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Albert Lowe's

<a href="https://www.benzinga.com/events/psychedelics/"><img alt="april_2022_psychedelics_ad_-_728x90_-_option_c_1.png" src="https://www.benzinga.com/files/images/2022/March/03/april_2022_psychedelics_ad_-_728x90_-_option_c_1.png" style="height:77px; width:624px" /></a>

This article by Matthew X. Lowe was originally published on <a href="https://psychedelicspotlight.com/road-to-psychedelics-legalization/">Psychedelic Spotlight</a> and appears here with permission.

Matthew X. Lowe, Ph.D., is the Research Director of non-profit Unlimited Sciences, which is creating the largest collection of real-world data on psychedelic use to more quickly understand how to use these drugs safely and effectively.

In the midst of a psychedelic renaissance, it&rsquo;s crucial to recognize that the use of psychedelics is not a new phenomenon. But what has changed in recent years is a concerted effort to increase our scientific understanding of their applications in natural medicine and therapeutic healing&mdash;and everyone who&rsquo;s interested can play a part.

The colorful road to psychedelics legalization has been intertwined with human history for thousands of years.&nbsp;Anthropological reports&nbsp;indicate that psychoactive substances in the form of plants, fungi, roots, seeds, and even the secretions of animals have been used by humans for millennia.&nbsp;

Substances of note include:&nbsp;Soma,&nbsp;referenced in ancient Hindu Sanskrit texts and thought to contain the&nbsp;Amanita muscaria&nbsp;psychedelic mushroom;&nbsp;kykeon, an ergot alkaloid similar to lysergic acid diethylamide (LSD) used in the Eleusinian Mysteries rites of ancient Greece; the Mexican cactus&nbsp;peyote; the sacred mushroom&nbsp;teonanacatl&nbsp;or&nbsp;ololiuhqui,&nbsp;as well as morning glory seeds, both of which were used in ceremonies in several Central American Pre-Columbian cultures, including Aztec, Mayan and Olmec; and the South American&nbsp;yaj&eacute;&nbsp;or&nbsp;ayahuasca. These substances were used harmoniously in many aspects of daily life such as religious ceremonies, for the treatment of pain, as an appetite suppressant, or even to inspire courage.&nbsp;

<h3>Psychedelics in the 20th Century</h3>

In contrast to the long history of psychedelics, there is a relatively short history of scientific exploration. While many believe the synthesis of LSD by Albert Hofmann in 1938 was a catalyst for psychedelic research in the 20th century, research on other psychedelic drugs, such as mescaline, had been explored for decades prior. The synthesis of LSD coincided with a surge of research interest in other psychedelics such as psilocybin and N,N-dimethyltryptamine (DMT). By 1965, there were&nbsp;more than 2,000 published articles&nbsp;involving over 40,000 patients that noted positive effects with various psychedelics. 
Despite robust reports recognizing the vast therapeutic potential of psychedelics for treating conditions such as alcoholism, depression and anxiety, political pressure and an alarmist and sensationalist media campaign quickly led to the rescheduling of LSD and other classical psychedelics in the United States. With the Controlled Substances Act of 1971, research was halted, and psychedelics were classified under Schedule I as having&nbsp;&ldquo;no currently accepted medical use and a high potential for abuse.&rdquo;

<h3>Modern Revival of Human Psychedelics Research and the Psychedelic Renaissance</h3>

Following a 25-year hiatus, a revival of psychedelic research was led by a small number of studies throughout the 1990s. A steady increase in controlled research with psychedelics continued into the 21st century and brought with it the adoption of more careful experimental designs.&nbsp; 
During this time, observational research, involving observation of participants in naturalistic settings, played a key role in reversing stigmatization by showing positive associations between psychedelic use and crucial measures of mental health, well-being and quality of life. Momentum was building. In 2019,&nbsp;Denver became&nbsp;the first major metropolitan U.S. city to decriminalize psilocybin.

<h3>Understanding the Difference Between Psychedelics Legalization and Decriminalization</h3>

In the years since Denver voters approved&nbsp;Initiated Ordinance 301&nbsp;(I-301) and became the nation&rsquo;s first city to decriminalize the use and possession of mushrooms containing the psychedelic compound psilocybin, what progress has been made on the road to psychedelics legalization?&nbsp; 
Before examining this question, it&rsquo;s important to understand the difference between decriminalization and legalization.&nbsp;Legalization&nbsp;is the process of removing legal prohibitions of a specified substance, including possession, use and manufacturing.&nbsp;Decriminalization, in contrast, is the act of removing criminal sanctions, so that the legal system will not pursue prosecution of an individual for possession of a specified substance under a certain amount. Under decriminalization, the substance remains illegal to possess, use and manufacture, and penalties can range from civil fines to drug education or drug treatment.&nbsp;&nbsp;

