• Air Products & Chemicals (NYSE:APD) raised its offer for Airgas (NYSE:ARG) to $65.50 from $63.50 per share, equalling $5.5 billion

• Oracle (NASDAQ:ORCL) announced the appointment of former Hewlett-Packard (NYSE:HPQ) CEO Mark Hurd as co-President

• Goldman Sachs (NYSE:GS) added Oracle shares to its Conviction Buy List, with a price target of $27

• Barclays (NYSE:BCS) announced that its investment bank head, Robert Diamond, will take over as chief executive when current CEO John Varley exits in March 2011

• Morgan Stanley (NYSE:MS) upgraded Nokia (NYSE:NOK) from “underweight” to “overweight,” with a price target of $11.50

• Goldman Sachs (NYSE:GS) resumed coverage of Schlumberger (NYSE:SLB) with a “buy” rating and a price target of $68

• Susquehanna initiated coverage of Occidental Petroleum (NYSE:OXY) with a “buy” rating and a $98 price target

• FBR upgraded Pioneer Natural Resources (NYSE:PXD) from “market” to “outperform,” taking the price target from $60 to $85

• Jefferies (NYSE:JEF) reiterated its “buy” rating on Lubrizol (NYSE:LZ), taking the price target from $115 to $122

• A Barron’s article opined deepwater drillers attractively priced at current levels, with Noble (NYSE:NE) shares best positioned

 
AIR PRODS & CHE (APD): Free Stock Analysis Report
 
AIRGAS INC (ARG): Free Stock Analysis Report
 
BARCLAY PLC-ADR (BCS): Free Stock Analysis Report
 
GOLDMAN SACHS (GS): Free Stock Analysis Report
 
HEWLETT PACKARD (HPQ): Free Stock Analysis Report
 
JEFFERIES GP-NW (JEF): Free Stock Analysis Report
 
LUBRIZOL CORP (LZ): Free Stock Analysis Report
 
MORGAN STANLEY (MS): Free Stock Analysis Report
 
NOKIA CP-ADR A (NOK): Free Stock Analysis Report
 
ORACLE CORP (ORCL): Free Stock Analysis Report
 
OCCIDENTAL PET (OXY): Free Stock Analysis Report
 
PIONEER NAT RES (PXD): Free Stock Analysis Report
 
SCHLUMBERGER LT (SLB): Free Stock Analysis Report
 
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