets opened on Friday, Foot Locker beat estimates on the top and bottom lines and raised guidance for a smaller loss than previously expected and better-than-expected EPS. Shares traded up about 14%.

JD.com reported better-than-expected EPS but missed the revenue estimate. The stock traded up by about 2.6%.
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No notable earnings reports are due out after markets close Friday or before they open on Monday. Next week, U.S. markets are closed Thursday for the Thanksgiving holiday.
Here is a look at three companies on deck to report results before Monday’s opening bell.

Dell Technologies

Over the past 12 months, shares of Dell Technologies Inc. (NYSE: DELL) have shed more than 25% of their price. The stock hit a new 52-week low in mid-October, and shares have bounced by about 23% since then.
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Global personal computer sales fell by 15% year over year in the third quarter. Dell’s sales fell by 20%. Analysts are expecting sharp dips in earnings and revenue. Earlier this week, Dell agreed to a $1 billion settlement related to claims by shareholders that the company’s $67 billion purchase of EMC shortchanged them by billions. The settlement still needs to be approved by the court.

Sentiment among analysts remains tilted toward bullish, with 12 of 19 brokerages having a Buy or Strong Buy rating and the rest rating the stock at Hold. At a recent share price of around $42.00, the upside potential based on a median price target of $51.00 is 21.4%. At the high price target of $72.00, the upside potential is about 71.4%.

The consensus revenue estimate for Dell’s third quarter of fiscal 2023 is $24.62 billion, which would be down 6.8% sequentially and 13.3% lower year over year. Adjusted EPS are forecast at $1.61, down 4.1% sequentially and by 32.0% year over year. For the full fiscal year ending in January, analysts currently expect EPS of $6.75, up 8.4%, on sales of $102.17 billion, up 0.9%.

Dell stock trades at 6.2 times expected 2023 EPS, 6.0 times estimated 2024 earnings of $6.90 and 5.6 times estimated 2025 earnings of $7.46 per share. The stock’s 52-week trading range is $32.90 to $61.54. Dell pays an annual dividend of $1.32 (yield of 3.21%), and the total shareholder return for the past year was negative 23.5%.
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Urban Outfitters

Specialty retailer Urban Outfitters Inc. (NASDAQ: URBN) has seen its share price tumble by about 32% over the past 12 months. Since reaching a peak almost exactly one year ago, the stock has fallen by more than 33%. Inventory issues that have plagued most retailers for the past year were also an issue for Urban Outfitters, and clearing that inventory at reduced prices has weighed on gross margins. Investors will want to hear that the situation is improving, not getting worse.

Analysts are cautious on the stock, with eight of 13 having a Hold rating and the other five rating the shares at Buy or Strong Buy. At a price of around $25.40 a share, the stock has outrun its median price target of $24.00. At the high target of $35.50, the implied gain is nearly 40%.
Third-quarter fiscal 2023 revenue is forecast to come in at $1.16 billion, down 2.2% sequentially but up 2.7% year over year. Analysts are forecasting EPS of $0.42, down 34.6% sequentially and by 52.8% year over year. For the full fiscal year ending in January, analysts expect EPS of $1.76, down 43.7%, on sales of $4.75 billion, up 4.5%.
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Urban Outfitters stock trades at 14.4 times expected 2023 EPS, 11.5 times estimated 2024 earnings of $2.21 and 9.7 times estimated 2025 earnings of $2.61 per share. The stock’s 52-week range is $17.81 to $38.17. The company does not pay a dividend, and the total shareholder return for the past year was negative 32.1%.
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Zoom Video

Over the past 12 months, shares of Zoom Video Communications Inc. (NASDAQ: ZM) have dropped by about 67.7%. The stock reached its 52-week high almost exactly one year ago and its 52-week low last month. The company is seeking new venues for its video conferencing program and recently partnered with AMC to launch simultaneous meetings in several Zoom Rooms at selected AMC theaters and with Tesla to deliver in-car video conferencing. While these developments are interesting, neither seems like a game changer for the company.

Analysts remain unconvinced, too. Of 32 brokerages covering the stock, 21 have a Hold rating and 10 have Buy or Strong Buy ratings. At a share price of around $82.60, the upside potential based on a median price target of $95.00 is 15%. At the high price target of $130.00, the upside potential is 57.4%.
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Fiscal third-quarter revenue is forecast at $1.1 billion, up 0.3% sequentially and 4.8% higher year over year. Adjusted EPS are pegged at $0.84, down 19.9% sequentially and 24.3% lower year over year. For the full 2023 fiscal year ending in January, current estimates call for EPS of $3.73, down 26.5%, on sales of $4.4 billion, up 7.3%.

The stock trades at 22.2 times expected 2023 EPS, 22.5 times estimated 2024 earnings of $3.67 and 21.6 times estimated 2025 earnings of $3.83 per share. The stock’s 52-week range is $70.44 to $265.23. Zoom does not pay a dividend, and total shareholder return for the past year is negative 67.7%.

The post Earnings Previews: Dell Technologies, Urban Outfitters, Zoom Video appeared first on 24/7 Wall St..

The three major U.S. equity indexes closed lower Friday. The Dow Jones industrials dropped 0.86%, the S&P 500 lost 1.29% and the Nasdaq tumbled by 2.01%. Ten of 11 sectors ended the day with losses, led by consumer cyclicals and financials (down 2.1% and 2.0%, respectively). For the week, the Nasdaq was down 2.6%, the S&P 500 down 1.2% and the Dow slipped by just 0.2%.
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Looking ahead, on Thursday we shall get the second reading on second-quarter gross domestic product, while Friday brings the personal income and spending report. Thursday also marks the beginning of the Federal Reserve’s Jackson Hole retreat, the highlight of which is Chair Jerome Powell’s press conference Friday morning. In the meantime, we can do little but wonder if equities’ gains of the past few weeks will evaporate. All three major indexes were down by about 1% or more in premarket trading Monday.

There were no notable earnings releases after markets closed Friday or before they opened on Monday. Two companies are set to report quarterly results after markets close on Monday: Palo Alto Networks and Zoom Video. First thing Tuesday morning, JD.com, KE Holdings, Macy’s and Medtronic are expected to release quarterly results.
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The following four companies will post quarterly results late Tuesday or early Wednesday.

Nordstrom

Shares of department store operator Nordstrom Inc. (NYSE: JWN) have lost about 29% of their value over the past 12 months. Year to date, however, the shares have added about 6.9%, and over the past six months, shares have gained almost 12%. The stock’s 52-week high rolls off later this week, with shares trading nearly 30% above the 52-week low. In late May, the company announced a $500 million share buyback program and a relatively easy comparison with prior year results is also working in the company’s favor. Nordstrom reports after markets close Tuesday.

Analysts are not convinced, however, that Nordstrom is a solid play. Of 22 brokerages covering the stock, 14 have Hold ratings while only three rate the shares at Buy or Strong Buy. At a recent price of around $24.20 a share, the stock trades slightly above its median price target of $24.00. At the high price target of $43.50, the upside potential is nearly 80%.
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For the second quarter of fiscal 2023 that ended in July, revenue is forecast at $3.97 billion, which would be up 11.3% sequentially and by 8.5% year over year. Analysts have forecast earnings per share (EPS) of $0.80 for the quarter, compared to a loss of $0.06 per share in the prior quarter and EPS of $0.49 in the year-ago quarter. For the full 2023 fiscal year ending in January, current estimates call for EPS of $3.12, up 107.7%, on sales of $15.82 billion, up almost 7%.

Nordstrom stock trades at 7.8 times expected 2023 EPS, 7.5 times estimated 2024 earnings of $3.21 and 7.6 times estimated 2025 earnings of $3.18 per share. The stock’s 52-week trading range is $18.65 to $38.14. The company pays an annual dividend of $0.76 (yield of 3.1%). Total shareholder return for the past year was negative 27.7%.

Pet food and supply retailer Petco Health and Wellness Co. Inc. (NASDAQ: WOOF) has dropped nearly 25% of its stock price over the past 12 months. Since reaching a 52-week peak in early November, the stock is down more than 49%. Free cash flow was negative $8.4 million in the prior quarter, the second straight quarter of cash burn after five consecutive periods of positive free cash flow.
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Earlier this month, the company reshuffled its executive deck and named a new chief operating officer to sort out logistics issues. And two weeks ago, a store in Washington became the first to seek union representation. Petco reports results before markets open Wednesday.

Analysts are bullish on the stock. Of 13 brokerages covering it, eight have a Buy or Strong Buy and four have a Hold rating. At a share price of around $15.90, the upside potential based on a median price target of $19.00 is about 19.5%. At the high price target of $30.00, the upside potential is nearly 95%.

For the company’s second quarter of fiscal 2023, analysts are expecting revenue of $1.49 billion, up 1.2% sequentially and 4.2% higher year over year. Adjusted EPS are forecast at $0.22, up 31.7% sequentially but down 12.0% year over year. For the full fiscal year ending in January, EPS are forecast to come in at $0.90, down 0.7%, on sales of $6.12 billion, up 5.4%.

Petco stock trades at 17.6 times expected 2023 EPS, 15.9 times estimated 2024 earnings of $1.00 and 15.0 times estimated 2025 earnings of $1.06 per share. The stock’s 52-week range is $12.88 to $26.21. Petco does not pay a dividend. Total shareholder return for the past year was negative 20.6%.
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Toll Brothers

Shares of homebuilder Toll Brothers Inc. (NYSE: TOL) have dropped by 18.4% over the past 12 months. Since posting an all-time high in mid-December, the stock price has fallen by more than 33%. The company caters to affluent buyers who are not sensitive to interest rates, and its performance over the past two quarters has been impressive. Toll Brothers has beaten earnings estimates in 11 or the past 12 quarters, and sales are on track to post a solid gain for the full fiscal year. The report is expected after markets close on Tuesday.

Sentiment on the stock is better than lukewarm, but not exactly bullish. Of 19 brokerages covering the company, nine have a Buy or Strong Buy rating and seven rate the shares at Hold. At a share price of around $47.30, the upside potential based on a median price target of $53.50 is 13.1%. At the high price target of $80.00, the upside potential is more than 69%.
When the company reports third-quarter 2022 results, analysts expect to see revenue of $2.52 billion, up 10.5% sequentially and by 11.5% year over year. Adjusted EPS are forecast at $2.29, up 24% sequentially and 22.5% higher year over year. For the full 2022 fiscal year ending in October, analysts expect EPS of $10.17, up 53.4%, on sales of $10.32 billion, up 17.4%.
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Toll Brothers stock trades at 4.6 times expected 2022 EPS, 4.4 times estimated 2023 earnings of $10.62 and 4.7 times estimated 2024 earnings of $10.16 per share. The stock’s 52-week range is $40.20 to $75.61. The company pays an annual dividend of $0.74 (yield of 1.57%). Total shareholder return for the past year was negative 17.2%.
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Urban Outfitters

Specialty retailer Urban Outfitters Inc. (NASDAQ: URBN) has seen its share price tumble by about 39% over the past 12 months. Since reaching a peak almost exactly one year ago, the stock has fallen by more than 45%. Prior-quarter sales rose sharply year over year, but margins and profits were hurt by higher costs for shipping and labor. Margins could get hit again due to inventory clearing. How all this will shape the second half of the year is what investors will want to hear about. The company reports results late on Tuesday.

Analysts are cautious on the stock, with nine of 14 having a Hold rating and the other five rating the stock at Buy. At a share price of around $22.30, the implied upside based on a median price target of $23.50 is 5.4%. At the high target of $36.50, the implied gain is 63.7%.
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Second-quarter fiscal 2023 revenue is forecast to come in at $1.18 billion, up 12.5% sequentially and 1.7% year over year. Analysts are forecasting EPS of $0.70, up almost 112% sequentially but down 45.3% year over year. For the full 2023 fiscal year ending in January, analysts currently expect EPS of $2.28, down 27.2%, on sales of $4.8 billion, up 5.6%.

Urban Outfitters stock trades at 9.8 times expected 2023 EPS, 8.6 times estimated 2024 earnings of $2.58 and 7.8 times estimated 2025 earnings of $2.94 per share. The stock’s 52-week range is $17.81 to $41.03. The company does not pay a dividend, and the total shareholder return for the past year was negative 38.9%.

The post Earnings Previews: Nordstrom, Petco, Toll Brothers, Urban Outfitters appeared first on 24/7 Wall St..

Markets were somewhat mixed as the week came to a close. The S&P 500 and Dow Jones industrials each saw a slight loss on the day, while the Nasdaq had a handy gain, up over 0.5%. Despite this small bounce, each of the major averages is on track for posting a fairly sizable loss for the week.

On this day last week, the consumer price index saw its highest print in over four decades. This historic reading necessitated action by the Federal Reserve, which we saw Wednesday when the central bank hiked interest rates by 75 basis points, its first hike of this size since 1994.

As interest rates increase, investors can expect to see an inverse reaction from equities. Currently it does not appear that the Fed is done hiking rates this summer, so there may be more pain for investors down the road. Also, the question remains: how much of these moves by the Fed has been priced into markets already?

24/7 Wall St. is reviewing additional analyst calls seen on Friday. We have included the latest call on each stock, as well as a recent trading history and the consensus targets among analysts. Note that analyst calls seen earlier in the day were on Amgen, AutoZone, Boeing, Dollar General, Etsy, FedEx and more.

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American Eagle Outfitters Inc. (NYSE: AEO): B. Riley Securities downgraded the stock to Neutral from Buy and cut the $22 price target to $13. The 52-week trading range is $11.43 to $38.99, and shares traded above $11 apiece on Friday.

American Express Co. (NYSE: AXP): Robert Baird upgraded the shares from Neutral to Outperform with a $175 price target. The 52-week trading range is $136.49 to $199.55, and shares were trading near $139 on Friday.

Capital One Financial Corp. (NYSE: COF): Robert Baird also upgraded this one to Outperform from Neutral, and it has a $145 price target. The 52-week range is $98.54 to $177.95. Shares traded near $104 apiece on Friday.

CF Industries Holdings Inc. (NYSE: CF): Citigroup’s downgrade to Neutral from Buy included a price target cut to $99 from $123. The stock traded near $89 on Friday, in a 52-week range of $43.19 to $113.49.

Dow Inc. (NYSE: DOW): Citigroup lowered its Buy rating to Neutral rating and cut the $82 price target to $60. The shares traded near $55 on Friday. The 52-week trading range is $52.07 to $71.86.

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NextEra Energy Partners L.P. (NYSE: NEP): RBC Capital Markets upgraded it to Outperform from Sector Perform, and the firm raised the $86 price target to $89. The stock traded near $69 on Friday. The 52-week trading range is $61.31 to $88.80.

Roblox Corp. (NYSE: RBLX): Truist downgraded the stock to Hold from Buy and cut the price target to $29 from $36. The 52-week trading range is $21.65 to $141.60, and shares were changing hands at around $25 on Friday.

Urban Outfitters Inc. (NASDAQ: URBN): The B. Riley Securities downgrade was to Neutral from Buy, and the price target was cut to $23 from $35. Shares were trading near $20, in a 52-week range is $17.81 to $42.10.

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Proper asset allocation should always include some holdings of precious metals. Seven top BofA Securities gold stock picks pay quite respectable dividends and look like great ideas now for worried investors.

See which key analyst expects big things from American Express and three other top financial stocks.

The post How Much Pain Is Already Priced In? Analysts Upgrade or Downgrade American Express, Dow, Roblox and More appeared first on 24/7 Wall St..

The futures traded higher Thursday, after a promising start to Wednesday, credited in some part to comments from the Atlanta Fed President that there could be a pause in the interest rate hikes in September, turned into selling across the board by the close. All the major indexes, including the transports and utilities, closed lower. Some solid earnings from Salesforce got the party rolling but the enthusiasm quickly waned, as it appears that big rally from last week is pulling the risk-off crowd back to the table.

Yields were higher across the Treasury curve, as the Federal Reserve began its balance sheet runoff. Maturing bonds will not be replaced during this program, while the quantitative easing program of buying treasury and mortgage-backed debt ended back in March.

Brent and West Texas Intermediate crude were mixed on Wednesday, and both are closing in on $120 a barrel. Natural gas closed modestly higher, while gold closed flat and Bitcoin was down close to 6% on the day, back below the $30,000 level.

24/7 Wall St. reviews dozens of analyst research reports each day of the week with a goal of finding fresh ideas for investors and traders alike. Some of these daily analyst calls cover stocks to buy. Other calls cover stocks to sell or avoid. Remember that no single analyst call should ever be used as a basis to buy or sell a stock. Consensus analyst target data is from Refinitiv.
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These are the top analyst upgrades, downgrades and initiations seen on Thursday, June 2, 2022.

Analog Devices Inc. (NASDAQ: ADI): Zacks has named this stock as its Bull of the Day. The analyst cites strong earnings and upbeat guidance in the face of ongoing supply chain bottlenecks and a slowing economy. Shares last closed at $164.77, and the consensus price target of $202.04 would be an all-time high.

Aptiv PLC (NYSE: APTV): Goldman Sachs lowered its $150 price target on the Buy-rated company to $135. The consensus target is $145.83. The stock closed on Wednesday at $107.52.

BioMarin Pharmaceutical Inc. (NASDAQ: BMRN): Baird maintained an Outperform rating and a $112 target price. The consensus target is $116.72. The final trade Wednesday came in at $74.37.
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CF Industries Holdings Inc. (NYSE: CF): Barclays initiated coverage with an Equal Weight rating and a $103 target price. The consensus target is $112.88. The stock closed over 3% lower on Wednesday at $95.51.

Finvolutions Group (NYSE: FINV): Citigroup upgraded the shares to Buy from Neutral and raised the $3.27 price target to $5.33. The consensus target is $6.21. The stock closed over 7% higher on Wednesday at $4.52.
Ford Motor Co. (NYSE: F): Goldman Sachs lowered its $18 price target on the Neutral-rated shares to $14. The consensus target is $17.66. The stock closed at $13.55 on Wednesday.

Jabil Inc. (NYSE: JBL): Goldman Sachs maintained a Buy rating but cut the $78 target price to $69. The consensus target is $80.67. The stock closed on Wednesday at $60.63.

Mosaic Co. (NYSE: MOS): Barclays initiated coverage with an Underweight rating and a $59 price objective. The consensus target is $76.05. The shares ended Wednesday over 6% lower to $58.69.

O-I Glass Inc. (NYSE: OI): Baird reiterated an Outperform rating with a $24 target. The consensus target is $15.92. The final trade Wednesday was for $16.90 a share.

Park Hotels & Resorts Inc. (NYSE: PK): Truist Financial lifted its Hold rating to Buy, and its $19 price target went to $22. The consensus target is $22.50. The stock closed 3% higher on Wednesday at $18.60.

Magna International Inc. (NYSE: MGA): Goldman Sachs maintained a Buy rating but lowered the $85 target price to $72. The consensus target is up at $107.20. The shares closed on Wednesday at $64.35.

Noble Corp. (NYSE: NE): BTIG Research upgraded the shares from Neutral to Buy with a $60 target. The consensus target is lower at $43.25. Wednesday’s $37.27 close was up almost 3% on the day.

Patterson-UTI Energy Inc. (NASDAQ: PTEN): Piper Sandler’s downgrade to Neutral from Overweight included a price target boost to $22.75 from $21. The consensus target is $20.25. The shares ended Wednesday trading at $18.89.

Pinterest Inc. (NYSE: PINS): Piper Sandler downgraded the stock to Neutral from Overweight, and its $35 target price dropped to $23. The consensus target is $30.07. The stock closed almost 4% lower on Wednesday at $18.93.
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Plug Power Inc. (NASDAQ: PLUG): KeyBanc Capital Markets resumed coverage with an Overweight rating and a $40 target. The consensus target is $36.64. The stock closed Wednesday at $17.92, down over 3% for the day.

Salesforce Inc. (NYSE: CRM): Baird reiterated a Buy rating after the company reported outstanding results, but the firm lowered the $300 target price to $260. The consensus target is $264.99. The stock closed Wednesday at $176.07, which was up almost 10% on the back of the strong earnings print.

Snap Inc. (NYSE: SNAP): Piper Sandler’s downgrade to Neutral from Overweight came with a price target cut to $18 from $30. The consensus target is $34.30 for now. The shares closed at $13.93 on Wednesday.

Temper Sealy International Inc. (NYSE: TPX): Piper Sandler downgraded the popular mattress company to Neutral from Overweight and reduced the $36 price objective to $28. The consensus target is $37.56. The $24.64 close on Wednesday was down almost 5% on the day.
Tesla Inc. (NASDAQ: TSLA): Goldman Sachs lowered the $1,200 price target on the electric vehicle heavyweight to $1,000, while maintaining a Buy rating. The consensus target is $928.40. The stock closed almost 7%  lower on Wednesday at $24.64.

Twilio Inc. (NYSE: TWLO): Barclays downgraded the shares to Equal Weight from Overweight and slashed the $175 price target to $110. The consensus target is $211.62. The shares closed on Wednesday at $104.27.

Urban Outfitters Inc. (NASDAQ: URBN): Zacks selected this retailer as its Bear of the Day stock, calling it one of the many victims of soaring prices and supply chain setbacks. The stock has traded as high as $42.10 a share in the past year but closed most recently at $21.96, which is down more than 25% year to date.

Veeva Systems Inc. (NASDAQ: VEEV): Baird maintained an Outperform rating with a $228 target price after the company’s positive earnings report. The consensus target is $241.78. The shares closed Wednesday at $167.84 and were up over 5% in Thursday’s premarket.

Vertex Pharmaceuticals Inc. (NASDAQ: VRTX): Maxim upgraded the shares from Hold to Buy with a $335 target. The consensus target is $291.93. The stock closed on Wednesday at $269.41.

Visteon Corp. (NASDAQ: VC): Morgan Stanley upgraded the shares to Equal Weight from Underweight and boosted the $72 price target to $93. The consensus target is $126. The shares closed at $113.00 on Wednesday.
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With interest rates and inflation rising, what are balanced growth and income investors to do? Jefferies favors on six top BDC stocks that offer outsized dividends and growth potential.

Also, see why one key analyst turned cautious on four REIT stocks.
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Wednesday’s top analyst upgrades and downgrades included Allbirds, Amazon.com, American Eagle Outfitters, Canopy Growth, Citizens Financial, Cleveland-Cliffs, Etsy, Deere, LyondellBasell Industries, Medtronic, PayPal, Steel Dynamics and Truist Financial. Analyst calls seen later in the day were on Danaher, eBay, GoodRx, Infosys, Valero Energy, Xylem and more.

The post Thursday’s Top Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades: Analog Devices, Ford, Mosaic, Pinterest, Plug Power, Salesforce, Snap, Tesla, Urban Outfitters and More appeared first on 24/7 Wall St..

The futures were lower on Tuesday, as traders and investors returned from the holiday weekend. Friday finished off the best week in over two months, as all the major indexes, including the Russell 2000, closed up big. The Dow Jones industrials snapped an eight-week losing streak, the longest since 1932, while the S&P 500 and the Nasdaq ended skids that had lasted seven weeks.

The big question on many minds across Wall Street is where we go from here, after such a strong week. Last week’s rally was ignited in part when one of the Federal Reserve’s favorite inflation indicators, the core personal consumption expenditures price index, rose only 4.9%. That was in line with estimates and was a drop from the March print. The sense that inflation could be slowing could help keep the wind behind the market’s back, but the risk-off crowd looks to be back.

Surprisingly on such a risk-off day and week, yields across the Treasury curve were either flat or modestly lower on Friday. Unfortunately for consumers and motorists getting ready for summer vacation driving trips, both Brent and West Texas Intermediate crude closed higher Friday. Gold was slightly higher, while Bitcoin closed down almost 3%.

24/7 Wall St. reviews dozens of analyst research reports each day of the week with a goal of finding fresh ideas for investors and traders alike. Some of these daily analyst calls cover stocks to buy. Other calls cover stocks to sell or avoid. Remember that no single analyst call should ever be used as a basis to buy or sell a stock. Consensus analyst target data is from Refinitiv.
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These are the top analyst upgrades, downgrades and initiations seen on Tuesday, May 31, 2022.

Abercrombie & Fitch Co. (NYSE: ANF): Zacks selected this apparel retailer as its Bear of the Day, citing the price downtrend ever since the climax top in June of last year. The stock has traded as high as $48.97 a share in the past year but closed most recently at $22.55, which is down more than 35% year to date.

American Eagle Outfitters Inc. (NYSE: AEO): J.P. Morgan downgraded the shares to Neutral from Overweight and lowered the $20 price target to $15. The consensus target is $24.91 for now. The stock closed down over 6% on Friday at $13.10.

Autodesk Inc. (NASDAQ: ADSK): Goldman Sachs reiterated a Sell rating and lowered the $210 target price to $185 after earnings and better than expected guidance. The consensus target is up at $264.78. The stock closed over 10% higher on Friday at $210.38.
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Bausch + Lomb Corp. (NYSE: BLCO): Wells Fargo started coverage with an Overweight rating and a $23 target price, while Guggenheim initiated coverage at Buy with a $24 price objective. The consensus target is $35.00. The stock had a recent initial public offering and closed Friday at $17.69 a share.
Boot Barn Holdings Inc. (NASDAQ: BOOT): Baird raised its Neutral rating to Outperform and has a $115 target price. The consensus target is $132.67. Friday’s closing share price of $81.80 was up almost 5% on the day.

Boston Scientific Inc. (NYSE: BSX): Needham raised shares of the medical devices leader from Hold to Buy with a $48 price target. The consensus target is $50.38. The last trade on Friday hit the tape at $41.23.

Costco Wholesale Corp. (NASDAQ: COST): Goldman Sachs maintained a Buy rating and has a $526 target price. The consensus target is $578.13. The last trade Friday was filled at $470.76.

CVS Health Corp. (NYSE: CVS): Bernstein downgraded the pharmacy giant to Market Perform from Outperform and dropped the $122 target price to $112. The consensus target is $117.63. Friday’s close was at $98.07.

Dell Technologies Inc. (NYSE: DELL): Goldman Sachs lowered its $61 price target on the Neutral-rated legacy tech giant to $53. The consensus target is $60.78. The stock closed on Friday at $49.62, up almost 13% after the company posted a record quarter.

Dish Network Corp. (NASDAQ: DISH): Truist Financial raised its Hold rating to Buy from and lifted the $25 target price to $60. The consensus target is $39.60. The stock closed on Friday at $22.30. The shares were trading almost 5% higher in Tuesday’s premarket.

Gap Inc. (NYSE: GPS): J.P. Morgan downgraded the stock to Underweight from Neutral and sliced the $11 target price to $9. The consensus target is $15.09 for now. The final trade on Friday came in at $11.60, up over 4% for the day.

Graphic Packaging Holding Co. (NYSE: GPK): BMO Capital Markets upgraded the stock to Outperform from Market Perform and hiked the $20 price target to $25. The consensus target is $24.52. The $22.46 close on Friday was up almost 5% for the day.

HCA Healthcare Inc. (NYSE: HCA): Bernstein’s upgrade to Outperform from Market Perform came with a target price trim to $271 from $273. The $257.21 consensus also compares with Friday’s closing print of $215.53.
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iQIYI Inc. (NASDAQ: IQ): Citigroup upgraded the shares from Neutral to Buy and lifted the $4.50 price target to $6.50. The consensus target is up at $7.13. The stock closed at $3.98 on Friday.

Live Nation Entertainment Inc. (NYSE: LYV): Goldman Sachs reiterated a Buy rating with a $130 target after a positive investor meeting with the company. The consensus target is $127.62. Friday’s final trade was reported at $95.46.

Lufax Ltd. (NYSE: LU): CLSA downgraded the shares to Outperform from Buy and dropped the $8 target price to $6.80. The consensus target is $8.68. The last trade on Friday was reported at $6.26.

Macy’s Inc. (NYSE: M): Morgan Stanley raised shares of the venerable retail company to Equal Weight from Underweight and bumped the price target to $22 from $20. The consensus target is $28.00. The shares closed at $23.40 on Friday.
Medtronic PLC (NYSE: MDT): Needham’s downgrade was to Hold from Buy. Over the past 52 weeks, the shares have traded between $96.86 and $135.89, and they have a $121.05 consensus target. The close on Friday was at $99.23.

Occidental Petroleum Corp. (NYSE: OXY): The Zacks Bull of the Day stock has been a substantial beneficiary from the energy surge over the past year, says the analyst. Shares last closed at $70.86, and the consensus target price of $73.04 would be a multiyear high.

O-I Glass Inc. (NYSE: OI): BofA Securities upgraded the stock to Buy from Neutral and raised the $15 price objective to $19. The consensus target is $15.58. The stock closed almost 9% higher on Friday at $16.98.

PubMatic Inc. (NASDAQ: PUBM): Jefferies downgraded the shares to Hold from Buy and lowered the $28 price target to $23. The consensus target is $29.94. The stock ended Friday trading at $20.88, up almost 4% for the day. The shares were lower in Tuesday’s premarket.

UnitedHealth Group Inc. (NYSE: UNH): Bernstein downgraded the health care giant to Market Perform from Outperform and has a $561 target. The consensus target is $566.95. The shares ended Friday at $507.02 apiece.

Urban Outfitters Inc. (NASDAQ: URBN): Morgan Stanley downgraded the popular retailer to Equal Weight from Overweight and lowered the $34 target price to $25. The consensus target is $27.69. The shares closed 4% higher on Friday at $21.68.

Workday Inc. (NASDAQ: WDAY): Goldman Sachs cut the price target on the Buy-rated company to $260 from $300. The $285.25 consensus target also compares with Friday’s close of $158.79, which was down almost 6% on the day.

Zscaler Inc. (NASDAQ: ZS): Goldman Sachs maintained a Neutral rating but slashed the $281 target price to $170. The consensus target is $290.08 The last trade for Friday came in at $160.00, up over 12% after posting earnings and revenue that beat Wall Street expectations.
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Seven Goldman Sachs Conviction List dividend stock picks make sense now for worried investors because they provide solid total return and should be able to hold their own in a recession.
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Friday’s top analyst upgrades and downgrades included Citigroup, Dick’s Sporting Goods, Dow, Huntington Bancshares, Kraft Heinz, Nutanix, Nvidia, Patterson-UTI Energy, Roku, Snowflake, Splunk, Sysco, Union Pacific and Zscaler.

The post Tuesday’s Top Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades: Boston Scientific, Costco, CVS, Dell, Dish Network, Macy’s, Medtronic, Occidental Petroleum, UnitedHealth and More appeared first on 24/7 Wall St..

The futures rebounded and traded higher on Wednesday, as we began the final trading month of 2021 following another risk-off day that was dominated once again by concerns about the new Omicron variant. In large part, that was down to the comments from the Moderna CEO that he expects current vaccines to be materially less effective against this variant. This comes despite the fact that the mutation is said to be far less transmissible than the Delta variant and the symptoms appear to be milder. All the major indexes and the transports closed lower, while the Treasury market was bought across the curve by worried investors looking for safety.

Top strategists across Wall Street remain focused on the potential for rising interest rates, quantitative easing tapering, big increases in energy costs and other inflation issues, and the ongoing supply chain issues and stagflation worries. Toss in the very pressing debt ceiling issue and the ongoing China concerns, and there is still plenty of potential for volatility into the end of the year.

24/7 St. reviews dozens of analyst research reports each day of the week with a goal of finding new ideas for investors and traders alike. Some of these daily analyst calls cover stocks to buy. Other calls cover stocks to sell or avoid. Remember that no single analyst call should ever be used as a basis to buy or sell a stock. Consensus analyst target data is from Refinitiv.

These are the top analyst upgrades, downgrades and initiations seen on Wednesday, December 1, 2021.
[nativounit]
Alkermes PLC (NASDAQ: ALKS): Citigroup started coverage on the stock with a Neutral rating and a $22 price target. The consensus target is $28.50, and shares were closed on Tuesday at $21.92.

Ayala Pharmaceutical Inc. (NASDAQ: AYLA): Jefferies raised its Hold rating to Buy and changed the $12 target price to $17. The consensus target is $22.33. Shares closed almost 5% on Tuesday and were up an additional 5% in Wednesday’s premarket.

Beyond Meat Inc. (NASDAQ: BYND): HSBC started coverage with a Reduce rating and a $62 price target. The consensus target for the plant-based food company is $74.71. The shares were last seen on Tuesday trading at $70.26, which was down close to 6% for the day.
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Capital One Financial Corp. (NYSE: COF): Baird upgraded it from Underperform to Neutral with a $145 price target. The consensus target is up at $188. The stock closed on Tuesday at $140.53, down almost 5% on the day.

Decker’s Outdoors Corp. (NYSE: DECK): Jefferies resumed coverage on the very popular retailer with a Buy rating, and it raised its $475 target price to $525. The consensus price objective is $476.33, and Tuesday’s closing share price was $405.40.

Diageo PLC (NYSE: DEO): Societe Generale upgraded shares of the spirits giant to Buy from Hold. Over the past 52 weeks, the stock has traded between $153.67 and $210.15, and it has a consensus target price of $225.34. The last trade on Tuesday was reported at $203.17 a share.

Dillards Inc. (NYSE: DDS): UBS started coverage of the popular retailer with a Sell rating and a $190 price target. The consensus target is $221.67. The last trade for Tuesday hit the tape at $273.90, after tumbling almost 20% on the day. With no news to speak of, the very negative initiation by UBS looks like the culprit.

DMC Global Inc. (NASDAQ: BOOM): Sidoti upgraded the stock to Buy from Hold and has a $52 price target. The consensus target is $53.67. The last trade on Tuesday was reported at $36.50.
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DoorDash Inc. (NYSE: DASH): Gordon Haskett upgraded the shares of the popular food delivery company from Hold to Buy with a $217 price target. The consensus target is $232.95. The stock closed trading on Monday at $178.77, which was down almost 5% for the day.

Engage Smart LLC (NYSE: ESMT): The Raymond James upgrade was to Strong Buy from Outperform. The firm’s $40 price objective is higher than the $39.06 consensus target. The stock closed Tuesday at $21.87, which was up almost 7% for the day on no reported news.

Foot Locker Inc. (NYSE: FL): Jefferies resumed coverage with a Buy rating and an $80 price objective. The much lower $67 consensus target is still well above Tuesday’s closing print of $45.64, after pulling back almost 5% for the day.

Goodrich Petroleum Corp. (NYSEAMERICAN: GDP): Roth Capital’s downgrade to Neutral from Buy included a target price cut to $23 from $28. The consensus target is $24.00, and shares were last seen on Tuesday trading at $23.00 apiece.
Krispy Kreme Inc. (NASDAQ: DNUT): Goldman Sachs downgraded the stock to Sell from Neutral and trimmed the target price to $14 from $15. The consensus target is $18.11. The last trade on Wednesday came in at $14.55 a share, after a retreat of almost 5% for the day.

MP Materials Corp. (NYSE: MP): BofA Securities resumed coverage with a Buy rating and a $52 price target. The consensus target is just $43.98. The stock closed on Tuesday at $43.94.

Redbox Entertainment Inc. (NASDAQ: RDBX): Wedbush started coverage with an Outperform rating and a $15 price target. The consensus price objective for the popular DVD movie vendor is much higher at $24. The shares closed on Tuesday at $11.88, after a pop of close to 6%.

Shift4 Payments Inc. (NYSE: FOUR): Loop Capital began coverage with a Buy rating and a $69 price target. The consensus target is a much higher $109.10. The last Tuesday trade was reported at $52.02.

Sun Communities Inc. (NYSE: SUI): Citigroup resumed coverage with a Buy rating and has a $225 price target. The consensus target is $225.13. The final trade for Tuesday was reported at $188.85, which was over 4% lower on the day.

Tronox Holdings PLC (NYSE: TROX): UBS’s double upgrade to Buy from Sell included a target price boost to $32 from $22. The consensus target is $27.56. The last trade on Tuesday came in at $21.99.

Urban Outfitters Inc. (NASDAQ: URBN): Jefferies resumed coverage with a Buy rating and a $46 price target. The consensus target is $42.87. The stock closed at $31.67 on Tuesday.

Ziff Davis Inc. (NYSE: ZD): Wedbush began coverage with an Outperform rating and a $150 target price. The consensus target is up at $166.88. The stock rose almost 3% on Tuesday to close at $113.87.
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Now is the time to reduce risk and more to safer ideas. Top-quality health care stocks may be the way to go for the rest of 2021 and in 2022, and these five Dividend Aristocrats make good sense now for worried investors.

Tuesday’s early top analyst upgrades and downgrades included Dollar Tree, Plains All American Pipeline, Simon Property, SoFi Technologies, Square, Synchrony Financial, Tyson Foods, U.S. Bancorp and Zoom Video Communications. Analyst calls seen later in the day were on Chevron, Toyota, Victoria’s Secret and more.
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The post Wednesday’s Top Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades: Beyond Meat, Capital One, DoorDash, Foot Locker, Krispy Kreme, Urban Outfitters and More appeared first on 24/7 Wall St..

The futures were mixed Wednesday, after a solid bounce-back rally that saw all four of the major indexes close higher. The ongoing debate across Wall Street is about the increasing inflation pressures and whether they are indeed transitory or will remain a persistent and growing problem. The strong October retail sales numbers were the impetus behind the move higher Tuesday, as some of the big-box retailers came in with outstanding results. The only investments seeing sellers Tuesday were U.S. Treasury debt, as yields went higher across the curve.

Top strategists across Wall Street remain focused on the potential for rising interest rates, the quantitative easing tapering, big increases in energy costs and the ongoing supply chain issues and stagflation worries. Toss in the debt ceiling issue that returns soon and the ongoing China worries, and the cauldron continues to simmer.

24/7 Wall St. reviews dozens of analyst research reports each day of the week with a goal of finding new ideas for investors and traders alike. Some of these daily analyst calls cover stocks to buy. Other calls cover stocks to sell or avoid. Remember that no single analyst call should ever be used as a basis to buy or sell a stock. Consensus analyst target data is from Refinitiv.

These are the top analyst upgrades, downgrades and initiations seen on Wednesday November 17, 2021.
[nativounit]
Adobe Inc. (NASDAQ: ADBE): Credit Suisse started coverage on the venerable technology giant with a Neutral rating and a $700 price target. The posted consensus target is $706.37. The shares were last seen on Tuesday at $671.03.

Advance Auto Parts Inc. (NYSE: AAP): BofA Securities reiterated a Buy rating and lifted the target price to $282 from $256. Citigroup also reiterated a Buy rating, and it boosted its $282 price target to $290. The consensus target is $240.65. The stock closed trading on Tuesday at $235.69.

Alcoa Corp. (NYSE: AA): Wolfe Research started coverage on the aluminum giant with an Outperform rating and a $63 price target. The consensus target is just $59.19. The shares were last seen at $48.20, after they retreated almost 5% on Tuesday.

Anika Therapeutics Inc. (NASDAQ: ANIK): Stephens began coverage with an Overweight rating and a $55 price target. The consensus target is $52. The final trade on Tuesday was reported at $39.95.
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Apple Inc. (NASDAQ: AAPL): Goldman Sachs updated its stance on the technology giant but kept a Neutral rating and a $142 price target. The higher $168.45 consensus target is above Tuesday’s closing price of $151.00 a share.

Aramark Holdings Inc. (NYSE: ARMK): Goldman Sachs reiterated an Outperform rating on the shares and kept a $42 price target. The consensus target is $40.42. The stock closed on Tuesday at $38.24.

Avis Budget Group Inc. (NASDAQ: CAR): While Barclays cut its Equal Weight rating on the rental car giant to Underweight, it also raised the $125 target price to $217. The consensus target is $163.57. However, the shares closed trading on Tuesday at $281.50.

Ballard Power Inc. (NASDAQ: BLDP): Citigroup downgraded the shares to Neutral from Buy and has a $19 price target. The consensus target is $22.71. The closing share price on Tuesday was $17.84.

Boeing Co. (NYSE: BA): Wells Fargo raised shares of the aerospace and defense giant to Overweight from Equal Weight, and it lifted the $224 price target to $272. The consensus target is around $260, but the stock closed on Tuesday at $225.80, after pulling back almost 4% for the day.

Checkpoint Software Technologies Ltd. (NASDAQ: CHKP): Credit Suisse started coverage of the legacy cybersecurity company’s stock with an Underperform rating and a $100 target price. The consensus target is up at $134.03. Tuesday’s final trade was reported at $116.84 a share.
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Dillard’s Inc. (NYSE: DDS): Zacks named this retailer its Bull of the Day. The analyst pointed out that strong earnings have taken this stock to all-time highs. The stock most recently closed at $360.35, having overrun its consensus price target of $221.67.

Hyatt Hotels Corp. (NYSE: H): Wells Fargo’s upgrade to Overweight from Equal Weight included a target price hike to $96 from $82. The consensus target is $83.66, in line with Tuesday’s final share price of $83.67.

Old Dominion Freight Line Inc. (NASDAQ: ODFL): UBS downgraded shares of the trucking giant to Neutral from Buy but raised the target price to $365 from $288. The consensus target is lower at $319.23. The final trade for Tuesday came in at $361.35.

Palantir Technologies Inc. (NASDAQ: PLTR): Credit Suisse started coverage with a Neutral rating and a $25 price target. The consensus target is $23.66. The stock closed at $23.13 on Tuesday.
Poshmark Inc. (NASDAQ: POSH): Cowen downgraded the shares to Market Perform from Outperform and slashed the $42 target price to $22. The consensus target is $28.70. The stock was last seen on Tuesday at $20.81.

Skechers USA Inc. (NYSE: SKX): Zacks selected this as its Bear of the Day stock, suggesting that supply-chain challenges have stopped this stock from running. The shares last closed at $48.01, and the consensus price target is $61.42.

Splunk Inc. (NASDAQ: SPLK): Credit Suisse initiated coverage with an Outperform rating and a $225 price target. The consensus target is just $179.29. Tuesday’s last trade was recorded at $141.39.

Tyson Foods Inc. (NYSE: TSN): BofA Securities kept a Neutral rating on the shares but lifted the target price to $90 from $85. Stephens reiterated its Overweight rating and boosted the $95 target price on the stock to $100. The consensus target is $88.17. The stock was last seen Tuesday at $83.58.

Urban Outfitters Inc. (NASDAQ: URBN): B. Riley Securities raised its Neutral rating on the popular clothing retailer to Buy, and the $36 price target increased to $45. The consensus target is $42.80. The final trade for Tuesday was filled at $37.65.

Warner Music Group Corp. (NASDAQ: WMG): BofA Securities downgraded the stock to Neutral from Buy and cut the target price to $42 from $53. The consensus target is $46.38, and the stock pulled back almost 4% on Tuesday to close at $43.64.

Wendy’s Co. (NYSE: WEN): Argus downgraded the popular fast-food stock to Hold from Buy. Over the past 52 weeks, shares have traded between $18.86 and $29.46, and they have a consensus price objective of $26.29. The final trade for Tuesday was at $21.76 a share.

Workday Inc. (NASDAQ: WDAY): The UBS upgrade to Buy from Neutral included a target price boost to $370 from $255. The consensus target is $315.23. Tuesday’s closing price was $299.84 per share.
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24/7 Wall St. screened the BofA Securities research universe database looking for the mega-retailers that look poised to cash in this year. Five stocks are all rated Buy and look like excellent choices for investors looking to add retail exposure in front of the holiday season.

Tuesday’s top analyst upgrades and downgrades included Cisco Systems, FuboTV, PayPal, Petco Health and Wellness, Robinhood Markets, ServiceNow, Snowflake, Southwest Airlines, TotalEnergies and Wayfair.
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The post Wednesday’s Top Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades: Adobe, Alcoa, Apple, Boeing, Palantir, Urban Outfitters, Tyson Foods, Wendy’s and More appeared first on 24/7 Wall St..

The futures were mixed on Friday, as we get set to wrap up another wild week where very positive earnings drove some big gains, and both the Dow Jones industrials and the S&P 500 printed intraday all-time highs. New claims for unemployment dropped again to a pandemic low, as many companies are avoiding layoffs amid the biggest labor shortage in decades. The sellers were out in the Treasury markets, as yields rose across the curve, with the 10-year bond blowing through some recent highs.

Top strategists across Wall Street remain focused on continued rising interest rates, the quantitative easing tapering due to begin soon, big increases in energy costs, ongoing supply chain issues and stagflation worries. Toss in the debt ceiling issue, which has not gone away, and the ongoing China worries keep the cauldron continuing to simmer.

24/7 Wall St. reviews dozens of analyst research reports each day of the week with a goal of finding new ideas for investors and traders alike. Some of these daily analyst calls cover stocks to buy. Other calls cover stocks to sell or avoid. Remember that no single analyst call should ever be used as a basis to buy or sell a stock. Consensus analyst target data is from Refinitiv.

These are the top analyst upgrades, downgrades and initiations seen on Friday, October 22, 2021.
[nativounit]
Ally Financial Inc. (NYSE: ALLY): Piper Sandler downgraded the bank’s stock to Neutral from Overweight and cut the price target to $59 from $68. The posted consensus target is $67.42. The final trade on Thursday was reported at $52.97, which was down over 5% despite earnings beating analysts’ estimates.

BankUnited Inc. (NYSE: BKU): Piper Sandler lowered its Overweight rating to Neutral with a $45 price target. The consensus target is $47.36. The shares closed on Thursday at $42.40, after retreating close to 3% on the day.

Boeing Co. (NYSE: BA): RBC Capital Markets started coverage on the aerospace and defense leader with an Outperform rating and a $275 price target. Shares have traded in a 52-week range of $141.58 to $278.57, and the closing price on Thursday was $214.34 per share.
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Cinemark Holdings Inc. (NYSE: CNK): Wells Fargo started coverage on the movie theatre giant’s shares with an Equal Weight rating and a $22 price target. The consensus target is $23.46. The stock ended Thursday’s trading at $19.79.

Coterra Energy Inc. (NYSE: CTRA): The Goldman Sachs upgrade was from Hold to Buy with a $25 price target. The consensus target is just higher at $25.90. The stock pulled back almost 3% on Thursday to close at $20.78 a share.

Fastly Inc. (NYSE: FSLY): This cloud company was named as the Bull of the Day at Zacks. The analyst says that all eyes will be on the November 3 report as the growth hiccup appears over and big customers have stayed on board. Shares most recently closed at $49.58, though the consensus price target was last seen down at $37.43.

Fluor Corp. (NYSE: FLR): BofA Securities resumed coverage with an Underperform rating and a $17 price target. The consensus target is up at $20.57. The stock closed at $18.37 per share on Thursday.

Freeport McMoRan Inc. (NYSE: FCX): Deutsche Bank’s downgrade of the mining giant to Hold from Buy included a target price trim to $43 from $46. The consensus target is $42.52. The stock was last seen on Thursday trading at $38.42 a share.
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GasLog Partners L.P. (NASDAQ: GLOP): Jefferies upgraded the shares to Buy from Hold and lifted the $5 target price to $6.50. The consensus target is $4.50, and shares closed on Thursday at $4.54.

Intel Corp. (NASDAQ: INTC): UBS downgraded the legacy chip giant to Neutral from Buy and cut the price target to $58 from $73. Morgan Stanley also lowered its Overweight rating to Neutral and slashed the price objective from $67 to $55. The consensus target is $61.87. The stock closed on Thursday at $56, but the shares were rocked in the premarket, down over 10%, after posting very disappointing third-quarter results.

Invesco Ltd. (NYSE: IVZ): Evercore ISI upgraded the shares of the money management giant to In Line from Underperform, and the firm has a $28 price target. The consensus target is $30. The stock closed at $25.00 on Thursday.

Marsh & McLennon Companies Inc. (NYSE: MMC): Raymond James upgraded it to Outperform from Underperform and has a $185 price target. The consensus target is $167.75, which is below Thursday’s close at $168.43.
Moderna Inc. (NASDAQ: MRNA): Deutsche Bank started coverage on the COVID-19 vaccine maker with a Sell rating and a $250 price target. The much higher consensus is $340.17, and Thursday’s final trade was reported at $339.57 per share.

Nvidia Corp. (NASDAQ: NVDA): Summit Insight’s upgrade was to Buy from Sell. The stock has traded in a 52-week range of $115.67 to $230.43, and it has a consensus price target of $230.45.

PagerDuty Inc. (NYSE: PD): Zacks selected this as its Bull of the Day stock. The analyst says that profits may have to wait while this first-responder for enterprise DevOps still grows sales. Shares last closed at $42.65 and have a consensus price target of $57.33.

Southwest Airlines Co. (NYSE: LUV): Evercore ISI downgraded the popular low-cost carrier to In Line from Outperform, and it dropped the $55 price target to $48. The much higher consensus target is $64.87. The last trade for Thursday was reported at $48.66 a share.

Southwestern Energy Co. (NYSE: SWN): Goldman Sachs resumed coverage with a Neutral rating and a $5.25 price target. The consensus target is $7.13. The stock was closed on Thursday at $4.94.

Urban Outfitters Inc. (NASDAQ: URBN): Though Citigroup upgraded the popular clothing chain to Buy from Neutral, it also trimmed the target price to $40 from $44. The $43.07 consensus target is well above Thursday’s closing print of $30.38.

Valens Semiconductor Ltd. (NYSE: VLN): Citigroup started coverage with a Buy rating and a $13 price target. The consensus target is up at $16.50. The stock closed on Thursday at $7.67.

