Stockwinners Market Radar for December 07, 2017 - Earnings, Upgrades downgrades, option trades, Best Stock Advisory Service

18:44 EDT Boeing CEO says company will beat Elon Musk to Mars - Says confident first mission to Mars will come next decade. Says intends to invest more than $6B in innovation next year. Dennis Muilenburg is speaking on CNBC.

18:34 EDT Boeing CEO says sees air traffic growth outpacing GDP gains - Says sees tax reform increasing investment in innovation. Says company has great relationship with Trump. Says competing and winning in China. Dennis Muilenburg is speaking on CNBC.

18:14 EDT S&P announces changes to S&P SmallCap 600 index - S&P Dow Jones Indices will make the following changes to the S&P SmallCap 600: Easterly Government Properties (DEA) will replace PharMerica (PMC) effective prior to the open of trading on Tuesday, December 12. KKR (KKR) and affiliates acquired PharMerica in a transaction completed December 7. Cutera (CUTR) will replace Tesco (TESO) effective prior to the open of trading on Friday, December 15. S&P MidCap 400 constituent Nabors Industries (NBR) is acquiring Tesco in a deal expected to be completed on or about that date, pending final conditions.

18:01 EDT United Continental names Kate Gebo as EVP of Labor Relations - United Airlines today announced Kate Gebo has been named executive vice president Human Resources and Labor Relations, replacing Mike Bonds, who announced his retirement earlier this year. Gebo will report directly to Munoz. Gebo currently serves as senior vice president and chief customer officer, where she oversees all of United's customer-facing teams from booking to landing.

17:31 EDT On The Fly: After Hours Movers - UP AFTER EARNINGS: Good Times Restaurants (GTIM), up 6.1%... ForeScout (FSCT), up 5.8%... Cloudera (CLDR), up 4.7%... DAVIDsTEA (DTEA), up 2.4%... Finisar (FNSR), up 1.9%. ALSO HIGHER: Sigma Designs (SIGM), up 23.2% after it reported lower-than-expected quarterly results and agreed to be acquired by Silicon Labs (SLAB)... United Continental (UAL), up 1.4% after it reported that traffic for November grew 5.1% year-over-year and after it announced a new $3B share repurchase program. DOWN AFTER EARNINGS: American Outdoor Brands (AOBC), down 13.9%... Cooper Companies (COO), down 2.4%. ALSO LOWER: Tellurian (TELL), down 11.6% after it filed to sell 8M shares of common stock... Aqua Metals (AQMS), down 6.8% after it filed to sell common stock.

17:31 EDT Investors Bancorp to reduce workforce by 5% and close six branches - Investors Bancorp announced it has implemented a plan to reduce operating expenses, including a workforce reduction of approximately 5% and the closure of six branch offices. The workforce reduction will take effect by year end and it is anticipated the branch closures will take effect the first week of March 2018. The company estimates the workforce reduction along with the branch closures will reduce its annual operating expenses by approximately $10 to $12 million. In connection with the plan, the company expects to recognize non-recurring pre-tax expenses of approximately $5 million in the fourth quarter of 2017 attributed to severance benefits and the costs related to the branch closures.

17:27 EDT Morgan Stanley reports 5% passive stake in Atara Biotherapeutics

17:26 EDT Invacare announces North America reduction in force - Invacare announced a reduction in force in North America that is expected to generate approximately $8.5M in annualized pre-tax savings. The company has been executing a multi-year strategic transformation of its overall approach to quality, product mix, commercial execution, supply chain and engineering. These changes apply globally, although the efforts to drive change have been most intensely focused in North America. Part of this strategy has been to diminish sales of less clinically valuable products and to focus on solutions that provide the greatest benefits to end-users and providers. For the third quarter ended September 30, 2017, the company reported a positive turn in constant currency sequential net sales growth in the North America/Home Medical Equipment segment following several quarters of transformation work. The reduction in force is expected to align selling, general and administrative expense with the company's new mix of business. The reduction will impact approximately 110 associates across the company's North America segments. Customary transition assistance will be provided to affected employees. Due to the reduction in force, the company expects to incur total restructuring charges in the fourth quarter 2017 of approximately $2.6M on a pre-tax basis, principally in the NA/HME segment and to a lesser extent in the Institutional Products Group segment.

17:20 EDT Cutera to replace Tesco in S&P 600 at open on 12/15 - MidCap 400 constituent Nabors Industries (NBR) is acquiring Tesco (TESO) in a deal expected to be completed on or about that date, pending final conditions.

17:16 EDT Natural Grocers names Todd Dissinger as new CFO - Natural Grocers by Vitamin Cottage, Inc announced the appointment of Todd Dissinger as Chief Financial Officer, effective January 1, 2018. Mr. Dissinger will assume the CFO role from Sandra Buffa, who, as previously announced, will retire effective December 31, 2017.

17:11 EDT Edison International raises quarterly dividend by 11.5% to 60.5c - Dividend is payable on January 31, 2018, to shareholders of record on December 29, 2017.

17:08 EDT Ellington Financial reports estimated book value per share $19.02 on Nov. 30 - Or $18.74 on a diluted basis.

17:05 EDT CGI acquires Paragon Solutions, terms not disclosed - CGI announced the acquisition for all cash consideration of Paragon Solutions, Inc., a commercial business consultancy with depth in health and life sciences and IT expertise in digital transformation and systems integration. Paragon strengthens CGI's position in the key metropolitan growth region encompassing the Greater New York City/New Jersey and Philadelphia metro markets, CGI said.

17:03 EDT Silicon Laboratories to acquire Sigma Designs for $7.05 per share in cash - Silicon Labs (SLAB) and Sigma Designs (SIGM) announced a definitive agreement under which Silicon Labs will acquire Sigma Designs for $7.05 per share in a cash transaction valued at approximately $282M, subject to certain closing conditions. This price represents a 26% premium over Sigma Designs' closing price of $5.60 per share on Dec. 6, 2017. In the event that certain closing conditions are not met, the parties have agreed that Sigma Designs would instead sell its Z-Wave business to Silicon Labs for $240M, contingent upon approval by Sigma Designs' stockholders. The boards of directors of both companies have approved the transaction. Silicon Labs expects the transaction to close in the first calendar quarter of 2018.

17:02 EDT Silicon Laboratories to acquire Sigma Designs for $7.05 per share in cash

17:00 EDT Sigma Designs trading halted, news dissemination

16:46 EDT CGI Group acquires Paragon Solutions for all cash consideration - CGI announced the acquisition for all cash consideration of Paragon Solutions, a high-end commercial business consultancy with depth in health and life sciences and IT expertise in digital transformation and systems integration. Paragon strengthens CGI's position in the key metropolitan growth region encompassing the Greater New York City/New Jersey and Philadelphia metro markets. Terms of the transaction were not disclosed.

16:36 EDT Flexion enrolls first patient in Phase 2 ZILRETTA study - Flexion Therapeutics announced the enrollment of the first patient in a clinical trial to evaluate the pharmacokinetics and safety of concurrent injections of ZILRETTA in patients with bilateral osteoarthritis of the knee. The randomized, open-label, Phase 2 study is expected to enroll approximately 24 patients. The safety and tolerability of a single injection of ZILRETTA has been established through multiple Phase 2 and Phase 3 clinical trials focused on administration in one knee. ZILRETTA received approval from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration on October 6, 2017 for the management of OA knee pain and the company initiated the full commercial launch on November 20, 2017. The study will compare plasma PK profiles after concurrent injections of ZILRETTA versus immediate-release triamcinolone acetonide in crystalline suspension. Patients will be randomized and treated with bilateral injections of either ZILRETTA or TAcs. Each patient will be evaluated for six weeks following injection. Flexion expects to report top-line results of the study in the first half of 2018.

16:34 EDT Goldman Sachs BDC names Jaime Ardila chairman of the board - Goldman Sachs BDC announced that Jaime Ardila has been named chairman of the board of directors, effective January 1, 2018. He will succeed Ashok Bakhru, chairman since 2013, who will retire at the end of this year. Ardila has served as a member of GS BDC's board of directors since 2016.

