Hardinge, Cyclacel: Early Volume Plays

NEW YORK (TheStreet) -- Several stocks trading near $5 were poised to move on above-average volume during Thursday's session.

Kulicke and Soffa Industries (KLIC) jumped by 82 cents, or 15.7%, to $6.03 in the premarket session after the semiconductor equipment maker posted a fiscal first-quarter profit of 21 cents a share, easily beating the Thomson Reuters average estimate of 13 cents a share. Revenue spiked 243% to $128.4 million, also above consensus. Kulicke and Soffa also offered better-than-expected revenue guidance for its fiscal second quarter. The 50-day average daily volume for Kulicke and Soffa is 820,000, according to the Nasdaq.

Entegris (ENTG) gained 44 cents, or 10.7%, to $4.55 in the premarket session after the semiconductor company reported a fourth-quarter adjusted profit of 12 cents a share, compared with the Thomson Reuters average estimate of 6 cents a share. Revenue of $146.3 million was up nearly 30% from a year ago and also better than analysts' forecasts. The 50-day average daily volume for Entegris is 1.21 million.

Hardinge (HDNG) rallied by $2.94, or 53.7%, to $8.42 in the premarket session after Brazil's Industrias Romi said it submitted an all-cash offer to Hardinge's board of directors on Dec. 30, offering $8 per share for all outstanding shares of the machine tools company. Romi said Hardinge rejected the offer on Jan. 26 without discussing the deal with Romi. The 50-day average daily volume for Hardinge is 17,000.

Cyclacel Pharmaceuticals (CYCC) rose by 36 cents, or 18.2%, to $2.34 in the premarket session after Roth Capital analysts initiated coverage of the stock with a buy rating and stock price target of $7. The 50-day average daily volume for Cyclacel is 6.6 million.