Merck and Pfizer PROPEL and 3 Stocks Achieving 52-Week Highs

HMS Holdings Corp. (NASDAQ:HMSY) reports second quarter revenue of $120.1 million against a consensus of $121.78 million. Including items, EPS paid 15 cents. Shares closed up 8.81 percent on the day at $34.35, and have traded in a 52-week range of $19.7767 to $34.98.

KVH Industries, Inc. (NASDAQ:KVHI) Chief Executive Martin Kits van Heyningen concluded that, “We feel KVH is well positioned for continued growth. We’ve now shipped approximately 2500 TracPhone V-series systems and our leadership position in the maritime VSAT market puts us in an excellent position to effectively compete for sales in this substantial and growing market. In addition, our new fiber optic gyro product line is winning customer acceptance that should result in solid orders in the months ahead and we now have a solid foundation of TACNAV orders which provide a good base of business spanning multiple quarters.” Shares closed up 6.21 percent on the day at $13.35, having been traded in a 52-week range of $6.90 to $13.42.

Merck & Co. Inc. (NYSE:MRK): The United States Supreme Court might take up the issue of pharmaceutical firms paying rivals to postpone selling generic drugs, after a Federal judge ruled earlier in July that they can not, according to a Thursday New York Times report. Shares closed up 4.08 percent on the day at $45.10, and have been traded in a 52-week range of $29.47 to $44.37.

NV Energy Inc (NYSE:NVE) released a statement that reads, “Results for the first half of the year exceeded our expectations. With summer still underway and third quarter weather a key variable for full-year results, we are making no changes to our earnings guidance range for 2012 at present. However, assuming normal weather in the second half of the year, there is the potential for annual earnings to be at the upper end of the range.” Shares closed up 2.05 percent on the day at $18.39, and have traded in a 52-week range of $12.31 to $18.39.

Pfizer Incorporated’s (NYSE:PFE) jointly developed Alzheimer therapy bapineuzumab showed disappointing results, and the two other drug firms, Elan Corp. (ELIN) and Johnson & Johnson (NYSE:JNJ), who helped with the project, are seeing their shares down in reaction as well, according to Bloomberg. The situation leaves Elan with only one major product, namely the multiple sclerosis treatment Tysabri, which Biogen Idec, Inc. (NASDAQ:BIIB) co-owns, all of which prompts the $7.1 billion firm for a deal with Biogen, think Jefferies Group and Royal Bank of Canada. Shares closed up 1.45 percent on the day at $23.83, having traded in a 52-week range of $16.63 to $23.87.

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