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

18:45 EDT DMC Global director sells 20,000 common shares - In a regulatory filing, DMC Global director Yvon Pierre Cariou disclosed the sale of 20,000 common shares of the company in two transactions. The first transaction of 14,639 common shares was priced at $27.1003 per share, while the second transaction of 5,361 common shares at a price of $27.10 per share.

18:33 EDT Trump says John Bolton to become National Security Advisor - U.S. president Donald Trump announced in a Tweet that, effective April 9, 2018, John Bolton will be the new National Security Advisor. "I am very thankful for the service of General H.R. McMaster who has done an outstanding job & will always remain my friend," the president tweeted. "There will be an official contact handover on 4/9." John Bolton has previously served as U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations under the George W. Bush administration. Reference Link

18:09 EDT Forest City announces substantial board refreshment - Forest City announced that it has entered into agreements with Starboard Value, which currently owns approximately 3.0% of the Company's outstanding shares, Scopia Capital Management, which currently owns approximately 8.3% of the Company's outstanding shares, and RMS, Limited Partnership, which, prior to the elimination of the Company's dual-class stock structure, was the controlling stockholder of the Company, pursuant to which: Nine current directors have agreed to resign from the Board; Michelle Felman, Adam S. Metz, Marran H. Ogilvie, William 'Butch' Roberts and Robert A. Schriesheim have been elected, effective upon completion of customary onboarding background reviews, as new independent directors to the Company's Board; James A. Ratner will become Interim Chairman of the Board. The reconstituted Nominating and Governance Committee will promptly initiate a process to identify and recommend a new Chairman or Executive Chairman of the Board. Candidates will include both new Board members as well as external candidates that are seasoned real estate industry executives or professionals; The reconstituted Nominating and Governance Committee will also promptly initiate a process to identify an additional independent director to join the Board; Each of Starboard and Scopia will have the right to appoint one additional director to the Board; and RMS has agreed to alter its director nomination rights from four members of the Ratner family to two designees, one director who must be independent under NYSE listing standards and one director who may be either a family member or independent under NYSE listing standards. Butch Roberts will serve as the independent RMS nominee. RMS has also given up their right for James Ratner to be elected Chairman of the Board, and he will resign from the Chairmanship upon appointment of the new Chairman identified by the process referred to above. The Company also announced that David LaRue, Kenneth Bacon, Z. Jamie Behar and James Ratner will continue their service on the Board. All members of the newly reconstituted Board will stand for election at the Company's 2018 Annual Meeting. Following completion of onboarding and appointments, the Board will be comprised of 13 directors, 11 of whom will be independent.

18:05 EDT Forest City concludes strategic review, will continue to pursue standalone plan - Forest City announced that its Board of Directors concluded its previously announced review of strategic alternatives. After extensive evaluation and deliberation, including review and analysis of multiple offers, the Board has determined that stockholder value would be better enhanced on a standalone basis than by pursuing a transaction on the terms and pricing indicated by the offers received.

18:03 EDT Celanese announces acetyl intermediates price increases - Celanese will increase list and off-list selling prices for vinyl acetate monomer to RMB200 per MT in China and $50 per MT in Asia outside China. The price increases will be effective immediately or as contracts otherwise allow, and are incremental to any previously announced increases.

18:01 EDT TOP Ships announces 1-for-10 reverse stock split - The Company has determined to effect a 1-for-10 reverse stock split of the Company's issued common shares. The Company's shareholders approved the reverse stock split and granted the Board the authority to determine the exact split ratio and when to proceed with the reverse stock split at the Company's Special Meeting of Shareholders held on November 3, 2017. The reverse stock split will take effect, and the Company's common stock will begin trading on a split-adjusted basis on the NASDAQ Capital Market, as of the opening of trading on Monday, March 26, 2018 under the existing ticker symbol "TOPS". The new CUSIP number for the Company's common stock will be Y8897Y800. The Company has also announced that it does not intend to conduct another reverse stock split of its common shares for the following 12 calendar months from March 26, 2018.

17:53 EDT Iron Mountain to acquire Artex Fine Arts Services - Crozier Fine Arts, an Iron Mountain company, announced the acquisition of Artex Fine Arts Services. The acquisition includes all Artex customer relationships, along with 5 new facilities - located in Washington, DC; New York; Boston; Fort Lauderdale, Fla.; and Los Angeles - and more than 160,000 feet of space, strengthening Crozier's operational footprint in the United States. Additionally, Artex CEO John K. Jacobs will join the Crozier leadership team.

17:29 EDT On The Fly: After Hours Movers - UP AFTER EARNINGS: At Home Group (HOME), up 8.1%... Smart Global (SGH), up 7.9%... Nike (NKE), up 5.5%... Cintas (CTAS), up 3.5%. ALSO HIGHER: Pacific Biosciences (PACB), up 11.1% after it won in a patent eligibility ruling against Oxford Nanopore. DOWN AFTER EARNINGS: Micron (MU), down 1.6%. ALSO LOWER: Progenics (PGNX), down 18.1% after it announced a three month extension of the PDUFA date for Azedra... Full House (FLL), down 9.4% after it announced a registered direct offering... Leap Therapeutics (LPTX), down 8.6% after it filed to sell common stock... Sorrento Therapeutics (SRNE), down 2.7% after it filed to sell 1.38M shares of common stock for holders.

17:22 EDT Bell Boeing JPO awarded $102.8M government contract modification - Bell Boeing JPO, California, Maryland, is being awarded $102,822,726 for a modification to definitize delivery order 0012 under a previously awarded contract for repair of various parts on the V-22 aircraft. Work is expected to be completed by December 2019. This modification will bring the estimated value of the contract to $344,235,155. Fiscal 2018 working capital funds will be used as individual orders are issued and funds will not expire. One company was solicited for this non-competitive requirement in accordance with 10 U.S. Code 2304(c)(1) and one offer was received. Naval Supply Systems Command Weapon Systems Support, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, is the contracting activity.

17:21 EDT Tiffany director Francesco Trapani buys $1.5M worth of company stock - In a filing out after the close of trading, Tiffany director Francesco Trapani disclosed that he had purchased 15,000 shares of company stock at an average price of $98.11 per share from March 20 through March 22.

17:18 EDT Alstom Renewable awarded $321.4M government contract - Alstom Renewable US LLC, Greenwood Village, Colorado, was awarded a $321,341,763 fixed price with economic price adjustment contract for design, manufacture, and installation of 14 new hydroelectric turbine runners, the rewind of three main unit generators, and rehabilitation or replacement of other critical hydraulic passage and powertrain equipment associated with the 14 turbines at the McNary Lock and Dam Powerhouse in Umatilla, Oregon. Bids were solicited via the Internet with three received. Work will be performed in Umatilla, Oregon, with an estimated completion date of April 1, 2032. Fiscal 2018 Bonneville power administration funds in the amount of $1,176,212 were obligated at the time of the award. U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Walla Walla, Washington, is the contracting activity.

