Analysts upwardly revised their ratings and price targets on Sarepta Therapeutics Inc (SRPT), Square Inc (SQ), and Yelp Inc (YELP)
Analysts are weighing in on drug stock
Sarepta Therapeutics Inc (NASDAQ:SRPT), payments processor
Square Inc (NYSE:SQ), and business review site
Yelp Inc (NYSE:YELP). Here's a quick roundup of today's bullish brokerage notes on SRPT, SQ, and YELP.
- SRPT has surged 15.4% in electronic trading, after Oppenheimer said a key opponent of the drugmaker's Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD) treatment has left the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), which it views as a supportive of possible approval. The brokerage firm added that an FDA decision on the drug could be imminent. If Sarepta Therapeutics Inc jumps at the open after settling at $25.60 yesterday, its mid-January bear gap will largely be closed after months of steadily muscling higher. This could put pressure on skeptical options traders. At the International Securities Exchange (ISE), Chicago Board Options Exchange (CBOE), and NASDAQ OMX PHLX (PHLX), SRPT's 50-day put/call volume ratio of 2.01 sits at an annual high.
- SQ was named a top pick at Mizuho Securities, which reiterated its "buy" rating and $16 price target -- a 42.4% premium to Tuesday's close at $11.23. Moreover, the brokerage firm said, "Given the company's strong growth (though off of a small base), scale with over two million SMB merchants, and solid take rates and transaction margins, we believe that Square would make an attractive target for several fin-tech companies." In the wake of the upbeat note, Square Inc is up 0.7% in pre-market trading, although the stock has been struggling since its most late-August peak near $12.50. Short sellers have been pounding the stock, too. During the last two reporting periods, short interest on SQ shot 18.2% higher, and now accounts for 12.6% of its float.
- YELP saw its price target lifted to $42 from $40 at Mizuho -- annual-high territory -- which cited the company's "potential for an acquisition," as well as "stability in the business, improved mobile user growth, and new local ad products." Nevertheless, the stock is pointed slightly lower ahead of the open, after closing yesterday at $36.90. On a longer-term basis, Yelp Inc has been crushing it since bottoming at $14.53 in February, up 154%. Should bearish options traders -- or short sellers -- throw in the towel, additional tailwinds could ensure. Right now, YELP's 10-day ISE/CBOE/PHLX put/call volume ratio stands at an annual peak of 3.25.
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