Check out which companies are making headlines before the bell:
Walt Disney — The release date for "Star Wars: Episode IX" will be delayed by seven months. That follows the announcement that J.J. Abrams will return to write and direct the latest installment, following the departure of Colin Trevorrow over creative differences.
Nordstrom – The retailer is near a deal to take the company private, according to people familiar with the matter. The Nordstrom family is in talks with private-equity firm Leonard Green on a partnership to strike a deal.
American Airlines – The airline lowered its current-quarter outlook for revenue per available seat mile, due largely to hurricane-related cancellations as well as higher fuel costs.
Allergan – Allergan was accused by rival drugmaker Mylan of taking advantage of Native American sovereignty to avoid patent challenges for its eye treatment Restasis. Allergan recently struck a deal to transfer the rights to Restasis to a Native American, a move it believes would shield the patent from possible review by the U.S. Patent Trial and Appeal Board.
Centene – Centene will buy privately held not-for-profit health insurer Fidelis Car for $3.75 billion, helping the company to expand its participation in government sponsored health-care coverage.
Terex – Terex shares are on watch once again today, after hedge fund manager Mick McGuire of Marcato Capital said at CNBC's Delivering Alpha conference that the construction equipment maker's shares could more than triple. Marcato bought a stake in Terex in July 2016 and a Marcato partner was added to the board earlier this year.
Micron Technology – Micron was upgraded to "buy" from "neutral" at Goldman Sachs, which pointed to the potential for higher memory chip prices during the fourth quarter.
Mallinckrodt – Mallinckrodt was downgraded to "neutral" from "buy" at Mizuho Securities, which pointed to competition for the drugmaker, a recent unfavorable court decision, and other factors. Mallinckrodt has been the target of some prominent short sellers, including Jim Chanos of Kynikos and Andrew Left of Citron.
Finish Line – The athletic footwear and apparel retailer was upgraded to "positive" from "neutral" at Susquehanna, citing its own greater-than-expected probability of Finish Line being acquired by British retailer and major shareholder Sports Direct.
Equifax – CEO Richard Smith wrote a USA Today op-ed in which he apologized to everyone affected by the credit reporting agency's massive data breach, and gave an explanation as to why the breach was not reported until six weeks after it was discovered.
Amazon.com – Loop Capital rated Amazon a "buy" in new coverage with a $1,200 price target, saying the online retail giant has many years of robust growth ahead of it.
Square – The mobile payments company was rated "overweight" in new coverage at Cantor Fitzgerald, based on increasing market penetration and improved profit margins.