The U.S. dollar index is trading up 0.29% today, now at 83.8370. The GSCI commodity index is down 0.4% at 627.87. WTI crude oil closed up 0.1%, at $94.30 a barrel following the release of the EIA’s inventory data. Brent crude trades 1.1% at $103.72 a barrel. Natural gas is up 1% today at about $4.06 per million BTUs. Gold settled down 2% today at $1,396.20.

The unofficial closing bells put the DJIA up about 60 points to 15,275.15 (0.39%), the NASDAQ rose about 9 points (0.26%) to 3,471.62, and the S&P 500 rose 0.51% or more than 8 points to 1,658.71.

There were a several analyst upgrades and downgrades today, including:

• Golar LNG Ltd. (NASDAQ: GLNG) cut to ‘sell’ at Goldman Sachs;
• BlackBerry (NASDAQ: BBRY) cut to ‘market perform’ at Bernstein;
• Lowe’s Companies Inc. (NYSE: LOW) reiterated as ‘buy’ and price target raised to $48 at Argus;
• Gap Inc. (NYSE: GPS) raised to ‘buy’ at Citigroup; and
• Charles Schwab Corp. (NYSE: SCHW) cut to ‘underweight’ at Barclays.

Earnings reports since markets closed last night have resulted in some price changes for reporting companies as of the last half hour of trading today:

• Agilent Technologies Inc. (NYSE: A) is up 3.7% at $45.60 after posting a new 52-week high of $46.49 earlier today;
• Primo Water Corp. (NASDAQ: PRMW) is down 7.2% at $1.42;
• Computer Sciences Corp. (NYSE: CSCO) is down 9.9% at $44.61;
• Deere & Co. (NYSE: DE) is down 4.6% at $89.46;
• First Majestic Silver Corp. (NYSE: AG) is down 9.8% at $10.15 after posting a new 52-week low of $10.13 earlier today; and
• Macy’s Inc. (NYSE: M) is up 2.7% at $48.66 after posting a new 52-week high of $48.91 earlier today.

Before markets open tomorrow morning we are scheduled to hear earnings from Cisco Systems Inc. (NASDAQ: CSCO), Dillard’s Inc. (NYSE: DDS), Jack in the Box Inc. (NASDAQ: JACK), Skechers USA Inc. (NYSE: SKX), E Commerce China Dangdang Inc. (NASDAQ: DANG), Kohl’s Corp. (NYSE: KSS), ReneSola Ltd. (NYSE: SOL), and Wal-Mart Stores Inc. (NYSE: WMT).

Some standouts among heavily traded stocks today include:

Bristol-Myers Squibb Co. (NYSE: BMY) is up 5.2% at $44.40, after posting a new 52-week high of $45.59 earlier today. The biopharmaceutical firm gave an upbeat presentation on its plans for new cancer and heart drugs.

Apple Inc. (NASDAQ: AAPL) is down 3.6% at $427.92. The PC and consumer electronics product maker is being sued by the U.S. Justice Department for leading a price-fixing scheme in the book publishing business.

Zynga Inc. (NASDAQ: ZNGA) is up 3.5% at $3.45. The social games producer got a big boost from a purchase of 25 million of the company’s shares by activist investor Jana Partners.

Stay tuned for Thursday. Philadelphia Fed President Charles Plosser, Boston Fed President Eric Rosengren, Dallas Fed President Richard Fisher, Fed Governor Sarah Bloom Raskin, and San Francisco Fed President John Williams are all giving speeches. We have also noted the following events on the schedule (all times Eastern):

• 8:30 a.m. – Consumer price index
• 8:30 a.m. – Housing starts
• 8:30 a.m. – New claims for unemployment benefits
• 10:00 a.m. – Philadelphia Fed survey
• 10:30 a.m. – EIA weekly natural gas storage report
• 4:30 p.m. – Fed balance sheet and money supply

Aeropostale Inc. (NYSE: ARO) was raised to Outperform from Market Perform at BMO Capital Markets.

Ciena Corp. (NASDAQ: CIEN) was started as Overweight at Evercore Partners.

Cooper Companies Inc. (NYSE: COO) was raised to Outperform with a $122 target price at Raymond James.

Gap Inc. (NYSE: GPS) was raised to Buy from Neutral at Citigroup.

Halcon Resources Corp. (NYSE: HK) was raised to Buy from Hold at Stifel Nicolaus.

