Stockwinners Market Radar for July 28, 2017 - Earnings, Upgrades downgrades, option trades, Best Stock Advisory Service

18:09 EDT Toshiba comments on benefits of joint stipulation with SanDisk - Toshiba (TOSBF, TOSYY) entered into a joint stipulation with SanDisk, a subsidiary of Western Digital (WDC), removing the need for further action by the Superior Court of California for the County of San Francisco on SanDisk's motion for preliminary injunctive relief relating to the sale of Toshiba's memory business. Toshiba and SanDisk have agreed that Toshiba will publicly announce within 24 hours the signing of a definitive agreement that contemplates a later "Closing," i.e. the "transfer, sale, assignment or conveyance" of all or any portion of Toshiba's or an affiliate's shares and ownership interests in three specific joint venture companies and other defined contractual rights and obligations. This stipulation will remain in effect until 60 days after the international arbitration panel has been formed. Toshiba and SanDisk have also agreed that Toshiba will provide further notice two weeks before any such Closing occurs. Importantly, this agreement does not obligate Toshiba to provide notice regarding transactions undertaken in the ordinary course of its NAND flash memory business, nor does it constitute any agreement by Toshiba that SanDisk has any consent rights over any sale of the shares of Toshiba Memory Corporation. The agreement also preserves Toshiba's jurisdictional objections and does not mean that Toshiba is submitting to the jurisdiction of the California court for any purpose other than entering and enforcing this limited joint stipulation. Dr. Yasuo Naruke, Senior Executive Vice President of Toshiba Corporation stated, "We are very pleased to have reached this mutually acceptable understanding which is effective for a very limited time and which recognizes Toshiba's right to negotiate and sign a definitive agreement for the sale of its memory business. Nothing in the agreement requires Toshiba to alter its position that there is no contractual requirement to seek SanDisk's consent to the transfer of Toshiba's memory business. Further, as a practical matter, we don't expect to close a deal during the period addressed in the order. Closing a transaction of this magnitude would require many months - well beyond the limited timeframe specified in the ruling. Toshiba therefore remains focused on preparing for the ICC arbitration process, which we believe is the appropriate venue to address these issues. We look forward to successfully presenting Toshiba's position to the tribunal, which we believe will be formed within the next month or so."

17:34 EDT Columbia Sportswear SVP of global sourcing resigns - Columbia Sportswear announced the resignation of SVP of Global Sourcing and Manufacturing, Steve Woodside, effective immediately. Woodside joined Columbia Sportswear in August 2014 as VP of Global Manufacturing and has served as Senior Vice President of Global Sourcing and Manufacturing since May 2015. "I am thankful for Steve's contributions over the past three years, during which he advanced our sourcing strategy and strengthened strategic partnerships with our contract manufacturers and raw materials vendors globally," said Columbia EVP and COO Tom Cusick. "I want to thank Steve for his leadership and wish him well in future endeavors." The company has commenced a search for a successor.

17:24 EDT Biotechnology Value Fund reports 7% passive stake in ContraFect

17:20 EDT Kindred Biosciences appoints Wendy Wee CFO - On July 24, the board of Kindred Biosciences appointed Wendy Wee as the CFO of the company, effective July 28. In such capacity, Wee will also serve as the company's principal financial officer and principal accounting officer.

17:13 EDT Kellogg raises quarterly dividend to 54c from 52c per share - Payable on September 15 to shareowners of record at the close of business on September 1. The ex-dividend date is August 30.

17:09 EDT Lockheed Martin awarded $218.7M government contract - Lockheed Martin Corp., Lockheed Martin Aeronautics Co., Fort Worth, Texas, is being awarded $218,729,862 for modification to a previously awarded cost-plus-incentive-fee contract for recurring logistics support and sustainment services for F-35 Lightning II aircraft in support of the Air Force, Navy, Marine Corps, non-Department of Defense participants, and foreign military sales customers. Sustainment services to be provided include ground maintenance activities; action request resolution; depot activation activities; Automatic Logistics Information System operations and maintenance; reliability, maintainability and health management implementation and support; supply chain management; and activities to provide and support pilot and maintainer initial training. Work is expected to be completed in February 2018. The Naval Air Systems Command, Patuxent River, Maryland, is the contracting activity.

17:07 EDT Lockheed Martin awarded $3.69B government contract modification - Lockheed Martin Corp., Lockheed Martin Aeronautics Co., Fort Worth, Texas, is being awarded a $3,693,062,124 undefinitized not-to-exceed modification to the previously awarded low-rate initial production Lot 11 F-35 Lightning II advance acquisition contract. This modification provides for the procurement of 50 aircraft for non-Department of Defense participants and foreign military sales customers comprised of one F-35B aircraft for the UK; one F-35A aircraft for Italy; eight F-35A aircraft for Australia; eight F-35A aircraft for the Netherlands; four F-35A aircraft for Turkey; six F-35A aircraft for Norway; and 22 F-35A aircraft for FMS customers. In addition, this modification adds scope for mission equipment and chase maintenance activity for the above mentioned participants, as well as the Air Force, Marine Corps, and Navy. Work is expected to be completed in December 2020. The Naval Air Systems Command, Patuxent River, Maryland, is the contracting activity.

17:01 EDT Tenax Therapeutics provides regulatory update on levosimendan - Tenax Therapeutics provides a regulatory update following discussions with the U.S. FDA and Health Canada regarding a regulatory path forward for levosimendan. In May 2017, the company participated in a pre-NDA meeting with the FDA to discuss the possibility of submitting an NDA for levosimendan in two indications: treatment of patients undergoing coronary artery bypass grafting to reduce the risk of low cardiac output syndrome and treatment of patients with acute decompensated heart failure for improvement in symptoms. After a review of further analyses, the FDA has requested an additional clinical trial. Given the size and scope of such a trial, the Company is reviewing clinical, regulatory and financial options with regard to the levosimendan program in the U.S. and Canada. The Company's Board of Directors is continuing its review of strategic alternatives with the assistance of their financial advisors at Ladenburg Thalmann & Co. Strategic alternatives under review include, but are not limited to a merger, a business combination, a strategic investment into the Company, or a purchase, license or other acquisition of assets. This process may not result in any transaction and the Company does not intend to disclose additional details unless and until it has entered into a specific transaction.

