Today's noteworthy downgrades include: Apple (AAPL) downgraded to Negative from Mixed at OTR Global... Asbury Automotive (ABG) downgraded to Hold from Buy at Craig-Hallum... AvalonBay (AVB) downgraded to Market Perform from Outperform at Cowen... BHP Billiton (BHP) downgraded to Underweight from Equal Weight at Barclays... Canadian Natural (CNQ) downgraded to Equal Weight from Overweight at Morgan Stanley... Cloud Peak (CLD) downgraded to Underweight from Equal Weight at Barclays... Comerica (CMA) downgraded to Underperform from Buy at BofA/Merrill... Concho Resources (CXO) downgraded to Hold from Buy at Jefferies... DDR Corp. (DDR) downgraded to Hold from Buy at Jefferies... DHT Holdings (DHT) downgraded to Neutral from Overweight at JPMorgan... Diageo (DEO) downgraded to Hold from Buy at Stifel... E-Trade (ETFC) downgraded to Buy from Conviction Buy at Goldman... EQT Corporation (EQT) downgraded to Hold from Buy at Jefferies... Encana (ECA) downgraded to Equal Weight from Overweight at Morgan Stanley... Essex Property Trust (ESS) downgraded to Market Perform from Outperform at Cowen... Euronav NV (EURN) downgraded to Neutral from Overweight at JPMorgan... F5 Networks (FFIV) downgraded to Hold from Buy at Deutsche Bank... Freeport McMoRan (FCX) downgraded to Hold from Buy at Jefferies... Great Plains Energy (GXP) downgraded to Neutral from Buy at BofA/Merrill... HCP (HCP) downgraded to Underperform from Hold at Jefferies... HeartWare (HTWR) downgraded to Neutral from Overweight at JPMorgan... InterContinental (IHG) downgraded to Neutral from Buy at Citi... Interactive Brokers (IBKR) downgraded to Sell from Neutral at Goldman... KNOT Offshore Partners (KNOP) downgraded to Neutral from Buy at Citi... LPL Financial (LPLA) downgraded to Sell from Neutral at Citi... Laclede (LG) downgraded to Underweight from Equal Weight at Morgan Stanley... Lazard (LAZ) downgraded to Neutral from Buy at Goldman... Liberty Property (LPT) downgraded to Market Perform from Outperform at Cowen... Marathon Oil (MRO) downgraded to Equal Weight from Overweight at Morgan Stanley... McKesson (MCK) downgraded to Market Perform from Outperform at Raymond James... Mead Johnson (MJN) downgraded to Neutral from Buy at Nomura... Medical Properties Trust (MPW) downgraded to Hold from Buy at Jefferies... NGL Energy Partners (NGL) downgraded to Hold from Buy at Stifel... Occidental Petroleum (OXY) downgraded to Hold from Buy at Jefferies... Omega Healthcare (OHI) downgraded to Hold from Buy at Jefferies... Patterson-UTI (PTEN) downgraded to Neutral from Overweight at Simmons... Peabody (BTU) downgraded to Underperform from Hold at Jefferies... Penn National (PENN) downgraded to Neutral at BofA/Merrill... Pinnacle West (PNW) downgraded to Underweight from Equal Weight at Morgan Stanley... Pioneer Energy (PES) downgraded to Neutral from Overweight at Simmons... Progressive Waste (BIN) downgraded to In-Line from Outperform at Imperial Capital... Prosperity Bancshares (PB) downgraded to Underperform from Neutral at BofA/Merrill... Raymond James (RJF) downgraded to Neutral from Buy at Citi... Rent-A-Center (RCII) downgraded to Hold from Buy at BB&T... Roadrunner (RRTS) downgraded to Peer Perform from Outperform at Wolfe Research... Rose Rock Midstream (RRMS) downgraded to Equalweight from Overweight at Capital One... Rouse Properties (RSE) downgraded to Underperform from Neutral at BofA/Merrill... SABMiller (SBMRY) downgraded to Hold from Buy at Stifel ... Scientific Games (SGMS) downgraded to Underperform from Neutral at BofA/Merrill... Southern Copper (SCCO) downgraded to Equal Weight from Overweight at Barclays... Synergy Resources (SYRG) downgraded to Equal Weight from Overweight at Stephens... Taubman Centers (TCO) downgraded to Underperform from Hold at Jefferies... Teekay Tankers (TNK) downgraded to Underweight from Overweight at JPMorgan... Telenor (TELNY) downgraded to Underweight from Overweight at JPMorgan... UDR, Inc. (UDR) downgraded to Market Perform from Outperform at Cowen... Vedanta Resources (VDNRF) downgraded to Underperform from Hold at Jefferies... Western Gas Partners (WES) downgraded to Neutral from Buy at BofA/Merrill... Whiting Petroleum (WLL) downgraded to Underweight from Equal Weight at Morgan Stanley... Zurich Insurance (ZURVY) downgraded to Underweight from Neutral at JPMorgan.

