The Ticker A Look Back At The Past Week On Wall Street

Sat., Dec. 6, 1997

WHO’S HOT

In a week when the Dow kept climbing and gold prices kept sliding, some issues had quantum leaps, up or down. Shares of First of America Bank in Kalamazoo, Mich., for example, climbed $14 to $72.75 Monday on the New York Stock Exchange. The increase came on news of a $6.5 billion merger with National City Bank of Cleveland. First of America closed trading Friday at $72.44. Shares of big-league pharmaceutical maker Merck got a double boost this week, rising $3.38 Wednesday, then $6.63 Thursday to $104.63. The good medicine for Merck (NYSE) was an upbeat meeting with financial analysts about competition and future earnings and an upgrading by Merrill Lynch. Merck closed trading Friday at $104.50.

WHAT’S NOT

Warner Lambert shares (NYSE) dropped $25.88 Monday to $114. The plunge followed an announcement by a British company that it would no longer sell troglitazone, a diabetes drug, because of reports of liver damage. Warner Lambert shares closed Friday at $117.50. Cabletron Systems shares fell $7.50 to $15.69 Tuesday (NYSE) as weak sales in some segments for the Rochester, N.H.-based firm depressed prices. Cabletron closed trading Friday at $17.25.

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