Stockwinners Market Radar for January 22, 2018 - Earnings, Upgrades downgrades, option trades, Best Stock Advisory Service

19:26 EDT Samsung says new tariff 'great loss' for American consumers, workers - In reaction to a final decision in the Section 201 case, Samsung said that the announcement is a "great loss" for American consumers and workers. This tariff is a tax on every consumer who wants to buy a washing machine. Everyone will pay more, with fewer choices. Reference Link

18:47 EDT Global Brass and Copper reports oil spill at Somers Thin Strip plant - Somers Thin Strip, a division of GBC Metals, a subsidiary of Global Brass and Copper Holdings, reported a leak of mineral oil at its Waterbury, Connecticut facility that occurred on January 20, 2018. The mineral oil leak was quickly identified by the Somers team, who then acted immediately to stop the leakage and notify the appropriate municipal and environmental authorities. No injuries have been reported. Mineral oil was released into the sewer system and the neighboring Naugatuck River. Somers personnel, the Waterbury fire department, the US EPA, the Connecticut DEEP and Clean Harbors, Somers remediation contractor, responded immediately and have been working collaboratively to remediate the leak as quickly as possible.

18:25 EDT Netflix says it has a ways to go to hit 60M U.S. subscribers - Says has a ways to go to hit 60M subscriber mark, the bottom end of their U.S. projection. Says increased revenue from price increase will lead to even better content.Says marketing efforts will amplify the quality of the content. Says 'Bright' is one of the most watched Netflix original ever, despite critical reviews.

18:06 EDT Steel Dynamics CEO says domestic inventory levels moderated - Steel Dynamics CEO Mark D. Millett says: "We remain confident that current and anticipated macroeconomic and market conditions are in place to benefit domestic steel consumption in 2018... Domestic steel inventory levels have moderated. World steel demand and pricing have structurally improved and domestic steel demand remains healthy. We believe North American automotive steel consumption will be steady, and we continue to gain momentum in that sector. We also believe that there will be continued additional growth in the construction and energy sectors. We believe the recent tax reform will also provide a stimulus for additional domestic fixed asset investment and growth. In combination with our own SDI expansion initiatives, we believe there are firm drivers for growth in 2018."

18:01 EDT EXFO partners with China Mobile to prepare network for IoT - EXFO Inc. (EXFO) announced that China Mobile Communications Corporation (CHL), with the support of EXFO's test solution-the only one that covered all the test requirements-successfully concluded a performance verification test for the core networks from 4 major vendors, confirming whether these NFV-based networks can individually support 5 million narrowband IoT devices. Since NB-IoT specification got ratified in June 2016, communication service providers have been preparing to roll out this service in their network. They are upgrading their network by deploying additional features to handle the tremendous capacity that the millions of Internet of Things devices will need. Handling the IoT traffic is fundamentally different from the traditional mobile broadband or VoLTE traffic. Validating the equipment and the network is crucial to ensure that they deliver the quality of experience expected by end users while avoiding costly post-deployment faults.

17:59 EDT Whirlpool chairman praises Trump's move to establish tariff on washing machines - Whirlpool (WHR) chairman Jeff M. Fettig praised the Trump Administration's decision to uphold long-standing trade rules by establishing a tariff of up to the legal maximum of 50% on imports of large residential washing machines. The administration announced this remedy to address Samsung (SSNLF) and LG's decade-long efforts to "unlawfully dump washers and circumvent U.S. law," Whirlpool said. "This announcement caps nearly a decade of litigation and will result in new manufacturing jobs in Ohio, Kentucky, South Carolina and Tennessee," Fettig said. "This is a victory for American workers and consumers alike. By enforcing our existing trade laws, President Trump has ensured American workers will compete on a level playing field with their foreign counterparts, enabled new manufacturing jobs here in America and will usher in a new era of innovation for consumers everywhere." Whirlpool Corp. added 200 new full-time positions at its manufacturing plant in Clyde, Ohio, in anticipation of increased demand following a safeguard remedy decision. The new hires are just the beginning of increased investments in innovation, manufacturing and additional manufacturing jobs for Whirlpool and its vendors.

17:22 EDT CFPB completes investigation in World Acceptance, will not recommend action - World Acceptance Corporation announced the company received a letter from the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau indicating the investigation into the company's marketing and lending practices has been completed. The CFPB noted it does not intend to recommend enforcement action. As a result, the company is relieved of the document-retention obligations required by the bureau's investigation.

17:17 EDT On The Fly: After Hours Movers - UP AFTER EARNINGS: ResMed (RMD), up 10.3%... Netflix (NFLX), up 9%... TD Ameritrade (AMTD), up 2%. ALSO HIGHER: Harvard Bioscience (HBIO), up 16.7% fater it agreed to acquire Data Sciences for $70M and gave fiscal 2018 guidance... Oneok (OKE), up 1.8% after it provided FY18 guidance... Adobe (ADBE), up 1.7% after it raised its Q1 and FY18 earnings guidance. LOWER: Adamas Pharmaceuticals (ADMS), down 6.2% after it filed to sell $85M in common stock... Stemline (STML), down 4.6% after it filed to sell 3.7M shares of common stock... Jamba (JMBA), down 1.6% after its 2.1M share Block Trade.

17:02 EDT Brinker adds James Katzman To Board of Directors Goldman Sachs - Brinker (EAT) announces the election of James Katzman to its Board of Directors. Katzman is a retired partner of Goldman Sachs (GS). A seasoned, accomplished investment banking professional, he spent his career advising companies on corporate financial matters and merger transactions. He also serves as a trustee for the Hershey Trust Company (HSY) and Milton Hershey School, San Francisco Ballet, and Boys & Girls Clubs of Metro Phoenix. In addition, he is on the advisory board for the Program for Financial Studies at Columbia Business School, where he guest lectures on financial topics.

16:57 EDT T. Rowe Price sees FY18 effective tax rate 24%-27% - On December 22, 2017, a comprehensive U.S. tax reform bill originally known as the "Tax Cuts and Jobs Act" was enacted into law. T. Rowe Price Group is required to recognize the effect of the Tax Reform in its 2017 financial statements, even though the effective date of the law for most provisions is January 1, 2018. Based on information currently available, the Firm's 2017 financial statements will include a one-time charge to net earnings of approximately $71M (28c in diluted earnings per share) to reflect the remeasurement of the Firm's deferred tax assets and liabilities and the recognition of a tax liability for the mandatory deemed repatriation of the Firm's foreign sourced net earnings. The resulting increase in the Firm's 2017 effective tax rate from this charge is expected to be offset in part by higher than expected tax benefits related to the exercise of stock options and vesting of restricted stock, and net income attributable to redeemable non-controlling interests. Thus, the Firm estimates its effective tax rate will increase to approximately 37%, compared with 35.9% disclosed in its third quarter 2017 earnings release. The Firm estimates that the reduction in the U.S. corporate tax rate (from 35% to 21%) in 2018, combined with other miscellaneous tax changes that affect certain tax deductions, will result in a lower 2018 effective tax rate in the range of 24.0% to 27.0%. The Firm's effective tax rate will continue to experience volatility in future periods as the tax benefits recognized from stock based compensation are impacted by market fluctuations in the Firm's stock price and timing of option exercises. The rate will also be impacted by changes in our consolidated investment products that are driven by market fluctuations and changes in the proportion of their net income that is attributable to non-controlling interests, which is not taxable to the Firm. The Firm continues to evaluate the impact of the Tax Reform that might result in changes to its estimates and expectations due to changes in the Firm's interpretations of the law changes, assumptions used, and additional guidance that may be issued.

16:40 EDT Investors Real Estate completes sale of two additional medical office buildings - IRET completed the sale of two additional medical office buildings on January 19, 2018, for an aggregate sale price of approximately $30.5M. This follows the company's announcement on January 2, 2018, that it sold 25 medical office buildings for an aggregate sale price of approximately $367.7M. With these latest transactions, IRET has now sold 27 of its 28 healthcare properties for an aggregate sale price of approximately $398.2M. The final property remains under contract for sale pending the satisfaction of certain closing conditions. Over the next six months, if the closing conditions are met, IRET expects to complete the sale of the final property for a sale price of approximately $1.9M.

16:36 EDT Amgen: Aimovig met all primary, secondary endpoints in Phase 3b LIBERTY study - Amgen announced positive results from the Phase 3b LIBERTY study assessing the efficacy and safety of Aimovig 140 mg in patients with episodic migraine who had experienced two to four previous preventive treatment failures, due to lack of efficacy or intolerable side effects. The study met its primary endpoint, with significantly more patients taking Aimovig experiencing at least a 50% reduction from baseline in their monthly migraine days as compared to placebo. LIBERTY also met all secondary endpoints, including reduction of monthly migraine days, reduction in days needing acute (rescue) medication, improvement in scores on the Migraine Physical Function Impact Diary tool, and 75% and 100% responder rates (number of patients experiencing at least a 75% or 100% reduction in monthly migraine days compared to placebo). The safety data are consistent with previous studies of Aimovig to date. Full data will be presented at an upcoming scientific meeting. The safety, efficacy and tolerability of Aimovig have been assessed in more than 3,000 patients, including an ongoing open-label extension of up to five years in duration. Aimovig was the first investigational therapy targeting the CGRP pathway to receive U.S. FDA and European Medicines Agency regulatory filing acceptance. The FDA has set a Prescription Drug User Fee Act target action date of May 17, 2018. If approved, it will be administered once-monthly using a self-injection device. If approved, Novartis and Amgen will co-commercialize Aimovig in the U.S. Amgen has exclusive commercialization rights to the drug in Japan and Novartis has exclusive rights to commercialize in rest of world.

