Chattem Inc, maker of consumer healthcare and hygiene products, rose US$1.34 to US$30.26 after it boosted its third-quarter earnings outlook and reduced its estimate of settlement costs related to class-action lawsuits over its Dexatrim diet pills.
Microchip equipment maker Novellus Systems Inc lowered its earnings and sales estimates because of low demand, prompting Lehman Brothers to cut its second-half estimates for the company. Novellus was nonetheless up US$0.53 cents at US$25.18.
Pharmaceutical company Chiron Corp tumbled US$4.08 to US$43.41 after it said deliveries of flu vaccines would be delayed due to contamination issues. The news led brokerages Deutsche Bank and Robert W. Baird to cut their ratings on the company.
Advancing issues outnumbered decliners by nearly 2 to 1 on the NYSE, where preliminary consolidated volume came to 1.04 billion shares, compared to 1.25 billion on Thursday.
The Russell 2000 index of smaller companies was up 4.42, or 0.8 percent, at 551.67.
The Dow Jones Wilshire 5000 Composite Index -- a free-float weighted index that measures 5,000 US-based companies -- ended the week at 10,755.02 up 89.69 points from last week. A year ago the index was 9,770.56.
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