Stockwinners Market Radar for April 19, 2018 - Earnings, Upgrades downgrades, option trades, Best Stock Advisory Service

19:00 EDT On The Fly: After Hours Movers - UP AFTER EARNINGS: Limelight Networks (LLNW) up 11.2%... Western Alliance (WAL) up 1.4%. ALSO HIGHER: Pinnacle Foods (PF) up 7.3% on new Jana Partners stake... Seaspan Corporation (SSW) up 5.1% after Deutsche Bank upgrade... Holly Energy Partners (HEP) up 1.4% after dividend increase... Mattel (MAT) up 1.0% after naming new CEO. DOWN AFTER EARNINGS: Skechers USA (SKX) down 23.0%... Atlassian Corporation (TEAM) down 11.5%... E-Trade (ETFC) down 1.0%... Rogers Communications (RCI) down 0.4%. ALSO LOWER: Herc Holdings (HRI) down 1.3% after Goldman Sach downgrade.

18:00 EDT Retail Properties of America signs two new leases at Huebner Oaks - Retail Properties of America announced that James Avery and francesca's signed new leases at Huebner Oaks, a 285,200 square foot open-air destination shopping center located in the San Antonio metropolitan statistical area. James Avery and francesca's will join Victoria's Secret, Pink, Bath & Body Works, Chico's, Brighton, REI, Old Navy, the recently opened Ulta Beauty, and other national retailers.

17:18 EDT Camping World announces expansion with new SuperCenters - Camping World Holdings,announced it will expand its national footprint by adding new SuperCenters in Lafayette, LA, Rockford, IL and Wichita, KS with plans to open in first quarter 2019. "As we continue to expand our network and portfolio, we are driven by our customer's expectations for convenience and personalization in their shopping experience, while looking to enhance their outdoor adventure experience," said Marcus Lemonis, Chairman of Camping World. "We are focused on fulfilling the needs of our consumer base and will continue to research new market opportunities to deliver on areas best for the outdoor enthusiasts' community."

17:17 EDT WesBanco to add Farmers Capital Bank director to board with merger - Upon completion of the merger, WesBanco (WSBC) will add one Farmers Capital Bank (FFKT) director to its board of directors, with all other current Farmers' directors being appointed to an advisory board for the Central & Southern Kentucky market. In addition, Lloyd Hillard, Jr, Farmers' president & CEO, will join WesBanco as chairman for the Central & Southern Kentucky market advisory board. At March 31, WesBanco had consolidated assets of approximately $10.2B, deposits of $7.2B, loans of $6.3B, and shareholders' equity of $1.4B. At March 31, Farmers had consolidated assets of approximately $1.7B, deposits of $1.4B, loans of $1B, and shareholders' equity of $0.2B. When the transaction is consummated, WesBanco will have approximately $12.8B in total assets and will provide banking and financial services through 211 financial centers in five states, including the recent acquisition of First Sentry Bancshares.

17:13 EDT Eversource offers to acquire Connecticut Water for $63.50 per share

17:11 EDT Raytheon awarded $136.5M U.S. Navy contract - Raytheon Co is awarded a $136,529,350 fixed-price-incentive modification under a previously awarded contract to exercise an option for Air and Missile Defense Radar Program low rate initial production. The LRIP unit will be deployed on a DDG Flight III class ship. Work will be performed in Marlborough, Massachusetts, and is expected to be completed by April 2021. Fiscal 2018 shipbuilding and conversion (Navy) funding in the amount of $136,529,350 will be obligated at time of award and will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year.

16:56 EDT Hannon Armstrong, Counterpointe expand C-PACE partnership - Hannon Armstrong, in conjunction with its partner, CounterPointe Sustainable Real Estate, or CSRE, announced an expanded strategic alliance operating as Hannon Armstrong Sustainable Real Estate, or HASRE, designed to leverage CSRE's relationships, real estate expertise, and comprehensive knowledge of commercial property assessed clean energy, or C-PACE, programs and the company's efficiency and renewable energy finance expertise. The two companies previously announced a partnership in December 2016. Available in 33 states plus D.C., C-PACE programs enable owners of commercial, industrial and multifamily properties to obtain low-cost, long-term financing for energy efficiency, water conservation, renewable energy and hazard mitigation projects. Real estate owners can benefit from an immediate increase in cash flows and building value by reducing energy costs while financing 100% of the retrofit. CSRE also provides turnkey solutions for these programs to municipalities, program managers and administrators through a cutting-edge web-based platform for originating, underwriting, funding and servicing PACE assessments and bonds.

16:50 EDT Albemarle declare a force majeure because of urethane raw material shortage - Albemarle announced that it has declared force majeure due to the shortage of key raw materials in the production of diethyl toluene diamine, or DETDA, curative products. The company informed affected customers and is working to minimize disruptions. The company does not expect this force majeure to affect previously communicated full-year guidance for the company. DETDA curative products are used to manufacture polyurethane materials.

16:46 EDT Hologic announces women treated with NovaSure reported higher amenorrhea rates - Hologic announced that in a new study, women treated with NovaSure endometrial ablation reported a higher one-year amenorrhea rate, better quality of life post-procedure, and greater satisfaction than women treated with Minerva endometrial ablation. The multi-center, IRB-approved retrospective case control study surveyed 189 pre-menopausal women who underwent endometrial ablation in accordance with FDA-approved use of either the NovaSure or Minerva device. The primary efficacy outcome was the percentage of patients experiencing amenorrhea post-ablation; the mean follow-up was 11.3 months. Secondary efficacy outcomes were change in abnormal uterine bleeding symptom severity from baseline, the percentage of patients requiring secondary intervention or refractory AUB, and patient satisfaction level. The primary safety-related outcome was the incidence of perioperative adverse events, which included, among others, pain, fever, nausea, vomiting, vaginal bleeding, and vaginosis.

16:38 EDT Piedmont Office Realty announces Q1 capital market activity - Piedmont Office Realty Trust announced that it completed almost 350,000 square feet of total leasing at its properties during the first quarter of 2018. In addition to the leasing executed throughout its current portfolio, approximately 150,000 square feet of additional leasing was completed at properties included in the 14-property portfolio sale which closed in January of 2018. This additional leasing, which was commenced by Piedmont, resulted in the realization of $4.5 million of incremental sale proceeds and gains on sale, bringing the total proceeds from the portfolio sale to over $430 million.

16:36 EDT Liberty Tax engages independent auditor, regains Nasdaq compliance - Liberty Tax announced that the audit committee of the board has engaged Carr Riggs & Ingram as the company's independent registered public accounting firm for the fiscal year ending April 30, effective immediately. The company also announced that it was notified on April 12 by the Listing Qualifications Department of the Nasdaq Stock Market that, due to the appointments of G. William Minner, Jr. and Thomas Herskovits to the audit committee of the board, the company had regained compliance with Nasdaq Listing Rule 5605, which requires that the audit committee of the board consist of at least three members, each of whom must satisfy the independence and other requirements of Nasdaq Listing Rule 5605. The current members of the Audit Committee are Ross Longfield and Messrs. Minner and Herskovits. With the engagement of CRI, the company intends to move forward with the review and filing of its Forms 10-Q for the quarters ended October 31, 2017 and January 31, 2018 with the SEC as soon as practicable. As previously reported, Nasdaq provided the company until June 11 to file these forms 10-Q with the SEC to regain compliance with Nasdaq Listing Rule 5250.

16:35 EDT Compass Horizon Partners lowers stake in Horizon Technology to 5.7% from 6.7%

16:25 EDT Papa Murphy's announces refranchising transaction in Colorado - Papa Murphy's announced the refranchising of company- owned stores in Colorado to Fresh Take, an entity owned by existing franchise owners Ryan McCallister, Tyler Ross and Brad Seymore. Following the transaction, Fresh Take will operate a total of 28 Papa Murphy's stores across the state of Colorado. Papa Murphy's remains focused on refranchising the majority of Company-owned stores and expects to operate around 60 Company-owned stores by the end of 2018. The cash flow generated from refranchising is expected to be used for debt paydown. "

16:24 EDT Jana Partners reports 9.1% stake in Pinnacle Foods, says shares undervalued - Jana Partners said in a regulatory filing that it acquired shares of Pinnacle Foods because it believes the shares are undervalued and represent an attractive investment opportunity. Jana noted that it intends to have discussions with members of Pinnacle's board of directors and management team regarding value creation measures including operations, costs and margin execution; capital allocation and capitalization; evaluating alternatives to realize the company's strategic value, including a sale or other consolidation opportunities potentially available to the company as a result of its scale position in the frozen foods sector. The firm may also seek to discuss other topics with Pinnacle including board composition. Jana may also have discussions with shareholders and other parties relating to all such matters.

16:19 EDT Oneok raises quarterly dividend 3% to 79.5c per share - The dividend is payable May 15 to shareholders of record at the close of business April 30. ONEOK maintains its previously announced dividend guidance and expects approximately 90%-95% of this dividend to be a return of capital.

16:18 EDT Student Transportation announces shareholder approval of plan of arrangement - Student Transportation is pleased to announce that, at its special meeting of shareholders, its shareholders overwhelmingly voted in favour of a special resolution to approve the proposed plan of arrangement previously announced February 27 pursuant to which, among other things, Spinner Can Acquireco, a company sponsored by Caisse de depot et placement du Quebec and Ullico will acquire all of the issued and outstanding shares of STI not already owned by it.

