Perhaps oddly apropos for Father's Day: there's more news of the health effects of green tea; specifically, that compounds found in green tea may slow the growth of prostate cancer, the second leading cause of cancer death among American men.

Researchers have found that polyphenols, a green tea extract with antioxidant properties, lower the levels of proteins that tumors use to grow. While green tea may keep cancer from growing fast, they point out, it may not be able to shrink tumors. But it can be a good addition to traditional therapies such as chemotherapy or radiation.

"Golf has Tiger Woods, novelists have Tom Clancy, and the investment community has stars such as Bruce Berkowitz, Bill Nygren, Charlie Dreifus, and Mario Gabelli," states Paul Tracy.

In his The Street Authority Market Advisor, he suggests, "These money managers are at the pinnacle of their craft." Here, he takes a look at these "celebrities" and some of their current top stock holdings.

"These money managers have all amassed prodigious gains over the years for their shareholders. Over the past few months, these gurus have come out with ringing endorsements for certain stocks. This isn't empty talk -- they are putting their money where their mouth is.

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

• Abercrombie & Fitch Co. (NYSE: ANF) reported dismal Q1 numbers as same-store sales plunged.
• Applied Materials Inc. (NASDAQ: AMAT) dismal Q2 results were in line with analysts' expectations.
• Bankrate Inc. (NASDAQ: RATE) reported lower earnings and revenue for Q1 and offered no guidance.
• Blockbuster Inc. (NYSE: BBI) earnings, revenue, and same-store sales all fell in the first quarter.
• Dr Pepper Snapple Group (NYSE: DPS) Q1 earnings declined but still topped analysts' expectations.

Dr Pepper Snapple Group (NYSE: DPS) popped open its first-quarter report on Wednesday (I bet you never read that pun before from a financial pundit covering a beverage concern!). On an adjusted basis, sales rose 4%. Management needed to adjust for the termination of a contract with Hansen (NASDAQ: HANS), as well as for currency effects. The company saw a drop in bottom-line income excluding items as earnings came in at $0.37 per share. This was $0.03 less than last year's performance.

However, Dr Pepper can feel happy about the fact that the company beat expectations. The market was only looking for $0.29 per share. How refreshing (yep, another pun)! Volumes did all right during the quarter.

As earnings season begins to wind down, some apparel retailers are scheduled to report quarterly results this week. Analysts polled by Thomson Reuters anticipate that Walmart Stores Inc. (NYSE: WMT), the 800-pound gorilla in the space, will report that it earned $0.77 per share in the first quarter, about the same as in the first quarter of last year. But JCPenney Co. (NYSE: JCP), Kohl's Corp. (NYSE: KSS), Nordstrom Inc. (NYSE: JWN), and Urban Outfitters Inc. (NASDAQ: URBN) are expected to report lower profits for the first quarter as consumers continued to hold off on spending. Macy's Inc. (NYSE: M) and Abercrombie & Fitch Co. (NYSE: ANF) are expected to have swung to a loss year over year.

Whole Foods Market Inc. (NASDAQ: WFMI) and Winn Dixie Stores Inc. (NASDAQ: WINN) are likewise expected to report declining earnings, while the Great Atlantic & Pacific Tea Co. (NYSE: GAP), parent of the A&P supermarket chain, is expected to have narrowed its net loss 68.9% to $0.28 per share.

• Citigroup upgraded Abbott Lab (NYSE: ABT) to Hold from Sell on valuation following the stock's recent underperformance. The firm maintains a $48 price target.
  
• Deutsche Bank upgraded shares of Pepsi Bottling (NYSE: PBG) and Dr. Pepper Snapple (NYSE: DPS) to Buy from Hold as they believe carbonated soft drinks market is showing signs of stabilization. The firm raised its price target on Pepsi Bottling to $28 from $25 and on Dr. Pepper Snapple to $22 from $20.
  
• Baird upgraded CommScope (NYSE: CTV) to Outperform from Neutral and raised their target to $19 from $10 as they expect fundamentals to bottom in Q1 and ramp strongly in Q2 as wireless capex outlook improves.
• Sinopec Shanghai (NYSE: SHI) was raised to Buy from Sell at Goldman.
  
• TRW Automotive (NYSE: TRW) was upgraded at JP Morgan to Neutral from Underweight.

