Seagate (STX) (VRTX) (TYC) (AREX) (EPAY) (AKAM) Ratings, Price Targets

Seagate (NYSE: STX), Vertex Pharmaceuticals (NASDAQ: VRTX), Tyco International Ltd (NYSE: TYC), Approach Resources Inc. (NASDAQ: AREX), Bottomline Technologies (NASDAQ: EPAY) and Akamai Technologies (NASDAQ: AKAM) ratings and price targets.

Seagate (STX) had its “Buy” rating reiterated by Auriga.

Vertex Pharmaceuticals (VRTX) had its “Hold” rating reiterated by Brean Murray.

Tyco International Ltd (TYC) had its “Neutral” rating reiterated by Nomura (NYSE:NMR).

Johnson Rice initiated coverage on Approach Resources Inc. (AREX). They placed an “Overweight” rating on the company.

Bottomline Technologies (EPAY) had its price target raised by Needham & Company from $29.00 to $33.00. They have a “Buy” rating on the company.

Akamai Technologies (AKAM) was downgraded by B. Riley from a “Buy” rating to a “Neutral” rating.

Bayer (BAYRY) (PAAS) (MMI) (VRTX) (ODP) (CHDN) Upgraded

Bayer AG (OTC: BAYRY), Pan American Silver Corp (NASDAQ: PAAS), Motorola Mobility (NYSE: MMI), Vertex Pharmaceuticals (NASDAQ: VRTX), Office Depot, Inc. (NYSE: ODP) and Churchill Downs, Inc. (NASDAQ: CHDN) upgraded by analysts.

Motorola Mobility (MMI) was upgraded by JPMorgan Chase & Co. (NYSE:JPM) from an “Underweight” rating to a “Neutral” rating.

Vertex Pharmaceuticals (VRTX) was upgraded by William Blair from a “Market Perform” rating to an “Outperform” rating.

Pan American Silver Corp. (PAAS) was upgraded by Canaccord Genuity from a “Hold” rating to a “Buy” rating.

Bayer AG (BAYRY) was upgraded by Nomura from a “Neutral” rating to a “Buy” rating.

Office Depot, Inc. (ODP) was upgraded by UBS AG from a “Sell” rating to a “Neutral” rating. They have a price target of $3.00 on the company.

Churchill Downs, Inc. (CHDN) was upgraded by Hilliard Lyons from a “Neutral” rating to a “Buy” rating. They have a price target of $52.00 on the company.

CryoLife (CRY) (EVEP) (HIW) (ILMN) (VRTX) (WLL) Upgraded

CryoLife, Inc. (NYSE: CRY), EV Energy (NASDAQ: EVEP), Highwoods (NYSE: HIW), Illumina, Inc. (NASDAQ: ILMN), Vertex Pharmaceuticals (NASDAQ: VRTX) and Whiting Petroleum Co. (NYSE: WLL) upgraded by analysts.

CryoLife, Inc. (CRY) was upgraded by The Benchmark Company from a “Hold” rating to a “Buy” rating. They have a price target of $6.50 on the company.

EV Energy (EVEP) was upgraded by analysts at Wells Fargo & Co. (NYSE:WFC) from a “Market Perform” rating to an “Outperform” rating.

Highwoods (HIW) was upgraded by Stifel Nicolaus from a “Hold” rating to a “Buy” rating. They have a price target of $38.00 on the company.

Illumina, Inc. (ILMN) was upgraded by Mizuho from a “Neutral” rating to an “Outperform” rating.

Vertex Pharmaceuticals (VRTX) was upgraded by Citigroup (NYSE:C) from a “Hold” rating to a “Buy” rating. They have a price target of $60.00 on the company.

Whiting Petroleum Co. (WLL) was upgraded by Ticonderoga from a “Neutral” rating to a “Buy” rating. They have a price target of $65.00 on the company.

Ratings on (URBN) (VALV) (VRTX) (VSAT) Reiterated

Ratings on Urban Outfitters, Inc. (NASDAQ: URBN), Shengkai Innovations Inc (NASDAQ: VALV), Vertex Pharmaceuticals (NASDAQ: VRTX) and ViaSat (NASDAQ: VSAT) were reiterated by analysts.

Piper Jaffray (NYSE:PJC) reiterated an “overweight” rating on Urban Outfitters, Inc. (URBN).

Global Hunter Securities reiterated a “buy” rating on Shengkai Innovations Inc (VALV).

JPMorgan Chase & Co. (NYSE:JPM) reiterated a “neutral” rating on Vertex Pharmaceuticals (VRTX).

Wunderlich reiterated a “hold” rating on ViaSat (VSAT). They have a price target of $43.00 on the company.

Ratings on (VRTX) (NEE) (PEG) (PPL) Reiterated

Ratings on Vertex Pharmaceuticals (NASDAQ: VRTX), NextEra Energy, Inc. (NYSE: NEE), Public Service Enterprise Group Inc. (NYSE: PEG) and PPL Co. (NYSE: PPL) were reiterated by analysts.

Morgan Stanley (NYSE:MS) reiterated an “underweight” rating on Vertex Pharmaceuticals (VRTX).

Goldman Sachs (NYSE:GS) reiterated a “neutral” rating on NextEra Energy, Inc. (NEE).

