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Eric Buscemi
New York - http://www.theflyonthewall.com

Eric Buscemi, who has worked for the financial news site Theflyonthewall.com for three years, is the head editor of the company's blog. He has a BA and an MA in English from Queens College.

MOST NOTEWORTHY: Energy East, SunTrust Banks and Suncor were today's noteworthy upgrades:

• Jefferies upgraded shares of Energy East (NYSE: EAS) to Buy from Hold on valuation, pointing out the return on the transaction if the Iberdrola/EAS merger deal closes is 21.9%. The firm raised their target to $28.50 from $25.50.
  
• Baird upgraded SunTrust Banks (NYSE: STI) to Outperform from Neutral citing valuation and notes the company is unlikely to need to raise capital.
  
• CIBC raised Suncor (NYSE: SU) to Outperformer from Sector Performer following news that Alberta's Energy Resource Conservation Board has lifted restrictions on production on the company's Firebag SAGD project.

OTHER UPGRADES:

• Sterling Bancshares (NASDAQ: SBIB) was lifted to Outperform from Market Perform at Keefe Bruyette.
  
• Vodafone (NYSE: VOD) was upgraded at Morgan Stanley to Equal Weight from Underweight.
  
• Kinetic Concepts (NYSE: KCI) was upgraded to Neutral from Sell at Goldman.

MOST NOTEWORTHY: Anadigics, American Axle and Caterpillar were today's noteworthy downgrades:

• Stephens downgraded shares of Anadigics (NASDAQ: ANAD) following the company's Q2 results, as they believe shares could trade sideways until the macro environment improves. The firm lowered their target to $9 from $14. Jefferies downgraded shares to Hold from Buy to reflect the company's lower than expected outlook. The firm lowered their target to $9 from $15.
• Deutsche Bank cut American Axle (NYSE: AXL) to Hold from Buy to reflect the risk associated with the company's exposure to General Motors (NYSE: GM) and Chrysler. The firm lowered their target price to $7.50 from $11.
  
• JP Morgan downgraded Caterpillar (NYSE: CAT) to Neutral from Overweight based on increasing macro headwinds and likely multiple pressure.

OTHER DOWNGRADES:

• Washington Mutual (NYSE: WM) was cut to Sell from Neutral at Piper.
  
• United Microelectronic (NYSE: UMC) was downgraded to Sell from Neutral at Goldman.
  
• Downey Financial (NYSE: DSL) and City National (NYSE: CYN) were lowered to Market Perform from Outperform at Keefe Bruyette.

MOST NOTEWORTHY: Psychiatric Solutions, hhgregg and Ulta Salon were today's noteworthy initiations:

• Stanford started Psychiatric Solutions (NASDAQ: PSYS) with a Buy rating and $46 target and believes the recent pullback provides an attractive entry point given the company's stable growth and fundamentally strong business.
  
• Oppenheimer initiated hhgregg (NYSE: HGG) with a Perform rating. The firm believes the company's TV business could become much more challenging while housing market weakness could continue to hinder appliance sales.
• Oppenheimer also assumed Ulta Salon (NASDAQ: ULTA) with an Outperform rating and $13 target. The firm believes the company's fundamentals are solid and sees potential upside to valuation.

OTHER INITIATIONS:

• Piper initiated Ormat Tech (NYSE: ORA) with a Neutral rating and $49 target and Raser Technologies (NYSE: RZ) with a Sell rating and $7 target.
  
• The9 (NASDAQ: NCTY) was assumed at Roth Capital with a Hold rating and $27 target.
  
• Masimo (NASDAQ: MASI) was initiated with an Outperform rating and $44 target at BMO Capital.

MOST NOTEWORTHY:

• Banc of America initiated the Metals and Mining sector with an Equal Weight rating and believes investors should take a selective approach to stocks in the group. The firm initiated Alcoa (NYSE: AA) and RTI International Metals (NYSE: RTI) with Buy ratings and a $44 target and $41 target, and started Allegheny Tech (NYSE: ATI), Century Aluminum (NASDAQ: CENX) and Titanium Metals (NYSE: TIE) with Neutral ratings and a $64 target, $58 target and $12 target, respectively.
  
