Notable Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades for Week of June 18, 2018



Upgrades:


BlackRock (NYSE:BLK) was upgraded by stock analysts at Citigroup from a “neutral” rating to a “buy” rating in a research note issued on Monday, MarketBeat reports. Other analysts also recently issued research reports about the stock. Deutsche Bank reduced their price target on shares of BlackRock from $623.00 to $614.00 and set a “buy” rating for the company in a research report on Friday, April 6th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. reissued an “overweight” rating and issued a $640.00 price target on shares of BlackRock in a research report on Wednesday, March 14th. Zacks Investment Research downgraded shares of BlackRock from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research report on Tuesday, March 13th. ValuEngine downgraded shares of BlackRock from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research report on Friday, June 15th. Finally, Credit Suisse Group lifted their price target on shares of BlackRock from $672.00 to $678.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a research report on Thursday, April 5th. Six analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and eight have issued a buy rating to the stock. The company currently has an average rating of “Buy” and a consensus target price of $576.33. Read more …

Raymond James upgraded shares of Chevron (NYSE:CVX) from a market perform rating to an outperform rating in a research report sent to investors on Monday morning, MarketBeat reports. CVX has been the subject of several other research reports. Zacks Investment Research raised shares of Chevron from a hold rating to a strong-buy rating and set a $147.00 price target for the company in a report on Wednesday, June 13th. Credit Suisse Group boosted their price target on shares of Chevron from $129.00 to $132.00 and gave the stock a neutral rating in a report on Monday, April 30th. Vetr lowered shares of Chevron from a strong-buy rating to a buy rating and set a $122.05 price target for the company. in a report on Monday, February 26th. DZ Bank raised shares of Chevron from a hold rating to a buy rating in a report on Wednesday, March 7th. Finally, Royal Bank of Canada reissued a hold rating and issued a $130.00 price target on shares of Chevron in a report on Friday, April 13th. Six research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, twenty have issued a buy rating and one has issued a strong buy rating to the company. The company currently has a consensus rating of Buy and an average target price of $135.52. Read more …

Raymond James upgraded shares of Kinder Morgan (NYSE:KMI) from a market perform rating to an outperform rating in a research report report published on Monday morning. Other research analysts have also issued research reports about the stock. Stifel Nicolaus reduced their target price on shares of Kinder Morgan from $22.00 to $21.00 and set a buy rating on the stock in a research note on Monday, April 30th. Deutsche Bank assumed coverage on shares of Kinder Morgan in a research note on Thursday, April 19th. They set a buy rating and a $21.00 price objective on the stock. Bank of America reissued a buy rating and set a $16.17 price objective (down previously from $20.00) on shares of Kinder Morgan in a research note on Thursday, April 19th. Zacks Investment Research raised shares of Kinder Morgan from a hold rating to a buy rating and set a $19.00 price objective on the stock in a research note on Tuesday, March 13th. Finally, UBS Group reissued a buy rating and set a $26.00 price objective (down previously from $28.00) on shares of Kinder Morgan in a research note on Friday, March 2nd. Two investment analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, four have issued a hold rating and sixteen have given a buy rating to the company. Kinder Morgan presently has an average rating of Buy and a consensus target price of $21.23. Read more …


Accenture (NYSE:ACN) was upgraded by stock analysts at Susquehanna Bancshares from a “neutral” rating to a “positive” rating in a report issued on Tuesday. A number of other research analysts have also commented on ACN. UBS Group raised Accenture from a “neutral” rating to a “positive” rating in a research report on Tuesday. Pivotal Research set a $180.00 target price on Accenture and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research report on Monday, June 11th. Wedbush reissued an “outperform” rating and issued a $180.00 target price (up previously from $165.00) on shares of Accenture in a research report on Tuesday, March 20th. Zacks Investment Research lowered Accenture from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research report on Tuesday, June 5th. Finally, Robert W. Baird increased their target price on Accenture from $162.00 to $165.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a research report on Tuesday, March 20th. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, eight have given a hold rating and seventeen have given a buy rating to the stock. Accenture currently has a consensus rating of “Buy” and an average target price of $161.37. Read more …


