Contract Manufacturing: A Second-Half Bet (part 2) By Hal Plotkin CNBC.com Silicon Valley Correspondent Dec 28, 2000 04:03 PM Michael Morris, an analyst with Salomon Smith Barney, based in San Francisco, also sees Flextronic's stock going up to the mid $70 dollar range over the next 12-18 months. "It's really one of the best times...
No Security for Network Associates' Shareholders By Hal Plotkin CNBC.com Silicon Valley Correspondent Dec 27, 2000 03:21 PM Chart: 1-year performance of NETA One-year performance of Network Associates' stock. Network Associates Inc. {NETA} took a bloodbath today after last night's news that the company has a big accounting problem, will post a fourth-quarter loss, and is...
Critical Months Ahead for Oracle By Hal Plotkin CNBC.com Silicon Valley Correspondent Dec 21, 2000 03:39 PM Oracle Corp. {ORCL} isn't out of the woods yet. First, the good news: Oracle's shares have risen about 6% since the company reported slightly better-than-expected results for its fiscal second quarter last Friday. Oracle executives also boosted their...
Symantec Charts New Course By Hal Plotkin CNBC.com Silicon Valley Correspondent Dec 19, 2000 11:20 AM Symantec Corp. {SYMC}, long known for its market-leading Norton Anti-Virus brand, is in the process of getting a big makeover. The Cupertino, Calif.-based Internet security firm recently announced a dramatic change in its approach to its core anti-virus and...
Power Play: Fuel-Cell Stocks By Hal Plotkin CNBC.com Silicon Valley Correspondent Dec 18, 2000 07:30 AM How much would you be willing to pay to keep the lights on? If the answer is "more than I'm paying right now," you might want to take a look at fuel-cell stocks. A number of industry analysts say...
Microsoft Warning No Surprise By Frances Hong and Hal Plotkin CNBC.com Reporters Dec 14, 2000 07:15 PM Given the weakness in the PC market and high-profile warnings by box makers like Compaq Computer Corp. {CPQ} and Gateway Inc. {GTW}, it is no surprise that vendors down the PC food chain would get hit, too. The...
Abgenix: The Mouse That Roars? By Hal Plotkin CNBC.com Silicon Valley Correspondent Dec 14, 2000 03:30 PM 52-Week Stock-Performance of Abgenix Inc. You might call Abgenix Inc.'s {ABGX} transgenic rodent the mouse that roars. Although volatile, Abgenix's stock has been one of the biotechnology sector's most-lucrative performers over the past year moving up, though not always...
Will Linux Save Microsoft? By Hal Plotkin CNBC.com Silicon Valley Correspondent Dec 8, 2000 01:54 PM In a week when the markets have battered every stock connected with the troubled personal-computer business, it is time to take a look at the company that, more than any other, has defined that industry. I speak, of...
PC Group: Don't Hold Your Breath By Hal Plotkin CNBC.com Silicon Valley Correspondent Dec 6, 2000 05:41 PM If you have listened to the experts lately, you might have the idea that the recent slide in PC-related stocks is just another short-term setback. Don't believe it. And don't believe me either. Instead, trust yourself. When it...
TiVo Winning Converts By Hal Plotkin CNBC.com Silicon Valley Correspondent Dec 1, 2000 08:00 AM My beloved 75-year-old mother-in-law can finally easily record television programs for later viewing. No blinking "12:00's." No mistakenly recorded static. And without any of the other frustrations that usually accompany first-generation videocassette recorders, such as dealing with those unsightly...
Two Hot Net Technologies To Watch by Hal Plotkin CNBC.com Silicon Valley Correspondent Nov 22, 2000 05:53 PM The death of the dot.com sector has been greatly exaggerated. I know that is cold comfort to investors who bet on the sorry likes of Priceline.com Inc. {PCLN}, Buy.com Inc. {BUYX}, or CMGI Inc. {CMGI}. Setbacks like that...
Biopure on Verge of Biotech Holy Grail By Hal Plotkin CNBC.com Silicon Valley Correspondent There could be some very good news for biotechnology investors just around the corner. If analysts are right, Cambridge, Mass.-based Biopure Inc. {BPUR} is less than a year away from achieving the long-awaited goal of obtaining government permission to start...
Adobe Systems Corners Its Market By Hal Plotkin CNBC.com Silicon Valley Correspondent Sometimes the best investment ideas can be found right in front of you. Several Internet and Web-publishing analysts say that is the case with Adobe Systems Inc. {ADBE}. Adobe Systems 52-week stock price They say it is now virtually impossible for companies to...
Sign of a Top: A VC Fund for Jocks By Hal Plotkin CNBC.com Silicon Valley Correspondent Looking back, it’s always easy to pick out the big milestones in technology investing. The first Hewlett Packard calculator to hit university bookstores, for example, or the creation of the wickedly addictive computer game Pong, or the...
