Stockwinners Market Radar for January 02, 2018 - Earnings, Upgrades downgrades, option trades, Best Stock Advisory Service

18:30 EDT Royal Caribbean names Laura Miller CHRO - Royal Caribbean (RCL) announced that Laura Miller has been named senior VP and CHRO. Miller joins Royal Caribbean with more than 25 years of experience implementing human resources strategies for leading companies. Miller will report directly to Richard Fain, chairman and CEO of Royal Caribbean. Miller most recently served as SVP and CHRO for ADT Corp. (ADT), where she was responsible for leading all human resource functions for the $3.6B company with approximately 17,000 employees in over 200 locations.

18:01 EDT Helix Energy names Geoffrey Wagner chief commercial officer - Helix Energy Solutions announced the appointment of Geoffrey Wagner as executive VP and chief commercial officer. Prior to joining Helix, Wagner spent several years in executive leadership with Atwood Oceanics.

17:39 EDT Millennium Management reports 4.97% passive stake in BJ's Restaurants - In a regulatory filing, Millennium Management reported 4.97% passive stake in BJ's Restaurants. This stake does not allow for activism.

17:30 EDT Corvex sold 40,000 shares of Energen in conection with portfolio management - In connection with portfolio management activities as between certain of the Corvex Funds, Corvex sold 40,000 Shares in open market transactions on December 28, at a weighted average price of $57.4626 per Share and sold 40,294 Shares in open market transactions on December 29, at a weighted average price of $57.6619 per Share and on January 2 sold an aggregate of 1,456,048 Shares at $57.57 per Share in privately negotiated transactions and in connection therewith on January 2 acquired the call options referencing 1,456,048 Shares and sold the put options referencing 1,456,048 shares.

17:28 EDT South Jersey Industries files petition to acquire Elizabethtown Gas - South Jersey Industries and Pivotal Utility Holdings, Inc. filed a Joint Petition December 21 to the New Jersey Board of Public Utilities seeking approval for the acquisition of Pivotal's New Jersey utility operating division, Elizabethtown Gas. The Joint Petition outlines SJI's commitment to Elizabethtown and New Jersey, indicating that customers and the State will share in the many positive benefits the acquisition will yield. As outlined in the Joint Petition, there will be no adverse impacts on rates for Elizabethtown customers as a result of the acquisition. The Joint Petition also includes a number of commitments, including the creation of jobs to replace services currently provided in other states and a $5 million credit to current Elizabethtown Basic Gas Supply Service customers.

17:11 EDT Southwest increases fleet investment with business partner Boeing - Southwest (LUV) is increasing its fleet investment with its longtime business partner, Boeing (BA), to support future growth opportunities and fleet modernization at favorable economics. The company exercised 40 Boeing 737 MAX 8 options for 15 firm orders in 2019 and 25 firm orders in 2020, and deferred 23 Boeing 737 MAX 7 firm orders from 2019 through 2021 to 12 firm orders in 2023 and 11 firm orders in 2024. The company's 2018 available seat mile growth plans remain unchanged.

17:05 EDT Boeing awarded $193.6M U.S. Air Force contract modification - The Boeing Co. Defense, Space and Security, St. Louis, Missouri, has been awarded a $193,638,503, contract modification to a previously awarded contract for Small Diameter Bomb Increment 1 Lots 12-14 production. This modification provides for the purchase of an additional quantity of 6,000 SDB 1 all-up-rounds being produced under the basic contract. The indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity ceiling is increasing from $700,000,000 to $893,638,503. Work will be performed in St. Louis, Missouri, and is expected to be completed by Dec. 30, 2020.

17:04 EDT Luxfer names Pete Dyke CHRO - Luxfer (LXFR) announced that Pete Dyke has been appointed as CHRO. He will assume the position immediately and will operate from the Graham, North Carolina office. Most recently he served as VP human resources for Pentair Water, a business segment of Pentair (PNR).

17:02 EDT Bio-Techne acquires Atlanta Biologicals, terms not disclosed - Bio-Techne Corporation announced that it has acquired all of the stock of Atlanta Biologicals, Inc. and its affiliated company, Scientific Ventures, Inc.. The transaction is financed through available cash on hand. Atlanta Biologicals was founded in 1992 and has focused on supplying cell culture sera, media and reagents for the life science research market. It is located in Flowery Branch, Georgia and has approximately 25 employees. The acquisition is expected to be slightly accretive to Bio-Techne's adjusted earnings per share for its fiscal year 2018.

17:01 EDT Planet Fitness acquires 6 franchise stores in Long Island, terms not disclosed - Planet Fitness announced that it has acquired a franchise group representing 6 franchise stores operating in Suffolk County, New York. Terms of the transaction were not disclosed. The acquisition was funded by Planet Fitness' existing cash. As of September 30, 2017, Planet Fitness had 1,432 total stores system-wide.

16:59 EDT Strata Skin Sciences jumps 18% after Sabby sends letter - Shares of Strata Skin Sciences are up 18% or 22c to $1.44 per share in after-hours trading.

16:55 EDT Tetraphase up 5.9% afterhours at $6.85 following submission of eravacycline NDA

16:45 EDT Marathon Patent Group appoints Okamoto interim CEO - On December 29, the board of Marathon Patent Group appointed Mr. Merrick Okamoto to serve as the company's interim CEO, effective January 1, whose term shall not exceed one year, and until the company engages a replacement CEO. Merrick Okamoto serves as acting Chairman of the Board and as a director of the company since August 2017. Mr. Okamoto also serves as the President at Viking Asset Management which he co-founded in 2002. He is responsible for research, due diligence and structuring potential investment opportunities for the Longview Family of Funds.

16:37 EDT Regions Financial says 'committed' to raising minimum employee wage to $15/hour - Regions Financial announced a series of targeted, long-term investments to benefit its associates, customers, and the communities the bank serves. Regions is making these investments in anticipation of the savings it will recognize as a result of federal tax reform intended to support economic growth. Regions committed to the following actions: Increasing the minimum hourly wage to $15 by the end of 2018. This will benefit approximately 25%of the company's workforce and is part of Regions' ongoing effort to provide sustainable career paths and professional growth opportunities for all associates; Contributing $40M to the company's charitable foundation to support financial education, job training, economic development, and affordable housing, all of which help foster an environment of inclusive prosperity and create shared value for Regions' customers, communities, and shareholders; Increasing the company's capital expenditures budget by approximately $100M, or 50%, over the 2017 level to support investments in facilities, technology, product innovation, and personalized service to meet customer needs.

16:36 EDT MoneyGram falls 9% after terminating merger with Ant Financial

16:32 EDT Ecolab acquires Cascade Water Services, terms not disclosed - Ecolab has acquired Cascade Water Services, Inc. Cascade Water Services is a privately held company based in New York that provides water treatment programs and services to the U.S. institutional market, primarily in New York and Florida. Sales were approximately $35M in 2017. The company will become part of Ecolab's Water business. No further details were disclosed.

16:31 EDT Tetraphase submits FDA application for Eravacycline in cIAI treatment - Tetraphase Pharmaceuticals announced that it has submitted its New Drug Application to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration for intravenous eravacycline for the treatment of complicated intra-abdominal infections. The NDA submission includes data from the IGNITE1 and IGNITE 4 phase 3 clinical trials, in which twice-daily IV eravacycline was well tolerated and achieved high clinical cure rates in patients with cIAI. Both studies demonstrated statistical non-inferiority of eravacycline to two widely used comparators - ertapenem in IGNITE1 and meropenem in IGNITE4 - for the primary efficacy endpoint of clinical response at the test-of-cure visit.

16:26 EDT Bigger Capital Fund reports 8% passive stake in Akers Biosciences - In a regulatory filing, Bigger Capital Fund disclosed an 8% stake in Akers Biosciences, representing 2.5M common shares. The filing does not allow for activism.

