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

• American Eagle Outfitters Inc. (NYSE: AEO) saw lower Q3 results in the tough retail envirnoment.
• Analog Devices Inc. (NYSE: ADI) Q4 profit surged but it lowered its Q1 forecast due to slowing orders.
• Borders Group Inc. (NYSE: BGP) had dismal Q3 results and said it had ceased its quest to sell itself.
• Campbell Soup Co. (NYSE: CPB) solid Q1 results beat estimates but shares fell despite a market rally.
• Deere & Co. (NYSE: DE) fell short of Q4 profit expectations and guidance was below estimates.
• Dollar Tree Inc. (NASDAQ: DLTR) had a bigger-than-expected Q3 profit and raised its full-year outlook.
• D.R. Horton Inc. (NYSE: DHI) reported a wider Q4 loss as home sales revenue declined by 50%.
• Hewlett-Packard Co. (NYSE: HPQ) posted strong Q4 numbers that didn't quite match the preliminary results.
• Salesforce.com Inc. (NYSE: CRM) had strong results and an optimistic forecast despite economic conditions.
• Starbucks Corp. (NASDAQ: SBUX) lowered its fiscal 2009 forecast and warned of further restructuring.
• Tiffany & Co. (NYSE: TIF) Q3 earnings declined but topped expectations, and it announced staff reductions.
• Warner Music Group Corp. (NYSE: WMG) Q4 earnings beat expectations though revenues fell slightly.
• Xerox Corp. (NYSE: XRX) forecast a full-year profit in line with estimates and said it is confident in its liquidity.

Upcoming earnings releases include Sears (NASDAQ: SHLD), Staples (NASDAQ: SPLS), Aeropostale (NYSE: ARO), Del Monte Foods (NYSE: DLM), Guess (NYSE: GES), Novell (NASDAQ: NOVL), Toll Brothers (NYSE: TOL), Big Lots (NYSE: BIG), Royal Bank of Canada (NYSE: RY).

Visit AOL Money & Finance for more earnings coverage.

Earnings highlights: HP, Campbell, Deere, Tiffany, Xerox, Borders and others originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Sat, 29 Nov 2008 11:40:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Analyst upgrades:

• Baird upgraded Regal-Beloit (NYSE: RBC) to Outperform from Neutral based on valuation and growth expectations.
• Black & Decker (NYSE: BDK) and Lennar (NYSE: LEN) were upgraded to Buy from Neutral at UBS based on valuation.
• Kroger (NYSE: KR) and Public Storage (NYSE: PSA) were added to Goldman's Conviction Buy List.
• CIBC upgraded Biovail (NYSE: BVF) to Sector Performer from Sector Underperformer.
• Abercrombie & Fitch (NYSE: ANF) was raised to Neutral from Underperform at Cowen.

• Merrill downgraded Campbell Soup (NYSE: CPB) to Neutral from Buy and expects marketing and promotional spending to limit earnings growth in 2009 and 2010. The firm lowered their target to $35 from $42.
• Mechel Steel (NYSE: MTL) was cut to Underweight from Equal Weight at Morgan Stanley to reflect declining coal demand.
  
• Friedman Billings downgraded shares of Legg Mason (NYSE: LM) to Underperform from Market Perform on liquidity concerns given the Legg Mason's leveraged balance sheet and falling EBITDA. The firm lowered their target to $7 from $11.

Continue reading Analyst calls: RBC, BDK, KR, LEN, KR, CPB, MTL, LM, PIR, AAPL, AVP ...

Analyst calls: RBC, BDK, KR, LEN, KR, CPB, MTL, LM, PIR, AAPL, AVP ... originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Tue, 25 Nov 2008 11:41:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Campbell Soup (NYSE: CPB) seemed to have an okay first quarter. Revenue rose 3%, and earnings per share on an adjusted basis increased 10% to $0.77. This beat expectations by a penny, according to this source. Now, I agree, these numbers weren't great, but did you see the reaction to the stock on Monday? It closed down over 7.5% on better-than-average volume. Did the stock deserve such a beating? Was the selling a buying opportunity?

Well, as I've been saying, many stocks are great for long-term buying. How many times have you heard that people will be looking back at this current state of volatility after several years have passed only to conclude that it was one of the best buying opportunities of a lifetime? Campbell Soup is probably applicable to that cliche. However, the fact that the market rallied on Monday and Campbell Soup didn't participate might mean something. It might mean that the fears of currency translations and their effect on future earnings (this was mentioned in the press release and in news reports) will indeed cause the company some problems in the next several months.

