WALL STREET STOCKS/POLAROID &lt;PRD>

  Rumors that New York investor Asher
  Edelman has acquired a stake in Polaroid Corp and optimism
  about tomorrow's status hearing on the patent infringement suit
  pending with Eastman Kodak Co &lt;EK> sent Polaroid's stock
  higher, traders said.
      Polaroid rose 1-1/8 to 74-1/2.
      "Speculation that Edelman was going to take a stake in
  Polaroid was kicking around a few months ago, and resurfaced
  today," one trader said.
      Edelman had no comment on the rumors.
      A spokesman for Polaroid said the company had not been
  contacted by Edelman and no filing had been made with the
  Securities and Exchange Commission about a stake in the
  company.
      "There is some hope among investors that there will some
  progress in the status hearing tomorrow on the patent
  infringement suit with Kodak," analyst Michael Ellmann of
  Wertheim and Co said.
      Traders said it is conceivable that a trial date could be
  set or some progress made on an out-of-court settlement.
      The suit, filed by Polaroid in April 1976, charges that
  Kodak infringed upon Polaroid's instant camera patent. In
  October 1985, the court barred Kodak from selling cameras or
  film that infringe upon the patent, the Polaroid spokesman
  said.
      Ellmann said he feels it is highly unlikely that any
  progress will be made in tomorrow's hearing.
      Ellmann said the stock may have also gotten a boost today
  from some optimism concerning new products the company is
  currently working on.
      "Polaroid's announcement that a particularly senior company
  executive had been chosen to work on a major unidentified new
  product spurred some speculation about their products," he
  said. "I am speculating that the new product could be an
  electronic still camera," referring to a camera that records
  its images on magnetic disks as opposed to conventional film.
      Ellmann said the stock may have also gotten a boost today
  from some optimism concerning new products the company is
  currently working on.
      "Polaroid's announcement that a particularly senior company
  executive had been chosen to work on a major unidentified new
  product spurred some speculation about their products," he
  said. "I am speculating that the new product could be an
  electronic still camera," referring to a camera that records
  its images on magnetic disks as opposed to conventional film.
  