16:24 EDT Washington REIT to acquire Arlington Tower for $250M - Washington REIT entered into a definitive agreement to purchase Arlington Tower, a 398,000 square foot, Class A office building located in the heart of the Rosslyn submarket in Arlington, VA, for approximately $250 million. The company expects to close the acquisition in the first quarter of 2018. Built in 1980 and extensively renovated in the past five years with capital improvements of approximately $16 million, this 19-story office building sits near the Potomac River with panoramic river and monument views. Washington REIT has also executed a non-binding Letter of Intent with an institutional buyer to sell 2445 M Street NW, its 292,000 square foot DC office building where the sole tenant, the Advisory Board Company, is expected to vacate on May 31, 2019. The proposed sale of 2445 M Street is subject to negotiation and execution of definitive transaction documents and the satisfaction of all closing conditions set forth in such definitive transaction documents. Washington REIT expects to announce the anticipated proceeds and closing date for this sale after it has entered into a contract with the buyer.

16:22 EDT Allegion acquires Technical Glass Products - Allegion has acquired Technical Glass Products, or TGP, through one of its subsidiaries. TGP is a North American manufacturer of advanced fire-rated entrance and wall systems for institutions and non-residential buildings. Its product lines include fire-rated glass and frames for doors, entrances and wall systems. TGP is expected to operate within the Americas region. TGP generated approximately $80M in net sales for the trailing 12 months ended Sept. 30. The transaction is expected to be accretive to earnings in 2018. Terms of the transaction were not disclosed.

16:20 EDT MoneyGram, Ant Financial announce termination of amended merger agreementt - MoneyGram and Ant Financial Services Group today announced that they have mutually agreed to terminate their Amended Merger Agreement following the inability of the companies to obtain the required approval for the transaction from the Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States, despite extensive efforts to address the Committee's concerns. MoneyGram and Ant Financial also announced that they plan to work together on new strategic initiatives in the remittance and digital payments markets that will help each company achieve its objective of enabling consumers around the world to enjoy better money transfer services.

16:18 EDT Dover Downs regains compliance with NYSE - Dover Downs announced that it has regained compliance with the New York Stock Exchange's share price continued listing standard. The NYSE notified the company that it had satisfied the NYSE's standard by virtue of the fact that as of December 29, both the closing share price of the company's common stock and its average closing share price over the preceding 30 consecutive trading days were in compliance with the $1.00 minimum threshold required by the NYSE. Accordingly, the company's common stock will continue to be traded on the NYSE.

16:14 EDT TransDigm CFO Paradie resigns for personal reasons - TransDigm Group announced that James Skulina, an Executive Vice President of the company, has been appointed Interim CFO, effective immediately. Mr. Skulina replaces Terrance Paradie, who resigned for personal reasons. Mr. Paradie will remain an employee of the company until April 2, 2018 and will be available to assist Mr. Skulina during the transition as needed. Mr. Paradie's departure is unrelated to the company's financial condition, financial disclosure or strategic direction. The company will initiate a search process to identify a permanent CFO.

16:13 EDT Sempra Energy sees material noncash charge against earnings in Q4 from tax bill - "While our analysis and interpretation of this legislation is preliminary and ongoing, based on our current evaluation, we expect that the limitations on interest deductions will negatively impact our earnings per share, and that the reduction of the U.S. corporate income tax rate will require a write-down of our deferred income tax assets (including the value of our net operating loss carryforwards) resulting in a material noncash charge against earnings in the fourth quarter of 2017, the period in which the tax legislation was enacted, which may be subject to further adjustment in subsequent periods throughout 2018 in accordance with recent interpretive guidance issued by the SEC," the company said. "In addition, although it is unclear when or how capital markets, credit rating agencies, the FERC or state public utility commissions may respond to this legislation, we do expect that certain financial metrics used by credit rating agencies, such as our funds from operations-to-debt percentage, could be negatively impacted as a result of certain limitations on tax deductions and an anticipated decrease in required income tax reimbursement payments to us from our domestic utility subsidiaries. Further, there may be other material adverse effects resulting from the legislation that we have not yet identified."

16:12 EDT Gulfport Energy names Donnie Moore as new COO - Gulfport Energy Corporation (GPOR) announced that Donnie Moore has been appointed by the company's board to serve as Chief Operating Officer effective January 8, 2018. Mr. Donnie Moore joins Gulfport from Noble Energy, Inc (NBL), where he most recently served as Vice President of Noble's Texas operations for the Eagle Ford and Delaware Basin assets. Prior to that, Mr. Moore held various leadership roles including Vice President of the Marcellus Business Unit, Manager of Operations for the Wattenberg/DJ Basin Business Unit, Manager of Operations for the Gunflint discovery in the Deepwater Gulf of Mexico, and Development Manager for Noble's Mid-Continent and Gulf Coast positions.

16:10 EDT Juniper Pharmaceuticals sees advancement of its IVR technology platform - "Another highlight for 2017 was the successful completion of in vivo animal studies that we believe supports advancement of our IVR technology platform. Based on these data, we will continue to make targeted investments to support certain IND-enabling activities in our priority program, JNP-0201, while maintaining optionality to partner this program. We will also continue to advance discussions with potential partners around JNP-0101 and JNP-0301," said Alicia Secor, CEO.

16:09 EDT Anika Therapeutics reports resignation of COO - In a regulatory filing, Anika Therapeutics disclosed that on December 27, 2017, Dana Alexander resigned his role as Chief Operations Officer, effective January 12, 2018.

16:08 EDT Sabra Health Care completes sale of 20 facilities leased to Genesis for $103.3M - Sabra Health Care REI announced that on December 22, 2017, it completed the previously announced sale of 20 facilities leased to Genesis Healthcare, Inc. located in Kentucky, Ohio and Indiana for $103.3 million, as expected. The 20 facilities are part of the original 35 facilities marketed for sale under the previously announced memoranda of understanding with Genesis. Under the terms of the memoranda of understanding, Genesis's annual rent obligations to Sabra will be reduced by $9.3 million as a result of the sale of these facilities. Sabra expects to use the proceeds from the sale to repay borrowings under its revolving credit facility.

16:06 EDT Five Prime initiates patient dosing in Phase 1 trial of FPA144 - Five Prime Therapeutics announced that on December 27, 2017, the company initiated dosing in the Phase 1 portion of the FIGHT Phase 1/3 clinical trial of FPA144, an isoform-selective anti-FGF receptor 2b antibody, in combination with chemotherapy in patients with previously untreated, advanced gastric or gastroesophageal cancer. The open label Phase 1 portion of the trial will evaluate ascending doses of FPA144 in combination with the modified FOLFOX6 regimen to identify a recommended dose for Phase 3. Endpoints include safety, tolerability, and pharmacokinetic and pharmacodynamics parameters. Approximately 21 patients with unresectable, locally advanced, or metastatic gastrointestinal cancer will be enrolled during the Phase 1 portion of the FIGHT trial. FGFR2 status will be tested retrospectively but is not a requirement for enrollment. This safety lead-in portion of the study is designed to support the Phase 3 portion of the trial, which Five Prime expects to transition to in mid-2018. Five Prime designed the randomized, controlled Phase 3 portion of the trial to serve as a global registrational study. The FIGHT trial will evaluate FPA144 plus mFOLFOX6 versus placebo plus mFOLFOX6 in approximately 550 patients with advanced gastric or gastroesophageal cancer whose tumors overexpress FGFR2b or have FGFR2 gene amplification. Five Prime will use immunohistochemistry and circulating tumor DNA tests to identify patients who would be eligible for inclusion in the trial. The primary Phase 3 endpoint is overall survival with progression free survival, objective response rate, and safety as secondary endpoints. The Phase 3 portion of the trial is expected to include sites in the U.S., Europe and Asia, including China and Japan, where the incidence of gastric cancer is high.

