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 fell at the open on Tuesday, slightly reversing theprevious day's rally, though the S&P 500 remained on track forits ninth straight quarterly rise. The Dow Jones industrialaverage was down 0.55 percent at 17,876.78, the S&P 500 was down 0.45 percent at 2,076.79 and the NasdaqComposite was down 0.45 percent at 4,925.38.
** CHARTER COMMUNICATIONS INC, $195.28, +6.48 pct
Cable television operator Charter Communications Inc said it would buy Bright House Networks in acash-and-stock deal valued at $10.4 billion to expand inFlorida. Bright House, controlled by the Newhouse family, hasabout 2 million video customers in central Florida, includingOrlando and Tampa Bay as well as Alabama, Indiana, Michigan, andCalifornia.
** SYNTA PHARMACEUTICALS CORP, $1.96, -15.88 pct
The drug developer said it would commence a public offeringof common shares, but did not say when the offering would becompleted or provide any details on the number of shares orprice.
** VAALCO ENERGY INC, $2.68, -14.38 pct
The oil and gas producer said it is abandoning its firstwell drilled offshore Angola as it was found to bewater-bearing.
** TECK RESOURCES LTD, $14.14, -7.40 pct
The Canadian miner and Antofagasta Plc denied that they were in talks about a merger after Bloombergreported that the two mining companies were in early stagetalks. Teck said in a statement that it was not in discussionswith Antofagasta "in relation to any form of transaction."
** GLAXOSMITHKLINE PLC, $46.07, -2.39 pct
** JOHNSON & JOHNSON, $101.03, -0.51 pct
GlaxoSmithKline has agreed to settle a lawsuit byJohnson & Johnson accusing it of using false advertising at thestart of the U.S. allergy season to grab market share.
** CBRE GROUP INC, $38.89, +6.81 pct
** JOHNSON CONTROLS INC, $50.78, +1.91 pct
Johnson Controls, the largest U.S. auto parts maker, said itwould sell its business that helps corporations manage theirreal estate energy needs to real estate services firm CBRE Groupfor $1.48 billion in cash. CBRE, the world's largest commercialreal estate services firm, said it expects the deal to add toadjusted earnings in 2016.
** ENDURANCE SPECIALTY HOLDINGS LTD, $61.91, -3.72pct
** MONTPELIER RE HOLDINGS LTD, $38.49, +0.89 pct
Property and casualty insurer Endurance Specialty will buyreinsurer Montpelier Re for about $1.83 billion in cash andstock, to boost its Lloyd's of London underwriting business.Montpelier shareholders will get 0.472 Endurance share and $9.89in cash for each share held, the companies said on Tuesday. Thisrepresents $40.24 per share for Montpelier, a 5.5 percentpremium to the stock's closing on Monday.
** GW PHARMA PLC, $92.11, +4.20 pct
The British maker of cannabis-based drugs said ithas started the second leg of a mid-stage trial testingEpidiolex to treat Dravet syndrome, a rare, treatment-resistantform of childhood epilepsyelectronics. Data from the trial isexpected at end of year and GW expects to submit a marketingapplication to the FDA in mid-2016. Epidiolex will also undergolate-stage testing to treat Lennox-Gastaut syndrome.
** DRYSHIPS INC, $0.8233, +1.64 pct
The drybulk shipper agreed to sell its four Suezmax tankersfor about $245 million through its majority owned subsidiaryOcean Rig UDW Inc. The company also said it has entered into anagreement to potentially sell its six Aframax tankers for about$291 million.
** J C PENNEY CO INC, $8.18, +4.47 pct
Analysts at Piper Jaffray raised their price target on thedepartment store chain's stock to $14, according to SeekingAlpha. The brokerage also raised its estimates for the companybased on inventory channel checks, Seeking Alpha reported.
** PRICELINE GROUP INC, $1,165.8, +1.39 pct
Analysts at Stifel Nicolaus raised their rating on thetravel website operator to "buy" from "hold", saying thestabilizing European economy should help the company.
** REYNOLDS AMERICAN INC, $68.27, -1.73 pct
** LORILLARD INC, $65.35, -1.61 pct
The Federal Trade Commission staff is recommending a suit toblock the $27 billion merger of the second- and third-biggestcigarette makers, Reynolds American and Lorillard, the New YorkPost reported, citing a well-placed DC source not working on thecase said. (http://bit.ly/1xuMHLZ)
** INSMED INC, $20.91, -0.85 pct
The drug developer said it is offering 10 million shares ofits common stock, and intends to use the proceeds to developrespiratory drugs ARIKAYCE and INS1009.
** GROUPON INC, $7.3, -1.75 pct
** KKR & CO LP, $22.68, -0.40 pct
Private equity firms KKR and Hong Kong-based Anchor Partnersare in talks to buy a majority stake in Groupon's South Koreanunit for around 350 billion won ($316 million), a South Koreannewspaper reported on Tuesday.
($1 = 1,107.3200 won)
** BIOCRYST PHARMACEUTICALS INC, $8.87, +3.50 pct
The drug developer said it won a U.S. government contractfor the continued development of its potential treatment forviral diseases, including Ebola. The 18-month contract includesa base value of $12.1 million to support manufacturing, as wellas $22.9 million in additional development options that can beexercised by the government.
** MOSAIC CO, $46.64, -1.52 pct
The U.S. fertilizer company said it would raise its annualdividend by 10 cents to $1.10 per share, effective in May. Themove comes despite recent tax changes by the Canadian provinceof Saskatchewan, where Mosaic mines the crop nutrient potash,which the company said earlier would cost it $80 million to $100million in 2015.
** INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS MACHINES CORP, $161.08,-0.98 pct
The company said it would invest $3 billion over the nextfour years in a new 'Internet of Things' unit, aiming to sellits expertise in gathering and making sense of the surge inreal-time data.
** CITIGROUP INC, $51.34, -0.58 pct
The U.S. bank has agreed to sell its credit card unit inJapan to Sumitomo Mitsui Trust Bank, the companies said onTuesday, as Citi slims down globally to bolster itsprofitability.
** CONOCOPHILLIPS, $63.15, -1.33 pct
The American oil company plans to invest about $2.5 billionin Indonesia's upstream oil and gas industry over the next threeor four years, the nation's energy minister said on Tuesday.
** EXXON MOBIL CORP, $84.87, -0.89 pct
The oil and gas producer said it started production in thedeepwater Gulf of Mexico at Hadrian South, its deepest subseatie-back. The daily gross production from the project isexpected to reach about 300 mln cubic feet of gas and 3,000barrels of liquids from two wells.
** COMCAST CORP, $56.27, -0.60 pct
The largest U.S. cable operator said it would form a newcompany with its chief financial officer, Michael Angelakis, toinvest in and focus on operating growth-oriented companies bothin the United States and international markets. The new companywould have total capital commitments of up to $4.1 billion, ofwhich $4 billion will be invested by Comcast. At least $40million will be invested by Angelakis.
** SPRINT CORP, $4.72, -0.63 pct
Sprint has agreed to settle a $131 million lawsuit accusingit of defrauding shareholders by issuing false and misleadingstatements about its tightened credit standards, improvements inits subscriber base, and the success of its merger with NextelCommunications Inc. (Compiled by Ramkumar Iyer in Bengaluru; Editing by SimonJennings)
