Stockwinners Market Radar for May 23, 2017 - Earnings, Upgrades downgrades, option trades, Best Stock Advisory Service

20:15 EDT Bunge says not engaged in merger talks with Glencore - Bunge (BG) issued the following statement: "In response to a statement issued today by Glencore (GLNCY), Bunge stated that it is not engaged in business combination discussions with Glencore Agriculture Limited or Glencore PLC. Bunge is committed to continuing to execute its global agri-foods strategy and pursuing opportunities for driving growth and value creation."

19:21 EDT Instagram rolls out location stories, hashtag stories - Facebook's (FB) Instagram issued the following statement: "Today we're excited to announce two new ways to discover the world around you on Explore: location stories and hashtag stories. Now you can see what's happening around you and find stories related to your interests. You'll see a new story ring at the top of Explore filled with stories happening near you. These stories come from people who have used location stickers on their stories. You can also search for any location around the world, and you'll see a story ring for that place at the top of the location page. We're also beginning to introduce hashtag stories on Explore to help you find stories related to your interests." Other publicly traded companies in the space include Snap (SNAP). Reference Link

18:32 EDT Medovex receives letter from Nasdaq over listing qualifications - According to a regulatory filing, on May 17, 2017, Medovex Corp. received a letter from the Listing Qualifications Department of the NASDAQ Stock Market notifying the company that the stockholders' equity of $1,895,299 as reported in the company's Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the quarter ended March 31, 2017 was below the minimum stockholders' equity of $2,500,000 required for continued listing on the NASDAQ Capital Market as set forth in NASDAQ listing rule 5550b1. The company has the right to request an appeal of this determination by May 24, 2017 or its common stock will be suspended at the opening of business on May 26, 2017. The company intends to request an appeal of the determination within the required time period. There can be no assurance that the appeal will be granted.

17:50 EDT Horizon Bancorp to acquire Lafayette Community Bancorp - Horizon Bancorp and Lafayette Community Bancorp have executed a definitive agreement whereby Horizon will acquire Lafayette Community Bancorp and its wholly-owned subsidiary Lafayette Community Bank through a stock and cash merger. Shareholders of Lafayette will receive fixed consideration of 0.5878 shares of Horizon common stock and $1.73 in cash for each share of Lafayette's common stock. Based upon the May 22 closing price, the implied price of Lafayette common stock is $16.64 per share. On December 29 of last year, Horizon purchased 4.65% of Lafayette's stock from a Lafayette shareholder. Based on the closing price of Horizon's common stock on May 22, the transaction value for the shares of common stock owned by shareholders other than Horizon is approximately $32M. Shareholders owning less than 100 shares of Lafayette common stock will receive $17.25 in cash for each share. Lafayette Community Bank serves Tippecanoe County, Indiana with four full-service banking locations. As of March 31, Lafayette had total assets of approximately $172.1M and total equity of $19.8M. "We continue to believe increasing our presence in the Lafayette area will provide Horizon with growth opportunities," said Horizon. The transaction is expected to be completed in the third quarter. Lafayette Community Bank will be merged into Horizon Bank, and the combined operations will be continued under the Horizon Bank name.

17:33 EDT On The Fly: After Hours Movers - UP AFTER EARNINGS: Container Store (TCS), up 36.1%... Tilly's (TLYS), up 14.8%... Intuit (INTU), up 8%... ViaSat (VSAT), up 5.4%. ALSO HIGHER: Sophiris Bio (SPHS), up 8.7% after it said that it received the regulatory clearance for the diluent... ImmunoGen (IMGN), up 4% after it sold its IMGN529/DEBIO 1562 to Debiopharm. DOWN AFTER EARNINGS: Aegean Marine (ANW), down 18.6%... Ooma (OOMA), down 14.6%. ALSO LOWER: Neurocrine (NBIX), down 10.3% it said that its Phase 2 trial of Ingrezza did not meet its primary endpoint... Scorpio Tankers (STNG), down 5.2% after it announced a $200M common stock offering... Syndax (SNDX), down 3.2% after it filed to sell $50M of common stock... Dynegy (DYN), Calpine (CPN), and Exelon (EXC), down a respective 4.4%, 2%, and 0.5% after a PJM capacity auction produced a price of $76.53/megawatt-day for resources in most of the PJM footprint... Alnylam (ALNY), down 1.7% after it filed to sell 5M shares of common stock... Achaogen (AKAO), down 0.7% after it filed to sell 5M shares of common stock.

17:29 EDT PJM capacity auction sees strong response from participants - PJM said that PJM Interconnection attracted a record amount of competitive resources meeting strict performance standards in its annual capacity auction. The auction procures power supply resources to meet consumers' electricity needs three years from now. The auction produced a price of $76.53/megawatt-day for resources in most of the PJM footprint. Prices are higher in some areas due to transmission limits and retiring generators. "The results show that PJM markets continue to achieve what they were originally intended to accomplish, ensuring reliability at the lowest reasonable cost," said Andrew L. Ott, PJM president and CEO. "Overall response to this auction, both in participation and competitive bids, reflects the market's ability to attract efficient, high performing and competitive resources that support reliability." PJM procured 165,109 megawatts of resources for the period June 1, 2020, to May 31, 2021. The procured capacity provides a 23.3% reserve margin. Companies in the power generator space include Dynegy (DYN), Calpine (CPN), and Exelon (EXC).

17:18 EDT Container Store to implement optimization plan, will cut certain positions - The Container Store is announcing the implementation of a four-part optimization plan to drive improved sales and profitability. This plan includes sales initiatives, certain full-time position eliminations at TCS, organizational realignment at Elfa and ongoing savings and efficiency efforts. The Company expects to incur pre-tax charges associated with the optimization plan of approximately $9 to $11 million in fiscal 2017, or $0.12 to $0.14 on a per share basis. The expected annualized pre-tax savings associated with the optimization plan are approximately $20 million, of which approximately $12 to $15 million, or $0.15 to $0.19 on a per share basis, is expected to be realized in fiscal 2017, for an estimated net benefit of approximately $0.03 to $0.05 on a per share basis.

17:03 EDT GCP Applied Technologies expands production capacity in Tennessee - GCP Applied Technologies held a formal groundbreaking ceremony for the expansion of its manufacturing plant in Mt. Pleasant, Tennessee. The facility manufactures GCP's industry leading PREPRUFE and BITUTHENE waterproofing systems, as well as its flagship product ICE & WATER SHIELD. The expanded facility will feature a new state-of-the-art production line dedicated to manufacturing GCP's range of waterproofing membranes. The new production line is scheduled for completion in April 2018. The expansion is part of GCP's strategic growth plan to bring new, innovative products to the market.

17:02 EDT Armistice Capital reports 9.96% passive stake in Novelion Therapeutics

16:56 EDT Sally Beauty CEO acquires 10,000 common shares - In a regulatory filing, Sally Beauty president and CEO Christian A. Brickman disclosed the purchase of 10,000 common shares of the company in two tranches. The first tranche of 500 shares was bought at $17.91 per share while the second tranche of 9,500 was bought at $17.9067 per share.

16:51 EDT 1347 Property Insurance names Dan Case as COO - 1347 Property Insurance announced that the company has appointed Dan Case to the position of COO. Case has 17 years of experience in financial services during which time he has focused exclusively on the insurance and reinsurance industries. Prior to joining the company, Case was an Executive Vice President at BMS Re from September 2016 to March 2017 and a founding partner at Advocate Reinsurance Partners from October 2010 until its purchase by BMS Re in September 2016.

16:38 EDT Merck says FDA approves new indication for KEYTRUDA - Merck announced that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration has approved a new indication for KEYTRUDA, the company's anti-PD-1 therapy. KEYTRUDA is now indicated for the treatment of adult and pediatric patients with unresectable or metastatic, microsatellite instability-high or mismatch repair deficient solid tumors that have progressed following prior treatment and who have no satisfactory alternative treatment options, or colorectal cancer that has progressed following treatment with a fluoropyrimidine, oxaliplatin, and irinotecan. This indication is approved under accelerated approval based on tumor response rate and durability of response. Continued approval for this indication may be contingent upon verification and description of clinical benefit in the confirmatory trials. The safety and effectiveness of KEYTRUDA in pediatric patients with MSI-H central nervous system cancers have not been established.

16:35 EDT Merck says FDA approves new induction for KEYTRUDA - Merck announced that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration has approved a new indication for KEYTRUDA, the company's anti-PD-1 therapy. KEYTRUDA is now indicated for the treatment of adult and pediatric patients with unresectable or metastatic, microsatellite instability-high or mismatch repair deficient solid tumors that have progressed following prior treatment and who have no satisfactory alternative treatment options, or colorectal cancer that has progressed following treatment with a fluoropyrimidine, oxaliplatin, and irinotecan. This indication is approved under accelerated approval based on tumor response rate and durability of response. Continued approval for this indication may be contingent upon verification and description of clinical benefit in the confirmatory trials. The safety and effectiveness of KEYTRUDA in pediatric patients with MSI-H central nervous system cancers have not been established.

16:32 EDT Xerox shareholders approve 1-for-4 reverse stock split - Xerox announced that its proposed reverse stock split at a ratio of one-for-four shares, together with a proportionate reduction in the authorized shares of its common stock, were approved by Xerox shareholders at the annual meeting of shareholders held earlier today. The company will move forward with implementing the reverse stock split and authorized share reduction, which are anticipated to be effective on or about June 14. The split follows the spin-off of the company's business process outsourcing business and "is intended to increase the per share trading price of Xerox common stock and should improve its liquidity and facilitate its trading," the company said. The reverse stock split will also correspondingly affect all outstanding Xerox equity awards and outstanding convertible securities. The company's dividend and full-year earnings per share guidance will be adjusted on a proportional basis if the reverse stock split becomes effective as anticipated.

