BloggingStocks http://www.bloggingstocks.com BloggingStocks http://www.blogsmithmedia.com/http://www.bloggingstocks.com/media/feedlogo.gif BloggingStocks http://www.bloggingstocks.com en-us Copyright 2012 Weblogs, Inc. The contents of this feed are available for non-commercial use only. Blogsmith http://www.blogsmith.com/<![CDATA[Analyst Calls: AEP, AKS, AMAT, EZCH, FRX, LOPE, MYGN, PNW, ZION ...]]>http://www.bloggingstocks.com/2011/02/23/analyst-upgrades-downgrades/http://www.bloggingstocks.com/2011/02/23/analyst-upgrades-downgrades/http://www.bloggingstocks.com/2011/02/23/analyst-upgrades-downgrades/#commentsFiled under: , , ,

Analyst Upgrades

  • Applied Materials (AMAT) to overweight from neutral at Piper Jaffray.
  • Air Products (APD) to buy from hold at Citigroup.
  • Youku.com (YOKU) and Pinnacle West (PNW) to buy from neutral at Goldman.
  • Stryker (SYK) and Zimmer (ZMH) to buy from neutral at UBS.
  • Zions Bancorp (ZION) to outperform from neutral at Macquarie.
  • Alnylam (ALNY) to buy from hold at Needham.
  • AK Steel (AKS) to buy from hold at KeyBanc.

Continue reading Analyst Calls: AEP, AKS, AMAT, EZCH, FRX, LOPE, MYGN, PNW, ZION ...

Analyst Calls: AEP, AKS, AMAT, EZCH, FRX, LOPE, MYGN, PNW, ZION ... originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Wed, 23 Feb 2011 11:40:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>AEPAK SteelAKSALNYAlnylamAMATANanalyst upgradesAPDApplied MaterialsAutoNationCCKCepheidCHHChoice HotelsCPHDCUBdowngradesEZCHEZchipForest LabsFRPTFRXGen-ProbeGPROHILHologicHOLXHPTinitiationsinthenewsLOPEMYGNMyriad GeneticsPinnacle WestPNWQGENQiagenRegeneronREGNStykerSYKUTHRYOKUYouku.comZimmerZIONZions BancorpZMHWed, 23 Feb 2011 11:40:00 EST<![CDATA[Analyst initiations: Gen-Probe, iRobot, Emeritus]]>http://www.bloggingstocks.com/2008/04/23/analyst-initiations-gpro-irbt-and-esc/http://www.bloggingstocks.com/2008/04/23/analyst-initiations-gpro-irbt-and-esc/http://www.bloggingstocks.com/2008/04/23/analyst-initiations-gpro-irbt-and-esc/#commentsFiled under: ,

MOST NOTEWORTHY: Gen-Probe, iRobot and Emeritus were today's noteworthy initiations:

  • RBC Capital expects Gen-Probe Inc. (NASDAQ: GPRO) to continue to generate high margin, annuity-like revenue from its core business while new tests with good long-term growth. Shares were initiated with an Outperform rating and $66 target.
  • Kaufman Brothers believes robotics technology is more than just a fad and that iRobot (NASDAQ: IRBT) is well-positioned given its innovation applications and innovative applications that create new solutions to existing issues; Kaufman started iRobot with a Buy rating and $22 target.
  • Jefferies believes Emeritus Corp. (AMEX: ESC), initiated with a Buy rating, is well-positioned to drive superior cash flow growth given favorable/stable industry fundamentals and renewed operational focus.

OTHER INITIATIONS:

Analyst initiations: Gen-Probe, iRobot, Emeritus originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Wed, 23 Apr 2008 12:10:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>analystcomvcomvergeemeritusescexcel maritimeExcelMaritimeexmgen-probegproinitiationirbtirobotthomson reutersThomsonReuterstrinWed, 23 Apr 2008 12:10:00 EST<![CDATA[Ventana offered huge premium by Roche]]>http://www.bloggingstocks.com/2007/06/26/ventana-offered-huge-premium-by-roche/http://www.bloggingstocks.com/2007/06/26/ventana-offered-huge-premium-by-roche/http://www.bloggingstocks.com/2007/06/26/ventana-offered-huge-premium-by-roche/#commentsFiled under: , ,

In a move that could complement its other recent acquisitions, Roche Holding Ltd (OTC: RHHBY) yesterday made a $75-a-share hostile bid for Ventana Medical Systems, Inc (NASDAQ: VMSI). The $3 billion cash offer would allow Roche to gain a test Ventana developed to screen patients who could respond to the Swiss pharmaceutical giant's breast cancer medicine, Herceptin. The main goal of acquiring Ventana would be to "move closer toward delivering tools to select the right drugs for the right patients, rather than saving costs," Roche CEO Franz Humer told the Wall Street Journal.

Roche has already agreed to three other diagnostic acquisitions this year: The company agreed to buy CuraGen Corporation's (NASDAQ: CRGN) 454 Life Sciences in March for $140 million, allowing it to gain the company's DNA-mapping technology, and later agreed to acquire BioVeris Corporation (NASDAQ: BIOV) for $600 million and NimbleGen Systems for $272.5 million. The acquisition of BioVeris will add a screening technology that stimulates cells to emit light, while the NimbleGen acquisition would add more genetic tools for drug research.

Should an acquisition be seen as a sure thing? No, executives at Ventana said. Although Roche has made several friendly efforts to engage in "meaningful discussions" with Ventana's chairman and board concerning a transaction, Ventana has so far rebuffed Roche. The company advised shareholders in taking any action in response to the offer, but said the Board would review Roche's offer and make a recommendation within 10 days. What may make this particular offer different is that the $75-per-share offer was nearly 45% higher than Ventana's closing price of $51.74 yesterday.

In the event of an acquisition, Roche said it would operate Ventana as a separate unit within its diagnostics division, allowing it to retain its management team and employees as well as its headquarters in Arizona. This would be a similar agreement to the one Roche maintains with U.S. biotech company Genentech Inc (NYSE: DNA), which is majority-owned by Roche but is managed as an independent company.

Based on a potential acquisition, analysts believe that biotechnology companies Gen-Probe Incorporated (NASDAQ: GPRO), Luminex Corporation (NASDAQ: LMNX) and Cepheid Inc (NASDAQ: CPHD) could be potential acquisition targets based on their technology platforms and product offerings.

Ventana offered huge premium by Roche originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Tue, 26 Jun 2007 12:25:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>454 Life Sciences454LifeSciencesacquisitionBIOVBioVerisCepheidCPHDCRGNCuraGenDNAGen-ProbeGenentechGPROHerceptinhostile bidHostileBidLMNXLuminexLuminex CorpLuminexCorpNimbleGen SystemsNimblegenSystemspremiumRHHBYRoche HoldingRocheHoldingVentana Medical SystemsVentanaMedicalSystemsVMSITue, 26 Jun 2007 12:25:00 EST