Stockwinners Market Radar for April 27, 2017 - Earnings, Upgrades downgrades, option trades, Best Stock Advisory Service

20:11 EDT Facebook improves 'Rights Manager' content protection system - Facebook introduced several improvements to its "Rights Manager" service. The company said: "Today we're announcing new automated rules for Rights Manager that will better support rights owners' business objectives. With Rights Manager, rights owners can find matches of their video content on Facebook; these matches are surfaced on a dashboard. Previously, the rights owner would review these matches in the dashboard to take action. To help make management more efficient for rights owners, we're now enabling them to automate more of the process, and providing more options for what happens to matched content." Reference Link

19:56 EDT CytRx: Former 'SPA' for aldoxorubicin no longer applicable - CytRx disclosed in a stock sale prospectus Thursday: "On April 19, we announced that we intend to submit a rolling Section 505b2 NDA in the last quarter of 2017... A 502b2 NDA differs from a typical 505b1 NDA in that we can rely, in part, upon the FDA's findings of safety and/or effectiveness for the reference drug, doxorubicin, provided that bridging data establishing the comparability of aldoxorubicin to doxorubicin will be deemed acceptable by FDA. Since we intend to pursue the 502b2 regulatory pathway, our former special protocol assessment, or SPA, with the FDA is no longer applicable. We do not believe the 505b2 pathway will adversely impact our Orphan Drug Designation for STS or that additional clinical studies will need to be conducted to submit our NDA. Subject to FDA approval, the commercial launch of aldoxorubicin in the United States is projected for 2018."

19:26 EDT Sarepta: 'Productive' payer talks, ramping of patient starts continuing in Q2 - "The number of exon 51 amenable start forms has continued to rise in total week over week, resulting in an increased penetration rate throughout Q1. The steady flow of start forms throughout the quarter was driven by continued patient demand, increased physician confidence and new patient identification. Tier 1 and 2 DMD centers, which treat approximately 80% of the known DMD population, are still consistently submitting start forms. In addition, more Tier 3 centers submitted start forms this quarter, resulting in our total DMD prescriber base increasing by approximately 30% since Q4. There are currently more than 130 physician submitting start forms. Active physician prescribing along with other positive trends continue to give us confidence in the overall trajectory of the launch and we are pleased with the success we are having today. We continue to have productive discussions with payers and have made significant progress securing reimbursement for patients. There has been a steady increase in starting patients on therapy, with March being the highest month, and we're seeing this trend continue into Q2," Sarepta said during its Q1 earnings conference call earlier.

19:20 EDT Sarepta: Exondys post-market commitment data likely unavailable for couple years - "The final protocols for the EXONDYS 51 post-marketing commitments are still being discussed with the FDA. The data generated over the next several years will help inform and determine the clinical effectiveness of this drug. Based on our current assumptions, final data from our post-marketing commitments will not be likely available for several years," Sarepta said during its Q1 earnings conference call earlier.

19:01 EDT Canada gov't objects to Boeing allegations over Bombardier pricing in U.S. - The Government of Canada made the following statement regarding the filing of a petition by Boeing (BA) Aerospace Corporation with the United States Department of Commerce, alleging the dumping of Bombardier (BDRBF) aircraft in the United States market: "The Government of Canada objects to the allegations made by Boeing. We are confident that our programs are consistent with Canada's international obligations. The aerospace industries of Canada and the United States are highly integrated and companies on both sides of the border benefit from this close partnership. For example, many C Series suppliers are based in the United States and it is projected that more than 50 percent of the components for the C Series, including the engine, will be supplied by American firms directly contributing to high quality jobs in that country. The C Series is a great example of how the North American industrial base can develop and produce a globally competitive product with industry-leading clean technologies. Bombardier also has a significant presence in the U.S. across its aerospace and transportation divisions, directly employing more than 7,000 workers. In addition, the company works with more than 2,000 suppliers headquartered in states across the country thereby generating thousands of well-paid, high-tech American jobs. The Government of Canada will mount a vigorous defence against these allegations and stand up for aerospace jobs on both sides of the border."

18:36 EDT Shaw Communications restores internet and phone services after brief outage - The company said, "All Internet and phone services were restored as of 4pm MT for a significant number of Shaw customers across Western Canada impacted by a brief outage this afternoon. The outage began at 1:27pm MT today, as a result of a software failure during a routine upgrade to our network. We are further investigating the cause. We sincerely apologize to our customers for this inconvenience."

18:16 EDT On The Fly: After Hours Movers - UP AFTER EARNINGS: Align Technology (ALGN), up 12.4%... eHealth (EHTH), up 8.7%... Trimble (TRMB), up 7.3%... LPL Financial (LPLA), up 4.6%... Alphabet Class A (GOOGL), up 4.3%... Cerner (CERN), up 3.9%... Amazon (AMZN), up 3.7%... Cypress Semiconductor (CY), up 2.4%... Vertex (VRTX), up 1.7%. ALSO HIGHER: Honeywell (HON), up 4.4% after Third Point took a stake in the company and is urging it to separate out its Aerospace unit, according to the New York Times... Ignyta (RXDX), up 2.9% after it said it plans Entrectinib Dual TRK and ROS1 NDA submissions. DOWN AFTER EARNINGS: athenahealth (ATHN), down 16.4%... Cloud Peak (CLD), down 16.4%... PCM, Inc. (PCMI), down 11%... Ellie Mae (ELLI), down 9.4%... Accuray (ARAY), down 8.7%... Fortinet (FTNT), down 6.7%... Tandem Diabetes (TNDM), down 4.8%... Flex (FLEX), down 4.8%... Starbucks (SBUX), down 4.7%... Baidu (BIDU), down 4.1%... Expedia (EXPE), down 2%... Sarepta Therapeutics (SRPT), down 0.6%... Microsoft (MSFT), down 0.4%. ALSO LOWER: TransEnterix (TRXC), down 11.9% after it announced a common stock and warrant offering..

18:09 EDT Seagate shares up 1.1% after Western Digital guidance

18:01 EDT Comcast 'very pleased' with auction, says no current plans for acquired spectrum - Comcast issued the following statement after the conclusion of the quiet period associated with the FCC's Broadcast Incentive Auction: "We are very pleased with the outcome of the FCC's Broadcast Incentive Auction. In the Reverse auction, NBC sold spectrum at attractive prices in New York (NBC - WNBC), Philadelphia (Telemundo - WWSI), and Chicago (Telemundo - WSNS) and will receive total proceeds of $481.6M. Additionally, with the purchase of $1.7B of spectrum that covers 88% of our footprint and most of the footprint of each of our top 25 markets, Comcast made a strategically compelling investment at historically low prices. We have no current plans for the acquired spectrum and note that the spectrum will not be cleared by the FCC and available for use for several years. The launch and growth of our Xfinity Mobile product is not dependent on this purchased spectrum."

17:57 EDT Western Digital reverses, rises 5% after Q4 guidance

17:55 EDT Adamas Pharmaceuticals appoints Richard A. King as COO - Adamas Pharmaceuticals appointed Richard A. King as COO. Most recently, King was COO at The Scripps Research Institute. He previously served as President and CEO of AcelRx Pharmaceuticals.

17:45 EDT TechnipFMC awarded EPC contract for a sulfate reduction plant in Abu Dhabi - TechnipFMC has been awarded by Zakum Development Company an Engineering, Procurement and Construction contract for a sulfate reduction plant on West Island located offshore Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates. The objective of the EPC3 project is the installation of a sulfate reduction plant module along with new installations and tie-in to existing facilities in West Island. The SRP module incorporates cutting edge water treatment technologies with advanced filtration and nano-filtration systems. These systems are used for water injection into Upper Zakum western areas reservoir tight structure, which requires high quality water with less sulfate content and particle size.

17:45 EDT Granite awarded $33M shared use path project in Nevada - Granite Construction announced it has been awarded a $33M Construction Manager at Risk contract by the Nevada Department of Transportation for the construction of the State Route 28 Shared Use Path in Incline Village, Nevada. The contract will be included in Granite's first quarter 2017 backlog. Scope of the work for this public safety and water quality improvement project includes constructing three miles of shared use path adjacent to State Route 28 along the shoreline of Lake Tahoe, from the Ponderosa Ranch to Sand Harbor State Park. Granite will build six short span bridges, excavate 30,000 cubic yards of roadway, construct eight sculpted shotcrete walls and 16 vista points. Work also includes the installation of drainage structures, storm drainpipe, curbs/gutters, fiber optic conduit and a new parking lot.

17:37 EDT Starbucks currently evaluation options for at-risk parts of Teavana portfolio - Says margin improvement in Q2 was driven largely by sales leverage. Says saw two points in comp from food in Q2. Says "pleased" with new store performance. Says expected seasonality to negatively impact Q2 revenue growth in channel development segment. Says currently evaluating strategic options for at-risk parts of the Teavana portfolio. Says will still expand the Teavana tea platform.

17:33 EDT BankFinancial extends share repurchase program - BankFinancial announced that its Board of Directors has extended the expiration of the company's current share repurchase authorization from June 30, 2017 to December 31. There are 411,588 shares of common stock authorized for repurchase through December 31. The authorization permits shares to be repurchased in open market or negotiated transactions, and pursuant to any trading plan that may be adopted in accordance with Rule 10b5-1 of the Securities and Exchange Commission. The authorization will be utilized at management's discretion, subject to price, volume and other internal limitations that will be established by the Company's Board of Directors, and to the limitations set forth in Rule 10b-18 of the Securities and Exchange Commission and other applicable legal requirements. Share repurchases will be funded from available working capital.

17:28 EDT Biotechnology Value Fund reports 7.9% passive stake in OncoMed

17:24 EDT Arconic amends by-laws to clarify CEO not required to be chairman - Arconic disclosed in a regulatory filing: "On April 21, the Board of Directors of Arconic approved amendments to the Company's By-Laws, effective immediately, to clarify that the Chief Executive Officer of the Company may, but is not required to be, the Chairman of the Board or the President of the Company, and the Chairman of the Board may, but is not required to be, an officer of the Company, and the Chairman of the Board and the Chief Executive Officer may be separate roles."

