Stockwinners Market Radar for April 10, 2018 - Earnings, Upgrades downgrades, option trades, Best Stock Advisory Service

19:57 EDT Newell Brands seeks shareholder support in election of 4 Board seats - In a regulatory filing after market close, Newell Brands stated: "Dear Fellow Newell Stockholders, Starboard Value and Opportunity Master Fund Ltd and the other participants in this solicitation are the beneficial owners of an aggregate of 18,587,898 shares of common stock, $1.00 par value per share, of Newell Brands Inc., representing approximately 3.8% of the outstanding shares of Common Stock of the Company. For the reasons set forth in the attached Proxy Statement, we believe changes to the composition of the Board of Directors of the Company are necessary in order to ensure that the Company is being run in a manner consistent with your best interests. We are seeking your support for the election of our four (4) nominees at the Company's annual meeting of stockholders scheduled to be held on Tuesday, May 15, 2018, at 9:00 a.m. local time at the W Hotel Hoboken, 225 River Street, Hoboken, New Jersey 07030. We are seeking to elect a minority of the Board because we do not believe that the recent changes at the Company, including the agreement with Carl C. Icahn, are sufficient to address Newell's subpar operating and financial performance. We believe poor execution and a series of operational missteps have resulted in severe share price underperformance compared to both industry peers and the broader market. Therefore, we believe that the current situation is unacceptable. In addition, we remain disturbed by the turnover at the Board level. In late January 2018, three well-respected directors of Newell, Ian G.H. Ashken, Domenico De Sole and Martin E. Franklin, simultaneously resigned from the Board, indicating to us that there were differences of opinion in the boardroom as to the Company's strategic direction moving forward. Shortly thereafter, two additional directors, Ros L'Esperance and Kevin C. Conroy, also resigned from the Board. We believe that the departures of these directors left a void in the boardroom and we are not convinced that the agreement with Mr. Icahn, which included the appointment of three of his direct representatives, will result in the necessary change at Newell."

19:01 EDT Facebook's Zuckerberg: 'worth considering' paid subscriptions, Bloomberg says

18:33 EDT Flowserve names Elizabeth Burger as Chief Human Resources Officer - Flowserve (FLS) announced that Elizabeth Burger will join Flowserve as Senior Vice President and Chief Human Resources Officer, beginning Monday, April 16. Burger will join Flowserve from HanesBrands (HBI) where she served as Senior Vice President and Chief Human Resources Officer between 2013 and 2017.

18:08 EDT Magellan Midstream sees all-in refined products volume growth of 7% in FY18 - Comments from Magellan Midstream Analyst Day slides earlier today. Sees FY18 total refined product operating margin of $851, up from $837 in FY17. Sees FY18 adjusted EBITDA $1.36B, up from $1.30B in FY17. Sees FY18 Distributable Cash Flow reaching another record high of $1.05B, up from $1.02B in FY17. Sees FY18 Crude Oil operating margin of $515, up from $468 in FY17. Sees 8% annual distribution growth in FY18 with 1.2-times coverage. Expects leverage to increase to 3.8-times in FY18 as organic growth projects are financed with debt. Reference Link

18:02 EDT Sprint to offer iPhone 8 and iPhone 8 Plus RED Special Edition - Sprint (s) announced it will offer iPhone 8 and iPhone 8 Plus RED Special Edition, the new generation of iPhone in a stunning red finish. Both phones sport a beautiful glass enclosure, now in red, with a matching aluminum band and a sleek black front.

17:34 EDT ClearOne announces NASDAQ noncompliance - ClearOne announced, in accordance with NASDAQ rules, that it received a notification letter from staff of the NASDAQ Listing Qualifications Department, stating that ClearOne is not in compliance with NASDAQ listing rule 5250, which requires timely filing of periodic reports with the SEC. The letter was issued in accordance with standard NASDAQ procedure under NASDAQ listing rules.

17:07 EDT Privet Fund LP lowers stake in Frequency Electronics to 8.3% from 10.8%

17:03 EDT Babcock & Wilcox identifies $51M of additional cost for Renewable projects - "B&W has worked to progress its Renewable energy projects in Europe, management, with review from the Chief Implementation Officer, preliminarily identified approximately $51M of additional estimated costs to complete the projects. The largest portion of the additional estimated costs are related to the project with the previously announced steel beam failure," said the company in a statement.B&W intends to seek not only insurance recoveries, but also plans to seek additional relief from its customers and will pursue other claims where appropriate and available. There can be no assurance as to recovery amounts that B&W may realize. The $51M of additional renewable project costs do not take into account any potential recoveries to mitigate these losses.

16:59 EDT Compass Minerals reports Q1 salt product sales 4.3M tons, up 22% from last year - Compass Minerals reported above-average winter weather in its primary North American service areas for the first quarter of 2018 and the full 2017-2018 winter season. Eleven representative cities in the company's primary North American highway deicing service area reported 118 snow events during the first quarter of 2018, compared to the 10-year average of 112 events. Snow events totaled 175 for the full 2017-2018 winter season, which was approximately 11% above the 10-year average of 157 events. The company sold approximately 4.3M tons of highway deicing salt products in the period, an increase of 22% from first-quarter 2017 results, which were negatively impacted by mild winter weather. This total includes all highway maintenance products sold in the U.S., Canada and the U.K., as well as rock salt sold to the chemical industry. Sales of all salt products totaled 4.8M tons in the 2018 first quarter compared to 4.0M tons in the first quarter of 2017.

16:49 EDT comScore announces first TV station to use local news intelligence service - comScore announced that News-Press & Gazette Company, or NPG, will be the pioneering TV station group to pilot local news intelligence, a new data analysis service launched in partnership between Transform, Inc. and comScore. By leveraging comScore local TV information through Transform's proprietary platform, Local news intelligence provides predictions, recommendations and performance insights for local news. Using local news intelligence, NPG's local TV stations will be granted insights into which elements of their broadcasts drive local news audiences and create viewer engagement across platforms.

16:46 EDT Analogic down 12% to $84.40 after agreeing to be acquired by Altaris

16:43 EDT Enterprise Products raises quarterly dividend by 3% to 42.75c per share - The quarterly distribution will be paid Tuesday, May 8, 2018, to unitholders of record as of the close of business Monday, April 30, 2018.

16:33 EDT China Internet Nationwide engages Shearman Sterling to conduct investigation - China Internet Nationwide Financial Services noted the recent fluctuations in its stock price and will continue to monitor the situation. As previously announced, an independent special committee formed by the Company's Board of Directors has engaged Shearman & Sterling LLP, which subsequently retained KPMG Advisory Limited, to conduct an independent investigation into the allegations raised in a report issued by Muddy Waters LLC dated December 20, 2017. The company has been fully cooperating with the Investigation and anticipates the conclusion of the Investigation soon.

16:23 EDT Procter & Gamble increases dividend 4% to .72c per share - The board of Procter & Gamble declared an increased quarterly dividend of .72c per share on the Common Stock and on the Series A and Series B ESOP Convertible Class A Preferred Stock of the company, payable on or after May 15, to shareholders of record at the close of business on April 20, and to Series A and Series B ESOP Convertible Class A Preferred Stock shareholders of record at the start of business on April 20. This represents a 4% increase compared to the prior quarterly dividend.

16:19 EDT Scopia Capital raises passive stake in PTC Therapeutics to 12.9% from 9.9%

16:17 EDT AllianceBernstein reports preliminary AUM $549B as of March 31 - AllianceBernstein announced that preliminary assets under management decreased to $549B during March 2018 from $555B at the end of February. The 1.1% decline was due to firmwide net outflows and market depreciation. By channel, net outflows from Institutions and Retail were partly offset by net inflows to Private Wealth.

16:16 EDT Humana completes acquisition of Family Physicians Group - Humana announced the completion of the acquisition of Family Physicians Group. Headquartered in Orlando, Florida, FPG is one of the largest at-risk providers serving Medicare Advantage and Managed Medicaid HMO patients in Greater Orlando with a footprint that includes 22 clinics located in Lake, Orange, Osceola and Seminole counties. FPG currently provides care for over 22,000 Medicare Advantage patients, including nearly 4,000 Humana members. Additionally, FPG also serves over 21,000 patients in other lines of business including Medicaid, Medicare Fee-For-Service, and commercial. FPG is accredited by the National Committee for Quality Assurance as a Level III Patient-Centered Medical Home and has been recognized for its diabetes and heart/stroke clinical programs. The acquisition of FPG advances Humana's strategy of helping physicians and clinicians evolve from treating health episodically to managing health holistically.

