Chicago, IL – November 24, 2009 – Zacks Equity Research highlights Petrobras (PBR) as the Bull of the Day and St. Jude Medical (STJ) the Bear of the Day. In addition, Zacks Equity Research provides analysis on Motorola Inc.(MOT), Sprint Nextel Corp.(S) and Alcatel-Lucent (ALU).

Full analysis of all these stocks is available at http://at.zacks.com/?id=5506

Here is a synopsis of all five stocks:

Bull of the Day:

Petrobras (PBR), the largest integrated energy firm in Brazil, stands to benefit from its country's economic growth and huge pre-salt oil reserves. The company recently reported a better-than-expected third-quarter, helped by strong downstream results that more than offset the sharp decline in commodity prices.

Near- to medium-term concerns include the uncertain commodity-price scenario, significant capital investment requirements, and Brazil's proposed new oil and gas regulatory framework. However, given its strong pipeline of development projects and impressive recent exploration successes, the company's long-term outlook looks compelling.

As such, we recommend an Outperform rating for Petrobras ADRs. Our six-month target price is $55 per share.

Bear of the Day:

We look for global demographic trends -- aging populations in developed nations and the rapid urbanization of developing countries -- to fuel long-term growth of St. Jude Medical (STJ). These trends give rise to growing demand for cardiovascular health care.

However, recent weaknesses in the CRM segment, particularly in the U.S., are headwinds for St. Jude in the near-term. This might force the company to lose market share to its competitors.

Earnings per share in the third quarter reached $0.59, beating the Zacks Consensus Estimate by one cent. However, we have chosen to downgrade the stock to an Underperform with a target price of $31.

Latest Posts on the Zacks Analyst Blog:

Motorola Boosts iDEN Business

Motorola Inc.(MOT) has decided to purchase iDEN base station assets of the privately held RadioFrame Networks Inc. The iDEN (Integrated Digital Enhanced Network) technology allows cell phone calls to move on the same network as communication from two-way radios. In general, this technology resembles walkie-talkie features on cell phones. Financial terms of this deal have not been disclosed so far. Motorola itself is the pioneer of the iDEN technology that RadioFrame had licensed for its base station products.

The main reason for this acquisition is the superior iDEN-based base station products of RadioFrame that are lower cost and more power efficient. This proposed acquisition will enhance Motorola's portfolio of multi-channel base stations products that are optimized to support non-contiguous spectrum allocations in the special mobile radio business. Motorola may use RadioFrame’s lower-cost iDEN architecture into entirely separated spectrum bands that are allocated to the wireless carriers in the international (outside the U.S.) markets. RadioFrame has a solid client base for its base station products, notable among them being Sprint Nextel Corp.(S).

RadioFrame’s base station products will be a part of Motorola’s Home and Network Mobility segment. This segment makes equipment for cable and wireless operators. Recently, industry rumors indicated that the company has decided to sell this segment for more than $4.5 billion. As of now, Home and Network Mobility is the largest segment of Motorola. In the third quarter of 2009, this segment generated more than $2 billion revenue and $199 million operating profit.

Earlier this month, Motorola’s Home and Network Mobility segment decided to purchase IPTV specialist BitBand and will do venture funding to the LTE chip making business of Sequans Communications together with Alcatel-Lucent (ALU). BitBand has more than 60 commercial IPTV deployments throughout the world and Paris based Sequans Communications has intended to demonstrate its first LTE chipset in early 2010. Whether Motorola sells its Home and Network Mobility segment or not, it seems that the company is increasingly focusing on optimizing the resources of its largest business segment.

Get the full analysis of all these stocks by going to http://at.zacks.com/?id=5507.

About the Bull and Bear of the Day

Every day, the analysts at Zacks Equity Research select two stocks that are likely to outperform (Bull) or underperform (Bear) the markets over the next 3-6 months.

About the Analyst Blog

Updated throughout every trading day, the Analyst Blog provides analysis from Zacks Equity Research about the latest news and events impacting stocks and the financial markets.

About Zacks Equity Research

Zacks Equity Research provides the best of quantitative and qualitative analysis to help investors know what stocks to buy and which to sell for the long-term.

Continuous analyst coverage is provided for a universe of 1,150 publicly traded stocks. Our analysts are organized by industry which gives them keen insights to developments that affect company profits and stock performance. Recommendations and target prices are six-month time horizons.

Zacks "Profit from the Pros" e-mail newsletter provides highlights of the latest analysis from Zacks Equity Research. Subscribe to this free newsletter today by visiting http://at.zacks.com/?id=5508.

About Zacks

Zacks.com is a property of Zacks Investment Research, Inc., which was formed in 1978 by Leonard Zacks. As a PhD in mathematics Len knew he could find patterns in stock market data that would lead to superior investment results. Amongst his many accomplishments was the formation of his proprietary stock picking system; the Zacks Rank, which continues to outperform the market by nearly a 3 to 1 margin. The best way to unlock the profitable stock recommendations and market insights of Zacks Investment Research is through our free daily email newsletter; Profit from the Pros. In short, it's your steady flow of Profitable ideas GUARANTEED to be worth your time! Register for your free subscription to Profit from the Pros at http://at.zacks.com/?id=5509.

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Disclaimer: Past performance does not guarantee future results. Investors should always research companies and securities before making any investments. Nothing herein should be construed as an offer or solicitation to buy or sell any security.

Contact:
Mark Vickery
Web Content Editor
312-265-9380
Visit: www.zacks.com

Chicago, IL – November 20, 2009 – Zacks.com announces the list of stocks featured in the Analyst Blog. Every day the Zacks Equity Research analysts discuss the latest news and events impacting stocks and the financial markets. Stocks recently featured in the blog include: Apple Inc. (AAPL), KT Corp. (KTC), SK Telecom (SKM), China Unicom (CHU) and American Express Company (AXP).

Get the most recent insight from Zacks Equity Research with the free Profit from the Pros newsletter: http://at.zacks.com/?id=5513

Here are highlights from Thursday’s Analyst Blog:

South Korea Welcomes iPhone

Apple Inc.’s (AAPL) iPhone is finally reaching the hands of South Korean mobile users. The country’s telecom regulator Korea Communications Commission (“KCC") has granted Apple the license to sell the iconic handset in the domestic cell phone market. KCC has also lifted the restrictions that prohibited location-based services on smartphone devices such as the Google Maps application on iPhone.

South Korea’s second-largest wireless carrier KT Corp. (KTC) will start booking Internet order for iPhone (3G & 3GS) soon and begin selling it from Nov 28, 2009. The company targets to initially sell 150,000 units priced between KRW250,000 and KRW300,000 (US$216 and US$260). KT’s peer SK Telecom (SKM), the largest mobile operator in the country, is still negotiating with Apple for securing distribution rights.

South Korean wireless market is technologically advanced and relatively mature with roughly 47 million total subscribers, representing 96% penetration of the country’s population. Currently, the country’s cellular handset market is dominated by local companies such as Samsung and LG Electronics, two of the world’s leading handset manufacturers.

With KCC’s approval, South Korea is set to become one of the last major Asian countries to get the iPhone. The device has been already launched by China Unicom (CHU) in China in October 2009. Additionally, iPhone is also being sold in other major markets such as India, Japan and Australia.

KCC’s approval to allow foreign handset vendors to enter the domestic market is aimed at increasing the options for brand-conscious cell phone users rather than just limiting their choice to indigenously manufactured devices. In April 2009, the Korean government cleared the path for foreign handset vendors by abolishing a mandate requiring all mobile handsets sold locally to use a home-grown software platform.