16:04 EDT Gabelli reports 5.05% stake in TimkenSteel - In a regulatory filing, Gabelli & Co. disclosed a 5.05% active stake in TimkenSteel, representing 44,441,647 shares.

16:03 EDT Chart Industries acquires Skaff Cryogenics, terms not disclosed - Chart Industries announced the acquisition of Skaff Cryogenics & Cryo-Lease, LLC. Founded in 1979, Skaff provides repair service and remanufacturing of cryogenic and liquefied natural gas storage tanks and trailers. Skaff also maintains a portfolio of cryogenic storage equipment that is leased to customers for temporary and permanent needs. Customers include major gas suppliers, as well as a variety of smaller distributors and end users.

16:02 EDT Bank of the Ozarks raises quarterly dividend 2.7% to 19c per share - Bank of the Ozarks announced its board of directors has approved a regular quarterly cash dividend of 19c per common share payable January 26, 2018 to shareholders of record as of January 19, 2018. The dividend of 19c per common share represents an increase of 0.5c per common share, or 2.70%, over the dividend paid in the previous quarter. Bank of the Ozarks has increased its quarterly cash dividend in each of the last thirty quarters.

16:00 EDT Alpha Capital reports 9.99% passive stake in Duos Technologies Group - In a regulatory filing, Alpha Capital reports 9.99% passive stake in Duos Technologies Group. This stake does not allow for activism.

15:43 EDT Weatherford slides after joint venture becomes asset sale - Shares of Weatherford (WFT) are sliding after the company announced that it was terminating its planned OneStim joint venture with Schlumberger (SLB) and has instead elected to sell the assets to a subsidiary of the latter. JV TERMINATION, ASSET SALE: Weatherford announced on Friday that it has sold its U.S. pressure pumping and pump-down perforating assets to a subsidiary of Schlumberger Limited for $430M in cash. The parties agreed to revised deal terms that reflect an asset sale, as compared to the previously announced OneStim joint venture. As part of this transaction, Schlumberger will take ownership of Weatherford's U.S. pressure pumping and pump-down perforating related facilities and supplier and customer contracts. Additionally, approximately 100 Weatherford employees associated with the pressure pumping and pump-down perforating businesses will transfer to Schlumberger. Weatherford will retain the entirety of its multistage completions portfolio, manufacturing capability and supply chain and will continue to participate in the growing completions markets in both Canada and the U.S. as well as globally. Weatherford will use the proceeds from the sale to reduce outstanding indebtedness. "Although not as originally anticipated, this transaction delivers cash proceeds that enable our company to begin the deleveraging process and, coupled with our transformation plans, will lead to a leaner organization with lower debt and significantly higher profit margins. In addition, retaining 100% of our leading land-based multistage Completions business allows for significant upside potential for Weatherford," stated Mark McCollum, President and CEO of Weatherford. ANALYST VIEWS DIVERGE: Commenting on the news, Suntrust analyst Ken Sill said he views Weatherford's sale of assets as "neutral to modestly positive," noting that the $430M Weatherford receives is only $35M less than he had forecast if a joint venture had been formed. Further, the analyst pointed out that the company retains its international pressure pumping and multi-stage completion products operations, which should be experiencing growing profitability with increasing completion activity in U.S. share plays. He reiterated a Buy rating on Weatherford's shares. His peer at Credit Suisse also told investors in a research note of his own that both companies made correct decisions, but "breaking up is still hard to do." Analyst James Wicklund added that he would be a buyer of Weatherford on weakness, which he sees as overdone. He reiterated an Outperform rating and $5.50 price target on the company's shares. Meanwhile, Gabelli analyst Simon Wong told investors that he views Weatherford abandoning its OneStim joint venture as a disappointment. The revised deal for Weatherford is inferior to the original deal as it sold its pressure pumping assets at a near 50%-60% discount to replacement value and near trough valuation, Wong added. Nonetheless, he acknowledged that the company retaining 100% of its completion business is a positive. This business is broader than and superior to Schlumberger's completion portfolio, and now Weatherford can capture 100% upside in North America due to higher completion activity level from higher U.S. drilling, Wong contended, adding that keeping this with its artificial lift business makes Weatherford a more attractive acquisition target longer-term. The analyst reiterated a Buy rating on Weatherford shares. PRICE ACTION: In afternoon trading, shares of Weatherford have dropped almost 18% to $3.42.

14:48 EDT Universal Display in talks with Samsung over expired patent license - Universal Display said earlier in a regulatory filing that its OLED patent license agreement with Samsung Display, dated as of August 22, 2011, expired on December 31, 2017. Universal Display noted that it and Samsung Display are engaged in on-going discussions regarding a formal long-term extension of these agreements. The company "expects the parties to continue to conduct business during these discussions." Universal Display "intends to provide an update once a resolution to these discussions is completed." It added that "no time frame has been established for the completion of these discussions." Universal Display shares in afternoon trading are up 17c to $172.82.

14:30 EDT Teva announces launch of an authorized generic of Estrace - Teva Pharmaceutical Industries announced the launch of an authorized generic of Estrace Cream in the U.S. Estradiol vaginal cream, USP, 0.01%, is indicated in the treatment of moderate to severe symptoms of vulvar and vaginal atrophy due to menopause. This launch is an important addition to Teva's generic women's health portfolio and our growing line of menopause treatments. With nearly 600 generic medicines available, Teva has the largest portfolio of FDA-approved generic products on the market and holds the leading position in first-to-file opportunities, with over 100 pending first-to-files in the U.S. Currently, one in seven generic prescriptions dispensed in the U.S. is filled with a Teva product. Estradiol Vaginal Cream 0.01% had annual sales of approximately $426M in the U.S., according to IMS data as of August 2017.

14:06 EDT G. Nicholas Farwell reports 6.7% passive stake in Support.com

13:58 EDT Long Blockchain Corp. continues meteroic rise after adding board members - Shares of Long Blockchain Corp. (LTEA) are jumping today after announcing earlier that it has appointed two new members to its board. NEW DIRECTORS: Long Blockchain Corp., formerly Long Island Iced Tea Corp., announced earlier today the appointment of Shamyl Malik, Global Head of Trading at Voltaire Capital, and Som Ghosh, a technology entrepreneur with experience in blockchain technology, to its board of directors. These appointments are nominees of the lender in the company's recently announced convertible debt facility and are consistent with the company's previously announced plan to shift its primary corporate focus towards blockchain technology. SHIFT TO DIGITAL CURRENCY TECHNOLOGY: On December 21, the former Long Island Iced Tea said it is shifting its primary corporate focus towards the exploration of and investment in opportunities that leverage the benefits of blockchain technology. In connection with the shift in strategic direction, the company announced it was changing its name Long Blockchain Corp. The company said at the time that it will continue to operate Long Island Brand Beverages as a wholly-owned subsidiary and maintain the focus of this business on the ready-to-drink segment of the beverage industry. BLOCKCHAIN MANIA: In late December, Seven Stars Cloud Group (SSC) announced a 27% purchase of The Delaware Board of Trade Holdings, a blockchain-based alternative trading system fully licensed by the SEC, for 1,627,869 shares of SSC common stock. Additionally, on December 15, Longfin (LFIN) announced the acquisition of Ziddu.com, a blockchain-empowered solutions provider that offers microfinance lending against collateralized warehouse receipts in the form of Ziddu Coins. A Ziddu Coin is a smart contract that enables SMEs, processors, manufacturers, importers and exporters using cryptocurrencies across continents. Following the announcement, shares of Longfin rose. On October 4, Bioptix announced it was changing its name to Riot Blockchain (RIOT) in line with a shift in direction to become a strategic investor and operator in the blockchain ecosystem with a focus on bitcoin and Ethereum. BECOMING WORRISOME: According to December 21 Reuters article, Michael Antonelli, managing director at Robert W. Baird in Milwaukee, said, "There's been a continued surge of crypto headlines. It's gotten more worrisome as more companies have changed their names. It's the kind of stuff you saw back in the dot-com era." PRICE ACTION: Shares of Long Blockchain Corp. are up 19% to $6.07 per share in afternoon trading.

