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Qualcomm Inc. shares slipped in the extended session Wednesday after the chip maker’s weak outlook countered a realignment plan and earnings that topped Wall Street estimates. Qualcomm shares adfell 1.5% to $63.22 on heavy volume. The company reported adjusted fiscal third-quarter earnings of 99 cents a share on revenue of $5.8 billion. Analysts surveyed by FactSet had forecast 95 cents a share on revenue of $5.84 billion. Qualcomm expects fiscal fourth-quarter earnings of 75 cents to 95 cents a share on revenue of $4.7 billion to $5.7 billion. Analysts expect $1.08 a share on revenue of $6.13 billion. Qualcomm said it plans to cut annual costs by $1.1 billion and reduce its workforce by an unspecified amount.

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Struggling flash-memory company SanDisk appeared to get back on track in the second quarter, beating analysts’ expectations for profit and revenue. The company reported net income of $81 million, or 38 cents a share, on sales of $1.24 billion; after adjustments, SanDisk claimed profit of 66 cents a share. While the results reflected large declines from the same quarter a year ago, they were better than expected: Analysts surveyed by FactSet projected adjusted earnings of 34 cents a share on revenue of $1.2 billion. SanDisk stock gained more than 7% to top $58 in immediate after-hours trading, after closing with a 2.3% decline at $54.18. The stock has fallen 44.7% in 2015.

Market Pulse Stories are Rapid-fire, short news bursts on stocks and markets as they move. Visit MarketWatch.com for more information on this news.

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Qualcomm Inc. shares edged up in the extended session Wednesday after the chip maker announced a realignment plan and earnings topped Wall Street estimates for the quarter. Qualcomm shares advanced 0.6% to $64.70 on heavy volume. The company reported adjusted fiscal third-quarter earnings of 99 cents a share on revenue of $5.8 billion. Analysts surveyed by FactSet had forecast 95 cents a share on revenue of $5.84 billion. Qualcomm expects fiscal fourth-quarter earnings of $1.11 a share on revenue of $6.7 billion. Analysts expect $1.08 a share on revenue of $6.13 billion. Qualcomm said it plans to cut annual costs by $1.1 billion and reduce its workforce by an unspecified amount.

Market Pulse Stories are Rapid-fire, short news bursts on stocks and markets as they move. Visit MarketWatch.com for more information on this news.

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American Express Co. , citing the “significant” impact of the stronger U.S. dollar on its international operations, reported late Wednesday its second-quarter profit fell 4% to $1.47 billion, or $1.42 a share, from $1.53 billion, or $1.43 a share, a year ago. Revenue for the three months ended June 30 fell 4% to $8.28 billion from $8.63 billion. Analysts surveyed by FactSet had expected the New York-based credit-card company to earn $1.32 a share on $8.42 billion in revenue. Following the report, American Express shares were down 0.1% in after-hours trade. They ended the regular session with a 0.1% gain at $78.99.

Market Pulse Stories are Rapid-fire, short news bursts on stocks and markets as they move. Visit MarketWatch.com for more information on this news.

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A selloff in technology stocks on Wednesday, following disappointing results from companies such as Apple Inc. and Microsoft Corp., as well as continued slide in oil prices, put pressure on broader markets with the main indexes ending with losses . The Nasdaq Composite dropped 36.35 points, or 0.7%, to 5,171.77. The S&P 500 closed 5 points, or 0.2%, lower at 2,114.14. The Dow Jones Industrial Average ended the day down 68.25 points, or 0.4%, to 17,851.04.

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By Kayla Kitts

“Which Friends Character Are You?” (I’m such a Monica.) “What’s Your Color Personality?” We all love a good quiz. Snap out of that 3:30 slump with this fun little number. Take HGTV’s newest quiz to find out which type of yard art is your perfect match. (Are you kitschy and flamboyant or classically cool?)

Take the quiz and share your results below >>

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From:: HGTV

Caesars Entertainment Corp. shares plummeted Wednesday after a judge refused to block creditor lawsuits against the casino operator. Shares, which have been halted at least five times Wednesday because of volatility, fell 36% to $5.03 on above-average volume. Caesars placed its largest unit under Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection in January, a move opposed by creditors. Shares closed up 22% Tuesday on hopes the judge would block the suits.

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The plenary session of the Greek parliament will vote on a new round of austerity reforms at 3 a.m. Thursday local time (8 p.m. Eastern), after the parliament’s special committees approved it by majority earlier on Wednesday. The austerity package includes a set of reforms demanded by Greece’s creditors as a prerequisite for negotiations for a third bailout. The Greek government introduced the bill under an emergency procedure, aiming to get a vote ahead of Friday’s crucial talks with its creditors, namely the European Commission, the European Central Bank and the International Monetary Fund. Parliament President Zoe Konstantopoulou filed an official complaint against the emergency procedure, calling the fast-track process an “institutional diversion.” The vote is expected to split the Syriza party between the hard and moderate anti-austerity groups, in a similar fashion as last week’s vote on the first round of austerity measures. Although the Greek government led by Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras might lose some support from its party, it is expected to receive enough backing by the opposition to get the necessary votes for the bills to pass.

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U.S. home-builder stocks rallied Wednesday, boosted by existing-home sales in June that rose at the fastest pace in more than eight years. Data released Wednesday also showed median home prices hitting a record. The S&P Homebuilding sub-sector rose 2.5%, while SPDR S&P Homebuilder ETF advance 2.1%. Shares of D.R. Horton, Inc gained 3.1%, while Lennar Corp. added 2.9% and PulteGroup, Inc rose 2.4%. The sector has gained more than 8% since the start of the year, outperforming the broader index, which gained 2.7% year to date.

Market Pulse Stories are Rapid-fire, short news bursts on stocks and markets as they move. Visit MarketWatch.com for more information on this news.

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Tesla Motors Inc. on Wednesday said it will report second-quarter earnings after market close on Wednesday, Aug. 5. A conference call about the results will follow at 5:30 Eastern. Analysts polled by FactSet expect the electric-car maker to report a loss of 60 cents a share on sales of $1.18 billion. That would compare with earnings of 11 cents a share a year ago on sales of $858 million. Shares of Tesla have gained 20% so far this year, compared with gains of 2.6% for the S&P 500 index .

Market Pulse Stories are Rapid-fire, short news bursts on stocks and markets as they move. Visit MarketWatch.com for more information on this news.

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