The markets are holding firmly upward on the first day of trading in the new year.  The Dow Jones Industrial Average (NYSEARCA:DIA) is up 203 points, or 1.66%, to 12,420. The S&P 500 (NYSEARCA:SPY) is up 20 points, or 1.63%, to 1,278, and the Nasdaq (NASDAQ:QQQ) is up 43 points, or 1.69%, to 2,649. The following stocks are reacting to brokerage analyst news on Wall Street:

Regeneron Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (NASDAQ:REGN): BMO Capital says Regeneron’s settlement with Genentech removes a significant overhang.  The company has reached a partial settlement and non-exclusive license with Genentech/Roche for opthalmic sale of VEGF-TRAP EYLEA.  Genentech will receive up to $400 million in royalty payments.  BMO Capital says the 4.75 royalty obligation is on the low side of expectations and rates REGN at Outperform.

Mead Johnson Nutrition Company (NYSE:MJN):  Credit Suisse recommends Mead Johnson after Friday’s declaration by the Center of Disease Control that Enfamil is safe for consumption.  This is the best possible conclusion says the firm while recommending investors buy shares of Mead.  Credit Suisse rates MJN at Outperform and has a $82 price target.

Vertex Pharmaceuticals Incorporated (NASDAQ:VRTX):  Still a top pick for 2012, Piper Jaffray cites Vertex Pharmaceuticals’ Cystic Fibrosis franchise and INCIVEK cash flows for its Overweight rating and $56 price target.

St. Jude Medical Inc. (NYSE:STJ): Kaufman Bros. drops St. Jude Medical from their Top Picks List .  Concerns about ready visibility from Quadra share loss offset and St. Jude’s Riata product precipitated the drop. Kaufman Bros. price target lowered from $50 to $42.

Trius Therapeutics, Inc. (NASDAQ:TSRX): Piper Jaffray names Trius Therapeutics a 2012 top pick.  The first pivotal tedizolid trial produced positive results prompting Piper Jaffray to reiterate their Overweight rating a raise their target from $12 to $15.

Cardiovascular Systems Inc. (NASDAQ:CSII): Feltl’s Top Idea List for 2012.  Feltl presented its Top Idea List for 2012 listing Cardiovascular Systems (NASDAQ:CSII), DaVita (NYSE:DVA), Denny’s (NASDAQ:DENN), Kenexa (NASDAQ:KNXA), Life Time Fitness (NYSE:LTM), Metropolitan Health Network (AMEX:MDF), Polaris Industries (NYSE:PII), ResMed (NYSE:RMD), Titan Machinery (NASDAQ:TITN), Vascular Solutions (NASDAQ:VASC) and Volcano (NASDAQ:VOLC).

To contact the reporter on this story: Jim Wilkerson at staff.writers@wallstcheatsheet.com

To contact the editor responsible for this story: Damien Hoffman at editors@wallstcheatsheet.com

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