<h3>What Psychedelics Policy Reform Looks Like</h3>

Following the 2019 decriminalization of psilocybin in Denver, several U.S. cities and states have seen further easing of laws relating to psilocybin use, including decriminalization in Washington D.C. and the California cities of Oakland and Santa Cruz. At the state level, in addition to decriminalizing the possession of small amounts of most recreational drugs, Oregon became the first state to&nbsp;legalize psilocybin&nbsp;under&nbsp;<a href="https://www.oregon.gov/oha/PH/PREVENTIONWELLNESS/Pages/Oregon-Psilocybin-Services.aspx" rel="noreferrer noopener" target="_blank">Measure 109</a>, which directs the Oregon Health Authority (OHA) to license and regulate the manufacturing, transportation, delivery, sale and purchase of psilocybin products.&nbsp; 
Despite progress in the decriminalization and legalization of psilocybin, the majority of Schedule I controlled substances, including LSD, DMT, mescaline, Ibogaine and 3,4-methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA), have yet to see significant progress in easing laws despite growing evidence of their therapeutic potential.

<h3>Active Legislation Efforts and Obstacles</h3>

Promisingly, there are currently&nbsp;active legislation efforts&nbsp;to ease laws involving psychedelic substances in several states, including Colorado, Connecticut, Florida, Hawaii, Iowa, Kansas, Maine, Massachusetts, Missouri, Michigan, New York, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Texas, Utah and Vermont.&nbsp; 
Unfortunately, statewide legislation efforts have not always been successful. For example, in the 2021 California legislative session,&nbsp;SB-519, which would remove criminal penalties for the possession, personal use and social sharing of psilocybin, psilocyn, MDMA, LSD, DMT, ibogaine and mescaline (excluding peyote)&nbsp;failed to win enough support&nbsp;to move forward. Although the outlook is positive, the road to psychedelics legalization still faces many obstacles.

<h3>Recognizing Need for Clinical Trials and Observational Research</h3>

It has been&nbsp;well documented&nbsp;that&nbsp;set&nbsp;and&nbsp;setting&nbsp;significantly influence the response to psychedelic drugs (&ldquo;set&rdquo; is an individual&rsquo;s mindset and &ldquo;setting&rdquo; refers to their physical and social environment).&nbsp; 
While well-designed clinical trials are crucial to understanding the acute effects of psychedelics, most individuals using psychedelics are not doing so within the controlled environment of a laboratory. In real-world psychedelic experiences, set and setting can vary substantially from one individual to the next.&nbsp; 
Observational research captures data from these real-world situations and is therefore essential for understanding the full spectrum of the psychedelic experience. This research will continue to be a key component in the road to education and legalization. Critically,&nbsp;observational psychedelics research&nbsp;has played a significant role in the slow reversal of stigmas caused by alarmist campaigning and political pressure throughout the 20th century that negatively affected the public&rsquo;s perception of psychedelics. The battle, however, is far from over.&nbsp;

<h3>Advocating for Information and the Role of Unlimited Sciences</h3>

At&nbsp;Unlimited Sciences&nbsp;we are focused on driving psychedelics research forward, and our goal is to capture observational data in real-world settings, share our results with the public, and educate and inform on the outcomes of psychedelic use.&nbsp; 
It&rsquo;s estimated that in the U.S.,&nbsp;over 30 million people&nbsp;have used LSD, psilocybin, or mescaline. There is an enormous potential of untapped data that could have profound implications in our understanding of psychedelics. Our goal is to access this knowledge, mitigate harm and reduce stigma through education.&nbsp; 
Since 2020, in collaboration with&nbsp;Johns Hopkins University&rsquo;s Center for Psychedelic &amp; Consciousness Research, Unlimited Sciences has conducted observational research of psilocybin users to understand how psilocybin is being used in real-world settings, and to explore health-related outcomes of psilocybin use.&nbsp; 
Crucially, we remain neutral in our pursuits, not as advocates for psychedelics legalization, but as advocates for information. To date, over 6,800 individuals have enrolled in our study. We believe this is only the beginning, and the development of new research aims to explore a variety of classical and non-classical psychedelic substances.&nbsp;

<h3>Walking the Road Together and How You Can Be Involved</h3>

The road to legalization must be walked together. If you&rsquo;d like to share your experience of psilocybin use, or even if you&rsquo;re considering using psilocybin for the first time,&nbsp;you can join our real-world psilocybin study&nbsp;and help contribute to greater understanding of psychedelics.&nbsp;

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President Donald Trump annnounced a lengthy list of &#34;Great American Economic Revival&#34; industry groups Tuesday that he said will advise the White House on reopening the economy after the shutdown necessitated by the coronavirus pandemic. 

Every Member Of Trump&#39;s &#39;Great American Economic Revival&#39; Industry Groups

U.S. stocks rose on Thursday after government data showed the U.S. economy <a href="http://www.benzinga.com/news/14/10/4966615/gdp-comes-in-stronger-for-second-straight-quarter">grew 3.5 percent</a> in the third quarter, better than the 3.0 percent expected.