AmEx to Buy Revolution Money

American Express Company (AXP) said on Wednesday that it will acquire Internet payment platform Revolution Money for about $300 million.

The deal is expected to close in early 2010. Following the closure of the deal, Revolution Money would operate as a subsidiary of AmEx. The founder and chief executive of Revolution Money, Jason Hogg, will continue as president and chief executive.

St. Petersburg-based Revolution Money was founded by AOL co-founder Steve Case’s Revolution LLC in 2007. Revolution Money provides payments through an internet-based platform and issues prepaid cards that can be used for offline payments or to withdraw cash from ATMs in the U.S. Additionally, Revolution Money offers MoneyExchange, a service to remit money by people using social and instant messaging networks.

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About Zacks Equity Research

Zacks Equity Research provides the best of quantitative and qualitative analysis to help investors know what stocks to buy and which to sell for the long-term.

Continuous coverage is provided for a universe of 1,150 publicly traded stocks. Our analysts are organized by industry which gives them keen insights to developments that affect company profits and stock performance. Recommendations and target prices are six-month time horizons.

Zacks "Profit from the Pros" e-mail newsletter provides highlights of the latest analysis from Zacks Equity Research. Subscribe to this free newsletter today: http://at.zacks.com/?id=5517

About Zacks

Zacks.com is a property of Zacks Investment Research, Inc., which was formed in 1978 by Leonard Zacks. As a PhD in mathematics Len knew he could find patterns in stock market data that would lead to superior investment results. Amongst his many accomplishments was the formation of his proprietary stock picking system; the Zacks Rank, which continues to outperform the market by nearly a 3 to 1 margin. The best way to unlock the profitable stock recommendations and market insights of Zacks Investment Research is through our free daily email newsletter; Profit from the Pros. In short, it's your steady flow of Profitable ideas GUARANTEED to be worth your time! Register for your free subscription to Profit from the Pros at http://at.zacks.com/?id=5518.

Visit http://www.zacks.com/performance for information about the performance numbers displayed in this press release.

Follow us on Twitter: http://twitter.com/zacksresearch

Join us on Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/home.php#/pages/Zacks-Investment-Research/57553657748?ref=ts

Disclaimer: Past performance does not guarantee future results. Investors should always research companies and securities before making any investments. Nothing herein should be construed as an offer or solicitation to buy or sell any security.

Contact:
Mark Vickery
Web Content Editor
312-265-9380
Visit: www.zacks.com

KCC’s approval to allow foreign handset vendors to enter the domestic market is aimed at increasing the options for brand-conscious cell phone users rather than just limiting their choice to indigenously manufactured devices. In April 2009, the Korean government cleared the path for foreign handset vendors by abolishing a mandate requiring all mobile handsets sold locally to use a home-grown software platform.      
 
While approval of iPhone in South Korea represents a boon for local mobile users, the presence of a leading foreign brand will intensify competition in the country’s highly penetrated mobile market. Local companies such as LG and Samsung are gearing up for the emerging competition as they are strengthening their handset range by adding more state-of-the-art devices.
 
Nevertheless, iPhone represents a significant opportunity for the incumbent wireless carriers in South Korea (such as KTC and SKM) to attract high-end customers, which would help them to boost wireless data ARPU (average revenue per user) and customer base.

Chicago, IL – November 13, 2009 – Zacks.com announces the list of stocks featured in the Analyst Blog. Every day the Zacks Equity Research analysts discuss the latest news and events impacting stocks and the financial markets. Stocks recently featured in the blog include: Apple Inc. (AAPL), Nokia (NOK), Research In Motion (RIMM), Motorola (MOT) and Palm (PALM).

Get the most recent insight from Zacks Equity Research with the free Profit from the Pros newsletter: http://at.zacks.com/?id=5513

Here are highlights from Thursday’s Analyst Blog:

Apple Beats Nokia in Smartphones

According to a recent Strategy Analytics research report, Apple Inc. (AAPL) surpassed Nokia (NOK) by generating the highest total operating profit in the industry for the third quarter of 2009. The research firm estimated Apple's operating profit for iPhone handset units to be $1.6 billion, compared to Nokia's (the number 1 handset maker) just $1.1 billion, beating the latter for the first time.

Apple entered the mobile phone market with its iPhone in 2007. The company has experienced tremendous growth since then, driven by the success of its iPhone. This has resulted in Apple becoming one of the most profitable in the industry. Apple is running the highest margin phone business and thus has undergone a total turnaround from a loss of $0.07 per share in 2001 to a profit of $6.29 per share in fiscal year 2009.

Apple has sold over 20 million iPhone units in fiscal 2009, a 78.3% increase from 2008. This strong unit growth contributed $6.7 billion in total revenues in 2009, an increase of 266.3% from 2008.

According to an IDC study, Apple’s smartphone market share of 17.1% in the third quarter of 2009 was lower than Nokia’s market share of 37.9%. Apple sold a meager 7.4 million iPhones for $4.5 billion in revenues, compared to Nokia’s 108.5 million handsets sold for $10.36 billion in revenues in the same period.

Despite holding a lower total market share and much lower number of units sold in the quarter, Apple’s operating profit surpassed that of Nokia due to higher prices and lower costs. Apple has been experiencing tremendous growth due to the success of the iPhone, as customer satisfaction remains the highest in the industry.

While, Apple is strongest at the high-end of the market, Nokia has a global reach and delivers a wider range of handsets targeting both low and the high-end consumers. The market for high-end players can slow more dramatically, while lower price point players may continue to grow, which can hurt Apple.

To attract customers, Apple recently reduced the price of its current generation 8GB iPhone 3G by $100 to $99. Thus, the attractive price point drove volume and generated significant amounts of deferred revenue.

However, Apple is facing an increasingly tough competition from Research In Motion (RIMM), Motorola (MOT) and Palm (PALM) in the smartphone market, who are offering new touch screen devices.

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About Zacks Equity Research

Zacks Equity Research provides the best of quantitative and qualitative analysis to help investors know what stocks to buy and which to sell for the long-term.

Continuous coverage is provided for a universe of 1,150 publicly traded stocks. Our analysts are organized by industry which gives them keen insights to developments that affect company profits and stock performance. Recommendations and target prices are six-month time horizons.

Zacks "Profit from the Pros" e-mail newsletter provides highlights of the latest analysis from Zacks Equity Research. Subscribe to this free newsletter today: http://at.zacks.com/?id=5517

About Zacks

Zacks.com is a property of Zacks Investment Research, Inc., which was formed in 1978 by Leonard Zacks. As a PhD in mathematics Len knew he could find patterns in stock market data that would lead to superior investment results. Amongst his many accomplishments was the formation of his proprietary stock picking system; the Zacks Rank, which continues to outperform the market by nearly a 3 to 1 margin. The best way to unlock the profitable stock recommendations and market insights of Zacks Investment Research is through our free daily email newsletter; Profit from the Pros. In short, it's your steady flow of Profitable ideas GUARANTEED to be worth your time! Register for your free subscription to Profit from the Pros at http://at.zacks.com/?id=5518.

Visit http://www.zacks.com/performance for information about the performance numbers displayed in this press release.

Follow us on Twitter: http://twitter.com/zacksresearch

Join us on Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/home.php#/pages/Zacks-Investment-Research/57553657748?ref=ts

Disclaimer: Past performance does not guarantee future results. Investors should always research companies and securities before making any investments. Nothing herein should be construed as an offer or solicitation to buy or sell any security.

