Market Perform - Price 5.91 on Oct. 29 by JMP Securities AmeriCredit reported fiscal 1Q09 EPS of minus-1 cent, versus our 1-cent estimate...evidence [of] further business contraction. Weaker consumer-credit performance could yield further challenges to ACF's business model...we believe the most critical element of ACF's operations relates to controlling net charge-offs to a level below 8.5%...We're lowering our estimates to reflect further reductions in contract purchases and margin compression resulting from more rapid balance-sheet contraction and higher borrowing costs...our FY09 earnings-per-share estimate moves from minus-13 cents to minus -25 cents, and our fiscal-year '10 EPS estimate moves from 23 cents to 8 cents. Market cap: $600 million.

Outperform - Price 20.48 on Oct. 28 by Morgan Keegan BWP missed estimates after backing out a $36 million one-time gain from a disposal of assets...[so earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization] came in at $80 million, well below...consensus $102 million. Adding back the item, discounted-cash-flow per unit came in at 68 cents/unit, well above...consensus 43 cents. We're trimming our '08 estimated Ebitda by $23 million to $456 million. Parent Loews (L) said it would provide BWP with equity capital of up to $1 billion needed to complete BWP's pipeline-construction projects. With a current yield over 9%...we maintain Outperform rating. Market cap: $3.2 billion.

Hold - Price 3.83 on Oct. 29 by Sterne, Agee & Leach Las Vegas' local market continues to deteriorate, with housing prices declining, unemployment rising, and new competition coming online...3Q Ebitda was $101 million, versus company guidance of $110 million to $120 million and consensus $113 million. Adjusted EPS was 16 cents, versus guidance of 18 to 23 cents....All four operating segments posted double-digit declines in Ebitda. Market cap: $375 million.

Outperform - Price 17.51 on Oct. 28 by Pacific Crest Security spending remains a priority amid a tough macroeconomic environment; CHKP is demonstrating solid execution...with its appliance strategy. With its solid balance sheet of no debt and nearly $6.50 a share in cash, we believe the stock has room to appreciate....Target: 30. Market cap: $3.8 billion.

Buy - Price 36.30 on Oct. 29 by Longbow Research FMC lost some hydrogen-peroxide volumes in 3Q08 due to Hurricane Ike....Given FMC's relatively small domestic h-p business and the offsetting impact from higher prices for soda ash and h-p, coupled with a stronger start to the agricultural season in Brazil... and completion of a share-repurchasing program, FMC should meet or exceed current expectations. We're increasing our 4Q08 EPS estimate from 94 cents to 95 cents. We've lowered our target from 90 to 60, but...believe FMC to be our best idea in the domestic-specialty and diversified-chemicals sector. Market cap: $2.78 billion.

Hold - Price 9.92 on Oct. 29 by Sandler O'Neill Key has been approved for $2.5 billion of [Treasury] capital, equating to roughly 2.3% of risk-weighted assets....We estimate the annual dividend on the preferred shares will cost Key about 25 cents a share in EPS...roughly 32% of our prior 2009E EPS...[so] we're lowering our '09E EPS from 80 cents to 64 cents. Considerable uncertainty remains...we still don't know when each bank will receive the money. The longer-term concern: how the capital will be used. Market cap: $4.9 billion.

Buy - Price 27.61 on Oct. 28 by McAdams Wright Ragen Strong growth in the wireless segment more than offset a slight miss in wireline revenues. Revenues/non-GAAP EPS of $24.8 billion/66 cents versus our $24.3 billion/63 cents estimate. Wireless revenues were $400 million above our estimates at $12.7 billion, as the business added 2.1 million new subscribers....Verizon reaffirmed its interest in Alltel while implying that accretion (about 10 cents/share) may now be lower than initially expected, given an increase in financing costs. We remain upbeat on VZ's long-term prospects....We now expect 4Q08 revenues/EPS of $24.6 billion/62 cents versus our prior $24.3 billion/63-cent estimate. For 2008 we go to $97.1 billion/ $2.55. Target: 40. Market cap: $78.5 billion.