Analyst upgrades:

• Deutsche Bank upgraded Spartech (NYSE: SEH) to Buy from Hold as it sees further upside following the company's "strong" Q2 results. The firm raised its target on shares to $10 from $2.50.
• Oppenheimer upgraded Clorox (NYSE: CLX) to Outperform from Underperform. The firm believes the company's FY10 outlook is conservative, providing room for upside, and that the valuation is compelling at current levels. Opco set a $70 price target on the stock.
• Goldman upgraded Steel Dynamics (NASDAQ: STLD) to Buy from Neutral and raised its target to $20 from $16, citing reduced balance sheet concerns following the capital raise. Note that AK Steel (NYSE: AKS) was downgraded to Neutral from Buy.
• PG&E (NYSE: PCG) was upgraded to Buy from Hold at Citigroup.
• Pool Corp. (NASDAQ: POOL) was upgraded to Outperform from Market Perform at William Blair.
• Liberty Property Trust (NYSE: LRY) was upgraded to Outperform from Market Perform at Wachovia.

Analyst upgrades:

• 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.

Analyst upgrades:

• Jefferies upgraded Xilinx (NASDAQ: XLNX) to Buy from Hold and raised its target to $22 from $17 on valuation and the company's "diversified" business.
  
• Barclays expects Steel Dynamics (NASDAQ: STLD) to outperform in Q1 as investors become more comfortable with the company's balance sheet. Shares were upgraded to Overweight from Equal Weight.
  
• Keefe Bruyette upgraded Asset Acceptance (NASDAQ: AACC) to Market Perform from Underperform on valuation but lowered their target to $6 from $8.
• Blackrock (NYSE: BLK) and Intercontinental Exchange (NYSE: ICE) were added to Goldman's Conviction Buy List.
  
• Lattice (NASDAQ: LSCC) was upgraded to Equal Weight from Underweight at Morgan Stanley.

Analyst downgrades:

Analyst upgrades:

• Jefferies upgraded shares of Genentech (NYSE: DNA) to Buy from Hold and raised its target to $100 from $95 on increased likelihood of an acquisition after Roche (OTC: RHHBY) reaffirmed commitment to its $100/share offer.
  
• Baird expects Broadcom (NASDAQ: BRCM) to gain market share in 2009 in mobile phones, IPTVs, and digital TVs. Shares were upgraded to Outperform from Neutral.
  
• Keefe Bruyette upgraded shares of Torchmark (NYSE: TMK) to Outperform from Market Perform as they see limited earnings risk and an attractive risk/reward.
• Apple (NASDAQ: AAPL) was raised to Buy from Add at Calyon.
  
• Tellabs (NASDAQ: TLAB) was upgraded to Buy from Neutral at UBS and to Hold from Underperform at Jefferies.
  
• Goldman upgraded AK Steel (NYSE: AKS) to Neutral from Sell and Steel Dynamics (NASDAQ: STLD) to Buy from Neutral.

Analyst downgrades:

Analyst upgrades:

• Jefferies upgraded shares of Safeway (NYSE: SWY) to Hold from Underperform on valuation as they believe the company's pricing pressure and sluggish sales trends are now priced in. The firm raised its target to $23.50 from $21.
  
• Merrill upgraded Pfizer (NYSE: PFE) to Buy from Underperform citing attractive dividend yield and stabilizing businesses.
  
• Banc of America upgraded shares of Apollo Group (NASDAQ: APOL) to Neutral from Sell and raised APOL's target to $60 from $48 on valuation as they see a balanced risk/reward at current levels.
• Nucor (NYSE: NUE) was raised to Overweight from Equal Weight at Morgan Stanley.
  
• Citrix Systems (NASDAQ: CTXS) and Symantec (NASDAQ: SYMC) were upgraded to Overweight from Neutral at JP Morgan.
  
• Keefe Bruyette upgraded Jefferies Group (NYSE: JEF) and Bank of America (NYSE: BAC) to Market Perform from Underperform.

Analyst downgrades:

Analyst upgrades:

• Oppenheimer upgraded shares of Shanda Interactive (NASDAQ: SNDA) to Outperform from Perform following the company's better-than-expected quarter to reflect its growth acceleration in the casual games platform and margin improvements.
  
• SAIC (NYSE: SAI) was upgraded to Outperform from Market Perform following the solid Q2 report and guidance.
  
• Susquehanna upgraded Zumiez (NASDAQ: ZUMZ) to Positive from Neutral citing positive August comps, revised merchandising, easier comps, and solid financial position.
• Goldman Sachs upgraded Pharm Product Development (NASDAQ: PPDI) and Steel Dynamics (NASDAQ: STLD) to Buy from Neutral.
  