16:32 EDT Foot Locker makes strategic investment in Carbon38 - Foot Locker announced that it has made a strategic investment in Carbon38, taking a minority stake in the world's destination for women's luxury activewear. The $15M Series A funding round brings the total raised by Carbon38 to $26M since 2013.

16:31 EDT Darden names Dave George as COO - Darden Restaurants announced the appointment of Dave George as Executive Vice President and COO, a new position within Darden. As COO, George will maintain his oversight of Olive Garden, Bahama Breeze, Seasons 52 and International Franchising while adding Cheddar's Scratch Kitchen to his leadership portfolio. He will continue to report to Gene Lee, President and CEO of Darden. George was named President, Olive Garden in 2013 and Executive Vice President, Darden Restaurants in 2016. He joined Darden in 2007 as President, LongHorn Steakhouse where he had served since 2003. Prior to that, George served as Senior Vice President, Operations for LongHorn Steakhouse (2001 - 2003) and Vice President, Operations for The Capital Grille (2000 - 2001).

16:30 EDT EP Energy reports preliminary FY17 production results of 82,300MBoe/d - Preliminary FY17 production results 46,100 barrels of oil production per day, or MBbls/d.

16:27 EDT TD Bank Group comments on expected impact of TD Ameritrade's Q1 earnings - TD Bank Group (TD) announced that it expects TD Ameritrade's (AMTD) first quarter earnings to translate into approximately C$147M reported equity in net income of an investment in TD Ameritrade for fiscal 2018 first quarter, which will be reported under International Financial Reporting Standards. Excluding acquisition-related charges of approximately C$69M after-tax and the positive impact of changes in the U.S. corporate tax rate of approximately C$41M, adjusted equity in net income of an investment in TD Ameritrade would be approximately C$175M. TD Bank Group will release its first quarter financial results and host an earnings conference call on March 1.

16:20 EDT Earthstone Energy sees FY18 CapEx $170M - Sees FY18 average daily production 12,000-12,500 Boepd.

16:18 EDT Haynes sees Q1 expense of $19.0M-$20.0M from Tax Cuts and Jobs Act - Haynes International announced the preliminary impact of the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act. As a result of the reduction in the corporate income tax rate, the company is required to revalue its net deferred tax asset to account for the future impact of lower corporate tax rates on this deferred amount and record any change in the value of such asset as a one-time non-cash charge on its income statement. The company has performed a preliminary analysis of its Q1 tax provision based on the new tax rate as compared to the previous effective tax rate of 40%, and preliminarily determined the amount of such expense to be approximately $19.0M-$20.0M, which will reduce the company's Q1 results.

16:18 EDT Oneok sees FY18 net income $955M-$1.155B - Sees FY18 adjusted EBITDA $2.215B-$2.415B, a nearly 20% increase compared with its previously announced 2017 guidance that was affirmed on Oct. 31, 2017. ONEOK continues to expect average annual dividend growth of 9%-11% through 2021 and annual dividend coverage greater than 1.2 times. ONEOK expects approximately 85%-95% of its 2018 dividend payments to investors to be a return of capital. Approximately $2B of potential capital-growth projects are in the late stages of development and are expected to be announced when sufficient supply commitments are secured. ONEOK previously announced the successful completion of approximately $1.6B of total equity issued in 2017 and early 2018, which was used to retire indebtedness and to pre-fund capital-growth expenditures. ONEOK does not expect to issue additional equity in 2018 and well into 2019. Additional capital-growth projects are expected to be funded with cash generated from operations and short- and long-term borrowings.

16:17 EDT Clorox CFO Steve Robb to retire; Kevin Jacobsen to succeed - Executive Vice President - CFO Stephen M. "Steve" Robb has announced his decision to retire from the company. Robb, who joined Clorox in 1989, has been the company's CFO since 2011 and a member of the company's executive management committee, with responsibility for leading all aspects of Clorox's financial activities, including accounting, reporting, internal controls, treasury, tax and investor relations. Effective April 1, Kevin Jacobsen will succeed Robb and has been appointed senior vice president - CFO and a member of the company's executive management committee, reporting to CEO Dorer. Jacobsen, who joined Clorox in 1995, has served as Clorox's vice president - Financial Planning & Analysis since November 2011.

16:13 EDT Netflix up 9% in afterhours after subscriber additions top consensus estimate

16:12 EDT Netflix sees spending $7.5B-$8B on content on P&L basis in 2018 - Netflix stated: "In 2017, average streaming hours per membership grew by 9% year-over-year. With greater than expected member growth (resulting in more revenue), we now plan to spend $7.5-$8.0 billion on content on a P&L basis in 2018."

16:11 EDT Netflix sees free cash flow around negative $3B-$4B in 2018 - In its Q4 earnings letter to investors, Netflix stated: "In Q4, free cash flow amounted to -$524 million, bringing full year 2017 FCF to -$2.0 billion, at the lower end of the -$2.0 to -$2.5 billion range we had previously indicated. This was largely due to the timing of content payments, which will now occur in 2018...In the near term, however, membership, revenue and original content spend are booming. We're growing faster than we expected, which allows us to invest more in original content than we had planned, so our FCF will be around negative $3B-$4B in 2018. Given our track record of content investments helping to increase growth, we are excited about the growth in future years from the increased investments we are making in original content this year."

16:09 EDT Adobe CFO Mike Dillon to retire in 2018 - Adobe announced that Mark Garrett, executive vice president and CFO, and Mike Dillon, executive vice president and general counsel, intend to retire in 2018. To ensure an orderly transition and continuity of operations, both Garrett and Dillon will remain in their current roles with Adobe until their respective successors are in place. Adobe is conducting an internal and external search to fill both roles, and Garrett and Dillon will be active participants in the search for and transition to their successors.

16:08 EDT Netflix adds Rodolphe Belmer to board - Netflix has added Rodolphe Belmer to its board, bringing the total number of directors to ten and expanding the breadth of its global and entertainment experience. Since March 2016, Belmer has served as CEO of Eutelsat, the leading satellite operator in Europe, the Middle East and Africa. He previously held several roles at Canal + Group, which he joined in 2001, most recently serving as its CEO from 2012 to 2015.

16:08 EDT Netflix reports Q4 streaming net additions of 8.33M members - Reports Q4 U.S. memberships rose by 2.0M and internationally added 6.36M memberships.

16:07 EDT ResMed CEO: We had a strong quarter - "We had a strong quarter with double-digit revenue and operating profit growth" said Mick Farrell, ResMed's CEO. "Our masks have performed well around the world, device sales are solid, and our cloud-based software continues to grow rapidly. Our operating excellence initiatives are achieving leverage in the business with more runway ahead." Farrell concluded, "We recently announced our first ResMed branded portable oxygen concentrator, called Mobi, which will launch in the current quarter. Mobi exemplifies patient-centered innovation and our commitment to pioneer products and create value with services and solutions that improve patients' quality of life, reduce the impact of chronic disease and save healthcare costs globally."

16:05 EDT Jaguar Health provides Napo and Mytesi updates - Jaguar Health provided updates regarding commercial, educational and product development programs and 2017 results. Effective July 31, 2017, Jaguar merged with Napo Pharmaceuticals and acquired its first-in-class, FDA-approved anti-secretory human prescription drug product, Mytesi. For the period August 1, 2017 through December 31, 2017, preliminary sales of Mytesi were approximately $1.4M. During the aforementioned period, Mytesi sales increased more than 78% relative to average monthly Mytesi sales that took place from January through July of 2017, which is before marketing efforts were deployed in the combined company and the deployment in Q4 of Napo's team of nine sales reps. Napo has accepted a request for support submitted by Dr. Mohamad Miqdady, Chief of Pediatric Gastroenterology, Hepatology and Nutrition at Sheikh Khalifa Medical City in Abu Dhabi, for an investigator-initiated trial of crofelemer, the active pharmaceutical ingredient in Mytesi, for congenital diarrheal disorders in children. Napo intends to submit documentation in the first half of 2018 to the FDA for the planned formulation of crofelemer appropriate for feeding tube administration to support this investigation.

15:40 EDT Glowpoint trading resumes

14:30 EDT Royce & Associates reports 7.37% passive stake in Gencor Industries - In a regulatory filing, Royce & Associates disclosed a 7.37% stake in Gencor Industries, representing 896,259 shares. The filing does not allow for activism.

14:04 EDT Royce & Associates reports 5.14% passive stake in Cooper Tire - In a regulatory filing, Royce & Associates disclosed a 5.14% stake in Cooper Tire, representing 2,634,088 shares. The filing does not allow for activism.

