Stockwinners Market Radar for August 09, 2017 - Earnings, Upgrades downgrades, option trades, Best Stock Advisory Service

18:54 EDT Agrium narrows FY17 retail EBITDA view to $1.15B-$1.2B from $1.125B-$1.25B

18:53 EDT Agrium sees FY17 nitrogen production range 3.5M-3.6M tonnes - "Based on our expected utilization rate for our nitrogen assets, we are updating our nitrogen production range to between 3.5 and 3.6 million tonnes. Our earnings per share guidance assumes NYMEX gas prices will average between $3.00 and $3.30 per MMBtu for 2017. Agrium's potash production in 2017 is now expected to range between 2.5 and 2.7 million tonnes. Total capital expenditures are expected to be in the range of $650-million to $700-million, of which approximately $450-million to $500-million is expected to be sustaining capital expenditures. Agrium's annual effective tax rate for 2017 is expected to range between 27 and 29 percent."

17:48 EDT On The Fly: After Hours Movers - UP AFTER EARNINGS: Hudson Technologies (HDSN), up 20.5%... Amtech Systems (ASYS), up 14.6%... Quorum Health (QHC), up 7.5%... 22nd Century (XXII), up 6.7%... Live Nation (LYV), up 5.3%... Sangamo (SGMO), up 5.3%... Organovo (ONVO), up 5.3%... 21st Century Fox (FOXA), up 0.7%. ALSO HIGHER: Galapagos NV (GLPG), up 16.2% in New York after it announced "positive" toppline results from its FLORA Phase 2a trial. DOWN AFTER EARNINGS: Babcock & Wilcox (BW), down 29.2%... Quantum (QTM), down 22.3%... CB&I (CBI), down 20.2%... Masonite (DOOR), down 14.9%... Aqua Metals (AQMS), down 6.2%... Bellicum Pharmaceuticals (BLCM), down 2.8%. ALSO LOWER: Kura Oncology (KURA), down 9.9% after it filed to sell 5.3M shares of common stock.

17:42 EDT Paulson & Co. reports 6% stake in Valeant

17:29 EDT Manulife Financial reports Q2 ROE 13% up

17:24 EDT PCM, Inc. board approves $10M increase to existing repurchase program - PCM, Inc. announced that its Board of Directors has approved an increase in the company's existing share repurchase program by an additional $10M. The new authorization is in addition to the $4.1M that was available for repurchase under previous Board authorizations, leaving the company with $14.1M available for repurchases under the program.

17:19 EDT Pan American Silver backs FY17 gold production view 155,000-165,000 ounces - Backs FY17 silver production view of 24.5M-26M ounces. Backs FY17 zinc production view 56,500-58,500M ounces. Backs FY17 lead production view of 19,000-20,000 ounces. Backs FY17 copper production view 8,800-9,300 ounces.

17:10 EDT Novadaq receives court approval for arrangement with Stryker - Novadaq Technologies (NVDQ) announced that the Ontario Superior Court of Justice has issued a final order approving its previously announced plan of arrangement under the Canada Business Corporations Act pursuant to which Stryker (SYK) has agreed to acquire all of the issued and outstanding shares of Novadaq for $11.75 per share in cash. The Arrangement remains subject to the receipt of regulatory approvals under the Canadian Competition Act and U.S. Hart-Scott-Rodino and the satisfaction of certain other closing conditions customary in transactions of this nature. It is expected that the Arrangement will close in the third quarter of 2017.

17:04 EDT Flowers Foods says saw softness in fresh bakery category - Overall softness in the fresh bakery category, a competitive marketplace, and the divestiture of the mix manufacturing business in January 2017 resulted in the consolidated sales decline, partially offset by a net increase in sales of branded organic breads. Sales of DKB branded products continue to grow, driven by both volume and price, even though the company cycled the national rollout of the DKB brand on its DSD network at the beginning of the second quarter. On a consolidated basis, branded retail sales decreased 0.2% to $548.3 million, store branded retail sales decreased 1.0% to $144.3 million, while non-retail and other sales decreased 2.3% to $234.0 million. The decrease in the branded retail category resulted from volume declines in cake and buns and rolls, mostly offset by increased sales of organic bread. Store branded retail sales declined as a result of volume declines in cake, partially offset by growth in buns and rolls. The impact of the mix manufacturing business divestiture principally resulted in the decline in the non-retail and other category, which also includes contract manufacturing, vending and foodservice.

16:57 EDT CB&I down over 19% after Q2 results trail estimates, dividend suspended - In after-hours trading, shares are down 19.4% to $13.15.

16:52 EDT Galapagos: halts disease progression in IPF patients in FLORA Phase 2a trial - Galapagos announces positive topline results with its autotaxin inhibitor GLPG1690 in patients with idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis in the FLORA Phase 2a trial. FLORA was an exploratory, randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial investigating a once-daily oral dose of GLPG1690. The drug candidate was administered for 12 weeks in 23 IPF patients, 17 of whom received GLPG1690 and 6 placebo. Primary objectives of the trial were to assess safety, tolerability, pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics of GLPG1690 in an IPF patient population. Secondary objectives included the evaluation of lung function, changes in disease biomarkers, FRI, and quality of life. The IPF diagnosis was confirmed by central reading. The baseline characteristics of the recruited population were in line with published data in similarly conducted studies and were balanced between active and placebo. Patients with previous experience on nintedanib or pirfenidone were required to have discontinued treatment with either agent for at least 4 weeks prior to initiating treatment with GLPG1690. Over the 12-week period, patients receiving GLPG1690 showed an FVC increase of 8 mL, while patients on placebo showed an FVC reduction of 87 mL (mean from baseline). Such reductions in FVC in the placebo arm were in line with expectations based on similarly conducted third-party studies in IPF patients. In addition to the demonstrated absence of lung function decline over the 12 week period, more sensitive functional respiratory imaging (FRI) confirmed disease stabilization in the GLPG1690 arm, versus disease progression in the placebo arm, reaching statistical significance on two specific parameters. Patients on GLPG1690 treatment showed a clear reduction of serum LPA18:2, a biomarker for autotaxin inhibition, as expected based on the mechanism of action of GLPG1690. Thus, the level of target engagement observed in Phase 1 with healthy volunteers was confirmed in IPF patients in FLORA. GLPG1690 was found to be generally well tolerated in this Phase 2 trial. Rates of discontinuation due to adverse events, as well as serious adverse event rates, were similar between patients on GLPG1690 and placebo. Galapagos plans to rapidly progress GLPG1690 in a late stage trial and had already discussions with regulators regarding trial design.

16:50 EDT Comcast subsidiary Seeso shuts down - Seeso, an over-the-top subscription streaming service owned by Comcast, said in a facebook post that it will be "shutting its comedy doors." The service said that its programs can be found on VRV and that it will let people know where its original content will be in the future. Reference Link

16:43 EDT Papa Murphy's sees FY17 domestic system-wide comparable store sales decline - Sees FY17 domestic system-wide comparable store sales decline in mid-to-low single digits, compared to previous guidance of growth in the range of -2% to flat.

