Stockwinners Market Radar for April 12, 2018 - Earnings, Upgrades downgrades, option trades, Best Stock Advisory Service

20:35 EDT Exxon Mobil resumes LNG production in Papua New Guinea - ExxonMobil said today that production of liquefied natural gas has safely resumed at the PNG LNG project in Papua New Guinea following a temporary shutdown of operations after a severe earthquake occurred in the region on Feb. 26. LNG exports are expected to resume soon. One train is currently operating at the LNG plant near Port Moresby. The plant's second train is expected to restart as production is increased over time. During the period that production was shut-in, ExxonMobil was able to complete unrelated maintenance scheduled for later in the year to allow for more efficient operations in the months ahead.

20:17 EDT Salesforce COO Keith Block sells 20K shares of common stock - In a regulatory filing, Salesforce disclosed COO Keith Block sold 20K shares of common stock at average price of $89.58 per share.

19:48 EDT Avita Medical announces clinical study results of RECELL - AVITA Medical announced results from a clinical study highlighting the potential benefits of the RECELL Autologous Cell Harvesting Device in the treatment of deep partial-thickness facial burns. The results showed excellent cosmetic outcomes when RECELL was used on deep partial-thickness facial burns, an injury for which treatment with standard of care often results in dyspigmentation and hypertrophic scarring at the seams of skin grafts. The results were presented by Nicholas Walker, MD, Wake Forest University School of Medicine, North Carolina, at the American Burn Association 50th Annual Meeting in Chicago. RECELL is an investigational medical device in the U.S. that is designed to enable medical professionals to produce, at the point-of-care, a REGENERATIVE EPIDERMAL SUSPENSION using a small sample of the patient's own skin. The autologous suspension contains cells necessary to regenerate epidermis and provides a new way to achieve permanent closure in burns and other wounds while reducing the amount of skin harvested at the time of surgery. Reduction in donor-site skin requirements has important benefits from both clinical and health economic perspectives.

18:52 EDT Sempra Energy unit to develop liquid fuels marine terminal in Baja California - Sempra Energy (SRE) announced that its Mexican subsidiary, Infraestructura Energetica Nova, plans to develop, build and operate a receipt, storage and send-out liquid fuels marine terminal at the La Jovita Energy Hub in Ensenada, Mexico. With an expected investment of approximately $130M, the new Baja Refinados liquid fuels terminal will have an initial storage capacity of 1M barrels of gasoline and diesel that will increase the fuel supply capacity and reliability in Baja California. The Marine terminal is expected to commence operations in the second half of 2020. IEnova also announced it has signed a long-term contract with Chevron (CVX) Combustibles de Mexico S. de R.L. de C.V for approximately 50% of the facility's storage and send-out capacity to supply Chevron service stations and other commercial and industrial consumers in Baja California. Chevron will have the option to acquire 20% equity ownership of the facility after commercial operations begin. IEnova will be responsible for the development of the liquid fuels terminal project, including obtaining permits, engineering, procurement, construction and financing, as well as maintenance and operations.

18:35 EDT Caterpillar announces executive changes effective June 1st - Following the announcement that Group President Rob Charter has elected to retire, Caterpillar announced changes in responsibilities for two group presidents and the appointment of a new group president. All changes are effective June 1, 2018. Caterpillar Group President Bob De Lange, current Construction Industries group president, will oversee Customer & Dealer Support, replacing Charter. Caterpillar Group President Tom Pellette, current Energy & Transportation group president, will now lead Construction Industries, replacing De Lange. Caterpillar's board of directors has appointed Ramin Younessi a Caterpillar group president. Younessi will lead Caterpillar's Energy & Transportation group, replacing Pellette. Younessi is currently vice president of Caterpillar's Industrial Power Systems Division.

18:03 EDT Energy Transfer Partners announces open season for diesel fuel pipeline - Energy Transfer Partners' (ETP) subsidiary will launch a binding open season to solicit shipper commitments for transportation service of diesel fuel from Hebert, TX to the Midland, TX area. Subject to the results of this Open Season and receipt of all necessary permits and approvals, the proposed pipeline is expected to have an initial capacity of 30,000 barrels/day and is anticipated to be operational in 3Q20. Potential shippers will have the opportunity to make volume commitments for firm transportation service from existing Sunoco (SUN) Pipeline L.P. assets in Hebert, TX to a newly constructed terminal in the Midland area. The Open Season will commence on April 13, ending on June 12.

17:42 EDT SeaWorld drops 3% after getting written "Wells" notice from SEC

17:39 EDT SeaWorld received written "Wells" notice from SEC - As previously disclosed in filings of SeaWorld Entertainment, with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, SEC,the company has been cooperating with an investigation by the Commission concerning certain disclosures and public statements made by the company and certain individuals on or before August 2014 and trading in the Company's securities. On April 6, the company received a written "Wells" notice from the Commission indicating that staff of the Commission has made a preliminary determination to recommend to the Commission that a civil enforcement action or administrative proceeding be brought against the company. No individual currently employed by the company has received a Wells notice. The Wells notice issued to the company states that the proposed action against the company would allege violations of certain provisions of the U.S. federal securities laws. The Wells notice states that the Staff's recommendation may involve various civil or administrative actions or proceedings, and may seek remedies that include an injunction, a cease-and-desist order, disgorgement, pre-judgment interest and civil money penalties. The company will continue to cooperate with the Commission's inquiry and intends to respond through a Wells submission to the Staff setting forth why the Company believes no action should be commenced against it.

17:24 EDT Sanofi to invest C$500M in Canadian vaccine facility - Sanofi is investing C$500M for the construction of a new state-of-the-art vaccine manufacturing facility at the Sanofi Pasteur Canadian headquarters in Toronto, Ontario. The investment bolsters the company's Canadian operations and its commitment to advancing public health around the world. The new facility will allow Sanofi Pasteur, the vaccines global business unit of Sanofi, to meet the growing demand of five-component acellular pertussis antigen. Upon completion in 2021, the new building will also be equipped to produce the antigens used in the diphtheria and tetanus vaccines.

17:21 EDT Pulse Biosciences announces positive results from NPS technology study - Pulse Biosciences announced clinical efficacy results of its first multi-center study of Nano-Pulse Stimulation technology for the treatment of seborrheic keratosis lesions in humans. The findings will be featured at the 2018 American Society for Laser Medicine and Surgery Annual Conference to be held in Dallas on April 11-15, 2018. The company also will present data from the first-in-human clinical study of NPS dose-response effects. These definitive studies establish the foundation for future therapeutic applications of NPS across a range of benign and cancerous skin growths. In the clinical trial of SK elimination using the novel, non-thermal NPS technology, seborrheic keratosis lesion reduction assessments of a single, localized SK treatment showed that 82% of 174 treated lesions were rated as clear or mostly clear after 106 days in 58 adult patients. An independent, blinded photographic review of lesion images scored 71% of lesions as clear or mostly clear. Patients rated 78% of lesion outcomes as satisfied or mostly satisfied, closely mirroring investigator ratings. Thomas Rohrer, MD, a leading dermatologic and Mohs skin cancer surgeon in Boston, MA will present study results on Friday, April 13 at 4:37pm CST in a talk titled First Clinical Use of Non-Thermal Nano-Pulse Stimulation to Eliminate Seborrheic Keratosis Lesions.

