Check out which companies are making headlines before the bell:
Rockwell Collins — The defense contractor agreed to be acquired by United Technologies for $23 billion in the biggest-ever aerospace deal. Rockwell shareholders will receive $140 per share, consisting of $93.33 in cash and the rest in United Technologies stock.
Walt Disney – Wells Fargo upgraded Disney to "outperform" from "market perform," citing Disney's increased presence in direct-to-consumer program streaming. The analyst report said investors should give increasing emphasis to companies with solid streaming strategies, and lessen exposure to those that do not have such strategies. Viacom is mentioned as one such company, and has been downgraded to "market perform" from "outperform."
Boeing – Boeing received a favorable decision from the World Trade Organization, which reversed a ruling that the jet maker had received illegal support for its 777X jet.
Oracle – Credit Suisse initiated coverage of the business software company with an "outperform" rating, saying the market is underappreciating the power of Oracle's technology and its upside opportunities in cloud offerings.
Formula One – Citi upgraded the stock to "buy" from "neutral," saying the automobile racing company is poised to reverse recent trends and see revenue and earnings growth.
Blackstone – Blackstone has called off the sale of a $2.8 billion Australian shopping mall portfolio, according to Reuters, amid worries about competition from Amazon.com. A source told Reuters that Blackstone will renovate the properties instead of selling them.
Tronc – The media company bought the New York Daily News from owner Mort Zuckerman, adding the News to its portfolio of newspapers that includes the Chicago Tribune and the Los Angeles Times. Terms of the deal weren't disclosed but sources told Reuters that Tronic is assuming about $30 million in liabilities.
Volkswagen – The automaker put the sale of its Ducati motorcycle unit on hold, according to Reuters, which said disagreements on strategy and resistance from German trade units were among the obstacles to a deal.
Intel – The chipmaker will receive a ruling from European antitrust officials Wednesday on whether it offered illegal rebates to shut out rivals.
Novartis — CEO Joseph Jimenez plans to retire next year, with the drugmaker's chief drug developer Vasant Narasimhan taking over as CEO in February.
Comcast – Comcast's Universal Pictures unit is seeking to sell its 45 percent stake in China-based production company Oriental DreamWorks, according to the Financial Times. The FT said talks have been held with Time Warner's Warner Brothers unit about replacing Universal. (Disclosure: Comcast is parent of CNBC.)
Alphabet – The company's Google unit could be hit with a record fine by the European Commission later this month, according to the Sunday Times, in a case involving allegedly anti-competitive moves involving Google's Android smartphone software.
AvalonBay – The real estate investment trust was downgraded to "neutral" from "buy" at Goldman Sachs, which cites slowing growth in funds from operations for the developer of multifamily housing communities.
HB Fuller – Fuller announced a deal to buy rival adhesives maker Royal Adhesives & Sealants for about $1.58 billion from private equity firm American Securities.
Delphi Automotive – The auto parts maker's shares are getting a boost following a WSJ Heard On The Street column focusing on Delphi's attractiveness as a takeover play following the planned spin off of its powertrain business into a separate company.