2008-09-29 12:16:01 -

- 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: Halliburton Co. (NYSE: HAL), LeapFrog Enterprises, Inc. (NYSE: LF), Regency Centers Corp. (NYSE: REG), Cypress Semiconductor Corp. (NYSE: CY) and China Eastern

Airlines Corporation Ltd. (NYSE: CEA).

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Here are highlights from Friday's Analyst Blog:

Halliburton a Buy Up to $55

Houston, Texas-based Halliburton Company (NYSE: HAL) is one of the largest oilfield service providers in the world, offering a variety of equipment, maintenance, and engineering and construction services to the energy, industrial, and government sectors.

The stock is down roughly 33% in the last 12 weeks, compared to the peer group's average of a 26% pullback and the 6% decline in the S&P 500. But we think that the market's reaction has been misplaced and excessive.

LeapFrog Not Jumping Ahead

LeapFrog Enterprises (NYSE: LF) designs and develops educational products under the LeapFrog, LeapPad, Leapster, and Quantum Leap brands. The products are sold through national, regional and specialty retailers in the U.S. and are distributed in over 25 countries worldwide. In addition to home use, LeapFrog also develops instructional materials for classroom use through its School segment.

Management's actions to improve long-term operating results through increased R&D (research and development) and incremental marketing spending resulted in another year of negative earnings in 2007. Management expects that 2008 will be a turnaround year, with new products introduced in the last two years generating sales and earnings growth.

Regency Centers a Near-Term Buy

Jacksonville, Florida-based Regency Centers Corporation (NYSE: REG), a self-administered and self-managed real estate investment trust (REIT), is one of the leading owners, operators, and developers of grocery-anchored retail shopping centers in the U.S. Operations are holding up reasonably well and the company continues to increase rents as leases roll while maintaining high overall portfolio occupancy.

Clearly, retail-focused REITs will face a much more difficult operating environment in the coming quarters. Consumer spending patterns are weakening across the country and large chains are curtailing expansion plans. We would be careful of the strip retail sector, although we still rate REG a near-term Buy.

Cypress Semi Outlook Cautious

Cypress Semiconductor Corp. (NYSE: CY) develops and manufactures a broad range of digital and mixed signal ICs (integrated chips).

The semiconductor business continues to improve, especially in terms of profitability. SunPower (a majority-owned subsidiary offering solar power products) revenue is also growing very strongly, although the gross margins generated by the business are still about half the semiconductor gross margins. Management continues to expand the PSoC product line, which should have another good year in 2008.

China Eastern Air Priced Fairly

We are maintaining our Hold on China Eastern Airlines Corporation Limited (NYSE: CEA), but reducing our target price to $18. In its 2008 first half report, China Eastern posted an improvement in its net loss, which fell to RMB212 million from RMB306 million in the prior-year period.

This primarily reflected a large jump (up 161% year over year) in foreign exchange gains to RMB1.9 billion from RMB0.7 billion a year ago due to the Chinese currency's appreciation over the US$. The company continues to record operating losses due to high fuel prices and lower operating efficiencies.

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