Top Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades: Eaton, Checkpoint, eBay, Emerson, Honeywell, SanDisk and More
Thursday's leading analyst upgrades, downgrades and initiations from top research calls from around Wall Street include Eaton, Checkpoint Software, eBay, Emerson, Honeywell and SanDisk.
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With the stock market finally putting up some across-the-board gains, and more appear on tap for Thursday, investors will be looking to Europe for the big news. The European Central Bank is set to announce an expected quantitative easing plan designed to help boost the stagnant European economy, and it could also help lift stocks. 24/7 Wall St. reviews dozens of analyst research reports each morning to find new investment and trading ideas for its readers. Some analyst research reports cover new stocks to buy, and others cover stocks to sell or avoid.
Here are Thursday’s leading analyst upgrades, downgrades and initiations from top research calls from around Wall Street.
Aspen Technology Inc. (NASDAQ: AZPN) was downgraded to Underweight from Neutral at J.P. Morgan, and the price target was lowered to $36.00 from $46.50. The stock closed trading Wednesday at $34.48.
Babcock & Wilcox Co. (NYSE: BWC) was started at Buy with a $33 target at Merrill Lynch. The shares closed Wednesday at $27.01.
Check Point Software Technologies Ltd. (NASDAQ: CHKP) was downgraded to Neutral from Overweight at J.P. Morgan.
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Chuys Holdings Inc. (NASDAQ: CHUY) was raised to Outperform from Market Perform at Wells Fargo.
Dunkin’ Brands Group Inc. (NASDAQ: DNKN) was downgraded to Market Perform from Outperform at Wells Fargo.
Eaton Corp. PLC (NYSE: ETN) was started at Buy at UBS.
eBay Inc. (NASDAQ: EBAY) was raised to Equal Weight from Underweight at Morgan Stanley.
Emerson Electric Co. (NYSE: EMR) was downgraded to Neutral from Outperform at Baird.
Fluor Corp. (NYSE: FLR) was downgraded to Neutral from Buy at Merrill Lynch.
Flowserve Corp. (NYSE: FLS) was downgraded to Neutral from Buy at Merrill Lynch.
Fortress Investment Group LLC (NYSE: FIG) was downgraded from Outperform to Perform at Oppenheimer
Honeywell International Inc. (NYSE: HON) was started at Neutral at UBS.
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ITT Corp. (NYSE: ITT) was started at Neutral at UBS.
SanDisk Corp. (NASDAQ: SNDK) was downgraded to Neutral from Outperform at Wedbush.
SodaStream International Ltd. (NASDAQ: SODA) was raised to Neutral from Sell at Stifel.
Wednesday’s top analyst calls included Exxon Mobil, Lowe’s Companies, Paycom Software, Under Armour, Wal-Mart, Whole Foods, Verizon Communications and more.
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Lee Jackson has covered Wall Street analysts' equity and debt research and equity strategy daily for 24/7 Wall St. since 2012. His broad, diverse career, including a stint as creative services director at an NBC affiliate in Austin, Texas, gives him unique insight into the financial industry.
Lee Jackson's journey in the financial industry spans more than 30 years, including nearly two decades as an institutional equity salesperson at Bear Stearns, Lehman Brothers, and Morgan Stanley. His career spanned pivotal sell-side Wall Street events, from the dot-com rise and bubble to the Long-Term Capital Management debacle, 9/11, and the Great Recession of 2008. This reflects his resilience and adaptability amid market volatility.
Lee Jackson’s practical financial industry experience, gained through a career at some of the biggest banks and brokerage firms, is complemented by a lifetime of writing across various platforms. This unique combination allows him to shed light on the intricacies of Wall Street in a way only someone with deep insider experience and knowledge can. Moreover, his extensive network across Wall Street continues to provide direct access for him and 24/7 Wall St., a privilege few firms enjoy.
Since 2012, Jackson’s work for 24/7 Wall St. has been featured in Barron’s, Yahoo Finance, MarketWatch, Business Insider, TradingView, Real Money, The Street, Seeking Alpha, Benzinga, and other media outlets. He attended the prestigious Cranbrook Schools in Bloomfield Hills, Michigan, and has a degree in broadcasting from the Specs Howard School of Media Arts.
