Regions Financial Corp. (NYSE: RF), $7.20, +0.47, 6.98%, is one of the nation’s largest full service providers of consumer and commercial banking.  The stock has been trading today between 6.76 and 7.27, with a 52 week-high sitting at 7.60.  This past December Regions announced that it exceeded its goal of opening one million new checking accounts for consumers and small businesses in 2009.  This has helped the bank increase its deposits by $10 billion since September 2008.

Key Corp. (NYSE: KEY), $7.57, +0.61, 8.76%, is making gains today trading between 7.30 and 7.75.  Key Corp. is one of the largest bank-based financial services companies, with consolidated total assets of approximately $97 billion.  The company announced its fourth quarter financials with net loss from continuing operations of $258 million or $0.30 per share for the fourth quarter.  Net interest margin improves to 3.04%, up 24 basis points from the prior quarter, nonperforming assets decline by $289 million from the prior quarter.  Loan loss reserve increased to $2.5 billion, or 4.31% of total loans.

Health Fitness Corp. (AMEX: FIT), $8.70, +1.50, 20.83%, announced today that it has entered into a definitive merger agreement with Trustmark Mutual Holding Company in an all-cash transaction valued at approximately $97 million.  Health Fitness is a provider of health improvement services and programs to corporations, hospitals, communities and universities within Canada and the US.  The stock was trading between 7.36 and 8.825 today with heavier then usual volume.

Guiness Exploration Inc. (OTCBB: GNXP), $0.73, +0.08, 12.31%, announced earlier an addition to it Board of Directors.  Mr. Nigel Mattison joins the team having previous employment at Conrad Properties; Kuranda Resort and Spa; Russley Hotel, Christchurch; Pan Pacific Hotels and Resorts, a subsidiary of the Tokyu Corporation, Japan; ITT Sheraton; Groote Eylandt Mining Company Australia, just to name a few.  Guiness aquired mineral claims for the Mount Nansen and the Tawa gold and silver exploration properties in Yukon, Canada, and is now developing an exploration program for the properties.  Guiness is trading between 0.84 and 0.62, surpassing its 52 week-high from earlier this week of 0.70.

About Picksthatmove.com

PicksThatMove.com is an independent electronic publication that provides information on selected publicly traded companies. PicksThatMove.com is not a registered investment advisor or broker-dealer. PicksThatMove.com’s affiliates, offices, directors and employees may buy and sell shares in any company mentioned herein and may profit in the event those shares rise in value.  Please follow us on Twitter and Facebook for further investment updates.  We recommend you do your own Due Diligence before investing in any of the stocks mentioned above.

Hanmi Financial Corp (NASDAQ:HAFC) soared 31.22% up to $2.69 on news Hanmi Financial announced it will release financial results for their fourth quarter and fiscal year next Thursday before the market opens.  HAFC has market cap of about $133 million and has made gains of 120% over the last 30 days, trading well above its 52 week average. Headquartered in Los Angeles, California, Hanmi Financial Corporation is the holding company for Hanmi Bank which provides general business banking products and services in the US. The company’s services include business and personal checking accounts, savings accounts, negotiable order of withdrawal accounts, money market accounts, and certificates of deposit. Hanmi Financial serves the Korean-American community, as well as other communities in Los Angeles County, Orange County, San Bernardino County, San Diego County, the San Francisco Bay area, and the Silicon Valley area in Santa Clara County.  As of April 28, 2009, it operated a network of 27 full-service branch offices in Los Angeles, Orange, San Bernardino, San Francisco, Santa Clara, and San Diego counties; and 2 loan production offices in Virginia and Washington States.

Bank of Florida Corporation (NASDAQ:BOFL) jumped 29.46% up to $1.45 on no news. Headquartered in Naples, Florida, Bank of Florida Corporation is a holding company for Bank of Florida Southwest which offers commercial and consumer banking services in Florida. Its deposit products include interest bearing and non-interest bearing accounts, including commercial and retail checking accounts, money market accounts, individual retirement accounts, regular interest bearing statement savings accounts, and certificates of deposit.

