Benzinga's Top Upgrades, Downgrades For March 12, 2018

Top Upgrades

• Bernstein upgraded Express Scripts Holding Company ESRX from Underperform to Market Perform. Express Scripts shares fell 0.02 percent to $80.73 in pre-market trading.
• Barclays upgraded Discovery Inc DISCA from Underweight to Equal-Weight. Discovery shares rose 0.66 percent to $24.35 in pre-market trading.
• Raymond James upgraded E*TRADE Financial Corp ETFC from Outperform to Strong Buy. E*TRADE shares rose 1.19 percent to $57.92 in pre-market trading.
• Analysts at UBS upgraded Time Warner Inc TWX from Neutral to Buy. Time Warner shares rose 0.61 percent to $95.84 in pre-market trading.
• BMO Capital upgraded Century Aluminum Co CENX from Market Perform to Outperform. Century Aluminum shares rose 4.47 percent to $21.05 in pre-market trading.
• Evercore ISI Group upgraded SAP SE (ADR) SAP from In-Line to Outperform. SAP shares rose 0.35 percent to $109.50 in pre-market trading.
• Citigroup upgraded Apollo Global Management LLC APO from Neutral to Buy. Apollo Global shares rose 1.70 percent to close at $33.56 on Friday.
• Keefe Bruyette & Woods upgraded Heritage Financial Corp HFWA from Market Perform to Outperform. Heritage Financial shares rose 0.32 percent to close at $31.20 on Friday.
• Analysts at RBC Capital upgraded Barrick Gold Corp (USA) ABX from Sector Perform to Outperform. Barrick Gold rose 0.34 percent to $11.86 in pre-market trading.
• SunTrust Robinson Humphrey upgraded Paylocity Holding Corp PCTY from Hold to Buy. Paylocity shares rose 0.36 percent to close at $52.72 on Friday.

Top Downgrades

• Mizuho downgraded Red Hat Inc RHT from Buy to Neutral. Red Hat shares fell 0.82 percent to $154.20 in pre-market trading.
• Evercore ISI Group downgraded Voyager Therapeutics Inc VYGR from Outperform to In-Line. Voyager Therapeutics shares fell 2.94 percent to $26.10 in pre-market trading.
• Pivotal Research downgraded Deckers Outdoor Corp DECK from Buy to Hold. Deckers Outdoor shares rose 2.29 percent to close at $97.50 on Friday.
• Wedbush downgraded Voyager Therapeutics Inc VYGR from Outperform to Neutral. Voyager Therapeutics shares fell 3.31 percent to $26.00 in pre-market trading.
• Analysts at Wells Fargo downgraded Ranger Energy Services Inc RNGR from Outperform to Market Perform. Ranger Energy shares fell 3.32 percent to close at $8.44 on Friday.
• Nomura downgraded China Mobile Ltd. (ADR) CHL from Buy to Neutral. China Mobile shares rose 0.74 percent to close at $46.35 on Friday.
• Stifel Nicolaus downgraded Kimbell Royalty Partners LP KRP from Buy to Hold. Kimbell Royalty Partners shares rose 0.05 percent to close at $18.80 on Friday.
• JMP Securities downgraded XL Group Ltd. XL from Market Outperform to Market Perform. XL shares fell 0.20 percent to close at $55.67 on Friday.
• Evercore ISI Group downgraded Blackbaud, Inc. BLKB from In-Line to Underperform. Blackbaud shares gained 0.59 percent to close at $111.25 on Friday.
•  

Top Initiations

• BTIG Research initiated coverage on Appian Corp APPN with a Neutral rating. Appian shares closed at $28.28 on Friday.
• Wedbush initiated coverage on Fennec Pharmaceuticals Inc FENC with an Outperform rating. The price target for Fennec Pharmaceuticals is set to $17. Fennec Pharmaceuticals shares closed at $9.40 on Friday.
• H.C. Wainwright initiated coverage on Taro Pharmaceutical Industries Ltd. TARO with a Buy rating. The price target for Taro Pharmaceutical is set to $124. Taro Pharmaceutical shares closed at $100.18 on Friday.
• Oppenheimer initiated coverage on Motus GI Holdings Inc MOTS with an Outperform rating. The price target for Motus GI is set to $7. Motus GI shares closed at $4.98 on Friday.
• Barclays initiated coverage on Mirati Therapeutics, Inc. MRTX with an Overweight rating. The price target for Mirati Therapeutics is set to $44. Mirati Therapeutics shares closed at $34.60 on Friday.
• JMP Securities initiated coverage on Livexlive Media Inc LIVX with a Market Outperform rating. The price target for LiveXLive Media is set to $5. LiveXLive Media shares closed at $3.90 on Friday.
• H.C. Wainwright assumed coverage on Cara Therapeutics Inc CARA with a Buy rating. The price target for Cara Therapeutics is set to $22. Cara Therapeutics shares closed at $14.39 on Friday.