Is McAfee the Play in Anti-Virus Stocks? By Hal Plotkin CNBC.com Silicon Valley Correspondent 001110symantec Symantec 52-week stock price Between PC virus scares, most investors probably don't pay too much attention to the stocks of firms that sell virus-protection software. But when a scare does occur, you can usually count on a spike in the...
Time to Sell Solectron, Buy SCI? By Hal Plotkin CNBC.com Silicon Valley Correspondent Looks like it might be time to reshuffle your holdings in the highflying electronic-manufacturing services sector. Although no financial analysts will put it quite this bluntly, Solectron Corp. {SLR} is the stock to sell. The stocks to buy: SCI Systems Inc....
"Fiorina's Folly" at Hewlett Packard By Hal Plotkin CNBC.com Silicon Valley Correspondent One-year performance of HWP One of the biggest questions swirling around Silicon Valley these days is whether Hewlett Packard Co.'s {HWP} charismatic chief executive Carly Fiorina is about to take her company to new heights -- or right off a cliff. Many analysts...
IBM Jilts Transmeta at IPO altar By Hal Plotkin Silicon Valley Correspondent If you think of an initial public offering as a kind of wedding between investors and a company, it looks like much-talked about Transmeta Corp. has just been jilted at the altar. Think of it this way: Just as the minister was...
AVANT: A Biotech With Heart By Hal Plotkin CNBC.com Silicon Valley Correspondent What if you could take a pill that magically turns your "bad" LDL cholesterol into "good" HDL cholesterol? If you were one of the estimated 10 million Americans who suffer from arteriosclerosis, you'd probably race right over to the neighborhood pharmacy. Your ailing...
Netegrity Inc. Is Coming on Strong By Hal Plotkin Silicon Valley Correspondent Everyone wants to get a foot in the e-commerce door. But owning the door is even better. That is the recipe for Netegrity Inc.’s {NETE} rather stunning success. The Web portal security company posted its first profit one quarter ahead of schedule...
A Long Wait for the Wireless Web By Hal Plotkin Silicon Valley Correspondent You have heard it over and over again: The wireless Internet will be the Next Really Big Thing. Now hear this: Not only are high-speed wireless Internet services further off than you have been led to believe, they may not turn...
Time to Bite at Apple’s Stock? By Hal Plotkin Silicon Valley Correspondent It’s bruised on the outside, but the core looks solid. Can Steve Jobs revive his revival of PC maker Apple Computer Inc. {AAPL}? That’s the 64-gigabyte question in Silicon Valley these days. This stock has been so battered, in fact, that if...
Crime Pays for Online-Security Firms By Hal Plotkin Silicon Valley Correspondent Everyone knows the already-sizable online security market is going to grow larger. The big question up until now, though, has been whether the future of that market will belong to companies offering soup-to-nuts online-security solutions or whether you would be better off...
Is Oracle’s E-Biz Presence Overstated? By Hal Plotkin Silicon Valley Correspondent If you have been paying attention to Oracle Corp.’s {ORCL} hard-to-miss advertising campaign, you probably figure that the software giant’s leap into e-business justifies its lofty valuation. After all, even the squirrels in Central Park have by now heard Oracle’s oft-stated claim...
UpShot Presents Problems for Oracle By Hal Plotkin Silicon Valley Correspondent Much has been made over the past few years of the long-running feud between Oracle Corp. founder Larry Ellison and his archrival, Microsoft Corp. {MSFT} founder Bill Gates. But some industry watchers in Silicon Valley say Ellison now has an even more-important battle...
Leading B2Bs May Be Heading for Fall By Hal Plotkin CNBC.com Silicon Valley Correspondent Maybe you think you can find refuge from the carnage of the Internet's business-to-consumer, or B2C, debacle by scooping up some of the supposedly less-vulnerable leading "arms merchant" business-to-business, or B2B, stocks such as Ariba Inc. {ARBA}, BEA Systems...
Transmeta’s Big-Bark, No-Bite IPO By Hal Plotkin Silicon Valley Correspondent If the judges are fair, Transmeta Corp. has a good chance of walking away with this year’s award for "most hype generated by an unproven pre-initial public offering company in a tiny market niche." You have no doubt already heard about Transmeta, easily one...
Cashing in on the Optics Opportunity By Hal Plotkin Silicon Valley Correspondent If you are still kicking yourself for not buying Intel Corp. {INTC} in the early ‘80s or Cisco Systems Inc. {CSCO} a decade later, you might want to take a very close look at optical stocks right now. Even with record valuations...
Priceline Business Model Seen Flawed By Hal Plotkin Silicon Valley Correspondent You might think that priceline.com Inc.’s {PCLN} shares are a bargain at less than 11, down from an all-time high of 165 back in April 1999. But so many questions have arisen about the fundamental viability of the "name your own price"...
Little Thunder Seen for Loudcloud IPO By Hal Plotkin Silicon Valley Correspondent Ever since Web wunderkind Marc Andreessen decamped from America Online Inc. {AOL} last September after that firm acquired Netscape Communications Corp. and subsequently announced plans for a new start-up, investors have had only one question about the 29-year-old: Can he do...
