Analyst upgrades:

• UBS upgraded Apple (NASDAQ: AAPL) to Buy from Neutral and raised its target to $265 from $170, citing higher iPhone expectations, new partnerships, and likely upward revisions to Street estimates driven by gross margins.
• Wells Fargo upgraded Comcast (NASDAQ: CMCSA) to Outperform from Market Perform. The firm views a possible deal between end General Electric's (NYSE: GE) NBC Universal positively, as it thinks NBC will provide higher-margin growth for Comcast.
• Janney Montgomery upgraded Michael Baker (AMEX: BKR) to Buy from Neutral after the company completed the sale of its Energy business. The firm raised its target on shares to $46 from $40.
• Jefferies assumed coverage of Endo Pharma (NASDAQ: ENDP) and upgraded the stock to Buy from Hold. The firm cites valuation, a strong base business, and solid cash flow for the upgrade, and has a $30 target price on shares.
• Marten Transport (NASDAQ: MRTN) was upgraded to Overweight from Equal Weight at Stephens.
• U.S. Bancorp (NYSE: USB) was upgraded to Outperform from Market Perform at Keefe Bruyette.

Continue reading Analyst upgrades, downgrades and initiations: AAPL, BAC, C, CMCSA, NOK, USB ...

Analyst upgrades, downgrades and initiations: AAPL, BAC, C, CMCSA, NOK, USB ... originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Fri, 02 Oct 2009 10:50:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

• Sysco Corporation (NYSE: SYY) to report Q4 earnings; conference call at 9:45am.
• PDUFA date for Indevus Pharmaceuticals Inc's (NASDAQ: IDEV) Sanctura XR, an overactive bladder drug.

• The Home Depot Inc (NYSE: HD) to report Q2 earnings; conference call at 9am. Home Depot is expected to post substantial Q2 revenue/EPS declines, but equally important will be the company's comments: with the housing sector expected to remain sluggish through at least late 2007, analysts will evaluate whether HD can overcome that headwind with a new focus on customer service, demographic trends that suggest increased home repair/remodeling, and 20-year high homeownership rates that suggest steady house goods demand.
• District Court California: Broadcom Corporation (NASDAQ: BRCM) to request an injunction related to Qualcom Incorporated's (Nasdaq: QCOM) infringement of 3 Broadcom cellular baseband patents.

• Macy's Inc (NYSE: M) to report Q2 earnings; conference call at 10:30am.
• PDUFA date for GPC Biotech's (NASDAQ: GPCB) Satraplatin for treatment of hormone refractory prostate cancer.

• JC Penney Co Inc (NYSE: JCP) to report Q2 earnings; conference call at 9:30am.
• Hewlett Packard Company (NYSE: HPQ) to report Q3 earnings; conference call at 5pm. Analysts will evaluate HPQ's ability to maintain momentum in its innovative imaging/printing group, which is expected to help HPQ post solid Q3 revenue gains.

• Quantum Corporation (NYSE: QTM) to hold annual shareholder meeting at 12pm.
• PDUFA Date for Endo Pharmaceuticals Holdings Inc's (NASDAQ: ENDP) and Vernalis PLC's (OTC: VNLSY) Frova, for menstrually-related migraine headaches.

Market highlights for next week: Home Depot (HD), Macy's (M) to report originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Fri, 10 Aug 2007 16:15:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

MOST NOTEWORTHY: Video Game-makers and Apple (APPL) top today's list of initiations:

• Oppenheimer initiated THQ Inc. (NASDAQ:THQI) and Activision Inc. (NASDAQ:ATVI) with Buy ratings and Electronics Arts Inc. (NASDAQ:ERTS) with a Neutral rating and $60 target.
• Caris initiated Apple Computer Inc. (NASDAQ:AAPL) with an Above Average rating and $100 target; the firm considers Apple "a winner" in the consumer electronics space and sees two key catalysts for 2007: the iPhone and a wider-screen video iPod.

OTHER INITIATIONS:

• American Tech initiated Endo Pharmaceuticals Holdings Inc. (NASDAQ:ENDP) with a Buy, and believes that Endo is positioned to benefit from both market share gains and overall market growth.
• RBC capital Markets initiated Restoration Hardware Inc. (NASDAQ:RSTO) with an Outperform rating and $12 target, saying that Restoration has reinvented its core brand and has multiple revenue growth opportunities.
• Jefferies believes Lamar Advertising Co. (NASDAQ:LAMR) digital transformation is driving higher revenues and expanding margins and initiated it with a Buy rating and $73 target.

Analyst summaries provided by TheFlyOnTheWall.com (subscription required).

Analyst initiations 12-7-06: Apple initiated with Above Average originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Thu, 07 Dec 2006 11:02:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.