Stockwinners Market Radar for August 10, 2017 - Earnings, Upgrades downgrades, option trades, Best Stock Advisory Service

19:20 EDT Curtiss-Wright COO Quinly sells 12,000 common shares - In a regulatory filing, Curtiss-Wright COO Tom P. Quinly disclosed the sale of 12,000 common shares of the company at a price of $97.72 per share. The transaction brings Quinly's total direct common stock ownership to 33,471 shares.

18:29 EDT FivePoint buys Broadcom campus in Orange County - FivePoint (FPH) is leading an investor group in the $443M purchase of Broadcom's (AVGO) 73-acre corporate campus in Great Park Neighborhoods. The campus includes approximately 1M square feet planned for research and development and office space across four buildings designed to accommodate thousands of employees. The campus will be renamed "Five Point Gateway." Broadcom will remain the largest tenant, leasing approximately 660,000 square feet of research and development space pursuant to a 20-year lease. FivePoint will be the majority owner of the campus through a new company called Five Point Office Venture Holdings I, LLC that also includes additional members, both of whom are affiliates of existing partners of FivePoint in its Great Park Venture.

18:03 EDT Pfizer dips after saying generics unit being probed by DOJ - In a regulatory filing out after the close, Pfizer disclosed that the Justice Department opened an investigation into the company's generic business Greenstone. "We believe this is related to an ongoing antitrust investigation of the generic pharmaceutical industry. The government has been obtaining information from Greenstone." Shares of Pfizer are down fractionally to $33.29 in after-hours trading.

17:38 EDT On The Fly: After Hours Movers - UP AFTER EARNINGS: Paylocity (PCTY), up 6.2%... Trade Desk (TTD), up 5.9%... Aegean Marine (ANW), up 4.7%... Camping World (CWH), up 4.5%... Noodles & Company (NDLS), up 3.9%... Nordstrom (JWN), up 3.2%. ALSO HIGHER: Achieve Life Sciences (ACHV), up 22.9% after the FDA accepted its IND application for Cystisine as a smoking cessation treatment... Electronics for Imaging (EFII), up 4.4% after it disclosed in a regulatory filing that it is in the process of evaluating its internal controls and assessing the timing of recognition of revenue. DOWN AFTER EARNINGS: Snap (SNAP), down 17.6%... NVIDIA (NVDA), down 6.8%. ALSO LOWER: EnteroMedics (ETRM), down 9.4% after it announced an offering of convertible preferred stock and warrants... Norwegian Cruise Line (NCLH), down 3.3% after it filed to sell 15M ordinary shares for holders.

17:28 EDT ViaSat awarded $123.5M government contract modification - ViaSat Inc., Carlsbad, California, is being awarded a $123,448,640 ceiling increase modification to its current indefinite-delivery/indefinite quantity contract. The modification will increase the original contract value from $478,600,000 to $602,048,640. The contract covers the production, development and sustainment of the Multifunctional Information Distribution System Joint Tactical Radio Systems terminals. Work will be performed in Carlsbad, California, and work is expected to be June 2020. No funds will be obligated at the time of award. On behalf of the Multifunctional Information Distribution System Program Office, Space and Naval Warfare System Command, San Diego, California, is the contracting activity.

17:22 EDT Electronics for Imaging is in process of evaluating its internal controls - Electronics for Imaging is in the process of completing an assessment of the timing of recognition of revenue. The assessment is related to certain transactions where a customer signed a sales contract for one or more large format printers and was invoiced, and the printer were stored at a third party in-transit warehouse prior to delivery to the end user. In addition, the company is in the process of completing an assessment of the effectiveness of its current and historical disclosure controls and internal control over financial reporting. The company expects to report a material weakness in internal control over financial reporting related to this matter and to report that its disclosure controls were not effective in prior periods. The company currently expects that the total aggregate revenue for the periods under review will not be materially different from the aggregate revenue that was previously reported for those periods, taking into account any revenue from the prior periods that may be moved into the current or upcoming periods. The Audit Committee of the Company's Board of Directors is conducting an independent review related to the matter and has retained independent professionals to assist in that review.

17:16 EDT ESL reports 56.6% stake in Sears

17:11 EDT Wheaton Precious Metals increases quarterly dividend 43% - Wheaton Precious Metals declared a quarterly dividend of 10c per common share, representing an increase of 43% relative to the previous quarterly dividend.

17:08 EDT Moab reports 7.4% stake in Perceptron

16:36 EDT Boeing board elects Caroline Kennedy as new director - The Boeing board of directors has elected Caroline Kennedy as a new member. Kennedy served as U.S. Ambassador to Japan from 2013 to 2017 and is an author and attorney. She will serve on the Boeing board's Audit and Finance committees.

16:33 EDT Achieve Life Sciences: FDA accepts IND for cytisine - Achieve Life Sciences announced that the U.S. FDA has accepted the Investigational New Drug application for cytisine, an established smoking cessation treatment that has been approved and marketed in Central and Eastern Europe for more than 15 years. The company is now authorized to proceed with clinical development of cytisine in the U.S.

16:30 EDT Morgan Stanley reports 5.3% passive stake in Blue Apron

16:25 EDT NantHealth reports restructuring plan, to sell some assets to Allscripts - NantHealth (NH) announced that a restructuring plan was implemented in the third quarter to focus on the company's core competencies and position the artificial intelligent platform to focus on cancer: GPS and Clinical Decision Support, Connected Care and Payer Engagement. Synergies of the restructuring plan and headcount reduction to result in cost savings anticipated to exceed $70M annually and significantly accelerate timeline to profitability. Also, on August 3, the company entered into an agreement with Allscripts Healthcare Solutions (MDRX) under which NantHealth agreed to sell its provider/patient engagement solutions business. The agreement is subject to customary closing conditions and is expected to close in the third quarter of 2017.