PC Sales May Pick up Later in the Year By Hal Plotkin Silicon Valley Correspondent Analysts say saturated PC markets in the United States and slower-than-expected personal computer sales in Europe are creating ongoing headaches for leading chip maker Intel Corp. {INTC} and other players in the suddenly hard-pressed chip and PC sectors,...
Analysts Talk Hot Biotech Stock Picks By Hal Plotkin Silicon Valley Correspondent Dain Rauscher Wessels initiated coverage of 11 biotechnology stocks last week saying several of them could move up 50 percent or more in price over the next 12 months. But leading industry analysts say two lesser-known biotech firms appear to have...
Art Tech Seen as Buying Opportunity By Hal Plotkin Silicon Valley Correspondent E-commerce enabler Art Technology Group Inc. {ARTG} chief executive officer Jeet Singh says Hewlett-Packard Co.’s {HWP} anticipated acquisition of Art-reseller PricewaterhouseCoopers’ consulting business, if completed, would be welcome news for this already-profitable firm. Art’s stock has fallen over the past few sessions,...
Why Analysts Like Flextronics By Hal Plotkin Silicon Valley Correspondent If market watchers are right, electronic-manufacturing and service company Flextronics International Ltd.’s {FLEX} stock may soon see higher ground. Several analysts reiterated or raised ambitious 12-month price targets on Flextronics’ stock last week, after a conference call led to upward revisions in revenue and...
Will the Holidays Be Kind to E-Tailers? By Hal Plotkin Silicon Valley Correspondent Some analysts say Amazon.com Inc.’s {AMZN} recovering stock will go considerably higher before the holidays are over, but others see even bigger opportunities elsewhere in the hard-pressed but seasonally hot e-tailing sector. Investors anticipating the traditional holiday run-up have already pushed...
Analysts Like Ask Jeeves’ Prospects By Hal Plotkin Silicon Valley Correspondent Analysts expect Ask Jeeves Inc.’s {ASKJ} stock to move higher over the next 12 months, saying the company’s focus on natural-language processing will make it a strong survivor when the dust settles from the current dot-com sector shakeout. Late last week, U. S....
Four VOIP Stock Favorites By Hal Plotkin Silicon Valley Correspondent Several analysts say they expect to see IP-telephony stocks take over leadership in the telecommunications sector during the coming year, as both traditional long-distance phone companies and end users begin to make the transition from old-fashioned circuit-switched networks to the Internet-based phone systems...
Analysts Debate Merit of Free VOIP Telephone Calls By Hal Plotkin Silicon Valley Correspondent I’ve been talking to my old college buddy, David, who lives in New Zealand, a lot these days. Since I live in California, that may sound like good news for my long distance carrier, AT&T, which charges $2.85 plus...
Analysts Set Higher Targets for CIENA By Hal Plotkin Silicon Valley Correspondent Several analysts raised their 12-month price targets for CIENA Corp.’s {CIEN} stock after the optical-networking systems company reported better-than-expected fiscal third-quarter results last Thursday. "CIENA is our top pick right now," says Hasan Imam, an analyst at Donaldson Lufkin & Jenrette in...
Techs That Thrive in a Slowing Economy By Hal Plotkin Silicon Valley Correspondent Holding high-margin electronic-manufacturing stocks is one of the best ways investors can shelter their portfolios from fears of a slowing economy and potentially higher interest rates, analysts say. Stocks in the electronics manufacturing products and services (EMPS) sector have handily overcome...
Stalled Fuel Cell IPOs Leave Upside By Hal Plotkin Silicon Valley Correspondent Two fuel-cell companies that went public last week in lackluster initial public offerings may still offer investors upside potential, analysts say. Last week’s disappointing IPO from fuel-cell pioneer H Power Corp. {HPOW} leaves the stock well positioned to move up, as demand...
Election Imperils New Economy Stocks By Hal Plotkin Silicon Valley Correspondent A number of leading Silicon Valley business leaders say this November’s presidential election poses increased risks for investors, particularly those holding so-called New Economy stocks in emerging Internet, communications and high-tech markets. Business supporters of both Texas Governor and Republican nominee George W....
Obscure Tech Sector Poised for Growth By Hal Plotkin Silicon Valley Correspondent Looking for a way to invest in today's hottest tech sectors without following the herd? You may want to consider companies that tech kingpins will outsource their work to in the future, especially in the wireless infrastructure and optical networking fields. Lesser-known...
Analysts Say Plexus Hits Sweet Spot By Hal Plotkin Silicon Valley Correspondent Analysts see more upside potential for Plexus Corp.’s {PLXS} soaring stock, saying the company’s focus on serving high-end, high-margin customers in the electronic manufacturing sector puts it squarely in the industry’s sweet spot. "It’s had a huge run-up, over 50 percent, in...
Solectron Stock Set to Soar in 2nd Half By Hal Plotkin Silicon Valley Correspondent Some analysts -- spurred on by recent comments made by the company’s chief executive officer and president Koichi Nishimura -- say Solectron Corp.’s {SLR} stock could regain its momentum during the second half of the year. During his presentation last...
