Nextest Systems prices at $14, low end of range

Nextest Systems, which provides automated test equipment for manufacturers of flash memory devices, priced its offering of 5.4 million shares at $14, the low end of its proposed $14 to $16 price range, on Tuesday night. Of the shares sold in the deal, 1.4 million were offered by insiders. Merrill Lynch was the lead manager on the IPO. The stock is expected to begin trading on the NASDAQ under the ticker NEXT on Wednesday.