Stockwinners Market Radar for March 08, 2018 - Earnings, Upgrades downgrades, option trades, Best Stock Advisory Service

20:24 EDT Guatemalan Court requests additional information from Tahoe Resources - Tahoe Resources has been informed that the Constitutional Court of Guatemala requested additional information in the legal case regarding Minera San Rafael's Escobal mining license. The company has not yet received the formal resolution from the Court but understands the request requires certain information be provided to the Court within 15 business days from the date of the formal resolution. In addition to asking for original copies of documents submitted last July, some of the information requested by the Court includes: an anthropological study of the surrounding communities to establish the current populations of indigenous people in San Rafael las Flores and several surrounding communities, a third-party review of the Escobal Environmental Impact Study and the mitigation measures required by the study, and a third-party review of the Ministry of Energy and Mines' consultation process that led to the initial mining license being granted in 2013. Some of the information requested appears to examine areas that were not appealed by any of the parties in the case.

19:36 EDT OSI Systems facilitates large drug seizure in Albania - OSI System announced that Albanian Customs and State Police, facilitated by the OSI Systems' turnkey scanning program, seized 1,350 pounds of cocaine being smuggled into Albania. The narcotics were hidden in a false floor of a produce shipment, and were detected by Rapiscan Eagle scanning systems operated by the Company's S2 Albania subsidiary. Albanian State Police estimate the value of the seizure to be $220 million.

18:44 EDT Nintendo to bring 'Super Smash Bros.' to Switch in 2018 - During its latest Nintendo Direct presentation, Nintendo (NTDOY) announced that the "Super Smash Bros." franchise is coming to Nintendo Switch this year. The video also showcased more than a dozen upcoming games for both the Nintendo Switch system and the Nintendo 3DS family of systems, with many of the featured games coming from third-party developers. In addition, Nintendo said in its presentation that Activision's (ATVI) "Crash Bandicoot N. Sane Trilogy," which launched last year exclusively for the PlayStation 4 (SNE), will be coming to Switch consoles later this year. Nintendo also announced that Ubisoft's (UBSFY) "South Park: The Fractured But Whole" will be available on the Switch on April 24.

18:20 EDT Global Eagle names Jeff Leddy executive chairman - Global Eagle Entertainment announced that effective April 1, 2018 its board of directors has appointed Jeff Leddy to the positions of executive chairman of the company and chairman of the board, and has appointed Josh Marks to the position of Chief Executive Officer. Marks will also join the company's board of directors upon his appointment as CEO. Leddy has been the company's Chief Executive Officer since February 2017 and a member of the board since Global Eagle's business combination with Row 44 and Advanced Inflight Alliance in 2013. Marks joined the company in 2015 and currently serves as Executive Vice President of the company's Connectivity segment.

18:14 EDT Revlon reschedules earnings call to March 15 from March 9 - Revlon is rescheduling the release of its Q4 2017 and full year earnings, as well as the company's earnings call to Thursday, March 15th at 5:30 p.m. NYC time. The call was originally scheduled for tomorrow, Friday, March 9th at 9:30 a.m. The company already released preliminary Q4 2017 and full year earnings on Jan 29th, 2018.

18:06 EDT Spark Energy announces recent acquisitions - On March 1, Spark acquired a retail electric provider with approximately 29,000 RCEs serving electricity and natural gas customers in the Northeast and Midwest. The transaction is immediately accretive to 2018 earnings and requires minimal integration. On March 7, Spark entered into an agreement with National Gas & Electric, an affiliate of Retailco, the company's majority owner, for the acquisition of approximately 50,000 RCEs for approximately $12.5M in cash. The transaction, which was reviewed and approved by a special committee made up of independent members of the Company's board of directors, is scheduled to close in April of this year. On March 7, Spark agreed to reintegrate the employees and operations of Retailco Services, which is wholly owned by W. Keith Maxwell III. Retailco was formed in 2015 to provide a variety of back office functions, including customer operations and information technology services, at a lower cost than Spark was realizing at the time. Retailco has been able to reduce the cost per customer over the past two years, and Spark expects to realize additional savings by reintegrating the two companies. This reintegration, which was reviewed and approved by a special committee of independent directors of the Company's board of directors, is scheduled to occur on April , and is expected to be accretive to 2018 earnings. Maxwell will receive no consideration for this transaction. As previously announced, Spark terminated the Verde Energy earnout agreement on January 12. This transaction allowed Spark to begin integration of Verde's operations sooner than originally anticipated, which the Company believes should result in significant operational costs savings.

18:04 EDT Spark Energy sees FY18 adjusted EBITDA similar to FY17 - Spark expects full year 2018 Adjusted EBITDA to be similar to that of 2017. The company will continue to pursue accretive acquisitions, integrate recent acquisitions, drive operational performance improvements, and look to expand its geographic footprint.

18:02 EDT Mazda and Toyota form JV 'Mazda Toyota Manufacturing USA', investing $1.6B - Mazda Motor (MZDAF) and Toyota Motor (TM) have established their new joint-venture company "Mazda Toyota Manufacturing, U.S.A., Inc." that will produce vehicles in Huntsville, Alabama starting in 2021. The new plant will have the capacity to produce 150,000 units of Mazda's crossover model that will be newly introduced to the North American market and 150,000 units of the Toyota Corolla. The facility is expected to create up to 4,000 jobs. Toyota and Mazda are investing $1.6 billion towards this project with equal funding contributions.

17:47 EDT On The Fly: After Hours Movers - UP AFTER EARNINGS: PDL BioPharma (PDLI), up 18.9%... AcelRx (ACRX), up 15.8%... Funko (FNKO), up 13.2%... United Natural Foods (UNFI), up 9.1%... El Pollo Loco (LOCO), up 7.3%... Upland Software (UPLD), up 6.1%. ALSO HIGHER: OncoCyte (OCX), up 6.7% after it announced "encouraging" initial results of its initial clinical sample feasibility study of liquid biopsy test DetermaVu... TherapeuticsMD (TXMD), up 6% after it announced FDA acceptance of its TX-001HR new drug application. DOWN AFTER EARNINGS: AutoWeb (AUTO), down 30.7%... Finisar (FNSR), down 8.3%... Insys Therapeutics (INSY), down 6.4%... Otonomy (OTIC), down 5.5%... Marvell (MRVL), down 2.6%... Sunesis (SNSS), down 1.5%. ALSO LOWER: VolitionRx (VNRX), down 16.7% after it filed to sell common stock... Mattel (MAT) and Hasbro (HAS), down a respective 4.8% and 3.6% after Bloomberg reported that Toys 'R' Us is preparing to liquidate its U.S. operations... Arch Capital (ACGL), down 1.3% after it filed to sell 5.67M shares of common stock for holders.

17:39 EDT Tesla falls after saying Chief Accounting Officer leaving company - Shares are down 1.5% to $324.20 in after-hours trading after saying Chief Accounting Officer Eric Branderiz is leaving for personal reasons.

17:34 EDT Alphatec announces SafeOp acquisition, Pat Miles as CEO - Alphatec announced that it has acquired SafeOp Surgical. SafeOp is a privately-held provider of advanced neuromonitoring technology designed to prevent the intraoperative risk of nerve injury with automated assessment that obviates the need for a technician or other neuromonitoring professional in most surgeries. The company also announced a $50M capital raise, the proceeds of which were used, in part, to fund the acquisition. Additionally, the company announced several leadership updates. Pat Miles has assumed the role of CEO and Terry Rich has been appointed president and COO. Both will retain their existing board positions. Luiz Pimenta has been appointed CMO.

17:32 EDT Catalus Capital lowers stake in Cars.com to 5.0% from 6.1%

17:22 EDT PDL BioPharma up 18% to $3.12 in after-hours trading after Q4 results

17:16 EDT Airbus awarded $273M U.S. Army contract - Airbus Helicopters was awarded a $273,289,949 firm-fixed-price contract for procurement of 35 UH-72A aircraft. One bid was solicited with one bid received. Work will be performed in Columbus, Mississippi, with an estimated completion date of March 8, 2021.

17:14 EDT Finisar sees Q4 adjusted tax rate roughly 11% - Sees Q4 adjusted gross margin 27%-28%. Says Q4 revenue decline to be driven by lower demand, lower telecom revenue from price reduction. Comments taken from Q3 earnings conference call.

17:11 EDT Century Aluminum 'strongly supports' Trump's 10% tariff on aluminum imports - President Donald J. Trump signed a Presidential Proclamation implementing a 10% tariff on all primary aluminum imports into the United States in order to stop the flood of foreign metal that has been destroying the U.S. aluminum industry and threatening the nation's national security. Canada and Mexico will be given a temporary exemption from the tariff pending negotiations. Michael Bless, Century Aluminum's President and CEO, praised the President's determination: "We strongly support today's signing of the Presidential Proclamation by President Donald J. Trump that will impose broad comprehensive relief to stop the flood of aluminum imports into the United States. President Trump's decisive action protects thousands of American aluminum workers from countries that cheat and puts U.S. national security first. We commend President Trump for acting swiftly and boldly on the aluminum sec. 232 to save the American aluminum industry."

17:06 EDT TPI Composites in pact with Navistar to build an all-composite Class 8 truck - TPI Composites (TPIC), announced that it has entered into an agreement with Navistar (NAV) to design and develop a Class 8 truck comprised of a composite tractor and frame rails.This collaborative development project is being entered into in connection with Navistar's recent award under the U.S. Department of Energy's Super Truck II investment program, which is designed to promote fuel efficiency in commercial vehicles. "We are excited about the opportunity to design, develop and validate the use of composite materials and technologies in commercial vehicles in a cost effective and high volume manufacturing environment," said Steve Lockard, President and CEO of TPI.

