Analyst Upgrades

• Time Warner Cable (TWC) was upgraded to outperform from market perform at Bernstein.
• Citigroup upgraded MEMC Electronic (WFR) and Skilled Healthcare (SKH) to buy from hold at Citigroup.
• Administaff (ASF) was upgraded to buy from hold at Roth Capital.
• The Buckle (BKE) was upgraded to buy from hold at KeyBanc.
• BofA/Merrill upgraded DreamWorks (DWA) to neutral from underperform.
• Corrections Corp. (CXW) was upgraded to buy from neutral at SunTrust.
• Marvell Technology (MRVL) was upgraded to positive from neutral at Susquehanna.

Verint Systems (OTC: VRNT) provides analytic software-based solutions for the security and business intelligence markets. Its analytic solutions collect, retain, and analyze voice, fax, video, email, internet, and data transmissions from voice, video and IP networks, for the purpose of generating actionable intelligence for decision makers.

The company has had a tough last couple of years, but much of the drop was unjustified. Because of filing problems at Verint's parent company, Comverse Technology (OTC: CMVT), Verint was delisted from the Nasdaq and has been trading on the pink sheets. Its business is growing strongly. It continues to sign deals, highlighted by the recent announcement that the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey will expand its deployment of Verint's Nextiva Critical Infrastructure (CI) solution and integrated analytics at all security checkpoints within LaGuardia and Newark Liberty International Airports.

Verint's problem is with low volume -- institutions are unable to take a position in the stock due to the low trading volumes. We expect these low volumes to continue until parent company Comverse Technology resolves its filing situation. Once this takes place, and Israeli Verint re-lists on the Nasdaq, the stock should move up strongly, as it is trading at just 9.7 times next year's estimates and is also near a 50% discount to competitor NICE Systems (NASDAQ: NICE). I am looking for large returns from Verint in '08.

DISCLOSURE: Writer is long VRNT, NICE, and CMVT as of 12/28/07.

Aaron Katsman is the lead Portfolio Manager and Managing Director of America Israel Investment Associates, LLC. and Senior Editor of IsraelNewsletter.com.

MOST NOTEWORTHY: Infineon, Intel and AmerisourceBergen were today's noteworthy upgrades:

• ABN Amro upgraded Infineon Technologies (NYSE: IFX) to Buy from Hold as they expect the shares to outperform given the more stable currency environment and improving DRAM pricing.
  
• Thomas Weisel upgraded shares of Intel Corp. (NASDAQ: INTC) to Overweight from Market Weight citing checks that indicate above seasonal PC demand heading into 2008 driven by emerging markets.
  
• Banc of America upgraded shares of AmerisourceBergen Corp. (NYSE: ABC) to Buy from Neutral as they believe new contract wins for the company's largest PBM customer should help offset soft script volumes in the near-term.

OTHER UPGRADES:

• Goldman added United Tech (NYSE: UTX) to its Conviction Buy List.
  
• The firm also upgraded Telecom Italia (NYSE: TI) to Neutral from Sell.
  
• JP Morgan upgraded Verint Systems (OTC: VRNT) to Neutral from Underperform.

MOST NOTEWORTHY: First Data Corp (FDC), Pinnacle Entertainment, Inc (PNK), Cephalon, Inc (CEPH) and Verint Systems Inc (VRNT) were some of today's downgrades:

• UBS downgraded First Data Corp (NYSE: FDC) to Neutral from Buy following the acquisition by KKR.

• Pinnacle Entertainment (NYSE: PNK) was cut to Hold from Buy at Matrix USA, as the firm believes post-hurricane reconstruction efforts are leading to significant capital expenditures, which limits upside.

• Cephalon Inc (NASDAQ: CEPH) was removed from American Technology's Focus List with shares up 15% in three weeks as the approval of Nuvigil without a Black Box warning has passed.

• JP Morgan cut shares of Verint Systems (NASDAQ: VRNT) to Underweight from Neutral, citing risks and costs associated from the Witness Systems' (WITS) acquisition.

OTHER DOWNGRADES:

• Labor Ready, Inc (NYSE: LRW) was downgraded to Sell from Neutral at Goldman based on the slowdown in U.S. residential construction activity.

• Citigroup downgraded International Paper Co (NYSE: IP) to Hold from Buy with a $39 target.

• Bernstein cut MedImmune, Inc (NASDAQ: MEDI) to Market Perform from Outperform.

• Sanders Morris downgraded Dreamworks Animation SKG, Inc (NYSE: DWA) to Neutral from Buy on valuation.

• JP Morgan downgraded Icagen, Inc (NASDAQ: ICGN) to Neutral from Overweight.

• Friedman Billings cut CompuDyne Corp (NASDAQ: CDCY) to Market Perform from Outperform following Q4 results.

• Roth Capital cut LivePerson, Inc (NASDAQ: LPSN) to Sell from Hold.

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