17:07 EDT Celyad reports operating results, expected key milestones for 2018 - The company provided an update on its recent operations and reported consolidated financial results for the twelve-month period ended 31 December 2017, prepared in accordance with IFRS.Christian Homsy, CEO of Celyad: "2017 has been another milestone year for Celyad. The responses obtained to date in AML, and in solid tumors, we believe validate NKG2D as a target and allow us to move rapidly forward with the development of this product candidate in 2018. Our intellectual property related to the allogeneic technology, another of our core strengths, has been further strengthened: it was upheld by the US Patent and Trademark Office as part of multiple ex-parte re-examination requests and its importance has been recognized through our licensing agreement with Novartis. As far as 2018 is concerned: we believe it will be an exciting year as we expect to - among other things- complete the dose escalation segment of THINK and explore the various conditions that could lead to a potential registrational Phase 2 trial." Celyad reported steady progress in 2017 with the advancement of the clinical development of CYAD-01. Data collected thus far from the THINK trial, which started in early 2017, show that CYAD-01 has been well-tolerated, offers an excellent safety profile and validates the activity of the NKG2D receptor.In terms of financing, Celyad reported EURO$34Mn at year end 2017. This, together with anticipated milestone payments expected to be received by Celyad in 2018 from its strategic partners, should enable the company to finance all its clinical programs and other needs through the first half of 2019.

16:36 EDT Pacific Biosciences prevails in patent eligibility ruling - Pacific Biosciences of California announced that Judge Leonard Stark of the U.S. District Court for the District of Delaware denied a motion to dismiss filed on December 14, 2017 by Oxford Nanopore Technologies, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Oxford Nanopore Technologies Ltd. Oxford had sought to dismiss Pacific Biosciences' complaint for infringement of U.S. Patent No. 9,738,929 by alleging that the patent's claims recite ineligible subject matter. A hearing on the matter was held on February 27, 2018 and the ruling by Judge Stark was issued on March 22, 2018. In its ruling, the court disagreed with Oxford's contentions and also took note of the inconsistent statements made by Oxford in front of the U.S. International Trade Commission and in prosecuting Oxford's own, later-filed patent applications.

16:35 EDT Nevro: Full-body MRI conditional labeling available in U.S. for SCS System - Nevro announced that full-body magnetic resonance imaging conditional labeling is now available in the United States for the Senza Spinal Cord Stimulation System delivering HF10 therapy. This labeling expansion, which is now applicable in all our markets, adds to the previous labeling allowing head and extremity MRI scans, broadening the pool of patients who are eligible to receive the Senza SCS System. This approval is retroactive, meaning that the new labeling for expanded imaging applies to all patients currently implanted with the Senza SCS System and percutaneous leads. It is anticipated that a similar labeling expansion will follow for the Senza II SCS system.

16:33 EDT California Water Service approves revised cost of capital proposed decision - The California Public Utilities Commission adopted a revised proposed decision in the cost of capital proceeding for California Water Service and three other water utilities for the years 2018-2020, establishing for Cal Water a 9.20% return on equity and a 5.51% cost of debt, with a capital structure of 46.60% long-term debt and 53.40% common equity, and an authorized return on rate base of 7.48%, compared with Cal Water's prior return on equity of 9.43%, cost of debt of 6.24%, and authorized return on rate base of 7.94%. The adopted capital structure did not change. The adopted returns on debt and equity will reduce Cal Water's 2018 adopted revenue by approximately $6 million, of which $4.5M is estimated to be driven by our lower cost of debt and $1.5M is estimated to be a reduction of return on equity for stockholders. The commission also authorized continuation of the Water Cost of Capital Mechanism, which provides for an adjustment in the return on equity if the cost of long-term debt as defined by an index of utility debt rates varies from the most recent index by 100 basis points or more in 2019 and 2020.

16:31 EDT Universal Technical announces multi-year transformation plan - Universal Technical announced a multi-year transformation plan designed to generate approximately $30M of incremental operating income in fiscal 2020. Developed to drive new student starts, completions and enhance student success, the Plan is expected to be implemented over 12 to 18 months, with significant benefits to UTI's financial performance starting in fiscal 2019. To help UTI realize its market opportunity, the company engaged a consulting organization with a strong track record of partnering with education sector clients to deliver short- and long-term value, as well as sustainable growth. UTI structured the engagement so that a portion of the consultant's compensation is linked to UTI reaching its transformation targets. The Transformation Plan will also include an incremental internal net investment of approximately $4M for additional marketing campaigns and new resources in marketing, admissions and support services in fiscal 2018. The incremental costs associated with the Transformation Plan are not anticipated to negatively impact UTI's compliance with the composite score requirements imposed by the Department of Education.

16:31 EDT Morgan Stanley reports 5.5% passive stake in Fly Leasing

16:23 EDT Piton Capital reports 7.1% stake in Gulf Island, says shares undervalued

16:22 EDT Micron achieved record Automotive design wins in 1H18 - Robust Mobile growth was driven by Managed NAND & low-power DDR4. Micron is addressing high-end smartphone migration to 6GB LPDRAM and greater than64 GB NAND with power efficient LPDRAM & TLC Managed NAND. Micron is accelerating DRAM technology cadence, ramping 1X nm faster than prior nod. On track to achieve 1X nm DRAM bit crossover by the end of CY-18 and also on track to achieve 64L 3D NAND bit crossover in 2H FY-18.

16:19 EDT Progenics announces three month extension of PDUFA date for Azedra - Progenics Pharmaceuticals announced that the company has received notification from the FDA that the Agency will extend its review of the New Drug Application , or NDA, for Azedra by three months to July 30. The extension is the result of the submission of additional Chemistry, Manufacturing, and Controls information by Progenics, which required additional time for FDA review. The standard three-month extension is not related to the efficacy or safety data of Azedra.

16:16 EDT Western Asset Mortgage estimates book value per share $11.75 as of Feb. 28 - The February 28 estimated book value is unaudited, has not been verified or reviewed by any third party and is subject to normal quarterly reconciliation and other procedures. Further, the estimated book value is as of February 28, and does not include the dividend announced on March 22.

16:15 EDT Micron says secular technology trends driving 'robust' demand - The company said in today's earnings release, "Micron executed exceptionally well in the second quarter, delivering record results and strong free cash flow driven by broad-based demand for our memory and storage solutions. Our performance was accentuated by an ongoing shift to high-value solutions as we grew sales to our cloud, mobile and automotive customers and set new records for SSDs and graphics memory. Secular technology trends are driving robust demand for memory and storage, and Micron is well-positioned to address these growing opportunities." The stock in after-hours trading is well off the lows and down 3% to $57.26.

16:06 EDT Micron CEO says secular trends driving gains in memory,storage - "Micron executed exceptionally well in the second quarter, delivering record results and strong free cash flow driven by broad-based demand for our memory and storage solutions. Our performance was accentuated by an ongoing shift to high-value solutions as we grew sales to our cloud, mobile and automotive customers and set new records for SSDs and graphics memory," said Micron President and CEO Sanjay Mehrotra. "Secular technology trends are driving robust demand for memory and storage, and Micron is well-positioned to address these growing opportunities."

16:04 EDT Prospect Capital CEO John Barry buys over $378,000 worth of shares - Prospect Capital CEO John Barry disclosed the purchase of 58,241 shares at a price of $6.50. Barry now owns 151,194 shares of Prospect Capital.

