Stockwinners Market Radar for June 05, 2017 - Earnings, Upgrades downgrades, option trades, Best Stock Advisory Service

18:49 EDT Placed confirms acquisition by Snap - Placed confirmed in a blog post that it is joining the Snap Inc. team. "Over the past 12 months, Placed has measured more than $500M in media spend to store visits, across thousands of campaigns and hundreds of partners, cementing Placed as the leader in location-based attribution," the blog post said. "By partnering with Snap, we will do even more. Still working independently, Placed's goal continues to be the adoption of a common yardstick that can measure the offline effectiveness of advertising across multiple platforms and publishers." Reference Link

18:47 EDT TrueBlue chairman sells 25,000 common shares - In a regulatory filing, TrueBlue chairman Joseph P. Sambataro Jr. disclosed the sale of 25,000 common shares in the company at a price of $28.32 per share. The transaction brings Sambataro, Jr.'s total direct common stock ownership to 73,581 shares.

18:31 EDT ASUR Airports reports total May passenger traffic up 9.7% y/y - ASUR Airports announced that total passenger traffic for May 2017 increased by 9.7% when compared to May 2016. Passenger traffic rose 12.2% in Mexico, and 1.9% in San Juan.

18:19 EDT LGI Homes reports all-time record for home closings in May - LGI Homes announced an all-time record for home closings during a single month in May 2017, surpassing its previous record set in December 2016. Home closings for May 2017 totaled 523, up from 432 homes closed in May 2016, representing year-over-year growth of 21.1%. The company ended the first five months of 2017 with 1,649 home closings, compared to 1,617 home closings during the first five months of 2016. As of the end of May 2017, the company had 72 active selling communities.

18:17 EDT Luby's CEO acquires 87,500 common shares - In a regulatory filing, Luby's president and CEO Christopher James Pappas disclosed the purchase of 87,500 common shares in multiple tranches. The largest tranche, which was of 45,300 shares, was acquired at a price of $3.15 per share.

18:01 EDT Ballard Power awarded $18M follow-on contract with Broad-Ocean - Ballard Power Systems announced that it has entered into an $18M supply contract with Zhongshan Broad-Ocean Motor Co. to support the deployment of 400 FCveloCity fuel cell engines integrated into clean energy buses and trucks in key Chinese cities. This announcement, together with an $11M transaction announced in April, means that Ballard is planning to support Broad-Ocean through the deployment of 600 fuel cell engines having a value of $29M, with substantial deliveries expected to be made this year. In addition to these modules for use in strategic demonstration projects in key Chinese cities, Ballard also closed the strategic technology transfer, licensing and supply deal with Broad-Ocean in April, under which Broad-Ocean plans to set up three module assembly operations in China, representing a further $25M to Ballard over 5-years.

17:30 EDT Wells Fargo announces new regional structure for Business Banking Group - Earlier today Wells Fargo announced that in a move to further strengthen its capabilities and local market presence, Wells Fargo's Business Banking Group, part of Wells Fargo, announced it has moved from three to seven regions, with a banking leader appointed for each. With the new geographic presence, Wells Fargo can provide its Business Banking customers with more localized support and market expertise. In order to best serve customers in specific industries, BBG also established a new National Specialty Industry Group, which will focus on serving Business Banking customers in select industries, including Investment Real Estate and Food and Agriculture. The team will also partner with other Wells Fargo businesses that are serving customers in similar industries. Serving more than 100,000 businesses across the U.S. with annual sales generally from $5 million to $20 million, BBG provides a range of services, including credit, cash management, risk management, succession, and wealth management. "We created the new regional structure and established the specialized industry group to be closer to our Business Banking customers and continue to provide them with the financial services, products, and advice they need to manage risk, maximize efficiency and grow their business," said Laura Oberst, head of Wells Fargo's Business Banking Group. "This is an important and growing segment for Wells Fargo, and we want to ensure we are best positioned to serve the needs of our customers."

17:21 EDT James E. Flynn reports 6.81% passive stake in BioCryst

17:14 EDT Brookfield Property extends distribution reinvestment plan to U.S. residents - Brookfield Property Partners announced that its eligible unitholders who are residents of the United States can now enroll their limited partnership units in its distribution reinvestment plan, previously only available to residents of Canada. The Plan allows participants to reinvest cash distributions paid on their Units to purchase additional Units. On each distribution payment date, cash distributions payable on a participant's Units are paid by BPY to CST Trust Company, BPY's registrar and transfer agent which serves as agent under the plan. The Plan Agent uses those funds to purchase Units. The Units purchased by the Plan Agent are issued from treasury at a price per Unit calculated by reference to the volume weighted average trading price for the Units on the New York Stock Exchange for the five trading days immediately preceding the date the relevant distribution is paid by BPY.

17:06 EDT Highbridge Capital reports 5.07% passive stake in CF Corporation

17:02 EDT Signet Jewelers COO Bryan Morgan resigns - On June 2, Bryan Morgan, COO of Signet Jewelers, resigned from the company due to violations of company policy unrelated to financial matters.

17:00 EDT Mark E. Strome reports 8.2% passive stake in Pulse Biosciences

16:55 EDT Dow Chemical commends EPA for boosting efficiency of New Chemical review - Dow Chemical issued the following statement recognizing the progress made by the Environmental Protection Agency to increase the throughput of new chemical pre-manufacturing notices under the Toxic Substances Control Act Section 5, the "New Chemicals Program," as updated by the Lautenberg Chemical Safety Act: "Administrator Pruitt and his team at the EPA have made great progress over a very short period of time to accelerate new chemical reviews, providing American manufacturers with new and safe materials that will help drive innovation and manufacturing growth," said Mike Witt, Dow's corporate director, Health and Environmental Research, Consulting and Services. "The historic and bipartisan Lautenberg Chemical Safety Act passed last year represented both a significant opportunity and challenge to the EPA to deliver an enhanced, more efficient chemicals review process and thus far the EPA is making great progress to advance those objectives."

16:45 EDT Bio Blast Pharma trading resumes

16:40 EDT Intracoast Capital reports 9.99% passive stake in TOP Ships

16:40 EDT Covisint trading resumes

16:32 EDT Edwards Lifesciences: FDA approves SAPIEN 3 valve for aortic, mitral procedures - Edwards Lifesciences announced it has received U.S. FDA approval for aortic and mitral valve-in-valve procedures using the Edwards SAPIEN 3 transcatheter heart valve. The SAPIEN 3 valve is the first transcatheter heart valve approved in the U.S. for the treatment of both aortic and mitral patients who are at high risk for a subsequent open-heart surgery to replace their bioprosthetic valve.

16:25 EDT OpenText to acquire Covisint for $2.45 per share - OpenText (OTEX) announced that it has entered into a definitive agreement to acquire Covisint (COVS), the leading Cloud platform for building Identity, Automotive, and Internet of Things applications. The acquisition is expected to deepen OpenText's EIM offering with a cloud-based IoT platform-as-a-service and expand OpenText's presence in the Automotive industry through strong customer relationships and strategic partnerships for supply chain collaboration. Covisint will be integrated into the OpenText Business Network, a portfolio of cloud solutions and software that facilitates efficient, secure, and compliant information flows between organizations. The transaction purchase price of $2.45 per share is approximately $103M of market value, or $75M of enterprise value. OpenText intends to fund the transaction with cash on hand. The transaction is expected to close in the third quarter of calendar 2017 and is subject to customary closing conditions, including approval by shareholders of Covisint

16:23 EDT OpenText to acquire Covisint for $2.45 per share

16:21 EDT Cormorant AM reports 5.66% passive stake in Trillium Therapeutics

16:20 EDT Partner Fund Management reports 8.1% passive stake in Puma Biotechnology

16:19 EDT Thor Industries backs FY17 CapEx view approximately $130M - "With the strong operating performance during the quarter and year to date, we have seen a significant increase in operating cash flow, which increased 26.2% to $182.8 million for the first nine months of fiscal 2017," said Colleen Zuhl, Thor Senior Vice President and CFO. "During the third quarter, we invested approximately $28.5 million in capital projects, bringing our year to date investment in capital projects to $79.5 million. Total forecasted capital investments for the fiscal year remain at approximately $130 million as we expect to invest approximately $50 million in additional capital projects during the fourth quarter to meet the robust demand for our products as reflected in our record backlogs."

16:18 EDT Thor Industries CEO says seeing 'significant increase in demand' for products - Bob Martin, Thor President and CEO said, "With the surging popularity of our RVs, and the RV lifestyle in general, we have seen a significant increase in demand for our products, particularly our wide array of affordable travel trailers and motorhomes. As a result of this significant increase in demand, we continue to expand capacity in a prudent, measured approach that will allow us to be nimble and flexible as market conditions and product demand change. Currently, we have new plants or expansion projects underway at nearly every Thor subsidiary, which will begin contributing to our overall production capacity in the fourth quarter of fiscal 2017 and early fiscal 2018. As Thor and other industry players add capacity, the labor market in Northern Indiana, particularly in Elkhart, has become more competitive as we compete for qualified workers in an area with low unemployment. Our team's foresight into this issue has resulted in several initiatives designed to minimize the impact of the labor challenges. When possible, we have focused our expansion efforts in outlying areas, such as Howe, Middlebury and Goshen, Indiana, where we can draw from a different geographic labor pool."

16:17 EDT Thor Industries reports Q3 gross profit margin 14.6% - As anticipated, due primarily to acquisition-related dilution and market-driven changes in product mix, gross profit margins decreased to 14.6% in the third quarter compared to 15.7% in the prior-year period. Diluted earnings per share for the fiscal 2017 third quarter increased 41.6% from the previous year. The strong growth in revenues and earnings was a combination of organic growth in both towable and motorized RVs, and the inclusion of the results from Jayco, which was acquired on June 30, 2016.

16:16 EDT TRACON reports positive clinical results from TRC105, TRC102 studies - TRACON Pharmaceuticals reported positive clinical results from multiple studies with TRC105 and TRC102 at the American Society of Clinical Oncology Annual Meeting.

16:13 EDT Baxter: Data show SHARESOURCE offers more accurate, timely patient visibility - Baxter International presented new data demonstrating the abilities of its SHARESOURCE remote patient management technology to improve peritoneal dialysis patient care and increase dialysis clinic efficiencies. The findings were shared at the 54th Congress of the European Renal Association and European Dialysis and Transplant Association, June 3-6. Data show SHARESOURCE, a unique two-way, cloud-based technology platform that comes with the HOMECHOICE CLARIA automated PD system, is offering healthcare providers more accurate and timely visibility to their patients' therapy adherence, allowing earlier discovery and intervention for clinical issues. Additional data show the technology is associated with nurses gaining as much as 35% more time to perform proactive patient-related work. "Baxter's SHARESOURCE remote patient management system was designed to support patients' access to PD, with the confidence to perform home therapy knowing their healthcare providers are remotely managing their care," said James Sloand, M.D., senior medical director, Baxter. "New data show the technology can help healthcare providers achieve this goal because they have timely access to accurate patient therapy adherence data, allowing them to address pertinent clinical issues earlier."

16:12 EDT Novartis, Bristol-Myers in pact to study colorectal cancer treatments - Novartis (NVS) announced it has entered into a clinical research collaboration in which Bristol-Myers Squibb (BMY) will investigate the safety, tolerability, and efficacy of Mekinist in combination with Opdivo and Opdivo + Yervoy regimen as a potential treatment option for metastatic colorectal cancer in patients with microsatellite stable tumors where the tumors are proficient in mismatch repair. Under the terms of the agreement, the study will be conducted by Bristol Myers-Squibb and is expected to establish recommended dose regimens and the preliminary anti-tumor activity of the combination therapies. Both Bristol Myers-Squibb and Novartis will evaluate the results to determine optimal approaches and potential clinical development of these combinations. "Novartis has a longstanding heritage in exploring the combination of medicines to broaden our knowledge of mutational driven cancers and develop innovative treatments," said Vas Narasimhan, MD, Head, Global Drug Development and Chief Medical Officer, Novartis. "Along with our ongoing internal immuno-oncology efforts, the expansion of our collaboration with Bristol-Myers Squibb further advances our collective goals to advance the science and to support patients in need."

