UPDATE: Honeywell tops profit and sales estimates, sales jump 1.6%

Honeywell International Inc. said Friday it had net income of $1.332 billion, or $1.71 a share, in the first quarter, up from $1.216 billion, or $1.56 a share, in the year-earlier quarter. Excluding divestitures, per-share earnings came to $1.66, ahead of the FactSet consensus of $1.62. Sales edged down to $9.492 billion from $9.522 billion, but were also ahead of the FactSet consensus of $9.328 billion. Chief Executive Darius Adamczyk said all businesses contributed to higher earnings. “The commercial aftermarket within aerospace and the global distribution business within home and building technologies remained strong,” he said. Performance materials and technologies were boosted by demand for Solstice low-global warming products, he said. The company is now raising the low end of its full-year outlook by 5 cents and expects EPS of $6.90 to $7.10. Shares rose 1.6% premarket, and are up 7% in 2017, while the S&P 500 gained 5%.

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Schlumberger’s stock slips as revenue rises, but comes up short of expectations

Schlumberger Ltd. reported Friday first-quarter net earnings of that fell to $279 million, or 20 cents a share, from $501 million, or 40 cents a share, in the same period a year ago. Excluding non-recurring items, adjusted earnings per share came to 25 cents, matching the FactSet consensus. Revenue rose to $6.89 billion from $6.52 billion, but missed the FactSet consensus of $6.98 billion, as the oil services company’s reservoir characterization, drilling and production business sales all came up shy of expectations. Among regions, North America, Europe/CIS/Africa and Middle East & Asia revenue came up a bit short, while Latin America revenue topped forecasts. The stock, which slipped 0.3% in premarket trade, has shed 8.9% year to date through Thursday, while the VanEck Vectors Oil Services ETF has tumbled 13% and the S&P 500 has gained 5.2%.

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Interpublic Q1 profit beats estimates, but revenue falls short

Interpublic Group of Cos. said Friday it had net income of $21.5 million, or 5 cents a share, in the first quarter, up from $5.4 million, or 1 cent a share, in the year-earlier period. The operator of advertising agencies said revenue edged up to $1.75 billion from $1.74 billion. The FactSet consensus was for EPS of 3 cents and revenue of $1.76 billion. “Against very challenging comparisons, we showed solid organic revenue growth in the quarter, with contributions from across our agencies and all marketing disciplines,” Chief Executive Michael Roth said in a statement. The first quarter is usually a seasonally small one for Interpublic, he said, but the company is on track to achieve full-year targets of organic revenue growth of 3% to 4% and to improve operating margins by 50 basis points. Shares were not yet active in premarket trade, but have gained 7% in 2017, while the S&P 500 has gained 5%.

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Le Pen urges government to immediately reinstate French borders after Paris attack: report

French far-right presidential candidate Marine Le Pen on Friday urged the Socialist government to immediately restore state borders and expel foreigners monitored by surveillance after a suspected terror attack in Paris a day earlier, Reuters reported. Thursday’s assault, in which one police officer was killed and two others were wounded, was claimed by terrorist group Islamic State. Sunday brings the first round of the French presidential election, with tight contests expected between the top four candidates, including Le Pen. She, and far-left candidate Jean-Luc Melenchon, are both euroskeptics, urging more independence for France.

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Tesla sets shareholder meeting for June 6, Musk and two other board members up for reelection

Tesla Inc. scheduled its annual shareholder meeting for 2:30 p.m. Pacific on June 6 in Mountain View, according to a filing Thursday. Shareholders will be asked to vote for three directors to serve three-year terms on the company’s board, among other items on the agenda. The nominees for directors are Chief Executive Elon Musk, Robyn M. Denholm, and Stephen J. Jurvetson. Denholm, a former Juniper Networks Inc. executive who in January became chief operations officer of telecommunications company Telstra Corp., has been a Tesla board member since 2014. Jurvetson, a managing director at venture capital firm Draper Fisher Jurvetson, has been a board member since 2009. Shareholders will also be asked to vote on the company’s executive compensation program, including awarding Musk a yearly salary based on minimum wage. Musk, who refuses that base salary, owned 22% of Tesla’s shares as of December, plus options and other securities. Also on the table is a proposal to change the board of directors’ structure to elect all seven members yearly. Tesla currently staggers the terms. The board opposes that proposal, saying the staggered terms allow directors to focus on the long term.

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Mulvaney says White House budget will include $200 billion for infrastructure

President Trump’s budget director Mick Mulvaney said Thursday the administration plans to include $200 billion for new infrastructure spending in its full fiscal year 2018 budget. In a moderated discussion at the Institute of International Finance conference, Mulvaney said this is all the money needed to fund $1 trillion in projects, as Trump has loosely pledged, if leveraged properly. “The president wants $1 trillion worth of work on the ground and we expect to give it to him,” Mulvaney said. There will not be any specific votes on infrastructure spending until the fall, he said.

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Atara Biotherapeutics shares rise on MS drug study results

Atara Biotherapeutics Inc. shares climbed in the extended session Thursday after the biotech drug developer reported positive results from an early stage clinical trial of its multiple sclerosis drug. Atara shares rose 8.7% to $20.55 after hours. The company said a Phase I trial showed its ATA188 drug was well tolerated in MS patients and that half experienced improvements in their symptoms. MS is a disease that attacks the insulation of nerve fibers causing disruptions to electrical impulses traveling within them.

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Fed fines Deutsche Bank $157 million over currency, Volcker Rule compliance

The Federal Reserve announced two enforcement actions against Deutsche Bank AG that will require the bank to pay a combined $156.6 million in civil money penalties. The bank will pay a $136.9 million fine for unsafe and unsound practices in the foreign exchange markets, as well as a $19.7 million fine for failure to maintain an adequate Volcker rule compliance program prior to March 30, 2016. The Fed said it found deficiencies in the firm’s oversight of, and internal controls over, FX traders who buy and sell U.S. dollars and foreign currencies for the organization’s own accounts and for customers.

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Proofpoint rebounds after earnings beat

Proofpoint Inc. stock bounced back in late trading after a steep drop Thursday, as the security-software firm showed off better quarterly earnings results than expected. Proofpoint announced a first-quarter loss of $25.5 million, or 59 cents a share, on sales of $113.3 million. After adjusting for $22.4 million in stock-based compensation and other factors, Proofpoint claimed a profit of $5.5 million, or 12 cents a share. Analysts on average expected adjusted earnings of 9 cents a share on sales of $110.6 million, according to FactSet. Proofpoint also beat analysts’ expectations in billings, which reflects deals signed for future business, with $137.4 million. Proofpoint also raised its forecast for revenue and billings for the full year. Proofpoint shares, which fell 8.5% in regular trading, jumped more than 7% in after-hours action following the release of the results.

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Mattel shares drop after results fall short of Street view

Mattel Inc. shares dropped in the extended session Thursday after the toy maker’s quarterly results fell short of Wall Street estimates. Mattel shares fell 6.8% to $23.50 after hours. The company reported an adjusted first-quarter loss of 32 cents a share on revenue of $735.6 million. Analysts surveyed by FactSet had forecast a loss of 17 cents a share on revenue of $793.8 million. The company said sales of Barbie products fell 13% worldwide, while other brands of its toys for girls dropped 34%.

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