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Top Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades: Boston Scientific, Ciena, GoDaddy, Kratos, Lipocine, Repligen, Teladoc and More
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Stocks have hit new all-time highs in recent days, and they are indicated to open higher on Friday. The trend that has continued to prevail has been for investors to buy all the big market sell-offs. Investors are also looking for new investing and trading ideas to generate gains and income ahead.
24/7 Wall St. reviews dozens of analyst research reports each day of the week in an effort to find some of those new investing and trading ideas for investors and traders alike. Some of the daily analyst reports and research reports cover stocks to buy. Other reports cover stocks to sell or to avoid.
Additional color and commentary has been added on most of these daily analyst calls. The 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 Friday, December 8, 2017.
Align Technology Inc. (NASDAQ: ALGN) was started as Hold at Deutsche Bank.
Athenahealth Inc. (NASDAQ: ATHN) was started as Hold at Deutsche Bank.
Ball Corp. (NYSE: BLL) was downgraded to Underweight from Sector Weight with a $36 price target (versus a $40.81 prior close) at Keybanc Capital Markets. The 52-week trading range is $35.65 to $43.24, and the consensus analyst target price is $45.00.
Boston Scientific Corp. (NYSE: BSX) was raised to Strong Buy from Buy with a $32 price target at Needham. The stock was down 0.8% at $25.04 on Thursday and indicated up 2.8% at $25.75 on Friday morning. It has a 52-week range of $20.69 to $29.93 and a consensus target price of $31.27.
Capstead Mortgage Corp. (NYSE: CMO) was raised to Outperform from Market Perform at Keefe Bruyette & Woods.
Carvana Co. (NYSE: CVNA) was downgraded to Hold from Buy at Deutsche Bank.
Checkpoint Therapeutics Inc. (NASDAQ: CKPT) was started as Buy with an $11 price target (versus a $4.71 close) at H.C. Wainwright.
Ciena Corp. (NASDAQ: CIEN) was downgraded to Neutral from Overweight with a $22 price target (versus a $20.76 close) at Piper Jaffray. The shares were indicated down 0.6% at $20.64 on Friday. It has a 52-week range of $19.40 to $27.98, and a consensus target price of $28.06.
Fairmount Santrol Holdings Inc. (NYSE: FMSA) was started as Buy with an $8 price target (versus a $4.85 close) at Seaport Global.
Flowserve Corp. (NYSE: FLS) was downgraded to Sell from Neutral with a $37 price target (versus a $42.65 close) at Goldman Sachs. The 52-week range is $37.51 to $52.10, and the consensus target price is $43.46.
GoDaddy Inc. (NYSE: GDDY) was started with a Neutral rating and assigned a $52 price target (versus a $48.15 close) at Wedbush Securities. The analyst called it a good strategy and execution but said it’s priced in and full valued. It has a 52-week range of $34.27 to $51.29 and a consensus target price of $52.64.
Gulfport Energy Corp. (NASDAQ: GPOR) was started with a Buy rating and assigned a $26 price target (versus a $12.35 close) at SunTrust Robinson Humphrey. While this is a call for shares to double and then some, its volatility is evident with a 52-week trading range of $10.90 to $29.92.
Henry Schein Inc. (NASDAQ: HSIC) was started as Buy and the price target was set at $79 (versus a $67.57 close) at Deutsche Bank. It has a 52-week range of $65.28 to $93.50 and a consensus target price of $81.17.
Hi-Crush Partners L.P. (NYSE: HCLP) was started as Buy with a $17 price target (versus a $10.10 close) at Seaport Global.
Ingersoll-Rand PLC (NYSE: IR) was raised to Buy from Neutral at Goldman Sachs.
Johnson Controls Inc. (NYSE: JCI) was downgraded to Sell from Neutral with a $35 price target (versus a $37.36 close) at Goldman Sachs.
Kratos Defense & Security Solutions Inc. (NASDAQ: KTOS) was started as Neutral with a $10.50 price target (versus a $10.52 close) at Goldman Sachs.
Lipocine Inc. (NASDAQ: LPCN) was started as Buy and assigned a $10 price target (versus $3.46 close) at H.C. Wainwright.
Medidata Solutions Inc. (NASDAQ: MDSO) was started with a Buy rating and assigned a $78 price target (versus a $65.47 close) at Deutsche Bank.
Perrigo Co. PLC (NYSE: PRGO) was raised to Buy from Hold at Argus.
Repligen Corp. (NASDAQ: RGEN) was started with a Buy rating and assigned a $45 price target (versus a $34.58 close) at Citigroup. The 52-week range is $28.48 to $46.81. The consensus analyst target is $45.29.
Sage Therapeutics Inc. (NASDAQ: SAGE) was up huge on Thursday and up another 5% at $164.43 on Friday’s early indications. Canaccord Genuity maintained its Buy rating but raised its target all the way up to $190 from $140. The consensus analyst target was $185 or so.
Silgan Holdings Inc. (NASDAQ: SLGN) was downgraded to Underweight from Sector Weight with a $25 price target (versus a $28.99 close) at Keybanc Capital Markets. It has a 52-week range of $25.16 to $32.50 and a consensus target price of $30.83.
Smart Sand Inc. (NASDAQ: SND) was started as Buy with a $15 price target (versus a $7.90 close) at Seaport Global. It has a 52-week range of $4.81 to $21.99 and a consensus target price of $9.03.
Synaptics Inc. (NASDAQ: SYNA) was raised to Perform from Underperform at Oppenheimer, with the firm noting that the major mobile exposure has been reduced and is priced in.
Teladoc Inc. (NYSE: TDOC) was started with a Buy rating and assigned a $39 price target (versus a $33.75 close) at Deutsche Bank. It has a 52-week range of $15.65 to $37.90.
Thor Industries Inc. (NYSE: THO) was downgraded to Hold from Buy at Argus.
U.S. Silica Holdings Inc. (NYSE: SLCA) was started as Buy with a $59 price target (versus a $32.47 close) at Seaport Global. The consensus target price is $43.23. Shares have traded between $24.26 and $61.49 in the past year.
Vodafone Group PLC (NASDAQ: VOD) was raised to Overweight from Equal Weight at Barclays. Its American depositary shares were indicated up 0.5% to $31.22, in a 52-week range of $24.31 to $31.25. The consensus target price is $37.12.
As far as how the market is valued now given the gains that have been seen: the S&P 500 is valued at roughly 20.3 times expected 2017 normalized earnings per share and valued at roughly 19 times expected 2018 normalized earnings per share.
For a 2018 outlook, large-cap biotech looks good for both growth and value investors alike.
Also for 2018, here is how Exxon Mobil, GE, IBM, Merck and Disney almost accidentally could become the top performing Dow Jones Industrial Average stocks.
Thursday’s top analyst calls included Aetna, AIG, Applied Materials, AutoZone, Delphi, First Solar, Toll Brothers and many more.
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