US HOT STOCKS: Nautilus, Schering-Plough, Timken, TransAlta-2-

Last Update: 7/21/2008 11:58:36 AM

Among the companies whose shares are actively trading in Monday’s session are
Genentech Inc. (DNA), Bank of America Corp. (BAC) and Yahoo Inc. (YHOO).

Genentech Inc. (DNA, $92.45, $10.63, 12.99%) rose following an offer by Swiss
drug maker Roche Holding AG (RHHBY, $88.10, $0.00, 0.00%) to buy the roughly 44%
stake of the biotechnology company that it doesn’t already own for $43.7 billion,
or $89 a share, an 8.8% premium to Friday’s price.

Bank of America Corp. (BAC, $29.67, $2.18, 7.93%) jumped after posting
second-quarter net income above analysts’ expectations, helping the largest U.S.
retail bank become the latest big bank to post uplifting results.

Yahoo Inc. (YHOO, $21.85, -$0.60, -2.67%): The Internet portal and activist
investor Carl Icahn reached an agreement to end their proxy battle. Icahn will be
appointed to the board and two members of his slate will stand for election, as
will eight current Yahoo directors.

ArcelorMittal SA (MT, $79.92, $1.70, 2.17%) rose after agreeing to acquire the
Concept Group, a U.S. producer of metallurgical coking coal, a key raw material
in steelmaking. Cost of the product has been surging, pressuring steelmakers.

Other Stocks In Focus

Financial stock rise on the heels of Bank of America’s better-than-expected
second-quarter results. Among the gainers were Wachovia Corp. (WB, $13.70, $0.73,
5.63%), Regions Financial Corp. (RF, $10.70, $0.59, 5.84%), Huntington Bancshares
Inc. (HBAN, $7.35, $0.32, 4.55%) and Washington Mutual Inc. (WM, $6.13, $0.21,
3.55%).

American International Group Inc. (AIG, $27.18, $2.11, 8.40%) was upgraded to buy
from neutral at Bank of America with the bank saying that as the “new CEO
deleverages, de-risks and simplifies, we see the market regaining confidence in
this franchise.”

ArthroCare Corp. (ARTC, $24.80, -$15.23, -38.05%) said it will refile results for
its last seven quarters and expects to post cuts in revenue after auditors said
the reported revenue from those periods needs to be adjusted.

Blue Coat Systems Inc. (BCSI, $15.26, $1.22, 8.69%) was upgraded to outperform
from sector perform by Pacific Crest.

California First National Bancorp (CFNB, $12.40, $3.05, 32.62%) shares jump as
the company said it will buy back 1.3 million shares, or 11.4%, of its total
outstanding shares.

Charlotte Russe Holding Inc. (CHIC, $13.21, -$3.68, -21.79%) announced the
retirement of Chief Executive Mark Hoffman as the young-women’s apparel retailer
projected fiscal third-quarter results below analysts’ expectations as the
retailer faces reduced consumer spending and a slip in same-store sales.

Fannie Mae (FNM, $15.52, $2.12, 15.82%) and Freddie Mac (FRE, $9.63, $0.45,
4.85%) rise, continuing last week’s bounce back and as the SEC’s limits on short
selling take effect.

Gibraltar Industries Inc. (ROCK, $15.13, $2.67, 21.43%) surges after analysts at
Piper Jaffray upgraded the stock to buy from neutral.

Hasbro Inc.’s (HAS, $36.44, -$1.55, -4.08%) second-quarter net income surged amid
prior-year charges as the company saw continuing success in its toys tied to
films and in its core brands.

HSBC Holdings PLC’s (HBC, $80.72, $1.77, 2.24%) shares were up after a weekend
press report said that China’s sovereign wealth fund may buy a stake in the U.K.
banking giant.

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Nautilus Inc. (NLS, $4.48, -$1.59, -26.19%) plunges as the stock was cut to hold
from buy at Wedbush Morgan.

Northern Oil & Gas Inc. (NOG, $12.00, $0.89, 8.01%) was up after announcing the
completion of three wells in the North Dakota Bakken play, bringing to 11 the
total number of producing wells in which Northern holds an interest.

Schering-Plough Corp. (SGP, $19.70, -$1.75, -8.14%) and Merck & Co. (MRK, $36.57,
-$1.11, -2.95%) postponed the release of their second-quarter results until after
the bell Monday, citing the pending update on a study that is looking at whether
their Vytorin cholesterol drug reduces heart attack risk.

Sherwin-Williams Co. (SHW, $50.54, -$3.58, -6.61%): Goldman Sachs cut its
investment rating on the stock to sell from neutral.

Southwest Bancorp. (OKSB, $13.34, $2.09, 18.58%) soars after reporting
second-quarter net income that matched analysts’ expectations.

Stanley Works (SWK, $42.78, -$2.47, -5.46%) falls after Deutsche Bank downgraded
the stock to hold from buy.

Timken Co. (TKR, $34.41, $5.73, 19.98%) raised its second-quarter and full-year
earnings outlook as strong global industrial demand continues to more than offset
weakness in North American automotive markets.

TransAlta Corp. (TAC, $36.26, $4.13, 12.85%) shareholder LS Power Equity Partners
said Monday it recently offered to acquire all of the company’s outstanding
shares for C$39 each in an all-cash transaction.

UAL Corp. (UAUA, $5.31, -$0.14, -2.57%): Moody’s Investors Service cut the credit
ratings on the company’s stock deeper into junk late Friday - and said further
cuts could be on the way as higher fuel prices choke industry margins.

UnionBanCal Corp.’s (UB, $49.02, $3.52, 7.74%) second-quarter net income fell 17%
amid significant increases in credit-loss provisions but the company boosted its
full-year earnings outlook and projected third-quarter profits above analysts’
expectations.

Weatherford International Ltd. (WFT, $39.99, -$0.69, -1.70%) was down even as the
company posted a rise in second-quarter net income on robust business by the oil
services firm.

Whole Foods Market Inc. (WFMI, $22.49, $1.11, 5.19%) was upgraded to equal weight
from underweight at Morgan Stanley.

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