Zoom Video Communications Inc. (NASDAQ: ZM): JPMorgan raised the shares to Overweight from Neutral and have a $385 price target. The consensus target is $369.43. The stock closed trading at $274.78 on Thursday.
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While five analyst favorite stock picks may not be making any parabolic moves higher soon, they are safer ideas for nervous growth and income investors looking to reset portfolios for the rest of the year.

Thursday’s early top analyst upgrades and downgrades included Activision Blizzard, Biogen, Carnival, Krispy Kreme, Lam Research, Las Vegas Sands, Tesla and Zoom Video. Analyst calls seen later in the day were on Krispy Kreme, Live Nation, Twilio and more.
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The post Friday’s Top Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades: Boeing, Freeport-McMoRan, Intel, Moderna, Nvidia, Southwest Air and More appeared first on 24/7 Wall St..

The futures were mixed after a sparkling risk-off rally Tuesday, in which all the major indexes traded higher on the strength of continued solid third-quarter earnings reports and some brighter economic news. The standoff over the massive social infrastructure plan continues in Washington. In the cryptocurrency world, the first Bitcoin futures exchange-traded fund began trading on Tuesday on the New York Stock Exchange.

Top strategists across Wall Street remain focused on rising interest rates, quantitative easing tapering due to begin soon, big increases in energy costs, ongoing supply chain issues and stagflation worries. Toss in the debt ceiling and China worries, and the cauldron continues to simmer.

24/7 Wall St. reviews dozens of analyst research reports each day of the week with a goal of finding new ideas for investors and traders alike. Some of these daily analyst calls cover stocks to buy. Other calls cover stocks to sell or avoid. Remember that no single analyst call should ever be used as a basis to buy or sell a stock. Consensus analyst target data is from Refinitiv.

These are the top analyst upgrades, downgrades and initiations seen on Wednesday, October 20, 2021.
[nativounit]
Anheuser-Busch InBev S.A./N.V. (NYSE: BUD): Citing lingering COVID-19 challenges, Zacks has named this global beverage giant as the Bear of the Day. Shares closed most recently at $55.92 apiece, and the consensus price target is $74.13.

Array Technologies Inc. (NASDAQ: ARRY): Guggenheim lowered its Buy rating on shares of the solar parts giant to Neutral. Over the past 52 weeks, the stock has traded between $12.72 and $54.78. The consensus price target is $24.42. The last trade on Tuesday was reported at $20.41 a share, after more than a 5% gain for the day. The shares gave it back in the premarket, down right at 5%.

Atea Pharmaceuticals Inc. (NASDAQ: AVIR): JPMorgan slashed the $61 price target on the stock to $16 and downgraded it to Neutral from Overweight. The consensus target, which is sure to be lowered, is $43.67. The stock collapsed Tuesday, tumbling 66% to close at $13.82, after the company posted disappointing clinical results on a potential antiviral COVID-19 pill.

Bank of New York Mellon Corp. (NYSE: BK): Goldman Sachs raised the $56 price target on the Buy-rated shares to $62. The consensus target is $60.28. The stock closed on Tuesday at $57.65.
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Cadence Design Systems Inc. (NASDAQ: CDNS): Needham started coverage with a Buy rating and a $183 price target. The consensus target is just $161.75. Tuesdays’ final trade hit the tape at $158.83.

Cyclerion Therapeutics Inc. (NASDAQ: CYCN): Truist Securities started coverage of the micro-cap biotech with a Buy rating and a huge $14 price target, double the $7 consensus target. The last trade on Tuesday came in at $2.66.

DD3 Acquisition Corp. II (NASDAQ: DDMX): Benchmark started coverage with a Buy rating and a $15 price target. The last trade on Tuesday was posted at $9.92 per share.

Dover Corp. (NYSE: DOV): Baird reiterated an Outperform rating on the stock and lifted the target price to $193 from $176. The consensus target is $182.92. The final trade for Tuesday was reported at $167.91.

Gilead Sciences Inc. (NASDAQ: GILD): Cowen resumed coverage of the biotech leader with an Outperform rating. Over the past 52 weeks, the stock has traded between $56.56 and $73.34, and it has a $76.23 consensus price objective. The final trade for Tuesday was recorded at $66.90.

Hilton Grand Vacations Inc. (NYSE: HGV): Goldman Sachs resumed coverage with a Buy rating and a $63 price objective. The consensus target is lower at $54.33. The stock closed on Tuesday at $46.50.
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Intuitive Surgical Inc. (NASDAQ: ISRG): Baird reiterated its Outperform rating on the robotic surgery leader and lifted the $350 price target to $370. The consensus target is $344.12, and Tuesday’s closing print was $336.30.

Micron Technology Inc. (NASDAQ: MU): Mizuho’s downgrade of the chip giant to Neutral from Buy included a target price cut to $75 from $90. The consensus target is $100.74. The shares were last seen on Tuesday at $67.57.

Mosaic Co. (NYSE: MOS): Goldman Sachs raised the price target on the Neutral; rated shares to $44 from $39. That is versus the $42.28 consensus target and Tuesday’s closing print of $41.82.

Netflix Inc. (NASDAQ: NFLX): Goldman Sachs reiterated a Neutral rating on the streaming entertainment giant but nudged the price target to $595 from $590. The posted consensus target is much higher at $634.43. The stock closed at $639 on Tuesday.
Philip Morris International Inc. (NYSE: PM): Goldman Sachs reiterated its Buy rating on the tobacco leader and has set a $110 price target, which, like the $110.27 consensus target, would be a 52-week high. The stock closed trading on Tuesday at $95.79.

Qorvo Inc. (NASDAQ: QRVO): Mizuho downgraded the shares to Neutral from Buy and slashed the target price to $175 from $220. The consensus target is up at $218.68. The last trade on Tuesday was reported at $168.76.

Quipt Home Medical Corp. (NASDAQ: QIPT): Benchmark started coverage with a Buy rating and a $7.50 price target. The consensus target is up at $10.50. The stock closed on Tuesday at $5.72.

Synchrony Financial Inc. (NYSE: SYF): JPMorgan’s downgrade from Overweight to Neutral included a target price trim to $55 from $57. The consensus target is $58.58. The final trade on Tuesday came in at $52.36

Urban Outfitters Inc. (NASDAQ: URBN): Zacks named this as its Bull of the Day. The analyst said that growing demand and two new, successful brands are pushing this retailer higher. The stock last closed at $30.56 and has a consensus price target of $43.33, which would be a 52-week high.

Western Digital Corp. (NASDAQ: WDC): Mizuho lowered its Buy rating on the hard disk drive leader to Neutral and dropped the $92 price target to $62. The shares closed on Tuesday at $55.65, in a 52-week trading range of $36.59 to $78.19.
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Five top technology companies pay solid and dependable dividends and have solid growth prospects for the rest of the fourth quarter and beyond. They look like outstanding ideas now for investors looking for growth and income.

Tuesday’s meme stock movers include Coinbase and Tesla, and Wednesday’s early meme stock movers included BlackBerry and Tilray.

Tuesday’s early top analyst upgrades and downgrades included Adobe, Enterprise Products Partners, FuboTV, Nvidia, SunPower, Target, Verizon Communications and Walmart. Analyst calls seen later in the day were on Albertsons, CRISPR, Marriott, Teladoc and more.
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The futures were mixed on Wednesday as more and more we are starting to see the volume slow down across Wall Street, a sure sign that summer is almost here. The major indexes closed mostly higher Tuesday, with only the Dow Jones industrials showing no gains. The Nasdaq and Russell 2000 were the biggest winners on the day. All eyes on Wall Street are focused on Thursday’s release of the May Consumer Price Index reading. A big number could certainly spook investors and continue the inflation narrative.

Despite the resurfacing concerns across Wall Street for tapering of the quantitative easing program and a clear building of inflationary pressures, the Federal Reserve is vowing to keep interest rates contained. That could be one reason for the continued moves higher in the equity markets, even after sell-offs. Also note that money markets continue to see massive inflows, which is another big plus.

With major Wall Street firms still warning of the potential for impending 5% to 10% correction across the board, it makes sense for investors to continue building some cash reserves into the market strength while repositioning portfolios for the coming quarter and the rest of 2021.

24/7 Wall St. reviews dozens of analyst research reports each day of the week with a goal of finding new ideas for investors and traders alike. Some of these daily analyst calls cover stocks to buy. Other calls cover stocks to sell or avoid. Remember that no single analyst call should ever be used as a basis to buy or sell a stock. Consensus analyst target data is from Refinitiv.
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These are the top analyst upgrades, downgrades and initiations seen on Wednesday, June 9, 2021.

Abercrombie & Fitch Inc. (NYSE: ANF): Jefferies raised shares of the popular clothing retailer to Buy from Hold and hiked the price target to $57. The Wall Street consensus target is $50.11. The stock closed Tuesday at $41.15 per share.

Camtek Ltd. (NASDAQ: CAMT): Barclays started coverage of the stock with an Overweight rating and a $43 price target. The consensus price objective is $41.25. The stock closed Tuesday at $38.93, which was up over 5% on the day.
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Carriage Services Inc. (NYSE: CSV): B. Riley Securities initiated coverage with a Buy rating and a $50 price target. The consensus price objective is slightly lower at $49.33, and the final print for Tuesday came in at $38.72.

Celanese Corp. (NYSE: CE): Goldman Sachs downgraded the stock to Neutral from Buy and has a $184 price target. The consensus price objective is $173.76. Tuesday’s last trade hit the tape at $164.99.

Chemours Co. (NYSE: CC): Goldman Sachs upgraded the stock to Buy from Neutral and also raised the price target to $47. That compares with a $35.90 consensus and Tuesday’s closing print of $36.82.

Coinbase Global Inc. (NASDAQ: COIN): Raymond James started coverage of the cryptocurrency trading platform with an Underperform rating. The shares have traded in a wide range of $208 to $429.54 since going public earlier this year in a direct listing offering. The consensus price target is $395.64, and the stock pulled back almost 5% on Tuesday to close at $220.66.

Colgate-Palmolive Co. (NYSE: CL): Credit Suisse upgraded the consumer staples giant to Outperform from Neutral and raised the price target to $95. The consensus target is just $85.49. The stock closed on Tuesday at $82.93.

Credicorp Ltd. (NYSE: BAP): Morgan Stanley downgraded the stock from Overweight to Equal Weight with a $125 price target. The consensus target is $161.49, and the shares ended Tuesday at $134.04.
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Dada Nexus Ltd. (NASDAQ: DADA): JPMorgan started coverage with an Overweight rating and a $40 price target. The consensus target is up at $42.82, and the stock closed on Tuesday at $29.33 a share.

Dish Network Corp. (NASDAQ: DISH): JPMorgan downgraded the stock to Underweight from Neutral and has a $45 price target. The consensus target for shares of the satellite programming company is $49.29. The stock closed at $43.58 on Tuesday.

Fisker Inc. (NYSE: FSR): RBC Capital Markets started coverage of the electric vehicle company with an Outperform rating and a $27 price target. The consensus target is $23.22, and the last trade Tuesday came in at $18.07 per share.

Fox Corp. (NASDAQ: FOXA): Wells Fargo raised the broadcasting giant’s stock to Overweight from Equal Weight, and it lifted the price target to $47. The consensus price objective is $41.18. Tuesday’s closing trade was at $36.59 a share.
Goldman Sachs Group Inc. (NYSE: GS): Jefferies started the venerable Wall Street firm with a Buy rating and a $450 price target. The consensus price objective is just $394.06, and Tuesday’s last trade was seen at $384.70.

KLA Corp. (NASDAQ: KLAC): Deutsche Bank upgraded shares of the semiconductor capital equipment giant to Buy from Hold and has a $375 price target. The consensus target is $367.31, and the shares closed on Tuesday at $313.80 apiece.

Nexa Resources S.A. (NYSE: NEXA): Morgan Stanley downgraded the shares to Equal Weight from Overweight and has a $10.20 price target. The consensus price target is higher at $11.76, and the stock ended Tuesday trading at $11.32.

Regional Management Corp. (NYSE: RM): BMO Capital Markets downgraded it to Market Perform from Outperform. The firm’s $43 price target compares with the $43.83 consensus target. The final trade for Tuesday was recorded at $51.44. As it is trading just below a 52-week high after a solid run this year, this looks like a valuation call.

TotalEnergies S.E. (NYSE: TOT): MKM Partners started the French integrated energy giant with a Buy rating and a $70 price target. The lower $56.25 consensus is still above Tuesday’s close at $48.37 a share.

Travelzoo (NASDAQ: TZOO): Zacks selected this as its Bear of the Day stock, saying that the outlook for this online travel website is still dampened by the pandemic. Shares last closed at $15.65, and the consensus price target is $21.00.

Urban Outfitters Inc. (NASDAQ: URBN): Zacks named this as its Bull of the Day. The analyst said that renewed consumer demand is lifting this retailer, and shareholders could reap the rewards. The stock most recently closed at $38.80 and has a consensus price target of $41.60.

Wendy’s Co. (NASDAQ: WEN): Stifel downgraded one of the newest meme stocks from Buy to Hold with a $25 price target. The consensus target is $26.07, but the stock closed Tuesday at $28.87, after exploding by 26% on Tuesday. The shares were up an additional 3% in premarket action.
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The good news for aggressive growth investors eyeing the semiconductor industry is the sideways trading since February could be ready to break out to the upside. Buying four solid Jefferies stock picks could very well be a great short-term and long-term strategy for those investors.

Check out Warren Buffett’s favorite stocks.

Tuesday’s early top analyst upgrades and downgrades included Autodesk, Biogen, Delta Air Lines, Facebook, Johnson Controls and Marvell Technology. Analyst calls seen later in the day were on Cabot Oil, Rocket Companies, Target and more.
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The futures moved higher on Wednesday, after a back-and-forth trading day on Tuesday that saw a strong start turn around halfway through the day. The major indexes ended down, and with first-quarter earnings reporting all but over, Wall Street’s attention is focused on inflation and monetary policy. Interest rates fell again, as there was buying across the curve as some officials from the Federal Reserve have hinted recently that the May jobs report, which comes out the first Friday in June, could be softer than expected.

Despite those concerns across Wall Street for tapering of the quantitative easing program and clear building inflationary pressures, the Federal Reserve is vowing to keep interest rates contained, which could one reason for the continued moves higher in the equity markets, even after sell-offs. Also note that money markets continue to see massive inflows, which is another big plus.

With major Wall Street firms still warning of the potential for impending 5% to 10% correction across the board, it makes sense for investors to continue building some cash reserves into the market strength while repositioning portfolios for the balance of the second quarter and the rest of 2021.

24/7 Wall St. reviews dozens of analyst research reports each day of the week with a goal of finding new ideas for investors and traders alike. Some of these daily analyst calls cover stocks to buy. Other calls cover stocks to sell or avoid. Remember that no single analyst call should ever be used as a basis to buy or sell a stock. Consensus analyst target data is from Refinitiv.
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These are the top analyst upgrades, downgrades and initiations seen on Wednesday, May 26, 2021.

Advanced Micro Devices Inc. (NASDAQ: AMD): WestPark Capital started the semiconductor giant with a Buy rating. The shares have traded in a 52-week range of $48.42 to $99.23 and have a consensus price target of $105.76. The final trade for Tuesday was reported at $77.86.

ASML Holding N.V. (NASDAQ: ASML): Zacks named this as its Bull of the Day. The analyst said that, for chip makers, this provider of laser etching for microcircuitry is key to unlocking the nanoscale world. The stock most recently closed at $672.29 and has a consensus price target of $747.50.
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Ball Corp. (NYSE: BLL): BMO Capital Markets downgraded the shares to Market Perform from Outperform and lowered the price target to $87. The posted consensus target is much higher at $106.40. Tuesday’s closing trade was reported at $85.87.

Boston Scientific Corp. (NYSE: BSX): Needham downgraded the medical devices company to Hold from Buy. The shares have traded in a 52-week range of $32.99 to $44.63 and have a consensus price target of $49.15. Tuesday’s last trade came in at $43.03.

Crown Holdings Inc. (NYSE: CCK): BMO Capital Markets downgraded it to Market Perform from Outperform and also lowered the price target to $110. The consensus target is up at $130, and Tuesday’s closing trade was at $108.08 a share.

Illinois Tool Works Inc. (NYSE: ITW): Barclays downgraded the shares to Underweight from Equal Weight and lowered the price target to $220. The consensus target is $244.25, and the stock was last seen Tuesday at $232.57.

Intel Corp. (NASDAQ: INTC): WestPark Capital started the legacy semiconductor leader with a Hold rating. The shares have traded in a 52-week range of $43.61 to $68.49 and have a consensus price target of $65.13. The stock closed on Tuesday at $56.87.

John Bean Technologies Corp. (NYSE: JBT): Baird’s upgrade to Outperform from Neutral comes with a $151 price target. The consensus target is $143.25, and the stock closed Tuesday at $128.01.

Kinder Morgan Inc. (NYSE: KMI): Morgan Stanley downgraded the energy giant to Underweight from Equal Weight and has an $18 price target. The consensus target is $17.67. The shares closed Tuesday at $18.54.
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Nordstrom Inc. (NYSE: JWN): Telsey Advisory lowered the price target on the luxury apparel retailer to $36 from $44. The stock has traded in a 52-week range of $11.72 to $46.45 and has a $35.88 consensus price objective. It closed on Tuesday at $36.48. The shares were down almost 7% in the premarket after the company reported disappointing earnings.

ONEOK Inc. (NYSE: OKE): Morgan Stanley raised the shares to Equal Weight from Underweight and has a $55 price target. The consensus target is $52.05. The final Tuesday trade came in at $52.66.

Ovintiv Inc. (NYSE: OVV): JPMorgan’s upgrade to Overweight from Neutral included a $32 price target. The posted consensus target is lower at $29.84. The stock ended trading on Tuesday at $25.17.

Riot Blockchain Inc. (NASDAQ: RIOT): B. Riley Securities started coverage with a Buy rating and a $43 price target. The posted consensus target is at $44.50, and the stock closed Tuesday at $25.14.

Teck Resources Ltd. (NASDAQ: TECK): Deutsche Bank raised its Hold rating to Buy and raised the price target to $30. That compares with a $32.12 consensus figure and Tuesday’s final print of $22.30, which was down over 3% on the day.
Twilio Inc. (NYSE: TWLO): Zacks selected this as its Bear of the Day stock, saying that this cloud darling for intelligent corporate comms has a bright future, but a persistent squall on earnings growth. Shares last closed at $324.21, and the consensus price target is $466.52.

Urban Outfitters Inc. (NASDAQ: URBN): JPMorgan upgraded shares of the popular clothing retailer to Neutral from Underweight. The firm also raised the price target to $38. The consensus price objective is $39.33, and the shares closed on Tuesday at $34.96. The stock was up almost 10% in the premarket in the wake of a very strong earnings report.

Verra Mobility Corp. (NASDAQ: VRRM): Though Morgan Stanley downgraded it to Equal Weight from Overweight, the analyst also raised the price target to $15. The consensus target is $17.67, and the stock closed at $14.96 on Tuesday.

Virgin Galactic Holdings Inc. (NASDAQ: SPCE): Canaccord Genuity started coverage with a Buy rating and a $35 price target. That compares with the consensus price objective of $29.80 and the Tuesday closing price of $25.59 a share.

Western Midstream Partners L.P. (NYSE: WES): Morgan Stanley upgraded the shares to Equal Weight from Underweight and raised the price target to $22. The consensus target is up at $23.47, and the stock closed Tuesday at $20.20.

Zscaler Inc. (NYSE: ZS): When BMO Capital Markets upgraded the stock to Outperform from Market Perform, it also raised the price target to $225. The consensus target is $231.04. Tuesday’s last trade hit the tape at $172.74 a share.
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Information technology plays a massive part in corporate productivity, and many of the top stocks look primed for a nice second half of 2021 as IT demand picks up again. BofA Securities is very positive on four industry leaders.

Find out which office REITs Goldman Sachs favors now. Also see why Domino’s Pizza stock may be cooling off and Lordstown Motors could go out of business.

Tuesday’s early top analyst upgrades and downgrades included Abbott Laboratories, Adobe, Canopy Growth, Coinbase, Dollar General, Domino’s Pizza, Medtronic, Palo Alto Networks and Target. Analyst calls seen later in the day were on Boston Scientific, Gap, Molson Coors and more.
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The futures were mixed on Tuesday morning, as investors get ready for the onslaught of first-quarter earnings, which will start in earnest tomorrow as the big money center banks start the large-cap reporting parade. The S&P 500 posted yet another intraday high, before closing lower Monday, as did all the major indexes.

Top strategists across Wall Street continue to point to the broad reopening of the economy, the tailwind from the stimulus package and the continued Federal Reserve pledges to keep interest rates contained as reasons for the continued moves higher in the equity markets. It also should be noted that money markets continue to see massive inflows, which is another big plus.

With major Wall Street firms still warning of the potential for impending 5% to 10% correction across the board, it makes sense for investors to continue building some cash reserves into the market strength, while repositioning portfolios for the start of the second quarter and the rest of 2021.

24/7 Wall St. reviews dozens of analyst research reports each day of the week with a goal of finding new ideas for investors and traders alike. Some of these daily analyst calls cover stocks to buy. Other calls cover stocks to sell or avoid. Remember that no single analyst call should ever be used as a basis to buy or sell a stock. Consensus analyst target data is from Refinitiv.
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These are the top analyst upgrades, downgrades and initiations seen on Tuesday, April 13, 2021.

Ameren Corp. (NYSE: AEE): BofA Securities upgraded the stock to Buy from Neutral and also raised the price target to $89 from $84. The consensus target price is $83.77, and the last Monday trade came in at $80.72.

Beyond Meat Inc. (NASDAQ: BYND): Zacks named this the Bear of the Day stock, saying that it is a meatless miracle that shares have run far past the price at which this “trendy” stock should be trading. Shares last closed at $132.26, but the consensus price target is $128.80.

Booking Holdings Inc. (NASDAQ: BKNG): Jefferies upgraded it to Buy from Hold and also raised the price target to $2800 from $2300. That compares with a consensus target of $2462.04 and Monday’s final print of $2409.05.

Bristol-Myers Squibb Co. (NYSE: BMY): Truist Securities raised the stock to Buy from Hold. The pharmaceutical giant has traded in a 52-week range of $54.07 to $67.16 and has a consensus price target of $75.38. Monday’s final trade was reported at $62.69.
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Cloudflare Inc. (NYSE: NET): Mizuho started coverage with a Neutral rating and a $77 price objective. The consensus target is much higher at $101.17. The last trade to hit the tape on Monday was recorded at $69.73.

Commscope Holding Co. Inc. (NASDAQ: COMM): Deutsche Bank upgraded the stock to Buy from Hold and raised the price target to $21 from $14. That consensus target is lower at $18.29, and the shares ended trading Monday at $17.29.

FedEx Corp. (NYSE: FDX): KeyBanc Capital Markets raised the delivery giant to Overweight from Sector Weight with a $350 price target. The consensus target is lower at $328.75, and the stock was last seen Monday at $290.79.

IDACorp Inc. (NYSE: IDA): BofA Securities downgraded it to Neutral from Buy but kept a $105 price target. The consensus target is posted at $102.75, and the shares ended trading Monday at $100.09.

iHeart Media Inc. (NASDAQ: IHRT): BofA Securities raised the stock to Buy from Underperform with a $26 price target. The consensus target for the broadcasting giant is lower at $18.33. The stock closed Monday at $17.48, down over 4% on the day.
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JetBlue Airways Corp. (NASDAQ: JBLU): Susquehanna raised the stock to Positive from Neutral with a $26 price target. The consensus target is $20.07, and the shares ended trading on Monday at $20.50.

Mosaic Co. (NYSE: MOS): Berenberg raised it to Buy from Hold and set a $40 price target. The consensus target is at $33.68, and the stock was last seen Monday at $31.77.

NorthWestern Corp. (NYSE: NWE): Credit Suisse downgraded the stock to Neutral from Outperform but raised the price target to $66 from $60. The consensus target for the utility giant is $64.75, and the shares ended trading Monday at $67.60. Trading right at the 52-week high, this could be a valuation call.

Nvidia Corp. (NASDAQ: NVDA): Cowen raised the price target on the semiconductor leader to $675 from $665 after its analysts day discussed its expanding accelerated compute portfolio and business models to extract value in gaming, autos and data center. The analysts reiterated their Outperform rating. The consensus target is $644.34, and Monday’s last trade came in at $608.36, up almost 6% on the day.

PepsiCo Inc. (NYSE: PEP): Wolfe Research started the stock with a Peer Perform rating. The shares have traded in a 52-week range of $126.53 to $148.77 and have a $152.04 consensus price target. The stock closed Monday at $143.02.
Spirit Airlines Inc. (NYSE: SAVE): Susquehanna raised the stock to Positive from Neutral with a $50 price target. The consensus target is $34.30, and the stock closed Monday at $36.01, down almost 4% on the day.

Square Inc. (NYSE: SQ): Needham raised the price target to $310 from $300, following several recent developments, such as the start of limited banking services. The consensus target is lower at $267.86, and the stock was last seen Monday at $265.20.

Stamps.com Inc. (NASDAQ: STMP): Zacks named this as the Bull of the Day. The firm said that packages have been flying in and out of doors like it was Christmas every day this past year, and Stamps.com had its best year in the history of the company. Shares most recently closed at $207.61 and have a consensus price target all the way up at $345.75.

Urban Outfitters Inc. (NASDAQ: URBN): Telsey Advisory Group raised the price target on the retail favorite to $45 from $40 but maintained an Outperform rating. The consensus target is $36.47, and the stock closed Monday at $38.15.

Virgin Galactic Holdings Inc. (NASDAQ: SPCE): Wolfe Research started the stock with a Market Perform rating and a $27 price target. The consensus target is much higher at $38.33, and the last trade Monday came in at $26.77, down almost 9% on the day.

Zscaler Inc. (NYSE: ZS): Mizuho started the shares with a Buy rating and a $217 price target. That compares with the higher $238.61 consensus target and Monday’s 188.38 closing print.

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Four top software stocks are significantly cheaper than in years past. With the market very pricey, it may make sense for aggressive investors to put some chips down on these stocks that have huge upside to the analyst price targets.

See the unicorn that is poised to be one of the biggest IPOs of 2021, and find out what Microsoft just paid $20 billion for.

Monday’s early top analyst upgrades and downgrades included Best Buy, Chipotle Mexican Grill, Exxon Mobil, GameStop, Match, Plug Power, Qualcomm and Tesla. Analyst calls seen later in the day were on AstraZeneca, Bumble, McDonald’s, Microsoft and more.
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With the trading day more than halfway over, the broad markets saw a huge pull back on Thursday. Although each of the major averages started out relatively even, they have all turned negative on the day, each down over 1%.

24/7 Wall St. is looking at some big analyst calls that we have seen so far on Thursday. We have included the most recent analyst call on each stock, as well as a recent trading history and the consensus targets among analysts.

For those that might have missed it, 24/7 Wall St. had an earlier round of analyst calls on Thursday that included AstraZeneca, Dollar General, Lowe’s, Nike and more.

AT&T Inc. (NYSE: T) was downgraded at Oppenheimer to Perform from Outperform. Shares traded near $29 on Thursday. The 52-week trading range is $26.08 to $38.22. The consensus price target is $29.85.

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CME Group Inc. (NASDAQ: CME) was upgraded at Wells Fargo from Equal Weight to Overweight with a $230 price target. Shares were trading below $205. The stock has changed hands within a 52-week range of $131.80 to $225.36, and it has a consensus price target of $191.09.

Canadian Pacific Railway Ltd. (NYSE: CP) was downgraded at Evercore ISI to In-Line from Outperform. The stock was last seen near $364 a share. The 52-week trading range is $173.26 to $379.00, and the consensus price target is $391.83.

Expedia Group Inc. (NASDAQ: EXPE) was upgraded at Argus from Hold to Buy with a $188 price target. The shares traded around $158. The 52-week range is $40.76 to $166.57, and analysts have a consensus price target of $154.92.

Global Blood Therapeutics Inc. (NASDAQ: GBT) was downgraded at William Blair to Market Perform from Outperform. The stock traded near $43 on Thursday, in a 52-week range of $36.49 to $83.69. It has a consensus price target of $85.74.

Mattel Inc. (NASDAQ: MAT) was upgraded to Buy from Neutral with a $26 price target at Monness Crespi & Hardt. The consensus price target is $20.93. Shares traded around $20 on Thursday, in a 52-week range of $6.53 to $20.54.

NetApp Inc. (NASDAQ: NTAP) was reiterated at Cowen with a Market Perform rating, and its price target jumped to $68 from $60. The stock traded under $64 on Thursday. The 52-week trading range is $34.66 to $71.68. Analysts have a consensus price target of $69.76.

Sage Therapeutics Inc. (NASDAQ: SAGE) was reiterated at H.C. Wainwright with a Neutral rating and its price target was raised to $86 from $74. The consensus price target is $101.05. Shares traded around $83 on Thursday, in the 52-week range of $25.01 to $98.39.

Urban Outfitters Inc. (NASDAQ: URBN) was reiterated with an Outperform rating and its price target was raised to $40 from $35 at Telsey Advisory. Early Thursday, the stock traded near $34. The 52-week range is $12.28 to $35.55, and the consensus price target is $31.73.

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Given rising interest rates and an improving economy, the banking industry could be poised for some outsized total return. Four top money center banks make sense for growth stock investors looking for a dividend kicker to add the potential for a solid 2021 total return.

See why short sellers pounced on Amazon and Apple but yielded on Facebook and electric vehicle makers.

Cathie Wood’s Ark Invest bought Square, Workhorse and more, but what are the funds selling now?[wallst_email_signup]

The post AT&T, Expedia, Mattel, Urban Outfitters and More Thursday Afternoon Analyst Calls appeared first on 24/7 Wall St..

Stocks fell on Tuesday after President Trump called off stimulus negotiations late in the day. His move to call for a direct stimulus package rather than the larger plan offered a bounce for Wednesday. While many investors missed out on the recovery from late in March, there are many of the key leadership stocks that are down significantly from their highs and at more attractive entry points.

24/7 Wall St. reviews dozens of analyst research reports each day of the week with a goal of finding new ideas for investors and traders alike. Some of these daily analyst calls cover stocks to buy. Other calls cover stocks to sell or avoid. Remember that no single analyst call should ever be used as a basis to buy or sell a stock. Consensus analyst target data is from Refinitiv.

These are the top analyst upgrades, downgrades and initiations seen on Wednesday, October 7, 2020.

Alexion Pharmaceuticals Inc. (NASDAQ: ALXN) shares closed up 0.7% at $116.08 on Tuesday after the company raised its guidance. Wedbush Securities reiterated its Outperform rating with a $156 price target. The consensus target price is $142.00.

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Amazon.com Inc. (NASDAQ: AMZN) was reiterated at Buy and its price target was raised to $3,800 from $3,675 at Benchmark. The stock closed down 3.1% at $3,099.96 on Tuesday but was indicated up 1% at $3,138 on Wednesday. It has a $3,725.31 consensus price target.

American Eagle Outfitters Inc. (NYSE: AEO) was raised to Overweight from Equal Weight with an $18 price target at Barclays. The stock closed down 3.8% at $14.86 on Tuesday but was indicated up about 3.4% at $15.35 on Wednesday. Its consensus price target was $15.50 ahead of the call.

Anaplan Inc. (NYSE: PLAN) was started as Hold at Jefferies.

Diageo PLC (NYSE: DEO) was raised to Buy from Underperform and its price target was raised to $164 from $109 (versus a $138.33 prior close) at Jefferies.

eBay Inc. (NASDAQ: EBAY) was reiterated as Buy and its price target was raised to $70 from $69 (versus a $49.66 close) at Benchmark. Shares were down 4% on Tuesday, but they were indicated up almost 1% on Wednesday.

Etsy Inc. (NASDAQ: ETSY) was reiterated as Outperform with a $155 price target (versus a $134.56 close) at Wedbush. It had a $152.53 consensus price target.

Foot Locker Inc. (NYSE: FL) was raised to Overweight from Equal Weight with a $39 target price (versus a $36.55 close) at Barclays. The stock was indicated up 2.6% at $37.50 on Wednesday, and its consensus price target was $32.78.

Harley-Davidson Inc. (NYSE: HOG) was named as the Zacks Bear of the Day stock. The firm said that this company hit its peak sales and profitability in 2014 and has since been on the decline. Shares last closed at $26.77 and have a consensus price target of $31.64.

Home Depot Inc. (NYSE: HD) was reiterated as Overweight and its price target was raised to $300 from $295 at Morgan Stanley. The shares closed down 2% at $276.47 apiece on Tuesday but were indicated up 1% at $279.30 on Wednesday. The consensus price target was $302.55.

Jabil Inc. (NYSE: JBL) was named as the Bull of the Day at Zacks, which said that this is one of the largest suppliers of electronic manufacturing services globally and its stock has even more upside. Shares most recently closed at $34.86 and have a consensus price target of $44.20.

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JetBlue Airways Corp. (NASDAQ: JBLU) was raised to Overweight from Underweight with a new $17 price target at JPMorgan, based on an upbeat longer-term forecast for the air carrier. The stock was indicated up 6% at $12.20 a share on Wednesday, and its consensus target price was $12.93.

MGIC Investment Corp. (NYSE: MTG) was raised to Outperform from Market Perform at Keefe Bruyette & Woods. Shares closed up 0.8% at $9.93 ahead of the call, and they have a $12.43 consensus price target.

Molson Coors Beverage Co. (NYSE: TAP) was reiterated as Buy and it was named to the Best Idea list of stocks at Guggenheim. After closing down three cents at $34.92 a share on Tuesday, the stock was indicated up almost 2% at $35.60 on Wednesday. The consensus price target is $43.81.

Netflix Inc. (NASDAQ: NFLX) was reiterated as Buy and its price target was raised to $650 at Pivotal Research.

PVH Corp. (NYSE: PVH) was downgraded Underweight from Equal Weight with a $58 target price (versus a $61.64 close) at Barclays. It had a $67.53 consensus price target.

Radian Group Inc. (NYSE: RDN) was raised to Outperform from Market Perform at Keefe Bruyette & Woods. Shares closed up 3.5% at $16.79 ahead of the call and have a $21.91 consensus price target.

Ralph Lauren Corp. (NYSE: RL) was downgraded to Equal Weight from Overweight at Barclays.

Sirius XM Holdings Inc. (NASDAQ: SIRI) was last seen trading up over 4% at $5.79 on news that it is about to sign a new deal with Howard Stern and that it was increasing its dividend. Credit Suisse upgraded it to Outperform from Neutral and raised its price target was to $7.50 from $6.25, based on surprisingly better than expected results.

Southwest Airlines Co. (NYSE: LUV) was downgraded to Underweight from Neutral at JPMorgan. After closing down 2.3% at $37.58 on Tuesday, its stock was up 2% at $38.35 on Wednesday.

United Airlines Holdings Inc. (NYSE: UAL) was raised to Overweight from Neutral and its target price was raised to $52 from $44 at JPMorgan. The stock closed down 3.6% at $34.88 on Tuesday and was indicated up over 4.5% at $36.50 on Wednesday.

Urban Outfitters Inc. (NASDAQ: URBN) was raised to Overweight from Equal Weight with a $26 price target (versus a $22.82 close) at Barclays.

Vir Biotechnology Inc. (NASDAQ: VIR) was up 6.1% at $41.50 on Tuesday after expanding a Phase 3 COVID-19 trial with GlaxoSmithKline. H.C. Wainwright reiterated it as Buy and raised its price target to $100 from $80.

Vishay Intertechnology Inc. (NYSE: VSH) was raised to Buy from Hold with a $20 target price (versus a $16.19 close) at Stifel.

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While 2020 has been pretty much a nightmare for retail, the holidays are now starting to come into view and shoppers are already looking for bargains. BofA Securities has five retail stocks rated Buy that have the exposure it expects to win now.

Tuesday’s top analyst upgrades and downgrades included Alexion Pharmaceuticals, Bill.com, Boeing, Costco, Dicks Sporting Goods, Generac, Proofpoint, Regeneron Pharmaceuticals and Shopify.

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When Urban Outfitters Inc. (NASDAQ: URBN) reported fiscal second-quarter financial results after markets closed Tuesday, the retailer said that it had $0.35 in earnings per share (EPS) and $803.27 million in revenue. The consensus estimates had called for a net loss of $0.40 per share and $672 million in revenue, and the same period of last year reportedly had $0.61 per share and $962.33 million.

During the latest quarter, comparable net sales decreased 13%, driven by negative retail store sales, due to stores being closed for part of the quarter and lower store productivity once opened, partially offset by strong double-digit growth in the digital channel.

By brand, comparable retail segment net sales increased 11% at Free People and decreased 25% at the Anthropologie Group and 8% at Urban Outfitters. Wholesale segment net sales decreased by 51% and total retail segment net sales decreased 14%.

In terms of its segments, the firm reported:

• Anthropologie Group net sales decreased by 25.1% year over year to $295.12 million.
• Urban Outfitters net sales decreased by 8.8% to $323.9 million.
• Free People net sales decreased by 13.6% to $178.0 million.
• Menus and Venues net sales decreased by 77.9% to $1.56 million.
• Nuuly net sales came in at $4.67 million.

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Cash, cash equivalents and marketable securities totaled $663.4 million at the end of the quarter, up from $433.3 million at the end of the previous fiscal year.

In the report, the retailer offered no guidance for the current quarter, citing uncertainty regarding the COVID-19 crisis. However, consensus estimates call for $0.15 in EPS and $868.05 million in revenue for the fiscal third quarter.

Urban Outfitters stock traded up 28% to $26.66 on Wednesday, in a 52-week range of $12.28 to $31.41. The consensus price target is $19.17.

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The S&P 500 has continued to surge to new all-time highs. Stocks were on pause and looking for direction on Wednesday as the indexes are starting to see some overbought readings now that all of the March panic-selling losses have been recovered (and then some). Many investors missed the recovery as the recession forced them out of the market. Investors also have been looking for new ideas for how to be positioned in the rest of 2020 and ahead of the election.

24/7 Wall St. reviews dozens of analyst research reports each day of the week in an effort to find new ideas for long-term investors and short-term traders alike. Some analyst reports cover stocks to buy, and others cover stocks to sell or avoid.

Remember that no single analyst call should ever be used as a basis to buy or sell a stock. Consensus analyst target data is from Refinitiv.

These are the top analyst upgrades, downgrades and initiations from Wednesday, August 26, 2020.

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Apple Inc. (NASDAQ: AAPL) was reiterated as Outperform and its price target was raised to $600 from $515 at Wedbush Securities.

Bridgestone Corp. (traded over the counter) was named as the Zacks Bear of the Day stock. The firm said that some stocks recovered from the March lows but this stock was not one of them. Shares last closed at $15.57 and have a consensus price target of $37.14

Cheniere Energy Inc. (NYSEARCA: LNG) was maintained as Buy but its price target was lowered to $74 from $80 (versus a $52.65 prior close) at Citigroup.

Children’s Place Inc. (NASDAQ: PLCE) saw its shares fall 18.8% to $18.92 after earnings on Tuesday. Citigroup maintained its Neutral rating but slashed its price target to $20 from $46.

Discovery Inc. (NASDAQ: DISCA) was reiterated as Buy and its price target was raised to $28 from $27 (versus a $22.86 close) at Citigroup.

Envision Solar International Inc. (NASDAQ: EVSI) was started as Buy with a $25 price target (versus a $10.98 close) at BTIG. It had a $13 consensus price target before this call, and the prior street-high target price was $17.

International Flavors & Fragrances Inc. (NYSE: IFF) was started as Outperform and a $150 price target (versus a $122.88 close) at Robert W. Baird.

Livent Corp. (NYSE: LTHM) was started with a Strong Buy rating and a $9 price target (versus a $7.63 close) at Raymond James. It had a $7.31 consensus price target ahead of the call.

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Lyft Inc. (NASDAQ: LYFT) was reiterated as Buy but its target price was trimmed to $49 from $50 at Citigroup. Shares closed at $29.10 on Tuesday and have a $40.71 consensus target price.

Medtronic PLC (NYSE: MDT) was reiterated as Buy and its target price was raised to $120 from $108 (versus a $102.59 close) at Citigroup.

Nikola Corp. (NASDAQ: NKLA) was started with a Neutral rating and a $45 target price (versus a $39.18 close) at Wedbush Securities.

Nio Ltd. (NYSE: NIO) was raised to Overweight from Equal Weight and its target price was raised to $20.50 from $12.00 (versus a $17.84 close) at Morgan Stanley.

Roku Inc. (NASDAQ: ROKU) was started as Buy with a $180 price target at Citigroup. The stock closed down 0.55% at $147.77, and it had a $163.90 consensus target price ahead of this call.

Salesforce.com Inc. (NYSE: CRM) saw its shares surge 15% to $247.00 after earnings. Wedbush Securities reiterated its Outperform rating and raised its target to $300 from $250, and Raymond James reiterated its Strong Buy rating and raised its target to $255 from $230. Citigroup reiterated its Buy rating and raised its target to $300 from $195. Truist Securities reiterated its Buy rating and raised its target to $287 from $210.

Shopify Inc. (NYSE: SHOP) was started with an Overweight rating at Atlantic Equities. The stock closed up 3.8% at $1,037.19, and it had a $1,094.83 consensus price target ahead of the call.

Target Inc. (NYSE: TGT) was again named as the Bull of the Day at Zacks, which said that shares have jumped 25% in the past month as Wall Street gushes over its recent blowout quarter. Shares most recently closed at $152.85 and have a consensus price target of $158.73.

Uber Technologies Inc. (NYSE: UBER) was maintained as Buy but its price target was trimmed to $40 from $41 (versus a $31.19 close) at Citigroup.

Urban Outfitters Inc. (NASDAQ: URBN) was maintained as Neutral and its price target was raised to $24 from $20 at Citigroup, and Loop Capital Raised its rating from Sell to Hold with a $24 target price.

Vroom Inc. (NASDAQ: VRM) was started as Overweight with an $82 target price (versus $65.36 prior close) at Piper Sandler.

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In addition, note that five very contrarian stock picks have huge potential upside in 2021.

And note that the two most shorted Dow stocks are about to drop out of the index.

Tuesday’s top analyst upgrades and downgrades included Crocs, Gap, GW Pharmaceuticals, Lowe’s Companies, Merck, Nio, Palo Alto Networks, Phillips 66, Starbucks and Vital Farms.

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Stocks were set to open higher on Wednesday, and the S&P 500 remains within striking distance of its pre-recession, all-time high. Earnings season has now peaked while economic numbers remain weak, and many investors feel as though they may have missed the recovery rally. This will send those investors to look for new ideas for how to be positioned in the second half of 2020 and ahead of the election.

24/7 Wall St. reviews dozens of analyst research reports each day of the week in an effort to find new ideas for long-term investors and short-term traders alike. Some analyst reports cover stocks to buy, and others cover stocks to sell or avoid. Remember that no single analyst call should ever be used as a basis to buy or sell a stock. Consensus analyst target data is from Refinitiv.

These are the top analyst upgrades, downgrades and initiations from Wednesday, August 12, 2020.

Abercrombie & Fitch Co. (NYSE: ANF) was started with a Neutral rating at UBS.

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AMC Entertainment Holdings Inc. (NYSE: AMC) was named as the Zacks Bear of the Day stock. The firm said that the global pandemic has brought movie theater businesses to a complete halt. Shares last closed at $4.56 and have a consensus price target of $3.50.

American Eagle Outfitters Inc. (NYSE: AEO) was raised to Overweight from Neutral at JPMorgan.

AutoNation Inc. (NYSE: AN) was raised to Buy from Neutral with a $69 price target at Guggenheim.

Carnival Corp. (NYSE: CCL) was reiterated as Equal Weight but its target price was cut to $10 from $11 (versus a $15.82 prior close) at Morgan Stanley.

Carvana Co. (NYSE: CVNA) was started as Hold at Stifel.

CDW Corp. (NASDAQ: CDW) was started with a Buy rating and a $140 price target at Citigroup.

Children’s Place Inc. (NASDAQ: PLCE) was started with a Neutral rating at UBS.

Costco Wholesale Corp. (NASDAQ: COST) was reiterated as Outperform and its price target was raised to $355 from $325 at Raymond James.

Coupa Software Inc. (NASDAQ: COUP) was downgraded to In-Line from Outperform at Evercore ISI.

Cree Inc. (NASDAQ: CREE) was started with a Neutral rating at Citigroup.

Deere & Co. (NYSE: DE) was downgraded to Hold from Buy at Deutsche Bank.

Etsy Inc. (NASDAQ: ETSY) was named as the Bull of the Day at Zacks, which said that the firm’s niche e-commerce platform was steadily growing over the past several years, and the coronavirus pandemic only accelerated this. Shares most recently closed at $127.50, with a consensus price target of $153.44.

Fulcrum Therapeutics Inc. (NASDAQ: FULC) was downgraded to Underperform from Neutral at BofA Securities.  Morgan Stanley downgraded it to Equal Weight from Overweight.

Lowe’s Companies Inc. (NYSE: LOW) was reiterated as Buy and its price target was raised to $178 from $135 (versus a $153.87 close) at Truist Securities.

Plexus Corp. (NASDAQ: PLXS) was downgraded to Neutral from Overweight at JPMorgan.

Roku Inc. (NASDAQ: ROKU) was started as Buy with a $185 price target at Deutsche Bank, which noted that its near-50% market share is an impressive and large installed customer base.

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Target Corp. (NYSE: TGT) was reiterated as Overweight and it was added to the Analyst Focus List at JPMorgan, with the call coming ahead of earnings and based on strong expectations when its second-quarter report is released.

Ulta Beauty Inc. (NASDAQ: ULTA) was started as Neutral with a $230 price objective (versus a $216.19 close) at BofA Securities. It had a $264.48 consensus target price.

Urban Outfitters Inc. (NASDAQ: URBN) was started with a Neutral rating at UBS.

Vaxart Inc. (NASDAQ: VXRT) was reiterated as Buy and its target price was raised to $17 from $7 at H.C. Wainwright. Shares closed up 14% at $10.75 on Tuesday, with a $16.33 consensus target price.

BofA Securities has made some changes to its top picks on the US 1 List for late-summer buying opportunities.

Tuesday’s top analyst upgrades and downgrades included Bed Bath & Beyond, Booking, Carvana, Electronic Arts, EOG Resources, Honeywell, Intercontinental Exchange, Livongo Health, Nucor, Seres Therapeutics and Sunrun.

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24/7 Wall St. has reviewed some of the key companies reporting this coming week. We have included the consensus earnings estimates from Thomson Reuters and the stock price and trading history.

Be advised that the earnings and revenue estimates may change ahead of the formal reports, and some companies change earnings dates as well.

Home Depot Inc. (NYSE: HD) will release its most recent quarterly results early on Tuesday. The consensus forecast calls for $2.26 in earnings per share (EPS) and $27.28 billion in revenue for the fiscal first quarter. On Friday, the share price rose above $242 for the first time since the sell-off in March. The consensus price target is $225.92, and shares have traded between $140.63 and $247.36 in the past 52 weeks.

Walmart Inc. (NYSE: WMT) will report its fiscal first-quarter results before the markets open on Tuesday as well. Analysts are looking for $1.17 in EPS and $130.31 billion in revenue. Shares ended the week close to $126, with a consensus price target of $128.56. The stock has a 52-week trading range of $99.91 to $133.38.

Urban Outfitters Inc. (NASDAQ: URBN) has its fiscal first-quarter report scheduled for Tuesday after the closing bell. The consensus forecast calls for $0.25 in EPS on $855.65 million in revenue. Shares traded above $16 apiece on Friday. The consensus price target is $19.81, and the 52-week trading range is $12.28 to $31.41.

Lowe’s Companies Inc. (NYSE: LOW) is scheduled to report its fiscal first-quarter results first thing Wednesday. The consensus estimates call for $1.31 in EPS and revenue of $18.08 billion. The stock traded short of $114 a share on Friday’s close. The consensus price target is $116.56, and the 52-week trading range is $60.00 to $126.73.

Target Corp.’s (NYSE: TGT) fiscal first-quarter report is scheduled for Wednesday morning as well. The consensus forecast calls for EPS of $0.68 on $19.0 billion in revenue. Shares rose above $122 on Friday. The consensus price target is just $121.76, and the 52-week trading range is $70.09 to $130.24.

L Brands Inc. (NYSE: LB) is expected to report its fiscal first-quarter results after the close on Wednesday. The consensus estimates are calling for a net loss of $0.66 and $1.82 billion in revenue. Shares were changing hands below $11 as the week’s trading concluded. The consensus price target is $16.21. The stock has a 52-week trading range of $8.00 to $28.02.

Look for Take-Two Interactive Software Inc. (NASDAQ: TTWO) to release its most recent quarterly results late on Wednesday. The consensus forecast calls for $0.89 in EPS and $582.22 million in revenue. Shares traded on Friday above $132 apiece. The consensus price target is $132.21, and shares have traded between $100.00 and $135.70 in the past 52 weeks.

Macy’s Inc. (NYSE: M) will share its most recent quarterly earnings on Thursday morning. The consensus estimates call for a net loss of $1.22 per share on $3.29 billion in revenue. Shares ended the week above $5, in a 52-week range of $4.38 to $23.40. The consensus price target is $7.77.

