Stockwinners Market Radar for January 05, 2018 - Earnings, Upgrades downgrades, option trades, Best Stock Advisory Service

18:17 EDT Hawaii Water files general rate case for Waikoloa service areas - Hawaii Water Service, a subsidiary of California Water Service Group, filed a General Rate Case with the Hawaii Public Utilities Commission seeking recovery of capital investments in its Waikoloa Village and Waikoloa Resort systems. If approved as filed, total annual revenue would increase by $3.8M. The filing requests additional revenue of $205,026 for the Waikoloa Resort water system, $2,046,590 for the wastewater system, and $48,988 for the irrigation system, which also provides recycled water service to customers. The requested increase reflects, in part, upgrades made to the Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition system; construction of two new water wells; upgrades to a third well, electrical building, water mains, and a storage tank; relocation of wastewater mains; piping for a wastewater pump station; and the remainder of the new wastewater treatment plant construction. While customers have been served by the R-plant since 2012, Hawaii Water had previously included only a portion of the plant in rates to reduce the impact to customers. In Waikoloa Village, annual revenue would increase $728,105 for the water system and $714,059 for the wastewater system. Among the upgrades reflected in this request are SCADA improvements, construction of the two abovementioned water wells shared with the Waikoloa Resort system, improvements to a third water well and electrical building shared with the Resort system, wastewater piping repairs, construction of the wastewater treatment plant, and purchase of a jetting/vacuum truck.

17:55 EDT Cummins Westport gets emissions certifications for ISX12N natural gas engine - Cummins Westport CWI announced late yesterday that it had received certifications from both the U.S. Environmental Protection Agencyand Air Resources Board in California for its 2018 ISX12N natural gas engine. Like the Cummins Westport L9N engine, the ISX12N meets California ARB optional Low NOx standard of 0.02 g/bhp-hr, a 90% reduction from engines operating at the current EPA NOx limit of 0.2 g/bhp-hr. The ISX12N also meets 2017 EPA greenhouse gas emission requirements. Cummins Westport is a joint venture of Cummins (CMI) and Westport Fuel Systems (WPRT).

17:37 EDT Community Bank System board authorizes 2.5M share repurchase - At its December meeting, the board approved a stock repurchase program authorizing the repurchase, at the discretion of senior management, of up to 2,500,000 shares of the company's common stock during a twelve-month period starting January 1. Such repurchases may be made at the discretion of senior management depending on market conditions and other relevant factors and will be acquired through open market or privately negotiated transactions as permitted under Rule 10b-18 of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 and other applicable legal requirements. The new repurchase authorization replaces the existing program which expired on December 31.

17:27 EDT Atlantic Investment cuts Diebold stake to 6.8% from 9%, says supports co-CEOs - In a regulatory filing, Atlantic Investment lowered its stake in Diebold Nixdorf to 6.8% from 9%, adding that it has taken note of the resignation of Diebold CEO Andy Mattes and is supportive of the appointment of the two interim co-CEOs Chris Chapman and Juergen Wunram, and the search for a qualified permanent CEO. Further, Atlantic said it continues to be supportive of the company's merger integration plan and continues to have confidence in the company's ability to achieve its stated 2020 financial targets per the February 2017 Investor Day.

17:18 EDT Engility accounting chief Richard Harkey resigns for CFO position elsewhere - Engility accounting chief Richard Harkey resigns.

17:14 EDT Jeffrey Williams VP at Johnson Controls sells $1.1M worth of shares - Jeffrey Williams, a VP at Johnson Controls, sold 27,734 shares of company stock at an average price of $40 per share for a total value of $1,109,36 on January 4.

17:06 EDT Tieton Capital reports 7.8% passive stake in American Electric Tech. - This filing does not allow for activism.

17:01 EDT Hood River Capital reports 7.43% passive stake in Energous - In a regulatory filing, Hood River Capital disclosed a 7.43% stake in Energous, representing 1,649,853 shares. The filing does not allow for activism.

16:56 EDT Red Robin names Beverly Carmichael executive VP and CPCRO - Red Robin (RRGB) announced the appointment of Beverly Carmichael as executive vice president, chief people, culture and resource officer, or CPCRO. Carmichael is a recognized human resources executive and licensed labor and employment attorney. In her new role, Carmichael will be responsible for leading Red Robin's human resource and legal teams. She will report to Denny Marie Post, Red Robin's president and CEO. Carmichael has more than 25 years of leadership experience in multiple industries. Prior to joining the Red Robin team, she most recently served as senior VP and CPO for Cracker Barrel Old Country Store (CBRL).

16:51 EDT Juno Therapeutics names Cindy Elkins chief information officer - Juno Therapeutics (JUNO) announced the appointment of Cindy Elkins as Chief Information Officer. Elkins will report to Hans Bishop, Juno's President and CEO. Elkins served most recently as Vice President, IT for the Americas at Genentech, where she led the US commercial technology integration following the acquisition of Genentech by Roche (RHHBY). She is a member of the board of directors of Weight Watchers (WTW).

16:48 EDT Twitter will not block, remove controversial tweets from world leaders - In a statement on Twitter's blog, the company stated, "There's been a lot of discussion about political figures and world leaders on Twitter, and we want to share our stance. Twitter is here to serve and help advance the global, public conversation. Elected world leaders play a critical role in that conversation because of their outsized impact on our society. Blocking a world leader from Twitter or removing their controversial Tweets, would hide important information people should be able to see and debate. It would also not silence that leader, but it would certainly hamper necessary discussion around their words and actions. We review Tweets by leaders within the political context that defines them, and enforce our rules accordingly. No one person's account drives Twitter's growth, or influences these decisions. We work hard to remain unbiased with the public interest in mind. We are working to make Twitter the best place to see and freely discuss everything that matters. We believe that's the best way to help our society make progress." Reference Link

16:32 EDT Alliqua BioMedical to sell biologic wound care business assets to Celularity - Alliqua BioMedical announced a definitive agreement with Celularity, Inc., under which Celularity will acquire all of the property, assets and rights relating to the Company's advanced biologic wound care business - including Biovance amniotic membrane allograft and Interfyl Human Connective Tissue Matrix - and the Company's UltraMist Therapy System and other therapeutic ultrasound platform products for an aggregate cash consideration of $29M. No debt or significant liabilities are being assumed by Celularity in the transaction. Alliqua BioMedical's board of directors unanimously approved entering into the agreement.

16:31 EDT Perry Ellis signs licensing deal for Original Penguin by Munsingwear - Perry Ellis announced that it has entered into a licensing agreement with Cia. Mexicana de Trajes, S.A. de C.V. granting rights to design and distribute Original Penguin tailored clothing in Mexico. The collection will include suits, sport coats, tuxedos, overcoats, raincoats, vests and trousers. Distribution will begin at department stores and upscale specialty shops with a planned launch in Fall 2018.

