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Conagra Brands Inc. reported a fiscal fourth-quarter net profit that rose to $151.3 million, or 36 cents a share, from $117.6 million, or 27 cents a share, in the same period a year ago. Excluding non-recurring items, adjusted earnings per share came to 37 cents, matching the FactSet consensus. Revenue for the company, which brands include Reddi-wip, Hunt’s and Slim Jim, fell 9.3% to $1.86 billion from $2.05 billion, but matched the FactSet consensus of $1.86 billion, as a beat in grocery and snacks sales and in line refrigerated and frozen sales helped offset a miss in foodservice sales. The company expects fiscal 2018 adjusted EPS of $1.84 to $1.89, compared with the FactSet consensus of $1.88. “The aggressive actions we have taken to upgrade the quality of our revenue base, while focusing and modernizing our portfolio, have enabled us to improve our margins and jump-start innovation,” said Chief Executive Sean Connolly. The stock, which was still inactive in premarket trade, has lost 5.5% year to date, while the S&P 500 has gained 9.0%.

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Constellation Brands Inc. shares rose 1.3% in Thursday premarket trading after the company reported earnings that beat expectations. Net income for the quarter totaled $402.8 million, or $2 per share, up from $318.3 million, or $1.55 per share, for the same period last year. Adjusted EPS was $2.34, ahead of the $1.98 FactSet consensus. Sales totaled $1.94 billion, up from $1.87 billion last year, but below the FactSet consensus of $1.95 billion. Constellation Brands’ portfolio includes Corona and Modelo beers, Robert Mondavi and Clos du Bois wines and spirits brands like Svedka vodka. Beer sales were up 8% while wines and spirits fell 4%. Constellation sees fiscal 2018 adjusted EPS of $7.90 to $8.10. The FactSet consensus is $7.96. Constellation shares are up nearly 20% for the year to date while the S&P 500 index is up 9% for the period.

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Biopharma company Omeros Corp. said a report posted online by a short seller called Art Doyle that has sent its stock down by about 21% this week is “replete with falsehoods,” and said it would take legal action against the person or persons involved. “While the company does not routinely respond to defamatory statements, given this report’s egregious nature, the company elected to respond,” Seattle-based Omeros said in a statement. It said the report is filled with “misleading statements and incorrect analyses and conclusions,” and that Art Doyle states it intends to profit in the event the stock price falls. “Omeros accurately reports the status and results of its commercial, clinical and development programs,” said the statement. The company is focusing on expanding sales of its Omidria MASP-2 inhibitor, which is used in cataract surgery, through a phase 3 trial. Shares rose 2.3% in premarket trade, and are up 105% in 2017, while the S&P 500 has gained 9%.

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Walgreens Boots Alliance Inc. said Thursday that it has terminated its merger agreement with Rite Aid Corp. and has instead agreed to buy 2,186 Rite Aid stores and related assets. The consideration for the deal will be $5.175 billion in cash and the option for Rite Aid to become a member of the Walgreens group purchasing organization, an option that can be exercised through May 2019 and is subject to certain conditions. This new agreement replaces the merger agreement announced October 2015 and amended January 2017, along with the agreement to divest some Rite Aid stores to Fred’s Inc. , which was announced in December 2016. The agreement with Fred’s has also been terminated and Walgreens will pay a $325 million termination fee. After the new transaction is approved, Walgreens will acquire the Rite Aid stores and assets over about six months and will eventually convert them to the Walgreens brand. Walgreens expects the transaction to be “modestly accretive” to adjusted earnings per share in the first full year after the initial closing, and expects synergies totaling $400 million that will be fully realized within three to four years. Walgreens shares are up 1.7% in premarket trading, Rite Aid shares are down 6.1%, and Fred’s shares are down 27%. Walgreens shares are down nearly 7% for the year so far while Rite Aid shares are down more than 52% and Fred’s are down 33.6% for the period. The S&P 500 index is up 9% for 2017 to date.

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Shares of Fred’s Inc. plunged 27% in premarket trade Thursday, after the agreement to buy 865 Rite Aid Corp. was terminated. The agreement was originally announced on Dec. 20, 2016. The termination comes after Rite Aid agreed to sell 2,186 stores to Walgreens Boots Alliance Inc. , which also terminates the companies’ merger agreement. Fred’s said it will receive a $25 million termination fee. “This is a disappointing outcome; however, the termination of the transaction has no impact on the Company’s transformation strategy or our ability to execute,” said Chief Executive Michael Bloom. The pharmacy and general merchandise chain’s stock selloff puts it on track to open at the lowest level seen since Nov. 16, 2016. The stock had tumbled 34% year to date through Wednesday, while the S&P 500 had gained 9.0%.

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Walgreen Boots Alliance Inc. said Thursday it had net income of $1.162 billion, or $1.07 a share, in the second quarter, up from $1.103 billion, or $1.01 a share, in the year-earlier period. Adjusted per-share earnings came to $1.33, ahead of the FactSet consensus of $1.30. Sales rose to $30.1 billion from $29.5 billion, also ahead of the FactSet consensus of $29.7 billion. “Our results this quarter continued to meet our expectations as strategic partnerships brought more patients to our U.S. pharmacies,” Chief Executive Stefano Pessina said in a statement. Separately, the company also unveiled a new agreement with Rite Aid Inc. , replacing a 2015 merger agreement. The company raised the lower end of its 2017 EPS guidance to $4.98 to $5.08 from a prior $4.90 to $5.08. Shares rose 1.8% premarket, but are down 7% in 2017, while the S&P 500 has gained 9%.

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Amazon.com has announced its third annual Prime Day, the online retailing giant’s answer to Black Friday, for July 11. The company had reported earlier its plans to continue the tradition for a third year but this year includes an early announcement of the actual date and previews of some of the sales. This year’s sale will run for over 30 hours, actually starting at 9 p.m. Eastern/6 p.m. Pacific on July 10 and continuing all day on July 11. Prime Day sales will now be available in China, India and Mexico, bringing the total number of countries with deals to 13. Amazon said there will be “hundreds of thousands of deals,” which do require Prime membership on its platform. Free trials of the service are available on Prime Day as well. The company’s 2016 Prime Day included several reports of checkout glitches. But at the end of the promotion, sales on that day were up more than 60% worldwide compared to 2015’s Prime Day.

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Economic sentiment jumped in the eurozone in June to reach its highest level since a year before the financial crisis, according to monthly data released by the European Commission on Thursday. The Economic Sentiment Indicator, which reflects optimism among eurozone businesses and consumers, rose to 111.1 from 109.2 in May, compared with expectations of a rise to 109.5. The June reading was the highest since August 2007.

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Enterprise data-storage company Tintri Inc. will put off its initial public offering that was scheduled for Thursday, the San Francisco Chronicle reported late Wednesday. The Mountain View, Calif., company was to list on the Nasdaq and trade under the ticker TNTR. It was expected to raise more than $100 million if it priced shares at the high end of their range of $10.50 to $12.50. No reason was given for the delay, and a Tintri spokesman had no comment Wednesday.

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Drugmaker Sarepta Therapeutics Inc. on Wednesday named Douglas Ingram its next chief executive. Ingram, currently the president and CEO at Allergan PLC’s Chase Pharmaceutics, will start Sept. 20, Sarepta said. He replaces Edward Kaye, who took over as interim chief executive in 2015. Last year, Sarepta won government approval for its Duchenne muscular dystrophy drug.

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