Stockwinners Market Radar for April 29, 2017 - Earnings, Upgrades downgrades, option trades, Best Stock Advisory Service

18:32 EDT Summit Therapeutics publishes results from CoDIFy trial online - Summit Therapeutics announced the online publication of results from the Company's Phase 2 clinical trial, called CoDIFy, in The Lancet Infectious Diseases. CoDIFy evaluated the Company's novel antibiotic for the treatment of CDI, ridinilazole, against standard of care, vancomycin. The results showed ridinilazole demonstrated substantial clinical benefit over vancomycin. This included ridinilazole achieving statistical superiority over vancomycin in sustained clinical response, a composite endpoint of cure at the end of treatment and no recurrence 30 days after treatment, a result which was driven by a large numerical reduction in infection recurrence. Key results from CoDIFy published in The Lancet Infectious Diseases: ridinilazole achieved statistical superiority in sustained clinical response with rates of 66.7% compared with 42.4% for vancomycin; ridinilazole achieved a large numerical reduction in recurrent disease over vancomycin; ridinilazole met the pre-specified endpoint of non-inferiority on cure rates at the end of treatment; median time to resolution of diarrhoea favoured ridinilazole and numerically more subjects on ridinilazole had resolution of diarrhoea compared with vancomycin by day six; median time to hospital discharge was five days for ridinilazole-treated subjects versus seven days for vancomycin-treated subjects; ridinilazole was retained in the gut, the site of infection, with negligible systemic exposure observed; adverse event profiles were similar between ridinilazole-treated and vancomycin-treated subjects, with no safety signals being identified with ridinilazole.

18:07 EDT FDIC named receiver of First NBC Bank - First NBC Bank, the wholly-owned banking subsidiary of First NBC Bank Holding Company, was closed today by the Louisiana Office of Financial Institutions, and the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation was appointed as receiver for the Bank. The company's principal asset is the capital stock that it owns in the Bank, and, as a result of the closure of the Bank, the company has limited remaining tangible assets. As the owner of all of the capital stock of the Bank, the company would be entitled to the net recoveries, if any, following the liquidation or sale of the Bank or its assets by the FDIC. However, at this time, the company does not believe that any recovery will be realized.

17:40 EDT Yingli Green Energy files extension for 2016 Form 20-F filing - Yingli Green Energy has filed with the SEC a Form 12b-25 to extend by fifteen days the due date for filing its annual report on Form 20-F for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2016. The company is unable to file the 2016 Form 20-F on or before the prescribed due date of May 1 without unreasonable effort or expense, because the company needs more time to prepare and review its consolidated financial statements as of and for the year ended December 31, 2016. The company also needs more time to finalize assessment of its internal control over financial reporting and to finalize related disclosures in the Form 20-F. There is substantial doubt as to the Company's ability to continue as a going concern and the cCompany expects to disclose the same in the Form 20-F. The company's management expects that the 2016 Form 20-F will be filed on or before May 16.

17:35 EDT AEP Generation Resources seeks bids for supply of coal - AEP Generation Resources, a competitive generation subsidiary of American Electric Power Company, is seeking proposals for the supply of coal to one or more generating stations. AEPGR is seeking delivery proposals, FOB barge and FOB Cardinal Plant, beginning in first-quarter 2018 and lasting a term of up to three years. AEPGR is open to alternative pricing structures or other innovative, value-added concepts. Proposals with alternative terms will be accepted. Accepted bids will be at AEPGR's discretion. Proposal packages must be received by AEPGR no later than 5 p.m., Thursday, May 18, 2017, the company said.

17:22 EDT Lockheed Martin awarded $332.1M government contract - Lockheed Martin, Orlando, Florida, was awarded a $332,136,017 firm-fixed-price foreign military sales (United Kingdom, Egypt, India, Korea, Republic of Indonesia, Taiwan, Netherlands, United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia, and Poland) contract for Modernized Target Acquisition Designation Sight/Pilot Night Vision Sensor System, subcomponent production, and technical services for the Apache attack helicopter. One bid was solicited and one bid received. Work locations and funding will be determined with each order, with an estimated completion date of April 30, 2018. U.S. Army Contracting Command, Rock Island Arsenal, Illinois, is the contracting activity.

17:20 EDT General Electric awarded $670.7M government contract - General Electric, Lynn, Massachusetts, is being awarded a $670,739,634 performance-based logistics requirements type contract for repair, replacement and program support of 17 F414 engine components of F/A-18 E, F, and EA 18G aircrafts. Delivery order N00383-17-D-BG01-0001 for five months of F414 depot component support performance based logistics support will be awarded concurrently with the contract. This contract includes a three-year base period and one one-year optional period, which if exercised, will bring the contract value to $907M. Work is expected to be completed by April 2020, if the option is exercised, work will continue through April 2021. Naval Supply Systems Command Weapon Systems Support, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, is the contracting activity.

17:18 EDT Lockheed Martin awarded $1.38B government contract - Lockheed Martin Corp., Lockheed Martin Aeronautics Co., Fort Worth, Texas, is being awarded a not-to-exceed $1,377,002,000 advance acquisition contract for long-lead time materials, parts, components, and effort for 130 low-rate initial production Lot 12 F-35 Lightning II aircraft for the Air Force, Navy, Marine Corps, non-U.S. Department of Defense (DoD) participants, and foreign military sales customers. In addition this contract provides long-lead time materials, parts, components, and effort for 110 Lot 13 and 14 F-35 Lightning II aircraft for the non-U.S. DoD participants and foreign military sales customers. Work is expected to be completed in December 2018. The Naval Air Systems Command, Patuxent River, Maryland, is the contracting activity.

17:01 EDT Aeterna Zentaris to announces top-line Zoptrex phase 3 results on Monday - Aeterna Zentaris will announce the top-line results of the ZoptEC Phase 3 clinical study of Zoptrex in women with locally advanced, recurrent or metastatic endometrial cancer prior to the commencement of trading on Monday, May 1, 2017.

16:54 EDT Twitter pops 1% to $16.64 per share after Dorsey buys more shares

16:47 EDT USANA: Seeking Alpha web blog post contains 'multiple distortions of facts' - In a regulatory filing, USANA said, "The Seeking Alpha web blog from yesterday was posted anonymously by a purported short seller based on the author's opinion. The web blog contains multiple distortions of facts and misleading conclusions. USANA takes its global regulatory obligations seriously."

16:44 EDT U.S. Steel issues update on status of Midwest Plant - U.S. Steel issued a statement regarding the process release at U. S. Steel's Midwest Plant in Portage, Ind., on April 11 and subsequent facility restart that concluded on April 17. The statement says: "Following the controlled, phased and highly monitored restart at our Midwest Plant, we are maintaining continuous inspection and monitoring of expansion joints, ensuring they are checked every four hours and are working properly. Ongoing water sampling at the outfall shows that the facility has continued to be in compliance. We agreed to a long-term monitoring plan with the EPA. This plan will assess Lake Michigan beaches and public water intake to continue to ensure there is no impact. We take all incidents very seriously and are fully committed to researching and taking corrective actions to prevent a future occurrence. We remain committed to protecting the environment, to the communities in which we operate and to the safety of our employees."

16:39 EDT Summit Hotel Properties raises quarterly dividend 4.6% to 17c per share - Summit Hotel Properties announced that its Board of Directors has authorized, and the company has declared, a cash dividend for the first quarter ended March 31 of 17c per share of common stock of the company and per common unit of limited partnership interest in Summit Hotel OP, LP, the company's operating partnership. The company's first quarter common dividend represents an increase of $0.0075 per share, or 4.6%, over the prior quarter's common dividend and an annualized dividend yield of 4% based on the closing price of shares of the common stock on April 27. The dividend is payable May 31 to holders of record as of May 16.

