Today's stock Up/Downgrades (AMLN, HRB, HIG, LYG, RJET, RAD, ANF, ADSK, DLB, DWA, IL, NVDA, PRU, ROVI, SMG, WAG)

Upgrades

Amylin Pharmaceuticals (NASDAQ:AMLN) was upgraded to Outperform from Market Perform at BMO Capital Markets.

H & R Block (NYSE:HRB), the tax preparation services provider, was upgraded to Outperform from Perform at Oppenheimer. The firm set its target price at $19.

Hartford Financial (NYSE:HIG), the Connecticut based insurer and financial services firm, was upgraded to Overweight from Equal Weight at Morgan Stanley.

Lloyds Banking (NYSE:LYG) was upgraded to a Buy from Add at WestLB.

Republic Airways (NASDAQ:RJET), the airline holding company offering branded and fixed-fee airline services, was upgraded to a Buy from Hold at Dahlman Rose. The firm set its target price at $8.

Rite Aid (NYSE:RAD), the drugstore chain operator, was upgraded to Outperform from Neutral at Credit Suisse.

 Market Close : November 8th, 2011

Symbol	Name	Support	Resistance
AA	ALCOA ORD	10.05	11.02
AAPL	APPLE ORD	390.75	426.70
ABT	ABBOTT LABORATORIES ORD	48.96	55.61
AMAT	APPLIED MATERIAL ORD	11.88	12.53
AMGN	AMGEN ORD	54.63	59.05
AXP	AMERICAN EXPRESS ORD	48.91	52.35
BAC	BANK OF AMERICA ORD	6.30	7.43
BMY	BRISTOL MYERS SQUIBB ORD	30.89	33.20
C	CITIGROUP ORD	28.40	34.40
CSCO	CISCO SYSTEMS ORD	17.53	18.60
CVX	CHEVRON ORD	100.79	110.01
DD	E I DU PONT DE NEMOURS ORD	46.21	48.96
DELL	DELL ORD	15.04	16.43
DIS	WALT DISNEY ORD	33.31	36.60
DOW	DOW CHEMICAL ORD	26.10	29.56
DUK	DUKE ENERGY ORD	19.17	20.73
EBAY	EBAY ORD	30.70	33.10
EMC	EMC ORD	23.58	25.09
EMR	EMERSON ELECTRIC ORD	45.17	51.96
EP	EL PASO ORD	16.30	25.73
F	FORD MOTOR ORD	11.02	12.65
FSLR	FIRST SOLAR ORD	45.55	52.70
GE	GENERAL ELECTRIC ORD	16.11	17.50
GILD	GILEAD SCIENCES ORD	40.12	42.98
GLW	CORNING ORD	13.71	15.62
GS	GOLDMAN SACHS GROUP ORD	102.09	118.07
HAL	HALLIBURTON ORD	33.92	38.18
HD	HOME DEPOT ORD	34.58	36.50
HES	HESS ORD	58.44	66.49
HON	HONEYWELL INTERNATIONAL ORD	50.41	54.20
HPQ	HEWLETT PACKARD ORD	25.35	28.57
IBM	INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS MACHINES ORD	176.17	188.07
INTC	INTEL ORD	23.28	25.20
JNJ	JOHNSON & JOHNSON ORD	60.83	65.86
JPM	JPMORGAN CHASE ORD	31.84	37.54
KFT	KRAFT FOODS CL A ORD	31.88	36.30
KO	COCA-COLA ORD	63.34	68.20
LLY	ELI LILLY ORD	35.69	38.73
LOW	LOWES ORD	20.34	22.48
LUV	SOUTHWEST AIRLINES ORD	8.26	9.28
MCD	MCDONALD'S ORD	83.74	92.86
MDT	MEDTRONIC ORD	33.11	35.54
MO	ALTRIA GROUP ORD	25.27	28.14
MRK	MERCK & CO ORD	33.70	35.50
MS	MORGAN STANLEY ORD	15.44	19.67
MSFT	MICROSOFT ORD	25.70	27.50
ORCL	ORACLE ORD	31.80	33.81
OXY	OCCIDENTAL PETROLEUM ORD	87.32	98.38
PEP	PEPSICO ORD	58.50	63.62
PFE	PFIZER ORD	17.05	20.12
PG	PROCTER & GAMBLE ORD	62.37	65.34
PM	PHILIP MORRIS INTERNATIONAL ORD	67.75	72.49
Q	QWEST COMMUNICATIONS INTE ORD	6.50	6.98
QCOM	QUALCOMM ORD	49.78	56.96
S	SPRINT NEXTEL ORD	2.47	2.82
SIRI	SIRIUS XM RADIO ORD	1.64	1.86
T	AT&T ORD	27.55	29.80
TGT	TARGET ORD	51.12	56.00
TXN	TEXAS INSTRUMENT ORD	29.64	31.95
UNH	UNITEDHEALTH GRP ORD	44.80	50.00
UTX	UNITED TECHNOLOGIES ORD	74.36	79.97
VZ	VERIZON COMMUNICATIONS ORD	35.46	37.44
WAG	WALGREEN ORD	32.32	34.38
WFT	WEATHERFORD INTL ORD	14.10	16.62
XOM	EXXON MOBIL ORD	75.45	82.20
YHOO	YAHOO! ORD	14.75	16.70

Downgrades

Abercrombie & Fitch (NYSE:ANF), the specialty retailer, was downgraded to a Neutral from Buy at SunTrust.