Analyst upgrades:

• Keefe Bruyette upgraded AmeriCredit (NYSE: ACF) to Market Perform from Underperform as it believes the company's warehouse facility amendments substantially reduce the risk of bankruptcy in the near term. The firm has a $6 target on the stock.
  
• Thomas Weisel upgraded Suntech (NYSE: STP) to Market Weight from Underweight on valuation following the recent weakness. The firm has a $6 target on the stock.
  
• Banc of America/Merrill upgraded Kohl's (NYSE: KSS) to Buy from Neutral on valuation following the recent weakness and believes the company's guidance is achievable.
• Dr. Pepper Snapple (NYSE: DPS) was upgraded to Buy from Neutral at Goldman.
  
• Digital River (NYSE: DRIV) was raised to Buy from Hold at Deutsche Bank.
  
• Clorox (NYSE: CLX) was upgraded at Barclays to Equal Weight from Underweight.

Analyst upgrades:

• Jefferies upgraded shares of Safeway (NYSE: SWY) to Hold from Underperform on valuation as they believe the company's pricing pressure and sluggish sales trends are now priced in. The firm raised its target to $23.50 from $21.
  
• Merrill upgraded Pfizer (NYSE: PFE) to Buy from Underperform citing attractive dividend yield and stabilizing businesses.
  
• Banc of America upgraded shares of Apollo Group (NASDAQ: APOL) to Neutral from Sell and raised APOL's target to $60 from $48 on valuation as they see a balanced risk/reward at current levels.
• Nucor (NYSE: NUE) was raised to Overweight from Equal Weight at Morgan Stanley.
  
• Citrix Systems (NASDAQ: CTXS) and Symantec (NASDAQ: SYMC) were upgraded to Overweight from Neutral at JP Morgan.
  
• Keefe Bruyette upgraded Jefferies Group (NYSE: JEF) and Bank of America (NYSE: BAC) to Market Perform from Underperform.

Analyst downgrades:

Billboard announced last week that Best Buy Stores, Inc. (NYSE: BBY) is rumored to be the exclusive retailer for the continuously pending Guns n' Roses album, Chinese Democracy, by the end of 2008. For anyone who does not know about this album, it is likely to be one of the longest produced and most expensive in the history of the music business; it went into production in the mid-1990s.

Helping to fuel this rumor is the band's new management, Irving Azoff's Front Line Management, which has a history of releasing new albums exclusively through single retailers. Front Line released the Eagles return album Long Road Out of Eden through Wal-Mart Stores, Inc. (NYSE: WMT) a year ago with massive success. The "new" Guns n' Roses album would predictably see similar success when and if it is ever released, and Best Buy is smart to be grasping at the exclusivity if it is more than a rumor.

But will the album's release recoup the amount of money spent producing it? This is one of the major reasons the album is continuously unreleased, despite rumors of release dates and its appearances on release schedules. A March 2005 article by the New York Times stated that production costs had reached $13 million, a figure that could only have increased in the following three and a half years. These high figures raise the question of whether the album will truly be worth release financially, even if it is critically or popularly successful.

Analyst upgrades:

• Baird upgraded Adtran (NASDAQ: ADTN) to Outperform from Neutral based on valuation, new product cycles, and confidence in 2H08 results.
  
• Morgan Stanley upgraded shares of Repsol (NYSE: REP) to Overweight from Equal Weight as they believe the potential sale to Sacyr Vallehermoso SA could lead to a restructuring.
  
• Stanford lifted National Oilwell Varco (NYSE: NOV) to Buy from Hold citing valuation. In addition, the firm, which set a target of $70, thinks most of the drop in commodity prices is now over.
• Ryanair (NASDAQ: RYAAY) was raised to Hold from Sell at Societe Generale.
  
• Ann Taylor (NYSE: ANN) was upgraded at Piper to Neutral from Sell.
  
• Goldman added Illinois Tool Works (NYSE: ITW) to the Conviction Buy List.

Analyst downgrades:

• Argus downgraded shares of Constellation Energy (NYSE: CEG) to Hold from Buy post-close given the volatility in the stock as they can no longer recommend CEG until concerns over its capital and liquidity are resolved. Shares were also downgraded to Hold from Buy at Citigroup.
  
