MARKET PULSE-Apple, Macy's, Bed Bath & Beyond, Family Dollar, Sequenom

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Jan 9 (Reuters) - U.S. stock index futures were up on Thursday. Dow Jones industrial average futures were up 0.32 percent at 16,459, S&P 500 futures were up 0.27 percent at 1,837.4 and Nasdaq 100 futures were up 0.29 percent at 3,575.

** APPLE INC (NasdaqGS: AAPL - news) , Wednesday close $543.46, +0.71 pct premarket

Apple and Samsung Electronics have agreed to attend a mediation session to be held on or before Feb. 19, as they prepare to clash in court in March over smartphone patents. Apple CEO Tim Cook and Samsung CEO Oh-Hyun Kwon will attend the session with in-house lawyers only.

** BED BATH & BEYOND INC (NasdaqGS: BBBY - news) , Wednesday close $79.68, -9.89 pct premarket

The home furnishings retailer cut its full-year earnings forecast due to a lowered sales expectation and weakening margins.

** FAMILY DOLLAR STORES INC (NYSE: FDO - news) , Wednesday close $66.34, -8.43 pct premarket

The discount chain on Thursday reported a weaker quarterly profit as the retailer discounted more than it had originally planned to win holiday shoppers.

** MACY'S INC, Wednesday close $51.84, +6.33 pct premarket

The department store operator reported strong holiday season sales and gave a preliminary forecast for 2014 that suggests it would continue to outpace its rivals.

** SEQUENOM INC (NasdaqGS: SQNM - news) , Wednesday close $2.46, +11.79 pct premarket

The genetic tests maker said the European Patent Office on Jan. 1 granted a patent to its methods to detect chromosomal abnormality in a fetus using gene sequencing.

The patent is an important part of Sequenom's prenatal diagnostic patent portfolio, with coverage across all countries in the European Union.

** BLACKBERRY LTD, Wednesday close $8.54, +0.70 pct premarket

Fairfax Financial Holdings Ltd will buy another $250 million worth of BlackBerry Ltd's convertible debentures, the companies said Wednesday, providing the struggling smartphone maker with much-needed cash.

** JPMORGAN CHASE & CO (NYSE: JPM - news) , Wednesday close $58.87

The world's biggest dealer in over-the-counter metals derivatives has added its metals futures brokerage to the sale of its physical commodities business, sources familiar with the matter said.

** APOLLO GLOBAL MANAGEMENT LLC, Wednesday close $35.06

Apollo Global Management is looking to cash out on its investment in the owner of Lighthouse Investment Partners LLC, three years it after it backed the fund-of-hedge-funds manager, according to people familiar with the matter.

** BOEING CO (NYSE: BA - news) , Wednesday close $140.82

Angry Boeing machinists have filed eight unfair labor practice charges with the National Labor Relations Board alleging their union's top leaders manipulated a recent contract vote, and demanding that ballots be recast.

** T-MOBILE US, Wednesday close $33.25

The No. 4 U.S. mobile operator on Wednesday reported a fourth-quarter boost in customer growth and offered to pay customers to switch from rival services, escalating already intense competition in the U.S. wireless market.

** COSTCO WHOLESALE CORP, Wednesday close $114.05, +1.71 pct premarket

The company's December same-store sales beat analysts' expectations, helped in part by online sales in the United States and Canada.

** INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS MACHINES CORP, Wednesday close $187.97, +0.18 pct premarket

The world's largest technology service provider said it will invest more than $1 billion to establish a new business unit for Watson, as the company hopes to get more revenue from the supercomputer system that beat humans on the television quiz show "Jeopardy".

** BLACKROCK INC (NYSE: BLK - news) , Wednesday close $16.82

The world's largest asset manager agreed to end its analyst survey program worldwide, as part of an agreement reached Wednesday with the New York Attorney General's office.

