24/7 Wall St. » HWAY

Top Analyst Upgrades & Downgrades (CELL, CSCO, DECK, DO, FTE, HTS, HWAY, HERO, LVS, LULU, MPEL, NRG, PM, SLB, SAH, STFC, VE, VRSN, WFT, YUM)

Administrator — Thu, 08 Dec 2011 13:21:30 +0000

These are some of the top analyst upgrades, downgrades, and initiations seen from Wall Street research calls this Thursday morning.

Brightpoint Inc. (NASDAQ: CELL) Reiterate as Buy with a $14 price target objective at Canaccord Genuity.
Cisco Systems Inc. (NASDAQ: CSCO) Reiterated as Buy with $24 price target objective at Argus.
Deckers Outdoor Corporation (NASDAQ: DECK) Reiterated as Buy with a $122 price target objective at Canaccord Genuity.
Diamond Offshore Drilling Inc. (NYSE: DO) Started as Sell with a $70 target price objective at Goldman Sachs.
France Telecom (NYSE: FTE) Cut to Underperform and named as Bear of the Day by Zacks Investment Research.
Hatteras Financial Corporation (NYSE: HTS) Cut to Neutral at Stern Agee.
Healthways Inc. (NASDAQ: HWAY) Raised to Buy at Stifel Nicolaus.
Hercules Offshore, Inc. (NASDAQ: HERO) Started as Neutral at Goldman Sachs.
Las Vegas Sands Corp. (NYSE: LVS) Cut to Neutral at Janney Capital Markets.
Lululemon Athletica Inc. (NASDAQ: LULU) Reinitiated as Buy at Stern Agee.
Melco Crown Entertainment Ltd. (NASDAQ: MPEL) Raised to Outperform from Neutral at Credit Suisse.
NRG Energy, Inc. (NYSE: NRG) Cut to Neutral from Buy at UBS.
Philip Morris International, Inc. (NYSE: PM) Cut to Neutral from Buy at Nomura.
Schlumberger Limited (NYSE: SLB) Started as Neutral at Goldman Sachs.
Sonic Automotive, Inc. (NYSE: SAH) named as value stock of the day by Zacks Investment Research.
State Auto Financial (NASDAQ: STFC) Raised to Buy from Neutral at Janney Capital Markets.
Veolia Environnement S.A. (NYSE: VE) Cut to Hold from Buy at Deutsche Bank.
VeriSign, Inc. (NASDAQ: VRSN) Raised to Outperform and featured as the Bull of the Day by Zacks Investment Research.
Weatherford International Ltd. (NYSE: WFT) Started as Buy with a $22 price target objective at Goldman Sachs.
Yum! Brands, Inc. (NYSE: YUM) Reiterated Buy with $65 fair value target at Janney Capital Markets.

JON C. OGG

Filed under: Analyst Calls Tagged: CELL, CSCO, DECK, DO, FTE, HERO, HTS, HWAY, LULU, LVS, MPEL, NRG, PM, SAH, SLB, STFC, VE, VRSN, WFT, YUM

24/7 Closing Bell (NFLX, FSLR, T, FRX, HWAY, JASO, LVLT, LOW, MMM, AKS, ARMH, CRDN, SHW, CI, ININ)

Paul Ausick — Tue, 25 Oct 2011 20:18:41 +0000

Shares opened lower this morning on continuing concern about European bank debt. The Case-Shiller report on housing contributed to the weakness and then the Conference Board’s Consumer Confidence Index came it at its lowest reading in three years. Shares of Netflix Inc. (NASDAQ: NFLX) continue to fall and First Solar Inc. (NASDAQ: FSLR) fired its CEO. Crude oil prices rose almost $2/barrel, and gold rose more than 3%, to top $1,700/ounce.

The unofficial closing bells put the DJIA down more than 205 points at 11,707.91 (-1.73%), the NASDAQ fell more than61 points (-2.26%) to 2,638.42, and the S&P 500 fell -2% or more than 25 points to 1,229.06.

There were several analyst upgrades and downgrades today, including a drop of AT&T (NYSE: T) to ‘market perform’ at Bernstein. Forest Laboratories Inc. (NYSE: FRX) was cut to ‘hold’ at Argus and Healthways Inc. (NASDAQ: HWAY) downgraded at 3 firms. Stocks getting a boost today included JA Solar Holdings Co. Ltd. (NASDAQ: JASO) raised to ‘overweight’ at Piper Jaffray, Level 3 Communications, Inc. (NASDAQ: LVLT) raised to ‘neutral’ at Citigroup, and Lowe’s Companies (NYSE: LOW) raised to ‘buy’ at Janney.

