Stockwinners Market Radar for April 25, 2018 - Earnings, Upgrades downgrades, option trades, Best Stock Advisory Service

20:48 EDT Samsung sees Q2 DRAM demand to stay solid and NAND demand to strengthen - Sees Q2 demand for smartphone components to slow. Sees Q2 foundry earnings growth to continue. In Display Panel segment, aims to secure profitability in OLED through cost reductions amid weak demand. In IT & Mobile Communications segment, sees Q2 profitability declining before turning in solid earnings in the second half with a launch of new models at various product ranges. In Consumer Electronics segment, expect Q2 earnings to grow on rising sales of new models and promotions for global sporting events. Reference Link

20:28 EDT Enbridge completes assessment of judge recommendations on Line 3 replacement - After review of the Minnesota Administrative Law Judge recommendation on the Line 3 Replacement Project released earlier this week, Enbridge Inc. (ENB) and Enbridge Energy Partners, L.P. (EEP) commented on the recommendations. The ALJ's recommendations are not binding on the Minnesota Public Utilities Commission and Enbridge expects the PUC to vote on the Line 3 Replacement Project in June 2018. Commenting on the ALJ recommendation, Al Monaco, President & CEO, Enbridge Inc. said: "We are pleased that the ALJ's recommendation clearly confirms the need to replace this critical piece of infrastructure that will enhance safety and environmental protection with the latest in pipeline technology and construction methods. The ALJ recommendation also recognizes the economic importance of a modernized Line 3 that will have significant benefits to businesses and communities across Minnesota. That being said, the ALJ's suggestion of an alternative route ignores the extensive record compiled by the State of Minnesota in issuing a comprehensive Environmental Impact Statement that incorporates input from thousands of Minnesotans who are in favor of our proposed route. Most notably, the ALJ's recommended route ignores the longstanding wishes of the Leech Lake Band of Ojibwe that the replacement not be constructed across their reservation." The ALJ's recommended route would require in-trench replacement of the existing pipeline in the current right-of-way, introducing unnecessary safety, environmental and economic risks. Constructing RA-07 would require lengthy pipeline outages, which would cause extended supply disruptions leading to higher gasoline prices impacting Minnesota and the surrounding region.

19:23 EDT Student Transportation obtains court order approving Spinner Can Acquireco deal - Student Transportation is pleased to announce that it has obtained a final court order from the Ontario Superior Court of Justice approving its previously announced arrangement with Spinner Can Acquireco Inc. , a company sponsored by Caisse de depot et placement du Quebec and Ullico Inc. The Arrangement is expected to close on or about Friday, April 27, 2018, subject to the satisfaction or waiver of all conditions to the Arrangement. Following completion of the Arrangement, STI will be de-listed from the TSX and the NASDAQ and applications will be made for STI to cease to be a reporting issuer in each of the provinces and territories of Canada. Pursuant to the terms of the Arrangement, each holder of common shares in the capital of the Company will receive US$7.50 in cash.

19:04 EDT Public Storage names Natalia Johnson chief HR officer - Ronald L. Havner, Jr., Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Public Storage announced two management changes. Natalia N. Johnson has been promoted to Senior Vice President, Chief Human Resources Officer. Natalia joined Public Storage in 2016 with over 18 years of broad-based leadership experience. Clemente Teng, Vice President of Investor Services, will be retiring in May after 13 years with the Company. Ryan C. Burke, who has joined Public Storage as Vice President of Investor Services, will assume Teng's role as the primary contact with investors and shareholders of the company and its affiliates.

19:01 EDT Barclays, PayPal announces strategic partnership - Barclays (BCS) announced a new strategic partnership with PayPal (PYPL) that is designed to enable customers to manage and use their Barclays and PayPal accounts together with greater ease, for the first time. The partnership is expected to benefit millions of consumer and small business customers, and initially focus on enhancing products and services for consumers in the UK and the US. In the UK, small business customers will also benefit from the partnership with integrated experiences. PayPal and Barclays will explore unique ways to connect Pingit and PayPal to improve how customers can move and manage their money. The partnership will also explore opportunities for US consumers to redeem Barclays reward points at businesses that accept PayPal worldwide.

18:59 EDT Neurocrine says Ingrezza improved TD symptoms regardless of body region - Neurocrine Biosciences announced that once-daily INGREZZA capsules, the first U.S. Food and Drug Administration approved treatment for adults with tardive dyskinesia, improved TD symptoms regardless of body region. These new data analyses, along with long-term efficacy and tolerability data analyses, were presented at the 70th Annual Meeting of the American Academy of Neurology. "At Neurocrine, we are committed to serving patients with neurological diseases, in particular those who struggle with tardive dyskinesia as part of their neuropsychiatric condition," said Eiry W. Roberts, M.D., Chief Medical Officer at Neurocrine. "We are pleased to share new data on the effectiveness of INGREZZA in providing sustained improvement in the symptoms of TD, irrespective of the body region impacted by the disorder. We believe these data are important since patients' experience with tardive dyskinesia can be highly variable in terms of the body region impacted by uncontrollable movements. In addition, data analyses from our open-label long-term study show improvement in clinician and patient-reported outcomes, further demonstrating the effectiveness and tolerability of INGREZZA for the treatment of tardive dyskinesia." Results from the KINECT 3 Phase III study, including data from the long-term extension phase, showed that for each body region, greater than or equal to 50% of participants who had moderate/severe abnormal movements at baseline improved to mild/minimal/none movements after 48 weeks of treatment with INGREZZA. At the week 52 assessment, when participants had been off INGREZZA treatment for approximately 4 weeks, the percentage of participants experiencing continued benefit was substantially reduced, although some participants continued to experience clinically meaningful shifts.

18:09 EDT Visa says PayPal partnership going well, looking to expand - Comments from Q2 earnings conference call.

17:57 EDT Ford sees loss in APAC region in Q2 - Sees profits returning to APAC in second half of 2018.

17:50 EDT Ford says more announcements to come soon about transformation actions - Says plan to create value involves "winning" portfolio, propulsion choices, autonomous technology, and mobility experiences. Says taking appropriate action to drive profitable growth and maximize returns. Says more announcements about actions to transform company will arrive in the coming months.

17:44 EDT Visa says 'continues to be very excited about China' - Says still a couple of years away from "being a player" in China. Says "barely scratched the surface" in India.

17:41 EDT Ford sees annual CapEx spend peaking in 2018 at $7.5B - Says now expects annual CapEx spend to peak this year at $7.5B and then decline. Says expects to deliver balanced CapEx spend by 2020.

17:34 EDT Visa sees FY18 tax rate 21%-22%

17:24 EDT Facebook extending afterhours gains following guidance, now up over 7%

17:21 EDT Facebook Q2 MAU and DAU in Europe may be flat to slightly down from Q1 - Citing the expected impact from GDPR. Revenue growth rates will decelerate. Total expenses to grow 50-60%. Sees Capital expenditures at $15B, which is the high end of prior forecast of $14B-$15B.

17:15 EDT Home Bancshares raises quarterly dividend 22% to 11c per share - The dividend is payable June 6, 2018, to shareholders of record May 16, 2018.

17:13 EDT Visa says PayPal partnership going well, looking to expand - Comments from Q1 earnings conference call.

17:09 EDT AT&T says plans 'differentiated' TV offers made for users

17:05 EDT Kirby sees FY18 CapEx $200M-$225M

17:04 EDT First Interstate to acquire Northwest Bancorporation in all-stock transaction - First Interstate BancSystem and Northwest Bancorporation announced they have entered into a definitive agreement under which First Interstate, parent company of First Interstate Bank, will acquire Northwest, parent company of Inland Northwest Bank, in an all-stock transaction valued at approximately $160.9M in aggregate, or $21.03 per share.

17:00 EDT Ford NA portfolio to transition to just Mustang, Focus Active over next few yrs - Ford said that, by 2020, almost 90% of the Ford portfolio in North America will be trucks, utilities and commercial vehicles.Given declining consumer demand and product profitability, the company will not invest in next generations of traditional Ford sedans for North America. Over the next few years, the Ford car portfolio in North America will transition to two vehicles -the best-selling Mustang and the all-new Focus Active crossover coming out next year. The company is also exploring new "white space" vehicle silhouettes that combine the best attributes of cars and utilities, such as higher ride height, space and versatility.

