Stockwinners Market Radar for June 14, 2017 - Earnings, Upgrades downgrades, option trades, Best Stock Advisory Service

19:17 EDT Columbia Sportswear names Swanson CFO, Rauch CTO - Columbia Sportswear announced the appointment of Jim Swanson as the company's senior VP and CFO and Peter Rauch as the company's senior VP and CTO. Swanson served as Columbia's Senior Global Financial Analyst from April 2003 to December 2004, as Finance Manager from January 2005 to December 2008 and as Director of Strategic and Financial Planning from January 2009 to May 2015 when he was named Vice President of Finance. Currently serving as the company's Vice President, Chief Accounting Officer since August 2016, Rauch joined the company in January 2008 as Retail Accounting Manager.

18:56 EDT Instagram rolls out 'paid partnership' transparency tool - Facebook's Instagram announced an update to improve transparency for commercial relationships on the platform: "In the coming weeks, you'll see a new 'Paid partnership with' sub-header on posts and stories when a commercial relationship exists between a creators such as influencers or publishers and a business... We're initially partnering with a small number of creators and businesses and we will make these tools widely available in the coming months along with an official policy and enforcement guidelines." Reference Link

18:24 EDT HSBC raises prime and reference rate to 4.25% - HSBC Bank USA and its affiliates raised their prime and reference rate to 4.25% from 4.00% effective June 15.

18:16 EDT Associated Banc-Corp increases prime rate to 4.25% - Associated Banc-Corp has increased the bank's prime rate from 4.00% to 4.25% effective June 14.

17:58 EDT Chart Industries completes sale of Qdrive technologies to RIX - Chart Industries announced it has completed the sale of certain assets related to its Qdrive set of products to RIX Industries. "Chart retains the rights to a limited set of technology that will allow for the continued development and manufacturing of certain products in its Biomedical product suite," the company noted. The Qdrive operations located in Troy, NY will be relocating to RIX's facilities in Benicia, CA. "This is part of our strategic efforts to focus our energy on our core businesses while improving efficiency. We are very pleased with the outcome and expect to continue the strong partnership with RIX as we move forward," Chart commented.

17:38 EDT On The Fly: After Hours Movers - UP AFTER EARNINGS: Castle Brands (ROX), up 11.1%... Lakeland Industries (LAKE), up 9.7%... Jabil Circuit (JBL), up 4.1%... Digital Turbine (APPS), up 2%. ALSO HIGHER: Adamis Pharmaceuticals (ADMP), up 12% ahead of tomorrow's PDUFA date for its epinephrine pre-filled syringe... AveXis (AVXS), up 4% after the company aligned with the FDA on the company's Good Manufacturing Process for AVXS-101... pSivida (PSDV), up 4% after CEO Nancy Lurker acquires 56,700 shares of company stock. LOWER: Pacific Biosciences (PACB), down 7.2% after it filed to sell common stock... Five Oaks (OAKS), down 5.3% after it filed to sell 4M shares of common stock... Lantheus (LNTH), down 5.2% after it filed to sell 3M shares of common stock for holders.

17:27 EDT United Technologies raises quarterly dividend 6.1% to 70c per share - The United Technologies board declared, effective July 5, a dividend of 70c per share of common stock, which represents a 6.1% increase over the prior quarter's dividend amount. The dividend will be payable September 10 to shareowners of record at the close of business August 18.

17:21 EDT World Acceptance files to delay 10-K - World Acceptance Corporation is currently unable to file, without unreasonable effort and expense, its Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended March 31, 2017. The company is conducting an internal investigation of its operations in Mexico, focusing on the legality under the U.S. Foreign Corrupt Practices Act and certain local laws of certain payments related to loans, the maintenance of the Company's books and records associated with such payments, and the treatment of compensation matters for certain employees. Womble Carlyle Sandridge & Rice, the Company's outside legal counsel, and Ernst & Young LLP have been retained to lead the investigation. The company commissioned the internal investigation in March 2017 after its independent registered public accounting firm received an anonymous letter regarding compliance matters, which letter was then forwarded to the Audit Committee of the company's Board of Directors. The Audit Committee reviewed and considered the complaint, and the company promptly commenced its investigation.

17:19 EDT Citizens Financial increase prime rate to 4.25% - Citizens Financial announced that Citizens Bank and Citizens Bank of Pennsylvania have raised their prime-lending rates to 4.25% from 4.00%, effective June 15.

17:08 EDT Yahoo announces Alibaba VWAP, prices pursuant to tender offer - Yahoo (YHOO) announced the Alibaba (BABA) VWAP and the prices payable for shares in connection with its previously announced modified Dutch auction self-tender offer to purchase for cash up to $3B of its common stock at prices equal to the Alibaba VWAP multiplied by multiples specified by tendering stockholders not greater than 0.42 nor less than 0.37. The offer is scheduled to expire on June 16 at 11:59 pm New York time. The Alibaba VWAP to be used in determining the purchase price is equal to $137.1017, the daily volume-weighted average price for an ADS of Alibaba on the New York Stock Exchange on June 14, the second trading day prior to the expiration date. When the tender offer expires, the company will determine a single purchase price that it will pay for the shares by determining the lowest multiple within the company's specified range at which shares have been tendered that, when multiplied by the Alibaba VWAP, will enable the company to purchase the maximum number of shares. The company will announce the price and the number of shares it will purchase by no later than 9:00 am New York time on June 19. Assuming that conditions to the offer are satisfied, based on the Alibaba VWAP, at the minimum price of $50.73 per share, the maximum number of shares the company will purchase is roughly 59M if the offer is fully subscribed. Yahoo announced on June 13 that it completed the sale of its operating business to Verizon (VZ).

17:05 EDT Fifth Third raises prime lending rate to 4.25% - Fifth Third Bancorp announced that it is increasing its prime lending rate from 4% to 4.25%, effective immediately. The rate was last changed on March 15, 2017 when Fifth Third increased its prime lending rate from 3.75% to 4%.

17:01 EDT VSE Corp. awarded $22.3M Air Force ground equipment task order - VSE Corporation was recently awarded a task order under the United States Air Force Contract Field Teams Indefinite Delivery/Indefinite Quantity, or IDIQ, contract, supporting the 18th Equipment Maintenance Squadron at Kadena Air Base in Japan. This task order consists of a one year base period of performance with two one-year option periods and a total potential value of $22.3M. Under this task order, VSE will provide corrosion control treatment, prevention and repair maintenance to aircraft, aerospace ground equipment and support equipment at Kadena Air Base in support of the 18th Wing, 353d Special Operations Group, Navy Commander Task Force 72.2 and associated units. The CFT Program provides rapid deployment and long-term support services for the maintenance, repair, and modernization of aircraft, vehicles, weapons systems, and other equipment to support the Government's war readiness needs. CFT contracts are used to support requirements generated by the Air Force, Army, Navy, Coast Guard, Federal Aviation Administration, Department of Homeland Security, and other Federal agencies.