16:14 EDT SailingStone Capital reports 11.8% passive stake in Fairmount Santrol

16:12 EDT Baker Bros Advisors reports 12.6% passive stake in Invitae

16:10 EDT Gladstone Capital says board approves reduction to required asset coverage - Gladstone Capital announced that on April 10 the Company's Board of Directors, including a "required majority" (as such term is defined in Section 57 of the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended of the Board, approved the modified asset coverage requirements set forth in Section 61a2of the 1940 Act, as amended by the Small Business Credit Availability Act. As a result, the Company's asset coverage requirements for senior securities will be changed from 200% to 150%, effective one year after the approval date, April 10, 2019.

16:10 EDT PennantPark's board approves reduction in asset coverage requirements - PennantPark Floating Rate Capital announced that on April 5, its board approved the application of the modified asset coverage requirements set forth in Section 61(a)(2) of the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended by the Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2018. As a result, the company's asset coverage requirements applicable to senior securities will be reduced from 200% to 150%, effective as of April 5, 2019.

16:08 EDT Tiptree reorganizes stock structure - Tiptree announced that it has completed a corporate reorganization that eliminates Tiptree's dual class stock structure. As a result of the reorganization, Tiptree directly owns 100% of Tiptree Operating Company, the operating subsidiary that holds all of Tiptree's consolidated subsidiaries. Tiptree has 37,933,595 shares of Class A common stock outstanding. All Class B common stock were canceled in connection with the reorganization and Tiptree's Class A common stock is the only outstanding class of stock of Tiptree.

16:07 EDT Viper Energy increases quarterly cash distribution 4% - The board of Viper's general partner has declared a cash distribution of 48c per common unit for the three-month period ended March 31, payable on April 27 to common unitholders of record as of the close of business on April 20. The Q1 cash distribution increased 4% to 48c per unit from 46c per unit in Q4 of 2017. When annualized, this distribution represents an approximate 7.5% yield based on the closing price for Viper's common units on April 9.

16:06 EDT Viper Energy reports Q1 production increase of 14% from last quarter - Viper Energy Partners announced that production for Q1 was 14.1 Mboe/d, an increase of approximately 14% from Q4 2017 average daily production of 12.4 Mboe/d. Viper's Q1 average realized prices were $61.43 per barrel of oil, $2.22 per Mcf of natural gas and $24.17 per barrel of natural gas liquids, resulting in a total equivalent price of $49.09/boe, up 17% year over year from $41.80/boe in Q1 2017 and up 12% from the Q4 2017 total equivalent price of $43.76/boe.

16:03 EDT NanoString announces launch of Breast Cancer 360 research panel - NanoString Technologies announced the launch of the Breast Cancer 360 research panel. The BC 360 Panel provides a unique 360 degree view of the tumor, microenvironment and immune response. The 770 gene expression panel includes comprehensive and expertly curated content across important breast cancer pathways and contains validated and novel signatures including NanoString's PAM50 signature for breast cancer subtyping as well as the Tumor Inflammation Signature for determining whether a tumor is inflamed or non-inflamed. The BC360 Panel is part of an expanding portfolio of comprehensive cancer research panels for the growing field of translational research and signature development."Breast cancer is a complex disease with many distinct subtypes, each having its own unique biology. While cancer research and drug development have historically focused on understanding the biology of the tumor itself, the field is moving toward a more holistic approach that goes beyond the tumor to examine the role that the tumor microenvironment and host immune response play," said Alessandra Cesano, NanoString's chief medical officer. "We created the Breast Cancer 360 Panel to anticipate the needs of translational researchers in their quest to understand the implications of heterogeneity in breast cancer for drug development and patient management."

16:01 EDT Lakeland Financial increases quarterly dividend 18% - Lakeland Financial Corporation announced that the board approved a quarterly cash dividend for Q1 of 26c per share, payable on May 7 to shareholders of record as of April 25. The quarterly dividend represents a 18% increase over the quarterly dividend rate paid in 2017.

15:48 EDT Facebook CEO says company does not have a monopoly - Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg continues giving testimony on Capitol Hill.

15:34 EDT Facebook rallies during Zuckerberg's testimony to Congress, Twitter jumps - Facebook shares are up 4.5% in late-day trading. Twitter is off intraday high, up 6%.

15:25 EDT Facebook CEO sees some areas of legislation that are worthwhile to consider - Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg, while testifying before the Senate Commerce, Science, and Transportation Committee, said he sees areas of potential legislation that he views as worthwhile to consider. He also said that there will "always" be a version of Facebook that is free.

15:09 EDT Zuckerberg says ad supported service still best business model for Facebook - Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg is testifying before the Senate Commerce, Science, and Transportation Committee.

15:01 EDT Facebook shares up 3.5% as CEO gives testimony to senate committee - Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg is testifying before the Senate Commerce, Science, and Transportation Committee.

14:38 EDT NeuroMetrix reports publication of results from clinical study of Quell - NeuroMetrix reported the publication of results from a clinical study of Quell in the Journal of Pain Research. "We are pleased that the results of this large, real-world study of Quell effectiveness has been published. The findings confirm that Quell provides valuable incremental pain relief to many individuals with chronic pain. Importantly, this is the first study using data collected in the Quell Health Cloud that has been peer reviewed and published in a pain journal. We believe that our ability to leverage the Quell Health Cloud to conduct sophisticated, large scale scientific and clinical research is a substantial long term competitive advantage," said Shai Gozani, President and CEO of NeuroMetrix.

14:03 EDT Pfizer says committee recommends Inlyta trial be stopped due to futility - Pfizer announced that the independent Data Monitoring Committee for the Phase 3 ATLAS trial evaluating Inlyta as adjuvant therapy for patients at high risk of recurrent renal cell carcinoma, or RCC, after nephrectomy recommended stopping the trial at a planned interim analysis due to futility. The recommendation was based on the study failing to demonstrate a clear improvement in the primary endpoint of extending disease-free survival for patients treated with Inlyta compared with patients treated with placebo. No new safety signals were observed, and the safety profile was consistent with the known profile of Inlyta in advanced RCC.

13:48 EDT Synalloy jumps 14% after announcing improved guidance for FY18 - Earlier, Synalloy announced improved guidance for FY18 results, with expected net sales of between $240M and $245M and net income of between $13.6M and $15.2M, compared to previous guidance for net sales of $231M and for net income of $8M, respectively. The updated guidance equates to a projected Adjusted EBITDA of between $28M and $30M."We are very optimistic that our 2018 financial results will achieve the revised guidance targets. Our primary end markets continue to point toward increasing demand and improving prices. The recent actions against dumping of imported stainless steel pipe and tube are already resulting in improved market dynamics for this critical product line. The Specialty Chemicals Segment performed well in the first quarter 2018, generating unaudited sales approximating plan, and slightly ahead of 2017. Excluding contributions from any acquisitions, our current forecast for 2018 calls for between a 19% to 22% increase in revenue and between a 124% and 140% increase in Adjusted EBITDA. The Company's balance sheet is in excellent shape and we have ample borrowing capacity to meet our needs going forward" said Synalloy in an earlier statement. Shares of Synalloy are up 13.83% or $1.95 to $16.05 per share.

13:05 EDT Boeing, Qatar Airways sign LOI for five 777 freighters - Boeing and Qatar Airways today signed a letter of intent to purchase five 777 Freighters, valued at $1.7B at list prices. When a purchase is finalized, it will be posted to Boeing's Orders and Deliveries website. The letter of intent was signed during a ceremony attended by Qatari Minister of Finance and Qatar Airways Chairman His Excellency Mr. Ali Sharif Al Emadi, Qatar Airways Group Chief Executive His Excellency Mr. Akbar Al Baker, Boeing Commercial Airplanes President & CEO Kevin McAllister. Qatar Airways currently operates a fleet of nearly 100 Boeing widebody airplanes and has about 100 more Boeing airplanes on order.