Halozyme Therapeutics Inc. (NASDAQ: HALO) was started as Overweight at Piper Jaffray.

Lowe’s Companies Inc. (NYSE: LOW) was reiterated as Buy but the target was raised to $48 from $44 at Argus.

Prudential Financial Inc. (NYSE: PRU) was raised to Buy from Hold with a $75 price target at Argus.

Read also: Analysts Pick Four Stocks to Double in Last Week

Regal Beloit Corp. (NYSE: RBC) was raised to Outperform from Neutral at Credit Suisse.

Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd. (NYSE: RCL) was reiterated Buy and the target was raised to $44 from $40 at Argus.

Deutsche Bank gave its top biotech stocks to buy today.

Jefferies has its list of industrial stock picks of the month.

Read also: Today’s Top Analyst Downgrades and Cautious Research Calls

Gap Inc. (NYSE: GPS) showed that its first quarter is ahead of expectations and same-store sales were rising faster than expected. Shares are up 4.5% above $40.50 this morning, and the stock was up as much as about 6% last night.

Pain Therapeutics Inc. (NASDAQ: PTIE) is perhaps the most appropriately named stock out there today. Pfizer Inc. (NYSE: PFE) is evaluating its participation in the Remoxy pain drug. This stock is down a whopping 47% at $2.78 in very active trading for what is usually a thin-volume stock.

Progenics Pharmaceuticals Inc. (NASDAQ: PGNX) is surging 19% to $5.14 after its earnings report, although we would note a very wide spread in early trading indications.

Sequenom Inc. (NASDAQ: SQNM) is surging up by almost 13% to $4.03 a day after its earnings report.

3D Systems Corp. (NYSE: DDD) priced its 7.5 million shares down $3 from yesterday’s close at $40 and the stock is down 6.7% at $40.10. This was a poorly priced offering and shareholders have to worry that 3D Systems is going to make an expensive acquisition since it specifically mentioned acquisitions in its use of proceeds.

Ubiquiti Networks Inc. (NASDAQ: UBNT) posted a drop of 26% in earnings on weak system sales, but Wall Street is trusting its positive guidance very much. Shares are up 19% at $19.16 this Friday.

The retail/specialty store analysts at Jefferies are about as bullish as a Wall Street firm can be when it comes to their outlook on the sector. They remain extremely positive on the group as a whole, and think retail stocks are still headed upwards on a multiyear run, driven by four leading indicators:

• Lean inventories in the retail environment
• Upside to margins with raw material prices falling
• The previously mentioned improving consumer sentiment
• Retailers poised to embark on a significant acceleration in free cash flow

With these positive catalysts falling into place, Jefferies has a solid group of retailing stocks to buy.

Deckers Outdoor Corp. (NASDAQ: DECK) is the absolute top pick to buy. With its popular outdoor clothing to the extremely successful UGG line of women’s footwear, Deckers has chased away many short sellers. The Jefferies price target is a staggering $100. The Thomson/First Call estimate is much lower at $62.

The Gap Inc. (NYSE: GPS) ranks as the number two top pick at Jefferies. This apparel maker’s brands also include Old Navy and Banana Republic. The Jefferies price target is $56, while the consensus estimate is $40. Investors are paid a 1.50% dividend.

Francesca’s Holding Corp. (NASDAQ: FRAN) makes the list. Francesca’s was recently added to the Small Cap 600 stock index. Jefferies has a price target for the stock of $42. The consensus is at $39.

Michael Kors Holdings Ltd. (NYSE: KORS) went public in December of 2011 and hasn’t looked back since. The company engages in the design, marketing, distribution and retail of branded women’s and men’s apparel and accessories. The Jefferies price target for this top name is $81. The consensus target is $75.

Ulta Salon, Cosmetics & Fragrances Inc. (NASDAQ: ULTA) is an absolute magnet for women shoppers. Ulta Salon, after more than 20 years of operation, has become a large beauty retailer with more than 20,000 salon service locations in the United States. The Jefferies price target for the stock is $100 and the consensus is at $93.

Vera Bradley Inc. (NASDAQ: VRA) is primarily known for its iconic patterned bags. Between 2008 and 2012, the company doubled its annual revenue from $239 million to $541 million, and it nearly tripled its net earnings from $24 million to $69 million. Jefferies’ price objective is $35. The consensus estimate is $30.

