Closing Bell: St. Patrick's Day Hat Tricks (GE, FUQI, SNV, HIG, BBI, PLCM, ERC, MEE)

General Electric (GE) was up almost another 1% after Stern Agee raised its rating on the stock, but just to neutral from sell. This was off the highs but GE hit another 52-week high of $18.40 today before pulling back. Shares were up almost 1% at $18.25 late in the trading day.

Fuqi International, Inc. (FUQI) was crushed Wednesday after the company lowered guidance, lowered margins on sales of lower priced data, and most importantly said that it was going to have to restate accounting from Q1 to Q3 2009 because of understated costs of sales. Shares were down 36% at $12.10 late in the day.

Synovus Financial Corp. (SNV) was up all day after Jim Cramer called it a potential homerun on CNBC. Shares were up 5% at $3.77 late in the day.

Hartford Financial Services Group Inc. (HIG) was up despite a planned securities sale. The company is paying back the TARP, so Uncle Sam will be out of their offices. Shares were up 6% at $28.94 late in the day.

Blockbuster Inc. (BBI) may be dead. There is a bankruptcy warning on the chain. Shares were down 31% at $0.27 late in the trading day.

Polycom, Inc. (PLCM) ran on buyout rumors. The chatter was out in the wee hours of the morning that Apax Partners may be acquiring the company. That had shares at a 2-year high today. Polycom shares were up 10.7% at $33.72 late in the day.

LM Ericsson (ERIC) was bitten on the neck today in a tag-team. It took two negative analyst calls. Shares were down over 3% at $10.94 late in the day.

Massey Energy Co. (MEE) rose sharply after announcing it was buying a smaller company called Cumberland for some $960 million. The company aims to double its metallurgical coal sales. Shares were up 7% at $53.80 late in the trading day and shares had hit a new 52-week high of $54.09 earlier in the day.