Healthcare Active Movers: Geron Corporation (NASDAQ:GERN), Merck (NYSE:MRK), Valeant Pharmaceuticals (NYSE:VRX), Johnson & Johnson (NYSE:JNJ), Novavax (NASDAQ:NVAX)

Geron Corporation (NASDAQ:GERN) was one of the Nasdaq’s most active movers, jumping 23 per cent to $3.20 on heavy volume after the US Food and Drug Administration lifted a partial clinical hold on a study testing its blood cancer drug. Geron Corporation (NASDAQ:GERN) stock performance was 21.15% in last session and finished the day at $3.15. Traded volume was 47.60million shares in the last session and the average volume of the stock remained 5.37million shares. The beta of the stock remained 1.64. Geron Corporation (NASDAQ:GERN) insider ownership is 0.40%.

Within the next two weeks, the U.S. Supreme Court is expected to rule in a major case that could make it much harder for shareholders to band together against public companies in securities fraud class actions. A handful of other major companies would also likely reap immediate benefit.  Those companies, including drug makers Merck & Co Inc (NYSE:MRK) and Pfizer Inc, banks HSBC Holdings Plc and Regions Financial Corp, and casino company Las Vegas Sands Corp, are defendants in shareholder lawsuits that have been granted class action status.  Merck & Co., Inc. (NYSE:MRK) dropped -0.12 percent to $58.30 Thursday on volume of 9.56million shares. The intra-day range of the stock was $58.06 to $58.72. Merck & Co., Inc. (NYSE:MRK) has a market capitalization of $170.79billion.

JUST after Valeant Pharmaceuticals International Inc (NYSE:VRX) bought Medicis Pharmaceutical two years ago, the new owner gathered staff of the skin-products maker and started handing out envelopes. If you got a black envelope, it meant you were fired. Valeant Pharmaceuticals Intl Inc (NYSE:VRX)’s stock on June 12, 2014 reported a decrease of -3.54% to the closing price of $120.75. Its fifty two weeks range is $81.94 -$153.10. The total market capitalization recorded $40.28billion. The overall volume in the last trading session was 6.21million shares. In its share capital, VRX has 333.38million outstanding shares.

Johnson & Johnson (NYSE:JNJ) and GlaxoSmithKline plc (ADR) (NYSE:GSK) are joining forces to develop a single-pill HIV treatment. GSK expects trials of the new drug — which will combine Edurant (made by JNJ subsidiary Janssen) and Tivicay (made by ViiV Healthcare, of which GSK holds a majority stake) — to start in 2015. On Thursday, shares of Johnson & Johnson (NYSE:JNJ) dropped -0.76% to close the day at $102.53. Company return on investment (ROI) is 15.00% and its monthly performance is recorded as 2.20%.  Johnson & Johnson (NYSE:JNJ) quarterly revenue growth is 11.01%.

Novavax, Inc. (NASDAQ:NVAX) announced the closing of the underwritten public offering priced on Thursday, June 5, 2014. Novavax intends to use a portion of the net proceeds from this offering to expand the clinical development of its RSV F-protein nanoparticle vaccine candidate through the initiation of a Phase 2 clinical trial in elderly subjects later this year. This trial has been added to the company’s commitment to initiate RSV clinical trials in the pediatric and maternal immunization indications in the fourth quarter of 2014. Novavax, Inc. (NASDAQ:NVAX) stock performance was 2.71% in last session and finished the day at $4.55. Traded volume was 5.82million shares in the last session and the average volume of the stock remained 4.68million shares. The beta of the stock remained 1.24. Novavax, Inc. (NASDAQ:NVAX) insider ownership is 0.40%.