Stockwinners Market Radar for April 17, 2017 - Earnings, Upgrades downgrades, option trades, Best Stock Advisory Service

19:51 EDT Connection says Q2 quarter-to-date margin rates have normalized

19:24 EDT GE, SCE unveil battery-gas turbine hybrid system in Norwalk, California - GE (GE) and Southern California Edison, an Edison International (EIX) company, unveiled the world's first battery-gas turbine hybrid system in Norwalk, California. This is the first of two units that GE has delivered for SCE only months after announcing initial deployment plans of this innovative technology. This system, called the LM6000 Hybrid Electric Gas Turbine supports SCE's increasing renewable energy capacity by providing quick start, fast ramping capabilities when they are needed. The unit integrates a 10 MW/ 4.3 MWh battery energy storage system capable of immediately providing power with GE's proven 50MW LM6000 aeroderivative gas turbine. Among the speakers that attended the event were Mary Nichols, Chair, California Air Resources Board, Jill Whynot, Deputy Executive Officer, Operations South Coast Air Quality Management and Tom Doughty, Vice President, California Independent System Operator.

19:05 EDT Imprimis names Clayton D. Edwards COO - According to a regulatory filing, the board of directors of Imprimis Pharmaceuticals promoted Clayton D. Edwards as COO on April 13, 2017, effective immediately. Edwards joined the company in August 2016 as senior VP of operations and currently oversees the company's operations, including pharmacy, production, dispensing, customer service, information technology and quality.

18:52 EDT Peabody Energy to retain mine and interest in Port Kembla terminal in Australia - Peabody announced that it will retain the Metropolitan metallurgical coal mine and its associated 16.67% interest in Port Kembla Coal Terminal in the company's portfolio, after proposed purchaser South32 terminated the purchase contract after it was unable to obtain clearance from the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission, or ACCC, within the timeframe required under the contract.

18:31 EDT IGT to sell Double Down Interactive to DoubleU Games affiliate for $825M - International Game Technology announced it has signed a definitive purchase agreement to sell its social casino subsidiary, Double Down Interactive LLC, to an affiliate of DoubleU Games Co., Ltd., a leading global social casino operator headquartered in Seoul, South Korea. The transaction establishes a new multi-year strategic partnership between IGT and DoubleU Games to provide innovative player experiences in the social casino market worldwide. The cash purchase price is $825M, which represents 10.5x DoubleDown's full-year 2016 Adjusted EBITDA. Proceeds from the transaction will be used for general corporate purposes, including debt reduction. IGT will provide an updated financial outlook that includes the full impact of this transaction in late May, in conjunction with its first quarter of 2017 results. Upon the closing of the sale, the parties will enter into a game development, distribution and services agreement which will enable DoubleU Games to offer IGT's extensive casino game library on DoubleU Games' combined social casino platforms, in exchange for ongoing royalties to IGT. The sale has been approved by the board of directors of IGT and the necessary governance body of DoubleU Games, and is subject to customary closing conditions, including regulatory approvals. The sale is anticipated to be completed in the second quarter of 2017.

18:27 EDT Copa Holdings reports March system-wide traffic up 11.9% - For the month of March, Copa Holdings' system-wide passenger traffic increased 11.9% year over year, while capacity increased 5.9%. As a result, system load factor for March was 79.6%, a 4.3 percentage point increase when compared to March 2016.

18:25 EDT Netflix CEO: 'We've definitely got YouTube-envy' - Asked to provide updated consumption metrics, Netflix (NFLX) CEO Reed Hastings said, "Our viewing is very large and growing, but nowhere near as big as YouTube, so we've definitely got YouTube-envy and we've got a lot of room to go." YouTube is a unit of Alphabet (GOOG).

18:13 EDT Netflix content head: Super pleased with '13 Reasons Why' performance

18:07 EDT Netflix CFO: Still on 'great growth path' - Netflix has released its Q1 earnings interview, featuring commentary from CEO Reed Hastings, CFO David Wells, and content chief Ted Sarandos.

18:02 EDT Pinnacle Financial reports Q1 provision for loan losses $3.7M - Provision for loan losses was $3.7M in the Q1, compared to $3.0M in the Q4 of FY16 and $3.9M in the Q1 of FY16. Net charge-offs were $4.3M for each of the quarters ended March 31, 2017 and Dec. 31, 2016, compared to $7.1M for the quarter ended March 31, 2016. Annualized net charge-offs as a percentage of average loans for the quarter ended March 31 were 0.20%, compared to 0.21% for the Q4 of 2016 and 0.42% for the Q1 of FY16.

17:56 EDT Cytokinetics to replace Cardinal Financial in S&P 600 at open on April 24 - S&P MidCap 400 constituent United Bankshares (UBSI) is acquiring Cardinal Financial (CFNL) in a deal expected to be completed on or about that date pending final conditions.

17:52 EDT Gigamon to replace Ixia in S&P 600 at open on April 20 - S&P MidCap 400 constituent Keysight Technologies (KEYS) is acquiring Ixia (XXIA) in a deal expected to be completed on or about that date pending final conditions.

17:44 EDT On The Fly: After Hours Movers - UP AFTER EARNINGS: Netflix (NFLX), up 1.4%... United Continental (UAL), up 1.1%. ALSO HIGHER: Wi-LAN (WILN), up 10% after it said it will acquire International Road Dynamics for $3.18 per share in cash... Cabela's (CAB), up 6.2% after it amended the terms of its credit card deal... Rigel Pharmaceuticals (RIGL), up 1.9% after it submitted a New Drug Application to the FDA for fastamatinib. DOWN AFTER EARNINGS: Barracuda (CUDA), down 2.7%. ALSO LOWER: Arena Pharmaceuticals (ARNA), down 15.5% after it filed to sell common stock... Corindus (CVRS), down 5.1% after it filed to sell 68.06M shares of common stock for holders... Agios Pharmaceuticals (AGIO), down 3.2% after it filed to sell 4.5M shares of common stock... Galapagos NV (GLPG), down 2.6% after it filed to sell $275M in ADSs.

17:28 EDT Tesla falls after report that hazmat crew deployed at Gigafactory - Shares of Tesla are fractionally lower at $299.25 per share in after-hours trading after ABC KOLO8 tweeted that "Hazmat crews responding to chemical spill at @TeslaMotors Gigafactory"

17:19 EDT Periam reports 5% stake in EnerNOC

17:14 EDT Orchids Paper says amends credit agreements after lender consent - Orchids Paper Products announced that, on April 11, it entered into amendment number four to its second amended and restated credit agreement dated June 25, 2015 between the company, U.S. Bank National Association, and the other lenders party thereto. Details of the amendments include: The maximum twelve-month rolling leverage ratio is waived in the first two quarters of 2017 and allowed to increase to 5.5:1 at September 30 prior to being decreased to 4.5:1 at December 31 and reverting to 3.5:1 as originally scheduled. The funding-advance for the Barnwell, South Carolina mill building was made concurrent with its actual completion in April, making approximately $6.7M available to the company. The period during which funds may be drawn under the draw loan is extended to December 25 to support the continued development of the Barnwell, South Carolina project. The maximum twelve-month rolling fixed charge coverage ratio is lowered to 1.0:1 and 1.05:1 for the quarters ended June 30 and September 30, respectively, prior to reverting to 1.2:1 as originally scheduled. The maintenance capital expenditure was reduced from approximately $6M to $4.25M. "In combination with waivers and changes to the leverage ratios, these modifications provide the company the time necessary to reduce its debt levels in an orderly manner through increased earnings from the new business previously announced, collection of certain outstanding receivables, and other potential actions which the company is exploring... These covenant changes allow Orchids to focus on its business plan to increase production and sales significantly in 2H17. The new business we announced in January is on track to begin shipping in late May with full implementation by July 1," said Orchids.

