On a GAAP basis, Sands reported quarterly diluted EPS of $0.69.

Competitor Wynn Resorts Ltd. (NASDAQ: WYNN) posted quarterly EPS of $2.03 on revenues of $1.38 billion last week. Both Sands and Wynn got a real shot in the arm from their Macau properties. Casino revenues from Sands’ Venetian Macao rose 15.5% in the quarter. Sands revenues from its Asian casinos and resorts totaled $2.02 billion in the quarter.

The company’s CEO said:

In Macao, we delivered record financial results, with outstanding growth and strong operating momentum reflected in every segment of our business. We welcomed a record fourteen million visits to our Cotai Strip properties during the quarter, and delivered a record $630.2 million of adjusted property EBITDA from our Macao property portfolio. … The prudent management of our cash flow, including the ability to both invest in future growth and to increase the return of capital to our shareholders, remains a cornerstone of our strategy.

Once again, CEO Sheldon Adelson did not refer to the company’s Las Vegas properties in his remarks. Adjusted property EBITDA in Las Vegas fell just 2.1% year-over-year for the quarter, much better than the previous quarter’s drop of nearly 35%. Casino revenue was up less than 1% and the Las Vegas convention business picked up by about 14%. Las Vegas operations totaled $411.5 million in revenue, up 7% compared with the same quarter last year.

The Sands did not offer guidance in its earnings release, but the consensus estimate for the second quarter calls for EPS of $0.63 on revenues of $3.19 billion. For the full year the consensus estimate calls for EPS of $2.72 on revenues of $13.23 billion.

Shares are trading up about 1% at $56.85 in after-hours trading today, in a 52-week range of $34.72 to $57.11. Thomson Reuters had a consensus analyst price target of around $59.00 before today’s report.

The U.S. dollar index is trading down 0.30% today, now at 82.492. The GSCI commodity index is up 1.7% at 625.15. WTI crude oil closed down 0.7%, at $93.00 a barrel, but closed the week up 5.4%. Brent crude trades down 0.5% at $102.88 a barrel. Natural gas is down 0.4% today at about $4.17 per million BTUs. Gold settled down 0.6% today at $1,453.60 an ounce, but held a gain of 4.2% for the week.

The unofficial closing bells put the DJIA up about 13 points to 14,713.85 (0.09%), the NASDAQ fell nearly 11 points (-0.33%) to 3,279.26, and the S&P 500 fell -0.18% or about 3 points to 1,582.25.

There were a several analyst upgrades and downgrades today, including Boeing Co. (NYSE: BA) raised to ‘buy’ at BB&T; SunPower Corp. (NASDAQ: SPWR) raised to ‘outperform’ at Baird (more coverage here); Anheuser-Busch InBev NV (NYSE: BUD) cut to ‘conviction sell’ at Goldman Sachs; Facebook Inc. (NASDAQ: FB) raised to ‘strong buy’ at Raymond James; and eBay Inc. (NASDAQ: EBAY) reiterated as ‘buy’ with a price target of $65 at Argus.

Earnings reports since markets closed last night resulted in some price moves today, including these as of the last half hour of trading: Amazon.com Inc. (NASDAQ: AMZN) is down 6.7% at $256.32 (more coverage here); Baidu Inc. (NASDAQ: BIDU) is down 7.8% at $85.12; Clearwire Corp. (NASDAQ: CLWR) is up 3.8% at $3.44; Coinstar Inc. (NASDAQ: CSTR) is down fractionally at $55.00; HealthSouth Corp. (NYSE: HLS) is up 2.2% at $27.13 after posting a new 52-week high of $27.99 earlier today; Olin Corp. (NYSE: OLN) is down 5.6% at $24.53; Range Resources Corp. (NYSE: RRC) is down 4.3% at $74.16; Starbucks Corp. (NASDAQ: SBUX) is down 0.8% at $60.03; Wynn Resorts, Ltd. (NASDAQ: WYNN) is up 0.8% at $136.02; Alcatel-Lucent (NYSE: ALU) is down 4.3% at $1.34; Burger King Worldwide Inc. (NYSE: BKW) is up 1.1% at $18.26; Chevron Corp. (NYSE: CVX) is up 1.5% at $120.23 (more coverage here); National Oilwell Varco Inc. (NYSE: NOV) is down 1.3% at $66.34 (more coverage here); and VF Corp. (NYSE: VFC) is down 2.2% at $174.83.

