Companies Reporting Before The Bell

• Lumber Liquidators Holdings, Inc. (NYSE: LL) is estimated to report quarterly earnings at $0.12 per share on revenue of $272.54 million.
• Genesis Healthcare, Inc. (NYSE: GEN) is expected to report quarterly loss at $0.24 per share on revenue of $1.19 billion.
• Overstock.com, Inc. (NASDAQ: OSTK) is projected to report quarterly loss at $0.91 per share on revenue of $474.15 million.
• Qudian Inc. (NYSE: QD) is estimated to report quarterly earnings at $0.34 per share on revenue of $341.99 million.
• Apollo Endosurgery, Inc. (NASDAQ: APEN) is expected to report quarterly loss at $0.37 per share on revenue of $14.96 million.
• Consolidated Water Co. Ltd. (NASDAQ: CWCO) is estimated to report quarterly earnings at $0.16 per share on revenue of $15.95 million.
• Horizon Global Corporation (NYSE: HZN) is projected to report quarterly loss at $0.66 per share on revenue of $172.10 million.
• Novavax, Inc. (NASDAQ: NVAX) is expected to report quarterly loss at $0.12 per share on revenue of $7.09 million.
• Teligent, Inc. (NASDAQ: TLGT) is estimated to report quarterly loss at $0.03 per share on revenue of $18.06 million.
• Leju Holdings Limited (NYSE: LEJU) is expected to report earnings for its fourth quarter.
• Niu Technologies (NASDAQ: NIU) is projected to report quarterly earnings at $0.01 per share on revenue of $57.39 million.
• Viomi Technology Co., Ltd (NASDAQ: VIOT) is estimated to report quarterly earnings at $0.1 per share on revenue of $129.44 million.
• GP Strategies Corporation (NYSE: GPX) is expected to report quarterly earnings at $0.29 per share on revenue of $133.83 million.
• Pieris Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (NASDAQ: PIRS) is projected to report quarterly loss at $0.15 per share on revenue of $7.29 million.
• Protalix BioTherapeutics, Inc. (NYSE: PLX) is expected to report quarterly loss at $0.05 per share on revenue of $10.45 million.

Companies Reporting After The Bell

• PFSweb, Inc. (NASDAQ: PFSW) is estimated to post quarterly earnings at $0.24 per share on revenue of $91.03 million.
• Syneos Health, Inc. (NASDAQ:

The bullish case for Facebook, Inc. (NASDAQ: FB)’s stock has come to an end, according to Needham.

The Analyst

Needham’s Laura Martin downgraded Facebook from Buy to Hold with no price target.

The Thesis

Needham’s multi-year bullish stance on Facebook’s stock can no longer be justified for three key reasons, Martin said in a research report. These include:

1. A negative potential impact to financial metrics from the company’s recent strategic shift towards privacy and encrypted messages;
2. Ongoing risks of regulations; and
3. The recent terrorist attack in New Zealand makes it clear “horrific” content can’t be blocked at 100 percent.

These concerns combine to create a “negative network effect” that could serve as a means of destructing shareholder value, according to Martin. This phenomenon already resulted in 11 senior Facebook managers leaving the company, most recently Chief Product Officer Chris Cox.

Additional high-level executive departures at Facebook are likely. An ongoing turnover of important managers serves as another concern for shareholders as employing the best people is a needed competitive advantage of FAANG companies who are competing against each other to drive growth.

Bottom line, Facebook is in a weaker position to “win” if it distracted with continued management turnover and simultaneously navigating through regulatory and headline risk distractions, the analyst wrote.

Price Action

Shares of Facebook were trading lower by 2.5 percent at $161.85 Monday morning.

Related Links:

Bank Of America Lowers Facebook Price Target, Remains ‘Constructive’ On The Stock

Nomura Instinet Upgrades Facebook, Says More Regulation Will Be ‘Net Positive’

Some of the stocks that may grab investor focus today are:

• Wall Street expects Buckle Inc (NYSE: BKE) to report quarterly earnings at $0.85 per share on revenue of $265.46 million before the opening bell. Buckle shares fell 0.4 percent to $18.01 in after-hours trading.
• Adobe Inc (NASDAQ: ADBE) reported stronger-than-expected results for its first quarter, but issued weak earnings outlook for the second quarter. Adobe shares fell 2.6 percent to $260.76 in the after-hours trading session.
• Ulta Beauty Inc (NASDAQ: ULTA) reported better-than-expected earnings and sales for its fourth quarter. Ulta Beauty shares climbed 3.7 percent to $324.14 in the after-hours trading session.
• Analysts are expecting Kirkland’s, Inc. (NASDAQ: KIRK) to have earned $1.02 per share on revenue of $216.13 million in the latest quarter. Kirkland’s will release earnings before the markets open. Kirkland’s shares fell 0.67 percent to close at $10.31 on Thursday.

