Analyst Upgrades

• Sapient (SAPE) to outperform from market perform at Wells Fargo.
• Kroger (KR) to buy from neutral at UBS.
• Harman (HAR) to overweight from neutral and Deutsche Bank (DB) to neutral from underweight at JPMorgan.
• Savient (SVNT) to outperform from market perform at JMP Securities.
• LabCorp (LH) to buy from hold at Deutsche Bank.
• Optimer Pharm (OPTR) and Landstar System (LSTR) to outperform from neutral at RW Baird.
• Essex Property Trust (ESS) to buy from neutral at Janney Capital.
• Tyson Foods (TSN) to neutral from sell at Goldman.
• Host Hotels (HST) to outperform from sector perform at RBC Capital.
• SPX Corp. (SPW) to outperform from market perform at FBR Capital.

Analyst Upgrades

• RBC Capital upgraded Suncor (SU) to outperform from sector perform following the Q1 report and FY10 production guidance. The firm has a $46 target on the stock.
• Wells Fargo upgraded Clear Channel Outdoor (CCO) to outperform from market perform. The firm expects the company to report higher-than-expected Q1 revenue and guidance, as it thinks a late cycle ad recovery is occurring.
• Piper Jaffray upgraded Power Integrations (POWI) to overweight from neutral following the company's Q1 results and subsequent sell-off. The firm has a $43 price target for shares.
• ArcelorMittal (MT) was upgraded to buy from hold at ING Group.
• Sapient (SAPE) was raised to conviction buy from buy at Goldman and to buy from hold at Citigroup.
• Powerwave (PWAV) was upgraded to buy from hold at Befferies and to buy from neutral at Merriman.

Sapient Corporation (NASDAQ: SAPE) provides business, marketing and technology consulting services. The firm's design and implementation expertise are used by information-based businesses and government agencies with needs in e-commerce, customer relationship management, high volume transaction processing, online supply chain development and knowledge management. Clients include BP (NYSE: BP), Harrah's Entertainment (NYSE: HET) and Verizon Communications (NYSE: VZ).

The firm pleased investors late last month, when it reported Q4 EPS of seven cents and revenues of $155 million. Analysts had been looking for five cents and $146.7 million. Management also guided Q1 revenues to $155 million, versus consensus of $146.75 million.

The development of new information technologies leads to fresh opportunities for businesses to expand and serve their customer bases. There is a Cambridge, Massachusetts firm that rides the crest of the IT wave, helping companies take full advantage of those opportunities.

Sapient Corporation (NASDAQ: SAPE) provides business, marketing and technology consulting services. The firm's design and implementation expertise are used by information-based businesses and government agencies with needs in e-commerce, customer relationship management, high volume transaction processing, online supply chain development and knowledge management. Clients include BP (NYSE: BP), Harrah's Entertainment (NYSE: HET) and Verizon Communications (NYSE: VZ).

The development of new information technologies leads to fresh opportunities for businesses to expand and serve their customer bases. There is a Cambridge, Massachusetts firm that rides the crest of the IT wave, helping companies take full advantage of those opportunities.

Sapient Corporation (NASDAQ: SAPE) provides business, marketing and technology consulting services. The firm's design and implementation expertise are used by information-based businesses and government agencies with needs in e-commerce, customer relationship management, high volume transaction processing, online supply chain development and knowledge management. Clients include BP (NYSE: BP), Harrah's Entertainment (NYSE: HET), Novartis (NYSE: NVS), Sony (NYSE: SNE), Staples (NASDAQ: SPLS), United Parcel Service (NYSE: UPS) and Verizon Communications (NYSE: VZ).

The firm pleased investors last week, when it reported Q1 EPS of one cent and revenues of $121.3 million. Analysts had been looking for a penny and $117.4 million. Management also guided Q2 revenues to $126 million ($122.61M consensus). RBC Capital Markets and UBS subsequently declared the issue a "buy" and issued price targets in the $9.25-$10.00 range. The stock popped into a bullish "flag" formation on the news. Prices frequently exit flags moving in the same direction they were traveling when they entered them. In this case, that would be to the upside.

Brokers recommend the issue with two "strong buys," four "buys," four "holds" and two "sells." Analysts see a 72% growth rate, through the next year. The stock's Price to Sales ratio (2.37), Price to Book ratio (4.58) and Sales Growth rate (39.0%) compare favorably with industry, sector and S&P 500 averages. Institutional investors hold about 61% of the outstanding shares. Over the past 52 weeks, SAPE has traded between $4.35 and $8.26. A stop-loss of $6.60 looks good here.

Larry Schutts is a contributing editor for Theflyonthewall.com and the Vice-President of Stockwinners.com.

MOST NOTEWORTHY: Blockbuster Inc (BBI), Molson Coors Brewing Co (TAP), Illumina, Inc (ILMN), and ARM Holdings plc (ARMHY) were today's more noteworthy upgrades:

• Citigroup upgraded Blockbuster Inc (NYSE: BBI) to Buy from Hold based on valuation, improving box office visibility and their belief that the lower-priced online-only rental product will help improve costs.

• Molson Coors Brewing (NYSE: TAP) was upgraded to Buy from Neutral at UBS based on valuation, volume strength and pricing.

• Matrix believes strong demand for genetic analysis equipment is boosting profits for Illumina (NASDAQ: ILMN), upgrading shares to Strong Buy from Sell; Matrix sees upside to their Intrinsic Value Calculation of $50/share.

