rimm

Look for a LinkedIn IPO, but not in the near future. Company co-founder and executive chairman Reid Hoffman has revealed his (and his investors') exit strategy, even if it could take a while to get there. Any social media company IPO would take a while to get off the ground in this market, since companies are being incredibly cautious. So, "not anytime soon" could coincide with a change in market conditions ... but Hoffman stopped well short of that.

At an event in London to celebrate LinkedIn's hitting the 3 million user mark in Britain, Hoffman said about the company's IPO prospects, "Probably at some point a balance will occur when that's the right thing. That will not occur in the near term." Worldwide, LinkedIn has 53 million members.

Twitter is on the prowl. Though it made its last acquisition more than a year ago, company founder Biz Stone said on Tuesday that it's looking to add to the stable. There aren't any specific targets yet -- at least none revealed -- and Twitter is keeping its options open. The likely pool of potential acquisitions consists of third-party Twitter application developers, which is largely responsible for the micro-blogging service's growth in popularity.

Stone, one of Twitter's founders, said at a Tel Aviv news conference, "As our attention is grabbed by some of these developers, we will take a hard look at them." This refers to companies that develop applications for Apple's (AAPL) iPhone and Research in Motion's (RIMM) Blackberry. It also refers to developers for the Web and desktop, such as HootSuite and TweetDeck.

"Suddenly, no one likes Research in Motion (RIMM) any more, at least that's the impression you get from the media," observes Gordon Pape. In his Internet Wealth Builder, he offers a contrary -- and bullish -- view of the smartphone maker.

"To hear some analysts tell it, the BlackBerry maker is going the way of Nortel. It's just a matter of time. For example, analyst Jim Suva of Citigroup Global Markets recently issued a sell signal on the shares, saying that RIM's long-time dominance of the smart phones market is over.

"For the record, many analysts disagree with Suva's assessment. Credit Suisse has reiterated its 'outperform' rating with a target price of $95. Bank of America/Merrill Lynch has a $100 target, Scotia Capital has a $103 target and CLSA Asia-Pacific Markets has a target of $100.

I'm placing a hold on Research In Motion's (RIMM) shares, first recommended on May 5, 2009 at a price of $77.07, pending its Q4 report in about a month.

RIMM will report Q4 EPS on December 17, 2009, and the First Call Q4 EPS estimate is $1.04.

Analyst upgrades:

• RBC Capital upgraded Fidelity National (FIS) to outperform from sector perform. The firm upgraded the stock due to valuation, and its belief that the company will clear up issues related to its merger on its Analyst Day, scheduled for Dec. 7. The firm set a $28 target on the stock.
• Citigroup upgraded Smith International (SII) to buy from hold, citing the sell-off in shares following its 28M share equity offering. Note that Smith International priced 28M shares Tuesday at $26.50.
• Wells Fargo upgraded DynCorp (DCP) to outperform from market perform. The firm upgraded the stock on valuation, and because it believes that the impact on DynCorp of a possible indictment of PWC will be minimal, if any.
• Rockwell (ROK) was upgraded to overweight from neutral at HSBC.
• Omega Healthcare (OHI) was upgraded to outperform from market perform at JMP Securities.
• Analog Devices (ADI) was upgraded to conviction buy from buy at Goldman.

The recession has led everyone with a budget to question ever line. From households to businesses to state and federal governments, nothing is sacred. Finding new ways to get the same result without spending the same amount mean not having to make sacrifices. NASA has been under considerable financial pressure, as many question the value of sinking cash into space travel. So, it has to get creative in justifying its existence ... and in generating excitement about the agency and what it does.

When the space shuttle launches on Monday, 200 thumbs will be at the ready. NASA has deputized 100 of its top fans on Twitter to come to the launch and tweet the experience. These fans are estimated to have more than 150,000 followers, all with the potential to retweet the messages they see. Every click of an iPhone or Blackberry will give NASA more exposure, building the excitement it needs to keep the operation afloat. So, whether you realize it or not, the launch is being brought to you by Twitter, Apple (AAPL) and Research in Motion (RIMM), even if only implicitly.

Analyst upgrades:

• Credit Suisse upgraded Sprint Nextel (S) to outperform from neutral and raised its target to $6 from $4. The firm believes Sprint Nextel's core business is turning and that valuation is attractive. Credit Suisse also added Sprint Nextel to its Focus List.
• Goldman expects Nordstrom (JWN) to benefit from a recovery in the high-end consumer. The firm upgraded shares to buy from neutral and raised its target to $41 from $39.
• Deutsche Bank remains cautious on the Dry Bulk sector long-term but expects increased Q4 day rates. The firm upgraded Genco (GNK) to buy from hold and raised its target to $31 from $24; the firm also upgraded Eagle Bulk (EGLE) to hold from sell.
• Steelcase (SCS) was upgraded to buy from hold at BB&T.
• United Rentals (URI) was upgraded to outperform from perform at Oppenheimer.
• GLG Partners (GLG) was upgraded to outperform from market perform at Keefe Bruyette.
• Ladish (LDSH) was upgraded to outperform from market perform at FBR Capital.