16:58 EDT Intuit up 3.2% afterhours following raised FY18 consumer revenue guidance

16:58 EDT Genesco reaches cooperation agreement with Legion Partners and 4010 Capital - Genesco has entered into an agreement with Legion Partners Asset Management and 4010 Capital and certain of their affiliates. The Investor Group beneficially owns approximately 5.3% of the company's outstanding common stock. The company has agreed to increase the size of the Board by two directors and immediately appoint two new independent directors, Marjorie L. Bowen and Joshua E. Schechter, to the board. The company has also agreed to nominate Bowen and Schechter at the company's 2018 annual meeting of shareholders and appoint Bowen and Schechter to the Board's Strategic Alternatives Committee. The Strategic Alternatives Committee will undertake an updated review of strategic alternatives. The company has also agreed to reduce the size of the Board by one director at the 2018 annual meeting of shareholders so that immediately following the 2018 annual meeting of shareholders, the Board will be fixed at 11 directors. In addition, pursuant to the Cooperation Agreement, the Investor Group has agreed to vote its shares in support of any director nominated and recommended by the Board at the company's 2018 annual meeting of shareholders.

16:56 EDT AT&T 'on track' to surpass fiber commitment to 12.5M customer locations - Says on track to surpass commitment to build fiber to 12.5M customer locations. Says plans to hit 10M locations with fiber by the end of the year. Comments taken from Q1 earnings conference call.

16:54 EDT AXTI sees Q2 EPS 7c-9c, consensus 7c - Sees Q2 revenue $25.5M-$26.5M, consensus $26.97M. Guidance taken from Q1 earnings conference call.

16:50 EDT Ball Corp. announces 25M share repurchase program - The board approved the repurchase by the company of up to a total of 25M shares of its common stock. The repurchase authorization replaces all previous authorizations.

16:46 EDT Cheesecake Factory down 4.7% afterhours following Q1 earnings miss

16:46 EDT O'Reilly Automotive up 8.7% after reporting Q1 results, giving Q2, FY18 guidance

16:45 EDT Regions Financial names John Turner CEO - Regions Financial announced that John M. Turner Jr., who currently serves as President, will become Chief Executive Officer of Regions Bank and Regions Financial Corporation, its bank holding company, and a member of its Boards of Directors effective July 2, 2018. Turner will succeed Chairman and Chief Executive Officer Grayson Hall who will serve as Executive Chairman through the end of 2018.

16:44 EDT Facebook reports Q1 worldwide ARPU $5.53 vs. $6.18 from Q4 and $4.23 last year - Comments from Investor Slides accompanying Facebook Q1 earnings.

16:43 EDT O'Reilly Automotive sees Q2 comparable store sales increase of 2%-4%

16:41 EDT Briggs & Stratton announces $50M share repurchase program - The Board of Directors of Briggs & Stratton authorized $50M in funds for use in the company's stock repurchase program with an expiration of June 30, 2020.

16:40 EDT Spirit AeroSystems to raise quarterly dividend 20% to 12c per share - The dividend is payable July 9 to stockholders of record as of the close of business June 18.

16:40 EDT Archrock, Archrock Partners announce stockholder, unitholder approval of merger - Archrock (AROC) announced that the stockholders of the company approved the issuance of shares of the company's common stock in connection with the company's proposed merger with Archrock Partners (APLP). Approximately 99% of the Archrock shares that were voted approved the share issuance. In addition, at a special meeting, Archrock Partners unitholders voted to approve the merger agreement in connection with the merger. Approximately 90% of the Archrock Partners units that were voted approved the merger. The merger is subject to customary closing conditions and is expected to close on April 26.

16:36 EDT BeyondSpring to present Phase 2 neutropenia clinical trial data on Plinabulin - BeyondSpring announced that the company will present Phase 2 neutropenia clinical trial data on its lead asset, Plinabulin, during a poster presentation at the American Society of Clinical Oncology, or ASCO, annual meeting.

16:35 EDT FDA determines MannKind's Afrezza REMS plan met goals, no longer necessary - MannKind Corporation announced that the FDA has completed its review of a supplemental New Drug Application, or sNDA, for Afrezza inhalation powder and has determined that the Risk Evaluation and Mitigation Strategy, or REMS, communication plan regarding the risks of Afrezza has been completed and has met its goals. As a result, the FDA has decided that a REMS is no longer required for Afrezza.

16:33 EDT Aflac CEO comments on FY18 outlook - Commenting on the company's results, Chairman and CEO Daniel P. Amos stated: "We are pleased with the company's overall performance for the first quarter. With respect to Aflac Japan's conversion to a subsidiary, I am very pleased that we completed this transaction on time and that it remains within budget. This new corporate structure aligns Aflac with global regulatory frameworks and enhances our financial and business flexibility, while remaining consistent with our current financial strength ratings and enterprise risk management framework. Turning to our Japan operations, Aflac Japan, our largest earnings contributor, generated strong financial results for the quarter. As expected, third sector sales faced difficult comparisons, due in part to the launch of our refreshed medical product in the first quarter of 2017 and the planned introduction of our new cancer insurance product following the completion of the branch conversion. Despite this challenge, Aflac Japan generated sales results that were modestly weaker than our expectations. We continue to believe we will see improvements in third sector sales in the second half of the year. As we said during our December outlook call, in 2018, we anticipate that third sector earned premium will continue its steady growth in the 2% to 3% range, reflecting Aflac's stable sales and high persistency. With respect to our U.S. operations, we are pleased with the financial performance and strong profitability of Aflac U.S. in the quarter. Our sales results were consistent with our expectation for the first quarter. We continue to expect full year sales growth of 3% to 5%, with production skewed toward the fourth quarter. We believe we have the right strategy in place for growing our operations in the U.S. Ultimately, we believe our investments in distribution and customer experience objectives will yield strong sales and stable persistency, driving an earned premium growth outlook of 2% to 3% for the year. We remain committed to maintaining strong capital ratios on behalf of our policyholders and balancing our financial strength with increasing the dividend, repurchasing shares and reinvesting in our business. I am pleased with the Board's action to approve an increase in the first quarter cash dividend of 15.6%. The dividend increase is supported by the strength of our capital and cash flows. We continue to expect share repurchase will be in the range of $1.1 to $1.4 billion in 2018, which assumes stable capital conditions and the absence of compelling alternatives. At the same time, we recognize that prudent investment in our platform is also critical to our growth strategy and driving efficiencies that will impact the bottom line for the long term. Having benefited from the U.S. tax reform enacted in December 2017, we are leveraging the opportunity to accelerate and increase our investments in initiatives that reflect our company values and objectives. As we communicated, we expect to increase overall investment in the U.S. by approximately $250 million over three to five years. These strategic investments target continued growth in the company's U.S. operation, expanded employee benefits and training programs as well as investing in technology and digital businesses."

16:31 EDT Armo BioSciences to present data on pegilodecakin at ASCO - ARMO BioSciences announced three abstracts on pegilodecakin, or AM0010, a long-acting PEGylated form of recombinant human Interleukin-10 , have been accepted for poster presentation at the upcoming 2018 ASCO Annual Meeting.

16:28 EDT Legg Mason increases dividend 21% to 34c per share - Legg Mason declared a quarterly cash dividend on the company's common stock in the amount of 34c per share. The dividend is payable on July 9 to shareholders of record at the close of business on June 12.

16:26 EDT Cheesecake Factory reports Q1 SSS up 2.1% - "Comparable sales at The Cheesecake Factory were very strong during the first quarter and meaningfully outperformed the casual dining industry," said David Overton, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer. "However, increased labor costs to support the better guest traffic levels, as well as higher than expected insurance costs, impacted our bottom line results this quarter."

