Stockwinners Market Radar for October 23, 2017 - Earnings, Upgrades downgrades, option trades, Best Stock Advisory Service

19:08 EDT Oi: Court postpones general meeting of creditors - Oi announced that, at the request of the Judicial Administrator and in compliance with the timing set forth in Article 36 of Law No. 11,101/2005, the 7th Corporate Court of the Judicial District of the Capital of Rio de Janeiro, before which the Judicial Reorganization is pending, postponed the General Meeting of Creditors, which was scheduled to be held on November 6, 2017, for the first call, to November 10, 2017. The second call of the AGC remains scheduled to be held on November 27, 2017.

18:07 EDT Lionsgate names Rohit Jain to head new office in Mumbai, India - Lionsgate (LGF.A, LGF.B) has named leading media executive and entrepreneur Rohit Jain, a 20-year veteran of the Indian media industry, to head its new office in Mumbai, India. Jain has served for the past seven years as Deputy CEO of Videocon d2h (VDTH), a media company that he helped grow from a start-up to over $1B in annual revenues through a combination of organic growth and strategic transactions. Jain helped orchestrate Videocon's successful listing on Nasdaq in 2015 followed by the announcement of its merger with Dish (DISH) TV India in 2016. Prior to his tenure at Videocon, Jain worked at Aon, PricewaterhouseCoopers and Deloitte.

18:04 EDT Syngenta and Adama to sell portfolio of crop products to Nufarm for $490M - Syngenta (SYT) announced that Adama Agricultural Solutions (ADAM) and Syngenta AG have entered into binding agreement with Nufarm to sell a portfolio of crop protection products for an agreed transaction value of $490M. The combined portfolio of products being divested includes off-patent crop protection formulations in the herbicides, fungicides, insecticides and other categories in the EEA. No physical assets or personnel will be transferred as part of the transaction. Syngenta will also sell inventory to Nufarm at closing of the transaction, which is expected to occur in the Q1 of calendar year 2018. Rabobank is acting as exclusive financial advisor to Syngenta in connection with this transaction.

17:30 EDT Blue Apron names Lainie Cooney chief HR officer - Blue Apron announced that Lainie Cooney has joined the company as Chief Human Resources Officer. Cooney is a member of Blue Apron's executive leadership team, responsible for driving the company's human resources strategy and reporting to Chief Executive Officer Matt Salzberg. Cooney most recently served as Chief Human Resources Officer at DPI Specialty Foods.

17:28 EDT Conn's sees Q3 SSS down 9% to down 5%, provision for bad debts at $56M-$61M - The company states: "The turnaround underway in credit continues and has provided the company with flexibility to withstand Hurricane Harvey's impact on credit results. In addition, the requirement that all in-house credit customers have property insurance has insulated the company's net exposure to credit losses from Hurricane Harvey, as well as provided protection for customers. Provision for bad debts for the third quarter of fiscal year 2018 is expected to be between $56.0 million and $61.0 million. Conn's believes this captures the estimated losses associated with loans effected by the storm. Same store sales during August and September were affected by approximately 100 lost selling days and reduced traffic associated with Hurricane Harvey. Beginning in mid-September, Conn's started to experience positive sales trends, as sales within Southeast Texas benefited from rebuilding activities. October's month-to-date same store sales in the markets impacted by Hurricane Harvey are up over 15.0%. In addition, same store sales trends in markets outside of Hurricane Harvey have started to improve as the company fully lapped meaningful underwriting refinements made last fiscal year. October month-to-date same store sales in markets outside Southeast Texas are down approximately -7.0%. As a result, the company expects same store sales for the third quarter of fiscal year 2018 to be down -5.0% to -9.0%."

17:25 EDT Armistice Capital reports 4.99% passive stake in Tandem Diabetes

17:17 EDT LKQ Corp to acquire aftermarket business of Dover subsidiary Warn Industries - LKQ Corporation (LKQ) announced that its Specialty Segment, Keystone Automotive Operations, Inc. agreed to acquire the aftermarket business of Warn Industries, Inc. Warn is a wholly owned subsidiary of Dover Corporation (DOV). Terms not disclosed.

17:15 EDT Darsana Capital Partners reports 5.8% passive stake in New York Times

17:05 EDT Kosmos to acquire interest in exploration licenses in Gulf of Guinea for $650M - Kosmos Energy announced that in partnership with Trident Energy it has agreed to acquire an interest in three exploration licenses, as well as Hess Corporation's (HES) interest in the adjacent Ceiba Field and Okume Complex assets offshore Equatorial Guinea on a 50-50 basis. Under the terms of the agreements, The transactions add approximately 13,500 barrels of oil per day of net production with identified opportunities for resource and value upside and includes approximately 45 million barrels of net identified 2P/2C remaining recoverable resource. Assets are expected to generate approximately $120 million of operating cash flow per year at $50 Brent over the next several years, net to Kosmos. The gross acquisition price of $650 million is effective as of January 1, 2017. Kosmos is expected to pay net cash consideration of approximately $240 million at close, subject to post-closing adjustments. The company plans to fund the acquisition using cash on hand and availability from its reserves based lending facility.

17:03 EDT LyondellBasell names Darleen Caron chief HR officer - LyondellBasell announced the appointment of Darleen Caron as executive vice president and chief human resources officer. Most recently, Caron was executive vice president of global human resources for SNC-Lavalin, Inc.

16:46 EDT Tenet CEO Trevor Fetter departs, Ronald Rittenmeyer to succeed - Tenet Healthcare announced that Trevor Fetter has stepped down from his role as CEO and resigned as a director of the company, effective October 23. The Board of Directors has appointed Ronald Rittenmeyer, executive chairman, to serve as CEO while the company continues its search for a permanent CEO. Tenet previously announced on August 31 the planned departure of Fetter, the commencement of a search for a new CEO, and the appointment of Rittenmeyer as executive chairman and principal executive officer.

16:39 EDT Whirlpool announces global cost-based price increases - The company announced global cost-based price increases on a majority of its business to offset the impact of sustained raw material inflation.

16:38 EDT Cannell Capital reports 7.3% passive stake in eHealth

16:36 EDT Whirlpool experienced significantly elevated raw material prices in Q3 - In 2017, the company experienced significantly elevated raw material prices which are now expected to further increase through 2018. As a result, in October the company announced to its trade customers global cost-based price increases expected to cover a majority of its business, to be implemented during the fourth quarter of 2017 and the first quarter of 2018.Additionally, the company announced an initiative to reduce fixed overhead costs by $150M, which will be implemented in early 2018. This initiative is in addition to the Company's ongoing cost productivity efforts.The impact of these actions on 2018 guidance will be discussed during the year-end earnings call.

16:26 EDT Blackhawk names Charles Garner as CFO - Blackhawk announced that Charles Garner, CFA, has been appointed CFO. Garner will succeed Jerry Ulrich as Blackhawk's CFO, while Ulrich will continue to serve as the company's chief administrative officer until he retires after a transition period with Garner. Garner is a seasoned executive with deep experience in both finance and operations. Previously, he served as CFO and chief administrative officer of Zelis Healthcare Corp., a healthcare information technology and electronic payments company.

16:22 EDT RealPage acquires PEX for roughly $6.2M - RealPage announced the acquisition of all of the outstanding capital stock of PEX Software Limited, a London-based provider of property management, online leasing and resident software solutions. The platform serves market-leading clients in the United Kingdom, European Union and Australia that manage private rental sector and student rental housing properties. RealPage expects to retain PEX's London and Sydney offices as a base of operations for broader solution expansion in those markets. RealPage intends to augment the staff in London and Sydney with sales, technical support and implementation specialists. PEX's development operation staff in Valencia, Spain, is expected to be housed in RealPage's Barcelona office. The acquisition purchase price of approximately $6.2M in cash is subject to working capital adjustments and post-acquisition indemnification claims. PEX is expected to have an immaterial impact on financial performance during 2017, but will contribute to the company's international expansion plans, which are expected to become increasingly important to RealPage.

16:19 EDT John Bean Technologies reports Q3 backlog up 23% y/y - For the third quarter, inbound orders of $440M increased 27% from the prior year, reflecting a gain of 22% at FoodTech and a 38% increase at AeroTech. Backlog improved 23% from the year-ago period.

16:14 EDT Gulfport Energy reaffirms FY17 average natural gas price view - Based on actual results during the nine months ended September 30 and utilizing current strip pricing at the various regional pricing points at which the Company sells its natural gas, Gulfport reiterates its realized natural gas price, before the effect of hedges and inclusive of the Company's firm transportation expense, and continues to forecast that its 2017 natural gas price will average in the range of 62c-68c per Mcf below NYMEX settlement prices in 2017. Gulfport now forecasts, before the effect of hedges, its 2017 realized NGL price will be approximately 45% to 50% of WTI and its 2017 realized oil price will be in the range of $3.25 to $3.75 per barrel below WTI.

16:12 EDT Gulfport Energy reports Q3 net production average increased 16% over Q2 - Gulfport Energy provided an update for the quarter ended September 30. Key information includes: Q3 net production averaged 1.2 Bcfe per day, a 16% increase over the Q2 and a 63% increase versus the Q3 of 2016; Q3 realized natural gas price before the impact of derivatives and including transportation costs, averaged $2.28 per Mcf, a $0.72 per Mcf differential to the average trade month NYMEX settled price; Q3 realized oil price, before the impact of derivatives and including transportation costs, averaged $45.90 per barrel, a $2.29 per barrel differential to the average WTI oil price; Q3 realized natural gas liquids price, before the impact of derivatives and including transportation costs, averaged 57c per gallon, equivalent to $23.89 per barrel, or approximately 50% of the average WTI oil price; realized natural gas price for the nine months ended September 30, before the impact of derivatives and including transportation costs, averaged $2.46 per Mcf, a $0.71 per Mcf differential to the average trade month NYMEX settled price.

16:08 EDT Realogy Chairman and CEO Smith to retire at year end - Realogy Holdings (RLGY) announced a leadership succession plan, reporting that Ryan Schneider has been named President and Chief Operating Officer and appointed to the Board of Directors. Schneider will begin his duties at Realogy on October 24 and Schneider will become Realogy's Chief Executive Officer, effective December 31. Richard Smith, Realogy's Chairman and CEO, will retire, also effective December 31, after 21 years of leadership with the company. At the same time, Michael Williams, Realogy's Lead Independent Director, will succeed Smith as Chairman of the company's board. Schneider joins Realogy after nearly 15 years of senior leadership experience at Capital One Financial (COF), where he was recently President of Capital One's Card division.

