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U.S. stock index e-mini futures fell on Wednesday: Dow Jonesindustrial average futures were down 0.18 percent at17,761, S&P 500 futures were down 0.13 percent at 2,059.5and Nasdaq 100 futures were down 0.04 percent at4,274.25.
** APPLE INC, Tuesday close $122.02, +0.37 pctpremarket
** FIRST SOLAR INC, Tuesday close $48.54, +2.49 pctpremarket
The iPhone maker will buy about $850 million of power from anew California solar farm to cut its energy bill, it said onTuesday as its stock market value closed above $700 billion forthe first time.
The First Solar plant, with the capacity to power theequivalent of 60,000 homes, will be used to supply electricityfor Apple's new campus in Silicon Valley, and its other officesand 52 stores in the state, Chief Executive Tim Cook said at aGoldman Sachs technology conference in San Francisco.
** PIER 1 IMPORTS INC, Tuesday close $16.97, -32.06pct premarket
The furniture retailer forecast 2015 profit below analysts'expectations, citing weak sales in January and February andhigher supply chain costs.
** ACHILLION PHARMACEUTICALS INC, Tuesday close$11.475, -5.45 pct premarket
The biotech company said it would offer about 10 millionshares of common stock, but did not disclose the expected price.
** TESLA MOTORS INC, Tuesday close $216.29, -1.85pct premarket
Chief Executive Elon Musk is prepared to fire overseasexecutives, people with knowledge of the matter said, after weakChinese sales of the company's luxury electric cars cast doubton his ambitious global expansion plans.
** DELTA AIR LINES INC, Tuesday close $45.32
** UNITED CONTINENTAL HOLDINGS INC, Tuesday close$67.63
** AMERICAN AIRLINES GROUP INC, Tuesday close $48.05
U.S. airlines have lost at least five percentage points oftheir share of flight bookings from the United States to theIndian subcontinent and Southeast Asia since 2008, due to fiercecompetition from Gulf carriers, according to data seen byReuters.
** SPRINT CORP, Tuesday close $4.92
With its surprise endorsement of a stricter U.S. regulatoryregime for Internet service providers, Sprint wanted to showthat tougher rules would not stop rival telecom players frominvesting, Chief Technology Officer Stephen Bye said in aninterview.
** HALLIBURTON CO, Tuesday close $42.6, -0.94 pctpremarket
** BAKER HUGHES INC, Tuesday close $62.06
U.S. antitrust regulators have asked the oilfield servicescompanies for more information related to their proposed $35billion merger, the companies said on Tuesday.
** ANTHEM INC, Tuesday close $138.74
Ten U.S. states have sent a letter to the No. 2 U.S. healthinsurer, complaining that the company has been too slow innotifying consumers that they were victims of a massive databreach disclosed last week.
** COCA-COLA CO, Tuesday close $42.4
The world's largest beverage maker raised the overall pricesit charges its retail customers in North America 4 percent inthe latest quarter, the company said on Tuesday, a signal toindustry watchers that soft-drink rival PepsiCo probablyraised prices too.
** WESTERN UNION CO, Tuesday close $18.4
The world's largest money transfer company said it would cutprices for money transfers within the United States to help fendoff fierce competition and would buy back up to $1.2 billion ofshares.
** MOLINA HEALTHCARE INC, Tuesday close $56.26
The company reported higher-than-expected fourth-quarterearnings, helped by an increase in premiums.
** SANGAMO BIOSCIENCES INC, Tuesday close $12.67
The biotechnology company's fourth-quarter revenue was $15million, compared with the average analyst estimate of $14.5million, helped by payments from deals with companies such asShire, Biogen Idec, Dow AgroSciences, and SigmaAldrich.
** XOOM CORP, Tuesday close $15.14
The online money-transfer company said it expectedfirst-quarter revenue of $42 million-$44 million, below theaverage analyst estimate of $44.4 million.
** TARO PHARMACEUTICAL INDUSTRIES, Tuesday close$163.49
Taro's margins increased by 70 basis points to a record of81.4 percent, beating estimates.
** CHICO'S FAS INC, Tuesday close $17.25
Private equity firm Sycamore Partners is in talks to buy thewomen's apparel retailer and is trying to secure debt financingof up to $3 billion, two sources familiar with the matter toldReuters.
** RUCKUS WIRELESS INC, Tuesday close $10.51
The Wifi products maker forecast first-quarter profit andrevenue below the average analyst estimate. The company'sfourth-quarter revenue also lagged estimates, hurt by delays ineducation spending in North American.
** GILEAD SCIENCES INC, Tuesday close $98.32, -0.07pct premarket
The drugmaker said on Tuesday that it expects the number ofhepatitis C patients treated in Europe with its Sovaldi drug toincrease dramatically this year, and that approvals for thenewer combination pill, Harvoni, could come quickly.
** SAREPTA THERAPEUTICS INC, Tuesday close $12.58
An experimental Ebola drug from Sarepta protected six ofeight lab monkeys injected with the virus, scientists from thecompany and the U.S. Army reported on Tuesday.
** ROYAL DUTCH SHELL PLC, Tuesday close $66.08
The United Steelworkers union said lead oil companynegotiator Royal Dutch Shell failed to bring expertsand information as promised when talks ended last week. A Shellspokeswoman said on Tuesday night that the firm was working "ina good faith effort to collect the requested data".
** VALEANT PHARMACEUTICALS INTERNATIONAL INC,Tuesday close $164.13
Canada-based Valeant will scoop up bankrupt cancervaccine maker Dendreon Corp, after no additionalqualified bids came forward by Tuesday's deadline, Valeant said.
** GOLDMAN SACHS GROUP INC, Tuesday close $184.56
New York's financial regulator has sent subpoenas to GoldmanSachs, Credit Suisse, BNP Paribas andSociete Generale, expanding its probe into thepossible rigging of foreign exchange rates through computerprograms, people familiar with the matter said.
** INTUIT INC, Tuesday close $89.14
The U.S. Federal Bureau of Investigation is examining howfraudulent tax returns were filed in 19 states throughtax-preparation software TurboTax, developed by Intuit, the WallStreet Journal reported, citing a person with knowledge of thematter. (Compiled by Amrutha Penumudi in Bengaluru; Editing by SimonJennings)