Autodesk (NASDAQ:ADSK), the design software Company, was downgraded to a Neutral from Buy at Bank of America Merrill.

Dolby Laboratories (NYSE:DLB) was downgraded to a Neutral from Overweight at Piper Jaffray.

Dreamworks Animation (NYSE:DWA) was downgraded to a Sell from Neutral at Janney Capital Markets.

IntraLinks Holdings (NYSE:IL) was downgraded to a Hold from Buy at Jefferies.

NVIDIA (NASDAQ:NVDA), the world leader in visual computing technologies, was downgraded to Market Perform from Outperform at JMP Securities.

Prudential (NYSE:PRU), the insurance and retirement services provider was downgraded to Equal Weight from Overweight at Morgan Stanley.

Rovi Corp. (NASDAQ:ROVI), the provider of digital entertainment technology solutions, was downgraded to Underperform from Outperform at Credit Agricole and to a Hold from Buy at Brean Murray. Rovi was also downgraded to a Neutral from Buy at Collins Stewart, while setting its target price at $40.

Scotts Miracle-Gro (NYSE:SMG), the largest marketer of branded consumer lawn and garden products in the world, was downgraded to a Neutral from Buy at SunTrust.

Walgreen (NYSE:WAG), the operator of retail drugstores offering pharmacy services and general merchandise was downgraded to a Neutral from Outperform at Credit Suisse.

Top Stocks Moving the Market Today ....

That's a big reason why the Dow Jones industrials ($INDU) fell 6.4% on the week. It's why Bank of America (BAC) fell 12.7%. It's why copper (-HG) fell 16.6% and gold (-GC) fell 9.6%. And it is a big reason why futures trading early Monday suggested the Dow will open down maybe 100 points, with the S&P 500 down 10 points and the Nasdaq-100 Index ($NDX) down 25 points.

Sector Watch

Strong

construction machinery; electronic manufacturing services; diversified financial services; diversified banks; electric utilities; apparel and accessories retailers

Weak

food distribution; gold

Article continues below.

If that's not enough to drive traders crazy, Dow component Hewlett-Packard (HPQ) booted Leo Apotheker as CEO after just 11 months in favor of former eBay (EBAY) CEO Meg Whitman

Markets for the week
			9/23/2011			9/16/2011			% chg.			YTD chg.
Dow Industrials			10,771.48			11,509.09			-6.41%			-6.96%
S&P 500			1,136.43			1,216.01			-6.54%			-9.64%
Nasdaq			2,483.23			2,622.31			-5.30%			-6.39%
Russell 2000			652.43			714.31			-8.66%			-16.74%
Crude oil			$79.85			$87.96			-9.22%			-12.62%
(per barrel)
U.S. Dollar Index			79.23			76.59			3.44%			-0.08%
10-yr. Treasury			1.81%			2.08%			-12.91%			-45.30%
Gold			$1,639.80			1,814.70			-9.64%			15.37%

Here's what else to watch from the economy:

New home sales for August, due Monday from the Commerce Department. Don't expect any improvement from July's dismal sales rate of 285,000 units.

S&P/Case Shiller Home Price Index for July, due Tuesday, from Standard & Poor's. Look for another year-over-year price decline of maybe 4%.

The Conference Board's Consumer Confidence Index, due Tuesday. This is also expected to show little improvement.

Durable good orders, due Wednesday from the Commerce Department. This might offer some real cheer, according to Capital Economics, the British economic consulting firm. Defense orders are rising. So are commercial airplane orders.

Initial jobless claims, due Thursday from the Labor Department. Claims fell to 423,000 in the week ending Sept. 17. But the 4-week moving average rose to 421,000. Claims have stalled at 410,000 to 430,00 in recent weeks, likely the result of increased layoff announcements.

Second-quarter Gross Domestic Product, due Thursday from the Commerce Department. This is a revised estimate that's expected to show a small bit of improvement, from an annualized 1% to 1.3%.

Personal income and spending, due Friday from the Commerce Department. The August jobs report showed no gains in jobs. Don't expect much on the income side, either, says IHS Global Insight.

Reuters/University of Michigan Consumer Sentiment Index, due Friday. This is a final report. It may rise from August's reading of 55.7 to maybe 56.8, IHS says, but that will be down from the first reading of 57.8. Market turmoil will be the culprit.

Micron is the top earnings report

The week ahead is not heavy on earnings reports. The third quarter doesn't end until Friday, and earnings season only starts with Alcoa (AA) on after the close on Oct. 11.

