MOST NOTEWORTHY:

• Citigroup upgraded Verizon Commuications (NYSE: VZ) to Buy from Sell and raised their target to $48 from $33 as the firm believes earnings-per-share growth will override cap ex concern.

• Citigroup also upgraded shares of Priceline.com (NASDAQ: PCLN) to Buy from Hold on valuation as the firm believes the company's growth prospects are underestimated in the stock following the recent sell-off.

• Intel Corp (NASDAQ: INTC) was upgraded to Buy from Neutral at Merrill Lynch citing the company's robust product road map and its ability to compete against Advanced Micro Devices (AMD).

• JP Morgan upgraded NYXE Euronext (NYSE: NYX) to Neutral from Underweight and believes the risks that attributed NYX's downgrade in February have played out and sees limited downside at these levels.

• Cantor upgraded Top Tankers (NASDAQ: TOPT) to Hold from Sell following better-than-expected Q1 results...

• UBS upgraded shares of CACI International Inc (NYSE: CAI) to Buy from Neutral.

• Leerink Swann raised United Therapeutics Corp (NASDAQ: UTHR) to Outperform from Market Perform.

• Calyon upgraded Nabors Industries Ltd (NYSE: NBR) to Add from Neutral.

• Murphy Oil Corp (NYSE: MUR) was raised to Hold from Sell at Benchmark.

• Banc of America upgraded shares of Tanger Factory Outlet Centers Inc (NYSE: SKT) to Buy from Neutral.

• Baird upgraded Brady Corp (NYSE: BRC) to Outperform from Neutral.

Analyst upgrades 5-18-07: INTC, NYX, PCLN and VZ originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Fri, 18 May 2007 10:53:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.