Stockwinners Market Radar for August 30, 2017 - Earnings, Upgrades downgrades, option trades, Best Stock Advisory Service

19:06 EDT Incyte says new epacadostat data shows 'robust and durable responses' - Incyte Corporation (INCY) announced that the European Society for Medical Oncology has published an abstract containing new and updated data from the ongoing Phase 1/2 ECHO-202 trial evaluating epacadostat, Incyte's selective IDO1 enzyme inhibitor, in combination with the anti-PD-1 KEYTRUDA, marketed by Merck (MRK), in patients with advanced melanoma. "We are encouraged by these additional data from our ECHO-202 trial, which demonstrate robust and durable responses in patients with advanced melanoma treated with the combination of epacadostat and KEYTRUDA," said Steven Stein, M.D., Chief Medical Officer, Incyte. "These results further underscore the potential of this novel immunotherapy combination, and we look forward to reporting more detailed results from this study at ESMO next month."

18:45 EDT Immune Design announces new, 'positive' data from Phase 2 trial of CMB305 - Immune Design announced positive topline data from its interim analysis of the ongoing, randomized Phase 2 trial evaluating CMB305 in combination with atezolizumab or atezolizumab alone in 88 soft tissue sarcoma patients. The data will be presented in a poster discussion session at the European Society of Medical Oncology 2017 Congress, September 8-12, 2017 in Madrid, Spain. Data to be presented at ESMO build upon those data on the first 36 patients summarized in the abstract, and include a greater number of patients enrolled. Clinical Benefit: Data from the larger patient population show that patients receiving CMB305 and atezolizumab experienced greater clinical benefit in the form of Disease Control Rate (including objective responses), Progression Free Survival and Time to Next Treatment than those receiving atezolizumab alone. Immune Response: Patients who received the combination of CMB305 and atezolizumab demonstrated an increased frequency of induced immune responses to NY-ESO-1, including NY-ESO-1-specific T cells, NY-ESO-1 antibodies, and antigen spreading, in comparison to patients who received atezolizumab alone Biomarkers: In an exploratory analysis, a trend towards improved overall survival was observed in patients in the CMB305 and atezolizumab combination arm who had pre-existing and treatment-induced anti-NY-ESO-1 immunity, compared to the atezolizumab alone arm. Pre-treatment tumor biopsy analysis showed negligible levels of PD-L1 expression. Safety: No new safety signals have been observed in either arm.

18:38 EDT Illinois American Water to invest over $5.7M to improve distribution system - Illinois American Water's Peoria District is investing over $5.7M to improve its distribution system. The investment includes installing over four miles of water main in Peoria, Limestone Township and Bartonville. In addition, 11 pressure-reducing valves will be installed in the system's high service zone in Peoria for main break reduction. Weather permitting; crews will begin work in early September, starting at various times with total completion of this work by the end of the year. Once the pressure reducing valves are in place, Illinois American Water's engineering team will determine the appropriate time to bring the new pressure system online. This is expected to occur next year.

17:56 EDT Penn Virginia provides update regarding impact from Hurricane Harvey - There has been no long-term damage to Penn Virginia's producing assets or facilities due to the storm. The company's Gonzales, Texas, field office is fully operational. Sales of production have been curtailed due to compression availability and localized flooding. The company is currently producing at approximately 50% of full potential with 80% of production expected to be online in three days and full production expected in a week, depending on refinery capacities. Drilling operations were suspended at the four-well Rhino pad and the three-well Oryx pad in advance of the storm. Drilling operations have resumed on the Rhino pad and the company expects drilling operations to resume on the Oryx pad by tomorrow.Completions operations were suspended at the eight-well Chicken Hawk and Jake Berger pads. The company expects completion operations to resume within two days. The completion of the Chicken Hawk and Jake Berger pads is expected to be delayed by seven to ten days compared to original estimates with first sales now anticipated to be in late September.The storm impacts are not expected to delay the closing of the previously announced acquisition of Eagle Ford assets from Devon Energy Corporation primarily located in Lavaca County, Texas, with closing still anticipated for September 30 or earlier.The company will update production forecasts as more detailed information becomes available.

17:43 EDT Sanchez Midstream reports insignificant damage from Hurricane Harvey - Sanchez Midstream's midstream assets in the Western Eagle Ford did not sustain any significant damage from Hurricane Harvey and are currently fully operational.

17:30 EDT MicroVision announces $3.15M investment from current shareholder - MicroVision announced that on August 28, 2017 it sold 1.5M unregistered shares to a private investor who is also a current shareholder at a price of $2.10 per share, for aggregate consideration of $3.15M. The last closing sale price of MicroVision's common stock on August 28, 2017 was $2.19. MicroVision intends to use the proceeds from the issuance for general corporate purposes.

17:22 EDT RadNet CFO Stolper sells over $101,000 in company shares - RadNet CFO Mark Stolper disclosed in a filing on Wednesday that he had sold 10,000 shares of company stock on August 30 at an average price of $10.19 per share. the total transaction value of the sale was $101,900.

17:14 EDT Workday sees Q4 subscription revenue $466M-$471M - Comments taken from Q2 earnings conference call.

17:08 EDT Northrop Grumman awarded $116.9M government contract - Northrop Grumman Systems Corp., Herndon, Virginia, has been awarded a $116,916,350 cost, cost-plus-fixed-fee, firm-fixed-price, and fixed-price-incentive contract for logistics support services for government-owned fixed wing fleet performing special electronic mission aircraft missions. Bids were solicited via the Internet with three received. Work will be performed in Herndon, Virginia, with an estimated completion date of Feb. 28, 2027. Fiscal 2017 operations and maintenance funds in the amount of $30,000,000 were obligated at the time of the award. U.S. Army Contracting Command, Redstone Arsenal, Alabama, is the contracting activity.

17:06 EDT Weingarten Realty reports minimal damage from Hurricane Harvey - Weingarten Realty sustained significant flood water in only two of the 45 centers in Hurricane Harvey 's path. The company's flooded shopping centers represent only 195,000 square feet out of the 27.8 million square feet in the total portfolio, less than three quarters of 1% of the companies properties. The two properties affected were both in Houston, Texas. The company continues to evaluate and inspect all the properties in the storm's path, however most are ready for our tenants to commence operations and many are already open for business. Many other retailers are expected to open over the next few days as transportation and other logistics are resolved.

