Week's Most Significant Insider Trades: Week of September 23, 2019

Disposals:

Chubb Ltd (NYSE:CB) EVP Joseph F. Wayland sold 6,500 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Friday, September 20th. The shares were sold at an average price of $158.05, for a total transaction of $1,027,325.00. Following the sale, the executive vice president now directly owns 77,201 shares in the company, valued at $12,201,618.05. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is accessible through this hyperlink.

CB opened at $158.84 on Wednesday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.25, a quick ratio of 0.32 and a current ratio of 0.32. The stock has a market capitalization of $71.86 billion, a P/E ratio of 16.83, a P/E/G ratio of 1.52 and a beta of 0.69. The company’s 50-day simple moving average is $157.07 and its two-hundred day simple moving average is $147.59. Chubb Ltd has a 52-week low of $119.54 and a 52-week high of $162.19. Read more …

Eli Lilly And Co (NYSE:LLY) SVP Alfonso G. Zulueta sold 4,500 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, September 20th. The shares were sold at an average price of $117.00, for a total value of $526,500.00. Following the completion of the sale, the senior vice president now owns 33,806 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $3,955,302. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this link.

LLY opened at $113.25 on Wednesday. Eli Lilly And Co has a one year low of $104.17 and a one year high of $132.13. The stock has a market capitalization of $109.62 billion, a PE ratio of 20.41, a P/E/G ratio of 2.01 and a beta of 0.16. The business’s 50 day moving average price is $112.34 and its 200 day moving average price is $116.13. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 4.98, a quick ratio of 0.87 and a current ratio of 1.13. Read more …

Ross Stores, Inc. (NASDAQ:ROST) insider James S. Fassio sold 15,000 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction dated Thursday, September 19th. The shares were sold at an average price of $108.66, for a total value of $1,629,900.00. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is accessible through this hyperlink.

James S. Fassio also recently made the following trade(s):

On Friday, July 12th, James S. Fassio sold 85,238 shares of Ross Stores stock. The shares were sold at an average price of $104.85, for a total value of $8,937,204.30.

Shares of ROST stock opened at $107.03 on Tuesday. Ross Stores, Inc. has a 12-month low of $75.91 and a 12-month high of $110.88. The company has a current ratio of 1.31, a quick ratio of 0.63 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.85. The stock’s 50-day moving average price is $105.80 and its 200-day moving average price is $99.97. The stock has a market capitalization of $39.29 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 25.12, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.30 and a beta of 0.84. Read more …

Omega Healthcare Investors Inc (NYSE:OHI) CAO Michael Ritz sold 2,500 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, September 25th. The stock was sold at an average price of $42.00, for a total value of $105,000.00. Following the transaction, the chief accounting officer now owns 5,485 shares in the company, valued at approximately $230,370. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this link.

Michael Ritz also recently made the following trade(s):

On Friday, August 23rd, Michael Ritz sold 5,000 shares of Omega Healthcare Investors stock. The stock was sold at an average price of $40.50, for a total value of $202,500.00.

NYSE:OHI opened at $42.01 on Friday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.17, a quick ratio of 2.78 and a current ratio of 2.78. Omega Healthcare Investors Inc has a one year low of $31.69 and a one year high of $42.25. The business’s 50-day simple moving average is $40.23 and its 200 day simple moving average is $37.57. The stock has a market cap of $9.01 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 13.82, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 5.47 and a beta of 0.37. Read more …

Darden Restaurants, Inc. (NYSE:DRI) SVP Douglas J. Milanes sold 1,600 shares of the stock in a transaction on Wednesday, September 25th. The shares were sold at an average price of $119.05, for a total transaction of $190,480.00. Following the transaction, the senior vice president now directly owns 6,793 shares in the company, valued at approximately $808,706.65. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is accessible through this hyperlink.

