Among the companies whose shares are expected to actively trade
in Wednesday's session are Acme Packet Inc. (APKT), Ventas Inc.
(VTR) and TiVo Inc. (TIVO).
Acme Packet cut its full-year guidance Tuesday, citing weakness
in its North American service provider business during the fourth
quarter. Shares of the networking company fell 20% to $25.40 in
recent premarket trading.
Ventas said one of its top stockholders planned sell
approximately 21.1 million shares of the company's common stock,
representing about a 7.3% stake in the health-care real-estate
investment trust. Shares fell 3.5% to $53.63 in recent premarket
trading.
TiVo on Tuesday said it reached a settlement with AT&T Inc.
(T) that gives the set-top box maker at least $215 million for its
technology. TiVo's shares climbed 12% to $10.01 in light premarket
trading.
Dunkin' Brands Group Inc.'s (DNKN) shares rose 1.5% to $25.11
premarket after the company said it plans to more than double the
number of its restaurants in the U.S. over the next 20 years.
Sterne Agee says Mattel Inc. (MAT) looks to have outperformed
Hasbro Inc. (HAS) in the holiday toy wars despite average prices
rising 8.4% compared to Hasbro's 2.8% average decline. "Mattel
experienced lower in-stock levels at the five retailers that we
tracked throughout the season," coming as there was no must-have
toy this year, the firm says. For Mattel, Sterne Agee notes the
Fijit interactive toy and the Monster High collection were
standouts. It adds, "An aggressive Hasbro clearance promotion at
Toys 'R' Us after Christmas suggests that Mattel performed better
this year." Mattel edged up 0.9% to $28 premarket.
Eastman Kodak Co.'s (EK) shares slipped 2.2% to 64 cents
premarket after saying it received a notice from the New York Stock
Exchange warning that the photography icon is out of compliance
with listing requirements, sending shares lower. Through Tuesday's
close, Kodak's shares have fallen 88% in the past year and last
closed above $1 in early December.
Cabot Oil & Gas Corp. (COG) declared a two-for-one stock
split and raised its dividend 33% on a pre-split basis, adding the
natural gas producer to the growing list of companies seeking to
deliver a greater return to investors. Shares rose 3.3% to $79.30
in recent premarket trading.
Church & Dwight Co. (CHD) said it is exploring strategic
options for its Brazilian specialty chemical operations as
financial prospects for the business appear limited. Shares dropped
1.1% to $44.90 in light premarket trading.
HollyFrontier Corp.'s (HFC) board authorized a $350 million
share repurchase program, the latest shareholder friendly move in
recent months by the refiner. Shares gained 3% to $26 in light
premarket trading.
Achillion Pharmaceuticals Inc. (ACHN) said it had received fast
track designation from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration for
ACH-1625 for the treatment of chronic hepatitis C virus (HCV).
Shares gained 3.3% to $7.88 in premarket trading.
Progress Software Corp.'s (PRGS) fiscal fourth-quarter earnings
fell 45% as the business-software maker again reported a decline in
software-licenses revenue. Shares slid 5.3% to $18.75 premarket as
the company forecast first-quarter earnings below analyst
estimates.
Arena Pharmaceuticals Inc. (ARNA) said its lorcaserin
antiobesity drug was back on track with U.S. Food and Drug
Administration, as the company submitted its response to worries
the agency cited in rejecting the treatment last year. Shares rose
4.7% to $2.01 in recent premarket trading.
Landec Corp.'s (LNDC) fiscal second-quarter profit rose 63%,
stronger than expected, as the packaging company's Apio
food-products business benefited from higher volume. Shares climbed
3.4% to $6.10 in light premarket trading.
The Securities and Exchange Commission sued Life Partners
Holdings Inc. (LPHI) and three top executives, alleging a
years-long disclosure and accounting fraud that involved misleading
financial statements and backdated documents shown to auditors, The
Wall Street Journal reported Tuesday. Shares slumped 35% to $4.11
premarket.
BioMimetic Therapeutics Inc. (BMTI) said the Food and Drug
Administration has said its proposed bone-graft device Augment
wouldn't be approved without more information from previous
studies. The company said it planned to submit the necessary
information by the middle of the year. Shares dropped 14% to $2.50
premarket.
LCA-Vision Inc. (LCAV) performed 30% more laser-vision
correction services in the fourth quarter than a year earlier,
marking only the second year-over-year quarterly increase in the
eye procedures since the third quarter of 2007. Shares jumped 8.1%
to $3.33 in light premarket volume.
Trident Microsystems Inc.'s (TRID) shares plummeted 42% to 12
cents after the company filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection
in Delaware and said Entropic Communications Inc. (ENTR) made a $55
million bid to acquire a portion of its set-top box business.
Watch List:
Ascent Solar Technologies Inc. (ASTI) said TFG Radiant
Investment Group Ltd. agreed to buy just about all of Norsk Hydro
ASA's (NHYDY) ownership in the solar panel developer for about $4
million, strengthening the partnership between the two
companies.
Ballantyne Strong Inc. (BTN), which supplies cinema equipment
and services to theater chains, theme parks and other customers,
plans to sell its analog projector facility and manufacturing
equipment in a bid to refocus on its digital equipment distribution
business.
Chesapeake Energy Corp. (CHK) reported it slashed long-term debt
by just over $2 billion over the past year and added it fully
expects to meet its two-year debt-reduction goals by the end of
this year, regardless of natural gas prices.
CME Group Inc.'s (CME) December daily exchange trading volume
declined from both a year earlier and the prior month on a sizable
decline in trading volume for interest-rate futures.
Commercial Metals Co.'s (CMC) board urged stockholders to vote
against billionaire Carl Icahn's nominees to the company's board as
it again recommended stockholders reject Icahn's unsolicited tender
offer.
DDi Corp. (DDIC) said it will pay $7.5 million to purchase a
California building it expects to become the new location for its
corporate headquarters later this year.
Enterprise Products Partners L.P. (EPD) and Genesis Energy L.P.
(GEL) plan to build a crude oil gathering pipeline in the deepwater
Gulf of Mexico for a consortium of six producers.
Headwaters Inc. (HW) sold its 51% stake in a North Dakota
ethanol biorefinery to Great River Energy for $18.5 million in cash
as the building-products company continues to streamline its
business.
Liz Claiborne Inc. (LIZ) will rebrand itself as Fifth &
Pacific Cos. as it moves past the iconic brand and focuses on Juicy
Couture, kate spade and Lucky Brand.
National Instruments Corp. (NATI) said it expects its
fourth-quarter revenue will miss the company's expectations, citing
a slowdown in revenue growth in Europe.
Team Inc.'s (TISI) fiscal second-quarter earnings rose 28% as
the industrial-services company reported double-digit revenue
growth across its major geographic markets. The company also raised
its per-share earnings estimate and its revenue view.
Teva Pharmaceutical Industries Ltd. (TEVA, TEVA.TV), the world's
largest generic-drug maker, is restarting generic animal-vaccine
production at a Missouri plant, after work was shut down there in
2009, according to a market information provider.
-Edited by Ian Thomson and Maya Pope-Chappell; write to
ian.thomson@dowjones.com and maya.pope-chappell@dowjones.com