Stockwinners Market Radar for November 29, 2017 - Earnings, Upgrades downgrades, option trades, Best Stock Advisory Service

18:27 EDT Pembina Pipeline approves C$1.3B capital program for 2018 - Pembina Pipeline has approved approximately C$400M of new capital projects, as well as a capital program of approximately $1.3B for 2018. Pembina has approved the development of the company's previously proposed liquefied petroleum gas export terminal, the Prince Rupert Terminal, to be located on Watson Island, British Columbia. The Prince Rupert Terminal is expected to have a permitted capacity of approximately 25,000 barrels per day of LPG and is expected to be in service mid-2020, subject to Pembina receiving necessary regulatory and environmental approvals. The expected capital cost has been adjusted to C$250-C$270M. LPG supply for the Prince Rupert Terminal will primarily be sourced from Pembina's Redwater fractionation complex. In addition to the Prince Rupert Terminal, the board have sanctioned the development of the North Central Liquids Hub within the world class Montney formation. The estimated capital cost for this project is C$320M and is expected to be placed into service in late 2018. The company expects to fund the approximately $1.3B 2018 capital program through internally generated cash flow and debt financing.

18:03 EDT Universal Technical names Jerome Grant as COO - Universal Technical has appointed Jerome Grant aas COO. In this newly created role, Grant will lead the execution of key growth initiatives, which include increasing student enrollment, moving from a campus model of large destination campuses to smaller commuter campuses, diversifying program offerings and expanding industry relationships. Grant was previously Senior Vice President, Chief Services Officer with McGraw-Hill Education and served in multiple executive roles with Pearson Education.

17:36 EDT On The Fly: After Hours Movers - UP AFTER EARNINGS: Synopsys (SNPS), up 9.5%... Tilly's (TLYS), up 8.2%... At Home Group (HOME), up 6.1%. ALSO HIGHER: Juniper Networks (JNPR), up 16.4% after CNBC reported that Nokia (NOK) was in talks to buy Juniper... Adamis Pharmaceuticals (ADMP), up 11.4% after it submitted a prior approval supplement to the FDA for the pediatric version of Symjepi... Caesars Entertainment (CZR), up 1.9% after it announced Harrah's Las Vegas sale and leaseback agreement with VICI Properties. DOWN AFTER EARNINGS: Semtech (SMTC), down 10.5%... Box (BOX), down 5.9%... PVH Corp. (PVH), down 5.8%... Jack in the Box (JACK), down 5.6%... Guidewire (GWRE), down 4.9%... La-Z-Boy (LZB), down 3.2%... Workday (WDAY), down 1.9%. ALSO LOWER: Limelight Networks (LLNW), down 7.5% after it announced an offering of common stock for holders... Tribune Media (TRCO), down 1.2% after it filed to sell 7M shares of Class A common stock for holders.

17:18 EDT Workday sees Q1 subscription revenue growth 5% sequentially

17:04 EDT Shenandoah names James Woodward CFO - Shenandoah (SHEN) announced that James Woodward has joined the company as senior VP, Finance and CFO. Woodward will have responsibility for all of the accounting and finance functions of the Shentel organization. Woodward has 34 years of financial, accounting and operational experience. He most recently served as senior VP, CFO of Media General (MEG).

17:01 EDT Callaway Golf announces investor meeting with D.A. Davidson - Callaway Golf Company announced that it will be meeting with analysts and investors in New York, New York on Wednesday, November 29 through Friday, December 1, 2017.

16:52 EDT Enbridge Energy Partners sees FY18 DCF $775M-$825M - "EEP's business outlook for the 2018 - 2020 planning period remains strong," the company said. "The Lakehead system is expected to continue to deliver stable, low-risk regulated cash flow, and the volume outlook on the North Dakota assets is expected to remain robust. Cash flow growth throughout the period will be underpinned by various sources, including rising contracted volumes on the Bakken Pipeline System and higher toll surcharges on its existing 25% interest in the Mainline Expansion Project when it fully enters service. In addition, EEP holds purchase options under existing joint funding arrangements to acquire additional interests in three projects at net book value aggregating to $1.6B, namely: 20% of the Bakken Pipeline System investment, 15% of the Mainline Expansion Project and 39% of the Line 3 Replacement Program." The Partnership expects 2018 Distributable Cash Flow to be in a range of $775M-$825M after taking into account DCF attributable to Non-Controlling Interests. DCF also assumes core maintenance capital expenditures of approximately $40M. EEP expects annual total distribution coverage in 2018 of approximately 1.2x. EEP will target distribution coverage ratios similar to these levels through the 2020 planning horizon. The Partnership also expects to grow its distributable cash flow per unit by approximately 3% per year on average through this period.

16:50 EDT Spectra Energy Partners sees FY18 distributable cash flow $1.63B-$1.67B - In its FY18 business outlook, the company states: "Spectra Energy Partners' financial and business outlook for the 2018 - 2020 period continues to be strong. SEP's earnings and cash flow growth are supported by more than $2 billion of projects placed into service in 2017 and an expected incremental $2.5 billion of secured projects to be placed into service over the 2018 - 2019 timeframe, most notably NEXUS and the completion of Atlantic Bridge. Expansion capex net of contributions from non-controlling interests is expected to be $1.4 billion in 2018. Strong gas market fundamentals and SEP's asset footprint connecting to major demand markets and multiple diverse supply basins are expected to provide continued growth opportunities for SEP over the foreseeable future in areas such as the Northeast and Gulf Coast regions of the U.S."

16:46 EDT Chubb estimates Q4 losses attributable to natural catastrophes at $320M pre-tax - Chubb Limited announced preliminary loss estimates in the fourth quarter of 2017 attributable to natural catastrophes, including the California wildfires, of approximately $320 million pre-tax, or $249 million after tax. Insured losses for the California wildfires are currently estimated at approximately $280 million pre-tax, or $215 million after tax. The company also reported that all other natural catastrophe net insured losses to date in the fourth quarter are estimated at approximately $40 million pre-tax, or $34 million after tax.

16:46 EDT Juniper up 21% to $35.89 after CNBC reports Nokia in talks to buy company

16:36 EDT Synopsys up 10% to $95.20 after Q4 results, Q1 guidance top estimates

16:32 EDT HC2 Holdings broadcasting subsidiary acquires Azteca America - HC2 Holdings announced that its subsidiary, HC2 Network , has acquired Azteca America, a Spanish-language broadcast network, from affiliates of TV Azteca, S.A.B. de C.V, one of the two largest producers of Spanish-language television programming in the world. In addition, HC2 Network has signed a definitive acquisition agreement with Northstar Media, a licensee of numerous broadcast television licenses in the United States. Under the agreement with Azteca, which closed today, HC2 Network acquired Azteca America, a Spanish-language broadcast network providing original content to the Hispanic audience in the United States. Under the agreement with Northstar, HC2 Network will acquire Northstar's broadcast television stations, which carry Azteca America programming. The Azteca transaction extends to the acquisition of professional staff across the U.S. involved in programming, marketing, advertising sales, finance and operations. The Northstar transaction, which is subject to approval by the Federal Communications Commission, as well as other customary closing conditions, would result in HC2 Network acquiring 19 television stations, including two full-power stations, eight Class A stations and eight low power television stations, along with a channel share agreement for the full-power license of KEMO-TV in San Francisco. In combination with HC2's previously announced acquisitions of a controlling equity interest in DTV America Corporation, which currently carries Azteca video programming in 10 markets, and of the broadcasting assets of Mako Communications, LLC and its affiliates, Three Angels Broadcasting Network, Inc., and other station licensees, the acquisition of the 19 Northstar television stations would expand HC2's broadcasting network to 113 operating stations, including three full-power stations (inclusive of the channel-share agreement for KEMO-TV in San Francisco), 27 Class A stations and 83 LPTV stations, in over 80 markets across the United States. In addition, the acquisitions increase HC2's construction permits to 475, allowing for further buildout of coverage across the United States. The Azteca transaction also includes multi-year programming and services agreement that provides HC2 with access to TV Azteca's current programming and library in Mexico, including top entertainment shows, talk shows, reality programs, network and local news, as well as telenovelas and other scripted series. Financial terms of the transactions were not disclosed.

