Analyst Upgrades

• Sapient (SAPE) to outperform from market perform at Wells Fargo.
• Kroger (KR) to buy from neutral at UBS.
• Harman (HAR) to overweight from neutral and Deutsche Bank (DB) to neutral from underweight at JPMorgan.
• Savient (SVNT) to outperform from market perform at JMP Securities.
• LabCorp (LH) to buy from hold at Deutsche Bank.
• Optimer Pharm (OPTR) and Landstar System (LSTR) to outperform from neutral at RW Baird.
• Essex Property Trust (ESS) to buy from neutral at Janney Capital.
• Tyson Foods (TSN) to neutral from sell at Goldman.
• Host Hotels (HST) to outperform from sector perform at RBC Capital.
• SPX Corp. (SPW) to outperform from market perform at FBR Capital.

Option traders appear to be setting up for a bullish move on Cobalt International Energy, Inc. (CIE). Traders plowed into 1,553 new call option contracts -- 4.65 times the average volume -- on the stock on Monday. And we know that traders were eager to get into this trade because 98% of the trades came in on the ask price.

Cobalt just bounced up off of support at $7. The stock closed Monday at $8.25, down 1.32% during the past month.

Analyst Upgrades

• Bernstein upgraded Corning (GLW) to outperform from market perform based on Gorilla glass prospects and valuation. The firm raised its price target to $22 from $21.
• RBC Capital upgraded Beckman Coulter (BEC) two rating levels to outperform from underperform, citing valuation and customer checks that indicate high retention rates. The firm upped its target for shares to $65 from $55.
• Credit Suisse upgraded Canadian Pacific (CP) to outperform from underperform. The firm expects Canadian Pacific to have stronger-than-average Q2 volume growth, improved productivity and notes leverage to growth in Asia, among other reasons for the upgrade. The firm raised its target to $75 from $59.
• Freeport McMoRan (FRX) was upgraded to overweight from neutral at HSBC.
• Solera (SLH) was upgraded to strong buy from buy at Needham.
• Jefferies upgraded IPC The Hospitalist Co. (IPCM) to buy from hold.

"I expect Vimpel-Communications (VIP) -- Russia's major mobile phone operator -- to perform strongly over the next couple of months," says international expert Nicholas Vardy.

In his Global Bull Market Alert, the advisor explains, "VimpelCom's fundamentals are strong and improving." Here's his bullish outlook on the shares.

"The company increased its mobile subscribers by 1.7 million between the second and third quarters, bringing its total number of subscribers to 65.4 million. That's 13% more than last year.

Here's a peek at what analysts surveyed by Thomson Financial are expecting from companies scheduled to report quarterly results in the first week of June, 2008.

The following companies are expected to post earnings growth, compared to the same period in the previous year:

• Take-Two Interactive (NASDAQ: TTWO) up 136.6% (from a loss) to $1.12 per share, on $499.1 million in revenue
• Lululemon Athletica Inc. (NASDAQ: LULU) up 58.3% to 12 cents per share, on $71.8 million in revenue
• Vimpelcom Communications (NYSE: VIP) up 54.2% to 59 cents per share, on $2.1 billion in revenue
• Focus Media Ltd. (NASDAQ: FMCN) up 36.4% to 33 cents per share, on $161.3 million in revenue
• Ciena Corp. (NASDAQ: CIEN) up 29.7% to 37 cents per share, on $238.4 million in revenue
• Greif Inc. (NYSE: GEF) up 24.1% to 87 cents per share, on $839.9 million in revenue
• Vail Resorts Inc. (NYSE: MTN) up 18.4% to $2.44 per share, on $474.8 million in revenue
• Guess? Inc. (NYSE: GES) up 17.4% to 46 cents per share, on $451.6 million in revenue
• Del Monte Foods Co. (NYSE: DLM) up 15.4% to 26 cents per share, on $1.0 billion in revenue
• Cooper Companies Inc. (NYSE: COO) up 14.6% to 48 cents per share, on $256.7 million in revenue
• Jackson Hewitt Tax Service Inc. (NYSE: JTX) up 1.9% to $2.08 per share, on $161.6 million in revenue

MOST NOTEWORTHY: Heelys, Citigroup, Alvarion, UBS AG and Alcatel-Lucent were today's noteworthy downgrades:

• CIBC downgraded Heelys (NASDAQ: HLYS) to Underperformer from Sector Performer. The analyst has little confidence sales will recover following the recent drop.
  