16:00 EDT SMART Global trading halted, news pending

15:38 EDT NJCB shareholders announce approval of merger with 1st Constitution Bancorp - 1st Constitution Bancorp and New Jersey Community Bank announced that, at a special meeting of NJCB shareholders held earlier, NJCB shareholders approved the Agreement and Plan of Merger, dated as of November 6, 2017, by and among 1ST Constitution, 1ST Constitution Bank and NJCB, providing for the merger of NJCB with and into 1ST Constitution Bank, with 1ST Constitution Bank as the surviving entity. The shareholders of 1ST Constitution are not voting on the Merger. The closing of the Merger remains subject to a number of conditions as set forth in the Merger Agreement. The Merger is expected to close during April.

15:11 EDT Tekla Healthcare Investors renews share repurchase agreement - Tekla Healthcare Investors announced that its Board of Trustees authorized a renewal of its share repurchase program. The current share repurchase program allows it to purchase in the open market up to 12% of its outstanding common shares for a one-year period ending July 14, 2018. The renewal will allow it to purchase in the open market up to 12% of its outstanding common shares for a one-year period ending July 14, 2019.

14:19 EDT Cadiz falls after Desert Sun says Mojave Desert water project rejected

14:12 EDT Man sentenced to two years for fake Fitbit filing, SEC says - On March 9, 2018, Judge Katherine Forrest of the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York sentenced Robert Murray, a defendant in a pending SEC litigation, to two years imprisonment in connection with a scheme to manipulate Fitbit securities through false filings on the SEC's EDGAR system. Murray pled guilty on November 7, 2017. According to the SEC's complaint, Murray allegedly purchased Fitbit call options just minutes before a fake tender offer that he orchestrated was filed on the SEC's EDGAR system purporting that a sham company sought to acquire Fitbit's outstanding shares at a substantial premium. The SEC's action was stayed pending the outcome of the criminal case. Reference Link

13:44 EDT Telecom Italia trading resumes

13:38 EDT Telecom Italia announces resignation of directors, including Executive Chairman - Telecom Italia announced the resignation of the Executive Deputy Chairman Giuseppe Recchi, with immediate effect. The board has appointed Franco Bernabe as the Director with his responsibilities. Further, during the board meeting today, each of the following members resigned with effect as of April 24: Executive Chairman Arnaud de Puyfontaine and Directors Camilla Antonini, Frederic Crepin, Felicite Herzog, Marella Moretti and Herve Philippe. The company said it received a similar notice today from Director Anna Jones. It added, "In resigning, the aforementioned Directors have expressed their hope that this move would help to clarify and provide certainty to the governance of the Company, passing the responsibility of appointing the new board to the Shareholders' Meeting pursuant to the current rule of law and the Bylaws." The resignations come as Elliott Management challenges the company's strategy.

13:35 EDT Byron Allen's Entertainment Studios buys The Weather Channel - Byron Allen's Entertainment Studios announced its acquisition of the Weather Group, parent company of The Weather Channel television network and Local Now streaming service. Allen purchased the Weather Group through his company, Allen Media LLC, from The Blackstone Group (BX), Bain Capital, and Comcast/NBCUniversal (CMCSA, CMCSK). The price was about $300M, a person familiar with the terms tells Bloomberg.

13:25 EDT Wilbur Ross says trade war a 'matter of definition' - Secretary of Commerce Wilbur Ross said on CNBC, "A trade war is a matter of definition. You could argue that a trade war has been underway for decades."

13:23 EDT Gap chief accounting officer Bazzano to resign - Gap said in a regulatory filing that, on March 20, 2018, Dara Bazzano, vice president, corporate controller and chief accounting officer notified the company of her intention to resign, effective as of April 5, 2018. Upon the effectiveness of Bazzano's resignation, Teri List-Stoll, the company's executive VP and CFO, will serve as the company's principal accounting officer in addition to continuing as the company's principal financial officer. List-Stoll has served as the company's CFO since January 2017.

13:08 EDT SEC charges former Equifax executive with insider trading - The Securities and Exchange Commission said it charged this week a former chief information officer of a U.S. business unit of Equifax with insider trading in advance of the company's September 2017 announcement about a data breach. According to the SEC's complaint, Jun Ying, who was next in line to be the company's global CIO, allegedly used confidential information entrusted to him by the company to conclude that Equifax had suffered a serious breach, the agency said in a statement. The SEC alleges that before Equifax's public disclosure of the data breach, Ying exercised all of his vested Equifax stock options and then sold the shares, reaping proceeds of nearly $1M. According to the complaint, by selling before public disclosure of the data breach, Ying avoided more than $117,000 in losses. Reference Link

12:58 EDT Piper says big game publishers to catch up quickly to 'Fortnite,' 'PUBG' - Shares of video game makers are in focus after Piper Jaffray noted that while so-called "battle royale" style games such as "Fortnite" and "PlayerUnkonw's Battlegrounds," or "PUBG," are drawing a great deal of player engagement now, bigger publishers will catch up quickly to the trend. WHAT'S NEW: In a research note to investors, Piper Jaffray analyst Michael J. Olson said Epic Games' "Fortnite" and PUBG Corporation's "PUBG" may have some short-term impact on time/wallet share for the major game publishers, but he expects this impact to be temporary as these publishers incorporate similar battle royale modes into existing titles. Olson said that the "mode," not the game, has attracted users to "Fortnite" and "PUBG," and therefore he expects major publishers to win back engagement as this style of play is included in their games. The analyst noted that these battle royale games are most likely to steal time/wallet from other shooter titles, and as such, Activision Blizzard (ATVI) may have the most overlap, followed by EA (EA) and then Take-Two (TTWO). The analyst maintained an Overweight rating on Activistion, EA, Take-Two and Zynga (ZNGA). WHAT'S NOTABLE: Meanwhile, mobile versions of "Fortnite" and "PlayerUnknown's Battlegrounds" have launched this week. Currently, both are the most downloaded games on the iOS (AAPL) App Store. JEFFERIES ON ACTIVISION: Yesterday, Jefferies analyst Timothy O'Shea maintained a Buy rating on Activision Blizzard, saying he sees a buying opportunity with the shares pulling back over the past week. The analyst attributed the selloff to fears that "Fortnite" could siphon engagement and monetization away from games like "Call of Duty," potentially pressuring near-term results. O'Shea said that while channel checks indicate "Fortnite" is in fact pulling some engagement away from Activision, the monetization fears are overblown. PRICE ACTION: In afternoon trading, Activision Blizzard shares are down 1.2%, EA shares are down 1.3%, Take-Two shares are fractionally lower and Zynga shares are down 1.8%.

