ITT Corporation (ITT) Upgraded $ 21.42

ITT Corporation (ITT) is a world-renowned name. Based in the U.S., in White Plains, NY, to be specific, this is a highly diversified company with an active presence and activity in defense and security, water and fluid management, and motion and flow control. The current company that we see and know was founded in 1996 under the name ITT Industries Inc. as a spin-off of the original ITT Corporation, and then it changed its name back to ITT Corporation in 2006.

This company belongs to the diversified machinery industry and has 40,000 full-time employees. ITT Corporation has been lauded for its socioeconomic and environmental performance by being named 10 times to the Dow Jones Sustainability World Index. Since it was started in 1999, this company has been named to the list every year, one of the few companies with that distinction.

With shares priced at around $21, the price is precariously close to the low point of the 52-week range of $16.67-$122.42. The average share volume for three months has been 1,994,700. ITT Corporation has a market capitalization of $2.03 billion. The earnings per share is $6.87 and the P/E ratio is low enough for value investors at 3.18. It does yield a dividend of 1.7%.

Its competitor, Dana Holding Corporation (DAN), has a market capitalization of $2.11 billion, with a year-on-year quarterly revenue growth of 28.8% versus ITT’s of 12.8%. Five-year price/earnings to growth is .33 for Dana and 1.33 for ITT Corporation. ITT’s figures for quarterly revenue growth, though low compared with Dana, are in keeping with that of the industry as a whole, which is 11.9%, so that is a positive point.

Some permutations and combinations have been taking place at ITT Corporation. In 2011, by spinning off its defense businesses, the company Exelis was born, and Xylem was given birth to by spinning off its water technology business.

ITT was named a "buy" when the spin-off took place in December 2011. This is because spin-offs are consistently undervalued by the market, so it was considered a good time to buy, with a P/E ratio of 4, $2 billion market cap and $6 billion revenue.

In terms of the profitability of this company, its profit margin is 5.42% and operating margin is 11.67%. As management effectiveness indicators, its return on equity is quite good at 14.86% and return on assets is 6.25%. That is above the asset-heavy mark but still a bit low.

On Dec. 14, 2011, it was reported that ITT Corporation had elected Orlando Ashford to its board of directors, a man with extensive global and human resource leadership experience with a glowing resume — surely another asset to the company.

We have seen ITT’s quarterly revenue growth rate. Its quarterly earnings growth year-on-year is -46.2%. Not very uplifting, and this company needs to do something to get a handle on its expenses. Its debt-equity ratio is high as well at 74.75, $3.17 billion being total debt of the most recent quarter. Its current ratio of the same period is 1.57.

The company’s growth for the year is expected to be -82.2%. This is projected as improving in 2013 and set at 11.5%. The per annum growth for the next five years is to be 10.5% per annum, higher than the annual growth of the past five years of 7.74%. Its selling and distribution expenses are quite high

http://www.gurufocus.com/news/158934/itt-corp-why-now-is-a-good-time-to-buy

KB Home (KBH) Downgraded by UBS AG (UBS) to “Sell”

KB Home (KBH) Downgraded by UBS AG (UBS) to “Sell”

Food Stocks: Dow member McDonald's (MCD)

InitiationsFood Stocks: Dow member McDonald's (MCD) is begun with a Buy at Lazard Capital Markets, as is Starbucks (SBUX), while Buffalo Wild Wings (BWLD) is a new Neutral.
Energizer (ENR): ENR is a new Buy at Standpoint Research, which has a $90 price target.
AEterna Zentaris (AEZS): The stock is initiated with an Outperform at Oppenheimer, which says they are the innovator behind perifosine, a drug which is currently in Phase III studies in late-stage colorectal cancer and multiple myeloma by US partner Keryx Biopharmaceuticals (KERX). For related content, see June Catalysts for Biotech and Drug Stocks.
Healthcare Stocks: Stryker (SYK) and Zimmer (ZMH) are new Neutrals at Gleacher.
Vail Resorts (MTN): MTN is a new Market Perform at Rodman & Renshaw.
Semiconductor Stocks: SanDisk (SNDK) gets started with a Buy at Goldman Sachs, which has a Neutral on STEC Inc (STEC) and a Sell on Micron (MU). RF Micro Device (RFMD) is initiated with a Buy at Cantor Fitzgerald, as is TriQuint Semiconductor (TQNT).
UpgradesSymantec (SYMC): The stock is upgraded to Outperform from Neutral at Cowen.
Xilinx (XLNX): The stock gets lifted to Neutral from Sell at Goldman.
Juniper Networks (JNPR): JNPR is now Overweight from Equal Weight at Evercore Partners.
Colonial Properties Trust (CLP): CLP is put on the Top Picks list at FBR Capital.
Corn Products (CPO): CPO is sharply higher before the bell after being boosted to to Buy from Hold at Deutsche Bank.
BE Aerospace (BEAV): BEAV is added to the Conviction Buy List at Goldman.
VCA Antech (WOOF): WOOF is upgraded to Overweight from Equal Weight at First Analysis.
DowngradesCitrix Systems (CTXS): The stock is downgraded to Underweight from Neutral at JP Morgan.
Essex Property Trust (ESS): ESS is removed from the Top Picks list at FBR Capital.
Sprint Nextel (S): S is downgraded to Sell from Hold at Stifel Nicolaus.

