Stockwinners Market Radar for October 17, 2017 - Earnings, Upgrades downgrades, option trades, Best Stock Advisory Service

18:58 EDT Cloudera, Hitachi form strategic partnership - Cloudera (CLDR) announced a strategic partnership with Hitachi Ltd. (HTHIY) to offer customers advanced services, support and training to strengthen adoption of Cloudera Enterprise, the leading machine learning and analytics platform. Hitachi officially introduced "Hitachi OSS Support Service for Cloudera Enterprise" to provide an additional level of support and assistance to customers for their big data operations. In addition, through the use of Cloudera Enterprise in Hitachi's IoT Platform 'Lumada', both companies will collaborate and contribute to the creation of digital solutions to address challenges across a wide range of industries. As part of the partnership, Cloudera and Hitachi will also build a team of technical consultants to enable sales, service, training and implementation of Cloudera Enterprise. Cloudera will provide further support in joint training, capability building and solution development to fast-track creation of specific industry proof-of-concept projects.

18:07 EDT Energy XXI provides operational update on Hurricane Nate impact - Energy XXI provided an update on operations. Due to Hurricane Nate, the company and third-party operators evacuated crews on October 5. The storm resulted in essentially all production being shut in for nearly five days. The company sustained no significant damage to its operated offshore facilities. The company estimates about 3,000 net barrels of oil equivalent daily production remains curtailed due to the storm. EGC also said approximately 5,000 Boe of daily production is currently shut-in due to pipeline repairs and maintenance unassociated with the hurricane. The impact to Q4 production is estimated to be 3K-4K net Boe per day from the combination of the storm and pipeline repairs and maintenance. The Bureau of Safety and Environmental Enforcement must also deem the facilities that were in the path of the storm operational before production can resume. EGC is awaiting additional information regarding full restoration of production from third-party operated fields.

17:45 EDT Hilton Grand Vacations acquires Sunrise Lodge, terms not disclosed - Hilton Grand Vacations announces it has acquired Sunrise Lodge, a Hilton Grand Vacations Club. Sunrise Lodge is located at the base of the Sunrise lift in the Canyons area of Park City Mountain Resort - the largest ski resort in the U.S. The property, which is comprised of spacious one-, two-, three, and four-bedroom suites, is situated minutes from restaurants, shopping, and Utah Olympic Park. The transaction is anticipated to be funded by existing cash on HGV's balance sheet and expected to be accretive to HGV's total adjusted EBITDA and EPS.

17:35 EDT Xenith Bankshares merger into Union Bankshares receives regulatory approval - Union Bankshares (UBSH) and Xenith Bankshares (XBKS) received regulatory approval from the Federal Reserve Bank of Richmond and from the Virginia State Corporation Commission to move forward with the proposed merger of Xenith into Union. The proposed merger remains subject to approval by shareholders of Union and Xenith.

17:33 EDT Select Comfort says sees Q4 advertising spend flat y/y

17:32 EDT IBM sees increase in gross margin of 2.5 points from Q3 to Q4 - Says not yet feeling full benefit from contracts signed in H1. Sees stronger sequential revenue performance from 3Q17 to 4Q17 than from 3Q16 to 4Q16. Sees increase in gross margin of 2.5 points from Q3 to Q4. Says views on tax remain unchanged.

17:20 EDT Select Comfort expects to deliver 70-90 bps improvement in FY17 gross margin

17:14 EDT IBM saw 'strong' Watson growth in Q3 - Says absorbed $100M expense in certain commercial disputes. Says analytics growth "broad-based." Says had "strong" growth in Watson in Q3.

17:12 EDT Select Comfort says expects to grow store base by 3%-4% in 2017

17:07 EDT IBM says Cloud revenue now more than 20% of total revenue - Says had "strong" growth in Systems revenue in Q3. Says Services revenue performance in Q3 was "very similar" to that in Q2. Says Cloud revenue now more than 20% of total revenue. Comments taken from Q3 earnings conference call.

17:03 EDT Orbital ATK awarded $18.2M U.S. Navy contract modification - Orbital ATK Inc., Defense Electronic Systems, Northridge, California, is being awarded an $18,201,544 modification to a previously awarded firm-fixed-price contract to exercise an option for the conversion of full-rate production of Lot 6 AGM-88B High Speed Anti-Radiation Missiles into 25 AGM-88E Advanced Anti-Radiation Guided Missile All-Up-Rounds, to include related supplies and services necessary for their manufacture, sparing, and fleet deployment in support of the government of Italy.

16:55 EDT SiteOne Landscape acquires Harmony Gardens, terms not disclosed - SiteOne(R) Landscape Supply announced the acquisition of Harmony Gardens. Harmony Gardens has two locations in Colorado serving the greater Denver and Fort Collins markets. Harmony Gardens is a leader in the distribution of nursery and related products to landscape professionals in these markets and this acquisition further expands SiteOne's footprint and nursery offering within the state.

16:52 EDT Two Harbors reports on Granite Point Mortgage dividend and reverse stock split - Two Harbors (TWO) provided additional information regarding its anticipated special dividend of common stock of Granite Point Mortgage (GPMT) and the one-for-two reverse stock split of the shares of Two Harbors common stock. The company intends to distribute the shares of Granite Point common stock it acquired in connection with the contribution of its commercial real estate portfolio to Granite Point. The Stock Dividend will be distributed on November 1, on a pro rata basis, to Two Harbors common stockholders of record at the close of business on October 20. The Reverse Stock Split is also expected to take place on November 1, 2017, following the Stock Dividend. The company anticipates that from October 19 up to and including the Dividend Date, there will be two markets in Two Harbors common stock: (1) a "regular way" market (TWO); and (2) an "ex-distribution" market (TWO WI) that will represent the value of Two Harbors common stock following the Stock Dividend and Reverse Stock Split.

16:37 EDT CSRA to acquire Praxis Engineering for $235M in cash - CSRA announced that it has signed a definitive agreement to acquire Praxis Engineering Technologies Inc for $235 million in cash. Headquartered in Annapolis Junction, Md., Praxis is a consulting and solutions firm dedicated to the practical application of software and systems engineering technologies. Praxis fuses world-class talent with engineering best practices, domain expertise, cutting-edge commercial technologies, and proven agile management approaches to create high-value solutions aimed at helping customers meet mission-critical needs. The acquisition is expected to be completed during CSRA's third quarter.

16:32 EDT Moody's invests in CompStak - Moody's has made a strategic investment in CompStak, a provider of commercial real estate lease information. CompStak and Moody's Analytics will partner to reach additional markets and to develop new products and technologies for CRE finance and risk professionals. Moody's Analytics will gain access to CompStak's crowd-sourced data set. The investment was funded through U.S. cash and will not have a material impact on Moody's 2017 financial results.

16:31 EDT Lincoln Electric raises quarterly dividend to 39c from 35c - The declared quarterly cash dividend is payable January 12, 2018 to shareholders of record as of December 29, 2017. This marks the twenty-second consecutive annual increase of the dividend.

16:21 EDT Hi-Crush Partners resumes dividend with 15c payout, announces $100M buyback - Hi-Crush Partners announced today that the board of its general partner has declared a quarterly cash distribution of 15c per unit on all common units, or 60c on an annualized basis, for the third quarter of 2017. The distribution will be paid on November 14, 2017 to all common unitholders of record on October 31, 2017. Separately, the board also approved a unit buyback program of up to $100 million. "The stabilization of market conditions, combined with strong demand for frac sand and logistics services has benefited our business," said Laura Fulton, CFO of Hi-Crush. "With this in mind, our management, along with the board, determined that the timing was appropriate to resume capital return to unitholders and to do so in two distinct ways."

16:20 EDT Continental Resources sells 1M barrels of Bakken oil for export to China - Continental Resources announced its first-ever sale of Bakken oil specifically for delivery overseas. The company has sold 1,005,000 barrels of Bakken crude oil for November delivery to Atlantic Trading and Marketing, which intends to export the oil to China. Daily sales transactions of 33,500 barrels per day in November will take place in Cushing, Oklahoma. ATMI then plans to transport the oil for loading on tankers at Texas ports.

16:14 EDT IBM reports Q3 Cognitive solutions revenue $4.4B, up 3% ex-currency - Reports Q3 Global Business Services revenue $4.1B, down 2%. Reports Q3 Technology Services & Cloud Platforms revenue $8.%B, down 4% ex-currency. Reports Q3 Systems revenue $1.7B, up 10%. Reports Q3 Global Financing revenue $427M, up 3% ex-currency.

16:11 EDT Northern Trust CEO Frederick Waddell to step down - Northern Trust announced that Frederick Waddell, chairman and CEO, will be stepping down from his role as CEO on January 1, 2018. Michael O'Grady will assume the role of CEO on January 1 in addition to his current position as president. Waddell, who has served as CEO since January 2008, will remain as chairman of the board, a position he has held since November 2009.

16:08 EDT Healthcare Services increases dividend to 19c per share - Healthcare Services declared a quarterly cash dividend of 19c per common share, payable on December 22 to shareholders of record at the close of business on November 17.

16:07 EDT Chefs' Warehouse announces resignation of CFO John Austin - The Chefs' Warehouse announced that John Austin, Chief Financial Officer, is leaving the company to pursue other interests. Mr. Austin will continue to serve as Chief Financial Officer through the company's filing of its Form 10-Q, which is anticipated to be on November 8, 2017. In addition, the company announced that it will promote James "Jim" Leddy, the company's Executive Vice President of Finance, to replace Mr. Austin as Chief Financial Officer. Mr. Leddy previously served as interim Chief Financial Officer at JetBlue Airways from November 2016 to February 2017 and served as Senior Vice President and Treasurer from 2012 to November 2016. Prior to joining JetBlue, Mr. Leddy served as Senior Vice President, Treasury and Cash Management at NBCUniversal from 2008 until 2012, and as a Senior Technical Advisor at General Electric from 2003 until 2008.

16:06 EDT Synopsys acquires Sidense Corporation, terms not disclosed - Synopsys announced that it has acquired Sidense Corporation, a leading provider of one-time programmable non-volatile memor for automotive, mobile, industrial and Internet of Things applications. The acquisition complements Synopsys' existing DesignWare Multi-Time Programmable NVM IP solution with OTP NVM IP in 16-bit to 1.28-Mbit configurations. With this acquisition, Synopsys gains access to proven, market-leading OTP NVM IP in process technologies from 180- to 16-nm along with a team of highly experienced R&D engineers. The terms of the deal, which is not material to Synopsys financials, have not been disclosed.

16:03 EDT Madison Square Garden and MSG Networks renew and expand Delta partnership - Madison Square Garden (MSG) and MSG Networks (MSGN) announced a renewed and expanded 10-year marketing partnership with Delta Air Lines (DAL) as one of MSG's Signature Partners. Delta will remain the Official Airline and Private Jet Carrier of Madison Square Garden, The Theater at Madison Square Garden, Radio City Music Hall, Beacon Theatre, New York Knicks, New York Rangers, New York Liberty, the Concert Series at Madison Square Garden, the Christmas Spectacular Starring the Radio City Rockettes and the Boston Calling Music Festival. Delta is also expanding its partnership with MSG Networks, as the new title owner of the Delta MSG Studios, to be unveiled this season. Delta will continue to be the entitlement partner of the Delta Sky360 Club at Madison Square Garden.

16:03 EDT STRATA Skin Sciences announces agreement with MedResults Network - STRATA Skin Sciences announced signing an Agreement with MedResults Network. MRN is a Group Purchasing Organization that has more than 3,000 members including Dermatology Offices, Plastic Surgery Practices, Facial Plastic Practices, MediSpas and other providers. MRN researches product categories and selects advantaged products and then negotiates pricing for its membership. MRN focuses on the aesthetic market and has agreements with more than 50 vendors with only one vendor per product category. The relationship between MRN and STRATA, which offers special pricing to MRN members, is being fully launched to the membership this week.

15:50 EDT Social Reality reports plans for BIGtoken initial coin offering - Social Reality shared its plans for BIGtoken and an ICO at its analyst day meeting. Shares of micro-cap Social Reality are up $1.33, or 46%, to $4.20 in late afternoon trading. Reference Link

15:22 EDT Divisar Capital reports 6.51% passive stake in Tilly's

14:27 EDT Delta expands MSG, MSG Networks partnership - Delta (DAL) has renewed and expanded a 10-year marketing partnership with the Madison Square Garden Company (MSG) and MSG Networks (MSGN), solidifying New York's largest carrier as one of MSG's signature partners. Delta will remain the official airline and private jet carrier of Madison Square Garden, the Theater at Madison Square Garden, Radio City Music Hall, Beacon Theatre, the New York Knicks, the New York Rangers, the New York Liberty, the Concert Series at Madison Square Garden, Radio City Music Hall, the Christmas Spectacular Starring the Radio City Rockettes and the Boston Calling Music Festival. As part of the renewed partnership, MSG and Delta will work together on a digital content platform with pieces customized around the Knicks, Rangers, Christmas Spectacular and the Concert Series at Madison Square Garden to amplify key activations and extend the partnership's reach beyond events at MSG venues. This will include short-form video features and longer-form content series that will run across various MSG and Delta-owned marketing and media channels.

14:11 EDT Old Republic says Q3 to include operating charges of $150M - Old Republic International announced that it will include pretax operating charges aggregating $150M, or $97.5M after tax and 33c per diluted share, in its consolidated financial statements for the three and nine months ended September 30. These charges stem from: Estimated General Insurance claim provisions associated with a current evaluation of exposures from hurricanes Harvey and Irma, and additional claim and related expense provisions applicable to the final settlements and probable dispositions of all known litigated and other claim costs incurred by the company's run-off Financial Indemnity business during the "Great Recession years and their aftermath."

14:00 EDT Deere wins trademark lawsuit against FIMCO - U.S. District Court in Kentucky has ruled in favor of Deere & Company in a lawsuit that was filed to protect use of the trademark green and yellow color combination on John Deere agricultural equipment. Following a one-week bench trial that took place in June, the U.S. District Court in Paducah, Kentucky has now found in favor of Deere. The court decision permanently bans the use of the John Deere colors by FIMCO, Inc., a South Dakota company that manufactures and markets agricultural sprayers under the "Ag Spray Equipment" brand name. Deere said the lawsuit is part of an ongoing and vigorous effort to protect the company's trademarks and intellectual property.

13:32 EDT Humana expands Medicare Advantage offerings in New Hampshire - Humana has expanded the health plan choices for Medicare beneficiaries in six New Hampshire counties with multiple new Humana Medicare Advantage plan offerings during the 2018 Medicare Advantage and Prescription Drug Plan Annual Enrollment Period, or AEP. During the AEP, which runs from Oct. 15 through Dec. 7, 2017, Medicare beneficiaries in Belkamp, Carroll, Hillsborough, Merrimack, Rockingham and Strafford counties can enroll in one of several new Humana PPO Medicare plans with coverage taking effect Jan. 1, 2018.

12:51 EDT NY Governor says GM applying to test autonomous vehicles in state in early 2018 - New York Governor Andrew M. Cuomo announced General Motors and Cruise Automation are applying to begin the first sustained testing of vehicles in fully autonomous mode in New York State in early 2018. Through Governor Cuomo's recent legislation allowing the testing of autonomous technology, GM and Cruise are applying to begin testing in Manhattan, where mapping has begun in a geofenced area. All testing will include an engineer in the driver's seat to monitor and evaluate performance, and a second person in the passenger seat. In support of this work, Cruise is expanding its presence in New York and will begin building a team of employees in New York City. The legislation, included in the FY 2018 budget, allows for the testing of autonomous technology in New York through a pilot program. Cruise's planned testing would be the first time Level 4 autonomous vehicles will be tested in New York State, presenting opportunities for future autonomous vehicle development in the state and cementing New York's role as the hub of autonomous vehicle innovation in the nation. The Department of Motor Vehicles and State Police will work with Cruise and GM to ensure all testing meets relevant safety, vehicle and insurance requirements. Reference Link

12:20 EDT Google refreshes Google Calendar for web - Google said in a post to its blog: "We're taking a lot of what you know and love from Calendar's mobile application, like the modern color palette and sleek design, and bringing it to the web with a responsive layout that auto-adjusts to your screen size. We've also added more features for enterprises to help teams schedule and prepare for meetings.Now, it's even easier to manage your schedule at your desk. In the new Calendar for web, you can: See conference room details when booking a room.Add rich formatting and hyperlinks to your Calendar invites.Manage multiple calendars side by side in "Day" view. " Reference Link

12:14 EDT Brunswick raises quarterly dividend 15% to 19c per share - The board of directors of Brunswick Corporation raised the quarterly dividend on its common stock to 19c per share, an increase of approximately 15%. The dividend will be payable on December 15 to shareholders of record on November 21.

