Five to watch in 2006

In the field of likely acquisition targets, this company may be wearing the biggest bull's eye. First, it was Lockheed Martin Corp. and private equity groups that would split the company in two. Then it was Hewlett-Packard Co. taking a minority stake with private equity groups.Nothing has been signed, but some sort of deal is going to be made.The company tried and failed in 2004 to buy Titan Corp. It has pursued, and may still be pursuing, CSC. Meanwhile, it has made some smaller deals. One thing is for sure: Lockheed Martin is hungry for more.The deal hasn't closed yet, but General Dynamics has proved again that it can pull the trigger on a big deal, much as it did in 2003 when it acquired Veridian Corp. The questions now: How will it integrate Anteon, and what new projects will it chase?With expected 2005 revenue of between $190 million and $192 million, NCI might have seemed a tad on the small size to go public, but since its Oct. 24 initial public offering, the company has stayed several dollars ahead of its debut pricing of $10.50. Look for the company to make some acquisitions, especially as the number of midsized companies dwindles.An IPO is in the works for the San Diego company, which, thanks to its $7.2 billion in fiscal 2005 revenue, is one of the largest employee-owned companies in the United States. The IPO is expected some time after April. Employees will hold a significant portion, if not most of the shares, but being a public company will occasion a huge cultural change. It also will free financial resources for more deal making by the company.