There are always stocks making 52-week highs and 52-week lows, and this volatile environment is no exception. Highs over the past few days have included American Italian Pasta (AIPC), Hot Topic (HOTT), Myriad Genetics (MYGN) and Anadys Pharmaceuticals (ANDS), and lows have included Abiomed (ABMD), ViroPharma (VPHM) and Advisory Board (ABCO).

Let's take a closer look at a few of these stocks.

52-Week Highs

American Italian Pasta: This pasta maker, which hit a high on Monday, has had a 52-week trading range of $4.26 to $27 and is currently trading at about $26.59. Its shares have had a monster run since March 2008, up more than 400%, vs. a decline in the S&P 500 of about 45%. It trades with a price-to-earnings ratio of 12.1, a price-to-sales ratio of 1 and enterprise value/ EBITDA of 8.3.

American Italian Pasta, a recent defensive pick of RealMoney's Steve Gear, is the largest U.S. producer of dry pasta, with Wal-Mart (WMT) acting as its largest customer on the retail side. On Dec. 11, AIP reported fourth-quarter earnings of 36 cents a share, up from 10 cents the prior year. Full-year sales rose 43% to $569 million. Profit improved to 99 cents a share from 28 cents in 2007 and a loss of $1.65 in 2006. TheStreet.com Ratings upgraded the stock to a buy in December 2008.

In mid-September, former CEO Timothy Webster and former CFO Warren Schmidgall pleaded guilty to one count each of wire fraud. Three other officers were charged and penalized.

However, with completely new management and a new business plan, it makes sense that current CEO Jack Kelly recently said: “Part of any re-emergence story, of course, is closing the chapter on past issues."

Anadys Pharmaceuticals: The biopharmaceutical company has traded in the range of $1.41 to $6.30 over the past year and hit that 52-week high on Monday. Recently, it was at about $6. Shares of Anadys are up around 250% year-to-date alone, vs. a decline in the S&P 500 of 5.6%.

On Jan. 8, shares gapped higher by 115% as the company released the first antiviral activity data on its lead hepatitis C drug. In the study, eight hepatitis C patients were treated with a twice-daily dose of Anadys' ANA598. After just three days, there was an average reduction of more than 99% in the level of the virus.

According to Anadys, hepatitis C affects about 3.2 million people in the U.S. and 170 million people worldwide.

52-Week Lows

Abiomed: Medical-device company Abiomed, which develops heart pumps, has been trading in a 52-week range of $8.74 to $20.07 and is currently sitting just above its 52-week low, which it hit earlier on Tuesday. The stock is down about 45% year-to-date, vs. the S&P 500's 5.6% decline.

On Feb. 5, Abiomed reported a fourth-quarter loss on a per-share basis of 21 cents vs. a loss of 26 cents per share a year ago. Abiomed also guided 2009 revenue toward the low end of its $75 million to $80 million.

Abiomed, which now trades at four times 2009 revenue, said it sold 55 units of its Impella 2.5 cardiac assist devices during the fourth quarter, bringing total U.S. sales to 163 units. The Impella 2.5 system allows surgeons to implant a device that maintains blood flow in heart-failure patients during and after surgery. Revenue from Impella sales more than doubled to $8.9 million.

Abiomed has $51 million dollars in cash and zero debt.

Advisory Board: Advisory Board provides best-practices research and analysis and executive education services in the U.S. It has traded in a range of $15.90 to $58.01 over the past year and is currently at about $16.73, having hit is most-recent 52-week low on Friday. Shares are down more than 70% since January 2008, vs. the S&P 500's decline of about 45%.

Advisory Board, which reported after the close on Monday, trades with a forward P/E of 11.5 and EV/ EBITDA of 5.7.

For more stocks trading at the tops and bottoms of their yearlong ranges, including Boston Private Financial Holdings (BPFH), Evergreen Solar (ESLR) and Deltke (PROJ), check out the 52-Week High and 52-Week Low Portfolio on Stockpickr.

Also, regularly check out the 52-Week Lows and 52-Week Highs portfolios on Stockpickr, which we update daily after the market close.

Posted on Feb. 10, 2009