Biotech investors interested in seeing more details about these companies and a full list of their related stories can do so by typing the stock ticker symbol into the Stock Quotes box on the right side of the page.

EpiCept Corporation (Nasdaq:EPCT) announces the release of new findings demonstrating the pharmacoeconomic benefits of Ceplene® (histamine dihydrochloride) for the remission maintenance of Acute Myeloid Leukemia (AML) patients in first remission.

SuperGen, Inc. (NASDAQ:SUPG) and GlaxoSmithKline (NYSE:GSK) have entered into a multi-year collaboration to discover and develop cancer therapeutics based on epigenetic targets.

Allergan, Inc. (NYSE:AGN) announced the United States District Court for the District of Delaware ruled in favor of Allergan, Inc. in its patent infringement suit against Exela PharmSci, Inc., Exela PharmSci Pvt., Ltd. ("Exela"), Apotex, Inc. and Apotex Corp. ("Apotex") (collectively, the "Defendants") for seeking to market purported generic versions of Allergan’s drugs ALPHAGAN® P (brimonidine tartrate ophthalmic solution) 0.1% and 0.15%.

Inovio Biomedical Corporation (NYSE:INO), a leader in DNA vaccine design, development and delivery, announced its board of directors elected David J. Williams, former chairman and CEO of Sanofi Pasteur, the vaccine business of Sanofi-Aventis Group, and Keith H. Wells, a senior member of the Biologics Consulting Group and former director of vaccine development for The Salk Institute, to the board.

SciClone Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (NASDAQ:SCLN) announced it plans to report third quarter 2009 results on Monday, November 9. SciClone will host a conference call to give a business and product update at 8:30 am ET that day.

EpiCept Corporation (Nasdaq:EPCT) announces the release of new findings demonstrating the pharmacoeconomic benefits of Ceplene® (histamine dihydrochloride) for the remission maintenance of Acute Myeloid Leukemia (AML) patients in first remission.

BIOLASE Technology, Inc. (NASDAQ:BLTI), the world's leading dental laser company, announced veteran public company board member and dental executive Gregory D. Waller has been named to its Board of Directors, effective immediately.

Shire plc (NASDAQ:SHPGY), the global specialty biopharmaceutical company, announces the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), following a thorough administrative review of governing statutory and regulatory standards and public comments, has affirmed its prior decision to grant five-year New Chemical Entity (NCE) exclusivity to lisdexamfetamine dimesylate-currently marketed by Shire U.S. Inc. for the treatment of attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder under the name VYVANSE(R).

Spectrum Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (Nasdaq:SPPI), a commercial-stage biotechnology company with a focus in oncology, announced an overview of the Company’s business strategy will be presented at the 2009 BIOCOM Investor Conference on Tuesday, October 27, 2009 at 9:30am Pacific Time.

Salix Pharmaceuticals, Ltd. (NASDAQ:SLXP) announced the Company will report third quarter 2009 financial results following the close of the U.S. financial markets on Monday, November 9, 2009.

NanoViricides, Inc. (OTC:NNVC), reports the Company is well financed and its game changing anti-viral drug development programs are progressing successfully.

Speaking today in Barcelona at the Fifth Peptide Engineering Meeting, Compugen Ltd. (NASDAQ:CGEN) project manager Dr. Yossef Kliger provided an overview of Compugen’s DAC Blockers Platform and reviewed disease model data for selected product candidates.

Antigenics (NASDAQ:AGEN) announced the Brain Tumor Research Center at the University of California, San Francisco (UCSF), has presented an update on a Phase 2 clinical trial of Oncophage (vitespen) for recurrent high grade glioma (brain cancer) at the 2009 Joint Meeting of SNO (Society for Neuro-Oncology) and AANS/CNS Section on Tumors 2009 in New Orleans, LA. Data were presented in Sunrise Session #6: Immunotherapy: Current Status of Clinical Trials on Saturday, October 24.

SciClone Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (NASDAQ:SCLN) announced it plans to report third quarter 2009 results on Monday, November 9.