17:02 EDT Stewart names David Hisey as CFO - Stewart appointed David Hisey as CFO, Secretary and Treasurer. He takes over for Allen Berryman, who announced his retirement plans earlier this year. Berryman will remain in an advisory role into the fall to ensure a smooth transition. He was most recently as Senior Advisor to the CEO and acting CFO for Prospect Mortgage. Prior to this position, his roles included Executive VP and CFO, as well as Chief Strategy & External Affairs Officer and Chief of Staff for Nationstar Mortgage Holdings.

16:55 EDT Joseph Epperson reports 8.74% stake in MaxPoint

16:46 EDT Oneok reports status of operations following Hurricane Harvey - ONEOK announced that its Mont Belvieu, Texas, complex is operational and has not experienced significant damage from the impact of Hurricane Harvey. All ONEOK employees located in the Gulf Coast area are safe and accounted for. Some ONEOK assets in the area are operating at reduced volumes primarily due to temporary refinery and petrochemical facility outages and restraints on its customers' ability to receive natural gas liquids products. Currently, upstream volumes from ONEOK's producer customers have not been significantly impacted. With the help of other companies in the industry, ONEOK is working to best serve the needs of customers as NGL markets recover and return to pre-hurricane levels. As volumes and customer operations recover, ONEOK is prepared to resume normal operations at all Mont Belvieu area facilities.

16:32 EDT SEC declares effective registration statement for Angie's List-IAC deal - Angie's List (ANGI) announced that the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission has declared effective the registration statement on Form S-4 filed by ANGI Homeservices Inc. relating to the previously announced acquisition of Angie's List by ANGI Homeservices by way of the merger of Casa Merger Sub, Inc., a Delaware corporation and direct wholly owned subsidiary of ANGI Homeservices, with and into Angie's List. The Registration Statement includes a definitive proxy statement/prospectus of Angie's List and ANGI Homeservices. Notice of the special meeting of Angie's List stockholders and the definitive proxy statement/prospectus is expected to be mailed on or about August 30, 2017, to stockholders of Angie's List as of the close of business on August 25, 2017. Angie's List established the close of business on August 25, 2017 as the record date for the Special Meeting to be held to consider and vote on a proposal to adopt the Agreement and Plan of Merger, dated as of May 1, 2017, among Angie's List, Inc., IAC/InterActiveCorp (IAC), ANGI Homeservices, and Casa Merger Sub, Inc.

16:25 EDT Starwood Waypoint Homes provides update related to Hurricane Harvey - Starwood Waypoint Homes, or SFR, is actively reaching out to all residents to begin resolving issues and inspecting homes as transportation allows. Based on the flood conditions, the home inspection process that began today is expected to take several weeks to complete. Starwood Waypoint Homes has proactively put in place a task force comprised of employees, vendors and suppliers from across the country that stand ready to assist as access permits. SFR's advanced service technology platform and 24/7 call center is being utilized to receive and dispatch service requests. Given the impact and continued effects of the storm and related flooding, it is still too early to fully assess each and every property at the current time. The company owns 2,695 homes in the Houston market. All of Starwood Waypoint Homes' employees and their families in the Houston area are currently safe and accounted for.

16:19 EDT Allison Transmission names David Graziosi as next CEO - The board of directors for Allison Transmission (ALSN) announced that President and CFO David Graziosi will succeed CEO Lawrence Dewey on June 1, 2018. Graziosi joined Allison as executive vice president, CFO and treasurer, in November 2007 shortly after the sale of Allison Transmission by General Motors (GM) to The Carlyle Group (CG) and Onex Corporation, ultimately leading to an IPO in March 2012. The board will consider both internal and external candidates to assume Allison's CFO position and implement an appropriate transition plan.

16:13 EDT Morgan Stanley reports 5.2% passive stake in Babcock & Wilcox

16:05 EDT Workday raises FY18 subscription rev. view to $1.75B-$1.76B from $1.71B-$1.72B

16:02 EDT Amgen: FDA accepts sNDA to add overall survival results to KYPROLIS label - Amgen announced that the U.S. FDA has accepted for review a supplemental New Drug Application based on the overall survival data from the Phase 3 head-to-head ENDEAVOR trial demonstrating that KYPROLIS and dexamethasone reduced the risk of death by 21% and increased OS by 7.6 months versus Velcade and dexamethasone in patients with relapsed or refractory multiple myeloma (median OS 47.6 months for Kd versus 40.0 months for Vd, HR=0.79; p=0.01). The FDA has set a Prescription Drug User Fee Act action date of April 30, 2018. If approved by the FDA, the KYPROLIS U.S. prescribing information will include this data from the ENDEAVOR trial showing that KYPROLIS, administered at the 56 mg/m2 dose as a 30-minute infusion twice weekly with dexamethasone, helped relapsed or refractory multiple myeloma patients live longer than patients administered Vd. Full results from the ENDEAVOR OS analysis were recently published online in The Lancet Oncology.

15:54 EDT Teva announces FDA approval of Austedo for tardive dyskinesia - Teva Pharmaceutical announced that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration has approved Austedo tablets for the treatment of tardive dyskinesia in adults. Austedo was previously approved for the treatment of chorea associated with Huntington's disease in April 2017.

