Tag - NYSE:VZ

Millions of Americans are going mobile with their Internet access. We're increasingly relying on mobile devices for all sorts of activities, but growth in Internet access is downright staggering.

Last spring, a survey by the Pew Internet and American Life Center found that 40 percent of adults used their mobile phones to access the Internet, e-mail or instant messaging. This represents an 8 percent increase over the prior year.

Sure, the Russell 2000 index gained around 25 percent last year, and the S&P 500 was up roughly 15 percent. But despite the strong performance of these indexes, single stocks are still, in my opinion, the best place to seek outsized returns. And by looking to an often-overlooked index I've found a stock that could rush much higher in the coming months.

Interest rate concerns and inflation worries put pressure on stocks today after the government's sale of $19 billion had a harder than usual time getting buyers. Investors seem concerned about the government's growing debt and that it could spur higher inflation and interest rates.

The Dow lost 24.04 points to close at 8,739.02; the Nasdaq shed 7.05 points to end the trading session at 1,853.08; and the S&P was down 3.28 points for 939.15.

Stocks comprising the Russell 2000, comprised of the 2,000 largest small-cap stocks, brought the index down to 523.41 on a loss of 4.52 points.

Today's small-cap gainers were lead by communications firm Atlantic Tele-Network (Nasdaq:ATNI) up 42.29% at $37.92. ATNI was up on news from yesterday's announcement to acquire wireless assets from Vodaphone (NYSE:VOD) and Verizon Communications (NYSE:VZ). Primarily doing business in the Caribbean, ATNI now picks up nearly a million wireless subscribers in the U.S. southeast and Illinois and Ohio. Because of regulatory requirements on Verizon to sell off some subscribers as part of its deal with Alltell, ATNI is substantially changed from a small operator overseas to a real player in the U.S. market.

Other small-cap leaders include one of yesterday's leaders, Satyam Computer Services (NYSE:SAY) up 35.7% after being rated "overweight" by an analyst from JP Morgan; American Axle & Manufacturing (NYSE:AXL), another of yesterday's leaders, up 25.7%; and Corel Corp. (Nasdaq:CREL) up 34.75%.

Decliners were lead by NCI Building Systems (NYSE:NCS) down 26.1% on worries over its reports of larger than expected Q2 losses. Shares were going for $3.16 at market close, down from an opening price of $3.80.

Other small-cap decliners include one of yesterday's leading gainers, Sequenom (Nasdaq:SQNM). Yesterday SQNM lead small-cap gainers with a 45.97% gain but today lead decliners by shedding 22.83% of its opening price to close at $4.09. And after shedding 20.17% off its price yesterday, Quiksilver (NYSE:ZQK) saw shares drop another 12.71%. So far this week investors holding shares in Quiksilver have endured a total loss of 27% since Friday's close.

*****"The worst is to come…"

That's what MetLife's (NYSE:MET) Chief Investment Officer Stephen Kandarian told Bloomberg this morning.

He was talking about commercial mortgage defaults. He notes that "[t]ypically there's a lag between when the economy softens and when the defaults actually occur."

Bloomberg also cites a study from Real Estate Econometrics LLC that forecasts default rates for commercial real estate may hit 4.1% by the end of the year.

What does commercial real estate have to do with an insurance company? Plenty…

*****Insurance companies take in cash in the form of the premiums we pay. They then invest that money in order to pay off claims down the road. As their investment returns compound, they profit.

But when their investments lose money, trouble starts. And trouble is exacerbated when insurance companies sell guaranteed returns to investors in the form of annuities.

The promise of annuities forces insurance companies to seek riskier investments to boost their returns. And many have turned to mortgage-backed securities to make more money.

Whoops.

*****MetLife has a $300 billion investment portfolio. That portfolio lost 23% in the first quarter of this year. Mr. Kandarian freely admits he's looking for higher returns to make up the losses. And he's looking at adding securities backed by commercial mortgages, in addition to continuing to originate loans to the commercial real estate sector.

It reminds me of the gambler, who after suffering a big loss, decides to start doubling down and taking more risks to win his money back. It usually doesn't end well.

Of course, what he should do is simply step away from the table. But MetLife and other insurers can't -- they have to make money to meet their obligations. It's not a sure thing, but I can imagine it ending poorly for some insurance companies.

Feeling a little overwhelmed with your communications options? Syniverse Holdings Inc. (NYSE:SVR) wants its customers — and its customers’ customers — to become masters of their mobile communications universe.