13:54 EDT Ampio sinks after Feuerstein says drug no better than saline - Shares of Ampio Pharmaceuticals are sinking after STAT's Adam Feuerstein said in an online report that the company's arthritis drug is no better than common saline and that its chances are FDA approval are "dim." Shares of Ampio are down 27%, or $1.10, to $2.97 in afternoon trading.

13:27 EDT Tyler Rameson reports 9.7% passive stake in Mannatech

13:00 EDT Steel, iron ore shares spike as China restocking in sight - Shares of iron ore and steel stocks are flying today as the new trading year begins. STEEL PRODUCTION CURBS: Steel companies in China curbed output this fall to comply with government-mandated air pollution targets during the winter heating season. The four-month central heating season started in mid-November, according to Xinhua. Reuters recently said that Chinese iron ore futures spiked over 3% as investors anticipated an iron ore restocking from steel mills in China, the world's top buyer of iron ore, ahead of an expected end in production curbs this spring. PRICE ACTION: Shares of iron ore miners including Cleveland-Cliffs (CLF) and Vale (VALE) are up 9.4% and 4% respectively. Steelmakers like U.S. Steel (X), AK Steel (AKS), Nucor (NUE) and Steel Dynamics (STLD) are also spiking higher along with aluminum makers Alcoa (AA) and Century Aluminum (CENX).

12:54 EDT Sales of EA's 'Battlefront 2' should bounce back in December, Wedbush says - Shares of Electronic Arts (EA) were trading higher after an analyst from Wedbush Securities backed an Outperform rating on the stock, saying he expects investors to increasingly focus on the potential of fiscal 2019 as opposed to the "underwhelming" first month of "Star Wars Battlefront II." WHAT'S NEW: Wedbush analyst Michael Pachter maintained an Outperform rating and $136 price target on EA, placing the stock on his "Best Ideas List" and saying that the selloff in recent weeks appears overdone. Pachter said that while "Star Wars Battlefront II" had a weaker-than-expected debut in terms of domestic physical sell-through, the loyalty of the "Star Wars" fan base, the game's appeal as a holiday gift and the release of Disney's (DIS) latest "Star Wars" film will result in sales of the title bouncing back in the December retail month. The analyst said he still believes that EA can achieve its fiscal 2018 earnings per share guidance of $4.20, though a disappointing December for the "Star Wars" game could put that guidance at risk. Pachter added that Wall Street's FY19 expectations may prove "conservative," as EA's next "Battlefield" game should outperform "Battlefront II," with incremental titles "Anthem," "FIFA World Cup" and "Titanfall 3," as well as a step-up in "Ultimate Team" from the World Cup, driving top-line growth of $500M or more. WHAT'S NOTABLE: According to a Forbes report from December 8, NPD reported that sales of EA's "Battlefront II" in the U.S. were only 882,000 in its debut month of November. Forbes noted at the time that the disappointing sales figure may have been linked to the pushback to the game's loot boxes, which caused microtransactions to be temporarily removed from the game hours before launch. PRICE ACTION: In afternoon trading, Electronic Arts shares are up 3.65% to $108.88.

12:29 EDT Interactive Brokers reports December DARTs up 18% y/y - Interactive Brokers Group reported its Electronic Brokerage monthly performance metrics for December. Brokerage highlights for the month included: 699,000 Daily Average Revenue Trades, 18% higher than prior year and 12% lower than prior month. Ending client equity of $124.8B, 46% higher than prior year and 3% higher than prior month. Ending client margin loan balances of $29.5B, 52% higher than prior year and 9% higher than prior month. Ending client credit balances of $47.1B, 13% higher than prior year and even with prior month.

12:10 EDT Oracle slides as Amazon, Salesforce said to be seeking alternatives - As reported earlier, Amazon (AMZN) and Salesforce (CRM) are "actively working" to replace Oracle (ORCL) with open-source alternatives in their critical systems, according to The Information. Citing two people with knowledge of the change, The Information says that Amazon is further along and began exploring alternatives to Oracle in the early 2000s. Further, according to a former Salesforce employee with knowledge of the matter, Salesforce has developed a database replacement with the code name of "Sayonara," which The Information notes is Japanese for "goodbye." Additionally, the former employee said Salesforce is ready to deploy it internally, according to The Information's report. Following the report, Oracle dropped 1.7% in midday trading to $46.52. Reference Link

11:48 EDT Tesaro slides as analysts voice concern on physician use of cancer drug - Shares of Tesaro (TSRO) are sliding after analysts at both Piper Jaffray and Cowen lowered their price targets on the name. Raymond argued that near and longer-term estimates for the company's Zejula treatment need to come down, while his peer added that at least on competing drug may get a similar label to Zejula over the next 6-12 months. ZEJULA ESTIMATES SHOULD BE LOWER: In a research note to investors this morning, Piper Jaffray analyst Christopher Raymond lowered his price target for Tesaro to $80 from $117 based on feedback from both the company and his own analysis of the Food and Drug Administration's adverse event database. The analyst noted that he remains cautious on the shares and argued that Zejula's estimates, both near and longer-term, need to come down. Initial assumptions around duration of therapy, dose and market share are too high, he contended, adding that he would expect to see consensus numbers coming down into 2018. Raymond reiterated a Neutral rating on Tesaro shares. LIMITED UPTAKE: Meanwhile, Cowen analyst Boris Peaker also lowered his price target for Tesaro to $80 from $125 after reviewing initial launch metrics for the company's Zejula and recent management commentary. The analyst noted that the changes to his Tesaro model reflect lower than expected initial uptake of PARP maintenance, shorter initial duration of treatment, and a more tempered expectation for the launch of the drug outside of the U.S. launch. Zejula's use in non-BRCA+, a specific population of breast cancer patients, is much lower than in BRCA+, he tells investors. While Zejula is the best-in-class PARP inhibitor at this time, Peaker told investors that he believes that at least Clovis' (CLVS) Rubraca may get a similar label over the next 6-12 months. According to feedback from consultants, PARP drugs are likely to be viewed as very similar by physicians despite the incremental efficacy difference and safety, the analyst argued, while pointing out that reimbursement may be a more important guiding factor in selecting the PARP of choice. Peaker reiterated a Market Perform rating on Tesaro's stock. PRICE ACTION: In late morning trading, shares of Tesaro have dropped almost 9% to $75.45.

11:36 EDT Quanterix announces commercial availability of SR-X biomarker detection system - Quanterix announced the commercial availability of its SR-X Ultra-Sensitive Biomarker Detection System. The company's latest instrument, powered by Simoa technology, opens the door for researchers to access ultra-sensitive protein and nucleic acid detection capabilities in a more compact and affordable system. "We are thrilled to be able to leverage the sensitivity of Simoa for key low abundance biomarkers that we have been developing for Parkinson's disease and other neurological disorders. The SR-X platform will enable us to develop some critically informative multiplex panels that can offer unprecedented sensitivity for early neurological disease detection, monitoring, and exciting new therapeutic development," said Deniz Kirik MD, PhD, Professor of Neuroscience, Lund University, one of the first customers to purchase and receive the system.