Goldman Sachs reiterated a “neutral” rating on Public Service Enterprise Group Inc. (PEG).

Goldman Sachs reiterated a “buy” rating on shares of PPL Co. (PPL).

Ratings on (SPRD) (UPL) (TEVA) (VRTX) Upgraded

Analysts upgraded their ratings on Spreadtrum Communicationss (NASDAQ: SPRD), Ultra Petroleum Corp. (NYSE: UPL), Teva Pharmaceutical Industries Ltd (NASDAQ: TEVA) and Vertex Pharmaceuticals (NASDAQ: VRTX) today.

Bank of America (NYSE:BAC) upgraded Spreadtrum Commications (SPRD) from an “underperform” rating to a “buy” rating.

Sanford C. Bernstein upgraded Teva Pharmaceutical Industries Ltd (TEVA) from a “market perform” rating to an “outperform” rating.

Canaccord Genuity upgraded Ultra Petroleum Corp. (UPL) from a “sell” rating to a “hold” rating.

ThinkEquity upgraded Vertex Pharmaceuticals (VRTX) from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating.

Biggest Winners (ELON) (DEO) (VRTX) (TTI) (CRM) on May 6

Among the winners on Friday, May 6, as measured by share price increases, were Echelon Corp. (ELON), Diageo Plc (DEO), Vertex Pharmaceutica (VRTX), Tetra Technologies (TTI) and Salesforce.Com Inc (CRM).

Echelon Corp. (ELON) was up $1.36, to close at $10.16, a gain of 15.45 percent.

Diageo Plc (DEO) jumped $1.36 on the day to close at $82.14, an increase of 1.68 percent.

Vertex Pharmaceutica (VRTX) rose $1.35 to close at $54.54, a boost of 2.54 percent.

Tetra Technologies (TTI) soared $1.35 to close the session at $13.98, a gain of 10.69 percent.

Salesforce.Com Inc (CRM) surged $1.35 to end the day at $132.32, climbing 1.03 percent.

Price Targets on (VRTX) (VRX) (WFMI) (SINA) Updated by Analysts

Price Targets on Vertex Pharmaceuticals (NASDAQ: VRTX), Valeant Pharmaceuticals (NYSE: VRX), Whole Foods Market, Inc. (NASDAQ: WFMI) and Sina (NASDAQ: SINA) were updated by analysts.

Dawson James raised their price target on Vertex Pharmaceuticals (VRTX) from $48.00 to $67.00. They have a “buy” rating on the company.

RBC Capital raised their price target on Valeant Pharmaceuticals (VRX) from $46.00 to $51.00. They have an “outperform” rating on the company.

Credit Suisse (NYSE:CS) raised their price target on Whole Foods Market, Inc. (WFMI) from $47.00 to $50.00. They have an “underperform” rating on the company.

Susquehanna raised their price target on Sina (SINA) from $99.00 to $136.00.

Ratings On (STD) (VLCM) (VRTX) (WWWW) Downgraded by Analysts

Analysts downgraded Banco Santander (NYSE: STD), Volcom Inc (NASDAQ: VLCM), Vertex Pharmaceuticals (NASDAQ: VRTX) and Web.com Group (NASDAQ: WWWW) today.

WestLB downgraded Banco Santander (STD) from a “neutral” rating to a “reduce” rating.

Jefferies (NYSE:JEF) downgraded Volcom Inc (VLCM) from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating.

Brean Murray downgraded Vertex Pharmaceuticals (VRTX) from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating. They have a price target of $53.00 on the company.

Craig Hallum downgraded Web.com Group (WWWW) from a “buy” rating to an “accumulate” rating.

Vertex (NASDAQ:VRTX) Owns HCV Treatment with TVR

With a strong pipeline and TVR being the top drug for HCV treatment through 2012, Vertex (NASDAQ:VRTX) looks good for the short and long term.

Brean says, "We consider TVR to be the best in class drug for HCV treatment, and to remain so until 2012. Additionally, VRTX has pipeline drugs for RA, CF and epilepsy, but our valuation is driven by a discounted cash flow analysis and a disounted multiples analysis that only incorporates projected TVR and VX-222 revenue, in an effort to be more conservative."

Brean Murray Carret & Co. launched coverage on Vertex (VRTX) with a "Buy" rating. Vertex closed Friday at $39.01, down $0.38, or 0.96 percent. Brean has a price target of $50 on Vertex.

Vertex (NASDAQ:VRTX) Has Setback in Telaprevir Therapy

When Vertex (NASDAQ:VRTX) gave an update on their work on trying to shorten telaprevir therapy to 12 weeks, it appears they've met a setback, and at this time is fully valued, said Canaccord.

Canaccord noted, "We think the company’s update yesterday poses a setback to attempts to further shorten telaprevir therapy to 12 weeks (from 24 weeks in some patients) in an all-oral approach. We think there are other competitors such as Pharmasset (Nasdaq:VRUS)(BUY) that might offer stiff competition in a successful all-oral therapy. We expect approval of telaprevir + peg/riba in 2011 and view the stock as fully valued at current levels."

Canaccord Genuity maintains a "Hold" rating on Vertex, which closed Wednesday at $35.11, down $1.21, or 3.33 percent. Canaccord has a price target of $35 on them.