Analyst upgrades:

• Verizon (NYSE: VZ) was upgraded to Outperform from Market Perform at Wells Fargo, which believes Verizon wireline margins troughed in Q3 and that Street estimates have been reset to more achievable levels.
• Texas Instruments (NYSE: TXN) was upgraded to Outperform from Market Perform at FBR Capital, which believes the company is gaining analog market share and shares are attractively valued at current levels. The firm maintains a $31 price target.
• Cablevision (NYSE: CVC) was upgraded at Wells Fargo to Outperform from Market Perform. The firm believes this year's run-up in the stock was primarily due to the company's spin-off of MSG, but the firm believes the stock can rise further based on fundamentals.
• Cabot Oil & Gas (NYSE: COG) was upgraded to Overweight from Neutral at JPMorgan following the company's Q3 results due to valuation and its above-average growth. The firm raised its target to $51.50 from $47.
• RadioShack (NYSE: RSH) was upgraded to Hold from Underweight at KeyBanc, which said that its recovering sales trends were encouraging.
• Travelzoo (NASDAQ: TZOO) was upgraded to Outperform from Neutral at Wedbush as it believes the divestiture of its Asian business coupled with growth in its Fly.com unit will drive 2010 growth. The firm raised its target to $17 from $13.

Analyst upgrades:

• Deutsche Bank upgraded Freeport McMoRan (NYSE: FCX) to Buy from Hold to reflect the company's better than expected Q3 results and improved volume outlook. Deutsche raised its target on shares to $100 from $72.
• Thomas Weisel upgraded Motorola (NYSE: MOT) to Overweight from Market Weight and raised its target to $11 from $7 and said they expect Motorola to benefit from several upcoming catalysts that include new Android-based smartphone products and they believe the handset division could break even by year end of 2010.
• Janney Montgomery upgraded Regal Entertainment (NYSE: RGC) and Cinemark (NYSE: CNK) to Buy from Neutral on expectations both companies will benefit from a strong box office in Q4. The firm has a $14 price target on Regal shares and a $13.50 target on Cinemark shares.
• Marshall & llsley (NYSE: MI) was upgraded to Neutral from Underweight at JPMorgan.
• F5 Networks (NASDAQ: FFIV) was upgraded to Neutral from Sell at UBS.
• William Blair upgraded Lindsay Corporation (NYSE: LNN) to Outperform from Market Perform.

Analyst upgrades:

• Citigroup upgraded MEMC Electronic (NYSE: WFR) to Buy from Hold after channel checks indicated solar poly price pressures are easing. The firm added MEMC to its Top Picks Live list and raised its price target on shares to $24 from $15.
  
• FBR Capital upgraded PHH Corp (NYSE: PHH) to Outperform from Market Perform to reflect an improvement in mortgage banking fundamentals and recent management changes at the company. The firm raised its target on shares to $23 from $13.
  
• Deutsche Bank upgraded PerkinElmer (NYSE: PKI) to Hold from Sell on valuation, seeing a balanced risk/reward at current levels. The firm raised its target on shares to $19 from $14.
• Pearson plc (NYSE: PSO) was upgraded to Outperform from Neutral at Credit Suisse.
  
• Dell (NASDAQ: DELL) was upgraded to Conviction Buy from Neutral at Goldman.
  
• Nymagic (NYSE: NYM) was upgraded to Market Perform from Underperform at Keefe Bruyette.

Analyst upgrades

• Oppenheimer upgraded Savient Pharmaceuticals (NASDAQ: SVNT) to Perform from Underperform after the FDA's Arthritis Advisory Committee voted 14-1 in favor of approving Krystexxa for gout.
• Banc of America/Merrill upgraded Texas Instruments (NYSE: TXN) to Buy from Underperform and raised its target to $27 from $18 based on expectations that margin expansion will be higher than Street expectations.
• UBS said Nvidia (NASDAQ: NVDA) has limited downside risk given the improved outlook for the graphics processor market and professional solutions business. Shares were upgraded to Neutral from Sell and its target was raised to $11.50 from $8.
• BHP Billiton (NYSE: BHP) was upgraded to Outperform from Neutral at Macquarie.
• Neutral Tandem (NASDAQ: TNDM) was upgraded to Outperform from Neutral at Baird.
• Central Garden & Pet (NASDAQ: CENT) was upgraded to Buy from Neutral at SunTrust.

"Zero greenhouse gas emissions, 90% average availability as a power source, minimal land requirements and competitive costs: those are just a few of the advantages of geothermal power," explains Roger Conrad.

In his leading-edge New World advisory, he looks at one favorite play on the sector: Ormat Technologies (NYSE: ORA), which operates a dozen geothermal plants worldwide.

"Geothermal's chief disadvantage is geographical limitations to large-scale applications. Geothermal plants are mainly economic in areas of subsurface or volcanic activity.