13:47 EDT Ingredion promotes Anthony DeLio to SVP, corporate strategy - Ingredion Incorporated announced that Anthony DeLio has been promoted to SVP, corporate strategy and chief innovation officer. Martin Sonntag, current SVP, strategy and global business development, will be leaving the company to pursue other career interests. Both changes will be effective March 1, 2018. Currently SVP and chief innovation officer, DeLio will be responsible for further developing the company's strategy, identifying growth opportunities and pursuing partnerships and acquisition opportunities. Additionally, he will continue to oversee Ingredion's global research and development function and its innovation initiatives. DeLio's promotion is expected to be approved by the board of directors at its February meeting. DeLio joined Ingredion in 2006 as divisional VP and general manager, North America of the then National Starch business, and was appointed VP, innovation in 2008. DeLio became senior vice president and chief innovation officer in 2011.

13:39 EDT News Corp. chairman Murdoch makes case for carriage fee for trusted publishers - News Corp. (NWSA) issued the following statement from Executive Chairman, Rupert Murdoch: ""Facebook and Google have popularized scurrilous news sources through algorithms that are profitable for these platforms but inherently unreliable. Recognition of a problem is one step on the pathway to cure, but the remedial measures that both companies have so far proposed are inadequate, commercially, socially and journalistically. There has been much discussion about subscription models but I have yet to see a proposal that truly recognizes the investment in and the social value of professional journalism. We will closely follow the latest shift in Facebook's strategy, and I have no doubt that Mark Zuckerberg is a sincere person, but there is still a serious lack of transparency that should concern publishers and those wary of political bias at these powerful platforms. The time has come to consider a different route. If Facebook wants to recognize 'trusted' publishers then it should pay those publishers a carriage fee similar to the model adopted by cable companies. The publishers are obviously enhancing the value and integrity of Facebook through their news and content but are not being adequately rewarded for those services. Carriage payments would have a minor impact on Facebook's profits but a major impact on the prospects for publishers and journalists."

13:20 EDT SAP acquires collaborative bot platform Recast AI, details undisclosed - SAP acquires Recast.AI. Recast provides a development environment - software, technology and applications - that uses natural language, for example, chatbots. Recast.AI's technology matches the requirements of conversational chatbots and allows high-performance natural language processing that supports more than 20 languages. The acquisition will help SAP enhance the natural language processing capabilities in SAP solutions to help customers enjoy an improved user experience. SAP aims to simplify complex business interactions and processes by employing conversational user experience technology. The intention is to have applications speak to SAP software users in natural language. SAP created the SAP CoPilot digital assistant, a Web application, and an in-house platform to build conversational applications. SAP intends to use this platform across a wide breadth of its portfolio. Recast.AI provides a modern ML-based technical architecture and owns proprietary algorithms that understand natural language. Its team of highly talented data scientists and engineers will strengthen ML development at SAP. SAP is acquiring Recast.AI through its direct French subsidiary SAP France Holding, a limited liability company. Both companies agreed not to disclose details of the transaction.

12:45 EDT Intel found root cause for Broadwell and Haswell platform issues - Intel's Navin Shenoy said in a press release on the company's website, "As we start the week, I want to provide an update on the reboot issues we reported Jan. 11. We have now identified the root cause for Broadwell and Haswell platforms, and made good progress in developing a solution to address it. Over the weekend, we began rolling out an early version of the updated solution to industry partners for testing, and we will make a final release available once that testing has been completed. Based on this, we are updating our guidance for customers and partners: We recommend that OEMs, cloud service providers, system manufacturers, software vendors and end users stop deployment of current versions, as they may introduce higher than expected reboots and other unpredictable system behavior. For the full list of platforms, see the Intel.com Security Center site; We ask that our industry partners focus efforts on testing early versions of the updated solution so we can accelerate its release. We expect to share more details on timing later this week; We continue to urge all customers to vigilantly maintain security best practice and for consumers to keep systems up-to-date." Shenoy added, "I apologize for any disruption this change in guidance may cause. The security of our products is critical for Intel, our customers and partners, and for me, personally. I assure you we are working around the clock to ensure we are addressing these issues. I will keep you updated as we learn more and thank you for your patience."

12:43 EDT Intel recommends stopping deployment of current platform versions

12:24 EDT Omeros off highs following cautious Twitter mention - Shares of Omeros are trading off their highs following a cautious Twitter mention by handle Art Doyle. Reference Link

12:00 EDT BlueLine Partners reports 8.5% passive stake in IRIDEX - In a regulatory filing, BlueLine Partners disclosed an 8.5% stake in IRIDEX, representing 982,742 shares. The filing does not allow for activism.

11:44 EDT Garmin reports win in intellectual property dispute over heart rate monitoring - A unit of Garmin announced that it has prevailed in an intellectual property dispute regarding Garmin's Elevate wrist-based heart rate monitoring technology. The UK High Court of Justice ruled that Garmin's technology did not infringe two Registered Community Designs owned by PulseOn Oy anywhere in the EU. PulseOn had previously discontinued during the trial its claim that Garmin copied its Elevate technology from PulseOn. PulseOn has not yet sought permission to appeal. As the overall winner of this litigation, Garmin expects to recover its costs in line with normally applicable procedures in the UK, the company stated.

11:36 EDT Nymox says Fexapotide single-treatment leads to 80% less surgery or radiotherapy - Nymox Pharmaceutical Corporation reported top-line five-year results from Nymox's U.S. Study NX03-0040. Study NX03-0040 was undertaken starting in 2012 at 44 investigational sites across the U.S. comprising a highly representative sample of 146 men with the biopsy confirmed diagnosis of T1c prostate cancer, which is the most common type of low grade localized prostate cancer. After five years, the study has now shown that high dose Fexapotide 15mg single dosage treatment resulted in 80% less surgery or radiotherapy associated with Gleason grade progression, and that both doses of Fexapotide were consistently effective. There were 4.4% patients in the entire Fexapotide group who showed increase in their Gleason primary pattern grade in the five-year study, compared to controls where the incidence of grade 4 or higher primary pattern was 23.5%, a reduction of 81.3%. In the studies Fexapotide triflutate was administered by a single painless injection directly into the prostate requiring several minutes or less in an office procedure guided by routine ultrasound. The drug was injected into the area of the prostate where the cancer was previously detected prior to enrollment in NX03-0040; and repeated biopsies every 18 months, serial PSA measurements and long-term follow-up were performed on all consenting treated patients and controls. After 5 years of study, high dose Fexapotide 15mg single treatment resulted in 80% less surgery or radiotherapy associated with Gleason grade progression, and both doses of Fexapotide were consistently effective. There were 4.4% patients in the entire Fexapotide group who showed increase in their Gleason primary pattern grade in the 5-year study, compared to controls where the incidence of grade 4 or higher primary pattern was 23.5%, a reduction of 81.3%. The new study results also indicated that after 5 years of study, all recorded instances of surgery or radiotherapy, including elective cases without Gleason upgrades, were decreased by 69.8% in Fexapotide 15mg treated patients compared to the randomized control group. In 9 studies, Fexapotide treatment has been shown to have a negligible significant adverse effect post-treatment on sexual function or testosterone levels.

10:59 EDT Northwest Bancshares boosts quarterly dividend 6.25% to 17c per share - The company announced that its board declared a quarterly cash dividend of 17c per share payable on February 15 to shareholders of record as of February 1. This represents a 6.25% increase over the prior quarter and is the 93rd consecutive quarter in which the company has paid a cash dividend. Based on the market value of the company's common stock as of December 31 this dividend represents an annualized yield of approximately 4.1%.

10:46 EDT Independent Bank raises quarterly cash dividend 25% to 15c per share - Independent Bank Corporation announced that its Board of Directors declared a quarterly cash dividend on its common stock of 15c per share. This dividend is payable on Feb. 15 to shareholders of record on Feb. 7.

