COM - Continental Resources upgrade helping energy stocks rebound: At the Open

After ending Monday's session as one of two sectors in the red, the SPDR S&P Energy Sector ETF ([[XLE]], +0.8%) is bouncing back, the best performing sector premarket, led by Apache ([[APA]], +1.6%).ConocoPhillips ([[COP]], +0.8%) and ExxonMobil ([[XOM]], +0.8%) are also higher.Oil and gas E&P stocks are getting a lift as KeyBanc Capital upgraded Continental Resources ([[CLR]], +4%) to Overweight from Sector Weight this morning, noting higher future Bakken activity and refocus to oil in Oklahoma.Analyst Leo Mariani said the company will see “improved leverage next year, significant FCF generation in 2021, and nice exposure to higher oil prices,” Bloomberg reports.The price target of $20 would be a 23% rise from current prices.Oil prices are rallying. The discount between WTI futures ([[CL1:COM]], +0.9%) and Brent futures ([[CO1:COM]], +1%) reached the largest level since Dec. 10 yesterday and is widening slightly more this morning.The SPDR Oil and Gas Exploration and Production ETF ([[XOP]], +1%), which holds CLR at a

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Continental Resources upgrade helping energy stocks rebound: At the Open