News & Media by Category

For the first time since 2004, all of Superior Industries International Inc.’s major customers – the Big Three U.S. auto makers – posted profits last year.  Sounds like it should be full speed ahead for the Van Nuys manufacturer of aluminum wheels, but not so fast [...] Though Superior’s sales rose last year, its profits are on track to fall by close to 10 percent when final numbers are released next month. The blame falls mostly on deals the company made while the auto makers were struggling.

Continue Reading >

Cinedigm Digital Cinema Corp., a Woodland Hills entertainment technology firm, is positioning itself to be an independent films distributor and a provider of alternative content for theater chains [...] “The partnership with New Video was a solid demonstration of management’s commitment to the indie film and alternative content distribution space,” said Eric Wold, an analyst with B. Riley & Co., who follows Cinedigm.

Continue Reading >

Entertainment To Feature Sugar Ray Leonard Foundation “Big Fighters, Big Cause Charity Fight Night”

LOS ANGELES, CA, February 16, 2012--B. Riley & Co., LLC, (B. Riley) www.brileyco.com, a leading independent investment bank which provides a full array of corporate finance, research, sales and trading services announced that its 13th Annual Investor Conference will be held May 21-23, 2012 and has been expanded to feature 200 public companies in a three day format.

Set for the Loews Santa Monica Beach Hotel, presenting companies will represent a broad range of sectors, including: Technology, Telecom, Software & Continue Reading >

Yahoo! Inc.’s discussions to sell its stake in Alibaba Group Holding Ltd. and its Japanese operations in a tax-efficient manner have reached an impasse, according to a person briefed on the matter.

Representatives of Alibaba and Softbank Corp., co-owner of Yahoo Japan Corp., are prepared to approach Yahoo Chief Executive Officer Scott Thompson to explore another arrangement that would let companies buy back their stakes, said the person, who asked not to be identified as the talks are private.

Continue Reading >

Sameet Sinha, an Internet analyst at B. Riley & Co., said one way for Yahoo to get closer to people’s “purchase decisions” and take a cut of transactions would be to acquire a company such as Bankrate Inc., which helps consumers find mortgages or other investments; Angie’s List Inc., which publishes reviews of contractors, doctors and other service providers; Yelp Inc., which also provides information on local businesses; or Trulia Inc., which helps people search for real estate.

Continue Reading >

“It’s another great acquisition,” said B. Riley & Co. analyst Jeff Van Sinderen. “The price they’re paying for this business appears to be reasonable. It’s immediately accretive. And it allows them to take their business in Canada into their own hands and grow it more aggressively.”

Continue Reading >

Alibaba.com Ltd. (1688) suspended its shares from trading in Hong Kong as the company prepares a statement about a transaction involving its parent, which is raising about $3 billion to buy back stock held by Yahoo! Inc. (YHOO)

Continue Reading >

Groupon’s (GRPN) stock plummeted in after-hours trading Wednesday, after the daily deals leader’s Q4 financial report lagged analyst expectations.  The company reported a loss of 2 cents per share, minus special items. Analysts polled by FactSet Research had expected a profit of 3 cents a share. The stock was down 15% after hours, after the company released its first quarterly results since its $700 million initial public offering in November.

Continue Reading >

Reviewing performance for the period December 31, 2008 through December 31, 2011, as tabulated by Investars, the research firms with the best performance for buys and sells were B. Riley, MKM Partners and MPT, with 238%, 151% and 139% performance respectively.  Each of these firms also showed strong performance for the buy recommendations alone.  Also notable was Haugen Custom Financial Systems with 3 year buy recommendation performance of 146%.

Continue Reading >

The analyst wrote in a research report: “ARR reported preliminary estimates of Q4 2011 operating results. Well below Street consensus and our own estimates, these were, to say the least, disappointing. Particularly disturbing was the continued erosion in book value, notwithstanding falling interest rates—even if one is to make allowances for the pricing of increased prepayments into agency MBS. “

Continue Reading >

A possible valuation of $75 billion to $100 billion for the world’s largest social networking company encouraged some investors to lift valuation estimates on other companies in the sector, according to Sameet Sinha, an analyst at B. Riley & Co.