• CIBC also downgraded Citigroup (NYSE: C) to Sector Underperformer from Sector Performer, as they believe the company may have to cut its dividend, raise cash or sell assets in order to raise $30B over the near-term; the firm believes such a move would pressure shares significantly.
  
• Merriman downgraded shares of Alvarion (NASDAQ: ALVR) to Neutral from Buy after the in-line results as they now believe increased competition will pressure gross margins and minimize operating leverage in FY08.
  
• Merrill downgraded shares of UBS AG (NYSE: UBS) to Neutral from Buy to reflect the potential of further write downs.
  
• Banc of America lowered its rating on Alcatel-Lucent (NYSE: ALU) to Neutral from Buy to reflect poor execution of the company's turnaround strategy.

OTHER DOWNGRADES:

• Goldman removed Vimpelcom (NYSE: VIP) from its Pan European Buy List and downgraded shares to Neutral from Buy.
  
• Silicon Precision (NASDAQ: SPIL) was downgraded to Hold from Buy at ABN Amro.
  
• Lehman downgraded Amylin Pharmaceuticals (NASDAQ: AMLN) to Underweight from Equal Weight.
  
• Baird downgraded Dionex (NASDAQ: DNEX) to Underperform from Neutral.

MOST NOTEWORTHY: The software sector, Ericsson, Paccar, Eni SpA and Valueclick were today's noteworthy downgrades:

• Bear Stearns downgraded the software sector to Underweight from Market Weight, citing valuations and increased risk to 2008 IT budgets.
  
• Ericsson (NASDAQ: ERIC) was downgraded to Equal Weight from Overweight at Lehman and to Neutral from Overweight at JP Morgan following the company's Q3 profit warning.
  
• Paccar (NASDAQ: PCAR) was downgraded to Underperform from Market Perform at Wachovia. The firm believes Street estimates are too high due to weaker-than-expected North American unit production.
  
• ABN Amro downgraded shares of Eni SpA (NYSE: E) to Sell from Hold as they expect the company to invest significantly more in its upstream activities than guidance suggests due to cost pressures.
  
• Oppenheimer downgraded ValueClick (NASDAQ: VCLK) to Neutral from Buy following the Q3 pre-announcement and guidance.

OTHER DOWNGRADES:

• Merrill downgraded Equity Lifestyle Properties (NYSE: ELS) to Neutral from Buy.
  
• Autodesk (NASDAQ: ADSK) was downgraded to Neutral from Buy at UBS.
  
• JP Morgan downgraded ACA Capital Holdings (NYSE: ACA) To Neutral from Overweight.
  
• Citigroup downgraded Vimpel Communications (NYSE: VIP) to Sell from Hold.
  
• Yahoo! (NASDAQ: YHOO) was downgraded to Hold from Buy at Gabelli.

As my blogs suggest, I expect VIP treatment -- a spot behind the velvet rope, a complimentary bottle of Cristal, a second bottle for my entourage, and someone to hold my parasol.

It turns out, however, that I need to start expecting VoIP treatment.

That's right, finance fans, VoIP is short for "voice over internet protocol." It's the way internet users are starting to make calls. By using a phone connected to a high-speed internet line, they can connect anywhere and talk to anyone.

Time Warner has been in this market for a while, but it's trying to increase the market share. Skype (owned by eBay) announced today that it had reached 100 million users. Additionally, Vonage Holdings Corp., may offer up to 31.25 million shares priced at $16 to $18 each in an initial public offering, according to a regulatory filing on Friday.

Citing industry analysts, Vonage estimates the market for Internet phone service in North America may get as high as 15.3 million consumers by the close of 2007.

15.3 million consumers?! Getting VoIP treatment?!

Well, did any of those 15.3 million consumers get invites to the afterparty I'm going to tonight?

I didn't think so.