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Shares of global pharmaceutical company Merck (NYSE:MRK) fell 11% in the morning session after the company reported mixed fourth-quarter earnings. Its full-year revenue and EPS guidance missed by a long shot. The company blamed some of the softness on rising competition and weak demand in China. On the other hand, Merck blew past analysts' constant currency revenue expectations this quarter, and its EPS outperformed Wall Street's estimates. Overall, this was a softer quarter.

Shares of data-mining and analytics company Palantir (NYSE:PLTR) jumped 26.9% in the morning session after the company reported impressive fourth-quarter results, which blew past analysts' billings, revenue, and EPS estimates, amid encouraging AI demand. Both its commercial and government businesses posted strong double-digit growth. The government side remains the bigger earner, but the commercial division is gaining ground, especially in the U.S. There, commercial sales jumped 64% from a year

Shares of packaging manufacturer Ball (NYSE:BLL) fell 7.7% in the afternoon session after the company reported weak fourth-quarter results, with its revenue falling below Wall Street's expectations. Weak demand in North and Central America dragged down volumes and prices. Still, its earnings per share beat expectations. Zooming out, we think this quarter was mixed yet weaker quarter.

Shares of water technology company Xylem (NYSE:XYL) jumped 7.2% in the morning session after the company reported impressive fourth-quarter results, which blew past analysts' organic revenue and EPS estimates. The results were buoyed by strong execution and demand. On the other hand, its full-year revenue and EPS guidance missed. Overall, this was a mixed yet decent quarter.

Shares of electrical safety company Atkore (NYSE:ATKR) fell 19.3% in the afternoon session after the company reported weak fourth quarter results. Its full-year EBITDA guidance missed significantly, and its revenue fell short of Wall Street's estimates as both prices and volumes weakened. On the other hand, it was encouraging to see Atkore beat analysts' EPS expectations this quarter. Overall, this was a weaker quarter.

Shares of beauty products company Estée Lauder (NYSE:EL) fell 18.2% in the morning session after the company reported underwhelming fourth-quarter results. Its EBITDA missed significantly, and its EPS guidance for next quarter fell short of Wall Street's estimates. On the other hand, Estée Lauder blew past analysts' EPS expectations this quarter. While revenue also beat analysts' estimates, sales declined year on year. The company unveiled "Beauty Reimagined," a plan to boost sales and profits b

Shares of genomics company Illumina (NASDAQ:ILMN) fell 6.3% in the afternoon session after China put the company on its "unreliable entity" list, opening the door to possible sanctions. The move came after the Trump administration slapped a 10% tariff on Chinese goods. Financial filings in 2024 revealed that Illumina makes about 7% of its sales from China, and it's unclear whether China's action is a short-term reaction or one with longer consequences.

The vote by the U.S. Senate Finance Committee paves the way for the full Senate to vote to confirm him as secretary of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services as soon as this week. Kennedy, who has faced opposition from health groups and Democrats, has long sown doubts about the safety and efficacy of vaccines that have helped curb disease and prevent deaths for decades.

U.S. equities rose at midday, lifted by tech shares that sent the Nasdaq more than 1% higher.

FOX shares surged Tuesday after the media giant reported better-than-expected quarterly results and announced on its earnings call that it plans to launch a streaming service by the end of the year.