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U.S. stocks rose at the open on Wednesday following data thatshowed the U.S. private sector created more jobs than expectedin December and as deflation concerns in the euro zone were seenpushing the bloc's central bank into action. The Dow Jonesindustrial average was up 0.97 percent at 17,540.18, theS&P 500 was up 0.96 percent at 2,021.75 and the NasdaqComposite was up 0.96 percent at 4,636.64.
** WET SEAL INC, $0.064, +16.36 pct
The struggling apparel retailer said it laid off about 3,700full- and part-time employees on Wednesday as it closed 338retail stores. The closures followed Wet Seal's failure tosuccessfully re-negotiate meaningful concessions from landlords,the company said.
** NETLIST INC, $1.07, +27.00 pct
Needham & Co raised its rating on the memory productsmaker's stock to "buy" from "hold". Analyst Richard Kugele saidNetlist has likely won a preliminary injunction on Jan. 6 overSanDisk Corp, preventing future shipments of theULLtraDIMM.
Kugele says granting the injunction means court believesNetlist stands a "very high likelihood" of prevailing in theupcoming contract and trade secret case over the product.
** GALECTIN THERAPEUTICS INC, $4.1596, +28.78 pct
The drug developer said final results of the early-stagetrial of its GR-MD-02 in fatty liver disease, or nonalcoholicsteatohepatitis with advanced fibrosis, demonstrated that thedrug was safe and well tolerated after multiple doses.
** BOEING CO, $129.39, +1.46 pct
Airbus Group beat the planemaker in aircraft ordersin 2014, maintaining a lead in new business despite lagging indeliveries, a person familiar with the matter said on Tuesday.
** PORTUGAL TELECOM SGPS SA, $0.84, -11.58 pct
Shares in Portugal Telecom slumped 20 percent to all-timelows on Wednesday as investors dumped the stock after authorities searched its offices on suspicions of fraud.
** MONSANTO CO, $117.2, +1.24 pct
The world's largest seed company said profits dropped 34percent in the first quarter compared with a year ago, due inpart to lower planted corn acres in South America and a shift intiming of some sales.
** KARYOPHARM THERAPEUTICS INC, $32.38, -3.26 pct
The drug developer priced its public offering of 3 millionshares at $33 each, a discount of 1.4 percent to stock's Tuesdayclosing. Offering represents about 9 percent of Karyopharm'soutstanding shares as of Jan. 6, according to Thomson Reutersdata.
** SUPERVALU INC, $9.41, +2.39 pct
The supermarket chain reported third-quarter adjusted profitand sales above analysts' estimates as comparable sales rise atits Save-A-Lot stores. sales at Save-A-Lot stores rose 6.9percent in third quarter. Analysts expected 4.8 percent rise,according to Consensus Metrix poll.
** ALKERMES PLC, $64.9799, +6.65 pct
Alkermes said its experimental drug to treat schizophreniamet the main goal in a mid-stage trial. The drug, codenamed ALKS3831, is a combination of samidorphan and the antipsychoticolanzapine.
** KEURIG GREEN MOUNTAIN INC, $134.74, +5.94 pct
** SNAPPLE GROUP INC, $72.16, +0.95 pct
The maker of the K-Cup single-serve coffee pod, will sell DrPepper Snapple Group's soda pods for its at-home cold beveragesystem, Keurig Cold, expected to be launched this year. DrPepper's beverage brands include Snapple, 7-Up and Schweppes.
** ZAFGEN INC, $35.48, +10.29 pct
The company said a mid-stage study showed its experimentaldrug reduced weight in patients obese due to damage to a part ofthe brain. The drug, beloranib, was tested against a placebo in14 adults with obesity resulting from damage to the hypothalamusfollowing surgery to remove a kind of brain tumor.
** SIRIUS XM HOLDINGS, $3.41, +1.79 pct
The satellite radio service company said it would beat its2014 revenue forecast of $4.15 billion after net subscriberadditions exceeded expectations. The company reported about 1.8million net subscriber additions for the year, above itsincreased forecast of 1.5 million.
** AVEO PHARMACEUTICALS INC, $0.8124, -3.29 pct
The company doing business as Aveo Oncology said it plannedto cut two-thirds of its workforce, or 40 positions, as part ofa restructuring that includes the departure of Chief ScientificOfficer Jeno Gyuris.
** PIONEER NATURAL RESOURCES, $141.66, +1.58 pct
Topeka Capital cuts its target price to $158 from $200 onthe oil and gas producer's stock after the company said it hasrestructured most of its 2015 hedge position to protect againstfurther falls in oil prices.
** KALOBIOS PHARMACEUTICALS INC, $0.5998, -67.22pct
KaloBios Pharmaceuticals said it would discontinue thedevelopment of its drug for lung infections in cystic fibrosispatients after it failed in a mid-stage study.
** J.C. PENNEY CO INC, $7.84, +19.51 pct
The department store operator said same-store sales rose 3.7percent in November and December, boosting its shares andoffering a glimpse of what is expected to be the best holidayseason for retailers since.
** ROYAL DUTCH SHELL, $64.18, +1.84 pct
The Anglo-Dutch oil company will pay out 55 million pounds($83.4 million) in compensation for two oil spills in Nigeria in2008 after agreeing a settlement with the affected community.
** INTEL CORP, $35.62, +0.96 pct
Chief Executive Brian Krzanich showed off a computer builtinto a jacket button and a wristband that transforms into aselfie-snapping flying camera, as the chipmaker extended itspush into smart wearable gadgets.
** MICRON TECHNOLOGY INC, $32.04, -2.53 pct
JP Morgan cut price target to $40 from $45, while Nomura cutit to $40 from $41; median price target is $42. Micron's memorychip output will fall as company plans to convert capacity andit also expects selling price for its chips to fall in Februaryquarter, JP Morgan analysts wrote in note.
The memory chipmaker gave a quarterly revenue forecast onTuesday that missed Wall Street's expectations, hurt by anoutput drop as it upgrades DRAM production lines, and its sharesfell.
** CONTINENTAL RESOURCES INC, $34.8, +3.60 pct
CEO Harold Hamm, embroiled in a bitter divorce, offered topay his former wife $974.8 million, but she rejected ahand-written check, lawyers for both sides said on Tuesday.
** AMAZON.COM INC, $299.44, +1.41 pct
Crowdsourced fundraising site Kickstarter has droppedAmazon.com as its global payments processor in favor of Stripe,the fast-growing startup used by Twitter Inc, FacebookInc and Apple Inc.
The switch comes as the Internet retailer begins to moveclients from its customizable checkout service to anAmazon-branded one. (Compiled by Lehar Maan; Editing by Joyjeet Das)
