Coca-Cola (KO) has more than $13 billion in cash.

The top five companies (according to market cap) are:

• Exxon Mobil (XOM): $398.3 billion
• Apple (AAPL): $309.0 billion
• Microsoft (MSFT): $237.5 billion
• General Electric (GE): $215.0 billion
• Berkshire Hathaway (BRK.A): $202.5 billion

Continue reading Comfort Zone Investing: Did You Know ... ?

Comfort Zone Investing: Did You Know ... ? originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Sat, 05 Feb 2011 10:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Novartis (NVS) has entered into a definitive agreement for the acquisition of Genoptix (GXDX) for $25 per share in cash. Genoptix overall option implied volatility of 62 is above its 26-week average of 47, according to Track Data, suggesting larger price movement.

RockTenn (RKT) and Smurfit-Stone Container (SSCC) announced that the boards of directors of both companies have approved a definitive agreement under which Smurfit-Stone will become a wholly owned subsidiary of RockTenn. The aggregate consideration, consisting of 50% cash and 50% RockTenn stock, is valued at $35 per share of Smurfit-Stone common stock. Smurfit-Stone Container overall option implied volatility of 44 was near its 26-week average, according to Track Data.

Options Update is by Stock Specialist Paul Foster of theflyonthewall.com.

Options Update: Genoptix Volatility Elevated into Novartis's Acquisition originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Tue, 25 Jan 2011 09:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Continue reading U.S. Stock Futures Mixed as Investors Await Earnings Reports

U.S. Stock Futures Mixed as Investors Await Earnings Reports originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Mon, 24 Jan 2011 08:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Analyst Upgrades

• Deere (DE) to outperform from market perform at Wells Fargo.
• American Eagle (AEO) to buy from neutral at Janney Capital.
• FedEx (FDX) and Shaw (SJR) to outperform from neutral at Credit Suisse.
• Superior Energy (SPN) and Rowan Cos. (RDC) to overweight from equal weight at Barclays.
• Tesoro (TSO) to outperform from neutral at Macquarie.
• Mechel (MTL) to buy from neutral at Goldman.
• SunPower (SPWRA), LDK Solar (LDK) and First Solar (FSLR) to buy from hold at ThinkEquity.

Continue reading Analyst Calls: AEO, AMP, DE, EBAY, FDX, FRO, FSLR, HBC, SPWR, TSO ...

Analyst Calls: AEO, AMP, DE, EBAY, FDX, FRO, FSLR, HBC, SPWR, TSO ... originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Mon, 29 Nov 2010 12:10:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Analyst Upgrades

• Oppenheimer upgraded Teva (TEVA) to outperform from perform. The firm expects the company to generate strong 2H10 earnings and thinks the competition created by Novartis's (NVS) Gilenia will be limited.
• Citigroup upgraded Celanese (CE) to buy from hold, citing valuation and the company's move to add assets in China, as well as possible takeover interest.
• Needham raised Stereotaxis (STXS) to buy from hold as the firm thinks that strong clinical data recently announced by the company could result in faster adoption rates of its robotic surgery.
• BMO Capital upgraded Smurfit-Stone Container (SSCC) given strength in the containerboard market.
• Melco Crown (MPEL) was upgraded to buy from neutral at UBS.
• Goldman Sachs raised Temple-Inland (TIN) to buy from neutral.
• Barclays upgraded Lloyds Banking (LYG) to equal weight from underweight.

Continue reading Analyst Calls: AMGN, APOL, CE, CELG, HGSI, RIMM, STXS, SUN, TEVA, VAL ...

