About ten years ago, Bankrate (NASDAQ: RATE) became a public company, as the IPO market was in full-steam (a traditional financial information provider, the company went to the Web in the mid 1990s). Well, now the company has decided to go private.

The private equity sponsor, Apax Partners LLP, has agreed to buy Bankrate for about $571 million. The share price comes to $28.50.

Continue reading Bankrate says goodbye to Nasdaq

Bankrate says goodbye to Nasdaq originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Thu, 23 Jul 2009 13:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

• Jefferies upgraded MDS Inc. (NYSE: MDZ) to Buy from Hold on valuation as it believes shares are pricing in a "worst case" scenario at current levels. The firm keeps a $6.50 target on the stock.
  
• JP Morgan upgraded Continental (NYSE: CAL) to Overweight from Neutral on valuation as it believes the recent sell-off is overdone. The firm keeps a $13 price target on the stock.
• Thomas Weisel is positive on Allergan's (NYSE: AGN) diverse product portfolio, global infrastructure, vertical integration, and deep pipeline. The firm upgraded shares to Overweight from Market Weight and has a $54 target on the stock.
• NetLogic (NASDAQ: NETL) was upgraded to Buy from Neutral at Piper.
  
• Dover (NYSE: DOV) was raised to Buy from Neutral at Banc of America/Merrill.
  
• Map Pharmaceuticals (NASDAQ: MAPP) was upgraded at Argus to Hold from Sell.

Continue reading Analyst upgrades, downgrades and initiations: CAL, NETL, MAPP, DDUP, LMT ...

Analyst upgrades, downgrades and initiations: CAL, NETL, MAPP, DDUP, LMT ... originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Tue, 02 Jun 2009 11:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Here are some highlights from this past week's earnings coverage from BloggingStocks:

• Abercrombie & Fitch Co. (NYSE: ANF) reported dismal Q1 numbers as same-store sales plunged.
• Applied Materials Inc. (NASDAQ: AMAT) dismal Q2 results were in line with analysts' expectations.
• Bankrate Inc. (NASDAQ: RATE) reported lower earnings and revenue for Q1 and offered no guidance.
• Blockbuster Inc. (NYSE: BBI) earnings, revenue, and same-store sales all fell in the first quarter.
• Dr Pepper Snapple Group (NYSE: DPS) Q1 earnings declined but still topped analysts' expectations.

Continue reading Earnings highlights: Walmart, JCPenney, Freddie Mac, Playboy, Whole Foods and more

Earnings highlights: Walmart, JCPenney, Freddie Mac, Playboy, Whole Foods and more originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Sat, 16 May 2009 09:40:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Analyst upgrades:

• Oppenheimer upgraded shares of Premiere Global (NYSE: PGI) to Outperform from Perform on valuation and believes the company's strategic initiatives will drive "healthy" top-line results in a difficult economy.
  
• Citigroup upgraded Prudential (NYSE: PRU) to Buy from Hold on valuation, as they believe the stock is oversold at current levels. Though upgraded, the firm lowered their target price to $30 from $80.
  
• Citigroup also upgraded Bankrate (NASDAQ: RATE) to Buy from Hold as they believe the company will benefit from the financial market volatility and that the risk/reward is attractive at current levels. The firm maintains a $40 target on the stock.
• Hospitality Properties (NYSE: HPT) was raised to Outperform from Sector Perform at RBC Capital.
  
• Diamond Offshore (NYSE: DO) was upgraded at Merrill Lynch to Buy from Neutral.
  
• Alcon (NYSE: ACL) was upgraded to Outperform from Market Perform at Wachovia.

Continue reading Analyst calls: PRU, RATE, ACL, LTD, STM, SNP, NFLX, RTP, BHP, OXY ...

Analyst calls: PRU, RATE, ACL, LTD, STM, SNP, NFLX, RTP, BHP, OXY ... originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Mon, 01 Dec 2008 12:22:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Here are some highlights from this past week's earnings coverage from BloggingStocks:

