MOST NOTEWORTHY:

• 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.

• B. Riley initiated VASCO Data Security (NASDAQ: VDSI) with a Buy rating and $18 target.
  
• 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.

Analyst initiations: Microsoft, DuPont, IPC The Hospitalist Co. originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Wed, 05 Mar 2008 12:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

BusinessWeek

Auto recall list for 2007 is suprising originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Mon, 20 Aug 2007 16:45:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

MOST NOTEWORTHY:

• UBS downgraded shares of Caterpillar (NYSE: CAT) to Reduce from Neutral and lowered their target to $70 from $78 to reflect decelerating revenues in the company's core businesses, global capacity additions in construction machinery, competitive concerns and valuation.

• Soleil downgraded Movie Gallery (NASDAQ: MOVI) to Sell from Hold following comments after yesterday's close about missing certain debt covenants.

• Suntrust downgraded shares of Cache (NASDAQ: CACH) to Neutral from Buy citing the company's attempt to reconstruct itself in a difficult economic period with tough comps and in a waning trend cycle.

• Manor Care (NYSE: HCR) was cut to Market Perform from Outperform at Wachovia, citing the acquisition by the Carlyle Group. Soleil cut Manor Care to Hold from Buy on the news...

• UBS downgraded BG Group (NYSE: BRG) to Neutral from Buy.

• Roth downgraded MRV Communications (NASDAQ: MRVC) to Hold from Buy.

• Matrix lowered Brown-Forman (NYSE: BF.B) to Hold from Buy.

• JP Morgan cut Liberty International (OTC: LBYIY) to Neutral from Overweight.

Analyst downgrades 7-03-07: CACH, CAT, HCR and MOVI originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Tue, 03 Jul 2007 10:18:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

MAJOR PAPERS:

• Barron's Online's (subscription required) "Inside Scoop" reported that Yahoo Inc (NASDAQ: YHOO) director Edward Kozel spent $595,200 buying 20,000 shares of Yahoo on the open market.
• The Wall Street Journal (subscription required) reported that Brady Dougan will succeed Oswald Grubel as CEO of Credit Suisse Group ADS (NYSE: CS).
• The Financial Times (subscription required) reported that DaimlerChrysler AG (NYSE: DCX) has hired JPMorgan Chase & Co (NYSE: JPM) to explore Chrysler's future. "All options are on the table," said chairman Dieter Zetsche.
  

• According to the Detroit News, Ford Motor Company (NYSE: F) is offering cash rebates on the new Ford Edge crossover, but says the move is a testament to the new vehicle's success. Automakers usually add incentives when they are having a difficult time selling selling a particular model.
  
• The Telegraph wrote that several media companies have accused Google Inc (NASDAQ: GOOG) of selling advertising for two piracy websites, and smaller advertisers are complaining that their ads are appearing on sites with no content that may be run by fraudsters.
• Investor's Business Daily's "New America" column focused on Liberty Media Corporation Interactive (NASDAQ: LINTA), which owns the QVC home shopping network. The article notes that QVC had revenues last year of about $5.5B, concluding a run of 20 years of increased sales.

Newspaper wrap-up 2-15-07: Ford exploring strategic options originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Thu, 15 Feb 2007 09:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

MAJOR PAPERS:

• The Wall Street Journal (subscription required) had M&A news on General Electric (NYSE: GE) and Tribune Co (NYSE: TRB).
• According to sources, General Electric is in talks to buy Abbott Labs (NYSE: ABT) Diagnostics Arm and a deal could come as soon as today.
• Tribune received at least three sharply "varying proposals" from bidders but none offered a premium for the entire company.
• Prosecutors are intensifying their criminal probe into stock-option manipulation at Monster Worldwide (NASDAQ: MNST), prompted in part by emails written by the company's ex-counsel.
• The Financial Times (subscription required) reported, citing local industry officials, that China is considering a plan by Intel Corp (NASDAQ: INTC) to build a chipmaking plant in Dalian.

• The New York Times reported that Barclays (NYSE: BCS) has agreed to pay almost $400 million over 20 years for the naming rights to an American indoor sports arena, the planned future home of the Nets basketball team, when it relocates to Brooklyn in 2009.
  
• The New York Post wrote that Liberty Media (NASDAQ: LCAPA) CEO John Malone could be interested in Cablevision Systems (NYSE: CVC) subsidiary Rainbow Media Holdings since Cablevision's special committee rejected the Dolan family's going-private offer.
• Investor's Business Daily's "New America" column mentioned GPS maker Trimble Navigation (NASDAQ: TRMB) positively.

Newspaper wrap-up 1-18-07: No premium on Tribune bids originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Thu, 18 Jan 2007 09:47:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

• Even more Al Roker Investigates
• Forensic Files increases its wonkishness tenfold
• Court TV's series Parco, P.I. will fight Magnum, P.I. (my all-time second favorite syndicated tv show) to the death

TWX buys other half of Court TV originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Wed, 17 May 2006 15:52:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.