CSFB Downgrades Alliance Data Systems

Analyst Paul Bartolai believes the transaction-processing company's private label business is more sensitive to changes in credit conditions

CS First Boston downgrades transaction-processing company Alliance Data Systems (ADS ) to neutral from outperform.

Analyst Paul Bartolai says Alliance Data Systems generally has been viewed as a transaction processing company that participates in a private label market.

However, he now believes Alliance Data Systems' private label business contributes a much larger portion of its operating profit than originally expected.

While Alliance Data Systems continues to have many favorable investment characteristics, he thinks this stream of earnings per share is more sensitive to changes in credit conditions and should be valued differently than a typical transaction processing company. As a result, Bartolai downgrades and cuts his $50 target to $35.

All of the views expressed in this research report accurately reflect the research analyst's personal views regarding any and all of the subject securities or issuers. No part of analyst compensation was, is or will be, directly or indirectly related to the specific recommendations or views expressed in this research report.
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