BloggingStocks http://www.bloggingstocks.com BloggingStocks http://www.bloggingstocks.com/media/feedlogo.gif BloggingStocks http://www.bloggingstocks.com en-us Copyright 2008 Weblogs, Inc. The contents of this feed are available for non-commercial use only. Blogsmith http://www.blogsmith.com/Before the bell: DB, GM, AAPL, AZNhttp://www.bloggingstocks.com/2008/07/02/before-the-bell-db-gm-aapl-azn/http://www.bloggingstocks.com/2008/07/02/before-the-bell-db-gm-aapl-azn/http://www.bloggingstocks.com/2008/07/02/before-the-bell-db-gm-aapl-azn/#commentsFiled under: , , , , , , , , , ,

Before the bell: Futures higher on SBUX, YHOO, ahead of inventory report

Deutsche Bank (NYSE: DB) shares are trading 4.2% higher in premarket action after the bank, seeking to calm investors, said it expects a profit in its second quarter.

While AT&T Inc. (NYSE: T) unveiled its pricing strategy for Apple Inc. (NASDAQ: AAPL)'s 3G iPhone to go on sale July 11 with a $199 and $299 (with contract) price points as expected, Canadians are outraged over Rogers Communications Inc. (NYSE: RCI)'s 3G iPhone rates and have created an online petition that collected over 19,000 signatures already.

AstraZeneca (NYSE: AZN) rose in Europe and is rising over 2.7% in premarket trading after winning a court case against Teva Pharmaceutical (NASDAQ: TEVA) and the Sandoz unit of Novartis (NYSE: NVS) over patents on its Seroquel schizophrenia drug.

A day after car sales were seen as "not as bad as expected," comes Merrill Lynch and downgrades General Motors (NYSE: GM). Shares are down over 3% in premarket trading.

 

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]]>aaplazndbgminthenewsnvsrcittevaMelly Alazraki2008-07-02T08:20:00+00:00Trade idea for Novartis (NVS) upgradehttp://www.bloggingstocks.com/2008/06/24/trade-idea-for-novartis-nvs-upgrade/http://www.bloggingstocks.com/2008/06/24/trade-idea-for-novartis-nvs-upgrade/http://www.bloggingstocks.com/2008/06/24/trade-idea-for-novartis-nvs-upgrade/#commentsFiled under: , , , , ,

NVS logoNovartis (NYSE: NVS) shares are trading higher today after an analyst at BNP Paribas upgraded the stock to "Neutral" from "Underperform," saying that Novartis was the "surprise winner" at a recent oncology conference. If you think that the stock won't fall by too much in the coming months, then now could be a good time to look at a bullish hedged trade on NVS.

After hitting a one-year high of $59.17 in January, the stock hit a one-year low of $46.19 in April. NVS opened this morning at $53.23. So far today the stock has hit a low of $53.06 and a high of $53.83. As of 12:10, NVS is trading at $53.51, up $1.92 (3.7%). The chart for NVS looks neutral but deteriorating, while S&P gives the stock a neutral 3 STARS (out of 5) hold rating.

For a bullish hedged play on this stock, I would consider an October bull-put credit spread below the $45 range. A bull-put credit spread is an options position that combines the purchase and sale of put options to hedge risk in case the stock doesn't do what you think but still leverage nice returns. For this particular trade, we will make a 5.3% return in four months as long as NVS is above $45 at October expiration. Novartis would have to fall by more than 15% before we would start to lose money. Learn more about this type of trade here.

NVS hasn't been below $45 at all in the past year and has shown support around $49 recently. This trade could be risky if the company's earnings (due out on 7/17) disappoint, but even if that happens, this position could be protected by the support the stock might find around $50 where it formed a bottom over the past month.

Brent Archer is an options analyst and writer at Investors Observer.

DISCLOSURE: Mr. Archer owns and/or controls diversified portfolios of long and short stock and option positions that may include holdings in companies he writes about. At publication time, Brent neither owns nor controls positions in NVS.

 

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]]>Investors ObserverInvestorsObserverNovartisNVSoptionsupgradeBrent Archer2008-06-24T13:42:00+00:00Analyst downgrades: LZ, BMRN and NVShttp://www.bloggingstocks.com/2008/06/12/analyst-downgrades-lz-bmrn-and-nvs/http://www.bloggingstocks.com/2008/06/12/analyst-downgrades-lz-bmrn-and-nvs/http://www.bloggingstocks.com/2008/06/12/analyst-downgrades-lz-bmrn-and-nvs/#commentsFiled under: , ,

MOST NOTEWORTHY: Lubrizol, BioMarin Pharmaceutical and Novartis were today's noteworthy downgrades:
  • Jefferies downgraded shares of Lubrizol (NYSE:LZ) to Hold from Buy as they expect persistent raw material cost pressures to limit upside over the next few quarters. The firm lowered their target price to $60 from $65.
  • Citigroup cut BioMarin (NASDAQ:BMRN) to Hold from Buy after their survey indicated an upside surprise from the Kuvan launch is unlikely. The firm lowered their target price to $37 from $42.
  • HSBC downgraded shares of Novartis (NYSE:NVS) to Underweight from Neutral following the company's stake in Alcon (NYSE:ACL) as they believe it dilutes the company's return on assets.
OTHER DOWNGRADES:

 

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]]>analyst downgradesAnalystDowngradesBRMNDWAKGCLZMSONVSWMIEric Buscemi2008-06-12T11:21:00+00:0040 best stocks to retire rich on, shoppers beware of shrinking products & top-earning celebrities - Today in Money 6/12http://www.bloggingstocks.com/2008/06/12/40-best-stocks-to-retire-rich-on-shoppers-beware-of-shrinking-p/http://www.bloggingstocks.com/2008/06/12/40-best-stocks-to-retire-rich-on-shoppers-beware-of-shrinking-p/http://www.bloggingstocks.com/2008/06/12/40-best-stocks-to-retire-rich-on-shoppers-beware-of-shrinking-p/#commentsFiled under: , , , , , , , , ,

