Stockwinners Market Radar for November 16, 2017 - Earnings, Upgrades downgrades, option trades, Best Stock Advisory Service

18:30 EDT Ampio's continued listing plan accepted by NYSE American - Ampio Pharmaceuticals received notification that its plan to regain compliance with the NYSE American's continued listing standards has been accepted by the NYSE American. The company received a letter from the NYSE American on September 1 stating that the company was not in compliance with the continued listing standards of the NYSE American relating to stockholders' equity. The company submitted a plan to regain compliance with the Company Guide and the plan has been accepted by the NYSE American. The company has been granted until March 1, 2019, to implement its plan. If the company is not in compliance with the continued listing standards by March 1, 2019, or if it does not make progress consistent with the plan during the plan period, the NYSE American staff may initiate delisting proceedings as appropriate. As of June 30, the company had stockholders' equity of $3.7M. In October, the company raised approximately $6.7M in gross proceeds from the sale of its common stock to certain investors. The company seeks to regain compliance with the NYSE American continued listing standards by June 30, 2018. The company's common stock will not be delisted by the NYSE American for the deficiency during the plan period. The company's common stock will continue to trade under the symbol "AMPE," with the added designation of ."BC".

18:01 EDT Celanese announces acetyl intermediates price increases in Asia - Celanese Corporation will increase list and off-list selling prices for the following acetyl intermediates products. The price increases will be effective immediately, or as contracts otherwise allow. The price of ethyl acetate was increase to $100 per MT in Asia outside of China, while the price of vinyl acetate monomer was raised to RMB300 per MT in China and $50 per MT in Asia outside of China.

17:46 EDT Insperity announces 2-for-1 stock split, boosts share buyback by 500,000 shares - Insperity announced that its board of directors approved a 2-for-1 stock split in the form of a 100% stock dividend. The stock dividend is payable on December 18, 2017 to all stockholders of record as of December 4, 2017. Insperity's board of directors also declared a special cash dividend of $2 per share. This special dividend is in addition to the regular quarterly dividend of 30c per share. The special and quarterly cash dividends will also be paid on December 18, 2017, to all stockholders of record as of December 4, 2017. The cash dividends will not be payable on any shares to be issued pursuant to the 2-for-1 stock split. The special dividend is expected to return to stockholders approximately $42M. Insperity's board of directors also authorized an expansion of its stock repurchase program by an additional 500,000 shares, and as a result will have approximately 2.8M shares available for repurchase after giving effect to the stock split. Purchases may be made from time to time directly from stockholders or in the open market, including through Rule 10b5-1 prearranged stock trading plans designed to facilitate Insperity's repurchase of its common stock during times it would not otherwise be in the market due to self-imposed trading blackout periods or possible possession of material nonpublic information.

17:26 EDT On The Fly: After Hours Movers - UP AFTER EARNINGS: Shoe Carnival (SCVL), up 17.3%... Splunk (SPLK), up 12.3%... Ross Stores (ROST), up 8.4%... Natural Grocers (NGVC), up 5.7%... Applied Materials (AMAT), up 2.2%. ALSO HIGHER: Revance (RVNC), up 7.5% after the stock was initiated with a Buy rating at Mizuho... 21st Century Fox (FOXA), up 6.7% after the Wall Street Journal reported that Comcast (CMCSA) has approached the company to express acquisition interest. DOWN AFTER EARNINGS: Williams-Sonoma (WSM), down 7.7%... Sportsman's Warehouse (SPWH), down 7%. ALSO LOWER: VBL Therapeutics (VBLT), down 6.7% after it filed to sell 2.5M ordinary shares.

17:22 EDT Senvest Management reports 5.8% passive stake in Quotient Technology

17:13 EDT General Electric Aviation awarded $143.5M contract from U.S. Navy - General Electric Aviation, Lynn, Massachusetts, is being awarded a $143,481,258 firm-fixed-price, cost-plus-fixed-fee contract for the procurement of 22 low-rate initial production Lot 1 and 2 T408-GE-400 turboshaft engines for the CH-53K helicopter, including associated engine and programmatic support, logistics support, peculiar support equipment, and spares. Work will be performed in Lynn, Massachusetts, and is expected to be completed in July 2021. Fiscal 2017 and 2018 aircraft procurement funds in the amount of $143,481,258 will be obligated at time of award, none of which will expire at the end of the current fiscal year.

17:09 EDT Centene appoints new president, COO, CSO and CIO - Centene Corporation announced an enhanced organizational structure and the appointments of several key executives, effective November 16. Cynthia Brinkley, currently EVP of global corporate development, has been appointed president and COO. Most recently, Brinkley oversaw the company's corporate development, specialized and international markets, and government relations. Jesse Hunter, EVP of products, has been appointed EVP of mergers & acquisitions and CSO. Hunter joined Centene in 2002, and has held multiple positions of increasing responsibility in healthcare finance, mergers and acquisitions, corporate development and operations. Mark Brooks has been appointed EVP and CIO. Brooks joined Centene in 2016 as senior VP and CIO, with responsibilities for development and implementation of all information technology and systems for Centene.

17:05 EDT Post Holdings sees FY18 CapEx $220M-$230M - Post management expects fiscal year 2018 capital expenditures, exclusive of Bob Evans, to range between $220M-$230M. This includes approximately $50M related to the previously announced cage-free housing conversion at the Bloomfield, Nebraska facility and between $30M-$40M for growth initiatives and productivity.

17:04 EDT Post Holdings sees FY18 adjusted EBITDA $1.14B-$1.18B - Exclusive of the pending acquisition of Bob Evans, with modest sequential quarterly growth throughout fiscal year 2018. In fiscal year 2018, Post management expects to incur integration costs for the integration of Weetabix and Bob Evans of approximately $25M comprised of severance, retention and third party consulting expenses.

17:02 EDT Renasant raises quarterly dividend to 19c from 18c - The board of directors of Renasant Corporation approved the payment of a quarterly cash dividend of 19c per share to be paid January 2, 2018, to shareholders of record as of December 15, 2017.

17:01 EDT OMA Airports announces resignation of CFO - Mexican airport operator Grupo Aeroportuario del Centro Norte, S.A.B. de C.V., known as OMA announced that its Chief Financial Officer, Vicsaly Torres, has decided to leave the company in order to pursue other professional opportunities. The resignation is effective today. The board expects to designate a successor in the near future; in the interim, Porfirio Gonzalez, OMA's CEO, will exercise the CFO responsibilities.

16:53 EDT AT&T reiterates plan to step up U.S. investment if competitive tax rate enacted - In recognition of the vote by the House of Representatives to pass the first meaningful tax reform in decades, AT&T reiterated its commitment to invest an additional $1B in the United States in 2018 if the House bill is signed into law. "A permanent corporate tax rate of 20% will stimulate domestic investment and create jobs for hard working Americans. If this bill becomes law, we'll increase our investment in 2018 to accelerate our fiber deployment to bring high speed internet to more U.S. homes and businesses. I appreciate the commitment and hard work by the House, Speaker Ryan and Chairman Brady to implement tax reform that will spur economic growth in the United States," said Randall Stephenson, AT&T Chairman and CEO.

16:48 EDT Voyager Therapeutics highlights progress for VY-AADC in advanced Parkinson's - Voyager Therapeutics today at its R&D Day highlighted recent progress and plans for VY-AADC for advanced Parkinson's disease, and progress with testing novel adeno-associated virus (AAV) capsids and delivery optimization efforts, along with its ALS, Huntington's disease, Friedreich's ataxia, anti-Tau antibody and severe chronic pain preclinical programs. Highlights include results from primary market research indicating a strong interest among neurologists, movement disorder specialists, neurosurgeons and patients for VY-AADC for advanced Parkinson's disease. The primary market research was conducted following the recent Phase 1b results with VY-AADC that demonstrated durable, dose-dependent and time-dependent improvements across multiple measures of patients' motor function after a one-time administration, and with meaningfully lower doses of oral levodopa. Key drivers of interest for VY-AADC among these physicians and patients included its one-time treatment, lack of in-dwelling hardware used in deep brain stimulation that often requires replacement and revisions, unique mechanism of action, and magnitude and durability of improvement in patients' motor function. In addition, based on these attributes, neurologists indicated an interest to recommend VY-AADC to patients earlier during the course of Parkinson's disease, before they reached the advanced stage of the disease. The company also disclosed plans to begin the global, pivotal Phase 2-3 program for VY-AADC before year-end 2017 and dose the first patient during the second quarter of 2018. Voyager remains on track to file an investigational new drug application before year-end 2017 with product for VY-AADC manufactured using its baculovirus/Sf9 manufacturing process to support this pivotal program.

16:36 EDT GIC Private reports 5.11% passive stake in Allergan

16:35 EDT eBay's StubHub renews 5-year agreement with MLB - StubHub and Major League Baseball announced that they have reached a five-year renewal for StubHub to continue to serve as the Official Fan to Fan Ticket Marketplace of MLB.com and the 30 Major League Clubs. Terms of the agreement were not disclosed. The renewal builds on the partnership that originally began in 2007. This new agreement will provide StubHub with an exclusive ticketing integration with MLB.com and the 30 clubs, providing baseball fans with a secure and seamless experience to buy and sell MLB tickets. The new deal also represents a renewed commitment to develop new ticketing technology, as well as to deploy 10+ years of combined data to enhance the ticketing and fan experience.

