Stockwinners Market Radar for September 01, 2017 - Earnings, Upgrades downgrades, option trades, Best Stock Advisory Service

18:11 EDT Electronic Arts director sells 55,850 common shares - In a regulatory filing, Electronic Arts director Lawrence F. Probst III disclosed the sale of 55,850 common shares of the company in a price range of $121.05-$121.205 per share.

17:45 EDT Annaly Capital CIO acquires 100,000 common shares - In a regulatory filing, Annaly Capital CIO David L. Finkelstein disclosed the acquisition of 100,000 common shares of the company at a price of $12.4865 per share. The transaction brings Finkelstein's total direct common stock ownership in the company to 300,000 shares.

17:33 EDT Overstock.com exec Johnson sells 1,500 common shares - In a regulatory filing, Overstock.com executive Jonathan E. Johnson III disclosed the sale of 1,500 common shares of the company for $22.10 per share.

17:26 EDT Douglas Emmett pays off $342M loan and completes debt reduction - Douglas Emmett announced that it paid off a $342M loan on September 1, 2 upon the expiration of its prepayment penalty. The loan bore interest at 4.46% per annum and was scheduled to mature on March 1, 2020. To fund the payoff, Douglas Emmett used some available cash and sold an additional $250 million of its common stock during August under its ATM program. Having paid off its last high interest loan, Douglas Emmett has completed its debt reduction program and related sales of common stock. Douglas Emmett has reduced its net debt to enterprise value to 32%, and lowered its average annual fixed interest rate to 3.08%. One-third of Douglas Emmett's wholly-owned office portfolio is now debt free. Douglas Emmett continues to have no corporate level debt and is not subject to any financial covenants.

17:23 EDT HMS Holdings CSO Nustad sells 22,907 common shares - In a regulatory filing, HMS Holdings chief strategy officer Cynthia Nustad disclosed the sale of 22,907 common shares of the company at $17.6367 per share. The transaction, dated August 31, 2017, brings Nustad's total direct common stock ownership to 73,877 shares.

17:17 EDT MGT Capital Investments director Hugh Holmes sells 100,000 shares - MGT Capital Investments director Hugh Holmes disclosed in a filing on Friday afternoon that he had sold 100,000 shares of company stock at an average price of $3.85 per share on August 30. The total transaction value of the sale was $385,480.

17:09 EDT Colony NorthStar announces agreement to sell Townsend to Aon - Colony NorthStar (CLNS) announced it has entered into a definitive agreement to sell The Townsend Group, or Townsend to Aon (AON). Colony NorthStar is the majority owner of Townsend, a leading provider of global investment management and advisory services primarily focused on real estate with assets under advisory totaling approximately $175.7B and assets under management totaling approximately $14.5B as of December 31. Aon has agreed to acquire Townsend for $475M, subject to certain purchase price adjustments. Net proceeds to affiliates of Colony NorthStar for its ownership interest after transaction and other expenses is estimated to be approximately $379M. Subject to certain customary and negotiated closing conditions, the deal is expected to close over the next six months.

16:49 EDT Keryx in product manufacturing agreement with Patheon - On August 29, Keryx Biopharmaceuticals and Patheon, an affiliate of Patheon Manufacturing Services entered into a product agreement under the existing Master Manufacturing Services Agreement among Keryx and Patheon Greenville for Patheon Whidbey's manufacture of commercial supplies of Auryxia tablets at its Whitby, Ontario, Canada manufacturing site from active pharmaceutical ingredients supplied by Keryx. This product agreement is in addition to the two previous product agreements entered into by Keryx and Patheon Greenville and Keryx and Patheon UK Limited under the Master Agreement for Patheon's manufacture of Auryxia tablets at Patheon's Greenville, North Carolina and Bourgoin-Jallieu, France manufacturing sites, respectively.

16:34 EDT Aeterna Zentaris chief accounting officer Lemaire to leave company - Aeterna Zentaris announced the departure of the company's Vice President, Finance & Chief Accounting Officer, Genevieve Lemaire, effective on or before September 30, 2017. The company is currently reviewing its resource requirements with respect to its finance department and has commenced a search for Lemaire's replacement as principal financial officer.

16:31 EDT Novavax director sells 175,000 common shares - In a regulatory filing, Novavax director James F. Young disclosed the sale of 175,000 common shares of the company at a price of $1.0564 per share. The transaction is dated August 31, 2017.

