BUZZ-U.S. STOCKS ON THE MOVE-Teladoc, Comstock, Peabody, WPCS
(For faster updates on individual market-movers, Eikon users please use search string "STXBZ US"; for the Day Ahead newsletter, http://link.reuters.com/mex49s; for the Morning News Call newsletter, http://link.reuters.com/nex49s) U.S. stocks shed some of their gains on Wednesday after euro zone finance ministers put off further bailout talks until after Sunday's referendum in Greece. The Dow Jones industrial average was up 0.58 percent at 17,722.19, the S&P 500 was up 0.53 percent at 2,074.08 and the Nasdaq Composite was up 0.44 percent at 5,008.939.
** CHUBB CORP, $121.73, +27.95 pct
** ACE LTD, $102.52, +0.83 pct
Swiss insurance giant ACE will buy upmarket property insurer Chubb for $28.3 billion to get access to wealthy clients who pay higher premiums at a time when fierce competition has cut deeply into the industry's profit margins.
** BIOCEPT INC (NasdaqCM: BIOC - news) , $2.7001, +5.89 pct
The medical test maker launched a new blood test that could identify patients who would respond to breast and lung cancer treatments.
** TELADOC INC, $31.35, +65.00 pct
Shares (Berlin: DI6.BE - news) of the company, which provides on-demand medical consultation via mobile, Internet video or telephone, rose more than 60 percent in its debut.
** CALAMP CORP (NasdaqGS: CAMP - news) , $20.1, +10.08 pct
The wireless device maker reported a better-than-expected quarterly profit, helped by higher sales from its wireless datacom business.
** CHAMBERS STREET PROPERTIES (NYSE: CSG - news) , $7.32, -7.92 pct
** GRAMERCY PROPERTY TRUST INC, $22.595, -3.32 pct
Chambers Street Properties said it would merge with Gramercy Property Trust to create the largest U.S. industrial and office net lease real estate investment trust.
The offer of $25.36 per share represents a premium of 8.5 percent to Gramercy's Tuesday close.
** COMSTOCK RESOURCES INC (NYSE: CRK - news) , $2.89, -13.21 pct
The company said it would sell its oil and gas properties in and around Burleson County in Texas for about $115 million to a private company. The company also cut its production forecast for the year.
** PEABODY ENERGY CORP, $1.75, -20.09 pct
The coal miner said on Tuesday that it expected adjusted EBITDA and adjusted earnings per share for the June-ended quarter to be below its forecast.
** PIONEER ENERGY SERVICES (NYSE: PES - news) , $5.55, -12.46 pct
** GOODRICH PETROLEUM (NYSE: GDP - news) , $1.64, -11.83 pct
** APPROACH RESOURCES INC (NasdaqGS: AREX - news) , $6.26, -8.61 pct
** PACIFIC DRILLING, $2.6, -7.14 pct
** BASIC ENERGY SERVICES (NYSE: BAS - news) , $6.99, -7.42 pct
** SEVENTY SEVEN ENERGY (NYSE: SSE - news) , $4.05, -5.59 pct
** GULFMARK OFFSHORE INC (NYSE: GLF - news) , $10.65, -8.19 pct
** ULTRA PETROLEUM CORP (NYSE: UPL - news) , $11.75, -6.15 pct
** REX ENERGY CORP (Other OTC: RXNRP - news) , $5.28, -5.55 pct
Shares of oil and gas producers, contract drillers and services providers were down. Oil prices fell after Greece defaulted on an IMF payment, while U.S. and OPEC production hit new highs.
** CHESAPEAKE ENERGY CORP, $10.65, -4.66 pct
FourPoint Energy LLC, a private exploration and production company, said it would buy oil and gas assets from units of Chesapeake Energy (Other OTC: CHKDP - news) for $840 million to increase its footprint in the Western Anadarko basin in Oklahoma.
** ROCK CREEK PHARMACEUTICALS INC (NasdaqCM: RCPI - news) , $1.74, +14.47 pct
The drug developer reported promising data from a human proof-of-principle study on its experimental anti-inflammatory drug anatabine citrate.
** BASSETT FURNITURE INDUSTRIES INC, $33.82, +19.04 pct
The furniture maker's second-quarter sales jumped 31 percent, helped by Zenith Freight Lines, which it acquired in the first quarter.
** AEROVIRONMENT INC (NasdaqGS: AVAV - news) , $28.8, +10.43 pct
The drone maker reported higher-than-expected fourth-quarter profit and revenue, helped by a 31 percent rise in unmanned aircraft systems sales.