TradersHuddle.com Stock Recommendations April-18-2011

New York, TradersHuddle.com – Following are some of the top upgrades and downgrades before the market open.
Upgrades
A123 Systems (NASDAQ:AONE) was upgraded to a Buy from Neutral at Goldman Sachs.
CA, Inc. (NASDAQ:CA) was upgraded to a Neutral from Sell at Goldman Sachs.
Cbeyond, Inc. (NASDAQ:CBEY) was upgraded to Outperform from Neutral at Cowen.
Cyberonics (NASDAQ:CYBX) was upgraded to a Neutral from Reduce at SunTrust.
Hyatt Hotels (NYSE:H) was upgraded to Outperform from Market Perform at FBR Capital. The firm set its target price at $49, noting shares have sold off nearly 20% over the past two months. FBR believes the company now represents an attractive buying opportunity.
KB Home (NYSE:KBH), the homebuilder, was upgraded to a Neutral from Underperform at Credit Suisse.
Norfolk Southern (NYSE:NSC), the railroad operating primarily in the Southeast, East, and Midwest of the United States, was upgraded to a Buy from Hold at BB&T. The firm set its target price at $80.
PG&E Corp. (NYSE:PCG) was upgraded to Outperform from Neutral at Credit Suisse.
Southern Copper (NASDAQ:SCCO) was upgraded to a Buy from Hold at Societe Generale.
Tenet Healthcare (NYSE:THC) was upgraded to a Buy from Gradually Accumulate at Soleil.

Downgrades
BMC Software (NYSE:BMC), the system and service management software solutions provider was downgraded to a Hold from Buy at Citigroup.
Celanese (NYSE:CE), the global industrial chemicals company specializing in acetyl products, was downgraded to a Neutral from Buy at UBS.
Chimera Investment (NYSE:CIM) was downgraded to Market Perform from Outperform at Keefe Bruyette.
Commvault Systems (NASDAQ:CVLT) was downgraded to a Sell from Neutral at Goldman Sachs.
Evergreen Solar (NASDAQ:ESLR) was downgraded to a Sell from Hold at Citigroup.
Gap (NYSE:GPS), the owner and operator of specialty retailers like Banana Republic and Old Navy, was downgraded to a Sell from Neutral at Goldman Sachs.
Genco Shipping & Trading (NYSE:GNK) was downgraded to a Sell from Hold at Citigroup.
Iron Mountain (NYSE:IRM), the records management services provider, was downgraded to a Hold from Buy at Citigroup.
ManTech (NASDAQ:MANT) was downgraded to Underperform from Sector Perform at RBC Capital.
Marvell (NASDAQ:MRVL), the maker of integrated circuits for communications-related markets, was downgraded to a Neutral from Positive at Susquehanna.
QuinStreet (NASDAQ:QNST) was downgraded to a Buy from Strong Buy at Needham. The firm lowered its target price to $24 from $26.
Total S.A. (NYSE:TOT), the France based energy giant, was downgraded to Underperform from Neutral at Credit Suisse.

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Credit Suisse Positive on VLO September-17-09 $20.61

Valero Energy Corp. (VLO) shares surged 7.7%, making it the biggest advancer on the S&P 500, after Credit Suisse said U.S. oil demand could stage a rally before year-end, "led principally by distillate consumption." Analyst Mark Flannery said he expects "a big bounce in U.S. oil demand should spark an immediate revival of interest in U.S. refining stocks." Shares in refiner Tesoro Corp. (TSO) gained 4.2%, while Sunoco Inc. (SUN) gained 2.8%.
$20.61 +1.38 (7.18%) 52Wk Range: 13.64 - 35.10

Malcolm Polley, CIO of Stewart Capital Advisors FNM FRE Worthless

Fannie Mae (FNM) and Freddie Mac (FRE) shares were up big on unusually heavy volumes Friday, even though few sane people believe the stocks have much value.
"I think they're worth zero," said Malcolm Polley, CIO of Stewart Capital Advisors, a $900 million money manager near Pittsburgh. "It's the same with AIG (AIG Quote). It's ridiculous that people are allowed to trade in these securities. They're being treated as lottery tickets."
http://www.thestreet.com/_aol/story/10594877/1/fannie-freddie-shares-rise-on-big-volume.html?cm_ven=AOL&cm_cat=Free&cm_pla=Feed&cm_ite=Feed