Futures up as oil rises, Oracle, RIM strong results

* Research In Motion Ltd posted a big jump in profit late Thursday, issued a strong outlook and said it shipped a record-breaking 10 million BlackBerry smartphones. For details see [ID:nN17171897]. Research In Motion shares were up 11.7 percent to $70.60 in premarket trading.

* ORACLE (ORCL.NQ)Corp 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.

* Nike Inc, the athletic shoe and apparel maker, posted second-quarter profit that topped estimates late Thursday and forecast a return to sales growth.

* Crude futures rose 1.7 percent to near $74 a barrel on prospects for increased winter demand as a cold snap gripped the U.S. Northeast.

* 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.

* S&P 500 futures rose 4.9 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 gained 33 points, and Nasdaq 100 futures added 4.5 points.

* Amazon.com Inc said Thursday its Kindle electronic book reader broke a monthly sales record in December, as the battle for market share heats up.

* Palm Inc reported a wider-than-expected quarterly loss as competition intensifies to grab consumers shopping for new smartphones.

* Activist investor Carl Icahn reported taking an 11.3 percent stake in U.S. video game publisher Take Two Interactive Software Inc .

* Irish low-cost carrier Ryanair Holdings Plc said it ended talks with Boeing Co on an order for 200 aircraft after a disagreement over contract terms.

* Japan Airlines Corp <9205.T> is likely to choose Delta Air Lines Inc as its overseas partner, ending ties with American Airlines and the Oneworld alliance group, Japan's Asahi newspaper reported on Friday.

* 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 sank transportation shares.

(Editing by Jeffrey Benkoe)