BUZZ-U.S. STOCKS ON THE MOVE-Bellicum Pharma, OvaScience, Comstock
(For faster updates on individual market-movers, Eikon users please use search string "STXBZ US"; for the Day Ahead newsletter, http://link.reuters.com/mex49s; for the Morning News Call newsletter, http://link.reuters.com/nex49s) U.S. stocks rose on Thursday, with each of the major indexes climbing more than 1 percent, building on the prior session's rally after the U.S. Federal Reserve's policy statement and oil prices that showed signs of steadying. The Dow Jones industrial average rose 0.75 percent, the S&P 500 were up 0.8 percent and the Nasdaq Composite were up 1.36 percent.
** BELLICUM PHARMACEUTICALS INC, $26.08, +37.26 pct
The biopharmaceutical company's shares rose as much as 40 percent on its debut on Thursday. The company offerd 7.35 million shares at $19, above $15-$17 marketed range.
** SILICON IMAGE INC (NasdaqGS: SIMG - news) , $4.9501, -26.56 pct
The chipmaker said it expects revenue to fall 10 percent in 2015 due to fewer mobile design wins from one its largest customers.
** OVASCIENCE INC (NasdaqGM: OVAS - news) , $45.93, +31.38 pct
Wedbush Securities raised its rating on the fertility treatment developer to "outperform" from "neutral" after company said it will launch 2 fertility products and gave update on the progress of third treatment.
** COMSTOCK RESOURCES INC (NYSE: CRK - news) , $6.02, -12.12 pct
The oil and gas producer said it plans to suspend oil drilling in Eagle Ford shale properties in south and east Texas and Tuscaloosa Marine shale in Mississippi as oil prices plunge.
** TETRAPHASE PHARMACEUTICALS INC (NasdaqGS: TTPH - news) , $38.0601, +14.67 pct
The drug developer said its antibiotic to treat complicated intra-abdominal infections was as effective as Merck (Swiss: MER.SW - news) & Co Inc's ertapenem in a late-stage study.
** DUNKIN' BRANDS GROUP INC, $42.35, -8.37 pct
The Dunkin' Donuts restaurant operator cut its 2015 forecast for same-store sales growth in the United States and operating income growth, citing slowing sales of packaged coffee in its restaurants.
** AGENUS INC (NasdaqCM: AGEN - news) , $3.664, +9.37 pct
** GLAXOSMITHKLINE PLC (Other OTC: GLAXF - news) , $42.979, +2.23 pct
The biotechnology company said an experimental vaccine against shingles by its partner GlaxoSmithKline met its goal in a late-stage study. Agenus will get royalties on potential commercial sales of the vacine.
** ORACLE INC, $44.26, +7.53 pct
The software maker reported a 3.5 percent increase in quarterly revenue on Wednesday, beating Wall Street's expectations, as sales at its closely watched cloud services business rose 45 percent.
** WINNEBAGO INDUSTRIES INC (NYSE: WGO - news) , $21.695, -9.04 pct
The maker of motorhomes and camping trailers reported a lower-than-expected profit as a shortage of workers at a key plant in rural Iowa and trouble sourcing key components from suppliers stymied production of the company's recreational vehicles.
** REAL GOODS SOLAR INC (Xetra: A0NE3L - news) , $0.6507, +12.19 pct
The solar company said it won more than 80 contracts to install rooftop solar power systems on homes and small businesses. The company said the projects represent more than 600kW of solar power.
** ACCENTURE PLC (NYSE: ACN - news) , $89.25, +4.63 pct
The consulting and outsourcing company raised its revenue forecast for fiscal 2015 after contract wins helped the company post better-than-expected first-quarter earnings and revenue. The company said it expects revenue growth of 5-8 percent for the year ending August on a local currency basis, up from the 4-7 percent growth it had estimated earlier.
** RITE AID CORP, $6.77, +11.72 pct
The U.S. drugstore chain raised its full-year earnings forecast after cutting it twice this year as higher sales of prescription drugs pushed up its profit and revenue in the third quarter.
** AK STEEL HOLDING CORP, $5.91, +6.30 pct
The steel maker said it expects fourth-quarter shipments to jump 37 percent compared with the third quarter, helped by acquisitions and strong demand from auto industry.
** THE PANTRY INC (NasdaqGS: PTRY - news) , $36.555, +2.91 pct
Canadian convenience store operator Alimentation Couche-Tard (Other OTC: ANCUF - news) Inc will buy the Kangaroo Express chain operator for about $861 million to boost its presence in the southeastern and Gulf Coast regions. Couche-Tard offered $36.75 per share for Pantry, which represents a premium of 3.5 percent to the stock's Wednesday close. Including debt, the deal is valued at $1.7 billion. Pantry stock jumped 23 percent on Wednesday after the Wall Street Journal reported that the company was nearing a deal to sell itself through an auction.
** BLACKBERRY LTD, $10.14, +1.60 pct
The Canadian mobile technology company launched its long-awaited Classic on Wednesday, a smartphone it hopes will help it win back market share and woo those still using older versions of its physical keyboard devices.
** ZAGG INC (NasdaqGS: ZAGG - news) , $6.2, +16.32 pct
The mobile accessories maker raised its full-year net sales forecast to $250 million-$255 million from previous range of $225 million-$235 million. The forecast also beat analysts' average estimate of $232.5 million, according to Thomson Reuters I/B/E/S.
** EXXON MOBIL CORP, $88.57, -0.51 pct
** CHEVRON CORP, $105.89, -0.12 pct
** CONOCOPHILLIPS (NYSE: COP - news) , $67.09, +0.22 pct
** CHESAPEAKE ENERGY CORP, $18.83, +0.80 pct
Oil company stocks rise after Brent crude jumps 3.3 percent to above $63/bbl, extending a rebound from 5-year lows this week as more energy firms cut investment in new production.
** HERTZ GLOBAL HOLDINGS INC, $22.64, +6.24 pct
Carl Icahn, the rental car company's largest shareholder, raised stake in the company to 11.34 percent from 10.77 percent. Icahn revealed an 8.48 percent stake in Hertz in August; he has since ousted CEO Mark Frissora and won three board seats at the company.
** KIRBY CORP, $82.325, -7.24 pct
The tank bank operator lowered fourth quarter earnings estimate to $1.10-$1.20 per share from $1.30-$1.40 per share. The company also lowered its full year earnings estimate to $4.84 to $4.94 per share from $5.04-$5.14 per share.
** GENWORTH FINANCIAL INC (NYSE: GNW - news) , $7.89, -0.50 pct
The life and mortgage insurer said the review of long term care insurance active life margins is taking longer than expected. The company said it now expects to complete review on or before fourth quarter results in February.
** JABIL CIRCUIT INC (NYSE: JBL - news) , $20.65, +2.89 pct
The company, which makes phone casings for Apple Inc (NasdaqGS: AAPL - news) , forecasts second-quarter revenue above estimates, boosted by strong sales of iPhone 6 and 6 Plus. The company forecast second quarter core earnings of 39-50 cents per share, higher than analysts' average estimate of profit of 38 cents per share.
** NATIONAL BANK OF GREECE, $1.94, -2.51 pct
The largest Greek bank's U.S.-listed shares down after first-round presidential vote in Greece saw Prime Minister Antonis Samaras lose by larger-than-expected margin. (Compiled by Anannya Pramanick in Bangalore; Edited by Don Sebastian)