16:34 EDT Rent-A-Center reports October core U.S. SSS down 3.4% y/y - Rent-A-Center announced key operating metrics for its Core U.S. and Acceptance NOW businesses for October 2017. The Company also announced that, in light of the ongoing review of strategic and financial alternatives by its board of directors originally announced on October 30, 2017, the company has determined to discontinue the monthly reporting of key operating metrics, until further notice. Rent-A-Center's Core U.S. business reported October SSS down 3.4% and delinquencies up 6.9%. The company's Acceptance NOW business reported October SSS up 4.7% and delinquencies up 11.3%.

16:32 EDT Hilton increases stock repurchase authorization by $1B - The board of directors of Hilton Worldwide Holdings has authorized the repurchase of an additional $1B of common stock under the company's existing stock repurchase program, bringing the total amount currently authorized for repurchase to approximately $1.3B.

16:31 EDT Verisk Analytics names Lee Shavel as new CFO - Verisk Analytics announced that Lee M. Shavel has been named executive vice president and chief financial officer. Eva Huston, senior vice president, will pursue opportunities outside Verisk following a three-month period transitioning responsibilities to Shavel. Shavel is a 28-year financial professional and most recently served as executive vice president and chief financial officer of Nasdaq, Inc., from 2011 to 2016. Before that, he served as managing director and Americas head of Financial Institutions Investment Banking and in other capacities at Bank of America Merrill Lynch from 1993 to 2011.

16:29 EDT Sportsman's Warehouse reports Q3 SSS down 7%

16:28 EDT Alexander & Baldwin declares special distribution of $783M, or $15.92 per share - Alexander & Baldwin has declared a special distribution on its shares of common stock in an aggregate amount of $783M, or approximately $15.92 per share, payable in cash and shares of the company's stock. The Special Distribution represents the company's accumulated earnings and profits attributable to non-REIT years, which are required to be distributed in connection with the company's conversion to a REIT for the 2017 taxable year, and a substantial portion of the company's estimated REIT taxable income for the 2017 and 2018 taxable years. The company expects that the Special Distribution will be payable on January 23, 2018 to cshareholders of record as of the close of business on November 29, 2017. The ompany expects to pay the Special Distribution in a combination of cash and common stock, with each shareholder being permitted to elect to receive the shareholder's entire entitlement under the Special Distribution in either cash or common stock, subject to a limit on the total cash available for distribution. Generally, A&B expects that the entire Special Distribution will be taxable as dividends to its shareholders, whether paid in common stock, cash or a combination of cash and common stock.

16:23 EDT Applied Materials CEO confident company can deliver FY18 double-digit growth - CEO Gary Dickerson says: "Fiscal 2017 was a record-breaking year for the company. We have great momentum and we're confident that in 2018 we can deliver strong double-digit growth across our semiconductor, display and service businesses."

16:21 EDT CoreCivic enters into contract with Kentucky Department of Corrections - CoreCivic, Inc announced that it has entered into a new contract with the Commonwealth of Kentucky Department of Corrections to house medium and close-security offenders at CoreCivic's 816-bed Lee Adjustment Center in Beattyville, Kentucky. The new management contract commences on November 19, 2017, and has an initial term expiring June 30, 2019, with two additional one-year extension options. CoreCivic expects to begin receiving offender populations under the new contract at the Lee Adjustment Center toward the end of the first quarter of 2018, following a 120-day period to staff and prepare the facility to care for the offender population. We expect to incur operating losses at this facility of $0.03 to $0.04 per share for staffing and other start-up related expenses, most of which will be incurred during the first quarter of 2018, prior to stabilized occupancy currently expected to occur during the second quarter of 2018. Upon reaching normalized occupancy the new contract is expected to generate approximately $15.0 million to $17.0 million of annual revenue.

16:19 EDT Mercury Systems launches 6U OpenVPX module - Mercury Systems (MRCY) announced the Ensemble(R) 6000 Series GSC6202 6U OpenVPX general purpose graphics processor unit module with two NVIDIA (NVDA) Pascal or Maxwell architecture GPU processors. The module's immense parallel computing capability is ideal for image processing, artificial intelligence, and computational neural networks in electro-optic/infrared, radar signal processing, and electronic warfare (EW) applications. The GSC6202 GPGPU module features two NVIDIA Pascal or Maxwell-class GPUs with up to a total of 4096 CUDA(R) cores and 32 GB memory. The GPUs are connected to a PCI Express Gen 3.0 switch network with dual x16 connections to the backplane. This balanced architecture provides the processing power, memory, and I/O for the most challenging image processing, radar processing, or cognitive and adaptive algorithms for agile threat assessment and response. Mercury's advanced cooling technology standards such as Air Flow-By(TM) cooling and Liquid Flow-Through cooling enable the use of the fastest GPU chips and PCI Express switches running at full speed even in rugged environments.

16:19 EDT Nike raises quarterly dividend 11% to 20c per share - Nike announced that its board of directors has approved a quarterly cash dividend of 20c per share on the company's outstanding Class A and Class B Common Stock. This represents an increase of 11% versus the prior quarterly dividend rate of 18c per share. The dividend declared today is payable on January 2, 2018 to shareholders of record at the close of business December 4, 2017.

16:17 EDT Caesars to acquire Centaur Holdings for $1.7B - Caesars announced it has entered into a definitive agreement to acquire Centaur Holdings for $1.7B in cash, including $1.625B at closing and $75M in deferred consideration. As a result of the transaction, Caesars will add Hoosier Park Racing and Casino in Anderson, Indiana, and the Indiana Grand Racing and Casino in Shelbyville, Indiana to its Total Rewards network. The transaction is subject to receipt of regulatory approvals and other customary closing conditions and is expected to close in the first half of 2018. Transaction financing remains under consideration subject to determination of final arrangements. The purchase price represents an 8.3x implied multiple in year two following the closing of the transaction, inclusive of expected synergies. The company anticipates introducing table games to these properties, pending regulatory approval. Assuming the introduction of table games and certain synergies, the effective purchase price multiple would be less than 7x at that time. The transaction is anticipated to be free cash flow positive.

16:14 EDT Theravance Biopharma: EC grants marketing authorization for Trelegy Ellipta - Theravance Biopharma (TBPH) highlighted that the European Commission has granted marketing authorization for Trelegy Ellipta, the triple combination therapy of fluticasone furoate, umeclidinium, and vilanterol in a single ELLIPTA inhaler, as a maintenance treatment for appropriate patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. Trelegy Ellipta is a product in which Theravance Biopharma has an economic interest in future payments that may be made by GlaxoSmithKline (GSK) or one of its affiliates pursuant to its agreements with Innoviva. Theravance Biopharma is entitled to receive an 85% economic interest in the royalties paid by GSK on worldwide net sales. Those royalties are upward-tiering from 6.5% to 10%, resulting in cash flows to Theravance Biopharma of approximately 5.5% to 8.5% of worldwide net sales of Trelegy Ellipta. Theravance Biopharma is not responsible for any costs related to the product. In an announcement dated November 16, 2017, GSK and Innoviva stated that the European Commission authorization for Trelegy Ellipta is for adult patients with moderate to severe COPD who are not adequately treated by a combination of an inhaled corticosteroid and a long-acting beta2-agonist. The companies noted that following this marketing authorization, the first European launch of Trelegy Ellipta is expected to take place before the end of the year. Additionally, GSK and Innoviva reported that regulatory applications have been submitted and are undergoing assessment in a number of other countries.

16:12 EDT iPass enters into $10M stock purchase agreement with Aspire Capital - iPass, Inc announced that it has entered into a common stock purchase agreement with Aspire Capital Fund, LLC for Aspire Capital's purchase of 1,867,692 shares of iPass common stock at $0.54 per share for proceeds of $1,000,000. In addition, Aspire Capital has agreed to purchase up to an aggregate of $9 million additional shares of iPass common stock. Aspire Capital's purchase of shares under this agreement are at iPass' sole discretion, over the 24-month term of the agreement, and at prices based on the market price at the time of each purchase.

16:09 EDT Veeco preliminary injunction confirmed in U.S. District Court - Veeco Instruments announced that the United States District Court for the Eastern District of New York has denied SGL Carbon, LLC's motion to suspend the November 2, 2017 preliminary injunction issued by the court prohibiting SGL's sale of wafer carriers for use in MOCVD systems made by Advanced Micro-Fabrication Equipment Inc. SGL had filed a motion requesting that the court suspend, or "stay," the preliminary injunction pending a forthcoming appeal by SGL to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit. The court's order means that the preliminary injunction, which prohibits SGL from shipping wafer carriers using Veeco's patented technology, will remain in place during the appeal by SGL. The appeal process at the CAFC usually takes over a year to complete. In its appeal, SGL will bear the burden of convincing the CAFC that the preliminary injunction should be overturned. Appeals of preliminary injunctions are evaluated by the CAFC under the highly deferential "abuse of discretion" standard of review. As a result, Veeco believes that it is highly unlikely that the CAFC will overturn the preliminary injunction, especially in light of statistics showing that a substantial majority of preliminary injunctions are affirmed by the CAFC on appeal. This action for patent infringement was commenced by Veeco against SGL Carbon, LLC and SGL Carbon SE on April 12, 2017 in the federal court for the Eastern District of New York. SGL manufactures wafer carriers which are used in susceptorless MOCVD systems. In addition to the preliminary injunction, Veeco is seeking a post-trial permanent injunction, monetary damages and other relief.

