Analyst Update: Cepheid, Chipotle Mexican Grill, Twitter

Analysts adjusted their ratings on Cepheid (CPHD), Chipotle Mexican Grill, Inc. (CMG), and Twitter Inc (TWTR)

Oct 14, 2015 at 12:13 PM

Analysts are weighing in today on molecular diagnostic company Cepheid (NASDAQ:CPHD), restaurateur Chipotle Mexican Grill, Inc. (NYSE:CMG), and social media network Twitter Inc (NYSE:TWTR). Here's a quick roundup of today's brokerage notes on CPHD, CMG, and TWTR.

CPHD is 19.6% lower at $31.82 -- and just off a two-year low of $31.42 -- after the company cut its quarterly revenue expectations (subscription required). As such, no fewer than eight brokerages cut their price targets on Cepheid, including Canaccord Genuity (to $42 from $68), Goldman Sachs (to $30 from $53), Needham (to $47 from $70), and Craig Hallum (to $52 from $75). The stock is now more than 41% lower year-to-date, and sitting well below support at its 40-month moving average. CPHD's analyst configuration leaves the stock vulnerable to even more negative attention, as it sports 10 "strong buys" and two "buys" out of 16 total rankings.

CMG is 3.3% lower at $725.83 this afternoon, even though the restaurant chain saw RBC raise its price target to $825 from $740 and reiterate an "outperform" rating. Prior to today, Chipotle Mexican Grill, Inc. had been attempting to claw atop the $750-$760 region, home to its record high hit in early August. On the International Securities Exchange (ISE), Chicago Board Options Exchange (CBOE), and NASDAQ OMX PHLX (PHLX), it appears that bears have a bigger-than-usual appetite for CMG. The equity's 50-day put/call volume ratio of 1.32 is higher than 89% of the readings taken in the past year. Perhaps they're betting on an earnings miss for the company when it reports next Tuesday, Oct. 20.

Shares of social media giant TWTR have reversed early losses, up 0.9% at $29.29, after the company named former Alphabet Inc (NASDAQ:GOOGL) -- aka Google -- exec Omid Kordestani its executive chairman. Earlier, TWTR was reeling from a downgrade to "market perform" from "market outperform" at JMP Securities. Twitter Inc has been in the headlines of late, naming a new CEO and announcing mass layoffs. Yesterday, bulls took the reins in the option pits, and TWTR's 50-day call/put volume ratio on the ISE/CBOE/PHLX of 2.74 is ranks in the 81st percentile of the readings taken in the past 52 weeks. On the charts, however, TWTR has shed 18.1% in 2015, and is running into a wall in the form of its 20-week moving average.

For other stocks in analysts' crosshairs, read Analyst Upgrades: Intel Corporation, Chesapeake Energy Corporation, and Ford Motor Company and Analyst Downgrades: GoPro Inc, Transocean LTD, and JPMorgan Chase & Co.

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