17:19 EDT Complete Pharma Holdings reports 16.2% passive stake in PTC Therapeutics

17:15 EDT Elliott releases updated presentation on Arconic - Elliott Management, which manages funds that collectively beneficially own a 13.2% economic interest in Arconic, today released an investor presentation entitled "A New Arconic: Recent Events Confirm Need for Change." The presentation states, "For far too long Arconic's Board has failed to establish an appropriate ethical tone at the top... Arconic's now interim CEO, David Hess, had been a member of the Board for 34 days and has never been a CEO before." Reference Link

17:14 EDT TimkenSteel sees FY17 CapEx $40M

17:10 EDT PCM, Inc. announces entry into UK and Europe - PCM, Inc. unveiled its entry into the United Kingdom and Europe through a wholly-owned subsidiary, PCM Technology Solutions , a new UK-based company. This represents the next major step in PCM's global expansion following its successful entry into Canada in 2015. PCM UK will be conducting a Grand Opening celebration on May 2nd with more than 150 people in attendance, and expects to begin sales operations during the second quarter. PCM UK is driving towards considerable scale and expects to employ approximately 90 co-workers by the end of 2017.

17:09 EDT Agnico Eagle revises 2017 production to exceed 1.57M ounces of gold - Production for 2017 is now forecast to exceed 1.57M ounces of gold as a result of the Lapa mine life extension to the end of the second quarter of 2017 (previously 1.555M ounces). Total cash costs per ounce in 2017 remain forecast to be between $595 and $625 per ounce. Production and total cash costs will be reviewed on an ongoing basis through 2017.

17:07 EDT Agnico Eagle reports Q1 payable gold production of 418,216 ounces - In the first quarter of 2017, strong operational performance continued at the Company's mines, which led to payable gold production of 418,216 ounces compared to 411,336 ounces in the first quarter of 2016. The higher level of production in the 2017 period was primarily due to higher grades at LaRonde and Meadowbank. A detailed description of the production of each mine is set out below. Production costs per ounce for the first quarter of 2017 were $578, which was lower than the $593 in the 2016 period. Production costs per ounce were positively affected by higher gold production levels at LaRonde and Meadowbank. Total cash costs per ounce for the first quarter of 2017 were 6% lower at $539 compared to $573 per ounce for the first quarter 2016. Total cash costs per ounce in the first quarter of 2017 were positively affected by a combination of higher production of gold and by-product metals at LaRonde and higher production levels at Meadowbank compared to the first quarter of 2016. A detailed description of the cost performance of each mine is set out below. AISC for the first quarter of 2017 were 7% lower at $741 per ounce compared to $797 in the first quarter of 2016. The lower AISC is primarily due to lower total cash costs per ounce and lower sustaining capital expenditures compared to the first quarter of 2016. AISC in 2017 remain forecast to be between $850 and $900 per ounce, but will be reviewed on an ongoing basis through 2017.

17:04 EDT Halliburton, Trendsetter, C-Innovations form Gulf of Mexico subsea alliance - Halliburton, Trendsetter Engineering and C-Innovations announced the companies have formed a strategic alliance to provide Gulf of Mexico customers with technologically advanced, integrated offshore well intervention packages. "The alliance leverages the companies' strengths to create subsea solutions for hydraulic interventions... This alliance builds on a track record of successful collaboration in the region, and is well positioned to meet growing GOM intervention market demands," the companies said.

17:02 EDT Ignyta updates progress toward Entrectinib dual TRK, ROS1 NDA submissions - Ignyta announced a comprehensive program update on entrectinib - an investigational, orally available, CNS-active tyrosine kinase inhibitor targeting tumors that harbor TRK, ROS1 or ALK fusions - currently being studied in a registration-enabling Phase 2 clinical trial known as STARTRK-2. "Today's update is the result of our team's diligent efforts to advance entrectinib through the clinic for the benefit of patients with TRK and ROS1 fusion-positive cancers," said Jonathan Lim, M.D., Chairman and CEO of Ignyta. "We are proud to announce substantial progress towards dual entrectinib NDA submissions for both TRK and ROS1, and are excited by the opportunity to serve two distinct groups of patients with cancer." Based on written feedback from FDA, Ignyta intends to pursue an NDA submission for entrectinib to support a TRK fusion-positive, tissue agnostic indication. Ignyta's entrectinib program is more than 85% enrolled to goal for the primary efficacy analysis for a TRK tissue agnostic NDA submission, and is on track to complete enrollment by the 3rd quarter of 2017. Within STARTRK-2, several dozens of patients with TRK fusions have been enrolled, across more than 15 different tumor types; and investigators in approximately a dozen different countries on four continents currently have experience treating patients with entrectinib. Ignyta plans to announce top-line NDA registration-enabling data from STARTRK-2, after consultation with FDA, in the first half of 2018. Ignyta is simultaneously pursuing an NDA submission for entrectinib to support a ROS1 fusion-positive NSCLC indication. More than 50 ROS1 fusion-positive NSCLC patients have been enrolled to support a potential ROS1 NSCLC NDA for entrectinib, greater than the number that formed the basis of crizotinib's approval in this setting.

17:02 EDT Six Flags says enters agreement to operate Waterworld California - Six Flags Entertainment announced it has entered into an agreement with EPR Properties, owner of Waterworld California, to operate the water park located in Concord, California. Waterworld California, formerly owned and operated by Six Flags, is Northern California's largest water park and is located 18 miles southeast of Six Flags Discovery Kingdom. The agreement is subject to approval by the City of Concord.

16:59 EDT Sarepta CEO Ed Kaye announces plan to resign at contract end this year

16:56 EDT Accuray names Lionel Hadjadjeba as Chief Commercial Officer - Accuray reported the appointment of Lionel Hadjadjeba as senior vice president, chief commercial officer effective immediately. The chief commercial officer position will provide a high level of focus, accountability and urgency required to build upon the Company's recent order momentum while driving increased corporate and regional level coordination and alignment across the commercial organization.

16:50 EDT Cullen/Frost raises quarterly dividend to 57c from 54c per share - The dividend is payable June 15 to shareholders of record on May 31 of this year.

16:49 EDT LPL Financial says restarted share buybacks during Q1 - "We had a solid start to the year. We have heard positive sentiment from our advisors, who are energized by the improved macro environment, LPL's enhanced capabilities, and their opportunities to win in the marketplace...With another good quarter of financial results and our stronger capital structure, we felt well-positioned to restart share repurchases with $22M in Q1," said CEO Dan Arnold. LPL noted it repurchased 567 thousand shares for $22M, at an average price of $39.68 per share.

16:42 EDT Invacare reports completion of consent decree milestones - Invacare reported it has completed the final two milestones required to initiate the United States Food and Drug Administration's re-inspection of the company's Corporate and Taylor Street facilities, which have been impacted by a consent decree with FDA since December 2012. The re-inspection is an important step before the company may resume full operations at the impacted facilities. In order to progress to the re-inspection, FDA had to receive a third-party expert certification report confirming the company's substantial compliance with specified FDA regulatory requirements, as well as the company's own report, as required under paragraph 5(H) of the consent decree, substantiating its compliance. Both of these steps have now been completed. Based on the terms of the consent decree, the company expects FDA's inspection of the impacted facilities to commence within 30 days. Importantly, the company cannot predict the length or outcome of the inspection, nor any remaining work that may be needed to meet FDA's requirements for resuming full operations at the impacted facilities.

16:37 EDT Alphabet Class A shares rise 5% to $935 after earnings beat - Alphabet Class A shares are up $43.56, or 4.9%, to $935.00 in after hours trading.

16:35 EDT Holly Energy raises quarterly distribution 7.8% to 62c per unit - The board of directors Holly Energy Partners has declared a cash distribution of 62c per unit for the first quarter of 2017, a 7.8% increase compared to the 57.5c per unit distribution declared for the first quarter of 2016. Today's distribution, reflective of the company's strong and stable cash generation, represents an acceleration in year over year distribution growth and progress towards Holly Energy's 8% distribution growth target. Holly Energy has increased its distribution to unitholders every quarter since becoming a publicly-traded partnership in July 2004, with today's distribution marking the fiftieth consecutive quarterly distribution increase. The distribution will be paid on May 15, 2017 to unitholders of record on May 8, 2017.

16:35 EDT LPL Financial trading resumes

16:34 EDT Baidu CFO Jennifer Li to step down - Baidu also announced that Jennifer Li is taking on the role to form Baidu Capital, an investment firm, and serve as its CEO. Jennifer intends to step down as Baidu's CFO, a position she has served in for nine years, following the appointment of a successor to ensure a seamless transition of her responsibilities.

16:34 EDT Inter Parfums says doesn't expect Q1-type growth in remaining quarter - ""First quarter sales were exceptionally strong due in part to the timing of several major launches. However, we don't expect year-over-year growth of this kind in the remaining quarters of the year and we therefore remain cautious and affirm our 2017 guidance."

16:28 EDT Starbucks U.S. Rewards membership rose 11% in Q2 to 13.3M members

16:26 EDT Starbucks says 'poised' for strong second half revenue - The company said in today's earnings release, "With our U.S. business accelerating throughout the quarter and strong performance in China, we are poised to deliver strong revenue growth in the second half and into the future. Our success in opening over 2,000 stores around the world annually, delivering record AUV and profit, despite a very difficult period for many brick-and-mortar retailers is a testament to the 330,000 partners who proudly wear the green apron."

16:26 EDT Cypress Semiconductor trading resumes

16:22 EDT Avery Dennison raises quarterly dividend 10% to 45c per share - Avery Dennison announced that its board of directors has increased the company's quarterly cash dividend. The board declared a quarterly cash dividend of 45c per share, reflecting a 4c, or 10%, increase over the previous dividend rate. The dividend is payable June 21, 2017, to shareholders of record as of June 7, 2017.

16:14 EDT Vertex provides additional expected milestones - "VX-440: The Phase 2 study of VX-440 in people with CF is progressing as planned and the company expects to have data from this study in the second half of 2017. VX-659: The Phase 1 study of VX-659 in healthy volunteers and people with CF is progressing as planned and the company expects to have data from this study in the second half of 2017. VX-445: Dosing is underway in a Phase 1 study of VX-445 to evaluate single ascending doses, multiple ascending doses for 10 days and triple combination dosing with the tezacaftor/ivacaftor combination for 14 days in healthy volunteers. Vertex also plans to evaluate triple combination dosing with VX-445 in people with CF who have one copy of the F508del mutation and one copy of a mutation that results in minimal CFTR function. The company expects to have data from this study in early 2018."

16:13 EDT Vertex sees tezacaftor/ivacaftor NDA, MAA submission in Q3 - "On March 28, 2017, Vertex announced positive data from two Phase 3 studies of the investigational tezacaftor/ivacaftor combination in people with CF ages 12 and older who have two copies of the F508del mutation and people who have one mutation that results in residual CFTR function and one F508del mutation. Based on these results, Vertex plans to submit a New Drug Application (NDA) to the FDA and an MAA to the EMA in the third quarter of 2017."