17:06 EDT Fidelity & Guaranty Life: No longer in best interest to pursue Anbang deal - Fidelity & Guaranty Life announced updates on its review of strategic alternatives. FGL has terminated its merger agreement with Anbang Insurance Group. The company's board of directors is continuing to evaluate strategic alternatives to maximize shareholder value and has received interest from a number of parties. As permitted under the February 9, 2017 amendment to the Merger Agreement, FGL has been exploring and negotiating strategic alternatives with other parties. The company was not permitted to enter into a definitive agreement with a third party while the Merger Agreement was in effect, but as a result of the termination of the Merger Agreement, FGL has no remaining obligations under the Merger Agreement and may enter into an alternative transaction. "We have determined that it is no longer in the best interests of FGL's shareholders to continue to pursue the transaction with Anbang," said Chris Littlefield, President and CEO of FGL. "Our business remains strong, we continue to focus on delivering on our plan for the year and our distribution partners and employees continue to be committed to our success. FGL is an attractive platform and we are well positioned to realize value for our shareholders as our Board continues to evaluate strategic alternatives." There can be no assurance that FGL's evaluation of strategic alternatives will result in a transaction, or that any transaction, if pursued, will be consummated. FGL's evaluation of strategic alternatives may be terminated at any time with or without notice. FGL does not intend to disclose developments with respect to this process until such time that it determines otherwise in its sole discretion or as required by applicable law.

17:03 EDT Triumph secures follow-on contract with Boeing for 787 Dreamliner - Triumph Group (TGI) was selected by Boeing (BA) to supply composite detail and assembly parts for the 787 Dreamliner. Under the contract, Triumph Precision Components - Composites Center of Excellence site in Milledgeville, Georgia, will produce and deliver composite details and assemblies for the 787 section 47/48 fuselage assembled in Charleston, South Carolina. Triumph will deliver shipsets directly to the Boeing South Carolina facility for integration into the aft body sections of the airplane. The Triumph Milledgeville site has been a supplier to Boeing South Carolina since 2009.

17:01 EDT Kaiser Aluminum board authorizes additional $100M for share repurchases - Kaiser Aluminum said its board of directors authorized an additional $100M for share repurchases. Including the amount available under the previous authorization, as of April 17, 2017 the total available for future share repurchases under the program was $149M.

16:49 EDT CNL Lifestyle Properties reports roughly 12% passive stake in EPR Properties

16:41 EDT VAALCO Energy appoints Phil Patman as CFO - VAALCO Energy announced the appointment of Phil Patman, Jr. as Chief Financial Officer effective April 17.

16:40 EDT Endurance adopts CEO transition plan - Endurance International Group announced that its Board of Directors and its Chief Executive Officer Hari Ravichandran have adopted a CEO transition plan. Mr. Ravichandran will remain CEO and serve as a Board member while the Company conducts a search to identify his successor. As a founder of the Company, Mr. Ravichandran has led the Company to many milestones, including the Company's IPO in 2013 and last year's acquisition of Constant Contact. Endurance generated over $1B of revenue in 2016 under Mr. Ravichandran's leadership.

16:36 EDT CAI International announces brand integration - CAI International announced that ClearPointt Logistics, LLC will be joining the CAI brand as CAI Intermodal, LLC, a CAI Logistics, LLC company. Though ClearPointt will operate as CAI Intermodal, it will be publicly referred to as CAI Logistics. This name change is the first step in CAI's brand integration, as the company continues to enhance its logistics services in North America and around the globe. In 2015, CAI purchased ClearPointt, an established intermodal transportation company, to expand its logistics services. As CAI Logistics, the organization will continue to provide exceptional service and creative transportation solutions tailored to fit each customer's specific requests and challenges.

16:35 EDT Synovus to acquire certain assets, assume liabilities of World's Foremost Bank - Cabela's (CAB) announced that it has entered into agreements with subsidiaries of Synovus Financial Corp. (SNV) and Capital One Financial Corporation (COF) in connection with the sale of the assets and liabilities of Cabela's wholly owned bank subsidiary, World's Foremost Bank. Under the terms of the Bank Transaction Agreements, Synovus Bank, a bank subsidiary of Synovus Financial Corp., a financial services company based in Columbus, Georgia, with approximately $30B in assets, will acquire certain assets and assume certain liabilities of the Bank, including deposits totaling approximately $1.2B. Following the completion of the sale of the Bank's assets and liabilities, Synovus will sell the Bank's credit card assets and related liabilities to Capital One. Synovus will retain the Bank's deposits. As originally announced, Capital One will be the exclusive issuing partner of Cabela's branded CLUB Visa program pursuant to a 10-year program agreement. Capital One intends to continue to operate the Cabela's CLUB servicing center in Lincoln, Nebraska. Cabela's also announced that it has amended the terms of the definitive merger agreement signed on October 3, 2016, under which Bass Pro Shops will acquire Cabela's. Under the Amended Merger Agreement, Bass Pro Shops will acquire Cabela's for $61.50 per share in cash, representing an aggregate transaction value of approximately $5B. Cabela's board of directors unanimously approved the transaction, which is expected to close in the third quarter of 2017, subject to Cabela's shareholder approval, regulatory approvals and other customary closing conditions. Additional detail about the Amended Merger Agreement can be found in the Form 8-K that Cabela's will file with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The Bass Pro Shops merger remains subject to approval by Cabela's shareholders, as well as antitrust clearance and other customary closing conditions. The Bank transaction is subject to regulatory approvals by Synovus's primary bank regulators and other customary closing conditions. The Bank transaction will close immediately prior to the closing of the Bass Pro Shops merger.

16:33 EDT Synovus to acquire certain assets, liabilities of World's Foremost Bank - On April 17, 2017, Synovus Bank (SNV) entered into a definitive agreement to acquire certain assets and assume certain liabilities of World's Foremost Bank, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Cabela's Incorporated (CAB). Immediately following the closing of this transaction, Synovus will sell the credit card assets and related liabilities to Capital One Bank, National Association, a bank subsidiary of Capital One Financial Corporation (COF), while retaining the approximately $1.2B brokered time deposit portfolio. Pursuant to the terms of the agreement, Synovus will receive $75M in consideration from Cabela's and Capital One. The transaction is expected to close in the third quarter of 2017 and is subject to customary regulatory approvals as well as completion of the Cabela's and Bass Pro Shops merger announced in October 2016.

16:32 EDT United Continental sees FY17 gross CapEx $4.2B-$4.4B

16:30 EDT Celanese: On pace to commercialize 1,900 projects for the year - Says "on pace to commercialize 1,900 projects for the year, 37 percent higher than 2016."

16:28 EDT United Continental sees Q2 CASM ex-fuel, 4%-5% - Sees Q2 Consolidated CASM Excluding Fuel, Profit Sharing & Third-Party Business Expenses 4%-5%. Sees Q2 Consolidated Average Aircraft Fuel Price per Gallon $1.72-$1.77. Sees Q2 CapEx $1.2B-$1.22B.

16:25 EDT United Continental sees FY17 capacity up 2.5%-3.5%

16:23 EDT Sarissa says Innoviva needs shareholder representation to change - Sarissa Capital Management made a statement regarding its nomination of a minority slate to the Board of Directors of Innoviva at its 2017 annual meeting to be held on April 20. Statement began "Innoviva already appears to be reneging on its vague recent promise to deliver cost cuts. Inoviva fails to acknowledge that its abysmal corporate governance practices must be fixed INNOVIVA WILL NOT CHANGE WITHOUT SHAREHOLDER REPRESENTATION AND OVERSIGHT."

16:20 EDT United Continental CEO: 'Need to do a much better job serving our customers' - Oscar Munoz, CEO of United Airlines, said, "In the first quarter of 2017, our financial and operational performance gives us a lot of confidence about the foundation we are building. It is obvious from recent experiences that we need to do a much better job serving our customers. The incident that took place aboard Flight 3411 has been a humbling experience, and I take full responsibility. This will prove to be a watershed moment for our company, and we are more determined than ever to put our customers at the center of everything we do. We are dedicated to setting the standard for customer service among U.S. airlines, as we elevate the experience our customers have with us from booking to baggage claim."

16:18 EDT Leidos awarded $29M contract by U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs - Leidos was awarded a task order by the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, or VA, under the Transformation Twenty-One Total Technology Next Generation, or T4NG, contract vehicle. The task order was awarded to Systems Made Simple, a Leidos Innovations Corporation company. The single-award firm fixed-price task order has a one-year base period of performance, two one-year options, and a total contract value of $29M if all options are exercised. Work will be performed in Salt Lake City, UT.

16:18 EDT United Continental reports Q1 operating cash flow $547M - UAL generated $547 million in operating cash flow and ended the quarter with $6.4 billion in unrestricted liquidity, including its $2.0 billion revolving credit facility. The company's capital expenditures were $691 million in the first quarter. Including assets acquired through the issuance of debt and airport construction financing and excluding fully reimbursable projects, the company invested $1.4 billion during the first quarter in adjusted capital expenditures. The company contributed $80 million to its pension plans and made debt and capital lease principal payments of $346 million in the first quarter.