16:25 EDT Kilroy Realty raises quarterly dividend 13.3% to 42.5c per share - Kilroy Realty Corporation announced that its board of directors declared a regular quarterly cash dividend of 42.5c per common share payable on July 12, 2017 to stockholders of record on June 30, 2017. The dividend is equivalent to an annual rate of $1.70 per share and is a 13.3% increase from the previous annualized dividend level of $1.50 per share.

16:21 EDT Plains All American extends open season for Permian Basin to Cushing pipeline - A subsidiary of Plains All American Pipeline, L.P. announced that the open season for committed crude oil pipeline capacity from Midland, TX/Colorado City, TX to Cushing, OK that commenced on April 18, 2017 has been extended to 12 p.m. CT on June 9, 2017. Potential shippers who have signed a confidentiality agreement will be sent the final TSA by May 26, 2017. Each potential shipper that wishes to become a committed shipper must execute and submit two copies of the final version of the TSA no later than 12 p.m. CT on June 9, 2017.

16:19 EDT Abraxas Petroleum to acquire 2,008 net Wolfcamp/Bone Spring acres - Abraxas Petroleum announced the recent signing of a definitive agreement to acquire 2,008 net acres and 33 BOEPD in Ward County, Texas prospective for the Bone Spring and Wolfcamp formations. Abraxas will acquire the acreage for $22.2M. The acquisition consists of approximately 1,888 net acres held by production and 120 net leasehold acres covered by a three-year primary term lease. The acreage purchased consists of two operated units, four non-operated units and additional interests in three existing Abraxas operated units on trend and adjoining the company's existing acreage. The acreage is prospective for up to four zones across the Wolfcamp and Third Bone Spring, providing an additional 80 gross potential locations to Abraxas' inventory. Abraxas plans to fund the acquisition entirely on the company's line of credit with an anticipated closing date in June. Abraxas' capital budget of $110M remains unchanged. CEO Bob Watson commented, "During our January equity raise, our stated corporate goals were to add Wolfcamp/Bone Spring acres in the Delaware Basin at a reasonable cost, continue to derisk our Delaware Basin acreage position, build our production base to a critical mass by year end and maintain our best in class balance sheet. We are pleased to announce that we remain on track to achieve all of these goals... We continue to evaluate similar bolt on opportunities to further expand our Delaware Basin footprint."

16:15 EDT Rapid7 launches new channel partner program - Rapid7 announced its next generation partner program: Rapid7 PACT, Partnering with Accountability, Consistency, and Transparency. Built to inspire Rapid7 partners to grow with the Company, the new program was created to enhance Rapid7's expanding portfolio of products and services, while better defining parameters for ongoing mutual success. "We believe our partners are a key element to our next phase of growth. The introduction of PACT is designed to strengthen relationships with partners who are prepared to meet customer needs in a changing IT and security landscape," said Andrew Burton, COO of Rapid7. "We are incredibly excited to demonstrate a renewed commitment to our channel community through dedicated support programs, an industry-leading platform, and differentiated benefits."

16:13 EDT Asta Funding announces receipt of Nasdaq non-compliance letter - Asta Funding announced that on May 18, it received a Delinquency Compliance Plan Alert Letter from Nasdaq stating that the Company was not in compliance with Nasdaq Listing Rule 5250(c)(1), because it has not timely filed its Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the quarterly period ended March 31.

16:12 EDT Asterias names Michael Mulroy as President & CEO, effective June 26 - Asterias Biotherapeutics announced that Michael Mulroy has been appointed President & CEO effective June 26. Steve Cartt, current President & CEO of Asterias, has decided to step down as of June 25 in order to allocate more of his time to additional business and personal activities. Cartt will remain a member of the Board of Directors and act as advisor to Mulroy to ensure a smooth transition.

16:10 EDT Waste Connections shareholders approve 3-for-2 stock split - Waste Connections announced that at its Annual and Special Meeting of Shareholders, shareholders passed a special resolution to approve the proposed three-for-two split of the Company's common shares. Shareholders of record as of the close of business on June 7 will receive from the Company's transfer agent on June 16 one additional common share for every two shares held.

16:08 EDT Sophiris Bio says has received regulatory clearance for the diluent - Sophiris Bio reported that it has received the regulatory clearance for the diluent - the medium in which topsalysin is diluted. Clinical sites can now begin dosing eligible patients in a Phase 2b study in localized prostate cancer.

16:07 EDT Tilly's up 10.7% after Q1 results, Q2 outlook

16:07 EDT Neurocrine says GREEN study provides 'clear path forward' for future studies - Neurocrine Biosciences announced that the initial Phase II Tourette syndrome T-Force GREEN study of Ingrezza didn't meet its primary endpoint. "This study showed that we underestimated the Ingrezza dose needed for the pediatric population but also provided us with a clear-cut view into the level of dosing required for future studies. We have developed a complete exposure-response model from this study that we believe accurately defines the appropriate dose-range to be tested in the next clinical study that will be started later this year. We were very pleased with the conduct of the T-Force GREEN study in that we were able to identify the appropriate pediatric subjects for the clinical trial, and the investigators demonstrated consistent and appropriate application of the Yale Global Tic Severity Scale," said Chief Medical Officer Christopher O'Brien.

16:05 EDT Spring Bank Pharmaceuticals announces data form cohort of ACHIEVE study - Spring Bank Pharmaceuticals announced the top-line results from the 25mg monotherapy cohort of the Phase 2a segment of the ACHIEVE study, a global, placebo-controlled, sequential-cohort, double-blind Phase 2 clinical trial, focused on the safety and antiviral activity of the orally-administered selective immunomodulator, SB 9200, in patients with chronic HBV. The initial cohort of the Phase 2a trial enrolled twenty treatment-naive chronic HBV patients without cirrhosis across multiple sites in Canada, Hong Kong and Korea. Patients were randomized on a 4:1 basis and received either SB 9200 25mg or placebo daily for 12 weeks. The primary endpoints for the Phase 2a trial are safety and antiviral activity, as measured by the change in HBV DNA at week 12 from baseline, with multiple exploratory secondary endpoints. All patients in this cohort have transitioned to tenofovir disoproxil fumarate (marketed by Gilead Sciences, Inc. as Viread( 300mg daily for an additional 12 weeks. "We are strongly encouraged by the safety profile of SB 9200 seen in this initial cohort of the Phase 2a trial and by the evidence of antiviral activity seen at the low dose of 25mg daily, because we studied the substantially higher doses of 200mg - 900mg daily for 7 days in our Phase 1 study in HCV patients," stated Nezam Afdhal, M.D., D.Sc., Chief Medical Officer of Spring Bank Pharmaceuticals. "The results from the initial cohort of the Phase 2a trial continue to support the development of SB 9200 as a potential treatment for chronic HBV to achieve the goal of a functional cure. We have begun to rapidly enroll the second cohort (50 mg) of our Phase 2a trial and hope to report top-line results in the fourth quarter of 2017."

16:03 EDT ImmunoGen to sell IMGN529/DEBIO1562 to Debiopharm - Debiopharm and ImmunoGen announced that Debiopharm has acquired ImmunoGen's IMGN529/DEBIO 1562, a clinical-stage anti-CD37 ADC for the treatment of patients with B-cell malignancies, such as non-Hodgkin lymphomas. Under the terms of the agreement, ImmunoGen received a $25M upfront payment for IMGN529/DEBIO 1562 and is entitled to a $5M milestone payment to be paid after completion of the transfer of ImmunoGen technologies related to the asset, which the parties expect to achieve by the end of 2017. In addition, ImmunoGen is eligible for a second success-based milestone payment of $25M upon IMGN529/DEBIO 1562 entering a Phase 3 clinical trial. "Consistent with the strategic review of our portfolio undertaken last fall, this transaction further enables us to prioritize our development efforts on mirvetuximab soravtansine and our IGN programs," said ImmunoGen.

16:02 EDT Neurocrine says Phase 2 trial of Ingrezza did not meet primary endpoint

15:26 EDT GoPro CEO says debt raises helps 'fortify' business - GoPro CEO Nick Woodman said during an interview on CNBC that he thinks 2018 can be a year of profitability growth. Woodman reiterated the company's previously stated goal of returning to full-year non-GAAP profitability in 2017.

15:20 EDT First Connecticut raises quarterly dividend to 12c from 11c per share - Dividends will be payable on June 12 to all shareholders of record as of June 2.

15:08 EDT FDA grants accelerated approval to Merck cancer treatment based on biomarker - The U.S. Food and Drug Administration announces that it has granted accelerated approval to a treatment for patients whose cancers have a specific genetic feature, or biomarker. "This is the first time the agency has approved a cancer treatment based on a common biomarker rather than the location in the body where the tumor originated," the FDA stated. Keytruda is indicated for the treatment of adult and pediatric patients with unresectable or metastatic solid tumors that have been identified as having a biomarker referred to as microsatellite instability-high or mismatch repair deficient. This indication covers patients with solid tumors that have progressed following prior treatment and who have no satisfactory alternative treatment options and patients with colorectal cancer that has progressed following treatment with certain chemotherapy drugs. The FDA granted accelerated approval of Keytruda to Merck.