17:01 EDT ZTO Express CFO James Guo to resign for personal reasons - ZTO Express announced that effective May 1, 2018, Mr. James Guo will resign from the role of Chief Financial Officer due to personal reasons, and Ms. Huiping Yan, ZTO's current Vice President of Finance, will be appointed as the Chief Financial Officer. Mr. Guo will continue serving the company as an advisor following his resignation. The company noted that Ms. Guo's departure is not related to any issues or disagreements regarding the company's financial disclosures, accounting policies and practices. Before joining ZTO in February 2018, Ms. Yan spent over 7 years serving as the Chief Financial Officer of a number of Chinese TMT and hospitality companies including 2 years at Cainiao Network Technology, the logistics arm of Alibaba Inc. and over 4 years at Home Inns & Hotels Management, a leading economy hotel chain in China.

16:52 EDT Pfizer reports 'positive' outcome of FDA advisory committee meeting on XELJANZ - Pfizer announced a positive outcome from today's U.S. Food and Drug Administration Gastrointestinal Drugs Advisory Committee meeting. The GIDAC met to discuss Pfizer's supplemental New Drug Application for XELJANZ, which is currently under review by the FDA, for the treatment of adult patients with moderately to severely active ulcerative colitis. The GIDAC voted on two dosing questions related to the use of the 10 mg twice-daily dose beyond the eight week induction period. First, the Committee voted unanimously in favor of the extension of the use of tofacitinib 10 mg BID from eight to 16 weeks of induction in adult patients who have not achieved adequate therapeutic benefit by Week 8. Second, the Committee voted unanimously in favor of 10 mg BID as continuous maintenance treatment for adult patients with an inadequate response, loss of response or intolerance to tumor necrosis factor blocker therapy. The submitted sNDA for adult patients with moderately to severely active UC included a proposed dosing regimen of tofacitinib 10 mg BID for eight weeks of induction, followed by tofacitinib 5 mg BID for maintenance. It also included the proposed option to extend the induction period by an additional eight weeks, as well as proposed consideration for the use of tofacitinib 10 mg BID for maintenance therapy in patients with an inadequate response, loss of response, or intolerance to TNF blocker therapy. The third question the Committee voted on related to a post-marketing efficacy study comparing a tofacitinib 10 mg BID continuous dosing regimen versus a regimen of tofacitinib 10 mg BID induction and 5 mg BID as maintenance in this patient population. The Committee voted 8-7 against conducting this study.

16:49 EDT Judge orders 1,200 Xarelto product liability lawsuits for trial - A federal district judge in New Orleans has ordered that 1,200 product defect lawsuits against prescription painkiller Xarelto be prepared for trial in federal courts across the country. The decision by U.S. District Judge Eldon Fallon marks a significant milestone in multidistrict litigation, or MDL, filed by thousands of individuals who have suffered serious medical complications after taking Xarelto. In conjunction with his ruling to prepare 1,200 cases for remand to their original trial courts, Judge Fallon ordered the lawsuits to be selected in two groups of 600 cases. Within each group of 600 lawsuits, 200 will be selected by the Plaintiffs' Steering Committee, 200 selected by the defendants and 200 selected randomly by the court. The initial round of 600 lawsuits will be selected by April 30, and the second group will be identified by August 30. Once selected, each lawsuit will be subject to case-specific discovery. The Xarelto MDL includes a total of more than 18,000 lawsuits. The lawsuits charge that Xarelto developers Bayer Healthcare (BAYRY) and Janssen Pharmaceuticals, a subsidiary of Johnson & Johnson (JNJ), downplayed Xarelto's risks of serious medical complications and aggressively marketed the drug as an alternative for warfarin in patients needing blood thinners to reduce the risk of dangerous clots. The lawsuits charge that doctors and patients were not fully informed of the risks, which have resulted in thousands of life-threatening complications.

16:44 EDT Azul reports February traffic up 16.3% - For February: Passenger traffic increased 16.3% compared to February 2017 on a capacity increase of 15.2%. As a result, load factor was 80.1%, 0.8 percentage points higher than in the same period last year.

16:43 EDT AK Steel applauds President Trump's announcement of 25% steel tariff - AK Steel said the company strongly supports President Trump's announcement that imports of steel products will be subject to a 25% tariff. "We thank the President and his Administration, on behalf of AK Steel and our many thousands of employees, for identifying and understanding the unfair trade practices that have plagued the domestic steel industry for decades, and for having the vision and fortitude to take meaningful action to address them," said AK Steel Chief Executive Officer Roger K. Newport. The President's action follows a Section 232 investigation initiated by the Department of Commerce in April 2017 that concluded that foreign steel imports threaten to impair U.S. national security. AK Steel Chief Executive Officer Roger K. Newport and leaders of other steel companies in the United States joined President Trump at the White House last week to discuss Section 232 remedies.

16:39 EDT DAVIDsTEA provides update on strategic altermatives process - DAVIDsTEA announced that Herschel Segal, co-founder of DAVIDsTEA, has resigned as a member of the company's board, effective March 5. In addition, DAVIDsTEA is providing an update on its strategic alternatives process, initially announced on December 7, 2017. By a letter on February 20, Segal, on behalf of Rainy Day Investments, or RDI, informed the board of DAVIDsTEA that it has decided to begin the process of exploring leading a privatization transaction for DAVIDsTEA. RDI has indicated that its goal is to present a proposal for an offer to buy out the minority holders of DAVIDsTEA or for an alternative strategic transaction. RDI has also informed DAVIDsTEA that it does not want to sell any of its shares of DAVIDsTEA at this time. RDI is a company controlled by Segal, which holds voting and investment control over the shares held by RDI. The board has formed a special committee of independent directors to consider any proposal, including any by RDI, to negotiate on behalf of DAVIDsTEA and, if it deems appropriate, to solicit and consider any alternative transactions. The special committee has engaged William Blair as its outside financial advisor and Ropes & Gray and Stikeman Elliott as its outside legal advisors. No definitive schedule to complete its review of strategic alternatives has been established. Lorenzo Salvaggio, a member of the board and the current VP, Secretary and COO of RDI, has also informed the board that he is stepping down as a director.

16:35 EDT Servier and Pfizer announce UCART19 Results for EBMT this month - Servier, Pfizer Inc. (PFE) and Cellectis (CLLS) announced that results from the two phase 1 trials with UCART19, the allogeneic anti-CD19 CAR T-cell product being developed by Servier and Pfizer, will be presented during the European society for Blood and Marrow Transplantation Annual Meeting to be held from March 18 to 21, 2018 in Lisbon, Portugal. Results from the CALM - UCART19 in Advanced Lymphoid Malignancies - study will be presented during an oral session by Reuben Benjamin, MD, PhD, Principal Investigator and consultant hematologist at King's College Hospital, London, United Kingdom, on March 21, 2018 at 9:30 am. The CALM study is an open label, dose-escalation study designed to evaluate safety, tolerability and antileukemic activity of UCART19 in adult patients with relapsed or refractory CD19-positive B-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia.

16:32 EDT Perceptron announces new robot guidance project wins - Perceptron announced new In-Line Robot Guidance Solutions orders with a prominent automotive OEM for two of their new vehicle programs.

16:31 EDT Heidrick & Struggles adds 18 new Partners and Principals - Heidrick & Struggles has added 18 new Partners and Principals across its technology, industrial, consumer and financial sectors, as well as across sectors in its newly expanded Copenhagen office. The 18 new Partners and Principals include three new consultants announced in the launch of the firm's new Heidrick Consulting business. Karla Martin and Barbara Spitzer joined Heidrick Consulting as Partners; Shaloo Kakkar Kulkarni joined as Principal.

16:25 EDT AcelRx receives January Type A FDA meeting minutes regarding DSUVIA NDA - AcelRx Pharmaceuticals announced the receipt of the official January 2018 Type A meeting minutes from the U.S. FDA relating to AcelRx's DSUVIA New Drug Application. At this meeting, AcelRx proposed potential resolutions for the two main points identified in the Complete Response Letter received from the FDA in October 2017. These main points were: (1) collect additional data in 50 patients with postoperative pain sufficient to evaluate the safety of DSUVIA at the maximum dosage in the proposed label, and (2) modify the Directions For Use to mitigate the risk of misplaced tablets and validate the effectiveness of these changes in a human factors study. To address the first point, AcelRx proposed instead to reduce the maximum dose in the label to not exceed 12 tablets within a 24-hour period to more closely match the clinical utilization of DSUVIA in the trials. The Company proposed to the FDA that the existing data from the higher dosing patients in the DSUVIA and Zalviso clinical trials should be sufficient to evaluate the safety of DSUVIA at this reduced maximum available daily dose. The FDA stated that the proposed revision to the maximum daily dosage appeared reasonable and that it was expected that the high-exposure DSUVIA patient data combined with the high-exposure Zalviso patient data may be sufficient to support safety at maximal dosing in the DSUVIA NDA resubmission. To address the second point in the CRL, AcelRx submitted to the FDA an updated DFU, and a revised protocol for the human factors study required to validate the effectiveness of the DFU changes. The FDA has reviewed and recently provided its comments to the updated DFU and HF study protocol, and the Company expects this study to be completed next month. In the NDA resubmission, AcelRx will provide these study results, along with the additional DSUVIA and Zalviso data analysis supporting the reduced maximum daily dosage. The Company intends to resubmit the NDA in the second quarter of 2018 after the completion of the HF study.

