• Banc of America/Merrill upgraded DPL Inc (NYSE: DPL) to Neutral from Underperform following the settlement agreement with staff of the Public Utilities Commission of Ohio on Electric Security Plan.
  
• Friedman Billings upgraded SeaBright Insurance (NYSE: SBX) to Outperform from Market Perform on valuation as they believe shares are oversold at current levels. Despite upgrading, the firm lowered its target price to $14 from $16.
  
• JP Morgan upgraded AT&T (T) to Overweight from Neutral as it believes upside earnings revisions are likely in 2009 due to the company's conservative wireline margin outlook. The firm finds the stock's valuation attractive at current levels and raised their target on shares to $28 from $24.
• Chubb (NYSE: CB) was upgraded to buy from Neutral at UBS.
  
• Cascal B.V. (NYSE: HOO) was raised to Outperform from Neutral at Credit Suisse.
  
• Healthcare Realty Trust (NYSE: HR) was upgraded at Keefe Bruyette to Outperform from Market Perform.

Continue reading Analyst upgrades, downgrades and initiations: T, FSLR, CEPH, CB ...

Analyst upgrades, downgrades and initiations: T, FSLR, CEPH, CB ... originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Wed, 25 Feb 2009 10:45:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Analyst upgrades:

• Cowen upgraded Aaron Rents (NYSE: RNT) to Outperform from Neutral and believes the company's business model is gaining momentum despite the difficult environment. The firm views valuation as attractive.
  
• Citigroup upgraded shares of MedCath (NASDAQ: MDTH) to Hold from Sell on valuation following the recent sell-off. The company's target was lowered to $9 from $19.
  
• Stanford upgraded AeroVironment (NASDAQ: AVAV) to Buy from Hold based on valuation and because they believe its visibility over the next year has improved.
• Chiquita Brands (NYSE: CQB) was lifted to Buy from Hold at BB&T.
  
• Chico's FAS (NYSE: CHS) was upgraded to Neutral from Sell at UBS.
  
• FCStone (NASDAQ: FCSX) was raised to Strong Buy from Outperform at Raymond James.

• RBC Capital downgraded Clearwire (NASDAQ: CLWR) to Sector Perform from Outperform based on reduced valuation parameters and lack of catalysts. The company's target was lowered to $9 from $15.
• Kellogg (NYSE: K) and Coca-Cola (NYSE: KO) were cut to Neutral from Buy at UBS.
  
• Evergreen Solar (NASDAQ: ESLR) was downgraded at JP Morgan to Underweight from Neutral.
• Deutsche Telekom (NYSE: DT) was downgraded to Neutral from Buy at Goldman and to Hold from Buy at Deutsche Bank.

Continue reading Analyst calls: CHS, CQB, CLWR, KO, K, ESLR, DT, FSLR, NBR

Analyst calls: CHS, CQB, CLWR, KO, K, ESLR, DT, FSLR, NBR originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Tue, 18 Nov 2008 11:11:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

We don't have any official results from the presidential and congressional elections as of yet, but traders decided to keep buying stocks today despite concerns of what an Obama administration would do to equity investors. Regardless of the bad economic data, it looks and feels as though you can make actual analysis beyond the next 30-minute period again. Even a $6.00+ rally in oil prices after the Saudis cut production did not stop stocks from rallying. Here are today's unofficial closing bell levels:
DJIA: 8,625.28 (+3.28)
NASDAQ: 1,780.12 (+3.12%)
S&P 500: 1,005.73 (+4.08%)

Top Analyst Upgrades
Top Analyst Downgrades

Archer-Daniels-Midland Co. (NYSE: ADM) surged after the agricultural giant blew past earnings estimates and it is being rewarded after losing so much ground this year. Shares were up 14% at $24.13 right before the close.

CIT Group Inc. (NYSE: CIT) saw its shares surge as one of the top percentage gainers today after the company announced that it has completed a $500 million financing facility from Wells Fargo. In the final minutes of trading, shares were up over 32% at $6.00 on three-times normal volume.

Continue reading Closing Bell: Market rallies on Election Day; ADM, CIT, MA, VLO up, FCSX down

Closing Bell: Market rallies on Election Day; ADM, CIT, MA, VLO up, FCSX down originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Tue, 04 Nov 2008 16:20:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

One of the characteristics of this decade's bull market has been the emergence, use, and growth of derivatives, options and futures products, both for hedging and for pure investing purposes, and a company in this segment worth a review is FC Stone.

FCStone Group, Inc. (Nasdaq: FCSX) provides risk management consulting and transaction execution services to commercial commodity intermediaries, end-users and producers. An FCSX unit also offers grain merchandising services for grain buyers/sellers in the U.S. and overseas; the company also ships about 100 million bushels of grain per year.

Continue reading FC Stone enjoys weighing the risks of a given situation

FC Stone enjoys weighing the risks of a given situation originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Tue, 15 Jan 2008 19:34:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

MOST NOTEWORTHY:

• RBC Capital initiated Sunstone Hotel Investors (NYSE: SHO) with an Outperform rating.

• ThinkEquity started Under Armor Inc (NYSE: UA)and Crocs Inc (NASDAQ: CROX) with Accumulate ratings. The firm believes both companies can continue to grow market share, expand its product line and distribution and earn high ROIC.

• Stifel started Susquehanna Bancshares, Inc (NASDAQ: SUSQ) with a Sell rating...

• Barrington started Continuecare Corp (NYSE: CNU) with an Outperform rating.

• Raymond James initiated JA Solar Holdings Co, Ltd (NASDAQ: JASO) with an Outperform rating.

• Thomas Wiesel started Inovio Biomedical Corp (NYSE: INO) with an Overweight rating and $8.

• Both BMO Capital and William Blair started FCStone Group, Inc (NASDAQ: FCSX) with a Market Perform rating; Banc of America started FCStone with a Neutral rating.

Analyst initiations 4-25-07: CROX, SUSQ and UA initiated today originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Wed, 25 Apr 2007 12:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.