Check out which companies are making headlines before the bell:
BlackRock – The asset management firm reported adjusted quarterly profit of $5.92 per share, well above the consensus $5.56 a share estimate. Revenue also beat forecasts. BlackRock now has close to $6 trillion under management and CEO Larry Fink told CNBC strength in the global economy is helping spur investor demand.
Delta Air Lines – The airline beat forecasts by four cents a share, with adjusted quarterly profit of $1.57 per share. Revenue was ahead of forecasts, as well. Delta CEO Ed Bastian told CNBC that the airline had a very good quarter, especially considering the impact of the various hurricanes, and that strong demand is overcoming industry pricing pressure for Delta.
FedEx – KeyBanc began coverage of FedEx with an "overweight" rating, saying the delivery company will benefit from improving air freight demand as well as a favorable macroeconomic environment.
– Wells Fargo added American Express to its "priority stock" list, saying the credit card issuer has survived the "perfect storm" of the past few years and is back in a winning position.
– JPMorgan Chase is calling the early exit of several key executives a negative, and said that it now sees a dividend cut as increasingly likely.
– A Morgan Stanley analyst wrote a note saying Amazon's private label business could add $1 billion annually to the bottom line by 2019.
Alibaba – Alibaba is investing $15 billion in overseas research hubs, unveiling plans to build such facilities in China, Israel, the U.S., Russia, and Singapore.
– Molina appointed former Aetna executive Joseph Zubretsky as President and Chief Executive Officer, effective November 6. Chief Financial Officer Joseph White had been serving as interim CEO of the health insurer following the dismissal in May of Mario Molina, as well as CFO John Molina.
– Time is cutting back on both the circulation and frequency of its well-known magazines, including Time, Sports Illustrated, Entertainment Weekly, and Fortune, as part of a cost-cutting and restructuring program.
– The credit reporting agency's massive data breach compromised driver's license data for about 10.9 million Americans, according to The Wall Street Journal citing people familiar with the matter.
– The drugmaker's recent patent deal with a Native American tribe is drawing the ire of health insurers, hospitals, and generic drugmakers. A coalition made up of those groups have asked Congress to examine the deal, calling it a brazen attempt to circumvent U.S. law. Allergan had maintained that the move was a way to protect its intellectual property from "unfair challenges."
– Symantec has stopped letting governments review software source code. CEO Greg Clark told Reuters that allowing such scrutiny compromises the security of the cybersecurity firm's products.
– Micron shares are under pressure after the chip maker announced plans for a $1 billion secondary stock offering. Micron plans to use the proceeds to pay down its debt.
– J&J was upgraded to "buy" from "hold" at Jefferies, citing the company's growth prospects, with the price target for the stock increased to $157 per share from $145.
– Barracuda reported adjusted quarterly profit of 17 cents per share, matching estimates, while the cybersecurity company's revenue exceeded forecasts. Shares are under pressure, however, on lower-than-expected current-quarter earnings and revenue guidance.