Stock Watch: Dell Benefits From Upgrades

On Tuesday, Dell Computer (Nasdaq: DELL) announced standout second-quarter earnings $507 million, or 19 cents a share, two cents better than the estimate of analysts. On Wednesday, numerous analysts applauded.

Deutsche Banc Alex Brown upgraded Dell from a buy to a strong buy; BancBoston Robertson Stephens upgraded the company from a long-term attractive to a buy; Hambrecht & Quist upgraded it from a market perform to a buy; Salamon Smith Barney upgraded it from a neutral to a buy; and Warburg Dillon Read upgraded it from a hold to a buy.

For investors interested in e-commerce, Dell is almost impossible to ignore. The company said it did $30 million in online sales each day during the last month of its quarter. That's an impressive $900 million a month.