Based in Tampa, Fla., the company has grown over the past 21 years — the past three as a public company — to enable communications companies to provide interoperability among their voice and data networks. Syniverse sells the goods that let you “roam” on cell phones in the United States and in many other countries. Its back-office telecommunications technology also delivers number portability when customers switch carriers.

Syniverse hasn’t given investors many reasons to roam despite the difficult stock market. The stock is down 5.7% year to date, and down about 6% in the past three months. Syniverse has struggled to regain the 52-week high of $22.93 seen on May 19, while its recent low was recorded on Jan. 9, when shares sank to $13.50.

Analysts who cover Syniverse remain positive about its prospects. Of the 11 surveyed by Thomson Reuters, two have the stock as a “strong buy,” five rate it a “buy,” and four call it a “hold.” On Monday, Syniverse closed at $14.69.

Syniverse’s roots go back to 1987, when it was created as GTE Telecommunication Services, a unit of GTE to work on the need for wireless telephone roaming. Two years after Verizon (NYSE:VZ) was formed from the merger of GTE and Bell Atlantic, the unit’s managers and an investor group acquired the business, which had its initial stock offering in 2005. Since early 2006, Terry Holcombe has served as president . . .

With its stock price trading for approximately its cash value and a new CEO at the helm, it may be worth taking a flier on shares of telecommunications equipment company Westell Technologies Inc. (Nasdaq:WSTL).

Following several quarters in a row of disappointing financial results and missed guidance, on July 8 Westell announced the resignation of CEO Thomas Mader. New interim Westell CEO Bernard Sergesketter, a former Westell director, has his work cut out for him. At a recent price of just $0.80 a share, Westell’s shares are down over 40% since the start of the year and 60% since mid-February. At current stock price levels, and with over $0.80 a share in net cash on hand, investors are clearly indicating that they have meager confidence in Westell’s future.

Founded nearly three decades ago, Aurora, Ill.-based Westell operates in three segments: customer networking equipment, outside plant systems, and conferencing services. The customer networking equipment segment provides broadband digital subscriber line (DSL), fiber-to-the-home (FTTH), voice-over-Internet protocol (VoIP) and Internet protocol television (IPTV) products for telecom carriers and cable companies. Last year, Westell outsourced its networking equipment manufacturing to China. Operating under the name OSPlant Systems, the outside plant systems segment provides outdoor cabinets, enclosures, remote monitoring and related network protection solutions.The conferencing services segment, called ConferencePlus, manages and hosts voice, video, IP applications and back-office services for corporate clients...

After opening lower, small-cap stocks have continued their steady decent, as concerns surrounding the financial sector, a rebound in crude oil prices and dismal corporate earnings overshadowed the Senate’s passage of the housing bill. 

At 12:22 p.m. ET, the Russell 2000 (NYSE:IWM) was down 7.73, or 1.09%, to 702.61, while the Dow was down 125.46, or 1.1%, to 11,245.23.

Federal regulators seized two small banks over the weekend, which has cast a rain cloud over the financial sector today. The FDIC took over the First National Bank of Nevada and First Heritage Bank NA of California and sold the banks to Mutual Omaha Bank. Small banks dominated the list of largest percentage losers on the Nasdaq Exchange early this morning.

The bank seizures overshadowed the Senate’s passage of a housing bill on Saturday that creates a backstop for Fannie Mae (NYSE:FNM) and Freddie Mac (NYSE:FRE) should the mortgage lenders fall off a ledge. The legislation calls for an extension of a limitless line of credit for both firms for a year and a half and bestows authority to the Treasury department to purchase shares should the companies find themselves faced with insolvency.

Crude oil prices are pushing higher on the session, up $1.19 to $124 a barrel in midday action. The commodity is gaining ground on account of reports of attacks on oil pipelines in Nigeria and a fire at a Kuwait refinery.

Special delivery to investors from Premiere Global Services (NYSE:PGI): an undervalued growth stock that has the wind beneath its wings. With a bevy of business communications applications and a selling model that makes accessing them easy, Premiere is gliding along in a sector fraught with missed connections.  

The company’s fortunes are tied to its Premiere Global Communications Operating System (PGiCOS), which offers business clients handy access to a number of applications from the Internet. Premiere provides a range of technology to automate and simplify everyday corporate needs including conferencing (both web and audio), document delivery, desktop fax, e-marketing and notifications.

