| Company Name | Exchange | Ticker | Last Price | Total Analyst Coverage | Upgrade/ Downgrade |
Analyst Name | Rating Company | Target Price | Upside/ Downside (%) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Marquee Energy Ltd | TSXV | MQL | 0.80 | 6 | Re-initiate with outperform | Dan Payne | National Bank Financial | 1.50 | 87.5% |
National Bank Financial reinitiated coverage on Marquee Energy Ltd (TSXV: MQL), a junior oil and gas company engaged in the acquisition, exploration, development and production of petroleum and natural gas reserves in Western Canada, with an outperform rating assigning a 12-month price target of C$1.50, an upside of 87.5% from current levels. On December 31, 2013, the company announced the closing of the previously announced acquisition of Western Canadian assets of Sonde Resources Corp., including all of its Southern Alberta properties. The assets are primarily located in Marquee’s core area at Michichi, Alberta immediately offsetting Marquee’s lands and production.
| Company Name | Exchange | Ticker | Last Price | Total Analyst Coverage |
Upgrade/ Downgrade |
Analyst Name | Rating Company | Target Price | Upside/ Downside (%) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| United States Steel Corp | NYSE | X | 30.28 | 23 | Upgrade to buy from hold | Philip Gibbs | KeyBanc Capital Markets | 37.00 | 22.2% |
| Essex Property Trust Inc | NYSE | ESS | 146.30 | 23 | Upgrade to buy from hold | Rod Petrik | Stifel | 165.00 | 12.8% |
| Liberty Property Trust | NYSE | LRY | 34.15 | 11 | Upgrade to outperform from market perform | Paul E Adornato | BMO Capital Markets | 39.00 | 14.2% |
| MSCI Inc | NYSE | MSCI | 43.15 | 10 | Initiate with market perform | Joel Jeffrey | Keefe, Bruyette & Woods | 48.00 | 11.2% |
| Amyris Inc | NASDAQ | AMRS | 4.71 | 8 | Downgrade to underperform from market perform | Robert W Stone | Cowen and Company | 3.00 | -36.3% |
KeyBanc Capital Markets upgraded United States Steel Corp (NYSE: X), an integrated steel producer of flat-rolled and tubular products, to buy from hold with a price target of $37.00, indicating an upside of 22.2% from current levels. Analyst Philip Gibbs notes that the shares of US steel have further room on the upside on expectation of slightly higher prices for hot-rolled steel this year, easing of raw material costs such as coal, and more signs of economic stability in Europe. He adds that rising interest rates would also help by reducing the company’s pension burden. KeyBanc raised its EPS forecast for US Steel to $2.05 per share in 2014, up from the earlier forecast of $1.65 per share.
Essex Property Trust Inc (NYSE: ESS), a self-administered and self-managed real estate investment trust engaged primarily in the ownership, operation, management, acquisition, development and redevelopment of apartment communities, was upgraded at Stifel, to buy from hold with a price target of $165.00, an upside of 12.8% from current levels.
BMO Capital Markets upgraded Liberty Property Trust (NYSE: LRY), a self-administered and self-managed Maryland real estate investment trust, to outperform from market perform, raising its price target to $39.00 from $34.00, indicating an upside potential of 14.2% from current levels.
Keefe, Bruyette & Woods initiated coverage on MSCI Inc (NYSE: MSCI), a provider of investment decision support tools, including indices, portfolio risk and performance analytics and corporate governance products and services, with market perform assigning a 12-month price target of $48.00, an upside of 11.2% from current levels. Recently, MSCI reported its earnings for the third quarter 2013 on October 31, 2013. Revenues increased 9.7% YoY to $258.2 million in third quarter 2013 while net income increased 14.6% YoY to $55.3 million.
Amyris Inc (NASDAQ: AMRS), a developer of renewable compounds for a variety of markets, was downgraded at Cowen and Company to underperform from market perform. However, the target price was increased to $3.00 from $2.40, a downside of 36.3% from current levels.
