Wal-Mart: Analysts' Upgrades, Downgrades

Wal-Mart upgraded at Citi to Buy from Hold on expectations of more aggressive pricing.

Author:: TSC Staff
Publish date:: Mar 15, 2010 9:16 AM EDT

NEW YORK (TheStreet) -- CHANGE IN RATINGS

Apache

downgraded at Morgan Stanley from Overweight to Equal-weight. Sector will be hurt by lower natural gas prices.

Atheros Communications

(ATHR)

downgraded at Barclays to Equal Weight from Overweight on valuation. 2010 and 2011 EPS estimates set at $2.20 and $2.40, respectively. Maintain $40 price target.

CF Industries

(CF) - Get Report

downgraded at UBS from Neutral to Sell. $81 price target. Investors would have been better served with the AGU deal.

Chesapeake Energy

(CHK) - Get Report

downgraded at Morgan Stanley from Overweight to Equal-weight. Valuation call.

Diamond Foods

(DMND)

reinstated at BofA/Merrill 8:15 AM EDT DMND coverage reinstated with a Neutral rating and $45 price target. Recent acquisition of Kettle Foods was a bullish move.

Entropic Communications

(ENTR) - Get Report

upgraded at Barclays to Overweight from Equal Weight as the company should benefit from broadening customer base. Price target jumped to $7 from $4.50. 2010 and 2011 EPS estimates set at 30 cents and 54 cents, respectively.

Hasbro

(HAS) - Get Report

downgraded at Needham from Strong Buy to Buy. Valuation call, based on a $45 price target.

Ironwood Pharmaceuticals

(IRWD) - Get Report

initiated at BofA/Merrill with a Buy rating and $17 price target.

KLA-Tencor

(KLAC) - Get Report

downgraded at Oppenheimer from Perform to Underperform. See a sequential decline in Semi cap equipment orders in the second quarter.

Legg Mason

(LM) - Get Report

upgraded at FBR from Underperform to Market Perform. Outflows appear to be stabilizing. $33 price target.

Lam Research

(LRCX) - Get Report

downgraded at Oppenheimer from Outperform to Perform. Semi-cap equipment orders are likely to fall 15%-20% sequentially in the second quarter.

Patterson-UTI

(PTEN) - Get Report

downgraded at Morgan Stanley to Equal-weight. $20 price target. Lower natural gas prices are weighing on North American drilling demand.

Sirona Dental

(SIRO)

upgraded at Suntrust from Neutral to Buy. $50 price target. Company is positioned well to exceed consensus analyst estimates.

Ulta Salon

(ULTA) - Get Report

downgraded at Jefferies from Buy to Hold. Valuation call, based on a $25 price target. Company facing more difficult comparisons.

Wal-Mart

(WMT) - Get Report

upgraded at Citi to Buy from Hold on expectations of more aggressive pricing. Price target jumped to $65 from $54. 2011 and 2012 EPS estimates set at $4.04 and $4.49, respectively.

STOCK COMMENTS / EPS CHANGES

Abbott Labs

(ABT) - Get Report

estimates lowered at Credit Suisse through 2012 as long awaited results for lipid study delivered negative top-line data. Maintain Neutral rating and $59 price target.

Ann Taylor

(ANN)

estimates, target upped at FBR. Shares of ANN now seen reaching $23. Estimates also boosted, because of higher comp sales. Outperform rating.

Best Buy

(BBY) - Get Report

numbers lowered at Oppenheimer. Shares of BBY now seen reaching $38. Estimates also cut, as competition could cut into sales. Market Perform rating.

Broadcom

(BRCM)

estimates, target raised at FBR. Shares of BRCM now seen reaching $39. Estimates also increased, following robust channel checks. Outperform rating.

Dupont

(DD) - Get Report

target raised at UBS to $41. Volume growth is accelerating. Buy rating.

F5 Networks

(FFIV) - Get Report

numbers boosted at Goldman. Shares of FFIV now seen reaching $62. Estimates also raised, because of higher enterprise demand. Neutral rating.

Foot Locker

(FL) - Get Report

estimates, target raised at Morgan Stanley. FL target was increased to $12. Estimates also boosted, because of improving channel demand. Underweight rating.

Juniper

(JNPR) - Get Report

estimates, target increased at Goldman. Shares of JNPR now seen reaching $34. Estimates also raised, as the company can continue to gain market share. Buy.

Nike

(NKE) - Get Report

estimates, target increased at UBS. NKE estimates were upped through 2011. Company is seeing higher sales demand across the globe. Neutral rating and new $74 price target.

Research in Motion

(RIMM)

numbers raised at Morgan Stanley. Shares of RIMM now seen reaching $95. Estimates also boosted, following channel checks. Overweight rating.

Radio Shack

(RSH)

cut from Conviction Buy List at Goldman Sachs. Stock is up 16% since early January and fourth quarter results fell short of expectations. $25.50 price target.

Valley National

(VLY) - Get Report

estimates upped at Morgan Stanley. VLY estimates were increased through 2012. FDIC acquisition should add to earnings. Equal-weight rating and $16 price target.

This article was written by a staff member of TheStreet.com.