16:23 EDT Orion Resource Partners reports 19.7% passive stake in Osisko Gold Royalties

16:20 EDT TherapeuticsMD receives letter from FDA regarding TX-004HR - TherapeuticsMD announced a regulatory update regarding the New Drug Application, or NDA, for TX-004HR, the company's investigational applicator-free estradiol vaginal softgel capsule for the treatment of moderate-to-severe vaginal pain during sexual intercourse, or dyspareunia, a symptom of vulvar and vaginal atrophy, or VVA, due to menopause. The Company has received a formal General Advice Letter from the FDA stating that an initial review of this information has been completed and requesting that the Company submit the additional endometrial safety information to the NDA for TX-004HR on or before September 18 including the safety data from a very large, observational study of long-term, real-world users of vaginal estrogens that is pending publication. The FDA requested approximately six weeks to perform a comprehensive review of these data and has requested a meeting with the Company to discuss the outcome of this review. A tentative meeting date of November 3 has been set by the Agency. At this meeting, the Company expects to learn if this additional endometrial safety data addresses the lack of long-term safety identified in the CRL. The Company currently plans to re-submit the NDA for TX-004HR shortly thereafter.

16:17 EDT Waddell & Reed reports July AUM $81.2M - Waddell & Reed Financial reported preliminary assets under management of $81.2B for the month ended July 31, 2017, compared to $80.4B on June 30, 2017.

16:17 EDT Holly Energy Partners to acquire remaining interests in Frontier, SLC pipelines - Holly Energy Partners (HEP) announced it has entered into definitive agreements to acquire a 50% interest in Frontier Aspen LLC, the owner of the Frontier Aspen Pipeline, and a 75% interest in the SLC Pipeline, the owner of the Salt Lake City Pipeline, from affiliates of Plains All American Pipeline, L.P. (PAA) for an aggregate purchase price of $250M in cash. Holly Energy currently owns 50% of Frontier and 25% of SLC. As a result, following the transactions, SLC and Frontier will be wholly-owned subsidiaries of Holly Energy. The Frontier Aspen Pipeline is a 289-mile crude pipeline from Casper, Wyoming to Frontier Station, Utah that supplies Canadian and Rocky Mountain crudes to Salt Lake City area refiners through a connection to the SLC Pipeline. The Salt Lake City Pipeline is a 95-mile crude pipeline that transports crude oil into the Salt Lake City area from the Utah terminal of the Frontier Pipeline and from Wahsatch station. The acquired interest in both pipelines is expected to generate approximately $23M in annual forecasted EBITDA.

16:13 EDT Snap reports Q2 ARPU $1.05, up 109% y/y - Reports Q2 hosting costs per DAU 61c vs 55c last year. Reports Q2 CapEx $19.4M.

16:10 EDT Kingstone Companies reports book value $8.50 at June 30, up 25.0% vs. last year

16:09 EDT Chiasma reaches agreement with FDA for Phase 3 OPTIMAL trial - Chiasma announced it has reached agreement with the FDA on the design of a new Phase 3 clinical trial for its octreotide capsules product candidate, conditionally trade-named Mycapssa, for the maintenance therapy of adult patients with acromegaly. The agreed-upon study is designed to address the concerns previously raised in the FDA's complete response letter and was reached through special protocol assessment with the FDA's Division of Metabolism and Endocrinology Products. The trial, referred to as OPTIMAL, is a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled, nine-month trial in 50 adult acromegaly patients. OPTIMAL utilizes levels of insulin-like growth factor, IGF-1, a byproduct of increased growth hormone levels caused by acromegaly, as the sole primary endpoint measure. The company anticipates release of top-line data from this new Phase 3 clinical trial by the end of 2019. The company continues to enroll patients in its international Phase 3 MPOWERED clinical trial of octreotide capsules for the maintenance treatment of adult patients with acromegaly to potentially support regulatory approval in Europe. However, in order to support enrollment rates for the OPTIMAL Phase 3 clinical trial, Chiasma has significantly reduced the number of sites enrolling patients in the MPOWERED trial.

16:08 EDT Neovasc reports on going concern prospects - Neovasc may be faced with significant monetary damages in the litigation with CardiAQ that could exceed its resources and/or the loss of intellectual property rights that could have a material adverse effect on the company and its financial condition. These circumstances indicate the existence of material uncertainty and cast substantial doubt about the company's ability to continue as a going concern.

16:03 EDT Fluor's phosphate megaproject in Saudi Arabia starts production - Fluor Corporation announced that the Ma'aden Wa'ad Al-Shamal Phosphate Company's, or MWSPC, Umm Wu'al Phosphate Project in Saudi Arabia has started production of ammonia, merchant-grade acid and fertilizer. Fluor is providing overall program management services for this $8B megaproject, in addition to engineering, procurement and operations and readiness services for various scopes.

15:38 EDT Dime Community receives SBA approval - Kenneth J. Mahon, President and CEO of Dime Community Bancshares, the parent company of Dime Community Bank, is pleased to announce that the bank has been approved as a Small Business Administration lender. The bank will offer loans under the SBA 7 program, which will offer small businesses additional resources for their borrowing needs. According to Mr. Mahon, "the launch of our SBA lending program continues the expansion of our Business Banking division and allows us to develop new relationships with local small businesses. We recognize that small businesses and entrepreneurs are important to the economic vibrancy of the communities we serve and we look forward to supporting them grow and succeed."

