Stockwinners Market Radar for April 05, 2018 - Earnings, Upgrades downgrades, option trades, Best Stock Advisory Service

20:46 EDT Splunk CEO Douglas Merritt sells $1.6M in common stock - In a regulatory filing, Splunk also announced that CFO David Conte sold $810K in common stock and President of Field Operations Susan St. Ledger sold over $1M in common stock.

20:02 EDT Asur issues correction for total March passenger traffic rising 4.8% - The company initially reported traffic up 5.3% in error.

19:00 EDT On The Fly: After Hours Movers - UP AFTER EARNINGS: PriceSmart (PSMT) up 3.8%. ALSO HIGHER: GAIN Capital Holdings (GCAP) up 5.6% on cryptocurrency expansion rollout. DOWN AFTER EARNINGS: WD-40 Company (WDFC) down 1.1%. ALSO LOWER: WageWorks (WAGE) down 6.8% on FY16 revisions and management changes... Ethan Allen Interiors (ETH) down 3.0% on Q3 guidance... Urban Outfitters (URBN) down 1.4% on Anthropologie CEO resignation.

17:36 EDT CEO of Urban Outfitters' Anthropologie unit to resign - Urban Outfitter announced that David McCreight, CEO Anthropologie Group and President, URBN will leave URBN on April 27, 2018. Going forward Hillary Super, Anthropologie Group President, Apparel and Accessories, which includes Beauty and BHLDN, in partnership with Andrew Carnie, Anthropologie Group President, Home, Garden and International, will lead the brand.

17:22 EDT Allegiant Travel reports March traffic up 18.1%, capacity up 13.9% - Reports March load factor up 3.2 pts; departures up 12.7%; passengers up 18.6%.

17:13 EDT Armistice Capital reports 5.4% passive stake in Amag Pharmaceuticals

17:09 EDT Calyxt expands acreage for high-oleic soybean product - Calyxt,announced that the company has further expanded its total acreage with farmers across the northern United States for its high-oleic / no trans-fat soybean variety. Calyxt has contracted over 16,000 acres with 75 farmers in the Midwest. Overall, these growers collectively farm over 180,000 acres, half of which are expected to produce soybeans. Around a fifth of the soybeans that are anticipated to be planted consist of Calyxt's high-oleic variety. Over 90% of existing farmers signed up to re-plant Calyxt high-oleic soybeans this year. Furthermore, on average, each repeat farmer is doubling their Calyxt acres year over year. Calyxt successfully launched a brand ambassador program which enrolled progressive, high-quality growers to be early adopters and advocates of gene editing technology. Earlier this week, USDA clarified that under its biotechnology regulations, it does not currently regulate, or have any plans to regulate plants created by new breeding techniques such as gene editing, that could otherwise have been developed through traditional breeding techniques and meet certain criteria. Calyxt's products that have been deemed non-regulated by the USDA include high fiber wheat, powdery mildew resistant wheat, high-oleic soybean, high-oleic /low-linolenic soybean, improved quality alfalfa, cold storable potato and reduced browning potato.

17:06 EDT Northern Dynasty to extend deadline of pact with First Quantum to April 30 - Northern Dynasty Minerals announced that it has agreed to extend the deadline date of the framework agreement with First Quantum Minerals to April 30, 2018. The original date, as disclosed in the framework agreement, was April 6, 2018. The entry by First Quantum into the option agreement is contingent upon the completion of due diligence, necessary regulatory approvals being obtained and the successful negotiation of the final form of the option agreement and associated commercial agreements. Finalization and execution of the option agreement and associated commercial agreements is expected in the second quarter of 2018. Investors are cautioned there is no assurance that a transaction will be entered into at the end of the process.

17:01 EDT Ascent Capital CEO William Fitzgerald stepping down - Ascent Capital Group announced that William Fitzgerald has stepped down as CEO of Ascent, however, he will continue in his role as chairman. Ascent's board has appointed William Niles, currently executive VP and general counsel and secretary of Ascent, as CEO. Niles will continue to serve as the General Counsel and Secretary of the Company.

17:01 EDT WageWorks CFO Colm Callan to resign - WageWorks announced that Colm Callan will resign as Chief Financial Officer, effective April 5, 2018. Mr. Callan will remain with the company for an interim period to effect a seamless transition to an incoming Interim Chief Financial Officer, a role which is expected to be filled in the near future. The company is undertaking a search for a permanent Chief Financial Officer.

16:58 EDT Silver Lake AIV GP III lowers stake in Smart Global to 14.8% from 18.1%

16:54 EDT Nexthera Capital reports 5.9% passive stake in Zosano Pharma

16:37 EDT JetBlue selects Pratt & Whitney GTF engine to power 45 Airbus A320neo planes - Pratt & Whitney, a division of United Technologies (UTX), announces that JetBlue Airways (JBLU) has selected the Geared Turbofan engine to power an additional 45 Airbus (EADSY) A320neo family aircraft. With the airline's previous order of 40 GTF-powered A320neo family aircraft, JetBlue has now committed to 85 GTF-powered aircraft, including both A320neo and A321neo models. Pratt & Whitney will also provide JetBlue with engine maintenance through a 15-year EngineWise service agreement.

16:31 EDT Campbell Soup announces strategic reorganization - Campbell Soup Compan announced a strategic reorganization that will better position the company to capitalize on the rapidly changing food industry landscape, while more closely aligning the business with the company's three growth strategies: optimize the value of the core; increase health and well-being food, beverages and snacks; and, accelerate distribution and new business models. This new structure organizes Campbell's core business operations-including its important soup, simple meals and shelf-stable beverages portfolios and its powerful snacks portfolio-under the leadership of Luca Mignini as Chief Operating Officer. Campbell will create a new Accelerator unit to continue to expand in faster-growing spaces and invest in high-growth areas. As part of the reorganization, Campbell Fresh will become part of the Accelerator unit to realize the growth potential of the packaged fresh category. The new unit will also be responsible for long-term innovation, small brand incubation, future consumer experiences, e-commerce and new distribution models.

