Analyst Upgrades

• Valero Energy (VLO) to outperform from perform at Oppenheimer.
• Changyou.com (CYOU) to overweight from equal weight at Morgan Stanley.
• Albermarle (ALB) to overweight from neutral at JPMorgan.
• ICU Medical (ICUI) to buy from neutral at Roth Capital.
• Check Point (CHKP) to outperform from market perform at Bernstein.
• FMC Corporation (FMC) to buy from neutral at BofA/Merrill.
• Rangold Resources (GOLD) to neutral from sell at Goldman.
• Global Cash Access (GCA) to buy from hold at Duncan-Williams.

Analyst Upgrades

• Boeing (BA) to overweight from neutral at JPMorgan.
• Alcoa (AA) to buy from hold at Deutsche Bank.
• BP (BP) to outperform from market perform at Raymond James.
• Office Depot (ODP) and Staples (SPLS) to buy from neutral at Janney Capital.
• ON Semiconductor (ONNN) to buy from hold at Citigroup.
• Kennametal (KMT) and Polyone (POL) to buy from hold at KeyBanc.
• Airgas (ARG) to outperform from market perform at William Blair.
• EchoStar (SATS) to neutral from underperform at Macquarie.

"Over the past few years, no amount of Don Draper's charm would have won new business for any ad firm; ad spending declined by more than 12 percent in 2009," notes Benjamin Shepherd.

The contributing editor to Personal Finance newsletter explains, "However, thus far in 2010, spending on advertising has rebounded by almost 3 percent, and digital ad buys have eclipsed traditional print media purchases.

"Two two top plays on this theme are Scripps Networks Interactive (SNI) and Discovery Communications (DISCA).

Analyst Upgrades

• Berstein upgraded Diamond Offshore (DO) to market perform from underperform based on valuation. The firm has a $69 price target on the stock.
• Jefferies upgraded Patterson-UTI Energy (PTEN) to buy from hold, citing leverage to higher land rig pricing. The firm raised its price target to $21 from $17.
• Wunderlich upgraded Renasant (RNST) to buy from hold following the company's acquisition of Crescent Bank. The firm raised its target for shares to $20 from $15.
• AT&T (T) was upgraded to buy from hold at Deutsche Bank.
• Blackstone (BX) was upgraded to buy from neutral at BofA/Merrill.
• Scripps Networks (SNI) was upgraded to overweight from equal weight at Morgan Stanley.

Analyst Upgrades

• Sterne Agee upgraded American Public Education (APEI) to buy from neutral following the Q4 report and guidance. The firm has a $50 target on the stock.
• Jefferies upgraded Lamar Advertising (LAMR) to hold from underperform citing valuation and the improved ad market. The firm raised its target $30 from $22.
• Janney Montgomery upgraded Wilmington Trust (WL) to neutral from sell following the company's $250M stock offering and raised its target price on shares to $13 from $10.
• AeroVironment (AVAV) was upgraded to buy from neutral at SunTrust.
• Scripps Networks (SNI) was upgraded to overweight from equal weight at Barclays.
• TheKnot (KNOT) was raised to buy from hold at ThinkEquity.

Analyst Upgrades

• Oppenheimer upgraded Home Depot (HD) to outperform from perform on expectations that comp sales growth in the home improvement retail sector will accelerate. The firm has a $37 price target for Home Depot shares. The firm also reiterates an outperform rating on Lowe's (LOW).
• UBS upgraded Mattel (MAT) to buy from neutral, citing solid demand in core brands, strong free cash flow and improved cost structure, among other reasons. The firm raised its target to $26 from $21.
• Thomas Weisel upgraded Dreamworks (DWA) to overweight from market weight, citing upcoming releases and increased international expectations. The firm raised its target to $47 from $40.
• TD AmeriTrade (AMTD) was upgraded to outperform from market perform at FBR Capital.
• Whole Foods (WFMI) was upgraded to overweight from neutral at JPMorgan.
• Whiting Petroleum (WLL) was upgraded to overweight from equal weight at Barclays.

