Check out the companies making headlines before the bell. Dollar Tree – Shares of the discount retailer rose nearly 2% after JPMorgan upgraded them to overweight from neutral. The bank cited higher profitability and a larger overall addressable market as potential tailwinds. American Airlines – The airline's shares rose 1.5% after Citi upgraded the rating to “Buy” from Neutral. “The diversified revenue streams and solid demand for premium cabin offerings appear to provide North American network airlines with superior positioning in this post-pandemic environment,” wrote analyst Stephen Trent. Flywire – The fintech stock rose 4% in light trading after Morgan Stanley upgraded the stock to overweight. The bank expressed confidence that Flywire can maintain growth rates. Beam Therapeutics – Shares rose 5.5% after JPMorgan upgraded the biotech company to overweight from neutral. The bank recognized the stock's trading price as an attractive entry point, particularly given the company's strong balance sheet, optimized pipeline and BEAM-302 gene therapy, which could capture a $12 billion commercial opportunity. Zim Integrated Shipping Services – Shares of the international shipping company rose 9% after Jefferies upgraded the stock to buy from hold. “ZIM’s high spot, cost and leverage platform was a major concern during a period of low freight rates, but with spot rates rising, it now offers significant upside potential,” wrote analyst Omar Nokta. Hershey – Chocolate stock rose 1.4% after being upgraded to outperform versus market at AllianceBernstein. The investment firm cited tailwinds such as increasing market share and volume trends, continued strong sales growth and an attractive valuation as catalysts for change. Warner Bros. Discovery – Shares fell 1.6% after Wells Fargo downgraded the media and entertainment company to Equal Weight from Overweight. Analyst Steven Cahall cited higher depreciation, a less favorable M&A environment and ad migration as reasons for the flattening of the multiple. Albemarle – Shares of the chemical company fell about 1% after TD Cowen downgraded Albemarle to Market Perform from Outperform. The investment firm said the company is struggling with cash flow uncertainty and needs a recovery in lithium prices. Builders FirstSource – The building materials maker rose 2% after Bank of America upgraded the stock to “buy” from “neutral.” “BLDR is best positioned in our coverage for stronger single-family home starts, a potential increase in lumber prices and the shift by homebuilders toward more value-added services,” analyst Rafe Jadrosich wrote in a note to clients. Bloom Energy – The green energy company fell nearly 6% after Bank of America downgraded its stock to “underperform” from “neutral.” Analyst Julien Dumoulin-Smith cited the expectation that sales would stagnate in 2023 to 2025 instead of increasing previously as the reason for the change. Koninklijke Philips – U.S.-listed shares of the Netherlands-based health technology company fell 6.9% after both profit and revenue fell short of fourth-quarter expectations of analysts surveyed by FactSet. The company also said it had reached an agreement with the Food and Drug Administration on a ventilator recall. ZoomInfo Technologies – The software stock rose 5.5% after Bank of America analyst Koji Ikeda upgraded it to “buy” from “neutral.” “We believe it's a classic self-help story that will outperform,” the analyst wrote, highlighting the company's renewed acceleration in revenue growth and new AI products as potential catalysts. McGrath RentCorp – Shares of McGrath RentCorp rose more than 9% after WillScot Mobile Mini, an equipment rental company, announced it would acquire the business-to-business rental company in a cash and stock transaction valued at $3.8 billion. dollars to buy. — CNBC's Michelle Fox, Alexander Harring, Sarah Min and Jesse Pound contributed reporting.
