Analyst Upgrades

• Verisk (VRSK) was upgraded to outperform from market perform at Wells Fargo.
• Marriott (MAR) was upgraded to outperform from market perform at Bernstein.
• Jefferies upgraded Teekay (TK) and Tsakos Energy (TNP) to Buy from Hold.
• Cadence Design (CDNS) was upgraded to sector perform from underperform at RBC Capital.
• BofA/Merrill upgraded NV Energy (NVE) to buy from underperform and Education Realty Trust (EDR) to neutral from underperform.
• Men's Wearhouse (MW) was upgraded to buy from hold at Stifel.
• William Blair upgraded Atheros (ATHR) to outperform from market perform.
• Freeport McMoran (FCX) was upgraded to buy from hold at Argus.

Analyst Upgrades

• SunTrust upgraded Lennox (LII) to buy from neutral, given signs of improved residential HVAC equipment and service demand and a bottom in commercial lines. The firm has a $55 price target on the stock.
• Cowen upgraded Universal Display (PANL) to outperform from neutral. The firm expects OLED display growth to accelerate driven by increased handset and other mobile device penetration, followed by high-end TV and lighting applications.
• Canaccord upgraded Amylin (AMLN) to hold from sell following Roche's (RHHBY) delay in its Phase 3 study for taspo, a competitor to Amylin's bydureon. The firm has an $18 target on Amylin shares.
• DiamondRock Hospitality (DRH) was upgraded to buy from hold at Citigroup.
• Public Service (PEG) was upgraded to conviction buy from buy at Goldman.
• QuinStreet (QNST) was upgraded to overweight on valuation at Thomas Weisel.

Analyst upgrades:

• Target (NYSE: TGT) was upgraded two ratings to Buy from Sell at Citigroup, and it raised its price estimate on shares to $61 from $44. The firm sees significant earnings upside as the company's same-store sales improve and finds the valuation attractive at current levels.
• Motorola (NYSE: MOT) was upgraded to Outperform from Sector Perform at RBC Capital citing valuation, new product launches, and expectations that the Mobile Devices division will be profitable. The price target is $11.
• AK Steel (NYSE: AKS) was upgraded to Buy from Hold at Citigroup as it believes the company's Q3 results were solid and the China steel market is stabilizing. The firm raised its target to $21 from $17.
• Ceradyne (NASDAQ: CRDN) was upgraded at Wells Fargo to Market Perform from Underperform. The firm thinks that earnings expectations for the company have now reached more reasonable levels, limiting risk.
• FormFactor (NASDAQ: FORM) was upgraded to Outperform from Market Perform at FBR Capital ahead of the company's Q3 results due to valuation as it views the risk/reward on shares compelling. The firm raised its price target to $25 from $19.
• Texas Instruments (NYSE: TXN) was upgraded at Goldman to Buy from Neutral, citing 2H10 margin expansion and analog share gains. Target was raised to $29 from $27.
• Barrett Business Services (NASDAQ: BBSI) was upgraded to Buy from Hold at Roth Capital as the firm thinks the company will benefit from a labor market recovery next year. Roth notes that the stock's valuation has lagged behind most of its peers in recent months and it set an $18 target.

Analyst upgrades:

• Jefferies upgraded MICROS Systems (NASDAQ:MCRS) to Buy from Hold as it believes the company's cost cutting is running ahead of Street expectations. The firm raised its target on shares to $25 from $18.
  
• KeyBanc upgraded Cheesecake Factory (NASDAQ:CAKE) to Buy from Hold. The analyst believes companies will beat EPS estimates given lower commodity costs, focus on cost controls, and reduced drag of inefficient, new restaurants on unit level margins. Additionally, they believe reduced mortgage payments from refinancing will incrementally help traffic.
  
• Keefe Bruyette upgraded First Niagara (NASDAQ:FNFG) to Outperform from Market Perform on valuation following the company's Q1 results. The firm raised its target price to $15.
• American Electric Power (NYSE:AEP) was upgraded to Overweight from Neutral at JP Morgan.
  
• Royal Gold (NASDAQ:RGLD) was upgraded to Sector Performer from Sector Underperformer at CIBC and to Neutral from Underperform at Banc of America/Merrill.
  
• Micron (NYSE:MU) was raised to Overweight from Equal Weight at Barclays.

"One long-term opportunity is in the hotel sector," says real estate industry expert Peter Slatin, editor of the Forbes/Slatin Real Estate Report. Here, he finds a trio of opportunities among hotel REITs.

"We think it's misleading to suggest that REITs and other real estate companies are due for a big bounceback this year. They have already picked up some, but the economy, including deepening inflation and weakening jobs markets certainly suggest that those gains are fragile and that further gains will not come easily, if at all.

"In other words, the best posture at this moment is to sit tight and watch. Nevertheless, there are a few opportunities out there for strong income and for growth potential.

"The hotel sector has been hit hard this year. Share prices for Diamondrock (NYSE: DRH) and Strategic Hotels and Resorts (NYSE: BEE) suggest that investors have been running away from a bogeyman that isn't really there.

