Here’s a look at the companies making headlines before the close: Novo Nordisk — Shares of Novo Nordisk rose 6.6% after the Danish pharmaceutical company reported positive Phase 1 trial data for its new experimental obesity drug doxorubicin. The company’s U.S. rival Eli Lilly (Eli Lilly) fell 0.7% on the news. Nvidia — Semiconductor companies were higher across the board, with the VanEck Semiconductor ETF up 1.5% in pre-market trading. Nvidia shares rose 1.8% after Mizuho said the stock could rise to $1,000. Micron Technology shares rose 3.9% after Stifel upgraded the semiconductor company to buy from hold and raised its price target. Broadcom shares rose 1.9%. Intel shares rose 1.7%. Kroger — Shares of Kroger rose 6% after the supermarket chain reported better-than-expected fourth-quarter profit. Excluding certain items, the company earned $1.34 per share. Analysts surveyed by London Stock Exchange Group (LSEG) expected profits of $1.13 per share. Revenue of $37.06 billion was slightly lower than expected. American Eagle Outfitters — Shares of American Eagle Outfitters rose 13% after the apparel retailer reported fourth-quarter results that beat analysts’ expectations. American Eagle Outfitters, excluding items, earned 61 cents per share on revenue of $1.68 billion. Analysts expected profits of 50 cents per share on revenue of $1.67 billion, according to LSEG. Tesla – Shares of Tesla fell 2% in premarket trading, putting the electric car maker on track for a further 12% decline this week. On Thursday, Citi maintained its hold rating on the stock, saying it would wait for “a more attractive entry point.” New York Community Bancorp — Shares of New York Community Bancorp rose 3% after the regional bank released its latest financial data. NYCB reported deposits of $77.2 billion as of March 5, down from $83 billion on February 5. Victoria’s Secret — Shares of Victoria’s Secret plunged 29% in one day after the retailer issued disappointing first-quarter and full-year guidance. Victoria’s Secret forecast full-year revenue of $6 billion, below the $6.2 billion expected by analysts polled by FactSet. Adjusted operating income guidance also missed expectations. —CNBC’s Michelle Fox, Hakyung Kim, Jesse Pond and Pia Singh contributed reporting. Correction: New York community bank deposits on February 5 were $83 billion. A previous version incorrectly described this number.
