Stockwinners Market Radar for October 31, 2017 - Earnings, Upgrades downgrades, option trades, Best Stock Advisory Service

17:57 EDT U.S. Steel up 8% to $27.35 after Q3 results beat estimates

17:33 EDT MVC Capital shareholders vote against proposal to cease new investments - MVC Capital announced that, based on the preliminary results provided by the independent inspector at the company's 2017 Annual Meeting of Stockholders held today, shareholders voted in support of all of management's proposals and against the shareholder proposal to cease new investments.

17:31 EDT On The Fly: After Hours Movers - UP AFTER EARNINGS: B&G Foods (BGS), up 8.5%... Big 5 Sporting (BGFV), up 7.9%... Qualys (QLYS), up 7.8%... KAR Auction Services (KAR), up 4.6%... Modine Manufacturing (MOD), up 3.6%... C.H. Robinson (CHRW), up 1.9%... Terex (TEX), up 0.7%. ALSO HIGHER: Westport (WPRT), up 8.9% after it was awarded NAFTAL tender. DOWN AFTER EARNINGS: Envision Healthcare (EVHC), down 29%... 3D Systems (DDD), down 12.5%... Check Point (CHKP), down 7.4%... Fiserv (FISV), down 3.4%... Electronic Arts (EA), down 3%... Papa John's (PZZA), down 2.5%... Devon Energy (DVN), down 0.8%. ALSO LOWER: Activision Blizzard (ATVI), down 1.4% after EA reported lower-than-expected quarterly results.

17:28 EDT EA says 'feels good' about Star Wars Battlefront II value proposition - Says "a bit surprised" at growth of digital downloads for Madden and FIFA. Says "optimistic" about where digital downloads are going. Says "feels good" about overall value proposition for Star Wars Battlefront II. Says balance and fairness "very important" to company's gameplay philosophy. Says will make adjustments to Star Wars Battlefront II based on beta feedback.

17:22 EDT BOK Financial raises dividend 2.27% to 45c - BOK Financial declared a dividend on the company's common stock of 45c. This is an increase of 2.27% from 44c per share previously. The dividend will be payable on or about November 27 to shareholders of record on November 13.

17:11 EDT Electronic Arts says 'well-positioned' for holiday quarter - Says Q2 results reflect growth in core areas. Says mobile portfolio continues to strengthen. Says players "loving" story mode addition to Madden franchise. Says global Battlefield community has tens of millions of regular players. Says EA Access and Origin Access bringing more players together. Says now "well-positioned" for holiday quarter. Comments taken from Q2 earnings conference call.

16:54 EDT Intracoastal Capital reports 7.5% passive stake in OncoSec

16:50 EDT Blueknight Energy Partners subsidiary to acquire two facilities - Blueknight Energy Partners announced that a wholly-owned subsidiary of BKEP is expected to acquire two asphalt terminalling facilities located in Bainbridge and Muskogee. The Bainbridge facility will be acquired from Ergon Asphalt & Emulsions, or EA&E, a Mississippi corporation, and Ergon Terminaling, or ETI, a Mississippi corporation. ETI and EA&E are subsidiaries of Jackson, Mississippi-based Ergon, which owns 100% of the outstanding membership interests of the General Partner of BKEP. In addition, Ergon will assign a long-term storage, throughput and handling agreement with a third-party for the Bainbridge facility. The Muskogee, OK, facility will be acquired from Frontier Terminal and Cummins Investment Corporation. BKEP has also entered into two third-party storage, throughput and handling agreements associated with the Muskogee terminal that will be effective upon closing of the transaction.Purchase price for the two terminals is expected to total $32.5M, consisting of $10.5M of BKEP common units to be issued to a subsidiary of Ergon in a private placement at a market price and $22.0M in cash. The acquisition of the Bainbridge, GA, facility is still subject to the execution of definitive agreements, which is expected prior to December 1st, but the principal terms of the transaction are finalized. The Muskogee acquisition definitive agreements have been entered into and the closing of the transaction is subject to the assignment of certain leases and other customary closing conditions. Both transactions are expected to close in the Q4.

16:44 EDT GCP Applied Technologies acquires Ductilcrete Technologies for $32M - GCP Applied Technologies completed the acquisition of Schaumburg, Illinois-based Ductilcrete Technologies for $32 million. Ductilcrete is best known for its patented technology which enables the placement and long-term performance of smooth and level floors, a necessity in modern industrial and commercial buildings. The flooring system provides customers with more sustainable, cost-effective, low-maintenance surfaces with a higher load-bearing capacity than traditional construction. Since it commenced operations in 2012, Ductilcrete has completed over 400 projects and placed over 125 million square feet of flooring using its system. Ductilcrete's management team members, led by founder Greg Scurto, are expected to continue in their roles to grow the Ductilcrete business within GCP.

16:36 EDT BancorpSouth Inc. closes merger with and into BancorpSouth Bank - BancorpSouth Inc. announced it will close the previously announced merger of the Company with and into BancorpSouth Bank with the Bank continuing as the surviving entity effective today at 11:59 p.m. All required regulatory approvals were received from both the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation and the Mississippi Department of Banking and Consumer Finance. The Reorganization is expected to improve efficiency through the elimination of redundant corporate infrastructure and duplicative regulatory oversight. Additionally, the Board of Directors of the Bank has authorized a new stock repurchase program to purchase up to an aggregate of 6,000,000 shares of the Bank's common stock. This new stock repurchase program will become effective upon closing of the Reorganization and will have an expiration date of December 31, 2019.

16:34 EDT Cooper-Standard narrows FY17 adj EBITDA margin to 12.4%-12.6% from 12.3%-12.8%

16:30 EDT Law firm files suit against DuPont, Chemours for Cape Fear river contamination - The national law firm of Baron & Budd announced that it has filed suit on behalf of Brunswick County in the United States Eastern District of North Carolina against Chemours (CC) and DuPont (DWDP) for their role in contaminating the Cape Fear River. The firm is pursuing legal action on the County's behalf to recover costs required to investigate, manage, reduce and remove chemicals from drinking water drawn from the Cape Fear River. Harold Seagle of North Carolina-based Seagle Law will serve as co-counsel in the case. Through initial investigations, Brunswick County has obtained evidence that Chemours and DuPont not only manufactured dangerous perfluorinated chemicals at the Fayetteville Works plant in Fayetteville, North Carolina since 1980, but also released PFC chemicals into the Cape Fear River over the span of many years without disclosure. The companies have continued to deposit PFCs into the river as recently as September 2017. "To think that DuPont and Chemours released their waste products directly into the Cape Fear River, which it knew was public drinking water for thousands of people, is unimaginable," said Summy. "The unfortunate challenge now facing Brunswick County is contaminated drinking water caused by the non-disclosed deposit of PFCs into the Cape Fear River. The County is dedicated to ensuring its residents' safety and quality of life are protected, which is why it has filed a lawsuit to resolve this situation."

16:26 EDT Highwoods Properties sells Highwoods towers for combined $65.3M - Highwoods Properties sold Highwoods Tower One, which encompasses 187,000 square feet, in the Northeast submarket of Raleigh for $34.3 million, including $1.0 million for an adjacent two-acre land parcel. The company has also agreed to sell the adjacent Highwoods Tower Two, which encompasses 168,000 square feet, for $31.0 million, including $1.0 million for another adjacent two-acre land parcel. On a combined basis, Highwoods Tower One and Highwoods Tower Two were projected to generate full year 2017 cash net operating income of $4.6 million and GAAP NOI of $4.2 million.

16:21 EDT Anadarko CEO sees improved margins - "I am very proud of the efforts exhibited by our people and the results achieved in the face of an unusually active hurricane season in the Gulf of Mexico and a continuing volatile commodity environment," said Al Walker, Anadarko Chairman, President and CEO. "We have made significant progress in shifting our production mix toward higher-value oil, which has improved our margins per barrel by about 34 percent year over year. We expect to improve our margins further as we finalize the sale of our Moxa gas asset, continue focusing investments in our high-quality oil plays, and drive greater efficiencies into the system. Although we have adjusted our full-year sales-volume guidance to reflect the impacts of hurricanes Harvey, Irma and Nate, as well as the sale of our Moxa asset, we still expect to exit 2017 with production rates of approximately 150,000 barrels of oil per day combined from the Delaware and DJ basins, and more than 130,000 barrels of oil per day from the deepwater Gulf of Mexico. Looking to 2018, we will continue to demonstrate financial discipline as a foundational principle," added Walker. "We will remain focused on returns by continuing to allocate upstream capital toward the higher-margin assets in our portfolio, which should generate substantial free cash flow in a $50 oil-price environment, with total capital spending, including Anadarko midstream spending on infrastructure in the Delaware Basin, inside of discretionary cash flow from operations."