Analyst Calls: AMGN, APOL, CE, CELG, HGSI, RIMM, STXS, SUN, TEVA, VAL ... originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Thu, 09 Sep 2010 11:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Analyst Upgrades

• Deutsche Bank upgraded Smurfit-Stone (SSCC) to buy from hold after raising its estimates for containerboard names and upped its target for shares to $28 from $22. The firm also raised its price target for International Paper (IP) to $38 from $32, for Packaging Corp. (PKG) to $33 from $28, for Temple-Inland (TIN) to $31 from $28, for Greif (GEF) to $67 from $65, and for Rock-Tenn (RKT) to $70 from $65. All stocks are buy rated.
• ThinkEquity upgraded VMware (VMW) to buy from hold and has a $90 price target on the stock. The firm expects VMware to benefit from increased virtual infrastructure adoption and improving vSphere solutions.
• Needham upgraded Cavium Networks (CAVM) to strong buy from buy, citing the recent pullback in shares following Cisco's (CSCO) cautious commentary. The firm has a $37 target on the stock.
• Intercontinental Exchange (ICE) was upgraded to outperform from neutral at Credit Suisse.
• MedAssets (MDAS) was upgraded to buy from hold at Auriga.
• Brookfield Properties (BPO) was upgraded to buy from hold at Citigroup.

Continue reading Analyst Calls: AMGN, CAVM, COCO, GENZ, GILD, ICE, PWRD, SSCC, VMW ...

Analyst Calls: AMGN, CAVM, COCO, GENZ, GILD, ICE, PWRD, SSCC, VMW ... originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Mon, 16 Aug 2010 11:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Analyst Upgrades

• Janney Montgomery upgraded Microsoft (MSFT) to buy from neutral with a $30 price target, citing valuation and expectations for strong Q4 results.
• UBS upgraded SanDisk (SNDK) to buy from neutral based on favorable pricing and mobile design win momentum. The firm raised its target to $55 from $46.
• BMO Capital upgraded Medtronic (MDT) to outperform from market perform based on valuation and its product pipeline. The firm has a $48 price target on the stock.
• Lorillard (LO) and Qualcomm (QCOM) were upgraded to conviction buy from buy at Goldman.
• Monsanto (MON) was upgraded to buy from hold at Citigroup.
• FedEx (FDX) was upgraded to buy from hold at BB&T.

Continue reading Analyst Calls: AET, FDX, MAR, MDT, MON, MSFT, NOC, QCOM, SNDK, TSL ...

Analyst Calls: AET, FDX, MAR, MDT, MON, MSFT, NOC, QCOM, SNDK, TSL ... originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Mon, 12 Jul 2010 11:20:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Analyst upgrades:

• Axys Tech (NASDAQ: AXYS) was upgraded to Outperform from Market Perform at Morgan Keegan on valuation.
  
• Credit Suisse upgraded Cemex (NYSE: CX) to Neutral from Underperform following the company's refinancing announcement.
  
• Patni Computer (NYSE: PTI) was upgraded to Buy from Neutral at UBS.

• Merriman downgraded Environmental Power (NASDAQ: EPG) to Neutral from Buy citing a lack of visibility into the company's capital raise and lowered their estimates to reflect a slippage in project schedules.
  
• Jefferies cut inVentiv Health (NASDAQ: VTIV) to Hold from Buy as they believe budget cuts at the company's client base make 2009 estimates too high. The firm lowered their target to $11 from $15.
  
• Oppenheimer downgraded RSC Holdings (NYSE: RRR) to Perform from Outperform to reflect the continued deterioration in non-residential construction and valuation following the recent rally.
• Smurfit-Stone (NASDAQ: SSCC) was lowered to Hold from Buy at Deutsche Bank.
  
• Distribucion Y Servicio (NYSE: DYS) was downgraded to Sell from Hold at Deutsche Bank.
  
• Key Energy (NYSE: KEG) was downgraded at SMH Capital to Neutral from Accumulate.

• AECOM Technology (NYSE: ACM) was initiated with an Outperform rating and $34 target at Baird. The firm is positive on AECOM's diverse portfolio of services and global reach.
  
• Baird also initiated Checkpoint (NYSE: CKP) with a Neutral rating and $11 target, citing the weak macro environment.
  
• Thomas Weisel said Integra LifeSciences (NASDAQ: IART) has little exposure to economically sensitive areas of healthcare and has a varied mix of products that provide a platform for sustainable organic growth. Shares were initiated with an Overweight rating.
• Piper Jaffray assumed CBS Corp (NYSE: CBS) with a Neutral rating.
  
• BioMarin (NASDAQ: BMRN) was started at Stanford with a Hold rating.
  
