Activision Blizzard, Expedia, NVIDIA Upgraded

Analysts are weighing in on video game stock Activision Blizzard, Inc. (NASDAQ:ATVI), travel website Expedia Inc (NASDAQ:EXPE), and chipmaker NVIDIA Corporation (NASDAQ:NVDA). Here's a roundup of today's bullish brokerage notes on ATVI, EXPE, and NVDA.

Activision Blizzard Shares Sizzle on Earnings, Buyback

ATVI posted an earnings beat last night, while also hiking its dividend to 30 cents and announcing a $1 billion share buyback. In response, Morgan Stanley, UBS, and Credit Suisse raised their price targets, with the former noting, "ATVI is increasingly becoming a story of multiple strong franchises, a growing and highly engaged monthly active user base with rising digital monetization." Ahead of the bell, Activision Blizzard, Inc. shares have jumped 12.4%, relative to yesterday's close at $39.73 -- which put their year-over-year gain above 30%. That outperformance hasn't stopped options traders from targeting puts over calls. The stock's Schaeffer's put/call open interest ratio (SOIR) stands at an annual high of 2.09.

Expedia Edges Higher Post-Earnings

EXPE is up 0.9% pre-market, following the company's better-than-expected quarterly revenue -- though its profit missed the mark. The response on Wall Street has been mixed, with Credit Suisse, Stifel, and Deutsche Bank upping their price targets, but RBC and Goldman Sach lowering theirs. Yesterday, Expedia Inc settled at $123.25, having rallied over 19% in the last 52 weeks. However, expectations were quite bearish heading into the earnings report. At the International Securities Exchange (ISE), Chicago Board Options Exchange (CBOE), and NASDAQ OMX PHLX (PHLX), EXPE has amassed a 10-day put/call volume ratio of 1.52 -- outstripping four-fifths of readings taken in the past year.

NVIDIA Eyes Record High After Earnings

NVDA could make a run at record highs today, up 3.8% ahead of the open after a strong earnings report. Yesterday, the stock settled at $116.38, after hitting an all-time best of $120.92 on Tuesday. The brokerage crowd is raising their expectations, with no fewer than 14 analysts boosting their price targets -- and Citigroup setting the highest bar, at $145. Future upgrades remain a possibility for NVIDIA Corporation. Despite its long-term outperformance, the stock has received 12 "hold" or "strong sell" recommendations, nearly matching the 14 "buy" or better opinions on the Street.