14:50 EDT T. Rowe Price reports 11.1% passive stake in Simply Good Foods

14:44 EDT T. Rowe Price reports 11.1% passive stake in BWX Technologies

13:59 EDT British Columbia takes action to protest Kinder Morgan pipeline - The British Columbia government said the following in a news release: "The provincial government is taking initial action on its commitment to protect British Columbia's interests in the face of the proposed expansion of the Kinder Morgan pipeline and increased tanker traffic. At a news conference, Environment and Climate Change Strategy Minister George Heyman and Attorney General David Eby outlined both legal and consultation steps the government will take immediate action on."Our government made it clear that a seven-fold increase in heavy oil tankers in the Vancouver harbour is not in B.C.'s best interests," said Heyman. "Not for our economy, our environment, or thousands of existing jobs. We will use all available tools to protect our coastal waters and our province's future." Reference Link

13:40 EDT Auxilio, Inc trading resumes

13:28 EDT Capital International Investors reports 10.8% passive stake in Ensco

13:07 EDT Auxilio, Inc trading halted, news pending

12:25 EDT Vanguard Group reports 11.38% passive stake in JBG SMITH Properties

12:08 EDT Vanguard Group reports 10.7% passive stake in Delek US

11:42 EDT Jack in the Box says will continue to invest in growing Qdoba catering - Says Q3 performance below expectations, particularly with restaurant margin. Says all transaction loss was attributable to checks under $5. Says expects to bring additional restaurants online in the future. Says will continue to invest in growing catering at Qdoba. Comments taken from Q3 earnings conference call. Shares of Jack in the Box are up 2.07% to $96.64 in late morning trading.

11:03 EDT Boeing reports 14 new orders in weekly update - Boeing (BA) on its website announced 14 new orders for the week, including Air Lease Corporation (AL) for 12 737s and two 787s. Year to date information: 737 net orders: 65 NG and 210 MAX; 777 net orders: 17 777 and 20 777X.

10:49 EDT Goldman says buy Leidos, sell Embraer as rising tensions boost defense stocks - In a research note regarding the aerospace and defense sector, Goldman Sachs analyst Noah Poponak upgraded Leidos (LDOS) to Buy on strong free cash and Spirit AeroSystems (SPR) to Neutral on better cash generation, while cutting the firm's ratings on Embraer (ERJ) and Esterline (ESL) to Sell. AEROSPACE, DEFENSE STOCKS DOING WELL: Goldman Sachs' Poponak pointed out in a research note to investors that the Aerospace and Defense sector has performed well this year despite market concerns on valuation in Defense and the point of the cycle in Aerospace. Additionally, the analyst noted that defense and aftermarket have been strong as end markets and he continues to favor them. BUY LEIDOS: Poponak upgraded Leidos to Buy, with a $68 price target, as he thinks the market is underestimating revenue, earnings and especially cash flow potential in 2018 and 2019. Large programs are set to accelerate in 2018, while more IS&GS merger synergies come through, and a reversal of working capital should drive outsized free cash versus investor expectations, the analyst contended, adding that Leidos is the least expensive Defense stock he covers. Poponak highlighted that the Defense budget growth should drive accelerating revenue in both 2018 and 2019. SPIRIT PERFORMING BETTER: Meanwhile, Goldman Sachs' Poponak also upgraded Spirit AeroSystems to Neutral from Sell and raised his price target on the shares to $68 from $54. While he acknowledged that he remains concerned with Aerospace OE medium-term, he noted that narrowbody demand has remained resilient and is 60% of the company's revenue. Further, the analyst pointed out that Spirit has performed better on margins and free cash than he had anticipated. SELL EMBRAER, ESTERLINE: Also this morning, Poponak double-downgraded Embraer to Sell from Buy, with a $18 price target, and cut Esterline's rating also to Sell from Neutral, with a $75 price target. While Embraer implemented its cost reduction plan, margin improvement did not follow, the analyst told investors, adding that he believes margins have new headwinds going forward. Poponak pointed out that the EJet skyline has substantial holes post 2017, and regional jet demand has been weak. Moreover, he noted that challenges remain in business jet and Brazil Defense. With weak volume and pricing ahead, and the cost reduction plan already implemented, EBIT and cash flow could disappoint, the analyst contended. Regarding Esterline, Poponak told investors that its margins have been trending lower since it first implemented its operational turnaround plan several quarters ago. The analyst noted he also sees growth headwinds in Aero and the non-A&D businesses. There are signs Esterline has been losing share or price, he contends, adding that initial 2018 guidance could be well below expectations. BAIRD UPS RAYTHEON TARGET: His peer at Baird also raised Raytheon's (RTN) price target to $212 from $170 this morning to reflect significant program wins both domestically and internationally for missile defense and missile systems that puts the company in position for favorable organic growth in 2018 and beyond. Analyst Peter Arment reiterated an Outperform rating on the shares. WHAT'S NOTABLE: Defense stocks rallied on Wednesday, a day after President Donald Trump warned that threats from North Korea "will be met with fire and fury." However, the rest of the market fell on concerns about increased geopolitical tensions in the area. Other publicly traded companies in the sector include Lockheed Martin (LMT), Northrop Grumman (NOC) and L3 Technologies (LLL). PRICE ACTION: In morning trading, shares of Leidos have gained almost 1% to $56.56, while Spirit's stock is fractionally down to $69.68. Embraer and Esterline are down about 4% and 2% to $20.65 and $85.70, respectively.