17:13 EDT Adamas Pharmaceuticals to make multiple presentations at AAN on Apr 21-27 - Adamas Pharmaceuticals announced it will make six data presentations at the 70th Annual Meeting of the American Academy of Neurology on April 21-27, 2018 in Los Angeles, California. Adamas will present one platform presentation and four poster presentations regarding GOCOVR extended release capsules, approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration for the treatment of dyskinesia in patients with Parkinson's disease receiving levodopa-based therapy, with or without concomitant dopaminergic medications. In addition, Adamas will present one poster on ADS-4101 modified release capsules, in development for the treatment of partial onset seizures in epilepsy.

17:00 EDT AutoWeb names Jared Rowe as CEO, succeeding Jeffrey Coats effective April 12 - AutoWeb has appointed Jared Rowe as director, president and CEO, succeeding Jeffrey Coats effective April 12. Rowe brings more than two decades of key management experience across the automotive and marketing industries, holding senior positions at FordDirect, Cox Automotive, and Cerberus-backed YP Holdings. This will be Rowe's second stint with AutoWeb, as he previously served as manager of strategic business development in 1998.

16:36 EDT Range Resources COO Ray Walker to retire, effective April 13 - Range Resources announced that, effective April 13, after 42 years in the industry Ray Walker will retire from his position as Executive Vice President and COO. Dennis Degner, SVP of Operations will continue to oversee operations for both the Marcellus and North Louisiana divisions.

16:23 EDT SemGroup completes sale of SemLogistics business to Valero - SemGroup (SEMG) announced that it has completed the sale of its SemLogistics business unit to Valero Logistics UK, a subsidiary of Valero (VLO). In addition to the sale price, the agreement provides for potential earnout payments to be made to SemGroup if certain revenue targets are met in the four years following close of the transaction. SemGroup intends to use proceeds from the sale toward its capital raise plan and to pre-fund capital growth projects.

16:20 EDT Zillow up 2.5% to $55.10 after Q1, FY18 guidance

16:19 EDT Grupo Supervielle to expand Capital Markets / Investment business - Grupo Supervielle S.A. announced that it plans to expand and enhance its capital markets and investment banking business. Roberto Garcia Guevara, who recently joined the Ccmpany, will play a key role in leading and implementing the roll out of the strategy. Roberto Garcia Guevara brings broad experience and an extensive career in investment banking, research and corporate finance, having worked for the last 27 years in prestigious global and local investment banking institutions including Baring Securities, Merrill Lynch, UBS Pactual, Raymond James and AR Partners, among others.

16:18 EDT New Relic names Erica Schultz as Chief Revenue Officer - New Relic announced the promotion of two executives designed to drive the continued growth and success of the company's customers around the world. EVP of Global Sales, Erica Ruliffson Schultz, has been promoted to Chief Revenue Officer. Reporting into New Relic CEO and Founder Lew Cirne, Schultz will be responsible for driving the company's entire Go-To-Market organization, including Alliances & Channels, Marketing and Technical Sales, Services and Support, in addition to her previous responsibilities running the global sales organization. In addition, SVP of Global Technical Sales, Services and Support, Roger Scott, has been promoted to EVP, Chief Customer Officer. Reporting into Schultz, he will assume responsibility for Customer Success, Renewals and New Relic University, in addition to his existing responsibilities.

16:16 EDT AIG names Anthony Vidovich as Chief Claims Officer - American International Group announced that Anthony Vidovich will join the company as Chief Claims Officer, General Insurance, effective May 14, 2018. In this role, Mr. Vidovich will be responsible for the strategic direction of General Insurance Claims, encompassing governance and policy, settlement authorities, claims handling and global best practices. Mr. Vidovich will report to Peter Zaffino, Chief Executive Officer, General Insurance, and will serve as a member of the General Insurance Executive Leadership Team. Mr. Vidovich is joining AIG from XL Catlin, where he served as Global Head of Claims, Insurance & Reinsurance since 2015. Previously, he was XL's General Counsel for Insurance Claims. Prior to XL, he was Associate General Counsel for Commercial Markets at The Hartford after serving as Assistant General Counsel for Reinsurance.

16:15 EDT Zillow to expand Zillow Instant Offers to Phoenix - Zillow Group will expand Zillow Instant Offers to Phoenix this month. With this expansion, Zillow plans to participate in the marketplace, buying and selling homes with Premier Agent partners in the Phoenix and Las Vegas markets.

16:09 EDT Broadcom jumps 4% after announcing $12B share repurchase authorization

16:06 EDT Qiagen launches AdnaTest liquid biopsy kits in prostate and lung cancer - QIAGEN N.V. launched two novel liquid biopsy panels to evaluate circulating tumor cells in the growing field of research into molecular mechanisms in prostate and lung cancers. The AdnaTest ProstateCancerPanel AR-V7 Kit and AdnaTest LungCancer Kit will be introduced at the American Association for Cancer Research 2018 Annual Meeting from April 14-18 in Chicago. Also at the AACR conference, more than 40 scientific abstracts are highlighting studies relying on applications of a broad range of QIAGEN's Sample to Insight solutions - differentiated sample technologies, tools for analysis on platforms for next-generation sequencing and polymerase chain reaction, and bioinformatics solutions to deliver actionable insights from molecular testing.

16:04 EDT Galapagos NV announces ISABELA Phase 3 program in IPF - Galapagos NV announces the design of a worldwide Phase 3 program, based on feedback from the FDA and EMA, to evaluate GLPG1690 in patients with idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis. The planned ISABELA Phase 3 program with GLPG1690 is intended to support both New Drug Application and Market Authorization Application submissions in respectively the USA and EU.The global Phase 3 program is expected to consist of two identically designed trials, ISABELA 1 and ISABELA 2. These will enroll patients diagnosed with IPF on top of their local standard of care, whether or not they were previously or currently are treated with Esbriet(and Ofev. Recruitment will be worldwide, with a significant proportion of patients in the USA and Europe. This Phase 3 program is expected to start dosing in the second half of 2018.

15:59 EDT Rigel says website corrected, FDA continuing review of fostamatinib NDA - Rigel Pharmaceuticals reported that due to an error by the external host of its investor relations website, inaccurate information was displayed regarding the U.S. Food and Drug Administration's review of the New Drug Application, or NDA, for fostamatinib for the treatment of adult patients with chronic immune thrombocytopenia. "The website has been corrected. The FDA is continuing its review of the NDA and the Prescription Drug User Fee Act action date is April 17, 2018," the company stated.

