Stockwinners Market Radar for June 20, 2017 - Earnings, Upgrades downgrades, option trades, Best Stock Advisory Service

19:59 EDT Director pair leaves 'Han Solo' film - The directors of the untitled 'Han Solo' Star Wars film have left the project, Lucasfilm announced. "Phil Lord and Christopher Miller are talented filmmakers who have assembled an incredible cast and crew, but it's become clear that we had different creative visions on this film, and we've decided to part ways. A new director will be announced soon," the company said. The film remains scheduled for a May 2018 release, according to Lucasfilm. Reference Link

19:33 EDT PayPal announces instant bank transfer option - PayPal (PYPL) announced in a blog post: "PayPal users in the U.S. will soon be able to instantly transfer money to their bank accounts via eligible debit cards linked to their PayPal account. We expect that funds will typically be available in your bank account in a matter of minutes, although some banks may take up to 30 minutes. Our beta of this is now available to select PayPal users and will be made available to all U.S. PayPal users with eligible Visa or Mastercard debit cards over the coming weeks and months. This new feature is another benefit to our customers that we're able to make possible through the partnerships we announced last year with Visa (V) and Mastercard (MA) and our closer working relationship with the bank and card issuing ecosystem... Our new transfer option will be available for a nominal fee of 25c per transfer." Reference Link

18:51 EDT Shire announces FDA approval of Mydayis - Shire announced that the U.S. FDA has approved Mydayis, a once-daily treatment comprised of three different types of drug-releasing beads for patients 13 years and older with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder. Mydayis is not for use in children 12 years and younger. Shire expects to make Mydayis commercially available in the United States in the third quarter of 2017.

18:33 EDT S&W Seed appoints Mark Wong as CEO - S&W Seed announced that Mark W. Wong, an executive with more than 40 years of experience developing agribusinesses and a current member of the S&W Board of Directors, has been named S&W's CEO effective immediately. Mark Grewal, who served the Company as CEO since October 2009, resigned as CEO and as a member of the Board of Directors. Grewal is expected to remain with S&W as a consultant. Wong, with particular expertise in technology integration and commercialization. Since January 2012, Wong has served as Chairman of American Dairyco, the owner and operator of dairies in Florida and Georgia. Between 2008 and December 2015, he served either as Chairman of the Board or CEO of Agrivida, a private company that is developing and commercializing high-performance products.

18:23 EDT IBM CEO: In the middle of reinventing the company again - Says reinventing around data. Says doing "serious work" with Internet of Things. Says IBM is a "big cloud provider" to U.S. government. Ginni Rometty is speaking on CNBC.

18:11 EDT Novo Nordisk confirms positive vote from FDA panel for Victoza - Novo Nordisk announced that the Endocrinologic and Metabolic Drugs Advisory Committee of the U.S. FDA has completed its meeting regarding the supplemental New Drug Application for inclusion of the data from the cardiovascular outcomes trial LEADER in the label for Victoza. Novo Nordisk received a positive 17-2 vote from the FDA Advisory Committee that Victoza provides substantial evidence of cardiovascular risk reduction in patients with type 2 diabetes. Reference Link

18:07 EDT Uranium Resources acquires third litium exploration project - Uranium Resources announced that it has acquired a third lithium exploration project, through the staking of 9,270 acres of federal placer mining claims within the Railroad Valley of central Nevada. URI's Railroad Valley Project is located approximately 75 miles west of Ely, Nevada, and covers an area for which company-led reconnaissance sediment sampling returned lithium values as high as 366ppm.

17:25 EDT Synchronoss starts management 'streamlining,' sees up to $25M charge - Synchronoss disclosed in a regulatory filing: "On June 14, Synchronoss Technologies commenced a management streamlining and realignment plan. The primary components of the plan involve reducing layers of management, where appropriate, to increase accountability and effectiveness and streamlining certain functions to reflect the new organizational structure. As a result of this reduction in force, the Company estimates that it will recognize a pre-tax charge of approximately $22M-$25M which consists of severance payments and other termination costs. The Company anticipates that the majority of the charge will be recognized in 2Q17 and the cash expenditures will be substantially paid out by 3Q17. The plan, together with the management changes previously announced, is expected to realize approximately $70M of annualized pre-tax expense savings. These expected savings are in addition to the approximate $20M of annualized pre-tax expense synergies as a result of the staff reductions completed in connection with its acquisition of Intralinks."

17:19 EDT Medidata to replace PrivateBancorp in S&P 400 at open on 6/26 - Canadian Imperial Bank of Commerce is acquiring PrivateBancorpin a deal expected to be completed on June 23.

17:16 EDT FedEx: Continue considering price changes for peak season, heavy packages - During the company's Q4 earnings conference call, FedEx executives stated: "Preparation is underway for the 2017 peak holiday shopping season. The expectation is for another record peak season with multiple days that will set records for package pickup and delivery. We continue to work directly with a relatively small number of large customers that drive the majority of the surge in demand to ensure that we have appropriate pricing relative to volume expectations and capacity needs. We are focused on ensuring that we are compensated for the investments we make to deliver outstanding service during peak. We continue to consider additional peak pricing changes, but have not made a final decision in this regard. We also continue to experience growth in demand for large heavy package delivery as a growing array of items are now being sold online. Furniture, mattresses, sports and exercise equipment are increasingly moving to the FedEx Ground network for residential delivery. This trend has accelerated over the past 12 months... We're continuing to analyze pricing and surcharges for oversized packages."

17:01 EDT Whirlpool CEO Jeff Fettig to step down as CEO, remains Chairman of board - Jeff Fettig, Whirlpool's Chairman and CEO since 2004, will step down as CEO and continue in his role as Chairman of the Board of Directors. The Whirlpool Corporation Board of Directors has elected Marc Bitzer, the company's current President and COO, to succeed Fettig as CEO. These changes will become effective October 1.

16:43 EDT Cypress Semiconductor's stockholders elect first nominees to Board - J. Daniel McCranie and Camillo Martino, nominees for election to the Cypress Semiconductor Board of Directors, and T.J. Rodgers, founder and former CEO of Cypress and the Company's largest individual stockholder, announced that based on an estimate of the proxies and ballots submitted to the independent Inspector of Elections at the 2017 Annual Meeting of Stockholders held today, June 20, T.J. Rodgers said, "We are grateful to Cypress stockholders for their support of our two candidates. I can now get back full-time to my work on innovative technologies for the IoT and in alternative energy and let the Cypress directors do their work." Based on a preliminary estimate of the voting at today's Cypress annual meeting, our CypressFirst nominees each received over 148M votes and Cypress Board nominee Eric Benhamou received approximately 60M votes.

16:31 EDT LendingTree acquires MagnifyMoney for possible consideration of $39.5M - LendingTree announced that its subsidiary, LendingTree, LLC has acquired the company that operates MagnifyMoney.com, a leading consumer-facing media property that offers unbiased editorial content, expert commentary, tools and resources to help consumers compare financial products and make informed financial decisions. The acquisition purchase has a possible total consideration of $39.5M, which consists of $29.5M in cash at closing, and contingent consideration payments of up to $10M. The contingent consideration shall be payable in the form of restricted stock unit awards; two of such restricted stock unit awards are described in further detail below under the heading "Inducement Awards".