16:34 EDT Saga Communications declares special cash dividend of 80c per share - Saga Communications announced that its Board of Directors declared a quarterly cash dividend of 30c per share and a special cash dividend of 80c per share for its Class A and Class B shares. The dividends will be paid on January 5, 2018 to shareholders of record on December 18, 2017. The aggregate amount of the payments made in connection with the quarterly and special dividends paid for 2017 will be approximately $11.8M. The yield considering the total $2.00 quarterly and special cash dividends for 2017 is 4.5%. The quarterly and special cash dividends will be funded by cash on the company's balance sheet. This brings the aggregate amount of payments made in quarterly and special dividends since the company initiated paying dividends in 2012 to approximately $53.6M.

16:32 EDT Exactech announces successful first surgery with Vantage system - Exactech, Inc announced the successful first surgery using its new Vantage Total Ankle Mobile Bearing System, the newest addition to the Exactech extremities product line. The ankle system represents years of collaboration among Exactech, Valderrabano and a design team at the orthopaedic department of Duke University in Durham, N.C. Mark Easley, MD; James Nunley, MD; and James DeOrio, MD, have already implanted a large number of the fixed bearing version of the Vantage Ankle. The Vantage Ankle Mobile-Bearing System received CE approval in Europe, and full European market availability is slated for 2018. The Vantage Ankle Mobile Bearing System is not available for sale in the U.S.

16:31 EDT Owens Corning raises quarterly dividend 5% to 21c per share - The dividend will be payable on January 17, 2018, to shareholders of record as of January 2, 2018.

16:30 EDT DAVIDsTEA confirms Howard Tafler as CFO - The company announced that Howard Tafler, its interim Chief Financial Officer, has been confirmed as Chief Financial Officer.

16:28 EDT Hillenbrand declares Q1 dividend of 20.75c per share - The board of directors of Hillenbrand has declared a regular quarterly cash dividend of 20.75c per share on the company's common stock. On an annualized basis, this is an increase of 1c per share to a total rate of 83c per share in fiscal year 2018. The dividend is payable December 29, 2017, to shareholders of record at the close of business on December 18, 2017.

16:27 EDT Bristol-Myers to increase dividend 2.6% to 40c - The board of Bristol-Myers Squibb declared an increase of 2.6% percent in the company's quarterly dividend, beginning in Q1 of 2018. The dividend increase will result in a quarterly dividend of 40c per share on the 10c par value common stock of the corporation. The next quarterly dividend will be payable on February 1 2018, to stockholders of record at the close of business on January 5 2018. The directors indicated an expected dividend for the full year of 2018 of $1.60 per share on the 10c par value common stock of the corporation, subject to the normal quarterly review by the board.

16:24 EDT Cloudera reports Q3 subscription revenue $78.1M, up 48% y/y - Subscription revenue represented 83% of total revenue, up from 78% in the third quarter of fiscal 2017.

16:22 EDT Graham awarded $17M in North American refining orders - Graham Corporation announced that it received two orders totaling approximately $17M, both for ejector systems in the North American refining industry. Equipment delivery for both orders is scheduled for Q2 of fiscal 2019. Equipment that the company engineers and manufactures for the refining market often includes large ejector systems that operate in highly corrosive environments. Both of these orders involve the replacement of currently installed Graham equipment, which is required due to corrosion caused by harsh operating environments.

16:21 EDT C.H. Robinson raises quarterly dividend to 46c per share from 45c - C.H. Robinson Worldwide announced that its board of directors declared an increase to its regular quarterly cash dividend to 46c per share from 45c per share, payable on December 29, 2017, to shareholders of record on December 18, 2017.

16:20 EDT Capella Education raises quarterly dividend 2c to 43c per share - Capella Education announced that its board of directors has approved a 2c increase in quarterly cash dividend to 43c per outstanding share of common stock. The cash dividend is payable on Jan. 18, 2018 to shareholders of record as of the close of business on Dec. 22, 2017.

16:19 EDT Disney names Oracle CEO Catz, Illumina CEO deSouza to board - Disney's (DIS) board of directors announced the election of two new directors: Safra Catz, Chief Executive Officer of Oracle Corp. (ORCL), and Francis A. deSouza, President and Chief Executive Officer of biotechnology firm Illumina Inc (ILMN). The elections of Catz and deSouza are effective February 1, 2018.

16:17 EDT United Continental sees Q4 passenger unit revenue down 2% to flat y/y - The company now expects fourth-quarter consolidated passenger unit revenue to be down 2% to flat compared to the fourth quarter of 2016.

16:16 EDT Orion Group announces departure of COO Dwayne Breaux - Orion COO Dwayne Breaux has left the company. With his departure, the company will not seek to replace the COO position.

16:14 EDT Dover to spin off Wellsite business into public company - Dover announced that it plans to spin off its upstream energy businesses within the Dover Energy segment, collectively, the "Wellsite" business, into a standalone, publicly-traded company, to be named at a later date. The plan to pursue a tax-free spin-off of Wellsite concludes Dover's strategic alternatives review of Wellsite announced on September 12, 2017, and is the culmination of a comprehensive process to determine the best separation alternative to maximize shareholder value. For 2017, on a pro-forma basis, Wellsite is expected to generate approximately $1 billion in annual revenue and EBITDA of approximately $250 million, which does not include restructuring costs and estimated public company expenses of approximately $35 million. Production and Automation Technologies, which comprises Dover Artificial Lift and Dover Energy Automation, accounts for roughly 80% of Wellsite's total revenue, while Drilling technologies, encompassing US Synthetic, is about 20% of revenue.

16:12 EDT Douglas Emmett raises quarterly dividend 9% to 25c per share - Douglas Emmett announced that its Board of Directors has declared a quarterly cash dividend on each share of its common stock of 25c, or $1.00 on an annualized basis. The dividend will be paid on January 15, 2018 to shareholders of record as of December 29, 2017. This represents a 9% increase over the company's 2017 quarterly dividend.

16:08 EDT Steelcase reports preliminary Q3 EPS 22c, consensus 23c - Reports preliminary Q3 revenue $772M, consensus $799.87M.

16:00 EDT American Outdoor Brands trading halted, news pending

16:00 EDT Davids Tea trading halted, news pending

15:31 EDT Black Box awarded $10.4M contract modification from U.S. Army - Black Box announced that it has been granted a $10.4M award for the continuation of supplies and services under its current contract for the Ukraine Security Assistance Initiative, which is administered through and funded by the US Army. In support of this new tasking, Black Box will expand the Ukraine Ministry of Defense's enterprise IT architecture to additional sites within Ukraine. Over the next 12 months, Black Box will provide IT supplies and services to both expand the enterprise system and enable Command, Control, Communications, Computers, Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance capabilities to more users at military installations throughout the country. Black Box's C4ISR solutions will deliver new network asset management, updated software applications, and documented configuration management capabilities.

15:30 EDT Karen Singer reports 5% passive stake in Alaska Communications

14:53 EDT Penn PUC approves settlement to let Penn American Water raise water rates - The Pennsylvania Public Utility Commission unanimously approved a settlement that allows Pennsylvania American Water to raise water and wastewater rates, effective January 1, 2018. The primary factor behind the rate increase is the approximately $1.26B of investments to replace and upgrade aging infrastructure since its last rate case in 2013. "We are pleased the commission has approved this fair and reasonable settlement, which balances our customers' interests with the much-needed investments we make to ensure reliable, quality service," said Pennsylvania American Water President Jeffrey McIntyre. "We appreciate the diligence and cooperation of the PUC Bureau of Investigation and Enforcement, Office of Consumer Advocate, Office of Small Business Advocate and other intervenors who made it possible to reach this settlement." McIntyre said the approximately $1.26B in improvements for treatment plants, storage tanks, wells and pumping stations reflect a commitment to protect public health in the more than 400 communities served by Pennsylvania American Water. The investments also include replacing nearly 450 miles of aging pipe, as well as valves, service lines, hydrants and other parts of the company's nearly 10,700-mile network of water and sewer lines. The typical monthly residential water bill for Pennsylvania American Water customers using 3,630 gallons will increase by $5.22 per month, from $55.63 to $60.85. When the new rates take effect January 1, it will be the company's first base rate increase in four years.

