Top Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades (ABAX, ATVI, AFFY, AKAM, AIG, ETN, GILD, HNZ, IP, OXY, OMG, OC, PAAS, SWY, TTWO, TEVA, TPH, VMW)

These are some of this Monday's top analyst upgrades, downgrades and initiations seen from Wall St. research calls.

Abaxis Inc. (NASDAQ: ABAX) cut to Underperform from Neutral.

Activision Blizzard Inc. (NASDAQ: ATVI) reiterated Buy with $18 target at Argus.

Affymax Inc. (NASDAQ: AFFY) was downgraded across the board by Piper Jaffray, Baird, Stifel Nicolaus and others after its deadly dialysis injection recall was announced over the weekend.

Akamai Technologies Inc. (NASDAQ: AKAM) raised to Outperform at Macquarie.

American International Group Inc. (NYSE: AIG) reiterated Buy and raised price target by $5 to $45 at Argus.

Eaton Corp. (NYSE: ETN) started as Outperform with $72 target price at Credit Suisse.

Gilead Sciences Inc. (NASDAQ: GILD) was maintained Buy but it was added to the key US 1 List at BofA/Merrill Lynch.

H.J. Heinz (NYSE: HNZ) cut to Neutral from Buy at Citigroup.

International Paper Co. (NYSE: IP) raised to Overweight at J.P. Morgan.

Occidental Petroleum Corp. (NYSE: OXY) raised to Outperform at Raymond James.

OM Group Inc. (NYSE: OMG) named Bear of the Day at Zacks.

Owens Corning (NYSE: OC) cut to Market Perform at Wells Fargo.

Pan American Silver Corp. (NASDAQ: PAAS) raised to Buy at Canaccord Genuity.

Safeway Inc. (NYSE: SWY) raised to Neutral at BofA/Merrill Lynch.

Take-Two Interactive Software Inc. (NASDAQ: TTWO) named Bull of the Day after hitting the reset button at Zacks.

Teva Pharmaceutical Industries Ltd. (NYSE: TEVA) cut to Hold at Argus.

TRI Pointe Homes Inc. (NYSE: TPH) started as Outperform at FBR and started as Buy at Deutsche Bank.

VMware Inc. (NYSE: VMW) raised to Neutral at Citigroup.

Filed under: 24/7 Wall St. Wire, Analyst Calls Tagged: ABAX, AFFY, AIG, AKAM, ATVI, ETN, GILD, HNZ, IP, OC, OMG, OXY, PAAS, SWY, TEVA, TPH, TTWO, VMW