Analyst Update: Twitter Inc, Synaptics, Incorporated, and Gigamon Inc

Analysts are weighing in on social media stock Twitter Inc (NYSE:TWTR), Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:AAPL) supplier Synaptics, Incorporated (NASDAQ:SYNA), and IT issue Gigamon Inc (NYSE:GIMO). Here's a quick roundup of today's brokerage notes on TWTR, SYNA, and GIMO.

• TWTR is extending its post-earnings rally into a second day, thanks to a round of mostly upbeat analyst attention. Specifically, Cowen and Company and Cantor Fitzgerald each raised its price target on the stock, with the latter cautiously stating that although TWTR's "live streaming strategy and product tweaks appear to be bearing fruit ... it's too early to declare victory." UBS also weighed in, noting that "Twitter is focusing around key platform growth opportunities while making solid progress on ad solutions," and held steady on its "buy" rating and $22 price target. Goldman Sachs broke from the pack, meanwhile, trimming its target by $1 to $22.
  
  Twitter Inc is up 1.7% at $17.71 today, but options traders have been showing less optimism than usual of late. At the International Securities Exchange (ISE), Chicago Board Options Exchange (CBOE), and NASDAQ OMX PHLX (PHLX), the stock's 10-day put/call volume ratio of 0.46 sits higher than 85% of the past year's readings, indicating puts have been bought to open relative to calls at a faster-than-usual clip.

• SYNA is sinking hard after the company missed the consensus estimate for its fiscal first-quarter profit. Needham and Craig-Hallum both responded by downgrading the stock to "hold" from "buy," with the latter also cutting its price target to $65 from $70. Cowen and Company raised its price target to $75 from $70, but the shares have still surrendered 21.8% to $52.92, on pace for their biggest daily percentage drop in seven years. What's more, Synaptics, Incorporated's slide has it on track to notch its lowest close since July 29, and has widened its year-over-year loss to 37%. Short sellers should be pleased, however. At the moment, more than 10% of the stock's available float is tied up in these bearish bets, accounting for a week's worth of trading, at SYNA's average daily volumes.

• GIMO topped expectations for quarterly earnings and revenue, while announcing the appointment of a new chief financial officer. The shares have surged 16.3% to $55.09 as a result, and earlier tapped a record high of $56.80. Credit Suisse responded with a price-target hike to $57 from $50, with the brokerage firm waxing optimistic on "new opportunities in the public cloud." More upbeat analyst attention could be on the way, too, considering the majority of firms following Gigamon Inc are sitting on lukewarm "hold" ratings -- even as the shares have more than doubled in value in 2016 alone. Meanwhile, it looks like some short sellers hit the exits just in time. These pessimistic positions fell by nearly 12% during the most recent two-week reporting period, and now account for 6.7% of the equity's available float.