11:32 EDT Macquarie says buy Netflix, Disney as consumer tolerance of ads wanes - Macquarie analyst Tim Nollen upgraded this morning both Netflix (NFLX) and Walt Disney (DIS) to Outperform, a buy-equivalent rating, as part of a broad realignment of his views on media, where he prefers companies with subscription models over advertising-driven ones. BUY NETFLIX: In a research note to investors, Macquarie's Nollen upgraded Netflix to Outperform from Neutral, saying he prefers media companies with subscription over ad-driven content, with scaled distribution and international presence. Consumers' increasing lack of tolerance for advertising is driving them to subscription "Over-The-Top," or OTT services, where Netflix is miles ahead of peers, he contented. The analyst also noted that he appreciates the improving quality of Netflix's revenue and earnings. The company's second price increase is now coming through, while Netflix expands its distribution relationships with cable operators and telcos globally and international growth takes off on a concerted strategy to develop local content offerings, Nollen said. The analyst raised his price target on the shares to $220 from $200. BUY DISNEY: Macquarie's Nollen also upgraded Disney to Outperform from Neutral on distribution leverage and optionality; the value of its intellectual property, which he sees growing with the 21st Century Fox (FOXA) acquisition; and theater momentum. In an increasingly concentrated space where content is "still king" but now requires direct-to-consumer distribution, Disney has the "highest chance of success," he contended. Nollen likes the Disney/Fox merger as it offers scale for linear and OTT distribution, and international growth and brand-rebuilding. The analyst also raised his price target on Disney's shares to $125 from $112. OTHER TV NAMES TO WATCH: Additionally, the analyst upgraded Discovery (DISCA) to Outperform from Neutral, with a $26 price target, on the under-appreciated upside from the Scripps merger, burgeoning direct-to-consumer opportunities in Europe, and new growth in short-form online video. Conversely, Nollen downgraded CBS (CBS) and AMC Networks (AMCX) to Neutral and Viacom (VIAB) to Underperform as he worries more about their advertising base. He pointed out that he remains Neutral on 21st Century Fox and MSG Networks (MSGN). AD AGENCIES RATINGS CUT: Meanwhile, Macquarie's Nollen told investors that he is moving to a more negative stance on ad agencies, downgrading all under his coverage. The analyst downgraded Omnicom (OMC) and Interpublic Group (IPG) to Underperform from Neutral, and WPP (WPP) and Publicis (PUBGY) to Neutral, based on lower underlying demand for their services leading to a slower top-line outlook and flattening margins. Additionally, he downgraded Nielsen (NLSN) on lack of near-term catalysts. PRICE ACTION: In morning trading, shares of Netflix have gained about 4.4% to $200.36, while Disney has gained almost 2.3% to $110.29 per share.

11:23 EDT Apple users may be unable to share new notes or update shared notes - Apple iWork for iCloud users may be unable to share new files or update shared files. Reference Link

11:02 EDT ON Semiconductor joins Baidu Apollo Autonomous Driving Platform - ON Semiconductor (ON) has joined Baidu's (BIDU) Apollo Autonomous Driving Platform. Through this collaboration, ecosystem partners can get the plug-and-play compatible imaging solutions jointly developed by both companies. Apollo provides an open source, reliable software and hardware system, enabling the efficient development of autonomous driving systems by automotive systems designers. Image sensing is a key component of the Apollo platform which supports enhanced autonomous driving functionality. ON Semiconductor's fully-qualified 3mum-based advanced CMOS image sensor product provides a foundation to allow customers to immediately begin development of vision systems for autonomous driving, with the flexibility to move to future sensors at volume deployment. With high dynamic range (HDR), the sensor is able to provide crisp, clear single images and video in the challenging low and mixed light scenes synonymous with automotive environments. In addition to simplified and accelerated design, test and implementation of automotive camera applications, the relationship gives Apollo ecosystem members priority access to ON Semiconductor's technical support and product information. All Apollo partners will also get early opportunities to work with future generation, breakthrough image sensing technologies from ON Semiconductor.

10:36 EDT L Brands rises after Baird analyst sees Victoria's Secret 'turning a corner' - Shares of L Brands (LB) are up after a Baird analyst upgraded the stock and raised his price target on the stock, saying Victoria's Secret is "turning a corner" under new leadership. ANALYST UPGRADE: Baird analyst Mark Altschwager upgraded L Brands to Outperform from Neutral, saying Victoria's Secret is turning around under new management. In a note to clients, Altschwager said he believes the company is on track to meet or exceed December comps and fourth quarter expectations amid healthy consumer traffic, consistent product momentum at Bath & Body Works and updated Victoria's Secret fashion. Altschwager believes Q4 marks an inflection point as the business returns to EBIT growth following a nearly two-year transition period. Additionally, he said promotional headwinds have alleviated and he expects average unit retail pressure to moderate as Victoria's Secret shifts toward constructed bras and buying and occupancy deleverage to reduce as L Brands returns to top-line growth. The analyst said the company appears to be positioned for significant earnings per share growth acceleration in 2018. He expects shares to trade at a premium when the company generates positive comps and margin expansion, suggesting valuation upside potential. Altschwager raised his price target to $70 from $60 on L Brands shares. NOVEMBER SAME-STORE SALES: On November 30, L Brands reported net sales of $1.27B for the four weeks ended November 25, an increase of 2%, compared to net sales of $1.2B for the four weeks ended Nov. 26, 2016. Same-store sales decreased 1% for the four week period and the exit of the swim and apparel categories had a negative impact of about one percentage point for both total company and Victoria's Secret comparable sales. RECENT EARNINGS AND GUIDANCE: On November 11, L Brands reported in line third quarter earnings per share, though its revenue of $2.62B slightly beat analyst expectations. The company also reported Q3 SSS down 1%, store-only SSS down 3%, and Victoria's Secret SSS down 4%. The company forecast Q4 EPS of $1.95-$2.10 and FY17 EPS of $3.05-$3.20, compared to the current consensus of $2.04 and $3.14, respectively. L Brands also predicted Q4 total SSS flat to up low single digits and Q4 SSS ex-Victoria's Secret swim and apparel flat to up low single digits. The company also estimated FY17 SSS down low to mid single digits and FY17 SSS excluding Victoria's Secret swim and apparel about flat. PRICE ACTION: L Brands rose 1.5%, or 88c, to $61.10 in morning trading.

09:46 EDT American Water says prior guidance didn't include impact of tax reform - American Water Works stated that the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act, or TCJA, and any future Treasury rules, regulations or guidance, may materially impact the company's 2017 results of operations, as well as its expectations, and the related estimates, assumptions and sensitivities, for its future financial and operational performance disclosed in this prior guidance. As stated on the Dec. 11 guidance call, the company's prior guidance did not include the impact of any tax reform legislation. The company expects to provide an estimate of the impact of the TCJA in conjunction with the filing of its Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended Dec. 31, 2017 and related information, expected in February.

09:34 EDT Terreno Realty sells building in Jessup, MD for $11.5M - Terreno Realty sold an industrial property located in Jessup, Maryland on December 29, 2017 for a sale price of approximately $11.5M. The property consists of one industrial distribution building containing approximately 135,000 square feet at 8441 Dorsey Run Road which is 44% leased to one tenant. The property was purchased by Terreno Realty March 25, 2011 for approximately $5.8M. The estimated unleveraged internal rate of return generated by the investment was approximately 11.9%.

09:26 EDT Chanticleer soars after announcing plans for cryptocurrency loyalty program - Mobivity Holdings (MFON) and Chanticleer Holdings (BURG) earlier today announced plans to use MobivityMind, a blockchain-architected platform for commerce and customer communication, to power Chanticleer's cryptocurrency customer loyalty and rewards program. "Chanticleer Holding's brands, including BGR (Burgers Grilled Right), Little Big Burger, and American Burger Co., will leverage the MobivityMind platform to reward customers with a currency that can be leveraged across all Chanticleer Holding brands - and beyond," read this morning's press release. "Eating a burger is now a way to mine for cryptocoins! Every meal enjoyed at any Chanticleer Holdings brand will accrue currency for the consumer that can be used for future meals or traded with other consumers. It transforms traditional consumer rewards into something that the consumer can control," said Dennis Becker, CEO of Mobivity. Mobivity and Chanticleer plan to begin the deployment of this new program beginning in mid-2018, and expect it to be fully deployed across all Chanticleer brands before the end of the year. Chanticleer shares in premarket trading are up 64%, or $1.68, to $4.31.

