US stocks are seen starting higher as the new week begins and traders are eyeing another clutch of results stories today.
In addition, a notable gainer in pre-market on Monday was computer chip maker Qualcomm (NASDAQ:QCOM), which saw shares add over 3% to US$65.24.
The firm today has reportedly urged Broadcom Ltd (NASDAQ:AVGO) to enter into direct negotiations on its (Broadcom's) US$117bn offer for the company, and said the two sides had made progress on regulatory and other issues at a meeting last week.
Qualcomm repeated that all of Broadcom’s previous offers materially undervalued the company and proposed they conduct mutual due diligence.
Qualcomm says it made progress in negotiations with Broadcom when they met for the second time Friday https://t.co/TmPzAvn5ML
— The Wall Street Journal (@WSJ) 26 February 2018
Elsewhere, General Electric Company (NYSE:GE) may well be in focus in pre-market and its shares nudged up 0.41% to US$14.55 a share.
It comes as it was reported that the USA's largest industrial conglomerate will restate its earnings for 2016 and 2017 as it adopts a new accounting standard, according to a filing on Friday.
The updated accounting standard, which will take into account revenue from long-term contracts, will result in a 13% cut in reported earnings per share for 2016 and a cut of 16 US cents per share for 2017.
It also today said it had nominated three new candidates to a streamlined board of directors ahead of a shareholder meeting in April. The board will now have 12 directors - down from 17 previously.
Meanwhile, Dean Food Co (NYSE:DF) saw its shares tank almost 11% to US$9.02 after hours as its fourth quarter results disappointed.
The food and drink giant said earnings dropped to US$23mln, or US$0.25 per share, which was lower than US$34mln, or US$0.38 per share, in last year's fourth quarter.
Elsewhere, Boise Cascade Co (NYSE:DF), the lumber and builders' materials group, saw shares add 2.39% to US$45.05 each after hours. The group is expected to report its quarterly earnings at US$0.3 per share on revenues of US$1.03bn.
Shares closed up 2.21% on Friday at US$44 each.