10:38 EDT Abercrombie rises following Q4 guidance, non-executive chairman appointment - Shares of Abercrombie & Fitch (ANF) are rising after the company raised its fourth quarter outlook and announced that its executive chairman will step down. Q4 GUIDANCE: On Monday, Abercrombie & Fitch updated its outlook for the fourth quarter and announced plans to hold an Investor Day in April. For Q4, the company expects comparable sales to be up high-single digits, compared to the previous outlook of up low-single digits and net sales to be up low-teens, compared to the previous outlook of up mid- to high-single digits, including benefits from the 53rd week and changes in foreign currency exchange rates. In addition, Abercrombie predicts a gross profit rate in line with the previous outlook of down approximately 100 basis points from last year's rate of 59.3% and operating expense, including other operating income, to be up slightly from $553.7M last year, compared to the previous outlook of down approximately 1%, primarily due to volume-related expense on higher than anticipated net sales. CEO Fran Horowitz commented that "We are pleased by our performance across all brands and channels during the holiday season, with continued strength at Hollister, and the Abercrombie brand on track to deliver positive comparable sales for the quarter." The company said it is currently assessing the impact of the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act of 2017, but expects to recognize a significant income tax charge in Q4 primarily related to the one-time deemed repatriation tax on accumulated foreign earnings. MARTINEZ STEPPING DOWN AS EXECUTIVE CHAIRMAN: Separately, Abercrombie & Fitch announced that Arthur Martinez, who is 78, will step down as executive chairman of its board of directors at the conclusion of its fiscal year ending February 3 in connection with his plans to retire as a director and not stand for re-election at the company's 2018 Annual Meeting of Shareholders in June. Terry Burman, lead independent director and chair of the nominating and board governance committee, will assume the role of non-executive chairman at that time. Martinez and Burman both joined the board in January 2014. Martinez was appointed non-executive chairman of the board at that time, and has served as the company's executive chairman since December 2014. WHAT'S NOTABLE: In July 2017, Abercrombie said it terminated discussions regarding a potential deal to sell itself. The decision came after Abercrombie said in May that it was in preliminary discussions with several parties. "After a comprehensive review of all relevant factors, with the assistance of our financial advisor, the A&F board of directors determined that the best path to enhance value for stockholders is the rigorous execution of our business plan. We believe in the prospects for our business and the opportunities for our brands. We are generating solid comp store sales momentum at Hollister and continue to refine and implement strategies to position the Abercrombie brand for revitalized performance," Abercrombie executive Chairman Arthur Martinez said. Peer American Eagle Outfitters (AEO) and Cerberus Capital Management had been working on a joint offer, according to a Women's Wear Daily report in June. PRICE ACTION: Abercrombie & Fitch rose 9.6%, or $1.91, to $21.83 in morning trading.

10:27 EDT Analysts speculate on Bunge takeover price, potential bidding war - Shares of Bunge (BG) are on the rise following media reports saying Archer Daniels Midland (ADM) had approached the company with a takeover offer. Commenting on the news, Citi analyst David Driscoll told investors that $85-$100 per share is an "appropriate" takeover price for Archer Daniels Midland to pay for Bunge. Noting that Glencore (GLNCY) was also said to have shown interest, his peer at Baird argued that it could be positive catalyst for Archer Daniels even if they are not the winning bidder as the takeover would provide a value benchmark. SPECULATION SHOULD DRIVE SHARES HIGHER: In a research note this morning, Baird analyst Ben Kallo noted that Archer Daniels is the second possible suitor interested in Bunge, with Glencore having been rumored previously. With multiple bidders now reportedly interested, the analyst argued that reignited takeover chatter could contribute to near-term share appreciation. Additionally, Kallo pointed out that he believes Archer Daniels could benefit from industry consolidation. A Bunge transaction would provide a valuation benchmark, which could be a positive catalyst for the former even if it is not the winning bidder, he contended. The analyst reiterated a Neutral rating and a $75 price target on Bunge's shares. TAKEOVER PRICE: Commenting on the news report, Citi analyst David Driscoll told investors in a research note of his own that he believes $85-$100 per share is an "appropriate" takeover price for Archer Daniels to pay for Bunge. "Back of the envelope" deal math at the midpoint of the takeout range suggests accretion to Archer Daniels of 75c per share, Driscoll contended. Nonetheless, the analyst pointed out that there could be some antitrust issues in Archer Daniels' and Bunge's oilseed processing businesses in the U.S. and Europe. If Archer Daniels is unable to hold onto Bunge's North American and European crushing assets in a deal, the transaction would be less attractive, Driscoll added. Meanwhile, his peer at Stifel said he sees the potential deal as a relatively logical fit given that Bunge's business would "go a long way" to diversifying Archer Daniels' geographic exposure. Analyst Vincent Anderson believes the latter could pay upwards of $96 per share for Bunge while still making an accretive deal. Nonetheless, he pointed out that Glencore would likely remain a competitor for the purchase of the assets. The analyst reiterated a Hold rating on Archer Daniels' shares, while lowering his price target on the stock to $43 from $44. Stephens analyst Farha Aslam also commented on the media report, noting that according to prior news of Glencore's interest, the company has a standstill agreement in place that expires in February. The analyst told investors that she believes Bunge could be valued at $90-$95 in a takeover scenario. Bunge's product portfolio is far more commodity oriented compared to the value-added strategy that Archel Daniels has been articulating, so news of a potential combination is surprising, she contended. However, the analyst noted that the combination would likely yield significant synergies, create an asset base in key agricultural areas and potentially lead to more disciplined pricing. Aslam reiterated an Equal Weight rating and $72 price target on Bunge's shares. PRICE ACTION: In morning trading, shares of Bunge have gained about 2.5% to $79.43, while Archer Daniels' stock has advanced 2% to $41.80.

10:08 EDT Agenus announces launch of combination trial with AGEN1884, AGEN2034 - Agenus announced the launch of its combination trial with its proprietary anti-CTLA4, AGEN1884, and anti-PD1, AGEN2034, antibodies. This Phase 1/2 clinical trial launched in December 2017 and enrollment into the first cohort has been rapidly completed, the company stated. The open-label Phase 1/2 study is designed to evaluate the safety, tolerability, pharmacokinetics, and clinical activity of combination AGEN1884 and AGEN2034 in patients with advanced solid tumors. The optimal combination dose and schedule will be evaluated in an expansion cohort of patients with inoperable cervical cancer who have relapsed after platinum-containing chemotherapy.

10:01 EDT GlobeNewswire: Disregard Longfin investment press release - GlobeNewswire said "We are advised by LongFin Corp that journalists and other readers should disregard the news release, 'Multibillion Dollar Fund to Invest $52.7M into Longfin Corp.' issued today, over GlobeNewswire."

09:55 EDT National Beverage weakness attributed to PepsiCo 'Bubly' launch - Weakness in shares of National Beverage (FIZZ), the parent of the La Croix brand of sparkling water, is being attributed to cautious comments from Credit Suisse regarding the increased completion in the category coming in the form of the upcoming launch by PepsiCo (PEP) of the "Bubly" brand of beverages, according to contacts.

09:34 EDT Halliburton says sees International price hikes 'later in 2018' - Says excited about activity in North Sea, Middle East.

09:27 EDT Halliburton 'actively evaluating' uses of cash

09:23 EDT Diana Containerships sells two post-Panamax container vessels for $22M - Diana Containerships has entered into an agreement to sell the m/v March and the m/v Great, each a 2004 built containership, for an aggregate price of $22.0M to an unaffiliated third party. The company expects the Vessels to be delivered to the buyer at the latest by March 30. The unaffiliated purchaser of the Vessels is the same party with which the company entered into a previously announced agreement to sell up to seven vessels, subject to the purchaser arranging financing. The company has been advised by the purchaser that such financing has not been arranged and, concurrently with the sale of the Vessels, the company and the purchaser have agreed to terminate all rights and obligations under the prior agreement. The company expects to use the net proceeds from the sale of the Vessels to repay indebtedness under its previously announced credit agreements. Upon completion of the aforementioned sale, Diana Containerships' fleet will consist of 9 container vessels

09:19 EDT Cytori Therapeutics completes enrollment in Habeo trial for scleroderma - Cytori Therapeutics completed patient enrollment in SCLERADEC II, a clinical trial intended to study the safety and efficacy of Habeo Cell Therapy in up to 40 subjects with impaired hand function due to scleroderma, a rare, debilitating, and sometimes fatal, chronic autoimmune disease. A total of 40 patients were enrolled among 5 French centers. The primary endpoint is improvement over baseline in the Cochin Hand Function Scale at 3 months. Data will be available in 2H18 and may support potential future regulatory submissions in Europe and selected regions. Eligible patients electing to receive treatment with cryopreserved cells will be followed for both safety and efficacy for 6 months.

09:16 EDT SandRidge Mississippian Trust II receives NYSE notice on listing standards - SandRidge Mississippian Trust II announced that it has received a notice from the New York Stock Exchange that the Trust has fallen below the NYSE continued listing requirement that the average closing price of the Trust's units of beneficial interest be at least $1.00 per share, calculated over a period of 30 consecutive trading days. The Trust received the deficiency notice from the NYSE on January 16, 2018, and on January 19, 2018, the Trust acknowledged receipt of the notice.

09:14 EDT FirstEnergy receives $2.5B equity investment - FirstEnergy announced a $2.5B investment in the company that includes $1.62B in mandatory convertible preferred equity and $850M of common equity. The investment comes from investors including affiliates of Elliott Management Corporation, Bluescape, GIC, and Zimmer Partners, LP. The preferred equity has an initial conversion price of $27.42 per share and will receive dividends payable on FirstEnergy common stock on an as-converted basis and be non-voting, except in limited circumstances. The common equity was issued at a price of $28.22 per share. The proceeds of the private offering will be used to reduce FirstEnergy's holding company debt, contribute to its pension fund, and for general corporate purposes. The investment also will strengthen the company's investment-grade balance sheet. The company does not anticipate the need to issue additional equity through the end of 2020 outside of its stock investment plans and employee benefits programs. As part of this transaction, FirstEnergy will form a Restructuring Working Group. FirstEnergy has designated three members of the working group: CFO Jim Pearson, CLO Leila Vespoli and Gary Benz, senior VP of strategy. The RWG's two outside members are industry professionals C. John Wilder, executive chairman of Bluescape, and Anthony Horton, CFO of Energy Future Holdings Corp.

