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

• Activision Blizzard Inc. (NASDAQ: ATVI) said its Q3 profit declined despite the popularity of Guitar Hero.
• Blackboard Inc. (NASDAQ: BBBB) said Q3 revenue surged and its offered impressive cash flow numbers.
• Boston Beer Co. Inc. (NYSE: SAM) easily beat Q3 earnings estimates and raised its full-year guidance.
• Cisco Systems Inc. (NASDAQ: CSCO) lower Q1 results topped estimates and sent shares higher.
• Cognizant Technology Solutions Inc. (NASDAQ: CTSH) was upgraded following its strong Q3 results.
• Corporate Executive Board (NASDAQ: EXBD) received an analyst's upgrade following the Q3 results.

Today was a surprise considering the news. There was not great economic news to hang on, particularly considering that the 10.2% unemployment was the worst reading since 1983. As the market did not crater and as it went positive throughout the day, it almost felt as though the 10.2% of the officially unemployed don't matter to the economy as everyone keeps noting the 'lagging indicator' effect. Still, stocks held their own for most of the day and where the real direction for the end of the day bells felt uncertain until the end of the day.

Here are today's unofficial closing bell levels:

Dow 10,023.19 +17.23 (0.17%)
S&P 500 1,069.30 +2.67 (0.25%)
Nasdaq 2,112.44 +7.12 (0.34%)

Top Analyst Calls
Top Stock Rumors

Analyst upgrades:

• FBR Capital upgraded Overseas Shipholding (NYSE: OSG) to Outperform from Market Perform following the Q3 results as it believes the worst quarters are behind the company. The firm raised its target on shares to $48 from $35.
• Deutsche Bank upgraded Corporate Executive Board (NASDAQ: EXBD) to Hold from Sell following the Q3 results to reflect the company's lower costs. The firm raised its target on shares to $22 from $18.
• RBC Capital upgraded Enbridge (NYSE: EEQ) to Sector Perform from Underperform after the company's partnership produced significantly higher than expected DCF. In addition, the firm raised its price target by $5 per unit to $46 to reflect an improved distribution schedule and more favorable debt leverage.
• Royal Dutch Shell (NYSE: RDS.A) was upgraded to Neutral from Underperform at Credit Suisse.
• BioForm Medical (NASDAQ: BFRM) was upgraded to Overweight from Neutral at Piper Jaffray.
• Alliance Data Systems (NYSE: ADS) was upgraded to Buy from Neutral at SunTrust.

Analyst upgrades:

• Target (NYSE: TGT) was upgraded two ratings to Buy from Sell at Citigroup, and it raised its price estimate on shares to $61 from $44. The firm sees significant earnings upside as the company's same-store sales improve and finds the valuation attractive at current levels.
• Motorola (NYSE: MOT) was upgraded to Outperform from Sector Perform at RBC Capital citing valuation, new product launches, and expectations that the Mobile Devices division will be profitable. The price target is $11.
• AK Steel (NYSE: AKS) was upgraded to Buy from Hold at Citigroup as it believes the company's Q3 results were solid and the China steel market is stabilizing. The firm raised its target to $21 from $17.
• Ceradyne (NASDAQ: CRDN) was upgraded at Wells Fargo to Market Perform from Underperform. The firm thinks that earnings expectations for the company have now reached more reasonable levels, limiting risk.
• FormFactor (NASDAQ: FORM) was upgraded to Outperform from Market Perform at FBR Capital ahead of the company's Q3 results due to valuation as it views the risk/reward on shares compelling. The firm raised its price target to $25 from $19.
• Texas Instruments (NYSE: TXN) was upgraded at Goldman to Buy from Neutral, citing 2H10 margin expansion and analog share gains. Target was raised to $29 from $27.
• Barrett Business Services (NASDAQ: BBSI) was upgraded to Buy from Hold at Roth Capital as the firm thinks the company will benefit from a labor market recovery next year. Roth notes that the stock's valuation has lagged behind most of its peers in recent months and it set an $18 target.