Before markets open Monday morning we are scheduled to hear earnings reports from Eaton Corp. (NYSE: ETN), Loews Corp. (NYSE: L), Senior Housing Properties Trust (NYSE: SNH), and Sohu.com Inc. (NASDAQ: SOHU).

Some standouts among heavily traded stocks today include:

J.C. Penney Co. Inc. (NYSE: JCP) is up 13.8% at $17.34. The retailing giant got a major investment yesterday from George Soros. More coverage here.

Zynga Inc. (NASDAQ: ZNGA) is up 7% at $3.35. The social games company is gaining back its loss following a poor earnings report on Wednesday night that weighed on the stock yesterday.

Barrick Gold Corp. (NYSE: ABX) is down 2.7% at $18.55. The gold miner is getting hit by today’s drop in gold prices.

Stay tuned for Monday. We have noted the following events on the schedule (all times Eastern):

• 8:30 a.m. – Personal income and outlays
• 10:00 a.m. – Pending home sales index
• 10:30 a.m. – Dallas Fed manufacturing survey
• 11:30 a.m. – 3- and 6-month bill auctions

Have a great weekend!

The U.S. dollar index is trading down 0.38% today, now at 82.733. The GSCI commodity index is up 1.2% at 614.65. WTI crude oil closed up 2.4%, at $93.64 a barrel. Brent crude trades up 1.6% at $103.40 a barrel. Natural gas is up fractionally today at about $4.17 per million BTUs after an in-line storage report (more coverage here). Gold settled up 2.7% today at $1,462.00 an ounce, chalking up its largest one-day gain so far this year.

The unofficial closing bells put the DJIA up more than 35 points to 14,711.82 (0.24%), the NASDAQ rose nearly 23 points (0.70%) to 3,292.48, and the S&P 500 rose 0.47% or more than 6 points to 1,585.17.

There were a several analyst upgrades and downgrades today, including F5 Networks Inc. (NASDAQ: FFIV) raised to ‘buy’ at Nomura; Federal-Mogul Corp. (NASDAQ: FDML) raised to ‘neutral’ at Goldman Sachs; Intuit Inc. (NASDAQ: INTU) cut to ‘neutral’ at Citigroup and J.P. Morgan; Apple Inc. (NASDAQ: AAPL) raised to ‘buy’ at Hilliard Lyons; and McGraw Hill Companies Inc. (NYSE: MHP) cut to ‘hold’ at Jefferies.

Earnings reports since markets closed last night resulted in some price moves today, including these as of the last half hour of trading: Angie’s List Inc. (NASDAQ: ANGI) is up 30.1% at $26.16 after posting a new 52-week high of $26.72 earlier today; Bally Technologies Inc. (NYSE: BYI) is up 11.4% at $54.67 after posting a new 52-week high of $54.74 earlier today; Fusion-io Inc. (NYSE: FIO) is up 18.4% at $19.70; O’Reilly Automotive Inc. (NASDAQ: ORLY) is up 4.7% at $105.86 after posting a new 52-week high of $108.98 earlier today; Qualcomm Inc. (NASDAQ: QCOM) is down 5.4% at $62.42 (more coverage here); Vale SA (NYSE: VALE) is up 1.8% at $17.05; Western Digital Corp. (NASDAQ: WDC) is down 0.1% at $52.86 after posting a new 52-week high of $57.95 earlier today; 3M Co. (NYSE: MMM) is down 2.7% at $105.00; Altria Group Inc. (NYSE: MO) is up 1.1% at $35.92; Bunge Ltd. (NYSE: BG) is up 6.9% at $72.99; Exxon Mobil Corp. (NYSE: XOM) is down 1.3% at $88.25 (more coverage here); Potash Corp. of Saskatchewan Inc. (NYSE: POT) is up 3.1% at $40.85 (more coverage here); Proto Labs Inc. (NASDAQ: PRLB) is down 1.3% at $48.10 (more 3D printing coverage here); and Safeway Inc. (NYSE: SWY) is down 14.1% at $24.28 (more coverage here).