16:11 EDT Microsoft reports Q3 Intelligent Cloud revenue of $6.8B - Server products and cloud services revenue increased 15%, up 16% in constant currency, driven by Azure revenue growth of 93%, up 94% in constant currency.

16:08 EDT Amazon shares up 4.8% after Q1 report

16:07 EDT Expedia reports Q1 trivago revenue $286M - On a standalone basis, trivago reached $286M in revenue, an increase of 62% year-over-year. HomeAway delivered $185M of revenue, representing an increase of 30% year-over-year. Egencia gross bookings reached $1.8B, an increase of 9% year-over-year. Egencia revenue increased 12% year-over-year to $123M.

16:07 EDT Starbucks drops 2% to $60.19 following Q2 results

16:06 EDT Amazon reports Q1 total OpEx $34.7B vs. $28.06B last year

16:06 EDT Starbucks says U.S. comp sales up 4% in March - The company said, "Starbucks U.S. comp sales accelerated sequentially through the quarter - culminating with a 4% U.S. comp in March - and we're seeing further acceleration into April," said Scott Maw, Starbucks cfo. "Investments we are making to increase throughput and further premiumize the Starbucks brand are paying off. And increased capacity combined with accelerating momentum and the beverage, food and technology innovation we will be introducing in the months ahead gives us great confidence in our ability to deliver strong comp sales and revenue growth in the back half of fiscal 2017."

16:06 EDT Alphabet CFO says Q1 a 'terrific start to 2017' - "Our excellent results represent a terrific start to 2017, with revenues up 22% versus the first quarter of 2016 and 24% on a constant currency basis. We clearly continue to benefit from our ongoing investments in product innovation and have great momentum in our new businesses across Alphabet," said CFO Ruth Porat.

16:05 EDT Starbucks discontinues targets in earnings release - Starbucks said in its earnings release, "The company's earnings press release will no longer contain forward looking targets. The company will continue its practice of providing detail regarding its business outlook during its regularly scheduled quarterly earnings conference calls."

16:05 EDT Alphabet reports Q1 Aggregate paid clicks up 44% - Reports paid clicks on Google properties up 53% and paid clicks on Google Network Members' properties up 10%. Reports aggregate cost-per-click down (19%), with cost-per-click on Google properties down (21%) and cost-per-click on Google Network Members' properties down (17%).

16:00 EDT LPL Financial trading halted, news pending

15:58 EDT TCF Financial elects CEO Dahl as chairman - TCF Financial announced that its Board elected Craig Dahl, TCF's president and chief executive officer, to the additional role of chairman of the board, effective immediately. Dahl succeeds William Cooper, who served as chairman from 1985 until his death earlier this year.

15:53 EDT Matson appoints CEO Cox as chairman, Lauer as CMO - Matson chairman Walter Dods announced the appointment of president and CEO Matthew Cox to succeed him as chairman. The appointment becomes effective at the end of the company's annual shareholders meeting today, as Dods retires from the board in accordance with the company's Corporate Governance Guidelines limiting board members' age. Additionally, the board designated Jeffrey Watanabe to serve as the Lead Independent Director. Cox retains his duties as Chief Executive Officer. Cox announced the promotion of two other senior Matson executives: Ronald Forest, SVP, Operations, has been promoted to president of Matson; John Lauer, SVP, Ocean Services, has been promoted to Chief Commercial Officer of Matson.

15:36 EDT Airlines fall as American pay raises seen as 'worrying precedent' - U.S. airline majors have been pressured Thursday after a series of headlines from the sector, including quarterly reports from both American Airlines (AAL) and Southwest (LUV), indications of a potential "wage race" and signals of a coming end to the industry overbooking practices that have recently created a public relations nightmare for United Airlines (UAL). AMERICAN ENTERS WAGE RACE: In a letter to employees Wednesday, American Airlines announced it is offering mid-contract pay raises for flight attendants and pilots averaging 5% and 8%, respectively, which it estimated would cost $230M in 2017 and $350M in 2018 and 2019. CEO Doug Parker explained in the letter that, due to the leapfrogging effect of recent labor contracts at industry rivals, "we intend to work with the unions to adjust the hourly base pay rates of all American pilots and flight attendants to levels that are equal to the highest rates currently in place at either Delta (DAL) or United." JPMORGAN DOWNGRADE: JPMorgan's Jamie Baker downgraded American to Neutral while cutting his target to $52 from $59 in response to the wage news, saying he's "troubled" by what he calls a $1B wealth transfer to labor groups. Beyond simply raising costs for American, the move also sets a "worrying precedent" for the industry and represents the first real blow to the "it's different this time" investment story, the analyst says. Baker concedes that employee dissatisfaction within American was proving a "material distraction," but contends that chasing a rising wage bar is not the solution. UNITED, SOUTHWEST TO REDUCE OVERBOOKING: Also making waves in the sector was United Airlines, which outlined 10 changes to its customer policies in the wake of the David Dao "dragging" incident. Among the changes, the carrier committed to limit use of law enforcement to "safety and security" issues; increase compensation for voluntary denied boarding up to $10,000; and form a team to give agents "creative solutions" to get customers to their final destination. Notably, United also promised to "reduce the amount of overbooking," though no specific targets were offered. This afternoon, United Airlines told CNBC that it is "pleased" to have reached an amicable resolution with Dr. Dao, though details of the settlement were not offered. Meanwhile, Southwest CEO Gary Kelly stated in a CNBC interview earlier that "we're seriously reconsidering that [overbooking] practice. I've made the decision - the company's made the decision - that we'll cease to overbook going forward. We've been taking steps over the last several years to prepare ourselves for this anyway." AIRLINE EARNINGS: Today's headlines out of the sector came alongside quarterly reports from both American and Southwest. The former reported Q1 earnings of 61c on revenue of $9.62B versus estimates of 55c on $9.6B, while available seat miles fell 1.1% and passenger revenue per mile rose 2%. Southwest, meanwhile, posted earnings of 61c per share on revenue of $4.9B against forecasts of 63c on $4.92B, and showed a 4.1% jump in available seat miles alongside a 3.3% decline in passenger revenue per mile. PRICE ACTION: Shares of American and Southwest are down 5% and 2%, while United and Delta are lower by 1% and 1.2%, respectively.

15:21 EDT Laurence W. Lytton reports 5.5% passive stake in Axsome Therapeutics

14:03 EDT GrubHub soars after showing eye-popping user growth - Shares of GrubHub (GRUB) surged Thursday after the meal ordering platform's first quarter results showed a significant uptick in users. QUARTERLY NUMBERS. Thursday morning, GrubHub reported Q1 profit of 29c per share on revenue of $156.1M - beating expectations for 24c on $153.04M - while raising its FY17 revenue guidance to $632M-$662M from $620M-$660M. Notably, the company also reported a 26% jump in active diners to 8.75M, while "daily average grubs" grew 21% to 324,600. MANAGEMENT COMMENTARY: On the company's earnings conference call, GrubHub executives commented that "the numbers speak for themselves. In the first quarter, we added more active diners in more restaurants than ever before... This accelerating pace of diner growth was driven by our best quarter ever in active diner additions and highlights the success of our increased advertising in the first few months of the year as well as the opportunity ahead of us. Given our performance year-to-date, we are optimistic about our ability to continue this high level of advertising throughout 2017 while maintaining high ROIs." PRICE ACTION: Shares of GrubHub have soared 19% to $41.63 in afternoon trading, while the similarly restaurant-themed Yelp (YELP) is up 3.6%.

13:35 EDT Citi Retail Services signs agreement with Honda Power Equipment - Citi Retail Services (C) announced a consumer and commercial private label agreement with Honda Power Equipment (HMC). This new program from Citi Retail Services will provide industry leading financing options, compelling promotions, and overall value to drive parts and service sales and customer loyalty.

13:23 EDT Trian's Garden says meetings with Procter & Gamble 'constructive' - Ed Garden, Chief Investment Officer of Trian Partners, is speaking on CNBC.

13:20 EDT Comtech says wins $2.4M government order - Comtech Telecommunications announced that during its third quarter of fiscal 2017, its Command & Control Technologies group, which is part of Comtech's Government Solutions segment, has received a $2.4M funded order for advanced communications solutions for which the company will provide annual maintenance service for previously deployed downrange stations for an international space agency.

13:09 EDT BioMarin's Batten disease treatment wins FDA approval - The FDA announced the approval of BioMarin's Brineura as a treatment for a specific form of Batten disease. Brineura is the first FDA-approved treatment to slow loss of walking ability in symptomatic pediatric patients three years of age and older with late infantile neuronal ceroid lipofuscinosis type 2, also known as tripeptidyl peptidase-1 -deficiency, the agency said in a statement. The FDA added that it will require the BioMarin to further evaluate the safety of Brineura in CLN2 patients below the age of two years, including device related adverse events and complications with routine use. In addition, a long-term safety study will assess Brineura treated CLN2 patients for a minimum of 10 years.

13:05 EDT Southwest sees capacity up less than 4% in 1Q18, 2Q18 - Sees capacity up less than 4% in 1Q18, 2Q18. Says hasn't committed to scheduled for 2H18. Says is adding employees to prepare for switch to new res system.

12:54 EDT FDA expands approved use of Stivarga to treat liver cancer - The U.S. Food and Drug Administration announced it has expanded the approved use of Stivarga to include treatment of patients with hepatocellular carcinoma who have been previously treated with the drug sorafenib. This is the first FDA-approved treatment for a liver cancer in almost a decade, the FDA said. The FDA granted the approval of Stivarga to Bayer HealthCare Pharmaceuticals.

12:47 EDT Southwest sees Q2 RASM up 1%-2% - Says no change in capacity from January report. Says scheduled out into Q3. Says goal for second half EPS growth year-over-year. Says approaching 2017 and 2018 growth "cautiously." Sees fleet at 746 aircraft at end of 2018. Sees another year-over-year increase in other revenues in Q2. Sees positive year-over-year revenue trends. Sees Q2 fuel cost per gallon $1.95-$2.00. Sees Q2 CASM ex-items up roughly 6%. Comments taken from Q1 earnings conference call. Shares of Southwest are down 2.34% to $55.61 in afternoon trading.

12:30 EDT Soroban Capital reports new 6.2% passive stake in Praxair - Earlier today, Praxair reported Q1 financial results that exceeded analyst expectations on both the top and bottom lines.

