Stockwinners Market Radar for August 31, 2017 - Earnings, Upgrades downgrades, option trades, Best Stock Advisory Service

18:36 EDT Aerojet Rocketdyne to support Boeing in AIr Force contract - Aerojet Rocketdyne (AJRD) will support Boeing (BA) which was recently awarded a contract by the U.S. Air Force for the Technology Maturation and Risk Reduction phase of the Ground Based Strategic Deterrent acquisition program. The GBSD program aims to develop a replacement for the current Minuteman III Intercontinental Ballistic Missile system. Boeing and Aerojet Rocketdyne continue to provide engineering support for Minuteman III to the U.S. Air Force.The recent award to Boeing for the TMRR phase of the GBSD acquisition program will last approximately three years and will culminate in a weapon system preliminary design.

17:41 EDT DCT Industrial reports no significant damage from Hurricane Harvey - DCT Industrial's Houston properties have sustained no significant damage as a result of Hurricane Harvey and all buildings are operational.

17:38 EDT Oshkosh awarded $177.6M government contract modification - Oshkosh Defense, Oshkosh, Wisconsin, was awarded a $177,577,879 modification to contract W56HZV-15-C-0095 for additional production quantities of Joint Light Tactical Vehicles and kits. Work will be performed in Oshkosh, Wisconsin, with an estimated completion date of Aug. 25, 2024. Fiscal 2016 and 2017 research, development, test and evaluation; and other procurement funds in the combined amount of $177,577,879 were obligated at the time of the award. U.S. Army Contracting Command, Warren, Michigan, is the contracting activity.

17:35 EDT Orbital ATK awarded $156.8M government contract - Orbital ATK, Defense Electronic Systems, Northridge, California, is being awarded a $156,831,389 firm-fixed-price contract for the full-rate production of Lot 6 for Advanced Anti-Radiation Guided Missile. This contract provides for the conversion of AGM-88B High Speed Anti-Radiation Missiles into 230 AGM-88E AARGM All-Up-Rounds and six captive air training missiles, to include related supplies and services necessary for their manufacture, sparing, and fleet deployment. Work is expected to be completed in March 2019. Fiscal 2017 weapons procurement funds in the amount of $155,352,654; and fiscal 2015 non-U.S. Department of Defense funds in the amount of $1,478,735 will be obligated at time of award, $1,478,735 of which will expire at the end of the current fiscal year. This contract was not competitively procured pursuant to Federal Acquisition Regulation 6.302-1. The Naval Air Systems Command, Patuxent River, Maryland, is the contracting activity.

17:33 EDT Sikorsky Aircraft awarded $303.9M government contract modification - Sikorsky Aircraft Corp., a Lockheed Martin Co., Stratford, Connecticut, is being awarded $303,974,406 for fixed-price-incentive-firm, firm-fixed-price, cost-plus-fixed-fee modification to a previously awarded contract. The modification will provide for the Lot I low-rate initial production of two CH-53K Heavy Lift helicopters, associated aircraft and programmatic support, logistics support, peculiar support equipment, and spares. Work will be performed in Stratford, Connecticut, and is expected to be completed in December 2021. Fiscal 2017 aircraft procurement funds in the amount of $303,974,406 will be obligated at time of award, none of which will expire at the end of the current fiscal year. The Naval Air Systems Command, Patuxent River, Maryland, is the contracting activity.

17:30 EDT Laureate Education appoints Victoria Silbey as Chief Legal Officer - Laureate Education appointed Victoria Silbey as its new senior vice president, secretary, and chief legal officer. Silbey joins the Laureate team after nearly 20 years at SunGard Data Systems,a global software and services company, where she was the chief legal officer and senior vice president. Silbey will join Laureate on September 7, succeeding Robert Zentz, who is retiring after serving 20 years as Laureate's general counsel.

17:19 EDT TIER REIT updates impact of Hurricane Harvey on Houston properties - TIER REIT updated the impact of Hurricane Harvey on its properties located in Houston. The company's BriarLake Plaza and Loop Central properties have not experienced any damage from the storm and are currently open and fully operational, while the company's Eldridge Place property has been exposed to rising flood waters this past week in the Energy Corridor and has experienced flood-related damage. While the company has yet to assess the extent of the damage, it has comprehensive property, casualty, flood and business interruption insurance, and full coverage of any losses at Eldridge Place is anticipated subject to a nominal deductible.

17:17 EDT Aptevo Therapeutics to sell three hyperiummune products for up to $74.5M - Aptevo Therapeutics announced that it has agreed to sell its three marketed hyperimmune products, WinRho SDF, HepaGam B, and VARIZIG, to Saol Therapeutics for total consideration of up to $74.5M. Under the terms of a definitive purchase agreement executed by the companies, Saol Therapeutics will acquire the three hyperimmune products currently marketed by Aptevo: WinRho SDF for autoimmune platelet disorder and hemolytic disease of the newborn; HepaGam B for the prevention of Hepatitis B following liver transplantation and for treatment following hepatitis B exposure; and VARIZIG for treatment following exposure to varicella zoster virus for individuals with compromised immune systems. The transaction is valued at up to $74.5M, including an upfront payment of $65M, and an additional potential milestone payment of up to $7.5M related to the achievement of gross profit milestones. In addition, Aptevo may receive up to $2M related to collection of certain accounts receivable after the closing. The transaction, which is expected to be completed in 2017, is subject to certain customary closing conditions.

17:08 EDT C.H. Robinson acquires Milgram & Company for about $50M in cash - C.H. Robinson continues to expand its global presence with the acquisition of Milgram & Company, a world-class provider of freight forwarding, customs brokerage, and surface transportation in Canada. Headquartered in Montreal, Quebec, Milgram employs approximately 330 employees and has six offices in Canada and one office in the United States. Milgram is a gold standard winner of Canada's Best Managed Companies. For the fiscal year ending May 31, 2017, Milgram had approximately $124M in gross revenues. C.H. Robinson purchased Milgram & Company for approximately approximately $50M in cash. The acquisition is expected to be approximately neutral to earnings in 2017 and slightly accretive in 2018 and will be financed through cash and funds drawn from C.H. Robinson's existing revolving credit facility. C.H. Robinson will integrate Milgram into its Global Forwarding division and single global technology platform, Navisphere.

17:01 EDT Ellie Mae to acquire Velocify for $128M in cash - Ellie Mae announced that it has signed a definitive agreement to acquire Velocify, a sales acceleration platform. Under the terms of the agreement, Ellie Mae will acquire Velocify for $128M in cash. The transaction is expected to close in the fourth quarter of 2017 and will have no impact on third quarter financials. Ellie Mae will provide additional financial details when the company reports its third quarter results.

16:56 EDT Energy Transfer Partners' Phase 1A of Rover Pipeline approved - Energy Transfer Partners' request to put Phase 1A of the Rover Pipeline into service by the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission. Phase 1A, the 212-mile section from Cadiz, Ohio, to Defiance, Ohio, will begin natural gas service on August 31. The approximately 713-mile pipeline is designed to transport up to 3.25 billion cubic feet of natural gas per day from the Marcellus and Utica Shale production areas to markets across the United States as well as into Union Gas Dawn Storage Hub in Ontario, Canada.