15:05 EDT Rigel Pharmaceuticals corporate IR page updated after Tavalisse mix-up - Rigel Pharmaceuticals shares rose sharply earlier this afternoon as investors noticed the company's Investors webpage stated that Tavalisse had been approved for the treatment of adult patients with chronic immune thrombocytopenia who have had an insufficient response to a previous treatment. Rigel subsequently told Bloomberg that the approval posted on its Investors webpage had been made in error. Since issuing that statement to Bloomberg, the page has been updated. It now reads: "Rigel's current clinical programs include clinical trials of fostamatinib, an oral spleen tyrosine kinase inhibitor, in a number of indications. The company has submitted an NDA to the FDA for fostamatinib in patients with chronic or persistent ITP." Rigel shares remain up 72c, or 21.5%, at $4.07 near 3 pm ET. Reference Link

14:40 EDT NTSB confirms revoking Tesla's status as party to investigation - The National Transportation Safety Board announced the removal of Tesla as a party to the NTSB's investigation of the March 23 fatal crash of a 2017 Tesla Model X near Mountain View, California. "The NTSB took this action because Tesla violated the party agreement by releasing investigative information before it was vetted and confirmed by the NTSB. Such releases of incomplete information often lead to speculation and incorrect assumptions about the probable cause of a crash, which does a disservice to the investigative process and the traveling public," the board stated. NTSB Chairman Robert Sumwalt added: "We decided to revoke Tesla's party status and informed Mr. Musk in a phone call last evening and via letter today. While we understand the demand for information that parties face during an NTSB investigation, uncoordinated releases of incomplete information do not further transportation safety or serve the public interest."

14:29 EDT NJ reports March gaming revenue down 1.5% to $221.9M - New Jersey's Division of Gaming Enforcement reported that casino win from the industry for March was $192.9M compared to $200.1M in March 2017, reflecting a 3.6% decrease. Internet gaming win was $25.6M in March, compared to $21.7M in the prior period, reflecting an increase of 17.6%. The industry's total gaming win for the month was $218.5M, compared to $221.9M for March 2017, reflecting a 1.5% decrease. Publicly traded companies in the casino gaming space include Boyd Gaming (BYD), Caesars (CZR), Las Vegas Sands (LVS), MGM Resorts (MGM), Penn National (PENN) and Wynn Resorts (WYNN).

14:13 EDT Rigel Pharmaceuticals up 30% to $4.34 - The PDUFA date for Rigel Pharmaceuticals' fostamatinib in ITP is April 17. It is unclear at time of writing if the move higher in the stock is related to any FDA action on fostamatinib approval.

14:01 EDT Volkswagen reports Muller steps down as Chairman - The Board of Management and Supervisory Board of Volkswagen "have resolved to extensively revise the Group's management structure," the company announced, adding that "in order to sustainably implement the new structure, there will be a number of changes on the Board of Management." Matthias Muller steps down as Chairman of the Board of Management by mutual agreement, effective immediately. At its meeting on Thursday, the Supervisory Board appointed Dr. Herbert Diess as his successor.Reference Link

13:27 EDT GoPro jumps on report of possible takeover bid from Xiaomi - Shares of GoPro jumped after The Information's Alfred Lee reported that Chinese electronics maker Xiaomi has weighed whether to make a takeover offer to the action camera maker. Xiaomi doesn't want to overpay, however, Lee reported, citing a person familiar with the matter. Chinese drone maker DJI was pitched by bankers on GoPro several months ago, but saw no value in the company and didn't pursue a deal, Lee added. GoPro CEO Nick Woodman said earlier this year that he would consider an acquisition proposal from a larger company. The stock in afternoon trading is up 6.3%, or 31c, to $5.18.

11:54 EDT Raymond James throws in towel, says sell Bed Bath & Beyond after guidance - Shares of Bed Bath & Beyond (BBBY) are sliding after the company announced better than expected fourth quarter results but issued a weaker 2018 forecast. Following the news, several Wall Street analysts cut their price targets on the stock, while Raymond James analyst Beryl Bugatch downgraded Bed Bath & Beyond to Underperform, a sell-equivalent rating. RESULTS: Last night, Bed Bath & Beyond reported fourth quarter earnings per share of $1.48 and revenue of approximately $3.7B, both above consensus of $1.39 and $3.68B, respectively. However, the company also said that it sees FY18 EPS in a low-to-mid $2 range, with consensus at $2.76. Additionally, Bed Bath & Beyond outlined its "roadmap for continuing the evolution of its foundational structure" with the goals of: growing its comparable sales, which it expects to begin in fiscal 2018; moderating the declines in its operating profit and net earnings per diluted share, in fiscal 2018 and fiscal 2019; and growing its net earnings per diluted share by fiscal 2020. SELL, SAYS RAYMOND JAMES: In a post-earnings note, Raymond James' Bugatch downgraded Bed Bath & Beyond to Underperform from Market Perform. The analyst noted that the company's management announced multiple initiatives ranging from new store concepts to new organizational structures, to new investments in technology that will come at a cost, as underscored by management's view for continuing operating profit declines in FY18 and FY19. Despite the array of initiatives announced, a key issue for the analyst is that the fleet of over 1,000 legacy Bed Bath & Beyond stores continue to deliver in-store mid-single-digit comparable sales declines. Bugatch argued that it is "Beyond" him that management did not cite a remodeling of its flagship store base that he finds "increasingly unattractive" due to being dated, cluttered and crowded. Without some underlying growth in management generated earnings over the next two years, shareholder value is likely to erode further, he added. Nonetheless, Bugatch pointed out that at its current valuation, Bed Bath may attract activist interest. TARGETS CUT: Meanwhile, Morgan Stanley analyst Simeon Gutman lowered his price target for Bed Bath & Beyond to $16 from $20 as he is not convinced its revenue will respond to the company's initiatives. The analyst told investors that beyond a lift from the Babies R' Us bankruptcy, it is hard for him to see how the company can drive positive same-store sales without the aid of promotions. Gutman reiterated an Underweight rating on the shares. His peer at JPMorgan also lowered his price target for Bed Bath & Beyond to $16 from $18. Analyst Christopher Horvers noted that the company's negative comparable sales in Q4 and over the past two quarters are "particularly disappointing" as is the acceleration in gross margin declines. The analyst also kept an Underweight rating on the shares. Additionally, Wedbush analyst Seth Basham, Credit Suisse's Seth Sigman, and Loop Capital's Anthony Chukumba all lowered their price targets on the name to $18, $20 and $18, respectively, while reiterating neutral-equivalent ratings. PRICE ACTION: In late morning trading, shares of Bed Bath & Beyond dropped over 19% to $17.39.

10:48 EDT Delta says Brexit not yet hurting U.K. demand

10:45 EDT Delta says 'comfortable' with capacity for FY18

10:38 EDT Tanger Factory raises annual dividend 2.2% to $1.40 per share - Tanger Factory Outlet Centers announced that its Board of Directors approved a 2.2% increase in the annual dividend on its common shares from $1.37 per share to $1.40 per share. Simultaneously, the Board of Directors declared a quarterly dividend of 35c per share for Q1 ended March 31, 2018. This cash dividend will be payable on May 15, 2018 to holders of record on April 30, 2018.

10:14 EDT Delta sees Q2 TRASM up 3%-5%, capacity up 3%-4%

10:09 EDT Polaris names Julie Gilbert chief customer engagement and growth officer - Polaris Industries announced that it has hired Julie Gilbert as chief customer engagement and growth officer. Gilbert will dual report to chairman and CEO Scott Wine and president of motorcycles Steve Menneto. In this newly created function, Gilbert will be responsible for developing and implementing marketing solutions and growth strategies that introduce new consumers to the Powersports industry and connect with customer segments outside of the company's traditional core target market. She will also have oversight for Polaris' corporate marketing, sponsorships and communication efforts, and will help cultivate and launch programs aimed at further engaging RZR owners through the development of rider groups. Most recently, Gilbert was the founder and CEO of PreciouStatus, a mobile software platform and technology company that creates real-time connections for those in professional care facilities in education, healthcare, and the military.