12:01 EDT Lionsgate expands output deal with Central Partnership in Russia - Lionsgate said it has strengthened its presence in a key international territory by entering a new output agreement with Russian distributor Central Partnership for the distribution of Lionsgate and Summit Entertainment films in Russia and the Commonwealth of Independent States. Central Partnership previously distributed only Summit titles in the territory, including box office successes such as the worldwide smash Now You See Me, Now You See Me 2, the Divergent franchise, the hit action sequel John Wick: Chapter Two and the global box office phenomenon La La Land, winner of six Academy Awards.

11:55 EDT Panasonic opens new automotive lithium-ion battery factory in Dalian, China - Panasonic said earlier that it opened its new automotive lithium-ion battery factory in Dalian, China. The factory is Panasonic's first automotive battery cell production site in China. Panasonic will further strengthen its global competitiveness in the automotive battery industry by the establishment of production sites in Japan, the United States, and China.

11:30 EDT Oil States sees Q2 Well Site Services revenue $65M-$75M - Sees Q2 Well Site Services EBITDA margin in mid-to-high single digits. Sees Q2 Offshore and Manufactured Product segment revenue $100M-$110M and EBITDA margins are expected to remain in the 17%-18% range. Guidance provided during Q1 earnings conference call.

11:29 EDT Keith Meister says Pandora situation 'better dealt with privately' - Corvex Management founder Keith Meister is speaking on CNBC.

11:26 EDT Parker-Hannifin cites aerospace development costs impacting margin

11:22 EDT Trump Effect: Analyst ups First Solar on trade petition potential - JMP Securities analyst Joseph Osha upgraded First Solar (FSLR) to Market Perform, saying that a petition regarding foreign-manufactured crystalline silicon cells and modules filed with the U.S. International Trade Commission, or USITC, by Suniva could benefit the company. Additionally, the analyst believes First Solar will be able to move product into the U.S. without facing tariffs. SUNIVA PETITION: Yesterday, Suniva, a privately held maker of solar cells and modules headquartered in Atlanta, filed a petition with the USITC for a global safeguard action against foreign-manufactured crystalline silicon cells and modules under Section 201-202 of the Trade Act of 1974, JMP Securities' Osha told investors in a research note. The analyst added that the USITC has 120 days to issue a recommendation to President Trump as to whether the cells and modules in question are being imported in increased quantities sufficient to be a substantial cause of injury to a domestic industry. Suniva laid off 200 employees in March and subsequently filed for bankruptcy, he said, noting that the company has underutilized its capacity and has produced between 100 to 110MWs in each of the prior four years. Osha also said that Suniva is requesting that the USITC recommend to the President a temporary relief adjustment in response to the increased import competition, and is asking for distributions from the anti-dumping/countervailing duties as collected by the U.S. government, a separate economic investment development program funded by duties collected, and an initiation of international negotiations to address the underlying causes of the increase in imports. FAVORABLE PETITION OUTCOME, NO TARIFFS: This morning, JMP Securities' Osha upgraded First Solar to Market Perform from Underperform, saying that the stock's recent decline had brought the valuation reasonably close to his previous $25 price target. Additionally, the analyst told investors that he believes Suniva's petition could benefit First Solar. While predicting an outcome in this situation is very difficult, recent actions from the Trump administration on other trade issues suggest there is a non-zero chance that the USITC petition in question could be signed if it hits the President's desk, he contended, adding that the result for First Solar would be "materially positive" as it would likely improve the company's competitive prospects in the U.S. Furthermore, Osha noted that he assumes that First Solar would be able to move product into the U.S. from its Malaysian facility, which is expected to represent 75% of total manufacturing capacity by the end of 2019, without facing tariffs. OTHERS TO WATCH: Other publicly traded solar energy companies include Tesla's (TSLA) SolarCity, Canadian Solar (CSIQ), JA Solar (JASO), SunEdison (SUNEQ), SunPower (SPWR), Trina Solar (TSL) and Yingli Green Energy (YGE). PRICE ACTION: In late morning trading, shares of First Solar have dropped 1% to $28.71. Year-to-date the stock is down over 10%. "Trump Effect" is The Fly's recurring series of exclusive stories that highlight stocks that are being impacted, or are predicted to be impacted, by the comments, actions and policies of President Trump and his administration.

11:11 EDT HERE extends partnership with Toyota in North America - HERE is extending its partnership with Toyota (TM) in North America. Select Toyota models shipping in the United States and Canada this year are fitted with in-dash infotainment systems powered by map data from HERE Technologies. HERE's selection by Toyota extends a long-running partnership between the companies. HERE is owned by a consortium of automotive companies, including Audi (AUDVF), Daimler (DDAIF) and BMW (BAMXY). In December, NavInfo and Tencent (TCEHY), together with investment firm GIC, also intend to jointly acquire a 10% stake in HERE.

11:05 EDT Parker-Hannifin sees encouraging signs in end markets - Comments are from company Q3 earnings call.

10:56 EDT Barclays upgrades Dish on potential for deal with carriers - The shares of Dish (DISH) are advancing after Barclays upgraded the stock to Overweight from Equal Weight, saying that the company "could emerge as a preferred partner" for "most" of the wireless carriers. DEAL POSSIBILITIES: Sprint (S) could combine with T-Mobile (TMUS),and the combined entity could be forced to make a mobile virtual network available to a competitor, wrote Barclays analyst Kannan Venkateshwar. Given the spectrum owned by Dish, the company could obtain a network from Sprint/T-Mobile and enter the wireless business, either on a wholesale or retail basis, Venkateshwar. believes. Dish could also combine with AT&T's (T) DirecTV, the analyst stated. Such a transaction has been blocked by regulators in the past, but the competitive environment for video distribution has been altered significantly since then, he wrote. AT&T could use synergies to completely fund the deal, and the transaction would give the telecom giant "unprecedented scale in video," wrote Venkateshwar. The analyst believes that Verizon (VZ) already faces tough competition and the pressure on it could intensify if Dish pursues one of the alternatives outlined above. Consequently, it may decide to try to buy Dish, according to Venkateshwar. VALUE HIGHLIGHTED: As carriers pursue Dish, the "strategic value" of its satellite business, which is underaprpeciated by investors, will be "highlighted," according to Venkateshwar. The analyst raised his price target on Dish to $74 from $62. WHAT'S NOTABLE: On April 25, The Wall Street Journal reported that Verizon had submitted a $104.64 per share offer for spectrum owner Straight Path (STRP), which has previously agreed to be acquired by AT&T for $95.63 per share. Straight Path has confirmed that its board determined that an "unsolicited offer from a multi-national telecommunications company" of $104.64 per share, reflecting an enterprise value of $1.8B, constitutes a "Superior Proposal" to the one accepted from AT&T, but did not name the rival bidder. PRICE ACTION: In early trading, Dish rose 1.6% to $64.34 per share.

10:49 EDT Johnson & Johnson raises dividend 5% to 84c per share - Johnson & Johns announced that its Board of Directors has declared a 5.0% increase in the quarterly dividend rate, from 80c per share to 84c per share.The increase was announced this morning at the Annual Meeting of Shareholders in New Brunswick, N.J.

10:28 EDT Check Point Q1 results beat expectations as company backs FY17 outlook - Shares of Check Point Software (CHKP) are fractionally lower in morning trading despite quarterly results that exceeded analysts' expectations. The company also reaffirmed its outlook for fiscal 2017 and provided guidance for the second quarter on its earnings conference call. EARNINGS: For the first quarter, Check Point reported adjusted earnings per share of $1.20 and revenue of $435M, beating analysts' estimates of $1.19 and $432.57M, respectively. As of March 31, deferred revenues were $1.06B compared to $883M for the same period last year. Software Blades Subscriptions revenues were $112M, a 27% increase year over year, the company said. Gil Shwed, Check Point's founder and CEO, said the company 2017 with a positive trend delivering EPS and revenues towards the top end of its projections of $1.15-$1.20 and $420M-$440M, respectively. On the company's quarterly earnings call, CFO Tal Payne noted that revenue growth during the quarter came from across all of its regions. LOOKING AHEAD: On the earnings call, Shwed forecast second quarter adjusted EPS of $1.17-$1.25 and revenue of $440M-$465M, in line with analysts' estimates of $1.23 and $453.38M, respectively. Shwed also noted that there is no change to the full year outlook. In January, Check Point forecast FY17 adjusted EPS of $5.05-$5.25 and revenue of $1.85B-$1.9B. Analysts currently expect EPS of $5.18 and revenue of $1.87B for the year. OPPENHEIMER SAYS: In a research note to clients following the earnings report and prior to the conference call, Oppenheimer said that it views results "positively" and that Check Point is "kicking off 2017" with solid results. PRICE ACTION: Check Point Software is up about 0.2% to $104.43 in morning trading. Year to date, shares are up over 23%. Other publicly traded companies in the IT security space include Barracuda (CUDA), Proofpoint (PFPT), F5 Networks (FFIV), FireEye (FEYE), Fortinet (FTNT), Imperva (IMPV), Palo Alto Networks (PANW), Qualys (QLYS) and Symantec (SYMC).

10:13 EDT Splunk, Palo Alto seen as potential takeover targets for Cisco - Shares of Cisco Systems (CSCO) are on the rise after Credit Suisse analyst Kulbinder Garcha double upgraded the stock to Outperform, arguing that the company's transition toward a diversified IT player can be accelerated in an environment of tax reform. Further, the analyst sees Splunk (SPLK), ServiceNow (NOW) and Palo Alto Networks (PANW) as the top three potential takeover targets for Cisco if it embarks on a "transformation" via M&A. BUY CISCO: In a research note to investors this morning, Credit Suisse's Garcha upgraded Cisco to Outperform from Underperform as he believes the company is assembling a portfolio of businesses which should allow it to produce low single digit revenue growth and continued operating leverage. Moreover, the analyst noted that he thinks the possibility of an upcoming repatriation and balanced approach toward M&A and capital return could drive long-term earnings per share power toward $3.30- $3.50. Deals could diversify the company away from the "challenged economics in networking," Garcha contended. Additionally, the analyst told investors that Cisco's "major balance sheet could be unleashed," allowing it to return an incremental $30B to shareholders over five years, which would leave up to $20B for more transformative acquisitions. He also raised his price target on the shares to $40 from $27. M&A TRANSFORMATION: Credit Suisse's Garcha pointed out that Cisco has done about 45 deals over the past five years, with 70% of them in software. In a repatriation environment under the new U.S. administration, the analyst argued that larger transactions could be beneficial as they accelerate the transition away from networking, improve top line prospects, and make the revenue stream more recurring. According to his M&A analysis, Garcha identified Splunk, ServiceNow and Palo Alto as the top three takeover targets for Cisco. PRICE ACTION: In morning trading, shares of Cisco have gained about 1% to $33.71, while Splunk is up 1.5%, Palo Alto has advanced 1% and ServiceNow has risen over 4%.