16:31 EDT Neenah Paper announces $25M share buyback

16:31 EDT Forward Pharma files further submissions in proceeding for '355 patent - Forward Pharma A/S announced the filing of further written submissions in the European Opposition Proceeding for the EP2801355 patent with the Opposition Division of the European Patent Office. The filing will become publicly available via the European Patent Register. An oral hearing is currently scheduled for January 29-30, 2018. The Opposition Division typically issues a decision at the conclusion of the oral hearing, with more detailed reasons for the decision being issued in written form later. There is the possibility to appeal the decision of the Opposition Division to the Technical Board of Appeal, with an expected duration of the appeal process of an additional 2-3 years.

16:22 EDT La-Z-Boy raises quarterly dividend to 12c from 11c - The dividend will be paid on December 20, 2017, to shareholders of record as of December 11, 2017.

16:18 EDT Kite Realty Group increases quarterly dividend 5% - Kite Realty Group Trust announced that its board declared a quarterly cash distribution of 31.75c per common share for the quarter ended December 31, which represents an increase of 5.0% compared to the dividend paid for the prior quarter. This distribution will be paid on or about January 12, 2018, to shareholders of record as of January 5, 2018.

16:17 EDT UPS appoints Scott Price as Chief Transformation Officer - UPS (UPS) announced Scott Price will join the company as Chief Transformation Officer, effective December 11. He will also join the UPS Management Committee, the company's senior-most leadership group. Price is currently executive VP, Global Leverage for Walmart (WMT).

16:16 EDT Genworth, Oceanwide extend merger agreement - Genworth Financial and China Oceanwide Holdings Group Co. announced they have agreed to a second waiver and agreement of each party's right to terminate the previously announced merger agreement. The second waiver and agreement extends the previous deadline of Nov. 30, 2017, to April 1, 2018, and allows additional time for regulatory reviews of the transaction. As previously announced, Genworth and Oceanwide withdrew their most recent joint voluntary notice to CFIUS with the intent to refile with additional mitigation approaches, including potentially working with a U.S. third-party service provider. Both parties are fully committed to continuing to work on robust mitigation proposals; however, there can be no assurances that CFIUS will ultimately agree to clear a transaction between Genworth and Oceanwide on terms acceptable to the parties or at all. In addition to clearance by CFIUS, the closing of the proposed transaction remains subject to the receipt of required regulatory approvals in the U.S., China and other international jurisdictions and other closing conditions. Genworth and Oceanwide remain committed to satisfying the closing conditions under the merger agreement as soon as possible.

16:14 EDT California AG sues Ashford, Bridgepoint over allegedly misleading students - California Attorney General Xavier Becerra announced that he is suing Ashford University, an online for-profit school based in San Diego, and its parent company Bridgepoint Education for engaging in unlawful business practices. In the lawsuit, Attorney General Becerra alleges that Ashford made false promises and furnished faulty information to students to persuade them to enroll. It also used illegal debt collection practices when students struggled to pay their bills. Attorney General Becerra seeks restitution for students, a permanent injunction prohibiting similar activities in the future, and civil penalties from Ashford University. "No school should ever steal the American Dream from its students, but that is exactly what Ashford University did," said Attorney General Becerra. "Ashford University preyed on veterans and people of modest means. This for-profit college illegally misled students about their educational prospects and unfairly saddled them with debt. In today's economy, college is too pivotal and precious to let a predatory for-profit company swindle our daughters and sons out of the higher education they'll need to get ahead." Reference Link

16:09 EDT Synopsys co-CEO says 'saw revenue strength across the board' - "Synopsys reported another excellent fiscal year, with double-digit revenue and non-GAAP earnings growth. We saw revenue strength across the board, augmented by upside from hardware and IP, and an approximate $150 million increase in non-cancellable backlog," said Aart de Geus, chairman and co-CEO of Synopsys. "Our EDA and IP products are essential for customers building chips to bring about the Digital Intelligence age. In addition, we are making great progress in scaling our software security platform both organically and through the recently announced planned acquisition of Black Duck Software. Overall, we continued to drive long-term shareholder value by balancing our investment priorities while executing $400 million in share repurchases during fiscal year 2017."

16:06 EDT TRACON Pharmaceuticals doses 1st patient in Phase 1b study of TRC105 with Opdivo - TRACON Pharmaceuticals announced that the first patient has been dosed in its Phase 1b clinical trial of TRC105 in combination with Opdivo in patients with non-small cell lung cancer. The primary objectives of the Phase 1b study are to assess the safety of TRC105 when given with Opdivo, determine its recommended Phase 2 dose with Opdivo and evaluate the response rate. The trial incorporates tumor biopsy testing to correlate tumor myeloid cell infiltration with response, in order to allow for potential biomarker-directed therapy of lung cancer patients.

15:47 EDT Genmab reports achievement of $20M milestone in Janssen collaboration - Genmab (GNMSF) announced that its partner, Janssen Biotech (JNJ), has triggered a $20M milestone payment, based on progress made in the first Phase III study in a disease other than multiple myeloma. The milestone payment relates to progress in the ongoing Phase III ANDROMEDA study of daratumumab in combination with cyclophosphamide, bortezomib and dexamethasone in amyloidosis. Also, Genmab is improving its 2017 financial guidance last published on November 14 due to the inclusion of the daratumumab milestone. Genmab now expects 2017 revenue to be in the range of DKK 2.24B-2.44B, an increase of DKK 130M compared to the previous guidance. As a result of the increased revenue, the company now expects operating income for 2017 to be approximately DKK 1.19B-1.39B, compared to DKK 1.06B-1.26B in the previous guidance.

15:03 EDT STMicroelectronics announces collaboration with Amazon Web Services - STMicroelectronics (STM) announced its collaboration with Amazon Web Services (AMZN) on Amazon FreeRTOS, the latest addition to the AWS Internet of Things solution, offering a complete IoT node-to-cloud solution to the market. "ST's collaboration with AWS speeds designers' efforts to create easily connectable IoT nodes with the combination of ST's semiconductor building blocks and Amazon FreeRTOS, which extends the leading free and open-source real-time operating-system kernel for embedded devices with the appropriate libraries for local networking, cloud connectivity, security, and remote software updates," the company stated.

14:42 EDT C&F Financial increases quarterly dividend 3% to 34c per share - The board of C&F Financial Corporation has declared a regular cash dividend of 34c per common share, which is payable January 1, 2018 to shareholders of record on December 15, 2017. This dividend represents a 3.0% increase over the prior quarter's dividend amount of 33c per common share.

14:36 EDT Bitcoin reverse sharply, drops below $10,000 - Bitcoin, which had been higher for most of the day, has now moved down 3% on the day to trade near $9,596, according to CoinDesk data.

14:15 EDT Amazon Web Services announces five new machine learning services - Amazon Web Services announced five new machine learning services and a deep learning-enabled wireless video camera for developers. Amazon SageMaker is a fully managed service for developers and data scientists to quickly build, train, deploy, and manage their own machine learning models. AWS also introduced AWS DeepLens, a deep learning-enabled wireless video camera that can run real-time computer vision models to give developers hands-on experience with machine learning. And, AWS announced four new application services that allow developers to build applications that emulate human-like cognition: Amazon Transcribe for converting speech to text; Amazon Translate for translating text between languages; Amazon Comprehend for understanding natural language; and, Amazon Rekognition Video, a new computer vision service for analyzing videos in batches and in real-time.

13:56 EDT Amazon announces Elastic Container Service for Kubernetes, Fargate - Amazon Web Services announced two new arrivals to complement its existing popular Amazon Elastic Container Service, or Amazon ECS, and make it easier than ever to deploy, manage, and scale container workloads on AWS. Amazon Elastic Container Service for Kubernetes brings Kubernetes to AWS as a fully managed service, making it easy for customers to run Kubernetes applications on AWS without the need to become experts in operating Kubernetes clusters. AWS also introduced a new capability called AWS Fargate that allows customers to launch and run containers without provisioning or managing servers or clusters. "While we have over a hundred thousand active Amazon ECS clusters running on AWS and more customers running Kubernetes on AWS than on any other cloud, customers have also asked us to build a managed Kubernetes service like we have with Amazon ECS," said Deepak Singh, GM of Containers and High Performance Computing Services, AWS. "Not only have we delivered on this request with Amazon EKS, but we've also made managed containers easier to use than ever before by launching AWS Fargate to allow developers to run containers at the task level rather than having to think about servers or clusters."

13:50 EDT Canadian ministry supports Kinder Morgan's Trans Mountain appeal - Jim Carr, minister of Canada's Ministry of Natural Resources, released a statement on Canada's letter to the National Energy Board supporting the establishment of a Standing Panel to determine Kinder Morgan's Trans Mountain's compliance with provincial and municipal permits: "Canadians want an energy system that creates good, middle-class jobs while protecting and preserving the environment for future generations. Yesterday, Canada filed a letter to the National Energy Board, indicating the Government's support for establishing a Standing Panel to determine ongoing compliance by Kinder Morgan for the project conditions of the Trans Mountain Pipeline Expansion. The Government has taken an important step to ensure that when a natural resource project is approved, it proceeds in a timely fashion and continues to generate economic benefits for all Canadians. The Government is supportive of establishing a process that would assist in resolving any conflicts over the issuance of municipal or provincial permits and avoid unnecessary delays to project construction or regulatory compliance." Reference Link

13:18 EDT Before the Move: Watch Allergan into Revance 'better Botox' trial data - Shares of Allergan (AGN) are on the rise after Morgan Stanley analyst David Risinger upgraded the stock to Overweight, a buy-equivalent rating as he believes the shares can outperform over time and fears about a "better Botox" from a competitor may be overdone. BUY ALLERGAN: In a research note this morning, Morgan Stanley's Risinger upgraded Allergan to Overweight from Equal Weight while maintaining a $200 price target on the stock. The analyst told investors that Allergan's risk-reward looks favorable following a significant stock decline due to reductions in out-year estimates, pipeline concerns, competitive threats to Botox, and negative perception associated with licensing of Restasis patent to an Indian tribe. Risinger believes the negatives have largely been priced into the stock, and given investor concerns about the safety of new drug candidates for migraine and eye disease, he sees the risk-reward on 2018 Phase 3 pipeline news flow as skewed to the upside. Additionally, the analyst pointed out that he thinks investor enthusiasm for rapastinel for severe depression will rise as three Phase 3 studies reach their conclusion at the end of 2018. Compelling Phase 2 data indicated that rapastinel may be a blockbuster, he contended. Meanwhile, Risinger believes fears about a "better Botox" may be overdone. While Revance's (RVNC) botulinum toxin RT002 Phase 3 data is expected "any day now," he thinks it could be difficult for the company to demonstrate that RT002 is materially longer-lasting than Botox, which has been a concern for Allergan investors. Further, the analyst pointed out that mechanistically it would be difficult to create a significantly longer-lasting Botox because botulinum toxin gradually loses efficacy over four months due to neuronal regeneration. If he is correct, Allergan shares could benefit, he said. PRICE ACTION: In afternoon trading, shares of Allergan have gained almost 4% to $178.14. "Before the Move" is The Fly's recurring series of exclusive stories that identify potentially market moving events, along with analyst predictions, ahead of the news.

13:13 EDT Rosetta Stone weakness attributed to Amazon worries - Shares of Rosetta Stone (RST) have moved lower in early afternoon trading amid headlines from Amazon's (AMZN) AWS re:Invent conference regarding the company's launch of an AI translation and transcription service. The service is called Amazon Translate, according to headlines from Bloomberg regarding the AWS developers and users conference. In afternoon trading, Rosetta Stone shares are down about 2% to $11.88.

12:47 EDT Citron's Left says 'absolutely' short shares of Roku - Andrew Left of Citron Research is speaking on CNBC.

12:36 EDT AT&T CEO says 'ready to litigate,' government should be too - AT&T (T) CEO Randall Stephenson continues being interviewed at the Economic Club of New York.

12:08 EDT Analyst sets $1,500 target on Amazon after e-commerce leader's biggest day ever - Amazon (AMZN) has confirmed that this past Cyber Monday was the company's single biggest shopping day worldwide in its history, surpassing Prime Day for most products ordered. Meanwhile, DA Davidson analyst Tom Forte raised his price target on Amazon to $1,500, citing rising confidence in the company's ability to leverage physical stores to maximize its long-term revenue growth. SALES RECORD: Amazon has announced that Cyber Monday was the single biggest shopping day worldwide in the company's history, and the biggest day ever for small businesses and entrepreneurs selling on Amazon. "Amazon customers shopped at record levels during the Turkey 5, ordering hundreds of millions of products from toys to fashion to electronics and Amazon devices," stated Jeff Wilke, CEO Worldwide Consumer. Throughout the five day period around the holiday, Amazon customers worldwide ordered at record levels, and Cyber Monday 2017 is now the single biggest shopping day in Amazon's history, surpassing Prime Day 2017. Additionally, the e-commerce giant said that with new lower prices on turkeys and Prime members receiving an even deeper discount this year, Whole Foods Market in the U.S. broke its all-time record of turkeys sold during the Thanksgiving season. Amazon also announced its best-ever holiday shopping weekend for devices, with millions of Amazon devices sold between Thanksgiving and Cyber Monday. Echo Dot and Amazon Fire TV Stick with Alexa Voice Remote were not only the best-selling Amazon devices, but they were the best-selling products from any manufacturer in any category across all of Amazon.com. TARGET TO $1,500: While acknowledging that Amazon has reported record holiday sales, DA Davidson's Forte told investors that he was focusing on the company's physical store efforts and raising his price target on the shares to $1,500 from $1,300. The analyst believes Amazon's increased physical footprint is "THE story of its 2017 holiday sales" and an indication of things to come as the company increasingly leverages physical stores to increase its revenue growth and wallet share. In the future, Forte believes the company will roll out its Amazon Go proprietary technology to enable consumers to skip the checkout counter for the portion of Whole Foods stores where consumers can purchase prepared foods, and consumers will be able to pick up online purchases and process returns at its Whole Foods locations. Additionally, the analyst told investors that he expects the e-commerce giant to leverage its Whole Foods locations with new efforts, such as an Amazon pharmacy, and sees the potential for Amazon to operate gas stations to enable consumers to save money on gas. Lastly, Forte noted that he looks for it to acquire an apparel retailer, such as lululemon (LULU), to add physical stores to advance its apparel sales, especially in women's apparel. He reiterated a Buy rating on Amazon shares. PRICE ACTION: In afternoon trading, shares of Amazon have dropped almost 4% to $1,146.57 amid broader weakness in the Nasdaq and the Internet space.

12:05 EDT EPA: Tesla Model 3 has range of 310 miles - According to the Environmental Protection Agency, Tesla's Model 3 has a confirmed range of 310 miles. The vehicle's MPGe is 131 in cities and 120 on highways, good for 126 combined, the EPA said. Reference Link

12:01 EDT Old Line Bank chief lending officer Burnett retires - Old Line Bank announced the retirement of Joseph E. Burnett, executive VP and chief lending officer. Burnett served in the capacity of CLO since joining the Bank in 2001. Additionally, on November 28, 2017, Old Line Bank announced the promotion of Jack Welborn to serve as CLO, effective January 2, 2018. Welborn joined Old Line Bank in 2005 as a commercial loan officer.