First State Bancorp., NM (NASDAQ:FSNM) gained 22.88% up to $0.725 on no news. Based in Albuquerque, New Mexico, First State Bancorporation is the holding company for First Community Bank, offering commercial banking services to businesses, individuals, and local governments in the US. It offers a range of financial services, such as checking accounts, online banking, short and medium term loans, revolving credit facilities, inventory and accounts receivable financing, equipment financing, residential and commercial construction lending, residential mortgage loans, various savings programs, instalment and personal loans, and safe deposit services. First State Bancorp also provides commercial loans to established commercial businesses. As of July 1, 2009, it operated 40 branches located in New Mexico and Arizona.To be kept up to date on all of our hot stock information join us at Picks That Move.

About PicksThatMove.com:

PicksThatMove.com is an independent electronic publication that provides information on selected publicly traded companies.  PicksThatMove.com is not a registered investment advisor or broker-dealer.  PicksThatMove.com affiliates, officers, directors and employees may buy and sell shares in any company mentioned herein and may profit in the event those shares rise in value.  We recommend Due Diligence before investing in any stock. 

Subscribe NOW to our newsletters by clicking on the following link: http://picksthatmove.com/join-now/.   Feel free to visit our communities on Facebook and Twitter

deCODE genetics, Inc. (NASDAQ:DCGN) catapulted 195.56% to $0.266 on news the company’s latest research will be published in the Journal Nature.  The article discusses deCODE’s recent discovery of a variant in the sequence of the human genome and a key indicator of a person’s susceptibility to develop type 2 diabetes. The paper, “Parental origin of sequence variants associated with complex diseases,” is published online at www.nature.com  and will appear in the December 17th printed edition.  The finding suggests the trait when inherited from the father increases risk of type 2 diabetes by more than 30% compared to those who inherit the non disease linked trait; if inherited by the mother, the variant lowers risk by more than 10% compared to the non disease linked characteristic. Nearly one quarter of those studied have the highest risk combination of these variations, putting them at almost 50% greater lifetime risk of type 2 diabetes than the quarter with the protective maternal combination.   The company’s study on genome sequencing technology can multiply by 100 times the amount of information generated by sequencing one individual

Last month the personalized genomics company filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection with the US Bankruptcy Court for the District of Delaware and planned sell its operations assets.  deCODE is continuing to conduct business and manage its properties as a debtor-in-possession.  Iceland’s struggling economy has been the focus of great concern and was hit especially hard by the global recession and liquidity crisis, which saw the failure of the country’s three major banks Glitnir, Landsbanki and Kaupthing. Their combined debt exceeded approximately six times the nation’s gross domestic product of $19 billion.   

Analysts at PricewaterhouseCoopers published a report earlier this month naming deCODE as one few biotech firms in existence which can offer personalized medicine, a market PricewaterhouseCoopers currently estimates at  $730 million with an annual growth rate of 20%.  Based in Reykjavik, Iceland, deCODE is a biopharmaceutical company applying discoveries in human genetics to the development of drugs and diagnostics for common diseases.  Their discoveries created DNA-based diagnostic tests to detect variations in the human genome DNA which have isolated risks linked to prostate cancer, breast cancer, glaucoma, type 2 diabetes, skin cancer, lung cancer and osteoporosis.  The company currently has three drug candidates in trials for the treatment of cardiovascular diseases.

To be kept up to date on all of our hot stock information join us at Picks That Move.

About PicksThatMove.com:

PicksThatMove.com is an independent electronic publication that provides information on selected publicly traded companies.  PicksThatMove.com is not a registered investment advisor or broker-dealer.  PicksThatMove.com affiliates, officers, directors and employees may buy and sell shares in any company mentioned herein and may profit in the event those shares rise in value.  We recommend Due Diligence before investing in any stock. 

Subscribe NOW to our newsletters by clicking on the following link: http://picksthatmove.com/join-now/.   Feel free to visit our communities on Facebook and Twitter

California Micro Devices Corporation (NASDAQ: CAMD), $4.65, +1.60, 52.46%, beat its 52 week-high today of 3.32 from back in September, reaching a high 4.67.  CAMD designs and sells application specific analog semiconductor products for applications in the mobile handset, personal computer and digital consumer electronics markets.  The company announced that it signed a definitive merger agreement with ON Semiconductor where it will be acquired for $4.70 per share. 