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

• Abercrombie & Fitch Co. (ANF) received an analyst's upgrade ahead of next week's Q4 earnings report.
• Acer Inc. reported its highest quarterly earnings in almost three years due in part to growth in shipments.
• Baidu Inc. (BIDU) swung to a better-than-expected Q4 profit, with strong revenue growth, and offered rosy guidance.
• Biogen Idec Inc. (BIIB) offered an upside surprise as well as full-year earnings above Wall Street estimates.
• Coinstar Inc. (CSTR) strong quarterly results and guidance, as well as litigation concerns, failed to inspire Wall Street.
• Coca-Cola Co. (KO) posted strong Q4 and full-year earnings results due to growth in emerging markets.

Analyst Upgrades

• Oppenheimer upgraded Abercrombie & Fitch (ANF) to outperform from perform as it finds the risk/reward on shares attractive and believes the company's Q4 results and easing comparisons could serve as positive catalysts. The firm set a $46 price target on shares.
• Bernstein upgraded 3M Company (MMM) to outperform from market perform based on expectations the company will continue to beat and raise guidance and that the organic growth rate will continue to improve. The firm raised its target to $99 from $90.
• Roth Capital expects Nvidia (NVDA) to benefit from its new GPU platform Fermi in Q1, resulting in a PC business recovery. Additionally, the firm, which upgraded shares to buy from hold and has a $21 target, expects Nvidia to offset Intel (INTC) declines by selling low-end GPUs compatible with Intel's Pinetrail and Westmere platforms.
• Syngenta (SYT) was upgraded to buy from hold at Collins Stewart.
• Cameron (CAM) was raised to overweight from neutral at HSBC.
• Sigma-Aldrich (SIAL) was lifted to outperform from neutral at Baird.

Analyst upgrades:

• Keefe Bruyette upgraded Blackstone Group (BX) to outperform from market perform following the company's Q3 results and maintains an $18.50 price target on shares.
• Baird upgraded Astec (ASTE) to outperform from neutral citing relative valuation and upside from new multi-year U.S. highway funding legislation. The firm raised its target to $33 from $27.
• Goldman upgraded Abercrombie & Fitch (ANF) to conviction buy from neutral citing "significant" long-term growth drivers that include international growth. The firm raised its target to $45 from $36.
• Ariad Pharmaceuticals (ARIA) was upgraded to overweight from neutral at JPMorgan.
• Energizer (ENR) was upgraded to overweight from equal weight at Morgan Stanley.
• AstraZeneca (AZN) was upgraded to buy from hold at RBS.

Analyst upgrades:

• Jefferies upgraded Autodesk (NASDAQ: ADSK) to Buy from Hold after the firm's channel checks indicated the company's business is stabilizing. Jefferies raised its target on shares to $27 from $20.
• Citigroup upgraded Veeco (NASDAQ: VECO) to Buy from Hold on expectations LED order momentum will continue and cost discipline will help margin leverage. Citi raised its target on shares to $24 from $8.
• Deutsche Bank upgraded Domtar (NYSE: UFS) to Buy from Hold on expectations earnings will improve meaningfully over the next year. The firm keeps a $24 price target on the stock.
• Varian (NASDAQ: VARI) was upgraded to Equal Weight from Underweight at Barclays.
• Air Products (NYSE: APD) was upgraded to Overweight from Neutral at JPMorgan.
• U.S. Steel (NYSE: X) was upgraded to Buy from Neutral at Goldman.

Analyst upgrades:

• Citigroup upgraded Phillips-Van Heusen (NYSE: PVH) to Buy from Hold following the company's Q1 results as it believes management is executing well in the current environment and that the company could meet the high end of guidance. The firm raised its price target to $24 from $19.
  
• Friedman Billings upgraded Cliffs Natural (NYSE: CLF) to Outperform from Market Perform as it believes capacity utilization has stabilized and CLF's valuation is attractive at current levels. The firm raised its price target to $27 from $23.
  
• Thomas Weisel believes demand at Microchip's industrial (NASDAQ: MCHP) customers has troughed and that market share loss concerns are unwarranted. The firm upgraded shares to Overweight from Market Weight and raised its target to $27 from $19.
• CBS Corp (NYSE: CBS) was upgraded to Neutral from Sell at Goldman.
  
• U-Store It Trust (NYSE: YSI) was raised to Outperform from Neutral at Baird.
  
• Ener1 (NASDAQ: HEV) was lifted at Banc of America/Merrill to Buy from Neutral.

The reports of newspapers' demise have not been greatly exaggerated. The Rocky Mountain News, Colorado's oldest newspaper and one of two daily papers in Denver, announced it will publish its final edition, Friday, February 27th.