16:22 EDT Yext reports Q4 gross margin 74.6% vs. 72.7% a year ago

16:17 EDT TherapeuticsMD announces FDA acceptance of TX-001HR new drug application - TherapeuticsMD announced the acceptance of the NDA for TX-001HR by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. TX-001HR is the company's investigational bio-identical hormone therapy combination of estradiol and progesterone in a single, oral softgel for the treatment of moderate-to-severe vasomotor symptoms due to menopause. The FDA in its 74-day letter stated that the application is sufficiently complete to permit a substantive review and that, at this time, the FDA has not identified any potential review issues. The FDA noted that the filing review is only a preliminary evaluation of the application and is not indicative of deficiencies that may be identified during the FDA's review. The PDUFA target action date for the completion of the FDA's review is October 28, 2018.

16:17 EDT United Continental reports February traffic up 5.7%, capacity up 3.8% - United Airlines reported February 2018 operational results. UAL's February consolidated traffic increased 5.7% and consolidated capacity increased 3.8% versus February 2017. UAL's February consolidated load factor increased 1.4 points compared to February 2017. The company continues to expect first-quarter 2018 consolidated passenger unit revenue to be flat to up 2% compared to the first quarter of 2017.

16:16 EDT Culp to acquire Read Window Products, terms not disclosed - Culp, Inc. announced that it has reached a definitive agreement to acquire Read Window Products, Inc., a source for custom window treatments and other products for the hospitality and commercial industries. Based in Knoxville, Tennessee, Read Window Products is a turn-key provider of window treatments offering measuring, sourcing, fabrication and installation services. Read Window Products' primary custom product line includes motorization, shades, drapery and shower curtains. In addition, they supply soft goods such as decorative top sheets, coverlets, duvet covers, bed skirts, bolsters and pillows, for leading hospitality brands worldwide. Read Window Products has been in business since 1981, with annual revenues of approximately $11M in 2017. Culp currently expects to fund the acquisition with cash and investments on hand without incurring any additional debt, with closing currently expected to occur at the end of March, subject to the satisfaction of customary closing conditions.

16:15 EDT MyoKardia PIONEER-HCM Phase 2 trial meets endpoint - MyoKardia announced positive results from the Phase 2 PIONEER-HCM clinical study of the investigational agent mavacamten in symptomatic, obstructive hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (oHCM) patients, including results from a low-dose patient cohort, which studied once-daily 2mg and 5mg oral doses of mavacamten. The first cohort of the PIONEER-HCM clinical trial studied 10mg, 15mg and 20mg doses and demonstrated a reduction in patients' left ventricular outflow tract gradient before steady-state mavacamten concentrations were reached. Cohort B's primary goal was to evaluate lower doses of mavacamten in patients with oHCM. Both cohorts of the PIONEER-HCM clinical trial met the primary endpoint of reduction in post-exercise LVOT gradient from baseline to Week 12 with statistical significance. Several key secondary endpoints, including improvements in New York Heart Association (NYHA) classification and dyspnea score, also achieved statistical significance within each cohort. For the secondary endpoint of change in exercise capacity, statistical significance was met in Cohort A, with a positive trend toward improvements in Cohort B. Taken together, data from the PIONEER-HCM study indicate that optimal daily dosing for most patients may be between 5 and 15mg. Baseline patient characteristics, including disease severity, were similar across Cohorts A and B. The use of background beta blockers, permitted only in Cohort B, did not appear to impact mavacamten's safety or pharmacodynamic profile. The PIONEER-HCM study has informed a target concentration range at which mavacamten is expected to achieve clinically meaningful improvements in oHCM symptoms, functional classification, and exercise capacity while maintaining left ventricular ejection fraction in a normal range of greater than or equal to 50 percent. These data will inform the starting dose and guide dose-adjustment for MyoKardia's planned Phase 3 pivotal EXPLORER-HCM clinical trial of mavacamten in symptomatic oHCM patients. EXPLORER-HCM is expected to commence patient dosing in the second quarter of 2018.

16:13 EDT Marcus & Millichap says positioned to continue to gain market share - Marcus & Millichap said: "We believe that the company is positioned to continue to gain market share by leveraging a number of factors, including our leading national brand predominantly within our Private Client Market segment and specialty groups, experienced management team, infrastructure investments and proprietary technology. The size and fragmentation of the Private Client Market segment, in particular, continues to offer long-term growth opportunities with the top ten brokerage firms making up only 25.2% market share. This market segment consistently accounts for over 80% of commercial property sales transactions and over 60% of the commission pool. The Company's growth plan also includes further expansion into various specialty property types such as hospitality, self-storage, seniors housing and the Larger Transaction Market segment, as well as expansion of its financing division, Marcus & Millichap Capital Corporation."

16:12 EDT Identiv reports Q4 EPS (31c), consensus (20c) - Reports Q4 revenue $16.6M, consensus $16.53M.

16:05 EDT Marvell reports Q4 adjusted gross margin 62.3%

16:02 EDT NIC Inc. authorizes $25M share buyback - The company has authorized a stock buyback program to repurchase up to $25 million of the company's common stock. Share repurchases may be funded using NIC's existing cash balance, future cash flows, or available line of credit. Future share repurchases may be made in the open market or in privately negotiated transactions as permitted by securities laws and other legal requirements. The number of shares purchased under the program and the timing of any purchases would be based on many factors, including the level of the company's available cash, general business conditions, and pricing.

15:49 EDT President Trump says open to modifying tariffs on individual countries

15:43 EDT Aerojet Rocketdyne says Air Force successfully tests AFRL - An upgraded insensitive explosive developed by Aerojet Rocketdyne, Inc., a subsidiary of Aerojet Rocketdyne Holdings, and the U.S. Air Force Research Laboratory (AFRL), was recently tested by AFRL to support the Mk-82 500-lb. and Mk-83 1,000-lb. general purpose bombs, which are also known as BLU-111 and BLU-110, respectively. The explosive, known as MNX-770 Mod 1, provides the same lethality as the current PBXN-109 explosive, but has characteristics that make it less susceptible to unintended detonation; making both warheads much safer to store and handle. "While the BLU-110 and BLU-111 general purpose bombs have been in service for decades, making these munitions safer for our warfighters to handle is a shared goal of the military and industry," said Aerojet Rocketdyne CEO and President Eileen Drake. "The upgraded explosive provides an additional margin of safety for our men and women who are deployed across the globe to protect the interests of America and its allies."

15:18 EDT Meet Group tanks over 16% after Q4 results - Shares of Meet Group (MEET), which manages a portfolio of mobile apps including MeetMe, LOVOO, Skout, Tagged, and Hi5, are falling after reporting fourth quarter EBITDA of $10.5M, down from $12.8M year-over-year. The company reported a quarterly GAAP net loss of $67.7M, or 94c per diluted share, primarily as a result of a non-cash asset impairment charge and deferred tax charge of $56.4M and $7.7M, respectively, compared to GAAP net income of $9.9M, or 15c per diluted share in the prior year quarter. On its quarterly conference call, the CEO said, "As I noted earlier, our net loss for the full year includes two one-time non-cash adjustments. First, we recorded a $7.7M charge to adjust value of our NOLs as a result of income tax changes enacted by the 2018 tax reform bill and the new 21% corporate income tax rate. Second, as part of our annual review of goodwill and intangible assets, we recorded an impairment charge of $56.4M against the goodwill of our U.S. based businesses This adjusted was caused by a decrease in the fair value of certain assets that we attribute to significantly lower advertising CPMs that we experience in 2017 and that we continue to forecast into 2018 from our ad-driven revenue sources. We do not expect that these charges will impact our ability to generate cash flow or have an impact on our ongoing operations." Shares of Meet Group are down 16.3% to $2.67 per share in late-day trading.

14:55 EDT Alaska Communications investor TAR Holdings plans to vote against poison pill - TAR Holdings, a 5.03% stake holder in Alaska Communications has attempted to engage, and remains open to engaging, with the Board and management of Alaska Communications to reach a mutually agreeable resolution that would avoid the need for an election contest at the annual meeting and litigation in Delaware Chancery Court regarding the 220 Demand. In addition to these cooperative efforts, TAR Holdings and the Nominees are currently in the process of responding to Alaska Communication's supplemental requests for information following the delivery of the nominating notice, including Alaska Communications' requests for interviews with the nominees and copies of completed directors' and officers' questionnaires. TAR Holdings may request a waiver of the Poison Pill in order to purchase up to 14.9% of Alaska Communications 's common stock and plans on voting against ratification of the Poison Pill at the annual meeting.

14:29 EDT Galectin Therapeutics spikes higher after updating study results - Earlier Thursday, Galectin Therapeutics (GALT) announced that Dr. Harold Shlevin, the company's COO, will present at the 2nd Annual H.C. Wainwright NASH Investor Conference. Additionally, the company updated investors on key studies. The company said that GR-MD-02, a proprietary polysaccharide pharmaceutical preparation that inhibits galectin proteins, recently completed a Phase 2b clinical trial. There were statistically significant and clinically relevant positive effects of GR-MD-02 on HVPG and other parameters in patients with NASH cirrhosis without esophageal varices following one year of therapy. Additionally, Galectin Therapeutics noted it is developing novel therapies to improve the lives of patients with chronic liver and skin diseases and cancer. Galectin's lead drug,GR-MD-02 is a carbohydrate-based drug that inhibits the galectin-3 protein which is directly involved in multiple inflammatory, fibrotic, and malignant diseases. The lead development program is in non-alcoholic steatohepatitis, NASH, with cirrhosis, the most advanced form of NASH related fibrosis. This is the most common liver disease and one of the largest drug development opportunities available today. Shares of Galectin Therapeutics are up 13.9% to $5.58 per share in afternoon trading.