16:28 EDT 8point3 Energy sees Q2 non-cash impairment loss of $40M-$48M - The company noted in the filing that "the carrying value of the Maryland Solar Project will incur a material impairment loss and that we will recognize such loss during the second quarter of 2018 in the amount by which the carrying value of the Maryland Solar Project exceeds the fair value of the Maryland Solar Project, or an estimated impairment in the range of $40M to $48M.This impairment loss will have a material adverse effect on our second quarter 2018 net income/loss.".

16:22 EDT Asur reports total March passenger traffic up 5.3% - Grupo Aeroportuario del Sureste, S.A.B. de C.V. announced that total passenger traffic for March 2018 increased 5.3% when compared to March 2017. Passenger traffic rose 13.6% in Mexico, and declined 13.9% in San Juan and 3.6% in Colombia.

16:15 EDT GAIN Capital expands cryptocurrency offering - GAIN Capital announced the continued rollout of the company's cryptocurrency offering, with the recent launch of Ethereum, Litecoin, Ripple and Bitcoin Cash in the U.K., Europe, Australia and Singapore on the company's FOREX.com and City Index services. GAIN has also expanded its Bitcoin offering, allowing customers to trade Bitcoin directly against the Euro, British pound and Australian dollar, in addition to the U.S. dollar. GAIN offers cryptocurrency trading either as an over-the-counter derivative or as a future. GAIN offers Bitcoin futures in the U.S. through its Futures Online and Daniels Trading brands.

16:11 EDT WD-40 says FY18 guidance anticipates impacts of the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act - This guidance does not include any future acquisitions or divestitures and assumes that foreign currency exchange rates and commodity prices will remain close to current levels for the remainder of fiscal year 2018.

16:11 EDT ICF International's IT services selected by General Services Administration - ICF has been selected by the U.S. General Services Administration for two contracts to support the administration's IT Modernization Plan. ICF will support the first phase of the administration's plan to stand up Centers of Excellence in two of five key areas: customer experience and service delivery analytics. The contracts have a combined multimillion dollar value. Each has a term of up to three years including one base and two option years.

16:08 EDT Helmerich & Payne appoints Mark Smith as CFO designate - Helmerich & Payne announced the hiring and appointment of Mark W. Smith as CFO Designate effective May 1, and thatSmith shall be appointed to succeed Juan Pablo Tardio as CFO upon Tardio's retirement from that position, which, as previously announced, shall occur on June 30.

16:07 EDT Synopsys replenishes repurchase authorization to $500M - Synopsys has replenished its existing stock repurchase authorization back to $500M. Synopsys' Board of Directors originally approved the stock repurchase program in 2002 and has periodically replenished the program as funds are spent.

16:06 EDT Gladstone Land expects 'minimal impact' from trade tariffs - Gladstone Land Corporation expects minimal to no impact on its farms and tenants from the developing trade conflict with China. "As many of our investors know, Gladstone Land has primarily purchased farms focused on high-value, perishable crops that are produced and consumed domestically. Insulating our tenant farmers, and therefore our shareholders, from global supply, currency, and tariff risks continues to be at the core of our long-term strategy," said David Gladstone, President and CEO of Gladstone Land.

16:05 EDT Microbot Medical names Simon Sharon CTO - Microbot Medical announced the appointment of Simon Sharon as CTO, effective immediately. In his role, Sharon will report directly to Harel Gadot, Microbot's CEO, president and chairman, and resume the role previously held by the VP of R&D, who recently stepped down to pursue other endeavors. Sharon had previously served as the chairman of Microbot's Scientific Advisory board. Sharon is a seasoned medical device executive with over 30 years of industry experience. Prior to rejoining Microbot, Simon served as the CTO at MEDX Xelerator, an Israel-based medical device and digital health incubator with partners such as Boston Scientific Corporation and Intellectual Ventures. He was also the chairman of the Scientific Board at XACT Robotics, a private Israeli company developing a novel platform robotic technology for needle steering in minimally invasive interventional procedures.

16:03 EDT PriceSmart reports Q2 net warehouse club sales increased 5.7% to $816.6M

16:01 EDT Americas Silver provides exploration update on Cosala, Galena operations - Americas Silver Corporation provided an update on exploration activities at its two operating properties, the 100%-owned Cosala Operations in Sinaloa, Mexico and the 100%-owned Galena Complex in Wallace, Idaho. The Cosala Operations includes the Zone 120 deposit, adjacent to the San Rafael Mine. "We are excited about the strong success of the infill and near-mine drill programs so far in 2018 at both of our properties," said Darren Blasutti, President and CEO of Americas Silver Corporation. "At Zone 120, eleven of the latest thirteen holes delivered significant mineralization over impressive widths. Zone 120 is becoming a substantial deposit with the potential to become the Company's next operating mine. At Galena, high-grade strike extensions on the 366 FW and step out success on the 164-168 vein system both on the 4900 level means higher grade near-term production and resource additions in these areas."

15:26 EDT Gabelli cuts stake in Kaman to 16.79% from 17.91%

15:06 EDT JetBlue selects Pratt & Whitney GTF engines for A320neo family - JetBlue (JBLU) announced it has amended and restated its 2012 order for the purchase and exclusive maintenance of Pratt & Whitney (UTX) GTF engines. Under the terms of the agreement, the GTF engine will now power JetBlue's total fleet of 85 Airbus (EADSY) A320neo family aircraft - 40 aircraft previously awarded in 2012 and now 45 additional aircraft, as well as 13 spare PW1100G-JM engines. The agreement also covers exclusive maintenance for JetBlue's fleet of 85 A320neo family aircraft, which are scheduled for delivery beginning in 2019.

14:56 EDT Sorrento, Celularity to start anti-CD38 CAR-T Phase 1 trial - Sorrento Therapeutics and Celularity announced that the companies have started screening patients for its CD38 chimeric antigen receptor T cell therapy drug development program, following FDA review allowing clinical trial initiation. The trial is currently the only active U.S.-based clinical trial targeting CD38 using a CAR-T cell therapy, said the companies. The first investigational site at Roger Williams Medical Center, RI, is actively engaged in the clinical study execution, with additional sites to be included. Utilizing available cGMP manufacturing, Sorrento and Celularity estimate they can produce up to 300 patient treatments per year. These existing capacities easily cover the needs of the Phase 1 clinical study and would be sufficient to meet the requirements for subsequent advanced pivotal clinical studies.