16:23 EDT uniQure presents preclinical data on AMT-130 for Huntington's disease at AAN - uniQure presented an overview of its preclinical data establishing proof-of-concept for AMT-130, its proprietary gene therapy candidate for the treatment of Huntington's disease, at the 2018 American Academy of Neurology, or AAN. AMT-130 comprises a recombinant AAV5 vector carrying a DNA cassette encoding an engineered microRNA that non-selectively lowers or knocks-down human huntingtin protein.Data from multiple studies in Huntington's disease animal models across three different species show that a single intraparenchymal administration of AMT-130 into the striatum, resulted in a dose-dependent and sustained reduction of mutant huntingtin protein, or mHTT, in both the deep structures of the brain and the cortex. This therapeutic approach is directed to the primary targets of the caudate and putamen, which are most affected in Huntington's disease patients. Once administered in the studies, AMT-130 spread to the cerebral cortex and lowered mHTT in the frontal areas of the brain that show neuropathological changes later in the course of the disease, providing evidence that AMT-130 spread from the injection sites to the cerebral cortex. The administration procedure and AMT-130 treatment were well tolerated with no serious adverse events across all animal models

16:23 EDT EC approves Bristol-Myers' Opdivo four week dosing schedule - Bristol-Myers Squibb announced that the European Commission has approved an every four-week Opdivo monotherapy dosing schedule of 480 mg infused over 60 minutes as an option for patients with advanced melanoma and previously treated renal cell carcinoma. The EC also approved a two-week Opdivo dosing option of 240 mg infused over 30 minutes to replace weight-based dosing for all six approved monotherapy indications in the EU. "This approval marks a significant achievement in our longstanding commitment to providing patients and healthcare providers with more flexible and convenient treatment options," said Fouad Namouni, M.D., head of development, Oncology, Bristol-Myers Squibb. "Bristol Myers-Squibb is dedicated to addressing the unique needs of patients, and with this approval, we will now be able to offer a range of dosing options for an Immuno-Oncology medicine approved in the European Union."

16:21 EDT Ford reports Q1 pretax income $1.9B - "This quarter is in line with expectations and consistent with our outlook for the full year, but we know we can, and must, do better,"said Bob Shanks, executive vice president and CFO. "The entire team is focused on improving the operational fitness of our business, as well as meeting and exceeding our accelerated 2020 target of 8 percent margin and ROIC in the high teens."

16:19 EDT Ford reports Q1 North America revenue $24.8B - Reports Q1 South America revenue $1.3B. Reports Q1 Europe revenue $8.9B. Reports Q1 MEA revenue $600M. Reports Q1 APAC revenue $3.4B.

16:18 EDT Plexus to construct second manufacturing facility in Guadalajara, Mexico - Plexus announced plans to construct a second manufacturing facility in Guadalajara, Mexico. The 472,000 square foot leased building will be built for Plexus by Corporate Properties of America and will be strategically located near Plexus' current site in the Guadalajara Technology Park. Upon completion, the new facility will become a part of Plexus' integrated global network.

16:18 EDT PayPal reports Q1 total payment volume $132.3B, up 32% from last year

16:17 EDT eBay reports active buyers up 4% in Q1 - In the first quarter, eBay grew active buyers by 4% across its platforms, for a total of 171 million global active buyers. Underlying total eBay Inc. performance, the Marketplace platforms delivered $2.1 Bof revenue and $22.5B of GMV. Marketplace revenue growth was 11% on an as-reported basis and 7% on an FX-Neutral basis and GMV was up 13% on an as-reported basis and 7% on an FX-Neutral basis, aided by continued expansion of new user experiences. StubHub drove revenue of $232M, up 9% on both an as-reported basis and FX-Neutral basis, and GMV of $1.0B, up 14% on an as-reported basis and 13% on an FX-Neutral basis.

16:15 EDT Borealis selects Aspen Technology maintenance software - Aspen Technology announced that Borealis, a provider of innovative solutions in the fields of polyolefins, base chemicals and fertilizers, has selected Aspen Mtell software. The scope of the first rollout is their production site in Stenungsund, Sweden. Aspen Mtell is part of the aspenONE Asset Performance Management software suite combining big data, machine learning and process knowledge expertise to maximize performance across the design, operations and maintenance asset lifecycle. Aspen Mtell mines historical and real-time operational and maintenance data to discover the precise failure signatures that precede asset degradation and breakdowns, predict future failures and prescribe detailed actions to mitigate or solve problems. The company's selection of Aspen Mtell was based on its successful performance in a competitive predictive maintenance "proof of concept" project for a business-critical compressor on site. Predictive maintenance is a key initiative for Borealis and this initial project effectively demonstrated the tangible benefit of automating such data analysis and knowledge work. The decision to move forward with Aspen Mtell was further supported by the demonstrated rapid speed of deployment, accurate early detection of asset degradation and ability to scale the solution system-wide.

16:14 EDT ServiceNow sees FY18 adjusted subscription revenues $2.336B-$2.351B - Sees FY18 adjusted subscription billings of $2.755B-$2.77B.

16:14 EDT Chipotle approves additional $100M for stock buybacks - Chipotle said its board approved the investment of up to an additional $100M, exclusive of commissions, to repurchase shares of common stock. This repurchase authorization, in addition to up to approximately $50.2M available as of March 31 for repurchases under a previously announced repurchase authorization, may be modified, suspended, or discontinued at any time, the company said.

16:13 EDT Chipotle sees 2018 comparable restaurant sales up low-single digit - For the full year 2018, Chipotle management expects: Comparable restaurant sales increases in the low-single digits; 130 to 150 new restaurant openings; An estimated effective full year tax rate of approximately 32.5% - 33.5%, with quarterly tax rates of around 29% in the second and third quarters and up to as high as 38.5% in the fourth quarter as a result of an additional anticipated write-off of deferred tax assets associated with stock-based compensation awards.

16:12 EDT Triumph Group extends long term supply agreement with Boeing - Triumph Group (TGI) announced that it has reached an agreement with Boeing (BA) to extend its current long-term agreement to supply composite detail and assembly parts for the Boeing 787 Dreamliner. Under the agreement, Triumph Aerospace Structures' business based out of Milledgeville, Georgia will continue production of composite parts for the 787, section 47/48 fuselage to be shipped directly to Boeing's North Charleston, South Carolina facility for integration into the aft body section of the airplane.

16:08 EDT Facebook CEO says community and business 'off to a strong start' in 2018 - "Despite facing important challenges, our community and business are off to a strong start in 2018. We are taking a broader view of our responsibility and investing to make sure our services are used for good. But we also need to keep building new tools to help people connect, strengthen our communities, and bring the world closer together," said CEO Mark Zuckerberg.

16:07 EDT Facebook increased share buyback authorization by additional $9B - Facebook announced that it has increased the amount authorized under its share repurchase program by an additional $9B. The board of directors originally authorized repurchases of up to $6B of its Class A common stock under the repurchase program, and this increase is incremental to the original authorization, Facebook stated.

16:06 EDT Facebook reports Q1 daily active users 13%, monthly active users up 13% - Facebook reports Q1 daily active users were 1.45B on average for March 2018, an increase of 13% year-over-year. Monthly active users were 2.2B as of March 31, 2018, an increase of 13% year-over-year. Mobile advertising revenue represented approximately 91% of advertising revenue for the first quarter of 2018, up from approximately 85% of advertising revenue in the first quarter of 2017. Capital expenditures for the first quarter of 2018 were $2.81B. Headcount was 27,742 as of March 31, 2018, an increase of 48% year-over-year.

16:05 EDT Align receives CFDA approval to market iTero Element intraoral scanner in China - Align Technology announced that the company has received approval from the China Food and Drug Administration (CFDA) to market the iTero Element intraoral scanner in China.

16:04 EDT F5 Networks introduces BIG-IP Cloud Edition service - F5 Networks introduced BIG-IP Cloud Edition, available May 31, enabling customers to quickly deploy critical application services for every app and any environment. BIG-IP Cloud Edition is offered as a per-app virtual Application Delivery Controller that can apply and automate policy-based services at each step in the development and production pipeline. This approach empowers app owners to better collaborate with NetOps, DevOps, and SecOps within an agile framework to significantly improve the performance, availability, and security of all applications. BIG-IP Cloud Edition combines F5's broad portfolio of application services with the dramatically enhanced management, visibility, and analytics capabilities of BIG-IQ. F5's software-based solution lets customers easily add 'right-sized' services tailored for individual applications, multiple cloud environments, and user demands. As a prominent use case, the solution enables customers to deploy Advanced Web Application Firewall policies to address sophisticated application threats in a consistent way across public and private clouds.

