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Top Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades: Chevron, Gap, Merck, Microsoft, Zynga and More
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Earnings season is already on the back-nine, and now analysts and investors are adjusting their positions and outlooks now that the stock market has started to pull back. 24/7 Wall St. reviews dozens of Wall Street analyst research reports each morning, looking for new ideas on stocks to buy and stocks to sell. These are this Tuesday’s top analyst upgrades, downgrades and initiations seen from Wall Street research firms.
Allergan Inc. (NYSE: AGN) was raised to Buy from Neutral at Citigroup.
Check Point Software (NASDAQ: CHKP) was started with a Buy rating and an $80 price target at Sterne Agee.
Chevron Corp. (NYSE: CVX) was raised to Strong Buy from Outperform with a $132 price target at Raymond James.
Devon Energy Corp. (NYSE: DVN) was raised to Outperform from Neutral and the price target was raised to $76 from $73 by Credit Suisse.
Gap Inc. (NYSE: GPS) was raised to Buy from Neutral at UBS.
GlycoMimetics Inc. (NASDAQ: GLYC) saw its quiet period end. The biotech outfit was started with a Buy rating at Canaccord Genuity, started as Buy at Stifel Nicolaus and started as Buy at Jefferies.
Google Inc. (NASDAQ: GOOG) was reiterated as Buy and the price target was raised to $1,350 at Argus.
Helmerich & Payne Inc. (NYSE: HP) was downgraded to Underperform from Neutral by Credit Suisse.
LifeLock Inc. (NYSE: LOCK) was started as Buy at Sterne Agee.
Merck & Co. Inc. (NYSE: MRK) was raised to Buy from Neutral at SunTrust Robinson Humphrey.
Microsoft Corp. (NASDAQ: MSFT) was started as Neutral with a $40 price target at Sterne Agee.
Newmont Mining Corp. (NYSE: NEM) was downgraded to Neutral from Overweight by J.P. Morgan.
Oracle Corp. (NYSE: ORCL) was started with a Neutral rating and a $40 price target at Sterne Agee.
Pfizer Inc. (NYSE: PFE) was upgraded to Buy from Hold and the price target was raised to $38 from $33 at Jefferies.
Symantec Corp. (NASDAQ: SYMC) was started as Neutral at Sterne Agee.
WisdomTree Investments (NASDAQ: WETF) was raised to Buy from Neutral at Bank of America Merrill Lynch.
Zynga Inc. (NASDAQ: ZNGA) was raised to Buy from Neutral and its target price was lifted to $4 from $6 at UBS. Keep in mind that this call was a day after Merrill Lynch downgraded Zynga to Underperform.
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