15:34 EDT Before the Move: Watch Hasbro, toy retailers into 'Force Friday' - New merchandise from Star Wars: Episode 8 is set to be released across major retailers this Friday. Jefferies analyst Stephanie Wissink assumes toy sales will be down 30%-40% when compared to Episode 7, but collectors should remain highly engaged. FORCE FRIDAY II: September 1st marks the date of "Force Friday II," when new merchandise from "Star Wars: The Last Jedi" is scheduled to be released. This year's version of the event will also include an Augmented Reality treasure hunt at over 20,000 retailers using the hashtag #FindtheForce. Jefferies' Wissink noted that some stores, such as Disney (DIS) stores in NYC Times Square, Chicago and San Francisco, will open their doors at midnight. Additionally, Wal-Mart (WMT) will be hosting "Be Jedi Ready" activities, and all locations will participate in the AR event and in Electronic Arts' (EA) Stars Wars Battlefront II related promotions, she said. Other large retailers participating include Toys R Us, J.C. Penney (JCP), GameStop (GME), Staples (SPLS), Target (TGT), Build-a-Bear (BBW), Amazon (AMZN), Apple (AAPL), Kohl's (KSS), Hot Topic, Best Buy (BBY) and Bed Bad & Beyond (BBBY). AWARENESS & SALES: Jefferies' Wissink compared search data for the two weeks prior to Force Friday back in 2015 and now. According to the analyst, searches in 2015 started earlier, but there has been a sharp uptick in searches this week, with them peaking at a similar level. Meanwhile, Wissink noted that Disney/Lucas Arts is introducing Star Wars films on an annual basis through at least 2019, and her expectations are for a natural maturation curve in underlying demand across the episodic films. While the analyst expects "fan spend" to remain consistent, mass market demand should follow historic sales volume step downs. Her Hasbro (HAS) model assumes $450M in annualized revenues for Episode 8, which is much lower than the $700M for "Star Wars: The Force Awakens." The analyst also told investors that she expects Star Wars will help drive third quarter sales, but sees a greater portion of the volume being recorded in fourth quarter. Further, Wissink argued that preliminary channel discussions imply a potentially larger opportunity globally for Episode 9 as Disney markets into the final episode in the trilogy. She reiterated a Buy rating and $125 price target on Hasbro's shares. She also noted that JAKKS Pacific (JAKK) has significant Star Wars exposure via its BIG-FIGS action figure line. PRICE ACTION: In afternoon trading, shares of Hasbro have gained about 30c, or 0.3% to $95.13. "Before the Move" is The Fly's recurring series of exclusive stories that identify potentially market moving events, along with analyst predictions, ahead of the news.

15:28 EDT Equity Bancshares names John Blakeney CIO - Equity Bancshares announced the hire of John Blakeney as Executive Vice President and Chief Information Officer of Equity Bank, and the hire of Michael Mange as Senior Vice President and Director of Treasury Management of Equity Bank. Blakeney joins Equity after nearly five years in an executive role as Chief Operations Officer for CoreFirst Bank & Trust in Topeka, Kansas.

15:16 EDT EEOC sues Estee Lauder for discriminating against new fathers - The U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission said in a tweet, "EEOC sues Estee Lauder for sex #discrimination. Cosmetics co. gave men lesser paid parental leave and related benefits." Reference Link

15:03 EDT H&R Block falls after President Trump says tax code too complicated - President Donald Trump is speaking in Missouri on U.S. tax reforms. H&R Block traded lower during President Trump's speech on simplifying the tax code for Americans. Shares of H&R Block are down over 8% to $26.88 per share.

15:02 EDT Frontier Communications updates status of operations in South Texas - Frontier Communications operations teams are continuing to repair and assess damages to Frontier's network in Agua Dulce, Aransas Pass, Arcola, Baytown, Beach City, Bishop, Bloomington, Dickinson, League City, Kemah, Mont Belvieu, Ingleside, Orange Grove, Port O'Conner, Port Lavaca, Portland, Rosharon, Robstown, Seadrift, Stafford, Taft, and Tivoli. Frontier serves approximately 200,000 access lines in the South Texas area. As of midday, about 100 central offices across the territory either lack commercial power or are operating on battery and generator backup. Frontier teams are slowly gaining access to severely affected areas and are working to identify and repair damages to poles, pedestals and cables.

14:42 EDT Enduro Royalty unitholders approve proposals for sponsor to sell Permian assets - Enduro Royalty Trust announced that at the special meeting of Trust unitholders held today, unitholders approved eight transactions pursuant to which Enduro Resource Partners LLC, the sponsor of the Trust, will sell certain oil and natural gas properties in the Permian Basin that constitute a portion of the properties burdened by the Trust's 80% net profits interest, the release of the Trust's net profits interest in the Divestiture Properties, and related proposals to effect the sale transactions in exchange for the Trust receiving 80% of the net proceeds of the sale of the Divestiture Properties. The votes in favor of the sales of the Divestiture Properties and related proposals constituted more than the required 75% of the Trust units outstanding as of the record date for the special meeting and, as a result, the proposals were approved and adopted by the Trust unitholders. Closings of the sales of the Divestiture Properties are expected to occur on or before September 30, 2017. Following the closings, Enduro will set a record date for the special distribution and within 45 days of the closings of the transactions, Enduro will distribute 80% of the net proceeds of the aggregate sales amounts, less 80% of the expenses associated with the transactions and proxy meeting expenses and associated holdback amounts, to unitholders of record.

14:35 EDT Carlos Slim Helu reports 5.4% passive stake in PBF Energy

13:12 EDT Mars sees closing VCA acquisition in September after FTC clearance - Mars announced that the U.S. Federal Trade Commission has cleared Mars' proposed acquisition of VCA, which was previously announced on January 9. The FTC clearance follows Mars' agreement to divest 12 specialty or off-hours emergency animal hospitals out of the companies' combined total of over 1,900 locations in the U.S. and Canada following the closing of the transaction. Mars and VCA have agreements in place with three "well-respected operators of animal hospitals" to purchase the affected hospitals, and the divestitures are expected to be completed shortly following the closing of the VCA transaction, which is expected to occur in September, the company stated.

13:02 EDT Globalstar, University of Mississippi announce strategic partnership - University of Mississippi and Globalstar announced an agreement to establish a second-generation ground station on UM's Oxford campus. The new Globalstar ground station will provide opportunities for the university to conduct research, testing and development of global communications technology. The agreement supports UM's commitment to STEM education and to the development of a talented and well-trained tech workforce for the state of Mississippi, the Southeast region and the nation at large.

12:41 EDT J.B. Hunt director Wayne Garrison sells $3.6M in company shares - J.B. Hunt director Wayne Garrison disclosed in a filing on Wednesday that he had sold 36,030 shares of company stock at an average price of $100.23 on August 29. The total transaction value was $3,611,146.

