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

18:29 EDT General Motors CFO sells 16,000 common shares - In a regulatory filing, General Motors CFO Charles K. Stevens III disclosed the sale of 16,000 common shares of the company at a price of $35.80 per share. The transaction brings the executive's total direct common stock ownership to 77,052 shares.

18:23 EDT Match Group appoints Mandy Ginsberg as CEO effective January 1, 2018 - Match Group announced the appointment of Mandy Ginsberg, CEO of Match Group Americas, to the role of CEO of Match Group, effective January 1, 2018. Ginsberg will succeed Greg Blatt, who will remain in his role as Chairman and CEO of Match Group through the end of the year, and will stay on as CEO of Tinder until a replacement is named. IAC CEO Joey Levin will become the Chairman of the Match Group Board of Directors. Blatt will serve as Vice Chairman, a non-executive position that will encompass his continuing service on the Match Group and Tinder Boards, and an ongoing advisory relationship to the Match Group senior executive team.

18:13 EDT Genworth merger deadline with China Oceanwide extended to November 30 - Genworth and Oceanwide continue to work diligently to satisfy the closing conditions under their previously announced proposed transaction and are committed to closing the transaction as soon as possible. Since the end of the first quarter, the two companies reported the following progress toward completing the transaction: On July 13, 2017, Genworth and Oceanwide withdrew and refiled their joint voluntary notice to the Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States (CFIUS) for a second time to provide CFIUS more time to review and discuss the proposed transaction. CFIUS' acceptance of the refiled joint voluntary notice commenced a new 30-day review period, which may be followed by an additional 45-day investigation period. Effective July 1, 2017, Genworth completed the remaining internal reinsurance and recapture transactions required under the Oceanwide merger agreement. We expect these transactions to create a 15 to 20 point decline in consolidated risk-based capital ratio from a reduction in covariance benefit. In addition to clearance by CFIUS, the closing of the proposed transaction remains subject to the receipt of required regulatory approvals in the U.S., China, and other international jurisdictions and other closing conditions. Genworth and Oceanwide continue to be actively engaged with the relevant regulators regarding the pending applications. Because the timing of the regulatory reviews will delay the completion of the transaction beyond the originally targeted time frame of the middle of 2017, Genworth and Oceanwide have agreed in principle to extend the August 31, 2017 deadline set forth in the merger agreement to November 30, 2017, with the associated documentation expected to be finalized in the near term. Genworth and Oceanwide remain committed to satisfying the closing conditions under the merger agreement as soon as possible and now anticipate that the transaction will be completed during the fourth quarter of 2017, subject to receipt of the required regulatory approvals.

18:06 EDT Apple CEO says 'very focused on autonomous systems' - The Apple CEO Tim Cook said the company is very focused on autonomous "from a core technology point of view." Cook added that Apple has a large project going" and the company is making "a big investment in this." Apple considers Autonomy "the mother of all Artificial Intelligence projects. Cook added the autonomous systems "can be used in a variety of ways, and a vehicle is only one but there are many different areas of it." The CEO didn't want to speak further on that topic. s 'very focused on autonomous systems'The n terms of autonomous systems, what we've said is that we are very focused on autonomous systems from a core technology point of view. We do have alarge project going and are making a big investment in this. From our point of view, autonomy is sort of the mother of all AI projects. And the autonomous systems can beused in a variety of ways, and a vehicle is only one but there are many different areas of it. And I don't want to go any further with that. But thank you for the question. Operator

18:02 EDT Gramercy Property Trust sees FY17 AFFO $1.90-$1.95 - Sees FY17 core FFO $2.05-$2.10.

17:58 EDT Felcor Lodging sells Royalton New York Hotel for $55M - FelCor Lodging Trust announced that it has sold its 168-room Royalton New York hotel to a joint venture between Rockpoint Group and Highgate for gross proceeds of $55M. FelCor will use net proceeds to repay borrowings under its line of credit.

17:52 EDT Apple CEO says so far original content has been focused on Apple Music

17:47 EDT Apple says Tencent 'one of our biggest and best developers' - Apple CEO Tim Cook added that, "we're looking forward to working with them even more to build even greater experiences for our mutual users in China."

17:37 EDT Apple sees Q4 gross margin 37.5%-38% vs. 38.5% reported in Q3 - The CFO said the down tick in gross margin for Q4 is due to product transition costs during the September quarter. "That's the primary driver," CFO Luca Maestro.

17:31 EDT UCP, Inc. shareholders approve merger with Century Communities - UCP, Inc. (UCP) stockholders have voted to approve the previously announced merger with Century Communities (CCS). Approximately 14,942,673 million votes were cast in favor of the merger, representing over 94% of the votes cast and over 81% of the outstanding voting power of UCP. Upon completion of the merger, each share of UCP common stock outstanding immediately prior to the closing will be converted into the right to receive $5.32 in cash and 0.2309 of a newly issued share of Century common stock. UCP and Century expect to close the transaction before the opening of the NYSE on August 4.

17:30 EDT Methode Electronics to acquire outstanding shares of Pacific Insight for $114M - Methode Electronics announced that it has entered into a definitive agreement with Pacific Insight Electronics pursuant to which Methode will acquire all of the outstanding common shares of Pacific Insight in a cash transaction. Methode will fund the total consideration of approximately $114M with available cash and its existing credit facility. Methode expects the acquisition to be accretive to earnings in its current fiscal year ending April 28, 2018. Pacific Insight is a global solutions provider offering design, development, manufacturing and delivery of lighting and electronic products and full service solutions to the automotive and commercial vehicle markets.

17:28 EDT Apple CFO says lowest level of channel inventory in 2.5 years - Apple CFO Luca Maestri is speaking on the company's Q3 earnings call.

17:24 EDT Apple CEO Cook: Might have more innovations to share later in year

17:22 EDT Tortoise Pipeline reports unaudited total assets $286.8M as of July 31 - Unaudited net asset value was $218.0M, or $21.77 per share.

17:20 EDT Tortoise Power & Energy reports unaudited total assets $215.3M as of July 31 - Unaudited net asset value was $162.0M, or $23.30 per share.

17:17 EDT Apple says iPad sales to U.S. education space increased 30% in Q3

17:14 EDT Just Energy ends exclusive relationship for online sales in North America - Just Energy Group announced that it has reached an agreement with its joint venture partner, Red Ventures, to end the exclusive relationship for online sales of the Just Energy brand in North America. To facilitate the transaction, Just Energy acquired the outstanding 50% interest of each of Just Ventures in the U.S and Just Ventures in Canada.

17:12 EDT Verizon to purchase Chicago network infrastructure from WideOpenWest for $225M - Verizon (VZ) announced a definitive agreement to purchase fiber-optic network assets serving the Chicago market for $225M. The seller is WideOpenWest (WOW). The transaction is expected to close early in 1Q18. The agreement includes an additional $50M in network investment for WOW! to complete the build-out of its Chicago network in 2H18. Verizon will secure fiber to more than 500 macro-cell wireless sites and more than 500 small-cell wireless sites.

17:07 EDT Range Resources sees Q4 production 2,170 Mmcfe per day

17:06 EDT Albany International announces CEO succession plan - Albany International announced that President and CEO Joseph Morone has decided to retire in 2018. The company's Board has instituted a CEO search to consider candidates to succeed Dr. Morone, who will continue to serve as CEO until his successor is in place. Dr. Morone has also agreed to remain on the Board for an appropriate period of time to support the transition and ensure an orderly handoff to his successor.

17:04 EDT Papa John's cuts FY17 net global new unit growth view to 3%-4% from 4%-5% - "The company is reducing the net unit outlook to reflect the closure of the India market; 33 stores were closed as of the end of the second quarter and the remaining 33 stores closed in the third quarter. We do not expect the closure of these stores to have a significant impact on our 2017 operating results. The reaffirmation of the earnings outlook excludes the impact of the increased share repurchase authorization."

17:02 EDT Papa John's announces $500M increase in share repurchase authorization - In conjunction with increase to share repurchase authorization, leverage planned to be increased to 3.0x - 4.0x EBITDA over the next 12-18 months.

16:55 EDT Ramco-Gershenson reaffirms FY17 operating FFO view $1.34-$1.38 - Sees same-property with redevelopment NOI growth guidance of 2.5%-3.5%.

