The foolishness that goes on in the adult world sets a poor example for the next generation. The poor decisions, arrogance and even stupidity of the Hewlett-Packard (HPQ) board of directors and the equally unfit to lead NCAA is shameful. Larry Ellison, CEO of Oracle (ORCL) is correct in calling out the board of HP for firing CEO Mark Hurd, understanding the harm and injustice done to the company and its shareholders.

I can think of no more hypocritical organization then the NCAA, which has also shown itself to lack a sense of fair play and justice, while holding itself aloof and making demands of others. Its out-of-touch judgments and penalties for rules infractions make no sense, and USC students with no culpability were on the receiving end of it.

In the fast-growing cloud computing space, Salesforce.com (CRM) is the franchise company. However, this means that the valuation is at premium levels. For example, the stock trades at nine times revenues and 174 times earnings. In other words, this stock is now for those who think the growth ramp will continue. And yes, based on the most recent quarterly report, it does look like good times will not end for awhile.

Profits came to $14.7 million, or $0.11 per share. But excluding certain stock-based charges, the adjusted earnings were $0.29 per share. As for revenues, these climbed 25% to $394.4 million.

Analyst Upgrades

• TD Newcrest upgraded Agrium (AGU) to action list buy from hold based on a higher valuation supported by BHP's (BHP) bid for Potash (POT). The firm raised its price target for Agrium to $95 from $76.
• Wells Fargo upgraded Weingarten Realty (WRI) to outperform from market perform, citing valuation and stronger retail occupancy.
• Deutsche Bank upgraded Aegon (AEG) to buy from hold after the company won European Union approval for its recapitalization using state aid.
• HCP Inc. (HCP) was upgraded to buy from hold at Argus.
• MedAssets (MDAS) was upgraded to buy from accumulate at Madison Williams.
• BreitBurn Energy (BBEP) was upgraded to outperform from sector perform at RBC Capital.

The mainstream media is overflowing with hyperventilating bears preaching about a depression. All fear-mongering aside, we see two very positive developments in the U.S. economy: retail and corporate spending.

1. Retail Spending

The International Council of Shopping Centers has announced that retail sales expanded at the highest pace since September 2006. Luxury retailers posted an eye-popping 8% rise in sales. Seems like consumption is our culture. Some people think the U.S. consumer has changed. Personally, I would never bet against the DNA of a tribe ... and ours is shopping. As my brother Derek said, "In the Great Depression we had bread lines. Now, there are Apple (AAPL) iPhone 4 lines." That is a mind-blowing distinction.

The shares of Oracle Corp. (ORCL), which I first wrote about on April 7, 2009 at a price of $18.54, have pulled-back recently, in-sync with the Dow's recent decline, but just view the dip as an opportunity to scoop-up shares at a decent price. Here's why:

Look for Oracle's 2010 revenue to rise 12-16%, and better than 10% in 2011, bolstered by an expanded product line, including 7-9% organic software license growth. Further, there's little to suggest that Oracle won't remain a leading provider of enterprise software, organized in two businesses: software and services.

Oracle Corporation (ORCL) was trading higher this afternoon with less than an hour to go before the market closed. Traders were placing their bids based on the fourth-quarter report released yesterday after the bell. At one point, a quote of $22.94 went by on my screen, good for a rise of over 3%. Volume is cooking.

The stock chart isn't too appealing, especially the action seen in the latter months. And the 52-week range is a tight one: the low is $19.79, while the high is $26.63. Basically, it's a trading vehicle.

Among the coming week's most prominent quarterly reports are those from Oracle Corp. (ORCL), Bed Bath & Beyond Inc. (BBBY) and Nike Corp. (NKE). Analysts surveyed by Thomson Reuters are looking for healthy year-over-year earnings and revenue growth from each of them.

Analysts on average expect enterprise software giant Oracle to report that its fiscal fourth-quarter earnings rose 14.8% from a year ago to $0.54 per share. Revenue for the three months that ended in May is expected to have risen about 38.1% in the past year to $9.5 billion. Oracle's per-share earnings have not fallen short of consensus estimates in the past five quarters. The First Call recommendation of 37 analysts is to buy ORCL and has been for more than 90 days. Shares have retreated recently from the 52-week high of $26.63 and closed the week at $23.20.

