Stocks have still managed to keep challenging new highs in the Dow and S&P 500 heading into earnings season. Many investors and traders are looking for new investing ideas to be positioned for the coming months and into 2025. That is where the top analyst upgrades, downgrades and initiations can be come into play.

Tactical Bulls searches the daily flow of analyst calls covering Wall Street’s upgrades and downgrades to look for some of those new ideas in Wall Street research reports. These analyst calls can be a reliable source of information and guidance for some of those new ideas that might have otherwise been overlooked or missed.

These offer something for both short-term traders and long-term investors. Short-term traders get a glimpse of immediate price reactions to news and to the analyst calls. Long-term investors get a picture of new buy, sell and hold ratings with targets looking a year out.

Tactical Bulls always reminds investors and its readers that no single analyst report should ever be the sole basis to buy or sell a stock. That decision to buy or sell, or hold or short sell, is up to each investor and the decision should be made with a financial advisor.

These are some of the top analyst upgrades and downgrades seen on Tuesday, October 15, 2024.

AECOM (NYSE: ACM) was reiterated as Buy and its price target was raised to $125 from $120 (versus $106.36 prior close) at Argus. AECOM was also maintained on the Focus list there as favorably valued under peers and record backlogs in design.

Altria Group, Inc. (NYSE: MO) was maintained as Neutral but its price objective was lowered down to $53 from $57 (versus $49.86 prior close) at BofA Securities, based on the softness in staples seen at the start of the third quarter.

Albany International (NYSE: AIN) was named the Bear of the Day at Zacks, noting headwinds from flat earnings growth a falling share price.

American International Group, Inc. (NYSE: AIG) was downgraded to Market Perform from Outperform and its price target was cut to $84 from $90 (versus $77.62 prior close) at BMO Capital Markets.

American Water Works Company, Inc. (NYSE: AWK) was downgraded to Neutral from Outperform but its price target was raised to $140 from $131 (versus $140.37 prior close) at Mizuho.

AvidXchange Holdings, Inc. (NASDAQ: AVDX) and its price objective was cut to $8 from $12 at BofA Securities.

Bank of New York Mellon Corp. (NYSE: BK) was reiterated with a Buy rating and its price target was raised to $84 from $73 (versus $76.51 prior close) at Argus.

CMS Energy Corporation (NYSE: CMS) was downgraded to Neutral from Outperform at Mizuho.

The Coca-Cola Company (NYSE: KO) was and its price objective was raised to $77 from $70 at BofA Securities.

Commvault Systems, Inc. (NASDAQ: CVLT) was downgraded to Neutral from Buy at Guggenheim.

DHT Holdings, Inc. (NYSE: DHT) was started with a Buy rating and was given a $16 price target (versus $11.34 prior close) at BTIG. DHT was indicated down 1.2% at $11.20 on Tuesday morning.

Duke Energy Corporation (NYSE: DUK) was raised to Outperform from Neutral and its price target was raised to $121 from $116 (versus $115.09 prior close) at Mizuho.

Enphase Energy, Inc. (NASDAQ: ENPH) was downgraded to Sector Perform from Outperform and its target was lowered down to $100 from $125 (versus $101.47 prior close) at RBC Capital Markets. Enphase was indicated down 1.75% at $99.75 ahead of Tuesday’s opening bell.

Etsy, Inc. (NASDAQ: ETSY) was downgraded to Sell from an already-cautious Neutral rating and its price target was slashed down to $45 from $70 (versus $49.61 prior close) at Goldman Sachs. Etsy shares were down 4.3% at $47.55 in early trading on Tuesday. Its prior 52-week low was $48.07 from Monday.

Graphic Packaging Holding Company (NYSE: GPK) was reiterated as Buy and its price target was cut to $32 from $35 at Truist Securities.

International Paper Co. (NYSE: IP) was reiterated as Buy and its price target was raised to $57 from $55 at Truist Securities.

JD.com, Inc. (NASDAQ: JD) was named as The Bull of the Day at Zacks, noting strong performance, cheap valuation and strong price momentum. Shares of JD.com were trading down over 6% at $41.43 on disappointing Chinese economic data on Tuesday morning.

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LeMaitre Vascular, Inc. (NASDAQ: LMAT) was started with a Neutral rating at Cantor Fitzgerald.

Lennox International Inc. (NYSE: LII) was downgraded to Sector Weight from Overweight at KeyBanc Capital Markets.

Louisiana-Pacific Corporation (NYSE: LPX) was reiterated as Buy and its price target was raised to $113 from $105 at Truist Securities.

McDonald’s Corporation (NYSE: MCD) was reiterated as Overweight and its price target as raised to $340 from $295 at Morgan Stanley. McDonald’s closed up 1.57% at $309.84 on Monday and its stock was indicated to open up almost 0.5% at $311.25 on Tuesday.

Mobileye Global inc. (NASDAQ: MBLY) was downgraded to Sector Perform from Outperform with a $11 price target (versus $12.96 prior close) at RBC Capital Markets.

Noble Corporation plc (NYSE: NE) was downgraded to Hold from Buy at Benchmark.

Philip Morris International Inc. (NYSE: PM) was reiterated as Buy with a $139 price objective (versus $ prior close at BofA Securities, noting it is well positioned for the long term despite this year and next year to be investment years.

Sealed Air Corporation (NYSE: SEE) was reiterated as Buy but its price target was cut to $41 from $44 at Truist Securities.

SM Energy Company (NYSE: SM) was raised to Buy from Hold but its price target was lowered down to $60 from $64 (versus $44.62 prior close) at TD Cowen. SM Energy shares were trading down 2.8% at $43.35 on Tuesday’s early trading indications.

Telefonaktiebolaget LM Ericsson (NASDAQ: ERIC) was last seen trading up 10% at $8.31 in its ADSs after beating earnings. Both UBS and JPMorgan are calling for this to lift consensus expectations for the rest of the year.

Transocean Ltd. (NYSE: RIG) was downgraded to Hold from Buy at Benchmark.

Valaris Limited (NYSE: VAL) was downgraded to Hold from Buy at Benchmark.

ViaSat, Inc. (NASDAQ: VSAT) was maintained with a Buy rating but its target price was cut to $19 from $28 (versus $10.93 prior close) at Needham & Co.