MOST NOTEWORTHY: Google (GOOG), Yahoo! (YHOO), Apple (AAPL), Cash Systems (CKNN) and Citrix (CTXS) were today's noteworthy initiations:
Oppenheimer believes Google Inc (NASDAQ: GOOG) is the largest beneficiary of the secular growth trends in Internet advertising and transitioned coverage with a Buy rating and $625 target.
Oppenheimer also believes the current price of Yahoo! (NASDAQ: YHOO) is an attractive entry point given the company's number one position in display advertising and the recent successful launch of Panama. The firm transitioned coverage of Yahoo! with a Buy rating and $34 target.
RBC Capital sees continued upside for Apple Inc (NASDAQ: AAPL) based on achieving its 10M goal for iPhone, upside from Mac momentum and maintaining iPod/iTunes dominance helped by new products, and started shares with an Outperform rating and $160 target.
Merriman believes Cash Systems (NASDAQ: CKNN) is positioned to gain meaningful share in the casino cash access industry through the near-term introduction of powercash and started shares with a Buy rating.
Friedman Billings believes Citrix's (NASDAQ: CTXS) latest Presentation Server product release has some near-term risk given raised prices and initiated shares with a Market Perform rating and $35 target...
OTHER INITIATIONS:
ValueClick (NASDAQ: VCLK) was initiated at Oppenheimer with a Buy rating.
MOST NOTEWORTHY: Netflix, Inc (NFLX), Blockbuster Inc (BBI), The Mosaic Company (MOS) and Domino's Pizza, Inc (DPZ) were some of today's noteworthy downgrades:
First Albany cut Netflix Inc (NASDAQ: NFLX) to Neutral from Buy to reflect weak industry subscriber additions.
Pacific Crest downgraded Linear Technology Corp (NASDAQ: LLTC) to Sector Perform from Outperform based on secular headwinds and an increase in DOI to 82 days.
Wachovia(NYSE:WB) initiated KBR Inc (NYSE: KBR) with a Market Perform rating based on valuation, with a target range of $26-$29.
Lehman Brothers (NYSE:LEH) initiated Constellation EnergyGroup (NYSE: CEG) with a Sector Performer rating and $26 target.
OTHER INITIATIONS:
Hansen Medical (NASDAQ: HNSN) was initiated at JP Morgan(NYSE:JPM), as the firm believes Hansen's Sensei robotic remote catheter navigation system has potential to be a platform technology that could be used in a variety of procedures. The firm also considers Hansen's shares attractive at these levels.
UBS (NYSE:UBS) initiated Smith Micro Software (NASDAQ: SMSI) with a Buy rating and $18 target; the firm expects Smith Micro to continue to benefit from growth at Verizon Wireless and for the company to continue to further divest its customer base.