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Stocks to Watch: December 14, 2016
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Stocks to Watch: December 14, 2016

Check out which companies are making headlines before the bell:

Joy Global — The mining equipment maker reported adjusted quarterly profit of 17 cents per share, matching estimates, while revenue fell short of analysts' forecasts as the commodity price slump continues to impact Joy Global's customers.

Express Scripts — The pharmacy benefits manager reaffirmed its adjusted 2017 earnings guidance, and raised its overall outlook stemming from tax benefits related to its disposition of its PolyMedica unit. It is also revising its methodology for reporting network claims.

Nvidia — Evercore upgraded the graphics chipmaker's stock to "buy" from "hold," even after a 181 percent year-to-date run up, noting that 2017 should be another good year for AI-related offerings.

21st Century Fox — Brean Capital upgraded the media company's stock to "buy" from "hold," saying the sell-off following Fox's bid to buy the rest of Britain's Sky was overdone.

Wells Fargo — Regulators imposed new sanctions on the bank because of deficiencies in its "living will" plan should it ever find itself on the verge of bankruptcy. It's the first time penalties have been imposed on a bank since the "living will" provisions were created by the 2010 Dodd-Frank Act.

Hertz Global — Hertz announced the retirement of Chief Executive Officer John Tague, as well as the departure of three of the car rental company's longest serving board members. Former GE executive Kathryn Marinello was chosen as the new CEO, an appointment that was endorsed by investor Carl Icahn, the largest Hertz shareholder.

Alphabet — Alphabet's Google unit is reportedly racing to hire more conservatives for its lobbying arm, according to Reuters, after years of enjoying President Barack Obama's support and positioning itself for a Hillary Clinton presidency.

Johnson & Johnson — Johnson & Johnson has dropped is bid for Swiss drugmaker Actelion. However, Actelion confirmed it is in talks about a "strategic transaction," with both Reuters and Dow Jones reporting that France's Sanofi is the company talking with Actelion.

Goldman Sachs — Goldman is reportedly planning to announce the elevations of investment banking head David Solomon and chief financial officer Harvey Schwartz to be CEO Lloyd Blankfein's top lieutenants. The announcement could come as soon as today, following the announced departure of Gary Cohn to join the Trump administration. CNBC has previously reported the impending elevation of Solomon.

General Motors — GM asked the Supreme Court to overturn an earlier ruling that its 2009 bankruptcy filing did not shield it from lawsuits related to its faulty ignition switches. The switches have been linked to 124 deaths and 275 injuries.

United Parcel Service, FedEx — UPS and FedEx are both struggling to keep up with the surge in holiday orders, according to a Wall Street Journal article. The paper said shipping volumes have surged past expectations and delayed some of the millions of orders that have been placed since Thanksgiving.

Valeant — The drugmaker's shares could come under pressure following news that Bill Ackman's Pershing Square sold some of its stake in the drugmaker to generate a loss for tax purposes. The sale lowered Pershing's stake to 7.8 percent from 9 percent.