16:48 EDT Investar Holding announces acquisition approvals - Investar Holding, the holding company of Investar Bank, reported the receipt of regulatory approvals from the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System, the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation and the Louisiana Office of Financial Institutionsfor its previously announced pending acquisition of Citizens Bancshares the parent company for Citizens Bank in Ville Platte, Louisiana. The Company also provided an update regarding expected timeframes to complete the acquisition and the associated branch and operating system conversions. On March 8, the Company announced that it had entered into an Agreement and Plan of Reorganization with Citizens. At March 31,, Citizens had total assets of $254.3M, gross loans of $128.8M, and total deposits of $216.5M. On June 14, the company announced that it has received approvals from the Federal Reserve Board, the FDIC and the Louisiana OFI to acquire Citizens. Citizens has also received the requisite approval of its shareholders. No vote of the shareholders of the Company is required for completion of the transaction. Completion of the acquisition remains subject to the satisfaction of customary closing conditions under the terms of the Merger Agreement. Upon satisfaction of all closing conditions, the Company anticipates it will close the Citizens acquisition by early July 2017. Under the terms of the Merger Agreement, all of the issued and outstanding shares of Citizens common stock will be converted into an aggregate amount of cash consideration equal to $45.8 million. To finance the cash consideration, the Company will use $18.1 million in net proceeds associated with the issuance of its fixed-to-floating rate subordinated notes in a transaction completed on March 24, 2017, with the remaining using cash on hand at the Company. No additional financing will be required to complete the transaction. Branch and operating system conversions are currently scheduled to be completed in August 2017. John D'Angelo, President and Chief Executive Officer, commented, "We are excited to have received the approvals of our federal and state bank regulators and are enthusiastic to add Citizens' customers and branches into the Investar family. We look forward to closing the acquisition in the third quarter. The conversion teams at our respective companies are diligently working to ensure a successful transition and remain on schedule for the proposed timeline for the closing and the system conversions."

16:46 EDT Xerox completes 1-for-4 reverse stock split - Xerox Corporation reported that it has completed the previously announced reverse stock split of Xerox common stock at a ratio of one-for-four shares, together with a proportionate reduction in the authorized shares of its common stock from 1,750,000,000 shares to 437,500,000 shares. The reverse stock split and authorized share reduction were approved by Xerox shareholders at the company's annual shareholder meeting on May 23, 2017. The certificate of amendment was accepted for filing by the New York Department of State on June 14, 2017.

16:35 EDT Noodles & Company names Boennighausen CEO, names interim CFO - Noodles & Company announced that Dave Boennighausen has been promoted to the permanent role of CEO of the company, effective immediately. Additionally, Paul Murphy has been appointed Executive Chairman of the company, effective July 10th. In conjunction with Mr. Murphy's appointment, Robert Hartnett will step down as Chairman of the company's board, but will remain a director. Boennighausen has served as the company's interim CEO since July of 2016 and as CFO since July of 2012. He joined the company's board of directors in August of 2015. Prior to being named CFO, Boennighausen held various roles since joining Noodles & Company in 2004, including Vice President of Finance and Executive Vice President of Finance. The company also announced that Sue Daggett has been named interim CFO. Ms. Daggett has served as the company's Vice President of Finance since August of 2016. Ms. Daggett has extensive restaurant experience, having previously served as President of Smiling Moose Deli Franchise Company and in various executive positions at Einstein Noah Restaurant Group.The company's board of directors has initiated a search among both internal and external candidates to identity a qualified individual to serve as the company's permanent CFO.

16:31 EDT Mallinckrodt enrolls first patient in Phase 2B Trial of H.P. Acthar Gel - Mallinckrodt confirmed enrollment of the first patient in the company's Phase 2B study designed to assess the efficacy and safety of H.P. Acthar Gel as a treatment for amyotrophic lateral sclerosis. The U.S. FDA previously granted the company's request for a Fast Track designation and orphan status for its H.P. Acthar Gel Investigational New Drug application in patients with ALS. The drug is not FDA-approved for the ALS indication.

16:30 EDT Regions Financial increases prime lending rate to 4.25% - Regions Bank announced it is increasing its prime lending rate to 4.25% from 4.00%, effective June 15.

16:24 EDT Ampco-Pittsburgh suspends quarterly dividend - Ampco-Pittsburgh announced that the board of directors has suspended the corporation's quarterly cash dividend, beginning with the second quarter of 2017. "Ampco-Pittsburgh Corporation is in a period of growth. The decision to suspend the dividend is an effort to deliver value to shareholders by preserving liquidity for investments in that growth, including working capital, capital expenditures and acquisitions, and for the repayment of debt," said John Stanik, Ampco-Pittsburgh's Chief Executive Officer. "We believe this dividend decision will maintain the Corporation's ability to remain focused on our strategic initiatives, ultimately increasing profitability and providing long-term value to our shareholders. The Board of Directors will continue regularly to assess the Corporation's allocation of capital and evaluate the possibility of reinstating the dividend."

16:20 EDT Papa Murphy's names Weldon Spangler as CEO - Papa Murphy's announced that industry veteran Weldon Spangler has been named as CEO and Director, effective July 17. Jean Birch, interim CEO, will remain as Chair of the board of directors. "I am pleased to welcome Weldon to the Papa Murphy's team. Weldon is a seasoned leader with over 30 years of restaurant industry experience, and his expertise in managing and developing franchise businesses makes him a great fit for our Company's next chapter," said Jean Birch.

16:15 EDT Deutsche Bank raises prime lending rate to 4.25% - Deutsche Bank announced that its New York Branch, Deutsche Bank New York, and its subsidiary Deutsche Bank Trust Company Americas have raised their prime lending rate to 4.25% from 4.00% effective tomorrow, June 15, 2017.

16:10 EDT pSivida CEO buys about 57K shares - pSivida CEO Nancy Lurker bought 56,700 shares of company stock at an average price of about $1.76 per share on June 14, according to a regulatory filing.

16:08 EDT Comerica raises prime rate to 4.25% from 4.0% - Comerica Bank announced it will raise its prime rate to 4.25% from 4.0% effective June 15.

16:06 EDT Universal Display, Japan Display enter extended, updated evaluation pact - Universal Display Corporation announced that the company and Japan Display Inc. have entered into an extended and updated evaluation agreement. Under the agreement, Universal Display will supply its proprietary UniversalPHOLED phosphorescent OLED materials and technology to Japan Display Inc for use in the company's OLED displays. Financial terms of the agreement have not been disclosed. "We are pleased to enhance our partnership with Japan Display, a world leader in the display industry," said Steven V. Abramson, President and Chief Executive Officer of Universal Display Corporation. "OLEDs are transforming the consumer electronic market with bright, beautiful, thin and conformable displays. We believe that this agreement will strengthen our collaborative bond with JDI for innovative OLED products using our highly-efficient, high-performing proprietary OLED technologies and UniversalPHOLED materials."

16:04 EDT Arena Pharmaceuticals shareholders approve reverse stock split - Arena Pharmaceuticals announced that at the annual meeting of stockholders, held June 13, stockholders voted to approve a proposal authorizing the Board of Directors of the Company to amend the Company's certificate of incorporation to effect a reverse stock split of Arena's outstanding common shares at an exchange ratio of 1-for-10, and a change in the number of authorized shares of common stock to 73.5M shares. Arena's Board of Directors had previously directed that the proposal be submitted to the shareholders for approval and has subsequently determined that the reverse stock split will take effect at 5:00pm ET on June 16. Beginning with the opening of trading on June 19, the Company's common stock will trade on a split-adjusted basis.

15:50 EDT Northwest Broadcasting joins Nexstar-Sinclair-Univision consortium - Nexstar Media (NXST), Sinclair Broadcast Group (SBGI), and Univision Local Media announced that Northwest Broadcasting has agreed to the terms and is the first affiliate member of the consortium that will promote spectrum aggregation, innovation and monetization and enhance their abilities to compete in the wireless data transmission sector. The consortium has agreed to collaborate on a non-exclusive basis and continues to welcome the inclusion of other television broadcasting entities. Together, the four broadcasters that are party to the consortium reach approximately 90% of the country. The consortium will promote innovation and develop and explore products and services associated with ATSC 3.0 and monetization opportunities such as spectrum utilization, virtual MVPD platforms, multicast channels, automotive applications, single frequency networks and wireless data applications, among others.

15:34 EDT M&T Bank raises prime lending rate to 4.25% from 4.0% - Effective Thursday, June 15, M&T Bank will increase its prime lending rate from 4.00% to 4.25%.