Contact:
Mark Vickery
Web Content Editor
312-265-9380
Visit: www.zacks.com

• Alcatel-Lucent (NYSE:ALU) reported its twelfth straight quarterly loss of $269 million. The firm said it expects operating results to break even by yearend

• Duke Energy (NYSE:DUK) reported third quarter earnings one cent above Zacks estimates at 40 cents, as revenues of $3.4 billion were below Zacks estimates of $4.25 billion. The company noted, "Industry sales volumes continued to show signs of stabilization"

• ITT Industries (NYSE:ITT) reported third quarter beat Zacks estimates by 14 cents a share, coming in at $1.03 on inline revenues of $2.7 billion, down 6.3%

• Coventry Health Care (NYSE:CVH) reported its third quarter of 68 cents topped Zacks estimates by 14 cents, on inline revenues of $3.44 billion, up 17.7%

• Aon (NYSE:AOC), reported third quarter results of 65 cents a share, a penny miss, on revenues of $1.81 billion. The firm set full-year guidance at $3.25-$3.45

• Constellation Energy (NYSE:CEG) posted third quarter earnings of $1.23, 16 cents above Zacks estimates, on revenues of $4.03 billion. The firm said it expects 2009 results of $3.25 to $3.45 a share

• Citigroup (NYSE:C) raised its rating on Toll Brothers (NYSE:TOL) to "buy" and maintained $23 price target

Management added that its major customer has increased its LED TV sales estimates for 2009 and 2010 while other customers are also ramping up. Sales of LED driver products for general lighting applications have also increased. In anticipation of new cell phone launches, shipments of EL inverter products ramped up in the reported quarter.

Gross margin declined to 47% from 53% in the previous quarter due to the non-linear loading of its wafer facilities and backend operations. Net income declined to $1 million compared to $4.5 million in the year-ago quarter. Earnings per share came in at 15 cents easily beating the Zacks Consensus Estimate of 10 cents.
 
Based on booking, management expects revenues between $16.5 million and $17.5 million in its fiscal third quarter, driven by sequential growth in all end markets. However, customer demand in foundry service business is expected to be lower. During the December quarter, Supertex is planning a normal wafer fabrication facility shutdown for maintenance and hence expect gross margin to be flat in the third quarter.
 
The top-line has been shrinking from the past few quarters but the company expects demand to pick up in the back-end of 2009 as Supertex indicated that its LED driver business is expected to see substantial growth. Additionally, the Medical segment is anticipated to stabilize in the second half as new design wins ramp up. We await better visibility of these programs before turning positive on shares of Supertex.
 
Headquartered in California, Supertex designs and sells high-voltage analog and mixed signal integrated circuits. Competition remains intense in the analog sector where the gross margins are traditionally higher including products for the Medical Electronics, Imaging, Telecom, LED Lighting, and industrial/other markets. The company competes with several larger analog semiconductor companies with far greater resources, including Maxim Integrated Products Inc. (MXIM), Hitachi LTD (HIT) and Texas Instruments (TXN) for the Medical Electronic market.

Chicago, IL – October 19, 2009 – Zacks.com announces the list of stocks featured in the Analyst Blog. Every day the Zacks Equity Research analysts discuss the latest news and events impacting stocks and the financial markets. Stocks recently featured in the blog include: Qualcomm Inc. (QCOM), MetroPCS Communications Inc. (PCS), NTT DoCoMo (DCM), Nokia Corp. (NOK) and Motorola Inc. (MOT).

Get the most recent insight from Zacks Equity Research with the free Profit from the Pros newsletter: http://at.zacks.com/?id=5513

Here are highlights from Friday’s AnalystBlog:

Qualcomm Wins M-Banking Deal

Qualcomm Inc. (QCOM) recently entered into an agreement with MetroPCS Communications Inc. (PCS), through which the latter will offer mobile banking services to its customers using Qualcomm’s mobile banking applications. Qualcomm provides mobile banking solutions through its subsidiary Firethorn Holding LLC. MetroPCS subscribers will now be able to freely download Firethorn’s mobile banking solutions from the Metro store.

Firethorn’s mobile banking platform will provide a complete picture of an individual’s personal finances on his/her mobile handset. Subscribers of MetroPCS will be able to view their bank and credit card balances and history, make transfers between their accounts, and pay their bills securely from their mobile phones using a single PIN. Furthermore, customers can also check rewards information and review targeted, timely offers from their financial institutions using Firethorn’s mobile commerce capabilities.

The acquisition of Firethorn has diversified Qualcomm into a new wireless market segment - mobile banking solutions. Mobile financial service has high growth potential. Various industry researches estimate that currently there are approximately 4 billion mobile phone users throughout the world but only around 1.6 billion individual bank accounts. This indicates that a large population of mobile phone users does not have access to basic financial services.

Firethorn’s mobile banking platform is targeting to narrow this gap combining wireless handsets and secured financial services. Citi-Card entered into an agreement with Firethorn for its real-time secured access gateway to be used by card members for account information retrieval using their wireless handsets. Four of the top ten banks in the U.S. are now Firethorn customers.

According to our assessment, Qualcomm’s entry into mobile financial service is a welcome move as this market is getting crowded gradually. NTT DoCoMo (DCM) has decided to launch an innovative on-line money transfer service in Japan. The company will extend this service globally later. Nokia Corp. (NOK) has established a business tie-up with Obopay, a global leader for developing mobile payment solutions, to launch an innovative wireless financial service called “Nokia Money". Motorola Inc. (MOT) has also developed a new mobile phone SIM card called “I-SIM NFC Lite" card that can be used for mobile money transfer. The company is currently testing the m-wallet card in Taiwan and plans to launch it in China in the near future.

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About Zacks Equity Research

Zacks Equity Research provides the best of quantitative and qualitative analysis to help investors know what stocks to buy and which to sell for the long-term.

Continuous coverage is provided for a universe of 1,150 publicly traded stocks. Our analysts are organized by industry which gives them keen insights to developments that affect company profits and stock performance. Recommendations and target prices are six-month time horizons.

Zacks "Profit from the Pros" e-mail newsletter provides highlights of the latest analysis from Zacks Equity Research. Subscribe to this free newsletter today: http://at.zacks.com/?id=5517

About Zacks

Zacks.com is a property of Zacks Investment Research, Inc., which was formed in 1978 by Leonard Zacks. As a PhD in mathematics Len knew he could find patterns in stock market data that would lead to superior investment results. Amongst his many accomplishments was the formation of his proprietary stock picking system; the Zacks Rank, which continues to outperform the market by nearly a 3 to 1 margin. The best way to unlock the profitable stock recommendations and market insights of Zacks Investment Research is through our free daily email newsletter; Profit from the Pros. In short, it's your steady flow of Profitable ideas GUARANTEED to be worth your time! Register for your free subscription to Profit from the Pros at http://at.zacks.com/?id=5518.

Visit http://www.zacks.com/performance for information about the performance numbers displayed in this press release.

Follow us on Twitter: http://twitter.com/zacksresearch

Join us on Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/home.php#/pages/Zacks-Investment-Research/57553657748?ref=ts

Disclaimer: Past performance does not guarantee future results. Investors should always research companies and securities before making any investments. Nothing herein should be construed as an offer or solicitation to buy or sell any security.

Contact:
Mark Vickery
Web Content Editor
312-265-9380
Visit: www.zacks.com

Chicago, IL – October 15, 2009 – Zacks.com announces the list of stocks featured in the Analyst Blog. Every day the Zacks Equity Research analysts discuss the latest news and events impacting stocks and the financial markets. Stocks recently featured in the blog include: Nokia Corp. (NOK), Best Buy Co. Inc. (BBY), AT&T (T), Research In Motion (RIMM) and Apple Inc. (AAPL).

