Today was one of those market days where you just felt like the stock market was headed lower no matter what. A report from the World Bank showing lower recovery is expected in 2009 and in 2010 did not help. It took the sails out of the commodity sector and therefore out of stocks.

With little economic data to center on, traders just continued the momentum of selling to take profits. We are also seeing a reversal here where now the market needs great news to rally.

Here are today's closing bell levels:

Dow 8,339.01 -200.72 (-2.35%)
S&P 500 893.04 -28.19 (-3.06%)
Nasdaq 1,766.19 -61.28 (-3.35%)

Top 10 Analyst Calls

Microsoft Corporation's (NASDAQ: MSFT) personal finance tracking program MS Money (not to be confused with msmoney.com) has been futilely chasing Intuit's (NASDAQ: INTU) Quicken since the early days of Windows. Apparently, the company has finally taken note of all the red on its financials and is mercifully pulling the plug on the program.

According to CNet's Ina Fried, Microsoft will put the program down tomorrow. It is currently only distributed online, and the company will discontinue updating it for current users after January of 2011.

I don't expect much wailing and gnashing of teeth from those savvy enough to track their finances with a computer program. Quicken has proven a reliable program so widely adopted that it serves as a template for other, similar programs.

Today was one of those days where the overall market direction never felt entrenched nor felt certain. The news of ten banks getting to pay back TARP funds created mixed reactions, as the news was expected. Positive guidance from a chip leader may have kept the wheels on the cart for technology stocks. Oil also spent much of the day flirting with the $70 per barrel mark.

With the swings we are seeing from positive to negative, it is just further evidence that there is a battleground between bulls and bears forming. So far the bulls are managing to keep the high ground. Here are today's unofficial closing bell levels:

DJIA
S&P500
NASDAQ

Top Analyst Upgrades
Top Analyst Downgrades

Analyst upgrades:

• Keefe Bruyette upgraded American Capital (NASDAQ: AGNC) to Outperform from Market Perform on expectations the company's book value and earnings are trending higher. The firm raised its target price to $22.
• Jefferies upgraded Spartan Stores (NASDAQ: SPTN) to Buy from Hold as it believes the company's EPS and sales momentum will return with the Michigan economy likely bottoming out. Despite upgrading, the firm lowered its target price to $18 from $24.
• Morgan Stanley upgraded U.S. Steel (X) to Overweight from Equal Weight due to its favorable product mix and leverage to improving operating rates.
• CSX Corp. (NYSE: CSX) was upgraded to Buy from Neutral at Goldman.
• Mueller Water (NYSE: MWA) was raised to Perform from Underperform at Oppenheimer.
• Marvell Technology (NASDAQ: MRVL) was upgraded to Outperform from Underperform at JMP Securities.

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

• American Eagle Outfitters Inc. (NYSE: AEO) reported better-than-expected Q1 earnings, lifting shares.
• AutoZone Inc. (NYSE: AZO) posted a better-than-expected Q3 profit said it will continue to buy back shares.
• Bank of Montreal (NYSE: BMO) reported lower Q2 earnings and also announced 1,100 layoffs.
• Big Lots Inc. (NYSE: BIG) higher Q1 earnings topped estimates even though same-store sales fell.
• BioMed Realty Trust Inc. (NYSE: BMR) earnings prospects after the recent capital raise led to a downgrade.

Marvell Technology Group (NASDAQ: MRVL) late Thursday announced first-quarter earnings, excluding items, of a nickel per share, matching the Street's expectations. A year ago, the chipmaker earned 24 cents per share. Quarterly revenue fell 34% to $521.4 million, far short of last year's $804.8 million but better than the consensus estimate.

Unfortunately for Marvell, the revenue expectations on the Street were actually higher, calling for "anywhere from $530 to $540 million," which is "why, when revenue came in at $520 million, although it was better than guidance, it was below the whisper expectations," Barclay's Capital analyst Romit Shah explained.

After the market closes this afternoon, Marvell Technology (NASDAQ: MRVL) will report its fourth-quarter earnings. The tech firm is expected to report earnings of a penny per share on revenue of $510.9 million. However, the company pre-reported earnings on January 22, announcing negative fourth-quarter results -- forecasting revenue of $500 million to $520 million, well short of its earlier-forecast range of $690 million to $730 million.

According to SeekingAlpha, MRVL is blaming the sour earnings forecast on the "macro-economic environment." The article continues, covering Credit Suisse's beliefs for the report -- which forecast the company matching the pre-announcement figures.