Will Webvan Group’s Stock Deliver? By Hal Plotkin Silicon Valley Correspondent Although there are some skeptics, several analysts think Webvan Group Inc. {WBVN} is succeeding with its ambitious plan to bring the grocery business online, and they say now is the perfect time to buy the company’s beaten down stock. "If you’re willing to...
InfoSpace Leads Next Wireless Trend By Hal Plotkin Silicon Valley Correspondent Several leading analysts who follow wireless industry trends see major upside potential for InfoSpace Inc.’s {INSP} stock over the coming year, saying the company is emerging as a leading enabler of mobile, wireless-Internet applications. "With wireless subscribers expected to exceed 1 billion worldwide...
Analysts Say VISX’s Stock Looks Good By Hal Plotkin Silicon Valley Correspondent Although at least one prominent analyst disagrees, several others say VISX Inc.’s {VISX} beaten-down stock looks good at its current price level, considering the fact that the company has captured about 70 percent of a market that is growing at 50...
Analysts, CEO Talk Up MedicaLogic By Hal Plotkin Silicon Valley Correspondent MedicaLogic/Medscape Inc.’s {MDLI} founder and chief executive officer Dr. Mark Leavitt agrees with analysts who say his company’s beaten-down stock could generate very lucrative returns for longer-term investors. "This is not something you do in three or six months," Leavitt told CNBC.com in...
Intel Surges, But Some Risks Remain By Hal Plotkin Silicon Valley Correspondent Semiconductor analysts still favor Intel Corp.’s {INTC} stock, even after this week’s big run-up, but some of them also warn of potential risks down the road. On Monday, Lehman Brothers’ analyst Dan Niles touched off a buying spree in Intel shares after...
Can Be Inc.’s Stock Make Comeback? By Hal Plotkin Silicon Valley Correspondent Although financial analysts have abandoned operating system maker Be Inc.’s {BEOS) flagging stock, several leading industry analysts, along with company chairman, president, chief executive officer and founder Jean-Louis Gassée, say it is way too soon to count out the only multimedia-oriented...
Electronic Mfg Group Seen as Good Bet By Hal Plotkin Silicon Valley Correspondent Analysts say quarterly earnings reports from Solectron Corp. {SLR} and Jabil Circuit Inc. {JBL} this week will generate increased attention for stocks in the highly volatile but upwardly mobile electronic manufacturing services (EMS) sector. "Solectron’s stock went up almost 40 percent...
Echelon Triples on Investor Enthusiasm By Hal Plotkin Silicon Valley Correspondent You might think that communicating with appliances or industrial machinery from afar sounds like a far-fetched concept, but Palo Alto, Calif.-based Echelon Corp. {ELON} has positioned itself to provide the technology that could do everything from monitoring jet engines while in flight...
Microsoft: Seen Solid in Long-Term By Hal Plotkin Silicon Valley Correspondent Several leading industry analysts say Microsoft Corp.'s beaten down stock remains by far the best long-term bet in the crucial operating system market despite this week’s good news for Linux and the ongoing anti-trust case against the company. "You’d be crazy not to...
Analysts Like Nortel As Tech Leader By Hal Plotkin Silicon Valley Correspondent Looking for a market-proof tech stock not just for today, but for the long run, too? Wall Street analysts continue to ride on the bandwagon for Nortel Networks Corp. {NT}, rather than recently grounded high-flyers Qualcomm Inc. {QCOM} and Sycamore Networks...
Hot Biotech Stocks for the Long Term By Hal Plotkin Silicon Valley Correspondent Analysts say that indiscriminate selling, despite recent reports of important clinical progress leaves several biotechnology stocks attractively priced for investors with a one-to-two-year time horizon. Investors who got into biotech stocks last year saw the sector more than double in valuation...
Hot Biotech Stocks for the Long Term By Hal Plotkin Silicon Valley Correspondent Analysts say that indiscriminate selling, despite recent reports of important clinical progress leaves several biotechnology stocks attractively priced for investors with a one-to-two-year time horizon. Investors who got into biotech stocks last year saw the sector more than double in valuation...
Symantec Finds Favor Among Analysts By Hal Plotkin Silicon Valley Correspondent Software security maker Symantec's stock may have been poised for a rally even before this month's virus scare. But fears of the "I Love You" virus should kick start Symantec ahead of the rest of the slowing tech sector, analysts say. To begin...
Yahoo! Wireless, B2B Plans Get Raves By Hal Plotkin Silicon Valley Correspondent Several analysts who follow Yahoo! Inc. {YHOO} say that last Thursday’s closed-door session with senior company executives convinced them that the leading Internet portal is making the right moves to become a major force in emerging wireless and business to business,...
IBeam IPO Makes Modest Debut By Hal Plotkin Silicon Valley Correspondent Analysts say iBEAM Broadcasting Corp.’s {IBEM}big initial public offering could help the streaming media-delivery company become a ubiquitous part of the fast-growing broadband Internet infrastructure. The IPO has made a modest debut, trading up about 3/4, after pricing at $10 Wednesday night at...
