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Nokia suggested this morning to Bloomberg Businessweek that they consider Risto Siilasmaa one of the leading candidates to replace Chairman Jorma Ollila. Siilasmaa is the founder of software maker F-Secure Oyj, best known for it’s computer back up and antivirus software. Nokia has declined to comment on the matter, which still has yet to be confirmed since their nominating committee still has yet to be convened. If Nokia follows tradition, board changes will be announced by the end of January.Risto Siilasmaa joined Nokia’s board in 2008, and has seen the company lose two thirds of it’s market share in the past four years. With the promotion of Siilasmaa, Nokia hopes to regain a foothold in the smartphone market- a market that it used to dominate.Nokia is currently trading up from $5.08 to $5.33.Nokia (NYSE:NOK) has potential upside of 30.9% based on a current price of $5.32 and an average consensus analyst price target of $6.96.

More positive economic news this morning. The U.S. Labor Department reported initial jobless claims fell again last week by 15,000 to 372,000 compared to analyst expectations of 373,000.Claims from two weeks ago were revised up to 387,000 from 381,000 while the average of new claims over the past four weeks dropped by 3,250 to 373,250.The Labor Department also reported 7.22 million people received some kind of state or federal benefit in the week ended December 17, down 8,311 from the prior week.This is a positive outlook on unemployment in the United States. Claims have now fallen in four of the last five weeks to its lowest level since June 2008.

Apple (NASDAQ:AAPL) and Taiwan-based Elan Microelectronics settled a patent infringement lawsuit, resulting in Apple paying the touch design company $5 million in damages.The companies also intend to exchange authorizations to use each other’s patents.In 2009, Elan sued Apple in the US over two patents infringements, and Apple later counter-sued the company. Apple (NASDAQ:AAPL) has potential upside of 23.1% based on a current price of $413.44 and an average consensus analyst price target of $509.09.

The New York Times Company (NYSE:NYT) and Halifax Media Holdings closed the sale of The New York Times Company Regional Media Group to Halifax for $143 million in cash, subject to certain adjustments.The Times Company will record an after-tax gain on the sale in the Q1 12 and estimates the net after-tax proceeds from the sale, including a tax benefit, will be approximately $150 million. The Times Company will use the net sale proceeds for general corporate purposes, the company said.The New York Times (NYSE:NYT) has potential upside of 2.7% based on a current price of $7.79 and an average consensus analyst price target of $8.

The U.S. Department of Commerce’s Bureau of Industry and Security announced January 4 that FedEx Express (NYSE:FDX), Memphis, TN, has agreed to pay a $370,000 civil penalty to settle allegations that it committed six violations of the Export Administration Regulations relating to FedEx’s provision of freight forwarding services to exporters.BIS alleged that on two occasions in 2006, FedEx caused, aided and abetted acts prohibited by the regulations when it facilitated the attempted unlicensed export of electronic components from the United States to Mayrow in Dubai, United Arab Emirates.FedEx (NYSE:FDX) has potential upside of 15.8% based on a current price of $85.59 and an average consensus analyst price target of $99.08.

Shares of Dendreon (NASDAQ:DNDN) are trading 9.5% higher Friday, up for the second consecutive session on optimism on sales of the firm’s premier and only product Provenge will rise. Revenues from its Provenge drug more than tripled in the fourth quarter to $82 million from the year-ago period. The report eased concerns that had sparked in early August when the company withdrew its 2011 guidance after demand for the drug didn’t peak as quickly as they projected.

A 47-year old woman that has been identified as the former News of the World (NASDAQ:NWSA) executive Rebekah Brooks has been arrested by U.K. police, reported the Wall Street Journal.The arrest is part of long-running probe into alleged wrongdoing at the defunct tabloid.News Corp (NASDAQ:NWSA) has potential upside of 14.6% based on a current price of $18.37 and an average consensus analyst price target of $21.06.

LOVEFiLM, an Amazon company (NASDAQ:AMZN), has partnered with BBC Worldwide in a deal that will give its members streaming access to world-renowned content from the BBC’s vast archive of shows, plus celebrated programs commissioned by other British broadcasters.Amazon.com (NASDAQ:AMZN) has potential upside of 30.3% based on a current price of $184.26 and an average consensus analyst price target of $240.08.Amazon.com is currently below its 50-day moving average (MA) of $195.52 and below its 200-day MA of $201.66.

Best Buy posted a same-store sales drop in December that was in line with analysts’ estimates. Sales at stores open at least 14 months fell 1.2 percent in December, company officials said today in a statement. Total revenue in the month was $8.4 billion, about the same as last year. Chief Executive Officer Brian Dunn stepped up holiday discounts to keep customers from going to its main competitors: Amazon and Wal-Mart. However, Web sales gained 26 percent. Best Buy (NYSE:BBY) has potential upside of 27% based on a current price of $24.41 and an average consensus analyst price target of $31.

Asia’s second-largest smartphone maker, HTC Corp., reported its first decline in quarterly profit in two years as competition from competing models from Apple (NASDAQ:AAPL) and Samsung cut down demand for its products. The firm’s Q4 net income fell 26% to $364 million (USD), the Taiwan-based firm said today. Analysts expect the company’s revenues and shipments would see further declines this quarter as the company lowered its top line outlook in the last three months of 2011.