In the News:
· American Icon Anheuser-Busch Gets $46 Billion Offer From Belgium's InBev
· Retail Sales Jump Thanks to Rebate Check Spending
· Mortgage Lender Thornberg Posts $3.3 Billion Quarterly Loss
· State Farm Cuts Gulf Coast Policies
· Steve Jobs Health Concerns Apple Investors
· Martha Stewart Living CEO Resigns
· Mortgage Rates Skyrocket; 30-Year Fixed at 6.5%
· Hedge Fund Fraudster Disappears on Way to Prison

Retire Rich: Best Stocks to Retire On
FORTUNE's trademark long-term portfolio can help put you on the road to a secure future. They include Abbott Labs, Coca-Cola, Procter & Gamble, Cisco, 3M, Walgreen, Cascade, Novaratis and Vodafone to name a few of the 40 stocks on FORTUNE's list.
Fortune 40: Best stocks to retire on - FORTUNE

Shoppers Beware: Products Shrink, But Prices Remain the Same
There's a reason why the tub of ice cream you bought last week looks a tad smaller than ones you bought last summer. It is. Many major ice cream makers, hit by higher dairy costs, have shrunk their standard containers to 1.5 quarts from 1.75 quarts, about 1 cup less. As packaged goods makers' costs rise, they eventually have just two choices: raise prices or put less stuff in the package. While most are trying a price boost first, a growing number are shrinking the contents of their packages -- from Frito Lay's chips to Dial soap to Dreyer's ice cream. Other shrinking products include Hellmann's mayo down to 30 oz. from 32 oz., Cheerios & Wheaties have shrunk 1.5oz., Bounty papertowels down to 60 from 52 towels and more.
Shoppers beware: Products shrink but prices stay the same - USATODAY.com

Safeguard Your Home Before a Disaster Hits
Disaster has stormed through the midwest with record rains and through homes from the Gulf of Mexico to the Atlantic Ocean, with over 1,000 tornadoes reported so far this year. Insured losses due to catastrophe exceeded $3 billion in the first quarter of 2008 -- a new record. Take these steps now to protect your house and valuables -- plus, what to do after disaster hits.
Safeguard Your Home Before a Storm Strikes - Kiplinger.com

America's Money: Debt Crush
Smart spending choices are paying off for Californians Angela and Andrew Sarno while Texan Carla Bowman fights everyday to make ends meet. Americans deep in debt are struggling more than ever amid the credit crisis and economic downturn. See how people got in the hole and what they're doing to get out.
America's Money: Debt crush - CNNMoney.com

Not-So-Rich Airline Rewards
Airline credit cards offer generous rewards. But good luck actually redeeming them.
Airline Cards Offer Big Rewards at a Big Price -SmartMoney

Newest Summer Sun Care Products 2008
Not only do today's sun-care products offer better protection from damaging UVA and UVB rays, they're also more innovative and come in a wide array of prices.
Photo Gallery of New Sun Care Products - BusinessWeek

Top Earning Celebrities
How much do top celebs earn? Can you believe Simon Cowell made over $70 million last year and Ryan Seacrest over $20 million? According to Forbes the top earner over the past year was JK Rowling with $300 million. Oprah made $275 million and 50 Cent $150 million.
The Celebrity 100 - Forbes.com

Tech Free Celebs
You might not be able to live without e-mail or your cellphone but here are some celebs who do. Paul McCartney doesn't know how to operate ATMs and isnt into email. Vince Vaughn doesn't have a cell phone, Simon Cowell doesn't own an MP3 player or a computer, Billy Bob Thornton doesn't use email, Tom Cruise shuns cellphones and email to name a few.
Celebs Who Do Without - Forbes.com

 

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]]>Allan Halprin2008-06-12T08:45:00+00:00Before the bell: AAPL, BAC, WB, YHOO, NVS, GM ...http://www.bloggingstocks.com/2008/06/04/before-the-bell-aapl-bac-wb-yhoo-nvs-gm/http://www.bloggingstocks.com/2008/06/04/before-the-bell-aapl-bac-wb-yhoo-nvs-gm/http://www.bloggingstocks.com/2008/06/04/before-the-bell-aapl-bac-wb-yhoo-nvs-gm/#commentsFiled under: , , , , , , , , , , ,

Before the bell: Stocks head for lower open, again

Well, with this latest deal, Apple Inc. (NASDAQ: AAPL) has all but confirmed what the next iPhone will be. Japanese mobile-phone operator Softbank Corp. said Wednesday that it reached an agreement with Apple to sell its iPhones by the end of the year. Japan has 103 million sophisticated mobile users, already paying up for high-tech phones. So far, speculation was that Apple will close a deal with NTT DoCoMo, but Softbanks it is. The phone will likely support 3G networks.

Merrill Lynch cut its price target to $27 from $28 for Bank of America (NYSE: BAC), saying Countrywide Financial's cumulative losses are likely to rise to between $10 billion and $12 billion, causing writedowns for its buyer and being a big EPS drag. It kept its Underperform rating for the stock.

While BofA paid $4 billion for Countrywide, Wachovia (NYSE: WB) paid $25 billion for Golden West Financial, which turned out to be a disastrous acquisition.

In deal news, Swiss drugmaker Novartis (NYSE: NVS) on Wednesday said it would pay as much as $400 million for Protez Pharmaceuticals, a closely held U.S. maker of antibiotics to fight hospital-acquired infections, the "superbug." It has also outlined its pipeline of vaccines under development. Cowen & Co. upgraded Novartis from Neutral to Outperform.

