Allied Irish Banks plc (NYSE: AIB) is lower after E.U. representatives warned that Allied Irish’s creditors may get more pain; ADRs are down 1.7% at $1.13 on almost 200,000 pre-market shares.

ARM Holdings plc (NASDAQ: ARMH) is up yet again on continued talk of the Window-based O/S heading its way that will support its architecture.  ADRs are up 3.3% at $20.43 on over 115,000 shares; consider this a new high as the 52-week range is $8.21 to $19.96.

Corcept Therapeutics Inc. (NASDAQ: CORT) is surging on news that it announced positive phase 3 study results for its CORLUX as a treatment of Cushing’s Syndrome; shares are up 9.3% at $4.58 on nearly 800,000 shares versus a 52-week range of $2.43 to $4.70.

Cumberland Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (NASDAQ: CPIX) is getting crushed on news that the FDA rejected its liver drug’s new indication.  Shares are down 13% at $6.00 on almost 20,000 shares and versus a 52-week range of $4.70 to $14.78.

Nike Inc. (NYSE: NKE) is lower after earnings were fine but future orders disappointed.  Shares were already sitting on huge gains too.  The stock is lower by 5.4% at $87.35 on over 100,00 pre-market shares and versus a 52-week range of $60.89 to 92.49.

Walgreen Co. (NYSE: WAG) is running higher after profit rose almost 20% and beating earnings estimates; shares are up 7.9% at $39.75 on over 400,000 shares.  Call it a 52-week high as the prior range was $26.26 to $37.95.

Xilinx, Inc. (NASDAQ: XLNX) is lower after its earnings warning we detailed the fallout from last night; shares are down 4.5% at $27.10 on about 70,000 shares pre-market and versus a 52-week range of $22.75 to $29.40.

YRC Worldwide Inc. (NASDAQ: YRCW) is trading higher after an amended credit facility announced last night; Credit Suisse remains ‘underperform’ on it.  Shares are up 3.2% at $3.83 in fairly active pre-market trading.

ZOOM Technologies, Inc. (NASDAQ: ZOOM) is zooming after record guidance for 2011 of $320 to $340 million in revenue versus $326+ million from Thomson Reuters). Shares are up almost 18% at $4.51 on over 160,000 shares versus a 52-week range of $3.34 to $8.95.

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JON C. OGG

Sanofi-Aventis (NYSE: SNY) telegraphed that it is interested in acquisitions last week and Amgen Inc. (NASDAQ: AMGN) telegraphed ‘some’ of the same in June.  With everyone looking for the next buyout target, we gave a full rundown of these to review some potential acquisition targets along with data on partnerships and more.

Affymetrix Inc. (NASDAQ: AFFX) is an outright guidance issue today and is one of the worst of the lot in stocks. The company lowered its expected revenue guidance due to issues on delayed purchases and budget cuts, but it also blamed a weak Euro for its mess.  The company is into consumables and systems for genetic analysis in the life sciences and clinical healthcare markets.  Shares are down almost 24% at $4.23 on over 4.2 million shares (more than triple-normal volume.  The stock also hit a new 52-week low of $3.95 so its new range for the year is $3.95 to $10.06.

Corcept Therapeutics Inc. (NASDAQ: CORT) hasn’t had formal news since last week’s announcement that it has completes enrollment in Phase 3 Cushing’s Syndrome study with the end-of year time frame for its data presentations.  Much of today looks just like regaining yesterday’s drop.  This is up on very thin volume versus its average of just under 100,000 shares in a day: up 9.8% at $3.24 on only about 25,000 shares.  The 52-week range is $0.75 to $3.93.

Curis, Inc. (NASDAQ: CRIS) appears to be some added give-back of yesterday morning’s gains.  The move had been based initially upon a Phase I triggering a $3 million milestone payment under Hsp90 collaboration with Debiopharm.  Shares are down 5.5% at $1.37 on about 240,000 shares.  This is also thin volume versus about 700,000 shares per day.  The 52-week range is $1.28 to $3.70.

CytRx Corporation (NASDAQ: CYTR) has not seen news and is down for a second day.  The speculative oncology sector has another loser with shares down 7.6% at $0.65 on about 752,000 shares.  Average volume is just over 1 million shares and the 52-week range is $0.62 to $1.72.  Keep in mind that the $0.62 is the low from this morning… another 52-week low.

Human Genome Sciences, Inc. (NASDAQ: HGSI) is up big today, but not on any news from the tape.  This has been hoped for and thought of as a possible takeover stalker (noted in Amgen-Sonofi piece).  Shares are up 5.5% at $23.05 on just over 4 million shares.  The average volume is 4.96 million shares and the 52-week range is $2.25 to $34.49.

NexMed, Inc. (NASDAQ: NEXMD) is almost counter-intuitive.  The specialty CRO received a NASDAQ letter dated yesterday from The NASDAQ Hearings Panel stating that it is now in compliance with listing standards.  Shares are down over 18% at $3.12 on 1.05 million shares.  Average volume is 225,000 shares and the 52-week range is $1.80 to $12.60.

Nymox Pharmaceutical Corporation (NASDAQ: NYMX) is down after the company said its injected investigational drug for prostate enlargement showed a reduction in patient urgency to urinate by 52% after three months versus palcebo in a follow-up Phase 3 trial.  Nymox is down 2.5% at $2.75 on 222,000 shares versus average volume of 125,000 shares.  Interestingly, this $2.64 low is also a 52-week low: $2.64 to $7.07 is its 52-week range.

Xenoport, Inc. (NASDAQ: XNPT) is getting whacked on news that it and GSK disclosed that their migraine drug gabapentin enacarbil failed a mid-stage trial because it failed to reach statistical significance.  This is one of the day’s worst and that $6.35 intra-day low price marks a new 52-week low.  Shares have been as high as $25.42 over the last year and the average volume is only about 719,000 shares.  In early afternoon trading, this one is down over 26% at $6.54 on over 5 million shares.

JON C. OGG

Corcept Therapeutics Inc. (NASDAQ: CORT) up 11% today. Despite several statistically insignificant Phase III clinical trials of lead drug, a psychotic depression treatment, Corlox, the company initiated further trials in December. Friday the company entered into an agreement with Kingsbridge Capital Limited to purchase up to $60 million in new shares to finance their trials. Shares are trading at $3.60 off a 52-week range of $1.10 to $6.85.

Omrix Biopharmaceuticals, Inc. (OMRI) is still rising from an analyst assertion Monday that the biosurgery franchise unit with Johnson and Johnson leads its industry. Since Monday, shares have spiked from $13.32 to $16.04, a 20% increase. Today, shares are up 8%. The 52-week range is $11.81 to $39.07.

Sirtris Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (NASDAQ: SIRT) granted orphan-status to MELAS syndrome drug treatment, resveratrol. The designation gives Sirtris 7 years of marketing exclusivity upon FDA approval. Shares down $0.73 to $13.12 on heavy trading volume. The 52-week range of $9.50 to $21.99.

Rachel Lopez
April 2, 2008