16:37 EDT CB&I initiates cost reduction plan, suspends dividend - The company announced that it is initiating a comprehensive corporate and operating expense reduction program expected to generate cost savings of approximately $100M on an annualized basis. CB&I's Supervisory Board has elected to suspend the company's quarterly common stock dividend effective immediately. The suspension of the dividend is expected to result in annual cash savings of $28M-$30M. The company reported a use of cash from operations in the second quarter of 2017 of approximately $157M, driven primarily by the net loss partially offset by an increase in our contract capital liability position. Using the cash proceeds from the June 30, 2017, sale of Capital Services, the company reduced its total debt to $1.8B at the end of the second quarter of 2017, as compared to $2.4B at the end of the first quarter of 2017.

16:34 EDT CSRA reports backlog of $15.6B at Q1-end - The company's backlog of signed business orders at the end of first quarter of fiscal year 2018 was $15.6B, of which $2.5B was funded. Compared to the fourth quarter of fiscal year 2017, total and funded backlog were up 3% and 2%, respectively.

16:32 EDT Masonite no longer expects net sales growth for FY17 - The company said, "Based on results year to date, we no longer expect our net sales growth rate, Adjusted EBITDA and Adjusted EPS to be within the range provided in our original 2017 outlook. In the absence of higher net sales growth in the second half, we would not expect to achieve 2017 Adjusted EBITDA that is meaningfully higher than 2016 given increased wage inflation and operating costs that are expected to continue."

16:28 EDT Colony Starwood Homes sees FY17 Same Home revenue growth 4%-5% - Sees FY17 core FFO $1.85-$1.90.

16:28 EDT Gabelli raises Team stake to 9.27% from 8.21%

16:25 EDT Del Taco names Barry Westrum as Chief Marketing Officer - Del Taco Restaurants announced M. Barry Westrum will join the company as Chief Marketing Officer. Prior to joining Del Taco, Westrum held the position of Executive Vice President of Marketing for International Dairy Queen, a Berkshire Hathaway-owned company.

16:24 EDT RCI Hospitality expects to exceed Free Cash Flow target of $18M in 2017

16:22 EDT CB&I to sell Technology business - "Additionally, we announced today that we are pursuing a sale of our Technology business, which we believe will unlock significant value for stakeholders. We plan to use the proceeds from the sale to significantly enhance CB&I's financial strength and flexibility by eliminating the majority of our debt and reinvesting in our E&C and Fabrication Services businesses. We envision a bright future for CB&I as a highly focused company with tightly integrated EPC and fabrication capabilities serving the LNG, petrochemical, refining and gas power generation markets."

16:20 EDT Ra Pharmaceuticals 'pleased' with initial data from RA101495 program - "We are pleased with the initial data from the first two eculizumab-naive patients enrolled in our Phase 2 program evaluating RA101495 in PNH, which showed rapid declines in lactate dehydrogenase, near-complete inhibition of hemolytic activity, and no safety or tolerability concerns. The strength of these data enabled the opening of the eculizumab-switch cohort and generated strong interest from investigators and patients," said Ramin Farzaneh-Far, MD, Chief Medical Officer of Ra Pharma. "Recruitment has since progressed rapidly, with a total of 17 patients currently enrolled, 14 of whom are already receiving study drug. Enrollment targets in both the eculizumab-naive and eculizumab-switch cohorts have been met, and the first two patients receiving RA101495 have transitioned to a long-term extension study."

16:17 EDT Builders FirstSource: Floyd Sherman to step down as CEO at end of year - Builders FirstSource announced that CEO Floyd Sherman, age 78, has advised the company's Board of Directors that he intends to step down as CEO effective January 1. In accordance with the Company's succession plan, Paul S. Levy, Chairman of the Board, confirmed that the Board intends to appoint Chad Crow, currently President and COO of the Company, as President and CEO effective January 1.

16:14 EDT Egalet reduing workforce by 40% - Egalet is reducing its workforce, excluding the sales team, by nearly 40 percent. With this initiative, along with elimination of certain other expenditures and other non-recurring expenses, Egalet expects total costs and expenses to be between $55M-$60M in 2018, a 35% reduction from expected 2017 Adjusted Costs and Expenses of $85M-$90M. As of June 30, Egalet had cash, restricted cash and marketable securities totaling $87.9M, excluding approximately $28.6M in net proceeds from Egalet's July 6, 2017 public offering of common stock and warrants. The company anticipates that its existing cash, cash equivalents and marketable securities, will enable Egalet to fund its operations into 2020.

16:13 EDT Severn Bancorp, Inc. names Eric Keitz as COO - Severn Bancorp announced the appointment of Eric Keitz as Executive Vice President along with his appointment as COO of Severn. Keitz has been a director of Severn Bancorp since 2010 and a director of Severn Bank since 2009.

16:10 EDT SkyWest's ExpressJet Airlines announces longterm contract strategy - SkyWest's (SKYW) wholly-owned subsidiary ExpressJet Airlines announced the initiation of a long-term strategy. ExpressJet has secured a new, five-year extension of its United Airlines (UAL) ERJ145 contract, effective Jan. 1, 2018 through Dec. 31, 2022. Financial terms of the agreement were not disclosed. ExpressJet and Delta Air Lines (DAL) mutually agreed to initiate the wind-down of its remaining dual-class flying agreement under the Delta Connection brand, allowing ExpressJet opportunities to place aircraft with other partners. The aircraft financed by Delta, including all CRJ900s, will be returned to Delta beginning in Q4; ExpressJet expects to transition other aircraft previously operated under its Delta agreement to other major partners throughout 2018. ExpressJet has secured an agreement with American Airlines (AIG) to transition eight additional CRJ700s to its American Eagle operation. That transition is expected to take place during 2Q18.

16:10 EDT Jack in the Box sees Q4 SSS flat to down 2% at Jack and Qdoba - For Q4, Jack in the Box sees same-store sales of flat to down 2.0% at Jack in the Box system restaurants versus a 2.0% increase in same-store sales in the year-ago quarter. Jack in the Box sees same-store sales of flat to down 2.0% at Qdoba company restaurants versus a 1.2% increase in the year-ago quarter.

16:09 EDT Heron Therapeutics announces agreement with FDA for HTX-011's Phase 3 program - Heron Therapeutics announced the positive outcome of a recent End-of-Phase 2 meeting with the FDA regarding the Company's investigational agent, HTX-011, to prevent postoperative pain for the first 72 hours after surgery. General agreement was reached with the FDA on the design and key elements for HTX-011's Phase 3 program that will be required to support a New Drug Application, or NDA. The program includes two pivotal Phase 3 efficacy studies in bunionectomy and hernia repair, representing a bony model and a soft tissue model, respectively. Heron recently initiated patient enrollment in the HTX-011 Phase 3 program and anticipates completing the Phase 3 program in the first half of 2018. Heron expects to file an NDA for HTX-011 in 2018.

16:07 EDT Syros Pharmaceuticals sees FY17 operating expenses $55.0M - This amount includes approximately $5.0M in non-cash expenses, primarily consisting of stock-based compensation and depreciation, resulting in an estimated cash burn of approximately $50.0M for the year.

16:04 EDT AllianceBernstein reports preliminary AUM $526B as of July 31

16:03 EDT Alnylam reports cash, equivalents and fixed income securities $1.25B at June 30 - At June 30 Alnylam had cash, cash equivalents and fixed income marketable securities, and restricted investments of $1.25B, as compared to $1.09B at December 31, 2016.

