Feb 8 (Reuters) - Some U.S. stocks to watch on Friday:
FUTURES LITTLE CHANGED AFTER CHINA, GERMAN DATA
Futures were little changed following economic data out ofChina and Germany, though the benchmark S&P index appeared toremain on track for its first weekly drop of the year. S&P 500futures were up 0.9 point and were slightly above fairvalue, a formula that evaluates pricing by taking into accountinterest rates, dividends and time to expiration on thecontract. Dow Jones industrial average futures were down13 points, and Nasdaq 100 futures were up 4.5 points.
** MOODY'S CORP, Thursday close $46.99
The credit rating agency, which could face a federal lawsuittied to pre-crisis ratings, said quarterly profit jumped 66percent and the company forecast strong 2013 earnings,
** AOL INC, Thursday close $31.41, up 3 pctpremarket
The online company's quarterly profit jumped, boosted by a13 percent rise in advertising sales. Net income rose to $35.7million, or 41 cents per share, in the fourth quarter, from$22.8 million, or 23 cents per share, a year earlier.Advertising revenue rose 13 percent to $410.6 million, whilesubscription revenue for AOL's dial-up services fell 10 percentto $174.2 million.
** VODAFONE GROUP PLC , Thursday close$27.10, up 2 pct premarket
Brokerage BofA Merrill Lynch raised the telecom operator'srating to "buy" from "neutral."
** NUANCE COMMUNICATIONS INC, Thursday close$24.55, down 17.3 pct premarket
The speech recognition software maker forecastsecond-quarter revenue below analysts' estimates, citing a fallin demand for its products in Europe, Middle East and Africa.
** RIVERBED TECHNOLOGY INC, Thursday close $20.10,down 12.6 pct premarket
The network gear maker's quarterly profit fell 76 percent oncosts associated with its $1 billion acquisition of OpnetTechnologies Inc, and the company forecast current-quarterprofit below estimates.
At least two brokerages downgraded the stock.
** LINKEDIN CORP, Thursday close $124.09, up 11 pctpremarket
The professional social networking company extended its hotstreak on Thursday, announcing both blow-out quarterly profitsand a bullish forecast for the new year that exceeded WallStreet's already lofty expectations.
At least five brokerages - J.P. Morgan Securities, BarclaysCapital, Canaccord Genuity, Evercore Partners and CantorFitzgerald - raised the target price on the company's stock.
** 3SBIO INC, Thursday close $13.79, up 8 pctpremarket
The Chinese biotechnology firm said it agreed to be takenprivate by Decade Sunshine Ltd for about $340 million,reflecting a wider trend of Chinese companies going private toescape U.S. regulatory scrutiny.
** SUNPOWER CORP, Thursday close $8.40, down 8 pctpremarket
The U.S. solar company, which is battling a drastic drop inpanel prices due to a supply glut, said on Thursday that itexpects revenue for this year to be unchanged from 2012.
** SKULLCANDY INC, Thursday close $6.61, down 7 pctpremarket
The headphones company forecast full year 2012 earnings atthe lower end of between $1 and $1.04 per share, and said ChiefExecutive Jeremy Andrus will step down.
** ACTIVISION BLIZZARD INC, Thursday close $12.06,up 5.7 pct premarket
The company's earnings beat Wall Street expectations afterits "Call of Duty" and "Skylanders" titles had blockbusterholiday sales, shoring up investor confidence in the world'slargest videogame publisher despite a cautious forecast for2013.
** APOLLO GLOBAL MANAGEMENT LLC, Thursday close$22.15, up 5.7 pct premarket
The company reported a 95 percent rise in quarterly earningsas strong gains in private equity profits, driven by assetsales, more than compensated for a drop in income in its creditinvestment business.
** SYCAMORE NETWORKS INC, Thursday close $2.28, up5.2 pct premarket
The company declared a cash dividend of $1.81 per share.
** TARO PHARMACEUTICAL INDUSTRIES LTD, Thursdayclose $50.55, up 1 pct premarket
India's Sun Pharmaceutical Industries Ltd SUN.NS ended itsagreement to gain full control over its Israeli unit TaroPharmaceutical.