12:51 EDT Five Prime closes bladder cancer cohort of Phase 1 clinical trial - Five Prime Therapeutics decided to close the bladder cancer cohort of its Phase 1 clinical trial evaluating the safety, PK and activity of bemarituzumab as monotherapy in patients with metastatic gastric and gastroesophageal and bladder cancer whose tumors overexpress the FGFR2b protein. FivePrime decided to close the bladder cancer cohort after evaluating the feasibility and timing of activating necessary clinical sites, the rate of patient enrollment in the bladder cancer cohort and the current landscape of potential treatment options for bladder cancer patients, the company said in a regulatory filing. FivePrime will continue to treat bladder cancer patients currently on study but will not enroll additional patients in this cohort. FivePrime previously closed enrollment in the four cohorts of patients with gastric and GEJ cancer in the expansion portion of the FPA144-001 Trial in order to focus its efforts on its Phase 1/3 global registrational trial evaluating bemarituzumab in combination with 5-fluorouracil, leucovorin, and oxaliplatin, a regimen known as mFOLFOX6, as front-line treatment of patients with gastric or GEJ cancer that overexpresses FGFR2b, it noted. Following the completion of treatment for patients in the bladder cancer cohort who are currently on study, FivePrime will close the FPA144-001 Trial.

12:47 EDT First Citizens says has no plans to close Milwaukee Area Guaranty bank branches - First Citizens Bank, which operates a Guaranty Bank division, issued the following statement to clarify recent inaccurate news reports: "We have no plans to close either the Guaranty Bank Brown Deer branch at 4000 West Brown Deer Road or Bayshore branch at 5610 North Bayshore Drive in Glendale. The staff reductions mentioned in a regulatory filing impact corporate staff locations and associates, who have been previously notified. No branch associates are impacted." First Citizens Bank operates 11 branches in the greater Milwaukee area -- 10 branches as a division of Guaranty Bank and one branch as First Citizens Bank from a previous, separate acquisition.

12:41 EDT Sprint jumps 6% after report of restarting merger talks with T-Mobile - T-Mobile shares are up 5.5% following The Wall Street Journal's report.

12:37 EDT Sprint trading halted, volatility trading pause

12:31 EDT USG responds to Knauf's 'Vote No' campaign - USG issued the following statements in response to the announcement from Gebr. Knauf KG urging USG shareholders to vote against the company's director nominees at its upcoming Annual Meeting on May 9, 2018. On March 26, 2018, USG announced that it had received a proposal from Knauf to acquire USG for $42.00 per share in cash and that, after careful consideration, and with the assistance of its financial and legal advisors, the Board had determined that Knauf's proposal significantly undervalues the Company and is not in the best interests of all USG shareholders. Steven Leer, USG's non-executive chairman of the Board, said, "Knauf's letter mischaracterizes our Board's actions. Our Board has clearly demonstrated that it is willing to evaluate any opportunity to deliver value to all of our shareholders. We have engaged with Knauf in good faith on multiple occasions since November 2017. Jenny Scanlon and I met in person with Alexander Knauf and Manfred Grundke on March 12. Additionally, at the direction of our Board, our financial and legal advisors met with Knauf's advisors as recently as last Thursday. The fact is their proposal is wholly inadequate, opportunistic and does not reflect the intrinsic value of the company." Jennifer Scanlon, president and CEO of USG, said, "Contrary to Knauf's statements, I have met with and spoken to Knauf's senior management multiple times in the past few months. Knauf knows this industry well and understands that USG, with our Sheetrock brand, is the crown jewel within North American building products, and to date has not indicated any willingness to pay full value to all of our shareholders."

12:15 EDT Ally Financial announces strategic alliance with Fair - Ally Financial and Fair announced a strategic relationship in which Fair will use Ally's SmartAuction as a remarketing solution for its returned cars, and offer consumers car financing powered by Ally's Clearlane program. The companies are also exploring options to expand the agreement nationwide later this year, which would further enable Fair's mission to provide flexible access to mobility for all consumers, they stated.

12:12 EDT Air Liquide signs long-term contract with LyondellBasell - Air Liquide (AIQUY) signed a new long-term agreement with LyondellBasell (LYB) to supply oxygen to LyondellBasell's new large-scale petrochemical plant which will be constructed in Channelview, Texas. LyondellBasell's new propylene oxide/tertiary butyl alcohol plant, or PO/TBA, is expected to be the largest of its kind plant in the world when completed. The oxygen provided by Air Liquide will be sourced from its Gulf Coast Pipeline System, part of the largest industrial gas pipeline system in the world, which spans more than 2,000 miles along the coasts of southeast Texas and Louisiana. LyondellBasell's $2.4B PO/TBA project is part of its announced organic growth program. The PO/TBA portion of this investment is designed to meet rising global demand for both urethanes and cleaner-burning oxyfuels. The construction of LyondellBasell's new PO/TBA plant is expected to begin in the second half of 2018 and be completed in 2021.

12:00 EDT Goldman Sachs says sell J.B. Hunt, buy Landstar System - In a research note to investors, Goldman Sachs analyst Matt Reustle initiated the truck space with a Neutral rating, saying it is "too early to fade the trucking cycle." Among the six stocks across Truckload, Less-than-Truckload, Rail and Logistics, the analyst started this morning, Reustle initiated coverage of freight broker Landstar (LSTR) with a Buy rating, while starting intermodal specialist J.B. Hunt with a Sell driven by margin pressures arising from inefficiencies due to rail service deterioration, increased costs of locating drayage in a tight freight environment, and deteriorating asset turnover. TRUCK SPACE: Goldman Sachs' Reustle told investors this morning that he believes the current cycle of higher transportation rates can be attributed more to a shortage of supply than a surge in demand. The analyst typically views demand as the more challenging variable to forecast versus supply in his analysis, but uncertainty around tariffs, NAFTA, and the potential for a trade war have further widened this "forecasting gap." New truck order backlogs signal a capacity response is near and recent driver hiring and wage increases suggest labor will follow in mid-2018, he contended. In the near-term, the analyst thinks the less-fragmented Less-than-Truckload industry should see ongoing benefits from selective Truckload spillover, but this should be offset by a similar required investment and higher labor costs for both TL and LTL operators. Further, Reustle said he expects Rails to continue to capture near-term market share from the highway. However, intermodal volumes are weighing on network fluidity and the earnings stream is more cyclical than captive business, he added. BUY LANDSTAR: Goldman Sachs' Reustle initiated Landstar with a Buy rating and a $130 price target. The company's "asset light" network model is comparable to other transportation brokerage type businesses, such as CH Robinson (CHRW) and Expeditors (EXPD), but with important differentiating factors, namely independent contractors dedicated to Landstar, independent commission sales agents, and high specification "Industrial" freight movement moving on spot contracts, he argued. The analyst told investors he believes these factors make Landstar's operating model best suited to capture returns through a freight cycle while assuming less risk than asset-intensive operators in a downcycle. The analyst also started coverage of Old Dominion Freight (ODFL), Knight-Swift Transportation (KNX), Genesee & Wyoming (GWR), and Ryder (R) with Neutral ratings. SELL J.B. HUNT: Meanwhile, Goldman's Reustle initiated J.B. Hunt with a Sell rating and $102 price target. While the analyst expects the intermodal market to remain strong through the first half of 2018, he thinks the market has "moved somewhat ahead of itself." The tight trucking market has led to a boom in intermodal volume over the past few quarters, but with Class 8 order rates remaining elevated since September, some of the volumes that have moved from truck to rail may begin to migrate back as trucking rates should begin to come down, he contended. Further, the analyst argued that rail service issues have led to longer lead times and slowing turnaround of J.B. Hunt intermodal containers, which together increase costs and weigh on margins. Reustle sees slowing intermodal share gains and the potential for disappointing margins weighing on shares and leading to a re-rating lower through 2018. Reiterating an Overweight rating on the name, his peer at Stephens lowered his price target on J.B. Hunt this morning to $133 from $140. Analyst Brad Delco said he expects the company to report healthy demand trends across all business lines, but sees bad weather, poor rail service, and driver wage pressure dampening earnings slightly compared to his prior estimates. PRICE ACTION: In late morning trading, shares of J.B. Hunt have gained about 2.3% to $111.71, while Landstar's stock has advanced almost 3% to $107.52.