Considering the economic drag on telecommunications, Premiere’s performance has been surprisingly strong. The telecommunications services sector, of which Premiere is a member, was down 15.8% year to date through July 15, 2008. At the same time, Premiere was up 5% on the year. Other telecommunications companies considered peers include AT&T (NYSE:T), down 21%, and Verizon Communications (NYSE:VZ), down 19%.

Founded in 1991 and headquartered in Atlanta, Ga., Premiere’s business may seem mundane but its results are anything but. Its flock of business applications pits it against various competitors depending on need, and provides a competitive advantage compared to single-product vendors. None of Premiere’s rivals has a similarly comprehensive on-demand platform, nor — Premiere says — a similar drive to directly integrate and embed their technologies into a customer’s business . . .

Television and cable systems are undergoing a revolution, as the old concept of sending out a signal to whoever’s watching at any given moment falls by the wayside.

Consumers can set a DVR to catch the shows they want to watch later, or they can use on-demand technology that utilizes systems such as those from SeaChange International (Nasdaq:SEAC).

Any parent who has had to deal with a screaming kid because of a missed “SpongeBob SquarePants” episode can appreciate on-demand video now provided by many cable or satellite companies, usually in an upgraded service package.

The Internet, with its growing cache of always-available content, is a threat to broadcasting, and to survive the shows must be available when consumers want them. While decades-old DVR technology is a cheap alternative to pricey cable add-ons, on-demand content eliminates one variable that trips up viewers: forgetting to set the dang timer.

SeaChange International, which got its start in 1993 in digital advertising, develops and sells the fail-safe hardware, software services and equipment needed to generate revenue and retain the eyeballs of viewers. After churning up two turbulent years of losses, SeaChange appears to have sailed into the calmer waters of profitability.

Of six analysts surveyed by Thomson Reuters, four have SeaChange at “strong buy,” one has it a “buy” and the other has it at “hold.” The median long-range price target is $10.75, or roughly 30% of upside potential from where SeaChange has recently traded.

SeaChange hit a 52-week high of $8.45 on Monday, more than 60% better than the 52-week low of $4.95 on Nov. 8. In the past year, investors seem hesitant to keep the stock above $8 — they waffled after it touched $8.25 in December, although it held around $9 in early June 2007. Shares were last above . . .

So what jingle-linga-ling brings your cell phone to life? Beethoven’s 5th? Your sweetheart’s favorite love song? Some Grateful Dead?

That’s ringtone. But what about the beeps and blips that someone hears while waiting for you to pick up? That’s ringback.

In an impersonal world, consumers enjoy personalizing mobile phones in many ways, and adding ringback tones appears to be a growing fad — plus there’s a potential for video content. NMS Communications Corp. (Nasdaq:NMSS) is making some noise about becoming a leading player in this blossoming market, and has made some strategic changes to its business model while serving up a suite of added services.

Investors in NMS Communications might like the sound of that, since this Framingham, Mass., company has posted losses for the past two years. Now this 20-year-old company is feeling the Groove (as in Groove Mobile; more on this later).

NMS Communications is transitioning from a nuts-and-bolts, equipment and products sort of company, to a company with a services-oriented focus. And it could lead to a divorce of its NMS Communications voice, video and data platform business from its LiveWire Mobile suite of managed personalization services.

Of the four analysts surveyed by Thomson Reuters, three have NMS Communications as a “buy,” with another calling the stock a “hold,” with a median price target of $2.50.

NMS appears to be pinning its future on the cutting-edge mobile media services field. Shares hit a 52-week low of $1.16 on Friday, three days after NMS reported first-quarter results. The stock traded as high as $1.97 last June 4, but has not . . .

Investors who follow the money may find their search leads them to TNS Inc. (NYSE:TNS), which helps move data from Point A to Point B without detouring through a hacker’s computer.

The Reston, Va.-based company, also known as Transaction Network Services, provides clients with business-critical communications in the United States and 26 other countries through a suite of secure voice and data services. Customers include processors of ATM, credit card and debit card transactions.

TNS also offers secure voice and data network services to the financial-services industry, via its own network and alliances with other telecommunications carriers. Other bits of data crossing its networks include information from lotteries and the gaming industry.

But for investors considering TNS, the question remains: is buying the stock a secure deal, or no deal?