The date is two months shy of its 150-year anniversary.

Update: The final issue of the paper was printed today, February 27th, with a commemorative edition whose headline read "Goodbye Colorado" and which included some of the newspapers' Pulitzer Prize-winning photographs and stories. The headline on the front page read "Stop the Presses."

The paper had been sharing business services, including advertising and printing, with The Denver Post in a U.S. Justice Department-approved arrangement since 2001. As of Saturday, however, the editorial voices in the community will be reduced to one.

Analyst upgrades:

• Oppenheimer upgraded shares of Cree (NASDAQ: CREE) to Outperform from Perform as they believe LEDs are beginning to gain traction in general lighting applications.
  
• Jefferies upgraded Constellation Energy (NYSE: CEG) to Hold from Underperform following the acquisition by MidAmerican Energy. The company's target was increased to $25 from $20.
  
• RBC upgraded the Banking sector to Overweight from Underweight following the governments "massive assault" on the financial crisis. RBC believes government actions that include the potential creation of a Resolution Trust Corporation, the creation of federal insurance for money market fund investors and the ban on short selling will result in higher bank stock prices through year end; Wilmington Trust (NYSE: WL), KeyCorp (NYSE: KEY) and Pacific Capital Bancorp (NASDAQ: PCBC) were upgraded to Sector Perform from Underperform.
  
• Oracle (NASDAQ: ORCL) was raised to Buy from Neutral at Piper.
  
• UBS upgraded Murphy Oil (NYSE: MUR) to Neutral from Sell.
  
• Gap (NYSE: GPS) was upgraded to buy from Neutral at Goldman Sachs.

Analyst downgrades:

• Deutsche Bank downgraded shares of Thomson Reuters (NASDAQ: TRIN) to Sell from Buy as they believe uncertainty in the financial sector will hinder growth.
  
• Piper cut MIPS Technologies (NASDAQ: MIPS) to Neutral from Buy as they believe estimates are at risk following the departure of ChipIdea's co-founder. The company's target was lowered to $3.70 from $8.
  
• Jefferies downgraded GSI Commerce (NASDAQ: GSIC) to Hold from Buy on valuation as they view the risk/reward less compelling following the recent rally.
• Host Hotels (NYSE: HST) was downgraded at Baird to Neutral from Outperform.
  
• Wachovia downgraded Accenture (NYSE: ACN), Cognizant (NASDAQ: CTSH) and Infosys (NASDAQ: INFY) to Market Perform from Outperform.

Analyst initiations:

• Jefferies initiated Abercrombie & Fitch (NYSE: ANF) with an Underperform rating and $38 target and thinks the company's sales and margins are at risk with negative comp trends getting worse.
  
• Cantor believes Lawson Software (NASDAQ: LWSN) has a powerful franchise while the stock trades at a 33% discount to peers. Shares were assumed with a Buy rating and $8 target.
  
• Stanford started Mentor (NYSE: MNT) with a Buy rating and $32 target and thinks the company is poised to benefit from growing global demand for products and services that make people look younger and more attractive.
• Scripps Networks (NYSE: SNI) was initiated at UBS with a Neutral rating and $43 target.
  
• BMO Capital initiated Costco (NASDAQ: COST) and BJ's Wholesale (NYSE: BJ) with Market Perform ratings and a $72 target and $42 target, respectively.
  
• Isle of Capri (NASDAQ: ISLE) was initiated at Goldman with a Sell rating and $6 target.

Minyanville's top dog, Todd Harrison, dares to ask in public what Wall Street types quietly consider in private. For more insight and ideas, visit www.Minyanville.com.

Yikes, Lehman downgrades Scripps (NYSE: SNI), Gannett (NYSE: GCI) pooped the bed. What the heck is happening to these paltry little rags?

Some thoughts:

• The internet is the single biggest deflationary force ever invented and the "information deflation" is in full force.
  
• Without a doubt, my bullish bent on the newspaper names was my single worst "call" of the year.
  
• The thesis was that portals will buy the papers to feed content into their pipes.
  
• That remains a viable option for some of the franchise properties, although it will seemingly happen -- if it happens -- from lower levels.
  
• I still own some GCI January calls but have quickly become lottery tickets.

R.P.

Position In GCI