Shares of NYSE DRI opened at $116.44 on Friday. Darden Restaurants, Inc. has a 1 year low of $95.83 and a 1 year high of $128.41. The stock has a market cap of $14.50 billion, a P/E ratio of 20.01, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.08 and a beta of 0.34. The firm has a 50-day moving average of $121.60 and a 200 day moving average of $119.95. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 2.18, a current ratio of 0.43 and a quick ratio of 0.30. Read more …

Acquisitions:

Nothing to mention!

Notable Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades for Week of June 24, 2019

Upgrades:

Nike (NYSE:NKE) was upgraded by Bank of America to an “underperform” rating in a research note issued to investors on Monday, The Fly reports. A number of other equities research analysts also recently weighed in on the company. Morgan Stanley set a $103.00 price objective on Nike and gave the company a “buy” rating in a report on Thursday. Canaccord Genuity reaffirmed a “buy” rating and set a $96.00 price objective on shares of Nike in a report on Wednesday, June 19th. UBS Group set a $85.00 price objective on Nike and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a report on Monday, June 17th. Zacks Investment Research raised Nike from a “sell” rating to a “hold” rating and set a $95.00 price objective on the stock in a report on Monday, May 27th. Finally, JPMorgan Chase & Co. reaffirmed a “buy” rating and set a $90.00 price objective on shares of Nike in a report on Friday, April 12th. Two investment analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, ten have issued a hold rating and twenty-four have assigned a buy rating to the company’s stock. The stock presently has an average rating of “Buy” and a consensus target price of $87.58. Read more …

Deere & Company (NYSE:DE) was upgraded by investment analysts at Jefferies Financial Group from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a research note issued to investors on Monday, The Fly reports. A number of other analysts have also issued reports on DE. Zacks Investment Research lowered Deere & Company from a “hold” rating to a “sell” rating in a research note on Wednesday, April 17th. UBS Group initiated coverage on Deere & Company in a research note on Tuesday, April 23rd. They issued a “neutral” rating and a $238.00 price target on the stock. Macquarie initiated coverage on Deere & Company in a research note on Wednesday, May 1st. They issued an “outperform” rating on the stock. Berenberg Bank initiated coverage on Deere & Company in a research note on Thursday, May 9th. They issued a “hold” rating on the stock. Finally, Robert W. Baird lowered Deere & Company from an “outperform” rating to a “neutral” rating and decreased their price target for the stock from $166.00 to $150.00 in a research note on Monday, May 13th. Two equities research analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, eight have issued a hold rating and fourteen have assigned a buy rating to the company’s stock. Deere & Company currently has an average rating of “Buy” and a consensus target price of $165.82. Read more …

United Technologies (NYSE:UTX) was upgraded by investment analysts at Cowen from a “market perform” rating to an “outperform” rating in a note issued to investors on Monday, MarketBeat Ratings reports. The firm currently has a $150.00 target price on the conglomerate’s stock, up from their prior target price of $135.00. Cowen’s price target points to a potential upside of 15.23% from the company’s previous close. Several other brokerages have also recently weighed in on UTX. Zacks Investment Research raised shares of United Technologies from a “sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note on Friday, April 26th. Morgan Stanley boosted their price objective on shares of United Technologies from $155.00 to $164.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a research note on Monday, May 20th. Vertical Research raised shares of United Technologies from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating and set a $145.00 price objective on the stock in a research note on Friday, June 14th. Barclays boosted their price objective on shares of United Technologies from $142.00 to $149.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a research note on Wednesday, April 24th. Finally, Royal Bank of Canada reissued a “sector perform” rating and issued a $159.00 price objective on shares of United Technologies in a research note on Wednesday, April 24th. Five analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, twelve have assigned a buy rating and one has assigned a strong buy rating to the company’s stock. The stock presently has an average rating of “Buy” and a consensus target price of $150.50. Read more …