Cisco’s Margins Seen Under Pressure By Hal Plotkin Silicon Valley Correspondent Financial analysts who have been talking up Cisco Systems Inc.’s {CSCO} stock say they won’t be surprised to see the company beat consensus fiscal third-quarter earnings expectations next week, but several leading industry observers also warn that Cisco’s profit margins will almost...
FairMarket Business Model Seen as Solid by Hal Plotkin Silicon Valley Correspondent Analysts say FairMarket Inc.’s {FAIM} novel business model gives the company a good shot at carving out a lucrative online niche. "They come across as a very strong player," says Anna Giraldo Kerr, senior Internet and eCommerce strategies analyst at International Data...
Digital Video Recorder Stocks Seen Up By Hal Plotkin Silicon Valley Correspondent Analysts say digital video recorder (DVR) stocks will get a lift, as skyrocketing demand puts DVR makers in position to become a key platform for the next generation of value-added Internet-based interactive-television services. Last week, Dain Rauscher Wessels analyst David Lee Smith...
HomeGrocer IPO Makes Tepid Debut by Hal Plotkin Silicon Valley Correspondent If comparable offerings are any guide, investors who buy into HomeGrocer.com Inc.’s {HOMG} initial public offering may end up holding an empty bag, at least over the short term. Kirkland, Wash.-based HomeGrocer.com, which is 28 percent owned by Amazon.com Inc. {AMZN}, is the...
Analysts Say Rambus Ride Not Over By Hal Plotkin Silicon Valley Correspondent Fasten your seat belts, and prepare for the wild ride to continue, say the divided pack of analysts who cover Rambus Inc.’s {RMBS} highly volatile stock. "It’s a very controversial stock," says Seth Dickson, semiconductor analyst at UBS Warburg, based in San...
Napster May Hurt Music-Firm Stocks By Hal Plotkin Silicon Valley Correspondent May 1, 2000 Although financial analysts haven’t factored it into their earnings projections yet, music-industry observers say the popularity of Napster’s song-sharing software is contributing to a decline in music sales to young consumers that could damage entertainment and perhaps even digital-rights management...
Future Seen Bright for Axent By Hal Plotkin Silicon Valley Correspondent May 1, 2000 The future is bright for Axent Technologies Inc. {AXNT}, analysts say, because the market for network-security companies is expanding. Last week, Axent posted better-than-expected quarterly results, leading two more analysts to upgrade the company’s stock, based on expectations of considerable upside...
Long-Term Trends Favor Foundries By Hal Plotkin Silicon Valley Correspondent Analysts say strong fundamentals and the flight to quality will continue to work in favor of foundry stocks such as Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co. {TSM} and Chartered Semiconductor Manufacturing Ltd. {CHRT} for the foreseeable future. "These are real core holdings you’ll want to own...
Upside Seen for Silicon Valley Stock By Hal Plotkin Silicon Valley Correspondent Two analysts upgraded Silicon Valley Group Inc. {SVGI} last week -- after the company beat quarterly consensus earnings estimates by 60 percent -- saying that the stock has upside potential of 40 percent or more over the next 12 months. On Monday,...
Analysts See Liberate Stock Jumping By Hal Plotkin Silicon Valley Correspondent Analysts say Liberate Technologies Inc.’s {LBRT} stock should get a nice boost from a big cable-TV trade show next month that could put it on track to post gains of 300 percent or more over the next 12 months. "It just takes a...
It's Time for Dot-Com Bottom-Fishing By Hal Plotkin Silicon Valley Correspondent Analysts say that the recent Internet stock selloff gave a haircut to several dot-com stocks that now look quite attractive. Although the stocks of second-tier, cut-rate online retailers who deliver bulky products, such as groceries or pet food, are unlikely to bounce back...
Higher Earnings Seen for PC Makers By Hal Plotkin Silicon Valley Correspondent Gateway's first quarter demonstrates that the personal-computer sector is being revived by lower component costs, new higher-speed microprocessors and augmented product offerings. The same factors are expected to help most of the other PC makers post healthy earnings over the coming...
Chip-Sector Earnings Look Strong by Hal Plotkin Silicon Valley Correspondent Analysts say they expect extremely good news from several leading semiconductor firms when they announce their quarterly earnings. "The results are going to be very good, whether you’re talking about semiconductor devices or equipment," says Dan Niles, semiconductor industry analyst at Robertson Stephens, based...
Saba Shares More Than Double By Hal Plotkin Silicon Valley Correspondent Shares of Saba Software, Inc. {SABA} more than doubled in initial trading. Analysts say the emerging leader in the online learning market has a unique business primer -- ranging from a horde of satisfied customers to an attractive commercial model -- to...
OPUS360 Shares Jump After IPO By Hal Plotkin Silicon Valley Correspondent Analysts say business-to-business professional services company OPUS360 Corp. {OPUS}, whose shares began trading publicly on Friday, is in the right place at the right time. "They’re in an area that’s going to grow quite rapidly," says Kazim Isfahani, senior analyst at the Giga...
