REAL MOST ACTIVE Techs Gain Ground As More Breakouts Crop Up.(B)

Byline: CRAIG SHAW

Techs outperformed blue chips Wednesday as crude oil resumed its climb. The Nasdaq rose 0.7% on heavier but still subpar trade. Education, oil and medical supplies stocks were among the top performers.

Hansen Natural surged 3.38, or 14.2%, to 27.12 on 3 1/2 times normal turnover. The maker of natural juices and sodas has been a mainstay of the Investor's Business Daily 100 list of leading growth companies. It ranked No. 45 in Monday's list. Sales growth accelerated from 8% to 62% the past four quarters. But its Beverages-Soft Drinks group sank from No. 19 to No. 96 of IBD's 197 industries the past eight weeks.

Petroleum Development burst out of a six-month base on triple normal trade, spiking 2.53 to 33.56. The natural gas producer tried earlier breakouts in mid-July and early August, but sank back to its 50-day support line. Profit growth was 43% or better the past seven quarters. Its Oil & Gas-U.S. Exploration & Production group was the No. 2 performer of IBD's 197 industries with a greater than 2% gain.

Indian IT services firm Infosys Technologies romped to a three-year high of 53.39, up 1.26 on more than twice normal ...