Notable Analyst Rating Changes 05/27: MSFT, BP, LVS PAY Upgraded; NE, AEO, UNP, CSX Downgraded

May 27, 2010 10:32 AM EDT

UPGRADES
FBR Capital upgrades Microsoft (Nasdaq: MSFT) from Market Perform to Outperform with a $32price target. Click Here for more color.

Oppenheimer upgrades BP plc (NYSE: BP) from Perform to Outperform, with a $55 price target.

Macquarie upgrades Las Vegas Sands (NYSE:LVS) from Neutral to Outperform.

Wedbush upgrades VeriFone (NYSE: PAY) from Underperform to Neutral, with a price target of $18. Click Here for more color.

For daily real-time Upgrades go to http://www.streetinsider.com/Upgrades

DOWNGRADES
BMO Capital downgrades Noble Corporation (NYSE: NE) from Outperform to Market Perform, price taget lowered from $50 to $41.

Piper Jaffray downgrades American Eagle (NYSE: AEO) from Overweight to Neutral, with a price target lowered from $22 to $15. Click Here for more color.

BMO Capital downgrades two rails today:

• Union Pacific (NYSE: UNP) from Outperform to Market Perform, with a $75 price target; and
  
  
• CSX Corp (NYSE: CSX) from Outperform to Market Perform, a $57 price target.

For daily real-time Downgrades go to http://www.streetinsider.com/downgrades

NEW COVERAGE
Citi initiates coverage on F5 Networks (Nasdaq: FFIV) with a Hold rating, and $78 price target. Click Here for more color.

RBC Capital initiates coverage on Toreador Resources (Nasdaq: TRGL) with a Sector Perform rating, and price target of $10.

Citi initiates coverage on Brocade Communications (Nasdaq: BRCD) with a Buy, and price target of $7.50. Click Here for more color.

Credit Suisse starts Starbucks (Nasdaq: SBUX) with an Outperform, and a price target of $34.

Ardour Capital initiates coverage on Beacon Power (Nasdaq: BCON) with a Buy rating, with a price target of $1.50.