Continue Reading >

Coinstar, operator of more than 34,000 rental kiosks, is the second DVD-rental service to reject Warner’s effort to make consumers wait 56 days before renting the latest releases, following Dish Network Corp.’s Blockbuster. Getting DVDs sooner from other suppliers may attract more customers, making up for the higher per-unit prices Coinstar will pay, said Eric Wold, a B. Riley & Co. analyst who recommends buying its shares

Continue Reading >

Global Specialty preannounced weak calendar fourth-quarter 2011 results, including an expected $12 million sequential decline in Ebitda [earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization] to well below our $41.7 million estimate; we’re lowering our estimates accordingly. (The quarter included a number of nonrecurring items.)…We’re maintaining our $19.25 price target.

Continue Reading >

Eric Wold, with B. Riley & Co. in Los Angeles, said Netflix is bouncing back strongly from last fall’s PR gaffes as evidenced by management’s disclosure that more than 2 billion hours of content was streamed in Q4. Netflix also commanded 55% of the subscription/transactional video-on-demand market in 2011, which The NPD Group said accounted for 31% of all video rentals.

Continue Reading >

If history is any guide, the ugliest stocks on Wall Street could surprise their doubters and turn out to be this year’s beauties.  While investors often like to chase after the previous year’s winners, it’s often the losers that wind up scoring big.

Continue Reading >

Fast Food Deals Combat Winter Sales Slump

Famous chains are rolling out cheap eats

Fast food restaurants are rolling out new deals and bringing back previous popular offers. They're hoping they can boost sales during the slower winter months.

To combat the usual slump in winter sales, fast food chains are serving up cheap eats to kick off the new year.

Low prices and bundled meal deals are likely an effort to lure in families who cannot afford to visit a casual dining restaurant.

Continue Reading >

B. Riley analyst Eric Wold says it will in a major look-forward report today for the film business. He predicts 4% growth in box office sales this year — the result of a 1% uptick in attendance and a 3% rise in average ticket prices. What makes him so confident, especially following the 3.9% drop in 2011? Wold says that more consumers would have gone to the movies last year if Hollywood hadn’t released so many dogs.

Continue Reading >

“In the long run, the bank’s focus on commercial borrowers, helped keep CVB alive when other banks fell victim to the housing crash,” Gladue said.

Continue Reading >

Jeff Van Sinderen, senior retail analyst at the investment banking firm B. Riley & Co., said that it’s hard to predict which local stores will close as a result of the dismal performance.  But closing stores is probably the right move, Van Sinderen said.

Continue Reading >

“To sum up the whole season, I would say extremely focused on bargains, that’s where the consumer’s mindset is, and the retailers generally, overall, delivered pretty compelling bargains, they gave the consumer a reason to shop,” said B. Riley & Co senior analyst Jeff Van Sinderen.

Continue Reading >

Redbox may be ditching 28 day new release delay for Warner titles

by Rich Fiscus

As rumors fly that Warner is trying to delay new releases in Redbox kiosks by more than two additional weeks, one analyst is suggesting they are overestimating their leverage.

The introduction of 28 day delays between the time titles are released for sale and when they are offered for rental is a scheme the studios came up with in 2009. It is intended to be an incentive for consumers to Continue Reading >

“We do not believe that Warner Bros. (or Universal Studios Home Entertainment and 20th Century Fox Home Entertainment) holds all the cards in the DVD agreement negotiations,” Wold wrote. “While Redbox was forced into a workaround two years ago on minimal notice, the workaround plan developed since that time has been developed as a long-term replacement to a studio agreement (with copyright law in the company’s corner).”

Continue Reading >

“There’s a bunch of movies that look very strong next year,” Eric Wold, analyst with investment bank B. Riley and Co said, pointing to a new “Spider-Man” movie and sequels to “Men in Black” and “The Dark Knight.”

Continue Reading >

Eric Wold, analyst with B. Riley & Co. in Los Angeles, said the Verizon deal likely occurred because the telco could provide Redbox with both an existing digital platform and requisite content license agreements—the latter increasingly expensive to attain in a market driven by Netflix and Hulu Plus spending, among others.

Continue Reading >

“I think that’s a positive for Netflix,” said Eric Wold, a senior analyst at B. Riley & Co., in an interview with MarketWatch. “Up to now, they haven’t been able to connect to Facebook and Twitter. This can create a lot of marketing possibilities, as their customers can share what movies and TV shows they’ve been watching on Netflix.”

