Check out the companies that made headlines before the bell. Palantir — Shares rose 11% after the AI-powered software provider reported strong fourth-quarter results. Palantir reported adjusted earnings of 25 cents per share, compared with the 23 cents expected by analysts surveyed by LSEG. Revenue was $1.41 billion, beating the consensus estimate of $1.33 billion. Merck — Shares fell about 1% after the pharmaceutical giant announced a modest outlook for 2026, saying it will lose some patent protection for its drugs and face competition from generic drugs. The company expects sales this year to be in the range of $65.5 billion to $67 billion. Analysts polled by LSEG had expected sales of about $67.6 billion. PepsiCo — The snack and beverage giant reported fourth-quarter earnings and revenue that beat analysts’ expectations. However, the company sees a decline in sales volumes, and the stock price fell by about 1%. Pfizer — Shares fell 1% even as Pfizer reaffirmed its conservative outlook, overshadowing strong quarterly earnings and sales. — CNBC’s Michelle Fox and Fred Imbert contributed reporting
