Stockwinners Market Radar for January 24, 2018 - Earnings, Upgrades downgrades, option trades, Best Stock Advisory Service

19:07 EDT Apple says iOS 11.3 will let users turn off feature that slows device - Apple said that its next major update for its mobile software will come this spring. In the form of iOS 11.3, the update will deliver updates for augmented reality, a new Animoji on iPhone X, and the ability to view health records in the Health app. In addition, the new update adds new features to show battery health and recommend if a battery needs to be serviced. These can be found in Settings -greater than Battery and are available for iPhone 6 and later. Additionally, users can now see if the power management feature that dynamically manages maximum performance to prevent unexpected shutdowns, first introduced in iOS 10.2.1, is on and can choose to turn it off. This feature can be found in Settings -greater than Battery and is available for iPhone 6, iPhone 6 Plus, iPhone SE, iPhone 6s, iPhone 6s Plus, iPhone 7 and iPhone 7 Plus. These features will be coming in a later iOS 11.3 beta release. Reference Link

18:31 EDT GW Pharmaceuticals says landmark Epidiolex study published in The Lancet - GW Pharmaceuticals along with its U.S. subsidiary Greenwich Biosciences announced that The Lancet has published results from a Phase 3 study of Epidiolex in patients with Lennox-Gastaut syndrome. Epidiolex, GW's lead product candidate and the potential first in a new category of anti-epileptic drugs, is a pharmaceutical formulation of purified cannabidiol, a cannabinoid lacking euphoric side effects, which is being studied for the treatment of a number of rare, severe pediatric-onset epilepsy disorders. In this study, Epidiolex significantly reduced monthly drop seizure frequency compared to placebo in highly treatment-resistant patients when added to existing treatment. Treatment with Epidiolex was generally well tolerated, with a safety profile consistent with prior reported experience. A New Drug Application submission to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration for Epidiolex in the treatment of LGS and Dravet syndrome was accepted in December with an assigned PDUFA goal date of June 27th 2018 and, if approved, the medicine is expected to be available in the U.S. by prescription in the second half of 2018. A Marketing Authorisation Application was submitted to the European Medicines Agency (EMA) in December 2017, with an expected decision in early 2019.

18:19 EDT Ford says partners are excited about revenue expansion - Says Ford (F) smart mobility will lead to ever-increasing levels of revenue and a nice return. Says partners like Domino's (DPZ) and Postmates are excited about the revenue expansion from the potential fleet of autonomous cars. Says issues with Lincoln Navigator and Ford Expedition are fixed.

18:01 EDT Celanese announces engineered materials polymer products price increases - Celanese announced price increases on its propylene-based short- and long-fiber thermoplastic compounds and its polyamide-based polymer grades. The price increases below will be effective immediately.

17:55 EDT Ford says it had rough year in China - Says rough year in China with unit volume down to 6%. Says second half of 2018 starts a new wave of product launches in Asia, including 16 new models. Comments taken from Q4 earnings conference call.

17:31 EDT On The Fly: After Hours Movers - UP AFTER EARNINGS: Varian Medical (VAR), up 12.8%... Dolby (DLB), up 8.7%... Lam Research (LRCX), up 4.3%... Xilinx (XLNX), up 3.8%... F5 Networks (FFIV), up 3%. ALSO HIGHER: ShotSpotter (SSTI), up 12.2% after it announced a partnership with Verizon (VZ) to detect gunshots on street lights... Angiodynamics (ANGO), up 7.5% after it received FDA expedited access pathway designation for the NanoKnife system... Spark Therapeutics (ONCE), up 2.5% after it entered into a $105M licensing agreement with Novartis (NVS). DOWN AFTER EARNINGS: Teradyne (TER), down 4.9%... Ford (F), down 0.8%. ALSO LOWER: Ocular Therapeutix (OCUL), down 12.3% after it filed to sell common stock... Albireo Pharma (ALBO), down 2.8% after it filed to sell common stock... Range Resources (RRC), down 1.1% after it announced its fiscal 2018 capital budget.

17:26 EDT Arthur J. Gallagher raises quarterly dividend to 41c from 39c per share - The dividend will be payable on March 16, 2018 to stockholders of record as of March 2, 2018.

17:17 EDT Washington Federal increases dividend to 17c, announces share repurchase to 5.3M - The board of Washington Federal announced a regular quarterly cash dividend of 17 cents per share, a 2 cent increase from the prior quarter. The dividend will be paid on February 23, to common stockholders of record as of February 9. This will be Washington Federal's 140th consecutive quarterly cash dividend. The board also increased the number of shares authorized for repurchase by 5M, bringing the currently authorized amount up to 5.3M shares. Over the last three fiscal years, the company has repurchased 13.1M shares at a weighted average price of $24.41.

17:15 EDT Discover to raise minimum hourly rate to $15.25 per hour for all full-time staff - Discover announced plans to raise its minimum hourly pay rate to $15.25 for virtually all of its full-time U.S. employees as a result of the recent corporate tax reductions after granting a $1,000 bonus to more than 15,000 non-executive employees earlier this month. The new minimum rate will take effect later this year and ultimately will impact more than 7,000 employees. The company plans to make additional investments in its people and will increase corporate responsibility efforts in the communities in which it operates.

17:08 EDT Teradyne down 7.8% afterhours following Q4 earnings and Q1 outlook

17:07 EDT Mueller Water raises quarterly dividend to 5c per share from 4c per share - The dividend is payable on or about February 20, 2018 to stockholders of record as of the close of business on February 9, 2018.

17:04 EDT Teradyne raises quarterly dividend by 29% to 9c per share - Teradyne's Board of Directors declared a quarterly cash dividend of $0.09 per share, payable on March 23, 2018 to shareholders of record as of the close of business on February 23, 2018.

16:54 EDT Navigant Consulting says 'disappointed' with Engine Capital letter - Navigant commented on the letter released by Engine Capital. "Navigant is disappointed Engine has chosen to express its viewpoint in this manner and disagrees with certain assertions and analysis presented in its letter. Navigant's Board of Directors and management team are aligned in their commitment to take continuous actions to improve performance and create long-term shareholder value. Navigant's Board of Directors regularly reviews and rigorously evaluates the Company's strategic direction and operating plans against its primary objective of enhancing shareholder value. As part of its ongoing responsibilities, the Board welcomes open dialogue with shareholders and values constructive input. Over the past few months, Navigant's Chairman and CEO, lead independent director and Chair of the Company's Audit Committee, as well as members of management, have engaged in extensive discussions with representatives of Engine and listened carefully to their ideas. Over the course of this dialogue, Engine has expressed its view that the Company has a strong business, is 'well managed' and is undervalued - all points with which Navigant agrees. In addition, consistent with its commitment to maintaining a highly qualified, independent Board, Navigant has invited Engine on multiple occasions to share its recommendations regarding potential Board nominees. Despite Navigant's repeated invitations, Engine has yet to share its recommendations, other than its own founder, Arnaud Ajdler."

16:47 EDT Turner, TEGNA make strategic equity investment in Vizbee - Vizbee, a cross-platform casting and data company, announced that Turner (TWX) and TEGNA (TGNA) have made strategic investments in their company during their latest round of funding. Turner first began incorporating Vizbee technology into its TBS and TNT apps when digital upgrades were made in May 2017. This enabled viewers to cast content from their mobile devices to any connected screen seamlessly without the need for a plug-in which, in turn, drove greater interest in application downloads. As a result, Turner registered a 30% month-over-month gain in the number of "casts" between June and October of 2017 and accumulated 1.7 million "casts" during that same period. Casting of TBS and TNT programming is now possible via Roku, Amazon Fire, Apple TV and Samsung smart TVs.

16:35 EDT Whirlpool: North America region reported Q4 operating margin of 11.8% - A 60 basis point improvement compared to the same prior-year period.

