Here’s a look at the companies making headlines before the close: Ford Motor Co. — The automaker’s shares fell 2.1% after Jefferies downgraded the stock to underperform from hold. The company cited concerns about excess inventory and valuations. Honeywell — Shares of Honeywell rose 3% in premarket trading after the industry giant said its board of directors is exploring the possibility of spinning off its aerospace unit. Super Micro Computer – Shares of Super Micro Computer fell nearly 14% after Bloomberg reported Friday that the data center company has hired investment bank Evercore ISI to help it raise equity and debt capital. Previously, AMD missed deadlines for filing annual and quarterly financial reports. Concerns are now growing that the company could be delisted from Nasdaq, despite assurances from CEO Tony Leung that this will not happen. Microchip – The semiconductor products stock fell 2.5% after Bank of America downgraded its rating to underperform from neutral. MicroStrategy — Bitcoin proxy shares rose 3.8% after Nasdaq announced it would join the tech-heavy Nasdaq 100 index. Axon — Shares of the weapons maker rose nearly 3% on news that the stock will join the Nasdaq 100 later this month. Keysight Technologies — Shares of the electronics maker rose 2% after JPMorgan upgraded the company to “overweight” from “neutral.” The bank cited the broader cyclical recovery and Keysight Technologies’ acquisition of Spirent as catalysts, which should provide the company with greater leverage and a strong pace of margin improvement. Micron Technology — Shares rose nearly 4%. The semiconductor manufacturing company reported quarterly earnings after the bell on Wednesday. JPMorgan said in a report on Monday that it expected strong results. Broadcom — Shares of the semiconductor company rose 3% and were expected to extend the previous session’s sharp gains. On Friday, Broadcom announced better-than-expected fourth-quarter results, its stock price soared more than 24%, and its market value exceeded US$1 trillion for the first time. Capri Holdings — Shares of Capri Holdings rose 3.3% after Women’s Wear Daily reported the retail company is working with Barclays to find potential buyers for its Versace and Jimmy Choo brands. —CNBC’s Lisa Kailai Han, Yun Li, Michelle Fox and Pia Singh contributed reporting.