Fossil Inc. (NASDAQ: FOSL) is a stock to buy. For the first quarter, the company beat revenue and earnings expectation handily. The Jefferies target is $130. The consensus for this volatile name is at $115.

rue21 Inc. (NASDAQ: RUE) completes the list of top retail stocks to buy at Jefferies. The company, which sells tank tops and graphic tees to teenagers at affordable prices, is shaping up to be a possible target for a private-equity investment. The Jefferies target for the stock is $40. The consensus estimate is $33.

The difference between the consensus price targets for these stocks and the Jefferies price targets tell a big story. If the consumer stays strong and the economy continues to improve, the sky-high Jefferies targets may indeed become a reality. Should the economy sputter and slow down, all retail bets may be off.

Abercrombie & Fitch Co. (NYSE: ANF) was raised to Outperform from Market Perform at Wells Fargo.

Arch Coal Inc. (NYSE: ACI) was raised to Neutral from Sell at Goldman Sachs.

BioMarin Pharmaceutical Inc. (NASDAQ: BMRN) was started as Buy at Goldman Sachs.

CBOE Holdings Inc. (NASDAQ: CBOE) was named Bull of the Day at Zacks Investment Research.

Chico’s FAS Inc. (NYSE: CHS) was started as Outperform at Wells Fargo.

Read also: May’s List of 13 Stocks Expected to Rise 40% to 100%

EVERTEC Inc. (NYSE: EVTC) saw its quiet period come to an end and analysts have initiated coverage on the international transaction processing service provider as follows: started as Buy at UBS, started as Buy at Deutsche Bank, started as Outperform at Credit Suisse and started as Overweight at J.P. Morgan.

Gap Inc. (NYSE: GPS) was raised to Outperform from market Perform at Wells Fargo.

Medivation Inc. (NASDAQ: MDVN) was started as Buy at Goldman Sachs.

Michael Kors Holdings Ltd. (NYSE: KORS) was started as Outperform at Wells Fargo.

Pinnacle Foods Inc. (NYSE: PF) was started as Outperform at Credit Suisse and started as Outperform at BMO Capital Markets.

Rally Software Development Corp. (NYSE: RALY) was started as Buy at Deutsche Bank and started as Outperform at JMP Securities.

Sanchez Energy Corp. (NYSE: SN) was started as Buy at SunTrust.

Urban Oufitters Inc. (NASDAQ: URBN) was raised to Outperform at Wells Fargo.

Read also: Infrastructure Stocks to Buy from UBS

Deutsche Bank gave a list of picks in its call for it being time to rotate from industrial stocks into banks and technology stocks.

Abercrombie & Fitch (NYSE: ANF) started as Underweight with $44 target at Barclays.

Aeropostale Inc. (NYSE: ARO) started as Equal Weight at Barclays.

American Eagle (NYSE: AEO) started as Overweight with $25 target at Barclays.

Gap Inc. (NYSE: GPS) started as Overweight with $45 target at Barclays.

GNC Holdings Inc. (NYSE: GNC) raised to Buy with $50 price target at Deutsche Bank.

Groupon Inc. (NASDAQ: GRPN) is generally deemed Internet or social media, but all it really does is offer daily deals and now offers payment processing to merchants. It was included in a broad Internet and interactive media call at UBS, with a Sell rating and $44.40 price target.

Hanesbrands Inc. (NYSE: HBI) raised to Overweight from Equal Weight at Barclays.

Limited Brands Inc. (NYSE: LTD) started as Overweight at Barclays.

Ross Stores Inc. (NASDAQ: ROST) was included in a UBS list of stocks that the firm believes has 25% upside or more.

Under Armour (NYSE: UA) started as Overweight with $60 target at Barclays.

Urban Outfitters Inc. (NASDAQ: URBN) started as Overweight with $50 target at Barclays.

Barclays did include other names in the research initiations today, but some were screened out due to volume being light or because they were only given Equal Weight ratings.

If you are curious what Easter added to the economy from retail and beyond, that was projected at $17.2 billion. We think it is more because so many items are not counted in that report.

Despite a positive multiyear trend, many traditional retailers’ scores remain average at best — especially those that are struggling to keep up with growing online rivals. 24/7 Wall St. reviewed the ACSI data to find the companies with the worst satisfaction scores in retail.

In the most recent ACSI study, the averages for all retail companies peaked at 76.6 on a 100-point scale in 2012. The exception was Internet retail, which the ACSI groups with e-commerce. This part of the industry had an average score of 82 last year. Of the nine retail companies with the worst ACSI scores, just one was an online retailer.

