Stockwinners Market Radar for October 05, 2017 - Earnings, Upgrades downgrades, option trades, Best Stock Advisory Service

19:01 EDT Altice USA, Disney reach comprehensive distribution agreement - Altice USA (ATUS) and Disney (DIS) announced a comprehensive distribution agreement to deliver Disney's lineup of premier sports, news and entertainment content to Optimum video customers across television and streaming devices. As part of the new multi-year agreement, Optimum will continue to provide its customers widespread access to WABC, Disney Channel, Disney Junior, Disney XD, ESPN, ESPN2, ESPNU, ESPNEWS, ESPN Deportes, ESPN Goal Line, ESPN Bases Loaded, ESPN3 and Freeform, as well as make available additional multiplatform, digital and expanded on-demand content from The Walt Disney Company. Optimum will add ESPN's SEC Network in late 2018 and launch ACC Network in August 2019. The companies also expect to collaborate on ESPN's direct-to-consumer product, which is slated to launch in early 2018, and have agreed to leverage Altice USA's data analytics platform. Reference Link

18:24 EDT Clorox CEO: E-commerce now accounts for 4% of company's sales - Says being based in the Bay area is a competitive advantage. Says has been competing with private label brands very effectively. Says recent storms may have an impact on costs in the short term. Benno Dorer is speaking on CNBC.

17:50 EDT On The Fly: After Hours Movers - UP AFTER EARNINGS: Yum China (YUMC), up 3.3%. ALSO HIGHER: Synchronoss (SNCR), up 22.8% after entered into an exclusivity agreement with Siris Capital to allow for negotiation of definitive agreements... LGL Group (LGL), up 6.6% after it said it will review a non-binding acquisition proposal for certain assets... Mitel (MITL), up 3.2% after Elliott Associates reported a 6% passive stake in the company. DOWN AFTER EARNINGS: Costco (COST), down 2.7%. ALSO LOWER: Annaly Capital (NLY), down 2.8% after it announced an offering of 65M shares of common stock... AbbVie (ABBV), down 0.8% after a federal court jury found the company liable for a man's heart attack that was tied to the company's Androgel product... Rite Aid (RAD), down 0.5% after director Myrtle S. Potter disclosed the sale of 28,189 common shares of the company in a regulatory filing.

17:42 EDT LGL Group to review non-binding acquisition proposal - The LGL Group announced that it has received a non-binding proposal from an investment group to acquire for cash the assets of its two principal operating subsidiaries, M-tron Industries, Inc. and Precise Time and Frequency, LLC, and in light of this development, has extended the expiration of its rights offering to October 25, 2017, and appointed a special independent committee of the board to evaluate the investment group's proposal and explore other strategic alternatives. No decisions with respect to the proposal have been made and there can be no assurance that the special committee will authorize the commencement of negotiations with the investment group, and if negotiations commence, there can be no assurance as to whether a definitive agreement will be executed, the terms thereof or that any transaction governed thereby will be consummated, or if consummated, as to the timing thereof. The special committee, in consultation with its legal and financial advisors, is carefully reviewing and evaluating the proposal and as a matter of policy, the Company will not comment on or provide the market with updates as to the status of its discussions with investment group, nor will it comment upon any rumors with regard to the foregoing or make a further announcement regarding the special committee's consideration of any proposal or other expressions of interest until such time, if ever, that it enters into a definitive agreement for a completed transaction or is otherwise required to make an announcement.

17:38 EDT Hawaiian Holdings reports September traffic up 6.3% - Reports September ASMs up 4.3% year-over-year. Load Factor was 86.6%, up 1.6 points.

17:31 EDT AVEO Oncology: TIVO-3 trial to continue as planned without modification - AVEO Oncology announced the completion of a pre-planned futility analysis of the Phase 3 TIVO-3 trial, the company's randomized, controlled, multi-center, open-label study to compare FOTIVDA to sorafenib in subjects with refractory advanced renal cell carcinoma. Based on the results of the futility analysis, which was reviewed by an independent statistician, the study will continue as planned without modification. This analysis did not allow for early stopping due to efficacy to assure adequate follow-up for the key secondary endpoint of overall survival. The pre-planned futility analysis was triggered by the reporting of 128 progression events in early August. Additional events were recorded as part of the data management process leading into the futility analysis, resulting in a revised data cut-off date for the analysis of May 29. The company continues to expect the TIVO-3 to read out in the first quarter of 2018. The TIVO-3 trial, together with the previously completed TIVO-1 trial of tivozanib in the first line treatment of RCC, is designed to support regulatory approval of tivozanib in the U.S. as a first and third line treatment for RCC.

17:27 EDT Sinotruk reports 9.9% stake in UQM Technologies

17:24 EDT A. Schulman declares $15.00 per share dividend on convertible special stock - A. Schulman approved, on October 4, the quarterly cash dividend of $15.00 per share on the 125,000 shares of the company's convertible special stock, payable on November 1 to shareholders of record on October 15.

17:18 EDT RTW Investments reports 5% passive stake in Regenxbio

17:13 EDT New Senior Investment sees completing $296M of asset sales during Q4 - New Senior Investment Group anounced that it expects to complete $296M of asset sales during the fourth quarter of 2017. The transactions include a $186M sale of six triple net leased properties, as well as termination of the related lease with LCS and a $109.5M sale of nine properties managed by Holiday Retirement. Total consideration of $186M for the Leased Portfolio Sale represents a 6.6% cap rate on 2Q 2017 annualized NOI generated by the underlying portfolio, and represents an 8.2% lease yield on 2Q 2017 annualized cash rent. Total consideration of $109.5M for the Managed Portfolio Sale represents a 5.1% cap rate on 2Q 2017 annualized cash NOI. In connection with the transactions, the company expects to repay approximately $178M of existing debt with a weighted average interest rate of approximately 4.6%. After debt repayment, the net proceeds from the transactions will be approximately $117.5M, before fees and expenses. The company intends to use the net proceeds for general corporate purposes, which may include new investments, debt prepayment and/or repurchases of common stock, depending on market conditions.

17:02 EDT One Horizon Group opens regional headquarters in Hong Kong - One Horizon Group announced the opening of a regional headquarters office in Hong Kong. The office will be headed by Mark White, Chief Executive Officer, and Edwin C. Lun, who recently joined One Horizon as COO to oversee the company's business development and operations in China and Hong Kong.

16:50 EDT General Electric names Amazon Web Services its preferred cloud provider - Amazon Web Services (AMZN) announced that General Electric (GE) has selected AWS as its preferred cloud provider. GE continues to migrate thousands of core applications to AWS. Over the past few years, GE migrated more than 2,000 applications, several of which leverage AWS's analytics and machine learning services. "Adopting a cloud-first strategy with AWS is helping our IT teams get out of the business of building and running data centers and refocus our resources on innovation as we undergo one of the largest and most important transformations in GE's history," said Chris Drumgoole, Chief Technology Officer and Corporate Vice President at General Electric. "We chose AWS as the preferred cloud provider for GE because AWS's industry leading cloud services have allowed us to push the boundaries, think big, and deliver better outcomes for GE."

16:43 EDT Yum China CEO says 'on track' to development target of 550-600 new stores - "We are pleased to report the third consecutive quarter of delivering positive same-store sales growth. With revenues exceeding $2 billion in the quarter, restaurant margin, operating profit and net income have all improved. We opened 129 new restaurants in the third quarter and we are on track to achieve our development target of 550-600 new stores in the year," said Micky Pant, CEO of Yum China. "In this quarter, our strategic initiatives on digital and delivery continued to show encouraging development, which we believe will enable our long-term growth. The connection with our over 120 million loyalty members is getting stronger. The growth in mobile payments and cashless settlement methods for sales continued to outperform previous quarters. With over 5,100 restaurants across China offering delivery service, delivery contributed over 14% of company sales in the third quarter. Given the strength of our business and our confidence in generating strong cash flows long term, our Board of Directors has approved a regular quarterly cash dividend program and authorized additional share repurchases. These demonstrate our strong commitment to increase shareholder returns through disciplined capital allocation while simultaneously driving strong operating performance. With our strong operating results in this third quarter and our commitment to return capital to shareholders, we believe we are well positioned to continue to increase shareholder value over the long run."

