MOST NOTEWORTHY: IPC The Hospitalist Co, Forest City Enterprises and SINA Corp were today's noteworthy initiations:
Jefferies believes IPC The Hospitalist Co (NASDAQ: IPCM) is well-positioned to grow rapidly in the next several years, as it takes advantage of numerous organic and acquisition-driven expansion opportunities in the emerging hospitalist sector. The firm started shares with a Buy rating and $27 target.
Forest City Enterprises (NYSE: FCE.A) was initiated with an Outperform rating and $47 target at Keefe Bruyette, as they find shares attractively-valued at current levels.
Sterne Agee initiated SINA Corp (NASDAQ: SINA) with a Buy citing checks that indicate trends for online advertising in China remain very favorable and support a strong growth outlook.
OTHER INITIATIONS:
Credit Suisse initiated CBS Corp (NYSE: CBS) with a Neutral rating and $25 target and Alcoa (AA) with an Outperform and $45 target.
Oracle (NYSE: ORCL) was reinstated with a Buy rating and $24 target at Goldman Sachs.
MOST NOTEWORTHY: Microsoft, IPC The Hospitalist Co and DuPont were today's noteworthy initiations:
Jefferies believes Microsoft's (NASDAQ: MSFT) bid for Yahoo (NASDAQ: YHOO) and more conciliatory tone towards regulators signals a shift in strategy from defense to offense. The firm started shares with a Buy rating and $33 target.
Wachovia believes IPC The Hospitalist (NASDAQ: IPCM) is well-positioned to gain share in the fragmented hospitalist market given its experienced management team, operating history, and proven track-record; shares were initiated with an Outperform rating at Wachovia and with an Outperform rating and $27 target at Credit Suisse.
DuPont (NYSE: DD) was initiated with an Outperform rating and $57 target at Credit Suisse, as they believe the company's number two seed position in North America looks secure.
Morgan Stanley initiated Liberty Entertainment (NASDAQ: LMDIA) with an Overweight rating; shares were also initiated with an Outperform rating at Wachovia.
Credit Suisse added shares of Elan Corp (NYSE: ELN) to its Focus List and started shares with an Outperform rating.