Analyst upgrades, downgrades and initiations: T, ADBE, GPS, RIMM, MCD, PFE ...


Analyst upgrades:
  • Citigroup upgraded Lubrizol (NYSE: LZ) to Buy from Hold on valuation as they believe economic weakness is already priced into the stock. Despite upgrading, Citigroup lowered their target price to $32 from $36.
  • UBS believes AT&T (NYSE: T) consensus estimates are beatable and that the 7.1% dividend yield is safe. Additionally, the firm said a strike is possible when the unionized wireline employee contract expires on April 4th but expects the company to succeed in lowering healthcare benefits. Shares were upgraded to Buy from Neutral.
  • Friedman Billings upgraded Adobe (NASDAQ: ADBE) to Market Perform from Underperform as they believe guidance appropriately reset expectations and that the risk/reward is neutral at current levels. The firm lowered their target price to $16 from $17. Shares were also upgraded to Buy from Hold at Jefferies after the Q1 results to reflect better-than-expected cost cuts and an attractive risk/reward at current levels.
  • Lousiana Pacific (NYSE: LPX) was raised to Sector Outperformer from Sector Performer at CIBC.
  • OmniVision (NASDAQ: OVTI) was upgraded at Baird to Neutral from Underperform.
Analyst downgrades:
  • Baird downgraded RSC Holdings (NYSE: RRR) to Neutral from Outperform and lowered their target to $5 from $9 as they believe expectations for a recovery in 2H09 are unrealistic.
  • Goldman downgraded Cox Radio (NYSE: CXR) to Sell from Neutral and lowered their target to $3 from $7. The firm cites weakening ad revenues for the downgrade.
  • Morgan Stanley downgraded Gap (NYSE: GPS) to Equal Weight from Overweight citing expectations for reduced margins.
  • Rio (NYSE: RIO) was cut to Neutral from Buy at Banc of America/Merrill.
  • Gymboree (NASDAQ: GYMB) was lowered to Neutral from Overweight at JP Morgan.
  • AU Optronics (NYSE: AUO) was downgraded at Nomura to Reduce from Neutral.
Analyst initiations:
  • Citigroup initiated Invesco (NYSE: IVZ) with a Hold rating and $11 target. The firm believes the company's assets under management are holding up better than most, but feels a market recovery is needed to see a material improvement in net flows.
  • Baird initiated Research in Motion (NASDAQ: RIMM) with a Neutral rating and $44 target citing concerns ahead of Q1 guidance given growing gross margin and economic impact uncertainties.
  • Jefferies believes McDonald's (NYSE: MCD) will have difficulty beating EPS estimates in 2009 given a dwindling margin benefit from its re-franchising activity, commodity cost pressure, and currency headwinds. Shares were assumed with a Hold rating and $57 target.
  • Pfizer (NYSE: PFE) was reinstated with a Conviction Buy rating and $17 target at Goldman.
  • Knight Capital (NASDAQ: NITE) was started with an Outperform rating and $20 target at JMP Securities.
  • Resources Connection (NASDAQ: RECN) was initiated at Banc of America/Merrill with an Underperform rating and $12 target.
Symbol Lookup
IndexesChangePrice
DJIA+57.0312,858.26
NASDAQ+18.432,922.31
S&P 500+6.601,349.24

Last updated: February 13, 2012: 12:01 PM

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