US STOCKS-Indexes extend gains on earnings optimism

(Reuters) - NEW YORK, July 16 - U.S. stocks rose on Monday,
with the Dow flirting with 14,000, on optimism about earnings
of major industrial companies and speculation that Verizon
Communications could be a takeover target.




Shares of Verizon were the biggest percentage gainer on the
Dow after a Financial Times blog said Vodafone Group
was considering a $160 billion takeover bid for the U.S.
wireless operator. Vodafone denied the report, but Verizon
shares rose 2.6 percent to $42.84.


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Motorola to buy software developer Leapstone

(Reuters) - Privately-held Leapstone works with such clients as AT&T Inc. and Verizon Wireless. The deal is expected to close in the third quarter. Financial terms were not disclosed.



) Keywords: MOTOROLA LEAPSTONE/


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U.S. Stocks Drop as Jobs Growth Tops Forecast; Microsoft Shares Decline

(Bloomberg) -- U.S. stocks fell, paring a weekly
gain, after signs of a tightening labor market heightened
concern that economic growth will stoke inflation.

Verizon Communications Inc., General Motors Corp. and
American Express Co. led the Dow Jones Industrial Average lower
for a second day. Microsoft Corp., the world's biggest software
maker, dropped after it said repairs to its Xbox 360 game
console will cost as much as $1.15 billion.


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Verizon claims nearly 500,000 FiOS TV users

(Reuters) - Verizon, at the NXTcomm communications conference in Chicago, also said it has signed up 1 million subscribers to the FiOS Internet service since launching it in August 2004.




Not all FiOS Internet users have the video service, partly because the company has not yet gained video licenses in some areas.


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Verizon files with SEC for $8 bln debt, stock shelf

(Reuters) - Verizon also said it is removing from registration $2.5
billion of securities it had previously registered as part of a
$10 billion shelf offering in 2003.




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U.S. bans some cell phone imports in Qualcomm case

(Reuters) - The ban covers the sale of new cell phone models containing chips that infringe on a patent owned by Broadcom Corp. said.




Qualcomm and Verizon Wireless, the second biggest U.S. mobile service provider, said they planned to ask the Bush administration to invalidate the order.


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