MORGAN STANLEY

Level 3 Communications said it agreed to acquire Global Crossing for about $1.9 billion stock deal to boost its service portfolio.

U.S. stocks declined on Thursday after reports of another earthquake hitting Japan in less than a month, but markets were off their lows after a tsunami warning was lifted.

U.S. stock markets ended higher on Wednesday, led by gains from technology and banking sector stocks. Cisco Systems led gains in technology stocks after CEO John Chambers said in a memo to employees that the company has lost its way and will need to restore its credibility. Chambers suggested Cisco might change operations to narrow the company's focus.

Pfizer Inc. (NYSE: PFE) said it agreed to sell its Capsugel business, a maker of hard capsules, to private equity firm Kohlberg Kravis Robert & Co. for $2.375 billion in cash.

The companies whose shares are actively trading in Thursday's morning session include Ambassadors International, Tesla Motors, Rubicon Minerals, Meritor and CarMax.

US stocks edged modestly higher in Tuesday’s session as traders eyed Friday’s non-farm payrolls (NFP) report.

U.S. stocks gave up modest gains and ended slightly lower as declines from consumer and technology companies’ shares weighed in the final hour of trading session.

At its annual meeting, Starbucks Corp. (NYSE: SBUX) said it would offer its own value oriented single-serve machine with Courtesy Products.

US stocks defied odds on Wednesday to close slightly positive. The S&P 500 index climbed 3.77 points, or 0.29 percent, to close at 1,297.54. The Dow Jones Industrial Average rallied 67.39 points, or 0.56 percent, to end at 12,086.02. The Nasdaq Composite rose 0.54 percent.

Starbucks Corp. (NASDAQ: SBUX) is taking on the fast-growing single serve market, by teaming with Green Mountain Coffee Roasters, Inc. (NASDAQ: GMCR) that holds a dominant share of the U.S. market at about 80 percent owing to several patents surrounding its K-cup.

An outright merger of Sprint Nextel Corp. with Deutsche Telekom unit T-Mobile USA is unlikely, an analyst at RBC Capital Markets wrote in a note to clients.

The top after-market NYSE gainers on Tuesday are: Suncor Energy, Suntech Power Holdings, Morgan Stanley India Investment, Regions Financing and Fortress Investment Group. The top after-market NYSE losers are: Willbros Group, Boston Beer, Fabrinet, Fabrinet and NeoPhotonics.

Single serve coffee represents a meaningful opportunity for Starbucks Corp. (NASDAQ: SBUX) as it is a $4 billion a year market globally with US growing rapidly from its current base of about $100 million, according to RBC Capital Markets.

U.S. stocks ended lower on Friday as a spike in oil prices (driven by deepening unrest in Libya) overshadowed a strong February jobs report.

U.S. stocks edged up higher on some positive jobs data and reassurance from the Federal Reserve that the economy is recovering. However, any equity gains were capped by fears over the continued unrest in Libya and rising crude oil prices.

Asian stocks ended lower on Wednesday, following declines in the Wall Street overnight on concerns that rising oil prices could hurt economic recovery.

Former Goldman Sachs Group Inc director Rajat Gupta leaked secret details to Galleon Group hedge fund manager Raj Rajaratnam about Warren Buffett's plan to invest $5 billion in the Wall Street bank at the height of the financial crisis, a U.S. securities regulator charged.

New tablets before the end of 2011, Motorola CEO Sanjay Jha said today.

Hutchison Whampoa's ports unit is looking to raise as much as $5.8 billion in an initial public offering (IPO) in Singapore, allowing investors to tap into China's booming infrastructure business.

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.

China may not have been first to a launch social networking site, but it might be first to float one. Renren.com is eyeing an initial public offering in New York. Owner Oak Pacific is thought to want a valuation of $500 million. The potential for new internet darlings is huge, if they can avoid some old-school problems.