Stockwinners Market Radar for July 01, 2017 - Earnings, Upgrades downgrades, option trades, Best Stock Advisory Service

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PTCT		Hot Stocks 13:42 EDT PTC announces preliminary Phase 2 data in spinal muscular atrophy - PTC Therapeutics (PTCT) announced the presentation of preliminary clinical data from the company's joint development program with Roche (RHHBY) and the SMA Foundation in spinal muscular atrophy at the Cure SMA Meeting. Preliminary results from an early analysis of Part 1 of the Phase 2 SUNFISH trial evaluating oral RG7916, a small molecule modifier of Survival Mo tor Neuron 2 splicing, were highlighted in an oral presentation titled "Clinical Studies of RG7916 in Patients with Spinal Muscular Atrophy: Study Update." SMA is a rare genetic disorder that results in neuromuscular disability beginning in infancy and is the leading genetic cause of mortality in infants and young children. Preliminary results from an early analysis from the ongoing Part 1 of the RG7916 SUNFISH study in Type 2/3 SMA patients demonstrated a dose-dependent increase in SMN2 full length/undefined7 mRNA ratio of around 400% versus baseline, as measured in whole blood. These results provided proof of mechanism for oral small molecule SMN2 splicing modifiers. No drug-related adverse events leading to withdrawal have been observed to date for RG7916. "The increase in SMN2 full length transcript in SMA patients is promising and confirms that RG7916 targets the underlying cause of the disease," said Stuart Peltz, CEO of PTC. "The low levels of SMN protein in SMA patients affect multiple tissues throughout the body, including muscles, bones and nerves. We believe that the ease of administration of an oral therapy and its broad tissue distribution give RG7916 the potential to address the complete spectrum of functional deficits observed in SMA patients. We look forward to advancing RG7916 into pivotal clinical trials in the second half of the year."
TEO		Hot Stocks 13:38 EDT Telecom Argentina enters merger agreement with Cablevision S.A. - Telecom Argentina and Cablevision S.A. announced a plan to merge their respective corporate structures and operations with the "aim of creating a leading provider of convergent telecommunications services and to participate in the opening of the telecommunications sector that, according to Argentine regulations, is expected to occur beginning in January 2018." The boards of the companies approved a preliminary merger agreement. The companies consider that the structural consolidation can be achieved by means of a corporate merger process pursuant to Argentine General Corporate Law. The merger agreement reached between the companies provides that once the required regulatory authorizations have been obtained and the corresponding corporate process has been complied with, Cablevision will be merged into Telecom Argentina, which will be the surviving entity. As a result of the merger, Telecom Argentina will increase its equity and its capital stock and will issue as consideration 1,184,528,406 ordinary book-entry shares of its common stock, with nominal value of ARS $1 and entitled to one vote per share, to be delivered to Cablevision's shareholders according to the established distribution ratio. The distribution ratio approved by the boards is 9,871.07005 shares of Telecom Argentina per share of Cablevision, which implies that Cablevision Holding, the controlling shareholder of Cablevision, and Fintech Media, its minority shareholder will receive a direct and indirect total participation in Telecom Argentina equivalent to 55% of the combined company's total outstanding capital after considering the aforementioned capital stock increase. The current shareholders of Telecom Argentina will retain the remaining 45% of the capital stock of the combined company as a result of the merger. The transaction is subject to the approval of the shareholders of each of the companies at their respective shareholders' meetings and by the relevant regulatory authorities.
CIT		Hot Stocks 13:26 EDT CIT sells European rail leasing business for $890M - CIT Group announced that it reached a definitive agreement to sell NACCO, the European rail leasing business, to German-based VTG Aktiengesellschaft for a purchase price of $890M based on current exchange rates, plus all investments in freight cars between Jan. 1, 2017 and the closing date, which could be up to $160M. The agreement includes the operations and assets of the Paris-based subsidiary, which includes approximately 14,000 rail freight cars. The transaction is expected to close in Q4 following customary closing conditions. "This transaction represents another step in our evolution to simplify the company and focus on our core businesses," said CEO Ellen Alemany. "As part of our transformation, CIT has been divesting its international operations and centering on its core commercial banking franchises, which are largely domestic."
