Stocks On The Move - February 22

Stocks Rise on Heavy Volumn:

• Wild Oats markets Inc. (OATS): shares of Boulder, CO based natural food supermarket chain jumped 17.11% today after Whole Foods Markets is buying the company for $565 million or $18.5 per share. The stokc was the third leading gainer on Nasdaq today with 12 million shares traded.
• Whole Foods Market Inc. (WFMI): the other company benefits from the buyout is Austin, TX based Whole Foods Markets which saw shares surged 14.03% to $52.11 per share. The stock, also listed in Nasdaq is the seventh leading gainer and the seventh heaviest traded.

Stocks Drop on Heavy Volumn:

• Novastar Financial Inc. (NFI): shares of Kansas City mortgage provider dropped for the second straight session with another 7.52% loss to 52 weeks low of $9.34 per share. Yesterday the company announced that it may not generate any taxable income from 2007 to 2011. The stock was again the leading decliner on NYSE today with 10.1 million shares traded.