Analysts upwardly revised their ratings and price targets on Broadcom Ltd (AVGO), LinkedIn Corp (LNKD), and Smith & Wesson Holding Corp (SWHC)
Analysts are weighing in on
Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:AAPL) supplier
Broadcom Ltd (NASDAQ:AVGO), business networking site
LinkedIn Corp (NYSE:LNKD), and firearm firm
Smith & Wesson Holding Corp (NASDAQ:SWHC). Here's a quick roundup of today's bullish brokerage notes on AVGO, LNKD, and SWHC.
- AVGO reported an earnings beat, announced it will lay off roughly 1,900 workers, and filed for a potential mixed shelf offering. In response, no fewer than 10 brokerage firms raised their price targets on the chipmaker, with Nomura setting the bar highest at $200 -- helping send the shares nearly 8% higher in pre-market trading. Of course, heading into the event, analysts were already in Broadcom Ltd's bullish corner, with 26 of 28 handing out "buy" or better ratings, compared to one "hold" and a single "strong sell" opinion. By contrast, option traders are relatively put-skewed toward the stock. Last night, AVGO settled at $137.33, and based on its pre-market gains, it could make a run today at its record high of $150.50 from early June.
- Mizuho boosted its price target on LNKD to $150 from $127, despite the stock's post-earnings bear gap early last month, which sent the shares to a three-year low of $98.25. Granted, LinkedIn Corp has gained 19% since then to trade at $117.03, and has advanced another 1.3% ahead of the open. On the sentiment front, option traders are extremely call-skewed right now. LNKD's Schaeffer's put/call open interest ratio (SOIR) checks in at 0.51, with calls nearly doubling puts among options set to expire in the next three months. More significantly, this SOIR ranks below 98% of comparable readings taken in the last 52 weeks.
- SWHC topped expectations in the earnings confessional and offered upbeat 2016 guidance, prompting Cowen, Wedbush, Wunderlich, and Dougherty to increase their price targets. As such, the stock is pointed 5.7% higher in electronic trading after closing yesterday at $25.40, putting it on track to open at an all-time high. In recent weeks, Smith & Wesson Holding Corp has been bombarded by option bears, as its 10-day International Securities Exchange (ISE), Chicago Board Options Exchange (CBOE), and NASDAQ OMX PHLX (PHLX) put/call volume ratio of 0.51 ranks in the 77th annual percentile. Should SWHC burst higher out of the gate, a capitulation among these skeptics could serve as fuel for the stock's fire.
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