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$GE Capital to Return $6.5 Billion to Parent Company

General Electric Co. (GE)’s finance unit plans to return $6.5 billion in dividends to the parent company in 2013 as Chief Executive Officer Jeffrey Immelt pursues his plan to shrink the size of the business.

The payments from GE Capital will consist of $2 billion in earnings dividends and a $4.5 billion special dividend, GE said today in a statement. GE Capital paid a first-quarter earnings dividend of $447 million on April 19, it said.

“This announcement is consistent with our goal to reduce the overall size of GE Capital and for it to return significant cash to GE,” Immelt said in the statement.

Transportation and other manufacturing businesses such as health care and energy have been a focus of Immelt’s growth strategy….”

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Jamie Dimon Awaits Shareholder Vote on His Dual Role at $JPM

“As JPMorgan Chase & Co. (JPM)’s Jamie Dimon prepares for a vote tomorrow on whether he should keep his chairman and chief executive officer titles, he may take comfort knowing most of his biggest shareholders are led by men with the same dual role.

Seven of JPMorgan’s 10 largest owners — including top five BlackRock Inc. (BLK), Vanguard Group Inc., State Street Corp. (STT), Wellington Management Co. and FMR LLC — are run by CEOs who are also chairmen. The top 10 hold a combined 29.5 percent of New York-based JPMorgan’s stock, data compiled by Bloomberg show.

“People just like him are going to vote on this,” said Erik Gordon, a business and law professor at the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor. “If you’ve told your own board that the best structure for the sake of the company is to combine the roles, then how do you turn around and say, ‘But that’s not true for JPMorgan?’”

Of JPMorgan’s top 10 shareholders, only Baltimore-based T. Rowe Price, the seventh-biggest with a 2.15 percent stake, has commented publicly on Dimon’s role. Brian Rogers — T. Rowe Price’s chairman and chief investment officer, and not the CEO – – said in a May 16 statement that “I fully support the combined chairman and CEO role at JPMorgan under the superb leadership of Jamie Dimon.”

No Formula….”

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$TSLA Announces a Secondary Offering

Source

“Tesla (NASDAQ:TSLA) just won’t (can’t) stop, apparently. Shares were up as much as 11 percent in pre-market trading on Thursday after the electric-vehicle maker announced an offering of more stock and convertible senior notes aimed at raising as much as $830 million. CEO Elon Musk put his personal brand behind the offering, stating that he intends to purchase about $100 million worth of stock directly from Tesla.”

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Gapping Up and Down This Morning

SOURCE
NYSE

GAINERS

Symb Last Change Chg %
MRIN.N 10.62 +1.25 +13.34
ERA.N 26.48 +1.69 +6.82
PF.N 25.24 +1.20 +4.99
NCT_w.N 5.75 +0.27 +4.93
TAM.N 17.46 +0.76 +4.55

LOSERS

Symb Last Change Chg %
RIOM.N 3.15 -0.37 -10.51
SBGL.N 3.36 -0.17 -4.82
NRZ_w.N 0.00 -0.28 -4.10
CLV.N 20.38 -0.72 -3.41
TMHC.N 25.86 -0.79 -2.96

NASDAQ

GAINERS

Symb Last Change Chg %
MFLR.OQ 17.73 +7.11 +66.95
PACQ.OQ 10.99 +2.18 +24.74
GENE.OQ 3.00 +0.54 +21.95
YRCW.OQ 19.22 +3.40 +21.49
ROSG.OQ 3.75 +0.51 +15.74

LOSERS

Symb Last Change Chg %
XONE.OQ 41.15 -7.45 -15.33
RDHL.OQ 10.33 -1.60 -13.41
CALI.OQ 3.13 -0.43 -12.08
CHLN.OQ 2.34 -0.30 -11.36
QCOR.OQ 38.39 -4.01 -9.46

AMEX

GAINERS

Symb Last Change Chg %
MHR_pe.A 23.35 +0.45 +1.97
FU.A 4.20 +0.03 +0.72
NML.A 20.18 +0.03 +0.15

