Top Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades: Intel, LINN, MFA Financial, Kors, Time, Yahoo!, Chuy's and More

Investing

Published: November 5, 2014 8:15 am

Stocks were indicated much higher on Wednesday after the mid-term elections created a swing in the balance of power in the United States. Investors have shown repeatedly that they will buy stocks that go on sale or when they are overlooked. 24/7 Wall St. reviews dozens of analyst research calls each morning of the week to find new investment and trading ideas. Some analyst reports cover stocks to buy, while other reports cover sell or to avoid.

These are this Wednesday’s top analyst upgrades, downgrades and initiations.

Chuy’s Holdings Inc. (NASDAQ: CHUY) missed earnings and saw shares down over 15% in early Wednesday trading. Chuy’s was downgraded to Hold at Jefferies, downgraded to Market Perform at Raymond James and downgraded to Hold at KeyBanc.

ConocoPhillips (NYSE: COP) was reiterated as Buy at Argus, but the firm lowered its price target by $5 to $87.

Digital River Inc. (NASDAQ: DRIV) was raised to Neutral from Underperform and the price target was raised to $26 from $14 at Credit Suisse.

Estée Lauder Companies Inc. (NYSE: EL) was downgraded to Market Perform from Outperform and the valuation range was cut to $76 to $78 from a range of $82 to $84 at Wells Fargo.

Expeditors International of Washington Inc. (NASDAQ: EXPD) was downgraded to Underperform from Neutral and the price target was lowered to $41 from $43 at Credit Suisse.

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FireEye Inc. (NASDAQ: FEYE) was downgraded to Market Perform from Outperform, and the price target was cut to $35 from $45, at Cowen.

Intel Corp. (NASDAQ: INTC) was downgraded to Underperform from Market Perform at Bernstein.

LINN Energy LLC (NASDAQ: LINE) was downgraded to Neutral from Outperform at Credit Suisse.

MFA Financial Inc. (NYSE: MFA) appeared to have beaten earnings expectations on Tuesday, but the company was downgraded to Market Perform from Outperform at KBW and downgraded to Neutral from Buy at Sterne Agee.

Michael Kors Holdings Ltd. (NYSE: KORS) saw shares get hammered after earnings, but it was raised to Equal Weight from Underweight at Barclays. On the other hand, Goldman Sachs maintained Kors as Buy but removed it from the prized Conviction Buy List, lowering the price target to $95 from $143. Canaccord Genuity maintained its Buy rating but cut the target to $97 from $123.

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Time Inc. (NYSE: TIME) was upgraded to Outperform from Market Perform at FBR Capital Markets.

Yahoo! Inc. (NASDAQ: YHOO) was started as Buy at SunTrust Robinson Humphrey.

In case you missed Tuesday’s top analyst upgrades and downgrades, they included Agilent Technologies, Boeing, Herbalife, Nokia, Sprint, Walmart and a dozen more.

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