16:17 EDT Donaldson announces global price increases - Donaldson Company increased list prices for select products in both the Engine Products and Industrial Products segments by an average of 4 to 15 percent, depending on business unit and region. Account representatives from Donaldson are now communicating specific details directly to their customers, with the timing of the increase subject to the terms of applicable agreements. Purchased raw materials represent between 60 and 65 percent of Donaldson's cost of goods sold. Of that amount, steel, including fabricated parts, and filter media each represent approximately 20 percent, and the remainder is primarily petroleum-based products and other components.

16:13 EDT Theravance Biopharma reports publication of study of Treleggy Ellipta in COPD - Theravance Biopharma (TBPH) highlighted the publication in the New England Journal of Medicine of the landmark IMPACT study of Trelegy Ellipta in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. Trelegy Ellipta is the triple combination therapy of fluticasone furoate, umeclidinium, and vilanterol in a single Ellipta inhaler. Trelegy Ellipta is a product in which Theravance Biopharma has an economic interest in future payments that may be made by GlaxoSmithKline (GSK) or one of its affiliates pursuant to its agreements with Innovivam formerly Theravance, Inc. Theravance Biopharma is entitled to receive an 85% economic interest in the royalties paid by GSK on worldwide net sales. Those royalties are upward-tiering from 6.5% to 10%, resulting in cash flows to Theravance Biopharma of approximately 5.5% to 8.5% of worldwide net sales of Trelegy Ellipta. Results from additional secondary and other endpoints published in the NEJM include: a statistically significant 34% reduction in COPD hospitalizations for Trelegy compared to Anoro and a reduction of 13% compared to Relvar/Breo which was not statistically significant ; a 42.1% reduction in the risk of on-treatment all-cause mortality was observed for Trelegy compared to Anoro. The safety profile of single inhaler triple therapy was consistent with the safety profile of the individual components. Trelegy Ellipta is approved in Europe as a maintenance treatment in adult patients with moderate to severe COPD who are not adequately treated by a combination of an ICS and a LABA. The product is also approved for use in the US for the long-term, once-daily, maintenance treatment of COPD patients who are receiving Breo and require additional bronchodilation or who are receiving Breo and Incruse. Regulatory applications for Trelegy Ellipta have been submitted and are undergoing assessments in a number of other countries.

16:12 EDT Universal Forest increases semiannual dividend 6% to 18c per share - Universal Forest board approved a 6% increase in the semiannual cash dividend to 18c per share at their April 18 meeting. The dividend is payable on June 15, to shareholders of record on June 1.

16:12 EDT Exponent sees FY18 revenue up mid-to high-single digits before reimbursements - "Our outlook reflects positive momentum in the business, as well as the expected deceleration of the ongoing human factors assessment project in 2018. We are improving our expectations for the full year 2018. We now expect revenues before reimbursements to grow in the mid- to high- single digits and EBITDA margin to decline by approximately 50 to 100 basis points, as compared to 2017. As previously discussed, we continue to believe that Exponent's consolidated income tax rate will be approximately 22% to 23% for 2018, after including the estimated tax adjustments associated with share-based awards. This tax rate range is approximately ten percentage points lower than it would have been as a result of the new Tax Legislation," commented Richard Schlenker, Executive Vice President and CFO.

16:12 EDT Parker-Hannifin increases quarterly dividend 15% - Parker Hannifin Corporation announced that its board has increased the company's regular quarterly cash dividend to 76c per share of common stock. The dividend is payable June 1 to shareholders of record as of May 10. This represents a 15% increase over the previous quarterly cash dividend of 66c per common share.

16:10 EDT Rogers Communications reports Q1 adjusted EBITDA C$1.34B

16:10 EDT Square acquires certain assets of Zesty - Square announced that it has acquired certain assets of Zesty, a catering platform that empowers companies to be healthier and more productive. The addition of Zesty will enable Caviar, Square's food ordering platform, to strengthen and scale its growing corporate ordering business, Caviar for Teams, and serve meals from the best restaurants across the U.S. to companies of all sizes.

16:09 EDT Turtle Beach, Knicks Gaming announce partnership - Turtle Beach announced a new partnership with Knicks Gaming as the organization's official gaming peripherals partner for the 2018 NBA 2K League season. The partnership will see Knicks Gaming players using Turtle Beach headsets at the Knicks Gaming training facility, and the two companies also plan to produce a variety of content highlighting the fun and challenging aspects of the inaugural season. The first ever NBA 2K draft took place April 4, 2018 with Knicks Gaming selecting 9th overall and welcoming Dayvon "GOOFY757" Curry as the first ever member of the Knicks Gaming organization. League play begins with the tip-off tournament May 1-5 and runs through August 2018. NBA 2K players need every advantage possible to dominate the competition, and powerful game audio tuned for esports and crystal-clear team chat are crucial to securing victory. Knicks Gaming players will use Turtle Beach's flagship Elite Pro gaming headsets in all practices and streaming sessions.

16:07 EDT Mattel names Ynon Kreiz as CEO, effective April 26 - Mattel (MAT) announced that the Board of Directors has named Ynon Kreiz, a Mattel director since June 2017, as CEO effective April 26. Margo Georgiadis, who became Mattel's CEO in February 2017, has informed the Board of her decision to step down from her executive and Board roles to pursue a new opportunity in the technology sector. Georgiadis will serve in an advisory role at Mattel through May 10 to ensure a smooth transition. As previously announced, Kreiz also will become Chairman of the Board, effective upon his election at the 2018 Annual Meeting of Stockholders, scheduled for May 17. Kreiz succeeds Christopher Sinclair, the Executive Chairman and former CEO of Mattel who, on June 13, 2017, announced his intention to retire at the 2018 Annual Meeting. Kreiz is the former Chairman and CEO of Maker Studios, a global digital media and content network company, which was acquired by The Walt Disney Company (DIS) in 2014. He previously served as Chairman and CEO of Endemol Group, one of the world's largest independent television production companies, with local operations in more than 30 countries. Prior to that, Kreiz was a General Partner at venture capital firm Balderton Capital, one of the leading early stage investors in Europe.

16:05 EDT Mattel names Ynon Kreiz as CEO, effective April 26

16:04 EDT Rogers Communications announces TSX acceptance of normal course issuer bid - Rogers Communications announced that the Toronto Stock Exchange has accepted a notice filed by Rogers of its intention to commence a normal course issuer bid for its Class B Non-Voting shares. The Board of Directors of Rogers has authorized such share repurchases because it believes that, at certain times, the purchase of Class B shares may represent an appropriate and desirable use of Rogers' available funds when, if in the opinion of management, the value of the Class B shares exceeds the trading price of such shares. Such purchases would provide additional liquidity to shareholders and benefit the remaining shareholders by increasing their proportionate equity interest in Rogers. Under the NCIB, Rogers may, during the twelve month period commencing April 24, 2018 and ending April 23, 2019, purchase on the TSX, the New York Stock Exchange and/or alternative trading systems the lesser of 35,824,925 Class B shares, representing approximately 10% of the public float of the Class B shares, and that number of Class B shares that can be purchased under the NCIB for an aggregate purchase price of $500 million. The actual number of Class B shares purchased, if any, and the timing of such purchases will be determined by Rogers, considering market conditions, stock prices, its cash position, and other factors. As at April 18, 2018 there were 402,405,483 Class B shares issued and outstanding and the public float consisted of 358,249,255 Class B shares.

16:01 EDT Nationstar names Tony Ebers COO - Nationstar Mortgage Holdings announced that Tony Ebers has been appointed Chief Operating Officer, a new position within Nationstar. Effective immediately, Ebers will assume responsibility for servicing, originations and Xome operations. Ebers will be responsible for ensuring operational excellence across the company and leading the company-wide initiative to place the home, rather than the loan, at the center of the homeownership journey.

15:03 EDT Athersys announces publication of new review paper in Stroke - The official Twitter account of Athersys tweeted: "New review paper - "Intravenous Cellular Therapies for Acute Ischemic Stroke" published in Stroke @StrokeAHA_ASA by Dr. Robert Mays of $ATHX and Dr. Sean Savitz @UTHealth #Stroke #MultiStem" Reference Link

14:56 EDT Ecology & Environment awarded Navajo Nation site investigation contract - Ecology & Environment has been awarded a three-year, $5M plus contract with the Phase 2 Removal Site Evaluation Trust to conduct site investigations of abandoned uranium mine sites throughout the Navajo Nation. Under the contract, E & E will work with the Trust to determine whether soils, sediments, groundwater, or surface water have been affected by an AUM, and whether affected sites pose a potential risk to human health and the environment. E & E will also conduct outreach to Navajo residents and communities.