16:25 EDT Broadcom sends proxy materials, letter to stockholders of Qualcomm - Broadcom (AVGO) announced that it has filed and commenced mailing definitive proxy materials, including a BLUE proxy card, along with a letter to the stockholders of Qualcomm Incorporated (QCOM) related to Qualcomm's 2018 Annual Meeting of Stockholders, scheduled for March 6, 2018. Hock Tan, President and Chief Executive Officer of Broadcom, stated, "Our proposal provides Qualcomm stockholders with substantial and immediate cash value, as well as the opportunity to participate in the upside potential of the combined company. Broadcom's track record of acquiring and integrating large, complex transactions and proven ability to execute on our financial and operational targets has created tremendous value for our stockholders. By voting for Broadcom's 11 independent director nominees, Qualcomm stockholders can send a clear message to the Qualcomm Board that they should immediately engage in constructive discussions with us regarding our premium offer so that Qualcomm stockholders can realize the compelling value of this transaction."

16:22 EDT Boston Omaha invests $10M in Dream Finders Holdings - Boston Omaha announces its recent $10M equity investment in Dream Finders Holdings, the parent company of Dream Finders Homes, a national homebuilder with operations in Florida, Colorado, Georgia, Maryland, South Carolina, Texas and northern Virginia. In addition to its homebuilding operations, DF Holdings' subsidiaries provide mortgage loan origination and title insurance services to homebuyers.

16:16 EDT Akcea initiates Phase 2b study of AKCEA-APOCII-LRx - Akcea Therapeutics (AKCA), and affiliated of Ionis Pharmaceuticals (IONS), announced the initiation of a Phase 2b clinical study of AKCEA-APOCIII-LRx in patients with hypertriglyceridemia and established cardiovascular disease. The study will evaluate the safety and efficacy of different doses and dosing frequencies of AKCEA-APOCIII-LRx in this patient population and provide valuable information for a potential Phase 3 cardiovascular outcomes study. AKCEA-APOCIII-LRx is part of a strategic collaboration with Novartis (NVS) to develop and co-commercialize AKCEA-APO(a)-LRx and AKCEA-APOCIII-LRx. Under the terms of the collaboration, if Novartis exercises its option after successful completion of the Phase 2 study, it will be responsible for a global Phase 3 cardiovascular outcome study as well as worldwide development and, if approved, global co-commercialization activities.

16:12 EDT Heidrick & Struggles to eliminate two executive roles, cut workforce - "The market for executive search continues to be robust and we have positive momentum as a firm. Fourth quarter 2017 consolidated net revenue was at the high end of the guidance we provided on October 26, 2017 of between $150M-$160M" president and CEO Krishnan Rajagopalan said. "In 2018 we will continue our transformation journey to become the premier advisor on executive search, leadership assessment and development, team and organization performance and culture shaping. We are implementing many of the digital initiatives we started in 2017 to drive a premium client experience and we are forging ahead on other efforts to drive further growth and profitability."

16:06 EDT Heidrick & Struggles sees Q4 impairment charge of $6M-$12M

16:03 EDT FORM Holdings Corp changes name to XpresSpa Group - FORM Holdings Corp. announced that it has changed its corporate name to XpresSpa Group. The company will continue trading on Nasdaq, and will commence trading as "XSPA" on Monday January 8. The name change aligns with the company's strategic direction and transformation into a pure-play health and wellness services company.

15:36 EDT Acorda jumps 9%, halted after WSJ says company exploring sale

15:03 EDT Hallador Energy adds new coal contract sales in 2018 and 2019 - Hallador Energy recently added new coal contract sales in 2018 and 2019 and is raising its projected sales target as follows: 2018: 6.2M tons sold (91% of projected sales) at ~$40 per ton. Projecting 6.8M tons for the full year. 2019: 4.7M tons sold (67% of projected sales) at ~$42 per ton. Projecting 7M tons for the full year. "Our new contracted position provides Hallador with a solid foundation of sales that should allow us going forward to exceed the 6.6M tons that were shipped in 2017. It is also very exciting that the majority of these new sales are to power plants that we have not shipped to before. I attribute a good part of our success to our new Princeton Loop on the NS Railroad and the flexibility it provides our customers," said Brent Bilsland, President and CEO of Hallador Energy

15:03 EDT Gentex announces retirement of CEO Fred Bauer - Gentex Corporation announced the retirement of Fred Bauer as CEO and chairman of the board and his resignation from the board. As part of Bauer's retirement, the board has unanimously appointed James Wallace, the current lead independent director, as the company's chairman of the board. Wallace said, "Gentex's new Chief Executive Officer, Steve Downing, is one example of the well prepared and capable management team. He is a respected leader with 15 years of demonstrated ability to deliver results using core Gentex principles. The promotion of Mr. Downing is a logical next step to maintaining the foundations for success established by Mr. Bauer."

14:48 EDT Millicom unit buys three spectrum blocks in Paraguay - Millicom International Cellular announced that its wholly-owned subsidiary in Paraguay, Telefonica Celular del Paraguay, has acquired three of the seven available blocks of 2x5MHz spectrum in the 700MHz band at a total cost of $36.325m, plus certain social and network coverage obligations.

14:34 EDT Beazer Homes acquires land for 55+ active-adult community in Georgia - Beazer Homes has purchased 42 acres of land in Cumming, Georgia and will begin building Herrington, a 55+ active-adult community in 2018. This multi-product, age-restricted community will feature 4-story condominium buildings as well as single-family ranch homes in an amenity-rich setting. Herrington will offer 75 single-family dwellings, while Gatherings at Herrington will include 108 condos.

14:22 EDT Verizon acquires Niddel, terms not disclosed - Verizon said it has acquired privately held Niddel Corp., a company offering machine-learning-based automated threat hunting. Terms of the transaction were not announced. Niddel's advanced technology and services will soon be integrated into, and enhance, Verizon's existing offerings.

13:35 EDT Box Office Battle: Can 'The Last Jedi' hold off 'Jumanji' for top spot? - Fighting for the top spot for the fourth weekend in a row is Disney's (DIS) "Star Wars: The Last Jedi," which is going to see competition from Sony's (SNE) fantasy action adventure comedy film "Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle," starring Dwayne Johnson, Jack Black, Kevin Hart, and Karen Gillan. Both movies are expected to domestically gross in the range of $25M-$26M. Opening this weekend, and expected to finish in third place, is Lionsgate's (LGF.A, LGF.B) horror sequel "Insidious: The Last Key," the fourth installment of the franchise, which is expected to earn $20M-$22M at more than 3,000 theaters. Rounding out the top five are holdovers, 21st Century Fox's (FOX, FOXA) circus film "The Greatest Showman," which is expected to bring in an additional $10M-$11M, and Comcast (CMCSA, CMCSK) subsidiary Universal's a capella comedy "Pitch Perfect 3," which is expected to earn another $7M-$8M this weekend. Other publicly traded companies in filmmaking include Time Warner (TWX) and Viacom (VIA, VIAB).

