A trader works on the floor of the New York Stock Exchange in New York.

Novartis –Following a promising clinical trial, analysts are significantly raising their sales forecasts for the company's new heart failure drug.

Sanofi , Regeneron –An early clinical trial's results suggest that a cholesterol-lowering drug from the two companies may cut the risk of heart attacks and strokes in half.

Family Dollar –As first reported by CNBC, Dollar General is raising its all-cash bid for Family Dollar to $80 per share. Family Dollar rejected a $78.50 per share bid from Dollar General last month, saying it would stick with its deal to be acquired by Dollar Tree .

Check out which companies are making headlines before the bell:

Apple — Intimate photos of celebrities including actress were reportedly hacked via Apple's iCloud service. The tech giant said in a statement that it takes privacy very seriously and is actively investigating the report. Separately, Apple has struck agreements with credit card companies like Visa, MasterCard and American Express to turn its iPhone into a mobile Wallet, according to re/code and others.

Gap–The apparel retailer was named by Sterne Agee as its top pick in retail, noting easy comps and multiple drivers for improved operating performance.

Dish Network–Goldman added the satellite TV operator's stock to its "Conviction Buy" list, saying it would benefit from the accelerating process of convergence between telecom, cable, and satellite.

Northrop Grumman–RBC Capital raised its rating on the defense contractor to "outperform" from "sector perform", noting a large valuation gap compared to rival Lockheed Martin as well as the rest of the sector.

Groupon–RBC upgraded Groupon to "sector perform" from "underperform," following the drop in the company's shares to what RBC considers a more reasonable valuation.

Nike–The shoe maker has signed a 20-year shoe contract with NBA star Kevin Durant, which could be worth $350 million over 20 years.

McDonald's–The restaurant chain will boost the number of audits it conducts on its China-based suppliers, following the food scandal earlier this year which hurt sales at both McDonald's and Yum Brands in China.

Barclays–The bank will sell its Spanish retail and corporate banking operations to Spain's Caixabank, that country's third biggest lender.

Cyberonix–Cyberonics reported improved heart function from its nerve stimulation device in a clinical trial, although experts said further research is needed because the Cyberonics study did not include a control group.

Tesla–The automaker's stock was upgraded by Stifel Nicolaus to "buy" with a $400 price target, saying the company is positioned well for growth in the luxury electric vehicle market.

Compuware—The company is in advanced talks to be sold to a private equity firm, according to the Wall Street Journal. The paper said a deal to sell the software company could be announced as soon as today.

T-Mobile US–The mobile phone operator could receive an improved takeover bid from France's Iliad, according to the French company's chief financial officer. But Iliad has set specific limits on how much money it would raise to fund a deal.

Norwegian Cruise Lines–The cruise line company is buying Prestige Cruises International for just over $3 billion in cash and stock, including the assumption of debt.

—By CNBC's Peter Schacknow

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