Stockwinners Market Radar for March 06, 2018 - Earnings, Upgrades downgrades, option trades, Best Stock Advisory Service

19:38 EDT Mercer receives a $6.9M decision in NAFTA claim - Mercer International announces that it has received the decision of the tribunal in respect of its previously announced claim against the Government of Canada under the North American Free Trade Agreement. In a split decision, a majority of the tribunal ruled that it lacked jurisdiction to decide certain of the Company's claims under NAFTA and, with respect to the Company's other NAFTA claims, that they were highly complex and technical and that it would be inappropriate for the tribunal to re-determine matters calling for specialist judgment and, as a result, there was no violation of NAFTA. As is customary in these matters, the tribunal awarded costs to Canada of approximately $6.9 million. Mercer had initiated its NAFTA claim against the Government of Canada in January 2012. The claim related to the Company's investment in the Celgar mill and arose from the treatment of the mill's energy generation assets and operations by the Province of British Columbia, primarily through the actions of B.C. Hydro and Power Authority, a provincially owned and controlled enterprise, and the British Columbia Utilities Commission, a provincial government regulatory agency. The basis of the claim was that the Celgar mill had received unfair and discriminatory treatment regarding its ability to purchase and sell energy compared to other pulp mills and entities that generate and sell electricity within the Province of British Columbia.

18:09 EDT Abbott: FDA approves Masters HP 15mm rotatable mechanical heart valve - Abbott announced the U.S. FDA approved the Masters HP 15mm rotatable mechanical heart valve, the world's smallest mechanical heart valve, that will allow doctors to treat babies and toddlers in need of a mitral or aortic valve replacement. Until now, surgeons could only use a range of larger-sized valves to replace a pediatric heart valve that could not be repaired, and larger valves are often not suitable given the smaller size of children's hearts. This dime-sized new valve is the first and only pediatric mechanical heart valve developed for newborns and infants, and offers hope for pediatric patients in urgent need of treatment who have no other approved options.

18:00 EDT OMA Airports reports February traffic up 8.5% - Mexican airport operator Grupo Aeroportuario del Centro Norte, S.A.B. de C.V., known as OMA, reports that terminal passenger traffic at its 13 airports increased 8.5% in February 2018, as compared to February 2017. Domestic traffic increased 9.1%, and international traffic increased 5.1%

17:46 EDT S&P Global announces $1B accelerated stock repurchase - S&P Global announced it has entered into a $1 billion accelerated share repurchase agreement with Morgan Stanley & Co. LLC. The transaction is expected to be completed in the third quarter of 2018. The company is using available cash to fund the accelerated share repurchase transaction. The accelerated share repurchase agreement announced today will be executed under this existing authorization from the board.

17:39 EDT T2 Biosystems says path for FDA clearance of T2Bacteria Panel now in Q2 - On its Q4 earnings conference call, T2 Biosystems said, "Last September, we submitted our 510(k) application to the FDA, requesting market clearance of the T2Bacteria Panel. We had hoped to have received a decision from the FDA as early as by the end of 2017, but we appear to be on a more typical timeline of six to nine months, as the approval process within the FDA appears a bit different than we experienced with the Canada submission. This timeline would have us on the path to FDA clearance in Q2. Our discussions with the FDA continue to be productive and cooperative, and based on the strong data from the clinical trials and the benefit of the T2Bacteria Panel for patients, we believe that FDA clearance can be achieved within this typical time frame."

17:34 EDT T2 Biosystems sees FY18 operating expenses $9M-$10M - Going forward, with the T2Bacteria clinical trial completed and as the company continues to focus on commercial revenue growth, operating expenses in Q2 and for the remainder of the year are expected to be in the range of $9.0M-$10.0M, a net reduction of approximately 20%. The reduction in expenses is not expected to impact the company's investment in sales and support of revenue growth, and it is believed will allow the company to fully fund its product development pipeline. The company expects to provide full-year 2018 financial guidance upon FDA clearance of the T2Bacteria Panel.

17:31 EDT Tiger Global Management reports 5.3% passive stake in TransDigm

17:19 EDT FormFactor to replace Calgon Carbon in S&P 600 at open on 3/12 - Kuraray Co. is acquiring Calgon Carbon in a transaction expected to be completed on or about March 9, pending final conditions.

17:11 EDT Spectrum drops 8% following Q4 results, guidance - Spectrum expects total revenue to be between $90M-$110M in 2018. Anbalysts were projecting FY18 revenue of 126.38M. Gross margin is expected to improve primarily as a result of enhancements to Evomela manufacturing. R&D expense is expected increase driven by additional spend on pipeline. Shares of Spectrum are down 7.59% in after-hours trading to $19.49 per share.

17:06 EDT Gunmaker American Outdoor Brands responds to BlackRock's request for meeting - American Outdoor Brandsannounced that it has published its response to recent inquiries it has received from BlackRock Investment Stewardship group. The letter said in part: "We are in receipt of your letter dated March 1, 2018, requesting a meeting with us during which you may ask a series of questions, many of which have been publicly posted...we are committed to reviewing all reasonable proposals with an open mind. However, we also believe that the first course of action must be to enforce existing laws, address the challenges of acute mental illness in our society, and improve the NICS background check system, the very purpose of which is to prevent unauthorized access to firearms by irresponsible persons and those not legally qualified to possess them. The solution is not to take a politically motivated action that has an adverse impact on our company, our employees, our industry, our shareholders, the economies we support and, significantly, the rights of our law abiding customers, but results in no increase in public safety. We must collectively have the courage to ensure any actions are guided by data, by facts, and by what will actually make us safer -- not by what is easy, expedient, or reads well in a headline." Reference Link

17:01 EDT Hawaiian Airlines reports February traffic up 7.4% - Hawaiian Airlines announced its system-wide traffic statistics for the month of February 2018. Hawaiian welcomed more than 900 thousand guests in February 2018, a record for the month of February and an increase of 8.6% over the same period last year. Total traffic increased 7.4% on an increase of 4.9% in capacity. Load factor increased 1.9 points to 84.8%.

16:51 EDT Gartner exec Kranich sells 5,064 common shares - In a regulatory filing, Gartner executive vice president of human resources Robin B. Kranich disclosed the sale of 5,064 common shares of the company at a price of $118.1882 per share.

16:40 EDT Apollo Management lowers stake in Norwegian Cruise Line to 8.7% from 9.0%

16:37 EDT Red Lion Hotels sells hotels in idaho and Washington for $29.9M - RLH Corporation announced the sale of Red Lion Hotels in Boise, Idaho; and Pasco and Richland, Washington for $29.9M. The three hotels are in addition to the sale of two hotels in California announced last week for $17.4M. All buyers signed franchise license agreements to retain the Red Lion Hotels brand. RLH Corporation's total gain on the sales is expected to be approximately $8.0M, and $22.8M million of the proceeds of the sales were used for debt repayment at the closing.

16:34 EDT J.M. Smucker announces termination of deal to acquire Wesson oil from Conagra - The J. M. Smucker Company (SJM) announced that the company and Conagra Brands (CAG) have agreed to terminate the definitive agreement for the company to acquire the Wesson oil brand from Conagra. The Agreement was previously announced on May 30, 2017. On March 5, 2018, the U.S. Federal Trade Commission announced that it filed an administrative complaint challenging the proposed transaction. "While we disagree with the FTC's conclusion, we have mutually determined with Conagra that it is not in the best interest of either party to expend the anticipated significant additional time and resources to challenge the FTC's administrative complaint," said Mark Smucker, CEO. "We believe the FTC underestimated the significant role that private label brands play in the oils category, which account for approximately 50 percent of all cooking oil sales and hold significantly higher market share at some retailers. This transaction was expected to provide significant cost synergies to ensure that branded oil products would remain competitive in the market. We continue to be committed to delivering value to our consumers and customers with our Crisco brand and oils business."

16:30 EDT Bojangles jumps 8% to $13.80 per share after results

16:23 EDT WellCare healt plan selected by Department of Human Services' Med-QUEST Division - 'Ohana Health Plan, a WellCare Health Plans, announced that it has been selected to enter into a contract with the state's Department of Human Services' Med-QUEST Division to administer services through the Community Care Services, or CCS, program statewide. CCS delivers behavioral health services to approximately 5,200 Medicaid-eligible adults in Hawaii who have severe mental illness as of December 31, 2017. 'Ohana Health Plan has been the sole provider of CCS services since 2013.

16:20 EDT Mercury Systems' RF and Microwave group gets $3.5M order - Mercury Systemsannounced that its Radio Frequency and Microwave group has been selected by a leading defense prime contractor to supply SWaP-optimized, custom-engineered RF converter subsystems for a state-of-the-art airborne tactical radar system. The Company received an initial $3.5M order to commence development, which was booked in its fiscal 2018 second quarter.

16:19 EDT Urban Outfitters down 8.4% after reporting Q4 earnings results

16:19 EDT Urban Outfitters reports Q4 comparable sales up 4% - Comparable retail segment net sales increased 4%, driven by strong, double-digit growth in the digital channel partially offset by negative retail store sales. By brand, comparable retail segment net sales increased 8% at Free People, 5% at the Anthropologie Group and 2% at Urban Outfitters. Wholesale segment net sales increased 6.3%.

16:17 EDT NCI Building reports total consolidated backlog up 8.1% y/y to $569.9M

16:15 EDT Bojangles sees FY18 SSS negative low-single digits to flat - Sees FY18 system-wide comparable restaurant sales of negative low-single digits to flat.

