Analysts upwardly revised their ratings on Apple Inc. (AAPL), Netflix, Inc. (NFLX), and Walt Disney Co (DIS)
Analysts are weighing in today on iPad parent Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:AAPL), streaming content provider Netflix, Inc. (NASDAQ:NFLX), and entertainment juggernaut Walt Disney Co (NYSE:DIS). Here's a quick roundup of today's bullish brokerage notes on AAPL, NFLX, and DIS.
- AAPL is on the receiving end of optimistic brokerage attention, ahead of the company's turn in the earnings confessional tonight. Specifically, Jefferies upped its price target to $135 from $130, while Brean Capital initiated coverage on Apple Inc. with a "buy" recommendation and $160 price target. On the charts, the shares have shot 18% higher year-to-date to trade at $130.28, and are sitting just below their record high of $133.60 from late February. However, options traders have yet to jump on AAPL's bullish bandwagon. The equity's 50-day International Securities Exchange (ISE), Chicago Board Options Exchange (CBOE), and NASDAQ OMX PHLX (PHLX) put/call volume ratio of 0.47 ranks in the 79th percentile of its annual range. These bears could get burned, though, as the stock has averaged a single-session post-earnings gain of 4.8% over the past four quarters.
- Stifel lifted its price target on NFLX by $75 to $725 -- all-time-high territory. The upward revision is well-deserved, considering the shares have soared 63.5% year-to-date -- helped by a boost from last week's international subscriber numbers. In fact, additional price-target hikes could come down the pike, as Netflix, Inc.'s average 12-month price target of $556.86 rests below the stock's current perch at $558.40. Upgrades are also a possibility, as 12 of 26 analysts still consider NFLX a "hold" or worse. Ahead of the bell, the shares are 0.9% higher.
- DIS received a pair of bullish brokerage notes, with Guggenheim boosting its rating to "buy," and Citigroup upping its price target to $125 from $110. Technically speaking, the security has been a beast, hitting an all-time high of $110.48 on Friday, and rallying 40% year-over-year to trade at $109.53 -- just above its consensus 12-month price target of $108.96, potentially paving the way for additional price-target hikes. What's more, nearly half of the analysts tracking Walt Disney Co have handed out a tepid "hold" rating, which means future upgrades may be in the cards. On the other hand, options traders have been extremely bullish in recent weeks, racking up a 10-day ISE/CBOE/PHLX call/put volume ratio of 3.70 -- the highest reading of its kind in the last 12 months.