09:25 EDT Asure Software acquires Sheakley PaySystems - Asure Software announced that it has acquired Sheakley PaySystems, a division of Sheakley Group Inc, an Ohio based provider of Workers Comp, Risk Management, HR, Payroll and employee benefits services with locations in Ohio, Tennessee and Iowa. Since 1963, Sheakley's family-operated, HR and Workers Comp Risk Management outsourcing firm has met the growing needs of employers and their employees through a blend of practical and innovative HR and Workers Comp Risk Management solutions.

09:17 EDT On The Fly: Pre-market Movers - HIGHER: Weight Watchers (WTW), up 3.9% after naming DJ Khaled as its social media ambassador... Gerdau (GGB), up 4.3% after Commercial Metals (CMC) announced it entered an agreement to acquire certain U.S. rebar steel mill and fabrication assets from Gerdau... Soligenix (SNGX), up 18.8% after the being granted a U.S. patent entitled "Novel Peptides and Analogs for Use in the Treatment of Oral Mucositis"... L Brands (LB), up 2% after being upgraded to Outperform from Neutral at Baird... Apple (AAPL), up marginally after The Verge reported the $29 replacement battery for the company's older iPhone models are now available. LOWER: Sirius XM (SIRI), down 1.3% after being downgraded to Underweight from Neutral at JPMorgan... PG&E (PCG), down 1.4% after being downgraded to Sell from Neutral at Guggenheim.

09:04 EDT ASV Holdings announces new $50M credit facility - ASV Holdings announced that on December 27, it replaced its former credit agreement with a new $50M, five-year credit facility with PNC Bank as the lead lender. The new agreement consists of a $35M revolving credit facility and a $15M term loan, and provides for a significant reduction in annual interest costs and generally more favorable credit terms for ASV. The full details of this agreement can be found in the Current Report on Form 8-K filed by ASV on December 28 with the SEC. The company expects to incur a charge in Q4 of about $900,000 which reflects the remaining unamortized balance of costs associated with the previous credit facility, and a prepayment penalty at closing against the old credit facility. Principal payments of $500,000 against the Term Loan portion of the facility will be due each quarter.

09:03 EDT Pope Resources announces property sales totaling $9.8M - Pope Resources announced recent sales totaling $9.8M primarily from two conservation-oriented transactions, together with the sale of a business park lot in its Harbor Hill project in Gig Harbor, Washington. The first of the two conservation transactions involved the sale of 1,504 acres to Kitsap County for $4M. The second conservation transaction consisted of 216 acres of timberland in Jefferson County sold for $1.5M to the Washington State Department of Natural Resources. On December 29, 2017, the City of Gig Harbor purchased an 11-acre business park lot from the Harbor Hill project for $3.5M with plans to use the property for a park.

09:02 EDT Nordstrom plans to hire 250 employees for standalone Men's Store in Manhattan - Nordstrom, Inc. will hire 250 employees for its first stand-alone Men's Store in Manhattan, which will open on Broadway between West 57th and West 58th Streets in April 2018. The company will also open a New York City flagship store in 2019 at the base of Central Park Tower, an Extell Development Company Project.

09:00 EDT Abbott announces CE Mark for Alinity h-series integrated hematology system - Abbott announced CE Mark for its Alinity h-series integrated system for hematology testing, joining the Alinity hq standalone hematology analyzer, which obtained CE Mark earlier this year.

08:58 EDT eHi Car Services receives non-binding going-private proposal - eHi Car Services Limited announced that its Board of Directors has received a preliminary non-binding proposal letter, dated January 1, 2018, from affiliates of MBK Partners HK Limited and Ray RuiPing Zhang, Chairman of the Board and CEO of eHi, and his affiliates, that proposes a "going-private" transaction for $13.35 in cash per American Depositary Share of the company, or $6.675 in cash per common share. According to the Proposal Letter, the Consortium will form an acquisition company for the purpose of implementing the Proposed Transaction, and the Proposed Transaction is intended to be financed with a combination of debt and equity capital. The Proposal Letter indicates that equity financing will be provided in the form of cash and rollover equity by members of the Consortium and any additional members admitted to the Consortium. The Consortium was formed in furtherance of the going-private transaction initially proposed in the preliminary non-binding proposal letter submitted by Goliath Advisors Limited on November 26, 2017, which proposed the same price of $13.35 in cash per American Depositary Share. GAL has agreed and confirmed to the company that the proposal in the Proposal Letter supersedes and replaces GAL's proposal in the Initial Proposal Letter. As previously announced, the Board had formed a committee of three independent directors to evaluate the Initial Proposal, and the Special Committee will evaluate the Proposed Transaction from the Consortium. Also, as previously announced, the Special Committee has retained Fenwick & West LLP as its legal counsel and Duff & Phelps, LLC as its independent financial advisor to assist it in this process.

08:45 EDT Neogen shares to begin post-split trading - Neogen Corporation announced that all shares of its common stock will begin trading today on a "post-split" basis to reflect the company's previously announced 4-for-3 stock split. Accordingly, the price of the common stock will automatically be adjusted downward by 25% from the NASDAQ National Market System closing price on Dec. 29, 2017, of $82.21 to approximately $61.66 to account for the split. The adjusted price will be in effect at the opening of NASDAQ National Market System trading this morning. As a result of the split, shares outstanding increases to approximately 51.5 million from approximately 38.6 million.

08:42 EDT Cascadian Therapeutics receives pediatric investigation plan waiver from EMA - Cascadian Therapeutics announced that it received a product-specific pediatric waiver from the European Medicines Agency for tucatinib, Cascadian's lead product candidate, which is currently in a pivotal clinical trial for the treatment of HER2+ metastatic breast cancer.

08:39 EDT Progenics completes enrollment in PSMA-targeted imaging agent 1404 Phase 3 study - Progenics Pharmaceuticals announced that it has completed enrollment in its Phase 3 study of 1404, a PSMA-targeted small molecule SPECT/CT imaging agent that is designed to visualize prostate cancer. The Phase 3 study enrolled approximately 450 patients in the U.S. and Canada with newly-diagnosed or low-grade prostate cancer, whose biopsy indicates a histopathologic Gleason grade of less than or equal to 3+4 severity and/or are candidates for active surveillance. The study was designed to evaluate the specificity of 1404 imaging to identify patients without clinically significant prostate cancer and sensitivity to identify patients with clinically significant disease.

08:24 EDT Selecta announces FDA acceptance of IND application for LMB-100/SVP-Rapamycin - Selecta Biosciences announced that an investigational new drug, or IND, application has been accepted by the FDA for a combination therapeutic candidate consisting of SVP-Rapamycin and LMB-100 for the treatment of mesothelioma patients.

08:20 EDT Achaogen announces 'positive' top-line results from clinical trial of C-Scape - Achaogen announced positive top-line results from its Phase 1 clinical study of C-Scape. C-Scape was well tolerated across all doses studied in the Phase 1 trial, with no drug-drug interaction between the previously approved compounds when dosed in combination. The company also announced that C-Scape is an oral combination of ceftibuten, an approved third generation cephalosporin, and clavulanate, an approved beta-lactamase inhibitor. C-Scape is the Company's second antibacterial candidate being developed for MDR gram-negative infections and has been awarded Qualified Infectious Disease Product, or QIDP, status by the FDA for the treatment of complicated urinary tract infections, or cUTI, which provides incentives for new antibiotic treatments, including priority review and additional market exclusivity.

08:18 EDT HealthSouth completes planned name change to Encompass Health - HealthSouth Corporation has completed its planned name change to Encompass Health Corporation. Effective with the opening of trading today, the company's New York Stock Exchange ticker symbol will change from "HLS" to "EHC." The full rollout of the Encompass Health brand will include changing the name and logo across its field operations, as well as corporate resources such as its website. Inpatient rehabilitation hospitals and home care agencies will begin transitioning to the Encompass Health name, beginning with locations in Texas, Alabama, and Arkansas, on April 1, with local migrations continuing throughout 2018. The rollout is expected to be fully completed by the first quarter of 2019.