Get the most recent insight from Zacks Equity Research with the free Profit from the Pros newsletter: http://at.zacks.com/?id=5513

Here are highlights from Wednesday’s Analyst Blog:

Nokia Enters Netbook Market

Nokia Corp. (NOK) yesterday announced its sales and distribution plan for its first netbook called “Booklet 3G". The U.S. retailer Best Buy Co. Inc. (BBY) will sell this netbook (mini laptop) for $299.99 together with AT&T’s (T) 3G data plan of $60 per month for a two-year contract. Also, a carrier-free unsubsidized option will be available for a price of $599. Booklet 3G will be available from mid-November.

Diversification outside the mobile phone market becomes essential for Nokia. In recent times, the company has lost some ground due to fierce competition. According to Gartner Inc, Nokia’s share has fallen to 45% in the second quarter from 47.5% in the year-ago quarter. Meanwhile, market share of Research In Motion (RIMM) increased to 18.7% from 17.3% in the year-ago quarter and that of Apple Inc. (AAPL) soared to 13.3% from a mere 2.8% in the prior-year quarter.

A business venture in the consumer PC/laptop market is a logical move on the part of Nokia towards the broader mobile computing market. The company is the global leader in the ordinary mobile phone market and has significantly penetrated the high-end smart-phone market. Last July, Nokia had unveiled a new handheld converged mobile computing device Called “N900" on Linux-based Maeme 5 software.

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About Zacks Equity Research

Zacks Equity Research provides the best of quantitative and qualitative analysis to help investors know what stocks to buy and which to sell for the long-term.

Continuous coverage is provided for a universe of 1,150 publicly traded stocks. Our analysts are organized by industry which gives them keen insights to developments that affect company profits and stock performance. Recommendations and target prices are six-month time horizons.

Zacks "Profit from the Pros" e-mail newsletter provides highlights of the latest analysis from Zacks Equity Research. Subscribe to this free newsletter today: http://at.zacks.com/?id=5517

About Zacks

Zacks.com is a property of Zacks Investment Research, Inc., which was formed in 1978 by Leonard Zacks. As a PhD in mathematics Len knew he could find patterns in stock market data that would lead to superior investment results. Amongst his many accomplishments was the formation of his proprietary stock picking system; the Zacks Rank, which continues to outperform the market by nearly a 3 to 1 margin. The best way to unlock the profitable stock recommendations and market insights of Zacks Investment Research is through our free daily email newsletter; Profit from the Pros. In short, it's your steady flow of Profitable ideas GUARANTEED to be worth your time! Register for your free subscription to Profit from the Pros at http://at.zacks.com/?id=5518.

Visit http://www.zacks.com/performance for information about the performance numbers displayed in this press release.

Follow us on Twitter: http://twitter.com/zacksresearch

Join us on Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/home.php#/pages/Zacks-Investment-Research/57553657748?ref=ts

Disclaimer: Past performance does not guarantee future results. Investors should always research companies and securities before making any investments. Nothing herein should be construed as an offer or solicitation to buy or sell any security.

Contact:
Mark Vickery
Web Content Editor
312-265-9380
Visit: www.zacks.com

Chicago, IL – October 7, 2009 – Zacks.com announces the list of stocks featured in the Analyst Blog. Every day the Zacks Equity Research analysts discuss the latest news and events impacting stocks and the financial markets. Stocks recently featured in the blog include: Qualcomm Inc. (QCOM), NTT DoCoMo (DCM), Apple Inc. (AAPL), Verizon Wireless (VZ) and Nokia Corp. (NOK).

Get the most recent insight from Zacks Equity Research with the free Profit from the Pros newsletter: http://at.zacks.com/?id=5513

Here are highlights from Tuesday’s Analyst Blog:

LTE Leading the Next Generation

Long-Term Evolution (LTE) technology is ahead in the race to be the most sought-after next-generation (4G) wireless network standard in the market. The 4G wireless networks are aiming to cope with substantial demand for high-speed wireless data services and mobile video.

The growing acceptance of LTE technology has prompted the mobile handset makers to develop phones that will be compatible with this network. Qualcomm Inc. (QCOM), one of the key developers of OFDMA (Orthogonal Frequency Division Multiple Access) based chipsets has decided to introduce the trial version of LTE-compatible chipsets during the fourth quarter of 2009.

Industry sources predicted that the first LTE handsets may arrive on the market in the second half of 2010, but these next-generation smart-phones may to go mass market by early 2012. NTT DoCoMo (DCM) will launch LTE handsets in 2011 compatible with its current 3G network, enabling the customers to access services even if they are outside an LTE coverage area.

LG Electronics and Samsung Electronics on the other hand have already given a demonstration of LTE-based modems. LTE is expected to achieve download transmission speeds of 300Mbps and offers several advantages over other wireless techniques.

Rumors within the broadband industry are suggestive of an expected deal between the iPhone maker Apple Inc. (AAPL) and Verizon Wireless (VZ) to introduce a new LTE-compatible iPhone. Nokia Corp. (NOK), the largest mobile phone developer in the world, has also entered the race and is expected to launch LTE-based mobile handsets by 2011.

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About Zacks Equity Research

Zacks Equity Research provides the best of quantitative and qualitative analysis to help investors know what stocks to buy and which to sell for the long-term.

Continuous coverage is provided for a universe of 1,150 publicly traded stocks. Our analysts are organized by industry which gives them keen insights to developments that affect company profits and stock performance. Recommendations and target prices are six-month time horizons.

Zacks "Profit from the Pros" e-mail newsletter provides highlights of the latest analysis from Zacks Equity Research. Subscribe to this free newsletter today: http://at.zacks.com/?id=5517

About Zacks

Zacks.com is a property of Zacks Investment Research, Inc., which was formed in 1978 by Leonard Zacks. As a PhD in mathematics Len knew he could find patterns in stock market data that would lead to superior investment results. Amongst his many accomplishments was the formation of his proprietary stock picking system; the Zacks Rank, which continues to outperform the market by nearly a 3 to 1 margin. The best way to unlock the profitable stock recommendations and market insights of Zacks Investment Research is through our free daily email newsletter; Profit from the Pros. In short, it's your steady flow of Profitable ideas GUARANTEED to be worth your time! Register for your free subscription to Profit from the Pros at http://at.zacks.com/?id=5518.

Visit http://www.zacks.com/performance for information about the performance numbers displayed in this press release.

Follow us on Twitter: http://twitter.com/zacksresearch

Join us on Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/home.php#/pages/Zacks-Investment-Research/57553657748?ref=ts

Disclaimer: Past performance does not guarantee future results. Investors should always research companies and securities before making any investments. Nothing herein should be construed as an offer or solicitation to buy or sell any security.

Contact:
Mark Vickery
Web Content Editor
312-265-9380
Visit: www.zacks.com

Motorola or any of its carrier partners has not given any price information for either CLIQ or DEXT. However, industry sources predict that price may be within the range of $100 - $150 throughout the world.

Dr. Sanjay Jha, the co-CEO and the Mobile Device division chief of Motorola, has also announced that the company will introduce its second 3G smart-phone within next few weeks. That device will also be based on Android software. Motorola is trying hard to expand this platform using its proprietary MOTODEV program. Management declared that another 30 3G high-end mobile handsets are in the offing during fiscal 2010.  

We believe that the introduction of CLIQ/DEXT will place Motorola as a formidable player in the high-end mobile device market. Although the basic mobile phone industry is facing a downturn, the feature-rich smart-phones are seeing strong consumer preference.

