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

• Barnes Group Inc. (NYSE: B) withdrew its 2009 earnings guidance due to uncertainty in transportation.
• Brown-Forman Corp. (NYSE: BF.B) Q4 profit beat estimates and it offered guidance for next year.
• Del Monte Foods Co. (NYSE: DLM) posted strong Q4 results on price increases and a better tax situation.
• FuelCell Energy Inc. (NASDAQ: FCEL) posted lower Q2 sales but announced a big order from South Korea.
• Men's Wearhouse Inc. (NYSE: MW) lower Q1 profit topped estimates but the outlook was in line.
• National Semiconductor Corp. (NYSE: NSM) Q4 net loss and fiscal-year profit both beat estimates.

When Charles Dickens wrote, "Bring in the bottled lightning, a clean tumbler and a corkscrew," it's safe to say the great English novelist wasn't referring to energy technology. But in the 21st century we know that a whole lot of bottled lightning can be uncorked using a variety of sophisticated devices -- and one of the most interesting types is fuel cells.

Today we got lightning news from one of the best companies in the fuel cell space, the aptly named FuelCell Energy (NASDAQ: FCEL). Although the company reported lower product sales and revenues for fiscal Q2 of $19.3 million compared to $26.4 million in fiscal Q2 a year ago, it did say that the prior year product sales and revenues were unusually high due to timing.

If you were looking for a solid day from the FOMC, you got it. Today the Federal Reserve is entering a new age with a "Fed Funds Target" in a 0% to 0.25% range. This is a realm of zero percent rates. Housing starts came in at near-record lows and CPI is now about as worrisome as what to do with the $100 bill you get for Christmas.

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

Apple Inc. (NASDAQ: AAPL) was a laggard today after being hit with a Wall Street Journal article about slowing sales trends. This came a day after Goldman Sachs downgraded the stock. It is also a fairly late call. Shares were up 0.6% at $95.26 right before the close.

Baidu.com Inc. (NASDAQ: BIDU) was raised to the CONVICTION BUY LIST at Goldman Sachs this morning. Regardless of recent pressures from other analysts and from company policies, this caused a bottom fishing surge. Shares were up almost 12% at $132.15 right before the close.

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

• Analogic Corp. (NASDAQ: ALOG) Q1 earnings plunged well below expectations due to costs.
• CKE Restaurants Inc. (NYSE: CKR) solid Q3 earnings were in line with analysts expectations.
• Costco Wholesale Corp. (NASDAQ: COST) beat Q1 expectations and same-stores sales increased.
• Dow Chemical Co. (NYSE: DOW) lowered its guidance and announced layoffs and factory closings.
• Eastman Kodak Co. (NYSE: EK) withdrew its guidance due in part to weak consumer spending.
• Electronic Arts Inc. (NASDAQ: ERTS) lowered its outlook due to weaker-than-expected holiday sales.
• Eli Lilly & Co. (NYSE: LLY) offered a full-year profit forecast that missed analysts' expectations.
• FedEx Corp. (NYSE: FDX) lowered its earnings guidance and announced price increases.
• FuelCell Energy Inc. (NASDAQ: FCEL) reported a deeper-than-expected loss but topped sales estimates.
• H&R Block Inc. (NYSE: HRB) Q2 net loss was in line with expectations but revenue fell short.
• Hartford Financial Services Group (NYSE: HIG) raised its full-year forecast, doubling the share price.
• Hooker Furniture Corp. (NASDAQ: HOFT) shares sold off following disappointing Q3 results and outlook.
• Krispy Kreme Doughnuts Inc. (NYSE: KKD) reported a deeper-than-expected Q3 loss on increased costs.

After the close last night, FuelCell Energy Inc. (NASDAQ: FCEL) reported that its fourth-quarter loss widened to $24.3 million, or 35 cents per share, compared to its year-ago loss of 25 cents per share. Ahead of the report, analysts were expecting FCEL to swallow a slightly more modest quarterly loss of 32 cents per share, according to First Call. Total revenues rose to $26.2 million for the quarter, outpacing the consensus estimate of $25.6 million. Product sales and revenues for the period ballooned by 113% year-over-year, arriving at $23.3 million.

FCEL's bottom line took a hit during the quarter as costs climbed, with total costs and expenses swelling to $48.9 million, up nearly 46% from last year. The company's backlog is also looking bloated, up to $87.6 million from $57.8 million in the fourth quarter of 2007.

For the full fiscal year, FuelCell recorded a net loss of $96.6 million, or $1.41 per share, while revenue arrived at $100.74 million. Analysts predicted an annual loss of $1.37 per share on $100.16 million.

Despite the mixed report, FCEL shares are fractionally higher this afternoon. Heading into the earnings release, option players aligned themselves bearishly. During the past 10 days, traders on the International Securities Exchange (ISE) bought to open 1.53 puts for every call on the stock. Looking back over the previous 20 trading days, FCEL garnered a buy-to-open put/call ratio of 4.86 on the ISE and the Chicago Board Options Exchange (CBOE).

In other words, investors purchased nearly five times more bearish bets than bullish in the four-week period leading up to the earnings report. This heavily pessimistic activity from speculators suggests that expectations were low for FuelCell's quarterly figures. The negative sentiment from investors has no doubt helped to cushion the blow of the company's fourth-quarter and full-year profit shortfalls.

Elizabeth Harrow is an analyst and financial writer in the research department at Schaeffer's Investment Research. She is featured in the video series Schaeffer's Daily Q&A on SchaeffersResearch.com.

