Officials approve BAE's acquisition of Armor originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Fri, 22 Jun 2007 15:15:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

MOST NOTEWORTHY:

• Armor Holdings Inc (NYSE: AH) was downgraded to Neutral from Overweight at JP Morgan based on the news that the company will be sold to BAE Systems PLC (BAESY) for $88 a share in cash. The firm expects the deal to close with no higher offers. Bear Stearns cut Armor Holdings to Peer Perform from Outperform and Friedman Billings cut shares of the vehicle armorer to Market Perform from Outperform.

• Alcan Inc (NYSE: AL) was cut to Neutral from Buy at Bank of America and DA Davidson following the Alcoa (AA) bid.

• Baird cut Advance Auto Parts (NYSE: AAP) to Neutral from Outperform following CEO Michael Coppola's resignation. Kevin Dann downgraded Advance to Hold from Buy to reflect an increased level of uncertainty following Mr. Coppola's departure.

• Lehman Brothers downgraded Reuters Group (NASDAQ: RTRSY) to Equal Weight from Overweight pending further information on the Thompson Corp (TOC) bid; Credit Suisse cut shares to Neutral from Outperform and Deutsche Bank cut shares to Hold from Buy.

• Matrix downgraded UST Inc (NYSE: UST) to Sell from Hold.

• Needham cut Entegris, Inc (NASDAQ: ENTG) to Hold from Buy.

• UBS downgraded shares of Golden Star Resources (AMEX: GSS) to Reduce from Neutral.

• Wachovia cut Rowan Cos (NYSE: RDC) to Market Perform from Outperform.

Analyst downgrades 5-08-07: AH, AL, AAP, ROC and RTRSY originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Tue, 08 May 2007 10:54:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

MAJOR PAPERS:

• According to the Wall Street Journal, citing people familiar with the situation, the NY Attorney General and the SEC are both investigating "suspicious trading" in shares and options of Dow Jones and Company Inc (NYSE: DJ) prior to the $5B offer by News Corporation (NYSE: NWS).
• The Wall Street Journal reported that the UK's financial-services regulator has begun a preliminary review of trading by hedge funds in ABN Amro Holdings (NYSE: ABN), according to people familiar with the situation.
• BAE Systems (OTC: BAESY), the British defense contractor, is in the final stages of its $3.5B takeover of Armor Holdings Inc (NYSE: AH), the U.S. manufacturer of military and heavy vehicles, reported the Wall Street Journal.
• The Wall Street Journal reported that a consortium led by the Royal Bank of Scotland Group (OTC: RBSPY) has made a formal $24.5B offer for ABN Amro's LaSalle Bank, according to people familiar with the situation.
• The Financial Times reported that Dutch bank ABN Amro rejected a $24.5B offer for its U.S. bank, LaSalle, from a consortium led by Royal Bank of Scotland today. However, ABN said it would allow its shareholders to vote on the offer.

• Safeway Stores Inc's (NYSE: SWY) CEO, Steven Burd, said that Dominick's is not for sale in an interview with the Chicago Tribune.

• According to TheAlarmClock.com, Global Equities Research analyst Trip Chowdry believes Google Inc (NASDAQ: GOOG) is "stepping up its efforts" to acquire job search engine SimplyHired.

Newspaper wrap-up 5-7-07: Google trying to buy SimplyHired originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Mon, 07 May 2007 09:27:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

MOST NOTEWORTHY:

• Wedbush initiated CKE Restaurants (NYSE: CKR) with a Buy rating and $25 target.

• Wachovia resumed coverage of Texas Instruments Inc (NYSE: TXN) with an Outperform rating, as the firm believes that TXN's fundamentals have bottomed and the valuation is attractive.

• SurModics Inc (NASDAQ: SRDX) was initiated with an Underperform rating and $28 target at Piper Jaffray. Piper doesn't see a near-term catalyst to move shares higher given a lack of visibility regarding new licenses.

• Nokia (NYSE: NOK) was initiated at Nollenberger with a Neutral rating.

• HSBC started DirecTV (NYSE: DTV) with an Underweight rating and $21 target.

• Stanford initiated Armor Holdings, Inc (NYSE: AH) with a Buy rating and $80 target.

• Wedbush initiated Jack in the Box Inc (NYSE: JBX) with a Hold rating and $68 target, citing the company's operational improvements and benefits from ongoing refranchising and share repurchases are fully reflected in the stock price.

• Canadian Pacific Railway Ltd (NYSE: CP) was initiated with a Sector Performer rating at CIBC.

• Stifel initiated Medical Properties Trust, Inc (NYSE: MPW) with a Hold rating.

• Bear Stearns initiated Teva Pharmaceutical Industries Ltd (NASDAQ: TEVA) with a Peer Perform rating.

• Thomas Wiesel initiated shares of Cepheid (NASDAQ: CPHD) and Luninex Corp (NASDAQ: LMNX) with Overweight ratings.

Analyst initiations 3-20-07: Nokia, Teva Pharma & Texas Insturments initiated today originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Tue, 20 Mar 2007 11:21:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

MOST NOTEWORTHY:

• Lehman Brothers upgraded Armor Holdings (NYSE: AH) to Overweight from Equal Weight, following details of the President's $100B 2007 defense budget supplemental.

• Raymond James upgraded Cheesecake Factory (NASDAQ: CAKE) to Outperform from Market Perform following the company's better than expected forth quarter comps and revenues.

• Shares of Novel Inc (NASDAQ: NOVL) were upgraded to Outperform from Market Perform by JMP Securities; the firm said Novell's release of Open Enterprise Server 2 may help stop declines in the combined Netware/OES product lines.

• Jefferies upgraded shares of Endo Pharmaceuticals Hlds (NASDAQ: ENDP) to Buy from Hold, with a $35 target, to reflect improving Opana prescriptions and the resolution of the Penwest dispute, which the broker believes removes uncertainty and adds earnings visibility.

Analyst upgrades 1-9-07: Cheesecake Factory takes top honors originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Tue, 09 Jan 2007 11:59:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Nanotechnology is an emerging science that involves manipulating matter at the atomic level. Believers in this advanced field - myself among them - see this sector as one of great long-term promise with potential applications in a wide variety of industries.

Here I will cover three diverse applications of nano-based technologies: pharmaceuticals, alternative energy, and a new means of protecting soldiers - liquid armor.

The latter market is discussed by Gregg Early, editor of The Real Nanotech Investor - who is a fan of Armor Holdings (NYSE: AH), a leading player in providing body armor to law enforcement and the military.

According to Early, the company has gained the sole marketing and distribution rights to liquid armor, which he explains is based on a polymer that, when struck with force, hardens instantaneously.

Continue reading Three nanotech stocks: Invest in matter manipulation

Three nanotech stocks: Invest in matter manipulation originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Tue, 21 Nov 2006 12:39:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Cramer endorses SAIC IPO originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Tue, 10 Oct 2006 10:23:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.