By Peter Nurse
Investing.com -- Stocks in focus in premarket trade on Wednesday, April 21st. Please refresh for updates.
Netflix (NASDAQ:NFLX) stock fell 8.5% after the streaming giant reported a dramatic slowdown in subscriber growth in the first quarter, with just under 4 million people signing up from January through March, below the 6.25 million expected. The company also estimated it will add just 1 million new streaming customers in the second quarter, while analysts had expected a forecast of nearly 4.8 million.
Verizon (NYSE:VZ) stock fell 0.5% after the telecommunications giant lost more wireless subscribers than expected, to the tune of 178,000 wireless phone subscribers, during the first quarter as it faced intense competition from its rivals.
Nasdaq (NASDAQ:NDAQ) stock rose 1% after the stock exchange operator beat quarterly expectations, helped by double-digit increases in equity and fixed income trading revenue. The company also announced a 10% dividend increase.
Welbilt (NYSE:WBT) stock soared 18% after the maker of professional foodservice equipment agreed to being taken over by rival Middleby (NASDAQ:MIDD), down 6.5%, in an all-stock transaction with an implied value of $4.3 billion.
Interactive Brokers (NASDAQ:IBKR) stock rose 2.1% after the brokerage firm posted better-than-expected first-quarter results on higher customer trading volumes within an active trading environment worldwide.
Tenet Healthcare (NYSE:THC) stock rose 3% after the company reported stronger-than-expected quarterly earnings and increased its FY 2021 outlook.
Intuitive Surgical (NASDAQ:ISRG) stock rose 3.9% after the surgical-robotics equipment firm beat quarterly expectations, reporting a return to double-digit growth for procedures using its da Vinci robotic surgery system.
Procter & Gamble (NYSE:PG) stock fell 0.4% after Citigroup (NYSE:C) downgraded its investment stance on the consumer staples giant to ‘neutral’ from ‘buy’ after its earnings report, saying the company faces tough spring and summer quarters.
Norwegian Cruise Line (NYSE:NCLH) stock rose 2.2% after Goldman Sachs (NYSE:GS) upgraded its stance to ‘buy’ from ‘neutral’, saying the cruise operator is best positioned to benefit from the industry’s restart, when it arrives.
CSX (NASDAQ:CSX) stock fell 0.1% after the railroad operator’s first-quarter profit declined 8%, hurt by frigid polar vortex temperatures, ongoing pandemic disruptions and higher fuel costs.
GameStop (NYSE:GME) stock rose 1.3% after Reuters reported that CEO George Sherman will receive a windfall of just under $180 million when he steps down at the end of June thanks to a deal that was inflated by this year's dramatic meme stock rally.
Anthem (NYSE:ANTM) stock rose 1.3% after the health insurer posted a 9.3% rise in first-quarter profit, helped mainly by higher revenue from its unit that includes its pharmacy benefits management business.
- ASML (NASDAQ:ASML) ADR rose 3.9% after the Dutch chip maker reported stronger than expected first-quarter sales and margins, reflecting the extreme tightness in the global market for semiconductors.
Heineken (OTC:HEINY) (OTC:HKHHY) rose 2.3% after the world’s second-largest brewer’s trading update pointed to better-than-expected beer volumes for the first quarter, with sharp growth in Africa and Asia.
Ericsson (BS:ERICAs) (NASDAQ:ERIC) ADR rose 4.1% after the Swedish telecoms company announced an organic sales uplift of 10% in the first quarter, continuing to cash in on the momentum surrounding 5G.