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Robertson Stephens Reiterates Buy Rating on CBLT

6 January 2000

Robertson Stephens Reiterates Buy Rating on CBLT

    SAN FRANCISCO--Jan. 6, 2000--Robertson Stephens Senior Automotive Services Analyst Jordan Hymowitz today reiterated his Buy rating on the Cobalt Group, Inc. . Cobalt is a provider of fully integrated Internet automobile retailing solutions.
    We are reiterating our Buy rating and $50 price target on The Cobalt Group after the company announced the launch of Motorplace.com, a new business-to-business web portal for the automotive retailing industry," said Hymowitz. "In our opinion, this announcement is an indication of Cobalt's strategy going forward: to leverage its proprietary exclusive information network to provide eCommerce solutions to the largest eCommerce vertical."
    "We believe Cobalt could quickly become the defacto vertical portal for the automotive industry. More than 7,500 auto dealers or about a third of the dealers nationwide use one of Cobalt's services," said Hymowitz. "In the future, the company intends to host used equipment exchanges, wholesale dealer-to-dealer auctions, and add other business-to-business services to help dealers manage business more efficiently."
    Clients interested in receiving more information should contact their salesperson at 415/781-9700.
    Robertson Stephens (www.rsco.com) is the leading full-services investment bank focused exclusively on growth companies. To date in 1999, the firm has completed over 180 public offerings and over 40 private offerings, raising more than $20 billion in capital for clients. In addition, the firm advised on over 80 M&A transactions in 1999 with an aggregate value in excess of $50 billion. The firm's 47 equity research analysts cover nearly 700 companies. Founded in 1978, Robertson Stephens (Legal name: FleetBoston Robertson Stephens Inc.) is a section 20 subsidiary of FleetBoston Financial Corporation and a member of the NASD and all major exchanges. Together, Robertson Stephens, FleetBoston Robertson Stephens International Ltd., and Robertson Stephens Evergreen Securities Ltd. employ over 1,000 employees worldwide with offices in Boston, San Francisco, New York, Menlo Park, Chicago, London, and Tel Aviv.

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