	Investors brushed off a poor reading on the number of Americans filing for jobless benefits, which rose last week in favor of GDP data; this may validate the economy is performing well enough for the Fed to end its QE program.

	The Dow was boosted by Visa Inc (NYSE: <a class="ticker" href="/stock/v#NYSE">V</a>), which reported a better than expected profit along with an encouraging outlook. The S&amp;P 500 briefly flirted with the 2,000-level before slightly retracting.

	Related Link: <a href="http://www.benzinga.com/top-stories/14/10/4967235/federal-reserve-decision-hawkish-or-just-pragmatic">Federal Reserve Decision: Hawkish Or Just Pragmatic?</a>
<ul>
	<li>
		The Dow gained 1.30 percent, closing at 17,195.42, its highest close since September 24</li>
	<li>
		The S&amp;P 500 gained 0.62 percent, closing at 1,994.65.</li>
	<li>
		The Nasdaq gained 0.37 percent, closing at 4,566.14.</li>
	<li>
		Gold lost 2.17 percent, trading at $1,198.30 an ounce.</li>
	<li>
		Oil lost 1.28 percent, trading at $81.15 a barrel.</li>
	<li>
		Silver lost 4.60 percent, trading at $16.47.</li>
</ul>
<h3>
	News Of Note</h3>

	Initial Jobless Claims rose 3,000 to 287,000 (versus consensus of 280,000) from last week. Continuing claims rose 29,000 to 2.38 million.

	Third Quarter GDP rose 3.5 percent (versus expectations of 3.0 percent) after rising 4.6 percent last quarter.

	Bloomberg Consumer Comfort Index fell to 37.2 from 37.7 last week.

	EIA Natural Gas Inventory rose 87 bcf (versus expectations of 85 bcf) after rising 94 bcf last week.

	Brazil&#39;s central bank surprisingly raised its benchmark Selic rate by 25 basis points to 11.25 percent.
<h3>
	Analyst Upgrades And Downgrades of Note</h3>

	Analysts at Deustche Bank upgraded Ally Financial Inc (NYSE: <a class="ticker" href="/stock/ally#NYSE">ALLY</a>) to Buy from Hold with an unchanged $26 price target. Shares lost 0.13 percent, closing at $22.79.

	Analysts at Morgan Stanley maintained an Overweight rating on Baidu Inc (NASDAQ: <a class="ticker" href="/stock/bidu#NASDAQ">BIDU</a>) with a price target raised to $275.20 from a previous $251.60. Shares hit new 52-week highs of $237.46 before closing the day at $237.01, up 5.55 percent.

	Analysts at Morgan Stanley initiated coverage of Deckers Outdoor Corp (NYSE: <a class="ticker" href="/stock/deck#NYSE">DECK</a>) with an Overweight rating and $105 price target. Shares gained 2.99 percent, closing at $87.79.

	See Also: <a href="http://www.benzinga.com/trading-ideas/short-ideas/14/10/4955662/defense-stocks-arent-guaranteed-5-of-2014s-worst#ixzz3Hf0SIN9D">Defense Stocks Aren&#39;t Guaranteed: 5 Of 2014&#39;s Worst</a>

	Analysts at Mizuho Securities initiated coverage of Kate Spade &amp; Co (NYSE: <a class="ticker" href="/stock/kate#NYSE">KATE</a>) with a Neutral rating and $28 price target. Shares lost 0.77 percent, closing at $27.14.

	Analysts at Goldman Sachs upgraded Lowe&#39;s Companies, Inc. (NYSE: <a class="ticker" href="/stock/low#NYSE">LOW</a>) to Buy from Neutral with a price target raised to $63 from a previous $58. Shares hit new 52-week highs of $56.56 before closing the day at $56.27, up 0.82 percent.

	Analysts at Albert Fried downgraded Pandora Media Inc (NYSE: <a class="ticker" href="/stock/p#NYSE">P</a>) to Underweight from Market Perform with a price target lowered to $16 from a previous $20. Shares hit new 52-week lows of $18.51 before closing the day at $18.74, down 2.55 percent.

	Analysts at Barclays maintained an Overweight rating on Phillips 66 (NYSE: <a class="ticker" href="/stock/psx#NYSE">PSX</a>) with a price target raised to $112 from a previous $109. Shares gained 1.32 percent, closing at $77.40.

	Analysts at Credit Suisse upgraded Sprint Corporation (NYSE: <a class="ticker" href="/stock/s#NYSE">S</a>) to Neutral from Underperform with a $6 price target. Shares finished the day unchanged at $6.00.

	Analysts at Ascendiant Capital initiated coverage of Tesla Motors Inc (NASDAQ: <a class="ticker" href="/stock/tsla#NASDAQ">TSLA</a>) with a Buy rating and $320 price target. Shares gained 0.24 percent, closing at $238.66.