ConocoPhillips (NYSE:COP) was upgraded by analysts at Mizuho from a “neutral” rating to a “buy” rating in a research note issued on Wednesday, The Fly reports. Other research analysts have also issued research reports about the stock. ValuEngine lowered shares of ConocoPhillips from a “hold” rating to a “sell” rating in a research note on Friday, May 3rd. Credit Suisse Group lowered shares of ConocoPhillips from an “outperform” rating to a “neutral” rating and set a $64.00 price target on the stock. in a research note on Wednesday, May 1st. Zacks Investment Research upgraded shares of ConocoPhillips from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating and set a $74.00 price target on the stock in a research note on Wednesday, March 13th. Piper Jaffray Companies upgraded shares of ConocoPhillips from a “neutral” rating to an “overweight” rating and increased their price target for the stock from $68.00 to $75.00 in a research note on Thursday, March 21st. Finally, Morgan Stanley increased their price target on shares of ConocoPhillips from $77.00 to $78.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a research note on Monday, March 4th. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, four have assigned a hold rating and twelve have assigned a buy rating to the company. The stock currently has an average rating of “Buy” and a consensus price target of $78.36. Read more …

Notable Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades for Week of December 17, 2018

Upgrades:

JPMorgan Chase & Co. upgraded shares of Sherwin-Williams (NYSE:SHW) from a neutral rating to an overweight rating in a research report report published on Monday, MarketBeat reports. The brokerage currently has $415.00 price objective on the specialty chemicals company’s stock, up from their prior price objective of $380.00. A number of other equities research analysts have also recently weighed in on SHW. Zacks Investment Research cut Sherwin-Williams from a buy rating to a hold rating in a report on Thursday, October 18th. Deutsche Bank raised Sherwin-Williams from a hold rating to a buy rating and raised their price target for the company from $400.00 to $465.00 in a report on Tuesday, December 4th. Credit Suisse Group dropped their price target on Sherwin-Williams from $500.00 to $467.00 and set a buy rating for the company in a report on Friday, October 26th. Longbow Research began coverage on Sherwin-Williams in a report on Friday, November 30th. They set a neutral rating for the company. Finally, Buckingham Research dropped their price target on Sherwin-Williams from $425.00 to $410.00 and set a neutral rating for the company in a report on Friday, October 26th. Ten research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and fourteen have assigned a buy rating to the stock. The stock presently has an average rating of Buy and an average target price of $465.60. Read more …

UBS Group upgraded shares of Vodafone Group (NASDAQ:VOD) from a neutral rating to a buy rating in a report published on Monday, The Fly reports. A number of other analysts have also recently commented on the company. Zacks Investment Research upgraded Vodafone Group from a sell rating to a hold rating in a research report on Saturday, August 25th. Bank of America cut Vodafone Group from a buy rating to a neutral rating in a research report on Thursday, August 30th. Sanford C. Bernstein upgraded Vodafone Group from a market perform rating to an outperform rating and set a $40.00 price objective for the company in a research report on Tuesday, September 4th. Citigroup upgraded Vodafone Group from a neutral rating to a buy rating in a research report on Thursday, September 6th. Finally, Standpoint Research upgraded Vodafone Group from a reduce rating to a buy rating in a research report on Tuesday, September 11th. Six investment analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, nine have issued a buy rating and one has assigned a strong buy rating to the stock. The stock currently has an average rating of Buy and an average price target of $33.36. Read more …

Darden Restaurants (NYSE:DRI) was upgraded by investment analysts at BTIG Research from a “neutral” rating to a “buy” rating in a research report issued to clients and investors on Tuesday, MarketBeat Ratings reports. The firm currently has a $119.00 target price on the restaurant operator’s stock. BTIG Research’s price objective would suggest a potential upside of 18.25% from the company’s current price. DRI has been the subject of several other reports. Canaccord Genuity upped their price target on Darden Restaurants from $120.00 to $125.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research note on Friday, September 21st. Zacks Investment Research upgraded Darden Restaurants from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating and set a $121.00 target price for the company in a research report on Friday, October 5th. Mizuho increased their target price on Darden Restaurants from $115.00 to $125.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research report on Friday, September 21st. SunTrust Banks increased their target price on Darden Restaurants to $137.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research report on Friday, September 21st. Finally, Morgan Stanley increased their target price on Darden Restaurants from $110.00 to $112.00 and gave the company an “equal weight” rating in a research report on Friday, September 21st. Two equities research analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, eight have given a hold rating and nineteen have issued a buy rating to the company. The stock presently has an average rating of “Buy” and a consensus price target of $120.03. Read more …

