Analyst upgrades:

• Jefferies upgraded Starbucks (SBUX) to buy from hold, citing EPS and revenue momentum heading into 2010. The firm raised its target to $25 from $22.
• Soleil upgraded Zions Bancorp (ZION) to buy from hold on valuation as it believes the recent pullback provides an attractive entry point. The firm has a $17.50 price target on shares.
• RBC Capital expects Rigel Pharmaceuticals (RIGL) to sign a partnership for R788 in the next four months to run its global Phase III program. Shares were upgraded to outperform from sector perform and its target was raised to $11 from $9.
• Deere (DE) was upgraded to overweight from equal weight at Morgan Stanley.
• Shire (SHPGY) was raised to outperform from market perform at Bernstein.
• Ann Taylor (ANN) was upgraded to overweight from market weight at Thomas Weisel.
• J.M. Smucker (SJM) was upgraded to overweight from neutral at JPMorgan.

Analyst upgrades:

• Stephens upgraded The Andersons (NASDAQ: ANDE) to Overweight from Equal Weight on expectations the company is benefiting from good space income opportunities and better ethanol profitability. The firm raised its target price to $31 from $28.
  
• Jefferies upgraded NRG Energy (NYSE: NRG) to Buy from Hold as the analyst believes Exelon (NYSE: EXC) will have to materially raise its offer to close the acquisition. The firm raised its target on shares to $25 from $22.50.
  
• FBR Capital upgraded FMC Technologies (NYSE: FTI) to Outperform from Market Perform after meeting with management to reflect the company's 2011 growth potential. The firm raised its target on shares to $51.
• J. Sainsbury (OTC: JSAIY) was upgraded to Overweight from Equal Weight at Morgan Stanley.
  
• SVB Financial (NASDAQ: SIVB) and Fulton Financial (NASDAQ: FULT) were upgraded to Outperform from Sector Perform at RBC Capital.

Analyst upgrades:

• Roth Capital upgraded Charlotte Russe (NASDAQ: CHIC) to Hold from Sell. The firm is positive on management's strategy to drive improved operating performance and is encouraged by the company's longer-term growth prospects.
  
• Banc of America upgraded shares of Las Vegas Sands (NYSE: LVS) to Neutral from Sell following the company's capital raise as they see a more balanced risk/reward at current levels. The firm lowered their target to $5 from $12.
  
• Constellation Brands (NYSE: STZ) was raised to Buy from Neutral at UBS.
  
• Credit Suisse upgraded Ameriprise (NYSE: AMP) to Outperform from Neutral.
  
• Bob Evans (NASDAQ: BOBE) was upgraded to Hold from Underweight at KeyBanc.
• J. Sainsbury (OTC: JSAIY) was upgraded to Buy from Hold at ING and to Neutral from Underweight at JP Morgan after the company topped earnings expectations.

Analyst downgrades:

• JP Morgan downgraded General Motors (NYSE: GM) to Neutral from Overweight citing the "ambiguity of government aid structure" and the likely dilution to equity. The analyst said GM needs money now to get past December 2008 and will need at least $15B to get through 2009, with the total bailout potentially reaching $30B.
  
• Goldman downgraded Dell (NASDAQ: DELL) to Sell from Neutral and added shares to the Conviction Sell List.
  
• J.C. Penney (NYSE: JCP) was lowered to Equal Weight from Overweight at Morgan Stanley.

MOST NOTEWORTHY: American Eagle, Hologic and British Airways were today's noteworthy downgrades:

• Friedman Billings downgraded American Eagle (NYSE: AEO) to Underperform from Market Perform citing slowing top-line growth, difficult macro-environment, and the challenging women's category.
  
• Soleil cut Hologic (NASDAQ: HOLX) to Hold from Buy as it believes the cancellation of the FDA Radiological Devices Panel means a further delay in the tomosynthesis pre-market approval application.
  
• ABN downgraded shares of British Airways (Other OTC: BAIRY) to Sell from Hold as it believes the recent rally in the face of higher oil prices is unjustified. Shares were also lowered at Deutsche Bank to Sell from Buy as it believes the company may not be able to raise ticket prices enough to offset higher fuel costs.

OTHER DOWNGRADES:

• ArthroCare (NASDAQ: ARTC) was cut to Accumulate from Buy at ThinkPanmure.
  
• ING downgraded J Sainsbury (Other OTC: JSAIY) to Sell from Hold.
  
• RBC Capital downgraded Ceragon Networks (NASDAQ: CRNT) to Sector Perform from outperform.

MOST NOTEWORTHY: J. Sainsbury, Orthofix and Salary.com were today's noteworthy downgrades:

• Merrill Lynch downgraded J. Sainsbury (Other OTC:JSAIY) to Sell from Neutral following the company's quarterly results; Deutsche Bank downgraded shares to Sell from Hold as they believe the company's results show it has lost momentum.
  
• ThinkPanmure downgraded Orthofix (NASDAQ:OFIX) to Source of Funds from Accumulate citing the loss of Osteocel, which will impact growth.
  
• Wachovia cut Salary.com (NASDAQ:SLRY) to Market Perform from Outperform citing concerns that FY09 will be a challenging given significant increases in investment for sales and marketing.

OTHER DOWNGRADES:

• UBS cut Knight Transportation (NYSE:KNX) to Neutral from Buy.
  
