TheStreet.com's Jim Cramer says the upside surprise from this perennial laggard looks to give us a lift today.

It is a testament to how bad Alcoa (NYSE: AA) (Cramer's Take) has been run that no one thought they could do well despite a dramatic increase in the price of aluminum from quarter to quarter. Think about it -- did anyone think that Alcoa could deliver, despite the fact that aluminum went from 67 cents a pound to 83 cents a pound, a jump of 24%?

I was dumbfounded myself to see them not disappoint. It's been since the late 1980s and early 1990s that this company has made a lot of money, and it almost never seemed to matter what happened with costs of alumina or energy input costs or labor costs, you knew they would get it wrong.

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.

Analyst upgrades:

• Piper Jaffray upgraded PetMed Express (NASDAQ: PETS) to Overweight from Neutral following the better-than-expected Q1 results. The firm raised its target on shares to $22 from $19.
• Deutsche Bank upgraded International Paper (NYSE: IP) and Packaging Corp. (NYSE: PKG) to Buy from Hold to reflect stabilization in the containerboard industry. The firm raised its target price on Packaging Corp. to $24 from $14, and on International Paper to $24 from $16.
• Bernstein upgraded Human Genome Sciences (NASDAQ: HGSI) to Outperform from Market Perform following the positive Phase III data for Benlysta in lupus.
• IBM (NYSE: IBM) was upgraded to Hold from Sell at Societe Generale.
• British Airways (OTC: BAIRY) was upgraded to Buy from Sell at Goldman.
• Continental AG (OTC: CTTAY) was upgraded to Hold from Sell at Citigroup.

Analyst upgrades:

• Morgan Stanley upgraded Chesapeake Energy (NYSE: CHK) to Overweight from Equal Weight as they expect the company to benefit from higher natural gas prices in 2010. The firm has a $34 target on shares.
• Citigroup upgraded Energy Conversion (NASDAQ: ENER) to Hold from Sell on valuation is it finds the risk/reward balanced at current levels. The firm raised its target price to $16 from $13.
• Jefferies upgraded Lifetime Brands (NASDAQ: LCUT) to Buy from Underperform to reflect reduced liquidity concerns and an improved outlook for Global Direct Sellers. The firm raised its target price to $4 from $2.
• American Eagle (NYSE: AEO) was upgraded to Overweight from Equal Weight at Barclays.
• TJX Companies (NYSE: TJX) was upgraded at Barclays to Overweight from Equal Weight and to Outperform from Netural at Credit Suisse.
• STEC Inc (NASDAQ: STEC) was raised to Overweight from Market Weight at Thomas Weisel.

Recently, I had the pleasure of attending The Summit Series conference in Aspen with 115 top young entrepreneurs and inspiring philanthropists under the age of 35. This event, founded by Elliot Bisnow of Bisnow Media, has created a community of the world's most influential innovators. "We are inspired by events like the Clinton Global Initiative, TED, and Davos," says Bisnow. $200,000 was raised for the four presenting non-profit organizations including NothingButNets.com, Feed Foundation, Invisible Children, and Grassroots Soccer.

These five start-ups were among the most impressive and interesting business ideas:

TheStreet.com's Jim Cramer says if we let some banks give it back, others may rush to do so unnecessarily.

Breather day? Or does this monster ever breathe?

We are seeing stress levels coming down: the magic VIX going under 40?, money coming in, industrials bouncing -- I watch International Paper (NYSE: IP) (Cramer's Take), Du Pont (NYSE: DD) (Cramer's Take), Packaging Corp. (NYSE: PKG) (Cramer's Take) and Ingersoll Rand (NYSE: IR) (Cramer's Take) for true industrial bounces. We are seeing the rails and the fertilizers -- two 2008 sectors -- regaining life and lifetime moves in a session.

But it was and is and always will be about the banks, and no matter what we do it will come back to them. They are the reason we got in trouble, and they are the reason we got out of trouble.

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

• Akamai Technologies Inc. (NASDAQ: AKAM) earnings prospects garnered an analyst's upgrade.
• Applied Materials Inc. (NASDAQ: AMAT) warned of a loss for the quarter due to the economic slowdown.
• Burger King Holdings Inc. (NYSE: BKC) posted lower Q2 profit and revenue that missed estimates.
• Clorox Co. (NYSE: CLX) Q2 profit fell but beat estimates, and it reaffirmed its full-year guidance.
• Dow Chemical Co. (NYSE: DOW) swung to a Q4 loss and warned that low demand will continue.
• Hartford Financial Group Inc. (NYSE: HIG) posted a loss, cut its dividend, and offered weak guidance.