16:19 EDT Leidos awarded prime contract by TSA - Leidos was awarded a prime contract by the Transportation Security Administration to continue to provide management, information technology security support, and engineering services in support of new, current, and legacy Transportation Security Equipment systems in airports, TSA warehouses, and testing facilities. The single-award firm fixed-price indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contract has a five-year period of performance, and a total contract value of approximately $17M. Work will be performed primarily in Vista, Calif., with on-site deployment at airports across the United States.

16:18 EDT Alamo Group sees 'improved sales and earnings in the fourth quarter' - The company said, "Certainly, we remain concerned about the weakness in the agricultural market and the lingering effects of other headwinds with which we have contended. However, as a result of the stability in our core businesses, the signs of modest but improving growth, a more favorable currency environment, strong backlog and the incremental benefits from our recent acquisitions, we feel optimistic about the near term outlook for Alamo Group. We are pleased that each of our operating divisions seem to be benefiting from these improved conditions and, with our continued focus on cost control, feel this should lead to improved sales and earnings in the fourth quarter of 2017 compared to the fourth quarter of 2016 and into 2018 as well."

16:17 EDT Alamo Group reports backlog of $181M, up 31.7% y/y

16:14 EDT MobileIron Access selected by Jefferies - MobileIron (MOBL) announced that Jefferies is deploying MobileIron Access to provide employees with secure access to Microsoft (MSFT) Office 365.

16:10 EDT Luminex receives FDA clearance for ARIES Group A Strep Assay - Luminex announced that it has received FDA clearance for the ARIES Group A Strep Assay, a moderate complexity, sample to answer test for the direct detection of Streptococcus pyogenes from throat swab specimens using the ARIES System. This is the sixth assay the FDA has cleared for use on Luminex's ARIES Systems in the last 24 months.

16:07 EDT Westport awarded NAFTAL tender - Westport Fuel Systems announced that BRC Gas Equipment was awarded a competitive tender bid by Algeria's National Company for Petroleum Products Marketing and Distribution, NAFTAL, to supply 40,000 liquid petroleum gas sequential injection systems to be delivered into the growing Algerian market in 2018.

16:04 EDT Newfield Exploration raises FY17 production view - The mid-point for 2017 domestic guidance was raised to approximately 152,000 BOEPD (previous guidance: 149,600 BOEPD). The Company now estimates that its year-over-year domestic production growth, adjusted for prior-year asset sales, will be approximately 9 - 10%. The mid-point estimate for 2017 total company production was increased to approximately 156,700 BOEPD (previous guidance was 153,600 BOEPD).

16:03 EDT Newfield Exploration sees Q4 domestic production approximately 168,000 BOEPD

16:03 EDT Newfield Exploration reports Q3 total production approximately 161,700 BOEPD - Newfield's total net production in the third quarter of 2017 was approximately 161,700 BOEPD, comprised of 42% oil, 22% natural gas liquids and 36% natural gas. Domestic production in the third quarter was approximately 159,000 BOEPD, comprised of 41% oil, 23% natural gas liquids and 36% natural gas.

14:58 EDT Empery Asset Management reports 9.01% passive stake in Atossa Genetics

13:55 EDT First Solar slides after ITC proposes solar remedies - Several solar power stocks, especially First Solar (FSLR), are sliding after the International Trade Commission announced three different recommendations for restricting U.S. solar panel imports. Commenting on the news, FBR Capital analyst Carter Driscoll told investors that less onerous than expected ITC remedies may weigh on First Solar. ITC PROPOSED REMEDIES: Members of the U.S. ITC made three different recommendations for restricting U.S. solar panel imports, giving President Donald Trump a range of choices to address injury to domestic producers, according to Reuters. The recommendations range from an immediate 35% tariff on all imported assembled solar modules to a 4-year quota system that allows the import of up to 8.9 gigawatts of solar cells and modules in the first year, the publication added. President Trump is expected to make a decision by early next year in the "global safeguard" case that could significantly restrict imports and affect the price of solar power, Reuters noted. IMPACT ON FIRST SOLAR: After the ITC delivered proposed remedies for the solar 201 trade case with the plurality recommendation calling for 30% tariff on imported solar cells above 1GW and 30% tariff on solar modules over a 4-year period, FBR's Driscoll told investors that he believes the plurality recommendation becomes the leading proposal that President Trump will begin to consider, potentially going into effect in January 2018. However, if Trump pursues an alternative case, or pursues his own under the broad discretion provided by Section 201, any remedy decisions would likely be delayed until April 2018 with the possibility of Congressional action to override the President's recommendation, he contended. The analyst pointed out that he expects First Solar, which he believes would have been the main beneficiary of a more onerous structure, to sell off. Upstream and downstream solar players "should be able to live with this recommendation," if enacted, he added. PRICE ACTION: In afternoon trading, shares of First Solar have dropped about 8% to $55.74. Other publicly traded companies in the solar power sector include JA Solar (JASO), Canadian Solar (CSIQ), SunPower (SPWR), ReneSola (SOL) and JinkoSolar (JKS). All of the above are trading lower this afternoon.

13:37 EDT PDC Energy reaches deal with EPA, DOJ, Colorado to improve air emission controls - PDC Energy announced an agreement with the U.S. EPA, the U.S. DOJ and the State of Colorado to improve air emission control systems on certain oil storage tanks in the Denver-Julesburg Basin. Upon court approval, the agreement will fully resolve the federal court lawsuit filed by the DOJ and State against PDC. "This agreement is the result of months of cooperative conversations with State and EPA regulators and builds upon our years of proactive work, which includes internal assessment and an ongoing remediation program," said President and CEO, Bart Brookman. "We have put a plan in place that will continue to reduce PDC's air emissions in Colorado's DJ Basin and reflects our strong commitment to protecting Colorado's environment." Pursuant to the agreement, PDC will implement changes to its design, operation and maintenance of certain storage tank systems to enhance its emission management in the DJ Basin. Agreed upon and planned efforts include, but are not limited to, vapor control system modifications and verification, increased inspection and monitoring, and installation of tank pressure monitors. The company voluntarily included into this agreement approximately 40 additional facilities associated with its pending acquisition of additional assets in the basin. The company estimates that the related investment to enhance its operations will be approximately $18M. Certain expenditures for the above investment were incurred in 2016 and 2017, with the remainder expected to be incurred through 2022. PDC will also complete $1.7M in mitigation projects to further reduce its emissions in the DJ Basin. These projects include adding emission control systems for certain stationary engines and adding control systems for the transfer of oil into tank trucks. Lastly, PDC will pay a $1.5M civil penalty and provide $1M for State supplemental environmental projects.

13:01 EDT Duke Energy plans to install battery storage equipment, solar panels in Indiana - As part of a commitment to advance cleaner energy for its customers, Duke Energy is planning to install battery storage equipment and solar panels that will operate as a microgrid at the Indiana National Guard's Camp Atterbury training operation in Johnson County, Ind. The company will also install battery storage equipment at a substation in Nabb, Ind., in Clark County. Plans for the projects must be approved by the Indiana Utility Regulatory Commission before work can begin. The microgrid at Camp Atterbury would be the first microgrid installed at a National Guard facility in Indiana.

12:56 EDT Mattel slips after analyst notes 'growing' and 'immediate' capital needs - Shares of Mattel (MAT) slipped in afternoon trading after an analyst from Jefferies said the toy maker's capital needs are "immediate" and "growing." Separately, an analyst at UBS cut his price target on the shares, saying that he views the toy giant as a top-line recovery story, not a cost cutting one, and that Mattel cannot save its way to a turnaround. MATTEL's CAPITAL NEEDS 'GROWING AND IMMEDIATE': After Standard & Poor's downgraded Mattel's debt two notches to junk following downbeat third quarter results, Jefferies analyst Stephanie Wissink said yesterday that the toy maker's capital needs are "growing and immediate." The analyst believes that a lack of access to the commercial paper market and Mattel's limited debt capacity leaves the company with limited options to fund its operations. Wissink argued, however, that the company can exercise an open shelf or possibly sell off assets, but noted that the firm is taking a "conservative" approach to the sales recovery and post-investment cost savings. The analyst maintained a Hold rating and $12.50 price target on the stock. MATTEL CANNOT SAVE ITS WAY TO A TURNAROUND: Before today's market open, UBS analyst Arpine Kocharyan maintained a Buy rating on the stock but cut his price target to $18 from $22, reaffirming his view that Mattel is a top-line recovery story, not a cost-cutting story. The analyst said that a company cannot save its way to a turnaround, as acceleration in top line growth is necessary. Kocharyan acknowledged, however, that that there are costs to slash if the top line does not come back, even though investors would prefer for margins to improve through a better top line. EARNINGS MISS: The analysts' commentary follows Mattel's bleak Q3 results, in which its earnings per share of 9c and revenue of $1.56B missed greatly on both the top and bottom line as analysts expected the company to report Q3 EPS of 59c on revenue of $1.82B. The company said that its sales performance in the quarter was negatively affected by Toys 'R' Us filing for bankruptcy, tighter retailer inventory management, and challenges with certain underperforming brands. The company added at the time that its board opted to suspend the company's quarterly dividend beginning in the fourth quarter of 2017 in an effort to increase financial flexibility, strengthen the balance sheet and facilitate strategic investments. PRICE ACTION: In afternoon trading, Mattel is down about 9.5% to $14.10. Shares are down nearly 49% year-to-date.

