I'm reiterating Buy ratings for giant drug store chains CVS-Caremark (NYSE: CVS) and Walgreen (NYSE: WAG) on likely increased store traffic, due to the H1N1 flu.

So far, the nation is doing fairly well at ensuring that there will be enough swine flu vaccine for key populations --those who could quickly spread the virus like teachers, health care workers, emergency personnel etc., as well as other risk groups -- pregnant women, people caring for infants, people aged 25-64 who are at high risk due to compromised immune systems.

Sanofi-Aventis (NYSE: SNY - option chain) shares are rising today after health insurer Unitedhealth Group (NYSE: UNH) announced that it would fully cover swine flu vaccinations, even for members that do not have immunizations typically covered. As one of the drugmakers that is producing a swine flu vaccine, SNY stands to benefit. If you think that the stock won't fall by too much in the coming months, then now could be a good time to look at a bullish hedged trade on SNY.

SNY opened this morning at $33.69. So far today the stock has hit a low of $33.63 and a high of $34.17. As of 11:45, SNY is trading at $33.89 up $1.02 (3.1%). The chart for SNY looks neutral and S&P gives SNY a neutral 3 STARS (out of 5) hold ranking.

Carnival Corp (NYSE: CCL - option chain) shares are rising today after the company announced this morning that it will resume stops at Mexican ports now that health officials have lifted advisories against non-essential travel to the nation.

CCL also said the H1N1 Influenza scare will likely reduce second-quarter earnings by 5 cents per share. While that isn't a good thing, investors often prefer to know how bad the news instead of having to guess. If you think that the stock won't fall by too much in the coming months, then now could be a good time to look at a bullish hedged trade on CCL.

CCL opened this morning at $26.18. So far today the stock has hit a low of $25.81 and a high of $26.60. As of 11:35, CCL is trading at $26.41 up 1.41 (5.6%). The chart for CCL looks bearish and S&P gives CCL a negative 2 STARS (out of 5) sell ranking.

Visa (NYSE: V), whose colleagues include American Express (NYSE: AXP), MasterCard (NYSE: MA), and Discover Financial Services (NYSE: DFS), reported a Q2 profit on Wednesday that was surprisingly strong. On an adjusted basis, earnings came in at 73 cents per share. Analysts were banking on only 64 cents per share, according to Reuters.

Quite frankly, I can see the disparity between Wall Street's thinking and the ultimate reality. I mean, the economy has been bad (to state the obvious), and people aren't spending as much. This means that they aren't using their credit cards like they used to. Ergo, you might expect Visa to post a lower number.

Burger King (NYSE: BKC), a fast-food joint that competes with McDonald's (NYSE: MCD), Yum! Brands (NYSE: YUM), and Wendy's/Arby's Group (NYSE: WEN), issued its Q3 report on Wednesday. The top line didn't do much, rising only 1% in the face of difficulties with currency translations. Earnings came in at 34 cents per share. That was one penny better than Wall Street's expectations, according to Reuters.

It's always good to beat the earnings call. But Burger King didn't get much mileage out of that victory. The stock actually sold off 3% on the news, closing yesterday at a fresh 52-week low of $16.55. The big catalyst was the conservative fiscal-year guidance.

Several national chains are talking up demands for reduced retail rents at locations across the country, according to a post in BNET.

That can't be good news for strapped mall operators, such as Simon Property Group (NYS: SPG), which have recently seen their fortunes turn upwards on the backs of analyst upgrades and economists calling a bottom to the Great Recession.

Late Tuesday, Carnival Corporation (NYSE: CCL) reported that it will temporarily cancel all stops in Mexico due to fears surrounding the swine flu. "We have decided to cancel calls at Mexican ports for all current sailings. Additionally, we will cancel calls in Mexico for all voyages departing Thursday, April 30 through Monday, May 4," the cruise line operator said in a statement.

Carnival isn't the only cruise line playing it safe. Sector peer Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd. (NYSE: RCL) also announced plans to temporarily suspend port calls in Mexico. Currently, the World Health Organization (WHO) has not recommended any travel restrictions to halt the swine flu's spread.

Less-bad housing data from Case-Shiller was trumped after a much more positive consumer confidence report came out this morning. Swine flu was all over the media today, but not with as much financial impact.

