Analyst Upgrades

• Yingli Green (YGE) to outperform from market perform at Wells Fargo.
• National Semiconductor (NSM) to outperform from market perform at FBR Capital.
• DuPont (DD) to buy from hold at Citigroup.
• Blackboard (BBBB) to overweight from neutral at JPMorgan.
• Kindred Healthcare (KND) to buy from hold at Jefferies.
• Peabody Energy (BTU) to outperform from market perform at BMO Capital.
• Savvis (SVVS) to buy from neutral and InterActiveCorp (IACI) to neutral from underperform at BofA/Merrill.

Continue reading Analyst Calls: BRCM, BTU, DD, EBAY, KR, MRVL, NSM, PCX, SVVS, TWX ...

Analyst Calls: BRCM, BTU, DD, EBAY, KR, MRVL, NSM, PCX, SVVS, TWX ... originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Fri, 03 Dec 2010 10:40:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Analyst Upgrades

• Goldman upgraded Reliance Steel (RS) to buy from neutral and The Buckle (BKE) to neutral from sell.
• RAM Energy (RAME) was upgraded to outperform from market perform at Rodman & Renshaw.
• RBC Capital upgraded H&E Equipment (HEES) and Cameco (CCJ) to outperform from sector perform, and Denison Mines (DNN) to sector perform from underperform.
• Alexandria Real Estate (ARE) was upgraded to overweight from neutral at JPMorgan.
• Investment Technology (ITG) was upgraded to outperform from neutral at Wedbush.

Continue reading Analyst Calls: AKS, BXP, CCJ, CXW, GBX, PETM, RIMM, RS, SIRI SOHU ...

Analyst Calls: AKS, BXP, CCJ, CXW, GBX, PETM, RIMM, RS, SIRI SOHU ... originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Tue, 09 Nov 2010 12:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Continue reading Sonic Solutions to Buy DivX for $323 Million

Sonic Solutions to Buy DivX for $323 Million originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Wed, 02 Jun 2010 15:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Best Buy (NYSE: BBY) may be the world's largest electronics retailer, but it realizes that it faces a huge threat to a hefty chunk of its business. Apple (NASDAQ: AAPL) is moving plenty of movies and other soon-to-be former DVD fare through iTunes, staking a claim on a business that once belonged to Best Buy. The big box store is getting ready to fight back (finally?).

Using technology it's licensing from Sonic Solutions (NASDAQ: SNIC), Best Buy is opening an online store for movies and television shows. Best Buy CEO Brian Dunn says this move will expand the company's presence in services and will bolster company loyalty. That's the press release version, of course. The reality is that Best Buy needed to do something to protect this portion of its revenue and probably should have made the move several years ago.

Continue reading Best Buy follows Amazon into the clouds

Best Buy follows Amazon into the clouds originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Wed, 04 Nov 2009 08:40:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

• Goldman cut AmeriCredit (NYSE: ACF) shares to Sell from Neutral to reflect the challenging rate and credit environment.

• Friedman Billings has concerns about LTX Corp's (NYSE: LTX) largest customer, Texas Instruments (TXN), losing market share in the handset baseband market, which has already impacted Texas' equipment test orders from LTX. Friedman Billings cut LTX Corp to Market Perform from Outperform.

• Foot Locker (NYSE: FL) was downgraded to Neutral from Overweight at JP Morgan, citing the disappointing Q2 results...

• Genesco (NYSE: GCO) was cut to Neutral from Positive at Susquehanna.

• Soleil downgraded Sonic Solutions (NASDAQ: SNIC) to Hold from Buy.

• Raymond James downgraded New York & Co (NYSE: NWY) to Underperform from Sell.

Analyst downgrades: ACF, GCO and NWY originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Fri, 24 Aug 2007 11:13:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

MOST NOTEWORTHY:

• Nollenberger believes Big 5 Sporting Goods' (NASDAQ: BGFV) shares are fairly valued and would likely get more constructive near the $20 level and initiated shares with a Neutral rating.

• ThinkEquity said Nutrition 21 (NASDAQ: NXXI) has a number of clinically proven nutritional supplements that target the rapidly growing obesity and diabetes markets, and initiated shares with a Buy rating.

• SMH Capital initiated shares of Sonic Solutions (NASDQ: SNIC) with a Buy rating, on the belief that shares have been oversold.

• ThinkEquity is positive on AeroGrow's (NASDAQ: AERO) proprietary aeroponic technology and recurring revenue model and initiated shares with a Buy rating.

• Leerink Swann started shares of Sequenom (NASDAQ: SQNM) with an Outperform rating as MEDACorp researchers are positive regarding the company's MassARRAY system for genetic analysis, which is well-positioned for growth in follow-on SNP fine-mapping studies; Leerink anticipates in 2008, the company will launch iPLEX 3, which is currently in development, and reduce the cost of acquiring fine-mapping SNP data...

• Dover (NYSE: DOV) was initiated at Morgan Stanley with an Overweight rating.

• Merrill started Akamai (NASDAQ: AKAM) with a Neutral rating.

• Pacific Crest started Wipro Ltd (NYSE: WIT) with a Sector perform.

• Susquehanna initiated Herman Miller (NASDAQ: MLHR) with a Positive rating.