MOST NOTEWORTHY: CBS Corp., Thornburg Mortgage and DiamondRock Hospitality were among today's noteworthy downgrades:

• CBS Corp. (NYSE: CBS) was downgraded to Market Perform from Outperform at Wachovia, citing the weak ad environment and potential M&A strategy to acquire growth, which will limit upside near-term.
  
• Thornburg Mortgage (NYSE: TMA) was downgraded to Underperform from Outperform at Friedman Billings, which said the recent capital raise and related transactions result in 95% dilution, and questions how shares will trade when 2.9B restricted common shares are registered and start trading in mid- May.
  
• DiamondRock Hospitality (NYSE: DRH) was downgraded to Neutral from Outperform at Baird following the company's reduced guidance.

OTHER DOWNGRADES:

• Savvis Inc. (NASDAQ: SVVS) was downgraded to Equal Weight from Overweight at Lehman following the company's Q1 report and guidance.
  
• Memc Electronic Materials (NYSE: WFR) was downgraded to Neutral from Overweight at J.P. Morgan, who cited high Street expectations and a very tight capacity expansion schedule over the next few quarters.

MOST NOTEWORTHY: Wilmington Trust, DiamondRock Hospitality and Omrix Biopharm were today's noteworthy initiations:

• B. Riley initiated Wilmington Trust (NYSE: WL) with a Neutral rating and $33 target and points out the company has greater exposure to construction and development loans than most small- and mid-cap banks.
  
• DiamondRock Hospitality (NYSE: DRH) was assumed with a Market perform rating and $13.50 target at Keefe Bruyette. The firm sees limited upside given expectations for continued moderation in RevPAR trends, limited operating margin expansion and an uncertain economic outlook.
  
• Rodman & Renshaw believes that the issues that have plagued Omrix Biopharm (NASDAQ: OMRI) are now largely reflected in shares and that the company has improved visibility on business fundamentals with solid execution. The firm assumed coverage with an Outperform rating and $18 target.

OTHER INITIATIONS:

• UBS initiated Millennium Pharma (NASDAQ: MLNM) with a Neutral rating and $16 target.
  
• Credit Suisse initiated Ryanair (NASDAQ: RYAAY) with a Neutral rating.
  
• Morgan Stanley started Brasken (NYSE: BAK) with an Underweight rating.

MOST NOTEWORTHY: DiamondRock Hospitality, Pzena Investment and Vodafone were today's noteworthy upgrades:

• DiamondRock Hospitality (NYSE: DRH) was upgraded to Outperform from Neutral at Baird, citing the newly-announced 4.8M repurchase plan, strong balance sheet and valuation.
  
• Keefe Bruyette upgraded shares of Pzena Investment (NYSE: PZN) to Market Perform from Underperform after the company announced February ending AUM.
  
• Goldman added Vodafone (NYSE: VOD) to its Conviction Buy List following the recent weakness as they expect the company to benefit from growth in wireless data.

OTHER UPGRADES:

• UBS raised Weyerhaeuser (NYSE: WY) to Buy from Neutral.
  
• Credit Suisse upgraded MedCath (NASDAQ: MDTH) and Lululemon (NASDAQ: LULU) to Outperform from Neutral.
  
• Goldman added Cardinal Health (NYSE: CAH) to its Conviction Buy List.

MOST NOTEWORTHY: Labopharm (DDSS), Dell (DELL) and Nasdaq (NDAQ) were today's noteworthy downgrades:

• Labopharm Inc. (NASDAQ: DDSS) was downgraded to Neutral from Buy at Merrill Lynch and to Market Perform from Outperform at Leerink Swann after the 2nd approval letter from the FDA said Tramadol did not show efficacy. CIBC World Markets downgraded shares of Labopharm to Sector Performer from Outperformer and at Canaccord Adams to Sell from Hold.
• Dell Inc. (NASDAQ: DELL) was downgraded to Neutral from Buy at Merrill Lynch, which recommended investors take profits following the strong earnings reports. The firm does not believe the drivers behind the earnings upside are sustainable. Dell was also downgraded at Morgan Stanley, to Equal Weight from Overweight, based on valuation.
• The Nasdaq Stock Market, Inc. (NASDAQ: NDAQ) was downgraded to Equal Weight from Overweight at Lehman, as the firm believes the stock is range-bound for the next several months following the OMX acquisition announcement.

OTHER DOWNGRADES:

• Robert W Baird downgraded shares of DiamondRock Co. (NYSE: DRH) and Chesapeake Utilities Corp. (NYSE: CPK) to Neutral from Outperform on valuation.
• Bear Stearns downgraded shares of Emmis Communications Corp. (NASDAQ: EMMS) to Underperform from Peer Perform, as the firm does not believe the CEO will make another bid to take the company private.
• Matrix USA downgraded shares of Jabil Circuit Inc. (NYSE: JBL) to Hold from Buy.
• Morgan Stanley downgraded shares of Cintas Corp. (NASDAQ: CTAS) Underweight from Equal Weight, citing growth concerns, and downgraded shares of Virgin Media Inc. (NASDAQ: VMED) to Equal Weight from Overweight, citing higher customer churn and weaker pricing power.
• Goldman Sachs downgraded shares of RadioShack Corp. (NYSE: RSH) to Neutral from Buy.

Analyst summaries provided by TheFlyOnTheWall.com (subscription required).