Up/Downgrades (BRCM, ELN, ITC, LEAP, KIOR, MWV, PCS, ONXX, PKI, TE, BWA, DTV, FSLR, SYK, TMO, ZION)

Published on Thursday, 15 December 2011 08:50 Written by Danny Miller

New York, December 15^th (TradersHuddle.com) – Following are some of the top upgrades and downgrades before the market open.

Upgrades

Broadcom (NASDAQ:BRCM), the provider of chips that enable broadband digital data transmission, was upgraded to Outperform from Market Perform at Wells Fargo.

Elan (NYSE:ELN) was upgraded to a Buy from Hold at Deutsche Bank.

ITC Holdings (NYSE:ITC) was upgraded to a Buy from Hold at Deutsche Bank.

KiOR (NASDAQ:KIOR) was upgraded to a Neutral from Underperform at Robert W. Baird. The firm set its target price at $10.

Leap Wireless (NASDAQ:LEAP), the wireless company marketing its service as Cricket, was upgraded to a Buy at Mizuho.

MeadWestvaco (NYSE:MWV), the global packaging company, was upgraded to Outperform from Market Perform at BMO Capital Markets.

MetroPCS Communications (NYSE:PCS), the pay as you go wireless carrier, was upgraded to a Buy from Neutral at Mizuho. The firm bumped its target price to $10.50 from $8.50.

Onyx Pharmaceuticals (NASDAQ:ONXX) upgraded to Conviction Buy at Goldman Sachs.

PerkinElmer (NYSE:PKI), the technology provider to the academic, diagnostics and research markets, was upgraded to a Buy from Neutral at Goldman Sachs.

Skyworks (NASDAQ:SWKS) was upgraded to a Buy from Hold at Deutsche Bank.

TECO Energy (NYSE:TE), the retail electricity provider in Central Florida, was upgraded to a Hold from Sell at Deutsche Bank.

Downgrades

Borg Warner (NYSE:BWA), the provider of engineered systems and components for automotive power-train applications, was downgraded to a Neutral from Buy at UBS.

DIRECTV (NASDAQ:DTV), the largest satellite TV provider, was downgraded to a Reduce from Neutral at Nomura.

First Solar (NASDAQ:FSLR), the largest maker of thin film solar modules in the world, was downgraded to a Neutral from Outperform at Robert W. Baird. The firm slashed its target price to $35 from $80.

Stryker Corp. (NYSE:SYK), the surgical devices and medical implants maker, was downgraded to a Neutral from Buy at Goldman Sachs.

Thermo Fisher (NYSE:TMO), the scientific instruments and laboratory equipment maker, was downgraded to a Neutral from Buy at Goldman Sachs.

Zions Bancorp (NASDAQ:ZION) was downgraded to Market Perform from Outperform at Keefe Bruyette.