• MetLife (NYSE:MET) shares fell 7.4% after the shares were downgraded by Raymond James Financial on valuation concerns

• Sepracor (NASDAQ:SEPR) shares jumped 26.5% on reports that Japanese firm Dainippon has agreed to acquire the company in a $2.7 billion deal

• Credit Suisse raised its ratings on Research in Motion (NASDAQ:RIMM) and Motorola (NYSE:MOT), expecting benefits from the under-served corporate market, with both likely to benefit from cost cutting measures

• Some reports say AT&T (NYSE:T) is planning an offer to acquire Leap Wireless (NASDAQ:LEAP)

• Pfizer (NYSE:PFE) was ordered to pay a $2.3 billion civil settlement regarding its withdrawn pain medication Bextra and other drugs

• Hovnanian (NYSE:HOV) reported a wider-than-expected fiscal third quarter loss of $2.16 a share, versus Zacks estimates of a $1.60 per share loss as revenues of $387.1 million, were slightly above Zacks estimates of $385 million

• Ciena (NASDAQ:CIEN) reported a narrower than expected fiscal third quarter loss of

• MetLife (NYSE:MET) shares fell 7.4% after the shares were downgraded by Raymond James Financial on valuation concerns

• BP (NYSE:BP) announced a "giant" new oil discovery in the Gulf of Mexico, named "Tiber," one of the deepest wells ever drilled

• Acadia Pharmaceuticals (NASDAQ:ACAD) reported disappointing Phase III trail results for its primavanserin drug in treatment of Parkinson's disease psychosis

• Joy Global (NASDAQ:JOYC) announced fiscal third quarter earnings of $1.21 per share, beating estimates of 95 cents a share, on revenues of $956 million, up from projections of $902.4 million. The firm said it sees 2009 revenues to equal its prior $3.5 billion to $3.6 billion guidance, and raised its earnings guidance to $4.00 to $4.20 per share, from its view of $3.80 to $4.00 per share

• Textron (NYSE:TXT) was upgraded by Goldman Sachs (NYSE:GS) to "buy" from "neutral."  Goldman also added the firm to its conviction buy list with a

AuthenTec, Inc. stock was upgraded from “Outperform” to “Strong Buy” by Raymond James Financial on Thursday (June 12th). The announcement fueled a rapid appreciation of 12.3 percent for the day.

AuthenTec itself has been growing by leaps and bounds, seeing a 67 percent revenue increase in the first quarter of 2008. In a recent conference call held to discuss the quarter ended March 31st, the company expressed the belief that 2008 revenues will only continue to grow. It is estimated that earnings for the second quarter will total more than $17.2 million, as a result of large-volume shipments of the company’s “AES 2810″ PC fingerprint-authentication product. It has also been reported that Intel’s Montevina laptops will come equipped with the AES 2810 sensors, to begin shipping in the second half of 2008.

In addition, AuthenTec has announced its intent to step up research and development efforts in a play for an