11:48 EDT Boeing rival Airbus steps into CSeries fight with Bombardier - Shares of Boeing (BA) are in focus in morning trading after rival Airbus (EADSY) announced plans to buy a majority stake in Bombardier's (BDRBF) CSeries jet program. Boeing called the agreement, which comes amid a decision by the Commerce Department to hit Bombardier with tariffs that would quadruple the price of the CSeries aircraft, a "questionable deal between two heavily state-subsized competitors." AIRBUS, BOMBARDIER DEAL: Airbus has agreed to buy a majority stake in Bombardier's CSeries program. Under the terms of the agreement, Airbus will buy 50.1% of the C Series Aircraft Limited Partnership, which manufactures and sells the CSeries, and will provide procurement, sales, marketing and customer support. Bombardier and Investissement Quebec will own approximately 31% and 19%, respectively, of CSALP at closing. Airbus will also be entitled to name the chairman of CSALP and will propose four directors, while Bombardier and IQ will each propose one director to the seven director board. The transaction, which is currently expected to close in the second half of 2018, is subject to regulatory approvals and other conditions usual in this type of transaction. Airbus plans to add a final assembly line in Canada and additional C Series production at Airbus' manufacturing site in Mobile, Alabama, it said. Airbus said that this "strengthening of the program and global cooperation will have positive effects on Quebec and Canadian aerospace operations. Airbus is strongly committed to Canada and its aerospace sector with Canadian suppliers extending their access to Airbus' global supply chain. This new C Series partnership is set to secure jobs in Canada for many years to come." Blasting the deal, Boeing said it "represents unfair competition," adding that this "looks like a questionable deal between two heavily state-subsidized competitors to skirt the recent findings of the U.S. government." DISPUTE BACKGROUND: The CSeries jets have not secured a new order in 18 months and face a potential 300% duty on U.S. imports. The tariff followed a complaint from Boeing that the company had dumped its C-Series jets at "absurdly low" prices. In April Boeing complained to U.S. authorities that aid received by Bombardier from the Canadian and U.K. governments amounted to illegal subsidies, allowing it to sell its C-Series jets to Delta Air Lines (DAL) for below cost price. Delta has placed a $5.6B order for up to 125 of the CSeries jets, and delivery is set to begin in 2018. Delta said last week that it has ordered 75 of the CSeries jets and said it "will not pay those tariffs," adding that it may need to delay some of the deliveries. Bombardier CEO Allan Bellemare said its deal with Airbus can resolve its trade dispute with Boeing, The Globe and Mail reported this morning. WHAT ANALYSTS ARE SAYING: Credit Suisse analyst Robert Springarn views the Airbus-Bombardier deal as a net positive for both companies and said it offers a solution to the trade dispute with Boeing. Wells Fargo analyst Sam Pearlstein agreed that the Airbus-Bombardier deal is a "creative" solution to the trade case, but noted that it is modestly negative for Boeing because establishing a U.S. based final assembly for the C Series could protect the airplane from U.S. tariffs and it provides a less than 150 seat airplane to Airbus that could pressure the 737-MAX7. PRICE ACTION: Boeing is down 0.6% to $258.29 in morning trading. Meanwhile, Bombardier shares trading in New York are up nearly 20% and Airbus shares in New York are up about 5%.

10:50 EDT IDEX Corp. says agriculture has been strong - Agriculture has been a great sector, seeing strength in OEMs and distributors.

10:43 EDT IDEX Corp. says will employ discipline in capital deployment due to valuations - IDEX Corp. says will employ discipline in capital deployment as it sees valuations high. Will focus on organic growth.

10:33 EDT Survey highlights department store, apparel retailers' Amazon risk - This morning, Morgan Stanley analyst Kimberly Greenberger told investors that her firm's latest apparel survey lends support to her belief that Amazon (AMZN) is quickly gaining traction at the expense of department stores and certain specialty retailers. This comes amid reports that Amazon has tapped some of the biggest athletic-apparel suppliers to make a foray into private-label sportswear. SURVEY SAYS: In a research note to investors this morning, Morgan Stanley's Greenberger pointed out that her firm's third annual AlphaWise apparel survey supports her thesis that Amazon is quickly gaining traction at the expense of department stores and select retailers. 69% of consumers surveyed bought apparel on Amazon.com over the last six months versus 59% last year, suggesting share gains could accelerate from here, she contended. Further, the analyst noted that Amazon leads the pack again with 61% net promoter score, more than twice Target's (TGT) 28% in second place and almost nine times the average score of the other 28 retailers included in the survey. Additionally, Amazon, Zara, and Wal-Mart (WMT) received the highest net purchase intentions over the next 12 months, but off-pricers such as Ross (ROST), Marshalls and TJ Maxx (TJX) took three of the top 10 spots, Greenberger pointed out, adding that Urban Outfitters' (URBN) Anthropologie, Abercrombie & Fitch (ANF) and Gap's (GPS) Banana Republic registered net purchase intention declines. The analyst also told investors that the survey showed that department stores continue to look particularly at risk to the "Amazon Threat," with Nordstrom (JWN) and Macy's (M) showing above average risk with elevated Amazon shopper overlap. APPAREL PUSH: Over the weekend, Bloomberg reported that Amazon had tapped some of the biggest athletic-apparel suppliers, enlisting vendors used by Gap and lululemon (LULU), to make a foray into private-label sportswear. Commenting on the news, KeyBanc analyst Edward Yruma told investors that Amazon making progress in developing an athletic line with key vendors is not a surprise given recent key hires and its strategic focus on apparel. However, the analyst noted that athletic apparel has some of the strongest brands, a significant focus on innovation, and pervasive low-cost alternatives. As such, while he is reticent to ever underestimate Amazon, Yruma argued that this is one category that it may have difficulty truly disrupting. Meanwhile, his peer at Cowen said that conversations with supply chain contacts indicate Amazon will be aggressive with pricing in the activewear market and is sourcing from similar fabric suppliers as Nike (NKE), lululemon and Under Armour (UAA). Additionally, analyst John Kernan noted that contacts also suggest Amazon may develop intimates, baby and basics, which is a risk to Hanesbrands (HBI) and Carter's (CRI). PRICE ACTION: In morning trading, Amazon is up about 0.5% to trade near $1,010 per share.

10:10 EDT Goldman Sachs says execs 'well aware' of late stage of credit cycle

09:59 EDT Goldman Sachs CFO: Clients saying tax reform would be good - Says clients are saying tax reform would be good, but it's not stopping firm from making strategic deals right now.

09:49 EDT Goldman Sachs CFO says 'tremendous energy' internally for $5B revenue plan

09:44 EDT Hawaiian Holdings rises after Island Air files for bankruptcy - Shares of airline operator Hawaiian Holdings (HA) are higher in early trading after Island Air, the state's second-largest airline, filed for a Chapter 11 reorganization bankruptcy. During the reorganization, Island Air expects to fly its normally scheduled routes and honor all previously purchased tickets, according to the Honolulu Star-Advertiser. Hawaiian Holdings shares are up 3.7% to $40.40 in morning trading. Reference Link

09:30 EDT Harley-Davidson says sees FY17 gross margin down y/y - Sees FY17 tax rate approximately 33.4%. Sees FY17 SG&A down y/y.

09:18 EDT Harley-Davidson says expects year end 2017 inventory down vs. 2016

09:16 EDT TSYS appoints Realogy CEO, AT&T Business CEO to board - TSYS (TSS) announced the election of two new members to its Board of Directors -- Thaddeus Arroyo, CEO of AT&T Business (T) and Richard A. Smith, Chairman, CEO and President of Realogy Holdings (RLGY). The appointments bring the number of TSYS directors to 12. Arroyo was appointed to the technology committee of TSYS' Board of Directors and Smith was appointed to the compensation committee of TSYS' Board of Directors.

09:14 EDT Harley-Davidson says no longer expects international growth in 2H17 - Says remains committed to long term international growth strategy.

09:11 EDT UnitedHealth sees FY18 adj. EPS in-line with consensus - Consensus $10.85. Expects to continue strong growth for long time. Says focusing on diversifying business. Expects strong business momentum to continue through 2018, 2019, and on. Says OptumRx has positioned itself as market leader. Expects Optum FY17 revenues up 20% vs. last year. Expects strong growth momentum for Optum through 2018. Says operating costs remain in the range of expectations. Says will engage with policymakers on federal executive order and expects any impact to be "incredibly small". Say headwinds to 2018 center on government programs, funding trends and taxes. Comments taken from Q3 earnings conference call.

09:09 EDT GE Aviation and Teradata partner for airline analytics solutions - GE (GE) Aviation and Teradata (TDC) announced a strategic partnership focused on providing business outcomes driven by analytics for airlines. Through the partnership, GE and Teradata will jointly provide products and services to specified commercial aviation markets. This strategic relationship includes joint marketing, sales, services and support across both companies.

09:06 EDT Harley-Davidson says Q3 international performance down - Sees tremendous interest in 2018 models. Comments from Q3 earnings conference call.

09:06 EDT MiMedx warns of fake emails - MiMedx Group warned that certain individuals or entities not associated with the Company are establishing fake email accounts to impersonate executives at the Company. The Company is aware of at least one instance in which emails were sent by someone using the CEO's name and a Gmail account that had not, in fact, been set up by that Company executive. The emails were sent to an analyst who reports on the Company. The Company warns that any emails purporting to be from Company executives from non-MiMedx email accounts should be viewed skeptically. The Company encourages anyone who has received a suspicious email to notify the Company. This type of impersonation is quite unusual, and it is a crime. The Company has turned the investigation over to the authorities. Parker H. "Pete" Petit, Chairman and CEO, commented, "We believe this activity is related to the recent short seller attacks on the Company. This particular group of short sellers continues to resort to ridiculous and unscrupulous means to attempt to do damage to MiMedx. Of course, their ultimate goal is to depress the price of our stock. However, by impersonating me in emails to our analysts, with comments that create insecurity relative to our Company's performance or my ethics and integrity, is reprehensible and unlawful. We have also seen other indications of unlawful activity. The Company will continue to quietly go about its investigation of all these issues in a professional manner, and if and when we find violations of laws or regulations, they will be turned over to the proper authorities." Petit continued, "Within reason, we will continue to update our website with facts that refute some of the allegations. However, as we stated, the allegations are becoming quite bizarre and are not relevant to any MiMedx related business processes or relationships. Reasonable professionals trying to make points that regulators will review will present credible information from credible sources. That has not happened in our case."

09:04 EDT Black Knight, Homebot announce strategic alliance - Black Knight announced a strategic alliance with Homebot, a fast-growing, privately held fintech company located in Denver, Colorado. The two companies are offering Homebot's cutting-edge client engagement tool to the real estate industry.

09:02 EDT Roku expands further into Latin America, to launch two players in region - Roku, Inc. announced it is making its streaming platform available to consumers and content publishers in Argentina, Central America, Chile, Colombia and Peru. The company unveiled two players that will come to market in the coming weeks, " the Roku Express+ which is great for HD streaming, and the Roku Streaming Stick+ capable of streaming HD, 4K and 4K HDR at up to 60 fps. Content publishers who want to use the internet to deliver video to consumers can develop streaming channels for the Roku Channel Store in Latin America."

09:01 EDT Roku launches Roku Express in Canada - Roku, Inc. announced that it is launching the new Roku Express in Canada, "which is five times more powerful than its predecessor. The Roku Express is tiny. It comes with everything in the box to start streaming, including a simple-to-use remote control and HDMI cable, and is priced at just $39.99 MSRP."

08:57 EDT Johnson & Johnson says not assuming any tax reform in FY17 guidance

08:51 EDT Praxair signs long-term agreement to supply nitrogen to GLOBALFOUNDRIES - Praxair has signed a long-term agreement to supply gaseous nitrogen to GLOBALFOUNDRIES in Malta, New York. Praxair will build, own and operate a state-of-the-art plant to support GLOBALFOUNDRIES' advanced manufacturing processes at its Malta fabrication facility. GLOBALFOUNDRIES is a leading semiconductor foundry that provides design, development and fabrication services to technology companies, manufacturing chips for many of the top semiconductor companies in the world

08:49 EDT Johnson & Johnson says discontinued talacotuzumab after P3 data study data

08:46 EDT Johnson & Johnson says still studying sirukumab in depressive disorder

08:44 EDT Trump says Marino withdrew name from drug czar consideration - President Donald Trump just tweeted, "Rep.Tom Marino has informed me that he is withdrawing his name from consideration as drug czar. Tom is a fine man and a great Congressman!"

08:41 EDT Cellectar Biosciences receives additional Japanese patent for CLR 131, CLR 125 - Cellectar Biosciences announces the Japanese Patent Office has granted it a patent covering both composition of matter and method of use for CLR 131 and CLR 125, two of the company's phospholipid drug conjugates, or PDCs. Both compounds are composed of radio isotopes conjugated to the company's proprietary PDC delivery platform. CLR 131 is the company's lead compound and is currently in a Phase 1 trial for multiple myeloma and a Phase 2 trial for multiple blood cancers. CLR 125 was part of a National Cancer Institute-sponsored study showing potential effect against triple-negative breast cancer. The recently issued patent, JP 2014-147869 provides intellectual property protection for both diagnostic and therapeutic applications. Most significantly, the patent includes five claims for CLR 131 and CLR 125 in treating multiple solid tumor cancer types, including brain, colorectal, intestinal, ovarian, cervical, pancreatic, lung, adrenal, retinoblastoma and skin cancers, as well as squamous cell cancers. Cellectar Biosciences holds the exclusive, worldwide rights to develop and commercialize both CLR 131 and CLR 125.

08:36 EDT Morgan Stanley says to hit targets absent material changes to macro conditions - CFO says will evaluate tactical acquisitions across investment management platform. Says will hit FY financial targets absent any material changes to macro conditions.

08:36 EDT Johnson & Johnson says 'very pleased' with strong Q3 results - Says sales performance was most pronounced in pharmaceutical segment. Comments from Q3 earnings conference call.

08:35 EDT Coupa Software acquires substantially all assets of Deep Relevance - Coupa Software announced that it has acquired substantially all of the assets of Deep Relevance. Based in the San Francisco Bay Area, Deep Relevance uses Artificial Intelligence-based behavior and relationship analytics to help identify individual employee and collusive fraud or other suspicious transactions. The acquisition will help Coupa utilize AI technology to create a fraud profile based on analyzing customer and aggregated community data for expenses, purchase orders, and invoices. This profile score and related spend transactions can then be used to alert a company's internal auditors or finance personnel for further review and action.

08:34 EDT Grainger reports Q3 daily sales up 3% - Grainger reports Q3 daily sales up 3% vs. prior year, with volume up 8%, price down 4% and the U.S specialty divestiture accounting for a loss of 1%. Previewing its November analyst meeting, Grainger said it expects to discuss additional data on volume response, give more detail on its cost takeout plans, provide an update on actions in Canada and update on its digital strategy. Data and comments from earnings presentation slides.

08:32 EDT Riot Blockchain to acquire majority interest in TESS - Riot Blockchain announced it has entered into a definitive purchase agreement to acquire a 52% ownership interest in Tess. TESS, based in Toronto, Ontario, has a team of seven engaged in developing a blockchain-based payment service for wholesale telecom carriers. The purchase reflects Riot Blockchain's efforts to own or control companies who are contributing to the development of the blockchain ecosystem. The transaction is anticipated to close on or before October 19.

08:32 EDT Viveve announces regulatory approval for Viveve System in Mexico - Viveve Medical announced that it has received approval from the Mexican Regulatory Authority, COFEPRIS, to market the Viveve System in Mexico for treatment of the vaginal introitus, after vaginal childbirth, to improve sexual function.

08:30 EDT Morgan Stanley CFO says 'on track' with FY NII guidance - Chairman and CEO James Gorman says Q3 was impacted by "typical" summer slowdown. Says results reflected stability in Wealth Management, Investment Banking and Investment Management businesses, but noted that the Sales and Trading business faced a "subdued" environment. Says Fixed Income exceeded $1B quarterly revenue goal. Says incremental revenue to boost profit margins. Gorman says the bank will continue to explore takeovers in investment management. Commenting on potential financial regulation changes, Gorman says "while the degree of these changes will become clear only over time, they should not go unnoted." CFO Jonathan Pruzan noted a continuation of Q2 market conditions in Q3, with "muted" activity and volatility across several markets, and cited current market environment "impacting management's decision to act." Pruzan noted that Q3 was the sixth straight quarter of meeting targets in FICC. Says "on track" for FY NII growth in line with previously provided guidance. Comments taken from the Q3 earnings conference call. Morgan Stanley is up 1.4% in premarket trading.

08:21 EDT Cintas raises annual dividend 21.8% to $1.62 per share - Cintas Corporation announced that the company's Board of Directors approved a $1.62 per share annual dividend at its meeting today, representing a 21.8% increase over last year's annual dividend of $1.33 per share. This is the 34th consecutive year that the annual dividend has increased, which is every year since Cintas went public in 1983. This dividend is payable on December 8 to shareholders of record as of November 10.

08:15 EDT Siris Capital affiliates to aquire Intralinks from Synchronoss for $1B - Siris Capital Group announced that investment funds affiliated with Siris have entered into a definitive agreement to acquire 100% of the common stock of Intralinks Holdings, a wholly owned subsidiary of Synchronoss Technologies. Investment funds affiliated with Siris have also entered into a definitive agreement to make an investment in convertible preferred equity of Synchronoss. Under the terms of the agreements, investment funds affiliated with Siris will acquire all of the stock of Intralinks for approximately $1B in consideration and Intralinks will become an independent, privately owned portfolio company of investment funds affiliated with Siris. Under the terms of the agreements, investment funds affiliated with Siris will make an investment in convertible preferred equity of Synchronoss in an amount of $185M. Siris' investment would initially be convertible into approximately 19.8% of Synchronoss's common stock and would involve certain approval and governance rights, including with respect to the composition of the board as well as certain consent rights relating to the company. The investment in Synchronoss is subject to specified closing conditions, including the closing of the sale of Intralinks, the expiration or termination of the applicable waiting period under the Hart-Scott-Rodino Antitrust Improvements Act and other foreign antitrust regulatory approvals, as well as certain other regulatory conditions. The investment is expected to be consummated in the first quarter of 2018. Equity financing will be provided by investment funds affiliated with Siris and certain co-investors. Committed debt financing for the Intralinks transaction will be provided by RBC Capital Markets, Golub Capital, and Macquarie Capital. Evercore, Macquarie Capital, Moelis & Company LLC, and RBC Capital Markets are acting as financial advisors to Siris. Wachtell, Lipton, Rosen & Katz is acting as corporate counsel to Siris and Greenberg Traurig, LLP is acting as financing counsel to Siris in connection with the transactions.Goldman Sachs & Co. and PJT Partners are acting as financial advisors and Gunderson Dettmer Stough Villeneuve Franklin & Hachigian, LLP is acting as legal advisor to Synchronoss in connection with the transactions.

08:10 EDT Teva submits BLA to FDA for Fremanezumab - Teva Pharmaceutical Industries announced the submission of a Biologics License Application to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration for fremanezumab, an anti-calcitonin gene-related peptide monoclonal antibody for the preventive treatment of migraine. The BLA includes data from the HALO clinical trial program, which enrolled more than 2,000 patients with episodic migraine and chronic migraine, evaluating both monthly and quarterly dose regimens of fremanezumab. Results from these trials were recently presented at the Congress of the International Headache Society in September and will be published in future peer-reviewed publications. The most common adverse events reported in clinical trials include injection site induration, erythema, and pruritis. The Phase III HALO EM and CM studies were 16-week, multicenter, randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled, parallel-group studies to compare the safety, tolerability, and efficacy of four dose regimens of subcutaneous fremanezumab compared to placebo in adults with episodic and chronic migraine. The studies consisted of a screening visit, a 28-day run-in period, and a 12-week treatment period, including a final evaluation at week 12. In the EM study, 875 patients were enrolled. Patients were randomized in a 1:1:1 ratio to receive subcutaneous injections of fremanezumab at 225 mg for three months, fremanezumab at 675 mg at initiation followed by placebo for two months, or three monthly doses of matching placebo. The primary efficacy endpoint of the EM study was the mean change from baseline in the monthly average number of migraine days during the 12-week period after the first dose of fremanezumab. In the CM study, 1,130 patients were randomized. Patients were randomized in a 1:1:1 ratio to receive subcutaneous injections of fremanezumab at 675 mg at initiation followed by monthly 225 mg for two months, fremanezumab at 675 mg at initiation followed by placebo for two months, or three monthly doses of matching placebo. The primary efficacy endpoint of the CM study was the mean change from baseline in the monthly average number of headache days of at least moderate severity during the 12-week period after the first dose of fremanezumab.

08:09 EDT SuperCom awarded new electronic monitoring services contract in CA - SuperCom announced that its subsidiary, Leaders in Community Alternatives, or LCA, has won a contract to provide electronic monitoring services to a new county probation department in Northern California, further expanding its presence in the state. The county has approved the contract, and the program has begun generating recurring revenues. Under the terms of the agreement, LCA will provide services to those referred by probation or the courts, including RF home detention, GPS tracking and monitoring as well as alcohol monitoring. These services will be provided to youth and adults. SuperCom's PureSecurity Electronic Monitoring Suite will be deployed in connection with the services.

08:07 EDT Grainger CEO says U.S. business had 'strong volume' - "Our U.S. business had strong volume in the quarter driven by our strategic pricing initiatives and an improving demand environment. We saw a solid response from digital marketing activities that began in mid-August, particularly from our mid-sized customers. We continued to streamline our portfolio with the divestiture of a noncore U.S. specialty business, which affected sales in the quarter," said Chairman and CEO DG Macpherson. "Our single channel online businesses continued their strong sales growth and improved profitability. Our Canadian business continues to be challenged as we execute our turnaround strategy. "Our third quarter performance gives us the confidence to maintain the midpoint of our 2017 earnings per share guidance despite the challenges in our Canadian business and the U.S. specialty business divestiture," Macpherson concluded.

08:06 EDT Verifone, Alipay extend partnership for taxi payments in North America - Verifone (PAY) and Alibaba's (BABA) Alipay announced the extension of their existing global partnership to Verifone Taxi Solutions. Through the agreement, Chinese consumers traveling in New York and Las Vegas will be able to pay for taxis in the U.S. for the first time using their Alipay Mobile Wallet. By the end of October, 2,100 taxis in Las Vegas will accept Alipay upon checkout, and an additional 14,000 taxis in New York City are slated to accept Alipay in November this year. Alipay is China's leading online payment provider and the primary means of online and mobile payment for Chinese consumers. As millions of Chinese travelers continue to visit North America, the partnership makes it easy for Chinese shoppers to use their Alipay Mobile Wallet on Verifone devices. Verifone and Alipay began partnering in 2016 to enable merchants in Europe and North America to accept Alipay in stores driving brand visibility, traffic and sales through its in-app marketing tool. With Verifone's mobile point-of-sale, retailers can accept Alipay anywhere in the store and implement marketing campaigns targeting Chinese consumers who use the Alipay app.

08:05 EDT Synchronoss to sell Intralink for approx. $1B to Siris Capital - Under the terms of the definitive agreements, investment funds affiliated with Siris Capital Group, LLC will acquire all of the stock of the Company's wholly-owned subsidiary, Intralinks Holdings, Inc., for approximately $1 billion in consideration and make an investment in convertible preferred equity of Synchronoss in an amount of $185 million. Siris' investment would initially be convertible into approximately 19.8% of Synchronoss' common stock. The sale of Intralinks is expected to close in mid-November 2017; the sale of the preferred stock is expected to close in the first quarter of 2018. Both transactions are subject to closing conditions.

08:04 EDT Synchronoss to focus on communications, media business, divest noncore assets - Synchronoss Technologies announced that its Board of Directors has concluded its review of strategic alternatives and determined that the best approach for the Company to achieve its goal of maximizing shareholder value is to focus on its core Communications & Media business, divest non-core assets and improve the Company's balance sheet strength, cash position and potential profitability. Synchronoss' core Comms & Media business, consisting of both predictable, mature segments and long-term growth opportunities, is an industry leader with longstanding relationships with leading communications and media companies around the world. The Company posted a presentation regarding this announcement that can be found on the Investor Relations section of the Synchronoss website. Under the terms of the definitive agreements, investment funds affiliated with Siris Capital Group, LLC will acquire all of the stock of the Company's wholly-owned subsidiary, Intralinks Holdings, Inc., for approximately $1 billion in consideration and make an investment in convertible preferred equity of Synchronoss in an amount of $185 million. Siris' investment would initially be convertible into approximately 19.8% of Synchronoss' common stock. The sale of Intralinks is expected to close in mid-November 2017; the sale of the preferred stock is expected to close in the first quarter of 2018. Both transactions are subject to closing conditions.

08:03 EDT Splunk acquires SignalSense, terms not disclosed - Splunk announced it has acquired SignalSense, a privately held technology company offering cloud-based advanced data collection and breach detection solutions that leverage machine learning. The acquisition was funded with cash from Splunk's balance sheet for an undisclosed amount. Seattle-based SignalSense will join Splunk's Products organization in its growing Seattle office. Splunk will leverage expertise from the SignalSense team to further advance its machine learning capabilities and its market-leading machine data platform.

08:01 EDT John Wiley and Sons names Brian Napack as president and CEO - John Wiley and Sons announced that Brian A. Napack has been named its new President and CEO, effective December 4. Napack succeeds Matthew Kissner, who has served as interim CEO since May of 2017. Kissner, a 14-year veteran of Wiley's Board of Directors, will remain as Chairman. Napack comes to Wiley from Providence Equity Partners, a global private equity firm with more than $50B under management, where he has been a Senior Advisor focused on investments in education and media.

07:57 EDT Project Frog, Autodesk collaborate to develop cloud-based platform - Project Frog announced an alliance with Autodesk to develop a transformational cloud-based platform to standardize and simplify data flow between the architecture studio, the factory and the jobsite. The agreement, which will strengthen the industrialized construction movement, is made possible through an investment from the Autodesk Forge Fund. The funding from Autodesk will accelerate the efforts of both companies to create a connected ecosystem linking architectural design to industrial fabrication. The Autodesk and Project Frog collaboration will create a common data environment to streamline design and engineering processes, and optimize architectural design for manufacturing. The end-to-end system will ensure every project stakeholder has access to the most recent data, eliminating the need for manual updates, and reducing the typical churn associated with coordinating across professional disciplines. This design-to-fabrication ecosystem will leverage Autodesk's industry-leading cloud platform and Building Information Modeling leadership to integrate disparate workflows - enabling architects and structural engineers to mechanical, electrical, plumbing professionals, fabricators and contractors - to quickly and collaboratively develop and document projects.

07:48 EDT Diffusion Pharmaceuticals receives final FDA protocol guidance for Phase 3 trial - Diffusion Pharmaceuticals announced that it has received final protocol guidance from the FDA for a Phase 3 clinical trial with the company's lead compound trans sodium crocetinate, or TSC, in patients newly diagnosed with inoperable glioblastoma multiforme, or GBM, a type of brain cancer. The company has responded to all outstanding points raised by the FDA and plans to begin the trial under the protocol agreed to by the FDA by the end of 2017. The trial will compare survival at two years of patients receiving TSC concurrent with chemotherapy and radiation, with patients receiving SOC alone.

07:41 EDT Goldman Sachs CEO: Overall performance this year has been 'solid' - "Our overall performance this year has been solid and provides a good foundation on which to execute and deliver our growth initiatives," said Lloyd C. Blankfein, Chairman and CEO.

07:39 EDT Goldman Sachs reports Q3 FICC revenue $1.45B, down 26% y/y

07:38 EDT Invitae presents data on custom diagnosis technique at ASHG meeting - Invitae is presenting data purporting to show that genetic sequencing and copy number variant detection performed together using expert-curated panels offers better diagnosis rates over sequencing alone in patients with neuromuscular disorders and childhood epilepsy. The studies are among the company's 15 posters and presentations at the 2017 American Society of Human Genetics Annual Meeting in Orlando. The epilepsy study evaluated 2,267 patients and showed panel testing provided a molecular diagnosis in up to 24% of patients overall and had treatment implications for 21% of patients with positive results. In another platform presentation at the meeting, the company is presenting an analysis of the frequency of actionable variants in hereditary cancer genes found in more than 3,000 patients referred for testing for hereditary cardiovascular disorders. The researchers found that 6% of patients had pathogenic or likely pathogenic variants in hereditary cancer genes with commonly accepted clinical management guidelines, a prevalence rate higher than seen in previously published studies.

07:38 EDT Goldman Sachs reports Q3 Investment Banking revenues $1.8B - Net revenues in Investment Banking were $1.80 billion for the third quarter of 2017, 17% higher than the third quarter of 2016 and 4% higher than the second quarter of 2017. Net revenues in Financial Advisory were $911 million, 38% higher than the third quarter of 2016.

07:35 EDT TearLab to pursue initial FDA clearance of test card measuring MMP-9 - TearLab provided an update on the regulatory strategy for its TearLab Discovery System, the company's next-generation in-vitro diagnostics testing platform. Based on a reassessment of its regulatory and reimbursement considerations, the Company has elected to pursue initial FDA clearance of a test card measuring a single inflammatory biomarker, MMP-9, in combination with our FDA cleared osmolarity test. Both the osmolarity and MMP-9 biomarkers have existing quantitative reimbursement codes in the U.S., which the Company believes will provide immediate and favorable reimbursement upon commercial launch.

07:34 EDT Impax, Amneal Pharmaceuticals to merge in all-stock transaction - Amneal Pharmaceuticals and Impax announced that they have entered into a definitive business combination in an all-stock transaction. As a result of the transaction, Amneal Holdings members will own approximately 75% and Impax shareholders will own approximately 25% of the new company's pro forma shares on an as converted basis. The combined company, to be named Amneal Pharmaceuticals, Inc., will have a robust generics business that will rank as the 5th largest in the United States by gross revenue and a growing, high-margin specialty franchise. The combined company is expected to have 2018 pro forma adjusted EBITDA of approximately $700 million to $750 million, which includes expected significant cost savings within the first full year of close. In addition to its broad existing commercial product portfolio, the combined organization will have a diverse and differentiated pipeline with more than 300 products either filed with the FDA or in active stages of development, a foundation for international expansion with select commercial presence in the United Kingdom and Germany, and cost-efficient global manufacturing and development capabilities in all dosage forms. The transaction is expected to enhance the combined organization's competitive position and allow for continued success in an evolving generics market. "This transaction is financially compelling as we expect the combination to be accretive to Impax's standalone adjusted per share earnings in the first 12 months and generate double-digit growth in revenue and adjusted EPS over the three years following the close of the transaction. We expect to achieve annual cost synergies of approximately $200 million within three years," Bisaro continued. "The anticipated strong cash flows from the combined company allow for the repayment of debt and the ability to meaningfully invest in our business." The new company will be led by an experienced team with a proven track record in driving strong organic growth and successfully integrating acquisitions. Amneal's Founders and Co-Chief Executive Officers, Chirag Patel and Chintu Patel, will serve as Co-Chairmen of the combined company's Board of Directors. Paul Bisaro, President and Chief Executive Officer of Impax, will serve as Chief Executive Officer of the combined company, and Bryan Reasons, Senior Vice President, Finance and Chief Financial Officer of Impax, will serve as Chief Financial Officer. This leadership team will be supported by the combined company's nearly 6,500 employees operating from strategically positioned locations around the globe. The combined company is expected to have 2017 pro forma net revenue ranging from $1.75 billion to $1.85 billion and pro forma adjusted EBITDA of approximately $600 million to $650 million in 2017 and $700 million to $750 million in 2018, each including $80 million to $120 million of annualized cost savings within the first full year of close. The significant cash flow generated will enable the new company to pay down debt, while also continuing to invest in R&D and high-growth specialty assets. The transaction agreement has been unanimously approved by the Boards of Directors of Amneal and Impax, and is supported by the management teams of both companies. The transaction is expected to close in the first half of 2018, subject to the satisfaction of customary closing conditions, including receipt of regulatory approvals and Impax shareholder approval. Amneal Pharmaceuticals received the requisite approval from its members for the transaction.

07:31 EDT Impax, Amneal Pharmaceuticals to merge

07:24 EDT Impax trading halted, news pending

07:08 EDT MabVax Therapeutics provides corporate overview - MabVax Therapeutics (MBVX) provided a corporate overview and business outlook for the remainder of 2017. CEO David Hansen commented, "Our focus as we move forward is to continue in two major clinical development areas: (1) to advance the development of our lead program, our radioimmunotherapy product MVT-1075, and (2) to enroll additional patients in our HuMab MVT-5873 study in combination with gemcitabine and nab-paclitaxel in first-line therapy. We remain on track to report interim data for both studies near the end of the year (...)". MabVax initiated patient enrollment for its Phase 1 clinical trial evaluating the company's new human antibody-based radioimmunotherapy product MVT-1075. This Phase 1 first-in human clinical trial evaluates the safety and efficacy of MVT-1075 in up to 22 patients for patients with locally advanced or metastatic adenocarcinoma of the pancreas or other CA19-9 positive malignancies including colon and lung cancers. The primary objective is to determine the maximum tolerated dose and safety profile in late stage patients with recurring disease who have failed prior therapies. MabVax expects to report interim data near year-end. The company is continuing clinical development of MVT-5873 in combination with gemcitabine and nab-paclitaxal as a first line therapy for the treatment of patients newly diagnosed with pancreatic cancer. MabVax is enrolling additional patients with the objective of obtaining additional safety and tumor response data. The company also reported results from the Phase 1a clinical trial of MVT-2163, a PET imaging agent. Standard Uptake Values, a measurement of activity in PET imaging, were considered very significant. MabVax has engaged Greenhill (GHL) to serve as a financial advisor to assist the company in exploring and evaluating strategic options and new opportunities which could include the acquisition of MabVax by another company, the sale or divestiture of specific assets coupled with a reverse merger, merging with another company, or licensing of selected technologies. MabVax has raised $5.2M of new capital over the past three months.

07:06 EDT Social Reality to pursue strategic alternatives for SRAXmd healthcare business - Social Reality announced management has engaged financial advisors to explore strategic alternatives for the SRAXmd business to maximize shareholder value. The range of alternatives that may be considered could include spinning off the business into its own public company, strategic acquisitions or a variety of other possible transactions. SRAXmd works with healthcare and pharmaceutical companies and their agencies to engage healthcare professionals, patients and caregivers through digital and mobile advertising. SRAXmd has a patent-pending platform that allows for an event-triggered response for targeting to HCP facilities, to capture the attention of providers before they decide on a treatment course for patients. Chardan Capital Markets, LLC and Noble Financial Capital Markets are serving as financial advisors in connection with these matters.

07:05 EDT Takeda enters into drug discovery partnership with HemoShear - Takeda and HemoShear Therapeutics, LLC, a privately held biotechnology company, announced a partnership to discover and develop novel therapeutics for liver diseases, including nonalcoholic steatohepatitis. Under the terms of the agreement, HemoShear will receive upfront payments and R&D funding, and Takeda will receive exclusive access to HemoShear's proprietary disease modeling platform to discover and develop best-in-class therapeutics for specific liver diseases. HemoShear is also eligible to receive milestone payments of potentially $470M and royalties. Further financial terms were not disclosed. There is currently no FDA approved therapeutic available for NASH and liver fibrosis. Cowen acted as financial advisor to HemoShear in this transaction.

07:04 EDT Canadian Solar partners with Menora Mivtachim on solar projects in Israel - Canadian Solar announced that a wholly owned subsidiary of the company and a few subsidiaries of Menora Mivtachim Holdings, one of Israel's five largest insurance and finance groups, entered into a joint venture agreement with the aim to invest in the development, financing, construction and ownership of solar power projects in Israel. A total of $60M is expected to be raised from Menora Mivtachim and Canadian Solar, with each party contributing an equal investment amount. The joint venture will finance the solar projects awarded by Israeli Electricity Authority under the solar power tenders and other solar projects to be developed under the partnership.

07:04 EDT Tonix Pharmaceuticals reports outcomes from FDA CMC guidance meeting of Tonmya - Tonix Pharmaceuticals announced the receipt of official minutes from a chemistry, manufacturing and controls, or CMC, guidance meeting with the FDA regarding the CMC data required to support the Tonmya, or TNX-102 SL, New Drug Application, or NDA, and the commercial product. Tonix is in Phase 3 development of Tonmya, an FDA-designated Breakthrough Therapy for the treatment of posttraumatic stress disorder.

07:03 EDT Verastem pays $6M milestone payment to Infinity Pharmaceuticals - Verastem (VSTM) announced payment of a $6M milestone to Infinity Pharmaceuticals (INFI), representing the first milestone under the duvelisib license agreement between Verastem and Infinity. This milestone is based on the achievement of positive top-line results from the Phase 3 DUO study evaluating the efficacy and safety of duvelisib in patients with relapsed or refractory chronic lymphocytic leukemia/small lymphocytic lymphoma. In addition, Verastem drew an additional advance of $7.5M from its existing $25M loan and security agreement, dated March 21 2017, with Hercules Capital. The proceeds will be used to pay the $6M milestone payment to Infinity, for ongoing research and development programs, and for general corporate purposes. Verastem has drawn a total of $10M under the Term Loan Facility, leaving $15M in available additional advances, subject to certain conditions of funding. In September 2017, Verastem reported that the Phase 3 DUO study met its primary endpoint with oral duvelisib monotherapy demonstrating superiority over ofatumumab for progression free survival in patients with CLL/SLL. In this study, duvelisib achieved a statistically significant improvement in median PFS of 13.3 months, compared to 9.9 months for ofatumumab with a hazard ratio of 0.52, representing a 48% reduction in the risk of progression or death. Verastem plans to share these clinical data with the U.S. FDA during Q4 2017 with the goal of filing a New Drug Application with the FDA during the first half of 2018. The duvelisib NDA submission will also be supported by favorable results from the Phase 2 DYNAMO study in indolent non-Hodgkin's lymphoma, which also achieved its primary endpoint with an ORR of 46%.

07:02 EDT Medigus receives first purchase order from Izasa Hospital in Spain for MUSE - Medigus announced that Izasa Hospital, S.L.U., a distributor of medical products in the hospital sector, has provided an initial purchase order, or PO, for the Medigus Ultrasonic Surgical Endostapler, or MUSE system. The PO covers the cost of a MUSE system console and endoscopic device, which will be available for use on patients suffering from gastroesophageal reflux disease.

07:01 EDT Ignyta receives EMA prime designation for entrectinib - Ignyta announced that the European Medicines Agency has granted Priority Medicines designation for entrectinib in the treatment of NTRK fusion-positive, locally advanced or metastatic solid tumours in adult and paediatric patients who have either progressed following prior therapies or who have no acceptable standard therapy. Through the PRIME initiative, Ignyta will have enhanced EMA support, including optimizing the entrectinib development pathway, potentially accelerating assessment of the Marketing Authorisation Application, and engaging in early discussion with EMA and health technology assessments regarding reimbursement pathways. PRIME designation for entrectinib was substantially based on data from the Phase 2 global study, STARTRK-2. Entrectinib is an investigational, orally available, CNS-active tyrosine kinase inhibitor targeting tumors that harbor NTRK1/2/3 or ROS1 gene fusions. Entrectinib was previously granted Breakthrough Therapy Designation by the U.S. FDA for the treatment of NTRK fusion-positive, locally advanced or metastatic solid tumors in adult and pediatric patients who have either progressed following prior therapies or who have no acceptable standard therapies in May 2017.

07:00 EDT Harley-Davidson reports Q3 retail motorcycle sales down 6.9% - Harley-Davidson worldwide retail motorcycle sales were down 6.9% in the third quarter compared to the same period in 2016. Harley-Davidson U.S. retail motorcycle sales were down 8.1% compared to the year-ago quarter, with the overall U.S. industry down 9.2% for the same period. Harley-Davidson's U.S. market share for the quarter was 53.1% in the 601cc-plus segment, up compared to the same quarter in 2016. Harley-Davidson's international retail motorcycle sales decreased 4.6% compared to the third quarter in 2016. "The continued weakness in the U.S. motorcycle industry only heightens our resolve and the intensity we are bringing to the quest to build the next generation of Harley-Davidson riders," said CEO Matt Levatich.

06:59 EDT Morgan Stanley reports record fee-based assets of $1T

06:58 EDT Fluor selected for petrochemical project expansion in the Philippines - Fluor was awarded an engineering, procurement and construction management contract for the utilities, offsites and infrastructure scope of work for JG Summit's petrochemical complex expansion in Batangas City, Philippines. Fluor booked the undisclosed contract value in Q3. In addition to its EPCM scope for utilities, offsites and infrastructure, Fluor is providing program management services for the project. The project will primarily increase JG Summit's ethylene production by 160,000 tons per year and its propylene production by 50,000 tons per year. The project also includes new and expanded downstream units. The project is expected to be completed by the end of 2020.