16:27 EDT Red Hat shares up 9.6% after beat and raise report

16:24 EDT La-Z-Boy increases share purchase authorization - La-Z-Boy's board approved the purchase of up to an additional 6M shares under the company's existing share purchase authorization. The total number of shares authorized to purchase at the present time represents approximately 18% of the outstanding shares. The purchases will be made on the open market, with consideration given to the share price, cash flow from operations, alternate investment opportunities and general economic conditions.

16:22 EDT FedEx: Results benefited from rates, volume, inclusion of TNT - "Operating results benefited from higher base rates, increased package volume and the inclusion of TNT Express results. Net income and earnings per share reflect tax benefits of $104M, or $0.37 per diluted share, related to the implementation of new foreign currency tax regulations, the adoption of a new accounting standard for share-based payments, and certain transactions related to the TNT Express integration," FedEx says.

16:18 EDT FedEx CFO: 'Very optimistic' about FY18 - "Investments to modernize our aircraft fleet and expand our FedEx Ground capacity are supporting our strong earnings growth," said Alan Graf, executive vice president and chief financial officer. "We are very optimistic about fiscal 2018 as evidenced by our earnings outlook."

16:10 EDT Alexander & Baldwin partners with Carbon Lighthouse to reduce energy consumption - Alexander & Baldwin has teamed up with Carbon Lighthouse, a pioneer in Efficiency Production, to dramatically reduce the energy consumption of three well-known Oahu commercial properties, continuing A&B's commitment to enhancing local communities and supporting sustainability throughout the state. The energy efficiency initiatives are expected to result in a lifetime reduction of more than 9,700 tons of carbon, equivalent to conserving over 22,600 barrels of oil.

16:09 EDT Adobe CFO: Excited about 'strong' business momentum - "We're excited about the strong business momentum we have as we enter the second half of fiscal 2017 and remain confident in our ability to drive strong revenue and earnings growth in the future," says CFO Mark Garrett.

16:05 EDT magicJack holder Twinleaf says $9.50/share bid should be accepted if one exists - In a regulatory filing, magicJack disclosed that Twinleaf Management, which holds a 5% stake, sent a letter to the company's board, stating in part: "With regard to the strategic review, we hope that you aim to expeditiously conclude the process. It doesn't take a genius to recognize that companies with chronic revenue declines and a history of strategic blunders are not often worth more tomorrow than they are today. If indeed there is a bona fide offer for our company at $9.50 per share, we'd like to see it signed to binding agreement and announced. Look no further than the current stock price for an indication that investors are highly skeptical. If our board is unable to achieve that result, we urge you not to reveal such an unsatisfactory outcome to the market without a concurrent and immediate plan to return substantial cash to shareholders. Failure to neither sell the company nor return capital will further damage credibility among investors and inflict more pain on beleaguered shareholders."

16:01 EDT Pebblebrook Hotel completes sale of Dumont NYC for $118M

15:47 EDT Alibaba's Tsai says groceries an 'important category' for the company - Asked about Amazon's (AMZN) deal to buy Whole Foods (WFM), Tsai said he wasn't surprised at all, adding "great minds think alike." Alibaba Vice Chairman Joe Tsai is being interviewed on CNBC.

15:19 EDT Twitch, Blizzard announce two-year livestream collaboration - Amazon's (AMZN) videogame-focused livestream platform Twitch and Activision Blizzard's (ATVI) Blizzard Entertainment announced a two-year worldwide collaboration that includes third-party live streaming rights to select Blizzard esports content as well as special game content for Twitch Prime subscribers. "Through this collaboration, Twitch will have the third-party rights for streaming many of Blizzard's biggest esports events through 2018... In addition, Twitch Prime gamers will rake in several stellar perks for their favorite Blizzard games. As the first part of this landmark license deal, Blizzard is licensing third-party streaming-platform rights to Twitch for a range of Hearthstone, Heroes of the Storm, World of Warcraft, StarCraft II, and Overwatch esports content," the companies said.

14:57 EDT Chipotle dips after signaling continued high costs to win back consumers - Shares of Chipotle Mexican Grill (CMG) fell Tuesday after the restaurant chain "clarified" its second quarter outlook, appearing to confirm that costs related to food, marketing, and promotion will remain elevated as it seeks to regain consumer trust following its 2015 food scares. CHIPOTLE WARNS ON COSTS: In a regulatory filing after Monday's close, Chipotle "clarified" its financial outlook in connection with an investor meeting, saying that "for Q2, we continue to expect food costs to be approximately 34.2% of sales, and marketing and promotion costs to be up approximately 20-30 basis points versus Q1 to 3.6%-3.7% of sales. As a result, we expect other operating costs as a percentage of sales for Q2 to be at or slightly higher than reported for Q1. For the full year, we continue to expect comparable restaurant sales increases in the high single digits." PIPER MAKES ONLY MINOR TWEAKS: Piper Jaffray's Nicole Regan highlighted that the news follows a "solid" Q1 report and says the Q2 guidance update necessitates only "relatively minor" tweaks to her quarterly models. The analyst maintains her earnings predictions for both 2017 and 2018, adding that the firm's latest checks generally reflect the consensus opinion that trends are now "headed in the right direction," likely helped by Chipotle's TV campaign. Regan reiterated an Overweight rating and $530 target on the stock while noting that its next catalyst is "stringing together a series of steady quarterly improvements." MAXIM PREFERS DEEPER PULLBACK: While keeping a Hold rating and $440 target on Chipotle, Maxim's Stephen Anderson cut his Q2 profit estimate to $2.62 from $2.87 per share on the company's likely higher costs, adding that he had previously expected food expenses to improve as promotional activity and commodity prices eased. The analyst models double-digit comparable sales growth for the quarter while warning of impacts from the Easter holiday shift and Chipotle's recently-disclosed data breach, saying he still prefers to wait for a "deeper pullback" before recommending the stock. DEUTSCHE HIGHLIGHTS MARGIN CONCERNS: Writing that margin recovery "remains under pressure," Deutsche Bank analyst Brett Levy says food, marketing, and other operating costs continue to form an "apparent drag on restaurant-level profits." Levy lowered his second quarter EPS view by 20c to $2.04 and highlighted that management indicated sequential expense pressures are expected to persist and could near 100 basis points of additional costs versus the prior consensus forecast for restaurant-level margins. The analyst keeps a Sell rating on the shares, arguing that Chipotle "faces an uphill battle" to regain lost sales while lifting margins PRICE ACTION: Dropping sharply upon market open, shares of Chipotle remain down 6.7% to $428.31 in late day trading.