JPMorgan Chase & Co. upgraded shares of Norfolk Southern (NYSE:NSC) from a neutral rating to an overweight rating in a research report report published on Tuesday, Marketbeat reports. The firm currently has $203.00 target price on the railroad operator’s stock, up from their previous target price of $198.00. NSC has been the subject of several other research reports. Zacks Investment Research raised Norfolk Southern from a hold rating to a buy rating and set a $169.00 price target for the company in a report on Monday. TD Securities raised Norfolk Southern from a hold rating to a buy rating in a report on Thursday, October 25th. They noted that the move was a valuation call. Morgan Stanley set a $113.00 price target on Norfolk Southern and gave the company a sell rating in a report on Monday, October 22nd. Bank of America upped their price target on Norfolk Southern from $183.00 to $187.00 and gave the company a buy rating in a report on Monday, October 1st. Finally, Barclays reaffirmed a hold rating and issued a $190.00 price target on shares of Norfolk Southern in a report on Wednesday, September 26th. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, ten have given a hold rating and eleven have issued a buy rating to the company’s stock. The company presently has a consensus rating of Hold and an average price target of $177.37. Read more …

Notable Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades for Week of September 24, 2018

Upgrades:

Helmerich & Payne (NYSE:HP) was upgraded by equities research analysts at B. Riley from a “neutral” rating to a “buy” rating in a research note issued to investors on Monday, MarketBeat.com reports. The brokerage presently has a $83.00 price target on the oil and gas company’s stock, up from their prior price target of $68.00. B. Riley’s price objective indicates a potential upside of 20.85% from the company’s current price. A number of other research firms have also issued reports on HP. ValuEngine lowered shares of Helmerich & Payne from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note on Monday, July 16th. Jefferies Financial Group raised shares of Helmerich & Payne from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a research note on Wednesday, June 27th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. raised shares of Helmerich & Payne from an “underweight” rating to a “neutral” rating and upped their price target for the stock from $49.00 to $58.00 in a research note on Friday, September 14th. Cowen set a $57.00 price target on shares of Helmerich & Payne and gave the stock a “hold” rating in a research note on Monday, July 30th. Finally, Piper Jaffray Companies set a $67.00 price target on shares of Helmerich & Payne and gave the stock a “hold” rating in a research note on Sunday, July 29th. Two equities research analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, nine have issued a hold rating and eleven have given a buy rating to the company. Helmerich & Payne currently has a consensus rating of “Hold” and an average target price of $68.93. Read more …

Clorox (NYSE:CLX) was upgraded by research analysts at Argus from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a report issued on Tuesday, The Fly reports. A number of other equities research analysts have also issued reports on CLX. Atlantic Securities started coverage on Clorox in a research report on Thursday, September 20th. They issued a “neutral” rating and a $151.00 target price on the stock. ValuEngine upgraded Clorox from a “sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note on Tuesday, June 26th. BMO Capital Markets restated a “buy” rating and issued a $153.00 price target on shares of Clorox in a research note on Friday, August 3rd. Goldman Sachs Group downgraded Clorox from a “neutral” rating to a “sell” rating and decreased their price target for the company from $127.00 to $112.00 in a research note on Tuesday, July 17th. They noted that the move was a valuation call. Finally, Bank of America raised their price target on Clorox from $130.00 to $140.00 and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a research note on Monday, July 16th. Three investment analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, ten have given a hold rating and four have issued a buy rating to the company’s stock. The stock presently has a consensus rating of “Hold” and an average target price of $131.79. Read more …

