Stockwinners Market Radar for February 27, 2018 - Earnings, Upgrades downgrades, option trades, Best Stock Advisory Service

19:02 EDT Student Transportation to be acquired by investors led by CDPQ - Student Transportation announced that it entered into a definitive agreement with a company sponsored by Caisse de depot et placement du Quebec and Ullico Inc. pursuant to which the Purchaser Group will acquire all of the company's outstanding common shares by way of a plan of arrangement under the Business Corporations Act. Shareholders of STI will receive $7.50 per common share in cash, representing a 27% premium to the 20-day volume weighted average price per common share on the Toronto Stock Exchange for the period ending February 27, 2018, based on an exchange rate of $1.2776 Canadian dollars per U.S. dollars as of February 27, 2018. Holders of STI's 6.25% Convertible Unsecured Subordinated Debentures will receive the product of $7.50 and the number of Common Shares that the holders would be entitled to receive upon the conversion of their 2013 Debentures in accordance with their terms immediately following the closing date of the Arrangement, including those issuable upon a "Cash Change of Control", plus the sum of accrued and unpaid interest on such debentures up to but excluding the Closing Date and the interest that would have otherwise accrued from and including the Closing Date to but excluding 32 days thereafter. Holders of STI's 5.25% Convertible Unsecured Subordinated Debentures will receive the product of $7.50 and the number of Common Shares that the holders would be entitled to receive upon the conversion of their 2016 Debentures in accordance with their terms immediately following the Closing Date, including those issuable upon a "Cash Change of Control", plus the sum of accrued and unpaid interest on such debentures up to but excluding the Closing Date and the interest that would have otherwise accrued from and including the Closing Date to but excluding 32 days thereafter.

18:46 EDT Valeant announces licensing agreement with Kaken Pharmaceutical - Valeant announced its subsidiary has entered into an exclusive license agreement with Kaken Pharmaceutical to develop and commercialize products containing a new chemical entity, KP-470, which is an investigational compound for the topical treatment of psoriasis. If approved, KP-470 will represent a novel drug with an alternate mechanism of action in the topical treatment of the disease. Under the terms of the licensing agreement, Kaken has granted to Valeant an exclusive license to develop and commercialize topical products containing KP-470 to treat dermatological and rheumatological disorders and conditions. Valeant will have rights to develop and commercialize products with KP-470 in the United States, Canada, and Western and Eastern Europe. Kaken will receive an upfront cash payment and has the potential to receive certain development-based milestone payments, as well as additional milestone payments based on the achievement of certain annual sales milestones. Additionally, Kaken will receive royalties on Valeant's net sales of the products.

18:16 EDT DXC Technology exec Nefkens sells 39,448 common shares - In a regulatory filing, DXC Technology executive VP and GM, Regions & Industries, Michael G. Nefkens disclosed the sale of 39,448 common shares of the company at a price of $102 per share.

18:07 EDT Oasis Midstream Partners sees FY18 total gross CapEx $230M-$270M - Sees FY18: net CapEx attributable to the Partnership ranging between $72 million and $90 million; Maintenance CapEx of approximately 7% to 10% of Adjusted EBITDA, which is included in the total CapEx estimate; Cash interest of approximately $4 million in 2018; Adjusted EBITDA attributable to OMP of $61 million to $65 million; and Debt to forecasted next twelve months Adjusted EBITDA remaining below 2x throughout 2018.

18:04 EDT Oasis Petroleum sees FY18 E&P CapEx $815M-$855M ex-acquisitions

18:01 EDT eBay to acquire Giosis' Japan business, terms not disclosed - eBay will expand its presence in Japan with the acquisition of Giosis' Japan business, including the Qoo10.jp platform. eBay currently is an investor in Giosis Pte. Ltd., which runs a number of localized marketplaces in Asia, including Giosis' Japan business. As part of the transaction, eBay will relinquish its investment in Giosis' non-Japanese businesses. Additional terms of the deal are not being disclosed. eBay made an initial investment in Giosis Pte. Ltd. in 2010. Since then, Giosis has established dynamic marketplace businesses across Asia. The acquisition is expected to close in the second quarter of 2018. The company will provide an update on any financial impact related to this transaction when it reports its first quarter earnings results in April 2018.

17:51 EDT Hyatt enters into strategic development agreement with Tianfu Minyoun - Tianfu Minyoun Hospitality and Hyatt announced that Hyatt and Tianfu Minyoun entered into a strategic development agreement to drive the expansion of Hyatt Place and Hyatt House hotels in China. The franchise agreements for the first three Hyatt-branded hotels under this strategic development agreement were also signed on the same day. As leading hospitality companies in China and the United States, Tianfu Minyoun and Hyatt will bring together their resources and leverage their respective strengths for the development of Hyatt Place and Hyatt House hotels, with plans to bring both brands to more vibrant business and travel destinations throughout China. Under the strategic development agreement, 50 Hyatt Place and Hyatt House hotels are expected to be developed by Tianfu Minyoun and in cooperation with Chinese investors over the next five years, the first of which include Hyatt Place Nanchong Gaoping, Hyatt Place Changchun Jingyue and Hyatt House Changchun Jingyue. The three hotels will be operated and managed by Tianfu Minyoun. Additionally, Tianfu Minyoun is also planning to develop hotels under The Unbound Collection by Hyatt and Hyatt Centric brands in unique and attractive destinations across China. Once open, these hotels will be part of Hyatt's loyalty program, World of Hyatt. Guests will be able to earn World of Hyatt points and redeem for free night awards and access many other benefits at Hyatt locations worldwide.

17:44 EDT RLH sells Red Lion Hotels in Redding, Eureka for $17.35M - RLH Corporation announced the sale of Red Lion Hotels in Redding and Eureka, California for $17.35M. The two hotels are part of the 11 hotels being marketed for sale previously disclosed in October 2017 and are being sold to affiliates of the same buyer. The buyer will continue to operate the hotels under the Red Lion Hotel brand in addition to an 80-room hotel in Monterey, California converting to a Red Lion this summer. RLH Corporation's total gain on the sales is expected to be over $6M and $15.3M of the proceeds of the sales were used for debt repayment at the closing. The Redding and Eureka hotels accounted for $9.6M combined revenue on an annual basis for 2017. The hotels' combined adjusted EBITDA on consolidated reporting was $1.6M and RLH Corporation's share of the adjusted EBITDA was approximately $860,000 for 2017. This impact does not take into account the previously announced corporate overhead adjustments to reduce operating costs.

17:40 EDT Icahn Automotive acquires four Detroit-area service centers - Icahn Automotive Group announced that it has purchased four independently-owned service center locations in Michigan's Metro Detroit area: Belanger Tire & Auto Service in Westland, Novi Motive Goodyear in Novi, and Fix N Go Auto Centers in Troy and Oxford. The locations will convert to Pep Boys Service and Tire Centers. These acquisitions follow a previously announced multimillion-dollar Metro Detroit expansion plan that includes Pep Boys store openings and existing store remodels, inventory expansion, and the recent acquisitions of Precision Tune Auto Care and Phil Cavill's Goodyear Tire and Auto Service Center in Clawson.

17:33 EDT NRG Energy unit sells power generation facility to Platinum Equity - Platinum Equity announced that it has signed a definitive agreement to acquire GenOn's Hunterstown power generation facility and related assets in a transaction valued at approximately $520M. GenOn, a unit of NRG Energy (NRG), filed for bankruptcy protection in June 2017. The acquisition is subject to regulatory approval and is expected to close in Q2 of 2018.

17:31 EDT Flushing Financial announces 1M share repurchase program - Flushing Financial announced that the Board of Directors has authorized the purchase of up to 1M shares of its common stock. Stock will be purchased from time to time, in the open market or through private transactions, subject to market conditions. There is no expiration or maximum dollar amount under this authorization. The company will complete the purchase of the 124,713 shares remaining from its previous purchase authorization prior to purchasing shares under this authorization.

17:16 EDT Workday sees Q1 subscription revenue $514M-$516M. - Guidance taken from Q4 earnings conference call.

17:08 EDT Aceto to appeal Trade Agreement Act violation for 11 generic drugs - Aceto has been notified by the U.S. government that 11 generic drug products it acquired through its Acetris Health subsidiary in a product purchase agreement with an entity formerly known as Lucid Pharma are not in compliance with the federal Trade Agreement Act, or TAA, country-of-origin provisions of a clause contained in the government supply contracts. The 11 finished dosage form products purchased by the U.S. government are manufactured by Aurolife Pharma which is located in Dayton, New Jersey using APIs sourced from India. In conjunction with this finding, the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, or VA, has requested that Aceto supply new TAA-compliant sources for the referenced products by March 9 and supply new TAA-compliant drugs to the government purchasers under the contracts by March 26.Commenting on this matter, William Kennally, CEO of Aceto, said, "We are concerned about the VA's request since Acetris' U.S. manufacturing partner has sourced APIs from India for the 11 products in question at least since ACETO assumed its supply contracts with the VA. We have also heard from other suppliers to the VA who report that they too source APIs from India and have the finished dosage form manufactured in the United States. Finally, we do not believe that supplying the U.S. government with product containing an API originating in India is a deviation from industry practice." Under current longstanding law, the government, under the Buy America Act, is permitted to buy domestic end products, including commercial off-the-shelf, or COTS, products like generic drugs that are manufactured in the U.S. even if their components are not all manufactured in the US. Aceto thus believes that the government was and is permitted to buy Acetris' products, because they are COTS items manufactured in the U.S. As a result, Aceto disputes the determination that the 11 products sold pursuant to novated contracts with the VA originate in India rather than the United States and intends to appeal the decision that it is not currently compliant with contract sourcing requirements. To further pursue remedies, Aceto has asserted an indemnification claim against the sellers under the product purchase agreement dated December 21, 2016.

17:07 EDT Axon says entering 2018 'with good progress under our belt' - Comments from Q4 earnings call.

