FedEx (FDX) released an earnings report earlier today; for a summary of the results, see this item.

With one hour to go before the end of Thursday's session, the stock is up 4% to $88.68. Volume of shares is heavy and convincing. I should therefore jump on the bandwagon and buy, correct? Go with the flow? I don't think so. Yes, it's a pretty good move. But I might be more comfortable buying if the stock were closer to its 52-week high of $98.52. Such strength would give me pause for consideration.

Package delivery giant and economic bellwhether FedEx Corp. (FDX) reported Thursday that its third-quarter earnings fell 3% to $231 million, or 73 cents per share, due to rising fuel prices and harsh winter weather.

FedEx also warned that earnings for the current quarter and the entire year could be reduced by the ongoing unrest in the Middle East, and that it's too soon to estimate the affect of the earthquake and tsunami in Japan.

For more on the results and FedEx's forecasts for the current quarter and full year, see FedEx Earnings Slip on Higher Fuel Prices.

"It's not too often that a company lowers its guidance and the stock rises, but such is the case with FedEx (FDX)," says Geoffrey Seiler.

The editor of BullMarket.com explains, "The company cut its fiscal Q3 guidance; but given the terrible weather, which impacted a number of airports across the U.S. and Europe, and higher fuel costs, it was largely expected.

"The package delivery firm now expects to produce adjusted EPS of 70-90 cents, down from prior guidance of 95 cents to $1.15. Analysts were expecting EPS of $1.04 for the quarter.

The shares of FedEx Corp. (FDX), first discussed here on April 13, 2009, at a price of $50.98, have ascended to the stratosphere near $97. That makes the present a decent time to consider taking some profits of the table, if you're in near $51.

However, investors who can tolerate the risk can maintain their full position in FDX and go for an even bigger gain, as the company remains well-positioned for growth.

Analyst Upgrades

• FedEx (FDX) and Concur Tech (CNQR) to outperform from neutral at RW Baird.
• Hershey (HSY) to outperform from neutral at Credit Suisse.
• Open Text (OTEX) to outperform from sector perform at RBC Capital.
• Bemis (BMS) and Hudson Pacific (HPP) upgraded to buy from hold at KeyBanc.
• InterActiveCorp (IACI) to buy from neutral at BofA/Merrill.
• KB Home (KBH) to neutral from sell at Goldman.
• News Corp. (NWSA) to neutral from underperform at Cowen.

Analyst Upgrades

• Dominion (D) to buy from hold at Deutsche Bank.
• Corinthian Colleges (COCO) to outperform from underperform at RBC Capital.
• Canadian National (CNI) to sector outperformer from sector performer at CIBC.
• DragonWave (DRWI) to buy from hold at Jefferies.
• Infosys (INFY) to overweight from equal weight at Morgan Stanley.
• SL Green Realty (SLG), Lexington Realty (LXP) and Taubman Centers (TCO) to overweight from neutral at JPMorgan.
• Sunstone Hotel (SHO) to buy from neutral and Extra Space Storage (EXR) to buy from hold at KeyBanc.

Can you hear me now? Well listen closely, Verizon Communications (VZ) is going to get a bounce from the Apple Inc. (AAPL) iPhone in 2011. Nothing you don't already know. Is there a more sure thing in the coming year? Long term it will fade some, but in 2011 the pent up demand has to have a positive impact.

Communications: The telephone companies everywhere are going to have a good year. Verizon is a great stock for Roth IRA's, paying a 5.41% yield. The dilution of the iPhone market may hurt AT&T, Inc. (T) some, as VZ is helped, but it too is a good long term hold and pays an even higher yield at 5.76%.

If you want to diversify internationally there are multiple good choices and they pay even higher yields.

Stocks hit what appears to be a 2-year high on the DJIA and NASDAQ today as economists and allocation experts keep raising targets for 2011. The jobless claims data was not enough to unravel markets and Moody's issuing additional warnings on Spain and Greece failed to dash the ambitions of the bulls. Even after bond yields challenged 7-months highs briefly this morning and even after more insider trading arrests were announced, the bulls still won.