16:49 EDT Pep Boys to acquire Advanced Auto Service & Tire Centers in Phoenix - Pep Boys, a subsidiary of Icahn Automotive Group, announced that it has entered into a definitive agreement to acquire Advanced Auto Service & Tire Centers in Phoenix. "We are pleased to increase our store density in the metropolitan Phoenix area with the acquisition of Advanced Auto Service & Tire Centers, the third largest independent automotive service chain in the market," commented Icahn Automotive President of Service, Bill Ihnken. "This expansion of our service center network in Arizona will allow us to serve more customers in more neighborhoods, from Flagstaff in the north to Nogales in the south, with the highest quality total car care, including free services such as tire rotations, A/C checks, brake inspections and a year of roadside assistance with every tire purchased." Advanced, with 15 service centers, a wholesale tire business and more than 120 employees, has operated in Arizona since 1989. The majority of its locations are situated in the Phoenix area in the densely-populated East Valley, with three in the West Valley and three further north in Prescott, Prescott Valley and Flagstaff. Its shops are full service with an average of seven bays. These locations will be transitioned to Pep Boys Service & Tire Centers.

16:48 EDT Iovance announces FDA fast track designation for LN-144 - Iovance Biotherapeutics announced that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration has granted Fast Track designation for LN-144, the company's adoptive cell therapy using its TIL technology, for the treatment of advanced melanoma. "We are pleased that the FDA has granted Fast Track designation to LN-144 for the treatment of advanced melanoma. The Fast Track designation underscores that advanced melanoma remains a serious condition and that LN-144 may have the potential to address this unmet medical need," said Dr. Maria Fardis, PhD, MBA, Chief Executive Officer of Iovance Biotherapeutics. "We look forward to a closer interaction with the FDA as we advance the clinical development of LN-144 for the treatment of advanced melanoma."

16:45 EDT BeiGene announces closing of oncology collaboration with Celgene - BeiGene announced the closing of its global strategic oncology collaboration with Celgene Corporation. The collaboration was announced on July 5. Under the terms of the agreements, BeiGene has acquired Celgene's commercial operations in China and assumed commercial responsibility for Celgene's approved therapies in China and pipeline agent CC-122. Celgene has received exclusive rights to develop and commercialize BeiGene's investigational anti-PD1 antibody, BGB-A317, for solid tumors in the United States, Europe, Japan, and the rest of the world outside of Asia. BeiGene retains rights to BGB-A317 for solid tumors in Asia and for hematological malignancies and internal BeiGene combinations globally. BeiGene will receive an aggregate of $413M from Celgene in upfront licensing fees and equity investment, and will be eligible for up to an additional $980M in development, regulatory, and sales milestones, as well as royalties on future sales of BGB-A317.

16:42 EDT II-VI Incorporated introduces small form-factor dual interleaver - II-VI announced the introduction of its small form-factor dual interleaver platform for high bit rate transmission and emerging applications in optical access networks. Next generation broadband access networks require compact equipment to fit in small spaces in the outside plant. II-VI's small 37 x 39 x 12 mm dual interleavers are uniquely designed to enable network operators to increase capacity by deploying dense wavelength division multiplexing technology in locations where space is at a premium such as in remote nodes or base stations. By building on our heritage as a pioneer in interleaver technology and by leveraging our strong core competency in micro optics, we achieved a small and cost-effective product to serve new high growth market opportunities including high bit rate transmission and wireless access," said Dr. Sanjai Parthasarathi, VP, product marketing and strategy, Optical Communications. "The very compact size and cost effectiveness was achieved by optimizing a vertically integrated design that includes optical materials, coatings, components and assemblies."

16:39 EDT Banc of California names John Bogler CFO - Banc of California announced it has hired John A. Bogler as executive VP and Chief Financial Officer for the company and its subsidiary, Banc of California, N.A., effective September 5, 2017. Bogler brings nearly 30 years of experience in the banking and financial services sector, including most recently serving as Chief Financial Officer of Sabal Financial Group, L.P. since 2014. Bogler's appointment comes after the conclusion of a nationwide executive search, led by Korn Ferry.

16:37 EDT MacroGenics' collaboration and license agreement for duvortuxizumab terminated - MacroGenics (MGNX) has been notified by its partner, Janssen Biotech, that Janssen, a Johnson & Johnson (JNJ) company, is terminating the collaboration and license agreement with MacroGenics relating to duvortuxizumab, a CD19 x CD3 DART molecule. Enrollment of the Phase 1 dose-escalation study of this molecule is being discontinued. Given the recent advances in the highly competitive field for the treatment of B cell malignancies, the opportunity for development and commercialization has become less attractive. Janssen reaffirmed its commitment to MGD015, also known as JNJ-9383, a second DART molecule licensed from MacroGenics. MGD015 is a preclinical program that targets CD3 and a non-disclosed cancer antigen expressed in hematological malignancies and lung cancer. Janssen has indicated that it anticipates initiating a first-in-human study with this molecule in 2018.

16:36 EDT Kratos Defense receives $2.2M in contract awards - Kratos Defense & Security Solutions announced today that its Unmanned Systems Division has recently received $2.2M in contract awards for one of its newest high performance jet powered unmanned aerial drone aircraft and related services. This new unmanned drone system is scheduled to be delivered within the next 12 months. Kratos USD is a leading provider of high performance jet powered unmanned aerial drone systems for tactical and target threat emulation requirements. Work under these contract awards will be performed at a secure Kratos manufacturing facility, and at customer locations. Due to competitive, customer related and other considerations, no additional information will be provided related to these contract awards. Steve Fendley, President of Kratos Unmanned Systems Division, said, "Kratos is focused on rapidly designing, demonstrating, and fielding the highest performance unmanned aerial drone systems in the world, and we are very proud to be working with this important customer on this next generation UAS."

16:34 EDT NV5 Global provides geotechnical engineering services to Amazon - NV5 Global (NVEE) announced that it was selected to perform geotechnical engineering and foundation design services for Amazon's (AMZN) 2.5M square foot warehouse near Miami, Florida, which will employ more than 1,000 people and is expected to open in 2018.Eric Stern, PE, Vice President and NV5 Project Manager, said, "The Opa-Locka warehouse is Amazon's largest site in Miami. Our team is providing the client a full range of services, including geotechnical engineering and design services, construction materials testing services, and building, mechanical, electrical, and plumbing inspection services."Dickerson Wright, PE, Chairman and CEO of NV5, said, "We are seeing more high-tech companies like Amazon expand their presence along the Eastern seaboard, where we are a dominant presence in the infrastructure, construction quality assurance, and MEP engineering spaces. This expansion represents a reoccurring revenue stream for us."

16:32 EDT Progenics postpones NDA for AZEDRA - Progenics Pharmaceuticals announced that it has been notified by its third-party vendor that the commercial drug product manufacturing facility for AZEDRA requires more time to prepare for pre-approval inspection by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. As a result, after consultation with the FDA, Progenics has decided to postpone the finalization of the New Drug Application until the manufacturing site is inspection-ready. The manufacturer has indicated it will need up to a few months to complete this work. Under a rolling submission, Progenics has submitted all portions of the NDA to the FDA, except for the notification of pre-approval inspection readiness. "We are committed to filing a high-quality application for AZEDRA and I believe that postponing the completion of the submission to permit the manufacturer time to prepare for their inspection is a worthwhile investment. Our interactions with the FDA on the AZEDRA rolling submission continue to be positive and productive. We understand that this delay could be up to eight to twelve weeks, and we look forward to providing an update as our manufacturer advances through their pre-approval inspection work," said Mark Baker, Chief Executive Officer of Progenics. "This delay is unrelated to the manufacturing process for AZEDRA, which is robust and has been validated. This delay is also unrelated to the quality of the data we have generated for AZEDRA, which we believe demonstrate the potential of this much-needed therapy to deliver significant and meaningful clinical benefit to patients with malignant, recurrent, and/or unresectable pheochromocytoma and paraganglioma." Data from the pivotal Phase 2b study of AZEDRA, including new data for key secondary endpoints, will be presented at the 5th International Symposium on Pheochromocytoma and Paraganglioma in Sydney, Australia on September 1, 2017 at 10:30 a.m. Eastern Australia Time. The data will be highlighted during an oral presentation entitled "AZEDRAin Patients with Malignant and/or Recurrent and/or Unresectable Pheochromocytoma or Paraganglioma: Final Results of a Multi-Center, Open-Label, Pivotal Phase 2b Study".