16:24 EDT Workday changes common stock listing to Nasdaq from NYSE - On September 1, Workday provided written notice to NYSE of its intention to voluntarily delist its Class A common stock, $0.001 par value per share from the NYSE and to list its common stock on the NASDAQ Global Select Market of The NASDAQ Stock Market. The company expects the listing and trading of its common stock on the NYSE will cease at market close on September 19, and that trading of its common stock will commence on NASDAQ at market open on September 20. The common stock has been approved for listing on NASDAQ, with the common stock continuing to trade under the symbol "WDAY."

16:17 EDT Cytori announces corporate restructuring, cost reduction plan - Cytori Therapeutics announced a substantial corporate restructuring intended to significantly reduce expenses while maintaining its ability to execute on its BARDA-sponsored cell therapy program, Japanese business and oncology program. The Cytori Habeo program for scleroderma is expected to move forward based on feedback from its forthcoming meetings with the FDA in the U.S. and PMDA in Japan. The restructuring is expected to reduce Cytori's workforce by approximately 50% and significantly reduce quarterly operational cash burn. "Our need to conserve capital and focus our talented team on the priorities most relevant for stockholders and other key stakeholders has sadly required us to take action that will affect a number of valued and capable members of the Cytori team," said Dr. Marc H. Hedrick, Cytori's President & CEO. "In addition, we have engaged TAP Advisors to help us evaluate several potential opportunities the company has that could enhance our ability to create value for stockholders." The company and its advisors, TAP Advisors, will consider a range of options aimed at enhancing shareholder value, including a sale of the company, a reverse merger, a business combination or a sale, license or other disposition of corporate assets of the company, as well as potential opportunities to raise capital in the shareholder's best interest.

16:10 EDT Installed Building Products acquires Red Rock Insulation - Installed Building Products announced the acquisition of Red Rock Insulation, which consists of PWD Associates, Inc d/b/a Red Rock Insulation, Red Rock Insulation, LLC, and Elite Spray Foam & Roofing, LLC. Founded in 2000, Red Rock Insulation serves Southern Nevada through a branch located in Las Vegas, and Southwestern Utah through a branch located in St. George. The company provides primarily insulation installation services for single-family residential customers. "With annualized revenues of $6M, Red Rock expands our footprint in Nevada and Utah," stated Jeff Edwards, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer. "Historically, IBP has had a limited presence in these geographies, and we are excited to expand in these compelling housing markets. Since the beginning of the year, we have completed eight acquisitions and our pipeline of potential acquisitions remains robust."

16:07 EDT Five Prime: Updated FP-1039 data shows ORR of 48% - Five Prime Therapeutics announced that updated data from the ongoing Phase 1b trial of FP-1039/GSK3052230 in mesothelioma patients were reported today in an abstract submitted to the European Society for Medical Oncology 2017 Congress to be held Sept. 8 - 12, 2017, in Madrid, Spain. The MPM arm of the study evaluated the safety and efficacy of FP-1039 in combination with standard pemetrexed + cisplatin. The study design involved dose escalation until maximum tolerated dose followed by a cohort expansion phase. Endpoints included safety, overall response rate by modified RECIST 1.1, disease control rate, progression free survival and exploratory translational objectives. As of the cutoff date of March 17, 2017, 36 patients were dosed at 10, 15 and 20 mg/kg doses of FP-1039. Three DLTs were observed at 20 mg/kg but none occurred at 15 mg/kg; therefore, MTD was declared at this dose. The most common adverse events observed were: nausea, decreased appetite, fatigue and infusion reaction. The confirmed objective response rate of all evaluable patients at or below the MTD was 48%, with 13 partial responses in 27 patients. The disease control rate was 100%. The median PFS was 7.4 months.

15:18 EDT FDA clears mammography device with option for patient-assisted compression - The U.S. Food and Drug Administration announced that it has cleared the first 2D digital mammography system that allows patients to increase or decrease the amount of compression applied to their own breast before the mammogram x-ray is taken, the Senographe Pristina with Self-Compression. The FDA granted premarket clearance of the Senographe Pristina with Self-Compression to GE Healthcare.

14:50 EDT Magellan Midstream sees crude oil pipelines to start service over weekend - Magellan Midstream Partners announced that significant progress has been made at its facilities in Houston and Corpus Christi, Texas following the impact of Hurricane Harvey, with no significant asset damage found. Refined products pipeline service has now resumed at the partnership's East Houston terminal to deliver gasoline, diesel fuel and jet fuel to the Dallas and West Texas areas. Until those markets can be adequately resupplied, Magellan will continue to deliver refined products from its reversed pipeline segment that provides transportation services from Oklahoma refineries into the Dallas / Ft. Worth and West Texas markets. Inspections continue for the partnership's crude oil pipelines, including Longhorn and BridgeTex, with operations currently expected to resume over the weekend once these assessments are complete. Clean-up work and inspections continue at the partnership's Galena Park marine facility, but a restart timetable is not yet available. Concerning Corpus Christi, storage and distribution services have commenced at this facility. The partnership currently expects to restart its condensate splitter mid-next week following a thorough review of all electronic devices that is currently underway.