14:06 EDT Topgolf says partners with ClubCorp to accelerate golf experience - Topgolf announced it is teaming with ClubCorp to "grow interest and participation in golf among Topgolf's 10.5M players and ClubCorp's 430,000 members." The strategic alliance results in Topgolf providing new technology and benefits for ClubCorp members, and ClubCorp providing special offers and experiences at ClubCorp clubs. "While specific program elements are being finalized, Topgolf and ClubCorp leaders see opportunity to enhance the golfing experience across physical and digital platforms. For example, Toptracer Range, Topgolf's newly released product for driving ranges, could bring a more interactive format to the private clubs' driving ranges," the companies noted.

13:24 EDT Calpine move higher attributed to SparkSpread report - Private equity investor Energy Capital is said to have built a long position in Calpine and is also bidding to acquire the company, according to SparkSpread. Reference Link

13:16 EDT Google rolls out job search feature - Google announced in a blog post: "At I/O, we announced Google for Jobs, a company-wide initiative focused on helping both job seekers and employers, through deep collaboration with the job matching industry... Today, we're taking the next step in the Google for Jobs initiative by putting the convenience and power of Search into the hands of job seekers... Starting today in English on desktop and mobile, when you search for 'jobs near me,' 'teaching jobs,' or similar job-seeking queries, you'll see in-depth results that allow you to explore jobs from across the web." Reference Link

12:56 EDT Snapchat dips as competitor Instagram Stories tops 250M users - Facebook global marketing VP Carolyn Everson confirmed in a CNBC interview Tuesday that Instagram Stories, which has drawn comparison to Snapchat (SNAP), now has 250M daily active users, up from 200M in April. Everson commented: "Today on the platform, we not only have 250M people using it, but actually a third are businesses using Instagram Stories, and we have 1M advertisers." Asked whether the growth of Instagram Stories is "coming at the expense" of Snapchat, Everson told CNBC: "Our user growth for Stories is actually coming at just explosive growth for Instagram overall. Instagram is now overall at 700M people globally. Facebook is over 1.9B people." PRICE ACTION: Shares of Snap are down 2.6% in afternoon trading. Reference Link

12:44 EDT Alexion advances after CEO buys shares - Shares of Alexion (ALXN) advanced Tuesday after CEO Ludwig Hantson bought more than $1M in company stock. INSIDER BUY: Monday night, Alexion chief Ludwig Hantson reported the purchase of 10,000 company shares at an average price of $116.72. The purchase was carried out on June 14, according to the filing. PRICE ACTION: Alexion is up 3.59% to $120.33 in afternoon trading.

12:37 EDT Sprint jumps 2% after Handelsblatt says T-Mobile readying for merger

12:12 EDT Sprint expands in Southern California with 78 new retail stores - Sprint continues to expand its presence and investment in Southern California with plans to add more than 550 new jobs and 78 new retail locations throughout the southland by the end of 2017. The new jobs will include a combination of retail, operations and technical experts. Currently, Sprint counts more than 1,400 employees and operates more than 300 branded retail locations throughout the Southern California region.

11:39 EDT Lennar sees FY17 home deliveries 29,500-30,000 homes - Sees the average home sale price of $370,000-$375,000 in FY17. The company is on track to hit its FY17 operating margin guidance. The company back its FY17 gross margin guidance of 22%-22.5%. Management said the strongest markets have been Seattle, Portland, and California and they are "very optimistic" about the end of the year. Management expects each of the business segments to grow and mature as the company enters the back half of the year. CFO Bruce Gross said labor costs rose 7% vs. last year. Guidance and comments provided during Q2 earnings conference call.

11:07 EDT Atlantic Equities favorable on airlines' outlook, likes Delta, United best - Research firm Atlantic Equities started coverage of the airlines sector with a favorable outlook. The firm says that it's "encouraged" by the sector's ability to maintain its profitability above the peak levels of prior cycles. Atlantic Equities started coverage of Delta (DAL) and United Continental (UAL) with Overweight ratings, but it initiated coverage of American Airlines (AAL) with an Underweight, its equivalent of a sell rating. The firm started coverage of Southwest (LUV) with a Neutral rating. SECTOR: Airlines are benefiting from several positive macro trends, including "moderating capacity additions," an improving economy, and the launch of "branded fares," wrote Atlantic Equities analyst Lindsay Bettiol. As a result of these factors, the outlook for the sector's unit revenues has improved, according to the analyst, who noted that the industry's revenue per available seat mile increased last quarter for the first time in over two years. Meanwhile, most of the companies in the sector have already implemented price increases, and fuel prices are falling, so "cost pressures appear subdued," according to Bettiol. Consequently, the sector's margins should rise in the second half of this year and into fiscal 2018, she predicted. DELTA: The airline has "the correct balance" of exposure to improving margins and protection from any economic weakness, the analyst stated. Additionally, Delta has a "dominant position at its major hubs" and its free cash flow generation is above the sector average, according to the analyst, who placed a $68 price target on the stock. UNITED CONTINENTAL: The airline has the greatest operating leverage in the sector, making its results more likely to improve than Delta, but also making it riskier than the latter company, according to Bettiol. However, since the sector's dynamics look positive, United Continental's risk/reward ratio is also favorable, she believes. The analyst set a $100 price target on the shares. AMERICAN AIRLINES: Although American Airlines has some positive attributes, United Continental offers the same positive catalysts at lower risk, since its financial leverage is much lower than that of American, according to Bettiol. The analyst set a $56 price target on American. PRICE ACTION: In morning trading, United Continental slid 0.6% to $78.19, Delta fell 0.8% to $52.12, and American dropped 2% to $48.68.

11:05 EDT Federal Reserve terminates enforcement action against JPMorgan - The Federal Reserve Board announced the termination of its enforcement action against JPMorgan that began on July 6, 2011. Reference Link

10:50 EDT Bombardier announces Ethiopian Airlines as previously undisclosed Q400 customer - Bombardier Commercial Aircraft announced that Ethiopian Airlines Enterprise is the previously undisclosed customer that signed a firm purchase agreement for five additional Q400 turboprop aircraft. Based on the list price of the Q400 aircraft, the contract is valued at approximately $162M. Ethiopian Airlines' initial order for eight Q400 aircraft plus four options was announced on November 20, 2008. Four re-orders directly and through Palma Capital, including the one announced on June 9, increase the airline's Q400 aircraft fleet to 24 aircraft, the largest in Africa. Bombardier has now recorded a total of 585 Q400 aircraft on firm order.

10:08 EDT Boeing announces Japan Investment Adviser commitment for 10 737 MAX 8s - Boeing and Japan Investment Adviser Co. announced at the Paris Air Show a commitment to purchase 10 Boeing 737 MAX 8s. The commitment, valued at $1.12B at current list prices, will become JIA's first direct purchase of new airplanes. The order will be reflected on Boeing's Orders and Deliveries website once it has been finalized.

09:41 EDT Yum! Brands says has 'flexibility' with capital structure

09:37 EDT Yum! Brands says Pizza Hut will be a 'slow build' - Says trying to improve online ordering at Pizza Hut.

