Despite cheaper oil, Dow dives by 3% on bad news for jobs.[...]

Barron's latest ranking of the companies most esteemed by investors highlights some familiar favorites, including No. 1-ranked Johnson & Johnson. Kudos for commodities. Disdain for financials. (Video)[...]

Given mounting evidence of weakness in the chip sector, you can imagine some difficult times ahead in the contract fab business, as well. And that explains today's move by Merrill Lynch analyst Daniel Helyer, who cut estimates today on 10 contract semiconductor manufacturers. Helyer chopped numbers on Taiwan Semiconductor (TSM) [...]

STMicroelectronics (STM) shares are trading lower today after UBS analyst Nicolas Gaudois cut his rating on the stock to Sell from Neutral, maintaining his $10.75 price target. Gaudois notes that STM has "rallied strongly" over the past few weeks due largely to the dollar's rally against the Euro, "which has [...]

It's been 10 years since the most famous hedge-fund collapse ever. But have investors taken this event to heart?[...]

Marvell (MVRL) shares are down sharply again today, pressured this morning by Deutsche Bank analyst Arnab Chanda, who cut his rating on the stock to Hold from Buy. He cut his target price on the stock to $15 from $20. "Following checks with industry contacts, we believe Marvell’s is not [...]

The company's shares may be "stuck" until the display market rebounds.[...]

Marvell (MRVL) said in a statement issued to Tech Trader Daily late Wednesday afternoon that it did not provide investors with new guidance in its one-on-one meetings with investors at the Citigroup technology conference earlier in the day, but that its statements were consistent with its concerns about the softening [...]

Secure Computing (SCUR) this afternoon announced a deal to acquire privately held Securify for $15 million, plus an earn-out of up to $5 million more. Secure can pay for the deal in cash, or at its choosing partially in stock. The deal is expected to close in the fourth quarter. [...]

Take-Two Interactive (TTWO) shares hit the skids today on rumors that Electronic Arts (ERTS) has lost interest in acquiring the company, Bloomberg reports. Speaking at the Citigroup technology conference today, Electronic Arts CEO John Riccitiello declined to discuss the talks between the two comapnies, citing their non-disclosure agreement. ERTS bid [...]

Dell (DELL) CEO Michael Dell said the company might one day make a device to compete with the Apple (AAPL) iPhone. But not yet. "I think you will see us with small screen devices," Dell said at the Citigroup technology conference in New York, according to Reuters, when asked if [...]

The slowing economy is taking a toll on corporate IT budgets, Friedman Billings Ramsey analyst David Hilal warned in a series of research notes this morning. Hilal wrote today that "the lagging nature of software sales cycles and the nature in which IT budgets are set and modified have helped [...]

A softer spending environment could hurt the software company.[...]

Vishay (VSH) could boost its offer for International Rectifier (IRF) to $25-$26 a share, Friedman Billings Ramsey analyst Craig Berger asserted in a research note this morning. Last week, IRF rejected a $21.22 a share bid from Visay as inadequate. Berger says Vishay would have "no problem" lining up $1.3 [...]

Marvell (MRVL) shares are down sharply today following a presentation and other meetings by CFO Clyde Hosein at the Citibank Technology conference today in New York. At the presentation, which is available on the Web via the company's Web site, Hosein repeated the company's guidance for the fiscal third quarter [...]

U.S. and European handset demand was "lackluster" in August, creating pressure on pricing, Pacific Crest's James Faucette asserted in a research note this morning. Faucette says says handset sell-through is up sequentially from July, but below expectations for the beginning of the back-to-school season. He adds that "price pressures on [...]

Priceline (PCLN) shares are sharply higher this morning after Credit Suisse's Scott Barry raised his rating on the stock to Outperform from Neutral. He raised his 2008 EPS estimate to $5.65 from $5.60; his 2009 view rises to $7 from $6.88. Barry notes that expectations for the company are "diminished," [...]

Has OmniVision (OVTI) finally gotten cheap enough? The company, which makes image sensors used in camera phones, yesterday posted slightly better-than-expected revenue for its fiscal first quarter ended July, but weaker-than-expected profits, along with disappointing fiscal Q2 guidance. The stock traded lower in after hours dealings last night, but today [...]

Marvell (MRVL) shares are taking it on the chin today despite better-than-expected fiscal Q2 results, as the Street focuses instead on disappointing revenue guidance for Q3. As I noted yesterday, Marvell forecast FY Q3 revenue of $860 million to $880 million, with non-GAAP EPS of 24-26 cents; the Street had [...]

Deutsche Bank downgraded International Paper and Domtar.[...]

Napster (NAPS) this morning mailed a letter to shareholders advising them not to vote for three dissident investors - Perry H. Rod, Thomas Sailors and Kavan P. Singh - who are seeking seats on the company's board, and to instead back the three incumbents seeking to keep their seats. Not [...]

Gilat Satellite Networks (GILT) this morning said it has terminated an agreement to sell the company to a consortium or private equity buyers for $11.40 a share. That should not be a big surprise; Gilat had previously said that the consortium had refused to close the deal on previously agreed [...]

This has been a sleepy week here in the Valley, but it's time to wake up: this afternoon brings a boatload of pre-Labor Day earnings news. It's pretty much the last gasp for the June and July quarter companies; with tomorrow the last trading day of August, it's almost time [...]

Sell calls on range-bound stock such as this drug firm to boost returns.[...]

Oracle (ORCL) this afternoon named Jeff Epstein as its new CFO. Safra Catz gives up the CFO title, but remains president. Epstein will report to Catz. Since May 2007, Epstein had been CFO of Oberon Media, an Internet game provider and publisher funded by Goldman Sachs, Morgan Stanley, Oak Investment [...]