MOST NOTEWORTHY:

• Keefe Bruyette resumed coverage of Old Republic (NYSE:ORI), MGIC Investment (NYSE:MTG), PMI Group (NYSE:PMI) and Radian (NYSE:RDN) with Market Perform ratings and a $16 target, $13 target, $7 target and $6.50 target, respectively, as they expect increased capital needs to generate operational headwinds in the near-term.
  
• JMP Securities expects FDA approval of Thoratec's (NASDAQ:THOR) next generation HeartMate II VAD any day now and for the company to meet/beat 2008 sales guidance. Shares were started with an Outperform rating and $20 target.
  
• Callaway Golf (NYSE:ELY) was assumed at Stephens with an Overweight rating and $19 target. The firm is positive on Callaway's leadership position, strong balance sheet, new products and international opportunity.

• Kaufman Bros. initiated Bancscares of Florida (NASDAQ:BOFL) with a Buy rating and $15.50 target.
  
• Raymond James started Dialysis Corp of America (NASDAQ:DCAI) with a Strong Buy rating and $9 target.
  
• Intuitive Surgical (NASDAQ:ISRG) was initiated at Lazard with a Buy rating and $420 target.

Analyst initiations: Mortgage insurers, THOR and ELY originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Thu, 10 Apr 2008 11:25:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

MOST NOTEWORTHY:

• Piper initiated Nvidia (NASDAQ: NVDA) with a Neutral rating and $23 target and believes the rate at which the company gained market share over the past two years is unsustainable. The firm expects EPS deceleration over the next few years.
  
• Piper believes Entropic Comm (NASDAQ: ENTR) is a key benefactor from the general adoption of high definition video consumer goods, as well as from growth in multi-room DVRs. The firm assumed shares with a Buy rating and $10 target.
  
• Cleveland Cliffs (NYSE: CLF) was started with a Buy rating and $135 target at Deutsche Bank. The firm believes CLF is a leveraged play on bulk commodities' momentum.

• Merrill initiated Allied Capital (NYSE: ALD) with a Neutral rating.
  
• Stifel initiated Blue Nile (NASDAQ: NILE) with a Buy rating and $54 target, and initiated Bank of Florida (NASDAQ: BOFL) with a Buy rating.

Analyst initiations: NVDA, ENTR and CLF originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Mon, 03 Mar 2008 11:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

MOST NOTEWORTHY:

• Wachovia believes Assurant (NYSE: AIZ) is a unique opportunity to profit from mortgage market turmoil through its force-placed homeowners business, initiating shares with an Outperform rating.

• Nollenberger initiated Famous Dave's (NASDAQ: DAVE) with a Buy rating and expects to see accelerated earnings growth over the next few years driven by: continued rollout of it's new "Smokehouse" unit format, growth of the off-premise catering and to-go business, and ramp in new development.

• Keybanc is positive on Trinity Industries' (NYSE: TRN) diversified product portfolio, market-leading positions, and long-term end market fundamentals, starting shares with an Aggressive Buy rating.

• Banc of America initiated Spartan Stores (NASDAQ: SPTN) with a Buy and believes the company should benefit from the roll-up of independent retail assets and the move toward a customer-centric operating model.

• Banc of America believes rising competitive pressures in PNDs will lead to significant market share erosion in 2008 and started SiRF Technology (NASDAQ: SIRF) with a Neutral rating...

• Wachovia initiated Dice Holdings (NYSE: DHX) with an Outperform rating.

• Stifel initiated Bancshares of Florida (NASDAQ: BOFL) and TIB Financial (NASDAQ: TIBB) with Hold ratings.

• Nollenberger initiated Morton's Restaurant (NYSE: MRT) with a Buy rating.

• Ceradyne (NASDAQ: CRDN) was initiated with a Hold rating at Morgan Joseph.

Analyst initiations 8-23-07: AIZ, CRDN, DAVE and MRT originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Thu, 23 Aug 2007 10:50:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.