12:07 EDT AstraZeneca's mantle cell lymphoma treatment wins FDA approval - The Food and Drug Administration announced it granted accelerated approval to AstraZeneca's Calquence for the treatment of adults with mantle cell lymphoma who have received at least one prior therapy. Calquence is a kinase inhibitor that works by blocking an enzyme needed by the cancer to multiply and spread. Reference Link

12:02 EDT Mylan says investigation found no evidence of price fixing - Mylan provided a statement in response to the announcement of proposed amendments to the civil complaint by various states' attorneys general in multi-district litigation pending in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania against Mylan and 17 other pharmaceutical companies. The company said, "We have been investigating these allegations thoroughly and have found no evidence of price fixing on the part of Mylan or its employees. Our review of the Connecticut Attorney General's press release underpinning the complaint does not change our views. We have asked the various attorneys general leading this case to share with us what information they believe supports these new allegations and, to date, they have not done so. Mylan has deep faith in the integrity of its President, Rajiv Malik, and stands behind him fully. Mylan and Rajiv Malik both intend to defend this case vigorously, and we look forward to the opportunity to present a full defense. Mylan takes its legal obligations seriously and operates with the highest levels of integrity and character. Mylan expects to have no further comment while the matter is pending."

11:47 EDT Netlist files new investigation into SK hynix server memory in ITC - Netlist announced it has filed new legal proceedings for patent infringement against SK hynix in the United States International Trade Commission. The new ITC investigation is based on the infringement of two Netlist patents by SK hynix RDIMM and LRDIMM enterprise memory products. "The action we took today brings to the ITC the latest, and some of the strongest patents in our portfolio covering SK hynix server memory products," said C.K. Hong, Chairman and CEO of Netlist. "We remain committed to defending our intellectual property, and will take all measures necessary to stop SK hynix's prolonged and continuing infringement of our patents." Netlist brought its first ITC investigation against SK hynix in September 2016. An evidentiary hearing in that investigation concluded in early May of this year, and the Administrative Law Judge is expected to issue an Initial Determination by November 14, 2017.In the complaint filed today, Netlist asked the ITC to investigate whether SK hynix RDIMM and LRDIMM products infringe U.S. Patent Nos. 9,606,907, and 9,535,623. Both patents are related to, and improve on, patents asserted in the first ITC investigation though they issued after the first investigation was filed. Netlist asserted the'907 and '623 patents against SK hynix earlier this year in the U.S. District Court for the Central District of California. Netlist anticipates the new ITC investigation based on the '907 and '623 patents will proceed at a rapid pace based on the ITC's governing statute.

11:33 EDT AK Steel sees Q4 shipments 'down marginally' vs. Q3 - Says "disappointed with the slow progress in addressing the import situation, which continues to worsen." AK Steel management said average selling price in Q4 will be marginally lower than in Q3. Management said the company had planned operational outages in FY17 due to scheduled maintenance. Sees outage expense for Q4 of $50M. Raises FY17 capital investment guidance to $140M-$160M. Guidance and comments provided during Q3 earnings conference call.

11:11 EDT IBM board authorizes $3B for stock repurchase - The IBM board also authorized $3B in additional funds for use in the company's stock repurchase program. IBM said it will repurchase shares on the open market or in private transactions from time to time, depending on market conditions. This amount is in addition to approximately $1.5B remaining at the end of September 2017 from a prior authorization. With this new authorization, IBM will have approximately $4.5B for its stock repurchase program. Ginni Rometty, IBM chairman, president and CEO, said: "Our strong free cash flow has enabled us to maintain R&D investments and to expand IBM's cloud and cognitive capabilities through capital investments, while returning capital to shareholders. We remain committed to both investing for the long term and returning capital."

10:54 EDT MasterCard says fines from EU could be 'in excess of $1B' in negative decision - In April 2016, Mastercard submitted a response to the Statement of Objections issued in July 2015 by the European Commission related to Mastercard's interregional interchange fees and central acquiring rules within the European Economic Area. MasterCard has disputed the European Commission's preliminary conclusions and participated in a related oral hearing in May 2016. "Since that time, Mastercard has remained in discussions with the European Commission. Although the Statement of Objections does not quantify the level of fines, based upon recent interactions with the European Commission, it is possible that they could be substantial, potentially in excess of $1 billion if the European Commission were to issue a negative decision. Fines may be less than this amount in the event of a negotiated resolution. Due to the uncertainty of numerous legal issues, including the potential for a negotiated resolution, Mastercard cannot estimate a possible range of loss at this time, although Mastercard expects to obtain greater clarity with respect to these issues in the fourth quarter of 2017 or early 2018," the company stated in a regulatory filing related to its earnings report.

10:41 EDT Emerson trading resumes

10:33 EDT Emerson confirms Rockwell Automation offer, says no talks ongoing - Emerson (EMR) confirmed in a press release that it made a private offer to Rockwell Automation (ROK) proposing a combination of the two companies. "The proposal was rejected by Rockwell Automation and no discussions are currently ongoing between the two companies," Emerson said. It added, "Emerson remains a disciplined acquirer and will only pursue transactions that are in the best interests of its shareholders."

10:29 EDT Kellogg not giving 'formal guidance' for 2018 - Kellogg management said the company is not issuing formal guidance for 2018 but incoming CEO Steve Cahillane noted that the company is "well on track" to achieve previous guidance metrics. Comments provided during Q3 earnings conference call.

10:24 EDT Rockwell Automation confirms rejecting unsolicited proposals from Emerson

10:05 EDT Insys Therapeutics trading resumes

10:00 EDT Insys Therapeutics trading halted, volatility trading pause

09:51 EDT Southeastern Asset reports 10.2% passive stake in Mattel

09:44 EDT Emerson trading halted, news pending

09:33 EDT Insys Therapeutics to resume trading October 31, 2017 at 10:00 am EST - The Nasdaq Stock Market announced that trading in INSYS Therapeutics is scheduled to resume, Tuesday, October 31, 2017 at 10:00 am, Eastern Time. Trading in the company's stock was halted on October 26 at 16:55:13 Eastern Time.

09:31 EDT MKS Instruments raises quarterly dividend to 18c per share from 17.5c per share - MKS Instruments announced that its board has authorized a quarterly cash dividend of 18c per share, payable on December 8, to shareholders of record as of November 27. This represents a 3% increase from last quarter's dividend of 17.5c per share and a 20% cumulative increase in dividend since inception in 2011.

09:27 EDT UPS announces new $90M Aurora, CO operations facility, to create over 700 jobs - UPS announced the construction of a new package distribution facility in Aurora that will create more than 700 new jobs when fully operational. A portion of the almost 360,000 square foot building, located in the 110 acre East Park 70 industrial business park along the Interstate 70 corridor just east of Denver, is expected to begin operating this year in time for the busy holiday shipping season. The $90M project joins a multi-year investment plan to expand and modernize UPS's global logistics network. From early 2016 through September 2017, UPS announced plans to construct nine new U.S. facilities that will add more than 6.2M square feet of facility space for increasing package processing capacity.

09:26 EDT AeroCentury agrees to acquire JetFleet Holding - AeroCentury announced that a definitive Agreement and Plan of Merger for the acquisition by AeroCentury of JetFleet Holding Corp., or JHC, was signed on October 26, 2017. JHC is the parent of JetFleet Management Corp., or JMC, which has managed the company's operations and aircraft portfolio since AeroCentury's founding in 1997. The current management agreement between JMC and the company was entered into in 2015 and has a term ending in 2025. Under the Merger Agreement, JHC shareholders are to receive $3.M in cash and 129,286 shares of the company's Common Stock, subject to various adjustments at closing, in return for all the outstanding capital stock of JHC. The closing of the acquisition is expected to occur in the first quarter of 2018, and is subject to satisfaction of certain conditions customary for merger transactions. Until the closing, AeroCentury and JHC will operate as separate businesses. Once the acquisition is consummated, JHC will become a wholly-owned subsidiary of the company, thereby consolidating the company's current management team at JHC with the company's aircraft portfolio into one enterprise. The company expects to account for the acquisition using the acquisition method of accounting, whereby the purchase price will be allocated to the assets acquired and liabilities assumed based on their respective fair values as of the acquisition date. For accounting purposes, the company expects to record a settlement loss related to its existing obligations under the management agreement with JMC at the time of acquisition in an amount equal to a substantial portion of the purchase consideration to be paid in the Merger. However, the company believes that the acquisition provides the potential for the company to lower its overall management costs, and thus be accretive to shareholders in the long term.