11:40 EDT Sanofi asks regulators to update dengue vaccine label to reflect new information - Sanofi will ask health authorities to update information provided to physicians and patients on its dengue vaccine Dengvaxia in countries where it is approved. The request is based on a new analysis of long-term clinical trial data, which found differences in vaccine performance based on prior dengue infection. Based on up to six years of clinical data, the new analysis evaluated long-term safety and efficacy of Dengvaxia in people who had been infected with dengue prior to vaccination and those who had not. The analysis confirmed that Dengvaxia provides persistent protective benefit against dengue fever in those who had prior infection. For those not previously infected by dengue virus, however, the analysis found that in the longer term, more cases of severe disease could occur following vaccination upon a subsequent dengue infection. "These findings highlight the complex nature of dengue infection. We are working with health authorities to ensure that prescribers, vaccinators and patients are fully informed of the new findings, with the goal of enhancing the impact of Dengvaxia in dengue-endemic countries," said Dr. Su-Peing Ng, Global Medical Head, Sanofi Pasteur. Dengvaxia is currently indicated in most of the countries for individuals 9 years of age and older living in a dengue-endemic area. In this indicated population, Dengvaxia has been shown to prevent 93% of severe disease and 80% of hospitalizations due to dengue over the 25 month phase of the large-scale clinical studies conducted in 10 countries in Latin America and Asia where dengue is widespread.

11:20 EDT Battleground: Analysts diverge on Paccar after Tesla Semi truck reveal - This morning, Citi analyst Timothy Thein downgraded Paccar (PCAR) to Neutral, citing a lack of catalysts, while his peer at Susquehanna initiated coverage of the stock with the same rating. However, not all on Wall Street are as bearish. JPMorgan analyst Ann Duignan argued that the weakness in the shares since Tesla's (TSLA) Semi truck reveal is overdone, and reiterated a buy-equivalent rating on the stock. WEAKNESS OVERDONE: In a research note to investors, JPMorgan's Duignan pointed out that Paccar's shares have underperformed the S&P Machinery Index by 4.7% since the unveiling event for Tesla's Semi truck. The analyst views the reaction in Paccar shares as overdone, saying the likelihood of "significant disruption in the near to mid-term is limited, at most." If Tesla is to succeed in transforming the trucking industry to electric, it will likely need to partner with a company like Paccar, Duignan contended, adding that such a partnership may be a net positive for both companies. Overall, the analyst does not view the electric Semi as significant threat and rather believes it could be an upside catalyst. Duignan reiterated an Overweight rating and an $83 price target on Paccar shares. MOVING TO THE SIDELINES: Meanwhile, Citi's Thein downgraded Paccar to Neutral saying that despite the stock's year to date underperformance, he no longer sees catalysts in place to warrant a Buy rating. While the analyst expects trucking fundamentals in most of the company's major geographies to remain solid through 2018, his concern revolves more around the target multiple, as history has exhibited a fairly consistent pattern of multiple compression as North America build rates eclipse "trend" levels. Additionally, Thein pointed out that risk from electric vehicles is likely overplayed, but the overhang is still a concern. He lowered his price target on Paccar shares to $75 from $81. His peer at Susquehanna also initiated coverage of the stock with a Neutral rating and a $75 price target. While analyst Brendon Mason acknowledged Paccar's superior track record and marketplace standing, he believes there are other OEMs who are better positioned to benefit more vigorously from improving industry growth at this time. PRICE ACTION: In morning trading, shares of Paccar have gained about 1.3% to $69.40.

11:03 EDT Keysight Technologies teams with European Space Agency, Airbus SpaceTech - Keysight Technologies (KEYS) announced that the FieldFox handheld RF analyzer was used in the evaluation of the impedance of the radar antenna for icy moons exploration, or RIME, a key component of one of the ten science payloads of the European Space Agency's Jupiter icy moons explorer, or JUICE, spacecraft scheduled for launch in 2022. RIME engineers performed phase-matching and orientation tests of the RIME antenna in Heiligenberg, Germany in September 2017. They also evaluated two radar antennas, one aluminum and the other carbon fiber reinforced polymer, or CFRP, which will be used on the spacecraft. The antennas were housed on a satellite-sized enclosure, and the enclosure was lifted 300 meters in the air by helicopter to ensure low-RF coupling to the ground. Keysight's handheld FieldFox analyzer was used in remote mode to measure S-parameter characteristics of the antenna in flight as it was rotated more than 180 degrees and with the spacecraft mock-up being maneuvered by helicopter. Test data was recovered at a base station on the ground via a wireless link between the FieldFox and the ground base station. "We are pleased at being chosen as a key test solution provider for evaluation of the RIME antenna," said Greg Peters, vice president and general manager, Aerospace, Defense, Government Solutions Group, Keysight Technologies. "By measuring the matching characteristics of a trial radar antenna, ESA and Airbus (EADSY) engineers can correlate design simulation with actual test data."

10:58 EDT Bombardier, CemAir sign order for two new Q400 aircraft - Bombardier Commercial Aircraft announced today that CemAir of South Africa has concluded a firm purchase agreement for two new Q400 turboprops, and has also signed the lease of a used Q400 aircraft that was delivered this month, paving the way for the new aircraft to be delivered afterwards. The letter of Intent from CemAir, which was signed on June 21 at the 2017 Paris Air Show, has now been converted into a firm order. Based on the list price of the Q400 aircraft, the firm order is valued at approximately $66M.

10:18 EDT Chipotle, in search of new CEO, says founder Ells to focus on 'innovation' - Shares of Chipotle Mexican Grill (CMG) jumped in morning trading after the company announced it had begun to search for a new chief executive officer. Once the search is compete, Chipotle founder Steve Ells said he will focus primarily on innovation. Chipotle has faced several foodborne illness outbreaks since 2015. CEO SEARCH: Chipotle founder and current chairman and CEO Steve Ells will step down as CEO and transition to the role of executive chairman, the company said on Wednesday. The restaurant chain's board has formed a search committee to help find a new chief, Chipotle said. Directors Robin Hickenlooper and Ali Namvar, as well as Ells, are on the committee, the company noted, adding that recruitment firm Spencer Stuart will also assist in the search. In a statement, Ells commented that "It is clear that we need to move faster to make improvements," and "bringing in a new CEO is the right thing to do for all our stakeholders." Ells said the transition will allow him to focus on his strengths, "which include bringing innovation to the way we source and prepare our food." Chipotle lead independent director Neil Flanzraich commented that "Steve made the decision, and the Board agreed, that now is the right time to identify a new CEO who can reinvigorate the brand and help the company achieve its potential. We are committed to recruiting a world-class CEO for this incredible opportunity." WHAT'S NOTABLE: Chipotle has struggled to regain customers following numerous outbreaks of foodborne illnesses since 2015, including norovirus, salmonella and E.coli. Earlier this month, Jeremy Jordan, one of the stars of the television show "Supergirl," blamed the burrito chain for an illness that hospitalized him. Chipotle responded to Jordan's claims, saying "We take all claims seriously, but at this time we can't confirm any link to Chipotle." Chipotle said last month that its third quarter performance was hurt by a data security breach, Hurricanes Harvey and Irma and high prices of avocados. ANALYST COMMENTARY: William Blair analyst Sharon Zackfia downgraded Chipotle Mexican Grill to Market Perform from Outperform following the CEO search news, saying that while a new chief may accelerate the company's turnaround longer term, the move likely signals that Chipotle's trends remain under pressure and creates more near-term uncertainty. Stephens analyst Will Slabaugh, who has an Equal Weight rating and $300 price target on Chipotle shares, said the change will present an opportunity for positive change but also adds an element of risk to the proposed 5% price increase that he thinks is already being factored into most estimates in the consensus view. SunTrust analyst Jake Bartlett believes a change in leadership will be welcomed by investors, as the news is positive for both Chipotle's turnaround efforts and the stock. PRICE ACTION: Chipotle is up 4% to $297.66 in morning trading, though shares are still down about 21% year-to-date.