13:23 EDT Mercedes-Benz calls U.S. automotive market 'highly volatile' - Mercedes-Benz USA said in today's August sales report, "It became apparent during the previous months, that the highly volatile U.S. automotive market is affecting the sales figures of Mercedes-Benz. Nevertheless, we see an ongoing demand for our SUV lineup. The limited availability of several models impacted our monthly totals in August." The company's U.S. sales declined 10.7% to 25,373 units.

13:16 EDT Charter confirms data breach of legacy Time Warner Cable customers - Charter Communications said in a statement, "A vendor has notified us that certain non-financial information of legacy Time Warner Cable customers who used the MyTWC app became potentially visible by external sources. Upon discovery, the information was removed immediately by the vendor, and we are currently investigating this incident with them. There is no indication that any Charter systems were impacted. As a general security measure, we encourage customers who used the MyTWC app to change their user names and passwords. Protecting customer privacy is of the utmost importance to us. We apologize for the frustration and anxiety this causes, and will communicate directly to customers if their information was involved in this incident."

13:06 EDT Synnex: Westcon-Comstor assets to add 70c to adj. EPS first year after closing - SYNNEX announced the completion of the acquisition of the Westcon-Comstor Americas businesses and minority investment in Westcon EMEA and APAC businesses. The acquisition solidifies SYNNEX as a leader in security, UCC and networking, providing deep strength, capabilities, and comprehensive offerings in these attractive markets. The acquisition strengthens the company's market position in North America and adds an established presence in Latin America. It also creates a strategic partnership with Westcon-Comstor EMEA and APAC businesses, enabling a seamless global experience for partners.SYNNEX has put in place a $1.8B facility which includes a $1.2B term loan and a $600M revolver to fund this acquisition and provide additional working capital requirements. In the first 12 months after close, this acquisition is expected to generate approximately 70c diluted Non-GAAP EPS.

13:00 EDT Health Insurance Innovations sinks following reports of ACA ad spend cuts - Shares of Health Insurance Innovations (HIIQ) have slid over the last two sessions after several media outlets reported that President Trump's administration is cutting spending on advertising and promotion for enrollment under the Affordable Care Act. The New York Times said earlier this week that the Trump administration wanted to stabilize health insurance markets, but refused to say if the government would promote enrollment under the ACA. WHAT'S NEW: The New York Times reported yesterday that officials at the Department of Health and Human Services told reporters on a conference call that the advertising budget for the open enrollment period for ACA that begins in November would be slashed to $10M, a 90% drop from the $100M spent by the Obama administration a year ago. In addition, grants to roughly 100 nonprofit groups that help people enroll in health plans offered by the insurance marketplaces will be reduced to $36M from roughly $63M, the report said. The HHS officials told the Times that the administration felt that the cuts were necessary due to "diminishing returns" from advertising, noting that the number of first-time enrollees in ACA coverage fell by 42% this year, compared with 2016. According to Talking Points Memo, HHS Press Secretary Caitlin Oakley said in a statement in defense of the cuts, "Judging effectiveness by the amount of money spent and not the results achieved is irresponsible and unhelpful to the American people. Under the Trump Administration, we're committed to more responsible, effective government." CANACCORD SEES ENTRY POINT: Canaccord analyst Richard Close attributes the sharp dip in Health Insurance Innovations to all this news, saying he views a less stabilized ACA market as being positive for the stock, noting that people would increasingly look for lower-cost alternatives in a market with higher premium rates and fewer options. The analyst added that, with less advertising and funding to promote ACA, it is possible that fewer people would seek insurance, thus fewer people will seek lower-cost alternatives, which would be a negative for Health Insurance Innovations. On the other hand, Close said he sees this action by the administration as a potential positive for the company, since less advertising also implies a potentially lower cost per lead/conversion and he still expects solid demand for its offerings. The analyst maintained a Buy rating and a $39 price target on the shares. PRICE ACTION: In afternoon trading, Health Insurance Innovations is down 10% to $30.25. Over the last two days, the stock has declined about 17%.

