Market Minute: Battle for Dell Nears Its End; Investors Like Facebook Shares

The long-running Dell deal is finally near an end, and Facebook shares are in rally mode. Those stocks and more are what's in Thursday's Market Minute.

The Dow Jones industrial average (^DJI) rallied another 135 points Wednesday, their third straight triple-digit gain. The Standard & Poor's 500 index (^GPSC) gained 5, but the Nasdaq composite index (^IXIC) edged 4 points lower.

Dell (DELL) shareholders are set to cast final votes on Chairman Michael Dell's nearly $25 billion plan to take the company private. Shareholders are expected to approve the deal, after Carl Icahn threw in the towel this week in his effort to oppose it.

Shares of Facebook (FB) start the day at an all-time high. As you may recall, the stock began to fall almost immediately after its IPO last summer -- at one point losing more than half their initial value of 38 a share. But they closed yesterday above $45 a share. The stock has soared 70 percent in the 10 weeks since it posted a surprisingly strong earnings.

Yahoo's (YHOO) chief, Marissa Mayer, says the company now has 800 million active monthly users. That's up 20 percent from a year ago.

Shares of the Internet radio company Pandora Media (P) are getting a boost after naming a new CEO and chairman. Brian McAndrews is a former executive at Microsoft (MSFT) and aQuantive, a digital marketing company.

Time Warner Cable (TWC) says it lost subscribers during its month-long standoff with CBS, but it didn't provide any specifics. For it's part, CBS (CBS) said the blackout didn't hurt its financial results at all.

Retailer Men's Warehouse (MW) reported earnings and revenue fell well short of expectations. It also lowered its forecast for the rest of the year.

Two companies that focus on fashionable women are set to slide. Lululemon Athletica's (LULU) net was slightly lower, and the maker of workout clothes issued a disappointing outlook. And handbag maker Vera Bradley (VRA) also issued a weak earnings outlook.

But SeaWorld (SEAS) could make a splash. It says attendance at its theme parks this summer rose from a year ago.

-Produced by Drew Trachtenberg.

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