ReleaseWire Connect

Windstream Corp. (NASDAQ: WIN) stock closed its latest trading session at $9.67, up 3.77 percent from its previous close of $9.32. The stock opened the session at $9.27 and touched its highest price point at $9.75. Windstream stock’s lowest price point for the session stood at $9.20. The stock is currently above its 6-days EMA of $9.15 and 20 days EMA of $8.79, thus showing bullish trend. The stock is expected to go as high as $10.01 in the coming trading sessions. Windstream stock recorded up move on the favorable tax related news. The company lowered its tax guidance for 2013 to $40 million to $50 million range, down from $250 million.

USA Graphite Inc (OTCQB: USGT). USGT stated on Jan 4th that is pleased to inform its shareholders of its activities in selecting the location of a high-quality Canadian project for a potential acquisition. Canada is one of the world's dominant producers of high grade flake graphite and, according to the United States Geological Survey ("USGS"), the United States imported 19% of its graphite from Canada in 2011. The Company expects this number to increase in 2012 and rise even further in 2013 as demand for graphite is soaring due to larger production runs on both products requiring graphite and new applications for the super-material graphene.

Intel Corporation (NASDAQ: INTC). Analysts at Lazard upgraded INTC from “Neutral” to “Buy” and saw shares reaching $26. That price target is a +22.8% upside to Friday’s closing price of $21.16. The firm noted that Intel’s margins should bottom out in the first quarter, but for the rest of the year ultrabook sales should drive growth. Intel Corporation (INTC) has been working on a project to develop set-top boxes built on its chips that will be in direct line of competition with Microsoft’s Mediaroom and Xbox, Apple TV, and Google TV, and might make an official announcement in the Consumer Electronic Show (CES) which starts on Jan. 8, 2013. Intel Corporation (INTC) intends to roll out the web TV service city by city while it works out deals with content providers.

Sirius XM Radio Inc (NASDAQ: SIRI) John Malone’s Liberty Media Corp (Capital) (NASDAQ:LMCA), on Thursday, got approval from the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) to take control of Sirius XM Radio Inc (NASDAQ:SIRI). The FCC ruled that the takeover of Sirius XM by Liberty Media is in the public interest and does not hurt industry competition. Douglas County-based Liberty Media Corp (Capital) (NASDAQ:LMCA), was keen on acquiring the growing 23 million-subscriber radio service, since it bought a 40 percent stake in the business and saved the radio firm from the bankruptcy with a $535 million loan.

IMAX Corporation (NYSE: IMAX), an entertainment technology company specializing in motion picture technologies and presentations, is up sharply in mid-day trading today, extending its gains from last week. IMAX had finished higher in each of the trading sessions last week.

Nationstar Mortgage Holdings Inc. (NYSE: NSM), a company engaged in the servicing of residential mortgage loans in the U.S., is soaring in mid-day trading today after the company agreed to acquire mortgage servicing assets from Bank of America Corporation (NYSE: BAC). The company’s subsidiary signed a definitive agreement to acquire nearly $215 billion in residential mortgage servicing rights, as measured by unpaid principal balance as of November 30, 2012, from Bank of America. The transaction will help NSM expand its customer base.

Walter Investment Management Corp. (AMEX: WAC), a fee-based business services provider to the residential mortgage industry, is up sharply in mid-day trading today after the company announced a definitive agreement to acquire residential mortgage servicing platform of MetLife Bank N.A., which is located in Irving, Texas. WAC noted that the assets it is acquiring from MetLife Bank do not include any mortgage loans or mortgage servicing rights.

Verastem Inc. (NASDAQ: VSTM), a biopharmaceutical company engaged in the discovery and development of drugs for treatment of cancer, is up sharply in mid-day trading today. At last check, VSTM was trading 6.89% higher at $11.01 on volume of 20,752, which is less than half of the daily average volume of 50,622. VSTM has gained more than 11% in the last three trading sessions.

Uni-Pixel Inc. (NASDAQ: UNXL), a production-stage company engaged in the delivery of Performance Engineered Film (PEF) to the display, touch screen and flexible electronic markets, is up sharply in mid-day trading today, extending its gains from last week. At last check, UNXL was trading 3.13% higher at $17.48 on volume of 1.57 million, which is nearly three times the daily average volume of 553,045. UNXL has gained nearly 28% in the last three trading sessions.

CombiMatrix Corp. (NASDAQ: CBMX), a molecular diagnostics company operating primarily in the field of genetic analysis and molecular diagnostics, is soaring in mid-day trading today after the company announced that it expects to post record volumes of prenatal testing in the fourth quarter and year-ended December 31, 2012. The company said that preliminary annual growth rates of 172% and 171% were achieved for billable prenatal tests in the quarter and the full year, respectively.