14:14 EDT Micron slides as UBS says sell on cyclical worries, 'big' estimate cuts - Shares of Micron Technology (MU) are sliding after UBS analyst Timothy Arcuri started coverage of the stock with a Sell rating, citing cyclical memory concerns and his expectation for "big estimate cuts." The analyst also initiated Texas Instruments (TXN) with a Sell rating. SEMICONDUCTORS, SEMI EQUIPMENT SECTOR: UBS' Arcuri started coverage on the U.S. Semiconductors and Semi Equipment sector, expressing the view that consolidation and a slowdown in Moore's Law should actually lead to pricing power and inflationary effects that are still in the early innings. However, the analyst told investors he also believes semis are still cyclical and sees some signs of caution moving into later 2018 and 2019 as inventory is likely to start growing faster than revenue and year over year compares start to become unfavorable. For memory, Arcuri is cautious on the cycle near-term, but expects structurally higher profitability levels to ultimately drive a re-rating of the memory and SPE complex. SELL MICRON, TEXAS INSTRUMENTS: The analyst started coverage of Micron with a Sell rating and a $35 price target, citing cyclical memory concerns and his expectation for "big estimate cuts." In his analysis, Arcuri argued that AI is a huge driver for semis, but in the near-term, memory has driven about 2/3 of the revenue growth across the space and "pricing is about to roll over, potentially worse than 2015/2016." Arcuri also initiated Texas Instruments with a Sell rating, citing fading leverage, a more level playing field for capital return, and exposure to his second half of 2018 and 2019 cyclical concerns. Meanwhile, the analyst started eight other names with Neutral ratings, namely "show-me stories" AMD (AMD) and Qualcomm (QCOM); Apple (AAPL) supply chain stories Qorvo (QRVO) and Skyworks (SWKS); Nvida (NVDA) and Teradyne (TER), where he believes growth/transformation has already been priced in; and Applied Materials (AMAT) and Lam Research (LRCX), where the memory thesis must first play out. BUY RATINGS: Among the 14 stocks he initiated, UBS' Arcuri has four Buy ratings, namely Intel (INTC), given his above consensus call for data center group growth and what he sees as a mispricing of long-term growth potential; Marvell (MRVL) and Broadcom (AVGO), which he views as transformation stories; and KLA-Tencor (KLAC) on its migration to industrial tech and exposure to AI-related compute growth. PRICE ACTION: In afternoon trading, shares of Micron dropped about 7.5% to $49.37, while Texas Instruments' stock has slipped about 3% to $100.91.

13:25 EDT Veritone jumps after announcing real-time AI capabilities - Shares of Veritone (VERI) are spiking higher in afternoon trading after announcing "breakthrough real-time artificial intelligence capabilities" earlier today. WHAT'S NEW. Veritone, a provider of artificial intelligence and cognitive solutions, announced the upcoming launch of a market-first update to its AI operating system, aiWARE, which will enable the platform to support real-time AI processing. The aiWARE real-time framework is scheduled to launch this month with natural language processing engines, and Veritone plans to expand its offering of real-time enabled engines across the rest of the company's 15-plus cognitive categories, including transcription, sentiment, visual moderation, translation, as well as object, face, and optical character recognition, "If AI can help us make a decision in a matter of seconds, we will have a powerful tool to help prevent worst-case-scenarios. For example, surveillance cameras near a school could capture faces and license plates of persons approaching the school, and recognition engines could match them in real-time against a database of potential offenders," said Mike James, executive director at the Integrated Law and Justice Agency of Orange County. PRICE ACTION: Shares of Veritone are up 16.4% or $2.15 to $15.31 in afternoon trading

13:04 EDT Crypto company Longfin spikes almost 80% after CNBC interview with CEO - In an interview with CNBC, Longfin CEO Venkat Meenavalli said he won't be selling his shares in the company. "I'm going to write to SEC and FINRA because of the shorts," Meenavalli said during the interview. PRICE ACTION: Shares of Longfin are currently up 78% to $20.67 per share in afternoon trading.

12:31 EDT NetApp rallies after guiding to above 15% annual earnings growth - Shares of NetApp moved higher after the company released its presentation slides for today's analyst day. In the slides, NetApp guided fiscal 2019 earnings growth to above 15% and revenue growth to mid-single digit. The company sees "sustained mid-single digit topline growth, driven by strong strategic product performance." It expects fiscal 2019 to be its second consecutive year of over $1B in free cash flow. NetApp also sees the change to revenue recognition accounting standard 606 being immaterial to its guidance. Looking forward to fiscal 2019 through fiscal 2021, the company guided earnings growth to above 15% each year and revenue growth to mid-single digit. NetApp expects free cash flow growing from 19% to 24% of revenue. It expects to double its dividend between now and fiscal 2021, and committed to a new $4B share repurchase program. "Leverage in the business model yields considerable free cash flow and earnings growth," while the "cloud is additive and accretive to our business," NetApp said. It expects total addressable market expansion and share gains to support "sustained growth." In midday trading, shares of NetApp are up 2%, or $1.34, to $63.25.

12:21 EDT NetApp expects dividend to double between FY19-FY21 - The company also sees a new $4B share repurchase commitment between fiscal years 2019 and 2021

11:56 EDT Bombardier, PSA Airlines extend heavy maintenance agreement - Bombardier Commercial Aircraft announced today that Bombardier Services Corporation and PSA Airlines of Vandalia, Ohio recently signed a three-year extension to the parties' heavy maintenance agreement. Under this contract, heavy maintenance tasks for the airline's fleet of Bombardier CRJ200, CRJ700 and CRJ900 aircraft will be performed at Bombardier's West Virginia Air Center. Bombardier has conducted heavy maintenance for PSA Airlines since 2005.

