Cubist Pharmaceuticals Inc. (NASDAQ: CBST) is pulling a rabbit out of its hat.  Cubist was once believed to be a solid acquisition candidate when its share price was much lower, but now the company has come out and announced that it is acquiring Adolor Corporation (NASDAQ: ADLR) for about $190 million in a deal that could rise to $225 million if certain milestones are achieved. Adolor loves the price as the shares are up 129% at $4.40 today.  That is above the $4.25 buyout price, but the possible upside for the milestones is why.

HealthSpring Inc. (NYSE: HS) is being acquired for $3.8 billion by CIGNA Corporation (NYSE: CI) in a $55 buyout offer in close to a 35% premium.  Insurers continue to consolidate.  Elsewhere in healthcare, Coventry Health Care Inc. (NYSE: CVH) was listed as one which could be acquired by Barron’s over the weekend and its shares are up almost 6% at $31.66 in conjunction with healthcare consolidation news and on hopes for more pin action.

Mattel Inc. (NYSE: MAT) is acquiring HIT Entertainment in a $680 million acquisition from Apax Partners and a private equity consortium.  Mattel’s market cap is $9.6 billion.  The deal locks up the Thomas & Friends toys.

Rightnow Technologies Inc. (NASDAQ: RNOW) is much more well known ”right now” since Oracle Corporation (NASDAQ: ORCL) has announced a buyout of the company.  This $1.5 billion purchase comes to $43.00 per share and the stock hit a new all-time high of $42.92.  RightNow is in cloud-based customer experience software products and services.

Sara Lee Corporation (NYSE: SLE) is a company that has been a rumored (and hoped for) buyout target for longer than one can easily recall in the food sector.  The company is selling off the majority of its food service coffee and tea operations to J.M. Smucker Co. (NYSE: SJM) for about $350 million.  Considering it is a $10.5 billion company by market capitalization, this is no real game-changer.

Elsewhere in M&A news, Anadys Pharmaceuticals Inc. (NASDAQ: ANDS) is at a year high of $3.68 and it now has a formal class action suit filed against the merger where Roche is set to pay out $3.70 per share. This was a $10 and higher stock in 2006.

NYSE Euronext, Inc. (NYSE: NYX) and its Deutsche Bourse merger is still hanging in the wind.  The merger has a hearing in the European Union on October 27 to address some of the concerns brought up by regulators.  At $26.70 today, this is way down from the highs above $41.00 over the last year.

JON C. OGG

Anadys Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (NASDAQ: ANDS) is up more than 250% before market open to $3.66, well above its 52-week trading high of $1.80. The company is being acquired by Roche for $3.70 per share.

Brigham Exploration Company (NASDAQ: BEXP) is up nearly 20% premarket to $36.38, relative to a 52-week range of $19.34 – $37.87.

Citigroup (NYSE: C) is up 1.3% premarket to $28.78, relative to a 52-week range of $21.40 – $51.50. The company beat expectations for its 3Q earnings.

Wells Fargo & Company (NYSE: WFC) is down 4.3% premarket to $25.52, relative to a 52-week range of $22.58 – $34.25. The company reported mixed third quarter earnings.

We have provided news updates, added color where applicable, shown the price moves with volume and comparative data on each.

AEterna Zentaris (NASDAQ: AEZS) may be hard to pronounce, but shares are up after it said the European Medicines Agency assured the acceptability of its Phase III programs for its lead anti-cancer drug, perifosine.  This is for the treatment of multiple myeloma and refractory advanced colorectal cancer.  Shares are up 15% at $1.59 on well over 9 million shares; average volume is only about 750K and the 52-week range is $0.75 to $3.25.

Anadys Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (NASDAQ: ANDS) is up after showing 72% of patients receiving ANA598 in a phase II combination study with interferon and Ribavirin achieved undetectable levels of virus at week eight.  Shares are up 8.6% at $2.84, but shares had been up as high as $3.24 today.  Mid-day volume is 11 million shares versus only about 500K on average, and the 52-week range is $1.44 to $6.45.

Achillion Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (NASDAQ: ACHN) is down 8.5% at $2.98, but shares had been as high as $3.20 and the 52-week range is $1.10 to $3.89.  The news is that the company is presenting data from studies of ACH-1625 in Hepatitis C at the EASL International Liver Congress that shows a significant reduction in HCV RNA.

Akorn Inc. (NASDAQ: AKRX) is up after it received FDA clearance to market a generic version of the painkiller Dilaudid-HP, and it plans to start shipping the product next month.   Shares are up over 15% at $1.64 on about 1.7 million shares.  The 52-week range is $0.73 to $2.00 and the average volume is only about 206,000 shares.

