As the Dow Jones Industrial Average is trading at 11,476 and the S&P 500 Index is trading at 1,208, here are shares buzzing with trade interest today:

1. El Paso Corporation (NYSE:EP): Shares of El Paso Corporation are trading higher 23% today after Kinder Morgan announced it will be acquiring the company for $38 billion. El Paso Corporation operates natural gas pipeline and storage facilities, transports natural gas, and imports liquefied natural gas. El Paso also explores for and produces natural gas. The Company has operations in the United States, Brazil, and Egypt.
2. Mizuho Financial Group, Inc. (NYSE:MFG): Shares of Mizuho Financial Group, Inc. are trading higher following a very profitable report out of Citigroup this morning. Mizuho Financial Group, Inc. provides comprehensive financial services through its subsidiaries. The Group provides variety of financial services such as general banking, securities brokerage, trust banking, and assets management.
3. Sirius XM Radio Inc. (NASDAQ:SIRI): Shares of Sirius XM Radio Inc. are trading higher today. The satellite radio company introduced an upgrade of its current service today called SiriusXM 2.0 which will offer expanded channel offerings. Sirius XM Radio Inc. broadcasts various channels of audio from its satellites. The Company provides its services throughout the continental United States for a monthly subscription fee. Sirius delivers various streams of commercial-free music in every genre, as well as streams of news, sports, weather, talk, comedy, and public radio.
4. Sumitomo Mitsui Financial Grp, Inc. (NYSE:SMFG): Shares of Sumitomo Mitsui Financial Grp, Inc. are trading higher today after rising on the heels of a surge in Citigroup shares this morning. Sumitomo Mitsui Financial Group, Inc. is a holding company established by Sumitomo Mitsui Banking Corporation. Sumitomo Mitsui Card Co., SMBC Leasing Co., and The Japanese Research Institute, Ltd. joined the Group in Feb., 2003. The Company manages financial operations for its subsidiaries. The Group provides commercial banking and a variety of financial services.
5. Kinder Morgan Inc (NYSE:KMI): Shares of Kinder Morgan Inc are trading higher today after merging with El Paso in the natural gas industry. Kinder Morgan Inc. is a pipeline transportation and energy storage company. The Company owns and operates pipelines that transport natural gas, gasoline, crude oil, carbon dioxide and other products, and terminals that store petroleum products and chemicals and handle bulk materials like coal and petroleum coke.
6. Lloyds TSB Group plc (NYSE:LYG): Shares of Lloyds TSB Group plc are trading lower today after last week’s Fitch downgrade. Shares are down 4% this afternoon. Lloyds Banking Group plc, through subsidiaries and associated companies, offers a range of banking and financial services. The Company provides retail banking, mortgages, pensions, asset management, insurance services, corporate banking, and treasury services.
7. Wells Fargo & Company (NYSE:WFC): Shares of Wells Fargo & Company are trading lower over 7% today as the company officially takes over Wachovia branded branches with its own signage and also releases its latest quarter earnings report. Wells Fargo & Company is a diversified financial services company providing banking, insurance, investments, mortgage, leasing, credit cards, and consumer finance. The Company operates through physical stores, the Internet and other distribution channels across North America and elsewhere internationally.
8. Petroleo Brasileiro SA (NYSE:PBR): Shares of Petroleo Brasileiro SA are trading lower over 4% today as investors see that more investment will be need in refineries over the next few years. Petroleo Brasileiro S.A. – Petrobras explores for and produces oil and natural gas. The Company refines, markets, and supplies oil products. Petrobras operates oil tankers, distribution pipelines, marine, river and lake terminals, thermal power plants, fertilizer plants, and petrochemical units. The Company operates in South America and elsewhere around the world.
9. Vale (NYSE:VALE): Shares of Vale are trading lower over 7% today as steelmakers will have to take price hits and close facilities. Vale SA produces and sells iron ore, pellets, manganese, alloys, gold (NYSE:GLD), nickel, copper, kaolin, bauxite, alumina, aluminum, and potash. The Company is based in Brazil, where it owns and operates railroads and maritime terminals.

(Note: Selected financial data are sourced from Google Finance. All data are assumed to be accurate.)

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