Trader on the floor of the New York Stock Exchange.

Check out which companies are making headlines before the bell:

D.R. Horton—The home builder earned 45 cents per share for its latest quarter, missing estimates by 3 cents, though revenue came in above estimates. The company made upbeat comments about its revenue and profit growth prospects on the heels of a more than 20 percent increase in net sales orders during October.

Vodafone—Vodafone raised its earnings forecast for the full year, following improvement in demand for its mobile services.

Alibaba—The China-based online retailer said its annual Singles' Day sales hit a record high, surging past the $7 billion mark.

Zynga—Jefferies upgraded the online game developer to "buy" from "hold," citing the fast-growing mobile business and the growing popularity of Words With Friends.

Darden Restaurants—KeyBanc upgraded the Olive Garden parent to "buy" from "hold," saying Olive Garden's menu revamp is likely to reverse an earnings decline over the next 12 months.

Time Warner—Goldman Sachs upgraded Time Warner shares to "buy" from "neutral," saying HBO is an under-appreciated asset and that the Warner Brothers unit is entering an accelerated content cycle.

Juniper Networks—CEO Shaygan Kheradpir resigned from his post. His departure comes amid board issues with his leadership and conduct. Executive vice president Rami Rahim has been named as Kheradpir's replacement.

Rackspace—The web hosting company earned 18 cents per share for its latest quarter, beating estimates by 2 cents, with revenue also above estimates, although its current quarter revenue forecast is below consensus. Rackspace also approved a $500 million stock buyback program over the next two years.

Caesars Entertainment—Caesars posted a greater than expected third quarter loss, with revenue coming in below consensus as well. The casino operator's results were hurt by an increase in interest expenses, as well as smaller tax benefits.

Halcon Resources—The company earned an adjusted 3 cents per share for its latest quarter, missing estimates by 3 cents. Revenue was below consensus, and the oil driller also gave below-consensus guidance for 2015. CEO Floyd Wilson said the company believes "the precipitous drop in crude prices calls for conservatism".

Bloomin' Brands—The company announced an 18 million share secondary offering, as Bain Capital reduces its stake in the owner of Outback Steakhouse.

El Pollo Loco—The restaurant chain will sell six million shares currently held by various shareholders, while Sprouts Farmers Market will sell 15 million shares current held by Apollo Management.

United Continental—The airline said its October passenger traffic rose 0.4 percent, but its "load factor," or the percentage of available seats filled, fell 0.2 percentage points compared to a year earlier.

General Electric—The company issued a securities filing linking the compensation of Chief Executive Jeff Immelt to certain cash and operating profit margin goals over the next three years.

Microsoft—The software and services company will roll out its first Lumia phone without the Nokia name this month. The Lumia 535, which will contain the Windows Phone 8.1 operating system, will be priced at approximately $137.

Apple—The company has hired a dedicated sales team to accelerate its foray into the workplace, according to Reuters.