Analyst upgrades:

• Keefe Bruyette upgraded Goldman Sachs (GS) to Outperform from Market Perform with a $190 price target following the company's Q2 results. The firm believes the company's settlement with the SEC removes an overhang on shares.
• Stifel Nicolaus upgraded Health Care REIT (HCN) to Buy from Hold based on valuation and added shares to the Stifel REIT Income List. The firm has a $47 target on the stock.
• FBR Capital upgraded Annaly Capital (NLY) to Outperform from Market Perform citing the company's surprise dividend increase. The firm has a $20 target on the stock.
• Devon Energy (DVN) was upgraded to Overweight from Equal Weight at Barclays.
• Overseas Shipholding (OSG) was upgraded to Overweight from Underweight at JP Morgan.
• Cintas (CTAS) was upgraded to Neutral from Underperform at Baird.

Here are some highlights from this past week's earnings coverage on BloggingStocks:

• Alcatel-Lucent (ALU) received an analyst's downgrade following its disappointing earnings report and guidance.
• Chicago Bridge & Iron Co. (CBI) improved earnings prospects prompted one analyst to upgrade the stock.
• Cintas Corp. (CTAS) lower Q3 earnings topped analysts' expectations, and it reiterated its Q4 earnings guidance.
• CRA International Inc. (CRAI) received an analyst's downgrade following its earnings results for Q1.
• Discover Financial Services (DFS) reported a net loss for Q1 due to a needed boost to its loan loss reserves.

After the closing bell Thursday, Cincinnati-based Cintas (CTAS) announced that its third-quarter net income dropped to 32 cents per share from 47 cents per share a year ago.

The firm blamed the drop on weak demand for work uniforms, which Cintas produces. Quarterly revenue totaled $861.8 million, down 5.2% from the prior year. Expectations called for Cintas to earn 30 cents per share. Looking ahead, the company reiterated its fourth-quarter earnings outlook of 30 to 34 cents per share.

Here are a few highlights from this past week's earnings coverage on BloggingStocks:

• Cintas Corp. (CTAS) received an analyst's downgrade following its Q2 earnings report.
• ConAgra Foods Inc. (CAG) shares spiked after it posted better-than-expected Q2 earnings.
• Finish Line Inc. (FINL) posted surprise Q3 earnings, ending a streak of quarterly losses.
• Giga Media Ltd. (GIGM) was downgraded due to its disappointing Q2 report and lack of visibility.

U.S. stock futures advanced Wednesday morning, as investors await more key economic data today, including reports on income and home sales. Global markets, too, were strong ahead of the data as Wall Street prepares for the fourth consecutive up session. However, with light volumes, as they are expected to be today, volatility may be the issue.

On Tuesday, stocks rallied following a positive report on the housing and the encouraging final revision of third-quarter GDP. The Dow and S&P 500 nearly reached new 14-months highs. The positive sentiment on the economy is likely to continue today as the data is released.

U.S. stock futures were higher today, indicating a possible positive start on Wall Street after the Federal Reserve, in a coordinated effort with other central banks acted to calm the markets, injecting $180 billion in to money markets. Also in focus are WaMu and Morgan Stanley, both are said to be on the block. Weekly initial jobless claims will be announced an hour before the market opens, and could sway sentiment in the face of the deteriorating employment picture. The Philly Fed survey for September and August leading indicators are also on tap.

The New York Times reported that according to its sources,Morgan Stanley (NYSE: MS) is considering a merger with Wachovia (NYSE: WB). Morgan Stanley is considering other options as well, but so far all talks are preliminary and no deal may emerge. According to CNBC, Chinese bank Citic is also in talks with Morgan Stanley. If a deal goes through, it would leave Goldman Sachs (NYSE: GS) as the last one of the large independent brokers. MS shares are up 4% in pre-market trade, WB's up 10%.

Another option for Morgan Stanley reported by CNBC is sale of a minority stake to China's sovereign wealth fund, China Investment Corporation(CIC), which already owns 9.9% of Morgan.

The New York Times also reported Wednesday that according to their sources, Washington Mutual (NYSE: WM) has also begun exploring a sale in the event that it cannot find some other way to raise additional capital. Washington Mutual has hired Goldman Sachs to assess its options, which could include Wells Fargo (NYSE: WFC), JP Morgan Chase (NYSE: JPM) and HSBC (NYSE: HBC). According to Bloomberg, Citigroup Inc (NYSE: C) and Bank of America Corp (NYSE: BAC) have also expressed interest. WaMu shares are up 14% in pre-market trade. In general, all finanacial are up in pre-market over 2% and higher.

