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March 1 (Reuters) - Some U.S. stocks on the move on Friday:
US STOCKS SNAPSHOT-WALL ST PARES LOSSES AFTER STRONG U.S. DATA
U.S. stocks pared losses on Friday after data showed that the pace of growth in the U.S. manufacturing sector picked up to its fastest in more than a year and a half in February. The Dow Jones industrial average fell 50.7 points the S&P 500 lost 6.87 points and the Nasdaq Composite dropped 18.85 points.
** BEST BUY CO INC, $17.37, up 6 pct (0933 ET)
Best Buy and founder Richard Schulze have ended their talks after Schulze and private equity investors sought three board seats in exchange for taking a minority stake in the company, a source familiar with the matter said on Friday.
The world's largest consumer electronics chain posted quarterly results. Best Buy lost $409 million, or $1.21 per share, in the fourth quarter ended Feb. 2, compared with a loss of $1.82 billion, or $5.17 per share, a year earlier.
** WENDY'S CO, $5.44, down 4 pct (0939 ET)
Wendy's, the second-largest U.S. hamburger chain, reported higher quarterly profit and stuck by its 2013 profit forecast on Thursday, even as its customers face new financial pressures from higher taxes and gasoline costs.
** INTUITIVE SURGICAL INC (NasdaqGS: ISRG - news) , $554.72, up 9 pct (0938 ET)
Cantor Fitzgerald analyst Jeremy Feffer upgraded the stock to "buy" from "hold", saying the fall in the medical device maker's share price on Thursday was a gross overreaction. Bloomberg reported that U.S. health regulator has started an investigation into procedure safety of Intuitive's surgical robots system da Vinci (Other OTC: VCISF - news) .
** GAP INC (NYSE: GPS - news) , $33.25, up 1 pct (0941 ET)
Gap's fourth-quarter profit beat estimates, helped by higher comparable store sales in North America and the apparel retailer raised its dividend for this year by 20 percent to 60 cents.
** CHESAPEAKE ENERGY CORP, $19.77, down 2 pct (0941 ET)
Chesapeake Energy (Other OTC: CHKVZ - news) said the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission was investigating the company and Chief Executive Aubrey McClendon and had issued subpoenas for information and testimony.
** DEUTSCHE BANK (Xetra: 514000 - news) , $43.20, down 6 pct (0942 ET)
Goldman Sachs (NYSE: GS-PB - news) downgraded the stock of the investment bank to "sell" from "neutral", saying the U.S. Federal Reserve's proposal on foreign banks has a reasonable likelihood of being adopted.
The U.S. Federal Reserve moved to introduce new capital requirements on large foreign bank holding companies in December.
** FOSTER WHEELER LTD, $19.98, down 17 pct (0942 ET)
The oil and gas service provider reported a lower-than-expected profit in the fourth quarter as orders for boilers fell 73 percent in its Global Power Group business, which provides services to generate steam to utilities.
** FEDERAL-MOGUL CORP, $7.55, down 6 pct (0940 ET)
Goldman Sachs downgraded the auto parts supplier to "sell" from "neutral," saying the company's earnings outlook has worsened due to a more challenging volume, mix and cost execution backdrop.
** LLOYDS BANKING GROUP (LSE: LLOY.L - news) , $3.07, down 7 pct (1010 ET)
Britain's biggest retail bank Lloyds set aside another 1.5 billion pounds ($2.3 billion) to compensate customers mis-sold loan insurance, hitting its shares and tempering prospects for a swift sale of the government's stake.
** SEQUENOM INC (NasdaqGS: SQNM - news) , $4.30, up 5 pct (0943 ET)
Piper Jaffray analyst William Quirk upgraded the life sciences company's stock to "overweight" from "neutral" citing increased favorable reimbursement decisions for Sequenom's Down's syndrome test, MaterniT21, from insurers like Aetna (NYSE: AET - news) , Humana (NYSE: HUM - news) , CareFirst and multiple Blue Cross and Blue Shield providers.
"We believe reimbursement momentum has shifted in Sequenom's favor and we are anticipating a steady flow of favorable coverage decisions going forward," Quirk wrote in a note.