09:34 EDT Yum! Brands says expects to accelerate KFC store growth globally

09:29 EDT Johnson Outdoors agrees to sell Silva trademark rights in North America to Silva - Johnson Outdoors announced that in cooperation with Silva Sweden AB the two companies have come to terms for Silva Sweden AB to acquire the Silva trademark rights in North America. This transaction will provide Silva Sweden with the global trademark rights to the Silva brand. The two companies have signed a transfer agreement with the intent to close the sale on January 4, 2018. For the remainder of 2017, Johnson Outdoors will continue to service the North American market. Effective immediately, Silva Sweden AB will begin the sell-in process for 2018. Silva Sweden AB will partner with Liberty Mountain Sports as the exclusive distributor in the United States and with Rock Gear Distribution in Canada.

09:23 EDT On The Fly: Pre-market Movers - HIGHER: Lennar (LEN), up 3.6% after reporting quarterly results... Lipocine (LPCN), up 28.9% after announcing that LPCN 1021 achieved its primary endpoints in dosing studies... PAREXEL (PRXL), up 3.8% following an announcement that it will be acquired by Pamplona Capital Management for $88.10 per share. LOWER: Chipotle (CMG), down 4% after reaffirming and clarifying its second quarter and fiscal 2017 guidance... Fidus Investment (FDUS), down 3.2% after its 1.75M share Spot Secondary priced at $16.80... ADP (ADP), down 2% after being downgraded to Neutral from Conviction Buy at Goldman Sachs.

09:19 EDT Minnesota Timberwolves, Fitbit announce multi-year partnership - The Minnesota Timberwolves announced a new three-year partnership with Fitbit. Fitbit is now the "Official Wearable" and "Official Sleep Tracker" of the Minnesota Timberwolves, Minnesota Lynx and Iowa Wolves in a partnership that extends to the court, arena, back-office and fans. Fitbit will provide access to devices to all three teams, including business and basketball staffs. Fitbit's logo will appear on Timberwolves player uniforms beginning with the 2017-18 season as the team's jersey patch partner, as well as on the Iowa Wolves jerseys.The jersey patch will be unveiled later this summer with the new uniforms. The team will wear the jerseys for the first time during two exhibition games against the Golden State Warriors in October as part of the 2017 NBA Global Games in China. Fitbit and the Timberwolves organization are exploring opportunities for the Iowa Wolves to serve as a testbed for using Fitbit technology in new ways to enhance basketball performance. Fitbit will also receive a number of marketing assets, including branding and integration across the team's mobile app, in-arena signage and team store. The companies are working to integrate the new concessions menus into the food logging section of the Fitbit app, making it easier for fans to make more informed decisions about what to eat and track food consumed at games. Fitbit will also reach fans through the team's social channels, including the branded Fitbit Stat Tracker that showcases Timberwolves player stats and highlights, and involvement in community relations events, as well as Fitbit Challenges.

09:17 EDT RadNet aquires equity stake in Medic Vision - RadNet announced that RadNet has acquired an equity stake in Medic Vision. This investment comes after both parties announced last summer that RadNet will use Medic Vision's CT Dose reduction and management and XR-29 compliance products in numerous facilities. The companies also added that they will join forces in the development and validation of Medic Vision's future products.

09:15 EDT Yum! Brands says China business 'off to strong start' - Says trying to "ramp up" new unit development to increase system sales growth. Says new store pipeline is "getting stronger." Comments from Oppenheimer 17th Annual Consumer Conference.

09:09 EDT Ligand's partner Melinta Therapeutics announces FDA approval of Baxdela - Ligand Pharmaceuticals announces that partner Melinta Therapeutics, a privately held company focused on discovering, developing, and commercializing novel antibiotics to treat serious bacterial infections, announced that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration has approved Baxdela, indicated in adults for the treatment of acute bacterial skin and skin structure infections caused by susceptible bacteria. Baxdela is a fluoroquinolone that exhibits activity against both gram-positive and gram-negative pathogens, including MRSA, and is available in both intravenous and oral formulations. Baxdela IV utilizes Ligand's Captisol technology. As a result of the approval, Ligand has earned a $1.5M milestone payment and will earn a 2.5% royalty on Baxdela IV sales. The Baxdela New Drug Application approvals were supported by two Phase 3 studies in patients with ABSSSI, demonstrating that IV and oral Baxdela monotherapy was statistically non-inferior to the combination of vancomycin plus aztreonam at the FDA primary endpoint of early clinical response at 48-72 hours. Baxdela was well tolerated with a 0.9% discontinuation rate in the Phase 3 studies due to adverse events. In addition, Baxdela has not shown any potential for QT prolongation or phototoxicity in definitive clinical studies. There have been no signals of adverse effects on liver function, kidney function, or glucose regulation in controlled clinical studies. The 450 mg tablet is bioequivalent to, and interchangeable with the 300 mg IV dose, and can be dosed without regard to food. There are no anticipated drug-drug interactions with delafloxacin other than co-administration with chelating agents, such as antacids.

09:07 EDT Ford announces $900M investment in Kentucky Truck plant - Ford is investing $900M in Kentucky Truck Plant for plant upgrades to build the all-new Ford Expedition and Lincoln Navigator, which begin arriving in dealerships this fall. Both full-size SUVs will be exported to more than 55 markets globally - including Navigator to China. Ford is a top auto exporter in the U.S. The $900M investment secures 1,000 jobs for hourly workers at the Louisville plant. This is in addition to the $1.3B investment and 2,000 jobs created at that plant in late 2015 to build the all-new Ford Super Duty. Kentucky Truck employs nearly 7,600 full-time hourly workers - and Ford has more U.S. hourly workers and builds more vehicles in the U.S. than any other automaker. "Ford's next-generation Ford Focus will be more spacious and packed with technology that customers want," the company said. Production begins in the second half of 2019, with models coming from the company's existing Focus plants globally. Most new North American Focus models initially will come from China, with additional variants coming from Europe later. No U.S. hourly employees will be out of a job tied to the new manufacturing plan for Focus. Production of the current North American Focus at the Michigan Assembly Plant continues through mid-2018. Following that, the plant will be converted to produce the Ranger midsize pickup truck in late 2018 and the Bronco midsize SUV in 2020.

09:04 EDT BB&T officially renames former Susquehanna Commercial Finance unit - BB&T (BBT) announced it has officially renamed the former Susquehanna Commercial Finance unit as BB&T Commercial Equipment Capital. The bank completed its acquisition of Susquehanna Bancshares (SUSQ) effective Aug. 1, 2015. Since the acquisition, SCFi has operated as a division of Branch Banking and Trust Company and will continue to do so.