13:59 EDT Gilder, Gagnon, Howe reports 4.66% stake in Impinj

13:38 EDT WaveForm Technologies says PTAB upholds 2 patents after Dexcom challenge - WaveForm Technologies, a developer of products for continuous glucose monitoring and a wholly owned subsidiary of AgaMatrix Holdings, announced that the Patent Trial and Appeal Board, or PTAB, of the USPTO has ruled two early patents held by WaveForm are not invalid, based on challenges brought by Dexcom. "In its final written decisions last week, the PTAB found that three claims from WaveForm's U.S. Patent No. 7,146,202 and all challenged claims from its U.S. Patent No. 8,187,433, are not invalid. Dexcom's validity challenge before the PTAB on a third WaveForm patent remains pending," the company reported.

13:23 EDT Tesla's Musk asks Trump if China and U.S. should have equal car rules - Tesla CEO Elon Musk tweeted President Donald Trump saying, "Do you think the US & China should have equal & fair rules for cars? Meaning, same import duties, ownership constraints & other factors....For example, an American car going to China pays 25% import duty, but a Chinese car coming to the US only pays 2.5%, a tenfold difference...Also, no US auto company is allowed to own even 50% of their own factory in China, but there are five 100% China-owned EV auto companies in the US." Musk was responding to Trump's tweet from yesterday which said, "China has been asked to develop a plan for the year of a One Billion Dollar reduction in their massive Trade Deficit with the United States. Our relationship with China has been a very good one, and we look forward to seeing what ideas they come back with. We must act soon!"

13:15 EDT F5 Networks falls after guidance at analyst day presentation - Earlier today, the company said it sees FY18 EPS $9.40-$9.60 versus a consensus of $9.45. The company sees FY18 revenue growth of 2.5%-3.5%. Shares of F5 Networks are down 4.6% in afternoon trading off intraday lows.

13:07 EDT Activision announces 'Call of Duty: Black Ops 4' out October 12 - Activision Blizzard (ATVI) announced that the next game in its "Call of Duty" franchise will be "Call of Duty: Black Ops 4." The game will launch worldwide on Friday, October 12 for the PlayStation 4 (SNE), Xbox One (MSFT) and PC. "Call of Duty" fans can tune in Thursday, May 17, when publisher Activision and award-winning developer Treyarch host the community reveal to a worldwide audience.

13:04 EDT Brookline Bank introduces new suite of Foreign Exchange Services - Brookline Bank is making available a new suite of Foreign Exchange Services designed to help businesses of all sizes complete and securely manage their overseas transactions. With international transactions becoming more prevalent even among small businesses, the Bank now offers customizable online solutions and expertise from a team of Foreign Exchange Advisors to help businesses address the fast-paced realities of the global currency marketplace.

12:49 EDT InfoSonics to effect 1-for-5 reverse stock split - InfoSonics Corporation announced that it will effect a 1-for-5 reverse stock split. The 1-for-5 reverse stock split will be effective as of the open of trading on March 9, 2018 and the company's common stock will thereafter begin trading on a split-adjusted basis. The reverse stock split will reduce the number of shares of the company's common stock currently outstanding from approximately 3,378,000 shares to approximately 676,000 shares. Proportional adjustments will be made to the conversion and exercise prices of the company's outstanding warrants and stock options and to the number of shares issued and issuable under the company's equity compensation plans. The number of authorized shares of the company's common stock will be increased to 150M shares at this time.

12:34 EDT Nordstrom announces purchase of retail technology companies BevyUp, MessageYes - Nordstrom announced it has closed deals to acquire two retail technology companies: BevyUp, "the innovators behind a digital selling tool," and MessageYes, "a platform rooted in conversational commerce." Brian Gill, technology senior vice president at Nordstrom, said: "To continue to be successful into the future, we need to invest in technologies that will enable us to deliver on those qualities and better serve customers in a digitally-connected world. We're investing in providing our salespeople with a mobile suite of capabilities that enables them to be relevant, informative and accessible to our customers. As a leader in retail technology and an existing Nordstrom partner, BevyUp is uniquely positioned to help us deliver for our people and our customers...MessageYes marks a meaningful addition to our existing depth of talent and experience in engineering, data science and machine learning - all skills that are essential to our future growth. We share the same vision for the future of retail, and their team will accelerate our efforts to deliver a meaningful, personalized experience for our customers." BevyUp's digital selling platform will be incorporated into a new, integrated mobile Nordstrom employee app that will be rolled out in the coming year, the company added.

12:13 EDT YouTube TV, MLB expand multi-faceted partnership - Google's YouTube and Major League Baseball announced the expansion of their multi-faceted partnership to drive fan excitement for the sport and to showcase more ways for baseball fans to watch the national pastime with the cable-free, live TV service, YouTube TV. As part of the renewed partnership, YouTube TV will serve as the presenting sponsor of the 2018 and 2019 World Series. For the first time, YouTube TV will also partner with MLB on a brand new season-long sponsorship - "First Pitch" - that will bring to life the YouTube TV brand during the first pitches of games on MLB Network and MLB.tv, and will be amplified on MLB.com and MLB social channels. YouTube TV plans to once again incorporate MLB players in its promotional efforts throughout the multi-year deal, which will also include a variety of national TV spots and on-air call-outs during the games, branding across MLB's digital properties and official social media accounts, and in-stadium promotion. The extended partnership also offers expanded baseball coverage to all YouTube TV members with the addition of the award-winning MLB Network to its channel lineup starting today. In the future, YouTube TV members will also be able to add MLB.tv, the longest running sports streaming service in the U.S., for an additional fee. Reference Link

12:07 EDT USG sees cash flow from operations increasing to $600M plus in 2020 - Comments from investor day presentation.

12:01 EDT Lucasfilm taps Jon Favreau to write, produce live-action 'Star Wars' series - Disney's Lucasfilm announced that longtime film director, producer, and actor Jon Favreau has signed on to executive produce and write a live-action "Star Wars" series for Disney's new direct-to-consumer platform. Favreau has played roles in both the "Star Wars: The Clone Wars" animated series and in the upcoming "Solo: A Star Wars Story." "I couldn't be more excited about Jon coming on board to produce and write for the new direct-to-consumer platform," says Lucasfilm president Kathleen Kennedy. "Jon brings the perfect mix of producing and writing talent, combined with a fluency in the Star Wars universe. This series will allow Jon the chance to work with a diverse group of writers and directors and give Lucasfilm the opportunity to build a robust talent base." The untitled "Star Wars" live-action series does not yet have a release date.

11:56 EDT Crypto Company announces all litigation against company dropped - The Crypto Company, one of the first publicly traded technology companies in the blockchain and digital currency industry, announced that all litigation against the company has been dropped. The Crypto Company CEO Mike Poutre said, "We're glad to see all litigation against us dropped, and we look forward to continuing our progressive work in the digital currency industry. We continue to work with regulators to alleviate any concerns, are proud to have the civil litigation resolved and continue to build and invest in a field that is completely revolutionizing the way we transact, share information, track data and store value." The company had been the target of a class-action lawsuit and two derivative lawsuits following the SEC's temporary suspension of CRCW trading activity in December. All lawsuits have been voluntarily dismissed.

11:46 EDT Orbotech rises as report, conference cancelations fuel takeover speculation - Share of Israeli company Orbotech trading in New York are rising this morning after a Hebrew-language report highlighted the company's exit from some investor conferences and speculated on the company being in talks to be sold. MARKER REPORT: A translation of a Hebrew-language report from The Marker indicates that Orbotech management canceled presentations to investors with banks Jeffries and Barclays following the publication's prior report that Orbotech's largest private shareholder and other major shareholders are currently considering the possibility of selling control of the company. Following the publication of The Marker's report, Orbotech declined to comment to Bloomberg. Orbotech is a supplier of solutions for use in the manufacture of printed circuit boards, flat panel displays and semiconductor devices. PRICE ACTION: In late morning trading in New York, Orbotech shares are up $2.77, or nearly 5%, to $59.02. Reference Link

11:30 EDT Hovnanian believes 'worst quarter' of FY18 is behind company - Says continues to be challenged by increasing labor and material costs. Says rising construction costs will continue to impact gross margin. Says by FY20 expects to be much closer to normalized SG&A levels of around 10%. Expects to lower interest expense by refinancing debt. Says appears the spring selling season is "off to a good start." Says contracts per community are still well below normal level. Anticipates as demand slowly returns, contracts per community should return to normal levels. Says doesn't anticipate sustaining level of community count over coming quarters but still remains focused on growing community count. Says fundamentals in Houston market remains strong. Says deferred tax asset will shield approximately $2.1B of future pretax earnings from federal income taxes which will help accelerate repairing balance sheet. Says not planning to issue equity. Says continues to have "ample" liquidity for land spend. Says will continue to evaluate capital structure. Says number one priority is increasing land position and community count. Comments taken from Q1 earnings conference call.

11:02 EDT Sempra Energy says Texas regulators approve majority ownership of Oncor - Oncor Electric Delivery Company and Sempra Energy announced that the Public Utility Commission of Texas, or PUCT, approved an order authorizing the joint Change-in-Control application filed by Oncor and Sempra Energy, representing the last regulatory approval necessary for Sempra Energy to complete its pending acquisition of Energy Future Holdings, including EFH's indirect, approximate 80% ownership of Oncor. On Aug. 21, 2017, Sempra Energy entered into an agreement to acquire EFH. Obtaining PUCT approval is a condition necessary to close the transaction. The completion of the transaction remains subject to certain customary closing conditions, but Sempra Energy expects that this transaction will be completed shortly, the company stated.

