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U.S. stocks rose on Wednesday on the heels of a three-sessionlosing streak and ahead of the U.S. Federal Reserve's finalstatement of the year that may set the stage for interest ratehikes in 2015. The Dow Jones industrial average rose 0.69percent, the S&P 500 gained 0.89 percent and the NasdaqComposite added 0.7 percent.
** SWIFT ENERGY CO, $3.73, +25.17 pct
** BILL BARRETT CORP, $10.08, +17.48 pct
** LINN ENERGY LLC, $14.075, +12.24 pct
** BREITBURN ENERGY PARTNERS LP, $8.4799, +10.85pct
** GOODRICH PETROLEUM CORP, $4.72, +14.01 pct
** OASIS PETROLEUM INC, $16.14, +13.42 pct
** CALLON PETROLEUM CO, $5.31, +17.48 pct
Brent crude oil moved above $60 a barrel on Wednesday asU.S. data showed falling crude inventories, stemming deep lossesbrought on by a supply glut and signals from OPEC producers andRussia that they will not cut production.
"I think we're just seeing a lot of short covering goinginto the end of the year," Keybanc Capital Markets analyst DavidDeckelbaum said.
** AUSPEX PHARMACEUTICALS INC, $50.56, +101.51 pct
The drug developer says drug for treating chorea, orinvoluntary movement associated with Huntington's disease, metthe main goal in a late-stage study.
** HERZFELD CARIBBEAN BASIN FUND, $9.1599, +34.51pct
Shares of the fund, which invests in companies in countriesof Caribbean Basin, rose in trade on Tuesday following reportsof U.S. planning to ease Cuba policy. U.S. President BarackObama was set to announce a major shift in policy toward Cuba onWednesday, which would include the opening of an embassy inHavana and the start of talks to normalize relations, officialsand media said.
** ON DECK CAPITAL INC, $27.66, +38.30 pct
The online lender's shares rose as much as 37 percent intheir debut, valuing the company at up to $1.8 billion. Thecompany raised $200 million after its initial public offeringwas priced at $20 per share, well above the expected range of$16-$18.
** VOLCANO CORP, $17.845, +55.31 pct
Philips has agreed to acquire U.S.-based medicaldevice maker Volcano Corp for $1.2 billion including debt, itslargest healthcare acquisition in seven years and a bid to cashin on an ageing population's need for more complex treatments.
** DIGITAL RIVER INC, $24.12, +43.06 pct
The e-commerce services provider said Microsoft Corp extended a key e-commerce deal till March 31, 2017.
** RUBY TUESDAY INC, $6.81, -16.13 pct
The restaurant chain operator said on Tuesdaysame-restaurant sales in the second quarter fell 1 percent atthe company-owned Ruby Tuesday restaurants.
** NPS PHARMA INC, $35.08, +15.13 pct
** SHIRE PLC, $213.435, +2.24 pct
Dublin-based Shire, whose proposed sale to AbbVieInc fell apart in October, is considering an offer forU.S-based drug developer NPS Pharmaceuticals , Bloombergreported, citing people familiar with the matter.
** INTERCLOUD SYSTEMS INC, $3.067, +10.32 pct
The telecom network services provider said it was recentlyawarded new contracts valued at over $2 million, taking itsnew-business backlog to $32 mln, up 24 percent from lateSeptember.
** CLIFFS NATURAL RESOURCES INC, $6.22, -8.53 pct
Credit Suisse slashes price target on the iron-oreproducer's shares to $1 from $10, saying Cliffs' $2.8 bln debtposition is a big handicap for the company's balance sheet andnear-term earnings potential is insufficient to support currentlevel of indebtedness. Brokerage has "underperform" rating onthe stock, which is at its lowest in over a decade. Stock toploser on the New York Stock Exchange.
** POZEN INC, $8.08, -10.52 pct
The company said two versions of its experimental heart drugwere rejected for the second time by the U.S. Food and DrugAdministration, which again cited deficiencies in themanufacturing plant of a supplier of an active ingredient.
