The Globe and Mail reports in its Wednesday, April 23, edition that Goldman Sachs upgraded its rating on Barrick Gold ($19.37) to "buy" from "neutral" as it took a more positive view on the gold and silver sector (all figures Canadian unless otherwise stated). The Globe's Darcy Keith and Jody White write in the Eye On Equities column that Goldman analyst Andrew Quail applauded Barrick Gold for divesting non-core assets and other moves. He said, "Following the equity raise in 2013, we believe the company's financial flexibility has significantly improved." He raised his price target on the stock to $23 from $18. That is above the analyst consensus price target of $20.25. Mr. Quail believes the sector's underperformance against the broader market over the past several months has made precious metals stocks more fairly valued. Canaccord Genuity analyst Tony Lesiak cut Barrick Gold to "sell" from "hold" in the Eye column on Jan. 14. The shares were then worth $19.73. The Eye column reported on March 3 that Raymond James analyst Phil Russo had commenced new coverage on Barrick Gold with a "market perform" rating and an $18.50 (U.S.) target. The shares could then be had for $22.73.