Stockwinners Market Radar for June 21, 2017 - Earnings, Upgrades downgrades, option trades, Best Stock Advisory Service

20:05 EDT Forestar boosts Starwood deal price, says D.R. Horton bid could prove superior - Forestar Group (FOR) announced it has amended its merger agreement with Starwood Capital to increase the merger consideration to $15.50 per share in cash. Forestar previously announced that it had entered into a merger agreement with Starwood on April 13 pursuant to which Starwood would acquire all outstanding shares of Forestar common stock for $14.25 per share in cash. Other than the increase in the consideration to $15.50 per share in cash, all other terms and conditions in the Starwood agreement remain unchanged. Forestar also previously announced that on June 5, it had received an unsolicited nonbinding proposal from D.R. Horton (DRI) to acquire 75% of the outstanding shares of Forestar common stock for $16.25 in cash. Today, Forestar's board determined that the proposal from D.R. Horton continues to be a proposal that could reasonably be expected to lead to a superior proposal, as defined in Forestar's amended merger agreement with Starwood. "Forestar's board of directors, which is committed to maximizing value for shareholders, will continue to take certain actions in accordance with the procedures set forth in the amended merger agreement with Starwood to further consider D.R. Horton's proposal, including participating in discussions or negotiations regarding D.R. Horton's proposal, in order to determine whether it constitutes a 'superior proposal.'"

18:38 EDT Peak Resorts to apply for permits for two expansion projects - Peak intends to apply for construction permits at the company's Hunter Mountain resort in Hunter, New York, to increase the resort's skiable acreage by approximately 25-30%. The new area will feature a parking area and a detachable high speed chair lift. The company's goal is to complete the project in time for the 2018-2019 ski season. The expansion is expected to cost approximately $9M and has the potential to generate $1.5M-$2M in incremental EBITDA per year. Peak also intends to apply for a permit to construct a zip tour at its Hidden Valley resort in Wildwood, Missouri. The company's goal is to begin construction this fall and complete the project for use beginning in the fall of 2018. The project is expected to cost approximately $2.5M and has the potential to generate $0.5M-$1M in incremental EBITDA per year. The company's EB-5-funded West Lake water project and Carinthia base ski lodge project at Mt. Snow are running within budget and on schedule for their completions prior to the 2017-18 and 2018-19 ski seasons, respectively.

18:04 EDT ION Geophysical announces new acquisition offshore Gabon - ION Geophysical announced a new 2D multi-client program offshore Gabon, EquatorSPAN II, in cooperation with the Gabon Ministry of Petroleum and Hydrocarbons, Direction General des Hydrocarbures of Gabon. The program includes over 1,900 km of new high-quality, deeply-imaged seismic data and is supported with industry prefunding. EquatorSPAN II addresses the need for greater understanding of geologic conditions and basin evolution in support of future offshore license rounds. The program will image the deep basin architecture, define the limits of the various basins along the equatorial margin and identify potential petroleum systems. In addition, EquatorSPAN II integrates available offshore well data to regionally calibrate key stratigraphic horizons.

17:52 EDT TearLab receives Nasdaq listing extension - TearLab announced that on June 19, 2017, the Nasdaq Hearings Panel granted the company's request for continued listing on The Nasdaq Capital Market, pursuant to an extension and the company's continued progress on the compliance plan presented to the Panel, through October 6, 2017, by which date the company must evidence full compliance with all applicable criteria for continued listing on The Nasdaq Capital Market, including the $2.5M stockholders' equity requirement. The company is diligently working to timely satisfy the terms of the Panel's decision.

17:42 EDT On The Fly: After Hours Movers - UP AFTER EARNINGS: Oracle (ORCL), up 10.8%. ALSO HIGHER: New Residential (NRZ), up 2.6% after it raised its quarterly dividend to 50c per share from 48c per share. DOWN AFTER EARNINGS: Steelcase (SCS), down 18.7%. ALSO LOWER: Jernigan Capital (JCAP), down 8% after it filed to sell 3M shares of common stock... Taylor Morrison (TMHC), down 2.5% after it filed to sell 10M shares of Class A common stock.

17:35 EDT TPG reports 10.2% stake in Playa Hotels & Resorts after warrants exchange

17:21 EDT Oracle's Ellison: AT&T deal 'just the start' - Says expects IaaS, PaaS to surprass SaaS.

17:18 EDT Oracle sees Q1 cloud revenue up 48%-52%

17:02 EDT Six Flags says new credit agreement to reduce interest costs - Six Flags Entertainment announced that its bank lenders have approved a reduction to the borrowing rate on the company's $545M Term Loan B Credit Facility. The overall borrowing rate was reduced by one-quarter of one percent, moving from a rate of LIBOR plus 2.25 percent to a rate of LIBOR plus 2.00 percent. Excluding the cost of the transaction, the lower borrowing rate will save the company approximately $1.4M annually in interest costs, Six Flags said.

16:45 EDT Oaktree Capital funds increases beneficial ownership in SunOpta - Oaktree Capital Management announced that funds managed by Oaktree have increased their beneficial ownership in common shares of SunOpta during the second quarter of 2017. On May 12, 2017, the Investors acquired 1,392,699 Common Shares in the aggregate through the facilities of the NASDAQ exchange, at a price of $8.00 per share. Following such acquisition, the Investors now beneficially own an aggregate of: 4,392,699 Common Shares that they acquired through the facilities of the NASDAQ exchange; and 85,000 Series A preferred shares of SunOpta Foods, Inc., a subsidiary of SunOpta, which were acquired in connection with the previously announced private placement transaction completed on October 7, 2016.

16:36 EDT New Residential raises quarterly dividend to 50c per share from 48c - New Residential Investment announced that its board of directors declared a quarterly dividend of 50c per common share for the second quarter of 2017, up from 48c per common share in the first quarter of 2017. The dividend is payable on July 28, 2017 to shareholders of record on July 3, 2017.

16:27 EDT WestRock to buy assets from Island Container, Combined Container - WestRock announced that it has entered into agreements to acquire substantially all of the assets of Island Container Corp. and Combined Container Industries LLC, which together are independent producers of corrugated boxes, sheets and point-of-purchase displays.The assets to be acquired include a corrugator and the corrugated converting operations located in Wheatley Heights, New York, and certain related fulfillment assets located in Saddle Brook, New Jersey."Island Container and Combined Container have longstanding relationships with customers in cosmetic, pharmaceutical and food markets in the Northeastern United States, and we look forward to continuing these relationships," said Steve Voorhees, chief executive officer of WestRock. "This acquisition will enable us to integrate more than 80,000 tons of containerboard into our corrugated packaging business." WestRock will pay total consideration representing an EBITDA multiple of less than 4.5 times on a post-synergy basis. The consideration will be made in cash. The transaction is subject to customary closing conditions.

