Funds including Mario Gabelli's Gamco Investors (GBL) reiterated that they 144 Filings, page M56 want Diebold's board to remove the company's poison-pill arrangement by redeeming the preferred-share purchase rights or letting them expire on Feb. 10. If the poison pill isn't removed, Gamco hopes to submit the issue for a shareholder vote at the 2009 annual meeting of the automated-teller-machine maker. Gamco added that it wants to maintain a dialogue with Diebold on issues such as the use of cash flow, corporate governance and poison pills. Gamco holds 5,001,900 shares (7.57%).

A group of funds. including money manager Mario Gabelli's Gamco Investors. raised its position in the automated teller-machine maker to about 4.99 million shares (7.54%) from the 4.71 million (7.15%) it had reported owning in April.

From a recent Mad Money show:

"You have to sell. Once we get a bid, we take it off the table and start looking for the next one. Sell that one Monday morning."

Diebold (DBD) was upgraded to Buy rating from Hold at KeyBanc. Price target holds at $47 while FY08 eps estimates increased to $2.13 from $1.85.

A group of funds including Gamco Investors reported ownership of 4,706,900 (7.15%), after buying 4,698,200 from March 3 to April 9 at $36.06 to $39.05 each.

Hold - Price 37.78 on March 6
by Wedbush Morgan

A review of United Technologies' three most prominent unsolicited acquisitions suggests DBD shareholders can expect the acquisition to be complete for $42 within the next 60 days. We believe the key for Diebold [whose products include automatic-teller machines] to get a better outcome will be to bring in additional bidders. [Diebold's] net debt is $326.2 million. Target: 40. Market-cap: $2.6 billion.

Hold - Price 26.53 on Feb. 6
by Wedbush Morgan

Target: 25. We see 2008 as transition[al] for Diebold, as it completes its accounting reviews and proceeds with an extensive restructuring effort; 2007 revenue of $2.95 billion ($31 million positive impact from review) was above our and consensus estimate, $2.87 billion....We expect DBD to provide preliminary '07 earnings-per-share results by April. Market-cap. $1.8 billion

diebold incorporated

Diebold makes those pesky voting machines. They can be easily hacked with harware you can get at radio shack and yet the company has done nothing to fix the problem.

Diebold (DBD) was downgraded from Buy to Hold, Keybanc said. Estimates also cut, as the company's election business faces considerable headwinds. Sale of the division is also unlikely.