12:57 EDT Neovasc reports appeals court upholds lower court decisions - Neovasc reported that in a non-precedential opinion a panel of the United States Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit affirmed the judgment of the United States District Court for the District of Massachusetts in the case of CardiAQ Valve Tech., Inc. v. Neovasc Inc. The panel also affirmed the district court's decision not to enjoin Neovasc's Tiara program. In summary, if the judgement is not altered through additional appellate proceedings, Neovasc must pay the full judgement of approximately $112M, of which approximately $70M is already held in an escrow account. There are no other monetary damages arising from this award; and Neovasc remains the joint inventor of the '964 patent, one of the patents in the Tiara patent family, along with two employees of CardiAQ Valve Technologies, both parties having freedom to use the patent without an obligation to pay royalties to the other. "Neovasc is presently considering whether to pursue further appellate review of the panel's decisions on the other issues presented by the judgment and will continue to evaluate all other options," the company stated.

12:22 EDT Interactive Brokers reports August DARTs up 21% from last year - Interactive Brokers reported its Electronic Brokerage monthly performance metrics for August, which included: 696,000 Daily Average Revenue Trades, or DARTs, 21% higher than prior year and even with prior month; Ending client equity of $112.8B, 40% higher than prior year and 3% higher than prior month; Ending client margin loan balances of $24.3B, 49% higher than prior year and 3% higher than prior month; Ending client credit balances of $46.8B, 13% higher than prior year and even with prior month; 449,000 client accounts, 23% higher than prior year and 3% higher than prior month.

12:06 EDT Ashland provides update on impact from Hurricane Harvey - Ashland issued the following statement related to the impact to its manufacturing operations and supply chain as a result of Hurricane Harvey: "Ashland operates two manufacturing facilities in the Houston area and south Texas - one in Texas City and the other in Kenedy. Together these sites employ approximately 230 employees. Our top priority is the safety of our employees and the surrounding communities. Both plants were shut down according to plan last weekend due to the storm, and all employees are accounted for and safe. The Kenedy plant, which primarily produces N-Hance guar derivatives and Aquaflow rheology modifiers, restarted operations on Monday, Aug. 28. Our Texas City plant - which produces PVP linear and crosslinked homopolymers, PVP/VA copolymers and NMP - is currently conducting a comprehensive assessment and inspection of the entire facility to ensure all equipment is safe and in proper working condition prior to restarting operations. While this assessment is progressing steadily, there is much more work needed to validate the operational condition of all the critical plant equipment. At this point, it is premature to estimate when the plant will resume full production...At this time, the biggest challenge is the constraints facing the broader shipping, trucking and rail networks. We are monitoring the situation closely and implementing contingency plans. We also are working through challenges associated with moving materials in and out of the region. At this time, Ashland has not declared force majeure. We are working diligently to supply our customers from existing inventories wherever possible. We also source many key raw materials from the affected region for our other North American facilities. All efforts are being made to utilize alternate sources of supply during this period. In some cases, existing inventories will mitigate the potential disruption of supply. Nevertheless, lack of raw materials for production may occur in some instances...Given the uncertainty around the time needed to resume full production at Texas City and the ongoing transportation and logistics challenges in the affected regions, it is premature to estimate the potential impact to Ashland's earnings from the hurricane."

11:40 EDT Pfizer confirms FDA approval for MYLOTARG - Pfizer announced that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration approved MYLOTARG for adults with newly diagnosed CD33-positive acute myeloid leukemia, and adults and children 2 years and older with relapsed or refractory CD33-positive AML. MYLOTARG is the first therapy with an indication that includes pediatric AML. It is also the only AML therapy that targets CD33, an antigen expressed on AML cells in up to 90% of patients. "The FDA approval of MYLOTARG fills a critical unmet need for many adults and children with AML, which can be fatal in a matter of months or even weeks if not treated and has a high relapse rate," said Liz Barrett, global president, Pfizer Oncology. "Based on clinical data, real-world experience and support from the AML community, we are grateful MYLOTARG now has the potential to help a broad range of AML patients."