16:02 EDT Anthera announces FDA orphan drug designation for blisibimod - Anthera Pharmaceuticals announced that blisibimod has received orphan drug designation from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration for the treatment of Immunoglobulin A nephropathy. Blisibimod targets B-cell activating factor, or BAFF, which has been shown to be elevated in a variety of B-cell mediated autoimmune diseases, including IgAN, systemic lupus erythematosus, and others. "We are pleased by the FDA's decision to designate blisibimod with orphan drug designation," said Craig Thompson, Chief Executive Officer of Anthera. "There remains a very high need for patients with IgA nephropathy, as no approved therapies currently exist despite the high proportion of patients who progress to end-stage renal disease. We remain optimistic that blisibimod may be a well-tolerated, disease-modifying therapeutic that targets the underlying pathology for IgAN." Anthera is currently analyzing the data from the randomized, double-blind, placebo controlled, Phase 2 BRIGHT-SC study of blisibimod in patients with IgA nephropathy (IgAN). After Week 24, patients were given the opportunity to continue blinded treatment for up to 104 weeks, discontinue treatment but continue to be followed, or discontinue from the study. Most patients, 42 of 57, completed at least 60 weeks of evaluation and 21 completed assessments through at least 104 weeks. Anthera anticipates reporting top-line data later this month.

14:53 EDT Stonepine Capital reports 9.96% passive stake in CombiMatrix

14:49 EDT General Motors says reaching 'normalization' stage in used car prices - GM expects used car prices to drop about 7% for the year.

14:42 EDT General Motors CFO says entering into 'heart' of product launch cadence - "We will be launching in 2017 critical entries in the crossover segment, the fast-growing crossover segment. We just launched the Equinox. We're in the process of launching the Terrain. We will be launching the Enclave and Traverse as we go into Q3 and Q4. And that's on top of the Cadillac XT5 and the GMC Acadia that we launched last year. So really, opportune timing when you think about our strong product launch cadence in crossovers and a growing segment in the U.S. and globally," said the CFO during the conference.

14:20 EDT Ocean Power receives European patent for wave energy converter - Reference Link

13:43 EDT Brown Advisory reports 5.39% passive stake in Carrols Restaurant

13:12 EDT World Acceptance reports SEC order of investigation related to Mexico probe - In a regulatory filing, World Acceptance states: "As previously disclosed, the company is conducting an internal investigation of its operations in Mexico, focusing on the legality under the U.S. Foreign Corrupt Practices Act of 1977, as amended, and certain local laws of certain payments related to loans, the maintenance of the company's books and records associated with such payments, and the treatment of compensation matters for certain employees. The internal investigation continues to address whether and to what extent improper payments, which may violate the FCPA and other local laws, were made approximately between 2010 and 2017 by or on behalf of WAC de Mexico to government officials in Mexico relating to loans made to unionized employees. The company has voluntarily contacted the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission and the U.S. Department of Justice to advise both agencies that an internal investigation is underway and that the company intends to cooperate with both agencies. The SEC has issued a formal order of investigation."

12:47 EDT Nordic American Tankers announces two time charter arrangements with Shell - Nordic American Tankers (NAT) announced that it has entered into two time charter arrangements with Shell Oil (RDS.A) for a period of 18 months for each vessel, commencing in August/September this year. "The terms of the confidential contracts include upside for both parties as well as downside protection. NAT now has three TCs with Shell," Nordic American stated.

12:25 EDT Sealed Air sees no material effect on FY17 results from recent Russia sanctions - In a regulatory filing, Sealed Air stated: "The U.S. and the European Union have recently imposed sanctions on various sectors of the Russian economy and on transactions with certain Russian nationals and entities. Russia has also announced economic sanctions against the U.S. and other nations that include a ban on imports of certain products. These sanctions are not expected to have a material impact on our business as much of the operations in Russia support local production; however they may limit the amount of future business the Company does with customers involved in activities in Russia. However, as of June 30, 2017, we do not anticipate these events will have a material impact to our 2017 result of operations. As of June 30, 2017, approximately 2% of our consolidated net sales were derived from products sold into Russia. As of June 30, 2017, we had net assets of $82M, including $14M of cash and cash equivalents, in Russia. Also, as of June 30, 2017, our Russian subsidiaries had a negative cumulative translation adjustment balance of $46M."

12:05 EDT EXCO Resources plummets after earnings, rising liquidity concerns - Shares of oil and gas exploration company EXCO Resources (XCO) are plunging after reporting second quarter financial results on Tuesday evening. The company also cast doubt about its ability to comply with debt covenants. EARNINGS: On an adjusted basis, the company reported a narrower loss than expected of (23c) per share, better than the (27c) loss that analysts were modeling. Revenue of $64M in Q2 was down 40% from last year's level of $106M. RESTRUCTURING PROGRAM: The company is in the midst of a restructuring program to boost its liquidity situation. In late December of 2016, Moody's downgraded EXCO Resources's credit profile on liquidity concerns. "EXCO's downgrade reflects its eroded liquidity position which is insufficient to fully fund development expenditures at the level required to stem ongoing production declines, absent an injection of additional liquidity, the source of which is not readily identifiable, EXCO could face going concern risk as it confronts an unsustainable capital structure," said Moody's at the time. In response to its eroding liquidity and a listing noncompliance notice from NYSE on January 20, the company decided to fend off bankruptcy and bolster its balance sheet by issuing $300M in notes to an investor group. The proceeds from the issuance repaid the outstanding amount under EXCO's credit agreement, transaction fees and expenses, and general corporate purposes. The credit agreement was amended, reducing the borrowing base to $150M, permitting the notes and loans issuance and modifying certain financial covenants. Along with its Q2 earnings report on Tuesday evening, the company updated the progress on its capital structure, saying, "Our liquidity and compliance with debt covenants may be impacted by the outcome of certain litigation and the potential closing of the divestiture of our South Texas properties." Current litigation brought by Enterprise Products and Acadian Gas Pipeline, claiming that EXCO violated sales and transportation contracts could potentially hurt EXCO's ability to meet its debt obligations, EXCO said in a regulatory filing. Additionally, EXCO explained that if it doesn't complete the divestiture of its South Texas properties its liquidity problems will escalate and may result in bankruptcy. On its earnings conference call, EXCO noted the deadline for the transaction has been extended to August 15, but further postponements are possible. PRICE ACTION: Shares of EXCO are down over 15% to $1.30 per share in midday trading.