09:02 EDT Qualcomm makes strategic investment in Amionx - Amionx and Qualcomm announced Qualcomm's strategic investment in Amionx. As part of its investment, Qualcomm President Derek Aberle will join the board of directors of Amionx. Amionx has pioneered and patented a transformative technology called Safe Core that acts like a circuit-breaker to prevent lithium-ion batteries from being the source of a fire or explosion. Lithium-ion is one of the most successful battery chemistries ever introduced with billions of cells being produced every year, with estimated annual revenue at well over $35B. Additionally, rapid growth is forecasted in coming years as lithium-ion batteries become even more pervasive in many applications, including consumer electronics, electric vehicles and energy storage. However, as volumes grow and companies push the boundaries of lithium-ion battery technology, there have been an increasing number of battery fires and explosions which, in some cases, have resulted in billions of dollars of damages. While manufacturers use various techniques to improve safety, these existing techniques often reduce performance and/or increase cost and do not guarantee safety from overcharge, internal short or certain high temperature environments. Amionx Safe Core can prevent batteries from becoming the source of costly damages resulting from these issues.

08:51 EDT Diana Shipping announces time charter contract for m/v Protefs - Diana Shipping announced that, through a separate wholly-owned subsidiary, it has entered into a time charter contract with Hudson Shipping Lines for one of its Panamax dry bulk vessels, the m/v Protefs. The gross charter rate is $7,900 per day, minus a 5% commission paid to third parties, for a period of minimum twelve months to about fifteen months. The charter is expected to commence on June 23. This employment is anticipated to generate approximately $2.84M of gross revenue for the minimum scheduled period of the time charter.

08:43 EDT Boeing, United Continental announce order for 100 737 MAX 10s - Boeing (BA) and United Airlines (UAL) announced an agreement at the 2017 Paris Air Show to convert 100 of its current 737 MAX orders into 737 MAX 10s, becoming the largest single 737 MAX 10 customer in the world. United also announced an order for four additional 777-300ER aircraft. United expects to begin taking delivery of the 737 MAX 10 in late 2020.

08:37 EDT GDS Holdings signs partnership with Tencent Cloud Computing - GDS Holdings announced that it has signed a strategic partnership agreement with Tencent Cloud Computing, under which GDS Holdings, recognized as preferred carrier-neutral data center provider, will provide secured and continuous data center resources to Tencent Cloud to support its ever-growing demand. The two parties will also work closely on cloud computing and related professional solution services to provide users with the best public cloud experiences.

08:33 EDT Pure Storage director Volpi Michelangelo sells 1.425M shares - Pure Storage director Volpi Michelangelo disclosed last night the sale of 1.425M shares. The shares were sold on June 15 and June 16.

08:32 EDT FalconStor appoints Todd Oseth as CEO - FalconStor Software announced the appointment of Todd Oseth as president and CEO effective July 1. The company also announced that Gary Quinn, formerly FalconStor president and CEO, has voluntarily resigned effective July 1. Prior to joining FalconStor, he was president and CEO of Intermap Technologies

08:26 EDT IAMGold completes sale of 30% interest in Cote Gold Project to Sumitomo - IAMGOLD announced that it has completed the sale of 30% of its interest in the Cote Gold Project to a wholly-owned subsidiary of Sumitomo Metal Mining for $195M, as previously announced on June 5. On closing, IAMGOLD received $100M in cash, with the remaining $95M payable on the earlier of 18 months following closing, or the date of public filing of a feasibility study with respect to the Cote Gold Project. With the completion of this transaction, the Company's liquidity now exceeds $1B. In connection with the sale, IAMGOLD and Sumitomo have entered into a joint venture with respect to the Cote Gold Project, IAMGOLD having 70% and Sumitomo having 30% of the total participating interests in the joint venture. RCI Capital Group acted as financial advisor and originator of the buy side on behalf of IAMGOLD, Fasken Martineau acted as legal counsel to IAMGOLD, and DLA Piper acted as legal counsel to Sumitomo.

08:13 EDT ANSYS appoints Janet Lee as general counsel - ANSYS announces appointment of Janet Lee as general counsel. Lee will help the engineering simulation leader navigate sophisticated legal topics as it enters the next phase of its growth. Lee brings ANSYS international legal and business expertise from more than two decades of experience working at law firms and high-tech companies around the world. She most recently served as senior legal officer at HERE Technologies, a global mapping and location services provider spun off in 2015 from Nokia Corporation. At HERE, she oversaw all legal and compliance activities and managed the patent portfolio.

08:10 EDT Hamilton Lane acquires Real Asset Portfolio Management - Hamilton Lane announced the acquisition of Real Asset Portfolio Management, or RAPM, a Portland, Oregon-based investment management firm focused exclusively on real assets. Hamilton Lane plans to acquire substantially all of the assets of the firm and will bring on the full RAPM team in their current roles. The RAPM team, led by Steve Gruber and Brent Burnett, will remain based in Portland and will manage the new combined real assets investment team to provide global coverage of the asset class. Closing is expected to occur later in 2017 and is subject to customary closing conditions.

08:08 EDT The Weather Company expands relationship with Elite Airways - The Weather Company, an IBM Business, announced that it will be expanding its relationship with Elite Airways, a U.S. Part 121 Air Carrier providing charter and scheduled service throughout North and South America. Elite Airways is expanding upon its current use of The Weather Company's WSI Fusion global tracking and dispatch services by adding a suite of aviation products that are designed to provide the airline with the critical flight planning information it needs to make the most informed decisions for its crew and passengers.

08:05 EDT ConforMIS announces FDA clearance for iTotal Hip replacement system - ConforMIS announced it has received FDA 510(k) clearance of the company's primary iTotal Hip replacement system. Mark Augusti, CEO and president of ConforMIS said, "FDA clearance of iTotal Hip demonstrates the ability to apply our proprietary iFit(R) image-to-implant technology to other joints. There has been a trend towards personalized healthcare and we believe patients expect and deserve personalized treatment." The ConforMIS iTotal Hip system features proprietary iFit technology similar to that used to design, manufacture and deliver customized knee implants. The system utilizes ConforMIS's patient-specific technology, single-use 3D printed instruments and just-in-time delivery model to create a system that requires limited reusable instruments. "We expect to leverage synergies with sales representatives, surgeons and hospitals upon limited launch, which is anticipated for 2019," added Augusti.

08:05 EDT Norsat enters amended agreement to be acquired by Hytera for $11.50 per share - Norsat International announced that it has entered into an amended arrangement agreement with a subsidiary of Hytera Communications, pursuant to which Hytera will acquire all the issued and outstanding shares of Norsat for $11.50 in cash per share, pursuant to a court-approved plan of arrangement. All unexercised options and restricted share units will also be acquired under the Arrangement. The proposed transaction values Norsat at an equity value of approximately $70.6M. The cash consideration per share represents a premium of 81% over the unaffected trading price of the shares on September 16, the last trading day prior to the announcement on September 19 by Privet, a shareholder of Norsat, of its interest in acquiring Norsat. The Arrangement also represents a premium of 86% over the 20-day VWAP on September 16. The previously adjourned annual general and special meeting of securityholders is scheduled to resume on Thursday, June 22. The Arrangement will be subject to a number of customary conditions, including the approval of at least 66 2/3% of the votes cast by securityholders at the meeting. If approved by securityholders, and subject to the receipt of court approval and to the receipt of all required regulatory approvals, the transaction is expected to close in the third quarter of 2017.

