MORNING COFFEE

Citigroup To Help Homeowners. Citigroup (C) announced a pilot program to help homeowners avoid foreclosure.  The program would allow distressed homeowners that have maintained the property, and wish to stay in the property the option of transferring title to the bank.  The homeowner then would be allowed to rent the home back.  The rental fees would be less than the current mortgage payment. The bank would allow the homeowner to purchase the property back at a later date at current market prices.

Upgrades

Cisco Systems (CSCO): Piper Jaffray raised their rating from Neutral to Overweight and raised their target price from $20.00 to $22.00. Pre-market: 17.61 +0.45 (2.62%)

Downgrades

AFLAC (AFL): FBR Capital lowered their rating from Outperform to Market Perform.

NetApp (NTAP): Cantor Fitzgerald lowered their rating from Buy to Hold and placed a target price of $38.00 on the company. Pre-market: 32.34 -0.64 (-1.94%)

Oceaneering International (OII): Societe Generale lowered their rating from Buy to Hold and placed a target price of $60.00 on the company.

Tree House Foods (THS): Sun Trust lowered their rating from Buy to Neutral. Pre-market: 49.00 -1.77 (-3.49%)

Coverage Initiated

Apple (AAPL): Stifel Nicolaus initiated coverage with a Buy rating and target price of $825.00.

Ryder Systems (R): Longbow initiated coverage with a Buy rating.

Earning Reports

News Corp (NWSA): Reported EPS of $0.32 in-line with estimates. Pre-market: 23.00 -0.72 (-3.04%)

SunPower (SPWR): Reported EPS of $0.08 beating estimates by +$0.17. Pre-market: 4.22 -0.47 

(-10.02%)

Advance Auto (AAP): Reported EPS of $1.34 missing estimates by -$0.07. Pre-market: 67.50 -3.07 (-4.35%)

Brinker (EAT): Reported EPS of $0.61 beating estimates by +$0.03. Pre-market: 34.00 +1.44 (4.42%)

Kohl's (KSS): Reported EPS of $1.00 beating estimates by +$0.04. Pre-market: 34.00 +1.44 (4.42%)

Tm Hortons (THI): Reported EPS of $0.69 in-line with estimates.

Wendy's (WEN): Reported EPS of $0.05 in-line with estimates. Pre-market: 4.68 +0.14 (3.08%)

Markets: 
Futures at 8:38: Dow +0.08%. S&P -0.09%. Nasdaq +0.18%. Crude +0.30% to $93.63. Gold -0.16% at $1613.40.

Europe: London +0.02%. Paris -0.16%. Frankfurt -0.69%. 

Asia: Japan +1.10%. Hong Kong +1.02%. China +0.61%. India -0.23%.