Stockwinners Market Radar for August 22, 2017 - Earnings, Upgrades downgrades, option trades, Best Stock Advisory Service

18:50 EDT Renewable Energy CEO: Commerce Dept. move 'victory' for job creation - The U.S Department of Commerce announced its preliminary decision today to impose countervailing duties on biodiesel imported into the U.S. from Argentina and Indonesia. The preliminary ruling will require importers of biodiesel from Argentina and Indonesia to pay cash deposits on biodiesel brought into the U.S. from those countries. The deposits will range from 50.29 to 64.17 percent for biodiesel imported from Argentina and from 41.06 to 68.28 percent on biodiesel from Indonesia depending on the producer/importer involved. The deposit requirement will be imposed when the findings are posted in the Federal Register sometime the week of August 28. Additionally, the Commerce Department found so-called "critical circumstances" involving the surge of imported biodiesel from Argentina after the U.S. producer coalition filed the petition. This sets the stage for retroactive duties going back to May 2017. Renewable Energy Group interim president and CEO Randy Howard issued the following statement after the announcement: "This is a victory for American manufacturing and job creation. The Commerce Department stood up for fairness for American biodiesel producers and leveling the playing field against imported biofuel that was unjustly subsidized. And with the critical circumstances finding against Argentina, the U.S. government sent a strong signal that these trade practices should not continue as this case proceeds. This should give American biodiesel producers the opportunity to make more cleaner-burning advanced biofuel here at home. As we and others have testified to the EPA and the Administration during the public comment period on the RVO's earlier this month, our domestic industry can easily increase production to match volumes similar to what we have seen from Argentina and Indonesia. We can then realize the increasing benefits biodiesel provides for American workers, our economy and our environment."

18:24 EDT Salesforce CEO says closed large deal with Veterans Administration - Says federal government "really started buying again" in Q2. Marc Benioff is speaking on CNBC.

17:48 EDT United Rentals acquires power equipment assets from Cummins - United Rentals (URI) has acquired power equipment assets, primarily mobile rental generator sets, from Cummins (CMI). The company will start serving the needs of former Cummins rental customers, and has made its newly acquired rental equipment available immediately. The acquisition involves Cummins mobile rental generator fleet, which ranges from 150 Kilowatts to 2 Megawatts in output. To maintain customer and fleet continuity, a small number of Cummins employees in the U.S. and Canada have joined United Rentals.

17:40 EDT Salesforce says sees FY18 margin up 125-150 bps - Sees "slight headwind" from FX for FY18. Sees FY18 CapEx 5% of revenue.

17:33 EDT CTI BioPharma: Chief Business Officer Matthew Plunkett resigns - Effective August 22, Matthew Plunkett resigned as EVP, Chief Business Officer of CTI Biopharma.

17:24 EDT Salesforce says 'had best quarter ever' - Says can reach $20B in annual sales "organically." Says international growth represents "huge opportunity." Says 40% of new hires year to date outside the U.S. Says expanding relationships in financial services sector. Says clear that integration efforts from recent acquisitions are paying off. Comments from Q2 earnings conference call.

17:14 EDT Google introduces Chrome Enterprise - Google introduced Chrome Enterprise in a blog post: "Since we launched Chrome OS in 2009, our goal has been to build the simplest, fastest, and most secure operating system possible. And we've been inspired by all the ways we've seen businesses embrace Chrome, from Chromebooks in the office, to shared Chrome devices in the field, to signage and kiosks for customer engagement in retail. But with so many different business needs-not to mention so many different devices-companies have also told us they want a single, cost-effective solution that gives them the flexibility and control to keep their employees connected. That's why today we're announcing Chrome Enterprise. Chrome Enterprise offers a host of features, including access to enterprise app storefronts, deep security controls, 24/7 support, as well as integration with cloud and on-premise management tools, VMware Workspace ONE and Microsoft Active Directory. We invite you to join our Chrome Enterprise webinar on August 23 to learn more and take part in our live Q&A." Reference Link

17:03 EDT Gramercy Property Trust launches new JV over Class A distribution centers - Gramercy Property Trust announced that it launched a new joint venture to acquire, own and manage Class A distribution centers leased to leading e-commerce tenants on long-term leases across the country. The company is in discussions with several institutional capital partners and has reached an agreement with a sovereign investor to anchor the venture. The venture's first acquisition is a forward purchase contract for $642M. The company expects to contribute between 25% and 50% of the equity to the venture, estimated to be between $64M and $128M at target leverage levels. The company expects to finance the initial acquisition with 55% to 60% property level mortgage debt. The venture's first acquisition is a $642M portfolio comprised of seven newly constructed Class A bulk distribution properties totaling 6M square feet that are being acquired on a forward basis. The acquisition of the first four properties totaling $360M is expected to occur during the fourth quarter of 2017. The second tranche of three properties totaling $282M is expected to occur during the third quarter of 2018. Each building will be 100% leased to a leading e-commerce company. The separate leases all have an initial 15-year term with annual 1.75% to 2.00% rental escalations. The buildings are located in Dallas, TX, Inland Empire, CA, Jacksonville, FL, the New England I-95 Corridor, Southern NJ and Winchester, VA. In connection with the acquisition of the Portfolio, the company will be issuing between 2.7M and 4.8M OP Units to the seller as a component of the purchase price. The OP Units for the Portfolio will be priced at $29.19 per share and total between $80M and $139M at the current share price.

16:55 EDT Boingo Wireless director Michael Finley sells 7,500 shares - Boingo Wireless director Michael Finley disclosed in a filing that he had sold 7,500 shares of company stock at an average price of $19.34 per share on August 18.

16:47 EDT Patheon to voluntarily delist from NYSE - Patheon (PTHN) announced that it has submitted written notice to the New York Stock Exchange of its intention to voluntarily delist its ordinary shares, par value EUR0.01 per share, from the NYSE. The voluntary delisting is subject to and conditioned upon the initial expiration of the tender offer at 5:00 p.m., New York City time, on August 28, 2017 pursuant to the Purchase Agreement, dated as of May 15, 2017, by and between Patheon, Thermo Fisher Scientific Inc. (TMO) and Thermo Fisher Luxembourg S.a r.l., and the subsequent acquisition by Purchaser of all Shares validly tendered and not properly withdrawn at the Initial Expiration Time in accordance with the Purchase Agreement for a purchase price of $35.00 per Share. Completion of the tender offer remains subject to the conditions described in the tender offer statement on Schedule TO filed by Thermo Fisher with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission on May 31, 2017.