11:18 EDT Battleground: Morgan sticks by Ambarella after guidance cut, two downgrades - The shares of Ambarella (AMBA) are tumbling after the chip maker reported stronger than expected quarterly results but cut its guidance. Two research firms, Craig-Hallum and Roth Capital, downgraded the stock on the heels of the report, but Morgan Stanley remained upbeat on the company's outlook in providing technology for computer vision applications. RESULTS: Ambarella, which develops chips used in video systems, reported second quarter earnings per share of 48c, versus the consensus outlook of 44c. Ambarella's revenue came in slightly higher than expected. However, it now expects its full-year topline total to fall 3%-7%, versus its previous guidance for it to come in between a decline of 3% and an increase of 3%. The company said it expects its revenue from the drone market to fall for the rest of the year. DOWNGRADES: Craig-Hallum analyst Richard Shannon cut his rating on the stock to Hold from Buy. The company reported "solid" results and guidance, driven by strength in its security and auto markets, though it is facing "headwinds" in the drone market that "will likely take a few quarters to improve," the analyst stated. Moreover, the company is increasing its investment in computer vision chips and the outlook for the sales of such chips is uncertain, Shannon said. He noted that the company believes that strong demand for the low-cost DJI Spark drone, which does not utilize Ambarella's chips, could be negatively impacting the sales of higher cost drones that do incorporate its products. The analyst does not expect Ambarella's revenue from drones to rebound quickly and he thinks the shares could remain "in a range for some time." He slashed his price target on the stock to $50 from $68. Roth's Suji Desilva cut the rating on Ambarella to Neutral from Buy. The analyst expects the company to continue to benefit from growth in its sports wearable, security and auto markets. However, the prospects for its drone market are particularly uncertain, the analyst stated. Desilva said that he "would wait for increasing stability in core demand markets" and increased visibility in demand for Ambarella's computer vision products before becoming more bullish on the stock. He cut his price target on the shares to $50 from $65. MORE BULLISH MORGAN STANLEY: Analyst Joseph Moore significantly lowered his fourth quarter and 2018 estimates for Ambarella. However, the analyst said he was encouraged by the company's comments on its computer vision products. He noted that Ambarella plans to provide samples of the products to its customers next quarter. Although Moore doesn't expect Ambarella to obtain revenue from the products until late next year, he thinks that investors could become enthusiastic about them "given the importance of machine vision," and he believes that a successful launch of the products could boost the stock. Moore lowered his price target on Ambarella to $60 from $65 but keeps an Overweight rating on the shares. PRICE ACTION: In morning trading, Ambarella sank 20% to $43.42. GoPro (GPRO), a prominent customer of Ambarella's chips, is flat at $9.21 per share, off its earlier session highs.

11:03 EDT WWE, FOX Sports Mexico announce launch of new weekly Spanish-language show - FOX Sports Mexico, a company of 21st Century Fox (FOXA) and WWE (WWE) announced the launch of a new weekly Spanish-language show, WWE Saturday Night, to be distributed throughout Mexico, Central America and the Caribbean, beginning tomorrow, September 2, on FOX Sports 2.

11:00 EDT KMG Chemicals resumes full operations in Houston-area facilities - KMG provided an update on the company's facilities in the Houston area, which include sites in Waller and Houston, in light of Hurricane Harvey and the related flooding. Chris Fraser, chairman and CEO, said, "Our thoughts are with all those affected by this devastating storm. Although many of our employees have been displaced from their homes, we are thankful that all of our Houston-area employees and their families are safe. Our facilities did not sustain any meaningful damage from the storm, and with an abundance of caution for our employees' safety, we have resumed full operations in our Houston-area facilities following limited operations earlier in the week. We are committed to helping our employees and those in their communities rebuild. KMG is establishing a relief fund and will match the donations contributed."

10:46 EDT Honda reports August U.S. sales down 2.4% to 146,015 vehicles - American Honda Motor reported total August sales of 146,015 Honda and Acura vehicles, a decrease of 2.4% vs. August 2016. Total Honda Division sales decreased 1.8% on sales of 132,883. Acura Division sales were down 7.8% on August sales of 13,132 vehicles.

10:29 EDT Tyme Technologies trading halted, volatility trading pause

10:19 EDT lululemon CEO excited about platform variations in physical stores - Laurent Potdevin, CEO of lululemon, is speaking in a CNBC interview.

10:16 EDT Conn's says all but two Harvey-impacted stores now open for business

10:04 EDT Volkswagen reports August U.S. sales up 9% to 32,015 units - Volkswagen of America reported sales of 32,015 units delivered in August, a 9% increase over August 2016.

09:53 EDT Insys says allegations in Arizona AG complaint relate to former employees - Insys Therapeutics released a statement to address the complaint of the Arizona Attorney General, stating in part: "We continue to reiterate our efforts to be part of the solution to the opioid crisis by focusing on assisting patients and developing alternative pain medications in our research and development programs. The solutions to this serious national challenge require serious commitment by, and coordination between, governmental authorities, manufacturers, prescribers, patients and other stakeholders in the healthcare community. Encompassed in our desire to bring solutions is our continuing commitment to take responsibility for actions by our former employees and ensure high standards of integrity from our current employees. Recent statements made in connection with the Arizona Attorney General's investigation of our Company lack context and factual accuracy, particularly as they relate to the causes of the opioid crisis in the State of Arizona...We continue to cooperate with the investigation by the Arizona Attorney General office, as we have done and will continue to do with each governmental authority. The allegations contained in the Arizona Attorney General's complaint relate to former employees and physicians that are no longer associated with our Company or our speaker bureau...Our compliance program has been under significant scrutiny for several years from governmental authorities as well as internal reviews conducted with the assistance of external experts and counsel. During this period, we have invested significant resources in establishing an effective compliance program with protocols designed to ensure compliant and ethical behavior."

