AMSTERDAM (AFX-NL) - Versatel Telecom International NV shares were higher in morning trading after ABN Amro upgraded the stock to "buy" from "reduce", dealers said. At 11.21 am in Amsterdam the shares were 0.35 eur firmer at 5.51, while the AEX index added 0.79 at 596.89. The local brokerage said that Versatel is its favourite stock in the European small-scale telecoms services group group because it has the densest network, relatively lower capital expenditure and carries a significant amount of traffic. ABN Amro believes that the company is back on track this year after significant problems last year. ABN Amro expects positive news flow over the short-term, especially from its first quarter results next week. arta/jkm/