Cogent (CCOI) (GOL) (O) (NYX) (CL) (CRH) Upgraded

Cogent Communications (NASDAQ: CCOI), Gol Linhas Aereas Inteligentes SA (NYSE: GOL), Realty Income Corporation (NYSE: O), NYSE Euronext (NYSE: NYX), Colgate-Palmolive Company (NYSE: CL) and CRH PLC (NYSE: CRH) upgraded by analysts.

Gol Linhas Aereas Inteligentes SA (GOL) was upgraded by Raymond James (NYSE:RJF) from a “Market Perform” rating to an “Outperform” rating.

Realty Income Corporation (O) was upgraded by RBC Capital from a “Sector Perform” rating to a “Top Pick” rating. They have a price target of $36.00 on the company.

Cogent Communications (CCOI) was upgraded by SunTrust (NYSE:STI) from a “Neutral” rating to a “Buy” rating.

NYSE Euronext (NYX) was upgraded by Argus from a “Hold” rating to a “Buy” rating. They have a price target of $35.00 on the company.

Colgate-Palmolive Company (CL) was upgraded by Morgan Stanley (NYSE:MS) from an “Equal Weight” rating to an “Overweight” rating. They have a price target of $92.00 on the company.

CRH PLC (CRH) was upgraded by Citigroup (NYSE:C) from a “Sell” rating to a “Hold” rating.

Priceline (PCLN) (ARW) (CL) (AME) (LYB) (CVH) EPS Estimates Changed

Priceline (NASDAQ: PCLN), Arrow Electronics, Inc. (NYSE: ARW), Colgate-Palmolive Company (NYSE: CL), Ametek, Inc. (NYSE: AME), LyondellBasell (NYSE: LYB) and Coventry Health Care, Inc. (NYSE: CVH) had their EPS estimates adjusted by analysts.

UBS AG boosted its EPS estimates on Ametek, Inc. (AME). They have a “Neutral” rating and a price target of $47.00 on the company.

Credit Suisse (NYSE:CS) cut its EPS estimates on Arrow Electronics, Inc. (ARW). They have a “Neutral” rating and a price target $39.00 on the company.

UBS AG (NYSE:UBS) cut its EPS estimates on Colgate-Palmolive Company (CL). They have a “Neutral” rating and a price target of $84.00 on the company.

Barclays Capital raised its EPS estimates on Coventry Health Care, Inc. (CVH). They have an “Equal Weight” rating and a price target of $38.00 on the company.

UBS AG raised its EPS estimates on LyondellBasell (LYB). They have a “Buy” rating and a price target of $47.00 on the company.

ThinkEquity raised its EPS estimates on Priceline (PCLN). They have a “Buy” rating and a price target of $725.00 on the company.

Credit Suisse raised its EPS estimates on Sally Beauty Holdings Inc. (SBH). They have an “Outperform” rating and a price target of $19.00 on the company.

Colgate (CL) (CME) (ALSK) (HOT) (MXL) (N) Price Targets Changed

Colgate-Palmolive Company (NYSE: CL), CME Group Inc. (NYSE: CME), Alaska Communications Systems Group, Inc (NASDAQ: ALSK), Starwood Hotels (NYSE: HOT), MaxLinear Inc (NYSE: MXL) and NetSuite Inc. (NYSE: N) price targets adjusted by analysts.

CME Group Inc. (CME) had its price target boosted by UBS AG (NYSE:UBS) from $318.00 to $325.00. They have a “Buy” rating on the company.

Colgate-Palmolive Company (CL) had its price target raised by RBC Capital from $86.00 to $90.00. They have a “Sector Perform” rating on the company.

Alaska Communications Systems Group, Inc. (ALSK) had its price target lowered by RBC Capital from $10.00 to $8.00. They have a “Sector Perform” rating on the company.

Starwood Hotels (HOT) had its price target raised by FBR Capital from $63.00 to $66.00. They have a “Market Perform” rating on the company.

MaxLinear Inc. (MXL) had its price target lowered by Stifel Nicolaus from $12.00 to $10.00. They have a “Buy” rating on the company.

NetSuite Inc. (N) had its price target raised by FBR Capital from $28.00 to $30.00. They have a “Market Perform” rating on the company.

Dividend Yields for (CLX) (AVP) (CL) (EL) (CINF)

Indicated dividend yields for Standard & Poor's 500 Index companies Clorox Co (CLX), Avon Products Inc (AVP), Colgate-Palmolive Co (CL), Estee Lauder Cos Inc (EL) and Cincinnati Financial Corp (CINF).

These dividend data indicate dividend yields of companies in the Standard & Poor's 500 Index as of Saturday, April 30. The yield is determined by taking the latest declared dividend, annualized and divided by the price of the stock. Payout ratios are calculated based on latest quarterly dividend paid divided by earnings.

