Check out the companies making headlines before the bell:
Rent-A-Center – Rent-A-Center said it has received an increased takeover offer from a company that was previously interested in buying the rent-to-own furniture retailer. That follows the company’s Sunday statement that it did not find a suitable buyer and that it had ended its review of strategic alternatives.
DSW – The shoe retailer was outbid by privately held Authentic Brands in the bidding for bankrupt shoe retailer Nine West, according to The Wall Street Journal. The winning bid by Authentic Brands was said to be worth about $350 million.
Southwest Airlines – Southwest shares could be poised to bounce back from a recent slide, according to a Barron’s article. Southwest shares began to decline in January and the drop accelerated following the April incident in which an engine broke apart and a passenger died as a result.
Amazon.com – Foxconn is investigating a China plant that makes devices for Amazon, following a report by a watchdog group describing harsh working conditions at that factory.
Facebook – Facebook reportedly struck customized data-sharing deals with certain companies after that point in 2015 that it said it had cut off access that information, according to The Wall Street Journal.
Walt Disney – Disney said animation chief John Lesseter will leave the company at the end of the year. Lasseter, a co-founder of Pixar, had been on a six-month leave of absence following what’s been termed “missteps” in behavior.
WPP – The advertising company’s probe of former CEO Martin Sorrell looked into whether he was using company money to pay for a prostitute, according to The Wall Street Journal. Sorrell stepped down from following the conclusion of that investigation but the Journal said it is unclear what that investigation concluded.
Envision Healthcare – Envision agreed to be acquired by private-equity firm KKR for $46 per share, or about $5.5 billion excluding debt.
Verifone Systems – Verifone reported adjusted quarterly profit of 25 cents per share, falling 3 cents a share short of estimates. The payment systems provider’s revenue came in above forecasts. Verifone is in the process of being acquired by privately held Francisco Partners for $3.4 billion in a deal that was announced in April.
Microsoft – Microsoft bought four gaming studios for an undisclosed amount, according to the Seattle Times.
Match Group – The operator of dating websites was upgraded to “buy” from “hold” at Jefferies, which also raised its price target on the stock by $10 to $50 per share. The stock took a 22 percent hit in April after Facebook announced it was a dating service, but Jefferies said its research indicates users of Tinder and Match’s other services prefer not to commingle dating services and social media.