Today's stocks to watch in the news include QUALCOMM, Inc. (QCOM), Anthera Pharmaceuticals Inc (ANTH), and Live Ventures Inc (LIVE)
U.S. stock futures are cautiously higher this morning, putting Dow 20,000 in play. Among specific equities in the spotlight today are digital communications stock QUALCOMM, Inc. (NASDAQ:QCOM), biotech Anthera Pharmaceuticals Inc (NASDAQ:ANTH), and mobile marketing specialist Live Ventures Inc (NASDAQ:LIVE). Here's a quick look at what's driving QCOM, ANTH, and LIVE.
- QCOM is sliding 1% ahead of the open, on news South Korean regulators have fined the company $854 million for violating competition laws. The stock will now look to hold its ground above the rising 80-day moving average, located at $66.23, which has offered support in recent weeks. QUALCOMM, Inc. closed Tuesday at $67.25, with the shares sporting a 34.5% year-to-date lead. It appears options traders are expecting more upside, too. The stock's 10-day call/put volume ratio at the International Securities Exchange (ISE), Chicago Board Options Exchange (CBOE), and NASDAQ OMX PHLX (PHLX) comes in at 2.62, topping 74% of readings from the past year.
- ANTH is set to get crushed this morning, as the stock has fallen 62.7% in pre-market trading, which could have the shares exploring record-low territory out of the gate. Causing the sell-off is news the company's cystic fibrosis drug, Sollpura, missed its primary targets in a late-stage study. At $2.01, Anthera Pharmaceuticals Inc has already lost more than half its value in 2016, and now could be in even more danger of bearish analyst attention. Specifically, all four analysts covering the stock say it's a "strong buy."
- LIVE, on the other hand, is soaring in electronic trading, adding close to 30%, as investors respond favorably to the company's 2017 sales outlook. The shares have been surging in recent weeks, more than doubling in value since early November, last seen trading at $26.09. Meanwhile, this price action is terrible news for Live Ventures Inc short sellers. In fact, short interest on the stock exploded by over 440% during the two most recent reporting periods, and now accounts for 38.4% of LIVE's float.
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