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Aug 16 (Reuters) - Some U.S. stocks to watch on Friday:
FUTURES GAIN AFTER SELLOFF, INDEXES TO FALL FOR WEEK
U.S. stock index futures edged higher, after the largestdecline on Wall Street in nearly two months a day earlier setmajor indexes on course for their first back-to-back weeklydeclines since late June.
S&P 500 futures rose 3 points and were above fairvalue, a formula that evaluates pricing by taking into accountinterest rates, dividends and time to expiration on thecontract. Dow Jones industrial average futures rose 28points, and Nasdaq 100 futures added 8 points.
** D.R. HORTON INC, Thursday close $19.12, up 2 pctpremarket
** PULTEGROUP INC, Thursday close $15.91, up 1 pctpremarket
** TOLL BROTHERS INC, Thursday close $32.33, up 1pct premarket
** LENNAR CORP, Thursday close $33.28, up 0.5 pctpremarket
** KB HOME, Thursday close $17.21, up 1 pctpremarket
U.S. non-farm productivity rose in the second quarter asoutput increased more than hours worked, a U.S. governmentreport showed. Productivity increased at a 0.9 percent annualrate, the Labor Department said. Economists polled by Reutershad expected productivity to rise at a 0.6 percentrate.
** DELL INC, Thursday close $13.70, down 0.6 pctafter market
Activist investor Carl Icahn will ask a Delaware court onFriday to fast-track his lawsuit against the computer maker, akey thrust in his months-long effort to derail Chief ExecutiveMichael Dell's controversial $24.8 billion offer to buy and takeprivate the No. 3 PC maker.
The company on Thursday reported a 72 percent fall inquarterly earnings as personal computer sales extended theirdownward spiral.
** SAREPTA THERAPEUTICS INC, Thursday close $32.04,up 10.7 pct premarket
Baird analyst Brian Skorney reiterated his "outperform"rating on the drugmaker's stock, saying the company stands tobenefit from the therapeutic profile of its Duchenne musculardystrophy drug, eteplirsen, after some efficacy concerns seen inrecently released data on a competing drug. Duchenne musculardystrophy is a rare disorder that cause muscle weakening, mostlyin young boys.
Latest data on Prosensa Holding NV and GSK Plc's drug, drisapersen, shows new clinical, regulatory andcommercial risk for their product, Skorney said.
** INTEROIL CORP, Thursday close $74.10, down 10 pctpremarket
The liquefied natural gas producer's talks with Exxon Mobil to develop the Elk and Antelope fields in Papua NewGuinea are over without a deal, PNG Industry News websitereported, citing sources. (http://r.reuters.com/ryw42v)
** PANDORA MEDIA INC, Thursday close $19.85, up 9 pctpremarket
Brokerage Goldman Sachs raised its rating on the Internetradio company's stock to "buy" from "neutral", according toTheflyonthewall.com.
** GREEN MOUNTAIN COFFEE ROASTERS INC, Thursdayclose $73.93, up 1.4 pct premarket
The coffee company will return to being a component of theNASDAQ-100 Index on Aug. 22, replacing Life TechnologiesCorp, the Nasdaq OMX Group said.
** ALCOA INC, Thursday close $8.16, down 1.7 pctpremarket
Brokerage BofA Merrill Lynch cut its rating on the largestU.S. aluminum producer's stock to "underperform" from "neutral",according to Theflyonthewall.com.
Alcoa said late on Wednesday that it is temporarily cuttingproduction at its aluminum smelters in Brazil, and wouldpermanently shut down part of its operations in Massena, NewYork.
** SONY CORP, Thursday close $19.86
** VIACOM INC, Thursday close $78.17
Sony is close to striking a deal to secure content frommedia company Viacom for a new Internet-based TV service, theWall Street Journal reported on Thursday.
** POWERSECURE INTERNATIONAL INC, Thursday close$16.91, down 5 pct after market
The maker of electric utility products said late on Thursdaythat it planned to sell $44 million shares of its common stockthrough a public offering.
** NATIONAL TECHNICAL SYSTEMS, Thursday close$16.58, up 37 pct premarket
The provider of testing and engineering services said LosAngeles-based private equity firm Aurora Capital Group wouldacquire the company for $267 million, or $23 per share.
