UPDATE: Morgan Stanley Downgrades Charter Communications to Equal-Weight, Raises PT

In a report published Monday, Morgan Stanley downgraded its rating on Charter Communications

from Overweight to Equal-Weight, but raised its price target from $80.00 to $85.00. Morgan Stanley noted, “We based our OW thesis on CHTR's potential FCF/share growth as a function of accelerating EBITDA, falling capex, & buybacks. Market confidence in this thesis can be seen in CHTR's move from a discount to a premium multiple on '14 EBITDA and FCF, and its equity performance (up 106% since YE10, 40% YTD). This plus modestly lower EBITDA and a higher capex outlook (our '14E FCF/share falls from $9 to $6.50), leads us to move TWC to our top pick in cable.” Charter Communications closed on Friday at $79.43.