(Street Life is a regular feature that profiles what's playing in the stock market.)

Act I: The Thunder Rolls

* The Player: North American Palladium Ltd. (TSX:PDL)

* Action: Down 40 per cent in a month (from $3.01 Sept. 19)

* Recent Price: $1.80

* 52-Week High/Low: $9.45/$1.31 Hundreds of Ontario employees are getting a trick for Halloween instead of a treat.

North American Palladium, one of North America's largest producers of the platinum-type metal, is temporarily closing its Lac Dex Iles Mine in Thunder Bay and will lay off 350 employees.

The company blames the effects of recent market conditions on global commodity prices, and says closing the mine (which is currently operating at a loss) will allow Palladium to save cash and enhance shareholder value over the long term.

Palladium commodity prices have plummeted in 2008 from a high of $582/oz. to $180/oz., and platinum prices have dropped from a high of $2,273/oz. to around $880/oz.

Another metals company, FNX Mining Co.

Inc. (TSX:FNX), has suspended commercial production from its Levack Complex thanks to low nickel prices, but does not expect the suspension to affect FNX's Sudbury workforce.

FNX shares have dropped 48 per cent, from $13.05 Sept. 19 to $6.80 Oct. 20.

Act II: Enghouse Buyer

* The Player: Enghouse Systems Ltd. (TSX:ESL)

* Action: Down nine per cent in a month (from $5.20 Sept. 19)

* Recent Price: $4.75

* 52-Week High/Low: $7.86/$3.75 An Ontario acquisition-focused software and services company has done it again.

Markham-based Enghouse Systems Ltd. and its subsidiary Syntellect Inc. recently announced the purchase of Envox Group AB for $14 million.

Enghouse says the purchase of Boston-based Envox, which is a well-known global provider of IP-based voice solutions, will help Enghouse expand its global presence.

In April of this year, Enghouse acquired Gamma Projects Ltd. based in Wales, a network infrastructure management software and consultancy firm.

The most recent acquisition news has helped Enghouse stock continue its climb from a low of $3.75 on October 10.

Act III: Coal Fusion

* The Player: NEMI Northern Energy & Mining Inc. (TSX:NNE.A)

* Action: Down 64 per cent in a month (from $0.69 Sept. 19)

* Recent Price: $0.245

* 52-Week High/Low: $1.93/$0.24 The market may be volatile, but two energy companies have agreed their initial valuation of their companies as equals is still true and their merger will go ahead.

NEMI Northern Energy & Mining Inc. based in Vancouver has agreed to merge with Aviva Corp.

of Perth, Australia, to create an international coal and energy group. Aviva shareholders (ASX:AVA) will receive 0.59 NEMI shares in the form of CHESS Depository Interests (a type of security used by the Australian Stock Exchange to allow international companies to trade on the local market) for each Aviva share.

The joined company will maintain its TSX listing (likely under a new name), and apply for listings on the Australian and Botswana stock exchanges.

Assets of the combined company will include: Peace River Coal Ltd.

in northeastern B.C., which operates a coal mine; Coolimba Power, a 400 MW integrated development in Western Australia that will be fuelled by Aviva's coal deposit; and Mmamatswe, a low-sulfur coal project in Botswana.

Completion of the merger depends on shareholder approval, meetings for which are expected in December of this year and January 2009.

Act IV: OFI Going OFF

* The Player: OFI Income Fund (TSX:OFB.UN)

* Action: Flat in a month (from $0.80 Sept. 19)

* Recent Price: $0.80

* 52-Week High/Low: $5.42/$0.45 CertainTeed Insulation Canada Inc. has agreed to pay approximately $41 million for OFI Income Fund, an Ottawa-based producer of fibreglass insulation products.

CertainTeed, a subsidiary of Pennsylvania-based building products giant Saint-Gobain, will also assume OFI's adjusted debt, a value to be calculated at closing.

Using current estimates, OFI unitholders will receive around $3.05 per unit, which is approximately 320 per cent over the 30-day volume-weighted price for the period ending Oct. 20.

The all-cash acquisition (and subsequent delisting of OFI) is subject to unitholder and regulatory approvals, and is expected to close in early 2009.

NOTE: The above is not intended as investment advice to buy or sell any mentioned securities. Investors should do due diligence before investing. Quotes are based on results through Oct. 20, 2008.

(Nicole Strandlund can be reached at nicole@businessedge.ca)