Analyst upgrades:

• Credit Suisse upgraded Sprint Nextel (S) to outperform from neutral and raised its target to $6 from $4. The firm believes Sprint Nextel's core business is turning and that valuation is attractive. Credit Suisse also added Sprint Nextel to its Focus List.
• Goldman expects Nordstrom (JWN) to benefit from a recovery in the high-end consumer. The firm upgraded shares to buy from neutral and raised its target to $41 from $39.
• Deutsche Bank remains cautious on the Dry Bulk sector long-term but expects increased Q4 day rates. The firm upgraded Genco (GNK) to buy from hold and raised its target to $31 from $24; the firm also upgraded Eagle Bulk (EGLE) to hold from sell.
• Steelcase (SCS) was upgraded to buy from hold at BB&T.
• United Rentals (URI) was upgraded to outperform from perform at Oppenheimer.
• GLG Partners (GLG) was upgraded to outperform from market perform at Keefe Bruyette.
• Ladish (LDSH) was upgraded to outperform from market perform at FBR Capital.

• Goldman upgraded Gerdau AmeriSteel (NYSE: GNA) to Buy from Neutral and has a $5.50 target on shares. Shares were upgraded due to the potential impact from infrastructure spending. Note that Goldman downgraded Steel Dynamics (NYSE: STLD) and Olympic Steel (NYSE: ZEUS) to Neutral from Buy.
  
• Banc of America/Merrill upgraded Coca-Cola Enterprises (NYSE: CCE) to Buy from Neutral and raised the price target to $18 from $15. The firm the strong Q1 report gives them greater confidence in shares.
  
• Roth Capital upgraded Halozyme (NASDAQ: HALO) to Buy from Hold due to increased clarity into Roche programs, the discontinuation of the chemophase program, and progress on insulin delivery.
• American Movil (NYSE: AMX) was raised to Overweight from Neutral at JP Morgan and to Hold from Sell at Citigroup.
  
• Barclays (NYSE: BCS) and Lloyds TSB Group (NYSE: LYG) were upgraded at HSBC to Overweight from Neutral.

Cheese, corn, beer -- that's what most of us think when we hear the name Wisconsin. But the three Wisconsin-based companies that made Fortune's 2007 list of 100 fastest growing companies -- Ladish Inc. (NASDAQ: LDSH), Joy Global Inc. (NASDAQ: JOYG), and Regal Beloit Corp. (NYSE: RBC) -- are manufacturers that have nothing to do directly with cheese, corn, or beer.

Wisconsin does lead the nation in cheese production. Heck, two of those three items -- cheese, corn, and beer -- even appear on the Wisconsin design state quarter. Despite Wisconsin's reputation as an agricultural state, though, agriculture isn't the largest part of the state economy. Tourism is also an important industry in Wisconsin, with such destinations as the Wisconsin Dells, Circus World and the House on the Rock, but that's not the leading sector either. Manufacturing makes up the largest part of the Wisconsin economy, as the companies on Fortune's list indicate.

At number 21 on the list of the fastest growing companies was aerospace components maker Ladish, which is headquartered in Cudahy, Wisconsin. Ladish's three-year annual revenue growth rate was 28% and its five-year earnings per share growth was 104%. Back in July, Ladish reported a strong second quarter, beating expectations, and a solid outlook for rest of the year. Then, in August, the company announced that it would expand its operations in Poland. Analysts surveyed by Thomson Financial consider Ladish a buy. The share price reached a 52-week high of $60.00 on Tuesday. It was trading in the mid $20s a year ago.