MOST NOTEWORTHY: Teva Pharmaceutical, Blue Coat Systems and American International Group were today's noteworthy upgrades:

• Deutsche Bank upgraded shares of Teva Pharmaceutical (NASDAQ: TEVA) to Buy from Hold to reflect the company's greater growth prospects following the acquisition of Barr (NYSE: BRL). The firm raised the target to $56 from $47.
  
• ThinkPanmure upgraded Blue Coat Systems (NASDAQ: BCSI) to Buy from Source of Funds based on the company's growth prospects following positive channel checks.
  
• American International Group (NYSE: AIG) was raised to Buy from Neutral at Banc of America on valuation, as they find the risk/reward attractive at current levels.

OTHER UPGRADES:

• Goldman upgraded the Semiconductor Production Equipment sector to Neutral from Cautious and added Verigy (NASDAQ: VRGY) to its Conviction Buy List.
  
• Morgan Stanley upgraded Whole Foods (NASDAQ: WFMI) and Cintas (NASDAQ: CTAS) to Equal Weight from Underweight.
  
• Gibraltar Industries (NASDAQ: ROCK) was raised to Buy from Neutral at Piper.

Here are some highlights from this past week's earnings coverage from BloggingStocks:

• Activision Blizzard Inc. (NASDAQ: ATVID) sees strong Q1 results driven by Guitar Hero.
• Allegheny Technologies Inc. (NYSE: ATI) raised its Q2 earnings guidance ahead of its report.
• Cintas Corp. (NASDAQ: CTAS) strong Q4 and full-year results included a record quarterly revenue.
• Citigroup (NYSE: C) posted better-than-expected results despite a big loss on further write-downs.
• eBay Inc. (NASDAQ: EBAY) reported better-than-expected results and offered a soft outlook (see transcript).
• Fastenal Co. (NASDAQ: FAST) posted strong Q2 earnings despite the housing slump but lower revenues.
• Grainger Inc. (NYSE: GWW) posted strong Q2 results on expansion in Mexico and China.
• Harley-Davidson Inc. (NYSE: HOG) beat Q2 expectations despite profit and revenue declines.
• International Business Machines Corp. (NYSE: IBM) easily topped Wall Street earnings expectations.
• Johnson & Johnson (NYSE: JNJ) beat Q2 estimates and raised its full-year forecast (see transcript).
• Kimberly-Clark Corp. (NYSE: KMB) warned of lower Q2 earnings due to energy and distribution costs.
• Merrill Lynch & Co. (NYSE: MER) reported worse-than-expected Q2 results on further write downs.
• Microsoft Corp. (NASDAQ: MSFT) earnings surged but investors were put off by its full-year guidance.
• Procter & Gamble Co. (NYSE: PG) reaffirmed its guidance following the Kimberly-Clark warnings.
• United Technologies Corp. (NYSE: UTX) beat Q2 estimates, lifting shares from a recent 52-week low.
• ValueClick Inc. (NASDAQ: VCLK) posted weak results and warned about the second half of the year.

For more highlights from this week, see: Google, Intel, JPMorgan, Coca-Cola, Nokia and others

The earnings crunch continues next week. Among companies scheduled to report are Apple (NASDAQ: AAPL), Bank of America (NYSE: BAC), Merck (NYSE: MRK), Texas Intruments (NYSE: TXN), Caterpillar (NYSE: CAT), Halliburton (NYSE: HAL), United Parcel Service (NYSE: UPS), Wachovia (NYSE: WB), Yahoo! (NASDAQ: YHOO), Amazon (NASDAQ: AMZN), Anheuser-Busch (NYSE: BUD), AT&T Inc. (NYSE: T), McDonald's (NYSE: MCD), PepsiCo (NYSE: PEP), Pfizer (NYSE: PFE), Boeing (NYSE: BA), Hershey (NYSE: HSY), and Southwest Airlines (NYSE: LUV).

Visit AOL Money & Finance for more earnings coverage.

Both 4Q and FY 2008 numbers from Cintas Corporation (NASDAQ: CTAS) were uniformly good. For the first time in company history, Cintas booked more than $1 billion in revenue for a single quarter. FY2008 revenue totaled $3.9 billion, up 6%. 4Q net income hit $90 million, $355 million for the year. Diluted EPS totaled $0.58 for 4Q and $2.15 for the year. Cintas had its best quarter for the year while the economy slowed the most. Good job.