09:09 EDT W.R. Grace licenses UNIPOL PP process technology to Poland's Grupa Azoty - W. R. Grace has contracted to license its UNIPOL PP Process Technology to PDH Polska S. A. for a new facility in Police, Poland. The PP line is expected to begin operations in 2022. The PDH Polska operation is a subsidiary of Grupa Azoty S. A. of Tarnow, Poland.

09:06 EDT Wynn Resorts reports Q4 Las Vegas operations revenue $377M, down 1.6% y/y

09:05 EDT Wynn Resorts reports Q4 Wynn Macau revenue $618.6M, up 24.1% y/y

09:03 EDT Harris selected by U.S. Air Force for F-16 EW system support program - The U.S. Air Force has selected Harris Corporation to provide engineering support services for the electronic warfare systems onboard the international variant of the F-16. The contract was awarded during the second quarter of Harris' fiscal 2018. Harris will provide software updates and engineering support for its AN/ALQ-2114/8/9 Advanced Integrated Defensive Electronic Warfare Suite systems that protect the fleets of F-16s from eight other countries against evolving electronic threats.

09:01 EDT Frontier Communications launches Total360 continuity service nationwide - Frontier Communications announced the national release of Total360 Business Continuity & Disaster Recovery Service powered by Datto. Total360 converts data directly from servers into virtual machine-readable files that can be recovered from a web interface, hypervisor or virtual machine monitor.

09:00 EDT Idera Pharmaceuticals trading resumes

08:54 EDT Ocean Power signs agreement with Premier Oil for feasibility study - Ocean Power (OPTT) has signed an agreement with Premier Oil (PMOIY) to study the feasibility of using the PB3 PowerBuoy for decommissioning operations in the North Sea. The contract outlines work that will determine the viability of using the PB3 for monitoring and guarding remaining wells and subsea equipment after removal of a floating production, storage and offloading vessel and prior to subsea decommissioning and/or well plugging & abandonment operations. During the study, OPT will work closely with Premier Oil's other subsea equipment suppliers to produce a design to integrate their equipment into the PB3.

08:50 EDT Precipio commences validation study of IV-Cell - Precipio announced it is collaborating with the cytogenetics laboratory at the University of Pennsylvania to conduct an external validation and evaluation of IV-Cell, Precipio's cytogenetics media. The market for cytogenetics media is estimated to exceed $100M annually; most of the cytogenetics reagents have seen little development in the past 25 years, presenting an opportunity for a breakthrough media such as IV-Cell. Validation by an external laboratory represents the first step in bringing this product to market. The completion of this study is expected to provide strong, independent evidence of its performance, and will serve as an important tool during discussions with the leading manufacturers to acquire this technology. The study will be conducted over a period of approximately six to eight weeks and will include the testing of over 50 clinical specimens. During the study, the Penn team will do a side-by-side comparison between their current culture media, and Precipio's media. The study will evaluate two key elements of Precipio's media. First, its ability to enable laboratory technicians to culture multiple cell lineages simultaneously compared to their existing media that requires the laboratory to select up-front the target cell lineage; once that cell lineage is selected, it cannot be changed. The ability to culture multiple cell lineages using IV-Cell represents a significant advantage that can provide the laboratory with a more complete picture of the patient specimen, and can ultimately lead to a more accurate diagnosis. The second advantage, is a significantly higher resolution of the chromosomal bands that are created during the process. This increases the cytogeneticists' ability to correctly identify any abnormalities that may be present, resulting in a more accurate diagnosis.

08:41 EDT BioCryst, Idera Pharmaceuticals enter merger agreement - BioCryst Pharmaceuticals (BCRX), and Idera Pharmaceuticals (IDRA) announced that they have signed a definitive merger agreement to form a new enterprise focused on the development and commercialization of medicines to serve more patients suffering from rare diseases. The combined company will be renamed upon closing and will be led by Vincent Milano, CEO of Idera, who will also serve as a member of the Board. BioCryst Chairman, Robert Ingram, will be Chairman of the Board of the combined company and BioCryst CEO Jon P. Stonehouse will serve as a member of the Board of Directors. Under the terms of the merger agreement, each share of BioCryst common stock will be exchanged for 0.50 shares of the new company stock and each share of Idera common stock will be exchanged for 0.20 shares of the new company stock. The exchange ratio reflects an "at market" combination based upon the approximate 30-day average volume weighted trading prices for each company. On a proforma, fully diluted basis, giving effect to all dilutive stock options, units and warrants, BioCryst stockholders will own 51.6 percent of the stock of the combined company and Idera stockholders will own 48.4 percent. The stock issuance in the merger is expected to be tax-free to stockholders. The merger agreement has been unanimously approved by the boards of directors of both companies. The transaction is subject to approval by the stockholders of both companies, as well as regulatory approvals and satisfaction of other customary closing conditions. A significant stockholder of each company has agreed to enter into a voting and support agreement and has agreed to vote in favor of the transaction. This stockholder owns approximately 9% of Idera shares outstanding and approximately 14% of BioCryst shares outstanding. The transaction is expected to be completed by the end of the second quarter of 2018. The combined company, which will be renamed post-closing, will be headquartered in Exton, PA, at the current Idera headquarters, with a consolidated research center in Birmingham, AL. In addition to Mr. Milano's role as CEO of the combined company, Dan Soland will join the combined company and will serve in the role of Chief Operating Officer.

08:40 EDT Duke Energy proposes $62M solar rebate program in North Carolina - Duke Energy today proposed a $62M solar rebate program designed to help its North Carolina customers with the upfront cost of installing solar panels on their property. This is the first of three customer programs Duke Energy is proposing as part of the implementation of 2017's Competitive Energy Solutions for North Carolina law - also known as House Bill 589. Currently, in North Carolina, Duke Energy has about 6,000 customers who have private solar systems - with a total capacity of just over 50 megawatts. The program expects to increase North Carolina's private solar market by 200% over the next five years, providing an economic boost for the state's solar installation business as well. The program needs to be approved by the N.C. Utilities Commission.

08:38 EDT Praxair signs long-term contract to supply EverDisplay Optronics - Praxair announced it has signed another long-term contract with an electronics manufacturer in Shanghai, China. Praxair will build, own and operate multiple air separation plants that will supply high-purity nitrogen and oxygen to EverDisplay Optronics, the first mass producer of 4.5-generation AMOLED displays in the country. Under the terms of the contract, Praxair will also supply EDO with helium and other gases. Praxair's plants will provide a combined 720 tons per day of nitrogen to EDO's new 6th-generation AMOLED project in Shanghai. The nitrogen will be used in EDO's manufacturing processes. The bulk gas supply is scheduled to begin in mid-2018, followed by additional supply from the air separation plants, which are expected to start up in 2019. EDO will invest more than $4.1B in its new project, which is the only AMOLED project supported by the Shanghai government and one of the focal projects in China's 13th five-year plan.

08:37 EDT Wheeler REIT acquires JANAF shopping yard in Norfolk, Virginia - Wheeler REIT reported that the Company has acquired JANAF Shopping Yard ("JANAF" or "Property"), a 887,917 rentable square foot shopping center located in Norfolk, Virginia. WHLR purchased the Property for $85.65 million, or approximately $96 per leasable square foot, and financed the acquisition using a combination of cash, assumption of approximately $58.9 million of mortgage loans secured by the property and the issuance of approximately $1.1 million of the Company's common stock. The primary loan that the Company assumed has a $53.7 million balance, bears interest at a fixed rate of 4.49%, matures in July 2023 and is pre-payable 90 days prior to its maturity. The Company also assumed a separate loan with a $5.2 million balance that bears interest at a rate of 4.95%, matures in January 2026 and is pre-payable six months prior to its maturity. Additionally, the Company placed a $6.5 million loan on the Bravo parcel, anchored by Northern Tool and Panera, which bears an interest rate of 4.65%. The terms of the loan are interest only payments during the first year, and the second and third years are on a 25-year amortization schedule.

08:32 EDT Priceline CFO Daniel Finnegan to retire, David Goulden to succeed - The Priceline Group announced the appointment of David Goulden as Executive Vice President and CFO, effective March 1st. Goulden joins The Priceline Group from Dell Technologies, where he most recently served as President of their Infrastructure Solutions Group. Goulden will lead The Priceline Group's global financial operations, including the Group's Finance, Tax, Treasury, Accounting, Internal Audit, Corporate Development and Investor Relations teams. He will report directly to Glenn Fogel, the Group's CEO. Mr. Goulden will succeed Daniel Finnegan, who announced his retirement as CFO in 2017 after 14 years with The Priceline Group.

08:31 EDT Baxter reports FDA approval of cardiovascular medication Bivalirudin - Baxter International announced the U.S. FDA approval of Bivalirudin in 0.9 percent Sodium Chloride Injection. Bivalirudin is a specific and direct thrombin inhibitor indicated for use as an anticoagulant in patients undergoing percutaneous coronary intervention, a common non-surgical procedure to treat blocked or narrowed blood vessels in the heart. Baxter's premixed medications are manufactured to current Good Manufacturing Practice regulations established and monitored by the FDA. Bivalirudin is expected to launch in the United States in early 2018 in two commonly prescribed dosage forms and strengths: 250 mg of bivalirudin per 50 mL and 500 mg of bivalirudin per 100 mL.

