Koppers Shares Popped: What You Need to Know

Although we don't believe in timing the market or panicking over market movements, we do like to keep an eye on big changes -- just in case they're material to our investing thesis.

What: Shares of chemical and railroad tie manufacturer Koppers Holdings (NYSE: KOP  ) shot up more than 10% after a pair of Wall Street banks offered some bullish views.

So what: Koppers has two primary business lines: selling carbon materials and chemicals to customers like Alcoa (NYSE: AA  ) and manufacturing railroad ties for customers like CSX Corp (NYSE: CSX  ) . These are both businesses that catch a definite tailwind when the economy is chugging along, and analysts at both Oppenheimer and Jefferies seem to think that there's a breeze building behind the company. Oppenheimer initiated Koppers shares with an "outperform" rating, while Jefferies boosted its rating on the stock from "hold" to "buy."

Now what: Unlike war, I'm won't say that analyst upgrades are good for absolutely nothing. A negative analyst view can be a good reason to take a closer look at a stock you own, while a positive note can bring a stock to your attention that you might not have otherwise paid mind. However, an analyst's positive (or negative) outlook is no replacement for doing your own research. Koppers has a solid business that has produced attractive returns on capital, good cash flow, and pays a decent dividend. Thank Oppenheimer and Jefferies for bringing it to your attention, but buy because of the business fundamentals, not because they said so.

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