Analyst Upgrades

• Red Hat (RHT) to outperform from neutral at RW Baird.
• Cogdell Spencer (CSA) to buy from hold at Citigroup.
• Micron (MU) to neutral from reduce at Nomura.
• El Paso Electric (EE) to buy from hold at Jefferies.
• MICROS Systems (MCRS) and Harmony Gold (HMY) to outperform from sector perform at RBC Capital.
• Meridian Bioscience (VIVO) to buy from hold at Canaccord.
• Verso Paper (VRS) to outperform from neutral at Credit Suisse.
• Sony (SNE) to buy from hold at Deutsche Bank.
• Noble Corp. (NE) and Baker Hughes (BHI) to buy from neutral at UBS.
• Tyson Foods (TSN) and Smithfield Foods (SFD) to buy from hold at BB&T.

Continue reading Analyst Calls: BAC, BHI, KKR, MU, NE, RHT, SNE, TSN, WMT ...

Analyst Calls: BAC, BHI, KKR, MU, NE, RHT, SNE, TSN, WMT ... originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Thu, 24 Mar 2011 11:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Only a year ago, the belief was that the private equity world was doomed. But as is common in the financial markets, this was big exaggeration. If anything, private equity firms have shown that they can adapt quite well.

Just look at KKR (KKR). In its latest quarter, the company posted a profit of $180.6 million or $0.86 per share. The consensus estimate was for $0.42 per share.

But private equity firms like to point to another metric: economic net income, which focuses on fees and gains from investments. This came to $714.6 million in the quarter. Yes, the private equity game can be wildly profitable.

Continue reading KKR Gets Its Groove Back

KKR Gets Its Groove Back originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Wed, 23 Feb 2011 11:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Ford (F) overall option implied volatility of 36 is below its 26-week average of 39, according to Track Data, suggesting decreasing price movement.

KKR & Co. (KKR) February 15 and 17 calls are active on total call volume of 9,000 contracts, compared to 3,000 puts. February call option implied volatility is at 43, March is at 41; above its 26-week average of 40, according to Track Data. Active volume suggest traders positioning for larger price movement.

Options Update is by Stock Specialist Paul Foster of theflyonthewall.com.

Options Update: Ford Volatility Low as Shares Trend to Three-Month Lows originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Fri, 04 Feb 2011 09:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Analyst Upgrades

• Electronic Arts (ERTS) to overweight from neutral at Piper Jaffray.
• Helix Energy (HLX) to overweight from equal weight at Morgan Stanley.
• Quest Software (QSFT) to neutral from sell at Goldman.
• LTX-Credence (LTXC) to buy from hold at Needham.
• Anadarko (APC) to buy from hold at Canaccord.
• Walgreen (WAG) to hold from sell at Citigroup.
• Pericom (PSEM) to buy from hold at ThinkEquity.

Continue reading Analyst Calls: APC, DLTR, ENR, ERTS, KKR, NUAN, QSFT, WAG, WWW ...

Analyst Calls: APC, DLTR, ENR, ERTS, KKR, NUAN, QSFT, WAG, WWW ... originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Wed, 02 Feb 2011 12:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Since early September, shares of the major private equity firms Blackstone Group (BX) and KKR & Co. (KKR) have seen strong gains. Of course, part of the reason has been the bull move. But at the same time, the prospects for private equity are looking brighter. In fact, the upcoming year is shaping up to be strong for public offerings.

According to a report from Bloomberg.com, it looks like private-equity backed deals will account for roughly half the volume. And they will generally be massive transactions. Some that are on deck include HCA Holdings, Nielsen Holdings and Kinder Morgan.

Continue reading Blackstone, KKR Get Ready for Mega IPOs

Blackstone, KKR Get Ready for Mega IPOs originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Mon, 03 Jan 2011 11:20:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

If you are looking for clues telling you which stocks have a good chance of increasing in value, you might want consider watching what insiders are doing. After all, talk is cheap, but when insiders put their own money on the line, you should sit up and take note.

Coca-Cola (KO) topped the insider-buying charts for the week ending July 9th as insiders snapped up 270,000 shares of company stock at a market value of $16,899,786. During the past six months, insiders have increased their overall holdings in the company by 3.15% and now own 0.55% of KO stock.

Continue reading Insiders Snapping Up Coca-Cola, Western Gas and More

Insiders Snapping Up Coca-Cola, Western Gas and More originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Mon, 22 Nov 2010 15:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Del Monte (DLM - option chain) shares are rising today on reports that the company is in advanced discussions with KKR (KKR) regarding a possible takeover of DLM. KKR is offering $18.50 per share for DLM, according to a Reuters report. If you think that the stock won't fall by too much in the coming months, then now could be a good time to look at a bullish hedged trade on DLM.

DLM opened this morning at $17.46. So far today the stock has hit a low of $17.07 and a high of $17.72. As of 12:05, DLM is trading at $17.20 up $1.49 (9.5%). The chart for DLM looks bullish.

Continue reading Del Monte Foods Surges on Takeover Reports

Del Monte Foods Surges on Takeover Reports originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Fri, 19 Nov 2010 14:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Analyst Upgrades

• Qualcomm (QCOM) was upgraded to outperform from neutral at Credit Suisse.
• JPMorgan upgraded Allegheny Tech (ATI) to overweight from neutral.
• NetApp (NTAP) was upgraded to buy from hold at Canaccord.
• Estee Lauder (EL) was upgraded to perform from underperform at Oppenheimer.
• Citigroup upgraded Suntech (STP) to hold from sell.

Continue reading Analyst Calls: ABT, ALU, CSCO, EL, F, KKR, QCOM, RIMM, SAP, STP, TIVO ...