11:46 EDT W.R. Grace not commenting on renewed takeover speculation - Contacted by The Fly following increased speculation on possible interest from Honeywell (HON) in acquiring the company, a spokesperson from W.R. Grace (GRA) said "Grace's policy and practice is not to speculate on rumors in the marketplace." In late morning trading, shares of W.R. Grace have jumped over 6% to $65.52.

11:21 EDT Concert reports Incyte granted rehearing request over IPR challenge - In a regulatory filing earlier, Concert Pharmaceuticals (CNCE) announced that the Patent Trial and Appeal Board has granted the Request for Rehearing of the PTAB's decision denying institution of the Inter Partes Review filed by Incyte (INCY) against the company's U.S. Patent No. 9,249,149. "The company believes in the validity of its patent and intends to vigorously defend the claims," Concert stated in the filing.

11:13 EDT Sprint, Mobilitie reach $11.6M settlement with FCC - The Federal Communications Commission announced settlements with Sprint and Mobilitie in two separate but related investigations into whether the companies completed proper tower registration as well as environmental and historic impact reviews prior to construction of wireless infrastructure facilities. Sprint, a mobile voice and data service provider, contracted with Mobilitie, a telecommunications infrastructure company, to deploy wireless network equipment. Last year, the FCC's Enforcement Bureau began investigations into whether the parties had met certain regulatory requirements before constructing wireless infrastructure facilities. Under the rules in effect at that time, deploying wireless infrastructure facilities, such as communications towers and structures for small cell systems, required environmental and historic preservation reviews, including Tribal consultation, prior to construction of certain facilities. In addition, certain facilities were required to be registered with the FCC prior to construction. To settle the investigations, Sprint agreed to pay $10M and Mobilitie agreed to pay $1.6M to the U.S. Treasury. In addition to the settlement amounts, Sprint and Mobilitie have committed to enhancing their environmental and historic preservation review compliance procedures going forward.

10:49 EDT Ulta Beauty rises as Piper Jaffray says buy after surveying teens - Shares of Ulta Beauty (ULTA) are on the rise after Piper Jaffray analyst Erinn Murphin upgraded the stock to Overweight on the heels of her firm's teen survey, which indicated beauty spending was reaccelerating. Further, the analyst noted that Ulta has returned to the number one spot as the preferred shopping destination for average-income females. BUY ULTA BEAUTY: In a research note this morning, Piper Jaffray's Murphy upgraded Ulta Beauty to Overweight from Neutral and raised her price target for the shares to $236 from $212 as she is incrementally positive on the name and on the beauty industry in general. Piper's 35th semi-annual teens survey, which includes 6,000 teens across 40 states with an average age of 16, showed an improving backdrop for beauty spending led by skincare, where Ulta has 21% of its sales. While the analyst pointed out that Sephora remains the number 1 shopping destination among upper-income females, she noted that the survey showed that Ulta has reemerged as the number 1 destination for average-income females at 33% share. Murphy told investors she views this particularly positively given what she believes is an overblown investment-community concern on the "repacking/reselling" of cosmetics at Ulta. Further, the analyst argued that Ulta appears to be well positioned to benefit from the increasing popularity of the specialty channel with teens. The Ulta reward program increased in popularity, with the gap between Ulta and Sephora loyalty programs narrowing by 18%, she pointed out. Additionally, Murphey highlighted that she did not see the level of reacceleration she anticipated from brands like Fenty, a competitive threat to Ulta. WHAT'S NOTABLE: In a separate research note this morning, Piper Jaffray's Murphy noted that her firm's 35th semi-annual Taking Stock With Teens survey indicated that, overall, teen spending is up year over year and sequentially, which she believes reflects underlying economic strength. Multi-year gainers video games, beauty, and restaurants appear set to continue taking wallet share, while fashion remain relatively stable with recent trends, she added. According to the survey, the biggest brand gainers were Ulta, Activision Blizzard (ATVI), Adidas (ADDYY), Amazon (AMZN), Apple (AAPL), Hanesbrands' (HBI) Champion, Electronic Arts (EA), Kering's (PPRUY) Gucci, lululemon (LULU), Supreme, Tommy Hilfiger (PVH), VF Corp's (VFC) Vans, Starbucks (SBUX), Take-Two (TTWO), and Tarte, while the largest brand losers were Nike (NKE), Converse, eBay (EBAY), Estee Lauder (EL), Fosil (FOSL) and Ralph Lauren (RL). PRICE ACTION: In morning trading, shares of Ulta Beauty have gained almost 4% to $220.06.

10:47 EDT Elliott Advisors says Vivendi trying to 'avoid accountability' on Telecom Italia - Elliott Advisors issued the following statement on Telecom Italia (TI): "In its latest assault on shareholder rights, the Board of Telecom Italia, backed by its largest shareholder Vivendi, is now challenging the recent ruling by the Board of Statutory Auditors. Stakeholders should see this for what it is - another cynical attempt by Vivendi to avoid accountability and delay a shareholder vote."

10:32 EDT Tandem Diabetes surges after preliminary revenue beats expectations - Shares of Tandem Diabetes Care (TNDM) jumped in morning trading after the company reported preliminary sales for the first quarter that exceeded analysts' expectations. PRELIMINARY Q1 RESULTS: Tandem Diabetes said before the market open that preliminary sales for Q1 were $27M, up 42% from last year and exceeding analysts' consensus estimates of $24.99M. Pump shipments are expected to be approximately 4,400 pumps, an increase of 56% from last year. In a statement, President and Chief Executive Officer Kim Blickenstaff said that "continued high-demand for the t:slim X2 Insulin Pump drove our record first quarter sales, and supports our strategy of using modern, consumer-focused technology to improve the lives of people with diabetes," adding that "This strong commercial momentum allows us to continue leveraging our early infrastructure investments and positions us well to deliver upon our goals in 2018." PIPER 'WAITING FOR MORE EVIDENCE' OF ACCELERATING GROWTH: Piper Jaffray analyst JP McKim reiterated a Neutral rating and $4 price target, telling investors in a research note that while he is "incrementally more positive" on Tandem on its preliminary revenue beat, noting that the company benefited from the exit of Animas from the U.S. market, he is "waiting for more evidence" of an accelerating growth trend before revising his stance. Animas Corporation is one of the Johnson & Johnson (JNJ) Diabetes Care Companies, which previously announced in October 2017 that it would discontinue the manufacturing and sale of Animas Vibe and OneTouch Ping insulin pumps, close operations and exit the insulin pump business. PRICE ACTION: Shares of Tandem Diabetes are up 11.6% in morning trading to $6.44.

10:02 EDT Medtronic expands Visualase system to European markets with CE Mark approval - Medtronic announced the CE Mark and European launch of the VisualaseMRI-Guided Laser Ablation System. The Visualase system provides advanced MRI-guided laser ablation technology and can be used in neurosurgery procedures.

09:55 EDT Nvidia rises as gaming strength seen offsetting crypto weakness - Shares of Nvidia (NVDA) are higher after a Morgan Stanley analyst upgraded the stock to Overweight, saying he expects gaming strength will offset cryptocurrency weakness in the near-term. UPGRADE: On Monday night, Morgan Stanley analyst Joseph Moore upgraded Nvidia to Overweight from Equal Weight, stating that he sees gaming strength offsetting cryptocurrency weakness in the near-term while progress in data center inference expands the company's long-term opportunity. The analyst also said he believes Nvidia is at a solid entry point as potential headwinds from cryptocurrency shortages coming to an end are clearly in sight due to the potential for sharp declines in ethereum mining. In addition, Moore said while he remains positive on other opportunities in the memory supply chain and artificial intelligence inference, Nvidia's footprint continues to expand and it's becoming increasingly clear Nvidia will be the most direct beneficiary of trends in machine learning. "As Nvidia's footprint continues to expand, it's increasingly clear that all roads lead back to Nvidia as the most direct beneficiary of trends in machine learning," Moore said. He maintained a $258 price target on Nvidia shares. WHAT'S NOTABLE: China-based Bitmain has delayed shipments for its Ethereum ASIC miner, the Antiminer E3, to mid- or late-July from April due to the circuit's weaker-than-expected performance, but still expects shipments to reach the original target of 1.8M-2M units in 2018, DigiTimes reported Tuesday. Bitmain will start accepting pre-orders for the ASIC Miner, manufactured on TSMC's (TSM) 28nm process, in April and begin a small volume of shipments in July with mass shipments planned for the fourth quarter after the release of an updated version of the miner. The miner has been pointed to as a potential risk to demand for graphics cards, possibly impacting Nvidia and AMD (AMD). Analysts expect Bitmain will dominate the ethereum mining market, which is estimated to account for roughly 20% of AMD's sales and 10% of Nvidia's revenue. PRICE ACTION: Nvidia rose 3.33% to $222.44 in morning trading.