16:34 EDT Summit Hotel Properties increases Q1 4.6% to 17c per share - Summit Hotel Properties has declared a cash dividend for Q1 of 17c per share of common stock of the company and per common unit of limited partnership interest in Summit Hotel OP, LP, the company's operating partnership. The company's Q1 common dividend represents an increase of 0.75c per share, or 4.6%, over the prior quarter's common dividend and an annualized dividend yield of 4.0% based on the closing price of shares of the common stock on April 27. The board has declared a cash dividend of $0.4921875 per share of the company's 7.875% Series B Cumulative Redeemable Preferred Stock for the dividend period ending on May 31, 2017; a cash dividend of $0.4453125 per share of the company's 7.125% Series C Cumulative Redeemable Preferred Stock for the dividend period ending on May 31, 2017; and a cash dividend of $0.403125 per share of the company's 6.45% Series D Cumulative Redeemable Preferred Stock for the dividend period ending on May 31, 2017. The dividends are payable May 31 to holders of record as of May 16.

16:23 EDT Computer Task Group enters separation agreement with CFO Harrington - Computer Task Group said in a regulatory filing that, in connection with the resignation by mutual agreement of Brendan M. Harrington as the Chief Financial Officer and Senior Vice President effective April 21, 2017, the company entered into a Separation Agreement with Harrington dated April 26, 2017, setting forth the terms and conditions of Harrington's departure from the company. The foregoing description of the Separation Agreement does not purport to be complete and is qualified in its entirety by reference to the text of the Separation Agreement, which is attached to this Current Report on Form 8-K as Exhibit 10.1 and incorporated herein by reference.

16:16 EDT Genworth, Oceanside withdraw, re-file joint voluntary notice to CFIUS - Genworth Financial and China Oceanwide Holdings Group Co., Ltd. reported they have withdrawn and re-filed their joint voluntary notice to the Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States to permit more time for review and discussion with CFIUS in connection with the proposed merger between Genworth and Oceanwide contemplated under the merger agreement signed by the parties on October 21, 2016. The acceptance of the refiling of a joint voluntary notice by CFIUS will trigger a new 30-day review period, which may be followed by an additional 45-day investigation period. Additional information about the CFIUS review process can be found in the definitive proxy statement filed by Genworth with the Securities and Exchange Commission on January 25, 2017. Genworth and Oceanwide are continuing to work diligently to satisfy the closing conditions under the merger agreement and plan to continue to actively engage in further discussions with CFIUS during its review. There can be no assurances, however, that CFIUS will ultimately agree to clear the transaction. In addition to CFIUS clearance, the closing of the proposed transaction remains subject to other conditions, including the receipt of required regulatory approvals in the U.S., China, and other international jurisdictions. Genworth and Oceanwide are engaged with the relevant regulators regarding the pending applications and continue to target closing the transaction in the middle of 2017.

16:08 EDT TapImmune announces resignation of COO Dr. John Bonfiglio - TapImmune has announced that on April 27, Dr. John Bonfiglio resigned as COO, President and director of TapImmune to pursue other opportunities. In connection with Dr. Bonfiglio's resignation, the size of the Board was reduced from seven members to six members. Dr. Wilson, was appointed to serve as the company's President due to the vacancy created by Dr. Bonfiglio's resignation.

16:03 EDT CareDx to present AlloSure validation data at ATC - CareDx and collaborators will present data highlighting the AlloSure test at the American Transplantation Congress from April 29 - May 3, 2017 in Chicago. AlloSure is the first and only noninvasive test that uses donor-derived cell-free DNA as a biomarker to directly measure allograft injury, enabling determination of the probability of active rejection. CareDx will host a symposium summarizing the value of dd-cfDNA as a biomarker, the clinical validation of dd-cfDNA test AlloSure, and the intended use and patient case studies. "There is a major need for better solutions in transplant immunologic monitoring. Donor-derived cell-free DNA may enable more frequent and less invasive monitoring of kidney transplants," said Anthony Langone, MD, Medical Director of the Medical Specialties Clinic, Vanderbilt University Medical Center. "AlloSure could potentially be used in a wide array of patients to detect active rejection of the kidney and in particular antibody mediated rejection."

16:00 EDT Anthera announces 1-for-8 reverse stock split - Anthera Pharmaceuticals announced that it has filed a Certificate of Amendment to its Amended and Restated Certificate of Incorporation to effect a 1-for-8 reverse stock split of its common stock, effective as of April 28, 2017 at 5:00 p.m. Eastern Time. A Certificate of Amendment to effect a reverse stock split was approved by the company's stockholders at its Annual Meeting of Stockholders held on April 27, 2017, and the specific 1-for-8 ratio was subsequently approved by the company's board of directors. The reverse stock split will reduce the number of shares of common stock issued and outstanding from approximately 80.6M to approximately 10.1M.

14:51 EDT FDA grants accelerated approval to Takeda's brigatinib - On April 28, 2017, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration granted accelerated approval to Takeda's brigatinib for the treatment of patients with metastatic anaplastic lymphoma kinase-positive non-small cell lung cancer who have progressed on or are intolerant to crizotinib. Approval was based on a non-comparative, two-arm, open-label, multicenter clinical trial demonstrating a clinically meaningful and durable overall response rate in patients with locally advanced or metastatic ALK-positive NSCLC who had progressed on crizotinib. All patients had tumors with a documented ALK rearrangement based on an FDA-approved test or a different test with adequate archival tissue to confirm ALK arrangement by the Vysis ALK Break-Apart fluorescence in situ hybridization Probe Kit test. A total of 222 patients were randomized to brigatinib orally either 90 mg once daily or 180 mg once daily following a 7-day lead-in at 90 mg once daily. Reference Link

14:42 EDT Bristol-Myers announces European Commission approval of Opdivo - Bristol-Myers Squibb Company announced that the European Commission has approved Opdivo as monotherapy for the treatment of squamous cell cancer of the head and neck in adults progressing on or after platinum-based therapy. Opdivo is the first and only Immuno-Oncology treatment that demonstrated in a Phase 3 trial a significant improvement in overall survival for these patients.

14:26 EDT Champions Oncology receives Nasdaq letter over minimum compliance - According to a regulatory filing, on April 24, 2017, Champions Oncology received a notification letter from The NASDAQ Stock Market advising the company of its failure to comply with the required minimum of $35,000,000 of market value of listed securities for continued listing on The Nasdaq Capital Market, pursuant to NASDAQ listing rule 5550b2. The company fell below the minimum requirement for the preceding 30 consecutive business days. NASDAQ stated in the letter that the company has 180 calendar days from April 24, 2017 to regain compliance. If at any time during this compliance period the market value of listed securities closes at $35M or more for a minimum of ten consecutive business days, NASDAQ will provide the company written confirmation of compliance. However, there can be no assurance that the company will comply with the required minimum of $35M of market value of listed securities during such period.

14:19 EDT Iberiabank sees Q2 net interest margin to increase to about 3.6% - According to a regulatory filing, Iberiabank sees Q2 core non-interest expenses to be flat with Q1. Sees Q2 core tangible efficiency ratio to be below 60%. The company estimates that investment security cash flow will be approximately $50M per month during the second and third quarters of 2017. The weighted average coupon on these investments is estimated at 2.65%. The company currently estimates that, in the event its federal statutory tax rate were to drop from 35% to 20%, the benefit to net income from lower income tax expense would have been $7.7M for the three months ended March 31, 2017, or approximately $0.16 per diluted common share. Additionally, the company notes that a decrease in the statutory rate would impact the company's usability of its deferred tax asset, which may result in an impairment charge in future periods. This analysis assumes that there are no other underlying adjustments relative to the deductibility of items that the company currently uses to reduce its effective income tax rate below the federal statutory rate.