15:05 EDT Glencore confirms 'informal' approach to Bunge - Glencore (GLNCY) notes recent media speculation regarding an approach by Glencore to Bunge Limited (BG). Glencore confirms that Glencore Agriculture Limited, GAL, has made an informal approach to Bunge Limited regarding a possible consensual business combination. Following this informal approach from GAL, discussions may or may not materialise and there is no certainty that any transaction will occur.

15:01 EDT Brown-Forman spikes after CNBC report of Constellation takeover interest - Shares of Brown-Forman (BF.A) spiked after CNBC, citing sources, reported Constellation Brands (STZ) has made an approach to acquire the maker of Jack Daniel's whiskey. Brown-Forman said it was not interested in selling, but informed the board of Constellation's interest, said people with knowledge of the matter, according to CNBC. Shares of Brown-Forman jumped and were halted for volatility following the report. Reference Link

14:47 EDT Honeywell CEO says some of smaller end market businesses can be distraction -

14:37 EDT Honeywell CEO says he would like a narrower focus

14:25 EDT Honeywell to shape portfolio changes over next 2-3 years - Comments are from EPG Conference.

14:12 EDT A.M. Best affirms AIG credit ratings, removes from under review - A.M. Best has removed from under review with negative implications and affirmed the Long-Term Issuer Credit Rating of American International Group and the Financial Strength Ratings and Long-Term ICRs of its insurance subsidiaries. "A.M. Best has analyzed the most recent financial information of AIG and its rated subsidiaries...[and] from this review, it has been possible to make a satisfactory assessment that AIG's consolidated risk-adjusted capitalization remains supportive of the ratings of AIG and its subsidiaries. This lessens A.M. Best's immediate concerns regarding the execution risk of successfully implementing the corrective actions taken to improve overall operating performance, and susceptibility to reduced credibility of its franchise value. AIG maintains adequate liquidity and financial flexibility, while its financial leverage and coverage ratios are within A.M. Best's guidelines for its current rating," the firm stated.

14:05 EDT F.N.B. implements board succession plan, says CEO to become chairman - F.N.B. Corp announced the implementation of its board succession plan for several key leadership positions. "The board succession plan is the result of a proactive, long-term process which contemplated the upcoming retirements of certain FNB directors holding key board and committee leadership positions," the company noted. Effective May 18, the FNB board formally appointed Vincent Delie, Jr., president and CEO of F.N.B., as chairman beginning December 20. Delie succeeds Stephen Gurgovits who will continue his service on the board as chairman emeritus. Also as part of the board leadership succession plan, on December 20, directors Frank Mencini, James Chiafullo and Heidi Nicholas will assume the committee chair positions of the Audit, Nominating and Corporate Governance and Risk Committees. Following this transition, the incumbent committee chairs will remain as members of the FNB board and their current committees. The incumbent lead director, William Campbell, will continue in his role.

13:59 EDT Buffalo Wild Wings issues presentation on Marcato's 'misleading statements' - Buffalo Wild Wings, in response to a press release issued by Marcato Capital Management, on May 22, issued a presentation identifying Marcato's continued inaccurate and misleading statements. Buffalo Wild Wings says it "has identified and publicly disclosed several important analytical errors or aggressive assumptions in the cornerstone of Marcato's plan for Buffalo Wild Wings. Marcato has now put out a response to Buffalo Wild Wings' 93-page presentation, but has not responded to the company's detailed critique of Marcato's refranchising related assumptions and modeling. Marcato claims its slate of nominees are experts in casual dining and, even, in Buffalo Wild Wings' business. Yet, Marcato has offered no operational suggestions for how to improve the business. Buffalo Wild Wings has generated returns for shareholders of 24% per year, compounded, since its 2003 IPO. Yet, Marcato claims that the incumbent directors, who sat on the Board of Directors for some or all of this time, lack any relevant skills. During Mick McGuire's one-year term on the Board of NCR, no value was created for shareholders. Then, Mr. McGuire sold his stock. During Mr. McGuire's directorship at Borders Group - including when he was Chairman of the Board - the stock declined precipitously, and the company eventually filed for bankruptcy. Emil Lee Sanders claims in his biography to have achieved successes while working at Buffalo Wild Wings that are objectively and demonstrably false. Marcato has not corrected the errors. Mr. Sanders also sent emails and texts in which he represented that he was a principal interested in buying Buffalo Wild Wings restaurant units from franchisees as recently as February 2017, after he was nominated to the Board of the company by Marcato. In its recent FAQs, Marcato claims Mr. Sanders was not trying to buy units himself, but was merely working as a consultant for others and that his efforts ceased in 2015. The letters and texts indicate otherwise. Buffalo Wild Wings recommends that shareholders vote the YELLOW proxy card FOR the election of all nine of the Board's experienced and highly qualified director nominees: Cynthia L. Davis, Andre J. Fernandez, Janice L. Fields, Harry A. Lawton, J. Oliver Maggard, Jerry R. Rose, Sam B. Rovit, Harmit J. Singh and Sally J. Smith."

13:55 EDT CBS to launch exclusives James Corden show on Snapchat - CBS (CBS) Interactive and The Late Late Show with James Corden announced that a new digital series titled "James Corden's Next James Corden" will debut exclusively as a Snapchat Show on Snap's (SNAP) Snapchat Discover platform in the fall. The show will "take Corden from late night to the world of a fictional reality competition show to find a young up-and-comer to be his Late Late Show successor. While Corden is by no means leaving The Late Late Show anytime soon, he knows that someday, years and years from now, he'll have to hand over the reins to a new host," the company noted. The show will be produced as an original, stand-alone Snapchat Show and will be shot vertically for optimal viewing on mobile devices.

13:49 EDT Snap rolls out new custom Stories feature - Snapchat parent Snap (SNAP) announced "a new way to create custom Stories -- about anything, with any of your friends, even for a specific location! It's perfect for a trip, a birthday party, or a new baby story just for the family. You decide who can add to the Story and who can view it - you can also choose to Geofence the Story to a location." Other publicly traded companies in the space include Facebook (FB). Reference Link

13:40 EDT LinkedIn, HP Enterprise join launch of 'Open19' data center non-profit - The Open19 Foundation, a new organization established to "build a community for a new generation of open data centers and edge solutions," launched today with founding members Flex, GE (GE) Digital, HP Enterprise (HPE), Microsoft's (MSFT) LinkedIn, and Vapor IO. "The Open19 Foundation aims to create project-based open hardware and software solutions for the data center industry. One of the initial hardware contributions to the foundation will be the Open19 Platform industry specification that defines a cross-industry common server form factor... The Open19 Foundation is now open for contributions and accepting new members to build a robust ecosystem of users, partners and suppliers," said the group. "The Open19 Platform represents a simple solution for a complex problem, so it's no surprise that the response from the community has been so strong," said Yuval Bachar, president of the Open19 Foundation and principal engineer, Global Infrastructure Architecture and Strategy at LinkedIn. "With the formation of the foundation, and the addition of our new partners, we can now begin capitalizing on this interest from the community and building on the vision for the Open19 open platform."

13:27 EDT Analysts stay bullish on Take-Two after Red Dead Redemption 2 delay - Shares of Take-Two (TTWO) rose in early afternoon trading, rebounding from Monday's after-hours dip following the delay of the video game maker's highly-anticipated Red Dead Redemption 2 to Spring of next year. In addition, the company reported better-than-expected quarterly results and provided guidance for the first quarter and fiscal 2018. RED DEAD DELAY: In a blog post Monday afternoon, Take-Two subsidiary Rockstar Games said that Red Dead Redemption 2 is now set to launch in Spring 2018 on Sony's (SNE) PlayStation 4 and Microsoft's (MSFT) Xbox One. The company originally said the game, which is a sequel to 2010's Red Dead Redemption, would be available in Fall of 2017. Commenting on the matter, Rockstar said it is "very sorry for any disappointment this delay causes," yet noted that they would rather deliver a game "only when it is ready." Following the news, shares of Take-Two fell as much as 10% in after-hours trading. Later on, Take-Two CEO Strauss Zelnick noted in the company's quarterly earnings release that Red Dead Redemption 2 will be the first game from Rockstar to be "created from the ground up" for the latest generation of consoles, and some additional time is necessary to "ensure that they deliver the best experience possible." EARNINGS/GUIDANCE: Before the market open, Take-Two Interactive reported fourth quarter GAAP earnings per share of 89c on net revenue of $571.6M. Analysts were expecting the company to report EPS of 57c on revenue of $355.37M. Looking ahead, the company said it expects Q1 EPS in the range of 65c-75c on revenue of $390M-$440M. Take-Two also said it sees Q1 net sales of $240M-$290M, compared to analysts' estimates for $254.5M. In addition, the video game maker said it sees FY18 EPS of $4.35-$4.65 on revenue of $1.95B-$2.05B and net sales of $1.42B-$1.52B. Analysts expect the company to report FY18 revenue of $2.24B. STREET RESEARCH: Prior to Take-Two's earnings report, Jefferies analyst Timothy O'Shea said that the selloff related to the Red Dead Redemption 2 delay should be viewed as a buying opportunity. O'Shea attributed the roughly 10% slip in shares post-market to Rockstar's "infamous perfectionism" and doesn't believe that it changes the overall unit sales potential for the title. The analyst also noted that Take-Two's shares traded down 6% when Rockstar announced in January 2013 that the release Grand Theft Auto V would be moved by six months, adding that GTA V has sold over 75M units and the stock has "more than quintupled" since that time. O'Shea maintained a Buy Rating on Take-Two with a $65 price target. Meanwhile, Piper Jaffray analyst Michael Olson kept an Overweight rating and $77 price target on the stock, saying that he doesn't expect the RDR2 release change to affect overall sales of the game or average multi-year Take-Two EPS. While Olson noted that some may suggest the delay comes with two potential risks, namely a worse launch window as well as real issues with the game, he said that a spring release should not "significantly" impact overall sales of the game and that he believes Rockstar would have left the timing open-ended if in fact there were major development issues. PRICE ACTION: In afternoon trading, Take-Two (TTWO) advanced about 5% to $72.48. OTHERS TO WATCH: Shares of the game maker's competitors were also higher, with Activision Blizzard (ATVI) up 1% and Electronic Arts (EA) up 0.5% in the afternoon.

