Stocks managed to recover from heavy early selling on Monday, but Tuesday’s index levels were looking for direction with no clear outcome seen. For those who did not make all their portfolio shifts and changes during a very strong market in 2019, it is time to reconsider how to be positioned for 2020. Despite the market’s concerns about headlines, the stock market is still barely under all-time highs, as trade tensions are abating and global growth may see a rekindled strength. This is also an election year in which much is at stake, and strategists by and large are calling for single-digit percentage gains in 2020.
24/7 Wall St. reviews dozens of analyst research reports each day of the week. Our goal is to find new ideas for traders and long-term investors alike. Some of the daily analyst calls cover stocks to buy, while some cover stocks to sell or to avoid.
We have provided these analyst calls in a quick-hit summary for easy reading, and additional comments and trading data have been added on many of the calls. The consensus analyst price targets and other valuation metrics are from the Refinitiv sell-side research service.
Our 2020 Bull/Bear Outlook sees the Dow rising by about 7.4% to 30,650 this year, but there are outliers that could help the Dow rise by over 10%, after a very strong 2019. These are the top analyst upgrades, downgrades and initiations from Tuesday, January 7, 2020.
Aerojet Rocketdyne Holdings Inc. (NYSE: AJRD) was raised to Buy from Hold with a $57 target price (versus a $48.90 close) at Jefferies. The consensus target price was $51.00.
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Best Buy Co. Inc. (NYSE: BBY | BBY Price Prediction) was reiterated as Buy and its target price was raised to $101 from $90 at Jefferies. It closed at $87.91 a share ahead of the call and had an $87.14 consensus target price.
Boeing Co. (NYSE: BA) was started with an Underperform rating and a $300 target price at Longbow. Boeing closed at $333.74 and had a consensus target price of $365.80 ahead of the call. Its 52-week trading range is $319.55 to $446.01.
Chevron Corp. (NYSE: CVX) was downgraded to Underperform from Neutral and was removed from the Model Income Portfolio at Merrill Lynch.
EOG Resources Inc. (NYSE: EOG) was raised to Buy from Neutral at Merrill Lynch. It closed up 4% at $88.44 and had a consensus target price of $101.51.
FireEye Inc. (NASDAQ: FEYE) was raised to Buy from Hold with a $22 target price (versus a $17.59 close) at SunTrust Robinson Humphrey.
Floor & Decor Holdings Inc. (NYSE: FND) was reiterated as Buy and its target price was raised to $59 from $52 (versus a $51.11 close) at Jefferies.
Gap Inc. (NYSE: GPS) was downgraded to Hold from Buy at Jefferies.
Global Medical REIT Inc. (NYSE: GMRE) was raised to Buy from Neutral with a $14.50 target price (versus a $13.41 close) at Janney.
Highwoods Properties Inc. (NYSE: HIW) was downgraded to Neutral from Buy but the target price was raised to $49 from $48 (versus a $48.35 close) at Janney.
Johnson Outdoors Inc. (NASDAQ: JOUT) was named as the Bull of the Day at Zacks, which said that rising revenue and product demand is pushing this outdoor retailer higher. Shares most recently closed at $78.84 and have a consensus price target of $82.50.
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KB Home (NYSE: KBH) was raised to Strong Buy from Outperform with a $40 target price at Raymond James.
Kohl’s Corp. (NYSE: KSS) was downgraded to Hold from Buy at Jefferies.
Lowe’s Companies Inc. (NYSE: LOW) was reiterated as Buy and its target price was raised to $143 from $141 (versus a $120.35 close) at Jefferies.
Marathon Oil Corp. (NYSE: MRO) was downgraded to Neutral from Buy at Merrill Lynch.
Microchip Technology Inc. (NASDAQ: MCHP) was reiterated as Overweight and the target price was raised to $120 from $110 at KeyBanc Capital Markets.
Micron Technology Inc. (NASDAQ: MU) was raised to Outperform from Market Perform and its target price was raised to $70 from $50 at Cowen.
Nexstar Media Group Inc. (NASDAQ: NXST) was raised to Overweight from Equal Weight at Wells Fargo.
PBF Energy Inc. (NYSE: PBF) was raised to Buy from Neutral at Merrill Lynch.
Phillips 66 (NYSE: PSX) was downgraded to Neutral from Buy at Merrill Lynch.
Philip Morris International Inc. (NYSE: PM) was reiterated as Overweight and the target price was raised to $114 from $105 (versus an $86.02 close) at Piper Jaffray.
Realty Income Corp. (NYSE: O) was raised to Outperform from Market Perform with a $79 target price (versus a $74.16 close) at Raymond James.
T-Mobile US Inc. (NASDAQ: TMUS) was raised to Buy from Neutral with a $96 target price (from $88, and versus $78.62 prior close) at Nomura/Instinet. The call is as its merger with Sprint moves closer to a resolution, and the firm noted that it is now well within the investable time horizon and is likely within a month. The firm also considers T-Mobile shareholders winners in either a yes or no merger scenario. The deal’s closure would allow T-Mobile to realize significant synergies (costs), and a blocked merger could remove a sizable multiple impediment and restore T-Mobile’s modest premium.
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TripAdvisor Inc. (NASDAQ: TRIP) was named as the Zacks Bear of the Day stock. The firm said that competition from Google is hitting this online travel stock hard. Shares last closed at $30.06, with a consensus price target of $35.96.
Western Digital Corp. (NASDAQ: WDC) was raised to Outperform from Market Perform with an $88 target price at Cowen. Shares closed down 1.9% at $63.37 and had a consensus target price of $64.06.
Wingstop Inc. (NASDAQ: WING) was raised to Hold from Underperform with an $83 target price (versus an $89.57 close) at Jefferies.
Monday’s top analyst upgrades and downgrades included Alphabet, Apple, Bank of America, Citigroup, Dollar Tree, JD.com, Nordstrom, Salesforce, Travelers and many more.
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