Each of these either had big news that will carry into next week or they are expected to have events on deck this week.  We have also given color and some expectations on each, if applicable.  A full earnings calendar is available here with detailed previews for the sector-moving key stocks set to release earnings.  You can also review Friday’s top analyst upgrades and downgrades, as well as see our own Top 7 Analyst Calls of the Week to see the research notes that offer significant insight into equity issues.

Barnes & Noble, Inc. (NYSE: BKS) had a great Friday after getting a $1 billion or so buyout offer from Liberty Media.  Shares rose 29.9% to $18.33, above the $17 offer from John Malone.  Tuesday is when its eReader is supposed to launch.  With shares above the buyout offer price, investors will be hopping for more.  B&N’s 52-week trading range is $8.45 to $20.45 and this was a $40+ stock within the last five years.

Bio-Reference Laboratories Inc. (NASDAQ: BRLI) was given a very cautious article in Barron’s over the weekend called “There Will Be Blood.”  Barron’s cites the clinical-testing company as having spent much of its early history with rogue bankers and brokers and questions whether or not it can overcome its past.  It also questions its earnings quality and new products.

Boeing Co. (NYSE: BA) hosts its annual investor meeting on Tuesday (May 24) and it would seem as though shareholders would have plenty to be angry about with all of the delays and problems it has had.  Still, with shares only down 4% from the 52-week high it may be hard for those holders to have too much bad to say.

Cell Therapeutics, Inc. (NASDAQ: CTICD) rose by 23.8% to $2.08 on Friday after announcing that it will meet with the FDA’s Office of Oncology Drug Products in early June  to discuss the re-submission of its new drug application for pixantrone’s accelerated approval as a treatment for patients with relapsed or refractory aggressive non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma.  Shares were up another 26% at $2.63 in the after-hours with almost an additional 200,000 shares traded after the closing bell.

Cheniere Energy, Inc. (AMEX: LNG) is going to remain in focus this coming week and shares should have some volatility a bit higher since the stock rallied over 30% on news that it was approved to begin LNG exports from its terminal.  Shares were up 30.5% at $10.04 on Friday, and it traded over 13 million shares.

Express Scripts Inc. (NASDAQ: ESRX) was given a very positive article in Barron’s called “A Prescription For Success” as the PBM is poised to capitalize on a coming surge in demand for generic drugs bringing a strong second-half of 2011. Be advised, at $59.98 its 52-week range is $41.55 to $60.79 and its Thomson Reuters estimates of $3.20 and $3.93 give it forward earnings multiples of 18.7-times 2011 earnings and about 15.25-times 2012 earnings.

Gold miners in them that hills… Barron’s wrote a piece called “For Gold Miners, Big Nuggets of Hope” and it talked up shares of Newmont Mining Corporation (NYSE: NEM), Barrick Gold Corporation (NYSE: ABX), and Goldcorp, Inc. (NYSE: GG).  These are different picks than Tom Winmill gave us from the Midas Fund in our exclusive interview on Friday, but the thesis is much the same.

• Alcatel-Lucent (NYSE: ALU) Cut to Equal Weight at Morgan Stanley.
• Bio-Reference Labs (NASDAQ: BRLI) Cut to Perform at Oppenheimer.
• Gap Inc. (NYSE: GPS) Cut to Hold at Citigroup.
• General Dynamics (NYSE: GD) Cut to Neutral at Goldman Sachs.
• Patriot Coal (NYSE: PCX) Started as Sell at Citigroup.
• Pearson (NYSE: PSO) Cut to Sell at Goldman Sachs.
• PepsiAmericas (PAS) Cut to Sell at Goldman Sachs.
• PetroChina (NYSE: PTR) Cut to Neutral at JPMorgan.
• Posco (NYSE: PKX) Cut to Neutral at Goldman Sachs.
• Rio Tinto (NYSE: RTP) Cut to Hold at Deutsche Bank.
• Rockwell Collins (NYSE: COL) Cut to Sell at Goldman Sachs.
• Wright Express Corp. (NYSE: WXS) Cut to Neutral at JPMorgan.

Jon C. Ogg
January 9, 2009