09:34 EDT Clovis down 1% in early trading after SEC issues 'Wells notices'

09:32 EDT Applied Genetic announces completion of enrollment in Phase 1/2 XLRS study - Applied Genetic Technologies (AGTC) announced the completion of enrollment in a clinical study of the company's gene therapy product candidate, in collaboration with Biogen (BIIB), for the treatment of x-linked retinoschisis. This multicenter study is designed to evaluate the collaboration's AAV vector expressing retinoschisin in patients with XLRS caused by mutations in the RS1 gene. Topline data are anticipated by Q4 2018 with the final analysis at the twelve-month time point. The Phase 1/2 trial is an open-label, dose escalation study designed to assess the safety and efficacy of intravitreal administration of the AAV-based gene therapy in approximately 27 patients diagnosed with XLRS caused by mutations in the RS1 gene. Trial participants were enrolled sequentially in four groups. Individuals in Groups 1, 2 and 3 received a low, middle or high dose of the investigational study agent. Patients in Group 4 received the maximum tolerated dose as determined by the first three groups. In addition, a group of pediatric patients were enrolled at the middle dose. Although the primary endpoint of this study is designed to evaluate safety, efficacy will also be measured by an evaluation of changes in visual structure, function and quality of life.

09:21 EDT Tyler Technologies CHRO Bob Sansone retires, Kelley Shimansky to succeed - Tyler Technologies announced that Kelley Shimansky has joined Tyler as the company's new CHRO. Kelley brings more than 20 years of global human resources leadership experience with expertise in talent strategy design and execution, compensation design, leadership development, and global HR technology implementation. Kelley is assuming the role vacated by Bob Sansone, who recently retired after 23 years with Tyler, including serving as CHRO for the past nine years.

09:14 EDT Consolidated Tomoka presentation highlights track record of 'strong performance' - Consolidated-Tomoka Land announced that it has released certain proxy materials including an investor presentation and a letter to its shareholders from the company's Board of Directors. The company is mailing the CTO Letter in connection with its upcoming 2018 annual meeting of shareholders, to be held on April 25, 2018 in Daytona Beach, Florida. Shareholders of record as of the close of business on March 2, 2018 are eligible to vote at the Annual Meeting. The CTO Presentation "outlines CTO's track record of strong performance in creating shareholder value; the execution of its strategic plan; its commitment to strong corporate governance, including its slate of highly experienced director nominees; its ongoing commitment to maximizing shareholder value; and why shareholders should support CTO's nominees for election at the Company's Annual Meeting. The CTO Presentation details and addresses the numerous inaccuracies in statements made by Wintergreen Advisers and provides what the Board believes are Wintergreen's true motivations for nominating three of the same people to the Board this year who were overwhelmingly rejected by a large majority of CTO's shareholders last year. The CTO Presentation also includes an analysis of Wintergreen's history of poor performance and the precipitous decline of the assets under management at Wintergreen Fund, Wintergreen's main investment vehicle. And importantly, the CTO Presentation provides all of CTO's shareholders with visibility into Wintergreen's attempt to get the company to repurchase all or a substantial portion of the shares beneficially owned by Wintergreen at a premium of more than 40% over the recent market price. The Board unanimously recommends that shareholders vote the WHITE proxy card 'FOR' ALL the company's seven experienced and highly-qualified director nominees: John P. Albright, Laura M. Franklin, Christopher W. Haga, William L. Olivari, Howard C. Serkin, Thomas P. Warlow, III and Casey R. Wold."

09:07 EDT Union Bankshares to acquire Outfitter Advisors, terms not disclosed - Union Bank & Trust announced that its subsidiary Old Dominion Capital Management has entered into an agreement to acquire Outfitter Advisors, a McLean, Virginia based registered investment advisory firm with approximately $400M in assets under management and advisement. Founded in 1999, Outfitter Advisors, will operate as part of Old Dominion Capital Management with offices in Charlottesville, Alexandria and McLean, Virginia. The current principals and employees will stay with the firm. The acquisition, which is subject to certain closing conditions and approvals, is scheduled to close during the third quarter. Union's Wealth Management offers comprehensive wealth management services including asset management, trust, estate planning, private banking, brokerage, risk management, and financial planning. Including the recent acquisition of Dixon, Hubard, Feinour & Brown, Union Wealth Management's registered investment advisor assets will exceed $1.3B and total assets under advisement will be more than $3.6B

09:06 EDT RCI Hospitality reports clubs total sales up 18.5% in Q2 vs. last year - RCI Hospitality Holdings announced total and same-store sales for its Nightclubs and Bombshells restaurant segments for the Q2. Total club and restaurant sales: $40.8M compared to $34.0M in Q2 of FY17; consolidated same-store sales: $35.3M compared to $33.7M last year; nightclubs segment sales: $35.2M compared to $29.7M last year; and bombshells restaurant segment sales: $5.6M compared to $4.4M last year. The company added, "Sales improved across the board in 2Q. Nightclubs increased 18.5% in total sales and 5.1% on a same-store basis, while Bombshells grew 28.0% in total sales and 2.7% on a same-store basis. New units added $5.4M in sales, primarily due to Scarlett's Cabaret Miami, which we acquired in Q3 of FY17, and the Q2 of Bombshells Restaurant & Bar on Highway 290 in Houston."

08:58 EDT Diana Shipping, United Bulk Carriers enter time charter contract for m/v Melia - Diana Shipping announced that, through a separate wholly-owned subsidiary, it has entered into a time charter contract with United Bulk Carriers International for one of its Panamax dry bulk vessels, the m/v Melia. The gross charter rate is $12,000 per day, minus a 5% commission paid to third parties, for a period of minimum seventeen months to maximum twenty months. The charter is expected to commence on April 20, 2018. The m/v Melia is currently chartered, as previously announced, to Nidera, Roma, at a gross charter rate of US$9,500 per day, minus a 5% commission paid to third parties. The "Melia" is a 76,225 dwt Panamax dry bulk vessel built in 2005. This employment is anticipated to generate approximately $6.12M of gross revenue for the minimum scheduled period of the time charter.

08:49 EDT Exala Technologies acquires Asterion International, terms not disclosed - Exela Technologies announced that it had completed the acquisition of Asterion International Group, a well-established provider of technology driven business process outsourcing, document management and digital data processing across Europe. The acquisition expands Exela's European business to over $200M in annual revenue and will enable Asterion's customers to access Exela's full suite of BPA solutions. Exela does not intend to disclose financial terms of the transaction. Asterion currently serves over 250 key customers in Europe from 13 operating locations and 30 customer sites. The acquisition, which comes with minimal customer overlap, is also highly complementary to the business of Exela's document-management focused subsidiary, Exela Enterprise Solutions, which provides a similar set of solutions to customers in North America.

08:41 EDT Air Transport Services delivers first leased 767 freighters to Air Incheon - Air Transport Services Group (ATSG) announced the delivery by its ATSG West Leasing Limited subsidiary of a Boeing (BA) 767-300 converted freighter under a six-year dry lease with Air Incheon of South Korea, which has agreed to lease a second 767-300 freighter when the aircraft completes modification in the second half of 2018. Air Incheon and ATSG had announced the lease agreement in November 2017.

