Michael Tsangaris'  Instablog

Quote of the Week

"Do you know the only thing that gives me pleasure? It's to see my dividends coming in." - John D. Rockefeller

Analyst Upgrades/Downgrades

Nike (NKE) was upgraded by HSBC Securities from a "Neutral" to "Overweight" weighting with a revised price target of $112 from $101.

Pfizer Inc. (PFE) was downgraded from MKM Partners from a "Buy" rating to a "Neutral" with a revised price target of $25 from $29

Aeropostale (ARO) was downgraded by Caris & Company from a "Buy" rating to an "Above Average" rating with a price target of $18.

Weekly Investment Commentary

Higher Taxes on the Horizon? Consider Munis by Russ Koesterich, BlackRock's Global Chief Investment Strategist

Calendar for Next Week

Monday:

· November ISM manufacturing index

· October construction spending

Tuesday:

· November motor vehicle sales

Wednesday:

· The November ADP employment report

· Revised third-quarter productivity

· October factory orders

· November ISM non-manufacturing report

Friday:

· November jobs data (unemployment rate & nonfarm payrolls)

· Preliminary December University of Michigan Survey of Consumers

Articles

Graham and Dodd Head Downtown (Barron's)

2012 Best in Banking (American Banker)

Top Dividend Stocks in the Industrial Goods Sector (Trefis)

Weiss Ratings' Portfolio of High Dividend Bank Stocks (Weiss Ratings)

5 of the Worst Tech Acquisitions From the Past 5 Years (The Motley Fool)

Learning to Love Volatility by Nassim Nicholas Taleb (The Wall Street Journal)

Mortgage 'Attack' Could Mark Sea Change: Shiller (CNBC)

Bruce Berkowitz: The return of a star fund manager (CNN Money)

Stock-focused Articles

Apple, How Market Booms Turn to Busts, Trading From New Paradigm to Despair (The Market Oracle) (RIMM, AAPL)

Why I -- A Former Short -- Just Bought BlackBerry's Stock And Think It Can Go To $40 (Forbes) (RIMM, GOOG, AAPL)

Walmart's Evolution From Big Box Giant to E-Commerce Innovator (Fast Company) (WMT)

Videos

Warren Buffett & Carol Loomis on Charlie Rose

Disclosure: I am long AAPL.