Encouraging quarterly earnings and Greece denying seeking extension of its debt repayment have pushed US markets to a positive territory. Dow Jones Industrial Average was up 0.53 percent or 62.81 points to 11,850.19, and NASDAQ Composite index gained 0.19 percent or 5.21 points to 2,760.51. The Standard and Poor's 500 index added 0.13 percent or 1.62 points to 1,294.86.
Several companies were upgraded or downgraded by analysts during the day.
Upgrades:
BP Plc (NYSE: BP) has been upgraded from Hold to Buy at the Royal Bank of Scotland. Shares of the company were down 0.63 percent or $0.31 to $48.94 today.
Shares of McDonald's Corporation (NYSE: MCD) added 1.50 percent or $1.11 to $75.17 as the rating of the company is upgraded at RBC Capital from Sector Perform to Outperform.
Smith & Nephew Plc (NYSE: SNN) is moved up from Underperform to Market Perform by Sanford Bernstein. Shares of the company gained 3.65 percent or $2 to $56.83 after the news.
Shares of Ryanair Holdings Plc (NASDAQ: RYAAY) lost 1.07 percent or $0.34 to $31.56. HSBC has upgraded the company to Overweight from Neutral.
Convergys Corporation (NYSE: CVG) is upgraded from Neutral to Outperform by Robert W. Baird. Shares of the company climbed up 6.46 percent or $0.89 to $14.50 during the midday trading.
BMO Capital upgrades EMC Corporation (NYSE: EMC) to Outperform from Market Perform. Shares of the company were up 0.86 percent or $0.21 to $24.75.
Downgrades:
Shares of Yahoo! Inc. (NASDAQ: YHOO) slipped 1.84 percent or $0.31 to $16.50 as the company is downgraded to Equal-Weight from Overweight at Morgan Stanley.
Virgin Media Inc. (NASDAQ: VMED) is reduced to Hold from Buy at Deutsche Bank. Shares of the company lost 0.91 percent or $0.23 to $24.97.
BHP Billiton Limited (NYSE: BHP) gained 0.80 percent or $0.72 to $91.28. The company is downgraded at RBC Capital from Outperform to Sector Perform.
Tim Hortons (NYSE: THI) sliped 2.84 percent or $1.21 to $41.37 as it was downgraded from Outperform to Sector Perform at RBC Capital.
Abbott Laboratories (NYSE: ABT) is lowered down to Outperform from Top Pick at RBC Capital. Shares of the company rose 0.26 percent or $0.12 to $47.01. France Telecom SA (NYSE: FTE) is downgraded to Hold from Buy at Societe Generale. Shares of the company were down 0.87 percent or $0.19 to $21.06.