Here is what you need to know.
LinkedIn blew past estimates. The business-oriented social-networking service earned an adjusted $0.55 per share, easily surpassing the Wall Street estimate of $0.33. Revenue soared 33.3% to $712 million, topping the $679.80 million that was expected. LinkedIn's bottom line received a boost from lynda.com, which it acquired for $1.5 billion in April. The stock initially surged by more than 14% as the results crossed the wires but ended the conference call down by close to 5% as the results were digested.
Amgen beat on the top and bottom lines. The biotech giant announced adjusted earnings of $2.57 per share, which easily beat the $2.42 that was expected. Revenue edged up 3.7% to $5.37 billion, exceeding the Wall Street forecast of $5.32 billion. Amgen raised its full-year adjusted earnings forecast to $9.55 to $9.80 per share, up from $9.35 to $9.65. "We are on track to deliver on our long-term objectives for patients and shareholders," CEO Robert Bradway said in a statement.
Coca-Cola Enterprises is in merger talks. The bottling company is in talks with Coca-Cola Iberian Partners and Germany's Coca-Cola Erfrischungsgetränke for a possible three-way merger. According to The Wall Street Journal, a combination of the bottlers would "further a push by the US soda giant to consolidate its bottlers around the world and lower costs."
The new Apple TV is coming. BuzzFeed's John Paczkowski reports the new Apple TV will be unveiled in September, at the same event that usually reveals the new iPhone. The updated Apple TV will include a slimmed-down version and new remote, as well as a faster processor and more memory.
The Swiss National Bank lost a ton of money. The SNB reported a loss of 51 billion Swiss francs ($51.79 billion) in the first half of 2015. The huge loss was a result of the central bank removing its policy that capped the franc's value against the euro. "The SNB's financial result depends largely on developments in the gold, foreign exchange, and capital markets," the central bank said in a statement. "Strong fluctuations are therefore to be expected, and only provisional conclusions are possible as regards the annual result." The Swiss franc is up 0.7% at .9622 per dollar.
China is investigating short-sellers. The China Securities Regulatory Commission is asking foreign and locally owned brokerage houses in Singapore and Hong Kong to turn over trading records as its investigation into the drop in its stock market continues. "The implied threat by the CSRC is that anything that is not a hedge is a no-no," an unidentified source told Reuters. The Shanghai Composite is down 29% from its June 12 high.
Japanese consumer prices tick higher. Core CPI ticked up 0.1% year-over-year in June, slightly outpacing the 0.0% reading that was expected. The more closely followed Tokyo Core CPI, however, slipped 0.1% on year, missing its 0.0% consensus. The stagnant readings reflect the difficulty Bank of Japan governor Haruhiko Kuroda faces in reaching the central bank's 2% inflation target. Household spending was also released, slumping 2.0% compared with last year, which was well short of the up 2% print that was expected. The Japanese yen is stronger by 0.1% at 124.24 per dollar.
Stock markets around the globe are mixed. Overnight, Hong Kong's Hang Seng (+0.6%) outperformed while China's Shanghai Composite (-1.1%) lagged. In Europe, Spain's IBEX (-0.5%) leads a mixed session lower. S&P 500 futures are down 1.75 points at 2,102.00.
US economic data flows. The Employment Cost Index is due out at 8:30 a.m. ET and is followed by Chicago PMI at 9:45 a.m. ET and University of Michigan Consumer Sentiment - Final at 10 a.m. ET. The US 10-year yield is up 1 basis point at 2.27%.
Earnings reports flow ahead of the open. ArcelorMittal, Exxon Mobil, Honda Motor, and Phillips 66 highlight the names scheduled to report ahead of the opening bell.