However, this is also our assessment that the company needs to do more to become a major force in the intensely competitive smart-phone market. Our analysis is based on following observations:  

• (1)   In the U.S., CLIQ will be available with T-Mobile, which is the smallest nationwide wireless service provider. The large carriers like Verizon Wireless (VZ), AT&T (T) and Sprint Nextel Corp (S) enjoy more than double subscriber base than that of T-Mobile. This means CLIQ will target a limited customer base with smaller upgrade potential and lower promotional budget.  
• (2)   Besides developed economies, Motorola needs to give more emphasis to emerging markets. China is quickly building nationwide 3G networks, and India is likely to see this technology from early 2010. So far, Motorola has failed measurably to capture these high growth potential markets. Its iconic Razr phone failed to make any decisive impression in these markets due to lack of marketing skill. On the other hand, Nokia Corp. (NOK), Samsung LG and Sony-Ericsson -- a joint venture of Sony Corp. (SNE) and LM Ericsson AB (ERIC) -- all have nicely catered these markets.
• (3)   Motorola has a history of maintaining large and complex product lineup. This may make the revival of its ailing handset division more difficult. In contrast, Apple Inc (AAPL) is having only one product lineup of iPhone; Research In Motion (RIMM) is concentrating on BlackBerry Bold, Storm and Tour; Palm Inc (PALM) is focusing purely on Pre and its smaller edition Pixi. Motorola’s decision to offer 30 3G handsets may further complicate its operating cost structure. In the last quarter, this division incurred an operating loss of $253 million on sales of $1.8 billion.  
• (4)   The smart-phone market is quickly getting flooded with Android-based mobile devices. At present, T-Mobile itself is offering two Android-running high-end phones developed by HTC Corp. of Taiwan. From mid-October, Sprint Nextel will also offer a new Android-based mobile device of HTC Corp. Samsung Electronics is also developing a smart-phone based on Android platform. This means Motorola has to differentiate its upcoming 3G phones from with new features.  

Chicago, IL – September 2, 2009 – Zacks.com announces the list of stocks featured in the Analyst Blog. Every day the Zacks Equity Research analysts discuss the latest news and events impacting stocks and the financial markets. Stocks recently featured in the blog include: Google (GOOG), Sony Corp. (SNE), Microsoft (MSFT), Apple (AAPL) and Hewlett Packard Co. (HPQ).

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Here are highlights from Tuesday’s Analyst Blog:

Google Ropes in Sony

Google (GOOG) recently struck a deal with Sony Corp. (SNE), according to which the latter will ship the Chrome browser pre-installed on some of its PC models. The financial or other details of the transaction were not disclosed. A Google spokesperson said that the deal was in the nature of a first step and agreements with other leading PC-makers are expected to follow.

We think this is an interesting move and could be leveraged to boost sales of its Chrome operating system to be launched next year. Microsoft’s (MSFT) domination of the web browser space is largely attributable to its strategy of bundling the Internet Explorer with its operating system. Since MSFT operating systems continue to be the most commonly used, this is an obvious advantage. While Microsoft, being the market leader, is hindered by anti-trust actions from smaller players, Google Chrome is not likely to face this hurdle.

However, we expect the company to face stiff competition not just from Microsoft, but also Mozilla’s Firefox, Apple’s (AAPL) Safari and Opera, which is more commonly used as a mobile phone web browser.

Sony’s share of the PC market has been shrinking and the company has dropped out of the top five, based on shipments to the U.S. and worldwide (according to both IDC and Gartner) to top companies such as Hewlett Packard Co. (HPQ).

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About Zacks

Zacks.com is a property of Zacks Investment Research, Inc., which was formed in 1978 by Leonard Zacks. As a PhD in mathematics Len knew he could find patterns in stock market data that would lead to superior investment results. Amongst his many accomplishments was the formation of his proprietary stock picking system; the Zacks Rank, which continues to outperform the market by nearly a 3 to 1 margin. The best way to unlock the profitable stock recommendations and market insights of Zacks Investment Research is through our free daily email newsletter; Profit from the Pros. In short, it's your steady flow of Profitable ideas GUARANTEED to be worth your time! Register for your free subscription to Profit from the Pros at http://at.zacks.com/?id=5518.

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This 3G handset will have a high-resolution WVGA touch screen and incorporate a slide-out QWERTY keyboard. It will be available in select markets from October for 500 Euros.

Traditionally, all Nokia handsets have used the Symbian operating system, which is now fully controlled by Nokia. However, the Symbian system has lost charm for mobile phone users and become outdated compared to open source operating systems like Linux, Google Inc.’s (GOOG) Android and the licensed system of Microsoft Corp.’s (MSFT) Windows Mobile. A wireless handset based on the Maeme 5 operating system will allow users to run more than a dozen application windows at the same time.

N900 will have multitasking feature for applications together with web browsing (Mozilla-based Internet browser) that will support Adobe System Inc.’s (ADBE) flash software. This smart-phone will have ARM Cortex-A8 processor and 1GB of application memory. N900 also contains a 5-megapixel camera and 32GB of storage facility. Storage capacity will be expandable up to 48GB through a microSD memory card.

Nokia is the world leader in the high-end smartphone market but the company has been losing ground to fierce competition in recent times. According to Gartner Inc, Nokia’s share fell to 45% in the second quarter from 47.5% in the year-ago period. Meanwhile, Research In Motion (RIMM) grew its market share to 18.7% from 17.3% in the year-ago quarter and Apple Inc. (AAPL) gained 13.3% from a mere 2.8% in the prior-year quarter.

Nokia’s adoption of the Linux-based operating system is aimed to protect its leadership position in the smartphone market. Earlier this month, the company signed a deal with its former arch rival Microsoft Corp., to incorporate the mobile version of MS-Office software suite in Nokia handsets.

“Nokia Money" is a 24-hour service that will enable any mobile phone user to transfer money from his bank account to another account dialing the latter’s mobile phone number. This can be done either through SMS or a call. Nokia is likely to launch this service commercially from early 2010 in select European markets.

The major innovation of this service is that it will be available across various wireless networks from any mobile phone and not necessarily a Nokia handset. This user friendly, fully secured digital financial service can be used for remitting money, pay bills for goods and services, utility bills or top-up prepaid connections. Rural consumers, who do not have access to online services, will particularly benefit from this service.

Mobile financial service has high growth potential. Industry researches estimate that currently there are approximately 4 billion mobile phone users in the world but out of these, only 1.6 billion have individual bank accounts. This indicates that a large population of mobile phone users does not have access to basic financial services.

“Nokia Money" aims to narrow this gap by combining wireless handsets and secured financial services. The company has established an alliance with Obopay, a global leader for developing mobile payment solutions, to commercialize this service. We consider Nokia’s entry into mobile financial service at this stage as a right move as the market is gradually getting crowded.

NTT DoCoMo (DCM) plans to launch an innovative online money transfer service in Japan, where it is the largest wireless service provider. Customers of DoCoMo’s i-mode mobile internet service using the 3G FOMA network will be able to remit up to 20,000 Yen per transaction subject to a monthly limit of 200,000 Yen.

Motorola Inc. (MOT) has also developed a new mobile phone SIM (Subscriber Identity Module) card called “I-SIM NFC Lite" card that can be used for mobile money transfer. The company is currently testing this m-wallet card in Taiwan and plans to launch it in the world’s largest mobile subscriber market of China in the near future.

Chicago, IL – August 27, 2009 – Zacks.com announces the list of stocks featured in the Analyst Blog. Every day the Zacks Equity Research analysts discuss the latest news and events impacting stocks and the financial markets. Stocks recently featured in the blog include: Safeway Inc. (SWY), Vodafone Group Plc (VOD), Gap Inc. (GPS), Charles Schwab Corp. (SCHW) and Cisco Systems Inc. (CSCO).