• Archer Daniels Midland Co. (NYSE: ADM) easily beat Q1 estimates due in part to higher prices.
• Bankrate Inc. (NASDAQ: RATE) posted strong Q3 numbers due in part to financial market volatility.
• Berkshire Hathaway Inc. (NYSE: BRK.A) Q3 results were hurt by derivatives loss and hurricane damage.
• Blackstone Group (NYSE: BX) had a brutal Q3 due to writedowns and a scarcity of deals.
• BMW Q3 earnings tumbled due to slower vehicle sales brought on by the economic downturn.
• Dean Foods Co. (NYSE: DF) fell short of Q3 estimates but reaffirmed its full-year guidance.
• Ford Motor Corp. (NYSE: F) reported a modest Q3 loss and a quickly dwindling stockpile of cash.
• Goldman Sachs Group (NYSE: GS) first-ever quarterly loss is predicted by at least one analyst.
• Kenexa Corp. (NASDAQ: KNXA) was downgraded by one analyst following its Q3 report.
• MasterCard Inc. (NYSE: MA) easily beat analysts' Q3 projections, sending shares soaring.
• Move Inc. (NASDAQ: MOVE) reported solid Q3 results on cost cutting and website revamp.
• Potash Corp. of Saskatchewan (NYSE: POT) price-target cuts since its Q3 earings report continue.
• Sprint Nextel Corp. (NYSE: S) broke even in Q3, but Wall Street had been expected a modest profit.
• Toyota Motor Corp. (NYSE: TM) net profit plunged due to the economic slump and strength of yen.
• Walt Disney Co. (NYSE: DIS) fell short of Q4 expectations despite popular High School Musical.
• World Wrestling Entertainment Inc. (NYSE: WWE) Q3 profits tumbled and revenues were flat.

Continue reading Earnings highlights: Ford, Toyota, Goldman Sachs, Disney, Sprint, ADM and others

Earnings highlights: Ford, Toyota, Goldman Sachs, Disney, Sprint, ADM and others originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Sat, 08 Nov 2008 15:40:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Several years ago, Bankrate Inc. (NASDAQ: RATE) was benefiting nicely from the mortgage boom. But, investors were skeptical -- could this last?

Well, Bankrate was smart to diversity its offerings, such as into credit cards and insurance. And it's working.

In Bankrate's Q3 report, revenues spiked 77% to $44 million (a record for the company). Net income was $6 million or $0.32 per share. Moreover, adjusted EBITDA (earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization) came to $16 million, a 39% increase over the past year.

With the volatility in the financial markets, Bankrate got a nice boost from users looking for guidance. In fact, Q3 page views increased 11% to 160.1 million. No doubt, Bankrate certainly understands how to monetize such traffic.

Continue reading Bankrate keeps clicking

Bankrate keeps clicking originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Sat, 01 Nov 2008 17:40:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

• Oppenheimer upgraded shares of National City (NYSE: NCC) to Outperform from Perform on valuation as they believe the bank is not seeing a mass exodus of depositors.
  
• Wachovia upgraded Brookfield Infrastructure (NYSE: BIP) to Outperform from Market Perform due to what the firm sees as the company's solid cash flow growth outlook, strong balance sheet, and discounted valuation.
  
• Baird upgraded Tellabs (NASDAQ: TLAB) to Outperform from Neutral citing valuation and improving 2009 prospects from 8800, 8600, and 7100 products and better Opex management..
• Take-Two (NASDAQ: TTWO) was upgraded to Outperform from Neutral at Cowen.
  
• UBS raised Nortel Networks (NYSE: NT) to Buy from Neutral.
  
• Borg-Warner (NYSE: BWA) was raised to Buy from Hold at Keybanc.

• Merriman downgraded shares of TheStreet.com (NASDAQ: TSCM) and Bankrate (NASDAQ: RATE) to Neutral from Buy to reflect concerns about display advertising trends and the company's above average exposure to the financial vertical.
  
• Baird downgraded Monaco Coach (NYSE: MNC) to Neutral from Outperform and Thor Industries (NYSE: THO) and Winnebago Industries (NYSE: WGO) to Underperform from Neutral citing valuations and checks that indicate "dreadful" fundamentals.
  
• RBC Capital downgraded Apple (NASDAQ: AAPL) to Sector Perform from Outperform citing weakening consumer spending, reduced visibility, and risks to valuation. The company's target was lowered to $140 from $200.

Continue reading Analyst calls: AAPL, NCC, NT, TLAB, TTWO, TSCM, HOT, CHK ...

Analyst calls: AAPL, NCC, NT, TLAB, TTWO, TSCM, HOT, CHK ... originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Mon, 29 Sep 2008 12:46:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

MOST NOTEWORTHY:

• Citigroup upgraded shares of CSG Systems (NASDAQ: CSGS) following the company's Comcast (NASDAQ: CMCSA) contract renewal to reflect increased visibility and an attractive cash flow yield. The firm raised their target price to $18.50 from $15.
  
• Roth Capital upgraded Bankrate (NASDAQ: RATE) to Buy from Hold citing valuation, the company's announced stock repurchase program, and expectations for some gross margin expansion in 2H08.
  