08:17 EDT Seven Stars Cloud provides update on 2018 business ecosystem plans - Seven Stars Cloud Group provided an organizational elucidation to its business model and structure, intended to illuminate and further define its business ecosystem and underlying model. SSC is aiming to become a next-generation and global Artificial Intelligence & Blockchain-powered disruptive financial services company offering a hybrid and value-add solution of digital asset risk management, securitization, tokenization and trading, all within its ecosystem.

08:15 EDT Micronet Enertec signs agreement to sell Enertec Systems to Coolisys - Micronet Enertec Technologies announced that it has entered into a definitive agreement with Coolisys Technologies, Inc., a subsidiary of DPW Holdings, to sell its wholly owned subsidiary, Enertec Systems 2001 Ltd. Pursuant to the terms of the agreement, Coolisys will pay the company $5.25M in cash upon closing, of which 10% will be held in escrow for up to 14 months after the Closing to satisfy certain potential indemnification claims, and assume $4M in Enertec bank debt, paying effectively a total of $9.25M for all of Enertec's assets and liabilities. The transaction is scheduled to close the later of 60 days as of signing or 15 days after delivery of Enertec System's audited financial statements.

08:13 EDT Atara Biotherapeutics initiates two Phase 3 clinical studies of tabelecleucel - Atara Biotherapeutics announced initiation of two Phase 3 clinical studies to evaluate tabelecleucel in patients with rituximab-refractory Epstein-Barr virus, or EBV, associated post-transplant lymphoproliferative disorder. Three clinical sites for both the MATCH and ALLELE pivotal studies are now open for enrollment in the U.S. and the studies will later expand to additional U.S. sites as well as sites in the EU, Canada and Australia. Tabelecleucel is Atara's off-the-shelf T-cell immunotherapy in development for the treatment of EBV+PTLD, as well as other EBV associated hematologic and solid tumors.

08:10 EDT Senior Housing to sell four senior living communities for a gain of $308M - Senior Housing Properties Trust announced that it expects to report a gain of approximately $308M on the sale of four senior living communities.The four communities to be sold are all currently leased to Sunrise Assisted Living for terms ending December 31, 2023. The four senior communities contain a total of 1,179 living units/beds, The sales price which SNH expects to receive for these four communities is $368M, plus or minus customary closing adjustments, or approximately $312,129 per living unit/bed. The total rent received by SNH for the communities to be sold during the 12 months ended September 30, 2017 was approximately $14.8M, which equates to sale price capitalization rate of approximately 4% p.a.

08:08 EDT Integer names Kirk Thor Chief Human Resources Officer - Integer Holdings (ITGR) announced that Kirk Thor joined the Company on Jan. 2, 2018, as Executive Vice President and Chief Human Resources Officer, reporting to President and CEO Joe Dziedzic. He will oversee the company's Human Resources and Communications activities, and serve on the Executive Leadership Team. Thor joins Integer from Flowserve (FLS) where he served as Vice President of Global Talent Management and Organizational Effectiveness.

08:05 EDT Seattle Genetics announces FDA acceptance of supplemental BLA for ADCETRIS - Seattle Genetics announced that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration has accepted for filing a supplemental Biologics License Application for ADCETRIS in combination with chemotherapy for the frontline treatment of patients with advanced classical Hodgkin lymphoma. The FDA granted Priority Review for the application, and the Prescription Drug User Fee Act target action date is May 1, 2018. The submission of the supplemental BLA is based on positive results from a phase 3 clinical trial called ECHELON-1 that was designed to determine if ADCETRIS in combination with chemotherapy could extend modified progression-free survival in previously untreated advanced classical Hodgkin lymphoma patients. ADCETRIS is an antibody-drug conjugate directed to CD30, a defining marker of classical Hodgkin lymphoma. ADCETRIS is being evaluated globally as the foundation of care for CD30-expressing lymphomas in more than 70 corporate- and investigator-sponsored clinical trials. ADCETRIS is currently not approved as a frontline therapy for Hodgkin lymphoma. In October 2017, the FDA granted ADCETRIS Breakthrough Therapy Designation based on the ECHELON-1 study results.

08:03 EDT Cue Biopharma closes IPO with $66.2M in gross proceeds - Cue Biopharma announced the closing of its initial public offering of 8,820,710 shares of its common stock at a public offering price of $7.50 per share on December 27. The gross proceeds from the offering were approximately $66.2M, before deducting underwriting discounts and commissions and other offering expenses. Shares of the stock will begin trading today on The NASDAQ Capital Market under the ticker symbol "CUE." MDB Capital Group acted as sole book-running manager for the offering. Feltl and Company, Inc. acted as qualified independent underwriter for the offering. A registration statement relating to the securities offered and sold in the offering was filed with, and declared effective by, the Securities and Exchange Commission on December 14.

08:01 EDT XO Group names Jeffrey Yin as general counsel - XO Group announced the appointment of Jeffrey Yin as General Counsel, reporting to CEO Mike Steib and serving on XO Group's executive team. Most recently, Yin served as the General Counsel of The Alberleen Group, a boutique investment bank and family office.

08:00 EDT Alamo Group raises quarterly dividend 10% to 11c per share - Alamo Group announced that its Board of Directors has declared its quarterly cash dividend of 11c per share, payable January 29, 2018, to shareholders of record at the close of business on January 16, 2018. This represents a 10% increase in the dividend over the 10c per share paid in the comparable period in 2017.

07:30 EDT Archrock Partners LP trading resumes

07:10 EDT Kratos Defense receives single award $93M contract for drone systems - Kratos Defense announced that its Composite Engineering subsidiary located in Roseville, California, part of Kratos Unmanned Systems Division, or USD, was awarded a $93M firm-fixed-price contract to procure advanced subscale aerial drone systems, an unmanned target aircraft with launchers and associated ground equipment and spares. Bids were solicited via the internet with one received. Work locations and funding will be determined with each order, with an estimated completion date of Dec. 17, 2022. U.S. Army Contracting Command, Orlando, Florida, is the contracting activity. Kratos is a leading provider of high performance jet powered unmanned aerial drone systems for tactical and target drone threat representation missions. Work under this recent contract award will be performed at secure Kratos manufacturing facilities and at customer locations. Due to competitive, customer related and other considerations, no additional information will be provided related to this contract award.

07:07 EDT Japan MHLW approves Merck's KEYTRUDA for treatment of urothelial carcinoma - Merck announced that KEYTRUDA, the company's anti-PD-1 therapy, has been approved by the Japanese Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare for the treatment of patients with radically unresectable urothelial carcinoma who progressed after cancer chemotherapy. The approval is based on data from the phase 3 KEYNOTE-045 trial, which demonstrated superior overall survival for KEYTRUDA versus investigator-choice chemotherapy. With this approval, KEYTRUDA is now indicated for use in four types of cancer in Japan, including for the treatment of radically unresectable melanoma, PD-L1-positive unresectable advanced or recurrent non-small cell lung cancer and relapsed or refractory classical Hodgkin lymphoma. MSD will market KEYTRUDA in Japan and will promote it with Taiho Pharmaceutical.

07:04 EDT Galmed raised gros proceeds of $11.6M under ATM programs during December - Galmed Pharmaceuticals announced it raised approximately $11.6M in gross proceeds during December 2017 under the company's at-the-market programs. The company issued 1,368,667 ordinary shares under its former and existing ATM programs during December 2017 at an average sale price of $8.45 per share. This amount includes gross proceeds of approximately $6M under the company's existing ATM program that was established on December 22, 2017. Based on preliminary unaudited financial information, as of December 31, 2017, Galmed has cash and cash equivalents and marketable securities of approximately $19M.