16:36 EDT VolitionRx signs agreement with Technical University of Munich, Germany - VolitionRx announced a three-year agreement to work with the renowned expert Professor Stefan Holdenrieder at the Institute of Laboratory Medicine of the German Heart Center at the Technical University of Munich, Germany.

16:33 EDT CSX service metrics to better reflect performance - CSX has revised the way it calculates three key service metrics - Train Velocity, Terminal Dwell and Cars Online - to more accurately reflect the company's operational performance. "CSX is transitioning to Precision Scheduled Railroading, which focuses heavily on service to customers and asset utilization," said E. Hunter Harrison, CSX president and chief executive officer. "These revised service metrics give us a more accurate understanding of how we are performing and where there are additional opportunities for improvement. That clarity is essential to achieving our highest potential performance, which will benefit our customers, our employees and our shareholders."

16:31 EDT AK Steel announces stainless steel price increase - AK Steel= said that it will increase base prices for all of its stainless steel products, effective with shipments on September 3. For commodity sheet and strip, specialty sheet and strip, and pipe and tube sheet and strip products, the increase will be achieved through a reduction in the functional discount of two percentage points. For all remaining stainless steel products, including automotive sheet and strip, base prices will be increased by $40 per ton.

16:26 EDT Ally Financial: Fed releases Ally Bank from capital, liquidity commitments - Ally Financial announced that the Federal Reserve has released Ally Bank from the capital, liquidity, and business plan commitments that had been made in connection with its application for membership in the Federal Reserve System, including the commitment to maintain a Tier 1 leverage ratio of at least 15%. Ally Bank may now manage its capital and liquidity subject to applicable regulatory requirements and, as a result, is expected to distribute a dividend of approximately $2.9B to Ally Financial during the third quarter of 2017. "The release of these application commitments is a significant milestone for the company," said Ally CEO Jeffrey Brown. "This development completes the process of normalizing our regulatory framework, allowing us to optimize our capital and funding structure on a level playing field with other banks, and is a critical step in ensuring we remain on track for delivering on our financial and strategic objectives."

16:22 EDT Carver Bancorp announces receipt of additional Nasdaq letter - Carver Bancorp announced that on August 17, the Company received a letter from the Nasdaq Stock Market stating that the exchange has not received the Company's Form 10-Q for the period ended June 30. As previously disclosed, the Company is currently out of compliance with Nasdaq Listing Rule 5250(c)(1) because it did not timely file its Annual Report on Form 10-K for the period ended March 31, 2017 with the U.S. SEC. The Nasdaq Stock Market letter states that the Company has until September 15, 2017 to submit a plan to regain compliance with its rules.

16:20 EDT ExxonMobil selects MRC Global as primary valve provider - MRC Global (MRC) announced that its subsidiary, MRC Global Inc., has signed an agreement to be the primary global provider of valve and valve products and services to ExxonMobil (XOM). The agreement includes all of ExxonMobil's global projects and maintenance, repair and operations. Initial implementation focused on the downstream U.S. business unit, followed by the European Union and, the most recently added, Asia Pacific region.

16:18 EDT Ball Corp. announces purchase agreement for group annuity contracts - Ball Corporation (BLL) announced that it has closed on a purchase agreement with The Prudential Insurance Company of America (PRU) for a group annuity contract that will transfer payment responsibility liabilities for retirement pension benefits owed to approximately 11,000 Ball and Rexam retirees in the U.S. Starting November 2017, Prudential will begin making benefits payments and providing administrative services to the affected retirees. Though the payer name will change, retirees will receive the same monthly benefit they have been receiving from Ball and will receive more detailed information on the change via mail within the coming weeks. By selling these obligations to Prudential, Ball will reduce its projected pension benefit obligation by approximately $220M.

16:16 EDT Ingevity to acquire Georgia-Pacific's pine chemicals unit for $315M - Ingevity Corporation announced it has reached an agreement with Georgia-Pacific to acquire Georgia-Pacific's pine chemicals business for a cash purchase price of $315M. The acquisition is subject to certain regulatory approvals and other customary closing conditions, and Ingevity expects to close on the transaction in late 2017. In purchasing the pine chemicals business, Ingevity will acquire the pine chemicals-related assets at the Crossett plant, saleable inventory, customer lists and the book of business, as well as various patents and trade names associated with acquired product lines. "Ingevity's and Georgia-Pacific's pine chemicals businesses are very complementary," said Michael Wilson, Ingevity president and CEO. "By combining the companies, we will have a stronger, more competitive pine chemicals business. Our Performance Chemicals segment has recently shown improvement. This acquisition will provide a stronger platform from which we will accelerate profitable growth." Wilson stated that the acquisition would be accretive to earnings in the first year following closing and that the company expects to derive approximately $11M in net synergies as a result of the acquisition, most of which would be a result of manufacturing optimization among the combined three chemicals plants and lower transportation and logistics costs.

16:15 EDT Ultragenyx to resume trading at 4:25 pm ET - Ultragenyx shares will resume trading at 4:25 pm ET, with quotation to resume at 4:20 pm ET, according to Nasdaq.

16:13 EDT Ally Financial: Fed releases Ally Bank from capital, liquidity commitments - Ally Financial Inc. (NYSE: ALLY) today announced that the Federal Reserve has released Ally Bank from the capital, liquidity, and business plan commitments that had been made in connection with its application for membership in the Federal Reserve System, including the commitment to maintain a Tier 1 leverage ratio of at least 15%. Ally Bank may now manage its capital and liquidity subject to applicable regulatory requirements and, as a result, is expected to distribute a dividend of approximately $2.9B to Ally Financial during the third quarter of 2017. "The release of these application commitments is a significant milestone for the company," said Ally CEO Jeffrey Brown. "This development completes the process of normalizing our regulatory framework, allowing us to optimize our capital and funding structure on a level playing field with other banks, and is a critical step in ensuring we remain on track for delivering on our financial and strategic objectives."