16:10 EDT Colony Starwood Homes acquires portfolio of single-family rental homes for $815M - Colony Starwood Homes announced that it entered into a purchase agreement with Waypoint/GI Venture, LLC pursuant to which it will acquire a portfolio of 3,106 single-family rental homes that the company currently manages for approximately $815M. The GI Portfolio is located entirely within the company's existing markets, including Southern California, Northern California, Chicago, Atlanta, Tampa, Phoenix, Miami and Orlando. As of March 31, 2017, the GI Portfolio was 95.8% occupied. Pursuant to the Purchase Agreement, the GI Portfolio Acquisition is expected to close in the third quarter of 2017, subject to the satisfaction of various closing conditions.

16:09 EDT ImmunoCellular announces data from ICT-121 Phase 1 trial - ImmunoCellular Therapeutics announced the presentation of data from the phase 1 clinical trial of ICT-121 in patients with recurrent glioblastoma. The data from the 20-patient, open-label, multi-center study show that 6 of 20 patients are alive (as of April 2017; survival ranging from 10 to 24 months), and these patients will continue to be followed. As noted in the data presentation, ICT-121 was generally safe and well tolerated. As also noted, although diversity in patient disease severity resulting from a protocol amendment to expand patient eligibility makes interpretation of survival data difficult, the results are encouraging and warrant further investigation. Pending immune response data will provide insight into the potential effectiveness of ICT-121 in inducing the formation of cytotoxic T cells targeting CD133, a cancer stem cell marker. ICT-121 is a dendritic cell-based immunotherapy that specifically targets CD133 which is overexpressed in a wide variety of solid tumors, including glioblastoma as well as non-small cell lung, colon, ovarian, pancreatic and breast cancers.

16:08 EDT Agree Realty raises 2017 acquisition guidance range to $250M-$275M - Agree Realty (ADC) announced that it is increasing its 2017 acquisition guidance to a range of $250M-$275M of high-quality retail net lease properties. The company's acquisition guidance, which assumes continued growth in economic activity, moderate interest rate growth, positive business trends and other significant assumptions, is being increased from a previous range of $200M-$225M. The company also announced it sold two Walgreens properties in Lowell, Michigan and Shelby Township, Michigan. With these two asset sales, annualized base rent from Walgreens (WBA) has been reduced to approximately 9.5% of total portfolio annualized base rent. As a result of the year-to-date disposition activity, the company is raising the low end of its 2017 disposition guidance to a new range of $30M-$50M, from a previous range of $20M-$50M.

16:06 EDT Bristol-Myers collaborates with Novartis to investigate Opdivo + Yeroy regimen - Bristol-Myers Squibb (BMY) announced it has entered into a clinical research collaboration with Novartis (NVS) to investigate the safety, tolerability and efficacy of Opdivo and Opdivo + Yervoy regimen in combination with Mekinist, as a potential treatment option for metastatic colorectal cancer in patients with microsatellite stable tumors where the tumors are proficient in mismatch repair. The Phase 1/2 study is expected to establish recommended dose regimens and explore the preliminary anti-tumor activity of combining trametinib with Opdivo, as well as trametinib in combination with the Opdivo + Yervoy regimen. Results will be used to determine optimal approaches to further potential clinical development of these combinations. "We continue to investigate novel combinations of therapy that may hold the potential to expand the therapeutic benefits of immunotherapy to patients with difficult to treat cancer or those who don't respond, and look forward to evaluating the combination of Novartis' MEK inhibitor with our immunotherapies," said Fouad Namouni, M.D., head of Oncology Development, Bristol-Myers Squibb.

16:04 EDT Union announces retirement of Chief Banking Officer D. Anthony Peay - Union Bankshares Corporation has announced the retirement of D. Anthony Peay, executive VP and Chief Banking Officer effective August 31. With the retirement of Peay, Union will start a national search for the leader of its commercial banking business. In the interim, Fredericksburg Regional President Jon Wallace will lead the commercial teams.

16:03 EDT Acorda: Phase 3 SPAN-PD trial of CVT-301 met primary endpoint - Acorda Therapeutics presented data from its Phase 3 SPAN-PD clinical trial of CVT-301 that showed a statistically significant, clinically meaningful improvement in motor function, as measured by the Unified Parkinson's Disease Rating Scale - Part III in people with Parkinson's experiencing OFF periods. Multiple secondary endpoints, including achievement of an ON state with maintenance through 60 minutes and Patient Global Impression of Change, were supportive of the primary endpoint result. These findings are being presented at the International Congress of Parkinson's Disease and Movement Disorders, being held in Vancouver, British Columbia from June 4-8, 2017. Acorda is developing CVT-301 as a treatment for symptoms of OFF periods in people with Parkinson's taking a carbidopa / levodopa regimen. OFF periods refer to the re-emergence of Parkinson's symptoms. The study met its primary endpoint, with CVT-301 84 mg showing statistically significant improvement in motor function compared to placebo as measured by mean change in the UPDRS III at 30-minutes post-dose at Week 12. Secondary efficacy analyses were performed using a pre-specified hierarchy. The order of hierarchy was set based on probability of success, guided by the Phase 2b results. The primary endpoint was tested first for statistical significance. Upon achieving significance, the secondary endpoints were tested for CVT-301 84 mg vs. placebo followed by CVT-301 60 mg in the hierarchical order, as long as each preceding endpoint reached a significance level of P less than 0.05. The hierarchical sequence did not reach statistical significance at Step 3. Unadjusted p-values are presented below for all key secondary endpoints.

16:02 EDT Lexicon to present new clinical data for sotagliflozin at ADA - Lexicon Pharmaceuticals announced that new clinical data for sotagliflozin will be presented at the upcoming 77th American Diabetes Association Scientific Sessions in San Diego, CA, from June 9-13. The four accepted abstracts, including two oral presentations, reflect Lexicon's efforts to improve current approaches to the clinical management of type 1 diabetes. Lexicon will share new efficacy and safety data for its investigational drug, sotagliflozin, including two late-breaking abstracts from the inTandem2 and JDRF studies. In addition, there will be two oral presentations on pivotal data from the inTandem1 study and additional data from the inTandem4 study.

15:57 EDT Fieldpoint Petroleum trading resumes

15:36 EDT FDA expands use of Sapien 3 artificial heart valve - The U.S. Food and Drug Administration approved an expanded indication for the Sapien 3 Transcatheter Heart Valve for patients with symptomatic heart disease due to failure of a previously placed bioprosthetic aortic or mitral valve whose risk of death or severe complications from repeat surgery is high or greater. The FDA originally approved the Sapien 3 THV for transcatheter aortic valve replacement as an alternative option to surgical aortic valve replacement for patients with native aortic stenosis whose risk for death or severe complications from surgery is high or greater. In 2016, the FDA expanded the approved the TAVR indication for Sapien 3 THV to include patients who are at intermediate surgical risk for death or complications. Today, the FDA is the first to approve an expanded use of the Sapien 3 THV as a valve-in-valve treatment. The FDA granted accelerated approval of Sapien 3 THV to Edwards Lifesciences.

15:26 EDT Apple 'HomePod' wireless speaker to be available in December for $349 - Apple announced HomePod, which it calls a "breakthrough wireless speaker for the home that delivers amazing audio quality and uses spatial awareness to sense its location in a room and automatically adjust the audio." HomePod is designed for voice control with an array of six microphones. HomePod will be available for $349 in white and space gray starting in December, initially in Australia, the U.K. and the U.S.

15:23 EDT Apple says HomePod to ship in December

15:22 EDT Apple introduces HomePod speaker, to cost $349

15:16 EDT Apple previews watchOS 4 featuring Siri watch face - Apple previewed watchOS 4, featuring a proactive Siri watch face, personalized Activity coaching and an "entirely new music experience." The update features an enhanced Workout app and introduces GymKit, a platform that will offer customers connected workouts with cardio equipment. watchOS 4 will be available this fall as a free update to Apple Watch paired with iPhone 5s and later on iOS 11. WatchKit for watchOS 4 is available immediately for iOS Developer Program members.

15:13 EDT Apple previews iOS 11, coming to iPhone, iPad this fall - Apple today previewed iOS 11, a major update to its mobile operating system, bringing new experiences and hundreds of features to iPhone and iPad this fall. iOS 11 is the biggest software release ever for iPad, with powerful multitasking features, the Files app and more ways to use Apple Pencil. Augmented reality is coming to hundreds of millions of iOS devices with a new platform for developers to build apps that let users place virtual content on top of real-world scenes. CoreML gives developers on-device machine learning capabilities so they can easily make apps that will predict, learn and become more intelligent. Additional features include the ability to pay friends using Apple Pay, Do Not Disturb while driving to help users stay more focused on the road, even more intelligence and a new voice for Siri and new professional capabilities to Photos and Camera. iOS 11 is available as a developer preview today and will be a free software update for iPhone and iPad this fall.

15:12 EDT Apple introduces new 'breakthrough' smart home speaker

15:04 EDT Cisco broadening support for optimized Apple devices - In a post to Cisco's (CSCO) blog, Rowan Trollope, Senior VP and General Manager of Cisco's Internet of Things and Collaboration Technology Group, announced that the company is broadening support for optimized Apple (AAPL) devices on Cisco networks. "[We've] extended the 'Fast lane' for business critical apps to macOS. This will enable you to be productive and efficient while working on the device of your choice - iPad, iPhone or Mac, even when the network is congested," Trollope states in the blog post. Reference Link

14:54 EDT Apple says iPad Pro 10.5" to start at $649, will be shipping next week

14:43 EDT Apple introduces new iPad Pro with 10.5 inch screen

14:25 EDT Apple says completely redesigning App Store

14:22 EDT Apple says 500M weekly visitors to Apple App Store

14:14 EDT Fieldpoint Petroleum trading halted, news pending

14:11 EDT Apple announces 'the most powerful Mac ever,' the iMac Pro - Apple announced the iMac Pro, a workstation-class product line designed for pro users. The iMac Pro, with up to 18-core Xeon processors and up to 22 Teraflops of graphics computation, is "the most powerful Mac ever made," Apple stated. iMac Pro is scheduled to ship in December starting at $4,999.

14:06 EDT Lockheed Martin selected by Department of Energy for energy savings contracts - Lockheed Martin said it has been selected for a Department of Energy contract to improve energy and water efficiency at federal facilities. Under the contract, Lockheed Martin is one of 21 companies selected to implement Energy Savings Performance Contracts designed to create federal infrastructure improvements and energy savings. The individual projects are part of an Indefinite Delivery, Indefinite Quantity (contract shared across all contractors, and with a base period of five years with one 18-month extension option.

14:03 EDT Apple introduces Apple Pay for person-to-person payments

14:01 EDT AMRI trading resumes

14:00 EDT Apple CEO Tim Cook says iOS 10 installed on 86% of customer base

13:58 EDT Albany Molecular jumps 10% after GTCR, Carlyle said at work on joint takeover

13:56 EDT AMRI trading halted, volatility trading pause

13:52 EDT Apple says iMacs to start at $1,099, 4K iMacs to start at $1,299

13:34 EDT Dexcom rallies after Apple says Watch will pull glucose data - Shares of Dexcom (DXCM) spiked after Apple (AAPL) said its Watch would allow glucose data pulling from the company's monitors. Dexcom is up $2.84, or 4%, to $70.52 as Apple's developer conference continues. Dexcom offers continuous glucose monitoring systems for people with diabetes.