16:01 EDT FMR reports 11.374% passive stake in Surface Oncology

15:57 EDT Winmark increases dividend to 15c from 11c per share - Winmark announced that its board of directors has approved an increase in its regular quarterly cash dividend to shareholders. The quarterly dividend of 15c per share represents an increase of 4c from its previous dividend rate. The cash dividend will be paid June 1 to shareholders of record on the close of business on May 9.

15:19 EDT MPLX raises quarterly distribution 1.6% to 61.75c per unit - The distribution will be paid May 15 to common unitholders of record as of May 7.

15:01 EDT Owens Realty Mortgage raises quarterly dividend 25% to 20c per share - Owens Realty Mortgage announced that its board of directors has declared an increased quarterly dividend of 20c per share of common stock for the quarter ending June 30, 2018. The dividend is payable on July 13, 2018 to shareholders of record at the close of business on June 29, 2018, which represents a 25% increase in the company's quarterly dividend. Additionally, the company provided an update on its progress with respect to previously announced plans to enhance its governance structure.

14:33 EDT General Electric slides after Moody's shifts ratings outlook to negative - Moody's Investors Service announced earlier that it affirmed the ratings of General Electric, GE Capital and its subsidiaries, including the A2 senior unsecured rating and P-1 short term rating, and changed the ratings outlook to negative. The negative outlook reflects the added headwinds to restoring GE's credit profile as a result of the $1.5 billion reserve that GE recorded in relation to the investigation by the Department of Justice of possible violations of the Financial Institutions Reform, Recovery, and Enforcement Act of 1989 by WMC, GE Capital's discontinued mortgage business, Moody's stated. WHAT'S NOTABLE: Also of note, General Electric held its annual shareholder meeting earlier this morning. DIVIDEND RISK: Bank of America Merill Lynch analyst Andrew Obin commented that Moody's cut to the credit rating outlook raises the risk of a dividend cut at GE as a potential avenue to defend its investment grade rating. He also estimates that GE Capital might need a $2B-$3B capital infusion to improve its Equity/Asset ratio. Obin has a Neutral rating on GE shares, which are down 4.6% to $14 in afternoon trading.

14:14 EDT Maryland announces $35M settlement with Volkswagen over defeat devices - Maryland Attorney General Brian Frosh and Maryland Secretary of the Environment Ben Grumbles announced a $33.5M settlement with Volkswagen and its affiliates, Audi and Porsche. The settlement announced relates to the auto manufacturers' use of "defeat devices" in violation of Maryland's environmental laws. The devices were installed in model year 2009-2015 diesel engines to ensure that the vehicle's emissions controls performed properly during emissions testing, but in real-world driving conditions, the device switched off or scaled back the vehicle's emissions controls - resulting in harmful nitrogen oxide emissions, Maryland officials said in a statement. Reference Link

13:36 EDT LendingClub calls charges in FTC complaint 'legally and factually unwarranted' - Following an inquiry that began in May 2016, the U.S. Federal Trade Commission brought an action against LendingClub earlier today in the Northern District of California alleging that certain LendingClub practices do not, or in the past did not, comply with the requirements of the FTC and Gramm-Leach-Bliley Acts. The company stated in response: "LendingClub is committed to delivering a superior customer experience, and appreciates and supports the important role the FTC plays in encouraging appropriate standards and best practices. However, LendingClub believes that the allegations in the FTC's complaint are legally and factually unwarranted. The company is disappointed that it was not possible to resolve this matter constructively with the agency's current leadership and intends to oppose the claims and work towards an early resolution of the matter in Federal Court. Additional information about the complaint and LendingClub's response are on its blog. LendingClub has helped more than two million borrowers improve their financial lives since its foundation more than a decade ago. The company makes credit more affordable and accessible by facilitating fixed-rate personal loans that offer significantly lower interest rates and fees than are available through traditional sources of unsecured credit."

13:29 EDT Exxon Mobil boosts Q2 dividend to 82c from 77c - Exxon Mobil's board declared a cash dividend of 82c per share, payable on June 11, to shareholders of record at the close of business on May 14. The Q2 dividend compares with the 77c per share paid in Q1. Exxon notes that it has increased its annual dividend payment to shareholders for 36 consecutive years.

13:08 EDT Deutsche Boerse says ahead of minimum 10% profit growth target for 2018

13:02 EDT Duke Energy names Harry Sideris chief distribution officer - Duke Energy announced two executive appointments in the company's drive to provide customers with more reliable, secure and increasingly clean energy. Harry Sideris, currently president of Duke Energy Florida, will become SVP and chief distribution officer for the company. Sideris will be responsible for the safe, reliable and efficient operation of Duke Energy's electric distribution systems for the company's six-state service area, which includes North Carolina, South Carolina, Florida, Indiana, Ohio and Kentucky. Sideris succeeds Michael Lewis, who will retire effective June 30 after a 30-year career in the industry. Catherine Stempien, currently SVP of corporate development will succeed Sideris as Florida state president. Stempien will be responsible for the financial performance of the company's Florida operations and will manage state and local regulatory and government relations, and community affairs. She will also work with the corporate and regulatory strategy teams to advance the company's rate and regulatory initiatives. These changes are effective June 1.

12:50 EDT Airbus, Dassault Systemes confirm plans to cooperate on fighter jet project - Airbus (EADSY) and Dassault Aviation (DASTY) have decided to join forces for the development and production of Europe's Future Combat Air System, which is slated to complement and eventually replace current generation of Eurofighter and Rafale fighter aircraft between 2035 and 2040. Eric Trappier, Chairman and CEO of Dassault Aviation, said: "We are convinced that by deploying our joint expertise, Dassault Aviation and Airbus can best meet the operational requirements of the Forces in the development of this critically important European programme. Both companies fully intend to work together in the most pragmatic and efficient manner. Our joint roadmap will include proposals to develop demonstrators for the FCAS programme as of 2025."

12:37 EDT General Motors adds third shift at Spring Hill Assembly to meet demand - As a result of increased market demand for the GMC Acadia and Cadillac XT5 crossovers, General Motors announced it would add a third production shift at its Spring Hill Manufacturing plant. The third shift is expected to begin production in September 2018. GM says: "The GMC Acadia and Cadillac XT5 both continue to show strong performance in the highly competitive crossover segment. GMC Acadia retail sales were up more than 15% for the first quarter of 2018 on a year-over-year basis - and total Acadia sales were up 3%. First quarter 2018 was the best quarter ever for Acadia sales for both retail and total. Total sales of the Cadillac XT5 were up 10% in the first quarter 2018. XT5 is Cadillac's best-selling vehicle in every market where it's sold around the world. It is the #2 best-selling vehicle in its class in the U.S." This production announcement for Spring Hill manufacturing is in addition to a $294M investment for another new Cadillac crossover and plant upgrades that was announced in late 2017. Spring Hill will also build the all-new Holden Acadia in 2018 for export to Australia and New Zealand. The announcement will add about 700 people to Spring Hill, and the company will develop staffing plans to fill this additional shift through September

12:32 EDT Erin Energy trading halted, news pending

12:18 EDT Northrop Grumman sees FY18 aerospace systems sales in the high $12B range - Says 2018 "is off to a good start." Sees Orbital ATK (OA) transaction closing in 1H18. Says continues to support regulatory process in the U.S. Sees FY18 capital expenditures about $1B. Sees FY18 free cash flow $2B-$2.3B. Says "excited about the long-term growth prospects enabled by portfolio." Says remains disciplined about business pursuits. Says guidance does not reflect closing of Orbital ATK transaction, will update guidance when it closes. Looking ahead, Northrop Grumman continues to see 2018 aerospace systems sales in the high $12B range. The company continues to expect FY18 sales for mission systems in the mid-to-high $11B range and continues to forecast technology services sales for 2018 in the mid-$4B range. Sees FY18 operating margin rate roughly 12%. Expects capital spending to be more heavily weighted to 1H18. Comments taken from Q1 earnings conference call.