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Here are highlights from Wednesday’s Analyst Blog:

Safeway Expands Board

Safeway Inc. (SWY), the third-largest supermarket chain in North America, recently appointed Arun Sarin and Michael S. Shannon to its Board of Directors, expanding the number of members from 10 to 12. With these appointments, management brings on board some key industry experts.

Arun Sarin has served the telecommunications industry for most of his career. He was the CEO of Vodafone Group Plc (VOD), the world’s largest mobile phone company by revenue, for a considerable time period. He was also the board member of companies like Gap Inc. (GPS), Charles Schwab Corp. (SCHW) and Cisco Systems Inc. (CSCO).

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Zacks Equity Research provides the best of quantitative and qualitative analysis to help investors know what stocks to buy and which to sell for the long-term.

Continuous coverage is provided for a universe of 1,150 publicly traded stocks. Our analysts are organized by industry which gives them keen insights to developments that affect company profits and stock performance. Recommendations and target prices are six-month time horizons.

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About Zacks

Zacks.com is a property of Zacks Investment Research, Inc., which was formed in 1978 by Leonard Zacks. As a PhD in mathematics Len knew he could find patterns in stock market data that would lead to superior investment results. Amongst his many accomplishments was the formation of his proprietary stock picking system; the Zacks Rank, which continues to outperform the market by nearly a 3 to 1 margin. The best way to unlock the profitable stock recommendations and market insights of Zacks Investment Research is through our free daily email newsletter; Profit from the Pros. In short, it's your steady flow of Profitable ideas GUARANTEED to be worth your time! Register for your free subscription to Profit from the Pros at http://at.zacks.com/?id=5518.

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Arun Sarin has served the telecommunications industry for most of his career. He was the CEO of Vodafone Group Plc (VOD), the world’s largest mobile phone company by revenue, for a considerable time period. He was also the board member of companies like Gap Inc. (GPS), Charles Schwab Corp. (SCHW) and Cisco Systems Inc. (CSCO).

Michael S. Shannon was the founder of KSL Capital Partners LLC – a leading private equity firm primarily investing in travel and leisure businesses. He was the founder and CEO of KSL Resorts. During his long career, he served as a director of Conseco Inc. (CNO), TCA Cable TV Inc., Startek Inc. (SRT) and ING Americas Holdings. He is currently a board member of ING Direct, the Vail Valley Foundation, the United States Ski and Snowboard Association and Eisenhower Memorial Hospital.

Safeway would like to capitalize on the valuable insights provided by these two experienced professionals and benefit from their vast, in-depth knowledge of various industry verticals.

Motorola announced that its two new 3G handsets will feature an intuitive user interface and an efficient combination of Internet access, messaging, and multi-media applications based on the Android software ecosystem. Currently, more than 6,000 multimedia and social networking applications are available based on the Android ecosystem. Motorola is trying hard to expand this platform using its proprietary MOTODEV program. Management also declared that another 30 3G high-end mobile handset models are in the offing during fiscal 2010.

Motorola thoroughly revamped its critical Mobile Device segment. During the first half of fiscal 2009, management reduced its headcount by more than 8,000. Most of this reduction took place in the Mobile Device segment. As a result, operating expenses during this period were reduced by over $1 billion year-on-year. Going forward, management revised its guidance stating that the company will reduce its operating expenses by $1.8 billion in fiscal 2009 compared to the previous fiscal. Out of $1.8 billion, the Mobile Device segment alone will save $1.4 billion of operating costs.

Recently, Motorola entered into an agreement with Blockbuster Inc. (BBI) to offer mobile video entertainment to its customers. Users will be able to watch any movie/video games or can download the same on his/her handset that are available in the Blockbuster video library. Partnership with Blockbuster will give Motorola a competitive foothold compared to Apple Inc.’s (AAPL) legendary iPhone that offers movie download facilities through Apple’s own iTunes movie store.

It now appears that I have to do nothing, I just open a Yahoo finance/mail/or any other Yahoo page and there it is. But would I still continue using Google (GOOG)? I think not, especially if Google is not my home page and the content is more or less the same. This basically means that the focus has now shifted from use to content.

Microsoft has also introduced a freely downloadable version of MS Office, facilitating the use of the company’s word processing, spread sheet and PowerPoint products. Although Google already offers similar products, it was more of a defensive measure to protect the company’s market share.

The company recently signed an agreement with Nokia (NOK) to offer Word, Excel and PowerPoint features on select mobile phones from 2010. The revenue potential could be substantial, considering Nokia’s market share. While the deal should generate incremental earnings, many observers feel that it would mark the end of the Windows-based mobile operating system.

But Microsoft came up with yet another strategy to prove its adaptability to changing market dynamics. The company’s newly announced OneApp feature will use clouds to offer programs on GPRS phones in emerging markets. While smartphone penetration in these markets has been limited, feature phones have huge potential.

Microsoft has already entered into an agreement with South Africa’s Blue Label Telecoms, offering a dozen OneApp-powered applications. The initial package includes popular programs like Facebook, Twitter, Windows messenger and games. It would soon add other useful programs to enable bill payments and even health diagnosis.

The existing mobile operating systems from Research In Motion (RIMM), Apple (AAPL), Google and Nokia have made headway in the U.S. and other developed markets. Microsoft’s intention to target emerging markets makes sense to us.

As Google’s Android-based phones are just making their appearance felt, the new Microsoft solution could divert some buyers. The deal with Nokia, which is firmly entrenched in these regions, would play a key role in bringing Microsoft applications a superior foothold. We believe that offering the smartphone experience to existing cell phones is a smart strategy, as users are allowed to continue using handsets of their choice.

This is not all. Management also expects to launch a windows mobile apps store for cell phone users by the end of this year. Apple’s app store is very popular, although the most frequently downloaded applications are the ones that cost 99 cents. Microsoft’s ploy is to allow developers to fix their own prices, encouraging them to continue writing programs for Win Mo. We are encouraged by the company’s recent initiatives as we believe these are likely to improve its competitive position in both the search and mobile markets.

Its net debt increased 12.7% sequentially and about 278% year over year to R$21,638 million (US$10,353 million). This was due to higher capex expenses, including a third-generation service license for its 3G mobile set up in São Paulo and the takeover of Brasil Telecom Participações (BRP). During the quarter, the company acquired a 55% stake in Brasil Telecom for R$12.4 billion.

At the end of second quarter, net debt represented 2.2 times Tele Norte’s consolidated EBITDA in the last 12 months. We understand that rising debt will increase financial expenses in the short term and will have an impact on the company’s future earnings.

The company reported a quarterly net loss of R$146 million (US$69.9 million) compared with a net income of R$288.5 in the year-ago period. Its loss per share came in at 18 cents, while the Zacks Consensus Estimate was pegged at a profit of 24 cents.

Consolidated gross revenue amounted to R$ 11.2 billion, up 3% from the second quarter of 2008, mainly due to the performance of the wireless segment, which grew by 13% to R$2.4 billion. The expansion of the average user base and the introduction of 3G service also helped sales in the wireless cell phone segment during the period.

At the end of the quarter, Tele Norte's revenue generated units amounted to roughly 60 million, which was composed of 34 million mobile customers, 22 million fixed lines in service and about 12.1 million fixed broadband users. This represents an overall growth of almost 18% in last twelve months. Of the nearly 9 million customers added in the last twelve months, 8.65 million are new mobile users and 552,000 are new fixed broadband access, representing increases of 34% and 16%, respectively, compared to June 2008.

We believe that the company will be able to post encouraging results in the medium-term following the integration of Brasil Telecom. However, 2009 will be a challenging year for the Brazilian telecom industry as a whole. A fiercely competitive environment and the recent global financial crisis are hurdles in the way of rapid growth in the wireless industry.