LOSERS

Symb Last Change Chg %
SAND.A 6.88 -0.54 -7.28
EOX.A 6.49 -0.31 -4.56
AKG.A 2.33 -0.10 -4.12
NSPR.A 2.70 -0.07 -2.53
OGEN.A 2.95 -0.05 -1.67

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Gapping Up and Down This Morning

SOURCE
NYSE

GAINERS

Symb Last Change Chg %
CYNI.N 13.53 +1.15 +9.29
CST.N 32.71 +2.35 +7.74
TAM.N 16.70 +1.15 +7.40
I.N 23.29 +1.45 +6.64
RALY.N 18.99 +0.90 +4.98

LOSERS

Symb Last Change Chg %
MODN.N 18.29 -0.85 -4.44
CLV.N 21.10 -0.52 -2.41
AGI.N 14.16 -0.31 -2.14
NID.N 13.47 -0.26 -1.89
DDC.N 15.56 -0.27 -1.71

NASDAQ

GAINERS

Symb Last Change Chg %
EMMSP.OQ 11.98 +2.48 +26.11
NYNY.OQ 2.56 +0.51 +24.88
PDII.OQ 5.00 +0.94 +23.15
ALIM.OQ 4.84 +0.88 +22.22
MTEX.OQ 10.75 +1.74 +19.31

LOSERS

Symb Last Change Chg %
HIIQ.OQ 13.13 -2.29 -14.85
TSRE.OQ 9.55 -1.45 -13.18
SCTY.OQ 31.44 -4.44 -12.37
UNIS.OQ 3.33 -0.43 -11.44
MOSY.OQ 4.20 -0.49 -10.45

AMEX

GAINERS

Symb Last Change Chg %
EOX.A 6.80 +0.27 +4.13
TXMD.A 2.83 +0.07 +2.54
AKG.A 2.43 +0.02 +0.83
FU.A 4.17 +0.01 +0.24

LOSERS

Symb Last Change Chg %
BXE.A 5.80 -0.32 -5.23
OGEN.A 3.00 -0.10 -3.23
REED.A 5.00 -0.10 -1.96
SAND.A 7.42 -0.14 -1.85
NSPR.A 2.77 -0.05 -1.77

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Gapping Up and Down This Morning

SOURCE
NYSE

GAINERS

Symb Last Change Chg %
CYNI.N 12.38 +1.27 +11.43
I.N 21.84 +1.18 +5.71
SEAS.N 36.86 +1.70 +4.84
AXLL.N 47.62 +1.63 +3.54
SSNI.N 16.96 +0.54 +3.29

LOSERS

Symb Last Change Chg %
MRIN.N 9.41 -0.58 -5.81
WAC.N 36.77 -1.10 -2.90
SBGL.N 3.57 -0.10 -2.72
PBF.N 29.39 -0.63 -2.10
NRZ_w.N 6.83 -0.14 -2.01

NASDAQ

GAINERS

Symb Last Change Chg %
MOBI.OQ 3.11 +0.94 +43.32
ALIM.OQ 3.96 +0.85 +27.33
UNIS.OQ 3.76 +0.76 +25.33
SCTY.OQ 35.88 +7.00 +24.24
CNIT.OQ 2.41 +0.40 +19.90

LOSERS

Symb Last Change Chg %
SBLK.OQ 6.39 -1.34 -17.34
RDHL.OQ 10.33 -1.60 -13.41
DRWI.OQ 2.17 -0.24 -9.96
SPCHA.OQ 2.01 -0.19 -8.64
DBLE.OQ 4.35 -0.41 -8.61

AMEX

GAINERS

Symb Last Change Chg %
BXE.A 6.12 +0.24 +4.08
TXMD.A 2.76 +0.05 +1.85
NSPR.A 2.82 +0.05 +1.81
ALTV.A 10.07 +0.05 +0.50
NML.A 20.15 +0.06 +0.32

LOSERS

Symb Last Change Chg %
OGEN.A 3.10 -0.25 -7.46
FU.A 4.16 -0.24 -5.45
EOX.A 6.53 -0.37 -5.36
SAND.A 7.56 -0.15 -1.95
MHR_pe.A 23.05 -0.45 -1.91

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$VZ Agrees to Pay a $7B Dividend

Verizon Wireless, the mobile-phone joint venture of Verizon Communications Inc. (VZ) andVodafone Group Plc (VOD), plans to pay a $7 billion dividend to its co-owners, defusing a source of tension between the two companies.

