Earnings results from SRPT, AXP, and TMUS have prompted analysts to adjust their price forecasts
Analysts have upwardly revised their price targets today after the latest earnings reports from drugmaker Sarepta Therapeutics Inc (NASDAQ:SRPT), credit card concern American Express Company (NYSE:AXP), and telecom stock T-Mobile US Inc (NASDAQ:TMUS). Here's a quick roundup of today's bullish brokerage notes on shares of SRPT, AXP, and TMUS.
SRPT Earnings Surprise Sparks Price-Target Hikes
After the drug stock last night announced a narrower-than-expected second-quarter loss, along with stronger-than-forecast revenue, SRPT is racking up the bullish brokerage notes. No fewer than six analysts have upped their price targets on Sarepta stock, with the upward revisions ranging from a fairly tepid $33 (Morgan Stanley) to an ambitious $101 (Baird). To put these in perspective, SRPT closed Wednesday at $34.08.
Today, however, Sarepta shares are up 17.7% to trade at $40.11. With 25% of the equity's float sold short, it seems likely that some of the weaker bearish hands are rushing to cover their losing bets following SRPT's earnings report.
Bernstein Eyes New Highs for AXP After Earnings
AXP is off 1.4% to trade at $84.76 as traders weigh the Dow component's Wednesday night earnings report, but analysts seem fairly upbeat on the stock this morning. Morgan Stanley, D.A. Davidson, and Bernstein all upped their price targets on American Express stock, with Bernstein projecting a move up to $100 -- several points north of the stock's July 2014 all-time high of $96.24, and a premium of 16.4% to last night's close at $85.93.
Despite AXP's year-to-date gain of roughly 14% -- which outpaces the Dow's 9.5% rise -- analysts are largely skeptical of the finance name. Among the 15 brokerage firms tracking AXP, 10 maintain "hold" or "sell" ratings.
T-Mobile Tests Resistance on Earnings Beat
Barclays upped its price target on TMUS to $73 from $70, after the wireless giant beat Wall Street's second-quarter earnings estimates in last night's report. TMUS is up 1% at $62.58, though the shares have peaked today right around the $64 level -- site of the stock's descending 50-day moving average, which hasn't been toppled on a daily closing basis since June 7.
Ahead of earnings, short-term options players were quite put-heavy on T-Mobile stock. The security's Schaeffer's put/call open interest ratio (SOIR) stands at 1.09, which ranks higher than 94% of other such readings taken in the last year.