Benzinga's Top Upgrades, Downgrades For November 20, 2020

Upgrades

• According to Canaccord Genuity, the prior rating for Spirit AeroSystems Holdings Inc SPR was changed from Hold to Buy. In the third quarter, Spirit AeroSystems Hldgs showed an EPS of $1.34, compared to $1.62 from the year-ago quarter. The stock has a 52-week-high of 92.37 and a 52-week-low of 13.69. At the end of the last trading period, Spirit AeroSystems Hldgs closed at $32.59.
• For SM Energy Co SM, Stifel upgraded the previous rating of Hold to the current rating Buy. SM Energy earned $0.05 in the third quarter, compared to $0.11 in the year-ago quarter. The current stock performance of SM Energy shows a 52-week-high of 12.4 and a 52-week-low of 0.9. Moreover, at the end of the last trading period, the closing price was at $3.43.
• Keefe, Bruyette & Woods upgraded the previous rating for Nasdaq Inc NDAQ from Market Perform to Outperform. For the third quarter, Nasdaq had an EPS of $1.53, compared to year-ago quarter EPS of $1.27. At the moment, the stock has a 52-week-high of 139.5 and a 52-week-low of 71.66. Nasdaq closed at $124.76 at the end of the last trading period.
• According to Goldman Sachs, the prior rating for Leggett & Platt Inc LEG was changed from Neutral to Buy. Leggett & Platt earned $0.80 in the third quarter, compared to $0.76 in the year-ago quarter. The current stock performance of Leggett & Platt shows a 52-week-high of 53.235 and a 52-week-low of 22.03. Moreover, at the end of the last trading period, the closing price was at $43.26.
• For Forterra Inc FRTA, Goldman Sachs upgraded the previous rating of Neutral to the current rating Buy. Forterra earned $0.42 in the third quarter, compared to $0.34 in the year-ago quarter. The current stock performance of Forterra shows a 52-week-high of 17.5799 and a 52-week-low of 3.45. Moreover, at the end of the last trading period, the closing price was at $15.74.
• Susquehanna upgraded the previous rating for Occidental Petroleum Corp OXY from Neutral to Positive. Occidental Petroleum earned $0.84 in the third quarter, compared to $0.11 in the year-ago quarter. At the moment, the stock has a 52-week-high of 47.58 and a 52-week-low of 8.52. Occidental Petroleum closed at $13.37 at the end of the last trading period.
• For Eagle Materials Inc EXP, Goldman Sachs upgraded the previous rating of Neutral to the current rating Buy. In the second quarter, Eagle Materials showed an EPS of $2.02, compared to $1.77 from the year-ago quarter. The current stock performance of Eagle Materials shows a 52-week-high of 97.79 and a 52-week-low of 41.83. Moreover, at the end of the last trading period, the closing price was at $92.72.
• For Capri Holdings Ltd CPRI, BTIG upgraded the previous rating of Neutral to the current rating Buy. For the second quarter, Capri Holdings had an EPS of $0.90, compared to year-ago quarter EPS of $1.16. At the moment, the stock has a 52-week-high of 39.9 and a 52-week-low of 5.42. Capri Holdings closed at $33.35 at the end of the last trading period.
• According to Canaccord Genuity, the prior rating for Astronics Corp ATRO was changed from Hold to Buy. In the third quarter, Astronics showed an EPS of $0.17, compared to $0.00 from the year-ago quarter. At the moment, the stock has a 52-week-high of 30.64 and a 52-week-low of 6.2993. Astronics closed at $9.50 at the end of the last trading period.
• For Schnitzer Steel Industries Inc SCHN, KeyBanc upgraded the previous rating of Sector Weight to the current rating Overweight. For the fourth quarter, Schnitzer Steel Indus had an EPS of $0.23, compared to year-ago quarter EPS of $0.42. At the moment, the stock has a 52-week-high of 25.1 and a 52-week-low of 10.09. Schnitzer Steel Indus closed at $23.89 at the end of the last trading period.
• KeyBanc upgraded the previous rating for Cleveland-Cliffs Inc CLF from Sector Weight to Overweight. Cleveland-Cliffs earned $0.04 in the third quarter, compared to $0.33 in the year-ago quarter. The stock has a 52-week-high of 9.34 and a 52-week-low of 2.63. At the end of the last trading period, Cleveland-Cliffs closed at $8.89.