16:13 EDT Autodesk reports Q4 total ARR $2.05B, up 25% - Subscription plan ARR was $1.18 billion an increase of 106 percent compared to the fourth quarter last year as reported, and 105 percent on a constant currency basis. Total ARR was $2.05 billion, an increase of 25 percent compared to the fourth quarter last year as reported, and on a constant currency basis. Subscription plan subscriptions increased 371,000 from the third quarter of fiscal 2018 to 2.27 million at the end of the fourth quarter. Subscription plan subscriptions benefited from 168,000 maintenance subscribers that converted to product subscription under the maintenance-to-subscription program.

16:13 EDT Carvana down 14% after Q4 results, FY18 guidance

16:12 EDT Empery Asset Management reports 9.38% passive stake in Aytu BioScience

16:08 EDT Ligand licenses glucagon receptor antagonist program to Roivant Sciences - Ligand Pharmaceuticals announced the signing of a license agreement granting Roivant Sciences exclusive global rights to develop and commercialize LGD-6972, Ligand's glucagon receptor antagonist. Under the terms of the agreement, Ligand will receive upfront license fees, and is eligible to receive clinical and regulatory milestone payments as well as sales-based milestone payments and royalties. Roivant will be responsible for all costs related to the program, effective immediately. "This global license with Roivant for our diabetes program is another important deal in a long history of success converting our inventions, data and intellectual property into licenses to advance promising medicines and deliver value to our shareholders," said John Higgins, Chief Executive Officer, Ligand Pharmaceuticals. "Roivant is well capitalized and they are assembling an experienced team at Metavant to efficiently drive the program forward. This is a major partnership that has the potential to generate substantial medical value for both type 1 and type 2 diabetes patients. If LGD-6972 is successfully developed, this license with Roivant has the potential to be Ligand's largest financial asset with the possibility of annual royalties into the late 2030s given current and pending IP."

16:06 EDT Cardiovascular Systems presents LIBERTY 360 degrees 18-Month outcomes at conference - Cardiovascular Systems presented 18-month outcomes from its LIBERTY 360 degrees study at the Cardiovascular Research Technologies 2018 interventional cardiology conference in Washington, D.C. The study evaluates the acute and long-term clinical and economic outcomes of endovascular device interventions, including CSI's orbital atherectomy system, in treating peripheral artery disease. The 18-month study outcomes were presented at CRT by Dr. William Gray, interventional cardiologist at Lankenau Heart Institute in Wynnewood, Pa. Dr. Gray's presentation highlighted the continued high freedom from 18-month Major Adverse Events in Rutherford Classifications 2-3 (76.9%) and RC4-5 (68.2%). Even when considering advanced disease in RC6, MAEs are not driven by major amputation (FF 81.7%). In addition, quality of life improved significantly from baseline to 18 months in all RC arms of the LIBERTY study.

16:05 EDT Jensyn Acquisition extends date to complete business combination - Jensyn Acquisition announced that stockholders have approved an extension of the date by which it must complete its initial business combination to June 5, 2018. Stockholders holding an aggregate of 1,825,506 shares of common stock exercised their right to convert their shares into cash in connection with the extension, leaving approximately $22,030,102 of cash in trust after giving effect to the conversions and the deposit of an additional $.09 per share in the trust for each public share that was not converted. This deposit increased funds available in Jensyn Acquisition's trust account for the conversion of shares in connection with a business combination or a liquidation from approximately $10.53 per share on March 5, 2018 to approximately $10.62 per share.

16:03 EDT Ross Stores raises stock buyback authorization to $1.075B from $875M - Ross Stores said its board of directors has approved an increase in the stock repurchase authorization for 2018 to $1.075B, up from the previous $875M. The board also approved a higher quarterly cash dividend of 22.5c per share, up 41% over the prior year. This quarterly dividend is payable on March 30, 2018 to stockholders of record as of March 19, 2018. A total of 13.5M shares of common stock were repurchased during fiscal 2017, for an aggregate purchase price of $875M. During the recently completed fourth quarter, 3M shares were repurchased for a total price of $226M.

15:56 EDT Nasdaq will consider acquisitions, organic growth is the focus

15:46 EDT Nasdaq says uses blockchain as part of technology stack

15:38 EDT Nasdaq sees Market Services business as resilient, sees geographic expansion

15:33 EDT Discovery completes Scripps Networks acquisition, changes name to Discovery, Inc - Discovery Communications (DISCA) announced that the company has successfully completed its acquisition of Scripps Networks Interactive (SNI). Moving forward, the combined company will be officially known as Discovery, Inc. Scripps shareholders will receive approximately $90 per share, consisting of $65.82 per share in cash and 1.0584 per share in Series C Common shares of Discovery stock valued based on a volume weighted average price, subject to elections and proration, in each case in accordance with the terms of the merger agreement. This includes a cash payment of $2.82 per share in connection with Discovery's previously announced decision to exercise in full the cash top-up option under the merger agreement. The acquisition is expected to be accretive to adjusted earnings per share and to free cash flow in the first year after closing, including significant cost synergies. The combination is expected to create a "strong economic model with capacity for rapid debt repayment and a clear runway for growth and value creation," the company stated.

15:31 EDT CQS reports 13.75% passive stake in Ditech - In a regulatory filing, CQS disclosed a 13.75% stake in Ditech Holding, representing 677,690 shares. The filing does not allow for activism.

14:57 EDT NY AG announces $500M settlement with RBS - New York Attorney General Eric Schneiderman announced a $500M settlement with Royal Bank of Scotland over the bank's deceptive practices and misrepresentations to investors in connection with the packaging, marketing, sale, and issuance of residential mortgage-backed securities, or RMBS, leading up to the financial crisis. The settlement includes $100M in cash to New York State and $400M worth of consumer relief for New York homeowners and communities. As part of today's settlement, RBS admits that it sold investors RMBS backed by mortgage loans that, contrary to its representations, did not materially comply with underwriting guidelines. Further, many of the mortgage loans did not comply with applicable laws and regulations, among other defects.

14:49 EDT Theratechnologies announces FDA approval of Trogarzo - Theratechnologies and its partner TaiMed Biologics earlier today announced that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration has granted approval of Trogarzo Injection. In combination with other ARTs, Trogarzo is indicated for the treatment of human immunodeficiency virus type 1 infection in heavily treatment-experienced adults with multidrug resistant HIV-1 infection failing their current antiretroviral regimen. "Today's approval of Trogarzo by the FDA is great news for people infected with difficult-to-treat multidrug resistant HIV. We look forward to bringing this much-needed therapy to patients in the U.S within six weeks," said Luc Tanguay, President and CEO, Theratechnologies.

14:37 EDT FDA expands approval of replacement heart valve to be used in newborns - The U.S. Food and Drug Administration expanded the approval of a heart valve to include a size small enough to be used in newborn pediatric patients to treat heart defects. Specifically, the agency approved the Masters Series Mechanical Heart Valve with Hemodynamic Plus Sewing Cuff to include the 15-mm valve size, which the agency said makes it the "smallest mechanical heart valve approved in the world." The FDA granted approval of the Master Series Heart Valve to St. Jude Medical, a unit of Abbott.

14:06 EDT Baozun explodes to new highs after reporting quarterly earnings - Shares of Baozun (BZUN), a Chinese e-commerce company sometimes referred to as the Chinese Shopify (SHOP), are flying higher after reporting fourth quarter earnings Tuesday morning. Adjusted earnings rose to 42c per U.S. share in Q4 on revenue of $240.6M. Analysts were expecting 31c per share in EPS on revenue of $245M. Total revenue rose 23% year-over-year, while services revenue advanced 56% to $120.3M. The company said it sees first quarter services revenue higher by 50% in 2018. EXECUTES E-COMMERCE STRATEGIES IN CHINA: Baozun describes itself as an e-commerce solutions provider in China, saying "our integrated capabilities encompass all aspects of the E-commerce value chain covering IT solutions, store operations, digital marketing, customer services, warehousing, and fulfillment. We help brand execute their E-commerce strategies in China by selling their goods directly to customers online or by providing services to assist with their E-commerce operations." Their customer roster includes U.S. giants like Coach (COH), Fiat Chrysler (FCAU), Nike (NKE), and Starbucks (SBUX). Additionally, Alibaba (BABA) is one of Baozun's top investors, and Baozun holds partnerships with both Alibaba and JD (JD). PRICE ACTION: Shares of Baozun are up 20.6% to $44.36 per share in afternoon trading.

13:36 EDT International Paper doesn't see Smurfit Kappa bid as 'highly opportunistic' - International Paper notes the comments that Smurfit Kappa believes the proposal is "highly opportunistic." International Paper said: "Given that Smurfit Kappa announced record EBITDA on 7 February 2018 and recorded an all-time high share price of EUR29.76 on 20 February 2018, International Paper does not agree with this characterisation. Indeed, by submitting the Proposal after the release of Smurfit Kappa's Full Year Results and the Medium term Outlook, International Paper was able to take account of this information (and the market's reaction to it) when making its approach. Moreover, International Paper believes that the Proposal provides Smurfit Kappa shareholders with the opportunity to crystalise value for their holdings in the near term (via the Proposal's cash component) and also retain ongoing upside in the value creation of the transaction (via the Proposal's share component). International Paper believes that the transaction, if consummated, would be an excellent strategic fit that creates long-term value for both Smurfit Kappa and International Paper. The enlarged group would constitute a premier global packaging company that would be able to serve both local and global customers more effectively. The transaction would also create an opportunity to realise meaningful synergies through enhanced efficiencies. International Paper takes a disciplined approach to acquisitions with clearly defined strategic and financial criteria. Any offer would have to meet our objectives of earnings per share accretion, free cash flow generation and a return on invested capital exceeding International Paper's weighted average cost of capital, while enabling International Paper to remain committed to a strong balance sheet over the long term."