If you can believe it, finally a rally. The death of consumer confidence was trumped by a piece of Ben Bernanke testimony which took away at least an immediate rush into nationalism off the table. It has been a while since the Fed Head has run the market, and the comments were finite enough and open enough that you'd think he bought stocks. This led most of the financials higher, but it was still more in selective names. Here are today's unofficial closing bell levels:

Dow 7,350.86 +236.08 (3.32%)
S&P 500 773.05 +29.72 (4.00%)
Nasdaq 1,441.83 +54.11 (3.90%)

Top Analyst Upgrades & Downgrades

Analyst upgrades:

• UBS upgraded STMicroelectronics (NYSE: STM) to Neutral from Sell and Advanced Semiconductor (NYSE: ASX) to Buy from Neutral as it is seeing early signs of stabilization in the semiconductor industry.
  
• Jefferies upgraded VCA Antech (NASDAQ: WOOF) to Hold from Underperform as it does not see significant downside in the stock given the low expectations. It raised its target price to $22 from $15.
  
• Baird upgraded Sigma Designs (NASDAQ: SIGM) to Outperform from Neutral and raised its target to $16 from $9 as it expects revenue growth to resume in 2009 driven by IPTV end-demand.
• Goldman removed Dell (NASDAQ: DELL) from the Conviction Sell List.
  
• Portfolio Recovery (NASDAQ: PRAA) was raised to Market Perform from Underperform at Keefe Bruyette.
  
• Post Properties (NYSE: PPS) was upgraded at Deutsche Bank to Hold from Sell.

Analyst upgrades:

• Citigroup upgraded shares of Akamai (NASDAQ: AKAM) to Buy from Hold following the company's Q4 results as they believe fundamentals are stabilizing. The firm raised their target price to $22 from $12.
  
• Baird upgraded Theravance (NASDAQ: THRX) to Outperform from Neutral. The firm said the company looks poised to realize the two-product success necessary to drive profitability, and Horizon will likely play a role in succeeding $7B+ Advair. Note that last night Theravance/Glaxo (GSK) reported positive results for Horizon.
  
• RBC Capital said Aeterna Zentaris (NASDAQ: AEZS) is on the cusp of a Cetrorelix deal and has turned more positive on shares. Shares were upgraded to Outperform from Sector Perform.
  
• Marvell Tech (NASDAQ: MRVL) was upgraded to Buy from Neutral at Goldman and added to the firm's Conviction Buy List.
  
• Sangamo BioSciences (NASDAQ: SGMO) was raised to Buy from Neutral at Merriman.
  
• Arthur J. Gallagher (NYSE: AJG) was upgraded at Piper Jaffray to Buy from Neutral.

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

• Aeropostale Inc. (NYSE: ARO) strong Q3 results beat estimates despite the dismal retail environment.
• Alpha Natural Resources Inc. (NYSE: ANR) lowered its full-year forecast due to lower demand for coal.
• America's Car-Mart Inc. (NASDAQ: CRMT) reported higher Q2 earnings and higher same-store sales.
• Beazer Homes USA Inc. (NYSE: BZH) losses in Q4 more than tripled as revenue declined.
• Collective Brands Inc. (NYSE: PSS) Q3 profits were in line with estimates, enough to send shares higher.
• General Electric Co. (NYSE: GE) cut its Q4 earnings forecast, which now falls in line with estimates.
• Goldman Sachs Group Inc. (NYSE: GS) warned that it may see its first quarterly loss ever in Q4.
• Guess? Inc. (NYSE: GES) strong Q3 results beat estimates but offered a conservative outlook.
• Infineon Technologies AG (NYSE: IFX) posted a wider Q4 loss on restructuring and warned of further losses.
• Johnson & Johnson (NYSE: JNJ) 2009 earnings are expected to be diluted by an acquisition.
• Marvell Technology Group Ltd. (NASDAQ: MRVL) reported strong Q3 numbers, sending shares higher.
• Medicis Pharmaceutical Corp. (NYSE: MRX) earnings prospects after a settlement led to an analyst's upgrade.
• Merck & Co. Inc. (NYSE: MRK) lowered its 2009 earnings guidance below analysts' expectations.
• Palm Inc. (NASDAQ: PALM) said that it expects Q2 revenues to come in below analysts' estimates.

If you were watching the market today, it really felt like a mixed bag despite the rally and sell-off. The Fed's Beige Book said that all sectors showed weakness with weakening across the board. Rumors that Hank Paulson might ask Congress to approve a second wave of TARP funds failed to generate any hard interest today.

Here are today's unofficial closing bell levels:
Top Analyst Upgrades
Top Analyst Downgrades

Constellation Energy Group, Inc. (NYSE: CEG) traded up on reports that the state-controlled utility group Electricite de France SA in France is rivaling a Warren Buffett bid for the nuclear assets. The bid is $4.5 billion for 50% of the nuclear assets. Unfortunately, the gains here faded throughout the day.