Find out what’s going on in today’s market and bring any questions you have to Benzinga’s PreMarket Prep.

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• Turtle Beach Corp (NASDAQ: HEAR) reported upbeat earnings for its fourth quarter, but issued weak earnings guidance for first quarter and full year. The company also reported the purchase of PC gaming accessory business ROCCAT for $14.8 million in cash. Turtle Beach shares dropped 12.3 percent to $14.25 in the after-hours trading session.
• Oracle Corporation (NYSE: ORCL) reported better-than-expected earnings for its third quarter. Oracle’s Board of Directors declared a quarterly cash dividend of 24 cents per share of outstanding common stock, reflecting a 26-percent increase over the current quarterly dividend of 19 cents. The company expects Q4 adjusted earnings of $1.05 to $1.09 per share. Oracle shares fell 3.2 percent to $51.38 in the after-hours trading session.
• Analysts expect Diplomat Pharmacy, Inc. (NYSE: DPLO) to report quarterly earnings at $0.23 per share on revenue of $1.41 billion before the opening bell. Diplomat Pharmacy shares fell 0.2 percent to $6.41 in after-hours trading.
• Zumiez Inc. (NASDAQ: ZUMZ) reported upbeat earnings for its fourth quarter, while sales missed estimates. The company issued weak guidance for the first quarter. Zumiez shares dipped 8.6 percent to $21.65 in the after-hours trading session.

Dollar General Corp. (NYSE: DG) reported fourth-quarter results Thursday that disappointed investors, and the dollar store chain’s 2019 guidance implies heavier investments than previously expected. 

Nevertheless, two Street analysts continue recommending investors be buyers of shares of one of the largest discount retailers in the U.S. 

The Analysts

Raymond James’ Dan Wewer maintains a Strong Buy rating on Dollar General with an unchanged $127 price target.

KeyBanc Capital Markets’ Bradley Thomas maintains at Overweight, unchanged $125 price target.

Raymond James: Multiple Bullish Themes

Dollar General showed 4-percent same-store sales growth in the fourth quarter, more than twice the 1.4 percent rival Family Dollar showed within Dollar Tree, Inc. (NASDAQ: DLTR)’s earnings report, Wewer said in a Thursday note.

Dollar General’s superior same-store sales profile stems from its real estate and footprint growth, as the company added 900 new stores, remodeled 1,050 stores and relocated 115 others, the analyst said. The maturation of these projects added nearly 2 percent to same-store sales growth, he said. 

Promotional activity contributed to disappointing gross margin performance in the fourth quarter, but Dollar General said it generated “sticky relationships” that are likely to result in market share gains, Wewer said. The company should be able to gain market share in fiscal 2019 without the need to be aggressive in promotional activity, he said. 

The retailer said it will continue investing in a fresh and frozen offering and improve labor productivity in stores and warehouses, the analyst said. These initiatives will likely negatively impact profit in fiscal 2019, but become accretive in fiscal 2020, he said. 

Related Link: How Should Investors Play Dollar Tree After The Q3 Report?

KeyBanc: Long-Term Story

Dollar General’s earnings report showed an increase in average transaction size and traffic, Thomas said in a Thursday note.

Overall sales rose 8.5 percent from last year, but the operating margin fell 57 basis points to 9.6 percent and missed expectations of 10 percent, the analyst said. 

Despite a mixed fourth-quarter report and disappointing fiscal 2019 guidance, Dollar General remains one of the few retailers that offer convenience and value, Thomas said. The company’s investments in the future should put it in a position where it can drive revenue and EPS growth for the long-term, he said.