16:45 EDT Alliance Holdings trading resumes

16:32 EDT ICU Medical voluntarily recalls one lot of 0.9% Sodium Chloride Injection - ICU Medical (ICUI) is voluntarily recalling one lot of 0.9% Sodium Chloride Injection, USP 1000 mL to the hospital/user level due to a confirmed customer complaint of particulate matter identified as stainless steel within a single flexible container. Injection of particulate matter could potentially lead to limited adverse events such as allergic reactions, local irritation and inflammation in organs or tissues, or other serious adverse health consequences. Prior to administration, healthcare professionals, as instructed in the product labeling, should visually examine the product for particulate matter and discoloration and should discard if a defect is identified. The reported incident was identified prior to use, and there have been no reports of adverse events associated with this issue to date. 0.9% Sodium Chloride Injection, USP 1000 mL is an intravenous solution indicated for parenteral replenishment of fluid. The affected product lot was manufactured in the U.S. by Hospira, a Pfizer (PFE) company, on February 1, 2016 and was distributed nationwide to Hospira customers between April 14, 2016 and February 2, 2017.

16:26 EDT Samuel Zell's trust reports 4.7% stake in Anixter after share sale - On July 26, SZRT entered into a purchase agreement with KMJZ Investments, pursuant to which SZRT agreed to sell 400,568 Shares to KMJZ at a price equal to the average of the highest and lowest quoted selling prices on the New York Stock Exchange of one Share as of the date on which the transaction occurs. Also on July 26,, the Samuel Zell Trust entered into a purchase agreement with KMJZ, pursuant to which Samuel Zell Trust agreed to sell 125,709 Shares to KMJZ at a price equal to the average of the highest and lowest quoted selling prices on the New York Stock Exchange of one Share as of the date on which the transaction occurs.

16:22 EDT Vishay to appoint Cummins, Lerner in pact with Nokomis Capital - On July 26, Nokomis Capital, a 15.94% stake holder in Vishay, entered into an amendment agreement with Vishay that modifies the terms and conditions of the original agreement, dated March 24, pursuant to which, among other things, Vishay agreed to take all action necessary to appoint, effective immediately, Wes Cummins and Bruce Lerner to serve on the board of Vishay.

16:20 EDT Alliance Resource Partners raises quarterly distribution to 50c per unit - The board of directors of ARLP's managing general partner also approved a cash distribution to unitholders for the quarter ended June 30 of 50c per unit, payable on August 14 to all ARLP unitholders of record as of close of trading on August 7. The announced distribution reflects an increase of 14.3% compared to the distributions declared for the quarters ended June 30, 2016 and March 31, 2017.

16:15 EDT CBOE Holdings raises quarterly dividend 8% to 27c per share - CBOE Holdings announced its board of directors declared an increased quarterly cash dividend of 27c per share of common stock for the third quarter of 2017, representing an 8% increase compared with the prior quarter's dividend of 25c per share. The third-quarter dividend is payable on September 15, 2017, to common stockholders of record as of September 1, 2017.

16:10 EDT Alliance Resource Partners trading halted, news pending

16:07 EDT Avista requests natural gas rate decrease for Oregon customers - Avista's customers in Oregon would see a decrease in their natural gas rates effective Nov. 1, 2017 if the Oregon Public Utility Commission approves the company's annual rate adjustment filings, Avista said in a statement. The first rate adjustment is Avista's Purchased Gas Cost Adjustment. If approved, Avista's request is designed to decrease natural gas revenues by $1.5M or 1.6%. The second rate adjustment is related to Avista's natural gas decoupling mechanism. Decoupling is a mechanism designed to break the link between a utility's revenues and customers' energy usage. Avista's actual revenue, based on therm sales, will vary, up or down, from the level included in a general rate case and approved by the Commission. This could be caused by changes in weather, energy conservation or the economy. Generally, under decoupling natural gas revenues are adjusted each month based on the number of customers, rather than therm sales. If approved, Avista's request is designed to increase natural gas revenues by $2.1M or 2.3%. This rate adjustment is driven primarily by a lower level of customer usage in 2016, due in part to warmer than normal weather in 2016. The third rate adjustment is related primarily to the funding of Avista's natural gas energy efficiency programs. If approved, Avista's request is designed to decrease natural gas revenues by approximately $1.7M or 1.7%.

15:15 EDT DG Capital reports 9.8% passive stake in RiceBran

14:41 EDT FirstEnergy jumps after CEO says hopeful on rail settlement - Shares of electricity distributor FirstEnergy (FE) moved off session lows during its Q2 earnings conference call, after CEO Charles Jones said that management is scheduled to have discussions with First Energy Solutions' creditors next week. First Energy Solutions, FES is a unit of FirstEnergy. ONGOING RAILROAD DISPUTE: In a regulatory filing from late April, FirstEnergy said that it had resolved a coal contract dispute with CSX (CSX) and BNSF Railway concerning a previously disclosed arbitration proceeding for $109M. In the filing from April, FirstEnergy said that it is vulnerable to additional proceedings with BNSF and Norfolk Southern (NSC) related to another long-term coal transportation contract. FirstEnergy added, "Although the proceedings are still in the early stages, the parties to this dispute are also engaged in settlement discussions. If the BNSF and Norfolk Southern dispute is not settled or definitive settlement agreements are not finalized with all the parties, the amount of damages owed to CSX, BNSF and Norfolk Southern could be material and may cause FES to seek protection under U.S. bankruptcy laws." OPTIMISTIC ON SETTLEMENT: During its second quarter earnings' conference call, CEO Charles Jones said the company is hopeful that a settlement on the remaining dispute, between BNSF and Norfolk Southern. Jones, added, "In a recent development, we are scheduled to have discussions with FES creditors next week." PRICE ACTION: Shares of FirstEnergy opened lower, but rallied after the CEO's comments and are now up almost 3% to $32.13 in afternoon trading.