** ADVANCE AUTO PARTS INC, Thursday close $77.14, up1 pct premarket
J.P. Morgan Securities upgraded the auto parts retailer'sstock to "overweight" from "neutral." The company posted afourth-quarter profit of 88 cents per share, largely beatinganalysts' expectations of 75 cents per share.
** LABORATORY CORP OF AMERICA HOLDINGS, Thursdayclose $91.63
The diagnostics testing company reported a drop infourth-quarter profit on Friday and said bad weather had beenpartly to blame.
** BOEING CO, Thursday close $77.43
The company started the year ahead of its European rivalAirbus, after clinching the industry's top spot in 2012, withbroadly higher orders and deliveries in January, data showed.
** GLAXOSMITHKLINE , Thursday close $45.28
Mounting evidence of a link between the company's Pandemrixflu shot and a spike in narcolepsy cases among children inEurope is putting one of the vaccine's key ingredients, AS03,under intense scrutiny.
** UBIQUITI NETWORKS INC, Thursday close $14.87, up9 pct after market
The wireless equipment products maker forecast a profit ofbetween 20 and 24 cents per share, above what analysts hadexpected on an average.
** COINSTAR INC, Thursday close $52.10, down 9 pctafter market
The operator of Redbox video rental kiosks forecastcurrent-quarter results significantly below analysts' estimatesdue to a slower movie release schedule.
** FLEETCOR TECHNOLOGIES INC, Thursday close $59.55,up 7 pct after market
The payments services provider reported a quarterly profitof 82 cents per share, better than the 75 cents per share that analysts on average expected.
** MICROCHIP TECHNOLOGY INC, Thursday close $33.94,up 6 pct after market
The chipmaker forecast a larger-than-expected profit andrevenue for the current quarter after reporting third-quarterresults that beat Wall Street expectations on higher sales ofits microcontroller chips.
** NCR CORP, Thursday close $27.96, up 3 pct aftermarket
The ATM maker reported a fourth-quarter profit of 72 centsper share, beating analysts' expectations of 70 cents per share.
** AVANIR PHARMACEUTICALS INC, Thursday close$2.85, up 3 pct after market
The company reported a first-quarter loss of 9 cents pershare while analysts on average expected a loss of 8 cents pershare.
** RADIOSHACK CORP, Thursday close $3.11, up 3 pctafter market
The U.S. electronics retailer named Walgreen executiveJoseph Magnacca as chief executive, hoping to boost sales bytapping his merchandising and marketing experience.
** OPENTABLE INC, Thursday close $49.31, up 2 pctafter market
The U.S. online restaurant reservation service providerreported quarterly results that beat analysts' estimates, helpedby an increase in the number of seated diners, and the companyexpects mobile devices to drive more revenue.
** MGM RESORTS INTERNATIONAL, Thursday close $12.94
New Jersey regulators are set to reconsider a decision thathad forced the company to put its stake in an Atlantic Citycasino up for sale, people familiar with the matter said,according to the Wall Street Journal.
** TRANZYME INC, Thursday close $0.56
The drugmaker said it will explore a possible sale of thecompany, less than two years after it went public and shortlyafter it stopped trials of one of its most advanced drug indevelopment.
** DREAMWORKS ANIMATION SKG INC Thursday close$16.31
The animation studio company might cut a maximum of 500 jobsfrom its 2,000 member workforce following disappointing holidayresults and delays to its film lineup, the Wall Street Journalreported on Thursday, citing a person familiar with thesituation.
** ENTEROMEDICS INC, Thursday close $2.84, down 50pct after market
The company said its experimental device to treat obesitydid not meet pre-defined efficacy targets in a late-stage study.
** US AIRWAYS GROUP INC, Thursday close $15.11
** AMR CORP, Thursday close $1.25
AMR Corp creditors plan to meet on Monday and could vote ona potential merger agreement between the bankrupt parent ofAmerican Airlines, and US Airways Group, several people familiarwith the matter said. (Compiled by Mridhula Raghavan in Bangalore)
Vodafone (VOD)
Glaxosmithkline (GSK)