16:25 EDT Mitek Systems names SaaS veteran Jeff Davison as CFO - Mitek announced that Jeff Davison has joined the company as CFO, effective June 21, 2017. "Jeff brings a wealth of financial, operational and public company experience, and extensive SaaS expertise that will be a tremendous asset to our leadership team as Mitek continues to evolve into a leading SaaS ID verification provider," said James DeBello, Chairman and CEO, Mitek. "The Board of Directors and I are delighted to welcome Jeff and look forward to his contribution as we move forward with our aggressive growth plan. Delivering over 50 percent growth in our ID business in the second quarter, Mitek continues to gain momentum with our industry leading mobile ID verification offering, which squarely addresses the over $10B and growing identity and access management market." Mr. Davison has more than 25 years of experience in the financial operations and management of technology companies, including serving as CFO at RightNow Technologies, a successful SaaS CRM company. During his 12-year tenure at RightNow, he played a key role in taking RightNow from a privately held company through a successful IPO and ultimately its $1.8 billion acquisition by Oracle. He was instrumental in executing RightNow's acquisition activities, completing four acquisitions, and also served as VP Sales Operations and VP Finance and Operations. Mr. Davison also previously served as an SVP at NetSuite, CFO of Outbrain, and in senior finance and sales positions at other leading tech companies. "This is an exciting time for Mitek as the company continues to emerge into a global leader in SaaS identity verification," said Davison. "I am thrilled to join the talented leadership team as they continue to grow the business and further expand their presence in this large and growing industry, and I look forward to driving increased shareholder value." Mr. Davison will replace Russ Clark, who is leaving the company to pursue other opportunities. "On behalf of the Board, I would like to thank Russ for his extraordinary contributions to Mitek over the last five-plus years, and we wish him the best in his future endeavors," added DeBello.

16:22 EDT Alexander & Baldwin partners with TerViva on energy crop project in Central Maui - Alexander & Baldwin and TerViva today announced plans to cultivate pongamia on 250 acres of former sugar plantation lands in Central Maui. Pongamia is a highly productive energy crop with great potential to address Hawaii's need for renewable fuels, bioenergy, and diversified agriculture. The test project will confirm pongamia's agronomic suitability in central Maui and determine production costs and yields at commercial scales. The initial planting is expected to begin later this summer with the possibility of expanding up to 2,000 acres or more. Pongamia is a long-living tree that produces an annual harvest of seeds similar to soybeans. TerViva estimates pongamia can produce more than 400 gallons of oil per acre, which can be used to produce biofuels.

16:21 EDT Gabelli reports 6.51% stake in Nutraceutical

16:19 EDT Steelcase CEO says expects to increase investments in new products - "Our industry is changing as customers begin to adopt dramatically different spaces that support new ways of working," said Jim Keane CEO. "We expect to increase our investments in new products and partnerships relevant to their emerging needs. These investments are intended to help us broaden our addressable market and create new growth opportunities for the future. The success of the products we launched in recent years, and the awards and other recognition we earned at the Neocon trade show give us confidence that customers and influencers agree we are on the right track.

16:16 EDT Molina Healthcare to enter Mississippi Medicaid managed care market - Molina Healthcare announced that its wholly owned subsidiary, Molina Healthcare of Mississippi, has been notified by the Mississippi Division of Medicaid of its intent to award a Medicaid Coordinated Care Contract for the statewide administration of the Mississippi Coordinated Access Network. The objectives of the MississippiCAN program are to improve access to needed medical services, improve quality of care and population health, and improve the efficiency and cost effectiveness of the Medicaid program. Molina Healthcare of Mississippi was selected by the Division pursuant to its request for proposals issued in February 2017. The contract begins July 1, 2017, for three years with options to renew annually for up to two additional years. The operational start date for the program is currently scheduled for July 1, 2018, pending the completion of a readiness review with the Division.

16:09 EDT Five Prime says Lewis Williams to transition from CEO in 2018 - Five Prime Therapeutics announced Lewis T. "Rusty" Williams, M.D., Ph.D., founder of Five Prime, plans to transition from the position of President, CEO and Chairman of the Board of Five Prime to the role of Executive Chairman of the Board in 2018. The board will conduct a comprehensive search for a candidate to fill the CEO position. Dr. Williams will remain in his current role until the new CEO has been appointed. Dr. Williams has discussed with the board his desire to eventually return to the Executive Chairman role while still maintaining an active role in Five Prime. As part of ongoing succession planning discussions, the transition is expected to occur in 2018. In addition to the Executive Chairman role, Dr. Williams will serve as chair of the Five Prime Scientific Advisory Board. He will also lead a small innovation team focused on utilizing Five Prime's unique discovery platform to generate potential novel therapeutic approaches.

16:07 EDT Oracle reports Q4 non-GAAP operating margin 43%

16:04 EDT Oracle up over 5% to $48.93 after Q4 results

16:03 EDT OvaScience CFO Couturier to step down - Following the restructuring and the reduction in scope of the operations of OvaScience, Christophe Couturier, the company's Chief Financial Officer, is stepping down and will pursue other opportunities. Jonathan Gillis, Vice President of Finance, who has been with OvaScience for more than four years, will assume Couturier's responsibilities.

16:03 EDT OvaScience to discount AUGMENT efforts, will cut workforce by about 50% - OvaScience announced that it will discontinue ongoing efforts related to the AUGMENT treatment outside of North America. The company is committed to minimizing the impact of this change on women and families in affected areas. OvaScience will continue to pursue business development opportunities for the treatment. In conjunction with this decision, OvaScience will restructure its organization to better align with these strategic priorities, including reducing its workforce by approximately 50%. These changes will enable the company to extend its cash position into the first quarter of 2020, which it expects will allow it to achieve key 2019 milestones for OvaTure and OvaPrime, including: complete embryo transfers in the OvaPrime clinical trial by the end of the first quarter of 2019; initial readout of six months of post-EggPC cell reintroduction safety data for all patients in the OvaPrime clinical trial by the end of the first quarter of 2019; all potential births in the OvaPrime clinical trial by the end of 2019; initial readout of embryo transfers of all patients in the OvaPrime clinical trial by the end of 2019; bovine live birth from EggPC cell-derived egg in the OvaTure program by the end of the first quarter of 2019; six-month post-bovine live birth follow-up in the OvaTure program by the end of the third quarter of 2019; and submission of human OvaTure for regulatory approval by the end of the second quarter of 2019. As a result of the restructuring announced today, OvaScience expects its operating cash burn for 2017 to be lower than previously indicated and that the Company will have sufficient funds, without additional financing, to support its revised operating plan into the first quarter of 2020.

15:21 EDT Valhi Inc trading resumes

15:03 EDT Agrium, Potash to become 'Nutrien' upon merger closing - Potash Corporation of Saskatchewan (POT) and Agrium (AGU) announced that once the anticipated merger transaction closes, the new company will be named "Nutrien." The new organization will be "the global leader in reliable, low-cost crop nutrient production, combined with the largest agricultural retail-distribution network in the world," the companies said. The regulatory review and approval process for the merger transaction continues and the parties expect closure of the transaction to take place in the third quarter of 2017.

