Ambac, Best Buy, ConAgra, Citigroup , Qualcomm among big market movers Thursday

Ambac, Best Buy, ConAgra, Citigroup are big movers

NEW YORK — Stocks that moved substantially or traded heavily Thursday on the New York Stock Exchange and Nasdaq Stock Market:

NYSE:

Ambac Financial Group Inc., down 14 cents at 66 cents

The bond insurer said again that it may seek bankruptcy protection after state regulators took control of some of its troubled assets.

Best Buy Co., up $1.48 at $42.66

A spike in sales of flat-panel TVs, notebook computers and wireless gadgets helped boost Best Buy’s profit.

ConAgra Foods Inc., down $1.16 at $24.94

Strong sales of low-priced meals such as Banquet and Chef Boyardee helped push ConAgra’s third-quarter profit up 19 percent.

Citigroup Inc., up 12 cents at $4.27

Citigroup is the latest lender to commit to the government’s program to modify mortgages and nurture a recovery in the housing market.

Red Hat Inc., down $1.80 at $28.90

The company’s 2011 profit outlook fell short of analysts’ projections, despite a strong quarter and a new plan to repurchase its stock.

NASDAQ:

Qualcomm Inc., up $2 at $42.19

The wireless chip maker raised its second-quarter guidance and said its licensing and chip businesses are doing better than expected.

eBay Inc., up 62 cents at $27.56

An analyst upgraded the online auction site operator, saying expansion of its PayPal online payments unit should drive strong growth.

Lululemon Athletica Inc., up $3.35 at $39.40

The maker of high-end workout clothes said profit almost tripled on leaner inventory and sales of its running products.