** Piper Sandler upgrades cyber security solutions provider Check Point Software CHKP.O to "overweight" from "neutral", as it expects improvement in underlying momentum going forward

** Brokerage says, "CHKP has a strong set of assets (large customer base, most secure FW on the market) and slight underlying momentum seen through a modest Y/Y acceleration in growth"

** Piper Sandler raises PT to $260 from $220, the highest among 38 analysts covering the stock

** CHKP up 0.5% at $221.37 in premarket trading

** 14 of 38 brokerages rate the stock "buy" or higher, and 24 "hold"; their median PT is $230 - data compiled by LSEG

** CHKP up 17.98% YTD, up to Friday's close

(Reporting by Kanchana Chakravarty in Bengaluru)

((Kanchana.Chakravarty@thomsonreuters.com))