10:04 EDT Southwest CEO says company 'modestly' overbooks, will be discontinuing - Southwest CEO Gary Kelly, during an interview on CNBC, said the company currently overbooks its flights "modestly," but overbooking "is something we'll be discontinuing very shortly."

09:51 EDT Medical Transcription Billing signs two key healthcare groups - MTBC announced the signing of two new clients yesterday who are expected to generate more than $1M in combined, recurring, annual revenues, starting in third quarter 2017, marking a record day of new business signings for MTBC.

09:41 EDT BP to sell 50% stake in SECCO to Sinopec for $1.68B - BP (BP) announced that it has agreed to sell its 50% stake in the Shanghai SECCO Petrochemical Company Limited to Gaoqiao Petrochemical Co Ltd, a 100% subsidiary of China Petroleum & Chemical Corporation, or Sinopec, BP's joint venture partner, for a total consideration of $1.68B. "This decision aligns our petrochemicals business in China with our global focus on areas where BP has leading proprietary technologies and competitive advantage. China is a key region for our chemicals business and BP will continue to look for opportunities to build on our position in the country," said Rita Griffin, COO, BP Global Petrochemicals. SECCO is currently owned by BP 50%, Sinopec 30% and Sinopec Shanghai Petrochemical Company Limited 20%, in which Sinopec holds a majority interest. Based in Shanghai, SECCO is a major producer of olefins - ethylene and propylene - together with polymers and other derivatives including polyethylene, polypropylene, acrylonitrile styrene, polystyrene, butadiene and other products. The transaction is subject to a number of regulatory approvals and other conditions, subject to which, it is currently anticipated to complete before the end of the year with the consideration payable in instalments.

09:36 EDT Ford sees commodity costs as a headwind this year

09:36 EDT New York & Co. says numerous talks held with Kanen - New York& Company responded to a Schedule 13D filed by Kanen Wealth Management with a statement that reads in part: "New York & Company welcomes open communications with our shareholders and values all input that may advance the Company's goal of enhancing shareholder value. While the Company generally does not comment on discussions with shareholders, the Company believes it is important to note that members of the Company's senior management team and Board have held numerous discussions with Kanen over the last several months, including in-person meetings in which Kanen has presented its views regarding the Company. Our Board and management team are fully committed to maximizing value for all shareholders through the successful execution of the Company's strategy and adherence to good corporate governance practices. Over the past two years, the Company has added two new independent directors to our nine-member board. In addition, our Board continues its search for a new, additional independent director with expertise in new or growing areas of our business, such as E-Commerce, Omni-Channel or Digital, in order to provide a unique and fresh perspective."

09:32 EDT AbbVie CEO says tax reform proposals revealed yesterday 'incredibly encouraging'

09:29 EDT UPS says 'encouraged' on possible tax reform initiatives

09:24 EDT Ford sees Europe profitable in 2017, but at levels below last year - Sees FY17 North America PBT down from last year due to higher cost, lower volume, exchange as unfavorable. Says South America "a story of improvement." Says had monthly improvement in SAAR in Brazil for first time in 24 months. Seeing signs of improvement in economic environment in South America, says "near trough" of economic downturn. Sees improvement in South America in terms of loss this year vs. last year, with most of the improvement occurring in 2H. Says "feels good" about Europe despite Brexit, sees region remaining profitable but at levels below last year. Sees continued improvement in Russia in 2017. "Committed" to strategy in Europe and says most of the decline will be in 1H.

09:17 EDT Novan presents safety data for SB204 program - Novan announced that pharmacokinetic data for SB204, a once-daily, topical monotherapy for the treatment of acne vulgaris, will be presented at the 76th Annual Meeting of the Society for Investigative Dermatology in Portland, Oregon. In three pharmacokinetic clinical trials conducted in patients with moderate to severe acne to assess systemic exposure following topical application of SB204, there was no detectable systemic exposure to markers for nitric oxide exposure in adults or adolescents treated with SB204 under maximal use conditions. Maximal use conditions were defined as application of SB204 Gel or vehicle to 17% of body surface area, or the face, upper chest, upper back and shoulders, of patients with moderate to severe acne. In general, all doses of SB204 were well tolerated and not associated with any significant safety issues in these trials. Novan expects to report additional safety data from the long-term safety trial, NI-AC303, currently ongoing in eligible patients who completed 12 weeks of treatment in the Company's Phase 3 pivotal trials with SB204 in the third quarter of this year. As previously announced, Novan intends to pursue a pre-submission meeting with the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, or FDA, to discuss the entirety of the SB204 development program in the third quarter of 2017, which could lead to a new drug application, or NDA, submission targeted in the first quarter of 2018.

09:16 EDT Amaya pays additional $75M on Rational Group deferred purchase price - Amaya has paid an additional $75M on its outstanding deferred purchase price obligation for its acquisition of the Rational Group in August 2014. Amaya's remaining deferred purchase price obligation is approximately $47.5M, which Amaya intends to pay by the end of June using unrestricted cash on its balance sheet and cash flow from operations.

09:14 EDT Diebold expands IT services agreement with Hamburge Sparkasse - Diebold has extended its IT outsourcing supplier partnership with Hamburger Sparkasse, Germany's largest savings bank, for an additional seven years. This renewal builds on the 2005 agreement between the two companies in which Haspa outsourced a significant portion of its IT operations to Diebold. In the future, Diebold Nixdorf will also support Haspa in the migration of its core banking system from SAP to OSPlus.

09:12 EDT Pfizer, InSphero announce agreement to develop novel assays - InSphero AG, a supplier of assay-ready 3D cell culture models for accelerating drug discovery and development, has entered into an agreement with Pfizer to develop a novel predictive toxicology assay using InSphero 3D InSight Human Liver Microtissues. This novel mechanistic in vitro assay will aim to leverage the enhanced sensitivity and longevity of InSphero 3D liver models, which may allow for the multiplexing of several endpoints to help detect and predict mechanisms of drug toxicity.

09:10 EDT USG sees mid-single digit net inflation in Gypsum, Ceilings costs in 2017 - Revised upward from low-single digit net inflation. Sees FY17 SG&A approximately $300M. Sees FY17 CapEx about $200M. Sees FY17 net interest expense under $75M. Guidance from Q1 presentation slides.

09:06 EDT Novan presents preclinical data from inflammatory skin diseases program - Novan announced that data from two preclinical studies with SB414, a nitric oxide-releasing cream in development for the treatment of inflammatory skin diseases such as psoriasis and atopic dermatitis, will be presented at the 76th Annual Meeting of the Society for Investigative Dermatology in Portland, Oregon. In a psoriasis mouse model, SB414 significantly reduced composite psoriasis scores and also inhibited the production of pro-inflammatory cytokines, including interleukin-17, or IL-17a and IL-17f. Additionally, in two in vivo models that assess critical components of atopic dermatitis disease pathology, SB414 displayed potent anti-staphylococcal activity and dose-dependent inhibition of inflammation comparable to betamethasone, a mid-potency corticosteroid used to treat eczema patients. "Both psoriasis and atopic dermatitis patients are in need of new topical therapeutic options," said Alan Menter, M.D., program director of dermatology residency and chair of dermatology for Baylor University, and dermatologist at Texas Dermatology Associates, P.A. "I am specifically intrigued by SB414's effect on the proven psoriatic pathway IL23/IL17. The majority of new drugs for psoriasis over the past 12 years have been limited to systemic and biologic therapies. Approximately six million people in the United States, or 80% of all psoriasis sufferers, with mild to moderate disease have been treated purely with topical agents and have yet to benefit from our deeper understanding of the pathophysiology of the disease. These preclinical results give hope that there may be a therapeutically valuable, novel topical treatment that downregulates many of the key cytokines in the immunological cascade of psoriasis." Novan plans to submit an Investigational New Drug application, or IND, to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, or FDA, for SB414 in the second quarter of 2017 and initiate clinical development of the nitric oxide-releasing cream with a Phase 2 proof-of-concept trial in patients with mild-to-moderate psoriasis.

09:04 EDT Ford says 'fit' for any future downturn in North America - Comments taken from the Q1 earnings conference call.

09:03 EDT Banc of California names Doug Bowers as CEO, effective May 8 - Banc of California announced that its Board of Directors has appointed Doug Bowers as President, CEO, effective May 8, and a director of the Board. Bowers' appointment follows a nationwide search by the Board's Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee with the assistance of Korn Ferry, a nationally recognized executive search agency. Bowers has also been appointed as President and CEO of the company's subsidiary, Banc of California, N.A., and as a member of its Board. Bowers is a veteran banking executive with over 35 years of banking experience, including his most recent role as President and CEO of Square 1 Bank from 2011 until its sale to PacWest Bancorp in 2015.

09:00 EDT Synchronoss trading resumes

08:56 EDT Raytheon raises FY17 EPS view to $7.25-$7.40 from $7.20-$7.35, consensus $7.40 - Raises FY17 revenue guidance to $24.9M-$25.4M from $24.8M-$25.3M, consensus $25.09B.

08:52 EDT Midcoast Energy trading halted, news dissemination

08:51 EDT Ford sees total company adjusted PBT to improve for 2018 - Still expects automotive cost to increase in 2017 vs. 2016, sees most this increase to be realized in 1H. Ford Credit on track for 2017 PBT of about $1.5B. Says higher PBT expected for 2018. Says capital spending on track for FY outlook of $7B. Plans 2017 distributions of about $2.7B. For 2017, continue to expect growth in global GDP and industry volume. Expects U.S. industry to decline slightly from high level, says Europe industry growth supported by improved economic conditions. Continues to expect total company adjusted PBT to improve for 2018 led by gains in core business. Comments from slides that will be presented on the Q1 earnings conference call.

08:48 EDT MGM Resorts sees Q2 domestic gaming revenues lower, non-gaming to be up - Jim Murren, Chairman and CEO of MGM Resorts, said: "The company's high operating efficiencies, a robust event calendar, and modestly favorable table games hold helped drive a very strong first quarter in Las Vegas contributing to 33% Adjusted Property EBITDA margins at our Strip resorts. As we look to the second quarter, our underlying business remains strong, although we face a challenging comparison due to the Easter holiday shifting back into April as well as favorable second quarter 2016 table games hold. Based on these factors, we anticipate gaming revenues to be lower and our non-gaming revenues to be up year over year. We expect to grow Strip REVPAR by 1.5% to 2.5%. Despite the difficult table games hold comparison, we believe our Adjusted Property EBITDA margins will remain essentially flat at our Las Vegas Strip resorts, compared to the prior year quarter."

