Month: September 2011

We initiate our coverage on Athenahealth ( ATHN ), a leading provider of electronic health record (“EHR”) for medical establishments, with an Outperform rating. Second-quarter fiscal 2011 earnings per share of 14 cents beat the Zacks Consensus Estimate of 11 cents. […]

Optimer Pharmaceuticals, Inc . ( OPTR ) and partner Astellas Pharma recently announced that their antibiotic Dificlir received a positive recommendation for approval in the European Union (EU). The Committee for Medicinal Products for Human Use (CHMP) of the European Medicines Agency (EMA) recommended approving Dificlir in the EU for the treatment of clostridium difficile-associated diarrhea (CDAD) also known as clostridium difficile infection (CDI). […]

Life Technologies Corporation ( LIFE ) recently signed an agreement with Quidel Corporation ( QDEL ) to distribute and commercialize the latter’s molecular diagnostic assays in Europe. Financial terms of the deal were not disclosed. According to Kim Caple, the head of molecular diagnostics at Life Technologies, the company currently derives 10% of revenues from molecular diagnostics, which is expected to increase in the next few years […]

Microsemi Corp. ( MSCC ) has amended its tender offer to acquire all of the outstanding shares and debentures of Canada’s Zarlink Semiconductor Inc. for a total transaction value of about $525 million, net of Zarlink's US$107 million cash balance […]

The AES Corporation ( AES ) announced that it would issue $1.25 billion worth of senior notes in a private offering by its newly formed, wholly-owned special purpose indirect subsidiary, Dolphin Subsidiary II, Inc. The private offering of senior notes consists of $450 million in aggregate principal amount with a coupon rate of 6.50% due 2016 and senior notes worth $800 million in aggregate principal amount with a coupon rate of 7.25% due 2021. The offering is expected to close on October 3, 2011. […]

ConocoPhillips ( COP ) plans to either sell or close its refinery unit in Trainer, Pennsylvania, as well as associated pipelines and terminals, after being unable to cope with foreign imports, lower fuel demand and strict regulations. The move also reminds us of the U.S. […]

Berkshire Hathaway Inc. ( BRK.A ) ( BRK.B ) has announced its first share buyback plan to utilize its reserves for the purpose. […]

BB & T Corp. ’s ( BBT ) subsidiary, BB&T Insurance Services, has announced the second acquisition within a week. The company is taking over Atlantic Risk Management Corporation of Columbia […]

Hess Corp. ( HES ) remains upbeat on its U.S. […]