16:07 EDT Stanley Black & Decker names Nike CIO Jim Scholefield to board - Black & Decker (SWK) has elected Jim Scholefield, Vice President and Global Chief Information Officer of Nike (NKE) to the company's Board of Directors. Scholefield brings the company's total number of directors to 11, including 10 independent directors, of which half are diverse.

16:06 EDT Impax announces FDA approval and launch of generic Renvela - Impax Laboratories announced it has received final U.S. Food and Drug Administration approval on its Abbreviated New Drug Application for a generic version of Renvela tablets, 800 mg. Impax has immediately initiated commercialization activities."We are pleased to receive approval of our generic version of Renvela," said Paul Bisaro, President and Chief Executive Officer of Impax. "The immediate launch of this product further enhances our generic portfolio and our commitment to provide patients with a more affordable treatment option." Sales of generic Renvela are expected to benefit the company's financial results this year and had been reflected in its previously announced earnings guidance of $0.55 to $0.70 per diluted share for fiscal year 2017. Sevelamer carbonate tablets had U.S. brand and generic sales of approximately $1.9B, according to IMS Health for the 12 months ending August 2017.

16:04 EDT Martin Midstream Partners announces West Texas LPG joint venture expansion - Martin Midstream Partners announced that the West Texas LPG Pipeline Limited Partnership joint venture -- of which MMLP owns a 20% interest with ONEOK (OKE) owning and operating the other 80% interest -- plans to invest approximately $200M to expand its natural gas liquids system into the prolific Delaware Basin, part of the larger Permian Basin, in service by Q3 of 2018. This project is supported by dedicated NGL production from two third-party planned natural gas processing plants in northern Reeves County, one of the most active areas in the Delaware Basin. The expansion will be supported by long-term volume dedications estimated to be up to 40,000 barrels per day. "When entering into the joint venture with Oneok in 2014, significant NGL volume growth was at the forefront of our investment thesis. The extension of the West Texas LPG Pipeline into the core of the Delaware Basin ideally positions us for this growth," said MMLP CEO Ruben Martin III.

16:03 EDT PetroQuest announces results from horizontal Cotton Valley drilling program - PetroQuest Energy announced results from its horizontal Cotton Valley drilling program in East Texas. The Company completed a two well pad which established a cumulative maximum 24-hour gross daily rate of 17,207 Mcf of gas, 1,266 barrels of NGLs and 205 barrels of oil, for an equivalent rate of 26,033 Mcfe/d. PQ #26 and #27 represent the initial wells in the Company's northern most JV acreage. In addition, the Company commenced flowback on its PQ #28 well in early October. To date, the well has established a maximum 24-hour gross daily rate of 10,912 Mcf of gas, 689 barrels of NGLs and 51 barrels of oil, for an equivalent rate of 15,352 Mcfe/d. The three wells had an average lateral length of 6,163 feet and the Company estimates an average drill and complete cost of $893 per lateral foot.

16:03 EDT Knoll CEO says sales stabilized in Q3 - CEO Andrew Cogan says: "The third quarter was an important inflection point as sales stabilized and we returned to double digit levels of profitability... For the first time, sales of our newer workplace models and related products exceeded those of our legacy systems. Coupled with continued growth in our residential and Specialty businesses, the initiatives we have taken over the past year to increase our market penetration and Office sales, position us well for a return to growth."

16:02 EDT Amgen says A.R.R.O.W study of once-weekly KYPROLIS meets primary endpoint

15:10 EDT Glowpoint trading resumes

14:49 EDT Diebold Nixdorf names Patricia Lang chief people officer - Diebold Nixdorf announced that Patricia A. Lang has been promoted to vice president, chief people officer. She will be responsible for leading all employee-focused initiatives and human resource operations affecting Diebold Nixdorf's 24,000 people globally. She will report to Andy W. Mattes, Diebold Nixdorf president and chief executive officer, and is based at the company's headquarters in North Canton. Lang joined Diebold, Incorporated in 2012 to lead the company's global rewards, human resources information systems and people analytics organizations.

14:23 EDT Pershing Square: Glass Lewis recommends ADP holders vote for Pershing nominees - Pershing Square said that Glass Lewis recommends that ADP shareholders vote FOR Pershing Square's three nominees on the GOLD proxy card at ADP's annual meeting November 7, 2017. "[W]e believe Pershing Square has argued the more convincing case, particularly that: ADP is underperforming its potential; ADP's historical leadership position and scale advantages breed complacency with incremental improvements that accrue relatively easily year after year; ADP is not keeping pace with smaller competitors in key market segments in the evolving HCM industry; an inefficient corporate structure and insular culture restrain ADP from identifying and urgently responding to business opportunities and threats; and ADP's performance can be significantly improved, and shareholder returns enhanced, pursuant to a transformation plan implemented in a prudent manner under the oversight of a partly reconstituted board of directors. In our view, the board's response, or lack thereof, to the substance of Pershing Square's argument leaves much to be desired by shareholders and, similarly, the board's stated operational and financial plan strikes us as being inadequate and underwhelming given the substantial opportunity thoroughly detailed by Pershing Square."

14:09 EDT Boeing, Singapore Airlines announce $13.8B order for 39 planes - Boeing (BA) and Singapore Airlines (SINGY) formally announced a deal for 20 777-9s and 19 787-10s, during a ceremony at the White House. The order, previously attributed to an unidentified customer, is worth $13.8B at current list prices. The value of this sales transaction will sustain thousands of U.S. suppliers and more than 70,000 direct and indirect U.S. jobs during the delivery period of this contract. The airline also has options for 12 additional aircraft, six of each aircraft type. The signing ceremony, witnessed by US President Donald Trump and Prime Minister of Singapore Lee Hsien Loong, included Singapore Airlines' CEO Goh Choon Phong and Boeing Commercial Airplanes' President & CEO Kevin McAllister. Peter Seah, Singapore Airlines' Chairman, and Dinesh Keskar, senior vice president, Asia Pacific & India Sales, Boeing Commercial Airplanes and other members of the airline and Boeing also were in attendance.

13:28 EDT Meridian Bioscience subsidiary sent warning letter by FDA - In a warning letter dated Oct. 23 that was recently posted to the FDA website, the agency stated that an inspection of Magellan Diagnostics' location in Massachusetts revealed that the LeadCare II and LeadCare Ultra Systems are "adulterated" under the definition laid out by the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act. The letter, in addition to being sent to Magellan, was carbon copied to the CEO of Meridian Bioscience, the owner of subsidiary Magellan Diagnostics. Reference Link

12:54 EDT ADP 'strongly disagrees' with Glass Lewis' recommendation on director election - ADP issued the following statement in response to a report by Glass Lewis & Co regarding the election of directors to ADP's Board of Directors at the company's 2017 Annual Meeting of Stockholders, to be held on November 7, 2017. ADP strongly disagrees with Glass Lewis' recommendation, which does not reflect the company's strong track record of delivering value to shareholders or the deep experience and complementary skill sets of its 10 incumbent Directors. ADP urges all stockholders to vote "FOR" ADP's 10 director nominees on the WHITE proxy card today. "We strongly disagree with Glass Lewis' recommendation, which does not take into account the significant business risk inherent in Pershing Square's margin expansion target nor the negative impact it would have on client retention and ADP's overall business. After thoroughly reviewing Pershing Square's nominees' credentials, ADP's Board determined that none has relevant technology or Human Capital Management experience and all lack skills and experience that would be additive to our Board." "Glass Lewis fails to recognize ADP's outstanding track record of outperformance relative to our peers and the broader market, the strategic investments ADP has made to develop new, innovative technology and services, and the stewardship and strength of our Board... We are disappointed that Glass Lewis failed to acknowledge the lack of relevant experience of Pershing Square's nominees as well as Pershing Square's own failure to grasp the nuances of ADP's business."

12:32 EDT LGL Group reports extension of rights offering expiration to November 13 - The LGL Group announced that its Board of Directors has extended the expiration of its rights offering until 5:00 PM Eastern Standard Time on Monday, November 13. The rights offering was previously scheduled to expire on Wednesday, October 25. All other terms and conditions of the rights offering remain unchanged. Under the terms of the offering, holders of the company's common stock are entitled to three transferable subscription rights for each share held on the record date, September 5. For every four subscription rights exercised, a shareholder can purchase one whole share of common stock at a subscription price of $5.50 per whole share of common stock. The subscription rights are transferable and have been admitted to the NYSE American under the symbol "LGL-RT".

