Company/EPS Estimate
- (BIG)/.12
- (TIF)/.25
- (BE)/.02
- (LDK)/.37
Alpharma Inc. (ALO): The drugmaker said its experimental pain medicine aimed at foiling drug abuse significantly relieved moderate to severe pain in a clinical trial compared with a placebo. Alpharma shares lost 8 cents, or 0.4 percent, to $20.72 yesterday.
Apple Inc. (AAPL) added $3.25, or 1.8 percent, to $187.54 in trading before the official open of U.S. exchanges. China Mobile Ltd. (CHL), the world's largest wireless-phone operator by subscribers, said it is still in discussions to offer Apple's iPhone handset, denying a newspaper report that talks between the two companies have ended.
American depositary receipts of China Mobile (CHL) dropped 41 cents, or 0.5 percent, to $90.40 yesterday.
Other financial shares gained too. Countrywide Financial Corp. (CFC), the biggest U.S. mortgage company, climbed 9.1 percent to $10.15. Citigroup Inc. (C), the biggest U.S. bank, added 3.3 percent to $33.35.
J. Crew Group Inc. (JCG) gained $4.70, or 12 percent, to $45. The seller of casual clothing for men and women reported third-quarter sales and profit that topped analysts' estimates.
Morgan Stanley (MS) rose 76 cents, or 1.5 percent, to $53.10. The second-biggest U.S. securities firm by market value will emerge ``less bruised'' than its peers from rising credit costs and the ``meltdown'' in mortgage-backed securities, according to Sanford C. Bernstein & Co. analyst Brad Hintz.
Valero Energy Corp. (VLO) rose $1.15, or 1.8 percent, to $64.88. The largest U.S. refiner and Western Refining Inc. (WNR), operator of four U.S. refineries, were raised to ``buy'' from ``neutral'' at Banc of America Securities LLC. Western Refining climbed 20 cents to $27.41.
Watch MRK, SI, HAE, FFH for long breakouts.
Watch C, MS, KSS, MTB, STU for short breakdowns.
-MM