10:07 EDT Spotify acquires Loudr, terms not disclosed - Spotify is proud to announce that Loudr has joined the Spotify family. The company was founded in 2013 to build products and services that make it easy for content creators, aggregators and digital music services to identify, track and pay royalties to music publishers. The Loudr team of publishing specialists and technologists will join Spotify's New York offices. Loudr will continue to provide select services to its publishing and aggregator partners, while contributing to Spotify's continued efforts towards a more transparent and efficient music publishing industry for songwriters and rights holders. Reference Link

10:04 EDT Kimberly-Clark announces strategic investment in Mobile, Alabama mill - Kimberly-Clark Corporation has approved a capacity expansion project at its Mobile, Alabama manufacturing facility that will support K-C Professional's continued bath tissue category growth in North America. With an estimated investment of more than $100M, this two-year project is expected to deliver improved capacity, greater manufacturing efficiency, and enhanced product quality.

10:02 EDT Nordstrom opens doors to flagship Men's store in NYC - Nordstrom opened the doors this morning to its very first flagship, full-line New York City location and first ever stand-alone men's store at 235 West 57th Street. The three-level 47,000 square foot store offers a differentiated merchandise assortment across all categories, including popular and designer brands.

09:57 EDT Lockheed Martin in focus after Pentagon again halts F-35 deliveries - Shares of Lockheed Martin (LMT) are in focus after a report that the U.S. Department of Defense has again stopped accepting deliveries of the company's F-35 jets. PENTAGON HALTS F-35 DELIVERIES: The Pentagon has stopped accepting most deliveries of F-35 jets from Lockheed Martin due to a fight over who will cover costs for fixing a production error found last year on over 200 of the jets, Reuters reported Wednesday. "Production on the F-35 program continues and we are confident we will meet our delivery target of 91 aircraft for 2018," a Lockheed spokeswoman said. "While all work in our factories remains active, the F-35 Joint Program Office has temporarily suspended accepting aircraft until we reach an agreement on a contractual issue and we expect this to be resolved soon." The move comes after the Department of Defense stopped accepting deliveries for 30 days in 2017 after finding corrosion where the carbon fiber exterior panels were fastened to the airframe. Deliveries resumed after a fix had been developed and Lockheed achieved its target aircraft delivery numbers for 2017. Deliveries have been halted again due to an argument over who will pay for the likely complex logistical fix that may require technicians to travel widely to fix the aircraft based around the world. In addition, the weapons program experienced a slowdown of deliveries in 2016 as a fix was necessary for insulation problems in the fuel tanks and lines of the jets. WHAT'S NOTABLE: The latest annual program review published by the U.S. Department of Defense has called on Lockheed Martin to reduce the current forecast of $1.1T to maintain the F-35 jetfighter program through 2077, Bloomberg reported on April 5. The document demanded that the company "embrace much-needed supply chain management affordability initiatives" in order to decrease costs on the next-generation stealth fighter. The $1.1T estimate to sustain the U.S. fleet was compiled in 2015 by the Pentagon's independent cost assessment office but has not yet been updated. It is expected to be updated next year prior to a meeting of acquisition officials to decide whether the program should enter full-production. The report said that under current estimates, "the projected F-35 sustainment outlays are too costly" and "given planned fleet growth, future U.S. service operations and support budgets will be strained." PRICE ACTION: Lockheed Martin rose 0.8% to $342.40 in morning trading.

09:36 EDT Dine Brands selects Comcast Business Enterprise Solutions for Managed Services - Comcast Business (CMCSA, CMCSK) announced it has been selected by Dine Brands Global (DIN) to deliver a range of Managed Services, including Managed Broadband, Managed Firewall/Router, Managed Switch, Managed Wi-Fi Premium and Managed Business Continuity. These services will help improve the dining experience at more than 2,850 combined Applebee's and IHOP locations across the United States. Dine Brands is committed to technology that supports its three strategic pillars - People, Brands and Growth. The Comcast Business partnership provides a strong technology foundation and Wi-Fi infrastructure to modernize the dining experience across the brands and position the company for continued growth in the communities they serve. To ensure seamless technology across its businesss operations and in support of its franchisees' business operations, Dine Brands selected Comcast Business Enterprise Solutions for its ability to deliver high-capacity and more importantly, highly-reliable communication and Managed Services.

09:28 EDT NYSE to delist Ply Gem after sale to Clayton, Dubilier & Rice - In a regulatory filing, the New York Stock Exchange notified the SEC of its intention to remove Ply Gem shares from listing at the opening of business on April 23. The NYSE noted that the merger between Ply Gem Holdings and an indirect wholly owned subsidiary of funds sponsored by Clayton, Dubilier & Rice became effective before market open on April 12. The Exchange also notified the Securities and Exchange Commission that as a result the security was suspended from trading on April 12.

09:23 EDT Aqua Metals appoints Frank Knuettel II as CFO - Aqua Metals announced that Frank Knuettel II has agreed to join the executive team and will become CFO. Knuettel will join the company full-time effective as of April 16, 2018 and will formally assume the CFO role immediately following the filing of the company's second quarter Form 10-Q. As CFO, Knuettel will succeed Thomas Murphy, who was named interim CFO after the departure of Mark Weinswig in March 2018. Murphy will continue as a consultant to the company on a number of matters to ensure a smooth transition. He has also been nominated by the board for election to the board at the company's 2018 Annual Meeting of Stockholders.

09:13 EDT Nutanix announces record federal government adoption of AHV hypervisor - Nutanix announced record adoption of its AHV hypervisor within the federal government vertical in calendar year 2017. 74% of all Nutanix Enterprise Cloud OS nodes sold to federal agencies in 2017 are leveraging AHV, compared to 30% adoption by the Nutanix worldwide customer base, based on a rolling four-quarter average. In addition to growth in AHV adoption, Nutanix's federal business experienced several milestones during the last fiscal year including 320 unique federal customers.

09:06 EDT Regions Financial announces agreement with Lender Price - Regions Bank has announced a new agreement with fintech mortgage and consumer digital lending technology platform provider, Lender Price. This agreement, which encompasses both a working relationship and an equity investment in the company, promises to provide additional technology and resources for Regions to deploy in its efforts to enhance Regions' digital lending. Regions, together with Lender Price, will focus on streamlining Regions' digital processes and simplifying interactions between bankers, borrowers and the bank.

09:04 EDT USG sends letter to stockholders for election of independent directors - USG sent a letter to stockholders urging them to vote the white proxy card for the election of USG's independent directors, in connection with the company's upcoming annual meeting of stockholders. The letter said, "Recently, Gebr. Knauf KG, a private German company which is a 10.5% stockholder in USG and a competitor in the global gypsum market, sent an open letter to all USG stockholders asking you to vote against four USG Board nominees who are up for election at the upcoming Annual Meeting of Stockholders on May 9, 2018. This is a misguided attempt to pressure the Board into accepting a proposal from Knauf to purchase USG, that we believe is substantially below our intrinsic value. The Board will not yield to this pressure and is committed to acting in the best interests of all USG stockholders even in the face of Knauf's campaign. The Board is committed to creating value for all our stockholders through the execution of our strategic plan, which we outlined at our recent Investor Day. While the Board has not made the decision to sell the Company, it remains open to the evaluation of any proposal to acquire USG, as it has done with Knauf's proposals. If Knauf, or any other viable bidder, makes a proposal that reflects the Company's intrinsic value, the Board would seek to negotiate an appropriate confidentiality arrangement to allow it to share information with the potential counterparty. The USG Board has declined to share confidential information with Knauf because, in addition to being a competitor, Knauf's acquisition proposal is not at a value that the Board believes adequately compensates all stockholders."

