Notable Analyst Rating Changes 08/07: (FLEX) (VVUS) (AMAT) Upgraded; (WMS) (SFD) (GILD) Downgraded

UPGRADES
Goldman Sachs upgrades Flextronics (Nasdaq: FLEX) from Neutral to Buy, moving its price target from $6 up to $8. Click Here for more color.

Lazard Capital boosts Vivus (Nasdaq: VVUS) from Neutral to Buy with a price target of $36.

Goldman Sachs lifts Applied Materials (Nasdaq: AMAT) from Neutral to Buy, moving its price target from $11.50 to $13. Click Here for more color.

Argus raises Arch Coal Inc (NYSE: ACI) from Hold to Buy.

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

DOWNGRADES
WMS Industries (NYSE: WMS) lowered by three today:

• Nomura Securities from Neutral to Reduce;
  
  
• BofA/Merrill Lynch from Underperform to Neutral; and
  
  
• JPMorgan from Neutral to Underweight.

Morgan Stanley cuts Smithfield Foods (NYSE: SFD) from Equalweight to Underweight.

Lazard Capital downgrades Gilead Sciences (Nasdaq: GILD) from Buy to Neutral.

Credit Suisse trims American Tower (NYSE: AMT) from Outperform to Neutral.

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

NEW COVERAGE
UBS initiates Dell (Nasdaq: DELL) with a Neutral and $12.50 price target.

JPMorgan resumes Exelon (NYSE: EXC) at Neutral and $40 target.

Stephens begins Wal-Mart (NYSE: WMT) with a Overweight and $86 target.

Maxim Group starts Vringo (AMEX: VRNG) at Buy and $6.50 target. Click Here for more color.

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

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