Dick's Sporting Goods (DKS) issued its fourth-quarter report today. The company was rocking this afternoon: with a little more than two hours to go before the close of the session, the stock was up 6% to $39.93. Earlier during the intraday session, a new 52-week high of $40.26 was achieved. It's good to get over that psychological round-number level, right?

The volume of shares traded so far is already in the spectacular range. The 52-week low for the stock is $24.02, so the current price is more than a comfortable distance away from that point. The one-year chart is attractive even if it doesn't plot a straight-up line.

So, the unemployment rate sank below 9% in February, but investors didn't seem to be impressed by that. The Dow, Nasdaq and S&P 500 all fell on Friday over concerns about how the ongoing unrest in the Middle East might affect energy prices, and thus the economic recovery.

Will this coming week's economic calendar offer anything likely to bring excitement to the markets? Here's what's on tap:

• Monday: Consumer credit numbers for January
• Tuesday: Weekly chain store sales, TIPP Economic Optimism Index

Analyst Upgrades

• Polo Ralph Lauren (RL) to buy from hold at Citigroup.
• Qualcomm (QCOM) to buy from neutral at Roth Capital.
• Walgreen (WAG) to conviction buy from neutral at Goldman.
• Rockwell (ROK) to outperform from neutral at Credit Suisse.
• Carnival (CCL) to buy from hold at Deutsche Bank.
• SunTrust (STI) and TD Bank (TD) to outperform from market perform at Keefe Bruyette.
• Hawaiian Electric (HE) to outperform from neutral at RW Baird.
• Essex Property Trust (ESS) to outperform from neutral at Macquarie.
• Amgen (AMGN) to neutral from underperform at BofA/Merrill.

Analyst Upgrades

• Goldman upgraded CSX (CSX) to neutral from sell.
• General Cable (BGC) was upgraded to buy from hold at KeyBanc.
• Morgan Stanley upgraded Chart Industries (GTLS) and Dresser Rand (DRC) to overweight from equal weight.
• Blackrock (BLK) was upgraded to outperform from neutral at Macquarie.
• Credit Suisse upgraded Zions Bancorp (ZION) to neutral from underperform and GameStop (GME) to outperform from neutral.
• Honeywell (HON) was upgraded to outperform from sector perform at RBC Capital.
• Panera Bread (PNRA) was upgraded to buy from neutral at SunTrust.

Dick's Sporting Goods (DKS - option chain) shares are up a tremendous amount today after the company reported fiscal-Q3 earnings this morning, posting a profit of $16.9 million, or 14 cents per share. Excluding one-time items, DKS earned 22 cents per share on revenue of $1.08 billion. Analysts had forecast a profit of 17 cents per share on revenue of $1.04 billion. DKS also forecast Q4 earnings of 69 to 71 cents per share, compared to analysts' forecasts of 67 cents per share. 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 DKS.

DKS opened this morning at $32.44. So far today the stock has hit a low of $31.73 and a high of $33.95. As of 12:00, DKS is trading at $33.87 up $3.95 (13.2%). The chart for DKS looks bearish and S&P gives DKS a negative 2 STARS (out of 5) sell ranking.

Analyst Upgrades

• Goldman upgraded Costco (COST) to buy from neutral based on valuation, improving fundamentals and potential catalysts. The firm raised its price target to $68 from $62.
• Soleil upgraded MGM Resorts (MGM) to buy from hold, citing valuation, easing balance sheet concerns and a multiyear convention recovery. The firm upped its target for shares to $14 from $13. Note, Soleil also downgraded Las Vegas Sands (LVS) to hold from buy.
• Piper Jaffray upgraded Phillips-Van Heusen (PVH) to overweight from neutral with a $59 price target following the company's better-than-expected Q2 results.
• Dell (DELL) was upgraded to buy from outperform at CLSA.
• CommScope (CTV) was upgraded to buy from neutral at UBS.
• EnCana (ECA) was upgraded to sector outperformer from sector performer at CIBC.

Analyst upgrades:

• CLSA upgraded Freeport McMoRan (FCX) to Buy from Sell and has a price target of $85 based on expectations for improved copper prices. The analyst believes China is mostly done with tightening measures and that downside in copper prices is limited.
• Jefferies upgraded Concur Tech (CNQR) to Buy from Hold due to improvements in corporate travel and structural growth drivers from international and SMB. The firm has a price target of $55 on the stock.
• Deutsche Bank upgraded ESCO Technologies (ESE) to Buy from Hold on expectations the company will announce a contract with SoCal Gas within two months. The firm upped its target for shares to $35 from $33.
• Wells Fargo (WFC) was raised to Outperform from Market Perform at FBR Capital.
• Human Genome (HGSI) was upgraded to Outperform from Neutral at Baird.
• Brown & Brown (BRO) was upgraded to Neutral from Underweight at JP Morgan.

Analyst downgrades:

• Canaccord downgraded Netflix (NFLX) to Hold from Buy following the Q2 report and has a $107 price target on the stock. The firm is growing more cautious on ARPU pricing pressure, higher churn rates and higher SAC.
• Deutsche Bank downgraded Airgas (ARG) to Hold from Buy following the company's Q1 results due to valuation. The firm has a $65 price target for shares. Note shares were also downgraded at Soleil this morning.
• Goldman downgraded Piper Jaffray (PJC) to Neutral from Buy and lowered its price target to $35 from $46. The firm said Piper's ROE remains below peers.
• AMB Property (AMB) was downgraded to Neutral from Buy at BofA/Merrill.
• Odyssey Healthcare (ODSY) was downgraded to Negative from Neutral at Susquehanna.
• Trina Solar (TSL) was downgraded to Outperform from Strong Buy at Raymond James.

