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Aug 29 (Reuters) - Some U.S. stocks to watch on Thursday:
** VODAFONE GROUP PLC, Wednesday close $29.41, up 8pct premarket
** VERIZON COMMUNICATIONS INC, Wednesday close $46.56, up 5.2 pct premarket
Vodafone said on Thursday it was in talks withVerizon to sell its 45 percent stake in their U.S. joint ventureVerizon Wireless for what a Bloomberg report said would be about$130 billion.
** GUESS INC, Wednesday close $27.31, up 16 pctpremarket
The company's second-quarter results beat Wall Streetestimates, helped by recovering sales in North America, andbucked a broader trend of falling sales for apparel retailers.
** PERCEPTRON INC, Wednesday close $8.60, up 27 pctpremarket
The company, which sells non-contact measurement andinspection products to the automotive and manufacturingindustries, reported a 62 percent jump in fourth-quarter revenueand said orders almost doubled, helped by higher demand fromEurope.
** FRESH MARKET INC, Wednesday close $54.28, down 6pct premarket
The specialty grocer on Wednesday reported second-quartersales lower than analysts' estimates and lowered its fiscal 2013profit forecast.
UBS on Thursday downgraded its rating on the company's stockto "neutral" from "buy," according to Theflyonthewall.com
** CAMPBELL SOUP CO, Wednesday close $44.71
The world's largest soup maker reported a 9 percent rise inadjusted profit, helped by acquisitions and strengthening U.Ssales of condensed soups and broth.
** CASELLA WASTE SYSTEMS INC, Wednesday close$4.95, up 6.5 pct after market
The waste management company reported better-than-expectedresults for the first quarter due to higher waste volumes. Thecompany also forecast full-year revenue largely above analysts'estimates.
** SHANDA GAMES LTD, Wednesday close $4.55, up 4.8pct after market
The online game developer reported better-than-expectedresults for the second quarter and said current-quarter revenuefrom its mobile gaming business is expected to increase by about50 percent from the previous quarter.
** EGAIN CORP, Wednesday close $10.82, up 4.6 pctafter market
The call center software maker reported better-than-expectedresults for the fourth quarter on Wednesday, boosted by higherrevenue across businesses.
The company's revenue from its largest business -subscription and support - rose 42 percent to $8.9 million inthe quarter. Brokerage Needham and Co raised its price target onthe stock to $14 from $12.
** REGENERON PHARMACEUTICALS INC, Wednesday close$243.07
The drugmaker said its blockbuster eye medicine Eylea wonregulatory approval for sale in Europe as a treatment for visualimpairment due to macular edema - a condition caused by swellingof the macula of the eye - after central retinal vein occlusion,a common retinal vascular disorder. Germany's Bayer is Regeneron's development partner on Eylea.
** US AIRWAYS, Wednesday close $15.34
** AMERICAN AIRLINES, Wednesday close $3.05
American Airways, US Airways and the U.S. Justice Departmentsaid on Wednesday they were open to settling a court fight overwhether the two companies should be allowed to merge, but therewas no sign of an imminent agreement.
** WILLIAMS-SONOMA INC, Wednesday close $56.97
The upscale home furnishings chain on Wednesday reported adrop in quarterly gross margin on bigger discounts and itsoutlook pointed to weaker sales trends in the back half of theyear.
** JOHNSON & JOHNSON, Wednesday close $86.53
The company is joining the hunt for drugs to treat denguefever - the world's fastest-spreading tropical disease - bylinking with academic researchers in Belgium and the WellcomeTrust medical charity.
** FACEBOOK INC, Wednesday close $40.55
Some of Mark Zuckerberg's mutual fund backers delivered atough message on compensation for the leaders of the company.
Fidelity Investments, led by its $98 billion Contrafund, wasamong those voting against the pay of the social media company'stop leaders in a non-binding contest at its annual meeting inJune, its first since going public.
** CONOCOPHILLIPS, Wednesday close $66.77
The global exploration and production company submitted thehighest bid on a single tract on Wednesday for drilling rightsin the western Gulf of Mexico lease sale, which attracted thesecond-lowest number of bids since 1983, regulators said. (Compiled by Mridhula Raghavan; Editing by Joyjeet Das)
