Stockwinners Market Radar for August 29, 2017 - Earnings, Upgrades downgrades, option trades, Best Stock Advisory Service

18:02 EDT WildHorse Resource: Eagle Ford operations 'minimally affected' by Harvey - WildHorse Resource announced that its Eagle Ford operations and production have been minimally affected by Hurricane Harvey. WRD's assets sustained no damage and only a small portion of its Eagle Ford production was temporarily shut-in during the storm. WRD is currently operating all five of its rigs and experienced insignificant drilling down time. Completions were temporarily suspended due to weather conditions, but are again operational with two of three crews back online. Full completion operations are expected within the next twenty-four hours with the resumption of the third crew. While the availability of third-party oil-hauling trucks has been limited by the storm, considerable capacity has returned to our region with most capacity expected to return over the next few days. These temporary trucking constraints affected oil sales but not production volumes.

17:38 EDT On The Fly: After Hours Movers - UP AFTER EARNINGS: AeroVironment (AVAV), up 9.3%. ALSO HIGHER: Vitamin Shoppe (VSI), up 5% after director John Bowlin disclosed the purchase of 40,000 shares of the company... Sprouts Farmers Market (SFM), up 1% after CFO Bradley Lukow acquired 7,000 common shares of the company. DOWN AFTER EARNINGS: Scansource (SCSC), down 4.1%... H&R Block (HRB), down 4%... Ollie's Bargain Outlet (OLLI), down 2%.

17:18 EDT Huber Capital reports 5.06% passive stake in Iconix Brand

17:11 EDT Caterpillar awarded $663.6M government contract - Caterpillar Inc., Peoria, Illinois, has been awarded a maximum $663,584,042 fixed-price with economic-price-adjustment contract for commercial construction equipment. This is a five-year contract with no option periods. This was a competitive acquisition with four responses received. Locations of performance are Illinois, North Carolina, Georgia, Texas, Arkansas, Wisconsin, Minnesota, Austria, Belgium, England, France, Italy and Japan, with an Aug. 28, 2022, performance completion date. Using customers are Army, Navy, Air Force, Marine Corps and federal civilian agencies. Type of appropriation is fiscal 2017 through 2022 defense working capital funds. The contracting activity is the Defense Logistics Agency Troop Support, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.

17:06 EDT One Horizon Group has begun 'implementation of a sizable contract' - One Horizon Group announced that it has begun the "implementation of a sizable contract" it won in June 2017 to provide secure messaging software to a Hong Kong-based customer. The contract is expected to produce revenue in excess of $500,000 in the second half of 2017. Martin Ward, Principal Executive Officer of One Horizon Group, commented, "As a result of this contract and expected future growth, combined with lower overheads and reduced cash outlays resulting from the recent disposition of VoIP subsidiaries, we expect the Company to be cash flow positive in the near term. We are focused on growth opportunities in the resale of software for online and Software-as-a-Service, SaaS, businesses in the China and Hong Kong markets, primarily centered on the gaming, security and education sectors." One Horizon Group also announced that on August 15, Mr. Ward was issued 859,802 shares of the company's common stock as repayment for $662,048 in debt owed him by the company, with the conversion price based on the stock's closing price on August 14.

16:53 EDT Novan chairman Robert Ingram buys shares of company stock - Robert Ingram, chairman of Novan, disclosed in a filing that he had purchased 12,000 shares of company stock at an average price of $4.57 per share from August 25 through August 29 for a total transaction value of $54,809.

16:44 EDT Scorpio Tankers announces Navig8 Product Tankers' shareholders approve merger - Scorpio Tankers announced that the shareholders of Navig8 Product Tankers, or NPTI, approved the previously announced merger of Scorpio and NPTI at a special meeting of shareholders that was held earlier today. At the meeting, approximately 94.25% of the NPTI shares outstanding were voted, all of which were voted in favor of the merger. The approval is the result of a vote on the proposal identified in the proxy statement/prospectus, dated August 14. The merger remains subject to customary closing conditions and is expected to close on or about September 1.

16:32 EDT Tonix: Phase 2 Tommya study in PTSD indicates early sleep quality improvements - Tonix Pharmaceuticals, a company in Phase 3 development of Tonmya, or TNX-102 SL, presented additional analyses of the Phase 2 AtEase study of Tonmya for PTSD as well as the design features of the ongoing Phase 3 HONOR study of Tonmya for military-related PTSD. Retrospective analysis of the AtEase study demonstrated a link between improvements in sleep quality at Week 4 and symptom improvement at Week 12 as measured by the Clinician-Administered PTSD Scale for DSM-5, supporting the mechanistic hypothesis that sublingual cyclobenzaprine acts by improving sleep quality and improving sleep-dependent memory processing to produce the therapeutic effect observed in the Phase 2 study. The Phase 3 HONOR study is designed to confirm the Phase 2 results. The execution of the Phase 3 HONOR study addresses the needs of study participants by appreciating the military and veteran culture and respecting the sensitivity of traumatic memories for participants suffering from PTSD. To assist in enrollment and retention, all participants who complete the 12-week double-blind phase of HONOR will be eligible to continue to a 12-week open-label extension study, in which they will all receive the study drug Tonmya. "Leveraging our expertise in PTSD research and development, Tonix continues to lead in the development of pharmacotherapies for military-related PTSD as we explore approaches that could lead to new treatment paradigms," commented Seth Lederman, M.D., president and chief executive officer of Tonix. "The link between improvement in sleep quality and subsequent improvement in PTSD observed in the AtEase Phase 2 trial supports the mechanistic hypothesis that Tonmya improves sleep-dependent memory processing. In addition, the execution of the Phase 3 trial builds on our experiences from Phase 2 to obtain high quality data, and efficiently enroll and retain participants suffering from military-related PTSD."