08:04 EDT Energy Transfer reports approx. 12.36M units of PennTex accepted for purchase - Energy Transfer Partners (ETP) announced that as of 5:00 p.m. Eastern Time on June 19, 2017, approximately 12,360,503 common units representing limited partner interests in PennTex Midstream Partners, LP (PTXP), including those Common Units delivered through notices of guaranteed delivery, were validly tendered and accepted for purchase in the tender offer by ETP. ETP has made payment to American Stock Transfer & Trust Company, LLC, which is acting as the Depositary in connection with the Offer, for the accepted Common Units. The number of Common Units validly tendered in the offering period satisfies the non-waivable condition that not less than a majority of the PennTex Common Units held by unitholders that are not affiliates of ETP be validly tendered, and satisfies the condition that, following the closing of the Offer, ETP and its affiliates own at least 16,571,405 Common Units, representing greater than 80% of the outstanding PennTex Common Units. Upon the exercise of the Limited Call Right, ETP will own all of the economic interests of the Partnership and will be entitled to all of the benefits resulting from those interests. In addition, the Common Units will cease to be listed on the NASDAQ Global Select Market or publicly traded.

08:03 EDT Ashford Hospitality Prime and Marriott sign agreement for Courtyard hotel - Ashford Hospitality Prime (AHP) announced that it has entered into an agreement with Marriott (MAR) to convert its Courtyard Philadelphia Downtown hotel to an Autograph Collection property. Additionally, the Company announced that it has begun marketing for sale its Marriott Plano Legacy hotel. The agreement with Marriott calls for the Courtyard Philadelphia to be converted to an Autograph hotel by June 30, 2019 pursuant to a conversion Product Improvement Plan, or PIP, currently estimated to be approximately $23M which will create a distinctive theme and style for the property that is commensurate with the Autograph product. Marriott will continue to manage the property after the conversion under a management agreement. The Company also announced that it is listing its Marriott Plano hotel for sale and has engaged Holiday Fenoglio Fowler to market the property to potential buyers. The sales effort was officially launched at the NYU Hospitality Investment Conference during the first week of June.

08:02 EDT Glu Mobile, WWE partner on development of upcoming mobile game - Glu Mobile (GLUU) announced it has entered into a multi-year agreement with WWE (WWE) to develop a mobile game featuring WWE Superstars, logos and marks. Currently being developed by the same studio as Glu's largest sports franchise, Tap Sports Baseball, Glu's WWE title will include simple, one-touch gameplay mechanics with deep meta game features. The project will utilize the names and likenesses of many of the organization's most popular legends including The Undertaker, Stone Cold Steve Austin, The Rock and Triple H, as well as current roster of fan-favorites such as John Cena, Roman Reigns and Brock Lesnar. Currently slated for global release in 2018, Glu will release additional information on the game's development at a later date.

08:02 EDT Hytera agrees to acquire Norsat for revised amount of $11.50 per share

07:56 EDT Boeing, CALC announce order for 50 737 MAXs - Boeing and China Aircraft Leasing Group announced an order for 50 737 MAX airplanes at the 2017 Paris Air Show. The agreement includes an order for 15 of the new 737 MAX 10, which was launched Monday at the show. This order is CALC's first direct purchase from Boeing, with a value of $5.8B at list prices. CALC currently owns a fleet of 89 aircraft. With this new order, its outstanding order book now consists of 139 aircraft, putting the company on track to deliver a total of no less than 230 aircraft by 2023.

07:44 EDT Fang Holdings expects a decrease in top line revenue - The Company is undergoing adjustments to its transformations and is returning to open-platform strategy. Before these changes are finalized, the company will see a decrease in its top line revenue.

07:34 EDT Alliance Data to provide label credit card services to Diamonds International - Alliance Data Systems announced its Columbus, Ohio-based card services business, a premier provider of branded private label, co-brand and commercial credit programs, has signed a new multi-year agreement to provide private label credit card services for Diamonds International.

07:33 EDT Biogen appoints Ginger Gregory as chief human resources officer - Biogen (BIIB) announced the appointment of Ginger Gregory, as executive VP, chief human resources officer, effective July 17. Gregory, who was most recently the chief human resources officer at Shire Pharmaceuticals (SHPG), will lead the company's global HR function and organizational strategy and will serve as a member of Biogen's executive committee.

07:30 EDT Parexel deal has $276M reverse termination fee - In a regulatory filing, PAREXEL says The Merger Agreement also provides that Parent will be required to pay the Company a reverse termination fee of $276M upon the termination of the Merger Agreement by the Company under specified conditions. Pamplona Investment Partners I, L.P. has entered into a limited guarantee with the Company to guarantee Parent's obligation to pay the Company the Parent Termination Fee and make certain other specified payments to the Company, subject to the terms and conditions set forth in the limited guarantee.

07:07 EDT Parexel to be acquired by Pamplona in transaction valued at approx. $5B - PAREXEL International Corporation and Pamplona Capital Management announced that they have entered into a definitive agreement under which Pamplona will acquire all of the outstanding shares of PAREXEL for $88.10 per share in cash in a transaction valued at approximately $5B, including PAREXEL's net debt. The purchase price represents a 27.9% premium to PAREXEL's unaffected closing stock price on May 5, 2017, the last trading day prior to published market speculation regarding a potential transaction involving the Company; a 38.5% premium to the unaffected 30-day volume weighted average closing share price of PAREXEL's common stock ended May 5, 2017; and a 23.3% premium to the Company's undisturbed 52-week high. "Today's announcement is the culmination of a comprehensive review of the opportunities available to the Company, including interest solicited and received from multiple parties with the assistance of independent financial and legal advisors. Having considered these opportunities, the PAREXEL Board of Directors unanimously determined that this all-cash transaction and the significant, certain value it provides is in the best interest of PAREXEL shareholders, as well as our company," said Josef von Rickenbach, Chairman and CEO of PAREXEL. The transaction is not subject to a financing condition. Bank of America Merrill Lynch and J.P. Morgan Chase Bank, N.A. have provided committed financing for the transaction. The transaction is expected to close early in the fourth quarter of 2017, subject to the approval of a majority of PAREXEL shareholders and the satisfaction of other customary closing conditions. PAREXEL expects to hold a Special Meeting of Shareholders to consider and vote on the proposed agreement with Pamplona as soon as practicable after the mailing of the proxy statement to shareholders. The PAREXEL Board of Directors unanimously approved the transaction and intends to recommend that all PAREXEL shareholders vote to approve the agreement with Pamplona. Upon the completion of the transaction, PAREXEL will become a privately held company and shares of PAREXEL's common stock will no longer be listed on any public market. Goldman Sachs & Co. LLC is acting as financial advisor to PAREXEL, and Goodwin Procter LLP is serving as legal counsel. Perella Weinberg Partners LP is acting as financial advisor to Pamplona, and Kirkland & Ellis LLP is serving as legal counsel.

