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20 Stocks with the Potential to Pop (Q1 2010)

20 Stocks with the Potential to Pop

It's the basic question when investing in a stock: is it on the way up or will it go 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. From the entire S&P 500, which stocks are an
Source: ThomsonReuters

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It's the basic question when investing in a stock: is it on the way up or will it go 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. From the entire S&P 500, which stocks are analysts expecting to have the biggest pops? With data from ThomsonReuters, we took a look at which stocks have mean consensus estimates farthest above their stock prices (as of market close on 2/23/10).

So, which stocks do analysts on average predict will have the biggest pop? Click ahead to find out!

ByAriel Nelson & Paul Toscano
Posted 23 Feb 2010

20. Pactiv Corporation (PTV)

Potential to Pop: 35%Mean Price Target: $30.80Closing Price (2/23): $22.75Number of Analysts: 10High Estimate: $35.00Low Estimate: $27.00
Photo: Lew Robertson | FoodPix | Getty Images

Potential to Pop: 35.4%
Mean Price Target: $30.80
Closing Price (2/23): $22.74

Number of Analysts: 10
High Estimate: $35.00
Low Estimate: $27.00

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19. Morgan Stanley (MS)

Potential to Pop: 35.6%Mean Price Target: $36.81Closing Price (2/23): $27.15Number of Analysts: 21High Estimate: $46.00Low Estimate: $32.00
Photo: Timothy A. Clary | AFP | Getty Images

Potential to Pop: 35.6%
Mean Price Target: $36.81
Closing Price (2/23): $27.15

Number of Analysts: 21
High Estimate: $46.00
Low Estimate: $32.00
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18. Chesapeake Energy (CHK)

Mean Price Target: $35.70Closing Price (2/23): $26.30Potential to Pop: 35.8%Number of Analysts: 26High Estimate: $50.00Low Estimate: $24.00
Photo: Chesapeake Energy

Potential to Pop: 35.74%
Mean Price Target: $35.70
Closing Price (2/23): $26.30

Number of Analysts: 26
High Estimate: $50.00
Low Estimate: $24.00

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17. Halliburton (HAL)

Potential to Pop: 35.8%Mean Price Target: $41.00Closing Price (2/23): $30.20Number of Analysts: 24High Estimate: $55.00Low Estimate: $31.00
Photo: Robert Nickelsberg | Getty Images

Potential to Pop: 35.76%
Mean Price Target: $41.00
Closing Price (2/23): $30.20

Number of Analysts: 24
High Estimate: $55.00
Low Estimate: $31.00

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16. Goldman Sachs (GS)

Potential to Pop: 36%Mean Price Target: $213.25Closing Price (2/23): $156.85Number of Analysts: 20High Estimate: $244.00Low Estimate: $180.00
Photo: Getty Images

Potential to Pop: 36.08%
Mean Price Target: $213.25
Closing Price (2/23): $156.70

Number of Analysts: 20
High Estimate: $244.00
Low Estimate: $180.00

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15. MEMC Electronic Mat. (WFR)

Potential to Pop: 37%Mean Price Target: $16.50Closing Price (2/23): $12.08Number of Analysts: 19High Estimate: $22.00Low Estimate: $10.50
Photo: Robert Nickelsberg | Getty Images News | Getty Images

Potential to Pop: 36.13%
Mean Price Target: $16.50
Closing Price (2/23): $12.12

Number of Analysts: 19
High Estimate: $22.00
Low Estimate: $10.50

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14. Citigroup (C)

Potential to Pop: 36%Mean Price Target: $4.56Closing Price (2/23): $3.36Number of Analysts: 18High Estimate: $6.00Low Estimate: $3.00
Photo: Getty Images

Potential to Pop: 36.2%
Mean Price Target: $4.56
Closing Price (2/23): $3.35

Number of Analysts: 18
High Estimate: $6.00
Low Estimate: $3.00

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13. Sprint Nextel (S)

Potential to Pop: 38%Mean Price Target: $4.55Closing Price (2/23): $3.29Number of Analysts: 25High Estimate: $8.00Low Estimate: $2.50
Photo: Getty Images

Potential to Pop: 36.3%
Mean Price Target: $4.55
Closing Price (2/23): $3.34

Number of Analysts: 25
High Estimate: $8.00
Low Estimate: $2.50

Get S Real-Time Quote

12. Invesco LTD (IVZ)

Potential to Pop: 36%Mean Price Target: $26.00Closing Price (2/23): $19.06Number of Analysts: 13High Estimate: $30.00Low Estimate: $23.00
Photo: iStock Photo

Potential to Pop: 36.5%
Mean Price Target: $26.00
Closing Price (2/23): $19.05

Number of Analysts: 13
High Estimate: $30.00
Low Estimate: $23.00

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11. Applied Materials (AMAT)

