U.S. stock futures were higher on Tuesday after the stock market was closed on Monday due to the President’s Day holiday.
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Dow futures were up 0.6%, and S&P and NASDAQ futures were 0.5% higher at the time of writing.
CVS, ZTS and ECL will report earnings results before the open today while AIG, ES and OXY will release their figures after the closing bell.
Sundial Growers (SNDL) continued to be the most actively traded stock before the open, with over 10 million shares having already changed hands at the time of writing. The cannabis cultivator looked set to open 7% higher on Tuesday.
Vyne Therapeutics was the top gainer in pre-market trading, gaining around 270%, followed by ALJ Regional (+162%) and Urban Tea Inc. (+78%).
The biggest losers in the pre-market session were eXp World (-48%), TechnipFMC (-18%) and Hepion Pharmaceuticals (-16%).
In corporate earnings news, Liberty Global (LBTYA) posted fourth quarter and fiscal 2020 earnings yesterday that beat analysts’ expectations. Revenues of $3.43 billion increased 14.9% year-on-year, topping analysts’ estimates of $3.31 billion, while the company reported a net earnings loss of $1.03 billion, compared to $1.39 billion a year earlier. Sales came in higher-than-expected at $11.98 billion, compared to $11.54 billion in 2019.
NexTier Oilfield Solutions (NEX) posted a lower-than-expected loss in the fourth quarter with a non-GAAP loss of $0.30 per share in 4Q, compared to the $0.34 loss per share estimated by analysts. Total sales of $215.1 million also came in above analysts’ expectations of $193.73 million. Revenues of $200.5 million surged 30% quarter-on-quarter, while the company reported adjusted EDITDA figures of $7.7 million, compared to a $2.4 million loss in the previous quarter.
Meanwhile, AstraZeneca (AZN) has been granted an Emergency Use Listing (EUL) for its COVID-19 vaccine, which will allow the company to distribute its vaccines globally for active immunization of all individuals aged 18 and older. The approval by the WHO comes after clinical trials of the vaccines administered at a four to twelve-week intervals indicated that the vaccines were safe and effective in preventing symptomatic COVID-19. The company also recommended the use of its vaccines for the treatment of new COVID-19 variants, including the South African B1.351 variant.
In M&A news, Accenture (ACN) has bought UK-based Edenhouse for an undisclosed fee in its bid to better support its clients with their digital transformation needs. Edenhouse’s 220 employees will join Accenture’s SAP business group in the UK and support local businesses while getting access to global resources. Accenture bought New Zealand-based Zag, an SAP and cloud solutions provider, in October last year.
ACI Worldwide (ACIW) has partnered with Auriga to integrate its Enterprise Payments Platform with Auriga’s banking solution, WinWebServer (WWS). The companies will launch a self-service banking platform and a next-generation ATM that will include mobile and internet banking.
“The pandemic has changed, among other things, the way consumers bank,” said Jeremy Wilmot, Chief Product Officer at ACI, adding, “ACI’s partnership with Auriga will deliver more self-service banking options for consumers that will drive the digital banking experience forward.”
