Analyst Upgrades

• RBC Capital upgraded Brookfield Infrastructure (BIP) to outperform from sector perform with a $20 target. The firm thinks the units' valuation is compelling, while the company's proposed acquisition of assets is positive.
• Stifel upgraded First Horizon (FHN) to buy from hold based on valuation and its path towards normalized profitability. The firm has a $15 price target on the stock.
• KeyBanc upgraded Isle of Capri (ISLE) to buy from hold based on improved earnings growth and valuation. The firm has a $13 target on the stock.
• ATA Inc. (ATAI) was upgraded to neutral from underweight at Piper Jaffray.
• Buckeye Partners (BPL) was upgraded to neutral from sell at Goldman.
• Sinopec (SNP) was upgraded to overweight from neutral at HSBC.

Investors interested in foreign exposure to crude should consider China Petroleum and Chemical (NYSE: SNP).

Imagine the demand for crude for a nation whose economy is growing like a weed. The economies of the world may be receding, but China is still growing. More importantly, its government is investing heavily in making sure that growth continues.

Given that fossil fuel is so critical to any industrial society, owning China Petroleum makes a ton of sense. The stock is up almost 50% since bottoming in March, but there are more gains to be had.

I rate SNP a B or Buy.

Next up: Oil Stock #3.

With oil prices heading to $70 or more, owning oil stocks is a must for any investor looking to generate maximum returns.

Crude traders are betting that a stronger economy will result in increased demand for oil. At the same time, OPEC is holding firm on production cuts that reduces supply.

And let's not forget about the summer driving season which officially kicks off this Memorial Day weekend.

All of these factors mean investors can confidently operate under the assumption that oil prices will go up in the foreseeable future.

Analyst upgrades:

• Jefferies upgraded Abiomed (NASDAQ: ABMD) to Hold from Underperform on valuation as it believes concerns over the company's Impella heart pump are priced in at current levels. The firm lowered its target price to $7 from $8.
  
• Suntrust upgraded Somanetics (NASDAQ: SMTS) to Neutral from Reduce. The firm believes most of the risk is out of Somanetics shares and that the Q1 report could be a positive catalyst.
  
• Banc of America/Merrill upgraded shares of Telecom Italia (NYSE: TI) to Buy from Neutral on valuation and believes the company's revenue trends are improving.
• China Petroleum & Chemical (NYSE: SNP) was raised to Buy from Neutral at UBS.
• Hexcel (NYSE: HXL) and Johnson Controls (NYSE: JCI) were upgraded to Buy from Neutral at Goldman.

Analyst upgrades:

• Oppenheimer upgraded shares of Premiere Global (NYSE: PGI) to Outperform from Perform on valuation and believes the company's strategic initiatives will drive "healthy" top-line results in a difficult economy.
  
• Citigroup upgraded Prudential (NYSE: PRU) to Buy from Hold on valuation, as they believe the stock is oversold at current levels. Though upgraded, the firm lowered their target price to $30 from $80.
  
• Citigroup also upgraded Bankrate (NASDAQ: RATE) to Buy from Hold as they believe the company will benefit from the financial market volatility and that the risk/reward is attractive at current levels. The firm maintains a $40 target on the stock.
• Hospitality Properties (NYSE: HPT) was raised to Outperform from Sector Perform at RBC Capital.
  
• Diamond Offshore (NYSE: DO) was upgraded at Merrill Lynch to Buy from Neutral.
  
• Alcon (NYSE: ACL) was upgraded to Outperform from Market Perform at Wachovia.

Analyst downgrades:

