Analyst upgrades, downgrades and initiations: RIMM, MSFT, TOL, MAR, VZ, T ...

Analyst upgrades:

Citigroup upgraded Research in Motion (NASDAQ: RIMM) to Buy from Hold and added the stock to its Top Picks Live List. The firm believes RIMM's outlook is more secure given its unit growth trajectory and stabilizing margins. Citi raised its target on the stock to $100 from $65.
Morgan Stanley upgraded Microsoft (NASDAQ: MSFT) to Overweight from Equal Weight following the company's Q3 results it believes growth is accelerating and expectations are low. The firm raised its target on the stock to $24 from $21.
Deutsche Bank upgraded Huron (NYSE: HURN) to Buy from Hold as it believes bad news is already priced in and FY09 expectations are achievable. The firm keeps a $46 target on the stock.
Credit Suisse (NYSE: CS) was upgraded to Neutral from Sell at UBS.
Quicksilver (NYSE: KWK) was raised to Buy from Neutral at Banc of America/Merrill.
EIG Resources (NYSE: EOG) was lifted at Goldman to Conviction Buy from Neutral.

Analyst downgrades:

Jefferies downgraded Clear Channel Outdoors (NYSE: CCO) to Underperform from Buy as it believes 2009/2010 estimates will remain under pressure, shares are expensive relative to peers, and the company's debt repayment in 2010 creates risk. The firm lowered its target on the stock to $3 from $10.
Keefe Bruyette downgraded Toll Brothers (NYSE: TOL) to Market Perform from Outperform to reflect the continuing deterioration in home prices. The firm lowered its target on the stock to $20 from $24.
Oppenheimer downgraded Marriott (NYSE: MAR) to Underperform from Perform following the recent rise in shares as it believes lodging fundamentals are not improving and the company's debt pay down could be less than expected in 2009. Shares were also downgraded at FBR Capital to Market Perform from Outperform.
Eagle Materials (NYSE: EXP) was cut to Equal Weight from Overweight at Stephens.
Simon Property (NYSE: SPG) was lowered to Buy from Conviction Buy at Goldman.
PetroChina (NYSE: PTR) was downgraded at JP Morgan to Underweight from Neutral.

Analyst initiations:

Aurgia believes Verizon's (NYSE: VZ) FiOS architecture is superior to AT&T's (NYSE: T) U-Verse and expects AT&T's iPhone advantage to eventually dissipate. The firm started shares with a Hold rating and $25 target.
CardioNet (NASDAQ: BEAT) was assumed with an Underperform rating and $17 target at Jefferies. The firm believes reimbursement reductions in the mobile cardiac outpatient telemetry space will prevent CardioNet from achieving its growth targets.
Merriman initiated Acuity Brands (NYSE: AYI) with a Buy rating. The firm believes the company is well positioned to address the $4B lighting fixtures and controls opportunity associated with the U.S. stimulus.
Windstream (NASDAQ: WIN) was initiated with a Neutral rating and $8 target at Piper Jaffray.
Corrections Corp (NYSE: CXW) was assumed with an Outperform rating and $21 target at RBC Capital.
Raser Technologies (NYSE: RZ) was initiated at Rodman & Renshaw with a Market Perform rating.