Verizon Communications (NYSE:VZ) was upgraded by equities researchers at Deutsche Bank from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a report issued on Tuesday, MarketBeat Ratings reports. The brokerage presently has a $49.00 price target on the cell phone carrier’s stock. Deutsche Bank’s target price indicates a potential upside of 1.89% from the company’s current price. A number of other analysts have also recently weighed in on the company. HSBC upgraded Verizon Communications from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating and set a $55.00 price target on the stock in a research note on Wednesday, March 28th. Vetr upgraded Verizon Communications from a “buy” rating to a “strong-buy” rating and set a $53.82 price target on the stock in a research note on Tuesday, March 20th. Barclays upgraded Verizon Communications from an “equal weight” rating to an “overweight” rating and set a $56.00 price target on the stock in a research note on Monday, April 23rd. Moffett Nathanson upgraded Verizon Communications from a “neutral” rating to a “buy” rating in a research note on Wednesday, February 28th. Finally, Zacks Investment Research cut Verizon Communications from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note on Monday, March 12th. One research analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, eight have given a hold rating and seventeen have given a buy rating to the stock. Verizon Communications presently has a consensus rating of “Buy” and an average target price of $54.55. Read more …

Duke Energy (NYSE:DUK) was upgraded by research analysts at Bank of America from a “neutral” rating to a “buy” rating in a research note issued to investors on Wednesday, The Fly reports. DUK has been the subject of several other reports. SunTrust Banks reaffirmed a “hold” rating and set a $78.00 target price on shares of Duke Energy in a research report on Friday, February 23rd. Guggenheim reaffirmed a “buy” rating and set a $82.00 target price on shares of Duke Energy in a research report on Friday, February 23rd. Morgan Stanley raised their target price on Duke Energy from $83.00 to $85.00 and gave the company an “equal weight” rating in a research report on Monday, April 16th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. raised their target price on Duke Energy from $77.00 to $78.00 and gave the company an “underweight” rating in a research report on Tuesday, April 10th. Finally, Wells Fargo & Co reaffirmed a “market perform” rating and set a $82.00 target price (down from $92.00) on shares of Duke Energy in a research report on Wednesday, February 21st. Four research analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, six have assigned a hold rating and eight have given a buy rating to the company’s stock. Duke Energy has a consensus rating of “Hold” and an average price target of $82.57. Read more …

Corning (NYSE:GLW) was upgraded by analysts at Goldman Sachs Group from a “sell” rating to a “neutral” rating in a report issued on Wednesday, MarketBeat Ratings reports. The brokerage presently has a $29.00 price target on the electronics maker’s stock. Goldman Sachs Group’s target price points to a potential upside of 2.29% from the stock’s previous close. A number of other brokerages also recently commented on GLW. ValuEngine downgraded shares of Corning from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research report on Tuesday, April 24th. Zacks Investment Research raised shares of Corning from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating and set a $30.00 price objective on the stock in a research report on Thursday, April 26th. Morgan Stanley raised shares of Corning from an “equal weight” rating to an “overweight” rating in a research report on Thursday, May 31st. Guggenheim set a $35.00 price objective on shares of Corning and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research report on Thursday, May 10th. Finally, JPMorgan Chase & Co. started coverage on shares of Corning in a research report on Thursday, May 3rd. They issued a “neutral” rating and a $33.00 price objective on the stock. One research analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, seven have issued a hold rating, six have issued a buy rating and one has issued a strong buy rating to the company. The company presently has an average rating of “Hold” and an average price target of $31.35. Read more …

Becton Dickinson and (NYSE:BDX) was upgraded by investment analysts at JPMorgan Chase & Co. from a “neutral” rating to an “overweight” rating in a report issued on Thursday, The Fly reports. Several other brokerages have also recently issued reports on BDX. Citigroup raised Becton Dickinson and from a “neutral” rating to a “buy” rating and raised their target price for the stock from $237.00 to $251.00 in a research report on Tuesday, April 10th. ValuEngine downgraded Becton Dickinson and from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note on Tuesday, May 29th. Zacks Investment Research downgraded Becton Dickinson and from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note on Tuesday, March 6th. Finally, BMO Capital Markets initiated coverage on Becton Dickinson and in a research note on Monday, March 5th. They issued a “market perform” rating and a $249.00 price objective on the stock. Six analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, twelve have issued a buy rating and one has issued a strong buy rating to the company’s stock. Becton Dickinson and presently has an average rating of “Buy” and a consensus target price of $241.19. Read more …