15:28 EDT SunTrust raises prime lending rate to 4.25% from 4.0% - Following the Federal Reserve's announcement to increase the Federal Funds rate, SunTrust Bank announced it has increased its prime lending rate to 4.25% from 4.00%, effective June 15. The prime rate is a benchmark used to set interest rates on various forms of consumer and commercial loans. The prime rate last changed on March 16.

15:25 EDT Tesla CEO says in talks with Indian government, seeks relief on import penalties - Elon Musk tweeted that the company is in "discussions with the government of India requesting temporary relief on import penalties/restrictions until a local factory is built." Reference Link

15:15 EDT BB&T increases prime lending rate to 4.25% - BB&T announced it is increasing its prime lending rate to 4.25% from 4.0%, effective immediately.

15:11 EDT U.S. Bancorp raises prime lending rate to 4.25% from 4.00% - U.S. Bancorp announced it has raised its prime lending rate to 4.25% from 4.00%, effective June 15 at all U.S. Bank locations.

14:34 EDT Sorrento Therapeutics announces dismissal of lawsuits - Sorrento Therapeutics announced the dismissal of all claims against Sorrento and its Directors contained in the lawsuits brought by Wildcat Liquid Alpha.

14:18 EDT Buying opportunity seen in ViaSat after Kerrisdale short report - Kerrisdale Capital issued a short report on ViaSat (VSAT) yesterday, setting a fair value for the stock at $35, saying the company offers "inferior technology" in its main business in the U.S. residential broadband market. However, B. Riley defended the company and stock in a note to investors this morning, advocating that the pullback in shares be used as a buying opportunity. "FALLING BACK TO EARTH": Kerrisdale said ViaSat's residential broadband business is "destined to fail" as terrestrial competitors increase speed, capacity and coverage through technological advancements and ViaSat launches satellites that exhaust capacity in two year cycles. The firm does not expect ViaSat-2, the company's latest satellite, to produce substantial subscriber growth and sees stranded capacity for ViaSat-3. Additionally, Kerrisdale said it expects satellite consumer home internet in the U.S. to become "nearly extinct" and ViaSat's average revenue per user to decline as contributions from add-ons decrease under competitive pressure. The firm also said while the company waits for its next satellite to be operational, EchoStar's (SATS) Jupiter 2 is already in the market. Kerrisdale said while the company may have the unmatched ability to deliver broadband to locations such as airplanes, there is only a small amount of revenue that can be generated in this area. "BUYING OPPORTUNITY": In an analyst note today, B. Riley analyst Mike Crawford said he views yesterday's selloff in shares of ViaSat as a buying opportunity. He said the report came from a "shop that dislikes satellite and spectrum plays," but ViaSat's "valuable" Government Systems business and "flexible, high-capacity, low-cost global" communications network is a "killer combo." Additionally, Crawford said Kerrisdale overlooks ViaSat's primary value proposition as the company has an "unbeatable" capacity build out cost and an "unparalleled" ability to deliver bandwidth to hard to reach locations. He keeps a Buy rating on the shares with an $89 price target. PRICE ACTION: ViaSat shares, which slid 3% yesterday, declined roughly another 1% to $68.95 in afternoon trading today.

14:08 EDT Mattel reverses selloff, shares now little changed at $22.63

14:05 EDT Hasbro sets 100% renewable energy, carbon neutrality goal - Hasbro announced it has set a 100% renewable energy use and carbon neutrality goal across its owned and operated global operations. "For the past two years, Hasbro has achieved its previous goal of 100% renewable energy and carbon neutrality in the U.S. This goal builds on that achievement and extends Hasbro's commitment to 100% renewable energy and carbon neutrality globally," the company noted.

13:59 EDT Wedbush cuts Starbucks to hold as checks show in-line trends - Research firm Wedbush downgraded Starbucks (SBUX) to Neutral on Wednesday, saying its recent store checks indicate in-line trends and that valuation looks fair. IN-LINE TRENDS: Wedbush's Nick Setyan downgrades Starbucks to Neutral from Outperform while maintaining his $65 price target. His recent checks of 5% of U.S. co-owned Starbucks locations suggest "modest" acceleration, trending "at best" in-line with expectations, Setyan says. He no longer sees margin upside given that data, and the analyst views current 2017 and 2018 expectations as "realistic" and valuation as "fair." PRICE ACTION: Shares of Starbucks are down 0.8% to $60.42 in afternoon trading, underperforming the fractional gain in the Consumer Discretionary SPDR ETF (XLY).

13:53 EDT Mattel CFO: Medium term investment to increase $250M-$350M

13:46 EDT Mattel CFO sees achieving ops margin growth at or above 15% in medium-term

13:41 EDT SeaWorld rises 3% after Chairman said to be voted out by shareholders - Shares of SeaWorld are rising after Reuters, citing sources, reported that shareholders voted against the re-election of Chairman David D'Alessandro, meaning he will need to submit his resignation.

13:34 EDT Mattel CEO: Company previously uninvested in IT - Says will transform supply chain through improving speed to market, increasing cost advantage, and enabling digital integration. Says has been underinvested in IT. Says IT transformation will increase revenue and margin realization. Says putting in specific metrics to benchmark progress on operations changes.

13:28 EDT Mattel CEO: Innovation 'hallmark' of company - Says innovation "hallmark" of Mattle. Says shifting to company-wide approach to managing innovation portfolio. Says aligning investment to opportunity. Says targeting 6-9 month cycles instead of up to 18 month cycles for bringing products to market. Shares of Mattel are down 2.87% to $22 in afternoon trading.

13:21 EDT Mattel CEO: Company to drive growth through connected 360-degree play - Mattel CEO Margo Georgiadis says company focusing strategy on youth. Says will build power brands into connected 360-degree play experiences. Says will strengthen innovation pipeline. Says plans to reshape operations. Says plans to build power brands through connected play, physical play systems, and globally relevant play. Says Hot Wheels one of the company's "biggest opportunities." Says expanding physical play systems.

13:11 EDT Mattel CEO: Underperformance related to brand missteps, short-term focus - Mattel CEO Margo Georgiadis says recent underperformance due to brand franchise management missteps, excessive short-term focus, and limited portfolio planning. Says has not gone far enough to address missteps. Says company previously cut costs without simplification. Says emerging markets are driving global growth. Says share of kids' time with toys "holding steady." Says toys need to adapt to modern digital environment. Says millennials seek "purposeful" brands and experiences. Says toy companies focused on emerging markets will grow disproportionately and "win." Says accelerating rapidly in China. Says needs to focus on "superior" manufacturing. Comments taken from Mattel's Investor Day.

