Check out the companies making headlines before the bell:
Deere – Deere reported adjusted fiscal third quarter profit of $2.59 per share, compared to the consensus estimate of $2.78. Revenue did beat forecasts, but Deere said it continues to face cost pressures for raw materials and freight.
Tesla — CEO Elon Musk’s going-private proposal could be funded in part by Musk’s rocket company SpaceX, according to The New York Times. The paper quoted people familiar with the matter as saying that the SpaceX idea is one of several under consideration and that SpaceX would take an ownership stake in the automaker.
Nvidia – Nvidia reported quarterly earnings of $1.76 per share, beating consensus estimates by ten cents, while the chip maker’s revenue was slightly above Street forecasts. However, the shares are under pressure after Nvidia gave a lower-than-expected current-quarter revenue forecast, pointing to slowing cryptocurrency-related demand as one factor.
Applied Materials – Applied Materials beat estimates by 3 cents a share, with adjusted quarterly profit of $1.20 per share, with the maker of semiconductor manufacturing equipment also saw revenue top analyst projections. However, its current-quarter forecast for profit and revenue is below Street forecasts, possibly signaling a slowdown in a two-year semiconductor boom.
Nordstrom – Nordstrom came in 11 cents a share above forecasts, with adjusted quarterly profit of 95 cents per share. The retailer’s revenue also beat estimates. Comparable-store sales were up 4 percent, well above the 0.8 percent consensus estimate of analysts surveyed by Thomson Reuters. Nordstrom also raised its full-year earnings forecast.
Toyota – The automaker is planning to boost production capacity in China by 20 percent, according to a source quoted by Reuters.
Alphabet – Alphabet’s Google unit is not close to launching a search engine in China, according to a transcript of a talk given by CEO Sundar Pichai to employees and seen by Reuters.
First Data – First Data was upgraded to “overweight” from “neutral” at Atlantic Equities, with the price target raised to $30 per share from $18 a share. The firm said the credit-card processing company has emerging revenue streams and is also favorable on First Data’s focus on reducing its debt load.
Adtalem Global Education – Adtalem reported quarterly profit of 86 cents per share, 5 cents a share below estimates. The for-profit college operator – formerly known as DeVry Education Group – also saw revenue come in short of Street forecasts.
Dean Foods – The dairy producer’s stock was downgraded to “underweight” from “neutral” at J.P. Morgan Securities, which cites reduced confidence in the company’s ability to meet expectations.
Yum China– The restaurant chain’s shares were downgraded to “perform” from “outperform” at Oppenheimer, which notes the 46 percent run-up since the company was spun off from Yum Brands in November 2016. Oppenheimer said elevated operating risk along with the current price earnings ratio prompted its downgrade.