16:28 EDT Globus Medical appoints David Demski CEO - Globus Medical announced that, the Board of Directors has named David M. Demski as the company's CEO, effective immediately. Mr. Demski will report to David C. Paul, the company's founder, Chairman of the Board, and CEO since its inception in 2003. Mr. Paul will remain in the role of Executive Chairman.

16:23 EDT Celanese now unable to supply vinyl acetate monomer due to Hurricane Harvey - Celanese Corporation announced that as a result of Hurricane Harvey's impact on Celanese's operations, suppliers and service providers in the Texas Gulf Coast, Celanese is temporarily unable to supply the vinyl acetate monomer needs of its customers in the Americas. Celanese is continuing to assess the regional and global impact of this force majeure event, and given that this is a rapidly developing situation, Celanese cannot provide any specific details or timing of the full impact to all customers. Celanese will stay in close communication with customers and will work with them to minimize the impact of this event.

16:19 EDT Bank of America announces Berkshire exercise of warrants for 700M shares - Bank of America (BAC) announced that Berkshire Hathaway (BRK.A) exercised its warrants to purchase 700M shares of Bank of America common stock using the Series T preferred shares Berkshire Hathaway acquired through its investment in Bank of America in 2011. "As a result, the number of Bank of America common shares outstanding has increased. However, there will be no effect on future diluted earnings per common share as this warrant exercise has been previously included in the company's diluted earnings per share calculation," Bank of America stated.

16:08 EDT Vitamin Shoppe Director Bowlin buys 40K shares - Vitamin Shoppe Director John Bowlin bought 40,000 shares of company stock at an average price of $5.50 per share on August 25, according to a regulatory filing.

16:07 EDT FDA accepts priority review for BLA of BioMarin's pegvaliase - BioMarin Pharmaceutical announced that the FDA has accepted for Priority Review the Biologics License Application, or BLA, for pegvaliase, a PEGylated recombinant phenylalanine ammonia lyase enzyme product, to reduce blood phenylalanine, or Phe, levels in adult patients with phenylketonuria, or PKU, who have uncontrolled blood Phe levels on existing management. The FDA has granted priority review designation to pegvaliase, which is granted to drugs that treat a serious condition and, if approved, would provide a significant improvement in safety or effectiveness of the treatment, prevention, or diagnosis of a serious condition. The PDUFA action date is February 28, 2018. However, the FDA has requested additional Chemistry, Manufacturing, and Controls information, which we expect, when submitted, will be classified as a major amendment and result in a three month extension of the PDUFA date. The Agency has not informed the company whether an advisory committee meeting to discuss the application will be needed.

16:05 EDT Univar: Most Univar facilities incurred 'minimal damage' from Hurricane Harvey - Univar shared its initial assessment of impacts of Hurricane Harvey to its business. Univar is pleased to report that all Univar employees in the area are accounted for and safe at this time. While most Univar facilities have incurred minimal damage, limited access has prevented the completion of a full assessment. Operations in the area are restricted due to the state of emergency in effect. Highways, rail lines and shipping lanes are closed, and Univar employees are unable to travel safely to the Company's sites. Univar expects that Hurricane Harvey will significantly disrupt customer and supplier production both in the immediate area and throughout the U.S. The Company is working with supplier partners and customers to respond to their needs safely and as quickly as possible, leveraging Univar's scale and inventory. Conditions could worsen as ongoing rain and flooding is expected to continue this week. More than one third of U.S. chemical production is located in the Gulf Coast region and has been disrupted. This region is a key source of supply for a wide range of industrial and consumer products manufactured throughout the United States and globally. Univar has multiple chemical warehouse and terminal facilities located in the storm zone. The Company generates approximately 16 percent of its U.S. annual sales from customers in the region, and sources more than one third of its U.S. sales from supplier partners in the region. Most of Univar's Gulf Coast customers and supplier partners are not operating at this time. Orders from these regional customers are at a standstill as nearly all customer plants are inoperable either due to damage, lack of power, or employee access. In addition, some Univar customers and suppliers have declared force majeure and we expect more to follow. Some suppliers and transportation companies have already announced price increases. More than 16% of the U.S. refining capacity has been affected, which the Company expects will immediately increase transportation and delivery costs. Univar remains committed to growth and these current events will not deter the Company's transformation and execution of its growth strategy in the long-term. Nevertheless, this catastrophic natural disaster will have an adverse impact on near-term results. While difficult to assess, Univar preliminarily estimates the business disruptions from Hurricane Harvey will likely reduce third quarter Adjusted EBITDA by $10M-$25M from its previously communicated expectations. In addition, depending on the duration of these disruptions, fourth quarter results could also be affected, but it is too early to make that determination. Univar will provide an update as increased visibility into customer and supplier operations becomes available.

16:02 EDT Amgen reports results from Repatha GLAGOV Phase 3 trial - Amgen announced results from an exploratory virtual histology sub-study of the Repatha GLAGOV Phase 3 coronary intravascular ultrasound imaging trial that looked at coronary artery plaque composition. While virtual histology demonstrated an increase in dense calcium in coronary artery plaques in both the statin and Repatha arms, it did not detect a statistically significant difference between the two treatment groups. However, the observed directional trend in increased dense calcium with corresponding reduction in low-density lipoprotein cholesterol is consistent with findings from previous statin studies. The sub-study also showed reductions in LDL-C and percent atheroma volume consistent with the primary GLAGOV results. Detailed results were presented in a Late-Breaking Clinical Trials session at the European Society of Cardiology Congress 2017 in Barcelona, Spain.

15:29 EDT Templeton Dragon Fund trading halted, volatility trading pause

14:04 EDT Magna reports strategic investment in solid-state LiDAR developer - Magna announced that it has recently made a strategic investment to expand its existing collaboration with Innoviz Technologies, a developer of solid-state LiDAR technology. Swamy Kotagiri, Magna's Chief Technology Officer, said, "Solid-state LiDAR is a crucial piece of the puzzle as we integrate multiple technologies that position us as the go-to supplier to meet and exceed our customers' autonomous needs."

