Spotlight: Sybase Shares Jump Amid Acquisition Rumors

Emeryville-based Sybase Inc. shares rose 9.3% amid speculation that IBM Corp. may be looking to buy the software maker. Its shares rose $1.63 to close at $19.13 in Nasdaq trading. Speculation about prospective IBM acquisitions also sent the stock of Utah-based network software maker Novell Inc. up 97 cents to close at $9.97. Investors are expecting the world’s largest computer maker to buy something soon. “There’s a feeling out there that IBM is on the prowl,” analyst Gary Abbott said.