13:19 EDT Merck trial of preladenant terminated, ClinicalTrials.gov shows - A Merck (MRK) sponsored study to evaluate the safety and preliminary efficacy of preladenant alone and in combination with pembrolizumab in participants with advanced solid tumors that have not responded to prior therapy was Terminated since "the data did not support study endpoints," according to a post to the ClinicalTrials.gov website last updated on March 5. Corvus Pharmaceuticals (CRVS) was partnering with Merck on the development on preladenant, according to prior R&D day slides presented by the company. Reference Link

12:55 EDT 21st Century Fox says focused on 'running business according to plan' - 21st Century Fox (FOX, FOXA) CFO John Nallen says focused on running business according to the plan. Says in process of get ready on the regulatory side for Disney (DIS) deal. Says new Fox will focus on live product. Says will hear from CMA on May 1 on Sky (SKYAY) deal. Expects CMA to be equally thorough in reviewing any other interested bidder. Says will announce leadership, capital structure, capital allocation for new Fox in coming months. Comments from Deutsche Bank 2018 Media, Telecom & Business Services Conference.

12:47 EDT Target says saw strong traffic in stores, online in Q4 - Says saw strong traffic in stores and online in Q4. Says aiming to continue to be a leader in digital growth.

12:39 EDT Target says 2018 will be 'a year of acceleration' - Says 2017 "a year of progress." Says 2018 will be "a year of acceleration." Says "couldn't be more bullish" about Target's prospects.

12:36 EDT Game On: Trump to discuss gun violence with video game industry leaders - Welcome to "Game On," The Fly's weekly recap of the stories powering up or beating down video game stocks. NEW RELEASES: Out this week is the PC port of Square Enix's role-playing game "Final Fantasy XV," which originally launched on Xbox One (MSFT) and PlayStation 4 (SNE) consoles in late 2016. In addition, Square Enix is releasing a "Royal Edition" of the game for Xbox One and PS4, which will include the base game plus all downloadable content, as well as some additional new content. TRUMP MEETING: Yesterday, White House press secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders announced that President Trump will meet on Thursday with leaders from the video game industry to discuss gun violence in the wake of the school shooting in Parkland last month, though there was no announcement about which industry executives would attend the meeting. A spokesman for the Entertainment Software Association, which represents major video game makers, said that they will be present at the meeting, but dismissed the idea that video games contributed to real-world violence, according to Variety. NEW 'BATTLEFIELD' GAME: Last week, VentureBeat reported that the next iteration of Electronic Arts' (EA) popular war shooter "Battlefield" will be titled "Battlefield V" and will bring the franchise back to World War II. The move follows a similar one from rival Activision Blizzard (ATVI), which returned its "Call of Duty" franchise to the Great War with 2017's release of "Call of Duty: WWII," which was the highest-selling game in the U.S. in 2017, according to NPD. NINTENDO EYES SWITCH PERIPHERALS: Last week, the Wall Street Journal reported that Nintendo (NTDOY) is holding off on the Switch 2.0 and is instead looking to peripherals to boost sales of its Switch console. Cumulative sales of the console, which first launched one year ago, are set to reach 17M by March 31, according to the Journal. One particular Switch peripheral coming out soon is the Nintendo Labo cardboard toy kit, which goes on sale in April.

12:28 EDT Target says would have entered 2018 in strong position even without tax reform - Says would have entered 2018 in a "really strong" position even without tax reform. Says "certainly encouraged" that tax reform has put company and industry on a "level playing field." Says didn't wait for tax reform to make big investments.

12:25 EDT Target expects EPS from core business to stabilize in 2018

12:17 EDT Discovery expecting significant tailwind from U.S. dollar weakness this year

12:06 EDT Marinus Pharmaceuticals collapses 14% after earnings, data delay - The company said earlier, that it is enrolling patients into the Magnolia Study, a Phase 2 double-blind, placebo-controlled, dose-optimization clinical trial to evaluate the safety, efficacy and pharmacokinetics of ganaxolone in women diagnosed with severe PPD. Patients randomized into the first part of the study will undergo an infusion of either ganaxolone or placebo and will be followed for 30 days. The goal of the first part of the study is to evaluate multiple regimens of intravenous ganaxolone, which will inform dosing for the second part of the study. Patients enrolled into the second part of the study could receive IV ganaxolone of various infusion lengths followed by administration of oral ganaxolone. The goal of the second part of the study is to identify an optimized dose or doses for further testing in phase 3. Based upon the effect size shown in a recent study for a compound with similar mechanism of action, the Company has increased targeted enrollment in this study. This increase in study scope and the corresponding forecast for patient recruitment have extended our expected timing for completion of the first part to the third quarter of 2018. Shares are down 14.4% to $4.49 per share in midday trading.

12:01 EDT Lam Research to raise quarterly dividend 120%, authorizes added $2B for buybacks

11:58 EDT Discovery sees prior synergy view from from Scripps merger conservative - Sees growth opportunities. Also sees over-performing on original synergy plans. Comments are from Discovery Communications presentation at the 2018 Deutsche Bank Media, Telecom & Business Services Conference.

11:51 EDT Target CEO says plans to remodel 325 stores this year - Says plans to remodel 1,000 stores by 2020. Target previously committed to 600 store remodels over three years and completed 110 in 2017. Target also plans to open more small-format stores in prime urban markets and said it is investing in augmented reality.

11:48 EDT Target CEO says to raise starting wage to $12 this spring - CEO Brian Cornell says Target made "a ton of progress on our priorities" in 2017, says teams "more focused than ever." Cornell notes that Target introduced three new billion-dollar brands in 2017. Cornell also said that he told store employees that if they helped deliver positive comps in 2017, they could wear jeans on weekends in 2018. While he is "pleased" with Target's results, Cornell said there is "no time for a victory lap," adding that 2018 will be about acceleration and leaning into competitive strengths. Cornell said Target is on pace or ahead of schedule with strategic initiatives laid out last year. Cornell said Target will raise its starting wage to $12, starting with current team members, this spring. Comments taken from Target's 2018 Financial Community Meeting. Target is down 4% to $72.10 in late morning trading.

11:32 EDT Senator McCaskill accuses Teva of stonewalling opioid investigation - U.S. Senator Claire McCaskill issued a statement today which "blasted" Teva Pharmaceutical for the company's "repeated refusal" to turn over information related to her committee investigation into the role opioid manufacturers and distributors play in the opioid public health crisis. "Teva's refusal to cooperate with Congressional requests strongly suggests they have something to hide," McCaskill said. "I'd hope that everyone involved or associated with the company takes note that they're dealing with an entity that's stonewalling a Senate investigation examining a national public health crisis. Teva has been an outlier throughout our investigation, and they can rest assured that I'll continue to pursue every possible avenue to get them to comply for as long as it takes." Reference Link

11:05 EDT Washington Trust completes CEO transition - Washington Trust Bancorp has completed its previously announced executive leadership transition. Effective immediately, Edward Handy has assumed the role of chairman and CEO of the corporation and the bank, and Mark K.W. Gim has assumed the role of president and COO. Their appointments follow the March 2 retirement of Joseph MarcAurele as chairman and CEO..

10:57 EDT Street Fight: Analysts split on Fate after 'natural killer' cell update - Shares of Fate Therapeutics (FATE) are sliding after the company reported quarterly results and H.C. Wainwright analyst Edward White downgraded the stock to Neutral. However, not all were as bearish on the stock this morning. Research firms Piper Jaffray, Wedbush and BMO Capital raised their price targets for Fate Therapeutics, while reiterating buy-equivalent ratings on the shares. Fate Therapeutics is a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company focused on the development of cellular immunotherapies for cancer and immune disorders, including its allogeneic donor-derived natural killer, or "NK," cell cancer immunotherapy comprised of adaptive memory NK cells. RESULTS: Last night, Fate Therapeutics reported fourth quarter losses per share of (29c), which was worse than the expected (24c). The company also announced revenue of $1M for the quarter, beating consensus of $940K. Scott Wolchko, President and CEO of Fate, said: "We are now poised to advance FT500, our first iPSC-derived NK cell cancer immunotherapy, to a landmark IND filing in the first half of 2018. We believe our proprietary iPSC product platform, which we are applying to consistently produce large quantities of uniform, well-characterized NK cells and T cells from clonal master iPSC lines, can transform cell therapy from a single-dose, patient-restricted process to a multi-dose, off-the-shelf product paradigm. Upon clearance of this first IND from our iPSC product platform, we are well positioned to rapidly advance multiple off-the-shelf cancer immunotherapies, including our engineered NK cell and universal CAR T-cell products, into clinical development." MOVING TO THE SIDELINES: In a research note to investors this morning, H.C. Wainwright's White downgraded Fate Therapeutics to Neutral from Buy, while raising his price target on the shares to $12 from $7. The analyst argued that the stock has gotten "ahead of itself" with the recent run up. Nonetheless, White acknowledged that he continues to believe in the success of FATE-NK100, ProTmune and the company's induced pluripotent stem cell platform. Meanwhile, Raymond James also downgraded Fate Therapeutics to Market Perform from Outperform. STILL BULLISH ON FATE: Conversely, BMO Capital analyst Do Kim raised his price target for Fate Therapeutics to $20 from $7, while reiterating an Outperform rating on the shares, as he included NK100 revenues for acute myeloid leukemia given positive signs in early Phase I data. The analyst noted that he believes the recent stock run-up reflects increasing investor enthusiasm for NK100 and iPSC therapies. Nonetheless, Kim pointed out the company's induced pluripotent stem cell, or iPSC, platform could offer even more upside once there is greater visibility to its clinical strategy. Meanwhile, Piper Jaffray analyst Edward Tenthoff doubled his price target for Fate Therapeutics to $20 from $10, and reiterated an Overweight rating on the shares following the company's fourth quarter results. The analyst noted that Fate Therapeutics remains a 2018 Top Pick. Wedbush analyst David Nierengarten also raised his price target for Fate Therapeutics to $19 from $10, citing NK100 progress. The analyst reiterated an Outperform rating on the shares. PRICE ACTION: In morning trading, shares of have dropped 6.5% to $12.88.