• Novellus (NASDAQ: NVLS) was raised to Overweight from Equal Weight at Morgan Stanley.

Analyst downgrades:

• Morgan Stanley downgraded the Semiconductor Capital Equipment sector to In-Line from Attractive citing optimistic expectations for Q4 orders following the recent bounce in stocks. The firm downgraded Lam Research (NASDAQ: LRCX) to Underweight from Overweight and KLA-Tencor (NASDAQ: KLAC) KLAC to Equal Weight from Overweight.

MOST NOTEWORTHY: Steel Dynamics, Nucor, Nokia and Wachovia were today's noteworthy upgrades:

• UBS upgraded Steel Dynamics (NASDAQ: STLD) and Nucor (NYSE: NUE) to Buy from Neutral and added them to their Short-Term Buy list citing oversold valuations and the belief that both will beat Q2 Street estimates and guide higher.
• Dresdner Kleinwort upgraded shares of Nokia (NYSE: NOK) to Buy from Add as they believe the company's second half of the year looks strong due to new product launches.
  
• Merrill Lynch upgraded Wachovia (NYSE: WB) to Neutral from Underperform on valuation as they believe credit headwinds are priced into the stock at current levels. Merrill also thinks WB would make a "good fit" for JP Morgan (JPM) and puts a realistic acquisition value on the company of $16-$20 per share.

OTHER UPGRADES:

• Verisign (NASDAQ: VRSN) was upgraded at Baird to Outperform from Neutral.
  
• Lehman upgraded Penn Virginia (NYSE: PVG) to Overweight from Equal Weight.
  
• Piper raised SGX Pharmaceuticals (NASDAQ: SGXP) to Neutral from Sell.

Steel Dynamics (NASDAQ: STLD) is the fifth largest producer of carbon steel products in the United States. The firm operates five mid-western electric-furnace mini-mills, producing merchant bars, engineered bar products, wide-flange beams, rails, and flat-rolled steels. It also runs six fabrication facilities, making joists, girders, and decking for non-residential construction projects. Steel scrap is processed at 42 locations in the eastern U.S. and Canada. Nucor (NYSE: NUE) and U. S. Steel (NYSE: X) are major competitors.

The company raised its second quarter outlook last week, citing "stronger than anticipated shipping volume and selling values for flat-rolled steel products and stronger volume and margins in recycling." Management predicted Q2 EPS of 90-95 cents (80-90 cent prior estimate, 89 cent Street consensus).

MOST NOTEWORTHY: EV3, Steel Dynamics and Sonic were today's noteworthy initiations:

• JP Morgan initiated EV3 (NASDAQ: EVVV) with a Neutral rating. The firm sees risk to guidance and finds it too early to recommend the stock.
  
• Steel Dynamics (NASDAQ: STLD) was assumed with an Overweight rating at Morgan Stanley.
  
• Lehman initiated Sonic (NASDAQ: SONC) with an Overweight rating.

OTHER INITIATIONS:

• HSBC initiated Rostelecom (NYSE: ROS) with an Underweight rating and $36.50 target.
  
• Keefe Bruyette assumed German American Bancorp (NASDAQ: GABC) with a Market Perform rating and $13 target.
  
• JP Morgan initiated Perdigao (NYSE: PDA) with an Overweight rating.

Steel Dynamics (NASDAQ: STLD) is the fifth largest producer of carbon steel products in the United States. The firm operates five mid-western electric-furnace mini-mills, producing merchant bars, engineered bar products, wide-flange beams, rails, and flat-rolled steels. It also runs six fabrication facilities, making joists, girders, and decking for non-residential construction projects. Steel scrap is processed at 42 locations in the eastern U.S. and Canada. Nucor (NYSE: NUE) and U. S. Steel (NYSE: X) are major competitors.

The company raised its first quarter and fiscal year outlooks last week, citing higher than anticipated flat rolled steel pricing and improved scrap processing. Management predicted Q1 EPS of $1.25-$1.30, versus Street consensus of $1.18. It also expected FY08 EPS of $5.25-$5.75, versus consensus of $5.35.

Readers of this space know that my investment bias is toward large-cap companies with demonstrated business models and a competitive advantage in established markets, preferably with a favorable global trend as a support. With this in mind, Steel Dynamics is worth a review.

Steel Dynamics (NASDAQ: STLD) operates five electric arc furnace mini-mills and six steel fabrication facilities. STLD's customers include companies in the automotive, construction, and manufacturing industries, as well as steel processors and service centers, primarily in the Midwest U.S.

Analysts expect Steel Dynamics to post robust, 45-55% revenue growth in F2008, after an impressive 27% rise in F2007. Analysts also expect continued, strong demand for structural and bar products, and a recovery in STLD's flat-rolled steel business.