11:39 EDT Target climbs as retailer gears up for crucial holiday season - Shares of Target (TGT) rose after the retailer announced plans for the holiday season including free shipping and gifts under $15 as the company prepares to battle with Wal-Mart (WMT) and Amazon (AMZN) in the upcoming shopping season. EXCLUSIVE BRANDS: After Target previously said it would update its brand portfolio with the introduction of over 12 new exclusive brands by the end of 2018, the company announced eight of those brands will be available for the holiday season. Target has introduced Project 62, A New Day, Goodfellow and JoyLab, and, on November 5, will unveil Hearth & Hand with Magnolia, which is co-designed with Chip and Joanna Gaines and features 300 products, most for under $30. The company also announced that it will introduce four special collections featuring nearly 1,700 items, most of which are exclusive to Target and under $15. These holiday collections will be prominently displayed in the main aisles and key departments of Target store and on Target.com, the company said in a statement. In addition, the company is adding new items across its multi-category assortment including over 1,400 new and exclusive toys from national, specialty and owned brands, including Hatchimals Surprise and L.O.L. Surprise! Big Surprise. OTHER HOLIDAY INITIATIVES: Target is also launching GiftNow on Target.com enabling givers to click the GiftNow button on Target.com and send an e-gift box, which allows the recipient to accept the gift, change the color or size, or choose something different before anything ships. Additionally, Target is expanding its Wondershop seasonal brand, which features items "guests need to trim their tree and more," to include specialty food gifts and snacks. The company is also allowing customers to receive their orders in several ways, including visiting one of its 1,800 stores, ordering online for delivery from Target.com, using Order Pickup or using Target Restock. The retailer will also increase the number of stores that ship online orders to guests' homes to over 1,400 in an effort to increase efficiency. In addition, Target.com will offer Free Ship to all guests beginning November 1, with no minimum purchase required. WHAT'S NOTABLE: Last month Target said it planned to hire about 100,000 team members across the country for the upcoming holiday season, up from the 70,000 employees it hired last year, and said it would hire 4,500 team members at the company's distribution and fulfillment centers to replenish products to stores and fulfill digital sales throughout the season. Earlier this month, Target announced its nationwide expansion on Google Express (GOOG, GOOGL), including voice- activated shopping, as well as the addition of Target REDcard as a payment option in 2018. Target and Google also have partnered to explore and develop future digital experiences focused on Target's signature style categories. The expansion allows guests to shop Target's assortment using Google Express, via the Google Assistant on Google Home and Android TV, and will soon be available on eligible Android phones and iPhones. PEERS: Wal-Mart announced on September 20 that it would not hire thousands of seasonal workers for the upcoming critical holiday season and will instead offer the additional hours to its current associates. The company did say it would bring back its Holiday Helper program and will increase the number of Helpers it has in stores this season. Amazon announced it would create over 120,000 positions this season across its U.S. network of fulfillment centers, sortation centers and customer service sites. The company also launched the Amazon Handmade Gift Shop on Monday. PRICE ACTION: Target rose 2.2% to $63.11 in morning trading, though shares are down over 12% year-to-date.

11:20 EDT Target climbs as retailer gears up for crucial holiday season - EXCLUSIVE BRANDS: After Target previously said it would update its brand portfolio with the introduction of over 12 new exclusive brands by the end of 2018, the company announced eight of those brands will be available for the holiday season. Target has introduced Project 62, A New Day, Goodfellow and JoyLab, and, on November 5, will unveil Hearth & Hand with Magnolia, which is co-designed with Chip and Joanna Gaines and features 300 products, most for under $30. The company also announced that it will introduce four special collections featuring nearly 1,700 items, most of which are exclusive to Target and under $15. These holiday collections will be prominently displayed in the main aisles and key departments of Target store and on Target.com, the company said in a statement. In addition, the company is adding new items across its multi-category assortment including over 1,400 new and exclusive toys from national, specialty and owned brands, including Hatchimals Surprise and L.O.L. Surprise! Big Surprise. OTHER HOLIDAY INITIATIVES: Target is also launching GiftNow on Target.com enabling givers to click the GiftNow button on Target.com and send an e-gift box, which allows the recipient to accept the gift, change the color or size, or choose something different before anything ships. Additionally, Target is expanding its Wondershop seasonal brand, which features items "guests need to trim their tree and more," to include specialty food gifts and snacks. The company is also allowing customers to receive their orders in several ways, including visiting one of its 1,800 stores, ordering online for delivery from Target.com, using Order Pickup or using Target Restock. The retailer will also increase the number of stores that ship online orders to guests' homes to over 1,400 in an effort to increase efficiency. In addition, Target.com will offer Free Ship to all guests beginning November 1, with no minimum purchase required. WHAT'S NOTABLE: Last month Target said it planned to hire about 100,000 team members across the country for the upcoming holiday season, up from the 70,000 employees it hired last year, and said it would hire 4,500 team members at the company's distribution and fulfillment centers to replenish products to stores and fulfill digital sales throughout the season. Earlier this month, Target announced its nationwide expansion on Google Express (GOOG, GOOGL), including voice- activated shopping, as well as the addition of Target REDcard as a payment option in 2018. Target and Google also have partnered to explore and develop future digital experiences focused on Target's signature style categories. The expansion allows guests to shop Target's assortment using Google Express, via the Google Assistant on Google Home and Android TV, and will soon be available on eligible Android phones and iPhones. PEERS: Wal-Mart announced on September 20 that it would not hire thousands of seasonal workers for the upcoming critical holiday season and will instead offer the additional hours to its current associates. The company did say it would bring back its Holiday Helper program and will increase the number of Helpers it has in stores this season. Amazon (AMZN) announced it would create over 120,000 positions this season across its U.S. network of fulfillment centers, sortation centers and customer service sites. The company also launched the Amazon Handmade Gift Shop on Monday. PRICE ACTION: Target rose 2.2% to $63.11 in morning trading, though shares are down over 12% year-to-date.

11:01 EDT OpGen announces award of $860K CDC contract - OpGen announced that it has been awarded a contract from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, or CDC, to develop smartphone-based clinical decision support solutions for antimicrobial stewardship and infection control in low- and middle-income countries. The one-year $860,000 award began September 30 and funds development and evaluation of cloud-based mobile software. OpGen's teaming partner Teqqa will provide its cloud- and mobile-based software platform, which integrates electronic patient data and local empiric treatment guidelines to support antimicrobial stewardship.

10:49 EDT Helix Energy falls after saying strategic review concluded - On Helix Energy's Q3 earnings call, CEO Owen Kratz stated, according to a transcript of the call: "From time to time, we evaluate our strategic alternatives and what makes sense for our company and as we feel that exercise is part of fulfilling our duty for maximizing value to our shareholders. We recently completed that strategic review, and our conclusion was that at this time, our focus should be on our balance sheet, executing operationally and expanding our profit margins." Kratz added that the company's policy is not to comment on rumors or make disclosures about future strategic transactions unless they have something to announce. Shares of Helix Energy fell sharply shortly after the call began and are down over 11% to $6.86 as the call continues.

10:13 EDT Kimberly-Clark: Conditions in North America fairly tough - The company expects that the FY17 effective tax rate will be slightly lower than the FY16 adjusted effective tax rate of 30.7%. Says environment "difficult." Says conditions in North America remain fairly tough. Comments taken from the Q3 earnings conference call.

09:59 EDT Halliburton says still focused on debt retirement - Says will consider M&A, returning cash to shareholders in terms of dividends, share buybacks.

09:52 EDT State Street says 'well-positioned' to exceed FY17 targets - Says pipeline remains strong. For FY17, the company expects to be at high end of 6% to 7% total fee revenue growth. Expects to be in high end of 100-200bps for fee operating leverage. Expects effective tax rate of 30%-32%. Expects NII in high end of $2.43B-$2.45B range or up 12% to 13%. Says continues to make good progress expanding Beacon across the organization. Says remains focused on returning capital to shareholders. Comments taken from Q3 earnings conference call.

09:41 EDT Deltic Timber jumps after agreeing to be bought by larger peer Potlatch - Shares of Deltic Timber Corporation (DEL) jumped in early trading after the company agreed to be acquired by larger peer Potlatch Corporation (PCH). The combined company is expected to have a pro-forma market cap of about $3.3B and a total enterprise value of over $4B. ALL-STOCK TRANSACTION: Potlatch confirmed this morning that it has agreed to buy Deltic Timber in an all-stock transaction, creating a company with a total enterprise value of $4B. Under the terms of the deal, Deltic shareholders will receive 1.8 Potlatch shares for each Deltic share they own. When the deal closes, which is expected to occur in the first half of 2018, Potlatch shareholders will own 65% of the combined company. The combined company will be called Potlatch Deltic Corporation and trade on the Nasdaq Stock Market under the ticker "PCH." Deltic Chief Executive Officer John Enlow will be the combined company's vice chairman, while Potlatch Chief Executive Officer Mike Covey would continue in the role. Deltic will convert to a real estate investment trust structure, and will pay out accumulated profits of $250M to investors through a dividend consisting of 80% stock and 20% cash by the end of 2018. The companies expect to realize about $50M of after-tax cash synergies and operational efficiencies. The combined company will have a diverse timberland portfolio of approximately 2M acres, with approximately 1.1M acres in the U.S. South, 600,000 acres in Idaho, and 150,000 acres in Minnesota. In addition, the company will operate eight wood products manufacturing facilities, including six lumber manufacturing facilities, one medium density fiberboard facility and one industrial plywood mill. The combined company will have lumber capacity of 1.2B board feet in total. Deltic and Potlatch compete with Weyerhaeuser (WY). WHAT'S NOTABLE: In August, Deltic said it was assessing a "comprehensive range" of strategic alternatives, both internal and external. The company said at the time that it had been approached "by a number of industry participants" regarding interest in a potential deal. Deltic said it had met with Southeastern Asset Management, which held a 15% stake in Deltic as of August 25, "on a number of occasions" to discuss the ideas. In August, SAM said "it has become clear after many attempts that Deltic is not serious about engaging with Southeastern at a substantive level," and that it may nominate directors at Deltic's next annual meeting. OTHER POTLATCH NEWS: Potlatch this morning also reported quarterly results, with earnings per share excluding items of 94c beating analysts' consensus estimates of 90c. Revenue of $190.44M was essentially in line with analysts' $190.45M consensus. Potlatch also raised its quarterly dividend 7% to 40c per share from 37.5c, payable December 29 to investors of record on December 8. PRICE ACTION: In early trading, Deltic Timber is up over 6% to $94.83, while Potlatch is up about 2% to $53.90.

09:32 EDT Digi International acquires TempAlert for $45M in cash plus future incentives - Digi International announced that it has acquired TempAlert, a provider of automated, real-time temperature monitoring and task management solutions for the healthcare, industrial and foodservice industries. TempAlert will join the Digi Smart Solutions team. Digi purchased Boston-based TempAlert for $45M in cash plus future earn out incentives. The TempAlert solution will not only be supported and enhanced, but also leveraged within Digi's existing products and services to expand its advanced portfolio of solutions. Digi is excited to welcome TempAlert CEO Harry Schechter and the TempAlert team as employees of Digi Smart Solutions. Schechter will play a leading role in the IoT strategy going forward. Schechter will report to COO Kevin Riley.

09:32 EDT CarMax aims to hire mroe than 2,000 employees by year-end - CarMax announces plans to hire for more than 2,000 positions companywide by the end of the year. At a time when many retailers are hiring for seasonal positions, CarMax is hiring for long-term careers. CarMax currently employs more than 24,000 people nationwide and provides opportunities for associates to grow within the company by offering ongoing training and development opportunities that support personal and career goals. The majority of new and open positions are for sales consultants, technicians, detailers and inventory associates.