16:32 EDT Whirlpool sees FY18 cash from operating activities $1.7B-$1.8B - Sees FY18 free cash flow of approximately $1B-$1.1B.

16:20 EDT Varian Medical selected for proton therapy system in Alabama - Varian has been selected by Proton International to install a Varian ProBeam Compact single-room proton therapy system in the new University of Alabama at Birmingham Proton Therapy Center. Construction on the new center is expected to begin at the end of January 2018, and first patient treatments are expected to start in early 2020. Varian booked and reported the order for the equipment in Q1. Varian is also working on proton therapy system installations at 18 other sites around the world.

16:18 EDT Valero Energy Partners increases quarterly distribution by 5.7% - The board of Valero Energy Partners GP, the general partner of Valero Energy Partners LP, has approved the Partnership's Q4 cash distribution of 50.75c per unit. This distribution represents a 5.7% increase over the Partnership's previous quarterly distribution, and is payable on February 13 to unitholders of record at the close of business on February 5.

16:14 EDT Iovance announces preliminary Phase 2 data for TIL treatment - Iovance Biotherapeutics reported preliminary clinical results from two ongoing open-label Phase 2 studies in head and neck and cervical cancers. The company reported preliminary data from C-145-03, a multicenter Phase 2 study to evaluate the safety and efficacy of autologous Tumor Infiltrating Lymphocytes (LN-145) for the treatment of patients with recurrent and/or metastatic squamous cell carcinoma of the head and neck. Three of the eight patients treated with LN-145 had a reduction in tumor size of at least 30% and qualified as a Partial Response as per RECIST 1.1 criteria. The Objective Response Rate (ORR) in the study is 38% to date. These patients had a median of 4 prior treatments for their cancer and had all received prior anti-PD-1 therapy. Two of eight had also received prior anti-CTLA-4. The most common side effects were pyrexia, chills, and hypotension. Iovance will continue to enroll patients in this study to the full sample size of 47 per protocol. The company also reported preliminary data from C-145-04, a multicenter Phase 2 study to evaluate the safety and efficacy of autologous Tumor Infiltrating Lymphocytes for the treatment of patients with recurrent, metastatic or persistent cervical carcinoma. Two patients are currently evaluable. One treated with LN-145 had a confirmed PR and one patient had stable disease. "These early data from the head and neck study show the potential safety and efficacy of TIL therapy in tumor types other than melanoma, and demonstrate the broad utility of TIL therapy in various solid tumors. Recently approved anti-PD-1 therapies have resulted in overall response rates of 13-16% in head and neck cancer patients with a median of 2 prior therapies or similar disposition. We are therefore excited by this early data and believe that LN-145 may offer patients who have failed prior therapies, including anti-PD-1 checkpoints, an important treatment alternative," said Dr. Maria Fardis, PhD, MBA, president and chief executive officer of Iovance Biotherapeutics. "We are also encouraged by the preliminary data reported today in cervical cancer. Previously published data from the National Cancer Institute (NCI) had shown a response in three of nine cervical cancer patients treated with TIL therapy. Patients with metastatic cervical cancer have limited effective treatment options, with no transformative new systemic therapies having been approved over the last several decades."

16:13 EDT Ethan Allen announces plans for marketing campaign - Farooq Kathwari, Ethan Allen Chairman and CEO, said: "We are pleased to announce a major marketing campaign to help increase traffic to our retail network and to our digital mediums starting from the third quarter. With major improvements in our offerings, strengthened retail network, investments in our technology and improvements in our manufacturing, we plan to increase our advertising by about 33% in the third quarter and by about 15% in the fourth quarter."

16:12 EDT Ethan Allen sees FY18 effective tax rate of approximately 30% - Ethan Allen Interiors GAAP and adjusted diluted earnings per share reflect an effective tax rate of 16% for the fiscal 2018 second quarter compared to 36.9% in the prior year quarter due to the Tax Cut and Jobs Act. The Company preliminarily expects its effective tax rate will be approximately 30% for fiscal 2018 and 24% to 25% for fiscal 2019.

16:09 EDT Anika expands strategic collaboration with IALS at UMass Amherst - A new agreement to extend a two-year-long strategic collaboration that yielded a promising new modality for the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis was today announced by Anika Therapeutics and the Institute for Applied Life Sciences at the University of Massachusetts Amherst. In the next phase of this collaboration, Anika and UMass will focus on research to optimize the drug delivery system with the goal of advancing a novel therapeutic candidate into clinical trials to support regulatory submission.

16:08 EDT Las Vegas Sands CEO says 'extremely pleased' with Q4 results - Sheldon Adelson, chairman and CEO, said, "We are extremely pleased to have delivered another set of strong financial results this quarter. Consolidated adjusted property EBITDA reached $1.34 billion, an increase of 19.7% compared to the fourth quarter of 2016. We also continued to return excess capital to shareholders through dividends and share repurchases during the quarter. The Macao market continued its robust recovery during the quarter, with growth in the important Mass gaming market accelerating in the fourth quarter of 2017. Sands China's Mass table games win increased 26.9%, outpacing the estimated growth in the market overall and contributing to our highest Mass gaming win since the first quarter of 2014. That strong gaming performance, coupled with higher hotel occupancy and retail mall revenues, helped drive an increase in adjusted property EBITDA of 19.8%, to $731 million, our best quarterly result in Macao since the third quarter of 2014. We are extremely pleased with our operating momentum in Macao and remain confident that our Cotai Strip property portfolio will continue to deliver important benefits to Macao in the form of economic diversification, greater numbers of business and leisure travelers, and a superior platform for growth in the years ahead. Marina Bay Sands again delivered outstanding financial results during the quarter with adjusted property EBITDA expanding 24.6% to reach $456 million. Marina Bay Sands' innovative programming, mass gaming play and non-gaming revenues underpin the continued success of this industry-leading property, while continued cost discipline also contributed to the strong performance. EBITDA margin increased 470 basis points in the quarter, reaching 55.3%. We are pleased to have established Marina Bay Sands as a reference site for other cities and countries that are considering harnessing the economic power and direct contributions to tourism, employment and GDP growth that are gained through our unique convention-based Integrated Resort business model."

16:05 EDT SI Financial increases wages, quarterly dividend - SI Financial Group, the parent of Savings Institute Bank and Trust Company, announced plans to raise minimum wages for approximately 25% of the Bank's workforce as a result of the enactment of the new federal tax reform legislation. In addition, the board declared a cash dividend of 6c per share on the company's outstanding shares of common stock, representing a 20% increase over the prior quarter. The dividend will be paid on February 26 to stockholders of record as of the close of business on February 5.

16:03 EDT Novelion Therapeutics announces cost reduction plan - Novelion Therapeutics announced significant cost reduction plans as it continues to manage its cash resources and the effects of the delay and uncertainty of the settlement of its Aegerion subsidiary with the U.S. Department of Justice and the Securities and Exchange Commission. In addition to the workforce and other cost reductions, the company is pursuing licensing opportunities for its zuretinol drug candidate designed to treat certain rare inherited forms of blindness, that predominately affect children, due, in part, to the aforementioned cash and capital structure challenges.

16:03 EDT Spark Therapeutics enters $105M licensing agreement with Novartis - Spark Therapeutics announced it has entered into a licensing agreement with Novartis to develop and commercialize investigational voretigene neparvovec outside the U.S., while Spark Therapeutics will continue to exclusively commercialize Luxturna in the U.S. Under the agreement, Spark Therapeutics will retain regulatory responsibility for obtaining European Medicines Agency approval for investigational voretigene neparvovec. Spark Therapeutics also entered into a separate agreement to manufacture and supply investigational voretigene neparvovec to Novartis. No other programs in Spark Therapeutics' pipeline are part of this agreement. Under the terms of the licensing agreement, Novartis will pay Spark Therapeutics $105M in cash as an upfront fee. Spark Therapeutics is eligible to receive up to an additional $65M in cash milestone payments based on near-term European Regulatory Agency regulatory approval and initial sales outside the U.S. in certain markets. Spark Therapeutics is also entitled to receive royalty payments on net sales of investigational voretigene neparvovec outside the U.S.

