• BHP Billiton (NYSE:BHP) confirmed a bid for Potash (NYSE:POT), valued at $130 per share, or $38.5 billion.
• Home Depot (NYSE:HD) announced second quarter results of 72 cents a share, one cent above Zacks estimates, and up from 66 cents a year ago; however, sales up 1.8% to $19.41 billion missed Zacks estimates of $19.58 billion. Same-store-sales rose 1.7%
• Walmart (NYSE:WMT) reported second quarter earnings of 97 cents a share, 1-cent better than Zacks expectations, on revenues of $103.7 billion up from $100.1 billion a year ago and below Zacks estimates of $105.0 billion. The company increased guidance for the full year by a nickel to $3.95-$4.05
• Bank of America (NYSE:BAC) upgraded Target (NYSE:TGT) to “buy” from “neutral,” taking the price target from $57 to $61
• Goldman Sachs (NYSE:GS) upgraded CF Industries (NYSE:CF) to “Conviction Buy” from “neutral”
• GM is expected to file its IPO today
• Susquehanna upgraded Baker Hughes (NYSE:BHI) to “positive” from “neutral,” with a price target of $53