13:09 EDT TG Therapeutics reports patient death in TGR-1202 study - In a slide presentation published Wednesday, TG Therapeutics provided updated results from its Phase I/Ib trial of TGR-1202 in chronic lymphocytic leukemia and mantle cell lymphoma. Among other data in the presentation, the company reported a "sudden death, uncertain cause" in the CLL patient group. The death did not feature in the company's accompanying press release Wednesday morning, which noted that the treatment "appears well tolerated across all patients." Reference Link

13:01 EDT DeVos confirms reset on Borrower Defense, Gainful Employment regulations - U.S. Secretary of Education Betsy DeVos announced the Department's intention to establish rulemaking committees on Borrower Defense to Repayment and Gainful Employment regulations. The Department intends to develop "fair, effective and improved" regulations to protect individual borrowers from fraud, ensure accountability across institutions of higher education and protect taxpayers. "My first priority is to protect students," said Secretary DeVos. "Fraud, especially fraud committed by a school, is simply unacceptable. Unfortunately, last year's rulemaking effort missed an opportunity to get it right. The result is a muddled process that's unfair to students and schools, and puts taxpayers on the hook for significant costs. It's time to take a step back and make sure these rules achieve their purpose: helping harmed students. It's time for a regulatory reset. It is the Department's aim, and this Administration's commitment, to protect students from predatory practices while also providing clear, fair and balanced rules for colleges and universities to follow." Due to pending litigation challenging the BDR regulations, the Department is postponing the effective date pursuant to section 705 of the Administration Procedures Act. While negotiated rulemaking occurs, the Department will continue to process applications under the current borrower defense rules. Postsecondary institutions of all types have raised concerns about the BDR regulations since they were published on Nov. 1, 2016. Colleges and universities are especially concerned about the excessively broad definitions of substantial misrepresentation and breach of contract, the lack of meaningful due process protections for institutions and "financial triggers" under the new rules. As part of the Department's regulatory review of its regulations, the agency will also convene a second negotiated rulemaking committee on Gainful Employment. As the Department worked on implementing this regulation, it became clear that, as written, it is overly burdensome and confusing for institutions of higher education. The Department plans to publish its Notice of Intent to Conduct Negotiated Rulemaking on BDR and GE in the Federal Register on June 16, 2017. The Department will conduct public hearings on BDR and GE on July 10, 2017, in Washington, D.C. and July 12, 2017, in Dallas, Texas. Publicly traded companies in the for-profit education space include American Public Education (APEI), Bridgepoint Education (BPI), Career Education (CECO), Adtalem Global Education (ATGE), Grand Canyon (LOPE), ITT Educational (ESI), and Strayer (STRA). Reference Link

12:56 EDT Two dead from shooting at UPS facility, NBC News reports - NBC's Tom Winter said via Twitter, "NBC News: 2 people are dead and 5 people total have been shot at a UPS facility in San Francisco @anblanx reports."

12:51 EDT Active shooter at UPS facility in San Francisco, KTVU reports - Reference Link

12:43 EDT Morgan Stanley CEO says fixed income was problem, sees upside

12:39 EDT Morgan Stanley says Europe is stable - Says doing a lot of work in Saudi Arabia. Says Saudi Arabia may be a good opportunity.

12:34 EDT Genesis Energy CFO acquires 34,000 Class A common units - In a regulatory filing, Genesis Energy CFO Robert V. Deere disclosed the purchase of 34,000 Class A common units of the company at a price of $30.34 per share. The transaction brings Deere's total direct common unit ownership to 783,935 units.

12:24 EDT Whirlpool rises after U.S. confirms investigation into foreign washers - Shares of Whirlpool have advanced to their best levels of the session in afternoon trading after the U.S. notified the World Trade Organization that it has launched a safeguard investigation into large residential washers pursuant to a petition filed by the company. The petition alleges that imports have increased in such quantities as to be a "substantial cause of serious injury, or the threat thereof, to the domestic industry." Shares of Whirpool are up about 2.4% to $198.65 in afternoon trading. Reference Link

12:12 EDT CSX's Eliasson says CEO health worries 'overblown' - Fredrik Eliasson EVP & Chief Marketing Officer of CSX is speaking at the Citi conference.

12:06 EDT CSX continues to see 2017 operating ratio in mid-60s - The company backs its FY17 guidance of EPS growth to be around 25% off 2016 reported base of $1.81. Sees free cash flow before dividends to be around $1.5B.

12:03 EDT Oclaro rises 3% after Betaville report on preparations for possible sale

12:02 EDT Publicis names Carla Serrano as Chief Strategy Officer, effective immediately - Publicis Groupe Chairman and CEO Arthur Sadoun announced an important step in the Groupe's transformation plan including two nominations of executives at the Groupe level and the creation of two committees, the Executive Committee and the Management Committee. Carla Serrano, CEO of Publicis New York and Chief Strategy Officer of Publicis Communications is promoted to the role of Chief Strategy Officer of Publicis Groupe, effective immediately. The second nomination is of Veronique Weill, who will join Publicis Groupe as General Manager. She will start September 1 and will take responsibility for Re:Sources, IT, Real Estate, Insurance and M&A.

11:40 EDT Actelion announces changes to executive team upon completion of J&J transaction - Actelion Ltd (ALIOF) announced changes to its executive team that will take effect upon the settlement of the public tender offer by Johnson & Johnson's (JNJ) Swiss subsidiary, Janssen Holding GmbH, for all publicly held shares of Actelion which is expected to occur on June 16. As previously announced, Jane Griffiths will assume the position as Actelion's Global Head and Otto Schwarz will retire from his position as COO upon Settlement. Jean-Paul Clozel, CEO, Andre C. Muller, CFO, and Guy Braunstein, Head of Global Clinical Development, will leave Actelion's executive committee, which will be dissolved as of Settlement, and move to Idorsia Ltd on 16 June 2017. Jane Griffiths will be supported in her top executive role at Actelion by a newly formed leadership team. Nicholas Franco, who has been the Chief Business Development Officer, will be a member of this leadership team going forward.

11:38 EDT Bank of America COO says 'can do more' once expense targets are hit

11:29 EDT Bank of America COO says trading in first part of June 'better than anticipated

11:15 EDT Express Scripts says to take 'disciplined' approach to M&A - Express Scripts Chief Medical Officer Steve Miller says sees 2010-2017E adjusted EPS CAGR at 15.8%. Targeting core PBM EBITDA CAGR of 2%-4% in 2020. Plans for capital deployment include high ROI capital expenditures, "disciplined" approach to M&A, returning excess cash to shareholders. Generally targeting ~2x debt to EBITDA leverage. Comments taken from the William Blair Growth Stock Conference.

11:09 EDT FTC approves final order with DaVita over acquisition of Renal Ventures - The Federal Trade Commission announced that it has approved a final order settling charges that outpatient kidney dialysis chain DaVita's acquisition of competitor Renal Ventures Management would have been anticompetitive. To settle the complaint, DaVita agreed to divest seven clinics in five New Jersey markets and in two Dallas-area markets to PDA-GMF Holdco, a joint venture between Physicians Dialysis and GMF Capital.

10:39 EDT J.C. Penney says 'very satisfied' with performance of appliances business - Says trying to minimize impact from pure play ecommerce companies. Says focused on driving private brand penetration. Sees FY17 comps down 1% to up 1%, planning apparel down for the year. Says "very satisfied" with performance of appliances business, says has other brand partners "coming on board."

10:31 EDT Goodyear Tire down 3% amid presentation at Citi conference - Shares of Goodyear Tire are down after speaking of pricing competition in April during its presentation at Citi's conference. The stock is down 3%, or $1.07, to $34.60.

10:28 EDT Analyst says sell Hawaiian Airlines as United ramps competition - Research firm Stifel downgraded Hawaiian Holdings (HA), the owner of Hawaiian Airlines, to Sell from Hold today, citing a decision by United Continental (UAL) to increase the capacity of its Hawaii flights by 20% next year. IMPACT: Due to United's announcement, total available seat miles, or ASM, on flights to Hawaii will jump 14% by the first quarter of next year, wrote Stifel analyst Joseph DeNardi. The analyst noted that he had previously expected ASM to Hawaii to remain flat in 2018. The increased capacity will be "a fairly significant headwind" to Hawaiian's North America business, which accounts for roughly 50% of its overall revenue, warned DeNardi. ESTIMATES, TARGET: In the wake of United's announcement, DeNardi lowered his 2018 earnings per share estimate for Hawaiian to $4.10 from $5.34, citing a more cautious outlook for unit revenues. He expects the company's passenger revenue per available seat mile, or PRASM, to sink 6% in its North America market, leading to a 4% PRASM decline for the company overall. The analyst slashed his price target on the name to $40 from $60. PRICE ACTION: In early trading, Hawaiian tumbled 10.5% to $48.93.

