Advance Auto Parts (AAP), first discussed here on May 19, 2009, at a price of $43.38 -- a play of the year in 2010 -- may qualify for a similar award in 2011.

Advance Auto's shares have pulled back about 10% this winter to about $63, but view that retreat as an opportunity to scoop up shares, if you missed the $43 entry point, as AAP will likely resume heading north soon.

The earnings season is winding to a close, but there are still some big names left to report, including AutoZone Inc. (AZO), which will report its fiscal second quarter results before the market opens on Tuesday.

Going into tomorrow's earnings report, analysts are expecting to see Autozone announce earnings of $3.06 per share. During the same period last year the company had earnings of $2.46.

Things look to be pretty quiet on the economic calendar this week. Here are the highlights:

• Tuesday: Weekly chain-store sales
• Wednesday: Federal budget balance for January
• Thursday: Wholesale trade data in December
• Friday: Trade balance in December and the weekly inflation survey

However, three iconic companies -- Walt Disney (DIS), Coca-Cola (KO) and Hasbro (HAS) -- highlight this week's quarterly results. Here's a look at what analysts surveyed by Thomson Reuters are anticipating from these and others.

Advance Auto Parts (AAP), first discussed here on May 19, 2009, at a price of $43.38, like a couple other auto parts stocks, may qualify for the 2010 play-of-the-year.

Advance Auto's stock has risen in staircase fashion from about $41 in April to about $67 today, and there's more upside ahead.

After a week full of mixed economic data taking its toll on the markets, things will settle down somewhat this coming week.

• Monday: Fed releases October data on consumer credit outstanding.
• Tuesday: TIPP Economic Optimism Index is due.
• Wednesday: Labor Dept. offers initial jobless claims numbers for last week, EIA's crude oil inventory last week, October wholesale trade numbers from the Census Bureau.
• Friday: Trade balance data for October, Bureau of Labor Statistics releases its Import Price Index for November, preliminary Michigan Consumer Sentiment Index is due, and the Treasury Dept. releases the federal budget balance in November.

Analyst Upgrades

• Advance Auto Parts (AAP) was upgraded to Perform from Underperform at Oppenheimer.
• Macquarie upgraded Gen-Probe (GPRO) and Beckman Coulter (BEC) to neutral from underperform.
• Tyco (TYC) was upgraded to neutral from reduce at Nomura.
• BofA/Merrill upgraded Cousins Properties (CUZ) to buy from underperform.
• Morgan Stanley upgraded Energy Conversion (ENER) to equal weight from underweight.
• Thermo Fisher (TMO) was upgraded to buy from hold at Auriga.

During uncertain economic conditions, it's best to consider investing in a demonstrated business model or two, and auto parts chain Advance Auto Parts (AAP), first discussed here on May 19, 2009 at a price of $43.38, is one.

Advance Auto's 2010 sales will likely increase 5-7% in 2010, followed by a 4-6% gain in 2011, boosted by the opening of about 150 new stores. Same store sales should increase 4-6% in 2010.

Also, margins should increase, aided by efficiency improvements, and market-appropriate prices.

Analyst Upgrades

• BMO Capital upgraded Concho (CXO) to outperform from market perform and has a $73 price target on the stock. The firm cites valuation and sustainable growth for the upgrade.
• Sterne Agee upgraded City Holding (CHCO) to buy from neutral based on valuation. The firm has a $34 target on the stock.
• UBS upgraded Werner Enterprises (WERN) to neutral from sell based on valuation. The firm raised its price target to $21.50 from $21.
• Nvidia (NVDA) was upgraded to equal weight from underweight at Morgan Stanley.
• Colfax (CFX) was upgraded to neutral from underperform at BofA/Merrill.
• Camden Property (CPT) was upgraded to top pick from outperform at RBC Capital.

If you're looking for a stock that you can ride higher even if the market can't sustain a bullish rally, you might want to take a look at AutoZone, Inc. (AZO).

AutoZone has been on a tear since November 2009 -- rising at a 45-degree angle on its chart from $135 to $200. Whenever the overall market has pulled back, AutoZone has withstood the bearish pressure and moved higher.

It goes without saying that auto parts chains are favored in this neck of the woods. And Advance Auto Parts (AAP), first discussed here on May 19, 2009 at a price of $43.38, fits the bill.

Look for AAP's 2010 sales to increase 5-7% in 2010, followed by a 4-6% gain in 2011, aided by the opening of about 150 new stores. Same store sales should increase 2-3% in 2010.

Meanwhile, margins should increase, aided by efficiency improvements, and better price determinations.

Analyst Upgrades

• Morgan Joseph upgraded Cree (CREE) to buy from hold ahead of Tuesday's Q3 report. The firm, which has a $100 price target on the stock, expects LED demand to drive revenue growth as both China and the U.S. are increasingly strong.
• Janney Montgomery upgraded Salesforce.com (CRM) to buy from neutral on expectations the company will benefit from the migration of software to SaaS deployments. The firm upped its target price for shares to $94 from $67.
• Barrington upgraded Henry Schein (HSIC) to outperform from market perform, citing an attractive valuation, increased confidence in the outcome of the Butler-Schein Animal Health integration and improving momentum in dental equipment. The firm has a $74 price target for shares.
• Advance Auto Parts (AAP) was upgraded to buy from hold at BB&T.
• Red Hat (RHT) was upgraded to outperform from perform at Oppenheimer.
• UBS (UBS) was upgraded to overweight from neutral at HSBC.

Advance Auto Parts (AAP), which I first wrote about on May 19, 2009, at a price of $43.38, is a company I still like, for several reasons.

Look for AAP's revenue to increase a healthy 6% to 8% in FY2010, driven by both same store sales gains and the opening of about 100 new stores.

Analyst Upgrades

• Canaccord upgraded IBM (IBM) to buy from hold, citing the better-than-expected Q4 report, an ongoing economic recovery and higher IT budgets. The firm raised its target to $150 from $130.
• Citigroup upgraded Archer Daniels Midland (ADM) to buy from hold to reflect strength in the oilseed processing market and a positive inflection in ethanol profitability. The firm raised its target on shares to $37 from $33.
• FBR Capital upgraded Tesco (TESO) to outperform from market perform on expectations the company's top drive orders will accelerate in the coming quarters. The firm raised its target price on shares to $18.
• CBS (CBS) was upgraded to buy from hold at Jefferies.
• HSBC Holdings (HBC) was upgraded to buy from hold at RBS.
• Essex Property Trust (ESS) was upgraded to overweight from equal weight at Barclays.

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.

AutoZone Inc. (AZO), the nation's largest aftermarket auto parts chain, is scheduled to discuss its financial results for the fiscal first quarter in a conference call Tuesday, December 8, at 10:00 AM (ET). You can catch the live webcast of the call on the company's website.

The three months that ended in November saw the Cash for Clunkers program, and the Memphis-based company became the parts supplier for the state of Arkansas. Analysts surveyed by Thomson Reuters expect Autozone to report that its earnings rose 16.2% from a year ago to $2.66 per share. Revenue for the quarter is expected to total $1.6 billion, 7.4% higher than a year ago.