• BMO Capital upgraded Intercontinental Exchange (NYSE: ICE) to Outperform from Market Perform as they believes the threat of negative legislation to ICE's business has declined sharply in recent days and that current valuation is factoring a much worse outcome than is likely.

• Lennar (NYSE: LEN) was upgraded at UBS to Neutral from Sell.
  
• eHealth (NASDAQ: EHTH) was raised to Perform from Underperform at Oppenheimer.
  
• Nike (NYSE: NKE) was raised to Positive from Neutral at Susquehanna.

Analyst upgrades: CSGS, RATE, ICE, LEN, EHTH, NKE originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Tue, 15 Jul 2008 11:11:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

MOST NOTEWORTHY:

• Baird upgraded NCR Corp (NYSE: NCR) to Outperform from Neutral following its North American ATM managers survey that indicates a solid ATM environment and opportunity for margin improvement.
  
• Rodman & Renshaw upgraded Medivation (NASDAQ: MDVN) to Outperform from Market Perform citing valuation of the firm's pipeline given recent catalyst of positive Phase II results in Huntington's disease with lead candidate, Dimebon.
  
• Goldman added Teva Pharma (NASDAQ: TEVA) to its Conviction Buy List citing valuation, upcoming catalysts, and defensive characteristics.

• Marsh & McLennan (NYSE: MMC) was raised to Buy from Hold at Citigroup.
  
• RBC lifted Bankrate (NASDAQ: RATE) to Outperform from Sector Perform.
  
• Alcatel-Lucent (NYSE: ALU) was upgraded at WestLB to Hold from Sell.

Analyst upgrades: NCR, MDVN, TEVA, MMC, RATE, ALU originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Tue, 08 Jul 2008 11:22:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

MOST NOTEWORTHY:

• Banc of America downgraded shares of Yahoo! (NASDAQ: YHOO) to Neutral from Buy as they believe that even if shareholders accept Microsoft's (NASDAQ: MSFT) offer, the regulatory hurdles are significant.
• Oppenheimer downgraded shares of Goldman Sachs (NYSE: GS) to Perform from Outperform as they believe the current valuation is not sustainable in a year when the company will probably deliver results that will not be substantially better than peers.
• Jefferies lowered its rating on Bankrate (NASDAQ: RATE) to Hold from Buy on valuation, as they believe the run-up in shares reflects expectations for strong Q4 results and guidance.

• SiRF Technology (NASDAQ: SIRF) was downgraded to Hold from Buy at Jefferies, to Market Weight from Overweight at Thomas Weisel and to Perform from Outperform at Oppenheimer.
• Goldman downgraded Posco (NYSE: PKX) to Sell from Neutral.
• Baird downgraded Associated Bancorp (NASDAQ: ASBC) to Neutral from Buy.

Analyst downgrades: YHOO, GS and RATE originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Tue, 05 Feb 2008 10:19:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

MOST NOTEWORTHY:

• UBS downgraded shares of Discover (NYSE: DFS) and Capital One (NYSE: COF) to Sell from Neutral and American Express (NYSE: AXP) to Sell from Buy, as they believe a U.S.-led recession will lead to increased credit losses.
• Jefferies downgraded shares of VASCO Data Security (NASDAQ: VDSI) to Hold from Buy to reflect the company's exposure to the financial services market, as they believe 2008 will be a tough year for small companies selling into tightening IT budgets.
• Merriman lowered its rating on Bankrate (NASDAQ: RATE) to Neutral from Buy on valuation, as they believe the stock is pricing in upside from strong website traffic seen in January driven by refinance activity and Fed rate cuts. Citigroup downgraded shares to Hold from Buy on valuation, as they find the risk/reward less compelling at current levels.

• JP Morgan removed SanDisk (NASDAQ: SNDK) from its Top 3 Picks List.
• Goldman downgraded CSK Auto (NYSE: CAO) to Neutral from Buy and removed Google (GOOG) from its Conviction Buy List.
• Baird lowered Comerica (NYSE: CMA) to Neutral from Outperform.

Analyst downgrades: Banks, VDSI and RATE originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Mon, 04 Feb 2008 10:11:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

MOST NOTEWORTHY:

• Calyon upgraded shares of ATP Oil & Gas (NASDAQ: ATPG) to Add from Neutral and raised their target to $52 from $50 as they believe the company is nearing its year-end production target and its balance sheet is positioned to improve.
  
• Merrill upgraded Foot Locker (NYSE: FL) to Buy from Neutral citing easing comps and stabilization in premium product demand.
  