** TRIMAS CORP, $24.92, +5.68 pct
** HORIZON GLOBAL CORP, $14.68, -2.46 pct
TriMas completed the spinoff of its Cequent business, which makes towing, trailer, cargo management and related accessory products.
Shares of the new company, Horizon Global, were down in the first day of trading.
** INTERCONTINENTAL HOTELS GROUP PLC, $41.21, +1.85 pct
MKM Partners raised its rating on the stock to "buy" from "neutral" and price target to $50 from $45, saying the company is a likely participant in industry consolidation, including M&A.
** ATLANTIC POWER CORP, $3.23, +4.87 pct
CEO Moore James J Jr bought 20,000 shares of the Canadian power producer at $3.09 per share on Tuesday, according to regulatory filing (http://bit.ly/1Nx58m1).
The purchase price represents 2.8 pct discount to the stock's Monday close.
** RADA ELECTRONIC INDUSTRIES LTD (NasdaqCM: RADA - news) , $2.02, +4.66 pct
The Israel-based defense contractor got a contract valued at $1.5 million from another Israeli defense contractor to upgrade previously designed unmanned aerial vehicle avionics unit and supply more production units.
** WPCS INTERNATIONAL INC >, $2.86, +85.71 pct
The communications infrastructure provider said it received new contracts valued at $3.6 million in first two months of fiscal year 2016.
** NOVOGEN LTD, $4.7225, +17.48 pct
H.C. Wainwright initiated coverage on the stock with a "buy" rating and target price of $8.50. With a cost-conscious management and three clinic-ready, large market potential products, Novogen is an attractive investment, the brokerage said.
** CONSTELLATION BRANDS INC (NYSE: STZ - news) , $117.205, +1.02 pct
The company reported a better-than-expected quarterly profit, helped by higher sales of its Corona and Modelo beers, and said it would buy the Meiomi wine brand for about $315 million.
** TETRALOGIC PHARMACEUTICALS CORP, $2.75, +17.52 pct
The drug developer said patients given its experimental drug birinapant in combination with azacitidine showed complete response to treatment in mid-stage study.
** XENON PHARMACEUTICALS INC (NasdaqGM: XENE - news) , $9.42, -18.30 pct
The drug developer said two strengths of its experimental ointment for pain did not significantly reduce pain in patients suffering from osteoarthritis.
** BALLARD POWER SYSTEMS INC (Toronto: BLD.TO - news) , $1.65, -21.05 pct
The Canadian fuel cell products maker announced an offering of 8.1 million of its U.S.-listed shares at $1.60 per share, a 23.5 percent discount to the stock's Tuesday close.
The offering size represents 6 percent of the company's outstanding shares as of May 13, according to Thomson Reuters data.
** PATTERSON COS INC, $49.285, +1.31 pct
The medical device supplier said it would sell its business that makes products that assist in a patient's recovery to private equity firm Madison Dearborn Partners for $715 million.
** VALLEY NATIONAL BANCORP (Other OTC: VLNBP - news) , $10.46, +1.45 pct
JP Morgan raised its rating on the bank's stock to "neutral", according to Theflyonthewall.com.
** AXCELIS TECHNOLOGIES INC (NasdaqGS: ACLS - news) , $3.03, +2.36 pct
Benchmark Co started coverage of the company's stock with a "buy" rating. Analyst Mark Miller expects the company to post a profit this year and the next after three straight years of losses.
** MELCO CROWN ENTERTAINMENT, $20.425, +4.05 pct
** LAS VEGAS SANDS (Xetra: A0B8S2 - news) , $54.05, +2.82 pct
** WYNN RESORTS LTD (NasdaqGS: WYNN - news) , $103.95, +5.35 pct
Casino stocks rose for a second straight day following a better-than-expected showing for monthly gaming revenue in Macau.
Macau's gaming revenue dropped slightly less than the 39-40 percent analysts had forecast though it still suffered its 12th straight monthly decline.
** AMYRIS INC (NasdaqGS: AMRS - news) , $1.8, -7.69 pct
The renewable chemicals and fuels company said on Tuesday it had reached a deal with Total SA (Paris: FR0000120271 - news) . Total (Swiss: FP.SW - news) will own 75 percent of the JV after the restructuring.
(Compiled By Manya Venkatesh in Bengaluru; Editing by Simon Jennings)