Among the companies with shares expected to actively trade in
Thursday's session are Urban Outfitters Inc. (URBN) and Plug Power
Inc. (PLUG).
Jefferies upgraded clothing and homegoods retailer Urban
Outfitters to buy from hold, saying in a note to clients it sees a
turnaround story at Urban Outfitters divisions and significant
potential across multiple channels, especially direct-to-consumer.
Shares rose 4.8% to $38.87 in light premarket trading.
Clean energy provider Plug Power said it met order targets for
the fourth quarter of 2013, which totaled about $32 million. The
company said it saw "significant traction closing out 2013" and it
expects the first-quarter bookings to meet or exceed its
fourth-quarter bookings. Shares jumped 19% to $1.85 premarket.
Watchlist:
After Apple Inc.'s (AAPL) stock rose just 5% last year amid its
first earnings per-share drop in a decade, the company's stock is
poised for a rebound, said Cantor Fitzgerald in naming Apple its
top large-cap pick in the IT space. The investment bank highlighted
Apple's "strong new product lineup and our recent checks in Asia,"
which indicate the company "enjoyed a strong holiday season."
Google Inc.'s (GOOG) Motorola Mobility unit dropped the price on
its flagship smartphone, Moto X, on Wednesday, continuing its
assault on the high margins of its smartphone rivals.
Martha Stewart Living Omnimedia Inc. (MSO) and Macy's Inc. (M)
have settled a legal dispute stemming from the homemaking maven's
merchandising agreement with rival department-store retailer J.C.
Penney Co. (JCP). Terms of the settlement weren't disclosed but
both Macy's and Martha Stewart said terms weren't material to their
businesses.
Oil major Royal Dutch Shell PLC (RDSA, RDSB) said Thursday it
has completed the acquisition of Repsol SA's (REPYY, REP.MC)
liquefied natural gas portfolio outside North America for $3.8
billion net, slightly lower than the $4.4 billion originally agreed
on last February.
After Seagate Technology Inc.'s (STX) shares surged 85% last
year to new highs, Pacific Crest sees 2014 gains topping 20% as the
investment bank increased its price target to $65 from $58--an
increase it admits could be conservative. Between last week's
announcement of the hard-disk-drive maker agreeing to buy
data-storage firm Xyratex Ltd. (XRTX) and Seagate's Kinetic
platform, the two "could provide margin upside over the next 12-18
months," said the firm.
Write to Anna Prior at anna.prior@wsj.com
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