10:59 EDT Airline stocks rally after winter snowstorm weakness - Airline stocks, after dipping on Tuesday ahead of winter storm Quinn, are bouncing back in Thursday morning trading. Despite over 3,000 domestic flights being canceled on Wednesday and Thursday, and some areas of the Northeastern United States getting as much as three feet of snow, shares of airlines, including American Airlines (AAL), Delta Air Lines (DAL), JetBlue (JBLU), Southwest (LUV) and United Continental (UAL), are all trading higher on a day when the broader markets are nearly flat. American Airlines is higher by 2.7%, Delta is up 2.4%. JetBlue is rising 2.2%, Southwest is higher by almost 2%, and United Continental is up 3.8%.

10:49 EDT MoviePass names Mike Berkley chief product officer - Mike Berkley will join MoviePass, a majority-owned subsidiary of Helios and Matheson Analytics (HMNY), as chief product officer beginning this week. His role at MoviePass will be to lead the product strategy and vision for the MoviePass service, as the company continues its efforts to grow its subscriber base and expand technology integrations with exhibitors and other partners. Under Berkley's guidance, the product and technology teams will continue developing the MoviePass service, platform, and methods for harnessing consumer behavior intelligence to create a more deeply customized and valuable end-user experience. Mike was most recently SVP of product management at Viacom (VIA, VIAB), responsible for new digital products, mobile apps, video, monetization, data, and content management platforms.

10:37 EDT Kroger sees gross margin down 'somewhat' in 2018

10:32 EDT Rent-A-Center rises after announcing job cuts, update on strategic review - Shares of Rent-A-Center (RCII) are rising after the company announced a headcount reduction and said it has received proposals from bidders interested in acquiring the company. JOB CUTS: On Wednesday, Rent-A-Center announced a significant reduction in headcount, saying it will cut approximately 250 positions, or about 25% of its corporate office workforce in Plano, Texas. The company said the job cuts are "intended to better align the company's organizational structure with its operations" under its strategic plan to drive $65M-$85M of annualized cost savings opportunities. The headcount reduction, along with related G&A, is expected to generate approximately $28M in annual run-rate cost savings with approximately $20M realized in 2018. The company expects to incur employee severance charges and other one-time costs relating to these workforce reductions of approximately $3M in the first quarter of 2018. STRATEGIC REVIEW UPDATE: In addition to the job cuts, Rent-A-Center confirmed that its board is continuing its review of strategic and financial alternatives, including evaluating a sale. The company said it has received proposals from bidders interested in buying the company, adding that the board and its advisors "remain actively engaged with these parties." Rent-A-Center added that "The board currently expects to reach a determination with respect to whether to pursue a sale of the company during the second quarter 2018, and does not intend to provide further updates on that part of its strategic review." WHAT'S NOTABLE: Rent-A-Center, which has been under pressure from its largest shareholder Engaged Capital to sell itself, has previously rejected buyout offers. In addition, Marcato Capital, another activist investor, has also pushed the company to sell. In October, Rent-A-Center announced it was exploring alternatives. Following the announcement, Rent-A-Center Chairman Steven Pepper stepped down in December, Chief Executive Officer Mark Speese resigned in January and Chief Operating Officer Joel Mussat stepped down in February. Additionally in February, Rent-A-Center announced a cooperation agreement with Engaged Capital in which the company will nominate one new independent director proposed by Engaged Capital for election at its annual meeting. Engaged Capital agreed to certain standstill provisions and also agreed to vote all of its shares in favor of Rent-A-Center's proposal to declassify the board. ANALYST REACTION: On Thursday, Stephens analyst Vincent Caintic said he is incrementally more negative on Rent-A-Center after the company said its board expects to reach a decision on "whether" to pursue a sale, as he thought selling the company was the main activist thesis. A decision not to sell would drive "material downside" for shares, Caintic believes. The analyst said he also thinks the headcount reduction is unnecessary if a sale was imminent and the move may impact topline performance. The company's comments on January and February same-store sales were also negative, noted Caintic, who maintained his Underweight rating and $5 price target on the shares. Meanwhile, Loop Capital analyst Anthony Chukumba called the business update a "non-event" and said while he is encouraged by the headcount reductions and comp trend improvement, a fundamental turnaround is already factored into estimates. In addition, Chukubma said he sees very few logical and credible strategic bidders for the company and even if a transaction emerges, it is unlikely to be at a significant premium to current stock price levels. He reiterated a Sell rating on the stock with a $6 price target. PRICE ACTION: Rent-A-Center rose about 9.5%, or 73c, to $8.38 in morning trading.

10:21 EDT Bank of America's Merrill settles with SEC over unregistered security sales - The Securities and Exchange Commission announced settled charges against Bank of America's Merrill Lynch, Pierce, Fenner & Smith for its "failure to perform required gatekeeping functions in the unregistered sales of securities on behalf of a China-based issuer and its affiliates." The SEC's order found that Merrill Lynch sold almost 3M hares of Longtop Financial Technological Limited's securities into the market "despite red flags indicating that the sales could be part of an unlawful unregistered distribution." Ultimately, the distribution generated almost $38M in proceeds for the overseas issuer and its affiliates, the agency said. The settlement requires Merrill Lynch to pay a penalty of $1.25M and more than $154,000 in disgorgement and prejudgment interest from commissions and fees earned on the improper sales. Reference Link

10:15 EDT Lockheed Martin, MBDA Deutschland announce new JV agreement - MBDA Deutschland and Lockheed Martin (LMT) announced a new joint venture to pursue the next generation Integrated Air and Missile Defense System, "TLVS," for the German Bundeswehr. The joint venture is expected to become the prime contractor for the new system, which is currently being negotiated with Germany's procurement office for the Bundeswehr, BAAINBw. MBDA, which is jointly owned by Airbus (EADSY), BAE Systems (BAESY) and Leonardo, and Thefly noted earlier that the TLVS system is set to replace Raytheon's (RTN) Patriot air defense system.

09:56 EDT Weight Watchers CEO says to start selling kitchen tools - Says teaming with Chef Eric Greenspan to develop recipes that work with Freestyle program.

09:32 EDT Real Industry's Real Alloy announces asset purchase agreement - Real Alloy Holding, a subsidy or Real Industry announced that the company and the ad hoc group comprised of certain Real Alloy noteholders led by funds and accounts managed by DDJ Capital Management have reached an agreement in principal with the Official Committee of Unsecured Creditors under which the committee will support the sale of Real Alloy to the noteholder group pursuant to the terms and conditions of an asset purchase agreement filed with the Bankruptcy Court. Under the asset purchase agreement, the noteholder group has agreed to acquire substantially all of Real Alloy's US and international operations for an estimated total purchase consideration of approximately $364M, plus the assumption of certain liabilities. The noteholder group's bid will remain subject to higher and better bids, as contemplated by the bid procedures approved by the Bankruptcy Court. As part of reaching an agreement with the committee, the asset purchase agreement provides for the assumption by the buyer of certain priority and unsecured claims of the estate. Specifically, the purchaser has committed to assume up to $18.6M in liabilities on account of these claims. Under the asset purchase agreement, 503 claimants may receive as much as 100% on account of their claims as an upfront payment at closing in exchange for terms including negotiated credit limits, volume and pricing. Vendors holding general unsecured claims may also receive recoveries on their claims, depending upon credit and other commercial terms offered. Under the terms of the "stalking horse bid", the company is expected to see its secured debt obligations reduced by approximately $200M,

09:26 EDT American Eagle expects FY18 CapEx $180M-$190M - Says will continue to grow global footprint. Says investing in selling channels and store fleet. Says will focus on optimizing business market-by-market by making sure company has right stores in right places. Expects tax reform will provide incremental cash flow. Says will continue to innovate and raise awareness around jeans. Says focused on delivering high quality merchandise and delivering positive customer experience. Says Aerie is resonating with young women and company is continuing to expand its reach. Says excited about product pipeline for 2018. Says 2018 will be about newness and innovation. Expects Q1 inventory to be up low double-digits. Expects to add 35-40 new Aerie stores and open 15-20 AE stores in 2018. Expects to close 5-10 Aerie stores and 10-15 AE stores in 2018. Expects Q1 and FY18 effective tax rate in mid-20s. Says goal is to deliver consistent bottom-line results while delivering shareholder value. Comments taken from Q4 earnings conference call.

09:22 EDT Weight Watchers CEO says WW Fresh to launch in grocery stores in 2H

09:19 EDT Weight Watchers CEO says competition 'not diet companies' - President and CEO Mindy Grossman told the UBS GLobal Consumer & Retail Conference that personalization is a "significant asset" for Weight Watchers. She said Weight Watchers wants to be able to anticipate when users are "stuck on their journey." Grossman said Weight Watchers' competition is "people thinking they can get healthy themselves, not diet companies." Thefly notes that Weight Watchers said last month that it is targeting over $2B in revenue and 5M members by the end of 2020.

09:17 EDT Walmart gives approximately $62.6M in bonuses to Texas associates - More than 890,000 Walmart U.S. associates are receiving a share of more than $560M in total cash bonuses. In Texas, Walmart associates are receiving approximately $62.6M in combined bonuses. For the full fiscal year, U.S. associates shared more than $625 million in performance-based bonuses, including more than $125.2M shared by Texas associates. Walmart also recently cashed out to associates more than $300M in unused paid time off. Walmart associates earn quarterly bonuses as part of an overall incentive plan designed to reward associates whose stores achieve sales and customer service goals. Hourly associates in Texas earned more than $21.3M following Q4 comp sales of 2.6% percent in Walmart U.S.