14:08 EDT DHT Holdings says Frontline's request for restraining order denied - DHT Holdings (DHT) announced that the High Court of the Marshall Islands has denied Frontline's (FRO) request for a temporary restraining order regarding matters relating to DHT's acquisition of BW Group's VLCC fleet. The High Court issued its ruling denying Frontline's request, which Frontline filed on April 27, after hearing arguments by counsel for Frontline, DHT and BW Group. The High Court has requested that additional filings be submitted over the coming weeks, with the next scheduled hearing in the High Court planned for May 17, DHT added.

13:25 EDT Alder Biopharmaceuticals presents 'positive' Phase 2b data for Eptinezumab - Alder BioPharmaceuticals announced the presentation of positive data from its Phase 2b clinical trial evaluating eptinezumab for the prevention of migraine. Key findings from the study showed that chronic migraine patients treated with a single infusion of eptinezumab experienced a significant reduction in migraine days as measured by 75% responder rates, with maximum efficacy in 1 to 4 weeks that was maintained through 12-weeks. Post hoc analysis of the trial data also suggested that a single administration led to a clinically meaningful reduction in the percentage of patients experiencing migraine within 24 to 48 hours post infusion. These data and additional study results are the topic of a podium presentation titled "Randomized, Double-Blind, Placebo-Controlled Trial of ALD403, an Anti-CGRP Peptide Antibody, in the Prevention of Chronic Migraine" presented at the 69th Annual American Academy of Neurology meeting in Boston. "Eptinezumab has demonstrated its potential as a preventative treatment for migraine in clinical trials to date. The data from these trials, and the fact that it's the only anti-CGRP monoclonal antibody being developed for administration via infusion, suggest that, if approved, eptinezumab may be an important therapeutic option for patients needing fast onset to migraine prevention that is sustained for 12 weeks for the treatment of their migraines," said Jeffrey Smith, M.D., FRCP, a founder of Alder and managing director of Alder's Irish subsidiary, Alder BioPharmaceuticals Limited.

13:10 EDT Bonanza Creek announces emergence from Chapter 11 bankruptcy - Bonanza Creek Energy announced that in accordance with and pursuant to its reorganization plan, which was confirmed by the United States Bankruptcy Court for the District of Delaware on April 7, the company has completed its prepackaged restructuring and emerged from Chapter 11. Pursuant to the plan, the company's senior unsecured noteholders received, in exchange for approximately $866M of unsecured debt, shares of new common stock of the reorganized company and the right to participate in a $200M backstopped rights offering. Certain equity holders agreed to invest $7.5M in the company pursuant to a settlement agreement, bringing the total equity raise upon emergence to $207.5M. Holders of the company's legacy equity that did not elect to opt out of releases granted pursuant to the plan received shares of 4.5% of the reorganized company's common stock, subject to dilution, and warrants to purchase up to 7.5% of the reorganized company's common stock for a term of three years. With regard to operations upon emergence, Bonanza Creek plans to resume drilling and completion activity around June 1, with intent to operate a one-rig program for the remainder of the year, pending board approval.

13:03 EDT Bonanza Creek trading halted, news pending

13:01 EDT Huttig Building announces national distribution pact with Knauf Insulation - Huttig Building Products announced a national distribution agreement with Knauf Insulation, broadening Huttig's national product offering. Huttig will distribute a variety of Knauf Insulation products, including "innovative, high-performance and environmentally responsible options."

12:17 EDT Superior Energy CEO acquires 45,000 common shares - In a regulatory filing, Superior Energy president and CEO David D. Dunlap disclosed the purchase of 45,000 common shares at a price of $12.26 per share. The transaction brings Dunlap's total direct common stock ownership to 530,657 shares.

11:55 EDT Unity Bancorp Inc boosts quarterly dividend 20% to 6c per share - Unity Bancorp, parent company of Unity Bank, announced that its Board of Directors has declared a 20% increase it its cash dividend from 5c per common share to $0.06 per common share. Such dividend is payable on June 29 to shareholders of record as of June 15. James A. Hughes, President and CEO stated "I am proud to announce that the Board and Management wish to reward our loyal shareholders with a larger dividend payment."

11:42 EDT U.K.'s SFO investigating allegations of bribery, corruption at KBR subsidiaries - The SFO confirms that it has opened an investigation into the activities of KBR, Inc's United Kingdom subsidiaries, their officers, employees and agents for suspected offences of bribery and corruption. "This investigation is related to the SFO's ongoing investigation into the activities of Unaoil," the U.K.'s Serious Fraud Office stated. KBR shares are down 50c, or 3.2%, to $14.98 following the announcement.

11:41 EDT Chevron continues to lower spend as C&E and Opex falls - Chevron continues to lower spend as C&E and Opex is down compared to average 2016 quarter.

11:37 EDT Trump signs executive order on offshore energy strategy - President Donald Trump signed an executive orde on Friday, instructing the interior department to revamp the Obama administration's plan to develop federal waters. The executive order looks to turn back the Obama administration's efforts to limit drillers in U.S. Arctic waters and elsewhere. Some notable offshore drillers include Atwood Oceanics (ATW), Diamond Offshore (DO), Ensco (ESV), Noble Corp.(NE), North Atlantic Drilling (NADL), Pacific Drilling (PACD), Rowan Companies (RDC) and Seadrill (SDRL.)

11:19 EDT Cigna reports Court of Appeals affirms decision enjoining proposed merger - As previously disclosed, on February 8, the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia enjoined the proposed merger between Cigna (CI) and Anthem (ANTM). On April 28, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit affirmed the decision of the District Court, Cigna confirmed in a regulatory filing. "In addition, Cigna continues to work through the litigation process in the pending Delaware Court of Chancery matter involving Cigna and Anthem, including the preliminary injunction hearing scheduled for May 8, 2017," the filing states.

11:18 EDT Beck, Mack & Oliver reports 4.91% passive stake in Enstar Group

11:14 EDT Chevron says Gorgon project Train 3 started up mid-March - Gorgon project Train 3 started up mid-March, one month ahead of schedule & ramped up to near capacity in 2 weeks

11:12 EDT Hertz, Avis Budget move to lows, shares down 5%

11:07 EDT Kellogg to raise quarterly dividend 4% to 54c per share starting in 3Q17 - Kellogg's board of directors announced plans to increase the quarterly dividend by 4% to 54c per share beginning with the third quarter of 2017.

