Catch up on today’s top five analyst upgrades with this list compiled by The Fly: 1. eBay (EBAY) upgraded to Strong Buy from Market Perform at Raymond James. 2. Global Payments (GPN) upgraded to Overweight from Neutral at Piper Jaffray by analyst Jason Deleeuw, who said that the integrated payments channel in the merchant processing space is undergoing a “profound shift” with software solutions gaining power as omni-channel payments and business solutions become increasingly valued by merchants. He sees Global Payments as “strategically well-positioned for the evolution.” The analyst expects Global Payments’s “strong” competitive positioning will sustain a higher rate of long-term organic growth than peers and believes the stock warrants a premium valuation. 3. Bloomin’ Brands (BLMN) upgraded to Buy from Hold at Deutsche Bank by analyst Brett Levy, who said that the company’s fundamental and strategic progress may result in faster growth and multiple expansion. Levy also upgraded Del Frisco’s (DFRG) to Buy from Hold, saying the company’s operational and strategic initiatives may drive fundamental improvements, which creates a “reasonable” risk/reward profile. 4. Allegheny Technologies (ATI) upgraded to Overweight from Sector Weight at KeyBanc by analyst Philip Gibbs, who said the stock’s risk/reward is “more intriguing” despite tariff concerns. The analyst has “greater comfort” around flat rolled margin improvement potential and notes his 2019 sum-of-the-parts valuation analysis yields an eventual share value of above $35. Shares were also upgraded to Buy from Neutral at BofA/Merrill by analyst Timna Tanners, who believes that the recent weakness in the stock price presents an attractive entry opportunity given the company’s expected benefits from the jet engine new technology cycle. The analyst further states that the recent sell-off may have been driven by concerns over the impact of U.S. steel tariffs on its sourcing relationship with China’s Tsingshan, adding that in yesterday’s discussion, the management has expressed confidence in receiving an exception to any slab tariff. 5. Splunk (SPLK) upgraded to Buy from Hold at Stifel by analyst Brad Reback, who said last night’s “strong” Q4 indicates the company is successfully transitioning its business model toward subscription revenue. The analyst believes all of the company’s key business metrics suggest it is on track to achieve its fiscal 2020 targets. This list is just a portion of The Fly’s full analyst coverage. To see The Fly’s full Street Research coverage, (click here.):(http://thefly.com/streetResearch.php )
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