Verizon, which owns 55 percent of the business, will receive $3.85 billion, while Vodafone, owner of the rest, will get $3.15 billion, according to a filing yesterday. The dividend will be paid on June 25….”

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Gapping Up and Down This Morning

SOURCE
NYSE

GAINERS

Symb Last Change Chg %
ACT.N 119.86 +13.05 +12.22
I.N 20.66 +1.17 +6.00
APAM.N 43.35 +2.36 +5.76
VOYA.N 22.62 +0.96 +4.43
PFSI.N +0.50 +2.62

LOSERS

Symb Last Change Chg %
MRIN.N 9.99 -1.45 -12.67
PBF.N 30.02 -1.36 -4.33
SBGL.N 3.67 -0.16 -4.18
AXLL.N 45.99 -1.48 -3.12
WAC.N 37.87 -1.03 -2.65

NASDAQ

GAINERS

Symb Last Change Chg %
UNIS.OQ 3.00 +1.15 +62.16
SPCHB.OQ 2.20 +0.63 +40.13
SPCHA.OQ 2.20 +0.53 +31.74
MTEX.OQ 9.00 +1.60 +21.62
SREV.OQ 6.82 +1.20 +21.35

LOSERS

Symb Last Change Chg %
PTIE.OQ 2.68 -2.64 -49.62
LPDX.OQ 6.50 -1.96 -23.17
PACQ.OQ 8.10 -1.73 -17.60
PANL.OQ 27.50 -5.85 -17.54
EMKR.OQ 3.63 -0.66 -15.38

AMEX

GAINERS

Symb Last Change Chg %
SAND.A 7.71 +0.30 +4.05
REED.A 5.15 +0.08 +1.58
MHR_pe.A 23.50 +0.36 +1.56
NSPR.A 2.77 +0.02 +0.73
ORC.A 13.38 +0.08 +0.60

LOSERS

Symb Last Change Chg %
EOX.A 6.90 -0.16 -2.27
NML.A 20.19 -0.33 -1.61
TXMD.A 2.71 -0.04 -1.45
BXE.A 5.88 -0.05 -0.84
ALTV.A 10.02 -0.07 -0.69

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Gapping Up and Down This Morning

SOURCE

NYSE

GAINERS

Symb Last Change Chg %
CYNI.N 11.14 +1.09 +10.85
WAC.N 38.90 +2.48 +6.81
PES.N 7.85 +0.24 +3.15
USPH.N 25.05 +0.76 +3.13
WWAV.N 18.28 +0.53 +2.99

LOSERS

Symb Last Change Chg %
MRIN.N 11.44 -2.83 -19.83
SSNI.N 16.17 -1.09 -6.32
RKUS.N 13.21 -0.87 -6.18
Q.N 42.11 -1.65 -3.77
GPT.N 4.80 -0.16 -3.23

NASDAQ

GAINERS

Symb Last Change Chg %
TRMD.OQ 5.10 +1.97 +62.94
GMCR.OQ 76.04 +16.56 +27.84
CTRP.OQ 29.93 +6.13 +25.76
TSLA.OQ 69.40 +13.65 +24.48
XOMA.OQ 3.83 +0.70 +22.36

LOSERS

Symb Last Change Chg %
LPSN.OQ 8.12 -4.63 -36.31
MNOV.OQ 3.39 -1.24 -26.78
MARK.OQ 2.73 -0.52 -16.00
DGICB.OQ 21.78 -4.14 -15.99
CENTA.OQ 7.48 -1.42 -15.96