VTR KND		Hot Stocks 13:25 EDT Ventas still expects to sell 36 owned skilled nursing facilities - Ventas (VTR) announced that it continues to expect to sell 36 owned skilled nursing facilities that are currently operated by Kindred Healthcare (KND) to facilitate Kindred's previously announced exit from its skilled nursing facility business. "The transactions further enhance the companies' longstanding relationship and improve both businesses," Ventas said. Kindred announced last night that it has signed definitive agreements to sell its entire SNF business to an affiliate of Blue Mountain Capital Management, and that, as Kindred closes on the sale of its SNFs, Kindred will pay to Ventas its allocable portion of the sale proceeds for a total $700M aggregate purchase price for the Ventas SNFs and Ventas will convey the applicable Ventas SNFs to the ultimate buyer. Ventas expects to use proceeds from the sale to repay debt.
XPER		Hot Stocks 13:22 EDT Xperi's Tessera announces 'favorable' ITC determination notice - Tessera Technologies announced that Administrative Law Judge Sandra Dee Lord of the U.S. International Trade Commission issued a Notice of Initial Determination in Certain Semiconductor Devices, Semiconductor Device Packages, And Products Containing Same, Investigation No. 337-TA-1010. Tessera is a subsidiary of Xperi Corporation (XPER). The company said, "The notice includes only a brief summary of the ID's conclusions. According to the notice, ALJ Lord found a violation of Section 337 of the Tariff Act due to infringement of U.S. Patent No. 6,849,946 by Broadcom and its named customers. She found that U.S. Patent No. 6,133,136 was infringed and valid, but found no violation due to lack of domestic industry. She found no violation with respect to U.S. Patent No. 6,856,007," the company said. The parties and their counsel have not yet received the full ID, which is subject to confidentiality restrictions. Thus, no further details on the substance of the decision, including details about the scope of the ALJ's infringement finding, are available at this time. After the Company's counsel receives the full ID, which it anticipates to be within the next few days, the Company will determine whether further comment on the decision is appropriate. The ID is now subject to review by the Commissioners at the ITC. Any remedies would not issue until the completion of the investigation, which at this time is scheduled for October 30, 2017."
KND		Hot Stocks 13:21 EDT Kindred sells skilled nursing facility business for $700M in cash - Kindred Healthcare announced that it has signed a definitive agreement with BM Eagle Holdings, a joint venture led by affiliates of BlueMountain Capital Management, under which it will sell the company's skilled nursing facility business for $700M in cash. The sale includes 89 nursing centers with 11,308 licensed beds and seven assisted living facilities with 380 licensed beds, which collectively have approximately 11,500 employees in 18 states. Kindred expects that the combination of the cash proceeds, anticipated working capital liquidation, tax benefits, retained assets and other items will result in approximate total value to Kindred of $910M after deducting estimated transaction and severance costs. These results are consistent with the company's previously announced expectations, it added. Kindred expects to realize net value of approximately $210M, subject to post-closing adjustments, and after the $700M payment to Ventas, estimated transaction costs of approximately $35M and estimated severance costs of approximately $35M. Stephen Farber, CFO of Kindred, remarked, "We expect exiting the skilled nursing facility business will increase Kindred's annual cash flow by approximately $20 million to $30 million, as we reduce our annual rent obligations by approximately $88 million, reduce our annual capital expenditures by approximately $30 million, eliminate approximately $18 million of annual cash disbursements related to noncontrolling interests, and eliminate $70 million to $80 million of skilled nursing facility overhead following completion of the transaction. These overhead savings are included as part of the Company's previously announced $70 million to $100 million enterprise-wide overhead restructuring initiative." Kindred expects that the initial closing will occur in Q3 and that all of the closings will be completed by year end.
