Microsoft Corporation (NASDAQ: MSFT) rallied more than 2% on Thursday after hedge-fund investor David Einhorn called for Microsoft Corp.’s board to replace Chief Executive Officer Steve Ballmer, saying the software maker suffers from “Charlie Brown management.”
Arena Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (NASDAQ: ARNA) jumped more than 12% after the company presented meta-analyses of the three trials in the lorcaserin Phase 3 clinical trial program at ECO 2011, the 18th European Congress on Obesity. The analyses show that lorcaserin caused statistically significant weight loss compared to placebo at one year among 7,500 obese and overweight, diabetic and non-diabetic adults. The lorcaserin-mediated weight loss was associated with favorable changes in biomarkers that may be predictive of cardiovascular and metabolic risk and in quality of life.
Clean Diesel Technologies, Inc. (NASDAQ: CDTI) soared more than 91% after the company announced that its Heavy Duty Diesel Systems division has received nearly $2.0 million in orders for its verified (approved) emission reduction products. Clean Diesel's receipt of these orders, which represent approximately 200 emission reduction systems, follows the announcement on April 6, 2011 by the State of California's Air Resources Board (CARB) of a special compliance option for California on-road diesel fleets pertaining to the current "Truck and Bus Regulation." CARB offered an early action compliance credit for trucking fleets that install a diesel particulate filter by July 1, 2011 or that made a commitment to purchase a diesel particulate filter by May 1, 2011. The early action "buy-one-get-one-free" credit applies to heavier trucks and there is no limit on how many trucks in the fleet can earn the early adoption credit.
Syms Corp. (NASDAQ: SYMS) soared more than 33% after the apparel retailer said that it has hired Rothschild Inc. to explore strategic options for the company.
Emergent BioSolutions Inc. (NYSE: EBS) jumped more than 21% after the company announced that the U.S. government has indicated its intention to award Emergent a sole source contract for the purchase of 44.75 million doses of BioThrax for inclusion in the Strategic National Stockpile over a 5 year period. BioThrax is the only vaccine licensed by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration to protect against anthrax infection. Emergent anticipates finalizing a contract with the U.S. government during the third quarter of 2011.
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