11:56 EDT Discovery Communications trading halted, volatility trading pause

11:16 EDT Fossil drops as CFO departs amid weak quarterly report - Shares of Fossil (FOSL) fell after the watch maker reported second quarter of results that fell below analysts' estimates. Separately, Fossil announced the departure of its chief financial officer. WEAK EARNINGS AND GUIDANCE: On Tuesday after the close, Fossil reported an adjusted loss per share for the second quarter of 61c on revenue of $597M, missing analysts' consensus estimates of an adjusted EPS loss of 46c and revenue of $617.9M. Global retail comps, including e-commerce sales, fell 11% year-over-year, with declines in all product categories and all regions, the company said said. Looking ahead, Fossil lowered its fiscal year 2017 EPS guidance to a loss of $7.42-$6.62 from previous guidance of a loss of 40c to a gain of 30c. The guidance compares to analysts' estimates of 87c. The FY17 EPS guidance includes $6.50 of non-cash intangible asset impairment charges and 60c of restructuring charges, the company said. Fossil also cut its FY17 net sales outlook to a decline of 4.5%-8.5% from previous guidance of a 1.5%-6% decline. Fossil also forecast a loss per share for the third quarter of 11c-44c, well below consensus estimates of 15c. The company also expects Q3 net sales to decline 8%-14%. CEO Kosta Kartsotis said that the retail environment is experiencing "unprecedented disruption," but the company believes "we are focusing on actions that can deliver solid results and returns for our shareholders over time." CFO DEPARTURE: Separately, Fossil announced that Dennis Secor, executive vice president, CFO and treasurer, has decided to relocate back to California for personal reasons and Jeffrey Boyer, currently a member of the company's board, has been appointed EVP, CFO and treasurer, effective October 16. Effective with the appointment, Secor will resign as CFO and assist Boyer as he transitions into his new role with the company. Boyer will resign from the company's board, where he currently serves as chairman of the Finance Committee and member of the Audit Committee, effective October 15. Boyer has served as EVP and CFO for Pier 1 Imports (PIR) since June 2015. ANALYST COMMENTARY: Following the weak earnings report, Oppenheimer analyst Anna Andreeva kept a Perform rating on the stock but said potential oversupply in the channel, pushback from customers and increased wearables competition create challenges for Fossil. She added the company's management of end-of-life product cycles across brands, the launch of additional wearables and the doubling of stock keeping units will inevitably result in the "cannibalization of the portfolio." Bank of America Merrill Lynch analyst Heather Balsky lowered her price target on Fossil shares to $7 from $10, noting that weak traditional watch sales continued to offset wearables growth as Q2 revenues missed across all regions. The analyst said gross margin erosion moderated but promotional activity remains elevated and she is concerned about deflationary pressures. Balsky reiterated her Underperform rating and the company is not immune to the "waning" watch cycle. Telsey Advisory Group analyst Dana Telsey also lowered her price target on Fossil to $11 from $13 as the traditional watch market remains negative and the company's distribution with new consumer electronics partners has been slower than expected. The analyst reiterated a Market Perform rating on the stock and added that earnings visibility remains "highly challenged" in both the near and long-term. PRICE ACTION: Fossil fell 23.7% to $9.05 in late morning trading. Shares are down over 65% year-to-date.

10:59 EDT Mylan: FDA delays 'administrative,' 'not the science'

10:42 EDT Gilead move higher attributed to activist speculation - The move higher in shares of Gilead Sciences is being attributed to speculation of an activist stake by Dan Loeb's Third Point. The unsubstantiated chatter has Third Point taking a stake and pushing for board representation, traders tell The Fly. Shares of Gilead are up 35c to $73.62 in morning trading. The Fly, in fulfilling its mission of explaining stock movement, often comes across the many unconfirmed rumors being passed through trading desks and social media platforms. On the occasion that rumors or speculation appear on The Fly's news feed, it should be viewed not as giving credence to the conjecture, rather as simply highlighting its impact on the stock prices of the companies involved.

10:32 EDT Mylan: Underlying North America business 'solid'

10:28 EDT Mylan continues slide as generic price slowdown hits results, outlook - Shares of Mylan (MYL) are sliding after the company reported worse than expected earnings for the quarter and cut its financial outlook for 2017 and 2018, citing a price slowdown in generic drugs. This comes just days after the stock was under pressure following a similar announcement from peer Teva Pharmaceutical (TEVA), which cut its own view and lowered its dividend as the prices it can charge for its generic products in the U.S. has been plunging. MYLAN RESULTS: This morning, Mylan reported second quarter earnings per share of $1.10 and revenue of $2.96B, below consensus of $1.16 and $3.04B, respectively. The company also said it now sees 2017 adjusted earnings per share of $4.30-$4.70 and revenue of $11.5B-$12.5B. For 2018, the company cut its adjusted earnings per share view to at least $5.40 from $6.00. CHALLENGING GENERIC ENVIRONMENT: Mylan said this morning that given ongoing challenges and the uncertain U.S. regulatory environment, "we have elected to defer all major U.S. launches from our full year 2017 financial guidance to 2018, including generic Advair and generic Copaxone." Furthermore, the company noted that it sees generic price erosion for 2017 of mid-single digits globally. "We [...] expect generic price erosion for the year of mid-single digits globally, with high-single-digit erosion expected in North America. Furthermore, we continue to make great progress on our key pipeline programs, and while we may experience delays, mostly in the U.S., in realizing some of these opportunities, our confidence in our ability to bring these important products to market and maximize their potential has not changed," it added. Mylan CEO Heather Bresch pointed out that, "Our industry, along with the entire healthcare sector, is at an inflection point. This is providing investors an opportunity to differentiate between pharmaceutical companies focused solely on generics and/or specialty medicines and those capable of delivering a broad and diverse portfolio across multiple channels in various geographies, which remains Mylan's strategy." PEER PRESSURE: Back on August 3, when Teva Pharmaceutical reported weaker than expected second quarter results, the company cited the performance of its U.S. Generics business and the continued deterioration in Venezuela as factors for its results and the lowering of its outlook for the remainder of the year. "In our U.S. Generics business, we experienced accelerated price erosion and decreased volume mainly due to customer consolidation, greater competition as a result of an increase in generic drug approvals by the U.S. FDA, and some new product launches that were either delayed or subjected to more competition. Given the current environment, we have had to take swift and decisive actions," Teva interim President and Ceo Yitzhak Peterburg, said. PRICE ACTION: In morning trading, shares of Mylan are fractionally lower near $32 per share, regaining some of their early losses. Since Teva reported, Mylan shares have declined from their August 2 closing price of $36.92.

10:18 EDT Mylan plans to submit response to CRL on generic Advair within weeks - Says no further clinical or device related studies are required for Advair generic. Says plans to submit response to CRL on generic Advair within weeks.

10:08 EDT Mylan: Approval delays to persist as FDA 'reorganizes, adapts priorities'

10:04 EDT Mylan: Generic, healthcare industry at an inflection point - Comment taken from the Q2 earnings conference call.

09:31 EDT Immune Pharma unit says article confirms previous findings with Ceplene - Cytovia, the oncology subsidiary of Immune Pharmaceuticals announced the publication of results showing favorable effects of its lead immunotherapeutic compound Ceplene in cancer. The results of the new article confirm and extend previous findings showing that treatment of mice with Ceplene efficiently reduces the formation of lung melanoma metastases. Using genetically modified mice, the authors also show that the beneficial effect of treatment with Ceplene in reducing metastasis was likely explained by its inhibitory effect on NOX2, which is an enzyme expressed by myeloid blood cells. In the article, the investigators additionally report that combination immunotherapy with Ceplene and interleukin-15 reduced melanoma metastasis by over 70%, an incremental effect over Ceplene alone or IL-15 alone. In an international Phase III clinical study in 320 AML patients, the combination of Ceplene and low-dose IL-2 has been shown to prevent relapse of leukemia while maintaining good quality of life during treatment. A recent Phase IV study in 84 AML patients demonstrated efficient activation of anti-tumor immunity during treatment with Ceplene/IL-2 and also identified tools that may prognosticate the clinical benefit of the treatment. During 2015-17, detailed results of the Phase IV study were presented in several medical journals including Leukemia, a leading journal in hematology

09:30 EDT Wendy's: Competitive environment 'still remains competitive' - Says biggest competitor remains "food at home." Says all QSRs upgrading quality of assets, food.

