Among the companies whose shares are expected to actively trade
in Friday's session are Yahoo Inc. (YHOO), Starbucks Corp. (SBUX)
and Chesapeake Energy Corp. (CHK).
Yahoo, Alibaba Group and Softbank Corp. (9984.TO) reached an
agreement in their dispute over the status of Alipay, in which the
payment processor gets the license it needs to continue operating
and allows Alibaba Group a stake in any potential initial public
offering. Shares of Yahoo climbed 6.5% to $14.37 premarket.
Starbucks' fiscal third-quarter profit jumped 34% as the coffee
giant reported higher same-store sales in the U.S. and abroad as
traffic and the amount consumers spent per purchase grew. Shares
rose 1.4% to $40.55 in premarket trading as results topped
expectations.
Chesapeake Energy's second-quarter profit doubled as production
increased, while prior-year results included a derivatives loss.
Shares rose 2.6% to $34.30 in premarket trading, as results topped
analysts' expectations. Chesapeake also said it has made a "major
new liquids-rich discovery" in the Utica shale play of eastern
Ohio, and values its Utica holdings at a possible $12,000 to
$16,000 an acre. The announcement boosted shares of oil-and-gas
company EV Energy Partners LP (EVEP), which owns some 150,000 net
acres and has royalty rights on another 80,000 in the region. EV
Energy shares climb 16% premarket to $73.99.
Motorola Mobility Holdings Inc. (MMI) reported a 28% rise in
second-quarter revenue, thanks to strong tablet sales, but the
device maker provided weak guidance for the current quarter because
of delays in launching speedier 4G devices. Shares fell 6.7% to
$21.41 in recent premarket trading as the company issued a weak
outlook.
Arch Coal Inc.'s (ACI) second-quarter profit plunged 83% as
expenses related to a recent acquisition more than offset revenue
gains driven by higher pricing. Shares were down 6.7% to $24.22 in
premarket trading as per-share earnings results missed expectations
and the company lowered its full-year guidance.
Newell Rubbermaid Inc.'s (NWL) second-quarter earnings rose 13%
on fewer restructuring charges, but margins fell as the
household-products company's price increases couldn't fully offset
rising commodity costs. Shares climbed 3.7% to $14.90 in light
premarket trading.
Allied Healthcare International Inc. (AHCI) has agreed to be
acquired by Saga Group Ltd. in a deal valued at about $175 million,
completing recent deliberations over the best way forward for the
home care provider. Saga's offer of $3.90 a share is a 59% premium
to Allied's Thursday close of $2.45. Shares of Allied Healthcare
surged 56% to $3.83 premarket.
Newmont Mining Corp.'s (NEM) second-quarter profit edged up 1.3%
as higher prices boosted revenue, offsetting lower gold and copper
production and litigation charges. Shares of Newmont were down 2.1%
to $56.52 in premarket trading as the results were weaker than
expected.
Expedia Inc.'s (EXPE) second-quarter earnings rose a
better-than-expected 23% as a jump in international hotel bookings
and growing advertising revenue lifted the company's margins.
Shares jumped 4.7% to $30.35 in premarket trading as revenue also
increased faster than expected.
MetLife Inc. (MET) reported Thursday its second-quarter profit
fell 21% on a jump in claims at the biggest U.S. life insurer. But
shares rose 3% to $41 in premarket trading as the company's core
profit unexpectedly rose.
Vertex Pharmaceuticals Inc. (VRTX) reported strong initial sales
of its newly launched hepatitis C pill Incivek in the second
quarter, and said it expects be profitable in 2012. Shares of the
pharmaceutical company rose 3.2% to $49.52 premarket.
STEC Inc.'s (STEC) second-quarter profit soared as the
data-storage maker reported strong revenue growth and expanding
margins, but warned that market challenges would hurt the current
quarter's results. Shares slumped 35% to $10.79 in premarket
trading, as STEC gave a weak outlook for the current quarter.
VistaPrint NV's (VPRT) fiscal fourth-quarter earnings rose 24%
tracking a gain in revenue, but the printing company's bottom-line
projections for the current quarter and fiscal year were lower than
expected. Shares were down 32% at $28.80 premarket.
TeleNav Inc.'s (TNAV) fiscal fourth-quarter earnings hit the
high end of the company's upbeat target, thanks to expanding
revenue from strategic growth areas, but the maker of voice-guided
navigation targeted lower-than-expected results in the current
quarter and fiscal year. Shares plunged 25% to $13.47
premarket.
Zoll Medical Corp. (ZOLL) reported a better-than-expected 65%
jump in its fiscal third-quarter earnings, driven by higher
defibrillator sales. Shares rose 3.9%, to $57.53 premarket.
Community Health Systems Inc.'s (CYH) second-quarter profit slid
49% as the operator of acute-care hospitals reported higher
operating expenses and a write-down for hospitals held for sale,
although revenue climbed as admissions were up. Shares rose 8.4% to
$26.96 in premarket trading as profit came above analysts'
expectations.
Verizon Wireless declared a dividend to its owners of $10
billion that will be payable early next year, providing parents
Verizon Communications Inc. (VZ) and Vodafone Group PLC (VOD) with
a rich source of cash. Also, the Communication Workers of America
said its members at Verizon Communications voted to let their union
representatives call a strike if they can't reach a new contract
agreement with the telecom giant. Shares of Vodafone Group jumped
4.6% to $28.08 premarket.
French waste and water utility Veolia Environnement SA's (VE)
impairment and lower full-year guidance announcement Friday was
linked to an accounting fraud at the group's U.S. waste activities
as well as the underperformance of its Dalkia unit in Italy, a
person familiar with the matter told Dow Jones Newswires. Veolia
American depositary shares fell 8.5% to $22.73 premarket.
Cerner Corp.'s (CERN) second-quarter profit jumped 30% on a
double-digit pop on its top line and a surge in bookings. The
health care information-technology company again lifted its
current-year forecast. Shares rose 3% to $63.90 premarket.
McKesson Corp.'s (MCK) fiscal first-quarter profit slipped 4% as
the company struggled with a jump in operating expenses that
dampened top-line growth. The company raised its full-year earnings
forecast. Shares were up 3.9% to $82.70 in premarket trading as the
results beat estimates.
-Edited by Corrie Driebusch and Caitlin Nish; write to
corrie.driebusch@dowjones.com or caitlin.nish@dowjones.com