11:53 EDT LendingClub drops 9% after FTC said to file complaint against company

11:49 EDT Century Casinos announces entry into Vietnamese gaming market - Century Casinos announced today that the company's Austrian subsidiary, Century Resorts Management GmbH, has acquired 51% of the outstanding common stock of Golden Hospitality Limited, a Hong Kong company, for a total consideration of $560,000. Golden has entered into agreements with Minh Chau Ltd., the owner of a small hotel and international entertainment and gaming club in the Cao Bang province of Vietnam, just 300 feet from the Vietnamese - Chinese border station. These agreements allow Golden to manage the hotel and international entertainment and gaming club for a management fee and to acquire a minimum of 51% of Minh Chau over the next three years for approx. $3,570,000. Golden plans to start managing the operations of Minh Chau within the next two months against a management fee of 26% of Minh Chau's profit. "We are excited about this opportunity to enter the Asian land-based gaming market with a relatively small initial investment but great upside development and investment potential," said the Century Casinos' co-CEOs Erwin Haitzmann and Peter Hoetzinger.

11:21 EDT Grainger raises quarterly dividend by 6.3% to $1.36 per share - W.W. Grainger announced that its board voted to raise the quarterly cash dividend by 6.3% to $1.36 per share payable on June 1, to shareholders of record on May 14.

11:10 EDT Boeing says 'encouraged' by dialogue on tariffs between U.S. and China

11:02 EDT Euronet acquires Innova Tax Free Group, terms not disclosed - Euronet Worldwide announces the acquisition of Innova Tax Free Group, a Madrid, Spain based company specializing in VAT refunds for the international traveler. The acquisition will strengthen and complement Euronet's Merchant Acquiring offering. Euronet currently provides direct acquiring to merchants in nine countries in Europe. With Innova, Euronet will offer merchants a three-in-one solution bringing together card processing, multi-currency processing/DCC and VAT refund. The combined product offering will leverage the existing assets of the two organizations and offer integrated services to both the merchants and the international traveler. Such offerings will use Euronet's existing networks and technology to enhance the VAT refund customer journey, from the pre-purchasing information gathering stage to offering innovative methods for consumers to receive their VAT refunds. Innova will soon offer the consumer the opportunity to receive a VAT refund via Euronet's extensive Independent ATM Network deployed and managed by Euronet in 25 countries in Europe. With Innova, Euronet is poised to take advantage of the prevailing and dynamic macro VAT refund processing trends which are evolving to become more frictionless and increasingly digitalized.

10:59 EDT Boeing sees MAX accounting for 40%-45% of 737 deliveries in 2018

10:52 EDT Boeing sees spending $12B on share buybacks over the next two years

10:41 EDT Boeing to increase 737 production to 52 per month in 2018, 57 in 2019

10:40 EDT Boeing says assessing 'upward market pressure' on 737 output

10:39 EDT Viacom CEO says on track for new online service later this year

10:31 EDT Viacom says won't comment on process with CBS

10:28 EDT Viacom sees deals with Charter, Suddenlink adding 2M subscribers

10:24 EDT Viacom sees FY18 AMS revenues approaching $300M

10:19 EDT Viacom expects Paramount to return to 'meaningful' FY profitability in FY19

10:14 EDT Viacom CEO says upfront scatter pricing 'extremely strong'

10:13 EDT Trump says will talk with Apple CEO about U.S. being 'treated unfairly' - President Donald Trump just tweeted: "Looking forward to my meeting with Tim Cook of Apple. We will be talking about many things, including how the U.S. has been treated unfairly for many years, by many countries, on trade." Reference Link

10:11 EDT Viacom sees approx. $500M of savings from cost transformation activities

10:08 EDT Viacom sees FY adjusted OI growth in the low single digits - Viacom CEO Bob Bakish said on the company's Q2 earnings conference call that the company is exiting 1H with "real momentum." Bakish reaffirmed adjusted OI growth for 2H, and now expects upside to the FY, with adjusted OI growth in the low single digits. Says Q2 marked Paramount Pictures' return to profitability. Says "A Quiet Place" has Q3 "off to a very strong start."

09:50 EDT 21st Century Fox says committed to Sky offer, currently considering options - 21st Century Fox (FOXA) notes the announcement made by Comcast (CMCSA) of a firm intention to make an offer for the entire issued and to be issued share capital of Sky plc (SKYAY). "21CF remains committed to its recommended cash offer for Sky announced on 15th December 2016 and is currently considering its options. A further announcement will be made in due course," the company stated.

09:37 EDT General Dynamics to increase planned pension contribution to $550M - Up from prior view of $300M. Says taking advantage of new tax law.

09:31 EDT Estee Lauder announces family-related programs, benefits for employee base - The Estee Lauder Companies announced new and enhanced family-related programs, policies and benefits for its diverse employee base in the U.S. Effective May 1, 2018, Paid Parental Leave will be expanded to 20 weeks and an enhanced flexibility policy for parents returning to work will be implemented. The policies apply to all eligible employees, irrespective of gender. The company will also be adding or enhancing benefits around adoption, child and elder care, and infant transition support. Eligible employees, irrespective of gender and including parents adopting or fostering children, will be able to take 20 weeks of Paid Parental Leave at full pay and six weeks of back-to-work flexibility to allow all working parents to bond with their new child(ren) and transition back to work. This benefit is in addition to the Short Term Disability benefits typically available to mothers for six to eight weeks following childbirth. Eligible employees can seek reimbursement up to $10,000 for eligible expenses related to the legal adoption of a child under the age of 18, or older if it's a special needs adoption. The program covers costs such as fees relating to home surveys and legal filings; the child's medical expenses required for adoption; and required pre- and post-adoption counseling services. Back-up care will now include in-home care for children or adults/elders. An Infant Transition Program is also available, offering more days of care to parents who are transitioning back to work after the birth or placement of a child. These benefits, programs and policies will be available to U.S.-based, full-time, The Estee Lauder Companies benefits-eligible employees who have completed more than 90 continuous days of service.

09:14 EDT General Dynamics says expects G600 deliveries to start in 2019

09:12 EDT General Dynamics says G500 deliveries 'on track' for 2018

09:08 EDT Sanofi's Fluzone vaccine supplemental application accepted for review by FDA - Sanofi Pasteur's supplemental Biologics License Application to expand the age indication of the 0.5 mL dose of Fluzone Quadrivalent Influenza Vaccine has been accepted by the FDA for review to include children 6 through 35 months of age. The target action date is January 28, 2019. If approved, physicians will be able to reserve the vaccine for young children for the 2019-2020 flu season. The application is supported by clinical data from a Phase IV safety and immunogenicity study conducted in nearly 2,000 children. Detailed results from the Phase IV study will be presented at medical meetings later this year. A 0.25-mL dose of Fluzone Quadrivalent vaccine is currently approved for use in children 6 through 35 months of age; a 0.5-mL dose is approved for people 36 months of age and older.

09:07 EDT Perry Ellis announces men's dress shirt license for Manhattan brand in Argentina - Perry Ellis International announced that it has entered into a license agreement with Rosega to design and distribute men's dress shirts under the Manhattan trademark in Argentina. The collection will be distributed in department and specialty stores with a product launch planned in the Fall 2018.

09:03 EDT LiveXLive Media adds two festivals through partnership with AEG Presents - LiveXLive Media partnered with AEG Presents to add two music festivals to its slate of live music programming - Global Dance Festival and Decadence NYE. The multiyear agreement, brokered by AEG Global Partnerships, grants LiveXLive the exclusive opportunity to record, film and distribute the festivals' content. This includes live performances, audio and video on demand rights across LiveXLive's digital platforms, such as Slacker Radio and LiveXLive, its video streaming platform.

08:58 EDT Thermo Fisher sees FY18 CapEx $700M-$730M - Sees FY18 free cash flow approximately $3.8B.

08:56 EDT Thermo Fisher says sees $500M in share repurchases in 2H18

08:49 EDT Anthem says continues to 'be opportunistic in approach' to M&A - Says intensely focused on capitalizing on pipeline of activity in Medicaid business. Says continues to grow Medicare Advantage business faster than growth of the industry overall. Says continues to make investments in that area. Says will continue to be opportunistic in approach to M&A. Says evaluating opportunities that add to capabilities and broaden geographic presence. Says remain focused on improving overall quality and cost of healthcare. Says implementing a new management structure in commercial business organized around product segment. Says will be adding talent across the organization to help capitalize on opportunities. Comments taken from Q1 earnings conference call.

