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20 Stocks with the Potential to Pop (Q4 2011)

20 Stocks With The Potential To Pop

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. With data from Thomson Reuters, CNBC.com took a look at
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 Toscano
Posted 21 Dec 2011

20. AmerisourceBergen (ABC)

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
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

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19. Cabot Oil & Gas (COG)

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: $73
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: $73

Get COG Real-Time Quote

18. Range Resources (RRC)

Potential to Pop: 27.04% Mean Price Target: $78.16 Closing Price (12/21): $61.52 Number of Analysts: 29 High Estimate: $105 Low Estimate: $52
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

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17. International Paper (IP)

International Paper pays you to wait with its juicy dividend yield, Cramer says. And despite the long-term secular decline of the industry, the Memphis, Tenn.-based paper and packaging company has managed its way to higher profits thanks to massive consolidation of the industry and terrific execution. International Paper now has the best margins in the business, Cramer says, and he thinks things should only get better with its pending acquisition of Temple-Inland.
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

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16. Tiffany & Co. (TIF)

Potential to Pop: 27.35% Mean Price Target: $81.16 Closing Price (12/21): $63.73 Number of Analysts: 19 High Estimate: $109 Low Estimate: $69
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

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15. Gilead Sciences (GILD)

Potential to Pop: 26.17% Mean Price Target: $48.86 Closing Price (12/21): $38.73 Number of Analysts: 21 High Estimate: $55 Low Estimate: $40
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

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14. eBay (EBAY)

Potential to Pop: 28.77% Mean Price Target: $38.48 Closing Price (12/21): $29.89 Number of Analysts: 29 High Estimate: $48 Low Estimate: $21
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

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13. Viacom (VIAB)

Potential to Pop:% Mean Price Target: $ Closing Price (12/21): $ Number of Analysts: High Estimate: $ Low Estimate: $
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: $69
Low Estimate: $47

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12. DirecTV (DTV)

Photo: Wikipedia

Potential to Pop: 28.37%
Mean Price Target: $55.18
Closing Price (12/21): $42.99

Number of Analysts: 19
High Estimate: $61
Low Estimate: $47.50

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11. EQT Corp (EQT)

Potential to Pop: % Mean Price Target: $ Closing Price (12/21): $ Number of Analysts: High Estimate: $ Low Estimate: $
Photo: Getty Images

Potential to Pop: 28.58%
Mean Price Target: $71.75
Closing Price (12/21): $55.80

Number of Analysts: 16
High Estimate: $84
Low Estimate: $48

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10. Apple (AAPL)

Potential to Pop: % Mean Price Target: $ Closing Price (12/21): $ Number of Analysts: High Estimate: $Low Estimate: $
Photo: Getty Images

Potential to Pop: 28.67%
Mean Price Target: $510.11
Closing Price (12/21): $396.45

Number of Analysts: 46
High Estimate: $700
Low Estimate: $260

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9. Electronic Arts (EA)

Potential to Pop: 29.23% Mean Price Target: $26.18 Closing Price (12/21): $20.26 Number of Analysts: 17 High Estimate: $31 Low Estimate: $14
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

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9. Comcast (CMCSA)

Potential to Pop: 30.83% Mean Price Target: $30.64 Closing Price (12/21): $23.42 Number of Analysts: 25High Estimate: $35Low Estimate: $27
Photo: Wikipedia

Potential to Pop: 29.89%
Mean Price Target: $30.64
Closing Price (12/21): $23.59

Number of Analysts: 25
High Estimate: $35
Low Estimate: $27

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Comcast is the majority owner of NBC Universal, the parent of CNBC and CNBC.com.

8. Teradata (TDC)

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

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7. Priceline.com (PCLN)

Potential to Pop: % Mean Price Target: $ Closing Price (12/21): $ Number of Analysts: High Estimate: $ Low Estimate: $
Photo: Getty Images

Potential to Pop: 31.95%
Mean Price Target: $623.23
Closing Price (12/21): $472.33

Number of Analysts: 22
High Estimate: $720
Low Estimate: $460

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6. Wellpoint (WLP)

Potential to Pop: % Mean Price Target: $ Closing Price (12/21): $ Number of Analysts: High Estimate: $ Low Estimate: $
Photo: Wikipedia

Potential to Pop: 32.06%
Mean Price Target: $86.74
Closing Price (12/21): $65.68

Number of Analysts: 19
High Estimate: $100
Low Estimate: $ 77

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4. Tesoro (TSO)

Potential to Pop: 34.95% Mean Price Target: $30.54 Closing Price (12/21): $22.63Number of Analysts: 13High Estimate: $46Low Estimate: $24
Photo: Wikipedia

Potential to Pop: 32.26%
Mean Price Target: $30.54
Closing Price (12/21): $23.09

Number of Analysts: 13
High Estimate: $46
Low Estimate: $24

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3. Cigna Corp. (CI)

Potential to Pop: 35.00% Mean Price Target: $56.21 Closing Price (12/21): $41.64 Number of Analysts: 14High Estimate: $62Low Estimate: $45
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: 14
High Estimate: $62
Low Estimate: $45

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2. Goodyear Tire & Rubber (GT)

Potential to Pop: 36.30% Mean Price Target: $18.56 Closing Price (12/21): $13.62 Number of Analysts: 8 High Estimate: $22 Low Estimate: $14
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

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1. SLM Corp. (SLM)

Potential to Pop: 37.80%Mean Price Target: $18.50Closing Price (12/21): $13.43Number of Analysts: 4High Estimate: $19Low Estimate: $18
Photo: Getty Images

Potential to Pop: 36.94%
Mean Price Target: $18.50
Closing Price (12/21): $13.51

Number of Analysts: 4
High Estimate: $19
Low Estimate: $18

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