09:25 EDT Greenlight's Einhorn sees U.S. tax reform as 'far more likely' than ACA reform

09:24 EDT MasterCard sees FY17 adj operating expenses growth top end of high-single digits - Sees FY17 GAAP operating expenses growth high end of low-double digits. Sees FY17 tax rate approximately 27%. Sees Q4 tax rate approximately 28%.

09:23 EDT Dunkin' Brands down in pre-market after announcing conference presentation plans - Shares of Dunkin' Brands are slipping in pre-market trading, indicating the stock may give back some of the gains seen yesterday, which were attributed to speculation that the donut and coffee seller could be a target for consolidator JAB Holdings. Dunkin' Brands announced today that management will be presenting on Tuesday, November 14, at the Morgan Stanley Global Consumer & Retail Conference, which may be seen as adding some skepticism about yesterday's takeover rumors. With less than 10 minutes until the open, Dunkin' Brands shares are down 94c, or 1.6%, to $58.15.

09:16 EDT Terreno Realty acquires Miami, Florida property for $8.4M - Terreno Realty acquired an industrial property located in Miami, Florida on October 30 for a purchase price of approximately $8.4M. The property consists of one industrial distribution building that after renovation in 2018 will contain approximately 59,000 square feet on 3.2 acres at 1775 NW 70th Avenue immediately adjacent to Miami International Airport and four existing Terreno Realty Corporation properties on NW 70th Avenue. The property provides 10 dock-high and one grade-level loading positions, parking for 148 cars and is 100% leased to one tenant on a short-term basis. The estimated stabilized cap rate of the property is 5.4%.

09:13 EDT Under Armour: Q3 was 'perfect storm with internal, external factors hitting us'

09:08 EDT Under Armour sees FY CapEx $300M, down from prior view of $350M

09:07 EDT Under Armour sees FY North America revenue down at HSD rate - Sees FY North America revenue down at HSD rate, International up greater than 50%. Sees FY apparel and footwear revenue up at LSD rate. DTC revenue should be up at HSD rate, sees wholesale business revenue down at LSD rate globally.

09:07 EDT MasterCard says view of global economy 'generally positive' - Says recent hurricanes having "limited impact" on U.S. economy. Says economic growth in Europe is "steady." Says Latin America shows "signs of improvement." Comments from Q3 earnings conference call.

09:06 EDT Aetna says 2018 will not be a growth year

09:04 EDT Future FinTech to amend preliminary proxy statement - Future FinTech Group announced that it plans to amend its preliminary proxy statement as regards its 2017 Annual Meeting of Shareholders and change it to a special meeting of the Company's shareholders for the consideration of the corporate restructuring as disclosed in the preliminary proxy statement and other items associated with the restructuring. The Company will file a separate and new definitive proxy statement for its 2017 Annual Meeting of Shareholders to include only the following two items: To elect five directors to hold office until the next Annual Meeting of Shareholders and until their successors are elected and qualified; and to ratify the Audit Committee's selection of the independent registered public accounting firm for the fiscal year ending December 31. A special shareholders meeting will be planned to be held in early 2018 to vote on the corporate restructuring previously disclosed in the preliminary proxy, which would entail the spin-off of the Company's wholly owned subsidiaries, SkyPeople Foods Holdings and FullMart Holdings, and other items that the Company is considering to be submitted for approval to the shareholders of the Company.

09:02 EDT Scana and its subsidiary announces top management changes - SCANA and its principal subsidiary, South Carolina Electric & Gas Company, announced the following actions will be effective January 1, 2018: Chairman and CEO Kevin Marsh will retire as CEO of SCANA and SCE&G, and Stephen Byrne will retire as Senior Vice President of SCANA and COO and President, Generation and Transmission of SCE&G. Lead Independent Director Maybank Hagood will become Non-Executive Chairman of the Board of Directors. Jimmy Addison will become CEO. Keller Kissam will become President and COO of SCE&G. Iris Griffin will become CFO.

09:01 EDT Samsung Experience to launch at Macy's Herald Square - Macy's (M) and Samsung (SSNLF) announced the launch of a unique Samsung experience at the retailer's flagship location in New York City. Beginning Nov. 1, customers shopping at Macy's Herald Square will be able to explore and purchase a range of Samsung products, including an assortment of the most innovative technologies in virtual reality, tablet, smartphone, wearable, the Family Hub refrigerator, QLED television, home audio and smart home categories.

08:50 EDT Amazon to create more than 500 full-time jobs in Macon, Georgia - Amazon.com announced plans for a new fulfillment center in Macon, Georgia. When opened, Amazon will create more than 500 new full-time jobs at the facility. The company currently has more than 2,000 full-time employees at three fulfillment centers located in Braselton, Lithia Springs and Union City.

08:48 EDT Under Armour says well under way with strategic transformation

08:47 EDT ASPiRA Labs entered into agreement with Blue Cross Blue Shield of Lousiana - ASPiRA Labs, a Vermillion company, announced it has entered into an agreement with Blue Cross Blue Shield of Louisiana. "ASPiRA Labs has increased in-network coverage for OVA1 with BCBS of Louisiana," said the company. "The expanded agreement, coupled with our existing coverage, now covers more than 82% of Louisiana's population. As demonstrated in a series of recent announcements, we are making considerable strides in expanding access to OVA1, the strongest performing multi-algorithm ovarian cancer risk assessment test, to millions of women in 2017." Blue Cross Blue Shield of Louisiana provides approximately 1.45 million lives with in-network coverage throughout the state. This BCBS plan is in addition to existing TriCare, Medicare, and Medicaid plans that have OVA1 covered in Louisiana.

08:42 EDT Capstone Turbine announces confirmation of 5.2 MW U.S. pipeline project - Capstone Turbine announced that it received confirmation of the customer factory witness testing and shipment of a 5.2 megawatt U.S. pipeline project from its current product backlog. E-Finity Distributed Generation previously secured this shale gas order and has now confirmed delivery of all 5.2 MWs in Capstone's Q3, the company said. E-Finity is Capstone's exclusive distributor for the Mid-Atlantic and Southeastern United States. The order is comprised of two C1000 and four C800 Signature Series microturbines, totaling 5.2 MWs of clean and reliable power. The natural gas-fueled microturbines will provide power along a new U.S. shale gas pipeline currently under construction. "The confirmed shipment of 5.2 MW for a large pipeline project within this quarter, in conjunction with the significant progress we have made recently on our multi-point strategic path, gives us a substantial opportunity to accelerate our goal of reaching Adjusted EBITDA breakeven in the near-term," said Jayme Brooks, Capstone's CFO.

08:39 EDT ADP to submit complaint to SEC regarding 'false' statements from Ackman - ADP issued the following statement: "ADP strongly rejects the false and misleading statements made yesterday by Pershing Square's Bill Ackman in his various press releases and his 18-page letter to Institutional Shareholder Services. Consistent with our responsibilities under Regulation FD and ISS' long-standing policy, ADP has not disclosed any material non-public information in its meetings with ISS or any other party. Our discussion with ISS was based entirely on information included in the investor presentation filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on September 12, 2017, as well as other publicly available materials and filings. ADP will be submitting a complaint with the SEC regarding Mr. Ackman's false and misleading statements in yesterday's press releases and letter to ISS. Mr. Ackman's reckless and unfounded assertions continue to undermine his credibility and are inconsistent with the temperament of a reputable Board member."

08:37 EDT Oramed granted broad composition of matter patent in Europe for oral proteins - Oramed announced the European Patent Office has issued to Oramed a notice of intent to grant a patent for broader claims for its invention titled, 'Methods and Compositions for Oral Administration of Proteins'. The claims now extend to cover oral compositions of any protein up to a molecular weight of 100,000 Daltons and uses of the same. The patent covers Oramed's drugs including its oral insulin capsule ORMD-0801 which is currently in clinical development for type 1 and type 2 diabetes, as well as ORMD-0901, an oral GLP-1 analog capsule.