16:01 EDT AngioDynamics receives FDA expedited access pathway designation to NanoKnife - AngioDynamics announced that the United States Food and Drug Administration has granted the Expedited Access Pathway designation to the Company's NanoKnife System and proposed indication for use for the treatment of Stage III pancreatic cancer. The EAP program is designed to help patients gain more timely access to medical devices that may provide more effective treatment or diagnosis of life-threatening or irreversibly debilitating diseases or conditions, for which no approved or cleared alternatives exist. This is achieved by expediting the device's assessment and review processes through more interactive and timely communication with the FDA, pre- and post-market balance of data collection requirements, efficient and flexible clinical study design, FDA review team support and Agency senior management engagement, and priority review.

15:51 EDT First Midwest names Kathleen Carroll as CHRO - First Midwest Bancorp announced the appointment of Kathleen Carroll as executive VP and CHRO. She will be responsible for all aspects of First Midwest's people activities, including recruiting, talent management, organizational development and total rewards to support First Midwest's operations and continued growth. Carroll has over 25 years of multi-functional experience in human resources, strategy, corporate development and finance within several industries and diverse business models.

15:33 EDT Universal Insurance merges with Ledbetter Insurance - Earlier today, Universal Insurance Agency, a First United company, announcedthat it has merged with Ledbetter Insurance Agency. The merger, which went into effect Dec. 29, forms one of the largest independent insurance agencies in Oklahoma City and in the state of Oklahoma. Universal Insurance Agency is a wholly owned subsidiary of First United Bank offering insurance throughout Texas and Oklahoma, including commercial, personal and employee benefits. The partnership continues the expansion of Universal Insurance as a wholly owned subsidiary of First United Bank since 2014 offering commercial insurance, personal insurance, and employee benefits in communities throughout Oklahoma and Texas. Ledbetter, which was founded in Oklahoma City in 1918, brings years of experience to Universal while expanding the ability to better serve customers. "We are excited to join forces with the insurance team at Universal and such a culture-driven organization like First United," Greg Moore, president of Ledbetter Insurance, said. "Together, we will be able to strengthen our resources and continue to serve our clients with their expanding needs in commercial property and casualty, employee benefits, and personal insurance while providing a phenomenal customer experience." "The opportunity to partner with Greg Moore, Bruce Chadick, Mark Holland and the entire Ledbetter team enables us to significantly broaden our talented team at Universal," Howard McClure, president of Universal Insurance, added. "First United is committed to expanding our insurance business in Oklahoma and Texas to empower more businesses, professionals and neighbors in our communities."

15:16 EDT StarTek jumps following agreement for Amazon investment - In a regulatory filing prior to the open, StarTek (SRT) reported that it has entered into a transaction agreement pursuant to which the company agreed to issue to Amazon.com NV Investment Holdings, a wholly owned subsidiary of Amazon.com (AMZN), a warrant to acquire up to 4M shares of the company's common stock subject to certain vesting events. The company and Amazon entered into the transaction agreement in connection with existing commercial arrangements between the company and Amazon pursuant to which the company provides and will continue to provide commercial services to Amazon. The vesting of the warrant shares is linked to payments made by Amazon or its affiliates pursuant to the existing commercial arrangements. The warrant shares will vest based on Amazon's payment of up to $600M to the company in connection with Amazon's receipt of commercial services from the company. The first tranche of 425,532 warrant shares vested upon the execution of the warrant and the transaction agreement. The remaining warrant shares will vest from time to time if and as certain revenue thresholds are met over the life of the warrant. In late day trading, StarTek shares are up $3.14, or 30%, to $13.45.

15:09 EDT Warner Animation Group, Dr. Seuss Enterprises announce film partnership - Warner Animation Group, the animated film production arm of Warner Bros. Pictures, announced it has formed a creative partnership with Dr. Seuss Enterprises to produce multiple feature films based on the characters and stories created by Theodor Seuss Geisel, otherwise known as "Dr. Seuss." A fully animated version of the children's classic "The Cat in the Hat" will be the first project developed under this partnership.

15:01 EDT AMSC announces order of 5.5 MW electronic control systems for Doosan - AMSC announced its first 5.5 megawatt electrical control systems order from Doosan Heavy Industries & Construction Co., Ltd., South Korea's premium wind turbine manufacturer. The 5.5 MW full conversion wind turbine design and prototype is the product of a joint development between South Korea-based Hyundai and AMSC. AMSC's wind turbine ECS includes AMSC's proprietary PowerModule power converters, pitch and yaw converters, SCADA systems and other power electronics. They are designed to enable reliable, high-performance wind turbine operation by controlling power flows, regulating voltage, monitoring system performance and controlling the pitch of wind turbine blades to maximize efficiency.

14:27 EDT AMSC jumps 17% after Sinovel said to be found guilty of stealing trade secrets

13:36 EDT Hayes says as residential slowed in China, infrastructure picked up - United Technologies CEO Greg Hayes said that as residential markets have slowed in China, infrastructure spending has picked up to offset it. Hayes is being interviewed on CNBC.

13:15 EDT J.B. Hunt raises dividend to 24c from 23c per share - J.B. Hunt Transport Services announced that its board of directors has declared the regular quarterly dividend on its common stock of 24c per common share, which is an approximately 4.3% increase from the previous quarterly dividend of 23c per share. "The board concluded that the earnings and cash flow generated by the company warranted the higher dividend as one way to return capital to stockholders," the company stated. The dividend is payable to stockholders of record on February 9 and will be paid on February 23.

13:14 EDT J.B. Hunt board increases quarterly dividend 4.3% to 24c per share - J.B. Hunt Transport Services announced that its Board of Directors has declared the regular quarterly dividend on its common stock of 24c per common share, which is an approximately 4.3% increase from the previous quarterly dividend of 23c per share. The Board concluded that the earnings and cash flow generated by the company warranted the higher dividend as one way to return capital to stockholders. The dividend is payable to stockholders of record on February 9, 2018. The dividend will be paid on February 23, 2018.

12:24 EDT Briar Hall Management reports 7.6% passive stake in Illinois Tool Works - In a regulatory filing, Briar Hall Management disclosed a 7.6% stake in Illinois Tool Works, representing 25,919,834 shares. The filing does not allow for activism.

