20 Stocks with the Potential to Pop (Q4 2011)

Photo: John W Banagan | Getty Images It's the basic question when investing in a stock: is it on the way up or down? To answer this question, the street has developed numerous ways of attempting to predict what will happen, estimating various attributes tied to stock performance in order to determine what the future holds for a company's valuation. After dissecting the data, analysts following a particular stock produce a price target of where they believe the stock is headed. So far this year, the S&P 500 is down 1 percent, with only about half (238) of the index components outperforming the overall market. Among these companies, CNBC.com looked at the ones that are up over 2 percent year-to-date, which is greater than the yield of the 10-year US Treasury note, the risk-free rate. The stocks listed here have average consensus estimates farthest above their current stock prices. The prices and analyst estimates presented here are as of the market close on December 21, 2011. So, which stocks are analysts expecting to have the biggest pops? Click ahead to find out! By Giovanny Moreano& Paul ToscanoPosted 21 Dec 2011

Source: amerisourceBergen.com Potential to Pop: 24.27% Mean Price Target: $46.03 Closing Price (12/21): $37.04 Number of Analysts: 16 High Estimate: $50 Low Estimate: $41.50 Get ABC Real-Time Quote

Photo: Getty Images Potential to Pop: 24.40% Mean Price Target: $96.22 Closing Price (12/21): $77.35 Number of Analysts: 18 High Estimate: $118 Low Estimate: $73Get COG Real-Time Quote

Photo: Getty Images Potential to Pop: 25.15% Mean Price Target: $78.16 Closing Price (12/21): $62.45 Number of Analysts: 29 High Estimate: $105 Low Estimate: $52 Get RRC Real-Time Quote

Photo: Bloomberg | Getty Images Potential to Pop: 25.39% Mean Price Target: $36.00 Closing Price (12/21): $28.71 Number of Analysts: 12 High Estimate: $45 Low Estimate: $29 Get IP Real-Time Quote

Photo: Wikipedia Potential to Pop: 25.53% Mean Price Target: $81.16 Closing Price (12/21): $64.65 Number of Analysts: 19 High Estimate: $109 Low Estimate: $69 Get TIF Real-Time Quote

Photo: Getty Images Potential to Pop: 25.78% Mean Price Target: $48.86 Closing Price (12/21): $38.85 Number of Analysts: 21 High Estimate: $55 Low Estimate: $40 Get GILD Real-Time Quote

Photo: Getty Images Potential to Pop: 26.84% Mean Price Target: $38.48 Closing Price (12/21): $30.34 Number of Analysts: 29 High Estimate: $48 Low Estimate: $21 Get EBAY Real-Time Quote

Photo: Getty Images Potential to Pop: 27.57% Mean Price Target: $55.79 Closing Price (12/21): $43.73 Number of Analysts: 28 High Estimate: $69Low Estimate: $47Get VIAB Real-Time Quote

Photo: Wikipedia Potential to Pop: 28.37% Mean Price Target: $55.18 Closing Price (12/21): $42.99Number of Analysts: 19High Estimate: $61Low Estimate: $47.50Get DTV Real-Time Quote

Photo: Getty Images Potential to Pop: 28.58% Mean Price Target: $71.75 Closing Price (12/21): $55.80 Number of Analysts: 16High Estimate: $84Low Estimate: $48Get EQT Real-Time Quote

Photo: Getty Images Potential to Pop: 28.67% Mean Price Target: $510.11 Closing Price (12/21): $396.45 Number of Analysts: 46High Estimate: $700Low Estimate: $260 Get AAPL Real-Time Quote

Photo: Michal Czerwonka | Getty Images Potential to Pop: 28.95% Mean Price Target: $26.18 Closing Price (12/21): $20.30 Number of Analysts: 17 High Estimate: $31 Low Estimate: $14 Get EA Real-Time Quote

Photo: Wikipedia Potential to Pop: 29.89% Mean Price Target: $30.64 Closing Price (12/21): $23.59 Number of Analysts: 25High Estimate: $35Low Estimate: $27 Get CMCSA Real-Time QuoteComcast is the majority owner of NBC Universal, the parent of CNBC and CNBC.com.

Photo: Steven Puetzer | Image Bank | Getty Images Potential to Pop: 31.50% Mean Price Target: $62.73 Closing Price (12/21): $47.70 Number of Analysts: 11 High Estimate: $70 Low Estimate: $55 Get TDC Real-Time Quote

Photo: Getty Images Potential to Pop: 31.95% Mean Price Target: $623.23 Closing Price (12/21): $472.33 Number of Analysts: 22High Estimate: $720Low Estimate: $460Get PCLN Real-Time Quote

Photo: Wikipedia Potential to Pop: 32.06% Mean Price Target: $86.74 Closing Price (12/21): $65.68 Number of Analysts: 19High Estimate: $100Low Estimate: $ 77Get WLP Real-Time Quote

Photo: Wikipedia Potential to Pop: 32.26% Mean Price Target: $30.54 Closing Price (12/21): $23.09Number of Analysts: 13High Estimate: $46Low Estimate: $24 Get TSO Real-Time Quote

Photo: Tom Grill | Photographer’s Choice RF | Getty Images Potential to Pop: 33.18% Mean Price Target: $56.21 Closing Price (12/21): $42.21 Number of Analysts: 14High Estimate: $62Low Estimate: $45 Get CI Real-Time Quote

Photo: Goodyear.com Potential to Pop: 34.12% Mean Price Target: $18.56 Closing Price (12/21): $13.84 Number of Analysts: 8 High Estimate: $22 Low Estimate: $14 Get GT Real-Time Quote

Photo: Getty Images Potential to Pop: 36.94%Mean Price Target: $18.50Closing Price (12/21): $13.51Number of Analysts: 4High Estimate: $19Low Estimate: $18Get SLM Real-Time Quote

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