09:28 EDT On The Fly: Pre-market Movers - UP AFTER EARNINGS: VF Corp. (VFC), up 2.6%... Seagate Technology (STX), up 12.6%... Scorpio Bulkers (SALT), up 2.4%... Halliburton (HAL), up marginally... T-Mobile (TMUS), up 1.1%. ALSO HIGHER: China Lodging (HTHT), up 1.1% after announcing a special dividend... Potlatch (PCH) is up 4.4% and Deltic Timber (DEL) is up 8.8% after the companies announced they will merge in an all-cash transaction. DOWN AFTER EARNINGS: Hasbro (HAS), down 4.5%... State Street (STT), down 2.4%... Logitech (LOGI), down fractionally.

09:27 EDT FCA provides update on review of RBS's treatment of SME customers - The Financial Conduct Authority has published an interim summary of the independent review of Royal Bank of Scotland's treatment of small and medium-sized enterprise customers transferred to its Global Restructuring Group. Andrew Bailey, FCA Chief Executive commented: "As we reported in November 2016, while the most serious allegations were not upheld by the Skilled Person, the report did identify other concerns about the treatment of SME customers. RBS has accepted that it did not meet the standards it set for itself which impacted on how it treated some of its SME customers. RBS has since taken voluntary steps, such as its proactive review of complex fees, and setting up a complaints scheme for eligible SME customers, overseen by an independent monitor, Sir William Blackburne. Having considered documents and cases highlighted by the Skilled Person we agreed that RBS's proposals, including to establish a complaints scheme, were appropriate steps. We are investigating the matters arising from the Skilled Person's Report and are focussing on whether there is any basis for further action within our powers. We cannot comment any further on this."

09:20 EDT Halliburton says Middle East remains most active international market -

09:18 EDT Cray announces strategic alliance with Microsoft - Cray (CRAY) announced an exclusive strategic alliance with Microsoft (MSFT) that gives enterprises the tools to enable a new era of discovery and insight, while broadening the availability of supercomputing to new markets and new customers. Under the partnership agreement, Microsoft and Cray will jointly engage with customers to offer dedicated Cray supercomputing systems in Microsoft Azure datacenters to enable customers to run AI, advanced analytics, and modeling and simulation workloads at unprecedented scale, seamlessly connected to the Azure cloud.

09:14 EDT Aqua Metals awarded first U.S. patent - Aqua Metals, which is proceeding to commercialize its proprietary electrochemical lead recycling technology called AquaRefining, has received a formal Notice of Allowance from the US Patent Office for its first U.S. patent application. On October 16, the USPTO issued a Notice of Allowance for Aqua Metals' first U.S. patent application. This was a national phase from an initial PCT application. Under USPTO practice, there is no opposition period between allowance and issuance. This builds on the successful patent actions in Korea, Japan and Australia and strengthens the company's ability to transition into licensing activities.

09:13 EDT Seven Stars Cloud Group announces agreement for its platform - Seven Stars Cloud Group announced a non-exclusive agreement to license the technology platform from its Red Coin Chain JV. Guangxi Dragon Coin Network Technology, a subsidiary of Courage Investment Group, will be granted a non-exclusive license from SSC and the Red Coin Chain JV, to use Red Coin's technology platform specifically and exclusively for real estate based securitization. In exchange and in consideration for, the non-exclusive rights to the technology, SSC will receive 17.9% of the existing total equity of Courage Investment Group Limited which is the Licensee's HK listed parent company. 17.9% of Courage Investment Group's shares are valued at approximately HK$ 151M, based on a recent closing price trading price of HK$ 1.76. That pegs the shares at a value of approximately $18.5M as of the date of this announcement.

09:11 EDT RBS 'pleased' with FCA report on independent review into GRG - RBS said that it "welcomes the publication of the Financial Conduct Authority's summary report, consistent with the summary findings announced by the FCA in November 2016." RBS also welcomes the FCA's confirmation that the most serious allegations made against the bank have not been upheld and that the steps it announced in November to put things right for customers remain appropriate. RBS added: "The bank has previously acknowledged that, in some areas, it could have done better for SME customers in GRG and again apologises for these mistakes. Specifically, the bank could have managed the transition to GRG better and should have better explained to customers any changes to the prices or complex fees it was charging. The bank accepts that it did not always communicate as well or as clearly as it should have done. The bank also did not always handle complaints well. As a result of these historical issues identified, it put in place two steps - a complaints process overseen by retired High Court Judge, Sir William Blackburne, and an automatic refund of complex fees - for SMEs in the UK and ROI that were customers in GRG during the period 2008 - 2013...The bank continues to estimate the cumulative cost of these measures to be approximately GBP 400M."

09:09 EDT Synopsys Verification Continuum platform selected by SiFive - Synopsys announced that SiFive has selected the Synopsys Verification Continuum platform as its verification solution. SiFive has deployed the Verification Continuum platform for simulation, verification IP, debug, static verification and formal coverage closure. Synopsys' leadership position in these critical verification technology areas, combined with native integrations among these products, has enabled SiFive to meet aggressive goals for scalable verification of customized RISC-V processors and SoCs targeted for internet of things, or IoT, edge computing, machine learning, storage and other applications.

09:06 EDT Caterpillar reports retail machines sales up 13% in three months end September - Caterpillar reported in a regulatory filing that its total retail machines sales were up 13% on a three month rolling basis in September. For reference, retail sales of machines were up 11% in the period ending in the prior month and up 12% in the period ending in July. The company reported world Resources Industries sales up 8% in the September-end period, compared to a August period increase of 5%. Construction Industries world sales were up 15% in the September-end period, better than the 12% increase in the prior period. Total Energy & Transportation Retail Sales were up 5% in the September-end period, better than the 3% decrease seen in the prior three-month period.

09:05 EDT Amazon's fall 2017 half-hour pilot season premieres on Nov. 10 on Prime Video - Amazon announced the lineup for its forthcoming fall pilot season which will debut on November 10 in over 200 countries and territories exclusively on Amazon Prime Video for all customers to stream. The new pilots include half-hours Love You More from creators Bridget Everett, Michael Patrick King, Bobcat Goldthwait and Carolyn Strauss; Sea Oak, based on a short story of the same name from creator and award-winning author George Saunders, starring Glenn Close, directed by Hiro Murai, and executive produced by Jonathan Krauss and showrunner Evan Dunsky; and The Climb, created by a fresh, powerful new voice, Diarra Kilpatrick, directed by Chris Robinson with showrunner Christina Lee.

09:04 EDT Apple Hospitality acquires two residence inns by Marriott - Apple Hospitality REIT (APLE) announced that it acquired the 179-room Residence Inn by Marriott (MAR) Portland Downtown/Waterfront and the 136-room Residence Inn by Marriott Salt Lake City Murray. On October 13, 2017, Apple Hospitality acquired the Residence Inn by Marriott Portland Downtown/Waterfront, located at 145 Fore Street in Portland, Maine, for a purchase price of approximately $55.8M or $311,500 per key. The hotel is located on Portland's waterfront within walking distance of Portland's Historic Old Port District, Portland's cruise ship terminals, and a variety of restaurants, art galleries and entertainment venues. The hotel is also convenient to the University of Southern Maine, Maine Medical Center and numerous corporate offices. According to data provided by STR for the 12-month period ending September 30, 2017, RevPAR for the Portland, Maine submarket improved by approximately 5 percent, as compared to the previous 12-month period. On October 20, 2017, the Company acquired the Residence Inn by Marriott Salt Lake City Murray, located at 171 East 5300 South in Murray, Utah, for a purchase price of approximately $25.5M, or $187,500 per key. In addition to its close proximity to downtown Salt Lake City and numerous ski resorts, the hotel is ideally located near Intermountain Medical Center and a variety of shopping and dining options. According to data provided by STR for the 12-month period ending September 30, 2017, RevPAR for the Salt Lake City South submarket improved by approximately 9 percent, as compared to the previous 12-month period.

09:02 EDT Abbott receives FDA clearance for Confirm Rx Insertable Cardiac Monitor - Abbott has secured U.S. FDA clearance for the Confirm Rx Insertable Cardiac Monitor, the world's first and only smartphone compatible ICM designed to help physicians remotely identify cardiac arrhythmias. With FDA clearance Abbott can now provide U.S. patients a new way to monitor for abnormal heart rhythms while staying connected to their physician remotely and being able to engage in their health care.

09:01 EDT Ellie Mae, Digital Risk announce partnership agreement - Ellie Mae announced a partnership with Digital Risk, a risk, compliance and technology services company that offers differentiated solutions to the mortgage, consumer lending and other regulated industries, to enhance the quality control review process for Ellie Mae's customers.

09:00 EDT KeyTronicEMS trading resumes

08:59 EDT VF Corp. says retail environment 'sometimes difficult to predict' - Says retail environment "sometimes difficult to predict." Says "no change" in FY outlook for North Face, sees growth at high end of mid single digit range. Says Vans brand "stronger than it has ever been." Sees strong trajectory y/y for Vans, but says comparisons will be "difficult" in 2018. Sees global Vans revenue growth about 15% in 2017, up from prior outlook of the high end of low double digit growth. Says "no change" to FY revenue growth outlook for Timberland of low single digits, includes high single digit growth in Q4. Says forward visibility remains "low" for U.S. Jeanswear business. Sees low single digit growth for Wrangler brand in Q4. Now sees FY Jeanswear revenue declining modestly vs. previous view of "about flat." Comments taken from the Q3 earnings conference call. VF Corp is up about 3.8% in premarket trading.

08:52 EDT Soleno Therapeutics regains compliance with Nasdaq listing requirements - Soleno Therapeutics announced it received a notice from the NASDAQ Listing Qualifications Staff on October 20, notifying the company that it regained compliance with NASDAQ's minimum bid price requirement under NASDAQ Listing Rule 5550(a)(2) for continued listing on The NASDAQ Capital Market. Accordingly, Soleno Therapeutics is in compliance with all applicable listing standards and its common stock will continue to be listed on The NASDAQ Capital Market and NASDAQ considers the matter closed.