What does this mean for someone who wants to pick up shares of the soup concern? Be wary, especially if you're sick and tired of picking up stocks at the wrong time. Even long-term thinkers don't want to feel a need to double-down a week after entering a position. No, I'm not saying Campbell Soup will tank that fast after the Q1 report. In fact, it may very well bounce from here.

I just didn't like the price action on Monday, so I probably would wait a little bit before considering the stock. Like Kraft (NYSE: KFT), Coca-Cola (NYSE: KO), and Kellogg (NYSE: K), Campbell Soup is a dividend play backed by a powerful line of supermarket products. However, like all those companies, international exposure is a big part of its thesis. So one must recognize that shares of Campbell Soup must be approached carefully considering all the headlines as of late concerning the effect of overseas sales.

Disclosure: I own Coca-Cola; positions can change at any time.

Campbell Soup's bottom line increased, but Wall Street passed on stock originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Tue, 25 Nov 2008 11:11:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Continue reading Stocks in the news: C, BAC, TGT, CPB, S, RIMM, AAPL, TASR, SPWRA, NYT (update)

Stocks in the news: C, BAC, TGT, CPB, S, RIMM, AAPL, TASR, SPWRA, NYT (update) originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Mon, 24 Nov 2008 08:12:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Well, it looks like Heinz (NYSE: HNZ) put me and my earnings preview to shame. The company delivered a great second quarter. The company, whose colleagues include Kraft (NYSE: KFT), Kellogg (NYSE: K), and Campbell Soup (NYSE: CPB), grew its bottom line by over 22% on a per-share basis. Heinz scored $0.87 per diluted share in profit, enough to wallop the analyst community's estimate of $0.76 per share.

Heinz made sure to hedge itself in terms of currency effects. That helped drive the quarter. The company's strong brand portfolio delivered, on an overall basis, almost 6% in organic sales growth. Management was able to leverage the equity of its product line to enact favorable pricing measures. And one of my favorite parts of an earnings report is the statement of cash flows. Cash from operations rose almost 10%, and operating free cash flow by the company's calculation (Heinz adds back disposals of capital property/equipment) increased almost 9%. It would, of course, be nice to see the growth rate of cash flow be closer to the growth rate of earnings, but at least cash generation is trending upward.

Gotta tell you, though, it looks like the market could care less about Heinz and its nifty numbers. As I write this, the stock is down 0.8%. I would have figured on a little more excitement considering that today was something of a calm day in the markets at large. Apparently Wall Street doesn't feel a lot of confidence concerning Heinz and its ability to keep up the good work. All I can say is that no stock should be considered defensive, even Heinz. We're playing by a different rule book, one that was written by a crazy lunatic. It seems like every stock is a gamble. If you have extreme patience and can tie up money for a long, long time, Heinz is not a bad bet at its current dividend yield. Otherwise, you may want to hoard cash.

Disclosure: I don't own any company mentioned; positions can change at any time.

Heinz rocks during Q2, but market doesn't care originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Fri, 21 Nov 2008 15:03:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Tyson Foods, Inc. (NYSE: TSN) reported, according to this source, a decent quarter in terms of bottom-line profit, but it wasn't enough to satisfy Wall Street. Sales rose almost 10% to $7.2 billion. And net income on an adjusted basis came in at $0.15 per share. That represented pretty good growth over last year's profit figure. But you know, it didn't really matter for two reasons. One, the call by the analyst community was for four more pennies. Two, guidance was not tasty at all. Management sees further pressures coming, and the aforementioned source mentions that the fulfillment of debt obligations is an issue.

A tough environment for chicken has been plaguing Tyson. Not only that, but a look at the company's press release shows that operational cash flow took a huge dive over the last twelve months, dropping roughly 58% to $288 million. There was no free cash for the year to support the dividend obligations. That isn't too encouraging.

The bottom line on Tyson, which competes with the also-struggling Pilgrim's Pride (NYSE: PPC), is that it isn't a buy, at least not from where I sit. I know there will be investors out there who will see some value in the situation, but I cannot, at least not at this time. No, I'm not saying that I think Tyson will disappear. However, there are better ideas out there if you're looking to play the supermarket game over a long-term basis. There's Procter & Gamble (NYSE: PG), Kraft (NYSE: KFT), and Campbell Soup (NYSE: CPB), to name some examples. As I write this, Tyson's stock is down over 11%. Might we see a bounce in the next few days? Sure. But I'm not brave enough to step in with this one.