16:08 EDT InfuSystem names Richard DiIorio as CEO, effective November 15 - InfuSystem announced the appointment of Richard DiIorio as President and CEO, effective November 15. DiIorio has been elected to serve on InfuSystem's Board of Directors. With DiIorio's appointment, the Office of the President will cease to operate. DiIorio has served as a member of the Company's Office of the President since May 2017 and as General Manager of Oncology since December 2016.

16:05 EDT KeyCorp raises quarterly dividend to 10.5c per share - The dividend is payable on December 15 to holders of record of such common shares as of the close of business on November 28.

16:01 EDT Colony Starwood Homes trading resumes

15:53 EDT Revance treatment of cervical dystonia granted FDA orphan status - Revance's treatment of cervical dystonia was granted FDA orphan status, according to a post to the agency's website. Reference Link

15:47 EDT Alcentra Capital expands open-market stock repurchase program by $2.5M - Alcentra Capital announced that its board has expanded its open-market stock repurchase program by $2.5M to $5M. Pursuant to the program, which was initially announced on November 6, 2017, Alcentra is authorized to repurchase up to $5M in aggregate amount of its outstanding common stock in the open market through November 2, 2018. Alcentra has also entered into a pre-arranged repurchase plan established pursuant to Rule 10b5-1 under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 to facilitate the repurchases of shares of its common stock under the Program. The Rule 10b5-1 repurchase plan will be in effect through January 31, 2018.

15:30 EDT TransCanada says oil leak in Amherst, South Dakota under investigation - TransCanada reports that crews safely shut down its Keystone pipeline at approximately 6 a.m. CST after a drop in pressure was detected in its operating system resulting from an oil leak that is under investigation. The estimated volume of the leak is approximately 5,000 barrels. "Crews, including TransCanada specialists from emergency management, engineering, environmental management and safety as well as contracted, nationally recognized experts are assessing the situation. TransCanada is providing State and Federal regulators, including the Pipelines and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration and the National Response Center, with accurate and confirmed information on an ongoing basis...We have been keeping our shippers and customers up to date and have communicated that the pipeline from Hardisty, Alberta to Cushing, Oklahoma and to Wood River/Patoka, Illinois is expected to remain shut down as we respond to this incident. This does not affect the Marketlink pipeline system, which uses the facilities of the southern leg of the Keystone system from Cushing to the Gulf Coast. The safety of the public and environment are our top priorities and we will continue to provide updates as they become available," the company said.

15:25 EDT Barnes & Noble trading resumes

15:20 EDT Egalet trading resumes

15:17 EDT Barnes & Noble acknowledges Sandell proposal, does not see it as 'bona fide' -

15:15 EDT Barnes & Noble says does not take Sandell's proposal as bona fide

14:54 EDT Sinclair Broadcast 'embraces' FCC new guidelines, to fully deploy ATSC 3.0 - Sinclair Broadcast Group and its subsidiary, ONE Media, announced their intention to fully deploy ATSC 3.0, the "Next Generation TV" standard, on Sinclair's stations nationwide pursuant to the FCC's action today approving the new platform. "We have advocated for a robust, broadcast-centric digital standard since 1997, and we are gratified to see that the ATSC, broadcasters and the government have now agreed to do just that. True mobile TV and data distribution, compatible with the Internet, can now become a reality...We congratulate the Commission for its foresight and keen acknowledgement of the need for broadcast innovation," said Christopher Ripley, Sinclair's President and CEO.

14:47 EDT Barnes & Noble trading halted, news pending

14:31 EDT James E. Flynn reports 5.92% passive stake in Intersect ENT

14:21 EDT Carnival to boost capacity on short cruise program from New Orleans in 2019 - Carnival Cruise Line announced it will expand capacity on its short cruise offerings from New Orleans beginning in 2019. Carnival Valor will shift to New Orleans to begin year-round four- and five-day cruises from the Big Easy beginning May 2019. It will be the largest ship to offer a year-round short cruise schedule from that port. On this route, four-day long weekend cruises depart Thursdays and visit Cozumel, while five-day voyages depart Mondays and Saturdays calling at Cozumel and Progreso.

14:07 EDT Fannie Mae re-enters low-income housing tax credit market - Fannie Mae announced that it will resume low-income housing tax credit activities to provide a reliable source of capital for affordable rental housing and underserved markets. The Federal Housing Finance Agency approved Fannie Mae's re-entry into the LIHTC market as an equity investor effective immediately. Fannie Mae's return to the LIHTC market will expand the company's efforts to increase and improve affordable housing stock and help those markets most in need of support.

14:05 EDT Brown-Forman raises cash dividend 8.2% to 19.75c per share - Brown-Forman announced that its board of directors increased its quarterly cash dividend on its Class A and Class B Common Stock by 8.2% to 19.75c per share from the prior quarter's 18.25c per share. As a result, the indicated annual cash dividend will rise from 73c per share to 79c per share. Stockholders of record on December 7, 2017 will receive the cash dividend on January 2, 2018.

14:02 EDT AT&T sees Q4 video net adds to be positive - While speaking at the Morgan Stanley European Technology, Media and Telecom Conference today, AT&T CFO John Stephens announced the company's over-the-top video service, DIRECTV NOW, has reached over 900,000 subscribers less than a year after its launch. AT&T's strategy to bundle DIRECTV NOW with other services has been successful, he said, adding that about 50% of DIRECTV NOW subscribers have at least one additional service with the company. The company continues to expect additional pressure in the fourth quarter from natural disasters. Following Hurricane Maria, the company has suspended charges to its video subscribers in Puerto Rico. While customer cancellations in Puerto Rico may affect overall subscriber counts, the company expects positive video net adds in the fourth quarter - including DIRECTV NOW.

13:57 EDT AT&T expects positive video net adds in Q4

13:26 EDT Pandora climbs after BMO upgrades, says changes 'underappreciated' - Pandora (P) is higher in afternoon trading after shares were upgraded to Outperform by BMO Capital, which cited better than expected subscriber numbers and positive channel checks on audio ads, among other things. POSITIVE CHECKS ON ADS, WIDER AUDIENCE: BMO Capital analyst Daniel Salmon this morning upgraded Pandora to Outperform from Market Perform, saying that despite a lack of near-term catalysts the market underappreciates longer-term factors. In a note to clients, Salmon specifically called out recent positive channel checks on audio ads among several industry executives, as well as the potential to widen Pandora's audience and improve the margin profile over the long term, calling changes to Pandora's business model "underappreciated." "Up until now," Salmon said, "Pandora has primarily been focused on recorded music and has offered limited forms of other content -- some podcasts like the Serial. However, Pandora now plans to expand the content available and we expect this to accelerate in 2018." Additionally, the analyst noted that Pandora's subscriber business is running ahead of expectations, despite being in a very competitive market, which offers a more visible revenue stream. Finally, Salmon said that after a CEO change, an eventual takeout by SiriuxXM (SIRI) is possible and believes it could happen at $12 per share. WHAT'S NOTABLE: Pandora reported mixed results earlier this month, with active listeners at the end of the quarter of 73.7M, down from 76M at the end of Q2. Roger Lynch, the company's CEO, commented at the time that "there's no silver bullet that's going to come in and solve these problems," but said he believed advertising investments will start to take hold in 2018. Earlier this year, Pandora agreed to accept an investment from Sirius and sold its Ticketfly unit. Prior to that, The New York Post said Pandora and Keith Meister of activist fund Corvex Management "bungled" a chance to sell the company for $15 per share. PRICE ACTION: Pandora is up 3% to $5.09 in afternoon trading, though shares have plunged about 61% year-to-date.

13:17 EDT Barnes & Noble jumps 16% after WSJ report of going private proposal - Shares of Barnes & Noble are up 14%, or 90c, to $7.50 after the Wall Street Journal reported that the bookseller has been approached by investor Sandell Asset Management about being taken private for more than $9 per share.

13:11 EDT Barnes & Noble trading resumes

13:03 EDT Union Pacific raises quarterly dividend 10% to 66.5c per share - Union Pacific Corporation announced that its Board of Directors voted to increase the quarterly dividend on the company's common shares by 10% to 66.5c per share. The increased dividend is payable December 28, 2017, to shareholders of record as of November 30, 2017.

13:01 EDT Discovery Communications trading resumes

12:48 EDT tZERO announces launch date, initial terms for proposed token sale - tZERO announced that the company's token sale, utilizing a Simple Agreement for Future Tokens, or SAFT, will begin on December 18. tZERO confirmed that tokens will provide investors the following unique token characteristics: revenue participation in the form of a distribution, which will be a percentage of tZERO's revenue; and utility to pay for fees and/or services within the tZERO eco-system. "The interest in the proposed tZERO token sale has been overwhelming, and we have been working with our advisors to create the most unique and innovative token," said Joseph Cammarata, President of tZERO. tZERO is a majority owned subsidiary of Overstock.com.

12:45 EDT Coca-Cola CEO says company accelerating move to total beverage portfolio - Coca-Cola president and CEO James Quincey said that the company is accelerating move to total beverage portfolio. Says company "envy" of many beverage companies in terms of starting point. Says Coca-Cola number one company in nonalcoholic beverages, number one hydration company. Says needs to be part of solution to obesity problem. Comments taken from the company's Investor Day.

