Analyst Upgrades

• Wynn Resorts (WYNN) to overweight from neutral at JPMorgan.
• Oracle (ORCL) and Alliance Data Systems (ADS) to outperform from neutral at Macquarie.
• Saint Joe (JOE) to outperform from market perform at Keefe Bruyette.
• Starwood Hotels (HOT) to neutral from underperform at RW Baird.
• Middlesex Water (MSEX) to buy from neutral at Janney Capital.
• Consol Energy (CNX) to buy from hold at BB&T.

Analyst Upgrades

• Oppenheimer upgraded VeriSign (VRSN) to outperform from perform, citing better-than-expected domain names trends and the potential for a sizeable share buyback. The firm has a $33 price target for shares.
• Oppenheimer also upgraded EMC (EMC) to outperform from perform, citing valuation and expectations for strong Q2 results. The firm set a $22 price target for shares.
• Piper Jaffray upgraded Juniper (JNPR) to overweight from neutral, citing valuation and its longer-term outlook. The firm keeps a $31 price target for shares.
• Kilroy Realty (KRC) was upgraded to neutral from underperform at BofA/Merrill.
• Veolia Environment (VE) was upgraded to buy from add at WestLB.
• QEP Resources (QEP) was upgraded to positive from neutral at Susquehanna.

Analyst Upgrades

• Wells Fargo upgraded Home Properties (HME) to outperform from market perform. The firm thinks that rental rate in the Northeast and mid-Atlantic are poised to increase, while Home Properties provides relatively cheap access to these markets.
• Deutsche Bank upgraded VeriSign (VRSN) to buy from hold after the company sold its authentication business to Symantec (SYMC). The firm upped its target for VRSN shares to $35 from $25.
• Macquarie upgraded Nexen (NXY) to outperform from neutral following the company's divestiture of its noncore heavy-oil properties in Western Canada.
• UPS (UPS) was upgraded to buy from hold at Stifel Nicolaus.
• Dell (DELL) was upgraded to buy from hold at Standpoint Research.
• Emerson Electric (EMR) was upgraded to outperform from market perform at Bernstein.

U.S. stock market futures fell sharply lower Thursday morning, indicating Wall Street is set to extend Wednesday's declines. Concerns over European debt persisted and the new unilateral regulations by Germany continued to shake markets. Investors also digested news the Senate vote on Wall Street financial regulation failed as they awaited employment data out of the U.S.

Overseas, Asian markets fell Thursday, with Japan's Nikkei dropping 1.5% and China's Shanghai index down 1.2%. Geopolitical concerns as tensions between the U.S. and North Korea grew, didn't help sentiment there.

Analyst Upgrades

• Needham upgraded Dick's Sporting Goods (DKS) to buy from hold following the company's Q1 results as it believes the sell-off in shares provides an attractive entry point into the name. The firm has a $31 price target for the stock. Piper Jaffrey upgraded Dick's Sporting to overweight from neutral following the company's Q1 results and raised its target for shares to $34 from $31.
• Piper Jaffray also upgraded MGIC Investment (MTG) to overweight from neutral. The firm upgraded shares on valuation and raised its target to $11 from $10.
• Macy's (M) was upgraded to buy from neutral and VeriSign (VRSN) was upgraded to sell from conviction sell at Goldman.
• Fidelity National (FIS) was upgraded to outperform from market perform at Raymond James.
• Watson Pharma (WPI) was upgraded to overweight from neutral at JPMorgan.

Analyst Upgrades

• Stephens upgraded Schlumberger (SLB) to overweight from equal weight with an $80 price target, citing valuation and the company's international activity.
• Roth Capital upgraded Synutra International (SYUT) to buy from hold, citing the company's improved outlook, increased market share and valuation. The firm has a $27 target on shares.
• Oppenheimer upgraded Progressive (PGR) to perform from underperform as it believes the company's focus on growth could move shares higher in the near-term.
• Inergy Holdings (NRGP) was upgraded to buy from hold at Wunderlich.
• Best Buy (BBY) was upgraded to hold from sell at Societe Generale.
• Vale SA (VALE) was upgraded to buy from hold at Canaccord.

Analyst Upgrades

• Deutsche Bank upgraded United Parcel Service (UPS) to buy from hold on expectations the company will benefit from improving international package volumes and restructuring initiatives. The firm raised its target on shares to $70 from $67.
• JPMorgan upgraded SVB Financial (SIVB) to overweight from neutral on valuation following the recent pullback in shares. The firm has a $54 price target on the stock.
• Baird upgraded ArvinMeritor (ARM) to outperform from neutral and raised its target to $15 from $12 following the Q2 report. The firm said ArvinMeritor has transformed its business model and is well-positioned for growth.
• UBS (UBS) was upgraded to overweight from neutral at JPMorgan.
• Occidental Petroleum (OXY) was upgraded to conviction buy from buy at Goldman.
• Vail Resorts (MTN) was upgraded to outperform from market perform at Wells Fargo.

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.

Sy Harding, long-known as one of the newsletter advisory world's top market timers, has launched an new service -- Street Smart Long & Short Stock Advisory. Among his first buy recommendation is VeriSign (NASDAQ: VRSN).

Says Harding, "Chances are if you make online purchases of goods or services, VeriSign is involved, providing the website with the system and safeguards that protect the privacy and security of the transactions."

"VeriSign operates in several important areas of Internet commerce and communication. Since November, 2007 the company has sold 11 non-core businesses and its share of joint ventures, taking in some $575 million, to focus its attention on its core businesses.

