It was a big day for aerospace giant The Boeing Company (BA), which celebrated the inaugural flight of the biggest plane the company has ever built.

The plane, the Boeing 747-8, was originally planned to get off the ground over a year ago, but the delay did not dampen the mood at today's take off. Hundreds of employees and spectators on hand to watch the massive 253 foot jumbo jet take flight for the first time.

Avon Products (AVP), which I first wrote about on May 6, 2009 at a price of $23.12, has pulled-back with the market's retreat, but I still like the company and the stock. Here's why:

Avon remains the world leader in direct-marketed cosmetics, toiletries, fashion jewelry, and fragrances, with ample growth opportunities in Latin America, China, and Central/Eastern Europe.

Electronic Arts Inc. (ERTS) was down in the after-hours session by over 9% on the heels of the gaming publisher's Q3 report. Non-GAAP sales were off by over 20%. Adjusted income came in at 33 cents per share. This was two cents higher than expectations according to my earnings preview, but a lot less than the 56 cents per share earned in the comparable frame.

The press release mentions the lower quantity of titles released during the holiday season as being a driver of the decline in revenue (a tough European market was also cited). That may be, but it doesn't absolve EA of its fundamental challenges.

Monday's upbeat data point concerns the G-7, which agreed over the weekend to maintain economic stimulus measures, even as institutional investors (among others) start clamoring for nations to address large budget deficits.

Meeting amid the frozen tundra of Iqaluit, Canada (as opposed to the almost equally frozen tundra of Washington, D.C.), Canada's Finance Minister Jim Flaherty said G-7 ministers "are mutually committed" to continuing stimulus, and will start looking at exit strategies after regional economies are on a sustainable growth track, Bloomberg News reported Monday.

I love the media sector, so Tuesday, February 9, will be an exciting day for me. After the market finishes its trading activities, we'll get reports from two entertainment companies: one's a big player in Hollywood, while the other would like to be just as big someday.

Let's start with the big gun. The Walt Disney Corporation (DIS) has first-quarter numbers all set to go, and investors are hoping for an unambiguous beat on the bottom line. The call is for net income to fall somewhere around 39 cents per share, according to Earnings.com. Kind of lousy, considering the Mouse made 41 cents per share in last year's Q1.

There's been some comparison in the popular press between Greece's serious fiscal condition, and the State of California's. Well, while both are running budget deficits, the similarities stop there.

Greece's fiscal situation is far more serious. Greece's budget deficit as a percent of GDP is roughly 12.7%. California's is about 7%, based on the state's 2008 GDP.

The stock market tried to make a comeback several times today, but the indexes closed down sharply on the day. We did not even have Washington D.C. open to bash the financial markets, but we had continued concern that banks were ceasing to trade with some emerging market banks that are in the nations of the PIIGS (Portugal, Italy, Ireland, Greece and Spain).

Here were today's closing bell levels:

Dow 9,908.39 -103.84 (-1.04%)
S&P 500 1,056.75 -9.44 (-0.89%)
Nasdaq 2,126.05 -15.07 (-0.70%)

Top Day Trader Alerts
Top Analyst Upgrades/Downgrades

We all knew News Corp.'s (NWS) Avatar would cede the top spot to some film someday. To be honest, I didn't think Sony's (SNE) Dear John would be the one to do it.

According to Box Office Mojo, John grossed roughly $32 million at domestic theaters. That was more than enough to put the sci-fi flick in second place. However, no one should feel sad for News Corp.; Avatar's worldwide haul now stands at over $2.2 billion.

Google (GOOG) has generated most of its income from the Ad Words program. When using it, you choose a group of words that you think will come up in an online search. You agree to pay from 1 cent upwards each time your words are clicked upon. Google uses a bidding war technique with its Ad Words program. The highest bidder per word gets to place its website on the top ten of a search page. That program has been fantastic for Google.

At the same time Yahoo (YHOO) has taken a different road. It chose to offer display ads on search pages. The ads component added to its revenue stream in 2009, making it number one.

It goes without saying that one sector I've liked for years has been the electric power generation sector, and within this category Northeast Utilities (NU), which I first wrote about on May 6, 2009 at a price of $21.48, is a standout.

Investors should not expect mega revenue growth or gargantuan customer gains with NU, just predictable, steady earnings growth, evenly split between the company's generating/distribution business and its transmission operation. Further, look for the company's transmission sector to play an increasing role in revenue growth, moving forward. NU serves about 1.9 million customers, primarily in Connecticut, but also in New Hampshire and Massachusetts.

Walgreens (WAG), the drug superstore chain that has found renewed competition with mass retailers Walmart (WMT) and Target (TGT), will enter the fresh food and prepared meal market in some of its stores. The reason: Walgreens wants to cater to "time starved" shoppers. This must be the type of shopper who doesn't want to slog through acres of a big-box store only to stand in a checkout line for 10 minutes, right?

The Audit Bureau of Circulations reported today that newstand circulation for magazines fell 9.1% in the second half of 2009. Overall circulation -- including subscriptions -- fell too, but newstand circulation is a better indicator of the health of the industry because it is a more timely reactor to economics changes, and many magazines have kept their circulation up with deep subscription discounting. For instance, a one-year subscription to Glamour is being offered for just $7 on Amazon.com. Interestingly, the two-year rate is $14.97, a reversal of the usual "commit to 2-years and get a lower per-issue price" deal that publishers offer. That may be a sign of optimism on the part of the industry, suggesting a belief that greater pricing power will return as the economy improves.

Hasbro (HAS - option chain) shares are rising today after the company reported earnings this morning, posting a fourth-quarter profit of $165.56 million, or $1.09 per share, on revenue of $1.38 billion. Analysts had forecast a profit of 81 cents per share on revenue of $1.34 billion. If you think that the stock won't fall by too much in the coming months, then now could be a good time to look at a bullish hedged trade on HAS.

HAS opened this morning at $33.65. So far today the stock has hit a low of $33.53 and a high of $35.19. As of 11:40, HAS is trading at $34.99 up $4.18 (13.6%). The chart for HAS looks bullish and S&P gives HAS a positive 4 STARS (out of 5) buy ranking.

I have long argued that the electric power generation sector offers investment opportunities, and within that category I've liked American Electric Power (AEP), which I first wrote about on May 4, 2009, at a price of $25.38.

AEP, with 5 million retails customers (mostly in Ohio, Virginia, Indiana, and Oklahoma), should continue to shine as a low-cost power provider. True, increased energy efficiency across the U.S. economy will be a trend for the next decade and beyond, but relatively low-cost electric power does not go out of style.

Analyst upgrades:

• Jefferies upgraded CME Group (CME) to Buy from Hold and has a $330 target on the stock. The firm believes increased regulatory concerns have created a buying opportunity and notes that CME Group's fundamentals are stable-to-improving.
• Susquehanna upgraded Priceline.com (PCLN) to Positive from Neutral and has a $230 target on the stock. The firm believes Priceline.com likely outperformed expectations in Q4.
• Citigroup upgraded AutoZone (AZO) to Buy from Hold citing an attractive valuation, favorable industry trends, and the potential for margin expansion. The firm raised its target price on shares to $188 from $176.
• Genzyme (GENZ) was raised to Sell from Conviction Sell at Goldman.
• Disney (DIS) was upgraded to Neutral from Underweight at JP Morgan.
• Exxon Mobil (XOM) was upgraded at Collins Stewart to Buy from Hold.