AGR Tools Inc. (OTCBB: AGRT), $0.41, +0.03, 7.89%, is trading with gains of over 7% and heavier than usual volume.  The company announced that it has expanded its distribution network to Ontario.  AGR Tools is a major supplier of diamond tools and adhesives.  AGR plans to control a quarter of the approximately $8 billion North American diamond tool market.  Rock Rutherford, CEO, states “Our goal is 25% of the market which equates to $2 billion in sales. As our distribution network continues to grow, that goal is becoming more and more a reality every day.”

Western Capital Resources Inc. (OTCBB: NCRS), $0.45, +0.15, 50%, reached a high today of 0.60, after just this past October it touched on its 52 week-low of 0.081.  NCRS is making gains of 50% on no news.  In November NCRS released its third quarter earnings reporting increased revenue of 40% year-over-year, with total Q3 revenues of $4.57 million compared to $3.23 million last year.  The company provides retail financial services and retail cellular phone sales to individuals in the United States, and with its ‘payday’ division, offers non-recourse cash advance loans, check cashing and other money services.

US Dataworks Inc. (AMEX: UDW), $0.32, +0.06, 23.08%, is a developer of payment processing software, serving banking institutions, credit card issuers, major retailers and the United States Government.  UDW had made gains today of over 23%, on no news.  Last November the company reported on its fiscal 2010 second quarter and six months results.  Reported revenues ending September 30, 2009 were $2,087,189 compared to the same period prior year of $2,030,737.  UDW reported a gain from operations for the second quarter of $129,813 compared to $162,703 for the same period last year. 

XTO Energy Inc. (NYSE: XTO), $47.88, +6.39, 15.40%, reached the day’s high today of 49.10 with a low of 47.62, on 68 million in volume.  XTO’s shares rose over $6 as an agreement was announced that Exxon Mobil Corp.’s would acquire XTO Energy for $31 billion.  XTO Energy, is an independent oil and gas company, acquiring, developing, and exploring producing of oil and gas properties and unproved properties, also focusing in the production, processing, marketing and transportation of oil and natural gas. Its primary areas include the southwestern and central United States with international operations located in the North Sea. 

About Picksthatmove.com

PicksThatMove.com is an independent electronic publication that provides information on selected publicly traded companies. PicksThatMove.com is not a registered investment advisor or broker-dealer. PicksThatMove.com’s affiliates, offices, directors and employees may buy and sell shares in any company mentioned herein and may profit in the event those shares rise in value.  Please follow us on Twitter and Facebook for further investment updates.  We recommend you do your own Due Diligence before investing in any of the stocks mentioned above.

Citigroup Inc. said today it will pay back $20 billion in bailout money it received as part of the government’s financial rescue program.

CRM Holdings, Ltd. (NASDAQ:CRMH) jumped 36.30% up to $0.44 on no news; however last week the company responded to the New York State Workers’ Compensation Board,  who is currently suing the financial company for breach of duties and breach of good faith. Based in Hamilton, Bermuda, CRM Holdings, Ltd., through its subsidiaries, provides worker’s compensation insurance.  CRM’s main business activities include underwriting primary workers’ compensation policies, underwriting workers’ compensation reinsurance and excess insurance policies, and providing fee-based management and other services to self-insured entities. The Primary Insurance segment underwrites worker’s compensation insurance products through independent insurance brokers and agents; The Reinsurance segment includes the reinsurance of worker’s  compensation coverage written by other insurance companies and self-insured entities; The Fee-Based Management Services segment offers management services to self-insured groups for contracting, healthcare, and bank industries, this segment also acts as a broker for insurers.

Midwest Banc Holdings, Inc. (NASDAQ:MBHI) rose 18.51% up to $0.438 on no news; however it has been reported by Chicago Business News that renowned banker Harrison Steans and Cole Taylor Bank CEO Mark Hoppe have held recent merger talks with Midwest Banc Holdings Inc.  Headquartered in Melrose Park, Illinois, Midwest Banc Holdings, Inc. operates as the holding company for Midwest Bank and Trust Company, which provides a range of retail and commercial banking products and services to individual and corporate customers in Chicago.  As of December 31, 2008, it operated 27 full-service locations and 29 ATMs in the Chicago metropolitan area.