Continue Reading >

“If you look at the progression of e-commerce, you see you always have to try to do something extra, like adding incentives, and now that means getting as close to every transaction as possible,” Sameet Sinha, analyst at B. Riley & Co., told the E-Commerce Times.

Continue Reading >

We believe Regal Entertainment is well positioned to benefit from a stable domestic-box-office environment, and should demonstrate improving margins and FCF trends into 2012, as we enter a full digital world. We also remain optimistic about the long-term potential of the Open Road Films joint venture (including a potential future initial public offering). With our Nov. 9 initiation, we were cautiously optimistic about the 4Q movie slate, with some concerns about the clustering of family films around Thanksgiving; unfortunately, we weren’t cautious enough.

Continue Reading >

“If you’re not promotional and you don’t have great product, I think you’re going to have a very challenging time this holiday season,” said Jeff Van Sinderen, senior analyst at B. Riley & Co.

Continue Reading >

Brunswick controls several best-in-class assets that should allow it to grow faster than its end markets, while driving exceptional returns. The company [which makes marine, fitness, bowling, and billiards equipment] has revolutionized much of its core marine businesses over the past several years, emerging from the marine-industry depression with a leaner, more agile business model.

Continue Reading >

Eric Wold, analyst with B. Riley & Co. in Santa Monica, Calif., believes Netflix’s defections could reach 4.7 million, which he said represent upwards of $445 million in disc rental revenue up for grabs.  In a Nov. 16 note, Wold surmised that the majority of the aforementioned defectors would downsize their monthly rental activity since a-la-carte rentals carry a higher perceived cost than a monthly subscription.

Continue Reading >

With the rental agreement between Warner and Redbox set to expire Jan. 31, 2012, B. Riley & Co. analyst Eric Wold doubts Redbox management would agree to a 56-day or longer embargo on new-release Warner titles — even with built-in per-unit discounts.

Continue Reading >

“If, as we anticipate, elevated levels of prepayments subside next year and rates at the intermediate section and long end of the yield curve stabilize—and perhaps turn up in the second half—Anworth is well positioned for 2012 and beyond.”

Continue Reading >

Jimmy Baker, with B. Riley & Co., wrote that engine sales are expected to be up 4 percent this quarter, compared with the same period last year, and that boat sales should be up 11 percent year over year, driven largely by a solid uptick in wholesale volume.

Continue Reading >

Pressure from the GSEs has “definitely stanched the flow of credit to the mortgage market, but we had clearly gone too far,” said Richard Eckert, an analyst in San Francisco at securities firm B. Riley & Co. who wrote research on subprime lenders during the housing boom and then joined a hedge fund betting against property loans during the collapse. “We’ve got to return to some kind of happy balance.”

Continue Reading >

The Sunnyvale, Calif., Internet company, which is now shopping itself to potential buyers, on Tuesday said that its third-quarter profit dropped 26% from a year earlier while revenue fell 24%. Yahoo also reported its fourth consecutive quarterly slowdown in the growth rate of its display-ad sales—its most important business, which includes graphical, interactive and video ads. Display-ad sales revenue was flat from a year earlier.

Continue Reading >

We are pleased to announce a major expansion with the hiring of 11 professionals in Institutional Sales and Equity Research, significantly ramping up our presence in both the Bay Area and New York City.  The largest number of new hires — nine — join from Merriman Capital; the others come from Guggenheim Securities, Leerink Swann and Roth Capital. Almost all have held senior positions at their former firms; five have served as department heads.

Continue Reading >

Real estate investment trusts that buy U.S. mortgage debt rose, erasing losses that had reached the steepest since December 2008 amid concern that their main source of financing could be roiled by European bank woes…Declines in mortgage REIT’s may have also reflected concern about the companies’ investment opportunities, said Richard Eckert, an analyst at B. Riley & Co.

Continue Reading >

B. Riley’s Liu, who has a “buy” rating on the company’s stock, points to the stability of Stamps’ subscription business as a sign that the company’s recent stock gains aren’t a fluke. “Investors might be more comfortable with a model like that than a transaction-based one,” he said. “Stamps is getting respect from them.