11:33 EDT CVS Health expands efforts to educate patients about naloxone - CVS Health said that the company will further expand its ongoing efforts to educate patients about, and increase access to, the opioid overdose-reversal drug naloxone consistent with the Surgeon General's Advisory on Naloxone and Opioid Overdose, issued by Surgeon General, Dr. Jerome M. Adams. Over the coming months, CVS Pharmacy will expand patient education and awareness efforts about the importance of naloxone, particularly for at-risk individuals, consistent with the Surgeon General's Advisory. The company also announced that CVS Pharmacy will accept and automatically apply a coupon for Narcan nasal spray for patients without insurance. The resulting out of pocket cost of $94.99 is the lowest net price available on the market for patients without insurance. Narcan nasal spray is the only FDA approved nasal administration of naloxone. CVS Health has long worked to expand community access to naloxone by establishing a standing order or similar protocol at CVS Pharmacy locations in 46 states. This protocol allows patients to obtain naloxone at the pharmacy counter without having to first obtain an individual prescription from a physician. As part of the expansion of patient education efforts being announced today, the company will enhance signage to educate patients about naloxone at the pharmacy counter and through CVS Pharmacy in-store radio. CVS pharmacists will also enhance counseling for patients, particularly for patients with higher doses of prescription opioids, about the availability and importance of naloxone.

10:45 EDT Finisar rises after Morgan Stanley, William Blair say buy - Shares of Finisar (FNSR) are on the rise after Morgan Stanley analyst Meta Marshall upgraded the stock to Overweight on valuation and ahead of potential catalysts in the second half of the year and into 2019. Also bullish on Finisar, William Blair analyst Dmitry Netis told investors the shares are oversold at current levels, creating a buying opportunity. BUY FINISAR: In a research note to investors this morning, Morgan Stanley's Marshall upgraded Finisar to Overweight from Equal Weight and trimmed her price target on the stock to $20 from $21. While the analyst acknowledged that the datacomm components sector faces meaningful challenges, the note makes the case that the valuation penalty has become too large for Finisar, particularly when looking at potential catalysts in the second half of the year and into 2019. Near-term earnings could continue to see pressure due to 100G datacomm component pricing, but upcoming catalyst opportunities could change the dialog around the name starting in the second half of 2018, Marshall noted, adding that the catalysts include completion of the new CEO strategic review in June, introductions of cheaper CWDM4 modules later in the year and 2019, and incremental news around progress on Sherman VCSEL facility. OVERSOLD AT CURRENT LEVELS: Meanwhile, William Blair's Netis pointed out in a research note of his own that shares of Finisar have lost nearly 30% of their value since the March 8 earnings report and are down nearly 60% from highs in February 2017. While acknowledging that many fundamental reasons contributed to the sharp decline over the last year, including China oversupply, severe price erosion in datacomm and generally poor execution, the analyst sees "several reasons for investors to bottom-fish their entry into the stock." The risk/reward is "highly asymmetric" with the shares trading at book value, Netis told investors, adding that he finds it highly likely that the new CEO will announce an organic restructuring plan, which he views as a potential catalyst along with a potential acquisition or leveraged buyout. The analyst reiterated an Outperform rating on Finisar's shares. PRICE ACTION: In morning trading, shares of Finisar have gained over 8% to $15.91. OTHERS TO WATCH: Other companies in the optical subsystems and components space include Ciena (CIEN), Infinera (INFN), Lumentum (LITE), Oclaro (OCLR) II-VI (IIVI) and Acacia Communications (ACIA).

10:18 EDT Organizations ask HHS Secretary to take actions to lower price of Sarepta drug - Knowledge Ecology International announced that six organizations are asking Department of Health and Human Services Secretary Alex Azar to take actions to lower the price of eteplirsen, a drug sold by Sarepta Therapeutics under the brand name Exondys 51, to treat Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy. "The letter focus on five patents on the drug, and the failure of the inventors to disclose several NIH grants that funded the inventions," KEI stated in its press release regarding the sending of the letter. In morning trading, Sarepta shares are down 2%. Reference Link

10:13 EDT Kindred investors approve transaction with TPG, Humana consortium - Kindred Healthcare (KND) announced that at its special meeting of stockholders, stockholders approved the transaction with affiliates of TPG Capital, Welsh, Carson, Anderson & Stowe and Humana (HUM). Benjamin A. Breier, President and CEO of Kindred, said, "We are pleased that the transaction with the consortium received the broad support of our stockholders in recognition of the robust process undertaken by the Board to achieve maximum value. We look forward to completing the transaction in the coming months and delivering premium cash value to our stockholders." The transaction is expected to close in the summer of 2018.

09:56 EDT LongFin Corporation (Class A Stock) trading resumes

09:51 EDT LongFin Corporation (Class A Stock) trading halted, volatility trading pause

09:30 EDT Aratana Therapeutics confirms receipt of board nominations from Engaged Capital - Aratana Therapeutics confirmed that it has received a notice of nomination of three director candidates for election to the company's Board of Directors at the 2018 Annual Meeting of Stockholders from Engaged Capital and certain of its affiliated entities, which earlier filed a Schedule 13D disclosing ownership of 5.2% of Aratana's outstanding shares. Aratana stockholders are not required to take any action at this time. Members of Aratana's Board and management have recently held discussions with representatives of Engaged Capital and those discussions are ongoing. Aratana's Board intends to review the qualifications and experience of the nominees and present its formal recommendation regarding director nominations in the company's proxy materials that will be filed with the SEC.

09:14 EDT Trump calls Washington Post 'chief lobbyist' for Amazon in new tweet - President Donald Trump tweeted: "The Fake News Washington Post, Amazon's 'chief lobbyist,' has another (of many) phony headlines, 'Trump Defiant As China Adds Trade Penalties.' WRONG! Should read, 'Trump Defiant as U.S. Adds Trade Penalties, Will End Barriers And Massive I.P. Theft.' Typically bad reporting!" Reference Link

09:07 EDT Activision Blizzard releases World of Warcraft Battle for Azeroth pre-purchase - Beginning August 14, World of Warcraft players will take up their faction's cause in the ultimate fight for control of their world with the launch of Battle for Azeroth, the seventh expansion for Blizzard Entertainment's internationally acclaimed massively multiplayer online role-playing game. Players can now pre-purchase Battle for Azeroth. In addition to gaining a level-110 character boost to use immediately, players who pre-purchase can begin their journey to recruit the first four of the expansion's new Allied Races, including the valiant Lightforged draenei on the Alliance and ancient Nightborne on the Horde. In addition, starting today, anyone interested in joining the fight with the next expansion can pre-purchase Battle for Azeroth digitally through the Blizzard Shop and receive the current expansion, Legion, for free.