14:16 EDT Steel Dynamics 'pleased' with DOC determination on flat roll steel from China - Steel Dynamics commented that it is pleased with this week's announcement by the Department of Commerce concerning the preliminary affirmative circumvention determination against flat roll steel from China processed into cold roll and corrosion resistant flat roll steel in Vietnam. The circumvention investigation was made pursuant to a petition filed by Steel Dynamics on September 22, 2016. "We are very pleased that Secretary Ross is taking steps to aggressively enforce U.S. trade laws," commented Mark D. Millett, President and Chief Executive Officer. "Stopping the circumvention of enacted trade laws will ensure a level playing field for the domestic steel industry. As the largest non-automotive flat roll steel coater in the U.S., it could be a meaningful positive tailwind for Steel Dynamics."

13:45 EDT LeterOne, BASF sign LOI to merger oil and gas businesses to form Wintershall DEA - LetterOne announced today that it has signed a Letter of Intent with BASF to combine the parties' oil and gas businesses in a joint venture. The new merged entity would operate under the name Wintershall DEA. Wintershall DEA would have significant growth potential and be one of the largest independent European exploration and production companies. In the medium term, L1 Energy and BASF intend to list Wintershall DEA through an IPO. Wintershall DEA's CEO will be determined by BASF, with the Deputy CEO being determined by L1 Energy. The company shall be headquartered jointly in Hamburg and Kassel. In the coming months, L1 Energy and BASF will prepare and conduct a confirmatory due diligence process and negotiate definitive transaction agreements. Closing could be expected in the second half of 2018, subject to customary regulatory approvals. Until closing, DEA and Wintershall will continue to operate as independent companies. In order to form Wintershall DEA, it is intended that L1 Energy will contribute DEA into Wintershall against issuance of new shares to L1 Energy. Based on the valuation of the exploration and production businesses, BASF shall initially hold 67% and L1 Energy shall hold 33% of Wintershall DEA. In this shareholding ratio, Wintershall's gas transportation business is not accounted for. As of closing, Wintershall DEA shall issue a mandatory convertible bond to BASF reflecting the value of Wintershall's gas transportation business. No later than 36 months after closing, this bond shall be converted into additional shares in Wintershall DEA for BASF.

13:13 EDT L3 Technologies mentioned cautiously by Capitol Forum - L3 Technologies, which has been mentioned cautiously in the past by Capitol Forum, is the subject of a new report from the organization, contacts tell The Fly.

13:01 EDT Brandywine Realty increases dividend by 12.5% - Brandywine Realty Trust announced that its board of trustees has declared a quarterly cash dividend of 18c per common share and OP Unit payable on January 23, 2018 to holders of record on January 9, 2018. The quarterly dividend is equivalent to an annual rate of 72c per share representing a 12.5% increase from the previous annual dividend rate of 64c per share.

12:32 EDT Mylan to pay nearly $10M to Maryland to settle Medicaid fraud allegations - Maryland Attorney General Brian Frosh announced that Maryland will receive $9,979,638.42 to settle allegations against Mylan, resolving allegations that Mylan demanded massive price increases for its EpiPen in the private market and underpaid its EpiPen rebates to Maryland's Medicaid program. The participating states will share $213,936,000 of the total settlement. As alleged in the settlement, from July 29, 2010 to March 31, 2017, Mylan submitted or caused to be submitted false statements to CMS and/or the States relating to EpiPen for Medicaid rebate purposes, and underpaid its EpiPen rebates to the State Medicaid Programs, the AG stated.

12:15 EDT Cooperman says does not see 'euphoria' in market - Leon Cooperman of Omega Advisors is speaking on CNBC.

12:06 EDT Leon Cooperman says market is reasonably valued - Leon Cooperman of Omega Advisors is speaking on CNBC.

11:48 EDT Citron says will cover legal fees for bloggers expressing bitcoin opinions - Citron Research tweeted: "Bitfinex, the largest Bitcoin exch has threatened legal action against critics. Could be the Lehman moment of Bitcoin. tinyurl.com/ya6q665c Citron has agreed to cover legal fees for bloggers expressing opinions. We have been in contact. Open dialogue in markets is important" Reference Link

11:24 EDT Yelp slides as Piper Jaffray says sell with long-form reviews losing relevance - Shares of Yelp (YELP) are sliding after Piper Jaffray analyst Sam Kemp downgraded the stock to Underweight, a sell-equivalent rating, yesterday after market close. The analyst cited a confluence of short and long-term concerns, including lower guidance and competition. SELL YELP: In a research note to investors, Piper Jaffray's Kemp downgraded Yelp to Underweight from Neutral and lowered his price target on the shares to $37 from $38. Due to the messiness of removing Eat24, the analyst believes investors missed that Yelp lowered organic fourth quarter guidance by about 2%, which suggests headwinds that Yelp appears to be attempting to offset by re-accelerating sales hiring. This is coming at the expense of a higher operating expense profile and is counter to management's thesis of decoupling revenue and sales headcount growth, he contended, adding that he believes the company may guide down 2018 revenue when it reports its fourth quarter despite likely reacceleration in mobile revenue growth. Longer-term, Kemp noted that traffic/user acquisition may become more difficult as Facebook (FB) and Google (GOOG; GOOGL) aggressively route traffic to their own offerings. Yelp's strategic value is declining alongside the relative importance of long-form reviews as consumers increasingly depend on short-form information from social, search and maps for local businesses, he argued. PRICE ACTION: In morning trading, shares of Yelp have dropped over 1% to $41.31.

11:17 EDT Boeing reports one new order in weekly update - Boeing reported one new order in the weekly update posted on its website, from an unidentified customer for one 747. In the changes category, reduced 737 orders by one and 787 orders by one. Year to date information: 737 net orders: 45 NG and 459 MAX; 777 net orders: 37 777 and 20 777X.

10:47 EDT KKR completes acquisition of PharMerica - PharMerica (PMC) announced the completion of the acquisition of PharMerica by a newly formed company controlled by KKR (KKR) with an affiliate of Walgreens Boots Alliance (WBA) as a minority investor. As a result of the completion of the acquisition, PharMerica shareholders will receive an amount in cash equal to $29.25 per share of PharMerica common stock, without interest. In connection with the completion of the acquisition, shares of PharMerica's common stock will cease trading on the NYSE prior to the opening of the NYSE on December 8.

10:24 EDT LendingClub sees long-term net revenue growth of 15%-20% - Sees long-term adjusted EBITDA margin of about 20%. Long-term guidance from investor day slides. In the slides, CEO Scott Sanborn identifies as some of his key takeaways: "Unsecured online lending is a large and growing market, serving a critical customer need. LendingClub as the leader is uniquely positioned to go after this market." The company has a "solid plan to deliver growth, while investing for the future," Sanborn adds in the slides.

10:21 EDT Deckers Brands urges shareholders to vote for director nominees - Deckers Brands issued the following statement in response to the revised Gold proxy card of Marcato Capital Management LP and a revised report from Institutional Shareholder Services regarding the election of directors at Deckers' 2017 Annual Meeting of Stockholders to be held on December 14, 2017: "Stockholders should recognize that a vote on the Gold card is a vote to replace three highly qualified, experienced directors with three unqualified, unknown and unvetted nominees who would not bring any new skills to the Board. Deckers believes that the addition of Marcato's nominees to the Deckers Board could result in significant disruption to the company's ongoing successful transformation. The Deckers Board has been and will continue to be a significant agent of change. As recognized by leading proxy advisory firms Glass Lewis and Egan-Jones in their recommendations that stockholders vote for ALL of Deckers' highly qualified director nominees, Deckers has the right Board and the right strategy to deliver value for all stockholders. The Board remains committed to overseeing the successful transformation of Deckers and continuing to adhere to strong governance practices to enhance stockholder value creation."

10:21 EDT LendingClub slides after Q4 guidance lowered - Shares of LendingClub are lower in early trading after the company reported at its investor day meeting that it is downwardly adjusting its Q4 revenue and adjusted EBITDA outlook, saying it now expects a ($3M) timing impact to both its revenue and EBITDA from holding the residual from its recent securitization. The company now sees Q4 revenue of $155M-$160M, down from its prior view of $158M-$163M, and adjusted EBITDA of $16M-$20M, down from $19M-$23M. The Q4 consensus revenue view is $160.6M. For FY17, LendingClub sees revenue of $573M-$578M, compared to consensus of $577.3M. For FY17, adjusted EBITDA is guided at $42M-$46M, according to investor day presentation slides. In morning trading while the company conducts its investor event, LendingClub shares are down 14% to $3.64.

10:02 EDT Coca-Cola names Jim Dinkins as SVP, President of CCNA - The Board of Directors of The Coca-Cola Company elected James L. "Jim" Dinkins as a Senior Vice President. The company previously announced that Dinkins will become President of Coca-Cola North America effective Jan. 1, 2018. Dinkins currently serves as President of the Minute Maid Business Unit and as Chief Retail Sales officer for CCNA. Dinkins has spent a total of 26 years with The Coca-Cola Company. In his new role as Senior Vice President and President of CCNA, he will report to President and CEO James Quincey. Dinkins succeeds J. Alexander "Sandy" Douglas Jr. who, as previously announced, will be retiring from the company on March 1, 2018. Douglas is an Executive Vice President of The Coca-Cola Company and President of CCNA.

09:59 EDT Nokia selected by KCP&L for communications network to enhance power grid - Nokia has been selected by Kansas City Power & Light to enhance the microwave communications network that supports a range of mission-critical services for the utility's power transmission and distribution grid. The new network, based on packet microwave technology, is intended to support power delivery and reliability for KCP&L's more than 800,000 customers in and around Kansas City, Missouri as well as parts of neighboring state of Kansas. The current deployment, covering 40 sites, is already underway and is to be completed before the end of 2017. A second phase consisting of 29 additional sites will follow shortly after.

09:30 EDT Diana Shipping announces time charter contract for m/v Boston - Diana Shipping announced that, through a separate wholly-owned subsidiary, it has entered into a time charter contract with EGPN Bulk Carrier Co., Limited, Hong Kong, for one of its Capesize dry bulk vessels, the m/v Boston. The gross charter rate is $17,000 per day, minus a 5% commission paid to third parties, for a period of minimum sixteen months to maximum nineteen months. The charter commenced yesterday. The m/v Boston was chartered, as previously announced, to Clearlake Shipping Pte. Ltd., Singapore, at a gross charter rate of $13,000 per day, minus a 4.75% commission paid to third parties, for the agreed period of the time charter. This employment is anticipated to generate approximately $8.16M of gross revenue for the minimum scheduled period of the time charter.

09:27 EDT Ensign Group raises quarterly dividend to 4.5c per share - Ensign Group announced that it has declared a quarterly cash dividend of 4.5c per share of Ensign common stock, payable on or before January 31, 2018, to shareholders of record as of December 31, 2017.

09:23 EDT Methanex reaches agreement for additional natural gas supply to Chile operations - Methanex announced that it has reached agreement with Empresa Nacional del Petroleo nfor additional gas supply to its Chile operations through December 31, 2019. John Floren, President and CEO of Methanex, commented, "We are pleased to reach agreement with ENAP for this additional natural gas supply. We are now fully committed to the restart of the Chile IV facility which is targeted for the third quarter of 2018. We continue to be optimistic that our underutilized 1.7 million tonne Chile operations represent a very low capital cost growth opportunity for Methanex due to the significant progress in developing natural gas reserves in the area."

09:17 EDT Crispr Therapeutics submits first Clinical Trial Application for CTX001 - Crispr Therapeutic announced the submission of a Clinical Trial Application for CTX001 in beta-thalassemia. CTX001 is an investigational CRISPR gene-edited autologous hematopoietic stem cell therapy for patients suffering from beta-thalassemia and sickle cell disease. The Phase 1/2 trial of CTX001 is designed to assess its safety and efficacy in adult transfusion dependent beta-thalassemia patients and is expected to begin in Europe in 2018. Crispr also plans to file an Investigational New Drug Application for CTX001 to treat sickle cell disease with the FDA in 2018. Crispr Therapeutics in premarket trading is up 2%, or $2.07, to $20.60.

09:12 EDT ClearOne awarded new patent for IOT devices by USPTO - ClearOne has been awarded a new patent relating to smart devices for the Internet of Things. The USPTO issued a patent entitled, "Endpoint Parameterization Management of Generic Devices", enables a system to use, manage, and control smart devices for the "Internet of Things" by describing key configuration parameters for those devices in a common format like a comma separated values text file format or some other format that is equally simple.

09:04 EDT Republic Services names Jon Vander Ark COO - Republic Services has named Jon Vander Ark COO, effective Jan. 1, 2018. Prior to this appointment, Vander Ark was EVP, operations, responsible for maximizing Republic's field performance across the company's operations in the eastern half of the U.S. Previous to this, he oversaw the western half of the Company's operations. Vander Ark joined Republic Services in January 2013 as EVP, chief marketing officer.

09:02 EDT Exxon Mobil, ITQ say discover new material that could reduce ethylene emissions - Scientists from ExxonMobil and the Instituto de Tecnologia Quimica in Valencia, Spain have discovered a potentially revolutionary new material that could significantly reduce the amount of energy and emissions associated with the production of ethylene. Depending on the application, use of the new material, in conjunction with other novel separation processes, could result in up to a 25 percent reduction in both the energy needed for ethylene separation, as well as the associated carbon dioxide emissions. Results of the research have been published in the peer-reviewed journal Science. ExxonMobil and ITQ researchers found that the new material, composed of a uniquely structured silica zeolite, can be used in gas separation processes, such as the recovery of ethylene from ethane, with an unprecedented degree of selectivity at ambient temperature. The new material could provide insights into the design of additional materials to be used as adsorbents or membranes in a variety of different gas separation applications associated with chemical manufacturing. Zeolites are porous materials frequently used as adsorbents and catalysts in chemical processes.

08:50 EDT Xoma announces license agreement for XOMA 358 with Rezolute - XOMA announced it has licensed the global development and commercialization rights for XOMA 358 to Rezolute, formerly AntriaBio, a biopharmaceutical company that specializes in developing therapies for metabolic and orphan diseases. Under the license agreement, XOMA is entitled to receive up to approximately $240M in exchange for the global XOMA 358 rights. The company will receive payments as Rezolute achieves specific milestones associated with financing activities, clinical development success, regulatory milestones and commercial sales. The terms include an allocation of $5M in shares of Rezolute common stock to XOMA and a further $13M in cash and common stock to be paid as Rezolute completes certain financing milestones. In addition, XOMA is eligible to receive royalties ranging from the high single-digits to mid-teens on net sales. Rezolute is responsible for all development, regulatory, manufacturing and commercialization activities under the license. The company is also entitled to receive low single-digit royalties on net sales of AB101 and other products developed from Rezolute's extended release and oral plasma kallikrein inhibitor platforms.

08:47 EDT OncoCyte presents 'positive' data from breast cancer diagnostic test study - OncoCyte presented positive data from its most recent breast cancer diagnostic test study at the 2017 San Antonio Breast Cancer Symposium. The data were presented by Philip McQuary, Ph.D., Director of Product Development at OncoCyte. This study revealed that a novel blood based diagnostic test may allow for the non-invasive and sensitive detection of breast cancer in BI-RADS category 4 patients, thereby differentiating women who have breast cancer from those who do not. A 19-marker model resulted in an AUC of 0.935 with a sensitivity of 90% and specificity of 82%. The data from this study are consistent with data reported at the San Antonio Breast Cancer Symposium in December 2016. The poster, titled "Assessment of an Immune Response Panel of Serum Protein Biomarkers for the Non-Invasive Detection of Breast Cancer," discusses details of OncoCyte's study in which serum samples were collected at four U.S. sites from 136 women with suspicious diagnostic mammography findings undergoing biopsy to determine if they have breast cancer. All 136 subjects had mammograms and were classified as BI-RADS category 4 and had pathology confirmation of their diagnosis. Statistical screening methodologies were used to identify markers with the potential to distinguish benign from malignant pathology. The candidate markers were further studied and combined to develop a potential diagnostic test.

08:45 EDT Entellus Medical trading resumes

08:34 EDT BlackBerry, Qualcomm extend strategic relationship - BlackBerry (BB) and Qualcomm Technologies, a subsidiary of Qualcomm (QCOM), announced a strategic collaboration to develop and produce cutting-edge automotive platforms for the next generation of connected vehicles. As a part of the non-exclusive relationship, the companies have agreed to optimize select Qualcomm Technologies' hardware platforms with BlackBerry's QNX software for use in virtual cockpit controllers, telematics, including eCall and Cellular Vehicle-to-Everything technology, electronic control gateways, digital instrument clusters and infotainment systems. Additionally, BlackBerry and Qualcomm Technologies have agreed to optimize BlackBerry over-the-air software and BlackBerry Secure Credential Management Services for use with select Qualcomm Snapdragon modems, supporting both companies' commitment to offer high performance automotive platforms quickly and cost-effectively.

