?
Unfortunately, it did not have the desired effect yesterday, with?Dow Industrials?(^DJI) enduring their single worst FOMC session-swoon since September 21, 2011. Good thing that other Ben, ice cream purveyor Mr. Cohen, provided an antidote hypoglycemia when he?sold his company to corporate giant?Unilever?(UN) for a cool $325 million cash. Yesterday that stock hit the highest level in its history, inspiring all hippies who care not a jot about making money, and on May Day of all days.
?
For those who prefer this weekend?s ?Woodstock for Capitalists? to the Birkenstock-wearing real deal,?Berkshire Hathaway (NYSE:BRK.A) scored an exceedingly rare analyst initiation. In 1969, not everyone was traipsing through the mud in upstate New York, of course, though it may have seemed that way at the time. On the other coast a bunch of geeks in Silicon Valley started?Advanced Micro Devices (AMD) that same year. And based on yesterday?s 14.18%?S&P 500-best (^GSPC) jump in its shares, the nerds ultimately inherit the Earth.
?
We?re now more than two-thirds of way through earnings season, but key results continue to roll in. Among today?s standouts are American International Group?(AIG),?British Sky Broadcasting?(PINK:BSYBY), General Motors?(GM),?Gilead Sciences (GILD), Kellogg (K), Kraft Foods?(KRFT), LinkedIn?(LNKD),?Monster Worldwide?(MWW),?Royal Dutch Shell?(RDS-A), and Sanofi-Aventis (SNY).
?
Active Network?(ACTV): Troubled by an exodus of upper management, RBC Capital cuts the application software company to Sector Perform from Outperform.
?
Advanced Micro Devices?(AMD): Shares, after a great run yesterday, are now Neutral from Outperform at Macquarie.
?
Boston Beer?(SAM): Cr?dit Agricole cuts the recently surging stock to Underperform from Outperform amid valuation issues.
?
California Water Service?(CWT): Shares are downgraded to Hold from Buy at Brean Capital.
?
Columbia Sportswear?(COLM): COLM is cut to Hold at McAdams Wright Ragen.
?
Comstock Resources?(CRK): Shares are downgraded to Hold from Buy at Stifel due to issues including limited oil drilling inventory.
?
CONSOL Energy?(CNX): Morgan Stanley cuts the coal company to Overweight from Equal-Weight.
?
DXP Enterprises?(DXPE): BB&T Capital Markets moves the industrial equipment outfit to Hold from Buy.
?
Exelon?(EXC): The nuclear power play is now Hold from Buy with Wunderlich.
?
Franklin Resources?(BEN): BEN is now Neutral from Buy at Sterne Agee.
?
Hyatt Hotels?(H): The stock is downgraded to Neutral from Outperform at Credit Suisse.
?
Jack Henry & Associates?(JKHY): The business software stock downgraded to Market Perform from Outperform at Wells Fargo.
?
MasterCard?(NYSE:MA): Raymond James reduces its recommendation on the credit card company, famous for its??Priceless? advertising campaign, to Market Perform from Outperform. The US economy in the first quarter ?was definitely very choppy,? its Chief Financial Officer said.
?
Newport Corporation?(NEWP): Shares are downgraded to Hold from Buy at Needham.
?
Micron Technology?(MU): Cr?dit Agricole cuts the semiconductor stock to Underperform from Outperform.
?
SolarCity?(SCTY): Shares are now Neutral from Buy at Goldman Sachs.
?
Vivendi?(PINK:VIVEF): The giant French media firm gets downgraded to Equal Weight from Overweight by Barclays.
?
Williams Partners?(WPZ): Bank of America-Merrill Lynch lowers the limited partnership to Neutral from Buy.
(See also: New Stock Coverage: T-Mobile Gets Lukewarm Reception and Stock Upgrades: Comedy Central Owner Viacom Laughing All the Way to the Bank.)
No positions in stocks mentioned.
The information on this website solely reflects the analysis of or opinion about the performance of securities and financial markets by the writers whose articles appear on the site. The views expressed by the writers are not necessarily the views of Minyanville Media, Inc. or members of its management. Nothing contained on the website is intended to constitute a recommendation or advice addressed to an individual investor or category of investors to purchase, sell or hold any security, or to take any action with respect to the prospective movement of the securities markets or to solicit the purchase or sale of any security. Any investment decisions must be made by the reader either individually or in consultation with his or her investment professional. Minyanville writers and staff may trade or hold positions in securities that are discussed in articles appearing on the website. Writers of articles are required to disclose whether they have a position in any stock or fund discussed in an article, but are not permitted to disclose the size or direction of the position. Nothing on this website is intended to solicit business of any kind for a writer's business or fund. Minyanville management and staff as well as contributing writers will not respond to emails or other communications requesting investment advice.Copyright 2011 Minyanville Media, Inc. All Rights Reserved.
La Salle University the voice Denny Hamlin My Chemical Romance Olympus Has Fallen Arnold Palmer Invitational 2013 arnold palmer invitational
