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Sept 18 (Reuters) - Some U.S. stocks to watch on Wednesday:
FUTURES EDGE UP AHEAD OF FED DECISION
U.S. stock index futures edged higher on Wednesday ahead ofan announcement by the Federal Reserve on the future of itseconomic stimulus program.
** APPLE INC, Tuesday close $455.32, up 1 pctpremarket
The fingerprint reader on Apple's top-end iPhone 5S receivedan early thumbs up for ease of use from two influentialreviewers, helping dispel concerns about the scanning technologywhich has been notoriously unreliable in other cellphones.
** FEDEX CORP, Tuesday close $110.68, up 2.2 pctpremarket
Fedex posted a bigger quarterly profit as the couriercompany cut costs and its lower-priced ground shipping businessdid well.
** ADOBE SYSTEMS INC, Tuesday close $48.14, up 6pct premarket
The company, known for its Photoshop and Acrobat software,expects subscriber growth to top the 331,000 it added in thethird quarter due to strong demand from corporate customers.
** DOLLAR TREE INC, Tuesday close $55.83, up 3.5pct after market
The value retailer on Tuesday announced a $2 billion sharerepurchase program. The company also said it had entered intoagreements to repurchase $1 billion of its common shares under avariable maturity accelerated share repurchase program.
** FIVE BELOW INC, Tuesday close $48.5, down 2 pctafter market
The specialty value retailer on Tuesday announced asecondary offering by its shareholders. The company saidshareholders have agreed to sell 7.1 million shares of itscommon stock, of which 7 million shares would be sold by fundsaffiliated with Advent International and 100,000 shares will besold by Five Below's executive chairman.
** NATIONSTAR MORTGAGE HOLDINGS INC, Tuesday close$55.03
Jefferies raised its rating on the residential mortgageservicer's stock to "buy" from "hold", saying that highermortgage rates will lead to improved profitability and itexpects "another round of bulk servicing sales" in late 2013 orearly 2014. It also raised its target price on the stock to $64from $40.
** AON PLC, Tuesday close $70.01, up 2.2 pct aftermarket
Walgreen Co is moving 120,000 employees to the AonHewitt Corporate Health Exchange as part of a growing movementto offer employees cash to purchase their own plans on suchexchanges, the company will announce Wednesday.
** VANTIV INC, Tuesday close $27.25, up 1.1 pctafter market
Evercore raised its price target on the payment processor'sstock to $38 from $33 saying that it expects its net revenue infiscal year 2015 to grow by 12 percent due to higher revenue pertransaction.
** L&L ENERGY INC, Tuesday close $2.23
The U.S. coal miner with operations in China said it waslooking for acquisition opportunities in Northern China to addat least 1 million tons of coal production every year.
** AT&T INC, Tuesday close $34.75
AT&T is planning to announce on Wednesday that it willexpand its Latin American reach for business customers through acollaboration with Mexican billionaire Carlos Slim's AmericaMovil. AT&T will be able to do business in 15countries, including Argentina, Chile and Colombia, throughconnections with America Movil networks, according to arepresentative for AT&T.
** SMITHFIELD FOODS INC, Tuesday close $34.15
China's Shuanghui International is close to securingshareholder approval for its $4.7 billion offer for SmithfieldFoods, which would be the biggest purchase of a U.S. company bya Chinese firm, ahead of the vote next week, three peoplefamiliar with the matter said.
** GLAXOSMITHKLINE PLC , Tuesday close $51.13
A crackdown on corruption in China's pharmaceutical sectorhas hurt sales at international and local firms, with manydoctors at Chinese hospitals refusing to see drugrepresentatives for fear of being caught up in the wideningscandal. Britain's GlaxoSmithKline, the group at the centre ofthe furore, has suffered the most. Industry insiders expect itsChina drug sales growth to slow sharply or even reverse in thethird quarter after a 14 percent year-on-year rise in the threemonths to end-June.
** HONEYWELL INTERNATIONAL INC, Tuesday close $85.45
U.S. regulators on Tuesday ordered airlines to inspect morethan 3,800 planes to ensure that emergency locator beacons soldby Honeywell International do not have battery problems thatcould cause a fire.
** TESLA MOTORS INC, Tuesday close $166.23
Electric car company Tesla Motors is working to produce acar capable of running on "auto-pilot" within the next threeyears, CEO Elon Musk said, joining tech giant Google and rival carmakers in the race to roll a driverless car intothe market.
** PANDORA MEDIA INC, Tuesday close $25.19
The Internet radio company has won a Manhattan federal courtdecision rejecting efforts by some music publishers to narrow alicense that enables the largest U.S. Internet radio service toplay their music. (Compiled by Varun Aggarwal)
Glaxosmithkline (GSK)