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.

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.

Toyota Motor Corp. (NYSE: TM) announced yesterday that it has developed a new type of fuel cell hybrid vehicle that can travel more then 500 miles on a single tank of hydrogen. That's right instead of the limited mileage from a pure electric car or a gas-required hybrid vehicle this one just needs hydrogen to hit the 500 mile mark.

Fuel cell vehicles, which have no emissions and are one of the most promising technologies for personal transportation, just got that much better. The deal killer for all hybrid vehicle manufacturers is this: there is no gasoline internal combustion engine needed. Toyota's model requires an electric motor and a hydrogen fuel cell. That's it. The Japanese automaker even said the vehicle would be available in Japan this year, but that there are no plans to distribute it outside that country.

Why not, Toyota? Worried about not being able to supply the demand customers globally may have? Having a zero-gas alternative in some of the most gas-dependent consuming countries in the world would really solidify your track record as the auto manufacturer who "gets it." You've already surpassed General Motors Corp. (NYSE: GM) as the world's largest auto manufacturer. Why not make that crown quite a bit bigger?

General Motors Corp. (NYSE: GM) joined the slew of companies this week at the Consumer Electronics Show (CES) in Las Vegas which touted their technological advances and gave insight into what was ahead. CEO Rick Wagoner even took the opportunity to introduce a Cadillac concept vehicle during his keynote speech that uses fuel-cell and battery technology for propulsion. Translated: no fossil fuels needed.

The Cadillac concept is powered by the promising fuel-cell technology along with lithium batteries. Additionally, it will be built on the same platform as GM's previously-announced and uber-anticipated Volt 100% electric vehicle scheduled to roll off assembly lines sometime before or in 2010. Wagoner even drove a Volt onto the stage where he gave his keynote. If that's not grandstanding for the future of the auto industry, I'm not sure what is.

The Cadillac Provoq will have all the style and luxury of the Cadillac brand if it makes its way from concept to reality, to which Wagoner said "it is fitting that our premium brand would be propelled by our most advanced technology." The details pit this as not a bad auto performer all things considered: 300 mile range before re-fueling, 0 to 60 in under nine seconds and a 100 mph top speed. It's good to see GM really promoting a green vehicle agenda instead of $2,500 DVD navigation systems linked to Bluetooth smartphones that dress you and cook your breakfast while you drive. Well, something like that anyway.

General Motors (NYSE: GM), believe it or not, is working toward alternative propulsion systems as energy prices continue to be seen at new highs (while still showing wild volatility), and the electric Volt is just one of its efforts. What will power the electric vehicles of the future? That's a billion-dollar question, since batteries are probably the largest barrier to really commercializing the fully electric vehicle -- from any manufacturer.

GM, according to sources this week, wants its fuel cell technology -- a leading contender for high-energy batteries -- to be commercialized as soon as possible. If fuel cells could be refined even further than where they are today, the economic and practical viability of totally electric cars could be seen soon. So far, talk like that has been full of hot air. But then again, automakers see pent-up demand for this technology as gas prices go absolutely nuts. Oil stands right at $100 a barrel right now. You make the call.

If GM does not get there first, you can bet the competition will -- and will feed the insatiable consumer demand that lies waiting in the proverbial wings. The good news here is that innovation and speed will happen as the race to be first in this "fuel cell" space becomes more heated. As history has shown, in the end, the winner will be the consumer, much to the chagrin of oil producers.

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).

It's probably old news already to most of you but it bears repeating that Mazda, a division of Ford Motor Co. (NYSE: F), has announced that it shall completely scrap all 4,703 vehicles which were on board the ill fated Cougar Ace freighter that ran into trouble off the coast of Alaska on July 23, 2006. Initially, Mazda had announced that the vehicles would not be sold as new but left the matter open for discussion pending investigation by corporate engineers and others.

While this scrapping of vehicles is certainly a kick in the pants to Mazda and its insurers, it shows me that Mazda and its parent company, Ford, don't consider short-term profit to be paramount to long-term company image and consumer perception. It's possible that Mazda could have marketed all those 4,703 vehicles as "not like new" and never had a problem, but it's equally likely that such a move could have come back to bite them in a major way. I applaud this decision. Kudos to Mazda and Ford.

On a different note, Mazda has just made delivery of its first two gasoline / hydrogen rotary powered automobiles. These RX-8 Hydrogen RE cars allow the driver to choose between the two fuels "on the fly." The rotary power plants have long been a staple of Mazda engineering and from what I read in the blogosphere, Mazda enthusiasts are quite pleased with them. The vehicles have been leased to corporate fleet customers in Japan and will be closely monitored as a part of the Japan Hydrogen and Fuel Cell Demonstration Project. Both the manufacturers and the recipients are very pleased with this accomplishment.

Read more about this Mazda accomplishment at www.autoblog.com

MOST NOTEWORTHY: American International (AIG), Dow Jones (DJ) and Hilton Hotels (HLT) top today's giant list of initiations.

• Bank of America initiated American International Group, Inc. (NYSE:AIG) with a Buy and $86 target; the firm said investors could now focus on improving fundamentals, especially in foreign life operations, following the company's two-year turnaround.
• Bear Stearns started Dow Jones & Company, Inc. (NYSE:DJ) with a Peer Perform rating based on valuation and secular declines.
• Jefferies initiated Hilton Hotels Corp. (NYSE:HLT) with a Buy rating and $38 target; Hilton is Jefferies' top lodging pick given its favorable valuation and potential balance sheet improvements from selling hotels.

OTHER INITIATIONS:

• Wedbush started Cheesecake Factory, Inc. (NASDAQ:CAKE) with a Buy rating and $38 target, citing expectations for 20%+ revenue growth in 2007.
• CIBC initiated FuelCell Energy, Inc. (NASDAQ:FCEL) with a Sector Performer rating, citing expectations of a likely liquidity event in July 2008 in order to bolster cash and regulatory uncertainty.

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.