CHICAGO -- Zacks.com announces the list of stocks featured in the Analyst Blog. Every day, the Zacks Equity Research analysts discuss the latest news and events impacting stocks and the financial markets. Stocks recently featured in the blog include: Conexant Systems (Nasdaq: CNXT), Acquicor Technology (AMEX: AQR), VeraSun Energy Corporation (NYSE: VSE), Wilmington Trust (NYSE: WL) and Telemar (NYSE: TNE).

See the latest posts to the Analyst Blog by visiting: http://at.zacks.com/?id=2673

Here are highlights from Monday's Analyst Blog:

Conextant Retains a Hold

Late last month, Conexant Systems (Nasdaq: CNXT) announced that it expects to receive cash proceeds of approximately $100 million when Acquicor Technology (AMEX: AQR) completes its merger with Jazz Semiconductor, Inc. Under the terms of the agreement, Jazz will merge with a wholly owned subsidiary of Acquicor in an all-cash transaction valued at $260 million, subject to certain adjustments.

Completion of the merger is expected to occur in the first quarter of calendar 2007. At this point, we are maintaining our Hold rating and have set a target price of $2.00.

Initiating VeraSun at a Buy

We are initiating coverage on VeraSun Energy Corporation (NYSE: VSE), an ethanol manufacturing and marketing company, with a Buy rating based on our positive outlook for the ethanol industry. In order to capitalize on this opportunity, the Company, which currently has ethanol capacity of 230 million gallons per year (MMGY), plans to expand production to 560 MMGY by 2008.

In addition, government support, such as favorable regulatory policies coupled with tax incentives, is likely to drive the Company's profitability. Also, we are enthusiastic about VSE's ability to successfully raise equity capital to fund its aggressive expansion plans.

Attractive Wilmington Entry Point

We are upgrading Wilmington Trust (NYSE: WL) to a Buy rating, after the market reaction to Friday's earnings report left the shares at an attractive entry point. Headline EPS was $0.07 (vs. a $0.69 consensus), due to an impairment charge against Roxbury Capital. A second hit came from the charge-off of a single large credit, which caused a 57% sequential increase in the provision.

Excluding the impairment charge, we view operating earnings as $0.67, and with a more normal provision in the quarter, EPS would have met consensus or beaten it slightly. Our estimates are falling by $0.01-0.02 per quarter, primarily due to a revised outlook for interest rates and a lower projection for revenue from Roxbury, while our price target is unchanged.

Downgrade for Telemar

We are changing our recommendation on Tele Norte Leste ParticipaE*E[acute accent]es (NYSE: TNE), or Telemar, from Buy to Hold. Competition in the wireless and long-distance segments remains fierce, and we expect competition in the wireline business to increase a great deal in the short term.

Nevertheless, we continue to have a positive view on the Brazilian economic outlook, and Telemar posted positive second quarter results. The company has stable and strong cash flow and a good dividend yield.

See the latest posts to the Analyst Blog by visiting http://at.zacks.com/?id=2645

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