All operating divisions recorded profits for FY2008, and the company completed its 39th straight year of growth in revenues and earnings. Cintas generated free cash flow at 9% of revenue or $354 million, which it used in part to repurchase $191 million worth of company stock.

Cintas manufactures uniforms, company apparel, restroom supplies and commercial fire and safety products. Nothing fancy, but all items necessary to run any type of business. The stock currently trades at $26.77, near its 52- week low of $25.15.

MOST NOTEWORTHY: National Semi, Cintas and J.C. Penney were today's noteworthy upgrades:

• JMP Securities upgraded National Semi (NYSE:NSM) to Outperform from Market Perform citing strong Q2 results, as they expect growth to continue driven by continued success in high-end analog and power management products.
  
• Baird raised its rating on Cintas (NASDAQ:CTAS) to Outperform from Market Perform based on analysis that indicates the cyclical inflection point in the sector's stocks is near with U.S. employment growth is likely to bottom within 6-12 months and expectations that the Project One Team initiative is poised to surprise in early 2008.
  
• Lehman upgraded shares of J.C. Penney (NYSE:JCP) to Overweight from Equal Weight, as they believe the company is well-positioned to gain market share in the current environment.

OTHER UPGRADES:

• Royal Bank of Scotland (RBS) was upgraded to Overweight from Neutral at HSBC.
  
• Goldman raised CA, Inc (CA) to Buy from Neutral.
  
• Jefferies upgraded SunPower (SPWR) to Buy from Hold.

The Associated Press reports that UAL Corporation (NYSE: UAUA)'s United Airlines and Delta Air Lines (NYSE: DAL) are in discussions about a merger. The firms would take United's Chicago headquarters and its name. One possible scenario involves Delta CEO Richard Anderson being the chief of the combined airline.

Why merge? Pardus Capital Management LP, a hedge fund, owns 7 million Delta shares and 5.6 million shares of United. Pardus pushed Delta to merge with UAL. It argued that it was "imperative" that the company merge with another airline in view of soaring fuel prices and what it described as the increased risks of going it alone. Pardus believes that "consolidation is needed to de-risk the industry, and time is of the essence as now is the right regulatory environment."

If Pardus is right, it seems to me that it must be forecasting that Hillary Clinton will be the next president. That's because Pardus believes that the regulatory environment for airline consolidation will deteriorate under the next president -- and I wouldn't be surprised if it thought mergers would be viewed more favorably under a Republican than a Democrat.

Corporate apparel and uniform provider Cintas Corporation (NASDAQ: CTAS) recently released both 4Q 2007 and FY 2007 figures. Overall the news is positive, but there are some complicating factors investors need to be aware of before investing in this stock. FY 2007 revenue growth increased 9% to $3.7 billion despite the fact that Cintas' reorganization of its global sales force has taken much longer than predicted, cost more, and resulted thus far in below anticipated gains. Recent press releases do not address this important issue, other than to say that the reorganization is proceeding and will pay off down the line. Net income for FY 2007 was up 3.4% to $334.5 million, and FY EPS increased the same amount as revenues, 9%, to $2.09 diluted.

The fact remains, however, that 4Q 2007 was rough for Cintas. Revenue for the quarter increased 6.2% to $964 million. EPS diluted increased only half as much, 3.6% to 57 cents. Net income was up, barely, by 1.3%, but interest costs and debt levels also increased due to acquisitions and stock buybacks. Cintas has a handle on cost control. Administrative expenses increased slightly due to higher medical insurance costs, but the company still showed a slight decline in net income as a percent of revenue in 2007 compared to 2006. The stock has lost almost 10% of its value since it opened at $40.43 at the beginning of the year. The stock closed yesterday at $37.41. Its P/E of 17.90 is significantly below industry average of 25.11, and CEO Scott Farmer predicts Cintas will grow its customer base from its current level of 800,000. Farmer remains optimistic that FY 2008 revenues will be in the $3.9-$4.1 billion range, and EPS diluted will be in the $2.15-$2.25 range. The stock currently pays a 39-cent dividend.

After false starts in merchandising categories like higher-end women's fashions, Wal-Mart (NYSE: WMT) may have hit on a new product segment that is a real winner for the world's largest retailer.

Consumer electronics. According to (subscription required) an analyst at Bear Stearns "Wal-Mart's sales of electronics will increase at a rate of at least 10% to 12% this year." The big company's aggressive move into the market is seen as hurting Best Buy (NYSE: BBY) and Circuit City (NYSE: CC).