16:12 EDT Ultragenyx Ace-ER study in GNEM patients misses primary, key secondary endpoints - Ultragenyx Pharmaceutical announced that a Phase 3 study evaluating aceneuramic acid extended release, Ace-ER, in patients with GNE Myopathy, GNEM, did not achieve its primary endpoint of demonstrating a statistically significant difference in the upper extremity muscle strength composite score compared to placebo. The study also did not meet its key secondary endpoints. Adverse events were generally balanced between Ace-ER and placebo and safety was consistent with previously released Ace-ER data. Ultragenyx plans to discontinue further clinical development of Ace-ER. "We are disappointed by these results, as we had hoped that Ace-ER would offer a new option for GNEM patients. We would like to thank the patients, caregivers, and investigators involved in the Ace-ER development program," said Emil D. Kakkis, M.D., Ph.D., Chief Executive Officer and President of Ultragenyx. "This outcome does not affect our overall strategy, as the company moves forward with multiple preclinical and clinical programs and regulatory filings." The Phase 3 Ace-ER study enrolled 89 adults with GNEM able to walk greater than 200 meters in the six minute walk test. Patients were randomized 1:1 to Ace-ER at a dose of 6g/day or placebo for 48 weeks. The study did not meet the primary endpoint of demonstrating a statistically significant improvement in UEC score for Ace-ER treated patients compared to placebo patients for the change from baseline to 48 weeks. There were three pre-specified key secondary endpoints, including the lower extremity muscle strength composite score as measured by hand-held dynamometry, physical functioning using the Mobility domain of the GNE Myopathy-functional activity scale, and a measure of muscle strength in knee extensors. The study did not meet any of these key secondary endpoints. Overall, Ace-ER was well tolerated, with slightly more patients experiencing treatment emergent adverse events and related treatment emergent adverse events. There were three serious adverse events including two on Ace-ER and one on placebo, none of which were considered treatment related. There were no discontinuations due to treatment emergent adverse events, and there have been no deaths in the study. The company plans to terminate the development program based on these results and will work with investigators and patient groups to make available the valuable natural history data and development tools for the development of other therapies. The company will be working with investigators and patients on a reasonable transition plan for patients still on Ace-ER.

16:11 EDT Salesforce sees FY18 operating cash flow growth of 20%-21% y/y

16:10 EDT Salesforce reports deferred revenue $4.82B as of July 31 - Up 26% year-over-year, 25% in constant currency. Unbilled deferred revenue, representing business that is contracted but unbilled and off balance sheet, ended the second quarter at approximately $10.4 billion, up 30% year-over-year. This includes approximately $625 million related to unbilled deferred revenue from Demandware.

16:08 EDT Ultragenyx says Phase 3 study of Ace-ER did not meet primary endpoint

16:05 EDT Dean Foods announces departure of CFO Chris Bellairs

16:04 EDT Intuit names Michelle Clatterbuck next CFO - Intuit announced its succession plan for CFO, Neil Williams who has served as CFO since January 2008 and plans to step down in January 2018. Michelle Clatterbuck, Senior Vice President of Finance for Intuit's Consumer Tax Group and acting finance leader for Intuit's Small Business Group, will assume the role of Chief Financial Officer Feb. 1, 2018.

16:04 EDT Cree CEO cites near term incremental spending to expand capacity - Chuck Swoboda, Cree Chairman and CEO, said, "We built a solid foundation for growth in all three businesses over the last year. In the near term, we will have some incremental spending to expand capacity and are excited about the opportunity for Cree to grow revenue and profits in the year ahead."

16:00 EDT Ultragenyx trading halted, news pending

15:28 EDT Toll Brothers CEO shocked, disappointed stock traded lower on Q3 results - The CEO, who is speaking in a CNBC interview, says they are not incentivizing sales. The CEO reaffirmed the view that some sales that would have closed in Q3 will close in Q4 due to lumber part." It is simply a delay," said the CEO. Yearley added that the slight miss on revenue is completely attributable to the floor joist recall.

14:33 EDT Woodland Partners reports 9% passive stake in Barington/Hilco Acquisition

13:55 EDT Kennametal CEO Christopher Rossi buys almost $1M worh of stock - Kennametal CEO Christopher Rossi disclosed in a filing that he had purchased $999,934 worth of company stock or 29,800 shares on August 18. The average price Rossi paid for shares was $33.47 per share. Shares of Kennametal are up 2.27% to $34.23 per share in afternoon trading.

13:26 EDT MMCAP reports 5.53% passive stake in CombiMatrix

13:07 EDT Vectren trading resumes

12:47 EDT Sphera Funds Management reports 5.35% passive stake in Eiger BioPharmaceuticals

12:21 EDT Sprint to add more than 44 new retail spots in Southwest - Sprint continues to expand its presence and investment in the Southwest with plans to add more than 300 new jobs and 44 new retail locations throughout parts of Arizona, Colorado, Nevada, Utah and West Texas by the end of 2017. The new jobs will include a combination of retail, operations and technical experts. Currently, Sprint counts more than 2,250 regional employees, inclusive of employees in Idaho and New Mexico, and operates nearly 400 branded retail locations throughout the Southwest region. "We are making an aggressive push to expand on the local level, making it easier for wireless shoppers to save with Sprint's industry-leading value for unlimited data, talk and text," said Greg Post, Sprint Regional President for the Mountain Southwest.

12:02 EDT Toll Brothers says full year delivery view hurt by floor joist recall - "We had been prepared to increase the mid-point of our FY 2017 delivery guidance by 100 units, from a mid-point of 7,200 units to 7,300, but our full year delivery projection was negatively impacted by 150 homes which will now be delivered in FY 2018 due to the floor joist recall by a major lumber manufacturer that has affected many builders in the industry," said Toll in a statement.

12:01 EDT VMware, Google expand partnership over Chrome device management - VMware (VMW) announced it will become the first unified endpoint management provider with full Chrome (GOOG) device management capabilities. VMware Workspace ONE, a digital workspace platform powered by VMware AirWatch UEM technology, will enable customers to unify management of Chrome devices alongside all other endpoints from a single console. Customers will be able to manage Chrome devices alongside all other endpoints in Workspace ONE due to the functionality of VMware's UEM technology, AirWatch. Starting from out-of-the box on-boarding, configuration and policies, provisioning apps, auditing and tracking; all the way to end device wipe, IT can secure and enable Chrome devices using a simplified approach. With new enterprise-ready capabilities from Chrome Enterprise License, organizations will be able to deliver device policies using customizable assignment of groups based on geography, device platform, department, role, and more, simplifying policy enforcement across an enterprise. Management of Chrome devices with Workspace ONE will be available in September 2017.