The Palo Alto Networks Inc. (NYSE: PANW) fiscal third-quarter results report is due after the markets close on Thursday. Analysts are looking for $0.93 in EPS and $829.48 million in revenue. On Friday, shares rose above $223 for the first time since February. The consensus price target is just $212.77. The 52-week trading range is $125.47 to $251.11.

Expect Hewlett Packard Enterprise Co. (NYSE: HPE) to release its most recent quarterly results late on Thursday. The consensus forecast calls for $0.30 in EPS and $6.32 billion in revenue for the fiscal second quarter. Shares traded above $9 late in the week. The consensus price target is $12.29, and the stock has ranged between $7.43 and $17.59 in the past 52 weeks.

Nvidia Corp. (NASDAQ: NVDA) will report its most recent quarterly results late on Thursday as well. Analysts are looking for $1.68 in EPS and $2.98 billion in revenue. Shares reached a year-to-date high of about $340 last week, but the consensus price target is $300.40. The stock has a 52-week low of $132.60.

And look for Deere & Co. (NYSE: DE) to release its most recent quarterly results before the open on Friday. The consensus forecast calls for $1.80 in EPS and $7.76 billion in revenue for the fiscal first quarter. Late in the week, shares traded above $126. The consensus price target is $161.76, and shares have traded between $106.14 and $181.99 in the past 52 weeks.

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Stocks have been selling off this week, and the equity indexes were indicated down about 1% on Thursday. Investors are generally dealing with bad news on earnings and in the economic reports, but until this week the market had been in a steady recovery since the panic-selling lows of March. Some investors are considering new ideas to decide how to be best positioned ahead of summer and for the rest of 2020.

24/7 Wall St. reviews dozens of analyst research reports each day of the week. Our goal is to find new ideas for long-term investors and short-term traders alike. Some analyst reports cover stocks to buy, and some cover stocks to sell or to avoid.

Analysts are still making many upgrades, downgrades, reiterations and initiations ahead of and after key earnings reports. While many analysts are still cutting price targets and earnings estimates for the coming quarters and the year, many are still maintaining their prior official ratings.

Remember, no single analyst report should be used as a sole basis for any buying or selling decision. Consensus analyst target prices are from Refinitiv.

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These are the top analyst calls seen on Thursday, May 14, 2020.

Adobe Inc. (NASDAQ: ADBE) was downgraded to Hold from Buy at DZ Bank. Shares closed down 1.8% at $358.56 on Wednesday, with a $339.58 consensus price target.

Allogene Therapeutics Inc. (NASDAQ: ALLO) was downgraded to Hold from Buy with a $32 price target (versus a $30.98 prior close) at SunTrust Robinson Humphrey. The firm noted that that valuation may be outpacing the progress of the research and development ahead of ASCO.

Baker Hughes Co. (NYSE: BKR) as reiterated as Equal Weight and its price target was raised to $17 from $14 (versus a $13.61 close, after a 6.6% drop) at Barclays.

Best Buy Co. Inc. (NYSE: BBY) was raised to Outperform from In-Line at Evercore ISI. Shares closed down 2.6% at $75.03 on Wednesday, with an $80.22 prior consensus price target.

Cisco Systems Inc. (NASDAQ: CSCO) was down almost 3% at $41.95 ahead of earnings but was up almost 2% at $42.75 afterward. Nomura Instinet reiterated its Neutral rating but raised its price target to $46 from $43. Morgan Stanley reiterated Cisco as Equal Weight and raised its price target to $46 from $43, and Raymond James reiterated its Outperform rating and raised its price target to $49 from $48. Barclays reiterated its Overweight rating and raised its price target to $50 from $48, while UBS maintained its Buy rating but trimmed its price target to $51 from $54.

CyberArk Software Ltd. (NASDAQ: CYBR) closed down 125 at $96.36 on Wednesday after earnings. Barclays reiterated it as Equal Weight and raised its price target to $109 from $98. Mizuho maintained its Buy rating but cut its price target to $117 from $120. UBS maintained its Buy rating but cut its price target to $94 from $104.

DexCom Inc. (NASDAQ: DXCM) was started with an Equal Weight rating and a $420 price target (versus a $407.20 close) at Wells Fargo.

Eaton Corp. (NYSE: ETN) was downgraded to Sector Weight from Overweight at KeyBanc Capital Markets.

Eidos Therapeutics Inc. (NASDAQ: EIDX) was downgraded to Neutral from Overweight at JPMorgan. Shares closed at $41.12 and had a $59.25 consensus price target.

Enphase Energy Inc. (NASDAQ: ENPH) was downgraded to Neutral from Buy but its price target was raised to $57 from $50 (versus a $57.47 close) at Goldman Sachs.

Exelixis Inc. (NASDAQ: EXEL) was reiterated as Buy and its price target was raised to $40 from $35 (versus a $26.53 close) at SunTrust Robinson Humphrey.

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Grubhub Inc. (NYSE: GRUB) was reiterated as Equal Weight but its price target was raised to $49 from $46 (versus a $58.14 close) at Morgan Stanley. The consensus target price was $44.14.

GW Pharmaceuticals PLC (NASDAQ: GWPH) was reiterated as Overweight and its price target was raised to $154 from $120 (versus a $110.56 close) at Cantor Fitzgerald. It had a $184 consensus price target.

Halliburton Co. (NYSE: HAL) was reiterated as Equal Weight and its price target was raised to $8 from $7 (versus a $9.54 close) at Barclays.

Jumia Technologies A.G. (NYSE: JMIA) was downgraded to Hold from Buy and its price target was cut to $4.50 from $8 at Stifel. Shares closed down 19% at $4.21 on Wednesday and were indicated down 5% at $3.99 on Thursday.

Lowe’s Companies Inc. (NYSE: LOW) was downgraded to In-Line from Outperform at Evercore ISI. The stock closed down 0.7% at $110.43, and its consensus price target was $116.56.

McCormick & Co. (NYSE: MKC) was raised to Outperform from Neutral at Credit Suisse.

Medtronic PLC (NYSE: MDT) was downgraded to Hold from Buy at DZ Bank.

National Oilwell Varco Inc. (NYSE: NOV) was downgraded to Equal Weight from Overweight at Barclays.

Otis Worldwide Corp. (NYSE: OTIS) was started as Neutral at Credit Suisse.

Pluralsight Inc. (NASDAQ: PS) was named as the Bull of the Day at Zacks, which said that growth investors will love the stock but that doesn’t mean it is for everyone. Shares most recently closed at $17.97 and have a consensus price target of $20.30.

SmileDirectClub Inc. (NASDAQ: SDC) was downgraded to Underperform from Buy and its price objective was lowered to $7 from $10 at BofA Securities. The stock closed down 4.5% 7.72, and its consensus price target was $10.65.

Stanley Black & Decker Inc. (NYSE: SWK) was named as the Zacks Bear of the Day stock. The firm said that despite a recent beat, estimates are falling for this stock and they are falling in a big way. Shares last closed at $102.39, with a consensus price target of $140.93.

Trane Technologies PLC (NYSE: TT) was downgraded to Market Perform from Outperform at Cowen, and KeyBanc Capital Markets downgraded it to Sector Weight from Overweight. The stock closed at $76.65, with a $102 consensus price target and a 52-week trading range of $70.00 to $132.42.

Under Armour Inc. (NYSE: UAA) was maintained as Buy but its price target was lowered to $10 from $15 at Citigroup. Shares closed down over 9% at $7.79 on Wednesday, with a $12.00 consensus price target.

United Rentals Inc. (NYSE: URI) was raised to Buy from Neutral with a $136 price target (versus a $108.77 close) at UBS.

Urban Outfitters Inc. (NASDAQ: URBN) was maintained as Equal Weight but its price target was lowered to $16 from $25 (versus a $15.75 close, after a 4.4% drop) at Barclays. It had a $19.81 consensus price target.

VMware Inc. (NYSE: VMW) was downgraded to Hold from Buy with a $135 price target (versus a $134.86 close) at Jefferies.

Wayfair Inc. (NYSE: W) was downgraded to In-Line from Outperform at Evercore. Shares closed at $183.58 on Wednesday.

Wendy’s Co. (NASDAQ: WEN) was upgraded to Outperform from In Line and its price target was raised to $25 from $22 (versus a $19.88 close, after a 4.3% drop) at Evercore ISI.

Zillow Group Inc. (NASDAQ: ZG) was reiterated as Neutral but its price target was raised to $55 from $44 at Citigroup. The stock was down about 4.7% at $46.25 on Wednesday on news of a $1 billion capital raise, and it was indicated down 3.5% at $44.60 on Thursday.

Wednesday’s top analyst upgrades and downgrades included Bluebird Bio, Ciena, CommVault Systems, Dollar General, JD.com, Kroger, Nucor, Target, Walmart and more.

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Stocks managed to close higher on Thursday, but the Dow Jones industrials and S&P 500 were indicated to open lower on Friday morning after the unemployment report. Many investors are now looking for direction, with all the recent volatility. The big bull market turned into a roaring bear market in less than a month, and most of the bad recession data in the formal economic reports has not even been seen yet.

24/7 Wall St. reviews dozens of analyst research reports each day of the week. Our goal is to find new ideas for long-term investors and short-term traders alike. There are many upgrades, downgrades, reiterations and initiations that take place regardless of the volatile daily market gyrations. Some of analyst calls cover stocks to buy while some cover stocks to sell or avoid.

In recent weeks, many analysts have been handily lowering their target prices to deal with a new recessionary environment, but there are still many traditional upgrades and reiterations as if the economy wasn’t really been turned upside-down. Remember: no single analyst report should be used as a sole basis for any buying or selling decision.

Consensus analyst target prices are from Refinitiv.

These are the top analyst calls tracked for Friday, April 3, 2020.

CBOE Global Markets Inc. (BATS: CBOE) was raised to Buy from Neutral but the price target was lowered to $93 from $100 (versus an $81.14 prior close) at Citigroup.

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Citrix Systems Inc. (NASDAQ: CTXS) was reiterated as Outperform and the price target was raised to $155 from $125 (versus a $142.52 close) at Raymond James.

Etsy Inc. (NASDAQ: ETSY) was maintained as Buy but the price target was slashed to $45 from $64 (versus a $34.80 close) at Needham. Also, BTIG maintained it as Buy but cut its target price to $52 from $67.

Intercontinental Exchange Inc. (NYSE: ICE) was raised to Buy from Neutral but the price target was lowered to $106 from $122 (versus a $92.37 close) at Citigroup.

Lululemon Athletica Inc. (NASDAQ: LULU) was raised to Buy from Neutral with a $210 price target at B. Riley FBR.

Marriot International Inc. (NASDAQ: MAR) was named as the Zacks Bear of the Day stock. The firm said that the stock has tumbled 60% in 2020 as the pandemic has brought travel and hotel industries to a near halt. Shares last closed at $63.00 and have a consensus price target of $108.90.

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Microsoft Corp. (NASDAQ: MSFT) was maintained as Strong Buy but its price target was lowered to $183 from $200 at Raymond James. Microsoft closed up 2% at $155.26 on Thursday and had a $189.10 prior consensus target price.

Nasdaq Inc. (NASDAQ: NDAQ) was raised to Neutral from Sell and its price target was lowered to $100 from $102 (versus a $93.96 close) at Citigroup.

Peloton Interactive Inc. (NASDAQ: PTON) was started with a Buy rating and a $42 price target at Rosenblatt. Shares closed down over 4% at $26.74, and the consensus price target was $37.33 ahead of this call.

Ralph Lauren Corp. (NYSE: RL) was downgraded to Sector Perform from Outperform and its price target was slashed to $65 from $135 at RBC Capital Markets.

RealReal Inc. (NASDAQ: REAL) was downgraded to Neutral from Buy and the price target was cut to $6 from $16 (versus a $6.95 close) at B. Riley FBR.

Regeneron Pharmaceuticals Inc. (NASDAQ: REGN) was named as the Bull of the Day at Zacks, which said that this stock has surged 30% in 2020 as investors clamor for stocks that appear to be immune to the coronavirus. Shares most recently closed at $498.75, with a consensus price target of $476.21.

Twitter Inc. (NYSE: TWTR) was raised to Buy from Neutral and the price target was cut to $35 from $39 (versus a $23.02 close) at Goldman Sachs.

United Rentals Inc. (NYSE: URI) was downgraded to Neutral from Outperform at BNP Paribas.

Urban Outfitters Inc. (NASDAQ: URBN) was maintained as Neutral but the price target was cut to $15 from $17 (versus a $13.08 close) at B. Riley FBR.

Walgreens Boots Alliance Inc. (NASDAQ: WBA) was raised to Hold from Sell at Deutsche Bank.

Wendy’s Co. (NASDAQ: WEN) was started with a Hold rating at Deutsche Bank.

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Citigroup has lowered its 2020 global GDP forecast to −1.6%, with the U.S. contracting 0.5% and the eurozone contracting 8.4%, while China is expected to grow just 2.4%.

Merrill Lynch has four top tech stock picks that have dividend yields of up to 6%.

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Gap Inc. (NYSE: GPS) and Urban Outfitters Inc. (NASDAQ: URBN) are the newest retailers joining the list of companies that are furloughing employees in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic. Big names like Macy’s have already come out with their plan, and these plans look no different.

Gap said it will furlough the majority of its store teams in the United States and Canada, pausing pay but continuing to offer applicable benefits until stores are able to reopen. The company also has made the proactive decision to reduce headcount across its corporate functions around the world. Additionally, the entire Gap leadership team, along with the board of directors, will take a temporary reduction in pay.

Sonia Syngal, president and CEO of Gap, commented:

We know that tens of thousands of people rely on us to support themselves and their families, and that millions more around the world rely on our business. We are doing everything we can to provide support during this time, and we are intensely focused on welcoming back our store teams and customers as soon as we are able.

Gap stock traded down about 2% to $7.26 on Tuesday, in a 52-week range of $6.04 to $27.00. The consensus price target is $11.34.

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Urban Outfitters announced global retail stores will remain temporarily closed until further notice due to the continued spread of the novel coronavirus. In this case, Urban Outfitters is furloughing a substantial number of store, wholesale and home office employees for 60 days beginning April 1. Impacted employees will continue to receive enrolled benefits during the furlough period.

Urban Outfitters is taking a few other measures as well:

• Borrowing $220 million to protect cash reserves.
• Reducing the capital budget by over $100 million by delaying or canceling projects.
• Suspending the payment of rent temporarily and delaying or canceling some planned new store openings.
• Reducing all non-payroll expenses, including creative, marketing and travel.
• And finally, reducing senior leadership compensation for the duration of the furlough period, eliminating directors’ cash compensation for the remainder of the fiscal year and suspending stock buybacks for the foreseeable future.

Urban Outfitters stock traded up less than 1%, at $14.65 in a 52-week range of $12.34 to $34.24.

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Monday’s stock market rally continued Tuesday morning, with solid gains of more than 1% in the futures market. The number of coronavirus cases and deaths have now risen to more than 20,000 and 400, respectively, and Iowa’s caucus voting has run into an app-performance issue that has prevented the state from being able to declare who won the democrat presidential candidate race there.

Many investors have yet to make any major changes to their holdings after the incredible gains from 2019. This is an election year with much at stake. Strategists largely are calling for single-digit percentage gains in 2020.

24/7 Wall St. reviews dozens of analyst research reports each day of the week with a goal of finding new ideas for traders and long-term investors alike. Some of the daily analyst calls cover stocks to buy, while some calls cover stocks to sell or to avoid.

We have provided these analyst calls in a quick-hit summary for easy reading, and additional comments and trading data have been added on many of the calls. The consensus analyst price targets and other valuation metrics are from the Refinitiv sell-side research service.

These are the top analyst upgrades, downgrades and initiations from Tuesday, February 4, 2020.

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Alphabet Inc. (NASDAQ: GOOGL) closed up 3.5% at $1,482.60 ahead of earnings, but the shares were still down over 3% at $1,435.00 in Tuesday’s post-earnings trading reaction. SunTrust Robinson Humphrey reiterated its Buy rating and raised the target price to $1,600 from $1,500. Wedbush Securities reiterated it as Outperform and kept its $1,625 price target, and Raymond James reiterated its Outperform rating and raised its target from $1,475 to $1,580. Piper Sandler reiterated it as Overweight and raised its target price was to $1,600 from $1,500. Nomura/Instinet reiterated its Buy rating and raised its target to $1,680 from $1,560.

American Water Works Co. Inc. (NYSE: AWK) was downgraded to Neutral from Buy with a $148 target price at UBS. Shares closed at $136.52 ahead of the call, in a 52-week range of $94.72 to $137.73 and with a $129.60 consensus target price.

ANGI Homeservices Inc. (NASDAQ: ANGI) was started as Buy with a $12 target price at Benchmark. Shares closed up about 2% at $8.18, in a 52-week range of $6.39 to $18.62. The consensus target price is $11.34.

Caterpillar Inc. (NYSE: CAT) was maintained as Buy but the target price was lowered to $160 from $170 at Citigroup. Shares closed down 1.2% at $129.77 on Monday but were up 1.7% at $132.00 in early trading indications, and its consensus target price was $147.00.

Comcast Corp. (NASDAQ: CMCSA) was raised to Buy from Neutral with a $52 target price at MoffattNathsonson. Shares closed down 1% at $42.66, in a 52-week range of $36.57 to $47.74. The consensus target price is $51.26.

e.l.f. Beauty Inc. (NYSE: ELF) was raised to Overweight from Neutral with a $19 target price at Piper Sandler. Shares closed up 4% at $16.30, in a 52-week range of $6.70 to $19.96. The consensus target price is $20.72.

Gap Inc. (NYSE: GPS) was started as Market Perform with an $18 target price (versus a $17.45 prior close) at BMO Capital Markets.

Glu Mobile Inc. (NASDAQ: GLUU) was started as Overweight with a $7.75 target price at Morgan Stanley. Shares closed flat at $5.89. The 52-week range is $4.11 to $11.75, and the consensus analyst target is $7.40.

Lululemon Athletica Inc. (NASDAQ: LULU) was started as Market Perform with a $231 target price (versus a $246.37 close) at BMO Capital Markets.

Nike Inc. (NYSE: NKE) was started as Outperform with a $110 target price (versus a $99.27 close) at BMO Capital Markets. Nike had a $110.91 consensus target price, and its 52-week trading range is $77.07 to $105.62.

Nordstrom Inc. (NYSE: JWN) was started as Market Perform with a $39 target price (versus a $37.52 close) at BMO Capital Markets.

NortonLifeLock Inc. (NASDAQ: NLOK) was down almost 40% at $17.15 on Monday, but that drop was actually due to the shares reflecting its massive $12 per share dividend payment. Credit Suisse maintained it as Neutral but adjusted its target price to $14 from $26 to reflect that payout. Mizuho also maintained its Buy rating but adjusted its $30 target price to $19.00 after that dividend.

Red Rock Resorts Inc. (NYSE: RRR) was raised to Buy from Hold at SunTrust. The stock closed up 1.2% at $24.81, with a $25.88 consensus target price.

Ryanair Holdings PLC (NASDAQ: RYAAY) was reiterated as Outperform and its target price was raised to $108 from $100 (versus a $92.00 close, after a 6.2% gain) at Raymond James.

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Slack Technologies Inc. (NYSE: WORK) was started with an Outperform rating and a $25 target price (versus a $20.98 close) at RBC Capital Markets. Shares closed up 1% at $20.98, in a 52-week range of $19.53 to $42.00. The consensus target price is $27.44.

Stitch Fix Inc. (NASDAQ: SFIX) was started as Market Perform with a $24 target price at BMO Capital Markets. Shares closed up almost 6% at $24.27 on Monday, with a prior consensus target price of $31.08.

Sysco Corp. (NYSE: SYY) was downgraded to Equal Weight and the target price was lowered to $75 from $90 at Wells Fargo. It closed down 6.6% at $76.69 on Monday, with a prior consensus target price of $84.64.

Tandem Diabetes Care Inc. (NASDAQ: TNDM) was downgraded to Neutral from Outperform at Robert W. Baird, yet the firm raised its target price to $75 from $71. Shares closed at $75.90, in a 52-week range of $40.46 to $78.41. The consensus target price is $77.75.

Tesla Inc. (NASDAQ: TSLA) was downgraded to Neutral from Buy at New Street Research, but the firm did keep its prior $800 target price in the valuation downgrade. Tesla shares were up almost 20% to $780.00 on Monday, and they were indicated up at $890.00 or so early on Tuesday.

Texas Roadhouse Inc. (NASDAQ: TXRH) was raised to Outperform from Neutral and the target price was raised to $74 from $57 (versus a $62.77 close) at Wedbush.

Uber Technologies Inc. (NYSE: UBER) was reiterated as Overweight and its target price was raised to $57 from $55 (versus a $37.59 close) at Morgan Stanley.

Ulta Beauty Inc. (NASDAQ: ULTA) was started as Market Perform with a $285 target price at BMO Capital Markets.

Under Armour Inc. (NYSE: UAA) started as Underperform with an $18 target price (versus a $20.28 close) at BMO Capital Markets.

United Rentals Inc. (NYSE: URI) was maintained as Buy at Citigroup, but the firm trimmed its target price to $175 from $180.

Urban Outfitters Inc. (NASDAQ: URBN) was started as Market Perform with a $26 target price (versus a $26.23 close) at BMO Capital Markets.

Wix.com Ltd. (NASDAQ: WIX) was named as the Bull of the Day at Zacks, which said that this firm has proven an uncanny ability to drive steady and reliable growth globally. Shares most recently closed at $145.21 and have a consensus price target of $156.53.

Wynn Resorts Ltd. (NASDAQ: WYNN) was named as the Zacks Bear of the Day stock. The firm said that this stock has long-term potential, but its short-term risks may outweigh the potential at the moment. Shares last closed at $128.58, with a consensus price target of $151.06.

WW International Inc. (NASDAQ: WW) was raised to Buy from Neutral with a $48 target price (versus a $26 prior target) at Goldman Sachs.

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The analysts at Jefferies are staying with some sizzling tech and momentum plays with fourth-quarter earnings drawing to a close.

Monday’s top analyst upgrades and downgrades included Aimmune Therapeutics, Amgen, Biogen, Chevron, CRISPR, Exxon Mobil, Nike, Snap, Uber, Ulta Beauty, Verizon and many more.

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Urban Outfitters Inc. (NASDAQ: URBN) joins the growing list of retailers that are on the decline after announcing their holiday sales. We have already seen the same reaction from J.C. Penney, Kohl’s, Macy’s and more, as it seems more consumers are shopping online now.

Total company net sales for the two months ended December 31, 2019, increased 2.9% over the same period last year. Comparable Retail segment net sales increased 3%, driven by growth in the digital channel, partially offset by negative retail store sales.

By brand, comparable Retail segment net sales increased 8% at Free People and 5% at the Anthropologie Group and decreased 1% at Urban Outfitters.

Total Retail segment net sales increased 3%. Free People’s exceptional Retail segment performance was driven by strong, full price sales, as the brand was less promotional during the holiday season.

Anthropologie and Urban Outfitters businesses were driven in part by increased promotional activity in apparel, which will put greater pressure on our fourth-quarter gross profit margin than originally anticipated.

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Wholesale segment net sales decreased 9% due to an 11% decrease in Free People, which was greater than projected. Lastly, in order to meet customer delivery expectations, the company spent more on delivery and logistics expenses than originally planned.

Shares of Urban Outfitters traded down over 5% on Friday to $26.12, in a 52-week range of $19.63 to $34.24. The consensus price target is $27.63.

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Stocks hit all-time highs last week and a phase-one trade deal with China has been announced without details, and stocks were indicated to post a marginally higher opening price on Monday. Investors have moved away from any imminent recession calls, they believe impeachment news is tolerable, and they are expecting interest rates to remain more or less flat for 2020. They are also seeing more upside calls for 2020 stock market performance. There are, of course, still many pressing issues and risks to consider, now that the bull market has raged longer than a decade. Investors should be considering what changes to make in their portfolios and assets heading into 2020.

24/7 Wall St. reviews dozens of analyst research reports each day of the week. Our goal is to find new ideas for traders and long-term investors alike. Some of the daily analyst calls cover stocks to buy, while other calls cover stocks to sell or to avoid.

We have provided these calls in a quick-hit summary for easy reading, and additional comments and trading data have been added on some calls. The consensus analyst price targets and other valuation metrics are from the Refinitiv sell-side research service.

These are the top analyst upgrades, downgrades and initiations for Monday, December 16, 2019.

Acadia Pharmaceuticals Inc. (NASDAQ: ACAD) was started as Buy with a $60 target price (versus a $44.34 prior close) at Guggenheim.

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Adobe Inc. (NASDAQ: ADBE) was reiterated as Buy and its target price was raised to $368 (versus a $317.94 close) at Argus.

AGCO Corp. (NYSE: AGCO) was raised to Equal Weight from Underweight with an $88 target price (versus a $77.04 close) at Morgan Stanley.

Amgen Inc. (NASDAQ: AMGN) was reiterated as Buy with a $270 target price (versus a $236.74 close) at Goldman Sachs.

Apple Hospitality REIT Inc. (NYSE: APLE) was started with a Buy rating and an $18 target price (versus a $15.77 close) at Janney, with the firm talking up its 7% yield.

Bank of America Corp. (NYSE: BAC) was maintained as Neutral but its target price was raised to $37 from $29 at Citigroup.

Bank of New York Mellon Corp. (NYSE: BK) was maintained as Neutral but its target price was raised to $55 from $45 (versus a $50.22 close) at Citigroup.

Boston Scientific Corp. (NYSE: BSX) was reiterated as Overweight and its target price was raised to $52 (versus a $45.09 close) at Wells Fargo.

Broadcom Inc. (NASDAQ: AVGO) was down nearly 4% to $315.42 in Friday’s post-earnings reaction. Argus reiterated it as Buy with a $385 price target. Citigroup reiterated its Buy rating and raised its target to $378 from $340.

CBOE Global Markets Inc. (BATS: CBOE) was started as Neutral at Credit Suisse.

CME Group Inc. (NASDAQ: CME) was started as Neutral at Credit Suisse.

Goldman Sachs Group Inc. (NYSE: GS) was raised to Buy from Neutral with a $255 target price (versus a $225.00 close) at Citigroup.

Intercontinental Exchange Inc. (NYSE: ICE) was started as Outperform at Credit Suisse.

Kennametal Inc. (NYSE: KMT) was raised to Overweight from Equal Weight with a $42 price target (versus a $37.40 close) at Wells Fargo.

MarketAxess Holdings Inc. (NASDAQ: MKTX) was started as Neutral at Credit Suisse.

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Micron Technology Inc. (NASDAQ: MU) was raised to Positive from Neutral with an $85 target price (versus a $51.20 close) at Susquehanna.

Nasdaq Inc. (NASDAQ: NDAQ) was started as Outperform at Credit Suisse.

Nice Ltd. (NASDAQ: NICE) was reiterated as Outperform and the target price was raised to $185 from $170 (versus a $155.27 close) at Wedbush Securities.

PepsiCo Inc. (NYSE: PEP) was downgraded to Equal Weight from Overweight at Morgan Stanley.

Regions Financial Corp. (NYSE: RF) was raised to Neutral from Sell with a $17 target price (versus a $17.17 close) at Citigroup.

REV Group Inc. (NYSE: REVG) was downgraded to Underweight from Equal Weight with an $11 target price (versus a $12.92 close) at Morgan Stanley.

Tradeweb Markets Inc. (NASDAQ: TW) was upgraded to Outperform from Neutral and its target price was raised to $54 from $51 (versus a $44.82 close) at Credit Suisse.

Truist Financial Corp. (NYSE: TFC) was started as Neutral with a $55 target price at Credit Suisse.

UnitedHealth Group, Inc. (NYSE: UNH) was reiterated as Buy with a $330 target price (versus a $285.48 close) at Goldman Sachs.

Urban Outfitters Inc. (NASDAQ: URBN) was downgraded to Hold from Buy with a $28 target price (versus a $26.75 close) at Loop Capital.

US Bancorp (NYSE: USB) was raised to Neutral from Sell with a $62 target price (versus a $60.27 close) at Citigroup.

Vertex Pharmaceuticals Inc. (NASDAQ: VRTX) was reiterated as Buy and the target price was raised to $248 (versus a $218.98 close) at Argus.

WPX Energy Inc. (NYSE: WPX) was downgraded to Hold from Buy with a $12 target price (versus a $10.91 close) at SunTrust Robinson Humphrey.

Xenia Hotels & Resorts Inc. (NYSE: XHR) was started with a Neutral rating and a $23.50 target price (versus a $21.19 close) at Janney.

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Credit Suisse has issued its 2020 outlook on Utilities & Alternative Energy in a call titled “Getting Meaner and Less Defensive.” For the utilities sector into 2020, the firm sees relative outperformance for integrated utilities, with some non-utility exposure and more reversion to mean among the regulateds. The firm sees funds shifting away from the highest defensive P/E stocks and into less expensive value stocks. Among the Integrated with Outperform ratings are Exelon Corp. (NYSE: EXC), NextEra Energy Inc. (NYSE: NEE) and Vistra Energy Corp. (NYSE: VST). Pinnacle West Capital Corp. (NYSE: PNW) is Outperform among the regulated utilities, and Underperform ratings remain in WEC Energy Group Inc. (NYSE: WEC) and Spire Inc. (NYSE: SR).

Here is a preliminary look at the Dogs of the Dow for 2020, assuming prices and yields remain the same.

Friday’s top analyst upgrades and downgrades included Adobe, Biogen, Bristol-Myers, Broadcom, Charles Schwab, Ciena, Etsy, Gilead Sciences, Oracle, Sarepta Therapeutics, Snap, Wayfair and many more.

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Urban Outfitters Inc. (NYSE: URBN) reported its fiscal third-quarter financial results after the markets closed on Tuesday. Investors weren’t too happy with these results and sent shares much lower. Analysts seemed to agree, and many are still on the sidelines for the stock.

24/7 Wall St. has included some highlights from the earnings report, as well as what analysts are saying after the fact.

The retailer posted $0.56 in earnings per share (EPS) and $987.5 million in revenue, which compared with consensus estimates of $0.57 in EPS and $1.0 billion in revenue. The same period of last year reportedly had $0.70 in EPS and $973.5 million in revenue.

In terms of its segments, the company reported as follows:

• Anthropologie Group net sales increased 3.6% year over year to $398.7 million.
• Urban Outfitters net sales decreased by 1.2% to $374.5 million.
• Free People net sales increased by 1.6% to $205.5 million.
• Food and Beverage net sales decreased 4.9% to $6.79 million.
• Nuuly net sales came in at $2.03 million.

Comparable Retail segment net sales increased 3%, driven by growth in the digital channel, partially offset by negative retail store sales. By brand, those net sales increased 9% at Free People and 4% at the Anthropologie Group, and they were flat at Urban Outfitters. Wholesale segment net sales decreased by 7%.

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CEO Richard A. Hayne commented:

I’m pleased to report record third quarter sales, driven by better reaction to our apparel assortments and strength in the digital channel. Looking ahead to Q4, we’re encouraged by positive sales-to-date but realize our highest volume days have yet to be written.

Here’s what a few analysts had to say afterward:

• Citigroup reiterated a Neutral rating and raised its price target to $25 from $23.
• Baird reiterated a Neutral rating and raised its target price from $25 to $26.
• Loop Capital reiterated a Buy rating but lowered its price target to $28 from $35.
• JPMorgan reiterated its Neutral rating and lowered the price target to $25 from $28.
• Barclays reiterated it at Equal Weight and lowered its price target to $25 from $30.
• MKM Partners reiterated a Neutral rating and cut its target price from $25 to $24.
• Deutsche Bank reiterated a Hold rating and lowered its target to $26 from $28.
• Wedbush reiterated it as Neutral and cut its price target to $28 from $33.

Shares of Urban Outfitters traded down over 13% at $24.89 on Wednesday, in a 52-week range of $19.63 to $39.54. The consensus price target is $28.88.

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Stocks were mixed in the premarket on Tuesday and the day was just looking for direction after last week’s all-time highs. Investors still have a lot of pressing issues and risks to consider now that the bull market is over 10 and a half years old. This is a time for investors to consider what changes they should be making for their portfolios and assets heading into late 2019 and as 2020 approaches.

24/7 Wall St. reviews dozens of analyst research reports each day of the week. Our goal is to find new ideas for traders and long-term investors alike. Some of the daily analyst calls cover stocks to buy, while some cover stocks to sell or to avoid.

We have provided these calls in a quick-hit summary for easy reading, and additional comments and trading data have been added on some of the calls. The consensus analyst price targets and other valuation metrics are from the Refinitiv sell-side research service.

These are the top analyst upgrades, downgrades and initiations for Tuesday, November 12, 2019.

Albermarle Corp. (NYSE: ALB) was maintained as Buy but the target price was lowered to $87 from $95 at UBS. RBC downgraded it to Sector Perform from Outperform and cut its price target to $71 from $77. Berenberg cut price target to $72 from $75 while maintaining its Hold rating.

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Amgen Inc. (NASDAQ: AMGN) was started as Buy with a $256 target price (versus a $220.70 prior close) at SunTrust Robinson Humphrey.

Alexion Pharmaceuticals Inc. (NASDAQ: ALXN) was started with a Buy rating and a $225 target price at SunTrust Robinson Humphrey.

Apollo Investment Corp. (NASDAQ: AINV) was downgraded to Sector Perform from Outperform with a $17 target price (versus a $16.36 close) at RBC Capital Markets.

Applied Materials Inc. (NASDAQ: AMAT) was reiterated as Outperform and its target was raised to $62 from $58 at Wells Fargo. Applied Materials closed up 1% at $56.59 on Monday and was indicated up 1% at $57.30 on Tuesday, with a prior consensus target price of $55.68.

Ares Capital Corp. (NASDAQ: ARES) was started as Outperform with a $20 target price (versus an $18.55 close) at RBC Capital Markets. It has an 8% or so dividend as a business development company, as well as a 52-week range of $14.50 to $19.28 and a consensus target price of $19.46.

BioMarin Pharmaceutical Inc. (NASDAQ: BMRN) was started with a Buy rating and a $110 target price (versus a $75.33 close) at SunTrust Robinson Humphrey.

Biogen Inc. (NASDAQ: BIIB) was started with a Buy rating and a $337 target price (with a $294.14 close) at SunTrust Robinson Humphrey.

Cellular Biomedicine Group Inc. (NASDAQ: CBMG) was downgraded to Neutral from Outperform with a $19 target price (versus a $17.67 close) at Robert W. Baird.

Check Point Software Technologies Ltd. (NASDAQ: CHKP) was started as Neutral with a $123 target price (versus a $115.87 close) at Goldman Sachs. The prior consensus target price was $119.25, and the 52-week trading range is $98.57 to $132.76.

CONMED Corp. (NASDAQ: CNMD) was started as Overweight with a $136 target price (versus a $109.99 close) at JPMorgan.

CRISPR Therapeutics A.G. (NASDAQ: CRSP) was raised to Outperform from Perform with a $65 target price at Oppenheimer.

CrowdStrike Holdings Inc. (NASDAQ: CRWD) was raised to Neutral from Sell but the target price was lowered to $55 from $66 (versus a $46.20 close) at Goldman Sachs. Its prior consensus target price was $83.89, and its post-IPO range has been $44.58 to $101.88.

CSX Corp. (NYSE: CSX) was downgraded to Hold from Buy and the price target was lowered to $74 from $82 at Deutsche Bank.

Devon Energy Corp. (NYSE: DVN) was reiterated as Outperform and the target price was raised to $33 from $31 (versus a $22.53 close) at Wells Fargo.

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DXC Technology Co. (NYSE: DXC) was maintained as Outperform at RBC Capital Markets, but the firm’s target price was slashed to $43 from $67. Wells Fargo maintained its Outperform rating but lowered its target to $30 from $32, and Cantor Fitzgerald reiterated its Neutral rating and lowered its target to $28 from $42. Shares closed down 2.2% at $29.40 on Monday and were trading up over 4% at $30.60 in Tuesday’s early trading indications after earnings.

Eaton Corp. (NYSE: ETN) was downgraded to Hold from Buy with a $96 target price (versus a $91.88 close) at HSBC.

EnPro Industries Inc. (NYSE: NPO) was named as the Zacks Bear of the Day stock. The firm said that a recent miss sent estimates down for this year as well as for next year. Shares last closed at $66.93, with a consensus price target of $80.00.

Kroger Co. (NYSE: KR) was raised to Hold from Sell with a $27 target price (versus a $26.61 close) at Deutsche Bank.

Oceaneering International Inc. (NYSE: OII) was started as Buy and a $17 price objective (versus a $14.01 close) at Merrill Lynch.

OpenText Corp. (NASDAQ: OTEX) was up 2.3% at $42.52 after announcing it was acquiring Carbonite. RBC Capital Markets reiterated its Outperform rating and raised its target price to $50 from $47.

Regions Financial Corp. (NYSE: RF) was downgraded to Market Perform from Outperform at BMO Capital Markets.

Rent-A-Center Inc. (NASDAQ: RCII) was raised to Buy from Hold with a $28 target price (versus a $22.43 close) at Stifel.

Regeneron Pharmaceuticals Inc. (NASDAQ: REGN) was started as Hold with a $360 target price at SunTrust Robinson Humphrey.

Slack Technologies Inc. (NYSE: WORK) was maintained as Buy but the target price was lowered to $28 from $38 at MKM Partners. The prior consensus target price was $32.30.

Teva Pharmaceutical Industries Ltd. (NYSE: TEVA) was raised to Neutral from Underweight with an $8 target price (versus a $9.33 close) at JPMorgan.

Ultra Clean Holdings Inc. (NASDAQ: UCTT) was named as the Bull of the Day at Zacks, which said that this is one of the stocks that was hitting new highs all last week. Shares most recently closed at $22.80, with a consensus price target of $21.70.

Urban Outfitters Inc. (NASDAQ: URBN) was reiterated as Neutral but the target price was raised to $33 from $20 at
Wedbush Securities.

Verint Systems Inc. (NASDAQ: VRNT) was started with a Buy rating and a $58 target price at Goldman Sachs. The stock was up 0.3% at $47.78 ahead of the call, and it had a consensus target price of $68.00.

Vertex Pharmaceuticals Inc. (NASDAQ: VRTX) was started with a Buy rating and a $235 target price at SunTrust Robinson Humphrey.

Western Union Co. (NYSE: WU) was downgraded to Neutral from Buy at Guggenheim.

Xerox Corp. (NYSE: XRX) was raised to Neutral from Underweight and its target price was raised to $38 from $31 (versus a $38.36 close) at JPMorgan.

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JPMorgan started coverage of many insurance sector stocks on Tuesday:

• Marsh & McLennan Companies Inc. (NYSE: MMC): Buy with a $118 target price (versus a $103.41 prior close)
• Allstate Corp. (NYSE: ALL): Buy with a $120 price target (versus a $109.38 close)
• AON PLC (NYSE: AON): Neutral with a $219 target (versus a $194.38 close)
• Chubb Ltd. (NYSE: CB): Neutral with a $159 target (versus a $151.32 close)
• Travelers Companies Inc. (NYSE: TRV): Neutral with a $140 target (versus a $133.54 close)
• Progressive Corp. (NYSE: PGR): Neutral with a $79 target (versus a $73.73 close)

Monday’s top analyst upgrades and downgrades included Baidu, BellRing, Chegg, Chewy, Cisco Systems, Expedia, Home Depot, Nvidia, Occidental Petroleum, Qualcomm, Tesla and many more.

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Stocks saw many ups and downs but ended last week slightly lower, but they were indicated to open higher on Monday. This is the last day of the third quarter in 2019, and the Dow Jones industrials are up 14.9% and the S&P 500 is up 19% year to date, at a time that the bull market is now well over 10 years old. Investors need to be considering what changes they should be making for their portfolios and assets heading into late 2019 and as 2020 approaches.

24/7 Wall St. reviews dozens of analyst research reports each day of the week to find new ideas for traders and long-term investors alike. Some of the daily analyst calls cover stocks to buy, while some calls cover stocks to sell or to avoid.

We have provided these calls in a quick-hit summary for easy reading, and additional comments and trading data have been added on some of them. The consensus analyst price targets and other valuation metrics are from the Refinitiv (Thomson Reuters) sell-side research service.

These are the top analyst upgrades, downgrades and initiations for Monday, September 30, 2019.

Apple Inc. (NASDAQ: AAPL) was indicated higher after JPMorgan raised its target price to $265 from $242 and reiterated its Overweight rating, based on higher iPhone 11 sales. Apple closed down 0.5% at $218.82 on Friday and was indicated up 0.8% at $220.60 on Monday, with a prior consensus target price of $226.48.

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Bed Bath & Beyond Inc. (NASDAQ: BBBY) was raised to Outperform from Neutral with a $16 target price (versus a $9.89 prior close) at Wedbush Securities. The firm is calling it as being a deep value stock with a catalyst from a good chance of stabilization (or growth) in the next two years’ worth of earnings as sweeping changes take hold and resetting its cost structure with an initial 7% reduction of corporate staff and a plan to cut inventories by $1 billion.

Chico’s FAS Inc. (NYSE: CHS) was named as the Zacks Bear of the Day stock. The firm said that the retail apocalypse strikes again with Chico’s as the latest victim. Its shares last closed at $4.00, with a consensus price target of $2.96.

Cigna Corp. (NYSE: CI) was raised to Outperform from Market Perform at BMO Capital Markets. Shares closed down 0.2% at $149.48 on Friday, with a consensus target price of $214.36.

Clorox Co. (NYSE: CLX) was reiterated as Underweight and the price target was cut to $134 from $144 (versus a $152.68 close) at Morgan Stanley. Shares closed up 1.4% at $152.68 on Friday, with a consensus target price of $151.60.

Concert Pharmaceuticals Inc. (NASDAQ: CNCE) was maintained as Buy at Janney, but the firm lowered its fair value estimate to $10 per share from $13. The company’s partnered program called AVP-786 for Alzheimer’s agitation missed its primary and key secondary endpoints.

Deere & Co. (NYSE: DE) was reiterated as Outperform and its target price was raised to $176 from $161 at Robert W. Baird. Deere closed up almost 0.4% at $166.26 on Friday, and its prior consensus target price was $168.26.

Emerson Electric Co. (NYSE: EMR) was raised to Outperform from Sector Perform and the target price was raised to $77 from $65 at RBC Capital Markets. Emerson closed up 3.4% at $66.40 on Friday due to activist pressure (from DE Shaw) to break up the company.

Gap Inc. (NYSE: GPS) was maintained as Market Perform but the target was cut to $20 from $24 (versus a $17.18 close) at Wells Fargo. The consensus target price was $19.79.

Humana Inc. (NYSE: HUM) was downgraded to Market Perform from Outperform and the target price was lowered to $290 from $345 at BMO Capital Markets. The stock closed down 2.2% at $257.59 on Friday, and it previously had a $335.45 consensus target price.

Incyte Corp. (NASDAQ: INCY) was reiterated as Outperform and the price target was raised to $110 from $107 (versus a $72.82 close) at JMP Securities.

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Murphy Oil Corp. (NYSE: MUR) was started with an Outperform rating and assigned a $27 target price at BMO Capital Markets. Shares closed up 0.6% at $21.95 on Friday, with a 52-week range of $17.04 to $36.53 and a consensus target price of $28.54.

Newell Brands Inc. (NASDAQ: NWL) was raised to Buy from Hold and the price target was raised to $25 from $15 (versus an $18.20 close) at SunTrust Robinson Humphrey. It was indicated up 2.3% at $18.60 on Monday, and its 52-week range is $13.04 to $24.57.

Pioneer Natural Resources Co. (NYSE: PXD) was reiterated as Outperform and its target price was raised to $157 from $142 (versus a $126.32 close) at Robert W. Baird.

PNM Resources Inc. (NYSE: PNM) was raised to Buy from Neutral at Merrill Lynch. The stock closed down 0.8% at $51.45 on Friday but was indicated up 0.8% at $51.85 on Monday. Its prior consensus target price was $49.67.

RealReal Inc. (NASDAQ: REAL) was reiterated as Outperform and the target price was raised to $23 from $20 (versus a $19.35 close) at Wells Fargo.

Rockwell Automation Inc. (NYSE: ROK) was downgraded to Market Perform from Outperform at Wells Fargo.

Shake Shack Inc. (NYSE: SHAK) was started with a Hold rating and assigned a $90 target price (versus a $95.52 close) at Deutsche Bank. The consensus target price is $82.25.

Teva Pharmaceutical Industries Ltd. (NYSE: TEVA) was maintained as Market Perform but the price target was slashed to $8 from $17 at Wells Fargo. Teva previously closed up 5.8% at $6.92 on Friday and was indicated up 1% at $7.00 on Monday.

UnitedHealth Group Inc. (NYSE: UNP) was downgraded to Market Perform from Outperform at BMO Capital Markets. It closed down 0.1% at $215.26 on Friday, and its prior consensus target price was $294.83.

Urban Outfitters Inc. (NASDAQ: URBN) was raised to Outperform from Market Perform and the target price was raised to $30 from $25 (versus a $26.60 close, after a 5% gain) at Wells Fargo. Shares were indicated up 3.6% at $27.14 on Monday, and the prior consensus target price was $27.19.

U.S. Bancorp (NYSE: USB) was downgraded to Underperform from Neutral at Merrill Lynch.

Wells Fargo & Co. (NYSE: WFC) was maintained as Equal Weight at Morgan Stanley, but the firm raised its target price to $50 from $47. This comes after a 3.7% gain to $50.71, and is in response to the naming of a full-time chief executive.

Western Union Co. (NYSE: WU) was maintained as Underweight at Barclays, but the target price was raised to $19 from $18. The stock closed up 2.7% at $23.05 on Friday, and it has a consensus target price of $20.83.

Xcel Energy Inc. (NASDAQ: XEL) was downgraded to Underperform from Neutral at Merrill Lynch. Shares closed down 0.3% at $65.36 on Friday but were indicated down 1.1% at $64.65 on Monday. The prior consensus target price was $61.83.

Zix Corp. (NASDAQ: ZIXI) was named as the Bull of the Day at Zacks, which said that analysts are growing increasingly optimistic on this small-cap security cloud enterprise with large-cap dreams. The shares most recently closed at $7.17, with a consensus price target of $12.75.

Zymeworks Inc. (NASDAQ: ZYME) was raised to Strong Buy from Outperform and the target price was raised to $40 from $36 (versus a $25.88 close) at Raymond James. It had a consensus target price of $24.88 ahead of this call, but its shares were indicated up 6% at $27.45 on Monday morning after presenting study data in second-line HER2-expressing billary tract cancers.

Jefferies has four top growth stocks expected to Outperform ahead.

Five Dow laggards may have surprising outperformance ahead.

Analysts have issued well above normal upside calls on six large-cap and mega-cap companies.

Friday’s top analyst upgrades and downgrades included Box, iRobot, Kimberly-Clark, Match, Oracle, Pinterest, Seattle Genetics, Texas Instruments and many more.

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Monday’s gain and the initial higher open on Tuesday faded into a sell-off as investors dipped back into less risky assets, but Wednesday’s major equity indexes were indicated to open higher by 0.7% on the Dow Jones industrials and 0.7% on the S&P 500. It is important to keep in mind that the stock market had hit all-time highs late in July and that the bull market is still well over 10 years old. Investors need to be giving strong considerations about how they want their portfolios and assets positioned as the end of 2019 and the start of 2020 get closer.

24/7 Wall St. reviews dozens of analyst research reports each day of the week to find new ideas for traders and long-term investors alike. Some of the daily analyst calls cover stocks to buy, while some calls cover stocks to sell or to avoid.

We have provided these calls in a quick-hit summary for easy reading, and additional comments and trading data have been added on some of the calls. The consensus analyst price targets and other valuation metrics are from the Refinitiv (Thomson Reuters) sell-side research service.

These are the top analyst upgrades, downgrades and initiations for Wednesday, August 21, 2019.

Baidu Inc. (NASDAQ: BIDU) was maintained as Neutral at Nomura/Instinet, but its target price was cut to $118 from $134 in the call. Baidu closed up 4.3% at $108.72 in post-earnings reaction on Tuesday and was indicated up almost 1% at $109.70 on Wednesday. Its prior consensus target price was $151.92.

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BP PLC (NYSE: BP) was started with an Outperform rating and the price target was set at $53 for its American depositary shares at BMO Capital Markets. BP closed down over 1% at $36.45 on Tuesday, and the consensus target price was $50.26 ahead of the call.

Chevron Corp. (NYSE: CVX) was started with an Outperform rating and assigned a $165 target price at BMO Capital Markets. The stock closed at $116.13 ahead of the call, and the consensus target price was $137.91.

Chimera Investment Corp. (NYSE: CIM) was downgraded to Neutral from Outperform with a $19.50 target price at Credit Suisse. Shares closed at $19.69 ahead of the call, and the consensus target price was $18.88.

Ciena Corp. (NASDAQ: CIEN) was reiterated as Buy with a $50 target price (versus a $41.43 prior close, after a 1.6% drop) at Nomura/Instinet. The firm is comfortable with its high-end estimates, and the call is still more or less in line with a consensus target price of $49.89.

