March 13- Online travel agency Priceline.com' s $1.8 billion deal to acquire smaller rival Kayak Software Corp, which was expected to close this month, will be delayed due to a prolonged review by UK antitrust regulators. Ascendiant Capital Markets analyst Edward Woo said the delay could be because of the OFT's 2012 investigation of online travel agencies.
*Priceline.com gains after results, First Solar drops. NEW YORK, Feb 27- U.S. stocks rose on Wednesday, with major indexes posting their best daily gains since early January, as Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke remained steadfast in supporting the Fed's stimulus policy and data pointed to economic improvement.
*Priceline.com gains after results, Target lower. NEW YORK, Feb 27- U.S. stocks rose 1 percent on Wednesday, erasing much of the week's losses as Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke remained steadfast in his support of the Fed's stimulus policy and data pointed to economic improvement.
*Home Depot profit and sales both top expectations. NEW YORK, Feb 26- U.S. stock index futures edged higher on Tuesday, indicating equities would partially rebound from the previous session's steep drop, though concerns persisted over the state of Italy's economy and government makeup.