Foot Locker jumps as Evercore turns bullish on hopes of better H2 sales

** Shares of Foot Locker FL rise ~7% to $26.18 after brokerage Evercore lifts rating on footwear retailer's stock

** Brokerage upgrades FL to "outperform" from "in line", citing more comfort in expectations for improvement in sales in H2

** "After an aggressive (Q4) clearance, FL is now chasing demand again for the first time in 18 months," Evercore says

** Brokerage cites mid-year loyalty program launch, new digital app in North America and FL's store refresh plans to drive sales in 2024

** Nike pivoting back to growth and doubling down on innovation should also help, analyst Michael Binetti says

** Raises FL PT to $32 from $28; FL has a Street median PT of $25, LSEG data shows

** Three of 20 brokerages rate the stock "buy" or higher, 13 "hold" and the rest "sell" or lower - LSEG

** Stock down ~15% YTD, including Monday's gains