• ARM Holdings (NASDAQ: ARMHY) was upgraded to Overweight from Underweight at JP Morgan to reflect the strength in the high-end handset market...

OTHER UPGRADES:

• Bristol Myers Squibb Co (NYSE: BMY) was upgraded to Buy from Hold at Citigroup.

• RBC Capital raised Sapient Corp (NASDAQ: SAPE) to Outperform from Sector Perform.

• Sandler upgraded Chemical Financial Corp (NASDAQ: CHFC) to Hold from Sell.

• UBS raised WESCO International, Inc (NYSE: WCC) to Buy from Neutral.

• Piper Jaffray upgraded shares of Omnicell, Inc (NASDAQ: OMCL) to Outperform from Market Perform.

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

With the evolution of new marketing and information technologies come fresh opportunities for firms to expand and serve their customer bases. There is a company in Cambridge, Massachusetts that helps businesses take full advantage of those opportunities.

Sapient Corporation (NASDAQ:SAPE) provides business, marketing and technology consulting services. The firm's design and implementation expertise are used by information-based businesses and government agencies with needs in e-commerce, customer relationship management, high volume transaction processing, online supply chain development and knowledge management. Clients include BP Plc (NYSE:BP), Janus Capital Group (NYSE:JNS), the National Institutes of Health, Sony Corporation (ADR) (NYSE:SNE), the U.S. Marine Corps and Verizon Communications (NYSE:VZ).

The firm pleased investors earlier in the month, when it reported Q4 EPS of three cents and revenues of $113.7 million. Analysts had been looking for two cents and $111.1 million. Management also guided Q1 revenues to $116 million ($115.13M consensus) and FY07 revenues to $500 million ($494.82M consensus). Then, last week, Bear Stearns upgraded the shares from "peer perform" to "outperform".

Alcoa Inc. (NYSE:AA) cut to Underweight at Prudential -- they must not think a buyout is coming. Stock down 1%. Alcan Inc. (NYSE:AL) also cut to Neutral at Prudential.

Buffalo Wild Wings Inc. (NASDAQ:BWLD) cut to Hold at Jefferies. Stock indicated down 1%.

Fortress Investment Group (NYSE:FIG) is trading up 4% pre-market as brokers initiate coverage: started as a Buy at Banc of America and Goldman Sachs, as a Hold at Citigroup and as Overweight at Lehman Brothers.

Sapient Corp. (NASDAQ:SAPE) raised to Outperform at Bear Stearns; stock trading up 3%.

Goldman Sachs Keynote:
NVIDIA (NASDAQ:NVDA) Raised to Buy; replaces LLTC on AMERICAS BUY LIST.
Still has National Semi (NYSE:NSM) and Intersil (NASDAQ:ISIL) as Buys in analog chip sector;
Linear Tech (NASDAQ:LLTC) downgraded from Buy to Neutral.
GSI Commerce (NASDAQ:GSIC) raised from Neutral to a Buy with 25% upside to new $24.00 target.
Goldman Sachs full research summary here.

Jon Ogg is a partner in 24/7 Wall St., LLC; he does not own securities in the companies he covers.

Sapient Corporation (NASDAQ:SAPE) provides business, marketing and technology consulting services. The firm's design and implementation expertise is used by businesses and government agencies with needs in customer relationship management, high volume transaction processing and online supply chain development. Clients include BP (NYSE:BP), Janus Capital Group, Inc. (NYSE:JNS), the National Institutes of Health, Sony Corporation (ADR) (NYSE:SNE), the U.S. Marine Corps and Verizon Communications (NYSE:VZ).

The firm reported fiscal Q3 results last week. They were "preliminary" and subject to change, following Sapient's review of its historical stock-based compensation practices. Still, the numbers pleased Wall Street. Earnings of four cents per share (ex-items) matched the consensus analyst view and revenues of $107.0 million beat consensus ($102.71M). Management also guided Q4 revenues to points "in excess of $110.0 million", versus consensus of $105.74 million. The stock popped on the news and is now consolidating the gain in a bullish "pennant" pattern. Equities frequently exit pennants moving in the same direction they were traveling when they entered them. In this case, that would be to the upside.

Brokers recommend the issue with two "strong buys", two "buys", four "holds" and four "sells". Analysts see a 25 percent average annual growth rate, through the next five years. The stock's Price to Sales ratio (2.05), Price to Book ratio (3.75) and Sales Growth rate (32.31%) compare favorably with industry, sector and S&P 500 averages. Institutional investors hold about 60 percent of the outstanding shares. Over the past 52 weeks, SAPE has traded between $4.35 and $8.37. If one was to invest in Sapient, a stop-loss of $5.65 looks good here.

Larry Schutts is a contributing editor for Theflyonthewall.com and the Vice-President of Stockwinners.com.

MOST NOTEWORTHY: Sapient (SAPE) tops today's minute list of initiations.

• Rochdale considered 2007 consensus estimates on Sapient Corp. (NASDAQ:SAPE) to be too low and considers the company to be an attractive acquisition target. The firm initiated Sapient with a Buy rating and $7 target.

OTHER INITIATIONS:

• Citigroup initiated two Biotech stocks: Adolor Corp. (NASDAQ:ADLR) and Progenics Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (NASDAQ:PGNX) with Buy ratings, and noted both companies are developing two novel drugs in the attractive constipation market.

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