Cree Inc. (NASDAQ: CREE) shares closed down four cents at $58.24 ahead of earnings, but it was down almost 7% at $54.25 after adding the Huawei ban on top of LED softness for weaker results and guidance. JMP Securities downgraded the shares to Market Perform from Outperform.

Exxon Mobil Corp. (NYSE: XOM) was started with a Market Perform rating and assigned a $86 target price at BMO Capital Markets. The shares had closed down 0.6% at $69.03 ahead of the call, and the consensus target price was $82.25.

Home Depot Inc. (NYSE: HD) was up 4.4% at $217.09 on Tuesday after earnings. Wedbush Securities maintained its Neutral rating and $230 target price. Citigroup reiterated its Buy rating and raised its target to $245 from $218, and UBS reiterated its Buy rating and raised its target to $240 from $215. Credit Suisse reiterated its Neutral rating on Home Depot, but it still raised its target price to $213 from $192.

Jazz Pharmaceuticals PLC (NASDAQ: JAZZ) was downgraded to Neutral from Overweight and the target was cut to $142 from $205 (versus a $136.45 close) at Piper Jaffray.

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Marvell Technology Group Ltd. (NASDAQ: MRVL) was started with a Buy rating and assigned a $30 target price (versus a $24.93 close) at Benchmark.

Medtronic PLC (NYSE: MDT) was up 2.6% at $106.91 on Tuesday’s earnings reaction. UBS reiterated its Buy rating and raised the target price to $122 from $112. Barclays reiterated its Overweight rating on Medtronic and raised its price target to $117 from $110.

Nvidia Corp. (NASDAQ: NVDA) was started with a Buy rating and assigned a $210 target price (versus a $167.87 close) at Benchmark.

On Deck Capital Inc. (NYSE: ONDK) was raised to Equal Weight from Underweight and the price target was cut to $3.50 from $4.00 (versus $3.23 close, after a 2.7% drop) at Morgan Stanley.

Synlogic Inc. (NASDAQ: SYBX) closed down over 27% at $3.49 on Tuesday on a hyperammonemia treatment trial disappointment and was indicated down another 10% at $3.12 on Wednesday. Citigroup downgraded it to Sell from Buy and slashed the target price to $20. Oppenheimer lowered its rating to Perform from Outperform.

Urban Outfitters Inc. (NASDAQ: URBN) closed up 0.3% at $20.91 after earnings, and the initial reaction was up almost 3% at $21.50 after some are hoping for the turnaround to take hold. Wedbush maintained it as Neutral and cut the target price to $20 from $26.

Wanda Sports Group Co. Ltd. (NASDAQ: WSG) was started as Buy and assigned a $5.50 price target at Citigroup. Deutsche Bank started it as Buy with an $11 target price. Shares closed up 1.8% ahead of the call, but it has a $535 million market cap.

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Funko Inc. (NASDAQ: FNKO) was named as the Bull of the Day at Zacks, which said everything is clicking for this pop culture product maker. The Zacks Bear of the Day is Exxon Mobil Corp. (NYSE: XOM). The firm said that big oil earnings are tumbling again.

With all the talk of recession in financial media headlines, Credit Suisse has said that the barely and temporarily inverted yield curve was the only point on its economic dashboard that would qualify toward calling for a recession, as job creation, credit performance, ISM data, housing and earnings quality are all still above that fear level. In a recent outlook, Merrill Lynch pointed out that odds of a recession had increased, but only to one in three over the next 12 months.

Also on recession watch from Bank of America, CEO Brian Moynihan told CNBC that the U.S. consumer is doing well and will keep the economy strong enough above the recession level.

Eight dividend yields of 10% may have even more room to rise ahead.

Tuesday’s top analyst calls included AbbVie, Beyond Meat, Bio-Rad Laboratories, Dell Technologies, HP, Jumia Technologies, Nabriva Therapeutics, PG&E, Salesforce.com, Sarepta Therapeutics and many more. Monday’s top analyst calls included Amgen, Aramark, Chevron, Deere, Exxon Mobile, Hecla Mining, Occidental Petroleum, Urban Outfitters, Whiting Petroleum and many more.

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Urban Outfitters, Inc. (NASDAQ: URBN) reported fiscal second-quarter financial results after markets closed Tuesday. The retailer said that it had $0.61 in earnings per share (EPS) and $962.33 million in revenue, compared with consensus estimates that called for $0.58 in EPS and $980.61 million in revenue. The same period from last year had $0.84 in EPS and $992.45 million in revenue.

During the quarter, comparable net sales decreased 3%, driven by negative retail store sales, partially offset by growth in the digital channel. By brand, comparable retail segment net sales increased 6% at Free People and decreased 3% at the Anthropologie Group and 5% at Urban Outfitters. Wholesale segment net sales decreased by 8%.

In terms of its segments, the firm reported:

• Anthropologie Group net sales decreased by 1.7% year over year to $394.28 million.
• Urban Outfitters net sales decreased by 6.4% to $355.05 million.
• Free People net sales decreased by less than 1% to $205.94 million.
• Food and Beverage net sales increased by 29.9% to $7.06 million.

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In the report, the retailer did not offer any guidance for the coming quarter. However, consensus estimates are calling for $0.65 in EPS and $994.68 million in revenue for the fiscal third quarter.

Richard A. Hayne, CEO, commented:

I am pleased to report that customer reaction to our early fall apparel assortments have improved significantly from our second quarter results. Third quarter-to-date ‘comp’ sales are positive at all three brands.

Shares of Urban Outfitters closed at $20.91, with a 52-week range of $19.63 to $52.50. The consensus analyst price target is $29.44. Following the announcement, the stock was up about 4% at $21.74 in the after-hours session.

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Stocks were very volatile in the prior week after the worst one-day sell-off of 2019, but a late-week recovery is being followed by broad gains on Monday as long-term Treasury yields rose and as hopes that the U.S.-China trade war would not go too far out of hand. It is important to remember that the markets hit all-time highs in late in July and that the bull market is now 10 and a half years old. Investors need to be considering exactly how they want their portfolios and assets positioned for the second half of 2019 and beyond.

24/7 Wall St. reviews dozens of analyst research reports each day of the week. Our goal is to find new ideas for traders and long-term investors alike. Some of the daily analyst calls cover stocks to buy. Other analyst calls cover stocks to sell or to avoid.

We have provided these calls in a quick-hit summary for easy reading, and additional comments and trading data have been added on some of the calls. The consensus analyst price targets mentioned and other valuation metrics are from the Refinitiv (Thomson Reuters) sell-side research service.

These are the top analyst upgrades, downgrades and initiations for Monday, August 19, 2019.

Amgen Inc. (NASDAQ: AMGN) was downgraded to Neutral from Buy at Mizuho, but the firm lifted its target price to $212 from $208 (versus a $204.02 prior close, after a 2.3% gain).

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Applied Materials Inc. (NASDAQ: AMAT) was reiterated as Buy and the target price was raised to $54 from $48 at Citigroup. The stock previously closed down 1.1% at $46.63, and it had a $51.86 consensus target price.

Aramark Corp. (NYSE: ARMK) was raised to Buy from Hold at Stifel and to Buy from Neutral at Nomura Instinet. Activist investor Mantle Ridge took a 20% stake in Aramark, and its shares were indicated up 12% at $41.50 on Monday. Its prior consensus target price was $38.33, and its 52-week trading range is $25.49 to $43.70.

Ares Capital Corp. (NASDAQ: ARCC) was raised to Outperform from Market Perform and its target as raised to $20 from $19 (versus an $18.64 close) at BMO Capital Markets. It had a $19.33 consensus target price ahead of the call and an 8.5% dividend yield.

Castle Biosciences Inc. (NASDAQ: SCTL) has seen its quiet period come to an end. It was started at Canaccord Genuity as Buy with a $26 target, at SVB Leerinkas Outperform with a $28 target and at Robert W. Baird as Outperform with a $27 target. The company priced its IPO at $16 at the end of July, and its shares recently closed at $20.25.

Chevron Corp. (NYSE: CVX) was started with an Overweight rating and assigned a $145 target price (versus a $115.81 close) at Barclays. The previous consensus target price was $137.59.

Deere & Co. (NYSE: DE) was reiterated as Outperform and its target was raised to $197 from $176 at Credit Suisse. Morgan Stanley reiterated it as Overweight with a target hike to $177 from $172. Wells Fargo maintained Deere as Outperform and cut the target price to $170 from $185, and UBS maintained its Neutral rating but lowered its target to $160 from $165. Shares closed up 3.8% at $149.23 on Friday, in a 52-week range of $128.32 to $171.22 and with a prior consensus target price of $167.11. The stock was indicated up almost 2% at $152.00 on Monday.

Dillard’s Inc. (NYSE: DDS) was reiterated as Sell at Deutsche Bank, and its price target was slashed to $36 from $49 (versus a $55.31 close, after a 2.26% drop) in the call.

Entasis Therapeutics Holdings Inc. (NASDAQ: ETTX) was started with a Buy rating and assigned an $18 target price (versus an $8.15 close) at H.C. Wainwright.

Evoqua Water Technologies Corp. (NYSE: AQUA) was reiterated as Neutral but the target price was raised to $16 from $14 (versus a $15.02 close) at Credit Suisse.

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Exxon Mobil Corp. (NYSE: XOM) was started with an Equal Weight rating at Barclays. It previously closed at $68.30 with a consensus target price of $82.74.

Hecla Mining Co. (NYSE: HL) was reiterated as Buy and the target was raised to $3.75 from $3.00 (versus a $1.45 close) at H.C. Wainwright.

Miragen Therapeutics Inc. (NASDAQ: MGEN) was started with a Buy rating and assigned a $3 target price (versus a $0.91 close) at H.C. Wainwright. It has a 52-week trading range of $0.78 to $6.43 and a mere $28 million market cap.

Northern Dynasty Minerals Ltd. (NYSEARCA: NAK) was reiterated as Buy and the price target was raised to $3.00 from $2.50 (versus a $0.69 close) at H.C. Wainwright. This call came after a small $11.5 million share offering was made at $0.75 per share.

Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings Ltd. (NYSE: NCLH) was reiterated as Buy and its target price was raised to $65 from $60 (versus a $50.48 close) at Citigroup.

NXP Semiconductors N.V. (NASDAQ: NXPI) was started with an Outperform rating and assigned a $115 target price at Raymond James.

Occidental Petroleum Corp. (NYSE: OXY) was maintained with a Market Perform rating at Wells Fargo, but the firm lowered its target to $48 from $53. Shares closed up 1.4% at $44.57 on Friday, and Occidental previously had a consensus target price of $59.56 ahead of this call.

ON Semiconductor Corp. (NASDAQ: ON) was raised to Strong Buy from Outperform with a $21 target price (versus a $17.54 close, after a 3.9% gain) at Raymond James. It was indicated up 4% at $18.25 on Monday.

Urban Outfitters Inc. (NASDAQ: URBN) was maintained as Overweight at Morgan Stanley but its target price was cut to $24 from $42 (versus a $20.51 close, after a 3.3% gain).

VMWare Inc. (NYSE: VMW) was reiterated as Buy at Deutsche Bank, but the firm lowered its target to $190 from $220.

Whiting Petroleum Corp. (NYSE: WLL) was downgraded to Sector Perform from Outperform at Scotia Howard Weill, and Stephens also downgraded it to Equal Weight from Overweight. The stock closed up 4.2% at $8.61 on Friday and was indicated up 1.45 at $8.73 on Monday. Its prior consensus target price was $23.24, but this was also a $17 stock before earnings came with layoffs and production cuts based on a poor outlook ahead.

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1-800-Flowers.com Inc. (NASDAQ: FLWS) was named as the Bull of the Day at Zacks, which said to order up positive revisions for this online flower service. The Zacks Bear of the Day is Macy’s Inc. (NYSE: M) due to things just getting worse for the regional department store that is just trying to adapt.

The calls for $2,000 gold are starting to return now that gold had reached $1,500 per ounce again.

Here are five super-safe dividend stocks that can be hidden in until the trade war blows over.

Five stocks under $10 have huge upside if these analyst calls are correct.

Friday’s top analyst calls included Walmart, Nvidia, Amgen, Applied Materials, Alibaba, Intel, Merck and many more.

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After a major sell-off on Wednesday due to yield curve concerns about a recession, stocks had been indicated to open lower on Thursday until Walmart’s earnings offered some support. It is important to consider that the major stock market indexes were just all-time highs less than a month ago. Investors have many reasons to remain cautious, and earnings season has been hard on many companies and many sectors. Investors need to be considering how they want their assets positioned for the rest of 2019 and beyond.

24/7 Wall St. reviews dozens of analyst research reports each day of the week. Our goal is to find new ideas for investors and traders alike. Some of these analyst reports cover stocks to buy, while others cover stocks to sell or to avoid.

Additional commentary has been added on most of the daily analyst reports, along with trading history. The consensus analyst price targets and other valuation metrics are from the Refinitiv (Thomson Reuters) sell-side research service.

These were the top analyst upgrades, downgrades and initiations seen on Thursday, August 15, 2019.

AGCO Corp. (NYSE: AGCO) was started as Overweight and assigned an $80 target price (versus a $64.14 prior close) at Stephens.

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Apple Inc. (NASDAQ: AAPL) was reiterated as Outperform with a $245 price target (versus a $202.75 close) at Wedbush Securities, with the firm noting that the iPhone demand cycle looks stable heading into fiscal 2020 despite all the ongoing China worries. The 52-week trading range is $142.00 to $233.47, and the consensus price target is $223.03.

Applied Industrial Technologies Inc. (NYSE: AIT) was maintained as Overweight but the target price was lowered to $65 from $70 (versus a $52.77 close) at KeyBanc Capital Markets.

Autodesk Inc. (NASDAQ: ADSK) was downgraded to Hold from Buy and its target price was lowered to $165 from $180 at Deutsche Bank.

Caterpillar Inc. (NYSE: CAT) was started as Underweight with a $100 target price at Stephens. Caterpillar was down 3.2% at $115.21 on Wednesday, and its prior consensus target price was still up at $143.61. The 52-week trading range is $112.06 to $159.37.

Children’s Place Inc. (NASDAQ: PLCE) was down almost 8% to $76.28 on Wednesday, but Thursday it was raised to Buy from Hold at Deutsche Bank.

Cisco Systems Inc. (NASDAQ: CSCO) was down 4% at $50.61 ahead of earnings and was down close to 8% at $46.50 on Thursday morning after the results disappointed and as China orders were running extremely soft. KeyBanc Capital Markets maintained the stock as Overweight and cut its target price to $56 from $60. Raymond James reiterated its Outperform rating and raised its Cisco target to $59 from $58. The 52-week trading range is $40.25 to $58.26, and the consensus price target is $58.43.

Deere & Co. (NYSE: DE) was started as Equal Weight with a $160 target price at Stephens. The 52-week trading range is $128.32 to $171.22, and the consensus price target is $167.06.

Elanco Animal Health Inc. (NYSE: ELAN) was raised to Neutral from Sell with a $30 target price (versus a $28.51 close) at UBS.

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Evergy Inc. (NYSE: EVRG) managed to close up a whole two cents despite Wednesday’s selling pressure, and its shares hit an all-time high of $64.38 as well. Wells Fargo downgraded it to Market Perform from Outperform based on valuation.

Host Hotels & Resorts Inc. (NYSE: HST) was downgraded to Neutral from Buy at BTIG.

Levi Strauss & Co. (NYSE: LEVI) was down 5.6% at $16.25 during Wednesday’s sell-off. Bank of America upgraded it to Buy from Neutral after the shares hit a post-IPO low, but its price objective was cut to $20 from $25 in the call. The post-IPO trading range is $16.00 to $24.50, and the consensus price target is $24.00.

Manhattan Associates Inc. (NASDAQ: MANH) was started as Buy with a $100 target price (versus an $81.80 close) at Rosenblatt.

Paychex Inc. (NASDAQ: PAYX) was downgraded to Underweight from Equal Weight and its target price was lowered to $74 from $77 at Morgan Stanley.

PayPal Inc. (NASDAQ: PYPL) was reiterated as Outperform with a $140 target priced (versus a $106.04 close) at Wedbush. The firm’s call comes after meeting with the company to evaluate recent executive departures, its 2019 guidance reset and thoughts on 2020 guidance.

Pivotal Software Inc. (NASDAQ: PVTL) is reportedly in talks to be acquired by VMware (with Dell and VMware already owning about 65% of the company), but Wedbush maintained its Neutral rating and $15 target price, noting that the acquisition would end the dark days for Pivotal.

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Slack Technologies Inc. (NYSE: WORK) was down 1.5% at $30.76 during Wednesday’s selling, but it was indicated up 3.4% at $31.80 on Thursday. Bernstein started it as Market Perform with a $31 target price.

Urban Outfitters Inc. (NASDAQ: URBN) was downgraded to Neutral from Buy and the target price was slashed to $23 from $38 (versus a $20.25 prior close, after a 7.4% drop) at B. Riley. Urban Outfitters was indicated down about 1.5% at $19.95 on Thursday and was going to hit another 52-week low.

Zacks has named GW Pharmaceuticals PLC (NASDAQ: GWPH) as its Bull of the Day, saying that this is a success story in cannabis medicine, 20 years in the making, and is now rapidly growing sales. The Bear of the Day is NetApp Inc. (NASDAQ: NTAP). Zacks noted that warnings of trouble in the cloud/big data industry will now get worse after the Cisco quarterly report.

Wednesday’s top analyst calls included Acorda Therapeutics, Activision Blizzard, Bloom Energy, Care.com, CBS, Deere, Ferrari and many more.

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The stock market has experienced yet another 5% correction after hitting all-time highs just in July. What really stands out for 2019, particularly if you just followed the emotions of the daily news flow, is that the Dow Jones industrial average and the S&P 500 were still up with double-digit percentage gains year to date.

Investors need to remember that “the market” is really a market of stocks, and some sectors and companies have performed absolutely horribly despite 2019 still being a strong year and despite this bull market now being over 10 years old.

24/7 Wall St. has evaluated the biggest losers of the S&P 500, and the theme among the market’s top losers looks fairly consistent. Energy stocks tied to oil and gas, retail and designers tied to apparel and accessories, and drug companies are all facing a horrendous year.

It turns out that of the 40 worst performers in the S&P 500 so far in 2019, there are 11 tied to oil and gas, 10 tied mostly to retailing of apparel and accessories, and six tied to pharmaceuticals and biotech. That is 27 of the 40 worst performers tied to these three industries.

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A lot of this will seem self-explanatory. In apparel and retail, the online world of selling is back at crushing companies, with tariffs and retail weakness playing their role. In oil and gas, the market is simply turning its back on the sector while oil has entered yet another bear market and as ESG (environmental, social and governance) investing takes ever more attention. And in biotech and pharma, both sides of the political aisle want to bring down drug prices at the same time that opioid exposure is hurting them.

The chart below should pretty much show all the carnage, with returns over the past month and year to date. On top of these as the worst drops of the S&P 500 year to date, it looked like only two of these worst 2019 performers were actually showing positive gains over the past 30-day period.

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Whenever there is any hiccup in the economy, consumers tighten their spending on non-critical items. That means that curtailing entertainment spending, dining out, and buying new clothing and apparel become targeted as ways consumers can save money without a serious disruption to their lives.

The media loves to scare the public about the next recession, and one ultimately will come, even if it is not as soon as some might worry about. The problem today is that retailers with their own branded clothing or with a set of common providers have been absolutely crushed during May and over a longer period. The one common theme among these retail players is that they all have apparel as their primary focus. The companies seem to be in a fight for relevance, if you only looked at their stocks, and while some companies are facing deep existential threats, there are some that have grown earnings and revenues and that are expected to keep growing. That sets a disturbing pattern for investors trying to figure out where is and is not safe to invest in retail.

24/7 Wall St. ran a screen of the top apparel retailers with performance over the past month using a Finviz screen. We aren’t even in a recession yet, and the performance drops that have been seen should make any investor wonder how bad these companies will see their shares fall when even the likes of Amazon and discount retailers are complaining about weak consumer metrics.

The overall economy does not have to be in a recession for many retailers to feel like they are in their own recession. After all, selling fashion, clothing and accessories to the public is subject to high seasonal issues and subject to weather, and there are generally three annual periods when the retailers have to get their merchandising right each and every time.

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American Eagle Outfitters Inc. (NYSE: AEO) has its retail stores in major metropolitan areas, and its shares were last seen trading down about 27% over the past month. Its market cap was down to about $3 billion, and being valued at less than 10 times forward earnings is not enough to matter, despite an expected mid-single-digit sales growth and roughly 10% earnings per share growth expected to continue.

Abercrombie & Fitch Co. (NYSE: ANF) disappointed on its last earnings report with poor guidance, and it even announced it would close some flagship stores. Its stock was down over 40% in the past month, after a drop of about 29% over the past week. This is a turnaround candidate that just doesn’t seem to be able to hold on to a turnaround. Abercrombie has a market cap of close to $1.14 billion.

Express Inc. (NYSE: EXPR) is expected to have a loss for 2019, and that loss is expected to narrow in 2020, but with flat to slightly lower sales. The stock was down just about 20% in the past month and down 7% in the past week, and it lost two-thirds of its value from this time a year ago. Express sells apparel and accessories targeted to women and men mostly in the 20- to 30-year-old range. Its market cap is now just $205 million.

Francesca’s Holdings Corp. (NASDAQ: FRAN) is a women’s retailer that seems to be in a death spiral. It is now a penny stock that unlikely will keep a primary index listing without a reverse split, and its sales keep sliding. While shares were down about 27% in the past month, they are down over 90% from a year ago. As of February 2, 2019, the company operated approximately 727 boutiques, but it is now exploring strategic alternatives and announced senior leadership changes in recent months. With well over $400 million in last year’s sales, how confident does the market seem with a mere $17 million market cap?

Guess Inc. (NYSE: GES) sells at its own stores, plus other stores have carried the brand. Its shares were down over 21% in the past month and down about 33% over the past year. Guess has a $1.1 billion market cap, and its sales and earnings are expected to rise again in 2019 and 2020. As of February 2, 2019, Guess operated 1,161 retail stores in the Americas, Europe, and Asia, and its licensees and distributors operated an additional 558 retail stores globally.

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Gap Inc. (NYSE: GPS) has seen its namesake brand underperform, but now even Old Navy is performing badly. All this is just ahead of a would-be break-up of the company in which Old Navy will trade as a standalone company. Is that even possible, given how badly the stock has acted of late? Gap is down 12% over the past week, about 27% in the past month and by just over a third from this time last year. Its market cap is now just $7 billion, and the entity has faced numerous issues over that past two decades.

J.Jill, Inc. (NASDAQ: JILL) was crushed after earnings recently, despite still having a slight profit. Also, short sellers have marked it as fair game. The shares fell 61% last week, for better than a 70% drop in May, and that’s about the same as it was a year ago. J.Jill is down to a $68 million market cap, despite revenues last year hitting $700 million.

Lands’ End Inc. (NYSE: LE) may seem like more of a catalog and mail order retailer, but revenues and operating income have fluctuated in a range over the past four years. Its market cap is barely $400 million, versus $1.45 billion in sales last year. One issue that may be impossible to ignore is that as of February 1, 2019, it operated 49 Lands’ End Shops at Sears stores. When was the last good thing that happened at Sears? Lands’ End shares were down 28% over the past month, and it’s down about 37% from a year ago.

Tailored Brands Inc. (NASDAQ: TLRD) is still worth only about $263 million in market cap, but the owner of Men’s Wearhouse, Jos. A. Bank, Joseph Abboud and others has seen its shares slide ever lower. The drop of 32% in the past month made for an 84% drop from this time a year ago. Revenues are still sliding gradually each year (to $3.2 billion over the past year), and analysts are calling for a tiny drop in 2019 as well. This one also remains a target of short sellers.

Tilly’s Inc. (NYSE: TLYS) has a market cap of close to $230 million, but that’s after a share price drop of 25% in the past week. It has now lost over 34% in the past month and is down just over 40% in the past six months. Targeting young men and women, and boys and girls, Tilly’s had over 225 stores on last look. It sells online and provides third-party merchandise assortment across its various product categories as well. Tilly’s has seen revenues ratchet higher on a slow pace to almost $600 million over the past year, and the company is expected to keep a mid-single-digit sales pact in the next two years with continued earnings growth.

Urban Outfitters Inc. (NASDAQ: URBN) doesn’t grow as fast as it used to, and now the company has multiple retail and apparel store name destinations. It has managed to keep slowly growing its revenues in recent years, but the investing public is now paying less than 10 times past and expected earnings per share, and its value is about $2.3 billion. Shares of Urban Outfitters were down 24% in the past month, but it is down over 50% from its peak in 2018.

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Things may sound awful for these specialty players, but look elsewhere with poor performance outside of the major discounters in clothing and accessories. Nortdstrom Inc. (NYSE: JWN), the last of the independent high-end retailers in which you can still trade the stock, is now down over 50% from its 52-week high, and it cannot seem to escape the whittling away from luxury sales and upscale sales happening at all levels of retail apparel and accessories. Dillard’s Inc. (NYSE: DDS) continues to slide, and the long-term death march continues at Macy’s Inc. (NYSE: M).

Even Kohls Corp. (NYSE: KSS), which is currently expanding its drop-off/return pact for Amazon customers (regardless of what item is bought) lost more than one-quarter of its market cap during May after earnings disappointed.

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The first-quarter earnings reporting season is winding down, but some major companies have yet to share their results. Many of the companies reporting this week are retailers that share their results at the tail end of the season. Here, 24/7 Wall St. has put together a preview of the most prominent earnings reports expected this week.

We have included the consensus earnings estimates, as well as the stock price and trading history. Be advised that the earnings and revenue estimates may change ahead of the formal reports, and some companies may change reporting dates as well.

Home Depot Inc. (NYSE: HD) is scheduled to report its fiscal fourth-quarter results before the open on Tuesday. Morgan Stanley includes Home Depot among its top 30 stocks for 2021. The consensus estimates call for earnings per share (EPS) of $2.19 and revenue of $26.39 billion. Shares were changing hands at $192.58 on Friday’s close. The consensus price target is $205.86, and the 52-week trading range is $158.09 to $215.43.

Look for AutoZone Inc. (NYSE: AZO) to release its most recent quarterly results early on Tuesday. The consensus forecast calls for $15.14 in EPS and $2.77 billion in revenue for the fiscal third quarter. Shares traded most recently at $984.09. The consensus price target is $1,037.24, and shares have traded between $597.00 and $1,074.67 in the past 52 weeks.

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Kohl’s Corp. (NYSE: KSS) is expected to report its fiscal first-quarter results Tuesday morning. The company recently expanded its partnership with Amazon. Overall, analysts anticipate $0.67 in EPS and $3.95 billion in revenue. Shares closed at $63.60 on Friday. The consensus price target is $76.13. The stock has a 52-week trading range of $58.66 to $83.28.

J.C. Penney Co. Inc.’s (NYSE: JCP) first-quarter report is due before Tuesday opening bell as well. The consensus estimates call for a net loss of $0.38 per share and $2.56 billion in revenue. Shares traded at $1.14 most recently. The consensus price target is $1.42, and the 52-week range trading range is $0.92 to $3.16.

Expect Nordstrom Inc. (NYSE: JWN) to release its most recent quarterly results late on Tuesday. The consensus forecast now calls for $0.43 in EPS and $3.57 billion in revenue for the fiscal second quarter. Shares ended the week at $37.09. The consensus price target is $47.81, and shares have traded between $36.38 and $67.75 in the past 52 weeks.

Urban Outfitters Inc. (NASDAQ: URBN) has its fiscal second-quarter report scheduled for Tuesday after the closing bell. The consensus forecast calls for $0.25 in EPS on $855.65 million in revenue. Shares traded at $26.98 apiece on Friday’s close. The consensus price target is $36.06, and the 52-week trading range is $25.96 to $52.50.

Advance Auto Parts Inc. (NYSE: AAP) will report its first-quarter results early on Wednesday. Analysts are looking for $2.36 in EPS and $2.95 billion in revenue. Shares ended the week at $157.97, but the consensus price target is $193.72. The stock has a 52-week trading range of $113.61 to $186.15.

Lowe’s Companies Inc. (NYSE: LOW) is scheduled to post its fiscal first-quarter results Wednesday morning. The consensus earnings estimate is $1.34 per share, on $17.7 billion in revenue. The stock ended the week at $109.02 a share, and the consensus price target is $117.59. Shares have traded between $84.75 and $118.23 in the past year.

Target Corp. (NYSE: TGT) is expected to report its fiscal first-quarter results before the open on Wednesday too. The consensus estimates are calling for $1.43 in EPS and $17.5 billion in revenue. Shares were last seen changing hands at $70.89. The consensus price target is $86.60, while the stock has a 52-week range of $60.15 to $90.39.

L Brands Inc. (NYSE: LB) is expected to report its fiscal first-quarter results after the close on Wednesday. The consensus estimates are breakeven earnings and $2.56 billion in revenue. Shares were last seen changing hands at $22.44. The consensus price target is $30.52 The stock has a 52-week trading range of $21.82 to $38.14.

Best Buy Co. Inc. (NYSE: BBY) will release its most recent quarterly results early on Thursday. This is one of the few retailers actually outperforming Amazon this year. The consensus forecast now calls for $0.86 in EPS and $9.13 billion in revenue for the fiscal first quarter. Shares ended the week at $68.93. The consensus price target is $77.41, and shares have traded between $47.72 and $84.37 in the past 52 weeks.

Autodesk Inc. (NASDAQ: ADSK) is also expected to report its fiscal first-quarter results Thursday afternoon. Overall, analysts anticipate $0.47 in EPS and $740.13 million in revenue. Shares closed at $174.33 on Friday. The consensus price target is $183.52. The stock has a 52-week trading range of $117.72 to $178.95.

Hewlett Packard Enterprise Co.’s (NYSE: HPE) fiscal second-quarter report is due after Thursday’s closing bell. The consensus estimates call for $0.37 in EPS and $7.4 billion in revenue. Shares traded at $14.62 most recently. The consensus price target is $17.59, and the 52-week range trading range is $12.09 to $17.74.

HP Inc. (NYSE: HPQ) has its fiscal second-quarter report scheduled for late Thursday as well. The consensus forecast calls for $0.51 in EPS on $13.97 billion in revenue. Shares traded at $19.02 apiece on Friday’s close. The consensus price target is $23.48, and the 52-week trading range is $18.06 to $27.08.

And Foot Locker Inc. (NYSE: FL) will report its fiscal first-quarter results early on Friday. Analysts are looking for $1.61 in EPS and $2.11 billion in revenue. Shares ended the week trading at $55.20, but the consensus price target is $70.32. The stock has a 52-week trading range of $43.34 to $68.00.

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The market has been running strong in 2019, after the late-2018 selling panic turned out to be too extreme and based on overblown fears. As of Friday, April 5, the major index gains were strong with the Nasdaq-100 up 19%, the S&P 500 up about 15% and the Dow Jones industrial average up about 13%. It’s important to realize that the stock market is really a market full of individual stocks, and those stocks see many gyrations in performance regardless of the overall direction of the broader indexes.

There are some serious laggards in the stock market, many with well-known names. In some cases, the performance is so low that it’s as if the companies had no idea that there was a bull market at all.

24/7 Wall St. reviews dozens of analyst calls each day of the week. This ends up being hundreds of calls per week. Our goal is to find new ideas for traders and investors alike. Some calls have Buy or Outperform ratings, but some are more cautious at Hold or Neutral. Some even come with dreaded Sell or Underperform ratings.

Investors always seem to enjoy finding the gold nuggets by digging in the mud. The practical application in research and investing is looking for stocks that are getting new coverage or in which the stocks are being upgraded after extended periods of weakness. This is often where value investors pay the most attention. Some companies already may be in a turnaround, and some may have been oversold for myriad reasons: making a bad acquisition, sector weakness, missed opportunity, changes in earnings guidance, customer delays and so on.

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For the week of April 5, 2019, we noticed eight analyst calls in which a firm was upgrading or issuing a new Buy (equivalent) rating on stocks that had been weak in 2019 or that have been very weak over recent months. Investors should understand that analysts sometimes do not get their calls right, and there is always the lesson to consider that companies that execute poorly tend to keep executing poorly.

Here are eight stocks that have been weak either in 2019 or are still way off their highs but in which at least some Wall Street analysts are becoming more positive for long-term upside ahead.

Bed Bath & Beyond Inc. (NASDAQ: BBBY) may get talked up as a great placement destination on the Shark Tank series on TV, but this stock has been gutted over the years. Still, maybe nothing lasts forever. Now that an activist investment group is targeting the entire board of directors for termination, analysts are getting behind the notion that perhaps Bed Bath & Beyond’s worst days will soon be in the past.

Merrill Lynch was among the first to upgrade Bed Bath & Beyond shares based on the potential changes, raising its rating to Buy from Underperform with a $21 price objective (from $11) on March 26.

More recently, Citigroup raised its rating to Neutral from Sell and raised its target price to $18 from $10 on April 1, and Morgan Stanley raised its rating to Equal Weight from Underweight and its target to $20 from $13 on April 5.

Bed Bath & Beyond shares closed up over 4% at $18.35 on Friday, for a total gain of 8% in the past week, with a 52-week range of $10.46 to $21.63.

Carbon Black Inc. (NASDAQ: CBLK) is in the red-hot cybersecurity field, but things have been sketchy for post-IPO investors. The 2018 initial public offering priced at $19 per share, and the stock ended up going as high as $35 in the weeks after its IPO. But by the end of 2018, its shares were down to $13.42.

A week earlier it was at $13.95 a share, and Carbon Black closed out the week of April 5 at $14.00, after most IT-security players saw their shares get crunched down handily on Thursday. This call would likely have been better received had it happened a day earlier or a day later due to the sector woes. On April 4, Robert W. Baird initiated coverage with an Outperform rating and assigned a $20 price target.

Energizer Holdings Inc. (NYSE: ENR) may have had a strong week with a 6% gain, but that appears to all be attributable to a Goldman Sachs upgrade on Monday. Otherwise, this had been a range-bound, do-nothing stock in 2019, and the recent close of $47.80 is still in a 52-week range of $42.74 to $65.57.

Goldman Sachs raised its rating to Buy from Neutral and its target to $60 form $48 in the call on Energizer. The firm is optimistic enough that it even included the battery maker on the prized Conviction Buy List. The analyst sees Energizer’s core business on its firmest footing in a decade and that the recent deal to buy Spectrum Brands will help broaden its base and will not mark the end of its would-be deal opportunities.

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Grubhub Inc. (NYSE: GRUB) shareholders haven’t felt much love over the past six months, but maybe things have gone too far negative at a time when “new economy” stocks have so much potential upside. BTIG’s Peter Saleh sees better days ahead, potentially with upside of 30% or so. He started Grubhub with a Buy rating and a $95 price target.

Wall Street sort of yawned on Wednesday’s analyst call, as Grubhub shares were up 2% at $72.00 in early trading but were up only 0.8% at $71.13 later in the day. The stock closed the week at $71.18, with a consensus target price still over $100 and a 52-week trading range of $65.51 to $149.35. More details are available on this call.

Nio Inc. (NYSE: NIO) is sometimes considered to be the “Tesla of China” in reference to its Chinese electric vehicle sales. Its shares lost more than half of their value after an unlucky IPO timing late in 2018. Despite the woes, two analysts upgraded Nio this week.

Merrill Lynch lifted its Underperform rating to Neutral and assigned a $6.20 price objective, up from a prior $6.80. Citigroup raised Nio’s rating to Buy from Neutral, but the firm’s official price target was lowered to $6.80 from $7.20. More detailed coverage is available on both calls.

Nio shares closed the week at $5.36, for a gain of only about 1% from the initial analyst calls, but the gain for the week was better than 5%. Its post-IPO trading range is $4.90 to $13.80.

Renewable Energy Group Inc. (NASDAQ: REGI) was started with an Overweight rating and assigned a $35 price target mid-week at Piper Jaffray. This call represented an implied upside of more than 50%, and the call noted that recent weakness in the stock price has created an attractive entry point for investors. The call is based on environmental pressures being pushed very hard for environmental conservation and to use cleaner fuels and energy.

This is the largest standalone biodiesel producer in the United States. Renewable Energy shares closed up another 3.4% at $23.27 on Friday, for a weekly gain of 6%. That said, its shares closed out 2018 at $25.70, and this was a $29 stock briefly in early February. The 52-week range is $12.50 to $32.52, and the market cap is still under $900 million.

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UGI Corp. (NYSE: UGI) lost nearly 10% of its value at one point early in the week on news that it was acquiring the rest of AmeriGas Partners L.P. (NYSE: APU) that it did not already own. Investors have learned over time that shares of an acquirer drop when it announces a large acquisition, but in some instances they rise based on the improvements.

Jefferies raised UGI to Buy from Hold and raised its target to $60 from $54 on Friday. On Wednesday, Merrill Lynch upgraded the stock to Buy from Neutral and reaffirmed its $58 price target, after noting that UGI expects the UGI/APU transaction to be accretive to adjusted EPS beginning in 2020.

UGI shares closed up 1% at $53.03 on Friday, after seeing a low of $50.40 during the week. Its shares were at $55.39 prior to the deal announcement, and they have a 52-week range of $44.15 to $59.31.

Urban Outfitters Inc. (NASDAQ: URBN) shares may have been in major rally mode the past two weeks, but its stock remains off by about 40% from last year’s highs above $50. After a 1.6% gain to $33.95 a share on Friday, the 52-week range is $27.60 to $52.50, and the consensus target price was $36.19.

D.A. Davidson’s John Morris raised his rating to Buy from Neutral with a $36 price target calling a forest of opportunity for the next few years. The stock’s long-term weakness is still represented, as the 200-day moving average was last seen up at $37.97.

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Stocks were indicated higher on Wednesday as the markets are expecting a trade pact with the United States and China, unlocking the recent trade gaps and issues between the nations. The market’s major indexes are still up by double-digits year to date in 2019, and investors need to be considering how to position their investments and assets for the rest of the year and beyond.

24/7 Wall St. reviews dozens of analyst research reports each day of the week. Our goal is to find new trading and investing ideas for our readers. Some of the daily analyst reports cover stocks to buy, while others cover stocks to sell or to avoid.

Additional commentary and trading data have been added on some of the daily analyst reports. The consensus analyst price targets and other valuation metrics are from the Refinitiv (Thomson Reuters) sell-side research service.

These are the top analyst upgrades, downgrades and initiations seen on Wednesday, April 3, 2019.

Advanced Micro Devices Inc. (NASDAQ: AMD) was started with a Buy rating at Nomura/Instinet, which noted that AMD’s high revenue growth and profit growth justify an elevated earnings multiple and the company may have upside to the estimates ahead. Shares closed up 1.5% at $26.75 and have a 52-week range of $9.04 to $34.14 and a consensus price target of $24.86.

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Alcoa Corp. (NYSE: AA) was downgraded to Neutral from Buy at Merrill Lynch.

Benefitfocus Inc. (NASDAQ: BNFT) was started as Overweight with a $60 target price at Cantor Fitzgerald. Shares closed down 2.8% at $45.95, in a 52-week range of $22.88 to $60.66. The consensus price target is $56.56.

Caterpillar Inc. (NYSE: CAT) was downgraded to Hold from Buy with a $128 price target at Deutsche Bank. The firm noted that its biggest risk is if the backlog turns negative, which it sees as likely within the next quarter. Shares closed at $140.19, in a 52-week range of $112.06 to $161.60. The consensus price target is $143.95.

CommScope Holding Co. Inc. (NASDAQ: COMM) was raised to Strong Buy from Outperform and the target price was set at $32 (versus a $22.83 prior close) at Raymond James. This is just after a rival analyst call from Credit Suisse forecast 50% upside based on the CommScope/Arris merger opportunities. The stock has a 52-week range of $15.09 to $41.60 and a consensus price target of $26.88.

CSX Corp. (NYSE: CSX) was downgraded to Neutral from Positive at Susquehanna.

Dunkin’ Brands Group Inc. (NASDAQ: DNKN) was downgraded to Market Perform from Outperform at BMO Capital Markets.

Electronic Arts Inc. (NASDAQ: EA) was reiterated as Overweight and the price target was raised to $114 from $111 (versus a $100.84 close) at Piper Jaffray, with the firm talking up the success and popularity of Apex Legends, which was recently released.

Enterprise Products Partners L.P. (NYSE: EPD) was raised to Buy from Neutral and the target price was raised to $32 from $30 at Goldman Sachs. Shares closed up 0.4% at $29.47. The 52-week range is $23.33 to $30.05, and the consensus price target is $33.41.

Grubhub Inc. (NYSE: GRUB) was started with a Buy rating and assigned a $95 price target at BTIG, sending shares north by 2% to $72.00 in early trading indications on Wednesday.

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Incyte Corp. (NASDAQ: INCY) was downgraded to Sector Perform from Outperform at RBC Capital Markets.

Intel Corp. (NASDAQ: INTC) was started with a Buy rating and assigned a $65 price target at Nomura/Instinet, which noted that Intel is dominating in its higher growth markets and that it has the ability grow its earnings per share faster than it may grow revenues. Intel closed down 0.3% at $54.36 and has a 52-week range of $42.36 to $57.60. The consensus price target is $53.32.

Intelsat S.A. (NYSE: I) was raised to Overweight from Neutral with a $27 price target at JPMorgan.

Nvidia Corp. (NASDAQ: NVDA) was started as Neutral and assigned a $147 price target at Nomura/Instinet. Shares closed up 0.4% at $183.00, in a 52-week range of $124.46 to $292.76 and with a consensus price target of $186.38.

Raytheon Co. (NYSE: RTN) was downgraded to Neutral from Buy and the price target was lowered to $200 from $220 at UBS. Shares closed up 0.6% at $185.81. The consensus price target is $205.76, and the 52-week trading range is $144.27 to $229.75.

Spirit Aerosystems Holdings Inc. (NYSE: SPR) was downgraded to Market Perform from Outperform at Cowen, with the firm citing exposure to the 737 MAX orders.

Square Inc. (NYSE: SQ) was started as Market Perform and assigned an $80 price target at Bernstein. It closed down 0.9% at $75.60, and it has a 52-week range of $43.72 to $101.15 and a consensus price target of $82.94.

Suncor Energy Inc. (NYSE: SU) was downgraded to In Line from Outperform at Evercore ISI.

Urban Outfitters Inc. (NASDAQ: URBN) was raised to Buy from Neutral and the $30 price target was raised to $36 at D.A. Davidson.

Verastem Inc. (NASDAQ: VSTM) was started as Overweight and assigned a $5 price target (versus a $3.03 close) at Cantor Fitzgerald.

Walgreens Boots Alliance Inc. (NASDAQ: WBA) was downgraded to Hold from Buy and the price target was lowered to $60 from $77 at Loop Capital. That was on the heels of the 12.8% share price drop after earnings and guidance disappointed investors so much that it hit a 52-week low on Tuesday’s news reaction. The stock now has a 52-week range of $55.00 to $86.31, and the consensus price target was last seen at $74.09.

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Stifel is rather positive on three top semiconductor stocks.

Merrill Lynch has released its technical analysis on its Top 10 List stocks, and four of the stocks were shown to have the most positive fundamental and technical outlooks at this time.

Tuesday’s top analyst calls were in shares of Alcoa, Broadcom, Dow, Lyft, Netflix, Roku, Walt Disney, Wingstop, Xilinx and many more.
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Urban Outfitters Inc. (NASDAQ: URBN) is scheduled to release its fiscal fourth-quarter financial results after the markets close on Tuesday. The consensus estimates call for $0.79 in earnings per share (EPS) and $1.14 billion in revenue. The same period of last year reportedly had $0.62 in EPS and $1.09 billion in revenue.

In February, net sales for the three months ended January 31, 2019, increased 3.7% year over year to a record $1.13 billion. Comparable Retail segment net sales increased 3.0%, driven by double-digit growth in the digital channel, partially offset by negative retail store sales. By brand, comparable Retail segment net sales increased 4% at Free People, 4% at Urban Outfitters and 2% at the Anthropologie Group. Wholesale segment net sales increased 3%.

For the year, total net sales increased to $4.0 billion, or 9.3% over the prior year. Comparable Retail segment net sales increased 8.0%, driven by double-digit growth in the digital channel and positive retail store sales. Wholesale segment net sales increased 10%.

CEO Richard A. Hayne commented:

I’m pleased to report record fourth quarter revenues and the sixth consecutive quarter all brands delivered positive Retail segment ‘comps’. Positive ‘comps’ were driven by double-digit growth in digital channel revenues.

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Excluding Tuesday’s move, Urban Outfitters had underperformed the broad markets, with its stock down about 9% year to date. In the past 52 weeks, the stock was down 14%.

A few analysts weighed in on Urban Outfitters ahead of the report:

• B. Riley has a Buy rating with a $40 price target.
• Deutsche Bank has a Hold rating with a $33 price target.
• Telsey Advisory Group’s Market Perform rating comes with a $35 target.
• Jefferies has a Buy rating with a $58 price target.
• Wolfe Research has an Outperform rating and a $42 target.
• Morgan Stanley has an Overweight rating.

Shares of Urban Outfitters were last seen up about 1% at $30.61 on Tuesday, in a 52-week range of $29.84 to $52.50. The consensus price target is $39.38.

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The broad markets ended the past week on a positive note, with the S&P 500 closing over 2,800 and the Dow Jones industrial average hitting over 26,000. The week saw some incredible gains and losses as a result of earnings, and there are still more big companies reporting this week.

24/7 Wall St. has reviewed some of the key companies reporting this week. We have included the consensus earnings estimates from Refinitiv (Thomson Reuters) and the stock price and trading history, as well as some additional color on each.

Be advised that the earnings and revenue estimates may change ahead of the formal reports, and some companies change earnings dates as well.

Kohl’s Corp. (NYSE: KSS) is expected to report its fiscal fourth-quarter results early Tuesday. The consensus estimates are $2.18 in earnings per share (EPS) on revenue of $6.58 billion. Shares were last seen changing hands at $68.10. The consensus price target is $73.75, and the 52-week trading range is $57.89 to $83.28.

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Target Corp. (NYSE: TGT) is expected to report its most recent quarterly results Tuesday morning. The consensus analyst estimates call for $1.52 in EPS and revenue of $23.05 billion. Shares traded at $72.94 on Friday’s close. The consensus price target is $82.12, and the 52-week trading range is $60.15 to $90.39.

Ambarella Inc. (NASDAQ: AMBA) is scheduled to report its fiscal fourth-quarter results after trading closes on Tuesday. The consensus estimates call for EPS of $0.04 and $51.08 million in revenue. Shares were changing hands at $40.02 on Friday’s close. The consensus price target is $44.56, and the 52-week trading range is $30.00 to $55.50.

Urban Outfitters Inc. (NASDAQ: URBN) also is set to report its fiscal fourth-quarter results after the closing bell on Tuesday. The consensus estimates are $0.79 in EPS and $1.14 billion in revenue. Shares closed trading at $31.13 apiece on Friday. The consensus price target is $39.69, and the stock has a 52-week range of $29.84 to $52.50.

Abercrombie & Fitch Co. (NYSE: ANF) is scheduled to report its fiscal fourth-quarter results first thing Wednesday morning. The consensus estimates call for EPS of $1.15 and $1.13 billion in revenue. Shares closed at $22.40 on Friday. The consensus price target is $20.38, and the 52-week trading range is $15.28 to $29.69.

Dollar Tree Inc. (NASDAQ: DLTR) fiscal fourth-quarter report is scheduled for Wednesday before the opening bell. The consensus forecast calls for $1.92 in EPS on $6.19 billion in revenue. Shares ended the week trading at $96.36 apiece. The consensus price target is $102.38, and the 52-week trading range is $78.78 to $105.59.

Kroger Co. (NYSE: KR) will report its fiscal fourth-quarter results early on Thursday. Overall, analysts expect to see $0.52 in EPS, as well as $28.38 billion in revenue. Shares were last seen at $28.02. The consensus price target is $30.57. The stock has a 52-week trading range of $22.85 to $32.74.

Costco Wholesale Corp. (NASDAQ: COST) fiscal first-quarter report is due Thursday after the close. The consensus forecast calls for $1.69 in EPS on $35.68 billion in revenue. The stock ended the week at $219.44 a share. The consensus price target is $236.61, and the 52-week trading range is $180.83 to $245.16.

El Pollo Loco Holdings Inc. (NASDAQ: LOCO) is expected to share its fourth-quarter results late Thursday. The consensus estimates are $0.14 in EPS on revenue of $104.4 million. Shares were changing hands at $15.23 on Friday’s close. The consensus price target is $18.00, and the 52-week trading range is $9.20 to $18.47.

Look for Marvell Technology Group Ltd. (NASDAQ: MRVL) to release its most recent quarterly results late on Thursday as well. The consensus forecast calls for $0.25 in EPS and $740.31 million in revenue for the fourth quarter. Shares closed most recently at $20.03. The consensus price target is $22.93, and shares have traded between $14.34 and $25.18 in the past 52 weeks.

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Stocks were indicated to open marginally higher on Wednesday, and now the Dow Jones industrial average is already up over 1,000 points from its lows just last week. Investors are still recovering from major selling and volatility at the end of 2018 and start of 2019, but the prior trend of buying every dip just has not been working for some time now. Investors should be rethinking and considering how they want their investments and assets positioned for 2019.