13:29 EDT Eldorado Gold says investigation underway after fatality at Skouries Project - Eldorado Gold reports that on the morning of August 28, during tree cutting operations at the Skouries Project in Greece, a contractor employee was struck by a branch from a falling tree resulting in fatal injuries. "An investigation is underway," said Eldorado, adding, "Safety is our top priority at Eldorado Gold and we are committed to the well-being of our employees and contractors on all of our sites."

12:58 EDT Corrugated box makers move after analyst comments on CNBC - Shares of corrugated box makers are active after an analyst from Vertical Research commented on the sector during a CNBC interview earlier. The analyst noted that International Paper (IP) had plant exposure in the Hurricane Harvey storm area, while WestRock (WRK), Packaging Corp. (PKG) and KapStone (KS) had a disproportionate number of their plants outside of the storm affected area. The analyst added that short term estimates for International Paper, Q3 and even Q4, may be at risk.

12:45 EDT Power REIT says appeals court affirms ruling from lower court - Power REIT (PW) announced that it has received a ruling from the Third Circuit Court of Appeals affirming the ruling from the lower court. Power was challenging a property lease to railroad Norfolk Southern (NSC).

12:08 EDT Allegiant Travel moves higher after announcing plans for Sunseeker Resorts - Earlier today, Allegiant announced plans for Sunseeker Resorts, including its inaugural development, a hotel/condo resort on the Gulf Coast. "The project marks an important step in Allegiant's evolution as a travel company, offering customers more opportunity for leisure experiences, " said the company. In a slides presentation following the press release announcing plans for Sunseeker Resorts. Allegiant Travel said: "Updating previous guidance published by the company, the expected capital expenditures for 2017 are now expected to be $590M, including $525M for aircraft and other airline cap ex plus $30M for capitalized Airbus deferred heavy maintenance and plus $35M for the acquisition of the land for the Sunseeker resort." Shares of Allegiant Travel are up 1.5% to $119.85 in midday trading.

10:43 EDT Tesla dips amid concern Model 3 reservations won't turn into buys - In recent days, two research firms have expressed worries that many of the people who have placed pre-orders for Tesla's (TSLA) Model 3 may not actually buy the vehicles. Goldman Sachs believes that limits on tax credits could hurt Model 3 sales, while Bernstein worried that the problems that Tesla experienced with the launch of its Model X vehicles could deter consumers from buying the Model 3. TAX CREDIT ISSUE: Two quarters after an automaker has sold a total of 200,000 electric vehicles in the U.S., buyers of the automaker's electric vehicles no longer receive the entire federal $7,500 tax credit for electric cars, according to Goldman Sachs analyst David Tamberrino. At that point, the buyers only get 50% of the credit. Two quarters later, only 25% of the credit will be awarded, and two quarters after that, the tax credit will end completely, the analyst pointed out yesterday in a note to investors. Noting that Tesla has already sold 130,000 vehicles in the U.S., Tamberrino.says that "only a small amount" of those who have pre-ordered the Model 3 will be eligible for the full tax credit. Consequently, actual sales of the car could be limited, opined the analyst, who kept a Sell rating on Tesla shares. BERNSTEIN: Owners of Tesla vehicles had to deal with "many service and quality issues" related to the launch of the company's Model X SUV, according to analyst Toni Sacconaghi, Jr. If those issues are repeated during the Model 3 launch, many orders for the vehicle could be canceled, the analyst stated. Additionally, Sacconaghi noted that his firm found during a recent survey that only 70% of those who had ordered a Model 3 were "likely" or "very likely" to actually buy the vehicle. Advising investors not to "chase" the stock at current levels, he kept a $265 price target and a Market Perform rating on Tesla shares. PRICE ACTION: In morning trading, Tesla fell 1% to $342 per share.

10:33 EDT Analysts say run from Finish Line after profit warning - Shares of Finish Line (FINL) are sliding after the shoe retailer reported downbeat preliminary second quarter results and cut its outlook for fiscal 2018. Following the announcement, several Wall Street analysts cut their ratings on the stock to sell-equivalent ratings. PRELIMINARY RESULTS: Last night, Finish Line reported preliminary second quarter earnings per share of 8c-12c and revenue of $469.4M, both below consensus of 38c and $477.18M, respectively. The company also reported preliminary second quarter same-store sales to be down 4.6%, and cut its 2018 adjusted earnings per share view to 50c-60c from $1.12-$1.23. Further, Finish Line sees third quarter adjusted losses per share of (40c)-(32c), and same-store sales down 3%-5% for the quarter. SELL FINISH LINE: In a research note to investors, Buckingham analyst Scott Krasik downgraded Finish Line to Underperform from Neutral and lowered his price target to $5 from $14 after the company pre-announced a second quarter miss and lowered second half 2018 guidance. The analyst said he is incrementally more concerned with the company's ability to re-accelerate sales and margin trends given slower growth trends in athletic footwear overall and increased risk from expanded competition as Finish Line's assortments are less differentiated than Foot Locker's (FL). Further, Krasik told investors that he estimates Finish Line will generate only a modest amount of free cash flow the next two years that could put its dividend at risk. With the athletic footwear market in a downturn and the future for brick and mortar retailers uncertain at best, it is unclear how Finish Line can re-accelerate growth in the next two to three years, he contended. His peer at Citi also downgraded the stock to Sell from Neutral and lowered her price on the shares to $5 from $14. Analyst Kate McShane believes the competitive environment among athletic retailers "has only become more difficult" and Finish Line suffers from being a smaller mall- based chain relative to Dick's Sporting Goods (DKS) and Foot Locker. Additionally, Deutsche Bank analyst Paul Trussell cut Finish Line's rating to Sell saying that last night's negative pronouncement highlight that increased promotional levels in the athletic footwear marketplace are pressuring both sales and margin. The analyst told investors that he believes the space could be in only the early innings of an "elongated lull in trends" and thinks Finish Line has a "weak real estate position" as a primarily mall-based destination. FBR Capital also downgraded Finish Line to Neutral from Buy this morning. OTHERS TO WATCH: Foot Locker, Under Armour (UA; UAA) and Nike (NKE) are all under pressure this morning following Finish Line's preliminary results. Jefferies analyst Randal Konik argued that Finish Line's second quarter miss and guidance cut support his recent downgrade of Nike shares to Hold as they are a "clear negative read" for the latter. Finish Line's business is heavily leveraged to Nike, which accounted for 71% of merchandise purchases in 2017, Konik noted. With both Finish Line and Foot Locker now having significantly missed second quarter expectations and lowering their second half of the year expectations, the analysts believes that he can "logically surmise" that Nike's two largest categories - running and basketball - remain under pressure and are continuing to decelerate. PRICE ACTION: In morning trading, shares of Finish Line have dropped over 21% to $8.18, while Nike's stock has slipped more than 2% to $52.46.

