GLOBAL MARKETS

Commodities plunged across the board last week. As a broad asset class, it hasn't dropped like that for quite some time.

USD/JPY is trading at 80 again, which begs the question of whether or not it’s time to buy the pair.

Burdened with harsh austerity measures, Greece is considering leaving the euro, unnamed Germany government officials told Germany publication SPIEGEL ONLINE.

Economic forecasts are rarely correct, whether it’s the consensus forecast or forecasts by individuals. Moreover, they’re often the product of simple arithmetic calculations.

RBC Capital Markets expects that Synta Pharmaceuticals Corp.'s (NASDAQ: SNTA) upcoming phase 2 data for ganetespib or STA-9090 in combination with docetaxel in non-small cell lung cancer could help investors more accurately assess the potential for ganetespid.

The top pre-market NASDAQ Stock Market gainers are: Sky-mobi, Limelight Networks, Rubicon Technology, Power-One, and Avanir Pharmaceuticals. The top pre-market NASDAQ Stock Market losers are: Obagi Medical Products, USA Technologies, Titan Machinery, priceline.com, and Vodafone Group.

Jefferies & Co. upgraded its rating on shares of Demand Media Inc (NYSE: DMD) to buy from hold based on strong first quarter results, with a price target of $22.

The top after-market NASDAQ Stock Market losers are: GSI Technology, iGo, TTM Technologies, EMCORE, Powerwave Technologies, Brightpoint, Allscripts Healthcare Solutions, Tesco, Vitesse Semiconductor, and The Knot.

The top after-market NASDAQ Stock Market gainers are: Immersion, Sapient, Novatel Wireless, Orthovita, Marchex, Limelight Networks, Rubicon Technology, Mercer International, Hansen Natural, and XOMA.

The top after-market NYSE gainers on Thursday are: Demand Media, AMN Healthcare Services, Hilltop Holdings, Green Dot, VOC Energy Trust, CF Industries Holdings, Fluor Corp, U.S. Gold, Thompson Creek Metals and Domtar Corp.

The top after-market NYSE losers on Thursday are: Youku.com, BRE Properties, Dolby Laboratories, Sandridge Energy, Alexandria Real Estate Equities, Western Refining, Carefusion, Sunoco, Warner Music Group and Canadian Natural Resources Ltd.

Oil prices rose by 1.3 percent on Friday as a weakened dollar sparked a rebound, but economic data expected during the US market hours could force the commodity south.

The companies whose shares are moving in aftermarket trade on Thursday are: CF Industries Holdings, Fluor Corp, CIGNA Corp, Priceline.com, Eog Resources, Carefusion, Sunoco, Metropcs Communications, Visa and American Internation Group.

The price of crude oil plummeted almost 9 percent to finish below $100 per barrel – the largest one-day percentage drop in more than two years – on growing worries about the U.S. economy.

RBC Capital Markets still expects that Embraer SA (NYSE: ERJ) will retains its Regional Jet crown as the market share leader in the medium term, despite several new rivals entering the market most notably Bombardier’s CSeries.

U.S. stocks declined in early trade on Thursday after Department of Labor reported that weekly jobless claims unexpectedly rose last week.

The companies whose shares are moving in pre-market trade on Thursday are: Polypore International, Whole Foods Market, Macy's, Aeropostale, Windstream, Bristol Myers Squibb, Ion Geophysical, Marathon Oil, ConocoPhillips, Gap and Allergan.

The top pre-market NASDAQ Stock Market gainers are: Kendle International, ZST Digital Networks, Hansen Medical, JDS Uniphase, Cbeyond, and ON Semiconductor. The top pre-market NASDAQ Stock Market losers are: Smith Micro Software, Sierra Wireless, Atmel, Aixtron, Mercadolibre, and ARM Holdings.

Jefferies & Co. initiated coverage of AsiaInfo-Linkage, Inc. (NASDAQ: ASIA) with a buy rating and a price target of $27, implying 41 percent upside.

The top after-market NASDAQ Stock Market losers are: Smith Micro Software, FARO Technologies, DragonWave, Atmel, Kulicke & Soffa Industries, ISTA Pharmaceuticals, EarthLink, Windstream, News Corp., and Sierra Wireless.

The top after-market NYSE losers on Wednesday are: Ion Geophysical, Nu Skin Enterprises, McClatchy, Clean Harbors, Solarwinds, F.N.B. Corp, Dole Food Co, Murphy Oil Corp, China Green Agriculture and Calgon Carbon Corp.

The top after-market NYSE gainers on Wednesday are: Polypore International, Miller Industries, Phoenix Companies, Navigant Consulting, Tetra Technologies, Helix Energy Solutions Group, Healthspring, Vonage Holdings, Petrohawk Energy and CACI International.

The top after-market NASDAQ Stock Market gainers are: QuinStreet, JDS Uniphase, NuVasive, S1 Corp., Whole Foods Market, Hansen Medical, Finisar, Spreadtrum Communications, Team, and Cepheid.

Gold sat tight as Silver Prices sank once more in London trade on Wednesday morning, holding above last night's 2-session low of $1528 per ounce while silver dropped to new 3-week lows, flirting with the technical definition of bear market.

U.S. stocks declined in early trade on Wednesday as weaker-than-expected ADP private sector employment report and mixed corporate earnings weighed.

RBC Capital Markets expects Vertex Pharmaceuticals Inc.'s (NASDAQ: VRTX) Incivek (telaprevir) to treat hepatitis C is likely to be approved on or around May 23.

The top pre-market NASDAQ Stock Market gainers are: Varian Semiconductor Equipment Associates, Green Mountain Coffee Roasters, Axcelis Technologies, ValueClick, AXT, and Silicon Graphics International. The top pre-market NASDAQ Stock Market losers are: Key Tronic, Motricity, Kandi Technologies, First Solar, Century Aluminum, and Zalicus.

The companies whose shares are moving in pre-market trade on Wednesday are: Ralcorp Holdings, CBS, AOL, Teradyne, Comcast, Applied Materials, Sanofi-Aventis, Las Vegas Sands, JinkoSolar Holding, MGM Resorts and McKesson Corp.

Jefferies & Co. upgraded its rating on shares of ValueClick Inc. (NASDAQ: VCLK) to buy from hold and increased its price target to $20 from $17, based on improving fundamentals and lower risk profile.