Before markets open tomorrow morning we are scheduled to hear earnings reports from Amazon.com Inc. (NASDAQ: AMZN), Baidu Inc. (NASDAQ: BIDU), Clearwire Corp. (NASDAQ: CLWR), Coinstar Inc. (NASDAQ: CSTR), HealthSouth Corp. (NYSE: HLS), Olin Corp. (NYSE: OLN), Range Resources Corp. (NYSE: RRC), Starbucks Corp. (NASDAQ: SBUX), Wynn Resorts, Ltd. (NASDAQ: WYNN), Alcatel-Lucent (NYSE: ALU), Burger King Worldwide Inc. (NYSE: BKW), Chevron Corp. (NYSE: CVX), National Oilwell Varco Inc. (NYSE: NOV), and VF Corp. (NYSE: VFC).

Some standouts among heavily traded stocks today include:

MPG Office Trust Inc. (NYSE: MPG) is up 20.6% at $3.14. The office and real-estate development REIT is being acquired by Brookfield Office Properties Inc. (NYSE: BPO) for $3.15 a share..

Cliffs Natural Resources Inc. (NYSE: CLF) is up 16.1% at $21.15. The steelmaker and iron ore miner posted better-than-expected results this morning.

Zynga Inc. (NASDAQ: ZNGA) is down 7.1% at $3.11. The social games company posted poor results last night and expectations are not encouraging. More coverage here.

Stay tuned for Friday. We have noted the following events on the schedule (all times Eastern):

• 8:30 a.m. – GDP
• 9:55 a.m. – University of Michigan/Thomson Reuters consumer sentiment index

Against a backdrop of a tremendous rally that actually began after the presidential elections last November, more and more investors are becoming anxious because they are not involved. A 13-year secular bear market and two numbing market sell-offs have taken their toll on investor psyche. In a new report, the equity strategy team at Deutsche Bank A.G. (NYSE: DB) has screened for the names investors can buy today and feel comfortable with.

Deutsche Bank advised investors to resist the urge to sell last week because they expect the S&P 500 to advance well into record-high territory this spring. They gave three specific reasons:

1. The Federal Reserve reiterated its commitment to asset purchases until the job market gets considerably better.
2. Congress passed a budget resolution alleviating the possibility of shutdown risk.
3. They are expecting good first-quarter earnings reports, with 5% to 6% year-over-year growth.

With those three positives as a backdrop here are the stocks to buy now:

Leading the ratings parade again, broadcasting giant CBS Corp. (NYSE: CBS) kicks off the Deutsche Bank list. The Jeffries price target for the stock is $50. The Thomson/First Call estimate is right in line at $49.

Dow component E. I du Pont de Nemours & Co. (NYSE: DD) is a stock to buy now. It is a strong benefactor of domestic and global economic growth. The Deutsche Bank target for this market leading stock is $55. The Wall St. consensus price target is $52. DuPont pays investors a solid 3.5% dividend.

Worldwide entertainment leader Walt Disney Co. (NYSE: DIS) is always a solid portfolio name. From theme parks to the ABC television network and ESPN, Disney has multiple streams of earnings. The Deutsche Bank price target is $63, and the consensus is right in line at $62.50. Disney pays a small 1.30% dividend.

With a potential for strong first-quarter earnings, buoyed by the surge in home building, Honeywell International Inc. (NYSE: HON) is a stock to buy now. The price target for this diversified blue chip is $88. The consensus target is much lower at $78. Honeywell pays a 1.65% dividend.

International Business Machines Corp. (NYSE: IBM) is another Dow component among many on the list. It has large recurring income streams from its service business, and the price target for big blue is $240. The consensus estimate is $230. IBM pays a small 1.60% dividend.

European chemical giant LyondellBasell Industries N.V. (NYSE: LYB) is one of the few foreign-based blue chips on the list. The Deutsche Bank target for the stock is $75, and the consensus price target estimate is $71.

Fast-food behemoth McDonald’s Corp. (NYSE: MCD) is on the menu, with its constant expansion in the United States and abroad, and an expanded menu to suit consumer tastes. The price target for the stock is $108. The consensus target is $103. McDonald’s pays investors a solid 3% dividend.