10:19 EDT Dish jumps 4% to $59.01 - Dish's move higher may be attributable to a positive court ruling, trading contacts tell The Fly.

09:51 EDT Power REIT trading halted, news pending

09:30 EDT Abeona Therapeutics receives FDA Breakthrough Therapy designation for EB-101 - Abeona Therapeutics announced that the FDA has granted Breakthrough Therapy designation status to the company's EB-101 gene therapy program for patients with Recessive Dystrophic Epidermolysis Bullosa, or RDEB. The designation from the FDA enables collaborative discussions with senior FDA personnel, priority review and an expedited approval process to drug candidates where preliminary clinical trials indicate that a therapy may offer substantial treatment advantages over existing options for patients with serious or life-threatening diseases.

09:26 EDT On The Fly: Pre-market Movers - HIGHER: Hain Celestial (HAIN), up 5.7% after reporting quarterly results... EnteroMedics (ETRM), up 4.6% after the company said that a study concludes that vagal nerve blocking with its vBloc therapy is cost-effective... Babcock & Wilcox (BW), up 6.2% after Vintage Capital reported a 9.99% passive stake in the company... Arc Logistics (ARCX), up 11.7% after announcing that it agreed to be acquired by Zenith for $16.50 per unit in cash. DOWN AFTER EARNINGS: Best Buy (BBY), down 4.3%... Prospect Capital (PSEC), down 4.3%. ALSO LOWER: Finish Line (FINL), down 33.5% after the shoe retailer reported downbeat preliminary second quarter results and cut its outlook for fiscal 2018.

09:17 EDT Auxilio assumes CynergisTek name - Auxilio (AUXO) announced that it has officially assumed the CynergisTek (CTEK) name and the NYSE MKT ticker symbol will become "CTEK", effective September 8. CynergisTek was acquired by Auxilio.

09:14 EDT Novae shareholders approve AXIS Capital offer - AXIS Capital Holdings announced that Novae Group shareholders approved the scheme of arrangement with AXIS Capital, with approximately 99.97% of shareholder votes cast in favor of the proposal. Based on 2016 actual results, the combination overall represents a global specialty insurer with gross written premiums in excess of $6B. The transaction is subject to regulatory approval and other customary closing conditions and is expected to close in Q4 of this year.

09:12 EDT Arc Logistics to be acquired by Zenith for $16.50 per unit in cash

09:09 EDT Monsanto to have RR 2 Xtend supply for half of all U.S. acres in 2018 season - In remarks scheduled today for Chief Technology Officer Robb Fraley at Farm Progress Show in Decatur, Ill., Monsanto Company will announce that, in light of current demand, the company and its licensing partners expect to have a supply of Roundup Ready 2 Xtend soybeans for up to half of all U.S. soybean acres for the 2018 season, doubling what is planted this season. "We are hearing that the overwhelming majority of farmers using Monsanto's low-volatility dicamba product, XtendiMax herbicide with VaporGrip technology, this year are experiencing tremendous success. In states where we sold our dicamba product this season, we have heard some reports of leaf cupping, which can have many possible causes," Fraley says. "In the vast majority of situations, we have identified issues that are addressable through training and following the label instructions, and we continue to hear from many farmers that our training and education efforts helped them use the technology successfully this season." "We understand that EPA is working with the states and is evaluating potential actions to facilitate enhanced training and compliance for 2018. We are communicating with the EPA, which is interested in achieving national uniformity with dicamba regulation to avoid a state patchwork," he says. "I've seen first-hand that the Roundup Ready 2 Xtend soybean crop is developing well and I look forward to partnering with growers through harvest." Monsanto now expects that, together with its partners, it will have supply for up to roughly half of the U.S. soybean market next year, following a season where more than 20 million acres were planted, on the way to a market opportunity of 200-250 million acres globally. Fraley will also express confidence in the advancement of digital agriculture tools, as The Climate Corporation publicly announces seven product advancements in an industry-leading research pipeline of more than 35 projects, including key advancements in fertility and seed scripting, as well as corn disease diagnosis. Key enhancements, to be announced in detail later today, will enable more farmers to experience the value of the Climate FieldView platform.

09:03 EDT Thermo Fisher sees Patheon acquisition accretive to remainder of FY17 - Thermo Fisher Scientific (TMO) announced that it has completed its acquisition of Patheon (PTHN) for approximately $7.2B. This close follows the expiration of Thermo Fisher's initial tender offer for Patheon at $35.00 per share in cash. For the remainder of 2017, the transaction is expected to be approximately 9c accretive to adjusted EPS, which includes 2c in Q3. Details of the 2017 impact will be provided during Thermo Fisher's Q3 earnings call in late October. Thermo Fisher continues to expect to realize total synergies of approximately $120M by year three following the close, consisting of approximately $90M of cost synergies and approximately $30M of adjusted operating income benefit from revenue-related synergies. Thermo Fisher is acquiring approximately 95.3% of Patheon's outstanding ordinary shares.