16:17 EDT Ellie Mae announces HMDA readiness initiatives - Ellie Mae announced complete offering of readiness initiatives in advance of the 2018 Home Mortgage Disclosure Act and Regulation C collection and reporting changes. With the release of Encompass 17.2, lenders now have access to begin testing their updated processes for compliance with the upcoming changes in reporting. In addition to enhancements to Ellie Mae's Encompass all-in-one mortgage management solution, Ellie Mae is offering a number of tools and resources to help clients prepare and train internal teams. Announced earlier today, Encompass 17.2 enables collection of the new data set required for loans with a final disposition in 2018 and beyond in a single system of record. A HMDA LAR Loan Application Register compliant with the new guidelines published in the CFPB rule is featured in the solution, as well as substantial automation to reduce lender processing time and risk in creating their reports. Also included is the optional expanded Demographic Information Addendum. On Tuesday, April 18th at 11:00am PT/ 2:00pm ET, Ellie Mae will host a webinar with HMDA compliance and CFPB experts to discuss the updated regulation. Attendees will gain insight on the impact, learn about specific aspects of the change and understand what organizations need to do today for the 2018 updates.

16:16 EDT Netflix down 3% after quarterly report, forecast - Netflix shares are down $4.41, or 2.99% to $142.84 in after hours trading.

16:15 EDT Netflix sees crossing 100M member mark 'this weekend' - Netflix stated in its quarterly investor letter: "We remain incredibly excited about the opportunity in front of us to build a truly global and durable internet TV business. We expect to cross the 100 million member mark this weekend. It's a good start."

16:13 EDT Yonker submits final application for $4M investment in LiqTech - LiqTech International announced that the Company has been informed by Hunan Yonker Investment Group that they have completed the mandatory due diligence process related to earlier announced $4M investment in LiqTech. Yonker further confirmed that the final application has been submitted to the National Development and Reform Commission and now awaits the formal approval.

16:11 EDT Netflix says higher Q1 operating margins due to content timing shift - In its Q1 investor letter, Netflix states: "Due to content - primarily House of Cards season 5 - moving from Q1 to Q2, we had higher operating margins in Q1 (as forecasted) at 9.7% than our plan for the year (about 7%). We forecast operating margin at 4.4% in Q2, placing us on track to reach our 7% target for the full year. The other effect of the content moves is lower net adds in Q1 compared to prior year (as expected) and heavier net adds in Q2 compared to prior year (about double). We have come to see these quarterly variances as mostly noise in the long-term growth trend and adoption of internet TV. For the first half of this year, for example, we expect to have 8.15 million net adds, compared to 8.42 million net adds in the first half last year."

16:09 EDT Opaleye reports 5.52% passive stake in Tonix Pharmaceuticals

16:08 EDT Netflix reports Q1 streaming net additions of 4.95M members - Reports Q1 U.S. streaming net additions of 1.42M and international streaming net additions of 3.53M members.

16:06 EDT Air Transport unit wins three-year maintenance contract with Frontier Airlines - PEMCO World Air Services, a wholly owned subsidiary of Air Transport Services, has secured a three-year maintenance agreement with U.S.-based low-cost carrier Frontier Airlines covering Frontier's expanding fleet, consisting today of more than 60 Airbus A320-family passenger aircraft. Maintenance services will be performed primarily at PEMCO's maintenance facilities at the Tampa International Airport. "The agreement builds on a relationship with Frontier that started in 2015 with PEMCO's interior modifications to Frontier's A319s and A320s," the company noted. The new three-year agreement covers heavy checks, induction checks, exit checks, drop-in maintenance, on-call maintenance, and away maintenance, and includes options for extension in two one-year intervals.

16:03 EDT Aurinia completes licensing deal with Merck Animal Health over VOS - Aurinia Pharmaceuticals (AUPH) announced that it has signed a definitive agreement granting Merck Animal Health (MRK) worldwide rights to develop and commercialize Aurinia's patented nanomicellar voclosporin ophthalmic solution for the treatment of dry eye syndrome in dogs. Under the terms of this agreement Aurinia will receive an upfront payment and is eligible to receive further payments based on certain development and sales milestones. Furthermore, Aurinia will receive royalties based on global product sales. Merck Animal Health will be responsible for the remaining clinical development and commercialization of VOS for use in the animal health field, while Aurinia retains all human health rights. The companies will share in the final work product and any technical knowledge that may be generated during the collaboration. "This partnership with Merck Animal Health underscores our long-standing belief that voclosporin has the potential to be effectively used across a range of therapeutic areas, in addition to its primary potential indication for the treatment of lupus nephritis," said Richard Glickman, Aurinia's CEO and Chairman of the Board. "In addition to enhancing dry eye treatment options in the animal health field, VOS has a differentiated product profile with long patent life that has the potential to compete in the multi-billion dollar human prescription dry eye market. While this ophthalmology project will continue to be advanced by Merck Animal Health, the Aurinia clinical team will remain focused on our lupus nephritis program, which is on track to begin enrollment for the AURORA Phase III trial this quarter."

16:00 EDT Wi-LAN announces new growth strategy, to change name to Quarterhill - Wi-LAN announced that its Board of Directors has approved a plan to transform its business into a growth-oriented diversified holding company by acquiring businesses that will operate alongside the company's intellectual property licensing business. As part of this transformation, WiLAN will change its name to Quarterhill Inc. on or about June 1. Also, effective immediately, Paul McCarten, Chairman of the Board of Directors will become Independent Lead Director; James Skippen, President and CEO, will become Executive Chairman; Shaun McEwan, CFO, will become Interim CEO; and Steve Thompson, VP Finance, will become Interim CFO. The Board of Directors has begun the search for a full-time CEO.

15:53 EDT Wercker says acquired by Oracle - Wercker announced in a blog post: "Through our focus on container lifecycle management, Wercker's mission has always been to enable developers to focus on what matters most: innovating and building great products and applications in a simple, repeatable and reliable way... I am excited to share that Oracle today announced that it has signed a definitive agreement to acquire Wercker. Wercker's Docker-based platform has a strong, rapidly growing user base as companies, large and small, transition to container-based workloads." Reference Link

15:44 EDT Humana says realigns financial reporting segments - Humana announced it has "realigned" certain of its businesses for its financial reporting segments to correspond with internal management reporting changes and the company's previously announced planned exit from the individual commercial medical business on January 1, 2018. Additionally, the company renamed its Group segment the Group and Specialty segment. The company's segments now include Retail, Group and Specialty, Healthcare Services, and Individual Commercial. The more significant realignment included presenting the Individual Commercial business results as a separate segment. These results were previously included in the Retail segment results. Specialty health insurance benefits, including dental, vision, other supplement health, and financial protection products, marketed to both individuals and employer groups will now be included in the Group and Specialty segment. Specialty health insurance benefits marketed to individuals were previously included in the Retail segment results. Additionally, the company's Go365 wellness business is now included in the company's Healthcare Services segment versus its previous inclusion in the Group and Specialty segment.

15:28 EDT Post Holdings rises 1% to $88

15:22 EDT Citi reports March credit loss 2.88% vs. 2.65% last month - Reports March 30-plus day delinquency rate 1.63% vs. 1.62% last month.

15:15 EDT Gabelli reports 6.16% stake in Loral Space & Communications

14:59 EDT Tilson discloses long position in Staples - Whitney Tilson, the founder and Managing Partner of Kase Capital Management, disclosed that he recently established a long position in Staples, stating in a letter to investors that he is "not pounding the table on it, but there's a decent upside/downside equation" citing its low valuation and a business that's declining more slowly than he would have expected.

14:18 EDT Southwest co-pilot arrested with loaded gun in carry-on bag - A Southwest (LUV) co-pilot was arrested at Albany International Airport today after Transportation Security Administration officers discovered a loaded .380 caliber handgun in his carry-on bag, the agency announced. The firearm was loaded with six bullets. TSA officers detected the firearm among the co-pilot's carry-on items as he entered the airport checkpoint. Shares of Southwest are down 5c to $54.26 in afternoon trading. Reference Link

14:04 EDT ETP: 3 proxy advisory firms recommend merger with Sunoco Logistics - Energy Transfer Partners (ETP) announced that all three proxy advisory firms, Institutional Shareholder Services, Glass Lewis & Co., and Egan-Jones Proxy Services have recommended that ETP unitholders vote "FOR" approval of the proposed merger with Sunoco Logistics Partners L.P. (SXL), which will be considered at the April 26, 2017 special meeting of ETP unitholders. ETP unitholders of record as of the close of business on February 27, 2017 will be entitled to vote at the meeting. As previously announced under the terms of the merger agreement, holders of ETP common units will receive 1.5 SXL common units for each ETP common unit.