14:04 EDT Nike gains, Foot Locker dives amid reports of direct-sale deal with Amazon - Nike (NKE) gained Wednesday following reports indicating a potential direct-sale deal with Amazon (AMZN), sending shares of Foot Locker (FL) sharply lower and leading Wall Street to call the event a possible negative for sporting goods retailers and department stores. WHAT'S NEW: NPD Group's Matt Powell tweeted early Wednesday: "Hear Nike will sell directly on Amazon." Following that statement, Bloomberg quoted a source as saying Amazon will start selling Nike shoes directly via a "brand-registry" program that curates selection to fight counterfeiters. The Wall Street Journal added its sources to the pile of confirmatory reports later in the afternoon, saying Nike has agreed to sell "some" products directly on Amazon in exchange for the company policing counterfeit and third-party sales. GOLDMAN SACHS CHECKS: Goldman Sachs analyst Lindsay Mann says channel checks "indicate NKE could be close to commencing a direct relationship selling product on Amazon." She notes that Nike products are already "abundantly available" on Amazon through third-party sellers, but argues that this new step would give the company direct economic exposure to a significant distribution channel while improving brand presentation on the platform and expanding its access to millennial consumers. Based on her benchmarking of other wholesale brands on Amazon.com, Mann doesn't expect the move to be immediately needle-moving for Nike, and estimates the company building an incremental 100 basis points of global sales as the partnership ramps. More generally, the analyst says Nike's potential move could "inspire" other holdout wholesale brands to pursue their own direct relationships with Amazon. Turning to Dicks Sporting (DKS) and Hibbett Sports (HIBB), Mann says Nike's move would amount to incremental competition for sporting goods retailers that could offset the market share gains accruing to Dicks in the wake of bankruptcies in the space. NEGATIVE FOR DEPARTMENT STORES: Gordon Haskett analyst Charles Grom says Nike's potential move would "clearly have a negative impact" on department stores, with particular implications for J.C. Penney (JCP) and Kohl's (KSS) as one of their "big national brand traffic drivers" would be impaired. PRICE ACTION: Shares of Nike are up 1.8% in afternoon trading while shoe-centric retailers Foot Locker and Finish Line (FINL) are down 6% and 4.3%, respectively. Nike's smaller rival Under Armour (UAA), meanwhile, is lower by about 2%.

13:31 EDT GE Aviation, JV partners receive over $31B in orders, commitments at Paris show - GE Aviation and its its joint venture companies, led by CFM International, announced more than $31B in orders and commitments at this week's Paris Air Show. The orders and commitments included more than 1,700 GE and CFM engines as well as a full suite of TrueChoice engine maintenance offerings.

12:58 EDT GM expects to recognize disposal loss of up to $700M on Peugeot/Opel deal - In a regulatory filing, GM (GM) said that as previously announced, the company entered into a Master Agreement with Peugeot (PUGOY), under which the Purchaser will acquire, together with a financial partner, the Seller's European financial subsidiaries and branches, as well as the Parent's Opel and Vauxhall businesses and certain other assets in Europe. The net consideration to be paid for the European Operations will be 0.8 times their book value at closing, which the Company estimates will be approximately $1B, denominated in Euros. The purchase price is subject to certain adjustments as provided in the Agreement. The Company expects to recognize a disposal loss of up to $700M based on current foreign currency exchange rates. The transfer of the Transferred Business is subject to the satisfaction of various closing conditions and the transfer of the Opel/Vauxhall Business is expected to close by the end of 2017 and the transfer of the European Operations is expected to close as soon as practicable after the receipt of necessary antitrust, financial and other regulatory approvals, which may be after the transfer of the Opel/Vauxhall Business, but not before. The transfer of the European Operations will not occur unless the transfer of the Opel/Vauxhall Business occurs. The Agreement contains certain termination rights for both the Seller and the Purchaser, including if certain closing conditions with respect to the transfer of the Opel/Vauxhall Business have not been satisfied on or before June 1, 2018.

12:41 EDT Pressure seen on Target after Amazon, Wal-Mart deals - Following recent acquisitions by Amazon (AMZN) and Wal-Mart (WMT), Target (TGT) will face increased pressure from the competition, Citi analyst Kate McShane said, leading her to downgrade the stock to Neutral to Buy. UNDER PRESSURE: McShane, who also lowered her price target on the retailer's stock to $56 from $63, said Target's two main competitors, Wal-Mart and Amazon, have "very quickly changed the game" with their recent deals for Jet.com, Bonobos and Whole Foods (WFM). Target's strategy of separating itself through offering immediate access to a range of food skewing towards fresh, natural, and organic has "effectively been muted" by Amazon's acquisition of Whole Foods, McShane wrote. In addition, Wal-Mart's acquisitions of online apparel retailers that target millennials highlight Target's lack of in-store and online differentiation, she said. With Target already under pressure from declining brick-and-mortar traffic and its key differentiator, Signature, decelerating, the analyst thinks revenue growth will be tougher to achieve absent a "game changing move" of its own. She added she believes Target deserves a more modest valuation as the company has been inconsistent in its guidance and management may "lack foresight into near-term drivers of traffic trends." Target has also already realized big catalysts for growth over the past couple of years through the close of its underperforming Canadian segment, the sale of its pharmacy business to CVS (CVS), cost cuts and improved capital allocation, she said. PRICE ACTION: Target shares were roughly unchanged at $50.89 in early afternoon trading, though over the last five sessions the stock is down about 12%.

12:32 EDT Twitter's Periscope rolls out 'Super Hearts' tipping feature - Twitter's Periscope announced in a blog post: "Today, we're introducing a more meaningful way to celebrate your favorite broadcasters with Super Hearts, virtual gifts you can give and receive during live broadcasts... With the introduction of Super Hearts, we're also announcing the Super Broadcaster Program. Broadcasters invited into this program can exchange their star balance for cash. This program is available in the US, and will roll out internationally soon." Reference Link

12:21 EDT Diageo to buy Casamigos in deal valuing tequila brand up to $1B - Diageo has entered into a definitive agreement to acquire Casamigos, a "super-premium" tequila brand in the U.S. The transaction values Casamigos at up to $1B, with initial consideration set at $700M and a further potential $300M based on a performance linked earn-out over 10 years. Casamigos was created in 2013 by founders Rande Gerber, George Clooney and Mike Meldman. "The brand's quality and uniqueness has delivered impressive growth, reaching 120K cases in 2016, primarily in the U.S., and a CAGR of 54% in the last two years. The brand is on track to reach over 170K cases by the end of 2017," the company said. The transaction is expected to close in the second half of calendar 2017. "Diageo expects the transaction will be EPS neutral for the first three years and accretive thereafter. We expect the acquisition will be economic profit positive in the fourth full fiscal year post-completion," the company said. Reference Link

12:16 EDT Cummings, Welch issue letter to Trump 'condemning' reported drug pricing order - Representative Elijah Cummings, ranking member of the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform, and Representative Peter Welch, a senior Democrat on both the Oversight Committee and the Committee on Energy and Commerce, announced Wednesday they have sent a letter to President Donald Trump "strongly condemning press reports that his upcoming drug pricing executive order will grant the pharmaceutical industry's wish list while doing nothing to lower drug prices for American families." Cummings and Welch wrote, "Recent press reports indicate that you are poised to issue an executive order that would implement administrative actions culled directly from the pharmaceutical industry's wish list." Reference Link