09:02 EDT Western Digital to acquire Tegile; financial terms not disclosed - Western Digital and Tegile Systems announced that they have entered into a definitive agreement under which Tegile, a provider of flash and persistent-memory storage solutions for enterprise data center applications, will be acquired by Western Digital. Financial terms of the transaction were not disclosed. The acquisition is expected to close the week of Sept. 4, 2017, upon satisfaction of certain closing conditions as set forth in the definitive agreement between the parties.

08:59 EDT Thermo Fisher acquires Patheon for $7.2B accretive to remainder of FY17 - Thermo Fisher Scientific (TMO) announced that it has completed its acquisition of Patheon (PTHN) for approximately $7.2B. This close follows the expiration of Thermo Fisher's initial tender offer for Patheon at $35.00 per share in cash. For the remainder of 2017, the transaction is expected to be approximately 9c accretive to adjusted EPS, which includes 2c in the Q3. Details of the 2017 impact will be provided during Thermo Fisher's Q3 earnings call in late October. Thermo Fisher continues to expect to realize total synergies of approximately $120M by year three following the close, consisting of approximately $90M of cost synergies and approximately $30M of adjusted operating income benefit from revenue-related synergies. Thermo Fisher is acquiring approximately 95.3% of Patheon's outstanding ordinary shares.

08:51 EDT Arc Logistics trading halted, news pending

08:44 EDT ZTO Express expands fresh produce delivery services - ZTO Express announced that it has expanded its fresh produce delivery services with the addition of two high-speed rail links between Kunming, Yunnan Province, and Beijing and Shanghai. The expansion extends ZTO's current fresh product delivery network to a total of eight high-speed rail links including Guangdong, Guangxi, Hunan, Hubei, Jiangxi and Guiyang Provinces.

08:40 EDT Reed's chairman John Bello purchases 147,047 shares of common stock - Reed's announced that on August 24, Chairman John Bello purchased 117,647 shares of Reed's common stock at the market price of $1.70 per share. Chairman Bello purchased an additional 29,400 shares on August 25, 2017 at $1.70 per share.

08:37 EDT Air Industries says Peter Rettaliata to remain as Acting CEO - Air Industries announces that Luciano Melluzzo has been appointed president of Air Industries Group. Peter Rettaliata, who took on the role of president and CEO in March with Daniel Godin's departure, will remain Acting CEO.

08:31 EDT Apple, Accenture partner to create iOS business solutions - Apple (AAPL) and Accenture (ACN) are partnering to help businesses transform how their people engage with customers through innovative business solutions for iOS. The partnership will take full advantage of the power, simplicity and security of iOS, the leading enterprise mobility platform, and Accenture's capabilities as a leader in industry and digital transformation to help companies unlock new revenue streams, increase productivity, improve customer experience and reduce costs. Accenture will create a dedicated iOS practice within Accenture Digital Studios in select locations around the world. Experts from Apple will be co-located with this team. Working together, the two companies will launch a new set of tools and services that help enterprise clients transform how they engage with customers using iPhone and iPad. The experts will include visual and experience designers, programmers, data architects and scientists, and hardware and software designers.

08:29 EDT Best Buy says expects increases in operating margins to 'moderate over time'

08:22 EDT Best Buy says saw strength in mobile, computers in Q2 - Expects strength in mobile to continue in Q3.

08:17 EDT Best Buy raises FY18 CapEx view to approximately $700M from $650M

08:08 EDT UnitedHealth sees Optum, Advisory Board deal netural to EPS in first year - Optum, part of UnitedHealth (UNH) and The Advisory Board Company (ABCO) announced that The Advisory Board Company's health care business will join Optum. The merger is expected to close by the end of 2017 or in early 2018 and is contingent on the approval of The Advisory Board Company's stockholders and the satisfaction or waiver of certain other closing conditions, including U.S. antitrust clearance and the closing of the sale of The Advisory Board Company's education business. The transaction is expected to be neutral to UnitedHealth Group's earnings per share in the first year.

08:06 EDT Advisory Board agrees to sell health care, education businesses - The Advisory Board Company (ABCO) announced that it has entered into a definitive merger agreement to sell its health care business to Optum, a health services company, and a definitive purchase agreement to sell its education business to affiliates of Vista Equity Partners, an investment firm. Stockholders of the company would receive estimated cash per share of $54.29, which includes a fixed amount of $52.65 per share and the after-tax value at closing of the company's 7.6% stake in Evolent Health (EVH), which has been estimated as of August 28. Total merger transaction value, including the after-tax proceeds for the sale of the education business, is approximately $2.58B. Prior to the closing of the merger of the health care business with Optum, affiliates of Vista will acquire the company's education business, including Royall & Company, for $1.55B, subject to customary adjustments. Following the closing of the education transaction, the company's health care business will merge with Optum for $1.3B, including the assumption of The Advisory Board Company's debt. All of the outstanding shares of common stock of the company will be converted into the right to receive $52.65 per share in cash plus an additional cash amount per share based on the after-tax value of the company's stake in Evolent at closing. Such additional amount will fluctuate between signing and closing. Based on the closing trading price of Evolent's Class A common stock on August 28, stockholders would receive total cash consideration per share of approximately $54.29 in the merger, representing a premium for stockholders of approximately 50% to the closing price of the company's common stock on the NASDAQ on January 11, which was the last trading day prior to the public disclosure of a significant minority investment in the company. The Board of Directors of The Advisory Board company unanimously approved the merger agreement and has recommended that the company's stockholders adopt the merger agreement. The merger is expected to close by the end of 2017 or in early 2018 and is contingent on the approval of the company's stockholders. The merger is subject to the satisfaction or waiver of certain other closing conditions, including U.S. antitrust clearance and the closing of the sale of the education business. It is not subject to a financing condition. Elliott Management has agreed to vote its shares in support of the merger at the upcoming stockholder meeting.