09:02 EDT AIG, EY announce strategic tax compliance, technology agreement - American International Group and Ernst & Young announced a new, innovative global tax compliance and technology operating agreement that involves a combination of managed tax services and the transfer of select AIG employees to EY. In this arrangement, members of AIG's global tax compliance and tax technology teams integrated into EY's tax technology and direct and indirect tax compliance practices at the U.S. federal, state, local and global levels - allowing AIG to leverage EY's managed tax services and technology backbone, while focusing the company's internal tax team on more strategic initiatives. The collaborative managed services agreement allows both organizations to more effectively and efficiently navigate changes in the tax landscape. Employees of AIG's global tax compliance and tax technology teams transitioned to EY effective March 31. The five year agreement was effective as of February 5.

08:59 EDT On The Fly: Pre-market Movers - HIGHER: Bellicum Pharmaceuticals (BLCM), up 20% after the FDA lifted the hold on the company's BPX-501 study... QuinStreet (QNST), up 10% after pre-announcing a preliminary Q3 revenue beat and responding to allegations made against the company by short-seller Kerrisdale Capital... Globalstar (GSAT), up 6% after Mudrick Capital Management disclosed a 5.6% activist stake and said it was willing to lend the company $150M to help address the company's capital needs. UP AFTER EARNINGS: Delta (DAL), up 2%... Rite Aid (RAD), up 2%. DOWN AFTER EARNINGS: Bed Bath & Beyond (BBBY), down 17%... Apogee Enterprises (APOG), down 7%. ALSO LOWER: PolarityTE (COOL), down 12% after filing to sell common stock... Novavax (NVAX), down 17% after the company's 30.3M share spot secondary offering priced at $1.65 per share... Ellie Mae (ELLI), down 3% after Wedbush analyst Jason Weaver downgraded the stock to Underperform from Neutral.

08:43 EDT IDC reports worldwide traditional PC shipments flat year-over-year in Q1 - Worldwide shipments of traditional PCs totaled 60.4M units and recorded flat year-on-year growth in the first quarter of 2018, International Data Corporation reported last night. "The results exceeded the earlier forecast of a 1.5% decline and marks the third consecutive quarter where traditional PC shipment volume has hovered around flat growth year on year. Although the numbers are preliminary, the data seems to indicate a continued build up in commercial renewal activity as the main driver for the stabilizing trend," IDC stated. Business uptake of Microsoft's (MSFT) Windows 10 systems appear to be steadily ongoing, benefiting commercially-focused PC OEMs such as HP Inc. (HPQ), Dell, and Lenovo (LNVGY), IDC noted. HP maintained a comfortable lead over all others in the market with its eighth consecutive quarter of overall growth, up 4.3% year on year, and growth in all regions except Latin America. Lenovo saw a flat quarter in 1Q18, the third consecutive quarter in which the company saw year-on-year volume stabilize with flat global growth and a slower pace of decline in the U.S. Dell posted the strongest year-on-year growth out of all the major companies, growing 6.4% and buoyed by strong performances in nearly every region. Acer held onto the fourth position. Apple (AAPL) finished the quarter in the fifth position with a year-on-year decline in shipments of 4.8%. Intel (INTC) is also levered to the traditional PC market.

08:36 EDT Lincoln Educational and Johnson Controls sign workforce agreement - Lincoln Educational (LINC) has entered into an agreement with Johnson Controls (JCI) to provide expanded career opportunities for Lincoln Tech graduates and to help build the Johnson Controls workforce. Graduates of Lincoln Tech's Heating, Ventilation and Air Conditioning and Electrical and Electronic Systems Technology training programs throughout the country will have the opportunity to pursue careers with Johnson Controls, which will assist Lincoln in recruiting new students for these programs.

08:34 EDT SuperCom secures new contract from service provider in eastern Texas - SuperCom has secured a new contract to provide its PureSecurity Electronic Monitoring suite of GPS and home detention offender tracking and monitoring solutions to an established service provider in eastern Texas. SuperCom's expansion into Texas bolsters the company's growing coverage within the southern United States. Along with its subsidiary LCA, SuperCom provides products and services directly to government agencies along with selectively partnering with private companies operating in the judicial or technical marketplace. This new customer has a long history of serving the court system as a product reseller and service provider. SuperCom has received initial orders under the agreement and expects follow-on orders to ramp up over time. The project will be billed at a per-unit daily rate and generate steady-state recurring revenues accordingly.

08:33 EDT Capstone Turbine announces new Distributor Support System - Capstone Turbine Corporation outlined a new Capstone Distributor Support System, or DSS program, that was launched effective January 1, 2018. The goal of the new program is to provide improved worldwide distributor training, sales efficiency, website development, company branding and provide funding for increased strategic marketing activities. Specifically, the DSS program will fund additional support for distributor business development activities, customer lead generation, brand awareness and precisely tailored marketing services for each major geography and market vertical. The new DSS program will be extensively sponsored by the current Capstone global distribution network through funding derived from a formula based on a distribution partner's prior calendar year of Capstone revenue. The DSS program will provide several unique and proprietary products and services to the Capstone global distribution network to help drive future revenue growth and further Capstone's global brand recognition. Under the new DSS program, Capstone distributors will no longer have to pay for regularly scheduled training courses for authorized service providers, product applications or product sales. The system will also cover all required software licenses needed to be an efficient and successful Capstone distributor. In addition, the DSS program will include the development and hosting of new distributor websites, which will be linked to Capstone's corporate website to provide a seamless customer experience. The first Capstone branded distributor website can be seen at: http://www.rsp-systems.com.

08:32 EDT Franklin Resources announces 80M share repurchase program - Franklin Resources announced that its board has authorized the company to repurchase, from time to time, up to an additional 80M shares of its common stock in either open market or off-market transactions. The new board authorization is in addition to the existing authorization, of which approximately 15.9M shares remained available for repurchase at March 31, 2018.

08:19 EDT Williams Partners seeks FERC approval for Southeastern Trail expansion - Williams Partners announced that Transco has filed an application with the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, or FERC, seeking authorization for its Southeastern Trail expansion project, which would create 296,375 dekatherms per day of additional firm transportation capacity to markets in the Mid-Atlantic and Southeastern U.S. for the 2020/2021 winter heating season. Transco, is a wholly owned subsidiary of Williams Partners, of which Williams owns approximately 74%, including the general-partner interest. Williams Partners has executed precedent agreements with utility and local distribution companies located in Virginia, North Carolina, South Carolina and Georgia for firm transportation service under the project. Once complete, the project will help meet the growing natural gas demand in the Southeast, as well as provide access to new sources of domestic natural gas supply while enhancing system reliability.

