This week we turn the calendar page, and that change brings with it a raft of economic data. Scheduled for release on Monday are pending home sales and personal income numbers for January, as well as the Chicago PMI and car and truck sales data for February.

On Tuesday, look for the ISM Manufacturing Index for February and construction spending numbers for January. That's followed on Wednesday by the week's first employment data: the Challenger Job-Cuts announcement and the ADP employment report for February. Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke will deliver his semiannual monetary policy testimony before Congress on both days.

Investors nervous about the possibly stalled economic recovery -- or worse, the beginning of the latter phase of a double-dip recession -- were not pleased with last week's housing numbers. Things were perhaps ameliorated somewhat by durable goods order numbers and a revised GDP that weren't as bad as expected, but that didn't stop the Dow from dipping below 10,000 later in the week, before fighting its way back above the benchmark to end the week, thanks largely to Fed chair Bernanke's comments on Friday.

Though the end of August is usually quiet, this week lots more economic data are due out, including more housing numbers: The Case-Shiller Home Price Index for June on Tuesday, construction spending numbers for July on Wednesday, and NAR's pending home sales for July on Thursday. There's not expected to be much to get excited about in these numbers.

Analyst Upgrades

• Deutsche Bank upgraded Smurfit-Stone (SSCC) to buy from hold after raising its estimates for containerboard names and upped its target for shares to $28 from $22. The firm also raised its price target for International Paper (IP) to $38 from $32, for Packaging Corp. (PKG) to $33 from $28, for Temple-Inland (TIN) to $31 from $28, for Greif (GEF) to $67 from $65, and for Rock-Tenn (RKT) to $70 from $65. All stocks are buy rated.
• ThinkEquity upgraded VMware (VMW) to buy from hold and has a $90 price target on the stock. The firm expects VMware to benefit from increased virtual infrastructure adoption and improving vSphere solutions.
• Needham upgraded Cavium Networks (CAVM) to strong buy from buy, citing the recent pullback in shares following Cisco's (CSCO) cautious commentary. The firm has a $37 target on the stock.
• Intercontinental Exchange (ICE) was upgraded to outperform from neutral at Credit Suisse.
• MedAssets (MDAS) was upgraded to buy from hold at Auriga.
• Brookfield Properties (BPO) was upgraded to buy from hold at Citigroup.

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

• Advance Auto Parts Inc. (AAP) was downgraded due to concerns about its 2010 earnings outlook.
• Analogic Corp. (ALOG) received an analyst's downgrade after it reported weaker-than-expected earnings.
• AutoZone Inc. (AZO) strong Q1 results beat earnings expectations, but shares rose only a little.
• BWAY Holding Co. (BWY) received an analyst's upgrade following release of its Q4 results.
• Casey's General Stores Inc. (CASY) topped Q2 earnings estimates but lower revenue fell short.
• Ciena Corp. (CIEN) shares plummeted after it fell short of its earnings expectations for Q4.

Analyst Upgrades

• Stephens upgraded Martin Marietta (MLM) to overweight from equal weight on valuation and expectations that infrastructure and highway spending will increase. The firm raised its target on shares to $105 from $95.
• Janney Montgomery upgraded Shutterfly (SFLY) to buy from neutral to reflect valuation and a reduced pricing overhang after Kodak (EK) raised its 4x6 prices. The firm raised its target on shares to $21 from $18.
• Thomas Weisel upgraded Entropic Communications (ENTR) to overweight from market weight. The firm thinks the company is well-positioned for revenue growth in 2010, partly due to MoCA deployments from new customers and design wins for its silicon tuner product. The firm set a $5 target.
• T. Rowe Price (TROW) was upgraded to buy from hold at Jefferies.
• Dick's Sporting Goods (DKS) was upgraded to buy from neutral at BofA/Merrill.
• Massey Energy (MEE) was upgraded to overweight from neutral at JPMorgan.

The earnings season, like the calendar year, is winding down. The sprinkling of quarterly results scheduled for this coming week include S&P 500 components AutoZone (AZO), Ciena (CIEN), H&R Block (HRB) and National Semiconductor (NSM), as well as Dollar General (DG), Imperial Sugar (IPSU), Krispy Kreme Doughnuts (KKD), Men's Wearhouse (MW), Talbots (TLB) and others.

