Updating INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS MACHINES CORP., DUN & BRADSTREET CORP. and SNAP-ON INC.

Article Excerpt

INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS MACHINES CORP. $133 has agreed to buy Netezza Corp. (New York symbol NZ), whose technology helps businesses quickly analyze sales and other customer data. This helps Netezza’s clients make better decisions. IBM will pay $1.7 billion for Netezza when the deal closes later this year; on June 30, 2010, IBM held cash of $12.2 billion. Best Buy. DUN & BRADSTREET CORP. $72 has bought full control of its Australian credit-rating business. The $205 million-price is equal to 71% of the $288.7 million, or $5.42 a share, that Dun & Bradstreet earned in 2009. This move will help the company profit from rising demand for reliable credit ratings in the Asia-Pacific region. Buy. SNAP-ON INC. $46 earned $0.78 a share in the three months ended June 30, 2010, up 20.0% from $0.65 a year earlier. Revenue rose 9.8%. Demand for Snap-On’s automotive tools continues to rise as the improving economy spurs car sales. Buy. Buy…