Analyst Action: New Stock Ratings

A sampling of Wednesday’s new coverage and rating changes by stock brokerage analysts:

* Championship Auto Racing (ticker: MPH; close and change: $32.19, up $3.19) was raised to “strong buy” from “buy” at J.C. Bradford.

* Computer Sciences (CSC; $75.38, up $5.56) was rated “buy” in new coverage at SG Cowen.

* Gartner Group (IT; $23.56, up $2.81) was raised to “buy” from “neutral” at Salomon Smith Barney, with a target of $30.

* Hollywood Park (HPK; $13.88, down 6 cents) was raised to “buy” from “attractive” at Bear Stearns.

* Interpublic Group (IPG; $79.13, up $3.31) and Omnicom Group (OMC; $75.38, up $5.56) were put on the “recommend list” in new coverage at Goldman Sachs, with a target of $90 for Omnicom.

* Pimco Advisors Holdings (PA; $28.94, down 6 cents) was rated new “buy” at Lazard Freres, with a target of $36.

* Total Renal Care Holdings (TRL; $15.63, up $1.13) was raised to “top pick” from “buy” at Donaldson Lufkin & Jenrette.