abfs

Stock index futures pointed to a higher opening Friday on Wall Street, amid speculation that technology stocks would rise on Microsoft (NASDAQ: MSFT)'s strong earnings report late Thursday. Optimism was tempered on expectations that the monthly consumer confidence survey due Friday morning will show a declining economic outlook.

Yesterday, the Dow Jones Industrial Average lost just 3.33, ending a volatile trading session that saw the index swing as low as far as 100 points down. The Nasdaq Composite Index fared worse, falling 23.90, or 0.86%, to 2,750.86, while the S&P slipped 1.48 to 1,514.40.

The University of Michigan will release final consumer confidence figures for October at 10 this morning. The monthly survey is expected to show Americans more pessimistic about the nation's economic future.

Troubled Countrywide Financial (NYSE: CFC) will report third-quarter results this morning. Analysts expect the top mortgage lender to post losses of $1.26 per share, though expectations vary widely.

Trucking group Arkansas Best Corp. (NASDAQ: ABFS) and industrial conglomerate Ingersoll-Rand (NYSE: IR) are among other companies reporting earnings Friday.

Abroad, stocks headed higher in Asia, with Japan's Nikkei and Hong Kong's Hang Seng indexes rising. Stocks were flat in early European trading.

Microsoft reported first-quarter earnings after the market close Thursday, posting a 23 percent rise that exceeding analysts' expectations. The software giant raised its forecasts for the year, citing sales of Windows Vista and its new Xbox 360 game Halo 3.

Merrill Lynch (NYSE: MER) shares advanced overseas on reports that Merrill Lynch CEO Stanley O'Neal discussed merger potential with Wachovia (NYSE: WB) without consulting Merrill's board of directors.

MOST NOTEWORTHY: Motorola (MOT), SanDisk (SNDK), Time Warner (TWX), Schering-Plough (SGP), GlaxoSmithKline (GSK) and Openwave Systems (OPWV) were some of today's noteworthy upgrades:

• Deutsche Bank believes the worst is over for Motorola (NYSE: MOT) and expects an improvement in growth over the next several quarters, upgrading shares to Buy from Hold.

• CIBC upgraded shares of SanDisk (NASDAQ: SNDK) to Sector Outperformer from Sector Performer following checks that indicate NAND supply is being allocated, visibility is improving, and SanDisk positioning is strengthening.

• Pali Capital raised Time Warner (NYSE: TWX) shares to Buy from Neutral as they believe the "valuation has become too attractive to ignore."

• JP Morgan upgraded Schering-Plough (NYSE: SGP) and GlaxoSmithKline (NYSE: GSK) to Neutral from Underweight based on valuation.

• CIBC upgraded Openwave Systems (NASDAQ: OPWV) to Sector Performer from Sector Underperformer believing the Street's expectations are now in line with expectations, limiting downside potential at these levels...

OTHER UPGRADES:

• Merrill upgraded BT Group (NYSE: BT) to Buy from Sell.

• JP Morgan assumed coverage of Arkansas Best (NASDAQ: ABFS) with a Neutral rating, up from an Underweight rating.

• AG Edwards upgraded UnitedHealth (NYSE: UNH) to Buy from Hold.

• Merrill upgraded Dean Foods (NYSE: DF) to Neutral from Sell.

• UBS upgraded Marvell Technology (NASDAQ: MRVL) to Buy from Neutral.

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

The markets saw a third day of selling today. While some may attribute it to the lower retail sales numbers, foreign interest rate worries or North Korean missile tests, I think it just may be the summer trading session. The market has been shooting up like crazy recently and it is time it takes a breather. Summer time has also been a historical rough time for the market as it makes very little in gains. Last summer is a good example of this. Just because the Dow dropped in the beginning of June last year doesn't mean it has to drop in the beginning of June this year; but it is food for thought.

The NYSE had volume of 2.5 billion shares with a paltry 279 shares advancing while 3058 declined for a loss of 174.07 points to close at 9,720.94. On the NASDAQ, 1.4 billion shares traded, 669 advanced and 2,372 declined for a loss of 45.8 to 2,541.38.

Most of the major long-haul trucking companies have reported quarterly earnings by now, and the news has been about as welcome as a state trooper with a ticket quota to meet. All trucking companies were affected by the same negative factors for the winter quarter:

1. Slowing economy, with particular weakness in the housing and auto sales sectors, resulting in weakening demand for the past eight months.

2. Excess capacity, though not necessarily excess drivers, as many companies bought new truck engines prior to the deadline for more fuel efficient (and expensive) and less polluting engines.