13:55 EDT Perceptive Advisors reports 9.11% passive stake in Ocera Therapeutics

13:15 EDT Globalstar jumps as spectrum play after Straight Path entices suitors - Shares of mobile satellite service provider Globalstar (GSAT) are moving up after spectrum peer Straight Path (STRP) said it received a bid from a third party looking to top the AT&T (T) bid announced last week. SPECTRUM INTEREST GROWS: Last Monday, AT&T announced an agreement to acquire Straight Path for $95.63 per share, an enormous premium to the communications asset company's closing price in the prior session. PLOT THICKENS: In a regulatory filing out late last week, Straight Path said that another party, later revealed by Reuters to be Verizon (VZ), is interested in a transaction with Straight Path and that it is currently "evaluating a topping bid." Verizon said its deal would be better for Straight Path shareholders. GLOBALSTAR AND SMALL CELLS: In late 2016, the FCC approved a Globalstar request to pursue a terrestrial wireless network using 11.5 megahertz of its satellite spectrum at 2483.5-2495 MHz. Globalstar said the spectrum would be used for small-cell wireless communications. Small cells is a phrase for low powered radio access nodes and can be used in licensed and unlicensed spectrum to improve capacity in high use density areas. INTERNET OF THINGS AND SPECTRUM. Next generation wireless technology is predicated upon 5G, the next standard in telecommunications. 5G will allow for a higher density of mobile broadband users, and will be supporting device-to-device, ultra reliable, and massive machine communications. 5G networks will help enable things like autonomous vehicles, virtual reality, and the Internet of Things. Giant telecommunications companies like AT&T Verizon, Sprint (S) and T-Mobile (TMUS) require more spectrum to build out their next generation networks. "Straight Path -- which is a company that basically existed for the sake of owning spectrum -- comes with 735 mmWave licenses in the 39 GHz band and 133 licenses in the 28 GHz band, both of which fall right into the high-frequency bandwidth area that 5G technology will be focusing on," said The Verge in an article out after the AT&T-Straight Path deal was announced. According to AT&T, the acquisition will support AT&T's leadership in 5G, which will accelerate the delivery of new experiences for consumers and businesses like virtual and augmented reality, telemedicine, autonomous cars, smart cities and more. SPECTRUM ALLURE: In a note to investors earlier today, Oppenheimer analyst Timothy Horan noted that the FCC announced 50 winners of the 70 MHZ of broadcast spectrum. While the analyst said this was in line with his below-market expectations, he noted that T-Mobile winning 45% of the spectrum was above. Horan believes this is a game-changer for the company long-term as it will be able to match coverage/quality with Verizon and AT&T over time, and makes it "a much more attractive" takeover target. PRICE ACTION: Globalstar has continued to move up throughout the trading session and is now up 9.25% to $1.89 per share. Straight Path Communications shares are up nearly 17% to $107 in afternoon trading.

13:04 EDT Whirlpool declines after March appliance data - Shares of Whirlpool moved lower after the Association of Home Appliance Manufacturers, according to Bloomberg, reported that March shipments of major home appliances rose 0.3% year-over-year to 7.84M units. March shipments of washers, dryers, dishwashers, refrigerators, freezers, ranges and ovens rose 0.6% to 4.46M units, Bloomberg reports, citing AHAM data. Shares of Whirlpool are down 91c to $168.67 in afternoon trading.

12:18 EDT PPG issues open letter to AkzoNobel stakeholders, urges constructive talks - PPG (PPG) CEO Michael McGarry issued an open letter to AkzoNobel (AKZOY) stakeholders Monday, stating that "we continue to believe that a combination of PPG and AkzoNobel presents a unique and compelling opportunity for the future. PPG operates around the world to meet our customers' needs. We are not a U.S. business, but a global business with a significant presence in every major region of the world, including five important locations and about 1,000 PPG associates in the Netherlands. Since we produce paint, a product that doesn't ship economically over long distances, we will continue to have local plants and employees... In late 2013, we engaged in a private discussion with AkzoNobel about the possibility of combining the two companies. AkzoNobel was not interested and remained internally focused... We continued to see the merits of a combination and decided to make a private, formal proposal in early March 2017. I met personally with Mr. Buchner for lunch and provided him with a formal proposal conveying PPG's offer to combine with AkzoNobel. I made clear our desire to maintain the confidentiality of the proposal and to negotiate privately to reach an agreed-upon transaction. Unfortunately, the following week, in response to market rumors, AkzoNobel announced publicly not only that it had received our proposal but also that it had rejected that proposal without ever seeking to discuss and engage with us. Only after publicly rejecting our private offer did AkzoNobel change its strategic course. Based on its own commentary last week, AkzoNobel is only now 'developing' a new strategic plan, which we continue to believe will be more risky, create more uncertainty for AkzoNobel employees, leave AkzoNobel with stranded costs from the divestiture, and create less value than our proposal. We have heard concerns raised that our prior proposals contained 'few commitments or tangible solutions.' When PPG bought AkzoNobel's North American Decorative Coatings business, we made 18 specific and measurable commitments to the Canadian government. We met or exceeded all of the commitments over the required three-year period because we had access to appropriate levels of due diligence when we bought the business. PPG is prepared to make similar commitments with clear solutions to the stakeholders' concerns. This is only possible, though, when PPG and AkzoNobel sit down constructively together... It is now time for AkzoNobel's management and supervisory boards to meet with PPG and finally complete a full review and consideration."

12:10 EDT Baxter employee receives grand jury subpoena over IV sales, pricing - Baxter disclosed in a regulatory filing Friday: "On April 12, one of the Company's employees received a grand jury subpoena issued by the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania, prepared by the U.S. Department of Justice, Antitrust Division, pursuant to a criminal investigation. The subpoena calls for production of documents and testimony regarding the manufacturing, selling, pricing and shortages of intravenous solutions and containers -- including saline solutions and certain other injectable medicines sold by the Company -- and communications with competitors regarding the same. The Company is cooperating with the U.S. Department of Justice on this investigation. As previously disclosed, the New York Attorney General's office has previously requested that the Company provide information regarding business practices in the IV saline industry." Shares of Baxter are down 1% to $52.72.

12:01 EDT Dean Foods, Kraft Mac & Cheese form strategic collaboration - Dean Foods (DF) and Kraft Macaroni & Cheese, a Kraft Heinz (KHC) product, announced today they are joining forces in a strategic collaboration, spotlighting Dean's DairyPure brand milk and KRAFT Macaroni & Cheese. The partnership between the white milk brand and the home-cooked dinner product brings together "the shared benefits the two brands offer: high quality, great-tasting kitchen staples consumers can feel good about serving their families."

11:31 EDT Sports Direct International reports 7.9% stake in Finish Line - In a regulatory filing on Friday, Finish Line disclosed that Sports Direct International, a United Kingdom sports retailer and owner of sport, fashion and lifestyle brands, holds a 7.9% stake in the U.S. footwear and apparel retailer.

11:23 EDT Wells Fargo CEO buys 39,000 shares - Wells Fargo CEO Tim Sloan bought 39,000 shares of company stock at an average price of $51.65 on April 17, according to a regulatory filing.