13:18 EDT Bunge trading resumes

13:14 EDT Honeywell files ITC patent infringement complaint against Code Corp - Honeywell took additional legal actions against Code Corp., a company that manufactures bar code readers, for infringement of Honeywell patents. Honeywell filed a complaint asking the U.S. International Trade Commission to preclude Code from importing into the U.S. its products that infringe Honeywell's patents, such as the CR2600 bar code reader, as well as some of its components that are manufactured abroad. Honeywell also filed a second patent infringement lawsuit against Code in the U.S. District Court for the District of Delaware. Both actions claim that Code's bar code readers, including the CR2600 and its components, infringe Honeywell patents. In January, Honeywell filed a patent infringement lawsuit against Code in U.S. District Court for South Carolina for infringement of multiple patents related to Honeywell's bar code reading technology that makes bar code readers easier to use and operate faster and more accurately. The two new actions are directed toward six additional patents that are fundamental to the performance of modern bar code readers and scan engines. The average remaining life of these patents is longer than eight years. "We believe Code has engaged in widespread infringement of Honeywell intellectual property with its bar code readers. Our actions today further demonstrate our intent to prevent Code from continuing to profit from that practice," said Lisa London, president of Honeywell's Productivity Products business. "Fair competition starts with respecting the patent rights of others. We will pursue every legal avenue we can to protect our intellectual property."

13:12 EDT Bunge trading halted, volatility trading pause

12:53 EDT Herbalife lower after CNBC discusses China executive departure - Herbalife moved lower after CNBC's Scott Wapner discussed reports from earlier that Li Yanliang, the company's President of Operations in China, left his post after 10 years. Wapner added that Herbalife has not responded to numerous requests for comment. The stock in afternoon trading is down 6%, or $4.16, to $69.28.

12:12 EDT Facebook rolls out new features for Live - Facebook said the following: "We know Facebook Live is better with friends. We've been working on ways to make Live more fun, social and interactive, like with the new Live interactive effects we announced last month. Today we're excited to announce two new features that make it easier to share experiences and connect in real time with your friends on Live. One of the best things about Live is that you can discuss what's happening in the broadcast in real time...We know sometimes people also want the option to interact with only their friends during a public live broadcast, so we're rolling out Live Chat With Friends...Last year we started rolling out the ability for public figures to go live with a guest. Now available for all profiles and Pages on iOS, Live With lets you invite a friend into your live video so you can hang out together, even if you're not in the same place. Sharing the screen with a friend can make going live more fun and interactive - for both you and your viewers." Reference Link

12:02 EDT Analysts roll out bullish coverage of Carvana, the 'Amazon of used cars' - Shares of recently-public Carvana (CVNA) are falling despite a number of Wall Street research firms initiating coverage of the stock with Buy or equivalent ratings, citing the potential for market expansion, a scalable retail model and possible gross profit increases. BULLISH VIEWS: Baird analyst Colin Sebastian initiated coverage of Carvana this morning with an Outperform rating and a $15 price target, calling the company the "Amazon of used cars." Sebastian said he believes the company has "one of the first legitimate, scalable retail models" for used car retailing in the e-commerce market. He said annual used car volumes, as well as Carvana's streamlined shopping process, provide for a large growth opportunity and he expects Carvana to expand from 23 markets to over 50 markets by year-end 2018. BofA Merrill Lynch analyst Nat Schindler started Carvana with a Buy rating and a $25 price target, saying the company has strong growth potential and can sustain revenue growth of over 50% through the end of the decade driven by market expansion and brand awareness. Schindler also believes the e-commerce market is "ripe" for disruption and Carvana has the ability to leverage inventory and costs that will allow it to grow share. Wells Fargo Analyst David Lim voiced similar views, initiating coverage of Carvana with an Outperform rating and a $19 price target. Lim says that the growth rate of the company's new markets is strong, the company's low-cost model and pricing technology support profit expansion and there is potential for gross profit per unit to improve. In addition, Wells' survey indicated that 26% of consumers are willing to buy a used car online, and that percentage should increase, the analyst wrote. JMP Securities analyst Ronald Josey also started coverage of Carvana with a $17 price target and an Outperform rating, pointing to multiple positive catalysts, including increased penetration of its existing markets, expansion into new markets, benefits from e-commerce, and gross profit increases as its scale grows. He added that he believes there is potential for "high-margin" adjacent revenue, including financing, warranties and customization. PRICE ACTION: Carvana fell 16c, or 1.4%, to $10.92 in morning trading. Carvana's stock opened for trading at $13.50 on April 28 after the company's IPO priced at $15 per share.

11:43 EDT UBS to acquire majority stake in Consenso - UBS Group and Brazil's Consenso announced that they have entered into an agreement under which UBS is to acquire a majority stake in the Brazilian multi-family office Consenso, and both will combine their wealth management operations in Brazil. The transaction is expected to close towards the beginning of the third quarter of 2017, subject to customary closing conditions. The combined business will be run jointly by UBS executives and Consenso's founding partners.

11:39 EDT Aviat Networks awarded roughly $2M public safety project in Middle East - Aviat Networks announced it has been awarded a new project worth in excess of $2M with a large country-wide defense agency in the Middle East. This project will include hardware, software and services, all of which are designed to modernize the microwave network's security capabilities for this customer. Orders were received for this project in the company's fiscal third quarter.

11:31 EDT California AG announces multi-state $18.5M settlement with Target - California Attorney General Xavier Becerra announced an $18.5M multi-state settlement with Target, in response to allegations that over 40M customers had their payment card information compromised during the 2013 holiday season. California will be receiving more than $1.4M from the settlement, the largest share of any state. Reference Link

11:23 EDT Toll Brothers says 2017 shaping up to be another year of 'substantial growth' - Says spring 2017 was the "best spring selling season we've had in over 10 years." Expects City Living's profit margins to continue to exceed company average for FY17. Says apartment living unit could double over the next five years. Says active adult sales "strong." The homebuilder sees FY17 ROE improving to 12.5% from 12% previously guided. Sees Q3 effective tax rate approximately 39%. Says many factors bringing buyers off the fence, including low interest rates. Says luxury buyers benefiting from strong consumer confidence, robust stock market. Says homebuyers choosing to buy new over used, particularly in luxury market. Comments taken from the Q2 earnings conference call.

11:06 EDT Global Sources being bought by Expo Holdings for $18 per share - Earlier today, Global Sources announced that it has entered into an Agreement and Plan of Amalgamation with Expo Holdings and Expo Holdings II, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Parent, pursuant to which Amalgamation Sub and the company will be amalgamated and continue as an exempted company limited by shares registered under the laws of Bermuda, which will become a wholly-owned subsidiary of Parent. Subject to the terms and conditions set forth in the Amalgamation Agreement, at the effective time of the Amalgamation, each issued and outstanding common share of the Company will be automatically cancelled and converted into the right to receive an amount equal to $18.00 in cash, without interest. The Amalgamation Consideration represents a premium of 50.0% over the company's closing price of $12.00 per Share on May 22, 2017, the last trading day prior to the date that the Company entered into the Amalgamation Agreement, and a premium of 72.65% to the volume-weighted average closing prices of the Shares during the 30 trading days prior to May 22, 2017. The Company expects to hold a special meeting of its shareholders to consider and act upon the Amalgamation Agreement and the transactions contemplated by the Amalgamation Agreement as promptly as practicable. Details regarding the record date for, and the date, time and place of, the special meeting will be included in a press release when finalized. Shares of Global Sources are up 49% to $17.88 in morning trading.

10:59 EDT Endologix director buys 20,000 shares - Endologix director Guido Neels disclosed the purchase of 20,000 shares. The transaction took place on May 19 and occurred at $40.32 per share. Endologix in morning trading is up 16c to $4.72.

10:47 EDT JetBlue CFO sees 'very solid' environment for revenue - JetBlue CFO Steve Priest says the revenue environment "remains solid." Comments provided during the Wolfe Research Global Transportation Conference.

10:30 EDT Maxim says has 'great' products for power management in industrial business - The company sees factory automation as "next break-out trend."

10:24 EDT Maxim Integrated sees power management opportunity in China

10:22 EDT Maxim says partnership with Nvidia 'works well,' no conflicts - Also working with Nvidia on gaming side.

10:18 EDT Maxim Integrated says not seeing extensions of lead times

10:13 EDT Johnson & Johnson expects Remicade to be multibillion dollar product - Expects Remicade to be multibillion dollar product over next five years. Comment made by CFO Dominic Caruso at the UBS Global Healthcare Conference.

