Up and Down: Banks, Fannie and Freddie, VSE, Blackboard, Coal

The S&P 500 rose 1.7 percent last week, while the Post-Bloomberg index gained 0.03 percent. *Last week's biggest gainer was Provident Bankshares (PBKS) of Baltimore, which Thursday reported a small drop in profit and fewer delinquent loans than in the first quarter. Shares had hit their 52-week low of $4.52 on Tuesday; they closed up 33 percent for the week, at $7.91. Shares are still about a quarter of what they were last August, when they hit their 52-week high of $33.50. *Shares of Fannie Mae (FNM) and Freddie Mac (FRE) rebounded last week, gaining 31 percent and 18 percent, respectively. Shares of Fannie closed Friday at $13.40, down 81 percent from their 52-week high, hit Aug. 22. Shares of Freddie are 86 percent off their 52-week high, hit Aug. 17. LandAmerica Financial (LFG) and Virginia Commerce Bancorp (VCBI) also... [read full story]