MiddleBrook Pharmaceuticals (NDAQ: MBRK) shares have dropped substantially from their highs earlier this year, but recently rebounded on news of a $100 million investment. The firm had been the center of buyout speculation for some time as they were in talks with several interested parties; however, the firm opted to take a $100 million capital infusion from Equity Group Investments. The move has many investors speculating the firm may be worth a lot more than it is trading at right now.

Under the terms of the agreement, MiddleBrook will issue EGI 30.3 million shares of common stock and a five-year warrant to purchase 12.1 million shares of common stock with an exercise price of $3.90 per share for an aggregate purchase price of $100 million. The move will bring MBRK's shares outstanding to around 86.31 million and should boost the market capitalization by $100 million to $224 million. This equates to an implied price of $2.60 per share, which pins the current discount at around 16% assuming the company can prove it is worth the same valuation as before the investment.

MiddleBrook will also receive a new chief executive officer that has a lot of experience in the pharmaceutical industry. The news may not be as good as a buyout for shareholders, but it does give new investors a chance to get in at a cheap price with management incentivized to push shares to at least $3.90 per share in order to realize the value of the additional warrants over time. Whether or not that happens remains to be seen, but MiddleBrook pharmaceuticals is definitely a stock to keep an eye on in the meantime.

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Bank of America Corporation (NYSE: BAC) continues to mount a near-parabolic recovery along with much of the banking sector. Investor sentiment has changed rapidly as the government rescued the two largest U.S. mortgage underwriters and signaled a possible end to the problems plaguing the sector - at at least a signal that the peak has passed. So, where are things headed from here?

Bank of America may not be as strong as the recent run-up in share price would have investors believe. The stock topped the list last week for stocks that rose in price but had the largest outflow of money. This means that the price increase that we’ve seen may not really be the vote of confidence that it seems. Meanwhile, Bank of America will also continue to struggle with the mortgages associated with its acquisition of Countrywide Financial.

The government’s bailout of Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac may provide would-be homeowners with more options, but it may not do all that much to stop the rising tide of foreclosures. In fact, just last week we saw a report showing that the rise in foreclosures is anything but over. Meanwhile, it will take awhile for consumers to gain enough confidence to start buying homes in order to increase property values - the other thing that could slow foreclosures.

Many analysts are also not so sure about Bank of America. Stifel Nicolaus & Co cut its full-year profit estimate on the bank, citing concerns about continued deterioration in its consumer loan portfolio. The nation’s second largest bank reported not long ago that its profit fell 41% in the second quarter on losses in its struggling mortgage operations, but still managed to top analyst estimates. However, it had to more than triple its loan loss provisions - that is, money set aside for bad loans.

Accelerating losses in its home equity, domestic credit card, residential mortgage and small business loan portfolio are creating problem for the bank. Meanwhile, cash is flowing out of the stock at a record rate. Only a rise in the stock price is causing investors to look the other way - a mistake that could cost them in the future.

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Garmin Ltd (NDAQ: GRMN) shares dropped more than 20 percent today after the company announced second quarter earnings that missed analyst expectations. The high-flying GPS maker also disappointed investors when it forecasted limited growth for the rest ofthe year and said it was delaying its entrance into the cellular phone market. Many investors are now questioning whether or not this GPS giant can be valued as a growth company in today's environment.

Garmin reported total revenues of $912 million, which is up 23% from $742 million in the second quarter of 2007. Gross margins remained solid at 45.8%, despite the economic slowdown, compared to 48.2% in the first quarter of 2008 and 50.5% in the second quarter of 2008. Operating margins were up 20 basis points sequentially to 26.2% in the first quarter, but were down compared to 32.5% in the second quarter of 2007. And finally, diluted earnings per share increased 21% in the second quarter.

"We are pleased with our financial results for the second quarter given the economic conditions facing the consumer electronics segment," said Kevin Rauckman, chief financial officer of Garmin Ltd. " We also generated $34 million of free cash flow in the second quarter of 2008, resulting in a cash and marketable securities balance of just over $1.0 billion at the end of the quarter." This number is a positive note, but not enough to convince investors...

The forecasts are where investors lost confidence. Garmin anticipates overall revenues in 2008 to hit $3.9 billion and earnings to hit $4.13 per share, including the $0.27 related to the tender of their Tele Atlas NV shares. The company also reiterated growth rates for all of its division, except for the marine segment, where it said that high fuel prices have led it to forecast flat revenues for 2008. Meanwhile, the firm also forecasted a drop in operating margins to 25% as input costs rise and selling prices lower.

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