Downgrades

• For WPX Energy Inc WPX, Stifel downgraded the previous rating of Buy to the current rating Hold. WPX Energy earned $0.11 in the third quarter, compared to $0.09 in the year-ago quarter. At the moment, the stock has a 52-week-high of 14.425 and a 52-week-low of 1.94. WPX Energy closed at $6.92 at the end of the last trading period.
• For Vulcan Materials Co VMC, Goldman Sachs downgraded the previous rating of Buy to the current rating Neutral. In the third quarter, Vulcan Materials showed an EPS of $1.56, compared to $1.68 from the year-ago quarter. The current stock performance of Vulcan Materials shows a 52-week-high of 153.88 and a 52-week-low of 65.56. Moreover, at the end of the last trading period, the closing price was at $140.20.
• For Trane Technologies PLC TT, Goldman Sachs downgraded the previous rating of Buy to the current rating Neutral. For the third quarter, Trane Technologies had an EPS of $1.72, compared to year-ago quarter EPS of $1.99. At the moment, the stock has a 52-week-high of 153.72 and a 52-week-low of 70.0. Trane Technologies closed at $146.91 at the end of the last trading period.
• According to Stifel, the prior rating for Tenaris SA TS was changed from Buy to Hold. Tenaris earned $0.06 in the third quarter, compared to $0.18 in the year-ago quarter. The stock has a 52-week-high of 23.54 and a 52-week-low of 8.8616. At the end of the last trading period, Tenaris closed at $15.01.
• BMO Capital downgraded the previous rating for Norbord Inc OSB from Outperform to Market Perform. In the third quarter, Norbord showed an EPS of $2.52, compared to $0.11 from the year-ago quarter. The stock has a 52-week-high of 37.755 and a 52-week-low of 8.92. At the end of the last trading period, Norbord closed at $36.99.
• According to Wedbush, the prior rating for Shake Shack Inc SHAK was changed from Outperform to Neutral. For the third quarter, Shake Shack had an EPS of $0.11, compared to year-ago quarter EPS of $0.26. The stock has a 52-week-high of 86.985 and a 52-week-low of 30.01. At the end of the last trading period, Shake Shack closed at $78.38.
• According to Goldman Sachs, the prior rating for Martin Marietta Materials Inc MLM was changed from Buy to Neutral. For the third quarter, Martin Marietta Materials had an EPS of $3.84, compared to year-ago quarter EPS of $3.96. The stock has a 52-week-high of 281.82 and a 52-week-low of 135.08. At the end of the last trading period, Martin Marietta Materials closed at $269.71.
• For Lennox International Inc LII, Goldman Sachs downgraded the previous rating of Neutral to the current rating Sell. In the third quarter, Lennox International showed an EPS of $3.53, compared to $3.34 from the year-ago quarter. At the moment, the stock has a 52-week-high of 319.77 and a 52-week-low of 163.395. Lennox International closed at $298.63 at the end of the last trading period.
• For FireEye Inc FEYE, Barclays downgraded the previous rating of Equal-Weight to the current rating Underweight. FireEye earned $0.11 in the third quarter, compared to $0.02 in the year-ago quarter. The current stock performance of FireEye shows a 52-week-high of 18.34 and a 52-week-low of 7.54. Moreover, at the end of the last trading period, the closing price was at $14.24.
• For Concho Resources Inc CXO, Stifel downgraded the previous rating of Buy to the current rating Hold. Concho Resources earned $1.43 in the third quarter, compared to $0.61 in the year-ago quarter. The stock has a 52-week-high of 93.34 and a 52-week-low of 33.13. At the end of the last trading period, Concho Resources closed at $57.22.
• According to HSBC, the prior rating for Capri Holdings Ltd CPRI was changed from Buy to Hold. For the second quarter, Capri Holdings had an EPS of $0.90, compared to year-ago quarter EPS of $1.16. The stock has a 52-week-high of 39.9 and a 52-week-low of 5.42. At the end of the last trading period, Capri Holdings closed at $33.35.
• According to Goldman Sachs, the prior rating for Armstrong World Industries Inc AWI was changed from Buy to Neutral. For the third quarter, Armstrong World Indus had an EPS of $1.07, compared to year-ago quarter EPS of $1.38. The stock has a 52-week-high of 111.46 and a 52-week-low of 57.96. At the end of the last trading period, Armstrong World Indus closed at $78.98.
• According to Needham, the prior rating for Hologic Inc HOLX was changed from Buy to Hold. In the fourth quarter, Hologic showed an EPS of $2.07, compared to $0.65 from the year-ago quarter. The stock has a 52-week-high of 77.488 and a 52-week-low of 26.49. At the end of the last trading period, Hologic closed at $70.01.
• For Nucor Corp NUE, KeyBanc downgraded the previous rating of Overweight to the current rating Sector Weight. Nucor earned $0.67 in the third quarter, compared to $0.90 in the year-ago quarter. The stock has a 52-week-high of 58.7 and a 52-week-low of 27.525. At the end of the last trading period, Nucor closed at $52.83.

