Michael Lavery

Piper Sandler's prior cautious stance on Hershey Co (NYSE: HSY) was based on valuation concerns, and the stock's 24% decline since March now supports a bullish tone, the sell-side firm said this week.  The Hershey Analyst Michael Lavery upgraded Hershey Company from Underweight to...

Plant-based food maker Beyond Meat Inc (NASDAQ: BYND) reported fourth-quarter results Thusday that showed "solid" momentum, but its near-term outlook remains unclear, according to Piper Sandler. The Beyond Meat Analysts Piper Sandler's Michael Lavery maintaied a Neutral...

The bullish case for plant-based food maker Beyond Meat Inc (NASDAQ: BYND) can't be justified amid mixed consumer survey results, according to Piper Sandler. The Beyond Meat Analyst Michael Lavery initiated coverage of Beyond Meat's stock with a Neutral rating and $115 price target. The...

Over the last 12 months, Aurora Cannabis Inc. (NYSE: ACB) shares have fallen 70%. Two sell-side analysts turned bearish on the cannabis stock Friday.  The Aurora Analysts Piper Sandler analyst Michael Lavery downgraded Aurora Cannabis from Neutral to Underweight and lowered the price target...

Canopy Growth Corp (NYSE: CGC) shares are down nearly 50% in the past six months, but one analyst said Tuesday the company and its patient investors will ultimately be able to ride out the near-term headwinds in the cannabis space. The Analyst Piper Jaffray analyst Michael Lavery reiterated his...

Altria Group Inc (NYSE: MO) is in talks with Philip Morris International Inc. (NYSE: PM) for a merger with no premium. The absence of a premium suggests that Altria’s underlying fundamentals and management's outlook for the company’s future may be worse than was earlier anticipated...

Cannabis stocks got a boost on Tuesday after a major Wall Street firm initiated bullish coverage of Cronos Group Inc (NASDAQ: CRON). The Analyst Piper Jaffray analyst Michael Lavery initiated coverage of Cronos with an Overweight rating and $18 price target. The Thesis Lavery said Cronos is well...

Cannabis could be one of the top five issues in the 2020 presidential election, Piper Jaffray. President Donald Trump may champion legalization as a way of gaining favor with younger voters, the sell-side firm said in a Sunday note.  Need more cannabis news? Check out all of our coverage here...

Cannabis stocks have been red-hot so far in 2019, and Piper Jaffray analyst Michael Lavery said Monday that the outlook for medical cannabis is brighter than ever. Lavery recently met with a pain specialist to determine how much of an impact medical marijuana could have on the business of pain...

Canopy Growth Corp (NYSE: CGC) kicked off 2019 with a 53-percent run. It hasn’t even begun to strike its high, according to one analyst team. The Rating Piper Jaffray analysts Michael Lavery and Jeffrey Kratky maintained an Overweight rating on Canopy Growth and raised their price target from...

Cannabis stocks were trading mostly up Wednesday morning after Piper Jaffray started coverage of the group. What Happened Piper Jaffray's Michael Lavery said in his initiation note that the cannabis industry is in its early stages, with "much to learn," according to CNBC....

What Happened Philip Morris International Inc. (NYSE: PM) plummeted 6 percent intraday Thursday after the U.S. Food and Drug Administration’s Tobacco Products Scientific Advisory Committee rejected one of two claims surrounding its modified risk tobacco product. Why It's Important...

The bullish case for owning Kraft Heinz Co (NASDAQ: KHC) can be made through expectations of ongoing consolidation within the packaged food industry, according to analysts at Piper Jaffray. The firm's Michael Lavery upgraded Kraft Heinz's stock rating from Neutral to Overweight but with a price...

Analysts at Piper Jaffray no longer hold a bullish view on Kellogg Company (NYSE: K) amid a view that retailer push back against food companies is a "real threat" to food companies. The firm's Michael Lavery downgraded Kellogg's stock rating from Overweight to Neutral with a price target slashed...

CLSA maintained its Outperform rating on Philip Morris International Inc. (NYSE: PM) on long-term opportunity with its iQOS heat-not-burn platform, while Marlboro kreteks should help boost share, revenue and margin mix in Indonesia. PMI launched Marlboro Filter Black in Indonesia this month,...