12:28 EDT Home Depot settles with Consumer Product Safety Commission for $5.7M - The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission announced that Home Depot has agreed to pay a $5.7M civil penalty for selling and distributing previously recalled consumer products. The agreement settles charges that the company knowingly sold and distributed approximately 2,816 recalled products from 33 separate voluntary corrective actions during a four-year period from August 2012 through November 2016. Reference Link

12:07 EDT Pershing Square granted U.S antitrust approval for ADP investment - Reference Link

11:59 EDT Mazor Robotics jumps after entering next phase of partnership with Medtronic - Earlier today, Mazor Robotics (MZOR) announced that it has entered the next phase of its strategic partnership with Medtronic (MDT) earlier than planned and their existing agreements have been amended accordingly. The agreements provide for the conversion of the commercial relationship between the parties, with Medtronic assuming exclusive worldwide distribution of the Mazor X system, and Medtronic making a $40M third tranche investment in Mazor. These developments are a result of the early achievement of certain sales and marketing milestones by both companies, as well as higher than expected global market acceptance and demand for the Mazor X system. Medtronic and Mazor originally entered into a strategic agreement in May 2016. Medtronic will invest $40 million in Mazor Robotics' American Depository Shares at a price of $38.46 per ADS, which represents the weighted average of the closing price of Mazor's ADS on Nasdaq over the past 20 trading days. This third tranche of investment in Mazor by Medtronic will bring Medtronic's total investment in Mazor to $72M, representing approximately 11.9% of the outstanding shares post investment and 10.6% of the fully diluted shares outstanding post investment. Mazor will also issue to Medtronic warrants to purchase an additional 1.21 million Mazor ADSs at an exercise price of $44.23 per ADS. The exercise price represents a 15% premium over the per share price for the $40M equity investment. Medtronic has the right to exercise the warrants immediately in whole or in part, for cash, and they expire after 18 months. Assuming the full exercise of the warrants, Medtronic's investment in Mazor will reach $125M and its ownership could increase to 4.2M ADSs, or 14.2%, based on the current number of ADSs outstanding on a fully diluted basis. Closing of the $40M equity investment is expected to take place on or around September 12. Mazor will continue to manufacture and recognize revenues for Mazor X system sales, disposable kits and service fees all of which will be sold at contractual pricing agreed with Medtronic. The contracted pricing is at a lower rate than Mazor realized through its direct sales channel. In addition, Mazor will be entitled to certain synergy fees associated with the use of Medtronic implants in Mazor Robotics' installed base. Moving from direct sales to a strategic distribution model is expected to immediately reduce Mazor's annual operating expenses by approximately $13M. Trailing 12-month operating expenses for Mazor totaled $52.7M. The proceeds from the investment will further strengthen Mazor's balance sheet and provide the resources to continue to collaborate with Medtronic to develop innovative solutions for the spine market, as well as develop innovative solutions for other potential markets. Mazor will continue to independently develop and market globally the Renaissance Surgical Guidance System, which was first launched in 2011. Efforts for Renaissance will be focused on certain market segments for which the Renaissance provides significant customer added value. Shares of Mazor Robotics are up 11% to $46.39 per share in midday trading.

11:40 EDT Novartis says collaborating with CMS on outcomes-based pricing for Kymriah - Novartis confirmed that the FDA has approved Kymriah suspension for intravenous infusion, formerly CTL019, the first chimeric antigen receptor T cell, or CAR-T, therapy, for the treatment of patients up to 25 years of age with B-cell precursor acute lymphoblastic leukemia that is refractory or in second or later relapse. Kymriah is the first therapy based on gene transfer approved by the FDA, the company noted. Kymriah will be manufactured for each individual patient using their own cells at the Novartis Morris Plains, New Jersey facility. Novartis also announced what it calls "a novel collaboration" with the United States Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services "focused on improving efficiencies in current regulatory requirements in order to deliver value-based care and ensure access for this specific patient population." This approach is intended to include indication-based pricing for medicines and supports payments for a medicine, such as Kymriah for its initial indication, based on the clinical outcomes achieved, which would eliminate inefficiencies from the healthcare system. Other value-based approaches related to future indications for Kymriah and CAR-T cell therapies are under discussion. Furthermore, Novartis is collaborating with CMS to make an outcomes-based approach available to allow for payment only when pediatric and young adult ALL patients respond to Kymriah by the end of the first month. Future potential indications would be reviewed for the most relevant outcomes-based approach.

11:27 EDT Fox News signs Tomi Lahren to contributor role - Fox News Channel has signed conservative commentator Tomi Lahren as a contributor. Lahren will have a signature role on an FNC digital product currently in development and will also offer political commentary to the network's opinion programming, primarily Hannity. She will make her debut as a contributor on tonight's edition of Hannity at 10PM/ET. Prior to joining FNC, Lahren served in a communications role at Great America Alliance, a Super PAC supporting President Donald Trump's 2020 re-election bid. Previously, she hosted Tomi on The Blaze and On Point with Tomi Lahren on One America News Network.

11:14 EDT Buffett says Kraft Heinz will likely not buy Mondelez - Warren Buffett, while speaking on CNBC, when asked if Kraft Heinz (KHC) would buy Mondelez (MDLZ), said "I think the asnwer is no."

11:09 EDT Buffett says he continues to have faith in Bank of America - Warren Buffett is speaking on CNBC.

11:07 EDT Buffett says he 'certainly' bought more Apple shares last quarter - Warren Buffett is speaking on CNBC.

11:03 EDT Buffett says North Korea 'only real cloud on the horizon' - Warren Buffett is speaking on CNBC.

