HomeBanc Corp. (NYSE HMB)

Last Trade:	2.70
Trade Time:	4:00PM ET
Change:	1.23 (83.67%

Shares of HomeBanc Corp., parent of mortgage banking company HomeBanc Mortgage Corp., jumped Wednesday when an analyst upgraded the stock on a pullback in the share price.

Since hitting a 52-week high of $8.96 on March 17, the shares have lost nearly 84 percent and have declined 65 percent year to date, prompting JPMorgan's Andrew Wessel to upgrade the stock to "Overweight" from "Neutral."

"Regardless of metric, HomeBanc appears cheap," Wessel wrote in a client note. "We believe shares present substantial value to investors willing to weather the current storm."

Critical Therapeutics Inc. (NASDAQ CRTX)

Last Trade:	2.1906
Trade Time:	3:59PM ET
Change:	0.3906 (21.70%

CRTX shares shot up 23% to $2.22. The drug developer said that it will co-promote Zyflo in the U.S. market with DEY L.P., an affiliate of Merck KGaA.

Thermogenesis Corp. (NASDAQ KOOL)

Last Trade:	3.13
Trade Time:	4:00PM ET
Change:	0.44 (16.36%)

hermoGenesis Corp. has received three U.S. patents for its AutoXpress stem cell processing system and its CryoSeal surgical glue devices.

AutoXpress, marketed by GE Healthcare, separates stem cells from umbilical cord blood and bone marrow. Doctors use blood and bone marrow stem cells to treat leukemia, lymphoma and blood diseases like sickle cell anemia. The company has other patents pending for AutoXpress.

The New York Blood Center, which is compiling a national umbilical cord blood stem cell bank, uses the AutoXpress device. It is also used by private blood banks contracted by parents to store newborns' cord blood in case the children develop blood diseases in the future.

DayStar Technologies Inc. (NASDAQ DSTI)

Last Trade:	5.31
Trade Time:	4:00PM ET
Change:	1.02 (23.78%)

La Jolla Pharmaceutical Co. (NASDAQ LJPC)

Last Trade:	5.9100
Trade Time:	4:00PM ET
Change:	1.7800 (43.10%

La Jolla Pharmaceutical Co. stock continued to climb on Friday after the company reported positive results from a late stage study of Riquent, a treatment for the autoimmune disorder lupus.

Jones Soda Co. (NASDAQ JSDA)

ast Trade:	17.13
Trade Time:	4:00PM ET
Change:	3.18 (22.80%)

Natural soda company Jones Soda Co. on Thursday ended investor speculation about who will sell its premium sodas by unveiling a list of new retailers that includes discount giant Wal-Mart Stores Inc.

The company reported fourth-quarter profit that more than tripled, and said it would expand sales of its pure cane sugar soda to several major retailers; including Wal-Mart, Safeway and Kroger.

Vion Pharmaceuticals Inc. (NASDAQ VION)

Last Trade:	1.79
Trade Time:	4:00PM ET
Change:	0.20 (12.58%)

Blue Coat Systems Inc. (NASDAQ BCSI)

Last Trade:	35.95
Trade Time:	4:00PM ET
Change:	3.78 (11.75%)

Shares of network security company Blue Coat Systems Inc. jumped to a new 52-week high on Friday after the network security company reported fiscal third-quarter sales and a fourth-quarter sales forecast above Wall Street's expectations.

Blue Coat -- which did not report full results because it is restating finances due to a stock options review -- said Thursday its sales for the quarter ended Jan. 31. grew 33 percent to $47.1 million, compared with the $44.8 million analysts polled by Thomson Financial had expected.

Spectrum Brands, Inc. (SPC)

Last Trade:	8.67
Trade Time:	Feb 9
Change:	1.22 (12.34%)

Shares of Spectrum Brands Inc. slid for their second day Friday amid an analyst downgrade and a credit rating cut due to the battery and personal product maker's disappointing fiscal first-quarter performance.

Early Thursday, the maker of Rayovac batteries said it swung to a quarterly loss due to restructuring charges and increased advertising spending, sending shares down 15 percent by the market close.

Ratings agency Standard & Poor's cut its rating on the company Friday, citing weak operating performance, intense competition in its battery business and higher commodity costs.

The lackluster first quarter prompted Prudential Equity Group analyst Constance Maneaty to lower her rating on the stock to "Underweight" from "Neutral Weight" on deteriorating fundamentals. "The base business results seem to have worsened, and the only growth we are attributing to the business in fiscal year 2008 is cost savings," she said.

Although Spectrum is planning a sale of its lawn and garden division, Maneaty said the divestiture will not give enough of a boost to the company's balance sheet. The analyst said she is looking for Spectrum to start the process of selling a second asset, possibly its battery business, during this fiscal year.

Deutsche Bank analyst Bill Schmitz Jr., however, said he thinks the market's reaction to the company's first quarter results is "overdone" and that shedding assets could help put Spectrum back on the right track.

"While outlook for 2007 is bleak and it will clearly be a rebuilding year, we believe there is still a solid opportunity to downsize the business (and) drive ongoing restructuring savings as assets are shuttered," Schmitz said in a note to investors.