16:41 EDT Yum China declares initial cash dividend of 10c per share - Payable as of the close of business on December 21 to stockholders of record as of the close of business on November 30.

16:36 EDT Yum China CEO Pant to transition to vice chairman, Joey Wat named next CEO - Yum China Holdings announced that its CEO, Micky Pant, will transition to the roles of vice chairman of the board and senior advisor to the company. Joey Wat, who currently serves as president and COO of the company, will succeed Pant as CEO of Yum China. The succession plan will take effect on March 1, 2018.

16:36 EDT GAP Airports reports September traffic up 7.8% - Grupo Aeroportuario del Pacifico announced preliminary terminal passenger traffic figures for the month of September, compared to traffic figures for September 2016. During September, total terminal passengers increased 7.8% in the company's 13 airports, compared to the same period of the previous year. Domestic passenger traffic increased by 8.9%, while international passenger traffic increased by 5.8%. In September, GAP registered an 8% increase in the number of seats available compared to September 2016. Load factors for the month decreased by 0.1 percentage points, from 76.5% in September 2016 to 76.4% this September. As a result of Tropical Storm Lidia passing through the Pacific region of Mexico, the Los Cabos, La Paz and Los Mochis airports reported operating impacts from August 30 to September 2. As a result, 15,980 seats that were previously scheduled for September did not operate. The 3 airports suffered minimal infrastructure damages, and are currently operating at 100%. Hurricane Harvey struck the state of Texas at the end of August , causing airport closures in Houston. To date, this closure has affected 14,500 previously-programmed seats, which were canceled as a result of the weather phenomenon. As a precaution against the arrival of Hurricane Irma to Florida, airports in the state of Florida suspended air operations. Specifically, all flights to and from Fort Lauderdale, Miami, and Orlando were canceled on September 8, 9, and 10. As a result of these cancellations, a total of 5,080 seats that had been previously scheduled within our network, did not operate. On the evening of September 8, the Kingston Air Traffic Control Center was struck by lightning, resulting in total data and communications systems failure. This caused all air operations to be suspended at Jamaica's airports; operations were reestablished, on a partial basis between 6 am and 7 pm of September 10. As a result, 2,660 seats did not operate at the Montego Bay Airport.

16:33 EDT Yum China raises share repurchase authorization to $550M - The Board of Directors has increased Yum China's existing share repurchase authorization from $300M to an aggregate of $550M.

16:32 EDT Yum China reports Q3 total system sales up 10% - In Q3: Total system sales grew 10%, including growth of 11% at KFC and 7% at Pizza Hut, excluding foreign currency translation. Opened 129 new restaurants during the quarter. Total restaurant margin increased 0.8 percentage points to 20.0%, primarily driven by same-store sales leverage. Operating profit increased 11%, and 13% excluding F/X, primarily driven by same-store sales growth. F/X negatively impacted reported operating profit by $5M.

16:27 EDT Milestone Scientific appoints Leslie Bernhard as interim CEO - Milestone Scientific appointed Leslie Bernhard, the company's current Chairman of the Board, as Interim CEO. The appointment follows the resignation of Daniel Goldberger as President and CEO effective October 2. A formal search has commenced for a new CEO. At the same time, the Board of Directors is also evaluating a variety of strategic options in the medical field in light of the company's recent 510(k) clearance from the FDA for the CompuFloA Epidural System. Bernhard has been serving as Milestone Scientific's non-executive Chairman of the Board since October 2009 and as a Director of Milestone Scientific since May 2003.

16:22 EDT SAIC announces teaming agreement with ST Kinetics and CMI Defence - Science Applications announced that it will compete to rapidly develop combat vehicle prototypes to meet the U.S. Army's need as part of the Mobile Protected Firepower program. SAIC, together with ST Kinetics and CMI Defence, will develop and integrate a vehicle that offers the Army an innovative solution that provides infantry forces access to combat environments in 21st century operations. SAIC will compete for an Engineering and Manufacturing Development contract to build prototypes that incorporate a lightweight combat vehicle design while still providing mobility and lethality for Army units. Such a vehicle will enable freedom of movement and action, specifically for restrictive, urban operations but tailorable for full-spectrum combat environments.

16:18 EDT Williams-Sonoma names IBM chief digital officer Bob Lord to board - Williams-Sonoma (WSM) announced that Bob Lord has been appointed to its board of directors. Lord has served as chief digital officer of IBM (IBM) since 2016.

16:17 EDT Mercury Systems awarded $6.2M RF subsystem order from defense contractor - Mercury Systems received a $6.2M order from a leading defense prime contractor for advanced radio frequency subsystems for an airborne electronic warfare application. The order was booked in the company's 1Q18 and is expected to be shipped over the next several quarters.

16:16 EDT USPTO rules in favor of Eli Lilly on Alimta vitamin regimen patent - Eli Lilly and Company (LLY) announced that the Patent Trial and Appeal Board of the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office has ruled in the company's favor regarding patentability of the vitamin regimen for Alimta. In the inter partes review proceedings initiated by Neptune Generics, and Sandoz, the U.S. PTO found that the claims of the vitamin regimen patent are valid. If the patent is ultimately upheld through all remaining challenges, Alimta would maintain U.S. exclusivity until May 2022, preventing marketing of generic products for as long as the patent remains in force. "We are pleased with today's ruling by the U.S. PTO finding the claims of the Alimta vitamin regimen patent are valid," said Michael J. Harrington, senior vice president and general counsel for Lilly. "This ruling largely confirms the earlier decision of the district court which was affirmed on appeal by a unanimous court."

16:09 EDT ICF International awarded $25M contract from HHS - The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services' ,or HHS, Assistant Secretary for Preparedness and Response recently awarded ICF a new contract to continue the development and operation of the agency's information gateway and technical assistance center for healthcare system preparedness and response. The single-award indefinite-delivery, indefinite quantity contract has a contract ceiling of $25M and a term of five years including one base and four option years. ICF will support ASPR in the day-to-day operations of its Technical Resources, Assistance Center, and Information Exchange Program, or TRACIE, a critical one-stop shop created to meet the information and technical assistance needs of healthcare providers, emergency managers and public health practitioners preparing for and responding to public health emergencies and natural disasters.

16:07 EDT Aisling Capital IV reports 6.2% passive stake in GTx

16:07 EDT Alliqua effecting 1-for-10 reverse stock split - Alliqua will effect a reverse stock split of its issued and outstanding common stock at an exchange ratio of 1-for-10, after the close of business on October 5. The company's common stock will begin trading on split-adjusted basis on Friday, October 6, under a new CUSIP number 019621309, and will remain listed on The Nasdaq Capital Market under the symbol "ALQA". Each ten shares of the company's issued and outstanding common stock will be automatically combined and converted into one issued and outstanding share of common stock, par value 0.01c per share. As a result of the reverse stock split, there will be approximately 4.9 million shares of common stock outstanding.

16:07 EDT QIAGEN launches fourth-generation QuantiFERON-TB Gold Plus in U.S. - QIAGEN announced the U.S. launch of QuantiFERON-TB Gold Plus, the fourth generation of its leading blood test for tuberculosis infection. QFT-Plus kits will be available on October 9 for diagnostic use following U.S. FDA approval in June.

16:05 EDT Navigators sees Q3 natural catastrophe losses of $50M-$70M pre-tax - The Navigators Group announced that its estimated financial impact from natural catastrophes in Q3 will range from $50M-$70M pre-tax and $33M-$45M after tax. The company is providing these estimates, which include potential claims from Hurricanes Harvey, Irma and Maria and the earthquakes in Mexico, because of the unprecedented frequency and severity of natural catastrophe events during the quarter. This range reflects management's best estimates based on a review of its potential exposures, preliminary discussions with certain counterparties and catastrophe modeling techniques. These estimates are subject to change due to the complexity of the events and preliminary nature of the information available. Updated loss estimates will be reflected in the company's Q3 results, when reported.