10:02 EDT MasTec announces passing of board member John Van Heuvelen - MasTec announced with regret that John Van Heuvelen, an independent member of the company's Board of Directors, passed away after a brief illness. Van Heuvelen was appointed to the Board in 2002 and served as MasTec's lead independent director of the Board for several years.

09:59 EDT Herbalife weakness attributed to Chinese report of executive departure - Shares of Herbalife are sliding in early trading after China Securities Journal reported, according to Bloomberg, that Li Yanliang, Herbalife's President of Operations in China, has left the post after having served as the company's China chief for 10 years. Zheng Qunyi, VP of Herbalife's global R&D, will succeed Li, the Securities Journal added, according to Bloomberg. In early trading, Herbalife shares are down $2.67, or 3.6%, to $70.77.

09:50 EDT lululemon website back up - Macquarie analyst Laurent Vasilescu noted in a research note earlier that lululemon's e-commerce site wasn't working on Monday afternoon, but the site is now back up and no longer has an error message apologizing to visitors. Reference Link

09:36 EDT Vonage rallies after William Blair uncovers win with top insurer - Shares of Vonage (VG) are on the rise in early trading after William Blair analyst Dmitry Netis told investors that he learned from his work in the field that the company has recently signed the largest Unified Communications as a Service, or UCaaS, deal in the history of the channel with a "top 3 insurance provider in the United States." The deal, which Vonage won in January, spans more than 100,000 seats and is separate from the 20,000-seat deal with a U.S. residential real estate company that Vonage previously announced. The company, when it disclosed the real estate deal on its May 9 earnings call, labeled it the largest deal in the company's history, Netis noted. Vonage competed "with the usual over-the-top UCaaS suspects," whose solutions turned out to be more expensive, the analyst added. OTHERS TO WATCH: Other providers of UCaaS services include Mitel Networks (MITL), ShoreTel (SHOR), and RingCentral (RNG). PRICE ACTION: In morning trading, shares of Vonage have gained 7.5% to $6.97.

09:33 EDT Honeywell comments on Third Point in presentation slides - Says Third Point has argued that aerospace will perform better as a separate company and that Honeywell ex-aerospace price to earnings multiple will re-rate. Honeywell says it is continuing the previously initiated strategic portfolio review, is engaging its advisers and board, and is modeling various scenarios as part of this review. Honeywell expects to complete its assessment by this fall. Comments from slides that will be presented at the Electrical Products Group Conference.

09:31 EDT Griffin announces agreement for building acquisition - Griffin Industrial Realty announced that it entered into a purchase and sale agreement for the acquisition of an approximately 277,000 square foot industrial/warehouse building in Concord, North Carolina, located in the greater Charlotte area. Under the purchase and sale agreement, the purchase price of the Building is approximately $18.6M to be paid in cash at closing. The Building was constructed in 2015 and currently is approximately 60% leased. This Acquisition would be Griffin's first industrial/warehouse building in the Charlotte area. Griffin intends to finance the Acquisition using the approximately $9.7M of cash being held in escrow for a like-kind exchange under Section 1031 of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended, with the balance of the purchase price being paid from Griffin's cash on hand. The funds in escrow were from Griffin's sale of approximately 67 acres of undeveloped land in Connecticut that recently closed. Closing on the Acquisition is subject to the satisfactory completion of due diligence by Griffin.

09:24 EDT Baxter says 'supportive' of tax reform in the U.S.

09:23 EDT On The Fly: Pre-market Movers - UP AFTER EARNINGS: Toll Brothers (TOL), up 2.3%... Take Two (TTWO), up 4.7%... Agilent (A), up 5.2%. ALSO HIGHER: Sonus (SONS), up 10.4% after announcing a business combination with GENBAND... TG Therapeutics (TGTX), up 8.2% after announcing that the DSMB found no safety concerns in the UNITY-CLL Phase 3 trial and recommended the continuation of the study without modification. LOWER: AutoZone (AZO), down 8.3% after reporting quarterly results... Alexion (ALXN), down 3.5% after announcing that CFO Dave Anderson is resigning at the end of August... Kosmos (KOS), down 5.6% after its 40M share Spot Secondary priced at $7.25.

09:20 EDT Sealed Air, Braskem and Naturepedic partner to create formula for new foam - Braskem along with Sealed Air, and Naturepedic announced their partnership to create a new-to-world formula for renewable polyethylene foam. With this initiative, Sealed Air aims to advance their strategy to create a better way for life by re-imagining the industries they serve around the globe, and develop a more efficient and sustainable supply chain for them.

09:16 EDT ISS, Glass Lewis endorse Land and Buildings nominees for Taubman board - Land & Buildings Investment Management announced today that proxy voting advisory firms, Institutional Shareholder Services and Glass Lewis have recommended that shareholders of Taubman Centers vote on the gold proxy card to support both of Land and Buildings' nominees, Charles Elson and Jonathan Litt, at the upcoming 2017 Annual Meeting of Shareholders. "Land and Buildings is gratified that both ISS and Glass Lewis support its call for change on the Taubman Board. Land and Buildings urges all shareholders to follow the ISS and Glass Lewis recommendations by voting the gold proxy card to elect both of Land and Buildings' highly-qualified nominees at the Annual Meeting and "Do Not Vote" on the company's white proxy card," the company says. "In their reports, ISS and Glass Lewis affirmed Land and Buildings' contention that the entrenchment and lack of effective oversight by the Taubman Board has contributed to the company's underperformance and has harmed shareholders. The advisory firms each performed a detailed analysis of both sides' positions and carefully considered, among other things, the company's total shareholder return, operating performance and financial performance, as well as the strong experience and qualifications of Land and Buildings' nominees. We appreciate the time and attention Glass Lewis and ISS have dedicated to this complex situation."

09:11 EDT Wal-Mart expands military leave of absence policy - Walmart announced expansions to its military leave of absence policy, offering differential pay to all eligible military associates taking on assignments lasting more than three days and through the duration of leave - including basic training. Walmart has offered differential pay since 2008. The enhancements, which go into effect June 24, mean that if an associate's military salary is less than what they were making at their job at Walmart, the company will pay them the difference while they are on a military leave of absence. In 2016, Walmart associates took more than 4,400 military leave of absences. In addition, Walmart is taking steps to streamline and simplify the internal process required to obtain differential pay with the goal of making it easier on associates and their families, so they can spend less time on paperwork and more time on their service.

09:08 EDT Netspend, United Airlines launch MileagePlus Go Visa prepaid card in U.S. - Prepaid card provider Netspend, a TSYS Company (TSS), and United Airlines (UAL) announced the launch of the MileagePlus GO Visa (V) Prepaid Card, the first prepaid card program in the U.S. offering a consumer the opportunity to directly earn miles for qualifying purchases made with a prepaid card. The card will be available in the summer and will reward cardholder spending with award miles that can be redeemed through United's MileagePlus loyalty program. Travelers will be able to order a MileagePlus GO Visa Prepaid Card online using their active MileagePlus account number. The new card will carry the Visa logo and will be issued by Republic Bank. The card account will be FDIC-insured on a pass through basis and offers electronic anytime alerts to help cardholders monitor spending.

09:03 EDT Greenlight: GM's board 'unwilling to take steps necessary' to unlock value

09:03 EDT MetaStat receives notice of allowance from USPTO - MetaStat announced it received from the United States Patent and Trademark Office, a notice of allowance for claims contained in a divisional application entitled "Metastasis Specific Splice Variants of Mena and Uses Thereof in Diagnosis, Prognosis and Treatment of Tumors." Additionally, MetaStat has received from the European Patent Office, a notice of issuance for patent EP 2 126 566 B1 entitled "Metastasis Specific Splice Variants of Mena and Uses Thereof in Diagnosis, Prognosis and Treatment of Tumors." European issued patent EP 2 126 566 B1 contains claims supporting the therapeutic use of anti-mena isoform drugs in addition to diagnostic use. The USPTO allowed additional claims related to kit based nucleic acid versions of MetaStat's protein-based companion diagnostic tests. MetaStat can increase patient access to the MenaINV companion diagnostic test by developing a variety of nucleic acid and protein-based formats using different instrument platforms giving providers greater flexibility to run the test in their facility or at MetaStat's centralized CLIA-approved laboratory.

09:02 EDT Delta Technology seeks strategic partners to meet market demand - Delta Technology Holdings announced its strategic partner plan. Currently Delta has nearly released its full production capacity, but still cannot meet the market demand. Therefore, Delta is seeking strategic partners and is now contacting and negotiating with several large-and-medium-sized OCT/PCT manufacturers in China. Delta proposes to sell the OCT/PCT and the downstream products of the said manufacturers by signing exclusive sale agreements.

09:01 EDT Accenture makes minority investment in, forms strategic alliance with Nomis - Accenture has taken a minority position in and formed a strategic alliance with Nomis Solutions, a provider of analytics-driven pricing and profitability-management solutions to retail banks. Under the alliance agreement, Accenture will be the preferred systems integrator for Nomis' profitability-management solutions, providing implementation and systems integration, business consulting, support and maintenance, and business-process-integration services. The alliance will extend Accenture's capabilities in the analytics pricing arena and provide Nomis with access to Accenture's financial services industry expertise and global scale.

