- Files Amended Form 10-Qs for Quarterly Periods During the Year Ended December 31, 2007 - - Files First and Second Quarter 2008 Form 10-Qs - - Reports Significantly Improved Profitability for First Half of Fiscal 2008 -

LADSON, S.C., Oct. 7 (UPI) -- The U.S. Marine Corps has modified a contract with Force Protection Inc. for mine resistant ambush protected vehicle support services.

Visit StreetInsider.com at http://www.streetinsider.com/news.php?st=p&id=4050323 for the full story.

Visit StreetInsider.com at http://www.streetinsider.com/news.php?st=p&id=4046257 for the full story.

9:30 AM EST 10/03/08 BoardCentral StockTalk highlights AAPL, GE, FNM, QTWW, FRPT, POT, YHOO, AXIBX, AIG, KBR as most popular stocks on the Web today. StockTalk is an intra-day resource focusing on stocks generating most Interest, Chatter and Hype across most popular financial message boards.

Force Protection, Inc. (FRPT)

Q2 2008 Earnings Call

Complete Story »

Filed under: Analyst reports, Analyst upgrades and downgrades, Analyst initiations

Analyst upgrades:

• Barclays upgraded the Integrated Oil sector to Positive from Neutral citing valuations. Note that Exxon Mobil (NYSE: XOM) was upgraded to Overweight from Equal Weight based on valuation.
  
• After Force Protection (NASDAQ: FRPT) reported that its 1H08 sales increased more than 200%, Stanford thinks that Force Protection could be poised for several new opportunities in 2009 and they believe the company's risk is already priced into the stock; the firm raised Force Protection to Hold from Sell.
  
• Cowen expects eHealth (NASDAQ: EHTH) to benefit from the steady decline in employer-sponsored health insurance offered by small businesses and reduced regulatory risk, among other reasons. The firm upgraded shares to Outperform from Neutral.
• Allied Capital (NYSE: ALD) was upgraded to Market Perform from Underperform at BMO Capital.
  
• Caris upgraded Carmike Cinemas (NASDAQ: CKEC) to Above Average from Average.
  
• International Flavors & Fragrances (NYSE: IFF) was upgraded to Neutral from Underweight at JP Morgan.

Continue reading Analyst calls: XOM, PHG, THC, BSX, CCI, ALD . . .

Permalink | Email this | Comments

Filed under: Analyst reports, Analyst upgrades and downgrades, Analyst initiations

Analyst upgrades:

• Barclays upgraded the Integrated Oil sector to Positive from Neutral citing valuations. Note that Exxon Mobil (NYSE: XOM) was upgraded to Overweight from Equal Weight based on valuation.
  
• After Force Protection (NASDAQ: FRPT) reported that its 1H08 sales increased more than 200%, Stanford thinks that Force Protection could be poised for several new opportunities in 2009 and they believe the company's risk is already priced into the stock; the firm raised Force Protection to Hold from Sell.
  
• Cowen expects eHealth (NASDAQ: EHTH) to benefit from the steady decline in employer-sponsored health insurance offered by small businesses and reduced regulatory risk, among other reasons. The firm upgraded shares to Outperform from Neutral.
• Allied Capital (NYSE: ALD) was upgraded to Market Perform from Underperform at BMO Capital.
  
• Caris upgraded Carmike Cinemas (NASDAQ: CKEC) to Above Average from Average.
  
• International Flavors & Fragrances (NYSE: IFF) was upgraded to Neutral from Underweight at JP Morgan.

Analyst downgrades:

• Morgan Stanley downgraded shares of Philips Electronics (NYSE: PHG) to Underweight from Equal Weight on expectations for disappointing results in the second half of 2009.
  
• UBS downgraded Community Health Systems (NYSE: CYH) and Universal Health Services (NYSE: UHS) to Neutral from Buy and Tenet Healthcare (NYSE: THC) to Sell from Neutral citing the deteriorating economic environment and difficult 2009 comps. The firm lowered Community Health's target to $32 from $42, Universal Health's target to $59 from $70, and Tenet's target to $5 from $6.50.
  
• Wachovia cut Ruth's Hospitality (NASDAQ: RUTH) to Market Perform from Outperform citing weakening consumer spending trends.
• Boston Scientific (NYSE: BSX) was lowered to Underperform from Neutral at Merrill Lynch.
  
• Crown Castle (NYSE: CCI) was removed from Goldman's Conviction Buy List.
  
• Network Engines (NASDAQ: NENG) was downgraded at Cantor to Hold from Buy.

Analyst initiations:

• Deutsche Bank initiated STMicroelectronics (NYSE: STM) with a Hold rating, citing the slowing macro environment and the potential for share losses.
  
• Roth Capital believes Peer Manufacturing (NASDAQ: PMFG) benefits from higher energy costs that drive increased production of natural gas and lower energy costs that encourage additional use of gas in generating electricity. Shares were initiated with a Buy rating and $18 target.
  
• Synchronoss (NASDAQ: SNCR) was assumed at Baird with a Neutral rating and $11 target on valuation.
• Thomas Wiesel initiated Dolby Laboratories (NYSE: DLB) with an Overweight rating and $42 target.
  
• Osiris Therapeutics (NASDAQ: OSIR) was initiated with an Outperform rating and $25 target at JMP Securities.
  
• Rigel Pharmaceuticals (NASDAQ: RIGL) was initiated with a Buy rating and $35 target at Piper.

 

Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments

Essentially I made one terrible trade which got me caught on the Thursday downdraft. Now I’m looking to get short and in fact did today in the indexes. However, it looks like there might even be the beginning of that bounce I was talking about happening yesterday. That is ok, because I will ladder into [...]

I got hit today by a UPS truck turning left. Losing 6%+ in the RUT and NDX. That bit. Still holding VLO, FRPT (holding a 4% gain) and some NDX looking for a bounce 1-2 day bounce. After that I’m going short. I bought NTWK today. I sold RT and BBY today for breakeven. The Ship has changed [...]

No more index longs, no long etf’s, no AMZN. Its all in cash. Sold out this morning. At the morning Rydex window the Rut was up more than 1.2% and NDX was flat. So basically earned some cash back off this bad long trade I’ve been sitting in. Stocks I still own though and all are [...]

Colleen King takes a look at news on the Street after the market close.

Market Talk with Tammy DeRosier, Watson Wright, and Jay Gragnani

Investtalk Talking Points: "Bargain: Now Or Later?".
~ Today's Stocks & Topics: (AMLN) Amylin Pharmaceuticals Inc., 401(k) & Roth IRA, (FRPT) Force Protection Inc., (NE) Noble Corporation, Oil Prices, Retirement, Exchange Traded Funds, (FEIRX) Fidelity Adv Eq Inc., Hedge Funds, ETFs for Agriculture.