LTX-Credence Corporation (NasdaqGM: LTXC) galloped ahead 31.10 percent in price by noon ET Thursday to $7.84. Volume of 6,628,004 shares trumped the stock’s three-month daily average of 531,400. Thursday, it was announced that LTXC was being investigated in connection with the proposed acquisition by Verigy. The probe seeks to determine whether LTXC and its Board breached their fiduciary duties by entering into the agreement without properly shopping for a deal that would provide better value for shareholders.

Bank of America (NYSE: BAC) did a brisk trade by midday Thursday, with 80.3 million shares changing hands, against its usual daily volume of 259,370,000 shares. BAC shares nipped ahead 0.65 percent Thursday in price to $11.69. It was announced Thursday that BAC ranked number one among all banks in the amount of credit extended through the U.S. Small Business Administration’s 504 loan program during the last fiscal year.

AstroMed Inc. (NasdaqGM: ALOT) fell in price early Thursday by 9.4 percent to approach noon at $6.65. Volume of 63,500 shares trounced its usual daily volume of 2,998 shares. The Rhode Island-based ALOT reported this week net sales of $18,329,000 and net income of $792,000 for the third quarter of 2010, compared to net sales of $16,658,000 and net income of $683,000.