• HSBC downgraded StatoilHydro (NYSE:STO) to Neutral from Overweight.
  
• Merrill lowered National Semi (NYSE:NSM) to Neutral from Buy.

MOST NOTEWORTHY: Smith & Nephew, British Sky Broadcasting and Electronic Data Systems were today's noteworthy downgrades:

• Smith & Nephew (NYSE: SNN) was cut to Underweight from Neutral at JP Morgan, citing deteriorating fundamentals in several of SNN's key business lines.
  
• Goldman removed British Sky Broadcasting (NYSE: BSY) from its Conviction Buy List and said shares continue to trade at all-time low multiples and that the timing with Sky-Virgin dispute remains unclear. Shares remain Buy rated.
  
• Friedman Billings downgraded Electronic Data Systems (NYSE: EDS) to Market Perform from Outperform based on valuation following the Hewlett-Packard (NYSE: HPQ) news.

OTHER DOWNGRADES:

• Goldman downgraded J Sainsbury (OTC: JSAIY) to Neutral from Buy and removed shares from the Conviction Buy List.
  
• Goldman also removed Hewlett-Packard from its Conviction Buy List.
  
• Citigroup cut BearingPoint (NYSE: BE) to Hold from Buy.
  
• Wachovia downgraded LHC Group (NASDAQ: LHCG) to Market Perform from Outperform.

MOST NOTEWORTHY: UCBH Holdings, National Atlantic Holdings and J Sainsbury were today's noteworthy downgrades:

• Friedman Billings downgraded UCBH Holdings (NASDAQ: UCBH) to Market Perform from Outperform. The firm said the departure of auditor PWC could not have come at a worse time following the recent CFO replacement and the credit-quality-related adverse change to Q4 earnings in the 10-K.
  
• Citigroup cut National Atlantic Holdings (NASDAQ: NAHC) to Hold from Buy after the company announced plans to merger with a subsidiary of Palisades Safety and Insurance.
  
• Goldman removed J Sainsbury (OTC: JSAIY) from the Conviction Buy List on fears that stagflation could impact earnings.

OTHER DOWNGRADES:

• Suntrust cut Goodrich Petroleum (NYSE: GDP) to Neutral from Buy.
  
• Cubist Pharma (NASDAQ: CBST) was downgraded to Market Weight from Overweight at Thomas Weisel.
  
• ING lowered Banco Bilbao Vizcaya Argentaria (NYSE: BBV) to Hold from Buy.

MAJOR PAPERS:

• In a setback for U.S. foreign policy, General Musharraf of Pakistan has imposed emergency rule amidst a political crisis, tightly controlling the courts, and media outlets, in addition to holding about 500 government opponents and changing several Supreme Court justices, according to the Wall Street Journal (subscription required).
• For the first time in 20 years, the Writers Guild of America, whose members total 12,000, has failed to reach an agreement with the Alliance of Motion Pictures and Television Producers, and a strike is expected to take effect today, reported the Wall Street Journal.
• Kraft Foods (NYSE: KFT) may sell its Post cereals to Ralcorp Holdings (NYSE: RAH) for about $2.8B, according to the Wall Street Journal.

OTHER PAPERS:

• The U.K. Times reported that Vodafone Group (NYSE: VOD) is the frontrunner to acquire a 25% stake in Telekom International, a division of state-controlled Telekom Malaysia.
• Shares of British supermarket chain J Sainsbury (OTC: JSAIY) plunged 18% in London today after Qatar Investment Authority abandoned its GBP10.6B bid for Sainsbury, reported the U.K. Times.
• Google (NASDAQ: GOOG) is expected to hold a press conference today to unveil a suite of software for mobile phones that will be based on open-source technology and will be backed by some of the largest wireless industry companies in the world, reported CNet.com.

MAJOR PAPERS:

• According to the Wall Street Journal, citing a person familiar with the matter, Bear Stearns Companies Inc (NYSE: BSC) plans to give its top trader, Warren Spector, the ax.
• The Wall Street Journal reported that Kroger (NYSE: KR) announced last week that it would stop selling milk that carried synthetic hormones that are made by Monsanto Company (NYSE: MON), despite the FDA saying the hormones are safe.
• A group of financial experts predicted that the U.S. will enter a recession soon, due to inflation, the economic prescriptions of a Democratic president, and the housing market meltdown, reported Barron's Magazine.

OTHER PAPERS:

• According to insiders, Martha Stewart is not happy with Lampert's Kmart chain as she feels the company is not doing enough to sell her Martha Stewart products in its stores, which in turn is causing a "drag" on Martha Stewart Living Omnimedia Inc's (NYSE: MSO) earnings, reported the New York Post.
• While shopping on the Internet has always been a 24-hour ordeal, some traditional retailers such as Sears Holdings Corporation (NASDAQ: SHLD), Kohl's Corporation (NYSE: KSS) and Dick's Sporting Goods Inc (NYSE: DKS) are starting to realize the potential of offering online-only discounts when their stores are closed, reported the Chicago Tribune.
• Qatari investment firm Delta Two may have to provide more than GBP1B in additional equity in order to win backing from J Sainsbury's (OTC: JSAIY) board for its offer for Sainsbury, reported the U.K. Times.