Health Stocks in Motion

Updated from 3:16 p.m. EST

Shares of Sepracor(SEPR Quote) tacked on another 1.7% Friday, a day after Bloomberg said the drugmaker hired Morgan Stanley to explore strategic options, which could include a sale of the company.

On Thursday shares of Sepracor jumped more than 8%, or $4.95 a share, on the news report. On Friday, Smith Barney Citigroup upped its rating on the stock to hold from sell, citing a possible sale of the company. The firm also raised its price target on Sepracor to $70 a share, up from $42. Shares traded up $1.10 to $64.70.

Caliper Life Sciences(CALP Quote) traded actively after the company posted a narrower fourth-quarter loss and warned that first-quarter sales would fall below expectations. Excluding items, the company posted a loss of 11 cents a share on sales of $24.1 million. Analysts polled by Thomson First Call were expecting a loss of 16 cents a share on sales of $24.2 million. Looking ahead, Caliper forecast first-quarter sales of $17 million to $19 million, below the $20.9 million that analysts had been expecting. Shares traded up 12 cents to $7.28 on more than four times its daily average volume.

Shares of Triad Hospitals(TRI Quote) rose modestly after the company posted fourth-quarter earnings that beat expectations by a penny and reaffirmed its 2005 earnings and sales forecasts. The company posted operating income of 66 cents a share on sales of $1.14 billion. Analysts were expecting earnings of 65 cents a share on sales of $1.15 billion. Looking ahead, Triad forecast 2005 earnings of $2.69 to $2.79 a share on sales of $4.6 billion to $4.9 billion. Analysts are expecting earnings of $2.76 a share on sales of $4.84 billion. Shares traded up 10 cents to $42.99.

Neose Technologies(NTEC Quote) fell 10.7% on heavy volume after the company said it plans to sell 7 million shares of stock for $4 apiece, raising $28 million. The offering price represents a 16% discount to Thursday's closing price of $4.76. UBS Investment Bank led the underwriting syndicate. Shares traded down 51 cents to $4.25 on volume of 2.9 million shares, or about 40 times its average daily volume.