Analyst upgrades:

• Goldman upgraded Intercontinental Exchange (NYSE: ICE) to Conviction Buy from Neutral and raised their target to $90 from $60. Goldman cites ICE's positioning and potential for upward EPS revisions for the upgrade.
  
• Jefferies upgraded FMC Technologies (NYSE: FTI) to Buy from Hold as they believe solid deepwater activity levels will lead to solid EPS results in 2009 and 2010. The firm raised their price target to $45 from $27.
  
• Friedman Billings upgraded Devon Energy (NYSE: DVN) to Outperform from Market Perform on valuation and expects significant improvement in basis differentials for the company's Barnett production starting the second half of Q2. The firm raised their price target to $60 from $50.
• Elan Corp (NYSE: ELN) was raised to Neutral from Sell at Piper Jaffray.
  
• Banco Santander (NYSE: STD) was upgraded at Keefe Bruyette to Outperform from Market Perform.

"President Obama has stated that he's been studying Roosevelt's first 100 days and the way out of the current economic mess will look a lot like the New Deal," says David Fessler.

The advisory panelist for The Oxford Club explains, "Seventy-five years after Roosevelt's inauguration, I think we will soon see President Obama get the ball rolling on his version of the New Deal, focused on two very specific areas: energy and infrastructure." Here, he looks at stocks poised to benefit.

"Saving energy will be one of his first initiatives. It's what will give us the quickest bang for our buck. Better insulation in homes, programmable thermostats, fluorescent bulbs, more fuel-efficient cars, energy management systems for use in larger-scale commercial buildings and beefed-up public transportation are just a few of the ways to save energy.

"The government will likely offer attractive tax incentives to rally support. So who stands to prosper from such initiatives?

"Big blue-chip companies, like Owens Corning (NYSE: OC), maker of insulated glass and building insulation; General Electric (NYSE: GE), manufacturer of wind turbines, energy control and infrastructure products; and Johnson Controls Inc. (NYSE: JCI), maker of energy management systems (for buildings and vehicles) and hybrid vehicle batteries.

Analyst upgrades:

• Wachovia upgraded shares of Exelon (NYSE: EXC) to Outperform from Market Perform to reflect the company's attractive nuclear fleets and strong operational track record.
  
• Jesup & Lamont upgraded Ormat Technologies Inc. (NYSE: ORA) to Buy from Hold on valuation and increasing visibility on near-term Products revenue.
  
• RBC Capital upgraded Memc Electronic (NYSE: WFR) to Outperform from Sector Perform on expectations of improved demand growth following the likely eight-year extension of the US solar tax credit program.
• AmBev (NYSE: ABV) was raised to Outperform from Neutral at Credit Suisse.
  
• AmerisourceBergen (NYSE: ABC) was upgraded at Merrill Lynch to Buy from Neutral.
  
• Piper upgraded Anadys Pharma (NASDAQ: ANDS) to Neutral from Sell.

Analyst downgrades:

"Geothermal energy, or heat from the earth, is largely non-polluting, and is renewable and reliable," says Ashley Winters and John Parke.

In Stephen Leeb's The Complete Investor, they look at a trio of plays on geothermal energy: Chevron (NYSE: CVX), Calpine (NYSE: CPN), and Ormat Technologies (NYSE: ORA).

"Throughout the globe, heat is continually produced in a layer far below the earth's crust. Large power plants can capture and use this steam to provide electricity on a fairly large scale.

"In Iceland, by some estimates, 50% of all energy needs are met through an alternative energy source that has been known for a long time.

"Geothermal is used in many other places as well. The largest system in operation is in California just north of San Francisco, in an area known as the Geysers.

"Efforts are also underway to use geothermal heat via 'hot dry rock' technology. Rocks are broken up by pumping water through them at high pressure; water is then pumped through the broken rocks so that it can be heated by the earth's energy.

MOST NOTEWORTHY: Psychiatric Solutions, hhgregg and Ulta Salon were today's noteworthy initiations:

• Stanford started Psychiatric Solutions (NASDAQ: PSYS) with a Buy rating and $46 target and believes the recent pullback provides an attractive entry point given the company's stable growth and fundamentally strong business.
  
• Oppenheimer initiated hhgregg (NYSE: HGG) with a Perform rating. The firm believes the company's TV business could become much more challenging while housing market weakness could continue to hinder appliance sales.
• Oppenheimer also assumed Ulta Salon (NASDAQ: ULTA) with an Outperform rating and $13 target. The firm believes the company's fundamentals are solid and sees potential upside to valuation.

OTHER INITIATIONS:

• Piper initiated Ormat Tech (NYSE: ORA) with a Neutral rating and $49 target and Raser Technologies (NYSE: RZ) with a Sell rating and $7 target.
  
• The9 (NASDAQ: NCTY) was assumed at Roth Capital with a Hold rating and $27 target.
  
• Masimo (NASDAQ: MASI) was initiated with an Outperform rating and $44 target at BMO Capital.