12:53 EDT Omeros spikes higher after reports of continued 'pass-through' status - Shares of Omeros (OMER), a commercial-stage biopharmaceutical company, are surging this afternoon after various media outlets reported that the new government spending bill will benefit the company's cataract surgery drug Omidria. According to STAT, a periodical that focuses on "life sciences and the fast-moving business of making medicines," Omeros, which it describes as a "tiny eye drug company," will benefit from a recent win in Congress. According to STAT, complicated policy, included in the recent spending package, will allow the company an additional two years of higher prices via Medicare for its cataract surgery drug Omidria. According to another business media outlet, MarketWatch, citing Height analyst Andrea Harris," Pass-through" status for Omeros' eye surgery drug Omidria had expired late last year, and the drug was expected to be bundled with other cataract surgery supplies. CEO COMMENTARY: In its earnings press release out on March 1, Omeros CEO Gregory Demopulos stated: "For the quarter ended December 31, 2017, revenues were $13.8M, all relating to sales of OMIDRIA. This compares to OMIDRIA revenues of $12.9M for the same period in 2016. On a sequential quarter-over-quarter basis, OMIDRIA revenue decreased $7.9M, or 36.5%, despite the fact that unit pricing and the total number of vials sold to ASCs and hospitals was unchanged from the quarter ended September 30, 2017. Under the company's accounting policies, it is not able to recognize a majority of the revenue related to OMIDRIA inventories held by wholesalers at year-end because of uncertainty around OMIDRIA reimbursement following expiration of pass-through status on January 1 and resulting reduced first quarter sell-through. In addition, a $2.4M charge to revenue was recorded in the fourth quarter for vials that the company reserved for returns by the ASCs and hospitals anticipated in 2018." PRICE ACTION: Shares of Omeros are off earlier highs of $19.50 per share, but are still up 36% to $15.88 per share.

12:32 EDT Novartis announces expanded approval for Tasigna - Novartis announced that the FDA has expanded the indication for Tasigna to include treatment of first- and second-line pediatric patients one year of age or older with Philadelphia chromosome-positive chronic myeloid leukemia in the chronic phase. In the United States, Tasigna is now indicated for the treatment of adult and pediatric patients one year of age or older with newly diagnosed Ph+ CML-CP. Tasigna is also indicated for the treatment of pediatric patients one year of age or older with Ph+ CML-CP resistant or intolerant to prior tyrosine kinase inhibitor therapy, as well as adult patients with Ph+ CML in chronic phase and accelerated phase, resistant or intolerant to prior therapy that included imatinib.

12:08 EDT Taylor Devices announces retirement of president Douglas Taylor - Taylor Devices announced that Douglas Taylor will retire as president and Richard Hill will retire as EVP effective May 31, 2018, as planned. The company also announced the appointment of Alan Klembczyk to president beginning June 1, 2018. Klembczyk has spent the last 30 years employed at Taylor Devices, spending most of his career managing the engineering department along with designing and developing shock and vibration mitigating products for a diverse customer base. His roles have included serving as Design Engineer, Assistant Chief Engineer, Chief Engineer and currently, VP of Sales & Engineering.

12:03 EDT Omeros surges 40% after government spending bill extends 'pass-through' status - According to various media outlets, the extended "pass-through" status with Medicare will benefit eye treatment drug Omidria. Shares of Omeros are up more than 40% to $16.39 per share in midday trading

11:41 EDT Gun makers slip as Citi sets restrictions on gun sales by business customers - Shares of Smith & Wesson parent American Outdoor Brands (AOBC) and Sturm Ruger (RGR) are slipping after The New York Times reported that Citigroup (C) is setting restrictions on the sales of firearms by its business customers. GUN SALE RESTRICTIONS: According to a report from The New York Times, Citigroup is setting restrictions on the sale of firearms by its business customers, making it the first Wall Street bank to take a stance in the gun control debate. The new policy prohibits the sale of firearms to customers who have not passed a background check or who are younger than 21, and bars the sale of bump stock and high-capacity magazines, the report added. The rules echo similar restrictions established by big retailers such as Walmart (WMT) and Dick's Sporting Goods (DKS). PRICE ACTION: In late morning trading, shares of American Outdoor and Sturm Ruger are fractionally down to $10.19 and $50.25, respectively.

11:34 EDT 3M sees Q1 organic local-currency sales growth at low end of 3%-5% range - At the Bank of America Merrill Lynch Global Industrials Conference, 3M said it expects to be at the low end of its 3%-5% organic local-currency sales growth projection for Q1. 3M said that a "softer" outlook for demand in Consumer Electronics and some strong year-over-year comparables leave it with a more moderate view of growth for 2018, in the 1%-4% range. 3M said January and February started off as projected, with growth broadly across businesses and geographies. For March, 3M said iti s seeing a "bit of a slow start" in some of its Industrial businesses, including automotive OEM and automotive aftermarket. The company said it believes that 3%-5% organic local-currency sales growth for FY18 is the "right projection."

11:11 EDT Users can now send/request money from contacts using Google Assistant - Google has announced in a blog post that users can now ask Google Assistant to pay friends back with Google Pay. "You can easily send or request money from your contacts-for free-using the Assistant on Android and iOS phones in the U.S. In the coming months, you'll be able to send money on voice-activated speakers like Google Home." Funds are transferred almost instantaneously, even if the recipient does not have a Google Pay account. Reference Link

11:01 EDT Allegheny Technologies to expand aerospace iso-thermal forging capacity - Allegheny Technologies announced that its board of directors has approved an investment to expand its iso-thermal forging and heat treating capacities to satisfy growing demand from the aerospace jet engine market. This self-funded, multi-year expansion of approximately $95M represents ATI's fourth iso-thermal press which, along with the associated heat treating expansion, will be located at the company's iso-thermal forging center of excellence in Cudahy, WI. The investment will take approximately 3 years to complete and fully qualify for aerospace-related production.

10:44 EDT Groupon early strength attributed to positive mention at M Science - Shares of Groupon, which were mentioned positively at M Science, according to Bloomberg, are up 24c, or 5%, to $4.82 in morning trading.

10:17 EDT Street Fight: JPMorgan says sell Trivago as Mizuho initiates at Buy - In a research note on online travel, JPMorgan analyst Doug Anmuth downgraded Trivago (TRVG) to Underweight as he thinks hotel metasearch will remain challenged. Meanwhile, his peer at Mizuho started coverage of the stock with a Buy rating, arguing that the fundamentals of metasearch "remain strong" from a consumer standpoint given Trivago's transparency and easy-to-use interface for price comparison. SELL TRIVAGO: This morning, JPMorgan's Anmuth downgraded Trivago to Underweight from Neutral, with an unchanged price target of $8, saying he thinks hotel metasearch will remain challenged as large advertisers remain focused on improving performance ad spend efficiency. The analyst told investors he expects Trivago to underperform other online travel agencies and his Internet coverage universe, but acknowledged that he remains constructive on the company as a source of traffic for the OTAs. Anmuth also pointed out that he believes Trivago has limited upside from current levels, citing still early advertiser concentration and diversification efforts, "very tough" first half comparable sales with lack of visibility, and increasing competition. Additionally, Anmuth reiterated an Overweight rating on Booking Holdings (BKNG), which he believes has the best fundamentals with strong execution, and a Neutral rating on Expedia (EXPE) and TripAdvisor (TRIP), saying he needs more confidence in their ability to execute. BUY TRIVAGO: Bullish on the name, Mizuho analyst James Lee started coverage of Trivago with a Buy rating and $9 price target. The analyst told investors in a research note of his own that he believes fundamentals of metasearch "remain strong" from a consumer usage standpoint given its transparency and easy-to-use interface for price comparison. While he acknowledged that the company's search ranking change has continued to cause friction within its key advertisers and thus meaningfully disrupted revenue growth in the near-term, Lee believes these interruptions are "tactical, not structural." The analyst also initiated coverage of Booking Holdings with a Buy rating, and Expedia and TripAdvisor with a Neutral. PRICE ACTION: In morning trading, shares of Trivago have dropped 3.3% to $7.57.

