Today's stocks to watch in the news include Smith & Wesson Holding Corp (SWHC), Marinus Pharmaceuticals Inc (MRNS), and LinkedIn Corp (LNKD)
Global "Brexit" woes and sinking crude oil are
weighing on U.S. stock futures this morning. Among the equities in focus today are gun stock
Smith & Wesson Holding Corp (NASDAQ:SWHC), biotech
Marinus Pharmaceuticals Inc (NASDAQ:MRNS), and professional networking expert
LinkedIn Corp (NYSE:LNKD).
- SWHC is set to pop 7.5% at the open, as gun stocks surge pre-market following Sunday's mass shooting in Orlando. After a strong start to the year, the gun stock has cooled since March, though the 200-day moving average has contained its most recent pullback, with the shares closing Friday at $21.41. Elsewhere, Smith & Wesson Holding Corp call options have been popular, with the stock's 10-day call/put volume ratio coming in at 4.48 across the International Securities Exchange (ISE), Chicago Board Options Exchange (CBOE), and NASDAQ OMX PHLX (PHLX). Looking ahead, the arms manufacturer will report earnings Thursday night.
- MRNS is selling off in pre-market trading, down 62.5%, after the company's epilepsy treatment failed to meet its goals in a late-stage study. Marinus Pharmaceuticals Inc said it would discontinue the study as a result. Looking back, the stock was trading above $20 per share less than a year ago, but closed Friday at $5.34, and is now poised to open at a record low. This drastic move lower could spell a round of analyst downgrades, since all four brokerage firms that cover MRNS recommend buying it.
- LNKD was last seen 48% higher in electronic trading, thanks to news Microsoft Corporation (NASDAQ:MSFT) will buy the company for $196 per share in an all-cash deal valued above $26 billion. LinkedIn Corp was down 41.8% year-to-date as of Friday's close at $131.08, mostly due to its post-earnings bear gap from February. Today's pending price action comes as terrible news to recent short sellers. Specifically, short interest increased by over 12% over the past two reporting periods.
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