Saturday was a busy day in Bali. No, we're not talking fun in the sun -- we're talking about the U.S. seemingly making an about-face on its global energy policy. 2020 seems to be the target date by which the participants aim to reduce emissions by 25 and 40 percent.

Ormat Technologies (NYSE: ORA) engages in the geothermal and recovered energy power business, currently with 330 MW in production. They have produced impressive growth with a 13% rise in net income last quarter. With rumors swirling that both Apax Private Equity and Goldman Sachs (NYSE: GS), are looking at buying a 10% share of the company, and local business Chaim Katzman continually raising his stake in the company, Ormat is a prime takeover target. In fact, we've recently chosen Ormat as one of two takeover candidates for 2008. The push behind Bali may provide added impetus as the world looks for reducing CO2 emissions.

Check out this microcap, Environment Power Group (AMEX: EPG). I found this one on a strange screen I run and was surprised to see firms like FrontPoint Partners and Royce & Associates invested in the firm. While it currently trades on the American Stock Exchange, the company will begin trading on Nasdaq this week. This is a strange bird and not for your average investor. As per EPG's investor presentation, the company "owns and operates renewable energy facilities for the production and commercial application from agricultural livestock and organic wastes." In short, they get their hands dirty.

"Alternative energies are not just a pie-in-the-sky dream," says Paul Tracy and Nathan Slaughter from the StreetAuthority Market Advisor. "Denmark generates as much as 30% of its power from wind, Iceland uses geothermal energy, and producers are bringing down the cost of solar power."

"Overall, companies involved in alternative power technologies, such as wind, solar, geothermal, and biomass, are getting plenty of attention from investors these days." Here, the advisors profile what they consider to the most attractive companies in the alternative energy space.

Suntech Power Holdings Co. (NYSE: STP), "which manufactures and sells photovoltaic (PV) solar cells, has two primary advantages: a low manufacturing cost base and highly efficient cells.

"For starters, Suntech is based in China, where labor costs (even for skilled research staff) are far lower than in the Western world. The Chinese government also subsidizes such research, further helping companies like Suntech.

"In addition, the firm's cells boast some of the highest conversion rates on the market, allowing the company to offer smaller panels that can produce as much electricity as far larger ones from competitors.

"Suntech has been ramping up its manufacturing capacity rapidly in recent years to keep pace with strong demand. Analysts are forecasting robust earnings growth of 45% annually over the next five years.

What are the best energy investments for long-term investors? To answer this question, I surveyed 20 of the nation's leading financial newsletter advisors to find their current favorite ideas in the energy sector.

Interestingly, the advisors see the best opportunities in areas well beyond traditional oil firms; indeed, no one included in this report chose a major integrated oil company. Rather, the advisors have shown a preference for various oil services sectors, non-oil energy sources, and developing alternative technologies.

Some focus on areas such as deep-sea operations with Diamond Offshore Drilling Inc. (NYSE: DO), Transocean Inc. (NYSE: RIG) and Oceaneering International (NYSE: OII), while others look toward oil shippers such as Nordic American Tanker Shipping (NYSE: NAT) and refiners such as Valero Energy Corp. (NYSE: VLO).

Others chose companies that make specific products needed by the oil & gas industries such as NATCO Group Inc. (NYSE: NTG), which makes a wide range of oil & gas processing systems; Dresser-Rand Group Inc. (NYSE: DRC), a maker of control systems; Gardner Denver Inc. (NYSE: GDI), which makes compressor and fluid transfer systems; Tenaris (NYSE: TS), a maker of pipes and tublar products and Schlumberger Ltd. (NYSE: SLB), the largest and most diversified of the oil services companies.

MOST NOTEWORTHY: Time Warner Cable (TWC) and Molecular Insight Pharmaceuticals (MIPI) were today's more notable initiations:

• Time Warner Cable (NYSE: TWC) was initiated at Bernstein with an Outperform rating and $46 target, citing a compelling diversification alternative for cable/CMCS investors. Goldman started Time Warner Cable with a Neutral rating and $44 target.

• Molecular Insight Pharmaceuticals Inc (NASDAQ: MIPI) was initiated at RBC with an Outperform rating and $18 target. RBC said Molecular Insight is a leader in developing and commercializing superior radiopharmaceuticals for the treatment and management of life-threatening diseases. Jefferies initiated shares of Molecular Insight with a Buy rating and $20 target, saying Zemiva has blockbuster potential.

OTHER INITIATIONS:

• UBS started Amedisys, Inc (NASDAQ: AMED) with aBuy rating and $39 target.

• Goldman Sachs initiated TransCanada (NYSE: TRP) with a Buy rating.

• Credit Suisse initiated Tim Hortons Inc (NYSE: THI) with an Outperform rating.

• Pacific Growth initiated Ormat Technologies, Inc (NYSE: ORA) with a Buy rating.

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