08:46 EDT DryShips announces full repayment of last legacy commercial lender - DryShips announced that it has fully repaid its remaining commercial loan facility of approximately $15.2M, including overdue interest.

08:45 EDT MGM Resorts reports MGM China revenues up 7% to $502M - Key first quarter results for MGM China include net revenues of $502M, a 7% increase compared to the prior year quarter; Main floor table games revenue increased 17% due to an increase in hold percentage to 22.2% in the current year quarter, from 18.0% in the prior year quarter; VIP table games revenue decreased 5% due to a 16% decrease in turnover partially offset by an increase in hold percentage to 3.4% in the current year quarter, from 3.0% in the prior year quarter; Operating income was $73M compared to $47M in the prior year quarter; Adjusted EBITDA increased 25% to $143M, compared to $114M in the prior year quarter, including $9M of license fee expense in the current year quarter and $8 million in the prior year quarter.

08:42 EDT Cellectar says radiotherapeutic PDCS demonstrates increased survival benefit - Cellectar Biosciences announced preclinical data that demonstrate the utility of the company's lead compound, CLR 131, and CLR 125 for use in solid tumors, as well as the potential benefits of a multi-dose treatment. The company conducted two studies assessing a single dose and two doses with either CLR 131 or CLR 125. In the first study, mice receiving two doses of CLR 131 50uCi experienced mean survival of 135.6 days versus 64.6 days for mice receiving a single dose of CLR 131 50uCi in a Capan-1 xenograft model of human pancreatic adenocarcinoma. The second dose provided double the survival benefit in this challenging disease model and it is possible that additional doses could further enhance these outcomes. The second study assessed one versus two doses of CLR 125 in a PC3 prostate cancer xenograft model. Mice receiving two doses of approximately 500uCi achieved survival of 161 days compared to 135 days for mice receiving a single dose of approximately 500uCi. Importantly, the mice receiving two doses had nearly double the initial disease burdenthan the mice in the control arm of the study, which experienced 122 days of survival. The data from both of these solid tumor animal studies indicate that multiple doses of a radiotherapeutic phospholipid-ether drug conjugate resulted in an increased survival benefit over a single dose. The pancreatic cancer model demonstrates the potential utility of CLR 131 in solid tumors. Additionally, the prostate cancer model, combined with prior research by other laboratories, suggests that increased disease burden may impact the efficacy of a single, fixed dose of a radiotherapeutic, and that additional survival benefit could be obtained via a multi-dose treatment.

08:42 EDT UPS says plans to announce additional strategic moves in coming weeks - Comments from Q1 earnings conference call.

08:40 EDT Pareteum's cloud platform selected by THYNGS - Pareteum's Global Mobility Cloud Platform has been chosen by THYNGS Wireless as its Internet of Things management and connectivity platform under a new three-year agreement. Under terms of the three-year agreement, THYNGS will utilize Pareteum's Global Mobility Cloud Platform to provide wireless network connectivity and device data management in support of new and existing KAPTYN IoT deployments.

08:37 EDT Digital Ally receives order for airport shuttle bus fleet video systems upgrade - Digital Ally announced the receipt of an order from an existing customer for DVM-250 in-bus systems and FleetVu Manager cloud software. The customer, which is one of the largest near-airport parking companies in the U.S with operations in more than 30 locations at 20 airports, has awarded the company's commercial division a three-year service contract to upgrade its existing fleet of 388 DVM-250 in-bus event recorder systems to include Digital Ally's FleetVu Manager cloud service, which provides driver training/monitoring and cloud storage. The contract also includes an additional 78 new DVM-250 in-bus video systems equipped with FleetVu Manager, which will complete this customer's full fleet deployment. The order totals approximately $400,000 in revenue, including FleetVU Manager recurring service over three years. The customer's shuttle buses pick up and drop off guests at their vehicles or valet lobbies and run continuously to and from airport terminals.

08:34 EDT Alkermes reiterates Vivitrol 2017 sales outlook $280M-$300M - The company sees sales accelerating as the year progresses. Alkermes is speaking on its earnings conference call.

08:31 EDT Ultragenyx initiates global Phase 3 study of UX007 in Glut1 DS patients - Ultragenyx Pharmaceutical announced the initiation of the Phase 3 study of UX007 for the treatment of Glucose Transporter Type 1 Deficiency Syndrome, or Glut1 DS, patients experiencing disabling paroxysmal movement disorders. This Phase 3 study is a global, randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled, cross-over study designed to assess the efficacy and safety of UX007 in approximately 40 patients who are experiencing disabling paroxysmal movement disorders associated with Glut1 DS. Movement disorder events are defined as disabling if they affect or limit a patient's ability to perform activities of daily living. Eligible patients are randomized in a 1:1 ratio to one of two treatment sequences. Patients in the first group will begin a two-week titration period followed by an eight-week treatment period on UX007. Patients will then begin a 2-week washout period, followed by a 2-week titration period and 8-week period on placebo. Patients in the second group will follow the same schedule but will start with placebo and then cross over to UX007. The primary endpoint compares the frequency of disabling paroxysmal movement disorder events during the 8-week treatment period with UX007, to the frequency of disabling movement disorder events during the 8-week placebo treatment period as recorded by a daily electronic diary. Secondary endpoints include the duration of disabling paroxysmal movement disorder events; walking capacity and endurance measured by the 12-minute walk test; patient-reported health-related quality of life assessments of physical function, mobility, upper extremity function, fatigue and pain; cognitive function and safety. Following the 22-week blinded crossover study period, patients may roll into the open-label extension period to continue on UX007 treatment.

08:25 EDT Pinnacle Foods now sees FY17 CapEx $115M-$125M

08:20 EDT Paragon Commercial trading resumes

08:17 EDT Solitario trading resumes

08:16 EDT TriMas 'committed' to operating plan, reaffirms 2017 outlook - The company said, "In the near-term, we will continue our relentless attention to the performance improvement plans in the Energy and Aerospace segments, while continuing to take actions to drive future growth and product and process innovation in our Packaging and Engineered Components segments. We are committed to achieving our 2017 operating plan and are reaffirming our full year outlook provided in February."

08:15 EDT Tesaro initiates registrational development program for TSR-042 - TESARO announced that following the recent identification of a fixed dose and patient-centric dosing schedule, the ongoing clinical trial of TSR-042 has been expanded to enroll patients with metastatic microsatellite instability high endometrial cancer who have progressed following one or two prior chemotherapy treatments. During the first 12 weeks of treatment, TSR-042 is administered once every three weeks, followed by a single dose administration every six weeks until disease progression. The intent of this study is to support a request for accelerated approval and Biologics License Application submission to the U.S. FDA. The primary endpoints of this trial are overall response rate and duration of response, and secondary endpoints include disease control rate, progression free survival, and overall survival. The addition of cohorts for patients with other tumor types is also planned. This is the first clinical development program within a broader plan that includes potential label expansion trials of TSR-042 in multiple cancers in combination with ZEJULA, TSR-022, TESARO's anti-TIM-3 antibody, and TSR-033, TESARO's anti-LAG-3 antibody.

08:14 EDT Aqua Metals to install AquaRefining in to-be named smelter site in 2018 - Aqua Metals (AQMS) said it is rapidly expanding its production capabilities as it scales the first facility. Additionally, Aqua Metals plans to install AquaRefining in a to-be named smelter site beginning in 2018, through its deal with Johnson Controls (JCI). As it scales up capacity, Aqua Metals plans to hire hundreds of employees for existing and future operations across the United States, including in the Bay Area.

08:13 EDT Delcath CEO sees 'two viable paths' to U.S. market approvals - Delcath Systems announces that CEO Jennifer Simpson has issued a Letter to Stockholders providing a business update, which she stated in part: "I am writing you to affirm Delcath's unwavering commitment to advancing our innovative percutaneous hepatic perfusion (PHP(R)) therapy and to highlight the important role this therapy can play in treating patients with cancers of the liver...Our clinical development programs now provide us with two viable paths to U.S. market approvals. We believe that it is through these trials that shareholder value will ultimately be realized. As such, our focus in 2017 remains on advancing the programs for our innovative Melphalan Hydrochloride for Injection for use with the Delcath Hepatic Delivery System, as well as on our commercialization efforts for CHEMOSAT in Europe. The year began with a number of significant developments toward these twin goals, and we are positioned for further advancement of these programs throughout the balance of the year...To fund the ongoing development of our clinical and commercial programs, last year we secured $35M in committed financing through a securities purchase agreement with two institutional investors, which consisted of senior convertible notes and common stock purchase warrants...Recently, we entered into separate warrant repurchase agreements under which each investor agreed to a Controlled Account Release, in an aggregate amount of $7,876,312, in exchange for cancellation of the Warrants issued under the original agreement. This transaction simplifies our capital structure, and we continue to expect that the cash remaining in the Controlled Accounts after the warrant repurchase will be sufficient to fund our operating activities through the end of 2017."

08:13 EDT Long Island Iced Tea names Virginia Morris chief sales and marketing officer - Long Island Iced Tea announced the appointment of Virginia Morris as chief sales and marketing officer of the company. Morris will be responsible for driving the growth agenda for the company's entire portfolio of brands. She will work closely with the CEO Philip Thomas, and oversee key sales and marketing functions including brand management, channel strategy development and execution, and product innovation. Morris previously spent eight years at Daymon Worldwide, where she most recently was VP of global consumer and innovation strategy.

08:13 EDT Aldeyra enrolls first patient in NAU Phase 3 clinical trial - Aldeyra Therapeutics announced that it has enrolled the first patient in a Phase 3 clinical trial of topical ocular ADX-102 for the treatment of noninfectious anterior uveitis. "Based on positive results from our Phase 2 clinical trial announced last year, we are excited to commence Phase 3 clinical testing of our novel aldehyde trap, ADX-102, in noninfectious anterior uveitis," said Todd Brady, M.D., Ph.D., president and CEO. "NAU is a rare and potentially blinding ocular disorder that affects an estimated 150,000 patients in the United States. In contrast to corticosteroids, which are often used to treat NAU, ADX-102 does not appear to cause increases in intraocular pressure -- a precursor to glaucoma -- and thus may represent a safer therapeutic option than the current standard of care." ADX-102 and other product candidates generated from Aldeyra's aldehyde trap platform sequester and facilitate the degradation of aldehydes, a class of endogenously generated pro-inflammatory mediators. In a Phase 2 clinical trial in NAU, 0.5% topical ocular ADX-102 led to the resolution of inflammation to the same degree as corticosteroid therapy, but without the increases in intraocular pressure observed in corticosteroid-treated patients. The Phase 3 clinical trial is expected to enroll up to 100 NAU patients with active disease, randomized equally to receive either 0.5% topical ocular ADX-102 or vehicle for four weeks. Consistent with the Phase 2 trial, the primary endpoint will be the resolution of inflammation. Results of the Phase 3 trial are expected in the second half of 2018.