09:14 EDT Las Vegas Sands agrees to $1.3B sale of Sands Bethlehem - Las Vegas Sands announced that the company has entered into a definitive agreement under which Wind Creek Hospitality, an affiliate of the Poarch Band of Creek Indians of Alabama, will acquire the Sands Bethlehem property in Pennsylvania for a total enterprise value of $1.3B. The closing of the transaction is subject to regulatory review and other customary closing conditions. Las Vegas Sands Executive Vice President and CFO Patrick Dumont said that while many options exist for the use of the sale proceeds, the most likely use would be consistent with the company's long-held strategic direction when it comes to deploying capital.

09:12 EDT Walmart gives approximately $42.7M in cash bonuses to Florida associates - Today, more than 890,000 Walmart U.S. associates are receiving a share of more than $560M total cash bonuses, including. More than $160M in cash bonuses based on their stores' Q4 performance, and more than $400M in bonuses tied to changes in tax law. In Florida, Walmart associates are receiving approximately $42.7M in combined bonuses. Walmart associates earn quarterly bonuses as part of an overall incentive plan designed to reward associates whose stores achieve sales and customer service goals. Hourly associates in Florida earned more than $15.7M, following Q4 comp sales of 2.6% in Walmart U.S.

09:07 EDT DXC Technology announces Perspecta as name for proposed merger company - Perspecta will be the name of the new company formed by the proposed merger of the U.S. public sector business of DXC Technology with Vencore Holding and KeyPoint Government Solutions when the transaction closes, it was announced today. The name reflects the breadth and depth of the new capabilities and expertise that the combined company will bring to public sector customers, helping them to address critical national security and information-related challenges and opportunities. The full launch of the new brand will take place with the debut of the new company, which is expected in May. The strategic combination of the three complementary businesses, which was announced in October 2017, will create a mission-enabled, end-to-end IT services and mission solutions provider to government customers at the U.S. federal, state and local level.

09:04 EDT Amgen reports final results of Dutch auction tender offer - Amgen announced the final results of its modified Dutch auction tender offer. Amgen has accepted for purchase 52,083,333 shares of its common stock, $0.0001 par value per share, at a price of $192 per share, for an aggregate cost of approximately $10B, excluding fees and expenses relating to the tender offer. These shares represent approximately 7.2% of the shares outstanding. The tender offer was oversubscribed and pursuant to the terms of the tender offer, shares will be accepted on a pro rata basis. The proration factor for the tender offer is approximately 96.2%.

09:04 EDT iPic Entertainment, BAS Global partner to develop theaters in Saudi Arabia - iPic Entertainment announced the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding to develop its one-of-a-kind, world-class luxurious iPic theater-and-restaurant locations throughout the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. iPic has formed a partnership with BAS Global Investments Company, a well-known Saudi group. This relationship reflects the Company's strategy to pursue international asset-light licensed agreements. Through this partnership, the Company believes there are significant expansion opportunities for the iPic brand in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia over time.

09:02 EDT Home Depot commits $50M to skilled trades training - The Home Depot Foundation announced a $50M commitment to train 20,000 tradespeople over the next 10 years in order to fill the growing skilled labor gap.

08:52 EDT XpresSpa divests certain key non-core assets - XpresSpa Group provided an update on the disposition of certain key non-core assets. These include: On March 7, 2018, the company signed a definitive merger agreement to sell Group Mobile Int'l, a supplier of built-to-order rugged computers, mobile devices and accessories, to Route 1, a Canadian software developer, in exchange for Route1 common stock and warrants with an estimated preliminary value of $1M and an earn-out with an estimated preliminary value of $1M. In addition, the company expects to collect approximately $0.75M in cash upon the sale of certain GM inventory. The transaction is expected to close on or before March 30, 2018. These values are preliminary and are based on management's estimate of expected earnout payments and of the values related to the stock and warrants and are subject to change. In October 2017, the company sold FLI Charge, an early stage company that designs, develops, licenses, manufactures and markets power transfer and charging solutions, to FLI Charge's management team for approximately $1.05M in cash, of which $0.25M was paid upon closing and $0.8M was paid in 1Q18, as well as a 5% perpetual royalty and warrants representing a 5% ownership in FLI Charge. In January 2018, the company sold certain patents to Crypto Currency Patent Holdings Company, for approximately $1.25M, comprised of $0.25M in cash and 250,000 shares of common stock valued at approximately $1M at the time of the transaction. Separately, the company has settled outstanding litigation and made additional patent sales for cash consideration totaling $0.4M

08:48 EDT Reis, Inc. to explore strategic alternatives - Reis, Inc. announced that its board, supported by its management team, has commenced a process to explore strategic alternatives focused on enhancing shareholder value. Strategic alternatives to be considered may include a sale of the company, a merger or other business combination with another party, continuing with the current business plan, or other potential alternatives. The company has engaged Canaccord Genuity as its financial advisor and Fried Frank Harris Shriver & Jacobson LLP as its legal counsel to assist in evaluating potential strategic alternatives.

08:45 EDT On The Fly: Pre-market Movers - UP AFTER EARNINGS: FuelCell (FCEL), up 5.3%... American Eagle Outfitters (AEO), up 2.1%. ALSO HIGHER: Devon Energy (DVN), up 2.4% after announcing a $1B share repurchase program, raised its quarterly dividend by 33%, and agreed to sell the southern portion of its Barnett Shale position for $553M. DOWN AFTER EARNINGS: Del Frisco's (DFRG), down 5.8%... Kroger (KR), down 5.2%... BioScrip (BIOS), down 5.5%. NOTABLE MOVERS: Cigna (CI) is down 5% following an announcement that the company will acquire Express Scripts (ESRX) in a cash and stock transaction valued at approximately $67B. Express Scripts is up 17.5%.

08:40 EDT Infinity Pharma makes additions to leadership, establishes scientific board - Infinity Pharmaceuticalshas added to its Board of Directors, expanded its clinical leadership team, and established a Scientific Advisory Board. The company appointed David Beier, J.D. to its Board of Directors, added Marie-Louise Fjallskog to the clinical team at Infinity and established a Scientific Advisory Board with immuno-oncology thought leaders, including Dmitry Gabrilovich, Roy Herbst, Stephen Hodi, and David Munn. David Beier is a Managing Director of Bay City Capital and serves as an advisor to the Parker Institute for Cancer Immunotherapy, a Senior Fellow at the USC Schaeffer Center for Health Policy & Economics and as a member of the Board of Directors of Arcus Biosciences, UCSF Benioff Children's Hospitals and the California Life Sciences Association. Beier also previously served in the White House during the Clinton Administration as a Chief Domestic Policy Advisor to the Vice President. Marie-Louise Fjallskog has been appointed as Vice President of Clinical Development. Fjallskog is an Associate Professor of Oncology at Uppsala University, Sweden, and has over twenty-five years of experience in clinical oncology, translational research, and drug development. Suresh Mahabhashyam has been promoted to Vice President, Safety and Risk Management. Mahabhashyam has over 20 years of experience in medical practice and epidemiology with the last decade focused on drug development at Infinity, Alexion and Allergan.

08:35 EDT Medallion Financial shareholders approve proposal on election withdrawal - Medallion Financial announced that at its special meeting yesterday, shareholders overwhelmingly approved the proposal authorizing the company's board to withdraw the company's election to be regulated as a business development company under the Investment Company Act of 1940. Following the special meeting, the board approved the filing of the company's withdrawal form with the SEC to be made on or about April 1.

08:35 EDT Reis, Inc. trading halted, news pending

08:33 EDT Cigna says sees Express Scripts synergies 'right out of the gate' - Expects to build to $600M synergies level over several years. Says synergies mostly administrative initially.

08:32 EDT EyeGate submits amended IDE for second pilot study of Ocular Bandage Gel - EyeGate Pharmaceuticals, announced that it has submitted an amended Investigational Device Exemption application to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration for a pilot study of the company's lead product, EyeGate Ocular Bandage Gel, a cross-linked thiolated carboxymethyl hyaluronic acid platform. The amendment summarizes the Company's responses to the FDA's questions and comments in response to the original IDE submission. The Company is developing EyeGate OBG for the acceleration of re-epithelialization of large corneal epithelial defects in patients having undergone photorefractive keratectomy. The amendment includes validation data on the manufacturing processes and bioburden tests related to production of Eyegate OBG. It comprises data related to the analytical methods to identify and quantify impurities and degradation products. The proposed IDE submission for the pilot study will enroll up to 45 subjects undergoing a bilateral PRK procedure in a reading center masked trial. The trial intends to compare EyeGate OBG to the current standard of care, bandage contact lens plus artificial tears. The primary endpoint will be the percentage of subjects achieving complete wound healing on day 3. Subjects enrolled in the study will be randomized into three arms: EyeGate OBG administered four times daily for 14 days, EyeGate OBG administered eight times daily for three days, followed by QID administration for 11 days and BCL, with QID administration of artificial tears for 14 days. The IDE is subject to review by the Center for Devices and Radiological Health of the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, and must be approved prior to initiating this study. The FDA has 30 days to review the submission and provide a verdict on whether or not we can proceed into the clinical study or if additional data is required.

08:25 EDT Del Frisco's down 2.5% after reporting quarterly results

08:22 EDT Cigna says Express Scripts deal to deliver 'significant accretion' in year one - Sees double digit rate of accretion in first year. Says will suspend share repurchases until the deal is complete.

