Analyst upgrades:

• Oppenheimer upgraded Amdocs (NYSE: DOX) to Outperform from Perform on expectations the company is gaining momentum following recent contract wins. The firm set a $27 price target on the stock.
• FBR Capital upgraded Starwood Hotels (NYSE: HOT) to Market Perform from Underperform after raising the Lodging sector to Overweight from Neutral. The firm cites improving demand data, potential foreign exchange benefits, and continued asset sales for the upgrade and raised its target price on Starwood to $19 from $14.
• BofA/Merrill upgraded Goldman Sachs (NYSE: GS) to Buy from Neutral. The firm expects Goldman to beat Q2 estimates due favorable trading and underwriting conditions. The firm raised estimates and increased its price target to $175 from $144.
• Jefferies (NYSE: JEF) was upgraded to Neutral from Sell at Pali Capital.
• KB Home (NYSE: KBH) was upgraded to Outperform from Neutral at Credit Suisse.
• Ciena (NASDAQ: CIEN) was upgraded to Market Perform from Underperform at JMP Securities.

Analyst upgrades

• Oppenheimer upgraded Savient Pharmaceuticals (NASDAQ: SVNT) to Perform from Underperform after the FDA's Arthritis Advisory Committee voted 14-1 in favor of approving Krystexxa for gout.
• Banc of America/Merrill upgraded Texas Instruments (NYSE: TXN) to Buy from Underperform and raised its target to $27 from $18 based on expectations that margin expansion will be higher than Street expectations.
• UBS said Nvidia (NASDAQ: NVDA) has limited downside risk given the improved outlook for the graphics processor market and professional solutions business. Shares were upgraded to Neutral from Sell and its target was raised to $11.50 from $8.
• BHP Billiton (NYSE: BHP) was upgraded to Outperform from Neutral at Macquarie.
• Neutral Tandem (NASDAQ: TNDM) was upgraded to Outperform from Neutral at Baird.
• Central Garden & Pet (NASDAQ: CENT) was upgraded to Buy from Neutral at SunTrust.

Despite the U.S. stock market's recent run up, the decline in the U.S. dollar and inflation fears have investors searching for safety in these uncertain times. A popular strategy that has emerged is to hedge market and currency risk with commodities, namely gold, oil, and uranium. What specific stocks and investments in these sectors are likely to outperform?

ETFs like the US Oil Fund (NYSE: USO) and the SPDR Gold Shares (NYSE: GLD) will obviously track any rise or fall in these commodities to a T, but perhaps individual companies in these sectors are a better fit for you. Below are some industry giants, as well as speculative plays that are also drawing attention from investors.

Yamana Gold (NYSE: AUY - option chain) stock is falling today as gold futures are retreating from recent highs. Last week, front-month gold was approaching $1,000 quickly, but on Friday dropped 3% and today gold is down another 1.5% so far to trade below $950. If you think this stock won't be rising too far in the coming months, then it could be a good time to look at a bearish hedged play on AUY.

This morning, AUY opened at $10.31. So far today the stock has hit a low of $10.17 and a high of $10.45. As of 12:35, AUY is trading at $10.39, down 26 cents(-2.4%). The chart for AUY looks bullish.

Is there a big commodities rally underway? Let's look at the numbers:

• The Commodity Research Bureau index (CRB) of 19 energy, metal and agricultural prices gained 14%, the most since 1974
• Gasoline soared 30% in May
• Gold and copper also surged
• Corn and soybeans reached their highest levels since last September
• Crude oil has jumped 29%, the most since 1999
• Gasoline futures for June delivery surged 31%, the most since 2006
• Cotton futures were up
• Gold is at $980.00 per ounce
• Silver posted the biggest monthly gain in 22 years

So you are probably asking: What is fueling this rally?

Barrick Gold (NYSE: ABX) closed at $37.18. Gold is recently up 1.43% to $977 according to Bloomberg. ABX June option implied volatility is at 45, July is at 47; below its 26-week average of 66, according to Track Data, suggesting decreasing price movement.

Melco Crown Entertainment (NYSE: MPEL) closed at $6.06. MPEL's City of Dreams in Cotai, Macau, is scheduled to open on June 1. MPEL June option implied volatility is at 91, October is at 95; near its 26-week average according to Track Data, suggesting non-directional price movement.

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

In rare public announcement, China has revealed its gold holdings, which are 1,054 tons up from 600 tons in 2002. Why is China's gold pot of concern to us? Well, for one thing China has been moving away from the US dollar as part of their reserve holdings since 2005. China is increasingly worried about the world economies and wants to protect itself against any deepening of the world financial crisis.

China is also asserting itself on the world stage. Chinese leaders feel that the country's gold holdings must be increased because of the size of China'a economy and the strengthening of its currency.

You may have heard the recent calls from China for a global reserve currency that is not the dollar.

Good luck with that one. The dollar is the global reserve currency. Do not underestimate the strength of this country as compared to the rest of the world. Predictions of our demise are premature.

For more than 20 years, the price of gold did nothing. If you invested in gold, you wasted your time. That all changed with fears of inflation and hedge fund speculation several years ago.

Today, the church of gold is full of believers. What changed?

Related to manipulation, the simple fact is that there is a limited supply of gold.

Those who want to return to the gold standard fail to appreciate that at some point a lack of supply could have disastrous consequences in a gold-based system.

One thing I am very afraid of with gold is manipulation.

Unlike paper currency that is impossible to manipulate in any way, gold can be accumulated by a group of connected buyers for the sole purpose of eliminating supply from the market. A successful cornering of the market can result in volatile swings in price. Unsuspecting buyers acquire bullion at higher prices only to see a flood of supply hit the market resulting in damaging price collapse.

Whether it's collapsing home prices, discounts on automobiles or reductions in stock prices, asset values across the board are declining, not increasing.

The gold bulls state that enemy number-one of the dollar-denominated currency is inflation. I agree wholeheartedly, and so does the Federal Reserve.

I will be very blunt: I despise gold and everything it stands for.

It's an abhorrent example of materialism and serves no real purpose. Lust for gold is over the top excess, and despite the protestations of the goldbugs, there is no real basis for the metal serving the currency needs of the world.

This post was written by Minyanville contributor Lance Lewis

The consensus seems to be blowing off the G20 as a nonevent for the dollar, but then again the consensus didn't anticipate the Fed announcing that it would begin to monetize Treasury debt a couple weeks ago either. And it was that Fed decision that brought us to where we are today.