NEW YORK (TheStreet) -- Shares of Viacom (VIAB) - Get Report were rated a new "buy" today with an $83 price target at Deutsche Bank. The stock closed down 0.87% at $70.86 yesterday and is unchanged in pre-market trading today.

"Viacom has seen greater ratings erosion than most networks and we agree that the company is not in as strong a position as some other big media companies; however, we do think this is more than discounted in the valuation following the 20% decline in the stock price over the past year. While the stock has had some recovery off the bottom, sentiment still seems fairly cautious," analysts said.

Even with a conservative ad forecast for Viacom, Deutsche Bank finds the stock "attractively valued." They think that ratings comps will be easier in the second half of 2015. Management is "very focused" on improving the programming on Nick, as well as the other networks, which could provide a further benefit, analysts added.

Separately,TheStreet Ratings team rates VIACOM INC as a Buy with a ratings score of B-. TheStreet Ratings Team has this to say about their recommendation:

"We rate VIACOM INC (VIAB) a BUY. This is driven by a number of strengths, which we believe should have a greater impact than any weaknesses, and should give investors a better performance opportunity than most stocks we cover. The company's strengths can be seen in multiple areas, such as its revenue growth, notable return on equity and expanding profit margins. We feel these strengths outweigh the fact that the company has had sub par growth in net income."

Highlights from the analysis by TheStreet Ratings Team goes as follows:

• Despite its growing revenue, the company underperformed as compared with the industry average of 6.5%. Since the same quarter one year prior, revenues slightly increased by 4.6%. This growth in revenue does not appear to have trickled down to the company's bottom line, displaying stagnant earnings per share.
• The company's current return on equity greatly increased when compared to its ROE from the same quarter one year prior. This is a signal of significant strength within the corporation. Compared to other companies in the Media industry and the overall market, VIACOM INC's return on equity significantly exceeds that of both the industry average and the S&P 500.
• VIACOM INC reported flat earnings per share in the most recent quarter. This company has reported somewhat volatile earnings recently. But, we feel it is poised for EPS growth in the coming year. During the past fiscal year, VIACOM INC increased its bottom line by earning $5.45 versus $4.90 in the prior year. This year, the market expects an improvement in earnings ($11.66 versus $5.45).
• The gross profit margin for VIACOM INC is rather high; currently it is at 51.47%. Regardless of VIAB's high profit margin, it has managed to decrease from the same period last year. Despite the mixed results of the gross profit margin, VIAB's net profit margin of 14.95% compares favorably to the industry average.
• VIAB has underperformed the S&P 500 Index, declining 19.19% from its price level of one year ago. Looking ahead, although the push and pull of the overall market trend could certainly make a critical difference, we do not see any strong reason stemming from the company's fundamentals that would cause a continuation of last year's decline. In fact, the stock is now selling for less than others in its industry in relation to its current earnings.
• You can view the full analysis from the report here: VIAB Ratings Report