11:57 EDT Bear State Financial to be acquired by Arvest in deal valued at about $391M - Arvest Bank said it has entered into a definitive agreement to acquire Bear State Financial, the parent company of Bear State Bank. The acquisition, expected to close in the fourth quarter of 2017 or first quarter of 2018 pending customary regulatory approvals and subject to approval by Bear State shareholders, is an all-cash transaction valued at approximately $391M. All those employed by Bear State on the date of contract closing will become employees of Arvest Bank.

11:55 EDT Toll says reduction in SG&A costs helps mitigate adjustment in margin view

11:44 EDT Toll Brothers says California and Northern Virginia strong markets

11:30 EDT Toll Brothers says 'almost no change' in FY17 net income midpoint view - Comments from Q3 earnings conference call.

11:28 EDT Kirkland's doesn't see promotional environment 'getting worse or better'

11:23 EDT Kirkland's: Guidance implies 'flattish to slightly positive' comps in 2H

11:17 EDT China Unicom announces share subscription agreement with Unicom BVI - China Unicom announced that on August 22, after trading hours, the company and Unicom BVI, a controlling shareholder of the company, entered into the share subscription agreement pursuant to which Unicom BVI agreed to subscribe for a maximum of 6,651,043,262 subscription shares at the subscription rice of HK$13.24 per subscription share. The maximum subscription shares represent approximately 27.77% of the total issued shares of the company as at the date of this announcement and 21.74% of the total issued shares of the company as enlarged by the issue of the subscription shares.

11:11 EDT Polaris Industries recalls General ROVs due to crash hazard - Polaris notified the CPSC that it is recalling about 1,600 model year 2017 Polaris GENERAL Base and GENERAL Hunter two-seat, side-by-side recreational off-highway vehicles, as inconsistent tire pressure information can result in improperly-inflated tires, posing a crash hazard. No injuries or accidents have been reported.

10:44 EDT S&P removes Berkshire Hathaway from CreditWatch, calls outlook 'stable' - S&P Global Ratings said it affirmed its 'AA' long-term counterparty credit and senior unsecured debt ratings on Berkshire Hathaway Inc. and affirmed its ratings on intermediate holding companies and finance companies GEICO Corp., General Re Corp., and General Re Financial Products Corp. Concurrently, S&P removed all these ratings from CreditWatch with negative implications, where they'd initially been placed on July 7. The outlook is stable. The CreditWatch removal follows BRK's announcement that its agreement to acquire Energy Future Holdings and its interest in Oncor has been terminated by EFH. S&P said: "We had placed the ratings on CreditWatch negative following the Oncor acquisition announcement to reflect the uncertainty around the funding of the acquisition and how it could affect leverage metrics at the parent-company level. With the transaction now terminated, we expect the company's current leverage to remain within our original expectations. Our adjusted leverage for BRK, including subsidiary debt, was 1.9x as of second-quarter 2017, consistent with year-end 2016 levels and commensurate with our 'modest' financial profile assessment."

10:23 EDT Deutsche ups VMware on slower than expected enterprise move to public cloud - Deutsche Bank upgraded VMware (VMW) to Buy from Hold, saying that the firm's previous fears of a slowdown of the company's on-premise server business have not proven to be justified. LOWER RISK: Large companies are shifting their data to the public cloud "at a slower than expected pace" and are actually increasing the amount they invest in "on-premise IT infrastructure," according to Deutsche Bank analyst Karl Keirstead. As a result, VMware's licensing revenue is rising and its longer term risk has dropped significantly, the analyst stated. Noting that the company last week positively preannounced its Q2 results, the analyst expects fiscal 2018 and fiscal 2019 estimates for the company to increase. AWS DEAL: VMware's partnership with Amazon's (AMZN) cloud unit, AWS, is a "win-win" for both companies, according to Keirstead. However, the analyst says that he "may be" less upbeat on the deal "than most" because there are no signs yet that companies are interested in the partnership, while the offering's launch might be delayed. Still, the analyst says he's "intrigued" by the idea that the partnership could eventually offer an on-premise solution from AWS. OTHERS TO WATCH: The analyst believes that other makers of on-premise software, including Microsoft (MSFT), Oracle (ORCL), and Red Hat (RHT), are also being helped by the slower than expected transition to the cloud. TARGET: Keirstead raised his price target on VMware to $120 from $110. PRICE ACTION: In morning trading, VMware rose 2% to $99 per share.

10:16 EDT Pulmatrix patent for respirable tiotropium dry powders posted to USPTO site - Reference Link

09:56 EDT Trump Effect: Wal-Mart, others set to benefit if Hispanic spending bounces back - Jefferies analyst Andy Barish and a team of his peers believe weak spending from Hispanic consumers flagged by several companies this earnings season is mainly due to uncertainty around immigration policy. Given the challenging environment for new legislation, the analyst argued that the weakness may be a short-term phenomenon, with many companies potentially set to benefit from an improvement in spending from this demographic. HISPANICS CONSUMING LESS: During this last earnings season, several companies flagged weak spending from Hispanic consumers, a team of Jefferies' analysts, including Barish, Daniel Binder, Bret Jordan, Randal Konik, Stephanie Wissink and others said in a research note this morning. However, the analysts do not believe the weakness is a result of a deteriorating macro backdrop, but rather is likely due to uncertainty around the White House immigration policy. With Hispanics individuals making up about 18% of the U.S. population, a slowdown in spending can have a big impact, they pointed out, adding that companies with big Texas and California exposure tend to be at the top of the list. Barish and the team also noted that they assume the weakness is a short-term phenomenon given the challenging environment for new legislation. Companies that have been hurt may be due for a rebound, they argued. COMPANIES IMPACTED: While several companies have flagged weakness from Hispanic consumers, others have not cited weakness but have probably been impacted by a slowdown anyway, Jefferies' team contended. Noting that O'Reilly Automotive (ORLY) has 25% of stores in Texas and California, the analysts said they believe the slowdown seen thus far is more driven by weather and cyclical factors. Meanwhile, Wal-Mart (WMT) did not specifically cite weakness in Hispanic spending on its latest earnings call, but about 20% of store locations are in states where over 1/3 of the population is Hispanic and an improvement in spend could help comps, they argued. Additionally, the analysts pointed out that about 24% of e.l.f. Beauty's (ELF) consumers are Hispanic, which may have hurt sales in the first half of the year, but may provide an opportunity given the longer-term opportunity to grow sales through expanded distribution. In a similar position are Ulta Beauty (ULTA) and Jack in the Box (JACK), they said, adding that Foot Locker (FL) did cite weakness in markets with high Hispanic populations and though there are other negatives pressuring the company, an improvement in Hispanic spend would likely offer some relief. Alongside Foot Locker and O'Reilly Automotive, Murphy USA (MUSA), Target (TGT), Valvoline (VVV) and Wingstop (WING) also specifically flagged weakness in Hispanic spend this earnings period, according to Jefferies. "Trump Effect" is The Fly's recurring series of exclusive stories that highlight stocks that are being impacted, or are predicted to be impacted, by the comments, actions and policies of President Trump and his administration.