16:04 EDT Brooks Automation acquires 4titude for $65M in cash - Brooks Automation announced that it has acquired 4titude, Ltd., a manufacturer of scientific consumables for biological sample materials used in a variety of genomic and DNA analytical applications. Based in Surrey, England, 4titude sells its products into more than 50 countries worldwide. The total purchase price of the acquisition was approximately $65M in cash, subject to customary working capital and other adjustments. Over the last two years, 4titude has delivered more than 20% annual growth and generated approximately $14M of revenue in the last 12 months. Management expects the acquisition will be accretive to Brooks' non-GAAP earnings within the first quarter of ownership.

15:57 EDT DigitalGlobal trading resumes

14:41 EDT ShiftPixy CFO Stephen DeSantis to resign - In a regulatory filing, ShiftPixy announced Stephen DeSantis tendered his resignation as CFO of ShiftPixy. DeSantis' resignation will take effect October 20.

14:32 EDT Baxter voluntarily recalls one shipment of Intralipid 20% IV Fat Emulsion - Baxter International announced that it is voluntarily recalling one shipment from a single lot of Intralipid 20% IV Fat Emulsion, distributed between August 11 and August 31, to hospitals and healthcare providers in the United States, to the user level. The product has been exposed to subfreezing temperatures during transit to a distribution facility, a post on the FDA's website says. Reference Link

14:22 EDT Marcato's McGuire sees 'room to improve' capital allocation at Deckers - Mick McGuire of Marcato Asset Management is speaking on CNBC.

14:16 EDT USPTO rules in favor of Eli Lilly in patent challenge brought by Neptune - Neptune Generics filed a petition requesting an inter partes review of claims 1-22 of U.S. Patent No. 7,772,209 held by Eli Lilly related to cancer drug Alimta. The USPTO Patent Trial and Appeal Board concluded that Neptune has failed to demonstrate by a preponderance of the evidence that claims 1-22 of the '209 patent are unpatentable, according to a ruling posted to the USPTO website.

14:05 EDT Elevate says CFPB rule requires 'minimal or no changes' to business - Ken Rees, CEO of Elevate Credit, issued the following statement in response to the final "small dollar lending" rule issued today by the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau: "We applaud the CFPB, and we fully support this rule. We believe this rule is good for consumers and for the business we have built to better serve them. The small dollar rule protects consumers from the cycle of debt inherent in payday loans, short-term auto title loans, and certain balloon payment loans, and it encourages the kind of innovation we're doing in underwriting, pricing and product development. We are heartened that regulatory uncertainty has been lifted with today's announcement. Our current view is that the rule requires minimal or no changes to our business."

13:23 EDT FERC grants Cheniere approval to start service from Train 4 - The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission posted on its website a letter order granting Cheniere Energy's requests to commence service for liquefaction and export activities from the Train 4 Inside Battery Limits and Heavies Removal Unit. Shares of Cheniere are up 86c to $46.70 in afternoon trading. Reference Link

13:11 EDT Insys ticks higher after settling Massachusetts lawsuit for $500,000 - Insys Therapeutics will pay $500,000 to resolve allegations that it engaged in a "widespread scheme to unlawfully market its fentanyl spray and paid kickbacks to providers to persuade them to prescribe the product," Massachusetts Attorney General Maura Healey announced. The consent judgment resolves allegations that Insys misleadingly marketed Subsys, a narcotic fentanyl product that is sprayed under a patient's tongue. Shares of Insys Therapeutics are up 29c to $9.63 in afternoon trading. New Jersey today announced a lawsuit against the company.

13:06 EDT Soleno Therapeutics announces 1-for-5 reverse stock split - Soleno Therapeutics announced that a reverse stock split of all of Soleno's outstanding common shares at an exchange ratio of 1-for-5 will take effect on October 6. Beginning with the opening of trading on October 6, the company's common stock will trade on a split-adjusted basis. Soleno's shareholders and board had previously approved a reverse stock split of between 1-for-2 and 1-for-10.

12:50 EDT Regeneron resumes trading, shares up 3% to $471.39

12:43 EDT Danone, 'shocked and disheartened,' cuts ties with Cam Newton - Dannon, the maker of Oikos Greek Yogurt, said in a statement, "We are shocked and disheartened at the behavior and comments of Cam Newton towards Jourdan Rodrigue, which we perceive as sexist and disparaging to all women. It is entirely inconsistent with our commitment to fostering equality and inclusion in every workplace. It's simply not ok to belittle anyone based on gender. We have shared our concerns with Cam and will no longer work with him.'' Michael Neuwirth, senior director of external communications for Dannon, issued the statement to media outlets.

12:32 EDT Sanofi: Court vacates permanent injunction in ongoing Praluent patent case - Sanofi (SNY) and Regeneron Pharmaceuticals (REGN) announced that the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit has ordered a new trial and vacated the permanent injunction in the dispute concerning Amgen's (AMGN) asserted patent claims for antibodies targeting PCSK9. This ruling means that Sanofi and Regeneron will continue marketing, selling and manufacturing Praluent injection in the U.S. In the decision, the Federal Circuit ruled that the trial court erred by (1) excluding evidence regarding written description; (2) excluding evidence on enablement; (3) improperly instructing the jury on written description, holding that the law requires "a written description of the invention", meaning the claimed antibody itself and not the antigen; and (4) improperly granting a permanent injunction. The Federal Circuit affirmed the trial court's ruling that Amgen's patents were non-obvious, which was one of Sanofi and Regeneron's several challenges to validity of Amgen's patents. Because of the improper exclusion of evidence, the court considered the record to be incomplete and concluded at this time that Sanofi and Regeneron are not entitled to judgment as a matter of law on the issues of written description and enablement. The schedule for the new trial has not yet been determined. The companies do not anticipate any new trial proceedings to start in 2017.

12:30 EDT Muddy Waters' Block opposing Equifax request to consolidate lawsuit - Muddy Waters, who's founder Carson Block personally sued Equifax over the company's security breach, said via Twitter, "Update suit against $EFX et al-The company wants to consolidate in Atlanta (we filed in CA). Would make life easier for them; I'm opposing."

12:17 EDT Inotek Pharmaceuticals jumps after Adage Capital discloses stake - Shares of Inotek Pharmaceuticals are moving higher after Adage Capital Partners disclosed a 5.5% stake in a regulatory filing that allows for activism. Adage, which owns 1.5M shares of the clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company focusing on diseases of the eye, said in the filing that Inotek "represented an attractive investment opportunity." Shares of the company are up 37%, or 76c, to $2.80 in midday trading.

12:07 EDT Whirlpool 'pleased' with ITC vote on washing machine case - After the U.S. International Trade Commission voted unanimously that a surge of large residential washer imports from Samsung (SSNLF) and LG have seriously injured American manufacturers and workers, Whirlpool (WHR), which had made the section 201 safeguard petition, stated: "For the third time since 2013, the ITC has found that Samsung and LG engaged in unlawful conduct by violating U.S. trade laws. This vote sets the stage for the administration to put in place an effective remedy to create a level playing field for American workers and manufacturers. This type of corrective action will create U.S. manufacturing jobs." The ITC will vote on a remedy in November before making an official recommendation to the president in December, Whirlpool noted.

