INTEL

Morgan Keegan upgraded Qualcomm Inc. to outperform from market perform, a day after the CDMA chip maker reported strong quarterly results and boosted its fiscal 2011 outlook.

The Silicon Valley giant will invest $100 million to support research in US universities over the next 5 years to drive innovation in computing and communications.

Intel's acquisition of data security firm McAfee Inc cleared its last major hurdle after EU regulators approved the $7.68 billion deal on condition Intel grant rival firms access to its technology.

Black Eyed Peas frontman will.i.am has taken a job at Intel (INTC.O) to help innovate how music and other multimedia are used with smartphones and tablets.

Intel took a step closer to acquiring data security firm McAfee Inc. on Wednesday after EU regulators approved the $7.68 billion deal on condition Intel grant rival firms access to its technology.

Intel hires Black Eyed Peas' front man will.i.am as director of creative innovation.

Intel Corp boosted its share buyback plan by $10 billion, seeking to revitalize its flagging stock amid criticism it is getting left behind by rivals like Nvidia in a red-hot, fast-moving mobile market.

U.S. stocks advanced on restructuring news, strong economic forecast

Wall Street resumed its rally on Monday, led by natural resources and tech shares as investors saw stocks regaining momentum lost late last week.

Wall Street rose on Monday, led by natural resource companies on bets on global growth and a share-buyback plan by Intel that lifted the large-cap technology sector.

Intel Corp authorized another $10 billion to buy back its shares, which have been under pressure in recent months from concerns that the giant chipmaker is falling behind in the exploding mobile market.

Intel Corp raised its dividend by 15 percent and authorized another $10 billion in its share buyback program after posting solid results earlier this month.

Technology and retail stocks continue to drive market

Stocks rose on Monday, lifted by natural resource shares on bets on global growth and a share-buyback plan by Intel that added to the allure of the large-cap technology sector.

Stocks rose in early Monday trading, lifted by natural resource shares on bets on global growth and a buyback plan at Intel that focused investor attention on the largecap technology sector.

The S&P and Nasdaq were little changed on Monday as mixed corporate results left investors with little to embrace after the end of a multi-week rally, though the Dow gained modestly on Intel's higher dividend.

The companies whose shares are moving in pre-market trade on Monday are: Nvidia, First Solar, Sara Lee, Micron Technology, Halliburton, Radioshack, Salesforce.com and Carnival Corp.

Concerns about Advanced Micro Devices Inc roll-out of its new PC chips hung over its shares, despite the company's expectations of a better-than-seasonal first quarter.

FBR Capital Markets lowered its 2011 profit view of Advanced Micro Devices, after the company ousted its Chief Executive Dirk Meyer.

PC chipmaker Advanced Micro Devices Inc reported solid earnings and said there was no strategic shift toward the mobile market following the former CEO's recent departure.

Patent licensing firm Wi-LAN Inc said it would settle its patent litigations with U.S. chipmaker Broadcom Corp for an undisclosed amount.