GLOBAL MARKETS

Apple Inc. celebrated the 56th birthday of its Chief Executive Steve Jobs with an update to its MacBook Pro computers

The companies whose shares are moving in pre-market trade on Thursday are: Priceline.Com, Integrys Energy, ConocoPhillips, Chesapeake Energy, Chevron Corp, E TRADE Financial, Red Hat, Suntrust Banks, Monster Worldwide and eBay.

Gold steadied near seven-week highs on Thursday, as investor fears over inflation stemming from the spike in crude oil were partially offset by pockets of profit-taking after the market's 6 percent rise this month.

The top pre-market NASDAQ stock market gainers are: Crescent Financial, Netease.com, priceline.com, Hanwha SolarOne, and Clean Energy Fuels. The top pre-market NASDAQ stock market losers are: Salix Pharmaceuticals, AXT, InterDigital, Calumet Specialty Products Partners, and E*TRADE Financial.

Apple Inc., which revolutionized the tablet market with its launch of iPad in April 2010, will be reportedly launching its new iPad 2 at an event in San Francisco, California on March 2 with a launch date on early April.

Futures on major U.S. indices point to a lower opening on Thursday as oil prices continued surge due to continued turmoil and violence in Libya.

Researchers have developed an advanced lithium-ion battery, having high energy content and rate capacity, to make electric vehicles a more realistic alternative to gas-powered automobiles.

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has cleared the first test for the preliminary identification of norovirus that cause the “stomach flu,” or gastroenteritis.

Western investment banks are keen to underwrite more IPOs on China's Shenzhen exchange this year as a surging economy turns the once insignificant market into a fundraising hotbed.

The top after-market NYSE gainers on Wednesday are: Polypore International, Jarden, iStar Financial, Calgon Carbon and K-V Pharmaceutical. The top after-market NYSE losers are: American Equity Investment, St. Joe, Magna International, Tenet Healthcare and Whiting Petroleum.

The top after-market NASDAQ stock market gainers are: Netease.com, ArQule, Biogen Idec, priceline.com, and Leap Wireless International. The top after-market NASDAQ stock market losers are: AXT, InterDigital, POZEN, Calumet Specialty Products Partners, and United Online.

Hong Kong stocks are expected to open lower on Thursday, pressured by a surge in oil prices on fears turmoil in Libya could spread to other oil exporters in the region, and declines in global markets.

Stocks sank for a second consecutive day in tandem with oil prices surging to 28-month highs as continued turmoil and violence in Libya shatters traders nerves.

Nasdaq OMX Group Inc could launch a rival bid for NYSE Euronext to avoid being left on the sidelines, a source said, as traditional exchanges race to merge to see off upstart electronic rivals.

King Abdullah of Saudi Arabia - jointly the world's biggest oil producer alongside Russia, and so far immune to the civil unrest sweeping North Africa and the Middle East - returned from hospital treatment abroad to announce a near US$38 billion package of new housing projects, a 15% pay-rise across the board, and the kingdom's first-ever unemployment insurance.

South African government bonds fell to three-month lows on Wednesday but the rand firmed over 1.0 percent after the finance ministry projected a higher- than-expected budget deficit for the 2011/2012 financial year.

Israel-based EZchip Semiconductor is an acquisition target for a handful of communication integrated circuit companies and could be a logical fit with Marvell Technology.

With Libya and Bahrain joining Tunisia and Egypt in the tally of revolting Middle Eastern states, RBC Capital Markets has considered what the fundamental and stock price impact could be on the Aerospace & Defense sector.

US stocks were mixed in early trade on Wednesday after plunging in the previous session amid political unrest in the Middle East.

Chinese encyclopedia website Hudong.com is alleging that Baidu Inc. is using its dominant position in the country's search engine market to negatively impact search results related to its competitors.

The top pre-market NASDAQ stock market gainers are: Vertex Pharmaceuticals, MIND C.T.I., Oclaro, HSN, and DIRECTV. The top pre-market NASDAQ stock market losers are: Subaye, Garmin, Conexant Systems, Netflix, and OmniVision Technologies.

The companies whose shares are moving in pre-market trade on Wednesday are: Apache, Marathon Oil, NRG Energy, UnitedHealth Group, Applied Materials, AK Steel Holding, Hewlett-Packard, Netflix, Novellus Systems and International Paper.

Spot gold was bid at $1,401.50 an ounce at 0933 GMT, against $1,399.20 late in New York on Tuesday. U.S. gold futures for April delivery eased 30 cents an ounce to $1,400.80.

Amazon's launch of streaming as a free option for Prime members is a growing threat to Netflix Inc., as Amazon adds more content and distribution partnerships.

The weak top line results of HP and its tepid outlook clearly shows the weak demand for consumer PCs, partly due to the overwhelming demand for tablets that is eating into the sales of PCs.

Most Asian stocks ended lower on Wednesday, led by declines from airlines as crude oil prices surged on growing fears that Libya may descend into a civil war after Colonel Moammar Gaddafi warned that he would never give up his power and would rather die a “martyr.”

PC giant Hewlett-Packard Co's quarterly sales and outlook came in below Wall Street expectations, sending its shares down 11 percent in the afterhours trading on the NYSE.

Apple iPad 2 shipments appear on track for April and the company will hold an event in March to launch the next generation of iPad, according to Barclays Capital.

The top after-market NYSE gainers on Tuesday are: CNO Financial Group, Five Star Quality, Herbalife, Dillard's, Gray Television. The top after-market NYSE losers are: Hewlett-Packard, Carnival Corp, Navistar International, Broadridge Financial Solutions and W&T Offshore.