10:42 EDT Macy's sees asset sale gains of $275M-$300M this year - Says to book asset sale gains, excluding Union Square men's, of about $275M-$300M this year, up from prior $180M-$200M view.

10:38 EDT ADP's Rodriguez says experience so far with Pershing's Ackman 'baffling' - ADP CEO Carlos Rodriguez said Bill Ackman has "changed his story multiple times" and the experience so far as Pershing Square has gotten involved with the company has been "baffling." Rodriguez continues being interviews on CNBC.

10:33 EDT Macy's CFO sees FY gross margin down 50-7 bps y/y, better than June guide - Says digital sales increased double digits in Q2. Hoguet noted that 70 out of 100 doors have already closed or are slated to close; says still planning to close remaining 30 doors. Expects comp sales on owned plus licensed basis for fall season down 0.8% to down 2.6%. Sees Q3 comp sales on owned plus licensed basis down approx. 2.5% "or slightly worse." Sees FY gross margin down 50-70bps vs. 2016, better than June guide. Expects fall gross margin down 20-50bps vs. last year.

10:24 EDT Macy's drops 8% after saying 'nothing new' on real estate initiatives

10:22 EDT Macy's: 'Not a lot new' on real estate since June investor meeting - Macy's (M) CFO Karen Hoguet work on Herald Square continues, says will take time to develop best plan for this location. Says work with Brookfield (BAM) "ongoing."

10:20 EDT Macy's sees Q3 comp sales on owned plus licensed basis down 2.5% 'or worse'

10:10 EDT Macy's CFO says international tourist sales weaker than expected in Q2 - Macy's CFO Karen Hoguet said on the company's Q2 earnings call that the retailer experienced sequential improvement as the quarter progressed. Hoguet said international tourist sales declined approximately 9% in Q2, much worse than in Q1, and negatively impacted comparable sales on an owned plus licensed basis by approximately 40bps. The executive said Macy's is capturing sales from closed stores consistent with expectations and added that 12% of sales at closed stores were recovered by other nearby stores. Hoguet said Backstage is adding about 6% in incremental sales to the 38 stores in which it is operated. She said Macy's plans to decide by year end how to best expand Backstage within its stores and noted that Macy's shoe pilot rollout is "now complete." Sales in fine jewelry up double digits in Q2, Hoguet noted. Comments taken from the Q2 earnings conference call. Macy's is down 4.7% to $21.97 in morning trading.

09:48 EDT General Motors announces expansion of Maven Gig to Los Angeles, San Diego - General Motors announced that starting today, freelance drivers in Los Angeles have access to Maven Gig vehicles to support all their hustles. Vehicle reservations are available through the Maven app. By fall 2017, Maven Gig will launch in Boston, Phoenix and Washington, D.C., and Baltimore and Detroit will soon join the mix. Maven Gig vehicles are available for flat weekly rates that include the car, unlimited miles, insurance and maintenance. Maven Gig Bolt EVs have driven 1.4 million all-electric miles in California since February 2017 and have saved an estimated 50,000 gallons of gas. More than 130,000 rides have been given in Maven Gig Bolt EVs. Reference Link

09:29 EDT I.D. Systems receives purchase order from online retailer - I.D. Systems has received an initial purchase order valued at $650,000 for one of the world's largest online retailers for its PowerFleet Vehicle Management System. I.D. Systems' technology will be installed at three of the retailer's European distribution centers in Germany, Italy and France.

09:25 EDT Blue Apron says Linden NJ facility 'extremely important' to long term plans - Says Linden will eventually account for at least 50% of company volume when fully ramped.

09:19 EDT Microsoft launches Coco Framework for blockchain technology - Microsoft (MSFT) announced the Coco Framework, which aims to advance enterprise adoption of blockchain technology. Current blockchain protocol technology requires complicated development techniques to meet the operational and security needs of enterprises. The Coco Framework aims to reduce this complexity, and when integrated with blockchain networks addresses critical needs for commercial adoption. Microsoft will launch the framework on GitHub in 2018 as an open source project and will work with customers and partners, as well as the blockchain technical and business communities, to continue advancing foundational blockchain technology. Coco Framework implementations will include R3 Corda, Intel (INTC) Hyperledger Sawtooth, J.P. Morgan Quorum, and Ethereum.

09:12 EDT Caterpillar appoints former U.S. senator Kelly Ayotte to board - Caterpillar's board of directors has elected Kelly Ayotte as a member effective immediately. Ayotte is a former U.S. senator representing New Hampshire. Ayotte joins 13 other members on Caterpillar's board of directors and will be a member of the Public Policy & Governance Committee of the board.

09:09 EDT Kohl's CEO: 'Should not expect to hear anything about store closures this year'

09:07 EDT Blue Apron says seeing worse OTIF rates - Says OTIF (on time in full) rates challenged by recent reorganization. Says marketing spend will be reduced in 2H17.

09:04 EDT Kohl's: Nike, Addidas both had positive sales increases in Q2 - New CFO Bruce Besanko says Kohl's has a great management team with a "deep bench." Says store base "strong." Besanko says the department store sector "particularly challenging" but adds that he "couldn't be more delighted to be here."

09:03 EDT Intevac announces multi-system HDD order for 200 Lean systems - Intevac announced the receipt of an order for two 200 Lean systems, which will be equipped with the latest technology enhancements for HDD magnetic media sputtering. With this order, backlog for the 200 Lean grows to seven systems, three of which are scheduled to ship in 1H18.

09:01 EDT Blue Apron says taking 'cautious view' towards 2H17 revenue guidance - Says challenges rolling out Linden NJ facility may impact customer behavior. Says not assuming significant increases or declines from recent order trends in 2H17.