Yahoo Inc (NASDAQ: YHOO) on Tuesday set its annual shareholder meeting on for August 1. This will be an interesting one to say the least as management, directors and shareholder brace for a showdown with billionaire activist investor Carl Icahn, who is mounting a proxy fight for control of Yahoo and may seek to remove Jerry Yang as Yahoo CEO.

General Motors (NYSE: GM) said Tuesday its sales fell 28% in May compared to a year earlier, with a 37% decline in truck and SUV sales and a 14% drop in car sales. Ford Motor Co. (NYSE: F)'s sales fell 16% for the month, while Chrysler LLC's sales were down 25% and Toyota Motor Corp. (NYSE: TM)'s sales slipped 4%. Overall sales were down 11% compared to last May, according to Autodata Corp.

 

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]]>aaplbacfgminthenewsnvstmwbyhooMelly Alazraki2008-06-04T08:22:00+00:00Pre-market movers: GM, NVS, WB ...http://www.bloggingstocks.com/2008/06/02/pre-market-movers-gm-nvs-wb/http://www.bloggingstocks.com/2008/06/02/pre-market-movers-gm-nvs-wb/http://www.bloggingstocks.com/2008/06/02/pre-market-movers-gm-nvs-wb/#commentsFiled under: , , ,

Acorda Therapeutics (NASDAQ: ACOR) shares are up 18% on news of positive drug trials.

GM (NYSE: GM) is up over 4% after a positive article in Barrons.

Novartis (NYSE: NVS) is up almost 4% on news that one of it cancer drugs has new applications.

Harris Bank (NYSE: HRS) is up 3% on comments by its CEO that the bank is not for sale.

Wachovia (NYSE: WB) is off over 3% on news that it has fired its CEO.

Stocks may trade differently in the pre-market than they do in the regular session.

Douglas A. McIntyre is an editor at 247walls.com.

 

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]]>ACORGMHRSNVSWBDouglas McIntyre2008-06-02T08:12:00+00:00Early analyst callshttp://www.bloggingstocks.com/2008/06/02/early-analyst-calls/http://www.bloggingstocks.com/2008/06/02/early-analyst-calls/http://www.bloggingstocks.com/2008/06/02/early-analyst-calls/#commentsFiled under: , ,

RBC downgraded Canadian Pacific (NYSE: CP) to "sector perform" from "outperform," according to Briefing.com. The news service also reports Morgan Stanley downgraded LDK Solar (NYSE: LDK) to "equal weight" from "overweight."

Novartis (NYSE: NVS) was started as "overweight" at JPMorgan, according to 24/7 Wall St. The financial site also reports that Weyerhaeuser (NYSE: WY) was cut to "hold " at Deutsche Bank.

 

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]]>CPLDKNVSWYDouglas McIntyre2008-06-02T07:54:00+00:00Can cancer drugs help pharma sales?http://www.bloggingstocks.com/2008/05/19/can-cancer-drugs-help-pharma-sales/http://www.bloggingstocks.com/2008/05/19/can-cancer-drugs-help-pharma-sales/http://www.bloggingstocks.com/2008/05/19/can-cancer-drugs-help-pharma-sales/#commentsFiled under: , , , , , , ,

Almost everyone these days has encountered cancer in one way or another. While the rate of cancer incidence has stabilized to declined since the early 1990s and, with newer and better treatments as well as early detection, cancer death rates have also declined, the war on cancer is still far from won.

It is no surprise, then, that a few days ago, IMS Health (NYSE: RX) -- a provider of market intelligence to the pharmaceutical and healthcare industries -- said that cancer drugs sales will nearly double by the year 2012. Assuming a compound growth rate of 12-15% a year, sales will grow from $48 billion in 2008 to $80 billion by 2012.

The main contributors to growth, according to the study, are an increasing number of patients on chemotherapy, not just in major markets but in emerging markets, too, as well as longer treatment periods for growing numbers of patients. Also fueling growth are the increased use of targeted therapeutic agents, along with first-time innovations coming to the market. Expensive new biotechnology drugs, and the increasing use of combination therapies that contribute to the exploding cost of treatment will also fuel cancer drugs sales growth.

The overall pharmaceutical market grew at a 6.4% pace in 2007, meaning that with its double-digit growth rate, the cancer drug market -- today contributing 17% to global pharmaceutical sales -- will only represent a greater proportion and emphasis. Of course, there will be factors moderating growth, such as drugs losing exclusivity and financial constraints of payers.

Cancer-fighting drugs can reach the market twice as fast as the average medicine, and companies can charge as much as $50,000 for a single course of treatment. It is no surprise then that with more and more drugs coming off patent many pharma companies are turning their attention to cancer. But can it save them?

Only recently, Pfizer Inc. (NYSE: PFE) has put several key people to head the different segments of its oncology arm, saying the company will focus on increasing the current 5% contribution of oncology drugs to its annual sales. Pfizer has boosted antitumor research 60% since 2005, and has something to show for it with the industry's biggest batch of experimental cancer drugs:18 potential medicines targeted against pancreatic, breast and lung cancers, although it has no oncology drugs awaiting approval now.

Pfizer isn't alone, of course. AstraZeneca (NYSE: AZN), GlaxoSmithkline (NYSE: GSK) and Novartis (NYSE: NVS) are testing more than a dozen antitumor drugs each and they're not alone.