10:44 EDT Lam Research to add $2B to share repurchase authorization - The $2B in additional share repurchase authorization is added to $4B total share repurchase authorized since Nov. 2017, the company noted during its investor meeting.

10:41 EDT Lam Research sees returning at least 50% of free cash flow over next 5 years

10:17 EDT Citi sees more room for Herbalife to run after battle with Ackman ends - Shares of Herbalife Nutrition (HLF) are on the rise after Citi analyst Beth Kite upgraded the stock to Buy noting that a lot has happened in 2018, including capital allocation announcements, executive changes, and Bill Ackman having closed out his well-publicized short position. The analyst also told investors that she sees upside ahead as Herbalife executes a tender offer and refinances its debt to reinvest in the business and repurchase shares in 2019. BUY HERBALIFE: In a research note to investors, Citi's Kite upgraded Herbalife to Buy from Neutral and raised her price target on the shares to $114 from $85. The analyst pointed out that since January, Herbalife has made capital allocation announcements, enacted several executive changes, and found out that Bill Ackman closed out his long-standing short position. As a result, the stock has continued its upward climb from 2017, she added. Nonetheless, Kite still sees upside as Herbalife executes a tender offer and refinances its debt, to both reinvest in the business and repurchase shares in 2019. If the company can deliver its local currency sales growth guidance in 2018, it would be one of the "best top line stories" in the Household/Personal Care Products space, the analyst contended. Overall, Kite expects Herbalife to rebound from the 34% discount of the last five years, reverting to the pre-Ackman and Federal Trade Commission investigation era of 2010 and 2011, when the stock traded at an 8% premium. ACKMAN EXITS BET AGAINST HERBALIFE: Late last month, CNBC's Scott Wapner reported that Pershing Square's Bill Ackman is entirely out of his much-publicized short position in Herbalife Nutrition. This also ended the high-profile feud with Carl Icahn, who was bullish on the stock. Speaking on CNBC, Icahn said he thought Ackman would get out of his Herbalife short position sooner, while adding that he put up a "good fight." Icahn also pointed out that he has not sold "one single share" of Herbalife. PRICE ACTION: In morning trading, shares of Herbalife have gained about 1% to $94.96. Since February 28, when news broke of Ackman having unwound his short position, Herbalife shares have risen about 11%.

10:01 EDT Booz Allen awarded role on $8.27B DoD contract - The Department of Defense has awarded Booz Allen Hamilton a spot on the $8.27B Joint Enterprise Research Development, Acquisition and Procurement IDIQ contract to strengthen the nation's CBRNE defense systems and capabilities.

09:46 EDT Borqs Technologies Inc trading resumes

09:41 EDT Orchids Paper not in compliance with certain financial covenants - Orchids Paper said in last night's earnings release that as of December 31, 2017, it was not in compliance with certain financial covenants under its Second Amended and Restated Credit Agreement or its Loan Agreement for New Markets Tax Credit financing, and obtained a waiver from its lenders. On February 28, the company entered into Amendment No. 7 to the Credit Agreement and on March 1 it entered into Amendment No. 4 to the NMTC Loan Agreement, each of which, in addition to providing waivers for covenant defaults until the measurement date of June 30, provide for a minimum EBITDA covenant, amend the pricing schedule, and amend certain reporting requirements. Including the amendments incorporated into these waivers, the company's credit facilities have been amended for each of the last five quarters. Orchids added, "The Company sought to refinance its existing long-term debt in 2017, but did not procure an alternative acceptable to all parties involved. The Company intends to continue to seek to refinance its existing long-term debt obligations as required by its existing lender and as earnings and cash flow improve and more opportunities become available. The Company may also need to seek another amendment of its Credit Agreement with its existing lenders. If the Company is unable to obtain another suitable amendment and/or a refinancing is not completed, the bank syndicate could declare a default. There can be no assurance that the Company's lenders will agree to further waivers or amendments to the existing debt covenants. While management intends to amend or refinance the debt, there can be no assurance that the Company will be able to obtain additional financing on terms that are satisfactory to it or at all. As of December 31, 2017, the borrowings under the Credit Agreement and the term loan otherwise due in 2022 were classified as current on the balance sheet due to these uncertainties regarding the Company's ability to meet the existing debt covenants over the next twelve-month period. The Company's cash requirements have historically been satisfied through a combination of cash flows from operations, equity financings and debt financings. This trend is expected to continue."

09:33 EDT General Mills announces strategic sourcing agreement with Gunsmoke Farms - General Mills announced a strategic sourcing agreement with Gunsmoke Farms to convert 34,000 acres of conventional farmland to certified organic acreage by 2020. The farm, located west of Pierre, South Dakota, will grow certified organic wheat and other organic rotational crops. General Mills will use wheat grown on the farm to make Annie's pasta products, including its signature Mac and Cheese. As part of this agreement, General Mills has partnered with Midwestern Bio Ag to provide on-the-ground mentorship for the farm operators to advance leading regenerative soil management practices such as no till, crop rotation and cover cropping. Healthy soil is showing potential to sequester carbon and regenerate the land. In addition to healthy soil, pollinators are critical to sustain the ecosystems on which our food and lives depend. But their habitats are under threat. Agricultural landscaping can increase biodiversity and help a variety of pollinators, including bumble bees, squash bees, honey bees and butterflies. Upwards of 3,000 acres of pollinator habitat will be planted throughout Gunsmoke Farms in cooperation with the Xerces Society. Such habitat can also improve water quality, reduce soil erosion and protect game and songbirds. General Mills has made sizeable investments to meet growing consumer interest in natural and organic foods. General Mills is the third largest U.S. producer of natural and organic foods with brands including Cascadian Farm, Muir Glen, Liberte and Annie's. The company expects its natural and organic portfolio in North America to reach $1.5B in net sales by 2020.

09:25 EDT Sterling Bancorp to acquire Advantage Funding Management - Sterling Bancorp, through its principal subsidiary, Sterling National Bank, announced that it has entered into a definitive agreement to acquire Advantage Funding Management, a leading provider of commercial vehicle and transportation financing services based in Lake Success, NY. Advantage Funding is part of Macquarie's Corporate and Asset Finance Group and is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Macquarie Bank. As of December 31, 2017, Advantage Funding had total outstanding loans and leases of $458M with a diversified client base across various industry sectors and geographic markets nationwide. Advantage Funding will be integrated into Sterling's established national equipment finance platform, which will result in a combined equipment finance portfolio with over $1B in total outstanding loans post-closing and aggregate net loan receivables growth of approximately $205M in 2017. Sterling will acquire 100% of the stock of Advantage Funding, which will be paid 100% in cash through a combination of cash on hand, run-off of existing residential mortgage loans and sales of securities. In the quarter ended December 31, 2017, the Advantage Funding loan portfolio had a weighted average yield of approximately 7.5%. Excluding the impact of accretion income on acquired loans, the acquisition is expected to be accretive to loan yield, net interest margin and earnings per share available to common stockholders, and has an estimated internal rate of return exceeding 25%. Advantage Funding's leadership team and support staff will join Sterling National Bank; the acquisition will result in an increase of approximately $6M in operating expenses in 2018. The transaction is expected to be completed in April 2018.

09:20 EDT 500.com trading halted, news pending

09:17 EDT Adamis says data from human factor study supports correct use of Symjepi - Adamis Pharmaceuticals Corporation provided an update on data from its presentation entitled "Human Factors Study of A Newly Approved Epinephrine Prefilled Syringe for the Emergency Treatment of Allergic Reactions Including Anaphylaxis". The presentation took place at the American Academy of Allergy, Asthma, and Immunology joint congress with the World Allergy Organization in Orlando, Florida on March 3, 2018. Excerpts from the presentation's Abstract were as follows: Introduction: Epinephrine remains the treatment of choice for acute anaphylaxis. However, currently available auto-injectors are costly, and studies have demonstrated human factor issues resulting in incorrect use as well as device failures. Correct auto-injector use has been noted to be as low as 20% in some studies. A recently FDA approved prefilled syringe of epinephrine for the treatment of anaphylaxis was examined in a prospective human factors validation study in order to determine the likelihood that the product would be used safely and effectively by intended users. Methods: A total of 82 participants were enrolled in this prospective study including adults with and without epinephrine injector experience, adolescents with and without epinephrine injector experience, and lay caregivers with and without epinephrine injector experience. Half of the participants in each user group were trained to use Symjepi prior to first use in the study. Critical tasks that could cause harm and compromise the successful use of epinephrine were assessed and included five categories: Open the case, retrieve prefilled syringe, remove needle cap, insert needle in the thigh, press plunger until it stops. Results: 100 % of participants were able to complete task I. 100% of participants completed task II. 100% were able to complete task III. 93% completed task IV and 99% completed task V.

09:14 EDT UPS names Jim Barber COO - UPS Chairman and CEO David Abney today announced the appointment of Jim Barber as COO. As UPS COO, Barber will assume responsibility for the company's global small package, freight, supply chain and freight forwarding units and engineering. Further, Nando Cesarone is named International President, replacing Barber and joining UPS's Management Committee, the company's senior leadership group. Jim Barber has served as president of UPS International since 2013. Nando Cesarone, a 27-year UPS veteran, will be responsible for all UPS International operations.

