Analyst upgrades:

• FBR Capital upgraded CapitalSource (NYSE: CSE) to Outperform from Market Perform on valuation as it sees an attractive risk/reward at current levels. The firm raised its target on shares to $5 from $3.
• Kaufman Bros. upgraded The Knot (NASDAQ: KNOT) to Buy from Hold following the company's Q2 results to reflect stable national advertising and a better bottom-line outlook. The firm raised its target on shares to $11 from $8.50.
• Baird upgraded Obagi Medical (NASDAQ: OMPI) to Outperform from Neutral and raised its target to $10 from $7 following the strong Q2 report. The firm believes business bottomed in Q1 and the outlook is improving.
• IPC The Hospitalist Co. (NASDAQ: IPCM) was upgraded to Overweight from Equal Weight at Stephens.
• King Pharma (NYSE: KG) was upgraded at BofA/Merrill to Buy from Hold.
• Infinera (NASDAQ: INFN) was upgraded to Hold from Underperform at Jefferies.

Analyst upgrades:

• Jefferies upgraded VMware (NYSE: VMW) to Hold from Underperform on expectations June quarter revenue will be inline-to-slightly-better and negative revisions to September quarter revenue will not be as great as in the most recent two quarters. The firm raised its target on shares to $25 from $20.
  
• Citigroup upgraded Blue Nile (NASDAQ: NILE) to Buy from Hold on valuation following the recent pullback and believes expectations for Q2 are reasonable. The firm has a $50 price target on the stock.
  
• FBR Capital upgraded Bronco Drilling (NASDAQ: BRNC) to Market Perform from Underperform on valuation as it believes negative sentiment will ease. The firm raised its target on shares to $4 from $3.
• Unilever (NYSE: UL) was upgraded to Overweight from Neutral at JP Morgan.
  
• Posco (NYSE: PKX) was upgraded to Overweight from Equal Weight at Morgan Stanley.
  
• Gol Linhas Aereas (NYSE: GOL) was upgraded to Buy from Underperform at BofA/Merrill.

Analyst upgrades:

• Barclays believes Procter & Gamble's (NYSE: PG) portfolio mix provides better leverage to stabilizing macro trends. The firm upgraded shares to Overweight from Equal weight and raised its target to $60 from $56. Note the firm downgraded Colgate (NYSE: CL) to Equal Weight from Overweight.
• Deutsche Bank upgraded McDonald's (NYSE: MCD) to Buy from Hold as it finds the risk/reward on shares compelling at current levels and sees upcoming catalysts from McCafe and easing commodity pressures. The firm raised its target price to $65 from $60.
• FBR Capital upgraded Talbots (NYSE: TLB) to Outperform from Market Perform to reflect an attractive risk/reward, reduced risk of a bankruptcy, and merchandise improvements. The firm raised its target price to $4 from $2.
• Nokia (NYSE: NOK) was upgraded to Buy from Hold at Deutsche Bank.
• Analog Devices (NYSE: ADI) was upgraded to Neutral from Underperform at Baird.

MOST NOTEWORTHY: IPC The Hospitalist Co, Forest City Enterprises and SINA Corp were today's noteworthy initiations:

• Jefferies believes IPC The Hospitalist Co (NASDAQ: IPCM) is well-positioned to grow rapidly in the next several years, as it takes advantage of numerous organic and acquisition-driven expansion opportunities in the emerging hospitalist sector. The firm started shares with a Buy rating and $27 target.
  
• Forest City Enterprises (NYSE: FCE.A) was initiated with an Outperform rating and $47 target at Keefe Bruyette, as they find shares attractively-valued at current levels.
  
• Sterne Agee initiated SINA Corp (NASDAQ: SINA) with a Buy citing checks that indicate trends for online advertising in China remain very favorable and support a strong growth outlook.

OTHER INITIATIONS:

• Credit Suisse initiated CBS Corp (NYSE: CBS) with a Neutral rating and $25 target and Alcoa (AA) with an Outperform and $45 target.
  
• Oracle (NYSE: ORCL) was reinstated with a Buy rating and $24 target at Goldman Sachs.

MOST NOTEWORTHY: Microsoft, IPC The Hospitalist Co and DuPont were today's noteworthy initiations:

• Jefferies believes Microsoft's (NASDAQ: MSFT) bid for Yahoo (NASDAQ: YHOO) and more conciliatory tone towards regulators signals a shift in strategy from defense to offense. The firm started shares with a Buy rating and $33 target.
  
• Wachovia believes IPC The Hospitalist (NASDAQ: IPCM) is well-positioned to gain share in the fragmented hospitalist market given its experienced management team, operating history, and proven track-record; shares were initiated with an Outperform rating at Wachovia and with an Outperform rating and $27 target at Credit Suisse.
  
• DuPont (NYSE: DD) was initiated with an Outperform rating and $57 target at Credit Suisse, as they believe the company's number two seed position in North America looks secure.

OTHER INITIATIONS:

• B. Riley initiated VASCO Data Security (NASDAQ: VDSI) with a Buy rating and $18 target.
  
• Morgan Stanley initiated Liberty Entertainment (NASDAQ: LMDIA) with an Overweight rating; shares were also initiated with an Outperform rating at Wachovia.
  
• Credit Suisse added shares of Elan Corp (NYSE: ELN) to its Focus List and started shares with an Outperform rating.