By Peter Nurse
Investing.com -- Stocks in focus in premarket trade on Thursday, April 29th. Please refresh for updates.
Apple (NASDAQ:AAPL) stock rose 2.7% after the tech giant reported better-than-expected first-quarter results, with revenue hitting a record high following a surge in services and iPhones growth. The company also said it would increase its existing share buyback program by $90 billion.
Facebook (NASDAQ:FB) stock rose 7.5% after the world’s largest social network beat expectations for both quarterly revenue and profit, with a surge in digital ad spending during the pandemic when consumers shopped online, along with higher ad prices, resulting in revenue soaring 48%.
Caterpillar (NYSE:CAT) stock rose 1.4% after the heavy equipment maker reported a rise in adjusted first-quarter profit, as equipment demand picked up after a pandemic-led slump last year. The company also warned it may not meet production forecasts this year due to the global chip shortage.
Merck (NYSE:MRK) stock fell 1.9% after the drugmaker reported a fall in quarterly profit, hurt by a drop in visits to the doctor's office because of a resurgence in U.S. Covid-19 cases at the beginning of the year.
Comcast (NASDAQ:CMCSA) stock rose 2.8% after the media giant beat quarterly expectations, thanks to strong growth in broadband and wireless phone customers.
Kraft Heinz (NASDAQ:KHC) stock rose 1% after the food retailer easily beat first-quarter revenue and profit expectations as demand for snacks and packaged meals held up in a quarter dominated by lockdowns.
Ford (NYSE:F) stock fell 3.7% after the automaker reported a strong first-quarter profit but said the global semiconductor shortage may slash second-quarter production by half.
Nokia (NYSE:NOK) ADR rose over 17% after the Finnish telecom network equipment maker reported better-than-expected first-quarter revenue and profit, helped by a growth in sales of 5G equipment.
Ebay (NASDAQ:EBAY) stock fell 8% after the e-commerce giant revealed disappointing second-quarter guidance despite its first quarter benefiting from a pandemic-induced surge in online shopping.
Qualcomm (NASDAQ:QCOM) stock rose 5.5% after the chipmaker reported a 52% rise in revenue on strong smartphone demand and raised its guidance for handset shipments this year.
Verizon (NYSE:VZ) stock rose 0.3% after the Wall Street Journal reported that the telecommunications giant is exploring a sale of its media assets, including Yahoo and AOL.
MGM Resorts (NYSE:MGM) stock 1.5% after CEO Bill Hornbuckle talks about signs of recovery in the gaming industry, seeing the company’s Las Vegas properties operating at pre-pandemic levels in the first half of 2022.
Shell (LON:RDSa) ADR rose 1.2% after the U.K.-based oil major reduced its debt burden in the first quarter, lifted its dividend and beat profit expectations due to the recovery in global oil and gas markets.
Moderna (NASDAQ:MRNA) stock rose 1.9% after the drugmaker said its Covid-19 vaccine can remain stable at temperatures found in refrigerators for three months, citing new data.
- Mastercard (NYSE:MA) stock rose 1.1% after first-quarter net profit came in ahead of expectations even as it fell 5.6% from last year, mainly driven by a steep decline in cross-border spending on its cards because of a slump in international travel.
- McDonald’s (NYSE:MCD) stock rose 0.4% after the fast food giant beat estimates for comparable sales and returned to pre-pandemic levels of growth as the easing of Covid-19 restrictions in a number of its largest markets revived customer traffic at restaurants.
- Domino’s Pizza (NYSE:DPZ) stock fell 1.2% after missing quarterly estimates as demand for its pizzas weakened after coronavirus-led restrictions were eased in the United States.