3. Soaring fuel costs, up 17 cents per gallon in March alone, with no end in sight for the next several quarters.

4. Wretched weather for days on end in many parts of the country.

Despite what might initially appear to be a uniformly negative scenario, the long-haul trucking sector is more fragmented than investors may realize, so results were NOT NEGATIVE across the board. In many cases, revenues were up, but then again, so were operating expenses. The degree to which senior management can control costs and utilize existing equipment effectively often made the difference.

MOST NOTEWORTHY: Whirlpool Corp (WHR), Amazon.com, Inc (AMZN), Arkansas Best Corp (ABFS) and Capital One Financial Corp (COF) were today's more noteworthy upgrades:

• Citigroup upgraded Whirlpool Corp (NYSE: WHR) to Hold from Sell with a $107 target after better-than-expected Q1 results.

• Amazon.com Inc (NASDAQ: AMZN) was upgraded to Market Perform from Underperform at Piper Jaffray, to Hold from Sell at Citigroup, to Neutral from Underperform at Cowen, to Sector Perform from Underperform at Pacific Crest and to Buy from Hold at BWS Financial.

• Elsewhere, Stephens raised Arkansas Best Corp (NASDAQ: ABFS) to Equal Weight from Underweight with a $30 target.

• Bernstein upgraded Capital One Financial (NYSE: COF) to Outperform from Market Perform...

OTHER UPGRADES:

• Key Bank Capital Markets upgraded Cheesecake Factory Inc (NASDAQ: CAKE) to Buy from Hold.

• Alcatel-Lucent (NYSE: ALU) was upgraded to Buy from Neutral at Goldman.

• Stifel upgraded Advance Auto Parts, Inc (NYSE: AAP) to Buy from Hold with a $48 target.

• UBS raised Yamana Gold Inc's (NYSE: AUY) rating to Neutral from Reduce.

• Longbow Research upgraded Parker Hannifin (NYSE: PH) to Buy from Neutral.

• Lehman upgraded American Standard Cos (NYSE: ASD) to Buy from Hold with a $50 target.

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

MOST NOTEWORTHY: Ford Motor Company (F), AT&T Inc (T) and American Eagle Outfitters Inc (AEOS) were some of today's most notable upgrades:

• Credit Suisse upgraded Ford Motor Company (NYSE: F) to Neutral from Underperform with an $8 target. The firm thinks Ford has a chance of posting slightly better-than-expected Q1 results, which could be a positive catalyst for shares.

• AG Edwards upgraded AT&T Inc (NYSE: T) to Buy from Hold with a $41 price objective. The firm believes the recent pullback provides investors with a buying opportunity.
  

• Lazard upgraded American Eagle Outfitters Inc (NASDAQ: AEOS) to Buy from Hold with a $34 target on valuation.

OTHER UPGRADES:

• Matrix USA upgraded SanDisk Corp (NASDAQ: SNDK) to Strong buy from Hold to reflect the stock's low valuation and their optimism for new large capacity flash hard drive alternative products leads.

• Stanford upgraded shares of Analogic Corp (NASDAQ: ALOG) to Hold from Sell with a $55 target. The upgrade followed Analogic's better-than-expected Q2 results. Stanford admits they were wrong about the security shipment, as Analogic shipped 18 EXACT units, well above the firm's 5 unit estimate.

• Citigroup upgraded Monster Worldwide (NASDAQ: MNST) to Buy from Hold. to reflect improving margins in its European segment.

• Piper Jaffray upgraded NightHawk Rediology Holdings (NASDAQ: NHWK) to Market Perform from Underperform citing valuation.

• UBS upgraded Bayer AG (NYSE: BAY) to Buy from Neutral on valuation.

• Citigroup believes British Airways ADS (NYSE: BAB) can meet its 10% operating target in 2008 and upgraded shares to Buy from Hold.

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

I've been reading the January 2007 issue of Material Handling Management. In this issue, there is a fine article by Tom Andel that discusses the current realities regarding hydrogen fuel cell use in commercial operations utilizing lift truck fleets. The MHM article brings home some truths of just how close we are to finally beginning the replacement of currently accepted methods of providing the energy to operate various industrial equipment. Consumers (and investors), sometimes don't realize that when it comes to heavy duty technology conversions in our day to day world, most often those changes are implemented and perfected on the industrial side well before the consumer side gets its hands on them. Such seems to be the case in the matter of hydrogen fuel cells.

MHM research suggests that while increasing improvements are still being aggressively sought, hydrogen fuel cell technology has reached the point of being completely practical in replacing some of today's current energy provision systems. The single largest hurdle that developers are addressing is in making the technology more economical. With current incentive programs for energy provision change over, it's almost a dead heat between hydrogen fuel cells and current methods in use. Developers have already begun their marketing programs while the scientists and engineers continue to push towards their goals for economical hydrogen deployment absent of outside financial incentives. Their goal is to make hydrogen fuel cell technology a stand alone proposition.

