DuPont & Kohl's Upgraded While Pier 1 Gets Hit With Downgrade

In Thursday's Analysts' Actions, Pier 1 gets a downgrade and lower price target while DuPont and Kohl's are upgraded. Pier 1 (PIR) was downgraded at Barclays to 'Equal Weight' from 'Overweight' with its price target also lowered to $14 from $18 a share. The firm says Pier 1's 'highly challenged Q2 report' sparked the downgrade and warns 'soft revenues could persist.' Kohl's (KSS) was upgraded at Citi to a 'Buy' from 'Neutral' with the price target increased to $70 from $63. The analyst at Citi is optimistic on the release of Juicy and IZOD brands and expects 'improved product assortment, loyalty program leverage, and prudent inventory management to drive comp store sales and margins.' JPMorgan Chase upgraded DuPont (DD) to 'Overweight' from 'Neutral.' The firm also raised the price target to $75 from $67 saying, 'The history of the chemical industry in North America is a history of higher growth, financial return and increasing specialization.'