• Websense (NASDAQ: WBSN) was initiated with an Equal Weight at First Analysis.

Analyst upgrades, downgrades and initiations: AXYS, CX, EPG, CKP, CBS ... originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Tue, 23 Dec 2008 11:40:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Analyst upgrades:

• Credit Suisse upgraded shares of Novartis (NYSE: NVS) to Neutral from Underperform as they believe the stock's defensive characteristics justify a premium valuation.
  
• Merrill raised Dreamworks (NYSE: DWA) to Buy from Neutral and has increased confidence in DWA's sustainable success following the performance of Kung Fu Panda and new revenue streams.
  
• Anadarko Petroleum (NYSE: APC) was raised to Buy from Hold at Stanford on valuation.
  
• Goldman upgraded Smurfit-Stone (NASDAQ: SSCC) and Canadian National (NYSE: CNI) to Buy from Neutral and added International Paper (NYSE: IP) to the Conviction Buy List.
  
• Northern Trust (NASDAQ: NTRS) was upgraded to Buy from Neutral at Merrill.

• Jefferies downgraded shares of Savvis (NASDAQ: SVVS) to Hold from Buy and lowered the target to $17 from $20 to reflect decreasing visibility from economic headwinds and expectations for increased capex.
  
• Citigroup downgraded Regions Financial (NYSE: RF) to Sell from Hold as they believe fundamentals are not in-line with the current valuation following the recent rally.
  
• Merrill lowered their General Electric (NYSE: GE) estimates below consensus and downgraded shares to Neutral from Buy citing increased fundamental pressures on the company's GE Capital unit. GE's target was cut to $28 from $37.50.

Continue reading Analyst calls: NVS, DWA, APC, RF, GE, MTB, BYD, NWL ...

Analyst calls: NVS, DWA, APC, RF, GE, MTB, BYD, NWL ... originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Tue, 23 Sep 2008 11:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

MOST NOTEWORTHY:

• Keefe Bruyette upgraded the European Banks sector to Neutral from Underweight on valuation as they see limited downside from current levels. Included in the firm's top picks are HSBC Holdings Plc (NYSE: HBC) and Banco Santander SA (NYSE: STD).
• Credit Suisse upgraded the Paper and Forest Products sector to Overweight from Underweight citing valuations and expectations that fundamentals will bottom this fall. The firm raised shares of Temple-Inland Inc (NYSE: TIN) and Smurfit-Stone Container Corporation (NASDAQ: SSCC) to Outperform from Neutral.
• Friedman Billings upgraded shares of Kindred Healthcare Inc (NYSE: KND) to Outperform from Market Perform on valuation following the recent pullback and believes the company is well-positioned to beat modest expectations over the remainder of the year. The firm raised their target to $36 from $29.
• Oppenheimer raised Convergys Corporation (NYSE: CVG) to Outperform from Perform on valuation, as they believe investors should look at the company's business lines separately. Their sum of parts valuation yields an $18 target.

• Suncor Energy Inc (NYSE: SU) was upgraded to Overweight from Neutral at JP Morgan and to Outperform from Market Perform at Friedman Billings.
• UBS upgraded BT Group Plc (NYSE: BT) to Neutral from Sell.
• Broadcom Corporation (NASDAQ: BRCM) was upgraded to Buy from Neutral at Piper.

Analyst upgrades: European Banks, Paper and Forest Products sectors, BRCM, KND and CVG originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Mon, 07 Jul 2008 11:33:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

MOST NOTEWORTHY:

• ING Group upgraded shares of BT Group (NYSE: BT) to Hold from Sell to reflect the company's more stable revenue trend and improving cash flow generation.
  
• Deutsche Bank upgraded shares of Luminent Mortgage Capital (NYSE: LUM) to Hold from Sell, as they believe the company's portfolio is beginning to stabilize and its liquidity has improved.
  
• Goldman upgraded Cognos Inc (NASDAQ: COGN) to Buy from Neutral following its Q2 report.
  
• Thor Industries (NYSE: THO) was raised to Sector Perform from Underperform at RBC Capital Markets. The firm's checks indicate strengthening backlog and lower promotional spending.
  
