Holiday Shopping Rises Lifting Markets
On the upside
Private equity firm Thoma Bravo will acquire Amicas (Nasdaq: AMCS) in an all cash deal valued at approximately $217 million.
A safety review board recommended that Vical (Nasdaq: VICL) continue a late stage clinical trial of its melanoma treatment Allovectin-7.
The Treasury Department decision to provide Fannie Mae (NYSE: FNM) and Freddie Mac (NYSE: FRE) with unlimited capital for the next three years lifted shares of the mortgage finance firms.
On the downside
Shares of YRC Worldwide (Nasdaq: YRCW) dropped. Today is the extended deadline for a bond exchange that the trucking company is depending on to stave off bankruptcy.
Sunesis (Nasdaq: SNSS) regained compliance to be listed on Nasdaq but the stock price slipped.
Shares of tax preparer Jackson Hewitt (NYSE: SWSI) continued to drop after regulators denied approval of tax refund anticipation loans by Santa Barbara Bank & Trust, which provides approximately 75% of Jackson Hewitt's loans.
In the broad market, advancing issues outpaced decliners by a margin of nearly 2 to 1 on the NYSE and by 10 to 9 on Nasdaq. The Russell 2000 which tracks small cap stocks rose 3 points to 634.
