Canopy Growth (CGC) – The cannabis producer’s shares rose 2.4% in the premarket after MKM Partners upgraded the stock to “buy” from “neutral.” MKM said sentiment surrounding the stock is so low that the current risk/reward profile is very favorable.
Shake Shack (SHAK) – The restaurant chain’s stock rallied 5.2% in premarket trading after Goldman Sachs upgraded it to “buy” from “neutral.” Goldman believes a recent pullback presents a buying opportunity, given Shake Shack’s strong balance sheet and favorable long-term growth prospects. Additionally, Wedbush upgraded the stock to “outperform” from “neutral,” citing similar reasons.
AutoZone (AZO) – The auto parts retailer reported quarterly profit of $26.48 per share, beating the consensus estimate of $20.14 a share. Revenue also came in above estimates. Comparable-store sales surged 28.9%, well above the consensus FactSet estimate of 17.1%. AutoZone’s gross margins dropped, however, due in part to an acceleration of the company’s commercial business. AutoZone added 1.1% in premarket trading.
Amazon (AMZN) – Amazon could announce a deal to buy MGM Studios as soon as this week, according to a person familiar with the matter who spoke to CNBC. The projected price of up to $9 billion would make this Amazon’s largest acquisition since it bought Whole Foods in 2017 for $13.7 billion.
AstraZeneca (AZN) – AstraZeneca’s $39 billion takeover of U.S. drugmaker Alexion Pharmaceuticals (ALXN) is the subject of a probe by British competition regulators, who want to determine if the deal will reduce competition in the U.K. and elsewhere.
United Airlines (UAL) – United said in a Securities and Exchange Commission filing that ticketed yields have accelerated during the second quarter ahead of its prior projections. It now sees the key metric of revenue per available seat mile falling about 12% this quarter compared to its prior estimate of a 20% drop.
Live Nation Entertainment (LYV) – Live Nation President Joe Berchtold told CNBC’s “Closing Bell” that concert venue bookings are rebounding, and that it is expecting a better year in 2022 than it had in 2019. Shares added 1% in premarket action.
IAC/Interactive (IAC) – IAC shares jumped 5.3% in premarket trading ahead of today’s spinoff of Vimeo to IAC shareholders. Vimeo will begin trading on the Nasdaq today, with the producer of video tools valued at roughly $10 billion.
Petco (WOOF) – The pet products retailer announced a secondary stock offering of 22 million shares, with the selling stockholder granting underwriters the option to purchase another 3.3 million shares within 30 days. Petco will not receive any proceeds from the offering. The stock fell 1.1% in the premarket.
Alaska Air (ALK) – Alaska Air boosted its cash flow outlook for the current quarter, saying it now expects positive cash flow of $550 million to $650 million compared to a prior projection of $450 million to $550 million. The airline cites improved travel demand as well as better-than-expected affinity card inflows. Alaska Air shares fell 2.8% in premarket trading.