17:02 EDT Analog Devices increases quarterly cash dividend 7% to 48c - Analog Devices has increased its quarterly dividend to 48c per outstanding share of common stock. The new dividend rate represents an increase of 7%. The increase is effective with the dividend payable on March 20 to shareholders of record as of the close of business on March 9.

16:59 EDT Booking Holdings adopts new revenue recognition accounting standard - Effective January 1, 2018, the Company adopted the new revenue recognition standard, Accounting Standards Update 2014-09. Under the New Revenue Accounting Standard, the Company will recognize substantially all of its revenue at check-in, rather than at check-out, as it has in the past under the previous revenue accounting standard. The Company currently estimates that this change in revenue recognition timing will impact its annual 2018 revenue by less than 1%, although the quarterly impact may be more significant. For example, a meaningful amount of travel typically starts in December each year and is completed in January of the following year. Under the New Revenue Accounting Standard, this revenue will be recognized in the 4th quarter each year at check-in rather than in the 1st quarter of the following year at check-out, as it was under the Previous Revenue Accounting Standard. The Company approximates that revenue will be more than 2% lower in 1st quarter 2018, slightly less than 1% lower in 2nd and 3rd quarters 2018 and 4% higher in 4th quarter 2018 recognized at check-in, as it is under the New Revenue Accounting Standard, than it would have been if recognized at check-out, as it would have been under the Previous Revenue Accounting Standard. Prior to the adoption of the New Revenue Accounting Standard, the Company reported revenue related to Name Your Own Price travel reservation services on a "gross" basis with associated travel supplier costs recorded as cost of revenues, and gross profit in its consolidated statements of operations. Upon adoption of the New Revenue Accounting Standard, NYOP revenue and associated travel supplier costs will be presented on a "net" basis in revenues. As a result of the new revenue accounting standard, for periods after December 31, 2017, the Company will no longer present cost of revenues or gross profit in its consolidated statements of operations.

16:54 EDT Hertz sees FY18 effective tax rate 23%-26% - The enactment of U.S. tax reform resulted in the company recording an estimated net benefit of $679 million, resulting from the remeasured valuation of its net deferred tax liabilities. It does not anticipate a liability from the one-time charge on accumulated foreign earnings. Due to the lower corporate tax rate in 2018, the company's effective tax rate now is estimated to be between 23% and 26% on results in future years.

16:47 EDT Booking Holdings sees Q1 adjusted EBITDA $680M-$705M

16:43 EDT WSFS Financial agrees to settlement with Universitas for $12M - WSFS Financial today that it has entered into a settlement agreement with Universitas Education to resolve claims related to services provided by Christiana Bank & Trust prior to WSFS' acquisition of Christiana Trust in December 2010. The claims relate to Christiana Trust's role as "insurance trustee" of the Charter Oak Trust Welfare Benefit Plan , and Universitas' alleged loss after funds from certain life insurance benefits were misappropriated by certain individuals unaffiliated with Christiana Trust or WSFS. Universitas sought damages in excess of $54M. WSFS settled the case for $12M to avoid the uncertainties of arbitration and to end the expense of ongoing litigation. Separately, WSFS will pursue all of its rights and remedies to recover this settlement payment and all related costs, including by enforcing the indemnity right in the 2010 Stock Purchase Agreement by which WSFS acquired Christiana Trust. Additionally, WSFS has already taken measures to recover expenses from various insurance carriers. WSFS intends to pursue all claims it has for full restitution for this settlement.The settlement for $12M requires WSFS to update its previously reported fourth quarter 2017 earnings, reducing reported after-tax earnings by approximately $9.3M, or 29c per share for the fourth quarter.

16:41 EDT The Bancorp, Betterment announce contract renewal agreement - The Bancorp and Betterment Holdings recently announced a contract renewal agreement. Betterment is the largest independent online financial advisor helping people to intelligently manage and grow their wealth through smarter technology. The Bancorp Bank has served as the payment processing partner for Betterment since 2013.

16:38 EDT RSP Permian sees FY18 development capital spend $815M-$895M - RSP anticipates spending $815 to $895 million in development capital in 2018, generating production growth of 35% at the midpoint of the production guidance range. At a $50 average oil price, the Company expects to generate cash flow in excess of development spending by the fourth quarter and exit the year at less than 2.0x Net Debt / LTM EBITDAX. The Company is running seven operated rigs currently, and with an expected rig addition in April, will target four rigs running in each basin going forward. RSP is currently running three completion crews, two full-time and one spot crew, and expects to add a third full-time crew in May to replace the spot crew. With 19 wells completed in the first two months of 2018, RSP is off to a strong start towards its guided range of 100-120 operated completions for the full year 2018.

16:36 EDT Hudson wins 10-year concessions, retail contract at PHX airport - Hudson Group, in partnership with Cambios y Servicios, Inc. and The Levitt Group, LLC, has been awarded a new 10-year contract for six new travel essentials and convenience, food and beverage, and specialty retail stores at Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport. The new concepts will cover space of over 10,600 square feet, expanding Hudson Group's footprint to 11 stores across 15,685 sq. ft. in the Southwest travel hub.

16:34 EDT Discovery, Scripps Networks announce election deadline for Scripps shareholders - In connection with their previously announced business combination transaction, Discovery Communications, Inc. (DISCA) and Scripps Networks Interactive (SNI) announced that they have set the deadline for shareholders of Scripps to make an election with respect to the form of consideration they wish to receive pursuant to the Agreement and Plan of Merger, dated as of July 30, 2017, by and among Scripps, Discovery and Skylight Merger Sub, subject to the proration and cash top-up procedures set forth in the Merger Agreement, to be 5:00 p.m. (New York City time) on March 2. Discovery will announce whether it has elected to exercise the cash top-up option set forth in the Merger Agreement no later than two trading days prior to the expected closing date. Discovery and Scripps currently expect to consummate the transactions contemplated by the Merger Agreement on March 6, 2018, subject to the satisfaction of all closing conditions.

16:33 EDT Francesca's to moderate boutique openings in FY18 - The company expects to open approximately 35 new boutiques in high traffic locations while also refreshing approximately 80-90 high volume existing boutiques. Additionally, the company has increased performance expectations of existing boutiques and, as a result, will close approximately 20 boutiques.

16:32 EDT Celgene receives Refusal to File letter from FDA regarding ozanimod NDA - Celgene Corporation announced that it has received a Refusal to File letter from the United States Food and Drug Administration regarding its New Drug Application for ozanimod in development for the treatment of patients with relapsing forms of multiple sclerosis. Ozanimod is a novel, oral, selective sphingosine 1-phosphate 1 and 5 receptor modulator. Upon its preliminary review, the FDA determined that the nonclinical and clinical pharmacology sections in the NDA were insufficient to permit a complete review. Celgene intends to seek immediate guidance, including requesting a Type A meeting with the FDA, to ascertain what additional information will be required to resubmit the NDA.

16:31 EDT TiVo announces plan to explore alternatives to maximize shareholder value - TiVo said: "TiVo's stock price is at a level that the Company and its Board do not believe reflects the true value of the business given the Company has a strong foundation, with leading technologies, and solid cash flow from its long-term IP license agreements and guide deployments. As such, TiVo has begun a process of evaluating a wide range of strategic alternatives to realize long-term shareholder value. These options range from transformative acquisitions that would accelerate our growth, to combining our business with other leading players, to becoming a private company. The Company engaged LionTree Advisors to assist the Board and management in their evaluation of alternatives."

16:25 EDT Mercury Systems receives $2.2M follow-on order - Mercury Systems announced it received a $2.2M follow-on order from a leading defense prime contractor for wideband millimeter wave transceiver subsystems integrated into a high-resolution imaging system used for a homeland security application. The order was booked in the company's Q2 and is expected to be shipped over the next several quarters.

16:23 EDT EOG Resources raises dividend 10.4% to 18.5c per share - Effective with the dividend payable April 30, to stockholders of record as of April 16, the board declared a quarterly dividend of 18.5c per share on the common stock. The indicated annual rate is 74c per share.

16:21 EDT Theravance Biopharma sees FY18 loss ($180.0M-$200.0M) - 2018 operating loss view excludes share-based compensation. The actual amount could be above or below this forecast as a result of a variety of factors impacting business, including the amount of revenue recognized in 2018 related to the global collaboration agreement with Janssen, currently expected to be less than $25M, the timing and cost of clinical studies associated with our key programs, and net product sales of VIBATIV. Operating loss, excluding share-based compensation does not include potential royalties for Trelegy Ellipta.

16:18 EDT Fox Factory reports Q4 adjusted EPS 38c, consensus 33c - Reports Q4 revenue $121.1M, consensus $118.76M.

16:16 EDT Melinta's Vabomere has greater overall success rate vs piperacillin-tazobactam - Melinta Therapeutics announced that results from the Phase 3 TANGO I study of Vabomere for injection were published in the Journal of the American Medical Association, or JAMA. Vabomere was approved by the FDA in August 2017 for the treatment of adult patients with complicated urinary tract infections, including pyelonephritis, caused by designated susceptible Enterobacteriaceae: Escherichia coli, Klebsiella pneumoniae and Enterobacter cloacae species complex. The Targeting Antibiotic Non-susceptible Gram-negative Organisms, or TANGO 1, trial was the pivotal Phase 3 study that compared the efficacy and safety of Vabomere to piperacillin-tazobactam in the treatment of patients with cUTI and acute pyelonephritis. As initially reported in a June 2016 top-line analysis, the results of TANGO I demonstrated that Vabomere was non-inferior to piperacillin-tazobactam with overall success in 98.4% of treated patients compared with 94.0% following treatment with piperacillin-tazobactam using the FDA primary endpoint of clinical cure plus microbiological eradication at the end of IV treatment.

16:15 EDT Acadia sees FY18 net product sales $255M-$270M - ACADIA expects that full-year NUPLAZID net product sales for 2018 will be between $255 million and $270 million, with net sales for the first quarter of 2018 between $45 million and $48 million. The company expects to end 2018 with more than $200 million of cash, cash equivalents and investment securities on its balance sheet.