16:52 EDT Verisk Analytics announces remote sensing capabilities in Geomni - Verisk Analytics announced a range of new capabilities in its Geomni business unit. Verisk recently acquired a number of leading U.S.-based aerial survey companies and their aircraft fleets. In addition, Verisk is investing in the most technologically advanced and efficient aerial surveying platforms available. Fully implemented, the Geomni fleet includes more than 125 fixed-wing aircraft and helicopters. Geomni operates from 15 hubs strategically located throughout the United States. Geomni's high-tech remote sensing aircraft are capable of reaching any point in the contiguous 48 states and Hawaii within hours. In the event of a catastrophe, Geomni's highly skilled teams can quickly deploy to provide important postcatastrophe aerial data. "The new Geomni fleet, combined with our deep expertise, allows us to efficiently source multitier, multispectral aerial imagery across the United States at a scale and frequency not previously available," said Scott Stephenson, chairman, president, and chief executive officer of Verisk Analytics. "The imagery and data we collect are immediately processed using our industry-leading computer-vision technology to provide our customers with the up-to-date and precise information they need, delivered directly to the key products they use."Geomni imagery and data will drive and support uses in many markets, including insurance, commercial property, energy, banking, architecture, engineering, emergency response, urban planning, and much more. Verisk expects to invest approximately $100 million across 2017 and 2018 in the Geomni capabilities and assets for remote sensing and imagery.

16:50 EDT Douglas Emmett sees FY17 EPS 52c-58c, consensus 54c - Lowers FY17 FFO to $1.89-$1.93. The 1c decline in the FFO midpoint reflects the Q2 impact of $1.4M in loan costs and dilution from equity issuance.

16:47 EDT Quotient Technology sees Q3 revenue $81.0M-$84.0M, consensus $78.44M - Sees Q3 adjusted EBITDA $10.0M-$12.0M.

16:45 EDT Everbridge names Robert Hughes president - Everbridge announced the expansion of its senior management team. Robert Hughes, who most recently served as President, Worldwide Operations for Akamai Technologies, joins the company in the newly created position of President, and Javier Colado becomes Everbridge's first Senior Vice President, International Sales.

16:43 EDT Rexford Industrial sees FY17 core FFO 93c-96c - The Company is updating its FY17 guidance for Company share of Core FFO to a range of 93c-96c per diluted share of common stock. This Core FFO guidance refers only to the Company's in-place portfolio as of August 1 and does not include any assumptions for acquisitions, dispositions or balance sheet activities that may or may not occur later during the year. Full year guidance assumes the following: year-end Same Property Portfolio occupancy within a range of 94% to 96%, year-end Stabilized Same Property Portfolio occupancy within a range of 96% to 98%, Same Property Portfolio NOI growth for the year of 6% to 8% and general and administrative expenses of $20.0M-$20.5M.

16:43 EDT SunPower will not actively seek replacement partner for First Solar in JV - SunPower (SPWR) said: "Strategically, we continue to believe that our restructuring program will enable us to successfully navigate the current market transition while positioning us for improved financial performance. In the near-term, our focus remains on maximizing cash flow through project sales, lower operating expenses, and the potential monetization of non-core assets. In relation to 8point3 Energy Partners, our strategic review process is continuing, but we have received significant initial interest in the acquisition of our general partnership stake or in the sale of the entire partnership. Thus, we have made the decision not to actively seek a replacement partner for First Solar and to focus our efforts on the monetization of our ownership stake in the partnership. In the event we complete a sale of our ownership stake in 8point3, we believe the proceeds will provide us with additional resources to deleverage our balance sheet and retire our 2018 convertible bonds to minimize shareholder dilution and continue to execute on our restructuring plan. Additionally, depending on market conditions, we may have the opportunity to refinance our 2018 convertible bonds as well. We have also recently offered our Boulder Solar 1 project to 8point3 and potentially will offer other Right of First Offer projects to the partnership as well. In the event the partnership waives its rights to acquire these projects, we would sell them to third parties. In either case, we expect the sale of these ROFO projects to generate additional cash proceeds to fund our growth initiatives."

16:41 EDT Herbalife shares down 3% to $64.61 following Q2 results

16:38 EDT Retail Properties reports Q2 EPS 48c, may not compare with consensus 4c - Reports Q3 revenue $137.34M, consensus $137.45M. Reports Q2 Operating FFO 27c compared to 28c per share, for the same period in 2016.

16:36 EDT RadiSys trading resumes

16:35 EDT Apple shares up 4% to $156.36 following Q3 results

16:34 EDT Apple CEO highlights third consecutive quarter of accelerating growth - Apple CEO Tim Cook said in today's earnings release, "With revenue up 7 percent year-over-year, we're happy to report our third consecutive quarter of accelerating growth and an all-time quarterly record for Services revenue. We hosted an incredibly successful Worldwide Developers Conference in June, and we're very excited about the advances in iOS, macOS, watchOS and tvOS coming this fall." CFO Luca Maestri added, "We reported unit and revenue growth in all our product categories in the June quarter, driving 17 percent growth in earnings per share. We also returned $11.7 billion to investors during the quarter, bringing cumulative capital returns under our program to almost $223 billion."

16:34 EDT Pembina Pipeline sees FY18 adjusted EBITDA $2.55B-$2.75B

16:33 EDT Apple reports Q3 Other Products revenue $2.74B vs. $2.87B last quarter - Includes sales of Apple TV, Apple Watch, Beats products, iPod and Apple-branded and third-party accessories.

16:32 EDT Apple reports Q3 Mac units 4.29M vs. 4.2M last quarter

16:31 EDT Apple reports Q3 iPhone units 41.03M vs. 50.76M last quarter

16:29 EDT Allstate CEO says 'delivered strong financial performance' in Q2 - Allstate delivered strong financial performance in the second quarter as a result of excellent progress on our five 2017 Operating Priorities," said Tom Wilson, chairman and CEO of The Allstate Corporation. "Net income applicable to common shareholders was $550 million, $1.49 per share, in the second quarter of 2017 compared to $242 million in the same period last year, reflecting improved auto insurance margins and strong investment results. Operating income was $510 million, $1.38 per share, for the quarter and the underlying combined ratio of 85.5 continued to be better than the annual outlook range of 87 to 89. The recorded combined ratio was 97.2 and underwriting results were good for auto, homeowners and other personal lines despite $993 million of catastrophe losses. Allstate Financial generated operating income of $153 million in the quarter due to higher investment income in the annuities business. Total return on the investment portfolio of 1.8% in the quarter reflects favorable fixed income and equity market conditions and increased income from the performance-based portfolio."

16:26 EDT Glu Mobile sees FY17 bookings $307.0M-$312.0M - Sees Q3 bookings $78.0M-$80.0M.

16:26 EDT EOG Resources raises 2017 production growth targets - EOG increased 2017 production growth targets while maintaining its current plan of completing 480 net wells with capital expenditures of $3.7B-$4.1B. The company increased its full-year 2017 U.S. crude oil growth target to 20% from 18% and total company production growth target to 7% from 5%, citing strong well productivity improvements.

16:26 EDT Newfield Exploration sees FY17 production 149.4 - 157.8 mboepd

16:25 EDT Sunstone Hotel sees Q3 net income $34M-$37M - Sees adjusted EBITDA $83M-$86M and adjusted FFO 29c-31c.

16:24 EDT Pacific Drilling CEO Beckett steps down - Pacific Drilling announced that Christian J. Beckett, the Company's Chief Executive Officer, has stepped down from his positions as CEO and as a member of the Board effective today to pursue other opportunities. The Company also announced that Paul T. Reese, the Company's current Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer, has been promoted to serve as Chief Executive Officer, that Johannes P. Boots, the Company's current Senior Vice President - Finance and Treasurer, has been promoted to serve as Senior Vice President and Chief Financial Officer, and that Richard E. Tatum, the Company's current Vice President and Controller, has been promoted to serve as Senior Vice President and Chief Accounting Officer. Mr. Beckett has agreed to make himself available to assist during the transition.

16:23 EDT Revance appoints Todd Zavodnick as Chief Commercial Officer - Revance Therapeutics appointed Todd Zavodnick as Chief Commercial Officer and President, Aesthetics & Therapeutics. Zavodnick will report to CEO Dan Browne, and will lead the company's commercial operations along with the launch of DaxibotulinumtoxinA for Injection, Revance's lead drug candidate. Zavodnick joins Revance from Zeltiq Aesthetics, where he was President of International prior to the company's acquisition by Allergan on April 28.

16:19 EDT Donaldson names CEO Carpenter chairman of the board - Donaldson Company announced changes to the leadership of its Board of Directors, effective with the Company's annual meeting of shareholders to be held in November 2017. Tod E. Carpenter, Donaldson's president and chief executive officer, will become chairman of the Board of Directors, and current director Willard D. Oberton will serve as lead independent director. Carpenter will replace non-executive chairman Jeffrey Noddle, who will not stand for reelection at the 2017 annual meeting.

