[R]3:00PM NY, U.S. Market Movers[/R]
Several international deals involving companies in India, telecom, aluminum, pharmaceuticals and home supply drove averages sideways.

Cytyc Corp. (CYTC: chart) agreed to buy Adeza Biomedical Corp (ADZA: chart) for about $450 million to expand company’s women''s healthcare portfolio. Shares of Adeza rose 53%, touching a new year-high of $23.78 in early morning trade on the Nasdaq. It was the second biggest percentage gainer on the exchange.

Apogee Enterprises (APOG: chart), glass product maker raised its fiscal 2007 earnings forecast, citing stronger performance to date in its fourth quarter. Shares of the company touched a year-high of $21.85 or 10.3%. The company expects earnings of $1.04 to $1.10 per share, compared with its previous view of 98 cents to $1.04. Revenue will be near the top of the prior range of 12% to 15% growth, the company said.

Asta Funding Inc. ((ASFI.)), a consumer receivables asset management company, said it agreed to buy a $6.9 billion portfolio, consisting mainly of credit card accounts, for $300 million. Shares were up 10%.

Brush Wellman (BW: chart) reported strong fourth-quarter earnings on higher demand across a majority of its key markets, driving company’s shares 26.7% higher. For the fourth quarter, the company reported net income of $30.3 million, or $1.48 per share, compared with $4.1 million, or 21 cents per share, a year ago. Sales of the company climbed 48% to $207.8 million.

YouTube, the popular online video sharing site owned by Google Inc. (GOOG: chart) has signed a deal with Digital Music Group Inc. (DMGI: chart) to offer such 1960s U.S. television programs as """"I Spy"""" and """"My Favorite Martian"""". Digital Music said the deal also includes an agreement to allow certain music, for which it controls the rights, to be used in users'' videos uploaded to YouTube. Digital Music owns publishing or distribution rights to over 40,000 music recordings and over 4,000 hours of video content including television shows and films. Shares climbed 31.6%.

LCA-Vision Inc. (LCAV: chart), an operator of laser vision correction centers, said that its fourth-quarter profit rose 8% as the company performed more procedures, resulting in strong revenue growth. LCA shares jumped $7.26, or 18.8%, to $45.97 on the Nasdaq. Shares have traded between $29.90 and $58.25 over the past 52 weeks. Net income grew to $7.1 million, or 34 cents per share, compared with $6.6 million, or 30 cents per share, in the year-ago period. Revenue climbed 26% to $58.8 million from $46.8 million last year, as procedure volume increased by 23%. Same-store revenue, or revenue at centers open at least 12 months, grew by 10%.

Medifast Inc. (MED: chart) shares rose when the diet and nutrition products and services company forecast sharply higher revenue for full-year 2006 above previous guidance. For the year ended Dec. 31 the company put revenue at $73.5 million, up 83% from $40.1 million in 2005. The company previously forecast revenue between $70 million to $72 million. Shares rose $1.33, or 17%, to $9.10.

Onyx Pharmaceuticals (ONXX: chart) said it plans to seek approval this year to market kidney cancer drug Nexavar to patients with advanced liver cancer, after a study showed it prolongs their lives. The shares of Onyx, a U.S. biotechnology company that has a 50/50 partnership with Germany''s Bayer Holding AG to develop and sell the medicine, almost doubled on the news. Bayer, a far larger company with an array of marketed products, was little changed. Shares soared 100.2%.

Zoltek Cos. (ZOLT: chart) engages in the development, manufacture, and marketing of carbon fibers for various applications, shares rose 9.6% after the company reported a first-quarter net loss of $5.66 million, or 23 cents per share compared with the same quarter last year, the company posted net earnings of $6.29 million, or 3 cents per share. The quarter included a charge of $8.4 million related to convertible debt and warrant issuances. Revenue climbed to $30.3 million versus $15.6 million in the same quarter a year ago.

Administaff (ASF: chart) cut its growth forecast, citing cancellations by mid-sized customers and higher benefits costs, sending its shares down 18%. Administaff also reported a 22% increase in fourth-quarter profit to $13.4 million, or 47 cents per share, compared with $10.9 million, or 39 cents per share, a year earlier. It cited demand from small business owners, said it would increase its stock buyback and accelerate new office openings this year. Revenue rose 15% to $353 million, compared with Wall Street forecasts for sales of $358 million.

Chindex International Inc. (CHDX: chart), provides health care products and services in China, reported a third-quarter net profit of $679,000, or 9 cents per share compared with the same quarter last year, when the company posted a net loss of $463,000, or 7 cents per share. Revenue rose to $30.3 million versus $22.6 million in the same quarter a year earlier. Shares went down 15.8%.

[R]1:00PM European markets closed lower, despite merger activity.[/R]
European stocks closed lower on Monday, as companies in the construction sector declined, offsetting gains from mobile telecom giant Vodafone Group. France''s Saint Gobain and Britain''s Hanson dropped more than 1% amid interest-rate worries. Shares in mobile operator Vodafone Group rose 1.3% after the company agreed to buy a 67% stake in India''s Hutchison Essar for $11.1 billion. Another merger-inspired gainer was U.K.-headquartered tour operator MyTravel Group which rose 29% after MyTravel and KarstadtQuelle-owned Thomas Cook agreed to merge to form an international leisure travel company. KarstadtQuelle shares rose 4.2%, while TUI declined 1.4% as investors weighed up the potential impact of the deal on the German travel operator. First Choice Holidays dropped 13.5% in London as talks to sell its mainstream holiday business had been called off. Again on the M&A front, German chipmaker Infineon Technologies rose 1.3% on news it had been approached by at least three private-equity groups in the last six months. In Italy, Tenaris slipped 1.1% after agreeing to buy Hydril for more than $2 billion. The German DAX 30 index slipped 0.8% at 6,859.45, the French CAC-40 dropped 0.9% at 5,643.95, and the U.K. FTSE 100 fell 0.5% at 6,353.50.