But even average ACSI scores actually weigh negatively on retailers. Larry Freed, CEO of consumer analytics firm ForeSee, which works with ACSI on Internet retailer rankings, told 24/7 Wall St. that consumer expectations are an important part of a company’s or an industry’s score. According to Freed, consumers are not expecting a better experience stores. “The bar’s not getting any higher; it’s getting lower, if anything.” Meanwhile, “In the online world, it’s getting higher every day,” Freed said.

Some of the companies that failed to impress consumers in 2012 have struggled to satisfy customers for years. Safeway, which had among the lowest scores among all retailers, has underperformed in customer satisfaction every year for the past 10 years.

For one company, underperforming its industry benchmark is a relatively new development. Netflix outperformed the average Internet retailer in customer satisfaction for four years, and in 2009 it was the top retailer. But in 2011 and 2012, the video streaming company has been the lowest rated internet retailer.

Although brick-and-mortar retailers have struggled to keep customers happy, they still account for the majority of sales. However, if online retailers continue to outperform traditional retailers in satisfying consumers, they are likely to continue to erode brick-and-mortar market share. A February U.S. Census Bureau release noted that, while only 5.4% of retail sales came from e-commerce, this is up from 4.8% the year before.

To identify the nine retailers with the worst customer satisfaction, 24/7 Wall St. reviewed the customer satisfaction scores published by the American Customer Satisfaction Index (ASCI) for e-commerce and retail trade companies. Additional information on corporate performance came the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, and from corporate websites. More information on customer service ratings came from the MSN Money/JZ analytics 2012 Customer Service Survey.

These are the nine retailers with the worst customer service.

The research firm said this morning that the overall gain reached just 1.9% in February. Excluding drug stores, same-store sales rose 4.2%. The best performing sector was discount stores; the worst performer was teen apparel.

Several retailers stopped reporting same-store sales this month. Target Corp. (NYSE: TGT), Macy’s Inc. (NYSE: M) and Kohl’s Corp. (NYSE: KSS) join other retailers, including Wal-Mart Stores Inc. (NYSE: WMT), Abercrombie & Fitch Co. (NYSE: ANF) and American Eagle Outfitters Inc. (NYSE: AEO), that no longer report monthly sales figures.

Here’s a rundown:

Costco Wholesale Corp. (NASDAQ: COST) reported that same-store sales for February rose 6% compared with February 2012. That is well above the Retail Metrics estimate for a gain of 4.6%, excluding gasoline sales.

Limited Brands Inc. (NYSE: LTD) said same-store sales for the four weeks ended March 3 rose 3% compared with February 2012 and a Retail Metrics estimate for a rise of 2.8%.

The Buckle Inc. (NYSE: BKE) reported same-store sales for February fell by 1.1% compared with the same month a year ago. The Retail Metrics estimate called for a drop of 2.3%.

Stein Mart Inc. (NASDAQ: SMRT) reported same-store sales for the four weeks ended March 2 up 0.6%. Retail Metrics estimated a same-store sales increase of 0.7% for Stein Mart.

PriceSmart Inc. (NASDAQ: PSMT) reported same-store sales for the five weeks ended March 3 rose 8.9%, well above the 6.5% rise estimated by Retail Metrics.

Zumiez Inc. (NASDAQ: ZUMZ) posted a same-stores sales decline of 8.9% for the four weeks to March 2, much worse than the 1.3% decline expected by Retail Metrics.

Gap Inc. (NYSE: GPS) reported same-store sales rose 3% for the four weeks ended March 2. The Retail Metrics estimate called for a gain of 2.3%.

Gap’s shares are up 3.6% at $35.70 in a 52-week range of $24.54 to $37.85.

Limited’s shares are up 0.6%, at $45.33 in a 52-week range of $40.32 to $52.50.

Costco shares are up 0.8% at $103.41 in a 52-week range of $81.98 to $105.97.

Stein Mart’s shares are down 1.6% at $8.51 in a 52-week range of $6.02 to $9.34.

PriceSmart’s shares are up 1.3% at $75.32 in a 52-week range of $59.00 to $86.00.

Zumiez’s shares are down 2.0% at $22.64 in a 52-week range of $17.93 to $41.96.

The Buckle’s shares are trading up 1.1% at $44.95 in a 52-week range of $36.33 to $51.74.

