Upgrades and Downgrades (BEAV, CAJ, CRZO, EHTH, ENTG, LIHR, ACL, ARMH, CCJ, GIB, CIE, DPM, GPN, HSII, OMI, PCX, PSO, PNM, RFMD, SEP, SYT)

Published on Wednesday, 28 July 2010 07:52 Written by Danny Miller

New York, July 28th (TradersHuddle.com) – Following are some of the top upgrades and downgrades before the market open.

Upgrades:

BE Aerospace (NASDAQ:BEAV), the maker of interior products for commercial, military, and general aviation aircraft cabins, was upgraded to a Hold from Sell at Societe Generale.

Canon (NYSE:CAJ), the maker of electronics like digital cameras and printers, was upgraded to Overweight from Neutral at JP Morgan.

Carrizo Oil & Gas (NASDAQ: CRZO) was upgraded to Outperform from Market Perform at BMO Capital.

eHealth (NASDAQ:EHTH), the provider of the ecommerce platform to research, analyze, compare and purchase health insurance products, was upgraded to Perform from Underperform at Oppenheimer. The firm believes current valuation already prices in a reduction in commission rates. Additionally, the company announced several positive catalysts, including a share repurchase plan.

Entegris (NASDAQ:ENTG), the maker of products used in processing and manufacturing of semiconductors, was upgraded to a Hold from Sell at Citigroup.

Lihir Gold (NASDAQ: LIHR) was upgraded to Outperform from Sector Perform at RBC Capital.

Downgrades:

Alcon (NYSE:ACL), the global medical specialty company focused on eye care, was downgraded to Market Perform from Outperform at Wells Fargo.

ARM Holdings (NASDAQ: ARMH), was downgraded to a Neutral from Overweight at Piper Jaffray.

Cameco (NYSE:CCJ) was downgraded to Neutral from Outperform at Macquarie

CGI Group (NYSE:GIB), the independent IT and business process services firm, was downgraded to Sector Perform from Outperform at RBC Capital.

Cobalt International Energy (NYSE:CIE) was downgraded to Sector Perform from Outperform at RBC Capital.

DCP Midstream (NYSE:DPM), the operator of a portfolio of midstream energy assets, was downgraded to a Neutral from Buy at UBS.

Global Payment (NYSE:GPN), the provider of credit card, check, and eCommerce transactions processing, was downgraded to a Neutral from Buy at Janney Montgomery Scott.

Heidrick & Struggles (NASDAQ:HSII), the provider of executive search and leadership consulting services, was downgraded to a Neutral from Outperform at Robert W. Baird. The firm lowered its target price to $22 from $30 saying Q2 revenue accelerated across segments and underlying profitability was solid. However firm says, elevated turnover clouds the outlook, particularly in Europe.

Owens & Minor (NYSE:OMI), the distributor of medical and surgical supplies, was downgraded to a Neutral from Outperform at Robert W. Baird. The analysts lowered his target price to $30 from $31 saying healthcare equities have been broadly punished in recent weeks and valuation is well below normal for OMI, but also there are many stocks with better profiles and clearer catalysts. The firm noted it would not be short on the stock, but struggle to see outperformance potential in second half of the year.

Patriot Coal (NYSE:PCX), the operator of coalmines in Central and Northern Appalachia and the Illinois Basin, was downgraded to Market Perform from Outperform at BMO Capital.

Pearson Plc (NYSE:PSO), the international media business covering education, business information and consumer publishing, was downgraded to a Sell from Hold at RBS.

PNM Resources (NYSE:PNM) was downgraded to Underperform from Hold at Jefferies.

RF Micro Device (NASDAQ:RFMD), the maker of radio frequency integrated circuits, was downgraded to Market Perform from Buy at Charter Equity. The firm downgraded the stock saying while they are increasing estimates to reflect an improved margin profile, but they are reducing their rating to reflect the more difficult environment for equities in general and semiconductors in particular.

Spectra Energy LP  (NYSE:SEP) was downgraded to a Sell from Neutral at UBS.

Syngenta (NYSE:SYT), the maker of products designed to improve crop yields and food quality, was downgraded to a Neutral from Overweight at JP Morgan.