When it comes to large acquisition deals, eBay (EBAY) has had a spotty history. Then again, the reason was usually that the transaction had only a tangential strategic connection (like Skype). But, when there were clear synergies, the results have been particularly strong. Just look at PayPal.

Well, it looks like eBay has learned this lesson. That is, the company's latest big deal is the $2.4 billion acquisition of GSI Commerce (GSIC).

Continue reading eBay Strikes a $2.4 Billion Deal for GSI Commerce

eBay Strikes a $2.4 Billion Deal for GSI Commerce originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Mon, 28 Mar 2011 14:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Analyst Upgrades

• First Solar (FSLR) to conviction buy from buy at Goldman.
• NYSE Euronext (NYX) to outperform from market Perform at Wells Fargo.
• GSI Commerce (GSIC) and Cabela's (CAB) to overweight from neutral, as well as NovaMed (NOVA) to neutral from underweight, at Piper Jaffray.

Analyst Downgrades

• St. Jude Medical (STJ) to market perform from outperform at Wells Fargo.
• OmniVision (OVTI) to neutral from outperform at RW Baird.
• J & J Snack Foods (JJSF) to neutral from buy at Janney Capital.

Continue reading Analyst Calls: CAB, DANG, FLT, FSLR, NOVA, NYX, OVTI, STJ, WD ...

Analyst Calls: CAB, DANG, FLT, FSLR, NOVA, NYX, OVTI, STJ, WD ... originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Mon, 24 Jan 2011 12:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Continue reading Stock offering sinks GSI Commerce

Stock offering sinks GSI Commerce originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Thu, 13 Aug 2009 15:40:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

The poor economy hasn't helped retail spending, that's for sure. In fact, it could be argued that market saturation has really hurt certain segments of the retail market.

Take Starbucks (NASDAQ: SBUX). In the past few years, you couldn't walk down some city streets and not run into multiple Starbucks outlets. Today, Starbucks is scrambling to reduce the number of stores.

Online retailers, on the other hand, are in a completely different position. Not only is there still plenty of room for expansion in the online retail space, but e-tailers have key advantages over their brick-and-mortar counterparts.

Continue reading Three online retail stocks ripe for profit

Three online retail stocks ripe for profit originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Sat, 25 Apr 2009 09:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

MOST NOTEWORTHY:

• Banc of America upgraded shares of Monsanto (NYSE: MON) to Buy from Neutral as they have grown more comfortable with two previous concerns: competition and valuation. They see an attractive entry point ahead of strong expected results for Q2.
  
• UBS upgraded shares of AstraZeneca (NYSE: AZN) to Neutral from Sell on valuation, as they believe many of the risks are priced into shares at current levels.
  
• Piper upgraded Millenium Pharma (NASDAQ: MLNM) to Buy from Neutral and added shares to their Alpha List ahead of additional front-line Velcade presentations at ASCO and expected front-line Velcade approval by June 20.

• Jefferies raised GSI Commerce (NASDAQ: GSIC) to Buy from Hold.
• JA Solar (NASDAQ: JASO) was upgraded to Overweight from Equal Weight at Lehman.
  
• Credit Suisse upgraded Wimm-Bill-Dann Foods (NYSE: WBD) to Outperform from Neutral.

Analyst upgrades: MON, AZN and MLNM originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Thu, 13 Mar 2008 11:26:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

MOST NOTEWORTHY:

• Lululemon Athletica (NASDAQ: LULU) was initiated with a Neutral rating and $42 target at Credit Suisse on valuation.
• NaviSite Inc (NASDAQ: NAVI) was initiated with a Buy rating at Merriman after reporting solid Q4 results. Merriman expects the company's recent acquisitions to significantly increase margins.
  
• Citigroup believes Research in Motion Limited (NASDAQ: RIMM) is not a pure momentum stock as fundamentals are driving share appreciation. They think the company's subscriber growth is beginning to hit critical mass and expect 15M subscribers within 12 months. The firm started shares with a Buy rating and $115 target.
  
• Citigroup also initiated shares of Palm Inc (NASDAQ: PALM) with a Sell rating and $13.50 target, expecting the company's market share losses to continue to EPS to decline.
  