Here are today’s big post-earnings news reactions with prices during the last half-hour of trading: Netflix is down nearly -35%, at $77.30; 3M Co. (NYSE: MMM) fell more than -5.5%, to $77.45; AK Steel Holding Corp. (NYSE: AKS) fell more than 13% to $7.52; ARM Holdings plc (NASDAQ: ARMH) up about 1%, at $27.98; Ceradyne Inc. (NASDAQ: CRDN) up nearly 10%, at $33.48; and Sherwin-Williams Co. (NYSE: SHW) up about 2.5%, at $83.62.

Several other standouts from today are as follows…

First Solar dropped more than -25%, to $43.40, a new 52-week low. The company has fired its CEO after the shares have been pummeled on falling prices for solar PV panels. The stock’s 52-week high is $175.45, and that may be in the rear-view mirror forever.

Healthways is down more than -43%, at $6.31, after posting a new 52-week low of $6.22 earlier. CIGNA Corp. (NYSE: CI) will be cutting its contract work with Healthways following Cigna’s announced acquisition of HealthSpring.

Interactive Intelligence Group, Inc. (NASDAQ: ININ) dropped more than -24%, to $25.66. The company was downgraded by two analyst firms. The company reported soft earnings this morning.

SMTC Corp. (NASDAQ: SMTX) is up more than 45%, to $2.11. The circuit board maker raised fourth quarter and fiscal year 2012 guidance.

Unisys Corp. (NYSE: UIS) is up more than 32%, at $26.54. Earnings beat expectations as foreign sales appear to be more than making up for weak federal government sales in the US.

Stay tuned for Wednesday. We have the following events noted:

7:30 a.m. — Mortgage Bankers Association mortgage purchase applications
8:30 a.m. — Durable Goods orders
10:00 a.m. — New home sales
10:30 a.m. — EIA Petroleum status report

Paul Ausick

Filed under: General, Market Close Tagged: AKS, ARMH, CI, CRDN, FRX, FSLR, HWAY, ININ, JASO, LOW, LVLT, MMM, NFLX, SHW, T

Healthways: The Implosion of the Day (HWAY, CI)

Administrator — Tue, 25 Oct 2011 12:55:46 +0000

Healthways Inc. (NASDAQ: HWAY) could be named “The Implosion Stock of the Day.” Revenues rose 3.3% from a year earlier to $176.2 million, but that sequential earnings gain is actually more than a 6% annual drop to $0.28 EPS. In raw dollars, the earnings drop was an even higher percentage. Healthways is a provider aimed at helping people maintain or improve their health and well-being to reduce overall healthcare costs.

What does one do when 65% sequential earnings growth is not enough? That is what investors can ask, although a contract loss is the biggest culprit for today’s implosion. Cigna Corporation (NYSE: CI) recently informed the company that it will wind down its current contract in 2012 ahead of the contract’s Feb-2013 expiration and that contract is expected to produce revenues of $110 to $115 million. Healthways expects a reduction in revenues from Cigna for 2012 compared with 2011 in a range of $60 million to $65 million. Ouch.

The company noted that its net operating cash flow was down from the prior two quarters to $9.4 million. The company did note that it continues to expect full-year net operating cash flow in a range of $80 million to $100 million. The company also affirmed its guidance for 2011 revenues of $672 to $710 million ($650 to $680 million domestic and $22 to $30 million international). The company also sees 2011 net income in a range of $0.90 to $1.00 EPS versus a previous range of $0.90 to $1.08 EPS.

Shares are down almost 35% around $7.40 in the pre-market and the prior 52-week trading range was $8.63 to $17.62.

JON C. OGG

Filed under: Earnings Warning, Healthcare Tagged: CI, HWAY

Top Analyst Upgrades & Downgrades (T, BK, CELL, FDO, FRX, HWAY, JASO, LVLT, LOW, NFLX, RGLD, VECO)

Administrator — Tue, 25 Oct 2011 12:26:08 +0000

These are some of this Monday’s top analyst upgrades, downgrades, and initiations seen from Wall Street research calls this morning.