10:22 EDT Boeing's Tapestry-Jeppesen receives contract for USAF's Air Mobility Command - Tapestry Solutions, a Boeing Company, announced it has received a contract worth more than $28M to provide Executive Airlift Flight Dispatch services for the U.S. Air Force's Air Mobility Command. Tapestry, the prime contractor, is teamed with Jeppesen, also a Boeing Company, to provide a full range of mission-essential services required for Very Important Persons Special Air Missions. The contract includes a base year with four option years. Under the contract, the team will provide a comprehensive portfolio of flight dispatch services commensurate with existing commercial airline 24/7 world-wide operations. Tasks include tailored mission planning services, enroute flight monitoring, diplomatic clearances, weather assessments, navigation database management, training and ongoing technical support. The services will be performed for the Air Force's "covered aircraft," which include several Boeing platforms.

10:17 EDT J.C. Penney believes Q2 will be 'significantly better quarter' than Q1 - Says Q1 was "tale of two quarters." Says February was "very difficult," cites deferred tax returns, started to see improvement in last 10 weeks of quarter. Says May comps "positive." Comments taken from the Piper Jaffray Consumer Conference.

10:08 EDT Ctrip.com weakness attributed to report of probe by payment watchdog - According to contacts, Brightwire reports that Ctrip will be investigated by China's payment watchdog.

10:01 EDT Exxon Mobil says test confirms Muruk as 'potentially significant' new discovery - Exxon Mobil announced production well test results from the Muruk 1 sidetrack 3 well in the Papua New Guinea North Highlands. The well successfully flowed gas at a rate of 16 million standard cubic feet per day. The production test confirms Muruk as a potentially significant new discovery close to existing PNG LNG infrastructure, the company stated. "We are encouraged by these well test results and will integrate them into the ongoing resource evaluation work and potential appraisal program in 2018. The success at Muruk adds to a growing resource base in PNG, through focused exploration and ExxonMobil's recent acquisition of InterOil," said Steve Greenlee, president of ExxonMobil Exploration Company.

09:44 EDT Amaya names Jerry Bowskill as Chief Technology Officer - Amaya announced the appointment of Jerry Bowskill as Chief Technology Officer, effective immediately. Immediately prior to joining Amaya, Dr. Bowskill was a technology consultant for Partis Solutions, a global leader in the provision of corporate services to the interactive gaming industry from January 2017 to June 2017.

09:36 EDT Cytori Therapeutics partners with myTomorrows - Cytori Therapeutics announces its new managed access program partnership with myTomorrows at the European League Against Rheumatism Congress in Madrid, Spain between June 14 and 17. Cytori and myTomorrows share the goal of providing early and ethical access to Cytori's Habeo Cell Therapy to patients in Europe, Middle East and Latin America.

09:32 EDT MasterCard says 'obsessed' with technology

09:27 EDT DuPont and FMC Corporation announce expired HSR waiting period - DuPont (DD) announced that the waiting periods for the approval of its transactions with FMC Corporation (FMC) under the Hart-Scott-Rodino Antitrust Improvements Act of 1976 have expired without a request for additional information and documentary material by the U.S. Department of Justice. The expirations satisfy certain conditions to the closing of the proposed transactions with FMC, which include FMC acquiring a portion of DuPont Crop Protection business, including certain research and development capabilities, and DuPont acquiring substantially all of FMC's Health & Nutrition business. DuPont continues to expect the FMC transactions to close in Q4, subject to the closing of the DuPont and Dow merger, in addition to other customary closing conditions, including regulatory approvals.

09:24 EDT lululemon sees LT revenue growth in mid-teens, comps in low to mid single digits

09:22 EDT CGI awarded $133.9M contract to develop ACWS - CGI announced that it has been selected for a 10-year IDIQ contract valued at $133.9M to provide the U.S. Army with a single, enterprise-wide contract writing and management system designed to put capabilities in the troops' hands faster and more efficiently. The new Army Contract Writing System will leverage CGI's Momentum enterprise solution to bring an enhanced user experience to the Army's acquisition professionals and, ultimately, to the warfighter.

09:21 EDT CGI Group awarded $133.9M contract for U.S. Army contract writing system - CGI has been selected for a 10-year IDIQ contract valued at $133.9M to provide the U.S. Army with a single, enterprise-wide contract writing and management system. The new Army Contract Writing System will leverage CGI's Momentum enterprise solution.

09:18 EDT American Airlines sees having youngest mainline fleet among peers - In slides for its annual stockholders meeting American Airlines (AAL) stated that by the end of 2017, the company will have inducted 399 new aircraft into the fleet since the merger, while retiring 391 older aircraft, which it said gives it "the youngest mainline fleet among our peers," identified in the slide as Delta (DAL), United (UAL) and Southwest (LUV).

09:08 EDT Medifast launching 10b5-1 plan to facilitate continued share repurchases - Medifast has established a repurchase plan under Rule 10b5-1 of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 to facilitate the continued repurchase of shares of the company's common stock under its existing stock repurchase program. The company may repurchase up to 850K shares of its common stock, which remain available under the outstanding repurchase authorization as of June 14. Under the company's 10b5-1 Plan, the company's third party broker will have authority to repurchase the company's common stock in the open market or through privately negotiated transactions in accordance with the terms of the company's 10b5-1 Plan.

09:06 EDT IBM to market connected car services in partnership with BMW - IBM (IBM) announced that it is a pilot partner of BMW CarData, which will allow up to 8.5M BMW (BAMXY) customers globally to make use of third party services. As a pilot partner, IBM has integrated Bluemix with the BMW CarData platform, said the company, which added that vehicle data will be enhanced by IBM Watson IoT. IBM's cloud platform Bluemix also gives developers access to the "entire service catalogue from IBM and its ecosystem partners to build and run innovative new service offerings," the company noted.

09:03 EDT Jaguar Animal Health's Neonorm Calf obtains OMRI listing - Jaguar Animal Health announced that the Organic Materials Review Institute has reviewed Neonorm Calf, one of Jaguar's lead non-prescription products, and determined that it is allowed for use in compliance with the U.S. Department of Agriculture National Organic Program. OMRI is an international nonprofit organization that determines which input products are allowed for use in organic production and processing. Neonorm Calf has been formulated and clinically tested to help proactively retain fluid in dairy calves and reduce the severity of diarrhea-aiding calves in avoiding debilitating, dangerous levels of dehydration associated with scours. Neonorm is a standardized botanical extract derived from the Croton lechleri tree, which is sustainably harvested. OMRI evaluated Neonorm Calf for use in organic production for the category of Livestock Health Care, and Jaguar will be adding the OMRI Listed seal to Neonorm Calf product labels.

09:02 EDT Aviat Networks awarded $4M in follow-on orders from Southeast USA utilities - Aviat Networks has received $4.0M in follow-on orders from five utility customers in the US Southeast region. Received in the company's Q4, these orders involve upgrades to communications infrastructure to support the addition of new substations and power generation facilities.

09:00 EDT Rightside trading resumes

08:51 EDT Trump says Rep. Scalise 'badly injured' but will 'fully recover' - President Trump tweeted, "Rep. Steve Scalise of Louisiana, a true friend and patriot, was badly injured but will fully recover. Our thoughts and prayers are with him."

08:46 EDT Charles Schwab reports May net new assets of $24B - The Charles Schwab Corporation released its Monthly Activity Report. Company highlights for the month of May 2017 include: Net new assets brought to the company by new and existing clients in May 2017 totaled $24.0 billion. Total client assets were a record $3.00 trillion as of month-end May, up 15% from May 2016 and up 2% compared to April 2017. Client assets receiving ongoing advisory services were also a record $1.52 trillion as of month-end May, up 17% from May 2016 and up 2% compared to April 2017.

