Applied Materials Inc. (NASDAQ: AMAT) plans to acquire Semitool Inc. (NASDAQ: SMTL) for $364 million in cash by the end of the year, bolstering Applied Material Inc. (AMAT) advanced-packaging and copper-conversion efforts.

The $11 a share offer is a 31% premium over the Monday's closing. In light of the same, the Semitool Inc. (SMTL) stock has already caught up with the acquistion price, and has soared on high volumes to $30.5.

Assured Guaranty Ltd. (NYSE: AGO) hits a new 52-week high at $28.14 in today’s morning trade. Currently AGO is trading at $25.09, up 18% after J.P. Morgan increased its price target to $42 from $28 on Assured Guaranty (NYSE: AGO) after AGO reported its quarterly earnings yesterday.

Semitool, Inc. (NASDAQ: SMTL) soared 30% to $10.94 on huge volume of 20.88 million shares after Applied Materials reported that it offered to buy Semitool Inc. for $364 million in cash. Today SYKE has made a new 52-week at $10.96. So far this year SMTL is up over 258%.

Wells-Gardner Electronics Corporation (AMEX: WGA) is another stock which made a new 52 week high at $3.09 and now trades at $3.09, increased by $0.30 or 10.75% after Wells-Gardner announced that its subsidiary American Gaming & Electronics, Inc. (AG&E) has signed a nonbinding letter of intent to distribute SPIELO. In the last three months, WGA gained over 111%.

Salem Communications Corp (NASDAQ: SALM) today broke its previous 52-week high and made a new high at $5.19 and now up 17% and trades at $4.92 after Salem Communications announced that it plan to offer $300 million of Senior Secured Lien Notes due 2016. So far in 2009, SALM is up over 555%.