08:36 EDT Cerus, Kedrion Biopharma enter distribution agreement for INTERCEPT in Italy - Cerus Corporation announced that it has entered into an agreement with Kedrion Biopharma to distribute the full complement of INTERCEPT Blood System products in Italy. Kedrion Biopharma will initially distribute INTERCEPT for platelets and plasma and will have the right to distribute INTERCEPT red blood cells following CE mark approval. Under the terms of the agreement, Kedrion Biopharma will be the sole distributor for the INTERCEPT Blood Systems in Italy and will be responsible for promotion, sales, deployment, and red cell introduction for INTERCEPT in the future. Cerus estimates the Italian transfusion market at approximately 200,000 units for platelets, 400,000 units for plasma, and 2,500,000 units for red blood cells.

08:33 EDT Aimmune announces 'positive' AR101 data from ARC001 Phase 2 clinical trial - Aimmune Therapeutics announced the online publication of positive data from its ARC001 Phase 2 clinical trial of AR101 in The Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology: In Practice.1 AR101, Aimmune's investigational biologic oral immunotherapy for desensitization of patients with peanut allergy, is currently in Phase 3 clinical trials, with pivotal data expected in the first quarter of 2018. The ARC001 study enrolled 55 peanut-allergic subjects, ages 4-21. The study was the first randomized, placebo-controlled Phase 2 peanut oral immunotherapy study to include double-blind, placebo-controlled food challenges at both entry and exit. The study was also the first conducted using an investigational oral biologic drug with a characterized peanut protein profile, manufactured to cGMP standards and intended for potential commercialization. The ARC001 study met its primary endpoint, providing evidence that AR101 has immunomodulatory activity, which, after approximately six months of treatment, significantly reduced clinical reactivity in almost 80 percent of the peanut-allergic subjects randomized to AR101 treatment. The primary endpoint of the Phase 2 study was the proportion of subjects in each arm able to tolerate a single highest dose of at least 300 mg of peanut protein, with no or only mild symptoms, at an exit double-blind, placebo-controlled food challenge. The exit DBPCFC tested consecutive doses of 3, 10, 30, 100, 300, and 600 mg of peanut protein, given 20 to 30 minutes apart, as tolerated with no or mild symptoms. In the intention-to-treat analysis, 23 of 29 AR101 subjects tolerated a single highest dose of at least 300 mg of peanut protein, versus 5 of 26 placebo subjects. Additionally, 18 of 29 AR101 subjects tolerated a single highest dose of 600 mg of peanut protein, versus 0 of 26 placebo subjects. Of the AR101 subjects who completed the desensitization protocol, all tolerated the 300-mg dose of peanut protein. Further, 78 percent of those subjects tolerated the 600-mg dose of peanut protein, corresponding to cumulative equivalents of approximately one and a half peanuts and approximately three to four peanuts, respectively. Consistent with the known mechanisms of OIT, transient allergic symptoms occurred in nearly all AR101 subjects, with 96 percent of those symptoms being mild, not dose-limiting, and not requiring medical intervention. No adverse events were graded as severe. Gastrointestinal symptoms were the most common treatment-related adverse events in both the AR101 and the placebo subjects. Recurrent GI symptoms led to the early withdrawal from treatment of four AR101 subjects and contributed, along with other factors, to the early withdrawal of two additional AR101 subjects. In all six AR101 subjects who withdrew, the GI symptoms resolved within three weeks of discontinuing treatment.

08:32 EDT Flex Pharma names Concert Pharmaceuticals CEO Tung to board - Flex Pharma (FLKS) announced that Roger Tung, Ph.D. has been appointed to its Board of Directors. Dr. Tung is the scientific co-founder of Concert Pharmaceuticals (CNCE), where he serves as President and CEO.

08:31 EDT Fiesta Restaurant appoints Maria Chang Mayer as SVP, general counsel - Fiesta Restaurant Group announced the appointment of Maria Chang Mayer as the company's Senior Vice President, General Counsel and Secretary effective November 15, 2017.

08:22 EDT ABM selected as facilities service partner for Forest Hills Stadium in New York - ABM has been selected as a facilities service partner for Forest Hills Stadium in Queens, New York. The contract encompasses cleaning services prior to, during and after events. It also includes sustainable practices - ABM will be responsible for recycling and composting. Additionally, given the stadium's location, ABM will also maintain the neighboring blocks during high traffic events. Terms of the contract were not disclosed.

08:20 EDT Catalyst Pharmaceuticals completes enrollment in Phase 3 trial of Firdapse - Catalyst Pharmaceuticals announced the completion of enrollment in the LMS-003 Phase 3 trial evaluating Firdapse in patients with Lambert-Eaton Myasthenic Syndrome. As previously reported, Catalyst is also conducting preclinical abuse liability studies required by the FDA's guidance for "Assessment of Abuse Potential of Drugs" that was finalized in January 2017. Catalyst has completed all three studies for Self-Administration, Physical Dependence, and Drug Discrimination. Top-line results indicate that amifampridine phosphate does not exhibit abuse potential in these assessment models. Catalyst remains confident that no further preclinical or clinical studies for abuse liability will be required.

08:17 EDT Genesee & Wyoming sees FY17 North America revenue $1.26B-$1.27B - Sees FY17 North American operating revenue $1.26B-$1.27B vs. prior $1.27B-$1.28B view. Sees FY17 Australian operating revenue $310M-$315M vs. prior $310M-$320M view. Sees FY17 UK/EU operating revenue $620M-$630M in line with prior expectations. Comments from slides that will be presented on the Q3 earnings conference call.

08:14 EDT Denny's increases share repurchase authorization by $200M - Denny's proved a new multi-year share repurchase program authorizing the repurchase of an additional $200M of its common stock, in addition to repurchases previously authorized.

08:12 EDT Ebix subsidiary acquires Via.com - Ebix announced that one of its Singapore subsidiaries has entered into an agreement to acquire Via.com, an Omni-channel online travel and assisted e-commerce exchange. The acquisition of Via expands on Ebix's distribution network to over 224,000 distribution outlets in the South East of Asia, besides offering significant cross selling opportunities for Ebix's EbixCash Financial Exchange portfolio of products. Under the terms of the agreement, Via was valued at a total enterprise value of approximately $74.9M. The closing of the transaction is expected over the next few days. The acquisition is expected to be accretive to Ebix earnings immediately.

08:10 EDT AerCap delivers second Boeing 787-9 to Thai Airways - AerCap Holdings (AER) announced the delivery of a new Boeing (BA) 787-9 to Thai Airways, the second of the aircraft type to deliver to the airline. AerCap has now delivered eight 787s to Thai Airways.

08:10 EDT Arcturus Therapeutics and Synthetic Genomics sign collaboration agreement - Arcturus Therapeutics and Synthetic Genomics announced that they have entered into a research collaboration and worldwide license agreement to develop self-amplifying RNA-based vaccines and therapeutics in both human and animal health. The collaboration will bring together Arcturus's LUNAR lipid-mediated delivery platform with Synthetic Genomics' RNA replicon platform to potentially enable more efficacious and lower cost vaccines and therapeutics. Under the collaboration, Synthetic Genomics will have exclusive access to LUNAR technology for vaccines and therapeutics, using self-amplifying RNA. Arcturus will receive an upfront cash payment, R&D support, and pre-clinical, development, and sales milestone payments, as well as royalty payments on any future sublicensed products. Arcturus and Alcobra entered into an agreement and plan of merger and reorganization pursuant to which a wholly-owned subsidiary of Alcobra will merge with and into Arcturus, with Arcturus becoming a wholly-owned subsidiary of Alcobra and the surviving corporation of the merger.

08:07 EDT eMagin signs agreement with tier-one consumer electronics company - eMagin Corporation announced the signing of a development and licensing agreement with a tier-one consumer electronics company permitting it to use eMagin technology. The program is expected to generate licensing revenue if the company commercializes eMagin's technology.

08:06 EDT MasterCard had issued 2.4B cards as of September 30 - As of September 30, 2017, the company's customers had issued 2.4B Mastercard and Maestro-branded cards.

08:05 EDT Kellogg backs FY17 cash from operations about $1.6B-$1.7B - Which after capital expenditure translates into cash flow of $1.1B-1.2B.

08:04 EDT Capital One announces agreement with Intuit - Capital One (COF) Financial announced an agreement with Intuit (INTU) allowing Capital One customers who use Intuit's suite of services including QuickBooks Online, Mint, and TurboTax, to securely import their financial data without sharing login credentials. The agreement with Intuit utilizes an application-programming interface, or API, enabling Capital One customers to directly connect their personal and small business credit card and banking information with Intuit -- further enhancing the exchange of customer data to improve user experiences.

08:03 EDT Pitney Bowes, Arrow Electronics announce IoT collaboration - Pitney Bowes (PBI) has signed an agreement with Arrow Electronics (ARW). Together, Pitney Bowes and Arrow Electronics will enable public sector authorities to securely gather, process and analyze data collected through IoT devices to improve physical infrastructure efficiencies.

