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 Shares of Pfizer Inc. were up 0.1% in premarket trading on Tuesday after the drug maker missed sales expectations for the quarter. Pfizer had earnings of $2.2 billion, or 39 cents per share, in the third quarter of 2020, down from $7.7 billion, or $1.36 per share, in the same quarter a year ago. It had adjusted earnings per share of 72 cents for the quarter, against a FactSet consensus of 71 cents. The drug company's revenue fell 4% to $12.1 billion for the quarter, compared with $12.7 billion in the same quarter a year ago. The FactSet consensus was $12.3 billion. The company attributed an estimated unfavorable impact of $500 million for the quarter to the COVID-19 pandemic, citing lower demand for anti-infective products used in surgeries in China and disruptions in traditional prescribing patterns in the U.S. as people avoided going to to the doctor, including a 19% drop in sales of its smoking-cessation drug Chantix. The impact was offset to some degree by "strong performance" of its heart drugs, Vyndaqel and Vyndamax, and its biosimilars business. It did not disclose any additional details about its work to develop a COVID-19 vaccine with BioNTech . However, it did note that the Phase 2/3 clinical trial for the vaccine candidate had enrolled 42,000 participants as of Monday, and about 85% of the participants have received their second and final dose of the experimental vaccine. Pfizer adjusted its 2020 guidance for adjusted earning share to $2.88 to $2.93, from $2.85 to $2.95. Pfizer's stock is down 3.2% for the year, compared with the S&P 500 , which has gained 5.2%.
Market Pulse Stories are Rapid-fire, short news bursts on stocks and markets as they move. Visit MarketWatch.com for more information on this news.
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 The U.S. case tally for the coronavirus illness COVID-19 climbed above 8.7 million on Tuesday, with more than 20 states counting record numbers of new infections, as more business curfews were announced to combat the spread.
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 For a day that marked Tesla's (TSLA) fifth straight quarter of reporting positive profits, last week's 0.7% increase in the share price of Tesla stock seemed somewhat underwhelming.Reporting earnings Wednesday night, Tesla closed trading Thursday up only modestly, and really, only barely outperforming the S&P 500's overall 0.5% move. Tesla called Q3 its "best quarter in history," with pro forma earnings coming in 36% ahead of expectations at $0.76 per share, sales of $8.8 billion about 6% better than predicted, and free cash flowing strongly -- $1.9 billion over the past 12 months.Tesla told investors Wednesday that it remains on target to produce and deliver half a million electric cars this year, despite the fact that "this goal has become more difficult" to achieve in the face of Covid-19. Cybertruck deliveries are expected to begin late next year. Even Tesla's "energy" business -- solar roofs and solar storage -- looks "poised for strong growth," said the company.Much of Wall Street applauded the news, with R.W. Baird and JMP Securities both upgrading Tesla shares to "outperform" and Piper Sandler calling Tesla a "must-own" stock, and as both Oppenheimer and RBC Capital raised price targets on the shares. One analyst, however, stood out from the crowd for his continued pessimism on Tesla:Gordon Johnson of GLJ Research says Tesla is still a "sell."Urging investors not to forget the forest for the trees, Johnson reminds Elon Musk fans that Tesla continues to rely heavily upon
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 OneMain Holdings raised its quarterly dividend by 36% to $0.45 per share after the financial services company's 3Q profit exceeded analysts' estimates. The dividend will be paid on Nov. 17 to shareholders on record as of Nov. 9. OneMain shares are up 1.5% in the pre-market session on Tuesday.OneMain's (OMF) 3Q EPS increased 2.2% year-on-year to $1.86 and came ahead of the Street consensus of $1.22. However, 3Q revenues fell 4.3% year-on-year to $935 million, missing analysts' expectations by $3.42 million.OneMain said that its Consumer and Insurance (C&I) segment's adjusted earnings rose to $2.19 per share in 3Q, up from the $1.77 per share in the prior-year quarter. Moreover, the C&I's provision for finance receivable losses of $232 million in 3Q declined from the year-ago quarter of $277 million, primarily due to the impact of lower delinquencies in the portfolio.OneMain's CEO Doug Shulman said that "Our third quarter financial results reflected continued strength across the core drivers of our business, as well as our focused efforts to support customers during this period of uncertainty." He added that "Advanced data and analytics are driving our sophisticated underwriting and continued innovation, enabling OneMain to continue to enhance and strategically evolve our business while driving strong returns for all stakeholders." (See OMF stock analysis on TipRanks).Following the results, Northland Securities analyst Michael Grondahl maintained a Buy rating and a price target of $40 (6.6% upside
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Turning Point Brands Inc. shares jumped more than 6% in premarket trade Tuesday, after the maker of cigarette rolling papers and vapes blew past earnings estimates for the third quarter. Louisville, Kentucky-based Turning Point posted net income of $7.8 million, or 40 cents a share, in the quarter, up from $6.3 million, or 31 cents a share, in the year-earlier period. Adjusted per-share earnings came to 75 cents, well ahead of the 32 cents FactSet consensus. Sales rose 7.6% to $104.2 million, also ahead of the $91.7 million FactSet consensus. "Smokeless saw continued same store sales momentum in MST and newfound strength in loose leaf chewing tobacco. Smoking (Zig-Zag) saw its highest growth rate in recent history driven by product and channel growth initiatives behind rolling papers, the benefits of greater control of our MYO cigar wraps business after the Durfort transaction closed in the second quarter, and a burgeoning e-commerce presence," Chief Executive Larry Wexler said in a statement. "Overall, we are seeing ongoing benefits from re-shaping our business towards a more growth-oriented mindset and are able to raise our outlook once again for the remainder of the fiscal year." The company is now expecting sales to range from $395 million to $401 million, up from prior guidance of $370 million to $382 million. The current FactSet consensus is for full-year sales of $401.1 million. Sales of cannabis in those states that have legalized it for medical or recreational pur0oses have held up during the pandemic. Turning Point shares have gained 15% in the year to date, while the S&P 500 has gained 5%.
Market Pulse Stories are Rapid-fire, short news bursts on stocks and markets as they move. Visit MarketWatch.com for more information on this news.
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Dow Jones Futures: Stock Market Rally Struggles As Coronavirus Cases Soar; Dexcom, Twilio Are Key Movers Late Investor's Business DailyDow drops 650 points as S&P 500, Nasdaq post worst day since September Fox BusinessAsian shares slip after Wall St's worst day in a month KTAR.comDow Slumps as Record Surge in Infection Triggers Bloodbath Investing.comWall Street tumbles as virus cases soar Reuters
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