Spectrum shares fell 87 cents, or 8.8 percent, to $9.02 in heavy afternoon trading on the New York Stock Exchange.

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Energy Conversion Devices, Inc. (ENER)

Last Trade:	29.65
Trade Time:	Feb 9
Change:	5.85 (16.48%)

Energy Conversion Devices Inc., which makes rechargeable batteries and thin-film materials used in solar-powered devices, said on Thursday its second-quarter loss narrowed, but revenue fell 5 percent, missing Wall Street forecasts.

The company also said it does not think it will reach sustained profitability in fiscal 2007.

Energy Conversion reported a quarterly loss of $2.9 million, or 7 cents per share, compared with a loss of $5.7 million, or 19 cents per share during the 2005 period.

Revenue fell 5 percent to $22.9 million from $24.3 million.

Analysts polled by Thomson Financial forecast a loss of 6 cents per share on revenue of $32.6 million.

Revenue from the company's United Solar Ovonic subsidiary fell to $19.2 million from $21.7 million during the same period a year earlier. The company said costs related to production capacity ramp up at a new manufacturing facility pinched gross profit margins at United Solar during the quarter to 16 percent from 21.2 percent.

The company also said it no longer expects to achieve sustainable profitability by the end of fiscal 2007, as previously projected. Energy Conversion Devices Chairman and Chief Executive Robert C. Stempel cited delays in securing additional funding for its emerging technologies. Stempel added that the company would pursue funding and restructuring alternatives to achieve its goal in the near term.

The London Stock Exchange on Monday spurned a fresh takeover bid from The Nasdaq Stock Market Inc., saying it "substantially undervalued" the London Market.

Nasdaq, taking its second try to take over the LSE, offered to buy the more than 70 percent of the shares it doesn't already own in a deal which values the entire London bourse at $5.1 billion.

"We believe Nasdaq's final offer fails to recognize the outstanding growth record and prospects of our group on a standalone basis let alone the exchange's unique global position," said Clara Furse, chief executive of the London Stock Exchange.

New York-based Nasdaq, which accumulated 25.1 percent of LSE shares during a takeover bid earlier this year, on Monday offered 12.43 pounds ($23.56) per share in cash for the rest. It then announced further purchases which raised its stake to 28.75 percent.

The offer represents a premium of 54 percent on LSE's closing share price March 10, the day before the LSE said it had received an approach, and was the minimum bid it could make under British takeover rules.

LSE shares traded above the offered price at 12.92 pounds ($24.48) shortly after the exchange's midafternoon announcement that the offer was too low.

The combination would be the world's largest equity market by listings, Nasdaq said, with more than 6,400 quoted companies with a total market capitalization of about $11.3 trillion -- a giant ready to slug it out if necessary with a new European exchange which seven major investment banks say they plan to create.

It would also create a trans-Atlantic rival to the company that would be created by New York Stock Exchange's proposed acquisition of the four Euronext exchanges.

The London Stock Exchange, Europe's oldest, now takes about half of the initial public offerings in Europe including a many of the flotations from Russia and Eastern Europe.

Earlier this month, the LSE reported that first-half net profit more than doubled to 54.1 million pounds ($103.2 million), as electronic trading increased 56 percent and income from initial public offerings rose.

"In the year to October, the exchange has underlined its position as the world's primary listing venue with 22.3 billion pounds ($45.3 billion) raised through IPOs, 96 percent more than the same period in 2005 and more than any other exchange so far this year," the LSE in rejecting the Nasdaq bid.

Katrina Preston, an analyst at Bridgewell Securities, had anticipated that the LSE would reject the offer, arguing that it "does not represent sufficient value compared with trading valuations of rival exchanges."

But Fox-Pitt Kelton analyst Andrew Mitchell said the bid was shrewdly timed following last week's slump in the share price below 13 pounds, and that it would be "difficult for London to defend itself."

Earlier this year, Nasdaq made an offer of 9.50 pounds per share for the LSE, but abruptly withdrew in March.

Australia's Macquarie Bank Ltd., Germany's Deutsche Bourse AG and Sweden's OM Gruppen have all failed in previous overtures to take over Europe's oldest exchange.

Mitchell said Nasdaq has no obvious rivals this time around.

"Deutsche Boerse attempted before at a much lower level and you can't rule them out entirely, but they are an unlikely candidate," he said.

The New York Stock Exchange owner, NYSE Group Inc., agreed in June to pay $9.96 billion for Euronext, which operates the Paris, Amsterdam, Brussels and Lisbon exchanges. The bid subsequently rose to $13 billion.

The combined sales of Nasdaq and LSE would be about $1.4 billion, based on their last set of full-year results. That compares with about $2.3 billion for NYSE-Euronext.

Nasdaq Chairman and Chief Executive Robert Greifeld said he wasn't concerned about last week's news that seven major investment banks -- Citigroup Inc., Credit Suisse Group, Deutsche Bank AG, Goldman Sachs Group Inc., Merrill Lynch & Co., Morgan Stanley and UBS AG -- plan to launch their own European equities exchange next year.