08:45 EDT Exactech trading resumes

08:37 EDT Net Element regains compliance with NASDAQ listing requirements - Net Element announces it regains compliance with NASDAQ listing requirements. As of October 20, 2017 the Company has evidenced compliance with the $1.00 bid price requirement insofar as the bid price for the company's common stock has closed at or above $1.00 per share for more than 10 consecutive business days; and the company has over $2.5 million in stockholders' equity.

08:35 EDT Enzo Biochem receives NYS DOH's approval for AMPIPROBE panel - Enzo Biochem announced it has received approval of another women's health infectious disease diagnostic panel, which when combined with the company's previously approved panels, makes for one of the most comprehensive, efficient and affordable diagnostic products and services on the market. A variety of infections, including sexually transmitted ones, are detected from a single vaginal swab collection via the company's proprietary, versatile and cost-effective AMPIPROBE platform. The announcement results from recent action by the New York State Department of Health granting conditional approval of the new panel's 5 additional tests, complementing the already approved 8 infectious disease tests for a total of 13 organisms being detectable from a single vaginal swab specimen. Enzo's expanding women's infectious disease menu complements and continues Enzo's decades long offering of women's health tests including a focused cancer offering. In the early 1980s, Enzo brought the first in situ HPV cervical cancer detection system to the marketplace. Enzo's offerings have grown to include immunohistochemistry and gene expression platforms for detecting women's cancers. The latest infectious disease panel follows previously approved AmpiProbe real time amplification detection tests for qualitative detection of diseases such as Chlamydia trachomatis, Neisseria gonorrhoeae, Trichomonas vaginalis and Candida spp. The newly approved tests for bacterial vaginosis, including Atopobium vaginae, Gardnerella vaginalis, Lactobacillus spp, Megasphera spp and BVAB2, will now make Enzo's women's health panel one of the most comprehensive on the market.

08:34 EDT SenesTech signs distribution agreement with Univar for ContraPest - SenesTech (SNES) announced a national distribution agreement with Univar (UNVR) for ContraPest. In addition to distribution, Univar will be marketing and selling ContraPest throughout its network.

08:33 EDT Record registration for Commvault GO 2017 - Commvault (CVLT) announced record registrations for Commvault GO 2017, its annual customer conference. Booming registration for the conference follows a flurry of recent news and milestones that reinforce Commvault's leadership position in delivering enterprises solutions that enable them to activate and drive more value and business insight out of their data. This news includes new scale-out data infrastructure offerings, leadership positioning from independent research firms, further development of Commvault's partnerships with Microsoft (MSFT), Cisco (CSCO) and Oracle (ORCL).

08:32 EDT Fair Isaac awarded eight new patents related to cybersecurity - FICO has been awarded eight new patents related to cybersecurity and advanced analytics. FICO now holds 183 US and foreign patents, and has 83 pending patent applications, including 16 that were filed in 2017. Three of the new patents relate to technologies developed for the FICO Decision Management Suite, FICO's integrated platform for developing and managing decision-making applications.

08:30 EDT BroadSoft trading resumes

08:25 EDT KeyTronicEMS trading halted, news pending

08:23 EDT StubHub becomes designated 'NFL Ticket Resale Marketplace' - StubHub announced a multi-year agreement with the National Football League designating StubHub as the "NFL Authorized Ticket Resale Marketplace" beginning with the 2018-2019 season. With the NFL's recently announced open ticket marketplace, StubHub will be directly integrated with the primary ticketing systems of the League and its clubs, providing an official, safe and seamless way for fans to buy and sell NFL tickets on any digital device. The announcement represents the first time that the NFL has permitted an independent marketplace to integrate directly into the primary ticketing systems of its 32 clubs. StubHub, the world's largest ticketing marketplace, has the most ticketing integrations across the sports industry with exclusive partnerships with more than 90 teams across Major League Baseball, the NBA, NHL, MLS and dozens of leading NCAA school teams. NFL tickets sold on StubHub will now be officially validated by the primary issuer, giving fans an even more seamless and safe ticket-buying experience.

08:19 EDT K2M Group acquires PALO ALTO Cervical Static Corpectomy Cage System. - K2M Group announced that it has acquired from Cardinal Spine, a privately held medical device company, the PALO ALTO Cervical Static Corpectomy Cage System. PALO ALTO, a cervical vertebral body replacement device, is the first and only static corpectomy cage in the world to receive a cervical 510(k) clearance from the FDA. In addition to PALO ALTO, K2M has also acquired the associated intellectual property and product inventory. The PALO ALTO Cervical Static Corpectomy Cage System is indicated for use in the cervical spine in skeletally mature patients to replace diseased or damaged vertebral bodies, or for reconstruction to achieve decompression of the spinal cord and neural tissues in cervical degenerative disorders. It is intended for use with autograft or allogenic bone graft comprising cancellous and/or corticocancellous bone graft, as an adjunct to fusion.

08:16 EDT Exactech transaction values company at $625M

08:15 EDT Exactech enters agreement with TPG Capital to go private

08:11 EDT Arrowhead presents preclinical data on development of ARO-AAT - Arrowhead Pharmaceuticals presented data from studies demonstrating promising preclinical safety and efficacy of ARO-AAT, a second-generation investigational medicine for the treatment of alpha-1 liver disease that leverages Arrowhead's subcutaneously administered Targeted RNAi Molecule technology. Based on these positive results, and pending completion of GLP toxicology studies, Arrowhead expects to file a clinical trial application in the first quarter of 2018 to begin first-in-human studies of ARO-AAT. The data were presented in a late breaking poster at the Liver Meeting 2017, the Annual Meeting of the American Association for the Study of Liver Disease, being held in Washington, D.C. The poster presentation, titled, "Subcutaneous delivery of a RNA interference therapeutic candidate for alpha-1 antitrypsin deficiency-related liver disease produces deep and prolonged knockdown of plasma AAT," highlighted the results of studies in which ARO-AAT produced deep and prolonged knockdown of alpha-1 antitrypsin to levels that appear to be near full suppression of the liver production. The efficacy of ARO-AAT was evaluated in the transgenic PiZ mouse model and in nonhuman primates by measuring the reduction in plasma or serum levels of AAT. Inhibition of synthesis and subsequent reduction of the mutant Z-AAT accumulation in the livers of patients with alpha-1 liver disease may lead to the prevention, and potential reversal, of liver injury. Preliminary safety of ARO-AAT was also assessed in rats and NHPs at dose levels up to and including 300 mg/kg, which is approximately 100 times the expected human clinical dose. In the rat study, clinical laboratory values were indistinguishable between groups receiving ARO-AAT and control groups. In addition, there were no histopathology findings deemed to be related to ARO-AAT. In the NHP study, there were no abnormal clinical observations, body weight changes, clinical chemistries, nor organ weight findings noted.

08:11 EDT Lennox says 'well-positioned to close out a year of record revenue in 2017' - "Looking ahead for the company overall with the recovery in key regions underway, we are well-positioned to close out a year of record revenue, margin and profit in 2017 and to drive strong growth and profitability over the coming year."

08:10 EDT Recurrent Energy announces commercial operation of Cumberland plant - Recurrent Energy, a wholly owned subsidiary of Canadian Solar announced the commercial operation of the 71 MWac/92 MWp IS-42 solar photovoltaic project, located in Cumberland County, North Carolina. The project has a long-term Power Purchase Agreement with Duke Energy Progress, and is capable of producing enough clean electricity to power more than 11,000 homes. In September 2017, Recurrent Energy entered into an agreement for the sale of 99% of its Class B membership interest in the project to Falck Renewables S.p.A., with closing expected in November.

08:09 EDT Cisco to acquire BroadSoft for $55.00 per share or about $1.9B - Cisco (CSCO) and BroadSoft (BSFT) announced a definitive agreement for Cisco to acquire publicly-held BroadSoft, Inc., headquartered in Gaithersburg, MD. Pursuant to the agreement, Cisco will pay $55 per share, in cash, in exchange for each share of BroadSoft, or an aggregate purchase price of approximately $1.9B net of cash, assuming fully diluted shares including conversion of debt. The acquisition has been approved by the board of directors of each company. The acquisition of BroadSoft reinforces Cisco's commitment to Unified Communications and enhances its ability to address the millions of aging TDM lines poised to transition to IP technology and cloud native solutions over the coming years. The acquisition is expected to close during the first quarter of calendar year 2018, subject to customary closing conditions and regulatory review. Prior to the close, Cisco and BroadSoft will continue to operate as separate companies. Upon completion of the transaction, BroadSoft employees will join Cisco's Unified Communications Technology Group led by Vice President and General Manager Tom Puorro, under the Applications Group led by Trollope.

08:08 EDT Agenus appoints Bruno Lucidi as CEO of AgenTus subsidiary - Agenus announced the launch of a subsidiary company for its cell therapy business, AgenTus Therapeutics. The subsidiary is focused on realizing significant value for both companies, enhancing business focus, speed, and efficiency toward the realization of breakthrough I-O "living drugs" to advance cures for patients with cancer. AgenTus will have licensed intellectual property assets from Agenus, its own management team and governance. Bruno Lucidi has been appointed as CEO of the AgenTus subsidiary. Lucidi brings more than 30 years of experience in the pharmaceutical, biotechnology and financial industries with an impressive track record of building businesses and introducing innovative products into therapeutic markets.

08:08 EDT Cisco to acquire BroadSoft for $55 per share or about $1.9B

08:06 EDT Fat Brands begins trading on NASDAQ - FAT Brands is pleased to announce that its common stock will begin trading on the Nasdaq October 23 at approximately 11:00 a.m. EST under the three-letter ticker symbol "FAT." TriPoint Global Equities working with its online division BANQ grabbing FAT was the lead managing selling agent and sole book runner for the offering. FAT Brands made history by being the first Reg A+ Issuer listed on a National Securities Exchange to pay a dividend.

08:04 EDT Eiger says 'positive' Phase 2 interim LIMT HDV data presented at AASLD - Eiger BioPharmaceuticals announced that "positive" interim 24-week data with pegylated interferon lambda in the Phase 2 LIMT HDV Study presented at the American Association for the Study of Liver Diseases, or AASLD. At 24 weeks, ten of 33 patients reached 24 weeks of treatment at time of analysis. Five of 10, or 50%, patients achieved greater than or equal to 2 log decline in HDV RNA by Week 24. Four of 10, or 40%, patients achieved HDV PCR-negativity by Week 24. Lambda is well tolerated in the majority of patients through Week 24, the company added. "Interim 24 week results with Lambda in HDV are consistent with viral load endpoints that we believe should be meaningful in future regulatory discussions and study design to advance in clinical development. In addition to lonafarnib, our lead compound in Phase 2 development to treat HDV, Lambda represents a second product in our pipeline, with a differentiated mechanism of action, for development in HDV," said David Cory, President and CEO at Eiger.