This was a strange day with a half-participation as bonds and many government offices were closed due to this being the Veterans Day holiday. Stocks were up all day and this works out to be six straight days of a rally in the DJIA. We had no economic news to digest and here are today's unofficial closing bell levels:

Dow: 10,291.10 +44.13 (0.43%)
S &P: 1,098.52, +5.51 (0.50%)
Nasdaq: 2,166.90, +15.82 (0.74%)

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AIG (AIG) could have a key vacancy open at the firm. Its new CEO Benmosche has expressed to its board of directors that he may step down over frustration of working under the government and over salary restrictions. This would not be welcome as he is deemed one of the few who can run that show. A late day memo from the company said he is committed and the press is over pay for those at the company. Shares were 'only' down 0.7% at $37.30 right before the close.

PowerShares DB US Dollar Index (NYSE: UUP) is a rules-based index composed solely of long USDX® futures contracts. The USDX® futures contract is designed to replicate the performance of being long the U.S. Dollar against the following currencies: Euro, Japanese Yen, British Pound, Canadian Dollar, Swedish Krona and Swiss Franc. UUP closed at $22.51. UUP November option implied volatility is at 15, December is at 13; near its 26-week average of 15 according to Track Data. UUP total option volume on November 4 was 403,534 contracts, according to Track Data. UUP average daily volume is 70,830 contracts according to IVolatility.

Research in Motion (NASDAQ: RIMM) is recently trading at $59 in pre-open trading, above its close of $57.61. RIMM authorized a share repurchase of up to $1.2B. RIMM is expected to report Q3 EPS on December 17. RIMM November option implied volatility is at 48, December is at 57; verses its 26-week average of 51, according to Track Data, suggesting larger December price movement.

Option Update is provided by Stock Specialist Paul Foster of theflyonthewall.com.

Analyst upgrades:

• Jefferies upgraded Biogen (NASDAQ: BIIB) to Buy from Hold based on valuation. The firm, which has a $50 target on the stock, believes Tysabri PML cases are reflected in shares.
• Deutsche Bank upgraded Nordstrom (NYSE: JWN) to Buy from Hold as it finds the valuation attractive and believes the company's sales are benefiting from stabilization in California and share gains. Deutsche raised its target on shares to $45 from $36.
• RBC Capital upgraded Yum! Brands (NYSE: YUM) to Outperform from Sector Perform and raised its target to $39 from $36 citing valuation and views it as a low risk option on a global economic recovery.
• Credit Suisse (NYSE: CS) was upgraded to Buy from Hold at Citigroup.
• Royal Caribbean (NYSE: RCL) was upgraded to Outperform from Market Perform at Wells Fargo.
• Alcatel-Lucent (NYSE: ALU) was upgraded to Hold from Sell at RBS.

An article in Barron's suggests that Motorola (NYSE: MOT) is on the verge of regaining some of its former mojo. The company recently offered a solid outlook for the remainder of the year, and it could garner new business after debuting two smartphones featuring Google's (NASDAQ: GOOG) Android operating system -- namely, the Droid and the Cliq.

The author cites analyst Ed Snyder of Charter Equity Research, who believes Motorola is on the cusp of "an extended upswing in handsets ... over the next several quarters." Snyder believes that the firm's ailing handset division could achieve break-even results as soon as the second quarter of 2010.

Where do you tweet? When? More important, what's normal? Are you some kind of freak?

A recent Gadgetology study by Retrovo.com, a consumer electronics shopping site, seeks to ascertain where the line in the sand is in regards to social media use (and overuse). If you're 35 or younger, regular use of sites such as Twitter and Facebook is common (big shock, right?). It looks to Retrovo like a new addiction may be taking root.

In the online music world, there is a trail of dead companies. But, some have somehow found ways to not only survive -- but thrive. One is Shazam, which builds applications for mobile phones.

This week, the firm hit 50 million users. And, it was also able to secure venture funding from the premier VC firm, Kleiner Perkins (the other investors include Acacia Venture Partners and DN Capital). The amount was not disclosed.

What explains the success of Shazam? First of all, the company has cool technology that lets your phone hear a song and then it will figure out its name as well as the artist.

Analyst upgrades:

• Piper Jaffray upgraded Viacom (NYSE:VIA) to Overweight from Neutral to reflect the improving ad market and better ratings at key cable networks. The firm raised its target on shares to $35 from $29.
  
• Baird upgraded Research in Motion (NASDAQ:RIMM) to Outperform from Neutral on valuation as it views the recent weakness as a buying opportunity. The firm keeps an $84 price target on shares.
  
• Jefferies upgraded Usana (NASDAQ:USNA) to Buy from Hold as it believes direct selling companies have been gaining momentum. The firm raised its target on shares to $44 from $37.
• AK Steel (NYSE:AKS) was upgraded to Buy from Hold at Deutsche Bank.
  
• First Merit (NASDAQ:FMER) was upgraded to Perform from Underperform at Oppenheimer.
  
• Spectra Energy (NYSE:SE) was upgraded to Conviction Buy from Neutral at Goldman.

"Research In Motion (NASDAQ: RIMM) remains one of best long-term investment plays on the smart phone tidal wave," says growth expert Toby Smith in his ChangeWave Investing advisory.

"The stock recently fell sharply after issuing a solid, but not blowout, earnings report last night. In my view, the selloff created a buying opportunity.

"The Street's dismay was due to the pre-announcement build-up by many analysts who anticipated a blow-out quarter. When the numbers and outlook failed to live up to their billing, the stock got whacked.

"In our view, this looks like a good buying opportunity for one of the dominant players in the smartphone sector -- and one of the hottest we've identified over the long-term.