09:50 EDT Bear State Financial trading resumes

09:48 EDT Baxter, ASPEN announce 'SmartPN' collaboration - The American Society for Parenteral and Enteral Nutrition, an organization which drives the science and practice of clinical nutrition, and Baxter International announced "SmartPN," a comprehensive collaboration providing healthcare professionals with educational tools on the appropriate use of parenteral nutrition therapy. PN is the intravenous administration of nourishment to those who cannot eat or absorb enough food to maintain good nutrition.1 This nourishment may include protein, carbohydrate, fat, minerals, electrolytes, vitamins and other trace elements. PN plays a critical role in helping reduce malnutrition and achieve better possible health outcomes. In addition to providing education about PN appropriateness, both ASPEN and Baxter are committed to raising awareness about the potential consequences of disease-related malnutrition and the importance of early diagnosis and treatment. ASPEN offers a comprehensive Malnutrition Solution Center online for healthcare providers, patients, and caregivers to learn how to recognize and manage disease-related malnutrition.

09:32 EDT Hyatt Centric expands GrubHub collaboration nationwide - The Hyatt Centric (H) brand announced the expansion of its groundbreaking collaboration with Grubhub (GRUB) from three hotels to nine in the United States. The decision to expand was based on overwhelmingly positive guest feedback on a pilot program introduced last year by the hotel brand designed for the millennial-minded traveler. Guests at participating Hyatt Centric hotels across the country can now conveniently order room service from tasty local restaurants by using a customized landing page found through the dining page on the hotel's website, or through the website URL found in guestroom compendiums or on the keycard inserts provided at check-in.

09:26 EDT Coty CEO says 'cost base is not where it should be' - Commenting on Coty's performance, Camillo Pane, CEO said: "Fiscal 2017 was a transformational year for Coty. We completed the incredibly complex acquisition of the P&G Beauty Business, fully reorganized into a product and customer focused organizational structure, successfully reached significant milestones in our integration efforts, and boosted our brand portfolio through the additions of Younique, ghd, and the agreement to acquire the Burberry Beauty license. Equally important, we believe the strategy we outlined earlier in the year which focuses on strengthening our global brands, shifting more resources to fuel the growth of the brands with higher growth potential, stabilizing the remaining brands, and continuing to expand the geographic reach of our portfolio, is beginning to bear fruit as demonstrated by the improvement in net revenue trends in the second half of the fiscal year. Our Q4 results continued to demonstrate that our Professional and Luxury divisions are performing well. Professional Beauty's positive performance was driven by continued growth in Wella and improving trends at OPI, and the Luxury division delivered strong growth for the second quarter in a row supported by Hugo Boss, Gucci, Chloe and philosophy. On the other hand, our Consumer Beauty division remains under pressure and its recovery is a key priority for us. Fourth quarter adjusted operating income declined year-over-year as a result of materially higher marketing spend to drive further revenue momentum in our business and to achieve flawless execution at retail for key launches. Profit was also impacted by a higher combined company fixed cost base that we are rapidly working to address as part of our synergy program and organic efficiency initiatives. Our cost base is not where it should be and we are highly focused on this issue as a key initiative for Fiscal 2018. On a separate note, our cash generation has been strong through the year, underlining its continued strength. Regarding the P&G Beauty Business, our integration efforts are proceeding well and we remain on track with the synergy delivery. In Q4, we've achieved another significant milestone as Europe successfully exited its TSA on July 1, following North America's TSA exit on May 1. ALMEA continues to progress well towards the final TSA exit expected in September. On the M&A front, the combined impact of the acquisitions of the Hypermarcas Brands, ghd and Younique now represents a material addition to Coty's results and I am pleased with the contribution of these businesses. In conclusion, I am proud of what we have been able to accomplish in less than a year since the transformational acquisition of the P&G Beauty Business and remain confident in our potential to establish Coty as a global leader and challenger in beauty."

09:20 EDT U.S. Bancorp says current regulatory environment 'complex' - Says current regulatory environment "complex," as multiple new rules over the past decade have created new constraints. Says "open and productive" dialogue taking place more recently. Comments taken from slides being presented by John C. Stern, U.S. Bancorp's EVP and Treasurer at the 6th Annual Intellisight Conference.

09:14 EDT Telos Corp, Sequoia Holdings partner for software authorizations - Telos Corporation announced a partnership with Sequoia Holdings, provider of software development and engineering services centered on improving the analytic, collection, collaboration and sharing of data, to streamline software authorizations in the C2S cloud. The partnership will bring together Telos' Xacta 360, for automating cloud compliance, and Sequoia's Combine, an infrastructure automation tool, to provide 75% of what is needed to onboard new software products and services into the intelligence community's isolated private Amazon Web Services cloud, known as C2S. The resulting collaboration will allow independent software vendors to make products available to C2S customers more efficiently.

09:06 EDT Arvest Bank to acquire Bear State Financial for $10.28 per share - Bear State Financial, parent company of Bear State Bank, and Arvest Bank jointly announced the signing of a definitive agreement for Arvest Bank to acquire Bear State in an all-cash transaction valued at approximately $391M, or $10.28 per share of Bear State common stock. The agreement and plan of reorganization was unanimously approved by the boards of directors of each company. The transaction is expected to close in Q4 or 1Q18 and is subject to customary conditions, including both regulatory approval and approval by Bear State's shareholders.Clients of Bear State Bank and Arvest Bank will not notice any immediate changes, and both banks will continue to conduct business as usual. At a later date, Bear State Bank's branding will change to Arvest Bank, with the full conversion of systems expected to occur in 2018.

