MidnightTrader Earnings Play: Juniper Networks

Juniper Networks (JNPR | Quote | Chart | News | PowerRating) ended the regular session up 1.8% at 23.17, narrower than the 2.2% rise the stock recorded in today's pre-market session after Piper Jaffray upgraded the stock to Buy from Neutral.

In the five analyst-driven pre-market moves we've tracked over the last year, JNPR has seen its pre-market performance widen in four of the five occasions.

7/7/08 Pre-Market: +2.2%; 7/7/08 Regular Session: +1.8% at 23.17 - Piper Jaffray upgrade to Buy from Neutral.

2/25/08 Pre-Market: up less than 5%; 2/25/08 Regular Session: +5%; RBC upgrade to Outperform from Sector Perform.

11/12/07 Pre-Market: -3.9%; 11/12/07 Regular Session: -4.6% - Bernstein downgrade to Market Perform from Outperform.

9/19/07 Pre-Market: -0.6%; 9/19/07 Regular Session: -1.3% - Merrill Lynch downgrades to Neutral from Buy.

8/28/07 Pre-Market: -0.4%; 8/28/07 Regular Session: -0.8% - UBS raised price target.

Brooks McFeely is widely regarded as the leading expert on extended-hours trading. He is a Managing Partner for Brochet Capital Partners, LP and the founder of Midnight Trader, Inc. (www.midnighttrader.com), the leading provider of pre-market and after-hours trading analysis and news to retail and institutional investors.