Welcome to Friday (or should that be Fri-yay?) Foolish readers. It was another down day for the market again, with the S&P/ASX 200 losing just 0.1% to 5030 points.
However, these four stocks managed to buck the trend and rise higher. Here's why:
Blackmores Limited (ASX: BKL) shares edged 2.3% higher to $195.63 as positive investor sentiment and a tightly-held share register combined to push prices closer to the magic $200. Blackmores' shares are quite overpriced at today's levels, and there is no room for error in the market's valuation of this company. Simply put, shares are too risky to buy today.
Mobile Embrace Ltd (ASX: MBE) rose 6.6% to $0.405 again today after the group announced yesterday morning that it had inked a deal with one of south-east Asia's largest telecom carriers, Axiata. Although the announcement was light on details, the deal should deliver significant benefits to Mobile Embrace shareholders, and the company could be worth watching more closely.
Alumina Limited (ASX: AWC) gained 5% to $1.15 today after a steady decline all year following crashing commodity prices and other business pressure. The value of aluminium has plunged 23% recently and Alumina smelting is a low margin business. Despite today's rise, I do not believe Alumina Limited will be heading higher in the near term.
Vita Group Limited (ASX: VTG) shares lifted 4% to $2.09 today on the back of a 10% rise yesterday as the company announced half-year guidance and reported the closure of its Next Byte electronics retailing channel. With the company also expected to book one-off charges and write-downs on the sale, half year profit could take a hit. However, the remainder of Vita Group's businesses continue to look attractive, and the company is worthy of a closer investigation.