11:03 EDT Incyte, Eli Lilly plunge after FDA won't approve arthritis drug - Shares of drugmaker Incyte (INCY) and mega-cap partner Eli Lilly (LLY) are sliding after the Food and Drug Administration rejected their application for rheumatoid arthritis therapy baricitinib in its current form, due to safety concerns. Nonetheless, the latter reaffirmed its 2017 and mid-term guidance. The news sparked varied reactions from Wall Street analysts. While some remain bullish on Eli Lilly, Morgan Stanley analyst David Risinger downgraded the stock to Neutral, while his peer at Piper Jaffray cut Incyte's rating to Neutral. NEXT KEY EVENTS DIFFICULT TO PREDICT: In a research note this morning following the news, Morgan Stanley's Risinger downgraded Eli Lilly to Equal Weight from Overweight, with an $82 price target, citing the stock's premium valuation and difficulty predicting the next key events for the pharmaceutical giant. Now that baricitinib appears to be "significantly delayed" and he sees the possibility of more mixed news flow ahead, the analyst told investors that he views Eli Lilly as having a balanced risk-reward. LIMITED IMPACT: Conversely, some analysts remained bullish on Eli Lilly despite the announcement. SunTrust analyst John Boris noted that he believes Eli Lilly has first mover advantage after EU approval, broad label and superiority to Abbvie's (ABBV) Humira. He reiterated a Buy rating on Eli Lilly's stock and pointed out that he would take advantage of weakness in the shares as the company enters an innovation driven new product cycle. Meanwhile, his peer at Piper Jaffray said that while the news was surprising and disappointing, baricitinib is one of the least important of Lilly's six new growth drivers. Analyst Richard Purkiss told investors that he estimates the delay to U.S. marketing represents only a 1% hit to his long-run valuation for the stock. The analyst reiterated an Overweight rating on the shares and argued that the company's "compelling growth story" relies largely on its three high margin, wholly owned assets: Trulicity, Taltz, and abemaciclib. Voicing a similar opinion, Cowen analyst Steve Scala admitted that the complete response letter, or CRL, for baricitinib is a "significant disappointment" for Eli Lilly, but noted that he has always leaned conservatively on the drug and that his baricitinib forecasts are "roughly intact" as he assumes a U.S. launch in January 2019. Scala maintained his Outperform rating on Lilly shares and raised his price target on the stock to $95 from $85 as he expects a number of upcoming new product rollouts and late stage agents over the next few years. POTENTIAL LITTLE DIFFERENTIATION: Reacting to the news, Piper Jaffray analyst Joshua Schimmer downgraded Incyte to Neutral and cut his price target on the shares to $124 from $140. Baricitinib's setback could take years to resolve and lead to approval of only the lower dose of the drug, leaving potentially little differentiation from Pfizer's (PFE) rheumatoid arthritis treatment Xeljanz, Schimmer contended. While he says many positives at Incyte remain, the analyst prefers to wait for a "cleaner entry point." POSITIVE FOR COMPETITORS: Credit Suisse analyst Vamil Divan told investors in a note of his own that the "surprising" CRL brings baricitinib's potential into question, while boosting key competitors as it removes a potential near-term U.S. competitor to AbbVie's Humira, which is the clear market leader in moderate-severe rheumatoid arthritis. It also helps Pfizer as Xeljanz will remain the only oral JAK inhibitor on the U.S. market for several more quarters, the analyst noted, adding that the gap between baricitinib and future oral JAK inhibitors such as AbbVie's ABT-494 and Gilead Sciences (GILD)/Galapagos' (GLPG) filgotinib will also be much shorter now, likely improving the commercial potential for these agents. PRICE ACTION: In morning trading, shares of Eli Lilly have dropped 4% to $82.49, while Incyte's stock plunged about 11% to $125.43.

11:00 EDT Incyte, Eli Lily plunge after FDA won't approve arthritis drug - Shares of drugmaker Incyte (INCY) and mega-cap partner Eli Lilly (LLY) are sliding after the Food and Drug Administration rejected their application for rheumatoid arthritis therapy baricitinib in its current form, due to safety concerns. Nonetheless, the latter reaffirmed its 2017 and mid-term guidance. The news sparked varied reactions from Wall Street analysts. While some remain bullish on Eli Lilly, Morgan Stanley analyst David Risinger downgraded the stock to Neutral, while his peer at Piper Jaffray cut Incyte's rating to Neutral. NEXT KEY EVENTS DIFFICULT TO PREDICT: In a research note this morning following the news, Morgan Stanley's Risinger downgraded Eli Lilly to Equal Weight from Overweight, with an $82 price target, citing the stock's premium valuation and difficulty predicting the next key events for the pharmaceutical giant. Now that baricitinib appears to be "significantly delayed" and he sees the possibility of more mixed news flow ahead, the analyst told investors that he views Eli Lilly as having a balanced risk-reward. LIMITED IMPACT: Conversely, some analysts remained bullish on Eli Lilly despite the announcement. SunTrust analyst John Boris noted that he believes Eli Lilly has first mover advantage after EU approval, broad label and superiority to Abbvie's (ABBV) Humira. He reiterated a Buy rating on Eli Lilly's stock and pointed out that he would take advantage of weakness in the shares as the company enters an innovation driven new product cycle. Meanwhile, his peer at Piper Jaffray said that while the news was surprising and disappointing, baricitinib is one of the least important of Lilly's six new growth drivers. Analyst Richard Purkiss told investors that he estimates the delay to U.S. marketing represents only a 1% hit to his long-run valuation for the stock. The analyst reiterated an Overweight rating on the shares and argued that the company's "compelling growth story" relies largely on its three high margin, wholly owned assets: Trulicity, Taltz, and abemaciclib. Voicing a similar opinion, Cowen analyst Steve Scala admitted that the complete response letter, or CRL, for baricitinib is a "significant disappointment" for Eli Lilly, but noted that he has always leaned conservatively on the drug and that his baricitinib forecasts are "roughly intact" as he assumes a U.S. launch in January 2019. Scala maintained his Outperform rating on Lilly shares and raised his price target on the stock to $95 from $85 as he expects a number of upcoming new product rollouts and late stage agents over the next few years. POTENTIAL LITTLE DIFFERENTIATION: Reacting to the news, Piper Jaffray analyst Joshua Schimmer downgraded Incyte to Neutral and cut his price target on the shares to $124 from $140. Baricitinib's setback could take years to resolve and lead to approval of only the lower dose of the drug, leaving potentially little differentiation from Pfizer's (PFE) rheumatoid arthritis treatment Xeljanz, Schimmer contended. While he says many positives at Incyte remain, the analyst prefers to wait for a "cleaner entry point." POSITIVE FOR COMPETITORS: Credit Suisse analyst Vamil Divan told investors in a note of his own that the "surprising" CRL brings baricitinib's potential into question, while boosting key competitors as it removes a potential near-term U.S. competitor to AbbVie's Humira, which is the clear market leader in moderate-severe rheumatoid arthritis. It also helps Pfizer as Xeljanz will remain the only oral JAK inhibitor on the U.S. market for several more quarters, the analyst noted, adding that the gap between baricitinib and future oral JAK inhibitors such as AbbVie's ABT-494 and Gilead Sciences (GILD)/Galapagos' (GLPG) filgotinib will also be much shorter now, likely improving the commercial potential for these agents. PRICE ACTION: In morning trading, shares of Eli Lilly have dropped 4% to $82.49, while Incyte's stock plunged about 11% to $125.43.

10:07 EDT Bank of America reports March default rate 3.06% vs. 2.40% last month - Reports March 30-plus day delinquency rate 1.61% vs. 1.63% last month.

09:54 EDT Yandex, Google, FAS reach settlement on Android antitrust case in Russia - The Federal Antimonopoly Service of Russia announced the approval of a settlement of the two-year old Android antitrust case in Russia. "Today is an important day for Russian consumers as Google (GOOG, GOOGL) has agreed to take significant steps that open up its Android platform in Russia," said Arkady Volozh, CEO of Yandex (YNDX). "Now millions of Russian Android users will be offered a choice of search engines on their mobile devices. I am thankful to the Federal Antimonopoly Service for applying the law in a manner that effectively and efficiently restores competition to the market for the benefit of Russian users, as competition always breeds innovation. I'm excited, together with the entire team at Yandex, to continue building products and services that deliver exceptional customer experiences."

09:33 EDT Euronet to review MoneyGram merger agreement after bid rejected - Euronet Worldwide (EEFT) acknowledges it submitted a binding offer to acquire MoneyGram International (MGI) to MoneyGram's Board of Directors on April 14 and that on April 16 MoneyGram announced it had rejected Euronet's offer and has entered into an amendment to the definitive agreement under which MoneyGram will merge with Ant Financial Services Group (BABA). Euronet intends to review the Amended Merger Agreement. Michael Brown, Chairman and CEO of Euronet commented, "We have long believed a combination with MoneyGram would be of great benefit to Euronet and MoneyGram stockholders, customers and other stakeholders of these two great companies, which would be even stronger when combined. We are disappointed that the MoneyGram board has chosen not to pursue this combination. The road ahead for MoneyGram remains highly uncertain in our view. In light of bipartisan concerns that have been raised by four Members of Congress, extensive public reports examining questionable data security practices of Ant Financial and broad concern raised over Chinese based acquirers, we continue to hold the view that the Ant deal may never close."

