After testifying before a Senate committee about AIG (NYSE: AIG) last week, the Fed's Ben Bernanke participates in a Council of Foreign Relations event Monday evening.

Economic data due to be released this week include wholesale trade and job vacancies for January on Tuesday morning, the U.S. Treasury budget for February on Wednesday, retail sales for February and business inventories for January on Thursday morning, and the U.S. trade balance for January on Friday morning.

Analyst upgrades:

• Axys Tech (NASDAQ: AXYS) was upgraded to Buy from Hold at Morgan Joseph based on valuation.
  
• Elizabeth Arden (NASDAQ: RDEN) was upgraded to Buy from Hold at Wedbush on valuation and the success of the company's Viva La Juicy launch.

Analyst downgrades:

• Keefe Bruyette downgraded Greenhill & Co. (NYSE: GHL) and Evercore Partners (NYSE: EVR) to Market Perform from Outperform on valuation and lowered its estimates to reflect slower than initially expected M&A advisory transactions. Greenhill's target was lowered to $66 from $72 and Evercore's was cut to $14.50 from $16.
  
• Collins Stewart downgraded shares of Thermage (NASDAQ: THRM) to Hold from Buy following the Reliant acquisition to reflect integration and balance sheet concerns.

Analyst initiations:

• Roth Capital views American Oriental (NYSE: AOB) as a cash-rich, multi-faceted pharmaceutical company that is well equipped to handle unforeseen changes in China's Health care market. Shares were initiated with a Buy rating and $10 target.
  
• Jesup & Lamont believes Bristow Group (NYSE: BRS) is well positioned in current downturn as the majority of its business is in production platforms and drilling rigs. The firm started shares with a Buy rating and $37 target.
  
• Barrington initiated BWAY Holding (NYSE: BWY) with an Outperform rating and $9 target. The firm believes the company is an early cycle business that should benefit from cost reduction activity.
• Grand Canyon (NASDAQ: LOPE) was assumed with a Buy rating and $21 target at Piper Jaffray.

I am the Global Editor at MoneyShow.com and each week I interview an investing expert. This week, I spoke with Vahan Janjigian, editor of Forbes Growth Investor, who discusses how the economic crisis affects his strategy and mentions some good international growth stocks.

Q. Vahan, although you primarily recommend US equities, your newsletter also includes a few international picks, such as American Oriental Bioengineering (NYSE: AOB) and Embraer (NYSE: ERJ). What factors made you choose these companies?

A. I do recommend foreign companies from time to time in the Forbes Growth Investor, but only if they trade on US exchanges and only if they show up at the top of my screens. I rely on a quantitative model that screens stocks based on the probability of out-performance over the next six to 18 months. I like AOB because it sells traditional Chinese plant-based pharmaceuticals in China. Demand is very strong for these natural products in that country. I like ERJ because it gives us exposure to Brazil, which has one the fastest growing economies in Latin America.

Q. Several of your recommendations are US-based multinationals, such as RPM (NYSE: RPM) and Amdocs (NYSE: DOX), both of whom do significant business around the world. How important was their international exposure to your selection, and why?

A: International exposure is not something I normally focus on. Besides, these days most mid- to large-sized companies have at least some international exposure. Because the global economic outlook is so uncertain at this time, I felt more comfortable with companies that have a diversified revenue stream.

American Oriental Bioengineering (NYSE: AOB) manufactures a broad range of prescription pharmaceutical, over-the-counter pharmaceutical and nutraceutical products for the Chinese market, operating from 30 locations in the Peoples Republic. Offerings include treatments for the flu, upper respiratory infections, tonsillitis, incontinence, endometritis, annexitis, PMS and sinus congestion. The firm sells to some 100,000 retail stores, pharmacies, hospitals and independent distributors.

American Oriental surprised the Street earlier in the month, when it reported Q1 EPS of 12 cents and revenues of $38.8 million. Analysts had been looking for 12 cents and $37.9 million. Management also guided FY08 revenues to at least $245.0 million, versus consensus of $227.64 million. The CEO cited synergies from recent acquisitions in support of the optimistic view.

MOST NOTEWORTHY: AeroVironment, American Oriental and Intel were today's noteworthy initiations:

• Suntrust initiated AeroVironment (NASDAQ: AVAV) with a Buy rating and $32 target and expects AVAV's market leadership in unmanned aerial systems and increased effort in the high altitude to drive strong organic growth.
• Jefferies believes American Oriental (NYSE: AOB) is capable of making sizable acquisitions given its strong cash position and finds the valuation attractive at current levels. The firm started shares with a Buy rating and $20 target.
• Intel (NASDAQ: INTC) was initiated with a Neutral rating and $30 target at Baird on valuation.

OTHER INITIATIONS:

• Equinix (NASDAQ: EQIX) was initiated with a Market Perform rating at Wachovia.
• Goldman started Quest Diagnostics (NASDAQ: DGX) with a Sell rating and $55 target, LabCorp (NASDAQ: LH) with a Neutral rating and $77 target and Pinnacle Entertainment (NASDAQ: PNK) with a Buy rating and $35 target.

Just call it the last equity blast before summer. Wall Street's equity market offers a full schedule this week, as lead managers and companies attempt to capture as much buy-side demand as possible a week before the shorter 4th of July week, which is traditionally the start of a lighter syndicate period on Wall Street.

All told, 11 IPOs and 8 Secondaries are on the docket. Those deals tentatively scheduled to price include:

IPOs:

Tuesday

• GSC Acquistion (GGA), a 15M-share IPO for this business financing company. Ladenburg, Thalman & Co. and I-Bankers Securities are the lead managers. Filing price: $10.00.
• Spectra Energy Partners LP (SEP), a 10M-share IPO for this natural gas MLP. Citigroup and Lehman Brothers are the lead managers. Filing range: $19.00-$21.00.