Check out the companies making headlines before the bell:
Walmart – The retailer earned an adjusted $1.29 per share for the second quarter, 7 cents a share above estimates. Revenue also topped forecasts. Comparable-store sales at Walmart U.S. stores rose 4.5 percent from a year earlier, well above the consensus estimate of 2.4 percent. The company also raised sales and earnings guidance for the year.
JD.com – The China-based internet retailer missed estimates on both the top and bottom lines in its second-quarter earnings report. Investors appear to be focusing on slowing revenue growth rates, with the second quarter’s 31.2 percent growth well below the peak of about 60 percent registered in 2015.
J.C. Penney – The retailer lost an adjusted 38 cents per share for the second quarter, wider than the 6 cents a share loss that analysts were expecting. Revenue also came in below estimates, and J.C. Penney cut its full-year earnings guidance. The retailer also said it would continue to take actions to right-size its inventory.
Boeing – UBS began coverage of the jet maker with a “buy” rating, saying it sees a potential 50 percent upside for the stock based on an acceleration in profit margins and cash flow.
Cisco Systems – Cisco reported adjusted quarterly profit of 70 cents per share, beating estimates by 1 cent a share. The networking equipment and software company’s revenue also top forecasts and it gave a better-than-expected current-quarter forecast as its subscription-based software business gains traction.
NetApp – NetApp beat estimates by 24 cents a share, with adjusted quarterly profit of $1.04 per share. The cloud data storage company’s revenue came in slightly above Street forecasts.
Walt Disney — U.K. regulators have confirmed a prior decision that Disney will have to pay at least 14 pounds per share for British broadcaster Sky, if it completes its deal to buy 21st Century Fox before either Fox or NBCUniversal and CNBC parent Comcast succeeds in taking control of Sky. Fox’s 39 percent stake in Sky is among the assets Disney is buying.
Amazon.com – Amazon is considering putting together an insurance comparison site in the U.K., according to Reuters, in what would be a big step into the region’s financial services industry. Separately, Amazon is among those competing to buy movie theater chain Landmark, according to a Bloomberg report.
Pfizer – Pfizer has struck an alliance with privately held German biotech company BioNTech to develop more effective flu vaccines. BioNTech could receive up to $425 million depending on the achievement of certain development goals.
Best Buy – Best Buy is buying health services company GreatCall for $800 million in cash in the electronics retailer’s largest-ever acquisition. Best Buy already sells GreatCall merchandise, including emergency response services and mobile products aimed at senior citizens.
Symantec — Activist investor Starboard Value has taken a 5.8 percent stake in the cybersecurity software maker, according to The Wall Street Journal, and has nominated five directors to the 11-person board. Starboard is said to be pushing for operational changes to improve profit margins.
Kimberly-Clark – J.P. Morgan upgraded the consumer products maker’s stock to “neutral” from “underperform,” following the company’s announcement Wednesday that it would raise prices on certain products. The firm does note that it remains to be seen whether the increases will hold in a competitive pricing environment.
