Jefferies & Co

Boston Properties, Inc. (NYSE: BXP) is believed by Jefferies to be one of the heavyweights in the office REIT sector that focuses on high-quality assets in Manhattan, Washington DC, Boston, and San Francisco. Jefferies initiates with a Hold rating and $82 price target, stating on value that "[We]...

The Federal Reserve will meet tomorrow at 2:15pm ET to discuss the next steps it may take to pick up an economy out of the worst economic slump in roughly 70 years. This afternoon, longer-dated U.S. government securities prices rose as a result of tomorrow's meeting, a gathering traders hope will...

Radiant Systems, Inc. (NASDAQ: RADS) is having coverage initiated with a Buy rating and $22 price target by Jefferies & Co., which played the part of Joint Bookrunner for the company's secondary offering at $17/share on 9/9. According to Jefferies, Radiant has been a market share gainer in...

McDonald's Corporation (NYSE: MCD) is having coverage initiated by Jefferies at Hold with a price target of $75. Key catalysts for EPS growth are currently continued SSS sales gains, margin improvement from easing food cost inflation & re-franchising, and FCF return from share repurchase and...

P.F. Chang's China Bistro (NASDAQ: PFCB) is having coverage assumed by Jefferies with a Buy rating and $55 price target. Jefferies believes that P.F. Chang's is in the more mature phases of growth, the 200-unit company concept remains attractive with impressive unit volume averages and operating...

Chipotle Mexican Grill, Inc. (NYSE: CMG) is having coverage initiated by Jefferies at Hold with a $155 price target. Chipotle's 1Q and 2Q SSS were up +4.3% and +8.7%, respectively, and essentially all growth from increased traffic and two year trends re-accelerated, and July results extended this...

Texas Roadhouse, Inc. (NASDAQ: TXRH) is having coverage initiated by Jefferies & Co. with a Hold rating and $16 price target. Jefferies believes that Texas Roadhouse stands to outperform many competitors by delivering what they consider to be "best in class" food and value in the casual...

Ashland, Inc. (NYSE: ASH) reported 4Q margin headwinds, causing Jefferies & Co to lower estimates to $1.06 (from $1.21), and with raw materials experiencing high risk, 2011E is lowered to $4.40 (from $4.50). Jefferies also lowered its price target to $62 (from $70). Jefferies believes that...

Red Hat, Inc. (NYSE: RHT) was named by the Wall Street Journal yesterday to be one of the potential purchasers of Novell, which the New York Post announced would sell itself in two parts; Linux will go to a strategic buyer and the remainder will be sold to private equity, Jefferies reports. The...

Orexigen Therapeutics, Inc. (NASDAQ: OREX) is awaiting the FDA's Advisory Committee to resolve its split 8-8 vote on whether to pull Meridia off the market based on SCOUT data, but it appears that the FDA will not require pre-approval CV-outcome studies for obesity drugs, and now Contrave is...

Alpha Natural Resources, Inc. (NYSE: ANR) will be hosting an investor day today in Pennsylvania, and Jefferies believes that shares will continue to find support as global commodity markets trend higher and better discount Alpha's cash generating ability. Investors are expected to focus on near-...

Eaton Vance Corporation (NYSE: EV) is reported by Jefferies to have internal growth that is above average and reflects its divserse array of products and strength in fixed income. According to Jefferies, Eaton Vance has reported 18 consecutive quarters of inflows, and this streak is expected to...

Skilled Healthcare Group, Inc. (NYSE: SKH) has been downgraded to Hold (from Buy) by Jefferies & Company but is having its price target raised to $5 (from $4.50). The reason, according to Jefferies, is that SKH appears to be stabilizing after months of volatilty, and Humboldt County legal...

Franklin Resources, Inc. (NYSE: BEN) reported on 8/31 a total AUM of $600.4B, down 0.4% from the $602.9B reported on 7/31, Jefferies reports. Jefferies writes that the decrease was the result of a decline in equity AUM offset by a modest increase (2.6%) in fixed income. Equities were down 3.2% to...