Marriott: Analysts' Upgrades, Downgrades
NEW YORK (
) --
CHANGE IN RATINGS
Amer Commercial
( ACLI) upgraded at BofA/Merrill to Neutral from Underperform on sustained grain volumes, stronger transportation and net Jeffboat margins. Price target surged to $25 from $13.
AMR
(AMR) - Get Free Report
upgraded at Stifel from Hold to Buy. $13 price target. Company is seeing better top-line growth.
Chipotle
(CMG) - Get Free Report
upgraded at Jesup & Lamont from Sell to Hold. $96 price target. Estimates also raised, to reflect better traffic trends.
Chipotle
(CMG) - Get Free Report
upgraded at BofA/Merrill to Buy from Neutral on substantial 4Q09 EPS beat, a return to positive year over year transactions, strong guidance. Estimates raised through 2012. $95 price target.
DR Horton
(DHI) - Get Free Report
upgraded at Credit Suisse to Neutral from Underperform as the company is well positioned for spring with aggressive spec home strategy. Price target increased by a dollar to $12. 2010 and 2011 EPS estimates increased to -$0.20 and $0.65, respectively.
Expedia
(EXPE) - Get Free Report
upgraded at Kaufman from Hold to Buy. $27 price target. Concerns about margins are overblown and the company is likely gaining market share.
Expedia
(EXPE) - Get Free Report
estimates, target reduced at Goldman. Shares of EXPE now seen reaching $25. Estimates also lowered, to reflect lower realized margins. Neutral rating.
First Energy
(FE) - Get Free Report
upgraded at Jefferies FE was upgraded from Underperform to Hold. Valuation call, based on a $39.50 price target.
First Energy
(FE) - Get Free Report
target lowered at Citigroup. FE target was cut to $47. Believe the AYE deal is lackluster and expensive. Buy rating.
Marriott
(MAR) - Get Free Report
upgraded at Susquehanna from Negative to Neutral. Lodging industry is stabilizing and the company should see higher earnings.
Marriott
(MAR) - Get Free Report
upgraded at Oppenheimer from Underperform to Perform. $25 price target. Company has strong earnings momentum.
Marriott
(MAR) - Get Free Report
estimates, target boosted at FBR. MAR estimates were raised through 2011. Company continues to see better demand trends. New $28 price target and Market Perform rating.
3M
(MMM) - Get Free Report
downgraded at BofA/Merrill to Underperform from Neutral due to slower expected growth over the coming cycle. Price target set at $90.
NVR
(NVR) - Get Free Report
upgraded at Credit Suisse to Outperform from Neutral as the company put an emphasis on generating volume. Price target improved to $750 from $660. 2010 and 2011 EPS estimates raised to $36.15 and $51.50, respectively.
Oshkosh
(OSK) - Get Free Report
downgraded at Keybanc from Buy to Hold. Estimates also cut, because of a poor pricing outlook.
PNC Financial
(PNC) - Get Free Report
upgraded at Deutsche from Hold to Buy. New $57 price target. Stock has underperformed its peers in recent weeks, but the capital raise will ultimately pay off.
Penn Virginia
(PVA)
upgraded at Suntrust from Neutral to Buy. $34 price target. Company is seeing better granite wash results.
Southwestern Energy
(SWN) - Get Free Report
rated new Overweight at Morgan Stanley. $60 price target. Company is best-in-class, and can generate 20% annual production and reserve growth over the next few years.
Symantec
(SYMC) - Get Free Report
downgraded at Jefferies from Buy to Hold. $18 price target. MFE has likely won the target to embed its software in H-P PC's.
Under Armour
(UA) - Get Free Report
initiated at Barclays with an Overweight rating and $30 price target. UA is one of only a handful of brands that has established longevity in the marketplace. 2010 and 2011 EPS estimates set at $1.05 and $1.30, respectively.
Viacom
(VIA.B)
upgraded at Thomas Weisel to Overweight from Market Weight as 4Q09 results were way ahead of Thomas Weisel expectations. Price target jumped to $35 from $32.
Viacom
(VIA.B)
estimates, target boosted at Goldman. Estimates were raised through 2012. Company is seeing faster affiliate revenue growth. Buy rating and new $39 price target.
STOCK COMMENTS / EPS CHANGES
Apple
(AAPL) - Get Free Report
target increased at Needham to $280. iPad should make a material contribution, on top of continued strong Mac and iPhone sales. Buy rating.
AutoNation
(AN) - Get Free Report
numbers cut at Goldman. Shares of AN now seen reaching $17. Estimates also reduced, to reflect lower expected car sales and higher interest costs. Sell rating.
Boston Scientific
(BSX) - Get Free Report
numbers reduced at Goldman. Shares of BSX now seen reaching $7.50. Estimates also cut, given the company lower pricing and expected market share losses. Neutral rating.
Borg Warner
(BWA) - Get Free Report
target boosted at Citigroup. Shares of BWA now seen reaching $42. Company will benefit from a global recovery in auto demand. Buy rating.
Cheesecake Factory
(CAKE) - Get Free Report
estimates boosted at Goldman. CAKE estimates were raised through 2011. Company boosted guidance, as comp sales are turning positive. Buy rating and $27 price target.
JDS Uniphase
(JDSU)
estimates, target upped at Citigroup. Shares of JDSU now seen reaching $11.50. Estimates were also increased, following the accretive acquisition from Agilent. Buy rating.
KB Home
(KBH) - Get Free Report
price target raised at Credit Suisse. KBH price target lifted by a dollar to $19. Stable conditions likely in late 2010, better growth in 2011 and 2012. Maintain Outperform rating.
Lennar
(LEN) - Get Free Report
estimates, target raised at UBS. Shares of LEN now seen reaching $17. Estimates also boosted, following the recent acquisition of distressed real estate assets. Neutral rating.
McAfee
( MFE) estimates, target boosted at Goldman. MFE estimates were increased through 2011. Company is benefitting from a lower tax rate. Neutral rating and new $47 price target.
Marvell Technology
(MRVL) - Get Free Report
numbers upped at FBR. Shares of MRVL now seen reaching $25. Estimates also raised, as the company will likely increase guidance next week.
Pepsi
(PEP) - Get Free Report
price target higher at BofA/Merrill. PEP price target raised to $69 from $67 on potential market share gains. 2011 EPS estimates improved to $4.61. Maintain Buy rating.
Philip Morris International
(PM) - Get Free Report
estimates upped at Goldman. PM estimates were increased through 2011. Better cigarette pricing is offsetting lower volumes. Buy rating and $62 price target.
VF Corp.
(VFC) - Get Free Report
estimates reduced at Goldman. Shares of VFC now seen reaching $76. Estimates also cut, because of higher operating costs and less favorable currency rates. Neutral rating.
This article was written by a staff member of TheStreet.com.