11:51 EDT GoPro weak again as PCMag analyst says Clips 'not an action camera' - Shares of GoPro (GPRO) slid yesterday after Google (GOOG) unveiled "Clips," a small camera with built-in connectivity and AI features, and the stock is down another 4% today. Sascha Segan, PCMag.com's lead mobile analyst, just tweeted: "Repeat after me: Google Clips is not an action camera and does not work as an action camera." Reference Link

11:07 EDT FedEx, UPS slide after Amazon delivery platform report - Shares of both FedEx (FDX) and UPS (UPS) are slipping after a media report said Amazon (AMZN) is currently trying out "Seller Flex," a new delivery platform that the publication said began this year on the West Coast. Discussing the news, Deutsche Bank analyst Amit Mehrotra argued that the story headline is "misleading." AMAZON DELIVERY PLATFORM: According to a report by Bloomberg, Amazon is trying out a new delivery program called "Seller Flex" where the company will pick up packages from third-party sellers selling on its platform and deliver the products to consumers. Citing people familiar with the matter, the publication said the service began in India two years ago and Amazon has "slowly" been marketing it to U.S. merchants in preparation to expand it nationally. The service began this year in West Coast states on a trial basis and a broader rollout is planned in 2018. With Seller Flex, Amazon would push further into functions handled by longtime partners FedEx and UPS. 'MISLEADING REPORT': Commenting on the report, Deutsche Bank's Mehrotra told investors that he sees the headline of Bloomberg's story on Amazon, titled "Amazon Is Said to Test Own Delivery Service to Rival FedEx, UPS," as misleading. The article noted that Amazon is aiming to direct shipments for third parties who sell on Amazon but utilize non-Amazon warehousing, he argued, adding that there is no mention of Amazon having ambitions to develop a nationwide network for last mile deliveries of sub-50lbs packages, which is what they would need to "rival" FedEx and UPS. Mehrotra said he views these initiatives by Amazon as aimed at growing its own volumes to reach optimal economies of scale. At this point, it is not likely that Amazon will invest heavily in its own network for last mile business-to-consumer deliveries, he wrote. PRICE ACTION: In morning trading, shares of FedEx and UPS are down about 1% and 2%, respectively. Meanwhile, Amazon has risen almost 1% to about $973 per share.

11:03 EDT Boeing reports total Q3 deliveries of 202, year-to-date deliveries of 554 - Boeing reports total Q3 commercial airplane deliveries of 202 year-to-date deliveries of 554. The company reported Q3 737 deliveries of 145, 4 747 and 2 767 deliveries, 16 777 deliveries and 35 787 deliveries.

10:57 EDT Constellation Brands expects FY18 effective tax rate of 21% - Says recent natural disasters had minimal impact on Q2 results and may have minimal impact in Q3. Expects unfavorable currency impact to be 'fairly minimal' in 2H18. Expects FY18 interest expense to be in the range of $330-$340M. Expects FY18 effective tax rate of 21%. Expects Q3 tax rate to be higher than FY18 tax rate. Expects FY18 free cash flow of $725M-$825M and capex of $1.175B-$1.275B.

10:41 EDT Netflix rallies after announcing first price increase since 2015 - Netflix said in a statement: "From time to time, Netflix plans and pricing are adjusted as we add more exclusive TV shows and movies, introduce new product features and improve the overall Netflix experience to help members find something great to watch even faster. Important Details: Netflix will increase prices for US new members on 10/5. We will begin notifying existing US members of price increase on 10/19; The last time Netflix changed prices in US was 2015; The old prices are 7.99 / 9.99 / 11.99. The new prices as of 10/5 prices 7.99 / 10.99 / 13.99 USD. The 1S "Basic" plan is remaining the same. The 7.99 plan has remained the same since it launched in the US in 2010; Starting 10/19, members will be notified at least 30 days in advance, based on billing cycle, on when they will see the price change. Members will be notified with an email and also see a notification within the service. The price change will roll out to members over the course of the next several months. As always, members can view pricing information within their account settings; Since Netflix's last price increase, we have added a downloading feature, introduced interactive content, announced a robust slate of new content (including films) and have continued to improve the member experience." Shares of Netflix are trading up 4%, or $7.48, to $191.93.

10:33 EDT Collegium rises as Cigna turns to Xtampza in fighting opioid abuse - Shares of Collegium Pharmaceutical (COLL) are on the rise after health insurer Cigna (CI) announced that it will start covering the drugmaker's Xtampza ER, an extended-release oxycodone equivalent that cannot become more fast-acting through cutting or crushing. Citing growing opioid addiction, Cigna also said it is stopping coverage of OxyContin, the painkiller sold by Purdue Pharma. CIGNA CONTRACT WITH COLLEGIUM: In a press release yesterday, Cigna said it has taken a "multi-faceted approach" to reducing opioid use among its customers by 25% by 2019. "The company's covered drug lists are regularly evaluated with an eye to eliminating the inappropriate use of opioids and assisting customers in safely achieving positive health results, while also managing their out-of-pocket costs. As a result, the brand OxyContin is no longer covered as a preferred option on Cigna's group commercial drug lists effective January 1, 2018," the company said. Cigna is asking opioid manufacturers to align with efforts to reduce opioid use, and has signed a value-based contract with Collegium for Xtampza ER, an oxycodone equivalent with abuse deterrent properties. Under the terms of the contract, Collegium is financially accountable if the average daily dosage strengths of Xtampza ER prescribed for Cigna customers exceed a specific threshold. If the threshold is exceeded, Collegium will reduce the cost of the medication for many of Cigna's benefit plans. MANAGED CARE PLANS CHANGES TO HELP XTAMPZA: Commenting on the news this morning, Needham analyst Serge Belanger said he believes Xtampza can play a "significant role" in payors' efforts to address the ongoing opioid epidemic, and that he does not expect Xtampza's price/prescription to be impacted by the contract terms. Overall, Belanger told investors that he sees this as a "nice formulary win" that will help drive substantial prescriptions away from OxyContin toward Xtampza and create goodwill for Collegium. Furthermore, the value-based contract could become a blueprint for other payors seeking to reduce OxyContin use while encouraging responsible opioid usage with an abuse-deterrent product such as Xtampza, he contended. Belanger reiterated a Buy rating and $25 price target on Collegium's shares. Meanwhile, his peer at Jefferies pointed out in a research note of his own that Cigna's plan changes as well as UnitedHealth (UNH) coverage of Xtampza as a preferred brand in 2018 versus Tier 3 coverage in 2017 should bolster Collegium's drug uptake. Analyst David Steinberg told investors that given the recent improvement in prescriptions, this year's consensus Xtampza estimate now "looks beatable" and next year's forecast could be as well. Moreover, the analyst argued that he continues to believe that Collegium shares are seemingly well positioned for an uptick as the company's modest valuation arguably does not entirely reflect improving fundamentals. He reiterated a Buy rating and $15 price target on Collegium's shares. PRICE ACTION: In morning trading, shares of Collegium have gained 8% to $11.59.

10:18 EDT Canaccord says buy Microsoft with growth opportunity underappreciated - Research firm Canaccord upgraded Microsoft (MSFT) to Buy from Hold, saying that investors are underestimating the company's growth drivers. CATALYSTS: Microsoft could generate "explosive" growth by expanding its competitive video game business, also known as e-sports, wrote Canaccord analyst Richard Davis. Meanwhile, its marketing business is "emerging" and could become similar to that of Salesforce (CRM), Davis believes. Additionally, the revenue of its cloud offering is poised to grow and "achieve scale," the analyst stated. OUTLOOK: Over the next five years, Microsoft's revenue growth should accelerate as its higher growth products begin to account for a greater percentage of its sales, Davis wrote. He predicted that accelerating revenue growth, in turn, would likely cause the stock's multiple to increase "a bit." PRICE TARGET: Davis increased his price target on Microsoft to $86 from $74. PRICE ACTION: In morning trading, Microsoft added 0.5% to $75 per share.

10:05 EDT Regeneron jumps, halts for news, after appeals court ruling on Praluent - Shares of Regeneron Pharmaceuticals (REGN) moved higher and then halted for news after Bloomberg reported that the company and Sanofi (SNY) won a new patent trial against Amgen (AMGN) over the cholesterol drug Praluent. An appeals court ruled Regeneron and Sanofi can challenge the validity of Amgen's patents, according to Bloomberg. The court also vacated an order that blocked Sanofi from selling Praluent. Regeneron halted after trading up $8.40 to $464.45.

09:59 EDT Regeneron trading halted, news pending

09:47 EDT Stein Mart says will not open stores on Thanksgiving Day - Stein Mart announced that its stores will be closed on Thanksgiving Day. After being open on Thanksgiving Day for the past three years, Stein Mart is opting to close its doors on Thanksgiving to give employees time to spend with family and friends. Last year, the Stein Mart Black Friday sale started in stores at 5 PM on Thanksgiving Day and ran through 11 PM that night. Then doors were reopened at 7 AM on Black Friday. SteinMart.com will be offering tremendous value with exclusive styles available only on Thanksgiving Day. Stein Mart stores will be open on Black Friday from 7 AM to 10 PM.

