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AsiaInfo (NASDAQ:ASIA - News) shares closed up more than 8% after the company disclosed it's signed a contract with China Unicom to develop a push mail mobile e-mail system. Financial terms weren't disclosed.
BP plc (NYSE:BP - News) shares rose 5% after it said John Browne would step down as chief executive of the embattled oil giant more than a year earlier than planned, and tapped Tony Hayward, the head of its exploration and production division, to run Europe's largest oil producer.
Culp Inc. (NYSE:CFI - News) shares jumped more than 9% after it agreed to purchase the mattress fabrics product line of Burlington House from International Textile Group (OTC BB:ITXN.OB - News) for $2.5 million in cash and about 880,000 common shares.
Force Protection Inc. (OTC BB:FRPT.OB - News) shares climbed 7.5% after it was initiated with a buy rating at SunTrust Robinson Humphrey. The firm set a price target for the stock at $31.
Napster (NASDAQ:NAPS - News) shares gained almost 8% after it was selected to become the exclusive music subscription provider for AOL Music.
Owens-Illinois Inc. (NYSE:OI - News) shares added about 7% after it said it's hired Goldman Sachs as an advisor as it reviews strategic options for its plastics packaging business. The Perrysburg, Ill.-based company said the options include a possible sale of the business, which posted revenue of about $770 million for the 12 months ended Sept. 30.
Pacific Internet Ltd. (NASDAQ:PCNTF - News) shares leapt 10% after Connect Holdings Ltd. said it plans to make a voluntary conditional general offer to acquire the company in a cash deal valuing shares at $10 each.
Phazar Corp. (NASDAQ:ANTP - News) shares soared almost 28% after the Fort Worth, Texas-based antenna maker reported second-quarter earnings of $205,716, or 9 cents a share, on sales of about $1.6 million. In the same period a year earlier, the company earned $698,773, or 31 cents a share, on sales of $3.8 million.
Sirius Satellite (NASDAQ:SIRI - News) shares rose 5.1% while XM Satellite Radio (NASDAQ:XMSR - News) stock gained about 4.5% after the New York Daily News reported that speculation about a merger of the companies is growing. The paper cited comments from executives Mel Karmazin of Sirius and Gary Parsons of XM at a conference in Las Vegas that a deal makes sense.
Published By MarketWatch

Labels: ANTP, ASIA, BP, CFI, FRPT, ITXN, NAPS, OI, PCNTF, SIRI, XMSR

AsiaInfo Holdings (NASDAQ:ASIA - News) shares gained after the Beijing-based software company said it has recently signed contracts to upgrade the business support systems of China Telecom's Henan, Shanxi, Tianjin and Heilongjiang subsidiaries. Financial terms of the contracts were not disclosed.
Champion Industries Inc. (NASDAQ:CHMP - News) reported fiscal fourth-quarter earnings more than tripled to 20 cents a share from 6 cents in the year-earlier period. Revenue in the three months ended Oct. 31 rose 6.6% to $37 million.
First Cash Financial Services Inc. (NASDAQ:FCFS - News) will replace Republic Bancorp Inc. (NASDAQ:RBNC - News) in the Standard & Poor's SmallCap 600 index after trading closes on Friday. Citizens Banking Corp. (NASDAQ:CBCF - News) is acquiring Republic in a deal expected to close on or about that date.
Openwave Systems (NASDAQ:OPWV - News) shares advanced after Harbinger Capital Partners announced late Wednesday it plans to nominate two directors, James Zucco and Andrew Breen, to the Redwood City, Calif.-based software company's board. The company's shareholders will vote on the nominees at Openwave's annual meeting on Jan. 17. Harbinger said Zucco and Breen, if elected, would recommend phasing-out non-performing product lines, reducing quarterly operating expenses to roughly $50 million and launching a "significant" share repurchase program.
Rick's Cabaret International (NASDAQ:RICK - News) shares surged after the Houston-based company reported fiscal 2006 net earnings of $1.75 million, or 35 cents a share. In fiscal 2005, the nightclub operator posted a net loss of $215,148, or 5 cents a share. Revenue in the year ended Sept. 30 rose to $24.5 million from $14.8 million. "Our growth program is on track and we are looking forward to another strong year in 2007 from our existing clubs and the four acquisitions we have made recently," said Eric Langan, president and chief executive, in a statement. "We will also continue to look at additional acquisitions that fit our business model and can be quickly accretive."
SciClone Pharmaceuticals Inc. (NASDAQ:SCLN - News)and its European partner, Sigma-Tau, said they've completed patient enrollment for the Phase III clinical trial evaluating Zadaxin in combination with pegylated interferon alpha and ribavirin to treat patients with the hepatitis C virus. The trial is being conducted by Sigma-Tau in Europe and has enrolled 553 patients.
By MarketWatch