14:33 EDT Rite Aid says naloxone available at its pharmacies in 19 states - Rite Aid Corporation announced that naloxone, a medication that can be used to reverse the effects of an opioid overdose, is available at each of the more than 2,500 Rite Aid pharmacies in the United States and can be dispensed without a prescription, subject to state regulations. "The opioid epidemic has reached epic proportions and it is an issue that demands not only our attention but also our continued action to help reduce the rise in opioid deaths," said Jocelyn Konrad, Rite Aid executive vice president of pharmacy. "For the past two years, we've worked with state and federal lawmakers to increase access to this life-saving medication. We support the Surgeon General's recent Advisory on the importance of naloxone and are committed to offering it to our customers in all of the communities we serve." Rite Aid pharmacists have been provided with additional training to dispense naloxone and to provide counseling to patients who purchase the medication. All Rite Aid pharmacies in the following states stock naloxone: California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Idaho, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Nevada, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Vermont, Virginia and Washington.

14:30 EDT Ultra Petroleum reports Q1 average production of 803 MMcfe/d - Ultra Petroleum Corp. announces that during the first quarter of 2018, the company's production averaged 803 million cubic feet equivalent, or MMcfe, per day, exceeding the mid-point of guidance of 790 to 810 MMcfe/d. Production volumes include 68.2 billion cubic feet of natural gas and 677.8 thousand barrels of oil and condensate and represents a 13% increase over the production volumes of first quarter 2017. "We are very pleased to announce that we have exceeded the mid-point of our production guidance for the first quarter of 2018. The execution of our 2018 plan is off to a strong start with a production beat that should serve to increase investor confidence regarding our ability to meet or exceed guidance. We look forward to providing a complete update to our first quarter results as scheduled on May 10, 2018," said Brad Johnson, Interim CEO.

14:19 EDT Golar LNG moves higher after preliminary pact and HoT for charter agreement - Golar LNG Limited that it has entered into a Preliminary Agreement and exchanged Heads of Terms for a Charter Agreement with BP Mauritania Investments Ltd and BP Senegal Investments in their capacity as block operators. The HoT represents a commitment between the Parties to translate the key commercial terms into a full agreement and proceed with Front End Engineering Design on the provision of an FLNG vessel to support the development of Phase 1A of the Greater Tortue / Ahmeyin field, located offshore Mauritania and Senegal. The Preliminary Agreement creates obligations on Golar to progress FEED work and be ready for a vessel conversion from July 1 onwards; which would be contingent on Project FID, expected end 2018. The vessel conversion would take place at Keppel Shipyard building on Keppel's delivery of the FLNG Hilli Episeyo, utilizing Black and Veatch Corporation's PRICO technology. The Preliminary Agreement also includes an option, but not an obligation, for BP on a second FLNG vessel. In the event that FID is not taken customary termination fees apply. Golar CEO Iain Ross commented "This agreement with BP underscores the value that Golar's unique FLNG proposition brings to monetizing gas reserves to LNG at competitive prices. The FLNG contract shows solid long-term economics on an unleveraged basis. We are looking forward to building on the successful conversion of the Hilli Episeyo for Greater Tortue / Ahmeyin." Shares are up 1.8% to $29.94 in afternoon trading.

14:07 EDT Citizens First increases dividend 16.7% to 7c per share - The board of directors of Citizens First declared a quarterly cash dividend of 7c per common share payable May 16 to shareholders of record on May 4. This represents an increase of 16.7% from the quarterly cash dividend of 6c per common share declared in January, 2018.

13:37 EDT Home builder stocks crevice after mortgage rates spike to year high - According to weekly data put out by FreddieMac, mortgage rates are popping to yearly highs. According to a statement put out by FreddieMac, "Treasury yields rose ahead of the release of the Fed's Beige Book and speeches from New York Fed President William Dudley and Fed Governor Randal Quarles. According to the Beige Book, economic activity in March and early April continued to expand at a moderate pace, however, there is concern from various industries surrounding tariffs. Following Treasury yields, mortgage rates soared. The U.S. weekly average 30-year fixed mortgage rate rose 5 basis points to 4.47% in this week's survey, its highest level since January of 2014 and the largest weekly increase since February of this year." HOUSING STARTS: In a report out on April 17 from the U.S. Census Bureau and the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development.Permits for single-family homes were at a rate of 840,000, a decrease of 5.5% compared with a revised 889,000 in February. NAHB Chairman Randy Noel noted, "Single-family starts dropped slightly this month, but single-family permits year-to-date are up 5% from their level over this same period in 2017." LUMBER COSTS AND LABOR SHORTAGE: According to various reports out recently, the national labor shortage is making it increasingly difficult and expensive to find construction workers. With that, the price of lumber, an integral part of the cost of building a home, is skyrocketing. According to a recent statement from an industry research group, Wood Markets, the continuation of U.S. duties on Canadian lumber exports to the U.S., are expected to cause more short-term market and price volatility in softwood lumber. "The preliminary duties launched earlier in 2017 rocked the U.S. market and more of the same is expected in 2018." According to the Wall Street Journal, the lumber issue is being exacerbated by a shortage of railcars and trucks to ship the product. Stinson Dean, a broker in Kansas City, Mo., who ships wood from sawmills to lumber yards, said, according to the WSJ. "None of us have experienced a market like this. We are in a lumber supply crisis." PRICE ACTION: In afternoon trading, shares of companies in the home-building group, including PulteGroup (PHM), D.R. Horton (DHI), Lennar (LEN), KB Home (KBH), Toll Brothers (TOL), Meritage Homes (MTH), and Beazer Homes (BZH), are all lower.

13:15 EDT GW Pharmaceuticals trading resumes

12:58 EDT GW Pharmaceuticals to resume trading at 1:15 pm ET - GW Pharmaceuticals shares will resume trading at 1:15 pm ET, with quotation to resume at 1:10 pm ET, according to Nasdaq.

12:46 EDT GW Pharmaceuticals 'pleased' with FDA backing approval for cannabidiol - GW Pharmaceuticals, along with its U.S. subsidiary Greenwich Biosciences, today announced that the Peripheral and Central Nervous System Drugs Advisory Committee of the U.S. Food and Drug Administration unanimously recommended supporting the approval of the New Drug Application for the investigational cannabidiol oral solution, also known as Epidiolex, for the adjunctive treatment of seizures associated with Lennox-Gastaut syndrome and Dravet syndrome in patients two years of age and older. If approved, Epidiolex would be the first pharmaceutical formulation of purified, plant-based CBD, a cannabinoid lacking the high associated with marijuana, and the first in a new category of anti-epileptic drugs. LGS and Dravet syndrome, which develop in childhood, are devastating forms of epilepsy with high morbidity and mortality rates and a significant burden on families and caregivers. More than 90% of patients with LGS or Dravet syndrome have multiple seizures per day, which puts them at constant risk for falls and injury. Physicians who treat LGS and Dravet syndrome patients struggle to reduce the sheer volume of dangerous seizures with currently available therapies. If approved, Epidiolex would be the first-ever FDA-approved medicine for Dravet syndrome patients. "We are pleased by the Advisory Committee's unanimous recommendation to approve Epidiolex, which would provide an important treatment option for patients with LGS and Dravet syndrome, two of the most severe and treatment-resistant forms of epilepsy," said Justin Gover, GW's Chief Executive Officer. "This favorable outcome marks an important milestone in our company's unwavering commitment to address the significant unmet need for patients with LGS and Dravet syndrome and our resolve to study Epidiolex under the highest research and manufacturing standards. We look forward to our ongoing discussions with the FDA as it continues to review the Epidiolex NDA."

12:24 EDT Benchmark sees Activision Blizzard guidance affected by 'Fortnite' - Shares of Activision Blizzard (ATVI) were trading lower after an analyst from Benchmark said he expects the game maker to report strong first quarter earnings followed by disappointing second quarter guidance. BENCHMARK KEEPS BUY: In a research note to investors, Benchmark analyst Mike Hickey maintained a Buy rating and $80 price target on Activision Blizzard, saying he expects the company to report "strong" Q1 results on Thursday, May 3, followed by "disappointing" Q2 guidance while reiterating their fiscal 2018 performance view. Hickey said that the game giant's Q2 outlook will likely reflect caution over the rise of so-called battle royale games including Epic Games' "Fortnite," which are likely negatively affecting player engagement on "Overwatch" and "Call of Duty." The firm remains optimistic on the stock's medium-term earnings power, and would continue to opportunistically purchase shares, the analyst said. In particular, Hickey said that the Activision segment should have a "strong" product slate for fiscal 2018, with the release of "Call of Duty: Black Ops 4," while benefiting from live service monetization and paid downloadable content. WHAT'S NOTABLE: Gaming website Kotaku reported earlier this week that "Call of Duty: Black Ops 4" will essentially be multiplayer-only, excluding the kind of single-player campaign that has been a part of the franchise for over a decade. In addition, a source told Kotaku that the next "Call of Duty" will include a battle royale mode following the success of "Fortnite" and "PlayerUnknown's Battlegrounds." The mobile version of "PUBG" is published by Tencent Games (TCEHY) while the console version on Xbox One is published by Microsoft (MSFT). PRICE ACTION: In afternoon trading, Activision Blizzard shares are down 1.2% to $67.88. OTHERS TO WATCH: Shares of rivals Electronic Arts (EA) and Take-Two (TTWO) are down a respective 0.3% and 1.4% in the afternoon.