13:17 EDT Box Office Battle: 'Dunkirk' likely to hold off 'Atomic Blonde,' 'Emoji Movie' - Time Warner's (TWX) Warner Bros. "Dunkirk," Christopher Nolan's non-linear World War II film, is expected to maintain the top spot at the box office in its second weekend at theaters, with a domestic take of around $28M. Opening this weekend, and likely competing for second place, are Comcast (CMCAS, CMCSK) subsidiary Universal's Focus Features' "Atomic Blonde" and Sony's (SNE) "The Emoji Movie." Action thriller "Atomic Blonde," starring Charlize Theron, is expected to open in the $18M-$22M range, while animated feature "The Emoji Movie," starring animated emoticons, is expected to open in the $20M-$22M range. Comcast subsidiary Universal's female-led comedy "Girls Trip," starring Regina Hall, Tiffany Haddish, Jada Pinkett Smith and Queen Latifah, is expected to earn an additional $17M-$18M in its second weekend at theaters. Publicly traded companies in the space include 21st Century Fox (FOX, FOXA), Disney (DIS), Lionsgate (LGF.A, LGF.B), and Viacom (VIA, VIAB).

13:07 EDT Baker Hughes reports U.S. rig count up 8 to 958 rigs - Baker Hughes reports that the U.S. rig count is up 8 in the latest week to 958 rigs.

13:02 EDT Donaldson raises quarterly dividend to 18c from 17.5c - Donaldson announced that its board declared a regular cash dividend of 18c per share, which reflects an increase of 2.9% from the prior quarterly cash dividend of 17.5c per share. This dividend is payable August 31, to shareholders of record on August 15.

12:51 EDT Dana Telsey calls J.C. Penney top department store pick on CNBC - Telsey Advisory's Dana Telsey said on CNBC that J.C. Penney is her top pick in the department store space. The shares in afternoon trading are up 5c to $5.57.

11:57 EDT Muddy Waters says departure of Bank of the Ozarks' Thomas 'raises eyebrows' - Muddy Waters Research just tweeted, "Dan Thomas $OZRK head of RESG suddenly departs. Premature to say it's probably bc of bus issues, but definitely raises eyebrows."

11:49 EDT Chevron: No improvement in zone talks between Kuwait, Saudi Arabia - Says continuing to monitor situation in Venezuela.

11:19 EDT Chevron: Unit development, operating costs competitive and declining - Says depreciation rates expected to further decline. Says unit development and operating costs are competitive and declining. Says Permian "attractive place" to make future investments.

11:15 EDT Mohawk says European ceramic business is advancing, amid capacity build - Comments from Q2 earnings call.

11:13 EDT Chevron sees first LNG production from Wheatstone next month - Says all three trains at Gorgon LNG project operating smoothly. Sees first LNG production from Wheatstone project next month.

11:09 EDT Chevron: No impact on production year-to-date from asset sales - Sees ending year in cash balance position at current prices. Sees "reliable production" from assets currently in stream in the remainder of the year. Says no impact on production YTD from asset sales. Says asset sold YTD and assets sold later this year have combined production 175,000 barrels per day. Comments taken from Q2 earnings conference call.

11:04 EDT Battleground: Citi upgrades Spirit Air as peers parachute out of buy ratings - Several Wall Street analysts have downgraded Spirit Airlines (SAVE) shares after the company yesterday morning reported lower than expected revenue, warned that its total revenue per available seat mile looks set to fall this year, and noted that low fares were becoming more prevalent in Chicago, Houston and Newark. All of the latter cities are hubs for United Continental (UAL), leading a number of analysts to surmise that Spirit's pricing pressures were caused primarily by low fares charged by that company. Spirit's stock tumbled over 18% yesterday in the wake of its results and comments. While Bank of America Merrill Lynch, Buckingham and Imperial Capital all cut the stock, Citi upgraded Spirit to Buy and Stifel contended that the large decline in the shares is unjustified. NEWS: Spirit's Q2 revenue came in at $701.7M, versus the consensus outlook of $702.3M. The company said it was surprised by the "unusual level of discounting" it was seeing from its competitors. Warning that the trend was hampering its ability to raise fares, the company estimated that its total revenue per available seat mile, or TRASM, would drop 2%-4% this year. Additionally, during the quarter, Spirit said it had over 850 pilot-related flight cancellations amid a contract dispute with its pilots. The company estimated that the cancellations adversely impacted its quarterly results by approximately $45M BEARISH TAKE:Bank of America Merrill Lynch analyst Andrew Didora cut his rating on Spirit to Neutral from Buy, stating that the company's dispute with its pilots has made its schedules more "irregular," leaving it more "vulnerable to pricing pressures." The pressures on the company will continue as long as the dispute with its pilots remains unresolved, according to the analyst, who slashed his price target on the stock to $44 from $68. Also downgrading the stock was Imperial Capital's Michael Derchin. Predicting that the company's earnings would be pressured through fiscal 2018, he lowered his rating on the shares to In-Line from Outperform and lowered his price target to $42 from $75. BULLISH TAKE: Citi analyst Kevin Crissey upgraded Spirit to Buy from Neutral, writing that the worries about its revenue outlook "are overstated." Spirit's business model based on low costs and low fares "isn't broken, especially in key leisure markets where flyers are more price sensitive," the analyst stated. Moreover, prices appear to be "modestly decelerating but mostly stable," and prices seem to be rebounding, Crissey wrote. The large decline in the stock has created an attractive entry point, according to the analyst ,who nonetheless cut his price target on the shares to $52 from $65. Stifel analyst Joseph DeNardi believes that the decline in Spirit's stock is unjustified and "inconsistent" with the company's third quarter guidance for revenue per available seat mile, which missed expectations by only one or two percentage points. While Spirit implied that discounting by United was the main culprit behind the pricing pressures it felt, United's main goal is raising its margins,. so it probably won't continue lowering prices, he believes. Adjusting for the cancellations caused by Spirit's dispute with its pilots, the company's Q3 RASM guidance "isn't that bad," he wrote. He kept a $55 price target and a Buy rating on the shares. PRICE ACTION: After plunging 18% yesterday, Spirit Airlines is flat in Friday morning trading at $40 per share.