PC demand is picking up in the consumer notebook area, which includes the new netbook category. The Macbook is particularly strong. Business demand for PC remains weak as business customer are waiting for the release of OS7 from microsoft.FPD for notebook PCs was up 35% Q/Q and netbook displays increased 85%. We expect PC sales to show positive Y/Y gains in the second half of 2009. Even the DRAM market is picking up, probably as a result of improving notebook sales.

The cell phone market is still in a state of technology transfer from traditional to smart phones. Apple (AAPL) sold a million new iPhones in the first weekend, dwarfing Palm's (PALM) Pre sales. For the first three months the estimates of Pre sales vary over a wide range, from 150,000 to 300,000, with most recent reports estimating a balance between supply and demand for the Pre of about 40,000 a week.

Supply has been constrained due to supplier problems and Palm may introduce an updated Pre handset before year end. More phone manufacturers are announcing new smart phones, such as Nokia (NOK) for Sprint (S), and it is possible that the netbooks that the phone companies will be selling may take some market share from smartphones.

Prepaid phone rates are dropping as secondary cellular providers offer deals on networks rented from the major providers. Prepaid is one of the faster growing sectors in the cellular business.

The TV market is picking up. Volume has grown significantly and unit sales at retail look good. However, much of the retail demand is driven by deep discounted sales of smaller screen sizes, with 32" being pushed. Best Buy (BBY) had good results in TV, notebook PCs and cell phones in the first quarter and we believe this has continued in the second quarter.

LG (LPL), the second largest FPD maker after Samsung, has announced a capacity increase of an 8G plant (the latest technology plant is 11Generation) that will supply the smaller size panels. Corning Glass (GLW) has restarted a FPD glass line and the company continues to announce better than expected demand and increased growth forecasts.

Digital camera demand remains stagnant as higher priced SLR camera demand, which had been growing, seems to have flattened out and there are some good sales for those looking for something better than a pocket camera.

Overall we expect a reasonable Xmas season. Inventories are at a low level and there may be a few shortages. The pessimism of the beginning of the year is not as prevalent and CE consumer confidence looks to be improving.Zacks Investment Research

PC demand is picking up in the consumer notebook area, which includes the new netbook category. The Macbook is particularly strong. Business demand for PC remains weak as business customer are waiting for the release of OS7 from microsoft.FPD for notebook PCs was up 35% Q/Q and netbook displays increased 85%. We expect PC sales to show positive Y/Y gains in the second half of 2009. Even the DRAM market is picking up, probably as a result of improving notebook sales.

The cell phone market is still in a state of technology transfer from traditional to smart phones. Apple (AAPL) sold a million new iPhones in the first weekend, dwarfing Palm's (PALM) Pre sales. For the first three months the estimates of Pre sales vary over a wide range, from 150,000 to 300,000, with most recent reports estimating a balance between supply and demand for the Pre of about 40,000 a week.

Supply has been constrained due to supplier problems and Palm may introduce an updated Pre handset before year end. More phone manufacturers are announcing new smart phones, such as Nokia (NOK) for Sprint (S), and it is possible that the netbooks that the phone companies will be selling may take some market share from smartphones.

Prepaid phone rates are dropping as secondary cellular providers offer deals on networks rented from the major providers. Prepaid is one of the faster growing sectors in the cellular business.

The TV market is picking up. Volume has grown significantly and unit sales at retail look good. However, much of the retail demand is driven by deep discounted sales of smaller screen sizes, with 32" being pushed. Best Buy (BBY) had good results in TV, notebook PCs and cell phones in the first quarter and we believe this has continued in the second quarter.

LG (LPL), the second largest FPD maker after Samsung, has announced a capacity increase of an 8G plant (the latest technology plant is 11Generation) that will supply the smaller size panels. Corning Glass (GLW) has restarted a FPD glass line and the company continues to announce better than expected demand and increased growth forecasts.

Digital camera demand remains stagnant as higher priced SLR camera demand, which had been growing, seems to have flattened out and there are some good sales for those looking for something better than a pocket camera.

Overall we expect a reasonable Xmas season. Inventories are at a low level and there may be a few shortages. The pessimism of the beginning of the year is not as prevalent and CE consumer confidence looks to be improving.Zacks Investment Research

The growing acceptance of LTE technology has prompted the mobile handset makers to develop phones that will be compatible with this network. NTT DoCoMo will launch LTE handsets in 2011 compatible with its current 3G network, enabling the customers to access services even if they are outside an LTE coverage area. LTE is expected to achieve download transmission speeds of 300Mbps and offers several advantages over other wireless techniques. This includes spectral efficiency, lower costs, and solid integration with other open wireless standards.

Recent rumors within the broadband industry are suggestive of an expected deal between the legendary iPhone maker Apple Inc (AAPL) and Verizon Wireless (VZ) to introduce a new LTE-compatible iPhone. Nokia Corp (NOK), the largest mobile phone developer in the world, has also entered in the race and is expected on launch LTE-based mobile handsets by 2011.

Qualcomm Inc. (QCOM), one of the key developers of OFDMA (Orthogonal Frequency Division Multiple Access) based chipsets has decided to introduce the trial version of LTE-compatible chipsets during the second half of 2009. LG Electronics, on the other hand has already given a demonstration of LTE-based modem during the Mobile World Congress of 2009.

Chicago, IL – July 20, 2009 – Zacks.com announces the list of stocks featured in the Analyst Blog. Every day the Zacks Equity Research analysts discuss the latest news and events impacting stocks and the financial markets. Stocks recently featured in the blog include: Intel Corp (INTC), ARM Holdings (ARMH), Advanced Micro Devices (AMD), Qualcomm (QCOM) and Texas Instruments (TXN).

Get the most recent insight from Zacks Equity Research with the free Profit from the Pros newsletter: http://at.zacks.com/?id=5513

Here are highlights from Friday’s Analyst Blog:

How Mobile is Intel?

Just as Intel Corp (INTC) has a dominant position in the microprocessor market for computers, ARM Holdings (ARMH) has the most widely used technology in cell phones and other mobile devices. Intel’s desire to go beyond its home ground may be traced to the maturing state of the enterprise type PC market and the much stronger growth rates in cell phones and mobile internet devices.

The higher demand has been driven by a sea change in technologies driving consumer electronics products that have virtually created demand for a completely new species. Consumers now want greater functionality, connectivity, portability, lower power consumption, smaller sizes and all this at a much lower cost.

What Intel wants to achieve requires a paradigm shift. In the PC market it enjoys a special position at system integrators that have for long kept Advanced Micro Devices (AMD) at bay. Being the financially stronger party, it is able to make higher investment in R&D and also see the investment converted to sales.

However, the market is heating up and AMD’s recent alliance should help it generate much needed volumes. What that could mean for the AMD bottom line is a different story. But it should definitely begin to create a larger dent in Intel’s revenues.

The cell phone market is vastly different. Here Intel is in AMD’s shoes, despite its financial strength and ARM processors rule the day. ARM chips are already packaged and sold by the likes of Qualcomm (QCOM), Samsung and Texas Instruments (TXN) and are the processors of choice for nearly 90% of all cell phones on the market today.

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Zacks Equity Research provides the best of quantitative and qualitative analysis to help investors know what stocks to buy and which to sell for the long-term.

Continuous coverage is provided for a universe of 1,150 publicly traded stocks. Our analysts are organized by industry which gives them keen insights to developments that affect company profits and stock performance. Recommendations and target prices are six-month time horizons.