11:55 EDT Mednax jumps after Paul Singer's Elliott takes activist stake - Shares of Mednax are moving higher after Paul Singer's Elliott Associates this morning disclosed an activist stake in the provider of physician services. Elliott has a combined economic exposure in the company of approximately 7.0%. The activist believes the shares are "undervalued" and seeks to engage in a "constructive dialogue" with management and the board "regarding strategic options and operational opportunities to maximize shareholder value." Elliott believes that there is "substantial upside" from Mednax's unaffected share price level of $43.37 per share, the closing price on November 3, the last trading day prior to the fund's increased share accumulation and prior to news reports of private equity interest in the space. Elliott added that its talks could pertain to a sale of the company or certain of its businesses or assets. Mednax is up 10%, or $4.35, to $50.01 in late morning trading.

11:35 EDT Fieldpoint Petroleum trading resumes

11:29 EDT Charter CEO confirms options vest 'near' $540 per share - Charter CEO Tom Rutledge was discussing his performance options in the context of earlier remarks made by John Malone that Charter has received four approaches regarding a potential takeover but none have seemed to be worth pursuing yet by its board.

11:16 EDT Genentech says FDA approves Hemlibra for Hemophilia A with inhibitors - Genentech, a member of the Roche Group, announced that the U.S. FDA has approved HEMLIBRA for routine prophylaxis to prevent or reduce the frequency of bleeding episodes in adults and children with hemophilia A with factor VIII inhibitors. Nearly one in three people with severe hemophilia A can develop inhibitors to factor VIII replacement therapies, putting them at greater risk for life-threatening bleeds or repeated bleeds that can cause long-term joint damage. In two of the largest pivotal clinical studies for people with hemophilia A with inhibitors, HEMLIBRA was shown to substantially reduce bleeds in adults and children. In the Phase III HAVEN 1 study, people 12 years of age or older with hemophilia A with inhibitors who received HEMLIBRA prophylaxis had a statistically significant reduction in treated bleeds of 87% compared to those who received no prophylaxis. Interim results from the pivotal HAVEN 2 study in children younger than 12 years of age with hemophilia A with inhibitors showed that 87% of children who received HEMLIBRA prophylaxis experienced zero treated bleeds.HEMLIBRA will be available to people in the U.S. shortly after approval.

11:05 EDT Roche unit wins FDA approval for hemophilia A treatment - The FDA announced the approval of Genentech's Hemlibra to prevent or reduce the frequency of bleeding episodes in adult and pediatric patients with hemophilia A who have developed antibodies called Factor VIII inhibitors. The labeling for Hemlibra contains a boxed warning to alert healthcare professionals and patients that severe blood clots have been observed in patients who were also given a rescue treatment to treat bleeds for 24 hours or more while taking Hemlibra. Genentech is a unit of Roche.

11:01 EDT Cooper Tire names Molson Coors CFO Tracy Joubert to board - The Board of Directors of Cooper Tire & Rubber Company (CTB) named Tracey I. Joubert a director of the company effective immediately. Joubert is CFO of Molson Coors Brewing Company (TAP).

10:51 EDT FDA approves Roche hemophilia treatment Hemilbra

10:47 EDT GE Additive acquires GeonX; terms not disclosed - GE Additive announced that it has acquired GeonX, a privately-owned developer of simulation software. Terms of the deal are not being disclosed. Headquartered in Belgium, GeonX provides software for engineers when developing new products, to simulate additive manufacturing, welding, machining and heat treatment processes in various industries such as aerospace, automotive and energy.

10:33 EDT Malone, on if Charter is for sale, says 'anything I'm involved in is for sale' - John Malone made the comment while being interviewed on CNBC about Charter.

10:19 EDT Amedisys drops after LHC, Almost Family agree to merge - Shares of Amedisys (AMED) are lower after its home healthcare competitors LHC Group (LHCG) and Almost Family (AFAM) announced an all-stock merger. LHC will own 60% of the new company. Shares of Amedisys are down 5% to $53.65 in morning trading while Almost Family is up 9% to $57.50. LHC is lower by 5% to $63.40.

10:09 EDT Siemens to cut 6,900 jobs worldwide, including 1,800 in U.S. - Siemens said in a statement that it is "responding to the rapidly accelerating structural changes in the fossil power generation market and the commodity sector." It added, "A consolidation plan for the Power and Gas Division (PG), the Power Generation Services Division (PS) and the Process Industries and Drives Division (PD) aims to increase capacity utilization at production facilities, drive efficiency and enhance expertise by bundling resources." According to the plans presented to the employee representatives, a total of around 6,900 jobs worldwide are to be cut in the affected divisions over a period of several years. Roughly half of these jobs are in Germany. Outside Germany, the restructuring measures will eliminate a total of just over 1,100 jobs in European countries. In countries outside Europe, another 2,500 jobs will be affected, including 1,800 jobs in the consolidation of production facilities and administrative functions in the U.S. "Global demand for large gas turbines (generating more than 100 megawatts) has fallen drastically and is expected to level out at around 110 turbines a year. By contrast, the technical manufacturing capacity of all producers worldwide is estimated at around 400 turbines. PG already began responding to the changed market conditions three years ago." Siemens said. Janina Kugel, Chief Human Resources Officer and member of the Managing Board of Siemens, added, "The cuts are necessary to ensure that our expertise in power-plant technology, generators and large electrical motors stays competitive over the long term. That's the goal behind the measures we're taking. However, we can reach this goal only if we find answers to the worldwide overcapacities and the resulting price pressure.

10:04 EDT MutualFirst Financial raises quarterly dividend 12.5% to 18c per share - MutualFirst Financial announced the company will pay a cash dividend of 18c per share for Q4. This dividend represents a 12.5% increase. The dividend will be payable on December 22 to shareholders of record on December 8.

09:32 EDT AT&T, Shell announces global networking agreement - AT&T (T) and Royal Dutch Shell (RDS.A) announced they have signed an agreement for the provision of managed communications and network integration services for Shell globally. Under the agreement, AT&T will provide strategic services like network management and integration, global voice and data services, security, video and collaboration. Frank Jules, president Global Business at AT&T, said, "We're eager to continue the relationship and move forward into new areas of innovation with Shell."

09:25 EDT Diana Shipping announces time charter contract for m/v Naias with Phaethon - Diana Shipping announced that, through a separate wholly-owned subsidiary, it has entered into a time charter contract with Phaethon International Company AG, for one of its Panamax dry bulk vessels, the m/v Naias. The gross charter rate is US$10,000 per day, minus a 5% commission paid to third parties, for a period of about fifteen months to maximum eighteen months. The charter is expected to commence on November 24, 2017. The m/v Naias was chartered, as previously announced, to Glencore Agriculture B.V., Rotterdam, at a gross charter rate of $7,500 per day, minus a 5% commission paid to third parties. This employment is anticipated to generate approximately $4.35M of gross revenue for the minimum scheduled period of the time charter.

09:21 EDT Invitation Homes and Starwood Waypoint homes complete merger - Invitation Homes completed its previously announced merger with Starwood Waypoint Homes. The combined company will operate under the name "Invitation Homes" and continue trading on the NYSE under the current ticker symbol for Invitation Homes, INVH. The combined company owns and manages a portfolio of approximately 82,000 single-family homes.

09:19 EDT Viacom: 'We don't believe we need to combine Paramount with another film studio'

09:18 EDT Jaguar Health presenting Neonorm Calf at WODPA conference - Jaguar Health announced that the company is exhibiting and presenting at the Western Organic Dairy Producers Alliance Conference this week in Sparks, Nevada to promote Neonorm Calf, one of Jaguar's lead non-prescription animal products, to organic dairy producers located throughout the western U.S. Headquartered in Chico, California, the Western Organic Dairy Producers Alliance is a nonprofit organization dedicated to preserving, protecting, and ensuring the sustainability and integrity of organic dairy farming across the west. WODPA's conference is an annual event designed to help organic dairy farmers stay informed about the organic dairy business. As Jaguar announced this past June, the Organic Materials Review Institute has reviewed Neonorm Calf and determined that it is allowed for use in compliance with the U.S. Department of Agriculture National Organic Program. OMRI is an international nonprofit organization that determines which input products are allowed for use in organic production and processing. Neonorm Calf has been formulated and clinically tested to help proactively retain fluid in dairy calves and reduce the severity of diarrhea-aiding calves in avoiding debilitating, dangerous levels of dehydration associated with scours. Neonorm is a standardized botanical extract derived from the Croton lechleri tree, which is sustainably harvested.

09:12 EDT Comcast announces integration of Kwikset smart locks into Xfinity Home - Comcast (CMCSA, CMCSK) announced that it has expanded its relationship with the Kwikset brand of Spectrum Brands (SPB) and has integrated three additional best-in-class smart locks into Works with Xfinity program. Now Xfinity Home customers can choose from four Kwikset door locks with Home Connect technology to remotely control access into and out of their homes. The Kwikset SmartCode 910 Deadbolt, SmartCode 912 Deadbolt Lever and SmartCode 916 Touchscreen Deadbolt join the Smartcode 914 Touchpad Deadbolt, August Lock, and Chamberlain MyQ garage controllers to help Xfinity customers manage access and secure their homes. These Works with Xfinity connected door locks and garage door controllers offer Xfinity Home customers the ability to remotely view status, lock/unlock or open/close their doors, view lock/unlock or open/close events in the activity feed, and create rules or automated commands to notify users if their doors are not locked. Additionally, customers who have an Xfinity video camera and Kwikset door lock can unlock their door remotely, which provides the convenience of granting access to a guest or service professional. The Kwikset SmartCode 914 Touchpad Deadbolt will be available for purchase in many Xfinity retail stores across the country and directly online on the Xfinity website.