Dynavax Technologies Corporation (NASDAQ: DVAX) is up oh hepatitis news as well, after it showed that its chronic kidney disease study confirms that HEPLISAV offers  enhanced seroprotection against HBV infection.  Shares had been up over 16% earlier on the news.  In early-afternoon trading the stock is up over 8% at $1.57 on 3.9 million shares (over 10-times normal volume).

Genzyme Corp. (NASDAQ: GENZ) is fighting Carl Icahn via another activist…. Genzyme and Relational Investors LLC have amended their mutual cooperation agreement and Ralph Whitworth, principal and co-founder of Relational, has been elected to Genzyme’s board of directors, effective immediately, and he will chair a new Strategic Planning and Capital Allocation Committee.  Genzyme is up a mere 0.25% at $52.79.

Idenix Pharmaceuticals Inc. (NASDAQ: IDIX) is also up on hepatitis news after it reported positive results on its IDX184 in interim analysis of a Phase IIa hepatitis C study.  The shares were up over 16% earlier today, but the stock is up 8.6% at $4.43 on 1.5 million shares now.

Molecular Insight Pharmaceuticals (NASDAQ: MIPI) has another give-back after a large move up this week.  Today’s drop is after the stock was downgraded to “Market Perform from Outperform” at Wells Fargo.  Shares are down 7% more at $2.67, but only on about 700,000 shares.  Keep in mind that ‘my-pie’ was only at $1.50 on Monday and traded as high as $4.49 on Tuesday.

Repros Therapeutics Inc. (NASDAQ: RPRX) is down today on exchange related news.  It said it now has enough stockholders’ equity for NASDAQ compliance, and it has until June 14, 2010 to meet the NASDAQ minimum $1.00 rule.  Shares are down 7.8% at $0.73 on just over 1.5 million shares.

Santarus Inc. (NASDAQ: SNTS) was down in half last night after the U.S. District Court for the District of Delaware ruled that five patents covering ZEGERID® prescription products are invalid due to obviousness (indicated for the treatment of certain upper GI diseases and disorders).  Shares are down 32% at $3.64 on over 10 million shares.

Warner Chilcott PLC (NASDAQ: WCRX) may still be on the way to being the next best drug stock out there.  Shares were up on positive UBS comments yesterday and IBD said its chart was #66 but third best in class today.  Shares were up another 3.2% at $27.69 and the highest level since March 8, 2010.

JON C. OGG

CIT Group, Inc. (NYSE: CIT) is down over 20% after it delayed its 10-Q filing amid restructuring.  Worse talk is out there…

Anadys Pharma (NASDAQ: ANDS) is up 30% or more on early clinical trial in Hepatitis C patient data.

Avanir Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (NASDAQ: AVNR) is hitting 52-week highs after showing positive Phase III study results for Zenvia.

Bunge Limited (NYSE: BG) is down 4% on a surprise secondary offering.

Angiotech Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (NASDAQ: ANPI) is up over 30% as a license holder reported a CE Mark approval.

RINO International Corporation (NASDAQ: RINO) was very active last night after earnings and is down 17% this morning.

JON C. OGG
AUGUST 11, 2009

Ariad Pharmaceuticals Inc. (Nasdaq: ARIA) shares are down this morning on cash crunch worries, following concerns raised by BioHealthInvestor.com earlier this week of just such a scenario.

Anadys Pharmaceuticals Inc (Nasdaq: ANDS) are up 50 percent in the premarket after getting a key FDA clearance.

Solar stocks are looking dimmer. First Solar Inc. (Nasdaq: FSLR) is down sharply on increased receivables, and negative conference call comments about pricing and debt financing. Evergreen Solar Inc. (Nasdaq: ESLR) shares are sinking on a wider loss, lower margins and similar pricing concerns

Synaptics Inc. (Nasdaq: SYNA) shares are getting hammered on concerns about PC revenue and a CEO transition.

Novatel Wireless Inc. (Nasdaq: NVTL) shares are surging on raised Q3 guidance.

Abaxis Inc. (Nasdaq: ABAX) shares are up strongly after earnings, and a strong diagnostic reagent disc sales increase.

AVI BioPharma Inc. (Nasdaq: AVII) shares are down 9 percent in early trade, after the company filed a shelf registration.

-The 24/7 Wall St. Team

DryShips inc. (NASDAQ: DRYS) has little overlap in the sub-sector of shipping other than that it is shipping and it  does transport goods around the world.  DryShips is also one of the more volatile trading stocks out there in the sector.  details….

Intuitive Surgical, Inc. (NASDAQ: ISRG) is seeing its shares get pounded this morning.

Anadys Pharmaceuticals Inc. (NASDAQ: ANDS) is surging from ongoing Phase Ib clinical trial data of its ANA598, its investigational non-nucleoside polymerase inhibitor.  details…

Douglas A. McIntyre