Balasubramanyam Seshan

RBC Capital Markets upgraded its rating on shares of Medicis Pharmaceutical Corp. (NYSE: MRX) to outperform with above average risk from sector perform and increased its price target to $32 from $30.

RBC Capital Markets upgraded its rating on shares of Sunstone Hotel Investors Inc. (NYSE: SHO) to "outperform" with above average risk from "sector perform" and increased price target to $14 from $11.

The top pre-market NASDAQ stock market gainers are: 51job, Sangamo Biosciences, PDL BioPharma, Glu Mobile, and FX Energy. The top pre-market NASDAQ stock market losers are: Santarus, Seagate Technology, Linn Energy, First Solar, and Amazon.com.

The top U.S. box office film for the weekend are: Disney's Gnomeo & Juliet; Warner Bros.'s Hall Pass; Warner Bros.'s Unknown; Sony's Just Go With It; Disney's I Am Number Four; Paramount's Justin Bieber: Never Say Never; The Weinstein Company's The King's Speech; 20th Century Fox's Big Mommas: Like Father, Like Son; Summit Entertainment's Drive Angry 3D; and Sony's The Roommate.

Shares of Vertex Pharmaceuticals Inc. (NASDAQ: VRTX) touched a new 52-week high of $44.98 on Friday. The company announced positive results on Wednesday from a late-stage study of its oral drug VX-770 for treatment of cystic fibrosis, a genetic disease that impairs the lung.

RBC Capital Markets upgraded its rating on shares of Intrepid Potash, Inc. to outperform from sector perform and increased its price target to $44 from $38, on higher potash price forecast.

The top pre-market NASDAQ stock market gainers are: dELiA*s, OmniVision Technologies, Ancestry.com, Crocs, and Savient Pharmaceuticals. The top pre-market NASDAQ stock market losers are: NutriSystem, MedAssets, Limelight Networks, First Solar, and Hansen Natural.

Robert W. Baird downgraded its rating on shares of MedAssets, Inc. (NASDAQ: MDAS) to neutral from outperform and lowered its price target to $18 from $24, on disappointing fourth quarter results and on annoying 2011, long-term outlooks. MedAssets stock plunged 22.61 percent.

The top after-market NASDAQ stock market gainers are: OmniVision Technologies, United Online, BioCryst Pharmaceuticals, True Religion Apparel, and Questcor Pharmaceuticals. The top after-market NASDAQ stock market losers are: NutriSystem, MedAssets, Novatel Wireless, ViroPharma, and Metabolix.

Biogen Idec stock price can appreciate to the mid $70s based on five areas of potential upside, according to RBC Capital Markets. The brokerage upgraded its rating on shares of the biotechnology company to outperform from sector perform and increased its price target to $75 from $60.

Credit Suisse said the 6.3 magnitude earthquake that hit Christchurch, New Zealand on Monday appears to have caused more physical damage than the larger (7.1 magnitude) quake that hit the South Island city on September 4.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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 NASDAQ stock market gainers are: Nordson, Oclaro, MIND C.T.I., Star Bulk Carriers, and CDC. The top after-market NASDAQ stock market losers are: Huron Consulting Group, Subaye, Chart Industries, Ixia, and Fuwei Films.

Many doctors are doing little or nothing to help their overweight or obese patients to lose weight but many of them have made new year resolutions for weight loss, according to a new Harris Poll.

The top pre-market NASDAQ stock market gainers are: Zoran, SIGA Technologies, Mentor Graphics, First Financial Northwest, and Transition Therapeutics. The top pre-market NASDAQ stock market losers are: Clinical Data, Camtek, Silicon Motion Technology, China MediaExpress Holdings, and Banner.

NASA has begun counting down to the launch of space shuttle Discovery's final mission to the International Space Station. The 39th flight of NASA's most flown shuttle is scheduled to last 11 days, beginning at 4:50 pm EST on Feb. 24 from Kennedy Space Center in Florida.

NASA has begun counting down to the launch of Discovery. The shuttle's final mission to the International Space Station is slated for Feb. 24 at 4:50 pm from a seaside pad at the Kennedy Space Center in Florida.

The risks associated with privacy and security breaches in healthcare are identified by the Deloitte Center for Health Solutions, which released a new report Privacy and Security in Health Care: A Fresh Look.

A new NASA satellite -- Glory -- will collect data on the properties and distribution of aerosols in Earth's atmosphere and on solar irradiance for the long-term record of Earth's climate. The launch of NASA's Glory spacecraft aboard an Orbital Sciences Taurus XL rocket is scheduled for February 23.

Apple Inc. is expected to release a new cheaper version of the iPhone during 2011 to deal with growing smartphone competition.

Walt Disney hosted multiple business sessions on Thursday with Street analysts at the Disneyland complex in Anaheim, California and tackled a myriad of strategic issues facing both the company and the media sector in general, at its 2011 Investor conference.

The top pre-market NASDAQ stock market gainers are: Red Robin Gourmet Burgers, SunPower, Brocade Communications Systems, Curis, Aruba Networks, and Yucheng Technologies. The top pre-market NASDAQ stock market losers are: Blue Coat Systems, JDS Uniphase, Veeco Instruments, Ryanair Holdings, and ARM Holdings.

Brokerage Jefferies & Co. said losers at the Mobile World Congress (MWC) are HTC, Motorola Mobility Holdings, Nokia, Sierra Wireless, Novatel Wireless, PC original equipment manufacturers (OEM), and Sony Ericsson.