09:05 EDT Lionsgate promotes Kerry Phelan to President of Global Franchise Management - On the heels of last week's announcement of Lionsgate's first outdoor branded theme park at Jeju Island, Korea, Kerry Phelan has been promoted to President of Global Franchise Management, it was announced by Lionsgate Chief Brand Officer and President of Worldwide Marketing Tim Palen, to whom she reports. Since joining Lionsgate three years ago, Phelan has helped leverage Lionsgate's large and diversified portfolio of film and television properties across multiple platforms and created significant new incremental business for the studio. Under her direction and the oversight of Palen, the newly-formed Franchise Management Group has created brand extensions spanning location-based and live entertainment venues, consumer products, licensed merchandise, brand partnerships and an array of promotional ventures.

09:02 EDT Sequential Brands announces multiyear licensing agreement with Cathay Home - Sequential Brands Group announced a new multi year licensing agreement with Cathay Home, a leading manufacturer of home textile products, to create an Ellen Tracy Home line in categories such as comforters, duvets, sheets, throws, blankets and quilts. The new line is scheduled to hit stores in Spring 2018.

09:01 EDT Raven signs agreement to acquire Colorado Lining International - Raven Industries has signed an asset purchase agreement to acquire substantially all of the assets of Colorado Lining International, headquartered in Parker, Colo. The cash transaction is expected to close in September with Raven paying approximately $14M and the potential for up to $2M in additional earn-out payments over the next three years.

08:50 EDT PolarityTE names Jennifer Burdman as CIPO, deputy general counsel - PolarityTE announced the appointment of Jennifer Burdman as its Chief Intellectual Property Officer and Deputy General Counsel. Burdman joins PolarityTE from the international law firm of King & Spalding LLP, where she was a partner in the Washington, D.C. office specializing in intellectual property procurement, protection, and enforcement.

08:39 EDT Cellectar Biosciences announces 'significant' PDC platform advancement - Cellectar Biosciences announces that its Phospholipid Drug Conjugate research program has generated numerous PDC molecules that show significant improved pharmacologic activity versus the payload molecule alone. Utilizing a selection of novel linkers to attach proprietary cytotoxic molecules to the company's PDC platform, Cellectar has formulated new compounds specifically designed for improved tumor targeting and fewer off-target adverse effects. The research has demonstrated that with a variety of payloads, the phospholipid ether molecules provide, on average, a greater than 20-fold increase in delivery of the PDC to cancerous cells. To date, the company's research has demonstrated that the conjugated molecules are inactive until cleavage of the payload from the phospholipid ether. This mechanism provides significant opportunity to reduce the off-target impact and associated side effects of many chemotherapeutics. These data show greater than 500-fold dilution separation between effects in tumor cells and effects in normal cells, and that this separation can be controlled by the linker chemistry. Importantly, the company has also been able to show that its novel linker chemistry allows for the payload to be selectively cleaved within the tumor cells, resulting in significant potency.

08:35 EDT J.C. Penney launches Frank + Lulu bedding and decor brand for kids - JCPenney is launching Frank + Lulu, "a whimsical new brand of bedding and decor for kids. Featuring bright colors and fun prints, shoppers will find various collections within the brand designed to mix-and-match elements to create a youthful design aesthetic. From bedding and sheets to decorative pillows and rugs, parents can create a stylish, inspirational kid's room to spark imagination and a blissful night's sleep. Available exclusively at JCPenney, Frank + Lulu is available at jcpenney.com and will launch in over 200 stores beginning Sept. 1, with plans to introduce additional collections to more stores this fall."

08:33 EDT Clarus Corporation acquires Sierra Bullets for $79M in accretive transaction - Clarus Corporation has completed the acquisition of Sierra Bullets, L.L.C. for $79M, subject to a post-closing working capital adjustment. The transaction is expected to be immediately accretive to Clarus' earnings per share. In connection with the transaction, Clarus increased the size of its senior credit facility from $20M-$40M.

08:32 EDT FuelCell announces fuel cell project NRG Energy Center Pittsburgh - FuelCell Energy (FCEL) announced that the NRG Energy (NRG) Center in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania will host a fuel cell power plant under a previously awarded U.S. Department of Energy contract. The power plant will deliver energy to the NRG facility, which provides heating and cooling for more than six million square feet of commercial and residential facilities in downtown Pittsburgh. According to NRG Energy Center Pittsburgh General Manager Cliff Blashford, "This project supports NRG's focus on identifying and integrating energy solutions that seek to improve efficiency, lower fuel consumption and costs, and reduce our environmental footprint. We're pleased to participate, and to support Mayor Peduto's vision of a smarter, cleaner and more innovative energy future for Pittsburgh."

08:31 EDT Wabash commences tender offer for Supreme Industries shares - Wabash National (WNC) announced the commencement of its cash tender offer for all outstanding shares of Supreme Industries (STS) for $21 per share. The tender offer is being made by Redhawk Acquisition Corporation, a wholly owned subsidiary of Wabash National, pursuant to an Offer to Purchase, dated August 22, 2017. Wabash National and Supreme previously announced that they entered into an Agreement and Plan of Merger, dated August 8, 2017, for Wabash National to acquire Supreme. The board of directors 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 tender offer and any withdrawal rights are scheduled to expire at 12:01 a.m. ET on Wednesday, September 27, 2017, unless the tender offer is extended.

08:25 EDT Medtronic sees revenue in lower half of annual growth range for Q2 - Expects diabetes revenue to temporarily decline before improving in 2H. Medtronic (MDT) said it expects Cardinal Health (CAH) transaction to have a positive impact on revenue growth rates and margins with modest near-term earnings dilution. Says June's IT disruption caused "unique dynamic," affecting visibility. Says IT system disruption "behind us." Expects net interest expense to be $180M-$200M per quarter for remainder of FY18. Sees FY18 CVG revenue growth 5.5%-7%, will face difficult comp in Q4. Sees FY18 MITG revenue growth 3.5%-4.5%. Sees FY18 RTG revenue growth about 3%, at low end of historical range. Sees FY18 diabetes growth 1%-4%, cites impact of temporary supply constraint, sees improvement in 2H. Enter FY19 with ultimately strong double digit growth in diabetes.