The fallout from the subprime mortgage crisis continues to litter the financial-services industry and ancillary fields including communications services. Analysts covering TNS generally have a fairly positive outlook, despite the tumultuous conditions amid the recession fears. Of the six analysts tracked by Thomson Financial, one rated TNS a “strong buy,” another placed it at “buy,” and the others have it at “hold.”

Since its founding in 1990 to provide services to the point-of-sale industry, TNS has traveled a long and winding road marked by methodical growth and, at times, tempestuous ownership. The company operates in . . .

Smith Micro Software Inc. (Nasdaq: SMSI) was downgraded today by JP Morgan to “neutral” from “overweight” due to concerning remarks by the company’s CEO, exposure to the consumer discretionary environment and a greater-than-anticipated negative impact from Verizon Communications Inc.’s (NYSE: VZ) shift toward more of a software model.

“These new concerns are enough to motivate us to step aside after a frustrating few months to wait on clarity of improvement before re-assessing,” JP Morgan analyst Lauren Ye wrote in a research note today. 

The downgrade sent shares barreling to a 52-week low on high volume intra-session. Shares skidded 16.77%, or $1.08, to $5.36 at 2:22 p.m. ET. Shares of Smith Micro Software have been trading in the range of $5.82 to $21.20 for the past 52 weeks.

The analyst also cited the company’s inability to drive instantaneous accretion from its PCTel and E-frontier acquisitions last year and what appears to be a more “back-end loaded 2008.”

Smith Micro acquired E-frontier’s 3D graphic and animation software solutions in November, and telecommunications software and hardware manufacturer PCTel in December.

According to Ye, Smith Microware’s CEO indicated at an investor conference that 2007 revenue would be in “the low 70s.” As a result, the analyst has lowered her fourth-quarter revenue estimate to $20 million from $21.8 million.

“We now think multimedia got an even worse hit from the software transition at Verizon,” wrote Ye.

Palm, Inc. (Nasdaq: PALM) shares are rising in early trading after investment bank JPMorgan Chase & Co. (NYSE: JPM) upgraded the Sunnyvale, Calif.-based smartphone maker to “overweight” from “underweight.” In a note to investors, JPMorgan said it expects Palm to introduce several new phone models during 2008 and stronger-than-projected sales of its Centro smartphone.

Sprint Nextel Corporation’s (NYSE: S) exclusive Centro deal is ending and JPMorgan projects that Verizon Communications Inc. (NYSE: VZ) and AT&T Inc. (NYSE: T) will introduce their own version of the Windows-based mobile phone. The investment bank also said that a new operating system will be released in late 2008, which will prompt increased product activity in early 2009.

JPMorgan projects a fiscal 2008 loss of $0.38 a share, and a loss of $0.09 per share during fiscal 2009. Wall Street analysts, on average, expect a 2008 loss of $0.17 per share and a 2009 loss of $0.05 per share.

In other news, Palm’s CFO Andrew Brown is scheduled to make a presentation at Thomas Weisel Partners Technology, Telecom & Internet Conference 2008 at 7:25 p.m. ET.

Cell phone-maker stocks rose during Friday’s trading after Motorola, Inc. (NYSE: MOT) said it is contemplating selling or spinning off its struggling handset business.

In morning trading, PALM shares are up 5.48%, or $0.33, at $6.35. Over the last 52 weeks, shares have ranged from $4.25 to $9.93.

MasTec Inc. (NYSE: MTZ), which builds and maintains infrastructure — telephone, Internet, electric, water, sewer and natural gas — as well as providing installation and maintenance services for satellite and cable television services, will get off to a slow start in 2008, according to a research report by investment bank ThinkEquity Partners.

Coral Gables, Fla.-based MasTec is experiencing “still-deliberate” demand from wireless company Verizon Communications Inc. (NYSE: VZ) and has been slow to reduce its legal expenses, according to a research report by Eric Kainer, an analyst with investment bank ThinkEquity Partners.

“We are cautious on 2008 revenues,” Kainer wrote, adding that he is reducing his profit estimates for the fourth-quarter ended Dec. 31, 2007, to $0.15 per share, compared with a previous forecast of $0.16 per share. The revenue forecast has been lowered to $258 million from a previously forecasted $262 million.

The consensus estimate on Wall Street is for net income of $0.15 per share and revenues of $260.7 million, according to a poll of seven analysts by Thomson Financial.

In the fourth quarter of 2006, MasTec had earnings of $0.14 per share on revenue of $241.1 million.

