Rockwell Automation: Come On People! It Wasn’t Even Upgraded to Buy!

Rockwell Automation (ROK) is soaring today thanks to an upgrade from Bernstein’s Steven Winoker and team, who raised the industrial stock to Market Perform from Underperform. They offer four reasons for their less bearish outlook on Rockwell:

Suddenly, Everyone Loves Wal-Mart Except…

Wal-Mart Stores (WMT) is getting a lot of love today. Pacific Crest’s Edward Yruma and team started Wal-Mart at Overweight today, noting that the company is “getting back to retail 101.” They explain:

Walt Disney: First Twitter, Now Netflix?

When it comes to Walt Disney (DIS), the speculation machine never seems to stop. In recent days, it’s been the subject of talk that it may be interested in buying struggling social-media company Twitter (TWTR). Today, however, rumors of a potential Netflix (NFLX) acquisition appear to be making the rounds, according to the Fly on the Wall.

These rumors aren’t new. Back in April…

Costco: ‘One of the Few Large Cap Growth Companies Left in Retail’

Shares of Costco Wholesale (COST) have jumped today after the big-box retailer reported far better-than-expected earnings after yesterday’s close. Credit Suisse analysts Michael Exstein and Christine Lee note that Costco is one of the only retailers left standing in the growth universe. They explain:

What a Difference a Day Makes: Dow Jumps 170 Points as Deutsche Bank Rebounds

Yesterday, the market’s sizable drop was blamed on Deutsche Bank (DB) I guess we can credit the German banking giant for today’s big gain then.

The S&P 500 has risen 0.8% to 2,168.36 at 12:01 p.m. today, while the Dow Jones Industrial Average has gained 168.68 points, or 0.9%, to 18,312.13. The Nasdaq Composite has advanced 0.8% to 5,309.89.

The Lindsey Group’s Peter Boockvar points to reports that Deutsche Bank might have reached a much smaller settlement than what the Department of Justice had been aiming for, and explains why that’s good news:

Here’s How United Continental Could Double

After meeting with United Continental’s (UAL) management, UBS analysts Darryl Genovesi and David Strauss contend that the carrier might finally increase its profit margins. They explain why:

Alcoa Approves Split. Here’s What That Means.

Last night, Alcoa’s (AA) board approved the company’s split into two pieces. RBC’s Fraser Phillips and team have the details:

Stocks: Sell a Clinton Win, Buy a Trump Victory?

Mizuho’s Steven Ricchiuto contends that investors should sell a market rally if Hillary Clinton wins the U.S. presidential election, but should buy a selloff if Donald Trump does. He explains why:

Gilead Sciences: Are Hepatitis C Sales Improving?

Citigroup’s Robyn Karnauskas notes that Gilead Sciences’ (GILD) hepatitis C prescriptions are “still below consensus but new starts contribute to improvement.” She explains:

Wells Fargo: House of Pain

Yesterday, Wells Fargo (WFC) CEO John Stumpf was questioned by Congress over the firm’s fraudulent account openings, in what Evercore ISI analyst John Pancari and team call a “house of pain.” Still, they remain bullish on Wells Fargo’s stock. They explain why: