Stockwinners Market Radar for October 10, 2017 - Earnings, Upgrades downgrades, option trades, Best Stock Advisory Service

19:01 EDT Columbia Banking, Pacific Continental approved for merger - Columbia Banking System (COLB) and Pacific Continental (PCBK) jointly announced the receipt of the required regulatory approval from the Federal Reserve Board for their proposed merger. Columbia and Pacific Continental previously announced the receipt of the required approvals from the shareholders of both companies, the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation and state regulators. Subject to customary closing conditions, the transaction is expected be completed on November 1.

18:48 EDT Shell divests 16.8% Comgas interest for headline of roughly $380M - Royal Dutch Shell announced they have signed an agreement with Cosan Ltd. to execute an existing Put Option Agreement, which allows Shell to sell all of its 16.8% interest in Companhia de Gas de Sao Paulo, or Comgas, to Cosan Ltd. Under the agreement, Shell will exchange its roughly 21.8M common shares in Comgas for Cosan S.A. Industria e Comercio shares plus cash. The headline for the transaction is approximately $380M. The transaction is expected to be completed by year-end, subject to customary closing conditions, regulatory approvals and certain consents. Shell's share position in Cosan SA will be managed for value realization over time. Comgas is Brazil's largest gas distributor with Cosan currently a 63.4% shareholder.

18:03 EDT DaVita raises share repurchase authorization to $1.5B, including existing plan - On October 10, the Board of Directors of DaVita increased the authorization under the company's share repurchase program to an aggregate of $1.5B in repurchasing authority. The amount of shares of common stock authorized to be repurchased under the New Repurchase Program includes the amount remaining under the company's existing stock repurchase program authorized on July 13, 2016. The Existing Repurchase Program and the New Repurchase Program do not have an expiration date and do not obligate the company to purchase any shares.

17:40 EDT On The Fly: After Hours Movers - HIGHER: New Age Beverages (NBEV), up 2.6% after it announced the expansion of Aspen Pure Probiotic throughout the more than 2,000 Ahold Delhaize banner stores across 23 states. DOWN AFTER EARNINGS: VOX International (VOXX), down 11.6%... Barracuda (CUDA), down 6.5%. ALSO LOWER: Technologies (HDSN), down 9.5% after it reported preliminary Q3 results that were lower than consensus estimates following the closing of its deal with Airgas-Refrigerants... Micron (MU), down 4.1% after it filed to sell $1B in common stock... Eagle Bancorp (EBMT), down 1.9% after it filed to sell $18M of common stock... Hudson Broadcom (AVGO), down 1.4% after it said that a German Federal Patent Court gave a preliminary opinion in favor of the company that all claims of an Invensas Corporation patent asserted against Broadcom in Germany should be null and void.

17:24 EDT Florence Capital Advisors reports 8.9% passive stake in Landmark Infrastructure

17:11 EDT TCS Capital cuts stake in Central European Media to 7.0% from about 9.8%

17:07 EDT CryoLife sees pro forma CAGR in high single-digits - Moving forward, CryoLife expects pro forma compound annual revenue growth in the high single-digits on a percentage basis over the next five years. Non-GAAP earnings per share is expected to be dilutive in 2018 and accretive in 2019. Over the next five year period, the company expects 20 plus percent compound growth in non-GAAP earnings per share.

17:05 EDT CryoLife to acquire JOTEC in $225M deal - CryoLife announced that it has entered into a definitive agreement to acquire JOTEC, a German-based, privately-held developer of technologically differentiated endovascular stent grafts, and cardiac and vascular surgical grafts, focused on aortic repair. Under terms of the definitive agreement, CryoLife will acquire JOTEC for an upfront payment of $225M, subject to certain adjustments, consisting of 75% in cash and 25% in CryoLife common stock issued to JOTEC's shareholders. CryoLife expects to finance the transaction and related expenses, as well as refinance its existing $69M term loan, with new $255M senior secured credit facilities, consisting of a $225M institutional term loan B and a $30M undrawn revolving credit facility, $56.25M in CryoLife common stock, and available cash on hand. The definitive agreement has been approved by both companies' boards of directors. The transaction is expected to close later this year, subject to customary closing conditions.

17:02 EDT Foundation Medicine names Tom Civik chief commercial officer - Foundation Medicine announced the appointment of Tom Civik to the role of chief commercial officer. Civik brings to Foundation Medicine more than two decades of commercial and operational experience with global biopharmaceutical organizations, most recently having served as a vice president and officer for Genentech. Civik, who is expected to commence employment with Foundation Medicine in mid-November, will report to Troy Cox, Foundation Medicine's chief executive officer.

16:46 EDT Gartner reports Q3 PC shipments declined 3.6% to 67M units - Worldwide PC shipments totaled 67M units in the Q3 a 3.6% decline from the Q3 of FY16, according to preliminary results by Gartner. This is the 12th consecutive quarter of declining PC shipments. There are ongoing component shortages, with DRAM shortages getting particularly worse during the third quarter of the year compared with the first half of 2017. "The component price hike impacted the consumer PC market as most vendors generally pass the price hike on to consumers, rather than absorbing the cost themselves," the company said. "We expect the DRAM shortage to continue to the end of 2018, but it will not be reflected in the final PC prices immediately."

16:41 EDT Hanover Insurance CEO Joseph Zubretsky to leave, John Roche to succeed - The Hanover Insurance Group announced John Roche has been appointed president and CEO, effective Nov. 4. He will succeed Joseph Zubretsky, who has accepted a career opportunity outside of the property and casualty industry. Zubretsky will remain with the company through Nov. 3. Roche currently leads The Hanover's personal and commercial lines businesses as president of Hanover Agency Markets, and has served on the company's executive leadership team since 2008. A highly experienced senior leader, Roche has more than 30 years of experience in the property and casualty business.

16:26 EDT Merrimack announces settlement of convertible note litigation - Merrimack Pharmaceuticals announced that it has reached a settlement agreement with Wolverine Flagship Fund Trading Limited, 1992 MSF International Ltd. and 1992 Tactical Credit Master Fund, and Wells Fargo Bank, National Association, to resolve the previously disclosed lawsuit captioned Wells Fargo Bank et. al. v. Merrimack Pharmaceuticals pending in the Court of Chancery in the State of Delaware. Under the terms of this settlement, Merrimack will pay the Noteholder Plaintiffs $0.90 per $1.00 of Convertible Notes, plus accrued interest, and an amount towards the plaintiffs' legal fees. Additionally, in connection with the settlement, Merrimack has agreed to commence a tender offer to acquire all remaining Convertible Notes at the same rate of $0.90 per $1.00 of Convertible Notes, plus accrued interest, which would eliminate all of Merrimack's remaining debt if all of the noteholders participate. Together, the settlement payout, the amount Merrimack expects to pay to acquire the remaining Convertible Notes and Merrimack's expenses related to the Delaware Action will approximate the $60 million now released from escrow, and as a result Merrimack does not intend to declare an additional special dividend with any funds from the escrow. "We are pleased to move past this litigation, allowing us to simplify our capital structure and potentially emerge with a clean balance sheet," said Richard Peters, M.D., Ph.D., President and Chief Executive Officer. "We are focused on our deep research pipeline and three assets in clinical development as we march towards a data-rich 2018."

16:20 EDT Artisan Partners reports $113.7B AUM as of September 30 - Artisan Partners Asset Management reported that its assets under management, or AUM, as of September 30 totaled $113.7B. Separate accounts accounted for $57.2B of total firm AUM, while Artisan Funds and Artisan Global Funds accounted for $56.5B.

16:17 EDT Parkway announces payment of special cash dividend of $4.00 per share - Parkway announced that Parkway is paying the previously announced special cash dividend of $4.00 per share of common stock to common stockholders of record as of the close of business on October 9, 2017, after certain conditions related to the payment of the special cash dividend were satisfied. The special cash dividend relates to the previously announced merger of Parkway with an affiliate of Canada Pension Plan Investment Board. The merger is expected to close on October 12, 2017, subject to the satisfaction or waiver of all closing conditions related to the transaction. Parkway's stockholders who hold their shares of common stock through the effective time of the merger will be entitled to receive an aggregate of $23.05 in cash, consisting of the $4.00 special cash dividend and merger consideration of $19.05 per share.

16:17 EDT Cooper Companies reports minor damage from Hurricane Maria in Puerto Rico plant - The Cooper Companies announced that following a comprehensive onsite assessment of its CooperVision manufacturing facility in Juana Diaz, Puerto Rico, following the impact of Hurricane Maria, the facility sustained relatively minor damage. Manufacturing operations have been restored to approximately 90% and are expected to continue ramping up over the coming weeks with the support of the local power grid and generators. Packaging and labeling operations have also been restored and product is being shipped out of Puerto Rico.

16:16 EDT NCI Building announces new $50M stock repurchase program - NCI Building announced that its Board of Directors has authorized a new stock repurchase program for up to an aggregate of $50M of the company's outstanding common stock. To date, during the fourth quarter of fiscal 2017, under the previously announced September 2016 share repurchase program, the company used $37.7M to repurchase 2.56M shares of its common stock at an average price of $14.75, completing the majority of the prior authorization.

16:12 EDT Barracuda down 5% to $24.31 after Q2 results

16:10 EDT Amzak Health Investors reports 6.15% passive stake in GTx

16:06 EDT AllianceBernstein reports preliminary AUM $535B as of September 30 - AllianceBernstein announced that preliminary assets under management increased to $535B during September from $529B at the end of August. The 1.1% increase was the result of market appreciation and firmwide net inflows that spanned all three client channels - Institutions, Retail and Private Wealth.

16:05 EDT Barracuda says Q2 gross billings for core products up 22% - Gross billings were $108.5M, compared with $100.3M in the second quarter of fiscal 2017. Billings for core products increased 22% to $70.9M, compared with $58.1M in the second quarter of fiscal 2017. The number of active subscribers grew 17% to over 348,000 as of August 31. The annualized renewal rate from subscriptions on a dollar basis was 91%.

16:03 EDT Karpus Management reports 13.24% passive stake in Gladstone Capital

15:32 EDT xG Technology announces availability of MicroLite 2 transmitter - xG Technology announced the availability of MicroLite 2, an ultra-compact COFDM wireless video transmitter that the company called "the most comprehensive mid-market wireless camera system available today." xG Technolgy shares are up 23c, or 14%, to $1.92 after the product announcement.

14:51 EDT Clarkston Ventures reports 7.9% stake in Conifer Holdings

14:14 EDT Hotchkis & Wiley reports 10.15% passive stake in Seritage Growth Properties

13:48 EDT Fentanyl, opioid painkillers the leading cause of overdose deaths, CDC says - Fentanyl and other synthetic opioid painkillers are now the leading cause of overdose deaths nationwide, killing more than 21,000 people last year, according to a report from the CDC. Insys Therapeutics, down 8.3% in afternoon trading to $7.94, makes Subsys, a spray version of the opiate fentanyl. Reference Link

13:31 EDT Aethlon Medical announces compliance with Nasdaq listing criteria - Aethlon Medical announced that Nasdaq has formally notified the company that it has demonstrated compliance with all applicable requirements for the continued listing of its common stock on The Nasdaq Capital Market, including the $2.5M stockholders' equity requirement. As previously disclosed, the Nasdaq Hearings Panel required the company to evidence compliance with the stockholders' equity requirement by October 31. As a result of the foregoing, the Nasdaq compliance matter has been closed.

12:48 EDT Smith & Nephew up 9% after report of activist Paul Singer building stake

12:34 EDT Shapiro Capital reports 4.64% passive stake in Calgon Carbon

12:21 EDT Prudential reports 10.1% passive stake in La Jolla

11:57 EDT Horizon Kinetics raises passive stake in Civeo to 17.8% from 11.1%

11:50 EDT Disney releases trailer for Star Wars: The Last Jedi - Disney revealed the trailer during Monday Night Football's halftime show. Reference Link

11:49 EDT Tech Data rises after issuing guidance at investor meeting - As the meeting continues, Tech Data shares are up 2.5% to $93.67.

11:49 EDT Procter & Gamble CEO says 'no' when asked about giving Peltz board seat - Procter & Gamble CEO David Taylor is speaking on CNBC.

11:39 EDT Tech Data moves higher, shares up 3% to $93.83

11:35 EDT T. Rowe Price reports 10.4% passive stake in Cal-Maine Foods

11:32 EDT Madison Square Garden enters signature partnership with Squarespace - Madison Square Garden announced leading website publishing platform Squarespace as a signature marketing partner, which includes becoming the New York Knicks' first jersey sponsor. Beginning in the 2017-18 season, the two companies will kick off a multifaceted partnership that will give Squarespace year-round exposure across MSG's unrivaled set of sports and entertainment properties, as well as MSG Networks' award-winning regional sports networks. The New York Knicks and Squarespace will also collaborate on a brand-new community initiative called the "Make It Fund" to help New York City entrepreneurs get off the ground. Throughout the 2017-18 season, Squarespace and the Knicks will provide financial support and prime advertising spots at MSG to local, Squarespace-powered small businesses. Media inventory includes the Garden's seven digital boards on 7th and 8th Avenues, which provide exposure to the more than 1 million people who walk by the Arena each day. Audiences will see the official partner jerseys worn by players in-game starting on October 13th, 2017. In addition to logo representation on the Knicks' game jersey, Squarespace's logo will appear on the team's practice jersey. Squarespace will also have an impactful presence on MSG Networks as the presenting partner for their Gameside Studio.

11:26 EDT Wastach reports 4.8% passive stake in Ollie's Bargain Outlet

11:07 EDT Dell Technologies unveils new IoT strategy to accelerate adoption - Dell Technologies unveiled its Internet of Things-IoT-vision and strategy, a new IoT division as well as new IoT specific products, labs, partner program and consumption models. This announcement underscores Dell Technologies commitment to helping customers realize their digital future by safely navigating the complex and often fragmented IoT landscape.

10:59 EDT MannKind jumps after analyst says buy on 'game-changing' new label - Shares of MannKind (MNKD) are on the rise after H.C. Wainwright analyst Oren Livnat initiated coverage of the stock with a Buy rating, saying the "game-changing" new label approved last week will allow Afrezza to gain a footing in the "very large insulin space." BUY MANNKIND: In a research note this morning, H.C. Wainwright's Livnat started MannKind with a Buy rating and $7 price target. The analyst noted that the company spent almost 20 years and more than $2B to develop what is today the only approved inhaled, rapid-acting insulin for diabetes, Afrezza. While some may say "you only get to launch a drug once," Livnat argued that under new management, and with what he sees as a "game-changing new label" just approved last week, Afrezza will gain a footing in the "very large insulin space" and become the "significant product that its innovation merits." Further, the analyst pointed out that he expects MannKind to soon recapitalize and eventually accelerate Afrezza growth to peak sales of more than $725M in the U.S. He also projects the company can break-even by the end of 2020. REDUCED RISK IN STORY: H.C. Wainwright's Livnat was not the only one bullish on the stock in the wake of the label revision. His peer at Maxim also raised his price target for MannKind to $7 from $4. In a research note yesterday, analyst Jason Kolbert told investors that he believes the FDA approval of a label revision for Afrezza translates into lower risk for the relaunch of the drug. The analyst reiterated a Buy rating on the shares. PRICE ACTION: In morning trading, shares of MannKind have gained about 25% to $6.67.

10:53 EDT Northern Trust lowers passive stake in Carnival to 4.71% from 5.94%

10:46 EDT Northern Trust reports 20.8% passive stake in Kellogg

10:45 EDT Peltz says P&G CEO should put him on board 'no matter what happens' - Trian's Nelson Peltz is speaking on CNBC.

10:40 EDT Aldeyra says new trial data support activity profile of ADX-102 in OID - Earlier today, Aldeyra Therapeutics announced new clinical data for ADX-102 from recently completed Phase 2 clinical trials of dry eye disease and allergic conjunctivitis, and the introduction of a retinal disease development program with ADX-103, a novel aldehyde trap. "These newly released results from our Phase 2 clinical trials in dry eye disease and allergic conjunctivitis strongly support the broad and clinically relevant activity profile of ADX-102 in ocular inflammatory disease," commented Todd C. Brady, M.D., Ph.D., President and Chief Executive Officer of Aldeyra. "In addition, we are pleased to announce the expansion of our ocular franchise with a new development program in retinal disease, featuring our second novel aldehyde trap, ADX-103." Newly announced results from the recent Phase 2a clinical trial in dry eye disease indicated that the statistically significant reduction in levels of a pro-inflammatory aldehyde mediator, malondialdehyde, was correlated with improvement of ocular staining scores and tear osmolarity. To Aldeyra's knowledge, these data represent the first correlation of drug biomarker improvement with dry eye disease clinical activity. Aldeyra plans to commence Phase 2b clinical testing of ADX-102 in dry eye disease in the first half of 2018. ADX-103, a novel aldehyde trap with a chemical structure distinct from ADX-102, demonstrated activity in pre-clinical retinal disease models of macular degeneration, uveitis, and diabetic macular edema. Retinal disease represents one of the largest markets in ophthalmology and is associated with the generation and accumulation of pro-inflammatory and toxic aldehyde mediators. Additional results are expected to be released at a major scientific meeting in 2018. Shares of are down 2% in morning trading.

10:36 EDT Procter & Gamble falls after Peltz fails to win board seat - Shares of Procter & Gamble moved lower after Trian's Nelson Peltz failed to win a seat on the company's board. Shareholders of P&G today voted to elect all 11 of the company's directors. The stock in morning trading is down $1.51 to $90.61.

10:35 EDT P&G says shareholders vote to elect all 11 company director candidates

10:30 EDT Dow Jones advises to disregard headlines published between 9:34-9:36 am - Dow Jones Newswires advised subscribers "Please disregard the headlines that ran on Dow Jones Newswires between 9:34 a.m. ET and 9:36 a.m. ET. Due to a technical error, a stream of test data was inadvertently published. All of those headlines are being removed from the wires. We apologize for the error." During the same period, a fake story regarding Google (GOOGL) allegedly buying Apple (AAPL) for $9B was posted to the Dow Jones Newswires, potentially related to a hack of its service, though whether the Google/Apple story posting is related to a breach is unconfirmed. Dow Jones is owned by News Corp. (NWSA).

10:15 EDT Comtech receives $6.5M contract to support BFT-2 program - Comtech Telecommunications announced that during its first quarter of fiscal 2018, its Government Solutions segment's Command and Control Technologies group through its Maryland-based subsidiary, Comtech Mobile Datacom Corporation, was awarded a Firm Fixed Price $6.5M contract from the Consortium Management Group to support the U.S. Army Project Manager Mission Command and the Blue Force Tracking 2 program. Phase 1 execution which totals $1.2M is to port additional waveforms onto the current BFT2 transceiver to allow it to be used in austere operational environments. The final objective requires the ability to quickly change to different waveforms based on changing operational environments and requirements. Upon phase 2 and 3 execution, the total value for these additional phases is $5.3M. The $6.5M contract is expected to be completed within seventeen months.

10:05 EDT Air Products extends contract with Barrick Goldstrike for Nevada plant - Air Products (APD) recently signed a contract with Barrick Goldstrike (ABX) that extends its long-standing agreement to operate and maintain Barrick's oxygen plant in Elko, Nevada. In addition to running the Barrick plant, Air Products plans to install new oxygen plant process equipment and technology designed to help Barrick reduce operating costs and emissions, as well as increase gold production.

10:02 EDT Wal-Mart expects to have grocery pickup in over 2,000 stores by end of 2018 - Says Jet's smart-cart process to migrate to Walmart.com. Comments taken from Wal-Mart's 2017 Investment Community Meeting.

10:01 EDT BAE Systems awarded $59.5M government contract - The U.S. Navy has awarded BAE Systems a $59.5M contract for additional APKWS guidance kits to transform unguided 2.75-inch (70-millimeter) rockets into laser-guided precision munitions. The new contract will enable BAE Systems to continue to meet the growing demand for cost-effective guided munitions for U.S. armed forces and allied international customers. The new award, which follows a recent contract for $180.5M, is part of a 2016 indefinite delivery / indefinite quantity contract for more than $600M. With the new award, BAE Systems has further reduced the per-unit cost for APKWS laser-guided rockets, reinforcing its commitment to deliver customer value

09:45 EDT Wal-Mart says will begin to implement zero-based budgeting in parts of company - Says "not where we want to be from expense standpoint." Says focus on expenses is going to provide "fuel for the business." Says will open fewer than 40 SuperCenters in FY18 and fewer than 15 in FY19.

09:32 EDT Wal-Mart says cash flow remains 'very strong' - Says continues to make "good strides" with capital management.

09:30 EDT Wal-Mart says company is 'rock solid' financially - Says continues to make investments in technology.

09:26 EDT Rexahn receives positive opinion from EMA COMP for ODD for RX-3117 - Rexahn Pharmaceuticals announced that the European Medicines Agency's, or EMA, Committee for Orphan Medicinal Products, or COMP, has issued a positive opinion recommending orphan medicinal product designation for RX-3117 for the treatment of pancreatic cancer. Pancreatic cancer is a rare disease with a very poor prognosis and limited treatment options.

09:21 EDT GrubHub closed acquisition of Eat24 and commences partnership with Yelp - Grubhub (GRUB) closed its previously announced acquisition of Eat24. With approximately 75,000 great local restaurants available online or on the app, Grubhub has the most complete restaurant network for online pickup and delivery ordering in the U.S. conjunction with the acquisition, Grubhub and Yelp (YELP) have also commenced a long-term partnership agreement, which will bring online ordering for all Grubhub restaurant partners to the Yelp local goods and services platform. With the close of the Eat24 deal, Grubhub has completed all three of the acquisitions discussed on its Q2 earnings call, including Foodler and OrderUp. In connection with these acquisitions, Grubhub has refinanced its existing credit facility with a new five-year, $350M committed facility, consisting of a $125M term loan and an expanded $225M revolving credit facility. Grubhub will discuss the financial and operational impacts of these transactions on its upcoming Q3 earnings call.

09:17 EDT AutoWeb signs license agreement with DealerX - AutoWeb has entered into a license agreement with DealerX Partners, LLC. DealerX is a premier provider of data-driven marketing products for car dealerships and OEMs. Under the terms of the agreement, AutoWeb will receive a perpetual license to access and use DealerX's proprietary platform and technology for targeted, online marketing. This will be implemented through the creation of consumer information databases and audiences, which will allow AutoWeb to generate traffic, clicks, and leads. DealerX will operate the platform for AutoWeb and provide enhancements to and support for the platform for an initial five-year period, which may be extended in perpetuity. The transaction consideration consists of a lump-sum payment to DealerX of $8.0 million upon the execution of the agreement. During the initial five-year support period, DealerX will have the ability to earn shares of AutoWeb common stock representing approximately 5% of AutoWeb's outstanding common stock if AutoWeb's market capitalization reaches $225 million. If these shares are issued to DealerX, its obligation to provide platform operation, enhancements and support for the platform will continue in perpetuity. Alternatively, AutoWeb may elect to make a lump-sum payment of $12.5 million upon the occurrence of certain events in order to extend DealerX's obligations in perpetuity. If such a lump-sum payment is made, DealerX's right to receive shares of common stock is terminated.

