Included today is the news, the share move, relative performance and valuation data, and added in additional market color where applicable.

UPDATED FOR CLOSING BELL PRICES

Cell Therapeutics, Inc. (NASDAQ: CTIC) is continuing to see traders buy up the stock after Monday’s FDA denial implosion.  Frankly, the moves higher here are becoming harder and harder to explain other than “trader sentiment” and the pesky minutes charts used by traders.  This still seems to be more like “sell therapeutics” based on the news, but the move has actually been one of recovering losses.   Shares have come well off the highs today but the stock is still up 8.7% at $0.697 on 53 million shares. UPDATE FOR CLOSE: shares closed up only 1.6% at $0.647 on 72 million shares.

Cyclacel Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (NASDAQ: CYCC) reported last night that its Q4 net loss was $4.3 million or -$0.18 per share versus a net loss of $7.9 million or -$0.39 per share for Q4-2008.  Shares are down 4.4% at $2.40 on only about 1.3 million shares.  This one is too small for an earnings analysis. UPDATE FOR CLOSE: shares closed down 5.2% at $2.38 on 1.844 million shares.

China Biologic Products, Inc. (NASDAQ: CBPO), a Chinese player you may have never known, is one of the larger gainers in the sector today.   The plasma-based biopharma reported last night that Q4 revenues increased 185.6% year-over-year to $37.6 million, and excluding Dalin, revenues rose 46.7% year-over-year to $19.3 million or 51.4% of total revenue.  The company also showed that gross profit increased 208.6% year-over-year to $27.3 million.   This is up 15% at $10.44 on almost 400,000 shares.  The 52-week range is $1.69 to $13.70 and the average volume is only 135,000 shares for this $244 million market cap Chinese player. UPDATE FOR CLOSE: shares closed up 24% at $11.26 on 504,000 shares.

Gentium S.p.A (NASDAQ: GENT) is one of the biggest winners today of all sectors, not just biotech and biohealth.   In a presentation data, its Defibrotide was shown to generate a 40% drop in the incidence of hepatic veno-occlusive disease in what was called high-risk pediatric patients within 30 days after stem cell transplant.  Stem cells.   Shares are up a whopping 56% at $2.82 on 2.8 million shares.  Average volume is only about 50,000 shares and the 52-week range is $0.36 to $4.00 for the tiny $42 million market cap.  UPDATE FOR CLOSE: shares closed up a whopping 77.5% at $3.23 on over 3.6 million shares.

Genzyme Corporation (NASDAQ: GENZ) effectively got the worst situation it could have for the troubled Allston plant.  This FDA enforcement action may need a third-party inspection and review of plant operations for an extended period and will require payments to the government.  The company believes that shipments out of the plant will continue on an uninterrupted basis, although it does not know the financial impact of the call yet.  Shares are down more than 6% or down by $3.80 at $55.30 on 11.5 million shares.  Unfortunately, its chart before today was starting to show something traders and investors might have thought was not this bad.  UPDATE FOR CLOSE: shares closed down 6.4% at $55.33 on 14.5 million shares.

Idera Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (NASDAQ: IDRA) is soaring on an analyst upgrade after the firm was raised to Market Outperform from Market Perform at Rodman & Renshaw.  The price target is $10.00.  That still implied as double, because this stock is up 9.25% at $5.54.  The 231,000 shares compares to average volume of 35,000 shares and the 52-week range is $4.48 to $8.50.  UPDATE FOR CLOSE: shares closed up 10% at $5.58 on 275,000 shares.

Novavax, Inc. (NASDAQ: NVAX) loves swine flu, or so its stock says.  The stock is surging on positive results from a Phase I of its two-phase clinical study in Mexico for a H1N1 vaccine.  Shares are up 11.5% at $2.61 on almost 6 million shares.  Average volume is now back down to about 1.4 million shares per day.  UPDATE FOR CLOSE: shares closed up 10.7% at $2.59 on over 6.7 million shares.

Poniard Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (NASDAQ: PARD) is down today after the company suspended its effort seeking regulatory approval for picoplatin in small cell lung cancer.  The company announced that it has also hired the firm Leerink Swann to conduct a review of strategic alternatives, but many seem to doubt its value or worth after disappointments.  This one is down 17.5% at $1.29 on almost 9 million shares.  Shares hit $1.18 today, a 52-week low.  UPDATE FOR CLOSE: shares closed down 16.8% at $1.30 on 10.19 million shares.

