Catch up on today's top five analyst upgrades with this list compiled by The Fly: 1. Walmart (WMT) upgraded to Buy from Hold at Deutsche Bank with analyst Paul Trussell saying the retailer is reaping returns on the many years of investment in e-commerce and customer service. 2. Cree (CREE) upgraded to Neutral from Underweight at JPMorgan with analyst Paul Coster saying he sees a more balanced risk/reward following the recent underperformance of the shares. 3. Amphenol (APH) upgraded to Buy from Neutral at Goldman Sachs with analyst Mark Delaney saying the company's "best in class" execution and "diverse" end markets position it well in a tougher cyclical environment. 4. Dominion (D) upgraded to Overweight from Neutral at JPMorgan with analyst Christopher Turnure saying the company is entering a period of balance sheet improvement, de-risked business mix and overall simplification, with or without the Scana (SCG) assets. 5. Baker Hughes (BHGE) upgraded to Buy from Hold at Jefferies with analyst Brad Handler saying earnings power of $4 per share next decade "seems tangible," as is free cash flow conversion of greater than 90% of estimated earnings. This list is just a portion of The Fly's full analyst coverage. To see The Fly's full Street Research coverage, click here.

In April, the Company purchased the remaining authorized amount of common stock under the existing three-year, $2B stock repurchase plan. On April 23, the company's board of directors approved a new three-year, $2B open market stock repurchase plan.

Bullish option flow detected in Amphenol with 7,956 calls trading, 8x expected, and implied vol increasing over 3 points to 32.37%. May-24 125 calls and May-24 115 calls are the most active options, with total volume in those strikes near 6,000 contracts. The Put/Call Ratio is 0.20. Earnings are expected on April 24th.

JPMorgan keeps a Neutral rating on Affirm (AFRM) after CNBC reported that One, a Walmart-backed fintech, has begun offering buy now, pay later at certain U.S. Walmart (WMT) locations. The announcement does not come as a complete surprise, as One first announced it was exploring a BNPL service in December 2022, the analyst tells investors in a research note. The firm points out Affirm expanded its relationship with Walmart in December 2023 to offer BNPL at self-checkout kiosks. For the time being, Affirm will remain a funding option at Walmart but will presumably compete head-to-head with One at the point of sale, adds JPMorgan. It believes the news "highlights the importance, foresight and wisdom" of launching the Affirm Card, which makes Affirm a funding option most anywhere Visa is accepted, while reducing Affirm's reliance on merchant-driven promotion and exclusivity. The firm views the Affirm Card as the company's "ace in the hole."

Mizuho analyst Dan Dolev says Affirm (AFRM) shares are lower today following a report that One, backed by Walmart (WMT), has started offering buy now, pay later loans in-store. However, this is not new news, as this was first reported in December 2022, the analyst tells investors in a research note. The firm says history suggests headline risks for Affirm end up being great buying opportunities. It estimates Walmart accounts for 5% of the company's gross merchandise volume and that all the volume likely won't go away. Affirm's total addressable market is in the trillions, so Walmart supporting buy now, pay later expands the visibility of the category, contends Mizuho. The firm keeps a Buy rating on the stock with a $65 price target.

Walmart's (WMT) majority-owned fintech startup One has begun offering buy now, pay later, or BNPL loans for big-ticket items at some of the retailer's more than 4,600 U.S. stores, putting One in direct competition with Affirm (AFRM), the BNPL leader and exclusive provider of installment loans for Walmart customers since 2019, CNBC's Hugh Son and Melissa Repko reported. Reference Link