Analyst upgrades:

• Thomas Weisel upgraded PerkinElmer (NYSE: PKI) to Overweight from Market Weight on valuation as it sees limited downside to consensus estimates. The firm raised its target on shares to $20 from $18.
• Jefferies upgraded WuXi PharmaTech (NYSE: WX) to Hold from Underperform following the Q2 results as it believes the company's cross-selling strategy is paying off. The firm raised its target on shares to $12 from $5.
• FBR Capital upgraded J. Crew (NYSE: JCG) to Outperform from Market Perform to reflect the company's trend-right product, inventory control, unit growth, and strong management. The firm raised its target on shares to $36 from $25.
• Popular (NASDAQ: BPOP) was upgraded to Buy from Neutral at B. Riley.
• Pan American Silver (NASDAQ: PAAS) was upgraded to Buy from Neutral at UBS.
• HearUSA (AMEX: EAR) was upgraded to Buy from Hold at Roth Capital.

This post is part of a 12-article feature on the best bets for investing in China. To see all the other recommendations in this special report, click here.

"Shanghai-based Wuxi PharmaTech (NYSE: WX), a new addition to our model portfolio, is a bargain," says China region expert Jim Trippon.

In his The China Stock Digest, he explains, "In a nutshell, WuXi performs pharmaceutical R&D on a contract basis for paying clients; it provides services to nine of the top ten pharmaceutical companies in the world."

Those surprised by the market's strength in recent weeks should be even more impressed with the rebound in China, where both their market and economy have proven among the most resilient in the world.

Global specialist Nicholas Vardy adds, "While the US markets are rising, Asian stocks are on fire." ETF expert Paul Tracy adds, "China funds have screamed to the top of the performance charts."

In large part, this strength is due to the country's stimulus program. Tracy points out, "To combat the sagging global economy, Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao orchestrated a massive 4 trillion yuan ($586 billion) stimulus package.

Analyst upgrades:

• UBS believes US airlines estimates are too low and will move higher. The firm upgraded AirTran (NYSE: AAI), AMR Corp (NYSE: AMR), Continental (NYSE: CAL), Delta (NYSE: DAL) and Northwest (NYSE: NWA) to Buy from Neutral and JetBlue (NASDAQ: JBLU) to Neutral from Sell.
  
• JMP Securities upgraded DealerTrack (NASDAQ: TRAK) to OUtperform from Market Perform as they believe 2H08 guidance represents a floor and that 2009 estimates are achievable, among other reasons.
• Potash (NYSE: POT) and Mosaic (NYSE: MOS) were raised to Buy from Hold at Soleil.
  
• Argus upgraded Seagate (NYSE: STX) to Buy from Hold on Friday.

Analyst downgrades:

• Jefferies downgraded Citrix Systems (NASDAQ: CTXS) to Underperform from Hold as they do not see a catalyst for the company to grow into 2009 consensus estimates. The firm lowered their target price to $25 from $32.
  
• Citigroup said following Lehman's (NYSE: LEH) bankruptcy, they expect a distressed-sale of American International's (NYSE: AIG) MBS portfolio, resulting in the worst quarter yet for the company. Shares were cut to Hold from Buy.
• D.R. Horton (NYSE: DHI) was downgraded to Sell from Hold and Pulte Homes (NYSE: PHM) was downgraded to Hold from Sell at Citigroup.
  
• Merrill downgraded Goldman Sachs (NYSE: GS) to Neutral from Buy and JP Morgan (NYSE: JPM) to Underperform from Neutral.

"WuXi PharmaTech (Cayman) Inc. (NYSE: WX) provides laboratory and manufacturing services for the drug and medical device R&D process," notes China stock specialist Jim Trippon.

In his The China Stock Digest, he explains, "Because Chinese researchers receive much smaller paychecks than their Western counterparts, Shanghai-based WuXi is able to lower the cost of this research." Here's his review.

"We have often heard major Western pharmaceutical companies complain of the extraordinary cost of discovering and developing drugs.

"More costly than the laboratory infrastructure is the burden of paying for armies of highly trained, highly paid chemists, researchers, analysts and physicians. WuXi has become the secret weapon of many big name global pharmaceutical companies.

"China educates tens of thousands of engineers, chemists and technologists, and outsourcing that expertise has become a growth industry. WuXi became a leader in this trend in 2000 and has gone on to attract an impressive roster of clients.

"The firm's senior management team consists of Ph.D.s and MBAs with experience in drug and medical device R&D. Wuxi management has more than 200 patents pending or granted, and has published more than 800 scientific publications.

MOST NOTEWORTHY: WuXi Pharma, Apple and Genentech were today's noteworthy initiations:

• Global Hunter expects WuXi Pharma (NYSE:WX) to remain under pressure in the near-term due to gross margin constraints and dilution risk from the AppTec acquisition. The firm finds the stock fairly valued at current levels and initiated shares with a Neutral rating.
  