Analysts surveyed by Thomson Reuters expect to see strong year-over-year and sequential EPS growth from luxury watchmaker Movado Group Inc. (MOV). During its third quarter of fiscal 2010, this Paramus, N.J.-based company was recognized for its innovative use of technology and it reported a big profit decline for the second quarter.

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.

Here's a peek at what analysts surveyed by Thomson Financial are expecting from companies scheduled to report quarterly results in the first week of June, 2008.

The following companies are expected to post earnings growth, compared to the same period in the previous year:

• Take-Two Interactive (NASDAQ: TTWO) up 136.6% (from a loss) to $1.12 per share, on $499.1 million in revenue
• Lululemon Athletica Inc. (NASDAQ: LULU) up 58.3% to 12 cents per share, on $71.8 million in revenue
• Vimpelcom Communications (NYSE: VIP) up 54.2% to 59 cents per share, on $2.1 billion in revenue
• Focus Media Ltd. (NASDAQ: FMCN) up 36.4% to 33 cents per share, on $161.3 million in revenue
• Ciena Corp. (NASDAQ: CIEN) up 29.7% to 37 cents per share, on $238.4 million in revenue
• Greif Inc. (NYSE: GEF) up 24.1% to 87 cents per share, on $839.9 million in revenue
• Vail Resorts Inc. (NYSE: MTN) up 18.4% to $2.44 per share, on $474.8 million in revenue
• Guess? Inc. (NYSE: GES) up 17.4% to 46 cents per share, on $451.6 million in revenue
• Del Monte Foods Co. (NYSE: DLM) up 15.4% to 26 cents per share, on $1.0 billion in revenue
• Cooper Companies Inc. (NYSE: COO) up 14.6% to 48 cents per share, on $256.7 million in revenue
• Jackson Hewitt Tax Service Inc. (NYSE: JTX) up 1.9% to $2.08 per share, on $161.6 million in revenue

How did we get here anyway? Housing and construction companies have been crushed as the bubble burst and now investors have to make a critical decision. Do you stay and hope for a recovery or bag it and move to another position that has the potential to provide better returns?

The problem is simple to explain: Most investors hate taking a loss. In fact, most investors will look to get "even" before they sell and this attitude usually leads to greater losses, anxiety and poor decisions. The truth is that much of this can be avoided with proper risk management techniques. If any of this describes you, then consider developing a plan for risk management and a discipline that will help to protect your hard earned principal. Now, more than ever, investors need a plan. We all need a plan that includes well developed risk management disciplines, which is why I dedicate a full chapter to it in my book, The Disciplined Investor.

Monday, June 2

The week begins with the 10 am release of construction spending and the ISM Index. Construction spending is expected to continue to be weak as is the ISM.

Then we have a few housing-related earnings releases that should be of interest. Watch NCI Building Systems Inc. (NYSE: NCS). This company is engaged in manufacturing and marketing of metal products for the nonresidential construction industry. Terrific! This is a company that is suffering along with the entire construction sector...that is for sure. In fact, they company lowered the outlook for the remainder of the year back in March. It stands to reason that not much is better. The ace in the hole is the recent trend of lowering expectations and then coming out with an earnings beat. Even so, this has too much potential for problems and the sideline is a good vantage point to watch the earnings announcement, which is expected to come in with a PROFIT of 31 cents per share on $365 million of revenue. (Uh...That I would like to see.)

In conveying goods from producer to consumer, protection of the product is always a primary concern. A leading manufacturer of containers used on the bulk shipping side of the equation is headquartered in Columbus, Ohio.

Greif Inc. (NYSE: GEF) produces containers and containerboard, mainly for bulk shippers in the chemical, food, petroleum, mineral, machinery and pharmaceutical industries. Products include drums, water bottles, pallets, corrugated containers and multiwall packaging. The firm also manages some 300,000 acres of North American timberland. The company maintains over 160 operating locations, in nearly fifty countries.

Greif pleased investors earlier in the month, when it reported Q4 EPS of $1.05. That was eight cents above the average Street estimate. Revenues rose 19.9 percent (y/y) to $882.3 million. Management also guided FY08 EPS to $3.80-4.00, versus consensus of $3.83. Deutsche Securities subsequently reiterated its "buy" rating on the shares and boosted its price target to $85.