AMEX

GAINERS

Symb Last Change Chg %
EOX.A 7.06 +0.47 +7.13
FU.A 4.39 +0.03 +0.69
CTF.A 19.90 +0.11 +0.56
MHR_pe.A 23.14 +0.11 +0.48
NML.A 20.52 +0.02 +0.10

LOSERS

Symb Last Change Chg %
TXMD.A 2.75 -0.11 -3.85
REED.A 5.07 -0.18 -3.43
SAND.A 7.41 -0.26 -3.39
OGEN.A 3.35 -0.10 -2.90
BXE.A 5.93 -0.16 -2.63

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Gapping Up and Down This Morning

SOURCE
NYSE

GAINERS

Symb Last Change Chg %
SBGL.N 3.95 +0.40 +11.27
BXMT.N 27.85 +2.00 +7.74
CLV.N 21.63 +1.21 +5.93
NCT_w.N 5.40 +0.29 +5.68
OCCH.N 26.14 +0.96 +3.81

LOSERS

Symb Last Change Chg %
AXLL.N 47.28 -9.23 -16.33
TRLA.N 31.68 -2.66 -7.75
PANW.N 49.66 -3.06 -5.80
SUSS.N 51.81 -2.97 -5.42
PBYI.N 27.97 -1.38 -4.70

NASDAQ

GAINERS

Symb Last Change Chg %
TRMD.OQ 3.13 +1.88 +150.40
SYNM.OQ 5.51 +1.35 +32.45
CSPI.OQ 7.45 +1.62 +27.79
ALXA.OQ 5.31 +0.96 +22.07
CMGE.OQ 14.37 +2.58 +21.88

LOSERS

Symb Last Change Chg %
LIOX.OQ 2.84 -0.62 -17.92
GALTU.OQ 5.32 -1.13 -17.52
OCLS.OQ 4.20 -0.80 -16.00
VCLK.OQ 26.71 -5.03 -15.85
SNTA.OQ 6.86 -1.06 -13.38

AMEX

GAINERS

Symb Last Change Chg %
MHR_pe.A 23.03 +1.43 +6.62
SAND.A 7.67 +0.34 +4.64
ALTV.A 10.10 +0.38 +3.91
AKG.A 2.47 +0.09 +3.78
EOX.A 6.59 +0.20 +3.13

LOSERS

Symb Last Change Chg %
NSPR.A 2.80 -0.16 -5.41
TXMD.A 2.86 -0.13 -4.35
OGEN.A 3.45 -0.04 -1.15
FU.A 4.36 -0.04 -0.91
NML.A 20.50 -0.06 -0.29

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Ernst and Young Says Pressure to Deliver Growth Has Companies Cooking the Books More Than Usual

“Hard-pressed company bosses across much of the world are under so much pressure to deliver on growth that many have resorted to cooking the books, Ernst & Young said in a survey Tuesday.

One in five of almost 3,500 staff quizzed in 36 countries in Europe, the Middle East, Africa and India said they had seen financial manipulation in their companies in the last 12 months, the accounting and consultancy firm said.

In addition 42 percent of board directors and top managers questioned in the fraud survey said they were aware of “some type of irregular financial reporting.”

And despite scandals and regulatory failures in the wake of the credit crunch, almost a quarter of top financial services staff surveyed said they were aware of manipulation, and almost 10 percent of all staff said their companies had understated costs, overstated revenues or used unprincipled sales tactics.

Almost half of the sales staff surveyed across all sectors did not consider anti-corruption policies to be relevant and more than a quarter thought it acceptable to offer personal gifts or services to win or retain business.

In India, over a third felt justified in offering cash—triple of that in western Europe.

“Our survey shows that to find growth and improved performance in this environment, an alarming number appear to be comfortable with or aware of unethical conduct,” said David Stulb, head of E&Y’s fraud investigation and dispute services practice.

In Spain, ranked alongside Russia and just below Nigeria and Slovenia, 61 percent of staff believed companies often exaggerated results, compared with only 7 percent in Finland.

