Leerink analyst Geoffrey Porges notes that Merck (MRK) announced that it is taking a $2.9B impairment charge against the value of uprifosbuvir, or MK3682, which is the most important of the Hepatitis C nucleotide polymerase inhibitors it acquired from Idenix. The analyst believes this write-down suggests that the remaining value of the "rest of Idenix" is now very small. In addition to the delay for Merck's triple regimen, this impairment has "significant competitive implications" for Gilead (GILD) and AbbVie (ABBV), which are the most likely remaining participants in the HCV market, he adds.

Notable companies reporting before tomorrow's open, with earnings consensus, include Merck (MRK), consensus $1.87... Caterpillar (CAT), consensus $5.14... Comcast (CMSCA), consensus 99c... Honeywell (HON), consensus $2.17... Bristol-Myers (BMY), consensus ($4.44)... Altria (MO), consensus $1.15... Keurig Dr. Pepper (KDP), consensus 35c... GE Vernova (GEV), consensus (37c)... Royal Caribbean (RCL), consensus $1.33... Tractor Supply (TSCO), consensus $1.72... Mobileye (MBLY), consensus (6c)... Textron (TXT), consensus $1.23... LabCorp (LH), consensus $3.48... Southwest Airlines (LUV), consensus (34c)... American Airlines (AAL), consensus (29c)... Harley-Davidson (HOG), consensus $1.51.

Cantor Fitzgerald lowered the firm's price target on Gilead to $75 from $78 and keeps a Neutral rating on the shares. The firm, which made slight adjustments to all of its large-cap biotechnology models ahead of Q1 earnings season for the group, lowered its target for Gilead given slower expected HIV growth. The "usual seasonal headwinds that typically make this one of the weaker quarters for the industry," the analyst added in the preview note.