"Sangamo Biosciences (SGMO) has been receiving the kind of news that biotech companies dream of, with multiple main-stream news outlets picking up the story that the company is developing what may be a 'functional cure' for AIDS," notes biotech sector specialist John McCamant.

The editor of The Medical Technology Stock Letter explains, "The treatments that SGMO is developing are exciting, and we see this stock going much higher this year and in subsequent years based on clinical progress.

"Sangamo BioSciences (NASDAQ: SGMO) has again received significant scientific validation for its proprietary technology," says biotech expert John McCamant.

In The Medical Technology Stock Letter, he explains, ""Part of what has gotten investors so excited about stem cells was the concept that some day scientists would be able to create 'personalized' stem cell types for individual therapy. We believe that this is the break that was needed to realize the potential of stem cell therapy."

"Stem cells differ from other cell types in two fundamental ways. First, they are unspecialized cells capable of renewing themselves through cell division.

"Second, under certain conditions, they can be induced to become tissue- or organ-specific cells with special functions.

• Baird upgraded Optimer Pharm (NASDAQ: OPTR) to Outperform from Neutral and raised its target to $13 from $8 citing the decidedly positive data from the OPT-80 trial.
  
• Banc of America upgraded Quest Diagnostics (NYSE: DGX) to Buy from Neutral on valuation and believes management has set expectations well.
  
• Credit Suisse views Jacobs Engineering (NYSE: JEC) as a high quality name given the quality of management, execution track record, and relationship business model. Shares were upgraded to Outperform from Neutral.
• Horizon Lines (NYSE: HRZ) was upgraded to Overweight from Equal Weight at Stephens.
  
• Bancolombia SA (NYSE: CIB) was raised to Buy from Neutral.
  
• Great Lakes Dredge (NASDAQ: GLDD) was upgraded to Buy from Hold at Morgan Joseph.