Potential to Pop: 37%Mean Price Target: $16.42Closing Price (2/23): $11.99Number of Analysts: 19High Estimate: $22.00Low Estimate: $11.50
Photo: Applied Materials

Potential to Pop: 37.7%
Mean Price Target: $16.42
Closing Price (2/23): $12.01

Number of Analysts: 19
High Estimate: $22.00
Low Estimate: $11.50

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10. Amazon.com (AMZN)

Potential to Pop: 38%Mean Price Target: $161.74Closing Price (2/23): $117.46Number of Analysts: 27High Estimate: $200.00Low Estimate: $130.00
Photo: AP

Potential to Pop: 38%
Mean Price Target: $161.74
Closing Price (2/23): $117.24

Number of Analysts: 27
High Estimate: $200.00
Low Estimate: $130.00

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9. Freeport McMoran (FCX)

Potential to Pop: 39%Mean Price Target: $102.06Closing Price (2/23): $73.67Number of Analysts: 15High Estimate: $125.00Low Estimate: $80.00
Photo: Steve Allen | Brand X Pictures | Getty Images

Potential to Pop: 38.6%
Mean Price Target: $102.06
Closing Price (2/23): $73.64

Number of Analysts: 15
High Estimate: $125.00
Low Estimate: $80.00

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8. Schlumberger LTD (SLB)

Potential to Pop: 39%Mean Price Target: $84.46Closing Price (2/23): $60.59Number of Analysts: 24High Estimate: $130.00Low Estimate: $70.00
Photo: Soultz.net

Potential to Pop: 38.7%
Mean Price Target: $84.46
Closing Price (2/23): $60.88

Number of Analysts: 24
High Estimate: $130.00
Low Estimate: $70.00

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7. Alcoa Inc. (AA)

Potential to Pop: 40%Mean Price Target: $18.33Closing Price (2/23): $13.12Number of Analysts: 15High Estimate: $26.40Low Estimate: $13.00
Photo: Getty Images

Potential to Pop: 39%
Mean Price Target: $18.33
Closing Price (2/23): $13.18

Number of Analysts: 15
High Estimate: $26.40
Low Estimate: $13.00

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6. Iron Mountain (IRM)

Potential to Pop: 40%Mean Price Target: $33.50Closing Price (2/23): $24.01Number of Analysts: 6High Estimate: $40.00Low Estimate: $28.00
Photo: iStock Photo

Potential to Pop: 40.3%
Mean Price Target: $33.50
Closing Price (2/23): $23.87

Number of Analysts: 6
High Estimate: $40.00
Low Estimate: $28.00

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5. El Paso Co. (EP)

Potential to Pop: 41%Mean Price Target: $14.20Closing Price (2/23): $10.09Number of Analysts: 10High Estimate: $20.00Low Estimate: $11.00
Photo: El Paso Co

Potential to Pop: 40.7%
Mean Price Target: $14.20
Closing Price (2/23): $10.09

Number of Analysts: 10
High Estimate: $20.00
Low Estimate: $11.00

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4. Gamestop Corp (GME)

Potential to Pop: 41%Mean Price Target: $26.70Closing Price (2/23): $18.94Number of Analysts: 15High Estimate: $34.00Low Estimate: $21.00
Photo: Gamestop

Potential to Pop: 41.5%
Mean Price Target: $26.70
Closing Price (2/23): $18.87

Number of Analysts: 15
High Estimate: $34.00
Low Estimate: $21.00

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3. Tenet Healthcare (THC)

Potential to Pop: 43%Mean Price Target: $7.22Closing Price (2/23): $5.05Number of Analysts: 15High Estimate: $9.50Low Estimate: $4.50
Photo: Ian Hooton | SPL | Getty Images

Potential to Pop: 43.3%
Mean Price Target: $7.22
Closing Price (2/23): $5.04

Number of Analysts: 15
High Estimate: $9.50
Low Estimate: $4.50

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2. Micron Tech (MU)

Potential to Pop: 47%Mean Price Target: $12.65Closing Price (2/23): $8.60Number of Analysts: 20High Estimate: $20.00Low Estimate: $4.00
Photo: Micron Tech

Potential to Pop: 46.9%
Mean Price Target: $12.65
Closing Price (2/23): $8.61

Number of Analysts: 20
High Estimate: $20.00
Low Estimate: $4.00

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1. AES Corp (AES)

Potential to Pop: 52%Mean Price Target: $18.00Closing Price (2/23): $11.83Number of Analysts: 3High Estimate: $22.00Low Estimate: $16.00
Photo: Getty Images

Potential to Pop: 52.9%
Mean Price Target: $18.00
Closing Price (2/23): $11.77

Number of Analysts: 3
High Estimate: $22.00
Low Estimate: $16.00

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