Analyst Update: Oramed Pharma, Deckers Outdoor

Analysts are weighing in on biopharmaceutical stock Oramed Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (NASDAQ:ORMP) and shoe stock Deckers Outdoor Corp (NYSE:DECK). Here's a quick roundup of today's brokerage notes on ORMP and DECK.

• Rodman & Renshaw reiterated a "buy" rating and lofty $25 price target for ORMP, a week before the company releases data on an oral insulin drug in development. Analysts said the data could be "transformative" for the stock, which is up 14.7%, at $7.80. Rodman & Renshaw also said ORMP's recent "licensing deal involving China rights to ORMD-0801 could be a harbinger of additional licensing transactions." The biotech stock has been chopping around the $6.50-$10 range over the past year, and CEO Nadav Kidron apparently thought it was a good time to buy, scooping up 1,000 shares for $6,953 total, per a regulatory filing. Among analysts, four out of four rate the stock a "strong buy", but traders have been quick to bet against the stock, with shorted shares representing two weeks of buying power, at ORMP's normal daily volume. 
  
  
• DECK is down 4.1% at $51.11, after BB&T cut its rating to "underweight" from "hold", citing increased pessimism for the apparel stock, due to weak retail earnings from Macy's, Inc. (NYSE:M) and Nordstrom, Inc. (NYSE:JWN). The analysts said "we believe retailers may be less likely to chase UGG in-season, despite any potential favorable weather." Deckers Outdoor Corp shares have now surrendered more than 10% this week, giving up support atop their 160-day trendline. DECK is no stranger to skepticism, though. Before today, 10 of 13 analysts rated the stock a "hold" or worse, and 17.3% of the stock's float is sold short, an amount that would take traders 12.2 days of trading, at DECK's average daily volume, to cover.

For other stocks in analysts' crosshairs, read Analyst Upgrades: NVIDIA Corporation, Allergan plc, and Shake Shack Inc and Analyst Downgrades: Nordstrom, Inc., Dillard's, Inc., and ConforMis Inc.