Still, most cancer drugs in research today are not expected to be blockbusters. While some could bring sales in the billions, most will have sales of a few hundred million at best. This is very different from the many billions in revenue pharmas are used to with blockbusters like Pfizer's Lipitor, a cholesterol medicine that produced sales of $12.7 billion in 2007. Many of these blockbusters, though, are slowly coming off patent, so capturing the oncology drug market that can bring in the billions could be crucial for big pharmas. It is no surprise, then, that many analysts waited last Thursday for the American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) abstract report, which includes 5,000 research studies, to try and identify the next potential successes.

The ASCO conference itself will be at the end of the month, May 30-June 2 in Chicago. Many of the studies submitted in the abstract will have updated results then. For now, though, some say that the early winners are Genentech Inc. (NYSE: DNA), Celgene Corp. (NASDAQ: CELG) and Medarex Inc. (NASDAQ: MEDX). (Onyx Pharmaceuticals Inc. (NASDAQ: ONXX) and OSI Pharmaceuticals Inc. (NASDAQ: OSIP) look the opposite.)

But Genentech and Celgene already spend a lot on cancer research, and already have blockbuster oncology drugs like Avastin, a treatment for colorectal and non-small cell lung cancers and Herceptin for breast cancer (both Genentech's). The question is where were the big pharmas in all this?

Well, they tried:
  • Eli Lilly & Co. (NYSE: LLY) is awaiting approval for Enzastaurin, its non-hodgkin's lymphoma drug late 2010 / early 2011 and for Arzoxifene for osteoporosis and prevention of breast cancer, and also has quite a list of oncology drugs clinical trials going on. The company says a new study showed Alimta delayed growth in lung cancer when used soon after initial chemotherapy. This could support broader use of Alimta, which had $854 million in sales last year.
  • Pfizer said that study results across several difficult-to-treat cancers will be presented at ASCO. Most notable, though, is Pfizer's tests for Sutent for use in breast cancer, perhaps competing with Avastin there.
  • GlaxoSmithKline PLC (NYSE: GSK) announced that its Tykerb drug combined with Genentech's Herceptin increased progression-free survival in women with HER2-positive, advanced breast cancer to 12 weeks versus 8.1 weeks for Tykerb alone.
  • Bristol-Myers Squibb (NYSE: BMY), which co-markets ImClone Systems' (NASDAQ: IMCL) colon cancer drug Erbitux -- another example of a best-seller cancer drug from a smaller company -- was mentioned by 100 study abstracts. As for Erbitux, though, its sales could be hurt from studies that showed the drug is useless in nearly half of colon cancer patients and that now a simple gene test could determine compatibility ahead of time. Amgen's Vectibix will likely be affected by these findings as well.
  • Speaking of Amgen Inc. (NASDAQ: AMGN), it also provided an abstract to a study that showed that according to early test results, its experimental drug Denosumab was more effective than Novartis's Zometa in halting cancer's spread to bones and preventing fractures in cancer patients.
Notably missing were Merck & Co. (NYSE: MRK) and Wyeth Inc. (NYSE: WYE), although it's possible they were hidden somewhere inside the 5,000 abstracts.

Regardless, even the above examples were not the most exciting studies found.

Luckily for cancer patients, drug companies have something to strive for as more of their other blockbuster drugs go off patent and sales decline. With more research & development going into oncology drugs, this could be a win-win situation all around. The question is whether big pharmas are doing enough to move in that direction. It seems that some are and others are not, with Glaxo, AstraZeneca, Novartis and Pfizer, along with smaller Amgen and Lilly, actually poised better than Wyeth and Merck to improve in that market. DNA and CELG have long been oncology favorites, with good reason.

Now if only now a company could find the ultimate cure or vaccine, that'd be great for patients, sales and shareholders!

 

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]]>amgnascoaznbmycancercelgdnafeaturedgskimclllymedxmrknvsoncologyonxxosippferxwyeMelly Alazraki2008-05-19T15:10:00+00:00Novartis (NVS) blood-pressure drug well-receivedhttp://www.bloggingstocks.com/2008/05/15/novartis-nvs-blood-pressure-drug-well-received/http://www.bloggingstocks.com/2008/05/15/novartis-nvs-blood-pressure-drug-well-received/http://www.bloggingstocks.com/2008/05/15/novartis-nvs-blood-pressure-drug-well-received/#commentsFiled under: , , ,

NVS logoNovartis (NYSE: NVS) shares are trading higher today after the company announced that its high blood pressure drug Tecturna HCT works twice as well as the previous treatment. If you think that the stock won't fall by too much in the coming months, then now could be a good time to look at a bullish hedged trade on NVS.

After hitting a one-year high of $59.17 in January, the stock hit a one-year low of $46.19 in April. NVS opened this morning at $50.96. So far today the stock has hit a low of $50.74 and a high of $51.10. As of 12:10, NVS is trading at $50.95, up 0.82 (1.6%). The chart for NVS looks bullish and steady, while S&P gives the stock a neutral 3 STARS (out of 5) hold rating.

For a bullish hedged play on this stock, I would consider a July bull-put credit spread below the $45 range. A bull-put credit spread is an options position that combines the purchase and sale of put options to hedge risk in case the stock doesn't do what you think but still leverage nice returns. For this particular trade, we will make a 4.2% return in just two months as long as NVS is above $45 at July expiration. Novartis would have to fall by more than 11% before we would start to lose money. Learn more about this type of trade here.

NVS hasn't been below $46 at all in the past year and has shown support around $50 recently. This trade could be risky if one of the company's drugs gets into trouble with the FDA, but even if that happens, this position could be protected by the support the stock might find around $46, where it bottomed out about a month ago.

Brent Archer is an options analyst and writer at Investors Observer.

DISCLOSURE: Mr. Archer owns and/or controls diversified portfolios of long and short stock and option positions that may include holdings in companies he writes about. At publication time, Brent neither owns nor controls positions in NVS.

