Stand pat on Aristocrat, analyst says

Despite favorable indicators both in the United States and elsewhere, Jefferies Equity Research analyst Kai Erman could not put a “Buy” rating on Aristocrat Leisure stock. His hesitancy was expressed in an investor note published on Wednesday. Erman allowed that Aristocrat was firming up its U.S. market share, showing stateside momentum, and making inroads in i-gaming overall. “[H]owever we see this largely reflected in consensus forecasts and market expectations,” he wrote. Although the analyst raised his Aristocrat price target to AU$68 a share from AU$63, he maintained a “Hold” rating on the stock.