09:16 EDT TransUnion acquires eBureau, terms not disclosed - TransUnion announced that it is continuing to build upon its success as a source of groundbreaking, versatile data and analytics capabilities with the acquisition of eBureau, a leading provider of custom-analytic solutions with both credit-risk and anti-fraud applications. eBureau's rapid-model-development platform enables financial institutions to quickly develop and deploy bespoke analytic models customized to their particular needs. A traditionally multi-month, cumbersome process can be reduced to a matter of days. In areas like fraud, this enables customers to more quickly address changes in their external environment. The purchase allows TransUnion to accelerate eBureau's market presence by leveraging existing TransUnion relationships with thousands of financial institutions. The acquisition will benefit customers by reducing opportunities for error, maximizing model performance and enabling tight, transparent model governance. The acquisition closed on October 2nd, and financial terms were not disclosed.

09:11 EDT Wal-Mart says timing is right to act on costs in 'more aggressive way'

09:10 EDT Honeywell expands Primus Elite cockpit offerings - Honeywell is expanding its Primus Elite cockpit offerings with new Federal Aviation Administration certifications for Bombardier, Cessna, Dassault, Embraer and Fairchild-Dornier aircraft. This provides business jet operators with a simple display upgrade option that delivers advanced functionality and improved visual clarity. In addition, Honeywell has regulatory approval for its Primus Elite Advanced Features software upgrade, enabling pilots to use the Synthetic Vision System to help them be more aware of their surroundings and increase safety.

09:08 EDT Wal-Mart says sees signs of productivity loop returning - Says being more disciplined on costs/capital. Says future looks more digital. Says focused on saving customers time. Comments from 2017 Investment Community Meeting.

09:07 EDT CDW announces planned retirement of CFO Ann Ziegler at end of 2017 - CDW announced the planned retirement of its CFO, Ann E. Ziegler, at the end of 2017 after nearly 10 years of service to the company. Collin B. Kebo, currently VP, financial planning and analysis and CFO for international operations, will be promoted to CFO effective January 1, 2018. The company also announced that Frederick "Rick" J. Kulevich will be promoted to SVP, general counsel and corporate secretary effective October 16, 2017, reporting to Richards. Kulevich was previously VP and deputy general counsel.

09:05 EDT Spark Therapeutics Luxturna briefing documents posted by FDA - The Cellular, Tissue, and Gene Therapies Advisory Committee is being convened on October 12 to discuss the BLA submitted by Spark Therapeutics for voretigene neparvovec, or Luxturna, for the treatment of patients with vision loss due to confirmed biallelic RPE65 mutation-associated retinal dystrophy. Ahead of that planned meeting, the FDA has posted its briefing documents, in which the agency asks the Committee to discuss the clinical meaningfulness of a 2-light level improvement in the multi-luminance mobility testing in "patients with vision loss due to confirmed biallelic RPE65 mutationassociated retinal dystrophy." Reference Link

09:04 EDT Express Scripts to acquire eviCore healthcare for $3.6B - Express Scripts announced that it has reached an agreement to acquire privately-held eviCore healthcare, which it calls "the industry leader in evidence-based medical benefit management services," for $3.6B from current investors including General Atlantic, TA Associates, and Ridgemont Equity Partners. The transaction is subject to customary regulatory approvals and closing conditions, and is expected to close in the fourth quarter of 2017. eviCore, which manages medical benefits for 100M people, offers a "broad range of integrated MBM solutions that drive significant and immediate cost reductions, and improved quality care outcomes" and the acquisition will give Express Scripts "an attractive entry point into a growing market," the company stated. Excluding transaction related expenses and amortization of intangibles, Express Scripts expects the acquisition to be accretive to adjusted diluted earnings per share in its first full year of operation. The company will provide additional information pertaining to the proposed acquisition of eviCore on its upcoming earnings call scheduled for October 25, Express Scripts added.

09:02 EDT Golub Capital originated $128.9M in commitments in last three months - Golub Capital BDC announced that it originated $128.9M in new middle-market investment commitments during the three months ended September 30. Approximately 85% of the new middle-market investment commitments were one stop loans, 14% were senior secured loans and approximately 1% were equity securities. Of the new middle-market investment commitments, $125.1M funded at close. Total investments at fair value are estimated to have decreased by approximately 6.5%, or $116.8M, during the three months ended September 30 after factoring in debt repayments, sales of securities, net fundings on revolvers and net change in unrealized gains. Total investments at fair value held by Senior Loan Fund, an unconsolidated Delaware limited liability company that invests in senior secured loans and is co-managed by Golub Capital BDC, Inc. and RGA Reinsurance Comany, are estimated to have decreased by approximately 6.6%, or $21.3M, after factoring in debt repayments, sales of securities, net fundings on revolvers and net change in unrealized gains.

09:02 EDT T-Mobile partners with FOX TV's WWOR to move spectrum frequencies faster - T-Mobile (TMUS) announced a partnership with FOX Television Stations (FOX, FOXA) to assist in repacking its 600 MHz spectrum, accelerating the final repack by 16 months and reducing overall costs for the Incentive Auction Relocation fund by tens of millions. As part of the agreement, WWOR-TV will repack in early 2018, over a year sooner than the originally proposed FCC deadline of August 2019, and will do it for much less. This agreement ensures the 19 million plus WWOR-TV households keep access to the programming they count on while enabling T-Mobile to enhance wireless coverage and capacity in the New York City area more quickly. This agreement is part of T-Mobile's broader commitment to work with broadcasters occupying 600 MHz spectrum to assist them in moving to new frequencies. Earlier this year, PBS and America's Public Television Stations (APTS) announced a partnership with T-Mobile to assist rural translators in the move to new airwaves.

08:38 EDT Ultragenyx, Kyowa announce FDA acceptance, priority review of burosumab BLA - Ultragenyx Pharmaceutical, Kyowa Hakko Kirin, and Kyowa Kirin International announce that the FDA has accepted the Biologics License Application, or BLA, for burosumab to treat pediatric and adult patients with X-Linked Hypophosphatemia, or XLH, and has granted Priority Review status. Burosumab previously received Breakthrough Therapy Designation from the FDA for the treatment of XLH in pediatric patients one year of age and older. The FDA has granted burosumab Priority Review status, which is available to drugs that treat a serious condition and, if approved, would provide a significant improvement in safety or effectiveness. The Prescription Drug User Fee Act, or PDUFA, action date for the BLA is April 17, 2018. The Agency has not informed the companies whether an advisory committee meeting to discuss the application will be needed. The FDA previously designated burosumab as a drug for a "rare pediatric disease", enabling issuance of a priority review voucher if burosumab is approved.

08:34 EDT Synlogic names Andrew Gengos COO, head of corporate development - Synlogic (SYBX) announced the addition of two executives to key leadership roles: Andrew Gengos as COO and head of corporate development, and Adam Thomas as chief human resources officer. Gengos, who will be responsible for all corporate and business development activities at Synlogic, served for more than seven years as VP, strategy and corporate development at Amgen (AMGN). Thomas served as VP and head of human resources for Research and Development at Shire (SHPG).

08:31 EDT CEL-SCI granted European patent for Multikine - CEL-SCI announced that the European Patent Office has issued a new patent to CEL-SCI for its lead investigational immunotherapy, Multikine, which is currently in a pivotal Phase 3 trial for head and neck cancer. Patent # EP 1 879 618 B1 is titled, "A Method for Modulating HLA Class II Tumor Cell Surface Expression With A Cytokine Mixture" addresses Multikine's mechanism of action to make tumors more visible to the immune system. "This is a key patent which along with the other Multikine issued patents addresses how Multikine enables the immune system to recognize and attack the tumor. One way tumor cells evade the immune system is by expressing human leukocyte antigens on the tumor cell surface, thus appearing as 'self' to the immune cells and therefore the tumor cells are not attacked," stated Eyal Talor, PhD, CEL-SCI's Chief Scientific Officer.