10:09 EDT Orbital ATK shareholders approve acquisition by Northrop Grumman - Orbital ATK (OA) announced that its stockholders overwhelmingly approved the merger agreement providing for the proposed acquisition of Orbital ATK by Northrop Grumman (NOC) at a special meeting of stockholders held on November 29, 2017. Holders of more than 99% of Orbital ATK's common stock present at the meeting or represented by proxy voted in favor of approving and adopting the merger agreement, which represented approximately 79% of the total number of outstanding shares of Orbital ATK's common stock as of the October 10, 2017 record date for the special meeting. The company expects the transaction to close in the first half of 2018, pending receipt of regulatory approvals.

09:35 EDT iKang Healthcare extends shareholder rights plan - iKang Healthcare announced that its Board of Directors has unanimously approved the extension of its Rights Agreement, presently scheduled to expire on December 2, 2017, for another year. As the Rights Agreement was designed to ensure that all shareholders of the Company receive fair and equal treatment in the event that an unsolicited attempt is made to acquire the Company outside of the process led by a special committee of independent directors, the Board of Directors and the special committee have determined that it is advisable and in the best interests of the Company and its shareholders to extend the Rights Agreement for an additional year, as the special committee continues to consider and evaluate the proposal submitted by Yunfeng Capital to acquire the Company.

09:32 EDT Snap: New Snapchat separates social from the media

09:32 EDT Snap introduces 'new and improved' Snapchat - Snap says: "Today we're announcing a new and improved Snapchat - organized around your relationships and personalized just for you! Until now, social media has always mixed photos and videos from your friends with content from publishers and creators. While blurring the lines between professional content creators and your friends has been an interesting Internet experiment, it has also produced some strange side-effects (like fake news) and made us feel like we have to perform for our friends rather than just express ourselves. The new Snapchat separates the social from the media. This means that the Chats and Stories from your friends are on the left side of Snapchat, and the Stories from publishers, creators, and the community are on the right. We've also invented something new to make Snapchat feel even more personal: the dynamic Friends page. The new Friends page to the left of the camera displays your friends based on the way you communicate with them. You can think of it as a more sophisticated Best Friends algorithm that makes it easier to find the friends you want to talk to, when you want to talk to them. The new Discover page to the right of the camera includes Stories from publishers, creators, and the community. Your subscriptions live at the top, followed by other Stories you might be interested in watching. Over time, Discover will become uniquely personalized for you. And, as always, Snapchat opens to the Camera, making it the fastest way to share a moment with friends. Separating social from media has allowed us to build the best way to communicate with friends and the best way to watch great content - while addressing many of the problems that plague the Internet today." Reference Link

09:18 EDT On The Fly: Pre-market Movers - HIGHER: Chipotle (CMG), up 4.8% after announcing it will begin a search for a new CEO... Melinta Therapeutics (MLNT), up 7.4% after announcing that it will acquire the infectious disease business from The Medicines Company (MDCO)... Domino's Pizza (DPZ), up 1.3% after being upgraded to Buy from Neutral at Nomura Instinet... Regal Entertainment (RGC), up 4.8% after confirming that it is currently engaged in discussions with Cineworld Group plc about a possible all-cash acquisition of Regal at a price of $23.00 per share... Nuance Communications (NUAN), up 5.6% after reporting quarterly results. LOWER: The Medicines Company is down 2.4% following the announcement that it will sell its infectious disease business to Melinta Therapeutics... Rex Energy (REXX), down 5.6% after reporting quarterly results... Autodesk (ADSK), down 11% after reporting quarterly results.

09:11 EDT Konica Minolta selects Brightcove for enterprise video solution - Brightcove (BCOV) announced that Konica Minolta Business Solutions U.S.A (KNCAY) has selected Brightcove as its enterprise video solution. Konica Minolta is using Brightcove to power its internal training platform. Videos are created, personalized, and secured in a Single-Sign On environment. When employees access the platform, the catalogue of videos presented are personalized based on access rights and training curriculum.

09:05 EDT Wells Fargo names three new independent directors - The Board of Directors of Wells Fargo announced it has elected three new independent directors as part of its succession planning and refreshment process. The three new directors, each of whom will join the board on Jan. 1, 2018, are: Celeste A. Clark, former chief sustainability officer and global public policy and external relations officer of Kellogg Company, where she led Kellogg's global Corporate Communications, Public Affairs, Sustainability and Philanthropy functions. Theodore F. Craver, Jr., former chairman, president, and CEO of Edison International, one of the nation's largest electric utilities. Prior to joining Edison, Craver spent 23 years in banking and was corporate treasurer of First Interstate Bancorp, a Wells Fargo predecessor company. Maria R. Morris, who most recently was interim head of the U.S. Business and head of the Global Employee Benefits business of MetLife, Inc., where she previously was head of Technology and Operations. With today's announcement, the board has named six new directors in 2017 and a total of eight new independent directors since 2015. On Jan. 1, 2018, the average tenure of the board's directors will fall to slightly less than five years from 8.4 years at the company's 2017 annual meeting of shareholders. "The board's composition has changed significantly as it remains focused on being responsive to shareholders, enhancing oversight and creating value for shareholders," said Elizabeth A. "Betsy" Duke, vice chair, who becomes chair on Jan. 1, 2018. The election of Clark, Craver, and Morris as directors, which follows the board's election in 2017 of Karen B. Peetz, Juan A. Pujadas, and Ronald L. Sargent, will fill the vacancies created by the previously announced retirements of Cynthia H. Milligan, Stephen W. Sanger, and Susan G. Swenson at year-end 2017. As a result of those retirements and today's announcement, the board will have 16 members on Jan. 1, 2018.

09:03 EDT Amazon: Cyber Monday surpassed Prime Day for most products ordered worldwide

09:03 EDT NFL selects AWS as cloud and machine learning provider - Amazon Web Services announced that the National Football League as selected AWS's machine learning and data analytics services to boost the accuracy, speed, and insights provided by its Next Gen Stats platform, the NFL's player-tracking system. In choosing AWS to power Next Gen Stats, the NFL aims to develop new ways of visualizing the action on the field, uncovering deeper insights into the action on the field, and expanding the fan experience by offering a broader range of advanced statistics. In addition, AWS will become an Official Technology Provider of the NFL. Through the use of radio-frequency identification tags in player equipment and the football, Next Gen Stats captures a variety of real-time location, speed, and acceleration data. The data is analyzed on AWS and used to contextualize movement on the field for fans to see on NFL Media properties, game broadcasts, third-party digital platforms, and in-venue displays. The data is also leveraged by NFL clubs post game as part of their football operations on a weekly basis. The system creates a variety of unique player and team stats for every game such as a receiver's ability to get open and an offensive line's ability to protect the quarterback. By leveraging AWS's broad range of cloud-based machine learning capabilities, the NFL is looking to take its game-day stats to the next level so that fans and NFL Clubs can benefit from deeper insights.

09:03 EDT Bitcoin price rises above $11,000 - Bitcoin is up about 13% to $11,151.76 in U.S. dollar terms at time of writing, according to data from CoinDesk. Meanwhile, Bitcoin Investment Trust (GBTC) is up 11.25% in pre-market trading to $1,635.33.

09:02 EDT Comcast, iHeartMedia partner to launch iHeartRadio on Xfinity X1 - Comcast and iHeartMedia announced a partnership that will make iHeartRadio available on Xfinity X1, giving people a new way to enjoy more than 1,000 radio stations from across the country - directly on their TV - with custom artist radio stations, playlists, podcasts and more iHeartRadio favorites coming soon. Beginning today and rolling out to capable X1 set-top boxes in the coming weeks, customers of both services will be able to use their voice remote to launch iHeartRadio or browse and select stations integrated throughout related sections of Xfinity On Demand.