16:18 EDT Aqua America raises quarterly dividend 7% to 20.47c per share - Aqua America said its board of directors declared a quarterly cash dividend of 20.47c per share today, payable Sept. 1, 2017 to all shareholders of record on Aug. 16, 2017. The Sept. 1, 2017 dividend will represent a 1.34c, or 7% increase, compared to the 19.13c cash dividend the company paid in June of this year.

16:17 EDT SeaWorld names Marc Swanson interim CFO, effective immediately - SeaWorld announced the appointment of Marc Swanson as interim CFO and interim Treasurer, effective immediately. Swanson has served as SeaWorld's Chief Accounting Officer since 2012 and served as interim CFO in 2015. He will continue to serve as Chief Accounting Officer. Swanson succeeds Peter Crage who is leaving the company to assume a senior-level financial position at another company. Crage will remain employed with SeaWorld through mid-August to ensure a smooth transition.

16:12 EDT Lionsgate names Jared Goetz President of North American Television Distribution - Lionsgate (LGF.A, LGF.B) has named leading distribution executive Jared Goetz, a 22-year veteran of Walt Disney Company (DIS), to the newly-created position of President of North American Television Distribution, it was announced earlier by Lionsgate President of Worldwide Television & Digital Distribution Jim Packer, to whom he will report. Prior to joining Lionsgate, Goetz worked for 22 years in a series of executive roles at Disney culminating in his most recent position as Senior Vice President, Pay Television & Digital Sales, and General Sales Manager SVOD for Disney/ABC Home Entertainment and Television Distribution. He has been part of the leadership team distributing all of the Disney companies' film and television properties to an array of media platforms and businesses, including electronic home video license, video-on-demand, pay television, subscription video-on-demand, mobile, broadband and other digital technologies.

16:12 EDT Herbalife promotes Dave Pezzullo to COO - Herbalife said, "To support the Company's increased focus on the worldwide distributor and customer experience, including the key areas of innovation and technology and the infrastructure needed to support them, Dave Pezzullo has been promoted to chief operating officer (COO). Pezzullo joined Herbalife in 2004, initially serving as the Company's Senior Vice President and Chief Accounting Officer and most recently as Executive Vice President of Worldwide Operations. He was instrumental in creating world-class organizations in both finance and operations and led the successful implementation of the "seed to feed" program which has created a competitive advantage for the Company. "

16:09 EDT Assurant backs FY17 EPS ex-catastrophe losses view up double digits

16:08 EDT Diamondback raise FY17 production view to 74-78MBoe/d - Diamondback raise FY17 production view to 74-78MBoe/d from 69 -76MBoe/d

16:07 EDT Dexcom names Quentin Blackford as CFO - DexCom (DXCM) announced that Quentin Blackford has been appointed Chief Financial Officer, expected to occur on September 1, 2017. Blackford most recently served as Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer, Head of Strategy and Corporate Integrity at NuVasive (NUVA).

16:03 EDT First Citizens Community Bank to acquire State College office of S&T Bank - First Citizens Community Bank, the $1.2B bank subsidiary of Citizens Financial Services, will add to its growing branch network with the acquisition of the State College office of S&T Bank, the $7.1B bank subsidiary of S&T Bancorp, or S&T. First Citizens and S&T Bank have entered into a definitive agreement under which First Citizens, subject to regulatory approval, will purchase certain loans and other assets, and assume the deposits and certain other liabilities, of the S&T branch located at 141 West Beaver Avenue in State College. The transaction is expected to close in the Q4 and the systems conversion is expected to take place in early December.

16:00 EDT MA COM Tech Solutions trading halted, news pending

16:00 EDT FARO Technologies trading halted, news pending

15:48 EDT Scotts Miracle-Gro raises dividend 6% to 53c per share - Scotts Miracle-Gro announced that its board of directors has approved a 6% increase in the company's dividend, taking the payment to 53c per share from 50c per share. The fourth quarter dividend is payable on Friday, September 8 to shareholders of record as of Friday, August 25.

15:28 EDT Caxton reports 5.2% passive stake in Garrison Capital

14:42 EDT Empery Asset Management reports 9.99% passive stake in 22nd Century

13:58 EDT RiceBran regains compliance with Nasdaq requirement - RiceBran Technologies announced that it received notice from The NASDAQ Stock Market indicating that the company has regained compliance with the minimum bid price requirement under NASDAQ Listing Rule 5550(a)(2) for continued listing on The NASDAQ Capital Market. Accordingly, RBT is in compliance with all applicable listing standards and its common stock and warrants will continue to be listed on The NASDAQ Capital Market and NASDAQ considers the matter closed.

13:42 EDT Wi-LAN, Motorola Mobility enter settlement agreement - Wi-LAN announced that subsidiary Smart Wearable Technologies and Motorola Mobility have entered into a settlement agreement. The dispute between the parties has been resolved. The consideration paid to WiLAN and all other terms of the agreement are confidential.

13:25 EDT Dish spikes after Nikkei talks possible merger with Sprint - Shares of Dish (DISH) moved higher after a Nikkei report on SoftBank's (SFTBY) ambitions in U.S. wireless mentioned the possibility of a merger with Sprint (S). SoftBank's top target is T-Mobile (TMUS), but informal talks toward a merger "have apparently gone nowhere," the news service said. Nikkei notes that the exclusivity period for Sprint's talks with Charter Communications (CHTR) and Comcast (CMCSA) on reselling the carrier's wireless service ended last week with no agreement. On top of reports that SoftBank is considering an outright acquisition of Charter, Masayoshi Son's company is apparently "exploring the possibility" of a merger between Sprint and Dish, Nikkei writes. Shares of Dish spiked following the report and remain up 2%, or $1.44, to $65.47 in afternoon trading. Reference Link

12:56 EDT Tesoro, Tesoro Logistics become Andeavor, Andeavor Logistics - Tesoro Corporation (TSO) and Tesoro Logistics LP (TLLP) announced that the companies changed their names to Andeavor (ANDV) and Andeavor Logistics LP (ANDX). The companies began trading under their new ticker symbols upon today's opening of the New York Stock Exchange. The companies' previous ticker symbols, TSO and TLLP, have been retired.

12:48 EDT Theranos enters confidential settlement agreement with Walgreens - Theranos announced that it has entered a confidential settlement agreement with Walgreen Co. and Walgreens Boots Alliance (WBA) resolving all claims among those parties. The agreement will result in the dismissal of Walgreens' lawsuit against Theranos, with no finding or implication of liability, the company said in at statement. Theranos added, "Over the past 16 months, the Company has built a new senior management team, changed the composition and structure of its Board of Directors, installed an expert technology and scientific advisory board, and implemented a new quality and compliance program. Theranos recently closed on a recapitalization of its recent investors, unifying their support as the Company moves toward commercializing its innovative technologies."

12:23 EDT Interactive Brokers reports July DARTs up 15% from last year - Interactive Brokers reported its Electronic Brokerage monthly performance metrics for July. Brokerage highlights for the month included: 694,000 Daily Average Revenue Trades, or DARTs, 15% higher than prior year and 2% higher than prior month; Ending client equity of $109.8B, 44% higher than prior year and 5% higher than prior month; Ending client margin loan balances of $23.7B, 49% higher than prior year and 4% higher than prior month; Ending client credit balances of $46.6B, 13% higher than prior year and 2% higher than prior month; and 436,000 client accounts, 21% higher than prior year and 2% higher than prior month.