08:49 EDT Thermo Fisher says expects FY18 tax rate 12%

08:48 EDT Dorsey says Twitter has 'benefited as a service by having journalists'

08:43 EDT Thermo Fisher says 'clearly gaining market share'

08:40 EDT xG Technology awarded over $750K in video downlink equipment orders - xG Technology's IMT Vislink business has received orders valued at over $750K for HD airborne video downlink system equipment and related services from law enforcement agencies located in Virginia, Massachusetts, Oregon and California.

08:37 EDT Thermo Fisher says 'very strong start to year' - Says good conditions in end markets in Q4 continued in Q1. Says continues to see "great traction" in new products released. Says expects to spend close to $1B in R&D in 2018. Comments from Q1 earnings conference call.

08:34 EDT Alder says new data demonstrated eptinezumab increased migraine-free intervals - Alder BioPharmaceuticals announced new data from its PROMISE 1 Phase 3 clinical trial evaluating eptinezumab, Alder's lead investigational product candidate for migraine prevention, in patients with episodic migraine. The clinical data demonstrated that following a quarterly infusion of eptinezumab, patients experienced a significant reduction in migraine days and improved quality-of-life outcomes. Detailed results will be presented today at the 70th Annual American Academy of Neurology Meeting in Los Angeles. Patients with episodic migraine who on average had 8.6 days of migraine per month demonstrated significant reductions in migraine frequency over weeks 1-12, associated with 300mg dose group. 29.7 percent of patients achieved a 75 percent or greater reduction in migraine days from baseline, compared to 16.2 percent for placebo, pless than0.0007. In a post hoc analysis, patients achieving a 75 percent or greater response rate had over an eight-fold increase in days between migraines. During weeks 1-12, the median migraine-free interval between migraine days increased from 3.9 days at baseline to 32.5 days. Achieving a 75 percent or greater response rate was associated with more meaningful improvements in bodily pain and physical function at week 12, as measured by a quality of life patient-reported survey. The observed safety profile for PROMISE 1, to date, is consistent with previously reported eptinezumab studies. The most commonly reported adverse events occurring at an incidence of 5 percent or greater across all eptinezumab treatment groups were upper respiratory infection, nasopharyngitis and sinusitis.

08:33 EDT AbbVie reports upadacitinib meets primary endpoints in Phase 2b/3 RA study - AbbVie announced results from the ongoing Phase 2b/3 SELECT-SUNRISE clinical trial, showing that at 12 weeks, all doses of upadacitinib - 7.5 mg, 15 mg and 30 mg, once-daily - met the study's primary endpoint of ACR20a versus placebo. Certain key efficacy endpoints were also achieved versus placebo. The study, conducted in Japan, evaluates upadacitinib, an investigational oral JAK1-selective inhibitor, in adult Japanese patients with moderate to severe rheumatoid arthritis who are on a stable dose of conventional synthetic disease-modifying antirheumatic drugs and have had an inadequate response to csDMARDs. These data will be presented during an oral presentation at the Japan College of Rheumatology 2018 Annual Scientific Meeting in Tokyo on Saturday, April 28. "We are encouraged by these data, which show that upadacitinib provides improvements in important measures such as achieving ACR response and clinical remission, in people living with rheumatoid arthritis in Japan. SELECT-SUNRISE reflects our continued commitment to offering innovative solutions with the potential to improve the lives of Japanese patients living with this serious, debilitating condition," said Michael Severino, M.D., EVP, research and development and chief scientific officer, AbbVie.

08:32 EDT Globalstar to merge with FiberLight, acquire other assets in stock transaction - Globalstar (GSAT) announced it has signed a merger agreement with Thermo Acquisitions, Inc. pursuant to which the following assets will be combined with Globalstar: metro fiber provider FiberLight, LLC , 15.5 million shares of common stock of CenturyLink (CTL), $100 million of cash and minority investments in complementary businesses and assets of $25 million in exchange for Globalstar common stock valued at approximately $1.65 billion, subject to adjustments. Thermo Acquisition, Inc. is controlled by Jay Monroe, Executive Chairman of the Board of Directors and CEO of Globalstar. At closing the parent company will be renamed Thermo Companies, Inc., and its stock will continue to trade publicly. The transaction has been unanimously recommended by the Special Committee of the Board of Directors of Globalstar, consisting entirely of independent directors, and unanimously approved by the full Board of Directors. The merger is expected to close in the third quarter of 2018. The merger will organize the pro forma company into four principal operating subsidiaries under the name Thermo Companies, Inc. as the public company. These operations include Globalstar, FiberLight, Global SpectrumCo and Thermo Investments.

08:31 EDT FirstEnergy Solutions files to deactive three nuclear power plants - FirstEnergy's competitive generation subsidiary FirstEnergy Solutions has filed a Certification Letter with the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission formally notifying the Commission of its decision to permanently deactivate its nuclear power plants - two in Ohio and a third in Pennsylvania - over the next three years, citing "severe economic challenges." The plant closures are subject to review by PJM for reliability impacts, if any. In the interim, the plants will continue normal operations. FES, its subsidiaries and FirstEnergy Nuclear Operating Company on March 31, filed petitions under Chapter 11 of the Federal Bankruptcy Code. The closure of the plants will affect about 2,300 plant employees. The total capacity of the nuclear plants to be deactivated is 4,048 MW. In 2017, the nuclear units contributed approximately 65% of the electricity produced by the FES generating fleet. The two nuclear plants in Ohio represent 14% of the state's overall generation capacity; the Beaver Valley units represent 7% of Pennsylvania's overall generation capacity.

08:20 EDT Twitter says removed more than 142K apps violating TOS in Q1 - In its Q1 letter to shareholders, Twitter said: "In the last 16 months, we have made more than 30 individual changes to our product, policies, and operations, all with the goal of making Twitter safer, and improving information quality on our service. For example, last quarter we implemented changes to TweetDeck and the Twitter API - two of the most common ways spam is placed on our service - to limit the ability to perform coordinated actions across multiple accounts. Early results from this change show roughly 90% fewer users creating fake or automated engagement spam via TweetDeck. Additionally, in Q1, we removed more than 142,000 applications connected to our Twitter API in violation of our developer rules - collectively responsible for more than 130 million low-quality Tweets during the same period." Additionally, Twitter said that: "In Q1, we introduced a new framework to think more cohesively about the issues affecting our service, including our ongoing work in safety and information quality. "Health," our holistic approach to measure Twitter's performance and impact, will help us more effectively and lastingly address specific challenges, like abuse and spam, by viewing them through the larger lens of the total health of the conversation. As part of this new approach, we initiated a request for proposal process to collaborate with the world's leading experts in this domain. We received more than 230 proposals from global institutions eager to help us further examine a broad range of topics that will advance this important work. We expect to have meaningful updates in the second quarter, and we're committed to continuing to share our progress along the way."