16:14 EDT Air Transport Services sees FY18 continuing ops adjusted EBITDA of $310M - ATSG expects that its Adjusted EBITDA from Continuing Operations for 2018 will be approximately $310M, or a 16% increase from 2017, as ten 767-300 freighters enter service during the year. One 737-400 freighter will enter service in March. ATSG projects 2018 capital expenditures of $300M, roughly equivalent to what was spent in 2017, principally for purchases of additional 767 aircraft and related freighter modification costs. "Our outlook for 2018 is very positive," Hete said. "We have firm customer commitments for all six of the 767 freighters we expect to deploy in the first half, and strong interest from customers for the others. We expect that as e-commerce retailers come to rely even more on air express networks to satisfy their customers' need for speed, demand for the unique blend of aircraft assets and services that ATSG provides will remain strong."

16:12 EDT First Connecticut increases quarterly dividend to 16c - First Connecticut announced that its board increased its quarterly dividend to 16c per share, an increase of 1c.

16:04 EDT Frontier Communications suspends quarterly dividend - CEO Dan McCarthy says: "We are pleased with continued improvement in subscriber trends and churn in our California, Texas and Florida markets, and the continued operating efficiencies achieved in the fourth quarter. As we implement our strategy, our board regularly evaluates the optimal long-term capital allocation for the business, and has voted to suspend the dividend on common shares. The suspension will make available an additional $250 million annually to accelerate debt reduction. For 2018, we remain committed to enhancing the customer experience, further improving churn, maintaining strong cash flow, and strengthening the balance sheet as we pursue further stabilization of the business and growth longer-term."

15:47 EDT Havertys Furniture raises quarterly dividend 20% - Havertys announced that its board approved an increase in its quarterly dividend. The board raised the dividend on the company's common stock 20% to 18c per share from 15c per share. The quarterly dividend for the company's Class A common stock was also increased to 17c per share from 14.25c per share. The dividend is payable on March 29 to shareholders of record at the close of business on March 14.

14:41 EDT Cisco, Saudi Telecom sign MoU over development of 5G systems - Saudi Telecom Company and Cisco announced they have signed a Memorandum of Understanding and intend to collaborate on the development of 5G communication systems and networks. The joint effort aims to facilitate STC's transformation into a digital service provider and supports the pivotal role it plays in enabling Saudi Arabia's 2030 Vision and National Transformation Plan. The MoU was signed at the Mobile World Congress by Nasser Al-Nasser, Chief Operating Officer, STC, and Ali Amer, Managing Director, Global Service Provider Sales, Cisco Middle East and Africa. Under the terms of the MoU, Cisco intends to work closely with STC on its architectural transformation to help unlock the commercial potential of 5G mobile networks. This will enable STC to provision advanced network services, such as low-latency, and differentiate its service delivery in the 5G era.

14:27 EDT 21st Century Fox says no firm offer made yet by Comcast for Sky - 21st Century Fox (FOXA) notes the possible offer announcement made by Comcast (CMCSA) for Sky plc (SKYAY). "21CF remains committed to its recommended cash offer for Sky announced on 15th December 2016. We note that no firm offer has been made by Comcast at this point. A further statement will be made if appropriate," Fox stated.

13:22 EDT Almost Family rallies after posting in-line Q4 earnings - Shares of Almost Family (AFAM) are moving higher following last night's Q4 results. The company reported Q4 adjusted earnings per share of 58c, directly in-line with consensus expectations. Its net service revenue of $200.6M came in shy of the $203.5M expectation. Almost Family expects its merger with LHC Group (LHCG) to close near the end of Q1 following both companies' March 29 special stockholder meetings to approve the proposed transaction. CEO William Yarmuth commented: "We're very pleased to close out fiscal 2017 with strong operating results and numerous accomplishments culminating with our planned merger with LHC Group. Successfully integrating our CHS-JV acquisition and completing the transition of the balance of our home health operations, so that we're now fully on the Homecare Homebase software platform, bode very well for our future. As we leave 2017 and enter into 2018, combining the best of both our long track records of success and patient-focused cultures, as one family, we'll continue our mission of making lives better through home care." Almost Family added that it expects the Tax Act to reduce our U.S. corporate tax rate from 35% to 21% in 2018. The company's shares are up 3.5%, or $2.10, to $61.30 in afternoon trading. LHC Group is up 3% to $67.01.

13:01 EDT Unum Group names Puneet Bhasin chief information and digital officer - Unum Group (UNM) said that Puneet Bhasin, formerly EVP of corporate operations for Waste Management (WM), has been appointed chief information and digital officer for the company effective March 8. In this capacity, Bhasin will oversee the continued execution of a comprehensive, long-term information technology strategy to support the achievement of Unum's vision and strategic objectives. He will lead Unum's multi-year digital transformation journey and translate the company's strategic business plan into a technology, product and services roadmap. Bhasin will report directly to Rick McKenney, president and CEO.

12:50 EDT For The Win: ESRB slaps in-game purchase label on games, 'Sonic' film in works - Welcome to "For The Win," The Fly's weekly recap of the stories powering up or beating down video game stocks. NEW RELEASES: This week's big release is "Into The Breach," the second game from independent publisher Subset Games. The tactical role-playing game is available on Microsoft Windows (MSFT) and macOS (AAPL) today. ESRB RULES ON MICROTRANSACTIONS: Today, the Entertainment Software Rating Board, or ESRB, said it will begin assigning a new "In-Game Purchases" label to physical video games. The board said consumers can expect to start seeing this new notice on all games that can be purchased in stores and wherever those games can be downloaded in the near future. The new label will be applied to games with in-game offers to purchase digital goods or premiums with real world currency, including bonus levels, skins, item packs, loot boxes, mystery awards, music, and virtual coins, as well as other forms of in-game currency, subscriptions, season passes and upgrades. The move comes after U.S. Senator from New Hampshire Maggie Hassan called on the ESRB two weeks ago to review the ratings process as it related to loot boxes and asked the board to conduct a study that further delves into the reach and impact of loot boxes in games. Publicly traded game makers whose games include in-game purchases include Electronic Arts (EA), Activision Blizzard (ATVI), Take-Two (TTWO), Ubisoft (UBSFY), Warner Bros. Interactive (TWX), Capcom (CCOEY), and Nintendo (NTDOY). 'SONIC' FILM IN THE WORKS: Last Thursday, Sega, a subsidiary of Sega Sammy Holdings (SGAMY), announced that Sega of America reached an agreement with Viacom's (VIA, VIAB) Paramount Pictures to co-produce a feature film set based on the video game series "Sonic the Hedgehog," set for theatrical release beginning in the U.S. on November 15, 2019. The announcement comes after Universal Studios (CMCSA, CMCSA) subsidiary Illumination Entertainment confirmed earlier this month a partnership to develop a movie starring Nintendo's Mario character.

12:23 EDT Micron Solutions announces multi-year exclusive manufacturing agreement - Micron Solutions announced that its wholly owned subsidiary Micron Products, with offices in Fitchburg, MA has entered into a multi-year agreement with its largest customer to supply a variety of their patented components and assemblies which are fabricated by Micron. Under this agreement, Micron is the exclusive manufacturer of a variety of injection molded products which are sold by the customer worldwide. Micron has received purchase orders for $3.4M for the first year of production with the expectation that shipments will be at least $3.0M-$4.0M for subsequent years of the multi-year agreement. The company expects production under the agreement to commence in Q1 of 2018.

12:05 EDT Hasbro named master global toy licensee for the UglyDolls franchise - STX Entertainment and Hasbro announced that Hasbro has been named the master global toy licensee for the UglyDolls franchise. The agreement combines STX's content creation, marketing and distribution expertise across all platforms with Hasbro's commitment to creating engaging play experiences and entertainment. The UglyDolls franchise is set to kick off with an animated feature film slated for a 2019 release via STXfilms with additional UglyDolls projects in the works across the company's multiple divisions, including STXtelevision, STXdigital and STXsurreal.

11:58 EDT AmerisourceBergen sinks 7% after CNBC reports end of Walgreens deal talks - Shares of Walgreens Boots Alliance (WBA) are down 2% to $68.90.

11:47 EDT ESRB to assign 'in-game purchases' label to physical games - The Entertainment Software Rating Board, or ESRB, announced that it will begin assigning a new "In-Game Purchases" label to physical, as in boxed, games. The In-Game Purchases label is one of several interactive elements that ESRB currently assigns to notify consumers about the interactive or online features of a digital or mobile game. Consumers can expect to start seeing this new notice on all games that can be purchased in stores and wherever those games can be downloaded in the near future. The new In-Game Purchases label will be applied to games with in-game offers to purchase digital goods or premiums with real world currency, including but not limited to bonus levels, skins, surprise items such as item packs, loot boxes, mystery awards, music, virtual coins and other forms of in-game currency, subscriptions, season passes and upgrades. Publicly traded game makers who make games with in-game purchases include Electronic Arts (EA), Activision Blizzard (ATVI), Take-Two (TTWO), Ubisoft (UBSFY), Warner Bros. Interactive (TWX), Capcom (CCOEY), and Nintendo (NTDOY). Reference Link

11:31 EDT First Midwest raises quarterly dividend 10% to 11c per share - First Midwest Bancorp announced that its Board of Directors approved a 10% increase in the quarterly cash dividend on First Midwest's common stock to 11c per share. This quarterly cash dividend will be payable on April 10, 2018 to common stockholders of record on March 23, 2018 and will represent the 141st consecutive cash dividend paid by First Midwest since its inception in 1983.

11:19 EDT Verizon CFO says wireless service revenue on track for growth by mid-year - Verizon CFO Matt Ellis said he expects tax reform have "positive" impact on 2018 cash taxes. He sees CapEx for FY18 of $17B-$18B. Verizon continues to look at OTT space, but Ellis said he has "nothing to update at this point in time." Comments taken from the Morgan Stanley Technology, Media & Telecom Conference.

