Check out the companies making headlines before the bell:
Biogen (BIIB) – Biogen slid 6.5% in the premarket after Samsung denied a report in the Korea Economic Daily publication that it was in talks to buy Biogen and combine it with its biotech unit. Biogen shares had jumped 9.5% Wednesday on that report.
JetBlue (JBLU) – The airline cut nearly 1,300 flights from its schedule through January 13, as it deals with a surge in Covid-19 infections among its flight staff. JetBlue was down 1% in premarket action.
Didi Global (DIDI) – The China-based ride-hailing company’s shares slid 3.2% in premarket trading after it reported a 1.7% decline in third-quarter revenue and a loss of $4.7 billion, stemming from a regulatory crackdown. Didi had slumped 8.2% Wednesday and has fallen in 12 of the past 15 trading days.
R.R. Donnelley (RRD) – The business communications and marketing services company received an unsolicited, non-binding acquisition proposal at $11 per share in cash. R.R. Donnelley already has an agreement in place to be acquired by affiliates of private equity firm Chatham Asset Management for $10.85 per share. Donnelley shares jumped 3.1% in premarket trading.
Virgin Orbit (VORB) – The satellite-launching spin-off of space travel company Virgin Galactic will begin trading under the Virgin Orbit name and ticker on Nasdaq today after shareholders of blank-check company NextGen Acquisition Corp. II approved the merger earlier this week.
Micron Technology (MU) – The memory chip maker’s stock lost 1.5% in the premarket after it warned that Covid-19 curbs in China’s Xian tech hub would impact production. Samsung Electronics – which is also one of the world’s biggest memory chip makers, issued a similar warning.
Johnson & Johnson (JNJ) – A booster dose of the J&J Covid-19 vaccine was found to be 85% effective in preventing hospitalizations in a South African study, which has yet to be peer-reviewed.
Microstrategy (MSTR) – The business analytics company’s stock rose 1.1% in the premarket, tracking a rise in bitcoin prices. Microstrategy has bitcoin holdings worth several billion dollars on its balance sheet.