Check out the companies making headlines before the market opens. Applied Materials — The semiconductor equipment maker provided weak revenue guidance for the quarter, sending its shares down more than 8%. Applied Materials said it expected fiscal first-quarter revenue of $7.15 billion, below the $7.224 billion expected by analysts surveyed by LSEG. The company also reported better-than-expected fiscal fourth-quarter results and provided a strong outlook for adjusted earnings per share. Alibaba – The Chinese e-commerce giant’s shares rose more than 3% after its fiscal second-quarter profit beat expectations, but its sales disappointed as the company continues to grapple with weak consumer spending in China. Thanks to its equity investment performance, Alibaba’s net profit increased by 58% annually. LSEG data showed that its revenue was 236.5 billion yuan, an annual increase of 5%, but lower than analysts’ expectations of 238.9 billion yuan. Moderna — Following news that prominent vaccine skeptic Robert F. Kennedy Jr. was announced as President-elect Donald Trump’s nominee to be secretary of the Department of Health and Human Services, the Shares of the biotech company fell 1.8%, continuing their decline since Thursday. Domino’s Pizza, Pool Corp. — Warren Buffett’s Berkshire Hathaway announced in a regulatory filing that it is increasing its stake in Domino’s. Shares of the pizza chain rose about 6%. Berkshire Hathaway purchased more than 1.2 million shares, valuing the investment at approximately $550 million at the end of September. Pool Corp. also rose 6% after the group bought about 404,000 shares of the swimming pool supplier, worth $152 million at the end of the period. Ulta Beauty — Shares fell 5% after Berkshire Hathaway revealed in a regulatory filing that it has all but eliminated its position in the beauty retailer, selling about 97% of its shares. Ulta is a new bet for Berkshire Hathaway, which just bought the stock in the second quarter. Palantir — Shares of Palantir rose more than 2% after the defense technology company said it would move its listing from the New York Stock Exchange to the Nasdaq Global Select Market. The company said it expects to be eligible to join the Nasdaq 100 once converted. —CNBC’s Jesse Pound, Lisa Kailai Han and Pia Singh contributed reporting