08:57 EDT SPI Energy receives delinquency notice from Nasdaq - SPI Energy announced that it received a notification letter from the Listing Qualifications Department of The Nasdaq Stock Market on May 19, 2017 confirming that the company filed its interim report on Form 6-K for the six-month period ended June 30, 2016, and as a result, is no longer non-compliant with this filing. addition, the Notice indicates that the company is not in compliance with NASDAQ Listing Rule 5250(c)(1) for continued listing because its annual report on Form 20-F for the year ended December 31, 2016 was not filed on a timely basis with the SEC.

08:55 EDT J.C. Penney appoints Marci Grebstein as Chief Marketing Officer - J.C. Penney (JCP) announced that Marci Grebstein will join the company's executive leadership team as executive vice president, Chief Marketing Officer in June. Grebstein most recently served as Chief Marketing Officer for Lowe's Home Improvement (LOW).

08:47 EDT Cytori completed all follow up monitoring visits for Phase III STAR trial - Cytori Therapeutics announced that it has now completed all 48 week follow up monitoring visits in its FDA approved Phase III STAR trial. A total of 88 subjects were enrolled and the last subject's 48 week visit was conducted earlier this week.

08:43 EDT ChemoCentryx grantesd EU orphan drug designation for avacopan - ChemoCentryx announced that the European Medicines Agency has granted orphan medicinal product designation for avacopan in the treatment of patients with C3 glomerulopathy, or C3G. In March, ChemoCentryx announced that the FDA had granted orphan drug designation for avacopan in the treatment of C3G. Orphan drug designation can help expedite a drug candidate's path to market and provide certain exclusive marketing advantages after approval. ChemoCentryx plans to initiate a multi-center clinical endpoint study of avacopan for the treatment of C3G in mid-2017.

08:40 EDT ORBCOMM partners with Vobal Technologies on GSM technology - ORBCOMM announced today that it has partnered with Vobal Technologies to enable end-to-end visibility of refrigerated smart containers and other IoT-connected assets transporting temperature-sensitive, high-value cargo across international waters. Based in Evanston, IL, Vobal Technologies has developed and deployed its CargoGSM network over the past five years, thereby extending IoT connectivity to sea. ORBCOMM is deploying Vobal's maritime GSM technology as part of its new VesselConnect solution, which allows shipping lines to monitor and control smart containers and their cargo on-board their ships. As announced last week, early adopters of ORBCOMM's VesselConnect solution include TOTE Maritime Puerto Rico, a premier shipping carrier specializing in moving cargo between the U.S. mainland and Puerto Rico.

08:38 EDT Baxter presents health economic and cost studies data at ISPOR meeting - Baxter International presented data from seven health economic and cost studies at the International Society for Pharmacoeconomics and Outcomes Research annual meeting this week. The data covered four areas of patient care - kidney disease, hospital malnutrition, medication delivery and surgery. A cost consequence analysis concluded that Baxter's RTS Disease Management Model in Colombia, from the payer perspective, is a cost-saving alternative to other existing treatment models based on improved hospitalization outcomes and mortality in dialysis patients. In one year of follow up, related hospitalization costs in Colombia could be reduced by almost 20 percent with the RTS Disease Management Model. Assuming a base case population of 2,500 patients, the model could potentially reduce costs by more than $1.6M in one year. A budget impact analysis shows that using Baxter's NUMETA ready-to-use pediatric parenteral nutrition could provide an overall positive impact on pediatric PN budgets in Colombian hospitals. Assuming a base case population of 24,000 patients treated with PN, savings driven by a progressive adoption of NUMETA could range between $1.6M-$3M in a three-year period. The data was derived from a model that took into account all necessary PN compounding resources, such as ingredients, consumables, device costs and staff time. The model also looked at costs associated with medication errors and blood stream infections, which were demonstrated to be important drivers of cost. Research has shown the use of smart infusion pumps reduces drug administration errors by 80 to 95 percent. A technology assessment suggested that using smart pumps for intravenous drug administration in non-critical settings compared to standard infusion pumps could be an effective technology to not only help avoid medication errors, but also reduce adverse events, improve medication adherence and enhance convenience for clinicians.

08:36 EDT Iteris, Sygenta partner to provide ClearAG in Italy - Iteris (ITI) announced it has entered into a partnership agreement with agriculture company Syngenta (SYT) to provide ClearAg with Italian language support, soil models and land surface modeling. The partnership enables Syngenta's customers to access Iteris' ClearAg Platform through the OptiMais service, which is part of Syngenta's recently launched national Mais in Italy project. Syngenta is the first customer to purchase a subscription to ClearAg in Italian. "The availability of ClearAg in Italian will support our customers and affiliate partners to combine productivity and efficiency for economic, social and environmental sustainability," said Gianluca Fusco, head of marketing and technical organization in Italy for Corn in Syngenta. "As Syngenta creates a network for farmers and partners to collaborate and promote a new way of cultivating corn, our OptiMais service will provide access to ClearAg in Italian to help farmers increase corn productivity and harvested product quality and become more competitive."

08:35 EDT Global Medical REIT names Henry Cole as lead independent director - On May 18, the Board of Directors of Global Medical REIT unanimously appointed Henry Cole as the Lead Independent Director of the Board of Directors. Cole has been a director of the Company since 2015. He also currently serves as a member of the audit committee and compensation committee of the Board of Directors. As the Lead Independent Director, Cole's responsibilities will include, among other responsibilities, (i) calling and presiding over meetings of the independent members of the Board of Directors and (ii) serving as a liaison between the Chairman and the independent directors. Chairman of the Board, Jeffrey Busch, stated, "I could not be more pleased by the unanimous acknowledgement of Henry's contributions to the GMRE Board of Directors. His leadership among the independent directors has been notable and formalizing his role demonstrates the Board's commitment to rigorous good governance and oversight."

08:34 EDT Cerus reports pending U.S. supply shortage of PAS - Cerus Corporation (CERS)announced that it received notification last week of a pending U.S. supply shortage of a platelet additive solution manufactured and sold by Fresenius Kabi (FSNUY). The pending shortage is due to an unanticipated delay in FDA approval of a plastic component used in the manufacture of the PAS container following discontinuation of the original component by Fresenius Kabi's supplier. The shortage is expected to temporarily impact certain U.S. blood centers that utilize PAS to produce INTERCEPT platelets. Fresenius Kabi has stated that it is working with its suppliers and the FDA to resolve this delay and minimize any long-term disruption in supply. Cerus is committed to supporting all blood centers, hospitals and patients who rely upon the INTERCEPT system to safeguard their platelet supply. "We believe that access to pathogen reduced platelets is critical for all patients, and are doing everything we can to support impacted blood centers and also their hospital customers who are using or wish to use INTERCEPT platelets," said William 'Obi' Greenman, Cerus' president and CEO. As a result of the expected impact of the PAS supply disruption on INTERCEPT platelet production, the Company is updating its 2017 product revenue guidance to a range of $38M-$46M compared to the prior range of $43M-$48M.

08:32 EDT Celestica announces departure of CFO Darren Myers - Celestica announced that Darren Myers, CFO, has made the decision to leave Celestica effective the end of July to pursue an opportunity in another industry. Mandeep Chawla, SVP, Finance, will immediately assume the role on an interim basis. The company will conduct a search for a permanent replacement that will include both internal and external candidates.

08:21 EDT Boeing's Tapestry Solutions awarded $58M contract - Tapestry Solutions, a Boeing Company, has received a contract award potentially worth $58M to provide mission command training support services for the 7th Army Training Command - the U.S. Army's largest overseas training command that provides realistic, tailor-made training solutions to U.S., NATO and partner nations throughout Europe, Africa and beyond. The contract award covers a base year with four option years.

08:19 EDT 8x8, Inc. names Rani Hublou CMO - 8x8 announced the appointment of Rani Hublou as Chief Marketing Officer. As CMO, Hublou will be responsible for aligning 8x8's value proposition, products, packaging and positioning with global marketing initiatives to advance awareness and adoption of the company's industry-leading Communications Cloud platform and solutions. Hublou most recently served as chief product & marketing officer at Comprehend Systems.

08:17 EDT Aeglea says 'difference in opinion' with FDA delays dosing in AEB1102 trial - Aeglea BioTherapeutics provided an AEB1102 program and corporate update. In March, the company received an information request from the U.S. FDA that additional data may be needed to support the inclusion of pediatric patients in the ongoing Phase 1/2 trial in Arginase 1 Deficiency. The company recently received written feedback from the FDA based on supporting data provided in March and a follow-up meeting with the Agency in late April. "Based on discussions with the FDA, we were unable to resolve a difference in opinion at this time on the data needed to support inclusion of pediatric patients. We anticipate continuing our dialogue with the FDA on this topic. This results in a delay in our plan to initiate dosing in pediatric patients in the United States. We will continue to focus on our Phase 1/2 trial, which we expect to begin enrolling adult patients in the middle of 2017," said David Lowe, CEO of Aeglea.

08:17 EDT GE Energy Financial Services surpasses $15B in renewable energy investments - GE Energy Financial Services, a business unit of GE, announced at the American Wind Energy Association's WINDPOWER 2017 conference, that it has exceeded $15B in renewable energy investment commitments in wind, solar, and other renewable energy projects globally. Over the past three years, GE Energy Financial Services has committed to invest approximately $5B in renewable energy projects, exceeding its 2014 commitment to invest $1B per year. Global renewable energy investments continue to outpace fossil fuel investment by two-to-one. Renewables is GE Energy Financial Services' fastest growing business segment. Its investment commitments span 17 countries, comprise 75% wind, 18% solar and 7% other renewable technologies, and include two recent off-shore wind investments - the U.S. Block Island Wind Farm and Merkur Offshore Germany.

