Stocks To Keep Your Eye On - 09/07/2007

21st Century Insurance Group (TW) The California-based car insurer said that if its acquisition by American International Group Inc. closes between Sept. 24 and Dec. 21, it will be permitted to declare a special dividend of 16 cents per common share, multiplied by a specific dividend ratio. Shares were unchanged at $22.02 in New York Stock Market composite trading yesterday.

3M Co. (MMM) The maker of 50,000 products including Post-it Notes and electronic road signs said it agreed to acquire Venture Tape Corp. for an undisclosed price to expand in specialty industrial tapes. The stock gained 71 cents to $90.63 in regular trading yesterday.

AerCap Holdings NV (AER) The Dutch aircraft lessor was raised to ``buy'' from ``neutral'' by analyst James Fotheringham at Goldman Sachs. The 12-month price target is $33 per share. AerCap shares fell 21 cents to $25.64 yesterday.

Bear Stearns Cos. (BSC) fell $1.28, or 1.2 percent, to $106.39 in trading before U.S. exchanges opened. The fifth- biggest U.S. securities firm was cut to ``neutral'' from ``buy'' at Banc of America Securities. Issues in the U.S. mortgage market will ``more significantly'' impact Bear Stearns' fixed income results than its rivals with fixed income and sales probably declining 49 percent in the second half of 2007, wrote analyst Michael Hecht. He lowered his profit forecast for the third quarter and fiscal years 2007 and 2008.

Cabela's Inc. (CAB) Standard & Poor's said the retailer of hunting, fishing and camping equipment will be added to the S&P SmallCap 600 stock index, replacing EFunds Corp. Cabela's shares gained 1 cent to $22.97 yesterday.

Cascade Corp. (CAE) The maker of lift attachments for trucks reported earnings per share of $1.21. The average estimate among five analysts surveyed by Bloomberg was $1.04. Cascade gained 45 cents to $75.90 yesterday.

Deutsche Bank AG (DB) fell $3.29, or 2.5 percent, to $123.27 in trading before U.S. exchanges opened. Deutsche Bank, Credit Suisse Group and UBS AG will earn less than analysts estimate, Dresdner Kleinwort said in a note to clients. Consensus forecasts are between 10 percent and 20 percent too high, Stefan- Michael Stalmann wrote. He has a ``buy'' rating on Credit Suisse, a ``hold'' rating on UBS and a ``reduce'' on Deutsche Bank.

Enzo Biochem Inc. (ENZ) The company that specializes in tools for DNA analysis, along with Yale University, lost a court decision in a lawsuit against Applera Corp. because three patents for genetic research and screening tools at the center of the dispute are invalid, a federal judge ruled. Enzo Biochem shares lost 26 cents to $17.77 yesterday.

Harley-Davidson Inc. (HOG) fell $4.99, or 9.2 percent, to $49.10 in trading before U.S. exchanges opened. The biggest U.S. motorcycle maker scaled back its forecast for deliveries amid a ``difficult time'' in the U.S. The company said it expects a ``modest'' decline in 2007 revenue and earnings per share to fall to between $3.69 and $3.77 from last year's $3.93 per share. Analysts expect earnings of $4.12 a share.

Hovnanian Enterprises Inc. (HOV) increased 63 cents, or 5.5 percent, to $12 in trading before U.S. exchanges opened. New Jersey's biggest homebuilder reported fiscal third-quarter results that matched the average analyst estimate.

VeriFone Holdings Inc. (PAY) The world's biggest maker of electronic-payment equipment posted a third-quarter profit that beat analysts' estimates and said it's boosting its full- year earnings forecast. The stock fell 1 cent to $36.99 yesterday.

Wyeth (WYE) fell $2.29, or 4.8 percent, to $45.25 in trading before U.S. exchanges opened. Teva Pharmaceutical Industries Ltd. (TEVA IT), the world's biggest generic drugmaker, can sell a low-cost version of Wyeth's heartburn pill Protonix in the U.S., a federal judge ruled. Separately, Wyeth was cut to ``hold'' from ``buy'' at Citi Investment Research.

Watch EJ, CAF, ZNH for long breakouts.
Watch NCC, BSC, JCG, ARO, VIP for short breakdowns.

-MM