Top 10 Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades: Cisco, Deere, Gap, Linn Energy and More

Investing

Published: August 9, 2013 8:45 am

Last Updated: August 9, 2013 8:46 am

Stocks are back in the public interest, and investors are on the hunt for solid research ideas. 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, well actually 11, of the top analyst upgrades, downgrades and initiations seen from select Wall Street research calls this Friday.

Alcatel-Lucent S.A. (NYSE: ALU) was maintained Neutral but its price target was raised at Goldman Sachs (in euro to 2.25 from 1.60, a 37% higher adjustment, compared to a 1.96 euro local price).

Cisco Systems Inc. (NASDAQ: CSCO) was raised to Neutral from Underweight at J.P. Morgan.

Deere & Co. (NYSE: DE) was downgraded to Sell from an already cautious Neutral rating by UBS; shares are down almost 2%.

Diana Shipping Inc. (NYSE: DSX) was raised to Neutral from Underweight at J.P. Morgan.

Gap Inc. (NYSE: GPS) was downgraded to Neutral from Positive at Susquehanna.

Geron Corp. (NASDAQ: GERN) was upgraded to Overweight from Neutral with a $4 price target (200% upside or so from the $1.28 close) at Piper Jaffray.

Kimco Realty Corp. (NYSE: KIM) was raised to Buy from Neutral at BofA/Merrill Lynch.

Linn Energy LLC (NASDAQ: LINE) was downgraded to Underperform from Perform after earnings at Oppenheimer; shares are down 3% or so.

Medical Properties Trust Inc. (NYSE: MPW) was downgraded to Sector Perform from Outperform at RBC.

Royal Gold Inc. (NASDAQ: RGLD) was raised to Outperform from Sector Perform with a $75 price target at RBC Capital Markets.

Tim Hortons Inc. (NYSE: THI) was raised to Buy from Hold with a $65 price target at Canaccord Genuity, and it was raised to Market Perform from Underperform with a $58 price target at BMO Capital Markets.

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