Dollar General (NYSE:DG) was upgraded by research analysts at Raymond James from an “outperform” rating to a “strong-buy” rating in a report released on Friday, The Fly reports. Several other brokerages have also weighed in on DG. JPMorgan Chase & Co. upgraded Dollar General from a “neutral” rating to an “overweight” rating and set a $70.00 price objective for the company in a research report on Tuesday, April 17th. Gordon Haskett upgraded Dollar General from an “accumulate” rating to a “buy” rating and increased their price objective for the stock from $65.97 to $67.00 in a research report on Monday, June 4th. Morgan Stanley set a $122.00 price objective on Dollar General and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research report on Wednesday, April 25th. Wells Fargo & Co reiterated an “outperform” rating and issued a $113.00 price objective (down from $117.00) on shares of Dollar General in a research report on Tuesday, February 27th. Finally, Loop Capital reiterated a “hold” rating on shares of Dollar General in a research report on Wednesday, May 30th. One research analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, eleven have assigned a hold rating, fifteen have issued a buy rating and one has issued a strong buy rating to the company’s stock. The stock presently has an average rating of “Buy” and an average target price of $96.45. Read more …

Darden Restaurants (NYSE:DRI) was upgraded by stock analysts at Bank of America from an “underperform” rating to a “neutral” rating in a note issued to investors on Friday, The Fly reports. DRI has been the topic of a number of other research reports. Zacks Investment Research lowered Darden Restaurants from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a report on Monday, May 28th. Maxim Group reaffirmed a “buy” rating and issued a $112.00 price objective on shares of Darden Restaurants in a report on Wednesday, April 18th. Sanford C. Bernstein raised Darden Restaurants from a “market perform” rating to an “outperform” rating in a report on Thursday, April 19th. ValuEngine lowered Darden Restaurants from a “hold” rating to a “sell” rating in a research note on Tuesday, May 22nd. Finally, Stephens raised Darden Restaurants from an “equal weight” rating to an “overweight” rating and boosted their price target for the stock from $95.00 to $105.00 in a research note on Monday, March 26th. Thirteen investment analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and fifteen have given a buy rating to the company. Darden Restaurants presently has an average rating of “Buy” and an average price target of $99.96. Read more…

Southern (NYSE:SO) was upgraded by analysts at Citigroup from a “sell” rating to a “neutral” rating in a research report issued on Friday, The Fly reports. Other research analysts also recently issued reports about the company. TheStreet upgraded Southern from a “c” rating to a “b-” rating in a report on Monday, June 4th. Guggenheim reissued a “buy” rating and set a $51.00 price objective on shares of Southern in a research note on Friday, February 23rd. Deutsche Bank lowered their price objective on shares of Southern from $50.00 to $49.00 and set a “buy” rating for the company in a research note on Thursday, February 22nd. Zacks Investment Research raised shares of Southern from a “sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note on Tuesday, May 1st. Finally, SunTrust Banks set a $45.00 price objective on shares of Southern and gave the company a “hold” rating in a research note on Monday, March 26th. Five analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, eight have assigned a hold rating and six have given a buy rating to the company’s stock. The stock presently has an average rating of “Hold” and a consensus target price of $48.90. Read more …


Downgrades:


Goldman Sachs Group lowered shares of Chubb (NYSE:CB) from a buy rating to a neutral rating in a research note released on Monday morning, Marketbeat.com reports. The firm currently has $167.00 price target on the financial services provider’s stock. CB has been the subject of a number of other reports. Barclays increased their price objective on Chubb from $169.00 to $175.00 and gave the company an overweight rating in a report on Tuesday, February 20th. ValuEngine downgraded Chubb from a hold rating to a sell rating in a report on Tuesday, May 29th. Wells Fargo & Co set a $169.00 price objective on Chubb and gave the company a buy rating in a report on Tuesday, April 24th. Citigroup decreased their price objective on Chubb from $162.00 to $155.00 and set a buy rating for the company in a report on Tuesday, April 10th. Finally, Zacks Investment Research upgraded Chubb from a sell rating to a hold rating in a report on Friday, April 27th. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, five have given a hold rating and ten have given a buy rating to the company. The company has an average rating of Buy and an average target price of $161.69. Read more …

Williams-Sonoma (NYSE:WSM) was downgraded by research analysts at Citigroup from a “buy” rating to a “neutral” rating in a note issued to investors on Wednesday, The Fly reports. WSM has been the subject of several other research reports. ValuEngine downgraded shares of Williams-Sonoma from a “hold” rating to a “sell” rating in a research note on Wednesday, May 2nd. Barclays set a $45.00 target price on shares of Williams-Sonoma and gave the stock a “sell” rating in a research note on Thursday, March 15th. BTIG Research increased their target price on shares of Williams-Sonoma to $47.00 and gave the stock a “sell” rating in a research note on Thursday, March 15th. Wolfe Research increased their target price on shares of Williams-Sonoma from $52.00 to $55.00 and gave the stock a “peer perform” rating in a research note on Thursday, March 15th. Finally, Deutsche Bank increased their target price on shares of Williams-Sonoma from $50.00 to $53.00 and gave the stock a “hold” rating in a research note on Thursday, May 24th. Six research analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, nineteen have issued a hold rating and one has given a buy rating to the stock. The stock currently has an average rating of “Hold” and a consensus price target of $53.00. Read more …