11:12 EDT Macy's rises as turnaround plan fuels better-than-expected earnings - Shares of Macy's (M) rallied after the company reported better-than-expected earnings, including a surprise increase in same-store sales, and offered 2018 guidance. EARNINGS AND GUIDANCE: Macy's reported fourth quarter adjusted earnings per share of $2.82, beating analysts' estimates of $2.71, on revenue of $8.67B, essentially in line with the $8.68B consensus but up 1.8% from the year-ago period. Comparable sales on an owned basis were up 1.3% and up 1.4% on an owned plus licensed basis. Macy's also offered guidance for 2018, including EPS of $3.55-$3.75, excluding anticipated settlement charges related to the company's defined benefit plans, which compares to analyst estimates of $3.66. The retailer sees comp sales on both an owned and an owned plus licensed basis flat to up 1% and expects total sales to decline 0.5% to 2%. EXECUTIVE COMMENTARY: In a statement, Chairman and CEO Jeff Gennette said, "We are committed to returning Macy's to comparable sales growth in 2018 and will build on the momentum we created in the fourth quarter of 2017... We head into 2018 with an improved base business, healthy inventories, a focused and engaged organization and a clear path to return Macy's to growth." On the company's quarterly earnings call, CFO Karen Houget said Macy's expects stronger sales in the second half of 2018 than the first half and that first half owned plus licensed comp sales are expected to be "approximately flat to slightly down." UPDATE ON BROOKFIELD ALLIANCE: Macy's this morning also provided an update on its agreement with Brookfield Asset Management (BAM), noting that it recently agreed to sell seven floors of its State Street store in Chicago to a private real estate fund sponsored by Brookfield. As part of the transaction, Macy's will receive a total of $30M as well as upside participation in the ultimate value creation associated with the conversion of the upper floors to office space. The company anticipates closing this transaction in the first half of fiscal 2018. The company is also exploring opportunities to sell the approximately 240,000 gross square foot I. Magnin portion of the main Union Square building in San Francisco. The companies have also agreed to certain terms on nine assets, which Brookfield will redevelop once it has received approval. Macy's said it hopes to reach a deal on the nine assets in 2019. Macy's said it "continues to opportunistically evaluate its real estate portfolio to identify opportunities where the redevelopment value of its real estate exceeds that of non-strategic operating locations." PEERS: Macy's and other mall-based retailers and department stores have been hurt by the increasing popularity of fast-fashion retailers like Zara, Forever 21 and H&M, as well as an increase in online shopping on sites such as Amazon (AMZN). Additionally, in January, Macy's reported that its comparable sales on an owned basis increased 1% in the months of November and December 2017 combined, which lagged rivals J.C. Penney (JCP) and Kohl's (KSS). J.C. Penney posted same-store sales growth of 3.4% during the November-December holiday period, while Kohl's reported that total and comparable sales were up 6.9% for the period over the last year. Kohl's , J.C. Penney, and Nordstrom (JWN) are expected to report later this week. PRICE ACTION: Shares of Macy's are off earlier highs and are now up about 4% to $28.51 in morning trading. OTHERS TO WATCH: J.C. Penney is up 2.3%, Nordstrom is down about 2% and Kohl's is down 1.5%.

11:07 EDT Street Fight: Analysts split on Akcea Therapeutics after volanesorsen update - Shares of Akcea Therapeutics (AKCA) are sliding after three research firms cut their ratings on the stock to Neutral-equivalent ratings. Not all Street firms were as bearish on the company this morning, as BMO Capital raised its price target for Akcea, citing the proximity of volanesorsen commercialization, the upcoming FDA Advisory Committee recommendation in May, and expectations for an on-time approval in August to drive further upside. QUARTERLY RESULTS: Last night, Akcea Therapeutics reported fourth quarter losses per share of (35c), which was worse than the expected (21c). The company also announced fourth quarter revenue of $18.03M, with consensus at $11.92M, and provided an update to key initiatives for its antisense oligonucleotide cardiometabolic/lipid disorder pipeline. MOVING TO SIDELINES: Following the quarterly report and update, Wells Fargo analyst Jim Birchenough downgraded Akcea to Market Perform from Outperform and lowered his price target on the shares to $20 from $27. The analyst argued that the company's disclosure of a proposal to reduce volanesorsen dosing to biweekly in lighter patients to mitigate risk of severe platelet reduction increases regulatory risk on questions of adequacy of the lower dose in reducing triglycerides to key threshold levels and in reducing risk of pancreatitis. In addition, given non-compliant patient monitoring associated with one case of severe thrombocytopenia and the most recent case in a patient at the lower dose intensity, the analyst believes adequacy of monitoring and dose adjustment could be questioned as well. Voicing a similar opinion, Stifel analyst Stephen Willey also downgraded Akcea Therapeutics to Hold from Buy, with a $20 price target, stating that the FDA's upcoming Advisory Committee meeting on May 10 is a potential source of volatility and he would prefer to watch from the sidelines. The analyst told investors that the FDA is likely to emphasize patient safety data, while any post-approval implementation of stringent patient monitoring/management protocols and the utilization of an also yet-to-be-completely-disclosed dosing algorithm may serve to narrow the addressable opportunity and negatively impact patient adoption and persistency. Meanwhile, Cowen analyst Eric Schmidt also cut Akcea Therapeutics' rating to Market Perform from Outperform, citing the company's disclosure of a new case of severe thrombocytopenia on volanesorsen, which he believes increases the regulatory risk ahead of the May 10 advisory committee meeting. Additionally, the analyst noted that volanesorsen's commercial potential could be encumbered by more stringent warnings and monitoring. UPSIDE AHEAD: Conversely, BMO Capital analyst Do Kim reiterated an Outperform rating for Akcea, while raising his price target on the shares to $30 from $25 given the proximity of volanesorsen commercialization, partly offset by higher expenses. The analyst told investors that he expects a positive AdCom recommendation in May for volanesorsen and on-time approval in August to drive upside in 2018. Additionally, Kim said he believes an Apo(a)-LRx Phase IIb readout in the second half of 2018 and subsequent licensing by partner Novartis (NVS) could drive additional upside in shares. PRICE ACTION: In morning trading, shares of Akcea Therapeutics have dropped over 30% to $15.80.

10:47 EDT Verizon, CONCACAF announce multi-platform media partnership - Verizon and the Confederation of North, Central American and Caribbean Association Football, or CONCACAF, have agreed to a multi-platform media rights deal to distribute CONCACAF tournaments across Verizon's digital media platforms. The deal gives Verizon exclusive English language rights to distribute multiple Confederation Championships, including the Scotiabank CONCACAF Champions League and the CONCACAF League in the U.S. Soccer fans in Canada, Mexico and the Caribbean will also be able to view select CONCACAF tournaments on Verizon's digital platforms. Additional terms of the deal were not disclosed.

10:31 EDT Assured Guaranty acquires minority interest in Rubicon Infrastructure Advisors - Assured Guaranty Ltd. announced that its subsidiary Assured Guaranty US Holdings acquired a minority interest in Cadia Malta Limited, the holding company of Rubicon Infrastructure Advisors Rubicon is a full-service investment banking firm active in the global infrastructure sector.

10:29 EDT Macy's sees 1H owned plus licensed comps 'approx. flat to slightly down' - CFO Karen Houget says that, ex-asset sales gains, EPS should grow in 2018 vs. 2017.

10:27 EDT Macy's CFO says hopes to reach deal on nine assets with Brookfield in 2019

10:18 EDT Macy's CFO says tourist sales improved in Q4 vs. Q3

09:50 EDT M I Acquisitions trading resumes

09:41 EDT Aspen University enters pre-licensure nursing degree program business - Aspen Group announced last night that Aspen University is entering the pre-licensure Bachelor of Science in Nursing degree program business. Aspen's first campus will be located in the heart of Phoenix and the university is targeting to begin enrolling students for the upcoming Summer semester.Aspen's online/on-campus program allows the majority of credits to be completed online. "Over the past three years, Aspen has made college affordable again for Registered Nurses looking to earn their BSN, MSN or DNP by offering monthly payment plans. However, our disruption of the Nursing education sector has only just begun. We are now going to enter the largest segment of the business, pre-licensure, to ensure that young adults who dream to join the Nursing profession will have a cost-effective alternative designed to minimize student debt loads and achieve an ROI on their education investment much earlier than the norm. We're looking forward to achieving this goal starting first in the Phoenix metro area where there are only nine pre-licensure BSN programs prior to our entry," said CEO Michael Mathews.

09:20 EDT Columbus McKinnon announces new CM Authorized Rigging Centers - Columbus McKinnon Corporation is making it easier than ever for customers to purchase, service and repair CM rigging products with its new CM Authorized Rigging Centers. CM Authorized Rigging Centers are part of an exclusive network of rigging product and service experts certified by Columbus McKinnon to: Build, service and repair mechanical and/or welded chain slings on behalf of Columbus McKinnon, Perform warranty and repair work on all CM rigging products, including chain, mechanical chain slings and forged rigging attachments, Perform warranty and repair work on manual hoists manufactured by CMCO, like CM, Coffing, Little Mule, Yale, Chester and Budgit, and Supply and distribute CMCO rigging and manual hoist products. All CM Authorized Rigging Centers must adhere to strict procedures set by CMCO, ASTM, ASME and OSHA requirements in order to maintain the highest levels of product quality and safety.

