Weak Opening

Stocks appeared set to open weak
Tuesday,
ahead
of one of the
heaviest reporting days of the earnings season.

Nuance Communications
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announced that UBS will be using the company’s natural language speech
recognition technology.

Immunex
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has submitted its
fourth application requesting approval from the FDA for its product Enbrel. Immunex has requested “priority review” status.

Pfizer
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reported Q2 earnings
of 30 cents a share, beating analyst consensus by a penny.

Global Marine
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announced Q2
earnings of 34 cents a share in line with analysts’ expectations.

Biogen
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reported earnings
for Q2 of 47 cents a share, a penny above analyst consensus.

AOL Time Warner
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and Samsung
Electronics have strategically aligned to market and develop technology for the
next generation of AOLTV which will feature functions from the TiVo
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service.

Target Stores
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and Tupperware
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have come to an agreement allowing TGT to offer 40 to 50 Tupperware
products in all 62 SuperTarget Stores.

Biotechnology firm Geron
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received a patent on the gene which encodes human telomerase.

Salomon Smith Barney downgraded
Sanmina
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from a Buy to Outperform.

Symbol Techs
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was downgraded
by Credit Suisse First Boston to a Hold from a Buy.

Bear Stearns upgraded Alcan Aluminum
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from Attractive to Buy.

Intel
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was down graded by
ABN Amro to Reduce from Hold.

Cor Therapeutics
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reported
Q2 earnings of 6 cents a share. Analysts polled by Thomson Financial/First Call
were expecting earnings of 5 cents.

Parametric Technology
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said
Q3 earnings fell 6% and would be taking a Q4 charge for cost cutting measures.
The company earned 3 cents a share. On average, analysts were expecting 3 cents a
share according to Thomson Financial/First Call.

Merrill Lynch
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said
Q2 earnings fell 41% due to a weak stock market. MER reported EPS of 56 cents.
Analysts surveyed by Thomson Financial/First Call lowered expectations to 54
cents a share for Q2, after Merrill issued a profit warning last month.

IDEXX Labroratories
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reported an increase of 4.6% for Q2 earnings. IDXX made 29 cents per diluted
share, in line with analysts’ expectations according to a survey taken by Thomson
Financial/First Call.