Parker-Hannifin (NYSE:PH) was downgraded by stock analysts at Wells Fargo & Co from an “outperform” rating to a “market perform” rating in a research note issued on Wednesday. A number of other research firms have also recently weighed in on PH. Zacks Investment Research cut shares of Parker-Hannifin from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note on Monday, March 19th. Robert W. Baird upgraded shares of Parker-Hannifin from a “neutral” rating to an “outperform” rating and set a $203.00 target price on the stock in a research note on Thursday, March 8th. Jefferies Financial Group reiterated a “hold” rating and issued a $200.00 target price on shares of Parker-Hannifin in a research note on Wednesday, March 7th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. dropped their target price on shares of Parker-Hannifin from $210.00 to $199.00 and set an “overweight” rating on the stock in a research note on Tuesday, April 10th. Finally, Stifel Nicolaus reiterated a “buy” rating and issued a $200.00 target price (down from $232.00) on shares of Parker-Hannifin in a research note on Monday, April 9th. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, eight have assigned a hold rating and eight have given a buy rating to the company. The company currently has a consensus rating of “Hold” and a consensus price target of $200.40. Read more …

Starbucks (NASDAQ:SBUX) was downgraded by investment analysts at Morgan Stanley from an “overweight” rating to an “equal weight” rating in a report issued on Wednesday, The Fly reports. A number of other research analysts have also issued reports on the stock. Mizuho reduced their target price on shares of Starbucks from $60.00 to $56.00 and set a “neutral” rating for the company in a research note on Wednesday. BTIG Research lowered shares of Starbucks from a “buy” rating to a “neutral” rating in a research note on Wednesday. Telsey Advisory Group lowered shares of Starbucks from an “outperform” rating to a “market perform” rating and reduced their target price for the company from $70.00 to $60.00 in a research note on Wednesday. Royal Bank of Canada set a $63.00 target price on shares of Starbucks and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research note on Wednesday. They noted that the move was a valuation call. Finally, BidaskClub lowered shares of Starbucks from a “hold” rating to a “sell” rating in a research note on Wednesday, June 13th. Two investment analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, fifteen have issued a hold rating and sixteen have given a buy rating to the company’s stock. Starbucks presently has an average rating of “Hold” and a consensus target price of $62.50. Read more …

Xcel Energy (NYSE:XEL) was downgraded by equities research analysts at Bank of America from a “buy” rating to a “neutral” rating in a research report issued to clients and investors on Wednesday, The Fly reports. XEL has been the subject of a number of other reports. Zacks Investment Research raised shares of Xcel Energy from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating and set a $51.00 target price for the company in a research note on Saturday, June 2nd. Morgan Stanley boosted their target price on shares of Xcel Energy from $48.00 to $50.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a research note on Monday, April 16th. SunTrust Banks set a $43.00 target price on shares of Xcel Energy and gave the company a “hold” rating in a research note on Monday, March 19th. Mizuho raised shares of Xcel Energy from a “neutral” rating to a “buy” rating and set a $44.00 target price for the company in a research note on Tuesday, March 27th. Finally, JPMorgan Chase & Co. boosted their target price on shares of Xcel Energy from $46.00 to $48.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a research note on Wednesday, March 28th. Six research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, five have issued a buy rating and one has given a strong buy rating to the stock. The company currently has an average rating of “Buy” and an average price target of $47.00. Read more …

Nike (NYSE:NKE) was downgraded by analysts at UBS Group from a “buy” rating to a “neutral” rating in a research report issued on Thursday, The Fly reports. Several other brokerages have also issued reports on NKE. Zacks Investment Research raised Nike from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating and set a $85.00 target price for the company in a research note on Tuesday. Wells Fargo & Co reaffirmed a “market perform” rating and issued a $74.00 target price (up previously from $62.00) on shares of Nike in a research note on Sunday, June 10th. Macquarie set a $80.00 target price on Nike and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research note on Thursday, June 14th. Stifel Nicolaus upped their target price on Nike from $80.00 to $87.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research note on Wednesday. Finally, Jefferies Financial Group reissued a “neutral” rating and set a $68.00 price objective on shares of Nike in a research note on Wednesday, June 13th. Three analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, fifteen have given a hold rating and twenty-five have issued a buy rating to the company’s stock. The company presently has an average rating of “Buy” and an average price target of $70.69. Read more …


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