08:29 EDT Honeywell CEO says spincos could have some environmental liabilities - CEO Darius Adamczyk says portfolio review process will be "recurring." Says expects spincos to have some environmental liabilities, will provide more details on spincos in 1H18. Says will look at M&A "should the proper opportunities arise." Says plans to keep dividend payment level. Says believes Homes, Transportation Systems have "bright futures" outside of Honeywell. Comments taken from Honeywell's conference call discussing its planned portfolio changes. Honeywell is up nearly 1% in premarket trading.

08:15 EDT American Airlines sees 2017 total system capacity up approximately 1% - American Airlines said its 2017 total system capacity is expected to be up approximately 1% vs. 2016. Full year domestic capacity is expected to be approximately flat year-over-year, while international capacity is expected to be up approximately 4% vs. 2016.

08:13 EDT West announces study on its ID Adapter for polio vaccines - West Pharmaceutical Services shared the results of a study highlighting the benefits of West's ID Adapter for improving the intradermal administration of polio vaccines. The study results were presented at the Fourth Skin Vaccination Summit in May 2017. he two-phase field campaign evaluated the feasibility of using fractional inactivated poliovirus vaccine (fIPV) in remote locations where polio outbreaks have persisted. The study demonstrated that fIPV delivered via West's ID Adapter, used in conjunction with a staked needle syringe by Helm Medical GMBH, offers a safe, effective, dose-sparing option for drug delivery.

08:12 EDT Diplomat Pharmacy filling prescriptions for Verzenio - Diplomat Pharmacy (DPLO), is now filling prescriptions for newly approved VERZENIO, a twice-daily oral therapy for advanced breast cancer. VERZENIO is indicated as a combination treatment with FASLODEX in women with hormone receptor-positive, human epidermal growth factor receptor 2-negative advanced or metastatic breast cancer with disease progression following endocrine therapy. VERZENIO is also approved as a monotherapy for the treatment of adult patients with HR-positive, HER2-negative advanced or metastatic breast cancer with disease progression following endocrine therapy and prior chemotherapy in the metastatic setting. VERZENIO is manufactured by Eli Lilly and Company (LLY).

08:10 EDT DigitalGlobe selects Raytheon as satellite imaging payload provider - Raytheon (RTN) was recently selected by DigitalGlobe (DGI) as the next-generation WorldView Legion satellite imaging constellation payload provider. Under the contract, Raytheon will deliver the telescopes, detectors and combined electronics to Space Systems Loral, the WorldView Legion space vehicle integrator. Raytheon's new payload doubles DigitalGlobe's capacity to capture multispectral and 30 cm imagery, while tripling to quadrupling the company's capacity to image high-demand areas. Once the WorldView Legion constellation is on orbit, DigitalGlobe's combined constellation will be able to image the most rapidly changing areas on Earth every 20 to 30 minutes, from sunup to sundown. WorldView Legion will begin launching in 2020.

08:06 EDT Henry Schein sees Merritt Veterinary acquisition neutral to 2017 earnings - Henry Schein announced the completion of its acquisition of Merritt Veterinary Supplies, an independent, family-owned supplier of animal health products. Merritt had 2016 sales of approximately $115M. Henry Schein expects the acquisition to be neutral to its 2017 earnings per share and to be accretive thereafter. With the transaction closed, Merritt joins Henry Schein Animal Health, the U.S. animal health business of Henry Schein. Financial terms of the transaction were not disclosed.

08:05 EDT Seattle Genetics and Astellas announce dosing first patient in EV-201 - Astellas Pharma and Seattle Genetics announced dosing of the first patient in EV-201, a registrational phase 2 clinical trial of enfortumab vedotin for patients with locally advanced or metastatic urothelial cancer who have been previously treated with checkpoint inhibitor, or CPI, therapy. The EV-201 study will assess the antitumor activity and safety of enfortumab vedotin to support potential registration under the FDA accelerated approval regulations. The companies also plan to initiate a combination trial of enfortumab vedotin with CPI therapy in late 2017.

08:04 EDT Seattle Genetics, Astellas Pharma initiatve enfortumab vedotin trial - Seattle Genetics (SGEN) and Astellas Pharma (ALPMY) announced dosing of the first patient in EV-201, a registrational phase 2 clinical trial of enfortumab vedotin for patients with locally advanced or metastatic urothelial cancer who have been previously treated with checkpoint inhibitor therapy. The EV-201 study will assess the antitumor activity and safety of enfortumab vedotin to support potential registration under the U.S. Food and Drug Administration's accelerated approval regulations. The primary endpoint of the single-arm, open-label trial is confirmed objective response rate, per independent review. Secondary endpoints include assessments of overall survival, progression free-survival, safety and tolerability. The study will enroll approximately 120 patients at multiple centers globally, and enfortumab vedotin will be administered three of every four weeks for the duration of treatment. The companies also plan to initiate a combination trial of enfortumab vedotin with CPI therapy in late 2017.

08:03 EDT Ovid Therapeutics receives Orphan Drug Designation from FDA for OV101 - Ovid Therapeutics announced that the FDA has granted orphan drug designation for OV101 for the treatment of Fragile X syndrome. OV101, a delta (d)-selective GABAA receptor agonist, is believed to be the first investigational drug to target the disruption of tonic inhibition, a key mechanism that allows a healthy human brain to decipher excitatory and inhibitory neurological signals correctly without being overloaded. OV101 has already received orphan drug designation for the treatment of Angelman syndrome.

08:03 EDT Allergan says FDA accepts NDA for ulipristal acetate - Allergan announced that the U.S. FDA has accepted the New Drug Application for ulipristal acetate, an investigational drug for the treatment of abnormal uterine bleeding in women with uterine fibroids. Allergan expects the ulipristal acetate Prescription Drug User Fee Act action date to occur in the first half of 2018.

08:01 EDT MasterCard reports departure of President of Global Products & Solutions - Mastercard announced that Gary Flood, President of Global Products and Solutions, will depart the company at the end of 2017. Flood joined Mastercard in 1986 in the sales organization, was an architect of the product, services and digital solutions offerings and has championed the transformation to a technology-focused company. Effective January 1, 2018, the following individuals will report directly to CEO Ajay Banga: Ajay Bhalla, Chief Enterprise Security Solutions Officer; Garry Lyons, Chief Innovation Officer; Michael Miebach, Chief Product Officer; Raja Rajamannar, Chief Marketing and Communications Officer and Kevin Stanton, Chief Services Officer.

07:47 EDT Jacobs Engineering awarded framework agreement for Dounreay Site Restoration - Jacobs Engineering Group has been awarded a four-year framework agreement from Dounreay Site Restoration to provide mechanical, electrical, control and instrumentation services for one of the most complex nuclear decommissioning projects in Europe. Located west of Thurso in Caithness County, Scotland, the Dounreay site is a hub of nuclear decommissioning innovation with extensive remediation activities underway to return the site to as near its original condition as possible.

