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

• Advance Auto Parts Inc. (NYSE: AAP) lowered its Q3 earnings forecast below analysts' estimates.
• Advanced Medical Optics Inc. (NYSE: EYE) lowered guidance led to an analyst's downgrade.
• Alcoa Inc. (NYSE: AA) fell well short of Q3 estimates on lower demand and falling prices.
• Bank of America Corp. (NYSE: BAC) Q3 profits fell more than estimated, and it cut its dividend.
• Brunswick Corp. (NYSE: BC) forecast a full-year loss and accelerated layoffs.
• Costco Wholesale Corp. (NASDAQ: COST) Q4 earnings just missed estimates thought revenues were up.
• Dollar Tree Inc. (NASDAQ: DLTR) earnings results and growth prospects impressed one analyst.
• eBay Inc. (NASDAQ: EBAY) earnings may be diluted by its acquisition of Bill Me Later.
• Ecolab Inc. (NYSE: ECL) earnings prospects led to an analyst's downgrade.
• General Electric Co. (NYSE: GE) results were in line with low expectations, and dividends will be sustained.
• General Mills Inc. (NYSE: GIS) earnings prospects for 2009 impress Jim Cramer.
• Host Hotels & Resorts Inc. (NYSE: HST) Q3 earnings tumbled while revenue slipped.
• IBM Corp. (NYSE: IBM) surprised Wall Street by offering strong Q3 preliminary results.

Continue reading Earnings highlights: GE, IBM, Bank of America, Alcoa, Yum! Brands and others

Earnings highlights: GE, IBM, Bank of America, Alcoa, Yum! Brands and others originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Sat, 11 Oct 2008 11:40:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Analyst upgrades:

• Keefe Bruyette upgraded shares of ING Group (NYSE: ING) to Outperform from Market Perform after upgrading the European insurance sector to Overweight from Neutral due to improved risk management.
  
• Keefe Bruyette also upgraded Wells Fargo (NYSE: WFC) to Market Perform from Underperform to reflect the company's national footprint if the Wachovia (NYSE: WB) deal goes through.
  
• JP Morgan upgraded Dollar Tree (NASDAQ: DLTR) to Overweight from Neutral citing top line performance, growth profile and valuation, among other reasons.
• Jabil Circuit (NYSE: JBL) was upgraded to Outperform from Neutral at Credit Suisse.
  
• Amylin Pharma (NASDAQ: AMLN) was raised to Hold from Sell at Citigroup.
  
• Louisiana Pacific (NYSE: LPX) was upgraded at RBC Capital to Sector Perform from Underperform.

• Jefferies downgraded shares of Ecolab (NYSE: ECL) to Hold from Buy and lowered its target to $50 from $55 to reflect risks to the company's earnings outlook from the weakening economy.
  
• Coca-Cola (NYSE: KO) was cut to Hold from Buy at Deutsche Bank as they believe the economic slowdown will bring slower volumes. Coca-Cola's target was lowered to $56 from $64.

Continue reading Analyst calls: ING, WFC, DLTR, JBL, AMLN, ECL, KO, IACI, FFIV ...

Analyst calls: ING, WFC, DLTR, JBL, AMLN, ECL, KO, IACI, FFIV ... originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Mon, 06 Oct 2008 11:43:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Analyst upgrades:

• Merrill believes Assurant (NYSE: AIZ) is well-positioned to weather the turmoil in the capital markets environment and cites the company's defensive characteristics for the upgrade. The firm upgraded shares to Buy from Neutral.
  
• Deutsche Bank upgraded R.H. Donnelly (NYSE: RHD) to Hold from Sell to reflect the company's cost cuts and its ability to buy back bonds at discounted prices.
  
• Citigroup raised Consol Energy (NYSE: CNX) to Buy from Hold on valuation as they are seeing no fundamental deterioration in coal.
• Research in Motion (NASDAQ: RIMM) was upgraded to Neutral from Underperform at Credit Suisse.
  Raymond James raised shares to Outperform from Market Perform.
  
