52-Week High Club (X, AET, CI, AA, HGSI)

United States Steel Corporation (NYSE: X) rose over 6.5% to a yearly high of $52.47 after the United States objected to a requestion by China that the World Trade Organization make a ruling on President Obama’s imposition of tariffs on Chinese tires.  The U.S. imposed duties on steel-pipe imports from China in November.  Titanium Metals Corp. (NYSE: TIE) also hit a yearly high of $12.27 on the news.

Health insurers rose on news that the Senate will give them a year before the start of a new tax on the industry.  Aetna Inc. (NYSE: AET), Cigna Corp. (NYSE: CI), Coventry Health Care Inc. (NYSE: CVH), and UnitedHealth Group Inc. (NYSE: UNH) all hit yearly highs today.

Alcoa Inc. (NYSE: AA) rose over 9.5% to a yearly high of $15.98 after the aluminium producer was upgraded by analysts at Morgan Stanley, who set a target price of $22 for the company.

Human Genome Sciences (NASDAQ: HGSI) rose over 6.4% to a yearly high of $29.98 after the biopharmaceutical company was upgraded by Morgan Stanley, who set a target price of $40 for the company.

ScanDisk Corporation (NASDAQ: SNDK) rose over 6.9% to a yearly high of $26.81.

Garrett W. McIntyre