Mondays biggest gaining & declining stocks

NEW YORK (MarketWatch) � Shares of the following companies made notable moves in Monday�s U.S. stock market:

Advancers

Click to Play

European data hit austerity plans

Dire figures on unemployment and manufacturing activity in the euro-zone's weakest members on Monday highlighted the scale of the currency bloc's economic problems.

Abercrombie & Fitch Co.�s ANF �shares advanced 4% after Brean Murray upgraded shares of the retailer to buy from hold.

Avon Products Inc.�s AVP �shares rallied more than 17% to $22.70 after the seller of beauty products confirmed an unsolicited bid of about $10 billion, or $23.25 a share, from Coty Inc., but said it rejected the offer.

The Hartford Financial Services Group Inc.�s HIG �shares climbed more than 4% after the insurer said it would buy back debt and warrants from German insurance company Allianz SE for about $2.43 billion. Analysts said the move could save Hartford as much as $75 million in interest expenses each year.

Theravance Inc. THRX � jumped more than 19% after British drug maker GlaxoSmithKline PLC UK:GSK �raised its stake in the biotechnology firm.

Willbros Group Inc.�s WG �shares gained more than 21%, or 69 cents, to $3.93 a piece after the provider of engineering and construction services to the energy industry said it would build a 97-mile piece of pipeline for Energy Transfer Partners LP.

Winner Medical Group Inc.�s WWIN �U.S.-listed shares rose more than 17% to $4 a piece after the Chinese exporter of medical dressings and other products made of cotton said its chairman and chief executive officer offered to take the company private for $4.30 a share.

Decliners

AVI BioPharma Inc.�s AVII �shares declined almost 28% to $1.11 each after a small trial of its potential drug to treat muscular dystrophy met its goal of raising a protein level, yet failed to show impact on the ability to walk.

Groupon Inc.�s GRPN �shares slid almost 17% after Stifel Nicolaus downgraded the online-coupon company to sell from hold. Groupon late Friday said it was revising first-quarter results after realizing it had not reserved enough to cover customer refunds. Read Rex On Techs about who to blame for Groupon�s debacle.

Keryx Biopharmaceuticals Inc.�s KERX �shares dived 65% to $1.74 a piece after it and Canadian biotech company Aeterna Zentaris Inc. CA:AEZ �said their! experim ental treatment for colorectal cancer failed to meet the main goal in a late-stage study.