Specialized Finance

Oppenheimer is modestly raising its Q1 2011 estimates “based on company reported volume and pricing statistics.” “CBOE Holdings, Inc. (NASDAQ: CBOE) has posted volume numbers for all three months of the first quarter and average pricing data for two months,” Oppenheimer writes. “Based on this,...

David Faber says NYSE (NYSE: NYX) will probably not be bought at all. Previously, Germany's Deutsche Boerse exchange, as well as NASDAQ (NASDAQ: NDAQ) and the IntercontinentalExchange (NYSE: ICE) had bid for NYSE Euronext. http://www.cnbc.com/id/42477837

Tesla Motors, Inc. (NASDAQ: TSLA) shares are soaring, as oil comes close to the psychologically important $110 per barrel number. The thought process is that Tesla will benefit as consumers look to alternative fuel vehicles as gasoline prices cross and stay over $4 per gallon. Last week, we saw a...

Salesforce.com Inc (NYSE: CRM) was upgraded by FBR Capital from "market perform" to "outperform." CRM's shares closed at $131.43 yesterday. Salesforce.com's trailing-twelve-month revenue is $1.66 billion. KeyBanc upgraded Sovran Self Storage Inc (NYSE: SSS) from “hold” to “buy.” SSS' shares closed...

Piper Jaffray is boosting its estimates and price target for Moody's (NYSE: MCO) based on recent strength in new debt issuance volumes. Given strength in 1Q 2011 new debt issuance volumes, Piper Jaffray is raising its estimates for MCO. Piper's 2011/2012 EPS estimates go to $2.20/$2.53 from $2.18...

Piper Jaffray, based upon the strong end to first quarter issuance volumes has raised the price target on both Moody's Corp. (NYSE: MCO) and The McGraw Hill Companies (NYSE: MHP). Says Piper Jaffray, “For both companies we see a continuing positive bias in estimate revisions in the context of the...

Today, Germany's Deutsche Boerse and NYSE Euronext (NYSE: NYX) have agreed on January 17, 2011 terms. The NASDAQ Exchange (NASDAQ: NDAQ) and the Intercontinental Exchange (NYSE: ICE) have previously made a bid at a premium to Deutsche Boerse's bid for NYSE Euronext. Both bids for NYSE Euronext are...

Analysts at Keefe Bruyette downgrade NewStar Financial Inc (NASDAQ: NEWS) from “outperform” to “market perform.” NEWS shares surged 5.98% to close at $12.05 yesterday. More Analyst Ratings here

Analysts at Keefe Bruyette upgrade IntercontinentalExchange Inc (NYSE: ICE) from “market perform” to “outperform.” The target price for ICE has been raised from $133 to $147. ICE shares rose 2.24% to close at $122.49 yesterday. More Analyst Ratings here

Warren Buffett, head of Berkshire Hathaway (BRK-A) (BRK-B), has numerous fans, and a few critics. However, the critics don't have a much of a leg to stand on, especially when several of the stocks he owns traded at 52 week highs on Wednesday. If you look at the list of Warren Buffett Berkshire...

Jim Cramer said on CNBC's Mad Money Lightning Round OT that instead of ShoreTel, Inc. (NASDAQ: SHOR), he would buy Verizon Communications Inc. (NYSE: VZ) or AT&T Inc. (NYSE: T). Cramer explained that he likes high yield and safety. ShoreTel (SHOR) spiked 5.94% today. Verizon (VZ) fell 0.11%,...

Fastenal (NASDAQ: FAST) is currently trading at $68.47, which is above the previous 52-week high of $66.78. W.W. Grainger (NYSE: GWW) is currently trading at $143.86, which is above the previous 52-week high of $142.32. St. Jude Medical (NYSE: STJ) is currently trading at $53.63, which is above...

Portfolio Recovery Associates (NASDAQ: PRAA), a company that purchases and manages portfolios of defaulted consumer receivables and provides a broadrange of receivables management and payments processing services, announced today that the Missouri Court of Appeals Eastern District has upheld the...

Portfolio Recovery Associates, Inc. (NASDAQ: PRAA) announced today that the Missouri Court of Appeals Eastern District has upheld the decision of a lower court to dismiss a lawsuit by the Missouri Attorney General against its subsidiary, Portfolio Recovery Associates, LLC. The case, State of...

According to Source, Deutsche Boerse Has No Intention to Raise Bid for NYSE Euronext (NYSE: NYX), Reuters reports.