Notable earnings stories and other updates drove market activity for the following companies, sending shares surging for IR, MMC and XL.

Wall Street slowly climbed in Wednesday’s early trading session as investors took advantage of yesterday’s selloffs; several companies struggled to hold gains amid disappointment over latest stimulus plan.

Hospitality stocks sank with the rest of the market in yesterday’s bleak trading, though a few managed to recover with slight gains Wednesday morning.

The following companies released news that generated investor awareness and market activity, though few were able to make gains in Wednesday’s market.