And E&Y said the vast majority of managers from Norway to Nigeria and Russia to Greece were feeling the pressure to deliver a good financial performance over the next 12 months, despite little optimism that business conditions would improve….”

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$MSFT Does a U-Turn on Windows 8

Microsoft is preparing to reverse course over key elements of its Windows 8 operating system, marking one of the most prominent admissions of failure for a new mass-market consumer product since Coca-Cola‘s New Coke fiasco nearly 30 years ago.

“Key aspects” of how the software is used will be changed when Microsoft releases an updated version of the operating system this year, Tammy Reller, head of marketing and finance for the Windows business, said in an interview with the Financial Times. Referring to difficulties many users have had with mastering the software, she added: “The learning curve is definitely real.”

Analysts warned that changing course would be a significant admission of failure for Steve Ballmer, chief executive, who called the October launch of Windows 8 a “bet-the-company” moment as Microsoft sought to respond to the success of Apple‘s iPad.

(Read MoreMicrosoft Is ‘Not Dead Yet,’ Say Wall Street Pros)

“It’s a horrible thing for this to happen to your flagship product – he’ll take a hit for that,” said Mark Anderson, an independent tech analyst. “But he’s also responsible for a renaissance inside the company. There’s a level of risk and creativity going on that would never have happened two years ago.”

Richard Doherty, analyst at tech research firm Envisioneering, said: “This is like New Coke, going on for seven months – only Coke listened better.” Coca-Cola dropped its New Coke formula in response to a consumer backlash less than three months after launch.

Windows 8 was an ambitious attempt to update the personal computer for the tablet era by moving to a new touchscreen interface based on colorful tiles, hiding the “desktop” launch screen familiar to white collar workers and consumers around the world….”

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Gapping Up and Down This Morning

SOURCE 
NYSE

GAINERS

Symb Last Change Chg %
LOCK.N 10.02 +0.65 +6.94
AXLL.N 55.75 +3.05 +5.79
RKUS.N 19.00 +0.93 +5.15
PBF.N 29.83 +1.34 +4.70
CLV.N 20.23 +0.86 +4.44

LOSERS

Symb Last Change Chg %
BCC.N 29.39 -1.45 -4.70
SUSS.N 54.67 -1.33 -2.38
HCI.N 31.18 -0.71 -2.23
AGI.N 14.13 -0.27 -1.88
ETX.N 20.00 -0.30 -1.48

NASDAQ

GAINERS

Symb Last Change Chg %
YRCW.OQ 15.44 +4.49 +41.00
ABFS.OQ 14.73 +4.18 +39.62
FSGI.OQ 5.24 +1.18 +29.06
YY.OQ 21.98 +3.68 +20.11
ALCS.OQ 9.37 +1.47 +18.61

LOSERS

Symb Last Change Chg %
KELYB.OQ 17.56 -3.43 -16.33
FFNM.OQ 4.20 -0.44 -9.48
PLMT.OQ 12.68 -1.32 -9.43
HIMX.OQ 6.00 -0.61 -9.23
GEOS.OQ 83.92 -8.25 -8.95

AMEX

GAINERS

Symb Last Change Chg %
SAND.A 7.87 +0.17 +2.21
MHR_pe.A 20.65 +0.35 +1.72
FU.A 4.34 +0.07 +1.64
TXMD.A 2.96 +0.02 +0.68
BXE.A 6.13 +0.03 +0.49

LOSERS

Symb Last Change Chg %
AKG.A 2.40 -0.13 -5.14
SVLC.A 2.07 -0.11 -5.05
ALTV.A 10.04 -0.36 -3.46
EOX.A 6.40 -0.09 -1.39
CTF.A 19.90 -0.25 -1.24

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Gapping Up and Down This Morning

SOURCE
NYSE

GAINERS

Symb Last Change Chg %
HCI.N 31.89 +4.35 +15.80
CGG.N 24.44 +2.71 +12.47
TRLA.N 34.94 +2.67 +8.27
HY.N 56.64 +4.25 +8.11
PES.N 7.08 +0.39 +5.83

