by Eric Savitz, Blogger and Columnist, Barron's, Tech Trader Daily
Piper Jaffray analyst Michael Olson today launched coverage of Coinstar with an Overweight rating and $38 price target. The parent of the Redbox video kiosk chain closed yesterday at $31.96.
Olson sees several trends working in the company’s favor.
by Tiernan Ray, Blogger, Barron's, Tech Trader Daily
Collins Stewart analyst Thomas Eagan thinks you may be swapping your Comcast shares for Time Warner Cable sometime soon.
In a note to clients this morning, Eagan writes that investors may rotate out of Comcast if the company decides to invest $12 billion to $14 billion for a stake in GE’s NBC-Universal, as rumored.
by Tiernan Ray, Blogger, Barron's, Tech Trader Daily
The solar technology industry may report a stronger-than-expected third quarter but could face disappointment in subsequent quarters, warns Hapoalim Securities analyst Gordon Johnson in a note to clients today. Johnson says that his checks suggest demand for photovoltaic modules in Germany has been better than expected, raising the prospect that solar tech makers could demonstrate better sales growth and margins than expiated when they report the September quarter.
by Eric Savitz, Blogger and Columnist, Barron's, Tech TraderDaily
So, the latest theory seems to be that Comcast is in talks to buy 20-50 percent of NBC Universal, the TV/movie studio/cable/theme park company owned 80 percent by General Electric and 20 percent by Vivendi.
by Eric Savitz, Blogger and Columnist, Barron's, Tech Trader Daily
Akamai is losing deals in an attempt to hold the line on content deliver network pricing, according to Merriman Curhan Ford analyst Richard Fetyko, who late yesterday cut his rating on the stock to Sell from Hold.
by Eric Savitz, Blogger and Columnist, Barron's, Tech Trader Daily
Global chip revenues in the third quarter are getting a big boost from inventory restocking, according to the research firm iSuppli.
According to iSuppli, in the second quarter inventories dwindled to “lean, but appropriate levels,” in a reversal of the excess inventory levels reached in 2008.
by Tiernan Ray, Blogger, Tech Trader Daily, Barron's
Chinese Web portal and mobile phone content provider Sina’s deal to acquire the billboard operations in China of Focus Media Holding has collapsed today, almost ten months after it was first announced.
by Tiernan Ray, Blogger, Tech Trader Daily, Barron's
Raising estimates on expectations of stronger spending by telephone companies, Barclay’s Capital analyst Jeff Kvaal today raised his rating on Cisco Systems to “Overweight” from “Equal Weight” and raised his price target to $28 from $24. Cisco shares are up $1.12, or 5%, at $23.75.
by Tiernan Ray, Blogger, Tech Trader Daily, Barron's
Xerox shares are coming under heavy pressure this morning after the company announced it would acquire computer services firm Affiliated Computer Services for $63.11 per share in a combination of cash and stock. Xerox said in a press release the deal will make the combined company a $22 billion “global enterprise for document technology” and will advance Xerox in the “$150 billion market for business process outsourcing,” often known as “BPO.”
by Eric Savitz, Blogger and Columnist, Tech Trader Daily, Barron's
Research in Motion shares are getting clobbered this morning after the company yesterday issued weaker-than-expected revenue guidance for the fiscal third quarter ending in November.
by Eric Savitz, Blogger and Columnist, Barron's, Tech Trader Daily
In a lengthy filing with the SEC, Omniture provides a detailed time-line of the events that culminated in its agreement to be acquired by Adobe Systems for $21.50 a share. There are several fascinating aspects to the company’s account.
by Eric Savitz, Blogger and Columnist, Barron's, Tech Trader Daily
Sometimes the good news is the bad news. Or vice versa.
Consider, for instance, today’s call on Microsoft by Caris & Co. analyst Curtis Shauger.
In a research note today, Shauger warned that weakening Xbox sales were likely to hurt top-line results for both the fiscal first quarter ending September and for the June 2010 fiscal year.
by Eric Savitz, Blogger and Columnist, Barron's, Tech Trader Daily
Deutsche Telekom, parent of U.S. mobile operator T-Mobile, is holding talks about gaining access to spectrum controlled by Clearwire and MetroPCS as a way to build out 4G wireless service, according to Bloomberg, which cites “two people familiar with the matter.”
by Eric Savitz, Blogger and Columnist, Barron's, Tech Trader Daily
RealNetworks shares have spiked more than 10 percent this morning, on zero news.
TheStreet.com notes that there has been “heavy upside options activity” in the shares, asserting that “volume was nothing short of explosive” in both the stock and the options.
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