** ING GROEP NV (NYSE: IGK - news) $7.65, down 4 pct (1011 ET)
ING Groep, the biggest Dutch financial services company, agreed on Thursday to reduce its stake in Brazilian insurer SulAmérica Seguros e Previdencia SA SULA11.SA, raising funds to help repay a state bailout received after the global financial crisis.
** GROUPON INC (NasdaqGS: GRPN - news) , $4.63, up 2 pct (0944 ET)
Groupon fired Andrew Mason as chief executive officer on Thursday, ousting a co-founder who captured headlines with his quirky style but failed to reverse a crumbling share price or stop a gradual erosion of its main daily deals business.
** NOMURA HOLDINGS INC $5.93, up 3 pct (1008 ET)
Nomura Holdings said on Friday that it would cut its stake in Nomura Real Estate Holdings in a deal that will raise about $577 million as Japan's largest brokerage prepares for tougher capital regulations.
** HARRIS TEETER SUPERMARKETS INC (NYSE: HTSI - news) , $43.89, up 2 pct (0948 ET)
The grocery chain, which has been exploring a sale, has drawn interest from Publix Super Markets Inc, Bloomberg reported citing people with knowledge of the situation.
Royal Ahold NV, the Dutch owner of Stop & Shop stores, has also expressed interest in acquiring the company, though neither parties have made an offer yet, Bloomberg said. (http://link.reuters.com/myf46t)
** CITIGROUP INC (NYSE: C - news) , $41.60, down 1 pct (1013 ET)
Citigroup on Friday raised the estimate of its possible legal and regulatory risk in excess of reserves to $5 billion from $4 billion.
** SABA SOFTWARE (NasdaqGM: SABA - news) , $8.91, up 2 pct (0958 ET)
Enterprise software provider Saba Software said founder and Chief Executive Bobby Yazdani will step down on Friday.
** SIBANYE GOLD LTD, $5.99, up 6 pct (1013 ET)
The South African gold miner said it will resume production at its Beatrix mine, after the Department of Mineral Resources (Other OTC: MALRY - news) and Production lifted the ban it had imposed on blasting operations at the Number 3 Shaft following a fatal accident on Thursday.
** AMERICAN PUBLIC EDUCATION INC (NasdaqGS: APEI - news) , $35.96, down 8 pct (1013 ET)
The parent of online learning provider American Public University System said new student enrollments fell 8 percent to 22,600 in the fourth quarter ended Dec. 31.
The company also forecast current-quarter earnings in the range of 55 cents to 58 cents per share. Analysts on average were expecting 59 cents per share, according to Thomson Reuters I/B/E/S.
** COMMONWEALTH REIT (NYSE: CWH - news) , $23.61, down 6 percent (0958 ET)
The office building operator increased the maximum tender amount for its debt repurchase plan to $650 million from $450 million.
** ICAHN ENTERPRISES LP, $62.68, down 12 pct (1008 ET)
The company controlled by Carl Icahn priced its offering of 3.2 million shares of depositary units at $63 per depositary unit, a discount to its Thursday's closing price.
** ENTREMED INC (NasdaqCM: ENMD - news) , $2.53, down 14 pct (1005 ET)
The pharmaceutical company said it expects to receive about $10.7 million, net of expenses, after institutional investors agreed to buy its securities in a registered direct offering.
** DECKERS OUTDOOR CORP (NasdaqGS: DECK - news) , $45.30, up 12 pct (0959 ET)
The shoe maker posted a fourth-quarter profit above Wall Street expectations, prompting at least two brokerages to raise their price target on the stock.
"With the fourth quarter now behind us, what really matters is that (Deckers) is well positioned for 2013 with cleaner inventories, improving (same-store sales) trends and margin tailwinds from lower sheepskin costs," analysts at Jefferies wrote in a client note and raised their price target on the stock to $65 from $60.
** OSIRIS THERAPEUTICS INC (NasdaqGM: OSIR - news) , $6.84, up 4 pct (1012 ET)
The stem cell products maker said it established a direct sales force for its wound-care matrix named Grafix. The team will be deployed initially in 10 major metropolitan areas in the United States and is expected to double over the coming year, Osiris said in a statement.
** SUMMER INFANT INC (NasdaqCM: SUMR - news) , $2.20, up 8 pct (1009 ET)
The babycare products maker said on Thursday that it has refinanced its outstanding revolving credit facility.