Here are the week's key reports:

Monday: Egg-producer Cal-Maine Foods (CALM).

Tuesday: American Greetings (AM), circuit-board maker Jabil Circuit (JBL), payroll processor Paychex (PAYX) and drugstore chain Walgreen (WAG). The theme to watch is what the companies have to say about job expansion.

Wednesday: Discounter retailer Family Dollar Stores (FDO) and spice-maker McCormick & Co. (MKC).

Thursday: Semiconductor-maker Micron Technology (MU) and steel-maker Worthington Industries (WOR). Micron's results will be closely watched because it offers a look at the health of the personal computer business.
MARKET UPDATE

• US
• INTERNATIONAL

NAME		LAST	CHANGE	% CHANGE
#	DOW	10,771.48	+37.65	+0.35
#	NASDAQ	2,483.23	0.00	0.00
#	S&P	1,136.43	0.00	0.00
#	Russell 2000	652.43	0.00	0.00
#	10 Yr Note	102.66	0.00	0.00

NAME		LAST	CHANGE	% CHANGE
#	Nikkei	8,374.13	-186.13	-2.17
#	FTSE 100	5,118.80	+51.99	+1.03
#	DAX	5,164.21	-269.59	-4.96

[BRIEFING.COM] The stock market mustered its first gain of the week on Friday. The gain, although modest, came as participants moved to cover their positions following four days of concerted selling. ... More

 

Currencies

NAME	LAST	CHANGE	% CHANGE
Euro/Dollar	1.34935	-0.00237	-0.18
Pound/Dollar	1.55231	+0.00337	+0.22
Dollar/Yen	76.51109	-0.06891	-0.09

Moving the Market

Tone improves after choppy start Gold, oil, and other commodities remain under pressure

Treasuries and US dollar slip after standing out early as favorite safe havens

S&P 500 Dividend Aristocrats: Past, Present and Future

The S&P 500 Index includes some of the biggest and best known companies in the world and most pay dividends. A few years ago, S&P wanted to pull out those with the best track records for not only paying dividends, but increasing dividends over the years. They set a tough standard to filter out the best. Each company was required to have a minimum of 25 consecutive years of paying higher dividends. While the number of companies fluctuate a little from year to year, about 60 (roughly 11%) are currently S&P Dividend Aristocrats. Most have track records of 30, 40 or even 50+ consecutive years of paying higher dividends annually.

Since each company has an outstanding long term track record of paying dividends, this group can be used to obtain investment ideas. Such help is more important than ever after the pummeling virtually all stocks have taken in recent months.

However, care is always needed when selecting investments, even in this elite group, Of the seven banks in the group in 2005, only two remain. The most famous was Bank of America (BAC), which bragged in annual reports about its track record of raising dividends over the prior 30 years. Last year in Q3, instead of increasing the dividend, BAC merely mentioned declaring a regular dividend. In Q4, the dividend was cut in half. This year, on greater fears about the company and its dividend, sellers took the stock into single digits. The fears proved correct when BAC just cut their quarterly dividend to only one penny.

A few other companies have had their streak of higher dividends come to an end, but their numbers have been limited. One example, ConAgra (CAG), cut the dividend a couple of years ago. However, the stock has not sold off as badly as others in the recent market decline.

A few stocks in the group are facing difficulties. The most prominent is General Electric (GE), selling at a 15 year low. After recent problems in its businesses, especially the financial ones, General Electric has been talking about only maintaining the dividend, not increasing it. Earnings will be reported later this week. Fears of dismal earnings have caused the stock to sell off to under 14.

Pfizer (PFE) and Eli Lilly (LLY) are drug companies facing patent expiration on important drugs shortly, which could impair their ability to increase dividends. Masco (MAS) may see its 50 year track record of higher dividends come to an end in 2009 as their business selling to the housing industry is not earning the dividend. These companies have extraordinary yields of 6-9%, reflecting doubts about future.

But most companies have healthy balance sheets and good cash flows with excellent track records for increasing dividends. Just a few of the big names in the group that I like for no particular reason include:

3M (MMM)
Coca Cola (KO)
Exxon Mobil (XOM)
Johnson & Johnson (JNJ)
Kimberley-Clark (KMB)
McDonald's (MCD)
McGraw-Hill (MHP)
Procter & Gamble (PG)
Stanley Works (SWK)
VF Corp (VFC)
Walgreen (WAG)
Wal-Mart (WMT)
The recent fall in the stock market reinforces the age old advice "investigate before you invest," even for this very special group. The strong should survive and thrive over the long term. For example, I bought KO for my IRS 15 years ago. The stock has more than doubled the original price and reinvested dividends bring the total investment to almost triple. Almost 10 years ago I bought VFC which, again, has doubled the original price with reinvested dividends, bringing the total to almost triple. And today's valuations are held back because they are based on depressed market prices. Let Dividend Aristocrats provide helpful investment ideas for very smart investing.

Avi Morris

http://www.verysmartinvesting.blogspot.com/