09:12 EDT West announces 'positive' results of wireless 9-1-1 location trial with Google - West Corporation (WSTC) announced positive and encouraging results of a wireless 9-1-1 location trial using its Wireless Dispatchable Location Services and Google's (GOOG, GOOGL) Android Emergency Location Services technologies. While existing carrier-based location is highly reliable, it is typically slower and less precise than newer commercial or handset-based location technologies like ELS. The purpose of West's trial was to determine if WDLS utilizing ELS could improve upon the carrier-based location provided to the 9-1-1 call center through faster delivery of the location, improved accuracy of the location or both. Coordinating with several public safety answering points in Florida, Georgia and the state of Washington, West conducted their test using actual 9-1-1 call data from a population of more than 2 million residents. West compared the existing carrier location data with the handset-based location information generated by ELS. Comparing the two datasets, West was able to evaluate whether the PSAPs would have benefited from the handset-based location from ELS in addition to the location from the wireless carriers. West concluded that at the time the 9-1-1 call was answered by the PSAP, WDLS utilizing ELS would have provided a significantly more accurate location to call takers 46% of the time. Even more impactful, West determined that 34% of the time, the WDLS/ELS solution would have provided a more accurate location earlier in the call process. The FCC estimates that a decrease in emergency response times by one minute correlates to 10,000 lives saved each year. The earlier that location information can be delivered to public safety, the quicker it can be used to dispatch emergency services to assist 9-1-1 callers.

09:12 EDT Amedica reports FDA clearance of Valeo C+CSC with Lumen Interbody Fusion Device - Amedica announced the FDA clearance of the Valeo C+CsC with Lumen Interbody Fusion Device. The Valeo C+CsC with Lumen Interbody Fusion Device is a composite spinal fusion implant that combines different densities of Amedica's proprietary medical grade silicon nitride ceramic. An outer shell of solid silicon nitride is manufactured around a porous core, called CsC, or Cancellous structured Ceramic. The Valeo C+CsC device is already used in Europe, and the Valeo C+CsC with Lumen is the introduction of this porous technology in the USA.

09:11 EDT Polaris Industries announces new RZR XP Turbo S - Polaris "unleashed" an "absolute terrain-dominating beast" with the release of its most capable RZR, the all new RZR XP Turbo S. "Bigger", "tougher", the 72-inch RZR XP Turbo S is an "off-road monster", completely redesigned and reengineered from top to bottom. The result is RZR's most capable side-by-side machine, "setting new standards" in nearly every measurable category. Complete with Polaris' exclusive Dynamix active suspension, the RZR XP Turbo S has an all-new vehicle design and an evolved cockpit allowing the driver to "devour" virtually everything in its path.

09:09 EDT LRAD Corporation announces $1M in U.S. military, State Department orders - LRAD Corporation announced over $1M in orders that include accessories and spare parts for LRAD systems ordered in a previously announced $6M U.S. Army program of record, and to support ongoing U.S. Navy programs. Additionally, the company received LRAD 450XL and LRAD 500X orders from the U.S. Department of State.

09:07 EDT Exxon Mobil and Synthetic Genomics announce new phase in biofuel research - ExxonMobil and Synthetic Genomics announced a new phase in their joint algae biofuel research program that could lead to the technical ability to produce 10,000 barrels of algae biofuel per day by 2025. The new phase of research includes an outdoor field study that will grow naturally occurring algae in several contained ponds in California. The research will enable ExxonMobil and Synthetic Genomics to better understand fundamental engineering parameters including viscosity and flow, which cannot easily be replicated in a lab. The results of this work are important to understand how to scale the technology for potential commercial deployment. Additional work will be required to advance larger-scale production. Both companies are continuing with fundamental research on algae biology in their laboratories as the field study advances. ExxonMobil anticipates that 10,000 barrels of algae biofuel per day could be produced by 2025 based on research conducted to date and emerging technical capability. This outdoor research follows the companies' years of fundamental biological research into understanding and improving algae oil production. Since 2009, ExxonMobil and Synthetic Genomics have been partners in researching and developing oil from algae to be used as a renewable, lower-emission alternative to traditional transportation fuels. ExxonMobil is engaged in a wide range of research on advanced biofuels, partnering with universities, government laboratories, and other companies. In 2017, ExxonMobil and Synthetic Genomics announced breakthrough research published in Nature Biotechnology that resulted in a modified algae strain that more than doubled oil content without significantly inhibiting growth, a key challenge along the path to commercial scalability. Global demand for transportation-related energy is projected to increase by about 25 percent through 2040, and accelerating the reduction in emissions from the transportation sector will play a critical role in reducing global greenhouse gas emissions. ExxonMobil is also actively researching other emission-reducing technologies, including carbon capture and sequestration. In 2016, ExxonMobil announced its partnership with Connecticut-based FuelCell Energy, Inc. to advance the use of carbonate fuel cells to economically capture carbon emissions from power plants while generating hydrogen and additional electricity. Since 2000, ExxonMobil has spent about $8 billion to develop and deploy lower-emission energy solutions across its operations. About ExxonMobil ExxonMobil, the largest publicly traded international energy company, uses technology and innovation to help meet the world's growing energy needs. ExxonMobil holds an industry-leading inventory of resources, is one of the largest refiners and marketers of petroleum products and its chemical company is one of the largest in the world. For more information, visit www.exxonmobil.com or follow us on Twitter www.twitter.com/exxonmobil. Cautionary Statement: Statements of future events or conditions in this release are forward-looking statements. Actual future results, including the timing, results and impact of new technologies, could differ significantly depending on the outcome of further research and testing; the development and competitiveness of alternative technologies; the ability to develop and scale pilot projects on a cost-effective basis; political and regulatory developments; and other factors discussed in this release and under the heading "Factors Affecting Future Results" on the Investors page of ExxonMobil's website at exxonmobil.com. About Synthetic Genomics Synthetic Genomics is programming the operating system of life to create sustainable solutions for humankind's most pressing issues, from the wellbeing of our population to the health of our planet. With an unmatched understanding of how DNA drives the function of cells - the basic biological units of all living organisms - Synthetic Genomics modifies and writes genomes to enable transformative products in the areas of vaccines, medicines, and biotechnology research. In addition to designing novel organisms that overcome fundamental hurdles of scientific research and medicine, Synthetic Genomics pursues partnerships with organizations seeking to dramatically improve upon existing products in health care, energy, and other sectors. Continuing its legacy of scientific firsts in genomics and synthetic biology, Synthetic Genomics is harnessing the power of nature to improve quality of life. More information is available at www.syntheticgenomics.com. View source version on businesswire.com: http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20180306005178/en/ ExxonMobil Media Relations, 972-940-6007 or Synthetic Genomics Media Relations, 908-208-9254 This release is posted at: http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20180306005178/en Copyright Business Wire 2018 S.BW XOM ALTEN.BW .ENERGY CA.BW .CA ENERG.BW ENGIN.BW .ENGINEER MANUF.BW .MANUFACTURE PHOTOMULT.BW PRODU.BW .PRODUCT RESEAR.BW SCIENCE.BW TX.BW .TX .NYSE

09:06 EDT CBS COO: Kids a big driver for Netflix, 'we skew a little older' for All Access - Says "We don't feel that we're missing out on any big demographic."

09:04 EDT HomeStreet: Blue Lion's notice of proposals 'incomplete in myriad ways' - HomeStreet issued the following statement regarding Blue Lion Capital's recent press release: "As we initially stated on March 1, 2018, the notice of proposals and nominations for HomeStreet's 2018 Annual Meeting of Shareholders submitted by an affiliate of Blue Lion failed to meet requirements that are clearly listed in HomeStreet's bylaws. Contrary to Blue Lion's claims, this was not an issue of interpretation or technicalities - the notice was incomplete in myriad ways, failing to provide even basic information required by our bylaws. We believe shareholder elections are one of the most important elements of good corporate governance. Shareholders should feel empowered by their franchise and confident in their elected representatives. HomeStreet's bylaws protect the Company and all of our shareholders by eliciting important information from shareholders who nominate directors or propose other business, including with respect to their share ownership, their interests in the proposed business and relationships between such shareholders and other participants in the solicitation. The Board uses this information for a variety of purposes, including to identify and understand potential conflicts of interest, to evaluate whether a director candidate is truly independent and to be able to provide objective oversight on behalf of all shareholders... Despite having many months to prepare for its notice, the Blue Lion affiliate chose not to deliver the notice until the eve of the deadline, leaving itself no time to fix the numerous deficiencies within the notice. We believe it is important to treat all shareholders fairly and equally, with the same rules and deadlines applying to everyone. As such, we declared the notice invalid. "

09:03 EDT Amgen announces preliminary results of tender offer - Amgen announced the preliminary results of its modified Dutch auction tender offer, which expired at 12:00 Midnight, New York City time, at the end of March 5. Based on the preliminary count by American Stock Transfer & Trust Company, the depositary for the tender offer, a total of 54,297,698 shares of Amgen's common stock, $0.0001 par value per share, were properly tendered and not properly withdrawn at or below the purchase price of $192 per share, including 33,745,174 shares that were tendered by notice of guaranteed delivery. Amgen has been informed by the depositary that the preliminary proration factor for the tender offer is approximately 95.9%. In accordance with the terms and conditions of the tender offer, and based on the preliminary count by the depositary, Amgen expects to acquire approximately 52.1 million shares of its common stock at a price of $192 per share, for an aggregate cost of approximately $10 billion, excluding fees and expenses relating to the tender offer. These shares represent approximately 7.2% of the shares outstanding.

09:02 EDT CBS COO sees 6-7 original shows on CBS All Access in next 12 months - CBS (CBS, CBS.A) CEO Joe Ianniello said at the Deutsche Bank Media, Telecom and Business Services Conference that he will not discuss the company's announcement that it has formed a special committee to evaluate a potential combination with Viacom (VIA, VIAB). Says customers clearly value big bundles, but "clearly a big piece of the population looking for other ways" at other price points. He sees the opportunity to accelerate subscriber growth in OTT services. Sees 6-7 original shows on CBS All Access in next 12 months.

