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Top Pre-Market Analyst Upgrades (ABMD, ASML, CBG, EMR, LLTC, MATK, NFLX, PEP)

247wallst — Wed, 25 Mar 2009 11:56:47 +0000

These are some of the top pre-market analyst upgrades and positive calls which we have seen early this Wednesday morning:

Abiomed (ABMD) Raised to Buy at UBS.
ASML (ASML) Raised to Buy at ING.
CB Richard Ellis (CBG) Raised to Overweight at JPMorgan; Raised to Outperform at JMP.
Emerson Electric (EMR) Cut to Neutral at Goldman Sachs.
Linear TEch (LLTC) Raised to Overweight at Thomas Weisel.
Martek Biosciences (MATK) Started as Buy at Cantor.
Netflix (NFLX) Started as Market Perform at William Blair.
Pepsico (PEP) Raised to Buy at UBS.

JON C. OGG

Posted in Analyst Calls Tagged: ABMD, ASML, CBG, EMR, LLTC, MATK, NFLX, PEP

Pre-Market Stock News (January 23, 2008)

247wallst — Wed, 23 Jan 2008 07:58:25 +0000

We are full fledged into earnings season now, so most news coverage will point to the current earnings environment and guidance. There are of course drug developments and other contracts awards. Below is a snapshot of some of the key data we saw affecting shares in pre-market trading:

Abbott Laboratories (ABT) $0.93 EPS versus $0.92 estimate; sees Q1 EPS $0.61 to $0.63 versus $0.65 estimates and sees 2008 EPS $3.20 to $3.25 versus $3.22 estimate.
Advanced Energy Industries Inc. (NASDAQ: AEIS) traded down over 10% after after it lowered guidance.
Air Products (APD) $1.16 EPS vs $1.13 estimates.
Apple Inc. (AAPL) trading down 10% after it posted $1.76 EPS on $9.6 Billion revenues; Estimates were $1.62 EPS on revenues of $9.47 Billion; Guidance for next quarter is $0.94 EPS and revenues $6.8 Billion versus estimates of $1.09 EPS on $6.98 Billion in revenues.
Baidu.com (BIDU) announces the formal launch of its Japanese language search engine run by its Japanese subsidiary.
CheckPoint Software (CHKP) trading up almost 5% after $0.46 EPS versus $0.45 est.; Revenues $206.7M vs. $202.3M est.;
CNH Global (CNH) $0.50 EPS versus $0.60 estimate.
Coach (COH) $0.69 EPS vs $0.68 estimate; noted weak mall traffic and decline in average transaction size.
EntreMed (ENMD) is starting its Phase II study with its MKC-1 cell cycle inhibitor in ovarian cancer and advanced endometrial cancer.
Ethan Allen (ETH) posted $0.70 EPS versus $0.68 estimate.
Foster Wheeler (FWLT) trades ex-split to reflect a 2 for 1 stock split.
General Dynamics (GD) $1.42 EPS vs. $1.41 estimate; sees 2008 EPS $5.55 to $5.65 versus $5.73 estimate.
HOKU Scientific Inc. (HOKU) traded down 10% after earnings beat but guidance was deemed light.
INX (INXI) awarded Department of Defense contract to provide up to $21 million in support of a Cisco Systems network pact.
Martek Biosciences (MATK) noted a December publication showed its DHA may help in late-onset Alzheimer’s, although NIH study results will be in 2010.
Parametric (PMTC) $0.26 EPS vs. $0.23 estimate; sees next quarter $0.24 to $0.28 vs. $0.26 estimate; sees 2008 EPS $1.17 to $1.27 vs. $1.16 estimate (revenue in-line).
Praxair (PX) $0.98 EPS vs $0.97 estimate.
Qualcomm (QCOM) expanded relationship with Motorola for chipsets into certain UMTS 3G handsets in 2008 and 2009.
RLI Corp. (RLI) $1.22 EPS versus $1.05 estimate.
Rockwell Automation (ROK) $1.04 EPS vs. $1.01 estimates; guides 200 EPS $4.25 to $4.45 versus $4.38 estimate.
Southwest Airlines (LUV) $0.12 EPS vs. $0.10 estimate ; reigned in 2008 growth plans to 4%-5% capacity.
Texas Instruments Inc. (TXN) has posted earnings of $0.54 EPS and revenues of $3.56 Billion; analysts pegged at $0.52 EPS on $3.58 Billion in revenues; sees Next quarter $0.43 to $0.49 EPS on revenues of $3.27 to $3.55 Billion versus estimates of $0.45 EPS on $3.41 Billion in revenues.
TJX Companies (TJX) was Jim Cramer’s retail pick on CNBC’s MAD MONEY last night.
United Tech (UTX) $1.08 EPS vs. $1.06 estimate; sees 2008 $4.65 to $4.85 versus $4.85 estimate.
Vertex Pharmaceuticals (VRTX) will begin Phase III evaluation of telaprevir for its lead investigational hepatitis C protease inhibitor.
WellPoint (WLP) $1.51 EPS versus $1.51 estimate.
Werner Enterprises (WERN) $0.28 EPS vs. $0.28 estimate.

Jon C. Ogg
January 23, 2008

Does Martek Hold A Key To Treating Alzheimer’s Disease? (MATK)

247wallst — Wed, 23 Jan 2008 07:33:37 +0000

Everyone knows about the current and future epidemic of Alzheimer’s Disease. This disease is largely untreated and most current treatments gear around early diagnosis, slowing the onset, or prolonging the early stages from becoming late-stage Alzheimer’s. Martek Biosciences Corp. (NASDAQ: MATK) has made an announcement this morning about its DHA from microalgae being a possible component in combating Alzheimer’s. The problem is that this was published in December and this looks very preliminary from a mice study.

Barron’s had covered this last year with an article outlining the drug developments from Big Pharma and we ourselves have noted what this may end up doing to the nursing home operations in the U.S. and elsewhere.

In a recent pre-clinical study published in the December 26 issue of the Journal of Neuroscience, an omega-3 fatty acid found in algae called docosahexaenoic acid (or DHA), was found to decrease an important risk factor for late-onset Alzheimer’s disease.

Conducted at the University of California, Los Angeles using a mouse model, a diabetic rat model, and cultured human cells, the study found that DHA increases the production of LR11. This LR11 protein is supposed to be vital in clearing the brain of the enzymes that make the beta amyloid plaques that are thought to be a key cause of Alzheimer’s disease. The investigators used Martek’s DHA from microalgae for a portion of the research.

Martek also noted that the National Institutes of Health is also funding a multi-million dollar clinical study on the effects of vegetarian DHA from microalgae in slowing the progression of Alzheimer’s disease. Those results for now will not be available until 2010. If Martek’s DHA is going to be a key component in treating this, it will likely be one of many different steps and many simultaneous treatments. Unfortunately this Alzheimer’s epidemic is going to be with us for quite some time.

Jon C. Ogg
January 23, 2008