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Closing Bell: Bulls feel pretty roughed up

Today was another day of strong selling, led by financial stocks and by earnings more than anything major. On last look oil was up more than $1.00 to almost $125.00 per barrel. Today is a reminder that a low valuation alone is not a reason to buy.

Here are today's unofficial closing bell levels:

DJIA 11131.56 (-239.13)
S&P500 1234.75 (-23.01)
NASDAQ 2264.22 (-46.31)
10YR T-NOTE 4.018 (-0.093%)
52-WEEK LOWS (huge list)
TOP ANALYST UPGRADES
TOP ANALYST DOWNGRADES

Kraft Foods Inc. (NYSE: KFT) managed to show its first substantial earnings beat. It also raised guidance on planned price hikes. Shares were up 5.5% in today's final minutes at $31.00.

Continue reading Closing Bell: Bulls feel pretty roughed up

Analyst initiations 4-30-07: BGFV, CVS, IGT, IHP and RATE

MOST NOTEWORTHY: Today's more noteworthy initiations included International Game Technology (IGT), Big 5 Sporting Goods Corp (BGFV), CVS/Caremark Corp (CVS) and IHOP Corp (IHOP):
  • 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.
OTHER INITIATIONS:
  • American Technology initiated shares of Bankrate, Inc (NASDAQ: RATE) with a Buy rating and $48 target.
Analyst summaries provided by TheFlyOnTheWall.com (subscription required).

Analyst initiations 2-14-07: Sepracor, ConAgra initiated today

MOST NOTEWORTHY: aQuantive Inc(AQNT) and Vanda Pharmaceuticals Inc (VNDA) were today's most notable initiations:
  • 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.
OTHER INITIATIONS:
  • 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 summaries provided by TheFlyOnTheWall.com (subscription required).

Symbol Lookup
IndexesChangePrice
DJIA+44.2910,291.26
NASDAQ+15.822,166.90
S&P 500+5.501,098.51

Last updated: November 11, 2009: 11:42 PM

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