Continue Reading >

B. Riley & Co. analyst Andrew Stapp said signs show the economic recovery slowing. While saying a recession doesn’t appear imminent, Stapp said the likelihood of one is increasing.  The strong asset quality and profitability of some banks prompted him to boost his recommendation to “Buy” from “Neutral” on CVB Financial Corp., Home Bancshares Inc., PacWest Bancorp and Pinnacle Financial Partners Inc.

Continue Reading >

A focal point of board discussions are Yahoo’s Asian holdings—a 40% stake in China-based Alibaba Group Holding Ltd. and a 35% stake in Yahoo Japan—which represent one-third to one-half of Yahoo’s overall value, according to analysts from B Riley & Co. and Stifel Nicolaus & Co. Yahoo has a market capitalization of about $18 billion.

Continue Reading >

Following Brunswick’s announcement, Jimmy Baker, an analyst with B. Riley, noted, “While this increases the total Boat Group dealer count by a mere 1 percent, we note it is the quality, not quantity of dealers that drive sales. For instance, MarineMax represents less than 3 percent of the total Brunswick dealer network, and yet it accounts for 20 percent of total Boat Group sales. We recognize certain of these dealers … as significant dealers in other lines; given the brand strength of Sea Ray and the high ASP nature of Meridian, these new dealers could become meaningful contributors to Brunswick sales growth and should accelerate Brunswick’s market share gains.”

Continue Reading >

“If the SEC were to regulate [mortgage REITs], to make their strategies unprofitable or unable to generate the necessary returns, they would be stanching a good bit of the flow of private capital to the housing and housing finance markets,” said analyst Rich Eckert of B. Riley & Co., LLC.

He said mortgage REITs can play “an even larger role in the post-Fannie and Freddie world when you are eventually able to privatize the mortgage market. Why would you want to shut these players out?”

Eckert, who covers real-estate companies including American Capital Agency Corp., Anworth Mortgage Asset Corporation and Hatteras Financial Corp., said he does not think the SEC will ultimately remove the exemption for all mortgage REITs.

Continue Reading >

Analyst Joe Gladue at Santa Monica investment bank B. Riley & Co. said Popular is simply recognizing the drawbacks of focusing only on Latinos as it tries to improve its profitability on the mainland.  “I think that people with a Puerto Rican background will still recognize the name and the brand, so Popular loses nothing by changing the brand to make it little more generic sounding,” Gladue said.

Continue Reading >

Regardless of who follows Bartz, Sinha said the next CEO must focus on reinvigorating employee morale and updating technology. “[Yahoo] employees have been disheartened for the last four years,” he said. “There are so many fast-growing companies out there that tech employees can leave and get a job anywhere. They need to stop the exodus of people leaving Yahoo.”  But he emphasized that breathing new life into a tech company past its prime has not proven to be an easy path. Numerous CEOs have tried—and failed—to revive Yahoo. Meanwhile, at competitor AOL, CEO Tim Armstrong is struggling through his own company’s rehabilitation. EBay is the rare company with a turnaround success, which was largely thanks to PayPal, Sinha said.

Continue Reading >

B. Riley & Co. analyst Conrad Lyon believes if Krispy Kreme doesn’t see much improvement with beverage sales over the next 18 to 24 months in association with its new coffee blends, the company might move toward a well-known coffee brand to drive beverage sales. Lyon said there have been examples in the past of franchisees having success utilizing a popular coffee label if the in-house brand fails to resonate with customers.

Continue Reading >

For a company that’s holding on to a lot of cash, a repurchase may be a smart investment, Van Sinderen said. By decreasing the number of outstanding shares, a company can boost earnings per share and, as a result, drive up its stock price.

Continue Reading >

B. Riley Retail Analyst Jeff Van Sinderen on NBC commenting on big box retailers, altered spending habits by consumers and pent up demand for discounted products.

Continue Reading >

For investors who still tremble at the thought of investing in companies that rely on mortgage-backed securities to earn a buck, fear not, says Rich Eckert, an analyst for B. Riley & Co. LLC who initiated coverage of six agency mortgage REITs on Aug. 2. As the former CFO and risk manager of the hedge fund Lahde Capital Management, which shut its doors shortly after making investors a bundle in the subprime mortgage meltdown, Eckert watched the MBS market collapse in 2007 and 2008 but now sees an opportunity for MBS REIT investors, he tells SNL.

