Premarket Roundup: VeriFone, Equity Residential

Among the premarket stories for Wednesday, Sept. 2, from AP Financial News:

NEW YORK (AP) — Shares of VeriFone Holdings Inc. jumped in premarket trading Wednesday, lifted by signs of improving demand and a growing share of the market for electronic payment services.

NEW YORK (AP) — Fox-Pitt Kelton boosted its rating on Equity Residential to "Outperform" from "In Line" Wednesday, saying the apartment building real estate investment trust's current stock price doesn't reflect the better-than-average quality of its property portfolio and balance sheet.

HARTFORD, Conn. (AP) — Lower costs for raw materials, aggressive cost reduction and productivity gains have combined to help paint and coatings manufacturer Valspar Corp. generate consistently strong earnings, an analyst said Wednesday.