• Roth Capital believes Watson Pharmaceuticals (NYSE: WPI) is about to enter a growth phase with Paul Bisaro at the helm and is positive on Silodosin potential. The firm upgraded shares to Buy from Hold.

• Bank of the Ozarks (NASDAQ: OZRK) was upgraded to Buy from Neutral at B. Riley.
  
• Bear upgraded Harman International (NYSE: HAR) to Outperform from Market Perform.
  
• Goldman upgraded Packagaing Corporation (NYSE: PKG) and Smurfit-Stone Container (NASDAQ: SSCC) to Buy from Neutral.
  
• Friedman Billings raised Conseco Inc (NYSE: CNO) to Outperform from Market Perform.

Analyst upgrades: BT, LUM, COGN, THO and WPI originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Fri, 28 Sep 2007 11:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

MOST NOTEWORTHY:

• Bank of America upgraded Citigroup Inc (NYSE: C) to Buy from Neutral with a $58 target to reflect the low valuation and the company's opportunities to increase earnings growth over the next year.

• Altria Group (NYSE: MO) was added to Goldman Sachs' Conviction Buy List. The firm believes shares, excluding Kraft (KFT), could reach $76 over the next 12 months. Goldman also thinks Altria may announce a spinoff of its Philip Morris International unit this summer.

• TreeHouse Foods Inc (NYSE: THS) was upgraded to Buy from Sell on valuation at Matrix.

• Suncor Energy Inc (NYSE: SU) was upgraded Buy from Hold at Deutsche Bank.

• Melco PBL Entertainment (NASDAQ: MPEL) was upgraded to Hold from Sell at Citigroup.

• Prudential upped J.M. Smucker Co (NYSE: SJM) to Neutral from Underweight.

• BMO upgraded Smurfit-Stone Container Corp (NASDAQ: SSCC) to Outperform from Market Perform.

• Raymond James upgraded Cbeyond, Inc (NASDAQ: CBEY) to Outperform from Market Perform.

• Stifel upgraded Accenture Ltd (NYSE: ACN) to Buy from Hold with a $44 target.

Analyst upgrades 3-28-07: Citigroup Inc & Altria Group upgraded today originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Wed, 28 Mar 2007 10:31:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

MOST NOTEWORTHY:

• Goldman Sachs upgraded both The Coca-Coca Co (NYSE: KO) and PepsiCo Inc (NYSE: PEP) to Buy from Neutral: The upgrade for Coca-Coca was to reflect the company's recent strong results, and Pepsi's upgrade was to reflect Gatorade's expected profit re-acceleration by the second half of 2007.

• General Mills Inc (NYSE: GIS) was upgraded to Market Perform from Underperform at BMO Capital Markets with a $58 target based on achievable outlook and absence of any negative catalysts.

• Bank of America upgraded Colgate-Palmolive Co (NYSE: CL) to Buy from Neutral with a $74 target. The firm believes Colgate's long-term growth rate can accelerate to 12-13% from 10% on margin upside.

• Prudential upgraded shares of Avon Products Inc (NYSE: AVP) to Neutral from Underweight to reflect the company's improving fundamentals; the firm believes that news over the last six months has been getting more positive.

• Buckingham upgraded Tween Brands Inc (NYSE: TWB) to Accumulate from Neutral.

• CIBC upgraded Cablevision Systems Corp (NYSE: CVC) to Buy from Hold. Raymond James raised Lithia Motors (LAD) to Strong Buy from Market Perform following its Q4 report and guidance.

• First Albany upgraded Stamps.com Inc (NASDAQ: STMP) to Buy from Neutral, with a $19 target.

• Deutsche Bank upgraded International Paper Co (NYSE: IP), Packaging Corp of America (NYSE: PKG) and Smurfit-Stone Container Corp (NASDAQ: SSCC) to Buy from Hold. The firm believes momentum is turning and backlogs and pricing are emerging from the winter doldrums stronger than expected.

Analyst upgrades 2-16-07: Coke & Pepsi upgraded at Goldman originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Fri, 16 Feb 2007 11:28:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.