Catch up on today's top five analyst upgrades with this list compiled by The Fly: 1. American Express (AXP) upgraded to Outperform from Perform at Oppenheimer with analyst Ben Chittenden citing a better economic backdrop and the stock's underperformance relative to peers since the U.S. election. 2. Barracuda (CUDA) was upgraded to Neutral from Underperform at DA Davidson and to Overweight from Equal Weight at Stephens. 3. Acuity Brands (AYI) was upgraded to Outperform from Neutral at Baird and to Buy from Outperform at CLSA. 4. E-Trade (ETFC) upgraded to Buy from Neutral at Goldman with analyst Conor Fitzgerald saying he expects revenue acceleration from higher rates combined with balance sheet growth from deposit sweeps, focus on expenses by new management, and potential for reduced bank regulation. 5. Time Inc. (TIME) upgraded to Outperform from Market Perform at Wells Fargo with analyst Eric Katz citing potential upside from a takeover by Meredith (MDP). A combination makes sense, and Meredith shares are pricing in a $23 purchase price for Time, Katz tells investors in a research note. Should a deal not materialize, Time shares could fall to $14, but it's more likely a deal is done at $23 per share, the analyst argues. Katz raised his price target range for Time to $21-$23 from $15-$17. This list is just a portion of The Fly's full analyst coverage. To see The Fly's full Street Research coverage, click here.

Wells Fargo raised the firm's price target on American Express to $265 from $250 and keeps an Overweight rating on the shares. The firm sees a good case for management to express greater confidence in or lean to the upper end of the EPS or revenue guide for 2024. With the macro haze fading, Wells believes investors will come away with a greater appreciation of the competitive position and moat.