NASDAQ STOCK MARKET

Apple Inc. has a high-quality balance sheet with net cash of $97.6 billion or $103.6 per share at the end of fiscal first quarter. Investors look puzzled regarding what Apple intends to do with its cash hoard.

After conducting an in-depth study, Research In Motion Ltd.'s (NASDAQ: RIMM) new Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Thorsten Heins will conclude that a significant restructuring is necessary, as the company cannot otherwise compete with Apple Inc. and Google Inc.'s Android operating system, said brokerage firm Jefferies.

Research In Motion Ltd. (NASDAQ: RIMM) said its Co-Chief Executive Officers (CEO) Jim Balsillie and Mike Lazaridis have stepped down. They have been succeeded by Chief Operating Officer Thorsten Heins, as President, CEO and Director of the company, effective immediately.

The top pre-market NASDAQ Stock Market gainers are: F5 Networks, Xilinx, Riverbed Technology, Golar LNG, Altera, Logitech International, eBay, and Apple. The top pre-market NASDAQ Stock Market losers are: Neurocrine Biosciences, Vodafone Group, Research In Motion, and Huntington Bancshares.

Jefferies believes the press reports suggesting that Research In Motion Ltd. (NASDAQ: RIMM) is talking to Samsung are likely true.

The top pre-market NASDAQ Stock Market gainers are: Regeneron Pharmaceuticals, Lululemon Athletica, Cirrus Logic, Focus Media Holding, Achillion Pharmaceuticals, Research In Motion and Apple. The top pre-market NASDAQ Stock Market losers are: WebMD Health, Illumina, Affymax, Brocade Communications Systems and Teva Pharmaceutical Industries.

The top pre-market NASDAQ stock market gainers are: Idenix Pharmaceuticals, Achillion Pharmaceuticals, VIVUS, MAKO Surgical, Questcor Pharmaceuticals, Research In Motion and Apple. The top pre-market NASDAQ stock market losers are: IPC The Hospitalist Company, Pacira Pharmaceuticals, Akamai Technologies, Logitech International and Costco Wholesale.

The top after-market NASDAQ Stock Market gainers are: ViroPharma, WebMD Health, Jazz Pharmaceuticals, Oritani Financial, and Momenta Pharmaceuticals. The top after-market NASDAQ Stock Market losers are: RF Micro Devices, Vical, Integra LifeSciences Holdings, Morgans Hotel Group, and Zoltek Companies.

Jefferies & Co. downgraded its rating on shares of Yahoo Inc. (NASDAQ: YHOO) to hold from buy with a price target of $18, after the company announced the appointment of PayPal's President Scott Thompson as new chief executive officer and director effective Jan. 9.

The top after-market NASDAQ Stock Market gainers are: Oclaro, Zumiez, National Instruments, Seagate Technology, Complete Genomics, and Apple. The top after-market NASDAQ Stock Market losers are: DryShips, Savient Pharmaceuticals, Sonic, Zix Corp., Limelight Networks, and Research In Motion.

The top pre-market NASDAQ Stock Market gainers are: TiVo, Arena Pharmaceuticals, Lululemon Athletica, Qiagen, and AVEO Pharmaceuticals. The top pre-market NASDAQ Stock Market losers are: Life Partners Holdings, Acme Packet, BioMimetic Therapeutics, NetApp, Aruba Networks, Yahoo, and Apple.

BlackBerry maker Research In Motion Ltd. (NASDAQ: RIMM) is likely to name Royal Bank Canada's Barbara Stymiest as its chairman, says Jefferies.

The top after-market NASDAQ stock market gainers are: TiVo, Arena Pharmaceuticals, A123 Systems, Unilife and Team. The top after-market NASDAQ Stock Market losers are: Life Partners Holdings, Acme Packet, BioMimetic Therapeutics, Progress Software and Amarin.

The top pre-market NASDAQ Stock Market gainers are: Imperial Sugar, RAM Energy Resources, Rambus, Logitech International, Micron Technology, Melco Crown Entertainment, Research In Motion and Apple. The top pre-market NASDAQ Stock Market losers are: Zions Bancorp. and Key Technology.

The top after-market NASDAQ Stock Market gainers Friday are: Web.com Group, TASER International, SORL Auto Parts, Globecomm Systems, Bank of the Ozarks, Research In Motion, and Google. The top after-market NASDAQ Stock Market losers are: Sonus Networks, Vitesse Semiconductor, ZAGG, Xenoport, and Rediff.com India.

Robert W. Baird believes that Google Inc. (NASDAQ: GOOG) finished 2011 on a strong note, with healthy Search and e-commerce trends likely driving upside to consensus estimates. The brokerage reiterated its outperform rating on shares of Google, while increasing its price target to $760 from $700.

The top pre-market NASDAQ Stock Market gainers are: Asset Acceptance Capital, Ryanair Holdings, LM Ericsson Telephone, Amazon.com, and Research In Motion. The top pre-market NASDAQ Stock Market losers are: ASML Holding, James River Coal, Diamond Foods, and Apple.

The top after-market NASDAQ Stock Market gainers are: MoSys, Pacific Biosciences of California, Career Education, Thoratec, and Royal Gold. The top after-market NASDAQ Stock Market losers are: Primo Water, DexCom, SIGA Technologies, Xyratex, and Northern Technologies International.

The top pre-market NASDAQ Stock Market gainers are: Fushi Copperweld, Yahoo, ARM Holdings, Research In Motion, Baidu, Apple, and Cisco Systems. The top pre-market NASDAQ Stock Market losers are: Amazon.com, Makita, OmniVision Technologies, Teva Pharmaceutical Industries, and LM Ericsson Telephone.

The top after-market NASDAQ Stock Market gainers are: Fushi Copperweld, MIPS Technologies, Career Education, Sykes Enterprises, and Stewart Enterprises. The top after-market NASDAQ Stock Market losers are: Exar, Metabolix, Xyratex, Alexion Pharmaceuticals, and Apollo Investment.

The top pre-market NASDAQ Stock Market gainers are: Pinnacle Financial Partners, ARM Holdings, Randgold Resources, Infosys, Research In Motion, Amazon.com, Google, and Apple. The top pre-market NASDAQ Stock Market losers are: Cavium, Sears Holdings, Windstream, and Cisco Systems.