Top Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades: Amphenol, Finish Line, Jack Henry, Kite Pharmaceutical, Ultra Petroleum and Many More

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By Lee Jackson Updated Published
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Top Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades: Amphenol, Finish Line, Jack Henry, Kite Pharmaceutical, Ultra Petroleum and Many More

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The futures traded lower this morning on concerns over a North Korean rocket that was launched over Japan and landed in the Pacific Ocean. That marks the first time since 2009 that Pyongyang has fired over Japan’s main islands. Toss in the continued bad news and issues associated with Hurricane Harvey, which has drifted back into the Gulf of Mexico, and investors are somewhat nervous, and some may be looking to sell today.

With this bull market now more than eight years old, investors have shown for more than five years that they will buy all market pullbacks. Those same investors also still are 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.

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

Amphenol Inc. (NYSE: APH) saw its target price raised to $85 from $81 at RBC Capital Markets after the firm met with company management. That compares with the Wall Street consensus price target of $79.73. The 52-week trading range for the stock is $60.97 to $80.14. The shares closed trading on Monday at $79.75.

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Carters Inc. (NYSE: CRI) was started with an Outperform rating at Macquarie, and the firm has $110 price target. That compares with the consensus target of $103.63. The 52-week range is $77.94 to $98.88. The shares closed Monday at $85.92.

Finish Line Inc. (NASDAQ: FINL) was downgraded to Underperform from Neutral at Buckingham Research. The 52-week range is $9.80 to $24.52, and the consensus price target is set at $14.25. The stock closed Monday at $10.42, but shares traded down almost 30% in the premarket.

Helen of Troy Ltd. (NASDAQ: HELE) is stated with an Underperform rating at Merrill Lynch, and they put an $87 price target on the shares. That compares with the consensus target of $113. The 52-week range is $77.50 to $102.28. The stock closed trading Monday at $96.85.

Jack Henry & Associates Inc. (NASDAQ: JKHY) was started with a rating of Overweight at Cantor Fitzgerald, and they have a price target posted at $112. That compares with the consensus target of $96.50. The 52-week range is $79.00 to $109.67. The stock closed Monday at $100.48.

Juno Therapeutics Inc. (NASDAQ: JUNO) is raised to Outperform from Market Perform at Raymond James. The 52-week range for the stock is $17.52 to $37.70. The consensus price target is posted at $29.80. Shares closed way above that level on Monday at $36.48.

Kite Pharmaceutical Inc. (NASDAQ: KITE) is raised to Neutral from Underperform at Wedbush. This comes on the heels of a huge bid for the company Monday from Gilead Sciences, so the timing and call are interesting. The 52-week range of the shares is $39.82 to $179.69. The consensus price target is $109.91, and the shares closed up 28% Monday at $178.05.

Mellanox Technologies Ltd. (NASDAQ: MLNX) was started with as Buy rating at the Benchmark Company, and the analysts there have a $60 price objective. That compares with the consensus target of $52.40. The 52-week range is $38.75 to $52.80. The stock closed Monday at $45.20.

RBB Bancorp Inc. (NYSE: RBB) was started with a Buy rating at Stephens with a $25 price target. That compares with the consensus price objective of $25. The 52-week range is $21.75 to $24.19. The stock closed trading Monday at $22.47.

Venator Materials PLC (NASDAQ: VNTR) was started with a Buy rating at Citigroup with a $24 price objective, versus a Wall Street consensus price target of $23.70. The 52-week range for the stock is $17.85 to $21.34. The shares closed the day Monday at $20.05.

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Other key analysts upgrades and downgrades were seen in the following:

AveXis Inc. (NASDAQ: AVXS) was started with a rating of Reduce at Instinet and a stunning price objective of $52. The 52-week trading range is $32.31 to $99.45, and the consensus price objective is $108.70. The shares closed Monday at $96.98.

Dario Health Corp. (NASDAQ: DRIO) was started with a Buy rating and a $3 price objective at Aegis Capital. That’s versus the consensus price target of $8. The 52-week range is $1.81 to $4.70. The shares closed Monday at $2.

Heico Corp. (NYSE: HEI) is raised to Buy from Neutral at Merrill Lynch. The 52-week range is $52.56 to $87.36, and the consensus price target is $85.67. The shares close Monday at $83.25

Loxo Oncology Inc. (NASDAQ: LOXO) was downgraded to Market Perform from Market Outperform at JMP Securities. The 52-week range is $17.14 to $83.12. The consensus price objective is set at $81. The shares closed Monday at $78.56, up almost 6% on the day.

Silvercorp Metals Inc. (NYSE: SVM) was started with a Buy rating at Roth Capital. Its 52-week range is $2.65 to $3.67, and the consensus price target is posted at $4.14.

Triplepoint Venture Growth BDC Corp. (NASDAQ: TPVG) was downgraded to Neutral from Buy at Compass Point. The 52-week range for the shares is $10.25 to $14.41, and the consensus price target is $13.83. The shares closed Monday at $14.15 but were trading down almost 15% in Tuesday’s premarket.

Ultra Petroleum Corp. (NASDAQ: UPL) was started with a Buy rating at a firm called KLR Group. The analyst has a $14 price target, which compares with the consensus estimate of $17. The 52-week range is $0.85 to $15.75. The stock closed Monday at $7.61.

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In case you missed it, here are Monday’s top analyst upgrades and downgrades. They included CalAmp, Fiat Chrysler, Lowe’s, Plains All American, Ulta Beauty and more.

Follow @Jonogg on Twitter to receive the daily analyst calls and other market research calls directly on your feed.

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About the Author Lee Jackson →

Lee Jackson has covered Wall Street analysts' equity and debt research and equity strategy daily for 24/7 Wall St. since 2012. His broad and diverse career, which included a stint as the creative services director at the NBC affiliate in Austin, Texas, gives him unique insight into the financial industry and world.

Lee Jackson's journey in the financial industry spans over 30 years, with nearly two decades as an institutional equity salesperson at Bear Stearns, Lehman Brothers, and Morgan Stanley. His career was marked by his presence on the sell side during pivotal Wall Street events, from the dot.com rise and bubble to the Long Term Capital Management debacle, 9/11, and the Great Recession of 2008. This is a testament to his resilience and adaptability in the face of market volatility.

Lee Jackson’s practical financial industry experience, acquired from a career at some of the biggest banks and brokerage firms, is complemented by a lifetime of writing on various platforms. This unique combination allows him to shed light on the intricacies and workings of Wall Street in a way that only someone with deep insider experience and knowledge can. Moreover, his extensive network across Wall Street continues to provide direct access for him and 24/7 Wall St., a privilege few firms enjoy.

Since 2012, Jackson’s work for 24/7 Wall St. has been featured in Barron’s, Yahoo Finance, MarketWatch, Business Insider, TradingView, Real Money, The Street, Seeking Alpha, Benzinga, and other media outlets. He attended the prestigious Cranbrook Schools in Bloomfield Hills, Michigan, and has a degree in broadcasting from the Specs Howard School of Media Arts.

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