Here were today's unofficial closing bell levels:

Dow Jones 11,499.25 +41.78 (0.36%)
S&P 500 1,242.87 +7.64 (0.62%)
Nasdaq 2,637.31 +20.09 (0.77%)

Top Analyst Upgrades & Downgrades

Scanning over the news for FedEx (FDX) it seems that a decent amount of pundits would like to pin the potentially weak open on the delivery firm's weak second quarter earnings and revenue results. Let's dig into the report a bit and see if this blame is well placed.

The shipping company announced that its second-quarter profit dropped to 89 cents per share ($283 million) from last year's same-quarter earnings of $1.10 per share ($345 million). Taking charges out of the equation, FedEx earned $1.16 per share, short of the consensus estimate of $1.31 per share. Revenue came in at $9.63 billion, which is 12% better than the results from a year ago.

FedEx Corp. (FDX), the world's leading package delivery service and an ostensible bellwether of the U.S. economy, will dance its way onto the earnings stage this week. Also, with the holiday shopping season well underway, Best Buy Co. (BBY) and Discover Financial Services (DFS) are scheduled to offer up their most recent quarterly results.

Here's a closer look at what the analysts surveyed by Thomson Reuters are expecting from these three, plus a peek at the week's economic calendar.

Analyst Upgrades

• Deere (DE) to outperform from market perform at Wells Fargo.
• American Eagle (AEO) to buy from neutral at Janney Capital.
• FedEx (FDX) and Shaw (SJR) to outperform from neutral at Credit Suisse.
• Superior Energy (SPN) and Rowan Cos. (RDC) to overweight from equal weight at Barclays.
• Tesoro (TSO) to outperform from neutral at Macquarie.
• Mechel (MTL) to buy from neutral at Goldman.
• SunPower (SPWRA), LDK Solar (LDK) and First Solar (FSLR) to buy from hold at ThinkEquity.

FedEx Corp. (FDX), its summer correction over, has resumed its regularly-scheduled pattern: north.

As forecast, shares have risen to about $87 from $70 this summer, and I obviously still like the shares at this juncture. Here's why.

Delivery giant FedEx's fiscal 2011 revenue will likely jump about 10% to 12%, followed by a comparable rise in fiscal 2012. Further, the aforementioned revenue growth rates represent more than enough good news to keep institutional investors piling into FDX.

The markets decided to take a breather today. Blame the dollar, bonds, or gold all you want, but the DJIA has had a good run and the market is still over 10,800 on the DJIA. Maybe we are just seeing some profit taking.

Here were today's unofficial closing bell levels:

Dow Jones 10,835.28 -22.86 (-0.21%)
S&P 500 1,144.72 -2.98 (-0.26%)
Nasdaq 2,376.56 -3.03 (-0.13%)

Analyst Upgrades

• Soleil upgraded Baxter (BAX) to buy from hold on expectations the company will benefit from supply disruptions at privately-held plasma manufacturer Octapharma. The firm raised its price target for shares to $56 from $45.
• Deutsche Bank upgraded Dolby (DLB) to buy from hold, citing valuation following the recent underperformance of shares. The firm upped its price target to $75 from $70.
• Bernstein upgraded Alexion (ALXN) to outperform from market perform based on increased Soliris forecasts for PNH and potential in aHUS. The firm also raised its price target to $75 from $60.
• Agrium (AGU) was upgraded to buy from neutral at BofA/Merrill.
• Roche (RHHBY) was upgraded to conviction buy from neutral at Goldman.
• BMO Capital upgraded Energizer (ENR) to outperform from market perform.

Three pieces of information stood out today. The first is that one in seven people lived in poverty last year according the US Census. That is nearly 44 million people. The Census describes these people as members of four person families that make less than $22,000 a year.

Two other pieces of data that showed the economic dreams of many American is eroding were RealtyTrac reported foreclosures hit an all time high since the housing crisis began. In July the figure rose to 95,465. Also in the housing sector, Fannie Mae research reported that while a majority of Americans (67%) continue to believe that buying a home is a safe investment, this fell 16 points since 2003. The market may have gotten the impression from these pieces of news that the recession is not over.

Today's Closing Bell numbers:

Dow Jones 10,594.83 +22.10 (0.21%)
S&P 500 1,124.66 -0.41 (-0.04%)
Nasdaq 2,303.25 +1.93 (0.08%)