Somaxon Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (NASDAQ:SOMX) announced Richard W. Pascoe, Somaxon’s president and chief executive officer, will present a company overview at the Oppenheimer 20th Annual Healthcare Conference at the Waldorf-Astoria Hotel in New York City on Wednesday, November 4th at 4:30 P.M. Eastern Time.

Rexahn Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (NYSE:RNN) announced it has completed its previously announced Registered Direct Offering of common stock and warrants.

Allos Therapeutics, Inc. (NASDAQ:ALTH), a biopharmaceutical company committed to the development and commercialization of innovative anti-cancer therapeutics,  announced Company management will provide a corporate update and review of the third quarter 2009 results via webcast and conference call on Tuesday, November 3, 2009, at 4:30 p.m. ET.

Idera Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (Nasdaq:IDRA) announced the issuance of patents covering its novel Toll-like Receptor (TLR) - targeted compounds. The Company's TLR-targeted compounds are based on synthetic DNA and RNA, which it refers to as immune modulatory oligonucleotides, or IMO®.

AVI BioPharma, Inc. (NASDAQ:AVII), a developer of RNA-based drugs, presented an update on preliminary safety data from its ongoing systemic Phase 1b/2 clinical trial of exon skipping AVI-4658 in patients with Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD) at the 7th Annual Action Duchenne Conference in London, UK.

Dyadic International, Inc. (OTC:DYAI) announced financial results for the first and second quarters of 2009 as well as for the years ended December 31, 2008 and 2007.

AMRI (NASDAQ:AMRI) announced it will issue third quarter financial results before the opening of the market on Monday, November 9, 2009. Following the release of its results, the company will host a conference call and simultaneous webcast at 10 a.m. EST.

Cannabis Science Inc. (OTC:CBIS) an emerging pharmaceutical cannabis company, is urging that US government recognize that phytocannabinoid pharmaceutical products can help reduce Adult Respiratory Distress Syndrome (ARDS)-associated deaths from both the Avian and Swine Influenza infections, as President Obama declares a national emergency.

Fero Industries, Inc. (OTC:FROI) is pleased to provide certain disclosures relating to the ten pending patent applications of Pyro Pharmaceuticals, Inc.

NPS Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (NASDAQ:NPSP) reported additional data from a Phase 3 study supporting the efficacy of GATTEX™ (teduglutide) in   patients with parenteral nutrition (PN)-dependent short bowel syndrome (SBS).

CEL-SCI Corporation (AMEX:CVM) announced it has received over $10 million over the past 60 days through the exercise of warrants by investors to purchase the Company's common stock.

Salix Pharmaceuticals, Ltd. (NASDAQ:SLXP) announces the 2009 American College of Gastroenterology (ACG) Annual Scientific Meeting will be the venue for 13 presentations describing the investigation of the Company’s bacterial-related disease, inflammatory bowel disease and bowel cleansing product lines.

Ligand Pharmaceuticals Incorporated (NASDAQ:LGND) announced it plans to report third quarter 2009 financial results on Thursday, November 5, 2009, following the close of market.

Vertex Pharmaceuticals Incorporated (Nasdaq:VRTX) reviewed recent business and clinical progress and reported consolidated financial results for the quarter ended September 30, 2009.

SuperGen, Inc. (NASDAQ:SUPG) reported financial results for the third quarter and nine months ended September 30, 2009.

Microfluidics International Corporation (OTC:MFLU) announced it has received a $1.0 million secured revolving line of credit from Webster Bank, N.A.

EastBridge Investment Group (OTC:BIG) announced its CEO, Keith Wong, has attended a land acquisition signing ceremony in Jiyuan, Henan for Alpha Green Energy Limited.

Inhibitex, Inc. (NASDAQ: INHX) announced a poster presentation describing preclinical data on INX-189, the lead compound from its HCV nucleotide polymerase inhibitor program, will be presented by Dr. Joseph M. Patti, Chief Scientific Officer and Senior Vice President of R&D, at the 60th Annual Meeting of the American Association for the Study of Liver Diseases (AASLD) in Boston, MA.

Biotech investors interested in seeing more details about these companies and a full list of their related stories can do so by typing the stock ticker symbol into the Stock Quotes box on the right side of the page.