** NOVARTIS AG (Xetra: NOT.DE - news) , Wednesday close $79.71, +0.54 pct premarket

** MERCK (Dusseldorf: 6MK.DU - news) & CO INC, Wednesday close $49.79

Novartis is in talks with Merck & Co to exchange its animal-health and human vaccines businesses for the drugmaker's over-the-counter health-products unit, Bloomberg reported, quoting people familiar with the matter.

Japan's health ministry on Thursday filed a criminal complaint against Novartis local unit after the pharmaceuticals company promoted its best-selling blood pressure drug Diovan using manipulated data.

** DISH NETWORK CORP (NasdaqGS: DISH - news) , Wednesday close $57.96

The satellite television company is terminating its bid for LightSquared Inc, the bankrupt telecom firm whose wireless spectrum Dish has been coveting, the Wall Street Journal reported, citing a person familiar with the matter.

** AGRIUM INC (Toronto: AGU.TO - news) , Wednesday close $90.57, -0.02 pct premarket

The Canadian fertilizer company said on Wednesday it will restructure its three divisions into two business units, wholesale and retail, in the first quarter of 2014 as it moves to become more efficient.

** QUALCOMM (TLO: QC-U.TI - news) , Wednesday close $73.68

The company's CEO Paul Jacobs said on Wednesday that the U.S. mobile chipmaker still has not been notified about why it has come under antitrust scrutiny in China since late last year. In November, Qualcomm announced that China's National Development and Reform Commission had launched an antitrust probe into the company. The chipmaker said it was unaware of any possible violations.

** CANADIAN NATURAL RESOURCES LTD, Wednesday close $32.66

The Canadian oil producer has dropped plans to dispose of its Montney shale-gas property after failing to attract a suitable offer.

** QIHOO 360 TECHNOLOGY CO LTD, Wednesday close $89, -3.65 pct premarket

The Chinese Internet company denied on Thursday that e-commerce giant Alibaba Group Holding Ltd (IPO-ALIB.N) would take a stake in the company after its shares surged almost 10 percent on Wednesday on speculation the two were in talks.

** GOLDCORP INC (Toronto: G.TO - news) , Wednesday close $22.13, +0.99 pct premarket

The Canadian gold mining company said late on Wednesday that its annual gold production could rise up to 18 percent even as it expects to rein in costs over the next two years.

** GLAXOSMITHKLINE (Other OTC: GLAXF - news) , Wednesday close $52.73, +1.33 pct premarket

A combination treatment from GlaxoSmithKline for melanoma, the deadliest form of skin cancer, has won accelerated approval from U.S. regulators. Industry analysts see a combination offering the greatest commercial potential.

** MCKESSON (Frankfurt: MCK.F - news) , Wednesday close $169.81, +3.35 pct premarket

The U.S. drugs wholesale group on Thursday lifted its offer for Celesio (Other OTC: CAKFF - news) to 23.50 euros per share from 23 euros in a bid to win over hedge fund Elliott, a source familiar with the talks said.

** ASTRAZENECA (NYSE: AZN - news) , Wednesday close $58.52, +1.13 pct premarket

U.S. health regulators on Wednesday approved an AstraZeneca (EUREX: AZNF.EX - news) drug from a new class of medicines to treat type 2 diabetes after previously rejecting it over safety concerns.

** J.C. Penney Co Inc, Wednesday close $7.37, +3.66 pct premarket

Piper Jaffray upgraded its rating on the department store operator's stock to "overweight" from "neutral," according to Theflyonthewall.com.

J.C. Penney shares slid 8 percent on Wednesday after the department store chain said it was "pleased" with its holiday sales performance, but skimped on specifics. The lack of detail in the Penney release fueled speculation that its turnaround is stalling.

** CALIX INC (NYSE: CALX - news) , $9.24

The telecom equipment maker estimated fourth-quarter results that were way below analysts' expectations due to a greater-than-expected decline in traditional year-end "budget flush" customer spending patterns than the company has historically experienced.

(Compiled by Rohit T.K. in Bangalore; Editing by)