Analyst Downgrades: TripAdvisor, Inc., Chimerix Inc, and Potash Corporation of Saskatchewan

Analysts downwardly revised their ratings and price targets on TripAdvisor, Inc. (TRIP), Chimerix Inc (CMRX), and Potash Corporation of Saskatchewan (USA) (POT)

Feb 22, 2016 at 10:47 AM

Analysts are weighing in on online travel specialist TripAdvisor, Inc. (NASDAQ:TRIP), biotech stock Chimerix Inc (NASDAQ:CMRX), and fertilizer producer Potash Corporation of Saskatchewan (USA) (NYSE:POT). Here's a quick roundup of today's bearish brokerage notes on TRIP, CMRX, and POT.

Stifel cut its rating on TRIP to "sell" from "hold," sending the shares down 0.9% to $62.87. TripAdvisor, Inc. reported a surprising earnings beat earlier this month, but that didn't stop a slew of analysts from slashing their price targets on the stock -- which has shed more than 26% so far this year, and hit a two-year low on Feb. 10. In fact, the brokerage bunch has been particularly bearish on TRIP -- 19 out of 22 firms following the stock currently rate it a "hold" or worse.

CMRX has plummeted 33.6% to $5.07 this morning -- touching a new record low of $4.91 -- after a late-stage trial for its cytomegalovirus treatment in patients receiving hematopoietic cell transplantation did not meet its primary goal. Additionally, the stock was downgraded to "neutral" from "buy" at Citigroup -- which cut its price target once again to $9 from $13 -- with the brokerage firm questioning the drug's ability to meet secondary goals. This bearish bias is seen elsewhere, considering nearly 13% of Chimerix Inc's available float is currently sold short. Moreover, short interest on the stock climbed by more than 80% during the last month.

Susquehanna cut its price target on POT to $14 from $17 last night, but the shares are shaking off the bearish note so far, up 2.2% at $16.37. Out of 18 analysts following Potash Corporation of Saskatchewan, 12 rate it a "hold" or worse, and option traders appear similarly pessimistic. At the International Securities Exchange (ISE), Chicago Board Options Exchange (CBOE), and NASDAQ OMX PHLX (PHLX), the equity's 10-day put/call volume ratio of 0.91 is higher than 80% of all readings taken in the past year.

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