11:49 EDT Zynerba, Zogenix rise after FDA panel backs approval for GW Pharma drug - After news that an FDA advisory committee voted 13-0 that the benefit-risk profile of cannabidiol is favorable for the treatment of seizures associated with Lennox-Gastaut syndrome and Dravet syndrome, shares of the maker of the drug, GW Pharmaceuticals (GWPH), remain halted for trading. Zynerba Pharmaceuticals (ZYNE), which is also working on cannabinoid treatments, is up 8% following the panel vote, while Zogenix (ZGNX), which also focuses on epilepsy and related seizure disorders, is up 1.5%.

11:19 EDT Lam Research CEO says guidance implies 'solid' year-over-year growth - Lam Research CEO Martin Anstice said overall secular and cyclical demand trends are strong, which is "getting lost in translation" amid the "ebbs and flows" of short-term trends. Anstice is being interviewed on CNBC.

11:09 EDT Generic drug makers under pressure following Aceto, Novartis news - Last night, Aceto (ACET) withdrew its guidance, citing the continued intense competitive and pricing pressures in the generic industry. This morning, Novartis (NVS) reported that net sales at its generic unit Sandoz dropped 4% in the quarter. Following both announcements, Wells Fargo analyst Davis Maris told investors that he is not ready to call the bottom in generics pricing and sees a negative read-through for companies with large U.S. commodity generic exposure, such as Teva (TEVA) and Mylan (MYL). GUIDANCE SUSPENSION, DIVIDEND REDUCTION: Last night, Aceto's chairman Al Eilender said, "Given continued headwinds in the generics market, the Board has taken decisive action by bolstering the company's senior leadership, engaging in proactive discussions with its secured lenders, and initiating a thorough evaluation of strategic alternatives." Strategic alternatives to be considered may include the sale of a key business segment, a merger or other business combination with another party, continuing as a standalone entity or other potential alternatives. The company's Board also anticipates a significant reduction of its dividend going forward and announced the appointment of Rebecca Roof as Interim CFO and the resignation of CFO Edward Borkowski, who has decided to pursue another opportunity. Additionally, Aceto said that, in light of the persistent adverse conditions in the generics market, it is negotiating with its bank lenders a waiver of its credit agreement with respect to its total net leverage and debt service coverage financial covenants in the fiscal third quarter, and that the financial guidance issued on February 1, should no longer be relied upon. The company also anticipates recording non-cash intangible asset impairment charges, including goodwill, in the range of $230M-$260M on certain currently marketed and pipeline generic products as a result of continued intense competitive and pricing pressures. NOVARTIS RESULTS: This morning, Novartis reported first quarter core earnings per share of $1.28 and revenue of $12.69B, with consensus at $1.29 and $12.57B, respectively. The company also announced Sandoz net sales of $2.5B in the first quarter as 6 percentage points of price erosion, mainly in the U.S., were partly offset by volume growth of 2 percentage points. U.S. sales declined 18% mainly due to continued competitive pressure, the company added. NEGATIVE READ-THROUGH: In a research note this morning, Wells Fargo's Maris told investors that he thinks Aceto and Sandoz's news show that the data continues to be negative for U.S. generic industry pricing. He sees a negative read-through for companies with large U.S. commodity generic exposure, such as Teva and Mylan. Further, the analyst noted that he is not yet ready to call the bottom in generics pricing and believes those that have are "premature." WHAT'S NOTABLE: Citing a rapid degradation of the company's asset-light business model in the wake of continued pressures for commoditized generics, Canaccord analyst Dewey Steadman downgraded Aceto two notches to Sell from Buy. The company's core human health business has been under significant pressure and has been unable to swiftly adapt to market conditions, he added. The analyst also lowered his price target on the shares to $2 from $10. PRICE ACTION: In late morning trading, shares of Aceto have plunged almost 62% to $2.85, while Novartis' stock has dropped about 3% to $79.25. Also lower, shares of Teva and Mylan have slipped 2.5% and 0.25%, respectively.

10:54 EDT Trump says 'good things will happen' after meeting with Japan's Abe - President Trump just tweeted, "Great meeting with Prime Minister Abe of Japan, who has just left Florida. Talked in depth about North Korea, Military and Trade. Good things will happen!"

10:23 EDT Allergan says in early stages of considering Shire bid, no offer made

10:21 EDT Amazon rises as Prime reaches 100M paid members, analyst sees apparel share gain - Amazon's (AMZN) CEO Jeff Bezos told investors that the company has exceeded 100M paid members globally and has shipped more than 5B items with Prime worldwide. The good news for the e-commerce giant may not end there, as Morgan Stanley analyst Brian Nowak told investors that his analysis shows that Amazon has gained 1.5% of U.S. apparel market share in 2017 and may achieve number one U.S. apparel market share in 2018 as Prime members and Millennials shift spending to Amazon and away from traditional brick and mortar retailers. 100M PAID MEMBERS: According to a regulatory filing, Amazon said that it has exceeded 100M paid Prime members globally 13 years post-launch. In 2017, Amazon shipped more than 5B items with Prime worldwide, and more new members joined Prime than in any previous year -- both worldwide and in the U.S., the company said, adding that members in the U.S. now receive unlimited free two-day shipping on over 100M different items. The company expanded Prime to Mexico, Singapore, the Netherlands, and Luxembourg, and introduced Business Prime Shipping in the U.S. and Germany. Additionally, CEO Jeff Bezos informed shareholders that Amazon Music now has tens of millions of paid customers, with Amazon Music Unlimited expanding to more than 30 new countries in 2017. GAINING APPAREL MARKET SHARE: In a research note to investors this morning, Morgan Stanley's Nowak said his analysis shows that Amazon gained 1.5% of U.S. apparel market share in 2017, largely at the expense of department stores. According to his work around Amazon's apparel gross merchandise value, the analyst estimates the e-commerce giant continues to be the second largest U.S. apparel retailer, trailing only Walmart (WMT), as the company has grown to about 7.9% of the overall U.S. apparel market, excluding shoes, or $21.1B apparel gross merchandise value. Further, Nowak told investors he expects Amazon to achieve the number one spot in 2018, as Prime members and Millennials shift spending to Amazon and away from traditional brick and mortar retailers. The analyst pointed out that Amazon's 2017 share gains look to have come largely at the expense of department stores, estimating Sears (SHLD), Macy's (M) and J.C. Penney (JCP) lost 0.8% share in 2017, with shareholding remaining roughly flat for Target (TGT) and Kohl's (KSS). L Brands (LB) lost share due to the elimination of its swimwear and apparel categories, he contended. Additionally, his U.S. apparel market deep-dive indicated that Walmart and Costco (COST) showed "impressive gains" despite a weak industry backdrop. Among the Softline retailers, Gap's (GPS) Old Navy, Ross Stores (ROSS) and Nordstrom's (JWN) Nordstrom Rack also added 10-15 bps of market share in 2017, he added. Nowak reiterated an Overweight rating and $1,550 price target on Amazon shares. PRICE ACTION: In morning trading, shares of Amazon have gained 2.4% to $1,564.90.

10:15 EDT Magna opens new body & chassis plant in Mexico - Magna executives were joined by Governor Juan Manuel Carreras Lopez, members of local government, customers and employees to celebrate the grand opening of a new body & chassis manufacturing facility in San Luis Potosi, Mexico. The 189,000-square-foot facility will produce structural welded assemblies for global automakers including BMW and Mercedes-Benz. It currently employs 400 people and is expected to grow to approximately 1,000 employees at full production. The addition of the new body & chassis plant in San Luis Potosi gives Magna 32 facilities and more than 28,000 employees in Mexico.

10:13 EDT PPG, Home Depot expand partnership with launch of OLYMPIC stain products - PPG (PPG) and Home Depot (HD) announced an expanded partnership to offer PPG's OLYMPIC brand stains in its nearly 2,000 locations across the U.S. This partnership combines the innovative woodcare performance of Olympic stains with the largest retailer of exterior stains, providing great selection and value to The Home Depot customers. Consumer-trusted stain products, including Olympic MAXIMUM, Olympic ELITE and Olympic WATERGUARD will become available at most of these Home Depot locations by the end of Q2. In addition, PPG's latest innovation, Olympic SmartGuard will soon be available at select U.S. Home Depot stores in time for the spring season. A first-of-its-kind product in North America, Olympic SmartGuard aims has a super-concentrated formula in a lightweight, easy-to-handle pouch package. Drying in as little as one hour after application, as compared to 24-48 hours for traditional products, it provides a durable, super water-resistant seal.

09:58 EDT PPG Industries trading resumes

09:47 EDT Correction: Hexcel Q2 results from 2017 - The results reported on 9:39 were in fact from the second quarter of 2017 and should be ignored.

09:40 EDT PPG sees deploying at least $2.4B on acquisitions, buybacks in 2018

09:39 EDT PPG identified $1.4M of expense that should have been accrued in Q1 - PPG said that "As PPG's earnings release was being finalized, the company received a report through its internal reporting system concerning potential violations of PPG's accounting policies and procedures regarding the failure to accrue certain specified expenses in the first quarter. Based on preliminary review, the company identified approximately $1.4M of expense that should have been accrued in the first quarter, and the earnings reported in this release reflect the accrual of such $1.4M of expenses. The report also alleges that there may have been other unspecified expenses, potentially up to $5M in the aggregate, that were improperly not accrued in the first quarter. The Audit Committee of the company's Board of Directors is overseeing an investigation of the matters set forth in the report, with the assistance of outside counsel. The company is currently unable to predict the timing or outcome of the investigation and will move with diligence."

