What's better than momentum? Mo' momentum.
Let's take a closer look at five of this past week's biggest scorchers.
Company | Dec. 23 | Weekly Gain | My Watchlist |
---|---|---|---|
Winn-Dixie Stores (Nasdaq: WINN) | $9.37 | 73% | Add |
Sunrise Senior Living (NYSE: SRZ) | $6.06 | 29% | Add |
VirnetX Holding (AMEX: VHC) | $27.35 | 29% | Add |
SandRidge Energy (NYSE: SD) | $8.57 | 27% | Add |
USG (NYSE: USG) | $10.31 | 21% | Add |
Source: Barron's.
Winn-Dixie hit the checkout line with a big fat smile. The Southeastern grocery store operator is being acquired by rival Bi-Lo in an all-cash deal. The $9.50-per-share buyout price is a healthy 75% premium to Winn-Dixie's close before the announcement was made public.
Sunrise Senior Living rose after a bullish SeekingAlpha.com article played up the retirement home operator's buyout prospects given its improving balance sheet. A story later in the week indicated that a hedge fund manager with a sizable stake in Sunrise was increasing its position.
VirnetX jumped after speculation began to build that Apple (Nasdaq: AAPL) was being denied a request to reexamine a patent held by the mobile security researcher. VirnetX went on to confirm that a patent reexamination request -- by Cisco (Nasdaq: CSCO) -- was denied by the patent office.
SandRidge Energy gained ground by losing ground. The company sold some of its acreage for a tidier sum than analysts were expecting.
Finally, there's USG. The gypsum materials specialist posted strong gains after a Commerce Report showed the strongest new housing starts data in two years. The news bodes well for USG's drywall business.
It was a great week for these five stocks. If you want to get an early read on some of tomorrow's major gainers, there's a special report on three hidden winners in a booming industry. The report is free -- like this article -- but it won't be around forever, so check it out now.