Initiations

• With a current rating of Outperform, Bernstein initiated coverage on Vertex Pharmaceuticals Inc VRTX. The price target seems to have been set at $275.00 for Vertex Pharmaceuticals. In the third quarter, Vertex Pharmaceuticals showed an EPS of $2.64, compared to $1.23 from the year-ago quarter. At the moment, the stock has a 52-week-high of 306.08 and a 52-week-low of 197.47. Vertex Pharmaceuticals closed at $211.97 at the end of the last trading period.
• Piper Sandler initiated coverage on Penn National Gaming Inc PENN with an Overweight rating. The price target for Penn National Gaming is set to $84.00. For the third quarter, Penn National Gaming had an EPS of $0.93, compared to year-ago quarter EPS of $0.38. At the moment, the stock has a 52-week-high of 76.62 and a 52-week-low of 3.75. Penn National Gaming closed at $70.50 at the end of the last trading period.
• Cantor Fitzgerald initiated coverage on Ocuphire Pharma Inc OCUP with an Overweight rating. The price target for Ocuphire Pharma is set to $15.00. The current stock performance of Ocuphire Pharma shows a 52-week-high of 6.48 and a 52-week-low of 5.07. Moreover, at the end of the last trading period, the closing price was at $5.72.
• Loop Capital initiated coverage on Nikola Corp NKLA with a Buy rating. The price target for Nikola is set to $35.00. In the third quarter, Nikola earned $0.16. The current stock performance of Nikola shows a 52-week-high of 93.99 and a 52-week-low of 16.15. Moreover, at the end of the last trading period, the closing price was at $26.23.
• With a current rating of Overweight, Piper Sandler initiated coverage on DraftKings Inc DKNG. The price target seems to have been set at $58.00 for DraftKings. Interestingly, in the third quarter, DraftKings's EPS was $0.98. At the moment, the stock has a 52-week-high of 64.19 and a 52-week-low of 18.0. DraftKings closed at $49.32 at the end of the last trading period.
• With a current rating of Outperform, Oppenheimer initiated coverage on Cannae Holdings Inc CNNE. The price target seems to have been set at $49.00 for Cannae Holdings. In the third quarter, Cannae Holdings showed an EPS of $1.44, compared to $0.64 from the year-ago quarter. At the moment, the stock has a 52-week-high of 44.87 and a 52-week-low of 20.51. Cannae Holdings closed at $39.96 at the end of the last trading period.
• Bernstein initiated coverage on Alexion Pharmaceuticals Inc ALXN with a Market Perform rating. The price target for Alexion Pharmaceuticals is set to $148.00. Alexion Pharmaceuticals earned $3.24 in the third quarter, compared to $2.79 in the year-ago quarter. The current stock performance of Alexion Pharmaceuticals shows a 52-week-high of 128.57 and a 52-week-low of 72.67. Moreover, at the end of the last trading period, the closing price was at $122.05.