11:46 EDT Missouri AG sues opiod manufacturers for fraud - Missouri Attorney General Josh Hawley filed a lawsuit against three large drug manufacturing companies in the Circuit Court of St. Louis City. Hawley is suing Purdue Pharma, Endo Health Solutions and Janssen Pharmaceuticals (JNJ). The lawsuit alleges that these companies fraudulently misrepresented the serious risks posed by the drugs they manufacture and sell. "Our state faces an urgent public-health crisis brought on by fraud. These companies have profited from the suffering of Missourians," Hawley said. "Today, we begin to fight to put an end to this crisis as we fight for the thousands of lives endangered and lost to the opioid epidemic." The drug companies named in today's suit carried out a complex, multi-year campaign in which they deliberately misrepresented the addictive risks of opioids. This resulted in thousands of patients being given unnecessary opioids prescriptions, often to treat chronic pain. Reference Link

11:31 EDT Malaysia Airlines signs two FHS components support agreements with Airbus - Malaysia Airlines has selected Services by Airbus to provide Flight Hour Services Components support for its new fleet of six A350 XWB and existing fleet of 18 A330s. These long-term agreements cover guaranteed spare parts availability through an extensive scope of A350 XWB and A330 Line Replaceable Units, maintenance and logistics services at Malaysia Airlines' main base and selected outstations.

11:29 EDT Airbus: EFW secures second A330-300P2F conversion contract from DHL Express - DHL Express has ordered an additional four firm and 10 optional A330-300 passenger-to-freighter conversions from Elbe Flugzeugwerke, the joint venture between ST Aerospace and Airbus. This follows the launch contract for four similar A330-300P2F conversions that was also awarded by DHL Express in July last year. The first aircraft under the launch contract is currently undergoing conversion at EFW's Dresden-based facilities, and is on track to be redelivered by the end of 2017.

11:15 EDT Snap introduces 'Snap Map' location sharing feature - Snap announced that "We've built a whole new way to explore the world! See what's happening, find your friends, and get inspired to go on an adventure! It's easy to get started - just pinch to zoom out and view the Map! You decide if you want to share your location with friends, or simply keep it to yourself with Ghost Mode. If your friends are sharing their location with you, their Actionmoji will appear on the Map. Actionmojis only update when you open Snapchat. We hope you enjoy the new Map as much as we do!" Reference Link

11:02 EDT CBS reaches agreement with fuboTV to add networks to live streaming TV service - fuboTV announced a new agreement with CBS to carry CBS and the Network's popular sports and entertainment channels, including CBS Sports Network, The CW, Pop and CBSN, CBS News' 24/7 digital streaming news service. All networks in the deal will be available to stream live, with much of their programming available on demand as well, through fuboTV's entry-level "Fubo Premier" bundle. The multichannel, live TV streaming service will also offer subscribers the ability to stream CBS-owned television stations in some of the largest U.S. markets at launch. Later this summer, customers will be able to stream CBS-owned The CW affiliates. Plus, all affiliates of CBS and The CW will have the opportunity to participate. Financial terms were not disclosed.

10:58 EDT AMD processors seen as threat to Intel in the data center - The shares of AMD (AMD) are climbing after the company announced the launch of its EPYC series data center processors. Analysts were upbeat on the processors, as research firms Canaccord and Craig-Hallum raised their price targets on AMD and Bank of America Merrill Lynch said the processors could create a positive "turning point" for the company. Meanwhile, Merrill Lynch downgraded Intel (INTC) to Neutral from Buy, citing increased competition from AMD and Nvidia (NVDA). AMD TARGETS HIKED: Craig-Hallum analyst Christian Schwab raised his price target on AMD to $17 from $16, stating that the company's list of customers and partners, which includes Microsoft (MSFT), Baidu (BIDU) and Dell, is "strong." AMD emphasized that EPYC offers better performance and lower prices than competing chips from Intel, according to Schwab, who said he's more confident in AMD's data center business following the product launch. He reiterated a Buy rating on the stock. Meanwhile, Canaccord's David Evanson said AMD has "built the foundation to re-emerge as a solid competitor in the enterprise, cloud and storage tiers of the server market. Evanson, who raised his price target on AMD shares to $20 from $17, said the "unique" combination of CPU and GPU technologies embodied in AMD's processors add value to customers' deep learning and AI endeavors. He kept a Buy rating on the shares. TURNING POINT: BofA analyst Vivek Arya says that EPYC could be a "turning point" for the company's data center business, as the product appears to provide "significantly better price per performance" compared to competing products from Intel. It seems that the product will enable AMD to gain market share in the server market, added Arya, who kept a $16.50 price target and a Buy rating on AMD. Increased competition from AMD in servers and market share gains by Nvidia in accelerators and artificial intelligence could limit Intel's ability to raise prices in the future as it has done historically, wrote Arya, who downgraded Intel to Neutral from Buy. Over the last five years, about a third of Intel's revenue growth from data center companies has been derived from price increases, Arya noted. Meanwhile, Intel has had to raise its operating spending to cater to large cloud customers and has been forced to increase its investments in memory products, according to the analyst, who trimmed his price target on Intel to $38 from $42. PRICE ACTION: In morning trading, AMD rose nearly 8% to $13.63 while Intel fell 1.5% to $34.33.

10:22 EDT Boeing announces order from Copa Airlines for 15 737 MAX 10s - Boeing and Copa Airlines announced an order for 15 737 MAX 10s at the 2017 Paris Airshow. With this announcement, Copa is one of the launch customers for the 737 MAX 10 airplane and will be the first airline in Latin America to operate the newest addition to the 737 MAX family, Boeing noted, adding that today's order is a conversion from a previous order of 737 MAX aircraft.

10:04 EDT Kroger says 'a lot of time and energy spent' of forming guidance - Says "We wouldn't have set the guidance if we didn't think it was achievable."

10:01 EDT Kroger CFO says sees 'a bit of lag' in raising entry-level wages

09:59 EDT Boeing, Xiamen Airlines sign MOU for 10 737 MAX 10 airplanes - Boeing and Xiamen Airlines announced the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding at the 2017 Paris Air Show today for 10 737 MAX 10 airplanes, valued at $1.2B at list prices. Xiamen Airlines will become one of the launch customers for the 737 MAX 10, the newest member of Boeing's 737 MAX family. Xiamen Airlines will work closely with Boeing and relevant stakeholders to finalize the agreement for 10 737 MAX 10 Airplanes, which requires the approval of Xiamen Airlines' board of directors, the China Southern Airlines Company Limited's board of directors, as well as the Chinese Government. Xiamen Airlines is an existing 737 MAX customer and plans to use the new airplanes with their subsidiaries, including Hebei Airlines and Jiangxi Airlines

09:52 EDT Perrigo retains Spencer Stuart for CEO search - Perrigo Company announced that the company's Board of Directors has retained Spencer Stuart, a global executive search and leadership advisory firm, to assist with the search for the company's next CEO. John T. Hendrickson announced his plans to retire as CEO earlier this month; he will remain with the company until his replacement is appointed, as well as up to 60 days following to ensure a smooth and successful transition. The search process is being overseen by the Board's Nominating and Governance Committee, which is comprised of Jeff Smith, Brad Alford, Rolf Classon, Gary Cohen, and Board Chair, Laurie Brlas.

