Analyst Buy and Sell Ratings for Stocks and Sectors

We recently gathered analyst buy and sell ratings for stocks in the Russell 1,000. Below we highlight the average percentage of buy and sell ratings for stocks in each sector.

Not surprisingly, the Energy sector has the highest percentage of buy ratings, while Consumer Discretionary and Financials have the lowest. The average Energy stock has 54% buy ratings, while the average Financial stock is well below all other sectors at 33%. Technology, Materials and Health Care are all behind Energy each with 52% buy ratings. Overall, the average stock in the Russell 1,000 has 44% buy ratings and just 8% sell ratings.

click to enlarge

Below we provide a list of Russell 1,000 stocks with the most buy and sell ratings (with at least 5 analysts covering them). As shown, nine stocks in the index have 100% buy ratings, with Staples (SPLS) topping the list because it has the most analyst coverage. The stock is up just 1.13% on the year, so analysts must know something that investors don't. Any hint of negative news will probably not be good for the stock because at this point analysts can only lower ratings. Other notables on the list of stocks with the most buy ratings include FWLT, UTX and AAPL.

On the downside, Western Refining (WNR) and New York Times (NYT) have the highest percentage of sell ratings at 63%. Sears Holdings (SHLD) is also up there with 57% sell ratings. Analysts clearly don't have much faith in Eddie Lampert.

For those interested, Intel (INTC) is the stock in the Russell 1,000 with the most sell-side analyst coverage. A total of 40 analysts currently have recommendations for Intel!

Comments

[wallawallabingbang]

I'll take Apple's 31 analysts @ 90% over SPLS with 14 @ 100% any day!

Think this is weighted wrong.

[EverydayFinance]

I think it's very interesting to see Frontline (FRO) in the high sell bucket. It's been a stellar performer of late, benefits from high oil/commodity prices and carries an enormous yield. I own, it so I'm a bit biased, but I think they got it wrong on that one.

[europeaninvest]

No wonder WNR has had such a stellar run over the last week. It has the most sell recs of all the stocks.

[BlueOkie]

The real tell is a 48% buy and 8% sell on the totals. Seems if they said bad things about a stock they get kicked out of the press room!

[kpr]

What is the source of the analyst data? Bloomberg, ThomsonReuters, TheMarkets?

[boubou]

I have owned fro for years, taking huge dividends and also trading a fraction on its easily-spotted oscillations - making money, All that time analysts have by and large hated it. Will anybody ever learn that there is no such thing as analysis?
A successful analyst would keep the info to himself and by now he'd be drinking cocktails in the Caribbean.

[Itsonlymoney]

Maybe FRO is too easy for the analysts to understand. Make a lot of money and send it to the shareholders. Why is it always so scary to investors when the yield is high? Isn't that the ultimate idea?

[Emerald]

"Sell side" analysts were discredited a long time ago and readers should be very careful. They get on the "buy" side after a stock has run up and vice versa. Rarely with a timely call, but always part of the herd mentality. Private quality research goes to those who pay for it, not this mass produced junk.

[Itsonlymoney]

These charts do not tell us when the analysts took their positions. Too often the upgrade/downgrade see-saw is just telling us what we already know and the market has already reflected.

[nyka]

It's great to read all those intelligent comments!