10:01 EDT Comtech awarded $1.4M order from global satellite operator - Comtech announced that during its third quarter of fiscal 2018, its Tempe, Arizona-based subsidiary, Comtech EF Data Corp., which is part of Comtech's Commercial Solutions segment, was awarded a $1.4M infrastructure equipment order from a global satellite operator. The satellite operator will continue to team Comtech EF Data products with its innovative High Throughput Satellite options to offer unparalleled price for performance levels to its customer base, which will create new markets while keeping satellite connectivity competitive within international regions with increased terrestrial options.

09:53 EDT LivaNova announces first patient enrollment in PERFECT trial in China - LivaNova has announced the first patient enrollment in the Perceval Valve Clinical study for Chinese Registration, or PERFECT, Trial. The study is a pre-market, prospective, single-arm trial. The PERFECT trial is being conducted to demonstrate the safety and effectiveness of the Perceval sutureless aortic heart valve when used to replace a diseased native or malfunctioning prosthetic aortic valve in the indicated Chinese population for tissue heart valve replacement. The PERFECT trial is expected to enroll approximately 160 patients who will receive five years of follow-up at eight investigational sites in China. The primary endpoint of the trial is a one-year composite endpoint of major cardiac events as per the Clinical Events Committee adjudication.

09:42 EDT Steve Wynn cuts stake in Wynn Resorts to 7.8% from 11.78% - On March 21, Wynn Family Limited Partnership sold an aggregate of 4,104,999 shares of common stock at a price of $180.00 per share in open market transactions pursuant to Rule 144 under the Securities Act of 1933. As previously disclosed, Steve Wynn intends to sell all or a portion of the common stock controlled by him pursuant to one or more registered public offerings, in the open market in transactions pursuant to Rule 144 or in privately negotiated transactions.

09:33 EDT Soligenix halted for volatility after jumping 79% to $3.54

09:21 EDT Darden says profit won't be affected by lack of Olive Garden deal

09:19 EDT Carnival CEO says 'We are off to a strong start to the year' - Carnival Corporation & plc President and CEO Arnold Donald stated, "We are off to a strong start to the year achieving another quarter of record earnings on record revenues and exceeding the high end of guidance. This strong operational execution affirms our efforts to create demand in excess of measured capacity growth and exceed guest expectations once onboard. Our guest experience efforts, coupled with our ongoing marketing and public relations programs are clearly accelerating cruise demand across the board to drive cruise ticket prices higher."

09:14 EDT MetLife partners with EY for financial wellness solution - MetLife announced that it has formed a strategic alliance with Ernst & Young, or EY that will drive the creation and delivery of a cutting-edge workplace financial wellness solution. Launching in spring 2018, PlanSmart financial wellness will focus on behavioral change, giving employees the tools, guidance and support they need to improve their financial wellbeing. The offering builds on MetLife's PlanSmart workplace financial education program, which has offered workshops and one-on-one consultations for more than 20 years to over 2,000 group customers. MetLife's experience in this space, along with in-depth research and customer feedback, will help shape the solution's new capabilities. PlanSmart financial wellness will bring together MetLife's decades of experience in delivering workplace benefit solutions and financial education with EY's innovative, high-tech approach to offering financial education and counseling. The result will be a customized, goal-oriented approach to financial wellness that will meet employees where they are, offering the tools via channels they prefer. This will include online and phone support, both offered by EY.

09:11 EDT Wayfair to hire over 450 workers for new location in New York - Wayfair announced the opening of a new customer service center in Big Flats, New York. Wayfair will hire for more than 450 full-time customer service and sales roles in the new location as it scales its world-class service operations to meet the needs of its rapidly growing customer base. Wayfair plans to open more than 450 full-time jobs in the new Big Flats location across a variety of management and sales and service roles. Scheduled to open this summer, the center began their hiring search in early March and will continue the search for talent through 2018.

09:10 EDT Cars.com authorizes $200M share repurchase program - Cars.com has authorized the repurchase of up to $200M of the company's common stock. The company intends to fund the share repurchase program with cash from operations. The repurchase program has a two-year duration.

09:08 EDT Radius Health says CHMP will adopt negative opinion for abaloparatide-SC MAA - Radius Health announced that after an oral explanation the Committee for Medicinal Products for Human Use%2

09:05 EDT NF Energy signs securities purchase agreement with Chinese investor - NF Energy signed a securities purchase agreement with a Chinese investor whose name is Yongquan Bi. The company issued 500,000 shares of its Common Stock to him at a purchase price of $1.00 per share. The issuance of the shares was a private placement. Yongquan Bi serves for Dalian Boqi Group as the board director. The purpose of the issuance is to increase the working capital for the company.

09:03 EDT Townsquare Media acquires three Trenton, NJ radio stations for $17M - Townsquare Media has entered into an agreement to acquire three radio stations in Trenton, NJ from Connoisseur Media for approximately $17M. The acquisition will include CHR station WPST-FM 94.5, WNJE-AM 920, and WCHR-AM 1040. These stations will join Townsquare's existing Trenton, NJ station WKXW-FM NJ 101.5. Pro forma for these acquisitions, Townsquare will own 321 radio stations in 67 markets. The company expects the Acquisition to close in Q2.

09:02 EDT GoPro, Jabil Circuit announce multi-year technology and equipment license - GoPro (GPRO) and Jabil (JBL) announced a global, multi-year technology and equipment license. With this agreement, Jabil will leverage GoPro's cutting-edge reference design and IP to produce camera lens and sensor modules for incorporation into GoPro-approved third-party products and solutions. This agreement builds on GoPro and Jabil's longstanding relationship. This agreement covers a range of products and services each company offers, including certain digital imaging and consumer products. GoPro and Jabil have a history of collaborating to bring high-quality, cutting-edge products to consumers, including GoPro's line of HERO cameras, starting with HERO4.

08:52 EDT On The Fly: Pre-market Movers - UP AFTER EARNINGS: Conagra (CAG), up 1.8%... Guess (GES), up 10.6%. ALSO HIGHER: Pandora (P), up 5.1% after being upgraded to Strong Buy from Market Perform at Raymond James... Soligenix (SNGX), up 11.1% after receiving Orphan Drug Designation from EMA for RiVax. DOWN AFTER EARNINGS: Nomad Foods (NOMD), down marginally... G-III Apparel (GIII), down 5.2%... Michaels (MIK), down 7.8%... JinkoSolar (JKS), down 3.9%... Darden Restaurants (DRI), down 5.1%. ALSO LOWER: SiriusXM (SIRI), down 2.2% after being downgraded to Neutral from Buy at Citi.