09:18 EDT Meridian Waste Solutions announces name change to Attis Industries - Meridian Waste Solutions announced the issuance of a shareholder letter from its chairman and CEO Jeff Cosman, which read in part: "Last week, we announced the execution of agreements to sell our solid waste business in a transaction valued at about $90M We spent three years building that business, and, while it was and remains valuable, its debt and liquidity needs were restricting our access to cost-effective sources of growth capital, and were therefore inconsistent with our plan to create even more value in our and biomass innovation and healthcare technology businesses. We are currently evaluating a robust growing pipeline of opportunities in biomass and healthcare technologies. This sale would clear the bottleneck while we believe significantly increasing our enterprise value, and thereby would pave the way for us to aggressively pursue acquisitions that we are currently evaluating. Our remaining operations after closing, are expected to generate approximately $12M in revenue and about $3M in pre-tax earnings in 2018, or approximately 15c per share of common stock, based on 20M shares outstanding. Development and build-out of biorefineries could greatly improve these projections...In our biomass innovation division, we intend to leverage our expertise in waste streams and technology development experience to harvest value that is hiding in plain sight. We have accordingly assembled a growing portfolio of technologies designed that are being developed to refine biomass in a series of process steps that are analogous to petroleum refining, in which crude oil is sequentially processed into a wide range of products....In healthcare technologies, we plan to build on our existing medical waste, lab services, and healthcare leadership experience to focus on a strategy in the rural hospitals and extended care facilities that will synergistically add revenue and earnings with our lab services division. The strategy potentially includes acquisition or operating partnerships of rural hospitals and extended care facilities....While we expect most of our revenue growth in 2018 and 2019 will come from our healthcare technologies business, we expect the performance of our biomass innovation division will eventually eclipse our healthcare technologies business. The by-products that we are targeting in innovations are available at low cost in enormous volumes, and the downstream fuels, energy, plastics and other commodity markets that we expect to be selling into rank amongst the largest...The Company will become known as Attis Industries.Attis is the Greek god of vegetation, recognized for its ability to regenerate itself. The underlying purpose of the deity, Attis, was to make plants grow and feed animals that, in turn, would fertilize new plants. If left alone, they repeat that process, 'regenerating' over and over again, in balance, sustainably. We believe Attis Industries, Inc. will quickly become the perfect sustainable capitalist tool."

09:13 EDT Discovery says sees overseas distribution growth for Scripps Networks

09:08 EDT Alliance Data appoints Greg Betchkal as Chief Risk Officer - Alliance Data's card services business has named Greg Betchkal as Chief Risk Officer. Betchkal will lead the company's risk organization and serve on its executive committee, reporting to Melisa Miller, president of Alliance Data's card services business. As chief risk officer, Betchkal will be responsible for oversight of the company's risk management practices, including processes and procedures for defining, managing, measuring, and reporting on risks associated with the business' banking operations and regulatory compliance.

09:07 EDT M I Acquisitions and Priority Holdings enter into definitive purchase agreement - Priority Holdings and M I Acquisitions, a Magna-sponsored special purpose acquisition company, announced that they have entered into a definitive purchase agreement, whereby Priority will combine with M I and be renamed Priority Technology Holding. The combined company will apply to continue the listing of its common stock on the Nasdaq Stock Market under the ticker symbol "PRTH." Post transaction, Priority's management team will continue to lead the company and Priority's current equityholders will own over 90% of the combined entity.

09:05 EDT Energy Recovery announces resignation of CEO Joel Gay - The Board of Directors of Energy Recovery announced the resignation of President and CEO Joel Gay. The Board has accepted Gay's resignation and appointed current CFO Chris Gannon as interim President and CEO effective immediately. Gay submitted his resignation to the Board on Saturday, February 24th citing the need to attend to personal family matters.

09:03 EDT Fitbit launches Fitbit Ionic: adidas edition smartwatch - Fitbit (FIT) launches Fitbit Ionic: adidas (ADDYY) edition, "a watch designed to help athletes of all levels improve their performance with running-specific training. The result of a partnership between Fitbit and adidas announced last year, Fitbit Ionic: adidas edition includes all the advanced health and fitness features of Fitbit Ionic plus provides a unique coaching experience through the adidas Train app, developed in collaboration with performance experts at adidas, that includes six on-screen workouts aimed at improving form, power and speed."

09:03 EDT Perry Ellis announces eyewear license agreement for Farah brand - Perry Ellis International announced that it has entered into a license agreement with INSPECS Group for men's ophthalmic glasses and sunglasses under the Fara brand. The new collection will launch in optical retail channels, boutique independent opticians and larger optical retail chains. Sunglasses distribution will be spearheaded via the travel retail sector alongside Farah's existing key retail partners and department stores. The new Farah eyewear collection will be available to view from the international eyewear platform of MIDO Milan. Farah eyewear product will be in stores from Q4 2018.

09:02 EDT Walmart announces launch of new apparel private brands - Walmart introduced four new apparel private brands for women, men and kids. Customers can now strut the latest seasonal fashions from Time and Tru, Terra & Sky, Wonder Nation and George, exclusively available nationwide in Walmart stores and on Walmart.com starting March 1.

09:02 EDT Amgen announces EMA issued positive opinion for Neulasta Onpro Kit - Amgen announced that the Committee for Medicinal Products for Human Use, or CHMP, of the European Medicines Agency, or EMA, has issued a positive opinion recommending a label variation for Neulasta to include the Neulasta Onpro Kit. The Neulasta Onpro Kit combines the efficacy of Neulasta with an innovative on-body injector, or OBI, delivery system. Neulasta is indicated in the European Union, or EU, for the reduction in the duration of neutropenia and the incidence of febrile neutropenia in adult patients treated with cytotoxic chemotherapy for malignancy.

08:57 EDT Discovery says sees 'significant free cash flow growth' in FY18

08:53 EDT Sellas Life Sciences announces data from Phase 2 trial of galinpepimut-S - SELLAS Life Sciences Group announced that data from the Phase 2 trial of its lead candidate, galinpepimut-S, in acute myeloid leukemia have been published in the current issue of Blood Advances. GPS met its pre-specified primary endpoint of greater than or equal to34% actual overall survival rate at three years with a GPS-induced OS rate of 47.4%. Median disease-free survival from first complete response was 16.9 months, while the overall survival from diagnosis has not yet been reached, but is predicted to be greater than 67.6 months. GPS targets the antigen, Wilms tumor 1 protein, which has been ranked by the National Cancer Institute as the leading target for cancer immunotherapy. For patients in the older cohort, median OS post-diagnosis was 35.8 months. Historical controls for comparable patients over sixty years of age who reach first complete remission show median OS since initial diagnosis of 9.5-15.8 months. The open-label Phase 2 study evaluated GPS in 22 adult patients with AML in CR1. Patients received 6 vaccinations administered over 10 weeks with the potential to receive 6 additional monthly doses if they remained in CR1. Immune responses were evaluated after the sixth and twelfth vaccinations by CD4+ T-cell proliferation, CD8+ T cell interferon-gamma secretion or the CD8-relevant WT1 peptide MHC tetramer assay. In the study, GPS was well tolerated, with the most common side effects being Grade 1/2 injection site reactions, fatigue, and skin induration. Fourteen patients completed more than six vaccinations, and nine received all 12 vaccine doses. Nine of 14 tested patients had an immune response in more than one of three assays used

08:45 EDT JPMorgan CFO: 'People constantly attacking us' in cyber attacks - Says "constantly" monitoring activity.

08:44 EDT Eaton Vance reports consolidated AUM up 24% from last year - Consolidated assets under management, or AUM, were $449.2B on January 31, up 24% from $363.7B of consolidated managed assets on January 31, 2017 and up 6% from $422.3B of consolidated managed assets on October 31, 2017. The year-over-year increase in consolidated assets under management reflects net inflows of $37.1B and market price appreciation of $48.4B. The sequential quarterly increase in consolidated assets under management reflects net inflows of $7.1B and market price appreciation of $19.8B in the Q1.

08:41 EDT Discovery says has 'full confidence' in $350M cost synergies with Scripps Networks - Says guidance looks "increasingly conservative."

08:37 EDT Heico subsidiary acquires Sensor Technology Engineering - Heico announced that its Santa Barbara Infrared, or SBIR, subsidiary acquired 85% of the business and assets of Sensor Technology Engineering in an all cash transaction. SBIR is part of Heico's electronic technologies group. Heico stated that it expects the acquisition to be accretive to its earnings within a year following the purchase. Further financial terms and details were not disclosed. Sensor Tech is the designer and manufacturer of sophisticated nuclear radiation detectors for law enforcement, homeland security and military applications. Sensor Tech's two founders own the remaining 15% of the business and will continue to manage it in their existing roles. Heico stated that it does not expect any staff turnover to result from the acquisition.

08:37 EDT BioCryst sees 2018 net operating cash use of $67M-$90M - Based upon development plans and the company's awarded government contracts, on a stand-alone basis, BioCryst expects its 2018 net operating cash use to be in the range of $67M-$90M, and its 2018 operating expenses to be in the range of $85M-$110M. "The company's operating expense range excludes equity-based compensation expense due to the difficulty in reliably projecting this expense, as it is impacted by the volatility and price of the company's stock, as well as by the vesting of the company's outstanding performance-based stock options," added BioCryst.

08:33 EDT Vonage granted 15 new patents from USPTO - Vonage has received 15 new patents from the United States Patent and Trademark Office. Vonage now has more than 185 U.S. patents, along with numerous international patents in jurisdictions worldwide. Benefits of the new patented technologies include enhanced network reliability and privacy, tools for increased employee productivity, and capabilities to enable improved customer connections for deeper relationships.

08:32 EDT On Track Innovations names Assaf Cohen as permanent CFO - On Track Innovations has promoted interim CFO, Assaf Cohen, to the permanent CFO position, effective immediately. Assaf Cohen has been serving in the role of Corporate Controller and deputy CFO at OTI since 2015, where he has been responsible for the finance departments of the company's subsidiaries worldwide. He has held increasing levels of responsibility throughout his nearly three years with the company and has proven his capabilities in the interim CFO role. Previously, Assaf Cohen was company controller at Samgal Ltd., and prior to that, served as Senior CPA at Ernst & Young.

08:20 EDT Cheetah Mobile issues security warning for crypto wallets Jaxx, Bitcoin Wallet - Cheetah Mobile Blockchain Research Lab, the blockchain research arm of Cheetah Mobile, has announced the discovery of major security vulnerabilities in Bitcoin Wallet and Jaxx Blockchain Wallet, two of the most popular mobile cryptocurrency wallets. The vulnerabilities were discovered while researching for a recently published white paper, which analyzed the security threats related to private key storage on mobile cryptocurrency wallets. Cheetah Mobile Blockchain Research Lab found that Bitcoin Wallet stores mnemonic phrases in plain text format within the "/data/data/com.bitcoin.mwallet" file of the phone's operating system, which can be easily hacked. They also discovered major security vulnerabilities in Jaxx's data backup mechanisms; private keys stored on Jaxx version can be stolen with very little effort by gaining access to and decrypting Jaxx's private key data files.