11:35 EDT Publicis, WPP slide after Goldman downgrades, P&G ad budget cut - Shares of Publicis Group (PUBGY) and WPP (WPP) are trading lower again this morning, deepening their slide after Goldman Sachs analyst Lisa Yang downgraded the stocks to Neutral yesterday. Also yesterday Procter & Gamble (PG) said it is cutting the company's advertising budget and reducing the number of agencies it uses by 50%. GOLDMAN MOVES TO SIDELINES: Goldman Sachs' Yang downgraded Publicis to Neutral from Buy yesterday, citing near-term uncertainty around its margin guidance, which she expects the company to reset at its Investor Day on March 20, as well as ongoing client fee pressure. The analyst noted, however, that this may already be reflected in consensus estimates. Yang told investors that she sees risk/reward as fairly balanced in the near-term, with the shares down 11% since being added to her firm's Buy List in July mainly due to concerns around fee pressure, weak end-market trends, account losses and execution risk related to Publicis' reorganization. Nonetheless, the analyst pointed out that Publicis remains her preferred agency, as she is more constructive on its long-term structural outlook relative to its peers as it transitions to a digital transformation agency. Goldman Sachs' Yang also downgraded WPP to Neutral from Buy, saying that the anticipated recovery in the second half of 2017 did not materialize and she expects 2018 to remain challenging for organic growth given persisting end market pressures, a slowdown in principal buying in programmatic as well as weakness in market research. While the analyst acknowledged that recent new business performance provides some tailwind for 2018, she sees risk of upcoming sizeable account reviews such as Ford's (F). Meanwhile, Yang pointed out that the lack of organic growth could weigh on margins, which she expects to decline in 2018 after being flat in 2017. P&G CUTS AD BUDGET: During the company's earnings conference call, Procter & Gamble CFO Jon Moeller said the company is reducing its advertising budgets as it looks to shift media planning and purchasing in-house: "Looking ahead, we see further cost reduction opportunity through more private market placed deals with media companies and precision media buying, fueled by data and digital technology. [...] We've already reduced the number of agencies nearly 60% from 6,000 to 2,500, saved $750M in agency and production costs, and improved cash flow by over $400M additional through 75-day payment terms. In the next phase, we're targeting to save another $400M reducing the number of agencies by another 50% and implementing new advertising and media agency models. We need the contribution of creative talent and are prepared to pay for that. We don't need some of the other components of the cost. We will move to more fixed and flow arrangements with more open sourcing of creative talent and production capability, driving greater local relevance, speed, and quality at lower costs. We will automate more media planning, buying, and distribution bringing more of it in-house." WHAT'S NOTABLE: Publicis Group said in a statement that it is undergoing a destabilization attempt following the dissemination to its auditors and some financial analysts of an anonymous letter stating that Publicis Group overvalued its organic growth for 2016 and 2017 through an early application of IFRS 15. Publicis Group formally rejected these allegations. PRICE ACTION: In late morning trading, shares of Publicis and WPP are fractionally down to $17.58 and $92.75, respectively. Yesterday, Publicis shares trading in New York had declined over 1% and WPP had fallen 2.5%.

11:15 EDT comScore rises on reports company is working with Goldman to explore options - Shares of comScore (SCOR) are rising following a report that the company has hired Goldman Sachs to review options, including a possible sale. EXPLORING OPTIONS: comScore is working with Goldman Sachs (GS) to reach out to potential suitors, including buyout firms, regarding a possible sale, Bloomberg reported Tuesday. No formal sale process has started, however, and ComScore, which tracks online viewership and box-office performance of Hollywood films, may choose not to proceed with any changes. WHAT'S NOTABLE: comScore announced on January 16 that it entered into agreements with Starboard Value, which owns 7.2% of its shares as of November, under which it has issued $150M in senior secured convertible notes due 2022 to Starboard in exchange for $85M in cash and 2.6M shares of comScore common stock, valued at $65M based on a valuation of $25 per share. The company also granted Starboard the option to acquire up to an additional $50M in Starboard Notes in exchange for a range of $15M to $35M of stock and the balance in cash and agreed to grant Starboard warrants to purchase 250,000 shares of common stock. The cash proceeds from the financing arrangements will be used for general corporate purposes. Starboard previously criticized comScore over concerns including that the company had not held an annual meeting in more than two years. In addition, the company said it was making substantial progress toward completing the audit of its financial statements for 2015, 2016 and 2017, which is now expected to be completed by the end of March. The company has dealt with accounting issues that led to it being delisted from the Nasdaq in May. In September, most of its board members resigned and the company named David Kay as its interim chief financial officer, replacing David Chemerow, who resigned. In November, comScore said its chief executive officer and co-founder Gian Fulgoni will retire, effective January 30. A three-member committee of comScore board members, led by Chairman Sue Riley, will search for a new CEO. Fulgoni stepped down after comScore settled a lawsuit with Starboard, giving Starboard and comScore the same number of board seats, with the option for Starboard to nominate another, giving it a majority if comScore fails to file financial documents with the SEC by March 31, 2018. PRICE ACTION: comScore rose 1.5%, or 35c, to $24.00 in morning trading.

10:56 EDT Baillie Gifford reports 7.7% passive stake in Tesla - This stake does not allow for activism.

10:37 EDT United plan to increase capacity drags down airline stocks - Shares of United Continental (UAL) are sliding after the company said in its earnings conference call that it plans to grow capacity by 4%-6% in 2018, likely threatening its profit margin. This comes as United looks for a competitive edge in its fight against low-cost carriers such as Southwest Airlines (LUV) and JetBlue (JBLU). This morning, Evercore ISI analyst Duane Pfennigwerth downgraded United to a neutral-equivalent rating. RESULTS, OUTLOOK: Last night, United Continental reported fourth quarter adjusted earnings per share of $1.40 and revenue of $9.4B, with consensus at $1.34 and $9.42B, respectively. The company also said Q4 2017 consolidated passenger revenue per available seat mile was up 0.2% compared to Q4 2016. Additionally, the carrier noted it sees 2018 capacity growth of 4%-6%, and a similar growth rate in 2019 and 2020. United expects 2018 EPS to be $6.50-$8.50 and sees 2018 capital expenditures of $3.6B-$3.8B. CAPACITY CONCERNS: In a research note to investors this morning, Evercore ISI's Pfennigwerth downgraded United Continental to In Line from Outperform, with a $75 price target, following its quarterly report. The analyst noted that while United's belief appears as high as ever in the view that restoring domestic share in its hubs is the shortest path to margin expansion, the "biggest missing ingredient" from its presentation was any evidence that the strategy is working. The company's higher growth pitch likely plays well with labor ahead of another round of contract negotiations in 2019 but limits broader participation from longer term investors seeking confidence at this point in the cycle, he contended. Furthermore, the analyst argued that growth acceleration following poor pricing execution in 2017 and in the face of a significantly higher fuel curve is "surprising." Meanwhile, his peer at Stephens also voiced concern over the company's capacity growth plans. While analyst Jack Atkins acknowledged that he was encouraged that United issued both 2018 and long-term EPS guidance, he believes its plan to grow its system capacity by 4%-6% for each of the next three years is "concerning" as it implies about 6%-8% growth in the domestic market. This level of capacity growth risks muting unit revenue growth in the market as well as potentially sparking a competitive response from one of United's network peers, Atkins added. The analyst told investors he expects the group to come under pressure as investors work to determine who has the most exposure to its incremental capacity growth and what it means for domestic revenue trends for the industry. He reiterated and Equal Weight rating and $78 price target on United Continental shares. REMAINS TOP PICK: In a note of his own, UBS analyst Darryl Genovesi told investors he expects estimates for United Continental to move higher over the next few days and that he came away from the company's guidance meeting more positive on the fundamental go-forward strategy. The analyst pointed out that he believes the capacity concerns will likely get swept under the rug if industry RASM continues to be strong. Genovesi reiterated a Buy rating and $90 price target on United shares. PRICE ACTION: In morning trading, shares of United Continental dropped over 10% to $70. Also lower are American Airlines (AAL), which dropped 5.5% to $55.11, and Delta Air Lines (DAL), which is down 5.2% to $56.80 per share.

10:25 EDT United Continental CEO says he 'feels great' now after prior health issues - United Continental CEO Oscar Munoz is being interviewed on CNBC.

10:21 EDT Lowe's announces plans to hire more than 53,000 employees - Lowe's announced that it is hiring more than 53,000 full-time, part-time and seasonal employees across its U.S. stores, adding to the company's nearly 250,000 current U.S. store employees in preparation for home improvement's busiest season.

10:16 EDT United Continental CEO says stock volatility after capacity comments expected - United Continental CEO Oscar Munoz is being interviewed on CNBC.

10:01 EDT Comtech awarded $1M contract modification from U.S. Army - Comtech announced that during its second quarter of fiscal 2018, its Command & Control Technologies group, which is part of Comtech's Government Solutions segment, has received a contract modification valued at approximately $1M from the U. S. Army Project Manager Tactical Networks. The modification increases the total amount funded on this delivery order from $39.4M to $40.3M. The funding will support enhanced readiness for U.S. based expeditionary units.