LOSERS

Symb Last Change Chg %
PBYI.N 30.20 -2.10 -6.50
MRIN.N 14.05 -0.79 -5.32
SBGL.N 3.52 -0.19 -5.12
NGVC.N 24.39 -0.76 -3.02
MANU.N 18.47 -0.57 -2.99

NASDAQ

GAINERS

Symb Last Change Chg %
RDCM.OQ 4.00 +1.30 +48.15
YRCW.OQ 10.36 +2.60 +33.51
PKT.OQ 14.21 +3.13 +28.25
SPEX.OQ 9.50 +1.96 +25.99
BCOR.OQ 17.76 +3.09 +21.06

LOSERS

Symb Last Change Chg %
ZAGG.OQ 5.02 -1.86 -27.03
CETV.OQ 2.65 -0.51 -16.14
SMMF.OQ 8.50 -1.20 -12.37
GUID.OQ 8.85 -1.17 -11.68
ADNC.OQ 13.88 -1.75 -11.20

AMEX

GAINERS

Symb Last Change Chg %
NSPR.A 3.00 +0.19 +6.76
EOX.A 6.49 +0.16 +2.53
TXMD.A 2.87 +0.07 +2.50
ALTV.A 10.40 +0.20 +1.96
FU.A 4.27 +0.06 +1.43

LOSERS

Symb Last Change Chg %
OGEN.A 3.35 -0.23 -6.42
SAND.A 7.69 -0.20 -2.53

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$PFE to Sell the Little Blue Pill Online

“TRENTON, N.J. (AP) — Men who are bashful about needing help in the bedroom no longer have to go to the drugstore to buy that little blue pill.

In a first for the drug industry, Pfizer Inc. told The Associated Press that the drugmaker will begin selling its popular erectile dysfunction pill Viagra directly to patients on its website.

Men still will need a prescription to buy the blue, diamond-shaped pill on viagra.com, but they no longer have to face a pharmacist to get it filled. And for those who are bothered by Viagra’s steep $25-a-pill price, Pfizer is offering three free pills with the first order and 30 percent off the second one.

Pfizer’s bold move blows up the drug industry’s distribution model. Drugmakers don’t sell medicines directly to patients. Instead, they sell in bulk to wholesalers, who then distribute the drugs to pharmacies, hospitals and doctors’ offices.

But the world’s second-largest drugmaker is trying a new strategy to tackle a problem that plagues the industry. Unscrupulous online pharmacies increasingly offer patients counterfeit versions of Viagra and other brand-name drugs for up to 95 percent off with no prescription needed. Patients don’t realize the drugs are fake or that legitimate pharmacies require a prescription.

Other major drugmakers likely will watch Pfizer’s move closely. If it works, drugmakers could begin selling other medicines that are rampantly counterfeited and sold online, particularly treatments for non-urgent conditions seen as embarrassing. Think: diet drugs, medicines for baldness and birth control pills.

“If it works, everybody will hop on the train,” says Les Funtleyder, a health care strategist at private equity fund Poliwogg who believes Pfizer’s site will attract “fence-sitters” who are nervous about buying online.

The online Viagra sales are Pfizer’s latest effort to combat a problem that has grown with the popularity of the Internet….”

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Gapping Up and Down This Morning

SOURCE 
NYSE

GAINERS

Symb Last Change Chg %
VOYA.N 20.84 +1.59 +8.26
TMUS.N 17.72 +1.20 +7.26
AXLL.N 51.80 +2.98 +6.10
WWAV.N 17.73 +0.94 +5.60
PBYI.N 32.30 +1.66 +5.42

LOSERS

Symb Last Change Chg %
PBF.N 27.74 -1.71 -5.81
CLV.N 18.91 -0.87 -4.40
ABBV.N 43.99 -1.56 -3.42
RKUS.N 18.23 -0.36 -1.94
SBGL.N 3.71 -0.07 -1.85

