U.S. stocks were mixed in trading Thursday, as the Dow Jones Industrial Average fell 37 points to 8637, the S&P 500 down 3 points to 927 and the Nasdaq Composite up a fraction of a point to 1826. Among the companies whose shares are actively trading in the session are Odyssey Marine Exploration Inc. (OMEX), Wind River Systems Inc. (WIND) and Conn's Inc. (CONN).
Shipwreck explorer Odyssey Marine Exploration ($1.69, -$2.18, -56.33%) was ordered by the U.S. Federal Court Magistrate to return the property it recovered in the so-called "Black Swan" project - an estimated half a billion dollars of sunken cargo in the Atlantic Ocean - to Spain. The company said it would file a written objection to the recommendation. Investors expected Odyssey to succeed in the case, in part because no ship was found, only valuable debris, and admiralty laws concerning sovereign immunity only apply to ships.
Intel Corp. (INTC, $16.10, +$0.16, +1.02%) announced plans to acquire Wind River Systems Inc. (WIND, $11.53, +$3.53, +44.13%) for $884 million as the semiconductor giant moves to boost its presence in handheld devices. Wind River helps companies develop and manage device software, notably in embedded systems and wireless products. Both are key growth targets for Intel. Intel would pay $11.50 a share, a 44% premium to Wednesday's closing price.
Small investment banker Cowen Group Inc. (COWN, $6.23, +$1.39, +28.72%) reached a tentative deal valued at roughly $195 million to acquire asset manager Ramius LLC and form an integrated financial services company.