08:53 EDT Tiffany: Top priority is to drive solid comp growth - Says top priority is to drive solid comp growth. While square footage is expected to increase modestly each year in the future, comp sales, ecommerce sales will be the primary drivers of growth. Sees gross margin roughly unchanged for FY vs. prior outlook of "modest" y/y increase.

08:32 EDT Sino-Global signs collaboration agreement with Sichuan Metals and Minerals - Sino-Global Shipping America announces the signing of a Strategic Collaboration Agreement with Sichuan Metals and Minerals, or SCMMC, a subsidiary of Sichuan Foreign Trade Group, a leading state-owned importer/exporter in the Sichuan province in China. Pursuant to the Strategic Collaboration Agreement, Sino-Global will serve as the exclusive purchasing agent and logistics service provider of sulfur products in the U.S. for SCMMC. This agreement will also mark the beginning of SCMMC's switch to containerization from the traditional bulk shipment of its products by exclusively using Sino-Global's innovative and cost-effective door to door container solution for the transport of its sulfur products. SCMMC has begun placing orders with Sino-Global for the purchase of approximately 2,400 metric ton or 120 containers of sulfur. Sino-Global expects to generate approximately $360,000 of revenue from these initial orders, with the Company expecting additional sales contracts to be finalized in the coming months.

08:32 EDT RYB Education issues update on investigation into 'improper conduct' by staff - RYB Education issued an update following the local police authority's release of a follow-up report on November 28 regarding the investigation of the case initially described in RYB's press releases issued on November 24. According to the Follow-up Report, the police found maltreatment involving a former female teacher's use of sewing needles as a way to "discipline" children during post-lunch naptime at the RYB-operated kindergarten in violation of law. The police reported that no evidence has been found indicating further misconduct and that additional claims had been fabricated. Safety of the students is the highest priority of the Company. RYB is deeply saddened to learn about the latest findings in the Follow-up Report. The Company also understands that there have been additional parent complaints regarding other RYB-branded kindergartens and will continue to cooperate fully with the police and other authorities in this matter. The Company remains steadfast in its commitment to ensuring the well-being of all the students and is in the process of implementing a comprehensive self-inspection across all RYB teaching facilities.

08:24 EDT Proofpoint agrees to acquire Weblife.io for $60M - Proofpoint has entered into a definitive agreement to acquire Weblife.io. The agreement is subject to customary closing conditions and is expected to close in the fourth quarter of 2017. The acquisition is expected to have no material impact to billings, revenue, net income and free cash flow for both Q4 2017 and FY 2018 as provided on October 19, 2017, and updated on November 21, 2017.

08:18 EDT Wayfair sees 53% increase in direct retail sales for five-day holiday weekend - Wayfair reported a 53% increase year over year in direct retail gross sales, defined as dollars of order intake, for the five-day peak shopping period of Thanksgiving Day through Cyber Monday. The company experienced its strongest sales day ever on Cyber Monday with peak order volume between 9 p.m. and 12 a.m. ET. Total orders from repeat customers accounted for 63% of holiday orders. On Cyber Monday, Wayfair customers purchased a sofa every 13 seconds, a mattress every eight seconds and a rug every two seconds.

08:16 EDT Origin Agritech enters into license agreement with KWS - Origin Agritech announced that the company has entered into a commercial biotechnology trait and corn germplasm license agreement with KWS SAAT SE, or KWS, one of the world's leading plant breeding and seed companies. This agreement facilitates KWS' entry into China's corn biotechnology trait and expanded seed market. Under the agreement, Origin will combine insect resistance and herbicide tolerance traits co-developed by the Chinese Academy of Agriculture Sciences and Origin Agritech into KWS corn inbred lines. Biotech-enhanced corn is planned to be deployed upon Chinese commercial and regulatory approval. Future biotech enhanced versions of these products will also be made available to KWS to serve Chinese farmers.

08:10 EDT Aeglea doses first pediatric patient in pegzilarginase Phase 1/2 clinical trial - Aeglea BioTherapeutics announced dosing of the first pediatric patient in its ongoing Phase 1/2 clinical trial in patients with Arginase 1 Deficiency and provided a regulatory update on its pegzilarginase rare disease program. Aeglea reached agreement with the FDA that available data supports the prospect for benefit in pediatric patients and amended its Phase 1/2 trial protocol to include pediatric dosing tiered by age beginning with patients aged 14 to 17, and continuing with patients aged 2 to 13.

08:07 EDT Sunrun appoints Evelyn Huang Chief Customer Experience Officer - Sunrun announced it has expanded its management team to meet the needs of its growing customers. Evelyn Huang, an expert in customer experience, product and design strategy, has joined Sunrun as Chief Customer Experience Officer. Huang will report directly to Sunrun CEO Lynn Jurich and will lead the company's brand, marketing, products, customer realization and corporate communications teams.

08:04 EDT Equinix expands collaboration with Amazon Web Services - Equinix (EQIX) announced an expansion of its collaboration with Amazon Web Services (AMZN) with the extension of direct, private connectivity to the AWS Direct Connect service to four additional Equinix International Business Exchange data centers in North America and Europe. The move advances the Equinix and AWS collaboration that enables businesses to connect their owned and managed infrastructure directly to AWS via a private connection, which helps customers reduce costs, improve performance and achieve a more consistent network experience. Effective immediately, AWS Direct Connect will be available to customers in Equinix IBX data centers in Helsinki, Madrid, Manchester and Toronto, bringing the total number of Equinix metros offering AWS Direct Connect to 21, globally. Customers can connect to AWS Direct Connect at all available speeds via Equinix Cloud Exchange, cross connects or Equinix-provided metro connectivity options. Additionally, with the recently announced AWS Direct Connect Gateway, Equinix customers can also access multiple AWS regions with a single conection to AWS Direct Connect.

08:04 EDT Chipotle's Ells: Bringing in a new CEO 'the right thing to do for stakeholders'

08:03 EDT AAR subsidiary awarded first order from U.S. Department of State - AAR announced that its subsidiary, AAR Airlift Group, received its first work order from the U.S. Department of State and has begun work on the transition phase of the Worldwide Aviation Support Services, or WASS, contract. This follows the October 31, decision by the U.S. Court of Federal Claims, or COFC, upholding the State Department's September 1, 2016 award of the contract.

08:03 EDT Chipotle: Steve Ells to become executive chairman upon CEO search completion

08:02 EDT Chipotle forms search committee to identify new CEO - Chipotle Mexican Grill announced that Steve Ells, chairman and CEO -- and the founder of the company in 1993 -- will become executive chairman following the completion of a search to identify a new CEO. The Board has formed a search committee comprised of Directors Robin Hickenlooper and Ali Namvar, as well as Ells, to identify a new leader with demonstrated turnaround expertise to help address the challenges facing the company, improve execution, build customer trust, and drive sales. Ells said, "Simply put, we need to execute better to ensure our future success. The Board and I are committed to bringing in an experienced leader with a passion for driving excellence across every aspect of our business, including the customer experience, operations, marketing, technology, food safety, and training. Bringing in a new CEO is the right thing to do for all our stakeholders. It will allow me to focus on my strengths, which include bringing innovation to the way we source and prepare our food. It will ultimately improve our ability to provide our guests with delicious food that is prepared with high quality ingredients that are raised responsibly and served in a way that is accessible to everyone. I am confident that this will allow us to deliver value for our shareholders, and provide rewarding opportunities for our employees. Chipotle has vast unrealized potential. As we work hard to restore our brand, I believe we can capitalize on opportunities, including in areas such as the digital experience, menu innovation, delivery, catering, and domestic and international expansion, to deliver significant growth."