08:18 EDT Kansas City Southern: Resolution dismisses preliminary report from COFECE's IA

08:16 EDT Cigna says plans to invest $200M in Charitable Foundation post close

08:13 EDT Clovis announces notice of allowance for Rucaparib high dosage strength patent - Clovis Oncology announced that the company has received a Notice of Allowance from the United States Patent and Trademark Office in United States Patent Application 14/828,065 with claims directed to high dosage strength rucaparib camsylate formulations. The patent is expected to issue shortly with claims that cover the commercial Rubraca product, including all commercial dosing strengths. Upon issuance, the high dosage strength rucaparib formulation patent will expire in 2035, and will have the longest term of the multiple patents directed to rucaparib, rucaparib camsylate, and methods of treatment. This will be the 10th Orange Book-listed patent for rucaparib. Rubraca is an oral, small molecule inhibitor of PARP1, PARP2 and PARP3 being developed in ovarian cancer as well as several additional solid tumor indications. Studies open for enrollment or under consideration include ovarian, prostate, breast, gastroesophageal, pancreatic, lung and bladder cancers. Clovis holds worldwide rights for Rubraca.

08:12 EDT Pareteum selected as connectivity provider for 5-year project in Mexico - Pareteum has signed a 5-year contract to provide its Global Cloud Services Platform and Connectivity for roaming, airtime, voice and SMS to a National Mobile Virtual Network Operator who will provide services throughout Mexico. The contracting service provider is a joint venture among a social entrepreneur organization and a social capital business focused locally in Mexico, that operates worldwide with a mission aimed at bringing financial inclusion to the most remote and economically disadvantaged regions of the globe. Pareteum will be paid monthly for every subscriber on the platform and additionally for connectivity services. This new brand is expected to go live by the end of Q2 and is further expected to generate $2.7M over the next 36 months in contractual revenue backlog.

08:10 EDT BioScrip says will report 'material weakness,' did not impact 2017 statements - The company has identified and will report a material weakness related to certain spreadsheets used to calculate periodic adjustments to accounts that do not impact Adjusted EBITDA, including amortization of intangible assets, equity-linked liabilities and the amortization of discounts and deferred issuance costs of debt. The material weakness did not have any effect on the company's 2017 financial statements.

08:09 EDT BioScrip says identified internal control difficiences in account reconciliation - As a result of the detailed review of the Company's financial statements performed by the Company's CFO and interim-CAO during the preparation of the Company's financial statements for the full year 2017, the Company identified internal control deficiencies in connection with account reconciliations for certain asset and liability accounts. The potential financial statement errors discovered to date resulting from these internal control deficiencies do not appear to be material, but the review is ongoing. The Company, along with its external auditors, continues to review the possible errors and, if required, will reflect any necessary revisions and may report one or more internal control material weaknesses in its upcoming Form 10-K filing. Depending on the timing of the completion of this review, the Company may need to delay the filing of the Form 10-K.

08:06 EDT Boeing expands Pilot Development Program with Okay Airways - Boeing has expanded its commercial Pilot Development Program with the addition of Okay Airways to its growing customer list. The airline joins recent customers Kunming Airlines and YTO Airlines. All three carriers are based in China. Through the Pilot Development Program, Boeing works with a network of flight schools around the globe to provide airlines with comprehensive commercial training including screening PDP cadets, managing student performance and correction, and developing commercial pilot training courses and materials. The comprehensive program includes ab-initio-pilot training from zero-flight-hour experience through advanced flight training-and is designed to develop cadets into 737 type-rated first officers.

08:05 EDT Aeglea doses first patients in pegzilarginase Phase 1 cohort expansions - Aeglea BioTherapeutics announced the dosing of the first uveal and cutaneous melanoma patients with pegzilarginase in its open-label Phase 1 cohort expansions. The company expects to report topline data, including safety and clinical activity, in the fourth quarter of 2018.

08:03 EDT American Eagle raises quarterly dividend 10% to 13.75c per share - American Eagle says, "As a result of our strong cash position, positive free cash flow, and the benefits associated with U.S. tax legislation, we are raising the quarterly dividend 10%, to 13.75c per share. This marks the company's 55th consecutive quarterly dividend. The 13.75c dividend was declared on March 7, 2018 and is payable on April 27, 2018 to stockholders of record at the close of business on April 13, 2018."

07:49 EDT Kroger reports Q4 identical supermarket sales, ex-fuel, of 1.5%

07:42 EDT Trump says 'showing great flexibility' toward 'real friends' - President Trump just tweeted, "Looking forward to 3:30 P.M. meeting today at the White House. We have to protect & build our Steel and Aluminum Industries while at the same time showing great flexibility and cooperation toward those that are real friends and treat us fairly on both trade and the military." Publicly traded metal producers include U.S. Steel (X), Century Aluminum (CENX), Alcoa (AA), and AK Steel (AKS)

07:32 EDT Seres Therapeutics: Q4 net loss driven clinical, development expenses - Seres (MCRB) said its fourth quarter net loss was driven primarily by clinical and development expenses, personnel expenses, and ongoing development of the company's microbiome therapeutics platform. The fourth quarter net loss figure was inclusive of $3.1M in recognized revenue associated with the company's collaboration with Nestle Health Science (NSRGY). Seres is eligible to receive a substantial milestone payment, not considered in the financial guidance update, associated with the planned initiation of the next SER-287 clinical study.

07:31 EDT Seres plans to initiate next clinical study of SER-287 in UC patients mid-2018

07:19 EDT L Brands reports February comparable sales up 3% - L Brands reported net sales of $853.9M for the four-week period ended March 3, 2018, compared to net sales of $765.5M for the four-week period ended Feb. 25, 2017. Comparable sales for the four weeks ended March 3, 2018, increased 3% compared to the four weeks ended March 4, 2017.

07:10 EDT Dollar General announces new paid parental leave policy - In keeping with its mission of Serving Others and operating priority to invest in its people as a competitive advantage, Dollar General announced a new paid parental leave policy and adoption assistance benefit. Effective April 1, 2018, these new benefits will be available for qualifying events to all eligible full-time and part-time employees throughout the Company's more than 14,000 retail locations, 15 distribution centers and the corporate offices. As of April 1, Dollar General's parental leave policy will provide employees two weeks of paid time off for qualifying parental leave. Birth mothers will receive eight weeks of paid time off comprised of two weeks of qualifying paid parental leave and an additional six weeks of qualifying paid maternity leave. Additionally, the Company will now provide employees up to $4,000 in adoption assistance. Benefits are subject to employees meeting certain requirements, including eligibility requirements.

07:06 EDT UTStarcom announces major project in India - UTStarcom announced a significant project win in India with Bharat Sanchar Nigam Limited, a large public sector company that provides a comprehensive range of telecom services in India. BSNL is the company's major strategic customer in the region. BSNL is upgrading its nationwide network that will offer Next generation voice and data services to its large customer base. UTStarcom was contracted to help build out the Class 5 Next Generation Network infrastructure within the new network. NGN refers to packet-based networks, typically running Internet Protocol, that provide data, voice and media services by making use of multiple transport technologies. As a System Integrator, UTStarcom will manage the supply of equipment and deliver a full range of services including planning, design, engineering, installation, integration, testing, and commissioning. The company will also provide annual maintenance for the equipment

07:05 EDT Del Frisco's announces new $50M share repurchase authorization - On February 27, 2018, the Del Frisco's board provided authority for up to $50M to be utilized for the repurchase of common stock. Repurchases are intended to protect existing shareholders and will be made exclusively through the use of excess cash flow. They will have no impact on our ongoing development and growth plans.

07:02 EDT USG to back 2018 outlook at Investor Day - Management will reaffirm its 2018 financial and end market outlook at its Investor Day, which was disclosed on the fourth quarter earnings call on February 1. Additionally, management will introduce estimated 2020 financial targets for the company's four reportable segments. Management will detail key business and product initiatives underlying the financial targets.

06:59 EDT Turning Point Brands sees 2018 volume growth of 4%-6% - Turning Point Brands expects, based upon understanding of the 2018 FDA schedule, to continue its SKU rationalization efforts to sharpen focus on key growth areas while discontinuing products that do not warrant the expense required to achieve FDA compliance, including specific mid-year 2018 packaging requirements. At the present time, the company has identified products for 2018 rationalization and estimates that SKU discontinuations will unfavorably impact year-over-year net sales by approximately $3.5M. Absent any acquisitions and net of the above-mentioned SKU rationalizations, the company anticipates 2018 volume growth of 4% to 6% with price/mix contributing another 2% to 4%. SG&A expenses as a percent of net sales are expected to be in the 25% to 27% range. Interest expense is currently expected to be $14M-$15M. The company expects a 2018 effective income tax rate of 26% to 27%. Net operating losses, or NOLs, available to offset federal income taxes amounted to approximately $17.8M at year end 2017. Capital expenditures for 2018 are expected to be $2M-$3M, which includes one-time expenditures associated with logistics efficiency and integration activities including the Vapor Shark distribution and e-liquid manufacturing facility relocation.

06:54 EDT The Buckle reports February SSS down 5.3% - The Buckle reported comparable store net sales, for stores open at least one year, for the 4-week period ended March 3, 2018 decreased 5.3% from comparable store net sales for the 4-week period ended March 4, 2017. Net sales for the 4-week fiscal month ended March 3, 2018 increased 2.0% to $64.0M from net sales of $62.8M for the prior year 4-week fiscal month ended February 25, 2017. Due to the 53rd week in fiscal 2017, February 2018 comparable store net sales are compared to the four-week period ended March 4, 2017.

06:50 EDT Burlington Stores reports Q4 gross margin 42% - Gross margin on a 14 week basis was $814M. On a 13 week basis, gross margin expanded by 20 basis points over last year's levels to 42.0%, driven primarily by increased merchandise margin. The gross margin increase was achieved while reducing 91 day and older inventory by 26% vs. the prior year. Product sourcing costs, which are included in selling, general and administrative expenses, were flat as a percentage of sales to the Fiscal 2016 fourth quarter.

