Check out which companies are making headlines before the bell:
Starbucks– UBS upgraded the coffee chain to "buy" from "neutral", citing an attractive valuation and an increased conviction about its growth being sustainable.
BlackBerry–The smartphone maker posted a smaller than expected loss of 11 cents per share, compared to forecasts of 26 cents, with revenue topping estimates. The company said its cash position is strong, and that it recognized revenue on 1.6 million devices during the quarter compared to 1.3 million in the prior quarter.
Pier 1 Imports–The retailer reported quarterly profit of 16 cents per share, four cents below estimates, and cut its earnings outlook for the year. Pier 1 cites a "highly promotional environment" as pressuring its results.
Facebook–The social network's web site is back up after a brief outage this morning that lasted for approximately 17 minutes.
Markit–The data services provider priced its initial public offering at $24 per share, valuing the company at about $4.3 billion.
Red Hat —The distributor of Linux software beat estimates by a penny with first quarter profit of 34 cents per share, excluding certain items. Revenue also beat estimates on strong subscription growth.
Jabil Circuit–The contract electronics manufacturer lost six cents per share for the third quarter, excluding certain items, but that loss was three cents narrower than consensus estimates. Revenue was above analyst forecasts, but it was down for the comparable year-ago period.
AutoZone–The auto parts retailer announced an addition of $750 million to its ongoing share repurchase program.
Sony–Investors voted to support CEO Kazuo Hirai and other executives despite the company's continuing losses.
American Apparel–The apparel retailer ousted founder and CEO Dov Charney following an investigation into alleged misconduct. CFO John Luttrell will serve as interim chief executive while the search for a permanent CEO takes place.
T-Mobile US–The wireless carrier will offer a free one-week trial in an attempt to lure new customers.
United Technologies– UTX ended a long dispute between Canada and its Sikorsky Aircraft unit, striking a deal for 28 helicopters that were originally to have been delivered in 2012. The two sides had been in dispute over a variety of issues.
ConAgra–Bank of America/Merrill Lynch downgraded the food company's stock to "underperform" from "buy," a two-notch downgrade, after ConAgra cut its earnings outlook Wednesday.
Nvidia–BofA/Merrill downgraded the chip maker's stock to "underperform" from "neutral", citing margins which are at a peak and a rich valuation.
Trulia–The real estate website operator's shares were cut to "sector perform" from "outperform" at RBC Capital, on valuation issues.
—By CNBC's Peter Schacknow
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