7 Stocks you need to know for Thursday

Gilead Sciences (GILD | charts | news | PowerRating) beat earnings estimates on Wednesday afternoon, announcing $0.85 EPS over an expected $0.80 EPS.

Novellus Systems (NVLS | charts | news | PowerRating) missed earnings on Wednesday; analysts were looking for $0.43 EPS, but NVLS announced $0.42 EPS.

Altria (MO | charts | news | PowerRating) reports quarterly earnings on Thursday before the bell; watch for $1.06 EPS.

Bank of America (BAC | charts | news | PowerRating) announces earnings Thursday before the market opens, with analysts looking for $1.15 EPS.

Continental Airlines (CAL | charts | news | PowerRating) is expected to report $0.14 EPS on Thursday before the bell.

When Merck (MRK | charts | news | PowerRating) reports on Thursday morning, look for $0.82 EPS.

Look for Merrill Lynch (MER | charts | news | PowerRating) to announce $1.97 EPS on Thursday before the action begins.