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Top Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades: Altria, Bank of America, Intel, SanDisk, Viacom, Time Warner and More

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By Lee Jackson Published
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Bull and Bear
Jon Ogg
After a long holiday weekend, investors return to a shortened trading week with the markets looking firmly poised to make a move higher on Tuesday. With over half of the first trading month of 2015 in the books, the S&P 500 stands down 3.22% to begin the year, and positive earnings results this week may start to cut in to that deficit. 24/7 Wall St. reviews dozens of analyst research reports each morning to find new investment and trading ideas for its readers. Some analyst research reports cover new stocks to buy, and others cover stocks to sell or avoid.

Here are Tuesday’s leading analyst upgrades, downgrades and initiations from top research calls from around Wall Street.

Altria Group Inc. (NYSE: MO) was raised to Outperform from Market Perform at Wells Fargo. Shares closed Friday at $53.05.

Bank of America Corp. (NYSE: BAC) was added to the Conviction Buy list at Goldman Sachs.

Clayton Williams Energy Inc. (NYSE: CWEI) is downgraded from Neutral to from Buy at SunTrust Robinson Humphrey.

Exelon Corp. (NYSE: EXC) was raised to Outperform from Market Perform at Wells Fargo. Shares closed Friday at $37.38.

ALSO READ: Insiders Continue to Buy Stock as Market Sells Off

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

Meritage Homes Corp. (NYSE: MTH) was downgraded to Underperform from Neutral at Credit Suisse.

Mobile Mini Inc. (NASDAQ: MINI) was raised to Buy from Hold at Needham.

PulteGroup Inc. (NYSE: PHM) was downgraded to Underperform from Neutral at Credit Suisse.

Ryland Group Inc. (NYSE: RYL) was downgraded to Underperform from Neutral at Credit Suisse.

SanDisk Corp. (NASDAQ: SNDK) was downgraded to Reduce or Sell from Neutral at Nomura Securities. The price target for the stock was lowered to $65 from $70. Shares closed Friday at $78.92.

Taylor Morrison Home Corp. (NYSE: THMC) is downgraded to Neutral from Outperform at Credit Suisse.

ALSO READ: The 6 Worst Dow Stocks So Far in 2015

T-Mobile US Inc. (NYSE: TMUS) was raised to Buy and added to the Conviction Buy list at Goldman Sachs. The price target for the stock was raised to $37 from $27. Shares ended trading on Friday at $29.14

Time Warner Inc. (NYSE: TWX) was downgraded to Equal Weight from Overweight at Morgan Stanley.

Viacom Inc. (NASDAQ: VIAB) was downgraded to Underweight from Equal Weight at Morgan Stanley.

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About the Author Lee Jackson →

Lee Jackson has covered Wall Street analysts' equity and debt research and equity strategy daily for 24/7 Wall St. since 2012. His broad and diverse career, which included a stint as the creative services director at the NBC affiliate in Austin, Texas, gives him unique insight into the financial industry and world.

Lee Jackson's journey in the financial industry spans over 30 years, with nearly two decades as an institutional equity salesperson at Bear Stearns, Lehman Brothers, and Morgan Stanley. His career was marked by his presence on the sell side during pivotal Wall Street events, from the dot.com rise and bubble to the Long Term Capital Management debacle, 9/11, and the Great Recession of 2008. This is a testament to his resilience and adaptability in the face of market volatility.

Lee Jackson’s practical financial industry experience, acquired from a career at some of the biggest banks and brokerage firms, is complemented by a lifetime of writing on various platforms. This unique combination allows him to shed light on the intricacies and workings of Wall Street in a way that only someone with deep insider experience and knowledge can. Moreover, his extensive network across Wall Street continues to provide direct access for him and 24/7 Wall St., a privilege few firms enjoy.

Since 2012, Jackson’s work for 24/7 Wall St. has been featured in Barron’s, Yahoo Finance, MarketWatch, Business Insider, TradingView, Real Money, The Street, Seeking Alpha, Benzinga, and other media outlets. He attended the prestigious Cranbrook Schools in Bloomfield Hills, Michigan, and has a degree in broadcasting from the Specs Howard School of Media Arts.

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