10:50 EDT FDA grants expanded approval of Actemra to Roche's Genetech - The FDA expanded the approval of Actemra to treat CAR T-cell-induced severe or life-threatening cytokine release syndrome in patients two years of age or older. In clinical trials in patients treated with CAR-T cells, 69% of patients had complete resolution of CRS within two weeks following one or two doses of Actemra, the agency said in a statement. The FDA granted the expanded approval of Actemra to Roche's Genentech unit. Reference Link

10:34 EDT Kevin Durant takes shot at Under Armour on popular podcast - During an episode of The Ringer's "Bill Simmons Podcast" on Monday, NBA star Kevin Durant said young players do not like Under Armour's (UAA) shoes. The 2017 Finals MVP has a shoe deal with the company's rival Nike (NKE). PODCAST: On Monday, Bill Simmons was joined by 2017 Finals MVP Kevin Durant for the second installment of a two-part series to discuss the outlook for the NBA's new-look teams and to continue answering listeners' most pressing mailbag questions. In the podcast, the NBA star was asked why the University of Maryland could not recruit top players anymore. Durant replied that the school's deal with Under Armour was a factor. "I think a lot of kids, to be honest, they don't choose Maryland unless they play in like an Under Armour system coming up," he said, adding that "shoe companies have a real, real big influence on where these kids go." "Nobody wants to play in Under Armours. I'm sorry. The top kids don't because they all play Nike," the NBA star contended. In 2014, Kevin Durant signed a new shoe deal with Nike. Meanwhile, Warriors teammate Stephen Curry has a multi-million dollar contract with Under Armour that includes an equity stake. WHAT'S NOTABLE: Several stocks in the athletic footwear sector were under pressure earlier in the week after shoe retailer Finish Line (FINL) reported downbeat preliminary second quarter results and cut its outlook for fiscal 2018. PRICE ACTION: In morning trading, class A shares of Under Armour have dropped about 0.5% to $16.35. Week to date, the stock is down about 3%.

09:45 EDT Kansas City Southern, Bulkmatic Transport to form 50/50 joint venture - Kansas City Southern and Bulkmatic Transport Company announced a memorandum of understanding to form a 50/50 joint venture investment which will facilitate and expand the exportation of liquid fuels from the United States to Mexico. The project will include the construction of a unit train liquid fuels terminal located in Salinas Victoria near Monterrey, Nuevo Leon. The facility will be served by Kansas City Southern de Mexico, S.A. de C.V. The joint venture comes as a direct result of energy reform legislation passed in Mexico in 2013. Recognizing that it lacked the refinery infrastructure necessary to meet its growing demand for refined energy products, Mexico developed legislation which put into motion a process which will culminate by 2018 in the country's energy markets being fully open to foreign investment and the importation of refined energy products, including gasoline and diesel. The joint venture partners will invest approximately $50M over the next few years to develop the terminal, which will begin limited operations in third quarter and have storage facilities in mid-2018 that will provide retail fuels for the population of the Monterrey metropolitan area.

09:28 EDT Kewaunee Scientific raises quarterly dividend 13% to 17c from 15c per share - Payable on September 25 to stockholders of record at the close of business on September 11.

09:24 EDT Parkway reports 'minimal damage' to properties from Hurricane Harvey - "Parkway announced that its properties incurred only minimal damage as a result of Hurricane Harvey. The properties maintained power throughout the storm and remained accessible to our customers as needed at all times. We expect that all damage will be insurable under our existing insurance policies subject to a nominal deductible. All of Parkway's buildings are open for business and operational as of today."

09:21 EDT Oxford Immunotec names Stefan Linn COO - Oxford Immunotec Global (OXFD) announced the appointment of Stefan Linn as COO. Most recently, Linn served as SVP, strategy and commercial operations for IMS Health Holdings (IMS), where he was responsible for advancing IMS Health's global growth agenda, including leading strategic planning and commercial operations activities, expansion of the company's product offering, and the identification and integration of acquisitions.

09:18 EDT Lydall forms new thermal.acoustical solutions segment - Lydall announced plans to form Lydall Thermal/Acoustical Solutions through the combination of its existing Thermal/Acoustical Metals and Thermal/Acoustical Fibers businesses. Scott Deakin, Lydall's Executive Vice President and CFO, will transition out of his current role and serve as President of Lydall Thermal/Acoustical Solutions going forward. Lydall has launched an external search for Scott's replacement; in the interim, he will continue to serve as CFO until his successor is named.

09:11 EDT EastGroup Properties: Houston units did not sustain any flood damage from Harvey - EastGroup Properties announced the effect of Hurricane Harvey on its Houston properties. EastGroup owns 5,524,000 square feet in the market. The properties did not sustain any flood or other major storm-related damage and are currently fully functional.

09:04 EDT PayPal, Synchrony Financial launch MasterCard that offers 2% cash back - PayPal (PYPL) customers in the U.S. can now earn cash back on every purchase online and in stores with the launch of the new PayPal Cashback Mastercard (MA) issued by Synchrony Bank. The PayPal Cashback Mastercard, designed exclusively for PayPal members, offers cardholders 2% cash back every day, on every purchase. Unlike other rewards credit cards, there is no annual cash back limit, no minimum redemption amount, no restriction on how to spend cash rewards and no expiration. The PayPal Cashback Mastercard offers all the security and convenience expected from PayPal, plus all the traditional benefits of a Mastercard. All accounts are automatically added to the member's PayPal wallet to simplify checkout.

09:02 EDT Hertz announces new chief marketing officer, chief human resources officer - Hertz (HTZ) announced that two new Officers will be joining the company: Jodi Allen, as executive vice president and chief marketing officer, and Murali Kuppuswamy, as executive vice president and chief human resources officer. Allen brings deep consumer experience from The Procter & Gamble Company (PG) and Kuppuswamy previously served in HR leadership roles at Baker Hughes/General Electric (BHGE), where he built strong cultures for employee growth and engagement.

08:50 EDT Chico's says 'remains on track' to achieve savings goals

08:47 EDT SPAR Group appoints Christiaan Olivier as CEO - SPAR Group (SGRP) announced the appointment of Christiaan Olivier as president and CEO, and a member of its board, effective September 5. He most recently served as president of Retail Activation at Diversified Agency Services, Omnicom Group (OMC).

08:42 EDT Ship Finance lowers quarterly dividend to 35c per share from 45c per share - Ole Hjertaker, CEO of Ship Finance Management AS, said in a comment: "In light of the pending financial restructuring in Seadrill and also a softer tanker market, the board has adjusted the dividend to 35c per share this quarter."

08:40 EDT Chico's says entered Q3 with 'clean inventory' - Says digital commerce channels "continue to gain traction." Says increasing efforts to ramp up digital sales. Comments from Q2 earnings conference call.