• Lamar Advertising (NASDAQ: LAMR) was initiated at Caris with an Above Average rating and $40 target. Caris is positive on the company's North American focus and exposure to the aggressive deployment of digital boards.
  
• Stanford believes Rigel Pharma's (NASDAQ: RIGL) lead drug R788 has the potential to be the first oral drug for rheumatoid arthritis and expects clinical news flow and partnerships to serve as catalysts. Shares were initiated with a Buy rating and $30 target.

• Thomas Weisel assumed Salesforce.com (NYSE: CRM) with an Overweight rating and $90 target.
  
• International Flavors (NYSE: IFF) was initiated at Lehman with an Underweight rating.
  
• JP Morgan started Ares Capital (NASDAQ: ARCC) with an Underweight rating.

MOST NOTEWORTHY:

• Merrill Lynch downgraded shares of Texas Instruments (NYSE: TXN) to Neutral from Buy after the company reported lower-than-expected Q3 results due to concerns regarding elevated inventory levels and rising raw material and labor costs. Merrill lowered their target to $27 from $32.
  
• Citigroup cut SanDisk (NASDAQ: SNDK) to Sell from Hold after the company reported a Q2 miss and offered lower-than-expected guidance. Citigroup lowered their target price to $14 from $20.
  
• JMP Securities downgraded Brocade (NASDAQ: BRCD) to Market Perform from Outperform following the company's announcement to buy Foundry Networks, Inc. (NASDAQ: FDRY) for $19.25 per share.

• ArthroCare (NASDAQ: ARTC) was lowered to Market Perform from Outperform at William Blair.
  
• JP Morgan downgraded Assured Guaranty (NYSE: AGO) and Lenovo Group (LNVGY) to Neutral from Overweight.
  
• iStar Financial (NYSE: SFI) was downgraded to Sell from Buy at UBS.
  
• Goldman removed Gilead Sciences (NASDAQ: GILD) from the Conviction Buy List.

MOST NOTEWORTHY:

• Piper upgraded shares of PetMed Express (NASDAQ: PETS) to Neutral from Sell after the company's Q1 results topped estimates on strong new customer growth. Piper raised their target to $14 from $11.
  
• Oppenheimer raised Mindspeed (NASDAQ: MSPDD) to Outperform from Perform following the Q3 results, as they believe the company is hitting its stride in VoIP after years of investment and the stock is attractively valued.
  
• Citigroup upgraded QLogic (NASDAQ: QLGC) shares to Buy from Hold following the company's Q1 results and Brocade (NASDAQ: BRCD)'s acquisition of Foundry Networks, Inc. (NASDAQ: FDRY) to reflect its solid fundamentals and the strategic significance of its switch business. The firm raised their target to $20 from $18.

• Goldman added Amylin Pharma (NASDAQ: AMLN) to the Conviction Buy List.
  
• Cleco (NYSE: CNL) was raised to Buy from Hold at Soleil.
  
• Canadian National Oil (NYSE: CNI) was upgraded at TD Newcrest to Buy from Hold.

MOST NOTEWORTHY:

• Wachovia believes Fifth Street Finance (NYSE: FSC) is better positioned than many of its peers, especially in the areas of capital and growth. The firm, which started shares with an Outperform rating, believes the company's reduced competition and liquidity should allow it to pick the best investment opportunities.
• Home Depot (NYSE: HD) was initiated with a Buy rating and $30 target at Rochdale, citing Home Depot's valuation and shift towards maximizing ROIC and cash flow from growth.

• Merrill Lynch initiated Allos Therapeutics (NASDAQ: ALTH) with a Buy rating.

MOST NOTEWORTHY:

• Deutsche Bank downgraded shares of Stanley Works (NYSE: SWK) to Hold from Buy as they see risk to Q2 and FY08 earnings due to a slowdown in the European industrial and consumer categories. The firm lowered their target to $52 from $62.
  
• Wachovia cut the Generic Drug sector to Market Weight from Overweight Wachovia sees near-term challenges for Teva Pharmaceutical (NASDAQ: TEVA), Mylan (NYSE: MYL) and Watson Pharmaceuticals (NYSE: WPI). The firm thinks Teva will become a very strong company over the long-term, following its takeover of Barr (NYSE: BRL). However, the firm adds that Teva will need to integrate the acquisition nearly perfectly, and Mylan may feel compelled to make another acquisition, even as it is still integrating Merck Generics, while Watson's growth prospects are still uncertain.
  