09:01 EDT Nucor to acquire cold finish facilities in Missouri and Mexico - Nucor has agreed to acquire St. Louis Cold Drawn, a manufacturer of cold drawn rounds, hexagons, squares, and special sections that mainly serve the U.S. and Mexican automotive and industrial markets. St. Louis Cold Drawn, Inc. employs 125 people and has two manufacturing locations, one in St. Louis, Missouri, and the other in Monterrey, Mexico, that have a combined annual capacity of 200,000 tons.

08:55 EDT Kohl's says to open four 35,000 sq. ft. stores in October in dense trade areas - Kohl's (KSS) says active business produced a mid teen double digit increase over last year across both footwear and apparel, driven by addition of Under Armour (UA, UAA), but also sales increases in Nike (NKE) and Adidas (ADDYY). Says expects to continue to gain market share in active apparel and footwear in 2H. Says July comps were "pretty much flat." Says to open four new 35,000 sq. ft. stores in October in more dense trade areas.

08:47 EDT Kohl's sees opportunity to capture sales from competitors closing stores - Kohl's (KSS) sees significant opportunity to capture sales from competitors' stores that are closing. TheFly notes that competitors closing stores include Macy's (M) and J.C. Penney (JCP). Says store optimization strategy "the right one."

08:42 EDT ShiftPixy opening first regional office in New York City - ShiftPixy will open its first regional office in New York City's Grand Central Station. This regional office will house local sales and client support staff. Following the opening of the New York office, ShiftPixy plans to open additional regional offices in Illinois, Florida and Texas.

08:42 EDT Blue Apron says Linden facility will operate at worse margins initially

08:40 EDT Blue Apron says Q2 results driven by planned reduction in marketing spend - Says delay in Linden delivery center build out also contributed to Q2 results. Comments from Q2 earnings conference call.

08:39 EDT CAE raises quarterly dividend 13% to 9c per share - "Our progress in the first quarter supports our full year outlook, which remains unchanged," said Marc Parent, president and CEP. "We continue to enjoy good demand for CAE's solutions in a strong market environment. The new strategic developments with airlines announced today strengthen CAE's position in China and the ASEAN region, the fastest growing commercial aviation markets in the world. Underscoring our positive outlook, I am pleased to announce that CAE's Board of Directors has approved a one cent or 13% increase to CAE's quarterly dividend, which becomes nine cents per share, effective September 29."

08:34 EDT P&F Industries authorizes $100,000 share repurchase program - P & F Industries authorized the repurchase of up to 100,000 shares of the company's Class A Common Stock. This repurchase program is expected to go into effect during Q3 and expires after 12 months.

08:31 EDT OSI Systems awarded $40M contract for security inspection systems - OSI Systems announced that its Security division received a contract from an international customer valued at approximately $40M to implement a countrywide security scanning program that includes high energy cargo and vehicle scanning systems. The company's screening service subsidiary, S2 Global will design and construct the inspection sites and command and control center utilizing its global integration platform, CertScan. S2 will also train operating personnel and provide a comprehensive maintenance and service support program.

08:21 EDT MetLife to hold special shareholder meeting - MetLife (MET) announced that it will hold a special meeting of its common stock shareholders on Thursday, October 19, to approve changes to dividend payment tests in the company's charter. These changes would avoid potential dividend and common stock repurchase restrictions which could occur as a result of the August 4 spin-off of Brighthouse Financial (BHF). Shareholders will also be asked to approve the adjournment of the special meeting, if necessary or appropriate, to solicit additional proxies. The special meeting of MetLife shareholders will begin at 2:30 p.m. in New York City. MetLife shareholders of record at the close of business on September 5 will be entitled to vote at the special meeting.

08:18 EDT Consumer Reports no longer recommending Microsoft laptops, tablets - Consumer Reports announced that it is no longer recommending any Microsoft laptops or tablets after examining over 90,000 responses from a recent subscriber survey and finding poor predicted reliability for the company's devices compared to most other brands. The organization has pulled its recommendations for the Surface Laptop and Surface Book, it noted. In a statement emailed to USA TODAY, Microsoft said, "Surface is designed and built with performance and reliability in mind. We extensively test hardware and software to ensure that customers can be confident in their Surface devices. Every generation of Surface surpasses its predecessors in performance and in reliability. Surface return and support rates are in line if not lower than industry average for devices in the same class. We are committed to ensuring the premium Surface experience for all of our customers across the entire family of devices." Reference Link

08:13 EDT Mylan launches three generic antiretroviral products in Canada - Mylan subsidiary Mylan Pharmaceuticals ULC has launched three generic products in Canada, indicated in the treatment of HIV for certain patients. One of the products is Mylan-Emtricitabine/Tenofovir Disoproxil Fumarate 200 mg/300 mg, a generic alternative to Truvada. Mylan received final approval from Health Canada for this product and for Mylan-Efavirenz/Emtricitabine/Tenofovir Disoproxil Fumarate 600 mg, 200 mg, and 300 mg, a generic alternative to Atripla; and Mylan-Tenofovir Disoproxil 300 mg, a generic alternative to Viread.

08:11 EDT ChinaCache announces Nasdaq acceptance of plan to regain compliance - ChinaCache announced that it has received a letter from the NASDAQ Stock Market, dated August 9, 2017, notifying the company that it has granted the company an exception to file its Form 20-F for the year ended December 31, 2016 by November 14, 2017. According to terms of the exception, the company must file its 2016 Annual Report on or before November 14, 2017 to regain compliance with the Nasdaq listing rules. In the event the company does not satisfy the terms of the exception, the Nasdaq Listing Qualifications staff will provide written notification that its securities will be delisted. At that time, the company may appeal the determination to a Hearing Panel. The company intends to file its 2016 Annual Report on or before November 14, 2017.