08:04 EDT Optum, The Advisory Board's health care business to merge - Optum and The Advisory Board Company announced that The Advisory Board Company's health care business will join Optum. By bringing together distinctive information and technology solutions with comprehensive data-driven research and advisory capabilities, the combined organization will be better positioned to help its members and clients respond to changing market dynamics and improve the health system for everyone. Robert Musslewhite, CEO of The Advisory Board Company, will continue to lead its health care advisory business. The Board of Directors of The Advisory Board Company unanimously approved the merger agreement and has recommended that its stockholders adopt the merger agreement. The merger is expected to close by the end of 2017 or in early 2018 and is contingent on the approval of The Advisory Board Company's stockholders and the satisfaction or waiver of certain other closing conditions, including U.S. antitrust clearance and the closing of the sale of The Advisory Board Company's education business.

08:03 EDT Freeport McMoRan: PT-FI to convert contract of work to special license

08:02 EDT Advisory Board to sell health care business to Optum, education unit to Vista

08:02 EDT Protalex doses first patient in European Phase 1b study of PRTX-100 - Protalex announced that following a planned interim analysis of data from the second dose cohort of its European Phase 1b study of PRTX-100 in adults with persistent/chronic Immune Thrombocytopenia, the company has initiated enrollment in the third cohort of this dose-escalating study. The first patient in the third cohort was recently dosed at 12.0 microg/kg, double that of the second dose cohort of 6.0 microg/kg. PRTX-100 has been granted Orphan Drug Designation in the U.S. and in Europe for the treatment of ITP. The 203 Study is a European open-label, dose escalating study that can enroll up to 30 patients in as many as five cohorts. Patients only needed to have received one prior ITP treatment to potentially be eligible for the 203 study. Each patient will receive four weekly intravenous doses of PRTX-100 and will be monitored for up to 48 weeks thereafter. The primary study endpoint of the 203 Study is to evaluate the safety of PRTX-100. Secondary endpoints include efficacy, immunogenicity, and pharmacokinetics.

08:01 EDT The Advisory Board agrees to sell health care, education businesses

07:55 EDT Advisory Board trading halted, news pending

07:43 EDT Hain Celestial CEO: 'Achieved sales growth in all business segments' in Q4 - "We are pleased to have achieved sales growth in all of our business segments on a constant currency basis in the fourth quarter, despite an ever changing operating environment for food manufacturers and retailers," said Irwin D. Simon, Founder, President and CEO of Hain Celestial. "Building upon our core platforms and cost savings initiatives, our global team has made significant progress during the year executing on our strategic plan. The business momentum and operational improvements we experienced in the fourth quarter of fiscal 2017 reinforces our confidence in the tremendous opportunities ahead to generate the growth we know we are capable of achieving over the next several years."

07:34 EDT Tabula Rasa HealthCare PACE unit signs agreement with CenterLight Healthcare - Tabula Rasa HealthCare announces that the largest Program of All-Inclusive Care for the Elderly organization, or PACE, has signed an agreement for medication risk management services with CareKinesis, its wholly owned subsidiary focused on PACE. CenterLight Healthcare PACE selected TRHC to work with the Interdisciplinary Care Team to streamline workflows and improve outcomes for participants. The agreement will begin with a launch center with additional locations to be added over time in consideration of specific clinical, economic, and satisfaction-related outcomes. The Agreement takes effect September 1.

07:31 EDT Moleculin Biotech files IND with FDA for Annamycin - Moleculin Biotech announced it has filed with the FDA an Investigational New Drug, or IND, application to study Annamycin in the treatment of relapsed or refractory acute myeloid leukemia, or AML. Submitting this revised IND marks a significant milestone for Moleculin. FDA allowing the IND to go into effect -- which is the anticipated next step and normally would occur within 30 days -- will allow the company to begin additional clinical trials as part of demonstrating the safety and effectiveness of Annamycin. The current plan is to seek approval for treating relapsed or refractory acute myeloid leukemia. If the IND goes into effect as planned, the company expects to begin clinical trials during the fourth quarter of this year. There can be no assurance, however, that the IND will go into effect within in expected time frame, or at all.

07:21 EDT Acorda drops 24% to $19.50 after receiving Refusal to File letter from FDA

07:12 EDT ARTMS Products, GE Healthcare partner for cyclotron produced radioisotopes - ARTMS Products announced they have signed a strategic partnership with GE Healthcare around ARTMS' proprietary QUANTM99TM Irradiation System for radioisotope production. The goal of the partnership is to supply equipment, technologies and research that supports the production and processing of radioisotopes on GE's PETtraceTM 800 platform of medical cyclotrons. The QISTM integrates on to the GE PETtraceTM 800 series cyclotron to enable an alternative, non-reactor supply of valuable medical isotopes including technetium-99m, copper-64, gallium-68 and zirconium-89. The strategic partnership includes an agreement for ARTMS to supply and install Europe's first QUANTMTM system and research into expanding the number of available isotopes produced on GE's PETtraceTM 800 series medical cyclotrons. ARTMS will work with GE to optimize the production and processing of isotopes such as copper-64 and gallium-68. The QUANTMTM system has already proven concept and received numerous awards for its leading edge technology in the area of technetium-99m production. Every year Tc-99m is used in over 80% of all nuclear medicine imaging procedures in areas such as cardiology, oncology, and neurology. Recently, Tc-99m produced with the QUANTMTM system was used to complete a Canadian multi-centre registration trial in bone imaging and thyroid function. In the future it is the intent of ARTMS and GE to continue to offer the QUANTMTM system to new and existing PETtraceTM cyclotron customers on a global basis. Customers will benefit directly from the intellectual property, know-how, trade-secrets and regulatory package that ARTMS has developed.