24/7 Wall St. reviews dozens of analyst research reports each day of the week in an effort to find new ideas for investors and traders alike. Some of these analyst reports cover stocks to buy, while some cover stocks to sell or to avoid.

Additional commentary has been added on most of the daily analyst reports, along with trading history. The consensus analyst price targets and other valuation metrics are from the Thomson Reuters sell-side research service.

These are the top analyst upgrades, downgrades and initiations seen on Wednesday, January 9, 2019.

Adobe Inc. (NASDAQ: ADBE) was started with a Neutral rating at Atlantic Equities. Shares most recently closed at $232.68, with a consensus price target of $290.04. The 52-week trading range is $179.34 to $277.61.

[nativounit]

Akamai Technologies Inc. (NASDAQ: AKAM) was raised to Overweight from Sector Weight with a $73 price target (versus a $62.45 prior close) at KeyBanc Capital Markets.

Autodesk Inc. (NASDAQ: ADSK) was started as Overweight and assigned a $180 price target (versus a $133.87 close) at Atlantic Equities.

Bank of America Corp. (NYSE: BAC) was raised to Buy from Neutral with a $32 target price (versus a $25.51 close) at UBS. The 52-week trading range is $22.66 to $33.05, and the consensus target price is $33.87.

Booking Holdings Inc. (NASDAQ: BKNG) was downgraded to Equal Weight at Morgan Stanley. Shares closed at $1,686.92, in a 52-week range of $1606.27 to $2228.99. The consensus price target is $2224.70.

Callaway Golf Co. (NYSE: ELY) was started with an Equal Weight rating and assigned a $17 price target (versus a $16.36 close) at Stephens.

Canopy Growth Corp. (NYSE: CGC) was started as Overweight with a $40 target price (versus a $29.64 close) at Piper Jaffray.

CIT Group Inc. (NYSE: CIT) was raised to Buy from Neutral at UBS. Shares closed at $41.19, with a consensus price target of $54.15. The stock has a 52-week trading range of $35.50 to $56.14.

Cleveland-Cliffs Inc. (NYSE: CLF) was started as Market Perform at Cowen. Shares closed at $8.56, in a 52-week range of $6.30 to $13.10. The consensus price target is $12.56.

Colgate-Palmolive Co. (NYSE: CL) was raised to Buy from Neutral at Goldman Sachs. Shares closed at $60.55, with a consensus analyst target of $62.83. The 52-week trading range is $57.41 to $77.91.

Deere & Co. (NYSE: DE) was reiterated as Buy and the price target was raised to $170 from $166 (versus a $156.92 close) at Argus, with the independent research firm seeing continued earnings power in the quarters ahead.

Expedia Group Inc. (NASDAQ: EXPE) was downgraded to Equal Weight from Overweight at Morgan Stanley. Shares closed at $116.97, in a 52-week range of $98.52 to $139.77. The stock has a consensus price target of $147.00.

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Facebook Inc. (NASDAQ: FB) was reiterated as Buy with a $206 price target (versus a $142.53 close) at Argus. Despite slower revenue growth expected, Argus noted that the positives for Facebook are Instagram, Facebook Messenger and WhatsApp all having reached a critical mass of users that can continue to be monetized.

Freeport-McMoRan Inc. (NYSE: FCX) was started with a Neutral rating and assigned a $12 price target (versus an $11.20 close) at Credit Suisse. It had a $15.76 consensus target price prior to the call.

HSBC Holdings PLC (NYSE: HSBC) was downgraded to Underweight from Equal Weight at Barclays.

Mastercard Inc. (NYSE: MA) was raised to Buy from Neutral and the target price was raised to $225 from $205 at UBS.

M&T Bank Corp. (NYSE: MTB) was raised to Neutral from Sell at UBS.

Nike Inc. (NYSE: NKE) was raised to Buy from Hold at HSBC, but Robert W. Baird downgraded it to Neutral from Outperform.

Noble Energy Inc. (NYSE: NBL) was raised to Overweight from Equal Weight but the price target was lowered to $33 from $37 at Morgan Stanley.

Targa Resources Corp. (NYSE: TRGP) was raised to Outperform from Neutral at Credit Suisse. Shares recently closed at $42.70, with a consensus price target of $59.77. The stock has a 52-week trading range of $33.55 to $59.21.

Tilray Inc. (NASDAQ: TLRY) was started as Overweight and assigned a $90 target price (versus an $83.26 close, after almost a 16% gain) at Piper Jaffray.

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Travelers Companies Inc. (NYSE: TRV) was raised to Overweight from Equal Weight and the target price was raised to $145 from $135 at Barclays. Shares closed at $117.84, in a 52-week range of $111.08 to $150.55. The consensus price target is $136.06.

United Continental Holdings Inc. (NYSE: UAL) was downgraded to Underperform from In-Line at Imperial Capital. Shares closed at $82.38, with a consensus price target of $105.59. The stock has a 52-week trading range of $60.44 to $97.85.

Urban Outfitters Inc. (NASDAQ: URBN) was raised to Overweight from Equal Weight at Morgan Stanley. Shares closed at $32.74, in a 52-week range of $31.20 to $52.50. The consensus price target is $45.53.

Wendy’s Co. (NASDAQ: WEN) was downgraded to Neutral from Outperform and the price target was lowered to $17.50 from $20 (versus a $16.31 close) at Wedbush Securities.

RBC has posted its top energy picks for 2019.

Tuesday’s top analyst calls included Baidu, Chipotle Mexican Grill, First Solar, Honeywell, JPMorgan, Maxar, Nokia, Nvidia, PG&A, SunPower, Xilinx and many more.

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Stocks managed to recover all of Thursday’s big losses on Friday, and then some, and the major equity market indexes were signaling a slight positive open on Monday. Investors are still recovering from major selling and volatility, but the longstanding trend of buying every dip just has not been working for some time now. Investors should be rethinking and considering how they want their investments and assets positioned for 2019.

24/7 Wall St. reviews dozens of analyst research reports each day of the week in an effort to find new ideas for investors and traders alike. Some of these analyst reports cover stocks to buy, while some cover stocks to sell or to avoid.

Additional commentary has been added on most of the daily analyst reports, along with trading history. The consensus analyst price targets and other valuation metrics are from the Thomson Reuters sell-side research service.

These are the top analyst upgrades, downgrades and initiations seen on Monday, January 7, 2019.

Adobe Inc. (NASDAQ: ADBE) was raised to Buy from Hold with a $262 price target (versus a $226.19 prior close) at Pivotal Research.

[nativounit]

Advance Auto Parts Inc. (NYSE: AAP) was raised to Overweight from Equal Weight with a $205 target price (versus a $158.81 close) at Barclays.

Alphabet Inc. (NASDAQ: GOOGL) was raised to Buy from Hold and the target price was raised to $1,240 from $1,000 (versus a $1,078.07 close) at Pivotal Research. The parent of Google closed up 5% on Friday and was shown with a flat indication on Monday. Its consensus target price was about $1,350 coming into this call.

Altria Group Inc. (NYSE: MO) was downgraded at Cowen to Market Perform on Monday in a sector call, along with British American Tobacco and Imperial Brands. The firm noted that industry volumes should drop by 8% per year from 2018 to 2025, a faster drop than price hikes will be able to keep up with.

Arista Networks Inc. (NASDAQ: ANET) was raised to Overweight from Equal Weight with a $250 price target (versus a $206.50 close) at Morgan Stanley.

Big Lots Inc. (NYSE: BIG) was downgraded to Equal Weight from Overweight and the target price was lowered to $33 from $43 (versus a $30.09 close) at Morgan Stanley. The stock has a 52-week trading range of $26.21 to $64.42.

Constellation Brands Inc. (NYSE: STZ) was raised to Neutral from Negative with a $174 price target (versus a $166.62 close) at Susquehanna.

Dollar General Corp. (NYSE: DG) was raised to Overweight from Sector Weight with a $125 target price (versus a $108.77 close) at KeyBanc Capital Markets.

Epizyme Inc. (NASDAQ: EPZM) was raised to Outperform from Market Perform with a $12 price target (versus a $7.94 close) at Leerink. This was on the heels of a nearly 33% gain on Friday after the company announced the registration path for Tazemetostat for follicular lymphoma and also gave a pipeline update along with 2019 guidance.

Five Below Inc. (NASDAQ: FIVE) was raised to Overweight from Equal Weight with a $118 price target (versus a $107.97 close) at Morgan Stanley.

Hyatt Hotels Corp. (NYSE: H) was downgraded to Neutral from Buy at Merrill Lynch.

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Lennar Corp. (NYSE: LEN) was raised to Overweight from Sector Weight with a $50 price target at KeyBanc Capital Markets.

Owens-Illinois Inc. (NYSE: OI) was downgraded to Neutral from Buy at Barclays.

PNC Financial Services Group Inc. (NYSE: PNC) was downgraded to Neutral from Buy and the price target was lowered to $144 from $154 (versus a $121.23 close) at Goldman Sachs.

PulteGroup Inc. (NYSE: PHM) was raised to Overweight from Sector Weight with a $32 target price (versus a $27.20 close) at KeyBanc Capital Markets.

PVH Corp. (NYSE: PVH) was raised to Buy from Neutral but the target price was lowered to $145 from $170 (versus a $93.87 close) at UBS.

Salesforce.com Inc. (NYSE: CRM) was raised to Buy from Hold with a $164 price target at Pivotal Research. The stock was also added to the Best Ideas List at Wedbush Securities. Shares of Salesforce.com previously closed up almost 6% at $137.96, and they were indicated up another 2% at $140.70 on Monday, in a 52-week trading range of $102.37 to $161.19 and with a prior consensus target price of $171.78.

Skyworks Solutions Inc. (NASDAQ: SWKS) was downgraded to Perform from Outperform at Oppenheimer.

Silgan Holdings Inc. (NASDAQ: SLGN) was raised to Buy from Neutral with a $27 target price (versus a $23.66 close) at Citigroup.

Snap Inc. (NYSE: SNAP) was downgraded to Hold from Buy and the target price was lowered to $6 from $8 at Pivotal Research. Snap closed up 4.7% at $5.95 on Friday but was indicated down about 1% on Monday. Its 52-week range is $4.82 to $21.22.

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Spotify Technologies S.A. (NYSE: SPOT) was downgraded to Neutral from Buy at Guggenheim. Spotify closed up 8.7% at $118.51 on Friday but was indicated down about 1% on Monday, in a 52-week range of $103.29 to $198.99.

Trustmark Corp. (NASDAQ: TRMK) was downgraded to Underperform from Market Perform at Raymond James.

Urban Outfitters Inc. (NASDAQ: URBN) was raised to Hold from Sell with a $35 price target (versus a $31.68 close) at Deutsche Bank.

See also six health care picks are set to scream higher in 2019 and five stocks under $10 that have big analyst upside calls for 2019.

Friday’s top analyst upgrades and downgrades included Bed Bath & Beyond, CBOE, eBay, Etsy, Intel, Netflix, Nokia, Snap, UTC, Vonage and many more companies.

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Thanksgiving is upon us, and that means a shortened trading week. Although markets will be open on Black Friday, it is usually a very light trading day as most investors and traders will take the day off because they are stuffed with turkey. Also, Wednesday is usually a light day, as many are traveling or taking off early for Thanksgiving.

24/7 Wall St. has put together a preview of the earnings reports that are coming out this week. Even though it is a light trading week — implying earnings reports will be light as well — there will still be at least a few major companies reporting.

Here, we have included the consensus earnings estimates from Thomson Reuters, as well as the stock price and trading history.

Be advised that the earnings and revenue estimates may change ahead of the formal reports, and that some companies may change reporting dates as well.

[nativounit]

L Brands Inc. (NYSE: LB) is set to report its most recent quarterly results on Monday. Analysts are looking for $0.15 in earnings per share (EPS) and $2.7 billion in revenue. Shares closed last week at $35.28, with a consensus price target of $35.58 and a 52-week trading range of $25.89 to $63.10.

Urban Outfitters Inc. (NASDAQ: URBN) is expected to report its third-quarter results on Monday as well. The consensus forecast sees EPS of $0.63 on $969.05 million in revenue. Shares were changing hands at $37.04 as last week came to a close. The consensus price target is $49.37, and the stock has a 52-week range of $26.82 to $52.50.

On Tuesday, Autodesk Inc. (NASDAQ: ADSK) is scheduled to reveal its fiscal third-quarter results. The consensus estimates are $0.27 in EPS and $640.79 million in revenue. Shares were trading at $134.04 as the week ended. The consensus price target is $166.45. The 52-week trading range is $101.55 to $159.94.

Best Buy Co. Inc. (NYSE: BBY) will share its latest quarterly earnings on Tuesday. The consensus estimates call for $0.85 in EPS and $9.56 billion in revenue. Shares ended last week at $66.43, in a 52-week range of $54.34 to $84.37. The consensus analyst target is $78.22.

Campbell Soup Co. (NYSE: CPB) also is expected to report its most recent quarterly results on Tuesday. The consensus analyst estimates are $0.71 in EPS and revenue of $2.64 billion. Shares of Campbell Soup were at $38.65 on Friday’s close. The consensus price target is $36.40, and the 52-week trading range is $32.63 to $51.07.

Kohl’s Corp. (NYSE: KSS) is expected to report its third-quarter results on Tuesday. The consensus forecast sees EPS of $0.96 on $4.36 billion in revenue. Shares were changing hands at $72.49 as last week came to a close. The consensus price target is $82.61, and the stock has a 52-week range of $42.81 to $83.28.

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Lowe’s Companies Inc. (NYSE: LOW) is scheduled to reveal its third-quarter results on Tuesday as well. The consensus estimates are $0.98 in EPS and $17.34 billion in revenue. Shares were trading at $93.25 as the week’s trading ended. The consensus price target is $118.07. The 52-week range is $79.11 to $117.70.

Target Corp. (NYSE: TGT) will share its latest quarterly earnings early on Tuesday. The consensus estimates call for $1.12 in EPS and $17.8 billion in revenue. Shares ended last week at $79.68, in a 52-week range of $55.25 to $90.39. The consensus analyst target is $90.01.

And Deere & Co. (NYSE: DE) also is scheduled to report its fiscal fourth-quarter results on Wednesday. The consensus forecast is EPS of $2.45 on $8.58 billion in revenue. Shares were changing hands at $147.87 as last week came to a close. The consensus price target is $173.28, and the stock has a 52-week range of $128.32 to $175.26.

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Stocks were looking to open lower on Thursday after a sharp sell-off on Wednesday took the Dow Jones industrials down 831 points and the S&P 500 down almost 95 points. That said, S&P and Dow futures bounced handily as inflation pressure in the Consumer Price Index came in softer than expectations. While the markets are still near all-time highs, investors have seen lower upside from buying immediately after the big market pullbacks in 2018 than in prior years. Now the investing community has to consider how to position their investments for the rest of the year and into 2019.

24/7 Wall St. reviews dozens of analyst research reports each day of the week to find new ideas for investors and traders alike. Some analyst reports cover stocks to buy, but some reports cover stocks to sell or to avoid.

Additional commentary has been added on most of the daily analyst reports, along with trading history. The consensus analyst price targets and other valuation metrics are from the Thomson Reuters sell-side research service.

These are the top analyst upgrades, downgrades and initiations seen on Thursday, October 11, 2018.

Abercrombie & Fitch Co. (NYSE: ANF) was maintained as Neutral but the price target was cut down to $17 from $25 (versus a $19.03 prior close) at Wedbush Securities. Abercrombie has a 52-week trading range of $11.62 to $29.69 and it had a consensus target price of $22.83.

[nativounit]

Ashford Inc. (NYSE: AINC) was raised to Buy from Neutral but the price target was lowered down to $91 from $95 (versus a $73.15 close, after a 2.6% drop) at B. Riley.

BlackRock Inc. (NYSE: BLK) was maintained as Buy but the target price was lowered to $550 from $559 (versus a $426.76 close) at Deutsche Bank.

Celestica Inc. (NYSE: CLS) was raised to Outperform from Neutral Macquarie, a day after it rose 0.6% to $10.03 despite a big market sell-off. Also, Argus reiterated the stock as Hold, calling it a niche acquisition positive as of now.

CME Group Inc. (NYSE: CME) was reiterated as Buy and the target price was raised to $192 from $185 (versus a $180.25 close) at Deutsche Bank.

Costco Wholesale Corp. (NASDAQ: COST) was reiterated as Buy with a target price of $255 (versus a $221.05 close) at Argus, with the independent research firm talking up Costco’s financial strength and ability to deliver extreme values. Shares were indicated up 0.8% at $223.00 on Thursday after releasing strong monthly same-store sales. Costco has a consensus target price of $241.58, and its 52-week trading range is $156.36 to $245.16.

DowDuPont Inc. (NYSE: DWDP) was maintained as Buy but the target price was lowered to $74 from $79 (versus a $59.32 close, after a 2.5% drop) at Citigroup. DowDuPont was indicated down 1.1% at $58.66 on Thursday, and it has a post-split range of $59.01 to $77.08.

Edison International (NYSE: EIX) was downgraded to Neutral from Buy at Merrill Lynch, but the firm raised its price objective to $75 from $72 (versus a $70.08 close).

Esterline Technologies Corp. (NYSE: ESL) was up 30% after news that Transdigm is acquiring it. Credit Suisse raised its rating to Neutral from Underperform.

Gap Inc. (NYSE: GPS) was maintained as Neutral but the price target was cut to $25 from $32 (versus a $27.03 close) at Wedbush. The consensus target price is $32.95.

GoDaddy Inc. (NYSE: GDDY) was raised to Buy from Neutral at Citigroup. The stock closed down 6.5% at $70.79 on Wednesday during the sell-off, and its consensus price target was last seen at $83.87.

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HCA Healthcare Inc. (NYSE: HCA) was maintained as Buy and the price target was raised to $156 from $136 (versus a $135.09 close, after a 3.2% drop) at Citigroup.

Herbalife Nutrition Ltd. (NYSE: HLF) was started with a Buy rating and assigned a $65 price target (versus a $50.99 close) at Jefferies.

Invesco Ltd. (NYSE: IVZ) was maintained as Buy and the target price was cut to $27 from $30 (versus a $21.14 close, after a 3% drop) at Deutsche Bank.

Legg Mason Inc. (NYSE: LM) was still kept as a Buy rating but its price target was lowered to $38 from $40 (versus a $29.67 close) at Deutsche Bank.

Merck & Co. Inc. (NYSE: MRK) was reiterated as Outperform at Credit Suisse, and the firm raised its target price to $81 from $71 (versus $70.45 close, after a 2.6% drop) based on Keytruda and because of multiple options that can drive further upside. The consensus target price is $75.16.

Nasdaq Inc. (NASDAQ: NDAQ) was maintained as Buy but the exchange’s price target was lowered to $97 from $103 (versus an $81.97 close, after a 2.95% drop) at Deutsche Bank.

Nightstar Therapeutics PLC (NASDAQ: NITE) was started with an Overweight rating and assigned a $36 price target (versus a $15.03 closing price) at Cantor Fitzgerald. Its consensus target price is $34.50.

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PayPal Holdings Inc. (NASDAQ: PYPL) was maintained as Buy at Nomura/Instinet, which lowered the target price to $103 from $120. PayPal closed down 5.7% at $75.45 on Wednesday, with a consensus target price of $98.56 and in a 52-week trading range of $66.16 to $93.70.

Sempra Energy (NYSE: SRE) was raised to Buy from Neutral and the price objective was raised to $126 from $120 (versus a $115.46 close) at Merrill Lynch.

Urban Outfitters Inc. (NASDAQ: URBN) was maintained as Neutral but the price target was cut to $35 from $50 at Wedbush. Urban Outfitters closed down 2.3% at $38.95 on Wednesday, and it has a consensus target price of $50.33. The 52-week trading range is $21.76 to $52.50.

U.S. Silica Holdings Inc. (NYSE: SLCA) was downgraded to Underweight from Equal Weight at Morgan Stanley.

Due to the market bias changing over the past week and after Wednesday’s big sell-off, 24/7 Wall St. has issued 10 crucial lessons (and warnings) for value stock investors in a down market.

Also, a poll has been generated to predict how high the S&P 500 can rise (or say if it has peaked) before the next bear market.

Wednesday’s top analyst calls included Agilent Technologies, Alibaba, CRISPR Therapeutics, Iridium Communications, McDonald’s, Myriad Genetics, Shake Shack, Take-Two Interactive Software and many more. And Tuesday’s top analyst calls were in Apple, Baker Hughes, Blackbaud, Box, CSX, Intuit, Mylan, Tesla, Vodafone, Walmart and many more.

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Stocks were marginally higher on Wednesday after profit taking on Tuesday. The markets are expecting a Federal Open Market Committee (FOMC) rate hike on Wednesday afternoon, and the odds are still high for another interest rate hike as soon as the December FOMC meeting. Many investors also have seen lower upside from buying on market pullbacks than in prior years. Now the investing community has to consider how to have investments positioned for the rest of 2018 and as 2019 approaches.

24/7 Wall St. reviews dozens of analyst research reports each day of the week to find new ideas for investors and traders alike. Some analyst reports cover stocks to buy, but some cover stocks to sell or to avoid.

Additional commentary has been added on most of the daily analyst reports, along with trading history. The consensus analyst price targets and other valuation metrics are from the Thomson Reuters sell-side research service.

These are the top analyst upgrades, downgrades and initiations seen on Wednesday, September 26, 2018.

Cheniere Energy Inc. (NYSE: LNG) was raised to Overweight from Equal Weight at Morgan Stanley. The stock was up 0.9% at $68.54 a share on Tuesday but was indicated up 2% at $70.00 on Wednesday.

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Comcast Corp. (NASDAQ: CMCSA) was reiterated as Overweight and the price target was raised to $43 from $38 at KeyBanc Capital Markets. Comcast closed down 0.6% at $35.40, and it is down from $37.90 before it won the overseas bidding for Sky.

ConocoPhillips (NYSE: COP) was reiterated as Overweight and the target price was raised to $85 from $84 at Morgan Stanley. ConocoPhillips closed up 1.3% at $78.11 on Tuesday but was indicated down 0.5% at $77.69 on Wednesday. The consensus target price is $81.74, and the 52-week range is $48.70 to $78.61.

DowDuPont Inc. (NYSE: DWDP) was downgraded to Neutral from Buy and the target was lowered to $76 from $81 at Nomura/Instinet. DowDuPont closed down 0.37% at $67.95 on Tuesday and was indicated down another 0.8% at $67.40. The consensus analyst target was $81.82 ahead of this call.

Ford Motor Co. (NYSE: F) was maintained as Equal Weight at Barclays, but the firm lowered its target price to $11 from $12 in the call. The stock was down 2.1% at $9.39 on Tuesday, in a 52-week range of $9.22 to $13.48 and with a prior consensus target price of $10.84.

GoPro Inc. (NASDAQ: GPRO) was surging on an Oppenheimer upgrade to Outperform from Perform with a $9 price target. That target was 36% above the prior closing price of $6.62, and its shares were indicated up 5%. It feels like this was the first real analyst upgrade in quite some time. The report talked up the new lineup of Hero wearable cameras having image stabilization and live streaming capabilities. GoPro had a $6.09 consensus target price and a 52-week range of $4.42 to $11.89.

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JPMorgan Chase & Co. (NYSE: JPM) was reiterated as Neutral but the price target was raised to $125 from $115 at Citigroup. JPMorgan shares were down 0.3% at $116.39 on Tuesday, and the consensus target price is $121.02.

KB Home (NYSE: KBH) was raised to Market Outperform from Market Perform at JMP Securities, while Wedbush Securities maintained a Neutral rating but raised its target to $26 from $25. The stock was down 0.9% at $25.29 on Tuesday ahead of earnings, and its shares were indicated up almost 5% at $26.50 on Wednesday. The consensus analyst target was about $29.50 ahead of the report.

Nike Inc. (NYSE: NKE) was up 0.6% at $84.79 on Tuesday ahead of earnings but its shares were down 2.5% at $82.70 on Wednesday after earnings brought some minor margin concerns and likely some profit taking. Deutsche Bank maintained it as Buy but cut its target price to $91 from $92. Citigroup reiterated its Buy rating and raised its target to $94 from $87. Morgan Stanley reiterated its Overweight rating and raised the target from $88 to $103. Macquarie reiterated its Outperform rating on Nike and raised its target to $98 from $87.

Repligen Corp. (NASDAQ: RGEN) was started with a Neutral rating and assigned a $49 price target (versus a $54.38 prior close) at H.C. Wainwright.

Schlumberger Ltd. (NYSE: SLB) was maintained with a Buy rating at Jefferies, but the firm lowered its target price to $75 from $80. The consensus target price is $76.14, and the 52-week range is $59.25 to $80.35. After closing up 1.5% at $62.53 on Tuesday, the shares were down 0.35 at $62.35 on Wednesday.

Seagate Technology PLC (NASDAQ: STX) was maintained as Overweight but the price target was cut to $73 from $78 at Morgan Stanley. Shares closed down 1.3% at $48.49 on Tuesday, and the 52-week range is $32.41 to $62.70.

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TJX Companies Inc. (NYSE: TJX) was started with a Buy rating and assigned a $130 price target at D.A. Davidson.

Urban Outfitters Inc. (NASDAQ: URBN) was started as Neutral and assigned a $400 price target at D.A. Davidson.

Whiting Petroleum Corp. (NYSE: WLL) was reiterated as Overweight and the target price was raised to $68 from $64 at Morgan Stanley. Shares closed up 2.2% at $52.14 the prior day, but they were indicated down 0.8% at $51.70 early on Wednesday.

If you wonder why, even when they have a financial ability, people still are not getting ahead, a fresh survey from the Knowledge Academy tells it all. Only 67% of Americans know what a recession is, despite the fallout from the 2008 financial crisis causing a severe global economic downturn for several years. And the big shock on top of that is that only 16% of Americans have a high level of financial literacy. Seriously?

Tuesday’s top analyst calls were in Barrick Gold, Blackstone, Chesapeake Energy, Dollar Tree, Intel, Qualcomm, Sirius XM, Texas Instruments, Vale and many more.

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When Urban Outfitters Inc. (NASDAQ: URBN) released its fiscal second-quarter financial results after the markets closed on Tuesday, the company said that it had $0.84 in earnings per share (EPS) and $992.5 million in revenue. That compared with consensus estimates of $0.77 in EPS and $979.22 million in revenue, as well as the $0.44 and $872.93 million posted in the same period of last year.

During the latest quarter, comparable retail segment net sales increased 13%, driven by strong, double-digit growth in the digital channel and positive retail store sales. By brand, comparable retail segment net sales increased 17% at Free People, 15% at Urban Outfitters and 11% at the Anthropologie Group. Wholesale segment net sales increased 10%.

In terms of its segments, the company reported as follows:

• Urban Outfitters net sales increased 17.1% year over year to $379.3 million.
• Anthropologie Group net sales increased 10.7% to $401.3 million.
• Free People net sales increased 14.5% to $206.4 million.
• Food and Beverage decreased 15.4% to $5.4 million.

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Separately, the board of directors authorized the repurchase of 20 million common shares under a share repurchase program, of which 17.9 million common shares were remaining as of July 31, 2018.

In the six months ended July 2018, the company opened a total of seven new locations, including three Free People stores, two Urban Outfitters stores and two Anthropologie Group stores. The firm closed two locations, including one Urban Outfitters store and one Anthropologie Group store.

Shares of Urban Outfitters closed Tuesday at $47.74, with a consensus analyst price target of $48.17 and a 52-week range of $19.38 to $49.00. Following the announcement, the stock was up over 5% at $50.40 in early trading indications Wednesday.

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Although the main part of earnings season has come and gone, we reached the point in the earnings season when most big retail companies report, and this has the potential to score some big points and push the markets even higher.

24/7 Wall St. has reviewed some of the key stocks reporting this coming week. We have included the consensus earnings estimates from Thomson Reuters and the stock price and trading history, as well as some additional color on each.

Be advised that the earnings and revenue estimates may change ahead of the formal reports, and some companies change earnings dates as well.

Kohl’s Corp. (NYSE: KSS) will share its latest quarterly results on Tuesday. The consensus estimates call for $1.64 in earnings per share (EPS) and $4.26 billion in revenue. Shares ended last week trading at $76.44, in a 52-week range of $36.50 to $79.92. The consensus analyst target is just $76.35.

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Urban Outfitters Inc. (NASDAQ: URBN) is scheduled to share its quarterly report late on Tuesday. The consensus estimates are $0.77 in EPS on revenue of $979.22 million. Shares were last seen trading at $46.62. The stock has a 52-week range of $18.72 to $49.00, and the consensus price target is $47.56.

Look for Lowe’s Companies Inc. (NYSE: LOW) to report its most recent quarterly results on Wednesday. Analysts expect $2.02 in EPS and $20.79 billion in revenue. The shares were changing hands at $97.98 on Friday’s close. The consensus price target is $108.79. The 52-week range is $70.76 to $108.98.

Target Corp. (NYSE: TGT) is expected to report its most recent quarterly results before regular trading starts on Wednesday too. The consensus estimates are $1.40 in EPS and revenue of $17.29 billion. Shares of Target were trading at $83.04 on Friday’s close. The consensus price target is $79.22, and the 52-week range is $53.90 to $84.14.

Alibaba Group Holding Ltd.’s (NYSE: BABA) fiscal first-quarter report is scheduled for Thursday before the opening bell. The consensus forecast calls for $1.22 in EPS on $11.76 billion in revenue. Shares ended the week trading at $172.78 apiece. The consensus price target is $237.42, and the 52-week range is $164.10 to $211.70.

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The Gap Inc. (NYSE: GPS) fiscal second-quarter report is scheduled for Thursday after the markets close. The consensus forecast is $0.72 in EPS on $4.01 billion in revenue. Shares ended the week trading at $31.28 apiece. The consensus price target is $32.90, and the 52-week range is $21.84 to $35.68.

HP Inc. (NYSE: HPQ) will report its most recent quarterly results Thursday afternoon. The consensus estimates call for EPS of $0.51 and $14.26 billion in revenue for the second quarter. Shares were last seen trading at $24.54, in a 52-week range of $18.36 to $24.75. The consensus price target is $26.00.

Foot Locker Inc. (NYSE: FL) is expected to release its most recent quarterly results early on Friday. The consensus forecast sees a $0.70 in EPS and $1.76 billion in revenue. Shares traded on Friday’s close at $50.70, in a 52-week range of $28.42 to $59.40. The consensus price target is $57.67.

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Retail earnings reporting season is underway, and Walmart Inc. (NYSE: WMT), the largest of them all, shared its better-than-expected quarterly results this morning. While no one expects that retail behemoth to go the way of Toys “R” Us anytime soon, media coverage of the retail sector often suggests that brick-and-mortar store operators are gasping their final breaths.

That may be true of some, perhaps Sears and J.C. Penney, but it is clearly not so for many others. Wall Street expects some of them to be around and going strong for at least the next few years. In fact, analysts see the following companies offering up double-digit percentage growth in earnings per share (EPS) over the next five years, despite weaker growth in the past five years for some of them.

Lowe’s Companies Inc. (NYSE: LOW) is expected to have 16.0% EPS growth over the next five years, though that would be a slowdown from the 19.5% EPS growth over the past five years. Lowe’s is also among companies that could soon see a market cap of more than $100 billion. Shares are up more than 5% year to date, and the company is set to post its fiscal second-quarter results on August 22.

Urban Outfitters Inc. (NASDAQ: URBN) EPS are expected to see a 15.5% gain in the next five years, much better than the 1.0% decline in the past five years. The fashion retailer posted record revenue in the first quarter, but investors were wary. Even so, the share price now is more than 27% higher than at the beginning of the year. The earnings release date is August 21.

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Dollar General Corp. (NYSE: DG) EPS will show a gain of 15.3% in the next five years, if the analysts are correct, while that growth was just 9.5% in the past five years. The discount retailer saw upgrades from both Citigroup and Raymond James this summer. Its shares are trading more than 10% higher year to date. Watch for the Dollar General report on August 30.

Home Depot Inc.’s (NYSE: HD) EPS will grow 15.1% over the next five years, if the forecast is on target. As with rival Lowe’s, that is a deceleration from growth in the past five years. This big-box home improvement store operator already reported its fiscal second-quarter results, offering up record sales and earnings. The stock is trading around 3% higher year to date.

Dollar Tree Inc. (NASDAQ: DLTR) is expected to have 13.6% EPS growth in the next five years, while over the past five years the EPS growth was 12.5%. This discount retailer is a top pick at RBC, and its shares recently were upgraded by Atlantic Equities. The stock is actually more than 12% lower year to date, yet up more than 9% in the past few weeks. The scheduled earnings report date is August 30.

And Nordstrom Inc. (NYSE: JWN) EPS are expected to grow 12.2% in the next five years, a turnaround from the 4.4% decline in the prior five years. However, recent sales projections for the next five years may tell another story. The share price is more than 5% higher than at the beginning of the year. The company is expected to release its second-quarter results later today.

Note that analysts anticipate less than 6% growth of EPS from Walmart in the next five years. However, at Amazon.com Inc. (NASDAQ: AMZN), the juggernaut that often gets blamed for the supposed death of traditional retail, about 46% EPS growth is projected for that same period.

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Stocks were indicated to have a higher open on Tuesday after a Turkey-related sell-off on Monday. Earnings season is now about 85% over, and it has been quite strong with over 70% of the companies exceeding expectations. The market volatility in 2018 has created less rewarding trades by buying the dips, which had been so reliable in prior years. Many investors also are trying to decide how they want their investments positioned ahead of the midterm elections and with international trade concerns.

24/7 Wall St. reviews dozens of analyst research reports each day of the week to find new investing and trading ideas for our readers. Some analyst reports cover stocks to buy and some cover stocks to sell or to avoid.

Additional commentary has been added on most of the daily analyst reports, along with trading history. The consensus analyst price targets and other valuation metrics are from the Thomson Reuters sell-side research service.

These are the top analyst upgrades, downgrades and initiations seen from Tuesday, August 14, 2018:

Alliance Data Systems Corp. (NYSE: ADS) was raised to Overweight from Neutral at JPMorgan. The stock closed at $227.36, has a 52-week range of $192.02 to $278.33 and it has a consensus target price of $269.05.

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Blackstone Group L.P. (NYSE: BX) was maintained as Overweight but the target price was raised to $42 from $40 at Morgan Stanley.

Carlyle Group L.P. (NASDAQ: CG) was maintained as Overweight but the target price was raised to $31 from $30 at Morgan Stanley.

Chubb Ltd. (NYSE: CB) was downgraded to Sell from Hold and the price target was lowered to $126 from $135 (versus a $134.98 prior close) at Deutsche Bank.

Cognizant Technology Solutions Corp. (NASDAQ: CTSH) was downgraded to Neutral from Overweight at JPMorgan.

Eros International PLC (NASDAQ: EROS) was started as Buy and assigned a $16 price target (versus a $13.14 close) at Citigroup.

Dycom Industries Inc. (NYSE: DY) was down 24% at $68.08 on Monday. Canaccord Genuity maintained the stock as Buy but cut its target price to $90 from $125. Wells Fargo maintained its Outperform rating but lowered the price target to $85 from $110.

Emerson Electric Co. was reiterated as Buy but the price target was raised to $83 from $81 (versus a $73.45 close) at Argus.

Equity Residential (NYSE: EQR) was downgraded to Hold from Buy at SunTrust Robinson Humphrey.

Fiserv Inc. (NASDAQ: FISV) was downgraded to Underweight from Neutral at JPMorgan.

HCA Healthcare Inc. (NYSE: HCA) was started with an Overweight rating and assigned a $150 price target at Barclays.

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HudBay Minerals Inc. (NYSE: HBM) was started as Neutral at Merrill Lynch.

Las Vegas Sands Corp. (NYSE: LVS) was started as Neutral and assigned a $72 price target at Credit Suisse.

MGM Resorts International (NYSE: MGM) was started as Neutral and assigned a $31 price target (versus a $29.03 close) at Credit Suisse.

Nielsen Holdings PLC (NYSE: NLSN) was raised to Outperform from Neutral at Macquarie.

Noble Corp. (NYSE: NE) was raised to Hold from Sell at Argus.

Paychex Inc. (NASDAQ: PAYX) was downgraded to Underweight from Neutral at JPMorgan.

Replimune Group Inc. (NASDAQ: REPL) was started with an Outperform rating and assigned a $31 price target at BMO Capital Markets. JPMorgan started it as Outperform and assigned a $26 price target. Shares closed up 1.1% at $17.10 on Monday.

Salesforce.com Inc. (NYSE: CRM) was reiterated as Overweight and the price target was raised to $178 from $153 (versus a $144.45 close) at Morgan Stanley.

Scientific Games Corp. (NASDAQ: SGMS) was started as Underperform and assigned a $31 price target (versus a $31.75 close) at Credit Suisse.

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Urban Outfitters Inc. (NASDAQ: URBN) was downgraded to Neutral from Outperform at Robert W. Baird. The stock closed down 1.8% at $47.40 on Monday, in a 52-week range of $16.68 to $49.00 and with a consensus target price of $47.56.

Wynn Resorts Ltd. (NASDAQ: WYNN) was started as Neutral and assigned a $155 price target at Credit Suisse. Jefferies downgraded it to Hold from Buy.

Yext Inc. (NYSE: YEXT) was started with a Buy rating and assigned a $27 price target (versus a $22.57 close) at SunTrust Robinson Humphrey.

Zoetis Inc. (NYSE: ZTS) was reiterated as Buy and the target price was raised to $103 from $90 at Argus.

Monday’s top analyst upgrades and downgrades included Akamai, Dollar Tree, Hasbro, Intel, Mylan, Netflix, Papa John’s and many more.

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When Urban Outfitters Inc. (NASDAQ: URBN) released its first-quarter earnings report late on Tuesday, the retailer said that it had $0.38 in earnings per share (EPS) and $855.7 million in revenue. The consensus estimates from Thomson Reuters had called for $0.30 in EPS on revenue of $836.23 million. In the same period of last year, it said it had EPS of $0.10 and $761.19 million in revenue.

During the quarter, total net sales increased 12.4% year over year to a new first-quarter record. Comparable retail segment net sales increased 10%, driven by strong, double-digit growth in the digital channel and positive retail store sales.

By brand, comparable Retail segment net sales increased 15% at Free People, 10% at the Anthropologie Group and 8% at Urban Outfitters. Wholesale segment net sales increased 13%.

In terms of its sales, the company reported as follows:

• Urban Outfitters net sales increased 13.3% year over year to $322.68 million.
• Anthropologie Group net sales increased 11.6% to $347.09 million.
• Free People net sales increased 13.7% to $181.31 million

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Urban Outfitters did not offer any guidance for the current quarter, but the consensus estimates call for $0.67 in EPS on $936.76 million in revenue.

CEO Richard A. Hayne commented on the report:

We are pleased to report record first quarter sales driven by a 10% increase in comparable Retail segment sales and a 13% increase in wholesale sales. Even more exciting is our 280% jump in first quarter EPS, a result of strong sales, healthy margin improvement, SG&A leverage and a lower tax rate.

Shares of Urban Outfitters were last seen up about 1% at $41.56, with a consensus analyst price target of $39.23 and a 52-week trading range of $16.19 to $43.58.

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The U.S. broad markets took a small step back this week, as the main part of earnings season has come to a close. Although most companies already have reported earnings, there are a few Dow stocks coming this week and a handful of retailers to look out for.

24/7 Wall St. has put together a preview of some of the top companies reporting their latest results in the coming week. We have included the consensus earnings estimates from Thomson Reuters, as well as the stock price and trading history for these companies ahead of the report.

Be advised that the earnings and revenue estimates may change ahead of the formal reports, and some companies may change reporting dates as well.

AutoZone Inc. (NYSE: AZO) is set to report its most recent quarterly results on Tuesday. Analysts are calling for $13.01 in earnings per share (EPS) and $2.72 billion in revenue. Shares closed the week at $652.64, with a consensus price target of $777.00 and a 52-week trading range of $491.13 to $797.89.

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Hewlett Packard Enterprise Co. (NYSE: HPE) is expected to report its fiscal second-quarter results on Tuesday. The analysts’ consensus forecast is EPS of $0.31 on $7.38 billion in revenue. Shares were changing hands at $17.56 as last week came to a close. The consensus price target is $19.13, and the stock has a 52-week range of $12.70 to $19.48.

Kohl’s Corp. (NYSE: KSS) will share its latest quarterly earnings on Tuesday. The consensus estimates call for $0.50 in EPS and $3.95 billion in revenue. Shares ended last week at $63.67, in a 52-week range of $35.16 to $69.48. The consensus analyst target is $69.76.

Urban Outfitters Inc. (NASDAQ: URBN) is set to release its most recent quarterly results on Tuesday. The consensus forecast calls for $0.30 in EPS and $836.23 million in revenue. Shares traded on Friday’s close at $42.27. The consensus price target is $39.23, and the 52-week range is $16.19 to $43.18.

L Brands Inc. (NYSE: LB) will report its most recent quarterly results on Wednesday. The consensus estimates call for $0.18 in EPS and $2.59 billion in revenue. Shares were last seen trading at $33.74, in a 52-week range of $30.70 to $63.10. The consensus price target is $44.83.

The Lowe’s Companies Inc. (NYSE: LOW) first-quarter report is scheduled for Wednesday. The consensus forecast is for $1.27 in EPS on $17.69 billion in revenue. Shares closed at $86.34 apiece. The consensus price target is $105.38, and the 52-week range is $70.76 to $108.98.

Look for Target Corp. (NYSE: TGT) to release its most recent quarterly report early Wednesday. The consensus forecast calls for $1.38 in EPS on $16.5 billion in revenue. Shares closed at $75.94 on Friday. The consensus target price is $76.12, and shares have changed hands between $48.56 and $78.70 in the past year.

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Autodesk Inc. (NASDAQ: ADSK) is poised to post its most recent quarterly results Thursday. The consensus forecast is $0.03 in EPS and $557.37 million in revenue. Shares closed at $138.85 apiece. The consensus price target is $148.25, and the 52-week range is $99.22 to $141.26.

Best Buy Co. Inc.’s (NYSE: BBY) most recent quarterly release is anticipated early on Thursday. The consensus forecast calls for $0.74 in EPS on $8.73 billion in revenue. Shares ended the week at $78.25. The consensus target price is $75.68, and the 52-week range is $50.29 to $79.90.

Watch for Gap Inc.’s (NYSE: GPS) first-quarter report on Thursday. The consensus forecast is $0.46 in EPS on $3.6 billion in revenue. Shares closed at $31.57. The consensus price target is $34.02, and shares have traded between $28.06 and $31.98 in the past 52 weeks.

And Foot Locker Inc. (NYSE: FL) is expected to release its most recent quarterly report early Friday. The consensus forecast calls for $1.25 in EPS on $1.96 billion in revenue. Shares closed at $43.44 on Friday. The consensus target price is $51.95, and shares have changed hands between $28.42 and $70.45 in the past year.

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Urban Outfitters Inc. (NASDAQ: URBN) shares dipped on Friday after the retailer announced that there would be a change in its executive leadership. The company specified no reasons for this departure.

The firm announced that David McCreight, CEO Anthropologie Group and president, will leave the company on April 27, 2018. He had served in this role since November 2011. And during this time, Anthropologie opened 60 new stores and grew revenue by more than 35%.

Going forward, Hillary Super, Anthropologie Group President, Apparel and Accessories, which includes Beauty and BHLDN, in partnership with Andrew Carnie, Anthropologie Group President, Home, Garden and International, will lead the brand.

Excluding Friday’s move, Urban Outfitters had outperformed the broad markets, with its stock up 71% over the past 52 weeks. In just 2018 alone, the stock is up 10%.

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Richard A. Hayne, co-founder, board chair and chief executive of Urban Outfitters, commented:

We thank David for his six years of service to the Company during which time the Anthropologie group opened 60 stores and grew revenue by over 35%. Both Hillary and Andrew are strong leaders and excellent merchants with a solid understanding of the Anthropologie customer.  Anthropologie Group’s current business is particularly robust, and we are excited about both the near and longer-term opportunities for growth under their leadership.

Shares of Urban Outfitters were last seen down 1% at $38.09, with a consensus analyst price target of $39.02 and a 52-week range of $16.19 to $38.70.

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The markets vacillated back and forth on Thursday, finally ending higher as investors kept an eye on a meeting at the White House with steel and aluminum workers, where the president officially announced trade tariffs but excluded Canada and Mexico. The futures on Friday morning looked higher on the back of a massive jobs report.

With the bull market now nine years old this week, the one trend that has prevailed for more than five years has been for investors to buy all the big pullbacks. Investors also still have to decide how they want to be positioned for the rest of 2018 and beyond.

24/7 Wall St. reviews dozens of analyst research reports each morning to find new trading and investing ideas for its readers. Some analyst calls cover stocks to buy, while others cover stocks to sell or avoid.

Additional color and commentary has also been added on some of these daily analyst calls. The consensus analyst price target data are from the Thomson Reuters sell-side research service.

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These are this Friday’s top analyst upgrades, downgrades and initiations.

Akamai Technologies Inc. (NASDAQ: AKAM) was raised to Overweight from Neutral at JPMorgan. The 52-week trading range is $44.65 to $75.19. The Wall Street consensus price target is $72.05. The stock closed Thursday at $75.08 a share.

CyberArk Software Ltd. (NASDAQ: CYBR) was raised to Buy from Neutral at Merrill Lynch. The 52-week trading range is $39.34 to $55.63, and the consensus price target is set at $54.63. The stock closed Thursday at $50.31 a share.

Finisar Corp. (NASDAQ: FNSR) was downgraded to Hold from Buy at Needham. The 52-week trading range is $16.64 to $29.41. The posted consensus price target is $22.77. The stock closed Thursday at $20.22. Shares traded down over 10% in Friday’s premarket.

Helmerich & Payne Inc. (NYSE: HP) was raised to Positive from Neutral at Susquehanna. The 52-week trading range for the oil services company is $42.16 to $75.02. The consensus price target is posted at $64.33. The stock closed Thursday at $65.02

Kohl’s Corp. (NYSE: KSS) was raised to Outperform from Market Perform at Cowen. The 52-week trading range for the discount retailer is $35.16 to $69.48. The consensus price target is set at $69. The shares closed Thursday at $62.19 apiece.

Telecom Italia SpA (NYSE: TI) was raised to Buy from Neutral at Goldman Sachs. The 52-week trading range for the stock is $7.57 to $10.53. The posted consensus price target is $19.35. The stock closed Thursday at $10.30.

Tiffany & Co. Inc. (NYSE: TIF) was started with a Neutral rating at Loop Capital, along with a $103 target price. That compares with the consensus price objective of $111.18. The 52-week trading range for the luxury jewelry store is $84.15 to $111.48. The stock closed Thursday at $102.09

Urban Outfitters Inc. (NASDAQ: URBN) was started with a Buy rating a Loop Capital, which put a $46 price target on it. The Wall Street consensus target is set at $37.73. The stock has traded in a 52-week range of $16.19 to $38.28. The shares closed Thursday at $35.13.

Williams Partner L.P. (NYSE: WPZ) was raised to Overweight from Neutral at JPMorgan. The 52-week range for the stock is $34.74 to $44.06. The consensus price target was last seen at $46.22. The shares closed the day on Thursday at $36.14.

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Other key analysts upgrades and downgrades were seen in the following.

Air Lease Corp. (NYSE: AL) was raised to Buy from Neutral at Merrill Lynch. The 52-week trading range is $34.42 to $50.70. The posted consensus price target is $54.96. The shares ended the day on Thursday trading at $43.07 apiece.

Carvana Co. (NASDAQ: CVNA) was resumed with a Buy rating at Citigroup and raised to Outperform from Market Perform at Barrington Research. Its 52-week trading range is $8.14 to $24.89. The consensus price target was not available. The stock closed on Thursday at $17.01.

Commercial Metals Co. (NYSE: CMC) is raised to Overweight from Neutral at JPMorgan. The 52-week trading range is $17.05 to $26.72, and the consensus price objective is $26.63. This is one company that should benefit from the steel tariffs.

Insys Therapeutics Inc. (NASDAQ: INSY) was downgraded to Underweight from Neutral at Piper Jaffray. The 52-week trading range is $4.10 to $15.02, and the consensus price objective is $9.80. Shares closed trading on Thursday at $7.67 but were down 11% in premarket action.

Match Group Inc. (NASDAQ: MTCH) was downgraded to Market Perform from Outperform at Wells Fargo. The stock has traded in a 52-week range of $15.42 to $44.50. With the shares closing Thursday at $44.36, this could be a valuation call.

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Mattel Inc. (NYSE: MAT) was downgraded to Underweight from Equal Weight at Barclays. The 52-week trading range for the venerable toy giant is $12.71 to $25.97. The consensus price objective is posted at $16.29. The stock ended the trading day on Thursday at $15.97.

Masimo Corp. (NASDAQ: MASI) was started with an Overweight rating and a $97 price target at Barclays. That compares with the consensus price target of $99.67. The 52-week trading range is $80.69 to $104.71. The stock closed Thursday at $86.49.

REV Group Inc. (NASDAQ: REVG) was downgraded to Market Perform from Outperform at Wells Fargo. The 52-week range for the stock is $23.38 to $33.15. The consensus target price is $43.00, and shares closed Thursday at $23.85, down over 12% on the day.

