Trading Where the Action Is

Stocks are advancing in the first half of trading today – though both the S&P 500 and Dow industrials are off their intraday highs. Banks such as Wachovia

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and Washington Mutual
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continue to climb. And the rally in EMC Corporation
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is a standout among technology stocks.

The list of big midday movers to the upside is small – little surprise on a day in which stocks have retreated from their early highs. Notable among the day’s midday movers to the downside are financials such as Landamerica Financial Group
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and Bankatlantic Bancorp
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, as well as real estate management company, CB Richard Ellis Group Inc.
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.

Here is a list of stocks that have gained 20% or more so far in trading today.

Barrett Business Services BBSI +34.69
Trex Inc. TWP +23.91
American Commercial Lines ACLI +20.17

Here is a list of stocks that have lost 20% or more so far in trading today.

Name Symbol % Down
Elan Corporation PLC ELN -38.52
Silicon Motion Technology Company SIMO -36.55
Landamerica Financial Group LFG -34.03
KEMET Corporation KEM -32.33
US Shipping Partners LP USS -27.77
Lecg Corporation XPRT -25.25
Bankatlantic Bancorp BBX -24.84
Asbury Automotive Group Inc. ABG -21.01
CB Richard Ellis Group Inc. CBG -20.91
Ultimate Software Group Inc. ULTI -20.88

Source: MarketWatch

For a list of today’s top-rated stocks, click here.

David Penn is Senior Editor at TradingMarkets.com.