Analyst upgrades:

• Goldman said International Paper (NYSE: IP) is its top pick in the group citing leverage to early cycle containerboard. The firm upgraded shares to Conviction Buy from Buy and has a $26 target on the stock.
• Morgan Keegan upgraded Healthcare Realty Trust (NYSE: HR) to Outperform from Market Perform citing valuation and better-than-expected Q2 results.
• William Blair upgraded Harbin Electric (NASDAQ: HRBN) to Outperform from Market Perform as it believes the Chinese economy is likely to accelerate and the company's balance sheet is strengthened following the retirement of debt.
• Allstate (NYSE: ALL) was upgraded to Buy from Neutral at BofA/Merrill.
• VeriSign (NASDAQ: VRSN) was upgraded to Outperform from Neutral at Credit Suisse.
• Commercial Vehicle Group (NASDAQ: CVGI) was upgraded to Overweight from Underweight at JPMorgan.

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

• American International Group Inc. (NYSE: AIG) said its earnings report would not include a conference call.
• Caterpillar Inc. (NYSE: CAT) shares rose after it reaffirmed the 2009 outlook and forecast further growth.
• Cisco Systems Inc. (NASDAQ: CSCO) said its Q4 numbers tumbled despite cost-cutting efforts.
• Comcast Corp. (NASDAQ: CMCSA) posted strong Q2 results, though its cash flow was flat.
• Crocs Inc. (NASDAQ: CROX) reported better-than-expected Q2 results and forecast a return to profitability.
• Electronic Arts Inc. (NASDAQ: ERTS) revenue surged in Q1 and its narrower loss beat expectations.

VeriSign (NASDAQ: VRSN - option chain) stock is falling today after the company reported earnings last night, posting a second-quarter profit of $34.87 million or 18 cents per share. Excluding items, VRSN earned 31 cents per share, missing analysts' estimates by a penny. If you think this stock won't be rising too far in the coming months, then it could be a good time to look at a bearish hedged play on VRSN.

This morning, VRSN opened at $20.00. So far today the stock has hit a low of $18.64 and a high of $20.06. As of 11:45, VRSN is trading at $19.04, down $1.52 (-7.4%). The chart for VRSN looks bullish and S&P gives VRSN a positive 5 STARS (out of 5) strong buy ranking.

Last week's Fed Beige Book report and GDP numbers suggested that the economy may be stabilizing, and this coming week will bring plenty of economic data to confirm or deny that suggestion. On the schedule are consumer credit, construction spending, factory orders, and pending home sales for June, the employment situation, the Import Price Index, and new motor vehicle sales for July, as well as the ISM Manufacturing and Non-manufacturing Indexes for July.

The week will also bring quarterly reports from home builders Beazer Homes USA Inc. (NYSE: BZH), D.R. Horton Inc. (NYSE: DHI), and Pulte Homes Inc. (NYSE: PHM). Yet again, analysts surveyed by Thomson Reuters expect all three to have narrowed their losses in the most recent quarter. However, they've all tended to post deeper-than-expected losses in recent quarters as well. Analysts also expect to see their revenue down 45% or more for the past quarter. They forecast long-term EPS growth of 7% or more, but none of these homebuilders has a First Call consensus buy recommendation, not surprisingly. Short interest is falling off for Beazer and D.R. Horton, and D.R. Horton and Pulte have been reporting positive cash flow from operations, but all three of them said they had more long-term debt than cash in hand last time around. Mortgage insurer PMI Group Inc. (NYSE: PMI) is likewise expected to report that it narrowed its second-quarter loss.

TheStreet.com's Jim Cramer says companies saddled with high debt loads can be found in every sector in every business.

Overleveraged. Too much debt. Need to pay down debt. How many times have you read that story?

You read it so much because it plays out every day and plays havoc with stock picking almost every time you see a savory stock down on its luck.

This weekend, as I went through the charts, I was amazed at how low some stocks have gone, stocks that I would normally say to just take a flyer on, but turn out to have so much debt, short- and long-term, that they are just too dangerous.

Consider these perhaps poisonous morsels:

Hopefully we are either getting toward the beginning of the end in this bear trend. If not, we are in for a long 2008 between presidential candidates bantering caught in a weak economy and a down trending market. The daily sell-off is hard to argue against since buying only works for a short period right now. About the best thing the bulls could hang a shingle on today was an initial flat reading seen in some index after the open. That wasn't to hold. All of the same reasons that the bulls hung on to were overrun by the same arguments the bears have been using all along.

Below are the unofficial closing bell levels:

DJIA 11,146.30 (-238.40)
S&P500 1,244.66 (-29.04)
NASDAQ 2.234.89 (-59.55)
10YR T-Note 3.834% (-0.046%)
52-WEEK LOWS
TOP ANALYST UPGRADES
TOP ANALYST DOWNGRADES

Cisco Systems Inc. (NASDAQ: CSCO) was one of the bigger losers in key technology on two different reports causing concern on Wall Street. Shares were down over 5.3% at $21.66 in today's final minutes.

QLogic Corp. (NASDAQ: QLGC) was a winner after it actually raised guidance. Shares were up over 9% today in the final minutes at $15.27.

VeriSign Inc. (NASDAQ: VRSN) was a standout winner today. Shares were raised, although there are more questions than answers outstanding on this stock now. Shares were up 2.8% at $33.77 in today's final minutes.

Yahoo! Inc. (NASDAQ: YHOO) shares were down over 2% at $24.09 despite rumors on Jerry Yang about to resign. I called the company, and it denied such rumors right on the spot.