Analyst Upgrades

• Amazon.com (AMZN) was upgraded to buy from neutral at BofA/Merrill.
• Netflix (NFLX) was upgraded to outperform from perform at Oppenheimer and to neutral from sell at Janney Montgomery.
• Janney Montgomery also upgraded BJ's Wholesale (BJ) to buy from neutral.
• RW Baird upgraded Kforce.com (KFRC), SFN Group (SFN) and Young Innovations (YDNT) to outperform from neutral.
• NetSuite (N) was upgraded to neutral from underweight and Select Comfort (SCSS) was upgraded to overweight from neutral at Piper Jaffray.
• Flushing Financial (FFIC) was upgraded to outperform from market perform at Keefe Bruyette.
• National Instruments (NATI) was upgraded to buy from hold at Stifel Nicolaus.
• RBC Capital upgraded MDS Inc. (MDZ) to outperform from sector perform.

Danaher (NYSE: DHR - option chain) shares are rising today after the company agreed to purchase AB Sciex from MDS Inc. (NYSE: MDZ) and Life Technologies (NASDAQ: LIFE) for a combined $1.1 billion. DHR also announced more details of its restructuring, doubling the number of jobs eliminated.

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 DHR.

Here's a peek at what analysts surveyed by Thomson Financial are expecting from companies scheduled to report quarterly results in the first week of June, 2008.

The following companies are expected to post earnings growth, compared to the same period in the previous year:

• Take-Two Interactive (NASDAQ: TTWO) up 136.6% (from a loss) to $1.12 per share, on $499.1 million in revenue
• Lululemon Athletica Inc. (NASDAQ: LULU) up 58.3% to 12 cents per share, on $71.8 million in revenue
• Vimpelcom Communications (NYSE: VIP) up 54.2% to 59 cents per share, on $2.1 billion in revenue
• Focus Media Ltd. (NASDAQ: FMCN) up 36.4% to 33 cents per share, on $161.3 million in revenue
• Ciena Corp. (NASDAQ: CIEN) up 29.7% to 37 cents per share, on $238.4 million in revenue
• Greif Inc. (NYSE: GEF) up 24.1% to 87 cents per share, on $839.9 million in revenue
• Vail Resorts Inc. (NYSE: MTN) up 18.4% to $2.44 per share, on $474.8 million in revenue
• Guess? Inc. (NYSE: GES) up 17.4% to 46 cents per share, on $451.6 million in revenue
• Del Monte Foods Co. (NYSE: DLM) up 15.4% to 26 cents per share, on $1.0 billion in revenue
• Cooper Companies Inc. (NYSE: COO) up 14.6% to 48 cents per share, on $256.7 million in revenue
• Jackson Hewitt Tax Service Inc. (NYSE: JTX) up 1.9% to $2.08 per share, on $161.6 million in revenue

MOST NOTEWORTHY: McAfee (MFE), Wabtec Corp (WAB), Pacific Sunwear (PSUN), Aeropostale (ARO) and Amdocs (DOX) were today's noteworthy initiations:

• McAfee Inc (NYSE: MFE) was initiated with an Accumulate rating at ThinkEquity, as the firm is positive on the company's competitive positioning in security, refocused business and streamlined operations.

• JP Morgan initiated shares of Wabtec Corp (NYSE: WAB) with an Overweight rating, as the firm believes Wabtec's strong market presence should support 22% and 12% EPS growth in 2007 and 2008.

• Nollenberger feels that the core PacSun concept is challenged to re-establish a niche in the competitive teen marketplace, and initiated shares of Pacific Sunwear (NASDAQ: PSUN) with a Neutral rating and $22 target.

• Nollenberger also initiated shares of Aeropostale (NYSE: AEO) with a Buy rating and $49 target and recommends buying the stock into back to school.

• Cantor initiated shares of Amdocs (NYSE: DOX) with a Hold rating and $37 target on valuation...

OTHER INITIATIONS:

• Midas, Inc (NYSE: MDS) and Monro Muffler Brake, Inc (NASDAQ: MNRO) were initiated with Neutral ratings at JP Morgan.

• JP Morgan also initiated shares of Greenbrier (NYSE: GBX) with a Neutral rating.

• Sterne Agee initiated shares of Colwater Creek (NASDAQ: CWTR) with a Buy rating.
  

• Vascular Solutions (NASDAQ: VASC) was initiated with an Outperform rating and $12 target at RBC Capital.

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