• Collins Stewart downgraded Lloyds TSB Group (NYSE: LYG) to Hold from Buy following the acquisition of HBOS (OTC: HBOOY) as they expect short-term weakness in the stock.

Analyst upgrades:

• JP Morgan upgraded O'Reilly (NASDAQ: ORLY) to Overweight from Neutral, citing increased demand and CSK acquisition synergies.
  
• Yamana Gold (NYSE: AUY) was raised to Outperform from Sector Perform by RBC Capital, based on valuation and the firm's expectation that gold will rally.
  
• HSBC upgraded KLA-Tencor (NASDAQ: KLAC) to Overweight from Neutral with a $44 target.

Analyst downgrades:

• Bernstein dropped DISH Network (NASDAQ: DISH) to Underperform from Market Perform, citing continued weak operations, declining cash flow, and satellite sector headwinds, among other reasons.
  
• Macy's (NYSE: M) was downgraded to Neutral from Buy by Goldman Sachs based on valuation.
  
• Kohl's (NYSE: KSS) was also dropped to Neutral from Buy by Goldman based on valuation.
  
• UBS downgraded Dr Pepper Snapple (NYSE: DPS) to Neutral from Buy based on valuation.

Analyst initiations:

• Salesforce.com (NYSE: CRM) was started with a Buy rating by Kaufman Bros., which believes the core on-demand CRM application market is nowhere close to full penetration.
  
• Caris initiated Eli Lilly (NYSE: LLY) with a Below Average rating, citing the company's Zyprexa and Cymbalta patent expirations.
  
• Leerink Swann assumed coverage of Amgen (NASDAQ: AMGN) with an Outperform, as the firm predicts that the company's denosumab will allow the company to substantially increase its earnings starting in 2010.

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

• Abercrombie & Fitch Co. (NYSE: ANF) posted solid Q2 results despite touch economic conditions.
• Apollo Management LP swung to a net loss on a write down and litigation, but is on track for an IPO.
• Cree Inc. (NASDAQ: CREE) beat analysts' expectations and raised its revenue guidance.
• Dr Pepper Snapple Group Inc. (NYSE: DPS) beat earnings estimates and raised its full-year guidance.
• 4Kids Entertainment Inc. (NYSE: KDE) widened its Q2 net loss more than analysts had anticipated.
• Kohl's Corp. (NYSE: KSS) topped Q2 expectations and raised its full-year guidance.
• Lions Gate Entertainment Corp. (NYSE: LGF) unexpectedly swung to a Q1 profit as revenues soared.
• Macy's Inc. (NYSE: M) beat Q2 expectations despite lower sales, and warned of weakness ahead.
• Napster Inc. (NASDAQ: NAPS) Q1 net loss matched the previous quarter and the year-ago loss.
• Nordstrom Inc. (NYSE: JWN) beat Q2 expectations despite a drop in earnings and lowered its guidance.
• Sirius XM Radio Inc. (NASDAQ: SIRI) CEO predicted post-merger earnings next year.
• Thomson Reuters Corp. (NYSE: TRI) Q2 profit fell while revenue soared, but still missed estimates.
• UBS (NYSE: UBS) dismal Q2 results were accompanied by speculation of breaking up the bank.
• Wachovia (NYSE: WB) revised its Q2 loss to include auction rate securities settlements.

Also, Jim Cramer warns against bearishness on the financials and also suggests that the collapse of commodities will buoy earings.

For more highlights from this week, see: Wal-Mart, JCPenney, MBIA, Deere, Applied Materials and others

Upcoming quarterly reports include Lowe's (NYSE: LOW), Home Depot (NYSE: HD), Hewlett-Packard (NYSE: HPQ), Target (NYSE: TGT), La-Z-Boy (NYSE: LZB), Saks (NYSE: SKS), BJ's Wholesale (NYSE: BJ), Limited Brands (NYSE: LTD), Barnes & Noble (NYSE: BKS), Burger King (NYSE: BKC), Gap (NYSE: GPS), Heinz (NYSE: HNZ), and Intuit (NASDAQ: INTU).

Visit AOL Money & Finance for more earnings coverage.

