Here is a game changer. The natural gas market is about to become an export market. The U.S. has abundant natural gas and now two companies plan to take advantage of the opportunity, as reported in the Wall Street Journal (subscription required).

First we have privately owned Freeport LNG Development, working with Australian Macquarie Group (MQBKY), expecting to receive export permits. The company has an import terminal and it plans to add the equipment that will allow it to export as well.

Analyst Upgrades

• Goldman upgraded Costco (COST) to buy from neutral based on valuation, improving fundamentals and potential catalysts. The firm raised its price target to $68 from $62.
• Soleil upgraded MGM Resorts (MGM) to buy from hold, citing valuation, easing balance sheet concerns and a multiyear convention recovery. The firm upped its target for shares to $14 from $13. Note, Soleil also downgraded Las Vegas Sands (LVS) to hold from buy.
• Piper Jaffray upgraded Phillips-Van Heusen (PVH) to overweight from neutral with a $59 price target following the company's better-than-expected Q2 results.
• Dell (DELL) was upgraded to buy from outperform at CLSA.
• CommScope (CTV) was upgraded to buy from neutral at UBS.
• EnCana (ECA) was upgraded to sector outperformer from sector performer at CIBC.

Analyst Upgrades

• Canaccord believes growth in DigitalGlobe's (DGI) commercial business will be a catalyst for shares. The firm upgraded shares to buy from hold and has a $38 price target on the stock.
• Standpoint upgraded Abercrombie & Fitch (ANF) to accumulate from hold based on valuation. The firm has a $47 target on the stock.
• Morgan Keegan upgraded Open Text (OTEX) to outperform from market perform based on the company's strong FY2011 EPS outlook.
• Devon Energy (DVN) was upgraded to overweight from equal weight at Morgan Stanley.
• Magna (MGA) was upgraded to outperform from sector perform at RBC Capital.
• EnCana (ECA) was upgraded to outperform from neutral at Macquarie.

"I believe natural gas is the top energy play on the planet; natural gas produces far fewer greenhouse gases than oil or coal, it is easy to transport, and there is a lot of it," says Jim Lowell.

The editor of Global Changes & Opportunities explains, "EnCana (ECA) is my top choice as a natural gas investment. Long-term investors should be well rewarded for buying the stock at its current low price.

"During the past two years, there has been a revolution in the ability to extract natural gas from shale deposits, of which the U.S. and Canada have huge quantities.

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.

EnCana (NYSE: ECA - option chain) shares are rising today after the company announced it is planning to split into two companies: a natural gas producer and an integrated oil firm. ECA had originally planned to do this a year ago, but halted the plan after the financial crisis made the move more difficult. If you think that the stock won't fall by too much in the coming months, then now could be a good time to look at a bullish hedged trade on ECA.

ECA opened this morning at $58.27. So far today the stock has hit a low of $57.64 and a high of $59.00. As of 11:40, ECA is trading at $58.52 up $3.89 (7.1%). The chart for ECA looks bullish and S&P gives ECA a positive 4 STARS (out of 5) buy ranking.

"The global oil and gas majors have been brutally wounded since energy prices peaked last July," observes resources expert Eric Roseman.

In his Commodity Trend Alert, he explains, "We believe it's safe to start accumulating these companies again. We're buying one of the largest and best-managed natural gas companies in the world – Encana (NYSE: ECA)."

The advisor notes, "Based in Calgary, Alberta, Encana is Canada's largest natural gas distribution company based on stock market capitalization and natural gas production.

"ECA produces approximately 4.4 billion cubic feet of gas equivalent per day. More than 80% is natural gas - the cleanest burning of all fossil fuels.

I am the Global Editor at MoneyShow.com and each week I interview an investing expert. This week, I spoke with Gordon Pape, editor of The Canada Report, who thinks Toronto may have seen its lows, and he's cautiously optimistic on the loonie, too.

Q. Gordon, since we last spoke, global markets have lost nearly half their value, and the Toronto Stock Exchange's Composite Index has dropped from more than 15,000 to just over 8,700. Have we hit bottom?

A. We are cautiously optimistic, but the recent trillion-dollar bond purchase plan announced by the Federal Reserve is great news for Canada. The flood of cash will likely spur inflation, drive down the value of the US dollar, and raise the price of commodities. It's no surprise that gold [rose] almost $60 an ounce and oil [got] back over $50 a barrel. The Canadian stock market is heavily weighted to commodities, so we are seeing a big lift. I still expect a lot of volatility in the coming months. However, the March 6th TSE low of 7,480 may turn out to have been the bottom for this cycle.

Analyst upgrades:

• Jefferies upgraded shares of Devon Energy (NYSE: DVN) to Buy from Hold on expectations that Haynesville results could be a catalyst in 2009. The firm raised their target to $100 from $94.
  
• Friedman Billings upgraded shares of Republic Services (NYSE: RSG) to Outperform from market Perform following the completed merger with Allied Waste (NYSE: AW).
  
• KeyBanc upgraded NorthWestern (NYSE: NWE) to Buy from HOld as they expect the Montana commission to grant the company's pending request for an accounting order to smooth pension expenses over five years.
• EnCana (NYSE: ECA) was upgraded to Neutral from Sell at Goldman.
  
• Goldman also upgraded Questar (NYSE: STR) to Buy from Neutral.
  
• Kinross Gold (NYSE: KGC) was raised to Outperform from Neutral at Credit Suisse.

Analyst downgrades:

Once again it's ugly out there today. The Dow Jones Industrial Average dropped below 11,000 for the first time in two years, plunging over 2%. The rest of the U.S. stocks are not far behind with both the Nasdaq composite and the S&P 500 down over 2% as well. It's depressing. But you don't have to look far to see a nicer picture, you just have to look up: up north that is.

