STOCKS NEWS US-Abercrombie put volume swells, spreads active

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1208 ET 25June2009 Abercrombie volume pops up after put spreads likely opened
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Shares of apparel retailer Abercrombie & Fitch Co (ANF.N) rose 19 cents to
$26.18. But in the options market, volume was four times the norm as about
55,000 puts and 168 calls traded. The activity was in the November and August
puts, with an investor apparently opening bearish spreads in both expiration
months: buying the $26 strike and selling the $21 strike, said WhatsTrading.com
option strategist Frederic Ruffy.

The spread traded 13,000 times in the August puts and 14,000 times in
November. All traded on the International Securities Exchange, where sentiment
data indicate 27,000 contracts were opening customer buys, he said. The
investor expects the shares to drop to at least $24 and maximum profit on the
trade would be $21 or less by August or November expiration.

Reuters Messaging: doris.frankel.reuters.com@reuters.net
1138 ET 25June2009-Kimberly-Clark to cut 1,600 jobs
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Kimberly-Clark Corp (KMB.N) said on Thursday it would cut about 1,600
salaried jobs, or roughly 3 percent of its work force, in a move to become more
competitive. It will also take up to $150 million in charges related to the
cuts.

The consumer products company said the latest round of job cuts would hit
all regions and businesses and would primarily affect salaried and
non-production jobs. The company does not plan to close any manufacturing
facilities. [ID:nN25259264]

Shares edged up 0.2 percent to $51.89.

Reuters Messaging: ryan.vlastelica.reuters.com@reuters.net
1131 ET 25June2009-PetroQuest falls, offering priced at discount
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Shares of PetroQuest Energy (PQ.N) fell on Thursday, after the company's
public offering of 10 million shares was priced at $3.50 a share, a discount of
5 percent to the stock's Wednesday closing price.

The company intends to use the proceeds for general corporate purposes,
including funding capital expenditures related to its exploration and drilling
program. [ID:nBNG512870]

The stock slid 2.2 percent to $3.60.

Reuters Messaging: ryan.vlastelica.reuters.com@reuters.net
1125 ET 25June2009-Microsoft to cut prices on Windows 7 system
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Microsoft Corp (MSFT.O) said on Thursday it will sell the standard
home-user version of its new Windows 7 operating system for 8 percent less than
the comparable version of its Vista system, as the global downturn hits
technology spending.

The new operating system, which Microsoft hopes will be a bigger hit than
the poorly received Vista, will be released on Oct. 22.

For details, see [ID:nN24224848]

Reuters Messaging: ryan.vlastelica.reuters.com@reuters.net
1045 ET 25June2009-U.S. stocks rise on retailers, home builders
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Major U.S. stock indexes rose on Thursday, lifted by strength in the retail
and home-building sectors, though sentiment was pressured by an unexpected rise
in initial jobless claims.

For details, see [ID:nN25270826]

The Dow Jones industrial average .DJI rose 41.56 points, or 0.50 percent,
to 8,341.42. The Standard & Poor's 500 Index .SPX gained 5.94 points, or 0.66
percent, to 906.88. The Nasdaq Composite Index .IXIC added 17.46 points, or
0.97 percent, to 1,809.80.

Reuters Messaging: ryan.vlastelica.reuters.com@reuters.net
1023 ET 25Jun2009-S&P 500's 910 level seen a critical hurdle
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Phase One to neutralizing the short-term downtrend is tentatively in place,
but to change the trend drastically, the benchmark S&P 500 index .SPX needs
to push and hold above the 910.85 level, technical strategists at Instinet said
on Thursday.

"Yesterday the SPX stalled out twice near the 10-day downtrend line and
that's the first key short-term hurdle today (currently at 907)," the analysts
wrote in a note.

Reuters Messaging: rm://ellis.mnyandu.reuters.com@reuters.net
1025 ET 25June2009 Akamai attracts put sellers, analyst
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Shares of Web content delivery service company Akamai Technologies Inc
(AKAM.O) rose 1.2 percent to $19.76 in morning trade. In the option patch, the
February 2010 puts at the $15 line traded 6,472 contracts, compared with 2
contracts of open interest, Reuters data showed.

The day's top trade was 5,372 contracts on the bid for a premium of $1.40
in that strike. It looked like opening put sellers might be initiating the
early trades, according to WhatsTrading.com option strategist Frederic Ruffy.
There was no apparent news on the stock.

Akamai was also the subject of bullish order flow on Monday, he said. Put
selling is viewed as a neutral to bullish strategy.

Reuters Messaging: doris.frankel.reuters.com@reuters.net