The new earnings season doesn't kick off until Alcoa (AA) reports its first-quarter results on April 11, but a few stragglers are still reporting their earnings for the previous quarter this week. The most prominent earnings reports on tap are Wednesday's results from Bed Bath & Beyond (BBBY) and from Monsanto (MON). Here's what analysts surveyed by Thomson Reuters expect to see.

Bed Bath & Beyond

During its fiscal fourth quarter, the nation's largest domestics retailer opened new stores and its CEO sold shares. Analysts anticipate that the New Jersey-based company will report per-share earnings of 97 cents, an increase of 11.3% from the same quarter of last year. The company also is expected to post revenue of $2.4 billion for the three months that ended in February, a 6.3% rise from a year earlier.

Agrochemical company Syngenta AG's (SYT) stock continues to undulate higher, and the volatile play remains not for the faint-of-heart.

Note: Don't consider Syngenta, first discussed here on June 16, 2009 at a price of $47.28, if you can't handle choppy price action.

A year ago, Syngenta's share price swooned with the pull-back in commodity prices, and came dangerously close to the $37 sell/stop loss.

Agrochemical company Syngenta AG's (SYT) stock has soared to new heights early this winter, but don't expect smooth sailing from here: the volatile stock is decidedly not for the squeamish.

Note: Don't consider Syngenta, first discussed here on June 16, 2009, at a price of $47.28, if you can't handle $2 or $3 stock drops in day.

A year ago, Syngenta's share price swooned with the pull-back in commodity prices, and came dangerously close to the $37 sell/stop loss.

What a wild ride this year has been for the shares of agrochemical company Syngenta AG (SYT), first discussed on June 16, 2009 at a price of $47.28.

Early in 2010, the stock swooned with the pull-back in commodity prices, and came dangerously close to the $37 sell/stop loss.

But in late summer it became clear that emerging market economies -- the ones with expanding middle classes and increased demand for food -- would not enter a double-dip recession and would continue grow at healthy rates, and SYT has been vaulting higher since.

If you are looking for a textbook downtrend, you need look no further than agricultural giant Monsanto (MON). Since hitting a high just above $85 in early January, Monsanto has been on an uninterrupted escalator down to $45.

Unfortunately for Monsanto, today's disappointing earnings announcement is going to do nothing to help change that situation.

Monsanto announced that it only earned $0.70 per share last quarter -- compared to the $1.25 per share the company earned last year. So earnings are off by 44% while the stock price is off by 47% this year.

It looks like poor Roundup and other glyphosate-based herbicide sales are largely to blame for Monsanto's struggles. It's not that farmers and others aren't buying as much herbicide. The problem is the price of these herbicides has declined from $35 a gallon a few years ago to current levels of $8 to $11 a gallon.

I first discussed Syngenta AG (SYT), on June 16, 2009, at a price of $47.28, and shares of agrochemical company have swooned with the pull-back in commodity prices, but the company is still favored in this neck of the woods. Here's why:

Unlike other fertilizer operations, Syngenta is not as dependent on glyphosate prices.

Second, look for seed revenue to increase more than 10% in 2010. In particular, demand for vegetable seeds in looks particularly strong, on increased demand for food in emerging markets. Meanwhile, crop protection will likely face a more-competitive market in 2010.

Analyst Upgrades

• Scotia Capital upgraded Apple (AAPL) to outperform from sector perform, citing valuation, potential increased iPhone distribution and iPad upside. The firm's two-year price target is $325.
• UBS upgraded Parker-Hannifin (PH) to neutral from sell following the company's better-than-expected Q3 report.
• Piper Jaffray upgraded Arkansas Best (ABFS) to neutral from underweight after the Teamsters union announced a tentative agreement with the company. The firm has a $33 price target for shares.
• Harley-Davidson (HOG) was upgraded to market perform from underperform at Raymond James.
• Allegheny Tech (ATI) was upgraded to buy from hold at KeyBanc.
• Manhattan Associates (MANH) was upgraded to buy from hold at Benchmark.

Agrochemical company Syngenta Ag (SYT), first written about on June 16, 2009 at a price of $47.28, has weathered the recession in decent shape, and is now positioned to capitalize on the global economic recovery. Here's why:

Look for seed sales to advance 10-15% in 2010, with improved pricing power. In particular, demand for vegetable seeds looks strong, on increased consumption of food in emerging markets. Meanwhile, crop protection will likely face a more-competitive market in 2010, with flattish revenue results likely.