12:01 EDT Meritage spikes higher as company executes on entry-level opportunity - Single family homebuilder Meritage Homes (MTH) reported its second quarter earnings report before the opening of the market on Tuesday. EARNINGS BEAT. The homebuilder exceeded analyst expectations on both the top and bottom lines, with Q2 EPS coming in at 98c on revenue of $798M. The company's results were attributed to the demand for entry level homes. "While demand is generally strong across most of our markets, we are experiencing particularly strong demand for homes built to meet the desires of entry-level home buyers, especially in Arizona and Texas where we have opened more of those communities, and we have significant opportunities to capitalize on healthy demand in the South as we improve our performance in that region," said Steven Hilton, chairman and CEO of Meritage Homes. U.S. EXISTING HOME SALES DOWN: According to the National Association of Realtors, total existing home sales in June retreated 1.8%. With the June report, NAR chief economist Lawrence Yun said, "Listings in the affordable price range continue to be scooped up rapidly, but the severe housing shortages inflicting many markets are keeping a large segment of would-be buyers on the sidelines." On its Q2 earnings call Tuesday morning, Meritage confirmed that it is capitalizing on the supply-demand conundrum for the entry-level home market. "We are benefiting from our aggressive pivot into the more entry-level product, which is driving significant growth. We are well-positioned here with many communities priced under the FHA loan limits, and there are more in the pipeline. And we have a long supply of lots to meet the demand for the current pace for selling," said COO Phillippe Lord. OUTLOOK: Meritage raised its full fiscal year deliveries view to 7,600-8,000 homes from its prior view of 7,500-7,900 homes and with that it ratcheted up its revenue view to $3.15B-$3.35B from its prior view of $3.1B-$3.3B. Current analyst expectation for FY17 revenue is $3.25B. The one asterisk the company mentioned was for possible margin pressures from lumber and the continuing tight labor supply. PRICE ACTION: Shares of Meritage Homes are up 5.9% to $43.15 per share in late morning trading: OTHER BUILDERS: Homebuilding peers are also trading higher, including Lennar Corporation (LEN), PulteGroup (PHM), and Toll Brothers (TOL).

11:23 EDT General Motors reports Canada July sales up 21.6% to 25,852 vehicles - Chevrolet, Buick, GMC and Cadillac dealers delivered 25,852 vehicles in July, a 21.6% y/y increase. GM Canada's trend of strong retail sales momentum continues with 131,000 deliveries CYTD, an increase of 16.4% calendar year to date. John Roth, vice president, sales, service and marketing, GM Canada, said, "2017 has been marked by month after month of sales growth across our brands."

11:13 EDT Analysts react to Scana's abandonment of nuclear project - After a subsidiary of Scana (SCG) yesterday announced that it would cease construction of two new units at the V.C. Summer Nuclear Plant in South Carolina, Barclays subsequently upgraded Scana to Overweight from Equal Weight. In the wake of the move, the company could launch a significant share buyback, the firm stated. Meanwhile, Deutsche Bank responded to the news by upgrading Southern Company (SO) to Buy from Hold and Citi wrote that Fluor (FLR) would take "a modest hit" due to the abandonment of the Summer units. NEWS: Scana's subsidiary, South Carolina Electric & Gas Company, announced that it would cease construction on two new units of the V.C. Summer nuclear plant in South Carolina. The company cited costs, the "uncertainty" of whether it would receive tax credits for the project, and decisions by the state owned utility and Toshiba (TOSBF, TOSYY) to abandon the initiative as being among the reasons for its decision. SCANA UPGRADE: Barclays analyst Daniel Ford upgraded Scana to Overweight from Equal Weight. In the most likely scenario, which has a 50% chance of occurring, Scana will recover all of the money it spent on the project and it will carry out a $650M share buyback initiative, Ford wrote. There is a 10% chance that the company will recover all of its money but be forced to spend $650M on building natural gas plants and a 30% chance that it will get back 50% of its money and will have to use the money it's collecting from Toshiba to reduce electricity rates, according to Ford. Finally, the analyst thinks there is a 10% chance that its net investment in the project is securitized. The latter outcome would be a worst case scenario for Scana, wrote Ford, who raised his price target on the stock to $73 from $65. SOUTHERN UPGRADE: Deutsche Bank analyst Jonathan Arnold upgraded Southern to Buy from Hold. In the wake of disclosures by Scana and South Carolina, the analyst thinks that completing Southern's Vogtle nuclear plant in Georgia may not be as costly as some believe. He also thinks that the risk of write offs/impairments facing Southern could be limited by tax breaks that it would receive if it decides to abandon Vogtle. Additionally, regulators will be more favorably disposed to Southern because of these potential tax breaks, the analyst stated. Finally, Georgia officials remain supportive of Vogtle, as the chairman of the Georgia Public Service Commission yesterday "highlighted the differences in circumstances" between Summer and Vogtle, the analyst stated. He thinks that Southern's stock will fall to $47 in a worst case scenario involving write-offs for Vogtle and reach $54 in a "reasonable" scenario. FLUOR: The construction contractor for the Summer units, Fluor, will take "a modest hit" as a result of Scana's decision, wrote Citi's Andrew Kaplowitz. The negative impact on the stock "should be fairly limited and contained," he wrote. Summer and Vogtle represent a combined $6.4B of backlog for Fluor as of the end of the first quarter, with Summer constituting a smaller portion of the backlog, he wrote. The analyst estimated that Scana's decision would reduce Fluor's annual EPS by 15c and cut its backlog by $3B. He kept a $60 price target and a Buy rating on the shares. PRICE ACTION: In morning trading, Scana rose 3.5% to $66.61, Southern advanced 2% to $48.82, and Fluor gained 0.7% to $43.74.

10:45 EDT Nissan reports July U.S. sales down 3.2% to 128,295 units - Nissan Group announced total U.S. sales for July 2017 of 128,295 units, a decrease of 3% over the prior year.

10:35 EDT Ford sees total July industry SAAR in low 17M vehicle range - Says overall industry down in July 2017 compared to July 2016. Sees total industry sales of 1.45M vehicles in July, with overall industry SAAR in the low 17M vehicle range. Says about half the decline for the month comes from lower Transit sales, the result of a recall in late June. Says retail outlook is coming in about 1.24M vehicles, which would place industry retail down about 6% on a non-selling adjusted basis. Industry incentive spend was up about $290 in July. Expects y/y comps on fleet to improve in 2H. Continues to expect FY17 GDP growth of 2.2% and expects the balance of the year to look more like Q2 than Q1. Comments taken from Ford's July U.S. sales conference call. Ford is down 2.9% in morning trading to $10.90.

10:26 EDT LHC Group, Christus Health announce JV agreement - LHC Group and CHRISTUS Health announced entry into a definitive agreement to form a new joint venture to enhance home health, hospice, long-term acute-care services and community-based services across four states. The joint venture will include 21 service locations of CHRISTUS Health, including: seven home health agencies, five hospice programs, two community-based home care services, one inpatient hospice unit, and six long-term acute-care hospitals. It is anticipated that the joint venture agreement will be completed by the end of the third quarter, subject to customary closing conditions, at which time LHC Group will purchase majority ownership of CHRISTUS Health's home health, hospice, community-based home care services and the LTACH facilities and assume management responsibility. The facilities will continue to operate under their existing names. LHC Group expects annualized revenue from this joint venture of approximately $80M and that it will not materially affect its 2017 diluted EPS.

10:23 EDT Royal Caribbean: Outlook for future in China 'has not changed' - Notes that FY guidance exceeds high end of original range of expectations. Says experiencing many more positive forces than negative ones. Says people have "bought all the stuff they need," now looking to gain experiences. Says "particularly strong" 2017 provides difficult comps for 2018. Says Double-Double program "extremely successful." Says outlook for future in China "has not changed." Says new bookings up double digits over last three months and at higher prices. Sees Q4 yield growth lower than Q3. Comments taken from the Q2 earnings conference call. Royal Caribbean is up 4.6% in morning trading to $118.28.

10:03 EDT Medtronic: Fire and Ice trial data shows cryoballoon reduces costs - A new health economic analysis from the landmark FIRE AND ICE Trial, sponsored by Medtronic, was published today in the Journal of the American Heart Association. The data show that treating paroxysmal atrial fibrillation with cryoballoon catheter ablation may result in substantial cost savings as compared to radiofrequency ablation. These findings were driven by fewer repeat ablations and cardiovascular rehospitalizations in patients treated with the cryoballoon and were consistently observed in multiple healthcare systems internationally included in the analysis.

09:53 EDT DTE Energy seeks to build efficient natural gas plant in Michigan - DTE Energy has filed a Certificate of Necessity with the Michigan Public Service Commission seeking to build a state-of-the-art natural gas-fired power plant of about 1,100 megawatts on existing company property in East China Township, Mich., that will provide affordable and reliable power for 850,000 homes beginning in 2022. The almost $1B project will be built at a cost of approximately $860 per kilowatt and is scheduled to break ground in 2019, creating hundreds of Michigan jobs during construction. It is one of many steps DTE is taking to achieve its goal of reducing carbon emissions by 30% by the early 2020s and more than 80% by 2050. DTE will achieve these reductions by adding 4,000 MW of renewable energy from wind and solar farms, transitioning its 24/7 power sources from coal to natural gas, continuing to operate its zero-emission Fermi 2 power plant, and providing additional opportunities for customers to save energy and reduce bills. A Certificate of Necessity is an application filed with the MPSC by an energy company seeking to purchase, contract for or build a power plant. This process is established by Michigan's 2008 energy law and further refined through the 2016 energy legislation. Upon receiving the filing, the MPSC has 270 days to review DTE's request and respond. If approved, the new gas-fired plant would be the most efficient power plant in Michigan.