** MEDIVATION INC (NasdaqGS: MDVN - news) , $47.59, down 3 pct (0956 ET)
The maker of prostate cancer drug Xtandi on Thursday reported lower-than-expected fourth-quarter collaboration revenue, which included sales from the first full quarter of Xtandi's time on the market.
Medivation forecast full-year expenses of about $285 million to $300 million, which Maxim Group analyst Jason Kolbert said were higher than he expected and may create some short-term pressure on the company.
** OMNIVISION TECHNOLOGIES INC (NasdaqGS: OVTI - news) , $13.69, down 11 pct
The imaging chipmaker reported better-than-expected quarterly results but forecast current quarter below analysts' estimates.
The company expects fourth-quarter earnings of $0.14 to $0.29 per share and revenue of $300 million to $330 million. Analysts on average expected earnings of $0.32 per share, on revenue of $371.4 million, according to Thomson Reuters I/B/E/S.
** NANOSPHERE INC (NasdaqGM: NSPH - news) , $2.15, up 10 pct (1003 ET)
The maker of diagnostic tests could achieve profitability by 2016, Canaccord Genuity analyst Jeffrey Frelick wrote in a note, saying the company, with its attractive portfolio of tests, was growing at about 16 percent annually.
The analyst began coverage of Nanosphere stock with a "buy" rating and a target price of $5.
** AIR METHODS CORP (NasdaqGS: AIRM - news) , $46.12, up 3 pct (1024 ET)
The air ambulance provider reported a quarterly profit that beat analysts' expectations helped by an 18 percent rise in patients transport revenue.
Air Methods posted fourth-quarter profit of 55 cents per share. Analysts expected a profit of 44 cents per share, according to Thomson Reuters I/B/E/S.
** SAUER-DANFOSS INC, $ 58.69, up 8 pct (1004 ET)
Danish industrial group Danfoss A/S increased its offer to buy out the rest of Sauer-Danfoss it does not already own, valuing the company at $2.83 billion.
Danfoss offered $58.50 per share for the 24.4 percent of Sauer-Danfoss it does not own, up from its $49 per share bid in November (Xetra: A0Z24E - news) .
** ROSETTA STONE INC (NYSE: RST - news) , $12.68, up 9 pct (1004 ET)
The company, which makes language learning software, reported better-than-expected quarterly results, helped by a rise in subscribers for its online products.
** SALESFORCE.COM INC, $176.50, up 4 pct (1005 ET)
Salesforce.com reported better-than-expected quarterly sales of $835 million on Thursday, as its cloud-based services continued to sell well despite an uncertain macroeconomic picture.
** POPULAR INC (NasdaqGS: BPOP - news) , $27.16, down 3 pct (1006 ET)
Puerto Rico-based lender Popular said it would a sell $568 million portfolio of non-performing loans to a joint venture between Caribbean Property Group and funds affiliated with Perella Weinberg Partners.
** CERUS CORP, $3.54, up 7.5 pct (1010 ET)
The blood safety products maker reported a narrower loss on strong sales of its Intercept disposable kits.
Cerus posted a fourth quarter loss of $1.7 million, or 7 cents per share, compared with a loss of $7.7 million, or 16 cents per share, a year earlier.
** IMMERSION CORP, $6.25, down 6 pct (1010 ET)
The touch feedback technology provider reported a fourth-quarter loss and forecast 2013 revenue below analysts' estimates, and said its license with Samsung Electronics had expired.
"Until we have greater clarity with regards to our Samsung relationship, it is difficult to provide comprehensive annual guidance at this time," said Chief Executive Vic Viegas.
** MCDERMOTT INTERNATIONAL INC (NYSE: MDR - news) , $11.46, down 10 pct (1011 ET)
The Houston-based company, which constructs oil and gas projects, said it lost $32 million due to project delays and higher costs in the fourth quarter, primarily in the Asia Pacific region.
** MAGNA INTERNATIONAL INC, $55.99, up 5 pct (1012 ET)
Auto parts maker Magna International reported a 12.5 percent rise in profit on strong performance in its North American business, and raised its full-year sales forecast. (Compiled by Chandni Doulatramani in Bangalore)