XPER		Hot Stocks 13:18 EDT Xperi's Tessera announes 'favorable' ITC determination notice - Tessera Technologies announced that Administrative Law Judge Sandra Dee Lord of the U.S. International Trade Commission issued a Notice of Initial Determination in Certain Semiconductor Devices, Semiconductor Device Packages, And Products Containing Same, Investigation No. 337-TA-1010. Tessera is a subsidiary of Xperi Corporation (XPER). The company said, "The notice includes only a brief summary of the ID's conclusions. According to the notice, ALJ Lord found a violation of Section 337 of the Tariff Act due to infringement of U.S. Patent No. 6,849,946 by Broadcom and its named customers. She found that U.S. Patent No. 6,133,136 was infringed and valid, but found no violation due to lack of domestic industry. She found no violation with respect to U.S. Patent No. 6,856,007," the company said. The parties and their counsel have not yet received the full ID, which is subject to confidentiality restrictions. Thus, no further details on the substance of the decision, including details about the scope of the ALJ's infringement finding, are available at this time. After the Company's counsel receives the full ID, which it anticipates to be within the next few days, the Company will determine whether further comment on the decision is appropriate. The ID is now subject to review by the Commissioners at the ITC. Any remedies would not issue until the completion of the investigation, which at this time is scheduled for October 30, 2017."
AMZN...		Hot Stocks 12:27 EDT Week in review: How Trump's policies moved stocks - Catch up on the top industries and stocks that were impacted, or were predicted to be impacted, by the comments, actions and policies of President Trump and his administration with this weekly recap compiled by The Fly: 1. AMAZONWASHINGTONPOST: President Trump took aim at two of Jeff Bezos' properties, tweeting that the "#AmazonWashingtonPost, sometimes referred to as the guardian of Amazon not paying internet taxes (which they should) is FAKE NEWS!" The tweet followed a report published in the Post that said that a framed copy of a purported Time magazine cover featuring Trump, which was hung up in at least five of the President's golf clubs, is a fake and Time magazine has asked the Trump Organization to remove the phony cover from the walls where it was on display. 2. 'HELL-BENT' ON TARIFFS: During a "tense" meeting held on Monday with a number of top White House officials, President Trump made it clear he is "hell-bent" on imposing tariffs on steel, to likely be followed by other imports, said Axios' Mike Allen and Jonathan Swan. Penalties could eventually extend to other imports such as aluminum, semiconductors, paper, and home appliances. The President is leaning towards imposing tariffs despite opposition from "nearly all" his Cabinet, the report added. Stocks that could be impacted by U.S. trade actions involving steel include U.S. Steel (X), AK Steel (AKS), Nucor (NUE) and Steel Dynamics (STLD). 3. REPEAL THEN REPLACE?: Some conservative Republicans proposed that the party should quickly repeal the "Obamacare" Affordable Care Act and save working on a replacement until a later date, and that suggestion was supported by President Trump in a tweet, though prior proposals to "repeal then replace" were seen as politically unworkable. Publicly traded hospital operators include HCA Holdings (HCA), LifePoint (LPNT), Tenet Healthcare (THC), Community Health (CYH) and Quorum Health (QHC) and health insurance providers include Aetna (AET), Anthem (ANTM), Centene (CNC), Cigna (CI), Humana (HUM), Molina Healthcare (MOH), UnitedHealth (UNH) and WellCare (WCG). 4. ENERGY DOMINANCE: President Trump and White House have rolled out plans intended to make America more than just energy independent, but energy dominant. As Energy Secretary Rick Perry explained: "An energy dominant America means self-reliant. It means a secure nation, free from the geopolitical turmoil of other nations who seek to use energy as an economic weapon. An energy dominant America will export to markets around the world, increasing our global leadership and our influence." Publicly traded drillers and oil services companies include Baker Hughes (BHI), Diamond Offshore (DO), Halliburton (HAL), Nabors Industries (NBR), Noble Corp. (NE), Rowan Companies (RDC), Schlumberger (SLB), Transocean (RIG) and Weatherford (WFT). Publicly traded U.S. oil majors include Chevron (CVX), ConocoPhillips (COP), and Exxon Mobil (XOM). "Week in Review" is The Fly's weekly recap of its recurring series of "Trump Effect" exclusive stories.