• Wachovia upgraded DynCorp International Inc. (NYSE: DCP) to Outperform from Market Perform citing its re-compete award for the $4.6 billion Army Linguist contract.
  
• Soleil upgraded shares of Circuit City Stores (NYSE: CC) to Buy from Hold, as they believe the company's real estate rationalization program and new "The City" store concept will drive earnings growth over the next few years.

• StatoilHydro (NYSE: STO) was raised to Hold from Sell at Societe Generale.
  
• UBS raised its rating on Ryanair (NASDAQ: RYAAY) and Air France (NYSE: AKH) to Buy from Neutral.
  
• Citigroup upgraded Bankrate Inc. (NASDAQ: RATE) to Buy from Hold.

Analyst upgrades: ATPG, FL, DCP and CC originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Mon, 10 Dec 2007 12:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

MOST NOTEWORTHY:

• Merriman upgraded shares of Bankrate (NASDAQ: RATE) to Buy from Neutral on valuation following the recent pullback and believes shares can reach $50-$60 with some positive near term headlines, including price increases across the board and an additional cut in interest rates.
  
• Wachovia upgraded Discovery Holdings (NASDAQ: DISCA) to Outperform from Market Perform based on valuation, uptick in ratings, and strong scatter market.
  
• KBR, Inc (NYSE: KBR) was upgraded to Buy from Neutral at UBS, as they see potential for significant awards of major energy and chemicals projects.

• JMP Securities raised Gevity HR (NASDAQ: GVHR) to Outperform from Market Perform.
  
• Oppenheimer upgraded Cybex (NASDAQ: CYBI) to Buy from Neutral.
  
• Baird upgraded Integrys Energy (NYSE: TEG) to Outperform from Neutral.

Analyst upgrades: RATE, DISCA and KBR originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Mon, 03 Dec 2007 11:11:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

I wrote the series the Top 25 stocks for the NEXT 25 years back in May and June of this year. Since the series finished we had three companies go the way of acquisition: Opsware (NASDAQ: OPSW), Color Kinetics (NASDAQ: CLRK) and Kyphon (NASDAQ: KYPH). All three have been or are about to close on their respective deals and will vanish from our list of 25. The good news is the premiums were outstanding and any investor who bought these stocks after reading the initial write ups is walking away with over 50% profits in a few short months!

But onward and upward: Drum roll please.....the three new stocks that I feel could be in the top 25 stocks for the NEXT 25 Years include: eHealth, Inc. (NASDAQ: EHTH), Bankrate (NASDAQ: RATE) and Fuel Tech (NASDAQ:FTEK).

eHealth is a $570 million market capitalization company headquartered in Mountain View, California. The company operates a multi-web site platform that offers its customers more than 7,000 health insurance and related products. The company is licensed in all 50 states and the District of Columbia. Through its ehealth.com and ehealthinsurance.com web sites, customers can price out regular medical, dental and vision insurance. The company also provides options for student-health care insurance as well. My estimates for calendar 2007 is for revenues of $87 million and earnings per share of $.49. For 2008 I envision revenues of $115 million and earnings per share of $.68. As health care insurance is fast becoming a major political as well as economic issue, eHealth may be the winner in finding the best policies at the best price for consumers and small-to-medium size businesses.

Continue reading Top 25 Stocks for the NEXT 25 Years: three new names

Top 25 Stocks for the NEXT 25 Years: three new names originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Fri, 14 Sep 2007 15:45:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

MOST NOTEWORTHY:

• Thomas Wiesel initiated coverage of the Medical Devices Industry:
• Boston Scientific (NYSE: BSX) was initiated with an Underweight rating, expecting shares to Underperform peers due to reductions in estimates, risks to the stent business and valuation.
  
• Medtronic (NYSE: MDT) was initiated with an Overweight rating, saying attractively valued as they believe the growth in underlying markets may be more robust than the current sentiment suggests.
  
• St. Jude Medical (NYSE: SJT) was initiated with an Overweight rating, saying shares offer exposure to attractive drivers, a management team with the best track record in the segment, and a potential acquisition candidate.
  

• Stephens believes the recent weakness in Bankrate (NASDAQ: RATE) due to "turmoil" in the market has created an attractive entry point, starting shares with an Overweight rating.

• Morgan Stanley assumed coverage of AXA (NYSE: AXA) with an Overweight rating, citing an attractive risk/reward and strong free cash flow...

• S1 Corp (NASDAQ: SONE) was initiated with a Market Perform rating at Avondale.

• Needham started Blue Coat Systems (NASDAQ: BCSI) with a Buy rating.

• Credit Suisse initiated AK Steel (NYSE: AKS) with a Neutral rating.

