Citigroup Drives Bold Rail and Healthcare Upgrades

Citigroup analyst Ariel Rosa made two aggressive calls on US railroads. He lifted UNP to Buy with a $349 target. That is a $23 jump from the prior $326 target. He also upgraded NSC to Hold with a target of $376, up from $351.

Meanwhile, Citigroup's Daniel Grosslight boosted healthcare distributors. MCK got a Buy rating with a $1,000 target. That is a sharp move from the prior $945 estimate. CAH also received a Buy rating. Its target jumped from $245 to $265.

DELL saw its consensus target rise to $502 from $489. Analysts remain broadly cautious on the stock, with 19 sell-side holds on record.

On the downside, utilities faced broad target cuts. DUK, XEL, ETR, DTE, and PEG all saw average targets trimmed. The cuts were modest — under $1 in most cases — but the pattern points to sector-wide pressure.

CHTR attracted attention with a target price cut to $205. The cable giant carries 25.9% short interest as a percentage of free float. That is one of the higher readings among large-caps.

LUV targets dipped slightly to $51.87 from $52.27. Short interest sits at just 6.3% of free float. Availability stands at nearly 1,900% of SI — shorts are not crowding in.

HAS was a rare bright spot among consumer names. Its consensus target edged up to $108.92 from $108.15.