Stocks to Watch: Barnes & Noble, Gen-Probe (Update 1)

Updated with information about Barnes & Noble's deal with Microsoft, Hologic's acquisition of Gen-Probe.

NEW YORK -- Microsoft (MSFT) will make a $300 million investment for a 17.6% stake in a new Barnes & Noble (BKS) subsidiary that will bring together the bookseller's digital and college businesses.

The partnership includes a NOOK application for Windows 8, Barnes & Noble and Microsoft said.

Shares of Barnes & Noble soared 72.08% in premarket trading Monday to $23.54. The stock has fallen 5.52% year to date.

Microsoft shares ticked up 21 cents, or 0.66%, in premarket trading to $32.19. The stock has risen 23.19% year to date.

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Hologic (HOLX) agreed to acquire Gen-Probe (GPRO) for $82.75 a share in a cash, or about $3.7 billion..

Shares of Gen-Probe rose 19.33% in premarket trading Monday to $82. The stock has risen 16.23% year to date.

Hologic shares increased 4.8% in premarket trading to $22.25. The stock has gained 21.25% year to date.

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NYSE Euronext (NYX) said first-quarter adjusted earnings declined 32%.

The exchange saw a slowdown in trading, particularly in its derivatives trading unit, and was hit by costs associated with its failed merger with Germany's Deutsche Boerse.

Adjusted profit in the quarter was 47 cents a share; analysts were looking for 48 cents.

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Humana (HUM), the health care company, reported first-quarter earnings Monday of $248 million, or $1.49 a share, down from year-earlier earnings of $315 million, or $1.86 a share.

First-quarter earnings included a gain of 3 cents a share from previous medical claim reserves; year-earlier earnings included a gain of 31 cents a share.

Humana was expected by analysts to report first-quarter earnings of $1.52 a share.

Humana raised its full-year 2012 guidance to between $7.55 a share and $7.75 a share from a previous range of between $7.50 a share and $7.70 a share. Analysts were calling for earnings of $7.99 a share.

Shares of Humana fell 4.35% in premarket trading Monday to $84. The stock has risen 0.24% year to date.

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Watson Pharmaceuticals (WPI) reported non-GAAP first-quarter earnings Monday of $208.8 million, or $1.64 a share, up from year-earlier earnings of $111.9 million, 89 cents.

Analysts were expecting first-quarter profit of $1.60 a share on revenue of $1.48 billion.

Shares of Watson Pharmaceuticals were flat in premarket trading on Monday. The stock has risen 26.22% year to date.

Watson Pharmaceuticals last week agreed to buy competitor Actavis for $5.6 billion.

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Warner Chilcott (WCRX), the drugmaker, is weighing options including a possible sale after receiving interest from strategic and private-equity buyers, according to people with knowledge of the matter, Bloomberg reported.

Shares of Warner Chilcott gained 15.86% in premarket trading Monday to $21.77.

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Pall (PLL) agreed to sell certain blood collection assets to Haemonetics (HAE) for about $550 million.

Haemonetics, the blood component collection device company, reported on Sunday fourth-quarter earnings of $17.8 million, or 69 cents a share, down from year-earlier earnings of $21 million, or 81 cents.

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Energy company Anadarko Petroleum (APC) is expected by Wall Street analysts to post first-quarter profit of 83 cents a share on revenue of $3.42 billion.

Anadarko reports after the markets close Monday.

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-- Written by Joseph Woelfel



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