08:33 EDT Netlist says 'disappointed' with findings in patent case against SK hynix - Netlist confirmed more details on the Initial Determination received from the United States International Trade Commission in its investigation of SK hynix RDIMM and LRDIMM enterprise memory products. The public version of the ID was issued by Administrative Law Judge Bullock on December 5, 2017. According to the ID, ALJ Bullock determined that Netlist's five asserted patents are valid, and that Netlist satisfied the economic domestic industry requirement. Further, with respect to the public interest issue, the ALJ determined that Netlist complied with its reasonable and non-discriminatory licensing obligations. However, the ALJ found that SK hynix does not infringe the asserted patents, and for this reason concluded there was no violation of section 337 of the Tariff Act. "While we are pleased with the ALJ's positive determinations as to validity, domestic industry, and public interest, we are disappointed in the initial findings on infringement. Netlist will challenge the ALJ's recommendations on infringement and hopes to prevail on this issue in the final determination," said Netlist's CEO, C.K. Hong. "We will also build on the positive findings of this ID in the second ITC action we filed against SK hynix with new, stronger patents."As part of the regular procedure at the ITC, the parties are in the process of submitting an additional briefing to the Commission. The Commission's role is to review the ID, and reach a Final Determination which may affirm, set aside, or modify the ID. The FD is currently scheduled to be issued by March 14, 2018. The ITC instituted the second investigation into SK hynix's RDIMM and LRDIMM products on November 28, 2017, based on Netlist's U.S. Patent Nos. 9,606,907, and 9,535,623. Netlist expects this investigation will proceed quickly, with a trial likely in mid-2018. In the meantime, Netlist expects a preliminary infringement ruling in January, 2018, from the court in Munich, Germany, where Netlist has asserted patent claims related to those in the ITC proceedings. Similar claims have also been asserted in China, with a trial expected in the second half of 2018.

08:32 EDT XL Group reports Q4 preliminary natural catastrophe loss estimate $250M - XL Group announced its preliminary estimate of natural catastrophe net losses of approximately $250M for Q4. The primary driver of this estimate is the impact of the October 2017 wildfires in Northern California of approximately $200M primarily from the company's Reinsurance segment. In addition, this estimate includes other smaller events through December 1. These preliminary estimates are pre-tax and net of reinsurance, reinstatement and adjustment premiums and redeemable non-controlling interest. The company also reconfirmed its previously disclosed overall net losses related to the Q3 catastrophes.

08:28 EDT Stryker sees Entellus Medical acquisition dilutive by 4c to FY18 adj. EPS - Stryker (SYK) announced a definitive merger agreement to acquire Entellus Medical (ENTL) for $24.00 per share, or an equity value of approximately $662M. The transaction is expected to be dilutive to Stryker's 2018 adjusted net EPS by approximately 4c and accretive thereafter.

08:25 EDT Entellus Medical to be acquired by Stryker for $24 per share in cash - Entellus Medical announced a definitive merger agreement by which Stryker (SYK) will acquire Entellus in an all cash transaction for $24.00 per share, or an equity value of approximately $662M. The Entellus board unanimously approved entering into the agreement.

08:23 EDT JinkoSolar sees FY17 solar module shipments of 9.6 GW-9.8 GW - For the full year 2017, the company estimates total solar module shipments to be in the range of 9.6 GW and 9.8 GW. CEO Kangping Chen said, "Demand in China remained strong during the quarter as the distributed generation market there grows rapidly. We have fully evaluated the various remedy recommendations from the US International Trade Commission and are awaiting its final decision on the Section 201 petition. Regardless of what the final outcome is, we strongly believe in the US solar market's long-term growth trajectory and will adjust our strategy there accordingly. Demand in Europe has shown signs of an improvement as the effects of electricity parity sink in for more countries. The Indian market is growing rapidly and is expected to become the world's third largest. The sustainable, long-term development of emerging markets such as Australia, Jordan, Egypt, Mexico and Brazil has greatly improved as solar system costs rapidly drop and regulators gain more experience in promoting green energy and organizing electricity auctions. We will continue to strengthen our leading position in various emerging markets by expanding our service teams there and enhancing our brand image."

08:21 EDT JinkoSolar sees Q4 solar module shipments of 2.3 GW-2.5 GW

08:14 EDT Marinus rises after Sage reports major depressive disorder trial data - Shares of Marinus Pharmaceuticals (MRNS) are higher in pre-market trading, rising about 28% to $7.91. The move comes after Sage Therapeutics (SAGE) announced earlier this morning top-line results from the Phase 2 clinical trial of SAGE-217 in the treatment of adults with moderate to severe major depressive disorder. Marinus, which is preparing to initiate clinical trials with Captisol-enabled ganaxolone IV in patients with postpartum depression, has previously moved in tandem with data reported by Sage.

08:10 EDT Entellus Medical trading halted, news pending

08:07 EDT Syros: SY-1365 shows anti-tumor activity across breast cancer cell lines - Syros Pharmaceuticals announced that new preclinical data on SY-1365, its first-in-class selective cyclin-dependent kinase 7 inhibitor currently in a Phase 1 clinical trial in advanced solid tumors, demonstrate anti-tumor activity across a broad panel of breast cancer cell lines and point to potential biomarkers predictive of response. The company also announced its identification of key genes driving relapse and metastasis in triple negative breast cancer, pointing to potential new drug targets. These data were presented at the San Antonio Breast Cancer Symposium. Syros scientists analyzed the anti-tumor activity of SY-1365 across a panel of more than 400 cancer cell lines, including 19 TNBC cell lines and 21 ER-positive, PR-positive and HER2-positive cells lines. They then grouped the cell lines according to sensitivity to SY-1365 and looked for markers of response using Syros' gene control platform to analyze regulatory regions of the genome. The data showed: SY-1365 induced cell death in 15 out of the 19 TNBC cell lines and 17 of the 21 ER-positive, PR-positive and HER2-positive cells lines. Sensitivity to SY-1365 in these breast cancer cell lines was associated with a super-enhancer, a highly specialized regulatory region of the genome, that drives increased expression of the known oncogene MYC. Sensitivity to SY-1365 was also associated with low expression of the mitochondrial apoptosis antagonist BCL2L1 in these cell lines. Lowered expression of MCL1, a gene in the mitochondrial apoptosis pathway known to inhibit apoptosis, was associated with SY-1365 target engagement and anti-tumor activity in cell lines and a cell-derived xenograft model of TNBC.

08:05 EDT bluebird bio, TC BioPharm announce strategic collaboration and license agreement - bluebird bio and Scottish immunotherapy company TC BioPharm announced a strategic collaboration and license agreement focused on gamma delta CAR T cells. The companies will work together to advance TC BioPharm's lead CAR-engineered gamma delta T cell program into clinical trials as well as on additional hematologic and solid tumor targets. Under the terms of the agreement, bluebird bio and TCB will collaborate to discover and develop CAR-engineered gamma delta T cells for cancer targets and indications. TCB is responsible for development of all targets through Phase 1/2, at which point bluebird has the exclusive option to assume sole responsibility for further clinical development and commercialization on a global basis. Financial terms of the agreement include a $16M upfront payment and subsequent potential R&D and commercial milestone payments. TCB is also eligible to receive undisclosed tiered royalties on product sales.