08:50 EDT Itron and Miyahuna agree to three-year contract for water meters and analysis - Itron announced that Jordan Water Company, or Miyahuna has signed a contract with Al Darb after an international bid to buy 76,000 ultrasonic meters and software as part of Miyahuna's strategic Non-Revenue Water, or NRW, reduction plan. The utility will use an Itron system, including static metering technology, and take advantage of Itron's analytic services for three years to reduce water losses. Miyahuna provides water and wastewater services to more than 670,000 customers in the Kingdom of Jordan, serving the provinces of Amman, Zarqa and Madaba. The region faces challenges with water scarcity. Across the country, harsh conditions and discontinuous water supply disrupt metering data and delivery. To address these issues, the utility will take advantage of Itron's NRW expertise, including advanced analytics to optimize water loss reduction. It will install Itron Intelis ultrasonic water meters that do not count air, which is key to address intermittent supply situations. Designed for Middle Eastern conditions, the meter has no moving parts, which ensures stability and accuracy over the entire lifetime of the product. Additionally, it provides detailed meter data to analyze network conditions and water consumption, detecting temperatures, leaks or unusual usage patterns.

08:44 EDT Darden says won't offer buy-one-take-one Olive Garden deal in Q4 - Says Q4 Olive Garden traffic may suffer due to lack of deal. Comments from Q3 earnings conference call.

08:40 EDT Cemtrex files 18 patent claims relating to its Smartdesk - Cemtrex announced that it has filed a non-provisional patent application with the US Patent and Trademark Office entitled, "Smart Desk With Gesture Detection and Control Features" relating to its upcoming Smartdesk product release. Included in the patent are 18 claims based on intellectual property developed during the past several months that the company is seeking to protect. The patent itself is not public record currently, though it will become publicly available within 18 months. In the interim, Cemtrex will be releasing new details on the SmartDesk ahead of its official release later this Spring, over the coming weeks.

08:38 EDT Attis Industries to acquire transactional virtual currency company - Attis Industries, f/k/a Meridian Waste Solutions, announced the execution of a non-binding letter of intent to purchase a transactional-based virtual currency company. For the past several months, Attis Industries has been evaluation this opportunity with the goal of having the opportunity stand on its own with significant growth for the future, as well as bridging our Innovations and Healthcare platforms into the integration of the consolidated company. The preliminary review of the targeted company has included extensive and continued management meetings, financial discussions focused on historical audited and internal financial statements, analysis of business plans in its current markets, discussions of bringing Attis into additional markets with its Innovations and Healthcare divisions, as well as developing further markets in FinTech when blending the divisions together. Completing the transaction is subject to customary due diligence requirements and the parties continuing their due diligence which has already begun and then entering into a binding agreement for the acquisition. If a binding agreement is entered into, the closing of the transaction would still be subject to customary closing conditions. This acquisition will provide Attis an opportunity to replace a significant portion of revenue and earnings from the proposed sale of its waste assets while allowing the Company to continue to focus on innovative technology in growth industry segments, such as this FinTech opportunity. Attis is anticipating a close of this transaction in the second quarter of 2018.

08:36 EDT ChemoCentryx publishes findings of role of CCR2 in kidney glomerulus - ChemoCentryx announced the peer-reviewed publication of positive results from in vivo studies examining the efficacy of inhibiting the chemokine receptor known as CCR2 in the treatment of focal segmental glomerulosclerosis, a debilitating chronic kidney disorder with no approved treatment option. Data presented in the publication show that blocking CCR2 provides rapid and sustained renal protection in two well-established models of FSGS, as measured by reduction in proteinuria and improvement in multiple histological parameters. The findings were published in the journal PLOS ONE under the title "CCR2 antagonism leads to marked reduction in proteinuria and glomerular injury in murine models of focal segmental glomerulosclerosis." Key findings from the study include: In two murine FSGS models, CCR2 inhibition markedly reduced proteinuria and improved renal function, both as a single agent and in combination with renin-angiotensin-aldosterone system blockade; The combination of CCR2 inhibition and RAAS blockade was as effective as the combination of endothelin receptor inhibition and RAAS blockade; and Improvements in renal function observed with CCR2 inhibition were associated with encouraging histological changes, as assessed by decreased glomerular sclerosis, mesangial expansion and tubular collapse, including increased podocyte density. CCR2 antagonism leads to marked reduction in proteinuria and glomerular injury in murine models of focal segmental glomerulosclerosis.

08:18 EDT Scientific Games' new Jin Ji Bao Xi Asian linked progressive jackpot installed - Scientific Games announces the first-ever installation of its new Jin Ji Bao Xi Asian linked progressive. This installation follows the company's Duo Fu Duo Cai family link in Macau, and will be followed with additional installations scheduled for the Philippines and Cambodia. Jin Ji Bao Xi is the lastest multi-denominational, progressive linked jackpot from Scientific Games' new offering of the Echo Fortunes base game on the Dualos cabinet.

08:12 EDT Second Sight appoints John Blake CFO - Second Sight (EYES) announced that John Blake has been appointed CFO, effective immediately. Blake succeeds Thomas Miller, who has served as CFO since 2014. In June 2017, Miller submitted his resignation to pursue other opportunities but agreed at our request to remain in the position until his successor was named. Blake most recently served as senior VP, finance of aTyr Pharma (LIFE), a publicly-traded biotechnology company he joined in March 2015.

08:09 EDT DAVIDsTEA says will review RDI's proposed board nominees - DAVIDsTEA provided an update on the strategic alternatives process following the receipt of a letter and press release from Rainy

08:05 EDT Mozilla 'presses pause' on Facebook advertising - Denelle Dixon, Mozilla's chief business and legal officer, said in a blog post, "Mozilla is pressing pause on our Facebook advertising. Facebook knows a great deal about their two billion users - perhaps more intimate information than any other company does. They know everything we click and like on their site, and know who our closest friends and relationships are. Because of its scale, Facebook has become one of the most convenient platforms to reach an audience for all companies and developers, whether a multibillion corporation or a not-for-profit. We understand that Facebook took steps to limit developer access to friends' data beginning in 2014. This was after Facebook started its relationship with Cambridge University Professor Aleksandr Kogan, whose decision to share data he collected from Facebook with Cambridge Analytica is currently in the news. This news caused us to take a closer look at Facebook's current default privacy settings given that we support the platform with our advertising dollars. While we believe there is still more to learn, we found that its current default settings leave access open to a lot of data - particularly with respect to settings for third party apps. We are encouraged that Mark Zuckerberg has promised to improve the privacy settings and make them more protective. When Facebook takes stronger action in how it shares customer data, specifically strengthening its default privacy settings for third party apps, we'll consider returning." Reference Link

08:03 EDT Cardiome 's Xydalba New Drug Submission granted priority review in Canada - Cardiome's New Drug Submission for review of Xydalba has been accepted and granted Priority Review status by Health Canada. Cardiome expects to receive an approval decision for Xydalba during Q3. Under the proposed strategic transaction between Cardiome and Cipher Pharmaceuticals, upon the close of the transaction, Cipher would sublicense the commercial rights to Xydalba as part of the Canadian business portfolio proposed for acquisition. Dalbavancin was approved by the FDA in 2014 for the treatment of adult patients with ABSSSI caused by susceptible Gram-positive bacteria. Dalbavancin was also approved by the European Medicines Agency for the treatment of ABSSSIs in adults and is commercialized under the tradename Xydalba.

08:03 EDT Caesarstone names Yair Averbuch as interim CEO

07:47 EDT Jacobs Engineering selected by Kuwait Petroleum for pre-feasibility study - Jacobs Engineering has been awarded a contract for a pre-feasibility study, with the option of proceeding to a detailed feasibility study, for Kuwait Petroleum Corporation and its subsidiaries. The studies are in support of KPC's strategic directions and downstream long term plans for the period up to 2040. Jacobs is planning to increase its presence in Kuwait, with an eye on long-term and continued involvement in the country's upstream, refining and petrochemical industries.