Even as the holiday season ramps up and the calendar quarter begins to wind down, earnings reports continue to dribble in. Among the companies scheduled to release quarterly results this coming week, analysts surveyed by Thomson Reuters are expecting BWAY Holding Co. (NYSE: BWY), Powell Industries Inc. (NASDAQ: POWL), and Esterline Technologies Corp. (NYSE: ESL) to be among the biggest earnings gainers.

Atlanta-based packaging and container producer BWAY is expected to report fiscal fourth-quarter profits that are 65.6% higher than in the same period of last year, or $0.32 per share on revenues of $265.2 million (+4.9%). BWAY topped estimates in the previous two quarters -- by 44.9% in the third quarter. Those results sent shares to a new 52-week high. But shares have fallen 62.7% in the past three months, and they are now trading near a multiyear low of $4.11 per share.

Houston-based energy equipment maker Powell is expected to report fiscal fourth-quarter profits that are 62.7% higher than a year ago, or $0.59 per share. Revenues are forecast to be 14.2% higher, or $171.8 million. Powell beat expectations in the past three quarters -- by 20.2% in the third quarter. The share price has fallen 47.7% in the past three months, and the consensus recommendation is to buy POWL.

Analyst upgrades:

• Keefe Bruyette upgraded MetLife (NYSE: MET) to Outperform from Market Perform as they believe the company's capital and liquidity profile are very solid relative to this week's sell-off.
  
• The firm also upgraded shares of MSCI (NYSE: MXB) to Outperform from Market Perform on valuation as they believe near-term challenges are already priced into shares.
  
• Burlington Northern (NYSE: BNI) was raised to Overweight from Neutral at JP Morgan based on valuation and strong pricing outlook.
• Costco (NASDAQ: COST) was upgraded to Buy from Neutral at Goldman.
  
• Pali Capital lifted Virgin Mobile (NYSE: VM) to Neutral from Sell.
  
• Merrill upgraded Pall (NYS: PLL) and Xcel Energy (NYSE: XEL) to buy from Neutral.

Analyst downgrades:

• Oppenheimer downgraded shares of Trimble Navigation (NASDAQ: TRMB) to Perform from Outperform as they believe the company's Engineering and Construction division is facing a challenging period due to the credit market strain.
  
• Stephens downgraded Seacoast Banking (NASDAQ:SBCF) to Underweight from Equal Weight as they believe a dilutive capital raise is possible given future losses from real estate credits in coastal Florida.

FuelCell Energy (NASDAQ: FCEL) develops and markets Ultra-Clean stationary fuel cell power plants that generate electricity with up to twice the efficiency of conventional fossil fuel plants and with virtually no air pollution. The firm's fuel cells are generating power at over 60 installations worldwide, using such fuels as wastewater gas and biogas from food processing. The company receives funding from the U.S. Department of Energy and other government agencies for the development of such leading edge technologies as hybrid fuel cell/turbine generators and solid oxide fuel cells.

The firm pleased investors last week, when it reported a Q4 loss of 25 cents per share and revenues of $16.5 million. Street analysts had been looking for a 27 cent per share deficit and $13.1 million. The company also announced a 4.8 MW order from Posco (NYSE: PKX), its South Korean alliance partner. Lazard Capital subsequently reiterated its "buy" rating on the shares and boosted its price target from $11 to $15, noting that FuelCell's backlog of $57.8 million was more than double the $27.9 million year ago figure and was up 17% from the $49.6 million reported in 3Q07.

MOST NOTEWORTHY: Nintendo Co, Ltd (NTDOY) and FuelCell Energy, Inc (FCEL) were the only noteworthy initiations in today's modest-sized list:

• JP Morgan started Nintendo Ltd (OTC: NTDOY) with an Overweight rating.
• Lazard initiated shares of FuelCell Energy (NASDAQ: FCEL) with a Buy rating and $11 target, as the firm believes the company has the best bookings prospects in its history.

OTHER INITIATIONS:

• Discovery Holding Co (NASDAQ: DISCA) was initiated at Pali Research with a Buy rating and $25.50 target. Pali said Discovery now appears committed to developing unique,"on-brand" proprietary content across all its cable networks that it can exploit through an increasing number of distribution platforms; Pali added that this is a company that no longer feels compelled to be in every country around the globe.
• Pacific Crest initiated shares of Vocus, Inc (NASDAQ: VOCS) with an Outperform rating and $28 target, as the firm believes the company has a strong competitive position.
• Cowen initiated Medivation, Inc (NASDAQ: MDVN) with a Neutral rating based on valuation.

Analyst summaries provided by TheFlyOnTheWall.com (subscription required).

from www.247wallst.com.....

On Jim Cramer's STOP TRADING segment on CNBC at 2:45 PM EST, Cramer was discussing how to play oil prices dropping and a crock of something.

Now that oil has gone to $60, Cramer said he is tired of torture House game because that homebuilder group was the best performer over last month.

Cramer says Sell alternative energy stocks, particularly Ethanol plays. He says even sell solar power. He is discussing the stocks, not the technology. They showed SunPower Corporation (NASDAQ:SPWR), FuelCell Energy, Inc. (NASDAQ:FCEL), Aventine Renewable Energy Holdings, Inc. (NYSE:AVR), Verasun Energy Corporation (NYSE:VSE), Ballard Power Systems, Inc. (NASDAQ:BLDP). He said he is talking about the stocks, not the company.

Crocs, Inc. (NASDAQ:CROX) is up 6% and Cramer thinks they will preannounce upside to the quarter tomorrow at an investor conference presentation. He likes the closed toe cold weather and Disney deals. He says they are hot and go higher. He also noted for the short sellers to watch out.