Investing

Top Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades: Container Store, Ericsson, Lumber Liquidators, Micron, Disney and Many More

Stocks were indicated lower with lower prices overseas and with oil wanting to challenge $40. The bull market is over six years old, investors have bought every dip up until recently, higher interest rates are coming soon and investors are trying to decide where they can hide in the markets safely. 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, and other calls cover stocks to sell or avoid.

These are this Thursday’s top analyst upgrades, downgrades and initiations.

Container Store Group Inc. (NYSE: TCS) was raised to Hold from Underweight at BB&T Capital Markets. The stock closed at $15.76 on Wednesday, and it has a consensus analyst price target of $20.14 and a 52-week trading range of $15.49 to $24.00.

Ericsson (NASDAQ: ERIC) was maintained as Outperform at RBC Capital Markets, but the price target was cut to $12 from $14 in the call. Ericson closed at $10.15, has a consensus price target of $13.07 and has a 52-week range of $9.92 to $13.28.

Lumber Liquidators Holdings Inc. (NYSE: LL) was raised to Buy from Hold at Cantor Fitzgerald. Shares were indicated up 7% at $15.20, with a consensus analyst price target of $16.00 and a 52-week range of $11.62 to $69.99.

Micron Technology Inc. (NASDAQ: MU) was downgraded to Neutral from Outperform and the price target was slashed to $15 from $36 (versus a $15.90 close) at R.W. Baird. Micron’s consensus price target keeps drifting lower and is now around $27.50. The 52-week range is $15.88 to $36.59.

Walt Disney Co. (NYSE: DIS) was downgraded to Market Perform from Outperform and the price target was cut to $114 from $125 (versus a $106.45 close) at Sanford Bernstein. This is just a day after Wells Fargo downgraded Disney as well. Disney’s consensus analyst target price is $121.30 and the 52-week range is $78.54 to $122.08.

ALSO READ: 6 Analyst Stocks Called To Rise 50% to 100%

Other top analyst upgrades, downgrades and initiations from this Thursday were seen as follows:

Alliance Data Systems Corp. (NYSE: ADS) was raised to Buy from Hold with a $330 price target (versus a $268.57 close) at Stifel Nicolaus.

Amec Foster Wheeler PLC (NYSE: AMFW) was raised to Overweight from Equal Weight at Barclays.

Broadcom Corp. (NASDAQ: BRCM) was downgraded to Hold from Buy at Argus after its acquisition by Avago passed a key hurdle.

Demandware Inc. (NYSE: DWRE) was started as Positive with a $78 price target (versus a $59.04 close) at Susquehanna.

Expeditors International of Washington Inc. (NASDAQ: EXPD) was raised to Equal Weight from Underweight and the price target was raised to $52 from $44 (versus a $49.79 close) at Barclays.

Fossil Inc. (NASDAQ: FOSL) was raised to Sector Weight from Underweight at KeyBanc Capital Markets.

ALSO READ: Jefferies Raises Price Targets on 3 Top Growth Stocks to Buy Now

Hormel Foods Corp. (NYSE: HRL) was raised to Buy from Hold and the price target was raised to $66 from $59 (versus a $61.22 close) at Deutsche Bank. Credit Suisse maintained its Neutral rating but raised its target to $63 from $61.

JAKKS Pacific Inc. (NASDAQ: JAKK) was started as Outperform with a $15 price target (versus a $9.30 close) at Oppenheimer.

Kansas City Southern (NYSE: KSU) was raised to Outperform from Neutral at Macquarie.

Keysight Technologies Inc. (NYSE: KEYS) was raised to Outperform from Neutral with a $35.00 price target at R.W. Baird.

Lockheed Martin Corp. (NYSE: LMT) was raised to Buy from Neutral with a $242 price target (versus a $211.28 close) at Sterne Agee CRT.

Signet Jewelers Ltd. (NYSE: SIG) was raised to Buy from Neutral at UBS.

SL Green Realty Corp. (NYSE: SLG) was downgraded to Hold from Buy at Stifel Nicolaus.

Targa Resources Corp. (NYSE: TRGP) was downgraded to Underperform from Hold at Jefferies.

ALSO READ: 2 Specialty Pharmaceutical Stocks With Imminent Big Catalysts

Fresh Market Inc. (NASDAQ: TFM) was downgraded to Underperform from Neutral and the price target was cut to $25 from $35 (versus a $27.26 close) at Bank of America Merrill Lynch.

Time Warner Inc. (NYSE: TWX) was downgraded to Market Perform from Outperform and the price target was cut to $90 from $101 (versus a $77.82 close) at Sanford Bernstein.

In case you missed Wednesday’s top analyst upgrades and downgrades, they included Analog Devices, Canadian Solar, Home Depot, Marvell Technology, Wal-Mart and over a dozen more companies.

The #1 Thing to Do Before You Claim Social Security (Sponsor)

Choosing the right (or wrong) time to claim Social Security can dramatically change your retirement. So, before making one of the biggest decisions of your financial life, it’s a smart idea to get an extra set of eyes on your complete financial situation.

A financial advisor can help you decide the right Social Security option for you and your family. Finding a qualified financial advisor doesn’t have to be hard. SmartAsset’s free tool matches you with up to three financial advisors who serve your area, and you can interview your advisor matches at no cost to decide which one is right for you.

Click here to match with up to 3 financial pros who would be excited to help you optimize your Social Security outcomes.

 

Have questions about retirement or personal finance? Email us at [email protected]!

By emailing your questions to 24/7 Wall St., you agree to have them published anonymously on a673b.bigscoots-temp.com.

By submitting your story, you understand and agree that we may use your story, or versions of it, in all media and platforms, including via third parties.

Thank you for reading! Have some feedback for us?
Contact the 24/7 Wall St. editorial team.