09:51 EDT Abbott plans to increase manufacturing in U.S. with tax reform money

09:38 EDT Abbott says plans to pay down $3.5B-$4B of debt by end of the year

09:34 EDT General Dynamics says sees FY18 CapEx approximately 2% of sales

09:31 EDT American Express announces agreement with digital ticketing platform LaneOne - American Express announced an agreement with LaneOne, a new digital ticketing platform that will give concert-goers direct access to premium experiences for some of the most sought-after concerts. Launching this week, through LaneOne.com, concert-goers will be able to purchase official premium concert tickets, which include great seating, parking or ride-share credit, a preferred entrance and dedicated LaneOne ambassador support. American Express Card Members will have a two-week exclusive onsale window to purchase these premium tickets, located in the first 10 rows, before they are made available to the general public.

09:28 EDT Abbott sees established pharma HSD sales growth for Q1, FY18 - Sees low single digit sales growth in nutrition for Q1, FY18. In diagnostics, sees sales growth of mid single digits in Q1, mid to high single digits for FY18. Sees medical devices sales up mid to high single digits in Q1, FY18.

09:26 EDT Shenandoah added 3,838 postpaid customers in Q4 - Shenandoah Telecommunications (SHEN) announced yesterday morning its customer results for Q4. During Q4, 3,838 postpaid customers were added in the Shentel legacy area and 4,805 were added in the former nTelos service area, with over two thirds being phone additions. There were 21,955 gross postpaid additions reported in the Shentel legacy area and 29,487 reported in the former nTelos area.Total Q4 postpaid churn was 1.95%, with the Shentel legacy area churn at 1.79%. The Q$ postpaid port-in versus port-out ratio was 1.24 to 1. The ratio was 1.25 to 1 in the Shentel legacy area and was 1.23 to 1 in the former nTelos area, representing the first quarter since the acquisition with a positive ratio in the former nTelos area.There were 225,822 wireless prepaid Sprint (S) subscribers at December 31, 2017, representing a Q4 increase of 1,213. During Q4, the company added 1,191 net prepaid subscribers in the Shentel legacy area. Prepaid churn was 5.05% in Q4, with Shentel legacy area churn at 4.8%.During the fourth quarter and for the full year 2017, the wireline segment lost, respectively, 73 and 510 voice RGUs, lost 91 and 245 video RGUs and added 60 and 351 High Speed Internet RGUs. Additionally, the company signed approximately $24M in new third-party fiber contracts during 2017.

09:25 EDT AirMedia selected by China Eastern Arllines Media to promote wi-fi service - AirMedia (AMCN), through its subsidiary Beijing AirMedia Tianyi, has entered into a framework cooperation agreement with China Eastern Airlines (CEA) through CEA's joint venture with China Eastern Airlines Media, that will leverage AirMedia's capabilities in supporting CEA's Wi-Fi service upgrade to benefit passengers. Currently, CEA has aero-mobile internet services for 74 of its aircraft, comprising 70% of China's aero-mobile internet market. AirMedia Tianyi will have exclusive cooperation rights with CEA over its aero entertainment resources and information as well as duty free business. The terms of the Agreement include but are not limited to product planning, design, research and development, high quality content resources infusion, advertisements, platform operation, optimization and adjustments and product marketing etc.

09:24 EDT General Dynamics sees FY18 cash from operations approximately $3.7B

09:23 EDT On The Fly: Pre-market Movers - UP AFTER EARNINGS: Novartis (NVS), up 4.2%... TE Connectivity (TEL), up 6.8%... Abbott Laboratories (ABT), up 3%... Baker Hughes (BHGE), up just under 1%... Illinois Tool Works (ITW), up 1.3%... Progressive (PGR), up 1.7%... W.W. Grainger (GWW), up 12.7%. DOWN AFTER EARNINGS: United Technologies (UTX), down just under 1%... General Dynamics (GD), down 1.7%... Stanley Black & Decker (SWK), down marginally... Capital One (COF), down 1.3%... General Electric (GE), down marginally... Texas Instruments (TXN), down 7.1%... United Continental (UAL), down 7.8%. ALSO LOWER: Puma Biotechnology (PBYI), down 24.9% after it said that the EMA communicated a negative trend vote over the company's MAA for neratinib.

09:14 EDT Ellomay Capital enters into power financial hedge for Talasol Project in Spain - Ellomay Capital's wholly owned Spanish subsidiary, Talasol Solar S.L., executed a binding term sheet with an international energy company with an investment grade credit rating operating in more than 40 countries in relation to a power financial hedge of 3,500-3,700 GWh for 10 years in connection with a prospective photovoltaic plant with a peak capacity of approximately 300 MW in the municipality of Talavan, Caceres, Spain. The power produced by the Talasol Project is expected to be sold by Talasol to the open market for the then current market power price. The PPA is expected to hedge the risks associated with fluctuating electricity market prices by allowing Talasol to secure a certain level of income for the power production included under the PPA. The hedging provides that if the market price goes below a price underpinned by the PPA, the Hedging Provider will pay Talasol the difference between the market price and the underpinned price, and if the market price is above the underpinned price, Talasol will pay the Hedging Provider the difference between the market price and the underpinned price. The hedged production under the PPA is currently expected to be 3,500 - 3,700 GWh during a fixed term of 10 years. Talasol is aiming to achieve financial closing for the Talasol Project during the second or third quarter of 2018 and commence commercial operation on 2020. Based on current technical analysis, the P50 expected production of the Talasol Project will be approximately 490-565 GWh per annum. Talasol is expecting that the Talasol Project's CAPEX will amount to approximately EUR200M.The Talasol Project's revenues are currently expected to be in the range of EUR20M-EUR25M per annum.

09:09 EDT Aviragen shareholders issue letter to fellow stockholders on Vaxart merger - Aviragen Therapeutics stockholders Digirad Corporation, East Hill Management Company and Thomas M. Clay, who collectively beneficially own in the aggregate approximately 8.3% of AVIR's outstanding shares of common stock, delivered a letter to AVIR stockholders expressing concerns with the proposed merger between Aviragen and Vaxart. The letter states that the merger is not in the best Interests of stockholders and that the incentives of Aviragen's management and directors regarding the merger are not fully-aligned with those of stockholders. The stockholders believe Vaxart's true value is lower than that indicated in the merger and that Vaxart is not ready to be a public company, and point out that "Vaxart's auditor questions its ability to continue as a going concern citing material weaknesses". The letter also claims that Aviragen management has "overseen disastrous operational failures and the Board has failed to take the necessary steps to address these failures and enhance Value for all stockholders". The letter claims that "Aviragen's senior management is highly incentivized to complete a transaction in which Aviragen experiences a change of control, which will trigger various enhanced severance obligations to Aviragen's CEO and CFO", and that "there were potentially better options available". The stockholders have nominated a slate of directors for the upcoming annual meeting aiming to address these issues.

09:08 EDT General Dynamics says 'well-positioned' for 2018 - Says 2017 was "outstanding year for Aerospace." Comments from Q4 earnings conference call.

09:06 EDT Xperi expects $4M-$8M non-cash charge in Q4 due to tax reform - The company said, "The Q4 2017 preliminary GAAP EPS number does not reflect the impact of the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act, which is still being evaluated by the company. The 2017 Tax Act reduces the U.S. corporate tax rate to 21% and reduces the rate on Foreign-Derived Intangible Income to an even lower effective tax rate of 13.1%. At present, the company expects to record an estimated non-cash charge between $4M and $8M in Q4 to revalue its Deferred Tax Assets and Deferred Tax Liabilities as a result of the lower tax rate. The company does not expect to record a charge for the mandatory one-time deemed repatriation of foreign earnings under the 2017 Tax Act. In the next few years, the company expects to continue paying cash taxes primarily for foreign withholding tax rather than U.S. corporate income tax. Longer term, the company should benefit from the lower corporate tax rate set by the 2017 Tax Act."

