After the title of Marketo's CFO, Fred Ball, was changed to Chief Administrative Officer, or CAO, and a new CFO was installed, JMP Securities says it "feels comfortable" with the change after speaking with Ball. The firm says that the change was made because of Ball's "personal preference" and his belief that he could help the company in other areas. Additionally, the firm found that the stocks of companies that announce CFO changes tend to outperform the market over the subsequent 90 days and two year period. Of the four companies whose CFOs transitioned to other roles, three were acquired within four years and one outperformed the market by 114% over the next year, according to the firm. It keeps a $30 price target and Outperform rating on the shares.