MOST NOTEWORTHY: Today's noteworthy initiations were Monolithic Power, Emergency Medical Services, Amsurg and EnergySolutions.

• Monolithic Power (NASDAQ: MPWR) was initiated with a Buy at Am Tech, which predicted that Monolithic Power will have significant design win momentum that should result in stronger than expected revenue growth. The firm thinks the company will be able to grow 20% in its 2008, thanks to its new products and competitive prices.
  
• Emergency Medical Services (NYSE: EMS) was initiated with a Sell, target $15 at Citigroup. Citigroup believes EMS's earnings contribution from insurance releases and prior period adjustments is not sustainable.
  
• AMSurg (NASDAQ: AMSG) was initiated with a Buy, target $32 at Citigroup. Citigroup said it is positive on AMSurg given its history of FCF per share growth, low out of network exposure, little debt risk, and acquisition pipeline.
  
• EnergySolutions (NYSE: ES) was initiated with a Market Perform, target $26 at FBRC. Friedman Billings expects EnergySolutions to trade at a slight discount to peers given its leverage balance sheet and perceived slower growth.

OTHER INITIATION:

• VMWare (NYSE: VMW) initiated with a Market Weight at Thomas Weisel, based on valuation. Thomas Weisel believes VMWare is uniquely positioned to benefit from trends toward centralized IT resources, on-demand delivery and greater efficiency.
• Citrix Systems (NASDAQ: CTXS) was initiated with an Overweight, target $37 at Thomas Weisel. Thomas Weisel believes Citrix Systems is uniquely positioned to benefit from trends toward centralized IT resources and on-demand delivery given its product line that targets the data center.

MOST NOTEWORTHY: Schering-Plough, Emergency Medical Services and SLM Corp were today's noteworthy upgrades:

• Banc of America upgraded shares of Schering-Plough (NYSE: SGP) to Buy from Neutral on valuation, as they believe current levels already reflect significant cuts to the company's cholesterol franchise from ENHANCE.
  
• JP Morgan upgraded shares of Emergency Medical Services (NYSE: EMS) to Overweight from Neutral following the company's Q4 results.
  
• Friedman Billings upgraded shares of SLM Corp. (NYSE: SLM) to Outperform from Market Perform and raised their target to $25 from $23 to reflect the company's strengthened capital position, diversified sources of income, and attractive valuation.

OTHER UPGRADES:

• JP Morgan added Molson Coors (NYSE: TAP) to its Focus List.
  
• Citigroup raised Dynegy (NYSE: DYN) to Buy from Hold.
  
• Societe Generale upgraded Credit Suisse (NYSE: CS) to Hold from Sell.

Most mergers are driven by the notion, sometimes wildly mistaken, that the combination will bring both a competitive advantage. Some pairs of companies, however, seem so intuitively right for one another, no bottom-line considerations should be allowed to interfere with their matrimony. Like a foul ball and a plate glass window, these two were meant for one another.

Pity the poor Chicago Cubs fan. The modern Sisyphus has spent a century coaxing his baseball team to the verge of greatness, only to see it collapse into a pile of baseline chalk time after time. The 2007 season was especially painful, after investing $136 million in slugger Alfonso Soriano and inking one of the game's best managers, Lou Piniella. The team eked into the playoffs, only to be swept in three games by the Arizona Diamondbacks.

The Cubs are part of The Tribune Company (NYSE: TRB), currently in the process of being bought by Sam Zell. Many expect the Cubs to be sold when/if this deal is completed.

Given that the Cubs have provided a century of heartbreak to the windy city, perhaps the team should merge with a company that can make money off of fans' paroxysms. Emergency Medical Services (NYSE: EMS) could be such a partner.

In cases of medical emergency, folks across the U.S. often do much of their initial business with a Greenwood Village, Colorado firm. Not only does it run the largest private ambulance service in the country, but it also staffs emergency rooms from coast to coast.

Emergency Medical Services Corporation (NYSE: EMS) specializes in healthcare transportation and emergency department procedures. Its American Medical Response ambulance unit serves some 3,100 cities and hospitals in 36 states, with over 4,000 vehicles. Its EmCare Holdings unit provides emergency care professional staffing and related hospital-based management services to more than 340 facilities nationwide. Last year, EMSC assisted more than nine million patients, in two thousand communities.

The company pleased investors last week, when it reported Q1 EPS of 42 cents (ex-items) and revenues of $523.3 million. Analysts had been looking for 26 cents and $504.2 million. The CEO particularly noted benefits from the firm's risk mitigation program and solid ambulance transport growth, in discussing the favorable results. Management also guided FY07 EPS to $1.30-1.37, versus consensus of $1.17.