08:04 EDT Vertex says Phase 3 Kalydeco study met primary endpoint of safety - Vertex Pharmaceuticals announced results from an open-label Phase 3 study of KALYDECO in children with cystic fibrosis ages 1 to 2 years who have one of 10 mutations in the cystic fibrosis transmembrane conductance regulator gene. The ARRIVAL study met its primary endpoint of safety, showing that ivacaftor was generally well tolerated, and safety data were consistent with those seen in previous Phase 3 studies of ivacaftor in children ages 2 to 5 years and 6 to 11 years. There was also a substantial improvement in sweat chloride, a secondary endpoint, as well as in multiple exploratory endpoints evaluating pancreatic function. These data suggest the potential to modify the course of CF in children as young as one year of age. The study is ongoing in infants younger than one year old. Based on these results, Vertex plans to submit applications for ivacaftor in children ages 1 to 2 years to the U.S. FDA and the European Medicines Agency in the first quarter of 2018. The study met its primary endpoint of safety. Safety data from this interim analysis were consistent with those observed in previous Phase 3 studies in children ages 2 to 5 years and 6 to 11 years. Ivacaftor was generally well tolerated through 24 weeks of treatment and the majority of adverse events were mild or moderate in severity. No patients discontinued treatment due to adverse events. The most common adverse events (greater than or equal to30%) were cough, pyrexia (fever), elevated liver enzymes and rhinorrhea (runny nose). Serious adverse events were reported in two patients; one patient had cough that was treated with IV antibiotics and one patient had a viral infection followed by distal intestinal obstruction syndrome and constipation. Two different patients experienced elevated liver enzymes of greater than eight times the upper limit of normal. Both patients had concurrent illnesses during these elevations; upon subsequently resuming ivacaftor treatment neither patient experienced any further elevations.

08:02 EDT Seattle Genetics presents updated Phase 1 data for SGN-LIV1A - Seattle Genetics announced updated data from an ongoing phase 1 clinical trial evaluating ladiratuzumab vedotin in patients with metastatic triple negative breast cancer at the 2017 San Antonio Breast Cancer Symposium, taking place December 5-9, 2017. Ladiratuzumab vedotin is an investigational antibody-drug conjugate designed to deliver a potent and clinically validated cell-killing agent, monomethyl auristatin E, to cancer cells which express the protein LIV-1. LIV-1 is expressed on multiple solid tumors including breast, prostate, melanoma, ovarian, uterine, and cervical cancers. A total of 81 patients with LIV-1-expressing metastatic breast cancer were treated with ladiratuzumab vedotin monotherapy given every three weeks. Patients enrolled in the study had received a median of four prior systemic metastatic therapies. Of these patients, 63 were diagnosed with TNBC and 18 had hormone receptor-positive / human epidermal growth factor receptor 2-negative breast cancer. At the completion of dose escalation at doses ranging from 0.5 to 2.8 milligrams per kilogram, TNBC expansion cohorts were opened at 2.0 and 2.5 mg/kg to further evaluate safety and antitumor activity of ladiratuzumab vedotin in metastatic TNBC patients. Based on efficacy and safety, the recommended dose is 2.5 mg/kg with a maximum dose of 200 mg per cycle. Key findings in this heavily pre-treated patient population were presented by Dr. Jennifer Specht, Seattle Cancer Care Alliance and include: Among the 60 efficacy-evaluable patients with metastatic TNBC, the objective response rate (ORR) was 25 percent, representing all partial responses. The clinical benefit rate was 28 percent. CBR is defined as patients achieving complete response or PR of any duration, plus patients achieving stable disease lasting at least 24 weeks. Of the 17 efficacy-evaluable patients treated at the recommended dose, 29 percent achieved an objective response, and the CBR was 29 percent. The median progression-free survival and median duration of response for patients treated across all dose levels were 11 weeks and 13.3 weeks, respectively. In 19 patients treated at the recommended dose, the median PFS was 12.1 weeks, and the median DOR was 17.4 weeks.

07:55 EDT Sears holder Memento expresses concern over short activity in letter to board - Memento, the family office of an investor in Sears Holdings, delivered a letter to Sears' board to express concerns regarding historical patterns of alarming short-selling activity in the company's shares and to ensure the board is taking whatever actions may be required to curb any similar short-selling issues that may arise in the future. "Naked shorting involves selling a stock short without first locating the shares for delivery at settlement. Such a practice is in violation of Regulation SHO, a 2005 SEC rule. Regulation SHO provides that brokerage firms may not accept orders for short sales without having borrowed the stock or having "reasonable grounds" to believe that it can be secured. This is known as the "locate" requirement. The SEC further noted that the practice of naked short selling can be abusive and drive down share prices. We have observed on several occasions that the number of shares of Common Stock outstanding have fallen below short interest activity as measured by real available float. As shown below, short interest in SHLD shares has fluctuated between 12 to 19 million shares in the past two years. In early 2017 we identified that, not taking derivatives into account, there were more stocks lent than the real float, causing a deficit of 3.6 million shares. We observed similar behavior in options activity for SHLD shares. Based on our analysis, it would not be possible for market makers to appropriately hedge their investments and, consequently, deliver the shares of options when exercised. If all of the open put or call contracts were exercised, it would be impossible for market makers to locate and deliver shares for settlement within the legally required time period of three business days. We also note that the lending rate of Sears in 2017 has often reached levels close to 100%, indicating a high borrow cost that creates further incentives for naked short selling. This high interest rate raises the specter that market makers are engaged in naked short selling to avoid the high borrow cost associated with covered short sales. Such behavior would violate the requirements of Regulation SHO. As their only recourse to prevent such an outcome, institutions/brokers would be forced to buy SHLD shares in the open market, which risks causing a spike in the price of SHLD shares, a pattern that would artificially distort the company's value and increase its volatility in the marketplace. The shares of SHLD stock owned by restricted shareholders cannot be borrowed against in the marketplace to cover short sales. Taking this in to account, the real float of Common Stock has fallen below the short interest on several occasions in the past two years. Sears has reason to know this occurs based on the volume of short-selling activity in the marketplace compared to the percentage of outstanding shares restricted from securities lending. It is clear to us based on our own experience in securities lending of SHLD shares and monitoring the company's real float that there have been repeated instances of widespread naked short-selling in the company's shares, with the short interest exceeding total Common Stock outstanding when excluding restricted shares. Naked short selling has the effect of placing immense downward pressure on share price over time, since an unlimited supply of any commodity, including SHLD shares, places downward pressure on its price. At a time when Sears' employees, vendors and customers worry about the company's long-term viability, we believe that the Board must treat this particularly delicate matter with the highest priority. Immediate action is necessary from the company to prevent further destabilization and depression in the price of SHLD shares."

07:36 EDT CEL-SCI: IDMC saw no evidence of any significant safety questions

07:34 EDT Dicerna says first human dosed in Phase 1 DCR-PHXC trial - Dicerna Pharmaceuticals announced the dosing of the first human in DCR-PHXC-101, a Phase 1 clinical trial of DCR-PHXC, the Company's most advanced GalXC product candidate. Dicerna is investigating DCR-PHXC for the treatment of primary hyperoxaluria, a group of severe, rare, inherited disorders of the liver that often result in kidney failure. The company anticipates that human proof-of-concept data from the Phase 1 trial will be available in the second half of 2018. The DCR-PHXC-101 clinical trial is a single ascending-dose study of DCR-PHXC in normal healthy volunteers and patients with PH. The study is divided into two groups: Group A is a placebo-controlled, single-blind, single-center Phase 1 study in NHVs; Group B is an open-label, multi-center study in patients with PH types 1 and 2. The primary objective for the trial is to evaluate the safety and tolerability of single doses of DCR-PHXC in both groups. Secondary objectives are to characterize the pharmacokinetics of single doses of DCR-PHXC in NHVs and patients with PH, and to evaluate the pharmacodynamic effects of single doses of DCR-PHXC on biochemical markers including, but not limited to, changes in urine oxalate concentrations. The company expects to dose the first patient in Group B in the first quarter of 2018.

07:33 EDT IMAX and 21st Century Fox Film extend slate deal through 2019 - IMAX (IMAX) and Twentieth Century Fox Film, a division of 21st Century Fox (FOX), have signed a new multi-picture agreement - beginning this year and extending through 2019 -for five key future tentpoles from the Fox slate. The deal includes Kingsman: The Golden Circle, which was released in September; The Darkest Minds; as well as Marvel titles The New Mutants, X-Men: Dark Phoenix; and Gambit.

