Analyst upgrades:

• Jefferies upgraded Autodesk (NASDAQ: ADSK) to Buy from Hold after the firm's channel checks indicated the company's business is stabilizing. Jefferies raised its target on shares to $27 from $20.
• Citigroup upgraded Veeco (NASDAQ: VECO) to Buy from Hold on expectations LED order momentum will continue and cost discipline will help margin leverage. Citi raised its target on shares to $24 from $8.
• Deutsche Bank upgraded Domtar (NYSE: UFS) to Buy from Hold on expectations earnings will improve meaningfully over the next year. The firm keeps a $24 price target on the stock.
• Varian (NASDAQ: VARI) was upgraded to Equal Weight from Underweight at Barclays.
• Air Products (NYSE: APD) was upgraded to Overweight from Neutral at JPMorgan.
• U.S. Steel (NYSE: X) was upgraded to Buy from Neutral at Goldman.

Analyst upgrades:

• Citigroup upgraded Tyco (NYSE: TYC) shares to Buy from Hold on valuation as they believe the recent weakness has created an attractive entry point. The firm lowered its target price to $25 from $26.
  
• Deutsche Bank raised SAP (NYSE: SAP) to Buy from Hold on valuation as it finds the risk/reward attractive at current levels.
  
• Oppenheimer upgraded Onlin Corp (NYSE: OLN) to Outperform from Perform on valuation as it sees strong support at $10 and potential upside to $20. The firm has a $20 target on the stock.
• JP Morgan (NYSE: JPM) and Blackstone (NYSE: BX) were upgraded to Outperform from Market Perform at Keefe Bruyette.
  
• Adobe (NASDAQ: ADBE) was raised to Neutral from Sell at UBS.
  
• Goldman added AT&T (NYSE: T) to the Conviction Buy List.

The U.S. stock market's choppy, volatile pattern continues. Technically, the Dow's rally from the February 2008 and March 2008 market lows around 11,800 to the 13,100-range is displaying signs that it may have been a false rally: the rally failed at the 200-day moving average and closed Thursday, for the second straight day, below the 50-day moving average.

Further, the fundamental story does not look good, either: $130 per barrel oil, a housing market showing no signs of recovery and the specter of scant job creation for at least the next two or three months does not exactly represent the strongest magnets to attract new money to the market.

On February 4, 2008, I provided five defensive stocks worthy of consideration. Listed below is a progress report, with revised recommendations for each.

Procter & Gamble (NYSE: PG) - a diversified consumer products giant, extraordinaire.
February 4, 2008 price: $66. Sell / Stop Loss: $47.
May 22, 2008 price: $65.62. Revised recommendation: I'd continue to hold PG here if I owned it, definitely buy it if I didn't. Revised Sell / Stop Loss: $47.

Cola-Cola (NYSE: KO) - because no one ever went broke, holding Coke.
February 4, 2008 price: $59. Sell / Stop Loss: $43.
May 22, 2008 price: $58.27. Revised recommendation: I'd continue to hold KO here if I owned it, definitely buy it if I didn't. Revised Sell / Stop Loss: $47.

MOST NOTEWORTHY: Acergy, Casey's General and Corinthian Colleges were today's noteworthy downgrades:

• Citigroup downgraded shares of Acergy (NASDAQ: ACGY) to Sell from Hold as they see risk to the company's backlog and believes the recent share rally is not supported by business operations.
  
• Casey's General (NASDAQ: CASY) was downgraded at Friedman Billings to Underperform from Market Perform citing headwinds that include weak gas comps.
  
• Banc of America downgraded shares of Corinthian Colleges (NASDAQ: COCO) to Neutral from Buy as they believe the post-legislation lending overhang will limit further share upside until COCO can show its students can access federal funds with minimal disruption.

OTHER DOWNGRADES:

• Bernstein cut EMC Corp (NYSE: EMC) to Market Perform from Outperform.
  
• Baird lowered Woodward Governor (NASDAQ: WGOV) to Neutral from Outperform.
  
• Merrill downgraded Sealed Air (NYSE: SEE) and Bemis (BMS) to Sell from Neutral.

TheStreet.com's Jim Cramer says lots of companies now thrive with crude up here.

Oil's not a tax on everything -- it's a tax on the consumer. That's what I come down to when I see the charts this weekend and ponder what's happening in so much of industrial America.

Company after company that I examine -- the new techs, as I call them -- actually benefit from higher oil prices. Or they can pass them on with ease, because of the worldwide demand being so strong.

Take all of the companies involved with making a Boeing (NYSE: BA) (Cramer's Take): Boeing itself, Alcoa (NYSE: AA) (Cramer's Take), Honeywell (NYSE: HON) (Cramer's Take) and Precision Castparts (NYSE: PCP) (Cramer's Take) being good examples. Each of these is necessary because the new Dreamliner burns lots less fuel, and with fuel the biggest airline cost, it stands to reason that higher energy prices make the plane more desirable even at a higher price point.

Or how about all of the companies involved with process and flow control and efficient motors: Parker-Hannifin (NYSE: PH) (Cramer's Take), Emerson (NYSE: EMR) (Cramer's Take), Eaton (NYSE: ETN) (Cramer's Take) and Flowserve (NYSE: FLS) (Cramer's Take). Those work higher with higher energy prices. CSX (NYSE: CSX) (Cramer's Take), Burlington Northern (NYSE: BNI) (Cramer's Take), Kansas City Southern (NYSE: KSU) (Cramer's Take), Union Pacific (NYSE: UNP) (Cramer's Take) and Norfolk Southern (NYSE: NSC) (Cramer's Take) are smaller energy users than trucks, and they ship plenty of ethanol and fertilizer.

