IBM (IBM) sells middleware software and technology services such as outsourcing and integration to large and medium sized businesses worldwide, and competes with firms like Oracle (ORCL) and Red Hat (RHT). IBM is also among the global leaders in business systems and competes with hardware vendors like Hewlett-Packard (HPQ) and Dell (DELL) in the server market as well as firms like EMC (EMC) and NetApp (NTAP) in the storage market.

In a recent development, IBM announced the launch of a new software and consulting service targeted at helping companies swiftly adapt to rising customer demands in today's digitally transformed marketplace. The firm chooses to call this new emerging category "Smarter Commerce," keeping in line with its Smarter Planet initiative. We have earlier discussed IBM's focus on its Smarter Planet initiative and how the firm stands to benefit from it. (See IBM's Smarter Planet Initiatives Lay Groundwork for Growth.)

Continue reading IBM Smells Opportunity in CRM with Launch of Smarter Commerce Initiatives

IBM Smells Opportunity in CRM with Launch of Smarter Commerce Initiatives originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Tue, 22 Mar 2011 14:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Analyst Upgrades

• Cree (CREE) and Rubicon Technology (RBCN) to buy from neutral at Merriman.
• Children's Place (PLCE) to outperform from market perform at BMO Capital.
• Lockheed Martin (LMT) to neutral from underperform at BofA/Merrill.
• Copano Energy (CPNO) to outperform from market perform at Morgan Keegan.
• Motorola Mobility (MMI) to neutral from reduce at Nomura.
• Parker-Hannifin (PH) to buy from hold at KeyBanc.
• Akamai (AKAM), ShoreTel (SHOR), AMB Property (AMB) and ProLogis (PLD) to buy from hold at Stifel Nicolaus.

Continue reading Analyst Calls: AAPL, AEO, CREE, DELL, HPQ, IBM, LMT, MMI, MYGN, PH ...

Analyst Calls: AAPL, AEO, CREE, DELL, HPQ, IBM, LMT, MMI, MYGN, PH ... originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Thu, 17 Mar 2011 11:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

IBM (IBM) sells middleware software and technology services such as outsourcing and integration to large and medium-sized businesses worldwide, and competes with firms like Oracle (ORCL) and Red Hat (RHT). IBM is also among the global leaders in business systems and competes with hardware vendors like HP (HPQ) and Dell (DELL) in the server market, as well as storage firms like EMC (EMC) and NetApp (NTAP) in the storage market.

Continue reading The Impact of Increased Tech Spending on IBM

The Impact of Increased Tech Spending on IBM originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Wed, 02 Mar 2011 13:20:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Continue reading Closing Bell: Markets Shake Off Tech Concerns (AAPL, C, CMCSA, GE, EMC, DANG, TEX)

Closing Bell: Markets Shake Off Tech Concerns (AAPL, C, CMCSA, GE, EMC, DANG, TEX) originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Tue, 18 Jan 2011 16:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Continue reading U.S. Stock Futures Lower Ahead of Employment, Manufacturing Data

U.S. Stock Futures Lower Ahead of Employment, Manufacturing Data originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Thu, 30 Dec 2010 08:45:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Analyst Upgrades

• Amgen (AMGN) to overweight from neutral at Piper Jaffray.
• Goodrich Petroleum (GDP) to outperform from market perform at Wells Fargo.
• Tutor Perini (TPC) to buy from neutral at UBS.
• Covidien (COV) to buy from neutral at Goldman.
• Sara Lee (SLE) and Comcast (CMCSA) to outperform from market perform at Bernstein.
• Research In Motion (RIMM) to outperform from sector perform at FBN Securities.

Continue reading Analyst Calls: AMGN, CMCSA, GDP, FAST, FLR, KBR, PGR, RIMM, SLE, WAG ...