08:27 EDT AIG confident in reserve adequacy, still sees making deals 'over time' - AIG (AIG) says "over time" it would still be interested in adding other elements to the company via M&A, but right now it is focused on its Validus (VR) deal. AIG continues discussing its Validus announcement in a conference call with analysts.

08:25 EDT BioCryst trading halted, news pending

08:24 EDT Abercrombie & Fitch sees Q4 comparable sales 'up high-single digits' - For the Q4, the company now expects: comparable sales to be up high-single digits, compared to the previous outlook of up low-single digits, net sales to be up low-teens, compared to the previous outlook of up mid- to high-single digits, including benefits from the 53rd week and changes in foreign currency exchange rates, a gross profit rate in line with the previous outlook of down approximately 100 basis points from last year's rate of 59.3%, operating expense, including other operating income, to be up slightly from $553.7M last year, compared to the previous outlook of down approximately 1%, primarily due to volume-related expense on higher than anticipated net sales. The company is currently assessing the impact of the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act of 2017, but expects to recognize a significant income tax charge in Q4 primarily related to the one-time deemed repatriation tax on accumulated foreign earnings.

08:23 EDT Abercrombie & Fitch: Arthur Martinez to step down as executive chairman - Abercrombie & Fitch Co. announced that Arthur C. Martinez will step down as Executive Chairman of its Board of Directors at the conclusion of its fiscal year ending February 3, 2018 in connection with his plans to retire as a Director and not stand for re-election at the company's 2018 Annual Meeting of Shareholders in June. Terry L. Burman, Lead Independent Director and Chair of the Nominating and Board Governance Committee, will assume the role of Non-Executive Chairman at that time. Martinez and Burman both joined the Board in January 2014. Martinez was appointed Non-Executive Chairman of the Board at that time, and has served as the company's Executive Chairman since December 2014.

08:22 EDT Abercrombie & Fitch: Arthur Martinez to step down as executive chairman

08:21 EDT Electrolux AB to acquire Schneidereit GmbH, terms not disclosed - Electrolux announced it has agreed to acquire Schneidereit GmbH, a supplier of laundry rental solutions for professional customers in Germany and Austria. Net sales in 2016 amounted to around EUR 18M and the company has approximately 110 employees throughout Germany. The acquisition is expected to be completed during the first quarter of 2018 and is subject to regulatory approvals.

08:19 EDT tronc: Mickie Rosen to lead LA Times pending completion of review

08:18 EDT tronc retains law firm to conduct review of allegations against Levinsohn - In a regulatory filing, tronc, Inc. announced that effective January 19, 2018, Ross Levinsohn, Publisher & CEO, Los Angeles Times, voluntarily agreed to take an unpaid leave of absence. The company has retained an outside law firm to conduct a review of recent allegations regarding his behavior. Pending completion of that review, Mickie Rosen, the current President, Los Angeles Times, will lead the Los Angeles Times.

08:17 EDT Celgene: Juno's JCAR017 expected to add approx. $3B in peak sales - Celgene (CELG) said on its conference call discussing the proposed acuqisiton of Juno Therapeutics (JUNO) for $87 per share in cash that Juno fits "incredibly well" into its strategic priorities. The companies noted that JCAR017 is expected to add approximately $3B in peak sales and will strengthen Celgene's lymphoma portfolio "significantly." Celgene said that U.S. tax reform enables improved visibility into after-tax cash flows and access to ex-U.S. cash to fund the transaction. Celgene is down 1% in pre-market trading, while Juno is up over 27%.

08:13 EDT Molson Coors: Anheuser-Busch to pay $330M to company on or before January 26 - In a regulatory filing, Molson Coors (TAP) said that as previously disclosed, on October 11, 2016, Molson Coors Brewing Company completed the acquisition of SABMiller plc's (SBMRY) interests in MillerCoors LLC and all trademarks, contracts and other assets primarily related to the "Miller International Business", from Anheuser-Busch InBev SA/NV (BUD). The acquisition was completed for $12B in cash, subject to a downward purchase price adjustment, as described in the Purchase Agreement. On January 21, 2018, the company and ABI entered into a Settlement Agreement pursuant to which ABI will pay to the company, on or prior to January 26, 2018, $330M, of which $328M constitutes the Adjustment Amount, as defined in the Purchase Agreement. ABI and MCBC also agreed to certain mutual releases as further described in the Settlement Agreement.

08:10 EDT Calgon Carbon: CFIUS to begin additional 45 day investigation period - In a regulatory filing, Calcon Carbon said that as previously disclosed, on September 21, the company, Kuraray Co., Ltd., a company organized under the laws of Japan, Kuraray Holdings U.S.A., Inc., a Delaware corporation and KJ Merger Sub, Inc., a Delaware corporation and a wholly owned subsidiary of Parent, entered into an Agreement and Plan of Merger, pursuant to which Merger Sub will be merged with and into the company, with the company surviving the merger as a wholly owned subsidiary of Parent, and an indirect wholly owned subsidiary of Kuraray. On November 22, 2017, the company and Kuraray filed a joint voluntary notice with the Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States, or CFIUS. On January 19, 2018, at the conclusion of the initial review period, CFIUS notified the parties that CFIUS will initiate an additional 45 calendar day investigation period, which will conclude no later than March 5, 2018. The parties continue to target the first quarter of 2018 for the closing of the merger.

08:07 EDT Syros Pharmaceuticals issued U.S. patents covering methods for SY-1425 - Syros Pharmaceuticals announced that the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office has issued two patents covering methods for stratifying patients with acute myeloid leukemi and myelodysplastic syndrome for treatment with SY-1425, the company's first-in-class selective retinoic acid receptor alpha agonist. The first patent, U.S. Patent 9,845,508, covers a method of diagnosing and treating AML patients by determining whether they have elevated levels of RARA messenger RNA and, if they do, administering SY-1425. The second patent, U.S. Patent 9,868,994, covers a method of treating AML and MDS by administering SY-1425 to patients known to have elevated levels of IRF8 mRNA. For purposes of these patents, AML does not include acute promyelocytic leukemia, or APL. Using its gene control platform, Syros identified subsets of AML and MDS patients with a highly specialized regulatory region of DNA, known as a super-enhancer, associated with either the RARA or IRF8 gene, or both. The Company is using a clinical trial assay to identify AML and MDS patients with elevated levels of RARA and IRF8 mRNA for inclusion in a Phase 2 clinical trial assessing the safety and efficacy of SY-1425 in combination with azacitidine, a hypomethylating agent, and in combination with daratumumab, an anti-CD38 therapeutic antibody.

08:05 EDT Teva says Phase III studies of reslizumab did not meet primary endpoints - Teva Pharmaceutical Industries announced that a Phase III registration study evaluating subcutaneously administered reslizumab in a pre-filled syringe did not meet its primary endpoint of significantly reducing the frequency of clinical asthma exacerbations in patients with uncontrolled asthma and elevated blood eosinophils greater than300/mcL. A Phase III claim-support study evaluating subcutaneously administered reslizumab in patients with oral corticosteroid-dependent asthma did not meet its primary endpoint of reduction in daily OCS dose. "We are disappointed that these trials of the reslizumab formulation administered subcutaneously at a fixed-dose of 110 mg did not meet their primary endpoints. However, these results reinforce the role of eosinophils in severe asthma disease biology and the importance of defining the right blood eosinophil cutoff point for patient selection. We continue to see the positive impact of the intravenous formulation as a clinically effective 3mg/kg weight-based dosing option in patients with asthma and elevated blood eosinophils who are inadequately controlled on standard-of-care therapy," said Tushar Shah, SVP, Specialty Clinical Development and Medical Affairs at Teva. In the registration study, a pre-specified a priori-powered subgroup analysis of 80% of the total randomized severe asthma patient population with baseline blood eosinophil count of greater than or equal to 400/mcL showed significant reduction in CAE risk. This patient population is similar to those studied in the Phase III clinical trials for CINQAIR/CINQAERO injection, the currently approved intravenous formulation, which also used a blood eosinophil count of greater than or equal to 400/mcL. Teva will review the full data to determine next steps. No new safety concerns to the known safety profile of reslizumab were identified in review of the data from these studies and no cases of anaphylaxis related to reslizumab were reported.

08:04 EDT Surmodics receives 510(k) clearance for Telemark microcatheter - Surmodics announced it has received U.S. Food and Drug Administration 510(k) clearance for its Telemark .014 coronary and peripheral support microcatheter. The company is making this product available for U.S. distribution in the coming months.

08:02 EDT Centene awarded statewide Medicaid contract in New Mexico - Centene has been awarded a statewide contract in New Mexico for the Centennial Care 2.0 Program. The new five-year contract is effective on January 19 and includes the option to renew for up to an additional three years. Calendar year 2018 will be a readiness year prior to enrolling members on January 1, 2019. The state's current program, Centennial Care, provides integrated Medicaid managed care coverage, including long-term services and supports and behavioral health, to nearly 700,000 Medicaid members in the state.