11:06 EDT Muscular dystrophy drugmaker rises as CEO departure fuels takeover speculation - Shares of Sarepta Therapeutics (SRPT) are on the rise after the company reported quarterly results, with sales of its Duchenne muscular dystrophy drug, Exondys 51, beating consensus expectations. The company also confirmed that its CEO Edward Kaye is stepping down, which has sparked some takeover speculation with TheStreet's Adam Feuerstein saying that an acquisition by Sanofi (SNY) "isn't far fetched." RESULTS, CEO DEPARTURE: Last night, Sarepta reported first quarter losses per share of (60c), with consensus at (36c), and revenue for the quarter of $16.3M, which was better than the expected $13.86M. The company also raised its 2017 revenue view from "above $80M" to "above $95M," based on the commercial trends it has observed to date for Exondys 51. In a regulatory filing, the company confirmed that on April 24, Edward Kaye, President, Chief Executive Officer and a director on the Board of Sarepta, informed the Board of his intention to resign as President and CEO upon the conclusion of his current employment term on September 20 or some other future date. Kaye will continue to serve as a director following his resignation as President and CEO. Also on April 24, Jean-Paul Kress, a director of the company, informed the Board that, in anticipation of time commitments and a possible conflict of interest associated with his future endeavors, he has elected to not stand for re-election. TAKEOVER SPECULATION: Following the news that the company's CEO will be stepping down, coupled with Sanofi executive Jean-Paul Kresse, a member of Sarepta's board, not standing for re-election, TheStreet's Adam Feuerstein said that the changes could stoke speculation of Sanofi being interested in acquiring Sarepta. Nonetheless, the timing of the departures could be coincidental and there is no outward evidence that a deal is in the works, the writer added. Feuerstein pointed out that Sanofi's Genzyme unit specializes in developing and marketing drugs for rare diseases, while Sarepta's approved medicine, Exondys 51, treats a certain type of Duchenne muscular dystrophy, a rare, inherited disease. Exondys 51 would slot in well at Sanofi, as would the rest of Sarepta's pipeline of experimental drugs to treat other forms of Duchenne muscular dystrophy, he argued, adding that Sanofi recently tried to acquire Medivation, now owned by Pfizer (PFE), and Actelion (ALIOF) but lost both deals to rival pharma companies. At an enterprise value of less than $1.5B, Sarepta is a cheaper buyout target for Sanofi, Feuerstein told readers. WHAT'S NOTABLE: This morning, Leerink analyst Joseph Schwartz raised his price target for Sarepta to $52 from $47 after the company reported $16.3M in Exondys51 sales in the first quarter that beat estimates and easily surpassed the company's guidance. Noting that CEO Ed Kaye announced he will step down, the analyst told investors that he is curious on the potential implications of his resignation announcement and who may ultimately replace the executive. With an upcoming switch in leadership, prospect of a sale may resonate with some investors, Schwartz contended. The analyst reiterated an Outperform rating on the shares. PRICE ACTION: In morning trading, shares of Sarepta have gained over 6% to $36.93.

10:54 EDT Lear sees acquisition of Grupo Antolin's seating business accretive to FY17 EPS - Lear announced the completion of its acquisition of Grupo Antolin's automotive seating business. Grupo Antolin's seating business has annual sales of approximately EURO$300M with operations in five countries in Europe and North Africa. Grupo Antolin's seating business is comprised of just-in-time seat assembly, seat structures & mechanisms and seat covers, and is well positioned among the largest European automakers, including Daimler, Peugeot Citroen, Renault Nissan and Volkswagen. The transaction is valued at EURO$286M on a cash and debt free basis and is forecasted to be accretive to 2017 earnings per share. Lear will update its 2017 financial outlook to include Grupo Antolin's seating business on July 26th when the Company announces its Second Quarter 2017 financial results. "The Grupo Antolin seating business is an excellent fit for Lear and is consistent with our strategy to invest in our core business, accelerate our growth and deliver superior value to shareholders," said Matt Simoncini, Lear's President and CEO. "This business has an excellent reputation for quality and customer satisfaction as well as a strong market position in Europe with leading customers," added Simoncini.

10:47 EDT Radius Health confirms FDA approval of Tymlos injection - Radius Health announced that the FDA has approved Tymlos injection for the treatment of postmenopausal women with osteoporosis at high risk for fracture defined as history of osteoporotic fracture, multiple risk factors for fracture, or patients who have failed or are intolerant to other available osteoporosis therapy. The company said the U.S. commercial launch will be in May.

10:41 EDT GM CEO sees autonomous cars coming 'sooner than you think' - General Motors CEO Mary Barra, on the company's Q1 earnings call, said the company hasn't put specific timing out for autonomous vehicles, "but I think what we've said several times, it will be sooner, I think, than most people think and we're aggressively working on that." The progress that GM is making autonomous vehicle development "gives me confidence that we are on a very good path," Barra said. On electric cars, Barra said: "I think we have a steady ramp of products that you're going to see over the next couple of years in electrification. But as we continue to evolve our dev architecture, I think that will be the step." In closing out on her answer about self-driving cars and electrified vehicles, Barra concluded: "So I'm not going to give you specific timing on either, but on autonomous, sooner than you think."

10:32 EDT Stevens says GM Europe could be considered discontinued ops as early as Q2 - General Motors CFO Chuck Stevens said the company sees "significant opportunity" from the exit of GM Europe, which will "immediately improve" overall EBIT-adjusted and EBIT-adjusted margins. GM has been spending approximately $1B a year in CapEx in Europe, which it would expect to be "fully recaptured" and create about $1B annual improvement in adjusted automotive free cash flow, all else equal, Stevens added. The company will report the Opel/Vauxhall business and GMF European operations as discontinued, potentially starting as early as the second quarter, once legal and regulatory conditions close, he added.

10:20 EDT Expedia CEO is seeing healthy corporate spend

10:19 EDT Expedia CEO says summer travel season is shaping up well - The CEO cites lower air fares in ability to put together packages.The Expedia CEO is speaking in a CNBC interview.

10:10 EDT FDA approves Novartis' combination treatment for AML - The U.S. Food and Drug Administration announced that it has approved Rydapt for the treatment of adult patients with newly diagnosed acute myeloid leukemia, or AML, who have a specific genetic mutation called FLT3, in combination with chemotherapy. The drug is approved for use with a companion diagnostic, the LeukoStrat CDx FLT3 Mutation Assay, which is used to detect the FLT3 mutation in patients with AML. Rydapt is a kinase inhibitor that works by blocking several enzymes that promote cell growth. If the FLT3 mutation is detected in blood or bone marrow samples using the LeukoStrat CDx FLT3 Mutation Assay, the patient may be eligible for treatment with Rydapt in combination with chemotherapy. The FDA granted the approval of Rydapt to Novartis Pharmaceuticals. The FDA granted the approval of the LeukoStrat CDx FLT3 Mutation Assay to Invivoscribe Technologies.

09:43 EDT Starbucks Chairman says Roasteries average ticket $20 - Starbucks Chairman Howard Schultz, while speaking on CNBC, said the average ticket at Roasteries is $20 versus $5 for the flagship stores. Schultz said comps sales are up 20% at the Roasteries store in Seattle.

09:30 EDT Toyota Connected to double headcount, expand office space in Plano - Just a year after its launch, Toyota Connected is planning to double its headcount and expand its office space at the Legacy West Urban Village, adjacent to Toyota Motor North America's new headquarters. Toyota Connected is the data science hub for Toyota's global operations and supports a broad range of consumer-, business- and government-facing initiatives. It was created to significantly expand Toyota's capabilities in the fields of vehicle data science, machine learning and contextual data services development throughout Toyota's global operations. Founded in April 2016, the startup initially planned to employ 100 and has already hired about 55 technologists, including data scientists, engineers and software developers. It now plans to employ 200. Toyota Connected also is adding 13,500 square feet to its existing 20,000-square-foot lease in the Urban Village office block in Plano.

09:23 EDT Hope Bancorp appoints David P. Malone as COO of Bank of Hope - Hope Bancorp appointed David P. Malone as Senior Executive VP and COO of its wholly owned subsidiary Bank of Hope, effective May 15. Malone will report to CEO Kevin S. Kim and be responsible for overseeing all support and administrative units of the Bank. Malone will also continue to serve as a member of the board and be designated a non-independent director. Malone has been a director of Hope Bancorp and Bank of Hope since May 20, 2014. Prior to joining the Company, Malone completed a 15-year tenure at Community Bank in Pasadena, California.

09:18 EDT Mueller Water sees FY17 CapEx $33M-$37M - Sees FY17 tax rate 32%-34%.

09:15 EDT Spirit Airlines sees Q2 capacity up 16.7%, trimming 2H capacity growth view - Spirit Airlines said on its Q1 call that it is trimming its capacity estimates for the second half of 2017, in part due to the continuing performance issues of its Neo jets as well as a few changes to its maintenance schedule. The company sees Q2 CASM ex-fuel will be up 3.5%-4.5%. "We haven't finalized all the moving parts, but it's looking like our 2017 full your capacity will now be up 17% to 17.5% year-over-year...Our slight reduction in our 2017 growth profile will pressure CASM ex specifications we had the January. However, we are working on a number of items that we believe can offset that pressure and therefore, maintain our outlook on CASM ex for full year 2017 of flat to down 1%," CFO Ted Christie said.