08:11 EDT BioCryst, Idera file preliminary proxy statement for pending merger - BioCryst Pharmaceuticals (BCRX) and Idera Pharmaceuticals (IDRA) filed a joint preliminary proxy statement/prospectus with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission in connection with the proposed merger, containing detailed information about the merger agreement and the transaction. The companies also today filed an investor presentation with the SEC that provides an update on certain key benefits of the companies' pending merger. As announced on January 22, 2018, BioCryst and Idera entered into a definitive agreement to combine and form a new enterprise focused on the development and commercialization of medicines to serve more patients suffering from rare diseases. The BioCryst and Idera Boards of Directors unanimously recommend that stockholders of both companies vote "FOR" the proposed merger at their respective Special Meetings of Stockholders. The dates of the meetings have not yet been announced.

08:09 EDT NetSol Technologies renews stock repurchase program - The Board of Directors of NETSOL Technologies has approved a stock repurchase program that authorizes repurchases of up to 500,000 shares of its common stock through June 30, 2018. Under the stock repurchase program, the Company may repurchase its common stock in the open market from time to time, in amounts, at prices, and at such times as the Company deems appropriate, subject to market conditions and federal and state laws governing such transactions. NETSOL expects to fund the repurchase with its existing cash balance including cash generated from operations.

08:08 EDT BIOLASE executes non-binding MOU with Redmond - BIOLASE announced that it has executed a non-binding Memorandum of Understanding, or MOU, with Redmond, WA-based S-Ray, to exclusively market and sell S-Ray's patented ClearView SCAN system, a disruptive and innovative ultrasound-based intraoral imaging system in the North American dental markets. ClearView SCAN is designed to be adjunct radiation-free imaging for soft-tissue anatomy that radiographs fail to detect, delivering a new category of imaging capability to clinicians for diagnosis and treatment planning.

08:07 EDT Splunk announces aquisition of Phantom Cyber for $350M - Splunk announced a definitive agreement to acquire Phantom Cyber, a leader in Security Orchestration, Automation and Response, or SOAR. Under the terms of the agreement, Splunk will acquire Phantom for a total purchase price of approximately $350M, subject to adjustment, to be paid in cash and stock. The acquisition is expected to close during the first half of 2018, subject to customary closing conditions and regulatory reviews. Oliver Friedrichs, founder and CEO, Phantom will report to Haiyan Song, senior VP and general manager of security markets, Splunk.

08:06 EDT Aldeyra enters into collaborative research agreement with Janssen - Aldeyra Therapeutics (ALDX) announced that it has entered into a collaborative research agreement with Janssen Research & Development, one of the Janssen Pharmaceutical Companies of Johnson & Johnson (JNJ). The agreement was facilitated by Johnson & Johnson Innovation. Aldeyra plans to collaborate with Janssen on the development of novel drugs designed to sequester pro-inflammatory aldehyde mediators, a new class of therapeutic targets. Aldeyra's aldehyde sequestration platform represents a novel therapeutic class, led by reproxalap, a first-in-class drug candidate that has demonstrated anti-inflammatory activity in four Phase 2 clinical trials. The agreement is intended to advance the development of existing analogs of reproxalap for the treatment of systemic inflammatory diseases.

08:05 EDT Lithia Motors acquires Day Automotive Group; financial terms not disclosed - Lithia Motors has acquired Day Automotive Group in Monroeville, Pennsylvania, a suburb of Pittsburgh. The Day group is estimated to generate $340M in steady state annual revenue.

08:04 EDT Legion Partners and 4010 Partners call on Genesco to consider 'dramatic change' - Legion Partners, LLC and 4010 Partners, LP released a letter calling on the Board of Directors of Genesco, Inc to implement a series of immediate reforms and explore strategic alternatives. Together, Legion and 4010 own more than 5% of the specialty retailer's outstanding shares. The activist investors claim Genesco - whose brands include Johnston & Murphy, Lids, Schuh and Journeys - underperform its peer group and that "good-faith efforts to work constructively with the company to find a better solution for shareholders have not been taken seriously." "Dramatic change is required at Genesco," said Legion Managing Director Christopher S. Kiper. "Genesco's return on invested capital has declined from 15% in FY2013 to 6% in the most recent 12-month period. Despite the precipitous deterioration in returns and underperformance of the company's stock price, we have seen little willingness to re-think the status quo under current leadership." Specifically, Legion and 4010 believe the Genesco board should: 1) Expand its strategic review to complete an objective evaluation of all strategic alternatives; 2) Perform a comprehensive operational review; 3)Reform its corporate governance and implement changes to long-term incentive plans to better align management with shareholders.

08:02 EDT Macy's continues to work with Brookfield as part of strategic alliance - Heading into fiscal 2018, Macy's, Inc. continues to opportunistically evaluate its real estate portfolio to identify opportunities where the redevelopment value of its real estate exceeds that of non-strategic operating locations. The company also continues to focus on creating additional value from its flagship stores while adding vitality to the retail experience. In February 2018, the company signed an agreement to sell floors 8 through 14 of its State Street store in Chicago to a private real estate fund sponsored by Brookfield Asset Management. Brookfield intends to convert these largely unused floors into dynamic, creative office space. As part of this transaction, Macy's, Inc. will receive a total of $30 million ($27 million of consideration and a $3 million contribution for certain improvements), as well as upside participation in the ultimate value creation associated with the conversion of the upper floors to office space. This transaction will enable the company to make Macy's on State Street a more vibrant shopping destination. The company anticipates closing this transaction in the first half of fiscal 2018. The company is now exploring opportunities to sell the approximately 240,000 gross square foot I. Magnin portion of the main Union Square building in San Francisco. Macy's Union Square comprises multiple buildings, and the former I. Magnin flagship building, situated at the corner of Stockton and Geary Streets, is a separate structure well-suited for development. As previously announced, Macy's sold the Union Square Men's building and is incorporating the men's business into the main store. The company is also making additional enhancements to the Union Square main building through the conversion of street-level selling space into high-end retail shops that will be leased to third parties. The Union Square main building will remain the largest department store in the Bay Area and will comprise approximately 700,000 gross square feet. Macy's, Inc. continues to work with Brookfield as part of its strategic alliance. The companies have agreed to certain terms on nine assets (of the approximately 50-asset portfolio), which Brookfield will redevelop once it has received the necessary approvals. Upon the completion of certain approvals, Macy's, Inc. will either sell its interests in the individual assets to Brookfield or contribute them to individual joint ventures. If sold, the cumulative value is estimated to be approximately $50 million. Additionally, Macy's, Inc. would be entitled to an increased purchase price if certain financial targets are achieved for the three largest assets. The company expects that these developments will add vibrancy and desirability to the vicinity, enhancing the retail experience in these locations.

07:47 EDT Intercloud Systems awarded new contracts valued at over $1.2M - InterCloud Systems announced that it was recently awarded over $1.2 million in new contracts for professional services for new and existing customers. A majority of the work is expected to begin immediately.

07:41 EDT Actinium announces activation of sixteenth clinical trial site in Iomab-B trial - Actinium Pharmaceuticals announced that the Company has successfully activated sixteen clinical trial sites in the pivotal Phase 3 SIERRA trial. The SIERRA trial is planned to enroll 150 patients with relapsed or refractory acute myeloid leukemia who are age 55 and above and will compare Iomab-B and a BMT to physician's choice of salvage chemotherapy. The primary endpoint is durable complete remission of at least six months. Iomab-B is intended to provide safer myeloablation of the bone marrow prior to a bone marrow transplant, thus providing a potentially curative treatment option for this patient population and for patients with other leukemias, lymphomas, myelomas and other blood disorders. With Stony Brook, New York-based Stony Book University, the sixteen clinical trial sites in the Phase 3 SIERRA trial represent over one-third of bone marrow transplant volume in the U.S., which bodes well for reaching the 150-patient enrollment goal. Actinium also announced that it expects to provide updates on the Iomab-B SIERRA trial in line with previously stated objectives for 2018 and 2019. The SIERRA trial will have three safety analyses by an independent Data Monitoring Committee when 25%, 50% and 75% patient enrollment has been reached. Also, two ad-hoc efficacy analyses may be requested by Actinium after 70 and/or 110 patients have engrafted and given enough time to achieve the primary endpoint of durable complete remission at six months post-treatment.

07:38 EDT Ebix expands credit facility to $650M - Ebix announced the expansion of its existing credit facility from $450M to $650M to assist in funding its growth. The $200M increase in the bank line was the result of many members of the existing bank group expanding their share of the credit facility and the addition of BBVA Compass and Bank of the West to the Banking Syndicate, which further diversifies Ebix's lending group under the credit facility to ten participants.

07:35 EDT Motus GI receives European mark approval for Pure-Vu System - Motus GI announced that it has received European CE mark approval for its flagship product, the Pure-Vu System. The Pure-Vu System works with standard colonoscopes to help facilitate the cleaning of poorly prepped colons during the colonoscopy procedure, while preserving standard procedural workflow and techniques. The Pure-Vu System has previously received 510 clearance from the FDA and is currently being introduced on a pilot basis in the U.S. In November 2017, Motus reported positive results from its most recent European clinical study evaluating the performance of the Pure-Vu System in cleansing a poorly prepared colon at the 25th United European Gastroenterology Week conference. Results from the 47-patient study showed that the Pure-Vu System significantly increased the number of subjects with an adequate cleansing level from 19.1% at baseline to 100% after using the Pure-Vu System. Mean post-treatment BBPS score was 9 vs. 3 prior to Pure-Vu System use. Motus expects to continue to involve select European clinical centers in post-approval clinical trials of the Pure-Vu System it plans to conduct during the next 12 months and beyond.