08:10 EDT Legg Mason reports July preliminary AUM $753.3B - Legg Mason reported preliminary assets under management of approximately $753.3B as of July 31. This month's AUM included long-term net inflows of $1.5B, consisting of net inflows in fixed income of $2.2B, partially offset by alternative net outflows of $0.7B. Equity net flows were flat. Liquidity net inflows were $0.9B and there was a positive foreign exchange impact of $3.4B.

08:09 EDT Choice Hotels says Pacious to become CEO on September 12 - As previously reported, Choice Hotels' (CHH) board of directors announced its CEO succession plan and the appointment of Patrick Pacious as incoming President and CEO. The company is now announcing that Pat will assume his role as President and CEO and is joining the board on September 12. After serving on the DineEquity (DIN) board for more than five years, Steve Joyce was named the company's CEO, effective September 12. "The CEO succession of Steve to Pat is the culmination of a deliberate, long-term planning process focused on maintaining leadership continuity and continued positive business growth. We are grateful to Steve for his many valuable contributions and wish him the best in his future leadership role...To enable Steve to focus on his new role, he will be stepping down from the Choice Hotels Board of Directors," the company stated.

08:07 EDT DineEquity sees FY17 Applebee's same-restaurant sales (8%)-(6%) - Revised expectations for Applebee's domestic system-wide same-restaurant sales performance to range between negative 6.0% and negative 8.0%. This compares to previous expectations of between negative 4.0% and negative 8.0%. Revised expectations for IHOP's comparable same-restaurant sales performance to range between negative 1.0% and negative 3.0%. This compares to previous expectations of between 0.0% to positive 3.0%. Reiterates expectations for Applebee's franchisees to develop between 20 and 30 new restaurants globally, the majority of which are expected to be international openings. Revised expectations for Applebee's closures to range between approximately 105 and 135 restaurants. This compares to previous expectations for closures of approximately 40 to 60 restaurants. The expected closures will be based on several criteria, including franchisee profitability, operational results and meeting our brand quality standards. Revised expectations for IHOP franchisees and its area licensee to develop between 80 and 95 restaurants globally, the majority of which are expected to be domestic openings. This compares to previous expectations for development of 75 to 90 restaurants globally. Revised expectations for IHOP closures to range between 20 and 25 restaurants. This compares to previous expectation for the closure of approximately 18 restaurants. Revised expectations for Franchise segment profit to be between $302 million and $314 million. This compares to previous expectations of between $323 million and $338 million. This downward revision is primarily due to an expected contribution in the second half of 2017 of approximately $8 million to the Applebee's national advertising fund to mitigate the decline in franchisee contributions, additional expected reserves for collectability of Applebee's royalties, the revised guidance for both IHOP's comparable same-restaurant sales and Applebee's restaurant closures discussed above. Reiterates expectations for the Rental and Financing segments to generate approximately $38 million in combined profit.

08:05 EDT Arcadia Biosciences says FDA completes safety review of Verdeca's HB4 soybeans - Arcadia Biosciences and Bioceres S.A. announced their joint venture, Verdeca, received notification that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration has completed its full review of the company's safety evaluation for HB4 soybeans. The FDA's notice to Verdeca allows products derived from HB4 soybeans to be used commercially in human food and animal feed. This is a major milestone in the development of commercial soybean seed products based on the HB4 stress tolerance trait. Completion of the FDA's review is another key regulatory achievement in the approval process for Verdeca's HB4 drought stress tolerance trait. The trait has already been approved in Argentina by the Ministry of Agriculture, Livestock and Fisheries. Verdeca has also submitted an environmental safety data petition to the US Department of Agriculture, and this submission is currently under review. Upon completion, the USDA is expected to issue a Determination on Nonregulated Status, which will complete the approval processes in the US and allow for commercial production of HB4 soybeans.

08:03 EDT DineEquity names Stephen Joyce as CEO - DineEquity announced the appointment of Stephen Joyce as the Company's CEO, effective September 12. Richard J. Dahl, Chairman of the Board and Interim Chief Executive Officer, will remain as Chairman and will continue to serve as Interim Chief Executive Officer until Mr. Joyce assumes the role of Chief Executive Officer on September 12, 2017. Mr. Joyce will remain on the Board of Directors. In connection with this appointment, the Board of Directors has taken steps to align its organizational structure with current corporate governance best practices by approving amendments to the Company's Amended Bylaws, effective September 12, 2017, to separate the roles of Chairman of the Board of Directors and Chief Executive Officer and to require the Chairman of the Board of Directors to be selected from the independent members of the Board of Directors. As such, once Mr. Joyce assumes the role of Chief Executive Officer, the Chairman of the Board of Directors will be an independent director.

08:03 EDT Consolidated Smart Systems selects Zayo Group for dark fiber - Consolidated Smart Systems has selected Zayo Group for a dark fiber solution to enhance and expand their broadband service capabilities to multiple dwelling unit communities in Southern California. The deal will expand Zayo's existing fiber footprint in the Los Angeles metro area, bringing it within proximity of several high-profile clients and additional prospects. The solution consists of approximately 190 miles of dark fiber, which includes existing network and new build. Zayo will manage the infrastructure, providing a private dedicated network that will start with 10G Ethernet services to each location. The network will enable Consolidated Smart Systems to provide gigabit service at a highly competitive price point. In total, Zayo will enable Consolidated Smart Systems to provide its portfolio with high-performance, "always on" internet.

