2:30PM NY, U.S. Market Movers

Abercrombie & Fitch Co. (ANF: chart) said its same-store sales grew 7% in March, easily beating analysts'' expectations. Year-to-date, same-store sales are up 1%, while total sales are ahead 20% to $537.8 million from $449.5 million. Shares climbed 5.05%.

Chico''s FAS Inc. (CHS: chart) reported that its March sales number for the five-week period ended April 7, 2007, increased 22% to $191.2 million from $156.8 million reported for the five-week period ended April 1, 2006. Shares climbed 5.20%.

Pacific Sunwear (PSUN: chart) sales surged 14.1%. Wall Street expected a 3.4% rise. Shares climbed 5.73%.

Advanced Magnetics Inc. (AMAG: chart) reported positive results from two additional late-stage trials of its intravenous iron-replacement therapy in patients with chronic kidney disease. Shares of the company rose 9%.

Apogee Enterprises (APOG: chart), designer and maker of glass for windows, said its fourth-quarter net income increased 81% to $9.68 million, or 34 cents per shares compared with $5.35 million, or 19 cents per share a year earlier. Revenue climbed 17% to $206.2 million versus $175.6 million in the same period a year earlier. For fiscal 2008 the company expects revenue to grow 9% to 12%. The company raised its 2008 continuing operations per-share earnings guidance to a range of $1.27 to $1.37 from a range of $1.20 to $1.30. Shares climbed 10.9%.

ClickSoftware Technologies (CKSW: chart) said it''s signed an agreement with an undisclosed document management company. Shares climbed 13.6%.

Collegiate Pacific Inc. (BOO: chart) forecast third-quarter revenue that was in line with analysts'' estimates. For the period, the company said it expects revenue of about $63 million. Shares of the company rose 12.9%.

Fastenal Co. (FAST: chart), which operates stores that sell industrial and construction supplies, said its fiscal first-quarter profit rose 13% on an equal increase in revenue. For the quarter Fastenal earned $54 million, or 36 cents per share, compared with $47.9 million, or 32 cents per share, for the same quarter in 2006. Revenue increased 13% to $489.2 million versus $431.7 million in the year-ago period. Shares climbed 10.2%.

Mobius Management Systems Inc. (MOBI: chart) agreed to be acquired by Allen Systems Group Inc., an enterprise software provider, for $10.05 a share in cash. The company said upon completion of the transaction, it will be a unit of ASG. The transaction is expected to close in the second or third calendar quarter. Mobius said it expects a fiscal third-quarter loss of 8 to 10 cents per share on revenue of $18.7 million to $19.2 million. Shares jumped 31.5%.

Mothers Work Inc. (MWRK: chart) said sales at its stores open at least a year rose 3.6% in March, driven by an extra Saturday and the earlier timing of Easter. The company said March net sales rose 4.2% to $59.1 million due to an increase in same-store sales, and increased sales from its licensed relationship and marketing partnerships. Second-quarter net sales fell 0.5% to $143.9 million, as sales were hurt by significantly colder weather than last year in January and February, which hurt early sales of Spring merchandise. Shares climbed 9.6%.

United Retail Group Inc. (URGI: chart), specialty retailer of large-size women''s fashions, said that its same-store sales climbed 11% in March due to a shift in the Easter holiday and a variety of merchandise. Shares climbed 6.8%.

American Oil & Gas Inc. (AEZ: chart) said it will raise about $28.5 million in gross proceeds through offering about 6 million common shares. The oil and natural gas company said it would use the net proceeds of about $27 million to fund its drilling program and for general corporate purposes. Shares fell 12.5%.

ECtel Ltd. (ECTX: chart) plunged 28.9% after it warned that first-quarter revenue would be well below expectations. The company sees revenue of $3.4 million to $3.6 million. The company said that revenue was lower than its internal work plan following both a delay in the receipt of previously anticipated orders and a delay in receiving acceptance for certain customer projects that are part of our backlog.

Nitches Inc. (NICH: chart), apparel company, recorded a second-quarter net loss of $511,000, or 10 cents per share, compared with net earnings of $45,000, or a penny per share, in the same period a year earlier. Revenue climbed to $14.3 million against $12.3 million in the same period a year ago. In the latest quarter the company had unfilled customer orders of $28.1 million, compared with $22.4 million at the same time last year.


1:00AM NY, 5:00 PM Frankfurt European stocks closed little changed.
European stock markets finished slightly lower on Thursday amid weakness in the shares of automakers Renault and DaimlerChrysler, pressured by higher oil prices. Merger news, involving food group Nestle and Nordic exchange operator OMX, failed to lift sentiment. European Central Bank provided some relief by leaving interest rates unchanged. Shares of Renault fell 0.8% after it said that vehicle sales declined 5.6% in March. DaimlerChrysler slipped 1.2% after WestLB disclosed that it holds 14% stake in the company for trading purposes and expects to cut this stake to below 3%.

In merger-and-acquisition news, Nordic stock-exchange operator OMX climbed 10% in Stockholm after it said that it''s in exploratory talks with several exchanges regarding possible forms of cooperation. In other deal news, Nestle, the world''s largest food company, slipped 1.1% after it agreed to buy the U.S. Gerber baby-food business from Swiss drug maker Novartis AG for $5.5 billion in cash. In the telecom sector, shares of Spanish carrier Telefonica lost 0.7% amid reports that it could launch a counterbid for the stake in Telecom Italia held by Pirelli''s holding company Olimpia. The U.K.''s FTSE 100 closed virtually flat at 6,416.40, while the German DAX 30 declined 0.1% at 7,142.95 and the French CAC-40 slipped 0.1% at 5,748.94.


11:30AM U.S. market averages rebounded on bargain hunting.
U.S. stocks reversed from early losses, as investors turned to bargain hunting, looking past warnings of lighter retail sales in April, losses for Research in Motion and rising oil prices. The major averages benefited from significant strength among biotechnology, housing and chemical stocks. A leading gainer among biotech stocks and on the Nasdaq was MedImmune (MEDI: chart) which surged 12% on news that it is considering a sale of the company. The Dow Jones Industrial was led higher by gains in Honeywell Inc. (HON: chart), up 1.1%, Pfizer Inc. (PFE: chart), up 1.2% and Dupont (DD: chart), up 1%.