09:10 EDT Shineco to partner with nursery and agricultural company in China - Shineco, through its joint venture company, Xinjiang Shineco Taihe Agriculture Technology, has entered into a Strategic Cooperation Agreement with Western Xinjiang Tiansheng Agricultural Development Co., a nursery and agricultural company in Xinjiang, China. Shineco intends to acquire 51% - 60% equity interest in Xinjiang Tiansheng's shares in exchange for consideration consisting of cash and Shineco's newly issued shares subject to a definitive agreement to be entered in by the parties. Both parties agree to expand strategic cooperation on upgrading nursery greenhouse, establishing a large-scale, mechanized, intelligent modern apocynum base as well as deepen related follow-up cooperation. The definitive Share Exchange and Acquisition Agreement is expected to be entered into before December 31. Shineco CEO Yuying Zhang stated, "The established greenhouse nursery base will cultivate 600 million apocynum plants each year. The 600 million apocynum plants could be sold at RMB300M with a net profit over 45%".

09:07 EDT PayPal to receive about $6B+ cash proceeds at close of consumer credit deal - As previously reported, PayPal (PYPL) and Synchrony Financial (SYF) announced an agreement to significantly expand their strategic consumer credit relationship. Under the terms of the transaction, Synchrony Financial will acquire $6.8B in receivables, including PayPal's U.S. consumer credit receivables portfolio, which totaled approximately $5.8B in receivables as of October 31, 2017, and approximately $1B in participation interests in receivables held by certain investors and a chartered financial institution. In slides related to the announcement, PayPal said it will receive about $6B+ in cash proceeds at close. PayPal said the deal comes with minimal EPS dilution, leading to no change to its 2018 non-GAAP operating income growth guidance. The deal also frees up in excess of about $1B cash for higher yield investments each year, PayPal stated in its slides.

09:04 EDT UPS, Shopify partner to deliver fast shipping to merchants for holiday season - UPS (UPS) and Shopify (SHOP) are unveiling a platform integration that make UPS's premium services available to small businesses. Shopify's hundreds of thousands of small U.S. businesses will now receive competitive, pre-negotiated domestic and international rates that save on list prices, along with a streamlined shipping and fulfillment solution. With UPS services and solutions integrated into the Shopify platform, businesses can now easily manage all aspects of shipping and fulfillment in one place. Several services including UPS 2nd Day Air and UPS Ground are available to give merchants the flexibility and speed needed to meet customer needs at a good value. Tracking and billing are also integrated into Shopify, helping reduce the time and effort it takes a business owner to keep up with the status and cost of shipments. In addition to the new, competitive rates already embedded, future Shopify Shipping enhancements could include savings on pickups, the ability to ship to 8,800 UPS Access Point locations, UPS My Choice service for customers to personalize delivery times and locations, simplified online solutions for returns, and other elements of UPS's suite of ecommerce solutions.

09:04 EDT Amazon, NBCUniversal announce deal for Mariah Carey animated film - Amazon (AMZN) announced a deal with NBCUniversal (CMCSA, CMCSK) to make Prime Video the exclusive subscription streaming service for new animated film Mariah Carey's All I Want for Christmas Is You from Universal 1440 Entertainment. The film is inspired by Mariah's classic holiday hit of the same name, which was the most streamed holiday song on Amazon Music last year. The movie is narrated and executive produced by Mariah Carey and features a new original song by Mariah Carey and three of her classic holiday hits. The film is available exclusively for Prime members in the U.S. and Canada to stream, and Amazon customers may start their holiday shopping with the digital movie available for $14.99.

09:01 EDT PVH's Calvin Klein announces holiday retail experience with Amazon Fashion - Calvin Klein, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of PVH Corp. (PVH), and Amazon Fashion (AMZN) announced the CALVIN KLEIN X Amazon Fashion holiday retail experience, available for customers to shop now through December 31st. The experience will include pop-up shops in New York City and Los Angeles, as well as an online brand store on Amazon.com. Calvin Klein, Inc. Announces Holiday Retail Experience with Amazon Fashion. The holiday retail experience is a first between Amazon Fashion and CALVIN KLEIN, and will include exclusive styles available only to Amazon customers at the pop-ups and the online brand store. The pop-ups will be located in New York City's SoHo neighborhood and in the city of Santa Monica in Los Angeles. Each location will sell CALVIN KLEIN UNDERWEAR products, including men's and women's underwear and loungewear offerings, while the online CALVIN KLEIN brand store will offer an expanded selection of both CALVIN KLEIN UNDERWEAR and CALVIN KLEIN JEANS product.

08:53 EDT Best Buy says not seeing large uptick in holiday promotions

08:51 EDT CounterPath announces distribution agreement with TaraSpan - CounterPath announced that it has signed a distribution agreement with India-based TaraSpan, a leading Unified Communication solutions provider, to sell CounterPath's Bria Stretto subscription services throughout India.

08:48 EDT Best Buy says underestimated demand for in-home advisor service - Says Smarthome category is "very exciting space" and "in its infancy." Says Smarthome trend "plays really well to our strengths."

08:43 EDT Best Buy says Q3 store, online visits not materially impacted by iPhone

08:38 EDT LiveRamp, Criteo partner for enhance global marketing campaigns - LiveRamp, an Acxiom company (ACXM), and Criteo (CRTO) announced a collaboration between the two companies. Criteo and LiveRamp will work in tandem to integrate LiveRamp IdentityLink into Criteo's Commerce Marketing Ecosystem, a network of tens of thousands of retailers, brands, and publishers that enables collaboration and drives measured performance and profits for retailers and brands. IdentityLink will enable Criteo to resolve data from offline sources to digital channels in a privacy-friendly manner to power omnichannel campaigns. Under the terms of the agreement, Criteo becomes one of the largest certified LiveRamp IdentityLink partners in the U.S., and the first certified IdentityLink partner in the U.K. and France.

08:35 EDT Celgene, bluebird bio announce breakthrough therapy designation for bb2121 - Celgene Corporation (CELG) and bluebird bio, Inc. (BLUE) announced that bb2121, a chimeric antigen receptor T-cell therapy targeting b-cell maturation antigen in previously treated patients with multiple myeloma, has been granted Breakthrough Therapy Designation by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration and PRIority MEdicines eligibility by the European Medicines Agency. BTD designation and PRIME eligibility for bb2121 were based on preliminary clinical data from the ongoing phase 1 study CRB-401. Updated data from CRB-401 is scheduled to be presented at the 59th annual meeting of the American Society of Hematology in Atlanta during an oral presentation on Dec. 11.

08:33 EDT AstroNova opens expanded, full-service headquarters in Germany - AstroNova announced the opening of an expanded, full-service headquarters in Germany. The new location in Dietzenbach, near Frankfurt, will support the Company's rapid growth across Europe, the Middle East and Africa.

08:33 EDT Synchronoss names Glenn Lurie CEO - Synchronoss Technologies (SNCR) announced that Glenn Lurie has been appointed CEO, and a member of its Board of Directors. Lurie succeeds Stephen Waldis, who will remain chairman of the Synchronoss Board of Directors. Waldis will work closely with Lurie and the rest of the management team to ensure an orderly transition of responsibilities. Lurie has significant leadership and operations experience, most recently serving as president and CEO of AT&T's (T) Mobility and Consumer Operations until his retirement from the company in September.

08:29 EDT Best Buy says store employee turnover at 'all-time low'

08:19 EDT Allstate sees October pre-tax catastrophe loss of $516M - Allstate announced estimated catastrophe losses for the month of October 2017 of $516M, pre-tax ($335M after-tax). Catastrophe losses occurring in October comprised 11 events at an estimated cost of $502M, pre-tax, plus unfavorable reserve reestimates of prior reported catastrophe losses. Five wildfires in the state of California accounted for approximately 90% of the catastrophe losses occurring in the month of October 2017.

08:16 EDT Best Buy says targeting approximately $2B in share repurchases in 2017 - Up from prior view of $1.5B.

08:14 EDT Kemet announces cost improvement actions - Kemet announced that, in a continuance of its effort to further improve gross margins, net income, and cash flow, it is undertaking the following actions and generating savings: Within the TOKIN legacy group, the company will take a reduction in force across various internal operational and overhead functions. The company will accrue approximately $5.3 million between the current fiscal quarter and June 30, 2018 with savings expected to begin on April 1, 2018. Total cost savings for next fiscal year is expected to be approximately $9.2 million. The Solid Capacitors Business Group will modify its vertical integration strategy by relocating its tantalum powder facility equipment from Carson City, Nevada to its existing Matamoros, Mexico plant. The company expects to achieve nnual operating cost savings of approximately $0.8 million next Fiscal Year 2019, $2.3 million in Fiscal Year 2020 and $3.2 million in Fiscal Year 2021 from this move. The company will accrue severance charges of approximately $0.9 million this quarter ending December 31, 2017 and incur cash charges for equipment and employee relocation costs of approximately $2.1 million over the next 21 months. The Film and Electrolytic Business Group will take a voluntary reduction in force in its Italian operations and will accrue approximately $5.0 million between the current fiscal quarter and the quarter ending March 31, 2018 based on workforce reduction timing. Cost savings are expected to begin in March 2018 and are expected to be approximately $1.0 million beginning in Fiscal Year 2019 growing to $2.5 million in Fiscal Year 2021 and this action will also eliminate a potential labor cost increase of approximately $1.6 beginning in Fiscal Year 2019. "We made a general announcement as we launched our TOKIN acquisition that we would reduce expenses there to improve performance and this is the first step in that process. We continue to be excited about the opportunities that this combination brings to us," stated Per Loof, KEMET's Chief Executive Officer. "In addition, we believe relocating our powder facility to be more efficient and close to our manufacturing process is imperative and we continue to look for ways to make our F&E business more competitive. While our performance has been excellent to date, we continue to look for ways to enhance our operating profit and bring value to our shareholders," continued Loof.