	Analysts at Nomura maintained a Buy rating on United States Steel Corporation (NYSE: <a class="ticker" href="/stock/x#NYSE">X</a>) with a price target raised to $55 from a previous $48. Shares lost 2.84 percent, closing at $38.94.

	Analysts at FBR Capital upgraded Visa to Outperform from Market Perform with a price target raised to $260 from a previous $250. Analysts at Credit Suisse maintained an Outperform rating with a price target raised to $260 from a previous $250. Analysts at Stifel Nicolaus maintained a Buy rating with a price target lowered to $280 from a previous $281. Shares hit new 52-week highs of $239.28 before closing the day at $236.65, up 10.24 percent.

	Analysts at Barclays maintained an Overweight rating on Wynn Resorts, Limited (NASDAQ: <a class="ticker" href="/stock/wynn#NASDAQ">WYNN</a>) with a price target raised to $190 from a previous $181. Shares gained 0.93 percent, closing at $187.65.

	Analysts at Citigroup maintained a Neutral rating on Yum! Brands, Inc. (NYSE: <a class="ticker" href="/stock/yum#NYSE">YUM</a>) with a price target lowered to $74 from a previous $79. Shares gained 0.53 percent, closing at $69.98.
<h3>
	Equities-Specific News Of Note</h3>

	Wal-Mart Stores, Inc. (NYSE: <a class="ticker" href="/stock/wmt#NYSE">WMT</a>) is considering expanding its price matching guarantee to include online rivals. Shares gained 0.08 percent, closing at $76.45.

	Microsoft Corporation (NASDAQ: <a class="ticker" href="/stock/msft#NASDAQ">MSFT</a>) unveiled its first wearable device named Microsoft Band with a starting price of $199. Shares lost 1.22 percent, closing at $46.05.

	According to <a href="http://www.businessweek.com/news/2014-10-30/perrigo-said-in-exclusive-talks-to-acquire-omega-pharma">Bloomberg,</a> Perrigo (NYSE: <a class="ticker" href="/stock/prgo#NYSE">PRGO</a>) is in exclusive talks to acquire Omega Pharma for more than four billion euros. Shares of Perrigo gained 4.08 percent, closing at $161.33.

	Yahoo! (NASDAQ: <a class="ticker" href="/stock/yhoo#NASDAQ">YHOO</a>) hired Amazon.com&#39;s former display ad boss Lisa Utzschneider as SVP of Americas sales. Shares of Yahoo gained 0.44 percent, closing at $45.63.

	Related Link: <a href="http://www.benzinga.com/news/14/10/4967289/apples-tim-cook-and-5-other-notable-lgbt-ceos#ixzz3Hf0iePsA">Apple&#39;s Tim Cook And 5 Other Notable LGBT CEOs</a>

	Kandi Technologies (NASDAQ: <a class="ticker" href="/stock/kndi#NASDAQ">KNDI</a>) said that it expects to deliver 1,000 electric vehicles to the city of Chengdu by the end of the year for a car-sharing program. Shares gained 4.26 percent, closing at $16.16.

	Autodesk (NASDAQ: <a class="ticker" href="/stock/adsk#NASDAQ">ADSK</a>) plans to invest $100 million in 3D printing technology companies and individuals over the next several years. Shares gained 2.52 percent, closing at $57.37.

	AstraZeneca (NYSE: <a class="ticker" href="/stock/azn#NYSE">AZN</a>) received FDA approval for its diabetes pill, Xigduo XR. Shares gained 1.50 percent, closing at $72.60.
<h3>
	Winners Of Note</h3>

	Lakeland Industries, Inc. (NASDAQ: <a class="ticker" href="/stock/lake#NASDAQ">LAKE</a>) said last night that its monthly production capacity for its protective suits has risen by more than 50 percent since August due to Ebola concerns. Shares gained 22.97 percent, closing at $14.24.
<h3>
	Decliners Of Note</h3>

	The SEC previously announced it will open an inquiry into American Realty Capital Properties&#39; (NASDAQ: <a class="ticker" href="/stock/arcp#NASDAQ">ARCP</a>) accounting errors. Shares continued to sell-off today, hitting new 52-week lows of $9.12 before closing the day at $9.42, down 5.80 percent.
<h3>
	Earnings Of Note</h3>

	Xcel Energy (NYSE: <a class="ticker" href="/stock/xel#NYSE">XEL</a>) reported its third quarter results this morning. The company earned $0.73 per share, missing the consensus estimate of $0.75. Revenue of $2.87 billion missed the consensus estimate of $3.10 billion. Shares hit new 52-week highs of $33.76 before closing the day at $33.52, up 2.04 percent.

