Stocks are mixed this morning after a factory orders report rebounded but failed to match expectations. Investors are also waiting for the release of the FOMC minutes from the last minutes. Most use this as tea leaf reading into what the Fed might do next in regards to its monetary easing policy.
Internationally, Europe remains a concern as Spain tries to reign in their deficits and national debt. They have tried to do so on the back of austerity, but like history has shown decimating your economy through austerity creates budgetary pressures. Who would have thought?
Right now the major indices are negative. The Dow is off 53, the Nasdaq almost 4 and the S&P 500 is down almost 6 points.
Hot Stocks to Watch
SmartHeat Inc. (NASDAQ:HEAT) is up 79.56% today at $4.8756. HEAT is up on huge volume this morning with 587 thousand shares traded so far, way above its daily average of 34 thousand shares. SmartHeat posted a fourth quarter loss due to write-downs on two recently acquired businesses. SmartHeat also promised cost cutting measures to control its budget. The company has a market cap of 18.72 million.
Conns Inc. (NASDAQ:CONN) is up 15.95 this morning at $19.12. CONN has traded 1.1 million shares so far today, 10 times its daily average. CONN shares are rallying today after the company beat quarterly results estimates and raised its profit forecast. The company has a market cap of 621.54 million.
EnteroMedics, Inc. (NASDAQ:ETRM) is up 12.61% today at $2.59. ETRM has traded 803 thousand shares so far today, well above its daily average of 48 thousand shares.ETRM shares are up this morning on positive data from its Maestro RC System. The company has a market cap of 95.57 million.
Motricity, Inc. (NASDAQ:MOTR) is up 9.31% in early trading at $1.2898. MOTR has traded 2.5 million shares so far today, nearly a million shares more than its daily average. MOTR shares had been trading relatively flat before today’s big volume spike. The company has a market cap of 62.07 million.
Complete Genomics, Inc. (NASDAQ:GNOM) is up 10.63% today at $3.33. GNOM has traded 2.1 million shares so far today, above its daily average of 1.8 million shares. GNOM shares are up more than $0.50 a share this week. The company has a market cap of 112.28 million.
Solazyme, Inc. (NASDAQ:SZYM) is up 10.55% this morning at $15.82. SZYM has traded 1.6 million shares in early trading, 4 times its daily average volume. Solazyme stock is rallying today after announcing renewable oil joint venture with Bunge Ltd to build a plant in Brazil. The company has a market cap of 962.38 million.
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