New Ratings (BEAM, BBEP, CPF, EPB, FBNK, MBLX, PL, RGA, SCLN, SEP, SYA, TMK, WPI, WLL)

Published on Monday, 12 December 2011 08:47 Written by Danny Miller

New York, December 12^th (TradersHuddle.com) – Following are some of the new analyst ratings before the market open.

Research Firms Initiate:

Beam, Inc. (NYSE:BEAM), the largest U.S.-based spirits company and fourth largest premium Spirits Company in the world, was initiated with a Reduce at Nomura.

Breitburn Energy Partners L.P. (NASDAQ:BBEP) was initiated with a Buy at Bank of America Merrill.

Central Pacific Financial Corp. (NYSE:CPF) was initiated with a Market Perform at Keefe Bruyette.

El Paso Pipeline Partners, L.P. (NYSE:EPB) was initiated with Overweight at JP Morgan.

First Connecticut Bancorp (NASDAQ:FBNK) was initiated with a Buy and a target price of $14.50 at Sterne Agee.

Metabolix (NASDAQ:MBLX) was initiated with a Neutral at JP Morgan.

Protective Life (NYSE:PL) was initiated with Equal Weight at Barclays.

Reinsurance Group of America (NYSE:RGA), the provider of life reinsurance in North America, Europe, South Africa, and the Asia Pacific, was initiated with Overweight at Barclays.

SciClone Pharmaceuticals (NASDAQ:SCLN) was initiated with Outperform at Cowen.

Spectra Energy LP (NYSE:SEP) was initiated with a Neutral at JP Morgan.

Symetra Financial (NYSE:SYA) was initiated with Equal Weight at Barclays.

Torchmark (NYSE:TMK), the insurance and financial services, was initiated with Overweight at Barclays.

Watson Pharmaceuticals (NYSE:WPI), the generic and brand name pharmaceutical company, was initiated with Overweight at Barclays.

Whiting Petroleum (NYSE:WLL), the independent oil and gas company that acquires, develops and explores for crude oil, natural gas and natural gas liquids primarily in the Permian Basin, Rocky Mountains, Mid-Continent, Gulf Coast and Michigan regions of the U.S., was initiated with a Buy and a target price of $67 at Credit Agricole.