Premarket roundup: TiVo, Merrill Lynch

NEW YORK (AP) -A Friedman Billings Ramsey analyst thinks digital video recorder maker TiVo may soon accept a lawsuit settlement from rival Dish Network, and he upgraded the stock to "Market Perform" from "Underperform."

NEW YORK (AP) -An analyst raised his price target on Merrill Lynch & Co. Thursday, saying the world's largest brokerage has a strong long-term outlook and a solid capital base.

NEW YORK (AP) -After media reports indicated General Electric Co. plans to auction off its appliances business, analysts Thursday said the sale "may be just the beginning" of larger changes at GE.

NEW YORK (AP) -A sagging U.S. economy may end up having grave implications for Cbiz Inc., which provides payroll and services to smaller businesses, according to one analyst.

WASHINGTON (AP) -Retailers and consumer groups will take a swipe at the credit card industry Thursday, as they urge members of Congress to change the way card companies set the fees merchants pay on electronic transactions.

WASHINGTON (AP) -The New York and Philadelphia Federal Reserve banks are expected to report Thursday that business activity in their manufacturing sectors was flat or declined this month.

WASHINGTON (AP) -Government data due out Thursday is expected to show that initial claims filed for unemployment benefits rose slightly last week after falling in the prior period.