16:24 EDT Quantum appoints Raghu Rau as Executive Chairman - Quantum has appointed current Chairman Raghu Rau to serve as Executive Chairman on a temporary basis. In this role, Rau will exercise more active operational and strategic oversight on behalf of the board, including participating in investor meetings and conferences and assisting Quantum's management team with engagement of key company stakeholders. In addition, the board has formed a Strategy Committee to help implement the company's previously announced transformation. including assessing and acting on the recommendations of AlixPartners and evaluating Quantum's strategy in the context of changing market. The committee will be led by Alex Pinchev as Chairman, and Adalio Sanchez, Marc Rothman and Rau will serve as members.

16:21 EDT Financial Institutions announces acquisition of Robshaw & Julian Associates - Financial Institutions announced that Courier Capital acquired Robshaw & Julian Associates. At closing, the firm's assets under management were approximately $175M. Stephen Robshaw and James Julian, the prior owners of Robshaw and Julian, are now officers of Courier Capital, where they will continue to manage the former Robshaw & Julian portfolios. "This transaction furthers our strategy to increase fee-based noninterest income and diversify our revenues," said Martin K. Birmingham, president and CEO of the company.

16:18 EDT Leidos awarded $31.4M contract by U.S. Navy - Leidos was awarded a prime contract by the Naval Surface Warfare Center Carderock Division for tactical signature guidance support services. This cost-plus fixed-fee contract has a one-year base with four one-year options, and a total contract value of approximately $31.4M if all options are exercised. Work will primarily be performed in Bethesda, Md. Under this contract, Leidos will provide scientific, engineering, technical, and program management services in support of signature guidance and tactical decision aids for naval ships, submarines, air, and shore-based undersea systems. This includes associated software and system development, updates, integration and testing. With more than 20 years of direct tactical signature guidance support, the company's experienced team will rely on their technical excellence and cooperative management to achieve the Navy's goals.

16:17 EDT Palo Alto Networks reports Q4 billings up 17% y/y to $670.8M

16:15 EDT Tenet chairman, CEO Fetter to step down, Rittenmeyer named executive chairman - Tenet Healthcare announced that chairman and CEO Trevor Fetter will step down from his roles as director and chief executive officer at the earlier of March 15, 2018 or when a successor is appointed. Current independent lead director Ronald A. Rittenmeyer will become executive chairman effective immediately. In that role, Rittenmeyer will serve as the senior-most executive at the company. The board has hired Russell Reynolds Associates to conduct a search for a new Chief Executive Officer.

16:15 EDT Palo Alto Networks CFO to retire - "We are pleased to have ended fiscal 2017 with a record fourth quarter, including market-leading revenue growth and the highest number of new customer additions recorded in a single quarter by the company. For the fiscal year, revenue was $1.8 billion, up 28 percent year over year; our customer base grew to more than 42,500; and we delivered the largest product and features launch in our history," said Mark McLaughlin, chief executive officer of Palo Alto Networks. "Also, Steffan Tomlinson, our chief financial officer, has informed me of his intent to retire from his position. I would like to thank Steffan for his contributions to Palo Alto Networks and his leadership role in guiding the company through a period of tremendous growth and market share gains. We are initiating a search for his replacement, and Steffan will remain in his current position until the search is completed."

16:13 EDT Regency Centers reports minimal damage from Hurricane Harvey - Regency Centers announced that, upon initial inspection, the company's shopping centers in Houston have sustained no significant damage as a result of Hurricane Harvey. The scope of damage has been limited to minimal water intrusion and minor roof leaks, and there is no major structural damage to report. All grocers in the portfolio are reporting as operational. The company will provide further updates, if necessary.

16:11 EDT Discovery Group I reports 6% stake in Invuity - Discovery Group I, which reported a 6% stake in Invuity, said it acquired the shares because it believes that the trading prices of the common stock do not adequately reflect the potential value of the company's underlying business and assets.

16:10 EDT Scotts Miracle-Gro receives $87M dividend payment from TruGreen - Scotts Miracle-Gro said it has received an $87M dividend payment from TruGreen associated with its minority interest in the lawn service company. In 2016, ScottsMiracle-Gro contributed its Scotts LawnService business into a joint venture with TruGreen in exchange for a 30 percent interest in the combined business. To date, ScottsMiracle-Gro has received nearly $290 million in cash as a result of its ownership stake. "The dividend we received will help fund future acquisitions and share repurchase activity associated with Project Focus," Hagedorn said. "Although the integration efforts and cost synergies we expected from the JV remain on track, recent operational challenges at TruGreen will negatively impact our earnings another five cents per share against our previous guidance. That said, we continue to be pleased with the progress of the JV and believe our interest in TruGreen will continue to benefit our shareholders."

16:07 EDT Olin Corp. declares Force Majeure for product shipments from Freeport, Texas - Olin's plants at the Freeport, Texas facility are operational and were not damaged by Hurricane Harvey. However, Olin has been forced to reduce production at the facility due to logistics constraints from truck, railroad and marine transportation caused by severe flooding resulting from the hurricane. Further curtailment of production at the Freeport, Texas facility is likely to occur until supply and logistics services have been fully restored. As a result, Olin has declared Force Majeure for product shipments from its Freeport, Texas facility.

16:04 EDT Scotts Miracle-Gro completes sale of European, Australian businesses - The Scotts Miracle-Gro Company announced it has completed the previously announced sale of most of its International consumer businesses to Exponent Private Equity.The transaction includes ScottsMiracle-Gro operations in Australia, Austria, Belgium, France, Germany, Poland and the U.K. "This transaction marks the end of the major portfolio reconfiguration of our company that we outlined when we announced 'Project Focus' two years ago," said Jim Hagedorn, chairman and chief executive officer. "As of today, nearly all of our sales and profits are derived from North America as we are focusing our efforts and resources on those aspects of our portfolio that best utilize our competitive advantages to enhance shareholder value."The divestiture of both Scotts LawnService and our International consumer businesses allow us to increase our focus on our core brands in the U.S. as well as adjacent higher-growing businesses like Hawthorne Gardening Company. The integration of acquisitions under the Hawthorne umbrella is proceeding as planned and we are in the closing stages of completing the acquisition of a marquee brand in another category of hydroponics. Our goal remains the same: to create the world's most successful hydroponic gardening business." As a result of the International divestiture, company-wide operating margins are expected to improve approximately 125 basis points. However, the transaction is expected to dilute earnings per share by about 15c in the current fiscal year, effectively reducing the Company's previously stated earnings guidance by that amount. The dilution is slightly lower than previously expected due to the delayed timing of the closure and the performance of the business over the past several months. Separately, the Company said it has received an $87M dividend payment from TruGreen associated with its minority interest in the lawn service company. In 2016, ScottsMiracle-Gro contributed its Scotts LawnService business into a joint venture with TruGreen in exchange for a 30% interest in the combined business. To date, ScottsMiracle-Gro has received nearly $290M in cash as a result of its ownership stake."The dividend we received will help fund future acquisitions and share repurchase activity associated with Project Focus," Hagedorn said. "Although the integration efforts and cost synergies we expected from the JV remain on track, recent operational challenges at TruGreen will negatively impact our earnings another five cents per share against our previous guidance. That said, we continue to be pleased with the progress of the JV and believe our interest in TruGreen will continue to benefit our shareholders."