Canadian National Railway (NYSE:CNI) (TSE:CNR) was upgraded by Citigroup from a “neutral” rating to a “buy” rating in a research note issued on Tuesday, MarketBeat.com reports. The firm currently has a $100.00 target price on the transportation company’s stock. Citigroup’s price objective suggests a potential upside of 11.69% from the company’s current price. A number of other brokerages have also commented on CNI. Zacks Investment Research raised shares of Canadian National Railway from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating and set a $101.00 price target on the stock in a report on Monday, July 30th. BMO Capital Markets lowered shares of Canadian National Railway from an “outperform” rating to a “market perform” rating in a report on Wednesday, September 5th. They noted that the move was a valuation call. Cowen reaffirmed a “buy” rating and set a $98.00 target price on shares of Canadian National Railway in a report on Wednesday, July 25th. Loop Capital reaffirmed a “hold” rating on shares of Canadian National Railway in a report on Wednesday, July 25th. Finally, Macquarie raised shares of Canadian National Railway from a “neutral” rating to an “outperform” rating in a report on Thursday, September 20th. Eleven research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and eleven have given a buy rating to the company. Canadian National Railway currently has an average rating of “Buy” and a consensus price target of $91.71. Read more …

B. Riley upgraded shares of Viacom (NASDAQ:VIAB) from a neutral rating to a buy rating in a research note issued to investors on Wednesday morning, Marketbeat Ratings reports. The firm currently has $39.00 price objective on the stock, up from their previous price objective of $34.00. B. Riley also issued estimates for Viacom’s FY2019 earnings at $4.47 EPS and FY2020 earnings at $4.51 EPS. VIAB has been the topic of several other research reports. BidaskClub lowered shares of Viacom from a sell rating to a strong sell rating in a research note on Friday, July 20th. Macquarie upgraded shares of Viacom from a neutral rating to an outperform rating and increased their price objective for the stock from $34.00 to $37.00 in a research note on Thursday, September 20th. Barrington Research reiterated a hold rating on shares of Viacom in a research note on Wednesday, August 15th. Pivotal Research upgraded shares of Viacom from a hold rating to a buy rating and dropped their price objective for the stock from $34.00 to $32.00 in a research note on Tuesday, July 31st. They noted that the move was a valuation call. Finally, Cfra reiterated a hold rating and set a $35.00 price objective on shares of Viacom in a research note on Wednesday, June 27th. Three investment analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, seventeen have given a hold rating and eight have assigned a buy rating to the company’s stock. Viacom currently has an average rating of Hold and an average price target of $34.38. Read more …

Notable Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades for Week of July 16, 2018

Upgrades:

United Parcel Service (NYSE:UPS) was upgraded by investment analysts at UBS Group from a “neutral” rating to a “buy” rating in a report released on Monday, The Fly reports. UPS has been the subject of a number of other reports. ValuEngine cut United Parcel Service from a “hold” rating to a “sell” rating in a report on Monday, July 2nd. Stephens reiterated a “hold” rating and issued a $126.00 target price on shares of United Parcel Service in a research note on Monday, April 9th. Bank of America upgraded United Parcel Service from a “neutral” rating to a “buy” rating in a research note on Monday, May 14th. Robert W. Baird reiterated a “hold” rating and issued a $120.00 target price on shares of United Parcel Service in a research note on Tuesday, April 10th. Finally, Loop Capital upped their target price on United Parcel Service to $139.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research note on Wednesday, May 30th. Three analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, ten have assigned a hold rating and eight have given a buy rating to the stock. The company currently has a consensus rating of “Hold” and an average price target of $124.33. Read more …