09:44 EDT GM sees July U.S. light vehicle SAAR of 16.9M - GM sees calendar year to date U.S. industry light vehicle SAAR of 16.9M.

09:42 EDT GM sees July U.S. light vehicle SAAR of 16.6M - GM sees calendar year to date U.S. industry light vehicle SAAR of 16.9M.

09:38 EDT Nissan's July U.S. sales declined 3%, Bloomberg reports

09:36 EDT General Motors reports July U.S. sales down 15.4% to 226,107 vehicles - General Motors reported July U.S. retail sales of 202,220 vehicles, down about 14% from July 2016. GM's July total sales were 226,107 vehicles, down about 15% from last year. GM's July incentive spending as a percentage of average transaction prices, or ATP, was 11.5%, more than 1 full percentage point below the industry average, and 0.5 percentage points below GM's 2016 calendar year average. "We have strategically decided to reduce car production rather than increase incentive spending or dump vehicles into daily rental fleets, like some of our competitors. We are working hard to protect the residual values of our new products and growing quality retail and commercial sales, and July's ATPs reflect that discipline," said Kurt McNeil, U.S. vice president of Sales Operations.

09:30 EDT Qualys to acquire assets of Nevis Networks in cash transaction - Qualys announced that it has entered into an asset purchase agreement with Nevis Networks, pursuant to which Qualys will acquire certain assets of Nevis Networks in a cash transaction. This asset purchase is expected to provide significant domain expertise in passive scanning technologies and allow Qualys to accelerate its move into the adjacent market of mitigation and response at endpoints. Qualys expects the transaction to close during the third quarter of 2017. Nevis Networks is based in Pune, India and will be integrated with Qualys' existing Pune operation. The acquisition will incorporate Nevis's engineering team into Qualys' Pune offices. Qualys will continue to support existing Nevis Network customers and sell their products and solutions in India.

09:19 EDT Sprint says starting Q2 'very strong' - Says expects momentum to continue.

09:16 EDT Under Armour says 'out of acquisition mode, into activation mode'

09:13 EDT Sprint says announcement on M&A will come in 'near future'

09:10 EDT Synopsys interface IP meet AEC-Q100 Grade 1 temperature requirements - Synopsys announced that its 16-nm FinFET DesignWare Interface IP for LPDDR4 multiPHY, MIPI D-PHY and Multi-Protocol 10G PHY supporting PCI Express 3.1 and Ethernet have met the AEC-Q100 Grade 1 temperature requirements. This is the latest achievement in Synopsys' long-term investment in providing designers with a broad portfolio of automotive IP that is designed and tested for AEC-Q100 reliability, offers ASIL Ready ISO 26262 certification and supports automotive quality management. The IP is designed to meet a range of automotive temperature profiles to support operations in a variety of automotive applications.

09:08 EDT IsoRay announces data from study of cancer patients treated with Cesium-131 - IsoRay announced that the American Cancer Association published data shows nearly 200,000 cases of prostate cancer are diagnosed annually with one in seven men likely to be afflicted by the disease. Often, the options are either, invasive surgery, or extensive radiation treatment, both costly options. A treatment that has often been ignored is brachytherapy, which is not only more cost-effective but typically results in less treatment side-effects. A recent study, Long-Term Quality of Life in Prostate Cancer Patients Treated with Cesium-131 by Glaser, et al., published in The International Journal of Radiation Oncology, Biology and Physics suggests that the newest brachytherapy isotope, Cesium-131, is changing the game. Alternative brachytherapy isotopes deliver treatment over a lengthy time period, often with sustained side effects. Many physicians are starting to believe that Cesium-131, produced solely by Isoray Medical.

09:06 EDT Under Armour CEO Plank says 'not going to apologize for where and who we are' - Says Q3, Q4 SG&A will be "fairly equal." Says Under Armour's performance heritage an "asset" for company.

09:05 EDT FCA US reports July sales down 10% to 161,477 units - FCA US LLC reported sales of 161,477 units, a 10% decrease compared with sales in July 2016. In July, retail sales of 145,391 units were down 6 percent compared with the same month in 2016 and represented 90 percent of total sales. In line with FCA's strategy to reduce sales to the daily rental segment, fleet sales of 16,086 units were down, as expected, 35 percent year over year. The largest planned volume reduction in July fleet sales came from the Jeep brand, which reduced its fleet sales number by 82 percent year over year. Fleet sales represented 10 percent of total July sales.

09:04 EDT American Express, MineralTree partner for B2B payments - American Express and MineralTree, an accounts payable and payment automation solution provider for growing companies, announced an integrated solution that brings efficiency to everyday accounts payable processes. The partnership provides organizations with an easy-to-use platform that incorporates their American Express Corporate Card into their normal AP workflows. This enables organizations to streamline the supplier payment process while receiving the benefits of paying by Card, including earning statement credits or Membership Rewards points, increasing working capital, and optimizing cash flow.

09:03 EDT E.W. Scripps acquires Katz broadcast networks in $302M deal - The E.W. Scripps Company has acquired the Katz broadcast networks, which distribute programming for targeted audiences over the air, in a deal worth $302M. The four national networks - Bounce, Grit, Escape and Laff - each reach more than 80% of all U.S. households and are among the fastest-growing in television. Scripps was already a 5 percent owner in a portion of the business, so its net purchase price is $292 million. The deal will be treated as a purchase of assets for tax purposes. After including the present value of the future tax benefits, the purchase multiple is about 8x, based on our forecast for 2018 segment profit. Because of the strong corporate debt market, Scripps intends to finance the transaction with $250 million of new debt and about $50 million of cash on hand. Upon closing, Scripps' leverage is expected to be about 3x on a pro forma 2017/18 blended basis. At June 30, 2017, Scripps had $150 million of cash on its balance sheet and unfunded revolver commitments of $125 million. The transaction is subject to Hart-Scott-Rodino clearance and customary closing conditions and is expected to close Oct. 2. The four networks are forecast to generate about $180 million in revenue and about $30 million in segment profit in 2018. The transaction is expected to be accretive to Scripps' earnings in 2018 and beyond. Founder Jonathan Katz, a former top Turner Broadcasting programming executive, will continue to lead the Katz networks business. The company, with about 130 employees, will remain based in the Atlanta area.

09:02 EDT Amazon says can pair Fire TV with any Echo device for voice control via Alexa - Amazon announced new Alexa features for Fire TV that make it even easier to control your movies, TV shows, and more using just your voice: "You will be able to pair any Fire TV with any Echo device and easily control your Fire TV-just ask, and Alexa will start a show, help you find a good movie to watch, control playback, and more. In addition, you will soon be able to view live video feeds from your supported smart home camera right from your Fire TV."

08:58 EDT Sprint says 'feels good' about July peformance - Says had "great July." Says July numbers "better than all of last quarter."

08:51 EDT Under Armour sees taking majority of restructuring charges in Q3

08:50 EDT Sprint says sees $1.3B-$1.5B in cost reductions in FY17

08:49 EDT Mosaic CFO says China 'key' to near term phosphates outlook - Mosaic CFO Rich Mack said: "We are seeing positive developments in the phosphates industry following a challenging 2016. Chinese exports in the first half of 2017 have been higher than we originally estimated, but we continue to expect China to export fewer tonnes of phosphates this year compared to last year. China phosphate industry restructuring remains key to our near term outlook."

08:48 EDT Under Armour CEO: 'The terrain has changed and so must we' - Under Armour CEO Kevin Plank said on the company's Q2 call that the company is showing "resilience" in the face of a dynamic global environment/ Says sees five primary categories that represent the company's fastest-growing categories: Men's training, women's, run, basketball and lifestyle. Plank says Under Armour intends to "meaningfully" increase the company's go-to-market speed and amplify digital capabilities. Says the company's customized footwear program has exceeded expectations. Says early reaction to Curry 4 has been "quite positive." Says Under Armour is in a position to be "proactive as necessary." "On the apparel side, we're focused on staying lighter longer," Plank commented. Commenting on Under Armour's restructuring plan, Plank says "The terrain has changed and so must we." Comments taken from the Q2 earnings conference call.