Continue Reading >

It took guts to float a new issue just as the offering window opened after being shut tight during the recession.

But executives at silicon metal and silicon-based alloy producer Globe Specialty Metals (GSM) knew the timing was right when they took the company public on July 30, 2009.

Continue Reading >

“We think production is going to be up about 1% for the industry this year. Demand is improving, but it’s still a bit weak, especially in food service at restaurants. Consumer demand, I think, as the economy improves, will continue to improve.”

Continue Reading >

With a stranglehold on wedding-related media, KNOT is a premium property on the Internet. But operational and execution missteps have hampered growth. We now believe the company has matured… and has strong operational leadership, which bodes well for cohesive execution and should help it achieve a larger market share of wedding-related media and commerce over the next few years.

Continue Reading >

We are please to announce that Richard Eckert, CFA, will join our Financial Industries Group as a Senior Research Analyst.

Continue Reading >

Shares of Silicon Motion Technology Corp. (SIMO) surged 17% to $6.38 after B. Riley upgraded its stock-investment rating on the Taiwan-based company to buy from hold, citing its projected revenue.

Continue Reading >

We are pleased to announce the addition of four professionals to the firm.

Continue Reading >

Inventure Foods Inc. reported record financial results Wednesday, surpassing Wall Street expectations and lifting the stock more than 10 percent.

Continue Reading >

In the recently released Wall Street Journal’s 19th Annual Best on the Street survey, B. Riley analyst Kevin Liu took the #1 spot in the Software category and analyst Dave Kang placed #2 in the Telecommunications Equipment category.

Continue Reading >

Management changes, spending plans and regulatory risks will be in the spotlight when Google Inc reports its first-quarter financial results after the market closes on Thursday.

Continue Reading >

Our 11th Annual Investor Conference, scheduled May 24-26, 2010 at the Loews Santa Monica Beach Hotel, will feature more than 125 companies.

Continue Reading >

Puerto Rican banks are likely to see a round of consolidation soon as regulators move to close underperforming lenders, giving Popular Inc (BPOP.O), the biggest player, an excellent chance to cash in.

Continue Reading >

B. Riley & Co. was the top performing research provider on the Investars platform,  generating 117% return from its Buy recommendations and a further 39.6% from is sell recommendations. B. Riley & Co. is no stranger to this top position, having been at the top of the performance leader board multiple times over the last several years.

Continue Reading >

A fierce battle is underway in the broadband space as various industry players from phone companies to dotcoms duke it out for market share. In the end, the Internet is the same no matter how you get there, but arriving fast and cheap is a top priority for consumers and businesses alike.

Continue Reading >

Puerto Rico Senate President Thomas Rivera Schatz expressed concern over Popular Inc.’s finances Tuesday a day after a B. Riley & Co. financial analyst downgraded the local bank’s shares to “neutral.”

Continue Reading >

We are pleased to announce the addition of six professionals to the firm.

Continue Reading >

Some believe investors could cash in big on teen retailers. But which stocks make the grade? Jeff Van Sinderen, analyst at B. Riley & Company, Inc., and Dana Telsey, CEO at Telsey Advisory Group, take a look.

Continue Reading >

“We are initiating coverage…with a Buy rating and a 21 price target. We believe the next 12 to 18 months should provide a win-win situation for investors: Either the management team will turn this company around, or the mounting investor discontent will force management to take steps to unlock value in its assets.”

Continue Reading >

Six Flags Entertainment Corp. (SIX) shares have doubled since August, and management is betting the ride isn’t over at the popular theme-park chain.

Continue Reading >

L.A.’s ultracompetitive Korean-American banking industry has a rate of turnover among top executives not seen at other local banks. Among Koreatown’s “Big Four” institutions – Nara, Wilshire, Center and Hanmi – all but Hanmi have changed CEOs since last year.

Continue Reading >

Analyst Joe Gladue of B. Riley & Co. said he expects the shares to open around $22.51 or $22.52 next week after closing yesterday at $35.03. The stock rose $2.32, or 7.1 percent, yesterday as bargain hunters scooped up shares on the final day to be eligible for the company’s $20 million rights offering.