Curis, Inc. (NASDAQ:CRIS), a drug development company seeking to develop proprietary targeted medicines for cancer treatment, reported its financial results for the third quarter ended September 30, 2009.

AMAG Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (NASDAQ:AMAG), a biopharmaceutical company focused on the development and commercialization of a therapeutic iron compound to treat anemia and novel imaging agents to aid in the diagnosis of cancer and cardiovascular disease, reported unaudited consolidated financial results for the third quarter and nine months ended September 30, 2009.

King Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (NYSE:KG) announced the Company plans to report financial results for the third quarter ended September 30, 2009 prior to the market open on Thursday, November 5, 2009.

Sucampo Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (NASDAQ:SCMP) announced it will sponsor a conference call to discuss its financial results for the quarter ended September 30, 2009.

Genta Incorporated (OTC:GETA) announced top-line results from AGENDA, the Company’s Phase 3 trial of Genasense® (oblimersen sodium) Injection in patients with advanced melanoma.

Targacept, Inc. (NASDAQ:TRGT), a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company developing a new class of drugs known as NNR Therapeutics™, announced it will report financial results for the third quarter ended September 30, 2009 on Thursday, November 5, 2009, after the U.S. financial markets close.

Inhibitex, Inc. (Nasdaq:INHX) reported the completion of its previously announced $23 million private placement of common stock and warrants.

Medidata Solutions (Nasdaq:MDSO), a leading global provider of hosted clinical development solutions, announced it will release its third quarter 2009 financial results following the close of the market on Thursday, November 12, 2009.

NPS Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (Nasdaq:NPSP) announced it plans to report its third quarter 2009 financial results on Wednesday, November 4, 2009 at approximately 4:30 p.m. ET.

NeoPharm, Inc. (Other OTC:NEOL.PK) announced the appointment of Dr. Aquilur Rahman to the position of President and CEO of the Company, succeeding Laurence P. Birch, who is stepping down as President and CEO to pursue other opportunities.

ArQule, Inc. (NASDAQ:ARQL) announced it will report its financial results for the third quarter of 2009 in a press release to be issued on Thursday, November 5, 2009 at 7:00 a.m. eastern time.

Phase Forward (NASDAQ:PFWD), a leading provider of data management solutions for clinical trials and drug safety, announced a multi-year contract with renowned eye health company Bausch & Lomb.

Allergan, Inc. (NYSE:AGN) announced operating results for the quarter ended September 30, 2009. Allergan also announced its Board of Directors has declared a third quarter dividend of $0.05 per share, payable on November 30, 2009 to stockholders of record on November 9, 2009.

Medidata Solutions (Nasdaq: MDSO), a leading global provider of hosted clinical development solutions, announced members of its executive team will deliver the following presentations at key industry events in November:  1st DIA China Annual Meeting November 2-3, 2009, Beijing, China.

XenoPort, Inc. (Nasdaq:XNPT) announced it will release its third quarter financial results on November 3, 2009 at approximately 4:00 p.m. Eastern Time.

Celldex Therapeutics, Inc. (NASDAQ:CLDX) announced positive results from Phase 1 studies of CDX-1307 in patients with advanced epithelial cancers, including breast, colon, bladder and pancreatic cancer.

Students at The Pennington School will have an unprecedented opportunity this year to conduct hands-on, high-tech science projects, thanks to sophisticated science equipment donated by Bristol-Myers Squibb Company (NYSE:BMY).

PerkinElmer, Inc. (NYSE:PKI), a global leader focused on improving the health and safety of people and the environment, reported financial results for the third quarter ended October 4, 2009.

Exelixis, Inc. (Nasdaq:EXEL) reported financial results for the third quarter ended September 30, 2009.

PharMerica Corporation (NYSE:PMC), a national provider of institutional pharmacy and hospital pharmacy management services, reported the results of its third quarter of 2009 and nine months ended September 30, 2009.

Human Genome Sciences, Inc. (Nasdaq:HGSI) announced financial results for the quarter ended September 30, 2009, and provided highlights of recent key developments.

