Analyst Actions: priceline.com, Oracle, Screaming Media, Sharper Image

Author:: TSC Staff
Publish date:: Nov 3, 2000 9:47 AM EST

The wolves are out and they're gnawing at priceline.com (PCLN) , slumped like a wounded animal in the middle of the road.

Goldman Sachs

downgraded priceline.com to market perform from market outperform this morning after the company reported a $2 million loss and a loss of 1 cent a share for the third quarter. The company's chief financial officer, Heidi Miller, announced her departure yesterday, and the company is laying off 16% of its workforce.

Merrill Lynch

cut its long-term rating to accumulate from buy.

Credit Suisse First Boston

cut priceline earnings estimates to a three-cent loss from a one-cent profit for the fourth quarter, and cut its 2001 estimate to 3 cents a share from 15 cents.

U.S. Bancorp Piper Jaffray

lowered its price target to $8 from $12, and increased its loss-per-share estimate to 12 cents from 6 cents for 2000, and lowered 2001 estimates to earnings of 10 cents a share from 17 cents a share.

PaineWebber

increased loss estimates for 2000 to 18 cents from 6 cents and lowered its 2001 earnings estimate to a 6 cent loss from earnings of 22 cents.

Robertson Stephens

increased 2000 loss estimates to 19 cents a share from 7 cents and 2001 estimates to a 7 cent loss from 15 cents in the black.

Oracle

(ORCL) - Get Report

, which has been bouncing around on speculation and rumor in the last couple of days, received a boost from

Lehman Brothers

this morning, which reiterated its buy rating on the software giant and said "resulting weakness in the stock" is a buying opportunity.

Upgrades

Screaming Media

(SCRM)

: UP to strong buy at Credit Suisse First Boston; price target lowered to $23 from $30.

BJ Services

(BJS)

: fiscal 2001 earnings estimates UP to $2.55 from $2.45 at

Merrill Lynch

. Goldman Sachs hiked fiscal 2001 estimates to $2.70 from $2.50 and 2002 estimates to $3.40 from $3.

Sabre Holdings

(TSG) - Get Report

: price target UP to $47 from $38 at Merrill Lynch.

Martha Stewart Living

(MSO)

: 2000 EPS estimate UP to 42 cents from 33 cents; 2001 EPS estimate to 55 cents from 47 cents at Credit Suisse First Boston.

Alliant Techsystems

(ATK)

: price target UP to $105 from $93 at CSFB.

MBIA

(MBI) - Get Report

: price target UP to $77 from $66 at CSFB.

Concord EFS

(CEFT)

: price target UP to $60 from $50 at Lehman Brothers.

John Hancock

(JHF)

: price target UP to $36 from $27 at Credit Suisse First Boston.

Downgrades

Sharper Image

(SHRP)

: DOWN to buy from strong buy at

W.R. Hambrecht

Alcoa

(AA) - Get Report

: 2000 earnings-per-share estimate DOWN to $1.82 from $1.87 and 2001 estimate down to $2.35 from $2.60 at Lehman Brothers. The brokerage also cut its price target on Alcoa to $45 from $50, citing high energy costs and sluggish commodity pricing.

Computer Sciences

(CSC)

: 2000 earnings estimates DOWN to $2.90 from $2.95 at Lehman Brothers.

United Rentals

(URI) - Get Report

: DOWN to buy from strong buy at

Legg Mason

Initiations

Diamond Technology Partners

(DTPI)

: NEW buy at

Jefferies