Analysts downwardly revised their ratings and price targets on Netflix, Inc. (NFLX), Amazon.com, Inc. (AMZN), and Pandora Media Inc (P)
Analysts are weighing in on Internet giants Netflix, Inc. (NASDAQ:NFLX), Amazon.com, Inc. (NASDAQ:AMZN), and Pandora Media Inc (NYSE:P). Here's a quick roundup of today's bearish brokerage notes on NFLX, AMZN, and P.
- NFLX is trading 4.7% lower at $109.06, after Baird downgraded the stock to "neutral," and cut its price target to $115 from $128. Netflix, Inc. surged more than 134% in 2015, hitting an all-time high of $133.27 in early December. Out of 27 analysts following the stock, 17 still rate it a "buy" or better. And option traders are looking for more upside, too. On the International Securities Exchange (ISE), Chicago Board Options Exchange (CBOE), and NASDAQ OMX PHLX (PHLX), NFLX has a 50-day call/put volume ratio of 1.35 -- indicating an appetite for call buying, relative to put buying, that outranks 90% of readings from the past year.
- AMZN is down 3.4% this morning at $653.24, as Monness Crespi Hardt downgraded the stock to "neutral" from "buy." Amazon.com, Inc. hit a new all-time high of $696.44 just last week, and more than doubled in value during 2015. Of the 30 brokerages provided coverage on the equity, 83% say it is a "buy" or better, and traders seem to agree. Specifically, short interest on AMZN fell more than 27% during the last two reporting periods, and now represents just over 1% of the stock's available float.
- P is off 5.6% at $12.66, thanks to a downgrade to "neutral" from "buy" at Suntrust Robinson, which also cut its price target on Pandora Media Inc to $15 from $18. In addition, Barron's said P shares could be screaming "Help!" in 2016, and drop another 20% amid competition woes. The security surrendered nearly one-fourth of its value last year, due in large part to the disappointing fourth-quarter guidance reported in October. Analysts are currently split evenly between "buy" and "hold" ratings, and more than 16% of the stock's available float is sold short -- a 29% increase over the last two reporting periods. But near-term option traders are the outlier, as P's Schaeffer's put/call open interest ratio (SOIR) of 0.40 is two percentage points from an annual low -- meaning that, among options expiring in the next three months, calls are outnumbering puts to a degree rarely seen in the last 52 weeks.