This price represents a premium of 38 percent to NationalTechnical stock's Thursday closing. The company said it expectedthe merger to be completed by the end of 2013.
** ASPEN TECHNOLOGY INC, Thursday close $31.82, up14 pct after market
The company, which provides supply chain management softwareto the manufacturing industry, posted fourth-quarter results wayabove analysts' estimates due to higher demand for itssubscription software offering. Brokerage Benchmark Co hasraised its price target on the stock to $38 from $35.
** JOS. A. BANK CLOTHIERS INC, Thursday close$44.10, down 6 pct after market
The men's clothing retailer estimated second-quarter profitbelow analysts' expectations as its promotions and marketingcampaigns failed to attract shoppers.
The company said it expects profit of 49 to 53 cents pershare in the quarter ended Aug. 3. Analysts on an average wereexpecting profit of 68 cents per share, according to ThomsonReuters I/B/E/S.
** NORDSTROM INC, Thursday close $59.33, down 2.7pct premarket
The luxury department store chain on Thursday reportedlower-than-expected second-quarter revenue as its same-storesales slipped, prompting it to lower its full-year sales andprofit forecast.
** APPLIED MATERIALS, Thursday close $15.32, down1.5 pct premarket
The chip gear maker said on Thursday that it expects foundrycustomers to hold back spending in the current quarter as theyswitch to making smaller chips.
** BHP BILLITON, Thursday close $68.04
The top global miner said U.S. authorities have laid outgrounds for possible enforcement action against it for corruptpractices, stepping up a four-year probe linked partly to its2008 Olympics sponsorship. The company has been underinvestigation by the Securities and Exchange Commission and theDepartment of Justice since 2009, mainly over explorationactivities that had been terminated and its hospitality at theBeijing Olympic Games.
** AMR CORP, Thursday close $2.57
** US AIRWAYS GROUP INC, Thursday close $15.72
A U.S. bankruptcy judge on Thursday held off approval of arestructuring plan for American Airlines, citing a U.S.government challenge this week to the airline's proposed mergerwith US Airways Group. American Airlines' parent company, AMRCorp, worked out the $11 billion merger with US Airways as partof a plan to exit bankruptcy, where it has been since 2011.
** IBM CORP, Thursday close $185.79
** ORACLE CORP, Thursday close $32.73
** EMC CORP, Thursday close $26.03
China's Ministry of Public Security and a cabinet-levelresearch center are preparing to probe IBM, Oracle and EMC oversecurity issues, the official Shanghai Securities News said.
** FORD MOTOR CO, Thursday close $16.43
Ford will lower the advertised fuel economy ratings on itsC-Max hybrid by up to 7 miles per gallon, the company said onThursday, following complaints from consumers and industryexperts that the model's actual mileage fell short of claims.
** BOEING CO, Thursday close $102.73
The aircraft maker said it raised the list prices onThursday for most of its family of commercial jetliners by about1.6 percent, compared with 2012 levels, far less than the 5.5percent increase the company made last year. The increases arebased on data compiled by the U.S. labor department, and largelyreflect the state of the U.S. economy rather than the company'songoing efforts to increase its profit margins.
Boeing has traced the incorrectly assembled engine fireextinguishers on 787 Dreamliners to the manufacturing of bottlesat a supplier's facility while saying there were no risks toflight safety, the Wall Street Journal reported.
** LOCKHEED MARTIN CORP, Thursday close $122.13
South Korea said that at least one bid came in under budgetfor its 8.3 trillion Korean won ($7.42 billion) purchase of 60next generation fighter jets, the country's biggest-ever defenseimport program to replace its ageing fleet. Lockheed MartinCorp's F-35, Boeing Co's F-15 and EADS's Eurofighter Typhoon are in the race.
** TESORO CORP, Thursday close $49.34
The company said there have been no injuries or off-siteimpact to units or to rates from a minor release of gas oilThursday afternoon at its 166,000 barrel-per-day Avon refineryin Martinez, California. (Compiled by Sruthi Ramakrishnan in Bangalore; Editing by KirtiPandey)
Glaxosmithkline (GSK)