13:34 EDT The Intersection: Crypto and Wall Street This Week - As bitcoin, ethereum and other cryptocurrencies get increasing attention from investors, Wall Street and its traditional banks continue to adjust to the shift. Catch up on this week's top stories highlighting the intersection of these old guard and new school areas of finance with this recap compiled by The Fly: 1. SEC ISSUES WARNING: On Thursday, Securities and Exchange Commission Chairman Jay Clayton issued a statement commending the North American Securities Administrators Association for "highlighting important issues and concerns related to cryptocurrencies." The SEC's statement reads in part, "NASAA's release is a timely and thoughtful reminder to Main Street investors to exercise caution. The release recognizes that cryptocurrencies, while touted as replacements for traditional currencies, lack many important characteristics of traditional currencies...and now are being promoted more as investment opportunities than efficient mediums for exchange. The NASAA release also reminds investors that when they are offered and sold securities they are entitled to the benefits of state and federal securities laws...Unfortunately, it is clear that many promoters of ICOs and others participating in the cryptocurrency-related investment markets are not following these laws. The SEC and state securities regulators are pursuing violations, but we again caution you that, if you lose money, there is a substantial risk that our efforts will not result in a recovery of your investment." 2. MERRILL LYNCH BANS BITCOIN TRADING: Bank of America's (BAC) Merrill Lynch has prohibited clients and financial advisers who trade on their behalf from purchasing bitcoin due to concerns over the suitability of the cryptocurrency, the Wall Street Journal reported on Wednesday. The ban, which expands a current policy banning access to bitcoin futures, applies to all accounts and prohibits advisers from pitching bitcoin-related investments and executing trades in the Grayscale Investment Trust bitcoin fund. 3. CFTC COMMITTEES TO DISCUSS CRYPTO OVERSIGHT: On Thursday, Commodity Futures Trading Commission chairman J. Christopher Giancarlo issued a statement announcing that the Market Risk Advisory Committee would meet on January 31 and the Technology Advisory Committee would meet on January 23 in relation to virtual currencies. The MRAC will consider the process of self-certification of new products and operational rules by Designated Contract Markets under the Commodity Exchange Act and CFTC regulations while TAC will discuss the challenges, opportunities, and market developments of virtual currencies. Giancarlo said, "Undoubtedly, virtual currency and virtual currency derivatives present both significant opportunities and challenges. As a Federal market regulator, the CFTC is cognizant of the considerable risks of virtual currencies like Bitcoin...One thing is certain: ignoring virtual currency trading will not make it go away. Nor is it a responsible regulatory strategy. The CFTC has an important role to play. The CFTC seeks to promote responsible innovation and development that is consistent with its statutory mission to enhance derivative trading markets and to prohibit fraud and manipulation in connection with commodities in interstate commerce." 4. FACEBOOK MULLS CRYPTOCURRENCY: In a Facebook (FB) post on Thursday announcing his yearly goals, CEO Mark Zuckerberg said he will look into new technologies like encryption and cryptocurrencies. "One of the most interesting questions in technology right now is about centralization vs decentralization," he said. "With the rise of a small number of big tech companies - and governments using technology to watch their citizens - many people now believe technology only centralizes power rather than decentralizes it. There are important counter-trends to this --like encryption and cryptocurrency -- that take power from centralized systems and put it back into people's hands. But they come with the risk of being harder to control. I'm interested to go deeper and study the positive and negative aspects of these technologies, and how best to use them in our services." 5. THIEL'S FOUNDERS FUND BETS ON BITCOIN: Founders Fund, a venture-capital firm co-founded by Peter Thiel, has accumulated hundreds of millions of dollars in bitcoin across some of its most recent funds, the Wall Street Journal reported on Tuesday. The firm bought roughly $15M to $20M in bitcoin and told investors the holdings are now worth hundreds of millions but also warned that the digital currency may end up worth nothing. It is unclear if the fund has sold any of its holdings. 6. BURGER BLOCKCHAIN: On Tuesday, Mobivity Holdings (MFON) and Chanticleer Holdings (BURG) announced plans to use MobivityMind, a blockchain-architected platform, to power Chanticleer's cryptocurrency customer loyalty and rewards program. "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," said Mobivity CEO Dennis Becker. The program will start in mid-2018 and is expected to be fully deployed across all Chanticleer brands before year-end. 7. BITCOIN STOCK PLAYS: Cryptocurrency revenues have been pointed to as reasons to be bullish on Advanced Micro Devices (AMD) and Nvidia (NVDA) in select research. Overstock (OSTK), Digital Power (DPW), Long Blockchain (LBCC), Seven Stars Cloud Group (SSC), Riot Blockchain (RIOT), Longfin (LFIN), Pareteum (TEUM) and Social Reality (SRAX) are other stocks that have been touted, or promoted themselves, as a way to play the crypto theme. PRICE ACTION: As of time of writing, bitcoin rose about 12% this week to $16,477 in U.S. dollars according to CoinDesk. Meanwhile, Advanced Micro Devices rose 11.3% to $11.75, Nvidia was up 9.1% to $213.02, Overstock rose 26.3% to $82.95, Seven Stars Cloud Group dropped 18.5% to $4.34, Riot Blockchain rose 4.6% to $25.35 and Pareteum surged about 113% to $2.70 all on a weekly basis. Bitcoin Investment Trust (GBTC) was up about 16.5% this week to $2,379. WANT BITCOIN NEWS ALERTS?: To receive alerts on stories relating to bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies, Fly subscribers can enter "Bitcoin" into the "Add symbols" box of their portfolios.

13:03 EDT Baker Hughes reports U.S. rig count down 5 to 924 rigs - Baker Hughes reports that the U.S. rig count is down 5 rigs from last week to 924, with oil rigs down 5 to 742, gas rigs unchanged at 182, and miscellaneous rigs unchanged. The U.S. Rig Count is up 259 rigs from last year's count of 665, with oil rigs up 213, gas rigs up 47, and miscellaneous rigs down 1 to 1. The U.S. Offshore Rig Count is down 1 rig from last week to 17 and down 7 rigs year-over-year. The Canada Rig Count is up 38 rigs from last week to 174, with oil rigs up 36 to 98 and gas rigs up 2 to 76. The Canada Rig Count is down 31 rigs from last year's count of 205, with oil rigs up 17, gas rigs down 47, and miscellaneous rigs down 1 to 1.