Analyst upgrades:

• Merriman upgraded shares of Akamai (NASDAQ:AKAM) to Buy from Neutral as they believe consensus expectations are now realistic and already reflect macro headwinds. Merriman also thinks the company's cost reductions could generate upside to EPS estimates.
  
• JP Morgan upgraded Novo Nordisk (NYSE:NVO) to Overweight from Neutral on expectations the company's diabetes drug will gain U.S. approval.
  
• Credit Suisse upgraded Pfizer (NYSE:PFE) to Outperform from Neutral and raised their target to $20 from $19 citing the merits of the Wyeth (WYE) deal and valuation.
• Quality Systems (NASDAQ:QSII) was upgraded to Buy from Neutral at Piper Jaffray.
  
• Parexel (NASDAQ:PRXL) was raised to Outperform from Market Perform at Wachovia.
  
• Ferro (NYSE:FOE) was upgraded at KeyBanc to Hold from Underweight.

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:

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

• Accenture Ltd. (NYSE: ACN) reported strong Q1 numbers as its clients sought ways to cut costs.
• Best Buy Inc. (NYSE: BBY) may interest short sellers despite its earnings prospects for 2009.
• International Paper Co. (NYSE: IP) to shed dead wood to reduce the impact of the recession on earnings.
• Manpower Inc. (NYSE: MAN) withdrew Q4 profit and revenue guidance, sending shares lower.
• Textron Inc. (NYSE: TXT) lowered its Q4 earnings forecast to well below analysts' estimates.
• Toyota Motor Corp. (NYSE: TM) forecast its first-ever loss for the fiscal year on lower demand/higher yen.
• Walgreen Co. (NYSE: WAG) missed Q1 expectations and announced cost cutting and store redesign.

Also, bank earnings will be hit next by cancelled M&A deals.

Earnings releases scheduled for early January include Navistar (NYSE: NAV), Bed Bath & Beyond (NASDAQ: BBBY), Constellation Brands (NYSE: STZ), Family Dollar (NYSE: FDO), and Monsanto (NYSE: MON).

Visit AOL Money & Finance for more earnings coverage.

International Paper (NYSE: IP), the largest paper products firm in the world, has not been immune to the global economic crisis.

As businesses continue to forecast retraction or slow growth at best, the demand for the products manufactured and distributed by International Paper is experiencing a sharp decline as well.

Despite the difficulty in the economy, the company is holding its leading position as producer of uncoated paper, industrial and commercial packaging, and pulp. It also distributes printing and specialty packaging to the graphic arts industry through its subsidiary, Xpedx.

Recent moves by International Paper appear to have been designed to reduce the impact of the recessionary environment on company earnings. The company has slimmed down significantly, selling its specialty chemical operations, disposing of the majority of its lumber and wood products businesses, and selling most of its 6.3 million acres of forestland, while retaining much of its substantial holdings of Brazilian forestland.

With more than $9.6 billion in long-term debt on its balance sheet, International Paper remains a highly leveraged company. Its long-term debt-to-equity ratio is 1.28 compared with the industry average of 0.82. Its total debt-to-equity ratio is 1.36.

I've long thought the "business method patent" to be one of the biggest shams involved, and I am neither alone in this opinion or innocent of involvement in the scheme. Essentially, business method patents protect the manner of doing something; for instance, you might be able to patent your unique way of sorting envelopes. "I start by separating the colored envelopes from the white ones, and then sort by size," you might say. "Then I alphabetize each stack according to addressee first name."

As of yesterday, your patent would be denied. The Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit handed down a ruling in the Ex Parte Bilski case that would severely limit software and business process patents, essentially requiring that these patents only be approved if the patent in question (1) is tied to a particular machine or apparatus, or (2) transforms a particular article into a different state or thing.

If this is upheld by the Supreme Court (which I tend to believe it would be), this will have far-reaching ramifications for technology companies like Amazon (NASDAQ: AMZN), which have protected a simple process (the One-Click ordering system) that is only an idea, not a machine. I've always found the concept that ideas could be patented to be noisome; taking the One-Click as an example, it is certainly not an idea that only one individual could ever conceive, and it's stifling to keep other competitors from using it. In my opinion, competition should exist based on the excellence of products and services and the development of brand identity, not on legal protectionism. Jeffrey Bezos may not agree ...