09:28 EDT Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices signs marketing agreement with Juwai.com - Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices announced a marketing agreement with Juwai.com to syndicate all of its franchisees' residential listings to the China-based international property portal that attracts roughly two million visitors monthly.

09:24 EDT Repros Therapeutics receives new patent related to Proellex - Repros Therapeutics announced the issuance of a new patent, U.S. Patent number 9,616,074, that bolsters the Company's intellectual property relating to Proellex. The '074 patent, which expires in 2027, relates to the use of Selective Progesterone Receptor Modulators, in particular Telapristone Acetate or Ulipristal Acetate, with an Off Drug Interval, or ODI, for the treatment of estrogen-dependent hyperproliferative uterine conditions, such as uterine fibroids and endometriosis. Under the terms of the patent, ODI is defined as daily administration of the SPRM for a period of time, followed by an ODI sufficient for the patient to menstruate and then by another period of administration of the SPRM.

09:20 EDT Perry Ellis enters into agreement with Sector Apparel Group - Perry Ellis International announced that it has entered into an agreement with Sector Apparel Group for the distribution of An Original Penguin by Munsingwear men's apparel in South Africa, Namibia, Botswana and Swaziland. These products will be available in department stores and independent retailers as well as online and are planned to launch in Spring 2017.

09:17 EDT Arconic: Kleinfeld sent letter to Elliott without consultation or authorization

09:17 EDT JetPay appoints John Crouch as Chief Information Officer - JetPay announced the company has added a new technology leader to its senior management team to lead the company's information technology, including payment and payroll technology solutions, and ongoing security enhancements. Effective April 17th, John Crouch will join JetPay as the Company's Chief Information Officer. Crouch is an accomplished leader with more than thirty years of experience in information technology, data security and business operations. In his role, Crouch will have oversight of all technology and will be responsible for leading the direction for ongoing technical development, driving the long-term technology and digital roadmap, including implementing ongoing product and service enhancements.

09:16 EDT Arconic names David Hess interim CEO, Patricia Russo as interim chair

09:15 EDT Arconic says Klaus Kleinfeld to step down as chair, CEO

09:12 EDT Lincoln National names Steve Harris SVP, Chief Ethics and Compliance Officer - Lincoln Financial Group (LNC) announced that Steve Harris has joined the company as SVP and chief ethics and compliance officer, effective today. In his new role, Harris will lead Lincoln Financial's enterprise compliance team, ensuring a comprehensive and effective program that is aligned across the company's various businesses. Prior to joining Lincoln Financial, Harris most recently served as VP and corporate chief compliance officer for The Hartford Financial Services Group (HIG).

09:02 EDT AmpliPhi says to explore 'wide range' of strategic alternatives

09:01 EDT Ocean Bio-Chemical approves 6c special cash dividend - Ocean Bio-Chem announced the Board of Directors unanimously voted on April 13 to declare for the second consecutive year a special cash dividend of 6c per share payable May 11 to holders of record of the Company's Common Stock on April 27.

08:53 EDT Consolidated Tomoka says ISS recommends investors vote for all 7 nominees - Consolidated-Tomoka Land announced that Institutional Shareholder Services, an independent proxy advisory firm, has recommended that CTO shareholders vote "FOR" all of CTO's director nominees at the company's 2017 Annual Meeting of Shareholders to be held on April 26, 2017. In its April 13, 2017 report, ISS concluded: "The dissident has not made a compelling case that change is currently warranted at the board level." ISS also said that "In addition, the dissident's majority slate - which includes three current or former employees of the fund - presents significant downside risk given the lack of a clear contingency plan and the possibility of a disorderly transition within management. As such, votes FOR management nominees Albright, Allen, Franklin, Olivari, Serkin, Warlow, and Wold on the WHITE card are warranted."

08:50 EDT Nimble Storage trading halted, news dissemination

08:41 EDT Consolidated Tomoka announces new $2.7M land contract - Consolidated-Tomoka Land announced the execution of a new land sales contract with a preferred developer for a specialty grocer for approximately 9.0 acres of land at a price of approximately $2.7M, or $300,000 per acre. The land is located at the northeast corner of LPGA Boulevard and Williamson Boulevard, adjacent to the company's Concierge office property and the Integra Sands Apartment property. The latest closing date contemplated by the contract is the fourth quarter of 2018.

08:39 EDT RGS Energy subsidiary sees growth opportunities in decision made by Hawaii PUC - Sunetric, a wholly-owned subsidiary of RGS Energy, is preparing to address the growth opportunities created by the decision made last week by the Hawaii Public Utilities Commission, or PUC, to add 20 megawatts of capacity to its customer grid-supply solar program.

08:35 EDT Beazer Homes announces exclusive agreement with Mohawk for flooring - Beazer Homes USA (BZH) announced Mohawk Industries (MHK) as its exclusive product supplier across all flooring categories, including carpet, ceramic tile, hardwood, laminate and resilient flooring. Mohawk began supplying Beazer Homes with award-winning carpeting and tile in 2010. Now, the builder will exclusively rely on Mohawk for all of its hardwood, laminate and resilient flooring needs, as well.

08:34 EDT HCA Holdings reports Q1 same facility equivalent admissions up 1.6% - HCA Holdings announced preliminary financial and operating results for its first quarter ended March 31. Same facility admissions for the first quarter of 2017 increased 1.2%, while same facility equivalent admissions increased 1.6% when compared to the first quarter of 2016. Same facility emergency room visits for the first quarter of 2017 increased 1.1% from the prior year's first quarter. Results for the first quarter of 2017 were affected by changes in payer mix and the loss of one day when compared to the first quarter of 2016. Same facility Medicare admissions comprised 48.1% of the first quarter 2017 admissions, compared to 47.0% in the prior year's first quarter. In the first quarter of 2017, same facility managed care/health exchange admissions comprised 27.4% of admissions, compared to 28.6% in the prior year's first quarter. Same facility revenue per equivalent admission is expected to increase approximately 1.7% in the first quarter of 2017 compared to the prior year's first quarter.

08:33 EDT Umpqua Holdings appoints Rilla Delorier as Chief Strategy Officer - Umpqua Holdings (UMPQ) announced that it has selected Rilla Delorier as its first Chief Strategy Officer. In this new role, Delorier will bring together Umpqua's creative, product and technology teams to develop and implement strategies that move the company forward. Delorier comes most recently from SunTrust Bank (STI), where she spent 10 years in a variety of roles, including executive vice president of consumer channels, chief marketing officer and marketing director of wealth and investment management. An early adopter of digital as a transformational channel, she oversaw SunTrust's evolution from a brick and mortar to cross-channel organization - and helped build a purpose-driven company and culture.

08:32 EDT Medidata agrees to acquire Mytrus; financial terms not disclosed - Medidata announced that the company has agreed to acquire Mytrus, Incorporated, an e-clinical technology company specializing in patient-centered electronic informed consent and virtual trials. Medidata will integrate Enroll, Mytrus' eConsent solution, into the Medidata Clinical Cloud as part of its ongoing commitment to modernize clinical trials for patients, sites and sponsors. It is anticipated that Medidata's acquisition of Mytrus, Incorporated will be completed in April 2017, subject to customary closing conditions.

08:30 EDT Mocon trading resumes

08:17 EDT Blackstone to acquire EagleClaw Midstream Partners for approximately $2B - EagleClaw Midstream Ventures and its financial sponsor, EnCap Flatrock Midstream, announced that they have entered into a binding agreement to sell the company to funds managed by Blackstone Energy Partners and Blackstone Capital Partners for approximately $2B. Blackstone Energy Partners is the energy-focused private equity business of Blackstone. The all-cash transaction is expected to close by the end of July 2017 and includes approximately $1.25B in stapled debt financing provided by Jefferies LLC. EagleClaw is the largest privately held midstream operator in the Permian's Delaware Basin in West Texas. The company's assets are strategically located in Reeves, Ward and Culberson counties and include more than 375 miles of natural gas gathering pipelines and 320 million cubic feet per day of processing capacity with an additional 400 MMcf/d under construction. EagleClaw will retain its name and operate as a Blackstone portfolio company. The leadership team and fundamentally all of the company's employees will remain in their current roles and are investing alongside Blackstone in this transaction.