16:02 EDT Amgen's Mimpara expanded use approved by European Commission - Amgen announced that the European Commission has granted Marketing Authorization of a pediatric formulation of Mimpara for the treatment of secondary hyperparathyroidism in children aged three years and older with end-stage renal disease on maintenance dialysis therapy in whom secondary HPT is not adequately controlled with standard of care therapy. The EC approved Mimpara based on studies Amgen began in 2007 to assess the use of Mimpara in pediatric patients with secondary HPT, who have very few treatment options. Members of the European Economic Area will take corresponding decisions on the basis of the decision of the EC.

16:01 EDT Healthcare Trust reports 'minimal' impact from Hurricane Harvey - Healthcare Trust of America announced that its Houston Texas properties had sustained only minimal damage from Hurricane Harvey based on preliminary inspections. These buildings are comprised of 18 medical assets totaling approximately 1.6M square feet and represent 6.2% of annualized base rent. The Company's on-site property management and building engineering teams have worked diligently through their hurricane protocols to ensure the majority of its buildings are open and operational for its healthcare provider tenants. HTA is currently assessing the full impact from the devastation, and is working with its property management, building engineering and leasing team and tenants to mitigate any further risk. Currently, the buildings are out of immediate danger with limited damage based on preliminary inspections. HTA will communicate any future material developments if they occur.

14:31 EDT James E. Flynn reports 5.79% passive stake in Ardelyx

13:48 EDT J.B. Hunt director Garrison sells 68,970 shares - J.B. Hunt Transport director Earl Garrison disclosed the sale of 68,970 shares, with a trade date of August 29, at a price of $100.39. Garrison continues to own 2.15M shares of J.B. Hunt.

13:05 EDT Hallmark Financial says positioned well to deal with hurricane impact - Hallmark Financial Services stated earlier that it currently retains $3M of losses under its corporate catastrophe reinsurance program which covers most of the company's exposed lines of business. To the extent that the company penetrates the catastrophe reinsurance program, it will also be liable for a proportionate share of reinstatement premium. The company's general aviation line of business, which is excluded under the corporate catastrophe reinsurance program, has its own protection with a quota share agreement that covers 80% of all aviation losses. "Our strong balance sheet, capital and reinsurance protection, position our company well to deal with this type of event," said Naveen Anand, President and CEO of Hallmark Financial in the company's press release regarding the company's expected impact from Hurricane Harvey.

12:45 EDT Shanghai Fosun Pharmaceutical reports 5.2% passive stake in Impax - In a regulatory filing before the open, it was disclosed that Shanghai Fosun Pharmaceutical has acquired a 5.19% stake in Impax Laboratories. The type of filing indicates this to be a passive, not an active, stake. Shares of Impax are up $3.72, or 20.75%, to $21.67 following the disclosure.

12:05 EDT Bienville Argentina OF reports 8.2% passive stake in Eco-Stim Energy

11:43 EDT Mnuchin 'absolutely' believes debt ceiling will be raised by Congress - Treasury Secretary Steve Mnuchin is speaking on CNBC.

11:42 EDT Cobas Asset Management reports 5.04% passive stake in International Seaways

11:41 EDT Mnuchin says President Trump concerned about rising debt - Treasury Secretary Steve Mnuchin is speaking on CNBC.

11:40 EDT Mnuchin says objective is to get business tax rate down to 15% - Treasury Secretary Steve Mnuchin is speaking on CNBC.

11:38 EDT Mnuchin says tax plan includes middle-class cut, simplified tax code - Treasury Secretary Steve Mnuchin is speaking on CNBC.

11:36 EDT ICC approves $80M ComEd refund to benefit customers due to FEJA - The Illinois Commerce Commission yesterday approved Exelon unit ComEd's request to provide ComEd customers with an approximately $80 million refund as a result of ComEd's efforts to implement the new Energy Efficiency funding mechanism established by the historic Future Energy Jobs Act, or FEJA. As a result, the average ComEd residential customer will see a credit of close to $14 on their October monthly bill. ComEd had requested the refund as part of the transition to the new Energy Efficiency funding mechanism made possible through FEJA, the energy legislation that passed the Illinois General Assembly with broad bipartisan support. Signed into law by Governor Rauner last year, FEJA helps to pivot Illinois to the new clean energy economy by growing renewable energy resources and significantly expanding energy efficiency programs that help customers save energy and money.

11:26 EDT Donald Smith raises passive stake in Fly Leasing to 10.42% from 9.62%

11:21 EDT Box CEO says percentage of larger deals grew in Q2 from 2017 - Aaron Levie, co-founder and CEO of Box is speaking in a CNBC interview.

10:57 EDT FDA sends alert on increased risk of death seen in Merck trials of Keytruda - Reference Link

10:43 EDT BofA goes sell to buy on FMC Corporation with ag outlook seen improving - Bank of America Merrill Lynch upgraded FMC Corporation (FMC) two notches, to Outperform, its equivalent of a buy rating, from Underperform, its equivalent of a sell rating. The firm says that the risk facing the company from the increased use of genetically modified organisms, or GMOs, in soybeans has declined, while the company should benefit from its acquisition of assets from DuPont (DD). GMO RISK, DUPONT DEAL: Bank of America analyst Steve Byrne said that he had previously believed that the increased use of GMOs in soybeans, along with farmers' "weak income," would cause FMC's agricultural sales to drop. However, Byrne says that his firm's survey indicates that this risk has significantly declined. FMC's agricultural sales will probably rise 1%-3% if the use of a competing product, dicamba, is restricted, Byrne believes. Meanwhile, Byrne wrote that FMC's acquisition of a portion of DuPont's crop protection business diversifies FMC's earnings and the unit's earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization could reach $600M next year versus the company's guidance of $535M. ESTIMATES, TARGET: FMC can beat consensus 2018 and 2019 estimates by 10%-15%, the analyst stated. He hiked his price target on the shares to a Street high $103 from $65. WHAT'S NOTABLE: On August 4, Japanese bank Nomura upgraded FMC to Buy from Neutral. Analyst Aleksey Yefremov contended that a bottom for the agricultural cycle had become more visible, as the risk of crop prices and demand for crop protection was "skewed to the upside." The analyst added that the company's synergies from the DuPont deal could "ultimately" exceed its first year guidance by 50%-100%, while the EBIT view for its lithium unit "appears conservative." The analyst raised his price target on the stock to $97 from $78. PRICE ACTION: In morning trading, FMC rose nearly 2% to about $86 per share.