Today was simple. It's all about employment. A better than expected labor report sent shares soaring. The notion that a late day report showing that credit to Americans is still declining was largely ignored. The unemployment data was good enough that some might even question it. Either way, it looks like the only group losing droves of jobs now is the group of market bears. Here were today's unofficial closing bell levels:
DJIA:9,730.07(+1.23%)
S&P500:1,010.47(+1.35%)
NASDAQ:2,000.25(+1.37%)
Top 10 Analyst Calls

Opexa Therapeutics, Inc. (NASDAQ: OPXA) sold some stem cell technology to Novartis (NYSE: NVS) for $3 million up front, but it is getting another $1 million over six months and the company could get another $50 million from royalties and milestone hurdles. Shares were up a sharp and whopping 300% at $1.89 right before the close.

Analyst upgrades:

• Citigroup upgraded Sunoco Logistics (NYSE: SXL) to Buy from Hold on valuation and raised its target on shares to $60 from $56.50. The firm sees better value in Sunoco Logistics than Enbridge Energy Partners (NYSE: EEP), which it downgraded to Hold.
  
• BofA/Merrill believes Raytheon (NYSE: RTN) offers the most potential upside in the larget cap defense sector. The firm upgraded shares to Buy from Neutral and has a $62 target on the stock.
  
• Roth Capital upgraded Nvidia (NASDAQ: NVDA) to Buy from Hold based on seasonality, multiple product cycles, and valuation. Roth's target remains $15.
• Oracle (NASDAQ: ORCL) was upgraded to Buy from Hold at Societe Generale.
  
• EnerNOC (NASDAQ: ENOC) was upgraded to Outperform from Neutral at RW Baird.
  
• American Express (NYSE: AXP) was upgraded to Neutral from Underweight at JP Morgan.
  

Analyst upgrades

• Oppenheimer upgraded Savient Pharmaceuticals (NASDAQ: SVNT) to Perform from Underperform after the FDA's Arthritis Advisory Committee voted 14-1 in favor of approving Krystexxa for gout.
• Banc of America/Merrill upgraded Texas Instruments (NYSE: TXN) to Buy from Underperform and raised its target to $27 from $18 based on expectations that margin expansion will be higher than Street expectations.
• UBS said Nvidia (NASDAQ: NVDA) has limited downside risk given the improved outlook for the graphics processor market and professional solutions business. Shares were upgraded to Neutral from Sell and its target was raised to $11.50 from $8.
• BHP Billiton (NYSE: BHP) was upgraded to Outperform from Neutral at Macquarie.
• Neutral Tandem (NASDAQ: TNDM) was upgraded to Outperform from Neutral at Baird.
• Central Garden & Pet (NASDAQ: CENT) was upgraded to Buy from Neutral at SunTrust.

Late yesterday, chip maker Nvidia (NASDAQ: NVDA) announced a countersuit against Intel (NASDAQ: INTC), as the two quarrel over what should be covered by a license agreement reached in 2004. NVDA's suit is in a Delaware Chancery Court, and it alleges that INTL breached a license agreement wherein the two companies had access to each other's technologies.

The dispute began a month ago, as INTC filed a motion against NVDA (in the same court), noting that the agreement didn't allow NVDA to make chipsets with certain INTC chips. NVDA has dismissed this notion, claiming that INTC is blocking them from "making use of the very license rights that they agreed to provide."

"Everyone who wants out has probably already done their selling," says Nate Pile, who sees a "sidways to up' market. In his Nate's Notes, the advisor sees opportunity in a trio of techs.

"My experience with market cycles continues to suggest to me that the odds favor a 'sideways or up' market over the next several months.

"Meanwhile, Apple (NASDAQ: AAPL) is technically still stuck in a trading range, I am very pleased with the leadership it has shown in the market over the past several weeks.

Analyst upgrades:

• Merriman upgraded Taser (NASDAQ: TASR) to Buy from Neutral as it believes current valuation levels do not reflect the company's market opportunities and that the law enforcement funding in President Obama's stimulus plan will boost sales in Q4 and FY10.
  
• Goldman upgraded Macy's (NYSE: M) to Buy from Neutral and added shares to its Conviction Buy List based on reduced balance sheet concerns and improved risk/reward. The firm also raised their target to $8.25 from $8.
  