09:02 EDT General Electric CFO says Power market still challenging, worse than expected - GE CFO Jamie Miller said the company is planning for negative free cash flow in Power in Q1 and evaluating incremental restructuring for the Power segment. In Power, the company is targeting $1B+ structural cost out in 2018 and reviewing additional footprint actions.

08:57 EDT Comcast says there may be opportunities for more M&A - Says wireless losses could be 'couple million dollars" higher in 2018.

08:49 EDT General Electric CEO says in active discussions on over 20 dispositions - General Electric Chairman and CEO John Flannery said the company is "highly active" in working towards simplifying its portfolio. "We currently have over 20 dispositions in active discussions and you will begin to see tangible results in the coming quarters," Flannery said on GE's Q4 earnings call.

08:45 EDT US Geothermal trading resumes

08:42 EDT U.S. Geothermal to be acquired by Ormat Technologies for $5.45 per share in cash - U.S. Geothermal (HTM) announced that it has entered into a definitive merger agreement under which a wholly owned subsidiary of Ormat Technologies (ORA) will acquire the company for $5.45 per share in an all cash transaction. The agreement, which has been unanimously approved by both companies' boards, represents a premium of approximately 28.5% to the prior day closing stock price on January 23.

08:40 EDT Meridian Waste Solutions acquires EnviCare - Meridian Waste Solutions announced the closing of the acquisition of RedX Medical, LLC, d/b/a EnviCare. The transaction expands Meridian's services into the medical and pharmaceutical waste sector. EnviCare is a regulated medical waste company which will provide waste transportation and disposal solutions for regulated and specialized waste, pharmaceutical disposal solutions, sharpes management services, controlled substance waste solutions, integrated waste solutions for large healthcare facilities, and compliance training and education for the healthcare industry. EnviCare is based in the Atlanta area with the ability to service the Southeast, and expects to expand to cover the entire United States. The acquisition of EnviCare builds upon Meridian's healthcare footprint, established by the acquisition of four companies in 2017. These companies included DxT Medical, LLC, a national healthcare sales company, as well as LGMG, LLC, d/b/a Verifi Resource Group, a hospital lab management company based in Tulsa, OK, whose services cover several states in the Midwest and South.

08:38 EDT Hershey announces retirement of general counsel Leslie Turner - In a regulatory filing, Hershey said that on January 18, Leslie M. Turner, SVP, General Counsel and Corporate Secretary of The Hershey Company, informed the company of her intention to retire effective March 31. The company has initiated a search for Turner's replacement.

08:34 EDT Compass Diversified subsidiary acquires Rimports for $145M - Compass Diversified subsidiary Sterno Products entered into a definitive agreement to acquire Rimports for a purchase price of $145M - excluding working capital and a potential earn-out payment of up to $25M based on future financial performance -. The acquisition is expected to close within the next 45 days. Rimports is a leading manufacturer and distributor of branded and private label scented wickless candle products used for home decor and fragrance headquartered in Provo, UT. For the trailing twelve months ended November 30, 2017, Rimports reported net revenue of approximately $155M. CODI expects to fund the purchase price through a draw on its revolving credit facility.

08:32 EDT Pfizer says REFLECTIONS B3281006 study meets primary endpoint - Pfizer announced that REFLECTIONS B3281006, a comparative safety and efficacy study of PF-05280586 versus MabThera met its primary endpoint. PF-05280586 is being developed by Pfizer as a potential biosimilar to Rituxan/MabThera. The trial demonstrated equivalence in overall response rate for the first-line treatment of patients with CD20-positive, low tumor burden, follicular lymphoma. Pfizer's biosimilars pipeline consists of seven distinct biosimilar molecules in mid to late stage development, with three of these in oncology, as well as several others in early stage development. REFLECTIONS B3281006 is a randomized, double-blind clinical trial evaluating the efficacy, safety, pharmacokinetics and immunogenicity of PF-05280586 versus MabThera for the first-line treatment of patients with cd20-positive, low tumor burden, follicular lymphoma. The primary endpoint measure, ORR, is defined according to the revised response criteria for malignant lymphoma. Results of the study will be presented in full at a future medical meeting or summarized in publication.

08:31 EDT Cyanotech names Mawae Morton as CEO and a director - Cyanotech Corporation announced that its President, Mawae Morton, has been named as CEO and a Director of the company, effective January 24, 2018. Morton replaces Founder and interim CEO, Dr. Gerry Cysewski, who will return to his role of Chief Scientific Officer and become Vice Chairman of the Board of Directors of the company. Dr. Cysewski is recognized as a leading authority on large-scale production of microalgae and is a frequently invited speaker at industry gatherings around the world. A special committee of Cyanotech's Board of Directors led an extensive search for a permanent CEO, which resulted in Mawae Morton's appointment as President in July 2017.

08:21 EDT Navient: Tax reform act 'big value' for company - Says tax reform act "big value" for Navient. Says paid out $1,000 bonus to over 6,500 employees following passage of tax reform. Expects change in corporate tax rate to change effective overall tax rate from 37% to approx. 23%. Expects to resume, complete share repurchase authorization in 2H18. Expects two 25bps interest rate hikes in 2018. Comments taken from the Q4 earnings conference call.

08:16 EDT INTL FCStone obtains broker-dealer license to operate in Brazil - INTL FCStone Inc.'s wholly owned subsidiary, INTL FCStone DTVM is now fully operational as a broker-dealer in Brazil and has begun onboarding accounts in that country. INTL FCStone DTVM has been active in the Brazilian market for more than 15 years and has eight offices throughout the country. With the recently granted broker-dealer license, INTL FCStone DTVM will now be able to serve its Brazilian customers more directly through local personnel. Additionally, the local broker-dealer license will provide customers outside Brazil with greater access to that local market.

08:14 EDT Pareteum awarded contract from Brazil-based Mobile Virtual Network Operator - Pareteum announced that it has been awarded a new contract from an established Brazil based Mobile Virtual Network Operator to expand its worldwide reach. Once the service is launched, Pareteum will receive a platform support fee for each subscriber plus fees for monthly platform services. The contract is scheduled to add $1M to Pareteum's revenue backlog over a 36 month period, with contract deployment expected in the second quarter of 2018.

08:11 EDT Royal Caribbean announces bonus plan for employees - A record-setting year for Royal Caribbean Cruises will translate into a surprise financial reward for each of the company's 66,000 employees. After announcing RCL had achieved its three-year Double-Double goal of doubling earnings per share and recording a double-digit return on invested capital, the company today told employees they will be thanked for their contribution with individual salary bonuses of 5%. "Exceptional results require exceptional effort," said Richard D. Fain, RCL's chairman and CEO. "Reaching the Double-Double required remarkable focus and discipline from our employees, and they delivered." Employees will receive equity awards equal to five percent of their 2017 salaries in an $80M program called the "Thank You, Thank You Bonus." The awards, which vest over three years, will go to all employees - shipboard and shoreside, full-time and part-time, domestic and overseas. Corporate officers, however, are excluded. In addition to the five percent equity awards, the company will contribute to the Crew Welfare Fund for upgrades to crew living and recreational areas.

08:09 EDT CAS Medical submits FORE-SIGHT OEM Module 501(k) to FDA - CAS Medical Systems announces that it has submitted a 510(k) application to the FDA for the FORE-SIGHT Tissue Oximetry OEM Module, an OEM version of its FORE-SIGHT ELITE Tissue Oximeter. The OEM Module allows third-party manufacturers to incorporate CASMED's FORE-SIGHT technology into their patient monitors as a solution for tissue and cerebral oximetry. The Company expects to receive regulatory clearance for this product in the second quarter of 2018. The OEM Module will permit the use of FORE-SIGHT oximetry without a standalone FORE-SIGHT monitor, by incorporating the intelligence of the FORE-SIGHT system within a cable that connects a display monitor to the disposable sensors placed on the patient. This design allows tissue oximetry values derived by FORE-SIGHT technology to be displayed on a third-party monitor with minimal user-interface modifications.