08:16 EDT Integra announces agreement with aap Implantate AG to distribute Loqteq - Integra LifeSciences announced that it has signed an agreement with aap Implantate AG to distribute the Loqteq Distal Radius System within the United States. Berlin-based aap is a globally operating medical device company developing, manufacturing and marking trauma products for orthopedics.

08:13 EDT Chevron Phillips Chemical increases organosulfur capacity at Tessenderlo - Chevron Phillips Chemical Company LLC has expanded its Tessenderlo, Belgium plant by debottlenecking its production unit for Ethyl Mercaptan and Tetrahydrothiophene. Construction began in November 2016 and the expansion commenced operations in May 2017. This expansion increased production capacity for these products by 65%. Chevron Phillips Chemical Company LLC is equally owned by Chevron U.S.A. Inc., an indirect wholly-owned subsidiary of Chevron Corporation (CVX), and by wholly-owned subsidiaries of Phillips 66 (PSX).

08:13 EDT Cracker Barrel reports Q3 comparable restaurant traffic down 2.1% - Reports Q3: Comparable restaurant sales down 0.4%; Comparable retail sales down 4.7%; Average check up 1.7%.

08:11 EDT Helios and Matheson and Redzone acquire license to facial recognition technology - Helios and Matheson Analytics and RedZone, creator of the RedZone Map navigation app, a tool for situational awareness and enhancement of personal safety, announced that Helios and Matheson Analytics has acquired global licensing rights to IsItYou's facial recognition technology in the field of crime and terrorism for integration with RedZone Map. RedZone plans to integrate RedZone Map's artificial intelligence technology and proprietary real-time crime database with IsItYou's facial recognition technology. Through the integration of IsItYou and RedZone Map, RedZone plans to enable RedZone Map users to identify persons whose image they are able to capture on the user's smartphone camera or video, if the identification can be obtained through RedZone's available data sources and artificial intelligence technology. In the future, RedZone plans to develop the capability of delivering real-time notifications of criminally active individuals in a user's area - such as large events or public spaces, by seeking permitted access to publicly located surveillance cameras operated by private enterprises or government entities.

08:10 EDT Kodak announces launch of Kodak EKTRA in the U.S. - The Eastman Kodak Company and Bullitt Group announced the availability of a U.S. GSM version of the KODAK EKTRA Smartphone. The U.S. launch coincides with a software update "addressing requests from our photo-enthusiast consumers-including RAW support, improved auto-focus performance, and optimizations to auto-white balance and color saturation," Kodak says.

08:08 EDT Cracker Barrel raises dividend 4.3% to $1.20 - The Company announced that its Board of Directors increased the quarterly dividend to $1.20 per share on the Company's common stock, which represents a 4.3% increase over the Company's previous quarterly dividend of $1.15. The quarterly dividend is payable on August 4 to shareholders of record on July 14. The Board of Directors also declared a special dividend of $3.50 per share on the Company's common stock. This is the Company's third special dividend declaration. The special dividend is payable on July 28 to shareholders of record on July 14.

08:07 EDT Tech Data adds Microsoft Azure to Cloud Marketplace - Tech Data Corporation (TECD) announced that its Technology Solutions business, formerly a division of Avnet and now part of Tech Data, has added Microsoft Azure (MSFT) to its Cloud Marketplace. Adding support for Microsoft Azure through ACM gives Tech Data partners the ability to manage Azure, and other cloud providers, with a cloud management toolset unmatched in the channel.

08:05 EDT Clovis to present at ASCO annual meeting - Clovis Oncology announced that abstracts highlighting progress in the rucaparib clinical development program will be presented at the 2017 American Society of Clinical Oncology Annual Meeting taking place June 2 to June 6 in Chicago. Four abstracts highlighting ongoing rucaparib clinical trials will showcase some of the multiple cancer types in which the compound is being studied, including germline and somatic BRCA-mutated, relapsed, high-grade ovarian cancer; metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer associated with homologous recombination deficiency; and HER2 negative metastatic breast cancer. Rucaparib is Clovis Oncology's oral, potent, small-molecule inhibitor of PARP1, PARP2 and PARP3. In December 2016, the FDA approved rucaparib tablets as monotherapy for women with advanced ovarian cancer who have been treated with two or more chemotherapies and whose tumors have a deleterious BRCA mutation as identified by an FDA-approved companion diagnostic test. The ARIEL3 pivotal study of rucaparib is a randomized, double-blind study comparing the effects of rucaparib against placebo to evaluate whether rucaparib given as a maintenance treatment to platinum-sensitive ovarian cancer patients can extend the period of time for which the disease is controlled after a response to platinum-based chemotherapy. Top-line results from ARIEL3 are anticipated by the end of June, and the Company plans to provide a more comprehensive presentation of the ARIEL3 results in a scientific session at a medical meeting later this year. Pending positive data, the Company intends to submit a supplemental New Drug Application for a second line or later maintenance treatment indication within approximately four months of the database lock.

08:04 EDT Alexion says head of R&D Martin Mackay to retire at end of 2017

08:04 EDT Alexion says Brian Goff to join as Chief Commercial Officer on June 1

08:03 EDT NantHealth names Ronald Louks as COO - NantHealth (NH) announced the appointment of Ronald A. Louks as its COO. Prior to joining NantHealth, Louks served as President of Devices & Emerging Solutions at BlackBerry Limited (BBRY).

07:58 EDT Novartis to lay off 204 workers in NJ, WARN Notice shows

07:43 EDT AutoZone down 6% after Q3 results fall short of estimates - In pre-market trading, shares are down 6.3% to $617.75.

07:38 EDT Moleculin Biotech says may be delayed in resubmitting IND for Annamycin - Moleculin Biotech announced that it has issued a letter to its shareholders, in which Walter Klemp, Chairman and CEO, stated in part: "[We] recently received Orphan Drug designation from the Food and Drug Administration for Annamycin and we continue to make progress toward submitting an IND for Annamycin for the treatment of relapsed or refractory adult AML. As well, the deadline for exercise of short-term warrants connected with our recent offering of common stock has now passed, removing over 5M shares of overhang from our stock...We filed our IND (Investigational New Drug) application on February 10, 2017. In subsequent discussions, the FDA requested certain revisions to the protocol, additional information, and additional data related to Chemistry, Manufacturing and Controls (CMC). We have the additional information, we have made the requested revisions to the protocol, and we are developing the CMC data. In the interim, we withdrew the IND application so that we may resubmit it when the requested data becomes available. We are working to resubmit the IND application in time for the IND to go into effect and to announce that we may begin Phase I/II clinical trials by the end of July of 2017. However, if we are unable to obtain the required CMC data on a timely basis, we will be delayed in resubmitting our IND application, which will delay the commencement of our clinical trials...Thank you again for your support and we look forward to reporting further progress soon regarding Annamycin and the rest of Moleculin's development pipeline."

07:24 EDT Dunkin' Brands names GE CMO Linda Boff to board of directors - Dunkin' Brands Group (DNKN) announced the appointment of Linda Boff to the Dunkin' Brands Board of Directors. Boff is the Chief Marketing Officer for GE (GE) and is responsible for leading that company's global marketing strategies. The Board increased the size of the Board from eight to nine members and appointed Boff to fill the vacancy. Boff joined GE in 2004 and has held a series of leadership positions with GE including Executive Director, Global Digital Marketing and Global Director, Marketing Communication. She was named to her current position in 2015. Boff will serve as a Class III director, which class will stand for re-election at the 2020 annual meeting of stockholders. Boff is also expected to serve as a member of the Board's Compensation Committee.

07:21 EDT JetBlue sees Q2 capacity 4%-6% - Sees Q2 CASM ex-fuel 4.5%-6.5%. Sees Q2 CapEx (aircraft) $220M-$270M; CapEx (non-aircraft) $35M-$45M. Guidance from presentation slides in 8k.

07:14 EDT Helmerich & Payne sees FY17 depreciation expense approximately $580M - Sees Q3 U.S Land segment revenue days up by about 25%, with average rig revenue per day about $21,000. Sees Q3 Offshore segment revenue days down by 10%-15%, with average rig margin per day about $12,500. Sees Q3 International Land segment revenue days down by approximately 10%, with average rig margin per day remaining under $4,000. Sees FY17 depreciation expense approximately $580M. Comments taken from slides being presented at the UBS Global Oil and Gas Conference.

07:09 EDT Dover sees FY17 EPS up 33% from prior year at mid-point - In April, Dover raised its FY17 EPS view to $4.05-$4.20 from $3.40-$3.60, consensus $4.15. Says recent acquisitions "performing very well." Says strategy remains "consistent," says will continue to generate "strong" free cash flow, with capital allocation focused on growth. Comments taken from slides that will be presented at the Electrical Products Group Conference.

07:08 EDT Willbros says ISS, Glass Lewis recommend holders vote FOR Willbros proposals - Willbros Group announced that both Institutional Shareholder Services, or ISS, and Glass Lewis have recommended that Willbros stockholders vote FOR all proposals recommended by the board, in conjunction with the 2017 Annual Meeting of Stockholders to be held on June 1. Both ISS and Glass Lewis support the board's recommendation on all seven proposals, including the election of two directors and amending the company's Certificate of Incorporation to eliminate supermajority voting requirements and to declassify the board.