The company’s track

Companies Reporting Before The Bell

• Genesco Inc. (NYSE: GCO) is projected to report quarterly earnings at $2.33 per share on revenue of $914.35 million.
• Dollar General Corporation (NYSE: DG) is expected to report quarterly earnings at $1.88 per share on revenue of $6.60 billion.
• Hudson Ltd. (NYSE: HUD) is estimated to report quarterly earnings at $0.15 per share on revenue of $469.01 million.
• Uxin Limited (NASDAQ: UXIN) is expected to report quarterly loss at $0.1 per share on revenue of $158.63 million.
• LexinFintech Holdings Ltd. (NASDAQ: LX) is estimated to report quarterly earnings at $0.23 per share on revenue of $314.26 million.
• Sprague Resources LP (NYSE: SRLP) is projected to report quarterly earnings at $0.69 per share on revenue of $1.10 billion.
• PPDAI Group Inc. (NYSE: PPDF) is expected to report quarterly earnings at $0.23 per share on revenue of $163.90 million.
• RadNet, Inc. (NASDAQ: RDNT) is projected to report quarterly earnings at $0.18 per share on revenue of $248.20 million.
• KNOT Offshore Partners LP (NYSE: KNOP) is estimated to report quarterly earnings at $0.52 per share on revenue of $60.09 million.
• Smart Sand, Inc. (NASDAQ: SND) is projected to report quarterly earnings at $0.14 per share on revenue of $48.33 million.
• Ampco-Pittsburgh Corporation (NYSE: AP) is expected to report quarterly loss at $0.42 per share on revenue of $110.00 million.
• Cannae Holdings, Inc. (NYSE: CNNE) is projected to report quarterly loss at $0.09 per share on revenue of $324.00 million.
• BioScrip, Inc. (NASDAQ: BIOS) is estimated to report quarterly loss at $0.03 per share on revenue of $188.41 million.
• Natural Gas Services Group, Inc. (NYSE: NGS) is projected to report quarterly earnings at $0.02 per share on revenue of $17.26 million.

Companies Reporting After The Bell

• Oracle Corporation (NYSE: ORCL) is projected to post quarterly earnings at $0.84 per share on revenue of $9.61 billion.
• Adobe Inc. (NASDAQ: ADBE) is expected to post quarterly earnings at $1.61 per share on revenue of $2.55 billion.
• Jabil Inc. (NYSE:

American Express Company (NYSE: AXP) is up 17 percent year to date, and its optimism for a strong 2019 certainly made an impression at this week’s Investor Day.

The Ratings

Guggenheim analyst Jeff Cantwell maintained a Neutral rating on the stock, while Wells Fargo analyst Donald Fandetti maintained an Outperform rating with a $125 price target.

The Theses

Both analysts consider American Express well positioned for consistent, double-digit bottom-line growth. For one, it boasts strong international momentum and posted 17-percent growth in its consumer billed business and 23 percent growth among small- and medium-sized international enterprises last year.

“AXP is the top small business issuer in the US, and they are seeing strong international growth in that segment,” Fandetti wrote in a note.

Management continues to target overseas growth by investing in commercial distribution, digital services, consumer products and integrated network expansion.

Additionally, the firm is poised to profit from its recent emphasis on digital services as it shifts focus from “cards” to “membership.” The priority bears sales and growth opportunities only strengthened by marketing gains.

“Given this dynamic and AXP’s strong brand, we see the company having plenty of ability to sustain high rates of revenue growth,” Cantwell wrote. “We expect this will be underpinned by AXP’s quality partnerships, good investments, and an increasing level of engagement from customers.”

Guggenheim sees promise in American Express’s partnerships with Apple Inc. (NASDAQ: AAPL), Square Inc (NYSE: SQ), Stripe, PayPal Holdings Inc (NASDAQ: PYPL), GreenSky Inc (NASDAQ: GSKY) and, most significantly, Amazon.com, Inc. (NASDAQ: AMZN).

“Given that Amazon operates in 13 countries, we think it’s possible that AXP and Amazon eventually expand their partnership into new markets in the future,” Cantwell wrote.

Anticipated integration with PayPal and Venmo could give card members first industry access to person-to-person payments.

Price Action

At time of publication, shares traded flat at $112.30.