08:44 EDT Amazon Web Services says Cal Poly to migrate core applications to AWS - Amazon Web Services announced that California Polytechnic State University, one of the top engineering schools in the nation, will migrate all core applications to AWS. Cal Poly is migrating all core applications to AWS, including learning management systems, payroll, database services, mobile applications, data warehouse, content management service, security applications, student scheduling and advising services, among others. Cal Poly will also launch the "Cal Poly Digital Transformation Hub, Powered by AWS," a collaboration that will help government agencies across California move to the cloud by developing technology solutions designed to address the unique digital transformation challenges public sector agencies face.

08:35 EDT Helsinn, HMEI Pharma: First patient dosed in Phase 2 of pracinostat, azacitidine - Helsinn and MEI Pharma announced that the first patient has been dosed in a Phase 2 dose-optimization study of pracinostat in combination with azacitidine in patients with higher risk myelodysplastic syndromes who are previously untreated with hypomethylating agents. The two-stage study will be conducted at approximately 25 sites and is expected to enroll up to 120 patients with high and very high risk MDS per the Revised International Prognostic Scoring System. The high and very high risk groups represent the highest unmet need in MDS, with median survival estimates of only 1.6 years and 0.8 years, respectively. The cost of this study will be shared by Helsinn and MEI Pharma. Data from the first stage is expected in the first quarter of 2018.

08:34 EDT Great Panther Silver provides update on Coricancha mine acquisition - Great Panther reported an update on the previously announced agreement to acquire the Coricancha gold-silver-lead-zinc-copper mine and mill complex in the central Andes of Peru from Nyrstar N.V. The transaction is still subject to several customary closing conditions which the company and Nyrstar are aiming to complete before the end of June, or shortly thereafter. Once the transaction is completed, the company's plans include further evaluations of the current mine and processing infrastructure, approximately 7,800 metres of underground drilling, environmental studies, and initiation of a preliminary feasibility study. Depending upon the outcome of the PFS, development in support of operations could commence in 2018. A resource update is underway and is expected to be completed in Q3.

08:32 EDT Mattel, Fosun announce new China joint venture - Mattel announced the signing of an agreement to form a new joint venture with Fosun Group, subject to Chinese regulatory approvals. The purpose of the joint venture is to introduce a network of one-of-a-kind learning and play clubs for children and families across China, pairing Mattel's expertise in childhood learning and development through play with Fosun's experience in delivering world-class experiences in China through its Club Med subsidiary. Mattel will contribute to the design of a custom development program that leverages its expertise in learning and development through play and trusted, globally-recognized brands. The aim is to incorporate hands-on play experiences as part of the educational services offered at the clubs. Club Med will apply its expertise in operating kids' clubs, including event design, process creation and training to help these clubs become truly unique destinations for modern families. In addition, Club Med's existing brand awareness and strong engagement with Chinese member families will help strengthen the value of the partnership. Targeted to open in early 2018, the inaugural learning and play club will be located in the newly developed Bund Finance Center, the first "International Metropolitan Meeting Hub" that will bring together under one roof a variety of different functions in the areas of finance, commerce, tourism, culture and art.

08:28 EDT Rightside trading halted, news pending

08:11 EDT GE names Russell Stokes as president of GE Power, effective July 3 - GE announced that Russell Stokes, current president and CEO of GE Energy Connections, has been named president and CEO of GE Power, effective July 3. He succeeds Steve Bolze, the former president and CEO of GE Power, who has announced his decision to retire. In his new role, Stokes will lead the integration of the legacy GE Power and Energy Connections businesses into one, power-focused unit called GE Power. The new, combined GE Power business, consisting of the legacy GE Power and Energy Connections businesses, will drive better customer focus, fewer redundancies and lower costs. For 2Q17, the GE Power and Energy Connections business will report quarterly results as separate businesses, combining as one reporting entity in 3Q17.

08:07 EDT ViaSat selected by Lockheed Martin for U.S. Navy datalink communications - ViaSat (VSAT) received a follow-on contract from Lockheed Martin (LMT) to deliver datalink communications for the integration and test phase of the U.S. Navy's Long Range Anti-Ship Missile program. The contract calls for ViaSat to provide Weapon Data Link L-Band Units to support the overall missile test program's datalink communications requirements, as well as engineering support for software enhancements and flight test support. The LRASM program is the key pillar of the U.S. Navy's Offensive Anti-Surface Warfare effort to improve its ability to engage and destroy high-value targets from extended range.

08:06 EDT E-Trade reports May DARTs up 42% y/y to 211,516 - *TRADE Financial Corporation released its Monthly Activity Report for May 2017. Daily Average Revenue Trades for May were 211,516, an eight percent increase from April and a 42 percent increase from the year-ago period. Derivatives represented 32 percent of DARTs during the month. The Company added 46,839 gross new brokerage accounts in May and ended the month with approximately 3.6 million brokerage accounts-an increase of 20,415 from April. Net new brokerage assets were $1.4 billion in the month. During the month, customer security holdings increased by $5.1 billion, and brokerage-related cash decreased by $0.5 billion to $52.2 billion. Customer margin balances increased $0.2 billion, ending the month at $7.7 billion. Customers were net buyers of approximately $1.8 billion in securities during the month.

08:05 EDT Alpine Immune says plans to fild IND in 2018 for first in class module - Alpine Immune Sciences announced results from a preclinical study evaluating first-generation variant Ig domains from the company's lead program, ALPN-101. These vIgDs consisted of an ICOS ligand-based inhibitory domain engineered to acquire CD28 modulatory properties, creating a potential first-in-class dual ICOS/CD28 pathway inhibitor. Results presented demonstrate meaningful activity in an aggressive animal model of graft vs. host disease, suggesting that the ALPN-101 program and other Alpine vIgDs could potentially have clinical therapeutic utility in multiple inflammatory diseases. The data will be presented today in a poster session at FOCiS 2017, the annual meeting of the Federation of Clinical Immunology Societies, in Chicago. "This study demonstrates meaningful activity in an animal model of one of Alpine's first-generation vIgDs, part of the ALPN-101 development program. This is noteworthy because there are currently no FDA-approved therapies for the treatment of GvHD, and the severity of the disease model suggests that ALPN-101 vIgDs may be useful for other inflammatory conditions as well," said Stanford Peng, M.D., Ph.D., executive vice president of Research and Development and chief medical officer of Alpine. Additional preclinical studies are currently underway with Alpine's second- and third-generation ALPN-101 vIgDs, with results expected to be presented in an upcoming scientific forum. In April, Alpine and Nivalis Therapeutics announced that they had entered into a definitive merger agreement under which Alpine will merge with and into a wholly-owned subsidiary of Nivalis in an all-stock transaction with the surviving company named 'Alpine Immune Sciences, Inc.' and trading on the NASDAQ under the ticker symbol 'ALPN'. The merger will result in a combined company with a novel protein-based discovery platform focused on inflammation and immuno-oncology. The merger is expected to close in the third quarter of 2017, subject to the approval of the stockholders of each company and the satisfaction or waiver of other customary conditions.

08:05 EDT Celsion regains compliance with Nasdaq listing requirements - Celsion announced that it received notice from The NASDAQ Stock Market on June 13, 2017 indicating that the company has regained compliance with the minimum bid price requirement under NASDAQ Listing Rule 5550(a)(2) for continued listing on The NASDAQ Capital Market. Accordingly, Celsion is in compliance with all applicable listing standards and its common stock will continue to be listed on The NASDAQ Capital Market and NASDAQ considers the matter closed.