09:03 EDT Nielsen announces availability of Nielsen Grabix analytics platform - Nielsen announced the availability of Nielsen Grabix, its next-generation analytics platform that combines the power of minute-by-minute Nielsen ratings and Gracenote Real-Time Smart TV viewership data for deeper insights into audience flow, retention and engagement. The new Web-based intelligence platform gives TV programmers and advertisers unprecedented and instant visibility into viewership trends for the top 56 U.S. TV markets and 400 local stations and national networks to enable better programming and advertising decisions.

09:02 EDT MasterCard names Ann Cairns as vice chairman, effective June 1 - Mastercard announced the appointment of Ann Cairns as vice chairman, effective June 1, 2018. Gilberto Caldart succeeds her as president, International. Both will report to Ajay Banga, president and CEO. Cairns, who had been president, International since 2011, becomes vice chairman, focusing on a range of strategically important initiatives like inclusion and the empowerment and promotion of women within the company and in the communities it serves. She will also continue to serve as an ambassador with senior partners and foundations around the world.

09:00 EDT On The Fly: Pre-market Movers - HIGHER: Sonoma Pharmaceuticals (SNOA), up 29% after announcing FDA approval for its antimicrobial post-therapy gel...Finisar (FNSR), up 7% after the stock was upgraded to Overweight from Equal Weight ahead of potential catalysts at Morgan Stanley... Antares Pharma (ATRS), up 5% after announcing the FDA has assigned a user fee goal date of September 29, 2018 in connection with the New Drug Application for Xyosted... GNC (GNC), up 4.5% after announcing a partnership with Rapid Nutrition to market, sell and distribute GNC products through retail outlet expansion, e-commerce, and other potential distribution channels throughout Australia... SOHU (SOHU), up 1% after Changyou.com announced that its board has declared a special cash dividend of $4.70 per Class A ordinary or Class B ordinary share, or $9.40 per ADS. Changyou.com (CYOU) is majority held by Sohu. DOWN AFTER EARNINGS: Conn's (CONN), down 13%... Ollies Bargain Outlet (OLLI), down 4%. ALSO LOWER: Conatus Pharmaceuticals (CNAT), down 28% after its Phase 2B POLT-HCV-SVR trial missed its primary endpoint... Myovant Sciences (MYOV), down 4% after the stock was downgraded to Equal Weight from Overweight at Barclays.

08:56 EDT MakeMyTrip announces strategic partnership with Flipkart - MakeMyTrip Limited and Flipkart announced a strategic partnership in the travel services segment. MakeMyTrip's multiple brands, including MakeMyTrip, Goibibo and redBus, will leverage the large customer base of Flipkart's platform to drive online bookings in travel services, the companies stated. The new partnership will start with a roll-out of domestic flight bookings in the next few weeks, followed by Hotels, Bus and Holidays bookings.

08:49 EDT Stantec awarded FEED contract for CVWTM technology - Titanium Corporation has awarded Stantec the front-end engineering design, or FEED contract for the first commercial facility implementing Titanium's Creating Value from Waste, or CVWTM technology. The project consists of a new Concentrator Plant and a new Mineral Separation Plant as well as associated interconnections at an oil sands operation, located north of Fort McMurray, Alberta. CVWTM technology is designed to recover bitumen and solvent from froth treatment tailings, preventing hydrocarbons from entering the tailings pond and releasing greenhouse gases into the environment. CVWTM reduces the environmental impact of oil sands tailings while recovering valuable mineral resources that would otherwise be unrecovered. Stantec will be working alongside IHC Robbins, industry experts specializing in mineral sands, who will be responsible for process design services for the minerals separation design.

08:42 EDT SAP completes acquisition of Callidus Software - SAP (SAP) announced that it has completed its acquisition of Callidus Software (CALD). Callidus Software Ihas notified the NASDAQ Stock Market of the completion of the acquisition and expects trading of its common stock to be suspended pending delisting.

08:33 EDT MGM Growth to acquire Hard Rock Rocksino Northfield Park fo $1.06B - MGM Growth has entered into an agreement with Milstein Entertainment to acquire the Hard Rock Rocksino Northfield Park for approximately $1.06B. The membership interest purchase agreement will be for 100% of the issued and outstanding limited liability company interests in Northfield Park Associates, which owns and operates the Rocksino. The Rocksino is a gaming, dining and entertainment facility located in Northfield, Ohio, a suburb approximately 17 miles southeast of downtown Cleveland and 18 miles north of Akron. The property consists of the 200,000-square foot gaming facility and other facilities. MGP plans to fund the purchase price with a combination of cash on hand and debt. MGP expects to ultimately sell the entities holding the licenses and operating assets to a third-party operator. MGP intends to retain ownership of the real estate, anticipating $50M-$60M of annual rent, which is expected to represent approximately 1.8x rent coverage. The transaction is expected to close in 2H18.

08:32 EDT CHF Solutions initiates distribution agreement with Dimedix Surgical in Spain - CHF Solutions announced the initiation of a new distribution agreement with Dimedix Surgical to distribute the company's Aquadex FlexFlow System in Spain. Terms of the agreement were not disclosed.

