GLOBAL MARKETS

U.S. stocks kicked off May with slim losses, as the energy sector followed the price of oil lower and investors couldn't sustain a morning rally that followed the death of Osama bin Laden.

The dollar rebounded from three-year lows and U.S. crude slid more than 1 percent on Monday on the back of news that a U.S.-led operation killed Osama bin Laden in Pakistan.

Risk assets rallied on Monday after the death of terrorist Osama Bin Laden. The celebration, however, may be premature, according to Brad Bechtel of Faros Trading.

Jefferies & Co. raised its price target on shares of Autodesk, Inc. (NASDAQ: ADSK) to $47 from $42, while maintaining its hold rating. The brokerage raised its fiscal 2012 EPS estimate for Autodesk to $1.73 on revenue of $2.21 billion from $1.62 on revenue of $2.156 billion, and its 2013 estimate to $2.08 on revenue of $2.474 billion from $1.93 on revenue of $2.381 billion.

The Bank of America Merrill Lynch said in a report that there was strong possibility of silver hitting $80 an ounce, causing ripples in the silver stock and ETF markets.

Both Microsoft and Research In Motion took stock hits on Friday after bad news about their flagship products.

The dollar hit new 2011 lows against the euro and the British pound yesterday, while the Dollar Index (USDX) is currently trading at around 73 - close to record lows.

U.S. stocks advanced in early trade on Friday, following stronger-than-expected earnings from major companies including Caterpillar and Merck.

Gold continued its explosive rise, when measured in the falling US dollar currency, on Friday trading for $1,540 per ounce, marking a new record high yet again and set for its seventh successive weekly gain.

The companies whose shares are declining in pre-market trade on Friday are: Research In Motion, PDF Solutions, Deckers Outdoor, Manitowoc Co, Oncothyreon, Microsoft, Infinera, Jds Uniphase and Gap.

The companies whose shares are gaining in pre-market trade on Friday are: SunPower, Netgear, Skyworks Solutions, MEMC Electronic Materials, Renesola, First Solar, Merck & Co, NYSE Euronext, Leggett & Platt, Suntech Power Holdings and Yingli Green Energy Holding

The top after-market NYSE losers on Thursday are: Kindred Healthcare, World Wrestling Entertainment, Skilled Healthcare, Rehabcare Group, Manitowoc, Ingram Micro, Assured Guaranty, Corning, Cameron International and Gamestop.

The top after-market NYSE gainers on Thursday are: Horizon Lines, Eastman Chemical, Netsuite, MEMC Electronic Materials, Leggett & Platt, Suntech Power Holdings, Yingli Green Energy Holding, Renesola, LDK Solar Co and Curtiss-Wright Corp.

Barclays Capital expects Research In Motion Ltd. (NASDAQ: RIMM) to announce both new product -- OS6 and possibly QNX -- and software / application at RIM’s Capital Markets Day on May 2 in Orlando. In addition, the PlayBook sales should be the highlight of the analyst day.

Shares of CoStar Group Inc. (NASDAQ: CSGP) touched a new life-time high of $66.09 on Thursday, while LoopNet Inc. (NASDAQ: LOOP) touched a new 52-week high of $18.55.

Shares of Vital Images Inc. (NASDAQ: VTAL) jumped a new 52-week high of $18.71 on Thursday. The company said Wednesday it agreed to be acquired by a subsidiary of Toshiba Medical Systems Corp. for $18.75 per share, or about $273 million, through a cash tender offer followed by a merger.

The top after-market NASDAQ Stock Market losers are: PDF Solutions, Oclaro, Research In Motion, Ensign Group, Deckers Outdoor, Internap Network Services, CoStar Group, CROCS, Oncothyreon, TeleCommunication Systems, and Microsoft.

The top after-market NASDAQ Stock Market gainers are: SunPower, Netgear, LodgeNet Interactive, TeleNav, Skyworks Solutions, Silicon Motion Technology, Ancestry.com, On Assignment, and True Religion Apparel.

Gold prices jumped after Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke’s press conference because he confirmed that he doesn’t understand monetary inflation.

Gold Investing prices extended last night's strong gains on Thursday, hitting fresh all-time highs at $1534 per ounce as new US data showed inflation accelerating sharply.

U.S. stocks declined in early trade on Thursday after government reports showed that US economic activity slowed significantly in the first quarter and applications for jobless benefits unexpectedly increased.

FBR Capital Markets upgraded its rating on shares of Flagstar Bancorp, Inc. (NYSE: FBC) to "outperform" from "market perform" and raised its price target to $2 from $1.75, after its reassessment of the company's burn-down book value.

The top pre-market NASDAQ Stock Market gainers are: Vital Images, InfoSpace, Fortinet, Micromet, and Citrix Systems. The top pre-market NASDAQ Stock Market losers are: Akamai Technologies, Flextronics International, InterMune, Mellanox Technologies, and Urban Outfitters.

The companies whose shares are moving in pre-market trade on Thursday are: Titan International, Constellation Energy, Sprint Nextel, Aetna, Pultegroup, Dow Chemical, LSI Corp, Teradyne, Liz Claiborne, Procter & Gamble, Procter & Gamble and Colgate-Palmolive.

Futures on major U.S. stock indices remained range-bound on Thursday ahead of economic data including key US GDP figures from the government.

Jefferies & Co. said LM Ericsson Telephone Co.'s (NASDAQ: ERIC) strong first quarter results reinforce its view that Alcatel-Lucent (NYSE: ALU) will report solid -- if not strong -- first quarter results.

The top after-market NYSE gainers on Wednesday are: Titan International, Constellation Energy, LSI Corp, Hudbay Minerals, Allstate, Norfolk Souther, Tyco International, Occidental Petroleum, United Microelectronics and Precision Drilling.

The top after-market NYSE losers on Wednesday are: Owens-Illinois, Teradyne, Liz Claiborne, Skechers USA, Community Health Systems, Sony Corp, Mahanagar Telephone Nigam, MetLife and Moody's Corp.

The top after-market NASDAQ Stock Market losers are: Akamai Technologies, Affymetrix, Arris Group, Flextronics International, TriQuint Semiconductor, Mellanox Technologies, Cornerstone OnDemand, CompuCredit Holdings, Novellus Systems, and Telestone Technologies.