Worldwide oil field services leader Schlumberger Ltd. (NYSE: SLB) is a solid stock to buy now. It benefits from solid West Texas and Brent crude pricing. The Deutsche Bank price target for the stock is $91. The consensus target is right in line at $92. Investors receive a 1.70% dividend.

Rounding out the list of stock to buy is gaming giant Wynn Resorts Ltd. (NASDAQ: WYNN), with its opulent and profitable resorts in Las Vegas and Macau. The Deutsche Bank price target for this Wall St. favorite is $146. The consensus estimate is $141. Wynn pays investors a good 3.40% dividend.

Read Also: 19 Stocks Expected to Rise 50% to 100%

Clearly the team at Deutsche Bank wants to be involved in equities that are the bluest of blue chips. For investors, that advice makes good sense. With the market seemingly ready for a correction, putting new capital to work in big, liquid names is a smart idea. Investors also may want to buy half positions now and see if that possible correction doesn’t provide the ability to buy the other half cheaper.

This former Portuguese colony is one of the two special administrative regions of the Peoples Republic of China, the other being Hong Kong, which is just 37 miles to the northwest. In 2002, the Macau government ended the former monopoly gambling system and six casino operating concessions were granted.

The gaming analysts at Deutsche Bank A.G. (NYSE: DB) feel that high-speed rail is changing Macau’s visitor profile. The new visitor is more likely to have come from further away, spend a night in a hotel and spend more on shopping. The biggest data point for investors is Macau casinos’ total revenue soared 29.5% in March through Sunday, compared to a year ago. Backing the Deutsche Bank opinion, RBC Capital Markets raised its 2013 revenue growth forecast for Macau casinos to 10.5%, up from 10%.

Given those positive data points and share prices that have fallen as much as 14% from their peaks, the Deutsche Bank team says the time to buy the gaming stocks with exposure to Macau is now. The stocks to buy on their list trade Asian shares on the Hong Kong exchange. Here we focus on the American-traded counterparts. The following are the Macau gaming stocks to buy now.

With more than 1,000 rooms and almost 500 gaming tables in Macau, Wynn Resorts Ltd. (NASDAQ: WYNN) is a top name to buy. The Thomson/First Call price target for this Wall St. favorite is $141.

Based in Hong Kong, Melco Crown Entertainment Ltd. (NASDAQ: MPEL) owns and operates three successful resorts in Macau with more than 600 combined gaming tables. The Wall St. consensus price target for the stock is $24.60.

Long-time Las Vegas operator MGM Resorts International (NYSE: MGM), through its subsidiary MGM China, makes the list of stocks to buy. The consensus estimate for this venerable gambling name is $14.

Another Hong Kong-based gaming company, Galaxy Entertainment Group makes the list of stocks to buy now. Currently only traded on the over-the-counter pink sheets, investors may want to keep an eye on Galaxy to see if it gets Nasdaq listing.

The final name on the list to buy, for investors looking to take advantage of the staggering growth in Macau, is Las Vegas Sands Corp. (NYSE: LVS). This premiere gaming company owns and operates the Venetian Macao Resort Hotel, the Four Seasons Hotel Macao, the Plaza Casino and the Sands Macao and Sands Cotai Central in Macau. This gives it a commanding presence in this high-growth region. It is widely owned by portfolio managers, and the consensus price objective for the stock is $60.

With multiple new ways to quickly travel to this “Las Vegas of China,” more and more visitors will be attracted to Macau. It is important for investors to remember that some of these companies have powerful domestic franchises to complement their Asian properties. Plus the fact remains that the largest part of the revenue stream is from gambling. Never forget the old adage, “They don’t build those big casinos because the house loses.”

In a new report, one firm on Wall St. is not only forecasting the beginning of a new secular bull market, but it is raising the bar for all-around equity performance in 2013.

The U.S. equity strategy team at Deutsche Bank A.G. (NYSE: DB) has not only raised their target for the S&P 500, but they have substantially raised their first quarter gross domestic product forecast from 1.7% to 2.3%. Stronger U.S. growth, and particularly the upturn in business spending, underlies their boost to 2013 estimated S&P earnings per share to $109 from $108.

