Aggressive mergers have boosted Oracle's (ORCL) shareholder returns over the years. Now it looks like IBM (IBM) wants to do the same. After all, software companies have fairly high margins and stable revenues. Oh, and the industry is still highly fragmented.

So, even with the recent market instability, this has been no impediment for IBM's merger spree. And the latest move came this week with the $480 million deal for Unica Corp. (UNCA). As a sign of the importance of the transaction, the premium was a whopping 120%.

Continue reading IBM Acquires Unica, Continuing Its Merger Spree

IBM Acquires Unica, Continuing Its Merger Spree originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Sat, 14 Aug 2010 13:40:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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• JP Morgan upgraded shares of Campbell Soup (NYSE: CPB) to Overweight from Neutral as they believe the company's entrance into Russia and China is not priced into shares. JP Morgan also added CPB to their Analyst Focus List.

• UBS upgraded shares of Yum! Brands (NYSE: YUM) to Buy from Neutral based on higher estimates for international, potential debt leverage, and a potential minority spin-off of its China business.

• Lehman upgraded NYSE Euronext (NYSE: NYX) to Overweight from Equal Weight on valuation following the recent weakness. They believe Q2 earnings and a potential S&P 500 Index addition could be a catalyst for gains.

• UBS upgraded Forest Labs (NYSE: FRX) to Buy from Neutral on valuation and their belief that the company will prevail in a patent dispute over Lexapro with Teva Pharmaceutical Industries Ltd (TEVA).

• AG Edwards upgraded International Speedway (NASDAQ: ISCA) to Hold from Sell on valuation...

• Hambrecht upgraded Micron Technology (NYSE: MU) to Buy from Hold.

• JMP Securities raised shares of Equifax (NYSE: EFX) to Outperform from Market Perform.

• Ferris Baker Watts upgraded Unica Corp (NASDAQ: UNCA) to Neutral from Sell.

• Calyon upgraded Discover Financial Services (NYSE: DFS) to Neutral from Sell.

Analyst upgrades 7-11-07: CPB, FRX, NYX and YUM originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Wed, 11 Jul 2007 10:42:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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• JP Morgan cut FormFactor (NASDAQ: FORM) to Underweight from Neutral citing expected competition from Micronics Japan, which has successfully ramped up production at its new advanced probe card factory.

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• Deutsche Bank downgraded shares of China Telecom (NYSE: CHA) to Hold from Buy to reflect slower user growth as the company added 77% fewer fixed-line customers in the first five months of 2007.

• Sempra Energy (NYSE: SRE) was cut to Outperform from its Top Pick rating at RBC Capital following the company's JV announcement with the Royal Bank of Scotland (RBSPY).

• Jefferies downgraded shares of Unica (NASDAQ: UNCA) to Hold from Buy after the company reported lower than expected Q3 licenses to reflect too much variance in execution...

• Linear Technology (NASDAQ: LLTC) was downgraded to Accumulate from Buy at ThinkEquity.

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• Lazard downgraded First Solar (NASDAQ: FSLR) to Hold from Buy.

Analyst downgrades 7-10-07: DCEL, FORM, GGG and RACK originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Tue, 10 Jul 2007 10:21:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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• CIBC cut SanDisk Corp (NASDAQ: SNDK) to Sector Performer from Outperformer on valuation.

• Nationwide Financial (NYSE: NFS) was downgraded to Underweight from Equal-Weight at Morgan Stanley on valuation.

• Ferris Baker cut Unica Corp (NASDAQ: UNCA) to Sell from Hold following the company's announcement that it has dismissed auditors Ernst & Young. Montgomery downgraded Unica to Hold from Buy on valuation.

• International Paper (NYSE: IP) was downgraded to Neutral from Outperform at Credit Suisse on valuation.

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• Lehman downgraded Powerwave Technologies (NASDAQ: PWAV) to Equal-Weight from Overweight.

• Goldman downgraded Target Corp (NYSE: TGT) to Neutral from Buy.

Analyst downgrades 7-02-07: NFS, PWAV, SNDK, TGT and UNCA originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Mon, 02 Jul 2007 10:36:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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• CIBC initiated aQuantive Inc (NASDAQ: AQNT) with a Sector Performer rating and $30 target. The firm believes aQuantive's key challenge is margin pressure from the rising cost of talent, but they expect strong fourth-quarter results.

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• Canaccord started Unica Corp (NASDAQ: UNCA) with a Buy rating and $15 target.

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• Stephens put a $20 target on ACA Capital Holdings Inc (NYSE: ACA) and started the company with an Overweight rating.

• Friedman Billings says Sepracor Inc's (NASDAQ: SEPR) Lunesta faces generic challenges and that 2007 guidance may be hard to achieve; the firm started Sepracor with a Market Perform rating and $58 target.

Analyst initiations 2-14-07: Sepracor, ConAgra initiated today originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Wed, 14 Feb 2007 00:03:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.