Starbucks (SBUX) is the world's leading roaster and retailer of specialty coffee. Through its global network of owned and franchised coffee retail outlets, Starbucks offers a wide range of products from coffees and teas to sandwiches and brewing equipment. It competes with McDonald's (MCD), Caribou Coffee (CBOU) and Peet's Coffee (PEET) in the broader market for specialty coffee.

Starbucks (SBUX)is the world's leading roaster and retailer of specialty coffee. Through its global network of owned and franchised coffee retail outlets, Starbucks offers a wide range of products from coffees and teas to sandwiches and brewing equipment. It competes with McDonald's (MCD), Caribou Coffee and Peet's Coffee in the broader market for specialty coffee.

We estimate that Starbucks' company-owned stores constitute around 44% of our estimated $30.50 value for the company's stock while franchised stores generate an incremental 29%. Packaged Coffee, Tea & Other add a further 19%. Our price estimate stands about 15% below the market price.

Analyst Upgrades

• Bunge (BG) to buy from hold at Deutsche Bank.
• Textron (TXT) to overweight from neutral at JPMorgan.
• CSX (CSX) to buy from neutral and Pulte Group (PHM) to conviction buy from neutral at Goldman.
• Aol (AOL) to buy from neutral at UBS.
• Kohlberg Capital (KCAP) to outperform from market perform at JMP Securities.
• Owens Corning (OC) to buy from neutral at BofA/Merrill.
• Jefferies (JEF) to buy from neutral at Ticonderoga.
• Harris (HRS) to outperform from perform at Oppenheimer.

The market for single cup roasters is estimated at $4 billion, according to Reuters. Single cup coffee roasters are growing in popularity, especially in business offices and waiting rooms. Naturally, coffee roasters like Green Mountain Coffee (GMCR) and Starbucks (SBUX) want a piece of the action.

The single cup roasters provide several advantages to having coffee in larger coffee pots. For one thing, coffee which sits for hours in a pot loses some of its fresh flavor or becomes bitter. Enter the single cup roaster. You simply pop a small container of coffee in the machine, and viola, you get a single cup of coffee with little or no mess, and always fresh.

Starbucks Corporation (SBUX) has been a good holding for those who believed in the company at the 52-week low. Kudos to you if you bought in at $22.50, you certainly have my respect.

The 52-week high for the stock is currently set at $34.79. At the time of this writing, shares were exchanging hands for $34.34. Is now the time to sell? Or should investors bravely hold on for a further ride higher?

Analyst Upgrades

• Brinker (EAT) to buy from neutral at UBS.
• Starbucks (SBUX) to overweight from equal weight at Morgan Stanley.
• Paccar (PCAR) to overweight from neutral at JPMorgan.
• CA Technologies (CA) to outperform from perform at Oppenheimer.
• PPL Corp. (PPL) to overweight from equal weight at Barclays.
• ConocoPhillips (COP) to hold from sell at Citigroup.
• First Defiance (FDEF) to outperform from market perform at Keefe Bruyette.
• MasTec (MTZ) to outperform from neutral at Credit Suisse.
• Amdocs (DOX) to neutral from underperform at BofA/Merrill.

Starbucks (SBUX) is the world's leading roaster and retailer of specialty coffee. Through its global network of owned and franchised coffee retail outlets, Starbucks offers a wide range of products from coffees and teas to sandwiches and brewing equipment. It competes with McDonald's (MCD), Caribou Coffee and Peet's Coffee in the broader market for specialty coffee.

Starbucks (SBUX) is the world's leading roaster and retailer of specialty coffee. Through its global network of owned and franchised coffee retail outlets, Starbucks offers a wide range of products from coffees and teas to sandwiches and brewing equipment. It competes with McDonald's (MCD), Caribou Coffee and Peet's Coffee in the broader market for specialty coffee.

We estimate that Starbucks' company-owned stores constitute around 46% of our estimated $26.41 value for the company's stock, while franchised stores generate an incremental 29%. Our price estimate stands below the current market price.

It's not enough to be on every metropolitan street corner; now Starbucks (SBUX) is trying to be even bigger (in one sense of the word) -- and faster, too. Thirsty folks longing for a Big Gulp­-style coffee beverage are in luck as the Seattle-based coffee chain is set to roll out its new "Trenta" size for iced drinks.

The new size, seven ounces bigger than the Venti, will be 31 ounces. Trenta, by the way, means "thirty" in Italian. It's also a valley in Slovenia and a small town in the Italian province of Cosenza. This new size trumps Dunkin Donuts, which offers its iced beverages in 24-ounce serving sizes.

This year we've seen sharp price increases in commodities, especially in the weather sensitive agricultural sector. Coffee and sugar are in the spotlight this week.

Processors who buy raw commodities and process them into consumer products are caught is in a price squeeze. On the one hand they must pay more for the raw product and on the other they are up against consumers who are cost conscious.

Analyst Upgrades

• Wynn Resorts (WYNN) to overweight from neutral at JPMorgan.
• Oracle (ORCL) and Alliance Data Systems (ADS) to outperform from neutral at Macquarie.
• Saint Joe (JOE) to outperform from market perform at Keefe Bruyette.
• Starwood Hotels (HOT) to neutral from underperform at RW Baird.
• Middlesex Water (MSEX) to buy from neutral at Janney Capital.
• Consol Energy (CNX) to buy from hold at BB&T.

It appears that there is some trouble brewing in the agreement between Starbucks (SBUX) and Kraft (KFT). As part of the agreement, Kraft distributed Starbucks bagged coffee and the Seattle's Best brand in supermarkets and other food retailers. The agreement dates back to 1998 and has grown to $500 million in annual sales (initially the deal net sales of $50 million).

The intentions were made public by Starbucks last night. The latest salvo fired in this java jive is a mere continuation of a fight that has included both companies accusing each other of having "improperly characterized the terms of the pact." According to Kraft, it requires Starbucks to pay the fair-market value of the business along with a premium in "certain instances."

It will be a busy week. Republicans are poised to gain control of the House of Representatives and gain governorships in Tuesday's mid-term elections. Also, the Federal Reserve is expected to announce another round of quantitative easing Wednesday, following the FOMC meeting. Major retailers are scheduled to report October same-store sales Thursday, while the October unemployment rate, announced on Friday, is expected to remain at 9.6%.

Toyota's (TM) fiscal second-quarter results will be one of the highlights on the earnings front this week. After three periods of way underestimating Toyota's earnings, have the analysts surveyed by Thomson Reuters got it right this time? The stock sure could use a boost. Teva Pharmaceuticals (TEVA) is in a similar situation; i.e., high expectations for this week's quarterly results but a stock in need of a boost. Marathon (MRO) and Starbucks (SBUX) are also expected to post strong earnings growth this week, but both stocks are riding high.