08:51 EDT Fiserv to offer MasterCard fraud detection service - Fiserv (FISV) announced it is offering Mastercard (MA) decision intelligence, a comprehensive decision and fraud detection service. Financial institutions working with Fiserv will benefit from this service, which helps them increase the accuracy of real-time approvals of genuine transactions, reduce the number of false declines and improve the overall cardholder experience. Fiserv is the first processor to offer decision intelligence to its financial institution clients. Decision Intelligence uses artificial intelligence technology to provide a predictive score by applying thousands of data points and sophisticated modeling techniques to each transaction - helping issuers make more informed authorization decisions. Fiserv research shows that the number of active cards after two or more false positive denials drops by an average of 20%over a six-month period following the last false positive denial. This suggests that around 20% of cardholders may stop using the card altogether after two or more false declines. Moreover, the average monthly spend per card after two or more false positive denials drops by 15% on average over a six-month period after the last false positive denial, as compared to cards that did not experience any false declines.

08:46 EDT AT&T says sees FY18 CapEx $25B - Says $12B dividend commitment is "sacred." Says focused on paying down debt and maintaining long term flexibility.

08:34 EDT OSI Systems authorizes share repurchase program up to 1M shares - OSI System announced that the company's board has authorized the purchase of up to 1M shares under a new stock repurchase program. The company acquired 872,481 shares in February 2018 at an average price of $60.76, thereby completing the authorization under its prior repurchase program.

08:31 EDT CenturyLink CEO Glen Post to retire in May, Jeff Storey to succeed - CenturyLink announced that CEO Glen Post, III intends to retire from the company effective the day of CenturyLink's 2018 Annual Shareholder Meeting in May. Post had previously announced his intention to retire effective Jan. 1, 2019. President and COO Jeff Storey will become CenturyLink's CEO and President effective at the time of Post's retirement. The company also announced that Harvey Perry will remain in his role as chairman of the board of directors and Bruce Hanks has been appointed as lead independent director.

08:30 EDT CommerceHub trading resumes

08:24 EDT Sparton and Ultra Electronic receive $28.4M in Navy subcontracts - Sparton and Ultra Electronics announce the award of subcontracts valued at $28.4M to their ERAPSCO joint venture, for the manufacture of sonobuoys for the United States Navy. The award is a GFY18 ERAPSCO indefinite delivery indefinite quantity, or IDIQ, contract release for sonobuoy requirements under ERAPSCO's five year contract. ERAPSCO will provide production subcontracts in the amount of $17.2M and $11.2M to Ultra Electronics USSI and Sparton De Leon Springs respectively.

08:17 EDT Catasys announces OnTrak-HA will include anxiety and depression - Catasys announced today that it has expanded the OnTrak-HA program with a leading regional health insurer in Illinois to include anxiety and depression for eligible commercial and Medicare members. Prior to this expansion, OnTrak-HA covered eligible commercial and Medicare members with substance use disorders and eligible individual and public marketplace plan members with anxiety, depression and substance use disorders. This expansion is based on the success of the OnTrak-HA program, which began in 2016, in improving member health and lowering healthcare costs.

08:14 EDT AT&T says lower taxes to start 'virtuous' cycle for growth

08:14 EDT TiVo announces renewal and expanded license with Sharp - TiVo announced that Sharp Corporation will further utilize TiVo's G-Guide HTML across Sharp 4K smart TVs and Ultra HD Blu-ray recorders in Japan, TiVo's G-Guide xD app and remote schedule recording service for its Blu-ray recorders. This renewal with TiVo allows Sharp to continue delivering one of the industry's most advanced interactive program guides to its viewers throughout Japan. Additionally, Sharp Corporation has signed an expanded multi-year license to TiVo's patent portfolios enabling Sharp to build customizable content discovery services across its devices.

08:14 EDT TiVo announces renewal and expanded license with Sharp - TiVo announced that Sharp Corporation will further utilize TiVo's G-Guide HTML across Sharp 4K smart TVs and Ultra HD Blu-ray recorders in Japan, TiVo's G-Guide xD app and remote schedule recording service for its Blu-ray recorders. This renewal with TiVo allows Sharp to continue delivering one of the industry's most advanced interactive program guides to its viewers throughout Japan. Additionally, Sharp Corporation has signed an expanded multi-year license to TiVo's patent portfolios enabling Sharp to build customizable content discovery services across its devices.

08:14 EDT TiVo announces renewal and expanded license with Sharp - TiVo announced that Sharp Corporation will further utilize TiVo's G-Guide HTML across Sharp 4K smart TVs and Ultra HD Blu-ray recorders in Japan, TiVo's G-Guide xD app and remote schedule recording service for its Blu-ray recorders. This renewal with TiVo allows Sharp to continue delivering one of the industry's most advanced interactive program guides to its viewers throughout Japan. Additionally, Sharp Corporation has signed an expanded multi-year license to TiVo's patent portfolios enabling Sharp to build customizable content discovery services across its devices.

08:14 EDT TiVo announces renewal and expanded license with Sharp - TiVo announced that Sharp Corporation will further utilize TiVo's G-Guide HTML across Sharp 4K smart TVs and Ultra HD Blu-ray recorders in Japan, TiVo's G-Guide xD app and remote schedule recording service for its Blu-ray recorders. This renewal with TiVo allows Sharp to continue delivering one of the industry's most advanced interactive program guides to its viewers throughout Japan. Additionally, Sharp Corporation has signed an expanded multi-year license to TiVo's patent portfolios enabling Sharp to build customizable content discovery services across its devices.

08:13 EDT AT&T says sees FY18 cash flow of $21B - Says tax reform will be "huge driver" of that growth. Says tax reform has strengthened overall balance sheet.

08:10 EDT Second Sight announces expansion of Medicare coverage for Argus II - Second Sight Medical Products announced that Palmetto GBA is the latest Medicare Administrative Contractor to provide coverage for the Argus II Retinal Prosthesis System and the related surgical procedure. As a result of this decision, coverage for the Argus II will now include Alabama, Georgia and Tennessee. This brings the total coverage of the Argus II to 31 states, two territories and the District of Columbia. Effective February 26, 2018, Palmetto GBA, published a local coverage article on the Argus II placement procedure. This decision authorizes coverage of Argus II under the Local Coverage Article A53044, when medically necessary, to Medicare beneficiaries in Alabama, Georgia and Tennessee.

08:09 EDT Cellectar Biosciences to present Phase 1 data of CLR 124 uptake in brain tumors - Cellectar Biosciences announces that results from a Phase 1 study with 124I-CLR1404, also known as CLR 124, demonstrating an ability to cross the blood brain barrier and achieve uptake in brain tumors will be presented in an oral presentation at the 12th World Congress of the World Federation of Nuclear Medicine and Biology taking place April 20-24, 2018 in Melbourne, Australia. CLR 124 is the company's cancer-selective alkyphosphocholine analog, or Phospholipid Drug Conjugate, radiolabeled with iodine-124. This molecule is analogous to the company's lead asset CLR 131 which delivers therapeutic iodine in the form of iodine-131 rather than diagnostic iodine-124 to the tumors. The oral presentation at the World Federation of Nuclear Medicine and Biology is titled: PET/CT Imaging of the Alkylphosphocholine Analog 124I-CLR1404 in Brain Tumors. Cellectar's research programs have generated numerous PDC molecules that in preclinical studies show significant improvement in pharmacologic and biologic activity versus the parent or payload molecule alone. Cellectar has engineered these new PDC compounds specifically for improved tumor targeting. Our research has demonstrated that with a variety of payloads the phospholipid ether molecules provide, on average, a greater than 20-fold increase in delivery of the PDC to cancerous cells compared to normal cells. This mechanism provides a significant opportunity to potentially increase efficacy and reduce the off-target impact and associated side effects of many chemotherapeutics. The chemical structure of CLR 124 is analogous to CLR 131. CLR 131 is an investigational radioiodinated PDC cancer therapy that exploits the tumor-targeting properties of the company's proprietary PLEs and PLE analogs to selectively deliver radiation to malignant tumor cells, thus minimizing radiation exposure to normal tissues.

08:07 EDT CommerceHub announces definitive agreement to be acquired by GTCR - CommerceHub, GTCR, and Sycamore Partners announced a definitive agreement whereby affiliates of GTCR and Sycamore, two leading private equity firms, will acquire all outstanding shares of CommerceHub, a leading distributed commerce network for retailers and brands. The all-cash deal provides substantial value to CommerceHub stockholders. Under the terms of the agreement, funds affiliated with GTCR and Sycamore will acquire all outstanding shares of CommerceHub's Series A, B, and C common stock for a total value of approximately $1.1B. Holders of CommerceHub's Series A, B and C common stock will receive $22.75 in cash per share, representing a 24.5% premium to the Series A closing price as of March 5, 2018, a 19.3% premium to the 1-month volume-weighted average Series A closing price, a 30.2% premium to the Series C closing price as of March 5, 2018, and a 27.1% premium to the 1-month volume-weighted average Series C closing price. The transaction, which is expected to close in the third quarter of 2018, is subject to customary closing conditions, including the approval of the company's stockholders and required regulatory approvals.

08:06 EDT Nasdaq names Sina an official vendor of NLS, GIDS in China - Nasdaq (NDAQ) announced that Sina (SINA) is now an official vendor of Nasdaq Last Sale and Nasdaq Global Index Data Service in China. Sina was the first company in mainland China to provide investors with real-time U.S. market data from Nasdaq in 2013. Five years since this first collaboration, usage of the data has grown significantly-both by audience and volume-as Sina continues to help investors in the world's most populous country build and protect wealth. In addition to real-time Nasdaq data feeds provided to downstream firms in China, Sina now offers Nasdaq Last Sale and the vital indexing GIDS product across all of its platforms.