Microsoft Woes May Boost Linux Firms By Hal Plotkin Silicon Valley Correspondent Analysts say Microsoft Corp.’s {MSFT} prolonged legal woes create uncertainty in the marketplace that will further boost sales at rival companies that provide documentation and service for the competing Linux operating system, such as Red Hat Inc. {RHAT} and VA Linux...
Some See Upside for Healtheon By Hal Plotkin Silicon Valley Correspondent Several leading health-care analysts say Healtheon/WebMD Corp.’s {HLTH} beaten-down stock may be a good buy, now that the dust appears to be settling from last week’s downgrade by Dain Rauscher Wessels. Healtheon/WebMD’s stock has taken quite a beating lately, dropping more than 60...
ArrowPoint IPO Shoots Higher in Debut By Hal Plotkin Silicon Valley Correspondent Shares of ArrowPoint Communications Inc. {ARPT} have soared in their debut, and analysts say the firm has a bright future ahead of it, in part, because it has caught its bigger rival, Cisco Systems Inc. {CSCO}, asleep at the switch. ArrowPoint's stock...
Here Comes a Slew of Biotech IPOs By Hal Plotkin Silicon Valley Correspondent Despite the sector’s unprecedented choppiness, analysts say there is reason to be optimistic about the slew of biotechnology firms going public over the next two weeks, because many of them are further along in the development curve than earlier groups...
Sorting Through a Slew of Biotech IPOs By Hal Plotkin Silicon Valley Correspondent The Medicines Co. {MDCO} and Lion Bioscience Inc. are expected to be the cream of this week’s crop of eight biotechnology initial public offerings, but analysts warn that investments in early-stage biotech firms are usually not for the faint of...
Blaze IPO Is a Flaming Success by Hal Plotkin Silicon Valley Correspondent Analysts say a unique combination of technologies puts Blaze Software Inc. {BLZE} in a position to prosper, and investors seem to agree, bidding the stock up in its debut Thursday. The stock opened at 35, after pricing its 4 million share offering...
Caldera Systems IPO Soars in Debut By Hal Plotkin Silicon Valley Correspondent Caldera Systems Inc.’s {CALD} initial public offering is already being boosted in its debut by the same Linux fever that propelled the recent Red Hat Inc. {RHAT} and VA Linux Systems Inc. {LNUX} IPOs to soaring opening-day performances. The stock opened at...
3 Potentially Hot ASP Stocks to Watch by Hal Plotkin Silicon Valley Correspondent In part one of this two-part story on Thursday, we looked at whether other application service providers (ASP) would be able to match Cobalt Networks Inc. {COBT} success. Now we look at three up-and-coming ASP stocks for your radar screens. Although...
Can Other ASPs Match Cobalt’s Success? by Hal Plotkin Silicon Valley Correspondent Although application service provider (ASP) enabler Cobalt Networks Inc. {COBT} continues to sell products at a torrid pace, several analysts who follow ASP trends say larger firms targeting the same market are facing considerable resistance from many of their biggest potential...
Analyst Pick: KEMET By Hal Plotkin CNBC.com Silicon Valley Correspondent Who: Martin Whitman, chief investment officer at the Third Avenue Value Fund {TAVFX}. Stock Pick: KEMET Corp. {KEM} Recent Price: $19 Appreciation Potential: Could hit $40 over next 12 to 18 months. Reason to Buy: Potential takeover target. KEMET 52-week stock performance The tech sector is going to need...
Selectica IPO Leaps Higher on First Day by Hal Plotkin Silicon Valley Correspondent Analysts see a bright future for Selectica Inc. {SLTC}. Investors seem to agree, bidding up the stock on its opening trading day. San Jose, California-based Selectica is generally regarded as one of the four leading providers of Internet selling-system software,...
IPrint.com's IPO Makes Weak Debut by Hal Plotkin Silicon Valley Correspondent IPrint.com Inc.’s {IPRT} position as the first-mover in an exploding new online market bodes well its long-term prospects, though its initial public offering has gotten off to a poor start on Wednesday. IPrint Post-IPO Stock-Performance Chart "iPrint is really the first quick-printer on the...
Net2000 IPO Jumps in Opening Trading by Hal Plotkin Silicon Valley Correspondent Although Net2000 Communications Inc.’s {NTKK} initial public offering has already caught fire Tuesday, several analysts warn that profitability is proving elusive for many similar firms in the same sector. Shares of the company have already jumped in their debut, passing 30. Late...
Analysts Divided on Net Registrar Group by Hal Plotkin Silicon Valley Correspondent Financial and industry analysts are sharply divided on the long-term prospects of the stocks of companies that help other firms register or renew Internet-domain names, despite the recent spectacular performance of market leader Network Solutions Inc. {NSOL}. Both sets of analysts, however,...