09:45 EDT Loews Hotels announces partnereship with KC Hotel Developers - Loews Hotels & Co, a wholly owned subsidiary of Loews Corporation, and KC Hotel Developers LLC announce a partnership to build the new Loews Kansas City Convention Center Hotel. Loews Hotels is a joint equity partner in this venture. Construction will begin later this year for a grand opening in early 2020.

09:36 EDT Leap Therapeutics announces collaboration with Merck for Keytruda evaluations - Leap Therapeutics (LPTX) announced that it has entered into a clinical trial collaboration agreement with Merck (MRK), to investigate Leap's DKK1 antagonist, DKN-01, in combination with Merck's anti-PD-1 therapy, Keytruda, in patients with relapsed or refractory advanced esophagogastric cancers. The study is expected to begin enrolling patients in the second-half of 2017. The collaboration agreement is between Leap and Merck, through a subsidiary. Additional details of the collaboration were not disclosed.

09:34 EDT Century Casinos acquires casino development in Bath, England - Century Casinos announced that the Company's Austrian subsidiary, Century Casinos Europe GmbH, has acquired 100% of the outstanding common stock of Saw Close Casino Ltd., the holder of a Small Casino Premises License, to develop and operate a casino in Bath, England. The transaction to acquire SCCL is final, but the development and operation of the casino is subject to certain regulatory and governmental approvals. The purchase price for the transaction amounts to approx. GBP 600,000 of which GBP 100,000 was paid at closing and the balance is payable in tranches when regulatory and governmental approvals are obtained and when the casino opens. In addition, SCCL has debt to the landlord of the Bath property in the amount of GBP 154,000 that is repayable subject to certain performance criteria once the casino is in operation. SCCL has agreed to a 30 year lease for the casino space and intends to invest approx. GBP 5M to design, fit-out and equip the 15,000 sq. ft. gaming floor. The casino will offer about 18 gaming tables, 35 slot machines and 24 automated live gaming terminals and will form part of a mixed leisure development, which will also include a 147 bedroom four-star hotel and two restaurants. The casino, located in the center of Bath's evening leisure district and opposite the popular Theatre Royal, is scheduled to start operations in the first quarter of 2018, subject to receipt of the regulatory and governmental approvals. Bath is an affluent city in the southwest of England and attracts approx. five million tourists annually; the entire city is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The immediate catchment area includes a population of approx. 185,000 in and around Bath. The casino is expected to be the only licensed casino in the greater Bath area.

09:34 EDT Agenus and GlaxoSmithKline's shingles vaccine reports positive immune response - Agenus (AGEN) announced that GlaxoSmithKline's (GSK) shingles vaccine candidate, Shingrix, containing Agenus' proprietary immune adjuvant, QS-21 Stimulon, triggered a strong immune response in elderly patients previously treated with the current vaccine, Zostavax, for the prevention of shingles. QS-21 Stimulon is being evaluated in conjunction with Agenus' neoantigen vaccine, AutoSynVax, in a Phase 1 clinical trial, with immunological readouts expected by the end of this year.

09:20 EDT On The Fly: Pre-market Movers - UP AFTER EARNINGS: La-Z-Boy (LZB), up 14.1%... Red Hat (RHT), up 9.8%... Winnebago (WGO), up 2.9%... CarMax (KMX), up 7.2%... Adobe (ADBE), up 4.2%. ALSO HIGHER: CA (CA), up 13.1% after Evercore ISI said reasonable fair value in a go-private transaction could be $34.00-$42.00 per share... Pluristem (PSTI), up 3% after being upgraded to Buy from Hold at Maxim. LOWER: Foot Locker (FL), down 4.1% following a tweet by NPD Group's Sports Industry Analyst Matt Powell that reports Nike (NKE) may be close to a direct-sales agreement with Amazon (AMZN)... Sangamo (SGMO), down 9.2% after its 10M share Spot Secondary priced at $7.25... Cara (CARA), down 3.1% after announcing the continuation of Phase 3 trial of I.V.

09:17 EDT Samsung, MLB announce new phase of content partnership - Samsung Electronics America, Inc. and Major League Baseball announced a new phase of their partnership to provide fans a new virtual reality experience, offering immersive access to players, ballparks and key baseball moments throughout the remainder of the 2017 MLB Season. Through the multinational partnership, fans will be able to enjoy a series of over 20 immersive videos exclusively on the Samsung VR app, the brand's premium virtual reality content service.

09:14 EDT Home Depot EVP Merchandising says views macro enviroment as 'positive' - Ted Decker, EVP Merchandising at Home Depot, says views the overall macro environment as a "positive." Says "loves" job creation, increased wages. Says "particularly pleased" with household formation. Says mortgage rates "still historically low." Comments taken from Oppenheimer's 17th Annual Consumer Conference.

09:09 EDT Cigna says sees 'tremendous' headroom for growth in senior market

09:05 EDT OSI Systems awarded $23M contract to provide RTT explosive detection systems - OSI Systems announced that its Security division has been awarded a contract valued at approximately $23M from a major European airport group to provide multiple units of its RTT 110 Explosive Detection Systems.

09:04 EDT Harris delivers advanced weather satellite instrument to South Korea - Harris Corporation has delivered an advanced digital weather satellite instrument to the Korea Aerospace Research Institute that will help forecasters safeguard people in the region from typhoons and other severe weather. The Harris-built Advanced Meteorological Imager, or AMI, will be integrated into the next-generation GEO-KOMPSAT-2A weather satellite, scheduled to launch in 2018. The AMI will deliver images with three times more data and four times the resolution at refresh rates five times faster than currently available in the region.

09:01 EDT CPSI names William Hayes as Chief Medical Officer - CPSI announced that William J. Hayes, M.D., has been named Chief Medical Officer for the company. In this role, Dr. Hayes will oversee the Physician Adoption team and focus on improving the user experience community providers have with all CPSI solutions. Dr. Hayes will continue to leverage existing client channels such as the Physician Council, Early Adopter and Pilot programs, while searching for new, innovative ways to advance physician adoption, much like he did in his previous role as Medical Director.

08:56 EDT Raytheon restarts Standard Missile-2 production - Raytheon has restarted its Standard Missile-2 production line to meet the needs of four international customers who aligned requirements and pooled resources to make a 'bundle' purchase through foreign military sales. Standard Missile-2 is primarily used by U.S. and allied navies for fleet air defense and ship self defense. The Netherlands, Japan, Australia and South Korea are purchasing SM-2 under this new contact. The company expects to continue producing SM-2s beyond 2035. New deliveries are scheduled to begin in 2020. Raytheon and the U.S. Navy are using the restart as an opportunity to modernize production and testing processes inside the SM-2 factory.