08:16 EDT Kohl's to open four small format stores and fifth e-commerce fulfillment center - Kohl's announced details of the company's strategic plans to invest in its store base and enhance the capabilities of its e-commerce fulfillment network. During Q3 Kohl's will open four small format stores and its fifth e-commerce fulfillment center. The company continues to make progress on its initiatives to optimize and rightsize select Kohl's stores across the country. Kohl's will begin shipping from its fifth e-commerce fulfillment center in Plainfield, Ind., this month. The 937,000-square-foot facility will be dedicated to processing, filling and shipping Kohls.com orders. The facility is equipped with state-of-the-art technology to maximize productivity and throughput. In October 2017, Kohl's will open four small format, 35,000-square-foot stores, adding to the eight small format Kohl's stores opened in 2016. The four new stores will be located in the following cities: North Smithfield, R.I., Blue Ash, Ohio, East Windsor, N.J. and Montebello, Calif. In support of efforts to enhance store profitability and improve customer experience, approximately 300 Kohl's stores have been optimized with new interior layouts - becoming operationally smaller through balancing inventory and adjusting fixtures. By the end of 2017, nearly half of Kohl's stores will be operationally smaller.

08:09 EDT Medtronic: June IT system disruption caused by 'inadvertent human error' - Says analysis showed June IT system disruption caused by inadvertent human error, and there was no external involvement or data exposure. Says IT system operating "normally." Comments taken from the Q1 earnings conference call.

08:06 EDT Pfizer announces opening of global trial investigating palbociclib - The Alliance Foundation Trials in conjunction with Pfizer and six international cancer research groups, announced the launch of PATINA - a randomized, open-label, Phase 3 clinical study of the cyclin-dependent kinase 4/6 inhibitor palbociclib. The PATINA trial will evaluate palbociclib in combination with anti-HER2 therapy and endocrine therapy versus standard therapy as a first-line treatment for patients with hormone receptor-positive, human epidermal growth factor receptor 2-positive metastatic breast cancer. The trial randomized its first patient on July 26. In the U.S., IBRANCE is indicated for the treatment of HR+, HER2-negative (HER2-) advanced or metastatic breast cancer in combination with an aromatase inhibitor as initial endocrine-based therapy in postmenopausal women, or fulvestrant in women with disease progression following endocrine therapy. Since its initial FDA approval in 2015, more than 60,000 patients have been treated with IBRANCE in the U.S. alone. Pre-clinical data and preliminary results from early phase clinical trials point to the potential efficacy of palbociclib when combined with anti-HER2 therapies and endocrine therapy. About 10-15% of patients with metastatic breast cancer are HR+, HER2+.1 Palbociclib is currently not approved for use in this patient population in any country.

08:05 EDT Alaska Air selects Gogo to provide next-generation inflight Wi-Fi service - Alaska Airlines (ALK) has selected Gogo (GOGO) to provide next-generation satellite-based inflight Wi-Fi service across its entire Boeing (BA) and Airbus (EADSY) fleet. Gogo's broadband 2Ku service provides the significantly faster connection speed needed to stream content from services like Netflix, Hulu, and HBO GO while in the air. Utilizing this advanced technology, guests can use their devices in flight just as they would on the ground. The satellite-based service delivers 20 times more bandwidth than Gogo's air-to-ground product and offers the freedom of having Wi-Fi virtually everywhere Alaska's Boeing and Airbus mainline jets fly, including allowing guests to stay connected when traveling outside the continental U.S. to popular destinations like Hawaii, Mexico, and Costa Rica, where connectivity was previously unavailable.

08:04 EDT First Solar sells California flats project to Capital Dynamics - First Solar announced it has completed the sale of the 280 Megawatt AC California Flats Solar Project in Monterey County, Calif., to global private asset manager Capital Dynamics. Terms of the deal were not disclosed. Located on approximately 2,900 acres of ranch land within the Jack Ranch owned by the Hearst Corporation near the San Luis Obispo and Monterey County borders, California Flats comprises two phases. The 130MW first phase is expected to be commissioned in the fourth quarter of 2017, and is fully contracted under a long-term Power Purchase Agreement. The 150MW second phase, which is currently under construction, is expected to be commissioned by the end of 2018, and is fully contracted under a long-term PPA.

08:03 EDT Appliance Recycling to acquire targets in high growth sectors - Appliance Recycling Centers of America announces that it intends to diversify and reposition its current business model. Having nearly completed a turnaround of its existing operations and successfully sold its joint venture interest in AAP, management commenced discussions with its Board of Directors to reposition the company's current business model. As part of this effort, the company will seek to acquire targets in high margin, high growth industries such as the technology sector. Management believes this repositioning will lead to an increase in shareholder value and will attract institutional shareholders to the company's stock.

08:01 EDT InspireMD announces notification of NYSE American listing deficiency - InspireMD announced it received a letter from the NYSE American on August 17, 2017 indicating that InspireMD does not meet a certain NYSE American LLC continued listing standard due to the fact the company had reported stockholders' equity of less than $6M as of June 30, 2017 and had net losses in its five most recent fiscal years ended December 31, 2016. The Exchange's notice has no immediate effect on the listing of the company's common stock on the Exchange. The Company's management is reviewing its options to address the deficiency and expects to submit a compliance plan to the NYSE American on or before September 17.

08:00 EDT Tecogen announces sale of two InVerde e+ units - Tecogen announced the sale of two InVerde e+ units that will power a demonstration project of an advanced carbon capture technology. The units will provide the necessary electricity and process heat required by the technology. The project will be co-located on the site of a major food and beverage manufacturing company, which will utilize the captured CO2 in its products.

07:54 EDT Ruby Tuesday launches 'Plan to Win' to address sales, operational challenges - Ruby Tuesday has launched its "Plan to Win" to address its sales and operational challenges, improve financial profitability, and thereby enhance long-term value for shareholders. As the Company executes against this new strategy it expects to achieve year-over-year improvement in restaurant level margins and EBITDA in fiscal 2018. The "Plan to Win" is a road-map for the Company over the next 12 months and includes the following priorities: Develop and rollout 9 to 12 months operations calendar to enhance operational excellence and support the marketing calendar; Deploy Operations and Restaurant Support Center platforms to drive performance; Focus on progressive improvement on all guest experience attributes. Develop 12 to 15 month marketing calendar to increase frequency of existing and new target guests; Drive improved ROI for marketing and media spending; Implement menu simplification and test & pilot new lunch menu; Re-energize To-Go and Catering Programs. Ruby Tuesday is in the contract process to sell 21 properties with expected net proceeds of $28.2 million or approximately $1.3 million per location. During fiscal 2017, the Company completed sales for 13 properties that closed as a result of the Asset Rationalization Project and received $20.1 million in net proceeds. Also during fiscal 2017, the Company has settled 32 of the 61 leased properties closed as a result of the Asset Rationalization Plan for approximately $8.4 million.