07:38 EDT Natuzzi and Kuka agree to joint venture - Natuzzi announced that it has signed a joint venture agreement with Kuka, under which the company's wholly-owned Chinese subsidiary, Natuzzi Trading would become a joint venture. The joint venture agreement is aimed at expanding the company's retail network in China Mainland, Hong Kong and Macau. The company, the joint venture and Kuka have also entered into an agreement for the sale and purchase and subscription of shares In Natuzzi Trading. The agreements were signed further to the execution of a preliminary agreement on January 9. Under the agreements, the company and Kuka will own, respectively, a 49% and a 51% stake in the joint venture. The joint venture will distribute Natuzzi Italia and Natuzzi Editions branded products through a network of single-brand directly operated stores and franchised operated stores in the Territory, as well as through online stores. Kuka will invest a total of EUR65M of which EUR35M will be contributed to the joint venture for the subscription of a capital increase of $ 567,869 in the joint venture, and EUR30M will be paid to the company as consideration for the transfer of $ 486,744 of registered capital interest from the company to Kuka. Pursuant to the agreements, the joint venture will be granted the perpetual and exclusive distribution license for the Natuzzi Italia, Natuzzi Editions and other relevant trademarks by the company for a consideration of EUR15M.

07:36 EDT Invitae expands network of patients in rare and ultra-rare diseases - Invitae is expanding its network of rare and ultra-rare patient registries in its Patient Insights Network program to include five additional collaborations with advocacy groups across a variety of genetic conditions. The first PIN to launch is led by No Stomach For Cancer, a research and advocacy organization focused on stomach cancer. Known as the Global Gastric Cancer Registry, the program enables patients, advocates, clinicians and researchers to share and access deidentified data on a number of different stomach cancers. In addition to the Global Gastric Cancer Registry, Invitae will be partnering with four other advocacy groups: The Bow Foundation, a registry aimed at gathering data on the GM2 Gangliosidoses, the RASopathies Network, and the Spastic Paraplegia Foundation..

07:36 EDT Avadel Pharmaceuticals promotes Gregory Divis to COO - Avadel Pharmaceuticals announced the promotion of Gregory Divis to EVP and COO, a newly created role at the company. Divis has served as the company's chief commercial officer since joining in January of 2017. He brings more than 25 years of experience in the pharmaceutical industry to the role and will be responsible for overseeing Avadel's U.S. and European-based operations, including Supply Chain, Business Development, and Commercial Operations.

07:33 EDT MagneGas to acquire Trico Welding - MagneGas announced the company has made a non-refundable deposit of $1M toward the purchase of Trico Welding Supplies. Trico is a $5.M revenue industrial gas and welding supply distributor with two locations in Sacramento, California. The company and Trico anticipate the transaction will close within 3-5 business days assuming no unforeseen delays. "This acquisition of Trico is attractive to MagneGas for many reasons," commented Scott Mahoney, CFO of MagneGas. "The opportunity to acquire an exceptionally well run, profitable business in a prime market made sense strategically. Additionally, the combined scale of MagneGas with Trico provides us greater buying power for products, thereby improving margins and enabling us to pursue larger national accounts. Lastly, we have increased our revenue per share by approximately 65%, from about $0.85 of revenue per share after the Green Arc acquisition, to an estimated $1.40 of revenue per share once the acquisition is completed. We believe we are clearly demonstrating a path to generate rapid revenue growth, near term positive EBITDA, and ultimately positive earnings per share. This strategy is clearly paying off; once we close the transaction we will have increased our revenues per share by almost ten-fold from the end of 2017."

07:32 EDT S&T Bancorp approves $50M share repurchase plan - S&T Bancorp authorized a $50M share repurchase plan at its regular meeting. This repurchase authorization, which is effective through August 31, 2019, permits S&T to repurchase from time to time up to $50M in aggregate value of shares of S&T's common stock. S&T expects to fund any repurchases from cash on hand and internally generated funds.

07:26 EDT Nomad Foods sees FY18 adjusted EBITDA EUR350M-EUR360M - The Company initiates 2018 guidance, inclusive of expected partial year contribution from Goodfella's Pizza which is expected to close during the second quarter of 2018. Full year 2018 Adjusted EBITDA is expected to be approximately EUR350M to EUR360M, which equates to adjusted EPS of approximately EUR1.08 to EUR1.13 based on the current share count of 176M. Full year guidance assumes organic revenue growth at a low-single digits percentage rate.

07:19 EDT Six Flags, Riverside partner with Turner to offer new attractions - Six Flags Entertainment Corporation, Riverside Investment Group, and Turner Asia Pacific announced a new partnership that will bring original, branded experiences to Six Flags parks throughout China. The first addition-a thrilling, new Tuzki-branded dark ride-is joining the lineup of world class, record-breaking rides and attractions at Six Flags Zhejiang and Six Flags Chongqing, which are scheduled to open in 2019 and 2020 respectively. In addition to the new ride, both parks will also feature Tuzki theming and new retail locations offering branded merchandise. The Turner-owned rabbit IP is a household name in China, with millions of Tuzki emoticons exchanged through instant messaging apps every day. The agreement between Turner and Riverside Investment Group also allows for other Turner-owned IP from Cartoon Network's extensive portfolio of characters and shows to be featured inside Six Flags Kids World. Six Flags Kids World-the first park of its kind and designed especially for families with young children-will be built adjacent to both Six Flags Zhejiang and Six Flags Chongqing.

07:13 EDT EU commercial vehicle registrations up 5% in February - In February, demand for new commercial vehicles increased by 5.0% in the European Union. This growth was sustained by all commercial vehicle segments, with registrations totaling 173,385 units, the European Automobile Manufacturers Association reported. The five largest EU markets all posted gains in February: Spain showed the strongest increase, followed by Italy, France, Germany and the U.K. Publicly traded truck makers and suppliers include Daimler AG (DDAIF), Paccar (PCAR), CNH Industrial (CNHI), Navistar (NAV), Cummins (CMI) and Allison Transmission (ALSN).

07:11 EDT Michaels to close 94 full-size Aaron Brothers stores, reposition brand - Michaels reports that the company has completed its strategic review of Aaron Brothers, a small, specialty retail chain primarily focused on custom framing, ready-made frames, wall art and art supplies. In 2018, the company plans to close 94 full-size Aaron Brothers stores and reposition Aaron Brothers as a "store-within-a-store," providing custom framing services in all Michaels stores. The company will also rebrand Framerspointe.com, a company-owned online custom framing website, as AaronBrothers.com. In fiscal 2017, Aaron Brothers net sales totaled approximately $110M and had no material impact on the company's operating income. The company expects the after-tax cost of implementing these changes will be in the range of $37M-$42M. The company anticipates the vast majority of the cost will be recognized in the first quarter of fiscal 2018. The company expects the after-tax cash impact of the changes to be minimal.

07:06 EDT Target, Shipt launch same-day delivery in Philadelphia - Shipt and Target announced they will begin same-day delivery of more than 55,000 groceries, essentials, home, electronics, toys and other products in Philadelphia, PA. Beginning April 5, 2018, Shipt will deliver from Target stores to the Philadelphia metro area.