13:33 EDT Apple introduces intelligent tracking prevention for Safari browser

13:29 EDT Dexcom jumps 3% after Apple mentions as glucose data partner

13:25 EDT Cogint says has not received any communications from SEC, law enforcement agency

13:23 EDT Verisk's ISO announces strategic alliance with IDP, Inc. - ISO, a Verisk Analytics business, announced strategic alliance with IDP, Inc., a SaaS provider for the property/casualty insurance industry, that expands the ISO Preferred Data Partnership - a new program in which ISO collects and refines raw policy data directly from insurers and submits reports on their behalf to regulators across the United States. As part of the ISO Preferred Data Partnership program, insurers will be able to provide native transactional data on premiums and losses directly to ISO. ISO, with IDP, will then convert the data into usable information and submit statistical and regulatory reports on insurers' behalf for both basic reporting requirements and special data calls.

13:03 EDT CBOE Holdings reports May Options ADV at four exchanges up 23% y/y - CBOE says May Options ADV at its four exchanges increased 23% from May 2016. Futures ADV at CBOE Futures Exchange increased 33% vs. May 2016.

13:01 EDT Washington Trust appoints Mark Gim as Chief Strategy Officer - Washington Trust announced Ronald Ohsberg has been appointed EVP and Treasurer, and Mark Gim has been named Senior Executive Vice President, Wealth Management and Chief Strategy Officer. In these new positions, Ohsberg and Gim will serve as executive officers of both the corporation and the Bank. Gim has been with Washington Trust since 1993 and has headed up Washington Trust Wealth Management since 2013.

12:40 EDT Southwest pilots association supports President's traffic initiative - Southwest Airlines Pilots' Association president Captain Jon Weaks said in a statement that his group has "long been in support of a next generation air traffic control system and is pleased to see the President make Air Traffic Control reform a top priority." The statement reads, "SWAPA is encouraged to have an America-first president who won't allow foreign competitors to undermine the system to the detriment of American industry and the American workforce. We hope the FAA reauthorization will include language to prevent foreign competitors from rigging the system to plant unfair flags-of-convenience ownership models on our shores."

12:15 EDT Veterans Affairs awards electronic medical records contract to Cerner - Secretary of Veterans Affairs Dr. David Shulkin announced his decision today on the next-generation Electronic Health Record system for the Department of Veterans Affairs. He said the VA will adopt the same EHR system as the Department of Defense, now known as MHS GENESIS. Cerner runs the platform. The stock in midday trading is up 2% to $69.06. Reference Link

11:52 EDT Juno Therapeutics falls 9% after reporting patient death in cancer trial - In addition to reporting updated data from the TRANSCEND trial of JCAR017 earlier, in relapsed and refractory aggressive B cell non-Hodgkin lymphoma, NHL in an ASCO presentation, the company noted that there was one Grade 5 adverse event of diffuse alveolar damage, which the investigator assessed as related to fludarabine, cyclophosphamide, and JCAR017 treatment, occurring on day 23 in an 82-year-old subject who refused mechanical ventilation for progressive respiratory failure while neutropenic on growth factors and broad spectrum antibiotics and antifungals. Shares of Juno are down 9.33% or $2.44 to $23.76 in late morning trading.

11:42 EDT Exxon Mobil acquires exploration acreage in Equatorial Guinea - Exxon Mobil Corporation announced that its wholly owned affiliate, Exploration and Production Equatorial Guinea, has signed a production sharing contract with the government of Equatorial Guinea for a deepwater block located 36 miles west of Malabo. Deepwater block EG-11 measures about 307,000 acres and is adjacent to the Zafiro field located in Block B. Following ratification of the contract by the government, ExxonMobil will carry out the work program as operator with an 80% working interest. GEPetrol holds a 20% working interest. The contract includes a commitment to acquire new and reprocess existing 3-D seismic data. ExxonMobil will also work with the government of Equatorial Guinea to further develop the national workforce.

11:31 EDT Citi says can't rule out athenahealth sale with Elliott involved - Citi analyst Garen Sarafia raised his price target on athenahealh (ATHN) saying Elliot Associates' recently disclosed stake in the company reinforces his favorable view and likely provides a support level for shares. Additionally, a sale of the company "cannot be ruled out" given the activist investor's track record, Sarafia argues. BACKGROUND: On May 18, Elliott Associates, Elliott International and EICA disclosed in a regulatory filing that they collectively have combined economic exposure in athenahealth of approximately 9.2% of the common stock outstanding. Elliott said it may "consider, explore and/or develop plans and/or make proposals" to athenahealth and intends to communicate with the company's management and board "about a broad range of operational and strategic matters." CITI UPS TARGET: Sarafia raised his price target for athenahealth to $163 from $128 citing Elliott's involvement, pointing out that in the investors' engagement in nearly 40 campaigns since 2013, slightly over half of which resulted in a sale. As a result, he believes potential M&A scenarios "cannot be ruled out." The analyst said potential acquirers of athenahealth would include tech companies aiming to build a healthcare presence, including IBM (IBM), which has made several recent acquisitions to bolster its healthcare network. He added that Aetna (AET) and UnitedHealth (UNH), through its Optum business, may also be potential suitors, although UnitedHealth is currently under agreement to use Allscripts (MDRX) software. Sarafia added more distant possibilities include healthcare tech companies Cerner (CERN) or privately-held Epic. He, however, believes a "collaborative engagement to unlock sustainable value" is a likely scenario over an acquisition, citing the company's history of engagement with large shareholders. In addition, Sarafia said the activist stake will make operational improvements at the company a high priority, with a renewed focus on core strengths, potential cost-cutting in general and administrative expenses and possibly research and development, and increased free cash flow. He keeps a Buy rating on the shares. GIGAMON EXPLORES SALE: Supporting the argument of a potential sale of athenahealth, Reuters reported Gigamon (GIMO) is exploring a sale after Elliott Associates recently disclosed a roughly 15% economic exposure in its shares and encouraged the company to undertake a strategic review process. The software maker has begun working with Goldman Sachs (GS) to talk with companies and private equity firms interested in acquiring it and could attract interest from Hewlett Packard Enterprise (HPE), F5 Networks (FFIV) and PE firm Thoma Bravo. Following the report, Needham analyst Alex Henderson raised his price target to $50 from $34 on the stock and estimated that a fair value for Gigamon is in the $50-$55 range. He keeps a Buy rating on the stock. PRICE ACTION: In morning trading, athenahealth rose nearly 1% to $139.30, while Gigamon jumped 10% to $43.25 per share.

11:02 EDT Lorenzo Simonelli to become president CEO of Baker Hughes upon GE deal closing - Baker Hughes Incorporated (BHI) and General Electric (GE) announced the executive team that will lead Baker Hughes, a GE Company upon closing of their proposed transaction to combine GE's Oil & Gas business with Baker Hughes. The combined executive team will be as follows: Lorenzo Simonelli, President & CEO; Maria Claudia Borras, President & CEO, Oilfield Service; Belgacem Chariag, Chief Global Operations Officer; Rod Christie, President & CEO, Turbomachinery & Process Solutions; Harry Elsinga, Chief Human Resources Officer; Jennifer Hartsock, Chief Information Officer; Matthias Heilmann, President & CEO, Digital Solutions; Jack Hinton, Chief Health, Safety and Environment Officer; Nicola Jannis, Chief Business Development Officer; Derek Mathieson, Chief Marketing and Technology Officer; Jody Markopoulos, Chief Engineering and Supply Chain Officer; Will Marsh, Chief Legal Officer; Neil Saunders, President & CEO, Oilfield Equipment; Uwem Ukpong, Chief Integration Officer; Brian Worrell, CFO. As previously announced, GE CEO Jeff Immelt will serve as Chairman of the Board of Directors of Baker Hughes, a GE Company, and Martin Craighead, currently Chairman and CEO at Baker Hughes, will serve as Vice Chairman of the Board.

10:47 EDT Seattle Genetics, Astellas to initiate phase 2 trial this year for ASG-22ME - Astellas (ALPMY) and Seattle Genetics (SGEN) highlighted updated phase 1 data for enfortumab vedotin -- ASG-22ME -- studied as monotherapy treatment for metastatic urothelial cancer in an oral presentation at the American Society of Clinical Oncology 52nd Annual Meeting in Chicago. Enfortumab vedotin is an investigational antibody-drug conjugate that targets Nectin-4, a cell surface protein expressed in multiple solid tumors including mUC, ovarian cancer, and non-small cell lung cancer. Based on the data from the ongoing phase 1 clinical trial, the companies this year plan to initiate a registrational monotherapy phase 2 trial for locally advanced or mUC patients who have been previously treated with checkpoint inhibitor therapy. A trial evaluating enfortumab vedotin in combination with CPIs is also planned for later this year as part of a broad clinical development program.

10:40 EDT General Motors says Greenlight Capital idea rejected because flawed - In a regulatory filing General Motors made the following statement regarding Greenlight Capital: "By now, we believe it is clear that ISS, Glass Lewis, and the broader market have conclusively rejected Greenlight's high risk idea because it is fundamentally flawed, would not deliver the value Greenlight predicts, and is not in the best interest of GM and its shareholders. The record demonstrates that GM's Board of Directors and management are driving a plan of fundamental change that is working. Our highly expert management team has delivered value, including three years of record results, and we expect to return approximately $25 billion to shareholders from 2012 through the end of 2017. Our Total Return to Shareholders outperformed our global automotive peers in 2016.We believe the current GM Board is composed of outstanding leaders who are the right people, with the directly relevant professional experience and expertise, to continue driving this momentum."

10:31 EDT Cisco names Rola Dagher as president of Cisco Canada - Cisco announced the appointment of Rola Dagher as the new president of Cisco Canada. Dagher takes the reins from Bernadette Wightman, who has completed her contract in Canada and is returning to the U.K. Dagher joins Cisco from Dell EMC. Most recently, she served as Vice President and General Manager of the Canadian Infrastructure Solutions Group for Dell EMC, responsible for leading the server, storage, networking, solutions, and systems engineering business.

10:24 EDT Credit Suisse says buy eBay with Marketplace growth set to accelerate - Credit Suisse upgraded eBay (EBAY) to Outperform from Neutral, saying that the company has multiple potential growth catalysts and multiple ways to create value for shareholders. GROWTH ENGINES: Analyst Paul Bieber, who assumed coverage of the stock, says that the growth of the company's Marketplace business could accelerate in the second half of 2017 and in 2018, "driven by platform changes and product innovation." Meanwhile, the growth of the company's Stubhub unit is "attractive" and the strength of its Classifieds business is "underappreciated by the Street," the analyst stated. VALUE CREATION POSSIBILITIES: eBay can monetize its Classifieds business and/or its Stubhub unit, Bieber believes. Taking these steps could generate $9.5B-$12.8B for the company, representing 25%-35% of its current enterprise value, the analyst estimated. Moreover, eBay's more adept use of data, new products, and marketing investments could cause its gross merchandise volume to accelerate, while increased demand for its ads could boost its revenue growth, according to Bieber. The company could launch more aggressive share repurchases, he also believes. PRICE TARGET: Bieber raised his price target on the shares to $44 from $34. PRICE ACTION: In morning trading, eBay added 0.9% to $35.62. Year-to-date the stock is up about 20%.

