> Navistar shares rise after UBS upgrade

DETROIT

Shares of truck and bus manufacturer Navistar International Inc. rose 4 percent Thursday after an analyst upgrade due to improved trucking industry business conditions.

THE SPARK: UBS analyst Henry Kirn upgraded Navistar from "Neutral" to "Buy" after a survey showed improving business in the trucking industry and a favorable impression of Navistar's pollution control technology in its diesel engines.

THE BIG PICTURE: The freight truck business was hit hard by the recession, but the survey showed improved year-over-year business conditions for the second straight quarter. Truckers indicated improving freight rates for the first time in almost two years, the survey found. With improved rates, capital upgrades are more likely. Plus, the survey found a positive response in the industry to Navistar's diesel engines equipped with advanced exhaust gas recirculation technology that meets 2010 U.S. Environmental Protection Agency pollution standards.

SHARE ACTION: Shares of Navistar rose $2.02, or 4 percent, to $52.29 in midday trading during a market rally. Dow Jones industrials were up 185 points, or nearly 2 percent, to 10,085.