Top Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades (AMGN, AU, BP, BIIB, CELG, GILD, HMY, HGSI, LYG, MPEL, MVIS, RIMM, TEVA, VPHM, WBD)

These are some of this Thursday’s top analyst upgrades, downgrades, and initiations seen from Wall Street research calls:

Amgen Inc. (NASDAQ: AMGN) Started as Buy at Stifel Nicolaus.
AngloGold Ashanti (NYSE: AU) Cut to Neutral at JPMorgan.
BP plc (NYSE: BP) Reiterated Buy and Raised Target at Collins Stewart.
Biogen Idec Inc. (NASDAQ: BIIB) Started as Sell at Stifel Nicolaus.
Celgene Corporation (NASDAQ: CELG) Started as Buy at Stifel Nicolaus.
Gilead Sciences Inc. (NASDAQ:GILD) Started as Hold at Stifel Nicolaus.
Harmony Gold (NYSE: HMY) Raised to Overweight at JPMorgan.
Human Genome Sciences Inc. (NASDAQ: HGSI) Started as Buy at Stifel Nicolaus.
Lloyds Banking Group (NYSE: LYG) Raised to Equalweight at Barclays.
Melco Crown Entertainment (NASDAQ: MPEL) Cut to Neutral at JPMorgan; Raised to Buy at UBS.
Microvision Inc. (NASDAQ: MVIS) Started as Buy at Stifel Nicolaus.
Research In Motion Ltd. (NASDAQ: RIMM) Started as Sell at BGC.
Teva Pharmaceutical Industries Limited (NASDAQ: TEVA) Raised to Outperform at Oppenheimer.
ViroPharma Inc. (NASDAQ: VPHM) Started as Outperform at Leerink Swann.
Wimm-Bill-Dann Foods OSJC (NYSE: WBD) Raised to Overweight at JPMorgan.

You can join our free daily email distribution list to hear more about dividend trends, analyst upgrades and downgrades, top day trader and active trader alerts, news on Buffett and other investment gurus, IPOs, secondary offerings, private equity, and more.

JON C. OGG