The Russell 2000 (NYSE: IWM) managed a late-minute razor-thin gain while the major U.S. indices made solid advances on news of strong earnings and speculation of a rate cut. The small-cap index added 0.33 points, or 0.04%, to 821.72. The Dow Jones Industrial Average (INDU) gained 63.56 points, or 0.46%, to 13,870.26.

On a year-to-date basis, the Russell 2000 has increased 4.36%, while the Dow has added 11.19% and the S&P 500 has gained 8.78%.

The small-cap futures were pointing up before the start of trading following news that New York-based Verizon Communications Inc. (NYSE: VZ), the second largest U.S. telecommunications company, reported that revenue for the third-quarter increased 5.8% to $23.8 billion from $22.5 billion a year earlier.

Contributing to the bullish sentiment were retailers RadioShack Corp. (NYSE: RSH) and Best Buy Co. Inc. (NYSE: BBY), which reported upbeat third-quarter earnings.

Among small-cap companies, North American Galvanizing & Coatings (Nasdaq: NGA) rose on news that third-quarter profit more than doubled, while compact construction equipment maker Gehl Co. (Nasdaq: GEHL) fell on news of a decline in profit.

The major U.S. indices opened in positive territory and stayed there throughout the session.

However, small-caps were the exception. The Russell 2000 moved up initially but quickly stumbled and stayed in negative territory during the majority of the session, battling back into the green with just minutes before the close.

The Russell 2000 (NYSE: IWM) is down after opening with modest gains as investors reacted to upbeat earnings news.

At 10:41 a.m. ET, the small-cap index was down 1.34 points, or 0.16%, to 820.05. The Dow Jones Industrial Average (INDU) had added 33.08 points, or 0.24%, to 13,839.78.

There is nothing major being released on the economic front today, so all eyes are focused on the latest corporate earnings.

Verizon Communications Inc. (NYSE: VZ), the second largest U.S. telecommunications company, announced before the opening that revenue for the third-quarter increased 5.8% to $23.8 billion from $22.5 billion a year earlier. However, net income declined by 34% to $1.27 billion, compared with $1.92 billion during the third quarter of 2006.

Computer maker Dell Inc. (Nasdaq: DELL) also contributed to the bullish sentiment when it said that it would consider making more acquisitions. Round Rock, Texas-based Dell has acquired five companies in the past two years.

The Russell 2000 opened in positive territory, but unexpectedly fell after about 10:15 a.m. ET.

Among small-cap companies, Gehl Co. (Nasdaq: GEHL) is down on news that the maker of compact construction equipment reported a decline in third-quarter income. Meanwhile, North American Galvanizing & Coatings (Nasdaq: NGA) is gaining ground on news before the start of trading that third-quarter profit more than doubled.

The Russell 2000 (NYSE: IWM) futures have risen and the small-cap index is likely to open in positive territory.

With nothing major on the economic front this morning, investors will be looking to corporate earnings.

The bulls are ready to go, following news that telecommunications giant Verizon Communications Inc.'s (NYSE: VZ) revenue for the third-quarter increased 5.8% to $23.8 billion from $22.5 billion a year earlier.

Similarly, computer maker Dell Inc. (Nasdaq: DELL) added upbeat news when it said that it would consider making more acquisitions.

Small-cap companies are also adding to the bullish sentiment, with AsiaInfo Holdings, Inc. (Nasdaq: ASIA), a provider of telecom software and IT security products, announcing that it has inked new contracts with Chinese partners.

Here are the biggest percentage gainers and losers in pre-market trading among companies with a market cap between $100 million and $750 million:

Biggest percentage gainers:

• North American Galvanizing & Coatings, Inc. (NGA), up 14% on news of strong third-quarter earnings.
• China Techfaith Wireless Communication Technology Ltd. (CNTF), up 13%.
• 3SBio Inc. (SSRX), up 12%.

Biggest percentage losers:

• Gehl Company (GEHL), down 14% on news of a lower full-year guidance.
• Clayton Holdings Inc. (CLAY), down 9% on news of an analyst downgrade.
• Silicom Ltd. (SILC) down 7% despite news of a strong third-quarter.

A rollercoaster trading day ended with the Russell 2000 (NYSE: IWM) and the Dow Jones Industrial Average (INDU) posting solid gains to snap a two-day losing streak. The small-cap index added 6.40 points, or 0.82%, to 784.23. The Dow moved up 92.84 points, or 0.70%, to 13,358.31.

