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(For more market insights, including options activity, click on ; for the Day Ahead newsletter http://link.reuters.com/mex49s; for the Morning News Call newsletter, http://link.reuters.com/nex49s)U.S. stock indexes edged higher on Wednesday as a round ofpositive data boosted optimism about the pace of global growthand Hewlett-Packard Co rallied after announcing itsresults. The Dow Jones industrial average was up 0.12percent at 16,091.84, the S&P 500 was up 0.19 percent at1,806.22 and the Nasdaq Composite was up 0.44 percent at4,035.412.
** HEWLETT-PACKARD CO, $27.01, +7.65 pct
Signs that Hewlett-Packard's turnaround plan is finallyyielding results put the company's stock on track for itsbiggest one-day jump in a year on Wednesday. HP shares rose 9percent to $27.33 in early trading, after at least one brokerageraised its rating on the PC maker's shares and another nineraised their price targets.
** BIOREFERENCE LABS INC, $30.42, -19.37 pct
** QUEST DIAGNOSTICS INC, $61.26, -1.32 pct
** LABORATORY CORP OF AMERICA HOLDINGS, $102.79,-2.15 pct
Laboratory services provider Bioreference forecastfourth-quarter and full-year earnings well below Wall Streetestimates, citing the proposed changes in Medicare and MedicaidServices reimbursement rates and the challenges related to theAffordable Healthcare Act. The company said it expects earningsof about 40 cents per share for the fourth quarter and about$1.65 per share for the full year.
Jefferies & Co analyst Brian Tanquilut said the company'sforecast highlighted the cloudy reimbursement outlook forlaboratory service providers like Quest Diagnostics andLaboratory Corp of America.
** BIOSCRIP INC, $7.045, +19.41 pct
Shares of the company, which provides drug infusiontherapies at patients' homes, jumped after drugstore chainoperator and pharmacy benefits manager CVS Caremark Corp said it will buy Apria Healthcare Group Inc's infusion services and nutrition business for $2.1 billion.
** TILLY'S INC, $12, -24.43 pct
** ZUMIEZ INC, $27.37, -7.15 pct
The teen apparel retailer forecast a muchlower-than-expected profit for the fourth quarter, citing weakcustomer traffic amid increased promotions in the holidayseason.
** INFOBLOX INC, $34.44, -23.40 pct
The network equipment maker forecast second-quarter resultsbelow analysts' expectations. Infoblox's shares have almosttripled in the past year, spurred by strong demand for itsautomation products that help telecom companies manage internettraffic more efficiently.
** ELTEK LTD, $3.14, +47.42 pct
The Israeli printed circuit board maker reported a 350percent jump in third-quarter profit helped by higher grossmargins. Earlier this month, Eltek said it sold amajority stake in the company to peer Nistec Ltd for $4.2million.
** MILLER ENERGY RESOURCES INC, $8.14, +5.44 pct
Analysts at Casimir Capital upgraded the oil and gasproducer's stock to "buy" from "hold", citing the acquisition ofassets in Alaska. Miller Energy reported the acquisition of theNorth Fork Unit and affiliated assets from Armstrong Cook Inletby its subsidiary for $59.975 million in cash and $5 million inthe company's Series D Preferred Stock on Monday.
** RUCKUS WIRELESS INC, $13.34, +5.45 pct
Stifel Nicolaus started coverage of the Wi-Fi equipmentmaker with a "buy" rating and a price target of $17, citingcustomer growth at the company. The company's service providercustomers include KDDI, O2, Sprint, PCCW, BSkyB, and Time WarnerCable. WiFi hot spots are increasingly being deployed byoverburdened cellular networks to offload traffic and complementnetwork coverage, and by enterprises to enable corporate networkaccess.
** GW PHAMACEUTICALS PLC, $37.05, +5.86 pct
The company said its cannabis-based drug, Sativex, recievedSwiss regulatory approval for the treatment of spasticity inmultiple sclerosis patients who have not responded toconventional treatment. Sativex will be marketed in Switzerlandby GW's European partner, Almirall SA. Sativex nowholds approval in 23 countries, the company said in a statement.
Piper Jaffray initiated coverage of the stock with an"overweight" rating.
** AEROVIRONMENT INC, $29.645, +10.12 pct
The maker of unmanned aircraft systems late on Tuesdayforecast 2014 results above Wall Street expectations as itsorder backlog rose 56 percent to $133.8 million during thesecond quarter. The company also reported second-quarter resultsthat beat analysts' estimates.
Sterne Agee & Leach raised its price target on the company'sstock to $25 from $21 while Benchmark Co raised its price targetto $30 from $26.92.
** 58.COM INC, $33.83, -9.30 pct
The Chinese online classified ads provider forecastfourth-quarter revenue of $41-$43 million, largely below the$42.9 million estimated by Pacific Crest analyst Cheng Cheng.The company reported a 77.6 percent jump in third-quarterrevenue in its first earnings statement as a public company.
