This post was originally published on this site
Check out the companies making headlines before the bell:
Caterpillar — The heavy equipment maker was downgraded to “hold” from “buy” at Deutsche Bank, which sees increasing risk that backlog growth will turn negative.
Signet Jewelers — The jewelry retailer earned an adjusted $3.96 per share for its fourth quarter, beating the consensus forecast of $3.82 a share. Revenue also beat forecasts, although the same-store sales decline of 2.0 percent during the quarter was slightly larger than the 1.9 percent drop that analysts were expecting.
GameStop — GameStop reported adjusted quarterly earnings of $1.60 per share, beating consensus estimates by 2 cents a share. The video game retailer’s revenue fell short of Wall Street forecasts, however, and it warned of a potential loss for the current quarter amid slowing sales.
Cigna — Cigna announced a program to cap insulin prices for eligible patients at $25 per 30-day prescription.
Netflix — Netflix is at the center of a a warning letter sent to the Motion Picture Academy by the Justice Department about a proposed rule change. The proposal would require movies to be released more widely in theaters to be eligible for the Academy Awards, which would make it more difficult for Netflix and other streaming services to win Oscars. According to The Wall Street Journal, the letter warns that such a move could raise antitrust concerns.
Deutsche Bank — Commerzbank’s board will decide next week whether to intensify merger talks with its German rival, according to published reports in Germany.
Spark Therapeutics — Swiss drugmaker Roche said its planned $4.3 billion takeover of Spark is still on track, even though the deal is being scrutinized by U.S. regulators and only 29.4 percent of Spark shareholders have voted to support the deal so far.
Dunkin’ Brands — BMO Capital downgraded the stock to “market perform” from outperform,” saying its overall positive view on the restaurant chain remains unchanged but that the risk/reward profile is more balanced at the current stock price.
Toyota — The automaker plans to offer royalty-free access to its hybrid-vehicle technology patents as early as this year, according to the Nikkei Asian Review.
PG&E — The utility will name Tennessee Valley Authority CEO Bill Johnson as its new CEO as soon as today, according to Reuters. Separately, a judge ruled that the utility may not resume paying dividends, instead using that money to fund its plans to reduce the risk of California wildfires.
Blue Apron — CEO Bradley Dickerson is leaving the meal kit company. He’ll be succeeded by former Etsy chief operating officer Linda Koslowski. Blue Apron’s chief technology officer and co-founder Ilia Papas, will also be departing.
Intel — Intel named Qualcomm’s Chief Financial Officer George Davis as its new CFO. Intel CEO Bob Swan had vacated the CFO position when he was promoted to CEO at the semiconductor maker.
Dave & Buster’s — Dave & Buster’s reported quarterly profit of 75 cents per share, 12 cents a share above estimates. The restaurant chain’s revenue also topped Wall Street forecasts. Comparable-restaurant sales rose 2.9 percent, beating a consensus estimate of 2.1 percent.
Urban Outfitters — D.A. Davidson upgraded the apparel retailer to “buy” from “neutral,” pointing to a more focused assortment of clothing and improving fundamentals.
Grubhub — BTIG began coverage on the food delivery service with a “buy” rating, based on optimism about its growth in restaurant partnerships among other factors.