Analyst Update: Analog Devices, Stage Stores, Target

Analysts are weighing in today on semiconductor firm Analog Devices, Inc. (NASDAQ:ADI), as well as retailers Stage Stores Inc (NYSE:SSI) and Target Corporation (NYSE:TGT). Here's a quick roundup of today's brokerage notes on ADI, SSI, and TGT.

• ADI jumped to a 14-year high of $66.58 earlier -- and was last seen up 3.8% at $65.89 -- after the company's earnings beat prompted a rush of bullish analyst attention. Specifically, no fewer than 11 brokerage firms raised their price targets, with the loftiest expectations set by Pacific Crest -- which raised its target to $74 from $66. Over at the International Securities Exchange (ISE), Chicago Board Options Exchange (CBOE), and NASDAQ OMX PHLX (PHLX), traders have been buying to open Analog Devices, Inc. puts over calls at a rapid-fire rate in recent months. The stock's 50-day put/call volume ratio of 1.55 ranks in the 88th percentile of its annual range.


• SSI is just below breakeven today, at $16.48, following a slimmer-than-expected first-quarter loss. The shares have also received mostly negative brokerage attention, with Nomura, SunTrust Robinson, and B. Riley cutting their price targets -- though the latter also upgraded the security to "buy" from "neutral." Longer term, Stage Stores Inc has been a technical laggard, dropping 29% since hitting an annual high of $23.26 in late March. This has captured the attention of short sellers. During the two most recent reporting periods, short interest on SSI swelled 27.4%, and now makes up 11.4% of its total float. At the stock's average daily trading volume, it would take nearly three weeks to buy back all these bearish bets.


• TGT is up 0.9% at $78.60, after Sterne Agee CRT lifted its price target by $2 to $73 on the retailer's first-quarter earnings beat and raised guidance. Long term, the shares are now up 37.4% year-over-year, and have been consolidating atop their supportive 120-day moving average for the past week. Despite this encouraging technical set-up, analysts remain skeptical. Twelve of 19 brokerage firms consider Target Corporation a "hold" or worse, and the stock's consensus 12-month price target of $79.82 is just a chip-shot away. In other words, the security could benefit from an additional round of positive analyst attention.