Up/Downgrades (AET, ALKS, CNP, CYN, COH, HWAY, JNPR, LNN, NRG, PWRD, SAFM, HRL, LNCR, PEG, STP)

Published on Tuesday, 23 August 2011 08:26 Written by Danny Miller

New York, August 23^rd (TradersHuddle.com) – Following are some of the top upgrades and downgrades before the market open.

Upgrades

Aetna (NYSE:AET), the diversified health care benefits company, was upgraded to a Buy from Hold at Jefferies. The firm raised its target price to $51 from $47.

Alkermes (NASDAQ:ALKS) was upgraded to a Buy from Neutral at UBS. The firm bumped its target price to $21 from $20.50.

CenterPoint (NYSE:CNP), the Houston, Texas based public utility company, was upgraded to a Buy from Neutral at SunTrust.

City National Corp. (NYSE:CYN) was upgraded to Overweight from Equal Weight at Evercore.

Coach (NYSE:COH), the leading American designer and maker of luxury lifestyle handbags and accessories, was upgraded to a Buy from Hold at Jefferies. The firm set its target price at $60.

Healthways, Inc. (NASDAQ:HWAY) was upgraded to Market Perform from Underperform at JMP Securities.

Juniper Networks (NASDAQ:JNPR), the provider of Internet infrastructure solutions, was upgraded to Outperform from Market Perform at Morgan Keegan. The firm set its target price at $27.

Lindsay Corporation (NYSE:LNN) was upgraded to a Buy from Neutral at Janney Capital Markets.

NRG Energy (NYSE:NRG), the owner and operator of power-generating facilities, was upgraded to a Buy from Neutral at UBS.

Perfect World (NASDAQ:PWRD), the online game developer and operator based in China, was upgraded to a Buy from Hold at ThinkEquity.

Sanderson Farms (NASDAQ:SAFM), the chicken and food processor, was upgraded to a Neutral from Underweight at JP Morgan.

Downgrades

Hormel Foods (NYSE:HRL), the maker of canned meats like Spam, was downgraded to Market Perform from Outperform at BMO Capital Markets.

Lincare Holdings, Inc. (NASDAQ:LNCR) was downgraded to a Hold from Buy at Citigroup.

Public Service Enterprise Group (NYSE:PEG), the Utility Company operating in the Northeast and Mid-Atlantic regions, was downgraded to a Neutral from Buy at UBS.

Suntech Power (NYSE:STP), the Chinese photovoltaic products maker, was downgraded to a Sell from Hold at ThinkEquity. Suntech Power was also downgraded to a Sell from Neutral at Collins Stewart, with the firm lowering its target price to $5.50.