08:05 EDT Sabre renews partnership with Aeromexico - Sabre has renewed its partnership with Aeromexico. This agreement fortifies a long-standing partnership between the companies, with an emphasis on meeting the airline's evolving business and technology needs while providing access to new capabilities across retailing, distribution and fulfillment.

08:05 EDT Eli Lilly and Boehringer Ingelheim to expand clinical trial for Jardiance - Boehringer Ingelheim and Eli Lilly and Company announced plans to expand their clinical trial program for Jardiance in chronic heart failure with the EMPERIAL clinical trials. These trials will evaluate the effect of Jardiance on exercise ability and heart failure symptoms in people with chronic heart failure independent of whether they have type 2 diabetes. EMPERIAL comprises two Phase III trials that will assess the effect of 12 weeks of treatment with Jardiance on the ability of people with heart failure to perform daily exercise.

08:04 EDT Global Blood Therapeutics names David Johnson as chief commercial officer - Global Blood Therapeutics (GBT) announced the appointment of David Johnson as chief commercial officer, effective March 12, 2018. Johnson joins GBT from Gilead Sciences (GILD), where he was VP, sales and marketing, Liver Disease Business Unit. At GBT, Johnson will create and lead the company's commercial operations, where he will be responsible for building and leading sales, marketing, business analytics and market access. GBT is currently developing voxelotor as a potentially disease- modifying therapy for sickle cell disease.

08:02 EDT Top Image Systems selected by global energy company for eFLOW AP - Top Image Systems announced that, following an extensive due diligence and evaluation process, a multinational energy company has selected Top Image Systems to upgrade its existing accounts payable solution to eFLOW AP for SAP. Embarking on a project that will span over two years, the company plans to modernize its corporate accounts payable operations through the implementation of eFLOW AP for SAP.

07:55 EDT CommerceHub trading halted, news pending

07:42 EDT Bioverativ announces first patient dosed in Phase 3 program of BIVV009 - Bioverativ announced that the first patient has been dosed in the Phase 3 clinical program of its investigational therapy BIVV009 for cold agglutinin disease, or CAgD. The Phase 3 program includes two parallel Phase 3 trials, Cardinal and Cadenza, which are evaluating the efficacy and safety of BIVV009 in adult patients with primary CAgD, a disease with no approved therapies. CAgD is a rare blood disease that results in the premature destruction of red blood cells by the body's immune system. People with CAgD suffer from anemia, which is often severe, and can experience profound fatigue, and/or a significantly increased risk of life-threatening thromboembolic, or TE events such as stroke, pulmonary embolism, and heart attack. Recently-presented results from the CAgD Optum study, the largest retrospective study of cold agglutinin disease, showed that CAgD patients had a 55% overall increased rate of TE events versus matched controls, as well as a statistically significant higher frequency of multiple TE events.1 The Cardinal trial, in which the patient was dosed, is an open-label, single-arm study that will evaluate the safety and efficacy of BIVV009 in 20 adult patients with primary CAgD who have had at least one recent blood transfusion. The Cadenza trial is a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled study that will evaluate the safety and efficacy of BIVV009 in 40 adult patients with primary CAgD who have not recently had a blood transfusion. BIVV009 is a novel monoclonal antibody that has been designed to block C1s in the classical complement pathway and directly target the root cause of cold agglutinin disease. It is believed that this approach may prevent the complement system, which is a part of the immune system, from mistakenly destroying a person's red blood cells, and potentially halt the CAgD disease process. BIVV009 was awarded breakthrough therapy designation by the U.S. FDA and orphan drug designation by both the FDA and European Medicines Agency.

07:36 EDT Chevron: Tengiz project on track to deliver first production in 2022

07:35 EDT Chevron says plans to further lower cost structure

07:32 EDT Clearside Biomedical announces enrollment of first patient in TOPAZ trial - Clearside Biomedical announced the enrollment of the first patient in a Phase 3 clinical trial of suprachoroidal CLS-TA used with an intravitreally administered anti-VEGF agent for the treatment of macular edema associated with Retinal Vein Occlusion. Suprachoroidal CLS-TA is Clearside's proprietary suspension of the corticosteroid triamcinolone acetonide formulated for administration to the back of the eye via the suprachoroidal space, or SCS, which is the space located between the choroid and the outer protective layer of the eye known as the sclera. TOPAZ is a multicenter, randomized, masked, controlled trial to assess the safety and efficacy of suprachoroidal CLS-TA used together with one of two intravitreal anti-VEGF agents, Lucentis or Avastin in treatment naive patients with RVO. Patients in the combination arm of the trial will receive suprachoroidal CLS-TA together with an intravitreal anti-VEGF agent at the beginning of the trial, an intravitreal anti-VEGF agent alone at week 4, and suprachoroidal CLS-TA together with an intravitreal anti-VEGF agent at weeks 12 and 24. Patients in the control arm will receive an intravitreal anti-VEGF agent alone at the beginning of the trial and every four weeks thereafter through week 24. After 24 weeks, patients in both arms will be followed for approximately an additional six months. The primary objective of this trial will be to determine the proportion of patients in each arm with a best corrected visual acuity improvement of at least 15 letters from baseline at eight weeks after initial treatment. Several secondary efficacy and safety endpoints will also be evaluated. Clearside anticipates total enrollment of approximately 460 patients in this Phase 3 trial. Clearside also announced today that, based on patient enrollment progress, it now expects to report preliminary data from the SAPPHIRE trial in the fourth quarter of 2018 instead of the first quarter of 2019.

07:16 EDT BlackRock and Kyriba announce strategic partnership for cash management process - Kyriba and BlackRock announced a strategic partnership that will leverage both firms' technologies to simplify their clients' cash management processes. The partnership means faster execution of cash investments for CFOs and corporate treasurers. Kyriba's technology provides its users with the real-time visibility and reporting they need to understand their portfolio and global cash positions. Clients can then allocate cash to a variety of money market funds through BlackRock's integrated trading platform. Kyriba's cash management solutions gives its clients clear visibility into their cash positions worldwide and enables greater confidence for CFOs and treasurers in their cash flow performance. Kyriba delivers the structure and control to access and mobilize intercompany cash balances toward investments that propel growth.

07:08 EDT Myriad supports AACU position statement on molecular testing for prostate cancer - Myriad Genetics that the American Association of Clinical Urologists have issued a position statement supporting molecular testing for prostate cancer patients, which was also endorsed by the Large Urology Group Practice Association. The statement supports tissue based molecular testing for prostate cancer risk stratification in low and favorable-intermediate risk men and germline testing for hereditary cancer syndrome in prostate cancer patients with a family history of cancer or high-risk disease. Below are the recommendations stated in the AACU position paper: Tissue-based molecular testing for risk stratification should be considered for low and favorable-intermediate risk men with life expectancy greater than or equal to 10 years. Germline testing should be considered in men with very-low risk, low risk, favorable and unfavorable intermediate risk prostate cancer and strong family history. Germline testing also should be considered, irrespective of family history, in men with metastatic disease or those with high risk or very-high risk regional disease. The position paper issued by AACU and endorsed by LUGPA is consistent with recently issued National Comprehensive Cancer Network guidelines supporting biomarker based testing in prostate cancer. Myriad has the market leading prostate cancer prognostic test Prolaris and the market leading hereditary cancer risk assessment test myRisk Hereditary Cancer.

07:05 EDT Park City Capital announces director nominees for proxy contest at Resonant - Park City Capital, LLC, the beneficial owner with its affiliates of approximately 5.2% of the shares of Resonant, announced its director nominees for the proxy contest it has initiated to elect a new board of directors at Resonant's 2018 annual meeting of shareholders. Resonant's full board of directors is elected annually. Park City is concerned that the current Resonant board-with a lack of meaningful ownership in the company and with two executives and a company service provider on the board-has been all too eager to continually return to the capital markets to effectuate dilutive financings-including with favored shareholders at deep market discounts-and to implement excessive equity programs for executives. Park City is even more concerned that the Resonant board has carried out its dilutive financing strategy while deliberately excluding Park City's current board representative, Michael Fox, from the board's review process. Park City has attempted to work constructively with the board, but has repeatedly been rebuffed and excluded simply for raising valid board matters for consideration. The Resonant board has even taken the extreme and outdated entrenchment measure of forming a committee to operate as a shadow board-which includes all of its directors other than Mr. Fox-to exclude Mr. Fox from board matters. Park City believes that the Resonant board has failed to achieve a stock price for the company that reflects the true value of the company's technology. Park City believes that Resonant may be able to achieve a better outcome for shareholders by pursuing a sale of the company, which Park City believes is likely to attract a buyer willing to value the company more favorably than the current market for Resonant stock. Resonant's stock currently trades approximately 30% below its 2014 IPO price of $6.00 per share.

07:04 EDT Bristol-Myers announces FDA approved sBLA updating Opdivo dosing schedule - Bristol-Myers Squibb announced the FDA has approved a supplemental Biologics License Application, or sBLA, updating the Opdivo, or nivolumab, dosing schedule to include 480 mg infused every four weeks, or Q4W for a majority of approved indications. This approval will provide health care professionals the flexibility to customize patient care with the option of using the newly approved Q4W, or flat dose in addition to the previously available option of every two weeks at 240 mg, now available in a new 240 mg vial. Opdivo also was approved for a shorter 30-minute infusion across all approved indications. Dosing schedule updates for an additional approved indication for Opdivo may be submitted to the FDA in the future.