08:10 EDT STRATA sees Nordlys device sales of $4M-$4.5M in 2017 - STRATA Skin Sciences announced the launch of the Nordlys device at the American Society for Lasers in Medicine and Surgery which took place in San Diego from April 5-9, 2017. STRATA is also announcing its expectations for revenue and earnings contributions from the sale of Nordlys products for the balance of 2017. STRATA is the exclusive United States distributor of the Nordlys laser manufactured by Ellipse Global A/S. Frank McCaney, CEO, said "We expect that the system can become the device of choice for dermatologists and other physicians practicing in the aesthetic medicine field. We are forecasting sales of the device and accessories to be in the range of $4.0 to $4.5 million for 2017 which would contribute $500,000-600,000 in non-GAAP adjusted EBITDA."

08:06 EDT Cliffs Natural sees FY17 adjusted EBITDA $700M - Sees FY17 net income $300M. FY17 EPS consensus $1.29.

08:05 EDT TowneBank announces agreement to acquire Paragon Commercial - TowneBank (TOWN) and Raleigh based Paragon Commercial Corporation, the parent company of Paragon Commercial Bank (PBNC) announced the signing of a definitive merger agreement pursuant to which TowneBank will acquire Paragon creating a $9.7 billion community bank. The acquisition of Paragon will expand Towne's community banking franchise into two of the fastest growing metropolitan areas in the United States, Charlotte and Raleigh, North Carolina adding to Towne's current presence in the Norfolk-Virginia Beach Virginia MSA, the Richmond Virginia MSA and Northeastern North Carolina. Based on financial data as of March 31, 2017, the combined company would have total assets of $9.7 billion, total loans of $7.1 billion and total deposits of $7.5 billion. On a pro forma basis, TowneBank will possess the second largest deposit market share among community banks operating in the demographically attractive Raleigh, North Carolina MSA. In addition, the pro forma entity will have an established and scalable loan and deposit platform in the Charlotte, North Carolina marketplace. Under the terms of the merger agreement, common shareholders of Paragon will receive a fixed exchange ratio of 1.7250 shares of TowneBank common stock for each outstanding share of Paragon common stock. This implies a deal value per share of $59.25 or approximately $323.7 million based on TowneBank's closing stock price of $34.35 on April 26, 2017. Pending customary regulatory and shareholder approvals, the merger is scheduled to close in the fourth quarter of 2017.Towne plans to operate in the Raleigh, Charlotte, and Cary markets as Paragon Bank, a division of TowneBank. Robert C. Hatley, President and CEO of Paragon, will continue in his current role as the President and CEO of the Paragon Division as well as the President of Towne's North Carolina operations. Hatley and Paragon Board Chairman, Howard Jung, will join the TowneBank corporate board.

08:03 EDT Lakeland Bancorp raises quarterly dividend 5.3% to 10c per share - On April 25, 2017, the company increased its quarterly cash dividend 5.3% to 10c per share to be paid on May 16, 2017 to stockholders of record as of May 5, 2017.

08:01 EDT Union Pacific reports Q1 operating ratio 65.1%, or flat

07:51 EDT Acceleron, Celgene plan to initiate third luspatercept Phase 3 trial - Acceleron Pharma (XLRN) announced updates on the luspatercept clinical programs under its collaboration with Celgene (CELG). Luspatercept is an investigational compound being evaluated in two pivotal Phase 3 trials for the treatment of myelodysplastic syndromes and beta-thalassemia. Acceleron and Celgene provided updated guidance on the anticipated completion of patient enrollment for the MEDALIST and BELIEVE Phase 3 studies of luspatercept in MDS and beta-thalassemia, respectively. Based on accelerating rates of patient recruitment, the companies expect to achieve full enrollment of both studies in the second quarter of 2017, versus previous guidance of the second half of 2017. Acceleron and Celgene also plan to initiate a third Phase 3 trial of luspatercept. The new Phase 3 trial, expected to be initiated in early 2018, will evaluate luspatercept treatment versus standard-of-care in the first-line treatment setting for MDS patients. Current first-line, standard-of-care treatment for lower-risk MDS patients includes erythropoiesis-stimulating agents and/or regular red blood cell transfusions. The ongoing MEDALIST Phase 3 trial is evaluating luspatercept in ESA-refractory or -ineligible MDS patients.

07:50 EDT UPS reports Q1 U.S. Domestic revenue $9.54B - Revenue increased $451 million over Q1 2016 as B2C deliveries rose. Revenue per piece increased across all products, up 2.4% in total, as the company benefitted from previously implemented base rate pricing actions. Next Day Air and Deferred Air shipments were up 3.9% and 4.1% respectively, as consumers continue to select UPS's quick and convenient solutions. Reports Q1 International segment revenue $3.06B.

07:47 EDT Dow says Sadara JV achieves commercialization of entire plastics franchise - Dow Chemical announced that its joint venture in the Middle East-Sadara Chemical-has achieved a significant milestone with the commercialization of Sadara's entire plastics franchise. The start-up of Sadara's high-pressure low-density polyethylene plant adds to Sadara's mixed feed cracker and the three additional polyethylene trains currently in operation.

07:45 EDT AbbVie CEO says sees 'significant pipeline progress' in 2017 - "AbbVie delivered strong first quarter results, with double-digit EPS and operational revenue growth, exceeding our guidance for the quarter," said Richard Gonzalez, chairman and CEO, AbbVie. "As we look ahead to the remainder of the year we expect continued strong commercial execution and significant pipeline progress. This includes a dozen pivotal trial read-outs and several regulatory submissions and approvals, further supporting our ability to drive top-tier performance over the long term. 2017 is an important year for AbbVie and we are off to an excellent start."

07:44 EDT Agile Therapeutics to present SECURE data at Congress on Women's Health - Agile Therapeutics announced that a presentation entitled "An Update on Hormonal Contraception and The Changing U.S. Population" will be presented by Co-Principal Investigator of the SECURE clinical trial, Anita Nelson, MD, professor and chair, Obstetrics and Gynecology, College of Osteopathic Medicine of the Pacific at the 25th Anniversary Congress on Women's Health, jointly sponsored by the Academy of Women's Health and Journal of Women's Health, on April 29 at 7:00am ET at the Crystal Gateway Marriott in Arlington, Virginia. The presentation will focus on real-world contraceptive study design and outcomes. The presentation will include data from the Phase 3 clinical trial evaluating Twirla, also known as the SECURE clinical trial. SECURE was a one-year, multicenter, single-arm, open-label trial that evaluated the safety, efficacy and tolerability of Twirla in 2032 healthy women, aged 18 and over, at 102 experienced investigative sites across the U.S. Agile announced top-line results of the SECURE clinical trial in January. The company plans to resubmit its new drug application for Twirla to the FDA by the end of the Q2.

07:43 EDT SAGE announces initiation of Phase 1 development, first dosing of SAGE-718 - Sage Therapeutics announced it has initiated a Phase 1 single ascending dose, or SAD, trial of SAGE-718 in healthy volunteers. Top-line results from the SAD study are expected in the second half of 2017.

07:42 EDT MPLX sees FY17 adjusted EBITDA $1.7B-$1.85B - Sees FY17 net income $550M-$700M. Sees FY17 organic growth CapEx $.18B-$2.0B, maintenance CapEx $150M.

07:41 EDT AbbVie reports Q1 global Humira sales of $4.118B, up 15.1% on reported basis - Up 15.8% on an operational basis; Reports Q1 U.S. Humira sales of $2.696B, up 22.8%.

07:40 EDT American Airlines defers delivery of the A350 XWB - American Airlines said, "To provide widebody capacity flexibility, the company reached an agreement with Airbus to defer delivery of the A350 XWB. Under the new delivery schedule, American expects to receive its first A350 aircraft in late 2020 instead of 2018 as previously planned. American now expects to receive 22 A350s from 2020 through 2024, with an average deferral of two years. In addition, the company reached an agreement with Boeing to defer the delivery of two 787-9 aircraft from the second quarter of 2018 to the first quarter of 2019. These changes as well as the impact of changes to net pre-delivery payments reduce the company's planned capital expenditures by $500 million in 2018 and $300 million in 2019 and in 2020."

07:39 EDT American Airlines plans to invest $4.1B in new aircraft this year - American plans to invest $4.1B in new aircraft this year, as it continues to renew its fleet. During the quarter, the company invested $1.2B as it took delivery of 17 mainline aircraft and five regional aircraft. It added, "These new deliveries will replace aircraft that are expected to leave the fleet. In addition, the company expects to invest $1.6 billion in non-aircraft capital expenditures in 2017 focused on integrating the airline, product enhancements, and operational improvements."

07:30 EDT Akari Therapeutics reports withdawal of Edison Investment's coversin report - Akari Therapeutics released a statement that Edison Investment Research has withdrawn its report titled "Akari's Coversin matches Soliris in Phase II" because it contains material inaccuracies, including without limitation, with respect to Akari's recently announced interim analysis of its ongoing Phase 2 PNH trial of Coversin. Investors should not rely upon any information contained in the Edison Report and instead should refer to Akari's press release issued on April 24 that discusses the interim analysis of its ongoing Phase 2 PNH trial and other matters.

07:30 EDT Park Sterling Bank trading resumes

07:24 EDT Lancaster Colony CEO sees 'slightly unfavorable' commodity costs in Q4 - Chairman and CEO John Gerlach, Jr. commented, "We were encouraged by the sales growth in the foodservice channel and the positive contributions from select areas within retail as well. Looking forward to the final quarter of our fiscal year, commodity costs are expected to swing slightly unfavorable from a generally flat third quarter. We also foresee a diminishing level of deflationary pricing in the foodservice channel and anticipate retail sales volumes to benefit modestly from this year's later Easter holiday."