AT&T Inc. (NYSE: T) Cut to Market Perform at Bernstein.
The Bank of New York-Mellon (NYSE: BK) maintained Underperform as Bear of the Day at Zacks.
Brightpoint, Inc. (NASDAQ: CELL) Raised to Outperform as Bull of the Day at Zacks.
Family Dollar Stores, Inc. (NYSE: FDO) named Growth & Income stock of the day at Zacks.
Forest Laboratories Inc. (NYSE: FRX) Cut to Hold at Argus.
Healthways Inc. (NASDAQ: HWAY) downgraded at William Blair, Barclays, and Piper Jaffray.
JA Solar Holdings Co., Ltd. (NASDAQ: JASO) Raised to Overweight at Piper Jaffray.
Level 3 Communications Inc. (NASDAQ: LVLT) Raised to Neutral at Citigroup.
Lowe’s Companies Inc. (NYSE: LOW) Raised to Buy at Janney.
Netflix, Inc. (NASDAQ: NFLX) downgraded by Reed Hastings and everyone left who was still positive.
Royal Gold, Inc. (NASDAQ: RGLD) Raised to Overweight at HSBC.
Veeco Instruments Inc. (NASDAQ: VECO) Cut to Neutral at Sterne Agee; Reiterated Sell ar Canaccord Genuity.

JON C. OGG

Filed under: Analyst Calls Tagged: BK, CELL, FDO, FRX, HWAY, JASO, LOW, LVLT, NFLX, RGLD, T, VECO

Top Pre-Market Analyst Upgrades (BNI, CERN, DECK, EV, HWAY, IPAR, NSC, RF)

247wallst — Wed, 10 Sep 2008 06:38:33 +0000

There were other upgrades but these are the ones we are seeing having an impact on shares this morning:

Burlington Northern (BNI) Raised to Buy at UBS.
Cerner (CERN) Started as Outperform at Morgan Keegan.
Deckers Outdoor (DECK) Started as Overweight at Thomas Weisel.
Eaton Vance (EV) Raised to Buy Goldman Sachs.
Healthways (HWAY) Raised to Neutral at Goldman Sachs.
Inter Parfums (IPAR) Raised to Outperform at Oppenheimer.
Norfolk Southern (NSC) Raised to Buy at UBS.
Regions Financial (RF) Raised to Outperform at KBW.

Jon C. Ogg
September 10, 2008

The 52-Week Low Club 8/25/2008 (AIG)(SVU)(QRCP)(HWAY)

247wallst — Mon, 25 Aug 2008 14:53:37 +0000

American International Group (AIG) Analysts predicting yet another losing quarter. Stock drops to $18.64 down from 52-week high of $70.13.

Supervalu (SVU) No news. Falls to $23.60 from 52-week high of $43.30.

Quest Resource (QRCP) CEO walks. Slips $4.71 from 52-week high of $6.74.

Healthways (HWAY) Gets crushed by poor guidance. Off to $18.57 from 52-week high of $71.22.

Douglas A. McIntyre

24/7 Wall St. Most Overpaid CEO Of The Day: Healthways (HWAY) CEO Ben R. Leedle, Jr

247wallst — Mon, 25 Aug 2008 09:02:14 +0000

Healthways (HWAY) CEO Ben Leedle had a base salary of $685,000 for the company’s latest fiscal year. Healthways managed to miss it guidance and get downgraded by Jefferies & Co. Those factors took the stock down by 24% this morning to just above $19, a new 52-week low. The period high is $71.22.

Since the beginning of the year, Healthways stock is down over 60%.

Last year, Leedle had total compensation of over $4.8 million. If he leaves the company under certain circumstances, or there is a change of control in ownership, Leedle can make almost $13 million.

Healthways market cap is only $635 million now. A lot of the company’s shareholders have been devastated. Leedle still has not asked for a pay cut.

Douglas A. McIntyre

The 52-Week Low Club (COT)(WMT)(USU)(RJF)(TRSA)(HWAY)

247wallst — Tue, 26 Feb 2008 16:01:52 +0000

Cott (COT) loses shelf-space at Wal-Mart (WMT). Falls to $2.42 from 52-week high of $17.33.

USEC (USU) drops on high costs and plant closings. Sells off to $6.41 from 52-week high of $25.65.

Raymond James Financial (RJF) says market conditions are getting worse. Stock down to $23.65 from 52-week high of $37.60.

Tessera Technologies (TSRA) has patent lawsuit slowed up by ITC. Runs off to $22.15 from 52-week high of $46.43.

Healthways (HWAY) cuts outlook for this years. Shares move down to $28.43 from 52-week high of $71.22.

Douglas A. McIntyre