08:54 EDT BioDelivery Sciences enters agreement with CVS Health for Belbucar and Bunavail - BioDelivery Sciences (BDSI) has signed an agreement with CVS/Caremark (CVS) extending access to both Belbuca buccal film and Bunavail buccal film through 2020. BDSI reacquired Belbuca from Endo Pharmaceuticals in January and subsequently relaunched the product. Prescription sales for Belbuca reached their highest point in May since the product was launched by Endo in early 2016 and continues to grow in June.

08:38 EDT Galectin Therapeutics granted patent for reducing inflammatory response - Galectin Therapeutics announced that the company has received notice of allowance for a U.S. Patent for "Galacto-Rhamnogalacturonate compositions for the treatment of a number of diseases associated with elevated inducible nitric oxide synthase." The patent's principal claims cover method of use for GR-MD-02 in a broad category of diseases in which there is an inflammatory response characterized by an increase in the enzyme inducible nitric oxide synthase, or iNOS. The patent covers the reduction in iNOS by GR-MD-02 in a variety of diseases including autoimmune disease, neurodegenerative disease, cardiovascular disease, psoriasis, cutaneous and systemic lupus erythematosus, systemic sclerosis and dermatitis. The patent coverage extends through 2032.

08:35 EDT Cerus presents INTERCEPT blood system data at ISBT congress - Cerus Corporation announced results of 16 abstracts presenting experiences with the INTERCEPT Blood System for platelets, plasma, and red blood cells during the 27th Regional Congress of the International Society of Blood Transfusion in Copenhagen, Denmark held from June 17 to June 21, 2017. Key presentations of interest include: Pathogen Inactivation of Zika, Dengue, and Chikungunya Viruses In All Blood Components: New data combined with previous published studies show that INTERCEPT inactivates Zika, Dengue, and Chikungunya viruses to the limit of detection in plasma, platelet, and red blood cell components. Storage Study of Apheresis Platelets In Additive Solution After Photochemical Treating Using a Novel Triple Storage Set: Apheresis platelets collected and stored with the triple set compared to the single set showed no significant difference in in vitro platelet function after INTERCEPT treatment for up to seven days of storage. Evaluation of Pathogen Reduced Pooled Cryoprecipitate and Cryoprecipitate-Poor Plasma: For patients in need of cryoprecipitate and cryoprecipitate-poor plasma, pathogen inactivation improves both safety and availability. In addition, the authors make the case for the system to improve overall cryoprecipitate production at a lower cost. Robustness of the INTERCEPT Blood System for Red Blood Cells: Red blood cell units treated with pathogen inactivation met the European Directorate for the Quality of Medicines & Healthcare guidelines with respect to hematocrit, hemoglobin content and hemolysis at end of storage. Implementation of double dose pathogen-inactivated platelets in routine with productivity and cost optimization: By replacing gamma irradiation and bacterial detection, converting to production of double-dose buffy coat platelets, and replacing automated platelet production with manual processing, the Blood Center of the Aalborg University Hospital has demonstrated the ability to produce INTERCEPT platelets with a 13% reduction in cost compared to their prior conventional platelet supply.

08:31 EDT Jamba announces refranchising and development agreement in Chicago market - Jamba announced that current franchisee, SuSu Hospitality Group, LLC, has acquired 13 Company-owned stores and signed a 10-unit development agreement, to nearly double Jamba's footprint in the Chicago market. "Jamba accelerated its shift to an asset-light, franchise focused business model in 2014 to create shareholder value," said Dave Pace, President and CEO of Jamba, Inc. "When I started as CEO last year, we identified the Chicago market as the final step necessary to complete that journey. With today's announcement, I am pleased to share the asset light transition is substantially complete." With the acquisition of 13 stores complete, SuSu Hospitality Group, LLC now franchises 15 Jamba Juice locations across Illinois and Ohio. Jamba is currently awarding domestic and international franchise opportunities.

08:09 EDT AerCap, Primera Air sign lease agreement for two Airbus A321LR aircraft - AerCap Holdings (AER) and Primera Air announced the signing of a lease agreement for two Airbus (EADSY) A321LR aircraft. The agreement was sealed at a signing ceremony during the Paris Air Show. The deal signifies 'firsts' for both companies, as this is the first aircraft of its type ordered by AerCap and the first A321LR for Primera Air. The aircraft will deliver in the Q4 of 2018. AerCap is the world's largest Airbus A320neo Family lessor, with 220 aircraft owned and on order.

08:08 EDT DarioHealth expands insurance coverage provider network - DarioHealth announced that it is expanding its insurance coverage provider network across the U.S. with additional service providers that will be able to target up to 10M consumers with diabetes. Earlier this year, DarioHealth began offering a 3rd party insurance coverage option for U.S. consumers who wanted to have their DarioHealth products reimbursed by insurance. After a successful pilot program, industry leader DarioHealth is expanding its provider network as it continues market acceleration with additional insurance coverage access for U.S. consumers.

08:06 EDT Biocept, MediNcrease Health Plans announce provider agreement - Biocept and MediNcrease Health Plans announce an agreement making Biocept's Target Selector liquid biopsy tests accessible through MediNcrease's client base of regional and national health plans, insurance companies, employers, municipalities, third-party administrators, unions and other companies involved in the management of medical claims.

08:03 EDT Cardiome signs licensing agreement for Xydalba in Israel - Cardiome's affiliate has signed an exclusive license and distribution agreement with Tzamal Medical that will advance Xydalba toward commercialization in Israel. As part of the agreement, Tzamal will be responsible for obtaining regulatory and pricing approvals for Xydalba from Israel's Ministry of Health. Cardiome will receive an upfront payment, as well as additional payments, based upon commercial achievements and sales of Xydalba. Additional terms were not disclosed. Xydalba was approved by the European Medicines Agency on February 19, 2015 as a treatment for Acute Bacterial Skin and Skin Structure Infections in adults and by the FDA on May 23, 2014 for the treatment of adult patients with ABSSSI caused by susceptible Gram-positive bacteria, including MRSA.

08:02 EDT Dollar General names Carman Wenkoff as EVP, Chief Information Officer - Dollar General announced that Carman Wenkoff will join the company as executive vice president and chief information officer effective July 10. Wenkoff replaces current CIO Ryan Boone, who recently announced his retirement. Wenkoff most recently served as chief information officer and chief digital officer for Subway restaurants.