07:27 EDT Ciena: In a better position to incorporate return of capital to shareholders - Ciena said in pre-recorded commentary ahead of its Q4 earnings conference call that the company has large deferred tax assets resulting from net operating losses accumulated organically and by acquisition. "However in recent years, we have provided a valuation allowance against these tax assets on our books because in our judgment it was not certain that such tax assets would be realized," the company said. "We determined that it is appropriate to reverse the majority of the valuation allowance against these assets because we now expect that we will utilize these tax assets to reduce future taxes," adding that this resulted in a one-time tax benefit of $1.1B, substantially increasing EPS for Q4 and FY17. Going forward, Ciena said it will be making a full U.S. tax provision of 36%-37% against its GAAP net income. Ciena said it does not expect to pay cash taxes in the U.S. for the foreseeable future due to the utilization of its deferred tax assets. Ciena said it is in a better position to incorporate the return of capital as part of its overall strategic and operational plans. Capital allocation priorities include organic reinvestment and accretive M&A.

07:14 EDT Dell Technologies reports Q3 adjusted EBITDA $2.32B vs. $2.23B a year ago - Reports Q3 adjusted gross margin 32%.

07:10 EDT Hilton: Mobile-centric hotel room 'Connected Room' to begin rollout in 2018 - Hilton unveiled Connected Room, a first-of-its-kind, high-tech guest room that enables guests to personalize and control every aspect of their stay from one central point - their mobile device. Currently in beta testing, Connected Room is live in one hotel, will deploy in coming weeks in several more, and will begin to scale rapidly to hotels across the United States in 2018. Guests who stay at Connected Room-enabled properties will soon be able to use the Hilton Honors app to manage most things they would traditionally do manually in a room, from controlling the temperature and lighting to the TV and window coverings. Guests will also be able to personalize their room with technology that loads the most popular streaming media and other accounts to in-room TVs. In the longer-term, Connected Room will support a range of connected devices, engagements and experiences. Guests will able to use voice commands to control their room or access their content, and to upload their own artwork and photos to automatically display in their room. Guests will also be able to set various preferences in their Hilton Honors account profile to further customize their in-room experience to their individual preferences.

07:07 EDT Aveo Oncology announces clinical updates to tivozanib, ficlatuzumab programs - AVEO Oncology announced clinical updates for two of its oncology programs: FOTIVDA, the company's potent, selective, long half-life inhibitor of all three vascular endothelial growth factor receptors, and ficlatuzumab, the company's humanized IgG1 antibody that binds to the hepatocyte growth factor ligand with high affinity and specificity to inhibit the biological activities of the HGF/c-Met pathway. AVEO announced that enrollment of 21 patients is now complete, with one patient remaining in screening, in the Phase 2 portion of the TiNivo study, a Phase 1/2 multicenter trial of tivozanib in combination with Bristol-Myers Squibb's OPDIVO, an immune checkpoint, or PD-1, inhibitor, for the treatment of advanced RCC. In the Phase 1 dose escalation portion of the trial, tivozanib was administered in two escalating dose cohorts, 1.0 and 1.5 mg daily, in combination with nivolumab at 240 mg every 2 weeks. Phase 1 data from the study, which were presented at the 16th International Kidney Cancer Symposium, demonstrated that the combination of Opdivo and tivozanib was well tolerated up to the full dose and schedule of single agent tivozanib, with no dose limiting toxicities. The company announced the initiation of an investigator-sponsored randomized, multicenter Phase 2 trial of ficlatuzumab and cetuximab, an EGFR-targeted antibody, in patients with cetuximab-resistant, metastatic head and neck squamous cell carcinoma. AVEO is partnered with Biodesix, Inc. on the developments of ficlatuzumab. The study will seek to confirm findings from a Phase 1 study where the addition of ficlatuzumab to cetuximab resulted in a disease control rate of 67%, and prolonged progression free and overall survival compared to historical controls, in addition to being well tolerated. This Phase 2 multi-center study, which is being conducted under the direction of Julie E. Bauman, MD, MPH, Professor of Medicine, Chief, Division of Hematology/Oncology, Associate Director of Translational Research, University of Arizona Cancer Center, is expected to enroll approximately 60 patients randomized to receive either ficlatuzumab alone or ficlatuzumab and cetuximab. The company announced the initiation of an investigator-sponsored Phase 1b study to test the safety and tolerability of ficlatuzumab when combined with Nab-paclitaxel and Gemcitabine in previously untreated metastatic pancreatic ductal cancer. The goal of the study, which is based on preclinical findings demonstrating a synergistic effect of these drugs in a preclinical model of PDAC, is designed to determine maximum tolerated dose of ficlatuzumab when combined with gemcitabine and nab-paclitaxel. Secondary outcome measures include response rate and progression free survival. The study, which is being conducted under the direction of Kimberly Perez, M.D. at the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, is expected to enroll approximately 30 patients.

07:05 EDT Edwards Lifesciences announces new $1B share repurchase program - Edwards Lifesciences announced that its Board of Directors recently authorized a new share repurchase program to acquire up to an additional $1B of the company's outstanding common shares. Separately, the company also announced that in November it entered into an accelerated share repurchase agreement to acquire $150M of Edwards' common stock. Upon entering into the agreement, Edwards received and retired an initial delivery of 1.1M shares. In addition, earlier in the fourth quarter, Edwards repurchased approximately $100M of common stock.

07:04 EDT CoreSite Realty boosts quarterly dividend 9% to 98c per share - CoreSite Realty announced a cash dividend of 98c per share on common stock and common stock equivalents for the fourth quarter of 2017. The 98c per share quarterly dividend represents a 8c, or 8.9%, increase over the prior quarterly dividend of 90c per share that was established in May 2017, and a 18c, or 22.5%, increase over the dividend rate set in December 2016. The increased dividend reflects an annualized dividend rate of $3.92 per share, compared to the prior annualized dividend rate of $3.60 per share. The fourth-quarter common stock dividend will be paid on January 16, 2018, to shareholders of record on December 29, 2017.

07:01 EDT Teekay Tankers appoints Stewart Andrade as CFO - Teekay Tankers announced that Stewart Andrade has been appointed CFO, succeeding Vince Lok who will remain Teekay Corporation's Executive VP and CFO. Andrade joined Teekay in 2002 and has worked in a variety of increasingly senior roles across the organization. His most recent role was Vice President, Strategy and Business Development for Teekay's tanker business, a position he has held since December 2015.

06:59 EDT GOL Linhas reports Nov. traffic up 6.3% - GOL Linhas Aereas Inteligentes announced preliminary air traffic figures for the month of November. The total volume of GOL departures increased by 0.8% and the number of seats was up 0.8% in November, resulting in an increase in supply of 2.8%. GOL's load factor was 81.0% in November 2017, 3.2 p.p. up over the same period of 2016, due to a growth in demand of 7.1% in the period. In the domestic market, both volume of departures and number of seats increased by 0.6% over November 2016. In addition, GOL increased its supply by 2.0% in November over the same period the year before, while demand grew by 7.2%. GOL's Load factor was up 4.0 p.p. in comparison to the same month of the previous year, achieving 81.9%. In November, GOL's international market supply and demand rose by 9.8% and 6.3%, respectively, reducing load factor by 2.4 p.p. in relation to the same period of 2016.

06:58 EDT Dollar General plans to open about 1,285 new stores in FY17 - For fiscal 2017, the Company continues to plan to open approximately 1,285 new stores, in addition to remodeling or relocating 760 stores. For the 52-week period ending February 1, 2019, the Company plans to open approximately 900 new stores, remodel approximately 1,000 mature store locations and relocate approximately 100 stores for an approximate total of 2,000 real estate projects.

06:53 EDT Eagle Pharmaceuticals begins dosing in pivotal study for fulvestrant - Eagle Pharmaceuticals has begun dosing subjects in its pivotal study for the company's fulvestrant formulation intended as a monotherapy treatment of hormone receptor-positive, human epidermal growth factor receptor 2-negative advanced breast cancer in postmenopausal women not previously treated with endocrine therapy, or HR-positive advanced breast cancer in postmenopausal women with disease progression following endocrine therapy or as a combination therapy with palbociclib for the treatment of HR-positive, human epidermal growth factor HER2-negative advanced or metastatic breast cancer in women with disease progression after endocrine therapy. This pharmacokinetic and safety pivotal study is an open label trial in which healthy female volunteers across multiple U.S. sites will be randomized 1:1 to receive either the Company's fulvestrant formulation or the reference drug Faslodex. The company anticipates dosing its last subject during the first half of 2018, with study completion within twelve months, and an expected NDA filing in 4Q18. Faslodex, manufactured by AstraZeneca, generated worldwide sales of $925M in the twelve months ended September 30, 2017.

