• Staples (NASDAQ:SPLS) reported first quarter results one cent better than expected, rising to 28 cents up from 22 cents a year ago on inline revenues of $6.06 billion. The company offered full year guidance of $1.25-$1.33, with consensus views $1.33
• Sears Holdings (NASDAQ:SHLD) bested estimates by 2 cents, as first quarter earnings of 16 cents improved from 15 cents a year earlier. Revenues of $10.05 billion fell shy of Street estimates at $10.22
• Williams Sonoma (NYSE:WSM), reported estimate-topping earnings of 23 cents, which bested consensus projections of 12 cents and reversed last year’s 14 cent loss. Revenues of $718 million were also improved from average expectations of $675 million. Full year guidance of $1.39-$1.48 also bested Street projections of $1.33
• KBW upgraded Wells Fargo (NYSE:WFC) to “outperform” from “market perform,” with a price target of $36
• Cowan downgraded Research in Motion (NASDAQ:RIMM) to “underperform” from “neutral.”
• Goldman Sachs (NYSE:GS) removed Alpha Natural Resources (NYSE:ANR) from its Conviction Buy List, but maintained a “buy” on the shares
• Symantec (NASDAQ:SYMC) agreed to buy VeriSign’s (NASDAQ:VRSN) technology for securing internet payments in a deal valued at $1.28 billion.
• Deutsche Bank (NYSE:DB) upgraded VeriSign shares, with the price target raised to $35 from $25