Awhile back, amid the subprime default fall-out, more-somber outlook for the U.S. economy and hence, the markets, yours truly suggested that investors increase the number of defensive stocks in their portfolios. In doing so I drew on a lesson offered by my late Uncle Nick, a lifelong New York Giants fan and season ticket holder. The wisdom:

In tough times, think established companies. Something, as my Uncle Nick would say, "As strong as the New York Giants' defensive front four." And I added that in case one hadn't noticed lately, the defensive front four of the Giants, also the favorite football team of yours truly, is still pretty good.

(My late Uncle Nick, of course, based his advise on the Giants' longstanding tradition of building a strong defense first, because, according to many revered football head coaches, Vince Lombardi and Bill Parcells among them, defense wins championships.)

When the market acts like an erratic fish, go with the known. Think established companies. In industrial sectors. Something, as my cigar-smoking Uncle Nick used to say, "as strong as the New York Giants' defensive front four." (And in case one hasn't noticed lately, the defensive front four of the Giants, favorite football team of yours truly, is still pretty good.)

With the above in mind Woodward Governor is worth a review. Woodward Governor Company (Nasdaq: WGOV) designs, manufactures, and services energy control systems, components for aircraft/industrial engines, turbines, and other power equipment.

Analysts like WGOV's recently-completed restructuring, which is bearing fruit and shows signs of improving Woodward's already solid position in its control systems business.

MOST NOTEWORTHY: Eaton Vance (EV), Dover Downs (DDE), Meruelo Maddux (MMPI) and Fifth Third Bancorp (FITB) were today's noteworthy downgrades:

• Merrill downgraded shares of Eaton Vance (NYSE: EV) to Sell from Neutral on expectations net flows will slow and pressure shares due to bank loan outflows and closed-end fund sales.

• Keybanc downgraded Dover Downs (NYSE: DDE) to Hold from Buy due to expectations of significant movement in the Maryland state legislature regarding the issue of slot machine legalization, which could pressure shares.

• Meruelo Maddux (NASDAQ: MMPI) was cut to Sell from Neutral at UBS based on tightening credit markets.

• Friedman Billings downgraded shares of Fifth Third (NASDAQ: FITB) to Underperform from Market Perform on this morning's acquisition of First Charter Corp...

OTHER DOWNGRADES:

• Alliant Techsys (NASDAQ: ATK) was cut to Market Weight from Overweight at Thomas Weisel.

• National Semi (NYSE: NSM) was removed from Goldman's Favorites Value List.

• Matrix downgraded Woodward Governor (NASDAQ: WGOV) to Hold from Buy.

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

Today's big power engines are complex devices, requiring sophisticated control systems to operate efficiently. There is an outfit in Fort Collins, Colorado that stands among the leaders in creating those systems.

Woodward Governor Company (NASDAQ: WGOV) designs, manufactures and services energy control components for aircraft engines, industrial engines, turbines and mobile industrial equipment. The firm serves original equipment manufacturers, as well as companies in the power generation, oil and gas processing, and marine industries. The client list includes General Electric (NYSE: GE), Caterpillar (NYSE: CAT) and Rolls-Royce. Woodward also sells spare parts for its systems and provides repair and overhaul services.

The company pleased investors last week, when it reported Q2 EPS of 63 cents and revenues of $256.3 million. Analysts had been looking for 51 cents and $238.8 million. Management also guided FY07 EPS to $2.35-2.45 ($2.17 consensus) and FY07 revenues to $982.7 million-$1.01 billion ($971.93 million consensus). The CEO cited several new agreements signed during the quarter, in support of the favorable outlook.

Woodward Governor Company (NASDAQ:WGOV) designs, manufactures, and services energy control systems and components for aircraft engines, industrial engines, turbines, and mobile industrial equipment. The company's customers are primarily original equipment manufacturers in the power generation, oil and gas processing, and marine industries.

The firm pleased investors in November, when it reported fourth-quarter EPS of 55 cents and revenues of $232.9 million. The Street had been looking for 48 cents and $228.2 million. Management also guided FY07 EPS to $2.05-$2.15 ($2.03 consensus) and FY07 revenues to about $957.6-$983.3 million ($924.4M consensus).

The news popped WGOV shares into a positive eight-week trading channel, which has since been supported by word of a four-year supply agreement with General Electric Energy (NYSE:GE) and a burner system development agreement with Tenneco Inc. (NYSE:TEN). The price is currently consolidating at the base of the channel, where oversold CCI, MACD, and Stochastic technical parameters suggest the potential for a rise back toward the top. Correspondence of the stock's 30-day moving average to the base of the channel backs the rebound notion.

Brokers recommend the issue with two "strong buys," one "buy" and two "holds." The WGOV P/E ratio (19.47), Price to Sales ratio (1.55), Price to Book ratio (2.72), Price to Cash Flow ratio (13.13), and EPS Growth rate (71.88%) compare favorably with industry, sector, and S&P 500 averages.

The stock is one of those used to calculate the S&P 600 SmallCap Index. Institutional investors hold about 63% of the outstanding shares. Over the past twelve months, WGOV has traded between $27.45 and $40.94. A stop-loss of $34.20 looks good here. Note that the company is expected to report fiscal first-quarter results in mid-February.

Larry Schutts is a contributing editor for Theflyonthewall.com and the Vice-President of Stockwinners.com.