Desjardins downgraded Canadian Natural to Hold from Buy with a C$110 price target.

Truist upgraded Penn Entertainment to Buy from Hold with an unchanged price target of $23.

Welcome to "Fly Insider," The Fly's weekly recap of notable insider stock transactionsNOTABLE INSIDER PURCHASES: Significant insider purchases reported in the prior week from April 15 through April 19 include:Chairman of Ashford (AINC) Montgomery Bennett purchased 200,000 shares of company stock at $4. 91 per share... To see the rest of the story go to thefly.com. See Story Here

JPMorgan lowered the firm's price target on BHP Group to 2,650 GBp from 2,700 GBp and keeps a Neutral rating on the shares.

Apple quietly acquired Paris-based AI startup Datakalab on December 17, Challenges' David Pargamin reports. The terms of the transaction could not be learned, but European Commission has been notified of the deal, the author notes. Reference Link

Evercore ISI says that while neither OptumRx nor Cardinal Health (CAH) would confirm the winner of the contract, McKesson (MCK) confirmed it had won the contract beginning in July. Cardinal this morning announced that its pharmaceutical distribution contracts with OptumRx, which represented 16% of fiscal 2023 revenue, is expiring at end of June and will not be renewed. Evercore estimates the win would represent a 50c-65c earnings per share benefit to McKesson on a full-year basis or likely half of that given the contract does not start until July. The firm does not see Cardinal's announcement as "heralding a broadly more competitive period for the distributors, but rather a one-off contract shift given what was likely an off-market contract."

LPL Financial LLC announced today that financial advisor Clayton Ortloff has launched a new independent practice, Heritage Private Wealth, through affiliation with LPL Financial's supported independence model, LPL Strategic Wealth Services. He reported having served approximately $820 million in advisory, brokerage and retirement plan assets and joins LPL from Merrill Lynch. Based in Midland, Texas, the father of three is a third generation Midlander with deep ties to the community. Ortloff started his career in financial services in 2006 right out of college and has steadily built his business serving high-net-worth multigenerational families in oil and gas. He specializes in providing personalized wealth management services that range from diversification strategies and concentrated stock positions to legacy planning and charitable giving. He is supported by a dedicated team that includes Director of Client Relations Gloria Folsom and Wealth Manager Assistants Allison Gordon and Rachael Sawyer.

Friday's total option volume of 56.7 million contracts resulted in net open interest growth of 6.01 million calls and 5.28 million puts. NVIDIA (NVDA), Tesla (TSLA), Apple (AAPL) and Advanced Micro Devices (AMD) saw the greatest growth. Top five new positions opened include 50k Lyft (LYFT) May-24 20 calls, 44k Energy Transfer (ET) 4/26 weekly 16.5 calls, 43k Las Vegas Sands (LVS) Sep-24 41 calls, 23k Tesla (TSLA) 4/26 weekly 162.5 calls and 21k Papa John's (PZZA) Jun-24 57.5 puts.

Truist lowered the firm's price target on Comerica to $60 from $62 and keeps a Buy rating on the shares as part of a broader research note recapping Q1 earnings among Community and Regional Banks. The firm's updated model for Fed funds rate forecast calls for zero cuts in 2024 and four 25bps cuts in 2025 from three in 2023 and 2024 previously, the analyst tells investors in a research note. Truist is also cutting its FY24 and FY25 EPS on the bank to $5.07 and $6.40 from $5.16 and $6.34, with estimate revisions primarily driven by higher net interest margins and offset partially by lower fee income and higher operating expenses in 2024.