10:10 EDT Apple gets rare downgrade ahead of WWDC keynote - Apple (AAPL) is in focus this morning after shares of the technology giant were downgraded, with an analyst saying upside from the launch of iPhone 8 is already reflected in the shares. The analyst recommended clients use proceeds from sales of Apple shares to buy Alphabet (GOOG, GOOGL). The rare downgrade comes ahead of Apple's WWDC presentation this afternoon. UPSIDE ALREADY REFLECTED: Pacific Crest analyst Andy Hargreaves downgraded Apple to Sector Weight from Overweight, telling clients that upside from the launch of the iPhone 8 is already reflected in shares. Hargreaves said that investors already anticipate an "extremely strong" iPhone 8 cycle, with unit growth in the mid-to high-teens, while little weight is being given to risks surrounding gross margins, supply issues, "elasticity" or the likelihood for declines beyond the iPhone 8 cycle. Hargreaves pointed out that investors are anticipating expanded gross margins to drive earnings per share toward $12, which would require "strong" growth in sales to new users and "extremely strong" replacement volume, which he said is "unlikely." The analyst also said he expects declines in sales to new users and lower replacement volume to drive sales of iPhone lower in fiscal 2019, which is likely to drive EPS and revenue down for that year. He said that he is shifting iPhone units into FY18 from FY17, as recent supply checks have suggested the OLED iPhone 8 will be delayed until October and then have "limited" initial supply. While Hargreaves continues to see the potential for a tax repatriation holiday to serve as a positive catalyst for Apple, this is offset by the "uncertainty" of tax reform and that he believes the stock is fully valued in a "static" tax environment. Hargreaves also recommended investors use proceeds from sales of Apple shares to buy Alphabet, as he believes it "retains an excellent risk/reward profile and more substantial upside potential" than Apple. WHAT'S NOTABLE: The downgrade comes as Apple kicks off its Worldwide Developers Conference, or WWDC, this afternoon in San Jose. The tech giant traditionally announces software updates around iOS, macOS, watchOS and tvOS at the event. Apple is also expected to announce a major hardware refresh for MacBooks and iPads and unveil a new Siri-powered speaker, which could compete with Amazon's (AMZN) "Alexa" line of home devices. According to a recent report, the Siri speaker will be powered by a custom ARM processor "equal in power to at least the A8 CPU on the iPhone 6 or newer, and have the W1 Bluetooth chip as well." Additionally, Apple is likely to announce plans to refresh its MacBook, and new models reportedly may come with Intel (INTC) "Kaby Lake" processors. PRICE ACTION: Apple is down 1% to $153.85 in morning trading, though shares are up nearly 33% year-to-date.

10:04 EDT CB&I, Rio Tinto cancel attendance at Deutsche Bank summit - According to a post to the bank's conferences and events website, Chicago Bridge & Iron (CBI) has cancelled for its planned presentation at the Deutsche Bank Industrials and Materials Summit on June 2 after having previously accepted the invitation on March 24. Rio Tinto (RIO) also cancelled on June 2 after having accepted on May 2, the posting shows. Reference Link

09:42 EDT WebMD bids above $61 per share with multiple suitors vying, Dealreporter says - Suitors vying to buy WebMD had to place bids above $61 per share to advance in the auction of the company, which is "likely angling" to secure closer to $65 per share in a sale, Dealreporter said, according to contacts.

09:37 EDT BeiGene presents initial Phase 1 data on BGB-A317 combination at ASCO - BeiGene presented initial data from the dose escalation portion of the Phase 1 trial of anti-PD-1 antibody BGB-A317 in combination with PARP inhibitor BGB-290 in patients with advanced solid tumors at the 2017 American Society for Clinical Oncology Annual Meeting in Chicago, IL. The data are being presented in a poster session and are scheduled to be further reviewed during a poster discussion session. The preliminary data suggest that the combination of BGB-A317 and BGB-290 is generally well-tolerated and shows anti-tumor activity in multiple solid tumors.

09:35 EDT MannKind to explore strategic options for Technosphere-based pipeline candidates - MannKind announces its decision to explore strategic and financial alternatives for MannKind's novel Technosphere-based pipeline candidates. This Technosphere platform is characterized by an ultra-rapid onset of action, simple and needle-free administration, avoidance of hepatic metabolism, and improved bioavailability. Continuing MannKind's strong desire to help patients, Locust Walk will seek strategic partners and investors to non-dilutively advance the development of Technosphere-based therapies which demonstrate benefit across a variety of treatment areas, including but not limited to hypertension, anaphylactic shock, nausea, respiratory disease and pain.

09:28 EDT Pain Therapeutics awarded $1.7M research grant by NIH - Pain Therapeutics announced that the National Institutes of Health, or NIH, has awarded the Company a $1.7M research grant to study PTI-125, a drug candidate, in Alzheimer's Disease. This NIH research grant will enable Pain Therapeutics to begin testing PTI-125 in human subjects. An Investigational New Drug application for PTI-125 is on-track for submission to the FDA in Q3.

09:22 EDT On The Fly: Pre-market Movers - HIGHER: Forestar Group (FOR), up 14.1% after D.R. Horton (DHI) proposes to acquire a 75% stake in the company... Loxo Oncology (LOXO), up 40.7% following a presentation at the 2017 American Society of Clinical Oncology, or ASCO, demonstrating a 76% confirmed objective response rate across tumor types... Dynavax (DVAX), up 30.5% following its poster presentation at ASCO... Perion Network (PERI), up 8.9% after MakeMeReach was named a Snapchat Partner. LOWER: Herbalife (HLF), down 5.4% after providing updated second quarter and fiscal 2017 guidance... Perrigo (PRGO), down 3.4% after being downgraded to Underperform from Sector Perform at RBC Capital.

09:16 EDT Rambus teams with Google, Interac on Android Pay in Canada - Rambus (RMBS) announced that it is working with Google (GOOG) and Interac Association / Acxsys Corporation to enable Interac Debit on Android Pay in Canada. Through the Interac Token Service Provider, which was developed in collaboration with Rambus, Interac debit cardholders can make secure mobile debit payments, now using Android Pay, through tokenized transactions.

09:09 EDT Compugen discloses new data for COM701 at ASCO - Compugen disclosed new data for its COM701 immuno-oncology therapeutic antibody candidate demonstrating potential for dual- and triple-combination therapy with antibodies targeting TIGIT and PD-1. In addition to monotherapy applications, this combination approach may expand the responsive cancer patient population, including those who are partially responsive or refractory to PD-1 inhibitors. Furthermore, recent expression data in human tumors point to the potential of COM701 to treat cancer patients for whom current PD-1 pathway inhibitors have shown limited efficacy. The poster presented new in vivo data demonstrating that PVRIG blocking antibodies reduced the growth of tumors in TIGIT deficient mice, providing further support of the rationale for the clinical combination of COM701 with TIGIT blockade. In addition, new in vitro data demonstrate that COM701 can synergistically increase T cell activation in combination with either anti-TIGIT or anti-PD-1 antibodies. The combination of COM701 with an anti-TIGIT antibody resulted in equal or greater T cell stimulation than either of those antibodies in combination with anti-PD-1. Additionally, T cell activation was further enhanced by the triple combination of PVRIG/TIGIT/PD-1 blockade when targeting tumor cells with high PD-L1 expression. This suggests a possible treatment path for cancer patients whose tumors express PD-L1, including those who are refractory to anti-PD-1 therapeutics. In addition, analysis of multiple human solid tumors including those of lung, kidney, head and neck and endometrial cancers identified expression of PVRIG and its ligand PVRL2, suggesting that patients with such cancers could benefit from treatment with COM701. Also, in certain tumors that were negative for PD-L1 expression, the analysis revealed high expression of PVRL2. This suggests the potential for COM701 to treat cancers where current PD-1 pathway inhibitors have shown limited efficacy.

09:07 EDT MEI Pharma, Helsinn report results from Phase 2 study of pracinostat, azacitidin - Helsinn and MEI Pharma announced findings from a genetic mutation analysis of patients in a Phase II clinical study of the investigational drug pracinostat and azacitidine in acute myeloid leukemia, including a significant correlation between genetic mutations in the DNA methylation pathway and clinical response. These data are being presented today at the American Society of Clinical Oncology Annual Meeting in Chicago. Available samples from 41 of the 50 patients enrolled in the Phase II study were sequenced to characterize the genetic mutation profile of these patients. The overall mutation profile of the patients in this study appear to be generally typical of an older population with AML1 and are also common in myelodysplastic syndrome. The most frequent mutations, occurring in 37% of samples studied (15/41), were found in the DNA methylation pathway, including DNMT3A, IDH1, IDH2 and TET2. Patients with these mutations had a complete response rate of 60%, a significant improvement (p=0.027) over patients with the wild-type genes (22%). Notably, the phase II analysis also showed that median overall survival was roughly equivalent in patients with mutations typically associated with de novo AML (18.1 months) and secondary AML (17.7 months). In a recent study, the standard-of-care regimen of cytarabine and daunorubicin (7+3) in patients with secondary AML showed a median overall survival of 5.95 months. "This mutational analysis enabled us to identify frequently occurring genetic abnormalities that may predict outcomes in older AML patients treated with the combination of pracinostat and azacitidine," said Dr. Guillermo Garcia-Manero, MD Anderson Cancer Center, principal investigator of the study. "In addition, we confirmed that the mutation profile in the Phase II AML study was representative not only of the larger population of older AML patients, but common in MDS patients as well. Finally, longitudinal sequencing analyses showed that continued treatment with pracinostat and azacitidine increases the rate of minimal residual disease clearance. These findings combine to support the upcoming Phase III study of pracinostat plus azacitidine in AML as well as the Phase II dose-optimization study of pracinostat and azacitidine in high and very high MDS."

09:04 EDT Rambus, Synopsys collaborate on services for hardware secure modules - Rambus (RMBS) and Synopsys (SNPS) announced a new collaboration to accelerate the adoption of advanced security platforms and technologies to protect valuable assets during key and device provisioning. As part of this collaboration, Rambus will provide its CryptoManager infrastructure and key provisioning services to support Synopsys DesignWare tRoot Hardware Secure Modules with Root of Trust, enabling secure remote lifecycle management of connected devices.

09:03 EDT Prudential Retirement wins NY union plan, to oversee $5.7B in retirement assets - The Joint Industry Board, a New York-based labor/management organization serving the International Brotherhood of Electrical Worker Local Union No. 3 members and their employers since 1943, selected Prudential Retirement to be the recordkeeper for its Deferred Salary Plan, or 401(k) plan. Prudential Retirement is a business unit of Prudential Financial. Prudential will oversee $5.7B in assets covering 33,000 participants beginning July 3.

09:02 EDT Amgen submits sBLA for Repatha cardiovascular outcomes data - Amgen announced the submission of a supplemental Biologics License Application to the U.S. FDA and a variation to the marketing authorization to the European Medicines Agency for Repatha, a PCSK9 inhibitor. The regulatory submissions are based on the 27,564-patient Repatha cardiovascular outcomes study, which showed that maximally reducing low-density lipoprotein cholesterol levels with Repatha, beyond what is possible with the current best therapy alone, leads to a further reduction in major cardiovascular events, including heart attacks, strokes and coronary revascularizations.

08:57 EDT Insys drops after NBC News interview with whistleblower - Shares of Insys Therapeutics (INSY) are sliding in pre-market trading after NBC News senior investigative correspondent Cynthia McFadden's interview with Patty Nixon, a former employee and whistleblower, who accuses the company of running a scheme to have its painkiller Subsys prescribed to patients who "never should have had it." Nixon told NBC that her prior supervisor at Insys instructed her to "trick" insurers into believing the drug was "medically necessary." In a statement, Insys said: "The charges against individuals, including our former employees, discussed in your news story relate to previously disclosed investigations and litigation. Insys continues to cooperate with all relevant authorities in its ongoing investigations, including our federal investigation which began in and around December 2013." With about 30 minutes until the open, Insys shares are down 58c, or about 4%, to $13.50. Reference Link

08:42 EDT Novan says has reduced overall headcount by approximately 20% - Novan says, "Given our near term business focus on executing less resource intensive phase 2 trials in psoriasis and atopic dermatitis, and the need to be disciplined with regard to cash utilization, the Company has reduced its overall headcount by approximately 20%. This action will accomplish three things: reduce near term operating costs and preserve cash on our balance sheet, enable refined focus around key projects, and align necessary skills to near term tasks and activities. The Company will continue to evaluate the component parts of the business and adjust resources up or down as needed. Novan continues to believe that the Company's cash on hand is sufficient to fund operations at least through the end of 2017." Data presented at the recent annual meeting for the Society for Investigative Dermatology demonstrated mechanistic evidence for nitric oxide's potential when administered as a locally applied, topical cream formulation as a treatment for inflammatory skin diseases. Based on this pre-clinical data and multiple years of creating increased understandings of nitric oxide, the Company believes that its next area of focus should be on the high impact immunological diseases in dermatology. Two initial therapeutic areas of focus are psoriasis and atopic dermatitis. Work on an Investigational New Drug Application (IND) for mild-to-moderate psoriasis is currently underway and the company is preparing to execute a phase 2 trial starting in the third quarter. A phase 2 trial in atopic dermatitis is currently in the planning stage. With regard to SB204 for the treatment of acne, the Company intends to schedule a follow up meeting with the FDA in the third quarter of 2017. During that meeting, the Company will seek clarity with regards to a path forward for this asset from both a clinical and regulatory perspective. Additionally, the Company is completing its long-term safety study, its two year carcinogenicity study and other safety studies in support of SB204 for potential marketing approvals in the US and Japan, where Sato Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd has licensed the product. The Company recently announced statistically significant results from its SB206 Phase II dose-ranging clinical study for genital warts - caused by the human papillomavirus. An end of Phase II meeting with the FDA is planned for the end of the second quarter and will provide further clarity on the path forward for this indication as well as other possible anti-viral indications which the company believes are appropriate. The Company has recently generated positive data from SB208 in a phase II dose ranging study for the treatment of superficial cutaneous fungal infections of the skin and nails. Possible therapeutic applications include tinea pedis as well as onychomycosis. Regulatory follow up and further market and competitive analysis will provide additional clarity as to possible paths forward. To be exceedingly clear, the Company will require additional capital in order to proceed on broadening the potential application of the science and the underlying technology, and specifically to initiate and complete the planned phase 2 trials in both psoriasis and atopic dermatitis. Additional regulatory clarity surrounding SB204 for acne, as well as both SB206 and SB208, will provide important financial and strategic options as to how the Company strengthens its balance sheet and actively manages other financial considerations.Creating a longer term "runway" for the overall Novan business remains a central imperative for the executive management team and the Board of Directors.

