Check out which companies are making headlines before the bell:
Delta Air Lines – Delta came in 5 cents a share above estimates, with adjusted second quarterly profit of $1.77 per share. The air carrier also announced the approval of a 15 percent dividend hike. Delta said its fuel bill would be higher by about $2 billion this year, but it expects to return to margin expansion by year end.
Comcast – Comcast fired the latest salvo in the bidding to buy British broadcaster Sky, with the NBCUniversal and CNBC parent raising its bid to $34 billion in cash. That tops a bid by 21st Century Fox for the portion of Sky it doesn’t already own, which had valued Sky at roughly $32 billion. Separately, Britain on Thursday cleared Fox's bid for Sky.
CA Technologies – CA agreed to be bought by chipmaker Broadcom for $44.50 per share in cash, or $18.9 billion. The price for the business software maker represents a 20 percent premium over CA’s Wednesday closing price.
Walmart – Walmart is seeking to sell Japanese supermarket chain Seiyu, according to a report in Japan’s Nikkei business daily. Walmart is said to have approached major retailers and private equity funds about a possible sale.
Papa John’s – Papa John’s founder John Schnatter resigned as chairman of the pizza chain’s board, following news that Schnatter had used a racial slur during a conference call. Schnatter admitted using inappropriate language and said racism had no place in our society.
Amazon.com – Canaccord Genuity raised its price target on Amazon to $2,000 per share, noting strong growth prospects. The firm said it is most constructive among the “FANG” stocks on Amazon and Facebook, although it notes that the “FANG” stocks are trading at a multiple that’s low by historical standards but high compared to the past eight years.
Extra Space Storage – The operator of self-storage facilities was removed from the “Conviction Buy” list at Goldman Sachs, which cited valuation although it is keeping its “buy” rating on the stock and raising the price target to $110 per share from $101.
– Sony was named “Best Idea Long” at Hedgeye, which said it sees a 35 percent to 55 percent upside in the shares. Hedgeye said the company has written down its weak businesses, and will benefit from strong growth in movies, music, gaming consoles, and life insurance.
Netflix – Netflix was downgraded to “neutral” from “buy” at UBS in a valuation call following a 35 percent run-up since first quarter earnings were released. The stock has also more than doubled for the year to date.
Costco – The warehouse retailer reported a June global comparable-store sales increase of 9.7 percent, beating a StreetAccount consensus estimate of 6.9 percent.
Zumiez – The action sports retailer reported a 2.7 percent increase in June comparable store sales, with the company noting an increase in transactions but a drop in average transaction value.
Weatherford International – The energy industry services provider is selling various land drilling rig operations in the Mideast to ADES International Holdings for $287.5 million, as it seeks to sell underperforming assets.