08:02 EDT TiVo renews multi-year product and IP license with J:COM - TiVo Corporation announced that Jupiter Telecommunications, one of Japan's largest cable television operators, has signed a multi-year license renewal for TiVo's G-Guide and intellectual property across Japan. The license agreement, which covers J:COM's Video-on-Demand services for cable TV subscribers, has now been expanded to cover OTT subscribers on mobile devices and PCs. This enables J:COM to deliver a highly-personalized entertainment discovery experience to all VOD subscribers. The agreement also extends J:COM's license to cover their over-the-top subsidiaries.

07:58 EDT Remark Media to partner with Acxiom in China - Remark Holdings (MARK) announced that it is partnering in China with Acxiom (ACXM), the data foundation for the world's best marketers. Acxiom will work closely with Kankan, Remark's data and AI offering, and together they will provide research and targeting solutions for a list of clients.

07:52 EDT Libbey sees FY17 net sales down in the low-to-mid single digits compared to FY16 - Sees FY17 adjusted EBITDA margin outlook to reflect lower-than-expected Q3 results, as well as its expectation for year-over-year sales growth in the Q4. The Adjusted EBITDA margin for the FY17 is now expected to be in the 9%-10% range. As previously guided, the Company still expects Capital expenditures of approximately $50M.

07:47 EDT MabVax Therapeutics provided update on its HuMab-5B1 clinical program - MabVax Therapeutics Holdings provided an important update on its HuMab-5B1 clinical program as well as presented preclinical data for its HuMab-Tn research program describing a new series of fully-human antibodies targeting ovarian and breast cancer at the AACR-NCI-EORTC International Conference on Molecular Targets and Cancer Therapeutics held October 26 - 30 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The Company reported that newly diagnosed pancreatic cancer patients participating in the Phase 1 clinical trial of MVT-5873, when given in combination with first line nab-paclitaxel and gemcitabine, demonstrated reductions in tumor size after the first two months of therapy. The data reported from this dose escalation safety study included safety data from 7 patients at 1mg/kg and 0.125mg/kg

07:41 EDT Geron granted Fast Track designation to imetelstat by FDA - Geron (GERN) announced that the FDA has granted Fast Track designation to imetelstat for the potential treatment of adult patients with transfusion-dependent anemia due to Low or Intermediate-1 risk myelodysplastic syndromes, or MDS, who are non-del(5q) and who are refractory or resistant to treatment with an erythropoiesis stimulating agent, or ESA. Imetelstat is a telomerase inhibitor initially developed by Geron and exclusively licensed to Janssen Biotech, (JNJ) on a worldwide basis. Janssen sponsored the application for Fast Track designation utilizing preliminary data from IMerge, the ongoing clinical trial being conducted by Janssen in lower risk MDS.

07:37 EDT Agilis Biotherapeutics granted EU OMP designation for AGIL-FA - Agilis Biotherapeutics announced that the European Commission has granted Orphan Medicinal Product designation in the European Union to the company's gene therapy product candidate, AGIL-FA, being developed for the treatment of Friedreich ataxia, an inherited degenerative neuromuscular disorder resulting in loss of motor coordination and strength, hearing, vision, speech and often premature death. The EC's approval follows a positive opinion in July 2017 from the European Medicine Agency's Committee for Orphan Medicinal Products.This follows the Orphan Drug Designation for AGIL-FA granted by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration last year. The company's gene therapies for AADC deficiency and Angelman syndrome have previously received orphan status in both the EU and US. AGIL-FA is a gene-therapy product consisting of a unique gene construct developed in partnership with Intrexon Corporation delivered with adeno-associated virus technology. The company has completed extensive characterization of AGIL-FA, including analyses in inducible pluripotent stem cell systems, a genetic model of FA, and multiple large animal studies demonstrating reproducible transduction of the FXN gene and expression of frataxin protein in target CNS cells integral to the neurological manifestations in FA in support of human clinical studies. The company has completed a Pre-IND meeting with the FDA and is on track to open an IND in 2018.

07:35 EDT Cummins boosts FY17 revenue view to up 14%-15% from 9%-11% - Based on its current forecast, Cummins expects full-year 2017 revenues to grow 14% to 15%, an increase from the company's previous projection of 9% to 11% growth. EBIT is expected to be in the range of 11.8% to 12.2% of sales, which is unchanged from the prior guidance except for the inclusion of the impact of the new Eaton Cummins Automated Transmission Technologies joint venture. The joint venture, which is consolidated within the Components segment, is expected to report 2017 sales of approximately $150 million and negative EBIT of $25 million due in part to the amortization of intangible assets.

07:27 EDT Akcea Therapeutics reports 'positive' Phase 1/2a data with AKCEA-APOCIII-LRx - Akcea Therapeutics (AKCA), an affiliate of Ionis Pharmaceuticals (IONS), announced positive results of a Phase 1/2a clinical study with AKCEA-APOCIII-LRx. Akcea is focused on developing and commercializing drugs to treat patients with serious cardiometabolic diseases caused by lipid disorders. AKCEA-APOCIII-LRx is part of a strategic collaboration with Novartis to develop and co-commercialize AKCEA-APO(a)-LRx and AKCEA-APOCIII-LRx. Under the terms of the collaboration, if Novartis (NVS) exercises its option after successful completion of the Phase 2, they will be responsible for a global Phase 3 cardiovascular outcome study in a high-risk population as well as worldwide development and, if approved, co-commercialization activities. In a Phase 1/2a clinical study in healthy volunteers and patients with elevated triglyceride levels, treatment with multiple doses of AKCEA-APOCIII-LRx resulted in dose-dependent reductions in apoC-III protein of up to 84% after six weeks of treatment. Treatment with AKCEA-APOCIII-LRx also resulted in dose-dependent reductions in triglycerides of up to 71%. Significant dose-dependent reductions of up to 30% in apolipoprotein B, or apoB, and increases of up to 100% in high-density lipoprotein cholesterol, or HDL-C, were also observed. Both decreased levels of apoB and increased levels of HDL-C are associated with decreased cardiovascular risk. AKCEA-APOCIII-LRx was well tolerated in the study. No serious adverse events, including no significant changes in platelet count, and no adverse events leading to treatment discontinuation were observed. The safety and tolerability profile of AKCEA-APOCIII-LRx in this study supports continued development.

07:24 EDT Braskem says not approached by LyondellBasell with any proposal - In a regulatory filing, Braskem S.A. (BAK) announced that it had received a letter requesting clarifications regarding "the recent oscillations in the number of trades and trading volume of shares" issued by the company. In response to the inquiries, the company stated: "In light of the news item published in InfoMoney on 10/30/2017, entitled "Braskem escapes Ibovespa "sell off" and jumps 12% with rumor about acquisition; steel companies sink 5%", mentioning, among others, that: The shares of Braskem skyrocket during this session after rumors about the company's acquisition by LyondellBasell; The movement occurs after LyondellBasell approached Braskem for a possible acquisition, which could value the company at over US$ 10 billion." In this regard, Braskem clarifies that: it was not approached by LyondellBasell with any proposal for acquisition of its shares and is unaware of any other fact that could have justified the unusual trading on the Company's shares between October 17, 2017 and October 30, 2017; the suitability and timeliness of disposing of Braskem's shares is a decision that rests solely with its shareholders; and in this regard, the management of Braskem requested clarifications to Odebrecht, its controlling shareholder, which informed that it keeps working on alternatives to add value to Braskem and for all shareholders, and reaffirmed its intention of keeping Braskem as part of the group investments."

07:23 EDT WPP sees long-term annual headline diluted EPS growth of 10%-15% - Long-term targets include: Revenue and net sales growth greater than the industry average; Improvement in net sales margin of 0.3 margin points or more, excluding the impact of currency, depending on net sales growth and improvement in the staff costs to net sales ratio; Annual headline diluted EPS growth of 10% to 15% p.a. delivered through revenue growth, margin expansion, acquisitions and share buy-backs.

07:21 EDT Corbus Pharmaceuticals issued new patent covering anabasum - Corbus Pharmaceuticals announced that the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office issued U.S. Patent No. 9,801,849 to the company with claims covering the use of pharmaceutical compositions comprising anabasum, Corbus' lead product in development for the treatment of inflammatory diseases. The patent provides intellectual property protection for Corbus' use of anabasum to treat inflammatory diseases in the United States through 2034.

07:20 EDT Kratos Defense receives $14.5M in unmanned aerial drone system contract awards - Kratos Defense announced that it has recently received $14.5M in contract awards for eight high performance, jet powered unmanned aerial drone systems, communication, ground control and related systems from certain National Security related customers. Kratos is a leading provider of high performance jet powered unmanned aerial drone systems for tactical and adversarial target, threat representation purposes. The work under these recent contract awards will be performed at secure Kratos manufacturing facilities. Due to competitive, customer related and other considerations, no additional information will be provided related to these contract awards.

