Feb 4 (Reuters) - Some U.S. stocks to watch on Monday:
FUTURES DIP AFTER 5-YEARR HIGHS WITH DATA, EARNINGS DUE
Index futures slipped after the S&P 500 hit a five-year highand the Dow rose above 14,000 for the first time since October2007 ahead of factory orders data and another round of corporateearnings. S&P 500 futures fell 4.4 points and were belowfair value, a formula that evaluates pricing by taking intoaccount interest rates, dividends and time to expiration on thecontract. Dow Jones industrial average futures lost 30points, and Nasdaq 100 futures shed 7.75 points.
** ORACLE CORP, Friday close $36.21, down 1.6 pctpremarket
** ACME PACKET INC, Friday close $23.93, up 21 pct
Oracle agreed to buy Acme Packet, which makes networkequipment to speed up voice, video and data delivery acrossnetworks, for about $2 billion - representing a 22 pct premium.
** WESTERN UNION CO, Friday close $14.62, up 1.7 pctpremarket
Deutsche Bank raised the rating on the payment servicesprovider's stock to "buy" from "hold," according totheTheflyonthewall.com.
** MERCK & CO $41.83, Friday close $41.83, down 1.6pct premarket
Brokerages Morgan Stanley and Leerink Swann downgraded thedrugmaker's stock.
** CHEVRON INC Friday close $116.50, down 1.1 pctpremarket
UBS Investment Research cut the rating on the second-largestU.S. oil producer to 'neutral' from 'buy' according toTheflyonthewall.com.
** GOOGLE INC Friday close $775.60, down 1 pctpremarket
BMO Capital Markets cut the rating on the world's largestInternet search company to "market perform" from "outperform."
** WALMART INC, Friday close $70.49, down 1 pctpremarket
JP Morgan cut its rating on world's largest retailer to"neutral."
** BOEING CO, Friday close $74.87, down 0.5 pctpremarket
Pentagon's second-largest supplier is expected to beginpiecing together the next version of its Dreamliner jet in thecoming weeks, even without a fix for what has bedeviled theplane's electrical system or a timetable for resuming flights,the Wall Street Journal reported.
** UNITED TECHNOLOGIES CORP, Friday close $89.84, up0.8 pct premarket
The company, which provides high-technology products andservices to the building systems and aerospace industries,announced a stock repurchase program for 60 million shares. Thestock was at its highest level in a year on Friday.
** ROCKWELL MEDICAL, Friday close $6.45 up 24 pctpremarket
The company said a clinical study showed that regularadministration of its experimental treatment for iron deficiencyreduced the need for additional agents to boost red blood cellproduction by 37 percent.
** SKY-MOBI LTD, Friday close $1.95, up 15 pctpremarket
The China-focused mobile application store reportedthird-quarter results above analysts' estimates.
** HERBALIFE LTD, Friday close $35.07, down 13 pctpremarket
The New York Post reported that the weight-loss productscompany is the subject of a law enforcement investigation andhas 192 complaints filed against it over the past seven years.The newspaper said it learned of the complaints after filing aFreedom of Information Law request with the Federal TradeCommission on Dec. 26.
** CONCURRENT COMPUTER CORP, Friday close $7.49, up6.3 pct premarket
The company, which provides software and services for thevideo market and the media industry, is the National InflationAssociation's new stock pick, according to Benzinga.com. Theassociation picks and profiles companies that it expects willprosper during inflation.
** ANHEUSER-BUSCH INBEV SA , Friday close$92.28, down 4 pct premarket
The U.S. is fighting Anheuser-Busch's acquisition proposalfor Grupo Modelo with a game plan developed inearlier antitrust cases, casting the Budweiser brewer as adominant player that wants to eliminate a scrappy rival, theWall Street Journal reported.
** RANDGOLD RESOURCES , Friday close $95.65,up 4 pct premarket
The Africa-focused miner posted a 16 percent rise in profitfor the year to Dec. 31 and increased its dividend by 25 percentto 50 cents.
** VODAFONE GROUP PLC , Friday close $27.30down 2 pct premarket
Citi Investment Research downgraded the telecom operator'sstock to "neutral".
** THE MEDICINES CO, Friday close $30.53
** ALNYLAM PHARMACEUTICALS, Friday close $24.24, up1.6 pct premarket
Medicines bought rights to Alnylam's cholesterol-loweringdrug for $25 million. Medicines will fund the drug's developmentfrom the mid-stage trial onwards and market it if successful.Alnylam will receive milestone payments of up to $180 millionand royalties on sales.
** GANNETT CO INC, Friday close $19.84, up 1.5 pct
The largest newspaper chain in the United States reported a9.4 percent rise in quarterly revenue on results frombroadcasting and circulation.
** THE CLOROX CO Friday close $79.16 up 1.3 pctpremarket
The company, best known for its namesake bleach, reportedhigher quarterly profit as a severe flu season boosted sales ofdisinfecting wipes. Sales were also helped by a new concentratedversion of the bleach.
** MAGICJACK VOCALTEC LTD, Friday close $13.58,down 2.9 pct after market
A law firm said investors had until March 19 to ask thecourt to appoint them lead plaintiff in a class action lawsuitagainst the internet-based phone services provider and some ofits officers. Pomerantz Grossman Hufford Dahlstrom & Gross LLPfiled a class action lawsuit against magicJack in January,saying the company had overstated its revenue, earnings and cashflow in its regulatory filings.
** ICON PLC, Friday close $29.30
** CROSS COUNTRY HEALTHCARE, Friday close $5.60
Contract research company Icon said it will buy the clinicaltrial services division of Cross Country for $52 million. Thedeal, which is expected to close in 30 days, includes anearn-out of up to $3.75 million related to performance basedmilestones.
** HUMANA INC, Friday close $75.35
The health insurer reported a lower quarterly earnings thatstill exceeded its own and analysts' expectations as the companykept costs under control.
** SIMON PROPERTY GROUP INC, Friday close $161.97
The largest U.S. mall and outlet center owner reported a21.9 percent increase in a key earnings measure in the fourthquarter, helped by higher rents and sales at its malls andoutlet centers, easily beating estimates. (Compiled by Mridhula Raghavan in Bangalore)
Vodafone (VOD)
