STOCKS NEWS-Dell sues 5 Asia tech firms, alleging LCD cartel

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0732 ET 16March2010
Dell sues 5 Asia tech firms, alleging LCD cartel

Dell Inc has filed a lawsuit against Sharp Corp , Hitachi Ltd, Toshiba Corp and two other companies for alleged price fixing of LCD displays.

The computer company hasn't decided the level of damages it will seek in the lawsuit, a spokesman said.

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Shares of Dell closed Monday at $14.26.

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0722 ET 16March2010-Goldman: 50 pct
plus chance of health care bill

Goldman Sachs on Tuesday adjusted its ratings on numerous health care companies, saying there was more than a 50 percent chance of health care legislation passing.

Because of that, it wrote, it was reducing its exposure to managed care and increasing its exposure to higher beta and smaller cap names.

Goldman upgraded Coventry Health Care Inc to 'neutral' from 'conviction sell' and downgraded Boston Scientific Corp to 'conviction sell' from neutral.'

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0716 ET 16March2010
Futures edge higher ahead of Fed meeting

U.S. stock index futures edged up on Tuesday ahead of a Federal Reserve meeting where policy-makers are expected to reiterate a pledge to keep interest rates very low for a long time.

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S&P 500 futures rose 2.5 points and were above fair value, a formula that evaluates pricing by taking into account interest rates, dividends and time to expiration on the contract. Dow Jones industrial average futures gained 12 points and Nasdaq 100 futures added 4.25 points.

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0711 ET 16March2010
Sony reaches deal with Michael Jackson estate: WSJ

Sony Corp has reached a deal with Michael Jackson's estate that could be worth as much as $250 million, the Wall Street Journal reported on Monday, citing people familiar with the situation.

The report said the deal, coming months after Jackson's death, is the most lucrative recording contract ever signed. It guarantees the estate at least $200 million, according to the newspaper's web site, and involves 10 albums over seven years.

For details, see

U.S.-listed shares of Sony closed Monday at $37.61.

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0708 ET 16March2010
Crude edges higher after fall in Monday's session

April crude futures edged higher on Tuesday, a day after falling almost 2 percent on a stronger dollar.

Commodity investors were also looking ahead to an OPEC meeting and expected monetary policy moves from the United States and China.

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The contract was up 0.6 percent to $80.27 per barrel.

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0706 ET 16March2010
Fed seen renewing low rates, extended period view

The U.S. Federal Reserve is expected to hold interest rates near zero at a meeting on Tuesday and renew its pledge to keep borrowing costs very low for a long time, but could note a brightening economic picture and hint at being closer to dropping the vow.

Analysts widely expect the central bank to say again that high unemployment and low inflation warrant holding borrowing costs 'exceptionally low' for 'an extended period.'

The Fed has held benchmark rates near zero since December 2008 to cushion the economy and help it recover from the most severe financial crisis in generations.

For details, see

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0700 ET 16March2010
Economic indicators for March 16

Economic indicators on tap for Tuesday include building permits data, housing starts and import prices, all for February. The FOMC rate decision is also scheduled.

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0656 ET 16March2010
Earnings diary for March 16

The only S&P 500 company scheduled to report quarterly results on Tuesday is Discover Financial.

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