4 stocks to watch on Thursday: Tesla, Johnson & Johnson and more
Mario Tama
U.S. stock index futures on Thursday were mixed, as results from technology giants failed to impress market participants. The spotlight will continue to be largely dominated by the second quarter earnings season as it swings into full gear. Here are some stocks to watch on Thursday: 

Shares of Tesla (NASDAQ:TSLA) slipped more than 4% in pre-market trading, as investors were disappointed with the electric vehicle leader's quarterly margin performance. Q2 operating margin came in at 9.6% of sales, falling from last quarter's 11.4%. Profitability was impacted by pricing, higher operating expenses and a ramp up in production of cells. The Elon Musk-led firm topped revenue and earnings per share expectations, and the billionaire on the earnings conference call said TSLA was in talks with other automakers to license self-driving software, which could boost margins.
Abbott Laboratories (ABT) stock was in focus, after its Q2 results exceeded estimates on both top and bottom line. Sales did decline more than 11% on a Y/Y basis, but that was primarily due to an anticipated decrease in revenue related to COVID-19 testing. The medical device firm also narrowed its full year earnings per share guidance to $3.02 to $3.22 from a prior forecast of $3.05 to $3.25.
Shares of healthcare giant Johnson & Johnson (JNJ) were marginally higher ahead of the opening bell. The company delivered Q2 earnings per share of $2.80 on revenue of $25.53B, beating expectations on both accounts. Results were helped a strong performance in its pharmaceutical and medical technology segments. J&J (JNJ) also raised the midpoints of its full year guidance, excluding sales of its COVID-19 vaccine.
Blackstone (BX) stock fell 3.6% in pre-market trading, after the world's largest asset manager reported a fall in distributable earnings per share. However, the company's total assets under management topped $1T for the first time.

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