07:32 EDT PAR Technology subsidiary announces $7.4M U.S. Air Force subcontract award - PAR Technology Corporation announced that its subsidiary, Rome Research Corporation, has been awarded a five year, $7.4M subcontract from Croop-LaFrance to provide Information Technology Desktop Support Services at Robins AFB, GA.

07:27 EDT Bristol-Myers melanoma treatment granted FDA orphan designation - Bristol-Myers Squibb was granted FDA orphan designation for fully human monoclonal antibody specific for lymphocyte activation gene 3 and nivolumab as a treatment of stage IIb to IV melanoma, according to a post to the agency's website. Reference Link

07:03 EDT DSW approves new $500M share repurchase authorization - DSW's Board of Directors approved a new $500M share repurchase authorization, in addition to the company's remaining $33M in its current authorization.

07:02 EDT JA Solar reports Q2 external shipments up 88.3% y/y - Total shipments were 2,389.2 megawatts, consisting of 2,147.5 MW of modules and 167.2 MW of cells to external customers, and 74.5 MW of modules to the company's downstream projects. External shipments were up 88.3% y/y and 68.3% sequentially. Shipments of modules were 2,147.5 MW, an increase of 89.3% y/y and 62.1% sequentially. Shipments of cells were 167.2 MW, an increase of 75.8% y/y and 233.1% sequentially.

07:01 EDT BBX Capital says Bluegreen Corporation exploring possible IPO - BBX Capital Corporation announced that Bluegreen Corporation, its wholly-owned subsidiary, has confidentially submitted a draft registration statement on Form S-1 to the United States Securities and Exchange Commission relating to a possible initial public offering of shares of Bluegreen's common stock representing a minority interest in Bluegreen. The price range and other terms of any IPO have not yet been determined and there is no assurance that an IPO will be pursued or completed.

06:55 EDT Ryder partners with TECSYS - Ryder System announced its new partnership with TECSYS, an industry-leading supply chain management software company. Ryder's top-level supply chain solutions paired with TECSYS' best-in-class technology will address the growing end-to-end supply chain challenges facing those in the health systems market. By creating a closed-loop system between suppliers, manufacturers, healthcare systems, and patients, Ryder's full-suite of services help reduce inventory levels, increase order accuracy, and improve order cycle times, resulting in lower costs while improving speed-to-patient.

06:50 EDT Medtronic reports Q1 adjusted operating margin up 50 bps - Q1 GAAP operating margin Improved 250bps; Non-GAAP operating margin improved 50bps at constant currency.

06:34 EDT Kirkland's announces $10M stock repurchase plan - The Board of Directors has authorized a stock repurchase plan providing for the purchase in the aggregate of up to $10M of the company's outstanding common stock. stock repurchase program does not require the company to repurchase any specific number of shares, and the company may terminate the repurchase program at any time.

06:21 EDT Bristol-Myers treatment of stage IIb to IV melanoma gets FDA orphan designation - Reference Link

06:12 EDT Express Scripts: Inside Rx expands list of discounted medications available - Inside Rx, a new venture launched in May by Express Scripts (ESRX) that provides affordable access to patients paying full list price for prescription medications, is expanding the list of discounted medications available to include 18 new products - 63 in total -- effective immediately. The latest additions include medications from GSK (GSK), Sun Pharmaceuticals and Trividia Health for acne, anti-inflammatory eye care, psoriasis, dermatitis, fungal infections, and also expand the discounted drug options for highly utilized therapy classes, like asthma, COPD and diabetes.

06:08 EDT Nokia selected by Telia, Telenor to manage TT radio network in Denmark - Nokia will take over all operational and development tasks of Telia and Telenor's radio access network in October 2017, and provide network planning and optimization, network implementation, and network operations for the network that consists of more than 4,000 mobile sites around the country. This will expand network capacity, ensure a quality boost in the customer experience and pave the way for the introduction of new technologies.

06:03 EDT BHP Billiton says 'actively pursuing options' to exit Onshore U.S. assets - BHP Billiton says in a statement, "We have determined that our Onshore US assets are non-core and we are actively pursuing options to exit these assets for value. In the meantime, we will complete well trials, acreage swaps and assess midstream solutions to increase the value, profitability and marketability of our acreage."

05:59 EDT Toll Brothers sees Q4 deliveries 2,275-2,575 units - The company expects FY 2017 fourth-quarter deliveries of between 2,275 and 2,575 units with an average price of between $840,000 and $860,000.

05:58 EDT Toll Brothers ends Q3 with 312 selling communities - The company ended its third quarter with 312 selling communities, compared to 316 at FY 2017's second-quarter end and 297 at FY 2016's third-quarter end.

05:57 EDT Toll Brothers reports Q3 net signed contracts of $1.81B, 2,163 units - Net signed contracts of $1.81B and 2,163 units rose 25% in dollars and 24% in units, compared to FY 2016's third quarter. The average price of net signed contracts was $837,300, compared to $830,800 one year ago.

05:41 EDT Momo names Chunlai Wang as chief technology officer - Prior to his appointment as Momo's chief technology officer, Wang had served as the vice president of technology of Momo since April 2015.

05:38 EDT Ford signs MOU in China with Zotye Auto to explore new all-electric vehicle JV - Ford announced the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding with Anhui Zotye Automobile Co., Ltd., a major manufacturer of zero-emission all-electric vehicles in China. The goal of the MoU is to explore the establishment of a joint venture for the development, production, marketing and servicing of a new line of all-electric passenger vehicles in China. The announcement is consistent with Ford's vision for a more sustainable auto industry, as well as efforts to contribute to societal goals of improving air quality and addressing climate change. China is the fastest-growing market in the world for new energy vehicles. Ford expects the market for NEVs in China to grow to 6M units per year by 2025, of which approximately 4M vehicles will be all-electric. Vehicles produced would be sold under an indigenous brand owned by the new joint venture and would aim to capture a sizeable share of China's all-electric passenger vehicle market. Additional details, including information about the brand, products and production volumes, will be announced at a later date, pending a final definitive agreement and regulatory approvals.

05:33 EDT Copa Holdings reports July system-wide passenger traffic up 17.2% - For the month of July, Copa Holdings' system-wide passenger traffic increased 17.2% year over year, while capacity increased 15.1%. As a result, system load factor for the month was 87.6%, a 1.5 percentage point increase when compared to July 2016.