 

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]]>Investors ObserverInvestorsObserverNovartisNVSoptionsBrent Archer2008-05-15T14:36:00+00:00Analyst upgrades: LINC, SONS and NVShttp://www.bloggingstocks.com/2008/05/09/analyst-upgrades-linc-sons-and-nvs/http://www.bloggingstocks.com/2008/05/09/analyst-upgrades-linc-sons-and-nvs/http://www.bloggingstocks.com/2008/05/09/analyst-upgrades-linc-sons-and-nvs/#commentsFiled under: , , ,

MOST NOTEWORTHY: Lincoln Educational, Sonus Networks and Novartis were today's noteworthy upgrades:
  • Lehman upgraded Lincoln Educational (NASDAQ: LINC) to Overweight from Equal Weight based on improving student enrollment growth and valuation.
  • Merriman upgraded Sonus Networks (NASDAQ: SONS) to Buy from Neutral on the company's strong AT&T (NYSE: T) outlook and near-term upside potential from Japan. They believe shares can trade towards the $5-$6 range.
  • Bernstein raised Novartis (NYSE: NVS) to Outperform from Market Perform as they believe the company's diversification position it well to withstand future generic expiries.
OTHER UPGRADES:

 

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]]>analystbkcburger kingBurgerKingfreightcarimperial tobaccoImperialTobaccoitylinclincolnnovartisnvsrailsonssonusupgradeEric Buscemi2008-05-09T10:56:00+00:00Battle of the Brands: Tylenol vs. Excedrinhttp://www.bloggingstocks.com/2008/05/07/battle-of-the-brands-tylenol-vs-excedrin/http://www.bloggingstocks.com/2008/05/07/battle-of-the-brands-tylenol-vs-excedrin/http://www.bloggingstocks.com/2008/05/07/battle-of-the-brands-tylenol-vs-excedrin/#commentsFiled under: , ,

This post is part of our Battle of the Brands feature. Let us know which brand you prefer, and check out other Battle of the Brands posts.

Tylenol is probably the most recognizable brand name for the pain reliever acetaminophen. In addition to being a pain reliever, Tylenol also reduces fevers. It was created in 1955 as Tylenol Elixir for children, and was the first aspirin-free pain reliever. It was initially available only by prescription, but became available without a prescription in 1960.

The product is made and marketed by McNeil Consumer Healthcare, a brand owned by Johnson & Johnson (NYSE: JNJ). Tylenol falls within the Consumer segment of J&J, which had sales of $14.5 billion in 2007. Over-the-counter pharmaceuticals represented $5.1 billion in sales, or 35% of the segment's sales.

Excedrin is a pain reliever that combines acetaminophen, aspirin, and caffeine. (Caffeine is known to enhance the effectiveness of aspirin and acetaminophen.) It's a product of Novartis (NYSE: NVS), a Switzerland-based company that bought the Bristol-Myers Squibb (NYSE: BMY) consumer medicine business in 2005. Novartis produces a variety of consumer health care products, with 2007 revenue of $39.8 billion.

These two products seem to have a loyal customer base with different characteristics. Tylenol appeals more families because of the products for children and because of Tylenol's known fever-reducing properties. Excedrin appeals more to those with severe or chronic pain, as it has been marketed for years as the product the alleviates the worst pains. (I'll take neither, thank you. Give me straight up ibuprofen any day!)

Vote in our poll for Tylenol or Excedrin as your preferred brand, and let us know in the comments why you love it.

 

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]]>acetaminophenaspirinBattle of the BrandsBMYBristol-MyersexcedrinibuprofenJNJJohnson and JohnsonMcNeilNovartisNVStylenolTracy Coenen2008-05-07T19:00:00+00:00Analyst upgrades: GOOG, ROST and NVShttp://www.bloggingstocks.com/2008/04/18/analyst-upgrades-goog-rost-and-nvs/http://www.bloggingstocks.com/2008/04/18/analyst-upgrades-goog-rost-and-nvs/http://www.bloggingstocks.com/2008/04/18/analyst-upgrades-goog-rost-and-nvs/#commentsFiled under: , , ,

MOST NOTEWORTHY: Google, Ross Stores and Novartis were today's noteworthy upgrades:
  • Jefferies upgraded Google (NASDAQ: GOOG) to Buy from Hold to reflect the company's "impressive" improvements in monetization in Q1, no signs of weakness from the economic downturn and upside potential from display, video and mobile.
  • Lehman upgraded Ross Stores (NASDAQ: ROST) to Overweight from Equal Weight and believes the company's 2008 guidance of 8-9% sales growth and up to 20% bps in margin expansion will prove conservative.
  • Morgan Stanley upped Novartis (NYSE: NVS) to Overweight from Underweight on valuation and expectations for positive news flow from the company's vaccine division.
OTHER UPGRADES:
  • JP Morgan upgraded Bladex to Neutral from Underweight.
  • William Blair raised Watsco (NYSE: WSO) to Outperform from Market Perform.
  • SunTrust (NYSE: STI) was upgraded at Baird to Neutral from Underperform.