Disclosure: I don't own any company mentioned; positions can change at any time.

Too chicken to buy Tyson originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Mon, 10 Nov 2008 15:20:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Kraft (NYSE: KFT), whose supermarket competitors include Campbell Soup (NYSE: CPB), ConAgra (NYSE: CAG), and Kellogg (NYSE: K), reported results for Q3 on Wednesday, and although they weren't stunning, they were apparently good enough for investors, as the stock was higher after the release.>

Of course, today is a funny day, with the Fed decision on rates and all. Still, Kraft proves that it continues to chug along with its popular brands and pricing strategies.

The food company said that net organic revenue grew by 7%. Price increases helped out quite a bit. Unfortunately, management said that volume decreased. That's not great news, as it shows that consumers are reacting to the costs. Adjusted earnings per share, which exclude the significant effects of a gain from a divestiture, came in at $0.44.

According to Melly Alazraki's Before the Bell article, the bottom line only met expectations. Furthermore, the current adjusted earnings performance represented a 0% growth rate. Ouch, Kraft! And then we come to the guidance. It's sort of good, sort of neutral. Management raised its guidance for organic net revenue growth for the year by 1% to 7%, but the outlook for adjusted earnings per share remains the same at $1.88. I suppose this is really more neutral than good since it's the bottom line that most investors care about.

Continue reading Kraft's Q3: A passing grade

Kraft's Q3: A passing grade originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Wed, 29 Oct 2008 14:15:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Investing in a bipolar market: Take another peek at staples originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Tue, 28 Oct 2008 14:57:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Halloween is around the corner, my friends. I love this time of year. And you can bet Hershey (NYSE: HSY) does, too. Will the company sell a lot of candy to all those households who want to give some treats out? Let's hope so, because Hershey needs all the help it can get. It hasn't been growing too well, lately. (I'll be helping out by buying a bag of my favorite, the Reese's Peanut Butter Cup!)

The confectioner reported earnings on Thursday for the third quarter. Sales rose a modest 6% to roughly $1.5 billion. Adjusted earnings per diluted share came in at $0.64. That unfortunately represented a 6% decrease in the bottom line. Furthermore, if you're in the mood for more bad news, adjusted margins dropped across the board during the reporting period. And we can't look to an earnings beat to make things better. According to this article, Hershey managed to only equal analyst expectations, not beat them.

Yet, the stock is up well over 2% as of this writing. As the article pointed out, Hershey is doing okay in terms of market share and outlook. And I'll say this: long-term investors can look at the dividend yield on the stock and the brand equity behind the famous candy maker as positives. I just have to wonder how the stock is going to fare as the consumer continues to become affected by price increases at the supermarket. We all know that Hershey, along with other companies such as Kraft (NYSE: KFT) and Campbell Soup (NYSE: CPB), have found it difficult to spare their consumers the sting of rising costs in a softening economy. Hershey's shares are currently near a 52-week low. My instinct at this time says they'll be going lower still. If you're into dollar-cost-averaging over a long period of time (which would be a good strategy vis a vis this company), then I'd say that you'd be fine here. However, I don't think Hershey will break through to record highs anytime soon.

Disclosure: I don't own any company mentioned; positions can change at any time.

Hershey needs a scary-good Halloween after its Q3 report originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Thu, 16 Oct 2008 14:50:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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

• America's Car-Mart Inc. (NASDAQ: CRMT) topped Q1 expectations on strong growth of same-store sales.
• Campbell Soup Co. (NYSE: CPB) strong Q4 results led shares to a new 52-week high.
• FedEx Corp. (NYSE: FDX) boosted its Q1 forecast due to the recent drop in oil prices.
• Krispy Kreme Doughnuts (NYSE: KKD) narrowed its loss in Q2 but fell short of expectations.
• Lehman Brothers Holdings Inc. (NYSE: LEH) released Q3 results early to calm investor concerns.
• PharmaNet Development Group Inc. (NASDAQ: PDGI) was downgraded after lowering its guidance.
• Shuffle Master Inc. (NASDAQ: SHFL) fell short of analysts estimates, reporting flat year over year earnings.
• Texas Instruments Inc. (NYSE: TXN) reaffirmed its outlook when investors had expected a cut.
• Ulta Salon Cosmetics & Fragrance Inc. (NASDAQ: ULTA) beat estimates and offered Q3 and full-year outlook.
• Washington Mutual Inc. (NYSE: WM) was upgraded despite its disappointing Q3 results.