08:12 EDT HSN, Inc. enters partnership with SCORE - HSN and SCORE announced a new collaboration that will serve entrepreneurs and aspiring business owners through educational opportunities and firsthand experience pitching products and new business ventures. Leveraging HSN's experience scouting and elevating talented entrepreneurs as well as SCORE's history as a resource for mentoring, workshops and business tools, the partnership will provide for jointly-held training forums and webinars; networking events; and opportunities to pitch new products to business experts for customers and clients of both organizations.

08:09 EDT Ingredion-distributed stevia leaf sweetener granted No Objection Letter from FDA - Ingredion and SweeGen announced that the FDA issued a Generally Recognized As Safe No Objection Letter for Bestevia Rebaudioside D stevia leaf sweetener for use as a general-purpose, non-nutritive sweetener for foods and beverages. Ingredion is SweeGen's exclusive global distributor of Bestevia Reb M and Reb D stevia leaf sweeteners in all markets. Ingredion will distribute Bestevia Reb D stevia leaf sweetener initially in the United States and subsequently in other countries as additional regulatory approvals are granted.

08:07 EDT MetroPCS offers Amazon Prime on Us, Samsung Galaxy J7 smartphone - MetroPcs, part of T-Mobile US (TMUS), says, "Starting today and for a limited time, MetroPCS is offering a year of Amazon Prime on Us (AMZN) -- a $99 value -- with a free Samsung (SSNLF) Galaxy J7 Prime when you switch to MetroPCS and get unlimited LTE. That's a $308 value! And, making the switch comes with serious perks - outside of a sweet new phone, you'll get unlimited 4G LTE data on the nationwide T-Mobile network for just $100 for 4 lines - period. That's all the LTE data you need - with no data caps."

08:06 EDT bluebird bio reports first patient treated in Northstar-3 Phase 3 study - bluebird bio announced that the first patient has been treated in Northstar-3, the company's Phase 3 study of LentiGlobin in patients with transfusion-dependent beta-thalassemia with the beta0/beta0 genotype. Northstar-3 is a Phase 3, global, multi-center study designed to evaluate the safety and efficacy of LentiGlobin in patients with transfusion-dependent beta-thalassemia with a beta0/beta0 genotype. In this study, the manufacturing process by which the patient's cells are transduced with the LentiGlobin viral vector has been modified, with the intent of increasing the percentage of cells successfully transduced and the average vector copy number per diploid genome. The study's primary endpoint is the proportion of patients who meet the definition of "transfusion reduction." TR is defined as demonstration of reduction of at least 60% in volume of red blood cell transfusion requirements in the post-treatment time period of Months 12 to 24, as compared to the average annual transfusion requirement in the 24 months prior to enrollment. The target enrollment of the study is 15 adult, adolescent and pediatric patients.

08:05 EDT FIS to sell Kingstar business to Zhongping Capital - FIS announced that it has signed a definitive agreement to sell its SunGard Kingstar Data System business to Zhongping Capital. The transaction is anticipated to close in the 1Q18. Terms of the agreement were not released. Kingstar provides software and processing solutions for China's financial markets. The divestiture is consistent with FIS' primary goals of serving financial institutions and maintaining leadership positions in markets where the company has meaningful scale. BDA Partners acted as financial advisor to FIS on the transaction.

08:04 EDT Materialise, SYNNEX deliver 3D printing package for large scale manufacturing - Materialise and SYNNEX, the exclusive distributor for HP Jet Fusion 3D in the U.S. and Canada, have signed an agreement that will deliver a complete 3D printing package for large scale 3D printing operations. This new agreement will allow SYNNEX to sell Materialise software bundled with HP Multi Jet Fusion printers, providing multiple benefits for the end user.

08:03 EDT PayPal, Synchrony announce expanded strategic credit relationship - PayPal Holdings (PYPL) and Synchrony Financial (SYF) announced an agreement to significantly expand their strategic consumer credit relationship. Under the terms of the transaction, Synchrony Financial will acquire $6.8B in receivables, including PayPal's U.S. consumer credit receivables portfolio, which totaled approximately $5.8B in receivables as of October 31, 2017, and approximately $1B in participation interests in receivables held by certain investors and a chartered financial institution. Subject to regulatory approval and other customary conditions, this transaction is expected to close in the third quarter of 2018. In addition, at closing, PayPal and Synchrony Bank will extend the existing co-brand consumer credit card program agreement, and Synchrony Bank will also become the exclusive issuer of the PayPal Credit online consumer financing program, in the U.S. for 10 years. Since 2004, PayPal and Synchrony Bank have partnered to offer PayPal-branded consumer credit card options that enable cardholders to shop online and in stores. PayPal and Synchrony Bank will be expanding their program agreement to include the PayPal Credit online consumer financing program available to PayPal's U.S. customers. Through this expanded relationship, PayPal will continue to provide access to innovative consumer credit products, while Synchrony Bank will provide program management capabilities. This transaction enables PayPal to control customer-facing activities, which aligns with PayPal's strategy of enhancing the consumer experience, while simultaneously allowing for more efficient capital allocation.

08:00 EDT American Express introduces blockchain-enabled cross-border B2B payments - American Express announced the introduction of blockchain-enabled, business-to-business cross-border payments. The American Express FX International Payments business is working with Ripple, provider of enterprise global blockchain solutions, to make blockchain payments commercially available, reducing the time and cost of settlement, while maintaining the level of security that American Express customers know and expect. Santander UK is the selected partner to initiate this new transaction channel, which has the potential to expand substantially over time.

07:50 EDT Sonoma Pharmaceuticals granted FDA approval of expanded indication for Alevicyn - Sonoma Pharmaceuticals announced that the FDA has approved an expanded claim for the company's signature dermatology product, Alevicyn Dermal Spray, to include antimicrobial language and antimicrobial data against clinically relevant microorganisms.

07:40 EDT Alico announces restructuring program - Alico announces the Alico 2.0 Modernization Program. In January 2017, Alico Inc. embarked on an aggressive plan to improve its operational efficiencies and optimize its asset returns. This program, called Alico 2.0, is transforming three legacy businesses (Alico, Orange Co., and Silver Nip) into a single efficient enterprise, Alico Citrus, so we will remain one of the leaders in the U.S. citrus industry. This initiative explored every aspect of Alico's citrus and ranch operations, including corporate and operational cost structures, grove costs, purchasing and procurement, non-performing and under-performing assets, professional fees, and human resources efficiency. Alico has been careful to eliminate costs that it believes will not negatively affect citrus production. In fact, we believe that its new management structure and practices will drive enhanced production. Alico 2.0 will take at least two seasons to realize full results. Alico Citrus is reducing total expenses per acre from $3,314/acre in FY16 to $2,164/acre when Alico 2.0 is fully implemented. Overall, the program should reduce the company's cost to produce a pound solid from $2.14 to $1.56. This efficiency will be achieved through better purchasing, more precise application of selected fertilizers and chemicals, outsourcing work such as harvesting, hauling, and certain caretaking tasks, and by streamlining grove management. Alico Citrus also expects to deploy a more efficient labor model that is consistent and uniform for field staffing and grove operating programs and aligns with the geographical footprint of the citrus groves. In addition to grove cost savings, Alico Citrus' general and administrative expenses are projected to decline by more than 25% over the next two years, and recent information technology investments have already automated and simplified many administrative tasks. Alico 2.0 led the Company to decide to divest assets that generated low rates of return and shut down parts of its operations that were not profitable. Alico Citrus has shut down its nursery in Gainesville, is in the process of selling its trucks and trailers, consolidated offices, and sold real estate assets that were not strategic. We believe that Alico has approximately $175 million of assets which may be divested without materially affecting earnings. This quarter, Alico will cease its direct cattle operations at Alico Ranch. The ranch has been a landholding for us for generations, but, even when profitable, ranch operations generated a minimal rate of return on capital. Alico will continue to own the property and still conduct its long term water dispersement program and wildlife management programs, but it will lease the ranch to a third party operator instead of conducting its own cattle operations. All of these decisions are intended to enable additional investment in the citrus business and redeployment of capital elsewhere. Management within Alico Citrus is also changing. Danny Sutton has been promoted to President and General Manager of Alico Citrus, taking over for Steve Ryan, who has resigned to pursue other opportunities. We thank Mr. Ryan for his help in implementing Alico 2.0. Mr. Sutton has shown great leadership over the past year, and the performance of the Alico Citrus staff under his direction before and after Hurricane Irma gave the Alico board confidence that he is ready to lead Alico Citrus through its current challenges towards sustainable increased prosperity.

