Go Symbol Lookup
Loading...

Early Movers: CAG, TSLA, VZ & More

 Text Size  
Published: Wednesday, 3 Apr 2013 | 8:14 AM ET
Peter Schacknow By:

Senior Producer, CNBC

Check out which companies are making headlines before the bell on Wednesday:

ConAgra Foods - The food producer earned $0.55 per share for its third quarter, a penny shy of estimates, while revenues were slightly short as well. The company expects margin improvement initiatives to take hold in coming quarters.

Tesla Motors - The automaker announced a joint financing partnership with Wells Fargo and U.S. Bancorp. Under the program, the banks will provide 10 percent down financing for purchase of a Model S.

Vodafone Group - Verizon Communications said that while it is willing to buy out Vodafone's 45 percent stake in Verizon Wireless, it has no plans to do so now, nor does it have any intention to make an offer for the entire company as had been speculated in media reports earlier this week.


(Read More: See the Day's Top Percentage Winners & Losers)

Caterpillar - Goldman Sachs has downgraded the heavy equipment maker to "neutral" from "buy," saying an oversupplied commodity environment means it no longer sees an upside to earnings expectations.

Facebook - Facebook issued a statement saying it welcomes the Securities and Exchange Commission's announcement that companies can use social media to disseminate key information.

( SEC Permits Company Disclosures Using Social Media)

BP - The energy giant is putting its U.S. wind farm operation up for sale. The company did not put a projected value on that unit, but said it expects "attractive offers."

AstraZeneca - The drugmaker is buying privately held U.S. biotech company AlphaCore Pharma for an undisclosed price. AlphaCore is an early stage company that's working on a new type of cholesterol treatment.

(Read More: Pfizer, Novartis, Abbott Weigh Bids for Brazil's Ache: Sources)

Google - Google is reportedly launching a second generation version of its Nexus 7 tablet computer in July, according to Reuters.

Baidu - The China-based search engine company is developing a digital eyewear product similar to Google's Google Glass. Baidu is currently testing the product internally and said it is unclear if the product will ever actually be sold.

BlackBerry - CEO Thorsten Heins told The Canadian Press his company hasn't ruled out another version of the PlayBook tablet, despite the failure of earlier versions to catch on with consumers.

Weight Watchers International - Weight Watchers is paying off outstanding debt with a new loan, a move that will increase its interest costs but will give it more flexibility.

Global Payments - The credit card transaction processor earned $0.87 per share for its third quarter, two cents below estimates, with revenue also short of Street consensus.

Dollar Tree - The discount retailer's stock was upgraded to "overweight" from "equal-weight" at Morgan Stanley, which is raising same-store sales estimates after its research indicated consumers have shrugged off the 2 percent payroll tax increase.

Cigna - Citi is downgrading the health insurer's stock to "neutral" from "buy" on a valuation basis, with shares near an all-time high.

Six Flags Entertainment - Goldman Sachs has initiated coverage of the amusement park operator with a "buy" rating, saying the sector has a lack of supply and Six Flags in particular is still early in the process of growing margins and returns. Competitor Cedar Fair is rated "neutral"; Goldman sees that company further along in its pricing/margin story.

AutoNation - The vehicle retailer reported a 7 percent increase in March new vehicle sales.

(Read More: See CNBC's Market Insider Blog)

—By CNBC's Peter Schacknow

Questions? Comments? Email us at marketinsider@cnbc.com


 Print
These are the stocks posting the largest moves before the bell.
  Price   Change %Change
CAG ---
TSLA ---
WFC ---
USB ---
VOD ---
VZ ---
CAT ---
GS ---
FB ---
BP. ---
AZN ---
GOOG ---
BIDU ---
BB ---
WTW ---
GPN ---
DLTR ---
MS ---
CI ---
C ---
SIX ---
FUN ---
AN ---

   
Comments

 

More Comments

 
 

Add Comments

 

Your Comments (Up to 1100 characters):

Remaining characters

Your comments have not been posted yet.

Please review your submission to make sure you are comfortable with your entry.

Your Comments:


                
            
            
        

Featured

  • Patti Domm is CNBC Executive Editor, News, responsible for news coverage of the markets and economy.

  • Greenberg is senior stocks commentator for CNBC appearing throughout business day programming and on CNBC.com.

  • A CNBC reporter since 1990, Pisani reports on Wall Street and the stock market from the floor of the New York Stock Exchange. Follow him on Twitter @BobPisani.

  • Epperson covers the global energy, metals and commodities markets from the NY Mercantile Exchange for CNBC and CNBC.com.

  • Santelli joined CNBC Business News as an on-air editor in 1999, reporting live from the floor of the Chicago Board of Trade.

  • Senior Editor at CNBC, commodity trader in a former life.

  • CNBC Markets Producer

  • Senior Producer at CNBC's Breaking News Desk.

  • Website Producer at CNBC