Veeva Systems Inc. (NASDAQ: VEEV) was downgraded to Neutral from Overweight at JPMorgan. The 52-week trading range is $44.51 to $78.28. The consensus price target is $71.73. With the shares closing Thursday at $77.69, this could be a valuation call.

Thursday’s top analyst calls included American Water Works, Berkshire Hathaway, Booking, CRISPR, Dollar Tree, U.S. Steel, Whiting Petroleum and more.

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Urban Outfitters Inc. (NASDAQ: URBN) released its most recent quarterly results after the markets closed on Tuesday. The firm ultimately came out on top of this most recent report, keeping its strong winning streak alive, and thanks to the help of analysts rushing to its side.

24/7 Wall St. has included some highlights from the earnings report, as well as what analysts said after the fact.

The retailer said that it had $0.69 in earnings per share (EPS) on $1.09 billion in revenue. That compared with consensus estimates of $0.63 in EPS and revenue of $1.08 billion. The same period of last year reportedly had EPS of $0.55 and $1.03 billion in revenue.

During the quarter, comparable Retail segment net sales increased 4%, driven by strong, double-digit growth in the digital channel, partially offset by negative retail store sales. By brand, comparable Retail segment net sales increased 8% at Free People, 5% at the Anthropologie Group and 2% at Urban Outfitters. Wholesale segment net sales increased 6.3%.

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Merrill Lynch reiterated a Buy rating and raised its price objective to $48 from $40. The firm offered its investment rationale:

Urban is one of the most appealing growth stories in specialty retail, in our opinion. Its three proven concepts each have significant room for substantial expansion and its product is differentiated and compelling. A recovery in sales productivity levels at key brands and improving operating margins provide significant near-term earnings growth potential. Longer-term, square footage growth and an increasing penetration of commerce sales should drive earnings higher.

A few other analysts weighed in on the stock as well:

• BMO Capital markets raised its price target to $37 from $28.
• Jefferies raised its price target to $43 from $40.
• JPMorgan raised its price target from $38 to $42.
• KeyBanc Capital Markets has an Overweight rating and raised its target to $45 from $36.
• Morgan Stanley has an Equal Weight rating and raised target to $33 from $28.
• RBC Capital Markets raised its price target from $37 to $40.
• SunTrust Robinson Humphrey raised its target price to $42 from $40.
• Telsey Advisory raised the price target to $39 from $38.

Shares of Urban Outfitters were last seen up about 2% at $37.76 on Wednesday, with a consensus analyst price target of $34.62 and a 52-week range of $16.19 to $38.28.

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When Urban Outfitters Inc. (NASDAQ: URBN) reported its fiscal fourth-quarter financial results late on Tuesday, the retailer said that it had $0.69 in earnings per share (EPS) on $1.09 billion in revenue. That compared with consensus estimates of $0.63 in EPS and revenue of $1.08 billion. The same period of last year reportedly had EPS of $0.55 and $1.03 billion in revenue.

During the quarter, comparable Retail segment net sales increased 4%, driven by strong, double-digit growth in the digital channel, partially offset by negative retail store sales. By brand, comparable Retail segment net sales increased 8% at Free People, 5% at the Anthropologie Group and 2% at Urban Outfitters. Wholesale segment net sales increased 6.3%.

Taking credit this quarter, the deleverage in delivery and logistics expenses was primarily due to increased penetration of the digital channel, increased expedited shipments around the holidays in order to hit guaranteed delivery dates, and penetration of international and furniture shipments. These decreases were partially offset by lower merchandise markdowns as a result of improved sales performance and well-controlled inventory.

In terms of its segments, the firm reported as follows:

• Urban Outfitters had $433.9 million in revenue, up from $413.8 million in the same period of last year.
• Anthropologie Group had $447.2 million in revenue, up from $424.0 million.
• Free People had $201.7 million in revenue, up from $186.3 million last year.

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The company did not issue any guidance. but consensus estimates call for $0.19 in EPS on $796.38 million in revenue for the first quarter.

CEO Richard A. Hayne commented:

I am pleased to announce that URBN produced record Q4 sales primarily driven by positive ‘comps’ at all three brands. We are particularly pleased with how well the brands transitioned in January. Positive customer reaction to the new spring fashion offerings at all our brands has been strong and makes us optimistic regarding the first half of the year.

Shares of Urban Outfitters closed Tuesday at $36.98, with a consensus analyst price target of $34.62 and a 52-week range of $16.19 to $38.06. Following the announcement, the stock was down 2.7% at $36.00 in early trading indications Wednesday.

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Urban Outfitters Inc. (NASDAQ: URBN) is scheduled to release its most recent quarterly results after the markets close on Tuesday. The consensus estimates from Thomson Reuters call for $0.63 in earnings per share (EPS) on $1.08 billion in revenue. In the fourth quarter of last year, the retailer said it had EPS of $0.55 and $1.03 billion in revenue.

This appears to be one of the retailers that faced a tough holiday season. Urban Outfitters felt the sting along with the likes of Macy’s, Nordstrom and Sears.

As we have said before, retailers have to learn how to survive in this Amazon world, and much of this comes from rolling out omnichannel and e-commerce platforms to reach more consumers. We’ve seen Target partner with Shipt and Walmart acquire Jet.com to compete at the next level. However, this can be a problem for retailers without the resources of these big-box giants.

During this holiday season, Urban Outfitters saw comparable sales increasing, but they were not up to par with what was expected. In the two months ended December 31, 2017, total net sales increased 3.6% from the same period of last year. Comparable Retail segment net sales increased 2.0%, driven by strong, double-digit growth in the direct-to-consumer channel, partially offset by negative retail store sales.

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By brand, Comparable Retail segment net sales increased 5.0% at Free People, 2.0% at the Anthropologie Group and 1.0% at Urban Outfitters. The Wholesale segment net sales increased 6.8%.

Excluding Tuesday’s move, Urban Outfitters had outperformed the broad markets, with its stock up about 39% in the past 52 weeks. In just the past six months, the stock is up 77%, although year to date the shares are only up 3%.

A few analysts weighed in on Urban Outfitters ahead of the report:

• B. Riley has a Neutral rating with a $37 price target.
• RBC has a Hold rating and a $37 price target.
• SunTrust has a Buy rating with a $40 price target.
• Nomura has a Neutral rating with a $30 target price.
• Buckingham Research has a Buy rating with a $42 target.
• Robert Baird’s Buy rating comes with a $39 price target.

Shares of Urban Outfitters were last seen up 1% at $36.66 on Tuesday, with a consensus analyst price target of $34.62 and a 52-week range of $16.19 to $38.06.

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In the past week, markets took another plunge, partially as the result of a sharp increase in volatility. Perhaps the main driver last Thursday was the steel and aluminum tariffs that the president announced. All three major indices pulled back an average of 2% last week.

Even though markets may have taken a step back, solid fundamentals from company earnings can push these markets in the right direction. Although the busiest weeks of the earnings season have come and gone, there are still plenty more big names on deck this week.

24/7 Wall St. has put together a preview of some of the top companies reporting their latest results in the coming week. We have included the consensus earnings estimates from Thomson Reuters, as well as the stock price and trading history for these companies ahead of the report.

Target Corp.’s (NYSE: TGT) fiscal fourth-quarter report is scheduled for Tuesday. The consensus estimates are calling for $1.38 in earnings per share (EPS) on $22.53 billion in revenue. The shares traded on Friday’s close at $75.15. The consensus price target is $76.36, and the 52-week trading range is $48.56 to $78.70.

H&R Block Inc. (NYSE: HRB) is set to release its most recent quarterly results on Tuesday. The consensus forecast calls for a net loss of $1.29 per share and $458.75 million in revenue. Shares closed on Friday at $24.69. The consensus price target is $28.33, and the 52-week range is $20.50 to $31.80.

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Urban Outfitters Inc. (NASDAQ: URBN) also will report its most recent quarterly results on Tuesday. The consensus estimates call for $0.63 in EPS and $1.08 billion in revenue. Shares were last seen trading at $36.48, in a 52-week range of $16.19 to $38.06. The consensus price target is $34.62.

Abercrombie & Fitch Co. (NYSE: ANF) fiscal fourth-quarter results are scheduled for Wednesday. The consensus forecast is $1.10 in EPS on $1.16 billion in revenue. Shares closed most recently at $20.68. The consensus price target is $19.85, and the 52-week range is $8.81 to $23.53.

Costco Wholesale Corp. (NASDAQ: COST) is scheduled to release its most recent quarterly report late Wednesday. The consensus forecast calls for $1.46 in EPS on $32.69 billion in revenue. Shares closed Friday at $189.33. The consensus target price is $209.20, and shares have changed hands between $150.00 and $199.88 in the past year.

Dollar Tree Inc. (NASDAQ: DLTR) is expected to post its most recent quarterly results Wednesday as well. The consensus forecast is $1.90 in EPS and $6.39 billion in revenue. Shares ended the week at $104.41 apiece. The consensus price target is $119.38, and the 52-week range is $65.63 to $116.65.

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Vivint Solar Inc. (NYSE: VSLR) will report its most recent quarterly results on Wednesday. The consensus estimates call for a net loss of $0.32 per share and $66.88 million in revenue. Shares closed at $3.00 on Friday, in a 52-week range of $2.65 to $6.09. The consensus price target is $5.40.

American Eagle Outfitters Inc. (NYSE: AEO) also is scheduled to release its most recent quarterly results Thursday. The consensus forecast calls for $0.44 in EPS and $1.21 billion in revenue. Shares closed at $20.27. The consensus price target is $19.31, and the 52-week range is $10.23 to $20.46.

Look for the Kroger Co. (NYSE: KR) fiscal fourth-quarter report on Thursday. The consensus forecast is $0.63 in EPS on $30.79 billion in revenue. Shares last traded at $18.68. The consensus price target is $29.18, and shares have traded between $19.69 and $31.45 in the past 52 weeks.

Marvell Technology Group Ltd. (NASDAQ: MRVL) is expected to post its most recent quarterly results Thursday as well. The consensus estimates are $0.31 in EPS and $610.99 million in revenue. Shares ended the week at $23.42 apiece. The consensus price target is $27.26, and the 52-week range is $14.58 to $24.22.

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Urban Outfitters Inc. (NASDAQ: URBN) appears to be one of the retailers that faced a tough holiday season. Along with the likes of Macy’s, Nordstrom and Sears, Urban Outfitters just didn’t make the cut and investors inevitably sent shares lower.

As we have said before, retailers have to learn how to survive in this Amazon world, and much of this comes from rolling out omnichannel and e-commerce platforms to reach more consumers. We’ve seen Target partner with Shipt and Walmart acquire Jet.com to compete at the next level. However, this can be a problem for retailers without the resources of these big-box giants.

Unfortunately, Urban Outfitters was one of those retailers that felt the sting this season. Despite comparable sales increasing, this was not up to par with what was expected.

During the two months ended December 31, 2017, total net sales increased 3.6% from the same period last year. Comparable Retail segment net sales increased 2%, driven by strong, double-digit growth in the direct-to-consumer channel, partially offset by negative retail store sales.

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By brand, Comparable Retail segment net sales increased 5% at Free People, 2% at the Anthropologie Group and 1% at Urban Outfitters. The Wholesale segment net sales increased 6.8%.

For the 11 months ended December 31, 2017, total net sales increased 1.2% over the same period last year. Comparable Retail segment net sales decreased 1% and Wholesale segment net sales increased 9.9% in this period as well.

During this same 11 months, Urban Outfitters opened a total of 18 new locations, including eight Free People stores, five Urban Outfitters stores, four Anthropologie Group stores and one Food and Beverage restaurant. The company also closed six locations: three Free People stores, one Urban Outfitters store, one Anthropologie Group store and one Food and Beverage restaurant.

Shares of Urban Outfitters traded down about 5% at $32.14 on Tuesday, with a consensus analyst price target of $32.18 and a 52-week range of $16.19 to $36.10.

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Stocks hit all-time highs many times during 2017, and the first day of 2018 was looking to have a strong open. With the raging bull market now nearing nine years old, the Dow was up 25% and the S&P 500 was up over 19% in 2017. Investors now have to decide how they want to be positioned in 2018 with rising short-term interest rates and what is expected to be accelerated growth on the heels of tax reform. Those same investors are also hunting for new investing and trading ideas to generate gains and income into 2018 and beyond.

24/7 Wall St. reviews dozens of analyst research reports each day of the week. Our goal is to find new investing and trading ideas for investors and traders alike. Some daily analyst reports and research reports cover stocks to buy. Others cover stocks to sell or to avoid.

Additional color and commentary has been added on most of these daily analyst calls. Consensus analyst price targets mentioned and other valuation metrics are from the Thomson Reuters sell-side research service.

These were the top analyst upgrades, downgrades and other research calls from Tuesday, January 2, 2017.

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Abbott Laboratories (NYSE: ABT) was raised to Overweight from Neutral and the price target was raised to $65 from $60 at JPMorgan, citing solid fundamentals and organic growth and new product launches. Morgan Stanley raised it to Overweight from Neutral and the price target was raised to $67 from $60, citing a device pipeline bringing accelerated growth along with deal synergies driving earnings. Abbott has a 52-week trading range of $38.34 to $57.77 and has a consensus analyst price target of $61.88.

Delphi Technologies PLC (NYSE: DLPH) was started as Outperform and assigned a $73 price target at BMO Capital Markets. Shares closed at $52.47 on Friday, and the consensus price target is $59.54.

Lululemon Athletica Inc. (NASDAQ: LULU) was downgraded to Neutral from Buy with an $88 price target (versus a $78.59 prior close) at Citigroup. Meanwhile, Telsey Advisory raised its target to $92 from $84. Lululemon has a 52-week range of $47.26 to $80.10 and a consensus price target of $75.68.

Netflix Inc. (NASDAQ: NFLX) was raised to Outperform from Neutral and the price target was raised to $220 from $200 at Macquarie. This is a broad realignment of media coverage citing gains ahead for Netflix. The 52-week range is $124.31 to $204.38, and the consensus price target is $215.03.

Nordstrom Inc. (NYSE: JWN) was raised to Neutral from Underweight at JPMorgan and the price target was raised to $50 from $33 at JPMorgan. Citigroup raised its target to $51 from $43 on Nordstom. The stock closed at $47.38 last Friday, and it has a 52-week range of $37.79 to $50.32 and a consensus price target of $42.89.

Sirius XM Holdings (NASDAQ: SIRI) was downgraded to Underweight from Neutral with a $5 price target (versus a $5.36 close) at JPMorgan. The 52-week range is $4.40 to $5.89, and the consensus price target is $5.82.

Walt Disney Co. (NYSE: DIS) was raised to Outperform from Neutral and the price target was raised to $125 from $112 (versus a $107.51 close) at Macquarie. The call is bolstered by its capability for distribution ahead in a broad media realigment. Disney has a 52-week range of $96.20 to $116.10 and a consensus analyst target of $112.11.

Windstream Holdings Inc. (NASDAQ: WIN) was downgraded to Underweight from Neutral at JPMorgan. It was indicated down 2.7% at $1.80 on Tuesday, after closing down 1.6% at $1.85 on Friday, and it has a 52-week range of $1.73 to $8.35 and a consensus price target of $2.49.

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Other top analyst calls were seen as follows:

Allstate Corp. (NYSE: ALL) was downgraded to Underperform from Market Perform and the target price was cut to $93 from $103 at Keefe Bruyette & Woods.

American Electric Power Co. Inc. (NYSE: AEP) was downgraded to Sell from Neutral with a $64 price target (versus a $73.57 close) at Guggenheim.

AMC Networks Inc. (NASDAQ: AMCX) was downgraded to Neutral from Outperform at Macquarie.

American Water Works Co. Inc. (NYSE: AWK) was downgraded to Neutral from Buy with a $95 price target (versus a $91.49 close) at Guggenheim.

Baxter International Inc. (NYSE: BAX) was raised to Overweight from Neutral at JPMorgan.

Bemis Co. Inc. (NYSE: BMS) was downgraded to Underperform from Neutral with a $52 price target (versus a $47.79 close) at Merrill Lynch.

BioCryst Pharmaceuticals Inc. (NASDAQ: BCRX) was raised to Outperform from Sector Perform at RBC Capital Markets.

CBS Corp. (NYSE: CBS) was downgraded to Neutral from Outperform at Macquarie.

Consolidated Edison Inc. (NYSE: ED) was maintained as Hold at Argus, noting that it has a solid dividend yield.

CURO Group Holdings Corp. (NYSE: CURO) was started as Outperform and assigned a $21 price target at Credit Suisse. The firm sees CURO as a scale business with growth potential and attractive valuation. Jefferies started it as Buy with a $19 target. Shares closed at $14.08 ahead of these calls.

Deckers Outdoor Corp. (NYSE: DECK) was downgraded to Hold from Buy at Jefferies.

Denali Therapeutics Inc. (NASDAQ: DNLI) was started as Overweight with a $25 price target (versus a $15.64 close) at Morgan Stanley.

Discovery Communications Inc. (NASDAQ: DISCA) was raised to Outperform from Neutral at Macquarie.

Duke Energy Corp. (NYSE: DUK) was maintained as Hold at Argus, noting that its 4.1% yield may attract income oriented investors.

Dunkin Brands Group Inc. (NASDAQ: DNKN) was reiterated as Buy and the price target was raised to $71 from $64 at Maxim Group.

Integra LifeSciences Holdings Corp. (NASDAQ: IART) was downgraded to Neutral from Buy with a $53 price objective (versus a $47.86 close) at Merrill Lynch.

Illumina Inc. (NASDAQ: ILMN) was raised to Outperform from Market Perform at Wells Fargo.

Incyte Corp. (NASDAQ: INCY) was raised to Outperform from Sector Perform at RBC Capital Markets.‍​

Interpublic Group of Companies Inc. (NYSE: IPG) was downgraded to Neutral from Outperform at Macquarie.

Johnson & Johnson (NYSE: JNJ) was downgraded to Neutral from Overweight at JPMorgan.

Jones Energy Inc. (NYSE: JONE) was downgraded to Hold from Buy with a $1 price target (versus a $1.10 close) at SunTrust Robinson Humphrey.

KB Home (NYSE: KBH) was downgraded to Sell from Neutral with a $27 price target (versus a $31.95 close) at Citigroup.

Lennar Corp. (NYSE: LEN) was raised to Outperform from Market Perform at Wells Fargo, citing tax reform adding a boost and citing benefits from an acquisition.

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Macy’s Inc. (NYSE: M) has seen two target price hikes, but both are under the current share price: Citigroup to $20 from $16, and JPMorgan to $21 from $20.

Nielsen Holdings PLC (NYSE: NLSN) was downgraded to Neutral from Outperform at Macquarie.

Northwest Natural Gas Co. (NYSE: NWN) was downgraded to Sell from Neutral with a $52 price target (versus a $59.65 close) at Guggenheim.

Omnicom Group Inc. (NYSE: OMC) was downgraded to Underperform from Neutral at Macquarie.

PG&E Corp. (NYSE: PCG) was downgraded to Neutral from Buy with a $50 price target (versus a $44.83 close) at Goldman Sachs.

Planet Fitness Inc. (NYSE: PLNT) was downgraded to Hold from Buy at Jefferies.

Regal Entertainment Group (NYSE: RGC) was downgraded to Neutral from Buy with a $23 price target (versus a $23.01 close) at B. Riley.

Silgan Holdings Inc. (NASDAQ: SLGN) was downgraded to Underperform from Neutral at Merrill Lynch.

Smart Sand Inc. (NASDAQ: SND) was downgraded to Neutral from Buy at Janney.

Stryker Corp. (NYSE: SYK) was raised to Overweight from Neutral at JPMorgan, and Wells Fargo raised its target to $174 from $166.

Urban Outfitters Inc. (NASDAQ: URBN) saw two price hikes: Citigroup to $35 from $28, and Telsey Advisory to $38 from $35.

Vectren Corp. (NYSE: VVC) was downgraded to Neutral from Buy with a $68 price target (versus a $65.02 close) at Guggenheim.

Washington Real Estate Investment Trust (NYSE: WRE) was downgraded to Sell from Hold and the price target was cut to $28 from $33 at Stifel.

XPO Logistics Inc. (NYSE: XPO) was reiterated as Buy and the price target was raised to $120 from $80 at Stifel.

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Credit Suisse’s U.S. equity strategy team reaffirmed its S&P 500 EPS target of $155 and the index target of 3,000 for 2018.

Friday’s top analyst upgrades and downgrades included American Water Works, J.B. Hunt, Ford, General Motors, AstraZeneca and more.

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Amazon.com Inc. (NASDAQ: AMZN) is probably the most incredible U.S. corporate success story of the past 25 years — maybe even the last 100 years. Some on Wall Street have predicted the company will enter everything from pharmaceutical distribution to the world of artificial intelligence. The technology mega-giant rules retail and is the leader in the cloud computing, and the recent purchase of Whole Foods Market thrust it right into the brick-and-mortar retail business.

While the thought of Amazon world domination, especially in retail, is prevalent, the fact is the company can’t rule and control everything. A new Jefferies research report makes the case that certain softline retailers have the ability to fend off Amazon’s massive reach, and the report noted this:

We identified 7 key factors that should help companies build a protective moat around their businesses, and then also identified 4 key ‘offensive’ initiatives that should help further thwart Amazon’s rise. Based on this framework, we think the most insulated companies include (1) Strong brands that are destinations for the consumer with differentiated fashion product, as well as handbag retailers, and (2) Those that are best executing in marrying the digital and physical retail experience.

Four companies that are Buy rated at Jefferies are all good candidates to be able to ward off Amazon’s massive capabilities, and all are solid additions to long-term growth portfolios.

American Eagle Outfitters

This top retail stock had been acting much better since bouncing off lows posted in late August. American Eagle Outfitters Inc. (NYSE: AEO) is a leading global specialty retailer offering high-quality, on-trend clothing, accessories and personal care products at affordable prices under its American Eagle Outfitters and Aerie brands.

The company operates more than 1,000 stores in the United States, Canada, Mexico, China, Hong Kong and the United Kingdom, and it ships to 81 countries worldwide through its websites. American Eagle Outfitters and Aerie merchandise also is available at 119 international stores operated by licensees in 18 countries.

Top Wall Street analysts have highlighted that the company offers among the clothing sector’s best denim execution and on-trend fashion, and those positives could drive traffic upside, as well as be long-term drivers of international, Aerie, digital and omni inventory. Good execution, solid inventory control and the trend for old-school denim fashions are all positives.

Jefferies is very positive on the shares and noted this:

American Eagle Outfitters boasts a high e-commerce penetration (well over 20% of sales) and has been seeing strong growth in this channel. Importantly, e-commerce is not dilutive to the overall business, so the company should be able to maintain, if not improve profitability as it further leverages its omni channel capabilities.

Investors are paid a solid 3.10% dividend. The Jefferies price target for the shares is $18, and the Wall Street consensus target is $14.06. Shares traded early Wednesday at $16.15.

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Gap

This top retailer could be poised to benefit from the extra consumer spending in a growing economy. Gap Inc. (NYSE: GPS) sells private label merchandise through three main retail concepts: The Gap, Old Navy and Banana Republic, along with smaller growth vehicles Athleta and Intermix.

The company also sells its products through its company websites. Most of its international stores are Gap stores, concentrated in Western Europe (France, United Kingdom), Japan, China and Canada. The company has over 3,500 stores worldwide.

Gap has been red-hot lately, and the Jefferies report noted this:

The company is well-positioned in the shifting retail landscape, as its e-commerce business is actually accretive and the company has already done the heavy lifting on omni-channel integration. They were among the first to market with find in store, reserve in store, ship from store, and order in store, and are amidst the rollout of the Buy online, pickup in-store or BOPIS, which should help drive even higher profitability online.

Gap shareholders receive a 2.76% dividend. Jefferies has a $41 price target. The posted consensus target is $28.68, but the stock traded at $33.50 Wednesday morning.

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Tiffany

This company has benefited big time from the wealth effect of the rising stock market. Tiffany & Co. (NYSE: TIF) is a specialty retailer selling jewelry (92% of sales), watches, leather goods, crystal, china, silverware and accessories. The company sells primarily through its fleet of retail stores and the internet. The Tiffany brand is associated with high-end offerings and is well-known around the world.

The company is expected to post very solid comparisons for the fourth quarter, and the Jefferies analysts had this to say in the report:

Tiffany’s main competitive advantage is the strength of its brand and its differentiated offering, which makes it a destination for the consumer and cannot be easily replicated by Amazon or another e-commerce player. While the company’s e commerce penetration is small at 6% (largely due to its category and high price point versus apparel) they have made the necessary investments in the omnichannel experience, offering BOPIS and locate/reserve in store, plus free shipping/returns with relatively quick (4-5 day) shipping.

Investors in this luxury retailing leader are paid a 2.1% dividend. The $110 Jefferies price objective compares with the consensus target price of $98.79. The shares were last seen trading at $95.10.

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Urban Outfitters

This is another top company poised to fight the good fight with Amazon, and it has been mentioned by some as a takeover candidate. Urban Outfitters Inc. (NASDAQ: URBN) is a specialty retailer and wholesaler of unique private and third-party apparel, accessories and home goods. The company has three main concepts, Urban Outfitters, Anthropologie and Free People, as well as Terrain and BHLDN.

Many on Wall Street feel that the company’s store base is underpenetrated and has ample room to grow for the foreseeable future. The Jefferies analysts added this in their research:

Urban Outfitters boasts near industry-leading e-commerce penetration (~35%) and continues to see strong growth off this large base. The channel is highly profitable and margin accretive, and URBN has been well ahead of the game in its investment spend, foreseeing the rapid consumer migration online and choosing to invest heavily in the channel years ago, at a time when other retailers were just dipping their toes in the water. They were one of the first to pilot ‘ship from store’ and are fully operational on BOPIS. Further, they boast three healthy brands in UO, Anthro, and Free People, and their high fashion content cannot be easily replicated, particularly at the Anthro brand.

Jeffries has set its price target at $34. The posted consensus target is $28.94, but the stock was trading at $32.40 on last look.

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Four top retailers that have fought and can continue to fight against any encroachment on their turf from Amazon. While there is always a possibility of some share loss, these established players should remain in the game for years to come.

The post 4 Top Retailers With Nothing to Fear From Amazon appeared first on 24/7 Wall St..

The market looks for a second day of gains as the futures this morning are indicating a move higher when trading begins.

With the Thanksgiving holiday right around the corner, many on Wall Street may be embarking on travel so it’s a solid bet that the volume will drop today and really slow down tomorrow. With this bull market now more than eight years old, investors have shown for more than the past five years that they will buy all market pullbacks. Those same investors are also looking for new trading and investing ideas.

24/7 Wall St. reviews dozens of analyst research reports each morning to find new trading and investing ideas for its readers. Some analyst calls cover stocks to buy, while others cover stocks to sell or avoid.

Additional color and commentary has also been added on some of these daily analyst calls. The consensus analyst price target data are from the Thomson Reuters sell-side research service.

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These were the top analyst upgrades, downgrades and other research calls from Tuesday, November 21, 2017:

Align Technology Inc (NASDAQ: ALGN) saw its target price raised at Stifel to $265 from $245. That compares with the consensus price target on Wall Street of $259.80. The stock has traded in a 52-week range of $88.56 to $258.61. The shares closed Monday at $255.51.

CACI International Inc. (NYSE: CACI) was resumed with a Buy rating at Stifel and they have a $151 price objective. The 52-week trading range is $112.10 to $147.31. The Wall Street consensus price target is posted at $146.93. The stock closed Monday at $126.90.

Comcast Inc. (NASDAQ: CMCSA) was started with a Buy rating at Buckingham research. The 52-week trading range for the cable and entertainment giant is $34.01 to $42.18. The consensus price target for the shares is posted at $45.28. The stock closed Monday at $35.83.

Deere & Company Inc. (NYSE: DE) is raised to Outperform from Neutral at Robert Baird and the analysts have a $155 price objective. That compares with the current Wall Street consensus price target of $132.37. Baird recently downgraded the stock as analysts feared that another record crop pressuring corn prices could push out/moderate the recovery in North American agriculture equipment demand. Throughout the quarter it became apparent that the firm’s fears did not materialize as equipment demand in seasonally important October was very strong. The 52-week trading range is $91.84 to $137.32. The stock closed Monday at $136.92.

Esco Technologies Inc. (NYSE: ESE) is raised to Buy from Hold at Needham. The analysts were impressed by the demand for new products at Doble, which they estimate will see healthy growth and expanding margins for the next few years. Further, they gained greater confidence in the broader mode. The 52-week trading range for the shares is $50.30 to $63.80. The Wall Street consensus price target is set at $67. The stock closed Monday at $62.35.

Intuit Inc. (NASDAQ: INTU) had analysts busy after reporting earnings. RBC keeps the stock at a Sector Perform rating with a price target of $160, while Stifel raises their price target to $148 and maintains a Hold rating. Those targets compared with the Wall Street consensus price target of $147.88. The 52-week trading range is $111.478 to $158.90. The shares closed Monday at $157.78 and are slightly lower in the pre-market trading.

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Santander Consumer USA Holdings Inc. (NYSE: SC) was added to the Franchise Pick List at Jefferies. This is the firm’s list of the highest conviction stock picks rated Buy. The 52-week trading range for the company is $11.12 to $17.17. The Wall Street consensus price objective is $18.03. The stock closed Monday at $17.07

Square Inc. (NYSE: SQ) was started with a rating of Market Perform at Wells Fargo. The 52-week trading range is $12.25 to $46.06, and the consensus price objective is posted at $38.50. The shares closed Monday at $45.21.

Urban Outfitters Inc. (NASDAQ: URBN) is raised to Overweight from Equalweight at J.P. Morgan following earnings. The 52-week trading range for the stock is $16.19 to $39.29. The Wall Street consensus price target is $22.30. The shares ended the Monday trading session way above that level at $28.27, but are somewhat lower in the pre-market action.

Vertiv Inc. (NASDAQ: VRTV) is raised to Buy from Hold at Merrill Lynch. The 52-week trading range for the shares is $20.35 to $62.60. The consensus price objective on Wall Street is $29.62. The stock closed Monday at $24.60.

Other key analysts upgrades and downgrades were seen in the following:

Booz Allen Hamilton Inc. (NYSE: BAH) had coverage resumed at Stifel with a $46 price target. That is in comparison to the Wall Street consensus target of $42.80. The 52-week trading range for the company is $31.06 to $39.67. The shares closed Monday at $37.17.

Grupo Supervielle S.A. (NYSE: SUPV) was started with an Overweight rating at J.P. Morgan. The shares have traded in a 52-week range of $11.98 to $27.25. The consensus price target for the company is $22.81. The stock closed above that level on Monday at $25.63.

Life Storage Inc. (NYSE: LSI) is raised to Neutral from Underperform at Merrill Lynch. The 52-week trading range is $69 to $89.85, and the consensus price target is $77. Shares closed way above that level on Monday at $87.95.

Merchants Bancorp Inc. (NASDAQ: MBIN) was started with an Outperform rating at Raymond James. The 52-week trading range is $9.96 to $19.16. The consensus price target for the company was not available. The shares ended Monday at $17.68.

Planet Fitness Inc. (NYSE: PLNT) was started with a Buy rating at D.A. Davidson. The 52-week trading range for the stock is $18.32 to $30.83. The consensus price target for the stock was also not available. The shares closed Monday at $30.15.

Ryerson Inc. (NYSE: RYI) was downgraded to Sector Weight from Overweight at KeyBanc Capital Markets. The 52-week trading range is $7.65 to $16.85. The consensus price objective is posted at $12.06. The shares closed Monday at $8.85, up over 4% on the day.

Superior Energy Services Inc. (NYSE: SPN) is raised to Buy from Hold at SunTrust Robinson Humphrey. The 52-week trading range is $7.66 to $19.28. The consensus price target is set at $11.58. The stock closed Monday at $8.81.

The KEYW Holding Corporation (NASDAQ: KEYW) was started with a Hold rating at Stifel with a $6 price target. That compares with the Wall Street consensus target of $8.86. The 52-week trading range is $4.94 to $13.57. The shares ended the Monday trading session at $5.31.

In case you missed it, here are Monday’s Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades. They included Cardinal Health, Monster Beverage, PayPal, Viacom, Verizon, Wal-Mart and more.

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The post Top Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades: Align Tech, Comcast, Deere, Intuit, Square, Urban Outfitters and More appeared first on 24/7 Wall St..

Thanksgiving is coming this week and the markets will be taking Thursday off. Also, many people will be taking off the Wednesday before and Friday after. So most of the action next week will be happening on Monday and Tuesday in this abbreviated trading week.

24/7 Wall St. has put together a preview of some of the top companies reporting their latest results in the coming week. We have included the consensus earnings estimates from Thomson Reuters, as well as the stock price and trading history for these companies ahead of the report.

The main part of the earnings season has come and gone, now the stragglers are starting to pour in. While most of the major names have already reported, there are still some big names coming this week.

Urban Outfitters Inc. (NASDAQ: URBN) fiscal third-quarter results are scheduled for Monday. The consensus estimates are calling for $0.33 in earnings per share (EPS) and $861 million in revenue. The shares were last seen trading at $27.90. The consensus price target is $22.15, and the 52-week trading range is $16.19 to $39.29.

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Agilent Technologies Inc. (NYSE: A) is set to release its most recent quarterly results Monday as well. The consensus forecast calls for $0.62 in EPS on $1.17 billion in revenue. Shares ended the week at $68.79 apiece. The consensus price target is $72.15, and the 52-week range is $42.92 to $69.09.

Campbell Soup Co. (NYSE: CPB) will report its most recent quarterly results on Tuesday. The consensus estimates are $0.97 in EPS and $2.17 billion in revenue. Shares closed trading at $49.72 on Friday, in a 52-week range of $45.00 to $64.23. The consensus price target is $49.79.

Salesforce.com Inc. (NYSE: CRM) fiscal third-quarter results also are scheduled for Tuesday. The consensus forecast is $0.37 in EPS on $2.65 billion in revenue. Shares were last seen at $107.58. The consensus price target is $115.20. The 52-week range is $66.43 to $107.85.

Lowe’s Companies Inc. (NYSE: LOW) is expected to release its most recent quarterly results Tuesday. The consensus forecast calls for $1.02 in EPS and $16.58 billion in revenue. Shares ended the week at $80.22. The consensus price target is $85.68, and the 52-week range is $67.77 to $86.25.

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DSW Inc. (NYSE: DSW) is set to release its most recent quarterly results Tuesday. The consensus forecast calls for $0.53 in EPS and $709.63 million in revenue. Shares ended Friday’s session at $22.15. The consensus price target is $19.86, and the 52-week range is $15.14 to $25.96.

GameStop Corp. (NYSE: GME) will report its most recent quarterly results on Tuesday as well. Wall Street is looking for $0.43 in EPS and $1.96 billion in revenue. Shares closed trading at $16.31 on Friday, in a 52-week range of $15.85 to $26.85. The consensus price target is $22.05.

And Deere & Co. (NYSE: DE) will share its most recent quarterly numbers on Wednesday. The consensus estimates call for $1.45 in EPS and $6.99 billion in revenue. Shares were last seen trading at $135.77, in a 52-week range of $91.33 to $136.69. The consensus price target is $132.37.

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The post Deere, GameStop and More Earnings Coming This Week appeared first on 24/7 Wall St..

Urban Outfitters Inc. (NASDAQ: URBN) watched its shares pull back on Tuesday after the retailer received a downgrade from Deutsche Bank. Although this stock has made great strides in just the past quarter, up 25%, Deutsche Bank’s Tiffany Kanaga believes that Urban Outfitters will be giving some of it back.

Since Urban Outfitters dipped in mid-August, the stock’s multiple has expanded about 3.5 turns, compared to consensus earnings for fiscal 2018. Deutsche Bank pointed out at this level the multiple sits above the three-year average and sharply defies the multiyear contraction trend.

As a result, Deutsche Bank downgraded Urban Outfitters to a Sell rating from Hold. The main driving force behind this downgrade is that the company has gained about 43% since mid-August, outperforming the S&P 500, which is only up 3%.

Keep in mind that the stock has dropped about 30% in the past 52 weeks. The stock has seen a similar performance looking back over the past five years.

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Same-store sales for September are expected soon, and third-quarter financial results are coming next month. These could act as catalysts and push the stock back down. Other similar retailers (L Brands, Zumiez and Buckle) are a reporting their September sales shortly as well, which could give a clearer picture of what to expect from Urban Outfitters.

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A few other analysts had this to say about Urban Outfitters:

• Jefferies has a Buy rating with a $25 price target.
• RBC has a Hold rating with a $21 price target.
• BMO Capital Markets has a Hold rating and a $20 target.
• SunTrust Banks has a Buy rating.
• Morgan Stanley has an Equal Weight rating with a $19 target.
• MKM Partners has a Sell rating and a $16 price target.
• Merrill Lynch has a Buy rating with a $22 price target.
• KeyCorp has a Buy rating with a $26 price target.

Shares of Urban Outfitters were last seen down about 4% at $22.95, with a consensus analyst price target of $21.11 and a 52-week trading range of $16.19 to $40.80.

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The post Is Urban Outfitters About to Get Crushed? appeared first on 24/7 Wall St..

Stocks were indicated to open higher marginally higher again on Tuesday, continuing Monday’s strong debut to the fourth quarter. The one trend that keeps on trucking in this more than eight year bull market is that investors have managed to keep finding new reasons to buy stocks after every market sell-off. Those same investors are also on the hunt for new investing and trading ideas with their capital.

24/7 Wall St. reviews dozens of analyst research reports each day. Our goal is to find new investing and trading ideas for our readers. Some of the top analyst reports cover stocks to buy. Other analyst calls cover stocks to sell or to avoid.

Additional color and commentary has been added on many of these daily analyst calls. The consensus analyst price target data and valuation metrics are from the Thomson Reuters sell-side research service.

These were the top analyst upgrades, downgrades and other research calls from Tuesday, October 3, 2017.

Accenture PLC (NYSE: ACN) was downgraded to Neutral from Positive with a $144 price target (versus a $135.44 prior close) at Susquehanna. Accenture has a 52-week trading range of $112.31 to $138.70 and a consensus analyst target price of $142.92.

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Ericsson (NASDAQ: ERIC) was downgraded to Underperform from Neutral at Credit Suisse, sending its American depositary shares down 2.1% to $5.64 on Tuesday. The 52-week range is $4.83 to $7.47.

General Motors Co. (NYSE: GM) was raised to Buy from Neutral with a $57 price objective (versus a $42.15 close) at Merrill Lynch. Shares were indicated up 1.6% at $42.83, and that is after a 4.4% rally on Monday to a prior 52-week high of $42.48. GM has a consensus target price of $39.52.

Phillips 66 (NYSE: PSX) was raised to Buy from Neutral at Goldman Sachs. Shares closed up 0.8% at $92.38 on Monday, and they were up another 1.7% at $93.99 on Tuesday. The 52-week range is $75.14 to $92.67, and the consensus target price is $91.07.

United Rentals Inc. (NYSE: URI) was started with a Hold rating and was given a $157 price target (versus a $139.20 close) at Deutsche Bank. It has a 52-week range of $70.58 to $139.98 and a consensus target price of almost $125.

Urban Outfitters Inc. (NASDAQ: URBN) was downgraded to Sell from Hold at Deutsche Bank. Its shares were up 0.4% at $23.99 on Monday but were indicated down 4.1% at $23.00 on Tuesday. The stock has a 52-week range of $16.19 to $40.80 and a consensus target price of $21.11.

Xerox Corp. (NYSE: XRX) was started as Neutral at UBS, and it was assigned a $36 price target (versus a $33.46 close). Xerox has a consensus target price of $37.29.

Yum! Brands Inc. (NYSE: YUM) was started with a Buy rating and assigned an $88 price target at Stifel. Yum has a 52-week range of $59.57 to $78.14 and a consensus analyst target of $79.40.

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Follow @Jonogg on Twitter to receive the daily analyst calls and other market research calls directly on your feed.

Other top analyst calls from this Tuesday were seen as follows:

AcelRx Pharmaceuticals Inc. (NASDAQ: ACRX) was started as Buy and assigned a $10 price target (versus a $5.50 close) at H.C. Wainwright.

Changyou.com Ltd. (NASDAQ: CYOU) was started as Neutral with a $40 price target (versus a $40.14 close) at Credit Suisse.

Chipotle Mexican Grill Inc. (NYSE: CMG) was started as Hold with a $345 price target (versus a $301.81 close) at Stifel.

Craft Brew Alliance Inc. (NASDAQ: BREW) was started as Positive with a $22 price target (versus a $17.80 close) at Susquehanna.

Endocyte Inc. (NASDAQ: ECYT) was raised to Outperform from Neutral with a $7 price target (versus a $3.63 close) at Wedbush Securities. The firm noted that in-licensing of its Phase 3 ready asset has improved its outlook with peak sales potentially at about $1 billion.

Lear Corp. (NYSE: LEA) was downgraded to Neutral from Buy with a $182 price target (versus a $175.04 close) at UBS.

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LGI Homes Inc. (NASDAQ: LGIH) was downgraded to Neutral from Outperform with a $49 price target (versus a $48.98 close) at Wedbush, noting that its price target had been met.

Manhattan Associates Inc. (NASDAQ: MANH) was raised to Buy from Hold with a $55 price target (versus a $43.20 close) at SunTrust Robinson Humphrey.

Marathon Petroleum Corp. (NYSE: MPC) was downgraded to Neutral from Buy at Goldman Sachs.

Masonite International Corp. (NYSE: DOOR) was downgraded to Neutral from Outperform with a $70 price target (versus a $68.70 close) at Wedbush. This downgrade was a valuation call within 5% of its target.

Neurocrine Biosciences Inc. (NASDAQ: NBIX) was reiterated as Buy and the price target was raised to $69 from $66 (versus a $61.82 close) at Jefferies. The firm’s latest doctor survey predicts that Ingrezza will continue to lead the market share in Tardive Dyskinesia (TD).

Rex Energy Corp. (NASDAQ: REXX) was downgraded to Sector Perform from Outperform with a $3 price target (versus a $2.62 close) at RBC Capital Markets.

Tyson Foods Inc. (NYSE: TSN) was reiterated as Buy and the price target was raised to $82 from $75 (versus a $70.99 close) at Jefferies.

Monday’s top analyst upgrades and downgrades were in AbbVie, Baker Hughes, CSX, Micron Technology, Nucor, PepsiCo, Western Digital and many more.

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Short sellers are an interesting lot in the field of investing. After all, if they are not hedging a position then they are betting that the price of a stock is going to fall. It almost feels un-American. But what about the class of companies that have no control over their stories and those that are floundering?

Many great American companies have risen to become behemoths over the decades. Sometimes those great companies stumble, and then some of them keep stumbling to the point that investors refuse to listen to what management says. This is what the media would refer to as a case of losing control of their narratives.

24/7 Wall St. tracks the short interest reports in many companies and in many sectors, but the one trend in companies that have lost control of their narratives is that short sellers have continued to keep very negative views of the companies. Even those few that might be staging a recovery have strong bets against them by short sellers.

We have featured the ongoing woes of these companies, but here is how their short interest looked at the end of August versus the prior short interest reading dates. Some of these companies have started to come under the microscope of value investors, but some are likely to be stuck and are nothing more than value traps.

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AutoZone Inc. (NYSE: AZO) saw its short interest remain high despite a 1.7% drop to 2,129,336 shares short as of August 31. This represents about 7.6% of its entire float and would take about five days to cover. AutoZone shares were up almost 3% at $567.40 on Wednesday, but its 52-week range of $491.13 to $813.70 might show just how painful this has been. With a market cap of about $16 billion, this company’s shares are down 30% from the 52-week high, despite the bull market having major indexes at record highs.

Bed Bath & Beyond Inc. (NASDAQ: BBBY) remains a target for short sellers, and they became even more aggressive than before. Bed Bath & Beyond’s short interest was almost 18.1 million shares at the end of August, up from 16.1 million mid-month and representative of almost nine days to cover. This was the highest nominal short interest in over a year.

Chipotle Mexican Grill Inc. (NYSE: CMG) was recently given an insulting analyst downward call, but the end of August short interest was more or less steady at 4,804,363 shares. That still represents about 17% of the float, with four days to cover. With shares at $309.75 on last look, Chipotle is still only a few percentage points above its multiyear low of $296.00.

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Ford Motor Co. (NYSE: F) saw its short interest tick higher to 123,799,222 shares as of the end of August, up 1.4% from the 122,131,797 shares short two weeks earlier. That represents 3.2% of Ford’s float and would take about four days to cover.

General Electric Co. (NYSE: GE) remains beaten down among the conglomerates and industrials, and some analysts feel that the less-than $25 stock prices may now be more of the norm rather than a floor. Still, GE’s short sellers have backed off despite a high nominal short interest. GE’s short interest of 100,047,185 at the end of August was down over 5% from the 105,639,708 shares short in mid-August. With share at $24.05, GE has a 52-week range of $23.58 to $32.38.

Harley-Davidson Inc. (NYSE: HOG) has found itself in a place where selling more and more motorcycles is harder and harder. Trading at $47.12 now, Harley has a 52-week range is $45.53 to $63.40. Harley-Davidson’s short interest of 24,077,302 shares at the end of August was up over 5% from the 22,871,941 shares short in mid-August.

International Business Machines Corp. (NYSE: IBM) remains a challenged tech giant, with declining core sales still outweighing its growth initiatives. IBM’s short interest was 21,487,538 on August 31, up 5% from the 20,461,407 shares short in the middle of August.

Macy’s Inc. (NYSE: M) has suffered as the poster child of brick-and-mortar retail erosion from online sales pressure from Amazon and rivals. Short sellers added more pressure on the company’s stock in August, with the short interest rising 8% to almost 38.5 million shares at the end of the month from the 35.55 million shares short on the previous settlement date. This was almost 13% of the Macy’s float.

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Mattel Inc. (NASDAQ: MAT) remains a battered toy maker, and the short sellers smell more blood in the water. The August 31 short interest of 43.159 million shares would take more than eight days to cover, and it was up from 38.5 million shares two weeks earlier. Mattel set a two-in-a-row trend for having its highest short interest in over a year.

Under Armour Inc. (NYSE: UAA) was just given another downside analyst call this week, and its shares remain pressured in a challenging sports apparel market. Under Armour’s short interest of 52,259,065 at the end of August was up over 1% from the 51,623,580 shares short mid-month. What stands out here is that this was 28.6% of the entire Under Armour float. The other Under Armour share class, under the old UA ticker, saw the short interest rise 6.6% to 34.76 million shares, or 19.1% of its float.

Urban Outfitters Inc. (NASDAQ: URBN) shares have recovered handily from their lows, and its stock price has risen from under $17 to over $23 in the past month alone. Short sellers have been fighting this trend, with the short interest reading of 23.2 million shares at the end of last month representing a gain of almost 4 million shares from mid-August. Urban Outfitters racked up its highest short interest in a year, and it was more than double the levels of a year ago.

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August 16, 2017: The S&P 500 closed relatively flat at 2,468.16. The DJIA closed flat at 22,019.53. Separately, the Nasdaq closed up 0.2% at 6,345.11.

Wednesday was a mixed day for the U.S. broad markets. Crude oil continued to pull back from the $50 price level and oil & gas stocks did not respond well. Separately, retail stocks were more or less positive on the day, after facing some difficulties earlier this week. The financial sector was flat, but this was mainly dragged down by the major money center banks and investment houses. The tech sector was relatively positive but like the financial sector a few major stocks pulled the sector down. Otherwise the remaining sectors were relatively mixed.

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Crude oil was last seen down about 1.4% at $46.87.

Gold was up 0.7% at $1,288.40.

The S&P 500 stock posting the largest daily percentage loss ahead of the close Wednesday was Diamond Offshore Drilling, Inc. (NYSE: DO) which traded down about 4% at $10.49. The stock’s 52-week range is $10.06 to $22.65. Volume was nearly 4 million versus the daily average of 3.3 million shares.

The stock posting the largest daily percentage gain in the S&P 500 ahead of the close Wednesday was Urban Outfitters, Inc. (NASDAQ: URBN) which rose over 17% to $19.73. The stock’s 52-week range is $16.19 to $40.80. Volume was 32 million compared to its average volume of 3.5 million.

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The retail industry has been in turmoil this year, and as more companies are reporting, it doesn’t seem to be getting any better. However, Urban Outfitters Inc. (NASDAQ: URBN) saw an incredible response following its fiscal second-quarter financial results. Most expected this struggling retailer to tank on this earnings report, but it surprised analysts and investors, bouncing off a multiyear low.

24/7 Wall St. has included some highlights from the earnings report, as well as what a few analysts are saying after the fact.

The retailer said that it had $0.44 in earnings per share (EPS) and $872.9 million in revenue, compared with consensus estimates from Thomson Reuters of $0.37 in EPS and revenue of $861.76 million. The same period of last year reportedly had EPS of $0.66 and $890.57 million in revenue.

Comparable retail segment net sales, which includes the comparable direct-to-consumer channel, decreased 4.9%.

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By brand, comparable retail segment net sales increased 2.9% at Free People, but decreased 4.0% at the Anthropologie Group and 7.9% at Urban Outfitters. The decline in comparable retail segment net sales was due to negative retail store sales, which was partially offset by continued sales growth in its direct-to-consumer channel.

