• KeyBanc upgraded Greenbrier (NYSE: GBX) to Buy from Hold as it believes the company has options to forestall covenant violations or bankruptcy, event if conditions deteriorate further.
  
• Friedman Billings upgraded Whole Foods (NASDAQ: WFMI) to Market Perform from Underperform citing low expectations, favorable FTC settlement, progress on cost cutting, and valuation.
  
• JP Morgan believes First Merit (NASDAQ: FMER) is one of the best positioned Midwest banks to weather the storm and notes its compelling valuation and capital levels. The firm upgraded shares to Overweight from Neutral.
• Coca-Cola Enterprises (NYSE: CCE) was raised to Buy from Neutral at Goldman.
  
• Newell Rubbermaid (NYSE: NWL) was upgraded to Buy from Neutral at Banc of America/Merrill.
  
• Compass Minerals (NYSE: CMP) was lifted to Outperform from Perform at Oppenheimer.

Continue reading Analyst upgrades, downgrades and initiations: WFMI, CCE, S, XOM, JPM ...

Analyst upgrades, downgrades and initiations: WFMI, CCE, S, XOM, JPM ... originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Mon, 16 Mar 2009 12:05:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

MOST NOTEWORTHY: Concur Tech, Groupe Danone and General Motors were today's noteworthy downgrades:

• Piper downgraded shares of Concur Tech (NASDAQ: CNQR) to Neutral from Buy after transferring analyst coverage, as they believe potential upside to estimates is priced into shares while competitive concerns from American Express (NYSE: AXP) are not.
  
• Morgan Stanley downgraded shares of Groupe Danone (OTC: GDNNY) to Equal Weight from Overweight to reflect reduced visibility in the company's core business.
  
• Merrill downgraded General Motors (NYSE: GM) to Underperform from Buy citing the company's deteriorating US auto sales, resulting in a higher cash burn, which could result in a larger than expected capital raise. The firm believes GM capital raise could be in the range of $15 billion and notes that bankruptcy is "not impossible."

OTHER DOWNGRADES:

• Progenics Pharma (NASDAQ: PGNX) was lowered to Underperform from Market Perform at Friedman Billings.
  
• UAL Corp. (NASDAQ: UAUA) was cut to Neutral from Buy at Goldman.
  
• Lehman downgraded Apria Healthcare (NYSE: AHG) to Underweight from Equal Weight at Lincare Holdings (NASDAQ: LNCR) to Equal Weight from Overweight.

Analyst downgrades: Concur Tech, Groupe Danone, General Motors originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Wed, 02 Jul 2008 11:43:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Continue reading Closing Bell: Scary undertones and major news mask a mixed day

Closing Bell: Scary undertones and major news mask a mixed day originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Fri, 25 Apr 2008 16:45:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

MOST NOTEWORTHY:

• Cowen upgraded Northrop Grumman (NYSE: NOC) to Outperform from Neutral following the Q1 report based on accelerating growth. Shares were also upgraded at JP Morgan to Overweight from Neutral.
  
• Friedman Billings upgraded Phase Forward (NASDAQ: PFWD) to Outperform from Market Perform following the solid Q1 report and views guidance as beatable.
  
• CIBC raised Celestica (NYSE: CLS) to Sector Outperformer from Sector Performer following Q1 results, citing end markets that look stable.

• JP Morgan upgraded the Consumer Discretionary Sector to Overweight from Underweight.
  
• Wendy's (NYSE: WEN) was raised to Neutral from Sell at Goldman.
  
• Progenics Pharmaceuticals (NASDAQ: PGNX) was upgraded at Citigroup to Hold from Sell.
  
• Merrill Lynch raised Wal-Mart (NYSE: WMT) to Buy from Neutral.

Analyst upgrades: NOC, PFWD and CLS originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Fri, 25 Apr 2008 11:11:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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• See the new 52-week low club
  

Closing Bell: Two days of gains? Sorry, that is asking for too much ... originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Wed, 12 Mar 2008 17:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

MOST NOTEWORTHY:

• Keefe Bruyette initiated coverage on Exchange Sector: The firm started shares of CME Group Inc (NYSE: CME), NYMEX Holdings Inc (NYSE: NMX) and NYSE Euronext Inc (NYSE: NYX) with Outperform ratings and a $669 target, $147 target and $90 target, respectively. The firm also started shares of Investment Technology Group (NYSE: ITG), Nasdaq Stock Market Inc (NASDAQ: NDAQ) and IntercontinentalExchange Inc (NYSE: ICE) with Underperform ratings and a $47 target, $36 target and $158 target, respectively, and shares of Knight Capital Group (NASDAQ: NITE) with an Underperform rating and $13 target.
  
• Progenics Pharmaceuticals (NASDAQ: PGNX) was added to Friedman Billings' Top Picks list and its Outperform rating was maintained. The firm has a high degree of confidence in the success of the MNTX Ph III studies in post-operative ilieus, as well as the FDA approval of the subcutaneous injection in terminally ill patients with opiod-induced constipation around the 1/31/07 PDUFA date.
• RBC believes margin expansion will drive long-term appreciation in Tyco Electronics Ltd (NYSE: TEL) and started shares with an Outperform rating and $41 target.
• PharMerica Corporation (NYSE: PMC) was initiated with an Underperform rating at Bear Stearns. The firm believes PMC will be pressured by customer losses and generic reimbursement cuts and sees shares trading in $12-$13 range.

• Ryanair Holdings (NASDAQ: RYAAY) was initiated with a Market Outperform rating at Avondale.u
• Banc of America initiated shares of Town Sports International (NASDAQ: CLUB) with a Sell rating and $15 target.
  
• Goldman started shares of Genesis Lease Ltd (NYSE: GLS) and Aircastle Ltd (NYSE: AYR) with Neutral ratings.

Analyst initiations 9-7-07: Exchange sector, PGNX, TEL and PMC originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Fri, 07 Sep 2007 11:10:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

MOST NOTEWORTHY: Sapient (SAPE) tops today's minute list of initiations.

• Rochdale considered 2007 consensus estimates on Sapient Corp. (NASDAQ:SAPE) to be too low and considers the company to be an attractive acquisition target. The firm initiated Sapient with a Buy rating and $7 target.

OTHER INITIATIONS:

• Citigroup initiated two Biotech stocks: Adolor Corp. (NASDAQ:ADLR) and Progenics Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (NASDAQ:PGNX) with Buy ratings, and noted both companies are developing two novel drugs in the attractive constipation market.

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

Analyst initiations 11-3-06: Sapient initiated with Buy originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Fri, 03 Nov 2006 11:34:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.