Below is a list of analyst upgrades, downgrades, and initiations in Wall Street research calls this Thursday morning with roughly half an hour until the market opens.
Analyst Upgrades:
- Solarfun Power (SOLF) upgraded to Outperform at Oppenheimer ; price target set at $10
- Ensco International (ESV) upgraded to Buy at MKM Partners ; price target raised to $56 from $45
- Jefferies raise their price target on Deere & Co. (DE) to $60 from $50
- National Interstate (NATL) upgraded to Neutral at Bank of America/Merrill ; price target set at $19
- Credit Suisse raises its price target on Salix Pharmaceuticals Ltd. (SLXP) to $33 from $27
- Infinity Property and Casualty (IPCC) upgraded to Neutral at Bank of America/Merrill ; price target set at $45
- FBR Capital raise their price target on WW Grainger (GWW) to $123 from $116
- Symmetry Medical (SMA) upgraded to Market Perform at Wells Fargo
- XL Capital (XL) upgraded to Outperform at Bernstein
- Credit Suisse raise their price target on Chico’s FAS (CHS) to $16 from $13
- St. Mary Land & Exploration (SM) upgraded to Buy at KeyBanc Capital Markets ; price target set at $42
- Jefferies raise their price target on Huntsman Corporation (HUN) to $10 from $8
- Wunderlich raises its price target on Directv (DTV) to $37.50 from $30
- GSI Commerce Inc. (GSIC) upgraded to Overweight at Morgan Stanley ; price target set at $26
- Select Comfort (SCSS) upgraded to Strong Buy at Raymond James
- Clarcor Inc. (CLC) upgraded to Buy at BB&T Capital Markets ; price target set at $40
- Mid America Apartment Communities (MAA) upgraded to Outperform at RBC Capital
- Credit Suisse raises its price target on SunTrust Banks (STI) to $23 from $21
- CNA Financial (CNA) upgraded to Buy at Bank of America/Merrill ; price target set at $27
- FBR Capital raise their price target on Advanced Micro Devices (AMD) to $9 from $8
- Endurance Specialty (ENH) upgraded to Buy at Stifel Nicolaus ; price target set at $45
- Selective Insurance (SIGI) upgraded to Buy at Bank of America ; price target maintained at $18
- AvalonBay (AVB) upgraded to Outperform at RBC Capital
- Momenta Pharmaceuticals (MNTA) upgraded to Outperform at Oppenheimer ; price target set at $15
- Myriad Pharmaceuticals (MYRX) upgraded to Neutral at Piper Jaffray
Analyst Downgrades:
- Hot Topic (HOTT) downgraded to Underweight at Piper Jaffray
- Intel Corp. (INTC) downgraded to Neutral from Buy at Bank of America/Merrill
- Auriga U.S.A lowers its price target on Illumina (ILMN) to $39 from $44
- Texas Instruments (TXN) downgraded to Neutral from Buy at Bank of America/Merrill
- Taiwan Semiconductor (TSM) downgraded to Neutral at Bank of America/Merrill
- Camden Property Trust (CPT) downgraded to Sector Perform at RBC Capital
- Marvell Technology (MRVL) downgraded to Neutral at Bank of America/Merrill
- Advanced Semiconductor (ASX) downgraded to Underperform at Bank of America/Merrill
- LSI Corp (LSI) downgraded to Neutral from Buy at Bank of America/Merrill
- Siliconware Precision Industries (SPIL) downgraded to Neutral from Buy at Bank of America/Merrill
- Microchip Technology (MCHP) downgraded to Underperform at Bank of America/Merrill
- Essex Property Trust (ESS) downgraded to Sector Perform at RBC Capital
- Marsh & McLennan (MMC) downgraded to Underperform at Bank of America/Merrill ; price target maintained at $25
- ARM Holdings (ARMH) downgraded to Underperform at Bank of America/Merrill
- Maxim Integrated (MXIM) downgraded to Underperform at Bank of America/Merrill
- National Semiconductor (NSM) downgraded to Underperform at Bank of America/Merrill
- Power Integrations (POWI) downgraded to Underperform at Bank of America/Merrill
- ASML Holding (ASML) downgraded to Neutral from Buy at Bank of America/Merrill
- Aon Corporation (AOC) downgraded to Neutral from Buy at Bank of America/Merrill ; price target set at $45
Coverage Initiated:
- DragonWave (DRWI) initiated with a Buy at Morgan Joseph ; price target set at $12
- Centerstate Banks of Florida (CSFL) initiated with a Buy and a $12 price target at Wunderlich
- AMB Property (AMB) initiated with a Market Perform at JMP Securities
- Omnicare (OCR) initiated with a Neutral and a $24 price target at UBS
- SXC Health Solutions (SXCI) initiated with a Neutral and a $56 price target at UBS
- Newport (NEWP) initiated with a Buy at B. Riley
- Express Scripts (ESRX) initiated with a Hold at Stifel Nicolaus
- Boston Properties (BXP) initiated with a Market perform at JMP Securities
- Medco Health Solutions (MHS) initiated with a Buy ; price target set at $70 at UBS
- Verisk Analytics (VRSK) initiated with an Outperform at William Blair
- PharMerica Corporation (PMC) resumed with a Neutral and a $16 price target at UBS
- Express Scripts (ESRX) initiated with a Buy ; price target set at $96 at UBS
- IPG Photonics (IPGP) initiated with a Neutral a B. Riley
- Medco Health Solutions (MHS) initiated with a Hold at Sifel
- CVS Caremark (CVS) initiated with a Buy ; price target set at $34 at UBS
- Brandywine Realty (BDN) initiated with a Market Perform at JMP Securities ; price target set at $11.50
- Coherent (COHR) initiated with a Neutral at B. Riley
- DCT Industrial Trust (DCT) initiated with a market Perform at JMP Securities
- McKesson (MCK) initiated with a Buy ; price target set at $82 at UBS
- AmerisourceBergen (ABC) initiated with a Buy and a price target of $29 at UBS
- Douglas Emmett (DEI) initiated with a Market Outperform at JMP Securities ; price target set at $15
- Cardinal Health (CAH) initiated with a Buy and a price target of $40 at UBS
- EastGroup (EGP) initiated with a Market Underperform at JMP Securities ; price target set at $33
- Kilroy Realty (KRC) initiated with a Market Underperform at JMP Securities ; price target set at $25
On the news front this morning:
- According to Bloomberg, AOL, the Internet company being spun off from Time Warner Inc. (TWX), plans to cut one-third of its workforce over the next several months.
- Reuters reports Vivendi could exit from U.S. media group NBCU Universal as it has no intention to be part of the future joint venture being discussed by Comcast (CMCSA) and General Electric (GE), its chief financial officer said on Thursday.
- Reuters reports Sears Holdings Corp. (SHLD) posted a narrower-than-expected quarterly loss on Thursday. The co. registered 3rd quarter net loss of $127 million, or $1.09 a share, from $146 million, or $1.16 a share, a year earlier. The company’s adjusted loss per share was $1.04, as computed by Thomson Reuters I/B/E/S, compared with the average analyst loss estimate of $1.09. Its quarterly sales fell 4.7 percent to $10.2 billion.
