Stocks Fly High: Hershey, Apple, and More Companies Making Morning Headlines

New York City, NY – Several companies saw their stocks move significantly during pre-market trading on Friday. Hershey’s stock went up by about 1% after reporting better-than-expected first-quarter earnings. The company’s adjusted earnings per share of $3.07 surpassed analysts’ expectations of $2.76 per share. Moreover, Hershey’s revenue of $3.25 billion exceeded the consensus estimate of $3.11 billion.

Tech giant Apple also experienced a significant increase, with its stock jumping more than 7% after announcing plans to repurchase $110 billion of its own stock. Apple reported fiscal second-quarter earnings of $1.53 per share, surpassing expectations, and generating $90.75 billion in revenue. The company’s strong performance beat analysts’ estimates.

Biotech firm Amgen saw its shares soar by 13% following an earnings and revenue beat in the first quarter. The company announced plans to advance with its injectable obesity drug into a phase 3 trial. In contrast, shares of Novo Nordisk and Eli Lilly traded lower on Friday morning.

On the other hand, Cloudflare’s stock continued to decline, plunging 12% after issuing weak full-year guidance, despite posting a first-quarter earnings and revenue beat. Similarly, Expedia’s shares fell by 11% after the company provided lower-than-expected guidance for the fiscal second quarter, citing challenges in its Vrbo segment.

Security stock Fortinet experienced an 8% decline after its second-quarter billings forecast fell short of analysts’ expectations. However, the company surpassed analyst expectations for the first quarter. Payment services provider Block saw its shares rise by 9% following the reporting of higher-than-expected first-quarter adjusted earnings and revenue.

Furthermore, healthcare provider DaVita saw a nearly 5% increase in its stock after surpassing analysts’ expectations for adjusted first-quarter earnings and revenue. Moreover, Arista Networks gained almost 4% following an upgrade of the stock to a buy rating by Jefferies. Finally, the struggling railroad operator Union Pacific saw its shares rise by more than 1% after being upgraded to buy from hold by Stifel.

Car wash stock Mister Car Wash also experienced a 4% increase following an upgrade to overweight by JPMorgan. Analysts cited attractive valuation and visibility into improving trends as catalysts for the stock. Overall, these companies showed a mix of positive and negative movements in the pre-market trading session.