Check out which companies are making headlines before the bell on Tuesday:
McDonald's - The fast food giant reported a 1.9 percent increase in same-store sales for August, above estimates of a 0.4 percent rise. U.S. sales were short of consensus, but Europe beat forecasts by a wide margin.
Apple - The stock will be watched closely during the trading day, as it prepares to unveil new products at a 1 p.m. Eastern event at its Cupertino, California headquarters.
Wal-Mart - The retailer announced a smartphone trade-in program, with customers getting credits ranging from $50 to $300 depending on the model.
D.R. Horton, Beazer Homes- Credit Suisse downgraded the two home builders to "neutral" from "outperform".
Dollar General - The stock was downgraded to "equal weight" from "overweight" at Barclays, with Barclays expressing concern about prospects for profit margins for the discount retailer.
PVH - The clothing maker reported second quarter profit of $1.39 per share, excluding certain items, two cents above estimates. However, the maker of Tommy Hilfiger and Calvin Klein-branded clothing is projecting current quarter profit below Street consensus.
Five Below - The company beat estimates by two cents with second quarter profit of 11 cents per share, while revenue was also above analyst forecasts. The discount retailer saw increases in both sales and profit margins during the quarter.
Starwood Property Trust - Starwood is offering 25 million common shares in a secondary offering. Starwood is an originator and acquirer of commercial mortgage and other real estate loans.
Palo Alto Networks - Palo Alto reported fiscal fourth quarter profit of six cents per share, excluding certain items, matching estimates. Revenue was above consensus for the internet security hardware and software maker, but Palo Alto also saw an increase in operating expenses during the quarter.
IBM - The technology icon struck an agreement with German automotive parts maker Continental AG to partner on driverless car systems.
Microsoft - The software giant is reportedly being urged by three of its 20 largest investors to put Ford CEO Alan Mulally and Computer Sciences CEO Mike Lawrie on its shortlist for a new CEO. According to a Reuters story, those investors want a turnaround expert to succeed the retiring Steve Ballmer.
J.C. Penney - The battered clothing seller is being sued by Bodum Group, maker of an upscale coffee press. Bodum claims the retailer did not deliver on a promise to roll out its products a "store within a store".
Google - The search giant is offering more concessions in hopes of settling an EU antitrust probe that's gone on for nearly three years. Details of the new proposal haven't been made public.
American Express- Amex is in talks with Time Inc. to sell five of its magazines, including Travel & Leisure and Food & Wine, according to Dow Jones. Time is in the process of being spun off by parent Time Warner as a standalone company.
GlaxoSmithKline - The drug company could be under pressure, as the FDA sets out guidelines for generic versions of Glaxo's best-selling lung drug Advair.
(Read More: See CNBC's Market Insider Blog)
—By CNBC's Peter Schacknow
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