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0805 ET 19June2009
Private equity firms eye AIG unit: source

Several U.S. private equity firms and Taiwanese financial groups are showing early interest in buying AIG's Taiwan life insurance unit, banking sources said on Friday, in a deal the seller hopes could raise around $2 billion.

U.S. private equity firm JC Flowers & Co and Taiwan's Fubon Financial Holding Co Ltd were expected to pursue a bid for the unit, Nan Shan Life, according to sources close to the process.

The official auction for the business began within the last week, sources said, with sell-side adviser Morgan Stanley distributing key financial data to potential buyers.

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Shares of AIG rose 2 percent to $1.50 in premarket trading.

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0757 ET 19June2009
Smith & Wesson up after deal, Q4 revs

Shares of Smith & Wesson Holdings Corp rallied in premarket trading on Friday, after the firearms maker said it would buy privately held Universal Safety Response Inc in a cash and stock deal.

It also reported fourth-quarter revenue that was well ahead of expectations.

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Shares gained 16 percent to $5.72 in premarket trading.

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0749 ET 19June2009
Dow, S&P futures up; RIM pressures Nasdaq

Dow and S&P index futures pointed to a higher open on Friday, lifted by a weaker U.S. dollar and strength in commodities, while the Nasdaq was pressured by a weak outlook from Research in Motion Ltd.

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Dow Jones industrial average futures rose 52 points, while S&P 500 futures gained 8 points, but Nasdaq 100 futures were down 4 points.

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0743 ET 19June2009
Sony CEO: restructuring on track

Howard Stringer, chief executive of Sony Corp, said the company's turnaround efforts were advancing well.

The restructuring steps include job cuts, plant closures and a management reshuffle.

'We are seeing steady progress and are working to reduce costs throughout the Sony group by more than 300 billion yen ($3 billion),' Stringer told the company's annual shareholders' meeting on Friday.

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U.S.-listed shares closed Thursday at $25.98.

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0738 ET 19June2009
Microsoft added to Goldman's 'conviction buy' list

Goldman Sachs added Microsoft Corp to its Americas 'conviction buy' list on Friday, saying better revenue drivers, expense management, and sizable cash balances provide more opportunities for bottom-line beats.

'Looking out to calendar year 2010 and beyond, the new product pipeline, combined with a modest rebound in information technology spending, should buoy top-line growth,' the firm wrote in a note to clients.

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Shares of the Dow component rose 2.2 percent to $24.02 in premarket trading.

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0724 ET 19June2009
Blackberry maker RIM down in premarket on outlook

Shares of BlackBerry maker Research in Motion Ltd fell in premarket trading on Friday, a day after it gave an outlook that fell short of some expectations.

Also on Thursday night, the company reported first-quarter earnings that beat expectations.

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Shares fell 1 percent to $75.80 on Nasdaq.

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