NASDAQ

GAINERS

Symb Last Change Chg %
STAA.OQ 8.43 +1.88 +28.70
SPWR.OQ 15.29 +2.29 +17.62
REGI.OQ 11.35 +1.44 +14.53
SMMF.OQ 9.70 +1.23 +14.52
CSIQ.OQ 5.79 +0.64 +12.43

LOSERS

Symb Last Change Chg %
AVEO.OQ 2.65 -2.61 -49.62
DXPE.OQ 56.15 -10.04 -15.17
GALE.OQ 2.43 -0.38 -13.52
AVNW.OQ 2.57 -0.40 -13.47
NIHD.OQ 7.44 -0.89 -10.68

AMEX

GAINERS

Symb Last Change Chg %
TXMD.A 2.80 +0.16 +6.06
EOX.A 6.33 +0.33 +5.50
OGEN.A 3.58 +0.17 +4.99
CTF.A 20.10 +0.25 +1.26
SAND.A 7.89 +0.07 +0.90

LOSERS

Symb Last Change Chg %
AKG.A 2.50 -0.07 -2.72
FU.A 4.21 -0.11 -2.55
MHR_pe.A 20.30 -0.22 -1.07
ALTV.A 10.20 -0.10 -0.97
SVLC.A 2.18 -0.01 -0.46

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$VZ Says They Will Not Pay Up for $VOD

“LONDON (Reuters) – Verizon Communications would like to buy out Vodafone from their Wirelessjoint venture but will not do so at any cost, its chief executive has told JP Morgan analysts,

In a note to clients, analyst Philip Cusick said Verizon boss Lowell McAdam had said he did not believe a premium would be required to buy Vodafone’s 45 percent stake in the highly successfulVerizon Wireless business, because Verizon already had control through its 55 percent holding.

Shares in both groups are up over 20 percent this year on speculation Britain’s Vodafone could finally exit the leading wireless business in the United States, a partnership the two firms’ formed in 2000.

Verizon management have stepped up the rhetoric in recent months, saying they want to do a deal and two people familiar with the situation have told Reuters that Verizon is working on a possible $100 billion bid to take full control of the asset.

In response, Vodafone has said it has an “open mind” on whether to stay in the business, which makes up around 75 percent of its market value….”

Full article

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$GILD Pops 5% on News a Phase 2 Trial Has Eliminated Hep C

“May 2 (Reuters) – Gilead Sciences Inc on Thursday said almost all patients taking a fixed-dose combination of two of its experimental hepatitis C drugs appeared to have eliminated the liver virus after either 8 weeks or 12 weeks of treatment in a small mid-stage study.

The data could help Gilead, whose shares rose 4 percent, remain in the lead among drugmakers racing to develop better medicines for the potentially dangerous condition that also require far shorter durations of treatment…”

Full article

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$INTC Replace CEO with Brian Krzanich

“NEW YORK (Reuters) – Intel Corp said on Thursday that its board had elected its Chief Operating Officer Brian Krzanich as the chipmaker’s next chief executive, replacing Paul Otellini.

Intel shares fell slightly in early trade after the news.

Krzanich, who has worked at Intel since 1982, will take on the top job at the company’s annual shareholder meeting on May 16. Krzanich, 52, has been COO since January 2012. The board also elected Renée James, 48, to be president of Intel and is expected to expand to 10 members to add Krzanich….”

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$FB Pops on Mobile Growth, Company Beats on Profits, Misses on Revs

“NEW YORK (TheStreet) — Facebook (FB_) beat Wall Street revenue estimates in its first quarter, and the company’s future lies in the hands and laps of its mobile users.

As Chief Financial Officer David Ebersman told TheStreet earlier this year, Facebook is now a mobile company. About 30% of total advertising revenue came from mobile, and beat Wall Street expectations for mobile revenue, at $374 million.

For the full quarter, Facebook earned 12 cents a share on revenue of $1.46 billion, an increase of 38% year over year. The Menlo Park, Calif.-based company was expected to earn 13 cents on a non-GAAP basis, with revenue coming in at $1.44 billion, according to analysts surveyed byThomson Reuters….”

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