07:19 EDT Cubic awarded $6.5M contract by MARTA - Cubic announced that its Cubic Transportation Systems, or CTS, business division was awarded a $6.5M contract from the Metropolitan Atlanta Rapid Transit Authority, or MARTA, to migrate the Cubic-operated back office system for the Breeze Card to the cloud. The migration will be implemented through Cubic's collaboration with Microsoft and the Microsoft Azure cloud platform. Under the contract, Cubic will also upgrade the Breeze Card system to the latest release of its NextFare central system software.

07:17 EDT Gilat Satellite awarded managed service cellular backhaul project - Gilat Satellite announced that it was awarded by a major Telecom Service Provider in Latin America full responsibility to deliver and operate satellite-based LTE backhaul, for the purpose of delivering high-performance broadband to multiple locations. The project includes Gilat's technology and services, as well as 24x7 network operation and management via Gilat's global Network Operation Center. The service is designed to meet the customer's high standards and is to be managed per an agreed Service Level Agreement .

07:13 EDT Blueprint Medicines sees cash and equivalents sufficient to fund expenses - The company said "Based on its current plans, Blueprint Medicines believes its existing cash, cash equivalents and investments, excluding any potential option fees and milestone payments under its existing collaboration with Roche, will be sufficient to enable it to fund its operating expenses and capital expenditure requirements into the second half of 2019".

07:12 EDT Mosaic lowers 2017 SG&A expense outlook to $290M-$300M - Mosaic sees 2017 SG&A expenses $290M-$300M, down from previous guidance of $295M-$310M. Canadian resource taxes to range from $85M-$100M, down from previous guidance of $90M-$100M and excluding the impact of the expected royalty settlement. Full-year effective tax rate to be approximately zero. Brine management costs and capital expenditure guidance remains unchanged at $150M-$160M and $800M-$850M, respectively.

07:10 EDT Mosaic sees Q4 Phosphates sales volumes 2.3M-2.6M tonnes - Mosaic said it is "taking proactive steps to minimize disruption to the phosphates market as it absorbs new capacity additions." Total sales volumes for the Phosphates segment are expected to range from 2.3 to 2.6 million tonnes for Q4, compared to 2.5 million tonnes last year. Mosaic's realized DAP price, FOB plant, is estimated to range from $320 to $350 per tonne for Q4. The segment gross margin rate in Q4 is estimated to be in the upper single digits, including an estimated $9M carry-over impact from Hurricane Irma, and the operating rate is expected to be in the low to mid 80% range. Total sales volumes for the Potash segment are expected to range from 1.9 to 2.2 million tonnes for Q4, compared to 2.0 million tonnes last year. Mosaic's realized MOP price, FOB plant, is estimated to range from $175 to $195 per tonne. Mosaic's gross margin rate in the segment is expected to be in the upper teens, reflecting a negative impact of production mix and scheduled turnarounds during the quarter. The operating rate is expected to be in the low 80 percent range. Total sales volumes for the International Distribution segment are expected to range from 1.5 to 1.8 million tonnes for Q4, compared to 1.9 million tonnes last year. The segment gross margin per tonne is estimated to be around $20.

07:08 EDT Mosaic identified additional value creation opportunities - Mosaic said it has identified additional value creation opportunities ahead of the pending acquisition of Vale Fertilizantes, which are expected to result in $275M of annualized improved cash flow by the end of 2020. The $275M target is comprised of $125M in updated expectations for pre-tax synergies and $150M of anticipated business transformation benefits relating to Mosaic's consolidated business in Brazil. This guidance replaces the previously announced target of $75M in annual operating synergies.

07:07 EDT Valeant to reduce debt by additional $125M - Valeant announced it put in notice to pay down an additional $125M of its senior secured term loans, using cash on hand. When the debt is repaid later this week, the Company will exceed its August 2016 commitment to pay down $5B in debt from divestiture proceeds and free cash flow ahead of its previously stated timing of February 2018. "Due to strong operating cash flow, we are able to reduce our debt by an additional $125 million. This means we will not only surpass our goal of paying down $5 billion of debt, but also will exceed it earlier than our initially committed February 2018 timeframe," said Joseph C. Papa, chairman and CEO, Valeant. "We will continue to work on reducing our debt and executing on our strategy of investing in our core businesses that will drive growth and where we believe we can make the biggest impact on the lives of patients."

07:06 EDT Mosaic lowers annual dividend target to 10c - Mosaic approved a reduction in the annual dividend target to 10c per share and declared a quarterly dividend of 2.5c per share to be paid on December 21, to stockholders of record as of close of business on December 7.

07:06 EDT Crestwood Equity divests US Salt for $225M - Crestwood entered into a Purchase Agreement to sell 100% of the equity interests of US Salt to an affiliate of Kissner Group Holdings LP for $225M, subject to working capital and minor maintenance capital adjustments. Crestwood intends to use the proceeds from the divestiture to reduce borrowings under its revolving credit facility and reinvest in on-going accretive organic growth projects in the Bakken and Delaware Basin. Crestwood expects the proceeds from the divestiture of US Salt will eliminate the need to access the equity capital markets to fund its current 2017 and 2018 capital programs. The divestiture is expected to be approximately 3% to 5% accretive to distributable cash flow per unit by fiscal year 2019. Unitholders are encouraged to consult their tax advisors as the transaction may result in a taxable gain. The transaction is subject to customary closing conditions, including approval under the Hart-Scott-Rodino Act, and is expected to close during Q4.

07:05 EDT Hormel Foods acquires Columbus Manufacturing for $850M - Hormel Foods announced it has entered into a definitive agreement to acquire Columbus Manufacturing, a premium deli meat and salami company, from Chicago-based Arbor Investments. The purchase price is approximately $850M. Total annual sales are approximately $300M with an expected growth rate in excess of 5%. Hormel Foods expects this acquisition to be modestly accretive to EPS in FY18. Full-year accretion in fiscal 2019 is expected to be between 6c to 8c per share.

07:02 EDT Verastem announces regulatory strategy for Duvelisib NDA - Verastem announced that a meeting was held with the U.S. Food and Drug Administration regarding the regulatory path for duvelisib, the Company's first-in-class, oral, monotherapy, dual inhibitor of phosphoinositide 3-kinase -delta and PI3K-gamma, which is being developed for the treatment of patients with lymphoid malignancies. Based on the meeting with, and written feedback from the FDA, Verastem intends to submit a New Drug Application requesting the full approval of duvelisib for the treatment of patients with relapsed or refractory chronic lymphocytic leukemia/small lymphocytic lymphoma, and accelerated approval for the treatment of patients with relapsed or refractory follicular lymphoma. The Company expects to submit the duvelisib NDA during the first quarter of 2018. In September 2017, Verastem reported that the Phase 3 DUOTM study met its primary endpoint with oral duvelisib monotherapy demonstrating superiority over ofatumumab for progression free survival in patients with relapsed or refractory CLL/SLL. In this study, duvelisib achieved a statistically significant improvement in median PFS of 13.3 months, compared to 9.9 months for ofatumumab with a hazard ratio of 0.52, representing a 48% reduction in the risk of progression or death. Along with the clinical data from the DUO study, the duvelisib NDA submission will also contain the favorable results from the Phase 2 DYNAMO study in double-refractory indolent non-Hodgkin's lymphoma, which also achieved its primary endpoint with an ORR of 46%. In the subset of patients enrolled in the DYNAMO study with double-refractory FL, duvelisib demonstrated an ORR of 41%.

07:01 EDT Sanofi, Regeneron report dupilumab asthma study met primary endpoint - Sanofi (SNY) and Regeneron Pharmaceuticals (REGN) announced that the Phase 3 investigational study evaluating dupilumab in adults and adolescents with severe, steroid-dependent asthma met its primary endpoint and key secondary endpoints. For the primary endpoint, at 24 weeks in the overall population, dupilumab added to standard therapies significantly reduced the use of maintenance oral corticosteroids, or OCS, by 70% on average, compared to 42% with placebo. In prespecified analyses of patients with baseline eosinophil counts greater than or equal to 300 cells/microliter, adding dupilumab significantly reduced OCS use by 80% on average, compared to 43% for placebo. The safety and tolerability profile of dupilumab in this study was consistent with previous studies.

