Truckers Roll By

While I was sweeping my walk on Monday morning,I heard a lot of angry truckers blasting their horns as they passed by my town.They were headed to Washington,D.C. to protest the high price of diesel.The horns didn't bother me.I couldn't see the truckers,but I heard them express what they understandably felt.It was a bit of economic history in sound.

Marines Roll In

Since March,some 3,000 U.S. Marines have been rolling over the desert into Helmand Province,Afghanistan.They have been building up supplies at remote bases,preparing for the seventh spring offensive by the Taliban since the war began.NATO has fought the Taliban to a standstill in the province.A British soldier said he was definitely feeling better with the Marines there.Some of the Marines,members of the 24th Marine Expeditionary Unit,swept into a village in this southern province by helicopter and humvee,then patrolled on foot,expecting improvised explosive devices at every turn.

Upgrades

Morgan Stanley(MS) has upgraded Schlumberger(SLB) to overweight from equal weight.Credit Suisse(CS) has upgraded Tenet Healthcare(THC) to outperform from neutral.

Ships Status Report

Aircraft carrier USS John F Kennedy(CV67) was decommissioned on 1 August,2007.She is being held for detention.Destroyer USS Kidd(DDG 100) was commissioned on 30 May,2007 in Pascagoula,Mississippi.She is homeported in San Diego.Amphibious warfare ship USS New York(LPD 21) is to be launched in December.As I reported earlier,she was commissioned in March in Avondale,Louisiana.

Upgrades

Friedman,Billings and Ramsey(FBR) has upgraded Trina Solar(TSL) to market perform from underperform.HSBC has upgraded Freeport McMoran(FCX) to overweight from neutral.

Carrier Series

The carrier special I mentioned earlier is actually a 10 hour series.It was filmed on board the USS Nimitz.Check your T.V. guide for details on this PBS broadcast,which will air beginning April 27 in the Washington,D.C. area.

Navy Motocross

Over the weekend,the Navy sponsored a dirt bike competition.The Navy Moto X World Championships were held at Qualcomm Stadium in San Diego.ESPN carried the event,which the Navy used as a recruiting tool.It ran several ads on the broadcast emphasizing the adventurous side of Navy life.The event itself was a perfect fit for the Navy's slogan "Accelerate your life."The Best Trick competition was won by Scott Murray.Matt Buyton won the Step-up event,and Broc Hepler took the gold helmet in the Moto X Final.I didn't think I'd like it,but I found it did have a certain apppeal in the end.A dirt bike event is a good diversion,as well as a magnet for potential recruits.

Goldman Upgrades

Goldman Sachs(GS) has added Lockheed Martin(LMT) to its conviction buy list.It has also upgraded Halliburton(HAL) to a buy from neutral.

Not Enough Ships

The U.S. Navy is in need of many more ships.It has a goal of 313 warships by 2020,but only has 279 now.Until then,there is moderate risk that the Navy and Marine Corps may not be able to respond to a crisis.Indeed,the ships that they do have are being heavily taxed by their current missions.

FBR News

Friedman,Billings and Ramsey has named Danaher(DHR) a top pick.It has also initiated coverage of Patriot Coal(PCX) as an outperform.

Carrier Special

Watch your T.V. guides.PBS will be airing an aircraft carrier documentary in the near future.They've broadcast one in the past,and it is unclear whether this is a new production,but it looked new to me.No doubt carriers are more photogenic than other warships.They've got the action and the human drama,with their large complement and screaming aircraft.

Naval Air Station Lemoore

NAS Lemoore,California is home base to several strike fighter squadrons.They fly variants of the F/A-18 Hornet.The squadrons are known as Bounty Hunters,Tophatters,Fighting Redcocks,Fist of the Fleet,Black Aces,Mighty Shrikes,Warhawks,Stingers,Eagles,Flying Eagles,Rough Raiders,Kestrels,Blue Diamonds,Argonauts,Vigilantes and Black Knights.NAS Lemoore is just south of Fresno.

Upgrades

Citigroup(C) has upgraded Yahoo(YHOO) to buy from hold.RBC Capital(RY) has upgraded Union Drilling(UDRL) to outperform from sector perform.