Benzinga's Top Upgrades, Downgrades For December 18, 2020

Upgrades

According to Citigroup, the prior rating for H.B. Fuller Co FUL was changed from Neutral to Buy. In the third quarter, H.B. Fuller showed an EPS of $0.76, compared to $0.86 from the year-ago quarter. The current stock performance of H.B. Fuller shows a 52-week-high of $55.28 and a 52-week-low of $23.68. Moreover, at the end of the last trading period, the closing price was at $52.87.
Benchmark upgraded the previous rating for Huron Consulting Group Inc HURN from Hold to Buy. In the third quarter, Huron Consulting Group showed an EPS of $0.59, compared to $0.79 from the year-ago quarter. The current stock performance of Huron Consulting Group shows a 52-week-high of $70.91 and a 52-week-low of $35.15. Moreover, at the end of the last trading period, the closing price was at $53.30.
According to Bernstein, the prior rating for Smith & Nephew PLC SNN was changed from Market Perform to Outperform. The current stock performance of Smith & Nephew shows a 52-week-high of $52.26 and a 52-week-low of $26.07. Moreover, at the end of the last trading period, the closing price was at $41.85.
According to B. Riley FBR, the prior rating for Preferred Bank PFBC was changed from Neutral to Buy. In the third quarter, Preferred Bank showed an EPS of $1.15, compared to $1.32 from the year-ago quarter. The current stock performance of Preferred Bank shows a 52-week-high of $64.50 and a 52-week-low of $20.04. Moreover, at the end of the last trading period, the closing price was at $46.30.
DA Davidson upgraded the previous rating for OceanFirst Financial Corp OCFC from Neutral to Buy. In the third quarter, OceanFirst Financial showed an EPS of $0.00, compared to $0.54 from the year-ago quarter. The current stock performance of OceanFirst Financial shows a 52-week-high of $25.61 and a 52-week-low of $11.60. Moreover, at the end of the last trading period, the closing price was at $17.79.
For Macy's Inc M, Jefferies upgraded the previous rating of Hold to Buy. In the third quarter, Macy's showed an EPS of $0.19, compared to $0.07 from the year-ago quarter. The stock has a 52-week-high of $18.57 and a 52-week-low of $4.38. At the end of the last trading period, Macy's closed at $10.42.
According to DA Davidson, the prior rating for Heartland Financial USA Inc HTLF was changed from Neutral to Buy. In the third quarter, Heartland Financial showed an EPS of $1.23, compared to $0.94 from the year-ago quarter. At the moment, the stock has a 52-week-high of $51.85 and a 52-week-low of $25.26. Heartland Financial closed at $41.71 at the end of the last trading period.
For Ellington Financial Inc EFC, Keefe, Bruyette & Woods upgraded the previous rating of Market Perform to Outperform. For the third quarter, Ellington Financial had an EPS of $0.41, compared to year-ago quarter EPS of $0.47. At the moment, the stock has a 52-week-high of $19.12 and a 52-week-low of $3.24. Ellington Financial closed at $15.23 at the end of the last trading period.
According to JP Morgan, the prior rating for Dow Inc DOW was changed from Neutral to Overweight. In the third quarter, Dow showed an EPS of $0.50, compared to $0.91 from the year-ago quarter. At the moment, the stock has a 52-week-high of $58.18 and a 52-week-low of $21.95. Dow closed at $53.82 at the end of the last trading period.
For Myers Industries Inc MYE, KeyBanc upgraded the previous rating of Sector Weight to Overweight. In the third quarter, Myers Industries showed an EPS of $0.30, compared to $0.15 from the year-ago quarter. At the moment, the stock has a 52-week-high of $19.26 and a 52-week-low of $6.91. Myers Industries closed at $19.16 at the end of the last trading period.

Downgrades

Needham downgraded the previous rating for BioTelemetry Inc BEAT from Buy to Hold. For the third quarter, BioTelemetry had an EPS of $0.45, compared to year-ago quarter EPS of $0.52. At the moment, the stock has a 52-week-high of $63.91 and a 52-week-low of $27.35. BioTelemetry closed at $61.78 at the end of the last trading period.
B of A Securities downgraded the previous rating for iHeartMedia Inc IHRT from Neutral to Underperform. iHeartMedia earned $0.22 in the third quarter, compared to $0.08 in the year-ago quarter. At the moment, the stock has a 52-week-high of $19.69 and a 52-week-low of $4.31. iHeartMedia closed at $12.65 at the end of the last trading period.
