Ambac, PMA Capital: Early Volume Plays

NEW YORK (TheStreet) -- Ambac Financial (ABK) was one of several stocks trading near $5 were poised to move on above-average volume Thursday as investors continue to weigh the chances of a prepackaged bankruptcy.

Ambac Financialsaid in a regulatory filing Wednesday that it may seek a negotiated restructuring through a prepackaged bankruptcy as liquidity may run out before the second quarter of 2011.

In addition, senior debtholders of the company have formed a committee to nudge Ambac toward a prepackaged bankruptcy plan, Reuters reports, citing people familiar with the matter.

After falling nearly 40% Wednesday, Ambac shares were down another 2.5% to 63 cents in Wednesday's after-market session. The three-month average daily volume for Ambac is 89,000, according to Yahoo! Finance.

Elsewhere, PMA Capital (PMACA) jumped by 73 cents, or 12%, to $6.84 in the premarket session after Old Republic (ORI) agreed to acquire the company in a stock deal worth $365 million. The 50-day average daily volume for PMA Capital is 104,000, according to the Nasdaq.

Stocks Under $5 10 Most Debt-Ridden Stocks Under $5

New Frontier Media (NOOF) may see increased volume after the company reported a fourth-quarter loss of 26 cents a share, compared to the lone analyst estimate for a profit of 7 cents a share. The 50-day average daily volume for New Frontier Media is 27,000. The stock closed Wednesday at $1.77.

Phoenix Technologies (PTEC) may also see increased share volume after the company said Hewlett-Packard (HPQ) agreed to purchase Phoenix's HyperSpace assets for $12 million in cash. The 50-day average daily volume for Phoenix Technologies is 116,000.

-- Written by Robert Holmes in Boston.

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