Trading was choppy with little in the way in the way of economic news or corporate deal-making for either bulls or bears to sink their teeth into.

The day began on a worrying note, following news that German banking company IKB Deutsche Industriebank AG reported that it will fall short of its 2007-2008 earnings forecast, negatively affected by the U.S. subprime meltdown. The Dusseldorf-based bank’s investment fund, Rhineland Funding, had stakes in U.S. sub-prime real estate loans and other structured credit portfolios.

IKB said that last week’s sharp market declines have spread uncertainty among institutional investors, and that Rhineland Funding’s ability to access funding appears to be threatened.

Government-owned development bank KfW, IKB’s main shareholder, had to come to the rescue and implement measures to safeguard its creditworthiness.

Whenever a giant, well-funded corporation jumps into a market dominated by a small company, executives at the smaller business always sing the same tune – something along the lines of: “We welcome the competition. It legitimizes our market.”

Unfortunately, the little guys are usually whistling past the graveyard – or on their way to it.

Smith Micro Software Inc. (SMSI) would seem, at first glance, to be in exactly that position. The company’s big money-maker is software that sounds familiar to anyone who has ever heard of the iPod: its Music Essentials program allows people to download music from the Internet onto their PCs and then zip those tunes over to a handheld device for easy on-the-road listening. The big difference: the portable device is a cell phone, not an iPod.

Now Apple, Inc. (Nasdaq: AAPL) is turning up the volume. On June 29, it is planning to unveil its long-awaited iPhone, first announced back in January. It’s an impressive piece of engineering. The iPhone uses wi-fi to connect to the Internet, and includes a Web browser and Google Maps. iPhone can play video on a high-resolution screen, and can download music just like an iPod. These features, along with Apple’s famously elegant design prowess, make Smith Micro’s software look like last year’s technology – which it is. It was first introduced in January 2006.

But there are two problems with the iPhone. It comes with a hefty price of $500 to $600, and will be available only to people using AT&T Inc.’s (NYSE: T) cellular service.

That leaves space for Smith to grow. SMSI is “the only offer that counters AT&T and the iPhone,” says Amit Dayal, an analyst with Rodman & Renshaw. Last November, Verizon Communications Inc.'s Verizon Wireless (NYSE: VZ) became the first to release phones with Smith Micro’s music software. Since then, Music Essentials has become Smith Micro’s biggest product line. The company reported $17.7 million in revenues in the first quarter, up 79% from a year ago, with pro-forma net income up 114% to $6.2 million ($0.21 per share.) On a GAAP basis, earnings were $1.84 million, compared with $1.81 million a year ago. Sprint signed up for the service early this year (that service has not yet been started).

If smart phones like Palm’s Treo have arrived, could broadband wireless be far behind? Smart phones can support data-intensive applications such as Voice-over-IP, video gaming, video conferences and movies, all of which need much bigger pipes to transport data than cellular phone networks can provide. Consumers and businesses want to have the same experience with the broadband Internet on their mobile phones as they have at home or in the office.

People on the move are still tethered to hotspots when it comes to gaining access to the Internet; their-WiFi enabled connections do not reach beyond 100-300 feet. On their cellular phones, interrupted service is sometimes a problem with voice calls, and Internet capabilities are mostly out of the question.

Telecommunications companies such as Verizon Communications Inc. (NYSE: VZ), Sprint Nextel Corp. (NYSE: S) and AT&T Inc.’s (NYSE: T) Cingular revived their mobile Internet data services by investing in broadband wireless networks, which commonly go by the moniker 3G. These third-generation networks are capable of transporting more data, equivalent to broadband connections available in homes and offices, but are concentrated in densely populated metropolitan centers. Their signals cannot reach the entire area of a city, let alone rural regions. 

Shares of Syniverse Holdings Inc. (NYSE: SVR) got a boost late today after the Tampa, Fla.-based technology services provider beat analysts’ first-quarter estimates.

For the quarter ended March 31, Syniverse reported net income of $7.6 million, or $0.21 per share, on revenue of $82.7 million, compared with net income of $3.6 million, or $0.05 per share on revenue of $73.4 million in the prior year period.

Nine analysts polled by Thomson First Call estimated earnings per share of $0.18 on revenue of $79 million.

By 7:15 ET, the company’s shares were trading up $0.96, or 9.3%, to $11.27. The stock has traded between $9.93 (March 6) and $18.15 (and May 5, 2006) in the past year.