Analyst Calls: AMGN, CMCSA, GDP, FAST, FLR, KBR, PGR, RIMM, SLE, WAG ... originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Tue, 14 Dec 2010 11:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Analyst Upgrades

• DuPont (DD) was upgraded to buy from neutral at Goldman.
• UBS upgraded Deere (DE) to buy from neutral and AGCO (AGCO) to neutral from sell.
• Canadian Solar (CSIQ) was upgraded to outperform from neutral at Macquarie.
• Thoratec (THOR) and DTE Energy (DTE) were upgraded to overweight from equal weight at Barclays.
• NICE Systems (NICE) was upgraded to overweight from neutral at HSBC.
• Deutsche Bank upgraded Copa Holdings (CPA) to buy from hold.
• BofA/Merrill upgraded Nu Skin (NUS) to buy from neutral.
• Continental Resources (CLR) was upgraded to buy from hold at Jefferies.

Continue reading Analyst Calls: CLR, CSIQ, DD, DE, DECK, EMC, EMN, WFMI, WWW ...

Analyst Calls: CLR, CSIQ, DD, DE, DECK, EMC, EMN, WFMI, WWW ... originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Fri, 19 Nov 2010 12:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

"Some information technology areas have more dynamic growth prospects than others; a prime example is the emerging field of cloud computing," says growth stock specialist Stephen Leeb.

The editor of The Complete Investor explains, "One company in the forefront of this cutting-edge approach to information storage and management is EMC (EMC), a leader in digital data storage.

"Cloud computing refers to the storing of digital information -- documents, spreadsheets, software, etc. -- not on a company's or individual's own hard drive but in remote data centers, from which it can be accessed via the Internet.

Continue reading In the Clouds: Computing with EMC (EMC)

In the Clouds: Computing with EMC (EMC) originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Mon, 08 Nov 2010 10:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Analyst Upgrades

• Union Pacific (UNP) and Polycom (PLCM) were upgraded to outperform from market perform at Wells Fargo.
• Time Warner Cable (TWC) was upgraded to outperform from sector perform at RBC Capital.
• Cheesecake Factory (CAKE) was upgraded to neutral from underweight at JPMorgan.
• LaSalle Hotel (LHO) was upgraded to outperform from neutral at RW Baird.
• Graco (GGG) was upgraded to buy from hold at BB&T.
• Valley National (VLY) was upgraded to market perform from underperform at Keefe Bruyette.
• Credit Suisse (CS) was upgraded to hold from sell at RBS.
• U.S. Bancorp (USB) was upgraded to outperform from perform at Oppenheimer.
• Penn National (PENN) and Riverbed (RVBD) were upgraded to buy from hold at Jefferies.
• Goodrich (GR) was upgraded to outperform from neutral at Cowen.
• Amazon.com (AMZN) upgraded to buy from average at Caris.

Continue reading Analyst Calls: AMZN, CAKE, CS, EMC, FCX, GR, HOT, K, MAR, TWC, UNP, USB ...

Analyst Calls: AMZN, CAKE, CS, EMC, FCX, GR, HOT, K, MAR, TWC, UNP, USB ... originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Fri, 22 Oct 2010 11:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Continue reading EMC Lifted by Buyout Rumors

EMC Lifted by Buyout Rumors originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Thu, 14 Oct 2010 14:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Analyst Upgrades

• Deutsche Bank upgraded EMC (EMC) to buy from hold after channel checks indicated storage demand remains solid. The firm sees potential upside in 2011 from the company's new products and upped its target for shares to $25 from $20.
• BB&T upgraded American Commercial (ACLI) to buy with a $50 target based on pricing leverage and cost reductions.
• Argus upgraded Abercrombie (ANF) to buy with a $52 target based on accelerating comps.
• PerkinElmer (PKI) was upgraded to equal weight from underweight at Barclays.
• Valeant (VRX) was upgraded to market perform from underperform at Wells Fargo with a $26 to $28 valuation range.
• Blackrock (BLK) was upgraded to buy from hold at Deutsche Bank.

Continue reading Analyst Calls: ACLI, ADM, ANF, BLK, BP, COST, EMC, FO, NE, PEET, UNFI ...

