REFILE-STOCKS NEWS US-BofA August $14 call options popular

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1149 ET 19June2009-Option traders pounce on BofA calls
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Option traders appear to be optimistic on Bank of America Corp (BAC.N: Quote, Profile, Research) and
a number of them anticipate more gains this summer, as BofA shares rose 10
cents to $13. The shares fell 6.2 percent for the week, but some options market
players expect strength over the next two months, according to WhatsTrading.com
option strategist Frederic Ruffy. The BAC August $14 call option has become one
of the top favorites, with 59,512 contracts traded so far, against an open
interest of 49,818 lots, Reuters data showed. Friday's trades included a
"reverse diagonal spread," where a strategist bought 15,000 August $14 calls
and sold 15,000 January 2010 calls at the $20 strike. The trade cost 45 cents
on the likely view that shares would move beyond $14.45 by the August
expiration, but not above $20 by mid-January, he said. In all, 225,000 calls
traded in BofA, compared with 62,000 puts, according to Trade Alert.

Reuters Messaging: doris.frankel.reuters.com@reuters.net
1132 ET 19June2009-LUKOIL to buy stake in Total, blocking Valero
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Lukoil (LKOH.MM: Quote, Profile, Research) will buy a stake in a Dutch refinery from France's Total
SA (TOTF.PA: Quote, Profile, Research), gaining a foothold in northwest Europe and blocking a bid by
Valero Energy Corp (VLO.N: Quote, Profile, Research) to enter the region.

The move was a blow to Valero's efforts to gain a position in Europe, where
it wants to buy refineries and take advantage of cross-Atlantic trading
opportunities with its U.S. plants.

For details, see [ID:nLJ579651]

Shares of Valero rose 1 percent to $17.59 on the NYSE.

Reuters Messaging: ryan.vlastelica.reuters.com@reuters.net
1113 ET 19June2009-Citigroup: Anecdotal evidence suggests market buoyancy
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Citigroup wrote on Friday that anecdotal evidence suggested a more buoyant
Wall Street, noting that in several instances, "the very same investors who
perceived our bullishness several months ago as bordering on lunacy now
consider our market outlook (S&P 500 .SPX at 1,000 by year-end) to be too
conservative."

The brokerage firm added that to some degree, "we have been surprised by
the speed of this turn of events, but the equity market's powerful move since
early March most likely explains this shift."

Reuters Messaging: ryan.vlastelica.reuters.com@reuters.net
1054 ET 19June2009-Ex-Merrill exec denies approaching BofA's Lewis
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Winthrop Smith, a former executive at Merrill Lynch, on Friday denied
approaching Bank of America Chief Executive Kenneth Lewis along with two other
former Merrill executives to discuss buying back all or part of Merrill.

The statement came after the Financial Times reported that Smith, along
with two others, had approached Lewis.

For details, see [ID:nN19439260]

Shares of Bank of America, a Dow component, fell 0.3 percent to $12.86.

Reuters Messaging: ryan.vlastelica.reuters.com@reuters.net
1049 ET 19June2009-A-Power shares down, to sell $40 mln in notes
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Shares of A-Power Energy Generation Systems Ltd (APWR.O: Quote, Profile, Research) fell on Friday,
after the company agreed to sell about $40 million in senior convertible notes,
plus warrants, to several institutional investors.

It expects to use the proceeds to expand production capacity and enhance
research and development.

For details, see [ID:nBNG480086]

Shares dropped 10.2 percent to $8.68 on Nasdaq.

Reuters Messaging: ryan.vlastelica.reuters.com@reuters.net
1039 ET 19June2009-FBR downgrades dry bulk sector to 'underweight'
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Friedman Billings Ramsey downgraded the U.S. dry bulk shipping sector to
"underweight" from "market weight" on Friday, expecting the market to balance
in 2013 because of higher supply-growth forecasts. It previously expected the
market to balance in 2012.

The company sees significant challenges for the industry in the second half
of 2009, based on high levels of Chinese iron ore inventories.

For details, see [ID:nBNG468037]

Reuters Messaging: ryan.vlastelica.reuters.com@reuters.net
1028 ET 19June2009-Oculus shares soar on data from acne treatment study
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Shares of Oculus Innovative Sciences Inc (OCLS.O: Quote, Profile, Research) soared on Friday, after
the biopharmaceutical company reported "promising results" from a feasibility
study for acne treatment with an enhanced formulation of its Microcyn skin and
wound gel.

The company said data from the 40-patient study warranted further
examination and that it intended to explore prospective partnerships for the
gel.

For details, see [ID:nBNG479741]

The stock advanced 12.5 percent to $3.78 on Nasdaq.

Reuters Messaging: ryan.vlastelica.reuters.com@reuters.net