08:14 EDT Walmart plans on spending $200M in Florida over the next year - Walmart announced it expects to spend an estimated $200M over the next year in Florida through the opening and remodeling of 43 stores as well as the rollout of several in-store and online innovations designed to help customers save time and money. The spend is part of Walmart's total capital expenditures guidance of approximately $11B for FY19, which was outlined last October at the company's annual meeting for the investment community and reiterated in February. The plan is to continue improving stores and accelerating innovation during the coming year to make shopping faster and easier for customers in Florida. Walmart plans to open new stores, and a distribution center in Cocoa, in Central Florida, Jacksonville and the Miami-Fourt Lauderdale area.

08:07 EDT Akamai establishes $50M endowment for mathematics program - Akamai established a $50M endowment in support of The Akamai Foundation, a private corporate foundation dedicated to encouraging the next generation of technology innovators by promoting the pursuit of excellence in mathematics in grades K-12. The one-time endowment will help the Akamai Foundation continue to support STEM education, with a focus on mathematics, while growing its reach globally through direct grants to locally-registered charities and global non-government organizations that emphasize assisting under-represented groups within today's technology workforce.

08:04 EDT Organovo's bioprinted liver tissue featured in published study of NASH candidate - Organovo's 3D bioprinted human liver tissue was featured in a late-breaking poster describing the activity of Cirius Therapeutics' lead drug MSDC-0602K in a three-dimensional bioprinted human tissue model of NASH at The International Liver Congress in Paris. The research demonstrated that adding fructose and fatty acids to three-dimensional bioprinted human liver tissue produced NASH-type liver pathology, including steatosis, inflammation, ballooning and fibrosis. Addition of MSDC-0602K to the tissue showed evidence of reduced disease progression, including reductions in collagen deposition and stellate cell activation, in the liver model.

08:04 EDT Pfizer initiates Phase 1b trial for DMD therapy candidate - Pfizer has initiated a Phase 1b clinical trial for its mini-dystrophin gene therapy candidate, PF-06939926, in boys with Duchenne muscular dystrophy, or DMD. The first boy received an infusion of the mini-dystrophin gene on March 22nd. Screening and enrollment of patients is expected to continue at up to four clinical research sites in the United States. Early data from this trial are expected in the first half of 2019, once all patients have been evaluated for one full year post-treatment. The multi-center, open-label, non-randomized, ascending dose study of a single intravenous infusion of PF-06939926 will enroll approximately 12 ambulatory boys aged 5 to 12 years with DMD. In addition to evaluating safety and tolerability, the study will evaluate measurements of dystrophin expression and distribution, as well as assessments of muscle strength, quality and function.

08:03 EDT Catalyst Biosciences says Korean MFDS approves sixth cohort of CB 2679d trial - Catalyst Biosciences announced that the Korean Ministry of Food and Drug Safety, or MFDS, approved the addition of a sixth cohort to the Phase 1/2 trial of CB 2679d in individuals with severe hemophilia B following positive data from the multi-dose Cohort 5 that was disclosed on February 9. Cohort 6 will enroll up to five patients. Each individual will receive a single intravenous loading dose of 75 IU/kg, followed by nine daily subcutaneous doses of 150 IU/kg CB 2679d. The loading dose will be administered 30 minutes before the first subcutaneous dose. The study will be completed in South Korea in coordination with the Company's collaborator ISU Abxis.

08:03 EDT NetSol signs multi-million dollar contract with top tier multi-finance company - NETSOL Technologies has secured an agreement with a top tier multi-finance company in Indonesia to deploy its mobile origination system. The new contract includes a product license, five-year maintenance agreement, and agreed upon rates for any additional customization of the application. The client will be leveraging NETSOL's system to originate credit applications and provide quick turnaround to customers seeking finance and leasing products, with the mobile application enabling processing of more applications in a shorter amount of time. NETSOL's digital footprint includes a complete Ascent mobility suite, which the client will deploy across their dealer and sales network.

07:53 EDT UR-Energy reports Q1 uranium production and sales - UR-Energy provided Q1 operational results. In the Lost Creek plant, 84,047 pounds of U3O8 were captured within the Lost Creek plant, 79,961 pounds of U3O8 were packaged in drums and 73,515 pounds of U3O8 drummed inventory were shipped out of the Lost Creek processing plant in Q1. At March 31, inventory at the conversion facility was approximately 159,296 pounds U3O8. During the quarter, sales totaled $19.7M on 380,000 pounds at an average price of $51.75 per pound, which was 140% above the average spot price for the same period of $21.52 per pound. UR-Energy sold 10,000 pounds of Lost Creek production into a spot sale at $23.75 per pound. The remaining 370,000 pounds were purchased at an average cost of $25.00 per pound and sold into term contracts at $52.50 per pound. The purchase contracts were entered into at various times and purchase prices ranged from $22.25 to $26.55 per pound. As with prior guidance, the company expects to deliver a total of 470,000 pounds into term contracts in 2018 at an average price of approximately $49 per pound. The remaining 100,000 pounds will be delivered in Q2. Currently, more than four and a half years into production, Lost Creek U3O8 head grade has averaged 85.7 mg/l, life-of-project.

07:32 EDT ChinaNet Online retains ICR for investor relations program - ChinaNet-Online Holdings announced that it has retained ICR, a leading strategic communication advisory firm, to manage its investor relations program.

07:14 EDT Delta Air Lines CEO: 'We have confidence in our plan to grow earnings in 2018' - "The Delta people delivered a strong March quarter, and our record revenue was a direct result of the great service and operational reliability they provided for our customers. It's an honor to recognize their hard work with $183 million toward our 2018 profit sharing," said Ed Bastian, Delta's CEO. "We have confidence in our plan to grow earnings in 2018 through top-line growth, improving our cost trajectory, and leveraging our international partnerships."

07:10 EDT Novan names Kelly Martin CEO - Novan announced a number of key leadership and talent advancements that add to the existing foundation of the company and enable its continued progress across key areas. Kelly Martin, who was appointed interim CEO in June of 2017, will no longer be serving in an interim capacity. Martin will work actively with the board of directors and leadership team of Novan to aggressively move the company forward. Of particular note, and in addition to the full breadth of responsibilities as the CEO, Martin will be directly responsible for shareholder and market interface, including current or potential shareholders, sell side analysts and other traditional or nontraditional providers of capital. From a clinical development organizational perspective, Novan has announced that Elizabeth Messersmith will be joining the company in the role of SVP of Clinical Operations on June 1, 2018. In this role, Messersmith will report to Paula Brown Stafford, chief development officer, and be responsible for the direction and execution of the company's broad and diverse clinical drug development programs. Messersmith joins Novan from Quark Pharmaceuticals, where she held the position of SVP, Clinical Operations and Data Management. Lastly, Novan's Board of Directors has appointed Andrew Novak, who has served most recently as the company's senior director of financial reporting and analysis, to the role of VP and chief accounting officer. Novak will serve as the company's principal accounting officer. Jeff Hunter, EVP, chief business officer and corporate secretary will continue to serve as the company's principal financial officer. Together, Hunter and Novak will lead and oversee the financial operations of Novan.