Continue Reading >

Optical-component makers are benefiting from Alcatel-Lucent’s upbeat 2011 outlook despite Cisco’s news because Alcatel-Lucent is much bigger in the optical transport-equipment market, says B. Riley.

Continue Reading >

Popular Inc (BPOP.O), parent of Banco Popular, will shift a chunk of its bad loans to a joint venture to offload the problem assets dragging its earnings for two years.

Continue Reading >

Central Pacific Executive Chairman John Dean believes the bank will be profitable in 2011. Central Pacific Financial Corp., closing in on profitability and the completion of its $325 million capital-raising program, sharply cut its losses and finished just $2.1 million in the red during the fourth quarter.

Continue Reading >

New Yorkers looking to pick something up at the Kenneth Cole shop in Rockefeller Center will now have to go elsewhere. The 17,000-square-foot flagship closed last week—part of an overhaul that includes shuttering roughly 15% of the Manhattan-based company’s full-price stores.

Continue Reading >

The firm has been ranked #1 based on returns on its 2010 Buy recommendations—this according to the Research League Tables published by Investars.

Continue Reading >

Some mortgage brokers must have wondered for a moment whether they were in a time warp when they received an e-mail Tuesday from their Bank of Internet USA account executive.

Continue Reading >

The fourth quarter saw banks’ capital-raising activity drop to its slowest pace in 2010 as concerns about some issuers’ credit quality and uncertainty about future capital standards kept a few transactions on the sidelines.

Continue Reading >

“The biggest question of 2011 is what will happen with pricing. How much price increases will be passed on to the consumer? We do not know how the consumer will absorb these higher prices, how much will go back to vendors and how it will take a bite out of [retailers’] margins,” Van Sinderen said.

Continue Reading >

Home BancShares Inc. (HOMB, $20.17, -$2.80, -12.19%) declined after it said its fourth-quarter loan-loss provisions should surge to $60M-$65M related to its Florida and Arkansas markets. A B. Riley analyst said it’s “concerning…that this late in the game [Home BancShares] is coming up with such losses.”

Continue Reading >

Finish Line Inc.‘s (FINL, $17.45, -$1.34, -7.13%) fiscal third-quarter earnings fell as a prior-year gain from ending a takeover masked the athletic outfitter’s better-than-expected results.

Continue Reading >

Jeff Van Sinderen, a senior analyst at West L.A.’s B. Riley & Co., said one of Hot Topic’s biggest challenges was to improve its fashion accessories business. He said a new merchandise buyer has changed the type of accessories the chain sells, and appears successful.

Continue Reading >

We are pleased to announce the addition of Sameet Sinha as an analyst covering Internet & E-Commerce, based out of our San Francisco office.  Mr. Sinha has more than 10 years of experience on the sell-side covering a broad range of media companies - both online and offline - and across market capitalization.

Continue Reading >

Our Research Department has earned #2 ranking in Integrity Research Associates’ 3-Year “Buy Batting Averages” Report.

Continue Reading >

Despite third quarter declines, Conrad Lyon, restaurant analyst at B Riley Research and investment banking firm, sees a lot of momentum in the chains’ quickly recovering same-store sales, and expects an eventual payoff via refranchising and consumer product licensing efforts to include fruit cups and health drinks, the revenue from which Lyons believes will triple in 2011.

Continue Reading >

We will be expanding our research to cover the restaurant sector. We are also announcing that Conrad Lyon, CFA, CPA has joined the firm as a Senior Research Analyst dedicated to covering the sector with a focus on casual dining.

Continue Reading >

“We strongly believe that there is little downside to adding new insightful members to the board,” Sinderen wrote in a client note. He reaffirmed a “Buy” rating and $7.50 price target.

Continue Reading >

“Really what drives this business is being able to add new subscribers, reduce churn and increase (how much) each of those customers is spending with you,” Liu said. “If you look back at all three of those metrics going back three to five quarters, they’ve continually improved.”

Continue Reading >

Conrad Lyon, CFA has joined the B. Riley Research Department as a Senior Analyst covering the Restaurant sector and is working in the Los Angeles Office.  He has covered the sector for six years at KeyBanc, FTN Midwest, and Global Hunter.  Prior to that he was with Seagate Global Advisors and Deloitte & Touche.