To be kept up to date on all of our hot stock information join us at Picks That Move.

About PicksThatMove.com:

PicksThatMove.com is an independent electronic publication that provides information on selected publicly traded companies.  PicksThatMove.com is not a registered investment advisor or broker-dealer.  PicksThatMove.com affiliates, officers, directors and employees may buy and sell shares in any company mentioned herein and may profit in the event those shares rise in value.  We recommend Due Diligence before investing in any stock. 

Subscribe NOW to our newsletters by clicking on the following link: http://picksthatmove.com/join-now/.   Feel free to visit our communities on Facebook and Twitter

Ico Inc. (NASDAQ : ICOC), $6.58, +2.08, 46.22%, saw its share price increase by $2.08 on volume of 5.4 million.  $6.67 was the high for the day hitting a low of $6.45.  Yesterday the company announced that it signed a definitive agreement for A. Schulman, Inc. to acquire all of their shares for $6.79, a total consideration of $105.0 million in cash and 5.1 million shares of A. Schulman common stock.    The transaction is pending approval by ICO shareholders.  Today it was announced that Levi & Korsinsky is investigating ICO’s Board of Directors for possible breaches of fiduciary duty and other violations relating for the sale transaction.  ICOC manufactures specialty resins and concentrates and provides polymer processing services. 

Almaden Minerals Ltd. (AMEX: AAU), $1.14, +0.18, 18.83%, is engaged in the business of acquisition, exploration and development of mineral properties with properties in Canada, United States and Mexico.  Almaden enjoyed higher traffic today with volume of 2.3 million reaching a high of $1.34.  The company reached an agreement with Lincoln Mining Corporation to purchase 100% Almaden’s La Bufa gold and silver property in Chihuahua, Mexico, subject to approval.  This transaction will supersede the joint venture agreement already in place that allowed Lincoln to earn a 60% interest in the La Bufa. 

MGIC Investment Corp. (NYSE: MTG), $4.63, +0.38, 8.94%, made gains today with over 8% hitting a high today of $5.139.  MGIC announced that the Office of the Commissioner of Insurance for the State of Wisconsin waived the requirement for MGIC to maintain a required level of minimum regulatory capital to write new mortgage guaranty policies.  This furthers the company’s plan to write new business along with their subsidiaries.  The waiver is valid until 2011. MGIC Investment is a provider of private mortgage insurance coverage with $216.8 billion in primary insurance.

About Picksthatmove.com

PicksThatMove.com is an independent electronic publication that provides information on selected publicly traded companies. PicksThatMove.com is not a registered investment advisor or broker-dealer. PicksThatMove.com’s affiliates, offices, directors and employees may buy and sell shares in any company mentioned herein and may profit in the event those shares rise in value.  Please follow us on Twitter and Facebook for further investment updates.  We recommend you do your own Due Diligence before investing in any of the stocks mentioned above.

Bank of Montreal (TSX: BMO), $54.16, +$0.61, 1.14%, is making gains today with over 2.7 million shares traded so far compared to yesterday’s volume of 2.8 million.   BMO, a financial institution, reported on its fourth quarter results with net income of $647 million, up $87 million or 16% from a year ago.  Revenue increased 6.3% and expenses were reduced by 2.2% from the same period last year.  Fiscal net income was reported at $1.787 million, compared to $1.978 million a year ago.  BMO also declared a quarterly dividend of $0.70 per common share for the first quarter of fiscal year 2010. 

Temex Resources Corp. (TSXV: TME), $0.25, +$0.03, 13.64%, based in Ontario, is a company in the business of acquisition, exploration and development of properties for the mining of precious metals and diamonds.  Temex is trading near its high of $0.28.  Temex announced the discovery of a number of new gold occurrences, including high grade results of 112.29 g/t and 49.75 g/t gold on the Latchford Gold Project.  Ian Campbell, President and CEO, confirmed “The results reported today are the highest gold grades yet from a bedrock source within this new trend and clearly indicate the presence of a gold-copper alteration system in a similar geological environment to the Cobalt Silver Camp just to the north.”