08:16 EDT NV5 Global acquires Bock & Clark - NV5 Global announced that it has acquired Bock & Clark Corporation, an established American Land Title Association surveying, commercial zoning, and environmental services firm based in Akron, Ohio. Bock & Clark has eight offices in the U.S. and annual revenues of approximately $39M. The company was purchased entirely in cash with the exception of restricted stock granted to key employees and will be immediately accretive to NV5's earnings.

08:15 EDT Norsat trading resumes

08:10 EDT Mentor Capital pays nearly $300,000 early to long-time shareholders - Mentor Capital announces that early shareholders who together also hold approximately 3,000,000 Series B Warrants are having the 10c per warrant redemption payment for those warrants voluntarily paid out now by the company approximately one-year in advance of the May 1, 2018 date previously scheduled with the Depository Trust & Clearing Corporation. "The 10 cent Series B Warrant redemption payment represents approximately a 1000% gain from the original value turned over to Mentor on behalf of the those investors in January 2000. Paying that out a year in advance of the scheduled payment date is consistent with your management's guiding financial goal of maximizing shareholder return. We are most pleased the company's strong debt-free financial position allows us to put cash directly back into the hands of our shareholders," comments Mentor Capital, Inc. CEO, Chet Billingsley.

08:07 EDT HTG Molecular, Centre Leon Berard enter molecular profiling research agreement - HTG Molecular announced that it has entered into a research agreement with Centre Leon Berard, which provides the framework for molecular profiling studies aimed to advance precision medicine. The initial project utilizes the HTG EdgeSeq Oncology Biomarker Panel to retrospectively characterize immunologic profiles from advanced malignant tumor samples collected in the ProfiLER study.

08:06 EDT Ashland to acquire Pharmachem Laboratories for $660M in cash - Ashland Global Holdings announced that its subsidiary has signed a definitive agreement to acquire privately owned Pharmachem Laboratories, Inc., a leading provider of quality ingredients to the global health and wellness industries and high-value differentiated products to fragrance and flavor houses. Under terms of the stock purchase agreement, Ashland will pay $660M in an all-cash transaction that is expected to be completed before the end of the June quarter. The acquisition, which is subject to customary closing conditions and required regulatory approvals, will be funded with bank financing and available cash. The acquisition is expected to be accretive to Ashland's earnings per share in the first year following the close of the transaction.

08:04 EDT Norsat announces unsolicited takeover bid of $11 per share from Privet - Norsat International announced that it has recently received an unsolicited, conditional, non-binding proposal from Privet Fund Management to acquire the company for cash consideration of $11.00 per share. The non-binding proposal is subject to conditions including due diligence and financing. Consistent with its fiduciary responsibilities, Norsat's Board of Directors has constituted a special committee of the Board to, in consultation with its legal and financial advisors, review and consider this proposal. Norsat has provided notice to Hytera Communications of the receipt of the unsolicited proposal from Privet. On March 24, Norsat entered an arrangement agreement with Hytera and its wholly-owned subsidiary, Hytera Project Corp., under which Hytera is proposing to acquire all outstanding shares of Norsat. At this time the Board has not changed its recommendation regarding the pending transaction with Hytera. If, after reviewing the proposal from Privet, the Board determines that the offer by Privet is a "Superior Proposal", as defined in the Arrangement Agreement, it will notify Hytera of that determination. Hytera will then have a period of five business days to offer to amend the terms of the Arrangement Agreement. Hytera is under no obligation to make such an offer, but if they offer to amend the Arrangement Agreement and the Board determines that the proposal of Privet ceases to be a Superior Proposal, Norsat will enter into an amendment of the Arrangement Agreement and implement the amended offer. If, after the Board determines the Privet offer is a Superior Proposal, Hytera does not offer to amend the Arrangement Agreement, or offers to amend but the Privet proposal remains a Superior Proposal, Norsat intends to accept the Privet proposal, terminate the arrangement agreement and pay Hytera the termination fee of $2.0M, all in accordance with the terms of the arrangement agreement. Hytera Communications has agreed to acquire all the issued and outstanding shares of Norsat for $10.25 per share.

08:03 EDT Synergy Pharmaceuticals names Gary Gemignani as CFO - Synergy Pharmaceuticals announced that Gary G. Gemignani has been appointed as EVP and CFO effective April 17, 2017. Gemignani replaces SVP, Finance, Bernard Denoyer, who will assist in the transition process until his retirement on July 1, 2017. Most recently, Gemignani served as CEO and CFO of Biodel, overseeing business and strategic planning, operations, and financing activities of the company.

08:01 EDT SurModics names Mitralign COO Lisa Wipperman Heine to board of directors - Surmodics announced the addition of Lisa Wipperman Heine to the company's Board of Directors, effective on April 12. She is currently the COO at Mitralign, an innovator in transcatheter tricuspid and mitral valve therapies.

08:00 EDT Nevada extends Wells Fargo banking agreement until 2021 - Wells Fargo & Company announced that the State of Nevada Board of Examiners has approved the extension of its General Banking agreement with the bank until 2021, with a two-year renewal option.

07:55 EDT OncoMed trading halted, news pending

07:47 EDT Williams to sell interests in Geismar Olefins facility to NOVA for $2.1B - Williams Partners L.P. announced that it has agreed to sell 100% of its membership interest in Williams Olefins LLC, which owns an 88.46 percent undivided ownership interest in the Geismar, Louisiana, olefins plant and associated complex, to NOVA Chemicals for $2.1B in cash subject to customary closing conditions. Additionally, upon closing of the transaction, Williams Partners subsidiaries will enter into long-term supply and transportation agreements with NOVA Chemicals to provide feedstock to the Geismar olefins plant via Williams Partners' Bayou Ethane pipeline system in the U.S. Gulf Coast. These agreements secure a meaningful long-term fee-based revenue stream for the partnership. Williams Partners plans to use the cash proceeds from the Williams Olefins transaction to pay off its $850M term loan and to fund a portion of the capital and investment expenditures that are a part of the partnership's extensive growth portfolio. Williams expects that for federal tax purposes, any taxable gain generated from the transaction will be sheltered by its net operating loss carry-forwards. As a result of today's Williams Olefins transaction announcement, Williams Partners plans to update its financial guidance at its Analyst Day event on May 11. The Williams Olefins transaction is expected to close in summer 2017. Closing is subject to customary closing conditions and regulatory approvals. Morgan Stanley & Co. LLC acted as the lead financial adviser to Williams Partners on the transaction. Centerview Partners LLC acted as a co-adviser to Williams Partners on the transaction. Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher LLP and Kean Miller LLP served as legal advisers to Williams Partners on the transaction. "The Williams Olefins transaction and these announced new supply and transportation agreements fortify our focus on natural gas market fundamentals, reduce our commodity margin exposure and secure our fee-based Gulf Coast transportation business - all consistent with Williams' strategy to allocate capital to its core, natural gas-focused business," said Alan Armstrong, CEO of Williams Partners' general partner. "When the Williams Olefins transaction closes, we expect to be at 97 percent fee-based revenues driven largely by natural gas volumes. Today's announcements further strengthen our financial position to support Williams' peer-leading, low-risk growth portfolio." :theflyonthewall

07:43 EDT Cleveland BioLabs announces commencement of in vivo biocomparability study - Cleveland BioLabs announced that the FDA has completed its review of a side-by-side analytical comparison of two formulations of entolimod. The FDA agreed with CBLI that these data indicate the in vitro analytical comparability of the formulations. Based on the outcome of its review, the FDA has provided CBLI with its consent for initiation of an in vivo biocomparability study of these formulations in non-human primates, or NHP. The objective of the in vivo biocomparability study is to compare the historical drug formulation used in prior nonclinical and clinical studies versus the to-be-marketed drug formulation of entolimod submitted for approval under CBLI's application for pre-Emergency Use Authorization. Entolimod is a novel, broad-spectrum investigational drug being developed to mitigate the life-threatening consequences of a radiological or nuclear attack.

07:40 EDT Innoviva urges shareholders to vote on the gold card for the Sarissa nominees - Sarissa Capital Management made a statement regarding its nomination of a minority slate to the Board of Directors of Innoviva at its 2017 annual meeting to be held on April 20. Letter began: "Innoviva now admits that Sarissa was right all along - not only will Innoviva "review" cost cutting but this review will "result in meaningful savings in our core operating costs that will benefit our financial performance." A truly amazing epiphany after months of Innoviva insisting that they are "a very lean company" and cannot cut costs. The blatant hypocrisy of this shameful flip-flop illustrates a management and board that will say anything to maintain their cushy positions." And ended "WE URGE ALL SHAREHOLDERS TO VOTE NOW ON THE GOLD CARD FOR THE SARISSA NOMINEES."