Here are today's unofficial closing bell levels:

Dow 8,016.95 -8.05 (-0.10%)
S&P 500 855.16 -2.35 (-0.27%)
Nasdaq 1,673.81 -5.60 (-0.33%)

Top Analyst Upgrades
Top Analyst Downgrades

Today was just a weird day as we sold off, but marginally compared to elsewhere. Parts of Asia and Europe, as well as Latin America, saw their equity markets hit hard over fears of a pandemic swine flu outbreak. Many traders feel this is a notion that will pass as a footnote rather than as a catastrophe, and this was a very light day for data. Sheila Bair at FDIC did manage to call the bank liquidity crisis over.

Here are today's unofficial closing bell levels:

Dow 8,025.00 -51.29 (-0.64%)
S&P 500 857.51 -8.72 (-1.01%)
Nasdaq 1,679.41 -14.88 (-0.88%)

Top Analyst Upgrades
Top Analyst Downgrades

Just as investors were beginning to feel somewhat positive -- the economy was at least bottoming, and possibly showing early signs of turning around -- swine flu has appeared and put the global economy under its own stress test.

The Obama administration declared a public health emergency Sunday because of the flu outbreak. So far officials have confirmed cases in New York, Texas, California and Kansas. Globally there have been cases of the same strain of the deadly flu, which is suspected in the deaths of 103 people in Mexico, as far as New Zealand.

One after another, sectors, markets and companies affected by the flu's consequences have exhibited symptoms -- good or bad.

BloggingStocks and DailyFinance have more:

• Don't fear the swine flu . . . trade it
• Airlines could suffer thanks to a potential swine flue epidemic
• Analyst warns Visa/Mastercard could be smacked by swine flu
• Swine flu: Outbreak takes its toll in the oil patch
• Fear of flu epidemic hurts stocks, helps some drug companies
• What would a swine flu pandemic do to the economy?

I remember Toronto during SARS. As one of the harder hit areas, it was not a happy place. It was the end of winter, but that miserable, cold winter just didn't want to end. People walked the streets in a gloomy haze, afraid to take the subway and giving dirty looks to anyone brazen enough to cough in public. Worse, I couldn't even visit a friend in the hospital. All things considered though, in global pandemic terms, it was over relatively quickly. Let's hope swine flu will be the same.

In the meantime, let's put on our investors hats and see what's in store for some stocks:

Travel and tourist stocks
This is one of the worst hit areas, especially airlines, as people may cancel their travel plans. For example, AMR Corp. (NYSE: AMR) traded over 9 percent lower an hour after the open. Royal Caribbean Cruises (NYSE: RCL) was down over 15 percent. In fact UBS downgraded these airlines and hotels this morning: AMR, Continental Airlines (NYSE: CAL), Host Hotels and Resorts (NYSE: HST), Lasalle Hotel Properties (NYSE: LHO), Marriott (NYSE: MAR), United Airlines (NASDAQ: UAUA), US Airways (NYSE: LCC). Carnival Cruise Lines (NYSE: CCL) also declined considerably. Best to stay away from the sector.

Earlier I took a look at the obvious impact that the pig pig flu outbreak could have on airlines, but I was surprised to see the profound impact it has had in the oil patch.

Black gold futures are 5% lower this morning because of global economic recovery concerns that have surfaced thanks to the "deadly swine flu." In early morning trading, June-dated crude was trading below $50 per barrel and recently dipped below $49 per barrel.

Pork producers aren't the only stocks getting hammered by swine flu fears. Brokerage JPMorgan observed today that "concerns over the swine flu outbreak could weigh on MasterCard Inc. (NYSE: MA - option chain) / Visa Inc. (NYSE: V - option chain) shares due to fears that cross-border fees may suffer from reduced cross-border travel related to the virus," sending shares of both companies lower at the sound of the opening bell.

Although JPMorgan added that it's too early to tell what impact the swine flu will have on MasterCard and Visa, the firm asserted that "the risk is worth monitoring in our view."

What more could go wrong for airlines, right? The swine flu outbreak has reminded some investors of the SARS epidemic in Asia, and it has taken its toll on airlines. With the Mexican government closing schools and stores because of a public health emergency, we await a worldwide reaction. With fears of human-to-human transmission of the disease, no doubt we are going to see airlines suffer again.

Swine flu cases have reached as far as New Zealand, and cases were found in Spain, America and Canada, In the country of origin, Mexico, there have also been deaths, making this a worldwide outbreak. These concerns resulted in battered airline stocks in foreign trading. In Chinese trading, Air France KLM, Deutsche Lufthansa, British Airways, and Iberiea were all more than 7% lower. Cathay Pacific and Air China were both sharply lower as well.