Analyst Upgrades

• Piper Jaffray upgraded Psychiatric Solutions (PSYS) to neutral from underweight on expectations the company's merger with Universal Health (UHS) will close.
• Jefferies upgraded Intuit (INTU) to buy from neutral and has a $45 price target on the stock. The firm expects Intuit's 2011 tax season to be at least as good as 2010's and sees improvement in the SMB exposed businesses.
• Wells Fargo upgraded Unica (UNCA) to outperform from market perform. The firm upgraded the stock due to what it sees as improving trends in marketing spending, upcoming enhancements in the company's products and long-term opportunity for marketing software to exceed expectations.
• Textron (TXT) was upgraded to conviction buy from buy at Goldman.
• RightNow (RNOW) was upgraded to outperform from market perform at FBR Capital.
• Beazer Homes (BZH) was upgraded to buy from hold at Citigroup.

Continue reading Analyst Calls: AAPL, DWA, INTU, NFLX, PSYS, PVH, ROSE, TEVA, UNCA ...

Analyst Calls: AAPL, DWA, INTU, NFLX, PSYS, PVH, ROSE, TEVA, UNCA ... originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Tue, 18 May 2010 11:40:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Continue reading Before the Bell: Futures Advance on Deal News

Before the Bell: Futures Advance on Deal News originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Mon, 17 May 2010 08:05:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Analyst upgrades:

• Credit Suisse upgraded Sprint Nextel (S) to outperform from neutral and raised its target to $6 from $4. The firm believes Sprint Nextel's core business is turning and that valuation is attractive. Credit Suisse also added Sprint Nextel to its Focus List.
• Goldman expects Nordstrom (JWN) to benefit from a recovery in the high-end consumer. The firm upgraded shares to buy from neutral and raised its target to $41 from $39.
• Deutsche Bank remains cautious on the Dry Bulk sector long-term but expects increased Q4 day rates. The firm upgraded Genco (GNK) to buy from hold and raised its target to $31 from $24; the firm also upgraded Eagle Bulk (EGLE) to hold from sell.
• Steelcase (SCS) was upgraded to buy from hold at BB&T.
• United Rentals (URI) was upgraded to outperform from perform at Oppenheimer.
• GLG Partners (GLG) was upgraded to outperform from market perform at Keefe Bruyette.
• Ladish (LDSH) was upgraded to outperform from market perform at FBR Capital.

Continue reading Analyst upgrades, downgrades and initiations: DLTR, JCP, JWN, LEA, RIMM, S ...

Analyst upgrades, downgrades and initiations: DLTR, JCP, JWN, LEA, RIMM, S ... originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Mon, 16 Nov 2009 11:40:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

• Baird upgraded Optimer Pharm (NASDAQ: OPTR) to Outperform from Neutral and raised its target to $13 from $8 citing the decidedly positive data from the OPT-80 trial.
  
• Banc of America upgraded Quest Diagnostics (NYSE: DGX) to Buy from Neutral on valuation and believes management has set expectations well.
  
• Credit Suisse views Jacobs Engineering (NYSE: JEC) as a high quality name given the quality of management, execution track record, and relationship business model. Shares were upgraded to Outperform from Neutral.
• Horizon Lines (NYSE: HRZ) was upgraded to Overweight from Equal Weight at Stephens.
  
• Bancolombia SA (NYSE: CIB) was raised to Buy from Neutral.
  
• Great Lakes Dredge (NASDAQ: GLDD) was upgraded to Buy from Hold at Morgan Joseph.

Continue reading Analyst calls: OPTR, JEC, KFN, CAR, DISH, TSN, VMW, INFY, URBN, DKS

Analyst calls: OPTR, JEC, KFN, CAR, DISH, TSN, VMW, INFY, URBN, DKS originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Tue, 11 Nov 2008 12:12:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

MAJOR PAPERS:

• The Financial Times reported that Bain Capital, The Blackstone Group LP (NYSE: BX) and General Electric Company's (NYSE: GE) NBC universal will acquire The Weather Channel properties from Landmark Communications for approximately $3.2B in a leveraged buy-out. The Weather Channel will be run separately.
• A top Goldman Sachs Group Inc (NYSE: GS) trader is defecting to GLG Partners Inc (NYSE: GLG), the UK's second-largest hedge fund. Goldman's Driss Ben-Brahim, a partner in the firm and the head of its emerging market trading business, will take over GLG's $1.2B emerging markets special situations fund, the Financial Times reported.

• Take-Two Interactive Software Inc (NASDAQ: TTWO), which makes video games, will probably sign video game creator Ken Levine to a new contract. The deal would bolster Take Two's argument that its value exceeds the $25.74 per share that Electronic Arts Inc (NASDAQ: ERTS) has offered as a takeover price for the company, The New York Post believes.

• Reuters reported that Deutsche Bank AG (NYSE: DB) is the only bidder remaining for Citigroup Incorporated's (NYSE: C) German retail operations. Sources said Commerzbank AG (OTC: CRZBY) dropped out of the running on Friday.

Newspaper wrap-up: NBC Universal and consortium to acquire The Weather Channel originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Mon, 07 Jul 2008 10:50:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Continue reading What would you do with a 'blank-check'?

What would you do with a 'blank-check'? originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Tue, 08 Jan 2008 15:57:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.