11:00 EDT AbbVie announces EC marketing authorization for Maviret - AbbVie announced that the European Commission has granted marketing authorization for Maviret, a once-daily, ribavirin-free treatment for adults with chronic hepatitis C virus infection across all major genotypes. Maviret is also indicated for patients with specific treatment challenges, including those with compensated cirrhosis across all major genotypes, and those who previously had limited treatment options, such as patients with severe chronic kidney disease or those with genotype 3 chronic HCV infection. AbbVie's investigational, pan-genotypic treatment has also been granted accelerated review designations by other regulatory authorities including the U.S. Food and Drug Administration and Japanese Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare and is not yet approved in those countries.

10:53 EDT FirstEnergy plans $600M in transmission spending through 2018 - On its Q2 earnings conference call the company said, that it is planning to spend within $600M in transmission projects through 2018 that are designed to enhance service reliability for customers in the Penelec and Met-Ed service territories. This includes more than 330 projects to modernize or replace transmission lines, incorporate new smart technology into the grid and outfit dozens of electric substations with new equipment, digital communications and enhanced security features.

10:39 EDT Tobacco stocks sink after FDA eyes lowering nicotine in cigarettes - Shares of tobacco companies are falling sharply after the U.S. Food and Drug Administration announced a comprehensive regulatory plan, under which it will pursue lowering nicotine in cigarettes to non-addictive levels and create "more predictability" in tobacco regulation. WHAT'S NEW: The FDA announced a new comprehensive plan for tobacco and nicotine regulation that will serve as a multi-year roadmap to "better protect kids and significantly reduce tobacco-related disease and death." The approach shifts focus to nicotine and the issue of addiction as the center of the agency's tobacco regulation efforts. The aim, according to the agency, is to ensure that the FDA has the proper scientific and regulatory foundation to efficiently and effectively implement the Family Smoking Prevention and Tobacco Control Act. Commenting on the matter, FDA commissioner Scott Gottlieb said, ""Unless we change course, 5.6M young people alive today will die prematurely later in life from tobacco use. Envisioning a world where cigarettes would no longer create or sustain addiction, and where adults who still need or want nicotine could get it from alternative and less harmful sources, needs to be the cornerstone of our efforts - and we believe it's vital that we pursue this common ground." PRICE ACTION: In morning trading shares of Altria (MO), British American Tobacco (BTI), Philip Morris (PM), and Reynolds American (RAI) are down a respective 9.2%, 5.3%, 5.4%, and 2.2%.

10:20 EDT Halliburton says receivables in Venezuela still collectible - Halliburton said in a regulatory filing, that its total outstanding net trade receivables in Venezuela were $399M as of June 30. "We continue to believe our Venezuela receivables are collectable, with appropriate classification between short-term and long-term on our condensed consolidated balance sheets. While we have continued to experience delays in collecting payments on outstanding receivables in Venezuela, we have collected approximately $600M on receivables in Venezuela since this historic industry downturn began in late 2014," said the company.

10:09 EDT FDA 'providing targeted relief' on some tobacco regulation timelines - The U.S. Food and Drug Administration announced a new comprehensive plan for tobacco and nicotine regulation that will serve as a multi-year roadmap to better protect kids and significantly reduce tobacco-related disease and death. As part of the plan, the agency is also providing targeted relief on some timelines described in the May 2016 final rule that extended the FDA's authority to additional tobacco products. The agency intends to extend timelines to submit tobacco product review applications for newly regulated tobacco products that were on the market as of Aug. 8, 2016. This action will afford the agency time to explore clear and meaningful measures to make tobacco products less toxic, appealing and addictive. The agency plans to issue this guidance describing a new enforcement policy shortly. Under expected revised timelines, applications for newly-regulated combustible products, such as cigars, pipe tobacco and hookah tobacco, would be submitted by Aug. 8, 2021, and applications for non-combustible products such as ENDS or e-cigarettes would be submitted by Aug. 8, 2022. Additionally, the FDA expects that manufacturers would continue to market products while the agency reviews product applications. Publicly traded companies in the tobacco products space include Altria Group (MO), British American Tobacco (BTI), Philip Morris (PM) and Reynolds American (RAI).

10:02 EDT DAVIDsTEA jumps after Starbucks announces plans to close Teavana stores - Shares of DAVIDsTEA (DTEA), a specialty tea retailer that operated 232 company-operated stores throughout Canada and the United States as of April 29, are rising in early trading after beverage giant Starbucks (SBUX) announced last night that it plans all of its brick-and-mortar Teavana locations. TEAVANA CLOSINGS: Along with its earnings report last night, Starbucks said that many of the company's principally mall-based Teavana retail stores have been "persistently underperforming," leading the company to conclude that despite efforts to reverse the trend through creative merchandising and new store designs, the underperformance was likely to continue. As a result, Starbucks will close all 379 Teavana stores over the coming year, with the majority closing by Spring 2018. PRICE ACTION: In early trading, DAVIDsTEA shares are up 10.5% to $5.55.

09:57 EDT FCA announces certification of 2017 model-year diesel vehicles - FCA US LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Fiat Chrysler Automobiles N.V. announced that it has received a certificate of conformity from the Environmental Protection Agency and a conditional executive order from the Air Resources Board of the State of California, permitting the production and sale of FCA US 2017 model-year light-duty Ram 1500 and Jeep Grand Cherokee vehicles equipped with 3.0-liter diesel engines. The agencies' approval was the product of several months of collaboration between FCA US and the EPA and ARB to address the agencies' concerns with respect to the diesel emissions control technologies employed on earlier model-year versions of these vehicles. The 2017 updates include modified emissions software calibrations, with no required hardware changes, and FCA US expects that the modified calibrations will have no effect on the stated fuel economy or the performance of these vehicles. FCA US intends to continue to work closely with the agencies and seek their permission to use a version of the modified software to update the emissions control systems in the 2014-2016 model-year Jeep Grand Cherokee and Ram 1500 diesel vehicles that were the subject of the Notices of Violation issued by EPA and ARB in January 2017. FCA US believes that the modified software can address the agencies' concerns as to the emissions performance of those vehicles.

