Copano (CPNO) (UPS) (HOGS) (REGN) (ACOM) (PLCE) Ratings, Price Targets

Copano Energy (NASDAQ:CPNO), United Parcel Service (NYSE:UPS), Zhongpin (NASDAQ:HOGS), Regeneron Pharmaceuticals (NASDAQ:REGN), Ancestry.com (NASDAQ:ACOM) and Children’s Place (NASDAQ:PLCE) ratings and price targets.

Wells Fargo (NYSE:WFC) initiated coverage on United Parcel Service (UPS). They have a "Market Perform" rating on the company.

Oppenheimer initiated coverage on Zhongpin (HOGS). They have an "Outperform" rating and price target of $12.00 on the firm.

Regeneron Pharmaceuticals (REGN) was upgraded by Jefferies from a "Hold" rating to a "Buy" rating.

Copano Energy (CPNO) was upgraded by Morgan Stanley from an "Equal Weight" rating to an "Overweight" rating.

Ancestry.com (ACOM) was downgraded by Morgan Keegan from an "Outperform" rating to a "Market Perform" rating. They cut their price target from $30.00 to $27.00 on the company.

Children’s Place (PLCE) was downgraded by Goldman Sachs (NYSE:GS) from a "Buy" rating to a "Neutral" rating.

UPS (UPS) (VAR) (MU) (WAT) (BKS) (CBSH) Ratings, Price Targets

UPS (NYSE: UPS), Varian Medical Systems (NYSE: VAR), Micron Technology, Inc. (NYSE: MU), Waters Corporation (NYSE: WAT), Barnes & Noble Inc. (NYSE: BKS) and Commerce Bancshares, Inc. (NASDAQ: CBSH) ratings and price targets.

United Parcel Service, Inc. (UPS) is now covered by Wells Fargo & Co. (NYSE:WFC). They have a “Market Perform” rating on the company.

Varian Medical Systems (VAR) is now covered by Dougherty & Co. They have a “Buy” rating on the company.

Micron Technology, Inc. (MU) was upgraded by Barclays Capital from an “Equal Weight” rating to an “Overweight” rating.

Waters Corporation (WAT) is now covered by Cantor Fitzgerald. They have a “Buy” rating on the company.

Barnes & Noble Inc. (BKS) had its “Buy” rating reiterated by Maxim Group.

Commerce Bancshares, Inc. (CBSH) had its “Neutral” rating reiterated by Zacks Investment Research. They have a price target of $40.00 on the company.

UPS (UPS) (KW) (LNT) (LSTZA) (MAC) (MDAS) Ratings, Price Targets

United Parcel Service, Inc. (UPS), Kennedy-Wilson Holdings (KW), Alliant Energy Corporation (LNT), Liberty Media Corp (LSTZA), The Macerich Company (MAC) and MedAssets, Inc. (MDAS) ratings and price targets.

Piper Jaffray (NYSE:PJC) reiterated its “Overweight” on United Parcel Service, Inc. (UPS). They have a price target of $89.00 on the company.

Bank of America (NYSE:BAC) initiated coverage on Kennedy-Wilson Holdings (KW). They placed a “Buy” rating and a price target of 13.00 on the company.

Wunderlich upgraded Alliant Energy Corporation (LNT) from a “Hold” rating to a “Buy” rating. They have a price target of $45.00 on the company, up from $40.00.

Barclays Capital downgraded Liberty Media Corp (LSTZA) from an "Overweight” rating to an “Equal Weight” rating.

Goldman Sachs (NYSE:GS) upgraded The Macerich Company (MAC) from a “Neutral” rating to a “Buy” rating.

Auriga lowered its price target on MedAssets, Inc. (MDAS) to $14.00.

UPS (UPS) (HTS) (HXL) (IEX) (UA) (ULTI) Price Targets Changed

UPS (NYSE:UPS), Hatteras Financial Corp. (NYSE: HTS), Hexcel Co. (NYSE: HXL), IDEX Corp (NYSE: IEX), Under Armour, Inc. (NYSE: UA) and The Ultimate Software Group, Inc. (NASDAQ: ULTI) had price targets on them adjusted by analysts.

Hatteras Financial Corp. (HTS) had its price target lowered by Wunderlich to $28.00.

Hexcel Co. (HXL) had its price target raised by RBC Capital from $25.00 to $28.00. They have an “Outperform” rating on the company.