07:05 EDT Parexel to be acquired by Pamplona Capital for $88.10 per share

07:01 EDT Boeing, Azerbaijan Airlines announce commitment for four 787 Dreamliners - Boeing and Azerbaijan Airlines announced a commitment for four 787-8 Dreamliners at the 2017 Paris Air Show. The announcement, valued at $918M at list prices, will be posted to the Boeing Orders and Deliveries website once finalized.

06:57 EDT PAREXEL trading halted, news pending

06:53 EDT Brown & Brown acquires assets of Spann Insurance - J. Scott Penny, Chief Acquisitions Officer of Brown & Brown, and Gwen Spann, Jack Spann, Lee Spann and John Spann IV, the principals, widow and descendants of John A. Spann, the founder of Spann Insurance, announced that Brown & Brown of Tennessee, a subsidiary of Brown & Brown, has acquired substantially all of the assets of Spann Insurance.

06:36 EDT Haverty Furniture says Q2 sales up approximately 1.6%, SSS up 0.4% y/y - Havertys sales for the second quarter to date of 2017 are up approximately 1.6% over the same period last year and comparable store sales are up 0.4%. Havertys' stores are closed for Easter and the holiday occurred in April this year versus March last year. Written comparable store sales for the second quarter to date after adjusting 1.6% for the Easter shift are up 0.3%. This compares to a written comparable store sales increase of 4.5% for the full second quarter of 2016, also adjusted for the shift in Easter in 2016. "Our written comparable store sales in the second quarter reflect soft written business except for a very good Memorial Day holiday sales period," said Clarence Smith, chairman, president and CEO. "We look forward to the impact of the new products in our showrooms and appealing advertising for the upcoming July 4th holiday sales," Smith concluded.

06:34 EDT Triangle Capital closes $20.0M unitranche debt investment in Schweiger - Triangle Capital that it closed a $20.0M unitranche debt investment in Schweiger Dermatology Group. Schweiger is the largest provider of medical, cosmetic and surgical dermatology services in the New York City area.

06:32 EDT Aimmune announces preliminary clinical data from PALISADE trial - Aimmune Therapeutics reported findings from pre-randomization, preliminary clinical data collected from the European screening population of the PALISADE trial in Aimmune's AR101 program. In addition, the company reported observations from a survey on current management and use of oral immunotherapy for peanut allergy across Western Europe. The data were presented at the 2017 European Academy of Allergy and Clinical Immunology, or EAACI, Congress in Helsinki. AR101 is Aimmune's investigational biologic oral immunotherapy for desensitization of patients with peanut allergy. The Phase 3 PALISADE trial of AR101 enrolled 554 peanut-allergic patients ages 4-49 in eight countries in Europe and in the U.S. and Canada. Aimmune presented a preliminary dataset of 166 patients in Europe who underwent a screening double-blind, placebo-controlled food challenge to determine eligibility for the PALISADE trial. The DBPCFC allowed a progression of doses of peanut protein up to a dose of 100 mg. Patients who reacted with dose-limiting symptoms at or before the 100-mg dose were eligible for randomization into the trial.

06:24 EDT Boeing, Ryanair finalize order for 10 additional 737 MAXs - Boeing (BA) and Ryanair (RYAAY) finalized an order today for 10 additional 737 MAXs at the 2017 Paris Air Show. The order is valued at more than $1.1 B at current list prices. The Irish low-cost carrier now has 110 unfilled orders with 100 options for the higher capacity 737 MAX 8, as well as 65 Next-Generation 737-800s.

06:09 EDT BlackRock leads EUR30M funding round for Scalable Capital - BlackRock has taken a stake in Anglo-German digital investment manager Scalable Capital, making a push into Europe's "robo-adviser" market. Scalable Capital today announced the signing of a EUR30M funding round, led by BlackRock alongside existing investors HV Holtzbrinck Ventures and Tengelmann Ventures. This funding round is one of Europe's largest for a digital investment manager to date, bringing Scalable Capital's total funding to EUR41M. BlackRock has taken a significant minority equity stake in Scalable Capital to help them grow their business with financial institutions and corporates. Patrick Olson, BlackRock's Chief Operating Officer of EMEA, will join Scalable Capital's Supervisory Board. Scalable Capital expects the changing regulatory landscape in Europe to result in the need for financial institutions to increase investor protection, value for money and transparency. Consequently, firms will be seeking technological solutions to assist with portfolio construction, risk management, and digital distribution. Scalable Capital's platform provides a practical solution for firms looking at technology to help shape their business models for the future. Scalable Capital will remain an independent company. Its product selection and asset allocation decisions will continue to be independent. The investment is subject to regulatory approval and expected to close in the third quarter of 2017.

06:05 EDT Cenovus Energy plans to double production from Deep Basin assets by 2021 - The integration of Cenovus's (CVE) newly acquired short-cycle, high-return-potential Deep Basin assets in Alberta and British Columbia is proceeding well. The company plans to double production from those assets to an average of 240,000 BOE/d in 2021 and has identified approximately 1,500 net drilling opportunities in the Deep Basin that have the potential to generate strong returns. Cenovus expects to increase production at its best-in-class oil sands operations to more than 440,000 barrels per day over the next five years, including the addition of 50,000 bbls/d of production capacity at Christina Lake phase G, which is expected to start producing in 2019. The company also has the option to add an additional 40,000 bbls/d of capacity at Foster Creek and 65,000 bbls/d through its proposed Narrows Lake phase A project. Decisions about those expansions will be considered once Cenovus's planned asset sales are complete and the balance sheet is deleveraged. Cenovus plans to undertake a more robust approach to its hedging strategy in the near-term to help maintain financial resilience while the asset sale process is underway. While the underlying strategy of using hedging to help manage targeted cash outflows remains unchanged, the company now has approval from its Board of Directors to hedge up to 75% of forecast crude oil volumes this year and in 2018. This is up from 50% prior to the acquisition. As of June 15, 2017, the company had hedges in place on approximately 143,000 bbls/d of crude oil for the remainder of this year at an average floor price of about US$51.50/bbl and 50,000 bbls/d of crude oil hedged for the first half of 2018 with an average floor price of approximately US$49.70/bbl. The company completed its acquisition of assets in Alberta and British Columbia from ConocoPhillips (COP) on May 17. The transaction included ConocoPhillips' 50% interest in the FCCL Partnership, which was the companies' jointly owned oil sands venture, as well as the Deep Basin assets and doubled Cenovus's current crude oil and natural gas production and reserves base.