• Jefferies started Molex (NASDAQ: MOLX) with a Hold rating.

Analyst initiations: AXA, BSCI, BSX, and MDT originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Fri, 24 Aug 2007 11:26:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

MOST NOTEWORTHY:

• Linear Technology Corp (NASDAQ: LLTC) was cut to Sell from Neutral at Merrill citing slowing revenue growth and valuation...

• AG Edwards downgraded Anheuser-Busch (NYSE: BUD) to Hold from Buy on valuation...

• Goldman said Best Buy's (NYSE: BBY) fundamentals remain at risk after the Q1 report and cut shares to Neutral from Buy...

• AG Edwards cut both Bankrate (NASDAQ: RATE) and Ensco International (NYSE: ESV) to Hold from Buy on valuation...

• Merck & Co (NYSE: MRK) was cut to Market Perform from Outperform at Raymond James.

• Schlumberger Ltd (NYSE: SLB) was downgraded to Neutral from Add at Calyon.

• ThinkEquity downgraded Color Kinetics (NASDAQ: CLRK) to Accumulate from Buy.

• Maxwell Technologies (NASDAQ: MXWL) was cut to Market Perform from Outperform at JMP Securities.

• Occidental Petroleum Corp (NYSE: OXY) was downgraded to Hold from Buy at Deutsche Bank.

Analyst downgrade 6-20-07: BBY, BUD, MRK and SLB originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Wed, 20 Jun 2007 11:34:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

MAJOR PAPERS:

• Barron's Online's "Weekday Trader" section said that Bankrate Inc (NASDAQ: RATE), Answers Corporation (NASDAQ: ANSW), WebMD Health Corp (NASDAQ: WBMD) and The Knot Inc (NASDAQ: KNOT) may be the next preferred takeover targets for Google Inc (NASDAQ: GOOG) and Microsoft Corporation (NASDAQ: MSFT).
• The Wall Street Journal reported that Brad Tierney is interested in Dow Jones and Company (NYSE: DJ), which in talks with News Corporation's (NYSE: NWS) Rupert Murdoch for a possible $5B sale.
• According to the Wall Street Journal, citing a person close to the deal, Deutsche Telekom (NYSE: DT) will acquire the Orange Netherlands unit of France Telecom for about EUR1.3B, and simultaneously sell Ya.com for EUR320M to them.
• The Financial Times reported that three separate research teams showed the embryonic stem cells can be created by reprogramming some of the genes in adult mice skin cells, without creating an embryo. The news will be well-received by opponents of embryonic stem cell research, but scientists said it is too early to tell if the technique can be used with human cells.

• The Herald Sun reported that a new $237B Chinese state-owned investment fund may be interested in acquiring natural resources company BHP Billiton Limited (NYSE: BHP), according to Bell Potter research chief Peter Quinton.

Newspaper wrap-up 6-07-07: Brad Tierney interested in Dow Jones originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Thu, 07 Jun 2007 09:17:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

MOST NOTEWORTHY:

• Jefferies assumed coverage of International Game Tech (NYSE: IGT) with a Buy rating and $47 target citing an attractive risk/reward.

• Big 5 Sporting Goods (NASDAQ: BGFV) was started with a Sector Performer rating and $33 target at CIBC, expecting shares to be driven by an operating margin recover and improving cash flows.

• CVS/Caremark Corp (NYSE: CVS) was reinstated with an Overweight rating at Lehman Brothers and resumed with an Overweight rating at Morgan Stanley.

• JP Morgan believes the rough environment, growing competition and valuation warrants IHOP Corp (NYSE: IHP) to start with a Neutral rating.

• B. Riley initiated shares of United Online, Inc (NASDAQ: UNTD) with a Buy rating and $18 target.

• Bear Stearns started T-3 Energy Services, Inc (NASDAQ: TTES) with an Outperform rating and $32 target.

• Morgan Stanley initiated shares of Vanda Pharmaceuticals Inc (NASDAQ: VNDA) with an Overweight rating and $29 target.

• American Technology initiated shares of Bankrate, Inc (NASDAQ: RATE) with a Buy rating and $48 target.

• Altus Pharmaceuticals Inc (NASDAQ: ALTU) was initiated with an Outperform rating and $20 fair value estimate at Leerink Swann.

Analyst initiations 4-30-07: BGFV, CVS, IGT, IHP and RATE originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Mon, 30 Apr 2007 11:17:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Analyst summary - March 28, 2007 originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Wed, 28 Mar 2007 16:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

More data on subprime mortgages originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Mon, 26 Mar 2007 10:56:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.