12:47 EDT RXi Pharmaceuticals announces 1-for-10 reverse stock split - RXi Pharmaceuticals announced a reverse stock split of its shares of common stock at a ratio of 1-for-10. The reverse stock split will become effective at 12:01 a.m. Eastern Time on January 8, 2018, and shares of RXi Pharmaceuticals common stock will trade on a post-split basis on the Nasdaq Capital Market under the company's existing trading symbol, "RXII," at the market open on January 8, 2018. The new CUSIP number for the company's common stock following the reverse stock split will be 74979C808. In addition, pursuant to their terms, a proportionate adjustment will be made to the per share exercise prices and number of shares issuable under all of the company's outstanding stock options and warrants to purchase shares of common stock. This includes adjustments made to the warrants that are currently trading on the Nasdaq Capital Market under the company's trading symbol, "RXIIW". These warrants will trade on a post-split basis under the same trading symbol at the market open on January 8, 2018 and have a new CUSIP number-74979C121. As previously reported, RXi Pharmaceuticals currently has until January 29, 2018 to regain compliance with the Nasdaq Stock Market's minimum bid price requirement, and, to regain compliance, RXi Pharmaceuticals common stock must have a minimum bid price per share of at least $1.00 for 10 consecutive business days. The principal reason for the reverse stock split is to increase the per share trading price of the company's common stock in order to help ensure a share price high enough to satisfy the $1.00 per share minimum bid price requirement. However, there can be no assurance that the reverse stock split will have the desired effect of sufficiently raising the bid price of RXi Pharmaceuticals common stock for the required period. The reverse stock split was approved by RXi Pharmaceuticals' stockholders at the company's annual stockholder meeting held on June 6, 2017 and the board was authorized to implement the reverse stock split and determine the ratio of the split within a range of not less than 1-for-2 or greater than 1-for-40. Thereafter, the board determined to fix the ratio for the reverse stock split at 1-for-10.

12:45 EDT JPMorgan reports 7.7% passive stake in Canadian Solar - In a regulatory filing, JPMorgan (JPM) disclosed a 7.7% stake in Canadian Solar (CSIQ), representing 4,518,282 shares. The filing does not allow for activism.

12:19 EDT XBiotech announces dismissal of class action complaint - XBiotech announced that the United States District Court for the Western District of Texas Austin Division filed an order of dismissal granting in all respects a Notice of Voluntary Dismissal filed by the sole plaintiff in the putative class action complaint brought against certain officers of the company on October 26, 2017. The lawsuit has therefore officially been dismissed without prejudice by the court, the company said.

12:02 EDT Netflix higher after detailing new Letterman monthly series - Shares of Netflix moved higher after the streaming service on Twitter detailed a new monthly interview series to be hosted by David Letterman. The guests include former President Obama, George Clooney and Jay-Z. "It's more like in-depth interviews focused on the individuals and their lives, rather than news-based," Netflix writes. "A monthly interview series, beginning January 12." Shares of Netflix are up 1%, or $2.57, to $208.20 in midday trading.

11:44 EDT Greenbrier seeing more activity in tank cars over last two quarters - Says has seen positive effects on demand for wheels due to weather. Says GBW has been impacted on freight car loadings due to coal environment and other energy related products.

11:38 EDT Melvin Capital Management reports 5% passive stake in Electronic Arts - In a regulatory filing, Melvin Capital Management disclosed a 5% stake in Electronic Arts, representing 15,912,599 shares. The filing does not allow for activism.

11:33 EDT Greenbrier says on track to achieve 2018 guidance - The CEO, speaking on the company's Q1 earnings conference call, says there was some "noise" in the quarter including settlement of a lawsuit and unexpected delay in production. The CEO expects to see stronger lease rates. Also, the CEO referred to an improvement in double stack business. The company sees its gross margins from manufacturing operations in the mid-teens range. Sees greater year-over-year revenue in 2018.

11:08 EDT Greenbrier says uptick in activity in doublestack railcars in Q1

11:04 EDT Itron completes acquisition of Silver Spring - Itron (ITRI) announced that it has completed its acquisition of Silver Spring Networks, Inc (SSNI). The legacy Silver Spring Networks business is now a wholly-owned subsidiary of Itron, Inc. and will be integrated and reported as a new business segment, Itron Networked Solutions. Itron will provide total consolidated company revenue and non-GAAP earnings per share guidance for full-year 2018, inclusive of the addition of Silver Spring Networks, in conjunction with its fourth quarter and full-year 2017 financial results.

10:49 EDT Customers Bancorp says will pass some tax savings to consumers via new product - Customers Bank announced that it will "pass some of its tax savings along to consumers following the passage of the U.S. Tax Reform Bill" via a Bonus Checking earning 2.00% APY for consumers across America. "This offer surpasses the interest rates paid by most money market accounts and checking accounts which, according to BankRate.com, pay average annual rates of only 0.06% APY...The highest money market rate offered today in the U.S. is approximately 1.50%, which is significantly lower than Customers Bank's 2.00% APY Bonus Checking rate," the regional community bank stated. Customers Bank will also increase its charitable giving by $1M in 2018, and will continue to invest in its talent, who all already earn at least $15 per hour, the bank added.

10:27 EDT TrendForce says Chinese intervention may impact mobile DRAM prices - DRAMeXchange of TrendForce believes the fact that China's National Development and Reform Commission held a meeting with representatives from Samsung (SSNLF) to express concerns about Samsung's role in the continuing price increase for memory products could affect memory prices in the first quarter of 2018, the market research firm announced in a press release earlier. "Although there are reports that China's NDRC will get involved in the DRAM pricing, the general price upswing is expected to stay intact. Prices of server DRAM, for instance, are forecast to keep climbing during 1H18. Nevertheless, NDRC's recent action, along with slowing shipments from Chinese smartphone brands, will adversely affect the 1Q18 mobile DRAM market," the firm stated in its report. The forecast may be having an impact on Micron (MU), which is down 3% in early trading, and possibly on Silicon Motion (SIMO), which is down fractionally but off its worst levels of early in the session.

10:12 EDT Deutsche Bank to regognize EUR1.5B non-cash tax charge in Q4 IFRS results

10:07 EDT Morgan cautious on Fitbit ahead of CES, while Roth says stock 'misunderstood' - Shares of Fitbit (FIT) are in focus in morning trading following a cautious report from an analyst at Morgan Stanley, who lowered his price target on Fitbit ahead of the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas. In contrast, Roth Capital initiated coverage of the stock, saying that the value of Fitbit's loyal installed base has been "largely lost on the Street. "LACKLUSTER" CHECKS: Morgan Stanley analyst Yuuji Anderson and his team maintained an Equal Weight rating on Fitbit, but cut the price target to $6 from $7. In a note to clients, Anderson said "lackluster" checks by his firm showed that discounts on the Ionic smartwatch continue, leading to "some" improvement in demand, but the pace of functional improvements to its software/sensor ecosystem must accelerate to drive better product cycles. A major focus will be on CES 2018, which begins Sunday, January 7 and ends Friday, January 12, and Anderson said he expects new hardware launches to follow a similar cadence as 2017, in late Q1 and Q4. Anderson said he's looking for better visibility into the direction of Fitbit's app platform, which, while it has grown since launch, has not differentiated itself from rival platforms. For 2018, Anderson expects a product refresh for at least one of Fitbit's "better-selling products" like the Charge 2 or Blaze, but is favoring "conservatism" on upcoming product cycles. He also sees a chance that Fitbit management authorizes additional cost savings initiatives to preserve its net cash position. The firm expects the stock will be weak in the near-term, weighed by a continued lack of confidence until new product cycles show significant improvements. ROTH SEES VALUE "LARGELY LOST ON STREET": Roth Capital analyst Scott Searle started Fitbit with a Buy rating and $10 price target, telling clients that the value of its loyal installed base has been "largely lost on the Street." He does not think Fitbit is "just another broken consumer electronics company" and he believes the company could monetize its user data around healthcare and "digital therapeutics," calling shares "attractively valued" and calling Fitbit itself a "pioneering supplier" of fitness trackers and wearable devices. WHAT'S NOTABLE: Comments from the analysts follow a note from Stifel analyst Jim Duffy on December 15. Duffy, who downgraded Fitbit to Sell from Hold, expects Fitbit will remain unprofitable and burn cash in 2018. Breakeven operating margin would require a return to mid-teens revenue growth in 2018, which Duffy views as "a high hurdle" given that fitness tracker relevance continues to wane, he said. RECENT NEWS: In early December, Fitbit said in a blog post that 60 apps and 100 watch faces have been added or are coming soon to the Ionic ecosystem. Additionally, DigiTimes, citing the IDC, said this week that global shipments of wearable devices are expected to increase to 222.3M in 2021 from 113.2M units in 2017 with a compound annual growth rate of 18.4%. PRICE ACTION: In early trading, Fitbit is fractionally higher near $6.00 per share.

