US STOCKS-Futures up on Oracle, RIM results

                                
   * Research in Motion, Oracle gain after strong results
                                
 * Oil advances 1.7 pct as cold snap hits U.S. Northeast
                                
 * Futures up: Dow 33 pts; S&P 4.2 pts; Nasdaq 6 pts
                                
 * For up-to-the-minute market news, click STXNEWS/US
(Adds quote, updates prices, adds byline)
                                
 By Rodrigo Campos
                                
 NEW YORK, Dec 18 (Reuters) - U.S. stock index futures rose
on Friday on upbeat results from technology bellwethers
Research In Motion and Oracle.
                                
 Research In Motion Ltd <RIMM.O><RIM.TO> posted a big jump
in profit late Thursday, issued a strong forecast and said it
shipped a record-breaking 10 million BlackBerry smartphones.
RIM shares were up 11.7 percent to $70.60 in premarket trading.
For details see [ID:nN17171897]
                                
 Oracle Corp <ORCL.O> reported a bigger-than-expected
increase in new software sales and said growth could accelerate
the current quarter. Oracle gained 4.9 percent to $24
premarket. [ID:nN17242916]
                                
 "Oracle and RIM earnings are renewing optimism the economy
is back on the right track," said Andre Bakhos, president of
Princeton Financial Group in North Brunswick, New Jersey.
                                
 "The market is hungry for data that reinforces a recovery
scenario, and it got what it asked for. Call it an early
Christmas present," he said.
                                
 Amazon.com Inc <AMZN.O> said Thursday its Kindle electronic
book reader broke a monthly sales record in December, as the
battle for market share heats up. Shares rose nearly 1 percent
to $128. [ID:nN17199099]
                                
 Palm Inc <PALM.O> reported a wider-than-expected quarterly
loss as competition intensifies to grab consumers shopping for
new smartphones. [ID:nN17190567]. Palm shares slid 7.8 percent
to $10.80.
                                
 S&P 500 futures <SPc1> rose 4.2 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 <DJc2> gained 33
points, and Nasdaq 100 futures <NDc1> added 6 points.
                                
 Crude futures <CLc1> rose 1.7 percent to near $74 a barrel
after an Iraqi official said Iranian troops briefly entered
Iraq's Fakka oilfield briefly on Thursday, and on the prospect
of increased winter demand. [ID:nSGE5BH07L]. Exxon Mobil Corp
<XOM.N> shares gained 0.7 percent to $68.68 on the back of
higher oil futures.
                                
 Friday marks the expiration of December options and
futures, a convergence known as quadruple witching, and often
means increased volatility as big investors adjust or exercise
derivatives positions.
                                
 Nike Inc <NKE.N>, the athletic shoe and apparel maker,
posted second-quarter profit that topped estimates late
Thursday and forecast a return to sales growth.
[ID:nN17191382].
                                
 Activist investor Carl Icahn reported taking an 11.3
percent stake in Take Two Interactive Software Inc <TTWO.O>,
and shares of the video game publisher rose 7.6 percent to
$8.88. [ID:nN17188836].
                                
 U.S. stocks fell on Thursday as a rebounding dollar spurred
safe-haven trade, cutting demand for riskier assets, and a soft
forecast from bellwether FedEx Corp <FDX.N> sank transportation
shares.
  (Editing by Jeffrey Benkoe)