08:31 EDT Helios and Matheson, MoviePass acquire Moviefone from Oath - Helios and Matheson Analytics (HMNY) and MoviePass, a majority-owned subsidiary of HMNY, announced that HMNY has acquired Moviefone, an entertainment service owned by Oath Inc. (VZ), which provides over 6 million monthly unique visitors full access to the entertainment ecosystem, from movie theaters to streaming services and all screens in between. As HMNY's second acquisition in the consumer entertainment industry, the Moviefone acquisition represents another pillar in building out its content marketing strategy and advertising revenue platform for MoviePass. Oath will continue to sell Moviefone's digital ad inventory and has taken an ownership stake in MoviePass through equity in HMNY in connection with the transaction.

08:11 EDT IntercontinentalExchange agrees to acquire Chicago Stock Exchange - Intercontinental Exchange announced that it has entered into an agreement to acquire the Chicago Stock Exchange, a full-service stock exchange, including trading, data and corporate listings services. The transaction is expected to close in the second quarter of 2018, subject to regulatory approvals. Terms of the transaction were not disclosed, and the financial impact will not be material to ICE or impact capital return plans. Subject to Securities and Exchange Commission approval, CHX will continue to operate as a registered national securities exchange and will benefit from the planned deployment of the NYSE Pillar trading technology in ICE's Chicago data center. NYSE Pillar will also provide additional functionality for the institutional equity brokerage community in Chicago.

08:09 EDT Aradigm gets EMA validation for MAA of Linhaliq for NCFBE patients - Aradigm announced the completed formal validation by the European Medicines Agency, or EMA, of the Marketing Authorisation Application, or MAA for Linhaliq for the treatment of non-cystic fibrosis bronchiectasis, or NCFBE, patients with chronic lung infections with Pseudomonas aeruginosa. The completion of the MAA validation is commensurate with the start date of the review procedure on March 29. The EMA review of the MAA for Linhaliq will be according to standard timelines, with an opinion of the Committee for Medicinal Products for Human Use, or CHMP, expected within 210 days. After the adoption of a CHMP opinion, a final decision regarding the MAA assessment is carried out by the European Commission on day 277 of the procedure. If approved by the European commission, Linhaliq will provide a treatment for patients with NCFBE with chronic lung infections with P. aeruginosa.

08:06 EDT AerCap says leased, purchased, sold 114 aircraft in Q1 - AerCap Holdings N.V. (AER) has announced its major business transactions during the first quarter 2018: Signed lease agreements for 83 aircraft, including 15 widebody aircraft and 68 narrowbody aircraft. Purchased 7 aircraft, including 2 Airbus (EADSY) A320neo Family aircraft, 2 Airbus A350s and 3 Boeing (BA) 787-9s. Executed sale transactions for 24 aircraft, including 11 Airbus A320 Family aircraft, 4 Airbus A330s, 1 Airbus A340, 1 Boeing 737 Classic, 1 Boeing 737NG, 2 Boeing 777-200ERs and 1 Boeing 787-8 from AerCap's owned portfolio, and 2 Airbus A320 Family aircraft and 1 Boeing 737 Classic from AerCap's managed portfolio. It continues to manage 12 aircraft that were sold from its owned portfolio during the quarter. Signed financing transactions for $2.9B.

08:04 EDT VistaGen Therapeutics initiates Phase 2 study of AV-101 for MDD - VistaGen Therapeutics announced the initiation of ELEVATE, the company's double-blind, placebo-controlled Phase 2 clinical study to evaluate the efficacy and safety of AV-101 as an adjunctive treatment of Major Depressive Disorder, or MDD, in patients with an inadequate response to current antidepressants approved by the FDA. AV-101, an oral N-methyl-D-aspartate, or NMDA, receptor glycine B, or GlyB, antagonist, belongs to a new generation of investigational medicines in neuropsychiatry known as glutamate receptor modulators having the potential to treat MDD faster than current FDA-approved antidepressants commonly known as SSRIs and SNRIs, which target the neurotransmitters serotonin and/or norepinephrine, respectively.

08:03 EDT Minerals Technologies agrees to acquire Sivomatic Holding, terms not disclosed - Minerals Technologies announced that it has entered into a definitive agreement with the shareholders of Sivomatic Holding under which MTI will purchase all of the shares of Sivomatic. Sivomatic is a vertically integrated manufacturer of premium cat litter in Europe, with production facilities in the Netherlands, Austria and Turkey. The product portfolio spans the range of pet litter derived from bentonite, sourced predominantly from wholly-owned mines in Turkey. With a family history in pet care dating back to 1924, Sivomatic has approximately 115 employees and generated revenue of EUR73M in 2017. The acquisition will be financed through a combination of cash on hand and MTI's current credit facilities, and is anticipated to close in 2Q18. The purchase of Sivomatic is expected to be immediately accretive to Minerals Technologies. Terms of the transaction were not disclosed. Closing of the transaction is subject to regulatory approval and other customary closing conditions.

08:00 EDT Monsanto says 'optimistic' on closure of Bayer merger

07:46 EDT HP Enterprise raises dividend by about 50% to 11.25c per share - Hewlett Packard Enterprise announced that the Hewlett Packard Enterprise board has declared a regular cash dividend of 11.25c per share on the company's common stock. This is an increase of approximately 50% from the prior dividend. This dividend is payable on or about July 4, to stockholders of record as of the close of business on June 13.

07:36 EDT GNC jumps 6% in premarket trading after unveiling plans to expand into Australia

07:30 EDT Conn's down 13% to $31.10 after Q4 results, Q1 guidance

07:13 EDT Stemline announces start of rolling BLA submission for SL-401 - Stemline Therapeutics announced that it has initiated its rolling submission of a Biologics License Application for SL-401 to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. SL-401 is a targeted therapy directed to CD123 that has been granted Breakthrough Therapy designation by the FDA.

07:11 EDT Cenovus Energy names Jonathan McKenzie CFO - Cenovus Energy (CVE) announced the appointment of Jonathan McKenzie as the company's next CFO. He will replace Ivor Ruste who, as previously announced, will retire on April 30, 2018. McKenzie comes to Cenovus from Husky Energy (HUSKF) where he has been CFO since 2015.

