Company News for August 17, 2010

• BHP Billiton (NYSE:BHP) confirmed a bid for Potash (NYSE:POT), valued at $130 per share, or $38.5 billion.

• Home Depot (NYSE:HD) announced second quarter results of 72 cents a share, one cent above Zacks estimates, and up from 66 cents a year ago; however, sales up 1.8% to $19.41 billion missed Zacks estimates of $19.58 billion. Same-store-sales rose 1.7%

• Walmart (NYSE:WMT) reported second quarter earnings of 97 cents a share, 1-cent better than Zacks expectations, on revenues of $103.7 billion up from $100.1 billion a year ago and below Zacks estimates of $105.0 billion. The company increased guidance for the full year by a nickel to $3.95-$4.05

• Bank of America (NYSE:BAC) upgraded Target (NYSE:TGT) to “buy” from "neutral," taking the price target from $57 to $61

• Goldman Sachs (NYSE:GS) upgraded CF Industries (NYSE:CF) to "Conviction Buy" from "neutral"

• GM is expected to file its IPO today

• Susquehanna upgraded Baker Hughes (NYSE:BHI) to "positive" from "neutral," with a price target of $53

Read the full analyst report on BHP

Read the full analyst report on POT

Read the full analyst report on HD

Read the full analyst report on WMT

Read the full analyst report on BAC

Read the full analyst report on TGT

Read the full analyst report on GS

Read the full analyst report on CF

Read the full analyst report on BHI