07:35 EDT CGI Group awarded One IT Operations Outsourcing contract by TalkTalk - CGI has been awarded the One IT Operations Outsourcing contract by UK telecommunications company TalkTalk. The contract will see CGI strengthen and transform TalkTalk's operational services over the next five years. TalkTalk's five year One IT Operations contract forms part of a business-wide transformation programme for better customer experience and operational excellence.

07:34 EDT Colliers International acquires controlling interest in IREA Corporate Finance - Colliers International Group announced that it has acquired a controlling interest in leading financial and strategic advisory firm, IREA Corporate Finance S.L. and merged its existing operations to create one of Spain's top players in the real estate and hotel markets. The senior leaders of both operations will remain significant shareholders of the combined business under Colliers International's unique partnership model. Colliers International Spain has more than 100 professionals operating in Madrid and Barcelona providing financial and strategic advisory services as well as investment sales, lease brokerage, valuations, workplace consultancy and property and project management to domestic and international investment funds, financial institutions and other owners and occupiers of real estate. Terms of the transaction were not disclosed.

07:33 EDT Titan Medical granted patent related to instrument end effector - Titan Medical has been granted Canadian Patent No. CA 2,982,615, titled "End Effector Apparatus for a Surgical Instrument." This patent is related generally to a novel end-effector actuation mechanism, especially suitable for small instruments, such as those used in laparoscopic and robotic surgery. A corresponding patent application is pending in the U.S. With the issuance of this patent, the Company has ownership of 21 issued patents and has 49 patent applications pending.

07:32 EDT University of Tennessee Medical Center, Pacira collaborate to limit opioid use - To improve patient outcomes and combat a segment of the national opioid epidemic, The University of Tennessee Medical Center and Pacira Pharmaceuticals announced a continuous quality improvement project designed to develop low- or no-opioid postsurgical pain management pathways for patients undergoing one of the most common surgical procedures, hernia surgery. The project is intended to demonstrate that effective postsurgical analgesia is achievable without the need for high volumes of opioids, which in turn, can make a meaningful impact on the patient recovery experience. Utilizing the expertise of CQ-Insights, a leading-edge healthcare data analytics firm, hospital data will be analyzed to track the progress of pathway implementation, the resulting reduction in overall opioid consumption, length of hospital stay, costs, and patient satisfaction. Following a successful demonstration of opioid reduction and quality outcomes among hernia patients, The University of Tennessee Medical Center, an academic medical center located in Knoxville, Tenn., and Pacira intend to develop an educational program that can be shared with other hospitals and providers, and will consider implementing similar CQI projects in other surgical procedures.

07:26 EDT Exelixis announes Daiichi Sankyo submitted application for esaxerenone - Exelixis announced that its partner Daiichi Sankyo Company has submitted its regulatory application for esaxerenone as a treatment for patients with hypertension to the Japanese Pharmaceutical and Medical Devices Agency. Esaxerenone is a compound identified during the prior research collaboration between Exelixis and Daiichi Sankyo, and has been subsequently developed by Daiichi Sankyo. As a result of the submission, Exelixis will receive a $20M milestone payment per the two companies' collaboration agreement. Daiichi Sankyo's application is based on the results of phase 3 studies including ESAX-HTN, a randomized, double-blind, three-arm parallel group comparison study evaluating the efficacy and safety of esaxerenone versus eplerenone in patients with essential hypertension in Japan.

07:20 EDT Main Street exits investment in Hydratec - Main Street Capital announced that it recently fully exited its investment in Hydratec. Main Street realized a gain of approximately $7.9M on the exit of its equity investment in Hydratec, representing a realized value consistent with Main Street's fair market value of this equity investment as of December 31, 2017. Main Street's initial investment in Hydratec in October 2007 consisted of approximately $9.3M, including a first lien, senior secured debt investment and a direct equity investment. On a cumulative basis including both Main Street's debt and equity investments in Hydratec, Main Street realized a total internal rate of return of 17.9% and a 2.7 times money invested return.

07:19 EDT Pluristem says PLX-R18 improves hematopoietic transplantation - Pluristem Therapeutics has published key findings from a study of PLX-R18 that demonstrate the cells' efficacy in improving human hematopoietic engraftment. The article titled, "Posttransplant Intramuscular Injection of PLX-R18 Mesenchymal-Like Adherent Stromal Cells Improves Human Hematopoietic Engraftment in A Murine Transplant Model" was published in the peer-reviewed journal's February 2018 issue. In the published study, mice were injected intramuscularly with PLX-R18 following human hematopoietic cell transplantation. Significant improvement was observed in the peripheral blood counts as measured by CD45+ cell recovery at weeks 6 and 8 and in the bone marrow at week 8 in the PLX-R18 treated groups versus the control, placebo groups. Superiority of PLX-R18 treatment over the control groups was also reported for recovery of CD19+ cells at weeks 6 and 8. These findings support Pluristem's clinical development of PLX-R18 for a variety of hematological indications. Pluristem is currently conducting a Phase I clinical trial in the U.S. and Israel of PLX-R18 to treat incomplete hematopoietic recovery following HCT. HCT is used to treat bone marrow failure associated with cancers of the blood and/or chemotherapy. When HCT fails to fully engraft, it poses dangers to the patient. The Phase I study is evaluating the safety of IM injections of PLX-R18 cells in 24 people with incomplete hematopoietic recovery persisting for at least 4 months following HCT.

07:17 EDT Sierra Oncology significantly expands clinical development program - Sierra Oncology reported significant progress in the advancement of its strategic pipeline of drug assets. The company announced noteworthy progress in the Dose Escalation Phase 1 portions for both of its ongoing Phase 1/2 clinical trials evaluating its potential best-in-class Chk1 inhibitor, SRA737. The company announced expansion of the efficacy-oriented Phase 2 portions of both trials, which will now target aggregate enrollment of approximately 200 patients across ten cancer indications. The company also announced it is planning to initiate a Phase 1b/2 clinical trial in the fourth quarter of 2018 that will evaluate SRA737 in combination with ZEJULA for the treatment of metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer. In addition, the company announced it is planning to submit an Investigational New Drug for its Cdc7 inhibitor, SRA141, in the second half of 2018 in order to initiate a Phase 1/2 clinical trial, focused initially on the treatment of colorectal cancer.

07:17 EDT Evogene announces 'positive' results for mode-of-action herbicide program - Evogene announced today that its Ag-Chemical division achieved positive results in its internal novel Mode-of-Action herbicide program with multiple 'families' of Evogene predicted chemical compounds demonstrating improved herbicidal effectiveness in lab and greenhouse experiments. Herbicides are weed killing chemicals, part of the general pesticide and crop protection market. The market size attributed to herbicides reached $21B in 2016. Herbicide protection plays an important role in global food security and, for instance, without herbicide protection approximately 20% of the global crop yield of wheat would be lost2. Current herbicide products are based on MoA's introduced to market over 30 years ago, while weed resistance to these solutions is globally on the rise, creating a growing need for a novel MoA herbicide. Evogene initiated its herbicide program in 2015, and last year disclosed the identification of several novel herbicide targets, representing a new MoA, and over 10 inhibiting chemical compounds demonstrating initial weed-killing effectiveness. Following these achievements, the Ag-Chemical division, using the CPB platform, predicted and synthesized chemical 'families'. A chemical 'family' includes chemical compounds which are related to a specific, previously discovered and positively validated chemical compounds. Today's announcement discloses that in lab and greenhouse experiments, these chemical 'families' showed various levels of weed-killing effectiveness for individual members of each 'family', in some cases significantly in excess of the initial chemical compound. During 2018, these 'families' of chemical compounds will continue to undergo additional optimization for advancement to the next phase in the herbicidal product pipeline. In parallel, Evogene continues to establish biological proof that these chemical compounds indeed inhibit the identified novel herbicide targets, representing a novel MoA.

07:14 EDT Sierra Oncology, Janssen sign sign supply agreement for prostate cancer study - Sierra Oncology (SRRA) announced the signing of a clinical supply agreement with Janssen Research & Development (JNJ) for access to Tesaro's (TSRO) ZEJULA, an orally administered poly polymerase inhibitor undergoing clinical development by Janssen for patients with prostate cancer. Sierra intends to evaluate its Chk1 inhibitor, SRA737, in combination with niraparib in patients with metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer. The scientific rationale for the combination was supported by translational research conducted at The Institute of Cancer Research, London. Sierra plans to conduct an open-label, multicenter Phase 1b/2 dose-ranging study to assess the safety, tolerability, pharmacokinetics, and preliminary antitumor activity of SRA737 in combination with niraparib in patients with mCRPC. The study is intended to determine the maximum tolerated dose and schedule of SRA737 in combination with niraparib and to propose a recommended Phase 2 dose and schedule of the combination. Data will be analyzed to examine specific hypotheses regarding the relationship between clinical response and alterations in genes regulating cell cycle progression and DNA damage response. Janssen will provide Sierra with niraparib, while Sierra will conduct and control the study, which is anticipated to commence in the fourth quarter of 2018. Preclinical studies evaluating the combination of SRA737 and niraparib are ongoing.