IDEX Corp. (IEX) had its price target lowered by Oppenheimer to $48.00.

Under Armour, Inc. (UA) had its price target raised by FBR Capital from $80.00 to $90.00. They have an “Outperform” rating on the company.

The Ultimate Software Group, Inc. (ULTI) had its price target raised by Piper Jaffray (NYSE:PJC) to $47.00.

United Parcel Service, Inc. (UPS) had its price target raised by Piper Jaffray to $89.00.

UPS (UPS) (EV) (FDX) (EDMC) (ODFL) Get Upgrades, Downgrades

UPS (NYSE:UPS), Education Management (NASDAQ:EDMC), Eaton Vance (NYSE:EV), FedEx (NYSE:FDX) and Old Dominion Freight (NASDAQ:ODFL) received uprades or downgrades from analysts.

Education Management (EDMC) was upgraded by Morgan Stanley (NYSE:MS) from an "Underweight" rating to an "Equal-weight" rating. They cited valuation as the catalyst behind the call. They have a price target of $16 on the company

Eaton Vance (EV) was downgraded by Ticonderoga from a "Neutral" rating to a "Sell" rating. They have a price target of $20 on the company.

FedEx (FDX) was downgraded by Credit Suisse (NYSE:CS) from an "Outperform" rating to a "Neutral" rating.

Old Dominion Freight (ODFL) upgraded by Credit Suisse to an "Outperform" rating. They cited valuation as the catalyst behind the call.

UPS (UPS) upgraded by Credit Suisse from a "Neutral" rating to an "Outperform" rating.

UPS (UPS) CEO Lands $9.5 Million Paycheck, Up 73 Percent Over Year Before

United Parcel Service Inc. (NYSE:UPS) Chief Executive Officer Scott Davis received a total compensation package valued at $9.5 million in 2010, a huge 73 percent jump over what he received in 2009.

Davis received a base salary of $1 million in 2010, the same as the year before, according to a filing Monday with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The majority his compensation, though, was in the form of stock. Davis' stock was valued at about $7.8 million at the end of 2010, over twice the $3.9 million his shares were worth at the end of 2009.

He was also granted option awards valued at $437,514 in 2010, nearly the same as 2009. His performance-based cash bonus rose 78 percent to $232,000 from $130,523 in 2009.

UPS said in the filing that "the increase in Davis' total compensation reflects a long-running and deliberate effort" to boost the compensation of its top three executives at the company, assuming earnings performance measures are met.

UPS closed Monday at $73.19, down $0.90, or 1.21 percent.

Goldman (NYSE:GS) Pushed Up PT of UPS (NYSE:UPS), Pricing Power

Citing their 5 percent increase in rates which gives them a larger capture ratio, Goldman Sachs boosted their price target on UPS (NYSE:UPS).

Yields for 2011 domestic express are expected to continue to get better on the increase in package weights and weight price, along with the 5 percent increase mentioned.

Goldman raised their 2010 EPS estimates from $3.54 to $3.56 and for 2011 from $4.28 to $4.38.

Goldman maintains their "Conviction Buy" list rating on UPS, which closed Monday at $72.14, down $0.01, or 0.01 percent. Goldman increased their price target on UPS from $83 to $90.

Goldman Recommends UPS (NYSE:UPS) over FedEx (NYSE:FDX)

The miss by FedEx (NYSE:FDX) in their latest quarter showed the consequences of uncertainty related to the company in several areas. Consequently, Goldman Sachs (NYSE:GS) sees UPS (NYSE:UPS) as a better play at this time.

The disastrous EPS results in their fiscal second quarter for 2011 highlights the challenges facing FedEx. They reported EPS of $1.16, missing significantly the $1.36 the Street was looking for.

Goldman changed their full year 2011-2013 EPS estimates from $5.25/$6.28/$7.09 to $5.23/$6.43/$7.24, citing improved domestic volume/pricing trends, although 2012 was the only year they were increased.

FedEx's performance was based on potential M&A, new fleet investments, domestic China competition/regulation, LTL pressures, and US regulatory/litigation outcomes, said Goldman. Those are things that will take time to work through, creating the uncertaintly and lack of clarity going forward.

Goldman maintains a "Neutral" rating on FedEx, which was trading at $92.59, down $1.63, or 1.73 percent, as of 12:39 PM EST. Goldman raised their price target on them from $100 to $105 based on the Christmas season.