BEFORE THE BELL: US Stock Futures Higher




U.S. stock futures rose on Friday, with technology stocks in the spotlight after a mixed set of results from Oracle Corp. and Research In Motion Ltd.

Futures for the Dow Jones Industrial Average rose 47 points to 12163 and Standard & Poor's 500 index futures added 4.70 points to 1309.90. Nasdaq 100 futures were up 9 points at 2,317.50.

The move for futures came after strong gains for Wall Street on Thursday as U.S. markets posted their fifth gain in six sessions. The Dow Jones Industrial Average closed up nearly 85 points.

Oracle Corp. (ORCL) was one of the early gainers Friday, climbing 4% in premarket trading after rising software sales to new corporate customers helped it beat earnings expectations.

Mobile-device maker Research In Motion Ltd. (RIMM) , on the other hand, slumped nearly 13% in premarket action after its guidance for the current quarter fell short of expectations. The group said its guidance reflects a greater proportion of lower-end devices in its sales mix as well as additional spending related to its BlackBerry Playbook, a tablet computer intended to compete with Apple Inc.'s (AAPL) iPad.

On the economic front, the final revision to fourth-quarter gross domestic product will be released at 8:30 a.m., EDT, followed after the open by the University of Michigan's consumer sentiment survey for March.

The dollar held broadly steady against the euro and edged up 0.2% against the yen to Y81.196, while crude futures were also largely unmoved from Thursday's close. Crude for May delivery rose 6 cents to $105.66 a barrel in electronic trading on Globex.

Among other stocks in focus, Accenture PLC (ACN) late Thursday reported fiscal second-quarter earnings of 75 cents a share, beating the consensus forecast of 71 cents.

International markets were also mostly higher Friday. Japan's Nikkei Stock Average closed up 1.1% and in Europe, Germany's DAX 30 index rose 0.7% in late morning trading.

-Simon Kennedy; 44 207 842 9427; AskNewswires@dowjones.com

Among the companies whose shares are expected to actively trade in Friday's session are Accenture PLC (ACN), Research In Motion Ltd. (RIMM) and Wet Seal Inc. (WTSLA).

Accenture PLC's (ACN) fiscal second-quarter earnings jumped 26% amid a surge in new bookings and the company boosted its revenue outlook as it expects corporate spending to keep strengthening. Shares rose 5.3% to $54.73 after hours.

Research In Motion posted fiscal fourth-quarter earnings that slightly beat analyst expectations, but its guidance for the current quarter fell short, sending the stock 10.5% lower in after-hours trading to $57.35.

Wet Seal's fiscal fourth-quarter earnings dropped after the prior-year period booked a large tax benefit, but the teen-focused retailer's core profit rose above guidance. Shares were up 5% at $3.73 after hours, as the company also forecast revenue in the current quarter above analysts' expectations.

Oracle Corp.'s (ORCL) fiscal third-quarter profit surged 78% to top the business-software company's expectations, as Oracle experienced strength from its traditional software and new hardware businesses. Investors shrugged off a miss on hardware revenue to focus on strong margins and a surge in license revenue. The company's shares rose 4% to $33.44 after hours.

Acacia Research Corp. (ACTG) said it plans to sell at least five million shares of its common stock, as the developer and acquirer of patents seeks to raise money for general corporate purposes, which could include strategic acquisitions. Shares of Acacia slid 4.3% to $32.10 in after-hours trading.

Smart Modular Technologies (WWH) Inc.'s (SMOD) fiscal second-quarter earnings plunged as lower pricing and a restructuring charge hurt the bottom line and the company booked a gain in the year-earlier quarter. After hours, Shares declined 3.1% to $6.92.

Darden Restaurants Inc.'s (DRI) fiscal third-quarter earnings rose 13% to beat its own optimistic guidance, but the casual-dining chain had a promotional misfire at its Olive Garden chain late in the quarter. Shares were down 1.1% at $47.50 after hours.

HealthSpring Inc. (HS) said it plans to sell 7.5 million shares of its common stock in an underwritten public offering. The managed care organization said it expects to use at least half of the net proceeds from the offering for the repayment of indebtedness and the balance of net proceeds for general corporate purchases, which may include acquisitions. Shares fell 4.7% to $36.20 in extended trading.

Standard & Poor's said it would move maker of replacement heart valves Edwards Lifesciences Corp. (EW) to its S&P 500 index, replacing Qwest Communications International Inc. (Q), which is set to be acquired by CenturyLink Inc. (CTL). Shares in Edwards rose 2.5% to $87.50 in after-hours trading.

Body Central Corp. (BODY) fourth-quarter earnings surged 86% as the apparel company gave an upbeat outlook. Shares were up 11% at $20.61 after hours.


Watch List:


Cephalon Inc. (CEPH) on Thursday said the U.S. District Court in Delaware found Watson Pharmaceuticals Inc.'s (WPI) generic version of the biopharmaceutical company's pain drug Fentora infringed on a valid patent.

Finish Line Inc.'s (FINL) fiscal fourth-quarter profit jumped 12% as the athletic outfitter posted better-than-expected revenue growth on strong same-store sales.

Saba Software Inc. (SABA) swung to a slim loss in its fiscal third quarter, but the decline in its adjusted profit was not as steep as analysts expected. The company, which provides software to create and deploy global networks, again reduced its forecast for full-year results.

Synnex Corp.'s (SNX) fiscal first-quarter profit declined 14% on a year-ago gain on the sale of discontinued operations, although the information-technology distributor reported higher revenue and margins in the latest quarter.