06:02 EDT Cenovus Energy plans to grow free funds flow 14% a year through 2021 - Cenovus Energy (CVE) put forward a five-year plan that the company expects will generate 14% annualized free funds flow growth through 2021 at a West Texas Intermediate price of $55 per barrel while increasing production at a 6% compound annual growth rate and reducing its debt. The plan entails disciplined capital investment to maintain the company's current oil sands production and add barrels from expansion phase G at Christina Lake as well as grow volumes at its newly acquired Deep Basin assets. As part of its continued commitment to cost leadership, Cenovus also plans to achieve an additional $1B of cumulative capital, operating and general and administrative cost reductions over the next three years. Cenovus is progressing its plan to divest non-core assets and is targeting between $4B and $5B in announced sales agreements by the end of the year, which is expected to more than satisfy the $3.6B asset sale bridge facility used to help fund the acquisition from ConocoPhillips (COP). The company is now targeting to reach divestiture agreements by the end of 2017 for its entire legacy conventional portfolio. The divestiture processes for the Pelican Lake and Suffield assets are already well underway, and the company is now in the process of preparing data rooms for its Palliser asset in southern Alberta and its Weyburn CO2 enhanced oil operation in southern Saskatchewan. Combined, all of these assets are expected to produce approximately 112,000 barrels of oil equivalent per day in 2017.

05:59 EDT Boeing, Blue Air announce order for six 737 MAXs - Boeing (BA) and Blue Air announced an order for six 737 MAX airplanes at the 2017 Paris Air Show. The order was previously attributed to an unidentified customer on the Boeing Orders & Deliveries website. The Romanian carrier will also lease a further six 737 MAXs and six Next-Generation 737-800s from Air Lease (AL).

05:58 EDT Bombardier signs LOI with SpiceJet for up to 50 Q400 Aircraft - Bombardier Commercial Aircraft announced from the International Paris Air Show, that it has signed a letter of intent, or LOI, with SpiceJet of Gurgaon, India for up to 50 Q400 turboprop airliners. The LOI includes 25 Q400 turboprops and purchase rights on an additional 25 aircraft. Based on the Q400 turboprop list price, an order could be valued at up to $ 1.7B.

05:56 EDT Boeing projects need for 41,030 new aircraft over 20 years, valued at $6.2T - Boeing has raised its forecast for new airplane demand, projecting the need for 41,030 new airplanes over the next 20 years valued at $6.1T. The company's annual Current Market Outlook, or CMO, was released today at the Paris Air Show, with total airplane demand rising 3.6 percent over last year's forecast. "Passenger traffic has been very strong so far this year, and we expect to see it grow 4.7 percent each year over the next two decades," said Randy Tinseth, vice president of Marketing, Boeing Commercial Airplanes. "The market is especially hungry for single-aisle airplanes as more people start traveling by air." The single-aisle segment will see the most growth over the forecast, fueled by low-cost carriers and emerging markets. 29,530 new airplanes will be needed in this segment, an increase of almost 5 percent over last year. The forecast for the widebody segment includes 9,130 airplanes, with a large wave of potential replacement demand beginning early in the next decade. With more airlines shifting to small and medium/large widebody airplanes like the 787 and 777X, the primary demand for very large airplanes going forward will be in the cargo market. Boeing projects the need for 920 new production widebody freighters over the forecast period. The Asia market, including China, will continue to lead the way in total airplane deliveries over the next two decades. Worldwide, 57 percent of the new deliveries will be for airline growth, while 43 percent will be for replacement of older airplanes with new, more fuel efficient jets.

05:53 EDT Boeing, ACG announce order for 20 737 MAX 10s valued at $2.49B - Boeing and Aviation Capital Group, or ACG, announced an order for 20 737 MAX 10 airplanes at the 2017 Paris Air Show. The order, valued at $2.49B at list prices, adds ACG to the growing launch group of the newest, largest member of the 737 MAX family. ACG is already a part of the 737 MAX family with 60 current orders, including a mix of MAX 8s and MAX 9s. The addition of the 737 MAX 10 will provide ACG's customers with more capacity and the lowest costs per-seat of any single-aisle airplane.

05:48 EDT Spirit AeroSystems, Norsk Titanium announce commercial aerospace collaboration - Spirit AeroSystems and Norsk Titanium AS have entered into a commercial agreement to produce 3D-printed structural titanium components for the commercial aerospace industry. Norsk Titanium's proprietary plasma arc Rapid Plasma Deposition technology will be used to build up the parts to a near-net shape, reducing waste, using less energy and reducing product costs by up to 30%. Spirit currently builds thousands of titanium parts for multiple customers around the globe and expects that at least 30% of them could be candidates for the RPDTM process.

05:46 EDT HAF signs LOI to purchase up to 12 Lockheed Martin Hybrid Airships for $500M - Hybrid Air Freighters, or HAF, signed a Letter of Intent, or LOI, to purchase up to 12 Lockheed Martin Hybrid Airships, at a total value of approximately $500M. HAF is working with Hybrid Enterprises, the exclusive reseller of Lockheed Martin's Hybrid Airships, to finalize the purchase agreement. With significant logistics and aviation experience, Paris-based HAF was established specifically to act as an owner-operator of the Lockheed Martin Hybrid Airships.

05:41 EDT Novartis study shows almost half of chronic urticaria patients go untreated - Novartis announced new baseline results from a real world study of 3,733 chronic urticaria, or CU, patients showing many are not receiving adequate care, with almost half not receiving any treatment at all for the debilitating disease despite 83% suffering a negative impact on their quality of life. The findings are consistent with earlier research that found many chronic spontaneous urticaria, or CSU, patients are not treated according to recommended guidelines that include Xolair the only licensed option for CSU, a type of CU. The findings were presented at the European Academy of Allergy and Clinical Immunology Annual Congress in Helsinki, Finland.

05:36 EDT II-VI acquires Integrated Photonics for $45M cash at closing with $2.5M earn out - II-VI Incorporated (IIVI) announced the acquisition of Integrated Photonics, headquartered in Hillsborough, NJ, in a cash transaction valued at approximately $45M at closing and with a $2.5M earn out. Integrated Photonics was founded in 2000 as a spin-out of the magneto-optic materials group of AT&T Bell Labs (T). The acquisition is a strategic fit for the II-VI Photonics segment. The magneto-optic materials extend II-VI's broad portfolio of engineered materials and vertically integrated solutions to further penetrate the fiber laser market and to address emerging magnetic sensing applications.

05:31 EDT Regis appoints Andrew Lacko as CFO - Regis (RGS) announced that the board has appointed Andrew Lacko as EVP and CFO, effective July 1. Lacko will replace Michael Pomeroy, who has served as Interim CFO since February 1. He currently serves as SVP, Global Financial Planning, Analysis and Corporate Development, of Hertz Global Holdings (HTZ).

05:26 EDT Boeing, Okay Airways announce orders for 15 737 MAXs, sign MOU for 5 Dreamliners - Boeing and Okay Airways announced an order for 15 737 MAX airplanes, valued at $1.8B at current list prices. The order consists of eight 737 MAX 10s and seven 737 MAX 8s. The airline also signed a memorandum of understanding, or MOU for five 787-9 Dreamliners as part of its long-term fleet strategy and expansion.