Top Analyst Upgrades & Downgrades (AFL, APOL, T, BAC, CAKE, EMC, ETFC, GD, GM, HGSI, ITT, JNPR, PCS, MU, MSFT, NDAQ, S, WLP)

These are some of this Thursday’s top analyst calls with upgrades, downgrades, and initiations seen from Wall Street research firms.

AFLAC Inc. (NYSE: AFL) Raised to Outperform at FBR.
Apollo Group Inc. (NASDAQ: APOL) Reiterated Buy and raised estimates at Argus.
AT&T, Inc. (NYSE: T) Started as Overweight at JPMorgan.
Bank of America Corporation (NYSE: BAC) Removed from Top Pick Live List at Citigroup.
The Cheesecake Factory Incorporated (NASDAQ: CAKE) Raised to Buy at BofA/ML.
EMC Corp. (NYSE: EMC) Reiterated Neutral with $25 target at BofA/ML.
E*TRADE Financial Corporation (NASDAQ: ETFC) Cut to Neutral at Goldman Sachs.
General Dynamics Corp. (NYSE: GD) Raised to Buy at Citigroup.
General Motors Corporation (NYSE: GM) Started as Buy at Argus.
Human Genome Sciences Inc. (NASDAQ: HGSI) Reiterated Underperform with $24 target at BofA/ML.
ITT Corporation (NYSE: ITT) Reiterated Underperform but raised target to $66 from $58 at BofA/ML.
Juniper Networks, Inc. (NASDAQ: JNPR) Raised to Buy at ThinkEquity.
MetroPCS Communications Inc. (NYSE: PCS) Reiterated Buy and $16 target at Argus.
Micron Technology Inc. (NASDAQ: MU) Raised to Outperform at Baird; Raised to Buy at Stern Agee.
Microsoft Corporation (NASDAQ: MSFT) Reiterated Outperform and $36 target at Credit Suisse.
Nasdaq OMX Group (NASDAQ: NDAQ) Kept at Buy but Removed from Conviction Buy List at Goldman Sachs.
Sprint Nextel Corp. (NYSE: S) Started as Overweight at JPMorgan.
WellPoint. Inc. (NYSE: WLP) Reiterated Outperform and $74 target at Credit Suisse.

You can join our free daily email distribution list to hear more about analyst upgrades and downgrades, top day trader and active trader alerts, dividend trends, news on Buffett and other investment gurus, IPOs, secondary offerings, private equity, and more.

JON C. OGG