For ViacomCBS Inc VIAC, B of A Securities downgraded the previous rating of Neutral to Underperform. ViacomCBS earned $0.91 in the third quarter, compared to $1.10 in the year-ago quarter. The stock has a 52-week-high of $43.04 and a 52-week-low of $10.10. At the end of the last trading period, ViacomCBS closed at $36.20.
B of A Securities downgraded the previous rating for Discovery Inc DISCA from Buy to Underperform. In the third quarter, Discovery showed an EPS of $0.81, compared to $0.87 from the year-ago quarter. At the moment, the stock has a 52-week-high of $33.48 and a 52-week-low of $17.12. Discovery closed at $28.74 at the end of the last trading period.
For Celanese Corp CE, Evercore ISI Group downgraded the previous rating of Outperform to In-Line. Celanese earned $1.95 in the third quarter, compared to $2.53 in the year-ago quarter. The stock has a 52-week-high of $138.31 and a 52-week-low of $52.70. At the end of the last trading period, Celanese closed at $130.90.
For Dentsply Sirona Inc XRAY, Stifel downgraded the previous rating of Buy to Hold. Dentsply Sirona earned $0.67 in the third quarter, compared to $0.57 in the year-ago quarter. At the moment, the stock has a 52-week-high of $60.87 and a 52-week-low of $31.57. Dentsply Sirona closed at $53.27 at the end of the last trading period.
According to Goldman Sachs, the prior rating for Sanderson Farms Inc SAFM was changed from Neutral to Buy. For the fourth quarter, Sanderson Farms had an EPS of $1.26, compared to year-ago quarter EPS of $0.95. At the moment, the stock has a 52-week-high of $179.45 and a 52-week-low of $102.13. Sanderson Farms closed at $139.49 at the end of the last trading period.
According to Keefe, Bruyette & Woods, the prior rating for Rocket Companies Inc RKT was changed from Market Perform to Underperform. In the third quarter, Rocket Companies earned $1.21. The stock has a 52-week-high of $34.42 and a 52-week-low of $17.78. At the end of the last trading period, Rocket Companies closed at $22.40.
According to Credit Suisse, the prior rating for Palantir Technologies Inc PLTR was changed from Neutral to Underperform. Palantir Technologies earned $0.94 in the third quarter. The stock has a 52-week-high of $33.50 and a 52-week-low of $8.90. At the end of the last trading period, Palantir Technologies closed at $27.20.
According to JP Morgan, the prior rating for Helmerich & Payne Inc HP was changed from Overweight to Neutral. For the fourth quarter, Helmerich & Payne had an EPS of $0.74, compared to year-ago quarter EPS of $0.38. The stock has a 52-week-high of $47.33 and a 52-week-low of $12.40. At the end of the last trading period, Helmerich & Payne closed at $25.23.
JP Morgan downgraded the previous rating for Flex Ltd FLEX from Overweight to Neutral. In the second quarter, Flex showed an EPS of $0.36, compared to $0.31 from the year-ago quarter. The stock has a 52-week-high of $17.95 and a 52-week-low of $5.36. At the end of the last trading period, Flex closed at $17.81.
For Core Laboratories NV CLB, JP Morgan downgraded the previous rating of Neutral to Underweight. For the third quarter, Core Laboratories had an EPS of $0.16, compared to year-ago quarter EPS of $0.50. At the moment, the stock has a 52-week-high of $48.40 and a 52-week-low of $6.68. Core Laboratories closed at $25.77 at the end of the last trading period.
According to JP Morgan, the prior rating for CalAmp Corp CAMP was changed from Neutral to Underweight. CalAmp earned $0.07 in the third quarter, compared to $0.15 in the year-ago quarter. At the moment, the stock has a 52-week-high of $11.94 and a 52-week-low of $3.70. CalAmp closed at $10.79 at the end of the last trading period.
BMO Capital downgraded the previous rating for Aurora Cannabis Inc ACB from Market Perform to Underperform. In the first quarter, Aurora Cannabis showed an EPS of $0.68, compared to $0.01 from the year-ago quarter. The stock has a 52-week-high of $19.68 and a 52-week-low of $0.60. At the end of the last trading period, Aurora Cannabis closed at $9.72.

