Analyst Upgrades: Cyberark, Capital One Financial, GoDaddy

Analysts are weighing in today on cybersecurity firm Cyberark Software Ltd (NASDAQ:CYBR), credit card concern Capital One Financial Corp. (NYSE:COF), and web domain marketplace GoDaddy Inc. (NYSE:GDDY). Here's a quick roundup of today's bullish brokerage notes on CYBR, COF, and GDDY.

• Last night, CYBR unveiled better-than-expected second-quarter earnings and announced the acquisition of Cybertinel Ltd. The news was met with price-target hikes from Barclays (to $67), Nomura (to $57), and Piper Jaffray (to $58). At last check, CYBR is up 2.3% to trade at $60.29. This positive price action is desperately needed for a stock that's down 21% from its June 18 all-time high of $76.35, and, more recently, has been stuck churning south of its 50-day moving average since early July. Should the security resume its downward trajectory, a capitulation among option bulls could apply additional pressure. Over the past 20 sessions, specifically, speculators at the International Securities Exchange (ISE), Chicago Board Options Exchange (CBOE), and NASDAQ OMX PHLX (PHLX) have bought to open 2.87 calls for each put on Cyberark Software Ltd.


• After announcing it is scooping up General Electric Company's (NYSE:GE) healthcare financial services division, COF saw its price target raised to $109 from $106 at BMO. Not only does this represent expected upside of 36% to the equity's current perch at $79.94, but it also resides in territory yet to be charted. Technically speaking, the stock had been in a steady uptrend for most of the year, and topped out at a record peak of $92.10 on July 22. However, a poorly received earnings report two sessions later sent the shares tumbling into the red for 2015. Option traders have been rolling the dice on additional losses, per Capital One Financial Corp.'s 10-day ISE/CBOE/PHLX put/call volume ratio of 2.75, which ranks just 6 percentage points from a 52-week peak. Simply stated, puts have been bought to open over calls at a near-annual-high clip.


• Monness Crespi Hardt initiated coverage of GDDY with a "buy" rating and a $31 price target -- a 20% premium to the stock's current perch at $25.76. This upbeat outlook from the brokerage bunch is nothing new for the equity, with 90% of covering analysts maintaining a "buy" or better rating, and not a single "sell" to be found. Plus, the consensus 12-month price target of $32.50 is just a chip-shot away from GoDaddy Inc.'s June 19 all-time peak of $33. However, the stock has shed 1.5% since going public in early April, and should it extend these losses, a round of bearish brokerage notes could be on the horizon.

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