The Toronto Stock Exchange has fared much better in what has officially become a U.S. bear market. Over the past year, while the S&P 500 sank over 19%, the S&P/TSX Composite index dropped only 3.4%. Year-to-date, while the S&P 500 declined over 16%, the TSX was barely down 1%. And if you stay away from financials on the TSX, you'd fare even better.

How so, you ask, doesn't the Canadian economy closely follows the U.S.'s? It's mostly true as the U.S. is Canada's biggest trading partner and the Canadian economy is intertwined with that of the U.S. For example, some of the layoffs at GM and Ford plants have occurred in Ontario plants, and Canada's unemployment rate edged up to 6.2% in June due to a drop in full-time jobs.

The thing is, though, that the TSX is heavily weighted in mining and oil & gas companies, sectors that have fared better than techs and financials the past year or so. Getting exposure to the Canadian market is very easy since many stocks also trade on U.S. exchanges, the famous of all may be Research in Motion (NASDAQ: RIMM). But there are others, and some of them, the U.S. investor may want to consider.

EnCana (NYSE: ECA) plans to separate into two companies, one focused on oil and the other natural-gas assets.

ECA closed at $85.93 Friday.

Friedman Billings Ramsey says: "The sum-of-the-parts DCF valuation is $92/share based on the company's most reserve data."

ECA over all option implied volatility of 35 is above its 26-week average of 33 according to Track Data, suggesting slightly larger price fluctuations.

Option Update is provided by Stock Specialist Paul Foster of theflyonthewall.com

MOST NOTEWORTHY: Energy companies, Regulated and Diversified Utilities and Tailsman Energy were today's noteworthy upgrades:

• Bernstein raised its 2008 oil forecast to $92.30/bbl, up 27%, and 2008 natural gas forecast to $8.30/mcf, up 7%. By 2012, the firm expects oil prices to be around $86/bbl and for gas to be $9.2/mcf. The firm upgraded Apache Corp (NYSE: APA) and XTO Energy (NYSE: XTO) to Outperform from Market Perform and EnCana (NYSE: ECA) to Market Perform from Underperform.
  
• Goldman upgraded the Regulated and Diversified Utilities sub-sectors to Attractive from Neutral citing expected economic weakness, positive commodity exposure, and earnings growth. The firm upgraded American Electric Power (NYSE: AEP) to Buy from Neutral.
  
• Citigroup upgraded shares of Tailsman Energy (NYSE: TLM) to Buy from Hold ahead of the company's annual meeting as they believe it will announce a new strategy of low risk resource development on existing acreage and that shares will react positively.

OTHER UPGRADES:

• UBS raised Watson Wyatt (NYSE: WW) to Buy from Neutral.
  
• Jefferies upgraded Clear Channel Outdoors (NYSE: CCO) to Buy from Hold.
  
• Bear upgraded Telecom Italia (NYSE: TI) to Peer Perform from Underperform.

Timberland (NYSE: TBL) is recently up 87 cents to $16.64. The Wall Street Journal has frequently reported in the past that TBL is exploring a plan to sell itself. TBL December and January option implied volatility of 48 is near its 26-week average of 46 according to Track Data, suggesting flat price fluctuations.

EnCana (NYSE: ECA), a leading North American natural gas producer, will be holding its 2008 Outlook Meeting on December 12th. WTI Crude Futures are up 0.87% to $88.25 according to Bloomberg. ECA overall option implied volatility of 33 is near its 26-week average according to Track Data, suggesting non-directional price fluctuations.

Daily Options Update is provided by Stock Specialist Paul Foster of theflyonthewall.com

David Fried has developed an industry-leading reputation by focusing on companies buying back their shares. Here, his Buyback Letter looks at EnCana Corp. (NYSE: ECA).

"Canadian oil producer EnCana is among the largest holders of oil and gas resource lands in onshore North America, has an extensive drilling inventory with some 40,000 well locations, strong production and reserves growth, and robust project returns. It is focused on natural gas and in-situ oil sands.

"As the dangers of global warming have become more apparent, major energy companies are attempting to capture carbon dioxide and lock it away where it won't trap more heat. Industry leader EnCana has embarked on a pilot project to improve recovery rates from mature oil wells by using carbon dioxide.

"EnCana buys carbon dioxide produced by a power plant and ships it via pipeline to its Weyburn field in southern Saskatchewan. EnCana injects the gas into its oil field, where it reduces the viscosity of the oil, allowing the company to increase its recovery from the field.

What are the best energy investments for long-term investors? To answer this question, I surveyed 20 of the nation's leading financial newsletter advisors to find their current favorite ideas in the energy sector.

Interestingly, the advisors see the best opportunities in areas well beyond traditional oil firms; indeed, no one included in this report chose a major integrated oil company. Rather, the advisors have shown a preference for various oil services sectors, non-oil energy sources, and developing alternative technologies.

Some focus on areas such as deep-sea operations with Diamond Offshore Drilling Inc. (NYSE: DO), Transocean Inc. (NYSE: RIG) and Oceaneering International (NYSE: OII), while others look toward oil shippers such as Nordic American Tanker Shipping (NYSE: NAT) and refiners such as Valero Energy Corp. (NYSE: VLO).

Others chose companies that make specific products needed by the oil & gas industries such as NATCO Group Inc. (NYSE: NTG), which makes a wide range of oil & gas processing systems; Dresser-Rand Group Inc. (NYSE: DRC), a maker of control systems; Gardner Denver Inc. (NYSE: GDI), which makes compressor and fluid transfer systems; Tenaris (NYSE: TS), a maker of pipes and tublar products and Schlumberger Ltd. (NYSE: SLB), the largest and most diversified of the oil services companies.