According to The Wall Street Journal, Wal-Mart has been able to add Toshiba and Dell (NASDAQ: DELL) computers, Verizon Wireless products, and Apple (NASDAQ: AAPL) iPods to the list of electronics that it markets.

But, there is one flaw in Wal-Mart's pitch. The stores are still likely to be considered down-scale by many US consumers.

One of the advantages of going to a Best Buy is that almost all of the products are higher-end electronics. The stores are staffed by trained specialists who have a fairly wide knowledge of the products that the retailer is selling.

At Wal-Mart consumers have to make their way past groceries, cheap clothes, and the gun and ammo department to get to the TVs and computers. There are a lot of people who may be put off with that.

Would you like some shot gun shells with that wide screen TV?

Douglas A. McIntyre is a partner at 24/7 Wall St.

MOST NOTEWORTHY: Labopharm (DDSS), Dell (DELL) and Nasdaq (NDAQ) were today's noteworthy downgrades:

• Labopharm Inc. (NASDAQ: DDSS) was downgraded to Neutral from Buy at Merrill Lynch and to Market Perform from Outperform at Leerink Swann after the 2nd approval letter from the FDA said Tramadol did not show efficacy. CIBC World Markets downgraded shares of Labopharm to Sector Performer from Outperformer and at Canaccord Adams to Sell from Hold.
• Dell Inc. (NASDAQ: DELL) was downgraded to Neutral from Buy at Merrill Lynch, which recommended investors take profits following the strong earnings reports. The firm does not believe the drivers behind the earnings upside are sustainable. Dell was also downgraded at Morgan Stanley, to Equal Weight from Overweight, based on valuation.
• The Nasdaq Stock Market, Inc. (NASDAQ: NDAQ) was downgraded to Equal Weight from Overweight at Lehman, as the firm believes the stock is range-bound for the next several months following the OMX acquisition announcement.

OTHER DOWNGRADES:

• Robert W Baird downgraded shares of DiamondRock Co. (NYSE: DRH) and Chesapeake Utilities Corp. (NYSE: CPK) to Neutral from Outperform on valuation.
• Bear Stearns downgraded shares of Emmis Communications Corp. (NASDAQ: EMMS) to Underperform from Peer Perform, as the firm does not believe the CEO will make another bid to take the company private.
• Matrix USA downgraded shares of Jabil Circuit Inc. (NYSE: JBL) to Hold from Buy.
• Morgan Stanley downgraded shares of Cintas Corp. (NASDAQ: CTAS) Underweight from Equal Weight, citing growth concerns, and downgraded shares of Virgin Media Inc. (NASDAQ: VMED) to Equal Weight from Overweight, citing higher customer churn and weaker pricing power.
• Goldman Sachs downgraded shares of RadioShack Corp. (NYSE: RSH) to Neutral from Buy.

Analyst summaries provided by TheFlyOnTheWall.com (subscription required).

MORE NOTEWORTHY: The aluminum sector, National City Corp (NCC), MGM Mirage (MGM) and Domtar Corp (UFS) were some of today's notable downgrades:

• Prudential downgraded the aluminum industry to Unfavorable from Favorable, cutting cut Alcoa Inc (NYSE: AA) to Neutral from Overweight and Alcan Inc (NYSE: AL) to Underweight from Overweight. Prudential cited the increased Chinese output growth and slowing U.S. demand for aluminum for the downgrades.

• Keefe Bruyette cut National City Corp (NASDAQ: NCC) to Underperform from Market Perform based on higher credit costs and near-term capital requirements.

• MGM Mirage (NYSE: MGM) was downgraded to Sell from Hold at Matrix USA citing valuation.

• Citigroup cut Domtar Corp (NYSE: UFS) to Sell from Hold with a $9 target based on valuation.

OTHER DOWNGRADES:

• Dow Chemical Co (NYSE: DOW) was removed from Credit Suisse's U.S. Focus List.

• Prudential cut Dean Foods Co (NYSE: DF) to Neutral from Buy based on valuation and volatile short-term raw milk prices.
  

• Barrington downgraded Cintas Corp (NASDAQ: CTAS) to Market Perform from Outperform with a $40 target based on poor Q3 earnings and lower revised guidance.

• Methanex Corp (NASDAQ: MEOH) was cut to Underperform from Market Perform at BMO Capital.

• Buffalo Wild Wings (NASDAQ: BWLD) was downgraded to Hold from Buy with a $67 target at Jefferies based on valuation.

Analyst summaries provided by TheFlyOnTheWall.com (subscription required).