06:44 EDT Sharing Economy International enters exclusivity agreement with Weying Mtel - Sharing Economy International (SEII) announced that its wholly-owned subsidiary, EC Technology & Innovations, has entered into an exclusivity agreement with the shareholders of Weying Mtel, regarding a potential acquisition by EC Technology of not less than 51% of Weying Mtel. Weying Mtel is a joint venture of Mobile Telecom and Weiying Technology. Weiying operates a ticketing service on Tencent's (TCEHY) WeChat platform and aims to accelerate the collaboration of Hong Kong's movie businesses and Weiying's leading position in Mainland China's ticketing service market to develop ticketing services which it will deploy in global markets outside of China.

06:36 EDT Akamai announces shareholder value initiatives - Akamai Technologies announced value creation initiatives to drive operating improvement, while continuing the company's focus on operational excellence and growth. Akamai has worked collaboratively with Elliott Management on these initiatives, which include the addition of two independent directors, Tom Killalea and a second director to be named at a later date, to the board. As part of these initiatives, the board will be forming a Financial Operating Committee. The Committee will be tasked with reviewing the company's operations with the goal of identifying efficiencies to enable Akamai to increase margins while continuing its focus on growth. A nationally-recognized consulting firm is being retained to work with the Committee. The company said that it had been targeting operating margins for its existing operations in the high 20s for 2020, and the Committee will work with management and the consultants to identify a path to achieving operating margins of 30% in 2020. Pursuant to the cooperation agreement with Elliott, Elliott has agreed to certain customary standstill provisions, including voting in favor of the company's proposed slate of directors at Akamai's 2018 Annual Meeting this Spring.

06:33 EDT Southwest reports February enplaned passenger traffic up 5.3% - Southwest Airlines reported its February and year-to-date 2018 preliminary traffic statistics. The company flew 9.0 billion revenue passenger miles, or RPMs, in February 2018, an increase of 3.5 percent from the 8.7 billion RPMs flown in February 2017. Available seat miles, or ASMs, increased 1.0 percent to 11.1 billion in February 2018, compared with February 2017 ASMs of 11.0 billion. The February 2018 load factor of 81.0 percent was a February record, compared with 79.0 percent in February 2017.

06:32 EDT Eli Lilly, EFSD, JDRF extend collaboration supporting Type 1 Diabetes Research - The European Foundation for the Study of Diabetes, or EFSD, JDRF and Eli Lilly have agreed to extend their collaboration for the European Programme in Type 1 Diabetes Research through 2020. The programme, which began in 2015, encourages research that advances knowledge about type 1 diabetes by providing grants up to EUR 100,000 to nonprofit institutions and groups in Europe. Nineteen research grants including, but not limited to, research in beta cell biology and regeneration, autoimmunity/immunoregulation, novel concepts and biomaterials for beta cell replacement, and novel therapies for improved glycemic control, have been awarded to prestigious institutions and groups across Europe since 2015.

06:22 EDT VBL Therapeutics down 42% after Phase 3 GLOBE did not meet primary endpoint - In pre-market trading, shares are down 42% to $3.95.

06:12 EDT Microsoft launching AI platform for Windows 10 developers ahead of Build - Microsoft is launching a new AI platform for Windows 10 developers ahead of its annual Build developer conference. The platform, which includes the ability to import different learning models, will be available inside of Visual Studio. Reference Link

06:07 EDT Wynn Resorts confirms departures of Irani, Shoemaker from board - In a regulatory filing, Wynn Resorts said that on March 5, Dr. Ray Irani resigned from the Board of Directors, effective immediately. In addition, on March 5,Alvin V. Shoemaker advised the Board that he will not stand for re-election at the expiration of his term at the company's 2019 Annual Meeting of Stockholders, but will serve the remainder of his term. The company thanks Irani and Shoemaker for their service to the company and its stockholders.

06:04 EDT Walgreens Boots Alliance appoints James Kehoe as CFO - Walgreens Boots Alliance (WBA) appointed James Kehoe, recently CFO and board director of Takeda Pharmaceutical (TKPYY), as the company's executive VP and global CFO, effective June 1. He will be based at the company's headquarters in Deerfield, Ill. Kehoe will succeed George Fairweather, who has decided to step down after a combined 16 years in the senior finance leadership position in Walgreens Boots Alliance and has served as global CFO since February 2015. Fairweather will become a senior advisor to CEO Stefano Pessina for business development and finance, also effective June 1.

06:03 EDT Cigna to acquire Express Scripts in cash, stock transaction valued at about $67B - Cigna (CI) and Express Scripts (ESRX) announced that they have entered into a definitive agreement whereby Cigna will acquire Express Scripts in a cash and stock transaction valued at approximately $67B, including Cigna's assumption of approximately $15B in Express Scripts debt. The merger consideration will consist of $48.75 in cash and 0.2434 shares of stock of the combined company per Express Scripts share. The transaction was approved by the board of directors of each company. Under the terms of the definitive agreement, the transaction consideration will consist of $48.75 in cash and 0.2434 shares of stock of the combined company per Express Scripts share, or $54 billion in the aggregate. Upon closing of the transaction, Cigna shareholders will own approximately 64% of the combined company and Express Scripts shareholders will own approximately 36%. The consideration represents an approximately 31% premium to Express Scripts' closing price of $73.42 on March 7, 2018. Upon closing, the combined company will be led by David M. Cordani as President and CEO. Tim Wentworth will assume the role of President, Express Scripts. The combined company's board will be expanded to 13 directors, including four independent members of the Express Scripts board. The combined company will be named Cigna. Cigna's headquarters in Bloomfield, Connecticut, will become the headquarters for the combined company, and Express Scripts will be headquartered in St. Louis, Missouri. At closing, the combined company will make an incremental investment of $200 million in its charitable foundation, to support the communities in which it operates, and with the continued focus on improving societal health. Cigna intends to fund the cash portion of the transaction consideration through a combination of cash on hand, assumed Express Scripts debt and new debt issuance and Cigna has obtained fully committed debt financing from Morgan Stanley Senior Funding, Inc. and The Bank of Tokyo-Mitsubishi UFJ, Ltd. The transaction is not subject to a financing condition. Upon completion of the transaction, Cigna is expected to have debt of approximately $41.1 billion. Cigna expects to have a debt-to-capitalization ratio of approximately 49% following the acquisition, and aims to achieve a ratio in the 30's within 18 to 24 months after the transaction closes. Cigna expects to maintain its investment grade ratings. The transaction, which is expected to be completed by December 31, 2018, is subject to the approval of Cigna and Express Scripts shareholders and the satisfaction of customary closing conditions, including applicable regulatory approvals. Until the closing, Cigna and Express Scripts will continue to operate as independent companies.

05:56 EDT Daimler buys 3.93% stake in BAIC electric car subsidiary - Daimler and BAIC Group are deepening their strategic cooperation in the New Energy Vehicle sector. Daimler has become a shareholder in Beijing Electric Vehicle Co., Ltd., a subsidiary of BAIC Group, through acquisition of a 3.93% stake. In June last year, Daimler and BAIC signed a framework agreement on further strengthening collaboration through investment for New Energy Vehicles in China, which included Daimler's intention to become shareholder in BJEV. This closer cooperation with both BAIC and BJEV will allow Daimler to further deepen its understanding of Chinese consumers' needs, especially in the field of NEV. "Electric mobility is one of the pillars of Daimler's future mobility strategy. We are fully dedicated to bringing this strategy forward globally and especially in China, the world's largest NEV market already today," said Hubertus Troska, Member of the Board of Management, Daimler AG, responsible for Greater China.

05:54 EDT MarketAxess, BlackRock expand strategic trading alliance into Asia - MarketAxess Holdings (MKTX) and BlackRock (BLK) are expanding their Open Trading alliance into the Asian credit markets. Open Trading is an all-to-all trading marketplace that allows global participants, including buy- and sell-side firms, to connect via a central network on the MarketAxess trading platform. The strategic alliance builds upon the success of the firms' existing partnership in U.S. and European credit, with the goal of improving liquidity and reducing transaction costs for global participants in the Asian fixed income market. The partnership brings together order flow from one of the world's largest asset managers and its broad Aladdin client community with MarketAxess' network of more than 1,300 global investor and dealer firms to improve the range of trading connections available to Asian credit market participants.

05:48 EDT GSK, Innoviva announce EU approval for label update of once-daily Relvar Ellipta - GlaxoSmithKlin (GSK) and Innoviva (INVA) announced that the European Commission has approved a label update for the use of once-daily Relvar Ellipta, an inhaled corticosteroid, or ICS, / long-acting beta2-agonist combination, in patients whose asthma is already adequately controlled on both an inhaled corticosteroid and long-acting beta2-agonist. The updated marketing authorisation by the European Commission will be reflected in the label for Relvar Ellipta for countries in the European Union.

05:39 EDT USW Local 5114 rejects arbitration proposed to end Hecla Mining strike - The United Steelworkers, or USW, said that the members of Local 5114 in Mullan, Idaho, have overwhelmingly rejected a proposal that would end a year-long strike at Hecla Mining Lucky Friday mine by submitting the outstanding issues to binding interest arbitration. In a secret ballot election, about 250 USW members, who began their strike against the company's unfair labor practices almost exactly one year ago, on March 13, 2017, voted to continue the labor dispute rather than risk allowing a panel of arbitrators to impose a contract that would give management unprecedented, unchecked control over who works and the schedule they work, along with who advances through Hecla's job progression system and at what pace.