Zacks Bull and Bear of the Day Highlights: Maxim Integrated Products, Sonic Innovations, Valero, Tesoro and ConocoPhillips

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CHICAGO--(Business Wire)--
Zacks Equity Research highlights Maxim Integrated Products (Nasdaq: MXIM) as the
Bull of the Day and Sonic Innovations (Nasdaq: SNCI) the Bear of the Day. In
addition, Zacks Equity Research provides analysis on Valero (NYSE: VLO), Tesoro
(NYSE: TSO) and ConocoPhillips (NYSE: COP).

Full analysis of all these stocks is available at http://at.zacks.com/?id=2676.

Here is a synopsis of all five stocks:

Bull of the Day:

Maxim Integrated Products (Nasdaq: MXIM) is an OEM of semiconductor analog and
mixed signal ICs. March quarter results were short of consensus estimates,
although they were in-line with management's own expectations.

Forward guidance is for a revenue increase of 3-12% in the June quarter. Order
rates started picking up in three of the four end markets, and the fourth market
is expected to see increase in Q4.

We are reiterating our Buy rating on MXIM shares, given recent market share
gains, healthy product pipeline, diversity in the company's markets, strong cash
generating capabilities and cheap valuation.

Bear of the Day:

Sonic Innovations (Nasdaq: SNCI) announced that its shareholders at the annual
shareholder meeting approved a name change of the company to Otix Global, Inc,
where Otix Global is to become the parent company of Sonic Innovations. SNCI
filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission its Form 10-Q for the
quarterly period ended March 31, 2009.

Revenue from SNCI's German subsidiary is at risk of declining from unsuccessful
attempts at renegotiating insurance contracts that is required as a result of
new legislation passed by the Federal Council of Germany in Nov. 2008 that
became effective April 1, 2009.

Our price target of $0.80 per share is based on a price-to-sales multiple of
roughly 0.3x our FY09 sales estimate.

Latest Posts on the Zacks Analyst Blog:

Refiners Lose Out in Cap & Trade

While there are many important changes that this 946-page tome is aiming to
bring about, we are focusing here on one central part of the proposed
legislation -- the Cap & Trade regime. The bill creates winners and losers among
different energy producing and consuming sectors through its initial free awards
of emission permits.

Approximately 85% of the permits are doled out for free, with the rest auctioned
off. According to a preliminary estimate by the EPA, a permit to emit one ton of
carbon dioxide or equivalent will be worth $11-$15 in 2012, with the value of
all permits at around $60 billion in 2012. By the 2025, the value would be
higher, according to EPA estimates, rising to $22-$28, with the total value at
around $113 billion.

Oil producers and refiners, such as Valero (NYSE: VLO), Tesoro (NYSE: TSO) and
ConocoPhillips (NYSE: COP) are clearly on the losing side, having been allocated
a very small portion of the permits (2%). This forces them to purchase permits
on their own account. Electric utilities and other consuming industries such as
steel, cement and paper manufacturers benefiting from the giveaways.

Get the full analysis of all these 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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Continuous coverage is provided for a universe of 1,150 publicly traded stocks.
Our analysts are organized by industry which gives them keen insights to
developments that affect company profits and stock performance. Recommendations
and target prices are six-month time horizons.

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Mark Vickery
312-265-9380
Visit: www.zacks.com

Copyright Business Wire 2009