Analyst Upgrades: Intel, Chesapeake Energy, Ford Motor

Analysts are weighing in on tech giant Intel Corporation (NASDAQ:INTC), natural gas producer Chesapeake Energy Corporation (NYSE:CHK), and car maker Ford Motor Company (NYSE:F). Here's a quick roundup of today's bullish brokerage notes on INTC, CHK, and F.

• INTC is 2.2% lower ahead of the open, as the Street weighs in on the shares after the company's third-quarter earnings beat. The stock got upgraded to "buy" from "hold" at Summit Research, and received seven price-target hikes -- though Roth Capital trimmed its price target by $1 to $36. Most analysts are already in the bulls' corner when it comes to Intel Corporation, with 20 of 31 brokerage firms saying it's a "buy" or better. However, the equity's consensus 12-month price target of $33.90 is just above last night's close at $32.04. The shares recently conquered their 200-day moving average, and a bounce off this trendline could prompt another round of price-target hikes. 


• Despite a price-target increase to $10 from $9 at Deutsche Bank, CHK is slightly lower in electronic trading. Longer term, the stock has struggled mightily; at $7.99, the shares are nearly 60% lower in 2015. As such, it's not surprising to see that short interest has been on the rise, now accounting for over one-third of Chesapeake Energy Corporation's float. This level of short interest represents more than 12 days of trading, at CHK's average daily volume. 


• Goldman Sachs weighed in on several auto names this morning, and for F, this meant a $1 price-target bump to $20 -- levels the equity hasn't seen in 14 years. The shares are 8.4% higher in the past 12 months, though, trading at $14.94, and at least one group of traders continues to bet bullishly. Specifically, over the past four weeks at the International Securities Exchange (ISE), Chicago Board Options Exchange (CBOE), and NASDAQ OMX PHLX (PHLX), more than three calls have been bought to open for every put.