06:49 EDT Fifth Third sees 4Q19 ROTCE at upper end of 12%-14%, efficiency ratio below 60% - In slides being presented at its Investor Day, Fifth Third provided annualized 4Q19 targets, including ROTCE at the upper end of 12%-14%, ROA in the mid to upper end of 1.1%-1.3% and efficiency ratio less than 60%. Fifth Third is assuming rate hikes in December 2017, September 2018 and September 2019, and says assuming an otherwise stable economic environment in line with the current level of activity. Sees migration toward 9.5% CET1 ratio by the end of 2019. The bank said it is positioned to benefit from corporate tax reform and assumes a 20% federal corporate tax rate effective January 1, 2018; if the effective date is deferred, the bank expects the DTL benefit to be reduced. For 2018, sees 1H commercial loan growth 1.75%-2.25% and consumer loan growth of 2.5%-3%, NIM of 3.1%-3.12%, NII $1.95B-$2B. For 2H, sees commercial loan growth 2%-2.5%, consumer loan growth 2.5%-3%, NIM 3.12%-3.14%, NII $2B-$2.05B. Fifth Third is planning for positive operating leverage in 2018.

06:44 EDT Synchronoss granted request to extend stay of Nasdaq suspension - Synchronoss Technologies last night announced that it has received a letter from the Hearings Department of Nasdaq granting the company's request to extend the stay of suspension pending a hearing before the Nasdaq Hearings Panel in late January 2018. As previously disclosed, at the hearing in late January 2018, the company will present its plan to regain compliance with the Nasdaq listing rules and will request the continued listing of its common stock on Nasdaq while it works to become current in its periodic public filings with the SEC.

06:35 EDT AAC Holdings appoints Michael Nanko as COO - AAC Holdings announced that Michael Nanko, Ph.D, will become AAC's President and COO, effective January 15, 2018. Nanko has served as President of Behavioral Health Services for HCA, Inc. since July 2016.

06:33 EDT Southwest reports Nov. traffic up 3.4% - Southwest Airlines reported its November and year-to-date preliminary traffic statistics. The company flew 10.8B revenue passenger miles, or RPMs, in November, an increase of 3.4% from the 10.4B RPMs flown in November 2016. Available seat miles, or ASMs, increased 2.5% to 12.6B in November, compared with November 2016 ASMs of 12.3B. The November load factor was a record for the month of November at 85.8%, compared with 85.1% in November 2016. Based on these results and current trends, the company now estimates its fourth quarter 2017 operating revenue per ASM, or RASM, will increase in the one to two percent range, as compared with fourth quarter 2016.

06:23 EDT Roche's Hemlibra every four weeks controlled bleeds in Phase III study - Roche announced interim results from the phase III HAVEN 4 study evaluating Hemlibra prophylaxis dosed once every four weeks in adults and adolescents with haemophilia A with and without inhibitors to factor VIII. At this interim analysis after a median of 17 weeks of treatment, Hemlibra prophylaxis showed a clinically meaningful control of bleeding. These results are consistent with previous studies of Hemlibra dosed once weekly or every two weeks, including the pivotal studies in haemophilia A with inhibitors, HAVEN 1 in adults and adolescents and HAVEN 2 in children, as well as the phase III HAVEN 3 study in adults and adolescents with haemophilia A without inhibitors. The most common adverse events with Hemlibra were injection site reactions, with no new safety signals observed. No thrombotic microangiopathy or thrombotic events occurred in this study. Data from the HAVEN 4 study will be presented at an upcoming medical meeting and submitted to health authorities around the world for approval consideration. These results add to the growing body of evidence supporting that Hemlibra may benefit all people with haemophilia A regardless of inhibitor status, while providing flexible and less burdensome administration options.

06:19 EDT Sage Therapeutics up 52% after 'positive' results from Phase 2 trial of SAGE-217 - In pre-market trading, shares are up 52.34% to $140.00.

06:07 EDT Ford, Alibaba explore collaboration to reimagine car ownership experience - Ford (F) and Alibaba (BABA) agreed to explore a strategic collaboration to jointly identify new opportunities to redefine consumer retail experiences and explore solutions for sustainable mobility. Under the three-year agreement, both companies will jointly explore areas of cooperation that are re-shaping the automotive industry in China and around the world. Ford will cooperate with Alibaba's four business units in operation system, cloud computing, digital marketing and online retail respectively - namely AliOS, Alibaba Cloud, Alimama and Tmall - and jointly explore a variety of areas of cooperation including mobility services, connectivity, cloud computing, artificial intelligence and digital marketing. In the initial phase, Ford and Alibaba will explore a pilot study on digital solutions for new retail opportunities at various stages of the automotive ownership cycle, from pre-sales and test drives to leasing options.

06:03 EDT Edwards Lifesciences acquires Harpoon Medical for up to $250M - Epidarex Capital announced that its portfolio company, Harpoon Medical, has been acquired by Edwards Lifesciences for up to $250M. Under the terms of the merger agreement, Edwards paid $100M in cash for Harpoon at closing on December 1, 2017 with a potential for up to an additional $150M in pre-specified milestone-driven payments.

06:01 EDT Baker Hughes reports November international rig count 942, down 9 rigs - Baker Hughes, a GE company, announced that the Baker Hughes international rig count for November 2017 was 942, down 9 from the 951 counted in October 2017, and up 17 from the 925 counted in November 2016. The international offshore rig count for November 2017 was 183, down 21 from the 204 counted in October 2017, and down 28 from the 211 counted in November 2016. The average US rig count for November 2017 was 911, down 11 from the 922 counted in October 2017, and up 331 from the 580 counted in November 2016. The average Canadian rig count for November 2017 was 204, unchanged from the 204 counted in October 2017, and up 31 from the 173 counted in November 2016. The worldwide rig count for November 2017 was 2,057, down 20 from the 2,077 counted in October 2017, and up 379 from the 1,678 counted in November 2016.

05:45 EDT Raytheon forms new subsidiary in UAE - Raytheon marked its 30-year anniversary of partnership with the United Arab Emirates by announcing it has formed Raytheon Emirates, a new, wholly owned subsidiary incorporated and headquartered in Abu Dhabi. The creation of Raytheon Emirates supports the Abu Dhabi Economic Vision 2030 by forming an aerospace and defense business that fosters cyber-secure digital transformation, contributes to the nation's economic diversification, and employs a highly skilled, highly productive Emirati workforce.

05:42 EDT Advanced Semiconductor reports Nov. revenue $932M vs. $821M last year - Reports November ATM revenue $463M vs.$465M last year.

05:32 EDT Cornerstone OnDemand COO Kirsten Helvey to depart in Q1 of 2018 - Cornerstone OnDemand last night announced that Kirsten Helvey, the company's Chief Operating Officer, expects to exit the company at the end of Q1 2018. "It has been an incredibly difficult decision to leave, but I am looking forward to the new chapter ahead," Helvey said.

05:29 EDT Constellium provides aluminum solutions for new Audi A7 - Constellium announced that it has strengthened its long-term partnership with Audi to supply aluminium Automotive Body Sheet as well as structural components for the new Audi A7 Sportback. Produced at the Audi Neckarsulm, Germany, plant, the new Audi A7 embodies Audi's new design language with particularly dynamic lines and a sporty character. Constellium will be the primary supplier of aluminium Automotive Body Sheet for this new Audi A7 providing the coils to be used for the outer design applications such as the doors, hood, fenders and deck lids which incorporate large surfaces, sharp edges and taut lines.

05:11 EDT Adobe names Scott Belsky as Chief Product Officer, EVP Creative Cloud - Adobe announced the appointment of Scott Belsky as Chief Product Officer and executive vice president, Creative Cloud. In this new role, Belsky will lead product management and engineering for Adobe Creative Cloud products and services, Adobe Spark and Behance. In addition, he will oversee the Adobe Design team which focuses on experience design across Adobe products. Belsky's responsibilities will include driving product delivery and long-term innovation strategy across Adobe's key design, photography and video segments. Belsky previously served as Adobe's vice president of products, leading the Creative Cloud mobile product strategy.