Analyst Upgrades

• Auriga upgraded Computer Programs & Systems (CPSI) to hold from sell after channel checks indicated Q1 could be the bottom for stagnation of new system sales. The firm raised its target for shares to $38 from $32.
• Janney Montgomery upgraded Tetra Tech (TTEK) to buy from neutral due to valuation. The firm has a $26 price target on the stock.
• Deutsche Bank upgraded Energy Transfer Equity (ETE) to buy from hold and raised its target for shares to $40 from $27.
• Best Buy (BBY) was upgraded to buy from neutral at Goldman.
• Mariott (MAR) was raised to buy from sell at Societe Generale.
• Telus (TU) was upgraded at TD Newcrest to action list buy from buy.

Analyst Upgrades

• FBR Capital upgraded Nike (NKE) to outperform from market perform. The firm believes the company's momentum is building following the better-than-expected Q3 report and raised its target for the stock to $84 from $67.
• Thomas Weisel upgraded Corning (GLW) to overweight from market weight, citing improving profitability and cash flow trends. The firm has a $24 price target for shares.
• Deutsche Bank upgraded Burger King (BKC) to buy from hold, citing valuation and potential positive catalysts from the bottoming of sales trends and easy comparisons. The firm raised its price target on shares to $24 from $19.
• Broadcom (BRCM) was upgraded to buy from neutral at Goldman.
• Energizer (ENR) was upgraded to overweight from neutral at JPMorgan.
• Guess (GES) was upgraded to buy from hold at Lazard Capital.

Gordon Manning, technical analyst at National Australia Bank Ltd, foresees oil rallying to $88 per barrel.

Technical traders use support and resistance chart points to plot their trades. Resistance is an upside barrier that must be penetrated for prices to go higher. Support is a base line that must be breached for prices to go lower. Each day trader uses various formulas to calculate support and resistance for that day. Chartists do the same but for longer periods.

If you watched the price action of oil futures you noticed that prices are fluctuating between $80 and $83 per barrel. The first line of resistance then is at $83. If prices moved upward, through $83, then traders will look for the next level of resistance. In this case Manning sees that as the $88 level.

Analyst Upgrades

• Credit Suisse upgraded Blackrock (BLK) to outperform from neutral and added shares to its U.S. Focus List. The firm cites valuation for the upgrade. The firm raised its target to $280 from $270.
• Keefe Bruyette upgraded Greenhill & Co. (GHL) to outperform from market perform following the company's acquisition of Caliburn. The firm raised its price target for shares to $110 from $82.
• Deutsche Bank upgraded Athenahealth (ATHN) to buy from hold, citing the removal of the company's accounting overhang and a strong long-term outlook. The firm raised its price target for shares to $51 from $40.
• Ann Taylor (ANN) was upgraded to neutral from underperform at BofA/Merrill.
• Jacobs Engineering (JEC) was upgraded to sell from conviction sell at Goldman.
• Sterling Bancorp (STL) was upgraded to outperform from market perform at BMO Capital.

Analyst Upgrades

• UBS upgraded Starbucks (SBUX) to buy from neutral, citing expectations for sales momentum. The firm raised its price target to $29 from $27.
• Piper Jaffray upgraded Sonic (SONC) two notches to overweight from underweight on expectations the company's sales and margin trends are set to improve. The firm raised its target price for shares to $12 from $8.
• BMO Capital upgraded Chicago Bridge & Iron (CBI) to outperform from market perform, citing its outlook for earnings growth. The firm has a $30 target on the stock.
• Clorox (CLX) was upgraded to overweight from equal weight at Barclays.
• Alexion Pharma (ALXN) was upgraded to conviction buy from buy at Goldman.
• Compellent (CML) was upgraded to buy from hold at ThinkEquity.

Analyst Upgrades

• FBR Capital upgraded Legg Mason (LM) to market perform from underperform, citing stabilizing outflows and an improved liquidity position.
• Walmart (WMT) was upgraded to buy from hold by Citigroup on expectations the company will regain market share from aggressive price cuts.
• Piper Jaffray upgraded Kirkland's (KIRK) to overweight from neutral following the company's Q4 results.
• Greenbrier (GBX) was upgraded to buy from hold by KeyBanc as the company believes that railcar fundamentals have improved.
• Citigroup upgraded WM Morrison (MRWSY) to buy from sell.
• HSBC raised Millicom (MICC) to overweight from neutral.
• HealthSouth (HLS) was raised to outperform from market perform by Raymond James.