Upcoming quarterly reports include Kroger (NYSE: KR), Adobe (NASDAQ: ADBE), Best Buy (NYSE: BBY), Goldman Sachs (NYSE: GS), General Mills (NYSE: GIS), Morgan Stanley (NYSE: MS), ConAgra (NYSE: CAG), FedEx (NYSE: FDX), and Oracle (NASDAQ: ORCL).

Visit AOL Money & Finance for more earnings coverage.

Earnings highlights: Lehman, Washington Mutual, Campbell, FedEx, Krispy Kreme and others originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Sat, 13 Sep 2008 12:40:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Campbell Soup Company (NYSE: CPB) is as hot as a rich bowl of steaming broth. You just knew some sort of goofy pun like that was coming since the stock hit a new 52-week high today of $39 and change. Why is the stock reacting so well?

Campbell reported earnings on Thursday that pleased Wall Street. Net sales increased almost 13%. Adjusted earnings from continuing operations came in at $0.26 per share, a huge increase over the $0.15 per share in adjusted earnings that was booked last year at this time. According to Earnings.com, the beat on the bottom line wasn't huge, but it was still a beat -- Campbell came in one penny ahead of expectations. This was an overall impressive performance, and it looks as if the company is exploiting its brand potential in an effective manner so that price increases can be passed on. One negative is that volume decreased during the quarter, but the decline wasn't large at 1%. More significant is the fact that a 53rd week added 8% to the top line. Still, I think Campbell is doing well enough. And if oil prices continue to drop, the soup giant might find it easier to navigate the current inflationary environment.

The stock has been thriving exceptionally well during the turmoil of the financial markets. It truly has been a defensive stock, even better than The Coca-Cola Company (NYSE: KO) and PepsiCo (NYSE: PEP). I really see no reason for Campbell's stock to decline in the short term. I think it has momentum behind it. However, with the dollar gaining some strength as of late, I would worry a little about buying the stock at the 52-week high, although it does still sport a tasty dividend yield even at these levels. If you do buy now, a stop would probably be good to use.

Disclosure: I own Coca-Cola; positions can change at any time.

The market likes Campbell Soup -- should you be buying? originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Fri, 12 Sep 2008 16:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Continue reading Before the bell: Futures drastically lower; LEH, WM, C, NYT, PBR, GM, AAPL ...

Before the bell: Futures drastically lower; LEH, WM, C, NYT, PBR, GM, AAPL ... originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Thu, 11 Sep 2008 08:16:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Heinz (NYSE: HNZ) beat analyst expectations, and mine for that matter, when it released its first-quarter report on Thursday. Wall Street was looking for about 66 cents per share on the bottom line. Heinz delivered 72 per cents share, a figure that represents a 14% growth rate. This was achieved with the help of a 15% rise in top-line sales.

Management mentioned that organic sales were aided pretty evenly by volume growth and pricing strategies. Looks like brand equity wins the day yet again. People are simply willing to pay for their name brands. This isn't to say that generic, private-label items won't always be a concern for companies like Heinz, as well as competitors such as Hershey (NYSE: HSY), Kraft (NYSE: KFT), Campbell Soup (NYSE: CPB), PepsiCo (NYSE: PEP) and General Mills (NYSE: GIS). They always will be.

Heinz is proving to be one heck of a defensive business during this tough recession. The only segment where the company is having problems is in its U.S. Foodservice where sales and operating income declined. Not so surprising, I suppose, since some restaurants are having trouble getting patrons through the door. People may be willing to spend for Heinz ketchup in the supermarket, but if they're not willing to go to the local casual-dining hangout, then those places won't be demanding as much Heinz ketchup for their tables.

Continue reading Heinz beats Street expectations -- management making the right moves

Heinz beats Street expectations -- management making the right moves originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Fri, 22 Aug 2008 11:28:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Heinz (NYSE: HNZ), famous maker of thick-and-rich ketchups and other foodstuffs, is due to report first-quarter results on Thursday. So, what might be in store for the company? Are we looking at a lot of growth for the bottom line?