Further, analysts also say the sector's sales volatility will decline over the life of the business cycle, as a result of consolidation/mergers. STLD's strong balance sheet and low cost structure add to the favorable picture. The Reuters F2008/F2009 EPS consensus estimates for STLD are $5.30/$5.65.

The risks? A failure of the flat-rolled segment to recover would obviously hurt STLD's results.

The First Call mean rating for STLD is: Buy [11 firms]. Mean 2008 target: $61 [high: $80, low: $50].

Stock Analysis: Steel Dynamics is a moderate-risk stock not suitable for low-risk investors. Investors with an investment horizon longer than 2 years should be rewarded from STLD's shares. Sell / Stop Loss if you were to purchase shares in this company: $38.

Disclosure: Lazzaro has no positions in stocks. In addition to private real estate holdings, he owns corporate and municipal bonds, and cash certificates of deposit.

In sharp contrast to the ten horrifically downtrending stocks I warned against buying in this article, today I feature these 10 solidly uptrending stocks.

AK STEEL (NYSE: AKS)
Gilead Sciences (NASDAQ: GILD)
United States Oil (AMEX: USO)
Quicksilver Resources (NYSE: KWK)
Kinross Gold (NYSE: KGC)
Yamana Gold (NYSE: AUY)
streetTRACKS Gold (NYSE: GLD)
Capstone Turbine (NASDAQ: CPST)
Converted Organics (NASDAQ: COIN)
Steel Dynamics (NASDAQ: STLD)

It's charts like theirs that make you wonder why you're messing around with any other stocks. Ahhh, if it was only that easy. No matter that all the stocks listed above are making new highs, now the concern is that they may have come too far too fast. In 2008, several of these stocks-the gold plays in particular-have risen nearly 50%. Obviously the oil stocks have also been surging, but how much further can the "black gold" plays really run?

Steel Dynamics Inc. (NASDAQ: STLD) has hit a new one-year high today despite the financial sector's woes after the company's CEO said that 2008 earnings could exceed Wall Street expectations. Most steel-makers are getting a lift today from this good news. If you think that the company 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 STLD.

STLD rose during the early part of this year but has been generally sideways for the past six months. STLD opened this morning at $47.95. So far today the stock has hit a low of $47.58 and a high of $50.56. As of 11:20, STLD is trading at 50.04, up 1.80 (3.8%). The chart for STLD looks bullish and steady, while S&P gives the stock a neutral 3 STARS (out of 5) hold rating.

For a bullish hedged play on this stock, I would consider a January bull-put credit spread below the $35 range. A bull-put credit spread is an options position that combines the purchase and sale of put options to hedge risk in case the stock doesn't do what you think but still leverage nice returns. For this particular trade, we will make a 4.2% return in 3 months as long as STLD is above $35 at January expiration. Steel Dynamics would have to fall by more than 30% before we would start to lose money. Learn more about this type of trade here.

STLD hasn't been below $35 since March and has shown support around $45 recently. This trade could be risky if the company fails to meet now-raised expectations, but even if that happens, this position could be protected by the two times that STLD bounced just above $35 in the past 8 months.

Brent Archer is an options analyst and writer at Investors Observer.

DISCLOSURE: Mr. Archer owns and/or controls diversified portfolios of long and short stock and option positions that may include holdings in companies he writes about. At publication time, Brent neither owns nor controls positions in STLD.

A lot has been written about Steel Dynamics Inc. (NASDAQ: STLD) the growing "mini-mill" located in Fort-Wayne Indiana. In the last year it reported sales growth of 48% and many think it is still a bargain at Thursday's closing price of $41.28. I have been watching it for a couple of months and thought it makes for an interesting story.

Last December, over 100 stocks were featured in our Top Picks for 2007 report. Now, at mid-year, we turn to the 20 advisors whose picks showed the strongest gains to get an update on their previous picks, as well as a new favorite stock for the second half of the year.

Neil Macneale, editor of 2 for 1 (a newsletter focused exclusively on stocks that have announced stock splits), chose two stocks in the Top Picks for 2007 report, and both picks qualified him for our Top 20 Advisors. His previous selections were Chaparrel Steel Co. (NASDAQ: CHAP) and Steel Dynamics Inc. (NASDAQ: STLD).

As of June 1, 2007, Steel Dynamics has risen 49%. while Chapparel had scored a gain of 67%. Here is Neil's original recommendation for these issues.

Updating his outlook on these steel stock, he now says, "This rate of return cannot continue forever, but there is every reason to believe these remain good stocks to own.

"Steel should continue to perform, given the strength of the economy, even without a strong housing market. As the housing market improves, steel should get even stronger. In both cases, fundamentals for these companies remain strong and the stocks still sell at a discount to their peers."