From Briefing.com: 8:57AM S&P futures vs fair value: +1.8. Nasdaq futures vs fair value: +8.0. Futures market ticks higher and suggests a somewhat higher open for the equity market... The slight drop in crude oil prices, some encouraging analyst commentary on the technology sector, and the improved standing in the European bourses are lending support to the improved tone of trading.
8:50AM Network Appliance upgraded at First Albany (NTAP) 10.71: -- Update -- First Albany upgrades to Strong Buy from Buy based on valuation; says recent Barron's article that hit the stock had no new information, and firm notes that the co has continually outperformed its competitors and maintained gross margins. Price target is $13.
8:48AM Flextronics customer Sony-Ericsson orders from Quanta (FLEX) 9.08: The Taiwan Economic News reports today that Quanta Computer has received orders for mobile phones from the Sony-Ericsson joint venture; could be perceived as a negative for FLEX, 10% of whose revenues were from Sony-Ericsson in the first six months of FY02.
JP Morgan upgrades U.S. equities JPM upgrades U.S. equities in their global portfolio to Overweight from Neutral, saying the U.S. economy appears to have achieved a soft landing while unwinding imbalances in the equity mkt, labour mkt, and corporate balance sheets.
CSFB lowers estimates, targets on wireless semi stocks CSFB lowers ests and price targets for KOPN, RFMD, SWKS, and TQNT due to the risks associated with: 1) unsustainable over-ordering, 2) widening gap between supply/ demand datapoints, 3) aggressive embedded Q1 component expectations for end-mkt outgrowth, 4) structural excess inventories not reflecting the reduced cycle/lead-times and end-mkt growth rates, and 5) the "profitless prosperity" resulting from massive oversupply and a lack of hardware differentiation.
7:36AM Intel asked to invest in Elpida (INTC) 16.52: Japanese daily newspaper Yomiuri is reporting that NEC and Hitachi have asked Intel to invest in the companies' DRAM joint venture, Elpida Memory. Elpida has been running losses since inception in 1999, but NEC and Hitachi hope an investment will help put it in the top 3 DRAM producers with Samsung and Micron (MU).
7:31AM Deutsche Semi Equipment upgrade details : As reported at 07:15, Deutsche is upgrading its rating on the Semiconductor Equipment group; firm's group rating goes to Buy. The positive call focuses on AMAT, NVLS and LRCX, which are upped to BUY from Hold. According to firm, recent checks suggest the time lines for several projects may be increasingly favorable for order profiles in the 1st-half; sees potential for Q1 qtr/qtr order growth of 15-20% vs current expectations of 0-10%.
7:21AM IBM quarter previewed at Merrill (IBM) 81.65: Merrill Lynch believes that IBM made firm's estimates of $23.4 bln in revenue and EPS of $1.29, with perhaps a couple cents of upside. (Multex consensus $1.30).
7:15AM Semi Equips upgraded by Deutsche: AMAT, NVLS, LRCX raised :
7:02AM Virage Logic guides Q1 below consensus (VIRL) 9.68: Semiconductor company now projects Q1 earnings of $0.01 per share -- Multex consensus $0.07. VIRL puts revs at $11.5-$11.7 mln (consensus $13.64 mln). Co believes that industry adoption of 90-nanometer process technology has slowed.
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