07:02 EDT Main Street invests $35M in consumer electronics company DPI - Main Street recently made a new portfolio investment to facilitate the minority recapitalization of DPI, a designer, developer, and distributor of a broad assortment of consumer electronics to national retailers under several proprietary brands. Main Street, along with a co-investor, partnered with the company's management team to facilitate the transaction, with Main Street funding $35.2M in a combination of first-lien, senior secured term debt and a direct equity investment. Founded in 1971, and headquartered in St. Louis, Missouri, DPI offers consumer electronics products under nine proprietary brands and private labels designed for value-conscious consumers. The Company sells its products to a diverse base of blue-chip brick-and-mortar retailers, e-Commerce platforms, home shopping networks and specialty electronic stores in all 50 states and over 40,000 retail locations in the U.S., Canada and Latin America.

07:01 EDT Walgreens supports Surgeon General's advisory on naloxone, opioid overdose - In support of the advisory on naloxone and opioid overdose issued by U.S. Surgeon General Jerome M. Adams, M.D., M.P.H., Walgreens issued a statement from President of Operations Richard Ashworth: "We support Surgeon General Adams's advisory on the importance of naloxone and efforts to make this life-saving medication easier for families and caregivers to have available should it be needed. As a pharmacy and as part of our overall efforts to combat the opioid epidemic, we are committed to making naloxone easier to obtain and have taken a number of steps to help curb the rise in overdose deaths." Those steps include: Walgreens stocks Adapt Pharma's Narcan, an FDA-approved nasal form of naloxone, in all of its more than 8,000 pharmacies nationwide. The medication, administered by nasal spray, can be used in the event of an overdose to reverse the effects of opioid drugs, which include some prescription painkillers and heroin. Walgreens pharmacists provide training and instructional handouts on how administer the medication. Additional instructions include calling 911, as naloxone is not a substitute for medical care. Anyone who is administered the medication should seek immediate medical attention. In addition, Walgreens has adopted Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommendations to educate patients about Narcan when they are dispensed a controlled substance greater than 50 morphine milligram equivalents and may be at risk of accidental overdose. Walgreens has worked over the last two years to make naloxone available without requiring a prescription in states where regulations allow. The company now offers naloxone without requiring a prescription in 46 states and continues to work to make the medication easier to obtain in the remaining states.

06:52 EDT GAP Airports reports March traffic up 16.8% - During March, total terminal passengers increased 16.8% at the company's 13 airports, compared to the same period of the previous year. Domestic passenger traffic increased by 21.9%, while international passenger traffic increased by 11.5%. In March, GAP registered a 14.7% increase in the number of seats available compared to March 2017. Load factors for the month increased by 1.7 percentage points, from 80.3% in March 2017 to 82.0% in March 2018.

06:44 EDT GMS Inc. to acquire WSB Titan for about $627M - GMS Inc. announced a definitive agreement to acquire 100% of the equity interests of WSB Titan for total consideration of approximately $627M. Headquartered in Toronto, Titan is Canada's largest gypsum specialty dealer serving the residential, commercial, and institutional markets with key products including wallboard, insulation, lumber, roofing, steel framing, and other complementary building products. Titan's scale, market position, operating platform and value-added services have driven market leading Adjusted EBITDA margins of 14.7% for the twelve months ended January 31, 2018. We estimate that the combination would have increased GMS's Adjusted earnings per share by approximately 25% and Adjusted EBITDA margin by over 100 basis points on a pro forma basis for the twelve months ended January 31, 2018. GMS expects to capture cost synergies of at least $10 million within the first full year following the close of the transaction, driven largely by purchase synergies associated with the combined company's enhanced scale. These estimates do not include any expected benefits associated with the sharing of best practices or product expansion opportunities. Mike Callahan will continue to serve as President and CEO of the combined company, which will remain headquartered in Tucker, Georgia. Doug Skrepnek will become President of GMS Canada, reporting to Callahan. GMS has secured fully-committed debt financing for the transaction and per the terms of the agreement, existing Titan management, which is committed to leading the combined company's Canadian business going forward, will roll over $35 million of their current ownership position into GMS stock. GMS remains focused on maintaining a prudent capital structure and a strong financial position with sufficient flexibility to fund ongoing business operations and acquisitions. The transaction is expected to close late in the second calendar quarter of 2018 and is subject to the expiration or termination of the applicable waiting periods under the Canadian Competition Act, as well as other customary closing conditions.

06:40 EDT JPMorgan CEO talks Fed, Trump Administration, immigration in annual letter - Shares of JPMorgan are in focus on Thursday after Chairman and Chief Executive Officer Jamie Dimon released his annual letter to shareholders. In the letter, Dimon said it is "remarkable how well our company has performed" over the last decade and the last year, adding that "Throughout a period of profound political and economic change around the world, our company has been steadfast in our dedication to the clients, communities and countries we serve while earning a fair return for our shareholders." In the 46-page letter, Dimon touched on issues including the Federal Reserve, Trump Administration and immigration, and said that while the bank prefers buying back its stock at tangible book value, " we think it makes sense to do so even at or above two times tangible book value for reasons similar to those we've expressed in the past." FED COMMENTS: If inflation and wages grow at a faster rate than currently anticipated, "We have to deal with the possibility that at one point, the Federal Reserve and other central banks may have to take more drastic action than they currently anticipate... reacting to markets, not guiding the markets," Dimon wrote. He added, "I believe that many people underestimate the possibility of higher inflation and wages, which means they might be underestimating the chance that the Federal Reserve may have to raise rates faster than we all think. While in the past, interest rates have been lower and for longer than people expected, they may go higher and faster than people expect." Additionally, he said that "we could be going into a situation where the Fed will have to raise rates faster and/or sell more securities, which certainly could lead to more uncertainty and market volatility," and said that "Whether this would lead to a recession or not, we don't know -- but even that is not the worst case." "The biggest negative effect of volatile markets is that it can create market panic, which could start to slow the growth of the real economy," Dimon wrote. TRUMP ADMINISTRATION: Dimon also praised the Trump Administration, saying it is "taking steps to reduce unnecessary regulation by insisting that congressional rules around cost-benefit analysis be properly applied." The administration is also "actively trying to put regulators in the right roles with the proper authority to use commonsense principles to make appropriate changes." Dimon said new federal tax law and "a more constructive regulatory environment" give him hope that JPMorgan will be able to invest more of its excess capital to grow the bank and expand into new markets. IMMIGRATION: Commenting on immigration, Dimon wrote that "We need to resolve immigration -- it is tearing apart our body politic and damaging our economy." He added that "Immigration reform is important both morally and economically... Immigration has been a critical part of America's economic and cultural vitality." Dimon wrote that if the public does not believe the U.S. has proper border control, then "nothing else" can be accomplished on the immigration front and said "Dreamers" should "receive a green card along with their diploma." "Most students from countries outside the United States pay full freight to attend our universities but many are forced to take the training back home. From my vantage point, that means one of our largest exports is brainpower... We need these skilled individuals in America."

