Analysts chimed in on bank holding company
First Niagara Financial Group Inc. (NASDAQ:FNFG), Dow component
Intel Corporation (NASDAQ:INTC), and independent petroleum refiner
HollyFrontier Corp (NYSE:HFC). Here's a quick roundup of today's brokerage notes on FNFG, INTC, and HFC.
- FNFG is 15.8% higher at $10.38 -- and hit an annual peak of $10.45 -- after a report surfaced that the company is exploring a sale of the firm and other options -- going as far as hiring JPMorgan Chase & Co. (NYSE:JPM) to advise in the process. In addition to this news, Evercore ISI raised First Niagara Financial Group Inc.'s target price to $9 from $8. Future analyst upgrades could lend more momentum to the shares, as nine of the 11 brokerages tracking the stock rate it a "hold" or worse.
- Finally, HFC is 3% higher at $48.18 -- despite crude's recent struggles -- thanks to Credit Suisse's price-target hike to $60 from $55. The stock is cruising atop support from its 20-week moving average, which it hasn't finished a week below since the middle of April. With HollyFrontier Corp riding along this trendline, it appears that short-term option players are expecting a rally, as HFC's SOIR of 0.11 is at a 52-week low. There is also room for momentum-building upgrades, as eight of the 13 brokerages following the energy equity rate it a "hold" or worse.
For other stocks in analysts' crosshairs, read
Analyst Upgrades: Heron Therapeutics Inc, Finish Line Inc, and Total SA and
Analyst Downgrades: GoPro Inc, Exxon Mobil Corporation, and Vale SA