08:39 EDT Richmond Brothers, Ravich issue response to Rockwell Medical - Richmond Brothers and Mark Ravich, who together with their affiliates beneficially own over 6M shares, or 11.8% of the Rockwell Medical's outstanding common stock, issued the following statement with regard to a press release issued by Rockwell: "We are extremely disappointed that Rockwell would make such misleading and disingenuous statements regarding our interactions with the company. As Richmond Brothers made clear in its letter to Rockwell's incumbent directors, the company continues to blatantly ignore the overwhelming mandate for change delivered by shareholders at the last election and has repeatedly impeded Mark's ability to fulfil his duties as a director of the company. Furthermore, we wish to make clear that this is not about us receiving reimbursement for our expenses. Rockwell falsely implies that we would have accepted money to stand down. That is not true - we will only stand down if important management and governance changes are made. Rockwell attempted to buy our vote, but we are not for sale. We will not settle for anything less than real and meaningful changes to the Board to ensure that the Company is run with the best interests of shareholders in mind and not just as chairman and CEO Rob Chioini sees fit. We believe that Rockwell needs independent leadership who will act in shareholders' best interests and who have the skills and ability to execute on a value-creating strategy - that is what we are fighting for. The issue with Rockwell is really about delivering value for shareholders, including executing on a strategic plan to bring Triferic and Calcitriol to market, curtailing excessive executive compensation, and building an independent Board capable of effectively overseeing the company and holding the CEO accountable. That has been and remains our focus. In our view, and judging by the company's press release yesterday, the incumbent directors and management are not focused on driving change on these substantive issues - and instead continue to try to mislead shareholders and frustrate our attempts to improve value for the benefit of all shareholders."

08:37 EDT Enzymotec acquires all rights for 5 nutritional products from Union Springs - Enzymotec announced that it has acquired all rights pertaining to five nutritional products from Union Springs Healthcare, LLC, a company founded by renowned health care entrepreneur, Roger Griggs. The products - formulated to help support brain health, behavior and sleep - will be produced, sold and marketed through Enzymotec's U.S.-based VAYA Pharma Inc. In addition, Roger Griggs will now act as a senior advisor to the company. Under the terms of the agreement, Enzymotec will receive all rights to Union Springs Healthcare's portfolio of clinically validated nutritional supplement products. Union Springs Healthcare will receive an upfront cash payment of $3.6 million as well as warrants to purchase up to 200,000 shares of the Company's common stock. In addition, Union Springs Healthcare will receive single digit royalties on sales, as well as milestone payments up to an additional total of $22 million based on the achievement of sales targets ranging from $10 million to $100 million.

08:34 EDT Barnes & Noble Education sees FY18 sales flat - For FY18, the company expects sales at BNC to be relatively flat, while BNC comparable store sales are projected to decline in the low- to mid-single digit percentage point range year over year. In addition, the company expects consolidated sales to be in the range of $2.25B to $2.35B before intercompany eliminations. Capital expenditures are expected to be approximately $50M, an increase from fiscal 2017 due to new store growth at BNC.

08:31 EDT HCP names Tom Klaritch as COO, effective immediately - Tom Klaritch, who currently serves as Senior Managing Director - Medical Office, has been promoted to COO, effective immediately, and will report to Tom Herzog, HCP's President and CEO. Klaritch is an 18-year company veteran with 34 years of operational and financial management experience in the medical office and hospital sectors. Prior to joining HCP, he was a founding member of MedCap Properties, a company that owned, operated and developed healthcare real estate.

08:29 EDT Fiesta Restaurant Director Friedman buys 125K shares - Fiesta Restaurant Group (FRGI) Director Brian Friedman purchased 125,000 shares of the company's common stock in transactions made between August 25-29, according to a regulatory filing made last night. The filing also states that the purchases reflect acquisitions of the shares of the common stock by Leucadia (LUK), since Friedman is the President and a director of Leucadia.

08:26 EDT Vera Bradley announces Vision 20/20 plan, sees $40M-$60M impact to FY19 revenue - Robert Wallstrom, Vera Bradley CEO, noted, "Over the last three years, as we embarked on a plan to strengthen and modernize our brand, we've made meaningful progress on many fronts including evolving our product offerings, distribution channels, and marketing as well as broadening our customer base. However, given the backdrop of a challenging retail environment, our progress has not been at the pace that we planned. Consequently, we are in the process of refining our business model and strategic plan which will involve taking a much more aggressive approach to turning around our business over the next three years. Our ultimate goal is to restore brand and company health by methodically moving to a less clearance-driven business model and reducing our SG&A expenses. We have engaged an outside consulting firm, working alongside our team, in performing a comprehensive review of our business model, existing strategic plan, and historic performance and to provide us with in-depth analysis and research on critical components of our business. This information and research is being integrated into our plan which we are calling 'Vision 20/20.' We will have more details and specific action plans to share in the coming months, but Vision 20/20 will primarily center around two key areas - (i) product and pricing and (ii) SG&A expense reductions." Wallstrom continued, "On the product and pricing front, we will focus on three key initiatives: resetting our customers' pricing perception and restoring our full-price business by significantly reducing the amount of clearance product available on verabradley.com and in our full-line stores; streamlining our current product offerings by eliminating unproductive or incongruent categories and SKUs from our assortment; and building more discipline into our overall assortment architecture by developing strong assortment standards around introducing new categories, prices, and patterns. The majority of the product and pricing initiatives will not be implemented until FY19; management expects annualized revenues will be negatively impacted by these initiatives by $40M-$60M in FY19. Conversely, management expects to reduce annual net SG&A spending by up to $30M by right-sizing the organization to better align with the reduced size of the business. Certain cost reductions have already begun and are reflected in the company's fiscal 2018 SG&A guidance. The majority of the balance of the reductions is expected to be made in fiscal 2019. In addition, the company will also continue to look for ways to enhance its marketing efficiency, optimize its distribution channels, and reduce cost of goods sold through incremental sourcing and distribution efficiencies. Full guidance for FY19 will be provided in conjunction with the company's fiscal year-end conference call in March 2018." Wallstrom concluded, "By executing Vision 20/20, we believe we are on the right course for the future, restoring our brand health, improving operating performance, and enhancing shareholder value."