07:02 EDT Imperva names Mike Burns CFO - Imperva announced the appointment of Mike Burns as the company's CFO, effective immediately. Most recently, he served as CFO of Gigamon where the company doubled revenue and expanded operating profit during his tenure. As CFO, Burns will report directly to Hylen and will oversee Imperva's finance, accounting, investor relations, and facilities & administration. Disclosure of non-stockholder approved employment inducement grants made in reliance on NASDAQ rules: In connection with the appointment of Burns as Imperva's new CFO, the compensation committee of Imperva's board of directors approved an award to Burns of an aggregate of 146,400 restricted stock unitsto be granted pursuant to the Imperva, Inc. 2015 Equity Inducement Plan, as amended, which is a non-stockholder approved plan. Burns' RSUs will be in two separate awards. The first award will cover 48,800 RSUs that vest at the rate of 25% of the shares on February 15, 2019, and then 6.25% of the shares quarterly thereafter, subject to his continued provision of services to Imperva. The second award will be subject to performance criteria for 2018 and will be eligible for 48,800 shares at target performance and will be eligible for a total of 97,600 shares at maximum performance, in each case subject to time-based vesting at a rate of 12.5% of the shares on February 15, 2019, and then 12.5% of the shares quarterly thereafter, subject to his continued provision of services to Imperva. The RSUs are being granted as an inducement material to Mr. Burns' employment in accordance with NASDAQ Listing Rule 5635(c)(4).

07:01 EDT Agrium, Potash merger completed forming Nutrien - Nutrien Ltd. (NTR) announced the successful completion of the merger of equals between Agrium (AGU) and Potash Corporation of Saskatchewan Inc. (POT). Nutrien has the largest crop nutrient production portfolio combined with an unparalleled global retail distribution network that includes more than 1,500 farm retail centers. With nearly 20,000 employees - and operations and investments in 14 countries - the company is committed to providing products and services that help growers optimize crop yields and their returns. Nutrien common shares will trade on the Toronto Stock Exchange and the New York Stock Exchange under the ticker symbol NTR beginning today. Trading of common shares of Agrium and PotashCorp was halted on the Toronto Stock Exchange and New York Stock Exchange concurrently with the listing of Nutrien common shares on such exchanges. The merger of equals resulted in PotashCorp shareholders receiving 0.40 common shares of Nutrien for each common share of PotashCorp they owned, and Agrium shareholders received 2.23 common shares of Nutrien for each common share of Agrium they owned. As previously announced, Nutrien's Board of Directors has equal representation from Agrium and PotashCorp. Mr. Jochen Tilk will serve as the Executive Chair, with Mr. Derek Pannell as the Board's independent Lead Director.

07:00 EDT Archrock Partners LP trading halted, news dissemination

06:34 EDT DPW Holdings acquires Micronet Enertec subsidiary Enertec - DPW Holdings (DPW) announced the entry into an agreement that, upon consummation, will result in the acquisition by its wholly-owned subsidiary, CooliSys Technologies of Enertec Systems 2001 Ltd., a private Israeli company. Coolisys is a technology-centric company dedicated to servicing the defense and aerospace sectors as well as industrial and medical sector businesses worldwide. Enertec is 22 years old and is Israel's largest private manufacturer of specialized electronic systems for the military market, generating over $8M of annual revenue. Enertec is renowned for providing multi-purpose turnkey systems for military applications internationally and as a strategic partner in joint executions of large and complex long-term projects. Enertec is currently a subsidiary of Micronet Enertec Technologies, Inc. (MICT). Coolisys shall pay MICT $5.25M cash, as adjusted if Enertec's closing debt is greater or lesser than $4M and for certain other matters. Under certain circumstances, Coolisys may be required to pay a $300,000 break-up fee if the acquisition is not consummated. The transaction is scheduled to close the later of 60 days or 15 days after delivery of Enertec's audited financials.

06:10 EDT Mosaic announces modifications to pending Vale Fertilizantes deal - Mosaic announced modifications to the definitive agreement with Vale S.A., including reduced consideration for the acquisition of Vale Fertilizantes. The changes include: A reduction in the purchase price consideration to $1.15B in cash and 34.2M shares of Mosaic common stock. Vale S.A. will retain equity ownership in the TIPLAM port and Mosaic will continue to have the right to use the TIPLAM port facility in accordance with commercial arrangements entered into between the parties. The transaction is expected to close on or about January 8, 2018.

06:08 EDT British Airways parent IAG to buy assets of NIKI for EUR20M - International Airlines Group (ICAGY), the parent company of British Airways (BAIRY), is to buy assets of the Austrian airline NIKI, which was formerly part of the Air Berlin group, for EUR20M and provide liquidity to NIKI of up to EUR16.5M. The transaction is being made by a newly formed subsidiary of Vueling which will be incorporated as an Austrian company and run initially as a separate operation. It is subject to customary closing conditions such as the EC competition approval. The assets include up to 15 A320 family aircraft and an attractive slot portfolio at various airports including Vienna, Dusseldorf, Munich, Palma and Zurich. The new company plans to employ approximately 740 former NIKI employees to run the operation.

06:05 EDT BP sees U.S. earnings positively impacted by tax reform - BP expects its future U.S. after-tax earnings to be positively impacted by the recently-enacted changes to U.S. corporate taxes, largely due to the reduction of the US federal corporate income tax rate from 35% to 21%. The ultimate impact of the change in the U.S. corporate income tax rate is subject to a number of complex provisions in the legislation which BP is reviewing. The lowering of the US corporate income tax rate to 21% requires revaluation of BP's U.S. deferred tax assets and liabilities. The current estimated impact of this will be a one-off non-cash charge to the group income statement of around $1.5B that will impact BP's fourth quarter 2017 results. Details of the final actual charge are expected to be disclosed in BP's fourth quarter 2017 results announcement, due on February 6.

06:02 EDT BeiGene initiates Phase 3 trial of tislelizumab - BeiGene announced that in December 2017 the first patient was dosed in a global Phase 3 clinical trial of tislelizumab, an investigational anti-PD-1 antibody, in patients with previously untreated advanced hepatocellular carcinoma. Along with two pivotal Phase 2 trials in China in relapsed/refractory classical Hodgkin lymphoma and urothelial cancer, and a global Phase 3 trial in patients with non-small cell lung cancer, tislelizumab is now being evaluated in pivotal trials in four distinct indications. The Phase 3, open-label, multi-center, randomized trial is designed to compare the efficacy and safety of tislelizumab versus sorafenib as a potential first-line treatment in patients with unresectable HCC. Approximately 640 patients will be enrolled at approximately 110 cancer centers in China, the United States, Japan, the United Kingdom, Germany, Spain, Czech Republic, France, and Italy. Patients will be randomized to receive either tislelizumab at 200 mg every three weeks or sorafenib at 400 mg twice daily. The trial's primary endpoint is overall survival, and secondary endpoints include overall response rate, progression free survival, duration of response, time to progression, health-related quality of life, disease control rate, clinical benefit rate, and safety profile.

05:21 EDT Masimo announces CE Mark, release of RD rainbow Lite SET sensors - Masimo announced the CE marking and release of RD rainbow Lite SET sensors, which enable the monitoring of Masimo Oxygen Reserve Index, or ORi, and RPVi, an improved PVi that allows clinicians to assess fluid responsiveness noninvasively and continuously at a fraction of the cost of invasive methods, and at a fraction of the cost of rainbow sensors. rainbow Lite sensors utilize twice as many wavelengths of light as SET sensors, allowing rainbow Lite sensors to provide ORi and RPVi along with Masimo SET Measure-through Motion and Low Perfusion pulse oximetry. Devices with ORi and RPVi measurements and RD rainbow Lite SET sensors have not received FDA 510(k) clearance and are not available for sale in the United States.