Check out the companies making headlines before the bell: Palantir — The stock jumped 11% following the AI-powered software provider’s fourth-quarter earnings beat . Palantir reported adjusted earnings of 25 cents per share, versus the 23 cents expected from analysts polled by LSEG. Revenue was $1.41 billion, topping the $1.33 billion consensus estimate. Merck — Shares fell around 1% after the pharma giant issued a modest 2026 outlook , as the company gets set to lose some drug patent protections and face competition from generic versions. The company expects revenue to range between $65.5 billion and $67 billion for the year. Analysts polled by LSEG expected revenue around $67.6 billion. PepsiCo — The snack and beverage giant reported fourth-quarter earnings and revenue that beat analyst expectations . However, shares were down around 1% as the company sees volumes declining. Pfizer — Shares dipped 1% even after Pfizer reaffirmed a modest outlook, overshadowing a beat on quarterly earnings and revenue. PayPal — The digital payments company fell more than 16% after an earnings and revenue miss along with a change in CEO. The company’s board announced Enrique Lores will become president and CEO on March 1, replacing Alex Chriss. “While some progress has been made in a number of areas over the las …