08:46 EDT Mosaic sees Q3 Phosphates sales volume of 2.2M-2.5M tonnes - "Mosaic's actions to lower costs and prudently manage capital have positioned the company to outperform as markets improve. Mosaic is executing well on its strategic objectives, as we continue to capitalize on the long-term secular trends and focus on opportunities to create value for our shareholders," said CEO Joc O'Rourke. Total sales volumes for the Phosphates segment are expected to range from 2.2 to 2.5M tonnes for the third quarter of 2017, compared to 2.5M tonnes last year. Total sales volumes for the Potash segment are expected to range from 1.9 to 2.2M tonnes for the third quarter of 2017, compared to 2.2M tonnes last year.

08:43 EDT Sprint says 'actively preparing' for 5G

08:39 EDT Oshkosh Defense awarded $195M order for JLTVs from U.S. Army - Oshkosh Defense, LLC, an Oshkosh Corporation company, announced that the U.S. Army has placed another order for the Joint Light Tactical Vehicle program including 748 vehicles and 2,359 installed and packaged kits. The order valued at more than $195M, is the fifth order for JLTVs since the contract was awarded in August 2015. The JLTV program is currently in Low Rate Initial Production and remains on-schedule, on-budget and is completing reliability and performance test activities as well as logistics supportability evaluations around the country. The program anticipates a Full Rate Production decision in FY19, with the first Army unit equipped by mid-FY19 and both Army and Marine Corps Initial Operating Capability in early FY20.

08:33 EDT AstroNova's ToughWriter 640 printer selected by Latin American carrier - AstroNova (ALOT) announced that one of Latin America's Top 10 airlines has selected the ToughWriter 640 narrow format flight deck printer for its future fleet of Boeing 737 MAX aircraft. AstroNova announced the addition of the ToughWriter 640 to the B737 catalog in April. The ToughWriter 640 is used to print flight planning data, ground communications and messages transmitted over the ACARS digital datalink system. AstroNova is scheduled to begin delivering the printer to Boeing (BA) early in 2018.

08:32 EDT Protalex escalating dose of PRTX-100 in U.S. Phase 1/2 study - Protalex announced that following completion of a planned interim analysis of safety and efficacy data from the second dose cohort, the company is escalating the dose of PRTX-100 in its U.S. Phase 1/2 study of PRTX-100 in adults with persistent/chronic Immune Thrombocytopenia. One of the three patients treated in the second dose cohort achieved a protocol defined platelet response. Treatment of the first patient in the third cohort at a dose of 6.0 micrograms/kg, double that of the second dose cohort of 3.0 micrograms/kg, is expected soon. The 202 Study is an open-label, dose escalating study that can enroll up to 36 patients in as many as six cohorts. Each patient will receive four weekly intravenous doses of PRTX-100 and will be monitored for up to 48 weeks thereafter. The primary study endpoint of the 202 Study is a platelet response to PRTX-100. Secondary endpoints include safety, immunogenicity, and pharmacokinetics. Enrollment is currently taking place at several study sites in the U.S.

08:31 EDT Intel announces satisfaction of antitrust clearance condition for Mobileye deal - Intel (INTC) announced that on July 31, 2017, the Korea Fair Trade Commission approved the previously announced tender offer to purchase all of the outstanding ordinary shares of Mobileye (MBLY). The tender offer is being made pursuant to the Purchase Agreement, dated as of March 12, 2017, by and among Intel, Cyclops and Mobileye. As a result of the approval of the tender offer from the Korea Fair Trade Commission, all required antitrust clearances have now been obtained. Intel also announced that Intel and Mobileye have agreed that the tender offer will expire at 5:00 p.m., New York City time, on August 7, 2017, unless the tender offer is extended or earlier terminated, in either case pursuant to the terms of the Purchase Agreement. The tender offer was previously scheduled to expire on August 11, 2017. Mobileye shareholders are urged to tender their shares into the tender offer prior to its expiration. Mobileye shareholders who have already tendered and not withdrawn their ordinary shares of Mobileye do not have to re-tender their shares or take any other action as a result of the revision of the expiration date of the tender offer.

08:30 EDT ManTech wins $200M DARPA STO multi-year IDIQ award - The Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency, or DARPA, Strategic Technologies Office, or STO, has awarded ManTech a multi-year award IDIQ contract with a total ceiling value of $200M to provide support for DARPA's Scientific, Engineering, and Technical Assistance program.

08:17 EDT Ecolab CEO says sees 'strong' 2H17

08:14 EDT Royal Caribbean provides CapEx, capacity guidance for FY17-FY21 - Based upon current ship orders, projected capital expenditures for full year 2017, 2018, 2019, 2020 and 2021 are $0.6B, $2.8B, $1.6B, $2.1B and $2.4B, respectively. Capacity changes for 2017, 2018, 2019, 2020 and 2021 are expected to be -1.9%, 3.3%, 6.6%, 3.9% and 7.9%, respectively. These figures do not include potential ship sales or additions that we may elect to make in the future.

08:10 EDT Royal Caribbean CEO says 'our brands are executing beautifully' - "Our brands are executing beautifully, keeping the business in an exceptionally strong position," said Richard Fain, chairman and CEO. "Strong close-in demand for cruise bolstered the quarter, and we see further uplift for the balance of the year, positioning us well for the Double-Double and beyond."

08:08 EDT HCP sees FY17 EPS $1.18-$1.24, consensus $1.35 - Sees FY17 FFO $1.73-$1.79; and FFO as adjusted $1.89-$1.95. Sees FY17 SPP Cash NOI to increase between 2.5%-3.5%. These estimates do not reflect the potential impact from unannounced future transactions other than capital recycling activities.

08:05 EDT Centene announces Centurion is recommended for contract award in Tennessee - Centene announced Centurion of Tennessee has been recommended for contract award by the Tennessee Department of Correction for inmate health services. Centurion is a joint venture between Centene and MHM Services. Centurion began providing correctional healthcare services in Tennessee in 2013, and will continue to oversee care for over 20,000 inmates throughout the state. This latest award is expected to become effective in the Q3.

08:04 EDT Varian Medical receives orders from proton therapy centers in Denmark - Varian Medical Systems has received orders to provide full suites of software for national proton therapy centers now being constructed in the Denmark and the U.K. Varian is currently equipping the Danish Center for Particle Therapy in Aarhus and the University College London Hospitals, or UCLH, proton therapy center with its state-of-the-art ProBeam proton therapy system and both centers have now confirmed that Varian will supply its Eclipse treatment planning and ARIA oncology information management software for the sites.

08:04 EDT Brink's purchases two electric trucks from Workhorse Group - Workhorse Group (WKHS) announced that Brink's (BCO) has purchased two Workhorse Class 5 E-GEN and E-100 chassis, paired with a Brink's custom logistics body. The E-100 all-electric truck and the E-GEN electric extended-range truck will be deployed in California and Chicago to enhance the Brink's U.S. fleet with cleaner, more economic vehicles.

08:01 EDT Fiserv acquires assets of PCLender, terms not disclosed - Fiserv announced it has acquired the assets of PCLender, a leader in next generation enterprise internet-based mortgage software and mortgage lending technology solutions. This acquisition will enhance the Fiserv suite of mortgage origination services, which enable Fiserv clients to deliver the experience today's consumers and mortgage lenders expect. Financial terms will not be disclosed.

07:55 EDT TG Therapeutics announces SPA agreement with FDA for TG-1101 Phase 3 program - TG Therapeutics announced that it has reached an agreement with the FDA regarding a Special Protocol Assessment, or SPA, on the design of two Phase 3 clinical trials for TG-1101, the company's glycoengineered anti-CD20 monoclonal antibody, for the treatment of relapsing forms of Multiple Sclerosis, or RMS. The SPA provides agreement that the two Phase 3 trial designs adequately address objectives that, if met, would support the regulatory submission for approval of TG-1101. The RMS Phase 3 program consists of two trials, called the ULTIMATE I and ULTIMATE II trials. Each trial is a global, randomized, multi-center, double-blinded, double-dummy, active-controlled study comparing TG-1101 to teriflunomide in subjects with RMS. The primary endpoint for each study is Annualized Relapse Rate following 96 weeks of treatment. Each trial will enroll approximately 440 subjects, randomized in a 1:1 ratio, with approximately 880 patients to be enrolled across both trials.

07:47 EDT EyeGate enrolls first patient in Phase 2b clinical study of EGP-437 - EyeGate (EYEG) announced that the first patient was enrolled in the company's Phase 2b clinical trial of its EGP-437 combination product. The EyeGate II Delivery System and EGP-437 combination product, is being evaluated for the treatment of pain and inflammation in patients having undergone cataract surgery with implantation of a monofocal posterior chamber intraocular lens, or IOL. As announced in the first quarter of 2017, EyeGate and Valeant Pharmaceuticals (VRX) entered into an exclusive, worldwide licensing agreement through which EyeGate has granted a subsidiary of Valeant exclusive, worldwide commercial and manufacturing rights to the EGP-437 combination product candidate for the treatment of post-operative ocular inflammation and pain in ocular surgery patients. Valeant expects to commercialize the combination product, once approved, through its Bausch + Lomb Pharmaceuticals business.