VF (NYSE:VFC) was upgraded by research analysts at JPMorgan Chase & Co. from a “neutral” rating to an “overweight” rating in a research note issued to investors on Monday, The Fly reports. Other research analysts also recently issued reports about the company. Sanford C. Bernstein reaffirmed a “market perform” rating and set a $71.00 target price on shares of VF in a research note on Monday, May 7th. Canaccord Genuity set a $91.00 target price on VF and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research note on Tuesday, May 8th. Pivotal Research reaffirmed a “hold” rating and set a $82.00 target price on shares of VF in a research note on Monday, May 7th. UBS Group assumed coverage on VF in a research note on Thursday, June 21st. They set a “neutral” rating and a $89.00 target price for the company. Finally, Argus assumed coverage on VF in a research note on Monday, May 21st. They set a “buy” rating and a $101.00 target price for the company. Ten analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and fifteen have given a buy rating to the company’s stock. The company currently has a consensus rating of “Buy” and an average price target of $83.78. Read more …

Brown-Forman Co. Class B (NYSE:BF.B) was upgraded by equities researchers at Cowen from a “market perform” rating to an “outperform” rating in a research note issued to investors on Tuesday, The Fly reports. A number of other equities analysts have also recently commented on the stock. Zacks Investment Research raised shares of Brown-Forman Co. Class B from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating and set a $62.00 price objective for the company in a research report on Tuesday, May 8th. ValuEngine raised shares of Brown-Forman Co. Class B from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a research report on Monday, April 2nd. Morgan Stanley raised shares of Brown-Forman Co. Class B from an “underweight” rating to an “equal weight” rating in a research report on Thursday, June 28th. Finally, Societe Generale cut shares of Brown-Forman Co. Class B from a “hold” rating to a “sell” rating in a research report on Tuesday, June 12th. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, ten have given a hold rating and three have assigned a buy rating to the stock. The stock presently has a consensus rating of “Hold” and a consensus target price of $49.82. Read more …

Colgate-Palmolive (NYSE:CL) was upgraded by equities researchers at UBS Group from a “neutral” rating to a “buy” rating in a research note issued on Wednesday, www.benzinga.com reports. The brokerage currently has a $75.00 price target on the stock, up from their previous price target of $70.00. UBS Group’s price objective would suggest a potential upside of 15.72% from the company’s previous close. A number of other equities analysts have also recently commented on the company. Wells Fargo & Co cut Colgate-Palmolive to a “hold” rating in a research note on Tuesday. Zacks Investment Research cut Colgate-Palmolive from a “hold” rating to a “sell” rating in a research note on Monday, July 2nd. Morgan Stanley decreased their price target on Colgate-Palmolive from $69.00 to $67.00 and set an “equal weight” rating on the stock in a research note on Thursday, June 21st. Argus raised Colgate-Palmolive from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a research note on Friday, May 25th. They noted that the move was a valuation call. Finally, Sanford C. Bernstein reaffirmed a “market perform” rating and issued a $72.00 price target on shares of Colgate-Palmolive in a research note on Thursday, May 24th. Four research analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, ten have given a hold rating and four have issued a buy rating to the company’s stock. Colgate-Palmolive presently has a consensus rating of “Hold” and a consensus target price of $75.00. Read more …

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 …

Notable Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades for Week of April 2, 2018

Upgrades:

Automatic Data Processing (NASDAQ:ADP) was upgraded by stock analysts at Royal Bank of Canada from a “sector perform” rating to an “outperform” rating in a note issued to investors on Monday, The Fly reports. The analysts noted that the move was a valuation call. Several other equities analysts also recently commented on the company. Bank of America upgraded Automatic Data Processing from a “neutral” rating to a “buy” rating in a report on Tuesday, December 5th. Goldman Sachs upgraded Automatic Data Processing from a “neutral” rating to a “buy” rating and increased their price target for the company from $116.02 to $135.00 in a report on Monday, December 11th. Zacks Investment Research upgraded Automatic Data Processing from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating and set a $133.00 price target on the stock in a report on Monday, February 5th. BidaskClub upgraded Automatic Data Processing from a “sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a report on Wednesday, January 24th. Finally, Citigroup reiterated a “neutral” rating and set a $118.00 price target (up previously from $110.00) on shares of Automatic Data Processing in a report on Friday, January 12th. Ten equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and seven have given a buy rating to the company. The stock presently has an average rating of “Hold” and an average price target of $118.43. Read more …

