Premarket roundup: First Solar, Sovereign Bancorp

Among the premarket stories for Friday, May 9, from AP Financial News:

NEW YORK (AP) — A Citi Investment Research analyst began covering shares of U.S.-based solar power companies Friday, saying First Solar Inc. is one of the few companies that will weather sharp decline in prices.

NEW YORK (AP) — A report that Sovereign Bancorp Inc. will raise up to $2 billion to offset losses on troubled loans led an analyst to boost his rating, but cut estimates on Friday.

NEW YORK (AP) — Analysts boosted price targets and estimates on Priceline.com Inc. Friday, the day after the online travel company swung to a first-quarter profit and guided for fiscal year results above Wall Street's estimates.

NEW YORK (AP) — Shares of Activision Inc. climbed in premarket trading Friday, a day after the video game maker posted a fiscal fourth-quarter profit that was sharply higher than analysts expected.

NEW YORK (AP) — Shares of French drug maker Sanofi-Aventis fell in premarket trading Friday after a Swiss drug maker says it expects to receive approval to sell a generic version of Sanofi's anti-clotting agent Plavix.

NEW YORK (AP) — An analyst downgraded military contractor DRS Technologies Inc. on Friday after shares spiked, based in part on news it may be bought out.

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