 

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]]>analystbladexblxgooggooglenovartisnvsross storesRossStoresroststisuntrustupgradewatscowsoEric Buscemi2008-04-18T11:00:00+00:00Analyst downgrades: AAPL, NVS, WFC, WM and IFXhttp://www.bloggingstocks.com/2008/04/08/analyst-downgrades-aapl-nvs-wfc-wm-and-ifx/http://www.bloggingstocks.com/2008/04/08/analyst-downgrades-aapl-nvs-wfc-wm-and-ifx/http://www.bloggingstocks.com/2008/04/08/analyst-downgrades-aapl-nvs-wfc-wm-and-ifx/#commentsFiled under: , , , , ,

MOST NOTEWORTHY: Apple, Novartis and Infineon were today's noteworthy downgrades:
  • Morgan Keegan downgraded Apple (NASDAQ: AAPL) to Underperform from Market Perform citing increased evidence of broad-based weakness in consumer technology spending in the U.S. and Europe. Additionally, the firm expects challenges in the company's education vertical due to state and local budget issues, which could lead to decelerating growth over the next 2-3 quarters.
  • Bear Stearns downgraded Novartis(NYSE: NVS) to Peer Perform from Outperform following the acquisition of Alcon (NYSE: ACL), as they find the deal expensive.
  • Credit Suisse cut Infineon (NYSE: IFX) to Neutral from Outperform to reflect weakness in the U.S. dollar.
OTHER DOWNGRADES:
  • Goldman downgraded Wells Fargo (NYSE: WFC) and Zions Bancorp (ZION) to Neutral from Buy.
  • Keefe Bruyette cut Washington Mutual (NYSE: WM) to Underperform from Market Perform.
  • Baird downgraded Flowserve (NYSE: FLS) to Neutral from Outperform.

 

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]]>aaplanalystappledowngradeflowserveflsifxinfineoninthenewsnovartisnvswashington mutualWashingtonMutualwells fargoWellsFargowfcwmzionzions bancorpZionsBancorpEric Buscemi2008-04-08T11:03:00+00:00Analyst upgrades: AXP, MET, BK, NYX, PSUN and NVShttp://www.bloggingstocks.com/2008/04/08/analyst-upgrades-axp-met-bk-nyx-psun-and-nvs/http://www.bloggingstocks.com/2008/04/08/analyst-upgrades-axp-met-bk-nyx-psun-and-nvs/http://www.bloggingstocks.com/2008/04/08/analyst-upgrades-axp-met-bk-nyx-psun-and-nvs/#commentsFiled under: , , , , ,

MOST NOTEWORTHY: The Brokers and Asset Managers sector, Pacific Sunwear and Metabasis Therapeutics were today's noteworthy upgrades:
  • Goldman upgraded the Brokers and Asset Management sector to Attractive from Neutral as they believe an inflection point has been reached for stocks with minimal credit exposure, or where exposure is marked to market. Goldman expects the problem to shift to regional banks and specialty finance from brokers. As such, Goldman upgraded American Express (NYSE: AXP), Metlife (NYSE: MET), Bank of New York Mellon (NYSE: BK), Franklin Resources (NYSE: BEN), Janus Capital (NYSE: JNS) and NYSE Euronext (NYSE: NYX) to Buy from Neutral.
  • Wachovia upgraded Pacific Sunwear (NASDAQ: PSUN) to Outperform from Market Perform based on valuation, merchandising improvements, operating efficiencies, favorable product mix, and reductions in underperforming categories.
  • Rodman & Renshaw raised Metabasis (NASDAQ: MBRX) to Outperform from Market Perform on valuation given the potential for MB07803.
OTHER UPGRADES:
  • HSBC raised Novartis (NYSE: NVS) to Neutral from Underweight.
  • UBS (NYSE: UBS) was upgraded at Morgan Stanley to Equal Weight from Underweight.

 

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]]>american expressAmericanExpressanalystaxpbank of new yorkBankOfNewYorkbenbkfranklin resourcesFranklinResourcesinthenewsjanusjnsmbrxmetmetabasismetlifenovartisnvsnysenyxpacific sunwearPacificSunwearpsunubsupgradeEric Buscemi2008-04-08T10:58:00+00:00Before the bell: SBUX, NKE, AAPL, AXP, WFC, WM, GRMN ...http://www.bloggingstocks.com/2008/04/08/before-the-bell/http://www.bloggingstocks.com/2008/04/08/before-the-bell/http://www.bloggingstocks.com/2008/04/08/before-the-bell/#commentsFiled under: , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Before the bell: Stocks lower after Alcoa, AMD, ahead of housing data

Nike (NYSE: NKE) unveiled its Olympics 2008 line Monday, its largest effort for the games ever. Nike actually created products in every sport at the games despite not being an official sponsor of the games like its rival Adidas. As for the U.S. team, it will be attired in Polo Ralph Lauren (NYSE: RL) garb.

If Apple Inc. (NASDAQ: AAPL) was upgraded Monday, today it finds itself on the flip side with a downgrade from Morgan Keegan from Market Perform to Underperform. Ummmm, contrarian is one thing, but I'm not so sure about that one. AAPL shares are down nearly 1.5% in premarket trading.

Meanwhile, according to MarketWatch, Goldman Sachs has upgraded some brokers and asset managers, but is remaining cautious on regional banks, mortgage and specialty finance and REITs. American Express (NYSE: AXP), Metlife (NYSE: MET), Bank of New York Mellon (NYSE: BK), NYSE Euronext (NYSE: NYX) and several others all were upgraded to Buy. Wells Fargo (NYSE: WFC) and several others were cut to neutral.

As for Washinton Mutual (NYSE: WM), the WSJ now says its cash infusion could reach $7 billion. Meanwhile, Keefe Bruyette downgraded WM from Market Perform to Underperform.

Other notable downgrades include:
Soleil downgraded Garmin (NASDAQ: GRMN) from Buy to Hold and lowered the target price from $90 to $60.
Bear Stearns lowered Novartis (NYSE: NVS) from Outperform to Peer Perform.

Last but not least for now, Starbucks Corp. (NASDAQ: SBUX), in its ongoing effort since Schultz returned to the CEO role to spur sales especially in the U.S., will start serving up a new "everyday" brew Tuesday. To mark the launch of the "everyday" brew, Starbucks will give away free 8 oz. cups of Pike Place Roast at more than 7,000 U.S. stores beginning at 12 p.m. Tuesday for half an hour.