Analyst upgrades:

• Credit Suisse upgraded shares of Novartis (NYSE: NVS) to Neutral from Underperform as they believe the stock's defensive characteristics justify a premium valuation.
  
• Merrill raised Dreamworks (NYSE: DWA) to Buy from Neutral and has increased confidence in DWA's sustainable success following the performance of Kung Fu Panda and new revenue streams.
  
• Anadarko Petroleum (NYSE: APC) was raised to Buy from Hold at Stanford on valuation.
  
• Goldman upgraded Smurfit-Stone (NASDAQ: SSCC) and Canadian National (NYSE: CNI) to Buy from Neutral and added International Paper (NYSE: IP) to the Conviction Buy List.
  
• Northern Trust (NASDAQ: NTRS) was upgraded to Buy from Neutral at Merrill.

Analyst downgrades:

• Jefferies downgraded shares of Savvis (NASDAQ: SVVS) to Hold from Buy and lowered the target to $17 from $20 to reflect decreasing visibility from economic headwinds and expectations for increased capex.
  
• Citigroup downgraded Regions Financial (NYSE: RF) to Sell from Hold as they believe fundamentals are not in-line with the current valuation following the recent rally.
  
• Merrill lowered their General Electric (NYSE: GE) estimates below consensus and downgraded shares to Neutral from Buy citing increased fundamental pressures on the company's GE Capital unit. GE's target was cut to $28 from $37.50.

Analyst upgrades:

• Merriman upgraded shares of Netezza (NYSE: NZ) to Buy from Neutral following the company's solid Q2 results as they believe it is well-positioned for strong operating results heading into 2H09.
  
• JP Morgan raised Cabot (NYS: CBT) to Overweight from Neutral. The firm expects 2009 to be a better year given lower raw material costs and higher contract prices.
  
• JP Morgan also upgraded Royal Ahold (OTC: AHONY) to Overweight from Neutral on valuation.
  
• Liberty International (OTC: LBYIY) was upgraded to Hold from Sell at Deutsche Bank.
  
• BMO Capital upgraded Royal Bank (NYSE: RY) to Market Perform from Underperform and Bank of Montreal (NYSE: BMO) to Outperform from Market Perform.

Analyst downgrades:

• Jefferies downgraded shares of Constellation Energy (NYSE: CEG) to Underperform on Hold on concerns the company will come under increasing pressure to issue equity. The firm lowered its target to $60 from $71.
• Thomas Weisel downgraded Williams-Sonoma (NYSE: WSM) to Market Weight from Overweight citing continued macro pressures.
  
• Wachovia has concerns that Kayne Anderson's (NYSE: KED) book value will be pressured by its investment in ProPetro Services, trading losses associated with SemGroup, and negative developments at Quest Midstream. The firm cut shares of Kayne to Market Perform from Outperform.
• Energy Conversion (NASDAQ: ENER) was downgraded to Neutral from Buy at Piper.
  
• Deutsche Bank cut International Paper (NYSE: IP) and Domtar (NYSE: UFS) to Hold from Buy.
  
• H&E Equipment (NASDAQ: HEES) was lowered at Credit Suisse to Neutral from Outperform.

Analyst initiations:

• Morgan Stanley yesterday initiated Elan Corp (NYSE: ELN) with an Overweight rating. The firm sees a low-probability of a Tysabri withdrawal.
  
• ThinkPanmure views On Semiconductor (NASDAQ: ONNN) as a nice turnaround story with opportunities for shares gains in notebooks and consumer gaming platforms. Shares were initiated with a Buy rating and $14 target.
• Petrohawk Energy (NYSE: HK) was assumed with an Outperform rating at Morgan Keegan.
  
• Regency Energy (NASDAQ: RGNC) was initiated at Merrill Lynch with a Neutral rating.

ThinkPanmure reiterated its "buy" rating on Taleo (NASDAQ:TLEO) ahead of the company's analyst meeting, according to the AP.

Goldman Sachs upgraded International Paper (NYSE:IP) from "buy" to "neutral", according to Briefing.com. The news service also writes that Morgan Stanley raised its price target on Apple (NASDAQ:AAPL) from $185 to $210.

EMC Corp (NYSE:EMC) was cut to "neutral" at Bernstein, according to 24/7 Wall St.

Douglas A. McIntyre