Zacks "Profit from the Pros" e-mail newsletter provides highlights of the latest analysis from Zacks Equity Research. Subscribe to this free newsletter today: http://at.zacks.com/?id=5517

About Zacks

Zacks.com is a property of Zacks Investment Research, Inc., which was formed in 1978 by Leonard Zacks. As a PhD in mathematics Len knew he could find patterns in stock market data that would lead to superior investment results. Amongst his many accomplishments was the formation of his proprietary stock picking system; the Zacks Rank, which continues to outperform the market by nearly a 3 to 1 margin. The best way to unlock the profitable stock recommendations and market insights of Zacks Investment Research is through our free daily email newsletter; Profit from the Pros. In short, it's your steady flow of Profitable ideas GUARANTEED to be worth your time! Register for your free subscription to Profit from the Pros at http://at.zacks.com/?id=5518.

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Contact:
Mark Vickery
Web Content Editor
312-265-9380
Visit: www.zacks.com 

The higher demand has been driven by a sea change in technologies driving consumer electronics products that have virtually created demand for a completely new species. Consumers now want greater functionality, connectivity, portability, lower power consumption, smaller sizes and all this at a much lower cost.
 
What Intel wants to achieve requires a paradigm shift. In the PC market it enjoys a special position at system integrators that have for long kept Advanced Micro Devices (AMD) at bay. Being the financially stronger party, it is able to make higher investment in R&D and also see the investment converted to sales.

However, the market is heating up and AMD’s recent alliance should help it generate much needed volumes. What that could mean for the AMD bottom line is a different story. But it should definitely begin to create a larger dent in Intel’s revenues.
 
The cell phone market is vastly different. Here Intel is in AMD’s shoes, despite its financial strength and ARM processors rule the day. ARM chips are already packaged and sold by the likes of Qualcomm (QCOM), Samsung and Texas Instruments (TXN) and are the processors of choice for nearly 90% of all cell phones on the market today. Even new operating systems, such as Google’s (GOOG) Android have been specially built to fit in with ARM architecture.

Intel’s problems are not limited to its x86 architecture, which is incompatible with many proprietary cell phones. The company has actually yet to come out with a satisfactory product for the market. The Atom is more of a computing chip, sort of a bridge between the two worlds.

By Intel’s own admission, the company will not be able to make an impression on the cell phone market before the advent of Moorestown. The power savings offered by Moorestown could make the Intel chip more appropriate for the cell phone market. Critics argue that the Cortex A9 from ARM could be shipping by then, which could maintain ARM’s supremacy.
 
However, Intel’s strategy goes deeper. The company has gone beyond handsets to the growing mobile internet devices (MID) market. According to research firm Forward Concepts, MID shipments will grow from 305,000 units in 2008 to 40 million units in 2012. The research firm expects chip companies serving the market to gain big time, growing from $29 million in 2008 to $2.6 billion in 2012.

Intel is expected to be the biggest winner with its x86 microarchitecture. The non-x86 gainers are likely to be Texas Instruments and Qualcomm.
 
Intel has also been developing the Moblin software platform for Atom based netbooks and nettops using open source technology from Linux. The beta version boasts the latest open source graphics technology; social networking (only Twitter and Last.fm at present); Mozilla browser (for Internet access, video embedding and the latest flash plug-in); zoomable media player, and a user interface for connection management.

Moblin will also be of great strategic importance when Intel is ready to enter the handset market through the recently announced Nokia (NOK) alliance.

Baseband is a generic term used to describe the central application processor that controls and handles most of the digital functions within a handset. Baseband manufacturers face the dual issues of a commoditized market and rapidly increasing development costs. This is because, as features are added to phones, the complexity and cost of manufacturing DSPs are further increased.
 
Previously, in the 3G manufacturing process, custom-made baseband chips provided cell phone makers a competitive advantage. But as the 3G production cycle matured, this competitive edge was lost and the demand for standard chips such as those made by Qualcomm became more popular.

Currently, it makes much more sense for a handset manufacturer to go for standardized chips to drive volumes, rather than custom made chips for a more differentiated product. Infineon, Broadcom (BRCM) and Mediatek (the fourth largest player) were the other direct beneficiaries of the change. STMicroelectronics (STM), the third largest player, shifted focus from custom-made to standardized baseband chips and therefore did not lose much on account of the change.
 
TI was the worst affected, both because of the increasing cost and the loss of customers to their second sourcing strategy. Consequently, management announced its decision to sell off the merchant baseband business last year. However, buyers are hard to come by and management finally decided not to sell the business outright, but continue serving existing customers. The business would instead be phased out by 2012.

For TI, the sale makes sense, since it would save $200 million a year. Management is also optimistic about growth in the increasingly crowded analog market. Its OMAP processors are expected to be a great success and one wonders whether they will be integrated into a baseband chip in days to come.

Company Description

Kongzhong Corp., through its subsidiaries, provides wireless interactive media and entertainment services to mobile phone users in China. The company was founded in 2002 and has a market cap of $352 million.

Shares of Kong have been rallying for most of the year, helped by the company's better than expected first-quarter results, reported on May 13.

First-Quarter Results

Sales were up more than 35% from last year to $29.6 million. Income sky-rocketed, jumping to $2.5 million from $88,000, producing earnings of 8 cents per share, 5 cents ahead of the consensus estimate.

Share Buy Back

During the quarterly announcement, Kong noted that it had purchased a total of 568,994 ADS's (22,759,760 ordinary shares) at an average price of $4.076.

Strong Balance Sheet

The company's balance sheet also looks strong, with $141.67 million in cash and cash equivalents.

Estimates Jump

Analysts went ahead and boosted their earnings projection after news of the good quarter hit the street, with the current year tacking on 11 cents and climbing to 23 cents per share. The next-year estimate is projecting earnings of 30 cents, a 27% growth projection.

Valuations

Based upon the current-year estimate, this is not a fairly pricey stock, trading with a P/E multiple of over 40X, a steep premium to the overall market.

The Chart

Shares of KONG have been on a steady rally for most of the year, recently topping off above $11. Take a look below.

Zacks Investment Research

Intel (INTC) and Nokia (NOK) have joined hands to tap the smart phone and MID market. Nokia will use the Atom processor in its smart phones and mobile Internet devices going forward, even as Intel licenses Nokia's 3G HSPA modem technology.

The two companies have used open source software from Linux to develop their respective mobile platforms. The strategic relationship is expected to enable Intel's Moblin (currently in beta stage) and Nokia's Maemo to incorporate several open source applications, such as oFono, ConnMan, Mozilla, X.Org, BlueZ, D-BUS, Tracker, GStreamer and PulseAudio through some co-coordinated effort. The association will also enhance device functionality for both in terms of Internet connectivity, wireless communication, superior graphics and comprehensive multimedia capabilities.

Nokia currently holds about 40% share of the mobile phone market and a 34% market share in smart phones. The partnership should, therefore, be of great strategic importance for Intel. Additionally, Intel's long-range plans of entering the mobile phone market will obtain further impetus from the licensed modem technology.

Intel has a comprehensive mobile roadmap, with Moorestown closely designed to follow Atom later this year, and then Medfield by early 2010. Power efficiency is expected to improve with each successive platform. We expect the Wind River acquisition to play a key role in the company's mobile plans.

Although it is still too early, the collaboration could be bad news for companies like Qualcomm (QCOM) and ARM, who have been shipping processors to Nokia. The Maemo is still under development, but enhancements could put up stiff competition for the Android operating system developed by Google (GOOG), or the blackberry which uses QCOM chipsets and ARM processors) developed by Research In Motion (RIMM), or even the iphone developed by Apple (AAPL).