10:14 EDT Analysts weigh in on Harvey impact on used car market - Hurricane Harvey has left a path of destruction in Texas. Commenting on the potential impact the storm will have on the used car market, Janney Capital analyst John Rowan argued that non-bank financials that cater to consumers lower in the credit bureau score spectrum are at an advantage, while his peer at Craig-Hallum sees Carvana (CVNA) as a potential prime beneficiary post-Harvey. SUBPRIME FINANCING: Janney Capital analyst John Rowan told investors that a new report by Cox Automotive claims that up to half a million cars will be scrapped as a result of Hurricane Harvey, which if accurate would be a significant event for the used car market that could go a long way toward removing the increased wholesale supply of used vehicles and could lead to better pricing later in the year. While some percentage of the damaged vehicles will be replaced with new ones, Rowan thinks most will be replaced with a used vehicle. Speculating on who could benefit the most in such a scenario, the analyst argued that non-bank financials that cater to consumers lower in the credit bureau score spectrum are at a "disproportionate advantage." The demographic data of the Houston metro area skews toward a greater concentration of un/under-banked consumers, he noted. Companies that specialize in subprime automotive financing include Ally Financial (ALLY), America's Car-Mart (CRMT), OneMain Holdings (OMF) and Santander Consumer (SC). CARVANA MAY BENEFIT: In a research note of his own, Craig-Hallum analyst Steven Dyer said that while he is cognizant of the near-term disruption in auto sales as a result of Hurricane Harvey, he expects investors will begin looking for beneficiaries from the associated replacement sales. With estimates of more than 500,000 vehicles to be scrapped, the analyst is expecting a surge in replacement sales over the coming months, which is likely to benefit automotive dealers in the associated areas impacted by Harvey. In his universe, Dyer believes Carvana (CVNA) could be the prime beneficiary. The company has been in the Houston market since the fourth quarter of 2015 but keeps little-to-no inventory onsite, has about 7,500 vehicles in inventory at any given time and its largest reconditioning center is just up the road in Dallas, the analyst highlighted. Furthermore, Dyer believes the company's proven and successful delivery and logistics strategy could allow them to benefit disproportionately from replacement sales. He reiterated a Buy rating and a $24 price target on Carvana's shares. PRICE ACTION: In morning trading, shares of Ally Financial, America's Car-Mart and OneMain Holdings are all up about 1%, while Santander Consumer's stock is slipping almost 0.5%. Shares of Carvana have gained over 4%.

10:02 EDT Discovery Communications trading halted, volatility trading pause

09:27 EDT Halcon Resources says operations unaffected during Hurricane Harvey - Halcon Resources issued a statement today regarding Hurricane Harvey. "The Halcon family's thoughts and prayers are with those that have been and continue to be affected by Hurricane Harvey and the devastating flooding in Houston and surrounding communities. The company is thankful all of its employees are safe. Halcon's operations were unaffected during the hurricane and continue without interruption thanks to the efforts of its dedicated employees, vendors and contractors. Halcon is proud of its employees who are actively volunteering in their neighborhoods and communities. It will take all businesses, government agencies and volunteers working together to rebuild our community."

09:25 EDT On The Fly: Pre-market Movers - UP AFTER EARNINGS: Toronto-Dominion (TD), up 2%... Methode Electronics (MEI), up 6.5%. ALSO HIGHER: Costco (COST), up 1.4% after reporting August same-store sales were up 7.3%... FMC Corporation (FMC), up 3.1% after being upgraded to Buy from Underperform at BofA/Merrill... ChannelAdvisor (ECOM), up 1.9% after being upgraded to Overweight from Equal-Weight at First Analysis. DOWN AFTER EARNINGS: Dollar General (DG), down 3.4%... Campbell Soup (CPB), down 5.9%... Ciena (CIEN), down 7.9%... Genesco (GCO), down 5.5%. ALSO LOWER: Wells Fargo (WFC), down just under 1% after finding 1.4M more potentially unauthorized accounts.

09:18 EDT Southern Company subsidiary recommends construction of Vogtle nuclear expansion - Southern Company's largest electric subsidiary, Georgia Power, filed a recommendation with the Georgia Public Service Commission to continue construction of the Vogtle nuclear expansion near Augusta, Georgia. The project's co-owners, Oglethorpe Power, MEAG Power and Dalton Utilities, support the recommendation. The Georgia PSC is expected to review the recommendation and make a decision regarding the future of the Vogtle 3 & 4 project as part of the 17th Vogtle Construction Monitoring proceeding. Georgia Power expects Vogtle Unit 3 will reach commercial operation in November 2021 and Unit 4 in November 2022. The total rate impact of the project remains less than the original estimate. Georgia Power, which owns 45.7% of the new units, has invested approximately $4.3B in capital costs in the project through June 2017 and estimates that its cost to complete the project is approximately $4.5B, for a total Georgia Power capital cost forecast of approximately $8.8B. The Georgia PSC has already approved $5.68B in capital costs for Georgia Power's share of the project. With $1.7B in anticipated payments from Toshiba, the company's potential additional capital costs are approximately $1.4B. Based on the new assessments, the total estimated capital cost forecast for 100 percent of the project is approximately $19B. Georgia Power has contracted with Bechtel to manage daily construction efforts. More than 6,000 workers from across the country remain on-site today working to complete the nation's first new nuclear units in 30 years.

09:18 EDT Abbott: FreeStyle Libre glucose monitoring system now reimbursed across Japan - Abbott announced that the Ministry of Health Labour and Welfare in Japan has granted national reimbursement for the FreeStyle Libre glucose monitoring system effective September 1, 2017. The revolutionary system will be widely available to the more than 1M Japanese people ages six and above with diabetes, both Type 1 and Type 2, on insulin therapy. Japan has one of the highest rates of diabetes with an overall population of 9.5M people living with the condition.

09:17 EDT CynergisTek wns document service contract from Southern children's hospital - CynergisTek announced that a pediatric hospital based in the South has selected its Managed Document Services program. Under the terms of the five-year, multi-million dollar contract, CynergisTek will provide the hospital with a scalable and customizable program to optimize and manage the organization's document output fleet. CynergisTek's MDS program allows healthcare organizations to choose the level of service needed. The program ranges from toner management and break/fix, to an innovative solution that analyzes document workflow to optimize and manage document processes. All of CynergisTek's service options provide for basic cybersecurity monitoring. For this contract, CynergisTek will tailor the MDS program to streamline the management of over 900 devices and reduce the 27 million pages the organization currently prints per year. CynergisTek NYSE MKT ticker symbol to become "CTEK" on September 8th.

09:11 EDT Campbell Soup sees weaker 1H18 performance, better 2H18 performance

09:09 EDT Campbell Soup says does not expect growth in V-8 Beverage in FY18

09:05 EDT Nielsen's marketing cloud selected by fuboTV sports streaming service - Nielsen Marketing Cloud's Data Management Platform has been selected by fuboTV, a sports-first live streaming TV service, to power its addressable TV advertising capabilities. Nielsen DMP will provide fuboTV with consumer analytics around its subscriber base, as well as audience segmentation, modeling and targeting.

09:02 EDT Compass Diversified subsidiary Sterno Products acquires sevenOKs - Compass Diversified's subsidiary, Sterno Products, has acquired sevenOKs, a provider of insulated food carriers for the foodservice and retail markets. Based in La Porte, Indiana, sevenOKs manufactures and distributes premium insulated hot and cold food carriers and accessories for restaurant delivery, stadium concessions, catering operations and school nutrition programs. For the fiscal year ended December 31, 2016, sevenOKs reported net revenue of approximately $4M. CODI funded the purchase price through a draw on its revolving credit facility.

