Stocks have risen in each of the first three days of 2018, hitting new high after new high. The Dow Jones Industrial Average rose over 25% in 2017 and is now just over 25,000 for the first time. Investors are having to decide how they want to be positioned in 2018. Accelerated economic growth, higher earnings growth, and tax reform are continuing to entice new and existing investors to add more into stocks. And the trend that won for more than five years is to buy the pullbacks.

Investors are 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 to find new ideas for investors and traders alike. Some of the 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 Friday, January 5, 2018.

Cheniere Energy Inc. (NYSEAMERICAN: LNG) was started with a Buy rating and assigned a $65 price target (versus a $54.99 prior close) at Stifel. The stock has a 52-week trading range of $40.36 to $56.14 and a consensus analyst price target of $57.56.

Cisco Systems Inc. (NASDAQ: CSCO) was raised to Buy from Neutral with a $46 price objective (versus a $38.99 close) at Merrill Lynch. Cisco has a 52-week range of $29.80 to $39.54 and a consensus price target of $38.85. Shares were indicated up 2.2% at $39.85, which would mark another decade-plus high.

Eli Lilly & Co. (NYSE: LLY) was raised to Buy from Hold with a $115 price target (versus an $85.52 close) at Argus. This firm’s research is not in the sell-side consensus because it is independent research without brokers, but it should be noted that Eli Lilly’s sell-side street-high analyst target price is $107. The 52-week trading range is $74.00 to $89.09, and the consensus price target is $92.14.

Kroger Co. (NYSE: KR) was raised to Buy from Hold at Jefferies. After closing down 3.1% at $26.98 on Thursday, the stock was indicated up 1.5% at $27.40 on Friday. Kroger has a 52-week range of $19.69 to $34.99 and a consensus price target of $26.91.

Nokia Corp. (NYSE: NOK) was downgraded to Neutral from Outperform with a $5 price target (versus a $4.89 close) at Credit Suisse. The 52-week range is $4.50 to $6.65, and the consensus price target is $6.12. Despite certain licensing deals, Credit Suisse sees limited opportunities for Nokia to grow its revenues ahead.

Rite Aid Corp. (NYSE: RAD) was started as Underperform and assigned a $1.50 price target (versus a $2.08 close) at Evercore ISI. Shares were trading at $1.97 at the end of 2017. The 52-week range is $1.38 to $8.77, and the consensus price target is $2.07.

Roku Inc. (NASDAQ: ROKU) was downgraded to Sell from an already cautious Neutral with a $28 price target at Citigroup. Roku took a similar downgrade from Morgan Stanley on Thursday, sending shares down 7.6% to $51.25. Shares were indicated to open down another 5% at $48.65 on Friday, in a post-IPO range of $15.75 to $58.80.

Teva Pharmaceutical Industries Ltd. (NYSE: TEVA) was downgraded to Underperform from Market Perform with a $17 price target (versus a $19.58 close) at Wells Fargo. The stock closed up 2.35% on Thursday but was indicated down 1.9% at $19.20 on Friday. Teva has a 52-week range of $10.85 to $37.94 and a consensus price target of $18.15.

Tyson Foods Inc. (NYSE: TSN) was started as Overweight and assigned a $94 price target (versus an $83.27 close) at Piper Jaffray. It has a 52-week range of $57.20 to $84.65 and a consensus target price of $83.27. This call is $1 above the prior street-high analyst price target.

Walgreens Boots Alliance Inc. (NASDAQ: WBA) was started as Outperform and assigned an $80 price target (versus a $71.60 close) at Evercore ISI. Walgreens has a 52-week range of $63.82 to $89.69 and a consensus analyst target of $85.87.

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

Other key analyst calls were seen as follows:

AmerisourceBergen Corp. (NYSE: ABC) was started as Outperform and assigned a $105 price target (versus a $94.18 close) at Evercore ISI.

Ascendis Pharma A/S (NASDAQ: ASND) was reiterated as Outperform with a $62 price target (versus a $38.98 close) at Wedbush Securities. Its report noted: “Achievement of the target enrollment of 150 GHD children was announced on January 3 but due to demand for enrollment, the phase 3 heiGHt trial for TC-hGH treatment of pediatric growth hormone deficiency will randomize more than 160 subjects.”