Crude oil prices declined below $59 on expectations that the OPEC will not cut production. Light, sweet crude March delivery fell $1.30 to $58.59 a barrel. Heating oil slipped 5 cents to $1.6785, while gasoline fell 3 cents to $1.5795. Natural gas dropped 42 cents to $7.409 per 1,000 cubic feet. London Brent lost $1.47 to $57. The U.S. dollar traded higher against its major currency rivals. The euro was quoted at $1.2956, down from $1.3006. The dollar bought 121.83 yen, up from 121.64. The British pound was quoted at $1.9467, down from $1.9503. European gold prices lost ground. In London, gold traded at $661.20 per troy ounce, down from $663.30. In Zurich, the precious metal traded at $661.85 per ounce, down from $661.95. Silver closed at $13.55, down from $13.82.


[R]11:30AM U.S. stock markets extended losses amid collapsed merger deals.[/R]
U.S. stock markets continued to post losses amid disappointment over the collapse of several acquisition deals and cautiousness ahead of key economic data. Bristol Myers (BMY: chart) dropped 5% on news that Sanofi-Aventis (SNY: chart) ended deal talks amid a disagreement over price. Another disappointment came from Nasdaq Stock Market (NDAQ: chart) which slipped 5.4% as its shareholders refused to support its planned takeover of the London Stock Exchange. At the same time, Four Seasons Hotels (FS: chart) dropped 3% after it agreed to be taken private by Cascade Investment, Kingdom Hotels and Isadore Sharp for $3.8 billion, or $82 a share in cash. On the positive side, the UK''s Vodafone (VOD: chart) rose 2.4% after it agreed to buy Hutchison Telecom International Ltd.''s (HTX: chart) 67% stake in Indian mobile operator Hutchison Essar for $11 billion, including the assumption of $2 billion in debt. Further in deal news, Aluminum producer Novelis Inc. (NVL: chart) jumped 13.7% after it agreed to be bought by India''s Hindalco Industries Ltd.

Losses posted by American Express Co. (AXP: chart), Intel Corp (INTC: chart) and United Technologies Corp. (UTX: chart) weighed on the Dow. Another drag on the blue-chip average was Walt Disney Co. (DIS: chart) which fell 1.2% although CIBC upgraded the stock to sector performer from underperform, and raised its price target on the stock to $40 from $35. Exxon Mobil Corp. (XOM: chart) also weighed, losing 0.6% on falling oil prices. Some support to the Dow was provided by shares of Home Depot Inc. (HD: chart), which rose 1.3% after the company said it is evaluating strategic alternatives for its HD Supply business, including a possible sale, spinoff or IPO. In the tech sector, Apple (AAPL: chart) rose 1.4% after Citigroup upgraded the stock to buy from hold, while Adobe Systems Inc. (ADBE: chart) rose 1.2% after Oppenheimer upgraded the stock to buy from neutral. However, heavy losses for Cisco Systems Inc. (CSCO: chart) and Applied Materials Inc. (AMAT: chart) weighed on the tech-heavy Nasdaq. In late morning trading, the Dow Jones industrial average fell 4.57, or 0.04%, to 12,576.26. The Standard & Poor''s 500 index was down 2.11, or 0.15%, at 1,435.95 and the Nasdaq composite index retreated 7.20, or 0.29%, to 2,452.62. Bonds barely budged ahead of economic data due out this week, with the yield on the benchmark 10-year Treasury note unchanged from Friday at 4.78%.


[R]9:45AM U.S. stocks opened mixed amid disappointing deal news.[/R]
U.S. stocks opened narrowly mixed on Monday, as an upgrade of Apple failed to offset disappointing deal news and uncertainty ahead of key economic data due out later this week. Tech shares were supported by Apple (AAPL: chart) which rose 1.3% after Citigroup upgraded the stock to buy from hold on expectations the company would benefit from several key products and lower prices. The Dow got a lift from 1.7% gain for Home Depot Inc. (HD: chart) after the company said it is evaluating strategic alternatives for its HD Supply business.

In deal news, two anticipated merger deals seemed to be on the verge of falling apart. Bristol-Myers Squibb (BMY: chart) fell 4% following a report that Sanofi-Aventis (SNY: chart) ended merger talks with the U.S. pharmaceutical group. The Nasdaq Stock Market (NDAQ: chart) fell 1.6% after saying over the weekend that shareholders did not approve its bid to acquire the London Stock Exchange. On the other hand, the UK''s Vodafone (VOD: chart) rose 2.4% after it agreed to pay $11 billion for Hutchison Telecom International Ltd.''s (HTX: chart) 67% stake in Indian mobile operator Hutchison Essar. Four Seasons Hotels (FS: chart) dropped 3% after it agreed to be taken private by Cascade Investment, Kingdom Hotels and Isadore Sharp for $3.8 billion, or $82 a share in cash.