In addition, they expect the S&P 500 to make secular bull market advances this spring and boldly go where it has never gone before. Their target for 2013 is now 1,625, almost 70 points higher than Friday’s 1,556.89 close, or an additional 4.5% on top of this years 8.39% gain. They acknowledge their tactical call is difficult, but they think the S&P 500 climbs higher this spring before suffering a 5% or more dip. It could be a “sell in May and go away” (for a while) situation.

This is all great news for stock investors. The question is where to best place the capital in a portfolio to take advantage of a secular bull market? The Deutsche Bank team has a plan. Their advice is to participate in the likely grind higher over the next couple of months with overweights in financials, tech and industrials. They see the best reward/risk at the large enterprise spending exposed tech stocks.

Also Read: Enduring Eight Tech Stocks to Buy.

To play the secular bull market, the Deutsche Bank analysts stress five specific areas to invest in:

1. Global Growth — stocks with high foreign and export sales. The names from their list of stocks to buy that may fit this best are Honeywell International Inc, (NYSE: HON), General Electric Co. (NYSE: GE), International Business Machines Corp. (NYSE: IBM) and Qualcomm Inc. (NASDAQ: QCOM).

2. Capital Expenditure (CAPEX) — stocks with high exposure to investment spending. Investors may want to consider United Technologies Corp. (NYSE: UTX), Illinois Tool Works Inc. (NYSE: ITW), EMC Corp. (NYSE: EMC) and Accenture PLC (NYSE: ACN).

3. Dividend Growth — stocks with ability to raise dividend payout ratios. In this category the Deutsche Bank list of stocks to buy suggests Citigroup Inc (NYSE: C), Allstate Corp. (NYSE: ALL), Intel Corp. (NASDAQ: INTC) and Amphenol Corp. (NYSE: APH).

4. Debt Capacity — stocks that can issue cheap debt for acquisitions or buybacks. Investors should consider Rockwell Automation Inc. (NYSE: ROK), Precision Castparts Corp. (NYSE: PCP), Google Inc. (NASDAQ: GOOG) and Microsoft Corp. (NASDAQ: MSFT).

5. Economic Profit Growth — above average PE stocks justified by value added growth. In this category the Deutsche Bank list of stocks to buy has solid names like Wynn Resorts Ltd. (NASDAQ: WYNN), Viacom Inc. (NASDAQ: VIAB), Schlumberger Ltd. (NYSE: SLB) and Cognizant Technology Solutions Corp. (NASDAQ: CTSH).

The past 13 years have provided investors with gut-wrenching bear market sell offs that have challenged even the staunchest equity advocates to throw in the towel. History tells us that the average length of the three previous secular bear markets was 18 years. Nobody can say for sure if the current secular bear market has come to an end. One thing investors need to keep a very close eye on is a substantial breakout above the old 2007 highs. Even if we do experience an expected 5% decline, that may be the chance to buy the stocks to add for the new secular bull market run.

In a positive new report the equity strategists at Deutsche Bank A.G. (NYSE: DB) have screened the S&P 500 for stocks that investors can buy and add to their portfolios now.

As investors are always looking for new ideas of stocks to buy and stocks to sell, sometimes value investing strategies rule and sometimes growth strategies rule. The Deutsche Bank stock screens are fundamental in nature with an aim to connect strategic macro trends and themes to individual stocks. These screens focus on five separate and distinct metrics:

1. Revenue exposure by geography and markets
2. Company growth and profitability
3. Balance sheet and earnings deployment
4. The true “quality” of the earnings — no accounting tricks
5. Company valuation

The team at Deutsche Bank is advising investors to construct their portfolios with a tilt toward global growth stocks, especially companies with sales that rise with investment spending. They are overweight industrials and technology on global growth and capital goods demand acceleration.

We decided to comb through their current S&P 500 stock screen, which has stocks from six different sectors. In each sector we have selected the stock with the highest dividend. This may help investors improve their overall total return. The following are the top six Deutsche Bank stocks that pay dividends to buy now.

