Top Analysts Upgrades and Downgrades: Amazon, Canada Goose, Exelon, Red Hat, Snap, ViaSat, Zebra Technologies and More

March 28, 2017 by Lee Jackson

With the Dow and the S&P 500 down yet again yesterday, and March looking to come in as the worst month for the markets since January of 2016, investors have started to think that the Trump trade and rally may be getting a little long in the tooth. While the Dow fought back from a 184 point drop yesterday, and the futures are looking mixed this morning, there is a sense that a bout of selling could be on the way.

24/7 Wall St. reviews dozens of analyst research reports each morning to find new trading and investing ideas for its readers. Some analyst calls cover stocks to buy, while others cover stocks to sell or avoid.

These are this Tuesday’s top analyst upgrades, downgrades and initiations.

Amazon.com Inc. (NASDAQ: AMZN) saw its price target raised at Stifel from $912 to $1,025. The firm expects Amazon to continue to invest in strategic areas such as logistics, AWS, emerging geographic regions and video. Stifel also notes that it thinks Alexa will work against margin expansion short term to intermediate term. The 52-week trading range for the internet giant is $576.50 to $862.80. The Wall Street consensus price objective is $941.38, and the shares closed Monday at $846.82.

Canada Goose Holdings Inc. (NYSE: GOOS) was started with a surprising Sell rating at Veritas. This was a very recent initial public offering that was very well received. It has traded as high as $18.40 and shares have come back in. No consensus price target was posted. The stock closed on Monday at $15.40.

Exelon Inc. (NYSE: EXC) was downgraded to Equal Weight from Overweight at Morgan Stanley. The 52-week range for the shares is $29.82 to $37.70, and the consensus price objective is $38.75. The stock closed Monday at $35.84.

Gulfport Energy Corp. (NASDAQ: GPOR) was downgraded to Underweight from Equal Weight at Morgan Stanley. The 52-week trading range for the shares is $15.66 to $34.67, and the consensus price target is $28.96. The stock closed way below that level Monday at $16.55.

Hanesbrands Inc. (NYSE: HBI) was started at Neutral at Goldman Sachs. The 52-week trading range is $18.91 to $30.42. The consensus price target is $26.69. The stock closed Monday at $20.46.

Red Hat Inc. (NYSE: RHT) saw its price target raised to $98 from $95 at RBC Capital Markets as the company reported one the strongest quarters in recent years as billings jumped. BMO also raises its price target on the shares to $90 from $75. Those targets compare with the current Wall Street consensus target of $87.16. The 52-week trading range is $68.54 to $85.01. The stock closed Monday at $82.20, and shares are trading almost 5% higher in the premarket.

Scorpio Bulkers Inc. (NYSE: SALT) was started at Equal Weight at Morgan Stanley. The 52-week range for the stock is $2.64 to 9.95, and the consensus price objective is $7.87. Shares closed Monday at $9.30.

Snap Inc. (NYSE: SNAP) was started at Hold at a company called Loop Capital. This follows a slew of initiation and positive commentary on the shares yesterday. The shares have traded in a wide range of $18.90 to $29.44 since the recent red-hot IPO. The consensus price target is $23.35, and the shares closed yesterday at $23.83, up almost 5% on the day. Shares are trading slightly lower in the premarket.

ViaSat Inc. (NASDAQ: VSAT) saw its price target raised at RBC Capital Markets from $42 to $48. The 52-week range is $62.69 to $82.19 and the consensus price target is $63.67. The stock remains rated Underperform, and the company faces a critical satellite launch next month. Shares closed Monday at $63.22.

Zebra Technologies Corp. (NASDAQ: ZBRA) was started at Needham with a Buy rating with a price target of $102. That compares with to a consensus target of $101.38. The 52-week range is $46.13 to $93.61. Shares closed trading on Monday at $86.50.

Zynerba Pharmaceuticals Inc. (NASDAQ: ZYNE) saw its price target raised from $22 to $40 at H.C. Wainwright, as the analysts expect a data-intensive summer for the company. The 52-week range for the stock is $6.02 to $23.75, and the consensus price target is $31.25. The stock closed yesterday at $21.16.

Follow @Jonogg on Twitter to get analyst calls and research summaries posted directly to your feed.

Other key analysts upgrades and downgrades were seen in the following:

Golden Ocean Group Ltd. (NASDAQ: GOGL) is raised to Overweight from Equal Weight at Morgan Stanley. The 52-week range is $3.10 to $8.30, and the consensus price target is $6.42. The stock closed trading Monday at $7.42.

KVH Industries Inc. (NASDAQ: KVHI) was downgraded to Outperform from Strong Buy at Raymond James. The 52-week range is $7.31 to $12.75. The consensus price target is $10.50 and compares with yesterday’s closing price of $8.10.

Kilroy Realty Inc. (NYSE: KRC) is raised to Inline from Underperform at Evercore ISI. The 52-week trading range is $58.82 to $78.33, and the consensus price target on Wall Street is $80.13. The shares closed yesterday at $71.02.

Paylocity Inc. (NASDAQ: PCTY) is raised to Outperform from Sector Perform at RBC Capital Markets and saw its price target raised to $47. That compares with a consensus target of $43.73. The 52-week range for the stock is $29.44 to $44.65, and the shares closed Monday at $37.25.

Premier Inc. (NASDAQ: PINC) is raised to Buy from Underperform at Merrill Lynch. The 52-week trading range for the stock is $28.27 to $35.11, and the consensus target is $37.37. The stock close closed yesterday at $30.25.

Scorpio Bulkers Inc. (NYSE: SALT) was started at Equal Weight at Morgan Stanley. The 52-week range is $2.64 to 9.95, and the consensus price objective is set a $7.87. Shares closed Monday at $9.30.

In case you missed it, here are Monday’s top analyst upgrades and downgrades. They included Best Buy, Groupon, Snap, Starbucks, Weatherford, Alphabet, CIT, Match, Wix and many more.

Essential Tips for Investing: Sponsored

A financial advisor can help you understand the advantages and disadvantages of investment properties. Finding a qualified financial advisor doesn’t have to be hard. SmartAsset’s free tool matches you with up to three financial advisors who serve your area, and you can interview your advisor matches at no cost to decide which one is right for you. If you’re ready to find an advisor who can help you achieve your financial goals, get started now.

Investing in real estate can diversify your portfolio. But expanding your horizons may add additional costs. If you’re an investor looking to minimize expenses, consider checking out online brokerages. They often offer low investment fees, helping you maximize your profit.