	Time Warner Cable (NYSE: <a class="ticker" href="/stock/twc#NYSE">TWC</a>) reported its third quarter results this morning. The company earned $1.86 per share, missing the consensus estimate of $1.90. Revenue of $5.71 billion missed the consensus estimate of $5.75 billion. Shares lost 0.61 percent, closing at $142.88.

	Teva Pharmaceutical (NASDAQ: <a class="ticker" href="/stock/teva#NASDAQ">TEVA</a>) reported its third quarter results this morning. The company earned $1.32 per share, beating the consensus estimate of $1.22. Revenue of $5.06 billion missed the consensus estimate of $5.08 billion. Shares hit new 52-week highs of $56.70 before closing the day at $56.47, up 3.63 percent.

	See Also: <a href="http://www.benzinga.com/news/14/10/4964706/qe-is-over-bull-bond-market-likely-isnt#ixzz3Hf0tztPp">QE Is Over; Bull Bond Market Likely Isn&#39;t</a>

	Ocwen Financial (NYSE: <a class="ticker" href="/stock/ocn#NYSE">OCN</a>) reported its third quarter results this morning. The company lost $0.58 per share, which may not be comparable to the consensus estimate of a profit of $0.63 per share. Revenue of $513.7 million missed the consensus estimate of $542.76 million. Shares gained 11.29 percent, closing at $23.16.

	Mastercard (NYSE: <a class="ticker" href="/stock/ma#NYSE">MA</a>) reported its third quarter results this morning. The company earned $0.87 per share, beating the consensus estimate of $0.78. Revenue of $2.50 billion beat the consensus estimate of $2.45 billion. Shares gained 9.32 percent, closing at $83.07.

	Kellogg Company (NYSE: <a class="ticker" href="/stock/k#NYSE">K</a>) reported its third quarter results this morning. The company earned $0.94 per share, beating the consensus estimate of $0.92. Revenue of $3.64 billion missed the consensus estimate of $3.69 billion. Shares gained 2.51 percent, closing at $64.04.

	LinkedIn Corp (NYSE: <a class="ticker" href="/stock/lnkd#NYSE">LNKD</a>) reported its third quarter results after market close. The company earned $0.52 per share, beating the consensus estimate of $0.47. Revenue of $568.0 million missed the consensus estimate of $557.49 million. Shares were trading higher by 0.46 percent at $203.83 following its earnings report.

	Starbucks (NASDAQ: <a class="ticker" href="/stock/sbux#NASDAQ">SBUX</a>) reported its fourth quarter results after market close. The company earned $0.74 per share, in line with the consensus estimate. Revenue of $4.18 billion missed the consensus estimate of $4.23 billion. Shares were trading lower by 4.81 percent at $73.60 following its earnings report.

	GoPro Inc (NASDAQ: <a class="ticker" href="/stock/gpro#NASDAQ">GPRO</a>) reported its third quarter results after market close. The company earned $0.12 per share, beating the consensus estimate of $0.08. Revenue of $280.0 million beat the consensus estimate of $263.60 million. Shares were trading higher by 5.86 percent at $72.25 following its earnings report.
<h3>
	Quote Of The Day</h3>

	&quot;He&#39;s always been associated with our game and he&#39;s Gordie Howe, &#39;Mr. Hockey.&quot;&#39; &ndash; Detroit Red Wings General Manager Ken Holland <a href="http://www.cbc.ca/sports/hockey/nhl/gordie-howe-s-condition-improving-family-says-1.2817307">commenting</a> on the NHL legend following a massive stroke earlier this week.

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Markets Rally On Better Than Expected GDP; Dow Has Best Close In More Than A Month

U.S. stocks declined as concerns escalated over Ukraine, two days before its citizens will vote in a referendum to split from Ukraine and become part of Russia.

	Russian President Vladimir Putin is gearing up to &ldquo;invade eastern Ukraine&rdquo; as a six hour talk between U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry and Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov proved futile. Lavrov said that there is no &ldquo;common vision&rdquo; on resolving the crisis.
<ul>
	<li>
		The Dow lost 0.26 percent, closing at 16,067.40.</li>
	<li>
		The S&amp;P 500 lost 0.28 percent, closing at 1,841.13.</li>
	<li>
		The Nasdaq lost 0.35 percent, closing at 4,245.40.</li>
	<li>
		Gold gained 0.79 percent, trading at $1,383.20 an ounce.</li>
	<li>
		Oil gained 0.91 percent, trading at $99.09 a barrel.</li>
	<li>
		Silver gained 1.38 percent, trading at $21.49 an ounce.</li>
</ul>

	<a href="http://www.benzinga.com/etfs/broad-u-s-equity-etfs/14/03/4384308/the-way-the-game-is-played-these-days-may-surprise-you#ixzz2vy5koBiv&lt;br /&gt;">Recommended: The Way The Game Is Played These Days May Surprise You</a>

	News of Note

	Producer Price Index declined 0.1 percent, worse than the 0.2 percent gain expected.

