These are this Wednesday’s top analyst upgrades, downgrades and initiations.
Achillion Pharmaceuticals Inc. (NASDAQ: ACHN) was downgraded to Market Perform from Outperform at JMP Securities. UBS downgraded Achillion to Neutral from Buy. Shares were down over 7% at $9.85 after Johnson & Johnson signed a $1.1 billion license and collaboration for its hep-C drug.
Computer Sciences Corp. (NYSE: CSC) was raised to Equal Weight from Underweight at Morgan Stanley. JPMorgan raised its rating to Neutral from Underweight. Janney maintained a Neutral rating with a $60 fair value target. This is on the heels of CSC breaking itself up into two outfits and paying a special $10.50 dividend. CSC closed at $67.66, and shares were indicated up 5% at $71.50 in the premarket trading on Wednesday.
Keurig Green Mountain Inc. (NASDAQ: GMCR) was downgraded to Hold from Buy at Argus, with the call being based on a weaker near-term outlook. Earnings estimates were trimmed by 10% or so for this year and next, and pressure has been seen on many fronts. Still, the long-term rating from Argus remains a Buy.
Sarepta Therapeutics Inc. (NASDAQ: SRPT) was raised to Buy from Hold at Canaccord Genuity and raised to Buy from Neutral at SunTrust Robinson Humphrey. Shares have surged by more than 40% to $24.00 or so in premarket trading, after positive news of a drug submission at the FDA on its muscular dystrophy drug.
Splunk Inc. (NASDAQ: SPLK) was raised to Outperform from Neutral with a $97 price target (versus a $67.95 close) at Macquarie. The news is after the company hired GE’s CIO as its own chief technology officer. Shares were indicated up almost 2% at $68.90, and the consensus price target is $79.70.
With stocks hitting all-time highs, even with some worries about the coming rate-hike cycle, here are 10 reasons the Fed cannot panic when it comes to raising interest rates.
ALSO READ: Analyst Sees 4 Top Data Networking Stocks for Rest of 2015
There are roughly an additional 20 analyst upgrades, downgrades and initiations seen this Wednesday:
Aetna Inc. (NYSE: AET) was removed from the U.S. Focus List and the Global Focus List at Credit Suisse.
Analog Devices Inc. (NASDAQ: ADI) was reiterated as Buy and the price target was raised to $72 from $68 at Stifel. Credit Suisse maintained its Outperform rating but trimmed its earnings estimates. The chip maker was trading sideways after reporting mixed earnings and guidance.
Apollo Global Management LLC (NYSE: APO) was raised to Overweight from Equal Weight at Morgan Stanely.
Checkpoint Software Technologies Ltd. (NASDAQ: CHKP) was started as Hold with a $91 price target (versus a $86.83 close) at Evercore ISI.
Comcast Corp. (NASDAQ: CMCSA) was started as Overweight and was assigned a $68 price target (versus a $57.23 close) at Barclays.
Comerica Inc. (NYSE: CMA) was downgraded to Underperform from Neutral at R.W. Baird.
Fifth Third Bancorp (NASDAQ: FITB) was downgraded to Neutral from Outperform ay R.W. Baird.
FireEye Inc. (NASDAQ: FEYE) was started as Buy with a $50 price target (versus a $41.53 close) at Evercore ISI.
ALSO READ: Analyst Shows Why Tesla Will Dominate in Batteries
JDS Uniphase Corp. (NASDAQ: JDSU) was started as Equal Weight and was given a price target of $15 (versus a $12.77 close) at Morgan Stanley.
Lions Gate Entertainment Corp. (NYSE: LGF) was started as Buy and it was assigned a $37 price target (versus a $32.10 close) at Jefferies.
Macy’s Inc. (NYSE: M) was raised to Overweight with a $110 price target at Pacific Crest.
Palo Alto Networks Inc. (NYSE: PANW) was started as Hold with a $174 price target (versus a $158.33 close) at Evercore ISI.
Rosetta Resources Inc. (NASDAQ: ROSE) was downgraded to Sector Weight from Overweight at KeyBanc Capital Markets.
SunTrust Banks Inc. (NYSE: STI) was downgraded to Market Perform from Outperform with a $45 price target at Keefe Bruyette & Woods. It was downgraded to Underperform from Neutral at R.W. Baird.
Total System Services Inc. (NYSE: TSS) was started as Outperform and was assigned a $46 price target (versus a $41.92 close) at CLSA.
UBS A.G. (NYSE: UBS) was raised to Buy from Neutral at Bank of America Merrill Lynch.
ALSO READ: How the NYSE Just Gave Bitcoin a Big Leg Up
Visa Inc. (NYSE: V) was started as Outperform with a $77 price target (versus a $70.16 close) at CLSA.
Vivint Solar Inc. (NYSE: VSLR) was started as Outperform and was assigned a $20 price target (versus a $13.90 close) at Northland Securities.
In case you missed Tuesday’s analyst upgrades and downgrades, they were in Apple, Lumber Liquidators, Take-Two Interactive Software, Urban Outfitters, Apigee, Akamai Technologies, Intuit and about a dozen more companies.
Top Gaining Stocks
Top Losing Stocks