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

• Big Lots Inc. (NYSE: BIG) Q2 profits topped expectations, but it warned of weak sales in the second half.
• China Petroleum and Chemical Corp. (NYSE: SNP) first-half profits tanked due to government price controls.
• Dell Inc. (NASDAQ: DELL ) fell short of Q2 earnings estimates, surprising even Jim Cramer.
• Dillard's Inc. (NYSE: DDS) beat analysts' expectations despite widening its Q2 net loss.
• Gilat Satellite Networks Ltd. (NASDAQ: GILT) missed Q2 expectations and a merger fell through.
• J. Crew Group Inc. (NYSE: JCG) Q2 net income slipped on lower sales and gross margins.
• JP Morgan & Chase Co. (NYSE: JPM) earnings have been hurt by investments in Fannie Mae/Freddie Mac.
• LDK Solar Co. (NYSE: LDK) raised its 2009 revenue guidance on reaching peak silicon wafer capacity.
• Marvell Technology Group (NASDAQ: MRVL) beat Q2 expectations but gave a conservative Q3 outlook.
• Rio Tinto Group (NYSE: RTP) first-half profits more than doubled on its acquisition of Alcan.
• Sanderson Farms Inc. (NASDAQ: SAFM) swung to a Q3 loss due in part to rising commodities prices.
• Sears Holdings Corp. (NASDAQ: SHLD) Q2 earnings plunged more than expected on further sluggish sales.
• SkillSoft PLC (NASDAQ: SKIL) beat Q2 expectations and offered Q3 and full-year guidance.
• Smithfield Foods Inc. (NYSE: SFD) swung to a Q1 loss due in part to rising commodities prices.
• Talbots Inc. (NYSE: TLB) nearly doubled its Q2 loss due to lower sales and restructuring charges.
• Thornburg Mortgage Inc. (NYSE: TMA) posted a Q2 profit but warned of possible collapse on margin calls.
• Tiffany & Co. (NYSE: TIF) doubled its Q2 profit on strong international sales, and raised its guidance.
• TiVo Inc. (NASDAQ: TIVO) unexpectedly swung to a Q2 profit but forcast another loss in Q3.

Upcoming quarterly reports include Guess (NYSE: GES), Collective Brands (NYSE: PSS), H&R Block, (NYSE: HRB), Staples (NASDAQ: SPLS), Ciena (NASDAQ: CIEN), Toll Brothers (NYSE: TOL); and National Semiconductor (NASDAQ: NSM).

Visit AOL Money & Finance for more earnings coverage.

China Petroleum (NYSE: SNP) has already announced that its profits were down 71% in the first half. Now PetroChina (NYSE: PTR) is getting ready to report a drop in its profits.

The culprit is China's energy policy, which is hurting investors in the Chinese oil industry. According to the AP, "While other global oil giants are reporting record profits, Chinese government price controls prevent PetroChina and other domestic refiners from passing on higher costs for crude oil to consumers." It is an excellent reason for investors to avoid these stocks.

The central government control of oil profits is a fine example of why China should not have taken many of its large companies private. China needs to keep gas and diesel prices down to control inflation and offer cheap fuel to maintain transportation costs of exports at low levels.

With oil trading around $120 a barrel, the oil refiners in China could actually swing to losses in the second half. China is driving investors out of its most important corporations. PetroChina already trades near a 52-week low. That is likely to get worse.

Douglas A. McIntyre is an editor at 247wallst.com.

MOST NOTEWORTHY: Texas Industries, TransGlobe Energy and Level 3 Communications were today's noteworthy downgrades:

• Stephens downgraded shares of Texas Industries (NYSE: TXI) to Equal Weight from Overweight as it believes higher energy costs will affect the company's ability to achieve its guidance. The firm lowered its target to $68 from $83.
  
• Jefferies assumed coverage and downgraded shares of TransGlobe Energy (NYSE:TGA) to Hold from Buy as it sees limited upside until the company completes its seismic activity and can better quantify its exploratory reserve potential. The firm lowered its target to $5.25 from $6.50.
  
• Citigroup downgraded Level 3 (NASDAQ: LVLT) to Sell from Hold as it believes the pullback in telecom valuations increases downside risk for the stock. Citigroup lowered their target price to $2.50 from $3.

OTHER DOWNGRADES:

• Safeway (NYSE: SWY), Sysco (NYSE:SYY) and Whole Foods (NASDAQ: WFMI) were cut to Neutral from Buy at UBS.
  
• Piper lowered Third Wave (NASDAQ:TWTI) to Neutral from Buy.
  
• China Petroleum (NYSE: SNP) was lowered at JP Morgan to Underweight from Overweight.

Markets in Asia were troubled by rising oil and concerns that the global economy is getting into more trouble as each week passes.

The Shanghai Composite fell 6.5% to 2,749.