Marvell Technology Group's (NASDAQ: MRVL) Q3 earnings report had some great numbers that made me want to consider the stock as a potential buy. However, some things about the long-term price action of the company's shares makes me want to avoid the stock altogether.

The bottom line for the storage and networking tech company increased 64% to $0.23 per diluted share; this number beat estimates by three pennies. Pretty cool, right? Here are a couple more positives: operational cash flow increased 41% on a sequential basis compared to Q2 of this year, and free cash flow increased 47% on the same basis. On a year-over-year basis, operational cash flow increased more than ten times, leading to a huge increase in free cash flow. And non-GAAP gross margin, while not seeing an increase, saw fit to at least remain flat instead of decreasing. Not bad. Marvell's shares traded 8% higher in premarket action.

Here's the deal, though. I'm not sure I'd want to buy Marvell at this point in the dreadful economic cycle. Going back to the long-term price action, there's no escaping the significant decline in the stock price as a result of potential future weakness in its business. For example, recently, Melly Alazraki wrote about Apple's (NASDAQ: AAPL) iPhone and how sales of that device might be affected by the recession. Marvell is a supplier to the iPhone.

With the stock in single-digit territory, and with the global markets acting horribly, I just can't see buying Marvell. Indeed, I enjoyed the earnings report. But one must consider the company is unsure about demand for the stuff it sells going forward. Maybe Marvell might make a trade or something, but I'm not ready to go long-term on it just yet.

Disclosure: I don't own any company mentioned; positions can change at any time.

General Motors Corp. (NYSE: GM), Ford Motor Co. (NYSE: F) and Chrysler appealed to Congress for a bailout Tuesday. GM said it wouldn't last till New Year's without an immediate $4 billion and is asking for as much as $18 billion to keep afloat and survive. Together they asked for $34 billion. Meanwhile, November auto sales plunged 37% with Ford's U.S. sales declining 31%, GM's falling 41% and Chrysler LLC's dropping 47%. Overseas rivals didn't do better. GM shares traded 5.2% lower and F's 1.9% higher in pre-market (7:51 and 7:55 am respectively).

Research In Motion Ltd. (NASDAQ: RIMM) lowered its financial earnings per share, revenue and new subscriber accounts guidance for its third-quarter, saying it has added fewer new subscribers than expected as the economy slowed. This news will likely have an effect on Apple Inc. (NASDAQ: AAPL) as well. RIMM shares already hit a low Tuesday following an estimate cut from JPMorgan. RIMM shares traded 5.6% lower in premarket action (7:58 am). AAPL shares were down 2% in premarket trade (8:09 am).

Bank of America (NYSE: BAC) could end up cutting 30,000 jobs as it absorbs Merrill Lynch (NYSE: MER), three times as many as previously estimated, sources told CNBC, as BAC's CEO is trying to increase cost cuts. The majority of the layoffs are likely to come from Merrill's side of the business. BAC shares were 3% lower in premarket trade (7:59 am).

Constellation Energy Group Inc. (NYSE: CEG) finds itself in the midst of a bidding war as Electricite de France SA, the world's biggest operator of atomic reactors and which owns 9.5%, offered to pay $4.5 billion for half of CEG's nuclear business to expand in the U.S. CEG agreed earlier this year to be bought by Warren Buffett's Berkshire Hathaway Inc.'s MidAmerican Energy Holdings Co. for $4.7 billion. CEG shares gained over 25% in premarket trading (8:00 am).

U.S. stock futures were higher Tuesday morning at the start of the election day. Overseas, markets also edged higher ahead of the U.S. presidential election, while oil prices declined further to below $64 a barrel. While it is uncertain yet if any of the candidates would help boost sentiments and the markets as the economy is distressed either way, some analysts say much of the bad news around the economy and corporate profits are already priced into stocks. September factory orders will be released today.

General Electric Co. (NYSE: GE)'s arm GE Capital may be able to get some help from the Treasury. The Wall Street Journal reported its sources say the Treasury has been considering using more of its $700 billion rescue fund to buy stakes in a broad range of financial companies, not just banks and insurers. Apparently, initial signs show the program has been a success, and therefore might be expanded. CIT Group Inc. (NYSE: CIT) was cited as another candidate for help. GE shares are up 2.6% in premarket trading,

MasterCard Inc. (NYSE: MA) shares soared over 8% in after-hours trade Monday after the credit card processor has posted better-than-expected profit (after charges) boosted by revenue growth. It has also adjusted profit better than forecast. MasterCard, however, took a charge of $515 million for settling a lawsuit with Discover Financial Services (NYSE: DFS), making its net loss $194 million.

Viacom Inc. (NYSE: VIA) earnings, however, dropped 37% year over year, but adjusted earnings were inline with expectations.