Initiations

Truist Securities initiated coverage on Envestnet Inc ENV with a Buy rating. The price target for Envestnet is set to $95.00. In the third quarter, Envestnet showed an EPS of $0.72, compared to $0.60 from the year-ago quarter. The current stock performance of Envestnet shows a 52-week-high of $92.51 and a 52-week-low of $45.53. Moreover, at the end of the last trading period, the closing price was at $84.36.
With a Buy rating, Craig-Hallum initiated coverage on GTY Technology Holdings Inc GTYH. The price target seems to have been set at $6.00 for GTY Technology Holdings. GTY Technology Holdings earned $0.03 in the third quarter. The stock has a 52-week-high of $7.39 and a 52-week-low of $2.16. At the end of the last trading period, GTY Technology Holdings closed at $3.93.
With a Buy rating, CMB International initiated coverage on Trip.com Group Ltd TCOM. The price target seems to have been set at $45.00 for Trip.com Group. Trip.com Group earned $0.34 in the third quarter, compared to $0.52 in the year-ago quarter. The current stock performance of Trip.com Group shows a 52-week-high of $38.95 and a 52-week-low of $20.10. Moreover, at the end of the last trading period, the closing price was at $34.91.
With an Outperform rating, BMO Capital initiated coverage on TravelCenters Of America Inc TA. The price target seems to have been set at $40.00 for TravelCenters Of America. For the third quarter, TravelCenters Of America had an EPS of $0.65, compared to year-ago quarter EPS of $0.23. At the moment, the stock has a 52-week-high of $35.60 and a 52-week-low of $5.51. TravelCenters Of America closed at $33.94 at the end of the last trading period.
With a Hold rating, Truist Securities initiated coverage on SS&C Technologies Holdings Inc SSNC. The price target seems to have been set at $77.00 for SS&C Technologies Hldgs. For the third quarter, SS&C Technologies Hldgs had an EPS of $1.10, compared to year-ago quarter EPS of $0.93. The current stock performance of SS&C Technologies Hldgs shows a 52-week-high of $74.00 and a 52-week-low of $29.51. Moreover, at the end of the last trading period, the closing price was at $71.84.
With a Positive rating, Susquehanna initiated coverage on DoorDash Inc DASH. The price target seems to have been set at $185.00 for DoorDash. The current stock performance of DoorDash shows a 52-week-high of $195.50 and a 52-week-low of $149.95. Moreover, at the end of the last trading period, the closing price was at $154.25.
With a Buy rating, Truist Securities initiated coverage on Broadridge Financial Solutions Inc BR. The price target seems to have been set at $175.00 for Broadridge Financial Soln. Broadridge Financial Soln earned $0.98 in the first quarter, compared to $0.68 in the year-ago quarter. The current stock performance of Broadridge Financial Soln shows a 52-week-high of $153.34 and a 52-week-low of $81.90. Moreover, at the end of the last trading period, the closing price was at $150.95.
With a Positive rating, Susquehanna initiated coverage on Airbnb Inc ABNB. The price target seems to have been set at $180.00 for Airbnb. At the moment, the stock has a 52-week-high of $165.00 and a 52-week-low of $121.50. Airbnb closed at $147.05 at the end of the last trading period.
With a Buy rating, Truist Securities initiated coverage on Independent Bank Group Inc IBTX. The price target seems to have been set at $75.00 for Independent Bank Gr. For the third quarter, Independent Bank Gr had an EPS of $1.38, compared to year-ago quarter EPS of $1.35. The stock has a 52-week-high of $62.84 and a 52-week-low of $20.35. At the end of the last trading period, Independent Bank Gr closed at $62.55.
With a Neutral rating, Credit Suisse initiated coverage on Root Inc ROOT. The price target seems to have been set at $13.00 for Root. Root earned $2.20 in the third quarter. The current stock performance of Root shows a 52-week-high of $20.21 and a 52-week-low of $13.57. Moreover, at the end of the last trading period, the closing price was at $14.14.
Morgan Stanley initiated coverage on Vulcan Materials Co VMC with a Equal-Weight rating. The price target for Vulcan Materials is set to $150.00. In the third quarter, Vulcan Materials showed an EPS of $1.56, compared to $1.68 from the year-ago quarter. At the moment, the stock has a 52-week-high of $153.88 and a 52-week-low of $65.56. Vulcan Materials closed at $139.70 at the end of the last trading period.