 

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]]>aaplaxpbkgrmninthenewsnkenvsnyxrlsbuxwfcwmMelly Alazraki2008-04-08T08:37:00+00:00Closing Bell: Bulls ran too hard early on, had to snoozehttp://www.bloggingstocks.com/2008/04/07/closing-bell-bulls-ran-too-hard-early-on-had-to-snooze/http://www.bloggingstocks.com/2008/04/07/closing-bell-bulls-ran-too-hard-early-on-had-to-snooze/http://www.bloggingstocks.com/2008/04/07/closing-bell-bulls-ran-too-hard-early-on-had-to-snooze/#commentsFiled under: , , , ,

Traders came in this morning wanting to carry on from last week's stability on word that Washington Mutual, Inc. (NYSE: WM) was perhaps going to get a private equity bailout. At least a lifeline was the hope. But throughout the day shares slid from a 100 point gain to close mostly flat on the day as the market decided it had better get ready to go into earnings season yet again for Q1 2008 earnings reports from major companies. Below are the unofficial closes for US index levels:
Apple, Inc. (NASDAQ: AAPL) up today after a price target upgrade by Thomas Weisel Partners today. Shares closed up almost 2% at $155.89.


Dell, Inc. (NASDAQ: DELL) continued its slide from last week as Wall Street is losing its patience. Shares closed down another 1.5% at $19.23.

Ford Motor Company (NYSE: F) closed up 3.7% at $6.78 today after Barron's noted that shares of the US auto maker could double over the next year.

Novartis AG (ADR) (NYSE: NVS) was down on news they are to spend $39 billion for a majority stake in Alcon, a U.S. eye-care company from food and beverage company, Nestle. Shares closed down 4% at $50.00.

NVIDIA Corporation (NASDAQ: NVDA) was up on an upgrade by AmTech Research. After the slide this one has seen, any up day will be a welcome sign for investors. Shares are up over 2% to $19.23.

Washington Mutual, Inc. (NYSE: WM) was up on speculation that private-equity TPG could give them a $5 billion liquidity boost. Shares closed up 29% at $13.15 today.

Westlake Chemical Corporation (NYSE: WLK) was up on a UBS upgrade to Buy from Neutral. Shares are up 11% at $17.67 on the upgrade.

 

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]]>AAPLamtech researchAmtechResearchDELLFNVDANVSprivate equityPrivateEquityubs upgradeUbsUpgradeWLKJon Ogg2008-04-07T16:45:00+00:00Analyst downgrades: STX, NT, TJX, NVS and ANNhttp://www.bloggingstocks.com/2008/04/07/analyst-downgrades-stx-nt-tjx-nvs-and-ann/http://www.bloggingstocks.com/2008/04/07/analyst-downgrades-stx-nt-tjx-nvs-and-ann/http://www.bloggingstocks.com/2008/04/07/analyst-downgrades-stx-nt-tjx-nvs-and-ann/#commentsFiled under: , , ,

MOST NOTEWORTHY: Seagate, Nortel Networks and Ann Taylor were today's noteworthy downgrades:
  • Thomas Weisel downgraded Seagate (NYSE: STX) to Market Weight from Overweight as they believe the company's growth will be more muted given high existing market share and overall industry growth.
  • Baird downgraded Nortel (NYSE: NT) to Neutral from Outperform citing checks that indicate deteriorating US Enterprise sales in the last few weeks of Q1. The firm now expects companies to guide flat QoQ instead of up and to make cautious 2H08 comments.
  • Ann Taylor (NYSE: ANN) was cut to Neutral from Buy at Piper to reflect concerns over the LOFT division as well as consumer spending.
OTHER DOWNGRADES:

 

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]]>analystannann taylorAnnTaylordowngradehartfordhiginthenewsnortelnovartisntnvsseagatestxtjxEric Buscemi2008-04-07T11:22:00+00:00Toxic stocks, Unclaimed tax refunds could be yours & worst places to get sued in U.S. - Today in Money 4/7http://www.bloggingstocks.com/2008/04/07/toxic-stocks-unclaimed-tax-refunds-could-be-yours-and-worst-place/http://www.bloggingstocks.com/2008/04/07/toxic-stocks-unclaimed-tax-refunds-could-be-yours-and-worst-place/http://www.bloggingstocks.com/2008/04/07/toxic-stocks-unclaimed-tax-refunds-could-be-yours-and-worst-place/#commentsFiled under: , , , , , ,

In the News:
· Novartis Spending $38 Billion for U.S. Eye-care Firm Alcon
· Microsoft's Ultimatum to Yahoo
· Yahoo Says Not Opposed to Deal, but at Higher Price
· Yahoo Reveals Details of Its New Ad Sales System
· Washington Mutual Reportedly Close to $5 Billion Cash Insfusion From Private Equity Firm
· Chinese Tycoon Reportedly Gets 19 Years in Prison
· Airline Passenger Complaints Soaring
· British Grocery Chain Hits America With Fresh Ideas

Beware These 'Toxic' Stocks
Certain shares may appear enticing now but they could poison your portfolio later. On the list: Valero, Williams-Sonoma, and Winnebago.
Beware These 'Toxic' Stocks - BusinessWeek

IRS Holding Billions in Unclaimed Tax Refunds, but You Better Act Fast!
Three years ago, around 1.3 million individuals apparently decided they had better things to do than file their 2004 tax returns, even though they were due refunds. In total, almost $1.2 billion worth of refunds from that tax year is still sitting in the Internal Revenue Service account. Taxpayers can still get their old refund checks, which the IRS says could amount to more than $700 for some folks. But the claim, via a 2004 Form 1040, must be made by April 15.
IRS holding billions in old, unclaimed tax refunds