07:06 EDT EnteroMedics acquires Gastric Vest System - EnteroMedics announced that it has acquired the Gastric Vest System through its acquisition of BarioSurg. The Gastric Vest is an investigational, minimally-invasive, laparoscopically implanted medical device being studied for weight loss in morbidly obese patients. The consideration paid by EnteroMedics for BarioSurg, Inc. consists of 1.38M unregistered shares of EnteroMedics common stock, 1.0M unregistered shares of conditional convertible preferred stock and $2.0M in cash. The shares of common stock issued in the acquisition represent 19.99% of EnteroMedics' outstanding common stock immediately prior to the acquisition.

07:04 EDT Yuma Energy sold properties in Texas for $5.5M - Yuma Energy announced that it has sold certain oil and gas properties for $5.5M located in Brazos County, Texas held by a wholly owned subsidiary and known as the El Halcon property. Yuma's El Halcon property consisted of an average working interest of approximately 10% producing approximately 140 Boe/d net from 50 Eagle Ford wells and one Austin Chalk well. Yuma also announced that on May 19 the lenders under its bank credit facility reaffirmed the Company's borrowing base of $44.0M. Upon closing of the sale of the El Halcon property, the borrowing base was adjusted for the sale to $40.5M. The next scheduled redetermination date under the credit facility will be September 15.

07:04 EDT AutoZone opened 35 new stores in Q3 - During the quarter ended May 6, AutoZone opened 35 new stores and relocated two stores in the U.S., opened eight new stores in Mexico, and none in Brazil. As of May 6, 2017, the Company had 5,381 stores in 50 states in the U.S., the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico, 499 stores in Mexico, 26 IMC branches, and nine stores in Brazil for a total count of 5,915.

07:03 EDT AutoZone CEO says spring sales season 'very challenging' - "I would like to thank all AutoZoners across the organization for their dedication to serving our customers throughout a very challenging spring sales season. Our sales performance for the first five weeks of our quarter was significantly below our expectations, challenged by the well-publicized timing delays in IRS tax refunds. The last seven weeks of sales demonstrated improvement, but not enough to make up for our soft start. While this quarter's results were below our expectations, our AutoZoners' ongoing commitment to providing customers with Trustworthy Advice has us well positioned for the summer ahead. Notwithstanding macro headwinds, including increasing wage pressures, we are confident in our long term positive fundamentals for sales growth, and we remain committed to driving shareholder value," said Bill Rhodes, Chairman, President and CEO.

06:57 EDT AstraZeneca says Bydureon type-2 diabetes trial meets primary safety objective - AstraZeneca announced top-line results from the Phase IIIb/IV EXSCEL trial. The trial compared the effect of once-weekly Bydureon versus placebo, when added to usual type-2 diabetes care, on the risk of MACE, a composite endpoint of CV death, non-fatal myocardial infarction or non-fatal stroke, in adults with type-2 diabetes at a wide range of CV risk. The EXSCEL trial met its primary safety objective of non-inferiority for MACE. Fewer CV events were observed in the Bydureon arm of the trial, however, the efficacy objective of a superior reduction in MACE did not reach statistical significance. These results address the U.S. FDA requirement that medicines to treat T2D are not associated with an increase in CV risk, the company said. Data were consistent with the known safety profile of Bydureon. Elisabeth Bjork, VP, Head of Cardiovascular and Metabolic Diseases, Global Medicines Development, AstraZeneca, said: "These top-line results from the EXSCEL trial provide robust evidence of the cardiovascular safety profile of Bydureon across a wide range of patients with type-2 diabetes. Furthermore, the trial design and broad inclusion criteria of EXSCEL offer physicians relevant data applicable to clinical practice."

06:47 EDT Comstock Mining announces completion of State Route 342 realignment project - Comstock Mining announced that the State Route 342 realignment project is complete and has been accepted by both the Nevada Department of Transportation and Storey County. SR 342 is a critical connecting component to the northern Nevada quadrant. The USA Parkway project, scheduled for completion this summer, further connects the northern Nevada quadrant by connecting Highway 80 with Highway 50, opening up the entire quadrant to significant commercial expansions.

06:35 EDT Sonus, GENBAND announce business combination - Sonus Networks and GENBAND announced a definitive agreement under which the two companies will combine. Sonus and GENBAND shareholders will each own approximately 50% of the combined company. Based on the closing price of Sonus' common stock on May 22 of $7.79 and estimated net cash at the time of closing, the transaction values the combined company at an enterprise value of approximately $745M. The two companies' combined 2016 revenue and EBITDA would have been approximately $680M and $50M, respectively, on a combined basis which excludes synergies and is prior to any impact from purchase accounting. The transaction is expected to be substantially accretive to Sonus' EPS in 2018. The combined company is expected to realize annual cost synergies of $40M-$50M by the end of 2018 and to drive solid cash flow from operations in the first year after closing. Following the full impact of expected annualized synergies, the combined company is expected to generate at least $100M in annual EBITDA, with fiscal year 2020 EBITDA projected to be approximately $140M. Under the terms of the agreement, Sonus and GENBAND will combine under a newly formed holding company. Each Sonus shareholder will receive one share of common stock in the combined company for each existing Sonus share they own. The combined company will issue approximately 50 million shares of common stock to GENBAND's equity owners as well as $22.5M of consideration in the form of an unsecured note. Upon closing of the transaction, Sonus and GENBAND shareholders are each expected to own approximately 50% of the combined company on a fully diluted basis. The combined company will have an estimated net cash position of $40M-$45M at the time of close, which is expected to increase meaningfully in FY18 as the company realizes synergies. The transaction has been unanimously approved by the boards of both companies, and is expected to close in the second half of 2017.

06:33 EDT Amazon announces launch of Amazon Channels in the U.K., Germany - Amazon announces the launch of Amazon Channels in the UK and Germany. Amazon Channels allows Prime members to add channel subscriptions for a low monthly subscription fee, available individually without the need to sign up for a bundle or enter a lengthy contract. Amazon Channels available in the UK include Discovery, Eurosport Player, ITV Hub+, hayu, MUBI, BFI Player, MGM, Hopster, Shudder, Heera and many others. Prime members in the UK can now enjoy premium factual entertainment series such as Gold Rush on Discovery, great reality TV like Keeping Up With The Kardashians on hayu, or timeless movies such as The Hobbit on MGM by signing up to the relevant subscription. Amazon Channels also brings live sport to Prime members including comprehensive coverage of the upcoming French Open Tennis 2017 tournament on Eurosport Player. Along with a range of genre TV subscriptions, Amazon Channels also offers Prime members access to Heera, Amazon's own, curated Bollywood channel, offering more than 500 movies including recent releases like Sultan starring Salman Khan. This is the first time that some of these channels, including Discovery, have been made available independently of any 'bundle', enabling customers to only pay for the premium TV they want to watch. Customers can click to sign up and can also click to cancel at anytime.

06:28 EDT James Gosling to leave Boeing to join Amazon Web Services - James Gosling, often called the "Father of Java," announced on Facebook Monday that "It's time for a change. I'm leaving Boeing Defense (BA) -- nee Liquid Robotics -- with many fond memories. Today I start a new Adventure at Amazon Web Services (AMZN)." []:[https://www.facebook.com/james.gosling.96/posts/10155133288856328]

06:10 EDT AirMedia receives dificiency letter from NASDAQ - AirMedia announced that it has received a letter dated May 18 from The NASDAQ Stock Market notifying the company that it is not in compliance with NASDAQ Listing Rule 5250(c)(1) for continued listing because its annual report on Form 20-F for the year ended December 31, 2016 was not filed on a timely basis with the SEC. Under NASDAQ Listing Rule 5810(c)(2)(F)(i), the company has until July 17, 2017 to submit to NASDAQ a plan to regain compliance with the NASDAQ Listing Rules. The company intends to submit the Compliance Plan as soon as practicable. The Deficiency Letter has no immediate impact on the listing of the company's ordinary shares represented by American depositary shares on the Nasdaq Global Market under the symbol "AMCN."

05:46 EDT Toll Brothers sees Q3 deliveries 1,675-1,975 units - Toll Brothers expects Q3 deliveries of between 1,675-1,975 units with an average price of between $790,000-$815,000. The company expects Q3 Adjusted Gross Margin to improve 10 basis points from Q2 results. Q3 SG&A is expected to be approximately 10.4% of third quarter revenues. Q3 other income and Income from unconsolidated entities is expected to be between $15M-$30M.

05:27 EDT Nokia, Apple sign patent license & business agreement, settle all litigation - Nokia (NOK) and Apple (AAPL) announced that they have settled all litigation related to their intellectual property dispute and agreed a multi-year patent license. Under a business collaboration agreement, Nokia will be providing certain network infrastructure product and services to Apple. Apple will resume carrying Nokia digital health products in Apple retail and online stores, and Apple and Nokia are exploring future collaboration in digital health initiatives. Regular summits between top Nokia and Apple executives will ensure that the relationship works effectively and to the benefit of both parties and their customers. The value of the agreement will be reflected partially as patent licensing net sales in Nokia Technologies and partially as net sales in other Nokia business groups. Nokia will follow its existing practices for disclosing patent licensing revenue in its quarterly announcements and expects that revenues for the agreement will start to be recognized in the second quarter of 2017, including an element of non-recurring catch-up revenue. Due to the up-front cash payment from Apple, Nokia intends to provide a comprehensive update of its capital structure optimization program in conjunction with its third quarter 2017 results.