** MARATHON PETROLEUM CORP, $27.01, +7.65 pct
** HOLLYFRONTIER CORP, $48.5, +3.92 pct
** VALERO ENERGY CORP, $46.01, +3.74 pct
** PHILLIPS 66, $70.13, +2.01 pct
The closely watched spread between U.S. benchmark West TexasIntermediate (WTI) and European benchmark Brent
** NEWFIELD EXPLORATION CO, $28.06, down 5 pct (2:04p.m. ET)
** NOBLE ENERGY INC, $69.53, down 5 pct
** CONTINENTAL RESOURCES INC, $107.11, down 4 pct
** CARRIZO OIL & GAS, INC. $39.98, down 4 pct
Energy stocks were down as U.S. crude oil futures fell bynearly $2 on Wednesday, hit by a higher-than-expected build ininventories. Brent crude was down 28 cents at $110.60 abarrel by 1:26 p.m. ET, reversing course after earlier hitting$111.54. U.S. oil fell $1.72 to $91.96 a barrel aftergoing as low as $91.77.
** FRONTLINE LTD, $2.55, +8.51 pct
The crude tanker arm of shipping tycoon John Fredriksen'sbusiness empire is looking to restructure after heavy losses, itsaid on Tuesday. Frontline expects some improvement in thefourth quarter thanks to improved market conditions, it said.
** GENCO SHIPPING AND TRADING LTD, $2.28, +7.55 pct
** EAGLE BULK SHIPPING INC, $3.61, +3.74 pct
** PARAGON SHIPPING INC, $5.392, +3.30 pct
** DRYSHIPS INC, $3.259, +5.44 pct
** BALTIC TRADING LTD, $4.77, +2.36 pct
** STAR BULK CARRIERS CORP, $9.14, +5.18 pct
The Baltic Exchange's main sea freight index, whichgauges the cost of shipping bulk commodities such as iron ore,grain, coal and fertiliser, rose for a third day on Wednesday onhigher capesize and panamax rates. The overall index, whichfactors in the average daily earnings of capesize, panamax,supramax and handysize dry bulk transport vessels, rose morethan 60 points or 4 percent to 1,573 points.
** REPROS THERAPEUTICS INC, $16.31, +7.30 pct
Piper Jaffrey initiated coverage of the drug developer withan "overweight" rating.
** GLOBAL BRASS AND COPPER HOLDINGS INC $15.9,-5.97 pct
The metal components supplier said Halkos Holdings LLC, thebeneficial owner of 34.4 percent of its common stock, wasselling 7.31 million shares.
** DURATA THERAPEUTICS INC, $12.6, +16.67 pct
The company said U.S. health regulators granted priorityreview to its experimental skin drug, Dalvance, and set a reviewdate of May 26, 2014.
This status allows for an expedited review process formedicines that are considered potentially significanttherapeutic advancements over existing therapies.
** ARIAD PHARMA, $4.47, -4.49 pct
The drugmaker's shares lost some of the gains since Friday,when it said European regulators recommended the continued useof its leukemia drug, Iclusig. Shares of the company had risennearly 68 percent since then up to Tuesday closing. More than 23million shares have been changed hands on Wednesday.
** LLOYDS BANKING GROUP PLC, $5.06, +3.27 pct
Britain's biggest retail bank will probably sell asignificant proportion of its remaining 22 percent stake inwealth manager St James' Place Plc in the first twoweeks of December, Bloomberg reported, citing Panmure Gordon &Co. (http://link.reuters.com/byk94v)
** FOSTER WHEELER AG, $30.47, +6.06 pct
British engineer Amec is looking at Swiss-basedrival Foster Wheeler among a number of potential acquisitiontargets, but is not currently in talks with the company, asource close to the matter said on Wednesday.
** ANALOG DEVICES INC, $47.08, -5.69 pct
The chipmaker reported lower-than-expected fourth-quarterrevenue and forecast current-quarter results below analysts'expectations as customers remain cautious about spending.
** CROCS INC, $13.81, +1.99 pct
The shoemaker, known for its brightly colored clogs, is intalks with buyout firms including Blackstone Group LP about a possible investment, Bloomberg reported, citing peoplewith knowledge of the matter. (http://link.reuters.com/mak94v)
** SHANDA GAMES LTD, $4.07, -0.97 pct
The Chinese online game developer's third-quarter revenuemissed analysts' estimates on Tuesday due to falling sales ofits massively multiplayer online games - Mir II, Dragon Nest andWoool. The company also reported a fall in average monthlypaying users due to the conversion of some lower-spending payingaccounts into free accounts and the discontinuation of itsunpopular "RIFT" game. (Compiled by Avik Das in Bangalore; Edited by Don Sebastian)
