Notable Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades (NYSE: UCP) (TSX: PD)

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A Canadian gold project developer and a U.S. bank holding company both received analyst upgrades, one of which has an implied upside of nearly 50%.

The following stocks were upgraded/downgraded on September 17, 2014
Company Name Exchange Ticker Last Price Market Cap Recommendation Analyst Name Rating Company Target Price Upside/
Downside (%)
Precision Drilling Corp TSX PD 12.57 3,679.9 Upgrade to outperform from market perform Kevin Lo FirstEnergy Capital Corp 16.00 27.3%
WesternZagros Resources Ltd TSXV WZR 0.87 414.7 Upgrade to speculative buy from hold Shahin Amini TD Securities 1.25 43.7%
TransAlta Renewables Inc TSX RNW 11.67 1,338.2 Initiate with neutral Angie Storozynski Macquarie 12.50 7.1%
Touchstone Exploration Inc TSX TXP 0.83 68.9 Initiate with buy Michael Charlton Industrial Alliance Securities 1.50 80.7%
Brookfield Renewable Energy Partners LP/CA TSX BEP-U 32.81 4,701.8 Initiate with outperform Angie Storozynski Macquarie 39.00 18.9%

FirstEnergy Capital Corp upgraded Precision Drilling Corp (TSX: PD), a provider of oil field drilling and energy services to the oil and gas industry, to outperform from market perform with a price target of C$16.00, indicating an upside of 27.3% from current levels.

WesternZagros Resources Ltd (TSXV: WZR), engaged in acquiring properties, exploring, developing and producing crude oil and natural gas, was upgraded by TD Securities to speculative buy rating from hold raising its price target to C$1.25 from C$1.15 indicating an upside potential of 43.7% from current levels.

Macquarie initiated coverage on TransAlta Renewables Inc (TSX: RNW), a generator and marketer of electricity and renewable power, with a neutral rating assigning a 12-month price target of C$12.50, indicating an upside of 7.1% from current levels.

Coverage on Touchstone Exploration Inc (TSX: TXP), engaged in exploration and development of oil and natural gas in western Canada, was initiated with a buy rating at Industrial Alliance Securities, assigning a 12-months price target of C$1.50, indicating an upside potential of 80.7% from current levels

Macquarie initiated coverage on Brookfield Renewable Energy Partners LP/CA (TSX: BEP-U), engaged in producing electricity exclusively from environmentally friendly hydroelectric resources, with an outperform rating assigning a 12-month price target of C$39.00, indicating an upside of 18.9% from current levels.

The following stocks were upgraded/downgraded on September 17, 2014
Company Name Exchange Ticker Last Price Market Cap Recommendation Analyst Name Rating Company Target Price Upside/
Downside (%)
UCP Inc NYSE UCP 12.90 238.8 Upgrade to buy from neutral Brendan Lynch Sidoti & Company LLC 15.00 16.3%
American Software Inc/GA NASDAQ AMSWA 8.75 247.4 Upgrade to buy from neutral Matthew Galinko Sidoti & Company LLC 11.00 25.7%
Bill Barrett Corp NYSE BBG 24.11 1,196.8 Upgrade to buy from neutral Jeffrey Connolly Mizuho Securities USA Inc 28.00 16.1%
ID Systems Inc NASDAQ IDSY 6.39 78.4 Initiate with buy Michael Crawford B Riley & Co 9.00 40.8%
Auxilium Pharmaceuticals Inc NASDAQ AUXL 31.18 1,570.1 Downgrade to market perform from outperform Joseph P Schwartz Leerink Partners LLC 32.00 2.6%

Sidoti & Company LLC upgraded UCP Inc (NYSE: UCP), engaged in home building and land developing, to buy from neutral with a price target of $15.00, indicating an upside of 16.3% from current levels.

American Software Inc/GA (NASDAQ: AMSWA), develops, markets and supports a portfolio of software and services, was upgraded by Sidoti & Company LLC to buy rating from neutral, with a price target of $11.00, indicating an upside potential of 25.7% from current levels.

Mizuho Securities USA Inc upgraded Bill Barrett Corp (NYSE: BBG), engaged in exploration and development of oil and natural gas, to buy from neutral raising its price target to $28.00 from $24.00, indicating an upside of 16.1% from current levels.

B Riley & Co initiated coverage on ID Systems Inc (NASDAQ: IDSY), engaged in developing, marketing and selling wireless solutions for managing and securing high-value enterprise assets, with a buy rating assigning a 12-months price target of $9.00, indicating an upside potential of 40.8% from current levels.

Auxilium Pharmaceuticals Inc (NASDAQ: AUXL), develops and markets therapeutics to urologists, endocrinologists, orthopedists and select primary care physicians, was downgraded by Leerink Partners LLC to market perform from outperform with a price target of $32.00, implying an upside of 2.6% from current levels.

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