ImmunoGen, Inc. (Nasdaq:IMGN), a biotechnology company develops targeted anticancer products using its antibody expertise and Targeted Antibody Payload (TAP) technology, announced financial results for the three-month period ended September 30, 2009 – the first quarter of the Company’s 2010 fiscal year (1QFY10).

Dynavax Technologies Corporation (Nasdaq:DVAX) announced the first clinical data for HEPLISAVTM investigational hepatitis B vaccine in chronic kidney disease patients.

Cumberland Pharmaceuticals Inc. (Nasdaq:CPIX) and Phebra Pty Ltd., an Australian-based specialty pharmaceutical company, announced they have entered into an exclusive partnership for the commercialization of Caldolor® (ibuprofen) Injection in Australia and New Zealand.

Synovis Life Technologies, Inc. (Nasdaq:SYNO), a leading biomaterial and surgical products company, will present at the Oppenheimer 20th Annual Healthcare Conference at 3:30 p.m. CT (4:30 p.m. ET) on Tuesday, Nov. 3, 2009, at the Waldorf Astoria Hotel in New York City.

Novavax, Inc. (Nasdaq:NVAX) a clinical-stage vaccine company, announced Dr. Rahul Singhvi, President and Chief Executive Officer, will be presenting at the Oppenheimer 20th Annual Healthcare Conference.

Depomed, Inc. (NASDAQ:DEPO) reported financial results for the third quarter ended September 30, 2009.

Perrigo Company (Nasdaq:PRGO) announced its Board of Directors declared a quarterly dividend of $0.0625 per share, payable on December 15, 2009 to shareholders of record on November 27, 2009.

Transgenomic Inc. (OTC:TBIO) announces the following Webcast: What: Transgenomic Inc. Third Quarter 2009 Earnings Release Conferece Call When: Thursday, November 5, 2009 @ 5:00 p.m. Eastern Where: http://www.transgenomic.com/events.asp?id=6 How:Live over the Internet -- Simply log on to the web at the address above. Contact:Investor Relations, 402-452-5400

Hospira, Inc. (NYSE:HSP) celebrates the 25th anniversary of its market-leading patient-controlled analgesia (PCA) infusion system. Introduced in 1984, Hospira's PCA was the first pump of its kind, revolutionizing pain management.

IntriCon Corporation (NASDAQ:IIN), a designer, developer, manufacturer and distributor of body-worn medical and electronics devices, announced it will be presenting at the 2009 TechAmerica AeA Classic Financial Conference on Tuesday, Nov. 3, 2009, at 9:05 a.m. PT.

Pfizer Inc. (NYSE:PFE) announced its Board of Directors has approved giving shareholders an advisory vote on executive compensation.

Merck & Co., Inc. (NYSE:MRK) and Schering-Plough Corporation (NYSE: SGP) announced they have received clearance from the U.S. Federal Trade Commission (FTC), the Swiss Competition Commission and the Canadian Competition Bureau for their proposed merger.

CEO Thomas A. Moore of Advaxis, Inc., (OTC:ADXS), the live, attenuated Listeria monocytogenes (Lm) biotechnology company, will present at the 8th Annual BIO Investors Forum at the Grand Hotel in San Francisco, CA.

CNS Response, Inc. (OTC:CNSO) announced CEO George Carpenter will be conducting a conference call and simultaneous web conference to discuss top-line study results in a 12-week trial for patients with depression treatment failure on Tuesday, November 3, at 8:00 a.m. Pacific (PST), 11:00 a.m. Eastern (EST). Joining Mr. Carpenter will be CNS Response President and CMO Daniel Hoffman, M.D., and Charles DeBattista, M.D., Stanford University School of Medicine.

China Biopharmaceuticals Holdings, Inc. (OTC:CHBP), an integrated bio-pharmaceutical company, based in the People's Republic of China, announced its shareholders have approved the acquisition of CHBP by NeoStem, Inc. (NYSE AMEX: NBS) by an overwhelming vote in favor of approximately 80% of all issued and outstanding shares.

Bayer HealthCare Pharmaceuticals, Inc. and Onyx Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (Nasdaq:ONXX) announced more than 25 studies evaluating the use of Nexavar® (sorafenib) tablets in liver cancer will be presented at The Liver Meeting®, the 60th Annual Meeting of the American Association for the Study of Liver Diseases (AASLD).