Wynn Resorts Ltd. (NASDAQ: WYNN) leads off the list in the consumer discretionary category. This world-class gaming company with properties in Las Vegas and Macau has a price target of $146. Wynn also pays investors a 3.30% dividend. The Thomson/First Call estimate is $141.

In the materials sector, the top selection is Dow component E.I. du Pont de Nemours and Company (NYSE: DD). With science and technology based products sold around the globe, DuPont yields a nice 3.40% dividend and has a price target of $55. The Wall St. consensus price target for this venerable name is $52.

In energy, the top Deutsche Bank selection is oilfield services giant Schlumberger Ltd. (NYSE: SLB). Based in Houston, this sector leader provides integrated and independent oil and gas companies with services and logistics around the world. The Deutsche Bank price target for Schlumberger is $91. It also has a small 1.6% dividend. The consensus price target is in line at $92.

U.S Bancorp (NYSE: USB) tops the list in the financial sector, with its locations primarily in the Midwest and west. The price target for this regional banking leader is $38. The company pays investors a dividend of 2.3%. The consensus estimate for the stock is $37. As a reminder, U.S. Bancorp is on the 24/7 Wall St. list of the Safest Banks in America for 2013.

Mega-cap General Electric Co. (NYSE: GE) is the Deutsche Bank choice to buy now in the industrial sector. With an array of products, services and technologies sold around the U.S. and the world, GE has a price target of $25. The company also pays a solid 3.2% dividend. The Wall St. price target is right in line at $25.

In the information and technology sector, Ireland-based Accenture PLC (NYSE: ACN) makes the list. It provides management consulting, technology and business process outsourcing services worldwide, and its stock is trading close to a 52-week high. The Deutsche Bank price target is $87, and the stock pays a 2.1% dividend. The consensus target for Accenture is $74, so this is a contrarian pick.

The stock market has made a habit lately of overcoming the proverbial wall of worry. It is still quite possible that we could see a 5% correction in the coming weeks or months. Perhaps the Wall St. axiom of “sell in May and go away” will play out yet again this year. With all of those things in mind, investors putting money to work in large cap names that pay dividends and have solid global businesses stand a good chance of seeing their portfolios grow.

There are several ways a company can avoid paying taxes. One is simple: The corporation loses large sums of money, and as a by-product it pays no taxes or even gets tax credits. Battered retailer J.C. Penney managed to do that last year.

Click here to see the companies paying the least in taxes

Click here to see the companies paying the most in taxes

Another way to get federal tax benefits is through huge fines, mostly for illegal behavior, or behavior the government claims is illegal. Bank of America was able to do that as it paid billions of dollars in penalties for its misdeeds, particularly in its mortgage divisions.

Yet another set of circumstance that can get a company tax benefits and prevent the payment of taxes entirely might be called “acts of god.” Financial results of both Verizon and Caesars were badly hurt by Hurricane Sandy. As a result, accounting rules allowed them to take write-offs or losses.

The debate over whether American companies should be able to pay less than the 35% corporate tax has gone on for years, and may continue in the years ahead. High tax rates, some experts argue, help lower the national debt. Other experts believe that low tax rates free up capital, which allows companies to invest in plants and equipment and to add jobs.

The debate aside, several huge U.S. companies managed to dodge the tax man completely.

To identify the companies that pay the least in taxes, that is those with the lowest taxes and the largest tax provision from the government, 24/7 Wall St. reviewed corporate tax payments for the top 150 companies by revenue. Included in our analysis were company financials, including income, employee count and earnings before taxes. These were either provided by Capital IQ, or obtained by 24/7 Wall St. reviews of SEC filings or financial statements. All data, including taxes paid, are for 2012, or the most recent complete fiscal year.

These are the companies paying no taxes.

A news release on Business Wire was issued by Kazuo Okada today saying that he remains determined to fight Steve Wynn’s involuntary redemption of his nearly 20% stake in Wynn Resorts at what is called a 30% discount. If this sort of fight was taking place anywhere else it might be covered significantly more in the media. With Okada’s resignation from the board of directors this is sure to be one of the more strange fights among corporate insiders that we have seen.

