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Top Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades: AMD, AmEx, Dish, Exelon, GNC, Medtronic, Micron and More

It is Monday, and stocks are indicated lower again ahead of the open. Investors keep hearing that the market has moved on from a raging bull market to a stock picker’s market. 24/7 Wall St. reviews dozens of analyst research reports each morning of the week, hunting for new ideas for our readers. Some of these Wall Street research reports cover stocks to buy, and some of them cover stocks to sell or to avoid.

These are this Monday’s top Wall Street analyst upgrades, downgrades and initiations.

Advanced Micro Devices Inc. (NYSE: AMD) was maintained as a Hold rating at Argus, but the firm thinks that its reorganization of units is more proactive and the firm is looking at markets for a future ratings upgrade.

AK Steel Holding Corp. (NYSE: AKS) was raised to Buy from Neutral at Bank of America Merrill Lynch, which raised the price target to $10 from (versus a $6.42 close) based on a better electrical steel market and 2015 cash flows.

American Express Co. (NYSE: AXP) was started as Sector Perform by Pacific Crest.

CenterPoint Energy Inc. (NYSE: CNP) was raised to Outperform from Market Perform at BMO Capital Markets.

Coca-Cola Enterprises Inc (NYSE: CCE) was maintained as a Buy with a $50 target (versus a $44.58 close) at Goldman Sachs, but it was removed from the firm’s prized Conviction Buy List.

ALSO READ: 12 Analyst Stocks Under $10 With Huge Implied Upside

Dish Network (NASDAQ: DISH) was raised to Overweight from Neutral and the price target was raised to $72 from $61 (versus a $58.96 close) at J.P. Morgan.

Digital Realty Trust Inc. (NYSE: DLR) was raised to Buy from Hold and the price target was raised to $68 from $55 (versus a $56.66 close) at Jefferies.

Envision Healthcare Holdings Inc. (NYSE: EVHC) was raised from Neutral all the way up to the Conviction Buy List at Goldman Sachs, and the price target was raised to $43 from $36 (versus a $35.95 close).

Exelon Corp. (NYSE: EXC) was started with an Outperform rating and a $42 price target, and it was added to the US Focus List, at Credit Suisse due to its offering advantaged leverage to the ongoing power market recovery.

GNC Holdings Inc. (NYSE: GNC) was downgraded to Neutral from Outperform with a $39 price target (versus a $34.96 close) by RW Baird.

ALSO READ: MannKind Viewed Favorably Ahead of FDA Decision on Inhalable Insulin

Medtronic Inc. (NYSE: MDT) is paying some $42.9 billion for Covidien and shares were up 12% around $68, an all-time high on its chart, on the news. The medical device maker’s shares were raised to Overweight from Neutral by J.P. Morgan, and they were raised to Outperform from Market Perform by William Blair. Credit Suisse maintained its Neutral rating.

Micron Technology Inc. (NASDAQ: MU) was raised to Outperform from Neutral and the price target was raised to $42 from $25 (versus a $31.17 close) at R.W. Baird. We saw an even larger price hike last week.

Statoil ASA (NYSE: STO) was started with an Underperform rating at Jefferies. Deutsche Bank downgraded this one last week to Hold on valuation as well.

SunEdison Semiconductor Ltd. (NASDAQ: SEMI) saw its quiet period end. The company was started as Buy with a $23 target at Deutsche Bank, started as Outperform and given a $20 to $22 target at Wells Fargo and started as Neutral with a $19 target at Citigroup.

ALSO READ: 10 Large Cap Stocks to Hold Forever

Williams Companies Inc. (NYSE: WMB) was raised to Buy from Hold with a $65 price target (versus a $47.18 close) at Jefferies. Credit Suisse maintained its Outperform rating, but it also set a $65 price target. The company is acquiring Global Infrastructure Partners’ G.P. and L.P. interests in Access Midstream Partners for almost $6 billion and is going to raise its dividend.

In case you missed Friday’s key analyst upgrades and downgrades, they included Alcoa, American Tower, Fusion-io, Intel, Lululemon, MannKind, Marathon, Marvell, Occidental, the new Time Inc. and more.

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