Today's noteworthy initiations include: AB InBev (BUD) initiated with a Buy at Sterne Agee CRT... Accelerate Diagnostics (AXDX) initiated with a Neutral at BTIG... Aimco (AIV) initiated with a Buy at SunTrust... Akorn (AKRX) initiated with a Neutral at Susquehanna... Alarm.com (ALRM) initiated with a Buy at Stifel... Antero Resources (AR) initiated with a Market Perform at Cowen... AppFolio (APPF) initiated with a Neutral at Credit Suisse... Applied Industrial (AIT) initiated with a Sector Weight at KeyBanc... AvalonBay (AVB) initiated with a Buy at SunTrust... Avon Products (AVP) initiated with a Neutral at Sterne Agee CRT... Boingo Wireless (WIFI) initiated with a Buy at Craig-Hallum... Cabot Oil & Gas (COG) initiated with a Market Perform at Cowen... Cambrex (CBM) initiated with an Overweight at Stephens... Camden Property (CPT) initiated with a Buy at SunTrust... Church & Dwight (CHD) initiated with a Neutral at Sterne Agee CRT... Clorox (CLX) initiated with a Buy at Sterne Agee CRT... Coca-Cola (KO) initiated with a Buy at Sterne Agee CRT... Colgate-Palmolive (CL) initiated with a Buy at Sterne Agee CRT... Columbia Pipeline Group (CPGX) initiated with a Neutral at Citi... Cott Corp. (COT) initiated with an Outperform at Credit Suisse... Coty (COTY) initiated with a Neutral at Sterne Agee CRT... CymaBay (CBAY) initiated with an Overweight at Piper Jaffray... DXP Enterprises (DXPE) initiated with a Sector Weight at KeyBanc... Diageo (DEO) initiated with a Buy at Sterne Agee CRT... Dr Pepper Snapple (DPS) initiated with a Buy at Sterne Agee CRT... EQT Corporation (EQT) initiated with an Outperform at Cowen... Eco-Stim Energy (ESES) initiated with an Outperform at FBR Capital... Equity Residential (EQR) initiated with a Neutral at SunTrust... Essex Property Trust (ESS) initiated with a Neutral at SunTrust... Estee Lauder (EL) initiated with a Buy at Sterne Agee CRT... Euronet (EEFT) initiated with a Buy at Evercore ISI... Fastenal (FAST) initiated with a Sector Weight at KeyBanc... Green Plains Partners (GPP) initiated with an Outperform at Baird... Halyard Health (HYH) initiated with a Market Perform at Raymond James... Hemisphere Media (HMTV) initiated with an Outperform at RBC Capital... Herbalife (HLF) initiated with a Neutral at Sterne Agee CRT... Impax (IPXL) initiated with a Positive at Susquehanna... Jarden (JAH) initiated with a Buy at Sterne Agee CRT... Kaman (KAMN) initiated with a Sector Weight at KeyBanc... Keurig Green Mountain (GMCR) initiated with a Neutral at Sterne Agee CRT... Kimberly-Clark (KMB) initiated with a Neutral at Sterne Agee CRT... Kraft Heinz (KHC) initiated with an Outperform at RBC Capital... LaSalle Hotel (LHO) initiated with an Equal Weight at Barclays... Lannett (LCI) initiated with a Positive at Susquehanna... Lawson Products (LAWS) initiated with an Overweight at KeyBanc... MSC Industrial (MSM) initiated with an Overweight at KeyBanc... Meredith (MDP) initiated with a Hold at Jefferies... Mid-America Apartment (MAA) initiated with a Buy at SunTrust... Monster Beverage (MNST) initiated with a Buy at Sterne Agee CRT... Neurocrine (NBIX) resumed with an Outperform at Leerink... Newell Rubbermaid (NWL) initiated with a Buy at Sterne Agee CRT... Newfield Exploration (NFX) initiated with an Outperform at Cowen... Northfield Bancorp (NFBK) initiated with a Hold at Jefferies... Nu Skin (NUS) initiated with a Neutral at Sterne Agee CRT... PayPal (PYPL) initiated with a Buy at BTIG... Pebblebrook Hotel (PEB) initiated with an Overweight at Barclays... PepsiCo (PEP) initiated with a Buy at Sterne Agee CRT... Post Properties (PPS) initiated with a Buy at SunTrust... PowerSecure (POWR) initiated with an Overweight at Stephens... Procter & Gamble (PG) initiated with a Neutral at Sterne Agee CRT... Rice Energy (RICE) initiated with an Outperform at Cowen... Safeguard Scientifics (SFE) initiated with an Outperform at Barrington... Scorpio Tankers (STNG) initiated with a Buy at BofA/Merrill... Select Income REIT (SIR) initiated with a Market Perform at JMP Securities... Seres Therapeutics (MCRB) initiated with a Neutral at BofA/Merrill... Southwestern Energy (SWN) initiated with an Outperform at Cowen... StoneMor Partners (STON) initiated with a Buy at Wunderlich... T2 Biosystems (TTOO) initiated with a Neutral at BTIG... UDR, Inc. (UDR) initiated with a Neutral at SunTrust... Valeant (VRX) initiated with a Buy at BTIG... Veresen (FCGYF) initiated with a Buy at Citi... Western Refining Logistics (WNRL) initiated with a Hold at Deutsche Bank... Xactly (XTLY) initiated with a Buy at Deutsche Bank.

JPMorgan lowered the firm's price target on Coca-Cola to $65 from $66 and keeps an Overweight rating on the shares ahead of the Q1 report. The analyst sees a favorable setup for 2024, but is more cautious on volumes in Q1 versus the Street and is not expecting a guidance raise.

Deutsche Bank raised the firm's price target on Kraft Heinz to $43 from $42 and keeps a Buy rating on the shares ahead of the fiscal Q1 report.

Deutsche Bank placed a "Catalyst Call: Buy" on Estee Lauder as a short-term investment idea. The analyst views the setup into Estee's fiscal Q3 results on May 1 "skewing positively." The firm sees the company as likely to report "in-line-to-better" results versus Street estimates, including confirmation that long-standing China travel retail inventory backlogs have been cleared, while reiterating fiscal 2024 guidance.

TD Cowen analyst Oliver Chen lowered the firm's price target on Coty to $13 from $16 and keeps a Buy rating on the shares. The firm said recent stock pullbacks of (13%) imply modest expectations ahead of earnings but they remain constructive on the category.

As previously reported, Wells Fargo downgraded EQT Corporation (EQT) to Equal Weight from Overweight with a price target of $37, down from $48. The firm acknowledges that the recently announced merger with Equitrans Midstream (ETRN) should position the company as a unique "Gas E&P + Midstream" entity, resembling a mini super-major. However, it is clear the E&P and midstream investor communities will take some time to embrace this integrated model, versus the prevailing preference for pure-play narratives. While Wells holds a long-term positive view on the transaction, the transaction adds debt, complicates the story, requires time to develop and adds execution risk in terms of integration and asset dispositions. Consequently, the firm believes the pending merger substantially increases the stock's equity risk premium over the next 12 months.

Wells Fargo analyst Roger Read downgraded EQT Corporation to Equal Weight from Overweight with a price target of $37, down from $48.