09:43 EDT Ancora Advisors reports 6.4% stake in UFP Technologies, will seek talks - Ancora Advisors intends to communicate with the company's management and board of directors about a broad range of strategic and operational matters, including, without limitation, a sale of the company or certain of its businesses or assets, in which Ancora may participate, as a means of enhancing shareholder value.

09:25 EDT Apogee Enterprises to close St. George, Utah architectural glass plant in March - Apogee Enterprises announced details of the planned restructuring referenced in its December 21 Q3 earnings release. "As part of our initiatives to diversify and strengthen our business for more stable performance in any economic cycle, Apogee is making significant investments in our Viracon architectural glass business for new capabilities, automation and improved productivity that are yielding increased capacity. It is now apparent that we no longer require the capacity from our smallest domestic architectural glass plant in St. George, UT, and we will be closing that facility in March," said Joseph Puishys, CEO. "With the capacity gains we've made through capability and productivity investments over the past five years, we will continue to have adequate glass capacity to meet peak commercial construction market demand in upcoming years." In 4Q18, Apogee is taking a restructuring charge of approximately $4.5M, or 11c per share, primarily related to the plant closure. This charge was reflected in Apogee's current fiscal 2018 outlook provided in December 2017. The payback is expected to be approximately one year. "Our architectural glass business will benefit from reduced costs in fiscal 2019 and beyond, as it continues to deliver very high levels of customer service with 6-8 week lead times," said Puishys.

09:18 EDT ComEd files petition to provide $200M in tax savings to customers - ComEd, a unit of Exelon Corporation, is filing a petition with the Illinois Commerce Commission seeking approval to pass along approximately $200M in tax savings to its customers in 2018. If approved by the ICC, the average ComEd residential customer can expect to see an estimated $2-$3 decrease on their monthly bill related to the tax reduction. The Tax Cuts and Jobs Act, which was signed into law on Dec. 22, 2017 and became effective on Jan. 1, 2018, decreased the corporate tax rate from 35% to 21%, reducing the amount of federal income tax ComEd will have to pay. A new rate case process, established by the Illinois General Assembly in 2011 with passage of the Smart Grid law, ensures that cost savings such as these are passed on to ComEd customers. The ICC is moving expeditiously to oversee the process so customers can obtain the lower costs beginning in the 1Q18, rather than 2020. Assuming approval by the Commission, ComEd will begin to reflect the benefits of the tax savings as early as 1Q18 through reduced costs on bills.

09:10 EDT Heidrick & Struggles General Counsel Stephen Beard to leave, Coar to succeed - Heidrick & Struggles announced a transition within the role of General Counsel, effective January 31. Stephen Beard, Executive Vice President - General Counsel and Chief Administrative Officer, has chosen to leave the firm to pursue other opportunities. The Chief Administrative Officer role will be eliminated. Kamau Coar, Vice President - Associate General Counsel, has been promoted to General Counsel. In this role, Coar will be responsible for the firm's legal and regulatory matters globally.

09:05 EDT Skyline, Champion Enterprises Holdings to combine operations - Skyline and Champion Enterprises Holdings, the parent company of Champion Home Builders, announced that they have entered into a definitive agreement for the two companies to combine their operations. Under the terms of the agreement, Champion will contribute 100% of the shares of its operating subsidiaries, Champion Home Builders, and CHB International B.V., to Skyline. In exchange, Skyline is currently expected to issue approximately 47.8M shares to Champion, representing 84.5% of the common stock of the combined company on a fully-diluted basis. Prior to closing, Skyline expects to declare a dividend to its existing shareholders of its excess net cash available for distribution under the agreement after certain transactional expenses. The combined company will be known as Skyline Champion Corporation and trade on the NYSE American under the ticker symbol "SKY." The Board of Directors will comprise eleven members, nine of which will be directors designated by Champion and two of which will be designated by Skyline. Upon closing of the transaction, Champion Chief Executive Officer, Keith Anderson, will serve as CEO of Skyline Champion Corporation. Additionally, Laurie Hough, Champion CFO, will serve as CFO of the combined company. Skyline anticipates nominating John Firth, current Chairman of the Board of Skyline, and Rich Florea, current CEO of Skyline, as Directors of the combined company and Art Decio, an original founder of Skyline and member of the Board of Directors since 1959, as a senior advisor to the combined company's Board of Directors. Skyline Champion Corporation's principal offices will remain in Elkhart, Indiana with additional executive offices in Troy, Michigan. It is anticipated that the transaction will generate significant annual synergies to be achieved through direct cost savings, reduced overhead costs and operational improvement opportunities. Additional synergies also are expected through cross-selling and distribution optimization by leveraging the combined company's owned and independent dealer network. Art Decio, Skyline's largest shareholder, has agreed to vote in favor of and fully support the transaction. The transaction, which is expected to be completed in the first half of 2018, is subject to the receipt of regulatory approvals and other customary closing conditions as well as the approval of Skyline shareholders. In connection with the transaction, Skyline intends to file with the SEC a proxy statement and other relevant materials and documents regarding the proposed transaction.

09:04 EDT PolyMet Mining announces Minnesota DNR release of draft Permit to Mine - PolyMet Mining announced that the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources released its draft Permit to Mine. An approved permit would allow its wholly-owned subsidiary Poly Met Mining to construct and operate the NorthMet copper-nickel-precious metals mine under the DNR's conditions. In releasing the draft Permit to Mine for the PolyMet NorthMet Project, the DNR also announced that public hearings on the draft permit will be held February 7 and 8 in Aurora and Duluth, respectively. Separately today, the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency announced that the February 7 and 8 events also will serve as public meetings on the draft air and water quality permits for the NorthMet mine with their respective conditions. The draft air and water permits, including related conditions, will be available from the PCA prior to the meetings. The draft permit conditions detail monitoring, operating, reporting and inspection requirements during both the construction and operation of the mine. The draft Permit to Mine also details the reclamation and closure plan, short- and long-term water management plan, wetland replacement plan, and the financial assurance conditions, including amounts required to construct and begin operation of the mine. The public comment period will close on March 6, 2018, after which the agencies will consider comments before making its final permit decisions.

