Stocks on the Move

The Securities and Exchange Commission announced a preliminary inquiry into the bankruptcy rumor-fueled drop in shares of UAL Corporation (NasdaqGS:UAUA - News) according to a report from MarketWatch. The Short Term PowerRating for UAUA is 5.
General Motors (NYSE:GM) gained more than 11%, emerging as the Dow's biggest gainer on Thursday. The Short Term PowerRating for GM is 2.
The Wall Street Journal reported late in the day that Bank of America (NYSE:BAC) was in talks to buy Lehman Brothers Holdings (NYSE:LEH). The Short Term PowerRating for BAC is 5. The Short Term PowerRating for LEH is 6.
Up more than 10% on Thursday, CSX Corporation (NYSE:CSX), reached a three-day closing high after pulling back to oversold extremes on Tuesday. The Short Term PowerRating for CSX is 5.
Research in Motion (NasdaqGS:RIMM)announced a deal to use Microsoft's (NasdaqGS:MSFT) search engine on its popular Blackberry line of smartphones. The Short Term PowerRatings for RIMM and MSFT are both 4.

Labels: BAC, CSX, GM, LEH, Stocks, Stocks to Watch

News that the Centro smartphone was taking customers away from the iPhone boosted shares of Palm (NasdaqGS:PALM) which manufactures the Internet-capable device. The Short Term PowerRating for PALM is 3.
An upgrade from Deutsche Bank AG helped oil refiners such as Tesoro (NYSE:TSO) move higher on Monday. The Short Term PowerRating for TSO is 3.
Lehman Brothers (NYSE:LEH) was among a number of Wall Street investment banks that saw its debt rating downgraded by Standard and Poor's on Monday. The Short Term PowerRating for LEH is 6.
Acorda Therapeutics (NasdaqGM:ACOR) was a standout stock on Monday as investors bid shares higher in the wake of positive clinical trial results for the biotech company's multiple sclerosis drug.
Toll Brothers (NYSE:TOL) is scheduled to announce quarterly earnings tomorrow morning before the bell. Analysts are expecting a loss of 0.87 EPS. The Short Term PowerRating for TOL is 5.
The board of directors of Wachovia (NYSE:WB) finally removed CEO Ken Thompson, while Washington Mutual (NYSE:WM) announced that Kerry Killinger would be replaced as chairman - though Killinger will stay on as CEO. The Short Term PowerRating for WM is 6.

Labels: ACOR, Hot Stocks, LEH, PALM, Stocks, TOL, Toll Brothers, TSO, WB, WM

Dow Chemical (NYSE:DOW)announced its decision to raise prices on all products by as much as 20% by the first of June to deal with rising commodity costs. The Short Term PowerRating for DOW is 7.
Hedge fund manager David Einhorn claimed that the $6 billion raised by Lehman Brothers (NYSE:LEH) will not be enough to cover the company's credit-related losses. The Short Term PowerRating for LEH is 5.
Reporting earnings before the bell on Thursday, Costco (NasdaqGS:COST) is expected to announce earnings per share of $0.65. The Short Term PowerRating for COST is 5.
Shares of Dryships (NasdaqGS:DRYS) were up more than 9% on Wednesday as the business of transporting commodities across international waters continues to benefit shippers. The Short Term PowerRating for DRYS is 7.
Fears of sluggish advertising sales growth led investors and traders to sell shares of Viacom (NYSE:VIA) on Wednesday. The stock was down by more than 4% on the day. The Short Term PowerRating for VIA is 5.
Dell (NasdaqGS:DELL) is scheduled to report earnings on Thursday after the close. Analysts are expecting EPS of $0.33. The Short Term PowerRating for DELL is 5.
Expedia (NasdaqGS:EXPE) moved higher by more than 4% on Wednesday as speculation grew that Barry Diller, chairman of the company, would seek to take the company private. The Short Term PowerRating for EXPE is 4.

Labels: COST, DELL, DOW, DRYS, EXPE, LEH, Stocks, VIA

Shares of Lehman Brothers Holdings Inc. rose sharply Tuesday and helped rally broader markets, as the investment bank raised $4 billion in new capital to shore up its liquidity position.
It was $1 billion more than Lehman had said it planned to raise just Monday night; Lehman said the offering was oversubscribed.
Lehman shares rose $6.70, or 17.8 percent, to close at $44.34, as investors brushed off the dilution from the new shares, which will reduce their ownership stake in the company.
Lehman's efforts are aimed at reassuring investors that the company has enough cash to handle any market demands, unlike competitor Bear Stearns Cos. In March, Bear Stearns faced liquidity problems that led it to near-bankruptcy and forced its sale to JPMorgan Chase & Co. for about $10 per share.

Labels: LEH, Lehman Brothers Holdings Inc.

Financial stocks were among the big winners after Lehman Brothers Holdings Inc. and Switzerland's UBS AG issued new shares to help bolster their balance sheets. With that upbeat news and a fresh quarter ahead of them, investors appear quite willing to make some bets that the worst of the damage from the nation's credit struggles has been felt. Moreover, the banks' moves buttressed the view that financial services companies are taking aggressive action to improve their capital bases and stave off the potential of a collapse similar to Bear Stearns Cos.
Analysts believe there must be a recovery in bank and brokerages to lead major stock indexes higher. Some of the biggest financial players had their sharpest moves of the year Tuesday -- Citigroup Inc. shot up 11 percent, JPMorgan Chase & Co. rose 9 percent, and Lehman surged 18 percent.

Labels: C, Citigroup Inc., Financial stocks, JP Morgan, JPM, LEH, Lehman Brothers Holdings Inc., UBS