On average over the past five years, the S&P 500 has moved in the range of 0.7% on a daily basis. S&P components Prudential and Allstate have shifted in a range of 1.1% and 0.9%, respectively, on a daily basis. That's not much to help knock the sleep out of your eyes in the morning, is it? Even comparatively exciting Halliburton has only moved 1.9% per day over that time period. Boring.
Of course, I'm not going to argue with the merits of holding any of these stocks. Allstate, Prudential, and Halliburton have risen by a total of 101%, 189%, and 315%, respectively, over the past five years. And each of these stocks paid a dividend, to boot. Although keeping tabs on these stocks can feel like watching grass grow, they can make great core holdings for your portfolio.
But sometimes, even a guy like me who loves a good, stable, hearty main course for his financial feast gets the urge to add in a little jolt -- you know, a little something that'll get the blood pumping in the morning. If you find yourself in need of a little stock-market caffeination, you need look no further than the front page of The Motley Fool's CAPS investing service. Here you can find a list of the 10 stocks that are making moves sure to keep you on your toes.
Here are a few to get you started.
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Stock
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Today's Change
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CAPS Rating
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Premier Community Bancshares (Nasdaq: PREM )
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64.3%
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Needs more ratings!
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Molecular Devices (Nasdaq: MDCC )
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46.9%
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*
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Origin Agritech (Nasdaq: SEED )
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(21.5%)
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**
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Quality Distribution (Nasdaq: QLTY )
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(15.4%)
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*
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Data from Motley Fool CAPS as of Jan 29.
On the upside today, it's all about the buyouts. Premier Community Bancshares, the holding company for Marathon Bank, Rockingham Heritage Bank, and Premier Bank, announced that it has agreed to merge with United Bancshares (Nasdaq: UBSI ) . A press release from Premier noted that the merger would allow United to access new markets in Virginia. Premier was trading at $33.18 as of this writing, still below the $34 cash buyout price in the agreement. United was down 1.4%.
Similarly, the stock of Molecular Devices was soaring on news that it had agreed to be bought out by MDS (NYSE: MDZ ) , a $2.5 billion company that provides products and services in both the drug-development and diagnostic-testing markets. MDS stated in a press release that it sees the acquisition as an opportunity to expand its product line with Molecular Devices' high-content-screening and cellular and biochemical testing instruments. MDS also rose slightly on the news.
On the downside, Beijing-based Origin Agritech fell sharply when it announced its earnings for the quarter ended Sept. 30 (now the company's fiscal fourth quarter after a change to its fiscal year end). For the prior 12 months, revenue was up 76% versus a year ago, but net income decreased. The decrease in profitability was due largely to lower margins, the acquisition of as-yet-unprofitable Denong Zhengcheng Seed, professional fees related to Origin's stock listing, Sarbanes-Oxley compliance, and stock-based compensation. The company's fiscal 2007 revenue projections of $80 million to $90 million fell short of investors' high hopes, but the estimates do not take into account any potential acquisitions, which the company sees as "a vital part of Origin's growth strategy."
Quality Distribution, a bulk distributor of primarily chemical products, took its dive on an earnings update released today. In the press release, the company knocked down full-year revenue estimates by just $5 million, or less than 1%, but it cut EPS estimates for the year by nearly 20%. Additionally, the company pulled its previously released forecast for 2007. The press release cited soft demand and unexpected costs related to historical environmental remediation projects as reasons for the shortfall. Quality Distribution CEO Gerald Detter highlighted that despite the miss, the company's earnings are still expected to be up 50% versus 2005, and it is generating strong free cash flow.
Looking for more, shall we say, caliente stocks? Be sure to check back at the home page for CAPS. Meanwhile, why not let the rest of the CAPS community know what you think about these crazy movers? Don't have a CAPS portfolio yet? Fret not, grasshopper. CAPS is absolutely free and pays you back in spades with its wealth of community information. Simply follow this link.
More CAPS coverage:
When it comes to short-term trading, Fool contributor Matt Koppenheffer is less Jesse Livermore and more Uncle Jesse, though he doesn't mind a little volatility to spice up his life. He does not own shares of any of the companies mentioned. The Fool's disclosure policy is never unpredictable.
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