Check out the companies making headlines before the bell. Cidara Therapeutics — Shares of Cidara surged 103% after Merck agreed to buy the company for close to $9.2 billion in cash. Merck fell 1%. Avadel Pharmaceuticals — Danish drugmaker Lundbeck offered to acquire the pharmaceutical company for as much as $23 per share, topping biotech firm Alkermes' earlier bid, sending Avadel 19% higher. Warner Bros. Discovery — The HBO and CNN parent rose almost 3% after the Wall Street Journal reported that Paramount Skydance , Netflix and Comcast are preparing bids for the media company. Warner Bros. Discovery has an initial deadline for first-round bids of Nov. 20, the Journal said, citing sources familiar with the matter. Walmart — The nation's largest retailer fell 3% after CEO Doug McMillon said

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