08:01 EDT TD Ameritrade announces 24-hour access to U.S. equity markets - TD Ameritrade said it is the first U.S. retail broker dealer to enable investors to access equity markets all night long -- filling a gap between research and action, and enabling the company's growing Asia-based client segment to trade the U.S. markets during their daytime. With this initial launch, qualified TD Ameritrade clients can buy or sell select ETFs from 8 p.m. ET Sunday to 8 p.m. ET Friday. TD Ameritrade's initial 24/5 trading offering includes 12 widely-held U.S.-listed ETFs.

07:42 EDT AIG will evaluate 'opportunistic' funding alternatives for Validus deal - AIG (AIG) said it plans to fund the Validus (VR) transaction with cash on hand, but will evaluate "opportunistic funding alternatives" prior to closing. The transaction may accelerate utilization of existing AIG DTAs. AIG sees the deal being neutral to book value and modestly dilutive to tangible book value with reasonable payback period. AIG sees its leverage ratio to increase "modestly." The size of the transaction "delivers immediate positive impact to earnings power with limited execution risk," AIG stated in slides related to the deal announcement conference call.

07:33 EDT J. Alexander's 'strongly disagrees' with ISS, Glass Lewis recommendations - J. Alexander's Holdings issued the following statement in response to reports by proxy advisory firms Institutional Shareholder Services and Glass Lewis regarding the previously announced acquisition of Ninety Nine Restaurant & Pub: "We strongly disagree with the ISS and Glass Lewis recommendations regarding our acquisition of 99 Restaurants. Both recommendations surprisingly ignore the actions by the J. Alexander's Board of Directors to establish an equitable process for the transaction, including specific negotiations for the transaction to be approved by disinterested shareholders. While we believe that ISS did not properly weigh the value creation opportunities of the proposed transaction, we were pleased Glass Lewis recognized the significant benefits J. Alexander's shareholders would see with the acquisition of 99 Restaurants. The J. Alexander's Board and management team have worked diligently to identify and execute opportunities to drive growth and value for our shareholders and we are confident that the proposed transaction with 99 Restaurants represents a significant opportunity to do so...We were gratified that Egan-Jones Proxy Services, a proxy advisory firm and competitor to ISS and Glass Lewis, reviewed the same facts as its competitors and came to recommend a vote "FOR" this transaction. We believe that shareholders who conduct their own thoughtful analysis will arrive at the same conclusion. We continue to believe this acquisition will create attractive value for, and is in the best interest of, all shareholders. The transaction is expected to be accretive to J. Alexander's earnings per share and present meaningful opportunities for cost synergies, which, if achieved, will drive further accretion." J. Alexander's Board recommends that shareholders vote "FOR" this transaction on the WHITE proxy card.

07:12 EDT AIG trading resumes

07:11 EDT Rexford Industrial acquires industrial property for $11.4M, sells one for $11.4M - Rexford Industrial acquired a single-tenant industrial property for approximately $11.4M. The company also sold a six-building industrial park for $11.4M. The acquisition was funded through a combination of proceeds from the disposition and cash on hand. The company acquired 13971 Norton Avenue, located in Chino in the Inland Empire - West submarket, for $11.4M or $110 per square foot. The property is currently 100% leased to a single tenant. The company plans to implement cosmetic and functional renovations upon lease renewal or re-tenanting. The company sold 5637 East Arrow Highway & 8900-8980 North Benson Avenue in the Inland Empire-West submarket for approximately $11.4M or $130 per square foot. Proceeds from the disposition were recycled in a tax deferred 1031 exchange to fund a portion of the Norton Avenue acquisition.

07:10 EDT Enbridge, Spectra Energy Partners complete elimination of IDRs - Enbridge (ENB) and Spectra Energy Partners (SEP) announced execution of a definitive agreement, resulting in Enbridge converting all of its incentive distribution rights and general partner economic interests in SEP into 172.5M newly issued SEP common units. As part of the transaction, all of the IDRs have been eliminated. The 172.5M newly issued SEP common units have a value of approximately $7.2B based on the volume-weighted average price of SEP common units over the past twenty days. The transaction value represents a multiple of 15.7x forecast 2018 GP/IDR cash flow and is expected to be breakeven to SEP's distributable cash flow per common unit by the second half of 2019 and be accretive thereafter. Enbridge now holds a non-economic GP interest in SEP and owns approximately 403M SEP common units, representing approximately 83% of SEP's outstanding common units. The transaction provides significant benefits to all SEP common unitholders. The elimination of the IDRs will improve SEP's competitiveness and growth potential by permanently improving its cost of capital, thereby improving value for both SEP unitholders and Enbridge. The transaction also simplifies SEP's capital structure and further aligns the interests of all SEP unitholders. SEP maintains its current guidance of 7% distribution growth in 2018 and 4-6% distribution growth in 2019-20, distribution coverage of 1.1x to 1.2x and a strong credit profile of sub 4.0x Debt/EBITDA.

07:09 EDT 2U and WeWork partner in online graduate program expansion - 2U and WeWork Companies announced a multi-year, global, exclusive partnership to provide students in 2U-powered online graduate programs Global Access Memberships to WeWork spaces around the world; 2U will offer $5M in scholarships to help WeWork community members and employees access 2U's partner portfolio of world class graduate programs and GetSmarter's online short courses; WeWork and 2U will co-create a Future of Learning and Work space to open in 2019; and WeWork will license Flatiron School's proprietary Learn.co technology to 2U.

07:06 EDT Regeneron reports approval of Dupixent in Japan for atopic dermatitis - Regeneron (REGN) announced that the Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare in Japan has granted marketing and manufacturing authorization for Dupixent for the treatment of atopic dermatitis in adults not adequately controlled with existing therapies. Dupixent is being jointly developed by Regeneron and Sanofi (SNY) under a global collaboration agreement, and will be commercialized in Japan by Sanofi. Atopic dermatitis, a form of eczema, is a chronic inflammatory disease with symptoms often appearing as a rash on the skin. In March 2017, the FDA approved Dupixent in the U.S. for the treatment of adults with moderate-to-severe atopic dermatitis whose disease is not adequately controlled with topical prescription therapies or when those therapies are not advisable. The European Commission also granted marketing authorization for Dupixent for use in adults with moderate-to-severe atopic dermatitis who are candidates for systemic therapy in September 2017.

07:05 EDT CanniMed announces continuation of discussions with Aurora Cannabis - CanniMed Therapeutics announces that it is continuing to discuss terms of a possible transaction with Aurora Cannabis. Therefore, CanniMed and Aurora have each agreed to extend their previously announced standstill to expire at 5:00 pm today, and until such time (i) neither CanniMed nor Aurora will solicit any proxies of CanniMed shareholders, (ii) Aurora will not, directly or indirectly, acquire control or direction over any additional shares of CanniMed, (iii) neither CanniMed nor Aurora will make any announcement or public statements in respect of a potential transaction nor will Aurora make or publicly announce any changes to its offer dated November 24, 2017 unless mutually agreed; and (iv) neither CanniMed nor Aurora will solicit an alternative transaction or enter into any discussions or negotiations with respect to an alternative transaction during the standstill period.

07:03 EDT Level Brands, Kathy Ireland announce extension of Isodiol license agreement - Kathy Ireland, Chairman Emeritus and Chief Brand Strategist of Level Brands, along with Vancouver-based Isodiol International Inc., jointly announced that the companies have signed an amendment to the License Agreement entered into in December 2017 which extends the term from five years to 10 years, as well as expands the territorial coverage from North America to worldwide. This amendment was entered into after the parties concluded the go/no go discussions contemplated under the terms of the License Agreement.

07:03 EDT uniQure receives OMPD in EU for AMT-130 - uniQure announced that AMT-130, its proprietary gene therapy candidate for Huntington's disease, has received an Orphan Medicinal Product Designation, or OMPD, from the European Medicines Agency. AMT-130 represents the first investigational AAV-gene therapy in Huntington's disease to receive such designation. In October 2017 the company announced that the FDA granted orphan drug designation for the same indication. There are currently no approved medical treatments aimed at addressing the underlying cause of Huntington's disease, and AMT-130 has the potential to play a role in this area of high unmet medical need. AMT-130 consists of an AAV5 vector carrying an engineered micro-RNA specifically designed to silence the huntingtin gene. The therapeutic goal is to inhibit the production of the mutant protein. Using AAV vectors to deliver micro-RNAs directly into the brain represents a highly innovative approach to treating Huntington's disease.

07:02 EDT Neovasc CEO Alexei Marko to depart, Fred Colen to succeed - Neovasc announced that its board of directors has appointed Fred Colen as president and CEO effective immediately. This leadership transition is a key element of the company's strategy to support plans for the commercialization of its new-to-market Reducer product in Europe and the advancement of its Tiara mitral valve clinical program. Alexei Marko, Neovasc's outgoing CEO, will maintain his role as a Director on the Neovasc Board of Directors and continue to serve as an advisor to the company. Colen most recently served as the President and Chief Executive Officer of BeneChill, building its early stage business in Europe and developing its clinical, regulatory and marketing strategy for the US market.

