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Analysts adjusted their ratings on AMZN, SBUX, and YGE
Analysts are weighing in today on Internet retailer Amazon.com, Inc. (NASDAQ:AMZN), java giant Starbucks Corporation (NASDAQ:SBUX), and solar issue Yingli Green Energy Hold. Co. Ltd. (ADR) (NYSE:YGE). Here's a quick look at today's brokerage notes on AMZN, SBUX, and YGE.
- Despite being down 16.4% year-to-date to trade at $333.57, AMZN saw its price target upped by $50 to $400 at Piper Jaffray, which reiterated its "overweight" recommendation. This positive perspective is fairly standard as far as the brokerage crowd is concerned, with the stock sporting 18 "buy" or better ratings versus a dozen "holds" and not a single "sell" assessment. Optimism is brimming at the International Securities Exchange (ISE), Chicago Board Options Exchange (CBOE), and NASDAQ OMX PHLX (PHLX), as well. Amazon.com, Inc.'s 10-day call/put volume ratio across those exchanges is 1.63 -- just 5 percentage points from a 12-month peak.
- SBUX has been running up the charts since its mid-October low of $70.77, settling at $79.70 on Wednesday -- a 12.6% advance. As such, the shares' price target was boosted to $100 from $90 at Piper Jaffray, while the brokerage firm underscored its "overweight" rating. Elsewhere, however, Starbucks Corporation's Schaeffer's put/call open interest ratio (SOIR) of 1.20 ranks in the 86th percentile of its annual range, suggesting short-term traders have rarely preferred puts over calls more strongly. A capitulation among these skeptics could pave the way for additional upside in SBUX shares.
- YGE's price target was reduced to $3 from $3.50 at Roth, which also maintained its "neutral" opinion toward the equity. On the charts, the stock has been in freefall, down almost 41% in 2014 to trade at $2.98. Not surprisingly, short sellers have been rolling the dice on Yingli Green Energy Hold. Co. Ltd. (ADR). Short interest on the shares represents nearly 16% of YGE's float, and would take about two weeks to cover, at typical daily trading volumes.