08:08 EDT ShiftPixy appoints Patrice Launay as CFO - ShiftPixy announced the appointment of Patrice Launay as CFO, effective immediately. Launay succeeds Stephen DeSantis who resigned from the company as reported on October 5, 2017. Immediately before joining ShiftPixy, he served as a financial and accounting manager for RxSight.

08:06 EDT Royal Caribbean provides CapEx view for 2018-2022 - Based upon current ship orders, projected capital expenditures for full year 2018, 2019, 2020, 2021 and 2022 are $3.4B, $2.1B, $2.5B, $2.5B and $2.9B, respectively. Capacity changes for 2018, 2019, 2020, 2021 and 2022 are expected to be 3.9%, 6.9%, 4.0%, 7.7% and 8.0%, respectively. These figures do not include potential ship sales or additions that we may elect to make in the future.

08:03 EDT US Geothermal trading halted, news pending

08:03 EDT Norfolk Southern to invest $1.8B in rail network in 2018 - Looking forward in 2018 with respect to capital deployment, Norfolk Southern plans to invest $1.8 billion to maintain the safety of its rail network, enhance service, improve operational efficiency, and support growth, the company stated.

08:01 EDT Catasys says OnTrak program delivers 54% savings for health plans - Catasys announced that its OnTrak program has reduced costs for enrolled members by an average of 54%, or $1,338 per member per month. These savings were primarily driven by declines in inpatient hospital admissions and emergency room visits. Prior to enrollment, PMPM claims costs for members enrolled in OnTrak averaged $2,498. After enrollment in OnTrak, PMPM claims costs were an average of $1,160. The savings data include OnTrak members in Commercial, Medicare and Medicaid lines of business across more than a 2 year period ending June 2017. The savings Catasys has demonstrated has driven expansion within existing customers and the addition of other major plans to the pipeline.

07:55 EDT United Technologies sees $1.5B payment to repatriate foreign cash

07:54 EDT Perrigo announces final FDA approval of generic version of Estrace Cream - Perrigo (PRGO) announced it has received final approval from the U.S. FDA for the generic version of Estrace Cream. This product will be marketed by Perrigo's partner, Impax Laboratories (IPXL), and is currently expected to launch in the second quarter of this year.

07:49 EDT United Technologies sees FX tailwind in 2018 due to weaker dollar - Sees improving economic conditions in Europe, U.S.

07:47 EDT McDermott awarded 13 jacket EPCI Saudi Aramco contract - McDermott announced a large contract award from Saudi Aramco for the engineering, procurement, construction and installation of 13 jackets in the Zuluf, Marjan, Berri and Abu Safah fields, offshore Saudi Arabia. The contract award will be reflected in McDermott's first quarter 2018 backlog and work is expected to be carried out through the second half of 2018.

07:43 EDT United Technologies sees FY18 adj. EPS $6.85-$7.10, First Call consensus $7.00 - Bloomberg consensus estimates $7.38.

07:38 EDT United Technologies: All business units to grow operating profit in 2018 - Says domestic pension plan fully funded. Comments from Q4 earnings conference call.

07:32 EDT Boston Scientific to invest in Millipede with option to buy - Boston Scientific announced it has closed an investment and entered into an acquisition option agreement with Millipede, a privately-held company that has developed the IRIS Transcatheter Annuloplasty Ring System for the treatment of severe mitral regurgitation, or MR. Under the terms of the agreements, Boston Scientific has purchased a portion of the outstanding shares of Millipede along with newly issued shares of the company for a total consideration of $90M. Boston Scientific has the option to acquire the remaining shares of the company at any time prior to the completion of a first in human clinical study that meets certain parameters. Upon the completion of the clinical study, Millipede has the option to compel Boston Scientific to acquire the remaining shares of the company. Each company's option period expires by the end of 2019. Completion of this acquisition would result in an additional $325M payment by Boston Scientific at closing with a further $125M becoming payable upon achievement of a commercial milestone. Ian Meredith, AM, Executive Vice President and Global Chief Medical Officer, Boston Scientific, said, "We believe that restoring mitral annular dimensions via a transcatheter mitral annuloplasty ring will be a crucial component to effective, minimally invasive improvement of mitral valve function for appropriately-indicated patients."

07:31 EDT General Dynamics reports total backlog of $63.2B at 2017-end - General Dynamics' total backlog at the end of 2017 was $63.2B. There was strong demand in the quarter across the company's portfolio. The estimated potential contract value, representing management's estimate of value in unfunded indefinite delivery, indefinite quantity contracts and unexercised options, was $24.8B. Total potential contract value, the sum of all backlog components, was $88B at the end of the year.

07:08 EDT Sharing Economy International to partner with Asiabots - Sharing Economy International announced that its wholly-owned subsidiary, Inspirit Studio, has entered into a cooperation agreement with Asiabots, for the joint development of artificial intelligence and O2O delivery services. The company expects to launch this new service in Q2.

07:07 EDT SPI Energy signs strategic agreement with COOIX for blockchain business services - SPI Energy announced that its wholly-owned subsidiary, SPI China has signed a strategic agreement with COOIX which operates blockchain and data computing platform and founded in 2016, based in Beijing. Under the strategic agreement, COOIX will provide customized services to SPI Energy blockchain projects and support related to the blockchain technology.

07:05 EDT Merck names 3M Chairman and CEO Inge Thulin to board - Merck (MRK) announced that Inge Thulin, chairman of the board, president and CEO officer of 3M (MMM), will join the company's board of directors effective March 1, 2018. Thulin will stand for election with the company's other directors in connection with Merck's Annual Meeting of Shareholders on May 22, 2018. With the addition of Thulin, the Merck board will include 14 members.

07:02 EDT Comcast sees repurchasing at least $5B of Class A stock in 2018 - Comcast expects to repurchase at least $5B of its Class A common stock during 2018, subject to market conditions.

07:02 EDT Comcast increases dividend 21% to 76c per share on an annualized basis - Comcast announced that it increased its dividend by 21% to 76c per share on an annualized basis for 2018. In accordance with the increase, the Board of Directors declared a quarterly cash dividend of 19c a share on the company's stock, payable on April 25, 2018 to shareholders of record as of the close of business on April 4, 2018.

06:49 EDT Baker Hughes CEO: Continue to see improvement in activity - Lorenzo Simonelli, BHGE chairman and CEO said, "In our Oilfield Services segment, we achieved solid growth driven by our well construction product lines in North America, the Middle East and Latin America. All product lines grew in North America, despite the rig count being down versus the third quarter. International activity remains muted with some pockets of healthy activity. Asia Pacific rig count saw an increase in the fourth quarter after having been flat much of the year, while Latin America increased steadily through the quarter. The Middle East held stable for the year as rig count growth in Iraq and the UAE offset declines in other markets. In our Oilfield Equipment segment, the subsea market remains challenging with low activity levels and pricing challenges. We expect tree awards to continue to grow in 2018, though at a slower rate than in 2017 and with totals still more than 50% below prior cycle peaks. We continue to expect offshore activity to be muted in the short term. In our Turbomachinery & Process Solutions segment, on- and offshore production driven demand is improving, however new LNG activity is muted as the market remains oversupplied. Downstream application driven demand continues to grow as refinery utilization increases and petrochemical demand rises. In our Digital Solutions segment, we see continued growth both for our measurement and controls business lines as well as our Digital offerings. Customers are eager to explore the opportunity to unlock value through better connectivity and we're making great progress in using existing active projects to showcase our value proposition. Overall, we continue to see improvement in activity as early indications of customer capital spending in 2018 are encouraging, particularly for our shorter cycle businesses. International activity is stabilizing, and we are seeing signs of activity increase both in the volume and size of tenders for new work as customers feel more confident about their operating costs and commodity price stability. The subsea market continues to be challenging and activity remains low, with prices continuing to be pressured. We expect activity in the LNG space to increase as customers position to make new capacity available in 2022 and beyond. Our strategy is well suited to market conditions and customer needs. Reducing product and service cost, integrating equipment and service modules, and a focus on outcomes are all aligned with the goal of creating value for customers and for BHGE."