08:40 EDT Rent-A-Center clarifies voting procedures for annual meeting of stockholders - Rent-A-Center provided additional clarity for stockholders regarding the voting procedures for the company's 2017 Annual Meeting of Stockholders. Stockholders who wish to split their vote for candidates on the white and the blue proxy cards can request a legal proxy and indicate which director candidates they would like to support. If stockholders have any questions, or need assistance either splitting or changing their vote, they can reach out to Rent-A-Center's proxy solicitor, Okapi Partners, via phone or email at: (212) 297-0720 or toll-free at (877) 259-6290 and info@okapipartners.com. As previously disclosed, Institutional Shareholder Services and Glass Lewis both indicated that Rent-A-Center stockholders support Mark Speese, Chairman and CEO. Even if stockholders have already voted using a blue proxy card, they have the right to change their vote by simply signing and returning the white proxy card and voting for the incumbent nominees they would like to support or by requesting a legal proxy card. Only the last-dated proxy will count. Rent-A-Center's board of directors unanimously recommends that stockholders vote the white proxy card for the company's director nominees: Mark Speese, Jeffery Jackson and Leonard Roberts.

08:39 EDT Forestar Group up 13% after D.R. Horton proposes to acquire 75% stake - In pre-market trading, shares are up 13.03% to $16.05.

08:38 EDT Prana appoints David Stamler as Chief Medical Officer - David Stamler, M.D., has joined Prana Biotechnology (PRAN) as Chief Medical Officer and Senior Vice President, Clinical Development, based in San Francisco. Prior to joining Prana, Dr. Stamler worked for Teva Pharmaceuticals (TEVA), as part of Teva's $3.5B acquisition of Auspex Pharmaceuticals. Dr. Stamler's appointment follows a detailed review of the pharmaceutical assets and strategy at Prana over the last 6 months and marks a refocus on prioritizing PBT434 for the treatment of parkinsonian movement disorders. PBT434 is a first-in-class therapy planned to enter Phase 1 clinical trials later this year. In parallel, the company is exploring new options for PBT2 and building its pipeline of drug candidates from Prana's proprietary library for neurodegenerative diseases and other therapeutic fields that may potentially benefit from Prana's compounds.

08:37 EDT CypressFirst sends letter to Cypress Semiconductor shareholders - Martino and J. Daniel McCranie, nominees for election to the Cypress Semiconductor Board of Directors at the 2017 Annual Meeting of Stockholder now scheduled to be held on June 20, 2017, and T.J. Rodgers, founder and former CEO of Cypress and the Company's largest individual stockholder, mailed a letter to Cypress stockholders providing significant additional information regarding Cypress executive chairman Ray Bingham's ongoing conflicts of interest, as well as Lead Independent Director Eric Benhamou's failure to fulfill his duty to Cypress stockholders. The Cypress Board has now admitted that Bingham has repeatedly leaked highly confidential Cypress M&A information to his partners at Canyon Bridge, a Chinese government-funded private equity firm that seeks to acquire U.S. semiconductor companies in direct competition with Cypress's M&A activity. Addressing Cypress stockholders, the CypressFirst letter states, "The simple fact is that the Board and its Lead Independent Director are either unwilling or incapable of managing Bingham's conflicts. This leaves it up to you to prevent those conflicts from damaging Cypress-which you can do by voting Bingham and Benhamou off the Board."

08:37 EDT IntercontinentalExchange reports May ICE ADV up 27% y/y - Reports May ICE ADV up 27% y/y, driven by Financials ADV up 33% y/y and Energy ADV up 29% y/y. Reports open interest up 12% y/y.

08:36 EDT Best Buy Canada enters retail partnership with Rapoo Technology - Rapoo Technology announced that the Rapoo branded portfolio of highly-awarded 5G wireless peripherals, gaming peripherals and Xiro Xplorer brand drones will be available at Best Buy Canada in June 2017. Best Buy Canada is the leading provider of Canadian consumer electronics products, services and solutions.

08:35 EDT Global Medical REIT provides acquisition update - Between March 31, 2017 and May 26, 2017, the Company entered into four purchase contracts which will add approximately 148,200 aggregate square feet to its current property portfolio. The four purchase contracts are for the purchase of the Carrus Specialty Hospital and Carrus Rehabilitation Hospital in Sherman, Texas; the Lone Star Endoscopy Center located in Flower Mound, Texas; the Cardiologists of Lubbock facility located in Lubbock, Texas; and the Unity Family Medicine Center located in Brockport, New York. Carrus - Sherman, Texas: This transaction includes a 29,642 square-foot long term acute care facility and a 34,181 square-foot inpatient rehabilitation facility. Upon closing, the Company will enter into a new, 20-year, triple-net lease with SDB Partners, LLC. Lone Star Endoscopy Center - Flower Mound, Texas: This transaction includes a 10,062 square foot ambulatory surgery center that is currently leased to Lone Star Endoscopy Center, LLC, pursuant to a triple-net lease with a remaining lease term of approximately nine years. Cardiologists of Lubbock - Lubbock, Texas: This transaction includes a 27,280 square-foot cardiac clinic located in Lubbock, Texas. Unity Family Medicine - Brockport, New York: This transaction includes a 29,497 square-foot clinic located in Brockport, New York.

08:34 EDT AmTrust appoints Adam Karkowsky as CFO - AmTrust Financial announced that Adam Karkowsky, a seasoned finance executive and most recently AmTrust's Executive Vice President, Strategic Development and Mergers & Acquisitions, has been appointed Executive Vice President and CFO, succeeding Ronald Pipoly, Jr. Karkowsky's appointment follows a comprehensive search process, which included internal and external candidates, to identify a successor to Pipoly. Karkowsky has been AmTrust's Executive Vice President of Strategic Development and Mergers & Acquisitions since March 2011.

08:33 EDT Alexandria Real Estate raises quarterly dividend to 86c from 83c per share - The dividend is payable on July 17 to shareholders of record on June 30.

08:33 EDT Fisher Container completes acquisition of Packaging Products Corporation - Fisher Container Holdings announced that it completed its acquisition of Packaging Products Corporation. Fisher is a portfolio company majority owned by investment funds managed by Morgan Stanley Capital Partners, the Private Equity team within Morgan Stanley Investment Management. PPC represents the first add-on acquisition for Fisher since MSCP's investment in February 2017.

08:32 EDT Apple Store down, says 'We're busy updating the Apple Store for you' - Apple took down its online store early this morning ahead of the company's WWDC presentation this afternoon. On its website, Apple says "We'll be back. We're busy updating the Apple Store for you. Please check back soon." Reference Link

08:28 EDT Immune Design reports data on CMB305 and G100 presented at ASCO - Immune Design announced updated clinical and biomarker data for its lead immuno-oncology product candidates, CMB305 and G100. The data are being presented at the American Society of Clinical Oncology, or ASCO, Annual Meeting. Data in an oral presentation last Friday highlighted the results of 25 soft tissue sarcoma patients with recurrent disease treated with CMB305: The overall survival rate at 12 and 18 months was 83% and 76%, respectively; These new data compare favorably to mOS for approved second line and later sarcoma agents, which is only 12.4-13.5 months, as well as a published mOS of 11.7 months for synovial sarcoma patients specifically; the largest patient population enrolled in this trial; a disease control rate of 64% was observed, including durable tumor growth arrest in patients who had evidence of disease progression at study entry; CMB305 was well tolerated, with only one related Grade 3 adverse event. Also, results of 9 patients with FL treated with escalating doses of G100 monotherapy were presented: Objective responses were observed at all three dose levels tested; 44% of the patients achieved a partial response based on WHO criteria; Some patients had tumor shrinkage over a prolonged period, e.g., continuing up to 8+ months, and a duration of response exceeding 4 months in some patients; DCR of 100% of patients. "These data demonstrate that both CMB305 and G100, our lead cancer immunotherapy product candidates, are capable of activating patients' immune systems in ways that have a direct effect on patients' tumor growth, whether it is tumor-growth arrest on CMB305 therapy and subsequent survival benefit, or ORR and systemic tumor shrinkage after local therapy with G100...We plan to present these clinical data to regulatory agencies in planning for a pivotal trial that may lead to subsequent regulatory approval, and enable us to bring these novel, safe immunotherapies to cancer patients," said Chief Medical Officer Sergey Yurasov.

08:23 EDT Papa Murphy's to close up to 16 company stores as part of strategic plan - Papa Murphy's announced actions advancing two of the company's strategic initiatives designed to improve near-term operating performance and go-forward profitability. The company will incur a one-time after-tax charge of up to $7.4M related to these actions, including one-time non-cash impairment charges after-tax of up to $6.6M. These actions are expected to benefit annual EBITDA by approximately $1.9M and improve annual diluted earnings per share by approximately 9c. First, the company announced plans to accelerate its convenience strategy through a partnership with Olo, a provider of online and mobile ordering capabilities. Papa Murphy's move to Olo's digital platform will enable online and mobile ordering to be fully integrated with third-party marketplace and delivery services, where available, the company said. The company estimates the cost efficiencies from a move to Olo's digital platform will benefit go-forward annual EBITDA by approximately $0.9M and improve annual diluted earnings per share by around 4c. As part of the transition, the company will recognize a one-time non-cash after-tax charge of approximately $5.1M related to the impairment of its current online ordering platform. Also, the company announced plans to close up to sixteen company-owned stores across several markets by the end of the year. The closures are a result of an ongoing strategic review of the company store portfolio as the company prepares markets to be refranchised. The company estimates that the closures will benefit annual EBITDA by approximately $1.0M and benefit annual diluted earnings per share by around 5c. As a result of the closures, the company is expected to incur an after-tax charge of up to $2.3M, including a non-cash after-tax impairment charge of up to $1.5M related to the current carrying value of the stores to be closed. The company expects most closures to take place in the second quarter, with final closure decisions to be made by the end of the third quarter.

