Analyst Update: Amgen, Peabody Energy, Cirrus Logic

Analysts are weighing in today on drugmaker Amgen, Inc. (NASDAQ:AMGN), coal producer Peabody Energy Corporation (NYSE:BTU), and circuit manufacturer Cirrus Logic, Inc. (NASDAQ:CRUS). Here's a quick roundup of today's brokerage notes on AMGN, BTU, and CRUS.

• AMGN is tumbling this afternoon, dropping 2.9% at $158.90 -- which puts it back in the red on a year-to-date basis -- on news from Friday that the company is ending its partnership with AstraZeneca plc (NYSE:AZN). Analysts have since weighed in, with J.P. Morgan Securities and Morgan Stanley cutting their price targets to $160 and $171, respectively. In the options pits, call open interest on Amgen, Inc. is still higher than put open interest, among options expiring in three months or less, according to the stock's Schaeffer's put/call open interest ratio (SOIR) of 0.82. This reading also ranks in the bottom third of similar readings from the past year, meaning short-term options traders are more call-skewed than what's normally seen.


• Like some of its sector peers, BTU has fallen to an all-time low, with the shares giving back 5.7% today to trade at $3.42. In the past 52 weeks, the shares have fallen over 80%. Hurting the commodity name is a fresh "neutral" rating at Credit Suisse, which also set a $4.50 price target. This mirrors the general opinion on the Street, where 10 of 18 analysts say Peabody Energy Corporation is a "hold" or worse.


• After jumping out to a two-year high of $38.20, CRUS has reversed course, last seen 5.1% lower at $36.21. The shares saw a spark in early trading, thanks to a price-target increase at Barclays to $39 from $37. Today notwithstanding, the stock has been strong in recent months, more than doubling since touching an annual low of $16.80 on Dec. 2. As such, calls have been bought to open over puts by a significant margin. During the past two weeks at the International Securities Exchange (ISE), Chicago Board Options Exchange (CBOE), and NASDAQ OMX PHLX (PHLX), close to four Cirrus Logic, Inc. calls have been bought to open for every put.