07:46 EDT Mallinckrodt enrolls first patient in Phase 4 registry of INOMAX gas - Mallinckrodt confirmed inclusion of the first patient in the company's Phase 4 registry assessing the use of INOMAX gas for inhalation for premature neonates versus term and near-term neonates.

07:35 EDT Erin Energy announces arrival of rig to Oyo field - Erin Energy announced the arrival of the Pacific Bora drilling rig to the Oyo field offshore Nigeria. Erin Energy plans to use Pacific Bora to drill the Oyo-9 well on the Oyo field in deepwater offshore Nigeria. The company expects to commence drilling of Oyo-9 in approximately 10 days and the well to add an additional 6,000 to 7,000 barrels per day. The Pacific Bora is a highly efficient sixth generation double-hulled drillship, which the company has the option to drill up to two additional wells. If exercised, the rig will be used to drill two of its offshore Nigeria exploration prospects in the prolific Miocene geological zone, which has been proven highly prolific in neighboring blocks.

07:34 EDT Sprint raises low end of previous adjusted EBITDA view, now sees $10.8B-$11.2B - The company is increasing the low end of its previous Adjusted EBITDA expectations and now expects $10.8 billion to $11.2 billion for fiscal year 2017. The previous expectation was $10.7 billion to $11.2 billion. The company is increasing the low end of its previous operating income expectations and now expects operating income of $2.1 billion to $2.5 billion. The previous expectation was $2 billion to $2.5 billion. The company continues to expect cash capital expenditures, excluding devices leased through indirect channels, of $3.5 billion to $4 billion.

07:32 EDT NexPoint Residential reports Q2 SSS $28.98M - Compares with SSS $27.19M last year.

07:26 EDT Main Street announces new portfolio investment - Main Street Capital is pleased to announce that it recently made a new portfolio investment to facilitate the management-led buyout of Market Force Information, a leading global provider of customer experience management software and services. Main Street, along with a co-investor, partnered with the company's management team to facilitate the transaction, with Main Street funding $38.2M in a combination of first-lien, senior secured term debt and a direct equity investment. In addition, Main Street and its co-investor are providing Market Force an undrawn credit facility to support its growth initiatives and working capital needs.

07:21 EDT Shopify powers over 500,000 businesses - Shopify announced it now powers more than 500,000 businesses in 175 countries around the world. Since 2012, the number of merchants on the Shopify platform has grown annually at an average rate of 74%, and these merchants have achieved over $40B dollars in sales.

07:15 EDT Glatfelter sees Q3 shipping volumes up 3% - Composite Fibers' shipping volumes in the Q3 are expected to be approximately 3% higher than the Q2. Selling prices are expected to be in-line with the Q2 while raw material and energy prices are expected to be slightly higher. In addition, the Company expects this business unit to incur approximately $1 million of less market related downtime in the Q3 than the Q2. Advanced Airlaid Materials' shipping volumes in the Q3 are expected to be approximately 2% higher than the Q2. Selling prices and raw material and energy prices are expected to increase slightly compared with the Q2. Specialty Papers' shipping volumes in the Q3 are expected to be approximately 5% higher than the Q2. Selling prices are expected to decline slightly and raw material and energy prices are expected to be up slightly. In addition, the Company expects to incur $2M-$3M of less market related downtime in the Q3 than the Q2. Specialty Papers will also benefit about $1M from the cost reduction actions recently announced. In connection with its cost reduction actions within Specialty Papers, the Company expects to record one-time charges of approximately $8M-$9M primarily during the Q3, of which approximately $5M-$6M will be non-cash. In addition, costs associated with the Specialty Papers environmental compliance projects and Advanced Airlaid Materials capacity expansion are expected to be $1M-$4M, respectively.

07:12 EDT Glatfelter expects continued growth in shipping during remainder of FY17 - The company said, "Volumes in our Composite Fibers business strengthened, increasing 3% over last year's second quarter and 4% year-to-date, driven by improved demand across most product lines and particularly wall cover products. While we are seeing steady growth in the Composite Fibers business, we remain focused on our cost optimization initiatives that are expected to deliver $10M in cost savings in 2017. The Advanced Airlaid Materials business performed well delivering top-line growth and improved profitability, as operating income increased 11% over the prior-year quarter and 10% for the year. For the remainder of 2017, we expect continued growth in shipments and strong operating performance from our engineered materials businesses. We also look forward to the incremental growth expected from our new Fort Smith, Arkansas facility coming on-line later this year with commercial shipments beginning early 2018."

07:11 EDT Archer Daniels CEO says sees 'solid' y/y earnings growth in 2017

07:10 EDT Spectrum reports completion of enrollment in Phase 3 Rolontis study - Spectrum Pharmaceuticals said it has completed enrollment with 405 patients randomized in the ROLONTIS Phase 3 ADVANCE pivotal study under a Special Protocol Assessment with the Food and Drug Administration. The study is evaluating the safety and efficacy of ROLONTIS in the management of chemotherapy-induced neutropenia in patients with breast cancer. Spectrum is conducting a second Phase 3 study, RECOVER, which is a multicenter, randomized, active-controlled study similar in design to the ADVANCE study that is currently enrolling in the U.S. and Europe. This study will enroll approximately 218 early-stage breast cancer patients, who will receive adjuvant or neoadjuvant TC chemotherapy every 21 days for up to 4 cycles. Adjuvant chemotherapy is treatment given after primary surgical therapy to kill any remaining cancer cells and increase the chance of long-term, disease-free survival; neoadjuvant chemotherapy is the administration of cytotoxic agents before surgical resection in early-stage breast cancer to help shrink the tumor and potentially allow for breast-conserving surgery. The primary study endpoint is the Duration of Severe Neutropenia in Cycle 1 of chemotherapy, based on central laboratory assessment of ANC over the 21 day cycle. Secondary endpoints include the incidence of neutropenic complications, incidence of febrile neutropenia, relative dose intensity, and safety.

07:08 EDT Cara Therapeutics appoints Mani Mohindru as CFO - Cara Therapeutics (CARA) announced the appointment of Mani Mohindru, Ph.D., as CFO and Chief Strategy Officer, effective August 15. Josef Schoell, who has held the CFO position at Cara for more than a decade, will be retiring. Most recently, she served as Chief Strategy Officer at Curis (CRIS).

07:07 EDT Innophos Holdings sees annual cost synergies of $4M from Novel Ingredients - Acquisition Delivers Strong Shareholder Value: All-cash transaction consideration of $125 million financed by cost effective existing credit facility; Annual cost synergies estimated at $4 million; revenue synergies are anticipated from combined product technology and customer relationships; Present value from tax synergies estimated at $11 million; Multiple of ~12.1x on Novel Ingredients' estimated 2017 adjusted EBITDA, and ~7.7x adjusting for expected cost and tax synergies; Multiple of ~1.3x on Novel Ingredients' estimated 2017 sales revenue; Net leverage to increase from 1.2x to 2.1x at close, well within the covenants of the credit facility; Continued strong cash conversion cycle supports current dividend and net leverage to return to pre-transaction level in two years.

07:05 EDT Under Armour sees $110M-$130M in FY17 charges related to restructuring plan - Under Armour's Board of Directors has approved a restructuring plan to more closely align its financial resources to support the company's efforts to better serve the evolving needs of the changing consumer and customer landscape. "As we stand up our category management structure within a consumer-led approach, we intend to meaningfully increase our go-to-market speed and amplify our digital capabilities. We've identified a number of areas to enhance our operational capabilities, drive process improvement and gain greater efficiencies. We remain steadfast in driving and building our brand while shifting our operational focus to become more return-on-investment and cost of capital centric - institutionalizing discipline to deliver more consistent, long-term shareholder value," said Chairman and CEO Kevin Plank. In conjunction with this plan, the company expects to incur total estimated pre-tax restructuring and related charges of approximately $110M-$130M in fiscal 2017, including approximately up to $70M in cash related charges and up to $60M in non-cash charges.