08:22 EDT Peregrine presented preliminary correlative analysis of PD-L1 at ASCO - Peregrine Pharmaceuticals announced the presentation of promising new data from its Phase III SUNRISE trial of bavituximab in patients with previously treated locally advanced or metastatic non-squamous non-small cell lung cancer, or NSCLC. Presented results demonstrated that patients in the study's bavituximab treatment arm who had low baseline PD-L1 expression levels had a statistically significant improvement in median overall survival, or mOS, as compared to patients in the same treatment arm who had higher baseline levels of PD-L1. Data were presented by Peregrine scientists at the Annual Meeting of the ASCO, being held June 2 - 6, 2017 in Chicago. Data presented demonstrated that patients in the study's docetaxel plus bavituximab, or D+B, treatment arm with a pre-treatment PD-L1 expression level on tumor cells of less than 1%, or TC0, had a mOS of 12.1 months compared to a mOS of 6.1 months for patients with PD-L1 expression greater than or equal to 1%. There was no difference in mOS based on PD-L1 expression levels observed in the study's docetaxel plus placebo control arm.

08:20 EDT CareTrust REIT acquires two skilled nursing facilities - CareTrust REIT announced that it acquired two skilled nursing facilities: The Rio at Cabezon, a 136-bed facility located in Albuquerque, New Mexico, and The Rio at Fox Hollow, a 126-bed facility located in Brownsville, Texas. The purchase price was approximately $27.3M , inclusive of transaction costs. In connection with the acquisition, CareTrust REIT assumed the existing facility leases with affiliates of OnPointe Health, LLC, a respected regional post-acute care provider with operations in Texas, New Mexico and Colorado.

08:15 EDT Celsion presented OVATION study findings at ASCO - Celsion provided an update on its OVATION Study, a Phase Ib dose escalating clinical trial combining GEN-1, the Company's DNA-based immunotherapy, with the standard of care for the treatment of newly-diagnosed patients with advanced ovarian cancer who will undergo neoadjuvant chemotherapy followed by interval debulking surgery. GEN-1 is an IL-12 DNA plasmid vector formulated as a nanoparticle in a non-viral delivery system to cause the sustained local production and secretion of the Interleukin-12 protein loco-regionally at the tumor site. The company announced the latest clinical and translational data from the OVATION Study in a poster presentation at the American Society of Clinical Oncology, or ASCO, 2017 Annual Meeting at McCormick Place in Chicago, IL. The poster presentation, entitled "Phase 1 study of the safety and activity of formulated IL-12 plasmid administered intraperitoneally in combination with neoadjuvant chemotherapy in patients with newly diagnosed advanced stage ovarian cancer," was presented on Saturday, June 3rd from 1:15 PM to 4:45 PM by Dr. Premal H. Thaker, Associate Professor, Obstetrics and Gynecology Division of Gynecologic Oncology, Washington University in St. Louis School of Medicine. The presentation summarized clinical findings and available translational data from all fourteen patients treated in the trial to-date. Celsion reported encouraging clinical data from the first fourteen patients who have completed treatment in the OVATION Study. GEN-1 plus standard chemotherapy produced positive results, with no dose limiting toxicities and promising dose dependent efficacy signals which appear to correlate well with successful surgical outcomes.

08:13 EDT Norsat announces filing of supplemental information for Hytera $11.25 offer - Norsat International is pleased to announce that it has filed and is in the process of mailing supplemental information to securityholders in respect of the previously adjourned annual general and special meeting of securityholders. The Meeting will resume on Thursday, June 22, 2017, at 2:00 pm (Pacific time) at the offices of Norsat International Inc. at Suite 110-4020 Viking Way, Richmond, B.C., V6V 2L4. The Arrangement is also subject to court approval. Assuming that all of the conditions to the Arrangement are satisfied, Norsat expects the Arrangement to become effective in the third quarter of 2017.

08:11 EDT HTG Molecular expands IVD agreement with Illumina - HTG Molecular Diagnostics (HTGM) announced that it has amended and restated its IVD Test Development and Component Supply Agreement with Illumina (ILMN) to, among other things, extend the agreement term and increase the number of in-vitro diagnostic, or IVD, test kits that may be developed for use with Illumina sequencing technology.

08:09 EDT Masimo announces limited market release of Rad-67 rainbow Pulse co-oximeter - Masimo announced, in conjunction with its CE marking, the limited market release of the Spot-Check Rad-67 Handheld Pulse CO-Oximeter. Rad-67 offers Measure-through Motion and Low Perfusion SET pulse oximetry and upgradeable rainbow noninvasive monitoring technology in a compact, portable spot-check device. With the universal reusable rainbow DCI-mini sensor, Rad-67 features Next Generation SpHb technology.

08:08 EDT Helios and Matheson says RedZone acquires all assets of Trendit - Helios and Matheson Analytics and its subsidiary RedZone, creator of the RedZone Map real time crime and navigation app, a tool for situational awareness and enhancement of personal safety, announced that RedZone has acquired three U.S. patents from Israel-based technology company Trendit Ltd., among other assets. Hagai Yedid of Migdal Capital Markets, a division of Israeli company Migdal Insurance and Financial Holdings Ltd., served as advisor on this transaction. RedZone plans to integrate the patented technology with the RedZone Map app, in order to enable the app to track and analyze real-time crowd behavior, migration and trends. RedZone plans to begin integrating Trendit's patented technology into the RedZone Map app and roll out related new features in the coming months.

08:06 EDT CEL-SCI submits FDA response for Phase 3 head and neck cancer trial - CEL-SCI Corporation announced that it has responded to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration's most recent communication from May about the clinical hold imposed on the company's Phase 3 head and neck cancer study with Multikine. The hold issues addressed in the FDA communication were that the study's Investigator Brochure and the "Dear Investigator" letter need to be revised. Specific deficiencies and their locations in each of the documents were identified, and directions were given as to the specific information that should be included in the revisions of these documents. CEL-SCI revised the documents exactly as directed by the FDA. If the FDA finds the revisions made to the two documents to be satisfactory, CEL-SCI is hopeful that all of the clinical hold issues have now been addressed, and the FDA will consider lifting the clinical hold. As of September 2016, nine hundred twenty-eight head and neck cancer patients have been enrolled and have completed treatment in the Phase 3 study. In accordance with the study protocol, the FDA's instructions, and subject to the clinical hold, CEL-SCI continues to follow these patients. The study endpoint is a 10% increase in overall survival of patients between the two main comparator groups in favor of the group receiving the Multikine treatment regimen. The determination if the study end point is met will occur when there are a total of 298 deaths in those two groups.

08:06 EDT Cypress Semiconductor reschedules annual meeting to June 20 - Cypress Semiconductor announced that the date of the company's 2017 Annual Meeting of Stockholders has been rescheduled to June 20 to comply with a Delaware Court of Chancery order to delay the holding of the Annual Meeting until certain supplemental disclosures are made. Accordingly, the meeting will convene on June 8, at 10:00 a.m. Pacific Daylight Time, as previously announced, solely for the purpose of adjourning the meeting and the adjourned meeting will take place on June 20, at 10:00 a.m. Pacific Daylight Time. Stockholders of record as of April 18 will be entitled to vote at the meeting.

08:04 EDT Luminex reports reimbursement approval in Japan for two Verigene panels - Luminex announced that Japan's Central Social Insurance Medical Council has approved the recommendation by the Japanese Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare to provide reimbursement for two VERIGENE assays: the Gram-Positive Blood Culture test and the Gram-Negative Blood Culture test. The MHLW established reimbursement went into effect on June 1, 2017. This decision follows regulatory clearance of these panels by Japan's Pharmaceuticals & Medical Devices Agency in 2016.

08:04 EDT SLKW reiterates concern over Wheeler REIT's capital strategy - SLKW Investments issued the following statement regarding Wheeler Real Estate Investment Trust: "We have taken the opportunity to reiterate our concerns about Wheeler's current capital strategy to the Company's Board of Directors. The main points from our attached letter to the Board are summarized below: Directors owe a duty to both preferred and common holders. We recommend a dividend payout of 85% run-rate AFFO. We continue to believe that Wheeler is undervalued by the market, and we hope that the Board will further consider our recommendations so discussions of the company can focus on stability and growth."

08:02 EDT DigitalGlobe makes MDA's Radarsat-2 data available on GBDX platform - DigitalGlobe announced an agreement with MacDonald, Dettwiler and Associates to make RADARSAT-2 data available on DigitalGlobe's Geospatial Big Data platform, GBDX, unlocking new applications made possible by the combination of optical and radar satellite data.

08:01 EDT Baxter: HDx removal performance 'comparable' to HDF therapy in studies - Baxter International highlighted new data on its novel HDx therapy enabled by the THERANOVA dialyzer at the 54th Congress of the European Renal Association and European Dialysis and Transplant Association, June 3-6. Data from two independent studies concluded that HDx, or expanded hemodialysis therapy, enabled by the THERANOVA dialyzer effectively removed small and mid-sized toxins at similar rates when compared to hemodiafiltration, another type of dialysis. "Based on our experience, we believe that treatment with the THERANOVA dialyzer is a good alternative to HDF treatment," said Dr. Belmouaz. "We saw that HDx offers equivalent clearance of middle molecules coupled with the operational simplicity of using standard hemodialysis infrastructure, equipment, protocols and staffing. Additionally, some patients do not tolerate HDF treatment due to its requirements for ideal vascular access to deliver high blood flows."

08:01 EDT Can-Fite BioPharma establishes Clinical Advisory Board for NAFLD/NASH - Can-Fite BioPharma announced it has established a Clinical Advisory Board comprised of experts in the treatment of non-alcoholic fatty liver disease and non-alcoholic steatohepatitis. The Board's role is to provide advice and steer the clinical development program of Can-Fite's drug candidate Namodenoson in the treatment of NAFLD and NASH. A Phase II trial of Namodenoson in the treatment of NAFLD/NASH is expected to commence patient enrollment during the third quarter of 2017.

07:44 EDT Genentech announces data from Phase III APHINITY study of Perjeta - Genentech, a member of the Roche Group, the Breast International Group, Breast European Adjuvant Study Team and Frontier Science Foundation announced the Phase III APHINITY study showed adjuvant treatment with the combination of Perjeta, Herceptin and chemotherapy significantly reduced the risk of breast cancer recurrence or death by 19% in people with HER2-positive early breast cancer compared to Herceptin and chemotherapy alone. At three years, 94.1% of people treated with the Perjeta-based regimen did not have their breast cancer return compared to 93.2% treated with Herceptin and chemotherapy. The safety profile of the Perjeta-based regimen was consistent with that seen in previous studies, with a low incidence of cardiac events and no new safety signals. Based on data available at the time of the primary analysis, an estimate of iDFS at four years showed that 92.3% of people treated with the Perjeta-based regimen did not have their breast cancer return compared to 90.6% treated with Herceptin and chemotherapy, suggesting that further analyses with longer follow-up will be important to provide additional insights on these treatments. At the time of the primary analysis, with median follow-up of 45.4 months, the reduction in risk of invasive breast cancer recurrence with the Perjeta-based regimen was greatest in people with lymph node-positive or hormone receptor-negative disease. At three years, among people with node-positive disease, 92% of people treated with the Perjeta-based regimen did not have their breast cancer return compared to 90.2% treated with Herceptin and chemotherapy, and iDFS rates in the hormone receptor-negative disease subgroup were 92.8% in the Perjeta-based arm and 91.2% in the Herceptin and chemotherapy arm. The number of events in both treatment arms was low in people with node-negative disease, where no benefit with the Perjeta-based regimen was detected at this time. Full results of the primary analysis will be presented in an oral session today at the 53rd Annual Meeting of the American Society of Clinical Oncology in Chicago by Gunter von Minckwitz, M.D., study coordinator from the BIG and academic study partners, and will be featured in ASCO's official press program. Results from the APHINITY trial will also be published today in the New England Journal of Medicine.