• JP Morgan upgraded Family Dollar (NYSE: FDO) to Neutral from Underweight and raised its target to $29 from $19 following the better-than-expected Q2 report. The analyst continues to prefer Dollar Tree (NASDAQ: DLTR) and Wal-Mart (NYSE: WMT).
• Goldman removed Universal Am (NYSE: UAM) from the Conviction Sell List.
  
• McDermott (NYSE: MDR) was upgraded to Buy from Hold at Jefferies.
  
• Canadian Natural (NYSE: CNQ) was upgraded to Sector Outperformer from Sector Performer at CIBC.

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

• Applied Materials Inc. (NASDAQ: AMAT) posted a Q1 loss and announced a workforce reduction.
• ArcelorMittal (NYSE: MT) swung to it's first ever quarterly loss due to lower demand and a big write-down.
• Buffalo Wild Wings Inc. (NASDAQ: BWLD) shares surged after it posted strong Q4 results.
• Chipotle Mexican Grill Inc. (NYSE: CMG) posted better-than-expected Q4 earnings as revenue surged.
• Genzyme Corp. (NASDAQ: GENZ) topped Q4 earnings estimates, sending shares higher.
• Global Traffic Network Inc. (NASDAQ: GNET) weaker-than-expected Q2 results led to a downgrade.
• Level 3 Communications Inc. (NASDAQ: LVLT) shares fell despite its upside surprise for Q4.
• Lions Gate Entertainment (NYSE: LGF) posted a bigger-than-expected Q3 loss despite revenue growth.

Analyst upgrades:

• UBS upgraded STMicroelectronics (NYSE: STM) to Neutral from Sell and Advanced Semiconductor (NYSE: ASX) to Buy from Neutral as it is seeing early signs of stabilization in the semiconductor industry.
  
• Jefferies upgraded VCA Antech (NASDAQ: WOOF) to Hold from Underperform as it does not see significant downside in the stock given the low expectations. It raised its target price to $22 from $15.
  
• Baird upgraded Sigma Designs (NASDAQ: SIGM) to Outperform from Neutral and raised its target to $16 from $9 as it expects revenue growth to resume in 2009 driven by IPTV end-demand.
• Goldman removed Dell (NASDAQ: DELL) from the Conviction Sell List.
  
• Portfolio Recovery (NASDAQ: PRAA) was raised to Market Perform from Underperform at Keefe Bruyette.
  
• Post Properties (NYSE: PPS) was upgraded at Deutsche Bank to Hold from Sell.

Before the bell: Stocks to rebound, but investors remain cautious

ArcelorMittal (NYSE: MT) swung to a surprising $2.6 billion loss in the fourth quarter -- its first ever -- as it experienced a collapse in demand and a sharp drop in prices. It wrote down $4.4 billion in pre-tax charges. The steel giant is also shedding some 9,000 workers. MT shares jumped over 6% in premarket trade.

Applied Materials (NASDAQ: AMAT) warned late Tuesday that chipmakers will spend 50% less this year for its products. The maker of semiconductor production equipment also posted a fiscal first-quarter loss of $3 million, excluding charges, and said it will cut 14% of its workforce, or about 2,000 jobs, as well as production. AMAT shares declined some 2% in premarket trade.

Semiconductor Nvidia Corp. (NASDAQ: NVDA) had its turn in the earnings parade this afternoon, and the company put up dismal results that failed to meet analyst expectations.

Going into this afternoon's earnings report, analysts had been expecting to see the company show a loss of $0.09 per share, but the actual EPS for the quarter was a greater loss, one of $0.18 per share.

Honeywell (NYSE: HON) closed at $34.71. HON is scheduled to report Q4 EPS on January 30. HON January option implied volatility of 41 is below its 26-week average of 49, according to Track Data, suggesting decreasing price movement.

Nvidia (NASDAQ: NVDA) closed at $8.79. NVDA is scheduled to report Q4 EPS on February 10. NVDA is scheduled to introduce new notebook chips in late spring. NVDA February option implied volatility is at 74; June is at 69; near its 26-week average according to Track Data, suggesting non-directional price movement.