Mirasol Resources Ltd. (TSXV: MRZ), $1.06, +$0.39, 58.21%, has gained over 50% in its share price with 1.4 million shares trading hands, compared to yesterday’s close of 101,000.  The company reached a high today of $1.20.  Mirasol announced the partial results of its third phase of drilling from the La Negra zone at its Joaquin Project, in southern Argentina.  These results show the highest grade intercept drilled to date at Joaquin comprising 25.4 meters of 1,164 grams per tonne (g/t) silver and 0.21 g/t gold including a very high grade interval of 3.3 metres of 7,753 g/t silver and 1.17 g/t gold.

China Health Resources Inc. (OTCBB: CHRI), $0.03, +$0.016, 114.29%, is trading at gains of 114% reaching a high today of $0.04.  The company, based in China, is involved in the development, manufacture, processing, marketing, and sale of the Dahurian Angelica Root (DAR) and related products.  China Health advised earlier this month that they will be unable to meet the SEC’s deadline for filing their Q-10 report.

About Picksthatmove.com

PicksThatMove.com is an independent electronic publication that provides information on selected publicly traded companies. PicksThatMove.com is not a registered investment advisor or broker-dealer. PicksThatMove.com’s affiliates, offices, directors and employees may buy and sell shares in any company mentioned herein and may profit in the event those shares rise in value.  Please follow us on Twitter and Facebook for further investment updates.  We recommend you do your own Due Diligence before investing in any of the stocks mentioned above.

Short selling is selling a security you don’t have first, and buying it later. In essence you are loaned the security at the time of the transaction, so that you may sell it on the open marketplace with the intention of buying identical stock at a later date to return to the lender – usually your broker.

The short seller seeks to profit from a decline in the price of the assets between the sale and the repurchase, paying less to buy the assets than he received selling them. Conversely, the short seller will suffer a loss if the price of the assets rises.  Shorting can also refer to an agreement under which an investor profits from a drop in the value of an asset.

For example if you barrow 10 000 shares of XYZ and sell them at $10 per unit.  If the price drops to $8, you buy the shares back and return them to your lender.  You sold stock at $10 per unit and bought them back for $8, netting a profit of $2 per share.  The same return if you would have purchased them for $8 on the first place selling it for $10 later; however if you barrow 10 000 shares of company ABC and sell them for $10 and if the price jumps to $12 and you cover the loss and buy them back paying $12, you’ve lost $2 per share.

Shorting opportunities can be risky but effective to hedge your portfolio and prosper during a bearish trend. 

At the height of the global economic crisis in September 2008 short selling was prohibited by the SEC for 799 financial companies in the US for three weeks in order to alleviate severe market instability.  Similar measures were adopted in the UK, Spain and Australia.

At Picks That Move, we want to provide investors with some general guidance in penny stocks trading.
Do you want to be well informed and never miss opportunities like these?  Subscribe NOW to our newsletters by clicking on the following link: http://picksthatmove.com/join-now.  Feel free to visit our communities on Facebook and Twitter

American International Group Inc. (NYSE: AIG), $37.74, +$1.56, 4.31%, offers a range of insurance and insurance related-activities in and outside the United States.  The company is making gains today, with trading up $1.56.  Earlier this month, AIG announced that it has been profitable for the second quarter in a row, with Q3 financials revealing a net income available to common shareholders of $92 million, compared to a loss of $24.7 billion during the same quarter last year.  Complete disclosure is posted on the company’s website.

JA Solar Holdings Company Ltd. (NASDAQ: JASO), $4.18, +$0.06, 1.46%, reached a high today of $4.54 today and is presently trading with a volume of over 14.5 million.  JA Solar released its third quarter financial results.  The company reports a revenue of USD $193.3 million, which is a significant increase of 119.6% from its second quarter revenue of $88.0 million, but overall a 37.8% decrease from $310.7 million from the third quarter last year.  Total shipments in Q3 were a record 177megawatts, compared to Q2 of 77megawatts, representing a growth of 129.9%.  JA Solar’s Chairman and CEO, Baofang Jin stated “We are pleased to report the highest quarterly shipments in our company’s history, with increasing demand for our products worldwide.”  JA Solar is a China-based manufacturer of high performance solar cells.