• RBC Capital initiated Warren Resources (NASDAQ: WRES) with an Outperform rating.

Analyst initiations 7-31-07: AKAM, BGFV, DOV and SNIC originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Tue, 31 Jul 2007 11:04:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

MOST NOTEWORTHY:

• Hambrecht upgraded shares of Seagate Tech (NYSE: STX) on improving demand and second half of 2007 prospects. Bear Stearns upgraded shares to Outperform from Peer Perform based on stabilizing industry conditions.

• ING upgraded shares of SAP AG (NYSE: SAP) to Buy from Hold shares to reflect the migration within the company's large installed base and growing opportunities in the small business market.

• Hambrecht upgraded Western Digital (NYSE: WDC) to Buy from Hold on improving demand for 2H07 growth prospects.

• HSBC raised BAE Systems (OTC: BAESY) off the ground, upgrading shares to Neutral from Underweight.

• Banc of America upgraded Manpower (NYSE: MAN) to Buy from Neutral to reflect the change in French payroll tax subsidies, which they view as a positive change to the company's ongoing margin structure.

• First Albany upgraded ATMI Inc (NASDAQ: ATMI) to Buy from Hold.

• The Medicines Co (NASDAQ: MDCO) was raised to Sector Perform from Underperform at RBC Capital.

• Sonic Solutions (NASDAQ: SNIC) was upgraded to Buy from Hold at Kaufman.

• ThinkEquity upgraded Interwoven (NASDAQ: IWOV) to Accumulate from Source of Funds.

• BB&T upgraded Omnicell (NASDAQ: OMCL) to buy from Hold.

Analyst upgrades 7-20-07: BAESY, MDCO, STX and WDC originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Fri, 20 Jul 2007 11:04:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

MOST NOTEWORTHY:

• Bear Stearns downgraded shares of Tenet Healthcare (NYSE: THC) to Underperform from Peer Peform citing difficulties in California and weak margins.

• Stifel downgraded Furniture Brands (NYSE: FBN) to Sell from Hold citing concerns regarding continued weakness in the housing industry.

• Summer Street downgraded Sepracor (NASDAQ: SEPR) to Sell from Neutral after the HCPCS website indicated Xopenex and Albuterol will have the same code as of July 1.The firm believes this eliminates the optimistic scenarios that Sepracor can garner a minimal-or-no-reimbursement cut.

• RBC downgraded shares of ValueClick (NASDAQ: VCLK) to Underperform from Sector Perform as the firm believes the FTC letter poses a risk to earnings and that the company is unlikely to be acquired.

• Matrix downgraded Altria Group (NYSE: MO) to Buy from Strong Buy to reflect decreasing cigarette sales and increasing valuation...

• American Technology cut Autodesk, Inc (NASDAQ: ADSK) to Neutral from Buy.

• Matrix downgraded Fluor Corp (NYSE: FLR) to Sell from Buy.

• Jackson Hewitt Tax Service (NYSE: JTX) was cut to Market Perform from Outperform at William Blair.

• Baird sent Alliance Data Systems Corp (NYSE: ADS) to Neutral from Outperform.

• Roth Capital downgraded shares of Sonic Solutions (NASDAQ: SNIC) to Hold from Buy.

Analyst downgrades 5-18-07: ADSK, MO, SEPR, THC and VCLK originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Fri, 18 May 2007 11:05:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

• Kaufman Brothers downgraded the digital media software maker Sonic Solutions (NASDAQ:SNIC) to Hold from Buy, following checks indicating that consumers are buying electronics but not computers; the firm also noted that the consumer release of Microsoft Corporation's (NASDAQ:MSFT) Vista will likely be used by early adapters, and expects further consumer adoption in the second-half of 2007.

• Baird downgraded Saul Centers (NYSE:BFS) to Neutral from Outperform on valuation, with a $55 target.

• Shiloh Industries (NASDAQ:SHLO) was downgraded by Matrix USA to Sell from Hold based on slowing sales.

Analyst downgrades 12-28-06: Sonic Solutions cut to Hold originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Thu, 28 Dec 2006 11:34:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

MOST NOTEWORTHY: Cisco (CSCO), and Sonic Solutions (SNIC) top today's modest-sized list of initiations.

• Cisco Systems, Inc. (NASDAQ:CSCO) was upgraded to Buy from Neutral at UBS following the company's strong first-quarter earnings and guidance.
• JP Morgan upgraded Sonic Solutions (NASDAQ:SNIC) to Overweight from Neutral following the weak second-quarter results and light third-quarter guidance. The firm said weak PC demand ahead of the Vista launch has already been priced into shares of Sonic Solutions.

OTHER UPGRADES:

• Watson Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (NYSE:WPI) was reinstated with a Sector Performer rating, up from an Underperformer rating, citing valuation.
• Urban Outfitters, Inc. (NASDAQ:URBN) was upgraded to Buy from Hold at Roth Capital. The firm said expectations for Urban have come down this quarter and that news going forward is likely to be positive, not negative.

Analyst summaries provided by TheFlyOnTheWall.com (subscription required).

Analyst upgrades 11-9-06: UBS upgrades Cisco to Buy originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Thu, 09 Nov 2006 10:54:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.