08:35 EDT Pfizer announces 20-year lease for 'The Spiral' office tower - Pfizer announced that it has signed a 20-year lease for The Spiral, an office tower being built by Tishman Speyer, at 66 Hudson Boulevard at Hudson Yards of Manhattan. As part of its 20-year lease agreement, Pfizer will relocate its global headquarters from 235 East 42nd Street to The Spiral where it will occupy 15 floors, and expects to begin moving colleagues there in 2022.

08:32 EDT Limoneira announces formation of Grupo Argentino - Limoneira Company announced the formation of Grupo Argentino, a cooperative arrangement between the company and Argentinian Citrus Growers and Packers. Grupo Argentino will complement U.S. supplies of lemons during the Northern hemisphere's summer months with consistent supply from Argentina. In addition to Limoneira, F.G.F. Trapani S.A., Padilla Citrus S.A. and EarlyCrop S.A. are part of the network.

08:32 EDT VistaGen Therapeutics receives European patent for AV-101 production methods - VistaGen Therapeutics announced the European Patent Office has issued a Notice of Intention to grant a patent related to certain methods of production for AV-101, the Company's oral CNS drug candidate. AV-101 is in Phase 2 clinical development in the United States as a new adjunctive treatment of Major Depressive Disorder in patients with an inadequate response to current antidepressants that have been approved by the FDA.

08:17 EDT AbbVie, Neurocrine announce PDUFA target date of 3Q18 for elagolix - AbbVie (ABBV) in cooperation with Neurocrine Biosciences (NBIX), announced notification by the U.S. FDA that it requires extended time to review additional information regarding the results of liver function tests provided by AbbVie in connection with its New Drug Application for elagolix in endometriosis-associated pain. The Prescription Drug User Fee Act date has been extended three months to Q3 2018. In Q4 2017, the FDA granted priority review for AbbVie's NDA for endometriosis. The FDA grants priority review to medicines it determines have potential to provide significant improvements in the safety and effectiveness of the treatment of a serious disease. If approved, elagolix will be the first new oral medical management treatment option for endometriosis-associated pain in more than a decade.

08:15 EDT Walmart, Postmates team up to expand Online Grocery Delivery option - Walmart and Postmates announced an agreement to help expand the retailer's popular Online Grocery Delivery option to more than 40 percent of U.S. households. Postmates will help power the Walmart's Online Grocery Deliveries, beginning today in Charlotte, NC with further expansion planned in the coming months. Groceries can be delivered to customers as soon as the same day. Walmart's Online Grocery Delivery carries a simple $9.95 fee and a $30 minimum order - no subscription, no price markups. Customers can get their first order delivered for free with promo code FRESHCAR with a $50 minimum order. The retailer also offers an Online Grocery Pickup service that allows customers to order their groceries online and pick them up in stores without ever getting out of their cars. The service, which has become a customer favorite and touted as a "Grocery Hero" for moms on the go and time-strapped families, is now available in 1,200 stores, nearly 20 in Charlotte, with 1,000 more to be added this year.

08:10 EDT Masimo announces CE marking of Rad-97 - Masimo announced the CE marking of the Rad-97 Pulse CO-Oximeter with integrated NomoLine capnography. With this clearance, Rad-97 is now available both within and outside the United States in three configurations: Rad-97, Rad-97 with integrated noninvasive blood pressure, and now Rad-97 with NomoLine capnography. Rad-97 offers Masimo noninvasive and continuous monitoring, through Measure-through Motion and Low Perfusion SET pulse oximetry, upgradeable rainbow technology, and NomoLine capnography in a compact, standalone monitor that incorporates advanced customizability, connectivity, and device integration capabilities.

08:07 EDT Selecta Biosciences reports 'positive' data from Phase 2 trial of SEL-212 - Selecta Biosciences presented new data from patients receiving SEL-212 for the treatment of chronic severe gout at the Pan American League of Associations for Rheumatology 2018 Congress in Buenos Aires, Argentina. SEL-212 is designed to be the first non-immunogenic version of uricase, which would allow for the effective and safe administration of multiple doses with concurrent mitigation of anti-drug antibodies against the pegsiticase enzyme. The data reported today at PANLAR consisted of patients that received three monthly doses of SEL-212, up to 0.15 mg/kg of SVP-Rapamycin in combination with 0.2 or 0.4 mg/kg of pegsiticase, followed by two monthly doses of pegsiticase alone. Approximately 75% of evaluable patients maintained serum uric acid level control below 6 mg/dl during the initial three months of therapy with concurrent mitigation of ADAs against the pegsiticase enzyme. Furthermore, 91% of patients dosed with pegsiticase alone in month four after the initial three monthly doses of SEL-212 maintained serum uric acid control demonstrating the potential of SVP technology for the induction of immune tolerance. Approximately 25% of the patient population treated with SEL-212 in the ongoing Phase 2 trial experienced gout flares during the first month after treatment with continued reduction of gout flare rates over months two to five. This low rate of gout flares appears to be in contrast with higher incidence of gout flares reported in clinical trials involving other urate lowering therapies. SEL-212 has been generally well tolerated at clinically active doses following repeated administrations in the trial. There have been 15 serious adverse events reported, seven of which were reported to be not related or unlikely to be related to study drug, seven were infusion reactions that were previously reported by the company in its June 2017 data readout, and one infusion reaction in the most recent cohorts. No infusion reactions have been reported after treatment period 2. All SAEs were successfully treated without further issues.

08:06 EDT SAP announces sponsorship deal with Team Liquid - SAP announced a new sponsorship deal with Team Liquid, one of the most successful teams in esports. The sponsorship of Team Liquid is the first collaboration of SAP with a professional esports organization. As official innovation partner, SAP will work with Team Liquid on co-developing software based on in-game data, which will help Team Liquid analyze performance and achieve greater precision in areas like team and player performance and scouting new talent.

08:06 EDT Palo Alto Networks to acquire Secdo, terms not disclosed - Palo Alto Networks announced that it has entered into a definitive agreement to acquire Israel-based Secdo. The acquisition brings sophisticated endpoint detection and response, or EDR, capabilities - including unique data collection and visualization - to Palo Alto Networks Traps advanced endpoint protection and the Application Framework in order to enhance their ability to rapidly detect and stop even the stealthiest attacks. The acquisition is expected to close during Palo Alto Networks fiscal third quarter, subject to satisfaction of customary closing conditions. Terms of the acquisition were not disclosed.

08:04 EDT Orbital ATK announces $115M Army order for ammunition - Orbital ATK announced that it has received new orders totaling more than $115M to produce small-caliber ammunition for the U.S. Army. The Army placed orders for a variety of 5.56mm, 7.62mm and .50 caliber ammunition, which will be manufactured at the U.S. government-owned, Orbital ATK-operated Lake City Army Ammunition Plant in Independence, Missouri. Orbital ATK is the largest manufacturer of small-caliber ammunition for the U.S. Department of Defense.

08:04 EDT Sempra Energy announces executive appointments - Sempra Energy announced several executive appointments as the company implements its leadership succession plan. Last month, Debra Reed announced her plans to step down as Sempra Energy's CEO and president May 1, and fully retire as chairman Dec. 1. The company previously announced that Jeffrey Martin was appointed her successor as Sempra Energy's CEO and Joseph Householder, her successor as Sempra Energy's president, both effective May 1. Martin currently is Sempra Energy's executive vice president and CFO. Householder currently is Sempra Energy's corporate group president of infrastructure businesses. The company announced that Householder also has been appointed Sempra Energy's COO, effective May 1. Also, effective immediately, Dennis Arriola has been appointed Sempra Energy's chief strategy officer and executive vice president of external affairs and South America. Previously, Arriola was Sempra Energy's executive vice president of corporate strategy and external affairs, and now has added responsibility for oversight of the company's South American operations. Additionally, Trevor Mihalik has been appointed Sempra Energy's executive vice president and CFO and Peter Wall, the company's vice president, controller and chief accounting officer, both effective May 1.

08:03 EDT Caladrius receives SAKIGAKE expedited review designation in Japan for CLBS12 - Caladrius Biosciences announces that the Company has received SAKIGAKE designation from the Japan Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare for CLBS12 for the treatment of critical limb ischemia. CLBS12 is currently in a Phase 2 trial in Japan for the treatment of no-option CLI, a severe obstruction of arterial blood flow to the extremities in patients that results in severe pain at rest and/or non-healing ulcers, which carry a risk of amputation. The SAKIGAKE designation is part of Japan's effort to accelerate the development and approval of regenerative medicines. The Pharmaceutical and Medical Devices Act enables an expedited path to conditional approval for regenerative medicine products that show sufficient safety evidence and signals of efficacy in Phase 2 study and is similar to the Breakthrough Therapy Designation in the United States. The strategy of SAKIGAKE includes a system for designating products for which prominent effectiveness can be expected.

08:01 EDT Triumph Product Suport announces LTA extension with Pratt & Whitney - Triumph Group (TGI) announced that its Grand Prairie, TX based Product Support business has extended a long-term agreement with Pratt & Whitney (UTX) for engine Line Replaceable Unit repairs. Under the agreement, Triumph Product Support's Accessory Services business based out of Grand Prairie, Texas will service LRUs for the V2500, PW2000 and PW4000 engine models through 2019. The work will originate from global Pratt & Whitney engine shops. The contract extension expands the level of support Triumph Product Support provides for the engine manufacturer. In recent years Triumph has provided approximately 2,000 LRUs per year to Pratt & Whitney, a 220% increase, since their initial maintenance service contract was signed in 2002. Furthermore, the new contract will allow Triumph to expand the number of Air Transport Association Chapter service and repair offerings in support of select Pratt & Whitney engines.

07:37 EDT Primoris announces two new pipeline awards valued over $65M - Primoris Services announced two new pipeline awards valued over $65M. The contracts were secured by ARB Underground, part of the Utilities & Distribution segment. These awards were signed in the first quarter of 2018. Both awards are with a major utility customer in Northern California. The first award consists of the installation of 20,000 feet of new 24" high pressure, steel pipeline for natural gas transmission. The project also includes two horizontal directional drills ("HDDs") and six cased bores across intersections. The second award consists of the replacement of approximately 7,000 feet of existing 10" steel natural gas pipeline with a new 12" steel pipeline, the installation of a pipe span, and upgrades of services to commercial and residential customers. Work is scheduled to commence in the second quarter of 2018, and completion is expected in the fourth quarter of 2018.

07:35 EDT Neuralstem says first surgery completed in cervical cohort of NSI-566 trial - Neuralstem announced that it completed the first surgery in the second, cervical injury cohort of a Phase 1 clinical trial in patients with chronic spinal cord injury. NSI-566 is Neuralstem's lead stem cell therapy candidate.

07:32 EDT Kroger family of stores hiring eleven thousand employees - The Kroger announced that its family of stores is hiring to fill an estimated 11,000 positions in its supermarket divisions, including nearly 2,000 management positions. The Kroger family of stores created 10,000 new jobs in 2017 and 12,000 in 2016. In addition to job creation, Kroger is investing an incremental $500M in associate wages, training and development over the next three years, as part of Restock Kroger.

07:30 EDT Icahn Enterprises trading resumes

07:09 EDT Zynerba initiates Phase 2 BELIEVE 1 clinical trial - Zynerba announced that it has initiated the Phase 2 BELIEVE 1, Open Label Study to Assess the Safety and Efficacy of ZYN002 Administered as a Transdermal Gel to Children and Adolescents with Developmental and Epileptic Encephalopathy, clinical trial. The study will assess the safety and efficacy of ZYN002 in DEE, including Lennox-Gastaut and Dravet syndromes. ZYN002 is the first and only pharmaceutically-produced cannabidiol, or CBD, formulated as a patent-protected permeation-enhanced transdermal gel.

07:07 EDT BeiGene initiates global Phase 2 trial of Anti-PD-1 antibody tislelizumab - BeiGene announced that the first patient was dosed in a global Phase 2 clinical trial of tislelizumab, an investigational anti-PD-1 antibody, in patients with previously treated advanced hepatocellular carcinoma. The Phase 2, multi-center trial is designed to evaluate the efficacy and safety of tislelizumab in patients who were previously treated for unresectable HCC. Approximately 225 patients will be enrolled at approximately 75 cancer centers internationally including Greater China, the United States, and Europe. Patients will receive a 200 mg dose every three weeks. The trial's primary endpoint is overall response rate evaluated by an Independent Review Committee, and secondary endpoints include duration of response, progression-free survival, disease control rate and clinical benefit rate assessed by IRC, and overall survival. Additional secondary endpoints include investigator assessed ORR, DOR, PFS, DCR and CBR, safety and tolerability and health-related quality of life.

07:05 EDT Tenneco to create 2 public companies with acquistion of Federal Mogul for $5.4B - Tenneco (TEN) has signed a definitive agreement to acquire Federal-Mogul. Federal-Mogul is being acquired from Icahn Enterprises L.P. (IEP) for a total consideration of $5.4B to be funded through cash, Tenneco equity and assumption of debt. Tenneco also announced its intention to separate the combined businesses into two independent, publicly traded companies through a tax-free spin-off to shareholders that will establish an aftermarket & ride performance company and a powertrain technology company. The acquisition is expected to close in the second half of 2018, subject to regulatory and shareholder approvals and other customary closing conditions, with the separation occurring in the second half of 2019. Upon completion of the acquisition, Tenneco will operate the combined businesses under a structure designed to begin concurrently the successful integration of Tenneco and Federal-Mogul and the separation of the aftermarket & ride performance and the powertrain technology companies. Carl C. Icahn, Chairman of Icahn Enterprises, stated: "Icahn Enterprises acquired majority control of Federal-Mogul in 2008 when we saw an out-of-favor market opportunity for a great company. During that time, we have built one of the leading global suppliers of automotive products. I am very proud of the business we have built at Federal-Mogul and agree with Tenneco regarding the tremendous value in the business combination and separation into two companies. We expect to be meaningful stockholders of Tenneco going forward and are excited about the prospects for additional value creation."

07:04 EDT Rexford Industrial acquires three industrial properties for $33.8M - Rexford Industrial Realty announced the acquisition of three industrial properties totaling approximately $33.8M plus the disposition of one property for $4.5M. The acquisitions were funded through a combination of cash on hand, use of Rexford's existing line of credit, as well as the re-investment of disposition proceeds. The Company acquired 851 Lawrence Drive, located in Thousand Oaks in the Ventura submarket, for $6.6M; 1581 North Main Street, located in Orange in the Orange County-North submarket, for $7.2M; 4039 Calle Platino, located in Oceanside in the San Diego-North County submarket, for $20.0M; and sold 200-220 South Grand Avenue, located in Santa Ana in the Orange County-Airport submarket, for approximately $4.5M.

07:04 EDT Karyopharm's Selinexor receives fast track designation from FDA - Karyopharm Therapeutics announced that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration has granted Fast Track designation to the Company's lead, oral Selective Inhibitor of Nuclear Export compound selinexor for the treatment of patients with multiple myeloma who have received at least three prior lines of therapy.The FDA's statement, consistent with the design of Karyopharm's Phase 2b STORM study, noted that the three prior lines of therapy include regimens comprised of an alkylating agent, a glucocorticoid, Velcade, Kyprolis, Revlimid, Pomalyst and Darzalex. In addition, the patient's disease must be refractory to at least one proteasome inhibitor, one immunomodulatory agent, glucocorticoids and to Darzalex, as well as to the most recent therapy. The company expects to report top-line data from the STORM study at the end of April 2018. The FDA's Fast Track program facilitates the development of drugs intended to treat serious conditions and that have the potential to address unmet medical needs. A drug program with Fast Track status is afforded greater access to the FDA for the purpose of expediting the drug's development, review and potential approval. In addition, the Fast Track program allows for eligibility for Accelerated Approval and Priority Review, if relevant criteria are met, as well as for Rolling Review, which means that a drug company can submit completed sections of its New Drug Application for review by FDA, rather than waiting until every section of the NDA is completed before the entire application can be submitted for review.