Sinovac Biotech Ltd. (AMEX: SVA), $8.35, +$0.15, 1.83%, conducts business in China, through its subsidiaries, Sinovac Beijing, Tangshan Yian and Sinovac Hong Kong.  Sinovac is a biopharmaceutical company focusing on research, development, manufacturing and commercialization of vaccines which protect against human infectious diseases.  Sinovac will hold a conference call on November 16^th to review the company’s financials and update on recent corporate developments.  Also, as of November 16^th, the SVA symbol will begin trading on the NASDAQ.  Bob McCooey, SVP and Head of Global Listing of NASDAQ OMX Group confirmed that “NASDAQ is the home of innovative biotech and healthcare companies and we are proud to welcome Sinovac, a pioneer in Chinese biotech and engineer of China’s homegrown H1N1 vaccine,”.  SVA is presently trading above its volume of yesterday and at a $0.15 share price increase.

Fresh Harvest Products Inc. (OTCBB:  FRHV), $0.007, +$0.005, 250.00%, is making gains today on no news.  The company is presently trading at a volume of 6.8 million which is truly remarkable compared to yesterday’s close of 500 shares traded. Fresh Harvest, established in 2003, is in the organic food business with its own line of organic coffees, salsas, snack bars and olive oils.  The company develops sells and markets its products through local, regional and national supermarkets and retailers, distributors, brokers, wholesalers and an online Web-store.

Royal Bank of Canada (TSX: RY), $56.70, +$0.26, 0.46%, hit a high of $57.00 today and is presently up $0.21 going into the afternoon.  Royal Bank announced today that it will release its fourth quarter and fiscal 2009 financial results on December 4, 2009.   The results are expected to be released around 6:00 a.m. (EST), followed by a conference call with RY’s executives, at 8:00 a.m.  Royal Bank is one of the largest financial institutions in Canada.  

Calgary, Alberta - PicksThatMove.com opines promising trading opportunities with likely potential for gain. The companies we follow have favourable revenue models for business development at upward cycles.  Please visit us at PicksThatMove.com to view more of our profiled stocks.

Magnum Hunter Stock Jumps On Commitment For Credit Of $150M By BMO

The hot stock information of the day includes:   MHR, CACB

Magnum Hunter Resources Corporation (Public, AMEX:MHR) gained 18.93% to close at $2.01 on news the company has received a commitment for a $150 million three-year term senior secured revolving credit facility provided by the Bank of Montreal (”BMO”).  Headquartered in Houston, Texas, Magnum Hunter Resources Corporation is an independent exploration and production company, which acquires, drills, and recovers crude oil and natural gas from resource properties and prospects in the US.  The company’s portfolio includes 38,000 acres in Texas at the Cinco Terry Prospect; 15,000 acres in North Dakota with more than 160 drilled and producing wells; 7,000 net acres in the Surprise Prospect in Nacogdoches County, Texas; 714 acres and 3 producing wells at the Cameron Parish Prospect in Louisiana; 240 gross acres at the Allen Parish Prospect in Louisiana; 90, 000 acres at the Chama Basin Prospect in New Mexico; and 72, 000 acres at the Boomerang Prospect in Kentucky.

Cascade Bancorp (NASDAQ:CACB) jumped 36.70% to close at $1.23 on no news.  Headquartered in Bend, Oregon, Cascade Bancorp operates as the holding company for Bank of the Cascades.  The financial institution provides commercial and retail banking services.  Cascade conducts business in primarily two segments: deposits and loans. The deposit products offer checking, savings, money market, and time deposit accounts; and its loan portfolio includes commercial real estate loans, real estate construction and development loans, commercial and industrial loans, and residential mortgage loans, as well as consumer installment, line-of-credit, credit card, and home equity loans.

To be kept up to date on all of our hot stock information join us at Picks That Move.

About PicksThatMove.com:

PicksThatMove.com is an independent electronic publication that provides information on selected publicly traded companies.  PicksThatMove.com is not a registered investment advisor or broker-dealer.  PicksThatMove.com affiliates, officers, directors and employees may buy and sell shares in any company mentioned herein and may profit in the event those shares rise in value.  We recommend Due Diligence before investing in any stock.