MinuteClinic, the retail health care division of CVS Caremark (NYSE:CVS), and Allina Hospitals & Clinics of Minnesota and western Wisconsin have formed a partnership to pursue collaborative activities which will focus on enhancing high-quality health care services in the communities they serve.

VeriChip Corporation (NASDAQ:CHIP) announced its Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, Scott R. Silverman, will present at the ID World International Congress in Milan, Italy, which runs from November 3-5, 2009, and is the world's leading symposium on the future directions of identification technology.

ArQule, Inc. (NASDAQ:ARQL) announced it will report its financial results for the third quarter of 2009 in a press release to be issued on Thursday, November 5, 2009 at 7:00 a.m. eastern time.

I will short or consider shorting the following stocks today: Beazer Homes (BZH) looks like a good short because of the flag forming after the 50-day MA failure. The stock also broke its uptrend entirely. I expect … [visit site to read more] Article Published On GraceCheng.com - visit Grace Cheng Financial News & Opinions for more [...]

The Greek's Week Ahead is the most comprehensive "week ahead" market-moving event planner in existence.

“Buy the rumor, sell the news!” Market gurus often echo this long-standing and well-known bit of wisdom. In the current economic situation, we would reverse the quote and say instead, “sell the rumor, buy the news.” In this case the rumor has been that recession is on the way, despite the Federal Reserve Chairman and the President’s advice to the contrary.

The stock market has listened carefully to this rumor, and has sharply corrected from October 2007 highs. Over the past few months, economic data has offered apparent validation of the rumor through increasing evidence that economic recession might finally have befallen us. So, is it time to close our eyes to troubling data and buy into the news? Perhaps the more important question to ask is have we really received confirmation of the rumor? Recession has not yet been confirmed.

However, even if it had been, it would take courage (some would say blind bravado) to buy stocks in a market that continues to set new lows on still deteriorating data flow. This plays right into another famous piece of market wisdom. Legendary investors like Warren Buffet advise to “buy into fear and sell into greed.” A few readers who find themselves poorer since following this wisdom from a starting point earlier this year might not agree.

It seems to us that the most important consideration before us requires us to gauge where we stand in the current economic cycle. Whether it is time to buy or not depends on it. There are three general views of our economic situation and outlook that are painted by various economists. The majority of economists see recession possible, and economic slowing likely. This group also expects the economy to begin to grow again by year-end.

This group, let’s call them the Consensus Economists, would likely say you should buy stocks when bad news draws no more sell-off reaction. The thinking here is that seller exhaustion finally sets in. Then eventually, economic stimulus offered by the Federal Reserve and Congress should serve as catalyst for economic recovery and stock market rise.

The second group of experts, let’s call them the Armageddon Economists, would tell you that this credit market crisis we are now experiencing, combined with the inflation environment, offers a unique and destructive path for the economy. These jolly souls are the pessimistic extremists who have increasingly found believers. However extreme they may be, they actually may hold a better poker hand than the optimists.

There are few catalysts that could add on to current trouble to make these doomsayers correct, whether they are now or not. For instance, a messy war involving an important oil-producing nation (read Iran and maybe Venezuela) could prove extremely problematic. In that scenario, oil prices would move even higher and further stress global economies at exactly the worst time for it.

The third group of strategists is composed of optimists who believe prices will back up due to global economic slowing. They also believe a recession might still be averted. Remember, recession requires two consecutive quarters of economic contraction to be labeled so.

The Greek falls somewhere between the Consensus and the Armageddon groups. Last year, we were considered Armageddon-like when we discussed the likelihood of liquidity drying up and economic strife. Now the consensus has found us. There's still good reason to fear the entire financial system might finally fail, but we'll dive deeper into this in another article.

While current economic troubles are very unique and concerning, I have faith in an intangible factor. The economy has mitigated significant problems already, and done so through diligent efforts of government and private sector alike. I believe the problem solving human mind will continue to find resolution where it might not immediately be apparent. For this reason, we find fault in the Armageddon viewpoint. Its basis rests on a presumed stagnant economic factor, human creativity, and by definition that’s already proven false.

