US Top Rating Updates on 1/13: BA, NFLX, LMT, FTNT and More

Credit Suisse analyst Scott Deuschle upgraded $Boeing (BA.US)$ to Neutral from Underperform with a price target of $200, up from $121, as several key parts of his original thesis are no longer defensible in light of the company's improved operational performance. Key here are stronger aircraft deliveries-a trend which reduces the opportunity for downward estimate revisions, and instead creates upside opportunity, the analyst argues.

Oppenheimer analyst Jason Helfstein raised the firm's price target on $Netflix (NFLX.US)$ to $400 from $365 and keeps an Outperform rating on the shares ahead of the Q4 results, citing higher comp valuations. In addition to subscriber trends, the stock will likely react to comments surrounding progress of ad tier and new initiatives to reduce password sharing, Helfstein tells investors in a research note.

Goldman Sachs analyst Noah Poponak downgraded $Lockheed Martin (LMT.US)$ to Sell from Neutral with a price target of $332, down from $388. The U.S. defense budget has grown significantly to an all-time high level, and with a large level of cumulative government debt, focus on slowing spending growth or reducing it outright could return in 2023, Poponak tells investors in a research note.