07:05 EDT Innophos Holdings to acquire Novel Ingredients for $125M in cash - Innophos Holdings announced that it has entered into a definitive merger agreement to acquire Novel Ingredients, a New Jersey-based provider of dietary supplement ingredient solutions primarily owned by GenNx360 Capital Partners, a New York-based private equity firm. Under the terms of the merger agreement, Innophos will acquire all of the outstanding shares of Novel Ingredients for a total purchase price of $125M, payable in cash. Innophos will fund the acquisition with borrowings under its existing credit facility. The acquisition is expected to be accretive to Innophos' earnings per share in the first year following the close of the transaction. Closing of the transaction is subject to customary closing conditions, including review under the Hart Scott Rodino Antitrust Improvements Act, and is expected to be completed in the third quarter of 2017.

07:02 EDT Caterpillar CFO Brad Halverson to retire in early 2018 - Concluding a career spanning more than three decades with the company, Caterpillar announced that Group President and CFO Brad Halverson has elected to retire in early 2018. The company will launch a global, external search to fill the CFO position, and Halverson's decision to continue working into early 2018 will help ensure a smooth transition for the CFO position.

07:01 EDT Caterpillar CFO Brad Halverson to retire in 2018

06:55 EDT Xerox to revise previously issued financial statements for 2014-2016 - Xerox announced: "During the second quarter, a review by an independent investigation committee of the appropriateness of the accounting practices at Fuji Xerox related to the recovery of receivables associated with certain bundled leasing transactions in Fuji Xerox's New Zealand and Australian subsidiaries was completed. The review identified that total adjustments of approximately JPY 40 billion, or approximately $360M based on the Yen/U.S. Dollar spot exchange rate of 111.89 at March 31, 2017, were required to Fuji Xerox's results for the period 2009 through 2017. Xerox determined that its share of that amount was approximately $90M. Although Xerox determined that the impact to its equity income was immaterial to its previously issued financial statements, the cumulative correction would have a material effect on the company's current year consolidated financial statements. Accordingly, Xerox will revise its previously issued annual and interim consolidated financial statements for 2014, 2015 and 2016 and the first quarter of 2017 the next time they are filed. Prior period amounts throughout this release have been adjusted to incorporate the revised amounts, where applicable." Fuji Xerox is a joint venture between Xerox Corporation and Fujifilm Holdings Corporation, in which Xerox holds a noncontrolling 25% equity interest.

06:49 EDT Pfizer CEO says 'pleased with our second-quarter 2017 results' - Ian Read, Chairman and CEO, stated, "I am pleased with our second-quarter 2017 results and our year-to-date performance is in line with our expectations. Revenues for the quarter increased 2% operationally, excluding the unfavorable impacts of the HIS divestiture and foreign exchange. Innovative Health revenues grew 9% operationally, driven by the performance of our key growth drivers, notably Ibrance, Eliquis, Xeljanz and Xtandi. While Essential Health revenues for the quarter declined 12% operationally primarily due to continued headwinds from products that recently lost marketing exclusivity, we had solid operational growth in emerging markets and in biosimilars. I believe the continued strength from both businesses' key growth drivers positions the Company for long-term success." "We have a strong pipeline with a steady flow of scientific innovation coming from all of our key therapeutic areas. Over the next five years, we project the potential for approximately 25 to 30 approvals of which up to 15 have the potential to be blockbusters, and we believe half of these potential blockbusters could receive approval by 2020. Our strategy remains focused on maximizing in-market opportunities while continuing to advance the pipeline and managing our cost structure to deliver attractive financial performance over time," Read concluded.

06:44 EDT Mobile Mini names Van Welch as CFO, effective August 31 - Mobile Mini (MINI) announced that Van Welch is joining Mobile Mini as Executive Vice President & CFO, effective August 31. Most recently, Welch held the position of Executive Vice President and CFO at Willbros (WG), and previously served in senior finance roles at KBR Group.

06:42 EDT Crestwood Equity sees FY17 adjusted EBITDA $380M-$400M - Sees FY17 Distributable cash flow of $210M-$230M; cash distributions of $2.40 per common unit resulting in FY17 cash distribution coverage ratio of approximately 1.2x to 1.4x; forecasted year-end 2017 leverage ratio range of approximately 4.0x to 4.5x; growth project capital spending and joint venture contributions unchanged $225M-$250M; and maintenance capital spending unchanged $20M-$25M.

06:36 EDT NextGen Healthcare agrees to acquire EagleDream Health - NextGen Healthcare Information Systems, a wholly owned subsidiary of Quality Systems, announced an agreement to acquire EagleDream Health, a cloud-based analytics company that drives meaningful insight across clinical, financial and administrative data to optimize practice performance. The transaction is expected to close in the current quarter upon the satisfaction of customary closing conditions and will be settled in all cash with a value of approximately $26M. Upon completion, this proposed acquisition of EagleDream Health will mark the second major asset acquired by NextGen Healthcare in 2017, following its earlier purchase of Entrada.

06:35 EDT Columbus McKinnon reports backlog up 12.2% to $173.3M as of June 30

06:33 EDT BP sees Q2 reported production 'broadly flat' with Q2 - BP said in today's earnings release, "Looking ahead, we expect third-quarter reported production to be broadly flat with the second quarter with the continued ramp-up of major projects offset by seasonal turnaround and maintenance activities."

06:20 EDT Google starts rolling out Daydream update to Galaxy S8, S8+ phones - GoogleVR (GOOG) tweeted yesterday: "The Daydream-ready update is rolling out now to @SamsungMobile (SSNLF) Galaxy S8 and S8+. Explore new worlds with #Daydream." The company said that the "update will take time to finish rolling out." Reference Link

06:17 EDT GM completes sale of Opel, Vauxhall to Groupe PSA - The sale of Opel Automobile GmbH with its brands Opel and Vauxhall by General Motors (GM) to Groupe PSA (PUGOY) has been finalized now. "It is a historic day," said Opel Automobile GmbH CEO Michael Lohscheller. "We are proud to join Groupe PSA and are now opening a new chapter in our history after 88 years with General Motors. We will continue our path of making technology 'made in Germany' available to everyone. The combination of our strengths will enable us to turn Opel and Vauxhall into a profitable and self-funded business. We have set ourselves the clear target of returning to profitability by 2020." As already assured when the contract was signed in March, all employee codetermination rights will remain unchanged. The Opel/Vauxhall management team will work on a plan for the future in the next 100 days. Opel/Vauxhall and Groupe PSA will continue to work with General Motors in the future. In addition to development in the area of electric propulsion, Opel plants will continue to produce vehicles for the GM brands Buick and Holden. In parallel, the acquisition of GM Financial's European operations is under way, subject to validation by the different regulatory authorities' review and is scheduled for the second half of 2017.

06:06 EDT Lumber Liquidators reports $83M in immediate liquidity at June 30 - At June 30, the company had approximately $83M in immediate liquidity, comprised of cash and cash equivalents and availability under its revolving credit facility, but not including its income tax refund of $29M that was received in July. The company had $57M outstanding on its revolving credit facility at June 30.

06:02 EDT M.D.C. Holdings reports Q2 EPS 64c, consensus 60c - Reports Q2 revenue $648.62M, consensus $627M.

05:48 EDT LivaNova says VNS Therapy Systems receives CE Mark for expanded MRI labeling - LivaNova announced its latest VNS Therapy Systems received CE Mark for expanded MRI labeling. VNS Therapy is now the only implantable device indicated for epilepsy therapy that allows patients to have high-quality 1.5T and 3T MRI scans without the need for special equipment.

05:28 EDT Bank of Marin acquires Bank of Napa - Bank of Marin Bancorp, parent company of Bank of Marin, and Bank of Napa, N.A. announced that BMRC has entered into an acquisition agreement with BNNP. Bank of Napa has two branch offices serving Napa County, and had assets of $246.1M, total deposits of $217.7M, and total loans of $139.3M as of June 30. The transaction will be immediately accretive to BMRC's earnings, adding to shareholder value. BNNP shareholders will receive a fixed exchange ratio of 0.3070 shares of BMRC common stock for each share of BNNP common stock outstanding. Based on BMRC's closing stock price of $65.95 on July 28, 2017, the transaction is valued at $51M, or $20.25 per share of BNNP common stock. Such value will fluctuate with changes in the stock price of BMRC. The total transaction value includes the value of BNNP options assumed by BMRC. The transaction is expected to close in Q4, and upon closing the Bank will have approximately $2.4B in assets and operate twenty-two branches in five counties, including San Francisco, Marin, Sonoma, Napa and Alameda. Upon closing, BMRC will add one board member from Bank of Napa to its board. BMRC's and BNNP's boards of directors have approved the acquisition agreement. Additionally, directors and executive officers of BNNP have entered into agreements whereby they have committed to vote their shares in favor of the transaction.