The Week Ahead

The week ahead offers significantly less economic releases than this past week.

Monday

Wholesale Trade (Jan.) on Monday and Business Inventories (Jan.) on Thursday will offer insight into the condition of inventories and inventory-to-sales ratios on the wholesale, manufacturing and retail levels. We have noted in the past the long-term trend of decrease in inventory-to-sales ratios. This of course is the beneficial result of the penetration of new technologies into modern business operations. Just-in-time production to delivery processes have significantly improved inventory management and thus improved our economy’s ability to emerge from economic trough.

According to Barron's, the consensus expectation for January's Wholesale Inventories is for an increase of 0.5%, versus a rise of 1.1% in December.

Three corporate events could offer market-moving impact on Monday. Texas Instruments ( NYSE: TXN) is meeting with analysts, while Bear Stearns holds its annual Media and Marketing Conference. Also, John Malone hopes to force IAC/Interactive ( Nasdaq: IACI) to split into five separate organizations through a Delaware court action.

Earnings season has winded down, but the week ahead still offers noteworthy reports from Hovnanian Enterprises ( NYSE: HOV), Jones Soda ( Nasdaq: JSDA), Lifetime Brands ( Nasdaq: LCUT), The Blackstone Group ( NYSE: BX) and Vail Resorts ( NYSE: MTN). Hovnanian Enterprises looks to be the most interesting report of the day. Analysts are looking for a huge loss of $1.96 per share for the January quarter. HOV has missed estimates each of the last four quarters.

Other companies reporting include Bancolumbia ( NYSE: CIB), Boots and Coots Int'l Well Control ( AMEX: WEL), CECO Environmental ( Nasdaq: CECE), CMGI Inc. ( Nasdaq: CMGI), ExpressJet Holdings ( NYSE: XJT), Foot Locker ( NYSE: FL), Hydrogenics ( Nasdaq: HYGS), Lipid Sciences ( Nasdaq: LIPD), Neose Tech ( Nasdaq: NTEC), ResCare Inc. ( Nasdaq: RSCR), Six Flags ( NYSE: SIX) and others.

Tuesday

Tuesday’s International Trade (Jan.), Thursday’s Import & Export Prices (Feb.) and Friday’s Consumer Price Index (Feb.) will offer an important fresh look at inflation. Price information will be directly offered by the CPI and import price data, and indirectly seen in the impact of weak domestic purchasing on international trade. It’s near critical to the market to see some easing of price pressure, but that seems unlikely at this juncture.

Bloomberg's consensus of economists is looking for the international trade deficit to widen to $59.5 billion in January, from $58.8 billion in December. This seems out of order, with the economy faultering, but it's the result of the rising price of oil.

Tuesday also offers the regular weekly same-store sales report from the ICSC-UBS. The data here has defied previous trend that had it headed into the abyss, and last week's year-over-year tally saw sales rise 2.1%.

The FDA is considering a Schering-Plough ( NYSE: SGP) drug devised to reverse the effects of anesthesia, while Chevron ( NYSE: CVX), BMC Software ( NYSE: BMC) and Caterpillar ( NYSE: CAT) hold analyst meetings.

Tuesday's noteworthy earnings reports include Boston Beer Co. ( NYSE: SAM), Dick’s Sporting Goods ( NYSE: DKS), J. Crew ( NYSE: JCG), Take-Two Interactive ( Nasdaq: TTWO), Kroger ( NYSE: KR), Akorn ( Nasdaq: AKRX), AmREIT ( AMEX: AMY), Bon-Ton Stores ( Nasdaq: BONT), Capital Senior Living ( NYSE: CSU), Collective Brands ( NYSE: CSS), GigaMedia ( Nasdaq: GIGM), Gottschalks ( NYSE: GOT), IDT Corp. ( NYSE: IDT), Pep Boys ( NYSE: PBY), Plug Power ( Nasdaq: PLUG), Stage Stores ( NYSE: SSI), Stewart Enterprises ( Nasdaq: STEI), Superior Well Services ( Nasdaq: SWSI), The Buckle ( NYSE: BKE), West Marine ( Nasdaq: WMAR) and more.