07:05 EDT Darden backs FY18 new restaurant openings view approximately 40

07:03 EDT Darden backs FY18 same-restaurant sales growth view approximately 2%

07:02 EDT Garmin introduces advanced driver assistance features for truck drivers - Garmin International announced an exciting new generation of 7-inch truck navigators - the dezl 780 LMT-S model and the premium dezlCam 785 LMT-S that boasts a dash cam with cutting-edge advanced1 driver assistance features2 for truck drivers. Both navigators are designed to help big rig drivers stay connected, alert, and on track during long hours of service thanks to new built-in Wi-Fi and free live services3 for traffic, weather, truck parking, and more. The all-in-one dezlCam 785 adds the built-in dash cam4 to automatically record the drive and save video files of detected incidents. The dash cam provides advanced driver assistance features, such as forward collision and lane departure warnings, to encourage safer driving behavior. The dezl 780 LMT-S has a suggested retail price of $399.99 and the dezlCam 785 LMT-S is $499.99. Both devices are expected to be available in June.

07:01 EDT Darden reports Q3 blended same-restaurant sales from legacy brands up 2.0%

06:55 EDT Accenture reports new bookings $10.3B - With consulting bookings of $5.7B and outsourcing bookings of $4.6B.

06:53 EDT Accenture raises semi-annual cash dividend 10% to $1.33 per share - Accenture plc has declared a semi-annual cash dividend of $1.33 per share on Accenture plc Class A ordinary shares for shareholders of record at the close of business on April 12. This dividend is payable on May 15.

06:46 EDT Sonoco Products to acquire Highland Packaging Solutions for about $150M cash - Sonoco announced it has signed a definitive agreement to acquire Highland Packaging Solutions for approximately $150M in cash. Highland is a privately owned producer of thermoformed plastic packaging for fresh produce and dairy products, based in Plant City, Fla. The transaction is subject to normal regulatory review and is expected to close in the second quarter of 2018. Tiede said the acquisition of Highland will be accretive to earnings in 2018, and the purchase price represents an EBITDA multiple of approximately 6.5 times post-synergies and tax benefits from the write-up of intangibles. Maxwell, Highland President John Baird and many of Highland's leadership, sales and operations teams will remain, and Highland expects no changes in customer relationships. When the transaction is completed, Highland's financial results will be reported within Sonoco's Consumer Packaging segment and the business will be operated as part of Sonoco's global plastics operations.

06:17 EDT CPI Aerostructures to acquire Welding Metallurgy for $9M in cash - CPI Aerostructures (CVU) announced that it has entered into a definitive agreement to acquire Welding Metallurgy for $9M in cash from Air Industries Group (AIRI), subject to a customary adjustment based on the net working capital of WMI at the closing of the acquisition. The agreement also calls for up to an aggregate of $1M in cash to be paid to Air Industries if WMI enters into certain long-term supply agreements during 2018. WMI, a subsidiary of Air Industries Group, provides specialty welded products and assemblies, large diameter tube bending and integrated electronic assemblies, among other capabilities, to a variety of customers, predominantly within the defense and aerospace markets. CPI Aero expects the transaction will close during the second quarter of 2018 subject to customary closing conditions and the Company obtaining financing. CPI Aero anticipates financing the transaction through a new term loan to be included within an expanded and extended credit facility to be negotiated with the company's existing lender. The transaction is expected to be accretive to 2018 earnings per share.

06:10 EDT KBR wins additional work on ACRON ammonia plant in Russia - KBR announced that it has been awarded a contract by JSC ACRON subsidiary JSC Dorogobuzh to provide equipment to revamp its ammonia plant located in Dorogobuzh in the Smolensk region of Russia. Under the terms of the contract, KBR will provide proprietary equipment to enable Dorogobuzh to produce low cost ammonia. KBR previously received a contract from Dorogobuzh to provide KBR's proprietary ammonia technology to significantly increase plant capacity to 2,100 MTPD and improve efficiency. KBR is utilizing its industry leading revamp technology KBR Reforming Exchanger System in conjunction with KBR's True Cold Wall Add-on Converter to achieve low project cost for the revamp at this site.

06:05 EDT Hercules Capital: 25 bps hike in Prime Rate to add 4c/ share of NII per annum - Hercules anticipates a 25 basis point increase in the Prime Rate will contribute approximately $3.2M, or 4c per share, of NII per annum, based on the basic weighted share outstanding as of December 31, 2017. As of December 31, 2017, 96.4% of Hercules' debt investment portfolio of $1.4B, at cost, was primarily priced at PRIME or LIBOR-based floating interest rates, while 100.0% of the Company's outstanding debt obligations have a fixed rate of interest, well positioning Hercules for additional future rate increases. "Given the expected increase to the Prime Rate will be taking effect in late-March 2018, the anticipated increase is not expected to have any material impact to our NII in Q1 2018. The expected benefit from the March 2018 rate increase is expected to materialize beginning with our Q2 2018 operating period."

06:04 EDT Cenovus Energy provides Q1 operational update, backs 2018 production view - Cenovus Energy has been operating its oil sands facilities at reduced production rates and is storing excess barrels in its reservoirs in response to wider than normal light-heavy price differentials and recent pipeline capacity constraints as well as the slow pace of the ramp-up in crude-by-rail export capacity in Alberta. Cenovus President & CEO Alex Pourbaix said, "As a prudent response to the current transportation and pricing environment, we've been operating our Christina Lake and Foster Creek facilities at reduced production levels since February while continuing to inject steam at normal rates." Cenovus continues to expect full-year oil sands volumes for 2018 to be within the company's guidance range of 364K-382K barrels per day. Cenovus anticipates Q1 oil sands production of 350K-360K barrels per day. Cenovus is evaluating opportunities to optimize the scheduling of maintenance at its oil sands facilities. The company is also in ongoing discussions with rail providers to resolve a shortage of locomotive hauling capacity that is preventing Cenovus from fully realizing the benefits of its Bruderheim crude-by-rail facility. Cenovus also expects its Q1 results will be impacted by planned maintenance activity currently underway at the company's two U.S. refineries jointly owned with Phillips 66, which operates the facilities.

05:40 EDT Ansys to acquire OPTIS, terms not disclosed - ANSYS announced that it has entered into a definitive agreement to acquire OPTIS, a provider of software for scientific simulation of light, human vision and physics-based visualization. The acquisition of OPTIS will extend ANSYS' industry-leading multiphysics-based portfolio into the increasingly important area of optical simulation. The transaction is expected to close in the second quarter of 2018. Management will provide further details regarding the transaction and its impact on the 2018 financial outlook after the closing.

05:38 EDT BlackBerry, Jaguar Land Rover sign collaborative supply agreement - BlackBerry (BB) and Jaguar Land Rover (TTM) announced that the companies have entered into a multi-year agreement to collaborate and develop technology for the automotive manufacturer's next-generation vehicles. As part of the agreement, BlackBerry will license its QNX and Certicom technology to Jaguar Land Rover, as well as assign a team of engineers to support in the development of new Electronic Control Unit, or ECU, modules. The first ECU project will be a next-generation infotainment system.