07:32 EDT Good Times Restaurants confirms reciept of Delta Partners, REIT Redux notice - Good Times Restaurants confirmed that it has received a notice from Delta Partners and REIT Redux LP nominating seven persons for election to the company's Board of Directors at its 2018 Annual Meeting of Shareholders, consisting of four persons currently on the Board of Directors and three additional persons who are not currently members of the Board of Directors. The Good Times Board of Directors will present its formal recommendation regarding Director nominations in the company's definitive proxy statement to be filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission in connection with the Good Times 2018 Annual Meeting of Shareholders. The company's 2018 Annual Meeting of Shareholders is not yet scheduled and shareholders are not required to take any action at this time. "Good Times welcomes constructive feedback from its shareholders. Good Times regularly meets with and engages in constructive dialog with its shareholders to understand their perspectives on the company's operations and long-term strategic growth plan. The current majority of the Good Times Board of Directors and its management team are confident that they are pursuing the right strategy to enhance value for all shareholders. As always, Good Times is committed to acting in the best interest of all shareholders and remains focused on growing its core businesses and building long-term shareholder value," the company said.

07:31 EDT Wayfair expands large appliance offering to include GE, GE Profile appliances - Wayfair (W) announced it will expand its current appliance offering to include GE (GE) and GE Profile appliances as part of its innovative shopping experience. "For the first time, best-selling GE products including washers, dryers, ranges, dishwashers and refrigerators are available on Wayfair.com and ready for delivery in 25 U.S. cities with nationwide roll-out in early 2018. Shoppers will now have convenient online access to an assortment of GE products, and for the first time, will be able to view GE appliances in their homes and explore 3-D imagery of a wide selection of appliances through Wayfair's seamless digital shopping experience. With two-day delivery available in most markets, customers can also conveniently schedule the preferred delivery date for their new appliance."

07:20 EDT Garmin announces fleet 700 tablet series for fleet management - Garmin International announced the Garmin fleet 700 tablet series for fleet management solutions and telematics. The new series combines the power of Garmin navigation with the vast flexibility of a scalable tablet, and allows mobile workforces to customize every tablet in the series with their own Android-based business application. The new fleet series features three models: the fleet 770 establishes an open and scalable platform; the fleet 780 and fleet 790 enhance the feature set with a built-in dual-purpose dash camera; and the fleet 790 adds Open-SIM 4G/3G support to take business wherever it needs to go, both in and out of the vehicle. The innovative fleet 790 comes equipped with Open-SIM embedded cellular connectivity to empower customers with an "always-on" internet connection when Wi-Fi connectivity is not available. With 4G/3G support, users can extend their bandwidth to send videos, access cloud-based applications, and eliminate the need for a personal laptop, consumer tablet, or smartphone to complete the job. All fleet series devices feature built-in Wi-Fi for easy access to over-the-air map updates, and connectivity to third-party accessories, including back-up cameras, side-view cameras and more. The fleet 780 and fleet 790 utilize a dual-purpose camera to act as personal eyewitness on the road to record HD footage and to help mitigate risks encountered on the road, including capturing documentation for insurance purposes. If the tablet is removed from its mount, fleet owners can optimize the camera for inventory management, proof of delivery by easily snapping a picture with the camera, bar code scanning, and more. In addition, the Garmin fleet series supports navigation API's and offers built-in fleet management apps to help develop and fulfill the needs of fleet owners and telematics service providers around the world. The Garmin fleet 700 series is expected to be available in December.

07:19 EDT WPP announces transfer of American Depositary Shares to NYSE - WPP announced that it is transferring the listing of its American Depositary Shares to the New York Stock Exchange from the NASDAQ Global Market. The company expects its ADS to begin trading under a new ticker "WPP" on the NYSE effective November 28, 2017. The company's ADS will continue to trade on NASDAQ until the transfer is complete. WPP's primary listing of its ordinary shares will not change and continues to trade on the London Stock Exchange under the ticker "WPP."

07:18 EDT Alynlam initiates rolling submission of NDA to FDA for Patisiran - Alnylam Pharmaceuticals (ALNY) announced the company has initiated submission of a rolling New Drug Application to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration for patisiran, an investigational RNAi therapeutic targeting transthyretin, for the treatment of hereditary ATTR amyloidosis. The rolling submission allows completed portions of an NDA to be reviewed by the FDA on an ongoing basis. Alnylam has submitted the non-clinical and chemistry, manufacturing and controls components and expects to submit the final clinical data component by the end of the year. Alnylam has also requested a priority review of the application which, if granted, could result in a six-month review process. Patisiran previously received Fast Track Designation from the FDA. Alnylam, in alliance with Sanofi Genzyme (SNY), plans to submit a Marketing Authorisation Application to the European Medicines Agency around year end. Sanofi Genzyme is currently preparing for regulatory filings for patisiran in Japan, Brazil and other countries, to begin in the first half of 2018. Pending regulatory approvals, Alnylam will commercialize patisiran in the U.S., Canada and Western Europe, with Sanofi Genzyme commercializing the product in the rest of the world.

07:17 EDT Wal-Mart expects 'solid' performance for holiday season - CFO Brett Briggs said that, in terms of capital allocation, Wal-Mart is prioritizing eCommerce, technology, supply chain and store remodels over new stores and clubs. For the quarter, Briggs noted a 29c charge related to the premiums paid for bonds tendered in Q3, and additionally discussions with the government agencies in the FCPA matter have progressed to the point that the company recorded an accrual of $283M, or 9c per share. In Walmart International, the decision to exit certain properties in one of its markets led to an impairment charge of 4c per share. Wal-Mart said it expects a "solid" performance for the holiday season.

07:12 EDT Best Buy reports Q3 Enterprise SSS up 4.4% - Reports Q3 domestic SSS up 4.5%. Reports Q3 domestic online SSS up 22.3%. Reports Q3 international SSS up 3.8%. "In the third quarter, we delivered strong top and bottom line results with 4.4% comparable sales growth and 30% EPS growth," said Hubert Joly, Best Buy chairman and CEO. "Technology innovation is fueling demand and our strategy is resonating with our customers. We are also making significant progress against our Best Buy 2020 strategy and are excited about the opportunities for long-term value creation. And while we are investing in key initiatives and capabilities, we are also able to generate significant returns for our shareholders through the growth of our EPS and our capital allocation strategy." Joly concluded, "Looking ahead, we are very excited about our plans for holiday, including a curated assortment of great new technology products, free shipping with no minimums, and a range of new capabilities such as our new in-home advisor program, an updated gift center, and same-day delivery in 40 cities. We believe we are well positioned for a successful season and therefore, we are raising our financial outlook for the fourth quarter and for the year."

07:11 EDT Alkermes announces acceptance of investigational product NDA for filing - Alkermes announced that the New Drug Application for Aripiprazole Lauroxil NanoCrystal Dispersion, a novel, investigational product designed for initiation onto ARISTADA extended-release injectable suspension for the treatment of schizophrenia, has been accepted for filing by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. The FDA has issued a target action date for the ALNCD NDA of June 30, 2018 under the Prescription Drug User Fee Act. If approved, administration of ALNCD in conjunction with a single oral dose of 30 mg aripiprazole will replace the need for three weeks of concomitant oral aripiprazole with the first dose of ARISTADA. The ALNCD investigational product is designed for initiation onto any dose or duration of ARISTADA.

07:09 EDT Cubic unit signs $185M contract with Transport for London - Cubic announced its Cubic Transportation Systems business division has signed a $185M contract with Transport for London for a three-year extension of services to London's Oyster and contactless ticketing system. In addition, CTS has finalized the $553.8M contract from the New York Metropolitan Transportation Authority awarded in October for the design and implementation of New York's New Fare Payment System. CTS was selected by the MTA to replace the iconic New York MetroCard with a proven, next-generation fare payment system similar to that used on the bus, Tube and rail services operated by TfL. Matt Cole, president of CTS, signed the contract at MTA headquarters on November 1. CTS' existing contract as TfL's revenue collection service provider has been extended for an additional three years until 2025. The extension will deliver at least $26M in guaranteed savings to TfL as Cubic continues to provide operational and maintenance services to London's Oyster and contactless ticketing system, while still investing in further innovations to the benefit of public transport users in London.

07:08 EDT Viacom CEO: Company is stronger and momentum continues to build - Bob Bakish, president and CEO said, "In the fourth quarter and full year, we made strong progress against our plan to fundamentally stabilize and revitalize Viacom, with top line gains in both Media Networks and Filmed Entertainment segments driven by continued execution on our strategic priorities. We saw significant ratings increases across the portfolio, which drove sequential improvement in domestic advertising; our international business continues to expand, delivering double-digit revenue increases; and Paramount is demonstrating growth across multiple revenue streams as it rebuilds the theatrical slate and continues to grow its TV production business. Additionally, we have completed several multi-year renewals of major distribution contracts - including our recent agreement with Charter (CHTR) - which secure broad, long-term carriage of Viacom's networks for subscribers and expand our relationships with distributors through new, forward-looking advanced advertising and content production partnerships. We realized these achievements and established a stable base while reducing debt, improving free cash flow and strengthening our balance sheet. Viacom is stronger and our momentum continues to build. To accelerate our transition to long-term, sustainable growth, we are ramping up the evolution of Viacom's media business to better serve next generation platforms and solutions while continuing to diversify our business and strengthen our global portfolio of flagship brands. In the coming year, we will continue to focus on unleashing the full creativity and energy of Viacom to create greater value for our shareholders and audiences."

07:07 EDT Ionis Pharmaceuticals receives $5M license fee from Janssen Biotech - Ionis Pharmaceuticals has licensed a second orally delivered Generation 2.5 antisense drug to Janssen Biotech for which Ionis earned $5M. IONIS-JBI2-2.5Rx is designed to locally reduce the production of an undisclosed target in the gastrointestinal tract for the treatment of a GI autoimmune disease. Jansen will now assume all global development, regulatory, and commercialization responsibilities for IONIS-JBI2-2.5Rx for GI diseases. Under its global collaboration agreement with Janssen, Ionis is eligible to receive nearly $800M in development, regulatory and sales milestone payments and license fees. In addition, Ionis will receive tiered royalties that on average are double-digits on sales from any product that is successfully commercialized.

