Today's noteworthy upgrades include: AMC Entertainment (AMC) upgraded to Buy at MKM Partners... Agnico Eagle (AEM) upgraded to Buy from Hold at HSBC... Allegiant Travel (ALGT) upgraded to Outperform from Market Perform at Raymond James... Amazon.com (AMZN) upgraded on positive outlook at JMP Securities... Bank of Ireland (IRE) upgraded to Buy from Neutral at Nomura... Canadian Pacific (CP) upgraded to Buy at Canaccord... Carrizo Oil & Gas (CRZO) upgraded to Outperform from Neutral at Credit Suisse... Concho Resources (CXO) upgraded to Outperform from Neutral at Credit Suisse... Crown Castle (CCI) upgraded to Buy from Neutral at Citi... Exxon Mobil (XOM) upgraded to Conviction Buy from Buy at Goldman... Fidelity & Guaranty Life (FGL) upgraded to Outperform from Neutral at Macquarie... First Interstate (FIBK) upgraded to Buy from Hold at Sandler O'Neill... Hess Corp. (HES) upgraded to Outperform from Neutral at Credit Suisse... Intuitive Surgical (ISRG) upgraded to Buy at Canaccord... J.C. Penney (JCP) upgraded to Buy from Neutral at Buckingham... Murphy Oil (MUR) upgraded to Neutral from Underperform at Credit Suisse... Noble Energy (NBL) upgraded to Outperform at Credit Suisse... Packaging Corp. (PKG) upgraded to Outperform from Market Perform at BMO Capital... Prologis (PLD) upgraded to Outperform from Neutral at Baird... Signature Bank (SBNY) upgraded to Strong Buy from Outperform at Raymond James... Sonic Automotive (SAH) upgraded to Buy from Neutral at BofA/Merrill... Tate & Lyle (TATYY) upgraded to Neutral from Sell at Goldman... Technip (TKPPY) upgraded to Neutral from Sell at Goldman... Union Bankshares (UBSH) upgraded to Buy from Neutral at Compass Point... Yamana Gold (AUY) upgraded to Buy from Hold at HSBC... Yara (YARIY) upgraded to Neutral from Underweight at JPMorgan.

Shares of Instacart (CART) are underperforming on Tuesday after Amazon (AMZN) announced its own grocery-delivery service, ramping up competition in an already crowded market. Commenting on the... To see the rest of the story go to thefly.com. See Story Here

Gordon Haskett notes that Amazon (AMZN) has announced a low-cost grocery delivery subscription program for EBT users as well as Prime members. The news has hit Hold-rated Instacart (CART) particularly hard, with shares down as much as 7% on Tuesday, which the firm believes is "a bit overdone" - but not enough for Gordon Haskett to turn bullish as it thinks investors have long thought of Amazon as a fierce competitor and expected it to take share from Instacart over the long run. Additionally, it's worth noting that Instacart has a deep roster of grocery stores on its platform and has been accepting EBT payments since 2020, the firm adds.

Meta Platforms (META), the parent company of Facebook, Instagram, WhatsApp, Oculus, Threads and other brands, is scheduled to report first quarter 2024 results after market close on Wednesday, April 24 with a conference call scheduled for 5 pm ET. Here's what to... To see the rest of the story go to thefly.com. See Story Here

In a post to its website, Amazon staff said, "Later this year, Amazon customers in the West Valley Phoenix Metro Area can receive Prime Air drone deliveries from our Tolleson, AZ Same-Day Delivery site. Since starting drone delivery in College Station, Texas and Lockeford, California in 2022, we've delivered thousands of items to customers in less than an hour. Last year we also began delivering prescription medications in partnership with Amazon Pharmacy to customers in College Station. We've received great feedback from customers and communities as we've rolled out the service. We're now adding a new location and entering into the next stage of the program's evolution. Later this year, drone deliveries are coming to the West Valley of the Phoenix Metro Area in Arizona...As we look to the future and prioritize our resources to continue growing the program, we've also made the decision to close our delivery site in Lockeford. We'll offer all current employees opportunities at other sites, and will continue to serve customers in Lockeford with other delivery methods. We want to thank the community for all their support and feedback over the past few years. We'll continue delivering in College Station, Texas and will open further U.S. locations in 2025." Reference Link

Check out this evening's top movers from around Wall Street, compiled by The Fly. HIGHER AFTER EARNINGSCrane... To see the rest of the story go to thefly.com. See Story Here

The company states: "Looking ahead as we move from the first and into the second quarter. In our Packaging segment we expect continued strong demand and higher corrugated products and containerboard shipments. Prices and mix will move higher due to our announced price increases and the increase in published domestic index prices, as well as higher export prices. Orders in our Paper segment are expected to remain strong however, volume will be lower due to a scheduled maintenance outage at our International Falls, MN mill during the quarter. Although we are implementing our recently announced paper price increases, average prices and mix are expected to be slightly lower due to the published decrease in index prices earlier this year and how that impacts contract triggers with certain customers. Operating and converting costs should be slightly lower primarily due to the sequential improvement in seasonal weather and wage and benefit timing expenses that we incurred in the first quarter, and scheduled maintenance outage expenses will be lower. Rail rate increases at six of our mills during the first and second quarters will result in higher freight and logistics expenses, and depreciation expense will be higher. Finally, our tax rate will be sequentially higher due to the tax-related benefit of share-based compensation vests in the first quarter. Considering these items, we expect second quarter earnings of $2.07 per share."

Reports Q1 revenue $2.0B, consensus $1.91B. Commenting on reported results, Mark W. Kowlzan, Chairman and CEO, said, "Throughout the quarter, containerboard and corrugated products demand exceeded our expectations. We were able to service this higher demand from strong operational performance at our box plants and containerboard mills as well as from excellent execution of the conversion outage at our Jackson, AL mill which enabled us to restart both machines earlier than planned. Despite these efforts, with the higher demand, we ended the quarter at a record low weeks-of-inventory supply for this time of year. Prices and mix in the Packaging segment moved slightly higher from fourth quarter 2023 levels, although less than we anticipated due to our total announced increase not being recognized in the published benchmark prices. Volume in the Paper segment was very good at about 13% above guidance estimates, and an improved mix moved prices slightly higher from the previous quarter, as expected. In addition, during the quarter we announced a price increase of $100 per ton across all of our paper grades, and we began implementing these increases on April 1st. The strong volume in both the Packaging and Paper segments along with the continued emphasis on cost management and process efficiencies across our manufacturing and converting facilities drove operating and converting costs lower, even with the persistent inflation we continue to experience across most of our cost structure."

Raymond James raised the firm's price target on Canadian Pacific Kansas City to C$130 from C$120 and keeps an Outperform rating on the shares. While Q1 was volatile from a weather standpoint, the firm entered Q2 "even more confident in the traffic recovery that emerged late last year" and it remains "demonstrably upbeat on the outlook for both Canadian railroads," the analyst tells investors.

Susquehanna raised the firm's price target on Hess Corp. to $164 from $156 and keeps a Neutral rating on the shares. The firm updated its estimates for their E&P sector by lowereing natual gas assumptions and maintaining oil prices. For 2024, they expect companies will continue their maintenance capital programs, while focusing on driving improving well productivity. Susquehanna also expects M&A activity to continue as companies look to shore up inventory positions.

"Box Office Battle" is The Fly's weekly roundup of what movies topped the weekend's box office. A24’s “Civil War”... To see the rest of the story go to thefly.com. See Story Here