07:01 EDT Bristol-Myers Yervoy expanded indication approved by EC - Bristol-Myers announced that the European Commission has expanded the indication of Yervoy to include treatment of advanced melanoma in pediatric patients 12 years of age and older. The EC approval marks Bristol-Myers Squibb's first pediatric indication for an Immuno-Oncology medicine in the European Union and allows for the marketing of Yervoy for this indication in all 28 Member States of the EU. Yervoy has been evaluated in pediatric and adolescent patient populations across two clinical trials: a dose-finding study in 33 patients aged two to 21 years with relapsed or refractory solid tumors; and an open-label, single-arm trial in 12 adolescents with previously treated or untreated, unresectable Stage III or IV malignant melanoma.

06:53 EDT AIG to acquire Validus for $5.56B, or $68 per share, in cash - American International Group (AIG) announced it has entered into a definitive agreement to acquire all outstanding common shares of Validus Holdings (VR), a provider of reinsurance, primary insurance, and asset management services. The transaction enhances AIG's General Insurance business, adding a leading reinsurance platform, an insurance-linked securities asset manager, a meaningful presence at Lloyd's and complementary capabilities in the U.S. crop and excess and surplus markets. Holders of Validus common shares will receive cash consideration of $68.00 per share, for an aggregate transaction value of $5.56 billion, funded by cash on hand. The transaction is expected to be immediately accretive to AIG's earnings per share and return on equity. Validus brings complementary, market-leading capabilities to AIG, enhancing AIG's platform and long-term growth opportunities for both companies. The diversification benefits of the transaction also provide significant additional capital efficiencies over time. The transaction has been unanimously recommended by the boards of directors of AIG and Validus. The transaction is expected to close mid-2018, subject to approval by Validus shareholders and other customary closing conditions, including regulatory approvals in relevant jurisdictions and the expiration or termination of the applicable waiting period under the Hart-Scott-Rodino Antitrust Improvements Act of 1976.

06:52 EDT AIG to acquire Validus for $5.56B, or $68 per share, in cash

06:49 EDT AIG trading halted, news pending

06:46 EDT TopBuild acquires Santa Rosa Insulation and Fireproofing, terms not disclosed - TopBuild has acquired Santa Rosa Insulation and Fireproofing, a residential and commercial insulation company which has been providing installation services to the greater Miami area for over 35 years. For the twelve months ended December 31, 2017, Santa Rosa generated approximately $6M in annual revenue.

06:34 EDT Matador enters strategic relationship with Plains All American in Rustler Breaks - Matador (MTDR) announced a strategic relationship between a subsidiary of the company's 51%-owned midstream joint venture, San Mateo Midstream, and a subsidiary of Plains All American (PAA) to gather and transport crude oil for Matador and third-party customers in and around the Rustler Breaks asset area in Eddy County, New Mexico. Subsidiaries of San Mateo and Plains have agreed to work together through a Joint Tariff arrangement and related transactions to offer third-party producers located within a joint development area of approximately 400,000 acres in Eddy County, New Mexico crude oil transportation services from the wellhead to Midland, Texas with access to other end markets, such as Cushing and the Gulf Coast. In addition, another subsidiary of Plains has agreed to purchase Matador's oil production in the Rustler Breaks asset area and in the Wolf asset area in Loving County, Texas. Plains intends to construct a mainline extension from its current long-haul oil pipeline system in Culberson County, Texas to a central delivery point on San Mateo's crude oil pipeline system, currently under construction near Carlsbad, New Mexico. Matador expects construction will be complete in Q2 or early in Q3. In addition, San Mateo will be able to accept crude oil onto its system from trucks near the city of Loving, New Mexico. Matador expects to save substantial expenses by transporting increasing volumes of its oil by pipeline.

06:33 EDT Celgene to buy Juno Therapeutics for approximately $87 per share in cash - Celgene Corporation (CELG) and Juno Therapeutics (JUNO) announced the signing of a definitive merger agreement in which Celgene has agreed to acquire Juno. Under the terms of the merger agreement, Celgene will pay $87 per share in cash, or a total of approximately $9B, net of cash and marketable securities acquired and Juno shares already owned by Celgene. The transaction was approved by the boards of directors of both companies. The transaction is anticipated to close in Q1:18. Celgene expects to fund the transaction through a combination of existing cash and new debt. The resulting capital structure will be consistent with Celgene's historical financial strategy and strong investment grade profile providing the financial flexibility to pursue Celgene's strategic priorities and take actions to drive post 2020 growth. The acquisition is expected to be dilutive to adjusted EPS in 2018 by approximately 50c and is expected to be incrementally additive to net product sales in 2020. There is no change to the previously disclosed 2020 financial targets of total net product sales of $19B-$20B and adjusted EPS greater than $12.50. J.P. Morgan Securities LLC is acting as financial advisor to Celgene on the transaction. Morgan Stanley & Co. LLC is acting as financial advisor to Juno. Legal counsel for Celgene is Proskauer Rose LLP and Hogan Lovells, and Juno's legal counsel is Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher and Flom, LLP.

06:31 EDT Ingersoll-Rand acquires ICS Group Holdings, terms not disclosed - Ingersoll-Rand announced the acquisition of United Kingdom-based ICS Group Holdings. ICS Cool Energy will be part of the company's Commercial Heating, Ventilation and Air Conditioning business. The financial terms of the deal were not disclosed and are not material.

06:23 EDT Broadcom files preliminary proxy materials for redomiciliation to U.S. - Broadcom announced that the company has filed preliminary proxy materials with the SEC in connection with a Broadcom shareholder meeting to approve the previously announced redomiciliation of the parent company of the Broadcom corporate group from a Singapore company to a Delaware corporation. The redomiciliation is expected to be tax-free to Broadcom's shareholders. Broadcom currently has its U.S. operating headquarters in San Jose, California, and employs over 8,000 people in more than 25 states, which represents more than half of its global workforce. Broadcom previously announced its intent to redomicile in the U.S. on November 2, 2017. Broadcom expects to receive approvals by Broadcom shareholders and the Singapore High Court by the end of its fiscal second quarter ending May 6, 2018.

06:06 EDT UBS creating unified Wealth Management unit - Effective February 1, UBS is creating a unified Wealth Management and Wealth Management Americas business division, called Global Wealth Management. UBS said, "Two years ago, the bank began to more closely align Wealth Management and Wealth Management Americas and together they have made good progress converging the Chief Investment Office as well as the UHNW and Global Family Office segments into global organizations. The decision to combine WM and WMA is the natural next step in the evolution of the wealth management franchise."

06:05 EDT UBS intends to propose 8% dividend increase for 2017 - For 2017, the Board of Directors intends to propose a dividend to UBS Group AG shareholders of CHF 0.653 per share, an 8% increase on the prior year. The bank will also initiate a share repurchase program of up to CHF 2bn over three years, including up to CHF 550m in 2018, commencing in March. Following the announcements by the Basel Committee in December 2017 with regards to the finalization of Basel III capital rules, UBS has greater clarity on its future capital requirements. The firm plans to operate with a fully applied CET1 capital ratio of around 13% and a fully applied CET1 leverage ratio of around 3.7% from 2018 to 2020. UBS currently estimates that the introduction of the revised Basel III framework on 1 January 2022 will lead to a further net increase in RWA of around CHF 35bn, before taking into account any mitigation actions, and based on the bank's assumptions regarding the implementation of final standards.

05:47 EDT Astellas, Vical: Phase 3 HELIOS trial did not meet primary, secondary endpoints - Astellas Pharma (ALPMY) and Vical Incorporated (VICL) announced that ASP0113, an investigational DNA vaccine being developed for cytomegalovirus, or CMV,-seropositive hematopoietic stem cell transplant, or HSCT, recipients, did not meet its primary or secondary endpoints in the Phase 3 HELIOS clinical trial. The vaccine was generally well tolerated, with injection-site reactions being the most commonly reported adverse event.

04:49 EDT Sanofi acquires Bioverativ for $105 per share in cash, or $11.6B - Sanofi (SNY) and Bioverativ (BIIV) have entered into a definitive agreement under which Sanofi will acquire all of the outstanding shares of Bioverativ for $105 per share in cash, representing an equity value of approximately $11.6B. The transaction was unanimously approved by both the Sanofi and Bioverativ boards. The acquisition is expected to be immediately accretive to Sanofi's Business earnings in fiscal 2018 and up to 5% accretive in fiscal 2019. Sanofi is also projected to achieve ROIC in excess of cost of capital within three years. Sanofi expects to "preserve its strong credit rating." Under the terms of the merger agreement, Sanofi will commence a tender offer to acquire all of the outstanding shares of Bioverativ common stock at a price of $105 per share in cash. The $105 per share acquisition price represents a 64% premium to Bioverativ's closing price on January 19, 2018. Sanofi plans to finance the transaction with a combination of cash on hand and through new debt to be raised. The tender offer is not subject to any financing condition. Subject to the satisfaction or waiver of customary closing conditions, the transaction is expected to close within three months. Sanofi believes "factor replacement therapy will remain the standard of care in hemophilia for many years due to excellent safety and its increasingly superior long-acting profile."