These are this Wednesday’s top active stocks with moves on news or continued trends of yesterday. We have offered price and volume data as well as added color where appropriate:
American Eagle Outfitters, Inc. (NYSE: AEO) is trading higher after it announced last night that it was closing down its MARTIN+OSA concept store brand. Shares actually rose on the news. American Eagle’s profit rose this morning and the outlook is allowing shares to hold their own. At 8:36 AM EST we have shares still up 4.6% at $17.95 on 314,000 shares. The 52-week trading range is $8.79 to $19.86.
American International Group, Inc. (NYSE: AIG) is managing to continue yesterday’s gains. The stock at 8:38 AM EST is up 2.75% at $33.67 on almost 500,000 shares. This is on the heels of yesterday’s gains to $32.77 versus the Monday close of $29.10.
Citigroup Inc. (NYSE: C) is up on two bits of news. Apollo is reportedly about to purchase Citi’s real estate unit called Property Investors, with about 65 real estate investments in 26 countries and the net asset value is said to be $3.5 billion. Its preferred 8.875% $2 billion offering was also oversubscribed. At 8:40 AM EST we have shares up 2.9% at $3.93 and we have already seen a whopping 60 million shares trade hands with 50 minutes until the open. Be advised, Citi traded over 1 billion shares yesterday and the stock closed at $3.82 versus a close of $3.56 on Monday.
Facet Biotech Corporation (NASDAQ: FACT) is up about 66% at $26.96 after its $27/share cash buyout has been signed with Abbott. At 8:35 AM EST we have seen 9 million shares trade hands. The deal is approved by both companies, and it seems unlikely that a higher bid would come in even from Biogen Idec.
Fannie Mae (NYSE: FNM) and Freddie Mac (NYSE: FRE) are continuing yesterday’s run higher despite the notion that some of the financial rumors were all but shot down by analysts and market pundits. Fannie Mae is up 3.7% at $1.11 on 1.2 million shares; Freddie Mac shares are up 1.5% at $1.30 on 900,000 shares (8:42 AM EST).
GT Solar International, Inc. (NASDAQ: SOLR) priced a secondary offering of 25 million shares of common stock at $4.85 per share versus a $5.15 close on Tuesday. The sale is being made by a selling stockholder rather than the firm raising capital. Shares are down 2.3% at $5.03, but the 8:35 AM EST trading volume is 567,000 shares. This one trades just over 1 million shares per day and the 52-week trading range is $3.63 to $9.04.
InterMune Inc. (NASDAQ: ITMN) is launching after the FDA panel backed its lung drug. This is a 52-week high as the prior 52-week range was $10.48 to $25.37. At 8:35 AM EST we have shares up 64% at $38.17 on right at 1 million shares in the pre-market. We saw a similar move last night after the halt was taken off.
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JON C. OGG
