Despite Stock Gains, Florida Panthers Losing Money.(Originated from The Miami Herald)

Dec. 25--The share price of Florida Panthers Holdings has soared 70 percent in the two days since Chairman H. Wayne Huizenga announced that the company will buy two Fort Lauderdale hotels.

On Tuesday, more shares of Panthers stock traded than ever before, surpassing even the Nov. 11 opening day volume. The stock, trading under the ticker symbol PUCK, gained $4.25 Tuesday to close at $17 a share. That's $7 a share more than the initial public offering, a price at which the stock had languished until this week.

"We're pleased that the market responded favorably," said Ron Castell, a spokesman for Huizenga. "I think the market really understands that …