U.S. RESEARCH ROUNDUP: Google, Priceline, Wendy's, Gap, Autodesk

8x8

01/03/2013 20:28

March 1 (Reuters) - Wall Street securities analysts revised their ratings and price targets 
on several U.S. companies, including Google and Priceline.com on Friday.  
     
    HIGHLIGHTS 
    * Autodesk Inc   : Jefferies raises to buy from hold; price target to $45 from $40 
    * Gap Inc   : Canaccord Genuity raises target price to $39 from $36; rating hold 
    * Priceline.com Inc   : Lazard raises to buy from neutral 
    * Google Inc   : Piper Jaffray raises target to $938 from $828; rating overweight 
    * Wendy's Co   : Morgan Stanley cuts to underweight - theflyonthewall.com 
         
Following is a summary of research actions on U.S. companies reported by Reuters on Friday. 
Stock entries are in alphabetical order.  
     
    * 8x8 Inc   : Northland Capital raises to outperform from market perform 
    * Acuity Brands Inc   : Oppenheimer raises price target to $72 from $69; rating perform 
    * Acuity Brands Inc   : Northland Capital starts with market perform rating 
    * Acuity Brands Inc   : Northland Capital starts with  price target of $71 
    * Aegion Corp   : Northland Capital assumes coverage with outperform rating 
    * Agree Realty Corp   : BMO raises target price to $30 from $26; rating market perform 
    * Air Lease Corp   : Fbr raises price target to $30 from $28; rating outperform 
    * Air Methods   : Oppenheimer raises target price to $51 from $49; rating outperform 
    * Aixtron SE   : Northland Capital starts with underperform rating; price target $8 
    * American States Water Co   : Baird raises target to $52 from $46; rating neutral 
    * American States Water Co   : Janney Capital raises fair value to $54 from $38 
    * Ansys Inc   : Canaccord Genuity raises target price to $85 from $75; rating buy 
    * Ansys Inc   : Jefferies raises price target to $75 from $65 
    * Ansys Inc   : Wedbush raises price target to $76 from $74; rating neutral 
    * Ashford Hospitality Trust   : FBR raises target to $12 from $9; rating market perform 
    * Assured Guaranty   : KBW raises target price to $19 from $16; rating market perform 
    * Autodesk Inc   : Jefferies raises to buy from hold; price target to $45 from $40 
    * Babcock & Wilcox   : Credit Suisse raises target price to $29 from $28 
    * Best Buy Co Inc   : S&P Capital IQ raises target price to $17 from $14; rating hold 
    * Bio-Reference LabS   : Benchmark raises target price to $36 from $32; rating buy 
    * Biogen Idec Inc   : Morgan Stanley raises target to $177 from $170 
    * Capital One Financial   : Guggenheim cuts price target by $2 to $57; rating neutral 
    * Catamaran Corp   : BMO raises target price to $59 from $50; rating market perform 
    * CB&I   : Credit Suisse raises target price to $58 from $51 
    * Cerus Corp   : MLV & Co raises price target to $7.50 from $5; rating buy 
    * Cerus Corp   : Wedbush raises price target to $5 from $4; rating outperform 
    * Cincinnati Bell   : Raymond James cuts to outperform from strong buy 
    * Cincinnati Bell   : Raymond James cuts target price to $4.25 from $6 
    * Chart Industries   : Northland Capital raises target to $80 from $75 
    * Chart Industries Inc   : Northland Capital assumes coverage with outperform rating 
    * ConocoPhillips   : Credit Suisse raises target price to $70 from $65 
    * Continental Resources   : Canaccord Genuity raises target to $108 from $100 
    * Continental Resources   : Wunderlich Securities raises target price to $80 from $75 
    * Con-Way Inc   : Dahlman Rose raises price target to $40 from $38; rating buy 
    * CoStar Group Inc   : Needham raises target price to $115 from $100; rating buy 
    * Cree Inc   : Northland Capital starts with outperform rating; price target of $50 
    * Darden Restaurants Inc   : UBS cuts to neutral from buy - theflyonthewall.com 
    * Deckers Outdoor Corp   : Jefferies raises target price to $65 from $60; rating buy 
    * Deckers Outdoor   : Canaccord Genuity raises target to $42 from $35; rating hold 
    * Deckers Outdoor   : Susquehanna raises target price to $40 from $35; rating neutral 
    * Deckers   : S&P Equity cuts to hold from buy; raises target price by $7 to $47 
    * Dril-Quip Inc   : Guggenheim raises price target to $87 from $76; rating neutral 
    * Duke Energy Corp   : Citigroup cuts to neutral from buy - theflyonthewall.com 
    * Einstein Noah Restaurant   : Jefferies raises target to $17 from $16; rating buy 
    * Emeritus Corp   : Jmp securities raises price target to $32 from $29 
    * Enphase Energy   : Northland Capital starts with outperform rating; target of $8 
    * Exelis Inc   : RBC cuts target price to $11 from $12; rating sector perform 
    * FARO Technologies Inc   : Noble Financial raises to hold from sell 
    * Federal-Mogul Corp   : Goldman Sachs cuts to sell from neutral 
    * Fiesta Restaurant Group   : Wedbush raises target to $26 from $24; rating outperform 
    * First Solar   : Northland Capital starts with underperform rating; target of $20 
    * Fulton Financial Corp   : Sterne Agee cuts to neutral from buy - theflyonthewall.com 
    * Gap Inc   : Canaccord Genuity raises target price to $39 from $36; rating hold 
    * Gap Inc   : Janney raises fair value to $42 from $41; rating buy 
    * Gap Inc   : Susquehanna cuts target price to $42 from $45; rating positive 
    * Gladstone Land   : JMP Securities starts with market outperform; price target of $18 
    * Golar LNG Partners   : Evercore cuts target price to $34 from $37; rating overweight 
    * Google Inc   : Piper Jaffray raises target to $938 from $828; rating overweight 
    * GT Advanced Technologies   : Credit Suisse cuts target price to $3 from $4 
    * Halcon Resources Corp   : Global Hunter Securities cuts to neutral from accumulate 
    * Hanesbrands Inc   : Janney raises fair value to $47 from $45; rating buy 
    * Hanesbrands Inc   : Janney raises fair value to $47 from $45; rating buy 
    * Hercules Technology Growth   : Jmp securities ups target to $13.50 from $12.50 
    * Hercules Technology Growth   : Raymond James raises price target to $13.50 from $12 
    * Illumina Inc   : UBS raises to buy from neutral - theflyonthewall.com 
    * Infinity Pharmaceuticals   : Piper Jaffray assumes coverage with overweight rating - 
theflyonthewall.com 
    * International Paper   : RBC raises to outperform from sector perform 
    * International Paper   : RBC raises price target to $52 from $40 
    * Intuitive Surgical   : Cantor Fitzgerald raises to buy from hold 
    * Intuitive Surgical   : Cantor Fitzgerald raises target price to $575 from $550 
    * Inventure Foods   : Canaccord Genuity raises price target to $9 from $8; rating buy 
    * J&J Snack Foods Corp   : William Blair starts with outperform rating 
    * Kohl's Corp   : Jefferies raises target price to $53 from $52; rating buy 
    * Kraton Performance   : Credit Suisse cuts target price to $29 from $32 
    * Limited Brands   : Jefferies cuts target price to $46 from $50; rating hold 
    * Limited Brands Inc   : Citig