07:08 EDT J.Jill reports Q2 total comparable sales growth of 7.8%

07:07 EDT Garmin announces Edge 1030 high-end cycling computer - Garmin International announced the Edge 1030, a high-end cycling computer that combines enhanced navigation, performance and cycling awareness into a lightweight design.

07:06 EDT Best Buy to proactively make additional Q3, Q4 investments to drive strategy

07:05 EDT Acorda Therapeutics receives RTF letter from FDA for INBRIJA - Acorda Therapeutics announced that it received a Refusal to File letter from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration regarding its New Drug Application for INBRIJA. INBRIJA is an investigational treatment for symptoms of OFF periods in people with Parkinson's disease taking a carbidopa/levodopa regimen. Upon its preliminary review, FDA determined that the NDA, submitted on June 26, was not sufficiently complete to permit a substantive review. FDA specified two reasons for the RTF: first, the date when the manufacturing site would be ready for inspection, and, second, a question regarding the submission of the drug master production record. FDA also requested additional information at resubmission, which was not part of the basis for the RTF. The company will seek immediate guidance, including a Type A meeting with the FDA, to respond to the issues, which it believes are addressable, and to seek clarification of what additional information will be required. The FDA has not requested or recommended additional clinical efficacy or safety studies.

07:04 EDT Pfizer, Avillion announce FDA and EMA acceptances of submissions for BOSULIF - Pfizer and Avillion announced that a supplemental New Drug Application for BOSULIF has been accepted for filing and granted Priority Review by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. If approved, the sNDA would expand the approved use of BOSULIF to include patients with newly diagnosed chronic phase Philadelphia chromosome-positive chronic myeloid leukemia. BOSULIF is currently indicated in the U.S. for the treatment of adult patients with Ph+ CML with resistance or intolerance to prior therapy. Priority Review status accelerates FDA review time from 10 months to a goal of six months from the day of acceptance of filing, and is given to drugs that may offer major advances in treatment or may provide a treatment for which no adequate therapy exists. The Prescription Drug User Fee Act goal date for a decision by the FDA is in December. In addition, the European Medicines Agency has validated for review a Type II Variation application for use of BOSULIF in the same patient population. In Europe, BOSULIF has conditional marketing authorization for the treatment of adult patients with Ph+ CML previously treated with one or more tyrosine kinase inhibitors and for whom imatinib, nilotinib and dasatinib are not considered appropriate treatment options. The submissions are based on results from BFORE, a multi-center, multinational, open-label Phase 3 study which showed BOSULIF 400 mg was associated with a significantly higher rate of patients achieving major molecular response at 12 months compared to the rate achieved in patients treated with imatinib. Results from the trial were presented at the American Society of Clinical Oncology Annual Meeting in May 2017 and at the European Hematology Association Meeting in June 2017. The adverse events seen in the trial were consistent with the known safety profile for BOSULIF. The proposed dosing for the newly diagnosed patients is 400 mg daily, which is different from the currently approved dosing in patients who are resistant or intolerant to prior TKI therapy.

07:03 EDT Comstock Mining secures valuable sale of water rights - The Company also announced that it has escrowed the sale of 54 acre-feet of water rights in two transactions that generated over $550,000. The transaction is expected to close in the first week of September and the funds will immediately be used to pay down long-term debt, consistent with the Company's original plan. The Company still has over 203 acre-feet of water rights available for use in this development area. Corrado De Gasperis, President & CEO of Comstock Mining said, "The sale of water rights at $15,000 per acre-foot value the water rights at over $3.5 million, more than the purchase price of the land and water and mark these properties at a much higher market value than originally anticipated for the entire industrial complex. We see the early opening of the Infinity Highway as a catalyst for both the speed and value of the properties we are monetizing."

07:02 EDT Best Buy reports Q2 Enterprise SSS up 5.4% - Reports Q2 domestic SSS up 5.4%. "We are pleased today to report strong top and bottom line growth for the second quarter of fiscal 2018," said Hubert Joly, Best Buy chairman and CEO. "Our higher-than-expected comparable sales of 5.4% were driven by stronger consumer demand for technology products and by the strong execution of our strategy. Against a backdrop of continued healthy consumer confidence, we believe broad-based product innovation is resonating with consumers and driving higher spend. And, with our effective merchandising and marketing activities, combined with our expert advice and service available online, in-store and in-home - we are garnering an increasing share of those dollars." Best Buy CFO Corie Barry commented, "Today we are raising our topline guidance and are now expecting full year FY18 revenue growth of approximately 4.0% versus our previous outlook of 2.5%. On the profitability side, we are now expecting full year non-GAAP operating income growth of 4.0% to 9.0% versus our previous outlook of 3.5% to 8.5% growth. This updated guidance reflects stronger-than-originally-expected second half revenue performance with profitability roughly in line with our previous expectations. The increased topline expectations are being driven by the anticipation of continued positive industry and consumer momentum, coupled with the impact of product launches. From a profitability perspective, while our original full year guidance anticipated an increased level of investments for FY18, we have made strategic decisions to proactively make additional Q3 and Q4 investments to continue to drive our Best Buy 2020 strategy forward."

