Analyst Update: NXP Semiconductors NV, CBS Corporation, and Wells Fargo & Co

Analysts are weighing in on chipmaker NXP Semiconductors NV (NASDAQ:NXPI), media stock CBS Corporation (NYSE:CBS), and financial firm Wells Fargo & Co (NYSE:WFC). Here's a quick roundup of today's brokerage notes on NXPI, CBS, and WFC.

• NXPI is up 1.3% at $104.12, after Nomura reiterated its "buy" rating and raised its price target to $120 from $95. An analyst at the firm noted that the company will in all likelihood be acquired, possibly by Texas Instruments Incorporated (NASDAQ:TXN), rather than presumed buyer QUALCOMM, Inc. (NASDAQ:QCOM). Sparking such speculation is the fact that NXP Semiconductors NV's CEO and chairman are both former Texas Instruments employees. Meanwhile, Raymond James followed Nomura's lead, hiking its price target to $120 from $94. The stock gapped higher late last week on M&A chatter, and has since brought its year-to-date lead to 23.5%, while hitting an annual high at $105 in Monday. Option bulls should be pleased with this recent price action. At the International Securities Exchange (ISE), Chicago Board Options Exchange (CBOE), and NASDAQ OMX PHLX (PHLX), NXPI's 50-day call/put volume ratio of 1.28 sits in the 99th percentile of its annual range.

• UBS raised its rating on CBS to "buy" from "sell," and lifted its price target to $66 from $52, helping boost the shares 0.9% to $55.40. Also giving the stock a lift today is commentary from CNBC's Jim Cramer, who opined that CBS Corporation would have the "upper hand" in merger talks with Viacom, Inc. (NASDAQ:VIAB). Cramer likewise noted that, contrary to what many seem to believe, broadcast is "obviously alive and well." Today's bullish brokerage note runs in opposition to another analyst's more bearish take on the shares. Nonetheless, 16 out of 21 brokerages currently call CBS a "buy" or better. On the charts, meanwhile, the stock has been soaring since a late-September pullback, helped by a rebound off the round $50 level.

• WFC is off 0.3% at $43.71 -- and fresh off a new two-year low of $43.55 -- following a downgrade to "underperform" from "market perform" at Raymond James. An analyst at the firm noted, "we may see several quarters of negative EPS revisions; furthermore, without a positive catalyst and WFC's historical premium P/E multiple at risk, we believe the shares are likely to underperform those of most other banks." This bearish note comes after a scathing speech from presidential hopeful Hillary Clinton in Ohio on Monday, where she denounced Wells Fargo & Co's "egregious corporate behavior." Meanwhile, yesterday's put sellers may be holding their collective breath as the shares slip, bringing their year-to-date loss to nearly 20%. Separately, ratings agency Fitch reduced its credit outlook on the bank to "negative" from "stable," citing potential damage to its "earnings profile."