Do you want to watch television on your iPad? No problem. Just download an app. Cablevision (CVC) claims that its customers can watch 300 channels at home, according to Reuters.

The interesting feature of this program is that you don't need the Internet. Cablevision uses a digital code to deliver content to an Apple (AAPL) iPad. The app allows you to search channels by genre and record programs.

Analyst Upgrades

• General Electric (GE) and Barclays (BCS) to buy from neutral at UBS.
• Warnaco (WRC) to outperform from market perform and Melco Crown (MPEL) to market perform from underperform at Wells Fargo.
• Parker-Hannifin (PH) and Emerson Electric (EMR) to buy from neutral at Goldman.
• AMD (AMD) to buy from neutral at Nomura.
• Novellus (NVLS) and Sherwin-Williams (SHW) to equal weight from underweight at Morgan Stanley.
• OpenTable (OPEN) to outperform from market perform at Morgan Keegan.
• Skilled Healthcare (SKH) to buy from hold at Jefferies.
• Lear (LEA) to overweight from equal weight at Barclays.
• Adobe (ADBE) to buy from neutral at BofA/Merrill.

No one really knows how high monthly cable television fees could go, but if programming charge increases are any indication, they're likely to continue trending higher in 2011, which is, for the most part, good news for Cablevision Systems Corp. (CVC), first discussed here on May 29, 2009, at a price of $19.03

Look for Cablevision revenue to increase 5% to 7% in 2011, with more than 250,000 net new revenue generating units (RGUs) to total more than 11 million RGUs. Cablevision's iDigital cable unit (2.9 million subscribers) and Optimum high-speed broadband service (2.6 million subscribers) should add enough subscribers to keep institutional investors happy. Further, DVR market share growth still has considerable upside, particularly given the company's strong presence in a lucrative market (New York City area).

Analyst Upgrades

• Thoratec (THOR) to buy from neutral at UBS.
• TW Telecom (TWTC) to buy from hold at Citigroup.
• TAL Education (XRS) to overweight from neutral at Piper Jaffray.
• Amedisys (AMED) to buy from hold at Deutsche Bank.

Analyst Downgrades

• Navigators (NAVG) to neutral from outperform at Macquarie.
• El Paso Electric (EE) to hold from buy at Jefferies.
• Hancock Holding (HBHC) to hold from buy at Wunderlich.
• California Water Service (CWT) and American States Water (AWR) to neutral from buy at Janney Capital.
• Mednax (MD) to hold from buy at Deutsche Bank.

The shares of Cablevision Systems Corp. (CVC), first discussed here on May 29, 2009 at a price of $19.03, continue to move to higher ground, and now may be a good time to consider taking some profits.

However, those investors who can tolerate the risk can maintain their full position, and go for an even larger gain, as CVC is likely to continue to head north, once its overbought short-term status normalizes.

Look for Cablevision to post 2-4% telecom revenue growth in 2010, with roughly 230,000 to 250,000 net new revenue generating units (RGUs); net RGUs should increase even more in 2011. Cablevision's iDigital cable unit (2.9 million subscribers) and Optimum high-speed broadband service (2.6 million subscribers) should add enough subscribers to keep institutional investors happy. Cablevision also boasts 3 million basic cable subscribers.

Cablevision Systems (CVC - option chain) shares are rising today after Standard & Poor's announced that CVC will be added to the S&P 500 index, replacing King Pharmaceuticals (KG). The addition of a stock to one of the big S&P indices usually is a positive sign for that stock, sicne S&P thinks highly enough of it, plus extra buying pressure is created by funds that need to buy shares to accurrately track the index. Other announced changes include Netflix (NFLX), F5 Networks (FFIV), Newfield Exploration (NFX), The New York Times, (NYT), Office Depot (ODP), and Eastman Kodak (EK). If you think that Cablevision stock won't fall by too much in the coming months, then now could be a good time to look at a bullish hedged trade on CVC.

CVC opened this morning at $34.89. So far today the stock has hit a low of $34.15 and a high of $34.94. As of 12:00, CVC is trading at $34.87 up 1.51 (4.5%). The chart for CVC looks bullish and S&P gives CVC a positive 4 STARS (out of 5) buy ranking.

Analyst Upgrades

• Union Pacific (UNP) and Polycom (PLCM) were upgraded to outperform from market perform at Wells Fargo.
• Time Warner Cable (TWC) was upgraded to outperform from sector perform at RBC Capital.
• Cheesecake Factory (CAKE) was upgraded to neutral from underweight at JPMorgan.
• LaSalle Hotel (LHO) was upgraded to outperform from neutral at RW Baird.
• Graco (GGG) was upgraded to buy from hold at BB&T.
• Valley National (VLY) was upgraded to market perform from underperform at Keefe Bruyette.
• Credit Suisse (CS) was upgraded to hold from sell at RBS.
• U.S. Bancorp (USB) was upgraded to outperform from perform at Oppenheimer.
• Penn National (PENN) and Riverbed (RVBD) were upgraded to buy from hold at Jefferies.
• Goodrich (GR) was upgraded to outperform from neutral at Cowen.
• Amazon.com (AMZN) upgraded to buy from average at Caris.

