Active Stocks to Watch : Merck (NYSE:MRK), Kodiak Oil & Gas (NYSE:KOG), Consolidated Water (NASDAQ:CWCO), ConnectOne Bancorp (NASDAQ:CNOB), Terex (NYSE:TEX)

Merck (NYSE:MRK), which has recently faced a number of patent expirations, on Tuesday reported Q2 sales that slowed for an eighth quarter in a row. But earnings climbed 1% to 85 cents a share for its third straight quarter of gains. Merck & Co. Inc. (NYSE:MRK)’s stock on 01 August traded at beginning with a price of $57.76 and when day-trade ended the stock finally advanced 0.11% to end at $56.80. Merck & Co. Inc. (NYSE:MRK)’s showed weekly performance of -2.53%.

On July 13, Whiting Petroleum (WLL) and Kodiak Oil & Gas Corp. (NYSE:KOG) two of the major companies operating out of the Bakken Shale, jointly announced that KOG would be acquired by WLL in an all-stock transaction. Kodiak Oil & Gas Corp. (NYSE:KOG) on Friday closed at $14.72. Stock institutional ownership is 76.40% while insider ownership includes 1.20%. Kodiak Oil & Gas Corp. (NYSE:KOG) distance from 50-day simple moving average (SMA50) is 3.82%.

On 21 July 2014 Consolidated Water Co. (NASDAQ:CWCO) was the recipient of a significant increase in short interest in the month of June. As of June 30th, there was short interest totalling 1,084,395 shares, an increase of 46.4% from the June 13th total of 740,517 shares,Analyst Ratings.Net

reports. Based on an average daily volume of 440,161 shares, the short-interest ratio is presently 2.5 days. Currently, 7.6% of the company’s stock are short sold. Consolidated Water Co. Ltd. (NASDAQ:CWCO)’s shares on Friday traded in the range of 10.30 – 10.62and ended up on $10.33. Consolidated Water Co. Ltd. (NASDAQ:CWCO) distance from 200-day simple moving average (SMA200) is -16.69%. CWCO’s sales growth for past 5 years was -0.60% and its EPS growth for past 5 years was 3.00%.

On 28 July 2014 ConnectOne Bancorp, Inc. (NASDAQ:CNOB) parent company of ConnectOne Bank (the “Bank”) announced today that Frank Sorrentino III, Chairman/CEO is scheduled to present at the KBW Community Bank Investor Conference on Tuesday July 29, 2014 at 11:00 a.m. (ET) at the Grand Hyatt Grand Central in New York City.  ConnectOne Bancorp, Inc. (NASDAQ:CNOB)’s stock on 01 August advanced 0.26% to the closing price of $19.05. Its fifty two weeks range is $13.00 – 21.27. The total market capitalization recorded $312.7M. ConnectOne Bancorp, Inc. (NASDAQ:CNOB) monthly performance is -4.76%.

Terex Corp. (NYSE:TEX) new Senior secured bank credit facility Ba1, and affirmed Terex’s other debt ratings including the Corporate Family Rating at B1, the senior unsecured at B2, senior subordinated convertible notes at B3, and the Speculative Grade Liquidity Rating at SGL-2. The rating outlook for Terex Corporation and for Terex International Financial Services Company were both changed to positive.Terex Corp. (NYSE:TEX) on Friday closed at $34.18. Stock institutional ownership is 92.30% while insider ownership includes 3.60%. Terex Corp. (NYSE:TEX) distance from 50-day simple moving average (SMA50) is -13.23%.