07:08 EDT Essendant to combine with Genuine Parts' S.P. Richards business - Essendant (ESND) and Genuine Parts (GPC) announced that the companies have entered into a definitive agreement to combine Essendant and Genuine Parts Company's S.P. Richards business. The transaction, which has been unanimously approved by the Boards of Essendant and Genuine Parts Company, is expected to be tax free to the companies' respective shareholders. The transaction combining Essendant and S.P. Richards is structured as a Reverse Morris Trust, in which Genuine Parts Company will separate S.P. Richards into a standalone company and spin off that standalone company to Genuine Parts Company shareholders, immediately followed by the merger of Essendant and the spun-off company. The transaction implies a valuation of S.P. Richards of approximately $680M, reflecting the value of the Essendant shares to be issued at closing plus one-time cash payments to Genuine Parts Company of approximately $347M, subject to adjustments at closing. Upon closing, Genuine Parts Company shareholders will own approximately 51% and Essendant shareholders will own approximately 49% of the combined company on a diluted basis, with approximately 80M diluted shares expected to be outstanding. The transaction is expected to be tax-free to Essendant and Genuine Parts Company shareholders. The transaction is expected to close before the end of 2018, subject to regulatory and Essendant shareholder approvals and other customary closing conditions. Upon close of the transaction, the combined company, which will be called Essendant, will be led by Essendant President and CEO Ric Phillips, and Janet Zelenka will serve as CFO. S.P. Richards President and CEO Rick Toppin will be appointed Chief Operating Officer of the combined company. The transaction creates a company with pro forma 2017 net sales of approximately $7B, $300M in Adjusted EBITDA, 4.2% Adjusted EBITDA margins. "The combined company will have a stronger and more flexible balance sheet, which will enable it to reduce leverage, invest in the business and provide value to shareholders," the companies said. In addition to creating a platform with greater scale and the enhanced ability to serve customers, the combination is expected to unlock more than $75M in annual run-rate cost synergies and more than $100M in working capital improvements. The cost synergies will primarily be driven by sourcing, supply chain and selling, general and administrative efficiencies. The combined company expects 90% of the cost synergies to be realized within two years post-closing and to incur less than $50M in one-time cash costs to realize the synergies.

07:05 EDT Level Brands announces five-year licensing deal with Dynasty Group - Level Brands announced today a five-year licensing deal with Dynasty Group USA. The deal provides for licensing under three brands either owned or managed by LEVB: Ireland Men One, or I'M1, Level Brands' men's-lifestyle brand, established to capitalize on potentially lucrative licensing and co-branding opportunities with brands focused on millennials; Beauty & Pin-Ups, or BPU, Level Brands' hair-care and disruptive women's-products brand; and David Tutera, a brand managed by Level Brands' Encore Endeavor One, or EE1, a provider of corporate brand-management services and producer of experiential entertainment events and products across multiple platforms. Under the agreement, BPU will license its brand to Dynasty for sale of cosmetic and make-up items, I'M1 will do likewise for men's grooming brushes for facial hair and shaving kits, and EE1's client David Tutera will license its brand for women's makeup brushes and men's grooming brushes for facial hair and shaving kits. The agreement provides for an annual marketing fee for each entity and royalty payments of 25% of gross sales until a threshold is met, and then 16% of gross sales from that point on. Any promotional content related to the brands will be created under separate contracts with EE1.

07:05 EDT Bank of the Ozarks says 'forest' doing well

07:05 EDT Microbot Medical's Self-Cleaning Shunt awarded grant by European Commission - Microbot Medical announced the European Commission recognized the company's innovative Self-Cleaning Shunt product and awarded the company a non-dilutive grant to continue developing the SCS. The Commission's decision, in part, is based upon substantial demand for the SCS with the potential to create new market opportunities. The current approved EUR50,000 grant which the company can submit an additional request in six months for a higher grant up to EUR2M, will be used for the continued development of the company's Self Cleaning Shunt product. The company believes that it will reach its anticipated development milestones for its SCS, including its submission with the US Food and Drug Administration in late 2018 or early 2019.

07:02 EDT Cato Corp. reports March SSS up 6% - Cato Corporation reported sales for the five weeks ended April 7, 2018 of $96.9M, a 4% increase over sales of $93.1M for the five week period ended April 1, 2017. Same-store sales for the five weeks ended April 7 increased 6% from the five weeks ended April 8, 2017. "March sales were positively impacted by the shift of Easter from April last year to March this year," stated John Cato, Chairman, President, and CEO. "Due to this shift, the best way to measure our performance is by combining sales for the two months. We expect April same-store sales to be in the high negative single digits and the combined two months' same-store sales to be in the low negative single digits." As of April 7, 2018, the company operated 1,351 stores in 33 states, compared to 1,373 stores in 33 states as of April 1, 2017.

07:01 EDT CollPlant names Revital-Mandil-Levin CBDO - CollPlant (CLGN) announced the appointment of Revital Mandil-Levin, as CBDO, effective immediately. In this position, Mandil-Levin will be responsible for business development initiatives aimed at leveraging the company's rhCollagen technology into new and emerging fields such as BioInk for 3D bioprinting of tissues and organs and aesthetics medicine, as well as expanding the reach of the company's marketed products, VergenixFG and VergenixSTR in existing and new territories. Revital Mandil-Levin, has more than 15 years' experience in biotech startups and product development in the pharmaceutical industry. Before joining CollPlant, from January 2014 to February 2018, Mandil-Levin served as VP business development at NeuroDerm (NDRM).

06:56 EDT BlackRock CEO: Worried about direction of deficits - Says worried about foreigners continuing to buy U.S. treasuries.

06:49 EDT BlackRock CEO: Seeing more ESG demand from clients, mainly in U.S.

06:41 EDT BlackRock CEO: Saw huge inflows and outflows in Q1 - Says seeing more interest in global investing. Says likely late in economic cycle, which has been extended by tax cuts. Larry Fink speaking on CNBC.

06:32 EDT Barington takes activist stake in Xerium, nominates two to board - Barington Capital Group disclosed a 4.38% stake in Xerium Technologies, which represents 717,648 shares. The filing allows for activism. Barington said it desires to continue to engage in discussions with Xerium concerning the business, operations, corporate strategy, management, cost structure, indebtedness and corporate governance of the company, as well as board representation. The firm believes that Xerium's "strong position in a highly concentrated market, as well as its attractive EBITDA margins and modest capital spending requirements, are not adequately reflected in the Company's current stock price." It thinks Xerium can "significantly improve long-term shareholder value by taking a number of steps. These include, among other things: Exploring strategic transactions that include or facilitate a refinancing on more favorable terms of the Company's $480 million aggregate principal amount of 9.5% senior secured notes, which are callable beginning in August 2018; Reducing the company's cost structure; Dedicating the company's ongoing free cash flow to reducing indebtedness; and improving the company's corporate governance, including by implementing a majority voting standard for uncontested director elections. By letter dated March 13, Barington nominated two persons for election to the board of Xerium at the company's 2018 annual meeting of stockholders.