07:35 EDT Depomed provides product supply information following Hurricane Maria - Depomed provided information on the impact of Hurricane Maria to the supply of NUCYNTA ER, which is manufactured in Puerto Rico by the company's third party manufacturing partner. The most recent assessment that the company has received from the manufacturer of NUCYNTA ER indicates that the facility in Puerto Rico suffered minor damage and that site leaders are working to return the facility to full operation. As a result of the ongoing disruption to manufacturing operations in Puerto Rico arising from Hurricane Maria, the company's Q3 product revenue was negatively impacted by approximately $2M to $3M. Furthermore, as a result of the temporary delays in the packaging and delivery of certain dosage strengths of NUCYNTA ER at the facility in Puerto Rico and based on the information available to it at this time, the company currently expects its fourth quarter product revenue may be negatively impacted by less than $10M. The company will provide an update to its full year 2017 financial guidance and on the NUCYNTA ER supply situation during its Q3 conference call in early November. The company does not currently anticipate, based on the information available to it at this time, any material disruption to the supply of NUCYNTA IR, which recently transitioned to a new third party manufacturer, or Gralise, which is manufactured in Puerto Rico and of which the company has adequate inventory.

07:33 EDT Wal-Mart sees FY19 consolidated net sales growing at or above 3% - For FY19, Wal-Mart says: Consolidated net sales are expected to grow at or above 3 percent, driven by comp-sales and eCommerce growth, assuming currency exchange rates remain at current levels; Anticipates sales growth at Walmart U.S. eCommerce to be about 40 percent; Expects to add 1,000 online grocery locations in Walmart U.S.; Expects to leverage expenses; Expects its effective tax rate to be approximately 32.5%. The company expects capital expenditures to be approximately $11B for fiscal years 2018 and 2019. Walmart U.S. will continue to prioritize store remodels and digital experiences over new stores. eCommerce investments include enhanced supply chain capabilities. In addition to new stores, Walmart International will invest more in fulfillment capabilities. The company expects global unit growth of approximately 280, including new, expanded and relocated units, for each of the fiscal years 2018 and 2019. Walmart U.S. expects to open fewer than 15 Supercenters and fewer than 10 Neighborhood Markets in fiscal year 2019. Walmart International expects to open approximately 255 new stores with a focus in key markets such as Mexico and China. Walmart President and CEO Doug McMillon says, "We have good momentum in the business, we're executing our strategy and moving with speed to win with the customer, who is more connected than ever and embracing tools that will save them both time and money. We're combining the accessibility of our stores with eCommerce to provide new and exciting ways for customers to shop. I'm proud of the team we have in place, the work we have underway and how we are positioned for success in the future." McMillon will discuss accomplishments over the past year at Walmart U.S., including traffic and comp sales improvements, strong eCommerce growth and expanded online assortment, two-day free shipping with no membership fee and over 1,000 online grocery pickup locations. He will also highlight innovations around the world such as one-hour delivery from stores in China, commitments to sustainability, service to communities, especially in times of disaster, and investments in associates that are empowering them to drive results and better serve customers.

07:32 EDT KalVista announces collaboration agreement with Merck for KVD001 - KalVista Pharmaceuticals (KALV) announced that it has entered into a collaboration agreement with Merck (MRK) through a subsidiary, for KVD001, the company's investigational intravitreal injection candidate currently in development for potential treatment of diabetic macular edema, as well as future oral DME compounds based upon plasma kallikrein inhibition. Under the terms of the agreement, KalVista has granted to Merck certain rights including an option to acquire KVD001 through a period following completion of the Phase 2 proof-of-concept trial that KalVista intends to commence later this year. KalVista also has granted to Merck a similar option to acquire investigational orally delivered molecules for DME that KalVista will continue to develop as part of its ongoing research and development activities. As consideration for the agreement, Merck will pay to KalVista a $37 million non-refundable upfront fee. KalVista is further eligible to receive payments associated with the exercise of the options by Merck and the achievement of milestones for each program that potentially total up to $715 million. KalVista also will receive tiered royalties on net sales for therapeutic candidates commercialized under this agreement. KalVista will fund and retain control over the planned Phase 2 clinical trial of KVD001 as well as development of the investigational oral DME compounds through Phase 2, unless Merck exercises its options earlier. In addition to the collaboration, KalVista has entered into a separate $9.1M private placement transaction with Merck under which Merck has acquired 1,070,589 shares of KalVista, representing a 9.9% ownership stake, at a price of $8.50 per share. This private placement closed concurrent with execution of the Option Agreement.

07:31 EDT Wal-Mart sees FY19 EPS up approx. 5% vs. FY18 adjusted EPS - Consensus is $4.62.

07:30 EDT Wal-Mart announces new $20B share repurchase program - The company announces a new $20B share repurchase program to replace its existing authorization and expects to utilize the new authorization over an approximate two-year period.

07:27 EDT Veon appoints Jacky Simmonds as Chief People Officer - VEON announces the appointment of Jacky Simmonds as Group Chief People Officer effective from 1 January 2018. Jacky will become a member of VEON's senior executive management team and will report directly to the CEO, Jean-Yves Charlier. Jacky has experience across a number of sectors including travel, tourism and aviation in over 25 years working as an HR Executive, bringing particular expertise in leading significant transformations of organisations to become more digitally enabled businesses. Jacky regularly features in the annual list of the top ten Most Influential HR Practitioners in the U.K. She will be responsible for managing and leveraging the talent and experience across VEON's operating markets as well as developing a strategy to build a world-class HR function across the group. Prior to joining VEON, Jacky was Group People Director at easyJet plc where she focused on organisational change, updating the ways of working, employee engagement and talent development. She played a crucial role in helping it shape itself for further growth and scale in Europe. Before joining easyJet plc, Jacky was Group HR Director at TUI Group for over five years

07:12 EDT Honeywell sees LT organic growth of 3%-5%, 30-50bps margin expansion per year - Sees Q3 segment margin about 18.7%, up about 120bps. Sees Q3 free cash flow about $1.2B, up about 18% YTD. Says Q3 "very strong." "What will stay the same" for Honeywell includes "thoughtful & disciplined" M&A, margin expansion, cross-company synergies. "What to expect going forward" includes focused portfolio with fewer end markets, reduced size allows for "rapid" organic growth at Honeywell and spins. Sees target growth rate for Aerospace of 3%-4%, 25%+ long-term margin target; Sees target growth rate for Building Technologies of 3%, with 20%+ long-term margin target; sees Performance Materials And Technologies target growth rate about 4%, 26%-27% long-term margin rate; sees Safety And Productivity Solutions target growth rate about 5%, 18%-20% long-term margin target. Sees spinoffs completed by end of 2018. Long-term Honeywell targets include 3%-5% organic growth, 30-50bps margin expansion per year, 100% free cash flow conversion, Moody's A2 rating. Uses of cash for 2018 without tax reform include foreign M&A of about $10B, U.S. M&A, share repurchases, debt repayment of $5B, $2B dividend; with tax reform, sees $15B of M&A, share repurchases, debt repayment and $2B dividend with tax reform. Comments from slides that will be presented on Honeywell's planned portfolio changes conference call.

07:03 EDT Antares Pharma announces sale of Zomajet needle-free system to Ferring - Antares Pharma announced that it has entered into a definitive asset purchase agreement to sell the worldwide rights, including certain fixed assets, for the Zomajet needle-free auto injector device to Ferring Pharmaceuticals for up to $14.5M. The purchase price will be paid in four instalments consisting of a $2M upfront payment, a second instalment of $2.75M payable upon satisfaction of certain conditions, a third instalment of $4.75M payable upon satisfaction of customary closing conditions and the remaining payment of $5M upon the completion of the transaction. To date, Antares has been the worldwide supplier of Zomajet devices to its partners Ferring and JCR Pharmaceutical company Ltd. and will continue to manufacture and supply the devices until the completion date pursuant to existing supply arrangements. During the completion period, Antares will continue to receive payment for Zomajet devices manufactured and supplied to its partners and a royalty on net product sales in accordance with the existing license and supply agreements. The transaction is subject to certain customary closing conditions and expected to be completed by the end of 2018.