08:02 EDT Chipotle begins search for new CEO

07:39 EDT Chipotle trading halted, news pending

07:33 EDT Melinta Therapeutics Inc trading resumes

07:31 EDT Engility secures $20M task order with Naval Air Warfare Center - Engility secured a $20M task order with the Naval Air Warfare Center, Aircraft Division to maintain the AN/SPN-43 Radar and associated air traffic control systems and develop upgrades that will extend the lifetime of the systems. Engility engineers will support the NAWCAD ATC system used on all aircraft carriers and amphibious assault ships. This contract leverages Engility's full-life-cycle-development expertise, which includes engineering, design, fabrication and system architecture services. The company will also install and integrate system components for testing and analysis. The contract continues a chain of ATC-related successes in 2017: Members of Engility's NASA team received the agency's Software of the Year award for work on ATC enhancements; and the company continues to win awards with the Department of Transportation. The cost-plus-fixed-fee, third quarter win, awarded under the 4.11.7 Multiple Award Contract, represents new work and has a base year with three option years.

07:18 EDT Andy Lack to staff: Lauer complaint 'clear violation of company standards' - Andy Lack, the chairman of NBC News, said in a statement that his "highest priority is to create a workplace environment where everyone feels safe and protected and to ensure that any actions that run counter to our core values are met with consequences, no matter who the offender."

07:12 EDT Melinta to acquire infectious disease business from The Medicines Co. - Melinta Therapeutics (MLNT) announced that Melinta and The Medicines Company (MDCO) have entered into an agreement pursuant to which Melinta will acquire the infectious disease business from The Medicines Company. This includes three marketed products: recently approved and launched Vabomere, and established commercial products Orbactiv and Minocin IV. The acquisition was unanimously approved by Melinta's board and is expected to close in Q1 of 2018, subject to satisfaction of customary closing conditions, including Melinta stockholder approval. The acquisition includes the purchase of global rights for three marketed products and the business supporting those products. Recently launched Vabomere is a novel fixed-dose combination agent comprising vaborbactam, a beta-lactamase inhibitor, and meropenem, the leading carbapenem. Vabomere was approved by the FDA after priority review in August 2017 and is indicated for the treatment of adult patients with complicated urinary tract infections, or cUTI, including pyelonephritis caused by designated susceptible Enterobacteriaceae. Vabomere's Phase 3 TANGO II trial, a randomized trial comparing Vabomere to the best available therapy for the treatment of serious carbapenem-resistant Enterobacteriaceae, or CRE, infections, was stopped early by an Independent Data and Safety Monitoring Board following a risk-benefit analysis of available data which was in favor of Vabomere. Vabomere's Marketing Authorization Application is currently under regulatory review by the European Medicines Agency for cUTI. Orbactiv is an injectable product approved by the FDA and EMA for the treatment of adults with acute bacterial skin and skin structure infections, or ABSSSI, caused by susceptible designated gram-positive bacteria including methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus, or MRSA. Minocin IV, an injectable product, is a tetracycline derivative approved in the U.S. for the treatment of infections due to susceptible strains of several important designated gram-positive and gram-negative pathogens, including infections due to Acinetobacter species, which typically occur in hospitalized patients. Under the terms of the acquisition agreement, the purchase price consists of a payment by Melinta to The Medicines Company of $165M in cash and the issuance to The Medicines Company of a number of shares of Melinta common stock equal to $50M, divided by 90% of the volume weighted average price for the trailing 10 trading day period ending 3 trading days prior to closing; a payment by Melinta to The Medicines Company of $25M following each of the twelve and eighteen month anniversaries of the closing date, and payment by Melinta to The Medicines Company of certain royalty payments, based on tiered net sales of the acquired products in certain jurisdictions. Funding for this acquisition will be provided through both debt and equity. In conjunction with the closing of the acquisition, Melinta will enter into a Loan and Security Agreement with Deerfield Management Company, L.P. Deerfield and certain funds managed by Deerfield will initially provide a total of $190M in debt and equity financing. An additional $50M of debt is available to Melinta within 24 months of the acquisition close upon the achievement of certain sales thresholds. In addition to the funding from Deerfield, certain investors are committed to make a $30M equity investment at closing. These funds will be used to fund the initial cash acquisition price of $165M and to retire existing company debt of $40M. Additional information on the acquisition and related financing will be contained in the proxy statement related to the proposed transactions. Melinta stockholders holding approximately 52% of the outstanding common stock have executed voting agreements agreeing to vote their shares in favor of the transaction.

07:09 EDT Linde says 92% of shares tendered by end of exchange period - Linde plc announced that 92% of the ordinary shares of Linde AG entitled to voting rights were tendered by the end of the additional acceptance period of Linde plc's exchange offer on November 24, 2017. The tender process has been completed and no further Linde AG shares can be tendered in the exchange offer. The business combination remains subject to the receipt of certain antitrust and other regulatory approvals and is expected to be completed in the second half of 2018. Aldo Belloni, CEO of Linde AG, said: "We are appreciative for our shareholders' confidence in this opportunity to create a leading company in our industry. We are moving forward with the regulatory review process at full speed and with our most focused attention." If the business combination is completed, Linde plc could initiate a merger-related squeeze-out with respect to Linde AG under German law because the acceptance level in the exchange offer has reached 90%. However, no decision with respect to such squeeze-out has yet been made.

07:06 EDT RXi Pharmaceuticals announces 'positive' results with RXI-231 in testing program - RXi Pharmaceuticals announced the results of a consumer/functional testing program with RXI-231, a cosmetic ingredient based on sd-rxRNA that targets tyrosinase. The cosmetic product is a gel formulation designed to aid in the reduction of pigmentation and thereby improving skin appearance. The results from the completed consumer testing program, in combination with previously announced preclinical data on melanin content in cultured melanocytes and 3-dimensional reconstituted human skin models, show that RXI-231 has the potential to reduce skin pigmentation induced by UV exposure in vivo.

07:06 EDT Rexford Industrial acquires four industrial properties for $69.6M - Rexford Industrial Realty announced the acquisition of four industrial properties for approximately $69.6M. The acquisitions were funded using cash on hand, draws on the Company's line of credit and proceeds from two dispositions totaling $30.6M. The Company acquired 687 Eucalyptus Avenue, located in Inglewood in the Los Angeles - West Los Angeles/South Bay submarket for $53.9M, or $376 per square foot. Also in the Los Angeles - South Bay submarket, the Company acquired a two-property portfolio consisting of 15401 S. Figueroa Street and 13225 S. Western Avenue located in Gardena for $6.7M, or $112 per square foot. 15401 S. The Company acquired an improved land site at 8542 Slauson Avenue, located in Pico Rivera in the Los Angeles - Central submarket for $9.0M, or approximately $49 per square foot of land. The Company sold 12345 First American Way in the Central San Diego submarket for approximately $7.6M, or $190 per square foot.

07:04 EDT Cubic awarded $61M contract by U.S. Army - Cubic announced that its Cubic Global Defense, or CGD, business division was awarded a contract worth more than $61M from the U.S. Army Contracting Command to support rotational and pre-deployment training exercises at the U.S. Army's Joint Readiness Training Center, or JRTC. The awarded amount is for the combined one-year phase-in and base period with four additional option years. Cubic will perform work in Fort Polk, Louisiana with an estimated completion date of November 24, 2022.

07:02 EDT Regis appoints Amanda Rusin as general counsel - Regis Corporation (RGS) announced that the Board has appointed Amanda Rusin as SVP, general counsel, and secretary effective January 2018. Rusin succeeds Eric Bakken, who, as previously announced, was appointed president of franchise of Regis in April. Rusin currently serves as Assistant General Counsel at Polaris Industries (PII), a global powersports company.

