Top Analyst Actions: MMSI, WIRE, ALK, VCRA, SWN

Merit Medical (NASDAQ: MMSI) Barrington Research raises rating to outperform from market perform

Encore Wire (NASDAQ: WIRE) Sidoti raises to buy from neutral

Alaska Air (NYSE: ALK) Buckingham Research raises to buy from neutral

Vocera (NYSE: VCRA) Craig Hallum raises to buy from hold

Southwestern Energy (NYSE: SWN) Raymond James raises to market perform from underperform

Freeport-McMoRan (NYSE: FCX) Clarkson Capital lowers to hold from buy

Aerie Pharma (NASDAQ: AERI) Canaccord Genuity lowers to hold from buy, price target to $12.00 from $40.00

First Merchants (NASDAQ: FRME) Sandler O'Neill lowers to hold from buy

Emerge Energy Services (NYSE: EMES) Robert W. Baird lowers to underperform from neutral, price target to $30.00 from $50.00

Proto Labs (NYSE: PRLB) Canaccord Genuity lowers to hold from buy, price target to $75.00 from $85.00

Mast Therapeutics (NYSE MKT: MSTX) ROTH Capital initiates coverage at buy with $3.00 price target

RAVE Restaurant Group (NASDAQ: RAVE) ROTH Capital initiates coverage at buy with $20.00 price target

Juniper Pharma (NASDAQ: JNP) ROTH Capital initiates coverage at buy with $15.00 price target

uniQure (NASDAQ: QURE) Chardan Capital Markets starts at buy with $40.00 price target

Randgold Resources (NASDAQ: GOLD) Credit Suisse starts at neutral

Lakeland (NASDAQ: LBAI) Raymond James resumes coverage at outperform

Mattel (NASDAQ: MAT) B. Riley & Co. raises price target to $31.00 from $29.00 with buy rating

Microsoft (NASDAQ: MSFT) RBC Capital Mkts raises price target to $50.00 from $47.00 with outperform rating

Starbucks (NASDAQ: SBUX) Oppenheimer raises price target to $57.00 from $47.50 with outperform rating; RBC Capital Mkts raises price target to $55.00 from $50.00 with outperform rating; Telsey Advisory Group raises price target to $59.00 from $51.00 with outperform rating