Related Links:

Analysts React After American Express Rings Up Q4 EPS, Sales Miss

Fintech APIs Consolidate As Plaid Buys Quovo In $200M Deal

Gainers

• ENDRA Life Sciences Inc. (NASDAQ: NDRA) shares climbed 38.95 percent to close at $2.64 on Tuesday after reporting full-year 2018 earnings of $(2.17), up from $(1.95) in 2017.
• HyreCar Inc. (NASDAQ: HYRE) gained 28.39 percent to close at $7.10.
• SAExploration Holdings, Inc. (NASDAQ: SAEX) rose 26.49 percent to close at $4.87.
• Stitch Fix, Inc. (NASDAQ: SFIX) climbed 25.2 percent to close at $33.78 after the company reported stronger-than-expected results for its second quarter on Monday.
• ASLAN Pharmaceuticals Limited (NASDAQ: ASLN) rose 24.08 percent to close at $4.38.
• Key Energy Services, Inc. (NYSE: KEG) gained 20.91 percent to close at $3.99.
• Seelos Therapeutics, Inc. (NASDAQ: SEEL) shares surged 20.31 percent to close at $3.85 on Tuesday after dropping 5.60 percent on Monday.
• Chaparral Energy, Inc. (NYSE: CHAP) gained 20 percent to close at $5.40.
• Sphere 3D Corp. (NASDAQ: ANY) shares rose 19.07 percent to close at $2.81.
• Jounce Therapeutics, Inc. (NASDAQ: JNCE) climbed 18.58 percent to close at $6.51.
• Dova Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (NASDAQ: DOVA) gained 17.48 percent to close at $9.34.
• Mersana Therapeutics, Inc. (NASDAQ: MRSN) rose 16.86 percent to close at $5.13.
• Stemline Therapeutics, Inc. (NASDAQ: STML) gained 16.83 percent to close at $12.91.
• Navios Maritime Holdings Inc. (NYSE: NM) surged 15.83 percent to close at $2.78.
• Ocean Power Technologies, Inc. (NASDAQ: OPTT) shares rose 14.38 percent to close at $7.00 after signing a Master Service Contract with a leading offshore oil and gas operator.
• Intelligent Systems Corporation (NYSE: INS) shares gained 13.76 percent to close at $27.53.
• Switch, Inc. (NYSE: SWCH) climbed 12.85 percent to close at $9.31.
• RumbleON, Inc. (NASDAQ: RMBL) shares gained 12.68 percent to close at $5.51.
• Internap Corporation (NASDAQ: INAP) jumped 12.26 percent to close at $5.95.
• ION Geophysical Corporation (NYSE: IO) gained 12.03 percent to close at $14.81.
• Momo Inc. (NASDAQ: MOMO) rose 11.95 percent to close at $36.44 after the company reported higher-than-expected Q4 EPS and sales.
• Eidos Therapeutics, Inc. (NASDAQ: EIDX) gained 11.39 percent to close at $19.36.
• Aldeyra Therapeutics, Inc. (NASDAQ:

Bernstein is bullish on the prospects for CVS Health Corp (NYSE: CVS), notwithstanding the headwinds facing pharmacy benefit managers, or PBMs, given the likelihood that the bulk of prescriptions may ultimately move online.

The Analyst

Analyst Lance Wilkes initiated coverage of CVS Health with an Outperform and $76 price target, suggesting 41-percent upside.

The Thesis

Bernstein attributed its positive outlook to a low valuation, balanced near-term earnings growth and long-term prospects for Aetna and a care delivery at retail strategy.

CVS’ stock price does not reflect Aetna’s solid managed care organization business and the long-term value of a retail care delivery strategy, Wilkes said in the Tuesday initiation note.

That said, the valuation already reflects potential shocks to PBM margins and a future deterioration in the retail business, the analyst said. 

Bernstein expects 6-percent Aetna earnings growth, helped by 9-percent top-line growth and offset partly by margin compression from the mix shift.

Wilkes said he believes CVS/AET will have leading capability in value-based care, although he expects $10 billion of capital deployment to be made over the next five to seven years to build the capability.

CVS/Aetna is a likely long-term winner in healthcare, the analyst said. 

In the retail pharmacy business, Bernstein expects stable volume growth but compressed volumes as CVS runs both online and offline platforms.

For the PBM business, the firm forecasts flat earnings, although a downside scenario suggests a 40-percent decline in earnings.

The Price Action

CVS shares were trading up 3.92 percent to $56.80 at the time of publication Wednesday. 

Related Links:

Raymond James: CVS A Strong Buy Despite Pricing Headwinds

Amazon’s PillPack Acquisition: What It Means For The Tech Giant And Everybody Else

Photo by IlliniGradResearch/Wikimedia. 

