Zacks Bull and Bear of the Day Highlights: AtheroGenics, ProQuest Company, Bayer A.G. and Yahoo!

CHICAGO -- Zacks Equity Research highlights AtheroGenics, Inc. (Nasdaq:AGIX) as the Bull of the Day and ProQuest Company (NYSE:PQE) as the Bear of the Day. In addition, Zacks Equity Research provides analysis on Bayer A.G. (NYSE:BAY) and Yahoo! (Nasdaq:YHOO). Full analysis of all four stocks is available at http://at.zacks.com/?id=2676.

Here is a synopsis of all four stocks:

Bull of the Day:

Our Bull of the Day recommendation is for AtheroGenics, Inc. (Nasdaq:AGIX), a biotechnology company focused on the discovery, development and commercialization of novel drugs for the treatment of chronic inflammatory diseases, including heart disease (atherosclerosis), rheumatoid arthritis and asthma. The company uses its proprietary vascular protectant (V-Protectant) technology platform to develop drug candidates. The leading pipeline candidate is AGI-1067 for atherosclerosis. We believe this candidate has billion-dollar blockbuster potential. The shares are attractive given the potential upside ahead. We recommend long-term investors buy the shares.

Bear of the Day:

Our Bear of the Day recommendation is for ProQuest Company (NYSE:PQE). ProQuest expects its accounting review will result in the restatement of earnings reported for fiscal years 2000 to 2004 and for the first three quarters of 2005. The company also provided 2006 revenue and EBIT guidance. Consequently, we have downgraded the stock from a Hold to a Sell, and the target price has been set to $10.

Analyst Blog:

Driven by sales gains and enhanced operating leverage, Bayer (NYSE:BAY) continues to post impressive results across all its operating segments. The company is investing significantly on research and development in the pharmaceutical and chemical business. Further, the acquisition of Schering AG will strengthen the company's position in the HealthCare business. Moreover, an upturn in the petrochemical cycle and improved chemical pricing power are expected to propel growth further, making the stock fairly attractive to investors. Accordingly, we reiterate our Buy rating, with a target price of $54.50.

We believe as a leader in branded advertising, Yahoo! (Nasdaq:YHOO) will be a prime beneficiary of the shift in advertising spending from traditional media to online media. Yahoo has established itself as a leader in Internet video and has grown traffic through upgrades to its existing pages and the launch of new ones. Although investors have been disappointed with recent results, we believe growing traffic will impact the bottom line over the next year. We therefore reiterate our Buy rating on Yahoo with a six-month target price of $40.00.

Get the full analysis of all four stocks by going to http://at.zacks.com/?id=2649.

About the Bull and Bear of the Day

Every day, the analysts at Zacks Equity Research select two stocks that are likely to outperform (Bull) or underperform (Bear) the markets over the next 3-6 months.

About the Analyst Blog

Updated throughout every trading day, the Analyst Blog provides analysis from Zacks Equity Research about the latest news and events impacting stocks and the financial markets.

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