Amgen Inc. (NASDAQ: AMGN) and Warner Chilcott plc (NASDAQ: WCRX) have no news, but they are items you should consider today.  An unrelated dividend story showing Starbucks initiated its first dividend ever has investors looking for which others might be next in line. At BioHealthInvestor.com, we have previously outlined why these may become next in line for dividends.

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JON C. OGG

Lexicon Pharmaceuticals told investors how well things were going for the company on February 23. The firm bragged about its advances in treatments for type 2 diabetes, rheumatoid arthritis, and carcinoid syndrome. It was a good day for Lexicon investors. Then, today the firm said it would sell $95 million worth of stock without announcing the offering price. As might be anticipated, the shares were pounded. Lexicon trades at $1.62 today, down from a 52-week high of $3.78, so some fortunate investors have lost half of their money.

Poniard Pharmaceuticals had terrible earnings and indicated that the company should have enough money to make it until the end of this year. It is not clear what will happen then. Maybe Poniard will close. The firm works on treatments for prostate and colorectal cancer. In the fourth quarter of last year, Poniard lost $13.2 million and had no revenue. For the entire year, the loss was $46.2 million. Poniard had $46 million in cash on December 31. The company’s situation is not hopeless, but investors fled the stock pushing it down to $1.62 from a 52-week high of $9.14, so some shareholders have lost 80% of their money over the last year.

The two companies have burned investors badly enough so that it will be nearly impossible for them to recovery any market confidence.

Douglas A. McIntyre

Pacific Ethanol, Inc. (NASDAQ: PEIX) is up on sentiment by almost 7% earlier this morning.

Keryx Biopharmaceuticals (NASDAQ: KERX) ran on positive colorectal cancer news.

Poniard Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (NASDAQ: PARD) is trading down on an analyst call despite some positive internal news on colorectal cancer.

DryShips Inc. (NASDAQ: DRYS) is up almost 5% on an analyst call.

CIENA Corporation (NASDAQ: CIEN) is trading up over 3% this morning on an analyst call.

Sara Lee Corp. (NYSE: SLE) is trading higher by 5% after Barron’s called for a run of up to 40% in the coming year.

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JON C. OGG

Poniard Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (NASDAQ: PARD) is recovering again.

Netlist Inc. (NASDAQ: NLST) is entering the drunkard territory on the charts.

DryShips, Inc. (NASDAQ: DRYS) was only down about 2% on the latest note offering.

VIVUS Inc. (NASDAQ: VVUS) has its holders getting excited, just like its ED trials are sowing, with 13% gain.

Pulte Homes Inc. (NYSE: PHM) was up 4% on a Citi upgrade before the new housing data came out this morning.

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JON C. OGG

Devon Energy (NYSE: DVN) Raised to Outperform at Wells Fargo.
Exxon Mobil Corp. (NYSE: XOM) Raised to Overweight at Barclays.
Hess Corporation (NYSE: HES) Raised to Buy at UBS.
Illinois Tool Works (NYSE: ITW) Raised to Buy at UBS.
Lear Corp. (NYSE: LEA) Started as Overweight at JPMorgan.
Netflix Inc. (NASDAQ: NFLX) Started as Buy at Collins Stewart.
Palm Inc. (NASDAQ: PALM) Raised to Buy at Kaufman.
Poniard Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (NASDAQ: PARD) Cut to Market Perform at Rodman & Renshaw.
Sunpower Corporation (NASDAQ: SPWRA) Cut to Neutral at Piper Jaffray; Cut to Market Perform at FBR Capital Markets.
Vertex Pharmaceuticals (NASDAQ: VRTX) Cut to Neutral at Merriman Curhan Ford.

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JON C. OGG

Citigroup, Inc. (NYSE: C) is up 4% on the Paulson stake being so large.

Dell Inc. (NASDAQ: DELL) is up over 1% after Goldman Sachs re-started with a BUY rating and a $19.00 target.

Netlist Inc. (NASDAQ: NLST) is trying for a day-four run and volume is already exponential compared to old averages in pre-market trading.

Nabi Biopharmaceuticals (NASDAQ: NABI) is up 35% on a GSK pact to develop nicotine conjugate candidate vaccine.

Poniard Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (NASDAQ: PARD) is today’s biggest loser after its small cell lung cancer drug failed in trials.

RADVision Ltd. (NASDAQ: RVSN) is down 7% on word that Cisco Systems (NASDAQ: CSCO) is juicing up the buyout offer to secure a Tandberg.

UPDATED at 9:48 AM EST:  Sprint Nextel is one of the S&P’s top gainers up almost 11% on the Oppenheimer upgrade.

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JON C. OGG