08:58 EDT Pfizer announces data suggesting tafamidis delays progression of TTR-FAP - Pfizer announced the publication of a new interim analysis of long-term data from four studies indicating that treatment with tafamidis is associated with delay in disease progression in patients with hereditary transthyretin amyloid polyneuropathy and was well tolerated, with no unexpected side effects. The publication, "Long-term safety and efficacy of tafamidis for the treatment of hereditary transthyretin amyloid polyneuropathy: results up to 6 years," is available online in the journal Amyloid: The Journal of Protein Folding Disorders. The analysis included patients with the most common TTR-FAP mutation, Val30Met, who either initiated treatment with tafamidis at the beginning of the pivotal study or who started treatment 18 months later during an open-label extension, as well as non-Val30Met patients who completed 12 months of treatment and then continued in the same open-label extension. Tafamidis, marketed under the trade name VYNDAQEL, is approved in 40 countries for the treatment of TTR-FAP in adult patients with early-stage symptomatic polyneuropathy to delay peripheral neurologic impairment. Tafamidis is not approved in the U.S.The findings reported in Amyloid are from an analysis of an ongoing, long-term, open-label extension study of tafamidis in 93 patients with TTR-FAP who had participated in previous studies with the medication. Of these 93 patients, 75 had the Val30Met mutation and 18 had the non-Val30Met mutation. Different TTR mutations can be associated with differences in disease symptoms and severity. In the Val30Met group, 38 patients had started taking tafamidis on day one in a previous 18-month randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled Phase 3 pivotal trial and, after completing the trial, continued on the medication in a 12-month open-label extension study. The other 37 patients had taken the placebo in the 18-month trial, then switched to tafamidis upon entry in the 12-month extension. After completing the 12-month extension study, both groups entered the ongoing, long-term study. The analysis suggests that, by month 66, patients who started tafamidis at the start of the 18-month pivotal trial had numerically less disease progression than patients who started on placebo, based on the degree of worsening in three standard measures: a test called the Neuropathy Impairment Score for Lower Limbs, a subscale of the NIS-LL that assesses muscle weakness, and a measure of total quality of life. This group was also less likely than the group that started on placebo to progress to the next ambulatory stage - for example, from no assistance required to needing a cane to using a wheelchair. The analysis also suggested the rates of worsening in NIS-LL, NIS-LL muscle weakness, and TQOL over time were less for the patients who started on tafamidis versus placebo on entry to the pivotal trial; moreover, after the placebo, in patients switched to tafamidis during the open-label extension, the rates slowed and were comparable to those seen in patients who had been started on the medication from the beginning of the study. In the patients with non-Val30Met mutations, who had previously completed a separate, 12-month, open-label study, some worsening of NIS-LL and other measures were observed.10 The lack of a control or comparator group of non-Val30Met patients made interpretation of the findings in those patients difficult and is a limitation of this new analysis.Among all 93 patients in the analysis, tafamidis was generally well-tolerated, with no unexpected safety issues identified. The most common adverse events were urinary tract infections; fall, thermal burn, influenza, headache, and upper respiratory tract infection. The most common serious adverse events were cardiac failure and chest pain; and sepsis, urinary tract infection, and transient ischemic attack. Eight patients died during the study or after completion or discontinuation; none of the deaths were treatment related.

08:56 EDT Resonant signs licensing agreement for five bands with eighth customer - Resonant announced it has signed a new development and licensing agreement with a new customer, who is a leading provider of RF Front End Components. This new license agreement covers the licensing of five bands for use in modules, four using wafer level packaging and one using chip scale packaging. The agreement will leverage Resonant's ISN Foundry Program, whose eco-system includes non-captive SAW foundries, as well as backend and packaging partners, enabling the first fabless SAW model that provides an alternative, stable, and secure supply chain for the emerging module markets in Asia. Design acceptance criteria and royalty terms have been agreed upon, but will not be disclosed due to the confidential nature of such agreements.

08:52 EDT Bank of Nova Scotia discussing acquisition of BBVA Chile with BBVA Spain - Scotiabank confirmed it is in non-binding, exploratory discussions with BBVA Spain, the controlling shareholder, to acquire BBVA Chile. At this time, no formal agreement is in place and there can be no assurance that this process will result in a final agreement.

08:45 EDT Campbell Soup says conditions to remain 'hyper-competitive' in near term - Says "not happy" with performance of Campbell Fresh, but "confident" operational issues now behind the company. Says believes C-Fresh strategy is "sound." Says "particularly pleased" with performance of Pepperidge Farm. Comments from Q4 earnings conference call.

08:41 EDT DryShips announces receipt of SEC subpoena - DryShips said earlier, along with its announcement of financial and operating results for the quarter ended June 30, that the company has received a subpoena from the Securities and Exchange Commission requesting certain documents and information from the company in connection with offerings made by the company between June 2016 and July 2017. The company is providing the requested information to the SEC, DryShips noted. Also, various complaints have been filed in the Marshall Islands and the United States alleging various violations by DryShips and/or two of its officers in connection with the securities laws of the United States and the laws of the Republic of the Marshall Islands requesting differing amounts of damages that in some instances have not yet been quantified. "DryShips and its management believe these complaints are without merit and intend to vigorously defend themselves against these allegations," the company stated. In pre-market trading, DryShips shares are down 64c, or 21%, to $2.40.

08:32 EDT Dextera Surgical receives expanded indication for MicroCutter 5/80 - Dextera Surgical announced that it has received clearance from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration to use its MicroCutter 5/80 Stapler and MicroCutter 30 White and Curved Tip White Reloads in conjunction with open solid organ parenchymal dissection techniques including organs such as the liver, kidney, pancreas and spleen. The MicroCutter 5/80 Stapler and MicroCutter 30 White, Blue and Curved Tip White and Blue Reloads are intended for transection and resection in multiple open or minimally invasive urologic, thoracic, and pediatric surgical procedures, as well as application for transection, resection, and/or creation of anastomoses in the small and large intestine, and the transection of the appendix. With the current clearance, the MicroCutter 5/80 Stapler and MicroCutter 30 White and Curved Tip White Reloads may additionally be used in conjunction with open solid organ parenchymal dissection techniques on veins four to five millimeters in diameter and arteries three to seven millimeters in diameter.

08:15 EDT ManTech awarded $39.6M award from U.S. Naval Air Systems Command - ManTech announced a $39.6M agreement with the Naval Air Warfare Center, Aircraft Division, or NAWCAD, for Systems Integration, Diagnostics and Safety Hazard Testing services for the U.S. Naval Air Systems Command, or NAVAIR. ManTech will provide end-to-end reliability and maintainability, quality assurance, systems safety, diagnostics and testability services for NAVAIR.

08:11 EDT Amarin sues to prevent U.S. import, sale of 'predominantly EPA' omega-3 products - In a regulatory filing last night, Amarin disclosed that its subsidiaries filed a lawsuit with the United States International Trade Commission that seeks an investigation by the ITC under Section 337 of the Tariff Act of 1930, which makes unlawful unfair methods of competition and unfair acts involving the importation and sale of articles in the United States that injure or threaten injury to a domestic industry. Amarin contends that synthetically produced omega-3 products comprised predominantly of EPA and sold as dietary supplements in the U.S. are unapproved new drugs under applicable law. As such Amarin contends that the import and sale of such articles in the United States is illegal and amounts to injurious unfair competition with Amarin's FDA-approved drug, Vascepa capsules, which contains 1 gram of EPA in ethyl ester form in a 1-gram capsule. Amarin contends, consistent with U.S. law and multiple cited FDA statements and actions, that the public is entitled to the benefit of FDA drug regulations to ensure that synthetic products are appropriately manufactured and safe and effective for their intended uses. In the lawsuit, Amarin seeks the issuance of a general exclusion order prohibiting importation into the United States of the purported dietary supplement products and oil. The lawsuit also seeks related cease and desist orders applicable to inventory of such articles of the named respondents already in the United States. The lawsuit does not seek action against dietary supplements containing common fish oil.

08:09 EDT Dimension Therapeutics commences patient dosing in DTX301 Phase 1/2 trial - Dimension Therapeutics announced the initiation of patient dosing in the company's global, multi-center Phase 1/2 clinical trial to evaluate DTX301, the only AAV gene therapy in clinical testing for the treatment of patients with Ornithine Transcarbamylase, or OTC, Deficiency. DTX301 is designed to deliver stable expression and activity of OTC following a single intravenous infusion and has been shown in academic preclinical studies in relevant mouse models to normalize levels of urinary orotic acid, a marker of ammonia metabolism. In the late onset form of the disease, elevated ammonia can lead to significant medical issues for patients who are in need of better disease-modifying therapies.

