Goldman Sachs analyst Robert Jones added Iqvia Holdings (IQ) to his firm's Americas Conviction List while keeping a Buy rating on the shares. The analyst lowered his price target for the shares to $151 from $152. He sees "several drivers of upside" in 2019 against a "very healthy" industry backdrop. Iqvia's backlog growth along with an industry leading book-to-bill indicate its offering is resonating in the market, Jones tells investors in a research note. He believes the company's upcoming commentary accompanying 2019 guidance could serve as a potential catalyst for the shares. Jones is also positive on shares of Icon (ICLR).

Jefferies analyst David Windley upgraded Iqvia to Buy and raised his price target for the shares to $150 from $136.

Jefferies analyst David Windley upgraded Iqvia to Buy from Hold and raised his price target for the shares to $150 from $136. The analyst says the results from his firm's annual contract research organization survey show accelerating research and development spending, continued rise in outsourcing, and a "notable rise" in preference for global CROs over niche, private players. These results bode positively for growth in 2019 and beyond, Windley tells investors in a research note. He cites improving positive CRO feedback both in the survey and channel checks for his upgrade of Iqvia. The company has done a commendable job of upping the sales and operational intensity of its business as well as developing and launching integrated application platforms, says Windley.

Catch up on today's top five analyst upgrades with this list compiled by The Fly: 1. Edwards Lifesciences (EW) upgraded to Buy from Neutral at BofA/Merrill with analyst Bob Hopkins saying he expects Edwards' multiple to move higher as investors digest upcoming pipeline readouts for Low Risk Aortic and Mitral Repair over the next five months. 2. Iqvia (IQV) upgraded to Buy from Hold at Jefferies with analyst David Windley saying the results from his firm's annual contract research organization survey show accelerating research and development spending, continued rise in outsourcing, and a "notable rise" in preference for global CROs over niche, private players. 3. Arista Networks (ANET) upgraded to Buy from Neutral at Nomura Instinet wih analyst Jeffrey Kvaal saying he views the recent pullback in shares as a buying opportunity and he expects "strong" Q4 results and "robust" growth in 2019. 4. Chevron (CVX) upgraded to Buy from Neutral at UBS with analyst Jon Rigby saying the recent pullback in oil prices has presented a buying opportunity in the shares. 5. Sportsman's Warehouse (SPWH) upgraded to Overweight from Neutral at Piper Jaffray with analyst Peter Keith saying the company is "poised for substantially better fundamentals" while the shares trade at the "lowest valuation within our coverage universe." This list is just a portion of The Fly's full analyst coverage. To see The Fly's full Street Research coverage, click here.