Top 10 Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades: Caterpillar, Facebook, Ford, Sequenom and More

Photo of Jon C. Ogg
By Jon C. Ogg Updated Published
This post may contain links from our sponsors and affiliates, and Flywheel Publishing may receive compensation for actions taken through them.

Investors and traders are usually on the lookout for new research ideas that will generate higher income or more profits. 24/7 Wall St. reviews many analyst research calls from Wall Street and from boutique firms to find great ideas in value stocks, growth stocks and dividend stocks. Some are stocks to buy, while some ideas are even stocks to sell. These are 10 of the top analyst upgrades, downgrades and initiations seen from select Wall Street research calls this Thursday.

Avago Technologies Ltd. (NASDAQ: AVGO) was downgraded to Neutral from Buy at Citigroup.

Bed Bath & Beyond Inc. (NASDAQ: BBBY) was raised to Outperform from Perform by Oppenheimer.

Caterpillar Inc. (NYSE: CAT) was downgraded to Market Perform from Outperform at BMO Capital Markets.

Crocs Inc. (NASDAQ: CROX) was downgraded to Neutral from Buy at Goldman Sachs.

Facebook Inc. (NASDAQ: FB) was upgraded at several firms after the social media giant blew out earnings. Estimates have been raised at numerous firms and outright upgrades were seen from JMP Securities, BTIG (boutique) and Evercore. Facebook shares are up 26% at $33.50 in active trading.

Fifth Third Bancorp (NASDAQ: FITB) was downgraded to Market Perform from Outperform at Wells Fargo.

Ford Motor Co. (NYSE: F) was downgraded to Sector Perform from Outperform at RBC Capital Markets.

Northrup Grumman Corp. (NYSE: NOC) was raised to Neutral from Underperform at BofA/Merrill Lynch.

Sequenom Inc. (NASDAQ: SQNM) is down more than 30% after a ghastly warning over collections and reimbursements. Lazard downgraded it to Neutral and William Blair downgraded it to Market Perform.

WellPoint Inc. (NYSE: WLP) was downgraded to Neutral from Buy at Citigroup.

We have two issues happening at the major money center banks. First is that they are now almost all at premiums to book value, and the other issue is that Deutsche Bank just raised its targets on all of them.

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.

Featured Reads

Our top personal finance-related articles today. Your wallet will thank you later.

Continue Reading

Top Gaining Stocks

CBOE Vol: 1,568,143
PSKY Vol: 12,285,993
STX Vol: 7,378,346
ORCL Vol: 26,317,675
DDOG Vol: 6,247,779

Top Losing Stocks

LKQ
LKQ Vol: 4,367,433
CLX Vol: 13,260,523
SYK Vol: 4,519,455
MHK Vol: 1,859,865
AMGN Vol: 3,818,618