MOST NOTEWORTHY:

• Wachovia upgraded shares of J.B. Hunt Transport (NASDAQ: JBHT) to Outperform from Market Perform citing strength in the company's Intermodal franchise.

• Matrix USA upgraded Gold Fields (NYSE: GFI) to Buy from Sell, citing the strong demand for gold jewelry from affluent customers in developing markets and investors.

• AG Edwards upgraded Anheuser-Busch (NYSE: BUD) to Buy from Hold based on valuation and improving fundamentals.

• CBS Corp (NYSE: CBS) was upgraded to Buy from Neutral at SMH Capital based on expectations for CBS to continue to increase its annual dividend 10% a year.

• Jefferies is more confident in Amerigroup's (NYSE: AGP) ability to see further medical cost improvements in its GA market and it its TN expansion, upgrading shares to Buy from Hold...

• Goldman upgraded Micron Tech (NYSE: MU) and Novellus Systems (NVLS) to Neutral from Sell.

• CIBC raised Darden Restaurants (NYSE: DRI) to Sector Outperformer from Sector Performer.

• BMO Capital upgraded National City (NYSE: NCC) to Market Perform from Underperform.

• Needham raised OmniVision Tech (NASDAQ: OVTI) to Buy from Hold.

Analyst upgrades: BUD, CBS, DRI and JBHT originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Mon, 20 Aug 2007 10:18:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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• Goldman upgraded shares of Toyota Motor Corp (NYSE: TM) to Buy from Neutral to reflect expectations for greater operating profits and margin expansion in 2007.

• Keybanc upgraded shares of J.B. Hunt Transport (NASDAQ: JBHT) to Buy from Hold based on increased conviction in JBHT's ability to increase intermodal volumes, easier 2H and 2008 comps, buybacks and valuation.

• Jefferies upgraded SourceFire Inc (NASDAQ: FIRE) to Buy from Hold after their checks indicated better Federal IT spending and solid sales activity.

• Kohl's Corp (NYSE: KSS) was raised to Outperform from Neutral at Baird on valuation.

• Millennium Pharmaceuticals (NASDAQ: MLNM) was upgraded to Market Perform from Underperform at Friedman Billings, citing recent monthly Velcade prescription trends for the move higher...

• Credit Suisse upgraded Arch Capital Group (NASDAQ: ACGL) to Buy from Neutral.

• Bear Stearns raised Parexel International Corp (NASDAQ: PRXL) to Peer Perform from Underperform.

• Morgan Joseph upgraded West Marine (NASDAQ: WMAR) to Buy from Hold.

• Morgan Keegan raised Cost Plus Inc (NASDAQ: CPWM) to Market Perform from Underperform.

Analyst upgrades 6-27-07: FIRE, JBHT, KSS and TM originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Wed, 27 Jun 2007 10:35:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

MOST NOTEWORTHY:

• Wachovia downgraded shares of J.B. Hunt Transport Services (NASDAQ: JBHT) to Market Perform from Outperform citing a more tempered outlook for the U.S. Intermodal market.

• QLogic Corp's (NASDAQ: QLGC) downgrade to Market Perform from Outperform at Friedman Billings was based on weaker then planned HBA and switch revenue and low gross margins on new Infiniband products that spiked up in the mix.

• Buckingham cut General Motors (NYSE: GM) to Underperform from Neutral.

• Oppenheimer downgraded Big 5 Sporting Goods (NASDAQ: BGFV) to Neutral from Buy believing current trends suggest a lagging west coast customer.

• RBC Capital Markets cut Biogen Idec Inc (NASDAQ: BIIB) to Sector Perform from Outperform citing mixed feedback at AAN that indicates longer-term safety data will be needed to drive adoption of Tysabri and lingering long-term concerns over Rituxan royalties and profit share.

• Goldman downgraded Steelcase Inc (NYSE: SCS) to sell from Neutral.

• MeadWestvaco Corp (NYSE: MWV) was downgraded to Underweight from Neutral at Prudential.

• Jefferies cut Ista Pharmaceuticals, Inc (NASDAQ: ISTA) to Underperform from Hold.

• Lazard downgraded Talbots, Inc (NYSE: TLB) to Hold from Buy.

Analyst downgrades 5-04-07: BIIB, GM, JBHT and TLB originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Fri, 04 May 2007 11:04:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

MOST NOTEWORTHY:

• Baird upgraded J.B. Hunt Transport Services Inc (NASDAQ: JBHT) to Outperform from Market Perform based on strong trends in Intermodel, valuation, and a $500M share buyback.

• Pacific Growth upgraded shares of Nvidia Corp (NASDAQ: NVDA) to Buy from Neutral citing valuation.

• Buckingham upgraded International Flavors (NYSE: IFF) to Accumulate from Neutral following the company's Q1 report.

• RealNetworks Inc (NASDAQ: RNWK) was raised to Buy from Accumulate at ThinkEquity after its Q1 report.

• Susquehanna upgraded Marchex Inc (NASDAQ: MCHX) to Positive from Neutral. Susquehanna has increased confidence that Marchex will be able to increase monetization via Yahoo!'s (YHOO) Panama upgrade, improving 2008 TAC rates and increased value of owned sites following a major upgrade for 2H07.
  

• Jefferies raised Symantec Corp (NASDAQ: SYMC) shares to Buy from Hold with a $21 target.

• JP Morgan upgraded Comverse Technology Inc (NASDAQ: CMVT).

• Raytheon Co (NYSE: RTN) was upgraded to Overweight from Equal Weight at Lehman Brothers.

• SPX Corp (NYSE: SPW) was raised to Neutral from Underperform at Needham.

• Wachovia upgraded IntercontinentalExchange, Inc (NYSE: ICE) to Outperform from Market Perform.

Analyst upgrades 5-03-07: CMVT, IFF, JBHT, RTN and SYMC originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Thu, 03 May 2007 11:38:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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• CIBC is positive on the pharmacy benefit managers group given increasing generic utilization, continued growth in specialty pharmacy, improving mail-order penetration and share repurchases. CIBC initiated Express Scripts, Inc (NASDAQ: ESRX) with a Sector Outperformer and $104 target as the firm expects continued strong performance as the company benefits from positive secular industry trends, and initiated Medco Health Solutions (NYSE: MHS) with a Sector Performer and $82 target on valuation.
• BMO capital started E*Trade Financial Corp (NASDAQ: ETFC) and TD Ameritrade Holdings Corp (NASDAQ: AMTD) with Outperform ratings.
• Cathay Financial started J.B. Hunt Transport (NASDAQ: JBHT) and Knight Transportation (NYSE: KNX) with Neutral ratings.

• BMO started Charles Schwab Corp (NASDAQ: SCHW) with a Market Perform rating
• Citigroup started NYSE Euronext (NYSE: NYX) with a Buy rating and $113 target.
• AG Edwards initiated shares of La Jolla Pharmaceutical Co (NASDAQ: LJPC) with a Buy rating and $11 price objective.

Analyst initiations 4-10-07: ESRX, JBHT and NYX were initiated today originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Tue, 10 Apr 2007 11:31:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

MOST NOTEWORTHY:

• 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.