In reaction to strong earnings/guidance: VLO +13.2%, BP +7.8%, RCL +5.8%, UA +5.5%, ATHR +3.8%, X +3.8%, HGR +3.8% (light volume), HLIT +3.5% (light volume), FIS +2.5%, SAP +2.1%... M&A news: AHG +31.2% (S&P announces it will be removed from the S&P MidCap 400; being acquired for cash by an affiliate of The Blackstone Group with deal expected to close about 10/28), BRL +3.7% and TEVA +3.4% (TEVA and BRL provide update on acquisition, lending banks have agreed to amend Barr's unsecured credit facilities to permit them to remain in place following Barr's acquisition by Teva)... Select financial stocks rebounding: FITB +13.3%, MS +8.8%, NCC +6.4%, HBC +6.3%, C +5.1%, GS +5.0%, BAC +4.3%, JPM +3.5%, WFC +3.0%... Select oil/gas names trading higher boosted by BP and VLO results: STO+11.2%, TSO +11.0%, NOV +7.4%, RDS.A +6.9%, TOT +6.6%, PBR +6.4%, CVX +3.4%, COP +3.0%, XOM +2.9%,STO +11.2%, TSO +11.0%, RDS.A +6.9%, TOT +6.6%, CVX +3.4%, COP +3.0%, XOM +2.9%... Select metals/mining names showing strength with higher spot prices: SSL +14.3%, MTL +9.8%, AUY +9.4%, BBL +9.2%, MT +8.7%, RTP +7.8%, BHP +7.6%, GOLD +7.3%, GFI +7.1%, AEM +6.7%, NEM +4.0%, GLD +1.9%,... Select solar names trading higher: SOL +13.8%, YGE +10.1%, LDK +8.9%, STP +8.4%, ESLR +6.7%, FSLR +5.7%... Other news: DFS +11.2% (MasterCard settles litigation with Discover Financial Services; Visa also settles legal dispute with Discover), CCL +8.9% (up in sympathy with RCL), VIP +8.2% (Court freezes Altimo's stake in Vimpelcom - WSJ), BA +8.1% (reaches deal with machinists' union - Financial Times), SVNT +7.5% (modestly rebounding from yesterday's 60%+drop), SNY +7.1% (still checking), AAPL +4.0% (still checking), GE +3.9% (accessed Federal Reserve short-term funding facility, doesn't disclose amount issued - Bloomberg)... Analyst comments: ADM +6.3% (initiated with Buy at Soleil), GLW +4.4% (upgraded to Buy at ThinkPanmure), BSY +4.1% (upgraded to Buy at Citigroup); AMR +6.4%, DAL +4.3%, UAUA +3.7% and LCC +3.6% (all upgraded to Add at Calyon).