Last checked at 
(For faster updates on individual market-movers, Eikon usersplease use search string "STXBZ US"; for the Day Aheadnewsletter, http://link.reuters.com/mex49s; for the Morning NewsCall newsletter, http://link.reuters.com/nex49s)U.S. stocks opened higher on Thursday after data showedsmaller-than-expected growth in U.S. jobs, reducing chances ofan interest rate hike in September. The Dow Jones industrialaverage was up 0.30 percent at 17,810.79, the S&P 500 was up 0.29 percent at 2,083.42 and the Nasdaq Composite was up 0.16 percent at 5,021.267.
** BP PLC, $40.97, +4.33 pct
BP said it has reached an $18.7 billion settlement ofdamages claims from the U.S. government and five states afterthe 2010 Gulf of Mexico spill.
** TESLA MOTORS INC, $277.775, +3.20 pct
The electric car maker said Model S deliveries rose 52percent to 11,507 in the second quarter, "a new company recordfor the most cars delivered in a quarter."
** CENTENE CORP, $80.25, -0.80 pct
** HEALTH NET INC, $74.46, +14.45 pct
U.S. health insurer Centene said it would buy rival HealthNet for $6.3 billion to bolster its position as a manager ofgovernment insurance plans and gain scale to negotiate betterprices with hospitals.
** AEROPOSTALE INC, $1.79, +9.15 pct
The teen apparel retailer signed licensing deals to openstores in India and Indonesia.
The company said it would open 50 standalone stores, 150shop-in-shops and e-commerce operations in India over the nextfive years, beginning in March.
** EBAY INC, $61.35, +1.53 pct
** XOOM CORP, $25.1, +21.26 pct
** WESTERN UNION CORP, $19.37, -5.00 pct
PayPal Inc said it would buy digital money transfer providerXoom for $890 million as it muscles into a growing internationalremittance market and expand in countries like Mexico, India andChina ahead of a spinoff from eBay Inc.
Shares of Western Union fell after Evercore ISI cut itsrating on the stock to "hold" from "buy" and its price target to$20 from $23, saying the deal poses a threat to the world'slargest money-transfer company.
** FRONTLINE LTD, $2.45, -5.04 pct
John Fredriksen will merge tanker companies Frontline and Frontline 2012, the Norwegian shippingtycoon announced on Thursday.
Frontline 2012 was spun off from Frontline three years agoand has since divested its dry-bulk and gas fleet to focus oncrude oil and product tankers.
** GREEN BRICK PARTNERS INC, $12.12, +5.03 pct
Activist investors David Einhorn and Daniel Loeb, theresidential land developer's top two shareholders, increasedtheir stake.
** HANSEN MEDICAL INC, $1, +16.29 pct
The medical robotics maker said the U.S. FDA approved itsMagellan 10Fr robotic catheter for use in procedures to treatcirculation disorders.
** PETROLEO BRASILEIRO SA, $8.85, +2.31 pct
Brazil's state-run oil company Petrobras movedquickly on Wednesday to deliver on promises to shed assets andraise cash by announcing the sale of stakes in two offshoreoilfields and a study of ways to sell part of itsfuel-distribution unit.
** SPRINT CORP, $4.51, -0.22 pct
British electrical goods and mobile phone retailer DixonsCarphone said its Connected World Services (CWS) divisionhas signed a deal with Sprint, the U.S. mobile network operator,to open and manage Sprint-branded stores in the U.S.
** RIO TINTO, $41.18, +1.10 pct
The head of global mining firm Rio Tinto urged governments not to be tempted by protectionism as they tryto preserve revenues at a time of weakening commodity prices. (Compiled By Manya Venkatesh in Bengaluru; Editing by SimonJennings)
