Analyst Update: Akamai Tech, DuPont, Skyworks

Analysts are weighing in today on cloud concern Akamai Technologies, Inc. (NASDAQ:AKAM), big-cap chemical firm E I Du Pont De Nemours And Co (NYSE:DD) -- better known as DuPont -- and integrated circuit specialist Skyworks Solutions Inc (NASDAQ:SWKS). Here's a quick look at today's brokerage notes on AKAM, DD, and SWKS.

• AKAM is up 1.6% to hit $71.97, and earlier hit a 14-year high of $72.15, even after D.A. Davidson cut its price target to $83 from $86 (but reiterated its "buy" opinion of the stock). On the charts, Akamai Technologies, Inc. has been a technical outperformer, with the shares up 14.3% year-to-date. Accordingly, short-term calls are prominent in the options pits, as AKAM's Schaeffer's put/call open interest ratio (SOIR) of 0.58 sits in the 18th percentile of its annual range. Simply stated, near-term speculators are more call-heavy than usual towards AKAM.


• BofA-Merrill Lynch downgraded DD to "underperform" from "buy," citing agricultural and dollar-related headwinds. However, the brokerage firm said it views "the largest risk to our more cautious posture as the ongoing engagement of activist Trian, which could lead to acceleration of cost cuts, and possibly further reshaping of the portfolio or a break-up of DuPont if Trian prevails." Today, the shares are down over 2% to hit $78.65, trimming their year-to-date gain to 6.4%. Calls have been popular in the options pits, as E I Du Pont De Nemours And Co's 10-day International Securities Exchange (ISE), Chicago Board Options Exchange (CBOE), and NASDAQ OMX PHLX (PHLX) call/put volume ratio of 2.28 sits in the 78th percentile of its annual range.


• Topeka and D.A. Davidson upped their price targets on SWKS -- one of the newest S&P 500 Index (SPX) members -- with the former raising its target to $105 from $90, and the latter increasing its target to $110 from $95. Both firms underscored "buy" opinions, and the new targets stand in uncharted territory for SWKS. At last check, the shares of Skyworks Solutions Inc are up 3.6% to hit $96.27, and earlier touched an all-time high of $96.34, for a staggering 161% year-over-year gain. Surprisingly, bearish sentiment has grown increasingly popular in the options pits, as SWKS's 50-day ISE/CBOE/PHLX put/call volume ratio of 0.52 sits just 2 percentage points away from an annual pessimistic peak.