07:03 EDT Wells Fargo: More than 5,000 ATMs launch NFC-enabled mobile wallet capability - Wells Fargo & Company said that debit card customers have another way to use the company's ATMs without their card -- "tap and pay" near-field communication functionality that is launching at more than 5,000 ATMs across the country. The feature is activated using a mobile phone's mobile wallet feature. Today, more than 40% of Wells Fargo ATMs have functioning NFC capability, with the goal of upgrading the rest of the company's more than 13,000 ATMs with the hardware by 2019.

07:01 EDT Garmin selected as official supplier for Volvo Ocean Race - Garmin International announced that it has been selected as an official supplier for the Volvo Ocean Race 2017-2018. As an official supplier, Garmin's flagship waterproof action cameras, the VIRB 360 and VIRB Ultra 30, will be used by all seven teams competing in the 45,000-mile race around the world "to capture high-quality video that can be easily edited and shared with race fans around the globe." The Volvo Ocean Race spans four oceans, touches six continents and stops in 12 landmark cities. It begins Oct. 22, 2017 in Alicante, Spain and ends in late June 2018 in The Hague, Netherlands.

07:01 EDT Aradigm regains compliance with Nasdaq listing requirements - Aradigm announced that it received notice from The NASDAQ Capital Market indicating that the company has regained compliance for continued listing on The NASDAQ Capital Market as the company's market value of listed securities has been $35M or greater for the last 10 consecutive business days from September 22 through October 5, 2017. Accordingly, Aradigm is in compliance with the applicable listing standards, its common stock will continue to be listed on The NASDAQ Capital Market and NASDAQ considers the matter closed.

06:55 EDT MVC Capital approves 11% increase in quarterly dividend to 15c starting in Q4 - Board has approved an 11% increase in the Company's quarterly dividend. Beginning this month with the Q4 dividend, MVC will increase its quarterly dividend to 15c per share from 13.5 per share. The increased dividend is payable on October 31 to shareholders of record on October 24.

06:47 EDT Eli Lilly reports topline results from Phase 3 JUNIPER study - Eli Lilly announced that its Phase 3 JUNIPER study evaluating Verzenio, a cyclin-dependent kinase, or CDK,4 and CDK6 inhibitor, as monotherapy in KRAS-mutated, advanced non-small lung cancer, or NSCLC, did not meet its primary endpoint of overall survival, or OS. However, an analysis of the secondary study endpoints of both progression-free survival, or PFS, and overall response rate, or ORR, showed evidence of monotherapy activity in the abemaciclib arm. In addition, the control arm showed a higher overall survival rate than expected based on historical data in this setting. Lilly will submit the data for presentation at a medical meeting in 2018. "While the outcome is unfortunate for patients with KRAS-mutated, advanced lung cancer, we remain encouraged by the antitumor activity observed with abemaciclib in this form of lung cancer where few clinical advances have been achieved," said Levi Garraway, M.D., Ph.D., senior vice president, global development and medical affairs, Lilly Oncology.

06:39 EDT Honeywell Smart Energy unit to be integrated into Process Solutions unit - Honeywell's Smart Energy business unit, previously part of HBT, will immediately be integrated into the Process Solutions unit within Honeywell Performance Materials and Technologies. Honeywell Smart Energy enables utilities and distribution companies to deploy advanced capabilities that transform operations, improve reliability and environmental sustainability, and better serve customers. Its wide array of meter offerings will complement an existing meter portfolio within Process Solutions. Honeywell's Process Solutions unit is a pioneer in process automation control and industrial cyber-security, and a global leader in optimizing and protecting manufacturing assets in the refining, pulp and paper, industrial power generation, chemicals and petrochemicals, biofuels, pharmaceuticals, and metals, minerals and mining industries.

06:34 EDT CMA to examine how Sky, 21st Century Fox deal would impact media plurality - The CMA has set out more detail about what it intends to examine in its investigation into the proposed takeover of Sky Plc (SKYAY) by 21st Century Fox (FOX, FOXA). On September 20, Karen Bradley, the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport referred Fox's proposed takeover of Sky to the Competition and Markets Authority on public interest grounds. The CMA will now examine how the deal would impact media plurality and broadcasting standards in the UK. The issues statement sets out the proposed approach to assessing the impact of the merger. Anyone wanting to provide submissions is invited to do so based on the areas and questions outlined in the issues statement. The CMA is required to report to the Secretary of State with its recommendations within 6 months of opening the investigation.

06:32 EDT Honeywell announces planned portfolio changes - Honeywell announced the results of its comprehensive portfolio review, including its intention to separately spin off its Homes product portfolio and ADI global distribution business, as well as its Transportation Systems business, into two stand-alone, publicly-traded companies. The planned separation transactions are intended to be tax-free spins to Honeywell shareowners for U.S. federal income tax purposes and are expected to be completed by the end of 2018. "Today's announcement marks the culmination of a rigorous portfolio review involving a detailed assessment of every Honeywell business. As part of that review, we analyzed numerous criteria, including growth outlook, financial performance, market dynamics, potential for disruption, and, most importantly, assessment of fit as a Honeywell business," said Honeywell President and CEO Darius Adamczyk. "The remaining Honeywell portfolio will consist of high-growth businesses in six attractive industrial end markets, each aligned to global mega trends including energy efficiency, infrastructure investment, urbanization and safety. These businesses are best positioned to leverage Honeywell synergies from our technologies, financial and business models, and talent. Our simplified portfolio will offer multiple platforms for organic growth and margin expansion through further deployment of our world-class HOS Gold operating system and the Honeywell Sentience Platform. Honeywell will also have multiple levers for continuing to execute an aggressive capital deployment strategy, including a vigorous and disciplined M&A program. "The spun businesses will be better positioned to maximize shareowner value through focused strategic decision making and capital allocation tailored for their end markets," Adamczyk said. "At Honeywell, we will continue our track record of execution, delivering growth, margin expansion, and aggressive capital allocation for our shareowners." The new Homes and Global Distribution business will be a leader in the home heating, ventilation and air conditioning, or HVAC, controls and security markets, and a leading global distributor of security and fire protection products. The business is expected to have annualized revenue of approximately $4.5B, a high-yield credit rating, approximately 13,000 employees, and financial responsibility for certain Honeywell legacy liabilities. The new Transportation Systems business will be a global leader in turbocharger technologies with best-in-class engineering capabilities for a broad range of engine types across global automobile, truck and other vehicle markets. The business is expected to have annualized revenue of approximately $3B, a high-yield credit rating, approximately 6,500 employees and financial responsibility for Honeywell legacy automotive segment liabilities in an amount equal to our Bendix legacy asbestos liability. The planned separations will not require a shareowner vote. Each spin-off will be subject to finalization of the contours of the spun-off business, assurance that the separation will be tax-free to Honeywell shareowners for U.S. federal income tax purposes, finalization of the capital structure of the three corporations, the effectiveness of appropriate filings with the SEC, final approval of the Honeywell board, and other customary matters.

06:32 EDT AnaptysBio reports 'positive' results from Phase 2a clinical trial of ANB020 - AnaptysBio announced positive proof-of-concept data for ANB020, its investigational anti-IL-33 therapeutic antibody, in an ongoing Phase 2a clinical trial in adult patients with moderate-to-severe atopic dermatitis. After a single dose of ANB020, 75% of patients achieved an Eczema Area Severity Index score improvement of 50% relative to enrollment baseline (EASI-50) at day 15, 83% of patients achieved EASI-50 at day 29 and 75% of patients achieved EASI-50 at day 57. All 12 patients achieved EASI-50 at one or more timepoints through Day 57 post-ANB020 administration. ANB020 was generally well tolerated in all patients as of this interim analysis. The Phase 2a study is currently ongoing and EASI scores will be assessed for each patient up to 140 days post-ANB020 treatment. The company plans to report full data from this trial at a medical conference following study completion. During the first half of 2018, AnaptysBio plans to initiate a Phase 2b randomized, double-blinded, placebo-controlled study in 200-300 adult patients with moderate-to-severe atopic dermatitis to evaluate multi-dose subcutaneous administration of ANB020, with data expected in 2019. AnaptysBio also continues to advance its ongoing ANB020 Phase 2a studies in adults with severe peanut allergy with topline data expected in the fourth quarter of 2017, and adults with severe eosinophilic asthma with topline data expected in the first half of 2018.

