NEW YORK (TheStreet) -- Shares of personal computer maker Hewlett-Packard are rising after research firm Gartner estimated that worldwide PC shipments had risen 1% last quarter. The advance comes despite research firm Pacific Crest having downgraded HP shares this morning. WHAT'S NEW: Worldwide shipments of PCs increased 1% last quarter, Gartner estimated. "These results indicate a slow, but consistent improvement following more than two years of decline," the firm wrote. The estimate suggests that PCs are not fading into oblivion, as some had predicted. Despite this news, research firm Pacific Crest downgraded HP to Sector Perform from Outperform in a note to investors today. HP is facing increased competition, as a number of companies are buying fewer individual servers and IT storage products, Pacific Crest analyst Brent Bracelin stated. Instead, they are buying integrated IT stacks. Ongoing technological trends could make this option more popular going forward, the analyst believes. Additionally, new data storage systems - including next wave systems with software-defined controls, cloud storage systems, and open sources systems - are growing rapidly and could increase the competitive pressure on HP, the analyst stated. Bracelin is less confident that HP's multiple can expand further going forward, he added. WHAT'S NOTABLE: Bracelin also downgraded NetApp to Sector Perform from Outperform for the same reasons that he cut his rating on HP. The analyst identified Tableau , F5 Networks , Qlik Technologies , and Nimble Storage as his favorite names in the IT infrastructure sector. F5 should benefit from earnings and multiple expansion as it carries out its security strategy, while Qlik is well-positioned to generate improved growth and margins, the analyst stated. Tableau and Nimble are poised to report better than expected results as their new products ramp up, Bracelin believes. OTHERS TO WATCH: Other companies that benefit from upbeat PC sales include Intel , Microsoft , and hard disk drive makers Seagate and Western Digital . PRICE ACTION: In late morning trading, HP shares climbed 1.5% to $40.50. Reporting by Larry Ramer.
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