MOST NOTEWORTHY: The cable and satellite sector, Wal-Mart Stores (WMT) and Motorola (MOT) were today's noteworthy upgrades:

• Credit Suisse upgraded the cable and satellite sector to Market Weight based on cable's solid long-term strategic position, attractive valuations and expectations that new industry that new industry consolidation will continue. Additionally, the firm upgraded Mediacom Communications Corp (NASDAQ: MCCC) to Outperform from Market Perform and Charter Communications (NASDAQ: CHTR) to Outperform from Underperform.
• Wal-Mart Stores Inc. (NYSE: WMT) was upgraded to Overweight from Neutral at JP Morgan, as the firm believes the company has reached an inflection point following the company's plans to cut capital expenditure by around $2.5B and return $15B to shareholders through a buyback program. Wachovia upgraded shares of Wal-Mart to Outperform from Market Perform citing management's plans to slow U.S. store growth, reduce cap-ex and increase share buybacks. Morgan Stanley upgraded Wal-Mart to Overweight from Equal Weight and to Overweight from Neutral at HSBC.
  
• Motorola Inc. (NYSE: MOT) was upgraded to Sector Outperformer from Sector Performer at CIBC World Markets to reflect optimism on the company's product portfolio and margin progress. They believe the company's focus on margins and not share should lead to a higher long-term margin model.

OTHER UPGRADES:

• Bear Stearns upgraded Sirius Satellite Radio Inc. (NASDAQ: SIRI) to Outperform from Peer Perform, citing attractive risk/reward, shares of Universal Health Services Inc. (NYSE: UHS) to Peer Perform from Underperform based on expected near-term upside to estimates and Onyx Pharmaceuticals Inc. (NASDAQ: ONXX) to Outperform from Peer Perform.
• Merrill Lynch upgraded shares of Moody's Corp. (NYSE: MCO) to Neutral from Sell and shares of Mobile TeleSystems (NYSE: MBT) to Buy from Neutral.
• Thomas Weisel upgraded shares of NaviSite Inc. (NASDAQ: NAVI) to Overweight from Neutral citing valuation.

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

Genentech (NYSE: DNA) is perhaps losing some of its old luster to a newer and fresher group of emerging biotechs. The American Society of Clinical Oncology, or "ASCO," is in the midst of its annual meeting in Chicago, the conference that historically has offered make or break news for many a cancer-focused biotech. In previous years, Genentech saw its stock get huge a boost from all of the possibilities of Avastin as an indicated treatment for multiple forms of cancer.

This weekend, Genentech announced results of Phase III study for Avastin Plus Interferon therapy, showing it nearly doubled the median survival in patients with previously Untreated advanced kidney cancer. The company also released more of its pipeline that looks like a post-Avastin world.

Unfortunately, the data coming out of these is not good enough to fuel share buying so far. Shares are indicated down 0.7% at $78.97 in pre-market trading (8:55 a.m.) Monday. While this may change later, Genetech's parent, Roche (LSE: ROG), saw its shares fall 1.9% in London.

Avastin has been a great drug for Genentech and for cancer patients alike, but seeing as that Genentech shares have been dead money for 18-months and with the company sporting an $83 billion market cap, investors are left holding the "what's next?" bag.

Shares of Onyx Pharmaceuticals Inc. (NASDAQ: ONXX) are up 6.7% in pre-market trading (9:23 a.m.) and Celgene Corp. (NASDAQ: CELG) shares are trading up over 1.5% on positive data at the ASCO conference.

Jon Ogg is a partner at 24/7 Wall St.; he does not own securities in the companies he covers.

Note: The Daily Option Update is provided by Stock Options Specialist Paul Foster of theflyonthewall.com.

Volatility Index S&P 500 Options-VIX up 1.17 to 10.44.

Applied Materials Inc.-(NASDAQ:AMAT) option prices suggests risk levels below average into EPS.

Applied Materials is expected to report EPS of .27 cents tonight after the close. Stifel Nicolaus has a buy rating with a $23 price target on Applied Materials. AMAT February straddle is priced at .85 above its theoretical value of .47 cents. Applied Materials March option implied volatility of 32 is near its 26-week average of 30 according to Track Data, suggesting larger price fluctuations.

Nvidia Corporation -(NASDAQ:NVDA) option prices suggests risk levels are flat into EPS & Outlook

Nvidia, a designer, developer and marketer of graphic processing units, is expected to report EPS of .42 cents tonight. American Technology Research says "Nvidia is very well positioned entering in 2007 given its favorable exposure to the PC segment entering a large upgrade cycle, favorable exposure to the gaming segment with PS3 ready to ship high volume, and increasing share in the consumer mobile segment." Nvidia February straddle is priced at $2.15, above its theoretical value of 41.49. NVDA March option implied volatility of 45 is near its 26-week average according to Track Data, suggesting reduced risk levels after EPS.

Option volume leaders today were: Alcoa (NYSE:AA), Nasdaq (NASDAQ:NDAQ), AK Steel (NYSE:AKS), RadioShack Corp. (NYSE:RSH), Intel (NASDAQ:INTC) and Onyx Pharma (NASDAQ:ONXX).

MOST NOTEWORTHY: Hydril Corp (HYDL), Circuit City Stores (CC) and Ford Motor Corp (F) topped today's list of most notable downgrades:

• Following the acquisition by Tenaris SA ADS (NYSE: TS), Hydril Corp (HASDAQ: HYDL) was downgraded by Lehman Brothers to Underweight from Overweight, to Peer Perform from Outperform at Bear Stearns and to Neutral from Overweight at JP Morgan.

• Circuit City Stores (NYSE: CC) was downgraded to Neutral from Buy on valuation at Goldman Sachs.

• Merrill Lynch downgraded Ford Motor Corp (NYSE: F) to Sell from Neutral citing the recent strength of its shares.

OTHER DOWNGRADES:

• Alcoa Inc (NYSE: AA) was taken down to Hold from Buy on valuation.

• Multi-Fineline Electronix Inc (NASDAQ: MFLX) was downgraded to Strong Sell from Strong Buy at Matrix USA, as the firm believes strong competition is eroding sales growth.

• Hansen Natural Corp (NASDAQ: HANS) was downgraded by both Goldman Sachs and JP Morgan to Neutral from Buy on valuation.

• Citigroup cut Coca-Cola Enterprises Inc (NYSE: CCE) to Hold from Buy citing the difficult CSD environment, especially relative to Buy-rated Pepsi Bottling Group (NYSE: PBG). The firm considers Pepsi Bottling to be better-positioned than Coca-Cola Enterprises.

• Freidman Billings downgraded Onyx Pharmaceuticals (NASDAQ: ONXX) to Underperform from Market Perform on valuation.

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