Becton Dickinson & Co. (NYSE: BDX) was started as Overweight and assigned a $260 price target at KeyBanc Capital Markets.

Comerica Inc. (NYSE: CMA) was raised to Buy from Neutral with a $106 price target (versus an $87.51 close) at Instinet.

Diamond Offshore Drilling Inc. (NYSE: DO) was maintained as Neutral but the price target was raised to $15 from $13 at Credit Suisse.

Eiger BioPharmaceuticals Inc. (NASDAQ: EIGR) was reiterated as Outperform with the same $34 target price (versus a $14.50 close) at Wedbush. The company announced recently that its Phase 2 enrollment is complete and the top-line results are expected in the third quarter of 2018.

Illumina Inc. (NASDAQ: ILMN) was downgraded to Market Perform from Outperform at William Blair.

Intel Corp. (NASDAQ: INTC) has been hit coming into 2018 over security concerns. Credit Suisse defended it on Thursday but still has a Neutral rating. Argus also now has defended Intel, reiterating its Buy rating and $50 target (versus a $44.43 close). The Argus view is that the company addressed the problem during an investor call, and while its reputation has taken a hit the firm sees no reason to assume that the issue will be material to Intel’s business.

Johnson Controls Inc. (NYSE: JCI) was downgraded to Neutral from Outperform with a $42 price target (versus a $39.85 close) at Robert W. Baird.

Masco Corp. (NYSE: MAS) was downgraded to Neutral from Overweight at JPMorgan.

Medical Properties Trust (NYSE: MPW) was downgraded to Neutral from Outperform with a $13 price target (versus a $13.55 close) at Robert W. Baird.

Myriad Genetics Inc. (NASDAQ: MYGN) was started as Buy and assigned a $41 price target (versus a $34.38 close) at BTIG.

NextDecade Corp. (NASDAQ: NEXT) was started as Hold at Stifel.

Sabre Corp. (NASDAQ: SABR) was downgraded to Underperform from Outperform with a $17 price target (versus a $20.89 close) at Evercore ISI.

SCANA Corp. (NYSE: SCG) is now being acquired, so Wells Fargo has downgraded the troubled utility to Market Perform with a $51 price target.

Trivago N.V. (NASDAQ: TRVG) was downgraded to Neutral from Buy at Citigroup. The $7.50 target compares to a $7.56 closing price.

Ultragenyx Pharmaceutical Inc. (NASDAQ: RARE) was reiterated as Outperform and with a $62 price target (versus a $51.00 close) at Wedbush, with the firm noting that FDA feedback from EoPh2 meeting for UX007 in fatty acid oxidation disorder indicates that the Phase 2 data could support filing. The view is that the upcoming catalysts are undervalued.

United Technologies Corp. (NYSE: UTX) was raised to Outperform from Neutral at Robert W. Baird.

U.S. Bancorp (NYSE: USB) was raised to Overweight from Neutral at Piper Jaffray. After closing at $54.98, stock has a 52-week range of $49.54 to $56.61, and it had a consensus target price of $57.42.

Webster Financial Corp. (NYSE: WBS) was raised to Neutral from Underweight at Piper Jaffray.

Wingstop Inc. (NASDAQ: WING) was downgraded to Neutral from Outperform at Wedbush, but the firm raised its target price to $40 from $36 (versus a $40.75 close). It believes that Wingstop expectations by Wall Street could be overly optimistic in 2018.

Xilinx Inc. (NASDAQ: XLNX) was raised to Buy from Neutral with a $78 price target (versus a $70.49 close) at Goldman Sachs. More importantly, Goldman Sachs added the stock to its prized Conviction Buy List.

If the Dow is going to continue to climb, it’s time for Cisco, Intel and IBM to carry some added weight to make that 26,400 baseline target occur.

The lottery is hardly investing, but here are 12 things not to do if you win any part of the $956 million combined jackpots from Powerball and Mega Millions.

Thursday’s top analyst calls were included Alphabet, Avon, Bank of America, Intel, Roku, Snap, Western Digital and many more — about 40 in total. Wednesday’s top analyst calls were in Bank of America, Honeywell, IBM, Lululemon Athletica, Oracle, United Technologies, Wells Fargo and many more — closer to 50 stocks.

Get Our Free Investment Newsletter

I have read, and agree to the Terms of Use

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