Analysts downwardly revised their ratings and price targets on FireEye Inc (FEYE), F5 Networks, Inc. (FFIV), and Chesapeake Energy Corporation (CHK)
Analysts are weighing in on cybersecurity stock
FireEye Inc (NASDAQ:FEYE), software developer
F5 Networks, Inc. (NASDAQ:FFIV), and oil-and-gas stock
Chesapeake Energy Corporation (NYSE:CHK). Here's a quick roundup of today's bearish brokerage notes on FEYE, FFIV, and CHK.
- FEYE has jumped 7.5% out of the gate -- but was last seen up 1.5% at $15.09 -- after the company bought fellow cybersecurity firm iSight for $200 million. However, despite an "outperform" initiation at Northland -- which also set its target price at $27 -- four other brokerage firms lowered their price targets on the stock. Included in the bunch was an $8 cut at Piper Jaffray to $19. FireEye Inc has dropped almost 73% since its annual high of $55.33 in June, but calls are still extremely popular. This is evidenced by FEYE's Schaeffer's put/call open interest ratio (SOIR) of 0.29 -- an annual low.
- FFIV is up 1% this morning at $90.90, following the company's stronger-than-expected fiscal first-quarter earnings report. However, the firm's current-quarter forecast was somewhat disappointing, and no fewer than 10 brokerage firms cut their price targets. Setting the bar the lowest was BMO at $93. Elsewhere, Citigroup raised its opinion to "neutral," which is in line with most analysts' opinions on Wall Street. Specifically, 79% of covering brokerage firms say F5 Networks, Inc. is just a "hold." And it's hard to blame them. FFIV has dropped 17% since its late-October bear gap.
- CHK is down 3.3% out of the gate to trade at $3.21, as more brokerage firms lower their expectations for the struggling commodity stock. For one, Nomura lowered its price target to $3 from $6.50, while Deutsche Bank lowered its full-year target to $4 from $6. Chesapeake Energy Corporation has already underperformed the S&P 500 Index (SPX) by almost 53 percentage points in the past 60 sessions, and speculators have been betting on further struggles. CHK's 10-day put/call volume ratio at the International Securities Exchange (ISE), Chicago Board Options Exchange (CBOE), and NASDAQ OMX PHLX (PHLX) is 2.78, putting it just 7 percentage points from an annual bearish high.
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