	Core PPI declined 0.2 percent, worse than the 0.1 percent gain expected.

	March Reuters/UofM Consumer Sentiment read 79.9, below expectations of 81.8.

	Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades of Note

	Analysts at Sterne Agee initiated coverage of Alcoa (NYSE: <a class="ticker" href="/stock/aa#NYSE">AA</a>) with a Buy rating and $15 price target. Shares lost 0.17 percent, closing at $11.84.

	Analysts at SunTrust Robinson Humphrey initiated coverage of Allscripts Healthcare Solutions (NASDAQ: <a class="ticker" href="/stock/mdrx#NASDAQ">MDRX</a>) with a Buy rating and $22.50 price target. Shares hit new 52 week highs of $19.37 before closing the day at $19.07, up 1.65 percent.

	Analysts at Longbow Research initiated coverage of Domino&#39;s Pizza (NYSE: <a class="ticker" href="/stock/dpz#NYSE">DPZ</a>) with a Buy rating and $99 price target. Shares gained 0.77 percent, closing at $79.52.

	Analysts at Morgan Stanley maintained an Overweight rating on Freeport McMoRan (NYSE: <a class="ticker" href="/stock/fcx#NYSE">FCX</a>) with an Overweight rating and a price target lowered to $40 from a previous $43. Shares gained 1.37 percent, closing at $31.06.

	Analysts at Oppenheimer maintained an Outperform rating on Home Depot (NYSE: <a class="ticker" href="/stock/hd#NYSE">HD</a>) with a price target increased to $93 from a previous $86. Shares gained 0.70 percent, closing at $79.35.

	Analysts at Oppenheimer upgraded Lowe&#39;s Companies (NYSE: <a class="ticker" href="/stock/low#NYSE">LOW</a>) to Outperform from Market Perform with a price target raised to $57 from a previous $50.

	<a href="http://www.benzinga.com/analyst-ratings/analyst-color/14/03/4386274/standpoint-researchs-ronnie-moas-just-made-it-safer-and-#ixzz2vyEpKLX2&lt;br /&gt;">Recommended: Standpoint Research&#39;s Ronnie Moas Just Made It Safer And Easier To Give Back</a>

	Analysts at Goldman Sachs upgraded NuStar Energy (NYSE: <a class="ticker" href="/stock/ns#NYSE">NS</a>) to Buy from Neutral with a price target raised to $62 from a previous $49. Shares gained 0.74 percent, closing at $49.07.

	Analysts at Morgan Stanley maintained an Overweight rating on Pfizer (NYSE: <a class="ticker" href="/stock/pfe#NYSE">PFE</a>) with a price target raised to $36 from a previous $34. Shares gained 0.32 percent, closing at $31.22.

	Analysts at Cowen &amp; Company downgraded Plug Power (NASDAQ: <a class="ticker" href="/stock/plug#NASDAQ">PLUG</a>) to Market Perform from Outperform with a price target raised to $7.50 from a previous $5.50. Separately, analysts at Roth Capital downgraded Plug Power to Neutral from Buy with a price target raised to $8 from a previous $0.80. Shares fell 16.12 percent, closing at $6.71.

	Analysts at Morgan Stanley upgraded Teva Pharmaceuticals (NASDAQ: <a class="ticker" href="/stock/teva#NASDAQ">TEVA</a>) to Equal-weight from Underweight with a $52 price target. Shares gained 1.92 percent, closing at $48.88.

	Analysts at Credit Suisse downgraded United States Steel (NYSE: <a class="ticker" href="/stock/x#NYSE">X</a>) to Underperform from Neutral with a $19 price target. Shares lost 1.45 percent, closing at $24.05.

	Equities-Specific News of Note

	According to the <a href="http://nypost.com/2014/03/14/ny-dealers-have-tesla-ban-in-sights/">New York Post</a>, auto dealers in New York are pressing state lawmakers to ban direct sales of cars. New York could become the sixths state whose legislation will effectively ban or limit direct sales of Tesla Motors (NASDAQ: <a class="ticker" href="/stock/tsla#NASDAQ">TSLA</a>). Shares lost 2.87 percent, closing at $230.97.

	Nelson Peltz wrote a letter to PepsiCo&#39;s (NYSE: <a class="ticker" href="/stock/pep#NYSE">PEP</a>) calling on the company to &quot;provide shareholders with analytical support for PepsiCo&#39;s continued reliance on the &ldquo;Power of One&rdquo; strategy and its rejection of Trian&#39;s recommendation to separate global snacks and beverages into two independent public companies.&quot; Shares lost 0.98 percent, closing at $81.00.

	<a href="http://www.benzinga.com/news/14/03/4391994/nelson-peltz-ups-his-battle-against-pepsi">Related: Nelson Peltz Ups His Battle Against Pepsi</a>

	Vodafone (NYSE: <a class="ticker" href="/stock/vod#NYSE">VOD</a>) is close to an agreement to acquire Grupo Corporativo ONO for 7.2 billion euros. Shares lost 0.59 percent, closing at $36.98.

