Mid-Morning Market Update: Markets Rise; Campbell Soup Adjusted Profit Surpasses Estimates

Following the

Thursday, the Dow traded up 0.14 percent to 14,844.92 while the NASDAQ surged 0.49 percent to 3,611.05. The S&P also rose, gaining 0.18 percent to 1,637.93.

Campbell Soup Co

posted

upbeat adjusted profit in the fiscal fourth quarter. Campbell Soup posted a quarterly loss of $158 million, or $0.50 per share, versus a year-earlier profit of $127 million, or $0.40 per share. Its adjusted earnings climbed to $142 million, of $0.45 per share, versus $130 million, or $0.41 per share. Its net sales surged to $1.72 billion from $1.52 billion, while adjusted sales gained 13% to $1.82 billion. However, analysts were projecting earnings of $0.42 per share on sales of $1.84 billion.

Vodafone Group Public Limited Company

shot up 8.57 percent to $31.93. Verizon

is in talks to buy out Vodafone. Shares of Guess?

got a boost, shooting up 10.73 percent to $30.24 after the company reported better-than-expected second-quarter results. Jefferies

on the stock from $27.00 to $29.00. Shanda Games

was also up, gaining 6.30 percent to $4.84 after the company reported a 21%

earnings.

Shares of The Fresh Market

were down 8.82 percent to $49.49 after the company lowered its full year earnings view. Analysts at UBS downgraded the stock from Buy to Neutral. Signet Jewelers

shares tumbled 3.88 percent to $67.12 after the company reported a

net profit. Raptor Pharmaceuticals

was down, falling 4.56 percent to $12.14. Gravity Research initiated coverage on the stock with a Strong Sell rating.

In commodity news,

to $109.42, while gold traded down 0.66 percent to $1,409.50. Silver traded down 1.33 percent Thursday to $24.12, while copper fell 0.86 percent to $3.28.

European shares

today. The Spanish Ibex Index dropped 0.44 percent, while Italy's FTSE MIB Index gained 0.11%. Meanwhile, the German DAX fell 0.14 percent and the French CAC 40 declined 0.03 percent while U.K. shares surged 0.53 percent.

US jobless claims fell by 6,000 to 331,000 in the week ended August 24. However, economists were projecting a claims level of 330,000. The US economy expanded at a 2.5% annual rate in the second quarter, according to revised estimates. The Treasury is set to auction 3- and 6-month bills. Data on money supply will be released at 4:30 p.m. ET.