Check out which companies are making headlines before the bell:
Oracle – Oracle reported adjusted quarterly profit of 83 cents per share, 11 cents a share above estimates. Revenue was slightly below forecasts, however, and the business software giant gave a lower-than-expected cloud computing revenue forecast for the current quarter.
Facebook – Facebook security chief Alex Stamos will step down from the post later this year, according to multiple reports. Stamos posted a Twitter message late Monday, however, saying he was “still fully engaged” with his work at Facebook, although he didn’t address the report directly. All this comes on the heels of a Monday sell-off in Facebook stock, following controversy over the use of personal user data by a political consulting firm connected with the Trump campaign.
Children’s Place – The children’s apparel retailer reported adjusted quarterly profit of $2.52 per share, 3 cents a share above estimates. Revenue was below forecasts, however, and a same-store sales increase of 8.2 percent was slightly short of the 8.4 percent consensus of analysts surveyed by Thomson Reuters. Separately, Children’s Place increased its quarterly dividend by 25 percent to 50 cents per share and announced a $250 million share repurchase program.
Apple – Apple has a two-year lead over smartphone rivals in the 3D sensing technology used in the iPhone’s Face ID security feature, according to parts producers quoted by Reuters. The producers say most Android phones will not have a similar feature until 2019.
BlackBerry – BlackBerry’s effort to have a shareholder lawsuit dismissed was rejected by a U.S. District Court judge. The lawsuit accuses BlackBerry of making overly optimistic statements about sales prospects for its BlackBerry 10 smartphones.
Kroger – The supermarket operator’s Fred Meyer unit plans to exit the firearms business completely, a decision that comes two weeks after it decided to no longer sell guns and ammunition to those under the age of 21.
Boeing – Boeing dropped its objection to the merger of two of its suppliers, United Technologies and Rockwell Collins. The jetmaker had criticized the $23 billion deal last year, saying it would undermine competition, but Boeing now backs the deal and the two companies say they have signed onto Boeing’s cost-cutting program.
Roku – Roku was upgraded to “perform” from “underperform” at Oppenheimer, citing positive catalysts like the streaming service’s Roku channel as well as the accelerating cord-cutting trend.
Arena Pharmaceuticals – The drugmaker said its experimental ulcerative colitis drug improved symptoms when mid-stage trial patients were given higher doses. Arena now plans to move the drug into a late-stage trial.
PPG Industries – PPG was upgraded to “buy” from “hold” at Deutsche Bank, which said the paint maker was offsetting increases in raw material costs with price increases and volume growth.