09:34 EDT DigitalGlobe announces planned departure of President and CEO Jeffrey Tarr - DigitalGlobe announced that Jeffrey R. Tarr, President and CEO, will depart the company following the successful closing of its merger with MacDonald, Dettwiler and Associates, resulting in the formation of Maxar Technologies. To ensure a seamless transition, Tarr will serve as an advisor to Maxar Technologies through at least January 2018.

09:28 EDT Navient sued by Pennsylvania AG over 'unfair and deceptive' lending - Pennsylvania Attorney General Josh Shapiro announced the filing of a lawsuit in the U.S. District Court for the Middle District of Pennsylvania against Navient Corporation, and its subsidiary Navient Solutions, over "widespread abuses in their student loan origination and servicing businesses." The Office of Attorney General's lawsuit asks the court to order: Full restitution to all borrowers affected by Navient's unlawful practices; Disgorgement by Navient of unlawfully gained profits; Civil penalties to be determined; Rescission or reformation of all contracts or loan agreements between Navient and Pennsylvania consumers affected by the company's unlawful practices; Navient to cease collecting on - and delete any negative credit information it has furnished to consumer reporting agencies - the illegal loans at issue in the lawsuit. In pre-market trading, Navient shares have dropped nearly 7% to $13.71.

09:22 EDT Exxon Mobil announces fifth discovery offshore Guyana - Exxon Mobil Corporation announced it made a fifth new oil discovery after drilling the Turbot-1 well offshore Guyana. Turbot is ExxonMobil's latest discovery to date in the country, adding to previous discoveries at Liza, Payara, Snoek and Liza Deep. Following completion of the Turbot-1 well, the Stena Carron drillship will move to the Ranger prospect. An additional well on the Turbot discovery is being planned for 2018. ExxonMobil affiliate Esso Exploration and Production Guyana began drilling the Turbot-1 well on Aug. 14 and encountered a reservoir of 75 feet of high-quality, oil-bearing sandstone in the primary objective. The well was safely drilled to 18,445 feet in 5,912 feet of water on Sept. 29. The Turbot-1 well is located in the southeastern portion of the Stabroek Block, approximately 30 miles to the southeast of the Liza phase one project.

09:20 EDT Alibaba, Pac-12 expand partnership for content distribution - The Pac-12 Conference announced an extended and expanded partnership with Alibaba Group that includes for the first time distribution of Pac-12 Networks content across linear and digital channels by Alibaba through 2024 along with an extension of their sponsorship of the annual Pac-12 China Basketball Game through 2020. The partnership is at the core of Pac-12 Global, an initiative launched in 2011 to expand the reach of its 12 universities through live events and innovative content distribution, and enhance the experience of student-athletes through sporting and cultural exchange. Alibaba Group has been working with the Pac-12's international arm, Pac-12 Global, since 2015 to provide student-athletes with unprecedented academic and cultural experiences in China and to sponsor an annual regular season basketball game in Shanghai. Starting this fall sports season, Alibaba Group will annually distribute 175 live Pac-12 Networks events and 100 hours of original programming throughout Mainland China. Distribution on Alibaba's innovative platforms, such as Youku Todou - known as "the YouTube of China," will allow Chinese audiences to access Pac-12 Networks content conveniently and effortlessly. Sports airing on Alibaba's platforms will include football, men's basketball, women's volleyball, gymnastics, swimming, lacrosse, track & field, and beach volleyball. This will allow the Chinese audience to become familiar with a wide range of American sporting events and the Pac-12's world-renowned universities, many of which have a significant alumni base in China.

09:17 EDT McDonald's launches one-day limited return of Szechuan Sauce - McDonald's is making Szechuan Sauce limited-edition posters and limited quantities of dipping packets available at participating restaurants on Saturday, October 7. McDonald's unveiled nine limited-edition, dipping sauce-themed posters to introduce the new Buttermilk Crispy Tenders last week.

09:09 EDT Snap clients issued cease and desist notifications from United American Corp. - United American Corp will take enforcement steps related to its patent infringement action against Snap regarding Snap's use of geo-location based filters which it markets as "Geofilters". On October 3, the iFramed technology for which UnitedCorp holds the technology rights to, received a Notice of Allowance from the USPTO. UnitedCorp contends that the Geofilters used by SnapChat for photos and videos are based on iFramed technology and therefore are a direct infringement of its rights. UnitedCorp has begun issuing cease and desist notices to Snap corporate clients which use SnapChat Geofilters. Corresponding Canadian Patent issued June 14, 2016, and is the subject of an ongoing infringement dispute against Snap in the Federal Court of Canada. UnitedCorp will provide the companies it notifies, the opportunity to discuss various iFramed licensing options.

09:02 EDT Wipro Digital to acquire design and business strategy consultancy Cooper - Wipro Digital announced that it has signed a definitive agreement to acquire Cooper, a design and business strategy consultancy. Wipro Digital is the digital business unit of Wipro Limited. Cooper will become part of Designit, Wipro Digital's strategic design arm, further strengthening its design and innovation capabilities, expanding its reach in North America and adding capabilities in professional design education. The acquisition is subject to customary closing conditions and is expected to be closed in the third quarter of fiscal 2017-18.

09:02 EDT Arthur J. Gallagher acquires DiBrina Group - Arthur J. Gallagher acquired DiBrina Group. Headquartered in Sudbury, Ontario, DiBrina Group has offices in Toronto and New Liskeard, Ontario, and provides human resources, employee benefits, wealth management and life insurance consulting and brokerage services to clients throughout Ontario. Terms of the transaction were not disclosed.

08:45 EDT Acer Therapeutics appoints Dr. William Andrews as Chief Medical Officer - Acer Therapeutics announced the appointment of William Andrews, M.D., FACP as Chief Medical Officer of the company to succeed Robert D. Steiner, M.D. in that position.

08:41 EDT Park-Ohio acquires Heads & All Threads - ParkOhio announced that it has acquired Heads & All Threads headquartered in Birmingham, United Kingdom. HAT, founded in 1986, is a European supplier of supply chain management services and has operations in the UK, Czech Republic, Poland, and India. HAT specializes in developing vendor-managed inventory programs of fasteners, machined parts, and other class C components to many end markets, including construction, automotive and various EMS markets. Edward Crawford, chairman and CEO said, "The strategic acquisition of Heads & All Threads, with annual revenues of approximately $35M, will immediately be accretive to earnings. HAT has an impressive history of sales growth and will strengthen our market position for supply chain management services."

08:40 EDT Amyris enters into product development, production agreement with Royal DSM - Amyris announced that it has entered into a product development and production agreement for a new class of human nutrition ingredients with Koninklijke DSM N.V., the global science-based company active in health, nutrition and materials. With this latest agreement, Amyris and DSM have now executed several key partnership agreements focused on developing and producing solutions that serve large markets within the animal and human health and nutrition segments.

08:35 EDT Medidata, Lundbeck enter multi-year partnership for Clinical Cloud - Medidata (MDSO) announced that pharmaceutical firm H. Lundbeck (HLUYY) has entered a multi-year partnership to continue its use of the Medidata Clinical Cloud and utilize operational capabilities to power their next generation global clinical trials. The continued partnership allows Lundbeck to leverage integral parts of the Medidata Clinical Cloud platform that provide key capabilities in study conduct and site support, including Medidata Rave, Coder, and TSDV.

08:32 EDT Cerus announces first BLA approval for Rhode Island Blood Center - Cerus Corporation announced that Rhode Island Blood Center received approval by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration on their Biologics License Application requesting allowance for interstate distribution of platelets that have been pathogen-reduced with the INTERCEPT Blood System. Seven additional blood centers have submitted BLAs. The Biologics License Application is a common procedure for blood centers to request permission by FDA to introduce a biologic product into interstate commerce. Until a blood center obtains a BLA, they are restricted to distributing INTERCEPT-treated products to hospitals within the state in which they are produced. While some blood centers may distribute primarily in state, many U.S. blood centers have extensive interstate distribution.