09:33 EDT PPG Industries trading halted, news pending

09:30 EDT Shire confirms talks with Takeda on potential 'more attractive' proposal - Shire (SHPG) earlier noted the announcement made by Takeda. The Board of Shire confirms that it has received three conditional proposals from Takeda regarding a possible offer for the Company, on March 29, April 11 and April 13. The first proposal comprised GB{28 per share in new Takeda shares, to be listed in Japan and in the US through an ADR listing, and GBP16 per share in cash, representing a potential value of GBP44 per share and approximately GBP41B for the total issued and to be issued share capital of the company. Based on Takeda's current market capitalisation, Shire shareholders would own approximately 50% of the enlarged Takeda. The third proposal also comprised GBP28.75 per share in new Takeda shares, to be listed in Japan and in the US through an ADR listing, and GBP17.75 per share in cash, representing a potential value of GBP46.50 per share and approximately GBP44B for the total issued and to be issued share capital of the Company. Based on Takeda's current market capitalisation, Shire shareholders would own approximately 51% of the enlarged Takeda. Shire said: "Following the Board meeting on 14 April 2018 which rejected the Third Proposal, at the Board's request Shire's advisers entered into a dialogue with Takeda's advisers to discuss whether a further, more attractive, proposal may be forthcoming and to understand the basis on which such a proposal would be made. The Board and management of Shire remain committed to enhancing shareholder value and are focused on fully evaluating internal and external opportunities to maximise value for shareholders, including any further proposals from Takeda. This announcement is made without the consent of Takeda."

09:17 EDT Ebix to acquire 60% stake in India-based Smartclass Educational Services - Ebix announced that it has entered into an agreement to acquire a majority stake in India based Smartclass Educational Services Private Limited, a leading e-learning company engaged in the business of education services, development of education products, and implementation of education solutions for K-12 Schools. Ebix expects the acquisition to be immediately accretive to its earnings and forecasts up to 20c in increased Diluted EPS, once the acquisition is fully integrated over the next 6 months. Under the terms of the agreement, Ebix will pay up to $8M in cash for its stake in Smartclass. Smartclass is one of India's leading e-learning companies catering to the fast-growing K-12 education sector in India. With staff strength of approximately 500 employees out of a total of 1000 staff, dedicated to research & development and customer engagement, the Company caters to accredited school education through rich media like 2-D, 3-D, Virtual reality animation etc. Smartclass's 500-strong sales and marketing staff across the country has helped create a strong growth trajectory, in terms of top line and reach for the company.

09:11 EDT Sinovac Biotech reports preliminary results of Phase III trial on sIPV - Sinovac Biotech announced preliminary results of a phase III clinical study on Sabin inactivated polio vaccine developed by Sinovac Biotech Co., Ltd. on the unblinding conference held on April 19, 2018. The preliminary results of the trial after unblinding show the seroconversion rate of poliovirus type II is superior to the control vaccine and seroconversion rates of the other two types of poliovirus are non-inferior to the control vaccine. And geometric mean titer of three poliovirus types are all higher than the control vaccine. The company will prepare the production license application after the clinical report is finalized. The phase III trial is a randomized, double-blind, controlled clinical trial to evaluate the immunogenicity and safety of sIPV in 2-month-old infants. The trial commenced in August 2017 with twelve hundred healthy volunteer subjects enrolled in the study. The primary vaccination schedule sets three doses with a one month interval between doses and the trial was carried out in Jiangsu province, China.

09:11 EDT Plumas Bancorp raises semi-annual dividend to 18c per share from 14c per share - Plumas Bancorp announced that the board declared a regular semi-annual cash dividend on Plumas Bancorp common stock of $0.18 per share, payable May 15, 2018, to stockholders of record as of April 30, 2018. This represents a $0.04, or 29% increase from the $0.14 dividend paid on November 15, 2017.

09:07 EDT Nucor CEO says 'positive momentum has clearly carried over into 2018' - "Nucor's disciplined strategy for profitable growth is working," said John Ferriola, Nucor's Chairman, CEO and President. "Our 2017 earnings were Nucor's highest annual earnings since the cyclical peak year of 2008. The positive momentum has clearly carried over into 2018, as evidenced by our strong first quarter earnings and a bullish second quarter outlook."

09:05 EDT Ally Financial names Jason Schugel as chief risk officer - Succeeding David Shevsky, Jason Schugel has been named chief risk officer of Ally. Schugel was previously deputy chief risk officer for the company since 2017, leading various risk-management activities. Prior to that he was general auditor for Ally, responsible for the company's internal audit function, as well as administrative oversight for Ally's loan review function. Schugel joined Ally in 2009, overseeing the company's financial planning and analysis team and was responsible for financial performance reporting, enterprise-wide forecasting and planning. He also previously served as lead finance executive for Ally's global functions.

09:02 EDT Amazon announces Alexa Skill Blueprints to create personalized Alexa skills - Amazon introduced Alexa Skill Blueprints, "a new way to create your own personalized skills and responses for Alexa. Using a set of easy-to-use templates anyone can create customized experiences for Alexa within minutes just by filling in the blanks. Whether it's your own answer to the question 'Alexa, who is the best mom in the world?' or a skill that offers helpful information for the babysitter, 'Alexa, open My Sitter,' Alexa Skill Blueprints allow you to build experiences into Alexa that are personalized to you and help make Alexa even more useful around your home. The skills you create are specially designed for you and your family, and will only appear on the devices registered to your Amazon account."

08:58 EDT On The Fly: Pre-market Movers - HIGHER: Shire (SHPG), up 1% after confirming that it has received three conditional proposals from Takeda (TKPYY) regarding a possible offer for the company and has entered into a dialogue with Takeda's advisers to discuss whether a further, more attractive, proposal may be forthcoming... Bio-Path Holdings (BPTH), up 25% after announcing pre-clinical data for prexigebersen showing potential to treat tumors in gynecologic malignancies... Sientra (SIEN), up 12% after announcing FDA approval of the company's PMA supplement allowing commercialization of its OPUS-branded breast implant products manufactured by Vesta. UP AFTER EARNINGS: American Express (AXP), up 3.5%... Alcoa (AA), up 3.6%... Kinder Morgan (KMI), up 2%... Grainger (GWW), up 7%... Blackstone (BX), up 2%. DOWN AFTER EARNINGS: Philip Morris (PM), down 4.7%... Pier 1 Imports (PIR), down 18%... Sleep Number (SNBR), down 14%. LOWER: Aceto (ACET), down 53% after announcing the company is exploring strategic alternatives, suspending further guidance and reducing its dividend... Helios and Matheson (HMNY), down 34% after the company's 10.5M share spot secondary offering priced at $2.75 per share... Qualcomm (QCOM), down 2% and NXP Semiconductors (NXPI), down 2.7% after reporting that, at the request of the Ministry of Commerce in China, they have withdrawn and refiled the notice of acquisition regarding the companies' planned combination. In conjunction with the refiling, NXP and Qualcomm have agreed, among other things, to extend the end date of their purchase agreement from April 25, 2018 to July 25, 2018.

08:49 EDT CVS Health expands disposal program in Ohio for opioids and other medication - CVS Health has expanded its safe medication disposal program to locations inside 28 CVS Pharmacy locations in Ohio to help facilitate proper and timely disposal of opioids and other medications that could otherwise be diverted or misused. The CVS Health Foundation will also provide an $85K grant to Cleveland's Neighborhood Family Practice, a network of community health centers, to support opioid addiction recovery. The 28 new medication disposal units that have been installed inside CVS Pharmacy locations in Ohio will supplement the 33 units CVS Health has previously donated to police departments across the state.

08:46 EDT Procter & Gamble: Baby care the 'largest improvement opportunity'

08:42 EDT Procter & Gamble sees returning to positive price trends 'sometime next FY' - Procter & Gamble said on its Q3 earnings conference call that Q3 was a "challenging quarter in a tough environment." "We must and will do better," P&G CEO David Taylor said. Taylor said P&G is "not where we need to be" in baby care, grooming. Sees returning to positive price trends sometime next FY. Says commodities anticipated to be a $350M after-tax headwind for FY, transportation costs a $200M headwind and FX a $175M after-tax benefit. Expects to return to gross margin, operating margin improvement in Q4. P&G is down 2.4% in pre-market trading.

08:40 EDT ViewRay's Linac system used for the first time by medical center in Amsterdam - ViewRay announced that VU University Medical Center in Amsterdam has begun patient treatments using the company's MRIdian Linac system. This is the first ever linear accelerator-based MR image-guided radiotherapy session delivered using on-table adaptation to correct for anatomical movements that occur each day throughout a patient's course of therapy. In May 2016, VUmc began on-table adaptive MR-image guided treatments with the first generation MRIdian system, which VUmc intends to upgrade to linac technology later in 2018. The MRIdian Linac system received FDA clearance in 2017 and was CE marked in 2016. Earlier this week, University Clinic Heidelberg in Germany also treated their first patient using MRIdian Linac MR image-guided radiotherapy.