The choppiness continues with shares of Cablevision System Corp. (CVC), first discussed here on May 29, 2009, at a price of $19.03, but despite the aforementioned, the position should be maintained. Here's why:

Look for CVC to post 2% to 4% telecom revenue growth in 2010, with better than 200,000 new revenue generating units. Cablevision's iDigital cable unit (3.1 million subscribers) and Optimum high-speed broadband service (2.6 million subscribers) should add enough subscribers to keep institutional investors happy. DVR market share growth still has considerable upside, particularly given the company's strong presence in a lucrative market (New York City area).

Option traders appear to be setting up for a bullish move on CA Technologies (CA). Traders plowed into 4,799 new call option contracts -- 13.87 times the average volume -- on the stock on Thursday. And we know that traders were eager to get into this trade because 98% of the trades came in on the "ask" price.

CA Technologies closed Thursday at $18.13. The stock has dropped 7.64% during the past month, but it is currently sitting at support just above $18.

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

• American International Group Inc. (AIG) said its Q1 earnings doubled, easily topping analysts' expectations.
• Cablevision Systems Corp. (CVC) said Q1 revenue grew, but disappointing earnings dragged down shares.
• Chevron Corp. (CVX) had strong Q1 earnings and boosted its dividend, but Gulf spill concerns weighed on shares.
• CVS Caremark Corp. (CVS) Q1 earnings topped consensus estimates but it also said same-store sales slipped.
• Freddie Mac (FRE) said its lost $8 billion in Q1, less than a year ago, and requested further bailout funds.

Much-maligned Cablevision Systems Corporation (CVC) is getting its act together, which is one reason I'm reiterating my buy rating for the company share's, first recommended on May 29, 2009 at a price of $19.03. If you bought CVC in May, you're up about 30%.

Look for a 2-4% revenue increase for CVC in 2010, led by telecom subscriber increases, but weighed-down by below-trend cable TV subscriber growth.

It looks like Cablevision Systems Corporation (NYSE: CVC) is starting to get-it-in-gear. Hence, I'm reiterating my Buy rating for CVC, first recommended on May 29, 2009 at a price of $19.03. If you purchased CVC then, you're up about 30%.

Even ignoring the potential spin-off of sports arena Madison Square Garden, Cablevision's positives have always been compelling: fifth-largest cable t.v. operator (about 10.4 million revenue generating units), with a strong presence in a lucrative market (New York City area, 3.1 cable t.v. subscribers); included in that are about 2.8 million premium cable t.v. subscribers, called iO Digital; nearly 2.5 million high-speed internet subscribers; and 1.9 million internet voice (telephone) subscribers.

Cablevision (NYSE: CVC - option chain) shares are rising today after a feature in Barron's indicated that the company could be an attractive takeover target now that it has decided to spin off New York City sports arena Madison Square Garden and related assets. These assets include MSG Television Network, and the New York Rangers and Knickerbockers. Both teams play at the Garden, which is an arena located in midtown Manhattan. Barron's says that a spin-off of MSG would make Cablevision's balance sheet much more attractive. If you think that the stock won't fall by too much in the coming months, then now could be a good time to look at a bullish hedged trade on CVC.

CVC opened this morning at $24.74. So far today the stock has hit a low of $24.40 and a high of $25.00. As of 11:55, CVC is trading at $24.53 up 21 cents (0.9%). The chart for CVC looks neutral and S&P gives CVC a neutral 3 STARS (out of 5) hold ranking.

Christine A. Varney heads up antitrust at the Department of Justice, and she's going hunting. She is the point person for a group consisting of the presidential administration and some Congressional Democrats that is looking to put the breaks on large companies in several industries.

Already, airlines have run into roadblocks when requesting relief from antitrust regulations. Varney & Co. are digging into complaints by AT&T (NYSE: ATT) and Verizon (NYSE: VZ) that cable competitors – e.g., Cablevision (NYSE: CVC) – have locked them out of the market for cable company-produced programming.

(Imagine that, a phone company complaining! Usually, they're the objects of derision.)

Julia Boorstin covered an interesting topic over at CNBC.com the other day. The Supreme Court, by electing not to review a case involving Cablevision (NYSE: CVC), essentially said that cable companies such as Comcast (NASDAQ: CMCSA) and Time Warner Cable (NYSE: TWC) can pursue digital video recorder (DVR) storage on cable-system servers. By doing this, a perceived barrier to entry for subscribing to DVR has been eliminated: you don't have to deal with a clunky box. Cable should theoretically see an increase in customers who adopt DVR technology if remote storage is exploited.

Well, as Boorstin rightly points out, CBS (NYSE: CBS), Disney's (NYSE: DIS) ABC, General Electric's (NYSE: GE) NBC, and News Corp.'s (NASDAQ: NWS) Fox do need to worry. These DVR technologies basically translate to a drop in the economic value of advertising. Let's face it: who watches commercials when they don't have to?