	At the request of the Department of Justice and Securities and Exchange Commission, Cisco (NASDAQ: <a class="ticker" href="/stock/csco#NASDAQ">CSCO</a>) has started an investigation into bribery allegations relating to its operations in Russia. Shares lost 0.79 percent, closing at $21.35.

	SolarCity (NASDAQ: <a class="ticker" href="/stock/scty#NASDAQ">SCTY</a>) is teaming up with KirE builders to offer solar power to all homes in KirE&#39;s Black Canyon Estates that will open this weekend. Shares lost 0.39 percent, closing at $73.79.

	According to <a href="http://online.barrons.com/article/SB50001424053111904628504579437421810217730.html?mod=BOL_da_wt#articleTabs_article%3D1">Barron&#39;s</a>, FMC Corp&#39;s (NYSE: <a class="ticker" href="/stock/fmc#NYSE">FMC</a>) recent decision to split the company in to two entities could yield shares gaining as much as 21 percent. Shares lost 1.42 percent, closing at $79.00.

	A review of federal crash data from an automotive watchdog group found that 303 deaths of drivers and front-seat passengers were caused by airbags that did not deploy in recalled General Motors (NYSE: <a class="ticker" href="/stock/gm#NYSE">GM</a>) vehicles. Shares gained 0.89 percent, closing at $34.09.

	<a href="http://www.benzinga.com/news/14/03/4392522/303-deaths-linked-to-failed-airbags-in-gm-vehicles#ixzz2vyEUiJZv&lt;br /&gt;">Related: 303 Deaths Linked To Failed Airbags In GM Vehicles</a>

	General Mills (NYSE: <a class="ticker" href="/stock/gis#NYSE">GIS</a>) reaffirmed its prior guidance of fiscal 2014 EPS of $2.87 to $2.90. Sales and operating profit for the third quarter may come in one percent lower reflecting a drop in volume. The company will report its third quarter results on March 19 with a conference call scheduled at 8:30 AM ET. Shares lost 2.41 percent, closing at $49.78.

	Alibaba is reportedly preparing for a U.S. IPO as soon as next month. The deal is significant to Yahoo! (NASDAQ: YAHOO) who maintains a 24 percent stake in the Chinese company. Shares of Yahoo! gained 0.99 percent, closing at $37.60.

	Clayton Williams Energy (NYSE: <a class="ticker" href="/stock/cwei#NYSE">CWEI</a>) said that it has sold its Austin Chalk and Eagle Ford shale wells for $71 million to an unnamed buyer. Shares lost 0.22 percent, closing at $91.19.

	Citron Research issued a <a href="http://www.citronresearch.com/">report</a> detailing its views that Questcor&#39;s (NASDAQ: <a class="ticker" href="/stock/qcor#NASDAQ">QCOR</a>) H.P Achtar Gel&#39;s specific active ingredient is less than 20 percent of the label specification. Shares gained 2.53 percent, closing at $63.30.

	According to a 13D filing, Kyle Bass&#39; Hayman Capital disclosed a 4.76 million share ownership of Nationstar Mortgage (NYSE: <a class="ticker" href="/stock/nsm#NYSE">NSM</a>), or 5.3 percent of the company. Hayman Capital disclosed at the end of 2013 it owned 1.85 million shares. Shares gained 4.80 percent, closing at $32.77.

	Salesforce.com (NYSE: <a class="ticker" href="/stock/crm#NYSE">CRM</a>) added Colin Powell to its board of directors. Shares lost 1.52 percent, closing at $58.16.

	ExxonMobil (NYSE: <a class="ticker" href="/stock/xom#NYSE">XOM</a>) said that its PNG LNG liquefied natural gas project in Papua New Guinea should begin delivering gas by June, months ahead of schedule. The $19 billion plant will supply 6.9 million metric tons per year of liquefied natural gas to Japan, Taiwan and China. Shares lost 0.19 percent, closing at $93.46.

	According to <a href="http://www.thetimes.co.uk/tto/business/industries/telecoms/article4032698.ece">The Times</a> Liberty Global (NASDAQ: <a class="ticker" href="/stock/lbtya#NASDAQ">LBTYA</a>) is in talks to acquire British based Daisy Group for at least 500 million pounds. Shares lost 0.41 percent, closing at $43.26.

	Idenix Pharmaceuticals (NASDAQ: <a class="ticker" href="/stock/idix#NASDAQ">IDIX</a>) filed a patent infringement lawsuit against Gilead Sciences (NASDAQ: <a class="ticker" href="/stock/gild#NASDAQ">GILD</a>) in several European countries. Idenix is seeking remedies relating to Gilead&#39;s commercial activities involving its drugs containing sofosbuvir. Shares of Idenix finished the day unchanged at $6.94 while Gilead lost 3.79 percent, closing at $75.05.