Analyst Upgrades

• Baird upgraded C.H. Robinson (CHRW) to outperform from neutral and has a $67 target on the stock. The firm upgraded shares citing growth opportunities given the capacity constrained environment.
• UBS upgraded Navistar (NAV) to buy from neutral, citing improved trucker preferences towards the company's engine technology.
• KeyBanc upgraded Crane (CR) to buy from hold based on valuation stabilization and potential upside in aerospace, among other reasons. The firm has a $39 target on the stock.
• United Therapeutics (UTHR) was upgraded to overweight from neutral at JPMorgan.
• Equifax (EFX) was upgraded to overweight from equal weight at Stephens.
• Brown & Brown (BRO) was upgraded to buy from hold at Citigroup.
  

Stocks have fallen over the past month and certain stocks have fallen considerably. If you have lost equity recently and can find similarly positioned stocks, it may be wise to consider some lateral moves. Selling one stock and buying something comparable allows you to claim a loss while still remaining fully invested.

In this way you do not have to observe the 30-day rule where you cannot claim a loss in a stock sold today if you buy it back until after 30 days have past. In 30 days the market opportunity to repurchase the shares of the company you sold at good price may have also past.

The DJIA dropped almost 1,000 points just after 2.30 PM EST. The market briefly traded below 10,000 before quickly recovering by 400 points. Trading became so unsettled that Procter & Gamble (PG) lost 21% of its value in a matter of minutes and traded back to even after several more minutes had passed.

The market may have been driven down by rumors that Germany might leave the Eurozone or that Europe's banks had stopped extending credit. Some traders said there may have been a breakdown in software at the NYSE. The firm denied it.

The few minutes between 2.30 and 2.45 are ones most traders will never forget.

Todays closing bell numbers:

Dow 10,519.79 -348.33 (-3.21%)
S&P 500 1,128.11 -37.76 (-3.24%)
Nasdaq 2,319.64 -82.65 (-3.44%)

"Under the direction of the swashbuckling CEO Larry Ellison, Oracle (ORCL) has grown into the biggest player in the $19 billion database market," says Richard Moroney.

The editor of Dow Theory Forecasts -- a newsletter that has been published for over 50 years -- he explains, "Ellison enjoys baiting his competition. In March, he mocked SAP. for its recent turnover at CEO; and last fall he issued a direct challenge to IBM in a full-page ad in The Wall Street Journal.

Analyst Upgrades

• Wells Fargo upgraded Norfolk Southern (NSC) to outperform from market perform following the company's Q1 results.
• RBC Capital transferred coverage on Gildan Activewear (GIL) with an outperform from sector perform. The firm is positive on Gildan's low-cost producer strategy and free cash flow generation. The firm raised its target to $35 from $26.
• Wunderlich upgraded Delphi Financial (DFG) to buy from hold following the company's Q1 results and raised its target for shares to $31 from $29.
• Aflac (AFL) was upgraded to buy from neutral at Sterne Agee.
• Time Warner (TWX) was upgraded to outperform from neutral at Cowen.
• Pride International (PDE) was upgraded to outperform from neutral at Credit Suisse.

Analyst upgrades

• Wells Fargo upgraded Boeing (BA) to outperform from market perform. The firm is more confident about the company's earnings growth going forward.
• Oppenheimer upgraded H&R Block (HRB) to outperform from perform on expectations the company will improve performance in 2011. The firm has a $22 price target for shares.
• Deutsche Bank upgraded SunTrust (STI) to buy from hold to reflect valuation and expectations the company's credit will improve. The firm raised its target for shares to $34 from $29.
• Children's Place (PLCE) was upgraded to overweight from neutral at JPMorgan.
• Taubman Centers (TCO) was upgraded to neutral from sell at UBS.
• Cavium Networks (CAVM) was upgraded to outperform from neutral at Cowen.

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

• Adobe Systems Inc. (ADBE) reported that Q1 revenue was up but earnings declined sharply, and it offered guidance.
• Best Buy Inc. (BBY) shares rallied after it topped Q4 earnings expectations and offered encouraging guidance.
• Brinker International Inc. (EAT) raised its outlook for fiscal 2010 and also increased its quarterly dividend.
• China Automotive Systems Inc. (CAAS) reported that its revenue had doubled and it beat earnings expectations.
• ConAgra Foods Inc. (CAG) Q3 earnings matched estimates and revenue was flat, and it reaffirmed its outlook.
• Finish Line Inc. (FINL) shares rallied after it reported that Q4 earnings came in better than analysts' expected.

This afternoon tech giant Oracle Corporation (ORCL) reported its fiscal third quarter numbers, and as analysts expected it was a strong quarter for the California based company, which easily outpaced analyst estimates.

As we noted in our Oracle earnings preview, analysts had been expecting to see the company post earnings of $0.35 per share. The company's actual earnings came in at $0.38 per share, excluding one-time items.