08:03 EDT Intrexon and Arch Pharmalabs enter into exclusive collaboration agreement - Intrexon and Arch Pharmalabs announced they have entered into an exclusive collaboration to develop microbial strains for fermentation-based production of an API currently sourced from animals. Through the collaboration, Intrexon will be responsible for creative design of microbial pathways and engineering optimized microbes in a fermentation process that will generate a high yield and quality API at a substantially lower cost compared to current methods. Identification, design and engineering of the pathway and enzymes required will be accelerated through Intrexon's PathX proprietary bioinformatics software for pathway generation. Following this foundational work, Arch will focus on product isolation, scale-up and manufacturing and commercialization of the API.

08:01 EDT GE names GE Ventures CEO Sue Siegel as Chief Innovation Officer - GE announced that Sue Siegel, CEO of GE Ventures, has been named Chief Innovation Officer for GE, effective immediately. As Chief Innovation Officer Siegel will be responsible for developing and accelerating GE's long-term innovation strategy and will report directly to GE Chairman and CEO John Flannery. In this role Siegel will continue to lead GE Ventures, which is comprised of equity investing, licensing and new business creation. She will also serve as a member of the company's capital allocation and portfolio management governance; and help expand the company's efforts to grow, incubate, and accelerate horizontal, adjacent and transformational businesses.

07:56 EDT Unisys selected by the Nuclear Regulatory Commission - Unisys announced that it was selected for award of a task order to provide services and support to move the Nuclear Regulatory Commission's, or NRC, high-performance computing operations to a cloud platform. By moving its high-performance computing operations and applications to the cloud, the NRC will be able to securely and efficiently run critical, high-end applications without extensive upfront capital investments in IT resources.

07:54 EDT T-Mobile sees being only U.S. wireless carrier growing service revenues y/y - T-Mobile (TMUS) CEO John Legere says in a vlog that T-Mobile decided to do a video blog because "We wanted to make sure you all saw and focused on our Q3 results and not just on the rumors and speculation that fill the news everyday." He said the company expects to be the only U.S. wireless carrier growing service revenues y/y. Says service revenue up nearly 50% since 1Q13. Says T-Mobile "working around the clock" in Puerto Rico to get network up and running, as the hurricanes destroyed "vital" infrastructure. Expects to be first wireless provider with a nationwide 5G network. Says Verizon's (VZ) network "continues to struggle since we forced them to offer unlimited," says network "choking." Says AT&T (T) "not doing much better." Says "well on our way" to 3,000 new stores target for this year. Says many of the new stores in places where T-Mobile has never had a presence before. T-Mobile is up about 1.6% in premarket trading.

07:48 EDT Arconic names Charles Blankenship CEO - Arconic (ARNC) announced that its Board of Directors has appointed Charles "Chip" Blankenship as CEO and a member of the Arconic Board of Directors, effective January 15, 2018. Blankenship is a 24-year veteran of General Electric (GE) who spent much of his career in its aviation and jet engine businesses, including running its commercial engine operations. Blankenship previously led GE Aviation's Commercial Engines Operation, the world's leading producer of large and small jet engines for commercial aircraft. David Hess, who has served as Arconic's Interim CEO since April, will remain CEO until the start of Blankenship's tenure and will continue to serve on the Board after the transition. John Plant, an Arconic director since 2016, has been appointed Chair of the Board effective immediately. He succeeds Pat Russo, who stepped into the role on an interim basis in April; Russo will continue her service on the Board and chair the Governance committee.

07:41 EDT Reata Pharmaceuticals enrolls first patient in pivotal Part 2 of MOXIe trial - Reata Pharmaceuticals announced the enrollment of the first patient in the pivotal Part 2 of the MOXIe trial to evaluate omaveloxolone in patients with Friedreich's ataxia, or FA. Part 2 of the MOXIe trial is a double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled, multi-center, international trial designed to evaluate the safety, tolerability, and efficacy of omaveloxolone in patients with FA. The trial will enroll approximately 100 FA patients randomized evenly to either 150 mg of omaveloxolone or placebo.

07:35 EDT Enanta announces 'positive' Phase 1 a/b clinical results for EDP-305 - Enanta Pharmaceuticals announced positive results from its Phase 1 clinical study of EDP-305, Enanta's lead FXR agonist for non-alcoholic steatohepatitis and primary biliary cholangitis. The objective of this double-blind, placebo-controlled study in adult healthy volunteer subjects and subjects with presumed non-alcoholic fatty liver disease was to evaluate the safety, tolerability and pharmacokinetics of single ascending dose and multiple ascending dose levels of EDP-305. Pharmacodynamic markers of FXR activity and lipids were measured in all dose groups. A total of 146 subjects received at least one dose of EDP-305 or placebo including 50 HV subjects in SAD and 96 in the MAD phases of the study. Overall, mean BMI in the PN cohort was 32. SAD had 6 cohorts at doses of 1, 5, 10, 20, 40 and 80 mg EDP-305/placebo, and MAD had 6 cohorts at doses of 0.5, 1, 2.5, 5, 10 and 20 mg EDP-305/placebo for 14 days. Strong FXR target engagement was demonstrated, with doses of EDP-305 greater than 1 mg increasing FGF19 and reducing C4 in all subjects, while PN subjects were even more sensitive with significant effects also observed in both parameters at the lowest multiple doses of 0.5 and 1 mg. Pharmacokinetic analysis revealed a PK profile suitable for once daily oral dosing. Dose proportional increases in exposure were observed, with median t1/2 from 11-23 hours in HV and from 10-18 hours in PN subjects following multiple doses. Longer t1/2 and more drug accumulation were observed following the multiple 20 mg dose compared to lower doses. No serious adverse events were reported, and EDP-305 was generally well tolerated at all doses tested. Treatment-emergent adverse events occurring in greater than or equal to 2 EDP-305 treated subjects in MAD cohorts were: headache and pruritus in HV subjects, and constipation and pruritus in PN subjects. Of the cases of pruritus noted, the majority were mild or moderate and occurred at multiple doses of 20 mg, with no cases below 10mg. Notably, EDP-305 demonstrated potent engagement of the FXR receptor across the lower dose range where there was no pruritus. Two subjects discontinued treatment in the MAD phase at the 20 mg dose level, one for a transient grade 2 ALT/AST elevation, and one for moderate pruritus. No dose-related changes in lipids were observed in HV subjects at any doses; and no dose-related changes in lipids were observed in PN subjects except for reductions of total cholesterol and HDL cholesterol at the multiple 20mg dose, with no concomitant increase in LDL cholesterol. These results support further clinical evaluation of EDP-305 in NASH and PBC patients. Enanta plans to present detailed results at a future scientific conference.

07:33 EDT T-Mobile raises low end of postpaid net custuomer adds view to 3.3M-3.6M - T-Mobile says, "We are raising and narrowing our postpaid net customer additions guidance to 3.3 - 3.6 million from 3.0 - 3.6 million. Net income is not available on a forward-looking basis. We are raising and narrowing our Adjusted EBITDA target for the second time this year to between $10.8 and $11.0 billion, up from the prior guidance range of $10.5 - $10.9 billion. Our Adjusted EBITDA target includes unchanged guidance on leasing revenues of $0.85 - $0.95 billion. The guidance for cash purchases of property and equipment, excluding capitalized interest, is unchanged at $4.8 - $5.1 billion, but we expect to be at the high end of the guidance range. The three-year CAGRs guidance for net cash provided by operating activities and Free Cash Flow from full-year 2016 to full-year 2019 also remains unchanged at 15% - 18% and 45% - 48%, respectively."

07:32 EDT T-Mobile sees FY branded postpaid phone ARPU 'generally stable' to FY16 - T-Mobile continues to expect that branded postpaid phone ARPU in full-year 2017 will be generally stable compared to full-year 2016, with some quarterly variations driven by the actual migrations to T-Mobile ONE rate plans, inclusive of Un-carrier Next.

07:31 EDT Engility wins $14M contract from Defense Intelligence Agency - Engility Holdings won a $14M contract with the Defense Intelligence Agency to provide in-depth multimedia analysis and reporting for intelligence community, defense, homeland security and law enforcement missions. Operated by DIA's National Media Exploitation Center, the Audio-Video Forensics Laboratory program also requires Engility to operate and maintain a virtualized environment that supports more than 30 research and development projects at DIA. The DIA's National Media Exploitation Center draws insights from multimedia files extracted from digital devices, such as location data from a personal navigation system. In addition to media support, Engility's virtualized IT infrastructure support will help the DIA's R&D projects gain access to enterprise-level technology and the benefits of cloud solutions such as scalability and security. Engility first won this contract in 2011. The new award has a one-year base and four option years.

07:19 EDT Biogen, Eisai expand existing collaboration agreement - Eisai Co., Ltd. (ESALY) and Biogen (BIIB) said that the companies have expanded their existing agreement to jointly develop and commercialize investigational Alzheimer's disease treatments. Under the terms of the agreement Eisai has exercised its option to co-develop and co-promote aducanumab, Biogen's investigational anti-amyloid beta antibody for patients with Alzheimer's disease, The expanded agreement leverages each company's respective geographic strengths for commercialization and adjusts the respective share of profits from potential sales of aducanumab. Biogen will receive 55 percent of the potential profits in the United States and 68.5 percent of the potential profits in Europe. Eisai will receive 80 percent of the potential profits in Japan and Asia excluding China and South Korea. The companies will have a 50:50 co-promotion split of potential profits in the rest of the world. Further, Biogen will book sales in the United States, Europe, and rest of world markets while Eisai will book sales in Japan and Asia excluding China, South Korea. Biogen will continue to lead the ongoing Phase 3 development of aducanumab and will remain solely responsible for all development costs for aducanumab until April 2018. Eisai will then reimburse Biogen for 15 percent of expenses from April 2018 through December 2018, and 45 percent from January 2019 onwards. Neither party is making any upfront payments associated with the exercise of the aducanumab option. Furthermore, Eisai's and Biogen's respective milestone payments under the original agreement for aducanumab and BAN2401, an anti-Abeta protofibril antibody, have been eliminated. The companies will continue to jointly develop elenbecestat, a beta amyloid cleaving enzyme inhibitor, and BAN2401. The financial terms for elenbecestat and BAN2401 remain unchanged, other than the eliminated BAN2401 milestone payments. Additionally, Eisai and Biogen have agreed to co-promote Biogen's multiple sclerosis treatments, AVONEX, TYSABRI and TECFIDERA in Japan to those accounts that Biogen currently does not call upon. Eisai will also distribute and book sales for AVONEX, TYSABRI, TECFIDERA and PLEGRIDY in India and other Asia-Pacific markets excluding China.

