Alphabet (GOOGL) subsidiary Google saw a double-digit increase in ad spending on its site last year, led by mobile gains and new offerings that let shoppers buy directly by clicking ads, according to a research report from Cowen analyst John Blackledge following a conference call with ad firm EliteSEM on Wednesday. “Overall, Google’s core Search business appears strong, with room for further innovation,” wrote Blackledge late Wednesday. On the
Programmable chip maker Xilinx (XLNX) fanned acquisition rumors Wednesday and an MKM analyst suggested a marriage with Apple (AAPL) supplier Qualcomm (QCOM) would make “strategic sense.” Xilinx stock soared as much as 12% in the morning on the stock market today, after late Wednesday Xilinx filed “change of control” documents with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission. In afternoon trading, shares were up 10%. Analysts pegged Xilinx as a
Shares of drugmaker Alkermes (ALKS) plunged Thursday after the company’s depression drug failed two late-stage trials, though the company claimed it still saw positive signals. Alkermes ran two clinical trials, Forward-3 and Forward-4, comparing its drug ALKS 5461 to a placebo at two dose levels, 2mg and 0.5mg. Neither achieved its endpoint of statistically significant improvement based on the Montgomery — Asberg Depression Rating Scale (MADRS)