Valeant sets earnings date, shares jump on hope for positive news

(Reuters) - Valeant Pharmaceuticals International Inc , the subject of intense scrutiny over its business practices and pricing policies, said it would release preliminary quarterly results and guidance on March 15, raising hopes the company will serve up some positive news after months of uncertainty. Valeant's stock - which had plunged 24 percent since the company said last week that it would delay its results, withdrew 2016 guidance and was the target of an SEC probe - rose as much as 8.5 percent in morning trading on Monday. The Laval, Quebec-based company had originally been scheduled to release its fourth-quarter results on Feb. 29.