07:06 EDT J.M. Smucker CEO says 'pleased with our second quarter results' - "We are pleased with our second quarter results, primarily driven by our pet food business and the strong performance of a number of key brands across all our businesses," said Mark Smucker, CEO. "This included double-digit sales increases for Nature's Recipe dog food, Dunkin' Donuts coffee, and Jif peanut butter. We also experienced continued strong growth of our brands in e-commerce, as sales in this channel doubled in the quarter for our U.S. retail segments. We are confident in the ability of our brands to win in the rapidly changing retail environment. In addition, we remain focused on achieving sustainable cost reductions that support both the bottom-line and fuel investments in future growth."

07:05 EDT Wal-Mart sees Q4 Walmart U.S. SSS excluding fuel up 1.5%-2% - Sees Q4 Sam's Club SSS excluding fuel up 1.5%-2%

06:59 EDT Epizyme treatment of follicular lymphoma granted FDA orphan status - Epizyme's tazemetostat was granted FDA orphan status as a treatment of follicular lymphoma, according to a post to the agency's website. Reference Link

06:58 EDT Coca-Cola reaffirms FY17 guidance, long-term targets - Senior leaders from The Coca-Cola Company, led by President and CEO James Quincey, will meet with investors and analysts on 11/16. As part of that meeting, the company is reaffirming its full year 2017 guidance as well as its previously provided full year 2018 outlook considerations. The company is also reiterating its long-term targets of mid single-digit organic revenue growth (non-GAAP) and high single-digit comparable currency neutral EPS growth (non-GAAP). The company is now targeting comparable currency neutral operating income growth (non-GAAP) of 6%-8%. In addition, the company is introducing a new long-term target of 95%-100% for adjusted free cash flow conversion ratio (non-GAAP). The company has set a target for comparable currency neutral operating margin (non-GAAP) of at least 35% by 2020. The company is also providing a near-term expectation for 2018 capital expenditures of $1.9B and a long-term expectation for capital expenditures of 4.5%-5% of net revenues.

06:53 EDT ACEA says EU passenger car registrations up 5.9% in October - In October, EU demand for passenger cars returned to growth after September's decline. Registrations of new cars totaled 1,169,672 units, or 5.9% higher than in October last year, said the European Automobile Manufacturers Association. Nearly all major EU markets performed well, especially Spain, France and Italy. The United Kingdom, by contrast, saw new car registrations fall by 12.2% in October, according to the ACEA. Publicly traded automakers include Daimler AG (DDAIF), Fiat Chrysler (FCAU), Ford (F), General Motors (GM), Honda (HMC), Nissan (NSANY), Toyota (TM) and Volkswagen (VLKAY).

06:50 EDT LHC Group, Almost Family to combine in an all-stock merger of equals transaction

06:48 EDT NOW Inc. announces oganizational changes - NOW Inc. announced that effective February 16, 2018, Daniel Molinaro will serve as Executive VP, assisting with certain treasury, investor relations and employee benefits matters. Molinaro will transition from serving as Senior VP and CFO during this period, and David Cherechinsky, currently VP, Corporate Controller and Chief Accounting Officer, will succeed Molinaro as CFO effective February 16, 2018. Molinaro has served as DNOW's CFO since May 2014. Cherechinsky has served as CAO since May 2014, and previously as Senior VP Finance for the NOV Distribution business group from 2003. Mark Johnson, currently VP Finance and Assistant Corporate Controller, will succeed Cherechinsky as VP, Corporate Controller and CAO, also effective February 16, 2018. Johnson has served as VP Finance and Assistant Corporate Controller since May 2014.

06:39 EDT Merit Medical to purchase Becton Dickinson assets for $100M - Merit Medical (MMSI) has signed an asset purchase agreement with Becton, Dickinson (BDX) to acquire certain assets which BD proposes to sell in connection with its proposed acquisition of C.R. Bard. Merit's proposed asset acquisition is subject to the closing of BD's proposed acquisition of Bard as well as other usual and customary closing conditions. The assets to be acquired are soft tissue core needle biopsy products currently sold by BD under the trade names of Achieve Programmable Automatic Biopsy System, Temno Biopsy System and Tru-Cut Biopsy Needles. Additionally, Merit proposes to acquire the Aspira Pleural Effusion Drainage Kits and the Aspira Peritoneal Drainage System currently marketed by Bard. The purchase price for the product lines and related assets to be acquired is $100M, subject to adjustment for fluctuations in the value of transferred inventory. Merit intends to finance the acquisition at closing through borrowings which are currently available under its revolving credit facility. After giving effect to the proposed transaction, Merit anticipates its debt to adjusted EBITDA will increase from approximately 2.20 to approximately 2.70. This transaction is expected to be accretive to both GAAP and non-GAAP earnings in 2018. Merit's management expects the acquisition to provide incremental annual revenues in the range of $42M-$48M, adjusted gross margins for the subject product lines in the range of 60-70%, and, over a period of six to twelve months, to be accretive by 50-120 basis points to Merit's adjusted gross margins. The transaction is also expected to expand operating margins and increase cash flow. Merit's management expects the acquisition to provide 10c-19c in adjusted non-GAAP EPS accretion in FY18.

06:33 EDT Triangle Capital engages financial advisor to evaluate strategic alternatives - Triangle Capital has engaged Houlihan Lokey as its financial advisor to assist the company's board of directors in exploring and evaluating a broad range of strategic alternatives. Concurrent with the engagement of a financial advisor, the compensation committee of the company's board of directors approved change-in-control retention arrangements for the company's employees in order to ensure continuity of its business and its employees through the completion of the strategic alternatives review process and any related transactions.

06:32 EDT Spectrum Brands projects Alpha, Ignite to support long-term growth - "To help sustain this momentum in fiscal 2018, we are launching two exciting and complementary initiatives, Projects Alpha and Ignite, to further enhance our multi-year growth ambitions," he said. "For Project Alpha, we will spend as much as an additional $20 million this year to accelerate our organic sales growth by expanding into adjacent product segments through selective investment in new product development and strong market launches using new digital and social media marketing campaigns. Project Ignite is a Company-wide initiative to ensure that our organizations continue to adapt to rapidly changing consumer preferences and retail channels and that resources are prioritized and allocated to our best growth opportunities," CEO Rouve said. "We expect both projects to be multi-year in scope with Ignite partially funding increased investments behind Alpha in 2018."

06:09 EDT Nobilis Health acquires majority ownership interest in portfolio of 3 ASCs - Nobilis Health announced the acquisition of a 50.1% ownership interest in Elite Surgical Affiliates' portfolio of three ambulatory surgery centers, or ASCs, and one surgical hospital in the greater Houston area. The purchase price was approximately $60M. The acquired facilities' trailing twelve months revenue and adjusted EBITDA for the period ended September 30, 2017, were $49.0M and $30.3M, respectively. Nobilis expects increased productivity, lower staffing requirements, and reduced operating costs over time as it leverages its expanded platform of facilities. Following the Acquisition, Nobilis will have 13 locations in the Houston market. Ten of these locations will operate under in-network contracts with all of the major commercial payors.

06:04 EDT Helmerich & Payne sees Q1 CapEx $250M-$300M - Sees Q1 U.S. land operations quarterly revenue days up 4%-5% sequentially. U.S. land operations average rig revenue per day expected to be roughly $21,700 and average rig expense per day expected to be roughly $14,100. Offshore operations quarterly revenue days are expected to decrease by approximately 6% sequentially and average rig margin per day expected to be approximately $13,000. International land operations adjusted quarterly revenue days are expected to increase by approximately 20% sequentially with average rig margin per day expected to be roughly $8,000.

05:43 EDT Biohaven completes enrollment in first of two Phase 3 trials of rimegepant - Biohaven Pharmaceutical announced that it is completing enrollment today in the first of its two registrational Phase 3 clinical trials, Study BHV3000-301, to establish the safety and efficacy of orally-dosed rimegepant. Study BHV3000-301 has enrolled over 1,400 subjects since July 2017. Rimegepant is a second generation, oral, calcitonin gene related peptide, or CGRP, receptor antagonist being developed for the acute treatment of migraine. Rimegepant has composition of matter protection until 2030, not including patent term adjustment or any potential patent term extension. Rimegepant is one of only two small molecule CGRP-receptor antagonists in late stage clinical development.

05:39 EDT Hoegh LNG agrees to acquire remaining 49% interest in FSRU Hoegh Grace - Hoegh LNG Partners announced that it has agreed to acquire from a subsidiary of Hoegh LNG Holding the remaining 49% ownership interest in Hoegh LNG Colombia Holding, the sole owner of Hoegh LNG FSRU IV Ltd. and Hoegh LNG Colombia S.A.S., the entities that own and operate the floating storage and regasification unit, or FSRU, Hoegh Grace, that it does not already own. The purchase price for the Acquisition will be $85.9M. HMLP intends to settle the Purchase Price with a combination of cash on hand and a drawing under its existing revolving credit facility. The Purchase Price will be subject to certain post-closing adjustments for net working capital. The Acquisition is expected to be completed by the beginning of January 2018 and is subject to customary closing conditions. The Partnership purchased its initial 51% interest in Grace Holding in January 2017.