MARKET PULSE- Apple, McDonald's, Crosstex, Tellabs

(For more market insights, including options activity, click on ; for the Day Ahead newsletter http://link.reuters.com/mex49s, for the Morning News Call newsletter, http://link.reuters.com/nex49s)

Oct (KOSDAQ: 039200.KQ - news) 21 (Reuters) - U.S. stocks were little changed on Monday after the S&P 500 hit a fresh intraday record high, boosted by gains in Apple (NasdaqGS: AAPL - news) after a bullish research note, while underwhelming results from McDonald's weighed on the Dow. The Dow Jones industrial average was down 7.83 points, or 0.05 percent, to 15,391.82; the S&P 500 was up 0.62 points, or 0.04 percent, to 1,745.12 and the Nasdaq Composite added 11.153 points, or 0.28 percent, to 3,925.431.

** APPLE INC, $522.34, up 2.6 pct (11:43 a.m. ET)

Strong demand for tablets such as Apple's iPad will help worldwide shipments of web-enabled devices rise in 2013, offsetting a decline in desktop and laptop computers, research company Gartner (NYSE: IT - news) said.

** MCDONALD'S CORP, $94.49, down 0.7 pct (11:25 a.m. ET)

The fast food chain, dogged by lackluster economic growth and intense competition, warned that global sales at established restaurants would be relatively flat for October and signaled that weakness would continue in the fourth quarter.

** HALLIBURTON CO, $51.36, down 2.1 pct (9:31 a.m. ET)

The world's second-largest oilfield services company reported third-quarter earnings just a penny above what analysts had expected on average. Rivals Schlumberger Ltd and Baker Hughes Inc last week reported quarterly profits much above Street expectations.

Moreover, U.S. crude fell below $100 per barrel on Monday for the first time since July amid pressure from strong supplies.

** NVR INC (NYSE: NVR - news) , $895.25, down 4 pct (9:53 a.m. ET)

The fourth-largest U.S. homebuilder said orders fell 7 percent to 2,381 houses in the third quarter while the cancellation rate rose to 19 percent from 17 percent a year earlier. Homebuilders have benefited from a recovery in the U.S. housing market since October 2011 but a recent rise in mortgage rates has hit demand.

** GOODYEAR TIRE & RUBBER CO, $22, down 3 pct (9:47 a.m. ET)

Deutsche Bank (LSE: 0H7D.L - news) cut its rating on the tire maker to "hold" from "buy," saying that the mid-term outlook for gross margins may not be as clear as it has been over the past two-to-three years. "North America, which accounts for 46 percent of Goodyear's sales, may face increased pressure as increased imports erode profitability of the low-value added (tire) market, and aggressive capacity expansions erode the high-value added market," analysts wrote in a note to clients on Friday.

** SALESFORCE.COM, $55.20, up 2 pct (10:01 a.m. ET)

Raymond James raised its rating on the sales and marketing software maker's stock to "strong buy" from "outperform," citing solid growth in its core sales cloud business and acceleration in revenue growth from ExactTarget, which it acquired in June.

** PHILIPS ELECTRONICS, $35.42, up 5.6 pct (11:13 a.m. ET)

The Dutch electronics group nearly trebled third-quarter profit after slashing a chunky 183 million euros from expenses. Philips (Amsterdam: PHIA.AS - news) has another two years of trimming already planned and more cost savings may be found. That should mean Philips meets its new profit-margins target.

** CROSSTEX ENERGY INC (NasdaqGS: XTXI - news) , $31.02, up 51 pct (11:58 a.m. ET)

** CROSSTEX ENERGY LP (NasdaqGS: XTEX - news) , $28.60, up 40 pct

** DEVON ENERGY CORP, $64.80, up 2.5 pct

U.S. oil and gas producer Devon said it would combine all its pipeline, processing and related infrastructure assets in the United States with assets owned by Crosstex Energy Inc and Crosstex Energy LP to form a new midstream business.

** TURQUOISE HILL RESOURCES (NYSE: TRQ - news) , $4.63, up 3.8 pct (11:20 a.m. ET)

A customs dispute that had been holding up copper concentrate shipments from Rio Tinto (Xetra: 855018 - news) 's massive Oyu Tolgoi mine in Mongolia has been resolved, the company said. Turquoise Hill runs the $6 billion mine and is 66-percent owned by Rio Tinto.

** DELEK US HOLDINGS, $26.44, up 4.5 pct (11:05 a.m. ET)

Brokerage Goldman Sachs raised its rating on the oil refiner's stock to "buy" from "neutral," according to Theflyonthewall.com.

** HORIZON PHARMA INC (NasdaqGM: HZNP - news) , $4.18, up 11 pct (9:53 a.m. ET)

Piper Jaffrey upgraded the drugmaker's stock rating to "overweight" from "neutral," according to Theflyonthewall.com.

** EAGLE BULK SHIPPING INC (NasdaqGS: EGLE - news) , $6.78, down 6 pct (10:15 a.m. ET)

** DRYSHIPS INC (NasdaqGS: DRYS - news) , $3.22, down 6 pct

The Baltic Exchange's main sea freight index, which gauges the cost of shipping commodities such as iron ore, cement, grain, coal and fertilizer, fell to its lowest in just over a month on Monday, as capesize and panamax rates slipped.

** OXIGENE INC (NasdaqCM: OXGN - news) , $2.06, up 11 pct (09:54 a.m. ET)

The drug developer said its lead experimental cancer drug Zybrestat reduced the size of tumors and the over-secretion of insulin in a mouse model with pancreatic neuroendocrine tumors, which are rare tumors that form from hormone-producing cells in the pancreas. The company presented data from the preclinical study at a medical conference in Boston on Oct. 20, it said in a release issued on Monday.