09:22 EDT Harsco renews five-year scrap management contract with Egypt's EZDK Steel - Harsco's Metals & Minerals division has renewed its Scrap Management contract with Al Ezz Dekheila Steel, the manufacturer of long and flat steel products in the Middle East and North Africa. The five-year contract renewal extends Harsco's scrap management services at the massive EZDK Alexandria plant, one of the largest integrated steel plants in the Middle East and North Africa region.

09:18 EDT Black Knight Financial's LoanSphere MSP servicing system adopted by FirstBank - Black Knight Financial announced that FirstBank, the nation's third largest privately held bank, has signed a six-year contract to implement LoanSphere MSP, Black Knight's servicing system. FirstBank's agreement also includes the use of Lien Alert, an automated solution from Black Knight that monitors loans and provides alerts on critical lien-related indicators.

09:13 EDT Hill International/Aecom joint venture to build SUNY academic building - Hill International's (HIL) joint venture with Aecom (ACM) has been awarded a contract from the Dormitory Authority of the State of New York to provide construction management services for the initial phase of a new academic building at the State University of New York Fashion Institute of Technology in New York City. The three-year contract has an estimated value to the joint venture of approximately $5.0M for all phases. Hill and AECOM are equal partners in the joint venture. The estimated construction cost of the project is $150M.

09:07 EDT SenesTech signs sales ContraPest agreement with Colorado animal sanctuary - SenesTech announced a sales agreement with a Colorado animal sanctuary, to provide ethical, safe and sustainable control of rat infestation at their facilities. The project will utilize ContraPest, SenesTech's proprietary technology for managing rodent pest populations through fertility control, for which the sanctuary has agreed to a two year purchase agreement.

09:06 EDT Fossil announces resignation of Secor as CFO, Boyer named as replacement - Last night, Fossil Group (FOSL) announced that Dennis Secor, the company's current Executive VP, Chief Financial Officer and Treasurer, has decided to relocate back to California for personal reasons. The company also announced that Jeffrey Boyer, currently a member of the company's board, has been appointed EVP, CFO and Treasurer effective October 16. Effective with the appointment of Boyer on October 16, Secor will resign as CFO and assist Boyer as he transitions into his new role with the company. Boyer will resign from the company's board, where he currently serves as Chairman of the Finance Committee and member of the Audit Committee, effective October 15. Boyer has served as EVP and CFO for Pier 1 Imports (PIR) since June 2015, Fossil noted.

09:03 EDT Wireless Telecom Group names Daniel Monopoli CTO - Wireless Telecom Group announced that Daniel Monopoli has been appointed the company's new CTO, effective June 30. Daniel joined Wireless Telecom Group in September 2015 as the general manager of the Test & Measurement segment overseeing the Boonton Electronics and Noisecom businesses. As CTO, Daniel will be responsible for product development, product management and marketing across the Wireless Telecom Group segments. He will lead and innovate the go-to-market strategy, R&D process and product roadmap while driving activities in line with a commitment to engineering quality, performance excellence and product innovation.

08:59 EDT Altisource reports Chatterjee to replace Esterman as CFO - Altisource Portfolio Solutions announced that Indroneel Chatterjee will be joining Altisource as its CFO on or around October 1. Chatterjee will join Altisource from Nomura Securities, where he has served since August 2014, most recently as Head of Credit Solutions, Global Markets. Upon the commencement of Chatterjee's employment, Michelle Esterman, the company's current CFO, will assume the role of Executive VP, Finance.

08:55 EDT KNOT Offshore Partners sees Q3 earnings higher than in Q2 - The partnership expects its earnings for Q3 to be higher than its earnings for Q2 due to a full quarter of earnings from the Vigdis Knutsen, as the vessel was included in the partnership's results of operations from June 1. These increased earnings will be slightly offset by approximately 7 days of unplanned offhire for repair of damage sustained by the Tordis Knutsen. There is no further expected offhire for the fleet during Q3.

08:53 EDT AB InBev, Anadolu Efes to combine Russia, Ukraine units - Anheuser-Busch InBev has reached a non-binding agreement with Anadolu Efes, a brewer in Turkey, regarding a 50:50 merger of AB InBev's and Anadolu Efes' existing Russia and Ukraine businesses. The announcement of this non-binding agreement follows AB InBev's acquisition of a 24% stake in Anadolu Efes as part of the company's combination with SABMiller, which completed in October 2016. The transaction remains conditional on the completion of satisfactory due diligence and is subject to regulatory approvals in Russia and Ukraine. Following the closing of the intended transaction, the combined business would be fully consolidated in the Anadolu Efes financial accounts. As a result, AB InBev would stop consolidating its operations in Russia and Ukraine and account for its investment resulting from this transaction under the equity method. The name of the combined company would be AB InBev-Efes and both AB InBev and Anadolu Efes would have equal representation on the Board of Directors, with Tuncay Ozilhan, current Chairman of the Anadolu Group and Anadolu Efes, serving as the Chairman. Both AB InBev and Anadolu Efes will work towards agreeing binding transaction documents in due course and further announcements will be made as the process progresses. We anticipate the transaction could complete by the end of H1 2018. Until completion of the transaction, both AB InBev and Anadolu Efes' businesses in Russia and Ukraine remain separate and continue business as usual.

08:48 EDT Avnet CFO Kevin Moriarty to step down due to personal reasons - Avnet announced that Kevin Moriarty, the company's CFO for the past 4.5 years, has notified the company of his decision to step down from the position due to personal reasons, effective August 18. Ken Jacobson, the company's controller, has been named interim CFO. The company is initiating a full search process immediately where both internal and external candidates will be considered.

08:47 EDT Priceline subsidiay OpenTable launches in Amsterdam - Priceline Group company OpenTable, provider of online restaurant reservations, is launching in Amsterdam. At launch, approximately 100 restaurants are bookable through OpenTable or via the global app, with more restaurants to be added in the coming months.

08:45 EDT Uni-Pixel signs letter of intent with Future Tech for XTouch production in China - UniPixel signed a non-binding letter of intent to enter into a strategic transaction with Future Tech, under which Future Tech will produce UniPixel's XTouch sensors in Changzhou City, Jiangsu Province in China. Future Tech expects to form a joint venture that will own and operate a manufacturing facility in Changzhou, China. Future Tech will also be responsible for creating an organization to sell, market and distribute metal mesh touch screen sensors to original equipment manufacturers headquartered in the Asia Pacific region. Future Tech intends to manufacture sensors for UniPixel, subject to agreement on volume and pricing. A definitive agreement is expected to be executed during September. The letter of intent provides that Future Tech will pay UniPixel up to $5.1M for rights, know-how and manufacturing assets that will be transferred to the joint venture; $2; will be paid at an initial closing, with the remaining amounts payable upon equipment qualification and manufacturing milestones. The joint venture will make royalty payments to UniPixel based on an IP license grant. UniPixel will continue to manufacture and conduct research and development for new products in Colorado Springs and will also purchase sensors from Future Tech.