• Citigroup started Motorola Inc (NYSE: MOT) with a Hold rating and $20 target, as they believe its recovery may take longer than expected, noting its new silicon platform does not come out until 2H08.

• Banc of America initiated On Semiconductor (NASDAQ: ONNN), Mettler-Toledo International Inc (NYSE: MTD) and Thermo Fisher Scientific Inc (NYSE: TMO) with Buy ratings and a $16 target, $120 target and $65 target.
  
• Deutsche Bank started GSI Commerce Inc (NASDAQ: GSIC) and Universal Electronics (NASDAQ: UEIC) with Buy ratings and targets of $52 and $31, respectively.
  
• RBC Capital Markets resumed coverage of Whole Foods Market Inc (NASDAQ: WFMI) with an Outperform rating and $55 target.

Analyst initiations: LULU, NAVI, RIMM, PALM and MOT originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Wed, 26 Sep 2007 11:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

MOST NOTEWORTHY:

• JP Morgan upgraded shares of GlobalSantaFe Corporation (NYSE: GSF) and Transocean Inc (NYSE: RIG) to Neutral from Underweight based on valuation and improving deepwater rig fundamentals.
  
• Frontier Oil Corporation (NYSE: FTO) was upgraded at Banc of America to Buy from Neutral as they believe the company's assets are ideally located to access cheap Canadian oil sands production. They feel the stock should trade closer to its replacement value, which they estimate at $55/share.
  
• The firm also raised Tesora Corporation (NYSE: TSO) to Buy from Neutral, as the firm believes Terero is the best play on the extended refining cycle given its exposure to California.
  
• CIBC upgraded shares of AudioCodes (NASDAQ: AUDC) to Sector Outperformer from Sector Performer on valuation after their checks suggested the company's business is stabilizing and cost cutting is tracking ahead of plan, which could bring upside EPS estimates.

• GSI Commerce (NASDAQ: GSIC) was upgraded to Buy from Hold at Jefferies.
  
• Apache Corporation (NYSE: APA) was upgraded to Buy from Neutral at Goldman Sachs.
  
• Amgen Inc (NASDAQ: AMGN) was upgraded to Buy from Neutral at Merrill Lynch.
  
• BB&T Capital upgraded shares of Skechers USA (NYSE: SKX) to Buy from Hold.
  
• Bernstein upgraded shares of Cognizant Technology (NASDAQ: CTSH) to Outperform from Market Perform.

Analyst upgrades: GSF, RIG, FTO, TSO and AUDC originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Wed, 12 Sep 2007 10:31:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Earnings preview: GSI Commerce originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Tue, 24 Jul 2007 10:20:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

MOST NOTEWORTHY:

• Citigroup cut First Data Corp (NYSE: FDC) to Hold from Buy and AG Edwards cut the Colorado-based Computer Services company to Hold from Buy, following the acquisition by KKR; AG Edwards also removed First Data from its Focus Portfolio.

• Bernstein downgraded Molson Coors Brewing Co (NYSE: TAP) to Market Perform from Outperform based on valuation.

• Goldman Sachs removed MetLife Inc (NYSE: MET) from its Conviction Buy List.

• Bear Stearns cut GSI Commerce (NASDAQ: GSIC) to Underperform from Outperform based on valuation.

• Matrix USA downgraded Foundation Coal Holdings Inc (NYSE: FCL) to Sell from Buy.

• Jefferies downgraded Novell, Inc (NASDAQ: NOVL) to Hold from Buy on valuation after yesterday's "April Fool's-inspired" rally as the firm believes upside from the initial Microsoft-(MSFT) driven SLES deals and restructuring are priced in.

• Stifel downgraded Pearson PLC (NYSE: PSO) to Hold from Buy on valuation.

• Benchmark downgraded ConocoPhillips (NYSE: COP) to Sell from Hold on valuation.

• Buckingham downgraded Diebold Inc (NYSE: DBD) to Neutral from Accumulate on valuation.

• CIBC downgraded Ipsco Inc (NYSE: IPS) to Sector Performer from Outperform based on valuation.

Analyst downgrades 4-03-07: First Data, Molson, Novell all downgraded today originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Tue, 03 Apr 2007 11:07:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Cramer has an e-commerce play for you originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Thu, 14 Dec 2006 21:40:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.