Valeant price target raised to $23 from $18 at Cantor Fitzgerald

In a research note partially titled "We Are Not Waiting Around For More Shoes to Drop," Cantor Fitzgerald analyst Louise Chen raised her price target for shares of Valeant Pharmaceuticals to $23 from $18. The drugmaker closed yesterday up 50c to $17.15. The price target raise is driven by multiple expansion, Chen tells investors in her note. She believes this is deserved because Valeant's "execution has continued to meet or exceed our expectations." The analyst thinks the company has reached a positive inflection point in its turnaround. Chen is confident in CEO Joe Papa's ability to return Valeant to growth. The analyst highlights positive script trends for Salix and believes the company can continue to refinance its debt to push out the maturities beyond where they are today.