08:42 EDT Charles River says 'strategic acquisitions remain our top capital priority' - Says "continuously evaluate acquisition candidates that will enhance or expand our scientific capabilities and supplement organic growth."

08:41 EDT Charles River says 'remains on track' to deliver original FY17 outlook - "Remain on track to deliver FY17 financial results in line with our original outlook for the year: Organic revenue growth in the high-single digits; Non-GAAP operating margin approaching 20%; Non-GAAP EPS growth in the low-double digits. While the segment mix may shift from quarter-to-quarter or year-to year, our broad portfolio of essential products and services positions us to deliver high-single-digit organic revenue growth and operating margin improvement in 2017 and over the longer term."

08:38 EDT Charles River provides 2H17 outlook - Expect SA, Microbial Solutions, and Biologics to be the primary drivers of growth in 2H17, partially offset by softness in the RMS segment. Expect 2H17 RMS organic revenue growth to be essentially flat, primarily due to RADS project that ended in 2016 (compresses the annual RMS growth by ~1%); Slightly lower revenue in the research models business in North America and Europe; Slower growth in China due to capacity constraints. FY17 RMS organic revenue growth expected to be in the low-single digits; Lower revenue growth will put pressure on the RMS operating margin in 2H17; FY17 RMS operating margin will remain in the high-20% range, but will be moderately lower than in 2016. Expect FY17 organic revenue growth will be: DSA segment: Near 10%; Manufacturing segment: 10% or higher; On a consolidated basis, non-GAAP operating margin in FY17 will approach our long-term goal of 20%; Manufacturing segment will be the largest contributor to operating margin improvement in FY17; Lower corporate spending as a % of revenue YOY. Guidance from presentation slides.

08:37 EDT Intra-Cellular reports Q2 EPS (41c), consensus (74c) - Reports Q2 revenue $114,741, consensus $30,000.

08:36 EDT Sanmina appoints David Anderson as CFO - Sanmina has appointed David Anderson to Executive VP and CFO, effective October 2, 2017. Anderson will succeed Bob Eulau, who has been appointed to CEO. Anderson has held the position of Senior Vice President, Corporate Controller and Principal Accounting Officer at Sanmina since 2013. He joined Sanmina in 2002 as VP Finance and Controller, EMS Operations.

08:34 EDT Tableau acquires data analysis startup ClearGraph - Tableau Software has acquired ClearGraph, a Palo Alto startup that enables smart data discovery and data analysis through natural language query technology. Tableau plans to integrate ClearGraph's technology into Tableau's products. ClearGraph was founded in 2014. As part of the acquisition, employees will join Tableau in its Palo Alto office.

08:33 EDT Catasys launches enrollment of onTrak-HC with BCBS health insurer - Catasys announced that it has commenced enrollment under the previously announced contract for its OnTrak-HC program in Oklahoma with the nation's second largest Blue Cross Blue Shield health insurance plan. This company is the country's largest nonpublic health insurer and the fourth-largest health insurer overall, with health plans also in Texas, Illinois, New Mexico and Montana. OnTrak-HC will cover eligible commercial members in Oklahoma who suffer from anxiety, depression and substance use disorders. The Company and this health insurer are planning further expansions in the coming months. Catasys believes that the recent launch of OnTrak-C in a Texas Medicaid population, the corrected data feed and expansions of OnTrak-A, and now the launch of OnTrak-HC, companioned with future contracts, launches and expansions, all point to significant billings growth and an accelerated billings growth rate in the third and fourth quarters and continuing in 2018.

08:30 EDT Cempra trading resumes

08:18 EDT Mylan down 9% to $28.80 after Q2 results, FY guidance

08:16 EDT Armstrong Flooring names Ronald Ford as SVP, CFO, effective September 1 - Armstrong Flooring announced that Ronald D. Ford will become SVP and CFO, joining the cmpany effective September 1. Ford will have oversight of global finance and accounting functions and will report to Don Maier, President and CEO. Before joining Armstrong Flooring, Ford served as Senior Vice President and CFO at Silgan Containers.

08:13 EDT Workhorse Group receives order for five additional E-GEN vehicles - Workhorse Group announced that Alpha Baking Company has ordered five additional range-extended electric E-GEN step vans following the successful deployment of its first five vehicles.

08:06 EDT Mylan sees generic price erosion for 2017 of mid-single digits globally - "We also continue to navigate a challenging competitive and pricing environment and expect generic price erosion for the year of mid-single digits globally, with high-single-digit erosion expected in North America. Furthermore, we continue to make great progress on our key pipeline programs, and while we may experience delays, mostly in the U.S., in realizing some of these opportunities, our confidence in our ability to bring these important products to market and maximize their potential has not changed."

08:05 EDT Wave Life Sciences: Lead DMD Exon 51 program on track to enter clinic this year - "We recently achieved two major milestones: transitioning to a clinical stage company, with the commencement of our two phase 1b/2a trials in Huntington's Disease, PRECISION-HD1 and PRECISION-HD2; and the opening of our new cGMP manufacturing facility," said Paul Bolno, M.D., MBA, President and CEO. "Our lead DMD Exon 51 program is on track to enter the clinic later this year, and I am excited to announce our next development program targeting C9orf72 mutations in ALS and FTD. Our collaboration with Pfizer continues to advance with multiple programs progressing through in-vivo lead optimization. Within our discovery engine, we continue to generate compelling data for new modalities such as single-stranded RNAi, as well as splice correction. With the progression of our pipeline and advancement in our platform capabilities, we are closer to potentially bringing new hope and precision medicines to patients living with serious, genetically-defined diseases."

08:04 EDT Alaska Air reports July traffic up 6.6% - Alaska Air Group reported July operational results on a consolidated basis, for its mainline operations operated by subsidiaries Alaska Airlines and Virgin America and for its regional flying operated by subsidiary Horizon Air Industries and third-party regional carriers SkyWest Airlines and Peninsula Airlines. On a combined basis for all operations, Air Group reported a 6.6% increase in traffic on a 6.4% increase in capacity compared to July 2016. Load factor increased 0.2 points to 87.0%.

08:02 EDT Global Partners backs FY17 EBITDA outlook $190M-$220M

07:51 EDT Ultra Petroleum sees FY17 production 280-290 Bcfe - Ultra Petroleum affirms its drilling and completion capital budget for 2017 of $500.0M, or $525.0M including facilities and capitalized costs. Due to the delay in rig deliveries in Q2 and Q3, a redirection of some resources toward resource expansion and a decision to drill fewer development wells, the company revised annual production guidance to a range of 280 to 290 Bcfe, a change of approximately 3%.

