MOST NOTEWORTHY:

• JMP Securities is positive on Entropic's (NASDAQ: ENTR) business with Verizon (NYSE: VZ) Fios and Dish/Echostar (NASDAQ: DISH) and expects other high volume deployments to be announced with other cable service providers. The firm assumed coverage with a Strong Buy rating and $10 target.
  
• RBC Capital initiated Epix Pharma (NASDAQ: EPIX) with an Outperform rating and $6 target, as they are positive on the company's four programs targeting novel GPCR receptors, partnership deals with GlaxoSmithKline (NYSE: GSK) and Amgen (NASDAQ: AMGN), and low valuation.
• Morgan Keegan initiated Hiland Partners (NASDAQ: HLND) with an Outperform rating, as they view the company's units as undervalued.

• JP Morgan initiated Comverge (NASDAQ: COMV) with a Market Perform rating.
  
• UBS initiated Danaher (NYSE: DHR) with a Buy rating and $95 target.
  
• Benchmark Electronics (NYSE: BHE) was initiated with an Equal Weight rating and $18 target at Lehman.

Analyst initiations: Entropic Comm, Epix Pharma, Hiland Partners originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Wed, 16 Jan 2008 12:25:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

MAJOR PAPERS:

• The Wall Street Journal (subscription required) reported that Microsoft Corp (NASDAQ: MSFT) has been ordered to pay $1.52B to Alcatel-Lucent (NYSE: ALU) for infringing patents on a fundamental technology for digital music.
• According to the Wall Street Journal's "Heard on the Street" column, shares of India's two largest private sector banking companies, Icici Bank Ltd. (NYSE: IBN) and HDFC Bank (NYSE: HDB), have tripled over the past three years. However, some investors are getting cautious on the stocks as India's central bank has taken tougher steps to rein in lending growth and stanch inflation.
• Barron's Online's (subscription required) "Weekday Trader" suggested investing in companies with modest dividend yields, but a strong cash position and business model, such as outsourcing player Paychex, Inc. (NASDAQ: PAYX), fast-food giant McDonald's Corp. (NYSE: MCD) and insurer Prudential Financial, Inc. (NYSE: PRU).

• According to German website Heise Online, Apple Inc (NASDAQ: AAPL) will exhibit at CeBIT, the European version of the CES expo, from March 15 through the 21. Apple will be exhibiting the iPhone, said the site. However, according to German website Computerwoche, Apple has denied that it is participating in CeBIT. (Both links in German)
  
• Business Week's "Inside Wall Street" column mentioned UnitedHealth (NYSE: UNH), Epix (NASDAQ: EPIX) and LJ International (NASDAQ: JADE) positively.
  
• Warren Buffet has stirred up interest in UnitedHealth by reportedly buying one million shares in the company.
• Small biotech Epix, which recently signed a deal with GlaxoSmithKline (NYSE: GSK), could double within a year, believe some experts.
• LJ International, which has already risen from slightly over $4 to over $11 since December, may still have room to rise, according to Albert Lee of Maxim Group, who has a $12 price target on the stock.
• Investor's Business Daily's "New America" column highlighted Spartan Stores (NASDAQ: SPTN), the 10th largest grocery distributor in the U.S., which has seen earnings growth in double and triple digits for nine of the past ten quarters.

Newspaper wrap-up 2-23-07: Apple at CeBIT? originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Fri, 23 Feb 2007 09:45:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.