Well, according to Earnings.com, analysts aren't looking for much growth at all. Last year at this time, Heinz served up 63 cents per share. Wall Street seems to be looking for three measly pennies of growth! Can Heinz beat the 66 cents per share that analysts believe it will report?

Looking at some past price history, I can't say that I'm overly optimistic that Heinz will beat the expectations by too much (if it beats at all, that is). Remember that consumer-products companies are having one heck of a time with inflation. Raising prices is key to survival, but those higher price-tags must be accepted by the consumer base.

Increased marketing spending also is important during times like these since many businesses want to see if they can capture some market share while the competition is hurting.

So investors will want to carefully evaluate the margins and volume of sales when Heinz issues its earnings release. This has been par for the course for businesses such as Hershey (NYSE: HSY), Kraft (NYSE: KFT), Campbell Soup (NYSE: CPB), PepsiCo (NYSE: PEP), and General Mills (NYSE: GIS).

Continue reading Earnings preview: Will Heinz have a rich quarter?

Earnings preview: Will Heinz have a rich quarter? originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Wed, 20 Aug 2008 10:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

On Monday July 28, Kraft (NYSE: KFT) will be reporting its earnings results for the second quarter. Kraft is a well-known manufacturer of supermarket foodstuffs. We all know the brands: Oreo cookies, Nabisco, Oscar Meyer and many, many others.

It should be a defensive stock, just like Campbell Soup (NYSE: CPB) or PepsiCo (NYSE: PEP), right? Well, it is and it isn't. It's defensive in the sense that, as the cliche goes, people still want to eat their favorite foods even during recessionary times. It isn't in the sense that the stock is down by 16% (as of this writing) in the one-year time period. It does have a nice dividend yield, however, and Warren Buffet seems to like it.

What should investors be looking for on Monday? Well, they should definitely be looking at the margins. Is Kraft navigating this inflationary period in as efficient a manner as possible? I think Kraft will do OK in this regard. I'm not expecting any sort of wide expansion of gross margin, but I think management will report stability in this area.

Hershey (NYSE: HSY) , which recently reported numbers for its own quarter (see Brent Archer's idea for a trade involving Hershey options), did well in keeping margin-erosion at bay. Hershey also beat estimates by a penny. Considering that Kraft beat analyst estimates last quarter, that it has a good history of going beyond expectations and that Hershey was able to beat, then I would have to say that Kraft should have no problem beating on Monday. Hershey has had its share of troubles lately, keep in mind.

Continue reading Earnings preview: Does Kraft have the recipe for a successful quarter?

Earnings preview: Does Kraft have the recipe for a successful quarter? originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Thu, 24 Jul 2008 12:12:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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

• AeroVironment Inc. (NASDAQ: AVAV) beat Q4 estimates on demand for unmanned aircraft.
• Apollo Group Inc. (NASDAQ: APOL) beat Q3 expectations on increased enrollment and tuition collection.
• Campbell Soup Co. (NYSE: CPB) predicted earnings at the high end of the previously announced range.
• Constellation Brands Inc. (NYSE: STZ) posted better-than-expected Q1 earnings, sending shares up.
• Deutsche Bank (NYSE: DB), in an effort to calm investors, said that it expects a Q2 profit.
• Family Dollar Stores Inc. (NYSE: FDO) beat Q3 expectations and raised its Q4 guidance.
• H&R Block Inc. (NYSE: HRB) posted solid Q4 and full-year results and boosted its dividend.
• Kroger Co. (NYSE: KR) posted record Q1 EPS and in-line guidance, and its share buybacks continue.
• Nvidia Corp. (NASDAQ: NVDA) warned of lower Q2 earnings due to slowing demand and lower prices.
• Robbins & Myers Inc. (NYSE: RBN) beat Q3 expectations and raised its Q4 and full-year outlook.
• Thornburg Mortgage Inc. (NYSE: TMA) 2007 results are being investigated by the SEC.
• UnitedHealth Group (NYSE: UNH) cut its full-year outlook due to changing business trends.

More highlights from this past week: BP, Discover, Corel, Citigroup, WD-40, MSCI and others

Also, Peter Cohan points out that a bear market means low earnings expectations, and also that negative surprises are likely to outweigh positive ones in the second half of the year. Aaron Katsman, on the other hand, predicts a rebound for earnings in the second half. And BusinessWeek reminds us that cheap stocks -- even with big names such as Ford Motor Co. (NYSE: F), Sprint Nextel Corp. (NYSE: S), and Northwest Airlines (NYSE: NWA) -- are no bargain if they have no earnings.