09:50 EDT QAD Inc trading resumes

09:45 EDT QAD Inc trading halted, volatility trading pause

09:36 EDT Nordic American Tankers, Nordic American Offshore appoint Bjorn Giaever as CFO - Nordic American Tankers (NAT) and Nordic American Offshore (NAO) announced the appointment of Bjorn Giaever as CFO. He is expected to join us later this year and as early as possible. Giaever joins NAT/NAO from the well reputed firm of Fearnley Securities AS with main office in Oslo, Norway. This is an investment bank with special focus on the maritime sectors, where he served as a director and partner in the Corporate Finance division. The outgoing CFO, Turid Sorensen, is expected to join the NAT board later. She will be suggested at the Annual General Meeting for that position later this year. The company will provide for a smooth transition between Giaever and Sorensen this autumn. She is expected to leave her administrative duties in NAT/NAO before the end of 2017.

09:32 EDT Fiat Chrysler reports August U.S. sales down 10.6% to 176,033 units - FCA US reported August sales of 176,033 units, an 11% decrease compared with sales in August 2016. In August, retail sales of 140,379 units were down 7% compared with the same month in 2016 and represented 80% of total sales.

09:31 EDT General Motors reports August U.S. sales up 7.5% to 275,552 vehicles - General Motors reported U.S. August deliveries of 275,552 vehicles, up 7.5% from a year ago. Retail deliveries were up 4%, and the company estimates that it gained more than one-half point of retail market share. U.S. Commercial fleet deliveries were up 19%. Total fleet deliveries were up 24%.

09:21 EDT Ford reports August U.S. sales down 2.1% to 209,897 vehicles - Ford Motor reports U.S. sales totaled 209,897 vehicles for August, a decline of 2.1%. Fleet sales were down 0.2% to 45,830 vehicles. August retail sales totaled 164,067 vehicles, down 2.7% compared to a year ago. "August marked the start of sales for the new 2018 Ford F-150. Initial sales are strong for high series trucks," Ford noted.

09:07 EDT Resources Connection acquires taskforce for $7.1M - Resources Connection announced, as part of an effort to expand and grow its European business, it has acquired taskforce - Management on Demand for initial consideration of EUR6M, approximately $7.1M, in a combination of cash and restricted stock, plus an earn-out based on performance in calendar 2017, 2018 and 2019. taskforce is a German professional services firm, founded in 2007, that provides clients with senior interim management and project management expertise. The acquisition of taskforce, enhances RGP's ability to service its global clients and offer more integrated solutions. For the twelve months ended December 31, 2016, taskforce revenues were approximately EUR$12M. taskforce will continue to operate under its existing brand name, while being clearly aligned to RGP. Jens Christophers and Lennart Koch will remain joint CEOs of taskforce and will focus on developing and growing the business including leveraging the benefits and resources of being part of a much larger organization. They will report to Campbell and serve as part of the RGP Leadership team in Europe.

09:03 EDT Nintendo, Western Digital partner for Nintendo-licensed memory cards - Nintendo (NTDOY) and Western Digital Corporation (WDC) have formed a global partnership to create Nintendo-licensed memory cards for use in Nintendo Switch video game systems. The microSDXC cards will be available in capacities of 64 GB and 128 GB, and will feature the Nintendo Switch and SanDisk logos. Nintendo Switch gives players the option to supplement their system's built-in storage, depending on how much digital content they choose to download. Ever since Nintendo Switch launched in March, the system has become home to a continually growing library of diverse downloadable games and content. Additional storage enables players to download more digital games and content, and take it all on the go. Also, a microSD card will be needed for certain Nintendo Switch games that contain an especially large amount of content and require additional storage for players to enjoy the full experience. The Nintendo-licensed 64 GB and 128 GB microSDXC SanDisk memory cards will be available at select retail outlets starting in October.

09:00 EDT Expedia names Alan Pickerill as CFO

08:51 EDT Dr. Reddy's announces favorable district court ruling on Suboxone generic - Dr. Reddy's announced in a statement issued to the National Stock Exchange of India that a U.S. District Court for the District of Delaware issued judgement in favor of the company, ruling that the proposed generic version of Suboxone sublingual film does not infringe U.S. Patent Nos. 8,017,150; 8,603,514; and 8,900,497, as asserted.