• Oppenheimer downgraded Fiserv (NASDAQ: FISV) and Fidelity National (NYSE: FIS) to Perform from Outperform based on multiple pressure from the challenging banking environment and growth headwinds.

• Satyam (NYSE: SAY) was downgraded to Underperform from Outperform at Credit Suisse and Equal Weight from Overweight at Morgan Stanley.
  
• UBS downgraded Textron (NYSE: TXT) to Neutral from Buy.
  
• Constellation Energy (NYSE: CEG) was downgraded at Jefferies to Underperform from Hold.

MOST NOTEWORTHY:

• Deutsche Bank upgraded shares of Teva Pharmaceutical (NASDAQ: TEVA) to Buy from Hold to reflect the company's greater growth prospects following the acquisition of Barr (NYSE: BRL). The firm raised the target to $56 from $47.
  
• ThinkPanmure upgraded Blue Coat Systems (NASDAQ: BCSI) to Buy from Source of Funds based on the company's growth prospects following positive channel checks.
  
• American International Group (NYSE: AIG) was raised to Buy from Neutral at Banc of America on valuation, as they find the risk/reward attractive at current levels.

• Goldman upgraded the Semiconductor Production Equipment sector to Neutral from Cautious and added Verigy (NASDAQ: VRGY) to its Conviction Buy List.
  
• Morgan Stanley upgraded Whole Foods (NASDAQ: WFMI) and Cintas (NASDAQ: CTAS) to Equal Weight from Underweight.
  
• Gibraltar Industries (NASDAQ: ROCK) was raised to Buy from Neutral at Piper.

• Theravance, Inc. (NASDAQ: THRX)'s PDUFA date for Telavancin for the treatment of complicated skin infections.
• Merck & Co., Inc. (NYSE: MRK) to report Q2 earnings; conference call at 9:00am.
• Bank of America Corporation (NYSE: BAC) to report Q2 earnings; conference call at 9:30am.
• Apple, Inc. (NASDAQ: AAPL) to report Q3 earnings; conference call at 5:00pm.
• Texas Instruments Incorporated (NYSE: TXN) to report Q2 earnings; conference call at 5:30pm.

• United Parcel Services, Inc. (NYSE: UPS) to report Q3 earnings; conference call at 8:30am.
• Halliburton Company (NYSE: HAL) to report Q2 earnings; conference call at 9:00am.
• Caterpillar Inc. (NYSE: CAT) to report Q2 earnings; conference call at 11:00am.
• Lockheed Martin Corporation (NYSE: LMT) to report Q2 earnings; conference call at 11:00am.
• Yahoo!, Inc. (NASDAQ: YHOO) to report Q2 earnings; conference call at 5:00pm.

MOST NOTEWORTHY:

• Citigroup initiated Wyeth (NYSE: WYE) with a Hold rating and $49 target. The firm believes the upside potential from bapineuzumab is masking the company's unfavorable average EPS and revenue growth forecast versus the industry.
  
• Piper believes 3SBio Inc (NASDAQ: SSRX) is the market leader in a largely underpenetrated EPO market in China and sees limited downside risk. Shares were assumed with a Buy rating and $12 target.
  
• RBC Capital initiated Cellcom Israel (NYSE: CEL) and Partner Communications (NASDAQ: PTNR) with Outperform ratings and targets of $40 and $30, respectively. RBC said they have defensive appeal given their predictable earnings stream.

• HCP (NYSE: HCP), Nationwide Health Properties (NYSE: NHP) and Medical Properties Trust (NYSE: MPW) were initiated with Market Perform ratings at Wachovia.
  
• SanDisk (NASDAQ: SNDK) was assumed with an Above Average rating and $20.50 target at Caris.

MOST NOTEWORTHY:

• Bernstein downgraded the Refining Sector to Market Weight from Overweight based on the weakening earnings outlook for the group. The firm downgraded Sunoco (NYSE: SUN) and Tesoro (NYSE: TSO) to Market Perform from Outperform.
  
