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Check out which companies are making headlines before the bell:

Priceline Group–The travel web site operator reported quarterly profit of $12.51 per share, excluding certain items, compared to estimates of $12.04. Priceline said the summer travel season got off to a strong start, but the company also gave a current quarter earnings forecast that fell short of analyst forecasts.

PepsiCo–The stock was upgraded to "buy" from "neutral" at UBS, which said the beverage giant is operating with newfound urgency, and that it expects continued consensus-beating earnings.

Krispy Kreme–The doughnut shop operator's stock was upgraded to "outperform" from "neutral" at Wedbush, saying it sees a meaningful improvement in same-store sales.


King Digital– Pacific Crest Securities downgraded the stock to "sector perform" from "outperform," pointing to the Candy Crush maker's upcoming lockup expiration and the stock's recent run-up.

Aramark–The food services provider beat estimates by six cents with fiscal third quarter profit of 26 cents per share, and also raised its full year forecast above current consensus. The company said it's achieved strong results despite a challenging business environment.

Amazon.com–Amazon is reportedly embroiled in yet another dispute with a major content provider. The Wall Street Journal reports Amazon is in an apparent contract dispute with Walt Disney, and is currently not taking pre-orders for some Disney movies.

General Motors—The auto giant lost a court bid over the weekend to dismiss a lawsuit over its faulty ignition switches. The suit claimed GM covered up key evidence in a case regarding the death of a Georgia woman in 2010.

KKR–KKR is in a bidding battle with private equity rival TPG Capital for the world's second largest winemaker, Australia's Treasury Wine Estates. Reuters reports TPG put a $3.1 billion bid on the table, a week after KKR and a partner bid the same amount.

MannKind—MannKind has struck a deal with France's Sanofi, licensing its inhaled insulin treatment to the drug maker for up to $925 million.

GlaxoSmithKline–The pharmaceutical big will soon start a clinical trial for an experimental Ebola vaccine. The treatment has already produced encouraging results in studies involving animals.

Kinder Morgan–The pipeline operator will join its various parts, including Kinder Morgan Energy Partners, Kinder Morgan Management, and El Paso Pipeline Partners in a $44 billion transaction.

Blackstone–The private equity giant is close to striking a deal to buy a 50 percent stake in a Royal Dutch Shell natural gas field in Louisiana, according to media reports.

—By CNBC's Peter Schacknow

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