Analyst Update: GoPro, Ambarella, Tekmira Pharma

Analysts are weighing in today on wearable camera maker GoPro Inc (NASDAQ:GPRO), semiconductor firm Ambarella Inc (NASDAQ:AMBA), and biotech issue Tekmira Pharmaceuticals Corp (NASDAQ:TKMR). Here's a quick look at today's brokerage notes on GPRO, AMBA, and TKMR.

• GPRO is up 1.3% to hit $43.27, after Dougherty & Company raised its opinion on the stock to "buy" from "neutral." The upgrade is somewhat surprising, given the shares of GoPro Inc have fallen about 31.6% year-to-date, and are struggling to conquer resistance at their 40-day moving average. The rest of the brokerage bunch is divided on GPRO, though, as 46% of covering analysts rate the stock a "strong buy," with only 8% doling out "strong sell" recommendations. What's more, the security's average 12-month price target of $63.92 stands at a 47.7% premium to current trading levels, leaving the door wide open for a round of analyst downgrades and/or price-target cuts to create headwinds.


• Canaccord Genuity lifted its price target on AMBA by $7 to $81 -- in uncharted territory -- while underscoring its "buy" rating, sending the shares 3.9% higher today to reach $73.05. Including today's positive price action, the shares of Ambarella Inc have now advanced an impressive 44% year-to-date. In fact, AMBA tagged a record peak of $73.50 just a week ago. Accordingly, sentiment in the options pits has been bullish, as AMBA's 10-day International Securities Exchange (ISE), Chicago Board Options Exchange (CBOE), and NASDAQ OMX PHLX (PHLX) call/put volume ratio of 2.75 sits in the 83rd percentile of its annual range.


• Nomura initiated coverage on TKMR with a "buy" rating and a lofty $32 price target, which represents an 83% premium to the shares' current perch at $17.49, and sits in unexplored terrain. After initially jumping out of the gate, the shares of Tekmira Pharmaceuticals Corp are down about 0.5%, chipping away at a 15.6% year-to-date gain. Calls have been prominent in the options pits, as TKMR's Schaeffer's put/call open interest ratio (SOIR) of 0.23 ranks higher than only 15% of all equivalent readings taken over the past 12 months. Simply stated, near-term speculators have rarely been this call-skewed over the past year. Traders aren't the only ones who are optimistic, either, as all five analysts covering the stock rate it a "buy" or "strong buy."