Insights about U.S. Stocks that landed in the Green-Zone during Thursday’s trade, are depicted underneath:

Pacific Ethanol Inc (NASDAQ:PEIX)’s shares skyrocketed 25.94%, and closed at $11.75.

Pacific Ethanol, Inc. (PEIX), the leading producer and marketer of low-carbon renewable fuels in the Western United States, stated its financial results for the three- and twelve-months ended December 31, 2014.

Financial Highlights:

Stated for the three months ending December 31, 2014:

• Net revenue of $12.2 million, or $0.50 per diluted share
• Adjusted Net Earnings of $10.0 million, or $0.41 per share
• Adjusted EBITDA of $16.3 million.

Stated for the year ending December 31, 2014:

• Net revenue of $20.0 million, or $0.88 per diluted share
• Adjusted Net Earnings of $59.9 million, or $2.64 per share
• Adjusted EBITDA of $95.0 million.

Financial Results for the Three Months Ended December 31, 2014:

Net sales were $256.2 million for the fourth quarter of 2014, contrast to $215.3 million for the fourth quarter of 2013. The rise in net sales was attributable to an raise in total gallons sold, slightly offset by a reduction in the Corporation’s average sales price per gallon.

Gross profit was $18.4 million for the fourth quarter of 2014, contrast to $21.6 million for the fourth quarter of 2013. The decline in gross profit was due to particularly strong production margins in the fourth quarter of 2013.

Selling, general and administrative (“SG&A”) expenses were $4.7 million for the fourth quarter of 2014, contrast to $4.4 million for the fourth quarter of 2013. The raise in SG&A expenses reflect an raise in professional fees related to the pending Aventine merger of about $1.0 million, partially offset by a reduction in year-end compensation expense of about $0.8 million.

Operating revenue for the fourth quarter of 2014 was $13.6 million, contrast to $17.2 million for the same period in 2013.

Adjusted EBITDA was $16.3 million for the fourth quarter of 2014, contrast to Adjusted EBITDA of $18.3 million for the fourth quarter of 2013.

Pacific Ethanol, Inc. (PEIX) is the leading producer and marketer of low-carbon renewable fuels in the Western United States. Pacific Ethanol also sells co-products, counting wet distillers grain, a nutritional animal feed. Serving integrated oil companies and gasoline marketers who blend ethanol into gasoline, Pacific Ethanol provides transportation, storage and delivery of ethanol through third-party service providers in the Western United States, primarily in California, Arizona, Nevada, Utah, Oregon, Colorado, Idaho and Washington.

Kythera Biopharmaceuticals Inc (NASDAQ:KYTH), raised 25.31%, and closed at $50.00, hitting new 52-week high of $50.55.

Kythera Biopharmaceuticals, Inc. (KYTH), declared that the Compensation Committee of the Corporation’s Board of Directors granted eleven new employees options to purchase an aggregate of 79,200 shares of the Corporation’s ordinary stock. The exercise prices were $41.55 for the February 27 option grants and $39.90 for the March 4 option grants, each of which was the closing trading price on the date of each grant. The stock options were granted following the Corporation’s 2014 Employment Commencement Incentive Plan, which was approved by the Corporation’s Board of Directors in August 2014 under Rule 5653(c)(4) of The NASDAQ Global Select Market for equity grants to induce new employees to enter into employment with the Corporation.

KYTHERA Biopharmaceuticals, Inc. is a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical corporation focused on the discovery, development and commercialization of novel prescription products for the aesthetic medicine market.

22nd Century Group Inc (NYSEMKT:XXII), enhanced 22.81%, and closed at $1.20.

22nd Century Group, Inc. (XXII), declared that Henry Sicignano III has been named to the position of Chief Executive Officer. Mr. Sicignano will continue to serve as the Corporation’s President and will remain on the Board of Directors.

Since joining the Corporation as President in 2010, Mr. Sicignano has spearheaded major initiatives across a range of business areas, recently establishing a planned partnership with Smoker Friendly International, the nation’s largest dealer network of cigarette stores, and securing contract manufacturing and distribution contracts to launch the Corporation’s MAGIC® brand of cigarettes in Europe. Going forward, Mr. Sicignano has defined 22nd Century’s top priorities as: establishing multi-year international sales contracts for the Corporation’s proprietary tobacco products (with immediate focus on Asia); submitting to the FDA a Modified Risk Application for the Corporation’s Brand A very low nicotine cigarettes; and identifying a joint venture partner to fund Phase III clinical trials for X-22, the Corporation’s smoking cessation aid in development.

“22nd Century is in the rare position of having a virtual monopoly around the nicotine biosynthetic pathway in the tobacco plant; I am honored and tremendously excited to have been chosen to lead the Corporation as we start to commercialize our extraordinary IP portfolio,” Mr. Sicignano said. “As the tobacco industry starts a true paradigm shift toward the development and commercialization of reduced-risk tobacco products, 22nd Century is uniquely positioned to become a key player in both the smoking harm reduction and the smoking cessation markets. A key part of my job will be to seize these opportunities by focusing our administration team and the Corporation’s business development investments on our technology’s most important commercial applications.”

22nd Century is a plant biotechnology corporation whose proprietary technology allows for the levels of nicotine and other nicotinic alkaloids (e.g., nornicotine, anatabine and anabasine) in the tobacco plant to be reduced or raised through genetic engineering and plant breeding.

BG Medicine, Inc (NASDAQ:BGMD), picked up21.84%, and closed at $0.859.

BG Medicine, Inc. (BGMD), the developer of the BGM Galectin-3(R) Test, declared its receipt of a favorable decision from the Listing Qualifications Department of The NASDAQ Stock Market LLC, which granted the Corporation’s request for continued listing on NASDAQ, following an extension within which to evidence compliance with NASDAQ Listing Rule 5550(b). In the Corporation’s case, the Rule requires the Corporation to evidence either a minimum of $2.5 million in stockholders’ equity or a market capitalization of at least $35 million. The Corporation is diligently working to evidence compliance with the Rule on or before May 19, 2015, as required by the Staff.

BG Medicine, Inc. (BGMD), the developer of the BGM Galectin-3(R) Test, is focused on the development and delivery of diagnostic solutions to aid in the clinical administration of heart failure and related disorders.