Early movers: ANF, SHLD, DLTR, HRL, HPQ & more

Check out which companies are making headlines before the bell on Thursday:

Abercrombie & Fitch — The apparel retailer reported quarterly profit of 16 cents per share, excluding certain items, 12 cents below estimates, with revenue missing by a wide margin as well. Abercrombie is pointing to reduced traffic and softness in women's apparel as key factors in the quarter's performance.

Sears Holdings —Sears lost $1.46 per share for the second quarter, excluding certain items, a wider than expected loss. U.S. comparable store sales fell 1.5 percent during the quarter from a year earlier, and the bottom line suffered from the impact of bigger discounts for members of the Rewards program.

Dollar Tree — The discount retailer earned 56 cents per share for the second quarter, a penny below estimates. CEO Bob Sasser said he is pleased with the quarter, as sales, earnings, and profit margins were all higher than a year ago.

Hormel — Hormel earned 42 cents per share for its third quarter, missing estimates by three cents. Revenue was above estimates, but margins were hurt by higher pork costs, among other factors.

Hewlett-Packard —The technology giant reported fiscal third quarter profit of 86 cents per share, matching estimates. However, HP also gave a downbeat forecast for the full year, and CEO Meg Whitman said previously expected revenue growth in 2014 is unlikely to materialize. Whitman, who also announced a shuffle of some key executives, will be a guest on CNBC's Squawk On The Street at 9 a.m. Eastern.

L Brands — The company formerly known as Limited Brands reported second quarter profit of 61 cents per share, excluding certain items, beating estimates by a penny. The retailer is predicting current quarter profit short of Street estimates, but at the same time raised its full year guidance.

Hain Celestial —The organic products maker earned 65 cents per share for its fiscal fourth quarter, three cents above estimates, with revenue beating consensus as well. Hain also announced that Stephen Smith will take over as chief financial officer, leaving a similar position at Elizabeth Arden.

Wells Fargo —The bank is cutting 2,300 jobs in its mortgage lending jobs, because of a slowdown in refinancing activity.

Eli Lilly —Lilly said it is "deeply concerned" about bribery allegations published in China's 21st Century Business Herald. The article quotes a former senior manager as saying that the practice was widespread at the drug maker's China unit.

Royal Caribbean —The cruise line operator could see as much as 14 cents shaved off its quarterly earnings, due to the cancellation of five cruises on its Celebrity Millennium ship, according to a UBS analyst report.

Onyx Pharmaceuticals — The pharmaceuticals company is giving possible buyers access to trial data on its blood cancer drug Kyprolis, according to Reuters. Onyx is currently in talks with Amgen to be bought for $130 per share.

Men's Wearhouse —Men's Wearhouse is a possible buyout target, reportedly from its ousted founder, George Zimmer. According to Women's Wear Daily, Zimmer is trying to put a team together to make a bid for the clothing retailer. Zimmer currently holds 3 to 5 percent of Men's Wearhouse shares.

(Read More: See CNBC's Market Insider Blog)

—By CNBC's Peter Schacknow

Questions? Comments? Email us at [e-mail]