	Winners of Note

	Starbucks (NASDAQ: <a class="ticker" href="/stock/sbux#NASDAQ">SBUX</a>) and Keurig Green Mountain (NASDAQ: <a class="ticker" href="/stock/gmcr#NASDAQ">GMCR</a>) announced that they have made changes to their five-year agreement. Starbucks will receive improved business terms in exchange for no longer using a previous exclusive use of &ldquo;super-premium&rdquo; coffee. Separately, Keurig announced a new multi-year agreement with Peet&#39;s Coffee &amp; Tea to launch a variety of new K-Cups. Shares of Starbucks were little moved on the news announcement, losing 0.21 percent, closing at $74.27 while shares of Keurig Green Mountain gained 6.68 percent, closing at $113.25.

	<a href="http://www.benzinga.com/trading-ideas/long-ideas/14/03/4392207/important-trading-lessons-from-tradespoon-founder-vlad-karpel">Recommended: Important Trading Lessons From Tradespoon Founder Vlad Karpel</a>

	Liberty Media (NASDAQ: <a class="ticker" href="/stock/lmca#NASDAQ">LMCA</a>) announced it will create two new tracking stocks. The first will be known as &lsquo;Liberty Media&#39; with the other &lsquo;Liberty Broadband.&#39; Investors will receive one share of Liberty Media and four shares of Liberty Broadband for every share of Liberty currently owned. The shareholders will also receive a subscription right to acquire one additional series A or series B share of Liberty Broadband tracking stock for every five shares of series A or five shares of series B Liberty Broadband tracking stock at a 20 percent discount to the 20 day volume weighted average trading price. The company also announced that its offer to acquire Sirius XM Holdings (NASDAQ: <a class="ticker" href="/stock/siri#NASDAQ">SIRI</a>) is no longer applicable, but the company remains enthusiastic over its already existing 53 percent holding of Sirius. Separately, Sirius confirmed it will resume its stock purchase program following Liberty Media pulling out its acquisition offer. Shares of Liberty Media gained 7.22 percent, closing at $135.25 while Sirius gained 2.08 percent, closing at $3.44.

	Decliners of Note

	Cowen Research took to Twitter with Aeropostale&#39;s (NYSE: <a class="ticker" href="/stock/aro#NYSE">ARO</a>) &ldquo;new $150MM senior secured credit commitment now supersedes equity shareholders in the capital structure.&rdquo; Shares closed at new 52 week lows of $5.83, down 20.14 percent.

	<a href="http://www.benzinga.com/news/14/03/4391325/is-the-nsa-impersonating-facebook-to-spy-on-people#ixzz2vy5wQQs8&lt;br /&gt;">Recommended: Is The NSA Impersonating Facebook To Spy On People?</a>

	On no new news FuelCell (NASDAQ: <a class="ticker" href="/stock/fcel#NASDAQ">FCEL</a>) declined today. The move can be seen as investors locking in profits, or investors reacting to the two downgrades that hit Plug Power (NASDAQ: <a class="ticker" href="/stock/plug#NASDAQ">PLUG</a>) today. Shares of FuelCell lost 9.31 percent, closing at $3.02.

	Earnings of Note

	This morning, Cooper Tire &amp; Rubber (NYSE: <a class="ticker" href="/stock/ctb#NYSE">CTB</a>) reported its fourth quarter results. The company announced an EPS of $0.31, beating the consensus estimate of $0.26. Revenue of $861 million beat the consensus estimate of $772.32. Net income for the quarter fell to $20 million from $73 million in the same quarter last year as volume of tires sold was lower both domestically and internationally. The company noted that it had a reduced impact from its Apollo Tyres merger in the quarter than it did in the preceding one. Shares gained 6.75 percent, closing at $24.36.

	This morning, ANN (NYSE: <a class="ticker" href="/stock/ann#NYSE">ANN</a>) reported its fourth quarter results. The company announced an EPS of $0.10, beating the consensus estimate of $0.07. Revenue of $623.3 million was in-line with the consensus estimate. Comparable-store sales rose 2.9 percent in the quarter as net income nearly doubled to $4.7 million from $2.4 million in the same quarter last year. ANN announced that it will realign the company to better position itself for growth by increasing its focus on improving and creating omni-channel capabilities. Shares gained 7.57 percent, closing at $37.51.

	Quote of the Day

	&quot;Do not rely on decoupling. Do not rely on central bank liquidity. Do not reply on hope. Hope is a false friend in these markets&rdquo; &ndash; Albert Edwards, Societe General&#39;s &ldquo;uber-bearish&rdquo; strategist in <a __source="cnbcsocial%7Cworldnews&amp;par=cnbcsocial&amp;utm_source=dlvr.it&amp;utm_medium=twitter”" href="”" http:="" id="" www.cnbc.com="">comments made today</a>.

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