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

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By Jon C. Ogg Updated Published
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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.

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JON C. OGG

Photo of Jon C. Ogg
About the Author Jon C. Ogg →

Jon Ogg has been a financial news analyst since 1997. Mr. Ogg set up one of the first audio squawk box services for traders called TTN, which he sold in 2003. He has previously worked as a licensed broker to some of the top U.S. and E.U. financial institutions, managed capital, and has raised private capital at the seed and venture stage. He has lived in Copenhagen, Denmark, as well as New York and Chicago, and he now lives in Houston, Texas. Jon received a Bachelor of Business Administration in finance at University of Houston in 1992. a673b.bigscoots-temp.com.

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