Upgrades

Morgan Stanley upgraded Statoil ASA (NYSE: STO) from Underweight to Equalweight.

For an analyst ratings summary and ratings history on Statoil ASA click here. For more ratings news on Statoil ASA click here.

Shares of Statoil ASA closed at $22.46 yesterday, with a 52 week range of $22.00-$27.40.

Key Bank upgraded MDC Holdings Inc. (NYSE: MDC) from Hold to Buy with a price target of $46. The upgrade relates to analyst Kenneth Zener's views about improving performance and past under-performance relative to peers. At the same time he downgraded PulteGroup, Inc. (NYSE: PHM) and Ryland Group Inc. (NYSE: RYL) from Buy to Hold.

"We are getting more selective on the builders following the recent rally, with a narrower focus on 1) when land was bought and 2) valuation upside, supporting our upgrade of M.D.C. Holdings, our downgrade of PulteGroup, Inc and The Ryland Group, Inc, and higher price targets on Lennar Corporation (NYSE: LEN) and Toll Brothers, Inc. (NYSE: TOL). We think 'long land' remains a key theme, which supports LEN / TOL while our MDC upgrade reflects a more conservative, macro, mean reversion approach," said Zener.

For an analyst ratings summary and ratings history on M.D.C. Holdings (NYSE: MDC) click here. For more ratings news on M.D.C. Holdings click here.

Shares of M.D.C. Holdings closed at $38.59 yesterday, with a 52 week range of $24.60-$42.41.

Stifel Nicolaus upgraded Dice Holdings (NYSE: DHX) from Hold to Buy.

For an analyst ratings summary and ratings history on Dice Holdings click here. For more ratings news on Dice Holdings click here.

Shares of Dice Holdings closed at $9.19 yesterday, with a 52 week range of $6.95-$10.43.

Compass Point upgraded Two Harbors Investment (NYSE: TWO) from Neutral to Buy with a price target of $13.25.

Analyst Jason Stewart comments, "With the stock closing yesterday at a slight discount to our estimate of current book value per share (BVPS) of $11.58, we find the shares attractively priced for a well managed hybrid mREIT and yet not reflective of the value of potential cash flow that we expect to be generated by investments in MSRs. While we have always appreciated TWO's portfolio management capability and strategy, especially the business diversification efforts to migrate capital away from levered Agency MBS investing, we have been waiting for a more attractive entry point to re-engage the story. We are now at that point. The near term outlook for levered MBS investing remains volatile with increased risk of near term Fed tapering (though we believe market pricing is overly aggressive in pricing early Fed action) and a generally more volatile interest rate environment. However, TWO now has a demonstrated track record of investing in alternative MBS assets and further investments in asset classes such as whole loans and excess MSRs will continue to differentiate TWO from other mREITs and justify a premium valuation."

For an analyst ratings summary and ratings history on Two Harbors Investment click here. For more ratings news on Two Harbors Investment click here.

Shares of Two Harbors Investment closed at $11.56 yesterday, with a 52 week range of $9.85-$14.02.

Susquehanna upgraded Chesapeake Energy (NYSE: CHK) from Neutral to Positive.

For an analyst ratings summary and ratings history on Chesapeake Energy click here. For more ratings news on Chesapeake Energy click here.

Shares of Chesapeake Energy closed at $20.85 yesterday, with a 52 week range of $14.23-$22.97.