11:56 AM EDT, 08/27/2024 (MT Newswires) -- All three major US stock indexes were down around midday trading Tuesday, as investors gear up for some significant earnings reports in the second half of the week.

In company news, Paramount Global ( PARAA ) said late Monday the "go-shop" period under its merger agreement with Skydance Media has ended following the withdrawal of a rival buyout offer from a group of investors led by Edgar Bronfman Jr. The company said its special committee contacted more than 50 third parties to solicit competing offers during the go-shop period. The Skydance deal is expected to close in H1 2025, subject to customary conditions, the company said. Paramount shares were down 5.2% around midday.

The National Football League's owners on Tuesday are expected to vote in favor of allowing certain private equity firms to buy up to a 10% ownership stake in a team, according to media reports. The approved firms include Ares Management ( ARES ) , Sixth Street Partners, Arctos Partners and a consortium that includes Blackstone (BX), Carlyle Group ( CG ) , Dynasty Equity and CVC Capital Partners, according to the reports, which added that each fund or consortium will be able to do deals with up to six teams. Shares of Ares, Blackstone and Carlyle Group ( CG ) were up 0.2%, down 0.6% and down 0.2%, respectively.

Eli Lilly ( LLY ) said Tuesday that single-dose vials of its Zepbound treatment for obesity in adults are now available for self-paying patients with on-label prescriptions. The vials come in 2.5-milligram and 5 mg doses and are available via a new self-pay pharmacy division of the company's LillyDirect, according to the company. Eli Lilly ( LLY ) priced a four-week supply of the 2.5 mg single-dose vial at $399 and a four-week supply of the 5 mg dose at $549. Shares of Eli Lilly ( LLY ) were up 0.7%.

Super Micro Computer ( SMCI ) shares dropped by over 5% in Tuesday trading following a report by short-seller Hindenburg Research alleging accounting manipulation. Hindenburg said it "found glaring accounting red flags" in its three-month investigation of the company. Super Micro Computer ( SMCI ) shares were down 3.2%.

Apple ( AAPL ) said late Monday that Kevan Parekh will replace Luca Maestri as chief financial officer at the start of next year. Parekh is Apple's ( AAPL ) vice president of financial planning and analysis. Following the transition, Maestri will continue to lead the corporate services teams, including information systems and technology, information security and real estate and development, the company said. Apple ( AAPL ) shares were up 0.6%.

Ryanair Holdings (RYAAY) Group Chief Executive Michael O'Leary criticized Boeing's ( BA ) new management for ongoing delivery delays saying that the Irish airline may only receive 20 to 25 of the 29 737 MAX aircraft it ordered by next summer, Reuters reported Tuesday. The airline received only five of the seven aircraft scheduled for July delivery and expects just five of the 10 scheduled for August, Reuters quoted O'Leary as saying in an interview. Ryanair ( RYAOF ) shares were up 4.3%, while those of Boeing ( BA ) were down 0.4%.

JD.com ( JD ) said Tuesday that its board approved a new $5 billion share repurchase program. The program will become effective in September and will allow the company to repurchase shares over the next 36 months through the end of August 2027. Shares of JD.com ( JD ) were up nearly 3%.

BHP Group ( BHP ) reported fiscal 2024 underlying basic earnings Tuesday of $2.70 per share, up from $2.65 a year earlier and matching the Capital IQ consensus analyst estimate. Revenue for the year ended June 30 was $55.66 billion, up from $53.82 billion a year ago but below the Capital IQ consensus estimate of $55.84 billion. BHP announced a final dividend of $0.74 per share, bringing the full-year dividend to $1.46 per share. BHP shares were down 0.3%.

Price: 10.71, Change: -0.62, Percent Change: -5.47