Analyst upgrades:
- Kaufman Bros. upgraded American Superconductor (NASDAQ: AMSC) to Buy from Hold as it believes the follow-on contract from Sinovel has positive implications. The firm has a $36 price target on shares.
- Goldman upgraded Nike (NYSE: NKE) to Buy from Neutral citing valuation, visible long-term growth, and signs of sales stabilization. The firm has a $75 target on shares.
- Deutsche Bank upgraded Huntington Bancshares (NASDAQ: HBAN) to Buy from Hold on valuation following the recent underperformance. The firm raised its target on shares to $5.50 from $4.
- Novartis (NYSE: NVS) was upgraded to Buy from Hold at Citigroup.
- eHealth (NASDAQ: EHTH) was upgraded to Buy from Accumulate at ThinkEquity.
- China Precision Steel (NASDAQ: CPSL) was upgraded to Hold from Sell at Roth Capital.
Analyst downgrades:
- UBS downgraded Target (NYSE: TGT) to Neutral from Buy. The firm downgraded shares based on valuation and concerns regarding the change in consumer spending and its impact on the company's recovery.
- KeyBanc downgraded FreightCar America (NASDAQ: RAIL) to Hold from Buy based on valuation, earnings visibility, and political headwinds.
- Citigroup downgraded Global Crossing (NASDAQ: GLBC) to Hold from Buy on valuation following the recent rally and maintains a $16 price target on the stock.
- Greenhill & Co. (NYSE: GHL) was downgraded to Neutral from Buy at Pali Capital.
- Bayer (OTC: BAYRY) was downgraded to Neutral from Buy at UBS.
- National Penn Bancshares (NASDAQ: NPBC) was downgraded to Neutral from Buy at FTN Equity.
Analyst initiations:
- Deutsche Bank recommends owning Lorillard (NYSE: LO) for its Newport brand and cash flow generation. The firm started shares with a Buy rating and $83 target.
- Wells Fargo initiated Cracker Barrel (NASDAQ: CBRL) with an Outperform rating. The firm believes that Cracker Barrel is poised to exploit its brand, while its productivity initiatives appear to be working.
- Pali Capital started Shanda Games (NASDAQ: GAME) with a Buy rating and $15 target. Pali believes concerns surrounding Shanda Games' short-term growth are overblown and that the company is well positioned for sustainable long-term growth.
- Boston Scientific (NYSE: BSX) and Medtronic (NYSE: MDT) were initiated with Neutral ratings at Goldman.
- Wal-Mart (NYSE: WMT) was initiated with a Market Perform rating and $58 target at Bernstein.
- Alliance Data Systems (NYSE: ADS) was initiated with an Outperform rating and $75 target at Keefe Bruyette.
Closing Bell: When We All Love the PIIGS (NBG, SQNM, PG, ERTS, KO)
Serious Money: Cheapest Stocks List Shrinks from 26 to 21
Chasing Value: Hasbro Earnings Makes My Point