09:02 EDT Skyline, Champion Enterprises Holdings to combine operations

09:01 EDT Samsung introduces new Notebook 7 Spin flexible PC - Samsung Electronics America announced the Samsung Notebook 7 Spin, a notebook that provides consumers with the accessibility needed to remain productive in today's digital world. The Notebook 7 Spin 2018 offers modern features including a 360-degree touchscreen for added convenience; an Active Pen for quick and easy note-taking; as well as the power and performance for more efficient multi-tasking.

08:39 EDT Core-Mark reports Q4 non-cigarette SSS up 7% - "We continued to execute on our core strategies during Q4 resulting in growth of approximately 7% in our non-cigarette SSS. Unfortunately, many of our customers did not see an overall retail sales lift, particularly in California, driven primarily by cigarette carton volume declines," said Thomas Perkins, CEO. "We do not expect to meet our previous expectations for Adjusted EBITDA, primarily due to the performance of our two recovering divisions and not realizing our operational cost reduction initiatives at the pace we expected. We are, however, making progress in reducing expense levels across the organization, and are confident that our two troubled divisions are on a path to profitability in 2018. With this momentum, we are well positioned to improve our profitability as we enter 2018."

08:32 EDT Fluent names Donald Patrick COO - Fluent, a Cogint company, announced that the company has appointed Donald Patrick, an executive with over 20 years of operational experience in the technology, data and marketing services industries, as COO. Effective immediately, Patrick officially joined Fluent and reports to Fluent's CEO Ryan Schulke. Patrick will spearhead Fluent's commercial growth initiatives, including international expansion and further activating across addressable channels to provide brands and marketers with a more robust set of solutions for customer acquisition, retention and loyalty. Prior to Fluent, Patrick recently served as CEO of Seneca One, a financial services company in the lottery and structured settlement industries.

08:25 EDT Exelon's BGE to provide federal tax reduction benefits to customers - BGE will file with the Maryland Public Service Commission to pass approximately $82M in annual tax savings to customers, resulting from federal tax cost reductions. The Tax Cuts and Jobs Act, which decreased the corporate tax rate from 35% to 21%, was signed into law on Dec. 22, 2017 and became effective on Jan. 1, 2018. If approved by the PSC, the average BGE residential electric customer can expect to see an estimated $2.31 decrease on their monthly bill, and the average residential combined natural gas and electric customer can expect an estimated $4.27 monthly reduction, effective in February 2018.

08:16 EDT Ollie's Bargain Outlet reports holiday SSS up 3.9% - Reports holiday sales up 19.4%.

08:11 EDT Aduro Biotech promotes Jennifer Lew to CFO, Gregory Schafer to step down as COO - Aduro Biotech announced that Jennifer Lew has been promoted to chief financial officer. Lew, who previously served as the company's senior vice president of finance, will oversee the company's global finance operations, including accounting, planning, and investor relations functions. Separately, Gregory Schafer will be stepping down from his position as chief operating officer in early March and has agreed to continue as a consultant to the company to facilitate a smooth transition of responsibilities.

08:06 EDT Xencor announces 2018 priorities, expected milestones - Xencor announced the company's 2018 priorities and expected clinical development and research milestones. "Xencor has long been committed to leveraging the plug-and-play nature of our XmAb Fc domains to develop a broad pipeline of antibody therapeutics, and ultimately deliver new medicines to patients with life-threatening and debilitating diseases," said Bassil Dahiyat, Ph.D., president and CEO of Xencor. "In 2018, we will make important strides toward achieving this vision. We expect several milestones across the 11 wholly-owned and partnered XmAb antibody programs currently in clinical development. Our lead internal program, XmAb5871, is expected to begin its first Phase 3 trial, joining partnered programs ALXN1210 and MOR208 -- being developed by Alexion and MorphoSys, respectively -- in late-stage development. We also expect initial data from our Phase 2 trial of XmAb5871 in systemic lupus erythematosus. Turning to our bispecific oncology pipeline, we look forward to announcing first-in-human data for our two most advanced candidates, XmAb14045 and XmAb13676. We also plan to expand our clinical-stage bispecific pipeline in 2018, initiating Phase 1 trials of two programs and filing investigational new drug applications for two others, both of which target the tumor microenvironment. With a broad and prolific antibody engineering platform and deep antibody drug development pipeline, we have a number of robust catalysts ahead in 2018."

08:06 EDT Synlogic plans to initiate Phase 1b/2a study of SYNB1020 in 1Q18 - Synlogic provided an overview of recent progress and outlined key objectives and anticipated milestones for 2018. 2018 Goals and Catalysts: SYNB1020: An orally delivered, first-in-class, Synthetic Biotic medicine designed for treatment of elevated blood ammonia levels in genetic urea cycle disorders or in chronic liver disease: Plan to present full data from Synlogic's first-in-human clinical study evaluating SYNB1020 in healthy volunteers at two medical meetings in 1Q18. Initiation of Phase 1b/2a study in cirrhotic patients with elevated ammonia in 1Q18, with interim data expected by year-end. An Investigational New Drug application has been cleared by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration enabling Synlogic to initiate this clinical trial. Initiation of second Phase 1b/2a study in UCD patients in mid-2018, with data expected in 2019. SYNB1618: An orally delivered, Synthetic Biotic medicine designed for the treatment of phenylketonuria: Initiation of Phase 1 SAD/MAD study in healthy volunteers and PKU patients in 1H18, with interim data expected in 2H18.

08:02 EDT Kopin, Pico Interactive join forces to showcase 'Eagle' wearable device - Kopin Corporation and Pico Interactive have partnered to showcase a new jointly developed wearable device, codenamed "Eagle," that enables a home theater entertainment experience on the go. The Eagle, a recipient of a CES 2018 Innovation Award, is a lightweight mobile headset featuring over-ear noise cancelling headphones and a removable high-definition OLED display band. The display system provides the equivalent of an 80 inch screen viewed from ten feet away while still maintaining awareness of your surroundings, an essential condition in a mobile environment. The video input will be provided via cable from a smart phone. The Eagle prototype will be on display at Kopin's CES 2018 suite at The Palazzo. Eagle will be manufactured, marketed and distributed by Qingdao Yueshi Technology Co. Ltd, a newly created subsidiary of Beijing-based Pico Interactive, an innovative VR solutions developer dedicated to providing premium gaming and content viewing experiences. The Eagle will initially be marketed in China.