09:53 EDT Leggett & Platt sued by Knickerbocker Bed Company for IP infringement - Knickerbocker Bed Company notified Leggett & Platt that it filed a lawsuit maintaining the company violated Knickerbocker's trade dress protections under the Lanham Act and other intellectual property laws. The lawsuit, filed in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Texas, seeks punitive and compensatory damages, along with an injunction to stop Leggett & Platt from selling its "Presto" bed frame. Knickerbocker claims that the Presto infringes on its trade dress rights for its successful emBrace line of bed frames that has been sold in the United States since 2011. "Knickerbocker alleges this infringement was committed with willful intent for the purpose of trading on Knickerbocker's goodwill and business reputation, with Leggett's knowledge of the lack of right to do so, and has caused Knickerbocker damage," according to the lawsuit.

09:48 EDT Eros International trading halted, volatility trading pause

09:26 EDT On The Fly: Pre-market Movers - UP AFTER EARNINGS: Baidu (BIDU), up 5.5%... Align Technology (ALGN), up 4.9%... NewLink Genetics... (NLNK), up 7.1%... Intel (INTC), Merck (MRK), Rockwell Collins (COL), and AbbVie (ABBV) are all marginally higher. DOWN AFTER EARNINGS: Starbucks (SBUX), down 7.7%... Western Digital (WDC), down 4.9%... Electronic Arts (EA), down 3.6%... KLA-Tencor (KLAC), down 1.9%... Flowserve (FLS), down 10.3%... American Airlines (AAL), down 1.7%... Exxon Mobil (XOM), down 1.8%. ALSO LOWER: Bank Of The Ozarks (OZRK), down 5.4% after being downgraded to Equal Weight from Overweight at Stephens and disclosing the departure of its Chief Lending Officer of Real Estate Specialties Group.

09:26 EDT Pool Corp. appoints Peter Arvan as COO - Pool Corporation has named Peter Arvan as COO. Arvan joined the company in January as the company's Executive VP, with responsibility for North American line management. With this appointment, his responsibilities will expand to include Operations and Information Technology. Arvan was most recently with Roofing Supply Group, where he served as their CEO.

09:23 EDT NuStar Energy says 'on track' with forward-looking plans - "These short-term results were anticipated. However, more importantly, we are on-track with our forward-looking plans that are paving the way for strong future growth - in our earnings, assets and distributions. Drilling in the area has exceeded our initial projections. In terms of rig counts, there are currently 39 rigs running on dedicated and interconnected acreage. This is in excess of the 29 we forecast would be running at the end of 2017. In fact, back in April when we were evaluating the system, we weren't projecting 39 rigs until the end of 2018," said Brad Barron, President and CEO.

09:15 EDT Synchrony says received civil investigative demand from CFPB in May - In a regulatory filing, Synchrony disclosed that on May 9, the bank received a Civil Investigative Demand from the CFPB seeking information related to the marketing and servicing of deferred interest promotions.

09:03 EDT CytRx enters into global strategic license with NantCell for aldoxorubicin - CytRx has entered into a global strategic license with NantCell for the exclusive rights to develop and commercialize aldoxorubicin for all indications. NantCell, a private subsidiary of NantWorks, is a clinical stage immuno-oncology company focused on developing novel molecularly targeted therapeutics including antibody, T-cell and NK cell based treatments for patients with cancer. NantCell made a strategic investment by purchasing $13M of CytRx common stock at $1.10 per share, representing approximately a 92% premium to CytRx's most recent market price. CytRx is entitled to receive up to an additional $343M in milestone payments related to regulatory approvals and commercial milestones for aldoxorubicin. In addition, CytRx will receive increasing double-digit royalties for sales of aldoxorubicin for soft tissue sarcomas and mid to high single digit royalties for all other indications. NantCell will be responsible for all future development, manufacturing and commercialization expenses. CytRx also issued NantCell a warrant to purchase up to 3 million shares of common stock at $1.10 over the next 18 months. CytRx has amended its long-term loan facility and will make a payment of $5M to the lender upon the closing of the exclusive global license and strategic investment for aldoxorubicin.

09:01 EDT Motorola Solutions to acquire Plant Holdings from Airbus - Motorola Solutions (MSI) that it has executed a definitive agreement with Airbus (EADSY) under which the company will acquire Plant Holdings, Inc., which holds the Airbus DS Communications business. Terms of the transaction were not disclosed. Expected to be completed by the end of 2017, the acquisition is subject to customary closing conditions, including regulatory approvals.

08:57 EDT Sarepta CEO Ingram buys $2M worth of shares - Sarepta Therapeutics CEO Douglas Ingram disclosed the purchase of 47,058 shares at a price of $42.50. The shares were bought on July 27 for a total of nearly $2M, according to a regulatory filing. Ingram now owns 382,058 shares of Sarepta, which produces Duchenne muscular dystrophy treatment EXONDYS 51. Sarepta in premarket trading is up 32c to $40.90.

08:55 EDT American Airlines: Q3 comp 'particularly hard,' Q4 comp 'looks less hard'

08:53 EDT Weatherford says flat North American rig count to challenge higher margins

08:45 EDT American Airlines says revenue environment 'robust'

08:44 EDT Weatherford says begun process to sell land rigs unit

08:42 EDT Weatherford says sees 2H17 CapEx $150M-$170M

08:38 EDT Chevron reports capital and exploratory expenditures down to $8.9B in first half - Chevron capital and exploratory expenditures in the first six months of 2017 were $8.9B, compared with $12.0B in the corresponding 2016 period. The amounts included $2.1B in 2017 and $1.7B in 2016 for the company's share of expenditures by affiliates, which did not require cash outlays by the company. Expenditures for upstream represented 89% of the companywide total in second quarter 2017.

08:36 EDT Weatherford sees Q3 revenue growth in North America - Comments from Q2 earnings conference call.

08:34 EDT Entercom announces special dividend of 20c per share - The company announced that, as permitted under its merger agreement with CBS Radio, it would pay a special one-time dividend of $0.20 per share on August 30th to shareholders of record on August 15th.