Worst Places to Get Sued in America
Be warned. Even lawyers dread heading to court in these jurisdictions. They include Los Angeles, Miami/Dade County, Atlantic City and Starr County, TX.
The Worst Places To Get Sued In America - Forbes.com

Credit Woes May Hinder College-Bound
The credit crunch will make it harder for many families to pay for college this fall, particularly if their children plan to attend high-cost private or out-of-state schools. Federal student loans remain available, but the caps on how much students can borrow have lagged far behind college costs. Freshmen, for instance, can't borrow more than $3,500 in federal loans. And other sources of funding are drying up.
Credit woes may hinder college-bound - USATODAY.com

Airlines Tack on Even More Fees
With fees for everything from extra baggage to a bag of in-flight chips, it's next to impossible to fly somewhere these days without being dinged by added charges. Sky-high fuel costs have carriers tacking on even more fees. Here's how to avoid them.
Airlines Tack On Even More Fees (Deal of the Day: Personal Finance) at SmartMoney.com

 

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]]>Allan Halprin2008-04-07T08:39:00+00:00Novartis buying Nestle's chunk in Alconhttp://www.bloggingstocks.com/2008/04/07/novartis-buying-nestles-chunk-in-alcon/http://www.bloggingstocks.com/2008/04/07/novartis-buying-nestles-chunk-in-alcon/http://www.bloggingstocks.com/2008/04/07/novartis-buying-nestles-chunk-in-alcon/#commentsFiled under: , ,

Just announced this morning, global drug manufacturer Novartis (NYSE: NVS) is offering to buy a minority stake in the world's largest eye-care firm, Alcon (NYSE: ACL), by buying the stake from food conglomerate Nestle (OTC: NSRGY).

Essentially, the deal is to happen in two parts. The first stage appears to be a purchase of a 25% stake in Alcon for around $11 billion. This purchase comes with an option to purchase an additional 52% stake for about $28 billion.

Novartis will pay $143.18 a share for the purchase of the 25% stake. The option to purchase the 52% stake will come at a fixed share price of $181 and can come between 2010 and 2011.

From a statement on Nestle's website, the food maker plans to use the proceeds to reduce debt and the cash will also "support opportunities for profitable growth in line with the group's nutrition, health and wellness orientation.''

Zack Miller is the managing editor of IsraelNewsletter.com and a former equity analyst for a leading multinational hedge fund.

 

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]]>aclalcondealinthenewsMAnestlenovartisnsrgynvsZack Miller2008-04-07T08:33:00+00:00Before the bell: Sentiment improves on WaMu, Novarits deal; AA on taphttp://www.bloggingstocks.com/2008/04/07/before-the-bell-sentiment-improves-on-wamu-novarits-deal-aa-o/http://www.bloggingstocks.com/2008/04/07/before-the-bell-sentiment-improves-on-wamu-novarits-deal-aa-o/http://www.bloggingstocks.com/2008/04/07/before-the-bell-sentiment-improves-on-wamu-novarits-deal-aa-o/#commentsFiled under: , , , , , , , , , , ,

Stock futures were higher Monday morning as reports of a cash injection into WaMu as well as a big pharma deal hit the news. Also, Monday marks the beginning of earnings season as the first of the Dow companies, Alcoa reports after the close. Investors will be interested to see how corporate profits have fared in the first quarter of 2008 while many economists say the U.S. may have entered a recession during that time.

On Friday, U.S. stocks closed mostly higher despite a dismal March jobs report that showed payroll have declined for the third month in a row while unemployment jumped. Still, while the Dow industrials finished 16 points or 0.13% lower, it registered a weekly gain of 3.2%. The S&P 500 rose 1 point, or 0.08%, Friday for a 4.2% weekly increase, and the Nasdaq Composite added 7 points, or 0.32%, Friday, rising 4.9% for the week.

Without much economic news today, investors will focus on corporate news:

If last week it was UBS and Lehman Brothers that announced equity deals and helped boost sentiment on Wall Street, this week it is Washington Mutual (NYSE: WM), which according to The Wall Street Journal, is close to a deal to get a $5 billion investment from private equity firm TPG and other investors. As of 6:58 a.m., WM shares are up over 15% in premarket trading.

Meanwhile, a large $38 billion deal is brewing as Swiss pharmaceutical maker Novartis (NYSE: NVS) said it will spend about that much in a two-step bid for a majority stake in U.S. eye-care company Alcon (NYSE: ACL). First, itr will initially pay Nestle SA $11 billion or a 25% stake, then have rights to Nestle's remaining 52% stake, for about $28 billion. Such large deals tend to make Wall Street happy as it shows stability, the ability to borrow and confidence in the future.

Also in focus today will be the kick off of the first quarter earnings season with Alcoa (NYSE: AA) reporting after the close. Analysts are expecting Alcoa to report earnings of 48 cents per share on revenue of $7.18 billion, compared with 75 cents per share on revenue of $7.9 billion in the same period last year. Despite the price of aluminum climbing 24.5% in the first quarter, Alcoa's earnings would affected by weakness in the automotive and construction industries, a weaker dollar and higher energy costs.

Oil prices rose Monday as traders expect the Federal Reserve to cut rates following the poor U.S. jobs data released Friday. Light, sweet crude for May delivery rose 80 cents to US$107.03 a barrel in electronic trading on the New York Mercantile Exchange by midday in Europe.

Overseas, stocks ended mostly higher in Asia and are rising in Europe mostly due to the resource sector. Goldman Sachs and Citigroup also wrote bullish notes on the sector.

 

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]]>aaaclfeaturednvswmMelly Alazraki2008-04-07T07:40:00+00:00