New Analyst Ratings (NTAP, EMC, VMW, PACD, HBI, WBCO, COLB )

Published on Thursday, 22 December 2011 08:53 Written by Christian Paolinetti

  New York, December 22^ND (TradersHuddle.com) – Following are some of the new analyst ratings before the market open.

Research Firms Initiate:

Ticorenga initiates the following companies:

NetApp (NASDAQ:NTAP) was initiated with a Neutral, as the research firm is concerned with the impact of increased competition in 2012, combined with headwind of a darkening macro backdrop and the company's high exposure to public spending. Also the below expectations quarterly results weigh on the company’s rating.

EMC Corp (NYSE:EMC) was initiated with a buy rating and price target of $27. The rationale is the explosion of digital information and the surging data volumes result on a growing need for storage solutions, presenting what the firm believes will prove to be a secular tailwind for EMC in the coming years.

VMware (NYSE:VMW) was initiated with a Neutral given the current valuation and the firm's concerns regarding the economic backdrop in 2012. The firm expects the powerful trends toward virtualization and cloud computing to continue, benefiting VMware for many years into the future. Competition is also likely to increase over the next 12-18 months.

Other initiates are:

Pacific Drilling (NYSE:PACD) initiated with a Market Outperform at Howard Weil with a price target of $12.

Goldman Sachs initiated Hanesbrands (NYSE:HBI) with a Neutral.

Washington Banking Co.  (NASDAQ:WBCO) was initiated with a Buy at Stifel Nicolaus placing a price target of $14.Firm believes the combination of the company’s footprint and strong capital levels make it an attractive investment.

Columbia Banking (NASDAQ:COLB) was initiated with a Hold at Stifel Nicolaus.