08:01 EDT Reading International: Five directors dismissed by court from derivative lawsuit - Reading International announced that on December 28, 2017, the Honorable Elizabeth Gonzalez of the District Court for Clark County, Nevada, entered her order dismissing all claims against Reading Directors Judy Codding, Edward L. Kane, William Gould, Douglas McEachern and Michael Wrotniak in Cotter vs. Cotter, et al., Case No. A-15-719860-B, Dept. No. XXVII. These five independent directors constitute a majority of Reading's Board of Directors. On December 29, 2017, the directors who were dismissed from the case, constituting a majority of Reading's Board, voted under applicable Nevada corporate law to ratify the 2015 termination of James J. Cotter, Jr., as the Company's Chief Executive Officer and President. These directors also ratified the Company's Compensation and Stock Options Committee's 2015 approval permitting the Estate of James J. Cotter, to use Reading Class A Non-Voting Common Stock to pay the exercise price for stock options held by the Estate to acquire 100,000 shares of Reading Class B Voting Common Stock. The District Court also dismissed all derivative claims relating to the unsolicited indication of interest made by Patton Vision, LLC, to acquire all of the outstanding stock of the Company, ruling that Plaintiff had shown no damages to have resulted to the Company from the Board's determination not to pursue such a non-binding proposal. The remaining unresolved claims asserted in the Cotter Jr. Derivative Litigation have been set for trial commencing on January 8, 2018.

07:51 EDT Constellation Brands announces $3B share repurchase authorization - Constellation Brands announced that its board authorized a new $3B share repurchase program. The was $308M remaining on the company's existing authorization. CFO David Klein said, "Our new, multi-year $3B share repurchase program, along with more than $200M in share repurchases this quarter, demonstrates our confidence in our future growth prospects. We have significant capital allocation flexibility to invest in our business and return cash to shareholders, while remaining committed to our leverage target."

07:33 EDT Volaris boosts Q4 adjusted EBITDAR margin view to 27%_29% - With these December 2017 preliminary traffic results, in addition to a quarter-over-quarter yield improving environment, Volaris increases its fourth quarter 2017 Adjusted EBITDAR margin guidance to a 27% to 29% range, reflecting an actual average exchange rate of Ps.19.16, and average economic fuel price per gallon of $1.9.

07:33 EDT Volaris reports December RPMs up 3.1%, FY17 RPMs up 11.1% - Volaris reports December and full year 2017 preliminary traffic results. During December and full year 2017 Volaris increased total capacity, as measured in Available Seat Miles, by 7.8% and 12.9% year over year, respectively. Total demand, as measured in Revenue Passenger Miles, for December and full year 2017 increased 3.1% and 11.1% year over year, respectively. Volaris transported a total of 1.5 million passengers during the month of December, an increase of 3.1% year over year. Full year 2017, Volaris transported over 16.4 million passengers, an increase of 9.5% year over year. Network load factor for December and full year 2017 were 80.4% and 84.4%, respectively.

07:30 EDT Kala Pharmaceuticals Inc trading resumes

07:26 EDT Idera Pharmaceuticals provides 2018 update, ILLUMINATE 301 trial planned for Q1 - Idera Pharmaceuticals is providing an update on its clinical development programs and is providing an outlook for 2018. "2018 has the opportunity to be a truly transformative year for Idera in many ways," stated Vincent Milano, Idera's CEO. "Our ongoing clinical development programs have advanced well and momentum is building, particularly around IMO-2125, which will now be referred to as the Illuminate Development Program. We continue to make progress in our efforts to advance IMO-2125 into Phase 3 and make IMO-2125 a commercial reality for patients in need of a solution following progression on PD-1 therapy. We're also looking forward to reporting the results of the Phase 2 trial of IMO-8400 in dermatomyositis, as well as providing a data-driven development decision for IDRA-008 targeting APOC-III." Milano continued, "Outside of the exciting progress we are making clinically with our programs, we continue to be extremely active in business development. We plan to explore partnering opportunities as well as identify assets that fit within our corporate strategy of building a company focused on delivering solutions for patients with rare unmet medical needs." ILLUMINATE 301 - Phase 3 Trial of IMO-2125 in Combination with Ipilimumab in patients with PD-1 refractory metastatic melanoma planned for initiation during Q1.

07:18 EDT Zafgen announces strong clinical progress with lead ZGN-1061 program - Zafgen announced strong clinical progress with its lead ZGN-1061 program currently in development for patients with complex type 2 diabetes. Additionally, the company unveiled plans to return to the rare metabolic disease space in 2018, with a second highly optimized MetAP2 development candidate, ZGN-1258, targeting an initial indication in Prader-Willi syndrome, or PWS. Zafgen also announced that it increased its cash position during Q4 of 2017 and expects to end calendar year 2017 with just over $100M in cash, cash equivalents and marketable securities. The company is well-capitalized to support its clinical-stage development programs beyond the first half of 2019, a period that will include multiple data readouts and other program milestones.

07:07 EDT Surgery Partners appoints Wayne DeVeydt as CEO - Surgery Partners announced the appointment of Wayne DeVeydt as CEO and member of the Board of Directors, effective immediately. DeVeydt succeeds Clifford Adlerz, who was named as Interim CEO in September. Adlerz will maintain his position as a director on the board.

07:05 EDT Microsemi supports passage of National Resiliency and Timing Security Act - Microsemi announced its support for the immediate passage of the National Resiliency and Timing Security Act of 2017, which was recently introduced under the leadership of Sen. Cruz and Sen. Markey. This act seeks to provide for the immediate establishment of an urgently needed backup for the Global Positioning System, commonly known as GPS.

07:04 EDT Kala Pharmaceuticals announces topline results for clinical trials of KPI-121 - Kala Pharmaceuticals announced topline results from its two Phase 3 clinical trials, STRIDE 1 and STRIDE 2, evaluating the safety and efficacy of KPI-121 0.25% versus placebo in patients with dry eye disease. In the STRIDE 1 trial, statistical significance was achieved for the primary sign endpoint of conjunctival hyperemia change from baseline to day 15 in the ITT population and the primary symptom endpoint of ocular discomfort severity change from baseline to day 15 in the ITT population. Statistical significance was also achieved for a second pre-specified primary symptom endpoint of ocular discomfort severity change from baseline to day 15 in patients with more severe baseline ocular discomfort. Statistical significance was not achieved for a second pre-specified primary sign endpoint, inferior corneal staining change from baseline to day 15. A positive treatment effect for ocular discomfort was also observed in the ITT population at day 8. KPI-121 was well tolerated in this trial with the most common adverse event in STRIDE 1 being instillation site pain, which was observed in 6.1% of patients in both the KPI-121 treatment group and the placebo group. The only other adverse event reported by greater than 1% of patients was eye irritation, which was reported in 1.1% of patients on KPI-121 vs. 1.5% of patients on placebo. Elevations in IOP, a known side effect with topical corticosteroid administration, were similar between the two groups with 0.4% in the KPI-121 group experiencing an increase in IOP of 5 mm of mercury or greater resulting in an IOP of 21 mmHg or greater compared to 0.4% in the placebo group. In the STRIDE 2 trial, statistical significance was achieved for the primary sign endpoint of conjunctival hyperemia change from baseline to day 15 in the ITT population. Statistical significance was not achieved for the primary symptom endpoint of ocular discomfort severity change from baseline to day 15 in the ITT population, although a positive treatment effect was observed at day 8, a key secondary endpoint. A trend towards a positive treatment effect was observed for ocular discomfort severity change from baseline to day 15 in the patients with more severe baseline ocular discomfort, which was a key secondary endpoint in this trial. KPI-121 was well tolerated in this trial with instillation pain being the most common adverse event In STRIDE 2 as reported by 5.7% of patients in the KPI-121 treatment group vs. 4.4% in the placebo group. The only other adverse event reported by greater than 1% of patients was blurred vision, which was reported in 0.2% of patients on KPI-121 vs. 1.3% of patients on placebo. Elevations in IOP were similar between the two groups with 1.1% in the KPI-121 group experiencing an increase in IOP of 5 mmHg or greater resulting in an IOP of 21 mmHg or greater compared to none in the placebo group.