• Penske Automotive (NYSE: PAG) was upgraded to Add from Neutral at Calyon.
  
• ICF International (NASDAQ: ICFI) was lifted to Overweight from Equal Weight at Stephens.

• Deutsche Bank downgraded Research in Motion (NASDAQ: RIMM) to Sell from Hold after the company reported Q2 results to reflect a deceleration in growth and margin pressures. RIMM's target was lowered to $70 from $120. RBC Capital downgraded Research in Motion to Sector Perform from Outperform citing reduced margin visibility and the slowing macroeconomic environment.
  
• Stephens downgraded Vitran (NASDAQ: VTNC) and Saia (NASDAQ: SAIA) to Equal Weight from Overweight to reflect the companies' deteriorating demand and pricing environment. Vitran's target was cut to $15 from $22 and Saia's was lowered to $16 from $24.
  
• Mentor (NYSE: MNT) was downgraded to hold from Buy at Jefferies to reflect continued weakness in the breast implant market and the potential for lowered guidance. Mentor's target was lowered to $31 from $36.
  
• Merrill cut ING Group (NYSE: ING) to Underperform from Neutral.
  
• CF Industries (NYSE: CF) was downgraded at Citigroup to Hold from Buy.
  
• Liberty Interactive (NASDAQ: LINTA) was lowered to Sell from Hold at Natixis.

• Suntrust initiated Idexx Laboratories (NASDAQ: IDXX) with a Neutral rating, citing slowing organic revenue growth, valuation and a slowing lab business.
  
• Jefferies initiated Urban Outfitters (NASDAQ: URBN) with a Hold rating and $33 target. The firm prefers to stay on sidelines due to valuation and macro risks.
  
• Hersha Hospitality (NYSE: HT) was assumed with a Market Perform rating and $7.50 target at Keefe Bruyette. The firm believes near-term demand trends in New York City could slow.
  
• Ecolab (NYSE: ECL) was initiated at Baird with a Neutral rating and $54 target.
  
• KeyBanc assumed ENGlobal (NASDAQ: ENG) with a Hold rating.
  
• Piper initiated Pentair (NYSE: PNR) with a Neutral rating and $39 target.

Analyst upgrades, downgrades and initiations: AIZ, RIMM, ING, URBN ... originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Fri, 26 Sep 2008 11:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Continue reading Ecolab cleans up by keeping everything really clean

Ecolab cleans up by keeping everything really clean originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Tue, 29 Jan 2008 11:50:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

MOST NOTEWORTHY:

• Morgan Keegan initiated Home Depot (NYSE: HD) with a Market Perform rating, citing valuation and the possibility that housing continues to deteriorate in 2008.
  
• Oppenheimer believes Seaspan (NASDAQ: SSW) is well positioned within the containership sector given its modern fleet profile and entrenched liner relationships. The firm assumed coverage with an Outperform rating and $32 target.
  
• JMP Securities initiated shares of Pharmasset (NASDAQ: VRUS) with a Market Outperform rating and $35 target and believes R7128 is evolving to be the premier product in hepatitis C. The firm expects a phase 2b trial evaluating R7128 in combination with standard of care to be initiated in 2H08 by partner Roche (OTC: RHHBY).

• UBS started BioMarin (NASDAQ: BMRN) with a Neutral rating and $38 target.
  
• First Analysis initiated Ecolab (NYSE: ECL) with an Equal Weight rating.
  
• Illumina (NASDAQ: ILMN) was initiated with an Overweight rating at JP Morgan.

Analyst initiations: HD, SSW and VRUS originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Tue, 29 Jan 2008 11:05:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Ecolab (ECL) bid drives Microtek Medical Holdings (MTMD) up 28% originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Wed, 08 Aug 2007 16:33:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Stock futures are negative to flat

Before the bell 2-12-07: Futures seen mostly lower originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Mon, 12 Feb 2007 07:57:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.