• Merriman upgraded shares of Google (NASDAQ: GOOG) to Buy from Neutral after its channel checks indicated a modest increase in ad spend per client in March. The upgrade is based on early indications that search pricing and ad spend are stabilizing, search volume continuing to grow at a double-digit rate, and Merriman's belief that consensus estimates are now at reasonable levels.
  
• Deutsche Bank upgraded shares of Alcoa (NYSE: AA) to Hold from Sell and raised its price target to $8 from $7.30 following the company's asset sales in March as it believes the financial overhang on the stock has been removed.
  
• Suntrust said Providence Service (NASDAQ: PRSC) has returned to profitability through demand stabilization for social services and cost controls. Shares were upgraded to Buy from Neutral.
• Telmex (NYSE: TMX) was upgraded to Neutral from Undeperform at Credit Suisse.
  
• Deutsche Telekom (NYSE: DT) was raised to Market Perform from Underperform at Bernstein.
  
• Autodesk (NASDAQ: ADSK) was lifted to Neutral from Sell at UBS.

Continue reading Analyst upgrades, downgrades and initiations: GOOG, AA, FCX, SJM, TWC ...

Analyst upgrades, downgrades and initiations: GOOG, AA, FCX, SJM, TWC ... originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Tue, 31 Mar 2009 11:10:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

MOST NOTEWORTHY:

• Citigroup downgraded shares of International Rectifier (NYSE: IRF) to Sell from Hold after checks in Asia indicated LCD TV display weakness outside Sony/Samsung and signs of slowing China consumer demand.
  
• Morgan Stanley downgraded shares of Wolseley (OTC: WOSLY) to Underweight from Equal Weight to reflect a more negative outlook for the company's Nordic business and U.S. housing starts.
  
• Banc of America cut ProLogis (NYSE: PLD) to Neutral from Buy on long-term growth concerns given the economic slowdown.

• Polypore International (NYSE: PPO) was lowered to Neutral from Overweight at JP Morgan.
  
• Symantec (NASDAQ: SYMC) was downgraded to Market Perform from outperform at Friedman Billings.
  
• Frontier Financial (NASDAQ: FTBK) was downgraded to Underperform from Market Perform at Keefe Bruyette.

Analyst downgrades: IRF, WOSLY and PLD originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Fri, 20 Jun 2008 11:20:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.