09:10 EDT WellCare completes acquisition of Universal American - WellCare (WCG) has completed its acquisition of Universal American (UAM) following the receipt of all required regulatory approvals. Universal American is now a wholly owned subsidiary of WellCare. The transaction is expected to be 60c-70c accretive in the first year following the close and an incremental 10c accretive in the second year following the close, excluding one-time transaction-related expenses of approximately $30M and integration costs of approximately $25M-$30M, to WellCare's adjusted EPS. WellCare continues to expect annual synergies of approximately $25M-$30M by 2019. Universal American stockholders received $10.00 in cash for each share of Universal American common stock they held at closing. The total transaction value is approximately $800M. WellCare funded the transaction with unrestricted cash available from both entities. Universal American has approximately 69,000 Medicare Advantage members in a 4.5-Star plan in Houston-Beaumont, Texas and more than 20,000 MA members in a 4.0-Star plan in the Northeast, primarily in New York.

09:07 EDT Spirit Airlines sees Q2 TRASM up 4.5%-5.5% - Spirit Airlines sees Q2 as high-water mark for year-over-year TRASM improvement, citing Easter shift, but believes TRASM will remain positive on a year-over-year basis for remainder of year. Comments from Q1 earnings call.

09:04 EDT Jaguar Animal Health signs distribution agreement with JP Equine Services - Jaguar Animal Health (JAGX) has signed an exclusive distribution agreement with JP Equine Services for distribution of Jaguar's lead non-prescription products, Neonorm Foal and Neonorm Calf, in Japan. Neonorm Foal is a natural, clinically-tested, non-drug product designed for use as an anti-diarrheal in newborn horses. Neonorm Calf has been formulated and clinically tested to help proactively retain fluid in dairy calves and reduce the severity of diarrhea-aiding calves in avoiding debilitating, dangerous levels of dehydration associated with scours. Henry Schein (HSIC) continues to serve as Jaguar's exclusive distributor of Neonorm Foal in the U.S. equine market.

09:00 EDT Allergan completes ZELTIQ Aesthetics acquisition for $2.4B - Allergan has completed the acquisition of ZELTIQ Aesthetics, a medical technology company behind a proprietary controlled-cooling fat reducing treatment, CoolSculpting. Allergan acquired ZELTIQ Aesthetics for approximately $2.4B in cash. ZELTIQ stockholders approved the transaction during its stockholder meeting. The combination is expected to be immediately accretive.

08:48 EDT AerCap signs lease agreement with Germania - AerCap Holdings N.V. (AER) has announced it has signed a lease agreement for an Airbus (EADSY) A319 with German carrier, Germania. The aircraft was delivered to the airline on April 19, 2017. The 2003 vintage aircraft was recently redelivered to AerCap from a South American customer.

08:44 EDT Spirit Airlines: Q2 booking trends point to solid sequential TRASM improvement - "Although our TRASM for the first quarter 2017 was down year over year, primarily due to the timing shift of Easter, we continue to see good traction from our ticket and non-ticket revenue initiatives. Furthermore, our booking trends for the second quarter 2017 indicate we will see solid sequential improvement in TRASM, even without including the benefit from the Easter holiday shift. On the cost side, our team did a good job holding the line on Adjusted CASM ex-fuel despite headwinds from amortization expense related to heavy maintenance events, depreciation related to purchased aircraft, and higher ground handling rates and other inflationary pressures that resulted in higher other operating expense," said CFO Ted Christie.

08:43 EDT Spirit Airlines reports Q1 TRASM down 4.2% - Spirit Airlines reports Q1 total revenue per available seat mile, or TRASM, decreased 4.2%compared to the same period last year, driven primarily by the calendar shift of Easter which is estimated to have accounted for approximately 3.5 percentage points of the year-over-year decline. In addition, it is estimated that the tragic Fort Lauderdale airport event and winter storm Helena together contributed another 0.75 percentage points of decline year over year in the first quarter 2017 TRASM. On a per passenger flight segment basis, total revenue for the first quarter 2017 decreased 1.5% year over year to $106.24.

08:41 EDT Marlin Equity Partners to acquire Tangoe for $6.50 per share - Marlin Equity Partners announced today that it has entered into a definitive agreement to acquire all outstanding shares of Tangoe for $6.50 per share in cash. Tangoe is a company focused on telecom expense management solutions that enable enterprises to manage and optimize spend across multiple IT categories by providing visibility into the complex processes associated with their assets and expenses. At closing, Marlin intends to combine Tangoe with its existing portfolio company Asentinel, a provider of TEM software and services. The combination would create a market leader managing more than $38B of IT and telecom spend on behalf of over 1,300 customers worldwide. The new company would operate under the Tangoe brand with Jim Foy continuing to serve as CEO, with Tim Whitehorn, CEO of Asentinel, serving as the chief product officer. Tangoe's board has approved and will recommend Marlin's proposal to acquire all outstanding common shares of Tangoe not already owned by Marlin for $6.50 in cash per share, subject to various conditions. Under the terms of the merger agreement, an affiliate of Marlin is required to commence a tender offer to acquire all outstanding shares of Tangoe's outstanding common stock at $6.50 per share in cash no later than May 12. The merger agreement also provides that, promptly after the closing of the tender offer, any shares not tendered in the tender offer will be acquired by Marlin in a second-step merger at the same cash price as paid in the tender offer. Closing of the tender offer and closing of the merger are subject to certain conditions, including the satisfaction of a minimum tender condition, completion of a 30-day go-shop period, expiration or termination of the applicable waiting period under the Hart-Scott-Rodino Antitrust Improvements Act, and other customary closing conditions. If certain of these conditions are not satisfied, the parties have the right under specified circumstances to elect to terminate the tender offer and solicit proxies from Tangoe's stockholders for a stockholder vote to approve the merger agreement. Tangoe may terminate the merger agreement to accept a superior proposal, but in such cases Marlin would be entitled to receive a termination fee. If the transaction fails to close as a result of a financing failure, Tangoe is entitled to receive a reverse termination fee. The transaction is expected to close late in Q2.

08:40 EDT iRadimed announces $8M share repurchase program - The company earlier announced that its Board of Directors has approved a share repurchase program, authorizing the repurchase of up to $8M of the company's common stock through April 28, 2018.

08:38 EDT Chevron reports Q1 U.S. refinery crude oil input down 5% - U.S. downstream operations earned $469M, compared with earnings of $247M a year earlier. The increase was primarily due to the absence of a first quarter 2016 asset impairment, lower operating expenses as a result of decreased planned turnaround activity, and higher margins on refined product sales. Refinery crude oil input in first quarter 2017 decreased 5% to 912,000 barrels per day from the year-ago period. Refined product sales of 1.15M barrels per day decreased 5% from first quarter 2016. Branded gasoline sales of 511,000 barrels per day were essentially unchanged from the 2016 period. Both refinery crude oil input and refined product sales were down due to divestment of the Hawaii refining and marketing assets. International downstream operations earned $457M, compared with $488M a year earlier, primarily due to lower margins on refined product sales. Refinery crude oil input of 753,000 barrels per day in first quarter 2017 decreased 42,000 barrels per day from the year-ago period, mainly due to planned turnaround activity at the company's refinery in Cape Town, South Africa. Refined product sales of 1.45M barrels per day in first quarter 2017 increased 1% from the year-ago period due to higher gas oil and fuel oil sales, partially offset by lower gasoline sales.

08:35 EDT Chevron says on track to meet 4%-9% production growth goal for 2017 - "Overall net oil-equivalent production in the first quarter increased 3% compared to the 2016 full year and we are on track to meet the 4-9% growth goal for 2017 before the effect of asset sales," said Chairman and CEO John Watson.