• ThinkPanmure assumed Apple (NASDAQ:AAPL) with a Buy rating and $225 target and recommends investors take advantage of recent weakness to build core positions.
  
• Genentech (NYSE:DNA) was started at Deutsche Bank with a Buy rating and $83 target. The firm sees limited downside and the potential for significant upside if Avastin works in adjuvant colon cancer.

OTHER INITIATIONS:

• NetLogic (NASDAQ:NETL) was initiated with a Neutral rating and $36 target at Piper.
  
• UBS assumed Seattle Genetics (NASDAQ:SGEN) with a Neutral rating and $10 target.
  
• Rowan Companies (NYSE:RDC) was started with a Buy rating and $70 target at Jesup & Lamont.

The Labor Department released that unemployment was running at 5.1% and that the non-farm payrolls lost 80,000 jobs in March, and the unemployment rate fell from 4.8% to 5.1%. Economists were expecting a loss of 50,000 and an unemployment rate of 5.0%. If you were just looking at the headlines, you would have said "Uh-oh, recession." But traders are trying to glimmer good news in the bad news right now. Bad news that isn't disastrous will lead traders to feel the nightmare scenario is only going to be a garden variety recession rather than an implosion. This will still allow for additional rate cuts from the Fed. Below are the unofficial closing prices for key US index levels:

• DJIA 12,609.42 (-16.61; -0.13%)
• S&P500 1,370.40 (+1.09; +0.08%)
• NASDAQ 2,370.98 (+7.68; +0.32%)
• 10YR-TBond 3.481% (-0.11%)
• 52-week lows here

Dell Inc. (NASDAQ: DELL) shares were hit by nearly 3% after Goldman Sachs downgraded the stock, and WR Hambrecht also joined in on the downgrades today. Shares closed at $19.53 today.

MOST NOTEWORTHY: WuXi Pharma, ExxonMobil and LifePoint Hospitals were today's noteworthy upgrades:

• Jefferies upgraded shares of WuXi Pharma (NYSE: WX) to Buy from Hold as they believe the risk/reward is much improved following the recent weakness. They think the company's 2008 guidance is achievable.
  
• Credit Suisse raised ExxonMobil (NYSE: XOM) to Outperform from Neutral as they believe the rise in crude oil means analyst estimates are too low.
  
• Goldman sees upside to hospital stocks given low valuations and expectations. The firm upgraded LifePoint Hospitals (NASDAQ: LPNT) to Buy from Neutral and named it a top pick along with previous top pick Cardinal Health (NYSE: CAH).

OTHER UPGRADES:

• Goldman added NDS Group (NASDAQ: NNDS) to their Conviction Buy List and upgraded shares to Buy from Neutral.
  
• Morgan Stanley raised Boeing (NYSE: BA) to Overweight from Equal Weight.
  
• JP Morgan added Sherwin-Williams (NYSE: SHW) to the Focus List.

MOST NOTEWORTHY: Aerospace stocks, WuXi Pharma, Myriad Genetics, Cypress Bioscience and Knology were today's noteworthy initiations:

• LYON initiated shares of aerospace stocks including Goodrich Corporation (NYSE: GR), TransDigm Group Inc (NYSE: TDG) and Triumph Group Incorporated (NYSE: TGI) with Add ratings and a $74 target, $45 target and $90 target, respectively.
  
• WuXi Pharmatech (NYSE: WX) was started with a Hold rating and $29 target at Jefferies on valuation. JP Morgan started shares with a Neutral rating and Credit Suisse initiated shares with an Outperform rating.
  
• Myriad Genetics Inc (NASDAQ: MYGN) was started with a Hold rating and $50 target at Citigroup, as the firm is cautious on the Phase III Flurizan results and does not recommend putting new money here at these levels.
  
• Citigroup also initiated shares of Cypress Biosciences Inc (NASDAQ: CYPB) with a Buy rating and $22 target as the firm believes Milnacipran has sufficient database for approval and is capable of gaining meaningful market share as firstline therapy.
  
• Knology Inc (NASDAQ: KNOL) was initiated with a Buy rating and $25 target at BWS Financial, as the firm believes the company's growth potential is greater than other cable companies through a business plan that allows it to have operations in all regions of the U.S.

OTHER INITIATIONS:

• Wachovia resumed coverage of Liberty Media Corporation (NASDAQ: LCAPA) with an Outperform rating.
  
• Northwest Airlines Corporation (NYSE: NWA) and Delta Air Lines Inc (NYSE: DAL) were initiated with Overweight ratings at JP Morgan.
  
• Thomas Weisel started shares of Tyco Electronics (NYSE: TEL) with a Market Weight rating.
  
• Goldman initiated shares of Electronic Arts Inc (NASDAQ: ERTS) and Activision Inc (NASDAQ: ATVI) with Buy ratings and THQ Inc (NASDAQ: THQI) with a Neutral rating.