Stock Market Champs..........9-21-06

RIVERBED TECHNOLOGY, (RVBD)

Last Trade:	14.95
Trade Time:	3:49PM ET
Change:	5.20 (53.33%)

Riverbed shares rise 48 percent in debut

Shares of computer networking company Riverbed Technology Inc. rose as much as 48 percent in its market debut on Thursday, a day after pricing above a forecast range.

The shares opened up 47 percent at $14.30 before extending the gains to $14.40 in morning trading on the Nasdaq.

Riverbed's first day gains come in contrast to other technology IPOs so far this year. Due to investors' aversion to risk, 10 tech companies this year postponed or withdrew offerings, accounting for about 23 percent of the 44 IPO delays, according to Dealogic data.

The 8.8 million share offering raised $85.8 million Wednesday, after pricing at $9.75 compared with a $7 to $8.50 forecast.

The pricing gave the company an initial market capitalization of about $627 million.

The San Francisco, California-based company makes appliances that increase data transmission speeds across wide area networks (WANs) by five to 50 times, according to the filing with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission.

Riverbed lost $17.4 million on revenue of $22.9 million in 2005 after losing $9.8 million on revenue of $2.6 million in 2004, the filing said.

Other issues set to debut Thursday did not fare as well as Riverbed in their pricing on Wednesday. Prescription drug maker Warner Chilcott Holdings Company Ltd. and Home Diagnostics Inc. which makes supplies for diabetics, were priced below their forecasted range.

Underwriters led by Goldman, Sachs & Co. have the option to buy an additional 1.3 million Riverbed shares to cover overallotments, according to the SEC filing.

Yak Communications Inc. (YAKC)

Last Trade:	5.11
Trade Time:	3:48PM ET
Change:	1.21 (31.03%)

Shares of Yak Communications Inc. rose over 30 percent on Thursday after the company said its board approved a $5.25 a share cash offer by Globalive Communications Corp. to acquire all of its outstanding shares.

Shareholders of Yak, including directors and officers, representing a majority holding, have agreed to tender their shares into the bid, the company said in a statement.

The offer by Globalive represents a premium of about 39 percent to the $3.79 closing price of Yak's shares on Sept. 19, the company said.

Shares of the company rose $1.21 to $5.11 in morning trade on the Nasdaq, surpassing its year high of $4.54.

The provider of long-distance and other telecommunications services said Chief Executive Officer Charles Zwebner will be leaving the company upon closing of the transaction.

Yak Communications reported a loss of 12 cents a share in the latest fourth quarter, compared with a loss of 2 cents a share in the year-ago period. Net revenue was $22.2 million compared with $23.5 million an year ago.
OraSure Technologies Inc. (OSUR)

Last Trade:	8.52
Trade Time:	3:53PM ET
Change:	1.51 (21.54%)

HIV Test Makers See Shares Rise on News Routine Testing Recommended

Shares of companies that manufacture tests for HIV gained in midday trading Thursday after the federal government recommended routine testing for all Americans between the ages of 13 and 64.

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said HIV testing should become about as common as a cholesterol check. The recommendation doesn't carry the weight of law, but is expected to influence what doctors do and the types of coverage offered by health insurance programs.

Nearly half of new HIV infections are found when people come for some other kind of care and doctors are trying to diagnose them, CDC officials said.

"We know that many HIV infected people seek health care and they don't get tested. And many people are not diagnosed until late in the course of their illness, when they're already sick with HIV-related conditions," said Dr. Timothy Mastro, acting director of the CDC's division of HIV/AIDS prevention.

"By identifying people earlier through a screening program, we'll allow them to access life-extending therapy, and also through prevention services, learn how to avoid transmitting HIV infection to others," he said.

Shares of OraSure Technologies Inc., which markets a rapid HIV test, surged $1.90, or 27 percent, to $8.91 on the Nasdaq.

American shares of Trinity Biotech, an Irish test maker, gained 92 cents, or 11.4 percent, to $9.03, also on the Nasdaq.

Johnson & Johnson shares added 14 cents, to $64.28 on the New York Stock Exchange.