metalstorm - mst up>10% in usa o/night, page-5

metalstorm - mst up>17.5% in usa incl. after ma SAN FRANCISCO (CBS.MW) - Defense stocks advanced Wednesday as President Bush won a second term, dashing industry fears that a Kerry victory would unleash cutbacks on lucrative missile defense contracts.
The Amex Defense Index (DFI: news, chart, profile) rose 3.2 percent to 813.92 points. Some of the biggest gainers were companies that work on missile defense projects.
Orbital Sciences Corp. (ORB: news, chart, profile), which makes rocket boosters for missile interceptors, soared 13.5 percent to $12.22.
Democratic challenger John Kerry had peppered his campaign with pledges to trim spending on the national missile defense if he captured the White House.
Boeing had the largest exposure to potential missile-defense cuts, analysts say. The stock rose $1.27, or 2.6 percent, to $51.15.
The Chicago aerospace giant is the lead contractor on the "ground based midcourse defense" program, a ballistic missile project jumpstarted by Bush two years ago.
Lockheed Martin, Northrop Grumman, Raytheon and Orbital Sciences are also working on the contract to develop ground-based interceptors, early warning radars and satellite systems.