Equity Brief: Ratings Changes for November 27th: HOGS, HOT, JAZZ, KNXA, LAZ, LGF, LPL, MAR

A number of stocks were upgraded and downgraded by equities research analysts today, as reported by Analyst Ratings Network (http://bit.ly/equitybriefdaily) and Equity Brief:

Maxim Group downgraded shares of ZHONGPIN INC. HOGS from a buy rating to a hold rating.

Credit Agricole initiated coverage on shares of Starwood Hotels HOT. They issued a buy rating on the stock.

Citigroup initiated coverage on shares of Jazz Pharmaceuticals, Inc. JAZZ. They issued a buy rating on the stock and set a $70.00 price target.

Piper Jaffray downgraded shares of Kenexa Co. KNXA from an overweight rating to a neutral rating.

Raymond James initiated coverage on shares of Lazard LAZ. They issued an outperform rating on the stock.

Zacks reiterated its neutral rating on shares of Lions Gate (LGF). They have a $17.00 price target on the stock.

Sanford C. Bernstein downgraded shares of LG Display Co Ltd. (LPL) from a market perform rating to an underperform rating.

Credit Agricole initiated coverage on shares of Marriott (MAR). They issued an underperform rating on the stock and set a $38.00 price target.

Zacks reiterated its neutral rating on shares of Mattel, Inc. (MAT). They have a $39.00 price target on the stock. Zacks' analyst wrote, "Mattel's third quarter 2012 earnings outpaced the Zacks Consensus Estimate based on the solid performance of Other Girls brands and margin expansion. Mattel has an industry-leading position and a strong balance sheet. Its focus on top-line growth, margin expansion, building new franchises, optimizing entertainment partnerships, expanding international footprint and effective cash deployment augur well. Moreover, the inclusion of HIT Entertainment will further drive Mattel's growth in the future. Additionally, the company is approaching its fourth quarter, which is the holiday season and thus is expected to generate considerable revenues. However, we remain skeptical on the stock based on the challenging economic environment, lower consumer spending, unfavorable currency impact, increasing input costs and the ongoing litigation with MGA. Growing competition from the private label toys and the video game industry is also a concern. Hence, we currently remain Neutral on the stock. "

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