06:37 EDT Akamai adds LogMeln CEO William Wagner to board - Akamai Technologies (AKAM) announced the appointment of William Wagner to the Akamai board effective April 3. Since 2015, Wagner has held the role of president and CEO of LogMeIn (LOGM), with more than 2M customers and over $1B in annual revenue. He joined the company as LogMeIn's first COO and played a pivotal role positioning the company as a leader in the market while growing the company's topline by more than 500% in the past 5 years. Prior to LogMeIn, Mr. Wagner held various executive and marketing leadership roles at Vocus, a cloud marketing software provider, and Fiberlink Communications (acquired by IBM), a provider of enterprise mobility management solutions. Mr. Wagner began his career at AT&T. Wagner also serves on the boards of LogMeIn, ChurnZero, a customer success software provider, and BUILD Boston, an organization dedicated to the educational and professional success of youth from under-resourced communities.

06:33 EDT Wabco extends strategic cooperation agreement with Sinotruk - Wabco has extended its strategic cooperation agreement with Sinotruk Hong Kong, a heavy duty truck manufacturer in China. This agreement will leverage WABCO's global capabilities to further support Sinotruk's China and international market development. Sinotruk will adopt a wide range of WABCO's technologies.

06:31 EDT Graham awarded $4M in U.S. Gulf Coast petrochemical industry orders - Graham received two orders totaling approximately $4M, both for the petrochemical industry in U.S. Gulf Coast ethylene plants. Both of the orders are for replacement components within the company's installed base, for two separate petrochemical upgrade projects. Equipment delivery for both orders is planned for FY19.

06:16 EDT Barclays' rating cut by Moody's to lowest investment grade - Moody's Investors Service has downgraded the long-term issuer and senior unsecured debt ratings of Barclays PLC to Baa3 from Baa2, concluding the review for downgrade it announced on February 22. Barclays' short-term ratings were confirmed at Prime-3. Moody's has also assigned, for the first time, a baa3 notional Baseline Credit Assessment to Barclays.The standalone baseline credit assessment of Barclays Bank PLC (Barclays Bank), the group's non ring-fenced bank, was downgraded to baa3 from baa2 and its long-term deposit and senior unsecured debt ratings were downgraded to A2 from A1. In addition, Barclays Bank's short-term ratings were confirmed at Prime-1 and the long-term counterparty Risk assessment was downgraded to A2 from A1. The bank's Prime-1 short-term CR assessment was unaffected. "The ratings downgrade for Barclays and Barclays Bank reflects Moody's assessment of the overall group's credit profile, particularly in light of its ongoing profitability challenges, and the impact on existing creditors of the implementation of ring-fencing", said Mr. Andrea Usai, Senior Vice President at Moody's. Moody's has assigned a stable outlook on the ratings for Barclays and Barclays Bank.

06:09 EDT Conn's to open 5-9 new stores in FY19 - The company has opened two new Conn's HomePlus stores in Texas during the first quarter of fiscal year 2019, bringing the total store count to 118 in 14 states. During fiscal year 2019, the company plans to open between five and nine new stores in existing states to leverage current infrastructure.

06:04 EDT Cambridge Analytica denies accessing data on 87M Facebook users - Cambridge Analytica is refuting a report by Facebook that said Cambridge Analytica improperly attained data on up to 87M users. Instead, it claims it only "licensed data for no more than 30M people." In a statement, CA said: "Today Facebook reported that information for up to 87 million people may have been improperly obtained by research company GSR. Cambridge Analytica licensed data for no more than 30 million people from GSR, as is clearly stated in our contract with the research company. We did not receive more data than this. We did not use any GSR data in the work we did in the 2016 US presidential election. Our contract with GSR stated that all data must be obtained legally, and this contract is now a matter of public record. We took legal action against GSR when we found out they had breached this contract. When Facebook contacted us to let us know the data had been improperly obtained, we immediately deleted the raw data from our file server, and began the process of searching for and removing any of its derivatives in our system. When Facebook sought further assurances a year ago, we carried out an internal audit to make sure that all the data, all derivatives, and all backups had been deleted, and gave Facebook a certificate to this effect. We are now undertaking an independent third-party audit to demonstrate that no GSR data remains in our systems." Reference Link

06:02 EDT Australia probes if Facebook data leaks broke privacy law - Acting Australian Information Commissioner and acting Privacy Commissioner Angelene Falk said in a statement: "Today I have opened a formal investigation into Facebook, following confirmation from Facebook that the information of over 300,000 Australian users may have been acquired and used without authorization. The investigation will consider whether Facebook has breached the Privacy Act 1988. Given the global nature of this matter, the OAIC will confer with regulatory authorities internationally."

06:01 EDT Conn's reports Q4 SSS down 8%

05:17 EDT Changyou.com announces special cash dividend of $9.40 per ADS - Changyou.com announced that its board has declared a special cash dividend of $4.70 per Class A ordinary or Class B ordinary share, or $9.40 per ADS, each of which represents two Class A ordinary shares. The aggregate amount of the special cash dividend will be approximately $500M. Record holders of the company's ordinary shares at the close of business U.S. Eastern Time on April 20, 2018 will be entitled to receive the special cash dividend. Changyou expects The Bank of New York Mellon, the depositary bank for Changyou's ADS program, to distribute dividends to holders of ADSs as of the Record Date on or about April 26.