Analyst initiations:

• BofA/Merrill started Cognizant Technology (CTSH) with a Neutral rating.
• Stifel Nicolaus initiated Brigham Exploration (BEXP) with a Buy rating and $24 target.
• ThinkEquity assumed Dick's Sporting (DKS) with a Buy rating.
• Petrohawk Energy (HK) was initiated with a Perform rating at Oppenheimer.
• E.ON AG (EONGY) was initiated with a Buy rating at RBS.
• Atlas Energy (ATLS) was initiated with an Outperform rating at BMO Capital.

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.

When you need to buy North Face and Columbia Sportswear, where do you go? One hot retailer that sells both is Dick's Sporting Goods (DKS). In November, the company reported better-than-expected third-quarter earnings on rising same-store sales.

Dick's attributed the rise in same-store sales to strong performance of both the North Face and Columbia Sportswear brands. The company also said the increased sales for these brands were likely due to fears of a harsh winter.

If you live practically anywhere east of the San Andreas Fault, you know about the deep freeze biting the nation. Temperatures in many areas of the country have been way below normal this winter, especially in the Midwest and East Coast, and unfortunately, many meteorologists think the 2010 cold front will bring plenty of chilly nights before it makes its welcome departure.

According to the 2010 Farmers' Almanac, this winter will likely see many more days with below-normal average temperatures. Not just in the Midwest and East Coast, but for about three-quarters of the nation. The fallout from these cold temps is a constriction of outdoor activity, more time indoors, increased use of heaters, and when you have to go outside, the need to bundle up.

Analyst Upgrades

• Stephens upgraded Martin Marietta (MLM) to overweight from equal weight on valuation and expectations that infrastructure and highway spending will increase. The firm raised its target on shares to $105 from $95.
• Janney Montgomery upgraded Shutterfly (SFLY) to buy from neutral to reflect valuation and a reduced pricing overhang after Kodak (EK) raised its 4x6 prices. The firm raised its target on shares to $21 from $18.
• Thomas Weisel upgraded Entropic Communications (ENTR) to overweight from market weight. The firm thinks the company is well-positioned for revenue growth in 2010, partly due to MoCA deployments from new customers and design wins for its silicon tuner product. The firm set a $5 target.
• T. Rowe Price (TROW) was upgraded to buy from hold at Jefferies.
• Dick's Sporting Goods (DKS) was upgraded to buy from neutral at BofA/Merrill.
• Massey Energy (MEE) was upgraded to overweight from neutral at JPMorgan.

Dick's Sporting Goods (DKS) was shot out of a proverbial cannon Thursday morning, gaining more than 5% in the first minute of trading.

Ahead of the opening bell, Merill Lynch/Bank of America upgraded the stock to buy from neutral and lifted its price target by five bucks to $28.

The bank noted that fourth-quarter sales could be better than expected, as recent cold weather trends might send people into the stores looking to supplement their cold-weather wear. (Side note: negative 16 wind chill in Chicago today, and yes, I still love living here).

Analyst upgrades:

• American Express (NYSE:AXP) was upgraded to Market Perform from Underperform at FBR Capital, as the firm sees limited near-term downside in the stock. The firm raised its target price on the shares to $37 from $25.
  
• RBC Capital upgraded Estee Lauder (NYSE:EL) to Outperform from Sector Perform. Target to $44 from $34. UBS upgraded Nestle on expectations the company will begin returning cash to shareholders via buybacks and dividends.
  
• Piper Jaffray raised Dicks Sporting (NYSE:DKS) to Neutral from Underweight following positive channel checks and raised its target on the shares to $28 from $18.
  
• Sohu.com (NASDAQ:SOHU) was upgraded to Neutral from Sell by Pali Capital.
  
• Halliburton (NYSE:HAL) was raised to Buy from Hold by Natixis.
  
• Sunpower (NASDAQ:SPWRA) was upgraded to Neutral from Underperform at Macquarie.
• China Automotive (NASDAQ:CAAS) was upgraded to Buy from Neutral at Merriman.

Analyst upgrades:

• Merriman upgraded Sunpower (NASDAQ: SPWRA) two levels to Buy from Sell after transitioning coverage. The firm believes Sunpower is emerging from the current recession as the CleanTech leader and has a $38-$48 price range on shares.
• Citigroup upgraded Varian Medical (NYSE: VAR) to Buy from hold as it believes capex pressure and health care reform uncertainty is priced into shares, and demand will return as hospital budgets stabilize. Citi raised its target on shares to $45 from $36.
• FBR Capital upgraded Gap (NYSE: GPS) to Outperform from Market Perform following the Q2 results to reflect product improvement and ongoing inventory control. The firm raised its target on shares to $24 from $18.
• Schnitzer Steel (NASDAQ: SCHN) was upgraded to Neutral from Sell at UBS.
• UDR Inc. (NYSE: UDR) was upgraded to Market Perform from Underperform at Wells Fargo.
• The Buckle (NYSE: BKE) was upgraded to Buy from Hold at Roth Capital.

Nike, Inc. (NYSE: NKE), best known for its sporting apparel and footwear, reported earnings after the close today. Earnings per share, after certain adjustments, were $0.99 on $4.71 billion in revenue, compared to the $0.96 average expected from analysts. The consensus revenue target was $4.74 billion. Excluding non-comparable items, full year diluted EPS was up 10% to $3.81, although the company said worldwide futures orders were down 12% when the impact of currency changes were taken into account. Shares were off 1% during the trading day, and fell further shortly following the announcement.

Observers will be watching to see how well Nike's sales have held up as consumer spending has slowed, and whether or not the company is making strides in its effort to reduce costs and rationalize its advertising budget. Nike has cut 5% of its global workforce in an effort to save hundreds of millions, and management recently indicated that endorsement contract costs have fallen somewhat.