08:38 EDT Allstate reports March catastrophe losses $222M, Q1 losses $361M - Allstate announced estimated catastrophe losses for the month of March of $222M, pre-tax, and an estimated $361M, pre-tax, for Q1. Catastrophe losses occurring in Q1 comprised 11 events at an estimated cost of $357M, pre-tax, plus unfavorable reserve reestimates of prior reported catastrophe losses. One wind-driven event, primarily affecting Mid-Atlantic and Northeast states, accounted for over 55% of the catastrophe losses for the month of March.

08:36 EDT Seeco Holding acquires Caissa Travel subsidiary - Secoo announced a strategic partnership with Caissa Travel, and fully acquired Beijing Xuri Travel Service Co., a subsidiary company of Caissa Travel, by increasing capital and enlarging stocks. This collaboration will aim to combine the advantages of resources on both the two platforms for customers. Customers can purchase premium selection of Caissa travel routes on both secoo.com and the Secoo App; while Secoo provides premium merchandise choices on Caissa Travel, online and offline. Executive costumed travel products will be developed between the two companies, for more competitive services and experiences. As part of this collaboration, Secoo finance will also become integrated with Caissa Travel's online and offline payment system.

08:34 EDT Sensus Healthcare aims to expand radiation therapy business globally - Sensus Healthcare is expanding its global business with superficial radiation therapy for skin cancer and keloid treatments. Rick Golin, Executive VP of Oncology and International Sales, will spearhead this expansion, overseeing all international distributors. As part of this, he is facilitating recently signed new distribution agreements in markets that include Mexico, China, Germany, Cuba and Costa Rica, with more to come. In his new role, Golin will focus on strengthening the company's global business position by contracting with more independent distributors and attending more key industry events.

08:30 EDT Argos Therapeutics trading resumes

08:17 EDT Takeda confirms new offer made to Shire was rejected - Takeda Pharmaceutical Company (TKPYY) notes recent press speculation regarding Shire plc (SHPG) and confirms that on April 12 it made a revised proposal to the board of Shire to acquire the entire issued and to be issued share capital of Shire for a price equivalent to GBP46.50 per share, comprised of GBP17.75 in cash, to be paid in US dollars, and GBP28.75 of new Takeda shares. Takeda was subsequently notified that the board of Shire had rejected its proposal. Discussions between the parties regarding a potential offer are ongoing. "Takeda and its Board reiterate that it will remain disciplined with respect to the terms of any such offer. As previously stated, Takeda intends to maintain its well-established dividend policy and investment grade credit rating. Building on Takeda's existing momentum, the acquisition of Shire would accelerate its transformation and result in a global, value-based, R&D-driven biopharmaceutical leader headquartered in Japan, with a balanced geographic footprint, a robust, modality-diverse pipeline and enhanced financial strength. Irrespective of the outcome of discussions between the two parties, Takeda remains well-positioned to continue its transformation, delivering portfolio growth while strengthening its pipeline and boosting profitability," Takeda stated.

08:16 EDT Premier Financial to acquire First Bank Of Charleston in $33M deal

08:13 EDT Argos Therapeutics announces review of strategic alternatives - Based on a review of the status of its internal programs, resources and capabilities, Argos plans to explore a wide range of strategic alternatives that may include a potential merger or sale of the company, among other potential alternatives that could maximize both near and long-term value for our shareholders. The company has retained Stifel, Nicolaus & Company, Incorporated to serve as its financial advisor in the process. Argos does not have a defined timeline for the exploration of strategic alternatives and is not confirming that the process will result in any strategic alternative being announced or consummated. Argos does not intend to discuss or disclose further developments during this process unless and until its Board of Directors has approved a specific action or otherwise determined that further disclosure is appropriate. Argos also reported that it does not expect to regain compliance with The Nasdaq Capital Market continued listing requirements by the April 24, 2018 deadline. As a result, Argos expects that its common stock will be delisted from The Nasdaq Capital Market and that trading in the Company's common stock on The Nasdaq Capital Market will be suspended effective at the open of business on April 23, 2018. The Company has filed an application to transfer trading and quotation of its common stock to the OTCQB Venture Market, operated by OTC Markets Group, under its current trading symbol "ARGS," effective as of April 23, 2018.

08:13 EDT Argos Therapeutics to discontinue Phase 3 ADAPT trial of Rocapuldencel-T - Argos Therapeutics reported interim results from its randomized, active controlled, open-label, multi-center Phase 3 ADAPT trial of Rocapuldencel-T in combination with sunitinib/standard-of-care for the treatment of newly diagnosed metastatic renal cell carcinoma. Based on these results, the company has decided to discontinue the trial. As previously reported, a total of 462 patients with previously untreated advanced or metastatic renal cell carcinoma were enrolled in the ADAPT trial and randomized 2:1 between combination treatment with Rocapuldencel-T and sunitinib vs. sunitinib monotherapy after undergoing cytoreductive nephrectomy. The Company recently submitted a protocol amendment to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration providing for four co-primary endpoints focused on various measures of survival. Based upon review of the interim data, the Company does not believe that it would achieve these endpoints if the trial were to be continued. After consulting with the principal investigators of the trial, the Company has therefore decided to discontinue the trial and has informed the FDA of its decision. The most recent interim analysis was conducted after 51 new events had occurred since the time of the February 2017 interim analysis. Median overall survival for the intent-to-treat patient population, one of the four co-primary endpoints, was estimated using the Kaplan-Meier method. The estimated median overall survival for the combination arm was 28.2 months compared to 31.2 months for the control arm. The hazard ratio was 1.10. The two other co-primary endpoints that were evaluated at this time, including overall survival for the patients who remained alive at the time of the February 2017 interim analysis and overall survival for all patients for whom at least 12 months of follow-up was available, also did not demonstrate a favorable result. A fourth endpoint, five-year survival, was not evaluated because there was insufficient data at this time to perform this analysis.

08:12 EDT Athenex receives FDA Orphan Drug Designation for Oraxol - Athenex announced that it has received Orphan Drug Designation from the U.S. FDA for Oraxol for the treatment of angiosarcoma. Oraxol, an innovative development in the treatment of cancer, is a novel oral formulation of paclitaxel, a very effective and commonly used chemotherapy treatment for many cancers, combined with HM30181A.

08:10 EDT NV5 Global awarded $32.4M design contract for NYCDPR - NV5 Global announced that it was selected to provide landscape architecture design services to the New York City Department of Parks and Recreation, or NYCDPR, for the reconstruction of Michaelis-Bayswater Park located in Queens, New York. A federally-funded post-Hurricane Sandy project, the contract includes reconstruction and resiliency design of the 40 acre park, the adjacent shoreline, and a new park building. The project is NV5's seventh award under a term agreement with NYCDPR, contracted in 2017. NV5's fees on the project will total $3.4M.

08:09 EDT VBI Vaccines completes enrollment in PROTECT Phase 3 clinical study - VBI Vaccines announced the completion of enrollment with the last patient receiving the first dose in the ongoing PROTECT Phase 3 study of Sci-B-Vac, the company's third-generation hepatitis B vaccine. More than 1,600 adults have now been enrolled in the PROTECT study at 27 sites across the U.S., Europe, and Canada. The PROTECT study is one of two ongoing global studies that form the Phase 3 program for Sci-B-Vac. It is designed to evaluate the safety and immunogenicity of Sci-B-Vac compared with the control vaccine, Engerix-B, in support of future regulatory filings in the U.S., Europe, and Canada.

08:08 EDT Scientific Games launches betting system platform for Swisslos - Scientific Games has launched an omni-channel sports betting system for Swisslos, the lottery serving the German and Italian-speaking regions of Switzerland. The solution was provided by Scientific Games after winning a new contract to implement the new sports betting system with expanded wagering capabilities for the Lottery's sports product. The company has provided a fixed odds sports betting system to Swisslos for about 15 years.

08:07 EDT Industrial Logistics Property Trust announces intial dividend of 27c per share - Industrial Logistics Properties Trust announced a prorated cash distribution on its common shares of 27c per common share for the period from January 17 through March 31. This pro-rated cash distribution is based upon a quarterly dividend rate of 33c per share, or $1.32 per share per year. This pro-rated distribution will be paid to ILPT's common shareholders of record as of the close of business on April 30 and distributed on or about May 14.

