Before the bell, take a look at the firms that are making news: Morgan Stanley (MS) – Morgan Stanley’s second-quarter earnings of $1.85 per share surpassed expectations by 20 cents, while revenue also exceeded expectations, thanks to an increase in investment banking activity. Morgan Stanley’s stock slid 1.6 percent in premarket trading despite the beat. American International Group (AIG) – AIG stock rose 5% in premarket trading after the company announced a $2.2 billion deal to sell a 9.9% stake in its life insurance and retirement services segment to Blackstone (BX). Blackstone will handle an initial $50 billion in assets underpinning AIG’s life insurance policies and annuities, escalating to over $100 billion over the next six years, according to the agreement. AMC Entertainment (AMC) – The movie theater operator’s stock slumped 6.2 percent in the premarket after falling for the fourth day in a row and the eighth time in nine sessions on Wednesday. The slide was capped by a 15% decline in yesterday’s session, bringing the overall loss to around 41% in that period. UnitedHealth Group (UNH) – The health insurer’s second-quarter profit fell by more than a third year on year as people started elective medical care that had been put off due to the epidemic. UnitedHealth, on the other hand, outperformed expectations on both the top and bottom lines, earning an adjusted $4.70 per share vs a consensus forecast of $4.43. Bank of NY Mellon (BK) – Bank of NY Mellon’s quarterly earnings of $1.13 per share and revenue surpassed expectations by 13 cents. The company’s board of directors has approved the repurchase of up to $6 billion in common stock. Truist Financial (TFC) – The bank formed by SunTrust and BB&T’s merger in 2019 posted an adjusted quarterly profit of $1.55 per share, exceeding the $1.19 consensus estimate, while revenue also exceeded Wall Street expectations. Strong fee and wealth management income, among other things, aided the results. US Bancorp (USB) – In the second quarter, US Bancorp earned $1.28 per share, a 14-cent increase over expectations, with sales also exceeding expectations. An improved economy boosted its performance, allowing it to increase credit and debit card income while lowering its credit loss provision. Norton LifeLock (NLOK) – Norton LifeLock is in talks to acquire Avast, a cybersecurity firm, in a deal that would increase Norton’s consumer software reach. According to Avast, the two parties are in advanced talks regarding a possible cash-and-stock agreement. In the premarket, Norton LifeLock declined 2.6 percent. Johnson & Johnson (JNJ) has issued a recall for some Neutrogena and Aveeno spray sunscreen products after benzene was discovered in some samples. Johnson & Johnson claims that benzene, which has the potential to cause cancer, is not utilized in the manufacturing of the goods and that it is looking into how it got into some of them. In the premarket, shares were down 1%. Because of the risk of fire, General Motors (GM) – NHSTA advised owners of around 50,000 Chevy Bolts to park outdoors after charging their electric vehicles. Earlier in the day, GM, which makes the Bolt, issued a similar warning for vehicles from the 2017 to 2019 model years. Netflix (NFLX) has hired Mike Verdu, a former Facebook executive, to manage its video games division as it expands beyond its core video streaming business. In premarket trading, the stock was up 1.8 percent. Beyond Meat (BYND) – To improve sales of its plant-based meat alternatives in China, Beyond Meat has created an online store on JD.com (JD)./nRead More