08:34 EDT Barington/Hilco Acquisition to adjourn special meeting of stockholders - Barington/Hilco Acquisition announced that it intends to adjourn, without conducting any business, the special meeting of stockholders scheduled to occur at 10:00 a.m., Eastern time, on July 31, 2017 and reconvene at 10:00 a.m., Eastern time, on August 9, 2017. The Special Meeting will still be held at the offices of Kramer Levin Naftalis & Frankel LLP, located at 1177 Avenue of the Americas, New York, NY 10036. The purpose of the Special Meeting is to permit stockholders to vote upon a proposal to extend the time available for the Company to consummate a business combination from August 11, 2017 to December 31, 2017. On May 12, 2017, the Company entered into a merger agreement with Oomba, a specialized social media and software development company. The Company is holding the Special Meeting in order to provide the Company sufficient time to close the transactions contemplated by the Merger Agreement. In connection with the adjournment of the Special Meeting, the Company is extending the deadline for holders of the Company's common stock to exercise their right to redeem their shares for their pro rata portion of the funds available in the Company's trust account in connection with the vote to approve the Extension, or to withdraw any previously delivered demand for redemption, to 5:00 p.m., Eastern time, on August 7, 2017. Stockholders of record as of June 30, 2017 shall be entitled to vote at the Special Meeting. Proxy materials were filed with the SEC on July 14, 2017 and were mailed to stockholders on or about such date.

08:32 EDT Enzymotec appoints Dror Israel as CFO - Enzymotec (ENZY) announced that Dror Israel will join Enzymotec on August 7 and will assume the position of Vice President and CFO following a transition period. Israel succeeds Oren Bryan, who has served as Enzymotec's CFO since 2008 and will remain on board during the transitional period. Israel served as CFO of EZchip Semiconductor (EZCH) from July 2001 until February 2016.

08:31 EDT Haemonetics announces FDA clearance of NexSys PCS plasmapheresis system - Haemonetics has received FDA 510(k) clearance for its NexSys PCS plasmapheresis system. The NexSys PCS includes bi-directional connectivity to Haemonetics' donor management system, NexLynk DMS, and builds on Haemonetics' industry leading position with a design inspired by extensive user research.

08:20 EDT iKang announces partnership to establish IBM Watson Oncology Centers in China - iKang Healthcare Group (KANG) has officially announced its strategic partnership with BAHEAL Intelligent Technology to introduce IBM Watson for Oncology (IBM) cognitive computing solutions into iKang service platform and jointly establish IBM Watson for Oncology Centers in China. This partnership is part of the recently launched iKangCare+ and iKangPartners+ initiatives. Both companies will collaborate to build the IBM Watson for Oncology Center within existing 108 and future iKang medical centers. This will bring IBM Watson solutions into China's preventive healthcare management industry for the first time, benefiting millions of iKang's clients and cancer patients referred to iKang by BAHEAL Intelligent Technology and oncologists. In the future, iKang and BAHEAL Intelligent Technology will collaborate on the development of the Watson for Genomics solution when it becomes available in the China market. IBM Watson is the first commercially available cognitive computing capability, representing a new era in computing. BAHEAL Intelligent Technology, a subsidiary of BAHEAL Pharmaceutical Group and a strategic partner of IBM Watson Health in the China market, has been granted exclusive distribution rights for Watson for Oncology and Watson for Genomics in China in March and June of 2017 respectively. As of today, 13 major general hospitals in 8 provinces and cities have established Watson for Oncology Centers. The collaboration with iKang also marks the first application of Watson Health in a major private preventive healthcare management company in China.

08:07 EDT Provident Financial raises quarterly dividend 5.3% to 20c per share - The Company's Board of Directors declared a quarterly cash dividend of 20c per common share payable on August 31, to stockholders of record as of the close of business on August 15. The dividend is an increase of 5.3% from the prior quarter's regular cash dividend of 19c per common share.

08:06 EDT Exxon Mobil reports Q2 Chemical prime product sales of 6.1 million metric tons - Chemical earnings of $985M were $232M lower than the second quarter of 2016. Weaker margins decreased earnings by $40M. Volume and mix effects decreased earnings by $50M. All other items decreased earnings by $140M primarily due to higher turnaround expenses. Second quarter prime product sales of 6.1 million metric tons were 190,000 metric tons lower than the prior year.

08:04 EDT Teva announces launch of generic Epiduo in the U.S. - Teva announced the launch of generic Epiduo gel, 0.1%/2.5% in the U.S. Teva was the first company to file a generic application for Epiduo and is expected to benefit from 180-days of generic product exclusivity. This launch marks the most recent addition to Teva's portfolio of over 40 dermatology products. Adapalene and benzoyl peroxide gel 0.1%/2.5% had annual sales of approximately $251M in the U.S. according to IMS data as of March 2017.

08:03 EDT Exxon Mobil reports Q2 Upstream volumes down 1% to 3.9 moebd - Upstream earnings were $1.2B in the second quarter, up $890M from the second quarter of 2016. Higher liquids and gas realizations increased earnings by $890M. Lower liquids volume and mix effects decreased earnings by $260M due to lower sales from timing of liftings. Higher gas volumes and mix effects increased earnings by $120M. On an oil-equivalent basis, production decreased 1% from the second quarter of 2016. Liquids production totaled 2.3 million barrels per day, down 61,000 barrels per day as field decline and lower entitlements were partly offset by increased project volumes and work programs.

07:48 EDT American Airlines CEO 'enthusiastic' about prospects for 2H17, 2018 - "We are making important long-term investments in our product and our team at American Airlines. Our strong revenue growth is a credit to our more than 120,000 team members and evidence that these investments are working," said Doug Parker, Chairman and CEO. "Looking forward, we are enthusiastic about our prospects for the second half of 2017, as well as 2018 and beyond."