07:17 EDT Potlatch reports Q3 EPS ex-items 94c, consensus 90c - Reports Q3 revenue $190.44M, consensus $190.45M.

07:16 EDT Potlatch, Deltic Timber to combine in all-stock transaction - Potlatch Corporation (PCH) and Deltic Timber Corporation (DEL) announced that they have entered into a definitive agreement to combine in an all-stock transaction. The combined company will be named PotlatchDeltic Corporation and its shares will trade on the Nasdaq Stock Market under the ticker PCH. Based on the closing stock prices of Potlatch and Deltic on October 20, 2017, the combined company is expected to have a pro forma equity market capitalization of approximately $3.3 billion and a total enterprise value of more than $4.0 billion, including approximately $700 million in net debt. Following completion of the transaction, the combined company will have more than 1,500 employees serving over 200 customers through operations across its extensive timberland and lumber manufacturing portfolio. Under the terms of the agreement, which has been unanimously approved by the Boards of Directors of both companies, Deltic stockholders will receive 1.80 common shares of Potlatch stock for each common share of Deltic that they own. Following the close of the transaction, Potlatch stockholders will own approximately 65% of the combined company, and Deltic stockholders will own approximately 35% on a fully diluted basis. The agreement also provides for Deltic to convert to a REIT structure, effective at the closing date of the transaction, ensuring the combined company achieves the most efficient tax structure. As part of the REIT conversion process, Deltic's accumulated earnings and profits, which are estimated to be approximately $250 million, will be distributed to stockholders of the combined company through a dividend consisting of 80% stock and 20% cash by the end of 2018. The combined company expects to realize approximately $50 million after-tax cash synergies and operational efficiencies, driven by a combination of corporate and operational synergies. Increasing lumber production and harvest volumes comprise slightly over half of the estimated $50 million in synergies, while overhead cost savings and conversion to tax-efficient REIT status make up the remainder. Potlatch and Deltic expect run rate synergies to be achieved by the end of the second year, with additional opportunities over the longer term.

07:14 EDT Halliburton CEO says 'North American business is hitting on all cylinders' - "We had a strong quarter and I am very pleased with our results. Our North American business is hitting on all cylinders and our international business proved resilient in a challenging environment. These results demonstrate why Halliburton is the execution company," remarked Jeff Miller, President and CEO.

07:13 EDT Universal Stainless & Alloy announces favorable amendment of credit agreement - Universal Stainless & Alloy announced that it has obtained a favorable amendment to its current Credit Agreement that immediately lowers the company's interest rates on its senior bank borrowing by 75 basis points along with further improving its liquidity and flexibility. There have been no changes to the financial covenants, and the company remains in compliance with all covenants.

07:12 EDT Mitek Systems enters partnership with Asignio - Mitek announced a partnership with Asignio, a proprietary handwriting-based biometric authentication service, to provide a complete Identity-as-a-Service, or IDaaS, solution. Identity verification combined with biometric authentication provides a major growth opportunity for both Asignio and Mitek to enter new markets and explore new market verticals. Providing verified identity, secure authentication, and improved user experience all in one IDaaS package will help clients meet the security needs of their users while complying with new and upcoming regulations.

07:11 EDT Novartis monoclonal antibodies granted FDA orphan status for CMV prevention - Novartis' human IgG1 anti-human cytomegalovirus monoclonal antibodies LJP538 and LJP539 were granted FDA orphan status for the prevention of congenital cytomegalovirus, or CMV, infection following primary CMV infection in pregnant women, according to a post to the agency's website. Reference Link

07:10 EDT Golden completes $850M acquistion of American Casino & Entertainment Properties - Golden Entertainment announced that it completed its previously announced acquisition of American Casino & Entertainment Properties for $850M from Whitehall Street Real Estate Partners 2007 in a cash and stock transaction. The acquisition of American Casino & Entertainment Properties brings to Golden Entertainment three properties in Las Vegas including the Stratosphere Casino, Hotel & Tower, Arizona Charlie's Decatur and Arizona Charlie's Boulder, as well as the Aquarius Casino Resort in Laughlin. These properties expand and strengthen Golden's presence in Nevada and the Las Vegas Locals market, while providing the Company with an iconic Las Vegas destination property. Golden now operates 16,000 slot machines, 114 table games and 5,162 hotel rooms across eight casino properties and almost 1,000 distributed gaming locations including the largest branded tavern portfolio in Nevada. The purchase consideration consisted of $781M cash and approximately four million shares of Golden Entertainment common stock. Golden financed the cash portion of the transaction and refinanced its existing credit facilities with a new $800M 1st Lien Term Loan and a $200M 2nd Lien Term Loan, as well as obtained a new $100M senior secured revolving credit facility to support the Company's future organic and strategic growth initiatives. Charles Protell, CFO of Golden, added, "The addition of the American properties to our portfolio firmly establishes Golden as a leading Nevada-focused regional gaming company with expected 2017 pro forma net revenues and adjusted EBITDA of $847M and $180M, respectively, which includes $18M of estimated run-rate synergies. We believe that our expanded asset base, strong operating discipline and ability to quickly realize synergies will result in increased free cash flow, allowing us to reduce leverage as well as reinvest in our existing businesses and new growth opportunities."

07:07 EDT Natus Medical to be exclusive U.S. agent for Neonatal MRI device - Natus Medical Incorporated announced that it will be Aspect Imaging, Ltd.'s exclusive selling agent for the Embrace Neonatal MRI system in the United States. The Embrace Neonatal MRI System is designed specifically for imaging of the neonatal head. The Embrace Neonatal MRI System may be used on neonates with a head circumference up to 38 centimeters and weight between 1 and 4.5 kilograms. The system has a temperature-controlled incubator placed directly into the MRI system, minimizing movement of the baby. If urgent access to the baby is necessary during the imaging process, the baby can typically be removed from the system in less than 30 seconds. In addition to its exclusive agency agreement, Natus will also gain equity participation in Aspect Imaging, Ltd.

07:07 EDT Alpine Immune reports exension of research term of agreement with Kite - Alpine Immune Sciences (ALPN) announced it has extended the research term of its worldwide research and license agreement with Kite, a Gilead (GILD) company. The research collaboration and license agreement, initiated in October 2015, grants Kite an exclusive license to two Alpine programs from Alpine's Transmembrane Immunomodulatory Protein program. The license allows Kite to further engineer these candidates into chimeric antigen receptor and T cell receptor product candidates. The research term extension does not change the $535M in up front and potential regulatory milestones payable to Alpine in the original agreement or royalties Alpine may earn on potential future sales of Kite products incorporating Alpine's TIP technology. Kite will continue to have access to two programs from Alpine's TIP technology for use in CAR-T and TCRs during the extended research term.

07:06 EDT AstraZeneca announces FDA approval of Bydureon BCise injectable suspension - AstraZeneca announced that the FDA has approved BYDUREON BCise injectable suspension, a new formulation of BYDUREON injectable suspension in an improved once-weekly, single-dose autoinjector device for adults with type-2 diabetes whose blood sugar remains uncontrolled on one or more oral medicines in addition to diet and exercise, to improve glycemic control. Across two clinical trials, average HbA1c reductions of up to 1.4% and average weight loss of up to 3.1 pounds were achieved when used as monotherapy or as an add-on to metformin, a sulfonylurea, a thiazolidinedione, or any combination of two of these oral anti-diabetic medicines at 28 weeks. The most common adverse reactions reported in greater than or equal to5% of patients in clinical trials were nausea and adverse events associated with injection-site nodules. BYDUREON BCise will be available for patients in the US in the first quarter of 2018. BYDUREON Pen will also remain available for patients. A regulatory application for the new autoinjector device has also been accepted by the European Medicines Agency.

07:05 EDT On Deck Capital announces agreements with Visa and Ingo Money - OnDeck announced agreements with Ingo Money and Visa to enable real-time funding of loans to small businesses via their debit cards, powered by Visa Direct. OnDeck will be the first company in the online lending industry to offer real-time access to capital via a customer's existing small business debit card. The move by OnDeck comes in response to small business demand for improved cash flow and faster payment experiences.

07:04 EDT State Street reports Q3 estimated Basel III CET1 ratio 11.6% - Estimated Basel III common equity tier 1 ratio for 3Q17 was 11.6% and estimated leverage ratio increased to 7.4%, while delivering GAAP and operating-basis ROE of 13.0% and 13.4%, respectively.

07:02 EDT VF Corp. raises FY17 cash flow from operations view to about $1.5B from $1.45B

07:01 EDT VF Corp. CEO says Q3 results 'strong' - "VF's third quarter results were strong, fueled by accelerated momentum across the company's international and direct-to-consumer platforms and our Outdoor and Action Sports and Workwear businesses," said Steve Rendle, President and CEO. "Based on the strength of our third quarter performance and the stronger growth trajectory we see for the remainder of 2017, we are again increasing our full year outlook and making additional growth-focused investments aimed at accelerating growth and value creation into 2018 and beyond. VF remains committed to returning cash to shareholders as evidenced by the increase in our dividend, which is supported by the strength of our balance sheet and the confidence we have in our strategic growth plan."

