NeuStar Inc. (NSR: chart) shares rose 6.8% after the communications technology company affirmed its outlook for the year, reassuring investors who thought it might miss expectations. NeuStar late Wednesday backed projections for 2007 profit of $1.04 to $1.09 per share on revenue of $428 million to $438 million.

ScanSource (SCSC: chart), which makes bar code scanners and electronic security products, projected a first-quarter sales increase of 19% to 21%. The company estimated sales between $484 million and $492 million for the first quarter ended March 31, compared with sales of $405.6 million in the same period a year ago. Shares climbed 5.5%.

United Retail Group Inc. (URGI: chart), specialty retailer, said that its fourth-quarter net income declined 78% to $4.6 million, or 32 cents per share, compared with $21.3 million, or $1.54 per share. Revenue for the period, which included an extra week compared to the fourth quarter of 2005, climbed 6.8% to $127.6 million pounds. Same-store sales rose 0.5%. The drop in profit was largely due to a $16.9 million tax gain a year earlier, compared to a gain of $1.3 million in the 2006 final quarter. Adjusted net income fell to 14 cents per share from 20 cents per share as the company increased its spending on growth. United Retail said it hopes to open at least 30 new stores in 2007. Shares climbed 8%.

Webmethods (WEBM: chart) agreed to be acquired by Germany''s Software AG for $9.15 a share, or roughly $546 million. Shares climbed 25.8%.

Cutera (CUTR: chart) share fell 29.6% after the company said it now expects revenue of about $23 million for the first quarter, below its prior projection of $26 million.

Hayes Lemmerz International (HAYZ: chart) shares dropped 31.6% after the company said its loss in 2006 narrowed to $166.9 million, or $4.36 share, from $457.5 million, or $12.07 a share, a year ago, due in part to higher sales in the Asian market. The company''s loss from continuing operations was $3.16 for the year. The supplier of automotive and commercial highway wheels, brakes and powertrain components said net sales climbed to $2.06 billion from $1.96 billion a year ago.

Restoration Hardware Inc. (RSTO: chart) shares fell 6.9% after the company said that it swung to fourth-quarter net income of $13.6 million, or 34 cents a share, from a year-earlier loss of $19.5 million, or 52 cents a share. The home-furnishings retailer''s revenue increased 27% to $243 million in the period ended Feb. 3, from $191 million a year ago, while same-store sales rose 9.1%.

1:00PM NY European markets closed in the positive.
European stocks closed in the positive territory Thursday, supported by U.K. banking stocks after Bank of England kept interest rates steady at 5.25%. Investors refrained from significant moves on cautiousness ahead of key U.S. jobs data and the Easter holiday break. The U.K. stocks were boosted by shares of mortgage bank Alliance & Leicester, which rose 1.6% after the central bank''s decision. On the side of the losers, DaimlerChrysler dropped 1.5% and truckmaker Volvo slipped 2.7%, as both companies traded without rights to the next dividend payment. Telecom stocks were in focus. Nokia rose 1.2% after the mobile-phone maker settled its patent dispute with Qualcomm by paying $20 million for patent licenses over UMTS licenses. Airline stocks were driven by analyst comments on Thursday. Deutsche Bank upgraded British Airways, pushing it up 0.3%, Air France-KLM, up 3.6% and Ryanair up 1.2%. Alitalia''s shares lost 1.7%, following a downgrade. In other brokerage news, shares of Old Mutual rose 2.4% in London after the insurer was upgraded to buy from hold at Citigroup. French information-technology services group Atos Origin rose 5.6% after it was upgraded at Credit Suisse. The U.K.''s FTSE 100 rose 0.5%, the French CAC-40 index rose 0.04% at 5,741.38 and the German DAX Xetra 30 index climbed 0.4% at 7,099.91.


