Among the companies with shares expected to actively trade in
Friday's session are Family Dollar Stores Inc. (FDO), Dollar
General Corp. (DG) and Dollar Tree Inc. (DLTR).
Family Dollar said its board unanimously rejected Dollar
General's revised takeover bid, again citing antitrust concerns and
reiterating its support for a deal with smaller rival Dollar Tree.
Family Dollar's shares fell slightly to $79.65 in premarket
trading. Dollar General's shares fell 1.2% to $63.70. Dollar Tree
shares were down 0.7% to $54.62.
Starbucks Corp. (SBUX) announced plans to cater to busy
commuters by launching smaller, express-style stores. Shares ticked
down slightly to $77.10 premarket.
Intercontinental Exchange Inc. (ICE) said it would acquire
SuperDerivatives for about $350 million in cash to expand its
financial market clearing and data services. Shares were inactive
premarket.
U.S. regulators on Thursday approved a new kind of cancer drug
from Merck & Co. (MRK) that is designed to unleash the body's
immune system against tumors.
Apple Inc. (AAPL) said it plans additional steps to keep hackers
out of user accounts, but it denied that a lax attitude toward
security had allowed intruders to post nude photos of celebrities
on the Internet.
BP PLC (BP) was grossly negligent in the 2010 Deepwater Horizon
disaster, a federal judge ruled Thursday, handing down a decision
that could cost the company as much as $18 billion in pollution
fines for the Gulf of Mexico oil spill.
Kroger Co. (KR) said it is looking to hire 20,000 permanent
employees for its growing chain of supermarkets.
Recro Pharma Inc. (REPH) plans to launch a revised study of its
lead product candidate, a non-opiod painkiller called Dex-IN, after
an interim analysis of Phase IIb study data showed the treatment's
efficacy as a standalone drug wasn't sufficient to manage severe
pain in bunionectomy treatment on the day of surgery.
Institutional Shareholder Services Inc. is recommending against
Chiquita Brands International Inc.'s (CQB) deal to buy Dublin-based
Fyffes PLC (FFY.DB).
Prana Biotechnology Ltd. (PRAN) said the Food and Drug
Administration granted Orphan Drug designation to its PBT2 drug for
the treatment of Huntington Disease.
Quiksilver Inc. (ZQK) on Thursday reported third-quarter sales
were lower than expected, with its Americas and Europe-Middle
East-Africa segments reporting double-digit declines, along with
its wholesale channel.
Watchlist:
Cooper Cos.'s (COO) fiscal third-quarter profit fell slightly,
even as revenue at its vision and surgical segments continued to
improve.
El Pollo Loco Holdings Inc.'s (LOCO) second-quarter profit
soared, as the regional restaurant chain benefited from higher
sales and lower interest expenses.
Finisar Corp. (FNSR) warned lower demand for telecom products
and wireless application transceivers would lead to lower revenue
in its current quarter.
Infoblox Inc. (BLOX) swung to a fiscal fourth-quarter loss,
although the network-control products company's results exceeded
its expectations.
Two of luxury-apparel company Michael Kors Holdings Ltd.'s
(KORS) majority shareholders will sell off their stock and step
down from the company's board, reducing membership to five from the
current seven, the company disclosed on Thursday in a regulatory
filing.
Nvidia Corp. (NVDA) has sued Samsung Electronics Co. and
Qualcomm Inc. (QCOM), alleging certain Samsung phones and tablets
are infringing Nvidia patents.
Health-care real-estate investment trust Ventas Inc. (VTR) said
a re-audit didn't result in any changes to its financial
statements.
Zumiez Inc.'s (ZUMZ) fiscal second-quarter earnings rose
sharply, as the company reported better-than-expected sales, but
its outlook for the current quarter seemed to disappoint.
Write to Tom Rojas at tom.rojas@wsj.com and Maria Armental at
maria.armental@wsj.com
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