06:58 EDT Merck and AstraZeneca submitt NDA to Japanese Agency for Lynparza - AstraZeneca (AZN) and Merck (MRK) announced that they have submitted a new drug application, or NDA, to Japan's Pharmaceuticals and Medical Devices Agency, or PMDA, for the use of LYNPARZA tablets in unresectable or recurrent BRCA-mutated breast cancer, with a decision expected in the second half of 2018. The Japan NDA is based on the positive results from the Phase III OlympiAD trial published in the New England Journal of Medicine.

06:54 EDT Hartford Financial suspends additional share repurchases under buyback program - Effective Oct. 13, the company suspended additional share repurchases under its $1.3B equity repurchase program. The company has repurchased approximately $1.027B of common shares during 2017 and has approximately $273M remaining under the current program, which expires Dec. 31, 2017. "The company expects to utilize the funds that would otherwise have been used for share repurchases over the balance of the year to help fund the acquisition of Aetna's U.S. group life and disability business, which is expected to close in early November. As a result of the acquisition, the company does not currently expect to authorize an equity repurchase plan for 2018," Hartford said.

06:53 EDT Hartford: 2017 likely to be highest catastrophe year for U.S. P&C in over decade - Hartford's President Doug Elliot said, "Based on activity year-to-date, 2017 will likely be the highest catastrophe year that the U.S. property and casualty industry has seen in more than a decade. Our catastrophe losses were largely consistent with the estimate we provided earlier this month, and our claims organization continues to perform at its best, handling multiple events across several states. We believe that our claims organization is one of our competitive advantages, and I am proud of the dedication and quality service that our team is providing to our policyholders. Excluding catastrophe losses, margins remain strong in Commercial Lines and Group Benefits. Personal Lines continues to demonstrate that the multiple profitability initiatives we have launched since late 2015 are gaining traction and improving our bottom line results."

06:52 EDT Eli Lilly announces $72M investment in diabetes manufacturing in Indianapolis - Eli Lilly announced plans to invest $72M in an insulin manufacturing project at one of its Indianapolis facilities. The investment will be used to replace an existing insulin vial filling line and allow Lilly to meet growing demand for its insulins - including Humalog and Humulin - while upgrading to state-of-the-art technology and preparing for its insulin pipeline.

06:51 EDT Halliburton reports Q3 North America revenue $3.2B - North America revenue in the third quarter of 2017 was $3.2B, a 14% increase sequentially, relative to a 6% increase in average U.S. rig count. This improvement was driven primarily by increased utilization and pricing throughout the United States land sector in the majority of our product service lines, primarily pressure pumping, as well as higher well completion and pressure pumping activity in Canada.

06:49 EDT Community Bank System reports Q3 provision for loan losses $2.3M - Community Bank System reports Q3 net charge-offs were $1.8M, compared to $1.5M for the Q3 of FY16 and $1.1M for the Q2. Net charge-offs as an annualized percentage of average loans measured 0.11% in the Q3, compared to 0.12% in last year's Q3 and 0.08% in the Q2. Nonperforming loans as a percentage of total loans at September 30, 2017 were 0.37%, improved from 0.47% at September 30, 2016 and generally consistent with 0.36% at June 30, 2017. The total loan delinquency ratio of 1.05% at the end of the Q3 was one basis point lower than the level at September 30, 2016, and six basis points higher than this year's second quarter-end. The Q3 provision for loan losses of $2.3M was $500,000 higher than the Q3 of FY16, and $900,000 higher than the Q3.

06:37 EDT EQT begins search for additional board members - EQT announced that it has commenced a search for two additional, independent board members with extensive midstream experience. The new board members will join the EQT Board immediately following the successful closing of the Rice Energy transaction and will serve on the Committee being formed to evaluate options for addressing the Company's sum-of-the-parts discount.

06:33 EDT Hasbro repurchased $92.9M of stock during Q3 - The Company paid $71.4M in cash dividends to shareholders during the third quarter 2017. The next quarterly cash dividend payment of 57c per common share is scheduled for November 15, 2017 to shareholders of record at the close of business on November 1, 2017. During the third quarter, Hasbro repurchased 947,300 shares of common stock at a total cost of $92.9M and an average price of $98.06 per share. Hasbro repurchased $111.5M worth of common stock during the first three quarters of 2017. At quarter-end, $216.5M remained available in the current share repurchase authorization.

06:32 EDT Target gears up for holidays with free shipping and gifts under $15 - Target unveiled its plans for the holidays, including new brands, thousands of exclusive gifts under $15, easy and convenient ways to shop and save, and festive in-store experiences. Target previously shared that it is reimagining its brand portfolio with the introduction of more than 12 new exclusive brands by the end of 2018. Eight of those brands - spanning baby, kids, women and men's apparel and accessories and home - will be available for the first time this holiday season, offering guests unprecedented style and value. Most recently, Target introduced Project 62, A New Day, Goodfellow and JoyLab, and on Nov. 5, it will unveil the much-anticipated Hearth & Hand with Magnolia. Co-designed with Chip and Joanna Gaines, Hearth & Hand with Magnolia features 300 products, most for under $30, including tabletop, home decor and giftables, like a toy dollhouse and workbench, a letters to Santa mailbox, festive tableware and more. The collaboration with Target marks the couple's first time creating product with a retailer. "Target previously shared that it is reimagining its brand portfolio with the introduction of more than 12 new exclusive brands by the end of 2018. Eight of those brands - spanning baby, kids, women and men's apparel and accessories and home - will be available for the first time this holiday season, offering guests unprecedented style and value. Most recently, Target introduced Project 62, A New Day, Goodfellow and JoyLab, and on Nov. 5, it will unveil the much-anticipated Hearth & Hand with Magnolia. Co-designed with Chip and Joanna Gaines, Hearth & Hand with Magnolia features 300 products, most for under $30, including tabletop, home decor and giftables, like a toy dollhouse and workbench, a letters to Santa mailbox, festive tableware and more. The collaboration with Target marks the couple's first time creating product with a retailer. To make gift-giving even more foolproof, Target is introducing GiftNow on Target.com. This service allows gift givers to click the GiftNow button on products on Target.com and send an e-gift box, which allows the recipient to accept the gift, change the color or size, or choose something entirely different, all before anything ships. Target also is expanding its popular Wondershop seasonal brand, which was introduced in 2016." Also in time for the holidays, Target has increased the number of stores that ship online orders to guests' homes to more than 1,400, making the delivery process faster and more efficient for guests. In addition, Target.com will offer Free Ship to all guests beginning Nov. 1, with no minimum purchase required.

06:31 EDT Amazon.com launches Amazon Handmade Gift Shop - Amazon.com (AMZN) announced the launch of the Amazon Handmade Gift Shop, a selection of thousands of giftable, handcrafted items for every holiday, milestone or occasion. Whether you are shopping for personalized jewelry, an anniversary or baby gift or custom decor for a holiday gathering, the Handmade Gift Shop has you covered. The Handmade Gift Shop features thousands of handcrafted products to make holiday shopping easier than ever before. The Fly notes Amazon Handmade Gift Shop will compete in the same space as Etsy (ETSY).

06:20 EDT Red Lion Hotels selling Entertainment business - RLH has simplified and focused its business strategy over the past few months by selling its Entertainment business and has engaged CBRE to list for sale the majority of its hotel ownership interests. This refinement of the company's business strategy allows it to accelerate its evolution toward operating primarily as a franchise company. Its franchising business requires less capital to grow, provides higher profit margins and allows it to better leverage the excellent infrastructure and highly skilled employees over a larger franchise base. The sale of RLH Corporation's Entertainment business was completed on October 3, 2017. Although the sale of the Entertainment business required that the company disclose its results of operations as discontinued operations in the income statement, the company has determined that it is not necessary to revise 2017 earnings guidance as a result of the sale. As reported in its second quarter earnings report, its earnings guidance range for adjusted EBITDA is $22M-$23M for 2017 - guidance which remains unchanged despite the sale of the Entertainment business.

06:04 EDT Sanchez Energy reports Q3 production up 43% vs. last year - Sanchez Energy announced operating results for the Q3. Highlights for the quarter include: production totaled approximately 6.8M barrels of oil equivalent, or MMBoe, or 73,783 barrels of oil equivalent per day, or Boe/d, which represents an increase of 43% over Q3 of FY16 production and is at the high end of the Company's guidance for the Q3 despite unprecedented levels of rainfall and flooding along the Gulf Coast and in South Texas associated with Hurricane Harvey and subsequent localized storms; three Lower Eagle Ford A and three Lower Eagle Ford B wells, which were brought on-line in the Briscoe Catarina West area of Comanche, in 250 foot staggered lateral spacing tests, are producing in-line with the Company's Lower Eagle Ford type curve; the success of the Lower Eagle Ford 250 foot staggered lateral spacing test during the third quarter 2017 doubles the Company's Lower Eagle Ford opportunity set, adding up to 800 gross Lower Eagle Ford well locations to the Comanche asset's drilling inventory; Eight Lower Eagle Ford wells with an average lateral length of approximately 7,500 feet were brought on-line at the Briscoe Cochina West area of Comanche, achieved an average 24-hour peak production rate of approximately 990 Boe/d, approximately 80% of which was oil.

05:56 EDT KBR books over $16M in contract variations in Australia - KBR announced that its global Government Services business, KBRwyle, has booked over $16M in contract variations for four of its acquisition and longer term sustainment services contracts with the Australian Department of Defence.

05:48 EDT China Lodging declares special dividend of 16c per share/64c per ADS - China Lodging announced that its board has declared a cash dividend of 16c per ordinary share, or 64c per American Depositary Share. Holders of the company's ordinary shares or ADS at the close of trading on December 4, will be entitled to receive the cash dividend on or around December 15. The total amount of cash to be distributed for the special dividend is expected to be approximately $45M. As of June 30, the company had approximately $509M in cash, cash equivalents and restricted cash.

05:25 EDT Boeing, Mitsubishi Heavy reach agreement on cost reduction for 787 production - Boeing and Mitsubishi Heavy Industries announced an agreement to strengthen collaboration in ways that will enhance both companies' competitiveness. The agreement includes efforts to reduce costs in MHI production of wings for the 787 Dreamliner and joint studies of advanced aerostructure technologies for future-generation commercial aircraft. MHI manufactures 787 composite wings at its factory in Nagoya. The agreement aims to enable sales by pursuing increased efficiency in MHI's production system and its supply chain through lean production methods, automation and other activities.