Stocks have tried to find somewhere to settle this week in the wake of a tariff tit-for-tat between the United States and China. Stocks were indicated to open lower by about 0.4% on the three major indexes. Investors have seen multiple reasons that might magnify the “sell in May and go away” mindset. The markets are also still quite close to all-time highs. It’s time for investors to consider how they want their portfolios positioned for the rest of 2019.

24/7 Wall St. reviews dozens of analyst research reports each day of the week. Our goal is to find new trading and investing ideas for our readers. Some of the daily analyst reports cover stocks to buy, but other reports cover stocks to sell or to avoid.

Additional commentary and trading data have been added on some of the daily analyst reports. The consensus analyst price targets and other valuation metrics are from the Refinitiv (Thomson Reuters) sell-side research service.

These are the top analyst upgrades, downgrades and initiations seen on Wednesday, May 15, 2019.

Alphabet Inc. (NASDAQ: GOOGL) was reiterated as Buy and the price target was raised to $1,400 from $1,300 at Deutsche Bank, with the firm talking up a better advertising product group from the coming Google Marketing live conference making its 2020 estimates solid. The stock closed up 1% at $1,124.86, and the consensus target price was $1,341.82.

Applied Materials Inc. (NASDAQ: AMAT) was raised to Positive from Neutral and the price target was raised to $60 from $34 (versus a $40.01 prior close, after a 2.35% gain) at Susquehanna. It has a consensus target price of $47.75, and its 52-week trading range is $28.79 to $55.46.

Bluebird Bio Inc. (NASDAQ: BLUE) was downgraded to Neutral from Outperform and the price target was lowered to $131 from $166 (versus a $126.68 close) at Wedbush Securities. The call was after attending its Analyst Day in New York, as there are risks to the Zynteglo (LentiGlobin) launch that could overshadow the company’s broad pipeline.

Henry Schein Inc. (NASDAQ: HSIC) was downgraded to Market Perform from Outperform at Leerink. After closing up 0.5% at $67.31, its shares were indicated down 1.2% at $66.50. Its prior consensus target price was $66.93.

JD.com (NASDAQ: JD) was raised to Buy from Neutral at Nomura/Instinet. Shares closed up 5.3% at $29.67 ahead of the call and were indicated up only marginally on Wednesday morning. The prior consensus target price was $31.55.

Marvell Technology Group Ltd. (NASDAQ: MRVL) was started with a Market Perform rating at Wells Fargo, after it closed up 3.4% at $22.89. It has a consensus target price of $26.68.

MaxLinear Inc. (NYSE: MXL) was started with a Market Perform rating at Wells Fargo, after it closed up 1.8% at $24.33. The consensus target price was $26.75.

OneMain Holdings Inc. (NYSE: OMF) was downgraded to Neutral from Outperform and the price target was lowered to $35 (versus a $33.17 prior close) at Wedbush. Shares closed at $33.17, in a 52-week range of $22.47 to $37.29 and with a consensus price target of $41.00.

Owens-Illinois Inc. (NYSE: OI) was raised to Outperform from Market Perform and the price target was raised to $24 from $20 (versus a $17.21 close) at Wells Fargo. Shares closed at $17.21, in a 52-week range of $15.67 to $20.78, and with a consensus price target of $20.69.

Packaging Corp. of America (NYSE: PKG) was started with a Buy rating and assigned a $109 target price (versus a $97.18 close) at UBS. The consensus target price was $106.55.

Rambus Inc. (NASDAQ: RMBS) was started with an Outperform rating at Wells Fargo, after closing up 3.1% at $11.35, and with a consensus target price of $14.22.

Signature Bank (NASDAQ: SBNY) was removed from the Best Ideas List at Wedbush, and the firm also downgraded the stock to Neutral from Outperform following strong performance since December. The firm sees a risk of onerous new laws related to multifamily housing potentially being passed in New York ahead of the June 15 expiration and also noted that the recent decline in the five-year Treasury yield could pressure multifamily loan pricing.

Semtech Corp. (NASDAQ: SMTC) was started as Outperform at Wells Fargo, after closing up 1.7% at $48.03. The consensus target price is $58.18.

SJW Group (NYSE: SJW) was started as Neutral at UBS. Shares closed at $62.71, in a 52-week range of $51.82 to $68.42, and with a consensus price target of $67.33.

Synopsys Inc. (NASDAQ: SNPS) was started with an Outperform rating at Wells Fargo, after closing up 1.6% at $117.74. The consensus target price is $124.36.

Tilray Inc. (NASDAQ: TLRY) was raised to Market Perform from Underperform at BMO Capital Markets. The stock closed up almost 5% at $48.74, and it was indicated up 1.7% at $49.60 on Wednesday morning. Its 52-week trading range is $20.10 to $300.00.

Westlake Chemical (NYSE: WLK) was raised to Buy from Neutral at Goldman Sachs. Shares closed at $59.82, in a 52-week range of $57.39 to $124.30, and with a consensus price target of $77.16.

WestRock Co. (NYSE: WRK) was started with a Buy rating and assigned a $47 target price at UBS. Shares closed up 3% at $37.19, and the consensus target price was $49.08.

Zayo Group Holdings Inc. (NYSE: ZAYO) was downgraded to Market Perform from Outperform at Cowen. Shares closed at $32.85, in a 52-week range of $20.27 to $39.66, and with a consensus price target of $34.85.

Zillow Group Inc. (NASDAQ: ZG) was raised to Buy from Neutral with a $45 target price (versus a $36.54 close, after a 3% gain) at Guggenheim. It was indicated up 3.5% at $37.80 after revenue rose 51%, and the 52-week trading range is $26.20 to $65.42. Zillow had a consensus target price of $41.13 ahead of the news.

Credit Suisse’s equity strategy team has released a report on the global emerging markets, basically pondering whether the run-up in Chinese equities was already dead and over in 2019 after this last recovery and more recent pullback. Their interpretation of events in the middle of trade war news with tit-for-tat tariffs in the past two weeks is to not capitulate on its overweight stance on Chinese equities. That said, its economic team pointed out that uncertainties in U.S.-China trade negotiations will be an additional drag on manufacturing investment numbers in China. The firm’s team views China as still being in the cyclical and partial upturn as its fiscal stimulus will materialize throughout the second quarter and will fade toward the end of the third quarter.

Top semiconductor stocks have been under pressure and trade woes don’t help, but the analysts at SunTrust remain positive on three Buy-rated stocks.

Tuesday’s top analyst calls were in included Broadcom, Coca-Cola, Conagra Brands, Deere, Jumia Technologies, MannKind, Shopify, Take-Two Interactive Software, TJX Companies, Tyson Foods, Valero Energy and many more.

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