07:54 EDT Noble Midstream to acquire additional interests in Delaware Basin, DJ Basin - Noble Midstream Partners (NBLX) announced it has entered into a definitive agreement to acquire additional interests in Colorado River DevCo and Blanco River DevCo for $270M from Noble Energy (NBL). The acquisition will increase Noble Midstream's interest in Colorado River DevCo to 100% from 80%, and in Blanco River DevCo to 40% from 25%. Noble Energy will retain the remaining 60% interest in Blanco River DevCo.The acquisition is expected to be immediately accretive to distributable cash flow per unit of the partnership, based on a transaction value representing 8.2 - 9.2 times the next twelve months estimated earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization of the acquired interests. Noble Midstream's management has recommended to the board of directors of Noble Midstream GP, the partnership's general partner, a second quarter distribution per unit increase of 8.5% above the first quarter distribution per unit of $0.4108, as compared to the previously announced 4.7% quarterly growth target. In addition, Noble Midstream's management has also recommended to the Board of Directors that the partnership re-confirm its 20% distribution per unit annual growth target following the proposed second quarter distribution. As consideration for the acquisition, the Partnership has agreed to pay Noble Energy $270M, consisting of $245M in cash and 562,430 common units representing limited partner interests in the partnership. Noble Midstream expects to fund the cash consideration with approximately $143M of net proceeds from a concurrent private placement of common units and $102M of borrowing under the partnership's credit facility. Upon closing of the acquisition and the private placement, Noble Energy is expected to own a 50.1% limited partner interest in Noble Midstream. The acquisition is expected to close prior to the end of the second quarter, subject to the satisfaction of customary closing conditions.

07:42 EDT Boeing, Donghai Airlines announce selection of 10 737 MAX 10 airplanes - Boeing and Donghai Airlines announced the airline's decision to convert 10 737 MAXs on order to 737 MAX 10s at the 2017 Paris Air Show. The order, valued at $1.2B at current list prices, will be posted to the Boeing Orders & Deliveries website once all contingencies are cleared. The Shenzhen-based carrier will join the 737 MAX 10 launch customer team as one of the first airlines in the world to introduce the newest member of the 737 MAX family.

07:33 EDT Transgenomic prepares for planned relisting on Nasdaq - Transgenomic Iannounced that it is advancing its previously announced plans for relisting on the NASDAQ Capital Market. After receiving shareholder approval, the company implemented a reverse split of its shares on June 13, 2017, in order to meet NASDAQ relisting requirements of a closing share price at or above $4.00 for five consecutive trading days. Other relisting requirements involve shareholder equity. Upon the completion of the merger between Transgenomic and Precipio Diagnostics, which is expected to occur in the next few days, the companies believe that the combined entity will satisfy the NASDAQ relisting requirements.

07:33 EDT CDK Global appoints Amy Byrne chief human resources officer - CDK Global (CDK) announced that Amy Byrne recently joined the company as executive VP and chief human resources officer. Most recently, Byrne was with Avon Products (AVP), where she led the human resources organization for the Latin America and Global Brand Marketing businesses.

07:31 EDT Engility wins $16.2M contract to support DoD - Engility Holdings announced that it won a $16.2M contract to support the Office of the Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense, Systems Engineering, in its mission to help standardize and improve DOD's systems engineering capabilities. Engility will support DASD(SE) in managing all DOD programs related to systems engineering, helping to keep major systems on schedule and on budget. This contract win represents new work with DASD(SE), an office within the DOD that Engility has supported for more than a decade. The cost plus fixed-fee contract has a one-year base with four option years.

07:26 EDT GE secures order in Mexico for 7HA.01 gas turbine technology with Iberdrola - GE confirmed yesterday it has secured its first order in Mexico for 7HA.01 gas turbine technology with long-time customer Iberdrola. The order includes GE's extended scope portfolio and will result in a highly-efficient, digitally-enabled combined cycle power plant as part of the Topolobampo III project. When completed in 2020, the Topolobampo III project will generate 766 megawatts, the equivalent power needed to supply up to 2.5 million average Mexican homes.

07:23 EDT GECAS plans to convert a further 30 Boeing 737-800s to freighters - GE Capital Aviation Services (GE) is planning to convert a further 30 Boeing (BA) 737-800s into freighters. GECAS launched the 737-800 freighter program with Aeronautical Engineers in 2015 and Boeing in 2016. Since then GECAS has provided each program with a prototype aircraft for modification at separate conversion facilities in Miami and Shanghai. All the feedstock aircraft will come from GECAS' existing portfolio and converted when the aircraft end their current passenger leases from 2018 onward. GECAS currently owns approximately 220 passenger 737-800s that are distributed across ~25 countries. The Next-Generation 737-800 freighter will be equipped with CFM56-7B engines, carry up to 23.9 tonnes of cargo with 12 main deck positions over 2,000 nautical miles.

07:07 EDT IBM Watson Health partners with Baheal Group in China - IBM Watson Health announced that Baheal Pharmaceutical Group will bring Watson for Genomics to clinicians across China. As IBM's primary channel partner for Watson for Genomics in China, Baheal will establish an ecosystem within China to sell the molecular data interpretation technology to clinicians and researchers across the country. Last year, the Chinese government launched a $9.2B precision medicine initiative to invest in the growing field of genomics, which holds particular promise in oncology. Watson for Genomics analyzes massive bodies of genomic, clinical and pharmacological knowledge to help uncover potential therapeutic options that target the tumor's genetic alterations. Then, Watson produces a report for physicians that identifies genetic alterations that are actionable based on literature as well as drugs and clinical trials that target those alterations.

07:06 EDT ClubCorp acquires Medina Golf & Country Club in Medina, Minnesota - ClubCorp announces the acquisition of Medina Golf & Country Club, a formerly member-owned private club, in Medina, Minnesota, just west of downtown Minneapolis. This is the first club in Minnesota for ClubCorp, expanding the company's presence to 28 states. ClubCorp plans to spend more than $2.5M over the first two years to reinvent the club bringing new contemporary dining and lifestyle features to the clubhouse and patio, plus improvements to the golf course, golf practice facilities and aquatics.

07:04 EDT Concordia to communicate long-term growth strategy in 2H17 - Concordia's development of a long-term growth strategy is nearing completion. Once finalized, the company intends to communicate its details with stakeholders in 2H17. The company has engaged Perella Weinberg Partners to provide financial advisory services. These services may include, but are not limited to, helping the company explore and evaluate potential transactional alternatives, including initiatives to optimize its capital structure. The company does not expect to comment further unless and until a specific transaction is approved by its board of directors or the company otherwise decides further disclosure is appropriate or required.

07:02 EDT Nuvectra files regulatory submission for Algovita MRI-conditional approval - Nuvectra announced that it has filed its regulatory submission with the FDA for full-body MRI-conditional approval for the company's Algovita SCS system. This submission, pending regulatory approval from the FDA, would position the company to achieve MRI-conditional approval at or around year end 2017 following a 180 day review process.

07:01 EDT Airbus selects Rockwell Collins for FOMAX program - Rockwell Collins (COL) has been selected by Airbus for the flight operations and maintenance exchanger, or FOMAX, program on the Airbus (EADSY) A320 family of aircraft. The solution, which keeps operators connected to their aircraft by deploying the infrastructure for secure wireless connectivity, represents Rockwell Collins' first major basic content on the A320.

