An Oppenheimer analyst upgraded shares of Juniper Networks Inc. Friday, saying the company is poised to benefit from a recovery in spending by telecom carriers in 2010.

Stocks struggled Thursday as investors juggled a weak holiday outlook from Wal-Mart and a drop in jobless claims. Techs clawed higher, with huge gains in JDS Uniphase and AMD.

Stocks struggled Thursday as investors juggled a weak holiday outlook from Wal-Mart and a drop in jobless claims. Techs clawed higher, with huge gains in JDS Uniphase and AMD.

Shares of Juniper Networks Inc. fell Thursday after Hewlett-Packard Co. said it would buy 3Com Corp., leaving Juniper out of a consolidation move in the market for computer networking gear.

Stocks wobbled Thursday as investors juggled a weak holiday outlook from Wal-Mart and a drop in jobless claims. Techs clawed higher after some big news out of the sector.

Shares of Brocade Communications Systems Inc. fell in premarket trading Thursday as analysts said the the maker of networking gear would be hurt by Hewlett-Packard Co.'s acquisition of 3Com Corp.

Hewlett-Packard Co is making a move into the network equipment market by striking a $3.1 billion deal for 3Com Corp, in a major challenge to Cisco Systems Inc.

Hewlett-Packard plans to acquire network equipment maker 3Com in a $2.7 billion deal, banking on the acquisition to improve its position in China.

U.S. futures remained slightly lower ahead of the open Thursday after Wal-Mart posted a 1.1 percent rise in third-quarter U.S. sales, compared to the same quarter last year, and U.S. mortgage applications pushed higher last week. 

By Ritsuko Ando and Gabriel Madway

Hewlett-Packard announced Wednesday that it will acquire 3Com in a deal valued at $7.90 a share, or approximately $2.7 billion in cash.

Federal prosecutors have arrested nine more people in the Galleon Group insider-trading scandal.

By Matthew Goldstein and Jonathan Stempel

Fourteen people were charged with fraud and conspiracy in a dramatic widening of an insider trading scandal that has ensnared hedge fund managers, top Silicon Valley executives and a bevy of white-shoe advisers.

Here is a roundup of corporate earnings reports for Thursday, Sept. 24.