08:34 EDT Synutra stockholders approve merger with Beams Power - Synutra stockholders voted, among other things, in favor of the proposal to adopt the previously announced agreement and plan of merger by and among the company, Beams Power Investment, a company with limited liability incorporated under the laws of the British Virgin Islands, and Beams Power Merger Sub Limited, a Delaware corporation and a wholly-owned subsidiary of the parent, providing for the merger of Merger Sub with and into the company, with the company surviving the merger as a wholly-owned subsidiary of the parent. Approximately 85.3% of the shares outstanding were voted in favor of the proposal to adopt the merger agreement. The parties currently expect to complete the merger in May subject to the satisfaction or waiver of the conditions set forth in the Merger Agreement. If completed, the proposed merger would result in the company becoming a privately held company and its common stock would no longer be listed on NASDAQ.

08:31 EDT Spectrum Brands to acquire privately-held PetMatrix - Spectrum Brands Holdings said it has signed a definitive agreement to acquire privately owned PetMatrix, LLC, a manufacturer and marketer of rawhide-free dog chews. PetMatrix is on pace to achieve approximately $75M in sales in calendar year 2017. Financial terms of the accretive, all-cash transaction were not disclosed. The acquisition, which has been approved by Spectrum Brands' Board of Directors, is expected to close by the end of May 2017 and is subject to customary closing conditions. RBC Capital Markets is serving as financial advisor and Paul, Weiss, Rifkind, Wharton & Garrison LLP is serving as legal advisor to Spectrum Brands. J.P. Morgan and Friend Skoler & Co. are serving as financial advisors and Goodwin Procter LLP is serving as legal advisor to PetMatrix.

08:21 EDT Agios Pharmaceuticals treatment of cholangiocarcinoma granted orphan status - Agios Pharmaceuticals' Ivosidenib was granted FDA orphan designation as a treatment of cholangiocarcinoma, according to a post to the agency's website. Reference Link

08:19 EDT Time Inc. drops nearly 19% in pre-market trading, says pursuing strategic plan

08:13 EDT LabCorp to exclusively offer M3 Checklist for mental illness - LabCorp and M-3 Information announced the nationwide availability through LabCorp of the peer-reviewed, clinically validated M3 Checklist assessment for mental illness. The M3 Checklist was developed by M3 Information with a goal to reengineer the detection of mental health conditions and integrate screening into primary care. The M3 Checklist is available to healthcare professionals for patient care exclusively through LabCorp. The M3 Checklist is a 27-question online assessment of mood and anxiety symptoms that can be indicative of four common mental health conditions: anxiety disorders, bipolar disorder, depression and post-traumatic stress disorder. An optional assessment for risk of alcohol abuse, the AUDIT-C, is also available separately or in combination with the M3 Checklist. "With the M3 Checklist, primary care healthcare providers who use LabCorp for clinical laboratory testing will now be able to offer their patients an efficient, convenient and powerful tool to help assess mental health confidentially and guide discussions about monitoring and treatment options," the company says. In addition to being the exclusive commercial partner to offer the M3 Checklist, LabCorp has also made an equity investment in M3 through the LabCorp Venture Fund.

08:11 EDT Exxon Mobil says Q1 Chemical earnings impacted primarily by lower margins - Exxon Mobil reports Q1 Chemical earnings of $1.2B, $184M lower than the first quarter of 2016. Weaker margins decreased earnings by $70M. All other items, primarily increased turnaround expenses and unfavorable foreign exchange effects, decreased earnings by $110M. First quarter prime product sales of 6.1M metric tons were 101,000 metric tons lower than last year's first quarter.

08:10 EDT Federal Signal awarded $128K of legal costs in hearing loss litigation - Federal Signal announced that a federal judge in Pennsylvania has ordered the attorneys representing the majority of the plaintiffs in the company's hearing loss litigation to pay the company approximately $128K as reimbursement of legal costs incurred by the company defending a suit brought by a group of Washington, D.C. firefighters. In the litigation, the plaintiff firefighters claimed to have suffered hearing loss from the company's sirens. However, the judge determined that the lawyers representing the firefighter plaintiffs failed to conduct a factual investigation into the claims before filing their lawsuit. In the opinion of the judge, had the lawyers undertaken an investigation, they would have learned that the claims were untimely and therefore should not have been filed.

08:08 EDT Royal Caribbean sees FY17 CapEx $0.6B - Based upon current ship orders, projected capital expenditures for full year 2017, 2018, 2019, 2020 and 2021 are $0.6B, $2.6B, $1.5B, $2B and $2.3B, respectively. Capacity changes for 2017, 2018, 2019, 2020 and 2021 are expected to be -1.9%, 3.1%, 6.8%, 3.9% and 7.9%, respectively. These figures do not include potential ship sales or additions that we may elect to make in the future.

08:05 EDT Royal Caribbean announces $500M share repurchase program

08:05 EDT TPI Composites enters wind blade supply agreement with Vestas - TPI Composites announced that it has signed a multiyear supply agreement with Vestas Wind Systems A/S to provide blades from two manufacturing lines for the V136 wind turbine for markets in Central and South America. The blades will be produced at a new facility in Matamoros, Mexico, which is scheduled to open for production in the first half of 2018. TPI's new manufacturing hub will be designed to be state-of-the-art and able to reliably and cost effectively serve wind markets in Mexico, Central and South America via land, rail and by water from the port of Brownsville, Texas. The facility, located on a 13-hectare site, will initially be 48,000 m2 with the ability to expand and serve multiple customers.

08:04 EDT Royal Caribbean says booked position remains at record level - For FY17: Overall, the company's booked position remains at a record level, better than last year on both a rate and volume basis. Net Yields are expected to increase 4.5% to 6.0% on a Constant-Currency basis (up 4.0% to 5.5% As-Reported). NCC excluding fuel are expected to be flat to up slightly on a Constant-Currency basis (flat As-Reported).

08:03 EDT MasterCard names Ed McLaughlin president of operations and technology - Mastercard announced the appointment of Ed McLaughlin to president, Operations and Technology, effective May 1, 2017. McLaughlin succeeds Rob Reeg, who will move to a consulting role reporting to Ajay Banga, president and CEO, and will help to ensure a smooth transition through October 1, 2017. In this role, McLaughlin will oversee all of Mastercard's technology functions, including the global network, processing platforms, information security and technology operations. For the past 16 months, McLaughlin has served as the company's chief information officer, directing the development efforts for products and services, implementing the IT digital roadmap, and managing the development of Mastercard's global tech hubs.

08:02 EDT Time Inc. affirms that company is on track with financial outlook for year

08:01 EDT Time Inc. comments on interest in company

07:59 EDT Materion confirms outlook for FY17

07:49 EDT Goodyear Tire CEO sees 'significant' raw material inflation in 2017 - "These results are a great outcome given an environment of rising raw material costs and weaker demand," said Richard Kramer, chairman, CEO and president. "This solid performance is a result of the disciplined execution of our strategy," he added. "While raw material inflation has moderated in recent weeks, we continue to expect a significant year-over-year headwind in 2017," said Kramer. "We remain confident in our ability to offset raw material cost inflation over time."

07:46 EDT Goodyear Tire backs FY17 segment operating income view about $2B - Backs 2020 financial targets and capital allocation plan.