Analysts Cautious on Net Ad Stocks by Hal Plotkin Silicon Valley Correspondent Several analysts who follow online-advertising trends say investors should approach stocks in the sector with extreme caution, despite huge projected increases in online-ad spending. "The sector is going to grow in broad terms," says Chris Hansen, an analyst with Banc of America...
Hotel Reservations IPO Opens Strongly by Hal Plotkin Silicon Valley Correspondent Hotel Reservations Network Inc.'s {ROOM} winning business model is already boosting its initial public offering, with 5.4 million shares priced at 16 per share, above its filing price range of 11 to 13. The stock opened around 24 Friday morning and has hovered...
Nextel Partners IPO Makes Solid Debut by Hal Plotkin Silicon Valley Correspondent Analysts say Nextel Partners Inc.’s {NXTP} success in wooing rural users of wireless-communications services should push the company’s stock to solid long-term gains after its initial public offering got a solid start on Wednesday afternoon. Nextel Partners Post-IPO Stock-Performance Chart "I think it...
Webvan's Survival Plan By Hal Plotkin CNBC.com Silicon Valley Correspondent I t seems hardly a week passes without more bad news from Webvan Group Inc. {WBVN}. The stock, which is currently trading for less than 35 cents a share, faces potential de-listing from Nasdaq as early as April 12 due to minimum price per...
Banks Face Threat from Financial Portals by Hal Plotkin Silicon Valley Correspondent Leading online-banking industry analysts say the business model of financial services content aggregators such as LendingTree Inc. {TREE}, which went public this week, pose a daunting new set of competitive challenges to banks and other mainstream financial institutions going forward. Lending Tree...
Inforte IPO Rockets Higher in Debut by Hal Plotkin Silicon Valley Correspondent Inforte Corp.’s {INFT} initial public offering is already being met with the same enthusiasm that lifted Lante Corp.’s {LNTE} IPO to a nearly 200 percent first-day gain last week. "Inforte is in the same league as Lante," says Stephanie Moore, research director...
Apropos IPO Leaps up on Opening Day by Hal Plotkin Silicon Valley Correspondent Analysts say investors should be cautious about betting on Apropos Technology Inc.’s {APRS} stock, even though the company’s initial public offering has already caught fire in early going, opening at 50 on Thursday. Apropos Technology Post-IPO Stock-Performance Chart Late Wednesday, Apropos Technology...
Repeat Buyers Boost Eloquent Inc. IPO by Hal Plotkin Silicon Valley Correspondent Repeat business from a strong list of major customers has already pushed shares of Eloquent Inc. {ELOQ} higher. Eloquent Post-IPO Stock-Performance Chart The company priced its 4.5 million offering late Thursday at 16 a share, above its stated range of 12 to 14....
Good Track Record Boosts Lante's IPO by Hal Plotkin Silicon Valley Correspondent As predicted, Lante Corp.’s {LNTE} initial public offering has caught fire, thanks to the company’s long-standing technology-oriented track record. "Lante is on the list of top-tier companies that provide Internet professional services," says Stephanie Moore, research director at the Giga Information Group,...
Pets.com IPO Makes Modest Debut by Hal Plotkin Silicon Valley Correspondent Pets.com Inc. {IPET} has made a modest debut, though analysts are positive on the company's prospects, saying it has a good chance of holding on to its ranking as one of three leading online retailers focused on a potentially lucrative market niche. "I...
Rough Seas Seen for Health-Care B2Bs by Hal Plotkin Silicon Valley Correspondent Despite general enthusiasm about business-to-business (B2B) Internet stocks, analysts who follow health-care trends see major challenges ahead for the two health-care B2B firms that went public this week. "They’re going up against a scarier set of players," says Claudine Singer, health-care analyst...
Hacker Attacks Overshadow Buy.com IPO by Hal Plotkin and Scott Bomboy Concerns over a new set of hacker attacks on prominent Web sites overshadowed a big day for Buy.Com Inc. {BUYX} and spread to a shutdown of popular auction site eBay {EBAY}, shopping site Amazon.com {AMZN} and news site CNN {TWX}. Buy.com shares...
Mediacom IPO Makes Modest Debut by Hal Plotkin Silicon Valley Correspondent Mediacom Communications Corp.’s {MCCC} initial public offering could set the stage for respectable gains, even though it has gotten only a modest start. Late Thursday, the company's 20 million share offering priced at 19 a share, at the top of its stated range...
Big E-Tail Enablers Seen as Best Long-Term Bets by Hal Plotkin Silicon Valley Correspondent Although Firepond Inc.’s {FIRE} initial public offering has soared on its first day of trading, some analysts say larger companies moving toward offering similar services, such as Oracle Corp. {ORCL}, SAP Aktiengesellschaft {SAP} and Siebel Systems Inc. {SEBL}, may...
Turnstone Business Model Drives up IPO by Hal Plotkin Silicon Valley Correspondent Turnstone Systems Inc.’s {TSTN} initial public offering has soared on its opening trading day, trading as high as 90 on Tuesday. Late Monday, the company priced its 3 million share offering at 29 a share, above its most-recent range of 23 and...