07:38 EDT Incyte, Bristol-Myers: Opdivo, 1D01 enzyme inhibitor 'generally well tolerated' - Incyte Corporation (INCY) and Bristol-Myers Squibb (BMY) announced updated data from the ongoing Phase 1/2 ECHO-204 trial evaluating the safety and efficacy of epacadostat, Incyte's investigational oral selective IDO1 enzyme inhibitor, in combination with Opdivo, Bristol-Myers Squibb's PD-1 immune checkpoint inhibitor, in multiple advanced solid tumors. These data will be highlighted today in an oral presentation at the American Society of Clinical Oncology annual meeting in Chicago, Illinois. Efficacy data in patients with squamous cell carcinoma of the head and neck, treatment-naive advanced melanoma, ovarian cancer, and colorectal cancer will be presented today. The data show that in patients with MEL treated with epacadostat plus nivolumab, the combined objective response rate was 63 percent, including 2 complete responses and 23 partial responses, and the combined disease control rate was 88 percent. In previously-treated patients with SCCHN who were treated with epacadostat plus nivolumab, the combined ORR was 23 percent, including 1 CR and 6 PRs, and the combined DCR was 61 percent. Responses for MEL and SCCHN were observed regardless of PD-L1 expression and HPV status, and all responses were ongoing at the data cutoff.

07:35 EDT VBL Therapeutics announces VB-111 phase 2 data presented at ASCO - VBL Therapeutics announced the presentation of new data demonstrating that treatment with VB-111 induced durable tumor regression and attenuation of tumor growth in patients with recurrent glioblastoma, or rGBM. Data from the company's prior Phase 2 study in rGBM, will be presented today at the 2017 American Society of Clinical Oncology, or ASCO, annual meeting, taking place in Chicago. They will be presented by Andrew Brenner, MD, PhD, the principal investigator of the Phase 2 study and associate professor in medicine, neurology and neurosurgery at the Cancer Therapy and Research Center, or CTRC, University of Texas Health Science Center San Antonio.

07:34 EDT Calgon Carbon signs water treatment contracts valued at $3.5M - Calgon Carbon Corporation announced that it has signed contracts for a total value of $3.5M, under which the company will provide granular activated carbon and associated equipment systems to the city of Newburgh, NY. The systems will remove from the city's drinking water, which is sourced from the nearby Lake Washington reservoir. The project starts in June. Under the terms of the contract, Calgon Carbon will supply nine Model 12-40 GAC adsorption systems and over 700,000 pounds of FILTRASORB 400AR GAC. The GAC adsorption equipment will be installed in stages, with all equipment expected to be in service by Q4. Both the GAC and vessels will be manufactured in the U.S.

07:32 EDT Bristol-Myers, IFCT report results from IFCT-1501 MAPS-2 trial - The French Cooperative Thoracic Intergroup and Bristol-Myers Squibb Company announced results from the IFCT-1501 MAPS-2 trial evaluating the safety and efficacy of nivolumab or nivolumab combined with ipilimumab for previously treated unresectable malignant pleural mesothelioma patients. The study was sponsored by the IFCT. Bristol-Myers Squibb supplied nivolumab and ipilimumab, and a research grant to the IFCT. The 12-week disease control rate, the primary endpoint of the study, was 44.4% with nivolumab, and 50% with nivolumab plus ipilimumab, as assessed by an independent panel of radiologists. The objective response rate was 18.5% with nivolumab, and 25.9% with nivolumab plus ipilimumab. The median overall survival was 10.4 months with nivolumab and not reached for the combined-treatment group. The progression-free survival was 4.0 months for monotherapy and 5.6 months for the combined-treatment group. The numbers of all Grade and Grade 3-4 toxicities were 86.9% and 18% in the combined-treatment group versus 77.8% and 9.5% with nivolumab alone. These data will be featured today, June 5, during the Annual Meeting of the American Society of Clinical Oncology press briefing at 8:00 AM CDT and presented during an oral session from 10:12-10:24 AM CDT.

07:25 EDT Trilogy Metals engages consultants for Arctic pre-feasibility study - Trilogy Metals is pleased to announce that it has engaged Ausenco Engineering Canada to prepare the Arctic pre-feasibility study technical report anticipated to be complete in Q1, 2018. The company has also engaged Amec Foster Wheeler to complete mine planning and SRK Consulting to complete tailings and waste design, hydrology and environmental studies.

07:22 EDT Perion Network says MakeMeReach named a Snapchat Partner - Perion Network (PERI) announced that MakeMeReach has been named a Snapchat (SNAP) Partner, expanding its comprehensive social media offerings.

07:21 EDT Camber Energy CEO Anthony Schnur resigns, Richard Azar II named interim CEO - Camber Energy announced that Anthony Schnur has resigned as CEO and as a member of the Board. Effective immediately, the Board of Directors has named current board member Richard Azar II as interim CEO.

07:19 EDT MabVax Therapeutics: MVT-5837 'appears safe and well tolerated' - MabVax Therapeutics reported results from its Phase I clinical trial of its therapeutic antibody MVT-5873, being evaluated to treat patients with advanced pancreatic cancer and other CA19-9 positive cancers in a poster presentation at the American Society of Clinical Oncology Annual Meeting on June 3. The company highlighted that the single agent MVT-5837 appears safe and well tolerated in patients at biologically active doses. Further, all patients were evaluated by RECIST 1.1 for tumor response, and the company reported one patient achieved a complete response and 11 more patients achieved stable disease in this dose escalation safety trial of 32 patients. The recently completed Phase Ia trial was an open-label, dose-escalation study evaluating the safety, tolerability and pharmacokinetics of MVT-5873 as a single-agent in patients with locally advanced or metastatic pancreatic or colon cancer who had failed all prior therapies and regressed into progressive disease. Secondary endpoints included evaluation of tumor response by RECIST 1.1 and duration of response. A second arm of the Company's MVT-5873 Phase Ia trial is actively evaluating MVT-5873 in combination with gemcitabine plus nab-paclitaxel in newly diagnosed pancreatic cancer patients. Dr. Eileen O'Reilly, Associate Director of the David M. Rubenstein Center for Pancreatic Cancer Research, attending physician, member at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center and Professor of Medicine at Weill Cornell Medical College is the lead investigator in the MVT-5873 Phase I clinical trial.

07:16 EDT AbbVie: Long-term IMBRUVICA data show 'continued' survival rates - Long-term follow-up results from the pivotal Phase 3 RESONATE trial showed continued survival rates in patients with relapsed/refractory (R/R) chronic lymphocytic leukemia/small lymphocytic leukemia treated with IMBRUVICA up to four years, according to new data presented today at the 53rd Annual Meeting of the American Society of Clinical Oncology in Chicago. The data regarding IMBRUVICA, a first-in-class Bruton's tyrosine kinase inhibitor and the first chemotherapy-free treatment for patients with CLL, were announced by AbbVie (ABBV), a global biopharmaceutical company. IMBRUVICA is jointly developed and commercialized by Pharmacyclics, an AbbVie company, and Janssen Biotech (JNJ). According to the study results, IMBRUVICA was associated with significantly longer progression free survival (PFS; 59%) in R/R CLL/SLL with median follow-up of 44 months, including in patient subgroups with genomic abnormalities that are traditionally considered high-risk for poor outcomes. In addition, 3-year overall survival (OS; 74%) was longer in IMBRUVICA-treated patients. Further, the overall response rate was 91% with complete response rates increasing over time (9%).

07:12 EDT FibroGen patent relating to HIF prolyl hydroxylase maintained by EMA - FibroGen (FGEN) announced that a FibroGen European patent relating to the therapeutic use of certain small molecule inhibitors of hypoxia-inducible factor, or HIF, prolyl hydroxylase was maintained by the European Patent Office. Last week, the Opposition Division of the European Patent Office confirmed the patentability of claims in FibroGen's European Patent Number 2322153, entitled "Use Of HIF Alpha Stabilizers For Enhancing Erythropoiesis." The upheld claims relate to increasing serum iron in the treatment of iron deficiency and the use of structural mimetics of 2-oxoglutarate that inhibit HIF prolyl hydroxylase activity. The named opponents were Akebia Therapeutics (AKBA), and three companies in the Bayer group (BAYRY). A further opposition filed by Glaxo Group (GSK) was deemed invalidly filed.

07:09 EDT PDL BioPharma notified of ANDA filing for Tekturna - PDL BioPharma (PDLI)announced that its subsidiary, Noden Pharma DAC, received a Paragraph IV Notice Letter advising that Anchen Pharmaceuticals submitted an Abbreviated New Drug Application to the United States FDA seeking authorization from the FDA to manufacture and market a generic version of Tekturna aliskiren hemifumarate tablets, 150 mg and 300 mg, in the United States. The Notice Letter contains certifications against U.S. Patent No. 8,617,595, which is listed in the Approved Drug Products with Therapeutic Equivalence Evaluations for Tekturna as expiring on February 19, 2026. Noden is aware that Novartis (NVS) received Paragraph IV certifications from Par Pharmaceuticals for Tekturna HCT and Anchen on December 31, 2013. Novartis did not file a responsive patent infringement suit related to these certifications. However, to Noden's knowledge, neither Par nor Anchen have in the meantime commercialized generic aliskiren products. Noden intends to vigorously defend its intellectual property rights related to Tekturna.

07:08 EDT Seres Therapeutics completes enrolment in ingoing SER-287 Phase 1b study - Seres Therapeutics announced that it has completed enrollment for its ongoing SER-287 Phase 1b clinical study of 58 patients suffering from mild-to-moderate ulcerative colitis who are failing current therapies. SER-287 is the first microbiome therapeutic candidate to reach clinical-stage development in a chronic inflammatory disease, and the first in an indication outside of infectious disease. Several encouraging proof-of-concept studies using repetitive fecal microbiota transplantation support the rationale for development of microbiome therapeutics in ulcerative colitis. The SER-287 Phase 1b study is a randomized, placebo-controlled, multiple-dose study in subjects with mild-to-moderate ulcerative colitis who are failing current therapies. The primary objectives of the study are to evaluate safety, tolerability and change in the microbiome at up to 8 weeks after dosing. Initial study results, including microbiome, clinical, and endoscopy data, are expected in the second half of 2017.

07:06 EDT AbbVie presents new data on IMBRUVICA at ASCO - IMBRUVICA reduced cells that may play an important role in the survival and proliferation of chronic lymphocytic leukemia, without negatively impacting non-cancerous immune system cells, through one year of treatment, according to new data presented today at the 53rd Annual Meeting of the American Society of Clinical Oncology in Chicago. The data regarding IMBRUVICA, a first-in-class Bruton's tyrosine kinase inhibitor, were announced by AbbVie (ABBV), a global biopharmaceutical company. IMBRUVICA is jointly developed and commercialized by Pharmacyclics, an AbbVie company, and Janssen Biotech (JNJ). The data, which assessed the impact of treatment on the immune system and changes in circulating cells, found that IMBRUVICA reduced cancerous cells and other cells of the immunosuppressive tumor microenvironment including CLL cells (90%), myeloid-derived suppressor cells (MDSC, 61%) and some T cells (27%-52%). At the same time, IMBRUVICA spared non-cancerous immune system cells, including naive T cells, T memory stem cells and natural killer cells through one year of treatment. Classical monocytes (a type of white blood cell) were increased by 187%, while non-classical monocytes and intermediate monocytes remained relatively steady. The data were derived from the Phase 3 RESONATE-2 trial, which found IMBRUVICA reduced the risk of progression or death of treatment-naive patients with CLL compared to the traditional chemotherapeutic chlorambucil. The study found treatment with chlorambucil indiscriminately affected most immune cell subsets in circulation, including progressively reducing circulating B, T, NK, NKT cells, MDSC and monocytes by 69-99%. All development stages of CD4+ and CD8+ T cells, except TSCM, decreased by 51-90%. Regulatory T cells and PD1+ T cells also decreased similarly; however, long-term activated T cells were not impacted.