07:46 EDT American Airlines reports Q2 CASM ex-fuel up 6.8%

07:45 EDT American Airlines sees Q3 pre-tax margin ex-items 10%-12%

07:45 EDT American Airlines sees Q3 TRASM up 0.5%-2.5% - American Airlines says, "We expect third-quarter TRASM to increase approximately 0.5%-2.5% year-over-year, which reflects continued improvement in customer demand for corporate and leisure travel. We expect third-quarter pre-tax margin excluding special items to be between 10%-12%" American plans to invest $4.1 billion in new aircraft this year as it continues to renew its fleet. During the quarter, the company invested $1.1 billion in aircraft as it took delivery of 16 mainline aircraft and 4 regional aircraft. These new deliveries will replace aircraft that are expected to leave the fleet. In addition, the company expects to invest $1.6 billion in non-aircraft capital expenditures in 2017 focused on integrating the airline, product enhancements, and operational improvements.

07:35 EDT Goodyear sees $45M in annual savings from closure of Philippsburg, Germany plant - The company, on July 14, closed its tire manufacturing facility in Philippsburg, Germany. As previously announced, the action is part of Goodyear's global strategy to focus on premium, larger-rim diameter tires. This closure eliminates approximately 6M units of capacity and is expected to provide savings of about $45M on an annualized basis beginning in 2018.

07:19 EDT Santander Consumer reports Q2 Common equity tier 1 ratio 14.3%, up 170 bps - Report return on average assets of 2.7%, down from 3.0%. Total auto originations of $5.5B, up 1%.

07:15 EDT UBS says improved sentiment yielding improved client activity - UBS said: "Improved investor sentiment and enhanced confidence have translated into improvements in wealth management client activity levels. However, the persistence of low volatility levels and seasonality factors may continue to affect overall client activity. In addition, while we expect the global economic recovery to strengthen, geopolitical tensions and macroeconomic uncertainty still pose risks to client sentiment. Low and negative interest rates, particularly in Switzerland and the eurozone, put pressure on net interest margins, which may be partially offset by the effect of a further normalization of US monetary policy. Implementing Switzerland's new bank capital standards and further changes to national and international regulatory frameworks for banks will result in increased capital requirements, interest and operating costs. UBS is well positioned to mitigate these challenges and benefit from further improvements in market conditions."

07:12 EDT Ruth's Hospitality updates FY17 outlook, sees FY CapEx $23M-$25M - Ruth's Hospitality Group is updating its full year 2017 outlook based on a 53 week year ending December 31, 2017, as follows: Food and beverage costs of 29.0% to 31.0% of restaurant sales, restaurant operating expenses of 47.0% to 49.0% of restaurant sales, marketing and advertising costs of 2.9% to 3.1% of total revenues, general and administrative expenses of $32M to $34M, effective tax rate of 31% to 34%, capital expenditures of $23M to $25M, fully diluted shares outstanding of 31.2M to 31.5M.

07:09 EDT Layne Christensen completes water pipeline in Delaware Basin - Layne Christensen completed its high-capacity water pipeline and infrastructure system serving energy producers in the prolific Delaware Basin in West Texas. Layne's new water infrastructure system is anchored by nearly 1,000 acres of company-owned, water-producing land near Pecos, TX. The system has initial production and delivery capacity of 100,000 barrels per day of non-potable water, with significant capacity to support further expansion from both additional water sources and delivery points. The capital investment for the system, including land cost, is approximately $18M. Financial returns from the system are anticipated to be accretive to earnings and cash flow during Layne's Q3, and the company anticipates expanding capacity over time.

07:07 EDT Cesca issued new patent for Cell Separation Devices, Systems, and Methods - Cesca Therapeutics announced that the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office has awarded a new U.S. Patent, No. 9,695,394, entitled "Cell Separation Devices, Systems, and Methods." The patent was awarded to SynGen, Inc., whose cell processing assets were acquired by ThermoGenesis Corp., Cesca's 80%-owned device subsidiary, on July 10, 2017. The patent relates to the automated isolation of rare, therapeutically critical target cells from blood, bone marrow, leukapheresis product, and other cell sources, while maintaining the viability of the cells under asceptic conditions. This advanced technology is part of Cesca's proprietary CAR-TXpress platform that now integrates multi-component automation steps, including T-cell isolation, purification, culture expansion and washing, and single cassette-based automated -196 degrees C cryopreservation and retrieval. The CAR-TXpress system provides a comprehensive and commercially viable, automated cellular manufacturing and control solution for the development of CAR-T and CAR-NK therapeutics.

07:02 EDT Aaron's acquires SEI/Aaron's franchisee for $140M - Aaron's has acquired substantially all of the assets of its largest franchisee, SEI/Aaron's, in an all-cash transaction valued at approximately $140M, which was paid with cash-on-hand. Aaron's expects the transaction to be accretive to earnings in 2017. SEI was founded in 1995 and currently serves more than 90,000 customers through 104 Aaron's stores in 11 states, primarily in the Northeast.

07:00 EDT Dynavax trading halted, news pending

06:52 EDT Merck CEO Q2 results driven by 'robust momentum for KEYTRUDA' - "We continued to deliver strong results in the second quarter, driven by robust momentum for KEYTRUDA and good progress with other products in our portfolio," said Kenneth Frazier, chairman and CEO, Merck. "The company continues to invest in innovative science that addresses the critical needs of population health, which benefits patients while creating long-term value for shareholders."

06:50 EDT Merck sees FY17 adjusted effective tax rate 21%-22%

06:46 EDT Credit Suisse says growth prospects improving in many geographies - Credit Suisse says, "We expect current low levels of volatility, geopolitical concerns and periods of low client activity to continue to impact our more market dependent activities. Wealth management has a more predictable earnings contribution, beyond the traditional and expected seasonality of the third quarter. Therefore, we believe we will continue to benefit from the long-term tail winds underpinning this attractive area of financial services. On a macroeconomic level, we believe that growth prospects have been improving in many of the geographies in which we operate. Credit quality remains sound and we expect to benefit from rising US interest rates across our wealth management franchise over time. Notwithstanding the healthy client dialogue we are having across wealth management and investment banking, we expect market activity to be influenced by normal seasonality in the third quarter, but we believe our pipeline will remain strong for the balance of the year."