07:02 EDT Capricor Therapeutics announces FDA clearance of IND for CAP-1002 - Capricor Therapeutics announced that the U.S. FDA has cleared its Investigational New Drug application to conduct a new clinical trial of CAP-1002, its lead investigational therapy, in boys and young men in advanced stages of Duchenne muscular dystrophy, a fatal genetic disorder for which there are limited treatment options. This randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled clinical trial will be called the HOPE-2 Trial and is designed to evaluate the safety and efficacy of intravenous, repeat doses of CAP-1002 in boys and young men whose ability to walk has been seriously impaired by the loss of muscle function that occurs as Duchenne muscular dystrophy progresses. The primary efficacy endpoint will be the relative change in the mid-level dimension of the Performance of the Upper Limb test from baseline to Month 12. The HOPE-2 Trial is expected to enroll approximately 84 patients and be conducted at 10-12 U.S. sites. Capricor believes that if the primary endpoint is reached, the HOPE-2 Trial could serve as a registration trial, meaning that its results could support the submission of a Biologics License Application to obtain marketing approval of CAP-1002. Capricor expects to initiate the HOPE-2 Trial in the first quarter of 2018. Capricor plans to apply for the Regenerative Medicine Advanced Therapy (RMAT) Designation for CAP-1002 based on updated guidance recently issued by the FDA. If granted, the RMAT Designation would be expected to facilitate CAP-1002's path to potential registration.

06:56 EDT CoStar Group discloses FTC request for additional information about acquisition - In a regulatory filing yesterday, CoStar Group disclosed that the company and Landmark Media Enterprises each received a request for additional information and documentary materials from the United States Federal Trade Commission with respect to the previously disclosed deal for the company's wholly owned subsidiary CRI to acquire all of the issued and outstanding shares of common stock of DE Holdings "The request for information from the FTC, commonly referred to as a "second request," is part of the regulatory process under the Hart-Scott-Rodino Antitrust Improvements Act of 1976 . The second request extends the waiting period imposed by the HSR Act until 30 days after the parties have substantially complied with the second request unless that period is extended voluntarily by the parties or terminated sooner by the FTC. The Company intends to respond expeditiously to this request. The Company and Landmark have been working cooperatively with the FTC as it conducts its review of the proposed transaction, and will continue to do so through the completion of that review. The Company expects the Acquisition to close in the first half of 2018, subject to the expiration or termination of the applicable waiting period under the HSR Act and the satisfaction or waiver of all closing conditions," CoStar said.

06:47 EDT Tiffany CEO says Q3 results 'marginally exceeded our expectations' - Alessandro Bogliolo, CEO, who joined Tiffany in October, said, "Tiffany is such an inspiring brand with an incredibly rich legacy, traditions of excellence in craftsmanship and design, and leadership in sustainability. I am very excited to be leading our team and enthusiastic about the tremendous opportunities we have to further develop our global business. These latest financial results marginally exceeded our expectations, but I believe that Tiffany has the medium to long-term potential to achieve meaningful comparable store sales growth and drive higher operating margins and earnings growth. Looking forward, we will increasingly capitalize on the strength of the TIFFANY & CO. brand with stronger organizational focus on innovation in product, digital, communication and the customer experience."

06:45 EDT Tiffany reports net inventories at October 3 were 1% above the prior year period - Net inventories of $2.3B at October 31, 2017 were 1% above the prior year.

06:37 EDT Integrated Device enters partnership with X-Microwave - Integrated Device Technology announced that it has partnered with X-Microwave, an industry leader in modular RF and microwave systems and tools, and innovator of the "Modular Building Block System", to deliver a complete solution for customers designing with IDT RF and microwave products. IDT's customers will now have access to our industry-best RF products coupled with complete design tools to address every phase of the development process from concept to prototype to production hardware.

06:31 EDT LSC Communications acquires The Clark Group - LSC Communications announced that it has acquired The Clark Group. Clark is a leading third-party logistics provider of distribution, consolidation, transportation management and international freight forwarding services, with a network of nine strategically located distribution centers in the US.

06:19 EDT Facebook reports progress in removing ISIS, Al Qaeda-related terror content - Monika Bickert, Head of Global Policy Management, and Brian Fishman, Head of Counterterrorism Policy at Facebook said in a blog post that "Today, 99% of the ISIS and Al Qaeda-related terror content we remove from Facebook is content we detect before anyone in our community has flagged it to us, and in some cases, before it goes live on the site. We do this primarily through the use of automated systems like photo and video matching and text-based machine learning. Once we are aware of a piece of terror content, we remove 83% of subsequently uploaded copies within one hour of upload." They continued, "It is still early, but the results are promising, and we're hopeful AI will become a more important tool in the arsenal of protection and safety on the internet and on Facebook. At the same time, because AI alone is not the answer, we continue to expand our partnerships with other technology companies, governments and nonprofits that share our goal to root out terrorism on the internet." Reference Link

06:13 EDT General Electric introduces Drawbridge Health - GE introduced Drawbridge Health, a privately-held healthcare technology company focused on enabling personal diagnostic testing - anytime, anywhere. Drawbridge Health is developing proprietary technology designed to integrate draw, collection and sample stabilization into a single device. Healthcare providers will be able to deliver a superior patient experience, eliminating the need for phlebotomy and travel to blood draw centers. This integrated technology is also being developed to support room temperature shipping and streamlined downstream processing, ensuring reliable, accurate results. Through this integration of engineering and proprietary chemistry, Drawbridge Health is developing a people-friendly system for drawing and stabilizing blood samples.

06:01 EDT Altus Capital commences tender offer for shares of MGC Diagnostics - Altus Capital Partners announced that Altus' affiliate, AC Breathe Merger Sub Inc., has commenced the previously-announced tender offer for all of the outstanding shares of common stock of MGC Diagnostics at a price of $11.03 per share, net to the seller in cash without interest. On November 27, MGC announced that the company and affiliates of Altus had entered into a definitive merger agreement pursuant to which the tender offer would be made. MGC's Board of Directors unanimously approved the merger agreement and the transactions contemplated thereby, including the tender offer and the merger, and recommends that MGC's shareholders tender their shares in the tender offer. The completion of the tender offer is conditioned upon, among other things, satisfaction of a minimum tender condition and other customary closing conditions. The tender offer and withdrawal rights are scheduled to expire at 12:00 midnight, New York City time, at the end of December 27, 2017, unless extended or earlier terminated in accordance with the terms of the merger agreement. Upon the completion of the transaction, MGC will become a privately held company.

05:17 EDT PolyMet Mining land exchange bill passes U.S. House, advances to Senate - PolyMet Mining announces that House Resolution 3115, the Superior National Forest Land Exchange Act of 2017, today passed the U.S. House of Representatives on a bipartisan 309 to 99 vote and advances to the Senate. The Forest Service authorized an administrative land exchange for the PolyMet Mining NorthMet Project in its Final Record of Decision January 9, 2017. The bipartisan bill, introduced by U.S. Rep. Rick Nolan, D-MN-8 in July, directs the secretary of agriculture to move forward with the land exchange between PolyMet and the U.S. Forest Service. In passing the legislation, the House ratifies the Forest Service's determination that the land exchange is in the best public interest. The bill calls for the exchange to be completed within 90 days of its enactment. "We are grateful to Rep. Nolan, the bill's co-sponsors, and House leadership for their efforts to move this legislation forward," said Jon Cherry, president and CEO. "While neither the legislative nor the administrative exchange would permit or approve construction of the mine, Congressional approval for the exchange provides certainty of process in developing the project by finalizing the land transfer." The terms of the land exchange proposed in the Superior National Forest Land Exchange Act of 2017 are the same as those found in the administrative land exchange: PolyMet receives approximately 6,650 acres of surface land above and around its NorthMet ore body near an area heavily used for mining and mine infrastructure; in exchange, the Superior National Forest receives four parcels of land totaling 6,690 acres currently owned or controlled by PolyMet that will become part of the Superior National Forest. The difference is that the $425,000 equalization payment owed PolyMet by the Forest Service as a result of the administrative exchange would be waived by the company in the legislative exchange.

05:04 EDT Nielsen announces resignation of COO Stephen Hasker - Nielsen last night in regulatory filing disclosed that on November 27, Stephen Hasker, its Global President and Chief Operating Officer, tendered his resignation effective December 31. The company provided no further details.