08:31 EDT Boeing to acquire Aurora Flight Sciences, terms not disclosed - Boeing plans to acquire Aurora Flight Sciences Corporation, a world-class innovator, developer and manufacturer of advanced aerospace platforms, under an agreement signed by the companies. Aurora specializes in autonomous systems technologies to enable advanced robotic aircraft for future aerospace applications and vehicles. Terms of the agreement were not disclosed. This transaction, anticipated to close following receipt of customary regulatory approvals, does not affect Boeing's financial guidance. Once acquired, Aurora will be a subsidiary under Boeing Engineering, Test & Technology known as Aurora Flight Sciences, A Boeing Company. It will retain an independent operating model while benefiting from Boeing's resources and position as the leading provider of aerospace products and services.

08:30 EDT Onvia.com, Inc. trading resumes

08:14 EDT Dermira completes patient enrollment in CLAREOS-1, CLAREOS-2 Phase 3 trials - Dermira dermatology by delivering differentiated, new therapies to the millions of patients living with chronic skin conditions, today announced the completion of patient enrollment in its CLAREOS-1 and CLAREOS-2 Phase 3 clinical trials. Both trials are designed to evaluate the efficacy and safety of olumacostat glasaretil in patients ages nine years and older with facial acne vulgaris. Olumacostat glasaretil is a novel, small molecule designed to target sebum production following topical application. Dermira expects to announce topline efficacy and safety results from the CLAREOS-1 and CLAREOS-2 studies in the first quarter of 2018. CLARITUDE, a third trial assessing the long-term safety of olumacostat glasaretil, will continue for an additional nine months.

08:11 EDT Onvia to resume trading at 8:30 am ET - Onvia quotation is scheduled to resume at 8:25 am ET, with trading set to resume at 8:30 am ET, according to Nasdaq. Onvia announced that it has agreed to be acquired by the parent entity of Deltek for $9.00 per share.

08:07 EDT Albany International plans to restructure machine clothing operations in Europe - Albany International announced that its subsidiary, Albany International France S.A.S., has initiated discussions with the employee Works Council regarding a proposal to restructure operations at the company's Machine Clothing production facilities in Selestat, France. The proposed restructuring would reduce employment by approximately 54 positions. Machine Clothing market conditions in Europe have continued to decline since an earlier restructuring in 2013. That restructuring, which resulted in reduced employment in the Selestat location, was intended to improve the viability of both the Selestat and St. Junien operations. Unfortunately, despite the best efforts and good faith of all parties, conditions globally, and especially in the European market supported by these locations, have continued to decline even further since 2012, leading to the current proposal. Global Machine Clothing sales were $582M in 2016, compared to $693M in 2012, a decline of 16%. President and CEO Joseph Morone said, "As we have long reported, the market for Machine Clothing in the publication grades, particularly in Europe, has been deteriorating for over a decade, and continues to do so. As we described at the time, the 2013 restructuring was part of a deliberate but painful process of aligning our global capacity to the long-term structure of the machine clothing industry. This restructuring process has to date resulted in the closing of 13 plants across the globe, including eight in North America and four in Europe, and significant downsizing at other European plants, along with investment in new capacity in Asia and South America. While we had hoped that the 2013 actions would represent the last step in this global restructuring process, continued deterioration in the market for publication paper grades has driven the need for further restructuring in order to maintain Albany's ability to compete in the markets we continue to serve."

08:06 EDT Syros data support potential utility of biomarker test for patient selection - Syros Pharmaceuticals announced that the biomarker status of patients screened for the ongoing Phase 2 clinical trial of SY-1425, its first-in-class selective retinoic acid receptor alpha agonist, in genomically defined subsets of patients with acute myeloid leukemia and myelodysplastic syndrome, was predictive of myeloid cell differentiation in the patients' blood samples treated ex vivo with SY-1425. These data will be presented tomorrow at the European School of Haematology's 4th International Conference on Acute Myeloid Leukemia "Molecular and Translational" Advances in Biology and Treatment in Estoril, Portugal. Syros announced that the biomarker test being used to screen patients for the clinical trial is a qPCR-based clinical assay measuring RARA and IRF8 mRNA expression with a turnaround time of less than three days on average. RARA and IRF8 mRNA serve as biomarkers for super-enhancers, which are highly specialized regulatory regions of DNA, associated with the RARA and IRF8 genes. Syros discovered these super-enhancers in subsets of AML and MDS patients and showed in preclinical studies that the super-enhancers were predictive of response to SY-1425. The data being presented at ESH demonstrate that: Approximately 40% of 201 evaluable patients screened for the clinical trial through August were biomarker-positive, including approximately one-third of relapsed or refractory AML and higher-risk MDS patients tested. Induction of myeloid cell differentiation following ex vivo treatment of patient blood samples with SY-1425 was significantly correlated with a positive biomarker test result. Importantly, this finding supports the potential clinical utility of the biomarker test for patient selection. SY-1425 robustly induced CD38, a differentiation marker, in an in vivo model of biomarker-positive AML.

08:04 EDT Anthem, HealthCore, Boehringer Ingelheim initiate COPD clinical trial - The first patients have now enrolled in AIRWISE, the world's largest ever pragmatic clinical trial in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease to study how commonly prescribed medicines may reduce the occurrence of exacerbations of COPD. This landmark research is a collaboration between Anthem, its outcomes research subsidiary, HealthCore, and Boehringer Ingelheim, a pharmaceutical company with a long history of leadership in respiratory research worldwide. The AIRWISE trial will further inform the scientific community's understanding of the role of long-acting muscarinic antagonists, long-acting ss-agonists and inhaled corticosteroids in reducing the risk of COPD exacerbations. Whether or not an ICS provides a meaningful benefit in reducing COPD exacerbations, in addition to a LAMA and a LABA, is currently a topic of scientific debate. Results from the trial will be available in 2020. The AIRWISE trial will compare the effectiveness of STIOLTO RESPIMAT Inhalation Spray, the fixed-combination of tiotropium and olodaterol, with any commercially available triple combination of a LAMA, a LABA and an ICS in a real-world setting. The 52-week, randomized, open-label trial will enroll 3,200 adults with COPD whose healthcare provider has assessed that they are not controlled with their current therapy of a LAMA, a LABA or an ICS/LABA. The primary endpoint of AIRWISE is the time to first moderate or severe COPD exacerbation. Other measurements include comparing the annual rate of moderate or severe COPD exacerbations and comparing all-cause and COPD-related healthcare resource utilization, including inpatient admissions, emergency room visits, outpatient encounters and office visits.

08:03 EDT Appliance Recycling resolves lawsuit - Appliance Recycling announced that the Hennepin County District Court, State of Minnesota, has granted final approval of a settlement of the stockholder derivative lawsuit captioned Gray, et al. v. Cameron, et al. The plaintiffs in this lawsuit sought to assert claims derivatively on behalf of ARCA against certain of the company's current and former officers and directors. The settlement resolves all claims asserted in the lawsuit. ARCA and the other defendants denied plaintiffs' allegations, and have not admitted any liability or wrongdoing as part of the settlement. The court made no findings or determinations with respect to the merit of plaintiffs' claims, and no payment is being made by ARCA or the other defendants. As a condition of the settlement, ARCA has agreed to provide certain training to employees in the company's accounting department for a period of one year. The court also granted an application by plaintiffs' counsel for attorneys' fees, to be paid by the company's insurance carrier. No other payment or other consideration was paid by ARCA nor its officers or directors in connection with the settlement.

08:03 EDT Southern Properties comments on progress on Windmill Farms development - Southern Properties Capital, a subsidiary of Transcontinental Realty Investors, announced several recent successes at its Windmill Farms property. Southern Properties recently sold its newest completed 148 lot subdivision to LGI Homes and Oakdale Homes. Utility installation is also underway for another 175 lot subdivision sold to LGI Homes, Oakdale Homes, and Megatel Homes, all based in Texas. To accommodate this new development, SPC has completed an expansion of the community's sanitary plant that exceeds all proposed new environmental standards. Design plans for an additional community center with a swimming pool and public meeting space are almost completed. This will be the third such facility at Windmill Farms. Daniel J. Moos, Southern Properties' President and CEO, said: "There are currently over 2,000 existing homes at Windmill Farms, and we've started grading an additional subdivision with 250 lots. Future plans call for an additional 5,000 homes along with retail, additional schools, townhomes, and apartments."

