Check out which companies are making headlines before the bell:
JPMorgan Chase – The bank earned $2.29 per share for the second quarter, beating forecasts by 7 cents a share. Revenue was also above forecasts, helped by what CEO Jamie Dimon called “open and active capital markets” that helped drive fee and markets revenue.
Walt Disney – U.K. regulators said that if Walt Disney is successful in buying assets from 21st Century Fox, it must pay at least 14 British pounds per share of broadcaster Sky. Twenty-First Century Fox currently owns 39 percent of Sky and is bidding for the rest, but NBCUniversal and CNBC parent Comcast is now offering 14.75 pounds per Sky share.
BlackRock – The asset manager’s stock was upgraded to “outperform” from “market perform” at Keefe, Bruyette, and Woods, saying BlackRock deserves a premium valuation because of its position in the marketplace and that a recent sell-off in the stock provides a good entry point for investors.
AT&T – AT&T said it was surprised that the Justice Department has decided to appeal the approval of its purchase of Time Warner, saying the court decision could not have been “more thorough, fact-based, and well-reasoned.” AT&T said it is ready to defend the original decision at the Washington, D.C., Circuit Court of Appeals.
Johnson & Johnson – Johnson & Johnson was ordered to pay a record $4.7 billion to 22 women in a case involving its talc-based products. The women alleged that the products contained asbestos and caused cases of ovarian cancer.
McDonald’s – McDonald’s is at the center of an investigation by health officials in Illinois and Iowa. The officials are looking into more than 100 cases of food-borne illnesses, possibly linked to salads produced for sale in McDonald’s restaurants. McDonald’s said it is cooperating with the investigations and has stopped selling salads temporarily at the impacted restaurants.
Northrop Grumman — Chief Executive Officer Wes Bush will step down at the end of this year, to be succeeded by Chief Operating Officer Kathy Warden.
Apollo Global – Apollo and its Chief Executive Officer Leon Black were sued by Caldera Holdings, according to a filing in New York State Supreme Court. Caldera said Apollo has pursued a campaign of defamation and interference against it, asking for at least $1.5 billion damages. Apollo said the claims lack merit and that it would defend itself. Both Caldera and an Apollo unit are bidding for control of life insurance provider American Equity Investment.
Apple – Apple plans to launch a $300 million clean energy fund in China. It will invest in renewable energy products that could provide power to nearly one million homes.
Twitter — Top Twitter users lost about two percent of their followers on average, after Twitter stopped counting locked accounts in follower numbers. The numbers come from social media data firm Keyhole.
Walmart – Walmart said it had not decided to sell its Japanese supermarket chain Seiyu, contrary to a report in Japan’s Nikkei business daily Thursday. Separately, the Wall Street Journal is reporting that the retailer is talking to Capital One Financial about taking over its store credit card operation from Synchrony Financial.
Kellogg – Honey Smacks cereal that was recalled last month is still being sold at some retail outlets, according to the Food and Drug Administration. The cereal maker had recalled about 1.3 million cases of Honey Smacks in June due to potential salmonella contamination.
Diageo – Diageo was upgraded to “buy” from “neutral” at Goldman Sachs, which sees accelerating organic sales for the spirits producer.
Harley-Davidson – The motorcycle maker has been invited to open a factory in Berlin, according to a published report in Germany.
