The top pre-market NASDAQ Stock Market gainers are: Golar LNG, Star Scientific, Ebix, Sino Clean Energy, and AEterna Zentaris. The top pre-market NASDAQ Stock Market losers are: Omeros, Atrinsic, Logitech International, Ascent Solar Technologies, Xyratex, and Nasdaq OMX Group.

Gainers

Golar LNG Ltd. (GLNG) stock grew 6.49 percent to $27.24 in the pre-market trading.

Star Scientific, Inc. (CIGX) stock grew 5.73 percent to $4.80 in the pre-market trading.

Ebix Inc. (EBIX) stock increased 4.86 percent to $24.80 in the pre-market trading. The company said its board of directors has unanimously approved an increase in the size of its authorized share repurchase plan from $15.0 million to $45.0 million. The company said it has purchased a total of 106,483 shares of its common stock over the last few days. The company is using available cash resources and cash generated by its operating activities to fund such share repurchases.

Sino Clean Energy Inc (SCEI) stock gained 4.74 percent to $5.97 in the pre-market trading. Adjusted profit for the full year 2010 was $27.9 million or $1.46 a share, up from $10.9 million or $0.57 a share last year. Sales surged 131 percent to $106.3 million. The company expects fiscal 2011 earnings of at least $38 million and revenue of at least $170 million, representing a growth of 35.7 percent and 60 percent from last year. This guidance assumes total sales volume of 1.4 million metric tons of coal-water slurry fuel in 2011.

AEterna Zentaris Inc. (AEZS) stock rose 4.64 percent to $2.03 in the pre-market trading.

Losers

Omeros Corp. (OMER) stock plunged 39.38 percent to $4.85 in the pre-market trading, as its drug to reduce pain after arthroscopic knee surgeries failed to meet endpoints in phase 3 program. The company said its Phase 3 program evaluating OMS103HP failed to meet to the pre-specified endpoints of these studies. OMS103HP is indicated for the patients undergoing arthroscopic anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) reconstruction surgery. No conclusions could be made regarding drug effect due to confounding factors in the studies, the company added.

Our analysis of the data does not demonstrate a lack of drug effect nor does it appear to undermine the viability of our Phase 3-ready OMS103HP program for meniscectomy surgery. As we learn more from our data analysis, we will provide additional information on our plans for OMS103HP. In the meantime, we are continuing to advance our pipeline, including our ophthalmology program, for which we recently announced positive Phase 2b data, and our successful GPCR program. said Gregory Demopulos, chief executive officer of Omeros.

Atrinsic, Inc. (ATRN) stock tumbled 27.58 percent to $2.60 in the pre-market trading. Adjusted loss for the fourth quarter narrowed to $3.3 million or $0.54 a share from $6.6 million or $1.23 a share last year. Revenue fell 43 percent to $7.8 million.

Logitech International SA (LOGI) stock plummeted 19.31 percent to $14.63 in the pre-market trading, as it cut fiscal 2011 guidance due to weakness in its Europe, Middle-East and Africa retail sales region. The company lowered 2011 sales outlook to range of $2.35 billion to $2.37 billion from previous range of $2.40 billion to $2.42 billion, while Street predicts $2.41 billion. The company also reduced its fiscal 2011 operating earnings guidance to range of $140 million to $150 million from previous forecast of $170 million to $180 million.

Ascent Solar Technologies, Inc. (ASTI) stock fell 16.72 percent to $2.39 in the pre-market trading. The company announced a change in strategy that will focus the company’s groundbreaking lightweight, flexible thin-film solar module technology on applications for emerging and specialty markets. The new market focus provides a clear path for the future and leverages the company’s unique strengths. The change in strategy will mean a change in leadership and sizing the company to a new cost structure.

Ascent said producing solar modules that are exceptionally lightweight and flexible gives Ascent the ability to meet specialty needs for markets like the military and defense; custom near-space applications; off-grid charging solutions in developing countries; power for portable electronics; and custom and standard products for rooftop integration on buses, trucks and trains. Ascent believes that it can sell its products in these markets at more attractive margins than currently possible for ground mount applications or BIPV and BAPV markets.

With the change in strategy, chief executive officer Farhad Moghadam is stepping down to pursue other interests and opportunities. Ron Eller, an Ascent board member for the past two years, has been appointed the company’s new president and chief executive officer.

Xyratex Ltd. (XRTX) stock slid 8.60 percent to $10.20 in the pre-market trading, as it guided second quarter below Street view. The company expects second quarter adjusted results between loss of 12 cents a share and profit of 6 cents a share. The company anticipates revenue of $320 million to $365 million. Street analysts currently expect profit of 28 cents a share on revenue of $384.54 million.

The company posted first quarter adjusted earnings of $7.5 million or 24 cents a share, down from $29.4 million or 96 cents a share last year. Revenue rose 13 percent to $360.50 million. Analysts had expected profit of 23 cents a share on revenue of $374.86 million.

It also said its board of directors has authorized a recommencement of the share repurchase plan it initially approved during the first quarter of 2008, and to increase the maximum value of shares that may be repurchased. According to the revised terms of the plan, the company may repurchase up to an additional $50 million of its outstanding shares following April 30, 2011. As of February 28, 2011, Xyratex had 30.9 million shares outstanding.

Nasdaq OMX Group Inc. (NDAQ) stock fell 4.22 percent to $24.75 in the pre-market trading, as it and IntercontinentalExchange (ICE) made a joint proposal to acquire NYSE Euronext (NYX) for $42.50 in cash and stock per NYSE Euronext share, or about $11.3 billion. NYSE Euronext stockholders would receive $14.24 in cash, plus 0.4069 shares of NASDAQ OMX common stock and 0.1436 shares of ICE common stock for each NYSE Euronext share.

NASDAQ OMX and ICE would finance the cash portion of the acquisition purchase price through cash on hand and a combined $3.8 billion financing commitment.

As part of the proposal, ICE would purchase NYSE Euronext's derivatives businesses, and NASDAQ OMX would retain NYSE Euronext's remaining businesses, including the NYSE Euronext stock exchanges in New York, Paris, Brussels, Amsterdam and Lisbon, as well as the U.S. options business. ICE and NASDAQ OMX will continue to operate as separate businesses throughout the proposed transaction, as well as after its completion.

Further, a combined NASDAQ OMX/NYSE Euronext would provide accretion to stockholders 12-18 months following the close of the transaction and double digit accretion soon after the 12-18 month period. It would also deliver strong pro forma cash flow generation to invest in the business and service debt. ICE's acquisition would also be solidly accretive to ICE stockholders in year two and would leave ICE with substantial financial flexibility.

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