07:55 EDT Onvia.com, Inc. trading halted, news pending

07:47 EDT Jacobs selected by Minsur to lead conceptual studies for tin mine development - Jacobs Engineering Group has been selected by Minsur S.A., one of the world's largest tin producers, to perform the pre-feasibility and conceptual studies for the company's proposed tin mine development project in Peru. Both the conceptual and pre-feasibility studies are being undertaken to extend the life of Minsur's San Rafael tin processing facilities located near Puno, Peru. The objective of the pre-feasibility study is to define the highest value option for accessing the richest tin zone in the proposed project location and will include structural geology, geotechnical services, hydrogeology and tunneling design. The conceptual study will include mine development, infrastructure, water management, metallurgical test support and upgrades to the existing concentrator to process tin ore that also contains copper and silver.

07:36 EDT Bio-Techne awarded antibodies supplier contract by U.K. consortia framework - Bio-Techne has been selected as a supplier of research antibodies under Lot 1: Antibodies of the Southern Universities Purchasing Consortium, Antibodies and Sera Framework Agreement for the United Kingdom Higher Education Sector. The Framework serves 6 major UK-based academic consortia across England, Scotland and Wales and supports over 100 research centers. The new agreement runs till June 30, 2019, with an option for SUPC to extend a further two years to 2021.

07:34 EDT TransCanada announces termination of Energy East Pipeline, Eastern Mainline - TransCanada announced it will no longer be proceeding with its proposed Energy East Pipeline and Eastern Mainline projects. Following is a statement from TransCanada President and CEO Russ Girling: "After careful review of changed circumstances, we will be informing the National Energy Board that we will no longer be proceeding with our Energy East and Eastern Mainline applications. TransCanada will also notify Quebec's Ministere du Developpement durable, de l'Environnement, et Lutte contre les changements climatiques that it is withdrawing the Energy East project from the environmental review process. We appreciate and are thankful for the support of labour, business and manufacturing organizations, industry, our customers, Irving Oil, various governments, and the approximately 200 municipalities who passed resolutions in favour of the projects. Most of all, we thank Canadians across the country who contributed towards the development of these initiatives. We will continue to focus on our $24 billion near-term capital program which is expected to generate growth in earnings and cash flow to support an expected annual dividend growth rate at the upper end of an eight to 10 per cent range through 2020. As a result of its decision not to proceed with the proposed projects, TransCanada is reviewing its approximate $1.3 billion carrying value, including allowance for funds used during construction, or AFUDC, capitalized since inception and expects an estimated $1 billion after-tax non-cash charge will be recorded in the company's fourth quarter results. TransCanada stopped capitalizing AFUDC on the project effective August 23, 2017, as disclosed on September 7, 2017. In light of the project's inability to reach a regulatory decision, no recoveries of costs from third parties are expected."

07:33 EDT Entravision signs new affiliation and proxy agreements with Univision - Entravision Communications has entered into a new affiliation agreement and a new proxy agreement with Univision Communications relating to the company's Univision and UniMas network affiliate television stations. Under the new affiliation agreement, Univision will continue to provide Entravision's existing Univision and UniMas network affiliate stations the right to broadcast Univision network and UniMas network programming in their respective markets. Under the new proxy agreement, Univision will continue to negotiate the terms of retransmission consent agreements for Entravision's Univision and UniMas network affiliate television stations in markets in which the two companies do not both own television stations. In addition, the company also entered into new amended and restated joint sales agreements, under which Entravision will continue to provide sales and marketing services for Univision and UniMas network affiliate television stations owned by Univision in six markets. The term of each of these new agreements extends through December 31, 2026.

07:27 EDT L Brands reports September SSS down 2% - L Brands reported net sales of $981.6M for the five weeks ended Sept. 30, an increase of 1%, compared to net sales of $971.4M for the five weeks ended Oct. 1, 2016. Comparable sales decreased 2% for the five weeks ended Sept. 30, 2017. For September, 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. The September hurricanes had about a 1 point negative impact to September total sales.

07:17 EDT L Brands reports Sep. SSS down 2% - L Brands reported net sales of $981.6M for the five weeks ended Sept. 30, an increase of 1%, compared to net sales of $971.4M for the five weeks ended Oct. 1, 2016. Comparable sales decreased 2% for the five weeks ended Sept. 30, 2017. For September, 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. The September hurricanes had about a 1 point negative impact to September total sales.

07:12 EDT Trilogy Metals provides operations update - Trilogy Metals provided an operational update. The company has $11.2M in working capital, with cash on hand of $10.2M. The focus of Q3 has been working to advance its Upper Kobuk Mineral Projects. The combined 2017 budget for the Bornite and Arctic Projects was of $17.1M. A financial partnership announced with South32 Limited in Q2 grants an option to form a 50/50 joint venture for a minimum investment of $150M, subject to certain adjustments. South32 is required to fund a minimum of $10M per year, for up to three years to keep the option in good standing. The company is currently executing a $10M exploration program at the Bornite Project, funded by South32 under an Option Agreement on the company's Upper Kobuk Mineral Projects. Upon exercise of the option, Trilogy Metals US will transfer its Alaskan assets, including the UKMP and South32 will contribute a minimum of $150M, subject to certain adjustments, to a newly formed 50/50 joint venture. Drilling at the Bornite Project began in early June and is expected to be finished by mid-October with results released throughout the fall. The summer field program for the Arctic Project PFS was conducted in July, with results from this summer's field program currently being compiled and analyzed by the PFS consultants and expected for completion of the PFS in Q1 2018. The company anticipates releasing assay results for the additional Arctic in-fill holes by November. The results of the ore sorting program will be evaluated in Q1 2018.

07:08 EDT Recro Pharma announces PDUFA date of May 26, 2018 for IV meloxicam - Recro Pharma announced that the FDA has set a PDUFA date of May 26, 2018 for its decision on the New Drug Application, or NDA, for for intravenous meloxicam 30mg for the management of moderate to severe pain.

07:07 EDT Hill-Rom says Chairman Rolf Classon will not stand for re-election to board - Hill-Rom (HRC) announced that Chairman of the Board Rolf Classon will not stand for re-election to the board of directors when his current term expires on March 6, 2018, at the company's 2018 Annual Shareholder Meeting. Classon has served as chairman of the board since 2006. The board of directors intends to appoint current independent director William Dempsey to the role of chairman of the board, if he is re-elected by shareholders. Dempsey has been a member of the board of directors since 2014. The company also announced the appointment of Gary Ellis, retired CFO and senior vice president of Medtronic (MDT), to its Board of Directors, effective October 5.

07:04 EDT Howard Hughes signs President Grant Herlitz to 10-year employment agreement - The Howard Hughes Corporation has entered into a new employment agreement with President Grant Herlitz, with a term of ten years through 2027. In addition, Herlitz completed the acquisition of 87,951 warrants with a strike price of $117.01 and a term of six years at fair market value by making a payment of $2M to the company. The warrant cannot be sold or hedged for five years except in the event of a change in control, termination without cause or the separation of the executive from the company for good reason. Herlitz's agreement follows the recent announcement that the company finalized a 10-year employment agreement with CEO David R. Weinreb. As part of that agreement, Weinreb invested an additional $50M into the company in the form of warrants.

07:03 EDT Syndax granted $5M milestone payment from first dosing in entinostat trial - Syndax announced that Kyowa Hakko Kirin, its Japan and Korea sublicensee, has now dosed the first patient in a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled, pivotal Phase 2 trial of entinostat, Syndax's oral Class-I histone deacetylase inhibitor, in combination with exemestane versus exemestane plus placebo in Japanese patients with advanced or recurrent hormone receptor-positive, human epidermal growth factor receptor two-negative breast cancer. Enrollment of the first patient in this trial triggers a $5M milestone payment to Syndax from Kyowa Hakko Kirin. The Phase 2 trial is expected to enroll approximately 124 patients in Japan. The primary endpoint of the trial will be progression free survival, with secondary endpoints including overall survival, overall response rate, and safety.

