UPDATE: Stifel Downgrades Hanesbrands; Organic Margin Improvement Limited

In a research note published Friday, Stifel Nicolaus downgraded Hanesbrands

from Buy to Hold and removed the price target of $73. Looking forward, “opportunity for organic margin improvement and earnings leverage is more limited,” said the firm's Jim Duffy. Hanesbrands' plan to fuel double-digit earnings per share growth through acquisitions and “the Maidenform acquisition, integration, and margin improvement opportunities (1000bps over 3 yrs.) [are] a testament to the Company's integration competency,” according to Duffy. Shares are down 1.3 percent to $73.97 following the downgrade. Hanesbrands are up a whopping 231 percent since January 2012.