Here’s what analysts had to say in the aftermath:

• Merrill Lynch reiterated a Buy rating and raised its price target to $24 from $22.
• KeyCorp has a Buy rating with a $26 price target.
• Jefferies has a Buy rating and raised its price target to $25 from $23.
• Goldman Sachs has a Sell rating but raised its price target from $16 to $18.
• Robert Baird has a Buy rating with a $22 price target.
• RBC has a Sector Perform rating and raised its price target to $21 from $17.
• Telsey Advisory Group has a Market Perform rating and raised its target from $20 to $22.
• Oppenheimer reiterated a Hold rating.

Shares of Urban Outfitters were last seen up about 20% at $20.22 on Wednesday, with a consensus analyst price target of $19.77 and a 52-week range of $16.68 to $21.31.

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The post What Analysts Are Saying After Urban Outfitters Crushed Earnings appeared first on 24/7 Wall St..

Urban Outfitters, Inc. (NASDAQ: URBN) reported fiscal second quarter financial results after markets closed Tuesday. The retailer said that it had $0.44 in earnings per share (EPS) and $872.9 million in revenue, compared with consensus estimates from Thomson Reuters that called for $0.37 in EPS and $861.76 million in revenue. The same period from last year had $0.66 in EPS and $890.57 million in revenue.

Comparable retail segment net sales, which includes the comparable direct-to-consumer channel, decreased 4.9%.

By brand, comparable retail segment net sales increased 2.9% at Free People, but decreased 4.0% at the Anthropologie Group and 7.9% at Urban Outfitters. The decline in comparable retail segment net sales was due to negative retail store sales, which was partially offset by continued sales growth in its direct-to-consumer channel.

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The company did not release any guidance in the report, but consensus estimates are calling for $0.34 in EPS and $854.4 million in revenue for the coming quarter.

On the books, cash, cash equivalents, and marketable securities totaled $386.9 million at the end of the quarter, versus $259.2 million at the end of the quarter.

Richard A. Hayne, CEO of Urban Outfitters, commented:

While we are disappointed in our second quarter performance, we have a number of initiatives underway including: speed to customer, international growth, wholesale expansion and digital investments. We believe these initiatives combined with encouraging fashion apparel trends could lead to improved topline performance in future quarters.

Shares of Urban Outfitters closed Tuesday down 5% at $16.82, with a consensus analyst price target of $20.15 and a 52-week range of $16.68 to $18.27. Following the release, the stock was initially up about 15% at $19.39, in the after-hours trading session.

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The post Is This the Turnaround That Urban Outfitters Was Looking For? appeared first on 24/7 Wall St..

24/7 Wall St. has put together a preview of a few major companies scheduled to report their quarterly results this coming week. The broad markets have pulled back from their all-time highs on developing news about increasing tensions with North Korea. Although these concerns don’t pose much of a fundamental issue to most stocks, investors have seemingly used this opportunity to take profits. However, strong earnings reports from these stocks could help to push the markets back to their highs.

We have included the consensus earnings estimates from Thomson Reuters, as well as the stock price and trading history.

Be advised that the earnings and revenue estimates may change ahead of the formal reports, and some companies change earnings dates as well.

Home Depot Inc. (NYSE: HD) is expected to share its latest quarterly earnings early on Tuesday. The consensus estimates are $2.21 in earnings per share (EPS) and revenue of $27.8 billion. Shares closed at $154.88 on Friday, with a consensus analyst price target of $171.27 and a 52-week range of $119.20 to $160.86. For more, see our separate look at what to expect when Home Depot reports.

The Urban Outfitters Inc. (NASDAQ: URBN) earnings report for the most recent quarter is expected on Tuesday. The consensus estimates are calling for a $0.37 in EPS and $861.95 million in revenue. Shares closed trading most recently at $17.76, in a 52-week range of $16.19 to $40.80. The consensus price target is $20.20.

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L Brands Inc. (NYSE: LB) fiscal second-quarter results are scheduled for Wednesday. The consensus earnings estimate is $0.44 per share, on $2.75 billion in revenue. The shares were last seen at $40.88. The consensus price target is $50.13, and the 52-week trading range is $40.77 to $79.67.

Target Corp. (NYSE: TGT) is set to release its most recent quarterly results Wednesday. The consensus forecast calls for $1.17 in EPS and $16.26 billion in revenue. Shares ended the week at $55.66. The consensus price target is $58.38, and the 52-week range is $48.56 to $79.33.

Fiscal fourth-quarter results from Cisco Systems Inc. (NYSE: CSCO) also are due out Wednesday. The consensus forecast sees $0.61 in EPS and $12.06 billion in revenue. Shares traded at $31.47. The 52-week range is $29.12 to $34.60, the consensus price target is $35.83.

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Alibaba Group Holding Ltd. (NYSE: BABA) will report its most recent quarterly results on Thursday. The consensus estimates call for $0.91 in EPS and $7.06 billion in revenue. Shares closed trading at $151.70 on Friday, in a 52-week range of $86.01 to $160.39. The consensus price target is $170.46.

Wal-Mart Stores Inc. (NYSE: WMT) fiscal second-quarter results also are scheduled for Thursday. The consensus forecast is $1.07 in EPS and $122.86 billion in revenue. Shares were last seen at $80.40. The 52-week range is $65.28 to $81.99, with a consensus analyst price target of $80.97.

And Deere & Co. (NYSE: DE) will share its latest quarterly earnings on Friday. The consensus estimates are $1.91 in EPS and $6.92 billion in revenue. Shares were trading most recently at $126.70, in a 52-week range of $76.73 to $132.50. The consensus price target is $132.72.

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The post Walmart, Cisco, Alibaba and More Earnings to Watch For This Week appeared first on 24/7 Wall St..

Some companies manage to rise into a dominant position in their industries. Whether they can hold on to that dominance through time is another story. It turns out that it can be quite simple for a great company to fall from grace. Once a company stays out of the spotlight for some time, the public and investors may cease to care what the company says or does.

24/7 Wall St. just recently featured 11 great American companies that have totally lost their own narratives. It turns out that, while not all the stocks have continued to slide, these companies have by and large demonstrated very poor or dull earnings. And some of the companies still have earnings due later in August.

It is important to understand exactly what is at work here. The bull market is now well over eight years old, and investors keep finding new reasons to chase the market into all-time highs. At the start of August, the Dow hit 22,000 for the first time and was up over 11% so far in 2017 alone. The S&P 500 was up almost 11%, and the Nasdaq 100 was up 21% year to date. It all adds up to a very sad situation for the companies that lost their narrative with poor stock performance and weak earnings trends.

Investors love good stories around sales and earnings growth. They love dividends, and they love buybacks. And they love stability and predictability if nothing else is apparent. When companies have lost their narrative, their actions and words generally become ignored — unless there is drastic change.

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After companies lose their narrative, they are almost never shown in a positive light. It is very hard for company to sell itself as a “cheap value stock” because management knows this means investors don’t want to pay a good value for the business. Some of these companies end up merely being “value traps” that never generate good returns for investors. Some companies lose their narrative to the point that they may have existential risk ahead. The end result is that companies losing their own narrative also find themselves under a microscope for short sellers.

24/7 Wall St. has updated its report on the 11 great American companies that have all lost their own narrative. Again, not all the stocks continued to slide, though many did. What matters is that these companies are likely to remain unfavorable in a bull market until someone can force a recovery or can make major changes to their operations.

AutoZone: Awaiting Earnings

AutoZone Inc. (NYSE: AZO) is currently the largest retailer and distributer of auto replacement parts and accessories, after annual sales of $10.6 billion in 2016. There has been endless growth here over the years, but now Amazon and other online competition have added pressure at the same time that wages have risen in many regions. Competitive pricing is great for consumers, but it generally means lower margins for retailers. This stock was down 35% over the course of a year prior to being featured, and now it is valued at only about 11 times forward earnings.

AutoZone has not reported earnings since late in May, so it is trading around peers at this time. AutoZone was last seen changing hands $529.29, up from $504.00 when it was featured as having lost its narrative. AutoZone’s consensus analyst target price was about $661.50 then, but it has dropped by a few pennies since.

Bed Bath & Beyond: Awaiting Earnings

Bed Bath & Beyond Inc. (NASDAQ: BBBY) sells all sorts of home goods for bedrooms, bathrooms, kitchens, utility rooms and so on, and the retailer used to be able to do no wrong. The death of Linens-n-Things was a boon, but Amazon and competition online and from big-box sellers has chewed it up. Bed Bath & Beyond has managed to keep growing its sales to $12.2 billion in fiscal 2017, but its operating income has been in decline as selling general and administrative costs keep rising. Bed Bath & Beyond peaked at about $80 a share at the end of 2013, and investors are treating this declining earnings story as dirt, even as it is valued at less than eight times expected earnings.

Bed Bath & Beyond has yet to report earnings, and its shares have risen since being featured. Its stock was at $28.50 at the time, and the last trade was at $30.54. Its consensus target price of $32.74 at the time is still the same today.
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Chipotle: Still Has Montezuma in the House

Chipotle Mexican Grill Inc. (NYSE: CMG) was the prize of the millennials in fast food and casual dining after being spun off by McDonald’s more than a decade ago. It has grown to a about 2,200 stores, and that level is proving to be hard to tend to for quality control around the nation. The you-know-what hit the fan at Chipotle in 2015 when a wave of illnesses damaged the brand, and then same-store sales growth turned into contractions. Fresh news of illnesses and rodents hasn’t helped Chipotle, and Credit Suisse recently warned of slower store growth, declining same-store sales and an inability to raise prices all as being likely. And Chipotle remains expensive despite its sell-off, with a value of 45 times this year’s expected earnings.

Chipotle shares were trading at $346.10 when featured, and they were last seen at $345.36, despite many class action sorts of press releases appearing after earnings. Chipotle’s consensus price target was $422.12 when first featured, and that target is now down handily to $394.56.

Ford: Welcome to Peak Auto

Ford Motor Co. (NYSE: F) did great through the recession, and the company succeeded under chief Alan Mulally, but his turnaround crashed and burned under successor Mark Fields, who was fired last May. Now James Hackett is Ford’s CEO, and Wall Street doesn’t know how he will do in a world that is perhaps overly enthralled with Elon Musk of Tesla. Ford (along with peers) has to deal with 2017 representing a “peak auto” trend while car loan terms have gotten even longer. Looking ahead, there is a slew of cars coming off lease over the next 24 months that will pressure new and used car prices alike. Even being valued at less than eight times earnings and having a 5% dividend just isn’t always good enough. And what to do about the younger generation that doesn’t even want to own a car?

Ford’s shares were at $11.30 when featured before earnings, but they were last seen at $10.93. Ford’s consensus price target was $12.67 when featured, and that target is now down to $12.42.

GE: Meet General Eclectic and a New CEO

General Electric Co. (NYSE: GE) was more of the same in earnings, still having enough parts that it was confusing. Jeff Immelt has now turned over the CEO role but is still chairman, and for now the market doesn’t want to hear GE’s strategy after expensive energy acquisitions, selling its appliances unit, selling off and spinning off financial assets, and selling its media unit. GE’s balance sheet is so complex that most analysts and investors have a hard time explaining it, and the market has to wait until November of 2017 for GE’s new formal 2018 earnings guidance.

Investors already assume that GE’s old $2 in earnings per share target is well out of reach (2018 consensus estimate is now $1.70 per share), and it is questionable just how different the new CEO will show the future portfolio of GE companies. General Electric may remain treated as though it is “General Eclectic” but at 15 times forward earnings it is cheap in an expensive market.

Shares of GE were trading at $25.40 when featured, and its most recent close was at $25.76. Its consensus analyst target at the time was $30.08, and that has come down to $29.31.
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Harley-Davidson: No Textin’ While Hoggin’ the Road

Harley-Davidson Inc. (NYSE: HOG) is having a hard time finding new motorcycle buyers, and it lowered guidance with earnings in July. The rival Indian motorcycle and the niche three-wheeled market eat at Harley-Davidson. The packs of lawyers and doctors buying Harleys that replaced the old rough and tough guys is no longer bringing growth, and Harley may have to hope for foreign markets to rekindle. Its sales have fallen in 2015 and 2016 and are expected to fall in 2017. Despite being a great American brand, rekindling interest is hard in a world where everyone wants to send texts, have video chats or use social media while they are driving.

Harley-Davidson shares were trading at $48.70, with a consensus price target of $52.25, when featured. The shares were last seen trading at $47.99, with a consensus analyst target of $51.58.

IBM: In Need of New Leadership

International Business Machines Corp. (NYSE: IBM) has faltered under the leadership of Ginni Rometty, and it seems hard to understand how the company justified a large pay raise for her. The ancient target for long-term earnings guidance of $20 per share now seems impossible, even as IBM can keep buying back stock and has been raising its dividend. The ultimate slap was when Warren Buffett confessed that he has sold some of his large stake and no longer sees its position as solid — an “I surrender” moment from the world’s greatest investor.

IBM’s core IT-consulting has a long-term chart that looks quite similar to smoking trends in America over the past two decades. Strategic initiatives in the cloud, artificial intelligence and machine learning have all done well, but they just cannot grow fast enough to overcome IBM’s core business decline. IBM’s revenues have been lower for more than five years now, and IBM no longer even tries to brag in its earnings press releases about its massive backlog of services revenues. Credit Suisse sees IBM falling to $110, but a less negative target from Jefferies targets a $125 stock price. IBM hasn’t only lost its narrative, it might not even have a narrative until new leadership or a game-changing event comes along.

IBM’s stock price was $146.85 and its consensus price target was $159.35 when featured, and now its shares are at $144.94, with a consensus analyst target price of $158.35.

Macy’s: Awaiting Earnings

Macy’s Inc. (NYSE: M) has yet to report its earnings. The mall-based department store giant has suffered the wrath of Amazon and the omnichannel for some time, and some shoppers feel that the stores are outdated. The convenience of online shopping and price matching have resulted in Macy’s being now two years deep into revenue declines. Analysts also expect that sales decline to remain the case for the next three years. Bringing in a new CEO to replace Terry Lundgren may not even help. While many of Macy’s problems are similar to other retailers, the stock was already down more than 30% over the past year, and it is valued at just seven times earnings. It still seems impossible to unlock the value of its dirt, and whatever Macy’s tries to communicate seems to be ignored by an “Amazon-loving” Wall Street.

Macy’s has yet to report earnings, but its stock was at $23.20 with a consensus price target of $25.83 when featured. The stock was also down about 34% over the past year when featured. On last look, Macy’s was trading at $23.59, and the consensus analyst target was still the same.

Mattel: More Like No-Tell in Toyland

Mattel Inc. (NASDAQ: MAT) may be a great American toy company, and its brands of Barbie, American Girl, Hot Wheels, Fischer Price chasing movie franchises, superheroes, Disney, WWE and a slew of others. This just hasn’t translated into growth, and the revenue of $6.5 billion in 2013 was down to about $5.5 billion in 2016. The latest earnings report confirmed just how tough the toy business can be. Mattel’s stock almost reached $50 back in 2013 but has now lost well over 60% of its value, and the company recently slashed its dividend by 60%. Mattel has no narrative, and the sad part is that there may simply be too many choices for toys these days when kids are hooked on smartphones as much or more than their parents.

Shares of Mattel were at $20.85 and the consensus price target was $23.92 ahead of earnings. Now its stock has taken more downgrades after earnings, and the price was last seen at $18.98, with a lower consensus analyst target price of $21.33. Its stock was already down over 30% from a year ago when featured.

Under Armour: Name Change to Under-Performing

Under Armour Inc. (NYSE: UAA) has sure found a reversal of fortune after its sales and stock rose higher and higher for years. Most growth stories end up fizzling out, and competition from Nike, Adidas, Reebok and other up-and-coming brands make for a tough combination. When competitors get sick enough of losing market share it tends to hurt everyone’s margins. What has changed at Under Armour is that it pursued a split-class of shares and founder, Chairman and CEO Kevin Plank recently added a new president to the ranks. Double-digit revenue growth just no longer impresses investors as the law of large numbers has started to come into play on Under Armour’s growth rate. Under Armour was valued at about 50 times earnings ahead of the report, so even with shares having fallen some 50%, it was nowhere close to being a value stock.

Under Armour shares were trading at $20.25 with a consensus price target of $21.57 ahead of earnings when we featured it is having lost its narrative. The stock was last seen trading at $18.31, and its consensus analyst target was down to $20.27.

Urban Outfitters: Awaiting Earnings

Urban Outfitters Inc. (NASDAQ: URBN) rose to power over the past two decades, and the company may have been the leader of helping consumers not worry that they can pay close to $200 for jeans. The company was even immune to backlash after controversial and insensitive ad campaigns. Still, it ended up where the Gap did, after growing endlessly through the 1990s, with much more modest growth rates. The internet can help buyers find the same jeans cheaper now too. Urban Outfitters is still marginally growing, but its stock had lost two-thirds of its value since peaking in early 2015. Will an activist help here? Does Urban Outfitters need to do some brand soul-searching evaluations between its namesake brand and the other brands of Anthropologie, Bhldn, Terrain and Free People? And should retailers really be trying to grow restaurant operations?

Urban Outfitters has yet to report earnings, but when first featured as a lost narrative its stock was at $18.15 with a consensus target price of $20.22. Its stock was most recently trading at $18.76, and the consensus analyst target had drifted down to $20.19.

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The verdict is so far looking not that hot for the companies that have lost their narratives. Some companies that have yet to report earnings have recently shown stock price gains, but it seems pretty obvious that Wall Street is going to demand action before they want to reward bad behavior. The underlying theme here has been a total loss of control by management over how their earnings will be interpreted ahead. Those trends can be nearly impossible to easily reverse, and many of the companies featured here seem like they will have problems likely to persist for quite some time.

The post 11 Companies With Lost Narratives Also Lean Toward Poor Earnings Reactions appeared first on 24/7 Wall St..

Many great American companies have risen to become behemoths over the decades. Many of those great names also have fallen from grace. Sometimes after a company falls from grace, it almost doesn’t even matter to investors what a company says or does.

Investors love good stories. They love earnings. They love growth. They love dividends. And if those qualities aren’t quite there, investors at least want some stability. Sometimes companies become unstable enough that no one cares about their story any more. Even their actions become ignored after things get this bad. There is a common term used in the media for this: losing the narrative.

When companies lose their narrative they almost begin to be heard about, and almost never in a positive light, by everyone except for the company’s management. This is also when a company becomes a short seller’s dream.

Some companies that have lost their own narrative also become seen as value stocks. If a company’s management has lost its own narrative, there is almost no way that it can be valued well by the markets. Sadly, some companies never are able to shed that “value” proposition and they become value traps that sucker new investors into their shares and never generate any gains. And sometimes they even implode.

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In July of 2017, the bull market was already well over eight years old. The Dow Jones Industrial Average, the S&P 500 and even the Nasdaq had each hit all-time highs. Still, many companies that have lost their narrative are posting weak earnings or their stocks are trading close to 52-week lows. Some of these are trading at multiyear lows, with shares down 60% or more from just a few years ago.

Some investors believe that some companies just cannot fix their woes due to tectonic shifts in their industries or because the companies just have too many problems. Sometimes it takes activist investors to press companies to save the day, but even the best activists can fall short.

24/7 Wall St. has featured 11 great American companies that have all lost their own narrative. They were great before, but not now — and that may be the case for months, years or perhaps forever. Bearish analysts, short sellers, media pundits and even competitors can all easily dismiss these companies, and the companies being targeted just cannot defend themselves.

Great old American companies such as Alcoa, Sears, Xerox, J.C. Penney and a slew of others have all been known stories of contraction and problems for years. These are well-known companies you see every day or every week, and they all have valuations that are still in the billions of dollars.

AutoZone: Even auto parts can’t escape Amazonian threats

AutoZone Inc. (NYSE: AZO) is not currently the largest retailer and distributer of auto replacement parts and accessories by market cap, but it is by measuring its annual sales of $10.6 billion in 2016. There has been endless growth here over the years, almost without a care of whether consumers were buying new cars or hanging on to their older ones during hard times. Now that Amazon is in the space, along with more online competition, the pressure has mounted. Wages also have been rising in many of the auto parts seller regions. More competitive pricing is great for consumers but it compresses margins.

The trading pattern seen in 2017 has wrecked what was one of the greatest non-technology growth stock stories of the past decade. Oddly enough, most investors have even discounted that sales and earnings are expected to keep growing at this company.

Shares of AutoZone were last seen trading at $504.00, with a consensus analyst price target of $661.41 and a 52-week range of $491.13 to $818.00. Over the past 52 weeks, the stock is down 35.5%. The company has a market cap of nearly $14 billion.

Bed Bath & Beyond: Sorry, to where?

Bed Bath & Beyond Inc. (NASDAQ: BBBY) sells all sorts of home goods for bedrooms, bathrooms, kitchens, utility rooms and just about any other room in your house. The retailer used to be able to do no wrong, and the death of Linens-n-Things was a huge win for the company. Then came Amazon and other online competition, and additional targeting by big-box retailers nibbling at its heels. Bed Bath & Beyond has actually managed to keep growing its sales ($12.2 billion in fiscal 2017), but its operating income keeps declining as selling general and administrative costs keep rising.

Bed Bath & Beyond peaked at about $80 a share at the end of 2013 and was above $75 in early 2015, but that was then. Now no investors appear willing to endorse its shrinking earnings, and the notion that this stock trades at seven times expected earnings seems to fall on deaf ears.

Shares of Bed Bath & Beyond were recently trading at $28.50, with a 52-week range of $28.13 to $48.83 and a consensus price target of $32.74. Over the past 52 weeks, the stock is down 33.7%. The market cap is $4 billion.

Chipotle Mexican Grill: Where Montezuma rules!

Chipotle Mexican Grill Inc. (NYSE: CMG) was the prize of the millennials in fast food and casual dining. After being spun off by McDonald’s more than a decade ago, the company grew and grew. Now it has about 2,200 stores, and in 2015 a wave of illnesses put a hurt on Chipotle’s brand. Same-store sales growth turned into contractions. And then when the company seemed poised to rekindle its growth, news broke in July that more illnesses struck — and a video of rodents inside another store did not help its image.

Credit Suisse recently suggested that Chipotle may have to curb its store growth and is likely to see declining same-store sales, and it warned that the company would be unlikely to raise prices as expected (hurting margins). The firm also handily lowered its earnings estimates for 2017 and 2018.

Chipotle shares were trading at $346.10. The 52-week trading range is $336.52 to $499.00, and the consensus price target is $422.12. Over the past year, the stock is down 17.4%. The company has a market cap of $9.7 billion.

Ford: How can you overcome peak auto?

Ford Motor Co. (NYSE: F) did great through the recession and the company succeeded under chief Alan Mulally, but his turnaround tenure was going to be a hard act to follow. Successor Mark Fields was fired in May of 2017 and was replaced by James Hackett as CEO.

It turns out that Wall Street is still (perhaps overly) enthralled with Elon Musk of Tesla, and rival General Motors has been paring down its geographies. One serious issue for Ford is that 2016 and 2017 may represent peak auto, with car loan terms getting ever longer, and a slew of cars coming off lease in the next 24 months may pressure new and used car prices alike.

Sometimes being valued at less than eight times earnings and having a 5% dividend just makes people yawn.

Ford shares were last seen at $11.30, with a consensus price target of $12.67 and a 52-week range of $10.67 to $13.99. The stock is down 16.8% of the past year. The market cap is $45 billion.

GE: Is it now General Eclectic?

General Electric Co. (NYSE: GE) is on the verge of a new future. Or is it? Naming a new CEO after Jeff Immelt and then transitioning the chairman role hasn’t seemed to matter, and GE’s earnings reports still have enough parts that they are confusing. It seems that the market doesn’t want to hear GE’s strategy after expensive energy acquisitions, selling its appliances unit, selling off and spinning off financial assets, and selling its media unit. Has GE sold all of its noncore businesses too cheaply and been acquiring assets at prices that were too high?

GE’s balance sheet is so complex that most analysts and investors have a hard time explaining it. GE will now not deliver its new formal 2018 earnings guidance until November of 2017, but investors already assume that GE’s old $2.00 in earnings per share target is well out of reach for now. GE’s new CEO also will outline what the portfolio of GE companies will look like in November.

It is very possible that John Flannery, Jeff Immelt’s successor, won’t be able to change GE’s narrative and message while Immelt is still on GE’s board of directors. Even if GE were to trim 20% off its 2018 earnings guidance, it would still be valued at just 15 times expected earnings. Is General Electric on the verge of becoming General Eclectic?

Shares of GE recently traded at $25.40, with a 52-week range of $25.26 to $32.38 and a consensus price target of $30.08. Over the past 52 weeks, the stock is down 20.5%. The market cap is about $221 billion.

Harley-Davidson: No hog heaven here

Harley-Davidson Inc. (NYSE: HOG) is having a hard time finding new motorcycle buyers. Even if you consider the growth of the rival Indian motorcycle and the niche markets of other products coming from the three-wheeled market, Harley-Davidson is having a hard time. Most people don’t think of motorcycle gangs being a growth industry, and even the packs of lawyers and doctors buying Harleys that replaced the old rough and tough guys has been hard to see growth from, as Harley-Davidson’s sales have fallen in 2015 and 2016 and are expected to fall in 2017.

It is undeniable that this is a great American brand. It’s also undeniable that this company has failed in rekindling interest. Besides all that, who alive has tried texting or Facebooking while driving a motorcycle?

Harley-Davidson shares were trading at $48.70, in a 52-week range of $46.00 to $63.40. The consensus price target is $52.25. Over the past year, the stock is down 3.8%. The market cap is $8.4 billion.

IBM: When strategic initiatives just cannot catch up fast enough

International Business Machines Corp. (NYSE: IBM) has faltered under the leadership of Ginni Rometty to the point that IBM has had to jettison its prior long-term earnings guidance for $20 per share. IBM has bought back massive amounts of stock, but now even the great Warren Buffett has sold some of his large stake, and that was viewed as an “I surrender” by the world’s greatest investor.

IBM’s core business of IT-consulting and on-site consultants has a long-term chart that looks quite similar to smoking trends in America over the past two decades. Strategic initiatives in the cloud, artificial intelligence, machine learning and so on just cannot grow fast enough, and IBM’s revenues have been lower for more than five years now. IBM does not even try to brag about its massive backlog of services revenues any longer.

Credit Suisse sees IBM falling to $110, but a less negative target from Jefferies is targeting a $125 stock price.

Shares of IBM were last seen at $146.85, with a consensus price target of $159.35 and a 52-week range of $145.80 to $182.79. Over the past year, the stock is down 8.3%. The market cap is $137 billion.

Macy’s: Department store woes meet the mall woes

Macy’s Inc. (NYSE: M) has suffered the wrath of Amazon and the omnichannel for a while now. Some shoppers may feel that the stores are outdated, and others just want the convenience that online shopping brings. Now Macy’s is two years deep into revenue declines, and analysts expect that to continue for the next three years, even after the news that Macy’s was bringing in a new CEO to replace Terry Lundgren.

Macy’s may not be alone in the painful changes in the retail department stores, and it might not be its fault that mall traffic is declining. Still, this stock has been crushed and no one is willing to pay up for what may be just seven times earnings. It also has proven more than difficult to unlock the value of its dirt. Whatever Macy’s tries to communicate seems to be ignored.

Shares of Macy’s traded at $23.20, in a 52-week range of $20.85 to $45.41 and with a consensus price target of $25.83. The stock is down 34.2% in the past year. The market cap is $6.9 billion.

Mattel: Too many toys in Toy Land?

Mattel Inc. (NASDAQ: MAT) is a great American toy company, and its brands of Barbie, American Girl, Hot Wheels, Fischer Price are well known. Having toys from movie franchises, superheroes, Disney, WWE and a slew of other sources just hasn’t translated to growth. In fact, revenues have been in decline since the $6.5 billion mark in 2013, down to about $5.5 billion in 2016. The toy business is rather tough, particularly when so many companies are fighting for that extra $5 to $20 impulse purchase for the kids.

This is another example where the toy business has been a tough one, and the cycles here can be quite long. Mattel’s stock went up to almost $50 back in 2013 but has now lost well over half of its value. Lower guidance, ceasing to offer future guidance and a 60% dividend cut in June of 2017 haven’t helped the narrative either. Is it possible that there are just too many toy choices these days — or are kids on smartphones just too much to compete with?

Shares of Mattel were last seen at $20.85, with a consensus price target of $23.92 and a 52-week range of $19.41 to $34.24. Over the past year, the stock is down 33.9%. The market cap is $7.1 billion.

Under Armour: When growth can’t even sell itself as value

Under Armour Inc. (NYSE: UAA) was a great and growing brand and its stock kept rising for years. Ultimately, growth stories start to fizzle, and competition from Nike, Adidas, Reebok and other up-and-coming brands gets tough after the competitors get sick enough of losing market share.

Under Armour pursued a split-class of shares, and Chairman and CEO Kevin Plank (founder) recently added a new president to the ranks to help run this sports apparel giant. Double-digit revenue growth just no longer impresses the “what have done for me lately” investor crowd. It’s also hard for Under Armour to sell itself as a value stock when it is valued at about 50 times earnings. New athlete and rapper endorsements are still not enough to drive interest. Under Armour’s shares peaked at roughly $50 in mid-2015, but they are currently closer to $20.

Also, Under Armour was downgraded to Sell from Hold with a $17 target price at Deutsche Bank on Tuesday.

Its shares were trading at $20.25, within a 52-week range of $18.35 to $44.68. The consensus price target is $21.57. Over the past 52 weeks, the stock is down 51.6%, and the market cap is more than $8 billion.

Urban Oufitters: Can clothing stores become destination restaurants?

Urban Outfitters Inc. (NASDAQ: URBN) grew and grew over the past two decades. This company even helped people get over the shock that they are paying close to $200 for jeans, and even controversial ad campaigns managed to not hurt the company. But, similar to what Gap experienced after endless growth in the 1990s, growth rates have become far more modest and the internet’s ability to act as a price moderator for hipster brands has put pressure on margins.

Urban Outfitters still may be marginally growing, but its stock has lost two-thirds of its value since peaking in early 2015. Maybe an activist investor can help here, and maybe Urban Outfitters needs to do some brand evaluations between its namesake brand and its other brands: Anthropologie, Bhldn, Terrain and Free People. Also, should retailers really be trying to grow restaurant operations?

Urban Outfitters shares were last seen at $18.15. The stock has a 52-week range of $16.19 to $40.80 and a consensus price target of $20.22. Over the past year, the stock is down 38.8%. The market cap is $2 billion.

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June 8, 2017: The S&P 500 closed ever so slightly higher, up 0.03% at 2,433.78. The DJIA closed up 0.05% at 21,184.24. Separately, the Nasdaq closed up 0.4% at 6,321.76. The markets moved up and down around the testimony of former FBI Director James Comey on Thursday, and the Dow briefly hit a new high as no new major bombshell statements about President Trump and Russia were made.

Thursday was more or less another flat day for the broad markets with the exception of the Nasdaq, which closed at a record high. As for the S&P 500, the only strong sector in Thursday’s session was financials, where mega-cap money center banks again lead the charge, followed by investment houses and life insurance as the top performers in the group.

There were some decent gains in major industrial stocks as well. The tech sector was again hit or miss although some of the smaller stocks in the index had a positive day. Consumer staples were largely negative on Thursday along with some select retailers and entertainment stocks. Health care stocks were mixed on the day but the mega-caps were mostly negative. Utilities had a poor day as well and this group was negative across the board.

Crude oil went to a on-month low on Thursday after taking a hit this week. Crude was last seen trading at $45.69. Gold gave back its gains this week and was last trading down about 1% at $1,280.90.

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The S&P 500 stock posting the largest daily percentage loss ahead of the close Thursday was Urban Outfitters, Inc. (NASDAQ: URBN) which traded down over 10% at $16.33. The stock’s 52-week range is $16.19 to $40.80. Volume was over 12 million versus the daily average of 3.7 million shares.

The stock posting the largest daily percentage gain in the S&P 500 ahead of the close Thursday was Yahoo! Inc. (NASDAQ: YHOO), which rose over 10% to $55.74. The stock’s 52-week range is $35.05 to $55.90. Volume was over 54 million on the day compared to the average of 8.2 million.

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[cnxvideo id=”655420″ placement=”ros”]Urban Outfitters, Inc. (NASDAQ: URBN) reported fiscal first-quarter financial results after markets closed Tuesday. The company said that it had $0.10 in earnings per share (EPS) and $761 million in revenue, versus consensus estimates from Thomson Reuters that called for $0.16 in EPS and $769.81 million in revenue. The same period from last year had $0.25 in EPS and $762.58 million in revenue.

Comparable retail segment net sales, which include the comparable direct-to-consumer channel, decreased 3.1%. By brand, comparable retail segment net sales increased 1.5% at Free People but decreased 3.1% at Urban Outfitters and 4.4% at the Anthropologie Group. Comparable retail segment sales were driven by strong, double-digit growth in the direct-to-consumer channel, both of which were offset by negative retail store comparable net sales. Wholesale segment net sales increased 14%.

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In terms of its business segments, the company reported:

• Urban Outfitters had revenues of $284.8 million, down 4.7% year over year.
• Anthropologie Group had revenues of $311.1 million, down from $314.1 million last year.
• Free People had revenues of $159.5 million up 10%.
• Food and Beverage had revenues of $5.84 million up 14.5% from last year.

On the books, cash, cash equivalents, and marketable securities totaled $371.0 million at the end of the quarter, versus $287.7 million in the same period from last year.

Richard A. Hayne, CEO of Urban Outfitters, commented:

During the first quarter we continued to see strong double-digit growth from our direct-to-consumer channel and our wholesale business. We believe we have significant opportunity to continue to grow both of these channels at all of our brands.

Shares of Urban Outfitters closed Tuesday down 2.3% at $20.46, with a consensus analyst price target of $26.63 and a 52-week trading range of $20.24 to $40.80. Following the release of the earnings report, the stock was down 1.8% at $20.09 in the after-hours trading session.

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[cnxvideo id=”508884″ placement=”ros”]May 15, 2017: Here are four stocks trading with relatively heavy volume among 102 equities making new 52-week lows in Monday’s session. On the NYSE, advancers led decliners by about 3 to 1 and on the Nasdaq advancers led decliners by about 2 to 1.

J.C. Penney Co. Inc. (NYSE: JCP) posted a new 52-week low of $4.17 on Monday, down nearly 8.4% compared with Friday’s closing price of $4.55. The stock’s 52-week high is $11.30. Volume totaled nearly 38 million shares, almost double the daily average of about 20 million. The company took a number of downgrades and price target cuts this morning.

Macy’s Inc. (NYSE: M) dropped about 1.4% Monday to post a new 52-week low of $23.27 after closing at $23.61 on Friday. The stock’s 52-week high is $45.41. Volume of more than 12 million was about 60% higher than the daily average of around 7 million shares traded. The department store company reported weak quarterly results last week and investors are increasingly wary of retail stocks.

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Verizon Communications Inc. (NYSE: VZ) dropped about 1.3% Monday to post a new 52-week low of $45.25 after closing at $45.84 on Friday. The stock’s 52-week high is $56.95. Volume was about 10% below the daily average of around 15.6 million shares. The company said today that it has filed a shelf registration with the SEC to issue senior unsecured debt on a recurring basis.

Urban Outfitters Inc. (NASDAQ: URBN) dropped about 3.6% Monday to post a new 52-week  low of $20.83 after closing Friday at $21.61. The 52-week high is $40.80. Volume of around 4.5 million shares was about 30% above the daily average of around 3.4 million. The company is scheduled to report first-quarter earnings on Tuesday, and investor expectations are low.

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[cnxvideo id=”510428″ placement=”ros”]Stocks were indicated lower on Tuesday after the first day of the second quarter closed marginally lower. The bull market is more than eight years old, and investors have proven over and over for more than five years that they will find a reason to buy all the market pullbacks. Those same investors are also still looking for new trading and investing ideas.

24/7 Wall St. reviews dozens of analyst research reports each day of the week in an effort to find new ideas for our readers. Some analyst reports cover stocks to buy, and some reports cover stocks to sell or to avoid.

Color has been added on many of the following calls, and the consensus analyst price targets referenced are from Thomson Reuters. These are the top analyst upgrades, downgrades and initiations seen on Tuesday, April 4, 2017:

Alphabet Inc. (NASDAQ: GOOGL) was downgraded to Market Perform from Outperform and the price target was lowered to $880 from $1,005 (versus an $856.75 prior close) at BMO Capital Markets. Alphabet shares were indicated down 0.9% at $849.00 on Tuesday, in a 52-week trading range of $672.66 to $874.42 and versus a consensus analyst target price of $984.27.

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Bank of America Corp. (NYSE: BAC) was downgraded to Neutral from Buy with a $25 price target (versus a $23.59 close) at Citigroup. The call is after a huge post-election surge. Bank of America shares have a 52-week range of $12.05 to $25.80 and a consensus price target of $25.39.

Caterpillar Inc. (NYSE: CAT) was already rated as Buy at Goldman Sachs, but the firm added Caterpillar to the prized Conviction Buy list with a $120 price target (versus a $92.27 close). The 52-week range is $69.04 to $99.46, and Caterpillar has a consensus target price of $92.95.

Nike Inc. (NYSE: NKE) was downgraded to Hold from Buy at Argus. Shares closed down 0.3% at $55.56 on Monday and were indicated down 0.5% at $55.25 on Tuesday, in a 52-week range of $49.01 to $60.68. The consensus target price is $62.36.

NVIDIA Corp. (NASDAQ: NVDA) was downgraded to Underweight from Sector Weight at Pacific Crest. The shares were indicated down 3% at $105.15 on Tuesday, in a 52-week range of $34.40 to $120.92. The consensus target price is $113.68.

Panera Bread Co. (NASDAQ: PNRA) was downgraded to Neutral from Outperform at Robert W. Baird, but the firm did raise its price target to $290 from $265 in the call. Credit Suisse raised its target to $300 from $260, noting that a buyout makes sense in the $300 to $310 levels. This is a day after speculation that Starbucks should buy the restaurant operator.

Snap Inc. (NYSE: SNAP) was started with a Neutral rating at BTIG. It closed Monday at $22.35 and was indicated down at $22.20 on Tuesday. Snap’s post-IPO range is $18.90 to $29.44, and it has a consensus price target of $23.36.

Urban Outfitters Inc. (NASDAQ: URBN) was downgraded to Neutral from Buy at Citigroup. It closed down 2.36% at $23.20 on Monday and was indicated down 5% at $22.00 on Tuesday. The prior 52-week range was $22.06 to $40.80, and the consensus target price is $27.68.

Other key analyst calls were seen in the following:

Athene Holding Ltd. (NYSE: ATH) was raised to Overweight from Equal Weight at Morgan Stanley.

Cirrus Logic Inc. (NASDAQ: CRUS) was raised to Overweight from Sector Weight at Pacific Crest.

FirstCash Inc. (NYSE: FCFS) was reiterated as Outperform and the price target was raised to $55 from $50 (versus a $49.00 close) at Wedbush Securities.

Guidewire Software Inc. (NYSE: GWRE) was raised to Buy from Neutral at Goldman Sachs.

L Brands Inc. (NYSE: LB) was downgraded to Neutral from Buy at Citigroup.

Paratek Pharmaceuticals Inc. (NASDAQ: PRTK) was reiterated as Outperform and the price target was raised to $34 from $30 (versus an $18.60 prior close) at Wedbush. The firm said there were no surprises as omadacycline CABP study was positive.

Presidio Inc. (NASDAQ: PSDO) was started as Outperform with an $18 price target (versus a $15.63 prior close) at Credit Suisse. Shares were indicated up 3% at $16.10 on Tuesday morning.

Skyworks Solutions Inc. (NASDAQ: SWKS) was raised to Overweight from Sector Weight at Pacific Crest.

Worthington Industries Inc. (NYSE: WOR) was raised to Hold from Sell with a $45 price target (versus a $44.23 close) at Jefferies. The firm noted that earnings will improve even though autos remain a concern.

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Monday’s top analyst upgrades and downgrades included Accenture, Ecolab, Huntington Bancshares, Oasis Petroleum, Snap, Under Armour and over a dozen more.

Credit Suisse’s U.S. equity strategy team released a buy-side survey about what is coming from Washington. They noted that split opinions were the norm, but also that there were a few areas of consensus thinking. These were as follows:

(1) corporate tax reform to pass by the end of 2018 and will be positive for S&P 500 EPS;
(2) repatriation to be part of the package but not border-adjustment tax;
(3) skeptical that any big legislation (financials regulatory reform, infrastructure spending) will get done in Washington.

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[cnxvideo id=”655420″ placement=”ros”]Stocks showed that they can finally stage a sell-off on Tuesday, and futures indicated a marginally weaker open on Wednesday. As stocks remain rather close to their all-time highs, the bull market is now more than eight years old. So far, the one trend that has held up is that investors have managed to buy stocks on every single pullback. Those same investors are also looking for new trading and investing ideas.

24/7 Wall St. reviews dozens of analyst research reports each day of the week. The goal is to find new investing and trading ideas for our readers. Some analyst reports cover stocks to buy, while others cover stocks to sell or to avoid.

Some color has been added on many of the following calls, and the consensus analyst price targets referenced are from Thomson Reuters. These are the top analyst upgrades, downgrades and initiations seen on Wednesday, March 22, 2017:

FedEx Corp. (NYSE: FDX) was down 0.2% at $191.84 before earnings, but the stock’s initial post-earnings drop had turned into a gain of 2.5% at $196.75 on Wednesday morning. Credit Suisse reiterated its Outperform rating and raised its target to $229 from $219, noting that the market should shrug off an initial earnings miss as the stage is set for significant growth at FedEx Express. Merrill Lynch reiterated its Buy rating and raised its price objective to $230 from $220. FedEx’s 52-week trading range is $145.00 to $201.57.

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Frontier Communications Corp. (NASDAQ: FTR) was downgraded to Sell from an already cautious Neutral rating at Goldman Sachs, and the firm cut the target to $1.50 from $3.00 (versus a $2.36 prior close). Shares were indicated down 7% at $2.19 on Wednesday, which is under its 52-week range of $2.31 to $5.75.

International Business Machines Corp. (NYSE: IBM) used its annual investor day to talk up the progress on its strategic initiatives (cloud, Watson, analytics and cognitive computing), but its shares closed down 1% at $173.88 on Tuesday due to a broad market sell-off. Argus reiterated its Buy rating and raised its price target to $192 from $185. Argus noted that IBM has two ways to grow its cloud space because it is a cloud equipment infrastructure provider and a cloud host.

LendingClub Corp. (NYSE: LC) was raised to Neutral from Underperform and the price target was raised to $5.00 from $4.50 (versus a $5.22 close) at Wedbush Securities. It has a 52-week range of $3.44 to $8.48.

Micron Technology Inc. (NASDAQ: MU) was reiterated as Outperform and the price target was raised to $35 from $30 (versus a $25.52 close) at Credit Suisse. The firm sees a sustained memory market momentum helping to boost Micron. Its 52-week range is $9.35 to $26.61. The consensus analyst target price was shown to be $32.79.

Nike Inc. (NYSE: NKE) was last seen trading lower on earnings, as futures orders disappoint and headwinds persist. Wedbush maintained its Neutral rating and $52 target. Jefferies maintained its Buy rating and $74 target, calling the gains by Adidas at a peak, and the firm is positive on Nike’s current product cycle. Merrill Lynch maintained its Underperform rating on Nike, noting that Vapormax could miss high expectations and with revenues expected to remain pressured.

Sirius XM Holdings Inc. (NASDAQ: SIRI) was downgraded to Equal Weight from Overweight at Barclays. It closed down 2.2% at $5.19 on Tuesday and was indicated down 0.6% more at $5.16 on Wednesday. Sirius XM has a 52-week range of $3.74 to $5.53 and a consensus analyst price target of $5.25.

Urban Outfitters Inc. (NASDAQ: URBN) was raised to Overweight from Sector Weight at KeyBanc Capital Markets.

Follow @Jonogg on Twitter to get analyst calls and research summaries posted directly to your feed.

Other key analyst calls were seen in the following:

Banco Bilbao Vizcaya Argentaria S.A. (NYSE: BBVA) was raised to Overweight from Equal Weight at Barclays.

Boeing Co. (NYSE: BA) was maintained as Underperform at Merrill Lynch, but the firm raised its price objective to $150 from $135 as it factors in higher share repurchases and a tailwind from decreasing pension expense. Still, Merrill lynch believes that we may be in the early stages of a commercial aero downcycle.

BorgWarner Inc. (NYSE: BWA) was raised to Buy from Hold at Deutsche Bank.

Colony Starwood Homes (NYSE: SFR) was started with a Buy rating and assigned a $38 price objective (versus a $33.52 close) at Merrill Lynch, noting that this is an early cycle play with structural tailwinds.

Computer Sciences Corp. (NYSE: CSC) was reiterated as Buy and the price target was raised to $81 from $74 (versus a $65.03 close) at Jefferies.

Freeport-McMoRan Inc. (NYSE: FCX) was raised to Hold from Sell and the price target was raised to $12 at Berenberg.

Gulfport Energy Corp. (NASDAQ: GPOR) was assumed with a Buy rating, but the old target of $35 was slashed to $22 (versus a $16.43 close), at Jefferies.

Idera Pharmaceuticals Inc. (NASDAQ: IDRA) was started as Outperform with an $8 price target (versus a $2.09 close) at JMP Securities. Shares were indicated up about 20% at $2.50 on Wednesday morning, in a 52-week range of $1.19 to $3.33.

Marriott International Inc. (NYSE: MAR) was reiterated as Buy and the price objective was raised to $100 (versus an $89.10 close) at Merrill Lynch. The firm noted that Marriott’s analyst day highlighted strength of Starwood, rooms and returns.

SunRun Inc. (NASDAQ: RUN) was raised to Buy From Neutral with a $6.50 price target (versus a $4.80 close) at UBS.

Jefferies gave a quick view of the oil market, as follows: OPEC’s market intervention has not yet resulted in significant visible inventory draw-down, and the financial markets have lost patience. However, it thinks the market is currently undersupplied and that the draws in inventory are coming. If OPEC agrees to extend its cuts into the second half, it believes inventories will move into their historic range — and support a price recovery above $60 per barrel by the fourth quarter.

Tuesday’s top analyst calls included Carnival, Facebook, Freeport-McMoRan, Motorola Solutions, Procter & Gamble and many more companies.

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[cnxvideo id=”655235″ placement=”ros”]March 13, 2017: The S&P 500 closed barely higher on the day up 0.04% and 0.87 points at 2,373.47. Separately the DJIA closed slightly lower 0.10% on the day at 20,881.48, down approximately 21.50 points. Overall this was brought about by the financial sector with help from some of the smaller stocks in the tech sector. Most of the weakness we saw in the S&P 500 on Monday came from oil and gas, apparel stores, and airlines. A few very large companies pulled down the index as well even if they were the only ones in their industry doing so. Otherwise, the market was relatively flat.

Crude oil continued to fall if only slightly. Oil closed 0.16% lower at $48.41.

Gold was relatively flat on the day increasing only 0.22% or $2.70, still holding barely above $1,200, at $1,204.10.

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As we have said before, the financial sector helped pull the S&P up along with most of the smaller tech stocks in the index. At first glance, this pick up in the tech sector bodes well for the future and it’s always good to see financials rally so that the market can get some legs under itself.

The only industries that had weak performance across the board were airlines, apparel stores, and oil and gas, but there were a few other select stocks with massive pull, which slowed the market. The other companies that pulled the Index down on the day included Merck, Intel, GE, and Bristol-Myers.

The S&P 500 stock posting the largest daily percentage loss ahead of the close Monday was Urban Outfitters, Inc. (NASDAQ: URBN) which traded down 3.5% at $24.29. The stock’s 52-week range is $22.87 to $40.80. Volume was 4.47 million versus the daily average of 2.59 million shares. The company saw its shares drop following a continued negative sentiment from its recent earnings report and a Friday decision from S&P to drop the stock from the S&P 500 Index.

The stock posting the largest daily percentage gain in the S&P 500 ahead of the close Monday was Citrix Systems, Inc. (NASDAQ: CTXS) which jumped 6.8% to $84.93. The stock’s 52-week range is $59.72 to $87.99. Volume was 5.19 million which is well above the daily average of around 2.09 million shares.

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[cnxvideo id=”655415″ placement=”ros”]Urban Outfitters Inc. (NASDAQ: URBN) released its most recent earnings report on Tuesday. Although the financial results just barely missing the estimates, shares fell and analysts capitulated. Some analysts are still holding on to the idea that Urban Outfitters could be a compelling growth story, but for the most part analysts cut their price targets after this muted report.

24/7 Wall St. has included some highlights from the earnings report, as well as what analysts said afterward.

The Urban retailer said that it had $0.55 in earnings per share (EPS) and $1.03 billion in revenue, versus consensus estimates from Thomson Reuters that called for $0.56 in EPS and revenue of $1.04 billion. The same period of last year reportedly had EPS of $0.61 and $1.01 billion in revenue.

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Comparable Retail segment net sales were flat for the quarter. By brand, comparable Retail segment net sales increased 2.0% at Urban Outfitters and 1.2% at Free People, but they decreased 2.9% at the Anthropologie Group.