07:03 EDT Animas Corporation to close operations, exit insulin pump market - Animas Corporation, one of the Johnson & Johnson (JNJ) Diabetes Care Companies, announced that it intends to discontinue the manufacturing and sale of Animas Vibe and OneTouch Ping insulin pumps, close operations and exit the insulin pump business. Animas has selected Medtronic (MDT), a world leader in diabetes, as its partner-of-choice to facilitate a seamless transition for patients, caregivers and healthcare providers. Patients using an Animas insulin pump will be offered the option to transfer to a Medtronic pump.

07:01 EDT Dextera Surgical board to explore 'all strategic options available to us'

06:57 EDT The Buckle reports September net sales down 6.1% to $77.9M - The Buckle announced that comparable store net sales, for stores open at least one year, for the 5-week period ended September 30 decreased 5.7% in comparison to comparable store net sales for the 5-week period ended October 1, 2016. Net sales for the 5-week fiscal month ended September 30 decreased 6.1% to $77.9M compared to net sales of $82.9M for the prior year 5-week fiscal month ended October 1, 2016. Comparable store net sales year-to-date for the 35-week period ended September 30 decreased 9.4% from comparable store net sales for the 35-week period ended October 1, 2016. Net sales for the 35-week fiscal period ended September 30 decreased 9.5% to $566.1M from net sales of $625.8M for the prior year 35-week fiscal period ended October 1, 2016.

06:36 EDT Carrizo Oil & Gas backs Q3 production guidance despite Hurricane Harvey impact - Carrizo Oil & Gas provided an update on operations following Hurricane Harvey and recent hedging activity. Carrizo's producing assets and facilities in the Eagle Ford Shale sustained no damage as a result of Hurricane Harvey, and drilling and completion operations returned to normal within a week. The company's production and sales returned to pre-storm levels last month. Carrizo estimates the impact from Hurricane Harvey on Q3 production volumes from the Eagle Ford Shale to be approximately 2,500 Boe/d - approximately 55% oil. However, Carrizo currently expects total Q3 production to be above the midpoint of its previously-issued guidance range of 53,467-54,733 Boe/d. The company is revising its Q3 crude oil production guidance to 34,700-34,900 Bbls/d from 35,400-35,800 Bbls/d. For Q4, the company currently has swaps covering 15,000 Bbls/d of crude oil at an average fixed price of $53.44/Bbl. For 2018, Carrizo currently has three-way collars covering 18,000 Bbls/d of crude oil with an average floor price of $49.08/Bbl, ceiling price of $60.48/Bbl, and sub-floor price of $39.17/Bbl, as well as swaps covering 6,000 Bbls/d of crude oil at an average fixed price of $49.55/Bbl.

06:14 EDT Ohio State collaborates with Apple to launch digital learning initiative - The Ohio State University yesterday announced the creation of a comprehensive, university-wide digital learning initiative that will support educational innovation for students and economic development opportunities for the community. The Digital Flagship University represents a major initiative under Ohio State's strategic plan, with particular focus on teaching and learning as well as research and creative expression. Through a collaboration with Apple, Ohio State will establish: a student-success initiative to integrate learning technology throughout the university experience; an iOS design laboratory on the Columbus campus serving faculty, staff, students and members of the broader community; university-wide opportunities for students to learn coding skills to enhance their career-readiness in the app economy. "This unique program will give students access to the incredible learning tools on iPad, as well as Apple's new coding curriculum that teaches critical skills for jobs in some of the country's fastest-growing sectors," said Apple CEO Tim Cook. Ohio State, with help from Apple, will work with the university community to develop additional apps and other tools as part of the Digital Flagship University initiative. Ohio State will own the iPad technology suite and provide it to students. Reference Link

06:05 EDT CytoDyn receives Orphan Drug Designation for PRO 140 - CytoDyn announces that the U.S. FDA has granted orphan drug designation to PRO 140 for the prevention of graft versus host disease. Orphan drug designation is granted to development-stage drugs that have shown promise in addressing serious medical needs for patients living with rare conditions. This designation provides CytoDyn with various incentives and benefits including seven years of U.S. market exclusivity for PRO 140 in GvHD, subject to FDA approval for use in this indication.

06:02 EDT Aerie Pharmaceuticals acquires rights to use PRINT technology from Envisia - Aerie Pharmaceuticals announced that it has acquired from Envisia Therapeutics the rights to use PRINT technology in ophthalmology and certain other assets. The PRINT technology is a proprietary system capable of creating precisely engineered sustained release products utilizing fully-scalable manufacturing processes. Aerie intends to use this technology to accelerate the advancement of its pipeline to treat conditions in the back of the eye such as wet AMD (age-related macular degeneration) and diabetic retinopathy. Aerie's initial focus will be in using PRINT to manufacture injectable implants containing its pre-clinical product candidate known as AR-13154, potentially in conjunction with the previously announced biodegradable polymer from DSM. In addition, Aerie acquired Envisia's intellectual property rights relating to ENV1105, Envisia's pre-clinical dexamethasone steroid product candidate for the treatment of diabetic macular edema, which also utilizes the PRINT technology. Under the terms of the agreement, Envisia will receive an initial $25M in the form of a combination of cash and Aerie common stock with the potential to earn additional payments subject to achievement of certain product approval milestones.

05:21 EDT MasterCard, PayPal expand digital partnership globally - Mastercard (MA) and PayPal (PYPL) announced a significant expansion of their longstanding partnership into Canada, Europe, Latin America and the Caribbean and the Middle East and Africa to enhance customer choice, optimize the consumer experience and make Mastercard a clear payment option within PayPal across the globe. With the addition of these markets - and following the recent expansion of their partnership into the U.S. and Asia Pacific - Mastercard and PayPal have now reached a global agreement. Similar to previous agreements, the global expansion will create a number of joint growth opportunities that will advance Mastercard and PayPal's shared vision to offer consumers greater choice and flexibility to manage and move their money: Mastercard will be presented as a clear and equal payment option within the PayPal Wallet, making Mastercard and their issuers easily identifiable to the consumer when transacting. Consumers will also see a familiar digital representation of their Mastercard from their chosen issuer. Additionally, consumers will be able to choose Mastercard as their default payment method to allow for quick and easy check-out. Mastercard and PayPal will work together to leverage new Mastercard payment flow technologies, providing increased value to Mastercard cardholders, financial institutions, and PayPal customers. Through collaborations with Mastercard bank partners, consumers will be able to seamlessly add Mastercard cards into PayPal from banking apps. PayPal will have the opportunity to expand its presence at the point of sale by utilizing tokenization services from Mastercard, allowing consumers to use their tokenized Mastercard in their PayPal Wallet to make in-store purchases at more than 6.5 million contactless-enabled locations across the globe. Consumers will also have the ability to quickly cash out funds held in their PayPal accounts to a Mastercard debit card. Masterpass will be presented as a payment option for merchants that process payments via Braintree in Europe, Latin America and the Caribbean and the Middle East and Africa - in addition to the U.S. and Asia Pacific. These merchants will see the benefits of more choice and will be able to easily integrate Masterpass into their checkout experiences to provide a seamless user experience for consumers.

05:07 EDT LGI Homes reports Sep. home closings up 49.3% to 542 homes from 363 homes - LGI Homes announced 542 homes closed in September 2017, up from 363 home closings in September 2016, representing year-over-year growth of 49.3%. In addition, the company announced record-breaking quarterly home closings of 1,729 for the third quarter of 2017 compared to 1,052 home closings in the third quarter of 2016, a 64.4% increase year-over-year. The company had 4,001 home closings during the first nine months of 2017, a 32.3% increase over 3,024 homes closed during the first nine months of 2016. As of the end of September 2017, the company had 77 active selling communities.