07:22 EDT Energy XXI reports preliminary proved reserves of 100-115 MBOE - Energy XXI provided preliminary results of its third-party independent reserve engineer report as of March 31. The final report is expected to be delivered during the week of May 8. Total SEC proved reserves are expected to be in the range of 100 to 115 million barrels of oil equivalent. Proved reserves as of March 31, 2017 based on forward strip commodity pricing on that date is estimated to be in the range of 105 to 125 million barrels of oil equivalent. The present value of the preliminary proved reserves discounted at 10% is estimated to be zero PV-10 to $100M of PV-10. Utilizing forward strip commodity prices as of March 31, 2017 of $51.55 per barrel of oil and $3.31 per thousand cubic feet, before differentials, the PV-10 value is estimated to be in the range of $250M to $450M.

07:20 EDT Invesco to acquire Source, a leading ETF provider in Europe - The company announced that it has entered into a definitive agreement to acquire Source, a leading, independent specialist provider of exchange-traded funds based in Europe. The transaction includes approximately $18B in Source-managed AUM, plus approximately $7B of externally managed AUM (as of March 31, 2017). The acquisition brings additional talent and a broad array of funds that further expand the depth and breadth of Invesco's active, passive and alternative capabilities and expertise, enhancing the firm's ability to help clients achieve their investment objectives. The transaction, deemed not material to the company's financial position, will be funded with available cash. It is expected to close in the third quarter of 2017, subject to regulatory approval.

07:17 EDT Bonanza Creek to continue listing shares following emergence from Chapter 11 - Bonanza Creek Energy announced that the Company received approval to list its new common stock with the CUSIP number 097793 400 on the New York Stock Exchange under the same NYSE ticker symbol "BCEI" as the existing shares of the Company's issued common stock, in connection with the Company's anticipated emergence from chapter 11 reorganization in accordance with the Third Amended Joint Prepackaged Plan of Reorganization of Bonanza Creek and its Subsidiaries, dated April 6, 2017 that was confirmed on April 7, 2017 by the United States Bankruptcy Court for the District of Delaware. The Company currently expects the Plan to become effective on or around April 28, 2017, at which point the Company and its debtor subsidiaries will emerge from bankruptcy. Assuming the Effective Date occurs on Friday, April 28, 2017, trading in the New Common Shares is expected to commence on Monday, May 1, 2017, under the ticker symbol "BCEI," which is the same trading symbol used for the Company's Existing Shares listed on the NYSE.

07:15 EDT Cooper Tire says inventory levels 'in good shape' going into Q2 - ""Going into the second quarter, our inventory levels are in good shape and raw material costs have begun to level off. We expect pricing to continue to adjust to the new raw material cost environment and promotional activity to continue. Our U.S. unit volume should improve relative to the industry and we anticipate that our March price increases will deliver more benefit with a full quarter's impact. For the second half of the year, we anticipate that the industry environment will stabilize and that our U.S. unit volume will be in line with the industry, helping Cooper achieve the high end of our 8 to 10 percent operating profit margin range for the full year. We are pleased with the unit volume growth in our International segment and are actively addressing the opportunities we have to improve unit volume in the U.S. With our strong business model, great teams around the world, and our global manufacturing footprint, Cooper remains well positioned to continue to succeed across a wide range of business conditions," said CEO Brad Hughes.

07:11 EDT International Paper 'confident' in 'significant' earnings growth in FY17 - "International Paper delivered a solid first quarter in the face of several challenges, including the digester incident at our Pensacola mill and higher input costs driven by a significant rise in OCC prices. Given the market fundamentals across most of our businesses in combination with several IP commercial and operational initiatives, we expect improved results pointing to a particularly strong second half as well as positive momentum entering 2018. I remain very confident in IP's ability to generate significant year-over-year earnings growth and continued strong cash flow in 2017," said CEO Mark Sutton.

07:09 EDT Sun Communities backs FY17 FFO view $4.16-$.24 - Sees Q2 FFO 93c-95c.

07:08 EDT Comcast reports Q1 NBCUniversal revenue up 14.7%, adj. EBITDA up 24.4%

07:08 EDT Comcast reports Q1 Cable Communications Revenue up 5.8% - Reports Q1 Cable Communications Adjusted EBITDA up 6.3%. Customer relationships increased by 297,000, a 9.9% Increase from Q1 of 2016. Total revenue per customer relationship increased 2.6% video customers Increased by 42,000; Over 50% of residential video customers now have X1. High-speed internet customers Increased by 429,000 and residential revenue increased 10.1%. Business Services Revenue Increased 13.6%, nearly $6B in annualized revenue.

07:07 EDT Iridium affirms 2017, long-range outlook

07:05 EDT Ford CEO says Q1 an 'investment in Ford's future' - "This quarter was an investment in Ford's future. From announcing exciting vehicles like the all-new Expedition and Lincoln Navigator, to initiatives such as our investment in Argo AI, we are fortifying our core business, while also investing in emerging opportunities that will deliver profitable growth," said CEO Mark Fields.

07:02 EDT Raytheon reports Q1 bookings down 8.3% to $5.69B

07:02 EDT Park Sterling Bank, South State announce merger agreement - South State Corporation (SSB) and Park Sterling Corporation (PSTB) jointly announced the signing of a definitive merger agreement. Combining the two companies will create a $14.5 billion in assets franchise operating throughout the Carolinas, Virginia and Georgia. The merger agreement has been unanimously approved by the board of directors of each company. Pending regulatory and shareholder approvals and other customary closing conditions, the closing is anticipated to occur in the fourth quarter of 2017 and the system conversion is scheduled to occur in the first quarter of 2018. At closing, Park Sterling Corporation will be merged into South State Corporation, and Park Sterling's bank subsidiary, Park Sterling Bank, will be merged into South State's bank subsidiary, South State Bank. Upon consummation of the merger, Cherry will be appointed to the combined company's board of directors in addition to another individual to be mutually agreed upon and named at a later date.Under the terms of the agreement, shareholders of Park Sterling Corporation will receive 0.14 shares of South State common stock for each share of Park Sterling common stock. The aggregate consideration is valued at approximately $690.8 million in the aggregate, based on 53,112,726 shares of Park Sterling common stock outstanding as of March 31, 2017 and on South State's April 26, 2017 closing stock price of $91.90.

06:55 EDT L3 Technologies raises FY17 outlook

06:54 EDT Nintendo sees FY17 net profit Y45B, net sales Y750B, operating profit Y65B

06:52 EDT EQT GP increases quarterly distribution 8% to 19.1c per share - The distribution will be paid on May 24 to EQGP unitholders of record at the close of business on May 5.

06:48 EDT Dow Chemical reports Q1 EBITDA $2.1B - Q1 operating EBITDA increases 20%, or $451M, to $2.7B.

06:46 EDT Dow Chemical reports Q1 EBITDA $2.1B - Q2 operating EBITDA increases 20%, or $451M, to $2.7B.

06:41 EDT Exact Sciences sign collaboration agreement with MDxHealth - MDxHealth announced that it has signed a five-year agreement with Exact Sciences for collaboration in the growing field of epigenetics and molecular diagnostics.

06:39 EDT Southwest sees positive year-over-year RASM in Q2

06:37 EDT Nokia reiterates FY outlook

06:33 EDT New Home Company backs FY17 home sales revenue view $530M-$570M - Backs FY17 fee building revenue view $130M-$150M. Still sees FY17 income from unconsolidated joint ventures of $4M-$6M, wholly owned active year-end community count of 18 and joint venture active year-end community count of 8. Consensus for FY17 revenue is $686.66M.

06:25 EDT Amazon to open Warrington fulfillment center, create 1,200 new permanent jobs - Amazon announced that it will create 1,200 new permanent jobs with the opening of a new fulfillment center in Warrington, U.K.. Amazon will begin recruiting later this year for a range of new roles, including operations managers, engineers, HR and IT specialists. Warrington is one of four new fulfillment centers that Amazon will open in 2017. Last year Amazon announced that it would open fulfillment centers in Daventry, Doncaster and Tilbury in 2017, creating more than 2,300 new permanent full time jobs. The Daventry site opened in February while Doncaster, Warrington and Tilbury will begin their operations in the autumn. All permanent Amazon fulfillment center employees start on GBP 7.65 an hour or more. This increases over their first two years of employment when all employees earn GBP 8.15 an hour or more. All of our permanent employees working in our fulfillment centers also receive stock grants, which over the last five years equal to GBP 1,000 or more per year per employee. Employees are also offered a comprehensive benefits package, including private medical insurance, life assurance, income protection, subsidized meals and an employee discount, which combined are worth more than GBP 700 annually, as well as a company pension plan. Amazon is increasing the size of its UK fulfillment center network to meet increasing customer demands, expand selection and enable SMEs selling on Amazon Marketplace to scale their business.Warrington and Tilbury fulfillment centers will be equipped with advanced Amazon Robotics technology. The robots slide under a tower of shelves where products are stowed, lift it and move it through the fulfillment center. Find out more about Amazon Robotics here.

06:19 EDT Acorda Therapeutics still sees FY17 Ampyra sales $535M-$545M - Reduces combined 2017 R&D and SG&A operating expense guidance to $330M-$350M from $380M-$400M, a reduction of ~$50M. The company expects to be cash flow positive in 2017, with a projected year-end cash balance in excess of $200M. The company expects a similar year-end 2018 cash balance based on its current internal assumptions for 2018 Ampyra revenue projections. The operating expense reductions of approximately $50M in 2017 will enable the company to fund operations through key milestones for its late-stage development programs, including the launch of INBRIJA in the United States and topline data from the tozadenant Phase 3 efficacy study in 1Q18.

06:15 EDT Exact Sciences completed about 100,000 Cologuard tests during Q1

06:12 EDT Sprague Resources increases quarterly distribution 3% to 59.3c per share - Sprague Resources has declared a cash distribution of 59.25c per unit, or $2.37 per unit on an annualized basis, for the quarter ended March 31. The Q1 distribution represents a 3% increase over the distribution declared for the quarter ended December 31, 2016 and an increase of 11% over the quarterly distribution of 53.25c per unit paid in May 2016. The announced distribution will be paid on May 15 to unitholders of record as of the close of business on May 8.

06:00 EDT STMicroelectronics appoints Jean-Marc Chery as deputy CEO, effective July 1 - STMicroelectronics announced the appointment of Jean-Marc Chery as Deputy CEO, effective July 1, 2017. Chery currently serves as COO and, in his new role, he will continue to report to Carlo Bozotti, ST's President and CEO. In this new role, Chery will hold overall responsibility for Technology and Manufacturing as well as for Sales and Marketing. A new organization will be also put in place. Its goal is to continue to build on the success of ST's strategy, focused on Smart Driving and Internet of Things, with a strong market-driven and innovation approach.