** PARAMOUNT GOLD AND SILVER CORP, $0.8532, +33.25pct
** COEUR MINING INC, $4.23, -7.44 pct
Paramount said it would be acquired by Coeur Mining for$146 mln in stock. The company said its shareholders will get0.2016 Coeur share per share held, which works out to 92 centsper Paramount share based on Coeur's Tuesday close. The offer represents about 44 percent premium to Paramount's Tuesdayclose.
** YANDEX NV, $17.9201, +6.54 pct
** MOBILE TELESYSTEMS OAO, $6.7, +8.59 pct
** VIMPELCOM LTD, $3.86, +17.33 pct
** QIWI PLC, $19.65, +5.08 pct
Russian companies' U.S.-listed shares rise after roublegains against dollar following a dramatic selloff in the pastfew days.
** VISTEON CORP, $100.83, +5.40 pct
The auto parts maker will sell its 70 percent stake in SouthKorean unit for $3.6 bln to PE firm Hahn & Co and Hankook TireCo Ltd.
** AMERICAN APPAREL INC, $0.6751, +16.40 pct
The clothing and accessories retailer named Paula Schneideras its chief executive, effective, Jan. 5, 2015. The company hasfired its Chief Executive Officer Dov Charney six months aftersuspending him, ending a tenure racked with sexual assaultallegations and scandal.
** CERUS CORP, $5.7999, +21.34 pct
The medical device maker said the U.S. FDA approved itsdevice to reduce risk of infections in blood plasma transmittedduring transfusions, such as HIV, hepatitis and West Nile virus.
** PANTRY INC, $35.45, +22.83 pct
The convenience-store chain is nearing a deal to sell itselfthrough an auction, the Wall Street Journal reported, citingpeople familiar with the matter. Pantry's shares, which closedat $28.86 on Tuesday, have risen 135 percent since touching a52-week low in February.
** TASER INTERNATIONAL INC, $24.49, +7.18 pct
** DIGITAL ALLY INC, $15.7701, +9.67 pct
** IMAGE SENSING SYSTEMS INC, $2.48, +5.08 pct
Los Angeles mayor Eric Garcetti announced plan to equip7,000 police officers with body cameras in 2015. Los AngelesPolice Department bought 860 AXON body-worn video cameras fromTaser and 5-year subscription to Evidence.com, a website tomanage and share footage.
** PETROBRAS SA, $6.74, +7.32 pct
Senior management at Brazil's state-run oil company may haveto resign to avoid further delays of the company's auditedthird-quarter earnings report, Chief Executive Maria das GraçasFoster said on Wednesday.
** HALOZYME THERAPEUTICS INC, $8.3299, +9.03 pct
The company licensed its drug delivery technology to aJohnson & Johnson unit for payments up to $581 million.The company said it would get additional royalty payments basedon net sales of products using its Enhanze technology.
** FEDEX CORP, $166.465, -4.47 pct
The package delivery company reported a lower-than-expectedquarterly profit on Wednesday as U.S. domestic package andinternational export volumes rose, and reaffirmed its full-yearprofit outlook.
** XL GROUP PLC, $33.46, -4.43 pct
Catlin Group Ltd, operator of the biggest syndicatein the Lloyd's of London insurance market, said it received atakeover approach from XL Group Plc that valued the company at2.53 billion pounds ($3.98 billion).
** IAMGOLD CORP, $2.31, +4.52 pct
** GOLD FIELDS LTD, $4.18, +5.56 pct
** RANDGOLD RESOURCES LTD, $64.78, +4.86 pct
** YAMANA GOLD INC, $3.74, +5.35 pct
Gold steadied below $1,200 an ounce on Wednesday as tradersawaited the U.S. Federal Reserve's last policy meeting of theyear, when it may signal how soon it will raise interest rates.
** DAVE & BUSTER'S ENTERTAINMENT INC, $23.8, +10.03pct
The restaurant and arcade chain operator forecast same-storesales growth of 5.5 to 6 pct for year ending Feb. 1. (Compiled by Anannya Pramanick in Bangalore; Edited by DonSebastian)
