24/7 Wall St. Top Analyst Calls of the Week (AMD, AMZN, AAPL, CHTR, CMA, GXP, GMCR, NFLX, RVBD, TEVA, UTX, VLO)

This last week was a bad end to a bad quarter and the research calls were very mixed.  We went through the numerous upgrades and downgrades to identify which calls were insightful as well as to identify some of the big winning calls and the losing calls.

The top analyst calls of the last week from Wall Street research firms were in the following: Advanced Micro Devices Inc. (NYSE: AMD); Amazon.com Inc. (NASDAQ: AMZN); Apple Inc. (NASDAQ: AAPL); Charter Communications Inc. (NASDAQ: CHTR); Comerica Incorporated (NYSE: CMA); Great Plains Energy Incorporated (NYSE: GXP); Green Mountain Coffee Roasters Inc. (NASDAQ: GMCR); Netflix, Inc. (NASDAQ: NFLX); Riverbed Technology, Inc. (NASDAQ: RVBD); Teva Pharmaceutical Industries Limited (NASDAQ: TEVA); United Technologies Corporation (NYSE: UTX); and Valero Energy Corporation (NYSE: VLO). 

Advanced Micro Devices Inc. (NYSE: AMD) was a stock that burned UBS this week pretty bad.  On Raised came word that UBS raised the rating to Buy.  On Wednesday the company dropped the hammer that it is having manufacturing issues that is enough for a lower revenue and margin forecast.  Shares went from close to $6.50 up over $6.60 the following day, but the stock closed out te week at $5.08 and hit a new 52-week low of $5.07 on Friday as well.  Too bad, but AMD was a bad break for UBS and it took at least 4 downgrades after the news.

Amazon.com Inc. (NASDAQ: AMZN) was maintained with a “Buy” rating and with $255 target at Bank of America Merrill Lynch this last week after the new Kindles were released.  There is just one problem, we noted over the weekend that Amazon doesn’t appear to be making money off the new products.

Apple Inc. (NASDAQ: AAPL) may have new competition from Amazon, but some still see big upside despite the awful third quarter.  Apple was initiated in coverage with a “Buy” rating and it was given a $495 price target at Janney Capital this last Wednesday.  Before that came the big controversial call from J.P. Morgan that orders were looking soft if the channel checks are accurate.

Charter Communications Inc. (NASDAQ: CHTR) was part of a larger cable company call this last week when J.P.Morgan initiated the cable sector this last week.  What is interesting is that it was one of the better ratings and was started with an Overweight rating and with a $60 price target.

Comerica Incorporated (NYSE: CMA) is often overlooked, but no one wants to be positive on banks anymore.  So why was this one raised to Market Perform by Wells Fargo from a Underperform equivalent rating.  Maybe Wells Fargo thinks the banking carnage has gone too far, at least at Comerica.

Great Plains Energy Incorporated (NYSE: GXP) closed lower this week with the crummy market, but the power generation player was given one solid vote of confidence.  On this last Monday it was added to the prized Conviction Buy List at Goldman Sachs.  What is interesting is that the price target was a mere $21.00 and it traded close enough to that early in the week. 

Green Mountain Coffee Roasters Inc. (NASDAQ: GMCR) took it on the chin this week from being above $105 mid-week to closing down at $92.94.  On Monday this one was initiated with a Buy rating and given a $130 price target by Argus Research.  Someone sees more upside in what was already one of the best performing stocks of 2011.  The consensus price target is $121.50.

Netflix, Inc. (NASDAQ: NFLX) can’t get any help, even from friends.  On Monday this troubled stock was upgraded to Buy at Merriman Curhan Ford.  It was given a fair value of $155 to $175 in the call as well.  Unfortunately, chasing the call would have been costly.  Share closed up marginally Friday at $113.27 but hit a new 52-week low of $107.63 after having been above $130 when this call was issued.

Riverbed Technology, Inc. (NASDAQ: RVBD) has been beaten up enough that many traders and investors are hoping that a bottom is close.  Just don’t try telling that to Jefferies.  The brokerage firm started coverage with a dismal “Underperform” rating this last Tuesday and a dismal $15.00 price target versus close to $20 at the time.  There is at least one arguing call here: the following da a firm named FBN Securities started Riverbed with an “Outperform” rating.

Teva Pharmaceutical Industries Limited (NASDAQ: TEVA) is another company where one analyst feels that the selling has either gone too far or where the generic business is worth more than the entire market value of the company now.  Teva was started with a “Buy” rating at Canaccord Genuity this last Wednesday and it was given a fair market value of $52.00 in the call.  That is getting close to 50% upside now that Teva is close to $37 again.

United Technologies Corporation (NYSE: UTX) announced the acquisition of Goodrich and usually the acquirer gets frowned upon for a large transaction.  So it was noticed when the conglomerate was raised to Overweight by Morgan Stanley this last Monday.  At $70.36 the stock is still down about 5% from its purchase date price and down even lower from $76.00 before the news was finalized.

Valero Energy Corporation (NYSE: VLO) has been beaten and pounded in the market.  At $17.78, the 52-week trading range is $17.17 to $31.12.  Apparently there may be some value here as Zacks named it The Value Stock of the Day on Thursday.

JON C. OGG