Upcoming results to watch for include Alcoa (NYSE: AA), Pepsi Bottling Group (NYSE: PBG), Marriott International (NYSE: MAR), and General Electric (NYSE: GE).

Visit AOL Money & Finance for more earnings coverage.

Earnings highlights: Apollo Group, Family Dollar, Kroger, Deutsche Bank and others originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Sun, 06 Jul 2008 10:40:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

According to The Wall Street Journal, Campbell Soup (NYSE: CPB) plans on executing a nice buyback program for its stock. The company will repurchase perhaps as much as 10% of its shares over time. Also, earnings will probably come in near the top point of the previously stated range. So, should you rush in and invest in Campbell just because of this buyback?

My opinion: Probably not if you're looking to merely trade the name, but if you're looking to hold for the long term, you'll probably be all right. Although Campbell Soup's stock isn't near a 52-week low as of this writing, I notice that Coca-Cola (NYSE: KO), PepsiCo (NYSE: PEP), and Kraft (NYSE: KFT) aren't too far from theirs. It's been a crazy time for the markets, and it amazes me that a stock like Coke isn't being perceived as a safe haven. I know there are some reasons out there for its weakness in terms of growth prospects and the like, but still, I've watched it drop quite a bit in very recent times (I own Coke), and I'm a bit surprised at its current price action considering the recession.

So, even though Campbell's buyback is great news for shareholders who already own the stock, I'm not sure I'd initiate a position myself. Although I am looking for stocks to buy, I just haven't been able to ignore the technical damage that's been inflicted upon the big averages by the bears and am reticent at putting new money to work in short-term trades. I think management might be doing the right thing with its buyback from a shareholder standpoint, but from a trading perspective, I would not be buying along with them.

Disclosure: I own Coke; positions can change at any time.

Campbell Soup believes its stock is a good investment -- is it? originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Wed, 02 Jul 2008 09:59:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Deutsche Telekom (NYSE:DT) was upgraded to "overweight" from "neutral" at JP Morgan, according to MarketWatch. The financial news site also reports that France Telecom (NYSE:FTE) was upped to "buy" from "neutral" at Merrill Lynch.

Stifel Nicolaus & Co reiterated its "hold" rating on Campbell Soup (NYSE:CPB) ahead of the company annual meeting according to the AP.

Merrill Lynch resumed coverage of Home Depot (NYSE:HD) with an "underperform" rating, according to Briefing.com. The news service also reports that JP Morgan initiated Comcast (NASDAQ:CMCSA) with an "overweight" rating.

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

Early analyst calls (HD) (CMCSA) (CPB) originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Tue, 01 Jul 2008 07:35:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

MOST NOTEWORTHY:

• Goldman added Siemens (NYSE: SI) to their Conviction Buy List on valuation, as they believe investors are overlooking potential catalysts for the stock, such as the company's buyback and margin expansion opportunities. Shares remain Buy rated.
  
• Baird upgraded LTLs Con-Way (NYSE: CNW) and Old Dominion Freight (NASDAQ: ODFL) to Outperform from Neutral based on valuations, less fuel exposure, and better business models than TLs.
  
• Soleil upgraded Yahoo! (NASDAQ: YHOO) to Hold from Sell on valuation, as the stock is near their $22 target.

• Partner Communications (NASDAQ: PTNR) was upgraded at UBS to Buy from Neutral.
  
• Campbell Soup (NYSE: CPB) was raised to Overweight from Equal Weight at Lehman.
  
• Soleil upgraded Continental (NYSE: CAL) to Buy from Hold.

Analyst upgrades: SI, CNW, ODFL and YHOO originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Fri, 13 Jun 2008 11:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Kaufmann has started The Knot (NASDAQ: KNOT) as a "buy," according to the AP.

Soleil upgraded Yahoo! (NASDAQ: YHOO) to "hold" from "sell," according to Briefing.com. The news service also reports that Stanford initiated Time Warner (NYSE: TWX) with a "buy" rating.

Campbell Soup (NYSE: CPB) raised to Overweight from Equalweight at Lehman, according to 24/7 Wall St.

Early analyst calls: YHOO, TWX originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Fri, 13 Jun 2008 07:54:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.