06:19 EDT BlackRock reports long-term net inflows of $57.3B - Long-term net inflows of $57.3 billion and $3.2 billion from clients in the Americas and Asia-Pacific regions, respectively, were partially offset by net outflows of $5.9 billion from clients in EMEA. At March 31, 2018, BlackRock managed 63% of its long-term AUM for clients in the Americas, 29% for clients in EMEA and 8% for clients in Asia-Pacific. The Company's net flows by client type for the first quarter of 2018 are presented below. Retail long-term net inflows of $16.7 billion reflected net inflows of $8.7 billion in the United States and $8.0 billion internationally. Fixed income net inflows of $10.0 billion were diversified across the Company's top-performing active platform, led by net inflows into unconstrained, emerging market and municipals categories. Equity net inflows of $4.2 billion reflected inflows into index mutual funds and international active equities. Multi-asset net inflows of $2.0 billion were largely due to inflows into the Multi-asset Income fund family. iShares ETFs long-term net inflows of $34.6 billion reflected strength in iShares Core ETFs. Equity net inflows of $29.7 billion were driven by both U.S. and international equity market exposures. Fixed income and commodity iShares generated $3.2 billion and $1.7 billion of net inflows, respectively. Institutional active long-term net outflows of $7.1 billion were driven by fixed income outflows of $4.1 billion linked to profit-taking and cash repatriation planning, and multi-asset net outflows of $4.1 billion resulting from a single redemption associated with client M&A activity. Alternatives net inflows of $1.4 billion were led by inflows into hedge funds, private equity solutions and infrastructure offerings. Institutional index long-term net inflows of $10.4 billion included fixed income net inflows of $17.5 billion, led by demand for liability-driven solutions, partially offset by equity net outflows of $7.2 billion.

06:17 EDT Twitter investors urge it to report on steps it's taking to combat fake news - A group of Twitter shareholders is urging the company for an update on how it is fighting fake news, abuse, and to specify the regulatory risk it faces. Twitter's board responded that the company is "taking action." The New York State Retirement Fund and Arjuna Capital have filed a shareholder proposal that would encourage Twitter to put together a detailed report about how well it's doing enforcing its social network's terms of service, the company disclosed in a regulatory document on Wednesday. The shareholders are also urging the company to include in the report the possible financial and other risks it faces from fake news and similar controversies. "Shareholders are concerned that Twitter's failure to address these issues proactively has created regulatory, legal, and reputational risk," the investors said in their proposal. "We believe Twitter has an obligation to demonstrate how it manages content to prevent violations of its terms of service. Yet, disclosures have been inadequate." Twitter also noted its statement of opposition, saying "Our board of directors has considered this proposal and, for the reasons described below, believes that adopting this proposal is not in the best interests of Twitter and our stockholders and unanimously recommends that you vote 'AGAINST' this proposal. Our board of directors and management have devoted, and continue to devote, significant effort to ensure that we are aware of and able to properly address public policy issues of importance to our business. Because we believe that the issues raised in the proposal are or have already been addressed as part of our ongoing business operations through our existing robust systems, structures, processes and controls, with significant oversight from our board of directors and management at the highest levels, we do not believe that establishing a separate public policy committee of the board of directors is necessary."

06:14 EDT ImmunoCellular announces successful T cell transfer - ImmunoCellular announced that it has been able to verify successful transfer of the selected T cell receptor genetic material into human hematopoietic stem cells. This milestone represents the next important step in validating the Stem-to-T-Cell approach, and is a key component of the proof-of-concept work for this technology. This achievement is a key next step to begin preclinical testing. ImmunoCellular's Stem-to-T-Cell technology is designed to stimulate the patient's immune system to produce an unlimited supply of killer T cells that specifically target and destroy tumor cells with minimal side effects.

06:13 EDT Magal Security appoints Dror Sharon as CEO - Magal Security Systems announced that Dror Sharon has been appointed as CEO replacing Saar Koursh, who has led Magal since 2015. Sharon is expected to start his role as Magal's CEO on June 24th, 2018. Koursh will continue in his position until April 30th. Yaniv Shachar, E.V.P. and General Manager of Magal Israel, will serve as acting CEO in the interim period. Sharon joins Magal following a successful career as President and CEO at Controp Precision Technology.

06:07 EDT Trump says would have fired Mueller in December 'if I wanted to' - President Donald Trump just tweeted, "If I wanted to fire Robert Mueller in December, as reported by the Failing New York Times, I would have fired him. Just more Fake News from a biased newspaper!"

06:06 EDT McDermott sees combination with CB&I on track for Q2 - The companies have validated the identified $250M in annualized cost synergies with concrete plans to achieve them by 2Q19.

06:00 EDT Volkswagen Truck & Bus, Hino Motors to enter into a strategic partnership - Hino Motors, majority owned by Toyota (TM), and Volkswagen Truck & Bus GmbH (VLKAY) signed an agreement aiming to build a mutually beneficial strategic long-term partnership on eye-level. Based on their common ideas, both companies will further explore each other's capabilities to cooperate in logistics and traffic solution research, existing and new technologies as well as in procurement. The evaluation of technology cooperation will focus on conventional powertrains, hybrid and electric powertrains, as well as connectivity and autonomous driving systems. Both partners aim to enhance their respective market positions in the global transportation business and will jointly develop innovative technologies to offer customers the highest value. A joint Alliance Board has been set up based on the SCFA to discuss the direction of the long-term and eye-level partnership. The Alliance Board pursues a pragmatic approach with a lean organization and balanced rights for both companies that remain independent. It comprises the CEOs from both companies as well as additional senior management representatives. Among other things, the Alliance Board will explore and evaluate cooperation in existing technologies, e.g. whether there is room for jointly utilizing conventional powertrains, to offer better products for customers. Furthermore, it will also evaluate initiatives for future transportation technologies.

05:44 EDT Amarin presents two posters about Vascepa at the National Kidney Foundation - Amarin announced the presentation of two posters this week at the National Kidney Foundation 2018 Spring Clinical Meetings in Austin, TX, April 10-14, 2018. These analyses highlight the need for further research in patients with reduced kidney function in conjunction with diabetes mellitus or ongoing inflammation, as denoted by elevated high sensitivity C-reactive protein, or hsCRP, levels, and persistent high triglycerides, or TG, despite statin therapy due to the association with increased cardiovascular disease, or CVD, risk. The poster titled "Icosapent Ethyl Reduces Potentially Atherogenic Lipid and Inflammatory Markers in High-Risk Statin-Treated Patients With Persistent High Triglycerides, eGFR less than90 mL/min/1.73 m2, and Diabetes Mellitus" showed that, consistent with overall ANCHOR study results, compared with placebo, icosapent ethyl, or IPE, 4g/day significantly decreased the primary endpoint of triglycerides, or TG, and other lipids without increasing LDL-C. Apolipoproteins and markers of oxidation and inflammation were significantly improved.

05:32 EDT Assembly Biosciences presents interim data from ABI-H0731 Phase 1a, 1b studies - Assembly Biosciences presented interim results from Phase 1a and 1b study of ABI-H0731, a novel antiviral in development for the treatment of chronic HBV infection, in a "late-breaker" poster presentation at The International Liver Congress, the Annual Meeting of the European Association for the Study of the Liver, or EASL. A copy of the poster can be found at assemblybio.com on the "Events & Presentations" page under "Investors." The late-breaker poster outlines interim data from the ongoing Phase 1b antiviral efficacy study and a recently completed Phase 1a safety and pharmacokinetic, or PK, study of ABI-H0731, a novel, oral Core protein Allosteric Modifier, or CpAM, with selective and potent activity against all major HBV genotypes. To date, two cohorts of HBV patients have completed dosing in the Phase 1b trial, in addition to three additional cohorts in a Phase 1a study in healthy volunteers. A third HBV patient cohort receiving 300 mg is ongoing, though only initial results are reported. Two HBeAg negative patients have also been treated at 400 mg.