Top 10 Pre-Market Analyst Calls (AEM, NILE, BP, GLDN, PCZ, MXIM, NMX, OXY, QELP, BRCD, WDC, STX, ELX, RVBD)

These are not the only analyst and research notes out there affecting stocks the morning, but below are the top research calls that 24/7 Wall St. is focusing on in pre-market trading this Wednesday:

• Agnico-Eagle Mines (AEM) raised to Buy at Merrill Lynch.
• Blue Nile (NILE) raised to Buy from Hold at Citigroup.
• BP plc (BP) downgraded to Neutral from Overweight at J.P.Morgan.
• Golden Telecom (GLDN) downgraded to Neutral from Overweight at J.P.Morgan.
• Maxim Integrated (MXIM) raised to Buy from Hold at Citigroup.
• NYMEX Holdings (NMX) raised to Buy from Hold at Deutsche Bank.
• Occidental Petroleum (OXY) raised to Overweight at Morgan Stanley.
• Quest Energy Partners (QELP) off quiet period: started in coverage as Outperform at FBR, as Outperform at RBC Capital Markets and as Outperform at Wachovia.
• Petro-Canada (PCZ) downgraded to Underweight at Morgan Stanley.
• BANC OF AMERICA neutral on many tech names: Brocade (BRCD), Seagate (STX) & Western Digital (WDC) both started as Neutral.  Riverbed Tech (RVBD) started as Neutral. Emulex (ELX) started as BUY.

Jon C. Ogg
December 19, 2007

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