3 Upgraded Stocks to Buy as the S&P 500 Makes New Highs With the S&P 500 breaking out to new highs, Southern Copper (SCCO), Westlake Chemical Corporation (WLK), and Vera Bradley (VRA) are 3 upgraded stocks...

Thus, investors should keep an eye on changes in the POWR Ratings to see what stocks and sectors are starting to strengthen and which ones are deteriorating.
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Let's take a look at three of the stocks recently upgraded to Strong Buys: Southern Copper (SCCO), Westlake Chemical Corporation (WLK), and Vera Bradley (VRA).
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Southern Copper (SCCO)

Headquartered in sunny Phoenix, SCCO mines, explores, smelts, and refines copper in addition to other minerals. SCCO operations take place in Peru, Mexico, Chile, Ecuador, and Argentina. SCCO has more copper reserves than any other industry player.

SCCO has a forward P/E ratio of 15.18, meaning it is fairly valued. The stock also has a tame beta of 1.10 so it probably won't wildly fluctuate.

The POWR Ratings reveal SCCO has strong fundamentals. The stock has B grades in the Quality and Stability components. SCCO has Cs in the Sentiment and Growth components. Click here to find out how SCCO grades out in the Momentum and Value components.

Out of the 40+ stocks in the Industrials - Metals space, SCCO is in the top five, slotting in at number four overall. You can find out more about the stocks in the Industrial - Metals space by clicking here.

In terms of price returns, SCCO is largely in the green except for the past few months and 2018 as a whole. SCCO has a one-year price return of 84%.

Westlake Chemical Corporation (WLK)

WLK is a petrochemical, polymer, and building product manufacturer. WLK primarily makes ethylene, styrene, PVC, decking components, windows, and fencing. WLK customers are in the automotive, packaging, water treatment, commercial construction, residential construction, and refrigerants categories. WLK has a fairly low forward P/E ratio of 11.23, meaning it is a solid value trading around $99 per share. The stock's beta is 1.47 so it shouldn't prove excessively volatile.

WLK has an A POWR Rating. The stock has an A grade in the Growth component of the POWR Ratings along with Bs in the Sentiment, Momentum, and Value components. You can find out how WLK fares in the Quality and Stability components by clicking here.

Of the nearly 100 stocks in the Chemicals space, WLK is ranked 14th. Click here to learn more about the stocks in this category.

WLK has primarily green price returns. The stock has a one-year price return of 90% and a five-year price return of 145%. Of the 14 analysts who have issued WLK recommendations, two consider it a Strong Buy, five consider it a Buy, and seven consider it a Hold.

Vera Bradley (VRA)

VRA designs produces and markets retail accessories for women. VRA products range from accessories to purses and leisure/travel items. VRA's two segments split products between Direct and Indirect. The Direct business is comprised of the company's sales at its stores, outlet stores, website, and yearly outlet sales. The Indirect group consists of product sales to independent retailers, certain e-commerce players, and some national retailers.

VRA has a reasonable forward P/E ratio of 13.71. In terms of the POWR Ratings, VRA is an A, meaning it is a Strong Buy. The stock has an A Value component and Bs in the Quality and Momentum components of the POWR Ratings. You can find out more about how VRA grades out in the Sentiment, Stability, and Growth components of the POWR Ratings by clicking here.

Of the 65 publicly traded companies in the Fashion & Luxury space, VRA is ranked fourth. Click here to find out more about the stocks in the Fashion & Luxury segment.