Company News for February 23, 2010 - Corporate Summary

• Home Depot (NYSE:HD) announced its first dividend increase since 2006 after reporting better-than-expected earnings of 24 cents a share, versus Zacks consensus of 16 cents a share, on revenues of $14.57 billion, ahead of Zacks estimates of $14.05 billion.  The company said it sees 2010 earnings of $1.79 a share.  Dividend payout was lifted 5% to 23.625 cents quarterly

• Office Depot (NYSE:ODP) reported a narrower than anticipated loss of 6 cents a share on revenues of $3.07 billion.  Zacks estimates called for a 21 cent loss and revenues of $2.96 billion

• Sears Holding (NYSE:SHLD) reported better-than-expected fourth quarter earnings of $3.69 a share, ahead of estimates of $3.39 a share on revenues of $13.2 billion, almost in-line with Zacks estimates

• Medtronic (NYSE:MDT) reported fiscal third quarter numbers of 77 cent, one cent above Zacks estimates, on inline revenues of $3.85 billion

• Walmart (NYSE:WMT) announced plans to buy online movie service company, VuDu

• UBS (NYSE:UBS) initiated Limited Brands (NYSE:LTD) with a "buy" rating and a price target of $25

• Deutsche Bank (NYSE:DB) added Macy's (NYSE:M) to its short-term "sell" list

• Honeywell (NYSE:HON) said it anticipates 6-8% sales growth over the next five years

• Shares of Millipore (NYSE:MIL) rose 22.4% on a Bloomberg report of a $6 billion, unsolicited bid from Thermo Fisher Scientific (NYSE:TMO)

• Analysts at Deutsche Bank (NYSE:DB) downgraded Campbell Soup (NYSE:CPB) to "hold" from "buy" with a price target of $35, lowered from $38, by

• Palm (NASDAQ:PALM) was downgraded at Bank of America (NYSE:BAC) to "underperform" from "buy," with the price target sliced to $10 from $20

Zacks Investment Research