07:40 EDT Xtant receives FDA clearance for Calix-C family of cervical interbody cages - Xtant Medical announced that the FDA has cleared product line extensions for the Calix-C family of cervical interbody cages. The clearance provides for the addition of two larger footprints and importantly, for use with allograft. This clearance strengthens Xtant Medical's focus in regenerative technologies, providing a more comprehensive. integrated cervical treatment option for surgeons and their patients. In Xtant's continued effort to combine our hardware and biologics products to provide total solutions for our customers, the Calix-C indication now includes use with allograft comprised of cancellous and/or corticocancellous bone graft in addition to the current use with autograft. Xtant Medical's 3Demin and patented OsteoSponge technology are ideal allografts to use with Calix-C due to their ability to compress, fill and expand within the interbody's graft chamber, allowing for ideal bone contact with the vertebral plates and fusion. OsteoVive, a cellular allograft, can also be used in conjunction with Calix-C. The additional, larger footprints of Calix-C are designed for increased stability against the vertebral endplates, and allow for a larger lumen for bone graft, making it a better surgical option for a greater number of patients. The addition of the allograft indication and the larger sizes will all be available in PEEK and Titanium plasma coated PEEK.

07:38 EDT MagneGas applies for gasification system patent and Department of Energy grant - MagneGas has filed a provisional patent application on a next-generation gasification system. The provisional patent application entails the use of a plasma arc in conjunction with certain fluids and powdered materials such as coal, plastics, and potentially the company's primary feedstock, butanol. MagneGas has also used this new gasification technology as the basis to file for a Department of Energy grant related to the Small-Scale Gasification Systems for Coal otherwise known as 'Clean Coal'. The DOE grant calls for the development of a one to five megawatt system which is modular and scalable with a much smaller footprint and capital investment than current Clean Coal systems. While this specific DOE grant is focused on the gasification of coal, the company believes the underlying technology will have other applications associated with solid fuels, solid wastes such as plastics and potentially liquids as well. The company believes there may be additional opportunities to utilize this technology to gasify butanol directly, which could significantly improve the cost to mass produce MagneGas2.

07:20 EDT Anthera immunoglobulin A nephropathy treatment granted FDA orphan status - Anthera's blisibimod was granted FDA orphan status as a treatment of patients with immunoglobulin A nephropathy, according to a post to the agency's website. Reference Link

07:19 EDT Bristol-Myers nivolumab granted orphan designation as treatment of anal cancer - Bristol-Myers' nivolumab was granted FDA orphan designation as treatment of anal cancer, according to a post to the agency's website. Reference Link

07:17 EDT Tribune Media CEO says Q2 results 'reflect continued expense management' - "Our financial results for the second quarter reflect our focus on continued expense management and positioning the company for long-term profitable growth," said Peter Kern, Tribune Media's CEO. "We saw strong sequential growth in retransmission revenues during the quarter, which helped offset some softness in core advertising at the national level. While our overall performance was significantly affected by non-recurring expenses and accelerated amortization related to the shift in programming strategy at WGN America, those changes are now behind us, and we expect a much more profitable 2018 with more original hours than the network has ever carried. We continue to aggressively manage expenses across the business; adjusted for the non-recurring costs at WGN America, total consolidated cash expenses were flat despite the continuing increases in network affiliate fees and the increased level of original programming amortization. We also continued monetizing non-core assets, as we sold several real estate properties in the first half of the year, and more recently participated in the sale of CareerBuilder and received a significant portion of our spectrum proceeds. Finally, we remain on track to close our previously announced transaction with Sinclair."

07:16 EDT Asterias enrolls first patient in final cohort of SCiStar trial - Asterias Biotherapeutics announced enrollment and dosing of the first patient in the fifth and final cohort in the company's ongoing SCiStar Phase 1/2a clinical study of AST-OPC1 in motor complete cervical spinal cord injury. This cohort will dose between five and eight patients with AIS-B cervical spinal cord injuries with 20 million AST-OPC1 cells. Asterias has completed enrollment and dosing in four of the five planned SCiStar study cohorts and has enrolled twenty-two patients in the SCiStar study. Twenty-seven patients have been administered AST-OPC1 after including patients from a previous Phase 1 safety trial and results-to-date continue to support the safety of AST-OPC1. In June 2017, Asterias reported 9-month data from the study's second dose cohort. Subjects in this cohort showed meaningful improvements in arm, hand and finger function that were first observed at 3-months after administration of AST-OPC1, and were maintained and further increased at up to 9-months. The company expects multiple safety and efficacy readouts from the SCiStar study during the remainder of 2017 and 2018.

07:08 EDT RXi Pharmaceuticals enters common stock purchase agreement for up to $15M - RXi Pharmaceuticals announced that it has entered into a common stock purchase agreement with Lincoln Park Capital Fund. LPC is a long-only, Chicago-based investor with a portfolio emphasis in life sciences, including therapeutics being developed to treat cancer. According to the terms of the agreement, and subject to a registration statement to be filed and declared effective by the SEC, RXi will have the right at its sole discretion to sell to LPC up to $15M worth of shares over a 30-month period. RXi will control the timing of any future investment and LPC will be obligated to make purchases in accordance with the terms of the agreement. RXi expects to use the proceeds for working capital and general corporate purposes, including advancing its immuno-oncology pipeline. No warrants, derivatives, financial or business covenants are associated with the agreement, and LPC will not cause or engage in any manner whatsoever, any direct or indirect short selling or hedging of shares of the Company's common stock.

06:53 EDT New Media to acquire Morris Publishing Group assets for $120M - New Media Investment Group announced that it has agreed to acquire many of the newspapers and related assets from Morris Publishing Group for $120M. New Media is acquiring many of the Morris portfolio of U.S.-based newspaper assets located across Georgia, Florida, Texas, Kansas, Arkansas, and Alaska. New Media is acquiring 79 publications including all eleven dailies, the largest of which are The Florida Times-Union (44,750 daily circulation and 68,591 Sunday circulation), The Augusta Chronicle (26,862 daily circulation and 31,682 Sunday circulation), and the Savannah Morning News (21,588 daily circulation and 26,048 Sunday circulation). In addition to the print publications, the acquisition includes Morris's Main Street Digital group, substantially all weekly and niche print products and all related websites and digital operations. The purchase price is within New Media's stated acquisition range of 3.5x - 4.5x the seller's LTM As Adjusted EBITDA. The transaction will be funded with cash on the balance sheet. We expect it to be highly accretive to free cash flow with net synergies of $10-15 million. We expect the transaction to close early in the fourth quarter.

06:43 EDT Southwest reports July RPM up 6% y-o-y - Southwest Airlines reported 12.4 billion revenue passenger miles in July, an increase of 6.0% from the 11.7 billion RPMs flown in July 2016. Available seat miles increased 5.5% to 14.2 billion in July 2017, vs. July 2016 ASMs of 13.4 billion. The July 2017 load factor was 87.3%, compared with 86.9% in July 2016. Based on these results and current trends, the Company continues to expect its Q3 operating revenue per ASM to increase approximately 1% vs. 3Q16.

06:41 EDT Orion Group announces contract award of about $14M - Orion Group announced a contract award of approximately $14M. The company's Marine segment, Orion Marine Group, was recently awarded a contract from a port authority in the Caribbean to improve its port facilities. The project involves refurbishment and upgrades for a cruise ship dock and will begin during the third quarter of 2017 with a duration of approximately 6 months.

