Analyst upgrades, downgrades and initiations: ANF, AZN, BX, GPS, PH, RAIL, VRSN ...

Analyst upgrades:

Keefe Bruyette upgraded Blackstone Group (BX) to outperform from market perform following the company's Q3 results and maintains an $18.50 price target on shares.
Baird upgraded Astec (ASTE) to outperform from neutral citing relative valuation and upside from new multi-year U.S. highway funding legislation. The firm raised its target to $33 from $27.
Goldman upgraded Abercrombie & Fitch (ANF) to conviction buy from neutral citing "significant" long-term growth drivers that include international growth. The firm raised its target to $45 from $36.
Ariad Pharmaceuticals (ARIA) was upgraded to overweight from neutral at JPMorgan.
Energizer (ENR) was upgraded to overweight from equal weight at Morgan Stanley.
AstraZeneca (AZN) was upgraded to buy from hold at RBS.

Analyst downgrades:

Stephens downgraded FreightCar America (RAIL) to equal weight from overweight to reflect a lack of new car orders and lowered its price target on shares to $20 from $30.
Goldman downgraded Verisign (VRSN) to sell from neutral and cut its target to $22 from $25 citing lofty margin expectations and legal overhang from the antitrust suit.
AstraZeneca (AZN) was downgraded to underweight from neutral at JPMorgan on concerns over earnings growth.
Intrepid Potash (IPI) was downgraded to sector perform from outperform at RBC Capital.
Scripps Networks (SNI) was downgraded to hold from buy at Wunderlich.
Gap (GPS) was downgraded to equal weight from overweight at Barclays.

Analyst initiations:

Parker-Hannifin (PH) and Stone Energy (SGY) were initiated with equal weight ratings at Barclays and a $57 target and $23 target, respectively.
Select Medical (SEM) was initiated with an outperform rating and $13 target at RBC Capital.
Webster Financial (WBS) coverage was resumed with a neutral rating and $13 target at JPMorgan.
Global Payments (GPN) was initiated with a buy rating at BofA/Merrill.
BioSante Pharma (BPAX) was assumed at Rodman & Renshaw with an outperform rating and $4 target.