Hutchinson Technology Inc. (HTCH) leaps on prelim Q3 numbers

Posted on Wednesday, July 6th, 2011

Shares of Hutchinson Technology Inc. (Nasdaq: HTCH) jumped 17.6% to $2.67 after the company reported strong fiscal third-quarter preliminary results. Volume for the stock totaled 2.5 million shares, about eight times its daily average.

The company, based out of Hutchinson, Minn., issued a release Wednesday, saying shipped approximately 118 million suspension assemblies in the fiscal 2011 third quarter, up 15% from its second quarter shipments of 102.3 million. Net sales for the quarter totaled approximately $72 million, up 14% from its second quarter net sales of $63.3 million.

Wayne Fortun, Hutchinson CEO, was quoted in the release as saying “Our shipments over the last nine weeks of our third quarter averaged approximately 10 million suspensions per week, and we expect this pace to continue into the fourth quarter.

“As a result, we currently expect our fourth quarter shipments to exceed our third quarter shipments. It appears that demand has shifted to some customer programs where we have stronger positions, and we believe that we are beginning to regain market share. We are leveraging available capacity to respond to the additional customer demand.”

The final numbers are slated to come out on July 26,

Hutchinson Technology is a global technology leader committed to creating value by developing solutions to critical customer problems.


Buyout target Immucor Inc. (BLUD) balloons in price

Posted on Tuesday, July 5th, 2011

Immucor Inc. (Nasdaq: BLUD) shares surged 30.2% to $26.98 after the provider of blood-transfusion systems agreed to be acquired by TPG Capital for $1.97 billion. Shares in the company totaled 21.6, or more than 40 times its normal daily average.

The company, based in Norcross, Ga., issued a release July 5 saying that, under the terms of the agreement, Immucor shareholders will receive $27.00 in cash for each share of Immucor common stock they own, representing a premium of approximately 30.2% over the closing share price on July 1, 2011, the last full trading day before today’s announcement, and a premium of approximately 35.6% to Immucor’s average closing price over the last month. The transaction is expected to close in the second half of 2011. The agreement was unanimously approved by the Immucor Board of Directors.

“This transaction enables our shareholders to realize significant, immediate value while at the same time allowing Immucor to remain well-positioned to continue pursuinggrowth opportunities,” said Joseph Rosen, Immucor Board Chairman in the release.

“Our Board is pleased with the outcome of the process we followed leading to this transaction, and believes that this transaction is in the best interests of our shareholders.”

Founded in 1982, Immucor manufactures and sells a complete line of reagents and systems used by hospitals, reference laboratories and donor centers to detect and identify certain properties of the cell and serum components of blood prior to transfusion


Zalicus Inc. (ZLCS) gains from ratings boost

Posted on Tuesday, July 5th, 2011

Zalicus Inc. (Nasdaq: ZLCS) shares rose 11.6% to $2.60 after Oppenheimer & Co. initiated coverage of the drug-development firm with an outperform rating. Volume for the stock was 2.1 million shares, outdistancing its all-day average.

An article posted Tuesday on the site benzinga.com reported that Oppenheimer analysts also set a $4.00 price target on the stock.

“Zalicus has one approved drug and a pipeline of promising candidates targeting potentially large commercial opportunities,” the site quotes Oppenheimer as writing. “The leading drugs in the pipeline are Synavive, which is in development for rheumatoid arthritis, and Prednisporin, an agent for allergic conjuctivitis (eye allergies).

“Additionally, Zalicus has two drug discovery platforms—one focused on finding synergies between two pharmaceutical agents and another is aimed at the discovery of new ion channel modulators. Both may produce additional drug candidates for clinical development and/or partnering.”

Zalicus management was not available for comment. Zalicus, based in Cambridge, Mass., is a biopharmaceutical company that discovers and develops novel treatments for patients suffering from pain and immuno-inflammatory diseases.


McMoRan Exploration Co. (MMR) jumps on new Gulf find

Posted on Wednesday, June 29th, 2011

McMoRan Exploration Co. (NYSE: MMR) shares climbed 11.5% to $18.48 Wednesday, after the oil producer said data from four wells pointed to the possibility of large accumulations of crude oil and natural gas in the Davy Jones prospect in the Gulf of Mexico. Shares in the company totaled 8.2 million, or about four times its normal daily volume average.

A news release announcing the find on June 29 indicated that McMoRan has actively pursued large ultra-deep targets located in the shallow waters of the GOM below the salt weld (i.e. listric fault) at depths generally below 25,000 feet since 2008. The data gained to date from four wells confirms McMoRan’s geologic model and the highly prospective nature of this emerging geologic trend.

Prior to McMoRan’s involvement in the ultra-deep, there had been only two wells drilled on the Shelf targeting these objectives; one did not reach its targeted depth and the other was outside of McMoRan’s focus area. Importantly, McMoRan’s results to date have indicated the potential for large accumulations of hydrocarbons at these deeper depths in the shallow waters of the GOM, which is expected to reduce the risk of future activities.

The Davy Jones offset appraisal well (Davy Jones No. 2), located on South Marsh Island Block 234, two and a half miles southwest of the Davy Jones No. 1 discovery well, was drilled to a total depth of 30,546 feet. As reported in February 2011, preliminary log results above 27,300 feet confirmed hydrocarbon bearing Wilcox sands with continuity across the major structural features of the Davy Jones prospect.

The release did not quote officials of the company.

McMoRan Exploration Co., headquartered in New Orleans, is an independent public company engaged in the exploration, development and production of natural gas and oil in the shallow waters of the GOM Shelf and onshore in the Gulf Coast area.


Highway Holdings Limited (HIHO) higher profits boost stock price

Posted on Wednesday, June 29th, 2011

Highway Holdings Limited (Nasdaq:HIHO) shares vaulted 38.6% to $4.13, after the company reported net income for fiscal year 2011 climbed sharply to $1.7 million, or $0.44 per diluted share, from $420,000, or $0.11 per diluted share, in fiscal 2010. Volume for the stock totaled 261,123 shares, trouncing an all-day average of just over 4,600.

“Results for fiscal 2011 reflect a strongly improved business environment and the benefits of streamlining operations to enhance operating efficiencies,” according to CEO Roland Kohl, who in the June 29 press release, highlighted the two key strategic initiatives implemented during the past few years that have greatly enhance profitability; reducing the company’s operations from four factories to one, and the utilization of automation in its manufacturing process.

“As a consequence, the company was able to further improve its balance sheet and increase its cash position to take advantage of future strategic growth opportunities,” Kohl said.

Gross profits improved for both the fiscal 2011 fourth quarter and year — increasing by $367,000, or 26.16%, and $1,853,000, or 39.4%, respectively, compared with the same periods in fiscal 2010. Gross profit as a percentage of net sales remained essentially unchanged at approximately 21% percent for the fiscal year, despite initiatives noted above to reduce the company’s manufacturing expenses.

Highway Holdings produces a wide variety of high-quality products for blue chip original equipment manufacturers — from simple parts and components to sub-assemblies and finished products. Highway Holdings’ administrative offices are located in Hong Kong, and its manufacturing facilities are located in Shenzhen in the People’s Republic of China.