• Toyota (NYSE:TM) cut output with a halt to a Japanese production line, saying, “Though sales in some countries have been picking up, the outlook for global car demand is still uncertain”
• Williams-Sonoma (NYSE:WSM) reported a surprise second quarter earnings of 5 cents a share ex-items, versus Zacks projections of a 9 cents a share loss as revenues beat estimates at $672 million, ahead of expectations of $659 million. The company expects 2009 sales of $2.84 to $2.94 billion
• JPMorgan (NYSE:JPM) analysts initiated coverage of Comcast (NASDAQ:CMCSA) with an “overweight” rating and a price target of $19
• Jefferies Group (NYSE:JEF) began coverage of Visa (NYSE:V) and MasterCard (NYSE:MA) with “buy” ratings
• Sony (NYSE:SNE) announced its e-reader, the Sony Reader Daily Edition, priced at $399, $100 more than Amazon.com (NASDAQ:AMZN) Kindle’s entry-level version. A December launch is planned