08:19 EDT Zogenix announces new safety, efficacy data from Phase 3 clinical trial of ZX008 - Zogenix announced additional data from analyses of its first Phase 3 trial of the Company's investigational drug, ZX008, for the adjunctive treatment of seizures associated with Dravet syndrome. Top-line results from Study 1 were previously reported in September 2017. The additional Study 1 results were presented in two late-breaker poster presentations at the Emerging Science session at the 2018 American Academy of Neurology Annual Meeting being held April 21-27 in Los Angeles, California. As previously reported, Study 1 met its primary objective of demonstrating that ZX008, at a dose of 0.8 mg/kg/day, is superior to placebo as an adjunctive therapy in the treatment of Dravet syndrome in children and young adults based on change in the frequency of convulsive seizures between the 6-week baseline observation period and the 14-week treatment period. The first poster, presented by Elaine C. Wirrell, M.D., Director of Pediatric Epilepsy at the Mayo Clinic, showed the results of a post-hoc analysis evaluating the effect of ZX008 in enrolled patients in Study 1 who had previously failed treatment with stiripentol, which is currently the only medication for adjunctive treatment of seizures in patients with Dravet syndrome, approved in Europe, Australia, Canada, and Japan, and available via compassionate use in the U.S. For purposes of this subgroup analysis, failed treatment included patients who discontinued for reasons of efficacy or tolerability, both efficacy and tolerability, or any other reason. A total of 58 subjects from Study 1 were included in this post-hoc analysis, consisting of the following treatment groups: ZX008 0.8 mg/kg/day, ZX008 0.2 mg/kg/day and placebo. In this subgroup of patients, ZX008 demonstrated robust antiseizure activity in patients who failed prior treatment with stiripentol. The efficacy and tolerability results in this subgroup were comparable to those achieved in the full Study 1 population. In the post-hoc analysis, patients taking ZX008 0.8 mg/kg/day achieved a 60.8% greater reduction in mean monthly convulsive seizures compared to placebo. In the full Study 1 population, patients taking ZX008 0.8 mg/kg/day achieved a 63.9% greater reduction in mean monthly convulsive seizures compared to placebo/ Other select endpoint comparisons are presented below. The post-hoc analysis showed a consistent safety and tolerability profile, as previously seen in the full Phase 3 trial population. The most common treatment emergent adverse events in this subgroup of patients included decreased appetite, lethargy, fatigue, diarrhea, upper respiratory tract infection, nasopharyngitis, pyrexia, and somnolence. The most common treatment emergent adverse events in the full Study 1 population included diarrhea, vomiting, fatigue, pyrexia, nasopharyngitis, upper respiratory tract infection, fall, weight decreased, decreased appetite, lethargy, seizure, and somnolence. As reported for the full Study 1 population, there was no clinical and/or echocardiographic evidence of cardiac valvulopathy or pulmonary hypertension in any patient at any time during the study. No patient discontinued participation or required a change in monitoring in the study due to cardiac factors in this subgroup or the full Study 1 population. A second poster presented by Joseph Sullivan, M.D., Director of the Pediatric Epilepsy Center at University California San Francisco, et al., highlighted the results of a prespecified secondary analysis evaluating the effect of ZX008 on total seizure frequency in the full Study 1 population. A total of 119 patients were randomized to treatment in Study 1. During baseline, the median monthly TS frequency ranged from 40.7 to 53.9 in the three groups. At endpoint, after the 14-week treatment period, median percent changes in TS frequency were -13.1% in placebo, -34.3% in ZX008 0.2 mg/kg/day, and -70.1% in ZX008 0.8 mg/kg/day.

08:16 EDT Bombardier wins contract to provide up to 175 FLEXITY trams to STIB - Bombardier Transportation and the Brussels Intercommunal Transportation Company, or STIB, have signed a framework agreement to supply up to 175 BOMBARDIER FLEXITY trams. The total amount of the framework contract is valued up to approximately $586M. The first firm order under this framework contract, also signed on April 24, is for 60 FLEXITY trams and is valued at approximately $206M. The contract signature follows an announcement made by STIB on February 5, selecting Bombardier Transportation as preferred bidder.

08:15 EDT Zai Lab, Entasis announce exclusive license agreement in Asia-Pacific - Entasis Therapeutics Holdings and Zai Lab announced an exclusive license agreement for ETX2514 in the Asia-Pacific region and a global strategic development collaboration. Entasis' ETX2514 is a novel broad-spectrum intravenous inhibitor of beta-lactamases, which are a major cause of antibiotic resistance. Entasis is developing ETX2514SUL, a fixed-dose combination of ETX2514 and sulbactam, for the treatment of a variety of serious multidrug-resistant infections caused by Acinetobacter baumannii, representing a healthcare challenge of global importance with over 200,000 occurrences estimated in China each year. ETX2514SUL is currently in Phase 2 development with plans to move into global Phase 3 clinical trials in the first quarter of 2019. Zai Lab will manage the portion of the Phase 3 trial conducted in China. Under the terms of the agreement, Entasis has granted Zai Lab an exclusive license to develop and commercialize ETX2514SUL in specified countries in the Asia-Pacific region, including Japan. Entasis and Zai Lab will cooperate in conducting a pivotal Phase 3 trial in China, with Zai Lab taking the lead by conducting the screening, enrollment and treatment of patients, and coordinating development, registration and commercialization of ETX2514SUL in the territory. In addition, Entasis and Zai Lab have an option to collaborate on the development and commercialization of ETX2514 in combination with other active ingredients. A joint steering committee will be formed between the companies to oversee development, regulatory and commercialization activities in the Asia-Pacific territory. In addition to financial support for the portion of the Phase 3 trial conducted in China, Entasis will receive a $5 million upfront payment and is eligible to receive up to an aggregate of $7.6 million in near-term development milestones and up to an aggregate of $91.0 million in additional development, regulatory and sales milestone payments related to ETX2514SUL and other combinations, plus royalties.

08:13 EDT Wynn Resorts sees opening Boston Harbor project in mid-2019 - With its earnings report last night, Wynn Resorts stated: "The company is currently constructing Wynn Boston Harbor, an integrated resort in Everett, Massachusetts, located adjacent to Boston along the Mystic River. The resort will contain a hotel, a waterfront boardwalk, meeting and convention space, casino space, a spa, retail offerings and food and beverage outlets. The total project budget, including gaming license fees, construction costs, capitalized interest, pre-opening expenses and land costs, is estimated to be approximately $2.5B. As of March 31, 2018, we have incurred $1.38B in total project costs. We expect to open Wynn Boston Harbor in mid-2019."

08:12 EDT Wynn Resorts CEO says Boston project not for sale - Wynn Resorts CEO Matt Maddox made the comment while being interviewed on CNBC.

08:11 EDT AveXis announces first patient dosed in Phase 3 trial of AVXS-101 - AveXis announced that the first patient has been dosed in a Phase 3 trial evaluating AVXS-101 in pre-symptomatic patients with spinal muscular atrophy Types 1, 2 and 3. SPRINT is a multi-cohort, multi-national trial expected to enroll approximately 44 pre-symptomatic patients with a bi-allelic deletion of SMN1; two, three or four copies of SMN2; and who are less than six weeks of age at the time of gene therapy. The trial is designed to evaluate appropriate clinical endpoints, including developmental milestones, survival, bulbar function and safety of a one-time intravenous infusion of AVXS-101 of 1.1 x 1014 vg/kg.

08:09 EDT Chembio Diagnostics, LumiraDx enter collaboration for POC diagnostic tests - Chembio Diagnostics has entered into a collaboration agreement with LumiraDx to develop new POC diagnostic tests for infectious diseases. Under terms of the agreement, Chembio will receive funding from LumiraDx, subject to satisfying certain milestones, to develop certain new POC infectious disease tests. The agreement includes the potential development of a variety of new POC tests, which represent some of the world's most significant global health threats. Following the regulatory approval and commercialization of tests in accordance with this agreement, Chembio will both sell reagents to, and receive royalty payments from, LumiraDx on sales of all products developed through this collaboration.

08:08 EDT Twitter: 'Privacy is a fundamental right for everyone we serve on our service' - Comment taken from the Q1 earnings conference call.

08:07 EDT Hologic: FDA grants premarket approval for ThinPrep Integrated Imager - Hologic announced that the United States FDA has granted premarket approval for the ThinPrep Integrated Imager, which will make automated imaging of Pap tests more broadly available to laboratories and cytologists in the United States. Studies have shown that automated, assisted imaging can increase the sensitivity of detecting suspicious cells compared to manual slide review. In conjunction with the ThinPrep Integrated Imager, Hologic is also launching the Compass Stainer in the US. Already available internationally, the Compass Stainer is a smaller footprint automated stainer that can perform both routine and special staining protocols. The Compass Stainer is an affordable solution for lower volume laboratories that do not have the space for a larger, more expensive automated stainer.

08:03 EDT CACI awarded $145M task order to support U.S. Army's INSCOM CITP - CACI International has been awarded a $145M task order to support the U.S. Army Intelligence and Security Command Counter Insurgency Targeting Program The three-and-a-half-year, single-award contract, awarded under INSCOM's Global Intelligence Support Services contract vehicle, represents continuing work for CACI in its Intelligence Services market area. The CITP provides all-source target and technical intelligence to combat insurgent networks and systems that threaten U.S. national security. Under the terms of the award, CACI will research, evaluate, and assess intelligence information; integrate all-source intelligence relevant to counterinsurgent networks; and create intelligence products in support of INSCOM's National Ground Intelligence Center and national security priorities.

