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U.S. stocks opened flat on Wednesday, a day after the S&P 500climbed to its highest level of the year and ahead of a meetingof euro zone finance ministers to discuss plans for Greece'sdebt. The Dow Jones industrial average was down 0.32percent at 17,811.25, the S&P 500 was down 0.10 percentat 2,066.46 and the Nasdaq Composite was up 0.16 percentat 4,795.19.
** PEPSICO INC, $99.78, +1.83 pct
The beverage maker reported a better-than-expectedfourth-quarter profit, driven by a 3 percent rise in revenue atits North American snack business.
** AOL INC, $39.15, -12.67 pct
The digital media company said 2015 revenue will be hurt inthe first half of the year by a sales force realignment. Thecompany added that in 2015, it expects revenue for itsmembership group to decline in the high single digits inpercentage terms, while domestic display revenue is expected todecline in the high single digits in first half of the yearbefore rebounding in the second half.
** ADVAXIS INC, $7.55, +7.55 pct
The company said it would collaborate with Incyte Corp to test a combination of Advaxis' immunotherapy,ADXS-HPV, and Incyte's epacadostat, for use in cervical cancer
** GENWORTH FINANCIAL INC, $8.49, +8.71 pct
The U.S. life and mortgage insurer reported abigger-than-expected quarterly loss as it took an after-taxcharge of $478 million related to long-term care (LTC) policiesit bought before 1996.
** BALLARD POWER SYSTEMS INC, $2.6399, +56.21 pct
The company signed an $80 million deal withVolkswagen Group to transfer fuel cell intellectual property. Italso extended the long-term engineering services agreementsigned in 2013 through March 2019.
** RITE AID CORP, $8.34, +10.03 pct
The drugstore operator said it would buy pharmacy benefitmanager EnvisionRx for about $2 billion, to enter the businessof administering drug benefits for employers.
** TIME WARNER INC, $81.44, +0.78 pct
The company reported a better-than-expected fourth-quarterprofit, helped by higher subscription fees for channels offeredby Turner Broadcasting and HBO.
** AKAMAI TECHNOLOGIES INC, $64.25, +3.28 pct
The internet content delivery service provider reportedbetter-than-expected fourth-quarter profit and revenue late onTuesday as demand jumped for security products and its mainstaycontent delivery businesses.
** INTERXION HOLDING NV, $32.57, +16.32 pct
British data center provider Telecity Group Plc hasagreed a non-binding $2.2 billion all-share deal to buy NewYork-listed Interxion, looking to tap growing demand for "cloud"technology.
** ZOETIS INC, $46.02, +4.81 pct
The animal health company reported better-than-expectedfourth-quarter results, which Jefferies & Co says was due to alower-than-expected tax rate.
The company cut its 2015 revenue forecast, which now largelymatches Wall Street estimates, to reflect the forex impact andcompletion of an acquisition.
** ONCOLYTICS BIOTECH INC, $0.5136, +9.28 pct
The Canadian biotech company said the U.S. FDAgranted its lead drug, reolysin, orphan drug status for thetreatment of ovarian cancer.
** BELLATRIX EXPLORATION LTD, $2.42, +9.01 pct
Prominent hedge fund manager Seth Klarman bought 21.8million shares of the company, representing an 11.4percent stake, according to a regulatory filing on Tuesday. (http://1.usa.gov/1ISluIa)
** CHICO'S FAS INC, $18.35, +6.38 pct
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.
** PIER 1 IMPORTS INC, $11.89, -29.94 pct
The furniture retailer forecast 2015 profit below analysts'expectations, citing weak sales in January and February andhigher supply chain costs.
** ACHILLION PHARMACEUTICALS INC, $11.11, -3.18 pct
The biotech company said it would offer about 10 millionshares of common stock, but did not disclose the expected price.
** TESLA MOTORS INC, $209.28, -3.24 pct
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.
** ROYAL DUTCH SHELL PLC, $64.21, -1.43 pct
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".
** COCA-COLA CO, $41.79, -1.44 pct
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.
** HALLIBURTON CO, $41.85, -1.76 pct
** BAKER HUGHES INC, $61.03, -1.66 pct
U.S. antitrust regulators have asked the oilfield servicescompanies for more information related to their proposed $35billion merger, the companies said on Tuesday.
** WESTERN UNION CO, $17.99, -2.23 pct
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.
** SANGAMO BIOSCIENCES INC, $13.4, +5.76 pct
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.
** GILEAD SCIENCES INC, $99.98, +1.69 pct
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.
** APPLE INC, $123.52, +1.23 pct
** FIRST SOLAR INC, $49.35, +1.67 pct
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.
** MOLINA HEALTHCARE INC, $57.73, +2.61 pct
The company reported higher-than-expected fourth-quarterearnings, helped by an increase in premiums.
** TARO PHARMACEUTICAL INDUSTRIES, $166.6, +1.90pct
Taro's margins increased by 70 basis points to a record of81.4 percent, beating estimates. (Compiled by Amrutha Penumudi in Bengaluru; Editing by SimonJennings)