** OPHTHOTECH CORP, $31.25, up 7 pct (11:26 a.m. ET)

Four brokerages began coverage of the biotechnology company's stock with high ratings, saying that its experimental drug to treat a leading cause of blindness in the elderly, has a good chance of success.

A J.P. Morgan (Other OTC: MGHL - news) analyst said the drug, Fovista, which is intended to treat wet age-related macular degeneration (AMD (NYSE: AMD - news) ), is likely to succeed, especially in combination with Roche Holding (Other OTC: RHHBY - news) AG's drug, Lucentis. He has an "overweight" rating on the stock.

Leerink Swann analysts started the stock with an "outperform" rating. Morgan Stanley (Xetra: 885836 - news) has an "overweight" rating and Stifel Nicolaus has a "buy" rating for the eye-drug developer, according to Theflyonthewall.com.

** JPMORGAN CHASE & CO (NYSE: JPM - news) , $53.91, down 0.7 pct (9:32 a.m. ET)

The bank reached a tentative $13 billion deal with the U.S. Justice Department and other government agencies to settle investigations into bad mortgage loans it sold to investors before the financial crisis, a source familiar with the talks said on Saturday.

** SAP AG (LSE: 0NW4.L - news) , $76.92, up 4.3 pct (9:43 a.m. ET)

** ORACLE CORP, $33.18, up 0.9 pct

German business software firm, SAP, bucked the trend among rivals by keeping its 2013 profit forecast, buoyed by strong demand for its web-based software, though it warned volatile exchange rates could hit its reported results.

Oracle (NYSE: ORCL - news) 's stock also inched up on the news.

** AT&T INC, $34.95, up 1 pct (9:33 a.m. ET)

** CROWN CASTLE INTERNATIONAL CORP (NYSE: CCI - news) , $74.36, down 2 pct (9:34 a.m. ET)

Crown Castle, which owns, operates and leases shared wireless infrastructure, including towers, will buy rights to AT&T (NYSE: T - news) towers for $4.85 billion. AT&T expects the deal to close this year. Crown Castle will have exclusive rights to the towers for an average 28 years.

** SOLARCITY CORP, $62.72, up 5.4 pct (9:31 A.M. ET)

Analysts from Bank of America Merrill Lynch resumed their coverage on the solar installer's stock with a "buy" rating, according to Theflyonthewall.com. Shares of the company have risen over 26 percent in the past week.

** CANADIAN SOLAR INC (NasdaqGS: CSIQ - news) , $23.69, up 2.2 pct (9:41 a.m. ET)

The solar modules producer said it was awarded a contract to supply 1.78 megawatt solar panels for a power project in Saudi Arabia.

** L BRANDS INC (NYSE: LTD - news) , $59.93, up 1.3 pct (9:34 a.m. ET)

Susquehanna Financial Group upgraded its rating on the Victoria's Secret parent's stock to "positive" from "neutral," saying the company is well-positioned to outpace the mall-based retailer sector, even though the retail landscape remains choppy and the holiday selling season will be highly competitive.

** KERYX BIOPHARMACEUTICALS INC (NasdaqCM: KERX - news) , $11.54, up 3 pct (9:35 a.m. ET)

The drug developer said the U.S. health regulator assigned June 7, 2014 as the review date for the marketing application of its drug, Zerenex, to treat patients with chronic kidney disease on dialysis.

** HASBRO INC (NasdaqGS: HAS - news) , $50.47, up 6.7 pct (9:35 a.m. ET)

The second-largest U.S. toy company, whose popular brands include Monopoly, Nerf and My Little Pony, reported a higher-than-expected profit for the third quarter as strong overseas demand helped it offset weakness at home.

** REGENERON PHARMACEUTICALS INC (NasdaqGS: REGN - news) , $305.99, up 0.8 pct (9:36 a.m. ET)

The company said its eye drug, Eylea, in a late-stage trial improved vision in patients suffering from a common form of vision loss caused by a blood clot in the veins of the retina.

** WEBMD HEALTH CORP (NasdaqGS: WBMD - news) , $32.70, up 1.9 pct (9:36 a.m. ET)

The health information provider said it will buy back all its shares beneficially owned by activist investor Carl Icahn and affiliates.

** AOL INC (NYSE: AOL - news) , $34.68, up 2.2 pct (9:36 a.m. ET)

The media company is extremely well positioned to again dominate the Internet, CNBC's "Mad Money" host Jim Cramer said on Friday and rated the stock "buy."

** TELLABS INC (NasdaqGS: TLAB - news) , $2.45, up 4.3 pct (9:37 a.m. ET)

The network services provider agreed to be bought by Marlin Equity Partners for $891 million. Entities affiliated with Marlin offered $2.45 per share, representing a 4.3 percent premium to the stock's Friday close. The deal is expected to close in the fourth quarter of 2013, Tellabs said.

** AO SMITH CORP (NYSE: AOS - news) , $50.05, up 7 pct (9:37 a.m. ET)

The company reported third-quarter results well above analysts' expectations and raised its full-year profit forecast due to higher sales of its water heaters in a recovering U.S. housing market.

** VF CORP, $212.74, up 4.1 pct (9:38 a.m. ET)

The maker of The North Face clothes and Vans shoes reported better-than-expected quarterly profit as strong sales in its higher-margin outdoor and action sports brands boosted gross margins.

** ULTRA PETROLEUM CORP (NYSE: UPL - news) , $21.70, up 3.8 pct (9:38 a.m. ET)

The oil and gas producer said it signed an agreement to acquire oil-producing properties located in the Uinta Basin, northeast Utah, for $650 million. (Compiled by Sampad Patnaik; Editing by)