07:42 EDT GM Financial reports March quarter net income of $202M vs. $164M last year - GM Financial announced net income of $202 million for the quarter ended March 31, 2017, compared to $164 million for the quarter ended March 31, 2016. Retail loan originations were $6.5 billion for the quarter ended March 31, 2017, compared to $4.7 billion for the quarter ended December 31, 2016, and $4.1 billion for the quarter ended March 31, 2016. The outstanding balance of retail finance receivables was $36.0 billion at March 31, 2017. Operating lease originations were $6.3 billion for the quarter ended March 31, 2017, compared to $5.9 billion for the quarter ended December 31, 2016, and $6.8 billion for the quarter ended March 31, 2016. Leased vehicles, net was $37.3 billion at March 31, 2017. The outstanding balance of commercial finance receivables was $11.8 billion at March 31, 2017 compared to $11.1 billion at December 31, 2016 and $9.2 billion at March 31, 2016. Retail finance receivables 31-60 days delinquent were 2.8% of the portfolio at March 31, 2017 and 3.1% at March 31, 2016. Accounts more than 60 days delinquent were 1.2% of the portfolio at March 31, 2017 and 1.4% at March 31, 2016. Annualized net charge-offs were 1.9% of average retail finance receivables for the quarter ended March 31, 2017 and 1.9% for the quarter ended March 31, 2016. The Company had total available liquidity of $12.4 billion at March 31, 2017, consisting of $2.7 billion of cash and cash equivalents, $8.3 billion of borrowing capacity on unpledged eligible assets, $0.4 billion of borrowing capacity on committed unsecured lines of credit and $1.0 billion of borrowing capacity on a Junior Subordinated Revolving Credit Facility from GM. Earnings resulting from the Company's equity investment in SAIC-GMAC, a joint venture that conducts auto finance operations in China, were $47 million for the three months ended March 31, 2017 compared to $42 million for the three months ended December 31, 2016, and $36 million for the three months ended March 31, 2016.

07:41 EDT RBS says progressing with plan to 'build a strong, simple, fair bank' - RBS said along with its Q1 report: "CET1 remains ahead of our 13% target at 14.1%, a 70 basis point increase on Q4 2016 driven by a GBP 6.5B reduction in RWAs and the GBP 259M attributable profit. RWAs decreased by GBP 6.5B compared with Q4 2016 principally reflecting GBP 4.0B of disposals and run-off in Capital Resolution and planned RWA reductions in the core businesses."

07:37 EDT General Motors CFO: Expect to stay on track to meet FY17 financial commitments - "Our strong first quarter resulted from continued top-line growth and an intense focus on driving costs lower. As we refresh our crossover portfolio in the next several months, we expect to stay on track to meet our financial commitments for the year," said Chuck Stevens, Executive Vice President and CFO.

07:34 EDT Qualcomm says Apple withholding payments to contract manufacturers for royalties

07:33 EDT Uni-Pixel expands coating system production capacity - UniPixel has taken delivery of a new custom built, high-speed coating system for the application of its Diamond Guard glass replacement resin compound. The system will be used to provide enhanced protection coating for its XTouch sensors. The system is scheduled for installation in May and is expected to commence production in June. The addition of this new manufacturing capability expands the company's Diamond Guard capacity as the majority of its design win programs include Diamond Guard coating. Management expects the new coating system will significantly improve yields on larger sensors compared to the current coating equipment and methodology. The new equipment will also provide the coating technology required for the company's future Diamond Touch product.

07:23 EDT Cempra president, CCO David Moore resigns to join pharmaceutical company - In a regulatory filing, Cempra said that on April 25, David Moore, its President and Chief Commercial Officer, informed us of his resignation from our employment, to be effective on May 5. Moore is resigning to take a senior management position with a global pharmaceutical company.

07:20 EDT Bristol-Myers says China FDA approves daklinza, sunvepra combination - Bristol-Myers Squibb Company announced that the China Food and Drug Administration has approved a direct-acting antiviral regimen comprised of Daklinza and Sunvepra, for the treatment of treatment-naive or -experienced patients, with or without compensated cirrhosis, infected with genotype 1b chronic hepatitis C virus. This is China's first all-oral, interferon- and ribavirin-free HCV treatment regimen. In addition, Daklinza has been approved in China for combination use with other agents, including sofosbuvir, for adult patients with HCV genotypes 1-6 infection. This is the only all-oral pan-genotypic regimen recommended by China's HCV Prevention and Treatment Guideline. Daklinza must not be administered as monotherapy. Sofosbuvir is under review by the CFDA, and is not currently licensed in China. In more than 60 countries, Daklinza is approved as part of a regimen with either Sunvepra or sofosbuvir. In China, Daklinza-based regimens provide a shorter treatment duration compared to 48 weeks of treatment with previously approved regimens. The Daklinza and Sunvepra regimen is already approved by regulatory authorities in multiple countries across the Asia Pacific, Latin America, and Eastern Europe regions. Sunvepra is not approved in the United States. The approval is based primarily upon results of the first completed Phase 3 036 trial of the Daklinza and Sunvepra regimen for HCV among Chinese patients, which was published in the November 2016 issue of the Journal of Gastroenterology and Hepatology.

07:16 EDT Enbridge Energy quarterly distribution to be reduced to 35c from 58.3c per unit - Enbridge (ENB) announced that the Board of Enbridge Energy Partners' (EEP) designate manager announced a reduction in EEP's quarterly distribution from 58.3c to 35c per unit to unitholders of record at the close of business on May 8. Retaining additional cash flow allows EEP to internally fund more of its attractive growth projects, alleviate near term equity capital requirements and strengthen its balance sheet. Al Monaco, President and CEO of Enbridge, said, "The objective of the strategic review was to re-establish EEP as an effective sponsored vehicle for the benefit of EEP unitholders and Enbridge. We believe today's actions, and those undertaken earlier this year, achieve this objective by returning EEP to a pure-play liquids pipeline MLP - with premium low-risk assets, a strong financial position, self-funding capability, ample distribution coverage and visible growth. Both EEP unitholders and Enbridge shareholders will continue to derive value from these unique assets in the near term and in the years to come."

07:14 EDT Enbridge to acquire Enbridge Energy interest in Midcoast for $1.31B plus debt - Enbridge (ENB) announced that the strategic review of Enbridge Energy Partners (EEP) has been completed. The following actions, together with the previously announced measures earlier this year, have been taken to restore EEP's value proposition to its unitholders and to Enbridge: Enbridge, through its wholly owned U.S. subsidiary Enbridge Energy Company, will acquire EEP's interest in the Midcoast Gas Gathering & Processing business for cash consideration of $1.31B plus existing indebtedness of Midcoast Energy Partners, which was $840M as at March 31, 2017. Subsequent to the closing of the previously announced privatization of MEP, which closed on April 27, 100% of the Midcoast business will be owned by EECI. EECI and EEP finalized a Joint Funding Agreement whereby the investment will be jointly owned 75% by EECI and 25% by EEP. The Bakken Pipeline System is expected to be placed into service during the second quarter of 2017 and is expected to generate strong and stable cash flows for both Enbridge and EEP. EEP will redeem and repay $1.6B of obligations related to its Series 1 Preferred Units outstanding to EECI, including $357M of accumulated deferred distributions. EEP will fund the $1.2B face value of the preferred units by issuing $1.2B of Class A common units to EECI, and repay the deferred distributions with a portion of the cash proceeds from the sale of the Midcoast assets. "This transaction simplifies EEP's capital structure and improves its credit profile," the companies said.

07:13 EDT Valero Energy Partners backs FY17 CapEx view of approx. $49M - The partnership reaffirmed its expectation for 2017 capital expenditures of approximately $49M, including $14M for maintenance and $35M for expansion.

