Check out which companies are making headlines before the bell:
WebMD — Private-equity firm KKR is buying the health website operator for $2.8 billion, or $66.50 per share.
Hasbro – The toymaker earned an adjusted 52 cents per share for its latest quarter, six cents a share above estimates. Revenue also beat forecasts, as Hasbro saw stronger sales of its Nerf and Transformer toys, among others.
Cal-Maine Foods – The nation’s largest egg producer lost 51 cents per share for its latest quarter, more than twice the 25-cent-a-share loss analysts had anticipated. Revenue fell short of estimates, with the company pointing to “challenging” egg market fundamentals.
Halliburton – The oilfield services company came in five cents a share above estimates, with adjusted quarterly profit of 23 cents per share. Revenue also exceeded estimates. Its results were driven by increased demand in the North American market.
VF Corp. – The maker of the Lee, Wrangler, North Face, and Timberland brands reported adjusted quarterly profit of 29 cents per share, a penny a share above estimates. Revenue was also above forecasts on strength in VF’s largest brands.
Caterpillar – BMO upgraded the heavy equipment maker to “outperform” from “market perform,” based on anticipation about a new five-year plan from Caterpillar as well as general strength in the industrial sector.
Blue Apron – The meal kit maker was upgraded at Goldman, RBC, and Stifel Nicolaus, based on expectations that it will maintain its lead in this category as a hyper-competitive market normalizes.
Volkswagen – The automaker and rivals Daimler and BMW facing possible antitrust fines in Europe. European Union regulators are investigating allegations that the companies were operating a cartel.
JPMorgan Chase— Prosecutors have dropped criminal charges against two former traders implicated in the 2012 “London Whale” trading case that resulted in $6.2 billion losses.
Neuroderm – Neuroderm agreed to be bought by Japan’s Mitsubishi Tanabe Pharma for $1.1 billion in cash. Neuroderm is a drug company based in Israel, and its key attraction of Mitsubishi is a Parkinson’s disease treatment that’s begun clinical trials in the U.S. and Europe.
Blackstone Group – The private-equity firm is reportedly in talks to buy 40 percent of Israeli cyber firm NSO Group. The Israeli business newspaper Calcalist puts the deal’s value at $400 million.
Teva Pharmaceutical – The drugmaker will lay off an unspecified number of its Israeli workforce as it tries to improve its competitiveness. Teva currently employees about 7,000 workers in Israel.
American Airlines, Delta Air Lines – American, Delta, and Frontier Airlines were fined by the Department of Transportation for violating various consumer protection rules. Frontier was assessed $400,000, American $250,000, and Delta $200,000.
MetLife – The insurer’s lawsuit against its designation as a systemically important company will the subject of a meeting of U.S. financial regulators this week. Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin has been reviewing the case, and the Trump administration has been expressing skepticism about the designation of companies as “too big to fail.”
Royal Philips – Royal Philips announced a $1.7 billion share buyback program, as the health technology company reported a 36 percent rise in second quarter profits.
Nestle — Ferrara Candy, maker of Lemonheads and other treats, will reportedly join the auction for Nestlé’s U.S. candy business, according to Reuters. Nestle had said last month it was exploring options for the unit, which sells such popular brands as Butterfinger, Baby Ruth, and Raisinets.
Bank of America – The bank has chosen Dublin as its post-Brexit European hub, according to The New York Times.
Leucadia National – The bank could see its shares rise about 15 percent, according to a Barron’s article, as some of its holdings like investment bank Jefferies Group bounce back.
Source: Investment Cnbc
Early movers: WBMD, KKR, HAS, CALM, HAL, VFC, CAT & more