Gainers

• Melinta Therapeutics Inc (NASDAQ: MLNT) shares are up 16 percent after reporting a fourth-quarter earnings beat. Earnings came in at $(3.94), beating estimates by 39 cents. Sales came in at $35.489 million, beating estimates by $18.589 million.
• Stein Mart, Inc. (NASDAQ: SMRT) shares are up 3 percent following a fourth-quarter sales beat. Adjusted earnings came in at 7 cents per share, down from 8 cents per share in the same quarter of last year. Sales came in at $340.847 million, beating estimates by $55.45 million. The company sees full-year 2019 comp sales flat to up low single digits.

Losers

• Tailored Brands Inc (NYSE: TLRD) shares are down 10 percent after reporting a fourth-quarter sales miss. Adjusted earnings came in at $(0.28), beating estimates by a penny. Sales came in at $785.761 million, missing estimates by $15.47 million.
• Cloudera Inc (NYSE: CLDR) shares are down 11 percent after reporting a fourth-quarter earnings miss. Earnings came in at $(0.15), missing estimates by 4 cents. Sales came in at $144.5 million, beating estimates by $23.43 million. The company issued weak first-quarter and full-year 2020 earnings guidance.
• Kingstone Companies Inc (NASDAQ: KINS) shares are down 5 percent after reporting a fourth-quarter earnings miss. Earnings came in at 8 cents per share, which may not compare to the 28 cents per share estimate. Net written premiums came in at $32.03 million, up from $24.16 million year over year.

Gainers

• Globus Maritime Limited (NASDAQ: GLBS) shares gained 92.34 percent to close at $8.54 on Monday after surging 33.94 percent on Friday.
• Bio-Path Holdings, Inc. (NASDAQ: BPTH) shares jumped 54.48 percent to close at $32.44.
• Organogenesis Holdings Inc. (NASDAQ: ORGO) rose 37.7 percent to close at $10.19.
• Yatra Online, Inc. (NASDAQ: YTRA) gained 30.79 percent to close at $4.97 after Ebix offered to acquire the company for $7 per share.
• DropCar, Inc. (NASDAQ: DCAR) shares rose 27.35 percent to close at $4.05.
• Seres Therapeutics, Inc. (NASDAQ: MCRB) shares gained 24.85 percent to close at $6.38 on Monday after reporting microbiome immuno-oncology focused collaboration with AstraZeneca.
• PolarityTE, Inc. (NASDAQ: PTE) gained 22.25 percent to close at $16.43 after Piper Jaffray noted the FDA has closed an inspection concerning the company with no action taken.
• Tonix Pharmaceuticals Holding Corp (NASDAQ: TNXP) gained 20.36 percent to close at $3.37 after the company enrolled its first participant in its phase 3 ‘RECOVERY’ trial, testing Tonmya for the treatment of PTSD.
• Navios Maritime Holdings Inc. (NYSE: NM) rose 20 percent to close at $2.40.
• Intelligent Systems Corporation (NYSE: INS) gained 19.51 percent to close at $24.20
• USA Technologies, Inc. (NASDAQ: USAT) shares gained 17.6 percent to close at $4.01.
• Village Farms International, Inc. (NASDAQ: VFF) climbed 15.6 percent to close at $13.71.
• Forterra, Inc. (NASDAQ: FRTA) climbed 15.45 percent to close at $5.08 following Q4 results.
• Luxfer Holdings PLC (NYSE: LXFR) shares climbed 15.08 percent to close at $20.68. Luxfer Holdings and Neo Performance Materials mutually agreed to terminate acquisition agreement.
• Huttig Building Products, Inc. (NASDAQ: HBP) gained 14.8 percent to close at $2.79.
• Axovant Sciences Ltd. (NASDAQ: AXGT) rose 14.19 percent to close at $1.69 after the company’s AXO-AAV-GM2 gene therapy showed no serious adverse events in a Tay-Sachs patient and was well tolerated. Patient condition was stable from baseline to month 3.
• Waitr Holdings Inc. (NASDAQ: WTRH) rose 14.04 percent to close at $12.75.
• Atlas Financial Holdings, Inc. (NASDAQ: AFH) climbed 13.45 percent to close at $2.70.
• Fuwei Films (Holdings) Co., Ltd.