Analyst Upgrades

• Las Vegas Sands (LVS) to outperform from neutral at Credit Suisse.
• Boston Scientific (BSX) to outperform from sector perform at RBC Capital.
• Windstream (WIN) to buy from hold at Citigroup.
• Expeditors (EXPD) to buy from neutral at UBS.
• A123 Systems (AONE) to neutral from underperform and Chesapeake Midstream (CHKM) to buy from neutral at BofA/Merrill.
• AvalonBay (AVB) to outperform from neutral and Post Properties (PPS) to neutral from underperform at Cowen.

Analyst Upgrades

• Research In Motion (RIMM) to buy from sell and Gap (GPS) to hold from sell at Citigroup.
• Archer Daniels (ADM) and Airgas (ARG) to buy from hold at Jefferies.
• NCR Corp. (NCR) to conviction buy from neutral at Goldman.
• Valero Energy (VLO) to top pick from sector perform and Western Refining (WNR) to outperform from underperform at RBC Capital.
• Fred's (FRED) to overweight from neutral at JP Morgan.
• Marsh & McLennan (MMC), Willis Group (WSH) and Brown & Brown (BRO) to equal weight from underweight at Barclays.
• Host Hotels (HST) to outperform from neutral at RW Baird.
• La-Z-Boy (LZB) to strong buy from market perform at Raymond James.

Allscripts-Misys Healthcare Solutions Inc. (MDRX) is looking to extend its influence in the electronic health records by purchasing Eclipsys (ECLP) for $1.3 billion in stock.

Allscripts is the dominant player in providing physicians offices with electronic record-keeping systems, while Eclipsys provides similar services to hospitals. Combining the two groups should give Allscripts tremendous reach.

This is a smart move for Allscripts as the U.S. government -- through the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act -- is preparing to provide $30 billion in federal funding to hospitals and physicians who adopt electronic medical records. And if Allscripts can position itself correctly, a large percentage of that money could end up flowing to them.

Allscripts-Misys Healthcare Solutions (NASDAQ: MDRX) is the result of the recently completed merger of Florida-based Allscripts and the health care information technology business of London-based Misys.

The nearly ill-fated merger finally closed late in 2008, after having to be restructured following the untimely demise of Lehman Brothers, the architect of the original merger plans.

The merger with Misys places the company in the forefront of the Obama administration's emphasis on improving health care in part by improving the availability of medical information in electronic form.

Allscripts' solutions are the cutting edge of medical information systems, and the company should benefit substantially from a move in the direction suggested by Obama.

MDRX provides clinical software, connectivity and information solutions to its health care customer base throughout the United States. The company delivers its products through four divisions: Professional Solutions, Enterprise Solutions, Health Systems Group and Medication Services.

MOST NOTEWORTHY: Allscripts, Supertel Hospitality, Cephalon, Limelight Networks and Financial Federal were today's noteworthy downgrades:

• Allscripts (NASDAQ: MDRX) was downgraded to Neutral from Outperform at JP Morgan following its weak Q3 results and guidance.
  
• Supertel Hospitality (NASDAQ: SPPR) was downgraded to Neutral from Outperform at Baird and to Market Perform from Outperform at JMP Securities following its disappointing Q3 report.
  
• JMP securities downgraded Cephalon (NASDAQ: CEPH) to Market Outperform from Strong Buy citing uninspiring Q3 revenue growth.
  
• Friedman Billings downgraded Limelight Networks (NASDAQ: LLNW) to Market Perform from Outperform citing the tough pricing environment, competition, and upcoming IPO lockup expiration on 12/5.
  
• The firm also downgraded shares of Financial Federal (NYSE: FIF) to Underperform from Market Perform, as they expect the company to be impacted substantially from the slowing economy.

OTHER DOWNGRADES:

• JP Morgan removed Jones Lang LaSalle (NYSE: JLL) and CB Richard Ellis (NYSE: CBG) from its Focus List.
  
• Deutsche Bank downgraded Home Diagnostics (NASDAQ: HDIX) to Hold from Buy.
  
• Finisar (NASDAQ: FNSR) was downgraded to Hold from Buy at Jefferies.
  
• Banc of America downgraded RPM, Inc (NYSE: RPM) to Neutral from Buy.

MOST NOTEWORTHY: Marvel Entertainment, Inc (MVL), Electronic Arts Inc (ERTS), ION Media Networks Inc (ION), Allscripts Healthcare Solutions, Inc (MDRX) and Tenet Healthcare Corp (THC) were today's noteworthy downgrades:

• JP Morgan downgraded Marvel Entertainment (NYSE: MVL) to Neutral from Overweight based on the lack of near-term catalysts.

• Gabelli downgraded Electronic Arts (NASDAQ: ERTS) to Hold from Buy on reduced 2008 expectations. The firm expects Electronic to lose market share given the lack of Q1 product launches.

• CRT downgraded ION Media Networks (AMEX: ION) to Sell from Buy and recommends taking profits at these levels as shares are approaching Citadel LP's offer of $1.46 per share.

• BB&T cut Allscripts Healthcare Solutions, Inc (NASDAQ: MDRX) to Hold from Buy after its weak Q1 report.

• Jefferies downgraded Tenet Healthcare (NYSE: THC) to Underperform from Hold with a $5.50 target to reflect weak volumes.
  

OTHER DOWNGRADES:

• Brooks Automation, Inc (NASDAQ: BRKS) was cut to Peer Perform from Outperform at Bear Stearns.

• Prudential downgraded AngloGold Ashanti Ltd (NYSE: AU) to Neutral from Overweight.

• JP Morgan downgraded Jeffries Group, Inc (NYSE: JEF) to Market Perform to Outperform at Keefe Bruyette.

• Pacific Crest cut Cisco Systems, Inc (NASDAQ: CSCO) to Sector Perform from Outperform on valuation.

Analyst summaries provided by TheFlyOnTheWall.com (subscription required).

Online health is certainly a hot market.  Look at WebMD. During the last quarter, sales increased 48% to $50.1 million. In fact, the stock is up about 50% this year (the market cap is about $2.5 billion).

Well, rumors are swirling that Google wants a piece of the action – that is, according to a recent blog post at VC Ratings.

The new Google property has a name:  Google Health Scrapbook. Again, Google is using its super-smart software engineers to design a sophisticated database – in this case, it involves a system of doctors, insurers, patients and so on. Basically, you will now have a Web-based medical record, in which you can change providers, update information, and even pay bills.

No doubt, the health care industry is enormous and extremely complex (it's a trillion dollar business in the US).  Thus, it makes sense for Google to partner.

And, that's apparently what the company is doing, with players like Intuit, AllScripts, and yes, WebMD.