Analyst Calls: ACLI, ADM, ANF, BLK, BP, COST, EMC, FO, NE, PEET, UNFI ... originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Mon, 11 Oct 2010 11:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

"With the uber-ambitious Ellison and Hurd now paired, I think the safe bet is we're going so see Oracle (ORCL) make some major moves (yes, probably more than one major acquisition)," suggests tech sector expert Paul McWilliams.

The editor of Next Inning explains, "After all, even without Hurd at his side, Oracle founder, Larry Ellison has been an aggressive buyer and now with Hurd on board I think the appetite could become ravenous.

"I think its probably a good idea to start thinking about what Oracle might do next.

Continue reading Who's Next? Speculating on Tech Takeovers

Who's Next? Speculating on Tech Takeovers originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Wed, 15 Sep 2010 10:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Analyst upgrades:

• Bernstein upgraded Hospira (HSP) to Outperform from market Perform based on valuation, expectations that the company will be able to fix manufacturing issues quickly, and views Propolfol and biosimilars as underappreciated. The firm has a $63 price target on the stock.
• Citigroup upgraded eBay (EBAY) to Buy from Hold citing valuation and improvements to Marketplace. The firm keeps a $28 price target for shares.
• Deutsche Bank upgraded Coca-Cola Femsa (KOF) to Hold from Sell citing lessening acquisition risk and raised its target for shares to $66 from $61.
• Blackstone (BX) and Simon Property (SPG) were upgraded to Conviction Buy from Buy at Goldman.
• BreitBurn Energy (BBEP) was upgraded to Outperform from Market Perform at Wells Fargo.
• SL Green Realty (SLG) was upgraded to Buy from Neutral at BofA/Merrill.

Continue reading Analyst Calls: HSP, EBAY, BX, CSCO

Analyst Calls: HSP, EBAY, BX, CSCO originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Thu, 12 Aug 2010 13:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Continue reading Closing Bell: Bernanke Giveth & Taketh Away (YHOO, MS, AAPL, GCA, CYT, EMC)

Closing Bell: Bernanke Giveth & Taketh Away (YHOO, MS, AAPL, GCA, CYT, EMC) originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Wed, 21 Jul 2010 16:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Continue reading Closing Bell: Briefly Celebrating DJIA 10,000 (MSG, STT, SIRI, FDO, BA, BGP, EMC)

Closing Bell: Briefly Celebrating DJIA 10,000 (MSG, STT, SIRI, FDO, BA, BGP, EMC) originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Wed, 07 Jul 2010 16:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Analyst Upgrades

• Oppenheimer upgraded VeriSign (VRSN) to outperform from perform, citing better-than-expected domain names trends and the potential for a sizeable share buyback. The firm has a $33 price target for shares.
• Oppenheimer also upgraded EMC (EMC) to outperform from perform, citing valuation and expectations for strong Q2 results. The firm set a $22 price target for shares.
• Piper Jaffray upgraded Juniper (JNPR) to overweight from neutral, citing valuation and its longer-term outlook. The firm keeps a $31 price target for shares.
• Kilroy Realty (KRC) was upgraded to neutral from underperform at BofA/Merrill.
• Veolia Environment (VE) was upgraded to buy from add at WestLB.
• QEP Resources (QEP) was upgraded to positive from neutral at Susquehanna.

Continue reading Analyst Calls: ALL, EMC, FCN, IRBT, JNPR, MRVL, RNOW, TRV, VRSN ...

Analyst Calls: ALL, EMC, FCN, IRBT, JNPR, MRVL, RNOW, TRV, VRSN ... originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Wed, 07 Jul 2010 11:20:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Analyst Upgrades

• Collins Stewart upgraded BP (BP) to buy from hold after the company canceled its dividend payments and agreed to put $20 billion in a claims escrow fund.
• Credit Suisse upgraded First Solar (FSLR) to outperform from neutral and raised its target to $150 from $110.20. The firm raised estimates given expectations for strong demand and lower costs and believes pricing upside for Q2/Q3 is not reflected in valuation.
• Argus upgraded EMC (EMC) to buy from hold, citing valuation and notes that the company's VMware (VMW) stake is undervalued.
• Rio Tinto (RTP) was upgraded to buy from hold at Societe Generale.
• Sunoco (SUN) was upgraded to overweight from equal weight at Barclays.
• UBS (UBS) was upgraded to outperform from underperform at Macquarie.