Clorox Co (CLX) has a dividend yield of 3.16 percent on a declared dividend of $0.55. The payout ratio is 54.8 percent.

Avon Products Inc (AVP) has a dividend yield of 3.13 percent on a declared dividend of $0.23. The payout ratio is 43.2 percent.

Colgate-Palmolive Co (CL) has a dividend yield of 2.75 percent on a declared dividend of $0.58. The payout ratio is 95.1 percent.

Estee Lauder Cos Inc (EL) has a dividend yield of 0.77 percent on a declared dividend of $0.75. The payout ratio is 42.9 percent.

Cincinnati Financial Corp (CINF) has a dividend yield of 5.05 percent on a declared dividend of $0.40. The payout ratio is 104.8 percent.

EPS of (AKAM) (AMZN) (BDX) (BKI) (CL) Updated

Analysts EPS estimates of Akamai Technologies (NASDAQ: AKAM), Amazon.com, Inc. (NASDAQ: AMZN), Becton Dickinson And Co (NYSE: BDX), Buckeye Technologies Inc. (NYSE: BKI) and Colgate-Palmolive Company (NYSE: CL) updated.

Goldman Sachs (NYSE:GS) raised their EPS on Akamai Technologies (AKAM). They have a “buy” rating and a price target of $45.00 on the company.

Morgan Stanley (NYSE:MS) cut their EPS estimates on Amazon.com, Inc. (AMZN). They have an “overweight” rating and a price target of $225.00 on the company.

Goldman Sachs raised their EPS on Becton Dickinson And Co (BDX). They have a “neutral” rating and a price target of $86.00 on the company.

UBS AG (NYSE:UBS) raised their EPS on Buckeye Technologies Inc. (BKI). They have a “neutral” rating and a price target of $29.00 on the company.

Goldman Sachs raised their EPS on Colgate-Palmolive Company (CL). They have a price target of $91.00.

Upgrades for Boeing (BA) (ABMD) (ASTE) (BRY) (CL) Ratings

Analysts upgraded Abiomed (NASDAQ: ABMD), Astec Industries, Inc. (NASDAQ: ASTE), The Boeing Company (NYSE: BA), Berry Petroleum (NYSE: BRY) and Colgate-Palmolive Company (NYSE: CL) today.

Robert W. Baird upgraded Abiomed (ABMD) from a “neutral” rating to an “outperform” rating. They have a price target of $20.00 on the company, up from $16.00.

Barrington Research upgraded Astec Industries, Inc. (ASTE) from a “market perform” rating to an “outperform” rating. They have a price target of $50.00 on the company.

HSBC upgraded The Boeing Company (BA) from an “underweight” rating to a “neutral.”

Global Hunter Securities upgraded Berry Petroleum Comp (BRY) from an “accumulate” rating to a “buy” rating. They have a price target of $63.00 on the company, up from $55.00.

Deutsche Bank (NYSE:DB) upgraded Colgate-Palmolive Company (CL) from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating. They have a price target of $92.00 on the company.

Procter & Gamble (NYSE:PG), Colgate-Palmolive (NYSE:CL), Hershey's (NYSE:HSY), Kellogg (NYSE:K) Facing Shrinking Margins on Higher Commodity Prices

While companies producing most commodities will be sure to benefit from higher prices (for the most part) going forward, others like Procter & Gamble (NYSE:PG), Colgate-Palmolive (NYSE:CL), Hershey's (NYSE:HSY) and Kellogg (NYSE:K), will continue to have their margins pressured, as the weak economy will probably force them to eat the higher prices rather than pass them on to consumers.

All the above-mentioned companies have confirmed margins are under pressure, and some have already lowered their earnings guidance for 2011, such as Hershey's recently did because of rising sugar and cocoa prices.

Kellog on the other hand, has said they're going to increase prices in response to the higher input costs, but it will be done selectively.

Analysts are conflicted on the issue, as some say the increase in input costs haven't hurt the companies yet, but the fact that the major companies named above have all said their margins are under pressure somewhat undermines that argument.

Others think the rising costs aren't being taken seriously enough, and if more workers are higher, inputs will go beyond simply rising commodity prices, to overall input costs rising, putting even more pressure on margins and earnings.

But at this time it's the rising commodity prices that are the real threat, and in that regard, some analysts feel they're being underestimated as to the effects they'll have on companies, and either they'll have to raise prices in a weak economy or eat them. Either way it won't help their performance.

Kellog closed Friday at $53.42, gaining $0.90, or 1.71 percent. Hershey closed level at $50.49. Colgate-Palmolive ended the session at $76.24, up $0.31, or 0.41 percent. Procter & Gamble closed at $63.61, gaining $0.71, or 1.13 percent.