Analyst Upgrades

• Tyson Foods (TSN) to buy from hold at Deutsche Bank.
• Carmike Cinemas (CKEC) to buy from neutral at Merriman.
• Ambow Education (AMBO) to conviction buy from neutral at Goldman.
• Johnson Controls (JCI) to overweight from equal weight at Barclays.
• Dynex Capital (DX) to outperform from market perform at JMP Securities.
• Ensco (ESV) to outperform from neutral at Credit Suisse.
• York Water (YORW) to buy from hold at Brean Murray.
• Mid-America Apartment (MAA) to market perform from underperform at FBR Capital.
• Cheniere Energy Partners (CQP) to hold from sell at Citigroup.
• Forest Oil (FST) to positive from neutral at Susquehanna.
• Tractor Supply (TSCO) to outperform from neutral at RW Baird.

Despite a rise in jobless claims, food inflation, worries about Iran sending a war vessel through the Suez Canal, and despite ongoing Mid-East turmoil, the market rally continues. The S&P 500 has now literally doubled since the March-2009 lows. CEOs are becoming more confident again in a survey today.

Here were today's unofficial closing bell levels:

Dow Jones 12,318.14 +29.97 (0.24%)
S&P 500 1,340.43 +4.11 (0.31%)
Nasdaq 2,831.58 +6.02 (0.21%)

Analyst Upgrades

• Electronic Arts (ERTS) to overweight from neutral at Piper Jaffray.
• Helix Energy (HLX) to overweight from equal weight at Morgan Stanley.
• Quest Software (QSFT) to neutral from sell at Goldman.
• LTX-Credence (LTXC) to buy from hold at Needham.
• Anadarko (APC) to buy from hold at Canaccord.
• Walgreen (WAG) to hold from sell at Citigroup.
• Pericom (PSEM) to buy from hold at ThinkEquity.

Option traders appear to be setting up for a bullish move on Market Vectors Agribusiness ETF (MOO). Traders plowed into 2,601 new call option contracts -- 20.81 times the average volume -- on the stock on Wednesday. And we know that traders were eager to get into this trade because 89% of the trades came in on the ask price.

The ETF closed Wednesday at $45.60, up 4.35% during the past month.

"First recommended in September 2004, Helix Energy Solutions (NYSE: HLX) is the oldest holding on our Buy List - and the biggest winner, gaining 133%," notes Richard Moroney.

Here, the editor of Upside explain, "Considering its bright profit-growth prospects, reasonable valuation, and impressive Quadrix scores, Helix remains among our very best ideas and a top pick in the oil patch."

"Helix serves energy producers worldwide, providing such contract services (36% of total revenue for the nine months ended September) as deepwater pipe-laying, well operations, robotics, and reservoir services.

"The shelf-contracting business (34%) consists of 59%-owned Cal Dive International (NYSE: DVR), a provider of dive-related and shallow-water construction services.

"The fast-growing oil and natural gas production business (30%) focuses on marginal, mature, and smaller fields - properties no longer significant or viable for large energy companies. Fueled partly by high energy prices, petroleum companies are increasingly targeting mature and small reservoirs.