07:04 EDT Cubic selected recieves delivery orders from U.S. Special Operations Command - Cubic Corporation announced its subsidiary, DTECH Labs, which operates within the Cubic Mission Solutions business division, received the first two delivery orders to support the next generation of U.S. Special Operations Command's Tactical Local Area Network. DTECH will deliver the operationally proven Mobile, Modular, Micro-Single Enclave secure networking equipment which provides a modular, ruggedized, scalable and reliable communications solution that minimizes size, weight and power requirements while increasing capability at all levels. With this significant SWaP reduction, which includes DTECH's M3-SE-VSVR, a scalable hyper-converged compute capability, users now have the power and flexibility to create a distributed cloud architecture that provides Special Operation Forces with mission services all the way to the edge of the battlefield in direct support of the warfighter. The Joint Interoperability Test Command-certified DTECH solutions reduce complexity, improves resiliency and empowers mobility of the SOF information environment. For the first time, the TACLAN architecture is both scalable and modular.

07:02 EDT Xenia Hotels & Resorts, Summit Hotel Properties agree on $163M transaction - Xenia Hotels & Resorts (XHR) and an affiliate of Summit Hotel Properties (INN) announced that the companies have executed a definitive agreement for Summit to acquire an 812-guestroom, five-hotel portfolio from Xenia for a total purchase price of $163M, or approximately $201,000 per key. The portfolio includes the 203-guestroom Courtyard Fort Worth Downtown/Blackstone, the 123-guestroom Courtyard Kansas City Country Club Plaza, the 182-guestroom Courtyard Pittsburgh Downtown, the 116-guestroom Hampton Inn & Suites Baltimore Inner Harbor, and the 188-guestroom Residence Inn Baltimore Downtown/Inner Harbor. The total purchase price represents an 11.1x multiple on the hotels' combined trailing twelve month EBITDA as of April 2017. The portfolio achieved RevPAR of $115.52 during the same period. In conjunction with the acquisitions, Summit will be executing new franchise agreements with the respective franchisors for the hotels and expects to spend approximately $13M-$16M in capital improvements required under these agreements over the next two years. The closing of the transaction is subject to the satisfaction of certain customary closing conditions and is expected to occur within the next 30 days.

07:00 EDT BD receives FDA clearance for molecular test for harmful intestinal bacteria - BD announced that its newly developed molecular test for detecting harmful intestinal bacteria causing infectious diarrhea has received 510(k) clearance from the FDA. The BD MAX extended enteric bacterial panel is the latest offering in the suite of BD MAX enteric assays, which aid in the detection and diagnosis of acute gastroenteritis, an inflammation of the gastrointestinal tract. This panel joins the BD MAX enteric bacterial panel and the BD MAX enteric parasite panel, enabling individualized testing to be performed based on a patient's symptoms and health history.

06:54 EDT Digital Power completes purchase of Microphase Corporation - Digital Power announced that it has completed the acquisition of control of Microphase Corporation, headquartered in Shelton, Connecticut. MPC is the 62-year old global designer, developer, original equipment manufacturer and industry leader of electronic components, devices and subsystems for the Defense, Aerospace and Telecommunication sectors. The Company believes MPC is prominent in delivering world-class radio frequency and microwave devices and components and innovative testing devices. The transaction was originally announced on May 3, 2017 and is governed by the Share Exchange Agreement executed as of April 28, 2017.

06:51 EDT Summit Hotel Properties, Xenia Hotels & Resorts announce agreement on $163M deal - Summit Hotel Properties (INN) and Xenia Hotels & Resorts (XHR) announced that the companies have executed a definitive agreement for an affiliate of Summit to acquire an 812-guestroom, five-hotel portfolio from Xenia for a total purchase price of $163M, or approximately $201,000 per key. The portfolio includes the 203-guestroom Courtyard Fort Worth Downtown/Blackstone, the 123-guestroom Courtyard Kansas City Country Club Plaza, the 182-guestroom Courtyard Pittsburgh Downtown, the 116-guestroom Hampton Inn & Suites Baltimore Inner Harbor, and the 188-guestroom Residence Inn Baltimore Downtown/Inner Harbor. The total purchase price represents an 11.1x multiple on the hotels' combined trailing twelve month EBITDA as of April 2017. The portfolio achieved RevPAR of $115.52 during the same period. The closing of the transaction is expected to occur within the next 30 days.

06:48 EDT Calithera Biosciences to present Phase I solid tumor data at ASCO - Calithera Biosciences announced that clinical data from its product candidate CB-1158, a first-in-class arginase inhibitor, will be presented in an oral presentation at the American Society of Clinical Oncology Annual Meeting in Chicago, Illinois. The data demonstrate the safety, tolerability and target engagement of CB-1158 in patients with advanced solid tumors. As of the data cut off of April 24, 2017, a total of 17 patients with advanced solid tumors had received single agent doses ranging from 50 to 150 mg twice a day in the ongoing Phase 1 trial. CB-1158 was generally well tolerated with no drug-related serious adverse events. Treatment related adverse events were limited to one case each of Grade 1 anemia, fatigue, increased ALT and myalgia. No Grade 3 treatment related adverse events were reported. Reversible, asymptomatic elevations of urinary orotic acid, a highly sensitive marker of urea cycle inhibition, were observed in two patients at 150 mg bid. Plasma levels of arginase were inhibited greater than 90% in all patients, and in 10 of 11 patients plasma arginine increased 1.5 fold or more. The pharmacokinetics support BID dosing of CB-1158, as currently tested doses continuously maintained targeted levels of arginase inhibition. Preliminary observation of peripheral immune modulation will be further explored.

06:38 EDT Hydrogenics to provide fuel cells for Scania trucks in Norway - Hydrogenics announced that it has been awarded a contract to deliver four HyPM-HD90 fuel cell systems to be integrated into Scania hydrogen trucks owned and operated by ASKO, Norway's largest grocery wholesaler. Additional terms were not disclosed. The first Scania hydrogen-powered vehicles are expected to be operational by late 2018.

06:35 EDT Vical presents Phase 1 VL-2397 data at June ASM - Vical announced that the company presented clinical data from its completed first-in-human Phase 1 trial of its novel antifungal, VL-2397 at the American Society of Microbiology Microbe 2017 meeting in New Orleans. The results indicate that VL-2397 appeared to be safe and well tolerated with favorable plasma pharmacokinetic profiles in healthy subjects. Vical is planning to initiate a Phase 2 trial in patients with invasive aspergillosis in the fourth quarter of 2017. Safety findings revealed neither treatment-related serious adverse events nor Grade 4 Treatment-Emergent Adverse Events at any dose. The most common TEAEs were infusion site reactions. Dosing in two subjects was discontinued after dose 2 in the highest once-daily (1200 mg) dose cohort due to Grade 3 generalized rash (the only Grade 3 AE in the trial) and Grade 1 creatinine elevation, respectively. VL-2397 appeared to be well tolerated up to the 1200 mg dose. The PK analysis demonstrated low variability between subjects within a cohort and between cohorts receiving the same dose. No VL-2397 accumulation was observed with any dose, including the final cohort with dosing of 300 mg every 8 hours for 7 days followed by 600 mg daily for 21 days. The FDA has granted Vical Qualified Infectious Disease Product Orphan Drug and Fast Track designations for VL-2397 in the treatment of invasive aspergillosis. Under the QIDP designation Vical has been able to interact regularly with the FDA on the Phase 2 trial design and a potential expedited development pathway for VL-2397.

06:33 EDT Gastar Exploration appoints Stephen Roberts as COO - Gastar Exploration (GST) announced that Stephen Roberts has joined Gastar as SVP and COO effective immediately. Roberts joins Gastar from Jones Energy (JONE) where he served as a SVP over the Anadarko and Arkoma asset groups and as SVP of Drilling and Completions.

06:18 EDT Cabela's files proxy materials in connection with Bass Pro Shops transaction - Cabela's announced that it has filed definitive proxy materials with the U.S. SEC in connection with the Special Meeting of Stockholders to approve the previously announced acquisition of Cabela's by Bass Pro Shops. The Special Meeting is scheduled to be held on July 11, 2017, at 8:00 a.m. local time. The meeting will be held at the Company's corporate headquarters, One Cabela Drive, Sidney, Nebraska 69160. All stockholders of record of Cabela's common stock as of the close of business on June 2, 2017 will be entitled to vote their shares at the Special Meeting either in person or by proxy. As previously announced, Cabela's entered into an agreement to be acquired by Bass Pro Shops for $61.50 per share in cash, subject to adjustment in certain circumstances. The Cabela's Board of Directors unanimously recommends that stockholders vote "FOR" the proposal to adopt the merger agreement. The transaction is expected to close in the third quarter of 2017, subject to approval by Cabela's shareholders, the receipt of required regulatory approvals and the satisfaction of other customary closing conditions.

06:16 EDT Azure selects 8x8 communications cloud ahead of overseas expansion - 8x8, Inc. announced that it has been selected by Azure to replace its communications platform with the integrated, enterprise-grade cloud solutions 8x8 Virtual Office and 8x8 Virtual Contact Center. By working in the cloud, Azure plans to develop customer service operations in its Malta-based head office, where its growing UK and Scandinavian membership is supported. The two-stage implementation will be completed by the end of 2017.

06:06 EDT Blackstone offers EUR1.763B to buy Finnish real estate firm Sponda - Polar Bidco S.a r.l., a corporation owned by funds advised by affiliates of The Blackstone Group L.P., and Sponda Plc have on June 5, 2017 entered into a combination agreement pursuant to which the Offeror will make a voluntary recommended public tender offer to purchase all issued and outstanding shares in Sponda. In the Tender Offer, Sponda shareholders will be offered a cash consideration of EUR 5.19 for each share in Sponda representing an aggregate equity purchase price of approximately EUR 1.763B for Sponda shares. Commenting on the Tender Offer, James Seppala, Head of European Real Estate Acquisitions at Blackstone, said: "Our proposed acquisition represents another step in Blackstone's long-standing strategy of investing in high-quality real estate assets and businesses across the Nordic region. We are excited about this opportunity to invest in the commercial real estate market in Finland and are delighted with the strong support that our offer has received from Sponda's board, management and leading shareholders."

06:04 EDT Osisko Gold Royalties acquires Orion Mine Finance portfolio for C$1.13B - Osisko Gold Royalties announced that it has entered into a definitive agreement with Orion Mine Finance Group to acquire a high-quality precious metals portfolio of assets consisting of 74 royalties, streams and precious metal offtakes for total consideration of C$1.13B, creating a growth-oriented, world class and gold-focused royalty and streaming company. The combination of Osisko and Orion's portfolios will result in the company holding a total of 131 royalties and streams, including 16 revenue-generating assets. The company's cornerstone asset remains the 5% net smelter return, or NSR, royalty on the world class and long-life Canadian Malartic gold mine and its 2% to 3.5% NSR royalty on the world class Eleonore gold mine. Through the Transaction, the Company gains a 9.6% diamond stream on the Renard diamond mine and a 4% gold and silver stream on the Brucejack gold and silver mine, all of which are new high-quality mines in Canada, in addition to a 100% silver stream on the substantial Mantos Blancos copper mine in Chile. The Purchase Price paid to Orion will consist of: C$675M in cash consideration plus C$450M in Osisko common shares. As part of the Transaction, the Caisse de depot et placement du Quebec and the Fonds de solidarite FTQ will be subscribing for C$200M and C$75M in common shares of Osisko, respectively, as part of a concurrent private placement to fund a portion of the cash consideration and support the Transaction. Additionally, Osisko will draw C$150M under its revolving credit facility with the National Bank of Canada and Bank of Montreal, and C$250M will be funded from Osisko's current cash reserves.

06:01 EDT Weyerhaeuser to sell Uruguay timberlands and manufacturing business for $492.5M - Weyerhaeuser announced an agreement to sell its timberlands and manufacturing business in Uruguay to a consortium led by BTG Pactual's Timberland Investment Group, or TIG, including other long-term institutional investors, for $402.5M in cash. The company anticipates it will incur minimal taxes in conjunction with the transaction. The transaction includes over 300,000 acres of timberlands in northeastern and north central Uruguay, as well as a plywood and veneer manufacturing facility, a cogeneration facility, and a seedling nursery. The transaction is expected to close in Q4. Weyerhaeuser Uruguay and the buyer consortium will continue to operate separately until the transaction closes.

05:41 EDT Herbalife sees Q2 volume down 8%-4%