Weatherford International, Impax Laboratories, Cytokinetics Upgraded

Analysts are weighing in on oilfield services provider Weatherford International Plc (NYSE:WFT), as well as biotech stocks Impax Laboratories Inc (NASDAQ:IPXL) and Cytokinetics, Inc. (NASDAQ:CYTK). Here's a roundup of today's bullish brokerage notes on WFT, IPXL, and CYTK shares.

Weatherford International Call Options In High Demand

After gapping higher on Tuesday thanks to news former Halliburton Company (NYSE:HAL) executive Mark McCollum will take over as CEO, WFT saw its rating raised to "neutral" from "sell" at Clarksons Platou. Still, the stock is down 1% at $6.56, which is nonetheless well above its November record low of $3.73. In the meantime, options bulls have lined up behind Weatherford International Plc, as nearly 29,000 calls were newly purchased during the past two weeks at the International Securities Exchange (ISE), Chicago Board Options Exchange (CBOE), and NASDAQ OMX PHLX (PHLX), versus just 3,754 puts. 

Impax Laboratories Stock Keeping Rally Alive

Yesterday, shares of IPXL jumped more than 8%, on news the company asked Morgan Stanley (NYSE:MS) to conduct a strategic review of its business. The stock is extending that rally today, up 2.7% at $9.35, after Deutsche Bank upgraded the shares to "buy" from "hold" -- a move that's evidently overshadowing a downgrade to "neutral" from "positive" at Susquehanna, which also slashed its price target to $10 from $18. Looking back, it's been an ugly 12 months for Impax Laboratories Inc, which was trading above $30 this time last year. Analysts have thus taken an overwhelmingly bearish approach. Just 10% of covering brokerage firms recommend buying IPXL. 

Analyst Expects Cytokinetics Shares Will Double

CYTK is up nearly 4% at $11.95, thanks to a bullish note from Rodman & Renshaw, which initiated coverage with a "buy" rating and a $25 price target. This is more than double the stock's present perch, but if CYTK shares continue their long-term uptrend on the charts, such a move may not be far-fetched. Specifically, Cytokinetics, Inc. is up 89% year-over-year. More gains could come, too, if short sellers keep throwing in the towel. For instance, short interest has declined by nearly 45% over the past year, but these bearish traders still control two weeks' worth of buying power, going by the stock's average trading pace.