11:30AM U.S. markets traded in a lackluster fashion.
Wall Street traded in a light pre-holiday mood Thursday as investors, awaiting the release of March employment figures, keeping a cautious tone ahead of a three-day weekend. In corporate news, Constellation Brands (STZ: chart) rose 2.7% after it reported 26% profit increase in Q4, helped by strong wine sales. On the side of the losers, mattress maker Sealy (ZZ: chart) dropped 4.7% after it reported 7% profit rise in Q1 after it charged lower prices to maintain sales growth. Nokia (NOK: chart) added 1.3%, while Qualcomm (QCOM: chart) slipped 2.6% after Nokia agreed to pay Qualcomm $20 million in Q2 for using its UMTS license. Shares of Dow component DuPont (DD: chart) slipped 1.4%, helping to keep the blue chip index lower.

Despite the lack of direction shown by the broader markets, airline stocks posted some strength. Among the most notable advancers, Mesa Air Group (MESA: chart) rose 1.9%, Continental (CAL: chart) climbed 2.3%, ExpressJet (XJT: chart) jumped 2.7%, Alaska Air (ALK: chart) added 1.4%. Among companies driven by analyst comments, American Home Mortgage Investment Corp. (AHM: chart), mortgage lender, fell 2.7% after Bear Stearns downgraded its rating on the company''s stock. On the other hand, shares of Heelys (HLYS: chart) surged 8.9% after Wachovia upgraded its rating on the footwear maker, expecting the company to exceed the consensus Q1 earnings estimate. In late morning trading, The Dow Jones industrial average fell 6.42, or 0.05%, to 12,523.63. The Standard & Poor''s 500 index was up 0.09, or 0.01%, at 1,439.46, and the Nasdaq composite index rose 3.54, or 0.14%, to 2,462.23. Bonds showed little movement, with the yield on the benchmark 10-year Treasury note unchanged at 4.65% from late Wednesday.


9:45AM U.S. stocks opened mixed ahead of Easter holiday.
Wall Street started trading narrowly mixed on Thursday after a three-day winning streak and ahead Friday''s release of key employment data. There was little reaction to the latest initial jobless claims figures, which rose to their highest weekly level. Investors cautiousness was also attributed to the fact that the stock market is closed on Friday for the Easter holiday. In corporate news, Micron Technology (MU: chart) fell 1.2% due to disappointing quarterly results, followed by a brokerage downgrade. The chipmaker reported $52 million in Q2 and was cut to sell at Goldman Sachs. On the positive side, semiconductor stocks Marvel Technology and National Semiconductor showed some strength, contributing to the modest gain of the tech-heavy Nasdaq. Marvell Technology (MRVL: chart) rose 2.3% and National Semiconductor (NSM: chart) climbed 1.6%.

Tech giant Dell (DELL: chart) was little moved after it said it wouldn''t file its annual report on time because the internal investigation into its past accounting practices hasn''t finished yet. Nokia (NOK: chart) and Qualcomm (QCOM: chart) settled a patent dispute as Nokia agreed to pay Qualcomm $20 million in Q2 for using its UMTS license. Shares of Nokia added 0.6%, while Qualcomm slipped 1.2%. The Dow Jones industrial average fell 20.73, or 0.17%, to 12,509.32. The Standard & Poor''s 500 index was down 1.37, or 0.10%, at 1,438.00, and the Nasdaq composite index rose 0.14, or 0.01%, to 2,458.83. Bonds showed little movement, with the yield on the benchmark 10-year Treasury note unchanged at 4.65% from late Wednesday.


9:30AM The FTSE advanced buoyed by BoE decision not to raise the rates.
The UK market was higher on Thursday. The FTSE 100 was up 10 points to 6,374.7 by mid-afternoon trade.

Economic news

The cost of borrowing stayed at 5.25% on Thursday but a large majority of investors expect the Bank of England to deliver another increase in May, as industrial growth is slowing and the housing market is weakening.

Advancers

Old Mutual led the gainers, up 2.2%, as Citigroup increased their rating on the life assurer from hold to buy.