Analyst Calls: ABT, ALU, CSCO, EL, F, KKR, QCOM, RIMM, SAP, STP, TIVO ... originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Thu, 18 Nov 2010 11:20:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Analyst Upgrades

• BB&T (BBT) was upgraded to buy from neutral at Janney Montgomery.
• Amylin (AMLN) was upgraded to outperform from market perform at Leerink.
• Wells Fargo upgraded Morton's Restaurant (MRT) to outperform from market perform.
• Check Point (CHKP) was upgraded to overweight from neutral at HSBC.
• Deutsche Bank upgraded Excel Maritime (EXM) to buy from hold.
• JinkoSolar (JKS) was upgraded to buy from hold at Auriga.
• Piper Jaffray upgraded Compellent (CML) to overweight from neutral.
• BofA/Merrill upgraded Crane (CR) to buy from neutral.
• Goldman upgraded Wisconsin Energy (WEC) to conviction buy from buy and American Electric (AEP) to buy from neutral.
• Motorola (MOT) was upgraded due to increasing carrier support by MKM Partners.
• Under Armour (UA) was upgraded to buy from neutral at Sterne Agee.

Continue reading Analyst Calls: ANF, BBT, COH, GPS, JCG, KKR, MOT, OSG, UA, UBS, WEC ...

Analyst Calls: ANF, BBT, COH, GPS, JCG, KKR, MOT, OSG, UA, UBS, WEC ... originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Wed, 27 Oct 2010 11:40:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Options Update: JPMorgan Options Active on Mortgage Foreclosure Issues originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Sat, 16 Oct 2010 08:40:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Continue reading Don't Get Sucked into the KKR IPO

Don't Get Sucked into the KKR IPO originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Wed, 07 Jul 2010 17:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Continue reading Harley Davidson Accelerates on Takeover Talk

Harley Davidson Accelerates on Takeover Talk originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Tue, 16 Mar 2010 15:10:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Continue reading No Bargains in Private Equity, Unlike 2001

No Bargains in Private Equity, Unlike 2001 originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Mon, 01 Mar 2010 15:10:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Continue reading The buck stops at Dollar General

The buck stops at Dollar General originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Thu, 10 Dec 2009 15:20:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Continue reading KKR guns for a military deal -- buys Northrop Grumman's TASC

KKR guns for a military deal -- buys Northrop Grumman's TASC originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Mon, 09 Nov 2009 08:20:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

In a way, the private equity market in China looks similar to the ways things looked in the U.S. during the late 1970s. Basically, the opportunity was massive. Of course, one of the big beneficiaries was KKR.

Well, the firm is also jumping into the action in China. This week, KKR led an investor group that invested $160 million in a Chinese financial leasing firm, called International Far Eastern Leasing Co Ltd. The other investors included the Government of Singapore Investment Corp and China International Capital Corp. Having such strategic partners is a necessity in China (in terms of dealing with the complex regulations).

Continue reading KKR moves on Chinese lending

KKR moves on Chinese lending originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Wed, 14 Oct 2009 14:20:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Continue reading Eastman Kodak (EK) falls on capital-raising efforts

Eastman Kodak (EK) falls on capital-raising efforts originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Thu, 17 Sep 2009 13:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

In the wake of last week's public offering of Dollar General, more IPOs are expected to be coming down the pipeline as private equity firms seek a monetary return on investments made during the boom years. Speculation is that Toys "R" Us and Dunkin' Donuts could be next.

Toys "R" Us Inc. is owned by Bain Capital, KKR, and Vornado Realty Trust (NYSE: VNO). The world's leading dedicated toy and baby products retailer was a public company from 1978 until its acquisition by the private equity consortium in July 2005 for $6.6 billion. It has more than 1,500 stores in 33 countries, and its businesses include Babies "R" Us, eToys.com, and FAO Schwarz, the latter two acquired earlier this year. Main competitors include privately owned KB Toys, as well as big-box retailers Target Corp. (NYSE: TGT) and Wal-Mart Stores Inc. (NYSE: WMT).

Continue reading Toys 'R' Us and Dunkin' Donuts in line for IPOs?

Toys 'R' Us and Dunkin' Donuts in line for IPOs? originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Sat, 22 Aug 2009 14:20:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Over the past few years, it's been hard to find successes in private equity. But, in the case of KKR, there is no doubt that it made a good deal in the leveraged buyout of Dollar General in July 2007 (the company had been public since 1968). The price tag was $7.2 billion.

Now, the company has filed to go public. And, in light of KKR's recent success with the Avago (NASDAQ: AVGO) public offering -- as well as the resurgence in the equities markets -- there's a good chance that Dollar General will also get a nice reception.

Continue reading KKR presses the IPO button on Dollar General

KKR presses the IPO button on Dollar General originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Fri, 21 Aug 2009 07:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

As seen on the Blackstone Group's (NYSE: BX) latest earnings conference call, the firm is trying to find ways to diversify its platform beyond buyouts (this is no fluke as other firms, like KKR, are doing the same thing). One of the areas of interest is actually hedge funds.

To this end, Blackstone made a big hire this week, bringing Byron Wien on board as the vice chairman of Blackstone Advisory Services. Actually, he is leaving Pequot Capital Management Inc., which is a hedge fund that is in the process of closing down (assets were as high as $15 billion). The firm is now faces an SEC investigation regarding trading in Microsoft's (NASDAQ: MSFT) stock. This is according to a report in the Wall Street Journal [a paid publication].

Continue reading Byron Wien: Legendary investor moves over to Blackstone

Byron Wien: Legendary investor moves over to Blackstone originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Thu, 13 Aug 2009 14:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.