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Continue reading Cramer on BloggingStocks: People have finally seen the light on Disney

Cramer on BloggingStocks: People have finally seen the light on Disney originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Wed, 09 Dec 2009 10:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

MOST NOTEWORTHY:

• Kaufman Bros. initiated Atmel (NASDAQ: ATML) with a Buy rating and $6 target, as they believe the company's increasing focus around its core microcontroller business can drive an improved growth and profitability profile going forward and would be buyers at current levels.
  
• The firm also started shares of Skyworks (NASDAQ: SWKS) with a Buy rating and a $10 target, as they like the company's balanced customer positioning and find the stock attractively valued at current levels.
  
• JP Morgan initiated Alcatel-Lucent (NYSE: ALU) with an Overweight rating and believes the risks are more than fully priced into shares at current levels.
  
• Parexel (NADSAQ: PRXL) was initiated with a Neutral rating at Broadpoint, as they believe the company's improved execution is already priced into shares.
  
• Deutsche Bank finds shares of Map Pharmaceuticals (NASDAQ: MAPP) attractively valued given the opportunity from the company's two late stage product candidates, UDB and Tempo Migraine. The firm started shares off with a Buy rating and $19 target.

• Wachovia initiated coverage of leisure stocks, starting shares of Carnival (NYSE: CCL), Cedar Fair (NYSE: FUN) and Royal Caribbean (NYSE: RCL) with Outperform ratings.
  
• Credit Suisse initiated PepsiCo (NYSE: PEP) and Coca-Cola (NYSE: KO) with Outperform ratings and targets of $87 and $68, respectively.

Analyst initiations: ATML, SWKS, ALU, PRXL and MAPP originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Wed, 14 Nov 2007 11:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

MAJOR PAPERS:

• Liberty Global Inc's (NASDAQ: LBTYA) John Malone may bid on Virgin Media Inc (NASDAQ: VMED), the UK's biggest cable company, reported the Wall Street Journal.
• The controlling shareholders of Dow Jones & Company Inc (NYSE: DJ) -- the Bancrofts -- are still debating whether or not to accept Rupert Murdoch's New Corporation's (NYSE: NWS) $5B offer to buy the company, and the debate is still too close to call, reported the Wall Street Journal.
• Even a nine cents a drink price hike may not help Starbucks Corporation (NASDAQ: SBUX) slumping share price, down about 20% this year, reported the Wall Street Journal.
• Dutch bank ABN Amro Holdings NV's (NYSE: ABN) boards today refused to endorse either of two competing bids for the bank, effectively taking a neutral position on the issue, reported the Financial Times.

• Theme park operator Cedar Fair Entertainment (NYSE: FUN) has reportedly entered into quick- moving negotiations with investment firm Destiny Capital Solutions about a $4.1B takeover of the theme park operator, reported the New York Post.
  

Newspaper wrap-up 7-30-07: Cedar Fair in takeover talks originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Mon, 30 Jul 2007 09:15:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

MAJOR PAPERS:

• The Wall Street Journal (subscription required) reported that Sprint Nextel Corporation (NYSE: S) is disconnecting about 1,000 customers who have been calling customer service "excessively."
• According to the Wall Street Journal, Apollo Management has raised its offer for Huntsman Corporation (NYSE: HUN) to $28 a share, valuing Huntsman at $6.5B.
• The Financial Times (subscription required) reported that Moody's Corporation (NYSE: MCO), the credit rating agency, will issue a report today criticizing the private equity industry's increasing use of debt to buy companies.
• The Financial Times reported that Dow Jones and Company's (NYSE: DJ) board is reportedly making a final attempt to find a rival bidder for the company to compete with News Corporation (NYSE: NWS), contacting billionaire Ron Burkle.

• Virgin Media Inc's (NASDAQ: VMED) bankers have contacted ComCast Corp (NASDAQ: CMCSA) and DirecTV Group Inc (NYSE: DTV) to help "kick-start' an auction for the company, reported The Mail on Sunday.
• The New York Post reported, citing sources, that theme park operator Cedar Fair Entertainment (NYSE: FUN) has contacted private equity firms about the possibility of acquiring the company.

Newspaper wrap-up 7-09-07: Apollo raises offer for Huntsman originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Mon, 09 Jul 2007 09:15:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

In recent posts, I have reviewed the newsletter advisors' Top Picks from 2007, first highlighting stocks that were in the healthcare, tech, and telecom sectors and then highlighting favorites in the out-of-favor metals and energy areas.

To conclude this review, I'm turning now to the most popular sector in this year's annual Top Picks report -- financial stocks. Of particular note this year is the type of financial stocks that rose to the top of the advisors' buy lists.

In past years, it was routine to see brokerage firms and large cap consumer banks among the Top Picks. This year, only one such company was chosen; Citigroup Inc. (NYSE:C) was selected as the favorite stock of both Mark Skousen and Kelley Wright.

Outside of Citi, the advisory community looked to an area that has rarely been cited in previous Top Picks reports --specialty finance companies. For example, Gordon Pape selected Brookfield Asset Management, which provides financing to real estate ventures.

Neil George chose a pair of companies spun off from Australia's Macquarie Bank. Both the Macquarie Infrastructure Trust (NYSE:MIC) and the Macquarie Infrastructure Group (OTC:MCORF) provide financing to global road, bridge, and airport development projects.

Continue reading Top Picks 2007: And the winner is ... financials

Top Picks 2007: And the winner is ... financials originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Fri, 12 Jan 2007 14:04:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Each year Steven Halpern, editor of TheStockAdvisors.com, surveys the leading financial newsletter advisors asking for their favorite stocks for the coming year. This article is part of his 24th annual Top Stocks Report.

Cedar Fair, LP (NYSE: FUN) is the top conservative stock pick for 2007 from Sy Harding, editor of Street Smart Report. He explains, "With its recent $1.2 billion acquisition of Paramount Parks from CBS Corp., Cedar Fair now operates 17 popular regional theme parks, and five water parks, in 13 states in the U.S. and one province of Canada.

"Cedar Fair is noted for exciting rides, with roller coaster enthusiasts traveling the Cedar Fair circuit on a regular basis to check out the latest offerings. For instance, its Cedar Point Park in Ohio now offers 65 rides and 16 roller coasters, including Top Thrill Dragster, the world's tallest and fastest coaster, and Millennium Force, the world's top-rated coaster for thrills.

"Thrill rides for the brave, water slides, wave action pools, and the like, are only a portion of the magnetism for customers. The parks are family oriented, with attractions for smaller children themed around the 'Peanuts' comic strip characters, and a variety of upscale hotels and restaurants for parents.

Continue reading Top Picks 2007: Fun at the fair with Sy Harding

Top Picks 2007: Fun at the fair with Sy Harding originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Sat, 30 Dec 2006 08:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.