Sequenom IPO Shoots Higher in Debut by Hal Plotkin Silicon Valley Correspondent Investors have welcomed Sequenom Inc.’s {SQNM} initial public offering enthusiastically, sending shares up past 78. "The company is in the hottest part of the genomics sector," says Jim McCamant, editor of Medical Technology Stock Letter, based in Berkeley, Calif. Late Monday, 5 million...
IPO Fever Continues with 724 Solutions by Hal Plotkin Silicon Valley Correspondent In the tradition of many recent IPOs, 724 Solutions Inc.'s {SVNX} has made an impressive debut, helped by continuing IPO fever and the company's strong ties to the banking industry. Shares opened at 73, after the company earlier Friday priced its 6...
InterWAVE IPO Shines as Expected by Hal Plotkin Silicon Valley Correspondent Analysts expected a strong debut by interWAVE Communications International Ltd. {IWAV} when its stock began trading on Friday. "I think it’s going to be a hot IPO with a steadily increasing stock price," says Hongjun Li, director of research at Parks Associates in...
Extensity IPO Gets Explosive Start by Hal Plotkin Silicon Valley Correspondent Extensity Inc.’s {EXTN} initial public offering gives investors an early chance to bet on a technology that will become ubiquitous in the years ahead: managing employee business expenses. "The market they are in is pretty much starting from ground zero. And it’s going...
Neoforma.com Shares Soar in Debut by Hal Plotkin Silicon Valley Correspondent Want to buy into the red-hot business-to-business market and hedge your bets with the health-care sector? If today's IPO of Neoforma.com {NEOF} is any indication, other people may have the same idea. Neoforma's initial public offering made a big splash, opening at $36.50,...
Smaller Chip Firms Seen as Value Plays by Hal Plotkin Silicon Valley Correspondent With major semiconductor-manufacturing stocks such as Applied Materials Inc. {AMAT}, KLA-Tencor Corp. {KLAC}, Lam Research Corp. {LRCX}, and Novellus Systems Inc. {NVLS} trading at or near record levels, analysts say that now is a good time to scoop up the...
Internet Stocks for 2000, Part Two by Hal Plotkin Silicon Valley Correspondent In part one of this story, we looked at three Internet stocks analysts like for 2000: Puma Technology Inc. {PUMA}, RealNetworks Inc. {RNWK}, and Modem Media.Poppe Tyson Inc. {MMPT}. In part two, we look at three more: Juniper Networks Inc., Systems...
Internet Stocks for 2000, Part One by Hal Plotkin Silicon Valley Correspondent Are there still good buying opportunities left in the Internet sector? We asked several leading Internet analysts for their favorite Internet stocks for 2000. In Part one of this two-part series, we look at Puma Technology Inc., RealNetworks Inc. and Modem Media.Poppe...
Analyst Sees Onyx Software Doubling by Hal Plotkin Silicon Valley Correspondent Onyx Software Corp.’s {ONXS} stock price is poised to double again over the next 12 months, says analyst Cameron Steele of Dain Rauscher Wessels in Minneapolis. "Onyx is very much overlooked from a valuation perspective," Steele says. "Near term, we expect Onyx to...
Sonic Foundry Stock Seen Extending Run by Hal Plotkin Silicon Valley Correspondent Analysts say Sonic Foundry Inc.’s {SFO} stock, which doubled in price this week despite the Internet-sector selloff, continues to have strong upside potential. "Sonic Foundry is going to be a great story and company," says John Todd, an analyst at C.E. Unterberg...
Future Bright for Young DSL Companies by Hal Plotkin Silicon Valley Correspondent . Trend-spotting analysts say there is a huge opportunity for a handful of newer companies making higher bandwidth, digital-subscriber line (DSL) Internet connections available to a greater numbers of consumers. "There are still a lot of people who are stuck with analog modems,"...
MIPS’s Stock Seen Heading Back Up by Hal Plotkin Silicon Valley Correspondent "...
Don’t Count Cable Firms Out by Hal Plotkin Silicon Valley Correspondent With wireless sector stocks such as red-hot QUALCOMM Inc. {QCOM} leading the market lately, investors might be tempted to think the time has come to count out old-fashioned, hard-wired cable operators. Leading telecommunications analysts, however, say that would be a big mistake. "Wireless appears...
2000 Expected to Set New IPO Record by Hal Plotkin Silicon Valley Correspondent Major technology spinoffs, renewed interest in biotechnology start-ups, action in the insurance sector, and surging venture-capital investments are expected to combine to make 2000 another banner year for initial public offerings. "It could very well be another record year," says Richard...
Exodus's Stock Seen Going Higher by Hal Plotkin Silicon Valley Correspondent One of the hidden powers behind the Web is getting even higher marks from Wall Street analysts who expect the company's stock to exceed expectations. Several analysts recently raised their price targets for San Jose, Calif.-based Exodus Communications Inc.’s {EXDS}, citing expectations the...