07:38 EDT KCG reports average $26.3B dollar volume traded in Market Making in March - KCG Holdings released trade volumes for the month of March. In Market Making, KCG averaged $26.3B dollar volume traded, 10.4B shares traded, and 3.3M trades per day in U.S. equities. In Global Execution Services KCG Institutional Equities averaged 206.0M U.S. equity shares traded per day. KCG BondPoint averaged $282.9M fixed income par value traded per day. As for the overall market conditions in March, consolidated U.S. equity volume averaged $269.5B in dollar volume and 6.9B shares traded per day.

07:36 EDT Computer Services promotes David Culbertson to COO - Computer Services has promoted David Culbertson to COO. In his new role, Culbertson now oversees the strategic direction for the company's entire portfolio of technology and financial services solutions. As COO, Culbertson will lead the development, implementation and support of CSI's core banking solutions, electronic and print distribution offerings and IT managed services.

07:34 EDT Alliance Data reports March net charge offs 6.3% vs. 6.5% last month - Reports March delinquency rate 4.8% vs. 5.1% last month.

07:33 EDT Alliance Data reports March net charge offs 6.3% vs. 6.5% last month - Reports March delinquency rate 4.8% vs. 5.1% last month.

07:31 EDT Alliance Data reports March net charge offs 6.3% vs. 6.5% last month - Reports March delinquency rate 4.8% vs. 5.1% last month. :theflyonthewall

07:28 EDT J.B. Hunt sees FY17 tax rate 35% - The annual tax rate for 2017 is expected to be 35% and the normalized annual tax rate, excluding one-time benefits or costs, is expected to be 37%.

07:03 EDT Westport to sell assets of APU business for $70M - Westport Fuel Systems (WPRT) announced that it has entered into a definitive agreement to sell the assets of its Auxiliary Power Unit, or AP]U, business for $70M subject to certain customary adjustments. The transaction is expected to close within a few weeks. The divestiture is consistent with Westport's strategy to streamline its business and product lines and focus on alternative fuel solutions for the transportation and automotive industries. J.P. Morgan (JPM) acted as financial advisor for Westport Fuel Systems on the transaction.

07:01 EDT Bristol-Myers, Nordic Bioscience announce biomarker technology collaboration - Bristol-Myers Squibb and Nordic Bioscience announced a collaboration agreement to develop biomarker technology to potentially aid in the diagnosis and monitoring of fibrotic diseases including Non-alcoholic steatohepatitis. Nordic Bioscience has over 25 years' experience in biomarker development and clinical trials with extensive expertise in rheumatology and fibrosis. Under the terms of the agreement, Bristol-Myers Squibb and Nordic Bioscience will collaborate in the development of translational biomarkers and diagnostics for the evaluation of NASH in pre-clinical models of fibrotic diseases and in clinical settings.

07:00 EDT The Medicines Co. to present data at ECCMID 2017 on infectious disease portfolio - The Medicines Company announced that data from its portfolio of antimicrobial products and late-stage product candidates will be featured in presentations at the 27th Annual European Congress of Clinical Microbiology and Infectious Diseases to be held April 22-25, 2017, in Vienna, Austria. The company will present data on its investigational antibiotic, meropenem-vaborbactam, from the pivotal TANGO 1 trial that compared it to piperacillin-tazobactam in the treatment of complicated urinary tract infections. Additional data on meropenem-vaborbactam's in vitro activity against clinical isolates of carbapenem-resistant Enterobacteriaceae, and in experimental treatment models will also be presented as will data from studies of Orbactiv and Minoci for Injection.

06:56 EDT Regis appoints Hugh Sawyer as CEO - Regis announced that after successful completion of the CEO transition Dan Hanrahan has left the Company and the Board has appointed Hugh E. Sawyer to replace Hanrahan as President and CEO. Sawyer was also appointed to the Board of Directors, filling the vacancy created by Hanrahan. Sawyer has served as President or CEO of eight companies and on numerous boards of directors over a forty-year career. He was most recently a Managing Director of Huron Consulting Group, a management consulting firm, since January 2010, and was a leader of the Operational Improvement Service Line for Huron's Business Advisory Practice.

06:48 EDT Tallgrass Energy increases dividend 2.5% to 83.5c - The board of directors of TEP's general partner declared a quarterly cash distribution of 83.5c per common unit for the Q1, or $3.34 on an annualized basis. This represents a sequential increase of 2.5% from the Q4 of FY16 distribution of 81.5c per common unit and an increase of 18.4% from the Q1 of FY16 distribution of 70.5c per common unit. It is TEP's 15th consecutive increase since its May 2013 IPO. In addition, as previously announced in conjunction with the recent acquisition of an approximate 25% interest in Rockies Express Pipeline, management intends to recommend to the board of directors of TEP's general partner that TEP increase its quarterly distributions for the Q2 and Q3 by an aggregate of at least 10c per unit or 40c per unit on an annualized basis. These distributions would be paid in mid-August and mid-November of 2017, respectively.

06:32 EDT ReneSola signs agreement to sell 6.75MW of solar project in North Carolina - ReneSola announced that it signed an agreement to sell its utility-scale project located in North Carolina, United States to New York-based Greenbacker Renewable Energy , a publicly registered, non-traded Limited Liability Company focused on investments in renewable energy power plants and energy efficiency projects as well as other sustainable investments. Powered by ReneSola's Virtus II 315W modules, the utility project has a capacity of approximately 6.75 MW and will sell the power generated to the local utility under a 15-year purchase agreement.

06:07 EDT Emerge Energy acquires Osburn Materials for $20M - Emerge Energy Services announced the closing of a transaction to acquire Osburn Materials, a local sand producer based outside of San Antonio Texas, for approximately $20M. The transaction was funded with a new $40M term loan, and Emerge Energy used remaining proceeds after transaction fees and expenses to repay outstanding borrowings under its revolving credit facility. Houlihan Lokey Capital served as exclusive placement agent in connection with the debt financing. Osburn Materials is located approximately 25 miles south of San Antonio, Texas. It currently produces and sells sports sands and building products but does not yet serve the energy markets.

06:03 EDT Innoviva urges stockholders to vote FOR the current Board of Directors - Innoviva announced its Board of Directors has issued a to shareholders in connection with the upcoming Annual Meeting of Stockholders to be held on April 20. Highlights of the letter said: "We urge you to vote on the WHITE proxy card in favor of your current Board of Directors. We think the choice is clear", and "Innoviva has delivered a 32% compounded growth rate in royalties over the last 10 reported quarters through an efficient, low-cost structure. With strong and consistent growth in profits, we have been able to deliver increasing returns to shareholders - including capital returns of more than $210M to investors since the Q1 of 2015."

06:01 EDT United Community Banks names Jefferson Harralson as CFO - United Community Banks announced the appointment of Jefferson L. Harralson as executive vice president and CFO of both the parent company and its banking subsidiary, United Community Bank. Harralson will report to Lynn Harton, president and COO, and will assume the duties previously held by Rex Schuette, who has served in the role of chief financial officer for the past 16 years. Earlier this year, the company announced Schuette's intention to retire in 2017. Schuette will remain with the company during a transition period to ensure a smooth transfer of responsibilities.

05:24 EDT Fortuna Silver Mines provides update on regulatory review - Fortuna Silver Mines provided an update on the ongoing regulatory review of the company's 2015 annual filings by the SEC. As previously announced, Fortuna is delayed in filing its annual audited financial statements and related MD&A for the years ended December 31, 2016 and 2015, the related CEO and CFO certificates, and its annual information form for the year ended December 31, 2016 due to an ongoing review by the SEC on the company's use of inferred resources for the calculation of depletion expenses in its audited financial statements contained in the Annual Report on Form 40-F for the year ended December 31, 2015. In connection with the delayed filing of the Annual Financial Documents, the company applied for and received management cease trade order, or MCTO, from the British Columbia Securities Commission and other Canadian provincial securities regulatory authorities. The MCTO prohibits certain executive officers of the company from trading in securities of the company until the company completes the required filing of the Annual Financial Documents. Fortuna reports that the SEC's review of the company's 2015 annual filings is ongoing and that it continues to work diligently and devote all necessary resources to address the SEC Comments, and finalize and file the Annual Financial Documents as soon as practicable. The company expects to be in a position to complete the filing by May 5, 2017.