The U.S. dollar index fell 0.9% today, now at 82.236. The GSCI commodity index is down 0.9% at 642.65, with commodities prices mostly higher today. WTI crude oil closed down 0.6% today, at $90.12 a barrel, the lowest close yet this year. Brent crude trades down 0.3% at $110.05 a barrel. Natural gas is up 2.2% today at about $3.53 per million BTUs. Gold settled fractionally higher today at $1,572.40 an ounce.

The unofficial closing bells put the DJIA up about 38 points to 14,127.63 (0.27%), the NASDAQ rose more than 12 points (0.39%) to 3,182.03, and the S&P 500 rose 0.46% or about 7 points to 1,525.23.

There were a several analyst upgrades and downgrades today, including Yahoo! Inc. (NASDAQ: YHOO) raised to ‘overweight’ at Barclays; NuStar Energy LP. (NYSE: NS) cut to ‘underperform’ at Credit Suisse; Dean Foods Inc. (NYSE: DF) raised to ‘buy’ at KeyBanc; Gap Inc. (NYSE: GPS) started as ‘underperform’ at Sterne Agee; and Merck & Co. (NYSE: MRK) raised to ‘buy’ at BofA/Merrill Lynch.

Earnings reports since markets closed last Friday resulted in several price moves today, including these: Arena Pharmaceuticals Inc. (NASDAQ: ARNA) is down 2.3% at $8.15; Boyd Gaming Corp. (NYSE: BYD) is up 9.3% at $7.06 (more coverage here); Transocean Ltd. (NYSE: RIG) is down 0.3% at $51.97; and Yingli Green Energy Holding Co. Ltd. (NYSE: YGE) is down 0.4% at $XX (more solar coverage here).

Before markets open tomorrow morning we are scheduled to hear from Checkpoint Systems Inc. (NYSE: CKP), Constellation Energy Partners LLC (NYSEMKT: CEP), and Glencore International PLC.

Some standouts from today include the following stocks:

Ferro Corp. (NYSE: FOE) is up 30.8% at $6.80 after posting a new 52-week high of $6.95 earlier today. The specialty chemicals firm has received an unsolicited buyout offer from A. Schulman Inc. (NASDAQ: SHLM). More coverage here.

Select Comfort Corp. (NASDAQ: SCSS) is down 16% at $17.23 after posting a new 52-week low of $16.62 earlier today. The mattress maker released a poor outlook for quarterly earnings today.

Stratasys Ltd. (NASDAQ: SSYS) is up 7.1% at $68.84. The 3D printer maker reported solid results for its fourth quarter this morning. More coverage on today’s spiky stocks here and our look at the quarterly results here.

Stay tuned for Tuesday. Richmond Fed President Jeffrey Lacker is giving a speech. We have also noted the following events on the schedule (all times Eastern):

• 10:00 a.m. – Institute for Supply Management non-manufacturing index
• 11:30 a.m. – 4- and 52-week bill auctions

AMAG Pharmaceuticals Inc. (NASDAQ: AMAG) raised to Neutral at J.P. Morgan.

AON Corp. (NYSE: AON) cut to Neutral at Goldman Sachs.

Bristol-Myers Squibb Co. (NYSE: BMY) cut to Neutral at BofA/Merrill Lynch.

The Charles Schwab Co. (NYSE: SCHW) raised to Outperform at Bernstein.

Coach Inc. (NYSE: COH) started as Buy at Stern Agee.

Compania de Minas Buenaventura (NYSE: BVN) started as Outperform at Credit Suisse.

Dean Foods Co. (NYSE: DF) raised to Buy at KeyBanc.

Gap Inc. (NYSE: GPS) started as Underperform at Stern Agee.

hhgregg Inc. (NYSE: HGG) named as Bear of the Day at Zacks.

Lexmark International Inc. (NYSE: LXK) raised to Equal Weight at Barclays.

Merck & Co. (NYSE: MRK) raised to Buy at BofA/Merrill Lynch.

Michael Kors Holdings Ltd. (NYSE: KORS) started as Neutral at Stern Agee.

NuStar Energy L.P. (NYSE: NS) cut to Underperform at Credit Suisse.

Red Robin Gourmet Burgers Inc. (NASDAQ: RRGB) named Bull of the Day at Zacks.

Tiffany & Co. (NYSE: TIF) started as Neutral at Stern Agee.

TJX Companies Inc. (NYSE: TJX) started as Buy at Stern Agee.

Yahoo! Inc. (NASDAQ: YHOO) raised to Overweight at Barclays.

Deutsche Bank says to buy the eight enduring tech stocks.