Barron's 2-19-07: The Santa Clara, Calif., provider of "on demand" software had a huge Q4 and it could be even better going forward. Many have worried about competition from Microsoft (MSFT), as well as commoditization. But WEBX is "providing reliability and scale that others can't seem to match." "We see Web collaboration as the 'killer app' over the Internet, and we are the best in class at delivering that service," CEO Subrah Iyar says. Software analyst Peter Goldmacher of Cowen, calls WebEx "the most interesting company in the software space." He's sticking with his July prediction that the shares could top 60 in the next few years.

Barron's 2-19-07: "The bullish business trends at Sotheby's that pushed the shares 69% higher in 2006 remain intact. Sotheby's is not quite the bargain it once was, but in view of the robust art market, its rally is apt to continue." Gary Greenberg of London-based Muse Capital thinks the stock "is kind of rich". In the short term, however, he thinks momentum could carry the stock into the mid-40s. Sotheby's trades at about a 10% discount to its luxury-brand peers, he says."

Barron's 2-19-07: Rumored to be buyout target of BHP Billiton or Rio Tinto. But many say price tag of $40 billion (33% over current price) is still way too cheap. "It doesn't begin to reflect the turnaround afoot at the Dow industrials component." John Buckingham, manager of the Al Frank Fund (VALUX) does not want it to be sold. "The ship is sailing the right course," he says, "but this is not the time to be selling the company."

Barron's 2-19-07: "Bulls on Timken think its stock, now around 29, is headed for the mid-30s. Eventually, that's likely, but it could head lower first until signs emerge that its restructuring is bearing fruit."

From Barron's 2-19-07: The bottom line: "Electronic Arts isn't playing games. Its earnings could more than triple over the next two years, and its shares could jump from 51 to 65 within 12 months."

Consider this picture: The Japanese conglomerate's American depositary receipts have pushed above their 50-day and 200-day averages, and last week's 7% rise nudges their year-to-date gain to 23%. A push to cut expenditure at its semiconductor unit, and market-share gains in LCD televisions gave investors some fresh hope." "Credit-Suisse, for example, says the sum of Sony's parts would value its ADRs at 64 -- 22% above where they trade today."

Barron's 2-19-07: From the Gadget of the Week article: "Logitech (ticker: LOGI) is the Swiss master of peripherals and a hot stock that Barron's has profiled positively. The Edge (keyboard) will never be a high-volume item, but it taps out a positive message about both its maker and its user."

Trading near an all-time high, Principal Financial Group's shares reflect some of that potential (expanding/building retirement business from baby boomers, etc.). But future growth should allow its price-to-earnings multiple to expand and push the stock higher. "Principal has an attractive portfolio mix that benefits from the increasing longevity of the aging population," says Sterling McMillan, a portfolio manager at Greenleaf Capital Management, which owns the stock. "We believe Principal has the continuing opportunity for steady growth of earnings and revenue that justifies its current multiple."