What's better than momentum? Mo' momentum. Let's take a closer look at five of this past week's biggest scorchers.
|
Company |
Dec. 28 |
Weekly Gain |
My Watchlist |
|---|---|---|---|
|
Aeterna Zentaris (AEZS) |
$2.47 |
12% |
|
|
MGIC Investment (MTG 0.25%) |
$2.59 |
11% |
|
|
Deckers Outdoor (DECK 2.69%) |
$37.92 |
10% |
|
|
Thompson Creek Metals (TCPTF) |
$4.22 |
10% |
|
|
magicJack VocalTec (CALL) |
$17.95 |
10% |
Source: Barron's.
Aeterna Zentaris was trading lower on the week until Friday, when the FDA agreed to go ahead on a special phase 3 trial design for the biotech's promising yet experimental endometrial cancer drug.
MGIC Investment inched higher on encouraging housing news. The S&P/Case-Shiller index of property values has seen a 4.3% increase over the past year, and that's the biggest year-over-year spike in more than two years. As a mortgage insurer, MGIC has less to lose on a default if the underlying value of the homes being mortgaged are increasing in value.
Deckers Outdoor stepped up after the footwear maker received a pair of encouraging analyst notes. The company's UGG boots were apparently a popular Christmastime search request. See? It's not all about tablets and smartphones this season.
Thompson Creek Metals is a producer of molybdenum. Some economists think prices for the steelmaking input will decline in the near term, given production increases, but recent strength in China, the world's largest consumer of molybdenum, is bucking that theory.
magicJack VocalTec was a winning call after the company replaced its CEO and boosted its near-term guidance. The provider of Web-based telephone services now expects that operating income will exceed $0.70 a share for the current quarter.