MOST NOTEWORTHY: The trucking sector, PepsiCo (PEP) and Electronic Arts (ERTS) were the most notable upgrades today.

• Wachovia upgraded the trucking sector to Market Weight from Underweight, as they believe the negative sentiment towards the group is starting to bottom, also noting that trucking stocks tend to rally before fundamentals fully bottom. Wachovia upgraded Con-Way Inc (NYSE: CNW) and Covenant Transport 'A' NASDAQ: CVTI) to Outperform from Market Perform, and Arkansas Best (NASDAQ: ABFS), Heartland Express Inc (NASDAQ: HTLD), Werner Enterprises (NASDAQ: WERN), US Xpress Enterprises 'A' (NASDAQ: XPRSA) to Market Perform from Underperform.

• JP Morgan added PepsiCo (NYSE: PEP) to their Focus List, as the firm believes the recent pullback due to concerns over commodities costs and margins is overdone.

• Janco upgraded Electronic Arts (NASDAQ: ERTS) to Buy from Hold with a $69 target, citing valuation.

OTHER UPGRADES:

• Amgen Inc (NASDAQ: AMGN) was upgraded to Outperform from Peer Perform with a $77 target at Bear Stearns; the firm views Amgen's risk/reward as favorable as the most reasonable of CERA's launch scenarios, owned by Roche Holdings AG (OTC: RHHBY), are priced into valuation, and sees significant upside if CERA does not launch.

• Caris upgraded LSI Logic (NYSE: LSI) to Buy from Above Average with a $12 target; they believe investors are underestimating the synergies involved with the Agere Systems (NYSE: AGR) deal. The broker sees upside to earnings estimates and raised their target of LSI Logic to $12 from $11.

• Merrill Lynch upgraded shares of ImClone Systems (NASDAQ: IMCL) to Neutral from Sell, and sees a short-term trading opportunity due to the overly negative sentiment into the upcoming sales figures. The broker thinks Imclone could meet its Erbitux sales estimates despite weak prescription data.

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

MOST NOTEWORTHY: Notable companies from today's downgrade list include the New York Stock Exchange (NYX) and Nokia (NOK).

• JP Morgan downgraded the New York Stock Exchange Group Inc. (NYSE:NYX) to Neutral from Overweight based on valuation; they also foresee potential integration issues with Euronext.
• Nokia Corp. (NYSE:NOK) was downgraded to Hold from Add at West LB.

OTHER DOWNGRADES:

• YRC WorldWide Inc. (NASDAQ:YRCW) and Arkansas Best Corp. (NASDAQ:ABFS) were downgraded at Stephens to Underweight from Equal Weight, citing the deteriorating Less-Than-Truckload environment.
• Bear Stearns downgraded 3Com Corporation (NASDAQ:COMS) to Peer Perform from Outperform citing increased execution; Lehman Brothers downgraded 3Coms (COMS) to Underweight from Equal Weight.

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

MOST NOTEWORTHY: Pfizer (PFE), Anheuser-Busch (BUD) and the Trucking Sector top's today's extensive list of downgrades.

• Pfizer, Inc. (NYSE:PFE) was downgraded by UBS to Neutral from Buy. The firm cited increased risks to the drug-makers' outlook.
• UBS also downgraded Anheuser-Busch Companies, Inc. (NYSE:BUD), citing weaker volumes and pricing expectations for the next six months.
• Wachovia downgraded the Trucking Sector to Underweight from Market Weight citing weakening fundamentals. Within the sector, Wachovia downgraded
  • Arkansas Best Corporation (NASDAQ:ABFS), Heartland Express Inc (NASDAQ:HTLD), Swift Transportation Co, Inc. (NASDAQ:SWFT) and US Xpress Enterprises, Inc. (NAsdAQ:XPRSA) to Underperform from Market Perform,
  • and Knight Transportation, Inc. (NYSE:KNX) to Market Perform from Outperform.

OTHER DOWNGRADES:

• JP Morgan downgraded three International Airline companies on concerns of capacity growth in 2007:
  • Gol Linhas Aereas Inteligentes SA (NYSE:GOL) and TAM SA (NYSE:TAM) to Neutral from Overweight,
  • and Copa Holdings SA (NYSE:CPA) to Underweight from Neutral.
• Citigroup downgraded Kimberly Clark Corp. (NYSE:KMB) to Sell from Hold, citing valuation and near-term earnings concerns.
• Finally, Kaufman Brothers downgraded Electronic Arts, Inc. (NAsdAQ:ERTS) and THQ Inc (NASDAQ:THQI) to Hold from Buy on valuation.

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