07:11 EDT Enbridge to acquire Enbridge Energy interest in Midcoast for $1.31B plus debt

07:11 EDT Adient raises FY17 adjusted EBIT view to $1.24B-$1.26B from $1.15B-$1.2B

07:04 EDT Phillips 66 says continues to advance growth projects in Midstream, Chemicals - Phillips 66 said: "In Midstream, the Freeport LPG Export Terminal was completed and became fully operational late in the fourth quarter of 2016. The export terminal has a capacity of 150,000 BPD that is being utilized for term and spot cargos. The facility demonstrated its ability to operate at design capacity in the first quarter. Phillips 66 has a 25% interest in joint ventures to develop the 470,000 BPD Dakota Access Pipeline and Energy Transfer Crude Oil Pipeline. Construction on both pipelines has been completed. Commercial operations are expected to begin by June 1. The company continues to expand its Beaumont Terminal, which now has 9 million barrels of crude and product storage capacity. An additional 1.2 million barrels of product storage is planned to be in service by mid-2017...CPChem continues to progress its U.S. Gulf Coast Petrochemicals Project, which consists of a world-scale ethane cracker and two polyethylene derivative units. The polyethylene units are expected to be completed in mid-2017, and the cracker is expected to be complete in the fourth quarter of 2017. This project will increase CPChem's global ethylene and polyethylene capacity by approximately one-third. In Refining, the company is nearing completion of the project to increase heavy crude processing capability at the Billings Refinery to 100 percent, with start-up expected in June. At both the Bayway and Wood River refineries, the company is modernizing fluid catalytic cracking units to increase clean product yield. Both projects are expected to be complete in the first half of 2018."

07:02 EDT Aaron's reports Q1 SSS down 9.3% y-o-y

06:58 EDT Colgate-Palmolive sees FY17 organic sales growth modestly below 4%-7% - FY17 revenue consensus $15.51B. Ian Cook, Chairman, President and CEO, commented on the first quarter results, "Clearly the first quarter was challenging and did not meet our organic sales growth expectations, driven mainly by softer results in North America. Net sales were even with the year ago quarter, while organic sales grew 0.5%, led by emerging markets where organic sales grew 3.0%. "Colgate's leadership of the global toothpaste market continued during the quarter with its global market share now at 43.8% year-to-date. Our global leadership in manual toothbrushes also continued with Colgate's global market share in that category now at 32.7% year-to-date. "Pleasingly, gross profit margin, operating profit margin, net income as a percent to sales and operating cash flow all increased versus the year ago period. "As we look ahead, uncertainty in global markets and slowing category growth worldwide remain challenging. While based on current spot rates, we continue to expect a low-single-digit net sales increase for 2017, based on our slow start to the year, we now expect organic sales growth for 2017 to be modestly below our 4% - 7% range with sequential improvement throughout the year. "On a GAAP basis, based on current spot rates, we are planning for a year of gross margin expansion and expect earnings per share on a dollar basis to be flat. "Excluding charges resulting from the 2012 Restructuring Program and the other 2016 one-time items previously disclosed, based on current spot rates, we continue to plan for a year of strong operating cash flow, gross margin expansion, increased advertising investment and low-single-digit earnings per share growth on a dollar basis."

06:43 EDT UBS says 'well positioned' to mitigate challenges - UBS commented, "Improved investor sentiment and enhanced confidence have not yet fully translated into a sustained increase in client activity levels. While the global recovery is likely to continue, macroeconomic uncertainty, geopolitical tensions and divisive politics pose risks that may affect client sentiment and transaction volumes. Low and negative interest rates, particularly in Switzerland and the eurozone, continue to present headwinds to net interest margins. These may be partially offset by the effect of higher US dollar interest rates and a further normalization of monetary policy. Implementing Switzerland's new bank capital standards and the proposed further changes to the international regulatory framework for banks will result in increased capital requirements, interest and operating costs. UBS is well positioned to mitigate these challenges and benefit from further improvements in market conditions."

06:32 EDT Synchrony reports Q1 net interest margin increased 34 basis points to 16.18% - Return on assets was 2.3% and return on equity was 14.1%. Efficiency ratio was 30.3%, compared to 30.4% in the first quarter of 2016, driven by positive operating leverage arising from strong revenue growth that exceeded expense growth. Net charge-offs as a percentage of total average loan receivables were 5.33% compared to 4.74% last year. Loans 30+ days past due as a percentage of total period-end loan receivables were 4.25% compared to 3.85% last year. The allowance for loan losses as a percentage of total period-end loan receivables was 6.37% compared to 5.50% last year.

06:25 EDT Advanced Semiconductor sees Q2 IC ATM margin similiar to Q1 - Based on its current business outlook and exchange rate assumptions, management projects overall performance for the second quarter of 2017 to be as follows: IC ATM 2Q17 business and gross margin should both be similar to previous quarter; EMS 2Q17 business should be similar to the average of 2Q16 and 3Q16 levels; EMS 2Q17 gross margin should be similar to previous quarter.

06:11 EDT Host Hotels reports Q1 comparable RevPAR on a constant dollar basis up 3.4% - Comparable RevPAR on a constant dollar basis improved 3.4% for the quarter, driven by a 2.4% increase in average room rate and an 80 basis point increase in occupancy to 75.8%. Comparable RevPAR at the company's domestic properties improved 3.8% for the quarter. On a constant dollar basis, RevPAR at the company's comparable international properties decreased 7.1% in the first quarter, primarily as a result of a significant decrease at its three properties in Rio de Janeiro, due to the very weak Brazilian economy.

06:06 EDT Calpine sees FY17 adjusted EBITDA $1.8B-$1.95B - Sees FY17 growth CapEx $220M.

06:00 EDT Facebook makes Messenger Lite available in 150 additional countries - Facebook's head of Messenger David Marcus announced that the company is making Messenger Lite available in 150 additional countries including Germany, Colombia, Italy, Vietnam, Algeria, Morocco, Nigeria, Peru, Turkey, Japan, Taiwan and the Netherlands. Marcus says, "So if you have an older phone that doesn't have a lot of memory, or has limited processing power, and you want the benefit of messaging quickly with any of the 1.2+ billion people using Messenger every month, give Lite a try!" Reference Link

05:47 EDT Celyad initiates second dose escalation in THINK trial in first U.S. patient - Celyad announced the dosing of the first patient of the second dose in the solid tumor arm of its THINK trial. This first ovarian cancer patient has been dosed at Roswell Park Cancer Institute. At the first solid tumor dose-level, one pancreatic and two colorectal cancer patients were successfully dosed. None of these patients experienced dose limiting adverse events.

05:36 EDT Ballard Power signs further follow-on agreement with global auto OEM - Ballard Power Systems announced that it has signed a follow-on Technology Solutions contract with an unnamed leading global automotive OEM, further to the contract extension signed and announced on July 20, 2016. Under the new contract extension, Ballard will continue to provide expertise in proton exchange membrane, or PEM, fuel cell technology to advance the customer's membrane electrode assembly, or MEA, development program related to future versions of its engine for fuel cell vehicles.

05:26 EDT Camber Energy announces cost-cutting initiatives, moves HQ, COO resignation - Camber Energy (CEI) announced that it has begun cost-cutting initiatives to significantly reduce overall general and administrative costs. Since the closing of the Segundo transaction in August of 2016, Camber has incurred professional fees in addition to increased staffing costs that have exceeded one of the restrictive covenants in its existing loan agreement with its primary lender. As part of its transition process, the company is relocating its corporate headquarters and related operations to San Antonio, Texas from Houston, Texas. Camber has entered into a service agreement, effective on May 1, with Enerjex Resources (ENRJ) to outsource the management of its back-office functions for a fixed monthly fee. These measures are expected to result in improved cost savings and operating efficiencies for the company. Camber is also pursuing other strategic options to further improve its capital structure. During the transition period, Anthony Schnur, the CEO of Camber Energy, will remain with the company and its board to assist in the cost-cutting process through its completion. The company and the board has accepted Ken Sanders' resignation as COO as part of this process. "We are taking the necessary steps to comply with the various obligations set forth in the agreement with our primary lender and to return the company to positive cash flow generation," said Richard Azar II, Chairman of the board.