06:32 EDT Dentsply Sirona CEO says 'operational execution has not met our expectations' - Jeffrey Slovin, Dentsply Sirona's CEO commented: "Our results were impacted by a number of factors, the largest of which are headwinds associated with Patterson reducing its inventory in North America and the transition of North American distribution. Year to date, operational execution has not met our expectations. Our lower outlook reflects the underperformance in the first half of the year and some of those challenges persisting in the back half of the year." Slovin continued: "In September, we should begin to benefit from the expanded distribution of our equipment in North America which should drive growth in the back half of this year and beyond. As we work through the distribution transition and integration initiatives, we are strengthening our foundation for the future. We believe that this should translate into more consistent growth and strong double digit earnings growth in the back half of the year creating momentum exiting the year going into 2018."

06:29 EDT KBR signs agreement with Saudi Aramco - KBR has entered into a Memorandum of Understanding, or MoU, with Saudi Aramco to expand and develop KBR's services for Saudi Aramco in line with the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia's localization objectives. The MoU and initiative is in line with Saudi Aramco's In-Kingdom Total Value Add initiative that aims to double the percentage of locally produced energy-related goods and services to 70 percent of the total spent by 2021.

06:25 EDT Yandex to form JV with Sberbank - Yandex and Sberbank announced that the two companies have signed a non-binding term sheet to form a joint venture based on the Yandex.Market platform. The companies intend to combine the technological capabilities of Yandex and the infrastructure and technologies of Sberbank to develop a leading eCommerce ecosystem. The non-binding term sheet provides that Sberbank would invest 30 billion rubles into Yandex.Market, valuing it at 60 billion rubles on a post-money basis, before taking into account any potential future synergies. The two partners will own equal stakes in the joint venture. Up to ten percent of the company's shares will be allocated for an equity incentive pool for Yandex.Market management and employees.

06:19 EDT Disney says settled 'pink slime' case in Q3 - In a regulatory filing, Disney noted that on September 13, 2012, plaintiffs filed an action in South Dakota state court against certain subsidiaries and employees of the company and others, asserting claims for defamation arising from alleged false statements and implications, statutory and common law product disparagement, and tortious interference with existing and prospective business relationships. The claims arise out of ABC News reports published in March and April 2012 about a product, Lean Finely Textured Beef, that was included in ground beef and hamburger meat. Plaintiffs' complaint sought actual and consequential damages in excess of $400M, statutory damages pursuant to South Dakota's Agricultural Food Products Disparagement Act, and punitive damages. During the current quarter, the matter was settled during trial.

06:18 EDT Vitamin Shoppe sees FY17 SSS down in mid-single digits - Given the unprecedented level of volatility in the market and the potential increase in variability of the company's results due to the number of initiatives being launched in the back half of the year, the company has reset its 2017 outlook and is modifying its approach to guidance. The company is providing guidance around the key levers that drive the business instead of providing specific EPS guidance. The company expects full year comparable sales decline rate of negative mid-single digits. Reported full year gross margin rate of 30.2% to 30.7%. This includes charges associated with the Nutri-Force restructuring and North Bergen closure this year. Excluding these charges, full year gross margins of 31.3% to 31.8%. Full year SG&A expense of $342 million to $347 million including charges associated with the Nutri-Force restructuring. Excluding these charges, full year SG&A expense of $335 million to $340 million. Full year capital expenditures of $45 million, including build out of distribution center in Arizona, IT investments, approximately 15 new stores and 10-15 brand defining store transformations.

06:09 EDT JAKKS Pacific extends licensing agreement with Saban Brands for Power Rangers - JAKKS Pacific announced it has extended its licensing agreement with Saban Brands for its iconic property, Power Rangers, which includes the Power Rangers TV series, currently in its 24th season with "Power Rangers Ninja Steel" and the Power Rangers Live Action films, including 2017's feature film "Saban's Power Rangers." The multi-year agreement includes rights to exclusively manufacture, market, and distribute adult and kids Halloween costumes, accessories, and everyday dress up in the U.S., Canada and Latin America. The partnership also includes seasonal items such as ride-ons, ball pits, indoor furniture and several other seasonal categories in the U.S. and Canada.

06:07 EDT Intuitive Surgical, JustRight Surgical enter licensing agreement - JustRight Surgical announced it has entered into a licensing agreement with Intuitive Surgical. The agreement provides Intuitive Surgical with a worldwide, exclusive license to JustRight Surgical's intellectual property in energy-based vessel sealing and tissue stapling technologies for use in the robotics field. The deal also includes joint product development and an equity financing arrangement.

06:06 EDT SiteOne Landscape backs FY17 adjusted EBITDA view $155M-$165M

05:57 EDT Pacific Premier to acquire Plaza Bancorp for $7.29 per share - Pacific Premier Bancorp, the holding company of Pacific Premier Bank, and Plaza Bancorp announced they have entered into a definitive agreement under which Pacific Premier will acquire Plaza in an all-stock transaction valued at approximately $226.3 million, or $7.29 per share, based on a closing price for Pacific Premier's common stock of $36.45 as of August 8, 2017. The company expects the transaction to be immediately accretive to earnings per share and tangible book value per share. Plaza, the holding company of Plaza Bank, is headquartered in Irvine, California, with $1.3B in total assets, $1.1B in gross loans and $1.1B in total deposits as of June 30, 2017. Plaza has seven regional offices located in Irvine, Manhattan Beach, El Segundo, Pasadena, Montebello, San Diego and Las Vegas. The transaction will increase Pacific Premier's total assets to approximately $7.7B on a pro forma basis.

05:53 EDT Tahoe Resources suspends FY17, multi-year guidance - Tahoe Resources has suspended previously issued 2017 and multi-year company-wide guidance given the uncertainty of timing of various court decisions related to the Escobal license. Gold production and total cash costs are expected to meet targets of 375,000 to 425,000 ounces of gold and total cash costs of $700 to $750 at operations in Canada and Peru in 2017. We will issue updated guidance when we have clarity on the status of the Escobal license in Guatemala.

05:43 EDT Wabash to acquire Supreme Industries for $21 per share - Wabash National (WNC) and Supreme Industries (STS) announced that they have entered into a definitive agreement under which Wabash National would acquire all of the outstanding shares of Supreme in a cash tender offer for $21 per share, which represents an equity value of $364M and an enterprise value of $342M. The acquisition will combine Supreme's extensive medium- and light-duty commercial vehicle portfolio, distribution network, and regional manufacturing locations with Wabash National's advanced composite technologies, expertise in lean manufacturing and optimization, engineering and design proficiency and strong supplier relationships. Wabash National expects to deliver at least $20 million in annual run-rate cost synergies by 2021. The expected cost synergies are primarily driven by corporate and procurement expenditures, and operational improvement savings. In addition, over time, Wabash National expects to achieve significant incremental revenue opportunities that neither company could obtain on a standalone basis. The board of Supreme, having determined that the offer and the merger are advisable, fair to, and in the best interests of Supreme and its stockholders, approved the agreement and plan of merger and the other transactions contemplated thereby, including the tender offer, and recommended that Supreme's stockholders accept the offer and tender their shares in the offer when it is made. The closing of the acquisition is expected to occur no later than the fourth quarter of 2017.