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• Bear Stearns downgraded Amazon.com Inc (NASDAQ: AMZN) to Underperform from Outperform to reflect the company's margin erosion, lack of near-term earnings leverage and valuation. They note that margins declined for the fourth consecutive quarter year-over-year in Q4.

• Wachovia downgraded Vornado Realty Trust (NYSE: VNO) to Market Perform from Outperform citing the higher bid of $56 for Equity Office Properties Trust (NYSE: EOP), which increases the company's risk profile.

• Citigroup downgraded shares of Apache Corp (NYSE: APA) to Hold from Buy on concerns that the company's poor 2006 reserve replacement cost in the Gulf of Mexico may suggest maturing project inventory.

• JP Morgan downgraded Avid Technology Inc (NASDAQ: AVID) to Underweight from Overweight to reflect the company's weak forecasting and execution after disappointing fourth-quarter results and guidance.

• Matrix USA downgraded J.B. Hunt Transport Services (NASDAQ: JBHT) to Buy from Strong Buy on valuation.

Analyst downgrades 2-02-07: Bear Stearns downgrades Amazon.com originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Fri, 02 Feb 2007 10:58:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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• Citing risks to Albuferon and Lympho-Stat, Morgan Stanley initiated Human Genome Inc (NASDAQ: HGSI) with an Underweight rating and $8 target.

• Bear Stearns started shares of Trump Entertainment Resorts Inc (NASDAQ: TRMP) with a Peer Perform rating as they believe Street estimates are too high, the company lacks development opportunities outside of Atlantic City, and uncertainty stemming from the new Atlantic City smoking ban.

• Lehman Bros started Isis Pharmaceuticals Inc (NASDAQ: ISIS) with an Overweight rating and $20 target.

• Leerink Swann initiated HealthSouth Corp (NYSE: HLS) with an Outperform rating and was added to the Focus List; one of the firm's consultants performed an analysis of the company's in-patient rehab business in order to determine the impact of the 75% rule after it is completely implemented, as well as determining the opportunities from market consolidation. As a result of the analysis, the firm believes that the company is in a good position to successfully navigate the phase-in of the 75% rule.

• Pali Capital initiated China Mobile Ltd (NYSE: CHL) with a Buy rating and $66 target, based on expectations of sustaining total subs growth over 20%.

Analyst initiations 1-29-07: Human Genome carries some risk originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Mon, 29 Jan 2007 11:13:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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• Oppenheimer initiated Armstrong, whom they consider a relatively undiscovered, asbestos-related post-bankruptcy company, with a Buy rating and $55 target. They believe Armstrong could aggressively deliver its already conservative balance sheet and ultimately repurchase shares.

• General Motors Corp (NYSE: GM) was reinstated at Morgan Stanley with an Equal-Weight rating.

• Cowen initiated Level 3 Communications Inc (NASDAQ: LVLT) with an Outperform rating.

Analyst initiations 1-24-07: Morgan Stanley reinstates GM with an Equal-Weight originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Wed, 24 Jan 2007 11:36:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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• Pacific Crest downgraded shares of XM Satellite Radio Holdings (NASDAQ: XMSR) to Sector Perform from Outperform, expecting XM's retail fundamentals to continue to weaken; the firm also believes a merger with Sirius Satellite Radio (NASDAQ: SIRI) would be unlikely.

• Boeing Co (NYSE: BA) was downgraded to Market Perform from Outperform at Wachovia, as the firm believes commercial aircraft order cycle has peaked and Boeing's 787 program could face delays.

• Citigroup downgraded Cablevision Systems (NYSE: CVC) to Sell from Hold, with a $27 target, and doesn't expect the Dolan family to raise their $30 bid or a rival company to make a competing offer. Citigroup expects investors to start focusing on Cablevision's decelerating net subscriber additions and slowing growth.

• Ann Taylor Stores (NYSE: ANN) was downgraded to Underperform from Market Perform with a $28 target at Piper Jaffray with expectations that Ann Taylor could face margin pressure in the first-half of 2008 based on a carry-over of fall and holiday products.

• JMP Securities downgraded Cisco Systems (NASDAQ: CSCO) to Market Perform from Outperform citing closing capacity-related upgrades in enterprise and industry checks.

Analyst downgrades 1-22-07: Lights out at Cablevision originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Mon, 22 Jan 2007 11:09:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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• Goldman Sachs downgraded the Semiconductor Production Equipment sector to Cautious from Neutral, citing expectations for weakness in NAND and DRAM in 2007; the firm also downgraded Advanced Micro Devices (NYSE: AMD), Applied Materials (NASDAQ: AMAT) and Credence Systems (NASDAQ: CMOS) to Sell from Neutral.

• General Motors (NYSE: GM) was downgraded to Sell from Neutral at Bank of America, telling clients it expects market share for the first-half of 2007 to be lower, along with a sharp fourth-quarter decline in new product volume due to overpricing.

• ThinkEquity also downgraded Advanced Micro Devices (NYSE: AMD) to Sell from Buy with a $15 target, as they believe inventory in the channel is building and prices are falling; furthermore, the broker believes Advanced Micro has little opportunity of meeting the high expectations for margins it set on its recent analyst day.

• Amazon.com Inc (NASDAQ: AMZN) was downgraded to Sell from Hold with a $34 target at Citigroup citing valuation that reflects aggressive long-term operating margins.

• Wachovia downgraded shares of Cox Radio 'A' (NYSE: CXR) to Underperform from Market Perform and recommended investors to swap out of Cox and into their top 2007 picks: Lamar Advertising 'A' (NASDAQ: LAMR) or Entravision Communication 'A' (NYSE: EVC).

Analyst downgrades 1-3-07: General Motors, Advanced Micro get cut originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Wed, 03 Jan 2007 11:22:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

• Baird initiated Noven Pharmaceuticals (NASDAQ: NOVN) with an Outperform and $30 target, based on the Daytrana, which Baird believes should be a driver for shares with continued success, milestones and improved profitability.

• Also initiated by Baird, POZEN Inc (NASDAQ: POZN) with an Outperform rating and $26 target; they expect Pozen's Trexima to be approved in mid-2007 and for their marketing partner, GlaxoSmithKline plc ADR (NYSE: GSK), to convert 60% of Imitrix market share to Trexima.

• Thomas Weisel initiated Hansen Medical (NASDAQ: HNSN) with an Overweight rating and $14.50 target; the firm is positive on the Sensai platform, a robotic catheter control system, which allows unprecedented control and enables new procedures to become minimally invasive.

Analyst initiations 12-29-06: Pharmaceuticals Noven & Pozen take top honors originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Fri, 29 Dec 2006 11:12:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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• Cowen and Piper Jaffrey initiated First Solar (NASDAQ: FSLR) with Outperform ratings, First Albany and ThinkEquity started the company with Buy ratings and Morgan Stanley started the company with an Equal Weight rating.

• The Bank of America and Citigroup initiated the NYMEX Holdings (NYSE: NMX); BofA with a Neutral and Citigroup with a Hold rating, based on valuation.

• Prudential initiated coverage on Biogen Idec (NASDAQ: BIIB) with a Neutral rating and a $53 target; the firm has concerns that growth in Avonex and Rituxan have peaked and that competition from other MS drugs will continue to erode Avonex market share.

Analyst initiations 12-27-06: Everyone likes First Solar originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Wed, 27 Dec 2006 09:59:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.