Dr. Pepper Snapple Group (NYSE: DPS - option chain) shares are flying higher today after the company reported this morning earnings that beat expectations by 5 cents and set its full-year forecast about 3 cents higher than previous analyst estimates. Even if consumers are spending less, it seems that charging $1.50 for two liters of soda that cost only a few cents to produce is still a good business model. 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 DPS.

DPS opened this morning at $22.21. So far today the stock has hit a low of $22.12 and a high of $23.77. As of 12:45, DPS is trading at $22.94, up $1.28 (5.9%). The chart for DPS looks neutral, but improving.

For a bullish hedged play on this stock, I would consider a November bull-put credit spread below the $20 range. A bull-put credit spread is an options position that combines the purchase and sale of put options to hedge risk in case the stock doesn't do what you think but still leverage nice returns. For this particular trade, we will make a 16.3% return in just three and a half months as long as DPS is above $20 at November expiration. DPS would have to fall by more than 12% before we would start to lose money. Learn more about this type of trade here.

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

• Big Lots Inc. (NYSE: BIG) beat Q1 expectations and offered Q2 and full-year earnings guidance.
• Brown-Forman Corp. (NYSE: BF.B) beat Q4 estimates on demand for Jack Daniels and Finlandia vodka.
• Collective Brands Inc. (NYSE: PSS) reported strong Q1 results despite a litigation charge.
• Del Monte Foods Co. (NYSE: DLM) Q4 earnings surged 37% but fell short of analysts' estimates.
• Dollar Tree Inc. (NASDAQ: DLTR) beat Q1 earnings expectations and offered Q2 and full-year guidance.
• Dr Pepper Snapple Group Inc. (NYSE: DPS) Q1 earnings surged 38% but fell short of expectations.
• Guess Inc. (NYSE: GES) reported strong Q1 results on strength in Europe and Asia.
• National Semiconductor Corp. (NASDAQ: NSM) posted better-than-expected Q4 results.
• Nucor Corp. (NYSE: NUE) raised its earnings outlook for the coming Q2 report, sending shares higher.
• SeaChange International Inc. (NASDAQ: SEAC) reported better-than-expected Q1 results.
• Smithfield Foods Corp. (NYSE: SFD) Q1 profits fell 94% on rising grain costs and falling hog prices.
• Toll Brothers Inc. (NYSE: TOL) reported a smaller-than-expected Q2 loss, lifting shares.
• Wimm-Bill-Dann Foods (NYSE: WBD) reported strong Q1 results that beat Wall Street expectations.

See also: Earnings highlights: Wal-Mart, Lehman Bros., Take-Two, Ciena, Trina Solar and others

Also, continued real estate losses are expected to hurt the quarterly reports of banks such as like Wachovia (NYSE: WB), Wells Fargo (NYSE: WFC), and National City (NYSE: NCC). And Steven Mallas wonders why Playboy (NYSE: PLA) shares have tanked since its last earnings report.

Upcoming results to watch for include Krispy Kreme (NYSE: KKD), Pall Corp. (NYSE: PLL), Pep Boys (NYSE: PBY), Korn Ferry (NYSE: KFY), and Casey's General Stores (NASDAQ: CASY).

Visit AOL Money & Finance for more earnings coverage.

On Thursday, Dr Pepper Snapple Group Inc. (NYSE: DPS), which spun off from Cadbury Schweppes (OTC: CSGWF) last month, and canned foods manufacturer Del Monte Foods Co. (NYSE: DLM) both reported double-digit profit growth for their fourth quarters, but still missed analysts' expectations. Smithfield Foods Corp. (NYSE: SFD), the U.S.'s largest hog producer and pork processor, said its first-quarter profits tumbled, hurt by rising grain costs and falling hog prices.

Plano, Texas-based Dr Pepper reported that its first-quarter earnings surged 38% from a year ago to $95 million, or 38 cents per share, as the company raised prices to offset lower volume and rising commodity costs. Adjusted for a restructuring charge, earnings were 36 cents per share. Sales for the three months ended March 31 grew 3% to $1.31 billion.

Analysts surveyed by Thomson Financial had expected earnings of 41 cents per share on revenue of $1.27 billion.

Dr Pepper shares rose more than a dollar, or 4%, in morning trading to $25.00, just shy of the price at which the stock began trading last month.