Mediaboss Marketing

By Corrie Driebusch and Drew FitzGerald

Among the companies with shares expected to actively trade in Mondays session are Chesapeake Energy Corp. (CHK), Avon Products Inc. (AVP) and Yahoo Inc. (YHOO).

Chesapeake Energy is expecting activist investor Carl Icahn to disclose soon that he has taken a significant stake in the embattled natural-gas company, The Wall Street Journal reported, citing people familiar with the matter. Shares of the energy company jumped 5.3% to $15.59 in recent premarket trading.

Avon Products said Sunday it will respond to Coty Inc.s latest offer within a week, more time than Cotys Monday deadline to decide whether to hold talks on a possible deal. Fragrance maker Coty on Wednesday offered to acquire the struggling door-to-door beauty seller for $10.7 billion, or $24.75 a share, sweetening an earlier offer by 6.5% and revealing that Warren Buffetts Berkshire Hathaway Inc. (BRKA, BRKB) was a backer of its bid. Shares of Avon Products traded up 5.2% to $21.24 premarket.

Yahoo ended the brief tenure of its latest chief executive after a flap over a flawed biography of him in a regulatory filing spiraled into a major embarrassment for the ailing Internet company and a big victory for an activist investor. Separately, The Wall Street Journal reported that Thompson had disclosed to the board of directors that he had been diagnosed with thyroid cancer. Shares rose 2.2% to $15.52 premarket as the Internet company also announced a deal to end a proxy fight with Third Point LLC, which is a large shareholder of the company.

InterOil Corp. (IOC) said it has received a letter from the Department of Petroleum and Energy in Papua New Guinea that the government intends to cancel a planned liquefied natural gas project agreement between Papua New Guinea and a joint venture led by InterOil. InterOil, in response to the letter, issued a statement Monday saying the move would trigger a six-month consultation. Shares still tumbled 11% to $51 premarket.

Francescas Holdings Corp. (FRAN) raised its fiscal first-quarter per-share earnings guidance by 3 cents, to 17 cents to 18 cents a share, based on higher-than-expected same-store sales. Separately, the company said it has fired Chief Financial Officer Gene Morphis after an investigation found that he improperly communicated company information through social media. Shares of the retailer climbed 4.3% to $25 premarket.

Petroleum Development Corp. (PETD) has agreed to pay roughly $331 million to acquire assets in Colorados Wattenberg oil and gas field from an undisclosed seller, boosting its holdings there by nearly 50%. Shares slipped 4.3% to $30.44 premarket.

American Capital Mortgage Investment Corp. (MTGE) said it plans to offer 10 million shares of its stock, as the real estate investment trust looks to plow more proceeds from public offerings into its investments. Shares were off 2.2% at $23.42 premarket.

American Airlines parent AMR Corp. (AAMRQ) opened the door to a possible merger or sale, saying Friday it reached an agreement with creditors to jointly develop potential consolidation scenarios.

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Stocks to Watch: Chesapeake, Avon, Yahoo and More