"It's important to note that Nasdaq was not born through a historical monopoly. It has had to compete. We clearly have our competitive instincts engaged," Greifeld told reporters.

Greifeld said Nasdaq would cut transaction fees as trading volumes rise.

"That will be a hallmark of the combined entity," he said.

Analyst David Buik of Cantor Index said the investment banks' plan was a strong reason for a Nasdaq-LSE tie-up.

"The ramifications of dismissing Nasdaq's overtures could be serious," Buik said, adding that bourses must cut their fees to remain competitive.

High-tech manufacturing and services conglomerate Tyco International Ltd. said Wednesday that its fiscal fourth-quarter profit climbed 38 percent. But the company also said it found errors in its stock-option granting practices from 1999 through early 2002 that will result in $171 million in added after-tax expenses.

Tyco will restate results for prior periods in its fiscal year 2006 financial statement to reflect additional stock-based compensation expense.

The company also unveiled a restructuring program designed to improve its operating efficiency and leading to savings of $50 million in 2007 and $200 million the following year. It offered no immediate details on job cuts and plant closings.

Its shares rose more than 2 percent in morning trading.

Net income increased to $1.27 billion, or 62 cents per share, in the three months ended Sept. 29 from $917 million or 44 cents per share, during the same period last year.

This year's results include a 12 cents per share gain from special items.

Analysts polled by Thomson Financial were looking for fourth-quarter earnings of 49 cents per share. Those estimates typically exclude one-time items.

Quarterly revenue rose 8 percent to $10.76 billion from $9.94 billion, topping Wall Street's estimate of $10.5 billion.

Full-year earnings grew 22 percent to $3.71 billion, or $1.80 per share, compared with $3.03 billion, or $1.43 per share, in the prior-year period.

Full-year revenue climbed 4 percent to $40.96 billion from $39.31 billion last year.

The company said it anticipates first-quarter 2007 earnings from continuing operations in a range of 42 cents to 44 cents per share, excluding special items and restructuring charges.

On the stock options matter, Tyco said an audit committee reviewed its equity incentive plan practices and approvals between October 1999 and June 2006.

As a result, it said errors were found related to stock-option granting practices due to incomplete documentation, unintentional misapplication of generally accepted accounting principles and the absence of adequate control procedures in 1999 through early 2002.

Tyco will record compensation expense of $171 million after tax relating to grants awarded before the end of 2002.

Separately, Tyco identified an error related to the recognition of compensation expense under the company's employee stock purchase program in the U.K., resulting in additional expenses of about $20 million after tax.

Its shares rose 69 cents, or 2.3 percent, to $30.63 in morning trading on the New York Stock Exchange.

Biopharmaceutical company Samaritan Pharmaceuticals Inc. on Monday said it got a notice from the American Stock Exchange Inc. saying it did not meet listing standards

Samaritan said it did not comply with Amex rules requiring companies to have shareholder equity of not less than $4 million and losses from continuing operations, or net losses, in three out of four of its most recent fiscal years -- as well as a rule requiring shareholder equity of not less than $6 million and net losses in the five most recent fiscal years.

If it wants to stay listed, Samaritan Pharmaceuticals must submit a plan by Dec. 6 describing how it will be back in compliance within 18 months. The company said it will come up with a plan.

"If we fail to timely submit this plan, AMEX does not accept the plan, or we fail to perform in accordance with the plan, we will be subject to delisting procedures," the company said.

Shares of Samaritan Pharmaceuticals dipped 2 cents to 28 cents in midday trading on the AMEX.

Shares of Amkor Technology Inc. climbed Thursday, after the semiconductor-testing company posted an unexpectedly high third-quarter profit with help from strong demand.

The Chandler, Ariz.-based company also indicated a slowdown in fourth-quarter sales wouldn't be as severe as expected.

Amkor's stock rose $1.05, or 14 percent, to $8.54 in early afternoon trading on the Nasdaq Stock Market. Thursday's strongest level, on heavy volume, was $8.69. On a 52-week basis, there was a high of $13.09 on April 27 and a low of $4.61 on Sept. 27.

Late Wednesday, Amkor said it moved to a third-quarter profit of $52.8 million, or 27 cents a share, from a loss of $19.5 million, or 11 cents a share, a year earlier. Analysts surveyed by Thomson Financial had forecast, on average, earnings of about 24 cents a share.

Revenue surged 30 percent to $713.8 million from $549.6 million, amid seasonal demand from makers of wireless and mobile devices, gaming consoles and other products.

For the fourth quarter, the company expects to post per-share earnings of 20 cents to 24 cents, as compared to the 21 cents that had been expected by Wall Street.

The company also expects sales of $678.1 million to $692.4 million _ still topping the roughly $676.9 million expected by analysts.

In a research note, Lehman Brothers analyst David Egan said he expected a fourth-quarter downturn for semiconductor subcontractors after several quarters of growth because of the cyclical nature of the business. He said the assembly and testing companies were avoiding price increases that hurt business during cyclical troughs in the past.

"Looking forward, we currently believe that there is reason to think that this improved financial performance is sustainable into the downturn and over the next cycle," Egan said.