With a Equal-Weight rating, Morgan Stanley initiated coverage on Summit Materials Inc SUM. The price target seems to have been set at $22.00 for Summit Materials. Summit Materials earned $0.55 in the third quarter, compared to $0.50 in the year-ago quarter. The current stock performance of Summit Materials shows a 52-week-high of $25.22 and a 52-week-low of $7.51. Moreover, at the end of the last trading period, the closing price was at $19.47.
With an Overweight rating, Morgan Stanley initiated coverage on Martin Marietta Materials Inc MLM. The price target seems to have been set at $316.00 for Martin Marietta Materials. In the third quarter, Martin Marietta Materials showed an EPS of $0.04, compared to $0.02 from the year-ago quarter. The current stock performance of Martin Marietta Materials shows a 52-week-high of $287.50 and a 52-week-low of $135.08. Moreover, at the end of the last trading period, the closing price was at $265.62.
HC Wainwright & Co. initiated coverage on Dare Bioscience Inc DARE with a Buy rating. The price target for Dare Bioscience is set to $5.00. Dare Bioscience earned $0.24 in the third quarter, compared to $0.20 in the year-ago quarter. The stock has a 52-week-high of $2.22 and a 52-week-low of $0.75. At the end of the last trading period, Dare Bioscience closed at $1.13.
With a Buy rating, HC Wainwright & Co. initiated coverage on Sharps Compliance Corp SMED. The price target seems to have been set at $12.00 for Sharps Compliance. In the first quarter, Sharps Compliance showed an EPS of $0.02, compared to $0.04 from the year-ago quarter. The stock has a 52-week-high of $9.60 and a 52-week-low of $4.00. At the end of the last trading period, Sharps Compliance closed at $9.55.
ScotiaBank initiated coverage on Vasta Platform Ltd VSTA with an Outperform rating. The price target for Vasta Platform is set to $19.00. Interestingly, in the third quarter, Vasta Platform's EPS was $0.09. The current stock performance of Vasta Platform shows a 52-week-high of $19.43 and a 52-week-low of $10.94. Moreover, at the end of the last trading period, the closing price was at $14.59.
With an Overweight rating, Stephens & Co. initiated coverage on Vericel Corp VCEL. The price target seems to have been set at $31.00 for Vericel. Vericel earned $0.08 in the third quarter, compared to $0.07 in the year-ago quarter. The stock has a 52-week-high of $27.65 and a 52-week-low of $6.78. At the end of the last trading period, Vericel closed at $26.65.
With an Outperform rating, Wedbush initiated coverage on Skyline Champion Corp SKY. The price target seems to have been set at $38.00 for Skyline Champion. In the second quarter, Skyline Champion showed an EPS of $0.31, compared to $0.34 from the year-ago quarter. The stock has a 52-week-high of $37.03 and a 52-week-low of $10.82. At the end of the last trading period, Skyline Champion closed at $31.27.
With a Buy rating, BTIG initiated coverage on Revolve Group Inc RVLV. The price target seems to have been set at $41.00 for Revolve Group. In the third quarter, Revolve Group showed an EPS of $0.27, compared to $0.13 from the year-ago quarter. At the moment, the stock has a 52-week-high of $29.28 and a 52-week-low of $7.17. Revolve Group closed at $29.27 at the end of the last trading period.
With an Outperform rating, Oppenheimer initiated coverage on Medicenna Therapeutics Corp MDNA. The price target seems to have been set at $12.00 for Medicenna Therapeutics. The stock has a 52-week-high of $5.03 and a 52-week-low of $3.47. At the end of the last trading period, Medicenna Therapeutics closed at $3.84.
Rosenblatt initiated coverage on LivePerson Inc LPSN with a Buy rating. The price target for LivePerson is set to $73.00. For the third quarter, LivePerson had an EPS of $0.12, compared to year-ago quarter EPS of $0.41. At the moment, the stock has a 52-week-high of $63.90 and a 52-week-low of $14.08. LivePerson closed at $59.81 at the end of the last trading period.
B. Riley FBR initiated coverage on American Public Education Inc APEI with a Buy rating. The price target for American Public Education is set to $45.00. American Public Education earned $0.18 in the third quarter, compared to $0.11 in the year-ago quarter. At the moment, the stock has a 52-week-high of $41.09 and a 52-week-low of $18.47. American Public Education closed at $32.10 at the end of the last trading period.