Analyst Upgrades

• Oppenheimer upgraded Abercrombie & Fitch (ANF) to outperform from perform as it finds the risk/reward on shares attractive and believes the company's Q4 results and easing comparisons could serve as positive catalysts. The firm set a $46 price target on shares.
• Bernstein upgraded 3M Company (MMM) to outperform from market perform based on expectations the company will continue to beat and raise guidance and that the organic growth rate will continue to improve. The firm raised its target to $99 from $90.
• Roth Capital expects Nvidia (NVDA) to benefit from its new GPU platform Fermi in Q1, resulting in a PC business recovery. Additionally, the firm, which upgraded shares to buy from hold and has a $21 target, expects Nvidia to offset Intel (INTC) declines by selling low-end GPUs compatible with Intel's Pinetrail and Westmere platforms.
• Syngenta (SYT) was upgraded to buy from hold at Collins Stewart.
• Cameron (CAM) was raised to overweight from neutral at HSBC.
• Sigma-Aldrich (SIAL) was lifted to outperform from neutral at Baird.

Crop protection and seed company Syngenta Ag's (NYSE: SYT) stock has underperformed since the June 16, 2009 Buy recommendation at $47.82.

The stock did break through the psychologically-significant $50 level, but it failed at level and has since fallen back to the $45-range. In the process, a double-top -- a bearish sign -- has formed.

It goes without saying that agricultural commodity-related plays fell out of Wall Street's favor with the onset of the global recession. Crop protection and seed company Syngenta Ag (NYSE: SYT) was not exempt from the above, but now that signs of strengthening demand are appearing in key global regions, institutional investors are repositioning themselves back in emerging market plays.

In general, analysts like Syngenta's product mix, demonstrated business model, experienced management team, and relative investment safety.

"The soaring cost of food isn't just hitting families in the US; it's hitting everyone around the world," says Neil George. Here, in Personal Finance, he looks at some agriculture, chemical and seed plays.

"During the past five years, consumer food costs have soared by more than 117%. And that momentum is increasing; in the trailing 12 months alone, prices surged more than 52%.

"The mega-investors aren't waiting around; they're buying into other parts of the ag business-from grain elevators to ag processors and distributors-as a workaround for such potential regulation.

"You shouldn't be sitting on your hands, either. This food trend is going to be here for a while, so you better stake your claim while buyers still outnumber sellers.

"One way to invest in this trend is to step into companies that are serving the ag producers. This means the companies developing and selling engineered seeds, as well as chemicals and fertilizer products needed to not just grow crops but more bountiful and, therefore, more profitable crops.

"One of the simplest and most genuine global long-term investment stories is the food sector," notes Yiannis Mostrous in Silk Road Investor. Here's a look at two ways to play this trend.

"Long-term, this should reward patient investors handsomely. As the world's population increases, demand will also grow, allowing companies in the food industry to handsomely profitWe continue to favor the theme and recommend you allocate some of your funds to it.

"There are myriad ways to play the burgeoning demand for vital resources used in food production. Our favorite is portfolio holding PowerShares DB Agriculture Fund (AMEX: DBA). It's an exchange traded fund that is based on the Deutsche Bank Liquid Commodity Index.

MOST NOTEWORTHY: OptionXpress Holdings, Supertex and Syngenta were today's noteworthy initiations:

• Merriman believes OptionXpress Holdings (NASDAQ: OXPS) has lost market share, and remains vulnerable on many fronts. They expect the competitive landscape will continue to intensify, pressuring margins and growth rates. The firm initiated shares with a Sell rating.
• Morgan Keegan started Supertex (NASDAQ: SUPX) with a Market Perform rating, citing lack of near-term catalysts.
• Syngenta (NYSE: SYT) was initiated with an Outperform rating at Bear, as they are positive on the company's defensive growth profile and valuation.

OTHER INITIATIONS:

• HSBC initiated FedEx (NYSE: FDX) with a Neutral rating and $102 target and United Parcel Service (NYSE: UPS) with an Overweight rating and $86 target.
• Credit Suisse started Liberty Media (NASDAQ: LCAPA) with an Outperform rating and $140 target.

TheStreet.com's Jim Cramer says there are some names that will work here, but they're a small slice of the total market pie.

Can someone, anyone, tell me why we can bank on this Fed? "The Fed has to cut 50 basis points or we are going to Dow 12,500."

Yeah, OK. I get it. Fed panicked and cut 50 last time we were shocked with a weak employment number. Maybe they will do it again.

But I look at it a different way. This Fed thinks it is smarter than all of us. It looks at ways to tinker to bring down the short-rates without attacking them head on. They are clever.

Clever's stupid.