08:47 EDT Neogen acquires Australian animal genomics laboratory, terms not disclosed - Neogen announced that it has acquired the assets of The University of Queensland Animal Genetics Laboratory, the leading animal genomics laboratory in Australia, a country with large cattle and sheep markets. The acquisition of AGL is intended to help accelerate the growth of Neogen's animal genomics business in Australia, New Zealand and throughout Oceania. With the acquisition, AGL will be renamed GeneSeek Australasia, and become Neogen's fourth animal genomics laboratory - joining locations in the U.S., Scotland, and Brazil. AGL is the prominent supplier of genetic testing to all 27 of Australia's major beef cattle associations, and its services have also extended to dairy cattle, sheep, goats, alpacas and other species. The laboratory has been a significant customer of Neogen's comprehensive suite of GeneSeek genomic products. Its annual revenues are approximately $3.1M. Terms of the agreement were not disclosed.

08:31 EDT ANI Pharmaceuticals: FDA approves ANDA for Oxycodone Hydrochloride Oral Solution - ANI Pharmaceuticals announced that it has received approval from the U.S. FDA of its Abbreviated New Drug Application for Oxycodone Hydrochloride Oral Solution USP, 100 mg/5 mL. The current annual U.S. market for this product is approximately $14.5M, according to IMS Health. ANI expects to begin shipping to its customers immediately.

08:07 EDT Intellipharmaceutics appoints Andrew Patient as CFO - Intellipharmaceutics announced the appointment of Andrew Patient as CFO, effective September 6. Patient has more than 20 years' experience with both Nasdaq- and TSX-listed companies.

08:03 EDT LHC Group, CHRISTUS Health finalize joint venture agreement - Effective September 1, LHC Group and CHRISTUS Health have finalized the formation of a joint venture partnership to enhance home health, hospice, community-based and long-term acute-care services across four states - Louisiana, Texas, Arkansas, and Georgia. The joint venture includes 21 service locations of CHRISTUS Health, including: seven home health agencies, five hospice programs, two community-based home care services, one inpatient hospice unit, and six long-term acute-care hospitals. LHC Group has purchased majority ownership of CHRISTUS Health's home care and hospice services and the LTACH facilities and is assuming management responsibility. The facilities will continue to operate under their existing names.

08:02 EDT Abbott announces extension of cash offer for preferred shares of Alere - Abbott (ABT) announced that it is extending its previously announced tender offer to purchase for cash all outstanding shares of Series B Convertible Perpetual Preferred Stock of Alere (ALR) at a price of $402.00 per share of Preferred Stock, plus accrued but unpaid dividends to, but not including, the settlement date of the tender offer, net to the seller thereof in cash, without interest thereon and subject to any withholding of taxes required by applicable law. The Offer is being made pursuant to an Offer to Purchase, dated July 17, and in connection with Abbott's previously announced agreement to acquire Alere. The Merger is not conditioned upon, or otherwise subject to, the completion of the Offer.

07:22 EDT Acorda Therapeutics adopts shareholder rights plan - Acorda Therapeutics announced that its board of directors has adopted a Shareholder Rights Plan, effective September 1, and declared a dividend distribution of one preferred share purchase right on each outstanding share of the company's Common Stock. The Rights Plan will expire on August 31, 2018. The Board adopted the Rights Plan in response to the recent accumulations of significant portions of Acorda's outstanding Common Stock. Under the Rights Plan, the Rights will become exercisable if a person or group becomes the beneficial owner of 15% or more of the company's outstanding Common Stock. In the event that the Rights become exercisable due to the triggering ownership threshold being crossed, each Right will entitle its holder to purchase, at the Right's exercise price, a number of shares of Common Stock or equivalent securities having a market value at that time of twice the Right's exercise price. Rights held by the triggering entity will become void and will not be exercisable to purchase shares at the reduced purchase price. The Board of Directors will, in general, be entitled to redeem the Rights at .01c per Right at any time before the triggering ownership threshold is crossed. The Rights Plan may be amended, redeemed or terminated by the Acorda Board of Directors at any time prior to being triggered or its expiration. The Rights Plan exempts any person or group currently owning 15% or more of the Company's outstanding Common Stock. However, the Rights will be exercisable if a person or group that already owns 15% or more of the Company's Outstanding Common Stock acquires any additional shares after the time of announcement of the Rights Plan.