Continue reading Analyst Calls: AAPL, AMZN, BP, DTV, EMC, FSLR, LMT, NOK, RTP, SNDK, UBS ...

Analyst Calls: AAPL, AMZN, BP, DTV, EMC, FSLR, LMT, NOK, RTP, SNDK, UBS ... originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Thu, 17 Jun 2010 10:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Analyst Upgrades

• Deutsche Bank upgraded Barrick Gold (ABX) to buy from hold and reiterates a buy rating on Newmont Mining (NEM) after upping its 2011 gold forecast to $1,450 per ounce and 2012 forecast to $1,600 per ounce. The firm upped its target for Barrick shares to $53 from $45, for Newmont shares to $74 from $72, and on hold-rated Goldcorp (GG) and Kinross Gold (KGC) to $40 and $20, respectively.
• Citigroup upgraded General Dynamics (GD) to hold from sell following the recent pullback in shares. The firm keeps a $67 price target for the stock.
• UBS upgraded Public Service (PEG) to buy from neutral and has a $34 price target on the stock. The firm cites the company's solid balance sheet, earnings profile, and valuation for the upgrade.
• News Corp. (NWS) was upgraded to buy from hold at Soleil.
• AK Steel (AKS) was upgraded to neutral from underperform.
• Progress Energy (PGN) was upgraded to buy from neutral at BofA/Merrill.
• PNC Financial (PNC) was upgraded to outperform from market perform at Keefe Bruyette.

Continue reading Analyst Calls: ABX, AKS, BK, GBDC, GD, NEM, NWS, ODSY, PNC, UQM ...

Analyst Calls: ABX, AKS, BK, GBDC, GD, NEM, NWS, ODSY, PNC, UQM ... originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Tue, 25 May 2010 11:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

By Sam Collins

Last week's 1,000-point intraday sell-off and 6% fall in three sessions was followed Monday morning by a 300-plus point rally in the Dow on news of a European bailout plan. The past few days have shown us just how sensitive this market is to the news, especially concerning the ongoing European financial saga.

It's time to be very cautious, to prune laggards from your portfolios, raise cash and hold only quality stocks that will benefit most from the economic recovery. To help you with that, I've dissected the technical analysis on some hot stocks set for big moves right now -- and at the top of that list is EMC Corp. (EMC). Here's the chart that will prove to you why:

Continue reading Charts Show EMC Corp. Is a Buy

Charts Show EMC Corp. Is a Buy originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Tue, 11 May 2010 13:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Analyst Upgrades

• Jefferies upgraded St. Jude (STJ) to buy from hold and raised its target to $49 from $39. The firm cites valuation and the positive impact from the Boston Scientific (BSX) ICD recall for the upgrade. Shares were also upgraded to neutral from sell at Goldman, as the firm sees upside for shares into Q1 results.
• RBC Capital upgraded EMC Corp. (EMC) to outperform from sector perform and raised its target to $22 from $21. The firm upgraded shares based on valuation and believes the company can meet or modestly beat March quarter expectations.
• Auriga upgraded MetroPCS (PCS) to buy from hold as it believes customer migration away from postpaid to prepaid may be accelerating. The firm raised its target for shares to $9 from $7.
• Caterpillar (CAT) was raised to outperform from neutral at Baird.
• Best Buy (BBY) was upgraded to market perform from underperform at FBR Capital.
• Expedia (EXPE) was upgraded to overweight from neutral at Piper Jaffray.

Continue reading Analyst Calls: BBY, CAT, EMC, EXPE, FCX, ICE, NTAP, PCE, STJ, VRTX ...

Analyst Calls: BBY, CAT, EMC, EXPE, FCX, ICE, NTAP, PCE, STJ, VRTX ... originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Mon, 12 Apr 2010 11:10:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.