06:58 EDT CGG SA trading halted, news pending

06:41 EDT EQT Corporation: Proxy firms recommend EQT holders vote 'FOR Rice Energy deal - EQT Corporation (EQT) announced that Glass Lewis & Co. and Egan-Jones Rating Company, independent proxy advisory firms, have recommended that EQT shareholders vote "FOR" the pending transaction with Rice Energy (RICE). A similar announcement by Institutional Shareholder Services, another independent proxy advisor, also recommended that EQT shareholders support the transaction by voting the WHITE proxy card.

06:37 EDT Columbus McKinnon sees FY18 organic growth 3%-5% - Backlog was $162.7M as of September 30 a decrease of $10.6M compared with June 30. The decline was primarily related to seasonally slower order intake and the timing of shipments by STAHL. The company said, "While our Q3 tends to be seasonally soft, we still expect organic growth of approximately 3%-5%. Stahl is expected to have weaker sales sequentially due to seasonality and fewer shipping days. The trajectory for the business remains strong and we continue to expect FY18 to be a very good year. We are aggressively working on identifying action plans for reallocating spending from general & administrative expenses to growth initiatives such as research & development to further our efforts to evolve into a high-performing industrial technology company."

06:31 EDT Ingersoll-Rand to acquire GPSi Holdings; terms not disclosed - Ingersoll-Rand announced that it has entered into an agreement to acquire GPSi Holdings, LLC from Falconhead Capital, LLC. This acquisition strengthens Ingersoll Rand's telematics portfolio, an important component of its connected technologies strategy. The value of this acquisition was not disclosed or material.

06:29 EDT Airbus still sees MSD growth in EBIT adjusted, EPS for 2017 ex-M&A - As the basis for its 2017 guidance, Airbus expects the world economy and air traffic to grow in line with prevailing independent forecasts, which assume no major disruptions. Airbus' 2017 earnings and Free Cash Flow guidance is based on a constant perimeter: Airbus expects to deliver more than 700 commercial aircraft, which depends on engine manufacturers meeting commitments. Before M&A, Airbus expects mid-single-digit percentage growth in EBIT Adjusted and EPS Adjusted compared to 2016. Free Cash Flow is expected to be similar to 2016 before M&A and Customer Financing. The perimeter change in Defence and Space is expected to reduce EBIT Adjusted and Free Cash Flow before M&A and Customer Financing by around EUR$ 150 million and EPS Adjusted by around 14 cents.

06:15 EDT Airbus says cooperating fully with SFO, PNF investigations - The investigations initiated by the UK's Serious Fraud Office and France's Parquet National Financier following self-disclosure by Airbus to the UK authorities are ongoing. Airbus is cooperating fully with both authorities, including in respect of potential issues across Airbus' business. The SFO and PNF investigations and any penalties potentially levied as a result could have negative consequences for Airbus. The potential imposition of any monetary penalty or other sanction arising from the SFO and PNF investigations will depend on the ultimate factual and legal findings of the investigation, and could have a material impact on the financial statements, business and operations of Airbus. However, at this stage it is too early to determine the likelihood or extent of any such possible consequence.

06:13 EDT Acorda Therapeutics reaffirms FY17 AMPYRA net revenue view $535M-$545M - Sees FY17 R&D expenses $160M-$170M. Lowers FY17 SG&A expense from $170M-$180M to $160M-$170M. The Company expects to be cash flow positive in FY17, with a projected year-end cash balance in excess of $200M.

06:07 EDT Newpark Resources agrees to acquire Well Service Group for $75M - Newpark Resources announced that it has entered into definitive agreements to acquire substantially all of the assets, operations, and employees of the Well Service Group, or WSG, a containment and well site service company based near Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, and its affiliate Utility Access Solutions Inc. for approximately $75M. Under the terms of the agreement, total consideration at closing is expected to be approximately $75M, subject to typical adjustments for actual working capital conveyed, which will include approximately $43M of cash consideration and $32M of common equity of Newpark Resources, Inc. The cash consideration will be funded through borrowings on Newpark's revolving credit facility and the transaction is expected to close in November 2017. The company expects the acquisition to be accretive to Newpark earnings in 2018.

06:05 EDT Samsung says to separate chairman and CEO roles

06:04 EDT Samsung: Kinam Kim to head DS, Hyunsuk Kim to head CE unit - Samsung Electronics announced its new leadership for the next phase of its growth. Presidents Kinam Kim, Hyunsuk Kim, and Dongjin Koh will succeed Vice Chairman Oh-Hyun Kwon, Presidents Boo-Keun Yoon and Jong-Kyun Shin, respectively, as heads of the DS, CE, and IM Divisions. The company will maintain the current three co-CEO management structure. All new appointments will be effective immediately. Kwon stated, "The next generation of leaders are well suited to accelerate the pace of innovation and address the demands of the connected world. They have proven track records with extensive experience and outstanding expertise in their fields." Separately, President Sang-Hoon Lee will leave his position as CFO, effective immediately. Lee has been recommended by outside Board members to be Chairman of the Board and succeed Kwon next March. This would mark the first time that the company will separate the Chairman of the Board and the CEO roles.

06:01 EDT Aetna: Medical membership totaled 22.2M at September 30

05:59 EDT Boise Cascade expects to experience seasonally slower demand in Q4 - Boise Cascade provided the following outlook: "We expect to experience seasonally slower demand in fourth quarter 2017. On an annual basis, total housing starts in the U.S. continue to show modest improvement, with single-family starts growth offsetting weakness in multi-family starts in 2017. We remain optimistic that the improvement in demand for our products will continue as household formation rates and residential construction recover and we will continue to manage our production levels to our sales demand. As in past years, we plan to take scheduled capital and maintenance-related downtime at certain plywood facilities during the fourth quarter. Future commodity product pricing could be volatile in response to industry operating rates, net import and export activity, the North American softwood lumber trade dispute, inventory levels in our distribution channels, and seasonal demand patterns. Furthermore, commodity product pricing is currently above historical levels. As a wholesale distributor of a broad mix of commodity products and a manufacturer of certain commodity products, we have sales and profitability exposure to declines in commodity product prices. We also expect to begin depreciation on approximately $45 million of veneer and LVL related assets at our Roxboro, North Carolina EWP facility in the fourth quarter as we make further progress on start-up activities."

05:24 EDT CareTrust REIT acquires 3 skilled nursing facilities in Southern California - CareTrust REIT announced that it acquired three skilled nursing facilities, and provided mortgage financing on a fourth facility, in Southern California. In connection with the acquisition, CareTrust REIT entered into a new tenant relationship with affiliates of Providence Group, which has operated the facilities since 2015. The total investment for the three-facility 528-bed portfolio was approximately $69M inclusive of transaction costs, which will yield approximately $6.1M in initial annual cash rent. The mortgage on the 104-bed skilled nursing facility was $12.5M inclusive of transaction costs, at an annual interest income of 9%. The master lease carries an initial term of fifteen years, with two five-year renewal options and CPI-based rent escalators. The acquisition was funded using CareTrust REIT's $400M unsecured revolving credit facility.

05:21 EDT Incyte, AstraZeneca to enter clinical trial collaboration in early lung cancer - Incyte (INCY) and MedImmune, AstraZeneca's (AZN) global biologics research and development arm, announced the expansion of their clinical collaboration. As part of the agreement, the companies will evaluate the efficacy and safety of epacadostat, Incyte's investigational selective IDO1 enzyme inhibitor, in combination with AstraZeneca's Imfinzi, a human monoclonal antibody directed against PD-L1, compared to Imfinzi alone. The exclusive collaboration for the study population allows the two companies to conduct a Phase 3 trial in patients with locally-advanced, unresectable non-small cell lung cancer whose disease has not progressed following platinum-based chemotherapy concurrent with radiation therapy. The Phase 3 trial, which will be co-funded by the two companies and will be conducted by AstraZeneca, is expected to begin enrolling patients in the first-half of 2018. This agreement builds on an existing clinical collaboration for epacadostat and Imfinzi, announced by both companies in May 2014.

05:17 EDT Novartis submits sBLA to FDA for Kymriah - Novartis announced that the company has submitted a supplemental Biologics License Application, or sBLA, to the FDA for Kymriah suspension for intravenous infusion, formerly CTL019, for the treatment of adult patients with relapsed or refractory, or r/r, diffuse large B-cell lymphoma, or DLBCL, who are ineligible for autologous stem cell transplant. In April 2017, Novartis received Breakthrough Therapy designation for r/r DLBCL which, if approved, would be the second indication for Kymriah. In August 2017, Kymriah became the first available chimeric antigen receptor T cell, or CAR-T, therapy when it received FDA approval five weeks prior to its PDUFA date and was launched for patients up to 25 years of age with B-cell precursor acute lymphoblastic leukemia, or ALL, that is refractory or has relapsed at least twice. Kymriah is a novel immunocellular therapy and a one-time treatment that uses a patient's own T cells to fight cancer.