Synaptics, Twilio, Wal-Mart Upgraded

Analysts are weighing in on touch and display specialist Synaptics, Incorporated (NASDAQ:SYNA), cloud concern Twilio Inc (NYSE:TWLO), and retail stock Wal-Mart Stores. Here's a quick roundup of today's bullish brokerage notes on SYNA stock, TWLO stock, and WMT stock.

Synaptics Stock Pointed Higher After Upgrade

Needham raised its rating on SYNA to "buy" from "hold," after the company amended an existing credit agreement. Ahead of the opening bell, Synaptics, Incorporated shares are 1.4% higher, relative to Thursday's close at $49.31 -- but down nearly 37% on-year. Meanwhile, options traders have grown put-focused toward the long-term underperformer. SYNA's Schaeffer's put/call open interest ratio (SOIR) of 1.17 ranks just 6 percentage points from a 12-month peak.

J.P. Morgan Waxes Optimistic on Twilio Stock

TWLO is up 5.8% in electronic trading, after seeing J.P. Morgan Securities raise its outlook to "overweight" from "neutral," citing an attractive valuation and a growing partnership with Amazon's Web Services. As most investors know, it's been a wild ride for Twilio Inc since going public in June, and its recent flirtation with its lower Bollinger Band could be a "buy" signal, if history is any precedent. Yesterday, the stock settled at $26.93. Tailwinds could be triggered if short sellers start heading to the exits. A brow-raising 28.5% of TWLO's float is sold short, representing more than a week's worth of pent-up buying activity, at average daily volumes.

Rallying WMT Stock Gets Well-Deserved Upgrade

WMT has bounced sharply off its late-January lows near $65, ending Thursday at $71.43. Perhaps this surge explains why Telsey Advisory upgraded the shares to "outperform" from "market perform," and also lifted its price target to $82 from $73 -- territory not charted in over two years. Wal-Mart stock could benefit from additional bullish brokerage attention. At the moment, 14 of 23 analysts rate WMT shares either a "hold" or a "strong sell."