08:06 EDT Merrimack implementing one-for-ten reverse stock split on September 6 - Merrimack's one-for-ten reverse stock split of its issued and outstanding common stock will be effective for trading purposes as of the commencement of trading on September 6. The reverse stock split will reduce the number of shares of common stock outstanding from approximately 132.8 million shares to approximately 13.28 million shares post-split, and will also proportionately reduce the number of authorized shares of common stock from 200M to 20M. The reverse stock split will affect all stockholders uniformly and will not alter any stockholder's percentage interest in the company's equity, except to the extent that the reverse stock split would result in a stockholder owning a fractional share. Stockholders who would otherwise be entitled to a fractional share of common stock will be entitled to receive a proportional cash payment. Shares will continue to trade on the NASDAQ Global Market under the company's existing trading symbol, MACK.

08:04 EDT Materialise, Tailored Fits partner on digital supply chain for ski boots - Materialise has partnered with winter sports gear and tailored footwear specialist Tailored Fits, to launch the world's first end-to-end digital supply chain for custom-fit ski boots. The supply chain is supported by a customization platform for wearables, co-developed by Materialise and Tailored Fits, which includes a customer interface, design automation and process automation. Materialise also provides the entire production capacity for the certified additive manufacturing of the customized ski boots. The solution co-created by the two companies already enables customers to have their feet scanned by Tailored Fits' speciality sporting goods retailers in ten minutes, and receive individually tailored 3D printed boot insoles in under ten days, and will soon provide skiers with the option to fully customize either their ski boot liner or the entire ski boot for optimum comfort and performance. A customization platform for wearables, developed over the course of one year's intensive co-creation between Materialise and Tailored Fits, automates the design-to-delivery process. The process begins with anatomically detailed 3D scans of the wearer's feet, which the design automation software translates into individualized inserts. The platform conveys these as print-ready instruction to the Certified Additive Manufacturing facility at Materialise, where the inserts are produced in a flexible 3D printing material, TPU 92A-1. Materialise will manage and continue to enhance the automation process, and provide 100% of the production capacity required to support the supply chain. Tailored Fits ski boots are scheduled to be available from leading sporting goods retailers from December.

08:02 EDT Oracle, Mitsubishi Electric collaborate on IoT platform - Oracle announced its collaboration with Mitsubishi Electric to develop an Internet of Things platform for smart manufacturing. With Oracle Cloud, Mitsubishi Electric developed its new FA-IT Open Platform for factory automation. Using edge computing between devices and business applications, the new platform enables the rapid collection, analysis, and utilization of data at production site.

07:59 EDT Unisys and CMA partner to sell security software to federal agencies - Unisys Federal is teaming with Computer Marketing Associates to offer the award-winning Unisys Stealth suite of security software to U.S. federal government agencies. CMA is a small business systems integrator and reseller of cybersecurity, cloud, data analytics and integrated IT infrastructure solutions to the federal government. In 2016, CMA was selected for the inaugural National Institutes of Health's Chief Information Officer-Commodities and Solutions Government-Wide Acquisition Contract Program Excellence Award. The agreement between Unisys and CMA expands market availability of Stealth beyond its current channels by also making Stealth available to all U.S. federal government agencies via two major government-wide contract vehicles. CMA will also offer Unisys professional services to implement Stealth solutions via these contracts.

07:39 EDT Amedisys announces definitive agreement to acquire Intercity Home Care - Amedisys announced that its subsidiary, Associated Home Care, has signed a definitive agreement to acquire Intercity Home Care, a personal care provider. Headquartered in Malden, Massachusetts, Intercity Home Care has four locations throughout the Greater Boston, North Shore and Merrimack Valley communities.

07:33 EDT Oragenics doses first patient in Phase 2 clinical trial of AGO13 - Oragenics announced that the first patient has been dosed in its Phase 2 clinical trial of AG013 for the treatment of oral mucositis. The Phase 2 clinical trial of AG013 is a double-blind, placebo-controlled study that will be conducted at approximately 30 sites across the U.S. and Europe, and is expected to enroll up to 200 patients. The purpose of the study is to evaluate the efficacy, safety and tolerability of administered AG013 compared to placebo for reducing OM in patients undergoing chemo-radiation for the treatment of head and neck cancer, as measured by the duration, time to development, and overall incidence of OM. AG013 is an ActoBiotics therapeutic candidate formulated as a convenient oral rinsing solution and designed by our strategic collaboration partner Intrexon Corporation (XON) to deliver the therapeutic molecule Trefoil Factor 1 to the mucosal tissues in the oral cavity. Trefoil Factors are a class of peptides involved in the protection of gastrointestinal tissues against mucosal damage and play an important role in subsequent repair. AG013 received Fast Track designation from the U.S. FDA in November 2016. Under an Exclusive Channel Collaboration Agreement with Intrexon, Oragenics has an exclusive worldwide license to develop and commercialize AG013 to treat OM in cancer patients.

07:18 EDT L Brands reports August SSS down 4% - L Brands reported net sales of $842.1M for the four weeks ended August 26, 2017, a decrease of 1%, compared to net sales of $852.9M for the four weeks ended Aug. 27, 2016. Comparable sales decreased 4 % for the four weeks ended August 26, 2017. For August, the exit of the swim and apparel categories had a negative impact of about 2 percentage points and 3 percentage points to total company and Victoria's Secret comparable sales, respectively.

07:15 EDT Apricus announces FDA acknowledgement of Vitaros class NDA resubmission - Apricus Biosciences announced that the FDA has acknowledged receipt of its recently resubmitted New Drug Application, or NDA, for Vitaros and considers it a complete, class 2 response to Apricus' 2008 action letter. The PDUFA goal date for completion of the FDA's review of the Vitaros NDA is set for February 17, 2018, which is the standard six month review period for NDA resubmissions.

07:11 EDT Garmin announces smartwatch vivoactive 3 - Garmin International announced the vivoactive 3, a GPS smartwatch that introduces Garmin Pay, a contactless payment solution that lets users make secure payments from the watch, no phone or wallet required. With Elevate wrist-based heart rate and over 15 built-in indoor and outdoor sports apps, the vivoactive 3 is packed with features to keep up with a varied active lifestyle. And with thousands of watch faces, widgets, data fields and apps available to download for free from the Garmin Connect IQTM store, users can customize the vivoactive 3, making it the perfect accessory for playing and paying. The vivoactive 3 is one of the many new wearables from Garmin being launched in conjunction with IFA in Berlin, Germany, September 1-6. The vivoactive 3 comes in three colors - black/stainless and white/stainless with a suggested retail price of $299.99 and black/slate, $329.99, and is available for purchase. Users also have the option to switch up their style with compatible accessory bands.

07:08 EDT Garmin announces smart activity tracker vivosport - Garmin International announced the vivosport, the smart activity tracker with Elevate 24/7 wrist-based heart rate and GPS to accurately track every walk, run and ride. With an always-on Garmin Chroma color touchscreen display and new built-in sports apps for everything from strength training to cycling and cardio, the vivosport is optimized for both indoor and outdoor workouts. Smart notifications keep users connected as they jump from one activity to the next, and fitness and wellness monitoring tools provide valuable information like fitness age and stress level. Safe for swimming and showering and featuring a battery life of up to 7 days in smartwatch mode and 8 hours in GPS mode, this ultra-slim tracker is built for life on the go. The vivosport is one of the many new wearables from Garmin being launched in conjunction with IFA in Berlin, Germany, September 1-6. The vivosport has a suggested retail price of $199.99.

