(For more market insights, including options activity, click onSTXNEWS/US; for The Day Ahead newsletter http://link.reuters.com/mex49s; for the Morning News Call newsletter, http://link.reuters.com/tuq42v)
Aug 15 (Reuters) - Some U.S. stocks to watch on Thursday:
FUTURES SLIP AS FED UNCERTAINTY LINGERS
U.S. stock index futures fell on continued uncertainty overwhen, and how quickly, the Federal Reserve will begin to winddown its program to stimulate the world's largest economy.
S&P 500 futures fell 7.8 points and were below fairvalue, a formula that evaluates pricing by taking into accountinterest rates, dividends and time to expiration on thecontract. Dow Jones industrial average futures fell 47points, and Nasdaq 100 futures lost 18 points.
** CISCO SYSTEMS INC, Wednesday close $26.37, down8 pct premarket
** INTEL CORP, Wednesday close $22.57, down 1 pctpremarket
** MICROSOFT CORP, Wednesday close $32.35, down 0.7pct premarket
** ORACLE CORP, Wednesday close $33.57, down 1.4pct after market
** IBM, Wednesday close $187.53, down 0.3 pct aftermarket
** HEWLETT-PACKARD CO, Wednesday close $27.18, down1.4 pct premarket
The network equipment maker said on Wednesday that it iscutting 4,000 jobs, or 5 percent of its workforce, as it makes afresh attempt to reduce costs and refocus on growth areas in theface of uncertain demand for its networking equipment.
At least five brokerages cut their price targets on Cisco'sstock. While most analysts said the network-gear maker's jobcuts came as a surprise, they continue to see Cisco as along-term investment. "Cisco remains a very solid long-terminvestment idea in enterprise information technology - as it canleverage its position in networking to expand in the datacenter. However, some segments like routing and set top boxeswarrant a more conservative revenue view," Barclays analystssaid in a note to clients.
Cisco is regarded a strong indicator of the general healthof the technology industry because of its broad customer base.
** APPLE INC, Wednesday close $498.50
The technology major is regaining popularity among thebiggest hedge funds, some of which have said a massive sell-offthis year has gone too far. Noted stock picker Leon Cooperman ofOmega Advisors re-entered Apple shares in the second quarterwhile George Soros's Soros Fund Management LLC increased itsstake and Greenlight Capital's David Einhorn held on to his 2.4million shares, according to quarter regulatory filings onWednesday.
The federal judge who ruled that Apple violated antitrustlaw by conspiring with five major publishers to raise prices ofe-books has scheduled a May 2014 trial to determine damages,according to an order made public on Wednesday.
** J.C. PENNEY CO INC, Wednesday close $13.11, up2.2 pct premarket
Billionaire investor and philanthropist George Soros addedanother 2 million shares to his already large investment in thecompany, according to regulatory filings released on Wednesday.
The department store chain's shares rose in late trading onWednesday after the New York Post said on Twitter thatsame-store sales are positive so far this month, citing sources.
** JPMORGAN CHASE & CO, Wednesday close $54.15
U.S. prosecutors brought criminal charges on Wednesdayagainst two former JPMorgan Chase employees in the tradingscandal that cost the bank $6.2 billion last year, but thetrader nicknamed "the London Whale" because of the size oflosses was not one of them.
** VIPSHOP HOLDINGS LTD, Wednesday close $45.96,down 14 pct after market
The China-based discount retailer forecast third-quarterrevenue of $365 million to $370 million. Analysts on an averagewere expecting revenue of $376.1 million, according to ThomsonReuters I/B/E/S.
** NETAPP INC, Wednesday close $42.33, down 5.5 pctpremarket
The data storage equipment maker forecast current-quarterresults below estimates. The company typically sees higher salesin its second quarter due to an increase in government spendingcloser to September, the end of the federal government's fiscalyear. However, with the federal government going through asequestration, there is a possibility that it may not spend asmuch on information technology this federal quarter, analystssaid.
** WAL-MART STORES INC, Wednesday close $76.40, down2.4 pct premarket
The world's largest retailer posted disappointing quarterlyU.S. sales as shoppers pinched by higher payroll taxes and gasprices made fewer trips to its stores.
China's biggest hypermarket chain Sun Art Retail Group Ltd is taking on Wal-Mart in the booming domestice-commerce sector as it seeks new ways to maintain its marketshare in the face of fierce competition.
** ESTEE LAUDER COS INC, Wednesday close $65.13, up0.5 pct premarket
The company, which makes luxury skin care, makeup, fragranceand hair care products, posted an 84 percent rise infourth-quarter profit, driven by higher sales of its skincareand makeup products.
** NETEASE INC, Wednesday close $61.45, up 4 pctpremarket
The China-based company on Wednesday reported a 20 percentrise in second-quarter revenue, helped by higher demand for itsonline games and advertising services.