08:14 EDT iCAD announces CFDA approval of Xoft Axxent balloon applicators - iCAD announced that the company's Xoft Axxent balloon applicators have received approval from the China Food & Drug Administration, or CFDA, for the treatment of early-stage breast cancer. The Xoft Axxent balloon applicators are a key component of the Xoft Axxent Electronic Brachytherapy, or eBx System, which is used to perform intraoperative radiation therapy, or IORT, in early-stage breast cancer patients who meet specific selection criteria. With this CFDA approval, the complete suite of Xoft System products is now available to clinicians and patients in China.

08:11 EDT NantHealth, Asia Genomics announce global expansion of GPS Cancer - NantHealth announced that it has entered into an agreement for GPS Cancer with Asia Genomics, a provider and distributor of molecular testing services and key player in the field of personalized medicine in Southeast Asia. Unlike other tests on the market, GPS Cancer sequences the whole genome of 20,000+ genes and three billion base pairs and matches against the patient's normal DNA, providing oncologists with an expansive view of alterations to inform personalized treatment strategies. GPS Cancer extends from genomics to proteomics not only through analysis of RNA, but also utilizes quantitative proteomics through mass spectrometry to measure the amounts of clinically relevant proteins that are the targets of or essential for various therapeutics. This clinically relevant information helps oncologists to better understand how patients may potentially respond to chemotherapies, targeted therapies and immunotherapies. Under the terms of the agreement, Asia Genomics will distribute GPS Cancer to physicians in the following Southeast Asian countries: Singapore, Malaysia, Thailand, Vietnam and the Philippines. Asia Genomics is the first company to build comprehensive distribution channels in Southeast Asia for personalized medicine testing services. The company has also developed a broad network with government and regulatory entities, local oncology communities, hospitals, clinics and pathology labs, influencers, as well as research communities to advance local healthcare service offerings.

08:10 EDT T2 Biosystems awarded 11 new patents in 2017 - T2 Biosystems announced that it has been granted 11 new patents in 2017 that further broaden and strengthen the protection around the company's proprietary T2 Magnetic Resonance, or T2MR, platform, including the T2Sepsis Solution and hemostasis technology. With the grant of these new patents, T2 Biosystems now owns or licenses over 60 patents, with more than 40 additional patents in the application and/or review process.

08:07 EDT VBI Vaccines: FDA accepts IND application for Sci-B-Vac Phase 3 clinical program - VBI Vaccines announced that the FDA has accepted the company's Investigational New Drug Application, or IND, for a Phase 3 clinical program evaluating Sci-B-Vac, VBI's third-generation hepatitis B vaccine. The company had previously received a No Objection Letter from Health Canada in response to its Clinical Trial Application, or CTA, as well. Acceptance of the IND and CTA enable the company to initiate the Phase 3 clinical study in both the U.S. and Canada.

08:04 EDT Cardiome presents new data for BRINAVESS at ESC - Cardiome announced the presentation of new data for BRINAVESS, the company's antiarrhythmic drug for the rapid conversion of recent onset atrial fibrillation (AF), in a poster at the European Society of Cardiology Congress 2017. The retrospective data analysis showed that administration of BRINAVESS led to faster restoration of sinus rhythm and shorter hospital stays when compared to the same results for electrical cardioversion. While ECV was more effective in the cardioversion of recent onset AF (94.0% vs. 66.5% respectively), longer-term there was statistically significant reduction in AF recurrence in patients treated with BRINAVESS relative to ECV after 365 days. The abstract, number P3632, is available on the ESC 2017 website.

08:01 EDT ATA Inc. trading halted, news pending

07:49 EDT Jacobs Engineering awarded U.S. DOD contract - Jacobs Engineering Group has been awarded the Integrated Research & Development for Enterprise Solutions follow-on contract for the Missile Defense Agency, a research, development and acquisition agency within the Department of Defense. Jacobs will provide integrated solutions to support concurrent test, training and operations within the Missile Defense Integration and Operations Center mission platform and the execution of the Missile Defense Agency's enterprise communications and information technology environment. The maximum value of this indefinite delivery, indefinite quantity contract is $4.6B over the duration of the five-year base contract and three award- term years. The primary work sites are located in Alabama, Colorado, and Virginia.

07:41 EDT Chico's down 17% to $6.50 after Q2 results trail estimates, FY17 SSS view cut

07:36 EDT Chico's reports inventories totaled $235.2M at Q2-end vs. $235.6M a year ago - Inventories for the second quarter included a $16.9M increase compared to the prior year due to a change in shipping terms with a supplier. Excluding the impact of the change in shipping terms, inventory decreased 7.4%.

07:33 EDT Chico's CEO calls Q2 sales 'disappointing' - Shelley Broader, CEO and President, said, "Second quarter sales were disappointing, and we are taking decisive actions to adjust our assortments and enhance omni-channel capabilities in bellwether categories such as Jackets at Chico's and Dresses at White House Black Market. While it is early in the third quarter, these key categories are showing encouraging progress." She continued, "Our leadership team also continues to be keenly focused on driving our strategic priorities to transform Chico's FAS, Inc. into a more nimble, efficient and innovative retailer that continues to drive strong free cash flow in the long term."

07:31 EDT Otonomy trading resumes

07:07 EDT The Medicines Co. announces FDA approval of VABOMERE - The Medicines Company announced that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration has approved VABOMERE for injection for the treatment of adult patients with complicated urinary tract infections, including pyelonephritis, caused by designated susceptible Enterobacteriaceae - Escherichia coli, Klebsiella pneumoniae and Enterobacter cloacae species complex. VABOMERE was granted priority review and approval as a Qualified Infectious Disease Product in accordance with the Generating Antibiotics Incentives Now Act, which made VABOMERE eligible for the FDA's fast-track program, and approval now secures a five-year regulatory extension of exclusivity under the Hatch-Waxman Act, which means that patent coverage and exclusivity in the United States are expected to extend into 2031. The FDA approval of VABOMERE was supported by TANGO-1, a Phase III, multi-center, randomized, double-blind, double-dummy study to evaluate the efficacy, safety and tolerability of VABOMERE compared to piperacillin-tazobactam in the treatment of cUTI, including acute pyelonephritis, in adults. The trial enrolled 550 adult patients who were randomized 1:1 to receive VABOMERE as a three-hour IV infusion every eight hours, or piperacillin 4g - tazobactam 500mg as a 30-minute IV infusion every eight hours, each for up to 10 days. We expect that VABOMERE will be available in Q4. The FDA approval of VABOMERE triggered a $40M milestone payment obligation to the former securityholders of Rempex Pharmaceuticals, which we acquired in December 2013.