• Citigroup downgraded shares of International Game Tech (NYSE: IGT) to Hold from Buy following the company's lower than expected guidance and removed the stock from their Top Picks Live List. The firm lowered their target to $25 from $45. Shares were also downgraded at Oppenheimer to Perform from Outperform following the company's lower-than-expected results.
  
• Jefferies cut Gilead Sciences (NASDAQ: GILD) to Hold from Buy following the company's Q2 results as they see limited upside catalysts and a matured core HIV drug franchise. The firm maintains a $56 target. BMO Capital downgraded GILD to Market Perform from Outperform based on valuation, flattening HIV sales, Letairis growth below expectations, and increased R&D costs.

• Best Buy (NYSE: BBY) was downgraded at RBC Capital to Outperform from Top Pick.
  
• Goldman removed Coca-Cola (NYSE: KO) from the Conviction Buy List.
  
• Progressive (NYSE: PGR) was lowered to Neutral from Outperform at Credit Suisse.

MOST NOTEWORTHY:

• JP Morgan upgraded UAL Corp (NASDAQ: UAUA) to Overweight from Neutral based on valuation and expectations for the company to make a capital announcement on next week's conference call.
  
• Citigroup upgraded shares of WPP Group (NASDAQ: WPPGY) to Buy from Hold as they believe the company's diversification will lead to low earnings volatility.
  
• UBS upgraded Aventine Renewable (NYSE: AVR) and VeraSun Energy (NYSE: VSE) to Buy from Neutral based on expectations for margin improvements following recent corn price declines.

• Werner Enterprises (NASDAQ: WERN) was upgraded to Neutral from Underweight at JP Morgan and to Neutral from Underperform at Merrill.
  
• Wachovia raised Yum! Brands (NYSE: YUM) to Outperform from Market Perform.
  
• Entergy (NYSE: ETR) was lifted to Buy from Hold at Jefferies.

MOST NOTEWORTHY:

• Jefferies initiated Solarfun Power (NASDAQ:SOLF) with a Buy rating and $18 target. The firm believes the one-third stake purchased by Good Energies and new management hires could generate operational momentum and that declining silicon costs may help margins.
  
• BioMarin Pharmaceutical (NASDAQ:BMRN) was started at Oppenheimer with a Perform rating. The firm recommends waiting for Street estimates on Kuvan sales to moderate and for positive pipeline signals before adding to positions.
  
• Genentech (NYSE:DNA) was initiated at Citigroup with a Buy rating and $91 target. The firm believes several studies could lead to robust growth and points out the company's Q2 results showed Avastin reaccelerating due to growth in breast cancer.

• Goldman reinstated Staples (NASDAQ:SPLS) with a Neutral rating.
  
• Zebra Tech (NASDAQ:ZBRA) was initiated with a Hold rating at KeyBanc.
  
• Rodman & Renshaw assumed coverage of Corcept Therapeutics (NASDAQ:CORT) with an Outperform rating and $8 target.
  
• AuthenTec (NASDAQ:AUTH) was initiated at JP Morgan with an Overweight rating and at Canaccord Adams with a Hold rating and $10 target.

MOST NOTEWORTHY:

• Baird upgraded Blackboard (NASDAQ:BBBB) to Outperform from Neutral based on two new state-wide deals with New Mexico and North Carolina, K-12 growth, and up-selling and cross-selling opportunities. The firm raised Blackboard's target to $45 from $38.
  
• Wachovia raised Starwood Hotels (NYSE:HOT) to Outperform from Market Perform citing valuation, high international exposure, and secure capital structure and dividend.
  
• Citigroup upgraded shares of ACE Ltd (NYSE:ACE) to Buy from Neutral on valuation, as they believe additional selling from the company's redomestication to Switzerland will be offset by short covering. They view the recent weakness as an attractive buying opportunity and raised their target to $63 from $58.

• UBS upgraded Microchip (NASDAQ:MCHP) and Linear Tech (NASDAQ:LLTC) to Buy from Neutral.
  
• Marshall & Ilsley (NYSE:MI) was raised to Market Perform from Underperform at Keefe Bruyette.
  
• Comcast (NASDAQ:CMCSA) was upgraded to Buy from Neutral at Goldman.