08:02 EDT DineEquity reports Q2 system-wide same-restaurant sales down 2.6% at IHOP - Domestic system-wide comparable same-restaurant sales declined 2.6% at IHOP and declined 6.2% at Applebee's.

08:01 EDT Macy's backs sales, earnings guidance for FY17

07:41 EDT Coca-Cola European Partners sees low-single digit revenue growth for FY17 - For 2017, CCEP now expects low single-digit revenue growth, operating profit growth at the top end of the previously stated high single-digit range, and diluted earnings per share to be up 10% to 12%. Excluding synergies, CCEP expects operating profit growth to be broadly in-line with revenue growth. Each of these growth figures is on a comparable and fx-neutral basis when compared to 2016 comparable results. At recent rates, currency translation would reduce FY17 diluted earnings per share by approximately 2%. CCEP expects 2017 free cash flow at the high end of the previous range of EUR700M to EUR800M, including the expected benefit from improved working capital offset by the impact of restructuring and integration costs. Capital expenditures are expected to be approximately EUR600M, including approximately EUR100M of capital expenditures related to synergies. Weighted-average cost of debt is expected to be approximately 2%. The comparable effective tax rate for 2017 is expected to be approximately 25%. CCEP does not expect to repurchase shares in 2017.

07:35 EDT KemPharm reports on Phase I trial of KP415 for ADHD - KemPharm announced preliminary results of KP415.109, a Phase I trial designed to assess the relative pharmacokinetics of three different formulations of KP415 vs. a methylphenidate-containing comparator product at both single and multiple dose conditions. KP415 is KemPharm's co-lead ADHD product candidate. The fomrulations demonstrated expected PK parameters in this Phase I trial and is now being readied for further development in a safety and efficacy clinical trial later this year. Assuming the results of the pivotal trial are positive, the company anticipates submitting a New Drug Application with the FDA prior to the end of 2018.

07:31 EDT JetBlue still sees Q3 RASM down 0.5% to up 2.5% vs. last year - JetBlue continues to expect Q3 RASM to range between (0.5)% and 2.5% compared to the third quarter of 2016.

07:23 EDT Applied Genetic files IND application with FDA for XLRP product candidate - Applied Genetic (AGTC) announced that it has filed an Investigational New Drug application, or IND, with the FDA to conduct a Phase 1/2 clinical trial of the company's gene therapy product candidate for the treatment of X-linked retinitis pigmentosa, or XLRP, caused by mutations in the RPGR gene. XLRP is an inherited condition that causes progressive vision loss, beginning with night blindness in young boys followed by progressive constriction of the field of vision. Affected men progress to legal blindness by their early forties. Preclinical data indicated that treatment with an investigational gene therapy product slowed the loss of visual function in canines with XLRP caused by mutations in the RPGR gene. XLRP and X-linked retinoschisis, or XLRS, are the two lead development programs within AGTC's collaboration and license agreement with Biogen, Inc. (BIIB), to develop gene-based therapies for multiple ophthalmic diseases. AGTC plans to initiate a clinical study evaluating the safety and efficacy of its proprietary gene therapy for XLRP caused by mutations in the RPGR gene in the United States in the coming months. AGTC is currently scheduling patients for enrollment in clinical trials for XLRS as well as for achromatopsia caused by mutations in the CNGB3 and CNGA3 genes.

07:19 EDT Trump says McConnell 'couldn't get it done' on healthcare - President Donald Trump tweeted this morning, "Can you believe that Mitch McConnell, who has screamed Repeal & Replace for 7 years, couldn't get it done. Must Repeal & Replace ObamaCare!?"

07:16 EDT Canadian Solar partners with EDF Energies Nouvelles for project in Brazil - Canadian Solar and EDF Energies Nouvelles announced a partnership in the 92.5 MWp Pirapora III photovoltaic project in Brazil, through the sale of 80% interest in the Project by Canadian Solar to EDF EN do Brasil, EDF Energies Nouvelles' local subsidiary. The Pirapora III project has started construction and is expected to reach commercial operation in Q4. Canadian Solar is supplying modules for the Project from its 380 MWp modules factory established in Brazil. The Pirapora III project, located in the State of Minas Gerais in Brazil, was awarded a 20-year Power Purchase Agreement in the 2014 Reserve Energy Auction.

07:06 EDT Starwood Waypoint cancels Q2 earnings call - Starwood Waypoint Homes (SFR) announced that, as a result of its definitive agreement to combine in a stock-for-stock merger-of-equals transaction with Invitation Homes (INVH), SFR is cancelling its second quarter 2017 earnings conference call and webcast that was previously scheduled for Thursday, August 10, 2017 at 11:00 a.m. Eastern Time.