06:53 EDT ClubCorp provides update on impact of Hurricane Harvey - "ClubCorp provided the following update regarding the impact of Hurricane Harvey on its clubs. ClubCorp clubs located in the Houston region have experienced heavy rainfall over the past few days and are closed at this time. Our top priority is the safety and well-being of our staff and the members of our clubs. The storm is ongoing and we remain in close contact with all of our clubs in the region affected by the storm. We will continue to monitor the storm and assess its impact on our clubs. We are pleased that, to date, there have been no reports of injuries. ClubCorp maintains flood and business interruption insurance coverage for storms such as Hurricane Harvey. Furthermore, with more than 200 clubs across the United States and a dues-based model, ClubCorp is a resilient and well-diversified company. ClubCorp expects that the storm will not have a negative impact on the pending merger transaction with affiliates of Apollo. The special meeting of ClubCorp stockholders to approve such transaction remains scheduled for September 15, 2017 and the transaction is on track to close in our fiscal fourth quarter of 2017. ClubCorp applauds its dedicated staff for their hard work and thanks the first responders, members of law enforcement and medical personnel who are working tirelessly to aid the communities impacted by Hurricane Harvey."

06:50 EDT Seattle Genetics excercised option to co-develop tisotumab vedotin with Genmab - Genmab (GEN) and Seattle Genetics (SGEN) announced that Seattle Genetics has exercised its option to co-develop tisotumab vedotin. Tisotumab vedotin, an antibody-drug conjugate, or ADC, targeting tissue factor, is currently being evaluated in Phase I/II clinical studies in solid tumors. Going forward, Genmab and Seattle Genetics will co-develop and share all future costs and profits for tisotumab vedotin on a 50:50 basis. These news do not impact the 2017 financial guidance issued by Genmab on May 10.

06:40 EDT Jazz Pharmaceuticals, ImmunoGen announce strategic collaboration - Jazz Pharmaceuticals (JAZZ) and ImmunoGen (IMGN) announced that the companies have entered into a collaboration and option agreement granting Jazz Pharmaceuticals exclusive, worldwide rights to opt into development and commercialization of two early-stage, hematology-related antibody-drug conjugate, or ADC, programs, as well as an additional program to be designated during the term of the agreement. The programs covered under the agreement include IMGN779, a CD33-targeted ADC for the treatment of acute myeloid leukemia, or AML, in Phase 1 testing, and IMGN632, a CD123-targeted ADC for hematological malignancies expected to enter clinical testing before the end of the year. Under the terms of the agreement, ImmunoGen will be responsible for the development of the three ADC programs prior to any potential opt-in by Jazz. Following any opt-in, Jazz would be responsible for any further development as well as for potential regulatory submissions and commercialization. As part of the agreement, Jazz will pay ImmunoGen an upfront payment of $75 million. Additionally, Jazz will pay ImmunoGen up to $100 million in development funding over seven years to support the three ADC programs. For each program, Jazz may exercise its opt-in right at any time prior to a pivotal study or any time prior to a biologics license application, or BLA, upon payment of an option exercise fee of mid-double digit millions or low triple digit millions, respectively. For each program to which Jazz elects to opt-in, ImmunoGen would be eligible to receive milestone payments based on receiving regulatory approval of the applicable product, plus tiered royalties as a percentage of commercial sales by Jazz, which depending upon sales levels and the stage of development at the time of opt-in, range from mid- to high single digits in the lowest tier to low 10's to low 20's in the highest tier. After opt-in, Jazz and ImmunoGen would share costs associated with developing and obtaining regulatory approvals of the applicable product in the United States and the European Union. ImmunoGen has the right to co-commercialize in the U.S. one product with U.S. profit sharing in lieu of Jazz's payment of the U.S. milestone and royalties to ImmunoGen.

06:33 EDT Fang Holdings expects to be profitable in the second half of year - Fang Holdings says it is in its last stage of returning to a technology-driven open platform and expects to be profitable in the second half of the year.

06:07 EDT Sorrento Therapeutics submits NDA for ZTildo - Sorrento Therapeutics announced that SCILEX Pharmaceuticals, a majority-owned subsidiary of Sorrento, resubmitted the NDA and responded to all of FDA comments related to the initial NDA submission for its lead product candidate, ZTlido. The company intends to submit a marketing authorization application for ZTlido in Europe in the fourth quarter of this year. Total 2016 sales of currently approved prescription lidocaine patches in the U.S. and Europe were approximately $750M and we expect ZTlido to be a significant player in the market.

06:02 EDT Praxair, Linde responding to second request from FTC on merger - In a regulatory filing, Linde (LNEGY) and Praxair (PX) disclosed were responding to a second request from the U.S. Federal Trade Commission regarding their planned $74B merger and were in a pre-notification phase with the European Commission. The companies said they intend to make formal filings in Brazil, Canada, Russia and Mexico in mid-September.

06:02 EDT Tutor Perini subsidiary awarded $78M contract by U.S. naval engineerging command - Tutor Perini announced that its Guam-based subsidiary, Black Construction Corporation, or BCC, has been awarded a contract valued at approximately $78M by the U.S. Naval Facilities Engineering Command for the design and construction of a live-fire training range complex at Northwest Field, Naval Support Activity Andersen. Work on the project is expected to commence in October 2017 with substantial completion anticipated by November 2020. The contract value will be included in the Company's reported Q3 backlog.

05:51 EDT Elbit Systems awarded F-5 upgrade program contract valued at about $93M - Elbit Systems announced that it was awarded an approximately $93M contract from an Asia-Pacific country to upgrade its F-5 aircraft fleet. The contract will be performed over a three-year period. Under the upgrade contract, Elbit Systems will supply the F-5 with cutting-edge systems, including Head-Up Displays, an advanced cockpit, radars, weapon delivery and navigation systems, as well as DASH IV Head Mounted Systems.

05:46 EDT TechnipFMC awarded EPCI contract from Husky Energy - TechnipFMC has been awarded an Engineering, Procurement, Construction and Installation, or EPCI, contract from Husky Energy for the West White Rose Project in Eastern Canada. The contract covers the supply and installation of subsea equipment including tie-in manifolds, flexible flowlines, and control umbilicals, which will connect the recently announced West White Rose Platform to the existing SeaRose FPSO vessel.