Merrill Lynch maintained a Buy rating with a $35 price target. The firm gave its investment rationale as follows:

Urban is one of the most appealing growth stories in specialty retail, in our opinion. Its three proven concepts each have significant room for substantial expansion and its product is differentiated and compelling. A recovery in sales productivity levels at key brands and improving operating margins provide significant near-term earnings growth potential. Longer-term, square footage growth and an increasing penetration of ecommerce sales should drive earnings higher.

While Wedbush lowered its price target to $26 from $28, the firm noted strong e-commerce goals, as no retailer can ignore the digitalization trends. That report said:

Long-term commentary remains focused on digital, which CEO Hayne expects to overtake store sales within three years. URBN continues to directly address the key secular challenges generated from shifting sales online, more so than nearly all retail peers. CEO Hayne believes digital sales will represent 50% of total sales at URBN within the next three years.

A few other analysts weighed in on the report as well:

• BMO cut its price target to $25 from $29.
• Deutsche Bank lowered its price target to $24 from $25.
• Goldman Sachs cut its price target by a dollar to $21.
• Jefferies has a Buy rating and cut its price target to $35 from $43.
• JPMorgan lowered its price target to $25 from $26.
• RBC lowered its price target from $29 to $24.
• SunTrust Robinson cut its price target to $32 from $34.
• Telsey Advisory Group lowered its price target to $28 from $31.
• UBS has a Neutral rating and lowered its price target to $25 from $27.
• William Blair downgraded it to Market Perform from Outperform.

Shares of Urban Outfitters closed Friday at $25.17, with a consensus analyst price target of $27.66 and a 52-week trading range of $22.87 to $40.80.

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[cnxvideo id=”507732″ placement=”ros”]March 8, 2017: Here are four stocks trading with heavy volume among 115 equities making new 52-week lows in Wednesday’s session. On the NYSE, decliners led advancers by nearly 3 to 1 and on the Nasdaq decliners led advancers by about 4 to 3.

Rite Aid Corp. (NYSE: RAD) dropped about 6.6% Wednesday, to post a new 52-week low of $4.68 after closing at $5.01 on Tuesday. The stock’s 52-week high is $8.77. Volume was about 40% above the daily average of around 25 million shares. The company had no specific news.

Frontier Communications Corp. (NASDAQ: FTR) dropped about 4.2% on Wednesday to record a new 52-week low of $2.51 against a high of $5.75. The stock closed at $2.62 on Tuesday. Volume was about a third higher than the daily average of around 25 million shares. The company had no specific news Wednesday, but the struggling company continues getting slaughtered.

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Urban Outfitters Inc. (NASDAQ: URBN) dropped 10% Wednesday, to post a new 52-week low of $22.87 after closing at $25.41 on Tuesday. The stock’s 52-week high is $40.80. Volume was about 6 times the daily average of around 2.4 million shares. The specialty apparel retailer posted earnings and revenue misses last night and analysts were in no mood to be generous.

Cobalt International Energy Inc. (NYSE: CIE) dropped about 11.5% Wednesday to post a new 52-week low of $0.46 after closing Tuesday at $0.52. Volume of more than 12 million shares was nearly double the daily average of around 6.3 million. The independent oil & gas producer is expected to report earnings after markets close Wednesday. No good news is expected.

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[cnxvideo id=”655415″ placement=”ros”]Urban Outfitters Inc. (NASDAQ: URBN) reported fiscal fourth-quarter financial results on Tuesday, and despite the numbers just barely missing the estimates, shares dropped and analysts capitulated. Most analysts cut their targets in response to the report.

24/7 Wall St. has included some highlights from the earnings report, as well as what analysts are saying after the release.

The company posted $0.55 in earnings per share (EPS) and $1.03 billion in revenue, versus consensus estimates from Thomson Reuters that called for $0.56 in EPS and revenue of $1.04 billion. The same period of last year reportedly had EPS of $0.61 and $1.01 billion in revenue.

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Comparable Retail segment net sales were flat for the quarter. By brand, comparable Retail segment net sales increased 2.0% at Urban Outfitters and 1.2% at Free People, but they decreased 2.9% at the Anthropologie Group.

In terms of its segments for the quarter, the company reported:

• Urban Outfitters had net sales of $413.8 million.
• Anthropologie Group had net sales of $424.0 million.
• Free People had net sales of $186.3 million.

Merrill Lynch maintained a Buy rating with a $35 price target. The firm gave its investment rationale as follows:

Urban is one of the most appealing growth stories in specialty retail, in our opinion. Its three proven concepts each have significant room for substantial expansion and its product is differentiated and compelling. A recovery in sales productivity levels at key brands and improving operating margins provide significant near-term earnings growth potential. Longer-term, square footage growth and an increasing penetration of ecommerce sales should drive earnings higher.

While Wedbush lowered its price target to $26 from $28, the firm noted strong e-commerce goals, as no retailer can ignore the digitalization trends. That report said:

Long-term commentary remains focused on digital, which CEO Hayne expects to overtake store sales within three years. URBN continues to directly address the key secular challenges generated from shifting sales online, more so than nearly all retail peers. CEO Hayne believes digital sales will represent 50% of total sales at URBN within the next three years.

A few other analysts weighed in on the report as well:

• BMO cut its price target to $25 from $29.
• Deutsche Bank lowered its price target to $24 from $25.
• Goldman Sachs cut its price target by a dollar to $21.
• Jefferies has a Buy rating and cut its price target to $35 from $43.
• JPMorgan lowered its price target to $25 from $26.
• RBC lowered its price target from $29 to $24.
• SunTrust Robinson cut its price target to $32 from $34.
• Telsey Advisory Group lowered its price target to $28 from $31.
• UBS has a Neutral rating and lowered its price target to $25 from $27.
• William Blair downgraded it to Market Perform from Outperform.

Shares of Urban Outfitters were last seen down 3% at $24.60 on Wednesday, with a consensus analyst price target of $29.77 and a 52-week trading range of $22.87 to $40.80.

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[cnxvideo id=”655405″ placement=”ros”]Stocks were initially down by a miniscule amount in early trading indications on Wednesday, but an incredibly strong ADP payrolls gain put stocks marginally higher. The markets also had edged higher in Europe after Asian markets ticked up on stronger Chinese import data.

Now that the bull market is officially eight years old, the one trend that has not changed is that investors have an appetite to buy stocks. In fact, investors have literally bought every single sell-off for more than five years. Those same investors are looking for new ideas and overlooked opportunities.

24/7 Wall St. reviews dozens of analyst research reports each day of the week. Our goal is to find new investing and trading ideas for our readers. Some of these analyst reports cover stocks to buy, while other reports cover stocks to sell or to avoid.

Some color has been added on many of the following calls, and the consensus analyst price targets referenced are from Thomson Reuters. These are the top analyst upgrades, downgrades and initiations seen on Wednesday, March 8, 2017:

Chevron Corp. (NYSE: CVX) was reiterated as Buy with a $147 price target (versus a $113.17 close) at Jefferies on the heels of Chevron’s analyst day. The firm sees Chevron’s communications as in line with expectations. The firm said that the cash cycle is improving, while capex is being tightly controlled. The firm also noted that Chevron’s production growth will accelerate and that the Permian will be a key growth contributor.

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Novartis A.G. (NYSE: NVS) was raised to Buy from Hold at Societe Generale. The stock closed down 1.5% at $74.37 in New York trading on Tuesday, and it was indicated down another 0.7% at $73.82 on Wednesday. These American depositary shares (ADSs) have a 52-week range of $66.93 to $83.58, and the consensus analyst price target is $91.20.

Randgold Resources Ltd. (NASDAQ: GOLD) was downgraded to Underperform from Sector Perform at RBC Capital Markets, but the firm also has four solid gold buys with the expected interest rate hikes expected to already have been priced in.

Urban Outfitters Inc. (NASDAQ: URBN) was maintained as Buy at Jefferies, but the price target was cut to $35 from $43 (versus a $25.41 prior close). Wedbush Securities maintained a Neutral rating but cut its target to $26 from $28. William Blair downgraded Urban Outfitters to Market Perform from Outperform.

Vodafone Group PLC (NASDAQ: VOD) was already rated as Buy at Goldman Sachs, but the firm added it to the prized Conviction Buy list. Vodafone’s ADSs also have a price target of $38, versus a $25.04 prior close. The 52-week range is $24.17 to $31.69, and the consensus analyst price target was $33.23.

Follow @Jonogg on Twitter to get analyst calls and research summaries posted directly to your feed.

Other key analyst calls were seen in the following:

Align Technology Inc. (NASDAQ: ALGN) was reiterated as Outperform and the price target was raised to $110 from $97 at Credit Suisse. The call is after a number of recent positive headlines, a favorable patent ruling, two international distributor acquisitions and better teen offerings. Align Tech has a 52-week range of $66.79 to $104.70.

Charter Communications Inc. (NASDAQ: CHTR) was reiterated as Buy but the price target was raised to $388 from $300 (versus a $323.24 close) at Argus. While the Time Warner Cable and Bright House Networks acquisitions have added significant scale to Charter, Argus feels that management has cautioned that upgrading and integrating the acquired systems will take several years. They also said its shares appear favorably valued on a forward basis relative to peers.

Crown Castle International Corp. (NYSE: CCI) was raised to Outperform from Market Perform at Wells Fargo. It has a 52-week range of $79.38 to $102.82 and a consensus price target of $101.47.

Cytokinetics Inc. (NASDAQ: CYTK) was started as Buy and assigned a $25 target price (versus an $11.50 close) at Rodman & Renshaw. Shares were indicated up 4% at $11.99 on Wednesday.

Evolent Health Inc. (NYSE: EVH) was already rated as Buy at Goldman Sachs, but the firm added it to the prized Conviction Buy list with a $30 price target (versus a $19.05 close, after a 3% drop). Evolent has a 52-week range of $9.51 to $26.84.

Grupo Televisa SAB (NYSE: TV) was downgraded to Neutral from Outperform with a $28 price target (versus a $25.72 close) at Credit Suisse. The 52-week range is $19.69 to $29.34.

Impax Laboratories Inc. (NASDAQ: IPXL) was raised to Buy from Hold and the price target was kept at $11 (versus a $9.10 close) at Deutsche Bank.

Nationstar Mortgage Holdings Inc. (NYSE: NSM) was downgraded to Underweight from Neutral at Piper Jaffray.

Navistar International Corp. (NYSE: NAV) was raised to Hold from Sell with a $24 price target (versus a $24.85 close) at Stifel.

Omnicom Group Inc. (NYSE: OMC) was raised to Outperform from Sector Perform at RBC Capital Markets.

Skyworks Solutions Inc. (NASDAQ: SWKS) was started with an Outperform rating at Wells Fargo, while Deutsche Bank raised its rating to Buy from Hold.

UDR Inc. (NYSE: UDR) was raised to Neutral From Underperform by Bank of America.

Credit Suisse has a note on the interest rate-sensitive mortgage REITs. The firm’s view is that declining volatility is leading to stable first-quarter book values. Two Harbors Investment and PennyMac Mortgage Investment Trust remain its sector top picks.

Tuesday’s top analyst calls included of AbbVie, Frontier Communications, Hyatt Hotels, Weatherford International and many more.

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[cnxvideo id=”655415″ placement=”ros”]Urban Outfitters Inc. (NASDAQ: URBN) reported fiscal fourth-quarter financial results after markets closed on Tuesday. The company posted $0.55 in earnings per share (EPS) and $1.03 billion in revenue versus consensus estimates from Thomson Reuters that called for $0.56 in EPS and $1.04 billion in revenue. The same period of last year reportedly had EPS of $0.61 and $1.01 billion in revenue.

Comparable Retail segment net sales were flat for the quarter. By brand, comparable Retail segment net sales increased 2.0% at Urban Outfitters and 1.2% at Free People, but they decreased 2.9% at the Anthropologie Group.

In terms of its segments for the quarter, the company reported:

• Urban Outfitters had net sales of $413.8 million.
• Anthropologie Group had net sales of $424.0 million.
• Free People had net sales of $186.3 million.

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On the books, Urban Outfitters cash, cash equivalents and marketable securities totaled $359.2 million at the end of the quarter, versus $327.3 million in the same period from last year.

As of January 31, there are 6.0 million common shares remaining under the company’s current repurchase authorization.

Richard A. Hayne, CEO, commented:

We are pleased to announce record fourth quarter and full year sales driven mostly by the continued success in the direct-to-consumer channel. As we enter a new year, we will continue to shift our efforts and spend into our fastest growing channel.

Shares of Urban Outfitters closed Tuesday down 1% at $25.41, with a consensus analyst price target of $29.77 and a 52-week trading range of $24.29 to $40.80. Following the release of the earnings report, the stock was initially up 2.3% at $26.00 in the after-hours trading session.

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[cnxvideo id=”655420″ placement=”ros”]The broad markets are pushing higher, with the Dow Jones Industrial Average rising above 21,000 this past week, and the S&P 500 has been holding steady just under 2,400. While the Dow has closed higher for weeks, the growth has been slower as of late. Earnings over the past month have helped to solidify these markets, although going forward we are in the doldrums of earnings.

However, some companies in this time could help move the markets higher. 24/7 Wall St. has put together a preview of the most anticipated quarterly earnings reports that are on deck for the coming week.

We have included the consensus earnings estimates from Thomson Reuters and the stock price and trading history, as well as some additional color on each.

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H&R Block Inc. (NYSE: HRB) will share its most recent quarterly results after the markets close on Tuesday. The consensus estimates call for a net loss of $0.50 and $446.39 million in revenue. Shares closed trading at $20.98 on Friday, in a 52-week range of $19.18 to $28.61. The stock has a consensus analyst price target of $23.43.

Also after the markets close Tuesday, Urban Outfitters Inc. (NASDAQ: URBN) is scheduled to release its fiscal fourth-quarter financial results. The consensus estimates are $0.56 in earnings per share (EPS) on $1.04 billion in revenue. Shares were last seen at $26.06, with a consensus price target of $30.35 and a 52-week trading range of $24.29 to $40.80.

The latest quarterly earnings from Express Inc. (NYSE: EXPR) are expected early on Wednesday. The consensus estimates call for $0.29 in EPS and $676.8 million in revenue. Shares closed at $10.93, in a 52-week range of $9.91 to $21.57. The consensus price target is $12.00.

El Pollo Loco Holdings Inc. (NASDAQ: LOCO) is set to report its fourth-quarter results Thursday. The analysts’ consensus estimates call for EPS of $0.13 and $91.78 million in revenue. Shares were changing hands at $12.20 on Friday’s close. The consensus price target is $14.33, and the 52-week range is $10.08 to $15.44.

Fiscal fourth-quarter results from Ulta Beauty Inc. (NASDAQ: ULTA) also are scheduled for Thursday afternoon. The consensus estimate is $2.13 in EPS, on $1.54 billion in revenue. Shares were last seen at $278.15. The consensus price target is $301.60. The 52-week trading range is $158.21 to $278.63.

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The post Top 5 Earnings to Watch Next Week appeared first on 24/7 Wall St..

[cnxvideo id=”508518″ placement=”ros”]Stocks were indicated to open moderately lower on Monday, but the Dow Jones Industrial Average and S&P 500 are both effectively just under all-time highs after the rally has continued. The bull market is now within a few days of being eight years old, and investors have bought after every single sell-off for about five years now. Those same investors are also looking for new ideas and overlooked opportunities.

24/7 Wall St. reviews dozens of analyst reports each day of the week to find new investing and trading ideas for our readers. Some analyst reports cover stocks to buy, while other reports cover stocks to sell or avoid.

Some color has been added on many of the following calls, and the consensus analyst price targets referenced are from Thomson Reuters. These are the top analyst upgrades, downgrades and initiations seen on Monday, February 27, 2017:

Aflac Inc. (NYSE: AFL) was raised to Overweight from Neutral with a $75 price target (versus a $71.71 prior close) at JPMorgan. Aflac has a 52-week trading range of $59.32 to $74.50 and a consensus analyst target price of $71.77.

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Carnival Corp. (NYSE: CCL) was raised to Buy from Hold with a $64 price target (versus a $56.03 close) at Argus. Carnival has a 52-week range of $42.94 to $57.79 and a consensus price target of $58.15.

J.C. Penney Co. Inc. (NYSE: JCP) was downgraded to Neutral from Buy at B. Riley. The shares hit a 52-week low of $6.18 on Friday, and the drop of 5.8% to $6.46 was actually above the prior 52-week low. Its 52-week high is $11.99.

Sunoco L.P. (NYSE: SUN) was downgraded to Neutral from Buy at Citigroup. Sunoco closed at $27.51, and it has a 52-week range of $21.01 to $37.25 and a consensus price target of $29.61.

Under Armour Inc. (NYSE: UA) was downgraded to Reduce from Neutral and the price target was slashed to $16 from $27 at Nomura. It has a 52-week range of $17.77 to $46.53, and the consensus analyst target is $23.00.

Also see our look at Warren Buffett’s 10 most profitable investments of 2017.

Other key analyst calls were seen in the following:

Agree Realty Corp. (NYSE: ADC) was downgraded to Hold from Buy but the price target was raised to $51 from $49 (versus a $50.74 close) at Wunderlich.

Cinemark Holdings Inc. (NYSE: CNK) was raised to Sector Perform from Outperform at RBC Capital Markets.

Hanesbrands Inc. (NYSE: HBI) was downgraded to Equal Weight from Overweight at Morgan Stanley.

Illumina Inc. (NASDAQ: ILMN) was raised to Buy from Hold at Evercore ISI.

Laureate Education Inc. (NASDAQ: LAUR) was started as Overweight with an $18 price target at Morgan Stanley. Stifel started it as Buy with a $17 price target.

Public Service Enterprise Group Inc. (NYSE: PEG) was downgraded to Market Perform from Outperform at Wells Fargo.

Steven Madden Ltd. (NASDAQ: SHOO) was raised to Buy from Neutral at B. Riley.

Telephone and Data Systems Inc. (NYSE: TDS) was downgraded to Market Perform from Strong Buy at Raymond James.

Terex Corp. (NYSE: TEX) was raised to Buy from Hold and the price target was raised to $37 from $36 (versus a $30.35 close) at Deutsche Bank.

Tesaro Inc. (NASDAQ: TSRO) was downgraded to Neutral from Outperform but the price target was raised to $182 from $127 (versus a $186.90 close) at Robert W. Baird.

Urban Outfitters Inc. (NASDAQ: URBN) was downgraded to Sell from Neutral at MKM Partners.

Visteon Corp. (NYSE: VC) was downgraded to Neutral from Buy but the price target was raised to $97 from $87 (versus a $94.16 close) at Citigroup.

Follow @Jonogg on Twitter to get analyst calls and research summaries posted directly to your feed.

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Stocks have had an up and down week, but shares were indicated lower on Thursday morning. The bull market is now within a month of being eight years old, but investors have still found reasons to buy every sell-off. Those same investors are also looking for new and overlooked opportunities.

24/7 Wall St. reviews dozens of analyst reports each day of the week to find new investing and trading ideas for our readers. Some of these analyst reports cover stocks to buy and others cover stocks to sell or avoid. Most of the following analyst calls include some color, and Thomson Reuters was used for consensus analyst price target data.

Wednesday’s Federal Reserve statement was confusingly dovish, without much economic upgrade nor with any guidance on updated rate hike targets. Now on Thursday the Bank of England raised its own economic growth forecasts for the next three years while keeping rates flat. The Dow has hit 20,000, and there is a path for DJIA 21,422 later in 2017 or in early 2018.

These are the top analyst upgrades, downgrades and initiations seen on Thursday, February 2, 2017:

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Acacia Communications Inc. (NASDAQ: ACIA) was raised to Overweight from Equal Weight with an $80 price target (versus a $54.99 prior close) at Morgan Stanley. It was down 5.5% on Wednesday but was indicated up 4.1% at $57.25 on Thursday. Acacia has a 52-week trading range of $27.05 to $128.73 and a consensus analyst target price of $112.50.

Facebook Inc. (NASDAQ: FB) was up 2.2% to $133.23 ahead of Wednesday’s earnings and was closer to $135.00 at all-time highs in the after-hours session, but shares were indicated up just 0.6% at $134.10 on Thursday. Facebook was downgraded to Hold from Buy with a $135 price target at Pivotal Research. Wedbush Securities reiterated its Outperform rating and raised its target to $175 from $162. Credit Suisse has an Outperform rating and raised its target to $170 from $165. Facebook’s old 52-week range was $96.82 to $133.50.

Lululemon Athletica Inc. (NASDAQ: LULU) was raised to Neutral from Sell with a $65 price target (versus a $66.40 close) at Goldman Sachs. Lululemon has a 52-week range of $54.00 to $81.81 and a consensus price target of $73.34.

Shutterfly Inc. (NASDAQ: SFLY) was last seen down 18.5% at $42.20 after earnings and guidance disappointed investors. It was downgraded to Neutral from Outperform at Robert W. Baird. Needham downgraded Shutterfly to Hold from Buy.

Transocean Ltd. (NYSE: RIG) was downgraded to Underweight from Equal Weight at Morgan Stanley. Transocean closed up two cents at $13.99 on Wednesday and was indicated down five cents at $13.94 on Thursday. Shares have a 52-week range of $7.67 to $16.66, and the consensus price target is just $12.85.

United Rentals Inc. (NYSE: URI) has enjoyed one massive run in the post-election rally and then had solid earnings. Now Argus has said it is stretched on valuation after rising 80% since November 8, and the firm downgraded its rating to Hold from Buy as a result.

Urban Outfitters Inc. (NASDAQ: URBN) was downgraded to Sell from Neutral with a $22 price target (versus a $26.23 closing price) at Goldman Sachs. Urban Outfitters has a 52-week range of $22.95 to $40.80, and it has a consensus price target of $33.03.

Follow @Jonogg on Twitter to get analyst calls and research summaries posted directly to your feed.

Other key analyst calls were seen in the following:

Allegheny Technologies Inc. (NYSE: ATI) was downgraded to Sell from Hold with a $16 price target (versus a $21.62 close) at Berenberg.

CVS Health Corp. (NYSE: CVS) was downgraded to Neutral from Outperform at Robert W. Baird. It closed down 1% at $77.97 on Wednesday and was down another 1.8% at $76.55 in early indications on Thursday.

Foot Locker Inc. (NYSE: FL) was raised to Buy from Neutral with an $85 price target (versus a $68.31 close) at Guggenheim.

Juno Therapeutics Inc. (NASDAQ: JUNO) was started as Neutral with a $24 price target at Wedbush.

Kite Pharma Inc. (NASDAQ: KITE) was started as Neutral with a $24 price target at Wedbush.

Nordstrom Inc. (NYSE: JWN) was downgraded to Sell from Neutral at Goldman Sachs.

Natus Medical Inc. (NASDAQ: BABY) was downgraded to Market Perform from Outperform at Raymond James.

ONEOK Inc. (NYSE: OKE) was raised to Outperform from Neutral with a $63 price target (versus a $54.01 close) at Credit Suisse.

ONEOK Partners L.P. (NYSE: OKS) was downgraded to Market Perform from Outperform at BMO Capital Markets. It was also raised to Outperform with a $55 price target (versus a $51.70 close) at Credit Suisse.

Pacific Coast Oil Trust (NYSE: ROYT) was raised to Buy from Hold with a $2 price target (after rising 26% to $1.50 on Wednesday) at Stifel.

Sally Beauty Holdings Inc. (NYSE: SBH) was downgraded to Perform from Outperform at Oppenheimer.

Seadrill Partners LLC (NYSE: SDLP) was raised to Overweight from Equal Weight with an $8 price target (versus a $3.96 close) at Morgan Stanley. Seadrill Partners was indicated up 3.5% at $4.10 on Thursday morning because Morgan Stanley rarely calls on companies to double in price.

Total System Services Inc. (NYSE: TSS) was raised to Buy from Hold with a $60 price target (versus a $50.32 close) at Stifel.

United States Steel Corp. (NYSE: X) was raised to Buy from Neutral but the price objective remained flat at $40 at Merrill Lynch.

Wednesday’s top analyst calls included Amgen, Apple, Corning, Mobileye, Under Armour, Electronic Arts and over a dozen more.

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A great deal of analysis and criticism has been given to the use, or abuse, of the term “Indian” or related terms that refer Native Americans by professional sports franchises.

American corporations have been even more aggressive in the adoption of the term “Indian,” pejorative terms for Native Americans like “red man,” images of Indians and the names of specific tribes. These uses often trade on associations with tribes that are renowned for courage, skills in battle or centuries of adaptation to difficult terrain or climate.

24/7 Wall St. has examined some of the most prominent or widely known Indian names or tribal names taken and used for corporate and product branding without permission or compensation.

The adoptions of these names or terms are done without compensation. In the case of pejorative terms, it is done with no regard to humiliation. In a number of cases, the images of tribes have been co-opted to build brands.

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Nat Sherman, Tobacconist to the World. This New York City cigar vendor has a cigar store Indian outside its flagship townhouse. The cigar store Indian is one of the most notoriously humiliating uses of Native American images.

Land O’Lakes. This huge agribusiness co-operative uses an “Indian maiden” to market packages for its butter products. The parent company was founded in 1921, and use of the Indian maiden “princess” began in 1928.

Red Man Snuff and Chew. Chewing tobacco products from Pinkerton Tobacco were originally introduced in 1904.

Indian Motorcycles. A line of high-end motorcycles with prices to match. The company dates back to 1897.

Calumet Baking Powder. The original parent company was founded in 1889, and is now owned by Kraft Heinz Co. (NASDAQ: KHC).

Mutual of Omaha. This insurance conglomerate’s roots date back to 1909. The Indian chief logo was adopted in 1950.

Mohawk Industries. This carpet and flooring company was founded in 1875. It adopted the Mohawk Mills name in 1920, and via a series of mergers and acquisitions it is now major American conglomerate, Mohawk Industries Inc. (NYSE: MHK). Its name was “borrowed” from a tribe once based in the Mohawk Valley in New York state.

Apache. Founded in 1954, this company picked its name because it “was the sum of the founders’ initials – a, p and a – with che.'” Apache Corp. (NYSE: APA) is one of the world’s leading oil and gas exploration firms. The Apaches were originally a group of tribes located in the southeastern United States, from Arizona to Texas. Some of the tribes were widely regarded as great warriors. Geronimo was among the Apache chiefs.

Apache Software Foundation. This nonprofit controls development of open source software, much of which revolves around one of the world’s most broadly used web servers.

Jeep Cherokee/Grand Cherokee. Now owned by Fiat Chrysler Automobiles N.V. (NYSE: FCAU), this brand was introduced in 1974 and is among the most successful nameplates in its history. It is named after the Cherokee tribe, Native Americans who originally lived in the area that is now the southeastern United States.

Chevy Cheyenne. This brand was first used by General Motors Inc. (NYSE: GM) to designate a new high-end trim package for the popular C/10 pickup in 1971. The Cheyenne lived in eastern Montana, Wyoming and Colorado. The 444,000-acre Northern Cheyenne reservation is located in southeastern Montana and headquartered in the town of Lame Deer.

Winnebago. Iowa-based Winnebago Industries Inc. (NYSE: WGO) began building travel trailers in 1958 and manufactured its first recreational vehicles in 1966. Now known as the Ho Chunk Nation, the Winnebago occupied parts of Wisconsin, Iowa, South Dakota, Minnesota, Nebraska and Illinois.

Seneca Foods. Seneca Foods Corp. (NASDAQ: SENEA) was founded in 1949 and is based near Rochester, New York. The company packages and sells fruits and vegetables under its own and other brands. One of six Native American nations comprising the Haudenosaunee (Iroquois) Confederacy, the Seneca Nation has more than 8,000 enrolled members and is the fifth-largest employer in western New York.

Umpqua Holdings. This banking firm was founded in 1953 and is based in Portland, Oregon. Umpqua Holdings Corp. (NASDAQ: UMPQ) now operates 382 locations in five western states. There are at least three Umpqua tribes with roots in the state of Oregon: the Cow Creek band; Confederated Tribes of Grand Ronde; and the Confederate tribes of Coos, Lower Umpqua and Siuslaw Indians.

Urban Outfitters. Urban Outfitters Inc. (NASDAQ: URBN) introduced a “Navajo” apparel and accessories line in 2001. The Navajo Nation filed suit in 2012, seeking restitution for the use of the tribe’s name. In November 2016 the two sides settled. The Navajo Nation is the largest Native American tribe in the United States, with 250,000 members and a 27,000-square-mile reservation extending across Utah, Arizona and New Mexico.

Oneida. This is among the world’s largest makers of stainless steel flatware and other tabletop products. It is an EveryWare Global-owned company that was founded as the Oneida Community in 1848, one of many 19th century utopias. The Oneida Nation originally was located in upstate New York, and now it occupies a 65,400-acre reservation in Wisconsin.

American Spirit. These cigarettes are a product of Santa Fe Natural Tobacco, a subsidiary of Reynolds American Inc. (NYSE: RAI) that has been offered $47 billion if it agrees to be acquired by British American Tobacco. The company uses a stylized Indian-head logo on American Spirit packaging, and it is currently being sued for misleading claims about American Spirit’s “organic” tobacco.

Cherokee. Cherokee Inc. (NASDAQ: CHKE) markets, manages and licenses fashion and lifestyle brands. Skateboarding icon Tony Hawk may be the best-known of the company’s brands. It is another of many companies that use the Cherokee name.

Apache and Chinook. Boeing Co.’s (NYSE: BA) defense and space group brands its attack helicopter with the Apache name and its heavy-hauler with the Chinook name. Both are names of Native American tribes: the Apache from the American Southwest and the Chinook from the Pacific Northwest.

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[cnxvideo id=”625494″ placement=”ros”] Stocks have hit new all-time highs on a post-election Trump rally, with the Dow over 19,000 and the S&P 500 hitting 2,200. Markets were looking for direction ahead of Thanksgiving and many investors are already out of the office or have their foot out the door. Investors have proven over and over that they will buy the market on any real pullback. Those same investors are also looking for new ideas for where they should be investing in 2017 and beyond.

24/7 Wall St. reviews dozens of analyst research reports each morning of the week to find new investing and trading ideas for our readers. Some analyst research reports cover stocks to buy, and other analyst calls cover stocks to sell or stocks to avoid.

Investors need to understand that we have had one massive rally in the last two weeks without a single pullback. That is just not normal. Bond yields have risen and the Federal Reserve wants to hike interest rates. Stocks are at all-time highs and the earnings multiples are also very high. Some of the key stocks that are beneficiaries of the election have even risen 15% to 20% in the last two weeks. Also, the bull market is now nearing eight years old.

These are the top analyst upgrades, downgrades and initiations seen from this Wednesday morning:

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Analog Devices, Inc. (NASDAQ: ADI) was raised to Buy from Neutral with a $85 price target (versus $72.89 close, after a 4.4% gain) at BofA Merrill Lynch. Analog Devices has a 52-week range of $47.24 to $74.87 and has a consensus analyst price target of $73.31.

First Solar, Inc. (NASDAQ: FSLR) was downgraded to Neutral from Outperform at Macquarie. First Solar rose almost 1% to $29.66 on Tuesday and was indicated down almost the same amount at $29.40 on Wednesday. First Solar also has a 52-week range of $28.60 to $74.29 and it has a consensus analyst target that has come down to about $37.00.

Hewlett Packard Enterprise Company (NYSE: HPE) was maintained as Buy but the price target was cut to $27 from $29 (versus $22.87 close) at Jefferies. Mizuho has a Neutral rating but they raised their target to $22 from $20. HP Enterprise was down 1% ahead of its mixed earnings report, and shares were indicated down 3.3% at $22.10 on Wednesday.

Intel Corp. (NASDAQ: INTC) was reiterated as Buy with a $45 price target at Argus based upon AI and deep learning sales coming next year. This was also noting a combined value in the high $40s.Intel has a 52-week range of $27.68 to $38.36 and has a consensus analyst price target of $40.26.

Urban Outfitters, Inc. (NASDAQ: URBN) was up almost 5% at $39.01 before disappointing earnings and guidance, and shares were last seen down 9.9% at $35.15 on Wednesday morning. It was reiterated as Buy with a $45 price target at Jefferies. Wedbush Securities maintained its Neutral rating and $34 target after results and margins look lower, while Wunderlich downgraded Urban Outfitters to Hold from Buy and the target was cut to $32 from $40.

You can follow @Jonogg on Twitter if you want the daily analyst calls and research updates directly on your Twitter feed.

Other key analyst upgrades and downgrades seen on Wednesday were in shares of the following companies:

Abercrombie & Fitch (NYSE: ANF) was downgraded to Sell from Hold with a $13 price target (versus $15.49 close) at Deutsche Bank. This call follows roughly 10 downgrades and target cuts in recent days.

Autoliv, Inc. (NYSE: ALV) was raised to Neutral from Sell at Goldman Sachs.

Bank of Montreal (NYSE: BMO) was raised to Neutral from Underperform at Credit Suisse.

Camden Property Trust (NYSE: CPT) was raised to Buy from Neutral at BofA Merrill Lynch.

Carnival Corporation (NYSE: CCL) was raised to Outperform from Market Perform at Sanford Bernstein.

Cognizant Technology Solutions (NASDAQ: CTSH) was downgraded to Market Perform from Outperform at William Blair.

Diplomat Pharmacy, Inc. (NYSE: DPLO) was downgraded to Underperform from Neutral at Credit Suisse.

Education Realty Trust (NYSE: EDR) was raised to Buy from Neutral at BofA Merrill Lynch.

McKesson (NYSE: MCK) was downgraded to Underperform from Neutral at Credit Suisse.

PAREXEL International Corp. (NASDAQ: PRXL) was downgraded to Market Perform from Outperform at Wells Fargo.

Koninklijke Philips N.V. (NYSE: PHG) was started as Buy at Citigroup.

Ternium S.A. (NYSE: TX) was started as Buy at Berenberg.

ZTO Express (NYSE: ZTO) was started as Overweight at J.P. Morgan.

Credit Suisse’s global equity strategy team upgraded Japanese equities to Overweight and they increased their mid-2017 Nikkei price target to 20,000.

Merrill Lynch has 5 buy and hold forever dividend payers.

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Tuesday’s top analyst upgrades and downgrades were in shares of Duke Energy, Ford, GM, Huntington Bancshares, Tyson Foods and in a dozen or so more companies.

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24/7 Wall St. has put together a preview of some of the major companies reporting their quarterly results in this shortened trading week. Thanksgiving is upon us and only a few companies are reporting this week, considering the markets are closed on Thursday and Black Friday is a day many take off.

Keep in mind that the U.S. presidential election has ended and President-Elect Trump is now nominating members of his team. This has pushed markets to new highs.

We have included the consensus earnings estimates from Thomson Reuters and the stock price and trading history, as well as added some additional color on each.

Note that the earnings and revenue estimates may change ahead of the formal reports, and some companies may reschedule reporting dates as well.

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Palo Alto Networks Inc. (NYSE: PANW) is set to report its most recent results on Monday. The analysts’ consensus estimates call for earnings per share (EPS) of $0.53 and $400.2 million in revenue. Shares were changing hands at $161.35on Friday. The consensus price target is $180.89, and the 52-week trading range is $111.09 to $194.73.

Dollar Tree Inc. (NASDAQ: DLTR) is expected to share its latest quarterly earnings on Tuesday. The consensus estimates call for $0.78 in EPS on $5.08 billion in revenue. Shares were trading at $81.91 on Friday, in a 52-week range of $67.36 to $99.93. The consensus price target is $91.25.

GameStop Corp. (NYSE: GME) is scheduled to report its third-quarter results on Tuesday. The consensus estimates are $0.47 in EPS and $1.99 billion in revenue. Shares traded at $23.46 on Friday. The consensus price target is $26.61, and the 52-week range is $20.10 to $39.77.

Hewlett Packard Enterprise Co. (NYSE: HPE) is expected to reveal its fiscal fourth-quarter results on Tuesday. The consensus forecast calls for a $0.61 in EPS, as well as $12.85 billion in revenue. The stock traded on Friday at $23.31 per share. The consensus price target is $23.25, and the 52-week range is $11.62 to $23.85.

HP Inc. (NYSE: HPQ) is set to reveal its fiscal fourth-quarter results on Tuesday as well. The consensus estimates call for $0.36 in EPS but $11.88 billion in revenue. Shares were trading at $15.87 on Friday. The consensus price target is $16.27. The 52-week range is $8.91 to $16.19.

Seadrill Ltd. (NYSE: SDRL) will to share its latest quarterly earnings on Tuesday. The consensus estimates call for $0.22 in EPS and $721.81 million in revenue. Shares were at $2.35 in Friday trading, in a 52-week range of $1.57 to $7.49. The consensus price target is $1.96.

Urban Outfitters Inc. (NASDAQ: URBN) fiscal third-quarter report is scheduled for Tuesday. The consensus estimates are $0.44 in EPS and $869.07 million in revenue. Shares traded at $37.51 on Friday. The consensus price target is $37.36, and the 52-week range is $20.06 to $40.80.

Deere & Co. (NYSE: DE) is scheduled to report its fiscal fourth-quarter results on Wednesday. The consensus analyst estimates call for $0.40 in EPS and revenue of $5.38 billion. Shares traded on Friday at $91.96. The consensus price target is $85.21. The 52-week range is $70.16 to $92.99.

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[cnxvideo id=”625481″ placement=”ros”]Thursday morning was a one that was quite simply directionless, after a mild 50-point drop in the Dow Jones Industrial Average from Wednesday. Maybe things got overbought after a seven-day continuous rally without a single down day. Some of the key election beneficiary stocks had run 20% or more in the past week. That is not normal at all and might mean some overbought selling is due. Federal Reserve Chair Janet Yellen was set to deliver testimony on the Economic Outlook before the Joint Economic Committee of Congress on Thursday morning as well.

24/7 Wall St. reviews dozens of analyst research reports each morning of the week to find new investing and trading ideas for our readers. Some of these analyst research reports cover stocks to buy, and other calls cover stocks to sell or avoid.

Investors keep looking for new ideas for gains or income. They have proven endlessly that they will buy the sell-offs and market dips. Rising bond yields, a Fed wanting to hike rates, high valuations and a huge political upset just do not seem to be in the way. Another point to consider is that this bull market is now closer to eight years old than seven.

These are the top analyst upgrades, downgrades and initiations seen on Thursday morning:

Cisco Systems Inc. (NASDAQ: CSCO) was last seen trading down 5% at $29.97 after earnings. Oppenheimer maintained its Outperform rating and its $34 target, but it warned that tough macro issues and product weakness add to its challenges. Jefferies reiterated its Buy rating and $35 target based on strong billing metrics. Cisco has a 52-week trading range of $22.46 to $31.95.

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Freeport-McMoRan Inc. (NYSE: FCX) was downgraded to Hold from Buy with a $12.50 price target (versus a $13.80 prior close) at Deutsche Bank. Note that the stock was trading under $11 just two weeks ago, and its 52-week range is $3.52 to $14.26.

Microsoft Corp. (NASDAQ: MSFT) was raised to Buy from Neutral with a $68 price target (versus a $59.65 close) at Goldman Sachs. It has a 52-week range of $48.04 to $61.37 and a consensus analyst price target of $63.79.

NetApp Inc. (NASDAQ: NTAP) was raised to Buy from Hold with a $52 price target (versus a $34.73 close) at Drexel Hamilton. Shares were indicated up 10% at $34.75 on Thursday after beating earnings estimates. NetApp has a 52-week range of $20.66 to $36.10, as well as a consensus price target of $32.31, prior to this move.

SunPower Corp. (NASDAQ: SPWR) was downgraded to Neutral from Outperform with a $7 price target (versus a $7.16 close) at Robert W. Baird. The firm does not see SunPower’s prospects recovering any time soon, even with the shares down 80% from a peak due to a supply glut and industry deterioration. They see its premium modules having a harder time selling, and shares were indicated down 6% at $6.72 on Thursday.

Urban Outfitters Inc. (NASDAQ: URBN) was downgraded to Equal Weight from Overweight at Morgan Stanley. The consensus analyst target is $37.36, and the 52-week range is $20.06 to $40.80.

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Other key analyst upgrades and downgrades were seen in the following:

Atwood Oceanics Inc. (NYSE: ATW) was downgraded to Sell from Neutral at Citigroup.

Citizens Financial Group Inc. (NYSE: CFG) was downgraded to Neutral from Outperform (a valuation call) at Wedbush Securities.

Cullen/Frost Bankers Inc. (NYSE: CFR) was downgraded to Underperform from Neutral (in a valuation call) at Wedbush Securities.

Eagle Materials Inc. (NYSE: EXP) was downgraded to Equal Weight from Overweight at Stephens.

Ellie Mae Inc. (NYSE: ELLI) was downgraded to Sector Perform from Outperform with a $90 price target (versus an $86.50 close) at RBC Capital Markets.

First Solar Inc. (NASDAQ: FSLR) was raised to Market Perform from Underperform at JMP Securities.

iRobot Corp. (NASDAQ: IRBT) was started with a Buy rating and assigned a $65 price target (versus a $53.42 close) at Dougherty.

KBR Inc. (NYSE: KBR) was raised to Buy from Neutral with a $20 price objective (versus a $15.81 close) at Merrill Lynch.

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Lamb Weston Holdings Inc. (NYSE: LW) was started as Buy with a $41 price target (versus a $31.70 close) at Jefferies. The firm noted that the leader in the world’s potato market is a hot potato you won’t want to pass on.

Martin Marietta Materials Inc. (NYSE: MLM) was downgraded to Equal Weight from Overweight at Stephens.

North American Energy Partners Inc. (NYSE: NOA) was raised to Outperform from Market Perform at BMO Capital Markets.

Prosperity Bancshares Inc. (NYSE: PB) was downgraded to Underperform from Neutral at Wedbush Securities, noting that valuation is high and it has slow organic growth.

Range Resources Corp. (NYSE: RRC) was raised to Outperform from Market Perform with a $44 price target (versus a $34.39 close) at BMO Capital Markets.

Sun Life Financial Inc. (NYSE: SLF) was downgraded to Hold from Buy at Canaccord Genuity.

Teck Resourced Ltd. (NYSE: TCK) was raised to Overweight from Equal Weight at Barclays.

Vulcan Materials Co. (NYSE: VMC) was downgraded to Equal Weight from Overweight at Stephens.

Wednesday’s top analyst upgrades and downgrades included Bank of America, Fitbit, Teva Pharmaceutical, Walt Disney, Regions Financial, Noble, Sysco and over a dozen more.

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The collapse of American Apparel and Aeropostale are a sign that the teen clothing retailers have taken an awful beating. However, two others in the category that might of been crushed, American Eagle Outfitters Inc. (NYSE: AEO) and Urban Outfitters Inc. (NASDAQ: URBN), instead will sail into the holidays in good shape.

American Eagle Outfitters trades at just over $18, very close to the top of its 52-week range. At $39 a share, the same is true for Urban Outfitters. It is not clear why either has done so well, particularly since their failed rivals are not the only competition. Many would argue that the leader in the category is Abercrombie & Fitch Co. (NYSE: ANF), yet at $17 a share, it trades at the bottom of its 52-week range.

In its most recently reported quarter, American Eagle’s revenue rose a modest rose 3% to $823 million. Comparable store sales rose by the same percentage, but what was impressive was that this was on comparable store sales, which increased 11% in the same quarter a year ago. The trajectory over two years is amazing. And the per-share earnings rose from $0.17 to $0.23.

The increase at the top line for Urban Outfitters was also modest, but same-store sales and earnings were strong in its most recently reported quarter. The company owns three brands: Urban Outfitters, Anthropologie and Free People. Revenue across all of them grew from $867 million to $890 million. Same-store sales for the entire operation were up 1%, but they rose by 5% at the flagship brand. Urban Outfitters delivered at the bottom line with $0.66 per share, compared to $0.52 in the year-ago period.

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Part of the success of the two companies may be discipline, including a lack of overbuilding. American Eagle has 1,000 stores and operates in the United States, Canada, China, the United Kingdom and Mexico. However, much of its activity overseas in based on online sales, which the company says brings in revenue from 81 countries.

Urban Outfitters has about 600 stores across its brands, and more specialty stores that are much smaller and presumably less expensive to operate. It also prides itself on its online operations.

Each company may benefit from the age of its customers. Younger people tend to be more comfortable shopping from smartphones and tablets. This cuts the need for aggressive brick-and-mortar expansion.

While the holidays will be a test for the two niche retailers, there are no signs they will not pass and continue to impress with their performances.

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[cnxvideo id=”655237″ placement=”ros”]Stocks were indicated marginally higher after the long weekend. With the Dow and S&P 500 being so close to all-time highs, investors have proven over and over that they will buy stocks after every market sell-off. Those same investors are also looking for new ideas to generate income or gains ahead.

24/7 Wall St. reviews dozens of analyst research reports each morning of the week. The goal is to find new investing and trading ideas. Some of these analyst reports cover stocks to buy. Other reports feature stocks to sell or to avoid.

These are the top analyst upgrades, downgrades and initiations seen on Tuesday morning:

Biogen Inc. (NASDAQ: BIIB) was downgraded to Hold from Buy at Jefferies, but the price target was raised to $323 and the company noted that it could fetch $373 to $400 a share under buyout scenarios. The stock closed most recently at $313.59 and has a 52-week range of $223.02 to $333.65. Its consensus analyst price target is $340.33.

Broadcom Ltd. (NASDAQ: AVGO) was reiterated as Buy at Argus, and the firm raised its price target by $11 to $195 per share. Shares closed at $173.11 on Friday and have a 52-week range of $111.53 to $179.42. The consensus price target is $202.46. Many other firms chased their targets higher as well.

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Devon Energy Corp. (NYSE: DVN) was downgraded to Market Perform from Outperform at Raymond James. It closed at $44.27 and has a 52-week range of $18.07 to $48.68, with a consensus price target of $45.84.

Gilead Sciences Inc. (NASDAQ: GILD) was raised to Buy at Jefferies, but the firm kept its $91 price target. The stock closed at $76.89, and it has a 52-week range of $76.67 to $113.31 and a consensus price target of $105.24.

Mondelez International Inc. (NASDAQ: MDLZ) was raised to Overweight from Neutral at JPMorgan. It closed at $44.19 ahead of the call and has a 52-week range of $35.88 to $47.42. The consensus price target is $50.27.

Urban Outfitters Inc. (NASDAQ: URBN) was added to the Franchise Picks list at Jefferies, with the price target raised to $45 from $40 (versus a $36.10 prior close). The stock has a 52-week range of $19.26 to $37.82 and a consensus price target of $36.31.

Dollar Tree Inc. (NASDAQ: DLTR) was added to the Goldman Sachs Conviction Buy list, with a $101 price target (versus an $83.11 close). Shares are down from a high of $99.93 as the dollar store earnings were chased down handily by analysts. At least this is a “buy on weakness” call rather than a “buy after it ran up” call. Still, the call gave little or no boost to the stock.

You can follow @Jonogg on Twitter if you want the daily analyst calls and research updates directly on your Twitter feed.

Other key analyst upgrades and downgrades were seen as follows:

comScore Inc. (NASDAQ: SCOR) was downgraded to Neutral from Buy with a $34 price target (versus a $31.81 close) at SunTrust Robinson Humphrey.

Crown Castle International Corp. (NYSE: CCI) was raised to Outperform from Perform with a $109 price target at Oppenheimer.

Equinix Inc. (NASDAQ: EQIX) was raised to Outperform from Perform with a $420 price target at Oppenheimer.

Five Below Inc. (NASDAQ: FIVE) was started as Neutral with a $42 price target (versus a $43.40 close) at Goldman Sachs.

Greif Inc. (NYSE: GEF) was raised to Buy from Neutral at Merrill Lynch.

Medpace Holdings Inc. (NASDAQ: MEDP) was started as Hold with a $32.50 price target (versus a $30.70 close) at Jefferies. Credit Suisse started coverage as Outperform with a $35 target price.

Michaels Companies Inc. (NYSE: MIK) was raised to Outperform from Neutral at Credit Suisse, but the firm reaffirmed its $29 price target.

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Mylan Inc. (NASDAQ: MYL) was maintained as a Sector Perform rating and the price target was cut to $48 from $52 at RBC Capital Markets.

Oclaro Inc. (NASDAQ: OCLR) was reiterated as Buy and the price target was raised to $10.00 from $7.50 (versus an $8.39 close) at Stifel.

ONEOK Partners L.P. (NYSE: OKS) was raised to Neutral from Underweight with a $40 price target (versus a $39.29 close) at JPMorgan.

Seagate Technology PLC (NASDAQ: STX) was reiterated as Buy and the price target was raised to $38 from $32 (versus a $33.92 close) at Jefferies.

Verifone Systems Inc. (NYSE: PAY) was downgraded to Hold from Buy at Argus after last week’s weak earnings and outlook crushed its shares.

Other key analyst calls from Tuesday were as follows:

Ellie Mae Inc. (NYSES: ELLI) was started as Overweight with a $124 price target (versus a $98.80 close) at Pacific Crest.

Protagonist Therapeutics Inc. (NASDAQ: PTGX) was started as Overweight with a price target of $18 at Barclays. Leerink assigned a Outperform rating and $17 price target, and BMO Capital Markets started coverage with a Outperform rating and $21 price target. Shares closed at $12.08.

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Friday’s top analyst upgrades and downgrades included Carnival, Ciena, MercadoLibre, Spark Therapeutics, Smith & Wesson, Teva Pharmaceutical, Verifone and close to a dozen more.

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