Analyst Downgrades: FireEye Inc, F5 Networks, Inc., and Chesapeake Energy Corporation

Analysts downwardly revised their ratings and price targets on FireEye Inc (NASDAQ:FEYE), F5 Networks, Inc. (NASDAQ:FFIV), and Chesapeake Energy Corporation (NYSE:CHK)

Josh Selway

Jan 21, 2016 at 9:56 AM

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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