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.

MOST NOTEWORTHY:

• 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.

• Friedman Billings is positive on Vanda Pharmaceuticals Inc's (NASDAQ: VNDA) lead drug candidate, atypical antipsychotic iloperidone, which showed positive data in Ph III studies for schizophrenia; Friedman started the company with an Outperform rating and $40 target.

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

• Oppenheimer initiated Community Bancorp NV (NASDAQ: CBON) with a Buy rating and $38 target.

• Bank of America initiated ConAgra Foods Inc (NYSE: CAG) with a Neutral rating and $27 target based on valuation.

• 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.