Continue Reading >

James Baker has joined the Research Department as an Associate Analyst and is working in the Los Angeles Office.  Prior to joining B. Riley & Co., he spent two years in research at Kennedy Capital Management where, in addition to managing a team of interns, he focused primarily on small and mid cap companies.  He was previously with the multi-strategy hedge fund Lionhart.

Continue Reading >

Research analysts Kevin Liu and Andy Stapp have received top honors in the just released 3rd Annual Forbes Blue Chip Analyst Awards published by Forbes in collaboration with Zacks Investment Research.

Continue Reading >

THE ANALYSIS: B. Riley and Co. analyst Jeff Van Sinderen said Quiksilver has improved operations across its lines, and it can probably can keep defending its market share better than smaller brands. But pinpointing the timing or magnitude of a turnaround in sales trends remains challenging.

Continue Reading >

Financial-services company B. Riley & Co. hosted its 11th Annual Investor Conference on May 25 at the Loews Santa Monica Beach Hotel. Apparel companies presenting included The Wet Seal Inc., Volcom Inc., Hot Topic Inc. and Steve Madden Ltd.

Continue Reading >

“While it’s tough to see more inventory get washed down the drain in (fiscal year 2009), Silicon Motion Technology does appear closer to break-even than we thought,” wrote B. Riley & Co. analyst Mike Crawford in a research note Friday.

Continue Reading >

Joe Gladue, an analyst at B. Riley & Co., described as “encouraging” preliminary financial results presented by Popular, Inc. The company reported a preliminary net loss of $ 85 million in the first quarter of this year, results that are better than she expected the analyst, anticipating a net loss of $ 236 million. The recommendation for improved Popular titles from “Neutral” to “Buy.”

Continue Reading >

Shares of Popular Inc (BPOP.O) jumped 27 percent on heavy volume Tuesday, a day after the company said it was raising $900 million, giving the biggest bank in Puerto Rico ample cash to go for widely expected regulator-backed deals.

Continue Reading >

“We expect demand for silicone metal to increase in the coming years, driven by growth in the chemical, aluminum and solar markets,” says Ian Corydon, analyst at investment firm B. Riley & Co., who rates the stock a buy. He believes that despite the speedy ascent, the stock still has the potential of advancing to more than $18 a share in 12 months.

Continue Reading >

On March 16, Christopher D. Myers, CVB’s president and chief executive, and Edward J. Biebrich Jr., its chief financial officer, participated in a conference call available only to clients of B. Riley & Company, a boutique brokerage firm in Los Angeles. One of the firm’s analysts, Joe Gladue, follows CVB, and during the call he peppered management with questions.

Continue Reading >

“Volcom’s gross margin improved year over year, as the company limited discounting,” wrote Jeff Van Sinderen, an analyst at B. Riley & Co., in a note. “The brand performed relatively well at retail versus competitors.”

Continue Reading >

According to B. Riley analyst Ian Corydon, Schiff is sitting on roughly $59 million in cash and has been looking to acquire other branded vitamin makers. Corydon tells Forbes that “Schiff is looking for companies with niche products to add into their distribution.” But unable to find suitable targets so far, the firm’s board decided to share some of the wealth with investors through the special dividend.

Continue Reading >

In a note, US research, trading and investment banking firm B Riley said it has assumed that the bulk of the proceeds from the offering will be redeployed into loans in 2Q10, providing some of the lift to earnings that an acquisition could add. However, the additional shares added as a result of the offering would more than offset the additional net interest income under this scenario, B Riley said.

Continue Reading >

B. Riley analyst Jeffrey Van Sinderen wrote in a note to clients that PacSun as a lot of work to do, “but conceptually, we continue to like the direction the new CEO is taking the company” - going back to its roots in the guys business and evolving its juniors business to make it more relevant.

Continue Reading >

Retail analyst Jeffrey Van Sinderen said one reason why February business looked good was because it is compared with the business of February 2009, when retailers were still emerging from one of the worst holiday retail seasons in memory.

Still, Van Sinderen said, business is improving. “Generally people are feeling a little bit better, especially the affluent demographic. The frozen state people were in has thawed,” said Van Sinderen, who works for Los Angeles–based B. Riley & Co.

Continue Reading >