08:06 EDT Vail Resorts reports certain ski season to datemetrics for period ended April 15 - Vail Resorts reported certain ski season metrics for the comparative periods from the beginning of the ski season through April 15, 2018, and for the prior year period through April 16, 2017. The reported ski season metrics are for our North American mountain resorts, adjusted as if Stowe was owned in both periods and also adjusted to eliminate the impact of foreign currency by applying current period exchange rates to the prior period for Whistler Blackcomb's results. The metrics exclude results from Perisher and our urban ski areas in both periods. The data mentioned in this release is interim period data and is subject to fiscal quarter end review and adjustments. Season-to-date total lift ticket revenue at the Company's North American mountain resorts, including an allocated portion of season pass revenue for each applicable period, was up 3.7% compared to the prior year season-to-date period. Season-to-date ski school revenue was up 3.4% and dining revenue was down 1.4% compared to the prior year season-to-date period. Retail/rental revenue for North American resort store locations was down 4.2% compared to the prior year season-to-date period. Season-to-date total skier visits for the Company's North American mountain resorts were down 1.9% compared to the prior year season-to-date period. Commenting on the ski season to date, Rob Katz, CEO, said, "We are pleased with our results as the 2017/2018 ski season concludes, particularly considering the historically low snowfall across our western U.S. resorts for much of the ski season. Conditions improved significantly in March and April across our resorts which supported stronger results that are in line with our expectations from our March 8, 2018 guidance. Our results throughout the 2017/2018 ski season highlight the stability provided by our season pass, the benefit of our geographic diversification and the success of our sophisticated, data-driven marketing efforts." Discussing spring season pass sales results, Katz continued, "Our attention is already turning to the 2018/2019 season with spring season pass sales underway. Guests continue to be attracted to the compelling network of resorts available on our pass, and we are seeing the benefits of our new pass partnerships and our spring benefits, which include the ability to buy a pass for $49 down. To date, we have seen strong overall results with continued growth on top of the record results we saw last spring, excluding sales of military pass products to new passholders. We are seeing solid growth across all geographies, with particular strength in our destination markets and with Whistler Blackcomb products. In addition, our military pass products are driving a significant number of new passholders into our program."

08:04 EDT Krystal Biotech's KB103 receives orphan medicinal product designation in Europe - Krystal Biotech announces that KB103, a gene therapy candidate for dystrophic epidermolysis bullosa, was granted Orphan Medicinal Product Designation from the European Medicines Agency. KB103 represents the first investigational HSV-1 based gene therapy in DEB to receive this designation. In November 2017, the Company announced that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration granted KB103 Orphan Drug Designation for the same indication. There are currently no approved medical treatments aimed at addressing the underlying cause of DEB, and KB103 has the potential to play a disruptive role in this area of high unmet medical need.

08:01 EDT Exelon says 'strongly committed' to future of nuclear energy - In response to media coverage of remarks made at the U.S. Energy Association's annual meeting in Washington last week, Exelon clarified the company is fully committed to and investing in advancing the future of nuclear energy. "We are unequivocally committed to a strong and successful future for nuclear energy, including advancing and investing in new technology while tirelessly promoting sound energy policies and critically needed market reforms," said Chris Crane, Exelon president and CEO. As the nation's largest nuclear energy operator, Exelon is working to promote federal, regional and state policy reforms that appropriately value zero-emission nuclear power for its many environmental, economic, resiliency and national security benefits. According to a recent report by The Brattle Group, the expected closures of four nuclear power plants in Ohio and Pennsylvania would increase carbon emissions by more than 20 million metric tons, essentially wiping out the environmental benefits of all the wind and solar built in the PJM region over the past 25 years. Despite Exelon's strong belief in nuclear energy, it is clear that new, large-scale nuclear plants are not viable in today's U.S. competitive markets, where even existing nuclear plants are challenged due to the failure of these markets to value resiliency and environmental externalities. With needed reforms, however, Exelon sees tremendous promise in advanced nuclear technologies, including small modular reactors that can be built on a shorter capital cycle, and Exelon is partnering with a variety of companies to pursue these innovative technologies. Exelon also continues to promote advanced nuclear reactor designs and advance international nuclear growth opportunities. In addition, Exelon has invested millions in predictive technologies and innovations and power uprates. Exelon is fully engaged in preserving our nation's existing nuclear fleet and advancing the nuclear technologies of tomorrow. We can't imagine a clean energy future without zero-emission nuclear energy. But we also have to be honest with ourselves about the need for changes to markets and energy policy to value resilience and environmental attributes in a technology neutral way. If we do that, then nuclear energy will easily find its place along with renewable energy and next-generation storage in America's future energy mix."

07:56 EDT Argos Therapeutics trading halted, news pending

07:47 EDT FAA orders inspections of jet engines after Southwest engine explosion - The FAA said in a statement that it will issue an Airworthiness Directive within the next two weeks that will require inspections of certain CFM56-7B engines. The directive will require an ultrasonic inspection of fan blades when they reach a certain number of takeoffs and landings. Any blades that fail the inspection will have to be replaced. The CFM56-7B engine is produced by CFM International, a 50/50 joint company of GE (GE) and Safran Aircraft Engines, and the FAA statement follows an investigation that found that a broken fan blade touched off an engine explosion this week on a Southwest (LUV) flight, killing a passenger.

07:33 EDT Qualcomm: Move was made at request of MOFCOM

07:32 EDT Qualcomm, NXP Semiconductors extend purchase agreement to July 25

07:31 EDT Qualcomm, NXP to withdraw, refile application for Chinese regulatory approval

07:13 EDT Omeros presents results from four Omidria clinical studies - Omeros announced that the results of four real-world clinical studies evaluating the benefits of Omidria were presented at the American Society of Cataract and Refractive Surgery and American Society of Ophthalmic Administrators annual meeting. The studies examined the use of Omidria in both routine and complex cataract surgery cases performed in high-volume surgery centers, with and without femtosecond laser. The first presentation, a retrospective analysis, assessed whether the use of OMIDRIA in femtosecond laser-assisted cataract surgery, or FLACS, leads to a reduction in the need for pupil expansion devices and in surgical time. Surgical times in the Omidria group were reduced by an average of 78 seconds compared to those in the epinephrine group. The authors conclude that use of Omidria achieves faster surgery and a more manageable pupil. The second clinical study assessed the effects of Omidria on pupil dilation when used early in patients undergoing both FLACS and traditional cataract surgery. The study demonstrates that Omidria is effective in maintaining and even increasing pupil size in traditional as well as in femtosecond laser-assisted cataract procedures, which, without Omidria, frequently induce miosis. A third study evaluated the effect of Omidria on pupil dilation, iris billowing and iris prolapse in patients at high risk for intraoperative floppy iris syndrome. The authors conclude that Omidria offers significant benefits in IFIS cases and could reduce the complexity and unpredictability of such cases. A fourth study assessed clinical outcomes and surgical practice patterns for cataract patients treated with either Omidria or epinephrine. Investigators conclude that Omidria reduced surgical time and decreased the need for pupil expansion devices compared to the use of intracameral epinephrine.

07:11 EDT Blackstone says received approx. $580M of pretax proceeds in April - In April, Blackstone said it received approximately $580M of pre-tax proceeds in connection with concluding GSO's investment sub-advisory relationship with FS Investments. Blackstone intends to distribute a portion of the after-tax proceeds to unitholders -- resulting in an anticipated incremental 30c per unit to be distributed over the next three quarters.

07:10 EDT Axsome Therapeutics announces resignation of CFO John Golubieski - Axsome Therapeutics announced the appointment of Nick Pizzie, CPA, MBA, as CFO, effective May 16, 2018. Prior to joining Axsome, Pizzie was the VP and CFO of Pierre Fabre USA, the U.S. affiliate of Pierre Fabre, a $2.5B global pharmaceutical company. Pizzie will replace John Golubieski, CFO, who submitted his resignation on April 13, 2018, effective May 9, 2018, to pursue other opportunities.

07:08 EDT Imax partners with INOX Leisure to add five new theaters in India - Imax and INOX Leisure Limited, a multiplex chain in India, announced an agreement for five new Imax heatres. The theatres will be added to new complexes, with two located in the city of Delhi and one theatre each located in the cities of Mumbai, Navi Mumbai and Gurugram.

07:05 EDT Teva, Procter & Gamble terminate PGT Healthcare partnership - Teva (TEVA) has announced that Teva and Procter & Gamble (PG) have agreed to terminate the PGT Healthcare partnership that the two companies established in 2011 to market OTC medicines. The separation is planned to take effect July 1 subject to receipt of applicable regulatory approvals. No significant net financial transfer between Teva and P&G will result from the dissolution. PGT Healthcare has grown into a significant presence in over 50 countries, mainly in Europe and Asia, using market-leading brands such as Vick's and ratiopharm. However after nearly seven years working together, the companies concluded that their priorities and strategies are no longer closely aligned and each company will take back its own brand and product assets to re-establish independent OTC businesses. The separation is not expected to have a material effect on Teva's 2018 financial outlook. As mentioned, the company will merge its OTC interests returning from PGT with a portfolio of OTC assets acquired in 2016 via the Actavis acquisition. In 2017, the combined sales from Teva's PGT OTC products and Teva non-PGT OTC products were approximately $1B.

07:05 EDT Comcast, Independence Health Group form partnership - Independence Health Group, parent of Independence Blue Cross, and Comcast announced a partnership to launch a newly branded, patient-centered technology and communications platform that seeks to improve the overall efficiency and experience of the care delivery process between providers and patients. The goal of the new, Internet-based platform is to provide a patient with access to content and information related to their particular health care journey, at home or on-the-go. Comcast and Independence plan to make the new platform accessible nationally, across multiple distribution channels and devices. Independence is expanding on its commitment to invest in standalone businesses focused on health care innovation. The company's collaboration with Comcast unlocks substantial technology, communications, and media capabilities and Independence plans to leverage that expertise to better serve patients.

