Buffalo Wild Wings, Gilead Sciences, Vertex Pharmaceuticals Downgraded

Analysts are weighing in on sports bar Buffalo Wild Wings (NASDAQ:BWLD), as well as drug stocks Gilead Sciences, Inc. (NASDAQ:GILD) and Valeant Pharmaceuticals Intl Inc (NYSE:VRX). Here's a quick roundup of today's bearish brokerage notes on BWLD, GILD, and VRX.

Earnings Miss Blasts Buffalo Wild Wings

Fresh off a disappointing earnings report, BWLD is down 2.2% at $146.45. Adding insult to injury, no fewer than five analysts cut their price targets on the stock. The shares have been struggling on the charts since topping out at an early December annual high of $175.10. It appears short sellers placed well-time bets on Buffalo Wild Wings, too. During the most recent reporting period, short interest on the restaurant stock spiked 15.8%, and now accounts for a substantial 9.2% of its total float.

Gilead Sciences Stock Succumbs to Bearish Outlook

GILD's earnings report came in better than expected, but its woeful 2017 guidance is hitting the shares. The stock also faces pressure from a raft of negative analyst notes, with Jyske Bank lowering its opinion to "buy" from "strong buy," and Citigroup downgrading its rating to "neutral" from "buy." The latter was one of at least 10 brokerage firms to slice its price target on Gilead Sciences, Inc., as well. Out of the gate, the stock has plunged 9% at $66.54 -- and earlier hit a fresh two-year low at $65.81, in line with our recent prediction. Additional downgrades are a definite possibility, with 12 of 20 analysts rating GILD a "buy" or better, and not a single one sporting a "sell" assessment.

Stifel Cuts Price Target on Slumping Valeant Stock

VRX is up 1% at $14.39, despite a price-target cut to $45 from $50 at Stifel. On a longer-term basis, though, the shares have surrendered over four-fifths of their value in the past year. Understandably, near-term open interest levels are stacked on the put side of the aisle. Valeant Pharmaceuticals Intl Inc sports a Schaeffer's put/call open interest ratio (SOIR) of 1.11, resting just 5 percentage points from a 12-month peak.