** KOHL'S CORP, Wednesday close $50.84
The department store chain forecast current-quarter earningsbelow analysts' estimates after reporting a 4 percent drop insecond-quarter profit.
** AGILENT TECHNOLOGIES INC, Wednesday close $46.51,up 3.2 pct after market
The measuring devices maker reported higher-than-expectedquarterly adjusted profit as revenue from its diagnostics andgenomics business jumped 54 percent. Agilent posted athird-quarter adjusted profit of 68 cents per share, beatinganalysts' estimates of 62 cents per share, according to ThomsonReuters I/B/E/S.
** AMR CORP, Wednesday close $2.74
** US AIRWAYS GROUP, Wednesday close $16.17
American Airlines' parent could face months of newrestructuring talks, with shareholders likely to suffer thebiggest blow, if its merger with US Airways Group issuccessfully blocked by the U.S. government, according to peopleclose to the bankruptcy proceedings and experts.
Billionaire investor George Soros dumped 7.85 million sharesof US Airways Group in the second quarter, a regulatory filingon Wednesday showed.
** HALOZYME THERAPEUTICS INC, Wednesday close$6.86, up 4.6 pct after market
Halozyme Chief Executive Gregory Frost bought 20,000 sharesof the company at $2.05 per share, according to a regulatoryfiling on Wednesday.
** THIRD POINT REINSURANCE LTD
The reinsurer, controlled by billionaire hedge fund managerDan Loeb, is expected to raise as much as $322 million in itsmarket debut. The company is headed by industry veteran JohnBerger, who is the former chief executive of Alterra CapitalHolding Ltd's reinsurance business.
** AVIAT NETWORKS INC, Wednesday close $2.57, down5 pct after market
The company, which makes equipment to link and manage fixedand wireless networks, reported fourth-quarter revenue belowWall Street estimates on Wednesday, prompting brokerage Needham& Co to cut its price target on the stock.
** PAN AMERICAN SILVER, Wednesday close $13.79
The Canada-based silver miner reports results for the secondquarter before market opens. A slide in the price of silver islikely to weigh on earnings, as it has across the sector. Thecompany has no major new projects on the horizon, and said inMay that it would trim its operating, exploration and generalspending.
** VERIZON COMMUNICATIONS INC, Wednesday close $48.89
The U.S. telecommunications company has decided to put offthe acquisition of two small Canadian wireless companies untilafter a government auction of wireless licenses in January, aCanadian newspaper said, citing people familiar with the matter.
** MCGRAW HILL FINANCIAL INC, Wednesday close$61.53
A U.S. judge has allowed the California attorney general'soffice to proceed with a lawsuit accusing the company's unitStandard & Poor's of misleading investors by inflating itscredit ratings that led to investment losses, rejecting therating agency's effort to dismiss the case, a court filingshowed.
** UNITED PARCEL SERVICE INC, Wednesday close $87.45
A large cargo plane of the company crashed and burst intoflames, killing its pilot and copilot on Wednesday. UPS flight1354, which took off from Louisville, Kentucky, was on approachto the airport in Birmingham when it crashed at about 1000 GMT,according to the Federal Aviation Administration.
** NEWFIELD EXPLORATION CO, Wednesday close $23.54
** EXXON MOBIL CORP, Wednesday close $88.95
** ROYAL DUTCH SHELL, Wednesday close $63.88
Energy majors Exxon Mobil and Royal Dutch Shell are amongthe suitors advancing to the next round of bidding for NewfieldExploration's Malaysian and Chinese oil and gas fields valued atabout $1.2 billion, people familiar with the matter said.
** FORD MOTOR CO, Wednesday close $16.89
Europe's car market may have finally bottomed out, butpricing pressure will remain fierce until sales volumes pick upconsiderably, a senior executive at the U.S. carmaker said.
** TRIPADVISOR INC, Wednesday close $73.55
Chief Executive Steve Kaufer said the company's business inthe quarter so far has been "bumpier" than expected, followingthe roll-out of a new method of directing online travelcustomers to its booking partners.
** BT GROUP, Wednesday close $50.70
BT has agreed to make its new sports channels available tocustomers of cable operator Virgin Media in a three-yearwholesale deal that will boost both groups in the battle toprovide entertainment in the home.
** TARGET CORP, Wednesday close $70.04
Canadian grocer Metro Inc said it has agreed tooperate Target's in-store pharmacies in Quebec.
** KNIGHTSBRIDGE TANKERS LTD, Wednesday close$8.08, up 0.2 pct after market
Evercore Partners raised its price target on the oil and drybulk shipper's stock by about 9 percent after the companyreported a smaller net loss for the second quarter. (Compiled by Sruthi Ramakrishnan in Bangalore; Editing by KirtiPandey)