08:04 EDT Nielsen ad ratings selected to measure Pinterest mobile app - Nielsen announced that Pinterest has selected Nielsen Digital Ad Ratings to provide measurement for advertising on its mobile app. Using Digital Ad Ratings, marketers will now be able to evaluate the performance of their mobile campaigns running on the Pinterest app with independent audience verification metrics and consistent deduplicated persons level reporting.

08:02 EDT Accenture Labs, 1QBit work with Biogen to accelerate drug discovery - Accenture (ACN) and quantum software firm 1QBit collaborated with Biogen (BIIB) to develop a first-of-its-kind quantum-enabled molecular comparison application that could significantly improve advanced molecular design to speed up drug discovery for complex neurological conditions such as multiple sclerosis, Alzheimer's, Parkinson's and Lou Gehrig's Disease. In just over two months, Accenture Labs, Biogen and 1QBit progressed from an exploratory conversation about quantum business experimentation to an enterprise-ready, quantum-enabled application that generates molecular comparison results with deeper insights about shared traits.

08:01 EDT Target increases quarterly dividend 3.3% to 62c per share - The board of directors of Target has declared a quarterly dividend of 62c per common share, a 3.3% increase from the prior quarterly dividend of 60c. The dividend is payable Sept. 10, 2017 to shareholders of record at the close of business August 16, 2016. The 3rd quarter dividend will be the company's 200th consecutive dividend paid since October 1967 when the company became publicly held. With the increase announced today, 2017 is expected to be the 46th consecutive year in which Target has increased its annual dividend.

08:00 EDT Dow announces launch of Enlist corn in U.S., Canada - The Dow Chemical Company will launch Enlist corn in the U.S. and Canada for the 2018 growing season, enabling farmers to access the premier technology to maximize yield by controlling weeds. The company announced the news today after the Ministry of Agriculture of the People's Republic of China approved the import of grain produced from corn containing the Enlist trait. Enlist corn will be widely available in the U.S. and Canada, and will be sold as both SmartStax Enlist and PowerCore Enlist hybrids, creating the leading weed and insect control packages in the industry. The Enlist technology will also be licensed to other seed companies.

07:57 EDT Unisys selected for US Army program for cloud hosting services for up to $247M - Unisys has been selected by the U.S. Army to participate in its program for cloud hosting services work through the estimated $247M Army Cloud Computing Enterprise Transformation Basic Ordering Agreement. The three-year ACCENT BOA will provide a vehicle for organizations within the Army to transition workloads and applications to the cloud. The vehicle also covers additional services such as security and application analysis, planning and business process reengineering.

07:50 EDT WWE says WWE LIVE returns to China with first-ever show in Shenzhen - WWE announced that it will bring a live event to Shenzhen for the first time, as WWE Live China comes to the Shenzhen Bay Sports Center Arena on Sunday, September 17. The event marks WWE's return to China following last year's show at the Mercedes-Benz Arena in Shanghai.

07:45 EDT Ally Financial says deposit growth expected to outpace balance sheet growth - Sees asset growth from capital efficient assets while auto assets relatively flat. Says medium-term expectations include: Normalized auto lease balance of approximately $7B-$8B; normalized corporate finance balance of approximately $6B-$7B; commercial auto asset yields expected to rise with benchmarks. Sees "significant benefit" as unsecured debt maturities are replaced with low-cost deposits; sees about $12B in maturities for 2017-2020, between 45c-60c annual EPS benefit. Says deposit growth expected to outpace balance sheet growth over next several years as funding mix is optimized. Says betas have been muted through FOMC tightening actions to date, but are expected to steadily increase over time. Comments taken from slides being presented at the Morgan Stanley Financials Conference.

07:38 EDT Kura Oncology presents preliminary clinical, preclinical data for tipifarnib - Kura Oncology announced that clinical and preclinical data for tipifarnib in the treatment of relapsed or refractory peripheral T-cell lymphoma, or PTCL, was presented at the International Conference on Malignant Lymphoma, or ICML, being held June 14-17, 2017 in Lugano, Switzerland. Kura Oncology is conducting preclinical and clinical development studies in clinical indications where tipifarnib has previously shown signs of activity with the goal to identify and validate biomarkers associated with the observed clinical activity of tipifarnib. The preliminary Phase 2 clinical data presented at ICML indicate that tipifarnib has antitumor activity in PTCL, particularly in patients with angioimmunoblastic T-cell lymphoma histology and PTCL-NOS histology with high levels of CXCL12 gene expression and absence of single nucleotide gene variations in the 3'-untranslated region of the CXCL12 gene. Antonio Gualberto, M.D., Ph.D., Chief Medical Officer at Kura Oncology said, "Based on our preliminary data, we believe CXCL12/CXCR4 may have the potential to unlock the therapeutic value of farnesyl transferase inhibition in a number of tumor indications."

07:36 EDT Horizon Bancorp to acquire Wolverine Bancorp in cash, stock deal - Horizon Bancorp (HBNC) and Wolverine Bancorp (WBKC) announced they have executed a definitive agreement whereby Horizon will acquire Wolverine and its wholly-owned subsidiary, Wolverine Bank. Under the terms of the merger agreement, shareholders of Wolverine will receive 1.0152 shares of Horizon common stock and $14.00 in cash for each share of Wolverine common stock, which based upon the June 13 Horizon closing price of $27.50 per share would result in an implied price of $41.92 per share of Wolverine common stock.

07:33 EDT Bellatrix Exploration selling non-core assets for $34.5M - Bellatrix Exploration has entered into a definitive purchase and sale agreement for the sale of non-core assets in the Strachan area of Alberta for cash consideration of $34.5M. The Strachan asset sale is consistent with Bellatrix's strategy to maintain a focused and concentrated asset base, while strengthening the balance sheet. Upon closing of the transaction, Bellatrix plans on reviewing its 2017 CapEx budget, with the intention to reinvest a portion of the proceeds from the sale into Bellatrix's Spirit River liquids rich natural gas play to maintain current production volume guidance, while utilizing the remaining portion of the proceeds from the sale to reduce outstanding indebtedness. Average production volumes based on June month to date field estimates from the Strachan asset are approximately 1,750 Boe/d, resulting in a flowing barrel metric of $19,700/Boe/d. Closing of the Strachan asset sale is expected to occur on or before June 30 and is subject to customary closing conditions.

07:29 EDT Wolverine Bancorp trading halted, news pending

07:07 EDT MabVax Therapeutics reports 'positive' Phase 1 results for MVT-2163 - MabVax Therapeutics reported results from its Phase 1 clinical trial of its ImmunoPET imaging agent, MVT-2163, for patients with locally advanced or metastatic adenocarcinoma of the pancreas or other CA19-9 positive malignancies. To date, twelve patients have been treated in this first-in-human trial evaluating the safety and feasibility of MVT-2163 to image pancreatic tumors and other CA19-9 positive malignancies. MVT-2163 was administered alone and in combination with MVT-5873, and was well tolerated in all cohorts. The only toxicities were infusion reactions that resolved on the day of the injection, with some requiring supportive medication. Uptake of MVT-2163 was observed in primary tumors and metastases as early as day 2 and continuously through day 7. Standard Uptake Values, a measurement of activity in PET imaging, reached as high as 101 in the study. The investigators reported that the high SUV is amongst the highest lesion uptake they have ever seen for a radiolabeled antibody. Bone and soft tissue disease were readily visualized and lesion uptake of the radiotracer was higher than typically seen with PET imaging agents. The correlation with Computerized Tomography scans was high. Results showed that MVT-5873 cold antibody pre-dose reduces liver SUV facilitating detection of liver metastases. In addition, the MVT-5873 cold antibody pre-dose does not interfere with the uptake of MVT-2163 on cancer lesions. "We are delighted with the safety and quality of the PET images obtained with MVT-2163. The promising correlation with diagnostic CT warrants further studies correlating these findings with histopathology to assess the accuracy. The continual increase in high SUV values on cancer lesions in this study supports the use of the Company's MVT-1075 Radioimmunotherapy product which utilizes the same antibody to deliver a radiation dose for the treatment of patients with pancreatic, lung and colon cancers. We anticipate initiating patient dosing of our MVT-1075 radioimmunotherapy trial later this month," commented David Hansen, President and CEO of MabVax Therapeutics.