Mr. Okada said at one point in his release,

“Mr. Wynn continues to engineer a scenario where there is no longer any reason for me to continue to serve on a Board of Directors that, at his direction and insistence, undermines me at every turn, seems to act on Mr. Wynn’s every whim, and impedes my ability to serve as an independent voice for Wynn Resorts shareholders. I have also heard that there have been incredible cover ups by Mr. Wynn where he, in conspiracy with former employees, manipulated the media and made requests for cooperation in the Philippines.”

Here is the full press release.

Wynn Resorts is down less than 1% today at $115.67 against a 52-week range of $90.11 to $138.28 and its market cap is more than $11.5 billion. A stake of 20% here is substantial. Sometimes news is so strange that it almost sounds made up, but this is the sort of news that is too strange to make up.

The U.S. dollar index fell 0.1% today, now at 79.126. The GSCI commodity index is down 0.1% at 675.37, with commodities prices mostly higher today. WTI crude oil closed up 0.3% today, at $97.77 a barrel, up 2%% for the week. Brent crude trades up 1% at $116.67 a barrel. Natural gas is down 1.3% today at about $3.30 per million BTUs. Gold settled up 0.5% today at $1,670.60 an ounce, up nearly 0.9% on the week.

The unofficial closing bells put the DJIA up more than 149 points to 14,009.79 (1.08%), the NASDAQ rose 37 points (1.18%) to 3,179.10, and the S&P 500 rose 1.01% or about 15 points to 1,513.17.

There were a several analyst upgrades and downgrades today, including Verizon Communications Inc. (NYSE: VZ) raised to ‘overweight’ at Piper Jaffray; Mastercard Inc. (NYSE: MA) cut to ‘market perform’ at Wells Fargo; Enterprise Products Partners LP (NYSE: EPD) cut to ‘neutral’ at Credit Suisse; Constellation Brands Inc. (NYSE: STZ) cut to ‘neutral’ at BofA/ML; and United Parcel Service Inc. (NYSE: UPS) cut to ‘neutral’ at Citigroup.

Earnings reports since markets closed last night resulted in several price moves today, including these: Bally Technologies Inc. (NYSE: BYI) is up 1.3% at $48.80; Green Dot Corp. (NYSE: GDOT) is up 2.1% at $13.68; Wynn Resorts Ltd. (NASDAQ: WYNN) is up 1% at $126.45 (more coverage here); Chevron Corp. (NYSE: CVX) is up 1.2% at $116.52 (more coverage here); Exxon Mobil Corp. (NYSE: XOM) is down fractionally at $89.93 (more coverage here); Mattel Inc. (NYSE: MAT) is up 1.3% at $38.12 after posting a new 52-week high of $38.55 earlier today; Merck & Co. Inc. (NYSE: MRK) is down 3.1% at $41.93; National Oilwell Varco Inc. (NYSE: NOV) is down 3.9% at $71.28 (more coverage here); and Tyson Foods Inc. (NYSE: TSN) is up 2.8% at $22.73 after posting a new 52-week high of $23.00 earlier today.

After markets close today and before they open Monday morning we are scheduled to hear from Changyou.com Ltd. (NASDAQ: CYOU), Gannett Co. Inc. (NYSE: GCI), Humana Inc. (NYSE: HUM), Randgold Resources Ltd. (NASDAQ: GOLD), Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd. (NYSE: RCL), Simon Property Group Inc. (NYSE: SPG), and The Clorox Co. (NYSE: CLX).

Some standouts from today include the following stocks:

Zoetis Inc. (NYSE: ZTS) is up 20.3% at $31.29. The animal health spin-off from Pfizer Inc. (NYSE: PFE) held its IPO today. More coverage here.

Keryx Biopharmaceuticals Inc. (NASDAQ: KERX) is down 18% at $7.45. The biopharma stock is giving back gains approaching 100% for the week, likely on some profit-taking.

Facebook Inc. (NASDAQ: FB) is down 4% at $29.74. The social network company sinks below $30 a share again, as analysts and investors try to figure out if the company’s business has a model.

Stay tuned for Monday. We have also noted the following events on the schedule (all times Eastern):

• 10:00 a.m. – Factory orders
• 11:30 a.m. – 3- and 6-month Treasury bill auctions

Have a great weekend!