06:43 EDT Plymouth Industrial REIT purchases two properties in Indianapolis for $16.9M - Plymouth Industrial REIT has executed a definitive agreement to acquire two Class B industrial properties in Indianapolis, Indiana for total consideration of $16.875M. The purchase price includes approximately $8.5M in cash, and the issuance of Plymouth's Operating Partnership units valued at approximately $8.375M. The properties are projected to provide an initial yield of 8.5%. The closing is expected to be completed within 30 days and would bring Plymouth's acquisition volume since its June IPO to $54.4M.

06:32 EDT Rockwell Collins sees FY17 free cash flow $650M-$750M

06:11 EDT Calpine says in discussions regarding a potential sale of the company - Calpine says, "Early this spring, our Board of Directors decided to explore strategic alternatives for the company, seeking to enhance value for our shareholders. At this time, our Board, together with management and financial and legal advisors, are in discussions regarding a potential sale of Calpine." The Board plans to proceed in a timely manner but has not set a definitive timetable for completion of these discussions. There can be no assurance that these discussions will result in a transaction of any kind, or if a transaction is undertaken, as to terms or timing. Calpine does not intend to disclose developments or provide updates on the status of these discussions unless or until it is determined that further disclosure is appropriate or required by law. Notwithstanding these discussions, the Calpine team remains committed to operational excellence, customer focus and financial discipline.

06:03 EDT adidas to sell CCM hockey brand to Birch Hill Equity for $110M - Adidas announced that it has entered into a definitive agreement to sell its CCM ice hockey brand to a newly formed affiliate of Birch Hill Equity Partners for a total consideration of $110M, the majority of which will be paid in cash with the remainder paid in the form of a secured note. The transaction, which is subject to customary closing conditions, is expected to be completed during the third quarter of 2017. As a result of the transaction, adidas has recorded a non-operational negative P&L impact in the high-double-digit million euro range, which will be reported in discontinued operations as part of the company's second quarter 2017 results. The company's continuing operations, however, are not affected by this one-time charge. The divestiture of CCM Hockey does not impact the company's financial outlook for the current year. In addition, the strategic divestiture of the ice hockey brand has already been reflected in the company's updated long-term outlook as provided in March 2017. Robert W. Baird & Co. acted as exclusive financial advisor to adidas AG and Stikeman Elliott LLP served as lead legal counsel.

06:01 EDT Iron Mountain maintains FY17 guidance

05:59 EDT HP Enterprise CEO Whitman says plans to remain CEO, 'not going anywhere' - Commenting on rumors that she may leave HP Enterprise to become the CEO of Uber, Meg Whitman said in a series of tweets: "Normally I do not comment on rumors, but the speculation about my future and Uber has become a distraction. So let me make this as clear as I can. I am fully committed to HPE and plan to remain the company's CEO. We have a lot of work still to do at HPE and I am not going anywhere. Uber's CEO will not be Meg Whitman." Reference Link

05:50 EDT Wells Fargo announces plan to remediate customers for auto insurance coverage - Wells Fargo announced a plan to remediate auto loan customers of Wells Fargo Dealers Services who may have been financially harmed due to issues related to auto Collateral Protection Insurance, or CPI, policies. Wells Fargo reviewed policies placed between 2012 and 2017 and identified approximately 570,000 customers who may have been impacted and will receive refunds and other payments as compensation. In total, approximately $64 million of cash remediation will be sent to customers in the coming months, along with $16 million of account adjustments, for a total of approximately $80 million in remediation. Starting in August 2017, Wells Fargo will proactively reach out to impacted customers with letters and refund checks. Customers' auto loan contracts require them to maintain comprehensive and collision physical damage insurance on behalf of the lender throughout the term of the loan. As permitted under those contracts, Wells Fargo would purchase CPI from a vendor on the customer's behalf if there was no evidence - either from the customer or the insurance company - that the customer already had the required insurance. CPI insurance protects against loss or damage to a vehicle serving as collateral to secure a loan and helps ensure that borrowers can pay for damages to a vehicle. In response to customer concerns, in July 2016 Wells Fargo initiated a review of the CPI program and related third-party vendor practices. Based on the initial findings, the company discontinued its CPI program in September 2016. Since then, the company has gone through a comprehensive review using independent consultants to ensure the remediation plan it develops addresses customers' situations in a thorough and thoughtful way. Wells Fargo's review determined that certain external vendor processes and internal controls were inadequate. As a result, customers may have been charged premiums for CPI even if they were paying for their own vehicle insurance, as required, and in some cases the CPI premiums may have contributed to a default that led to their vehicle's repossession. "We take full responsibility for our failure to appropriately manage the CPI program and are extremely sorry for any harm this caused our customers, who expect and deserve better from us," said Codel. "Upon our discovery, we acted swiftly to discontinue the program and immediately develop a plan to make impacted customers whole." Wells Fargo will also work with the credit bureaus to correct customers' credit records, if applicable. Also as an outcome of this review, Wells Fargo has taken additional steps to tighten oversight of third-party vendors in Dealer Services. This is consistent with a broader effort to strengthen how the Dealer Services business manages risk and serves customers, which has included other recently announced actions to centralize operational functions and provide more consistency for customers, tighten credit standards, and implement a new structure.

05:43 EDT Cabot Oil & Gas backs FY17 production growth guidance range of 8%-12% - Cabot has reaffirmed its 2017 production growth guidance range of 8%-12%, including 10%-15% oil production growth, and its total 2017 program spending of $845 million, which is comprised of $775 million of exploration and production spending and $70 million of contributions to its equity pipeline investments.

05:34 EDT Jaguar Animal Health, Napo Pharmaceuticals holders vote to approve merger - Jaguar Animal Health and Napo Pharmaceuticals announced that at separate special stockholder meetings the stockholders of both companies approved proposals recommended by the Jaguar and Napo boards regarding the merger of Jaguar and Napo. The merger transaction remains on track to become effective on Monday, July 31, 2017, at which point Jaguar's name will be changed to Jaguar Health and Napo will operate as a wholly-owned subsidiary of Jaguar focused on human health and the ongoing commercialization of Mytesi, which is approved by the U.S. FDA for the symptomatic relief of noninfectious diarrhea in adults with HIV/AIDS on antiretroviral therapy. As previously announced, the terms of the merger include funding for the combined company and for other aspects of the merger as disclosed in the definitive joint proxy statement/prospectus.