PRE MARKETS

Futures are trading higher this morning and some interesting upgrades:

Bernstein raises targets on brokers due to improving trading fundys- GS goes from $225 to $250; LEH from $82 to $85; MER from $105 to $120; MS from $92 to $95 and BSC from $160 to $170.

Cramer's favorite growth stock for 2007, NYX, raised from underweight to neutral (down 16% for the year); oh, and the favorite speculative stock for the year, LVLT, down 4.6%, and MO, the favorite value stock, up 6.3%. Nothing like making some mad money.

INTC upgraded from NEUTRAL to BUY at MER;

In other news, GE selling its plastics division for $11B and MSFT buying AQNT for 6 B or $66.5 per share (last nights close, $35.87).

Tough to short the markets when buyouts are announced about every day.