07:08 EDT Layne Christensen reschedules Q2 earnings release, conference call - Layne Christensen announced that as a result of the extremely disruptive weather conditions affecting the Houston area and the normal operations of its corporate headquarters, Layne is rescheduling the release of its financial results for its fiscal 2018 second quarter ended July 31 to Monday, September 11, after the close of market. The company has also rescheduled a conference call to discuss its financial results for Tuesday, September 12, starting at 9:00 a.m. ET.

07:04 EDT ZK International Group to commence trading on Nasdaq - ZK International Group, a manufacturer and engineer of high-performance stainless steel products for sophisticated water and gas pipeline systems predominately in China, announced that its ordinary shares will commence trading on The NASDAQ Capital Market under the symbol 'ZKIN,' effective September 1.

07:02 EDT Phoenix New Media announces change of executive positions - Phoenix New Media announced that Ya Li and Tong Chen have submitted resignations from their executive positions at ifeng in order to fully commit to accelerating the strategic development of Particle. Ya Li and Tong Chen have been serving as Co-Presidents of ifeng while simultaneously serving executive positions at Particle. After their resignations become effective on Friday, September 8, Ya Li and Tong Chen will continue to serve as the CEO and President of Particle, respectively. Particle owns Yidian Zixun, a rapidly-growing personalized news and life-style information application in China, which allows users to efficiently define and explore individualized content over mobile devices. The company currently owns approximately 41.82% of the total outstanding shares of Particle on an as-if converted basis.

06:54 EDT Macau reports August casino revenue up 20.4% to 22.68B patacas - Macau's gaming bureau reported August gross revenue from games of fortune in the region rose 20.4% year over year to 22.68B patacas. Publicly traded companies in the Macau gaming space include Las Vegas Sands (LVS), MGM Resorts (MGM), Wynn Resorts (WYNN) and Melco Resorts (MLCO).

06:38 EDT DowDuPont announces completion of merger - DowDuPont (DWDP) announced the successful completion of the merger of equals between Dow Chemical (DOW) and E.I. du Pont de Nemours (DD), effective August 31, 2017. The combined entity is operating as a holding company under the name "DowDuPont" with three divisions - Agriculture, Materials Science and Specialty Products. Shares of DuPont and Dow ceased trading at the close of the New York Stock Exchange on August 31. Beginning, DowDuPont will start trading on the New York Stock Exchange under the stock ticker symbol "DWDP." Pursuant to the merger agreement, Dow shareholders received a fixed exchange ratio of 1.00 share of DowDuPont for each Dow share, and DuPont shareholders received a fixed exchange ratio of 1.282 shares of DowDuPont for each DuPont share. "Shareholders are expected to benefit from the stronger, focused investment profile of each intended company and substantial cost synergies, as well as from long-term growth and sustainable value creation following the intended separations into three independent companies. The transaction is expected to result in run-rate cost synergies of approximately $3B and the potential for approximately $1B in growth synergies. The company expects to reach 100 percent run rate on the cost synergies within the first 24 months of merger closing. Customers will benefit from superior solutions and expanded product offerings. By combining the complementary strengths of Dow and DuPont, each intended company will be able to respond faster and more effectively to rapidly changing conditions with innovative products and greater choice. Employees will benefit from being part of these intended highly focused and competitive industry-leaders, built for sustainable, long-term growth - which will create opportunities for our businesses and opportunities for our people.:

06:05 EDT CIBC sees Geneva Advisors acquisition accretive to EPS in FY19 - CIBC announced that it has completed the acquisition of Geneva Advisors, a Chicago-based private wealth management firm. The acquisition was announced on July 10. As previously announced, the total purchase price is up to $200M, of which $135M was paid on closing, with 25% paid in cash and 75% paid in the form of CIBC common shares, contingent on future performance conditions. The deal is expected to become accretive to CIBC's earnings per share in fiscal 2019.

06:02 EDT LabCorp sees Chiltern acquisition accretive to EPS, free cash flow in year one - LabCorp has completed its previously announced acquisition of Chiltern, which will become part of the company's Covance Drug Development business. The acquisition creates a market-leading CRO, with more than 20,000 employees around the world, enhancing Covance's offerings to include a dedicated focus on the high-growth emerging and mid-market biopharma segments. Chiltern's forecasted 2017 revenue and adjusted EBITDA are approximately $550M and $95M, respectively. Excluding one-time costs relating to the transaction and with the benefit of cost synergies, the company expects it to be accretive to adjusted earnings per share and free cash flow in year one, and to earn its cost of capital by year three. The company will provide updated guidance that includes Chiltern on its quarterly earnings call in October.