Notable Analyst Rating Changes 03/16: (AFL) (PPO) (CRZO) Upgraded; (AAPL) (IBM) (HERO) Downgraded

UPGRADES
Deutsche Bank lifts AFLAC (NYSE: AFL) from Hold to Buy with a $60 price target. Click Here for more color.

Stifel Nicolaus ups Polypore International (NYSE: PPO) from Hold to Buy.

Canaccord Genuity upgrades Carrizo Oil & Gas (Nasdaq: CRZO) from Hold to Buy, with a price target of $41. Click Here for more color.

Stifel Nicolaus raises CenturyLink, Inc. (NYSE: CTL) from Hold to Buy.

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

DOWNGRADES
JMP Securities downgrades Apple (Nasdaq: AAPL) to Market Perform from Market Outperform. Click Here for more color.

Sanford Bernstein cuts IBM (NYSE: IBM) from Outperform to Market Perform, increasing their price target 1.8% from $170 to $173.

FBR Capital reduces Hercules Offshore (Nasdaq: HERO) from Market Perform to Underperform, revising their price target to $4.50. Click Here for more color.

rgus Research lowers Las Vegas Sands (NYSE: LVS) from Buy to Hold.

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

NEW COVERAGE
Guggenheim Securities starts Noble Corp. (NYSE: NE) with a Neutral rating and a $43 price target.

JMP initiates Æterna Zentaris (Nasdaq: AEZS) at Outperform, with a $5 price target.

Guggenheim Securities begins Transocean (NYSE: RIG) with a Sell rating and a $64 price target.

Buckingham Research starts Lululemon Athletica Inc. (Nasdaq: LULU) with a Neutral.

For daily real-time New Coverage go to http://www.streetinsider.com/New+Coverage

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