06:56 EDT Morgan Stanley reports Common Equity Tier 1 ratio approximately 16.9% at Sept 30 - As of September 30, the Firm's Common Equity Tier 1 and Tier 1 risk-based capital ratios under Standardized Approach transitional provisions were approximately 16.9% and 19.2%, respectively. As of September 30, the Firm estimates its pro forma fully phased-in Common Equity Tier 1 risk-based capital ratio under the Standardized Approach and pro forma fully phased-in Supplementary Leverage Ratio to be approximately 16.3% and 6.5%, respectively.

06:51 EDT EU passenger car registrations down 2% in September - In September, passenger car registrations across the European Union fell by 2.0%, totaling 1,427,105 units. "However, it must be noted that September 2016 figures constituted a high basis of comparison. Momentum in some of the EU's five key markets is starting to slow, especially in the United Kingdom and Germany. However, these declines were partially offset by the solid performance of the Italian and Spanish markets," said the European Automobile Manufacturers Association. Publicly traded automakers include Daimler AG (DDAIF), Fiat Chrysler (FCAU), Ford (F), General Motors (GM), Honda (HMC), Nissan (NSANY), Toyota (TM) and Volkswagen (VLKAY).

06:46 EDT Johnson & Johnson will not pursue global approvals of sirukumab - Johnson & Johnson has made a decision not to pursue global approvals of sirukumab for the treatment of moderately to severely active rheumatoid arthritis. In addition, the clinical trial for talacotuzumab, an investigational compound being studied in patients with acute myeloid leukemia, has been discontinued.

06:40 EDT Pearson expects to start to return GBP300M in capital via buyback 'soon' - Pearson says, "The sale of a 22% stake in Penguin Random House to Bertelsmann, announced on July 11th, closed on October 5th. We expect to start to return GBP300M in surplus capital via a share buyback soon."

06:22 EDT AstraZeneca says FDA accepts sBLA for Imfinzi in NSCLC - AstraZeneca and MedImmune, its global biologics research and development arm, announced that the FDA has accepted a supplemental Biologics License Application for Imfinzi for the treatment of patients with locally advanced unresectable non-small cell lung cancer whose disease has not progressed following platinum-based chemoradiation therapy. The FDA has granted Imfinzi Priority Review status. The sBLA submission is based on positive progression-free survival data from the Phase III PACIFIC trial. The trial continues to evaluate overall survival, its other primary endpoint. Detailed results of the PACIFIC trial, including additional safety information, were published online in the New England Journal of Medicine. On September 28, the US NCCN Clinical Practice Guidelines in Oncology were updated to include Imfinzi for the treatment of patients with locally-advanced unresectable NSCLC with no disease progression after two or more cycles of definitive chemoradiation, based on the data from the PACIFIC Phase III trial. This indication is not yet FDA-approved.

06:08 EDT Airbus to acquire majority stake in C Series Aircraft Limited Partnership

06:03 EDT ContraVir Pharmaceuticals collaborates with Li Ka Shing Institute of Virology - ContraVir Pharmaceuticals announced a collaboration with the Li Ka Shing Institute of Virology. LKSIoV brings together clinicians and basic scientists to study the development of viral vaccines and antiviral therapies to reduce fatal outcomes of viral infections through the use of scientific research as well as human epidemiologic and genetic studies. LKSIoV has 37 Principal Investigators and approximately 150 trainees and employees. The LKSIoV was created in 2010. ContraVir has previously presented data demonstrating the synergistic antiviral activity from the combination of its two proprietary HBV drug candidates CRV431 and TXL

06:03 EDT Buy It Mobility Networks, P97 Networks, Phillips 66 strike payments deal - P97 Networks and Buy It Mobility Networks announced they have struck a deal with customer Phillips 66 to provide ACH based payment and consumer engagement services at Phillips 66 (PSX), Conoco (COP) and 76 branded locations. The program will rely on BIM's advanced technology to expand the capabilities of P97 Networks' PetroZone Mobile Commerce Platform and provide Phillips 66, Conoco and 76 branded consumers with a fast, easy and secure way to link their checking account to Phillips 66's mobile payment offering. Phillips 66's mobile branded debit program will now operate via BIM's white-label ACH platform, enabling faster consumer enrollment, increased consumer loyalty and engagement, consumer authentication and risk mitigation to dramatically reduce fraud, and guaranteed transactions that settle the next day to Phillips 66.

05:33 EDT Chi-Med, AstraZeneca say savolitinib shows 'encouraging' clinical activity - Hutchison China MediTech, or Chi-Med, (HCM) and AstraZeneca (AZN) presented preliminary safety and clinical activity data of savolitinib when given in combination with either Tagrisso or Iressa in two Phase Ib/II proof-of-concept trials conducted in patients with epidermal growth factor receptor, or EGFR, mutation-positive, or EGFRm, non-small cell lung cancer, or NSCLC, with MET-amplification who had progressed following first-line treatment with an EGFR inhibitor. In both trials, the addition of savolitinib, an investigational selective inhibitor of mesenchymal epithelial transition factor, or c-MET, receptor tyrosine kinase, to Tagrisso or Iressa demonstrated preliminary anti-tumor activity. The data were shared in two oral presentations at the International Association for the Study of Lung Cancer 18th World Conference on Lung Cancer, or WCLC, in Yokohama, Japan, October 15 to 18. In the Phase Ib/II proof-of-concept TATTON trial in patients with EGFRm advanced NSCLC with MET-amplification confirmed locally or centrally, early data on safety and anti-tumor activity for savolitinib in combination with Tagrisso were presented. In 66 patients treated, the most common all-causality adverse events, or AEs, were nausea, vomiting, fatigue, and decreased appetite, which were consistent with the known safety profiles of savolitinib and Tagrisso. Preliminary data showed partial response according to Response Evaluation Criteria in Solid Tumors 1.1 criteria in 33% of patients previously treated with third-generation T790M-directed EGFR inhibitors, including Tagrisso. In patients who had progressed after prior treatment with a first- or second-generation EGFR inhibitor, 61% of T790M mutation negative patients had a partial response, while 55% of T790M mutation positive patients had a partial response.

05:17 EDT EQT Corporation reiterates benefits of pending acquisition of Rice Energy - EQT Corporation (EQT), today issued the following statement in response to a filing from JANA Partners : The proposed acquisition of Rice Energy (RICE) represents a pivotal strategic opportunity for EQT to have an unmatched asset position in one of the most prolific natural gas basins in the United States. EQT's board and management team remain confident the Rice transaction will deliver significant value and is in the best interests of all EQT shareholders. JANA has suggested that EQT's presentation of the combined Rice-EQT acreage map is misleading, and that the existence of non-contiguous acreage contained within the pro-forma footprint of the combined company implies that stated operational synergies from the transaction are not achievable. This is emphatically not the case. EQT has been operating in the Appalachian Basin for nearly 130 years, has drilled more than 2,500 horizontal wells, and has drilled the longest lateral in the Marcellus at 17,400 feet. It is standard industry practice to manage any non-contiguous acreage requirements through well path adjustments, smaller bolt-on acquisitions, and tactical fill-ins, all of which are part of our current development plan at an estimated cost of up to $200 million annually. In addition, there are often small-scale acreage trades between operators that are used to fill in gaps. Each of these methods are routinely employed by EQT and other Appalachian operators to build their respective development programs. Given the multitude of legacy natural gas leases across Appalachia, it is commonplace for small acreage plots to exist given the historical ownership of land in the region. The combined Rice-EQT acreage profile was evaluated thoroughly and carefully, and based on our development plan, which includes the cost of tactical fill-ins, the Company is confident it will achieve the $2.5B in synergies that it has identified. For JANA to suggest that this acreage acquisition strategy, which is standard for Appalachian operators, is inconsistent with achieving the anticipated benefits of the transaction is highly misleading and inaccurate. In addition, JANA seems to believe shareholders face a binary decision between either approving the proposed Rice transaction - or - taking action to address EQT's sum-of-the-parts discount. In fact, that is simply not the case. Approval of the Rice transaction will actually enhance EQT's ability to unlock value by improving the competitive positioning of each of EQT's key businesses and increasing optionality. As previously announced, immediately upon the closing of the Rice transaction, EQT will establish a committee of the Board of directors to evaluate options for addressing EQT's sum-of-the-parts discount and the Board expects to announce a decision by the end of the first quarter of 2018. The EQT Board unanimously approved the Rice transaction and urges shareholders to use the WHITE proxy card to vote "FOR" all agenda items in advance of the special meeting on November 9.