Wednesday

The Mortgage Bankers Association reports its weekly Purchase Applications Report early Wednesday premarket. Applications rose last week, but long rates look to rise as the ECB and BOE held rates steady last week. Thus, mortgage activity should fade.

The Census Bureau is to release its Quarterly Services Survey at 10:00 AM on Wednesday. Then, at 10:30, the EIA Petroleum Status Report might actually help oil prices ease some this time around, considering recent builds and the imminent onset of recession. February's Treasury Budget release at 2:00 PM is expected to show a deficit of $157 billion, versus a seasonal surplus of $17.8 billion in January.

Fannie Mae ( NYSE: FNM) and Freddie Mac ( NYSE: FRE) caught some unwanted publicity over the weekend when Barron's wrote up a tough piece on Fannie. Freddie is set to meet with analysts Wednesday.

The House Financial Services Panel is going to look at how the credit crunch is impacting local governments. They might want to start thinking about how recession will impact the tax coffers as well.

Wednesday's EPS reports include those from American Eagle Outfitters ( NYSE: AEO), Gymboree ( Nasdaq: GYMB), JA Solar ( Nasdaq: JASO), Men’s Wearhouse ( NYSE: MW), Quality Distribution ( Nasdaq: QLTY), Speedway Motorsports ( NYSE: TRK), The PMI Group ( NYSE: PMI), Flanders ( Nasdaq: FLDR), Globalstar ( Nasdaq: GSAT), Goodrich Petroleum ( NYSE: GDP), Hot Topic ( Nasdaq: HOTT), Jo-Ann Stores ( NYSE: JAS), Jupitermedia ( Nasdaq: JUPM), Kronos Worldwide ( NYSE: KRO), Neenah Paper ( NYSE: NP), Talbots ( NYSE: TLB), Titan Pharmaceuticals (NYSE: TTP), TLC Vision ( Nasdaq: TLCV) and more.

Thursday

February's Retail Sales are expected to have increased 0.2%, versus a 0.3% increase in January. All indications from individual chain store sales and ICSC weekly data point to growth here as well, despite signs the consumer is breaking.

The aforementioned Import & Export Prices Report (see Tuesday) is expected by economists to show a February import price increase of 0.6%. Import prices climbed 1.7% in January. Business Inventories (see Monday) are expected to have increased 0.5% in January, according to Bloomberg. That would match up against a 0.6% rise in December.

The regular EIA Natural Gas Report is due at 10:30 on Thursday. Nat gas was priced at $9.70/MMBtu on Monday morning. European Union leaders are getting together to discuss how to handle sovereign wealth funds. That should be interesting!

Microsoft ( Nasdaq: MSFT) is scheduled to meet with analysts on Thursday. Thursday earnings include Aeropostale ( NYSE: ARO), Akeena Solar ( Nasdaq: AKNS), Biovail ( NYSE: BVF), Churchill Downs ( Nasdaq: CHDN), Dendreon ( Nasdaq: DNDN), Genesco ( NYSE: GCO), Luxottica ( NYSE: LUX), American States Water ( NYSE: AWR), Autobytel.com ( Nasdaq: ABTL), Cell Therapeutics ( Nasdaq: CTIC), Citizens, Inc. ( NYSE: CIA), Cornell Cos. ( NYSE: CRN), Dot Hill Systems ( Nasdaq: HILL), Eddie Bauer ( Nasdaq: EBHI), Isis Pharmaceuticals ( Nasdaq: ISIS), Kintera ( Nasdaq: KNTA), Miller Industries ( NYSE: MLR), MIVA Inc. ( Nasdaq: MIVA), NPS Pharmaceuticals ( Nasdaq: NPSP), Orthovita ( Nasdaq: VITA), Pacific Sunwear ( Nasdaq: PSUN), Ready Mix ( AMEX: RMX), Superconductor Technologies ( Nasdaq: SCON), Think Partnership ( AMEX: THK), Unversal Display ( Nasdaq: PANL), Zumiez ( Nasdaq: ZUMZ) and more.