07:02 EDT ZAIS Group Holdings CEO Michael Szymanski resigns, Daniel Curry to succeed - ZAIS Group Holdings announced that Michael Szymanski has tendered his resignation as CEO, President and a Director and that the ZGH Board of Directors has elected Daniel Curry to succeed Szymanski in these positions. Szymanski's resignation is effective as of the close of business on January 5, and the election of Curry is effective as of January 8. Curry previously served as President and CEO of DBRS Group, an independent, privately held, credit rating agency. In a letter of resignation submitted to the ZGH Board of Directors, Szymanski stated that his decision was in light of the company's previously announced decision to pursue discussions with Christian Zugel which would result in taking the company private through a proposed cash merger.

06:52 EDT Kala Pharmaceuticals Inc trading halted, news pending

06:38 EDT Cal-Maine Foods CEO says egg market conditions improved y/y - CEO Baker said, "Our results for the second quarter of fiscal 2018 reflect a significant improvement in egg market conditions compared with the second quarter last year. Our sales were up 42.4 percent, as we benefitted from higher market prices and solid demand trends. We are pleased with our ability to execute our strategy and capitalize on market opportunities with a profitable performance. Market prices for conventional shell eggs continued to move higher throughout the quarter with our average customer selling prices for all eggs and conventional eggs up 36.0 percent and 77.6 percent, respectively, in the second quarter compared with a year ago. Market prices remained strong through the Thanksgiving holiday. According to Nielsen data, retail demand has been very good and in line with normal seasonal trends, supported by increased egg promotions in grocery stores. After a period of sluggish demand from institutional food customers, this sector has returned to more egg usage. The USDA reports that shell egg exports have continued to expand in calendar 2017 and have recovered from previous low levels following the 2015 avian influenza outbreak. Export demand has also increased as a result of the reported Fipronil contaminations across Europe and Southeast Asia. Together, these demand trends have resulted in a more favorable market environment compared with a year ago. The laying hen flock size has been consistent with prior-year levels as production has moderated, resulting in an improved balance of supply and demand. Recent USDA reports, however, show an increase in chicks hatched, which could indicate future increases in supply."

06:34 EDT Cal-Maine Foods CEO says antitrust settlements affected Q2 results - Dolph Baker, chairman, president and CEO of Cal-Maine Foods stated, "At the end of 2017, we reached an agreement on material terms of the settlement of antitrust lawsuits that several large purchasers had filed nearly a decade ago against the Company and many other egg producers. While we deny any liability in these cases and still believe that our conduct has always been lawful, we decided that it was in the best interests of our shareholders, customers, and employees to settle these long-standing cases at this time. This settlement eliminates the substantial risk, uncertainty, expense, and distraction associated with continuing the litigation against these purchasers. While the charge related to this settlement affected our financial results for the second quarter of fiscal 2018, we had a solid operating performance during the quarter." Pursuant to the agreement, which the parties intend to be legally binding, the Company agreed to pay $80.8M after all parties sign a formal settlement agreement, which the parties agreed to work in good faith to execute no later than January 10, 2018. The settlement does not affect the remaining previously disclosed antitrust claims, which consist of claims of indirect purchasers of shell eggs (who have twice failed in efforts to certify a class) and the dismissed claims of non-class purchasers of egg products (who have appealed this dismissal).

06:32 EDT Cal-Maine Foods says will not pay dividend for Q1, Q2 of 2018 - The company did not pay a dividend with respect to the fourth quarter of fiscal 2016, or any quarter of fiscal 2017, and will not pay a dividend for the first or second quarters of fiscal 2018.

06:12 EDT Facebook CEO Zuckerberg says to study encryption, cryptocurrency in 2018 - Zuckerberg published a Facebook post on Thursday in which he outlined his personal goal for 2018. The main goal is to fix the problems within Facebook that have caused controversy. Zuckerberg also said he will research encryption and cryptocurrency in 2018. Zuckerberg commented: "With the rise of a small number of big tech companies -- and governments using technology to watch their citizens -- many people now believe technology only centralizes power rather than decentralizes it. There are important counter-trends to this -- like encryption and cryptocurrency -- that take power from centralized systems and put it back into people's hands. But they come with the risk of being harder to control. I'm interested to go deeper and study the positive and negative aspects of these technologies, and how best to use them in our services." Reference Link

06:05 EDT BioCryst advances program exploring ALK2 inhibitors for treatment of FOP - BioCryst Pharmaceuticals announced that it has advanced a program exploring activin receptor-like kinase-2 inhibitors for treatment of Fibrodysplasia Ossificans Progressiva. Investigational New Drug Application enabling nonclinical development of optimized lead candidates BCX9250 and BCX9499 has been initiated with the goal of progressing to Phase 1 clinical trials in the first half of 2019. The lead candidates for the FOP program, BCX9250 and BCX9499, were selected from a number of potential candidates based on potency for the target kinase, selectivity, and safety screening criteria that included industry-standard in vitro panels and in vivo PK and safety studies in laboratory animals. BioCryst plans to complete IND-enabling manufacturing and nonclinical safety studies to support Phase 1 trials beginning in 2019, and as early as possible thereafter, clinical trials in patients with FOP.

06:01 EDT Distributed Bio announces SuperHuman Platform license agreement with Pfizer - Distributed Bio is pleased to announce an agreement with Pfizer to license the Distributed Bio SuperHuman Platform for the identification of novel antibodies for use as therapeutic agents. Under the terms of the agreement, Distributed Bio will transfer and license its proprietary SuperHuman 2.0 antibody discovery platform to Pfizer, which will utilize the SuperHuman Antibody Library to perform screening activities against Pfizer-selected targets. Pfizer has also secured access to continued improvements to the SuperHuman Platform. Distributed Bio will receive an undisclosed annual licensing fee and future payments upon achievement of specified preclinical and clinical milestones.

05:29 EDT Brookfield Business Partners acquires controlling interest in Schoeller Allibert - Brookfield Business Partners (BBU) announced that it has entered into an agreement to acquire a 75% controlling interest in the Schoeller Allibert Group B.V., one of Europe's largest manufacturers of returnable plastic packaging systems for EUR 205M. The stake is being acquired from an indirect subsidiary of JPMorgan Chase (JPM). Brookfield completed the transaction by partnering with the founding Schoeller family who will continue to hold the remaining 25% interest in the Company through Schoeller Group and expects to be a long-term partner in growing the business. The Schoeller Group have the opportunity to increase their ownership over time.