Labels: ASIA, CBFC, CHMP, FCFS, OPWV, RBNC, RICK, SCLN

Asiainfo Holdings (NASDAQ:ASIA - News) shares fell 7% after it agreed to sell its financial services IT business to Fidelity National Information Services . AsiaInfo said it will receive an initial $1.5 million, with further payments of up to $1.75 million, depending on the division's performance. AsiaInfo said it is selling the division as part of its ongoing strategy to focus on its core telecommunications business.
Celestica Inc. (NYSE:CLS - News) shares slumped 12% after it said it expects between breakeven results and a profit of 6 cents a share on an adjusted basis for the fourth quarter ending Dec. 31 on revenue of between $2.20 billion and $2.25 billion. This view is below the company's previous forecast for adjusted earnings of 15 to 23 cents a share in the quarter on revenue of $2.25 billion to $2.45 billion. The current average estimate of analysts polled by Thomson First Call is for a profit of 19 cents a share in the December period on revenue of $2.21 billion. The Toronto-based provider of electronics manufacturing services attributed the lower outlook to demand reductions from several customers. It added that the revised adjusted earnings view includes a charge of 8 to 12 cents a share related to an increase in inventory provisions at its Monterrey, Mexico facility.
Columbus McKinnon (NASDAQ:CMCO - News) shares dropped 5.4% after it was initiated with a neutral rating at Sidoti & Co.
Continental Airlines (NYSE:CAL - News) shares declined 5.6% after it said it estimates a 6% total rise in capacity, or available seat miles, in the fourth quarter, compared to the same period a year ago. The Houston-based company forecasts a fourth-quarter domestic load factor, or the ratio of seats filled with paying passengers, of 83% to 84%, and an overall load factor of 79% to 80%. In a federal filing, Continental added that its fourth-quarter consolidated cost per available seat mile, an industry measure of operating expenses, would be 11.44 to 11.49 cents; its profit-sharing pool had grown to $106 million; and that its mainline advanced booked seats for the next six weeks would be flat compared to last year. December total revenue is expected to increase between 1% and 3%.
Cooper Cos. (NYSE:COO - News) shares fell 6.1% after it was downgraded to underperform from peer perform at Bear Stearns.
Delta Petroleum Corp. (NASDAQ:DPTR - News) shares fell 7.6% after it was downgraded to hold from buy at A.G. Edwards.
Endwave Corp. (NASDAQ:ENWV - News) shares dropped 15% after it said it has lowered its fourth-quarter revenue outlook to $10 million to $12 million. As a result, the Sunnyvale, Calif.-based maker of radio frequency modules now sees 2006 revenue growth of 20% to 25%, down from its prior view of 35%.
Indevus Pharmaceuticals (NASDAQ:IDEV - News) shares slipped 8.8% after it agreed to acquire Valera Pharmaceuticals (NASDAQ:VLRX - News) in a move to boost its presence in the urology and men's health category and leverage its national sales force. The deal is valued at about $7.75 a share in stock, or about $120 million, plus payments of up to $3.50 a share based on product milestones. Valera shares last traded at $5.41 a share. Upon completion of the deal and subject to the approval of the Indevus board, James Gale, Valera's chairman and chief investment officer of the Corporate Opportunities Funds and Life Sciences Opportunities Fund, affiliates of Sanders Morris Harris, will join the Indevus board. Sanders Morris Harris is currently the largest shareholder of Valera. Separately, Indevus and Valera have entered into a co-promotion agreement under which Indevus' sales force will co-promote Valera's prostate cancer drug Vantas in the U.S.
Matrixx Initiatives (NASDAQ:MTXX - News) shares declined 12% after it said it doesn't expect sales and net income to reach the lower end of its previously disclosed outlook for 2006 due to a slow start to the cold season. The Phoenix-based maker of the Zicam and Nasal Comfort cough and cold products said the overall season-to-date incidence level is about 3% below last year, which is hurting net sales growth.
Nucor Corp. (NYSE:NUE - News) shares fell 7.4% after it said it expects fourth-quarter earnings in a range of $1.05 to $1.15 a share, compared with $1.09 a year earlier. The average earnings estimate of 15 analysts surveyed by Thomson First Call is $1.44 a share. Nucor, a Charlotte, N.C., steel company, said its forecast for the fourth quarter ending Dec. 31 is "historically strong" but is below third-quarter earnings of $1.68 a share.
Source Interlink Cos. (NASDAQ:SORC - News) shares fell 9% after it reported third-quarter net earnings of $4.83 million, or 9 cents a share, compared with $6.08 million, or 11 cents a share, in the same period last year, as expenses rose.
Spartech Corp. (NYSE:SEH - News) shares declined 16% after it reported fourth-quarter net earnings of $8.62 million, or 27 cents a share, compared with $5.16 million, or 16 cents a share, in the same period last year, on the back of stronger sales related to demand after Hurricanes Katrina and Rita.
-MarketWatch

Labels: ASIA, CAL, CLS, CMCO, COO, DPTR, ENWV, Hot Stocks, IDEV, MTXX, NUE, SEH, SORC, VLRX