07:05 EDT Tile Shop sees FY18 capital investment of approx. $27M-$32M - The company reiterates its previously communicated annual outlook: capital investment of approximately $27M to $32M, including remodeling approximately 30 stores to support its product presentation strategy, inventory investment of approximately 25% to 35% year over year, over the next several quarters, to support our product assortment strategy. Sees Selling, general and administrative expense increase of approximately $5M to $7M to support its service strategy, including increased expenses for the addition of regional sales leader positions, sales and warehouse staff compensation, and customer relationship management and content management capabilities. The $5M to $7M increase in SG&A expense is incremental to the expected SG&A expense increases associated with a full year of operations for the fifteen stores opened in 2017 and the three new stores opening in 2018. Longer term, the company remains committed to achieving both Adjusted EBITDA margin and pretax return on capital employed of greater than 20%.

07:02 EDT Target to launch same-day delivery in Colorado - Target announced it will begin same-day delivery of more than 55,000 groceries, essentials, home, electronics, toys and other products across Colorado. Beginning May 3, Shipt will deliver from Target stores in the Boulder, Colorado Springs, Denver and Fort Collins metro areas. Cumulatively, the new partnership gives nearly 4M households across Colorado access to Target products delivered by Shipt in as little as one hour. To celebrate the introduction of the service, new members who sign up prior to launch will receive an annual membership for $49 (regularly $99). Through this partnership, Target plans to offer convenient, same-day delivery of its in-store assortment of groceries, essentials, home, electronics, toys and other products from approximately half of stores by early 2018. The majority of Target stores will offer the service by the 2018 holiday season, and by the end of the year, it will be in nearly 180 markets, reaching 80M households, or close to 65 percent of U.S. households. By the end of 2019, same-day delivery will include all major product categories at Target.

06:52 EDT Cubic to sell its Cubic Global Defense Services business to Valiant for $135M - Cubic announced that it has entered into a definitive agreement to sell its Cubic Global Defense, or CGD, Services business to Valiant Integrated Services for $135M cash at close on a debt free, cash free basis, plus $3M of contingent consideration tied to certain contract wins expected over the next 12 to 24 months. On March 31, the assets and liabilities of CGD Services will be considered held for sale and will be held at the lower of their carrying value or their fair value less estimated cost to sell. In Cubic's Q2 results, the CGD Services business will be reflected as discontinued operations and the previous period financial results will be reclassified for comparative purposes. Cubic expects to record a non-cash charge of approximately $7M within discontinued operations in Q2, based on the estimated excess of the carrying value of CGD Services over the consideration to be received. Upon the close of sale, the non-cash charge will be adjusted based upon a final analysis of the carrying amount of the assets and liabilities at the date of the sale, including the assessment of deferred tax assets and liabilities of discontinued operations. The transaction is anticipated to be completed within 30 to 60 days, subject to customary closing conditions and regulatory approvals.

06:50 EDT AstraZeneca says FDA approves Tagrisso as 1st-line treatment for certain cancers - AstraZeneca announced that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration has approved Tagrisso for the 1st-line treatment of patients with metastatic non-small cell lung cancer whose tumors have epidermal growth factor receptor mutations, as detected by an FDA-approved test. In the US, Tagrisso is already approved for the 2nd-line treatment of patients with metastatic EGFRm NSCLC, whose disease has progressed on or after a 1st-line EGFR-TKI therapy and who have developed the secondary T790M mutation, as detected by an FDA-approved test. Tagrisso received its first approval for 1st-line use based on the FLAURA data in Brazil in patients with metastatic EGFRm NSCLC on April 16, 2018.

06:34 EDT Ocwen names Glen Messina President and CEO, succeeding Ron Faris - Ocwen Financial (OCN) announced that its Board of Directors has determined to appoint Glen Messina as President and CEO, effective concurrently with the closing of Ocwen's previously announced acquisition of PHH Corporation (PHH). He will also be appointed as a member of Ocwen's Board at that time. Messina will be based at Ocwen's West Palm Beach, Florida corporate headquarters. Messina most recently served as President and CEO of PHH, a mortgage platform with established servicing and origination recapture capabilities, before stepping down in June 2017. Ocwen entered into a definitive agreement to acquire PHH in February 2018. The transaction is targeted to close in the second half of 2018. Messina will succeed Ron Faris, who after 27 years with Ocwen, made the decision to retire as President and CEO after discussions with the Board. Faris will remain President and CEO through June 30, 2018. He will not stand for reelection as a member of the Board at the Company's May 2018 Annual Meeting. Faris will remain a consultant to the Company to ensure a smooth leadership transition and to assist with the integration process for Ocwen's pending combination with PHH.

06:20 EDT LexinFintech announces RMB1B cooperation with partners over next three years - LexinFintech announced that it expects to invest RMB1B in cooperation with its partners over the next three years, to better serve its customers and to expand the use of credit services. Jay Wenjie Xiao, Lexin's chairman and CEO, made the announcement in Sanya on April 18 at the Lexin Partner Conference, which is held annually to bring together the company's partners to exchange ideas, and to explore opportunities for cooperation. Nearly 300 staff from Lexin's partner organizations in different sectors attended the conference this year. As part of its efforts to connect financial partners to Lexin's educated young adult cohort, Lexin plans to launch a new feature called "Lejie" on the Fenqile platform, through which users will be able to borrow cash from a list of financial institutions. Lexin also plans to issue more co-branded credit cards to its users and to support installment repayments to credit cards. Meanwhile, the company will provide access to installment financing to users on other e-commerce platforms and popular internet applications to make credit service more accessible by increasing use cases.

06:10 EDT Parkland survivor David Hogg calls on investors to boycott BlackRock, Vanguard - Parkland, Florida school shooting survivor David Hogg is calling on investors to boycott BlackRock (BLK) and The Vanguard Group over their holdings in gun companies. In a series of tweets, Hogg said ".@blackrock and @Vanguard_Group are two of the biggest investors in gun manufacturers; if you use them, feel free to let them know. Thanks," with the hashtags #BoycottVanguard and #BoycottBlackRock. BlackRock is the largest institutional shareholder of Sturm Ruger & Co (RGR) and the second largest investor of Vista Outdoor (VSTO) and Smith & Wesson Corp. parent American Outdoor Brands Corp. (AOBC), while Vanguard is the second largest shareholder of Sturm Ruger and third largest of American Outdoor Brands and Vista Outdoor. Reference Link

06:04 EDT KBR acquires Carillion's interests in Aspire Defence joint venture - KBR announced, following Carillion's recent insolvency, it has completed the acquisition of Carillion's interests in Aspire Defence. Through the Aspire Defence joint venture KBR has supported the UK Ministry of Defence, or MOD, on Project Allenby Connaught since 2006, under one of the largest infrastructure private finance initiatives in the UK. Aspire provides high quality design, construction and base support services to the British Army for living and working accommodations. KBR assumed operational control of the Aspire Defence joint ventures following Carillion's insolvency announcement in January, including the hiring of affected Carillion staff, and has maintained normal business operations without disruption to the delivery of services or performance. With more than 22 years remaining on the Aspire contract this acquisition provides KBR with enduring, stable and profitable backlog. The impact to KBR's earnings and cash flows has already been included in 2018 guidance.

05:55 EDT Tesla batteries delivering power at 662 locations in Puerto Rico, Musk says - Tesla CEO Elon Musk tweeted yesterday, "Tesla batteries are currently live & delivering power at 662 locations in Puerto Rico. Team is working 24/7 to activate several hundred more." Reference Link

05:52 EDT Signature Bank reports Q1 EPS ex-items $2.69, consensus $2.67 - Reports Q1 book value per share $72.29. Reports Q1 CET1 capital ratio 12.08%. Reports Q1 net charge-offs 1.58%.

05:47 EDT Northern Trust enters partnership with The Northern Pool - The Northern Pool has appointed Northern Trust, subject to contract, to provide a broad range of custodial and administration services, including securities lending, private equity fund administration, compliance monitoring and carbon reporting. The appointment follows a very competitive process which was supported by the global post-trade risk and custody specialists, Thomas Murray. The newly-created pool, comprising Greater Manchester Pension Fund, West Yorkshire Pension Fund and Merseyside Pension Fund, is one of the largest of eight local government pension pools in the UK, and has approximately $65.8B of assets under management.

05:34 EDT Novartis reports Q1 Alcon sales of $1.8B - Alcon net sales were $1.8B in the first quarter, with growth in all product categories. Stock-in-trade movements accounted for approximately 1% of growth. Surgical grew +8%, mainly driven by implantables, which include intraocular lenses and CyPass Micro Stent, and continued consumables growth. Vision Care grew +5% driven by continued double-digit growth of Dailies Total1.

05:27 EDT Novartis reports Q1 Sandoz net sales of $2.5B - Sandoz net sales were $2.5B in the first quarter as 6 percentage points of price erosion, mainly in the U.S., was partly offset by volume growth of 2 percentage points. US sales declined 18% mainly due to continued competitive pressure. Excluding the US, net sales grew by 5% in constant currency. Global Biopharmaceuticals grew 13% in constant currency mainly driven by Rixathon and Erelzi sales in Europe.

05:22 EDT Procter & Gamble acquires Consumer Health business of Merck KGaA for EUR 3.4B