07:11 EDT Profitero: Walmart online grocery prices edge closer to Amazon - Walmart (WMT) online grocery prices are edging closer to Amazon (AMZN), with only a slim gap separating prices between the two retailers, according to a new study by global e-commerce analytics firm Profitero. In the report, Price Wars: Grocery, Household & Beauty, Profitero analyzed pricing for 21,000 products in grocery, beauty and household supplies, finding only a 1.8% average difference between Walmart's and Amazon's prices for grocery. Target (TGT) and Jet.com were both found to be, on average, about 6% higher in grocery than Amazon. The latest study builds upon research Profitero published in October 2017 when the company compared online price differences for 13 key non-CPG categories across Amazon, Walmart, Target, Jet.com and other retailers and found that Walmart prices were among the most competitive to Amazon, with an average price difference of 3%. Furthermore, the tighter gap in CPG prices across retailers suggests that CPG categories overall are more prone to price wars with Amazon than non-CPG categories. Other key findings from the report: Walmart is getting aggressive with price matching. The retailer matched Amazon prices on 53% of all CPG products studied, and 67% in grocery. The Amazon Prime Pantry program is paying off, helping create price separation from the competition. Prices on products listed in the Prime Pantry program average about 11% less than those found at other retailers. Amazon regained its price lead over Walmart in beauty compared with Profitero's October findings. Jet.com is now nipping at Amazon's heels in the beauty category with a price gap of just 1.4% between the two. Walmart beauty prices averaged about 5% more, while Target was almost 7% higher. Specialty retailers continue to lose ground in the battle for price supremacy. Online beauty prices at Walgreens.com (WBA) and CVS.com (CVS) averaged about 30% higher than Amazon.

07:11 EDT Gastar Exploration CEO J. Russell Porter to leave, Jerry Schuyler to succeed - Gastar Exploration announced that J. Russell Porter, President and CEO, will be leaving the company. The Board of Directors has appointed Jerry Schuyler, Gastar's Chairman of the Board of Directors, as interim CEO, effective immediately. Gastar has initiated a search to fill the permanent position of President and CEO. Porter will remain with Gastar during a transitional period in which he will assist Schuyler as well as remain available to the company on a consulting basis.

07:07 EDT American Tower sees FY18 total property revenue $6.93B-$7.12B - Sees FY18 AFFO at the midpoint of $7.30 inclusive of Indian carrier consolidation-driven churn.

07:05 EDT Discovery receives DOJ clearance to acquire Scripps Networks - Discovery Communications (DISCA) announced today that the Department of Justice has closed its investigation into Discovery's proposed acquisition of Scripps Networks Interactive (SNI). The closing of the proposed transaction remains subject to completion of review in Ireland and other customary closing conditions. The transaction is expected to close by the end of the first quarter 2018. Until legal close, the companies will continue to operate as separate and independent entities.

07:04 EDT NXP Semiconductors introduces its new A71CH SE for IoT devices - NXP Semiconductors introduced its new A71CH Secure Element, or SE, a trust anchor, ready-to-use security solution for next-generation IoT devices, such as edge nodes and gateways. Designed to secure peer-to-peer or cloud connections, the chip comes with the required credentials pre-injected for autonomous cloud onboarding and peer-to-peer authentication. The solution is a Root of Trust, or RoT, at the silicon level, with security functionalities such as encrypted key storage, key generation and derivation to protect private information and credentials for mutual authentication.

07:00 EDT JPMorgan sees FY18 net interest income $54B-$55B - Sees FY18 consumer card net charge-offs 3.25%-3.5%. Sees 2018 core loan growth ex-CIB 6%-7%.

06:54 EDT Extended Stay America raises share repurchase authorization by $100M

06:47 EDT Sharing Economy International enters into exclusivity agreement with Wyeing Mtel - Sharing Economy International (SEII) announced that its wholly-owned subsidiary, EC Technology & Innovations, has entered into an exclusivity agreement with the shareholders of Weying Mtel, regarding a potential acquisition by EC Technology of not less than 51% of Weying Mtel. Weying Mtel is a joint venture of Mobile Telecom Limited and Weiying Technology. Weiying operates a ticketing service on Tencent's (TCEHY) WeChat platform and aims to accelerate the collaboration of Hong Kong's movie businesses and Weiying's leading position in Mainland China's ticketing service market to develop ticketing services which it will deploy in global markets outside of China.

06:40 EDT SeaWorld CEO Joel Manby steps down, John Reilly named interim CEO - SeaWorld Entertainment announced that it is initiating a leadership transition plan. With improving operating and financial performance trends along with substantial progress in enhancing the strategic positioning of the Company's mission-driven brand, the Company's Board of Directors and current President and CEO, Joel Manby, agreed that this is the right time to identify a new CEO as the Company enters its next phase of intensified focus on execution and growth. Under the plan, current Chief Parks Operations Officer, John Reilly, has become interim CEO succeeding Manby, who has stepped down. Current Chairman of the Board Yoshikazu Maruyama - a 22-year veteran of the global theme park and entertainment industry - has become interim Executive Chairman until a permanent CEO is appointed by the Board, at which time Maruyama will resume his position as Chairman of the Board of Directors. These changes are effective immediately. Manby has agreed to assist the Company to ensure a smooth transition. The Board of Directors has engaged a leading executive search firm to assist in the search for Manby's successor.

06:34 EDT SeaWorld: YTD attendance, season pass sales to date have increased y/y

06:32 EDT Perrigo sees FY17 adjusted net sales at high end of previous guidance - Sees FY17 revenue $4.9B, consensus $4.9B.

06:29 EDT Vitamin Shoppe sees FY18 comparable sales of low to mid negative single digits - Sees FY18 gross margin rate flat with 2017, benefitting from higher product margins and improvement at Nutri-Force, partially offset by fixed cost deleverage; increase in SG&A expenses of 2.0%-2.5% over 2017. This excludes expenses associated with CEO change. Sees FY18 combined Federal, State and Local tax rate of 28%. This excludes taxes associated with permanent book to tax differences estimated at $500,000-$1M and FY18 capital expenditures $30M, includes the opening of 2 new stores.

06:27 EDT Toll Brothers sees Q2 deliveries 1,825-1,925 units - With an average price of between $825,000 and $850,000. The Company expects its second-quarter FY 2018 Adjusted Gross Margin to be approximately 22.8% of revenues. FY 2018 second-quarter SG&A is expected to be approximately 10.6% of second quarter revenues. The Company's second-quarter FY 2018 Other income and Income from unconsolidated entities is expected to be approximately $15 million. The FY 2018 second quarter effective tax rate is expected to be approximately 27.5%.

06:23 EDT Carter's raises quarterly dividend 22% to 45c per share - The dividend is for payment on March 23, 2018, to shareholders of record at the close of business on March 12, 2018.

06:20 EDT Dril-Quip board approves termination of stockholder rights plan - The Company's Board of Directors approved the termination of the stockholder rights plan by amending the associated rights agreement to accelerate the expiration date to the close of business on February 26, 2018, effectively terminating the plan as of that date. Stockholders are not required to take any action as a result of this expiration. In connection with the expiration of the rights plan, the Company will be taking routine actions to voluntarily deregister the related rights to purchase preferred stock under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, and to delist the rights to purchase preferred stock from the New York Stock Exchange. These actions are administrative in nature and will have no effect on Dril-Quip's common stock, which continues to be listed on the New York Stock Exchange.

06:10 EDT Liberty Media offers $1.16B for 40% stake in restructured iHeart - Lenders and noteholders of iHeartMediaInc (IHRT) yesterday said Liberty Media (LMCA) offered to buy a 40% stake in a restructured version of iHeart for $1.16B. Under the terms of the agreement, iHeart's board will consist of nine members, and Liberty will have the right to appoint four directors.

06:07 EDT Darwin Deason seeks to nominate new Xerox board - In a regulatory filing, activist investor Darwin Deason said it is seeking to nominate a full slate of directors to Xerox's board at the company's annual meeting, despite missing a deadline for putting forth directors. The investor said, "While the deadline for seeking such nomination was December 11, 2017, a stockholder of a New York corporation has the right to nominate directors at an annual meeting after the nomination deadline has passed in the event of a 'material' change in circumstances caused by the directors of the subject corporation after the nomination deadline. More than six weeks following the nomination deadline, the Xerox Board of Directors made a series of very significant decisions and disclosures that were highly material to the stockholders' decisions concerning potential nomination of directors... Further, I requested and demanded the very information that was withheld by the Xerox Board of Directors prior to the nomination deadline. The Xerox Board of Directors only disclosed the information I requested six weeks after the nomination deadline of December 11, 2017. Therefore, I now have the right under the Xerox Certificate of Incorporation, the Xerox By-Laws and applicable law to a waiver of enforcement of the nomination deadline to permit shareholders to propose the nomination of directors for consideration and election by Xerox shareholders at the upcoming 2018 shareholder annual meeting. In light of these circumstances, all Xerox shareholders should have a chance to vote on all directors at the annual meeting. Xerox shareholders should be afforded a clear choice and a chance to affect their will concerning Xerox's future. Accordingly, through this letter, I hereby affirmatively request that the Xerox Board of Directors waive enforcement of the nomination deadline set forth in Section 6 of Article I of the Xerox By-Laws and permit shareholders to propose the nomination of a full slate of directors for consideration and election by Xerox shareholders at the upcoming 2018 shareholder annual meeting."

04:48 EDT Comcast tops Fox offer for Sky with $31B acquisition proposal - Comcast (CMCSA) announced a possible offer which it says is a "superior cash proposal" to acquire Sky (SKYAY). Comcast's announcement of a superior cash proposal of GBP 12.50 per share represents a 16% increase in value over the existing 21st Century Fox offer (FOXA) for Sky. Comcast's superior cash proposal implies an equity value of $31B for Sky. "A combination would bring attractive financial benefits to Comcast shareholders, and is expected to be accretive to Comcast's free cash flow per share in year one...The acquisition would enhance the entertainment, distribution, and technology leadership of Comcast, and importantly expand Comcast's international footprint to more effectively compete in the rapidly changing and intensely competitive entertainment and communications landscape. The combined business would create compelling opportunities for growth and innovation," Comcast said in a statement. "We think Sky is an outstanding company. It has 23 million customers and leading positions in the UK, Italy, and Germany. Sky has been a consistent innovator in its use of technology to deliver a fantastic viewing experience and has a proud record of investment in news and programming. It has great people and a very strong and capable management team. Comcast intends to use Sky as a platform for growth in Europe. We already have a strong presence in London through our NBCUniversal international operations, and we intend to maintain Sky's UK headquarters. Adding Sky to the Comcast family of businesses will increase our international revenues from 9% to 25% of Company revenues," said Brian Roberts, CEO of Comcast.