07:04 EDT Invitation Homes, Starwood Waypoint deal to close by year-end

07:02 EDT Invitation Homes, Starwood Waypoint announce merger of equals transaction - Invitation Homes (INVH) and Starwood Waypoint Homes (SFR) announced the signing of a definitive agreement to combine in a 100% stock-for-stock merger-of-equals transaction. The combined company, which will operate under the name "Invitation Homes," will bring together the best practices, technology, and personnel from both firms to create the premier single-family rental company in the United States. Under the terms of the agreement, each Starwood Waypoint Homes share will be converted into 1.614 Invitation Homes shares, based on a fixed exchange ratio. The all-stock merger is intended to be a tax-free transaction. Upon the closing of the transaction, Invitation Homes stockholders will own approximately 59 percent of the combined company's stock, while Starwood Waypoint Homes stockholders will own approximately 41 percent of the combined company's stock. Based on the closing prices of Starwood Waypoint Homes common shares and Invitation Homes common stock on August 9, 2017, the equity market capitalization of the combined company would be approximately $11B and the total enterprise value would be approximately $20B. The combined company's shares are expected to continue trading on the New York Stock Exchange under the ticker symbol for Invitation Homes. The combined company would own and manage an irreplaceable portfolio of approximately 82,000 single-family homes. Upon completion of the transaction, Fred Tuomi, CEO of Starwood Waypoint Homes, will become CEO of Invitation Homes; Ernie Freedman, CFO of Invitation Homes, will remain CFO; Charles Young, COO of Starwood Waypoint Homes, will become COO; and Dallas Tanner, Chief Investment Officer of Invitation Homes, will remain CIO. The combined company will be headquartered in Dallas, Texas, and will maintain a presence in Scottsdale, Arizona. The combined Board is expected to have 11 directors, consisting of six directors appointed by Invitation Homes and five directors appointed by Starwood Waypoint Homes. The combined company is expected to generate projected annual run-rate cost synergies of $45-50 million, with potential additional upside from the implementation of best practices to optimize revenue management and operating efficiency. The transaction is expected to be accretive to core FFO and AFFO on a run-rate basis. The combined company is also expected to benefit from a flexible balance sheet with lower long-term cost of capital and a continued path towards deleveraging. The transaction will also significantly increase the free float of Invitation Homes' shares and reduce Blackstone's (BX) ownership stake in the combined company to 41% from 70% in the current, stand-alone Invitation Homes. The quarterly dividend is expected to be 11c per share post-close. The transaction has been unanimously approved by the boards of both Starwood Waypoint Homes and Invitation Homes. Following the execution of the definitive merger agreement, Blackstone, the majority stockholder of Invitation Homes, delivered a written consent approving the issuance of Invitation Homes common stock in the merger and the other transactions contemplated by the merger agreement. The transaction is expected to close by year-end, subject to approval by Starwood Waypoint Homes stockholders and other customary closing conditions.

07:00 EDT Invitation Homes, Starwood Waypoint announce merger of equals transaction

06:59 EDT Energizer appoints Timothy Gorman as CFO - Energizer announced that the company has appointed Timothy Gorman as Executive Vice President and CFO, effective immediately. Since June, Gorman has served as Energizer's interim CFO. Prior to serving in that role, Gorman was Energizer's Vice President and Controller, Chief Accounting Officer.

06:56 EDT Hill International delays filing of Q2 results, conference call - Hill International announced that it has delayed the release of its second quarter 2017 financial results, which was previously scheduled for August 14, 2017 after the close of the stock market, as well as its conference call and webcast which was previously scheduled for Tuesday, August 15, 2017. The company continues to compile information regarding, and complete the proper accounting and related tax treatment of, the sale of its Construction Claims Group, which was completed during the second quarter of 2017, and to assess the company's accounting for other comprehensive income (loss). Once the company completes its compilation and assessment, the company will issue a subsequent announcement regarding the timing for the release of its financial results and corresponding conference call information.

06:43 EDT GigaMedia CEO purchases 37,608 shares of company stock - GigaMedia announced that its CEO Cheng-Ming Huang has purchased a total of 37,608 shares of GigaMedia stock by Pacific Star Universal Group at an average price of $2.986 on August 4, 2017. The purchases were made during an open window period and in full compliance with all company and legal guidelines. Huang's decision to purchase shares reflects his firm confidence in the company.

06:33 EDT Alexion, Sema4 announce strategic partnership - Alexion and Sema4 announced a strategic partnership to leverage their shared experience in data science and systems biology to accelerate rare disease diagnosis and therapeutic discovery. This new partnership will combine Alexion's rare disease SmartPanel analytics with Sema4's proven success in next-generation sequencing and genomic interpretation to further enable novel diagnostic and therapeutic insights into rare diseases. Alexion and Sema4 will also collaborate in searching for and decoding rare disease "genomic shields" - a buffering mechanism that enables patients with a known disease-causing mutation in their genome to resist the manifestation of the disease. Under the partnership, Alexion will share, research, and further refine the SmartPanel, which Sema4 will leverage to optimize the design of next-generation sequencing solutions and accelerate the interpretation of genomic and phenotypic data. Both parties will combine expertise in data science and bioinformatics to decode the network biology of target systems and research the decoding of genomic shields.

06:07 EDT SoftBank Vision Fund invests in Flipkart to become one of the largest investors - Flipkart Group, an Indian e-commerce marketplace, has announced an investment -- a mix of primary and secondary capital -- from SoftBank Vision Fund (SFTBF). This is the biggest ever private investment in an Indian technology company, and will make the Vision Fund one of the largest shareholders in Flipkart. The investment is part of the previously announced financing round, where Flipkart had raised capital from three technology companies -- Tencent (TCEHY), eBay (EBAY) and Microsoft (MSFT). After this financing round, Flipkart will have in excess of $4B of cash on its balance sheet.

05:50 EDT AGER to acquire Aegon Ireland - AGER Bermuda Holding, the holding company of Athene Holding's European group companies, announced that it will acquire Aegon Ireland, a Dublin-based insurer. Consideration for the transaction will be approximately 81% of the own funds of Aegon Ireland as of closing. Solvency II own funds of Aegon Ireland were approximately $260M as of June 30. Aegon Ireland provides wealth management and retirement planning products to over 25,000 customers in the United Kingdom and Germany. It had assets of approximately $6.1B as of June 30. The transaction is expected to close by Q1 of 2018, subject to regulatory approvals.