Analyst Upgrades

• Deutsche Bank upgraded Southern Copper (SCCO) to buy from hold to reflect valuation and positive near-term catalysts. The firm raised its target for shares to $38 from $35.
• JMP Securities upgraded Ultimate Software (ULTI) to outperform from market perform. The firm cites the company's expanding employee base for the upgrade. The firm has a $40 target on the stock.
• Piper Jaffray upgraded Aeropostale (ARO) to neutral from underweight following the company's Q4 results and raised its target for shares to $31 from $24.
• Kennametal (KMT) was upgraded to sell from conviction sell at Goldman.
• Lifetime Brands (LCUT) was upgraded to outperform from market perform at Barrington.
• Volvo (VOLVY) was upgraded to overweight from underweight at JPMorgan.

Analyst Upgrades

• UBS upgraded Dr Pepper Snapple (DPS) to buy from neutral, citing strong fundamentals and buybacks. The firm raised its target to $42 from $31.
• Piper Jaffray upgraded ProAssurance (PRA) to overweight from neutral. The firm has a $76 price target on shares.
• Hershey (HSY) and Sunoco (SUN) were upgraded to sell from conviction sell at Goldman.
• Level 3 Comm (LVLT) was upgraded to neutral from underweight at JPMorgan.
• Cathay Pacific (CPCAY) was upgraded to buy from hold at Deutsche Bank.

Late Tuesday, an advisory panel of the Food & Drug Administration (FDA) voiced its approval for pirfenidone, the experimental lung drug from InterMune (ITMN). The panel voted 9-3 in favor of recommending pirfenidone to patients with idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis.

The FDA is expected to follow the advice of the advisory panel, although it's not required to do so. The regulatory agency is due to issue its final ruling on the drug's fate by early May.

Analyst Upgrades

• ThinkEquity upgraded InterMune (ITMN) to buy from hold following the FDA advisory committee's approval of Esbriet. InterMune was also upgraded to outperform from market perform at Wells Fargo.
• Piper Jaffray upgraded Radian (RDN) to neutral from underweight with a $9 target. The firm believes the company will not have to raise capital as the government is allowing it to increase its leverage ratio beyond historic maximum levels.
• JPMorgan upgraded ExlService (EXLS) to neutral from underweight following the company's Q4 results.
• Lockheed Martin (LMT) was upgraded to neutral from underperform at Macquarie.
• Analog Devices (ADI) was upgraded to outperform from market perform at Bernstein.
• Goodrich (GR) was upgraded to conviction buy from buy at Goldman.

Abbey Joseph Cohen, chief market strategist at Goldman Sachs (GS), says that U.S. stocks have room to run on the upside. She spoke on CNBC Tuesday and reiterated this important fact: "The stock market is almost always a discounting mechanism that almost always moves in advance of the economy, but we don't think it has moved too far at this point."

This bit of wisdom should be posted at the top of every trader and investor's computer screen. Many investors have a tendency to look back at what happened, rather than looking forward to what will be. The past is dead. Today's trading is done. Now you must move on to tomorrow, to the unknown.

Analyst Upgrades

• UBS upgraded Yum! Brands (YUM) to buy from neutral, citing valuation, improving momentum and stabilizing China fast-food sales. The firm raised its target to $44 from $38.
• United Technologies (UTX) was upgraded to outperform from neutral at Cowen.
• Needham upgraded Arris (ARRS) to buy from hold, citing valuation and positive near-term business trends. The firm has a $16 price target on shares.
• Warnaco (WRC) was upgraded to outperform from neutral at Credit Suisse.
• Aetna (AET) was upgraded to neutral from underperform at BofA/Merrill.
• Nestle (NSRGY) was upgraded to overweight from neutral at JPMorgan.

C.H. Robinson Worldwide (CHRW) was the subject of a rosy write-up in Barron's over the weekend, with the financial publication noting that the company is well-positioned to benefit as "trends in the transportation industry are reaching an inflection point." In fact, portfolio manager Quoc Tran of Lateef Investment Management believes that "a stake in C.H. Robinson [is] the best way to enjoy a rebound in the transportation sector."

The stock enjoyed a modest boost Monday morning in the wake of the Barron's endorsement, with CHRW breaking out above short-term pressure from its 10-day and 20-day moving averages. The stock has added roughly 40% during the past year, capitalizing on support from its longer-term 10-month and 20-month trendlines.