07:03 EDT Bioverativ IND application for BIVV001 accepted by FDA - Amunix Operating Inc. is pleased to announce that the FDA has accepted Bioverativ's Investigational New Drug, or IND, application for BIVV001, a novel, investigational Factor VIII therapy designed to potentially extend protection from bleeding episodes via prophylactic once-weekly dosing or longer for patients with hemophilia A. BIVV001 is the only investigational Factor VIII therapy in development that has been designed to overcome the von Willebrand factor ceiling, which is believed to impose a half-life limitation on current Factor VIII therapies.

07:02 EDT EnSync sells power purchase agreement for apartment project in Hawaii - EnSync sold a power purchase agreement for an apartment complex in Oahu, Hawaii. The 300 KW EnSync Energy system will provide electricity to the complex at a contracted price for the 20-year term of the power purchase agreement. Revenue will be recognized in the coming quarters based upon completion of project milestones.

06:58 EDT Aldeyra: one-point improvement vs. control component of primary endpoint not met - Aldeyra Therapeutics announced results from a Phase 2b clinical trial of topical ocular ADX-102 in patients with allergic conjunctivitis. Based on the data from the trial and the differentiated late-phase anti-inflammatory profile of ADX-102 that could apply to a large underserved population with allergic conjunctivitis, Aldeyra currently plans to initiate Phase 3 clinical testing with 0.5% ADX-102 following discussion with the regulatory authorities in the second half of this year. "The consistent statistically significant reductions in ocular itching scores during the late phase of ocular allergy observed in Phase 2a and Phase 2b clinical trials have confirmed the clinical activity of our lead aldehyde trap, ADX-102, and strengthened our confidence in continued clinical development as a potentially differentiated product for the large worldwide market of allergic conjunctivitis patients whose symptoms are not relieved by standard of care antihistamines," commented Todd Brady, M.D., Ph.D., President and CEO of Aldeyra Therapeutics. "While the one-point improvement relative to control component of the primary endpoint was not met, the threshold was approached in seasonal allergy patients, with peak changes of 0.8, and was exceeded on a percent change basis in this population 30 to 60 minutes after allergen challenge, which we believe represents a novel activity profile that addresses late phase inflammation generally not affected by antihistamines." Relative to levels of ocular itching in the control group, the primary endpoint required statistically significant improvement, and absolute levels of improvement of at least one point on a patient-reported scale of 0 to 4. The trial demonstrated statistically significant efficacy of 0.5% ADX-102 over vehicle in reducing ocular itching over one hour post-challenge, and effect sizes were generally larger than those observed in the prior Phase 2a clinical trial. Relative to vehicle, 0.5% ADX-102 achieved statistically significant reduction in itching at 10, 20 and 30 minutes post-challenge, exhibiting a late-phase anti-inflammatory profile that was differentiated from standard-of-care antihistamines, which are active around 5 minutes post-allergen challenge. In subjects with seasonal allergy, reductions in itching were up to 0.8 points over vehicle, approaching the one-point threshold of activity required for achievement of the primary endpoint of the trial.

06:33 EDT ReneSola receives non-binding proposal, forms committee to consider transactions - ReneSola announced that its board has received a preliminary non-binding proposal, dated June 13, from Xianshou Li, the company's Chairman and CEO, to acquire the company's manufacturing business and LED distribution business and assume related indebtedness. The Proposal estimates the value of the Acquired Businesses, net of assumed indebtedness, to be approximately negative $81M, and contemplates that in exchange for, among other things, the assumption by Li of such indebtedness, the company would issue additional American depositary shares to Li at $4.50 per ADS. If the transactions contemplated by the Proposal are consummated, the company's remaining businesses would be focused primarily on solar project development. The board has formed a special committee consisting of Martin Bloom, Tan Wee Seng, Julia Xu and Weiguo Zhou, each an independent director, to consider the Proposal and other alternatives available to the company, and has granted the special committee the authority to consider, review, evaluate and, if appropriate, negotiate a strategic transaction on behalf of the company, in order to maximize shareholder value. The special committee will conduct this process with the assistance of financial advisor and legal counsel. The board cautions the company's shareholders and others considering trading the company's securities that the board has just received the Proposal and has not had an opportunity to carefully review and evaluate the Proposal or make any decision with respect to the company's response to the Proposal.

06:07 EDT Banc of California announces resignation of interim CFO, Chief Strategy Officer - Banc of California announced that J. Francisco Turner has resigned from his roles as interim CFO and Chief Strategy Officer. Albert Wang, current Chief Accounting Officer, will assume the role of Principal Financial Officer as the company continues its search for a permanent CFO with the assistance of Korn Ferry.

06:03 EDT BioLife Solutions executes supply agreement with Adaptimmune - BioLife Solutions (BLFS) announced that it has entered into a supply agreement with NASDAQ-listed Adaptimmune Therapeutics (ADAP). Adaptimmune has multiple trials ongoing in both solid tumors and hematologic cancer types, and in cancers where survival rates for patients can be very limited. Adaptimmune's SPEAR T-cells have shown evidence of tumor reduction in patients as well as a promising risk/benefit profile. BioLife's CryoStor clinical grade cell freeze media is incorporated into Adaptimmune's manufacturing process for its SPEAR T-cells.

05:56 EDT Pretium Resources announces dismissal of class action lawsuit - Pretium Resources announced that the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York has dismissed the consolidated putative securities class action lawsuit brought against the company and certain of its officers and directors in January 2014, In re Pretium Resources Inc. Securities Litigation. The Court ruled in favor of the company and certain of its officers and directors on all claims and ordered the case closed. The company is not aware of whether the plaintiffs will appeal the dismissal of the claims or will file any post-dismissal motions.

05:54 EDT Oil-Dri Corporation of America raises quarterly dividends to 23c per share - The board of Oil-Dri Corporation of America declared quarterly cash dividends of 23c per share of the company's Common Stock and 17.3% per share of the company's Class B Stock, an approximate 5% increase for both classes of stock. The dividends will be payable on September 1 to stockholders of record at the close of business on August 18. The company has paid cash dividends continuously since 1974.

05:47 EDT Ballard Power subsidiary receives first fuel cell propulsion system order - Ballard Power announced that the company's subsidiary, Protonex, has received an initial order for its fuel cell propulsion system, together with design services, from FlyH2 Aerospace, a South African-based developer of hydrogen fuel cell powered unmanned aerial vehicles for commercial applications. For competitive reasons, commercial details of this order are confidential.

05:43 EDT Suncor provides update on Syncrude Mildred Lake Oil Sands facility - Suncor provided an update on the Syncrude Mildred Lake Oil Sands facility following the March 14 incident. Repairs are progressing as planned and the maintenance work scheduled for the fall has been added to the plan, extending the timing of full ramp up to mid-July. Shipments have been reduced to approximately 130 kbpd in order to complete the accelerated maintenance and are expected to ramp up as additional units complete turnaround activities. The cause of the incident was a split in a 6-inch carbon steel line on a naphtha hydrotreater recycle circuit. Damage was largely isolated to a piperack adjacent to the hydrotreater, containing piping, cables, and electrical circuits. The maintenance brought forward was included in Syncrude's 2017 production plan, and there is no change to Suncor's overall production guidance for 2017.