Analyst Actions: Express Scripts, Bankrate, Bare Escentuals

From Standard & Poor's Equity Research

CITIGROUP UPGRADES EXPRESS SCRIPTS TO BUY FROM HOLD

Citigroup analyst Charles Boorady says while Express Scripts (ESRX) third quarter claims were slightly below his estimate, he believes greater mail penetration and higher EBITDA/Rx reflects lower generic unit cost.

Boorady says the company's third quarter should ease concerns about slower Rx trends and how a weak economy would hurt PBM profit growth.

He raises EPS estimates to reflect better EBITDA/Rx in the third quarter 2008 despite a very weak economy and guidance for continued improvement. He raises $3.07 2008 EPS estimate to $3.10 and $3.60 2009 to $3.70.

He also increases his $67 price target to $77, in line with yearend 2007 price even though estimated EPS is rising 30% in 2008 and 20% in 2009.

NEEDHAM UPGRADES BANKRATE TO BUY FROM HOLD

Needham analyst Mark May says Bankrate's (RATE) third quarter results beat his estimates, driven by deposit-related hyperlink revenue and revenue synergies from recent acquisitions.

May notes that display ad sales remained soft, but held up better than he expected. Importantly, he says EBITDA margins rebounded 455 basis points sequentially to 36%, driven in part by 11% sequential online revenue growth.

Given positive results and outlook, he raises $1.48 2008 pro forma EPS estimate to $1.61 and $1.89 2009 to $2.05. He sets a $36 price target on the stock.

WEDBUSH DOWNGRADES BARE ESCENTUALS TO HOLD FROM BUY

Wedbush analyst Rommel Dionisio says Bare Escentuals (BARE) $0.25 third quarter EPS missed his $0.26 estimate on disappointing results in the Infomercial and Home Shopping Television channels.

Dionisio downgrades BARE on his concerns about the company's plan to lower overall pricing, which he says could hurt brand exclusivity and aspirational appeal over the long run. He also notes he's concerned about BARE's plans to increase marketing spending and to expand its product offerings.

He cuts $1.10 2008 EPS estimate to $1.06 and $1.25 for 2009 to $1.12; his $10 price target goes to $6.