Why These 5 Stocks Are Posting Big Moves Today

Shares of Lucas Energy, Inc. (NYSEMKT:LEI) are trading up by more than 12.2% this afternoon, in what seems to be a continuation of a spike seen last week . Over the past five trading days, the stock has more than doubled in value, driven by news that the company managed to secure $10 million of equity capital from an institutional investor. An additional $5 million will be made available to Lucas Energy, Inc. (NYSEMKT:LEI) through the exercise of a second warrant upon mutual consent. As of December 31, none of the funds in our database held long equity stakes in the company.

Among Monday’s top decliners is Valeant Pharmaceuticals Intl Inc (NYSE:VRX), which is down by roughly 4.3% after the company’s Board requested its outgoing CEO, Michael Pearson, to cooperate with the Senate Committee on Aging’s subpoena, prior to the scheduled April 27 hearing. In fact, according to the company’s statement, “The Board understands that Mr. Pearson is in dialogue with the Senate Committee on Aging regarding his deposition and that those discussions are ongoing.”

Bill Ackman’s Pershing Square is one of the largest stockholders of record in Valeant Pharmaceuticals Intl Inc (NYSE:VRX) and has repeatedly made headlines due to its heavy losses from the investment. The fund recently disclosed a 9% stake in the company comprised of about 30.71 million shares, with 9.12 million of those shares underlying over-the-counter American-style call options. In addition to Pershing Square, 82 other funds in our database were long Valeant at the end of the fourth quarter, with their combined stakes accounting for more than one-third of the company’s outstanding shares.

Finally, there’s Endo International plc – Ordinary Shares (NASDAQ:ENDP), which is down by approximately 7.8% this afternoon. It appears the driving force behind the decline is the weak financial guidance provided by Insys Therapeutics Inc (NASDAQ:INSY). Insys has lost almost 20% today on disappointing first quarter sales guidance for its fentanyl painkiller, Subsys, as prescription volumes slumped over the period, potentially due to public backlash against opioids. Endo International sells the well-known opioid pain medication Percocet.

Among the investors followed by Insider Monkey, 53 were long Endo International plc – Ordinary Shares (NASDAQ:ENDP) at the end of the fourth quarter, with their combined stakes accounting for more than 20% of the company’s float. A noticeable position was that of Jacob Gottlieb’s Visium Asset Management, which declared holding 5.17 million shares of the company as of December 31.

Disclosure: Javier Hasse holds no positions in any of the securities mentioned in this article.