Investing

Top Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades: Allergan, GE, HP Enterprise, Southwest Air, Williams Companies and More

Jon C. Ogg

Published: July 25, 2016 8:40 am

Last Updated: January 13, 2020 5:20 am

Stocks hit a new high last week and were trying to open marginally higher on Monday morning. From low rates to Brexit, and from high valuations with a low VIX, and even with all the political and international issues, investors just keep showing that they will buy their favorite stocks on pullbacks.

24/7 Wall St. reviews dozens of analyst research reports each morning in an effort to find new investing and trading ideas for its readers. Some of these analyst reports cover stocks to buy, while other reports feature stocks to sell or avoid.

These are the top analyst upgrades, downgrades and initiations seen on Monday morning:

Allergen PLC (NYSE: AGN) was started with an Outperform rating and assigned a $327 price target (versus a $248.98 prior close) at Credit Suisse. The firm talked up a broad and underappreciated drug pipeline. Allergan’s 52-week trading range is $195.50 to $340.34, and it has a consensus analyst price target of $293.06.

General Electric Co. (NYSE: GE) closed down 1.6% at $32.06 on Friday after earnings. The stock was reiterated as Buy with a $36 price target at Argus. It has a 52-week range of $19.37 to $33.00 and a consensus price target of $33.36.

Hewlett Packard Enterprise Co. (NYSE: HPE) was raised to Buy from Neutral at Citigroup. Shares closed most recently at $20.05, and they have a $20.13 consensus target price and a 52-week high of $20.17.

Southwest Airlines Co. (NYSE: LUV) was downgraded to Hold from Buy at Argus, based on lower earnings and guidance, as well as higher tech costs. The stock closed at $37.83 in a 52-week range of $32.94 to $51.34. The consensus price target is $49.54.

Williams Companies Inc. (NYSE: WMB) was reiterated as Buy and the price target was raised to $28 from $27 at Jefferies. The 52-week range is $10.22 to $55.42, and the consensus analyst target is $29.27.

Other top analyst upgrades and downgrades were seen as follows:

• Alaska Air Group Inc. (NYSE: ALK) was raised to Outperform from Neutral at Credit Suisse.
• Boston Properties Inc. (NYSE: BXP) was downgraded to Equal Weight from Overweight with a $145 price target (versus a $138.92 close) at Morgan Stanley.
• Energy Transfer Equity L.P. (NYSE: ETE) was reiterated as Buy and the price target was raised to $20 from $17 at Jefferies.
• NiSource Inc. (NYSE: NI) was downgraded to Underperform from Hold with a $22 price target (versus a $26.26 close) at Jefferies.
• Realogy Holdings Corp. (NYSE: RLGY) was raised to Outperform from Market Perform with a $36 price target (versus a $30.76 close) at Keefe Bruyette & Woods.
• Southwest Gas Corp. (NYSE: SWX) was downgraded to Underperform from Hold at Jefferies.
• SunTrust Banks Inc. (NYSE: STI) was maintained as Buy at Goldman Sachs, but it was removed from the prized Conviction Buy list.
• Tableau Software Inc. (NYSE: DATA) was downgraded to Hold from Buy with a $65 price target (versus a $57.06 close) at Deutsche Bank.
• Whirlpool Corp. (NYSE: WHR) was raised to Strong Buy from Market Perform at Raymond James.

Other key analyst calls from the weekend and late last week after earnings:

• Ten analyst picks under $10.
• Analysts more positive on AT&T targets.
• Analysts raise targets on Kinder Morgan.
• Analysts getting downbeat on Netflix.
• Did analysts just signal a bottom in Qualcomm?
• Analysts muted on Starbucks.
• Why analysts boosted AMD targets.

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