06:57 EDT Otonomy trading halted, news pending

06:34 EDT Wex secures e-money license in Europe and becomes principal MasterCard member - WEX's (WEX) European office has secured an Electronic Money Institute license by the Financial Conduct Authority and, as a result, is now a principal member of Mastercard (MA). The EMI license enables WEX to offer credit and therefore the full product suite, in all 31 countries in the European Economic Area. This new license accelerates WEX's European expansion plans.

06:08 EDT Camber Energy closes Houston office, receives letter of default from lender - Camber Energy's wholly owned subsidiary CATI Operating received a notice of default from its lender. The letter demands that the full amount borrowed plus interest and outstanding fees, a total of $8.95M, was due as a result of the loan maturity. CATI has a cure period until September 11. The loan is non-recourse to the company. The company is evaluating its plans on the CATI default. Additionally, Camber has closed its Houston office and moved its corporate headquarters to San Antonio, Texas. The company is continuing to evaluate all strategic alternatives.

06:03 EDT Gramercy Property Trust purchases $331M industrial portfolio - Gramercy Property Trust has entered into an agreement with a private real estate development and investment company to acquire a 9-property, 2.0 million square foot portfolio of Class-A industrial buildings for $331M. The Portfolio is 100% leased with a weighted average remaining lease term of 10.4 years. The properties are located across eight markets throughout the U.S. including Atlanta, Boston, Charlotte, Chicago, the Inland Empire, Minneapolis, Reno and Spartanburg. At closing, which is expected to occur by the end of Q3, the company will assume $137M of in-place debt, and will issue $133M in OP Units to fund the acquisition. The company is acquiring the Portfolio at a 6.3% cash capitalization rate.

05:47 EDT Qualcomm enters collaboration with Himax - Qualcomm (QCOM) and its subsidiary Qualcomm Technologies, Inc., and Himax Technologies (HIMX), jointly announced a collaboration to accelerate the development and commercialization of a high resolution, low power active 3D depth sensing camera system to enable computer vision capabilities for use cases such as biometric face authentication, 3D reconstruction, and scene perception for mobile, IoT, surveillance, automotive and AR/VR. The collaboration brings together Qualcomm Spectra technologies and expertise in computer vision architecture and algorithm with Himax's complementary technologies in wafer optics, sensing, driver, and module integration capabilities to deliver a fully integrated SLiM, or Structured Light Module, 3D solution. The SLiM is a turn-key 3D camera module that delivers real-time depth sensing and 3D point cloud generation with high resolution and high accuracy performance for indoor and outdoor environments. The SLiM is engineered for very low power consumption in a compact, low profile form factor, making the solution ideal for embedded and mobile device integration. Qualcomm Technologies and Himax will commercialize the SLiM 3D camera as a total camera system solution for a wide array of markets and industries with mass production targeting in Q1 of 2018.

05:27 EDT Targa Resources reports impact to operations related to Hurricane Harvey - Targa Resources announced that damage to date to Targa facilities has been minimal, that disruptions to operations are expected to be limited, and that normal operations will resume shortly after flood waters recede. Conditions associated with continued flooding in the Houston area, and specifically the area of Targa's facilities in Mont Belvieu, Texas, which include the Cedar Bayou Fractionator, or CBF, required CBF to be temporarily taken out of service. CBF was taken out of service due to flooding that disrupted the operation of freshwater supply pumps. Fractionation operations should be able to resume quickly once water recedes and operation of the freshwater supply wells is restored. Disruptions in brine disposal operations at Targa's Mont Belvieu Terminal have also negatively impacted the facility's capacity for receiving raw products due to flooding of brine disposal pumps. The company is currently utilizing its storage position and working with pipeline operators to manage natural gas liquids receipts at lower volumes than normal. Targa will continue to work with its producer and chemical customers to attempt to best meet their needs during these outages. The outages may also impact upstream gathering and processing facilities as Targa may have to curtail operations at some of its natural gas processing plants until flood waters recede and conditions improve at Mont Belvieu. Any such curtailments are expected to be temporary subject to resuming normal operations at Mont Belvieu. Targa's Galena Park Marine Terminal is not in service as the Houston Ship Channel has been closed to ship traffic since August 25th. Resumption of operations at Galena Park is dependent on the Coast Guard reopening the Houston Ship Channel and inspection of the pipelines between Mont Belvieu and Galena Park. Targa's SouthTX assets, including the Company's Raptor and Silver Oak natural gas processing plants, are all now operational and are undamaged. Operation of these facilities may still be impacted due to receipt of natural gas liquids constraints at Mont Belvieu. On the Louisiana Gulf Coast, Targa's Coastal assets are all operational and undamaged and have prepared for the upcoming rains and potential flooding to their area. Targa CEO Joe Bob Perkins said, "None of our assets have sustained any material damage at this point. The disruption to Targa operations at Mont Belvieu will hopefully be a very short term event, and we are working to be in position to ramp operations back up quickly."

05:22 EDT SilverBow Resources updates operations after Hurricane Harvey - SilverBow Resources announced an update to operations after Hurricane Harvey. "The company's continued thoughts and prayers go out to all those affected by the tragic and catastrophic weather associated with Hurricane Harvey. The safety of our employees and contractors is our top priority, and as such we have temporarily closed our Houston headquarters. Our field operations are not in flooded areas and have been largely unaffected by the storm. We have continued drilling and completing our wells on schedule with only minor delays due to equipment and crew availability. However, we have had to shut-in some of our wells due to the temporary curtailments of third-party midstream providers. Generally, we expect these outages to be short in duration. While it is too early to quantify the overall impact the weather will have on our operations, we will continue to monitor conditions and update the markets when appropriate."