Friday

Friday's Consumer Price Index should cause quite a stir to close out the week, again! Who schedules these things? It's just crazy to put such important data out on a Friday, considering the possibility for panic selling from those unwilling to hold shares through the weekend. February's headline CPI is seen rising 0.3%, while the core figure is expected to increase 0.2%. Last month, these two data points increased 0.4% and 0.3%, respectively. Even an in-line figure should be enough to restart the stagflation banter. Our best guess says, barring any other important information driver, the market should sell off into this report.

The University of Michigan's Consumer Sentiment Index for March is seen measuring at 69.5. While this is a relatively low figure, we expect an even lower result. Every consumer sentiment reading shows deterioration, and we see no reason for the trend to break until after economic and market data flow improves.

Fed Chairman Bernanke is scheduled to address the National Community Reinvestment Coalition, so the financial paparazzi will be on high alert for any keyword slip ups like "stagflation" or "recession."

Genentech ( NYSE: DNA) and Gannett are set to address analysts on Friday, while the earnings schedule includes AnnTaylor ( NYSE: ANN), Eni SpA ( NYSE: E), IMAX ( Nasdaq: IMAX), Mannatech ( Nasdaq: MTEX), Novavax ( Nasdaq: NVAX), Reis Inc. ( Nasdaq: REIS), Smart Balance ( Nasdaq: SMBL), Sterling Construction ( Nasdaq: STRL) and a few more.

See our daily market commentary and now regular premarket reports here all week long.

You can support "The Greek" by supporting our advertisers. Thank you. ( disclosure )

UPGRADES

VMware VMW Caris & Company Above Average » Buy
NII Holdings NIHD UBS Neutral » Buy
EMC Corp EMC Caris & Company Above Average » Buy
Safeway SWY CIBC Wrld Mkts Sector Perform » Sector Outperform
IAMGOLD IAG CIBC Wrld Mkts Sector Underperform » Sector Perform
Telefonica S.A. TEF Citigroup Hold » Buy
Centene CNC Lehman Brothers Equal-weight » Overweight
Annaly Mortgage NLY RBC Capital Mkts Sector Perform » Outperform
PharmaNet Devlpmt PDGI Jefferies & Co Hold » Buy
Millennium Pharm MLNM Robert W. Baird Neutral » Outperform
Sprint Nextel S Wachovia Mkt Perform » Outperform

DOWNGRADES

Chordiant Sftwr CHRD JMP Securities Mkt Outperform » Mkt Perform
ACCO Brands ABD Sun Trust Rbsn Humphrey Buy » Neutral
SanDisk SNDK Needham & Co Buy » Hold
NPS Pharm NPSP Oppenheimer Buy » Neutral
Commvault Systems CVLT Morgan Keegan Outperform » Mkt Perform
NPS Pharm NPSP Jefferies & Co Buy » Hold
Jetblue Airways JBLU Bear Stearns Peer Perform » Underperform
Southwest Air LUV Bear Stearns Outperform » Peer Perform
Alaska Air ALK Bear Stearns Outperform » Peer Perform
Business Objects BOBJ Roth Capital Buy » Hold
Citigroup C Deutsche Securities Buy » Sell
Coldwater Creek CWTR Lehman Brothers Overweight » Equal-weight
Massey Energy MEE Friedman Billings Mkt Perform » Underperform
Alpha Natural Resources ANR Friedman Billings Outperform » Mkt Perform
Qiao Xing Mobile QXM CIBC Wrld Mkts Sector Outperform » Sector Perform
Blue Nile NILE Citigroup Hold » Sell
Costco COST UBS Buy » Neutral
Lincare LNCR Citigroup Buy » Hold
Shaw Group SGR Citigroup Buy » Hold
United Micro UMC UBS Buy » Neutral
Pepsi Bottling PBG Banc of America Sec Buy » Neutral
Bankrate RATE RBC Capital Mkts Top Pick » Outperform
Momenta Pharma MNTA Bear Stearns Peer Perform » Underperform
UQM Technologies UQM Merriman Curhan Ford Buy » Neutral
Borg Warner BWA Robert W. Baird Neutral » Underperform
ValueClick VCLK Jefferies & Co Buy » Hold

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