MAJOR PAPERS:

• The Financial Times reported that Bain Capital, The Blackstone Group LP (NYSE: BX) and General Electric Company's (NYSE: GE) NBC universal will acquire The Weather Channel properties from Landmark Communications for approximately $3.2B in a leveraged buy-out. The Weather Channel will be run separately.
• A top Goldman Sachs Group Inc (NYSE: GS) trader is defecting to GLG Partners Inc (NYSE: GLG), the UK's second-largest hedge fund. Goldman's Driss Ben-Brahim, a partner in the firm and the head of its emerging market trading business, will take over GLG's $1.2B emerging markets special situations fund, the Financial Times reported.

OTHER PAPERS:

• Take-Two Interactive Software Inc (NASDAQ: TTWO), which makes video games, will probably sign video game creator Ken Levine to a new contract. The deal would bolster Take Two's argument that its value exceeds the $25.74 per share that Electronic Arts Inc (NASDAQ: ERTS) has offered as a takeover price for the company, The New York Post believes.

WEB SITES:

• Reuters reported that Deutsche Bank AG (NYSE: DB) is the only bidder remaining for Citigroup Incorporated's (NYSE: C) German retail operations. Sources said Commerzbank AG (OTC: CRZBY) dropped out of the running on Friday.

The head of German banking giant Commerzbank (OTC: CRZBY) says that there are more rough seas ahead for the banking industry, particularly in the US. "Bankers did not adequately understand these (mortgage) investments and relied too heavily on high-grade credit ratings from agencies that helped put together the products, then rated them," Klaus-Peter Müller told The New York Times. "This ignorance of the risks extended to the top echelons of the banks."

Not a very pleasant way to talk about your peers, but probably accurate nonetheless.

Commerzbank has already admitted to $1.8 billion in subprime exposure, but Müller fears that US banks are being selective in their disclosures in the hopes that some of the problems will go away. He is also concerned that US banks used the opinions of ratings agencies to make investment decisions instead of doing their own risk management.

In general, Müller is probably right. If his hint about US banks being slow in disclosing problems is true, he may feel that there is another shoe to drop in the form of more big write-offs before the end of the year.

That would put much more pressure on banking stocks.

Douglas A. McIntyre is an editor at 247wallst.com.

MOST NOTEWORTHY: UBS AG, Commerzbank , Trico Marine Services, Optimal Group and Mediacom were today's noteworthy upgrades:

• JP Morgan upgraded shares of UBS AG (NYSE: UBS) to Overweight from Neutral on valuation, as they believe the risk/reward is now attractive.
• Commerzbank AG (OTC: CRZBY) was upgraded to Equal Weight from Underweight at Morgan Stanley, as they believe the company has eliminated much of the uncertainty on asset quality.
• Jefferies upgraded shares of Trico Marine Services Inc (NASDAQ: TRMA) to Buy from Hold and raised their target to $46 from $40 to reflect the growth potential brought on by the company's purchase of Active Subsea ASA.
• B. Riley raised its rating on Optimal Group Inc (NASDAQ: OPMR) to Buy from Neutral to reflect the company's proven management team, acquisition of WowWee and strong balance sheet.
• Citigroup upgraded shares of Mediacom Communications Corporation (NASDAQ: MCCC) to Buy from Hold on valuation following the recent pullback, as they now think the stock is oversold. Citigroup thinks Mediacom will generate free cash in 2008 and they like the pace of buybacks.

OTHER UPGRADES:

• Citigroup upgraded shares of The Allstate Corporation (NYSE: ALL) to Buy from Hold.
• UBS upgraded UnitedHealth Group Incorporated (NYSE: UNH) and Northrop Grumman Corporation (NYSE: NOC) to Buy from Neutral.
  
• Wachovia raised Performance Food Group Company (NASDAQ: PFGC) to Outperform from Market Perform.