Movers & Shakers: Thursday’s biggest gaining and declining stocks

Feb.21, 2008 in Market Outlook

Ameristar, ChoicePoint, Hornbeck, Icon, Netease

By MarketWatch

Last Update: 7:00 AM ET Feb 21, 2008

TEL AVIV (MarketWatch) — Among the companies whose shares are expected to see
active trade in Thursday’s session are the bond insurers, Ameristar, Analog
Devices, ChoicePoint, Hornbeck, Icon, Netease, Psychiatric Solutions, Research in
Motion, and Reed Elsevier

American Railcar Industries Inc., (ARII) the St. Charles, Mo., railcar producer,
reported fourth-quarter earnings rose 28% on 2.1% lower revenue and said it
agreed to cooperate with Amtek to produce and sell railcars in India and
Southeast Asia.

Ameristar Casinos Inc. (ASCA) reported fourth-quarter net income of $8.2 million,
or 14 cents a share, down from $17.8 million, or 31 cents a share, in the
year-earlier period. Earnings for the latests quarter reflect 8 cents a share in
impairment loss and pre-opening and acquisition-related expenses, the gambling
company said. Revenue totaled $302.8 million, up from $244 million. Analysts
polled by FactSet Research had estimated earnings of 19 cents a share on revenue
of $304.1 million.

Analog Devices Inc.’s (ADI) fiscal first-quarter net income more than doubled to
$370.7 million, or $1.22 a share, due to gains from the sale of two businesses.
Earnings from continuing operations were 40 cents, compared with 45 cents a share
in the year-earlier period. The semiconductor company’s revenue declined to
$613.9 million from $626.3 million. Looking ahead, the company predicts fiscal
second-quarter earnings from continuing operations of 39 cents to 42 cents a
share on revenue of $615 million to $640 million.

ArcelorMittal, (MT) the world’s largest steelmaker, said it would raise prices of
flat-carbon-steel products in Europe by 40 euros a ton, citing what Chief
Executive Christophe Cornier called “unprecedented” raw-material costs. The price
increases are effective immediately for new second-quarter business, MT said. The
price rises follow the company’s settling its 2008 iron-ore contracts. In a
previous round of price increases, ArcelorMittal had said it might need yet
higher pricing after the contracts were set.

Ballard Power Systems, (BLDP)(CA:BLD) the Vancouver producer of hydrogen fuel
cells, narrowed its fourth-quarter net loss as sales rose 22%. The loss was
US$15.9 million, or US$0.14 a share, compared with $128.7 million, or $1.13, in
the year-earlier period. The loss from continuing operations widened to 14 cents
a share from 12 cents. Revenue reached $20 million from $16.5 million. The
company said it expects a first-quarter gain of $100 million on the sale of
certain automotive-fuel-cell assetes to Daimler AG (DAI) and Ford Motor Co. (F)
That deal closed Jan. 31. The company estimated that 2008 revenue would rise as
much as 15% from 2007, to a range of $65 million to $75 million.

Bond insurers: MBIA Inc. (MBI) said that a new proposal from hedge-fund manager
Bill Ackman to restructure financial guarantors is designed to boost negative
bets against MBIA and rival Ambac Financial (ABK).

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