06:47 EDT Baker Hughes reports backlog of $21B at Q4-end - Backlog grew in the fourth quarter, which ended at $21.0 billion, an increase of $0.1 billion or 1% from the third quarter of 2017. Equipment backlog was $5.4 billion, down $0.3 billion, or 6%, sequentially. Services backlog was $15.7 billion, up $0.5 billion, or 3%, sequentially.

06:38 EDT Wipro makes $9.9M investment in Harte-Hanks - Harte Hanks (HHS) announced Wipro LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Wipro Limited (WIT), would make a $9.9M investment in the company and the companies announced a joint go-to-market strategy to bring combined marketing and marketing technology services to large global brands. As part of the transaction, Wipro will receive preferred stock convertible into 16% of the Company's outstanding Common Stock on a pre-closing basis, priced at $0.991 per share of Common Stock. Along with customary protective provisions and a 5% dividend, Wipro will be able to designate an observer or director to Harte Hanks' board of directors. The transaction is expected to close in approximately one week.

06:33 EDT General Electric targeting $1B+ structural cost out in 2018 - Targeting $1B+ structural cost out in 2018, reviewing additional footprint actions.

06:31 EDT Allete raises common stock dividend 4.7% to 56c per share - Allete has increased the quarterly dividend on the company's common stock to 56c per share, an increase of 4.7%. The regular quarterly dividend is payable March 1 to common shareholders of record at the close of business February 15.

06:26 EDT ESL, Facebook sign exlclusive agreement for esports livestreaming - On January 18, ESL announced that it will bring content from two of the top esports competitions exclusively to Facebook in 2018. WESA, the World Esports Association, along with ESL, announced that the world's top Counter-Strike: Global Offensive competition, CS:GO Pro League, will be broadcasted exclusively on Facebook, kicking off with the upcoming Season Seven. Distribution will begin February 13 and run for four seasons of Pro League, through December 2019. ESL will also broadcast one of its flagship circuits, ESL One on Facebook, featuring Dota 2 and CS:GO. The first event this year will be ESL One Genting 2018 taking place January 23-28, bringing 16 of the world's best Dota 2 teams to Malaysia for a six day event. Additionally, ESL will produce and broadcast a weekly five-minute show celebrating the Dota community on Facebook Watch, Facebook's platform for shows. Reference Link

06:16 EDT Google hires former PlayStation, Xbox veteran Phil Harrison - Phil Harrison, a former video games industry veteran at PlayStation (SNE) and Xbox (MSFT), announced on Twitter that he is joining Google (GOOG, GOOGL) as VP and GM. Reference Link

06:10 EDT TE Connectivity up 3.3% after reporting quarterly results, giving guidance

06:07 EDT Sqrrl announces acquisition by Amazon; terms not disclosed - Sqrrl says on its website, "We're thrilled to share that Sqrrl has been acquired by Amazon. We will be joining the Amazon Web Services family, and we're looking forward to working together on customer offerings for the future. For now, it is business as usual at Sqrrl. We will continue to work with customers to provide advanced threat hunting capabilities. And, over time, we'll work with AWS to do even more on your behalf. Thank you for your support. We really appreciate the trust customers have put into Sqrrl over the past five years, and we are excited about the next phase of our journey." Sqrrl is software that enables security analysts to hunt and investigate advanced threats.

06:04 EDT Shire: FDA grants approval for technology transfer of CINRYZE - Shire announced that the U.S. FDA has granted approval for the technology transfer of CINRYZE drug product manufacturing process to its Vienna, Austria manufacturing site. CINRYZE is an injectable prescription medicine that is used to help prevent swelling and/or painful attacks in teenagers and adults with Hereditary Angioedema, a rare genetic disease. Shire will begin commercial manufacturing of Cinryze drug product in Vienna in the first quarter of 2018. Cinryze will also continue to be produced by a third- party supplier, providing an additional supply source to meet patient demand.

06:02 EDT Starbucks announces new investments in paid leave, wage benefits - Starbucks announced a series of new partner offerings that span across wage and benefits. These offerings will total more than $250M for more than 150,000 partners and are accelerated by recent changes in the U.S. tax law. Further details on the impact of these changes on our 2018 financial statements and earnings guidance will be discussed during our January 25 earnings call. With this investment, Starbucks announces a total compensation approach that is best in class for part-time and full-time employees across American retail. Starbucks provided the following details regarding these investment decisions: Starbucks pays above the minimum wage in all states across the country. In April, all eligible U.S. hourly and salaried partners will receive a second wage increase in addition to the annual increases that they have already received this fiscal year. This will include an investment of approximately $120 million in wage increases that will be allocated based on regional cost of living and laws that vary from state to state. On April 16, we will provide an additional 2018 stock grant for all eligible full-time, part-time, hourly and salaried U.S. partners across our stores, plants and support centers, who have been active as of Jan. 1, 2018. All Starbucks retail partners will receive at least a $500 grant, store managers will each receive a $2000 grant and plant and support center partner (non-retail) grants will vary depending on annualized salary or level. This investment alone is valued at more than $100 million. A new Partner and Family Sick Time benefit will be available to all eligible U.S. partners, which will allow partners to accrue paid sick time based on hours worked and then use them if they or a family member needs care. When this benefit goes into effect this year, Sick Time will accrue at a rate of one hour for every 30 hours worked, thus a partner working 23 hours a week can expect to accrue approximately five days of sick time benefit over the course of one year. Starbucks has also reaffirmed their commitment to create more than 8,000 new part-time and full-time retail jobs and an additional 500 manufacturing jobs in its Augusta, Georgia soluble coffee plant. For store partners, Starbucks has also expanded their parental leave policy to include all non-birth parents with up to 6 weeks of paid leave when welcoming a new child. These new offerings are in addition to the nearly $7 billion of capital that Starbucks will deploy to build and renovate stores, manufacturing plants and technology platforms in the U.S. over the next five years. Starbucks remains committed to providing opportunities to tens of thousands of Americans from disadvantaged backgrounds. Starbucks also remains committed in continuing to offer industry-leading comprehensive health care benefits and marketplace, disability and life insurance benefits, a 401K savings plan benefit and continue the Starbucks College Achievement Plan, which is a free tuition benefit offered to Starbucks partners together with Arizona State University.

05:56 EDT KBR awarded contract by Indorama for ammonia plant in Nigeria - KBR announced that it has been awarded a contract from Indorama Eleme Fertilizer & Chemicals Limited and Toyo Engineering Corporation for the Train 2 ammonia plant at Indorama's Port Harcourt site in Nigeria. Under the terms of the contract, KBR will provide technology licensing, basic engineering design, proprietary equipment and catalyst for Indorama's planned second ammonia plant in Port Harcourt.

05:46 EDT Novartis reports Q4 Sandoz net sales flat to $2.6B - Reports Q4 Alcon net sales up 8% to $1.6B.

05:40 EDT Verizon acquires Movildata Internacional, terms not disclosed - Verizon announced the acquisition of Movildata Internacional, a Murcia, Spain-based provider of commercial fleet management solutions. Terms of the transaction, which closed on January 19, have not been disclosed.

05:19 EDT M.D.C. Holdings raises quarterly cash dividend by 20% to 30c per share - M.D.C. Holdings announced a 20% increase in its quarterly cash dividend to 30c per share on the company's common stock. The dividend was declared by the company's board on January 22, 2018 and will be paid on Wednesday, February 21, to shareholders of record on Wednesday, February 7.