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Technology Stocks : IFMX - Investment Discussion -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?

To: John Solder who wrote (9406)	2/12/1998 5:58:00 PM
From: Dennis Lee (Hijacked)	Read Replies (1) \| Respond to of 14631

IFMX after hour traded at 7 7/8 ? jdai.com

To: John Solder who wrote (9406)	2/13/1998 9:20:00 AM
From: Gregg	Read Replies (2) \| Respond to of 14631

Possible Buyout ? Read. The stock could take off. CHICAGO, Feb 12 (Reuters) - Options dealers bid up calls on Informix Corp <IFMX.O> on Thursday after the computer software group surprised the industry late Wednesday with a profit for the fourth quarter. The company posted a fourth quarter profit of $0.05 per share, when analysts had expected a loss of $0.16. Brokerage Hambrecht & Quist upgraded the stock to "buy" from "hold," contributing to the stock's 1-7/16 gain to 8-13/16, near the day's low. The stock topped Nasdaq's most active list with 28.2 million shares registered by the close. On the Chicago Board Options Exchange, the February 7-1/2 calls and March 10 calls were among the most heavily traded contracts. Almost all the volume in the options was in the calls. Implied volatility slipped to 82.8 percent for the calls from their 20-day average of 89 percent. Volatility on the puts fell to 80.7 percent from their 20-day average of 84.9, dealers said. "Speculators are throwing their last dollar at it," said Jay Shartsis, director of options trading at R.F. Lafferty & Co. Jon Najarian, president of Mercury Trading, the designated market maker for Informix options, said trade also was fueled by a rumor that the company would buy back its own shares and take itself private. "The talk is that it may take itself private rather than be taken over," he said, adding that the company has been at the center of takeover speculation for months. Informix chief financial officer Jean-Yves Dexmier declined to comment on the speculation, citing the company's policy not to comment on market rumors.