07:03 EDT Trillium Therapeutics provides update on TTI-621, TTI-622 clinical programs - Trillium Therapeutics provided an update on its TTI-621 and TTI-622 clinical programs. TTI-621 and TTI-622 target CD47, a protein commonly found on the surface of cancer cells. CD47 emits a "do not eat" signal to the immune system, allowing cancer cells to evade detection. TTI-621 is a decoy receptor that blocks CD47 and delivers an activating signal to effector cells such as macrophages through its IgG1 Fc region. It is being evaluated in two multi-center clinical trials using intravenous or intratumoral administration and preliminary data from both studies were reported at last year's American Society of Hematology Annual Meeting. Notably, weekly infusions of TTI-621 were shown to be well tolerated and intratumoral injection was observed to reduce local lesions in 9 out of 10 patients with mycosis fungoides, a common type of cutaneous T-cell lymphoma. Building upon these monotherapy results, Trillium has refined and focused its TTI-621 clinical program. Recent key modifications to the intravenous dosing study include: Focusing near-term efforts on patients with CTCL and peripheral T-cell lymphoma. These patients are being enrolled in separate cohorts that will be evaluated using a Simon 2-stage design, with a maximum of 35 subjects in each cohort. Introducing a standardized intra-subject dose intensification schedule for all newly enrolled subjects to increase drug exposure. Instituting a number of phase 2-like design elements, such as an independent data monitoring committee and central review of diagnostic pathology as well as radiographic disease imaging. TTI-622 is the second SIRPaFc decoy receptor that Trillium is advancing into the clinic. TTI-622 consists of the same CD47-binding domain of human SIRPa as TTI-621 but linked to an IgG4 Fc region, which has a more restricted ability to engage activating Fc receptors. It is expected to have a different pharmacologic profile than TTI-621 and is being developed primarily for combination therapy. Like TTI-621, TTI-622 has the advantage of minimal binding to human red blood cells, thereby reducing the risk of anemia and a large antigen sink effect. A two-part, multicenter, open-label, phase 1a/1b study of TTI-622 in patients with advanced relapsed or refractory lymphoma or multiple myeloma is being initiated, with the first patient expected to be dosed in Q2 2018. In the phase 1a dose-escalation part, patients will be enrolled in sequential dose cohorts to receive TTI-622 once weekly to characterize safety, tolerability, pharmacokinetics, and to determine the maximum tolerated dose. In the phase 1b part, patients will be treated with TTI-622 in combination with rituximab, a PD-1 inhibitor or a proteasome inhibitor-containing regimen.

07:02 EDT Canadian Solar wins three solar PV projects in Brazil - Canadian Solar announced that it has won three solar photovoltaic, or PV, projects, totaling 364 MWp in Brazil's A-4 auction that was held on April 4. The 364 MWp of projects, located in the states of Minas Gerais and Ceara, have been awarded 20-year Power Purchase Agreements with an average price of 118.15 BRL/MWh, or approximately US$35.58/MWh. Once connected to the grid, the plants will generate approximately 706,056 MWh of electricity every year. Canadian Solar will develop and build the projects, targeting to bring them to commercial operation by 2022.

06:55 EDT Icahn Enterprises trading halted, news pending

06:48 EDT GP Strategies enters into reseller agreement with ManchesterCF - GP Strategies announced that it has entered into a reseller agreement with ManchesterCF, or MCF, to offer training programs specifically designed for international banking and financial intelligence units within financial services and public sector industries. This course content includes financial crime training programs for correspondent banking, international trade, private banking, and capital markets, as well as the FINTEL Series, which is appropriate for financial intelligence units. This hosted, comprehensive courseware is an accelerator to broaden the awareness and deepen the training for AML/CFT laws, regulations, and policies.

06:47 EDT Illumina, Loxo Oncology announce global strategic partnership - Illumina (ILMN) and Loxo Oncology (LOXO) announced a global strategic partnership to develop and commercialize a multi-gene panel for broad tumor profiling, resulting in a distributable, next-generation sequencing based companion diagnostic with a pan-cancer indication. The co-development partnership will seek approval for a version of the Illumina TruSight Tumor 170 as a companion diagnostic for Loxo Oncology's larotrectinib, which targets NTRK gene fusions, and LOXO-292, which targets RET gene alterations, across tumor types. TruSight Tumor 170 is a comprehensive, state-of-the-art, next-generation sequencing test that interrogates point mutations, fusions, amplifications and splice variants in 170 genes associated with common solid tumors. The CDx version of TruSight Tumor 170 will allow local laboratories to provide referring physicians with comprehensive genomic information, so that patients can be matched to the most appropriate therapeutic options. This version of TruSight Tumor 170 will run on the NextSeq 550Dx platform. Under the partnership, the companies will collaborate to validate a CDx version of TruSight Tumor 170 for NTRK fusions and RET fusions/mutations as a Class III FDA-approved diagnostic in conjunction with larotrectinib and LOXO-292, respectively. The companies are also planning to broaden the clinical utility of the full panel by obtaining regulatory approval for the other assay content, to be marketed as a tumor profiling test. Illumina will lead regulatory activities related to the Class III plans for NTRK and RET, the Class II plans for the tumor profiling content and CE marking.

06:04 EDT Calix announces partnership with Infosys for AXOS - Calix (CALX) announced a strategic multi-year partnership with Infosys (INFY) that will accelerate communications service provider, or CSP, adoption of AXOS, its Software Defined Access platform. Calix and Infosys will jointly invest to co-create new services and value-added offerings on the award winning AXOS platform. Through this partnership, Infosys will develop and deliver new software modules for the AXOS platform.

06:02 EDT LightInTheBox enters partnership with PayTM, PayUbiz, others in India - LightInTheBox announced that it has partnered with PayTM, PayUbiz, and other local service partners, to launch local payment services for customers in India. The payment service includes options such as mobile wallet, internet banking, bank transfer and Unified Payments Interface.

06:01 EDT Radware announces contract for data center security services and subscriptions - Radware announced that a leading global cloud provider has signed a multi-million dollar deal with Radware for data center security services and subscriptions to protect its global infrastructure. As a longstanding customer, this global leader in cloud services relies on Radware to protect its infrastructure from cyber security threats. The overall project ensures that the provider's services remain available regardless of attack.

05:41 EDT Spectrum announces update of MD Anerson Phase 2 data of poziotinib - Spectrum Pharmaceuticals announced that updated poziotinib Phase 2 data in MD Anderson's EGFR Exon 20 Mutant Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer study are available, based on longer follow-up. "I am pleased to observe the preliminary confirmed objective response rate and potential progression-free survival, or PFS, benefit in EGFR Exon 20 Mutant Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer patients," said John Heymach, M.D., Ph.D., Chairman and Professor, Department of Thoracic/Head and Neck Medical Oncology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center. "In the first 11 patients, the confirmed objective response rate was 64%. This is very exciting because we were initially hoping to get response rates between 20% to 30%. I am encouraged to see that in these 11 patients, the median PFS has not been reached after a median follow up of 6.5 months. In addition, the two most common adverse events observed in the study to date are skin rash and diarrhea, which are known EGFR inhibitor-related toxicities. We are looking forward to presenting comprehensive data from this study at a major medical meeting later this year."

05:33 EDT Boeing, Lion Air Group announce order for 50 737 MAX 10 airplanes - Boeing and the Lion Air Group today announced the airline purchased 50 of Boeing's new 737 MAX 10 airplane, which will be the most fuel-efficient and profitable single-aisle jet in the aviation industry. The deal, valued at approximately $6.24 billion at list prices, is the largest incremental order to date of the MAX 10 variant.

05:30 EDT Intelsat, Vodacom Business Nigeria sign agreement for satellite services - Intelsat announced that Vodacom Business Nigeria has signed an agreement for satellite services to expand its enterprise broadband networks and enable new and enhanced services throughout West Africa. Under a new multi-year agreement, Vodacom Business Nigeria will utilize the satellite services on Intelsat 35e to deliver fast, high-quality and resilient broadband connectivity to the banking, oil and gas, and enterprise sectors across West Africa. In addition, the improved performance, efficiency and lower total cost of ownership delivered by Intelsat 35e, the fifth of the Intelsat EpicNG satellites, will enable Vodacom Business Nigeria to further enhance the services being offered to its existing customers in Nigeria; expand its offerings in the enterprise and Internet of Things sectors; as well as extend broadband connectivity in Nigeria.