Cardinal Health (NYSE:CAH) was upgraded by equities researchers at Argus from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a research report issued to clients and investors on Monday. The firm currently has a $85.00 price objective on the stock. Argus’ price target would indicate a potential upside of 35.61% from the company’s current price. CAH has been the subject of several other research reports. TheStreet raised shares of Cardinal Health from a “c+” rating to a “b-” rating in a research note on Tuesday, March 13th. Zacks Investment Research raised shares of Cardinal Health from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating and set a $84.00 price target for the company in a research note on Monday, January 29th. Barclays began coverage on shares of Cardinal Health in a research note on Thursday, March 8th. They issued an “equal weight” rating and a $74.00 price target for the company. Jefferies Group set a $72.00 price target on shares of Cardinal Health and gave the company a “hold” rating in a research note on Friday, February 9th. Finally, Royal Bank of Canada set a $83.00 price target on shares of Cardinal Health and gave the company a “hold” rating in a research note on Thursday, February 8th. Three research analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, fourteen have given a hold rating and four have issued a buy rating to the company. Cardinal Health currently has a consensus rating of “Hold” and a consensus target price of $75.46. Read more …

Darden Restaurants (NYSE:DRI) was upgraded by investment analysts at Royal Bank of Canada from a “sector perform” rating to an “outperform” rating in a report issued on Monday, Marketbeat reports. The brokerage presently has a $97.00 target price on the restaurant operator’s stock. Royal Bank of Canada’s price target would suggest a potential upside of 14.45% from the company’s previous close. DRI has been the subject of a number of other reports. BMO Capital Markets cut their price objective on shares of Darden Restaurants from $99.00 to $97.00 and set a “market perform” rating for the company in a report on Thursday, March 22nd. SunTrust Banks reaffirmed a “hold” rating on shares of Darden Restaurants in a report on Thursday, December 21st. Zacks Investment Research lowered shares of Darden Restaurants from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a report on Tuesday, March 6th. Wells Fargo reaffirmed a “market perform” rating and set a $99.00 price objective (up from $92.00) on shares of Darden Restaurants in a report on Tuesday, January 9th. Finally, Barclays reiterated an “overweight” rating and set a $116.00 target price (up from $108.00) on shares of Darden Restaurants in a research report on Tuesday, January 16th. One research analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, thirteen have issued a hold rating and fourteen have assigned a buy rating to the company. The stock presently has an average rating of “Hold” and an average price target of $98.26. Read more …

Union Pacific (NYSE:UNP) was upgraded by research analysts at Deutsche Bank from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a report released on Monday. The brokerage currently has a $158.00 price target on the railroad operator’s stock. Deutsche Bank’s target price would suggest a potential upside of 17.58% from the stock’s current price. A number of other equities analysts also recently issued reports on the company. UBS upgraded Union Pacific from a “neutral” rating to a “buy” rating in a research note on Friday, January 5th. BMO Capital Markets restated a “buy” rating and issued a $150.00 price target on shares of Union Pacific in a research note on Monday, January 8th. Citigroup upgraded Union Pacific from a “neutral” rating to a “buy” rating in a research note on Wednesday, February 14th. Zacks Investment Research upgraded Union Pacific from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating and set a $157.00 price target on the stock in a research note on Monday, January 15th. Finally, Wolfe Research upgraded Union Pacific from a “market perform” rating to an “outperform” rating in a research note on Friday, January 5th. Three investment analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, twelve have assigned a hold rating and eleven have issued a buy rating to the company’s stock. The stock currently has an average rating of “Hold” and a consensus target price of $136.10. Read more …