06:25 EDT Seattle Genetics, Genmab to initiate new study of tisotumab vedotin - Genmab A/S and Seattle Genetics announced a decision to start a Phase II study of tisotumab vedotin in patients with recurrent and/or metastatic cervical cancer. The study could provide the basis for a regulatory application for approval. Tisotumab vedotin consists of a tissue factor, or TF,-targeted antibody linked to the cell-killing agent monomethyl auristatin E, or MMAE. TF is a protein expressed on a broad range of solid tumors. The Phase II trial is single arm and includes about 100 patients with recurrent or metastatic cervical cancer who relapsed or progressed after standard of care treatment. The companies plan to start enrolling patients by the first half of 2018.

06:13 EDT BAE Systems to cut nearly 2,000 jobs in organizational shuffle - From January 1, BAE Systems will implement organizational changes across the Group, other than at its US-managed business, BAE Systems, Inc. "These changes will drive competitiveness; accelerate technology innovation; and deliver continued improvements in efficiency and operational excellence. The current Platforms & Services UK and P&S International management structures will be removed with the organization streamlined and strengthened Air and Maritime sectors created. In addition, a new role of Chief Technology Officer is being created to enable more effective prioritization, investment and exploitation of technology. To ensure production continuity at competitive costs over the medium term and based on the profile of currently contracted and expected aircraft deliveries, actions continue to be taken to reduce the Group's current Typhoon and Hawk production rates. As a result, the Group has today announced a proposal to reduce the workforce of the Military Air & Information business by up to 1,400 roles. Additionally, and to enhance our competitive position we have announced a proposed work force reduction in our Maritime Services business of around 375 roles. Further, the Applied Intelligence business is planning a refocused and more efficient operating model and have announced a proposed workforce reduction of up to 150 roles. The resultant charges associated with these actions are included in the re-confirmed 2017 earnings guidance."

06:08 EDT Nvidia unveils Pegasus AI computer designed to drive fully autonomous robotaxis - NVIDIA unveiled the world's first artificial intelligence computer designed to drive fully autonomous robotaxis. The new system, codenamed Pegasus, extends the NVIDIA DRIVE PX AI computing platform to handle Level 5 driverless vehicles. NVIDIA DRIVE PX Pegasus delivers over 320 trillion operations per second -- more than 10x the performance of its predecessor, NVIDIA DRIVE PX 2. NVIDIA DRIVE PX Pegasus will help make possible a new class of vehicles that can operate without a driver -- fully autonomous vehicles without steering wheels, pedals or mirrors, and interiors that feel like a living room or office. They will arrive on demand to safely whisk passengers to their destinations, bringing mobility to everyone, including the elderly and disabled. Of the 225 partners developing on the NVIDIA DRIVE PX platform, more than 25 are developing fully autonomous robotaxis using NVIDIA CUDA GPUs.

06:02 EDT Global Net Lease CFO Nicholas Radesca to resign, Chris Masterson to succeed - Global Net Lease announced that its Board of Directors has unanimously approved the appointment of Christopher Masterson as GNL's CFO, secretary and treasurer, effective on or about November 15. Masterson joined AR Global Investments in February 2013, and has held several senior accounting positions, most recently as GNL's chief accounting officer. Masterson will replace the CFO, Nicholas Radesca. Radesca notified the Board on October 6 that he intends to retire from his role with GNL as a public company executive to pursue other interests. Radesca did not resign pursuant to any disagreement with GNL or its advisor. In addition, Radesca is expected to enter into an agreement with the Company's advisor to provide certain consulting services to the Company's advisor through June 30, 2018.

05:51 EDT KBR awarded U.S. Army LOGCAP IV task order modifications totaling $116M - KBR announced that its global Government Service business, KBRwyle, was awarded two task order modifications totaling $116M to provide logistics support services to the U.S. Army in Europe and the Arabian Peninsula. The Army Contracting Command awarded these task order modifications under the Logistics Civil Augmentation Program, or LOGCAP, IV contract. Most recently, KBRwyle received a $70M task order modification to continue assisting the Department of Defense in meeting the U.S. European Command's requirements. The company's services will include forward planning, maintenance support, base operating support services, and assisting the U.S. Army in transporting arms, ammunition and explosives. This is the second option year on the task order, which was originally awarded in August 2014. KBRwyle also received a $46M task order modification to continue providing logistics support to the U.S. military in Kuwait and the United Arab Emirates. The company will provide facilities management, laundry services, waste management, maintenance support, fire protection, airfield management, and transportation operations. This is the second option year on the task order, which was originally awarded in April 2015. The company has provided a broad range of base life support and logistics to U.S. and allied forces through multiple LOGCAP contracts for more than twenty years. During LOGCAP III, KBRwyle conducted the largest government services contract in United States history in support of military operations in Iraq, Afghanistan, and eight supporting country locations.

05:31 EDT Almost Family sees hurricanes hurting Q3 by $3.0M-$3.5M - Almost Family yesterday morning updated investors on the Hurricanes Irma and Harvey which impacted Q3 business primarily in the states of Florida, Georgia and Texas. These three states provided nearly one-fourth of our revenues in the first half of 2017, the company noted. Almost Family said, "Due to the large breadth and scope Hurricane Irma, all of the Company's 66 Florida operating locations, including 2 in Key West, experienced a substantial period of disruption...The Company currently expects these extraordinary weather events and the related disruptions to management focus, on top of seasonal business lows, to reduce income before income taxes and earnings before interest, income and franchise taxes, depreciation and amortization, amortization of stock-based compensation, deal, transition and other between $3.0 million and $3.5 million in the third quarter of 2017. Additionally, due to the proximity of these events to the end of the third quarter, it is possible that they will have some residual effect on fourth quarter results." The company also noted that at the start of 2017, ir began implementing the HomeCare HomeBase software system in the 110 of its home health branches not already on that system. As of yesterday, 93 branches have completed their transition and all active patients served by those branches are now fully in the HCHB system. The company currently expects to report its share of the Medicare Shared Savings Program success fees under Program Accountable Care Organizations contracts for the 2016 performance year in its Q4 at between $2.0M-$2.4M. The stock closed yesterday down 6% to $47.75.

05:27 EDT Akcea Therapeutics volanesorsen granted PIM Designation by MHRA - Akcea Therapeutics United Kingdom announced that volanesorsen has been granted a Promising Innovative Medicine, or PIM, Designation by the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency, or MHRA, for the treatment of familial chylomicronaemia syndrome, or FCS, a rare genetic lipid disorder. Akcea Therapeutics UK, the UK subsidiary of Akcea Therapeutics (AKCA), an affiliate of Ionis Pharmaceuticals (IONS), is focused on developing and commercializing drugs to treat patients with serious cardiometabolic lipid disorders.

05:10 EDT Canadian Pacific announces new partnership with Genesee & Wyoming - Canadian Pacific (CP) announced a new partnership with Genesee & Wyoming (GWR) and Bluegrass Farms of Ohio that will open up the Ohio Valley to CP customers and further extend CP's reach into key North American markets. CP has an exclusive agreement with Bluegrass Farms of Ohio to use its 90-acre intermodal facility in Jeffersonville, Ohio located strategically on the I-71 corridor with the ability to serve the Columbus, Cincinnati and Dayton markets. The farm consortium will continue to own the facility, and will operate it on behalf of CP. CP has also come to an agreement with G&W, which services the site through its Indiana & Ohio line.