Catch up on today’s top five analyst upgrades with this list compiled by The Fly: 1. Altria Group (MO) upgraded to Outperform from Sector Perform at RBC Capital with analyst Nik Modi saying while his concerns around the macro backdrop and fundamentals persist, the current valuation of 13-times forward PE is attractive relative to the broader Consumer Packaged Goods category given the company’s potential catalysts of more dividend increases tracking higher interest rates and the FDA approval process for IQOS electronic cigarettes. 2. Aaron’s (AAN) upgraded to Buy from Hold at Loop Capital with analyst Anthony Chukumba saying he remains “impressed” by Progressive’s revenue growth and thinks the unit will benefit from Rent-A-Center’s (RCII) “ongoing struggles.” 3. Cirrus Logic (CRUS) upgraded to Buy from Hold at Craig-Hallum with analyst Anthony Stoss saying he believes Apple (AAPL) headwinds are already priced into the stock and a relief rally is likely following the company’s upcoming earnings this Wednesday. 4. Ventas (VTR) upgraded to Market Perform from Underperform at BMO Capital with John Kim citing a more attractive valuation after the stock price came down another 19% in 2018. 5. New York Times (NYT) upgraded to Overweight from Neutral at JPMorgan with analyst Alexia Quadrani saying she believes digital demand will likely drive further “outsized growth” for New York Times. 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)