Analysts at Jefferies downgraded Actuant Corporation ATU 4.29% Friday from Buy to Hold and setting a $30.00 price target. Actuant is a diversified manufacturing and distributing company that produces a wide range of industrial equipment, including hydraulic and mechanical tools. Jefferies analysts expressed their concern that Actuant’s earnings will continue to lag for the third straight year. Modest Upside Actuant…

Analysts at Oppenheimer initiated coverage of Twitter Inc TWTR 0.95% Friday by issuing a Perform rating and setting a $36.00 price target. Twitter is a global social networking platform with over 280 million active users. The Numbers While Oppenheimer analysts fully recognize the strength in Twitter as a company, they believe that Twitter’s stock is appropriately priced at current levels. “While TWTR…

A recent Morgan Stanley report took an in-depth look into Intel Corporations’s INTC 1.76% unique manufacturing advantage that may soon be disappearing. Analysts believe that Intel’s window of opportunity to capitalize on its FINFET technology and expand into new markets will likely close in 2015. The FINFET Monopoly Analysts discuss Intel’s FINFET three-dimensional transistor manufacturing technology as one reason why…

A recent report by Morgan Stanley presents the case that 2015 could be a great year for restaurant stocks. Analysts believe that there is no need to be skeptical of the recent positive turn in casual dining trends, as they believe the uptick in traffic is due to strengthening underlying demand. Traffic Jam The bad news up…

Morgan Stanley analysts believe that the price deflation that has plagued the world of U.S. apparel retail is here to stay. In a recent report, analysts forecast a meager 1 to 2 percent apparel sales growth over the next five years. More Consumer Choices One of the major problems facing the apparel world is that consumers are increasingly…

In a recent report, Bank of America analysts discussed what investors can expect from the online travel sector in 2015. Analysts describe a rapidly-evolving business with many positive growth catalysts and several risks ahead in 2015. Growth Drivers Analysts expect a 7 percent year-over-year growth in the online travel market in 2015. This projected growth rate suggests…

A new report by Morgan Stanley looks at how the crash in oil prices will transform the oil services industry in the long-term. Analysts believe that a period of consolidation in the sector will lead to a healthier, stronger industry with higher margins once oil prices recover. Halliburton/Baker Hughes Deal Despite the possibility that Halliburton Company’s HAL 3.21% recent acquisition of Baker Hughes…

Shares of Kandi Technologies Group Inc KNDI 0.95% have been extremely volatile over the past week. After dropping 7.0 percent on December 12 and 9.2 percent on Monday, Kandi stock came roaring back on Tuesday with a 6.6 percent jump. However, from a technical standpoint, some major damage may have already been done. The Breakdown Since breaking above…

Despite the fact that the stocks of large office real estate investment trusts (REITs) have more than doubled in the past five years, analysts at Morgan Stanley believe that there is still opportunity to profit from high-quality U.S. office space. In a recent report, analysts give several reasons why they believe that the office REIT party is far from…

A recent report by Morgan Stanley focused on the 2015 outlook for do-it-yourself auto parts retailers. Despite many potential headwinds for the sector, analysts remain bullish on a handful of top names. The Bear Case There has been a high historical correlation between the DIY auto sales and the size of the 7-13 year-old car parc (the…