07:02 EDT T2 Biosystems awarded up to $2M by CARB-X to support test development - T2 Biosystems announced that it has been awarded a grant of up to $2M from CARB-X. The collaboration with CARB-X will be used to accelerate the development of new tests to identify bacterial pathogens and resistance markers directly in whole blood much more rapidly than is possible using today's diagnostic tools. The new tests aim to expand the T2Dx Instrument product line by detecting 20 additional bacterial species and resistance targets, with a focus on blood borne pathogens on the CDC antibiotic resistance threat list. CARB-X's mission is to drive antibacterial innovation and combat the growing threat of antimicrobial resistance. It is jointly led by BARDA, a government agency at the U.S. Health and Human Services, and the Wellcome Trust, a global charitable foundation based in the U.K. Through this grant, T2 Biosystems will receive an initial award of up to $1.1M, with the possibility of up to $0.9M more based on the achievement of certain project milestones.

06:56 EDT VF appoints Velia Carboni as Chief Digital Officer - VF announced the appointment of Velia Carboni to the new position of Chief Digital Officer. She will report to VF's Chairman, President and CEO, Steve Rendle and will serve on the company's Senior Leadership Team. In this newly created position, Carboni will be responsible for the integration of world-class digital capabilities into all aspects of business across VF and its brands and functions globally, from channels, processes and data to operating models, incentives, and culture. Carboni joins VF following a 25-plus year career at Fidelity Investments where she held a series of leadership roles with increasing responsibility. Carboni most recently served as Senior Vice President, Mobile and Emerging Platforms for the company's Personal Investing/Retail Division. Previously she was Vice President, Mobile, where Carboni led all facets of mobile product development and expanded the company's mobile program offerings.

06:49 EDT WidePoint announces follow on order from DHS worth over $4.6M - WidePoint announced a follow-on task order from the U.S. Department of Homeland Security Headquarters. The award, with a total amount valued at more than $4.6M, is for the base period from March through November 2018. WidePoint will deliver cellular wireless managed services to DHS HQ under the DHS cellular wireless management services blanket purchase agreement.

06:44 EDT Baytex Energy reaffirms FY18 production view 68,000boe/d-72,000boe/d - The company said, "Commodity prices remain volatile with WTI currently above $60/bbl and Canadian heavy oil differentials averaging $24/bbl for Q1 due to transportation challenges. We see these wide differentials as temporary as the industry works to alleviate the bottlenecks through crude by rail and existing pipeline optimization and reconfigurations. We remain supporters of pipeline expansion as our medium term solutions to market access. We have the operational flexibility to adjust our spending plans based on changes in the commodity price environment. We are encouraged by our operating results in the Eagle Ford and the strong cash generating capability of this asset as the prices for Brent and LLS are above $63/bbl. During the Q4, our netback in the Eagle Ford of C$30.19/bbl was the strongest we have realized since 2014. At current crude oil prices, we expect the Eagle Ford to generate significant free cash flow in 2018. In Canada, we are executing our first quarter drilling and development program as planned with improved WTI pricing partially offsetting the widening of the WCS differential. We continue to manage our heavy oil sales portfolio, including operational optimization, crude-by rail and the use of financial and physical hedges to optimize our heavy oil netbacks. Our 2018 production guidance range is unchanged at 68,000 to 72,000 boe/d with budgeted exploration and development capital expenditures of $325M-$375M".

06:37 EDT Target down fractionally after reporting Q4 results, giving guidance

06:35 EDT Wabco signs largest ever Fleet Management Solutions contract - WABCO Holdings announced its largest ever Fleet Management Solutions contract with Girteka Logistics, Europe's leading asset-based transport company. Under the agreement, 2,700 trucks across Girteka Logistics' European fleet will be equipped with WABCO's advanced FMS. Headquartered in Vilnius, Lithuania, Girteka Logistics has a fleet of more than 4,000 trucks and 4,300 trailers. It delivers over 320,000 Full Truck Loads annually for some of the world's largest retail brands. This multi-year agreement will see Girteka Logistics trucks upgraded with WABCO-owned Transics' comprehensive FMS portfolio, including advanced TX-SKY on-board computers and TX-FLEX mobile app connectivity as well as TX-CONNECT back-office IT and software integration via the TX-TANGO web service platform. This powerful combination of advanced FMS solutions provides significant benefits for Girteka Logistics, including improvements to its overall fleet efficiency and an enhanced customer service capability.

06:34 EDT Spectrum Brands to reaffirm FY18 guidance at Raymond James conference - Spectrum Brands (SPB) announced it will reaffirm fiscal 2018 guidance during its presentation today at 2:50 pm Eastern Time at the Raymond James 39th Annual Institutional Investors Conference. Spectrum Brands continues to expect fiscal 2018 reported net sales from continuing operations to increase above category rates for most categories, including the anticipated modest positive impact from foreign exchange based on current rates. The company also continues to expect fiscal 2018 adjusted EBITDA from continuing operations to be between $657M-$674M, including the negative impact of $15M-$20M from facility consolidations and inflation headwinds, compared to $639M in fiscal 2017. Spectrum Brands continues to expect fiscal 2018 net cash provided from operating activities after purchases of property, plant and equipment (adjusted free cash flow), which includes discontinued operations, will be between $620M-$640M. The Company also continues to anticipate receiving between $3.6B-$3.7B of gross proceeds by the end of calendar 2018 as a result of previously announced plans to divest its Global Batteries and Appliances businesses. This includes $2B of gross proceeds from a definitive contract signed in January 2018 to sell the company's Global Battery and Lighting business to Energizer Holdings (ENR).

06:05 EDT Amerseco reports FY17 total project backlog up 19% to $1.77B

06:03 EDT GMS Inc. reports Q3 gross margin 33.4%, up 40 bps

06:01 EDT News Corp, Telstra to combine Foxtel, Fox Sports Australia - News Corp (NWS, NWSA) and Telstra (TLSYY) announced they have signed definitive agreements to combine Foxtel and FOX SPORTS Australia. The key commercial arrangements include: News Corp will have 65% shareholding in the combined entity and Telstra will have 35%. News Corp will appoint four directors, including the Chairman, to the combined entity's board and the senior executives, and Telstra will appoint two directors. News Corp will consolidate the combined entity into its financial statements. The transaction is expected to close during the fourth quarter of Fiscal Year 2018.

05:51 EDT Biohaven enrolls first patient in Zydis ODT Phase 3 clinical trial - Biohaven Pharmaceutical announced that it has enrolled the first patient in a Phase 3 clinical trial of the Zydis orally dissolving tablet, or ODT, formulation of rimegepant for the acute treatment of migraine. Rimegepant is a potent, orally available small molecule calcitonin gene-related peptide, or CGRP, receptor antagonist in late stage development for the treatment of migraine.

05:38 EDT Facebook testing breaking news label for articles, expanding to more publishers - Joey Rhyu, Product Manager at Facebook, said in a social media post: "Earlier this year we made a commitment to show more high quality news on Facebook. People tell us they want to see informative news about what is happening around them, when it happens, on Facebook. Getting clear signal on what stories are breaking news can help. We've been running a test in the U.S. that lets a small group of local and national publishers identify and label breaking news. Starting this week, we will expand the test so that more than 50 additional publishers in North America, Latin America, Europe and Australia will be able to label their stories as breaking news on Facebook. If the expansion is successful, we may add more publishers. Publishers in the test will be able to label Instant Articles, mobile and web links, and Facebook Live as breaking news... Drawing attention to breaking news on Facebook will help get important information to people when it matters most. This is an early test and we will keep working with news publishers through the Facebook Journalism Project to incorporate their feedback and refine how it works." Reference Link

05:31 EDT Novartis drug Xolair recommended in new global chronic urticaria guideline - A new global guideline on chronic urticaria, or CU, recommends Xolair, indicated as add-on therapy for the treatment of chronic spontaneous urticaria, or CSU, for patients who are not responding to antihistamines. Xolair is the only licensed treatment option for CSU, a type of CU, for patients unresponsive to antihistamines.

05:26 EDT Volaris reports February traffic up 11.8% - Volaris reports February 2018 and year-to-date preliminary traffic results. During February 2018 Volaris increased total capacity, as measured in Available Seat Miles, or ASMs, by 11.2% year over year. Total demand, as measured in Revenue Passenger Miles, or RPMs, in February 2018 increased 14.2% year over year, reaching 1.2B. Volaris transported a total of 1.3M passengers during the month, an increase of 11.8% year over year. Year-to-date, Volaris has transported over 2.7M passengers, an increase of 4.0% year over year. Network load factor for February was 82.4%, an increase of 2.2 percentage points year over year. During February 2018, Volaris launched one international route.

05:19 EDT Cabot Microelectronics raises quarterly dividend to 40c per share - Cabot Microelectronics announced an update to its capital deployment strategy, which includes doubling its regular quarterly cash dividend, and its intention to distribute at least 50% of prior fiscal year free cash flow to shareholders on an ongoing basis through a combination of cash dividends and share repurchases. Consistent with the company's demonstrated focus on distributing cash to its shareholders, today the company's board declared a quarterly cash dividend of 40c per share on the company's common stock, representing a 100% increase over the prior regular quarterly cash dividend paid of 20c per share. This would represent a yield of approximately 1.5% based on today's closing stock price. The dividend will be payable on or about April 30, 2018 to shareholders of record at the close of business on March 23, 2018. The 40c dividend would represent an annualized rate of $1.60 per share, or approximately $40M in aggregate, equivalent to approximately 33% of the company's fiscal 2017 free cash flow. In addition, the company intends to distribute at least 50% of prior fiscal year free cash flow to shareholders on an ongoing basis through a combination of cash dividends and share repurchases. This combination would represent at least $60M, based on the company's fiscal 2017 free cash flow of approximately $120M. As of December 31, 2017, the company had approximately $120M of authorization remaining under its existing share repurchase program.