Catch up on today's top five analyst upgrades with this list compiled by The Fly: 1. Altria Group (MO) upgraded to Outperform from Sector Perform at RBC Capital with analyst Nik Modi saying while his concerns around the macro backdrop and fundamentals persist, the current valuation of 13-times forward PE is attractive relative to the broader Consumer Packaged Goods category given the company's potential catalysts of more dividend increases tracking higher interest rates and the FDA approval process for IQOS electronic cigarettes. 2. Aaron's (AAN) upgraded to Buy from Hold at Loop Capital with analyst Anthony Chukumba saying he remains "impressed" by Progressive's revenue growth and thinks the unit will benefit from Rent-A-Center's (RCII) "ongoing struggles." 3. Cirrus Logic (CRUS) upgraded to Buy from Hold at Craig-Hallum with analyst Anthony Stoss saying he believes Apple (AAPL) headwinds are already priced into the stock and a relief rally is likely following the company's upcoming earnings this Wednesday. 4. Ventas (VTR) upgraded to Market Perform from Underperform at BMO Capital with John Kim citing a more attractive valuation after the stock price came down another 19% in 2018. 5. New York Times (NYT) upgraded to Overweight from Neutral at JPMorgan with analyst Alexia Quadrani saying she believes digital demand will likely drive further "outsized growth" for New York Times. This list is just a portion of The Fly's full analyst coverage. To see The Fly's full Street Research coverage, click here.

The company said, "We reaffirm our 2024 full-year adjusted diluted EPS guidance range of $5.05 to $5.17, representing a growth rate of 2% to 4.5% from a base of $4.95 in 2023. We expect 2024 adjusted diluted EPS growth to be weighted to the second half of the year. Our guidance includes the impact of two additional shipping days in 2024 and assumes limited impact on combustible and e-vapor volumes from enforcement efforts in the illicit e-vapor market. While the 2024 full-year adjusted diluted EPS guidance accounts for a range of scenarios, the external environment remains dynamic. We will continue to monitor conditions related to (i) the economy, including the cumulative impact of inflation, (ii) adult tobacco consumer (ATC) dynamics, including purchasing patterns and adoption of smoke-free products, (iii) illicit e-vapor enforcement and (iv) regulatory, litigation and legislative developments. Our 2024 full-year adjusted diluted EPS guidance range includes planned investments in support of our Vision, such as (i) marketplace activities in support of our smoke-free products and (ii) continued smoke-free product research, development and regulatory preparation expenses. The 2024 full-year adjusted diluted EPS guidance range excludes an estimated per share gain of $1.17 related to the sale of the IQOS Tobacco Heating System commercialization rights that we expect to occur in the second quarter of 2024."

Notable companies reporting before tomorrow's open, with earnings consensus, include Merck (MRK), consensus $1.87... Caterpillar (CAT), consensus $5.14... Comcast (CMSCA), consensus 99c... Honeywell (HON), consensus $2.17... Bristol-Myers (BMY), consensus ($4.44)... Altria (MO), consensus $1.15... Keurig Dr. Pepper (KDP), consensus 35c... GE Vernova (GEV), consensus (37c)... Royal Caribbean (RCL), consensus $1.33... Tractor Supply (TSCO), consensus $1.72... Mobileye (MBLY), consensus (6c)... Textron (TXT), consensus $1.23... LabCorp (LH), consensus $3.48... Southwest Airlines (LUV), consensus (34c)... American Airlines (AAL), consensus (29c)... Harley-Davidson (HOG), consensus $1.51.