US STOCKS-M&A, Dell earnings lift futures

                                

                                
 * Dell handily beats estimates
                                
 * Sanofi-Aventis in deal to buy Genzyme for $20.1 bln
                                
 * Peltz's Trian bids for Family Dollar Stores
                                
 * Futures up: Dow 33 pts, S&P 4 pts, Nasdaq 6 pts
                                
 * For up-to-the-minute market news see [STXNEWS/US]
  (Updates market activity)
                                
 By Edward Krudy
                                
 NEW YORK, Feb 16 (Reuters) - Stock index futures rose on
Wednesday after estimate-beating results from Dell and a deal
for Sanofi-Aventis to buy Genzyme for $20.1 billion in cash.
                                
 French drugmaker Sanofi-Aventis SA <SASY.PA> agreed to buy
Genzyme Corp <GENZ.O> for a sweetened $74 a share as merger and
acquistion activity continued to bring fresh cash into the
market. Its share rose 1.6 percent to $75.70 premarket. For
details, see [ID:nLDE71F046]
                                
 Dell Inc <DELL.O>, the world's No. 2 personal computer
maker, flew past profit and margins expectations in the latest
show of strength from corporate America that has helped lift
stocks. Its shares jumped 6.9 percent at $14.87 premarket.
[ID:nN14107794]
                                
 "There are a few dynamics at play," said Oliver Pursche,
president at Gary Goldberg Financial Services in Suffern, New
York. "Number one, you've had a very strong earnings season.
Number two, M&A is clearly picking up."
                                
 Billionaire investor Nelson Peltz's Trian Group offered to
acquire Family Dollar Stores Inc <FDO.N> for $55 to $60 per
share in cash, giving the company an implied value of $7.6
billion. Family Dollar advanced 28.2 percent to $56.35.
[ID:nN15231945]
                                
 Comcast Corp <CMCSA.O> reported stronger quarterly earnings
on surging ad sales and upgrading customers to higher-priced
packages. The shares rose 5.6 percent to $25.50 premarket.
[ID:nN16269741]
                                
 S&P 500 futures <SPc1> rose 4 points and were above fair
value, a formula that evaluates pricing by taking into account
interest rates, dividends and time to expiration on the
contract. Dow Jones industrial average futures <DJc1> jumped 33
points, and Nasdaq 100 futures <NDc1> added 6 points.
                                
 The FTSEurofirst 300 index of leading European shares
<.FTEU3> added 0.3 percent after Asian stocks closed up
overnight, with Japan's Nikkei <.N225> climbing to a nine-month
high.
                                
 Economists expect January U.S. producer prices to have
risen by 0.8 percent overall and 0.2 percent, excluding food
and energy, according to a Reuters poll. The data, due at 8:30
a.m. EST (1330 GMT), comes as investors grow concerned about
signs of inflationary pressures.
                                
 Some softening is expected in January industrial output,
which is forecast to rise by 0.5 percent, compared with the
previous month's 0.8 percent increase. The data is due at 9:15
a.m. EST (1415 GMT).
                                
 The release at 2 p.m. EST (1900 GMT) of minutes of the
Federal Reserve's Federal Open Market Committee's January
meeting may show some discussion of the Fed's bond buying
program being tapered off.
                                
 U.S. stocks slipped off 2-1/2-year highs on Tuesday as U.S.
retail sales data cast doubts on a rebound in consumer
spending, a vital part of the economic recovery.
  (Editing by Jeffrey Benkoe)