06:54 EDT Digital Power regains compliance with NYSE Market - Digital Power announced that the NYSE Mkt has notified the company that it has regained compliance with the NYSE Mkt continued listing standards. Digital Power received notice on December 18, 2015 and April 27, 2017 that the company was not in compliance with Section 1003(a)(ii) and Section 1003(a)(iii) of the NYSE Mkt Company Guide due to certain financial conditions. On June 19, 2017, the company filed a 8-K report with the SEC announcing that its Stockholders' Equity was approximately $6.41M on a pro-forma basis. With this information provided, the Exchange determined the Company had resolved the continued listing deficiency with respect to Section 1003(a)(ii) and Section 1003(a)(iii) of the NYSE Mkt Company Guide. In a letter dated June 20, 2017, the NYSE Mkt notified Digital Power that the company had successfully regained compliance with the NYSE Mkt continued listing standards.

06:34 EDT Epizyme's tazemetostat granted Orphan Drug Designation by FDA for STS - Epizyme's first-in-class EZH2 inhibitor, tazemetostat, has been granted Orphan Drug designation by the FDA for the treatment of patients with soft tissue sarcoma. STS is a cancer occurring in muscle, fat, blood vessels, tendons, fibrous tissues and connective tissue, which can arise anywhere in the body at any age. Tazemetostat, a first-in-class EZH2 inhibitor, is currently being studied in ongoing Phase 2 programs in both follicular lymphoma and diffuse large B-cell lymphoma forms of non-Hodgkin lymphoma; certain molecularly defined solid tumors, including epithelioid sarcoma and other INI1-negative tumors; and mesothelioma, as well as in combination studies in DLBCL. Tazemetostat has been granted Fast Track designation by the FDA for follicular lymphoma and for DLBCL with EZH2-activating mutations, as well as Orphan Drug designation for soft tissue sarcoma and malignant rhabdoid tumors.

06:17 EDT Cybereason announces $100M investment by SoftBank - Cybereason, developers of the most effective Total Endpoint Protection Platform including EDR & Next-Gen AV, announced the signing of a $100M investment from SoftBank Corp, a subsidiary of SoftBank Group Corp. (SFTBF). SoftBank is Cybereason's biggest investor and one of its biggest customers and distribution partners. Following this financing, Cybereason has raised a total of $189M in capital from SoftBank, CRV, Spark Capital, and Lockheed Martin (LMT) since being founded in 2012. Reference Link

06:07 EDT Boeing, AerCap announces Neos as new 737 MAX operator - Boeing (BA) and AerCap (AER) announced that two 737 MAXs will be leased by AerCap to the Italian carrier Neos. Based at Milan Malpensa Airport, Neos will become the country's first 737 MAX operator when it takes delivery of the airplane in 2019.

06:05 EDT Lattner confirms departure from Tesla, says wasn't a 'good fit' - Chris Lattner, VP of Autopilot software at Tesla, confirmed that he was leaving the company, tweeting "Turns out that Tesla isn't a good fit for me after all. I'm interested to hear about interesting roles for a seasoned engineering leader!" Reference Link

05:58 EDT AT&T announces CWA-represented employees vote to ratify East wireline agreement - Leadership of the Communications Workers of America has notified AT&T that CWA-represented wireline employees have voted to ratify a four-year contract in the East region. The contract covers nearly 200 wireline employees in Connecticut.

05:55 EDT Andrej Karpathy says 'excited to join Tesla' as director of AI - Tesla has hired deep learning and computer vision expert Andrej Karpathy as its director of AI, Karpathy confirmed in a tweet. arpathy most recently held a role as a researcher at OpenAI, the artificial intelligence nonprofit backed by Elon Musk. Reference Link

05:50 EDT Novartis announces EMA acceptance of MAA for AMG 334 - Novartis announced that the European Medicines Agency, or EMA, has accepted its Marketing Authorization Application, or MAA, for AMG 334 for the prevention of migraine. Erenumab is an anti-CGRP monoclonal antibody developed to prevent migraine. It is the only one that is fully human and binds selectively to the CGRP receptor, believed to play a critical role in mediating the incapacitating pain of migraine.

05:37 EDT Spirit AeroSystems expanding manufacturing facilities in Malaysia - Spirit AeroSystems announced plans to expand its manufacturing operations in Subang, Malaysia, to accommodate increasing volumes of assembly work on aerostructure components for commercial airliners. The company is in the architectural and engineering planning stages to add a 50,000 square-foot manufacturing facility adjacent to other buildings on its campus in the Malaysia International Aerospace Centre near Kuala Lumpur. Construction is set to begin in October with a target for operations to begin in mid-2018. Spirit expects to eventually add about 300 workers to the current site population of 700.

05:34 EDT L3 selected by Airbus to provide, integrate new CVDR for commercial jets - L3 (LLL) announced that it has been selected by Airbus (EADSY) to provide and integrate new voice and data flight recorders for the entire range of Airbus commercial aircraft. L3 will design and manufacture a fixed, crash-protected Cockpit Voice and Data Recorder, or CVDR, capable of recording up to 25 hours of voice and flight data on a single recorder. L3 will also be the integrator, in partnership with Airbus, of a new Automatic Deployable Flight Recorder, or ADFR, that will be designed and manufactured by DRS Technologies Canada.

05:31 EDT Elbit Systems awarded contract valued over $20M by African-based customer - Elbit Systems announced that it was awarded more than $20M contract by an African-based customer to equip a VIP Gulfstream G650 aircraft with J-MUSIC Directed Infrared Countermeasure, or DIRCM, systems that include Elbit Systems' advanced Infrared based Passive Airborne Warning System, or IR PAWS,. The contract will be performed over a one-year period.

05:25 EDT Boeing, Air Lease announce MOU for twelve 737 MAXs - Boeing (BA) and Air Lease (AL) announced a Memorandum of Understanding, or MOU, for 12 737 MAXs at the Paris Air Show. The MOU includes five 737 MAX 7s and seven 737 MAX 8s. The agreement will be reflected on the Boeing Orders and Deliveries website once finalized.

05:22 EDT Boeing, EL AL Israel Airlines finalize order for 3 additional 787 Dreamliners - Boeing and EL AL Israel Airlines today finalized an order for three 787 Dreamliners at the 2017 Paris Air Show, firming up additional commitments originally announced in 2015. Valued at more than $729M at current list prices, the order includes two 787-8s and one 787-9. EL AL now has six unfilled orders for 787s, with lease agreements in place for a further seven Dreamliners.

05:20 EDT Telephonics awarded ARPDD retrofit program contract valued at about $37M - Telephonics, a wholly owned subsidiary of Griffon, announced that it has been awarded year two of a multi-year, Indefinite Delivery Indefinite Quantity production contract valued at approximately $37M from Lockheed Martin for AN/APS-153(V)1 radar retrofit kits with Automatic Radar Periscope Detection and Discrimination, or ARPDD, capability. As part of the U.S. Navy's ARPDD Retrofit Program - Phase Three, year two, this award is a follow-on phase to a previously awarded multi-year contract. Telephonics ARPDD systems will be installed on the U.S. Navy's MH-60R Sea Hawk helicopters, providing advanced maritime and littoral surveillance.