07:04 EDT Daiichi Sankyo terminates development agreement with Charleston Laboratories - Daiichi Sankyo Co. and its U.S. subsidiary, Daiichi Sankyo, announced that the company has elected to terminate its 2014 development and commercialization agreement with Charleston Laboratories, forgoing further involvement with the development and commercialization of Charleston Laboratories' hydrocodone products, including CL-108 and will be returning all of its rights to those products to Charleston Laboratories. Daiichi Sankyo Co., Ltd. will take an impaired loss of approximately $250M in the 2nd quarter consolidated financial result for FY2017 (IFRS) reflecting payments made to Charleston Laboratories under the terms of the agreement. An updated consolidated forecast for FY2017 including this impairment loss will be reported in the second quarter earnings call disclosure.

07:01 EDT Cato Corp. reports August SSS down 10% - Cato Corporation reported sales for the four weeks ended August 26, 2017 of $56.2M, a 9% decrease over sales of $62.0M for the four week period ended August 27, 2016. August SSS were down 10% to the prior year. Sales for the thirty weeks ended August 26, 2017 were $498.9M, down 15% to sales of $584.1M for the thirty weeks ended August 27, 2016. The company's year-to-date same-store sales decreased 15%. As of August 26, 2017, the Company operated 1,372 stores in 33 states, compared to 1,373 stores in 33 states as of August 27, 2016.

07:00 EDT Dollar General sees FY17 share repurchases of about $450M

06:59 EDT The Buckle reports August SSS down 7.9% year-over-year - The Buckle reported comparable store net sales, for stores open at least one year, for the 4-week period ended August 26, decreased 7.9% in comparison to comparable store net sales for the 4-week period ended August 27, 2016. Net sales for the 4-week fiscal month ended August 26, 2017 decreased 7.9% to $80.3M compared to net sales of $87.2M for the prior year 4-week fiscal month ended August 27, 2016. Comparable store net sales year-to-date for the 30-week period ended August 26, 2017 decreased 10.0% from comparable store net sales for the 30-week period ended August 27, 2016. Net sales for the 30-week fiscal period ended August 26, 2017 decreased 10.1% to $488.2M from net sales of $542.9M for the prior year 30-week fiscal period ended August 27, 2016.

06:51 EDT Titan Machinery CEO sees annual expense reduction of $20M vs. $25M previously - David Meyer, Titan Machinery's Chairman and CEO, stated, "Second quarter financial results reflect improvements in gross margins, operating expenses and interest expense. While our overall pre-tax results have not improved due to the restructuring costs that we have incurred, our adjusted pre-tax results, which are exclusive of restructuring charges, have improved in all three of our operating segments, Agriculture, Construction and International. We believe the Agriculture equipment inventory environment continues to stabilize as we improved our equipment margins, while also reducing used equipment inventory for the tenth straight quarter. Operating expenses improved year over year, however they did not decrease at the rate and to the level we initially projected. We completed nearly all of our restructuring efforts in August and now believe we will achieve an approximate annual expense reduction of $20 million compared to the previously expected $25 million. The two primary reasons for the less-than-anticipated savings are higher expenses in our International segment due to materially higher revenues and a stronger Euro and lower restructuring savings in our Agriculture and Construction operations resulting from our decision to commit more resources to customer support to continue to provide the leading customer experience in our industry and grow customer loyalty through down markets. The extent and the timing of these reductions will result in approximately $200 million of operating expenses, exclusive of restructuring costs, for our current fiscal year."

06:47 EDT Leidos awarded prime contract by U.S. Army Medical Research Acquisition Activity - Leidos was awarded a prime contract by the U.S. Army Medical Research Acquisition Activity to provide scientific and administrative services to the Congressionally Directed Medical Research Programs, or CDMRP. The single-award, indefinite delivery/indefinite quantity, cost-plus fixed-fee contract has a one-year base ordering period, four one-year optional ordering periods, and a total contract ceiling value of approximately $98M. Work will be performed in Frederick, MD. Under the contract Leidos will leverage its expertise and knowledge of the program to provide scientific and administrative support to Leadership and Government Program Managers, including establishing and managing the Programmatic Panels to advise the government on potential applications for research funding.

06:37 EDT Toronto-Dominion to amend normal course issuer bid - TD Bank Group announced that, subject to the approval of the Office of the Superintendent of Financial Institutions Canada and the Toronto Stock Exchange, it intends to amend its existing normal course issuer bid to increase the number of common shares that it may repurchase for cancellation from 15M common shares to 35M common shares. This represents approximately 1.9% of the common shares currently issued and outstanding. To date, TD has completed the purchase for cancellation of 15M common shares since the commencement of its normal course issuer bid. On July 31, 2017, there were 1,848,592,682 common shares issued and outstanding.

06:32 EDT Toronto-Dominion calls Q3 a 'great quarter' - "This was a great quarter for TD reflecting impressive earnings and revenue growth, better credit performance across all our businesses, and lower insurance claims," said Bharat Masrani, Group President and CEO. The Bank also announced its intention to amend its normal course issuer bid to repurchase for cancellation up to an additional 20M of its common shares, subject to regulatory approval.

05:40 EDT Six Flags Great America to debut 'world's largest loop coaster' in 2018 - Six Flags Great America announced that coming in 2018 is the world's largest loop coaster. This world-record breaking attraction will take riders forward and backward on a gigantic loop before suspending them completely upside down. This latest thrill will be located in the Mardi Gras area of the park. The new coaster will be named soon and is set to open in spring of 2018.

05:33 EDT DigitalGlobe extends strategic partnership with NTT DATA - DigitalGlobe and NTT DATA Corporation announced an agreement to extend their strategic partnership to produce large-scale 3D vector building model datasets, called AW3D Metro. This will combine NTT DATA's elevation expertise with DigitalGlobe's high-resolution imagery and platform capabilities to create one of the highest resolution 3D datasets that offers significant coverage and rapid delivery timelines.

05:29 EDT Toshiba provides update on sale of TMC - Toshiba (TOSBF, TOSYY) is in continuing negotiations with three consortia of potential purchasers of Toshiba Memory Corporation, or TMC: the Innovation Network Corporation of Japan, Bain Capital Private Equity LP and Development Bank of Japan consortium; a consortium that includes Western Digital (WDC); and a consortium that includes Hon Hai (HNHPF). At this point, Toshiba has not made any decision to reduce the pool of candidate purchasers of TMC. There have been media reports speculating that Toshiba will make a decision on Aug 31 at Toshiba's Board of Directors meeting. While Toshiba exercised its best efforts to reach a mutually satisfactory definitive agreement with one of the consortia seeking to purchase TMC, the negotiation with each consortium has not reached the point which will allow Toshiba's Board of Directors could make a decision regarding the sale of TMC. The memory business requires timely investments, accelerated product development, and the ability to quickly ramp-up large-scale production capacity; Highly reliable memory devices are essential to meet growing demand for storage. Accordingly, Toshiba is looking for a purchaser of TMC that is able to deliver flexible, rapid decision-making and enhanced financial options, and to promote further growth of TMC's memory business, while also being capable of contributing enough value from the sale of TMC to return the Toshiba group to positive equity. Toshiba intends to continue negotiations with possible bidders to reach a definitive agreement which meets Toshiba's objectives at the earliest possible date, and will announce material changes in status in a timely manner.

05:22 EDT Costco reports August SSS up 7.3% - Reports August net sales up 10% to $9.8B vs. $8.9B last year. Reports August SSS, excluding the impacts from changes in gasoline prices and foreign exchange, up 5.9%.