In Hong Kong, the Hang Seng fell 2.2% to 22,807. China Life (NYSE: LFC) dropped 3.1% to 28.3 yuan. China Petroluem (NYSE: SNP) fell 3% to 8.07.

In Tokyo, the Nikkei dropped 2.2% to 14,130. Mazda fell 5.5% to 568 yen. Toyota (NYSE: TM) dropped 3.2% to 5490 on concerns that its truck sales were falling in the US.

Data from Reuters.

Douglas A. McIntyre is an editor at 24/7 Wall St.

A number of markets in Asia were down 2% or more lead by the Shanghai Composite which is off 45% since the beginning of the year, according to MarketWatch.

In Japan, the Nikkei dropped 2.1% to 13,888.6. Sony (NYSE:SNE) was down 2.8% to 5,130 yen. Toyota (NYSE:TM) was off 2.7% to 5,400.

The Hang Seng fell 1.7% to 22,925.31. China Life (NYSE:LFC) fell 2.4% to 28.40 yuan. China Petroluem (NYSE:SNP) dropped 2.7% to 7.39.

Data from Reuters.

Douglas A. McIntyre is an editor at 247wallst.com.

As China increased the amount of money that banks need to keep in reserves as a way to reduce lending and curb inflation, the Shanghai Composite fell 7.7% to 3,073. The Hang Seng was down 4.2% to 23,382.

A number of stocks were off over 10%. Some of the shares in China's largest companies suffered significant losses. China Life (NYSE: LFC) was down 5.2% to 29.15 yuan. China Netcom (NYSE: CN) was off 8.9% to 20.95. China Petroleum (NYSE: SNP) was down 7.8% to 7.61.

Data from Reuters.

Douglas A. McIntyre is an editor at 247wallst.com and author of the Ten Stocks Under $10 letter.

China Petroleum & Chemical (NYSE: SNP), an energy and chemical company based in the People's Republic of China, closed at $98.35. WTI Crude Futures are down 0.33% to $123.82 according to Bloomberg. SNP overall option implied volatility of 46 is below its 26-week average of 57 according to Track Data, suggesting decreasing price risk.

China Life Insurance (NYSE: LFC) offers products and services, including individual life insurance, accident insurance and health insurance in China. LFC closed at $62.37. LFC overall option implied volatility of 42 is below its 26-week average of 50, suggesting decreasing price risk.

Option Update is provided by Stock Specialist Paul Foster of theflyonthewall.com

China Petroleum & Chemical (NYSE: SNP), an energy and chemical company based in the People's Republic of China, closed at $99.67 Tuesday.

SNP issued a profit warning on April 19 for 1Q08 indicting that net profits will decline more than 50% on a yoy basis. WTI Crude Futures are down 0.26% to $117.76 according to Bloomberg.

SNP overall option implied volatility of 53 is near its 26-week average of 55 according to Track Data, suggesting non-directional price risk.

Options Update is provided by Stock Specialist Paul Foster of theflyonthewall.com

Most markets in Asia rallied.

The Nikkei was up 4.2% to 13,189. Honda (NYSE: HMC) rose 7.3% to 3110 yen. NEC rose 5.7% to 405. Sony (NYSE: SNE) rose 5.9% to 4300.

The Hang Seng rose 3.6% to 23,595. China Life (NYSE: LFC) rose 5.2% to 26.6 yuan. China Mobile (NYSE: CHL) rose 4.2% to 122.6. China Petroleum (NYSE: SNP) rose 5.5% to 7.26.

The Shanghai Composite rose .6% to 3,448.

Data from Reuters.

Douglas A. McIntyre is an editor at 247wallst.com.

The Nikkei moved up 1.7% to 13,820. KDDI was up 2.6% to 639000 yen. Toyota (NYSE: TM) was up 2.5% to 5240.

The Hang Seng was up 2.1% to 23,129. China Life (NYSE: LFC) was up 4.6% to 27.55 yuan. China Petroleum (NYSE: SNP) was up 5.9% to 6.87.

The Shanghai Composite was up 4.9% to 3,580.

Data from Reuters

Douglas A. McIntyre is an editor at 247wallst.com.