08:01 EDT Norfolk Southern raises expected annual share repurchases to $1.5B - "We are pleased with the continued improvement in our financial performance and the growth in our business," said James A. Squires, Norfolk Southern chairman, president and CEO. "We are focused on improving service for our customers to position us for future growth and efficiency that will benefit both our customers and shareholders. The outlook for 2018 is promising, and we are increasing our expected annual share repurchases to $1.5 billion, confident that we will deliver strong financial performance."

07:51 EDT Goodyear Tire CEO says 'We are pleased with our first quarter results' - "We are pleased with our first quarter results given higher raw material costs and weaker demand than we expected in the quarter," said Richard J. Kramer, chairman, CEO and president. "These results were highlighted by our performance in the 17-inch-and-larger segment in consumer replacement, which delivered more than double the industry growth in the U.S. and Europe," he added. "TireHub will deliver best-in-class service for our retail and fleet customers and will be the cornerstone of our aligned distribution network, including our company-owned retail stores," said Kramer. "TireHub will strengthen our ability to promote our premium brands, our industry-leading e-commerce solution and our strategy of targeting the industry's most profitable, large rim size segments. This agreement increases our confidence in delivering on our long-term targets."

07:47 EDT Jacobs Engineering selected by Encina for new BTX plant in Wyoming - Jacobs Engineering received a contract from Encina Chemicals to provide operations readiness support services for its new benzene toluene xylene processing plant in Gillette, Wyoming. As part of the front-end loading phase, Jacobs will evaluate operability, maintainability, layout, operations and maintenance guidelines; provide O&M input for the hazard and operability study, and define the size, required capabilities and cost of the O&M workforce. Encina Chemicals is a chemicals and advanced materials company headquartered in Coral Gables, Florida.

07:40 EDT Navient continues to opportunistically repurchase debt - The company said, "We continue to opportunistically repurchase debt in the open market". Comments taken from slides to be presented on Q1 earnings conference call.

07:35 EDT SL Green Realty signs McDermott Will & Emery at One Vanderbilt Avenue - SL Green Realty Corp. announced that McDermott Will & Emery LLP, an international law firm, has signed a 20-year lease for 105,539 square feet at One Vanderbilt Avenue. McDermott Will & Emery will relocate its New York operations to One Vanderbilt, taking floors 44 through 46 and floor 67. One Vanderbilt is currently 31% leased, two years ahead of its planned 2020 opening and on track to meet SL Green's goal of 37% leased by the end of 2018.

07:34 EDT Boeing reports backlog of $486B, including over 5,800 commercial aircraft

07:33 EDT Boeing raises FY18 Commercial Airplanes operating margin view to about 11.5% - Up from prior view of greater than 11%.

07:32 EDT Boeing raises FY18 operating cash flow view to $15B-$15.5B from about $15B

07:31 EDT Boeing raises FY18 EPS, cash flow guidance

07:15 EDT Rockwell Automation increases dividend 10% to 92c per share - The board declared a quarterly dividend of 92c per share on the company's common stock, payable on June 11 to shareowners of record at the close of business on May 14.

07:13 EDT Asterias announces clincal grade lot pf AST-VAC2 released for clinical study - Asterias Biotherapeutics announced that Cancer Research UK has released the first cGMP clinical grade lot of AST-VAC2 to be used to dose subjects enrolling into the first clinical study evaluating AST-VAC2 in non-small cell lung cancer. Investigational therapies intended for human clinical applications must be manufactured in accordance with cGMP standards designed to help assure the safety and potency of drug products. To achieve cGMP standards, a product must be manufactured and released according to rigorous systems designed to ensure appropriate control of manufacturing facilities, equipment, raw materials, processes and testing procedures. Under the company's agreement with Cancer Research UK, Asterias has transferred its innovative laboratory scale AST-VAC2 manufacturing process to Cancer Research UK's Biotherapeutics Development Unit, which has developed, optimized and validated the process for cGMP manufacture and is responsible for producing cGMP AST-VAC2 for use in the upcoming Phase 1 clinical study in non-small cell lung cancer. With the release of the clinical lot of AST-VAC2, the Company anticipates three sites opening for this study shortly and the first subjects to be dosed in the first half of 2018. As currently designed, the study will enroll up to 24 subjects into one of two cohorts, depending on the stage of each subject's non-small cell lung cancer. AST-VAC2 is a "first-in-class" allogeneic cancer immunotherapy that is composed of mature dendritic cells which are designed to kill tumor cells by stimulating immune responses to telomerase, a tumor antigen expressed by over 85% of malignant tumor cells. AST-VAC2 is intended to be available for "on demand" patient use because it is produced from allogeneic pluripotent stem cells that can be manufactured in scale and then cryopreserved.

07:12 EDT RA Pharmaceuticals says Phase 2 gMG patient enrollment on target - Ra Pharmaceuticals announced that the design of its Phase 2 clinical trial of RA101495 SC as a treatment for generalized myasthenia gravis will be presented in an oral platform presentation at the 70th Annual American Academy of Neurology, taking place April 21-27, 2018 in Los Angeles. "Despite current treatments, patients with gMG suffer from the progressive and debilitating burden of complement-mediated neuromuscular damage," said James F. Howard, MD, Distinguished Professor of Neuromuscular Disease, Department of Neurology, University of North Carolina School of Medicine. "RA101495 SC is a unique and potent C5 inhibitor differentiated by convenient, once-daily, subcutaneous self-administration. I am encouraged by the rapid rate of patient enrollment in this Phase 2 clinical trial and look forward to its outcome." Initiated in December 2017, the Phase 2, multicenter, randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial is designed to evaluate the safety, tolerability, and preliminary efficacy of RA101495 SC in approximately 36 patients with gMG. At the outset of a 12-week treatment period, patients are randomized in a 1:1:1 ratio and receive daily, SC doses of 0.1 mg/kg of RA101495, 0.3 mg/kg of RA101495, or matching placebo. The primary efficacy endpoint is change in Quantitative Myasthenia Gravis score from baseline to week 12. All patients will have the opportunity to receive RA101495 SC in a long-term extension study. To date, 13 patients have been dosed in the trial. The company remains on track to report data from the study in the first half of 2019.

07:10 EDT Zynerba announces twelve month ZYN002 data from STAR 2 study - Zynerba Pharmaceuticals is reporting new longer term open label clinical data today in the Emerging Science session of the 2018 Annual Meeting of the American Academy of Neurology in Los Angeles, CA. In a poster presentation entitled, "Transdermal Cannabidiol Gel for the Treatment of Focal Epilepsy in Adults", Dr. John Messenheimer presents additional data from ongoing STAR 2 24-month open label extension study evaluating ZYN002 cannabidiol transdermal gel in adult patients with focal seizures. The presentation includes data through twelve months of open label exposure to ZYN002. The key findings include that responses to ZYN002 in the STAR 2 open label extension, as measured by reductions in focal seizures from the baseline period of STAR 1, are associated with continued treatment with ZYN002. In addition, ZYN002 was shown to be well tolerated through 12 months of treatment in STAR 2. The data presented in the poster are as follows:188 patients were randomized, 186 were analyzed for efficacy, and 174 completed STAR 1; 171 patients continued into STAR 2; As of December 12, 2017, 95 patients remained in the STAR 2 study; Patients were taking a wide range of antiepileptic drugs, the most common of which are levetiracetam, carbamazepine, lamotrigine, lacosamide, and valproate. In STAR 2, longer term exposure to ZYN002 resulted in greater improvements in seizure frequency among all ZYN002-treated patients; Longer term exposure to ZYN002 appeared to result in clinically meaningful reductions in seizures both across and within originally randomized STAR 1 patient groups:Compared to baseline, the median changes in seizure rates at months 3, 6, 9, and 12 of STAR 2 across all ZYN002-treated patients at each time point were: 25% reduction at month 3, 36% reduction at month 6, 49% reduction at month 9, 58% reduction at month 12. ZYN002 was well tolerated with good skin tolerability; In STAR 2, the most common treatment-emergent AEs were upper respiratory tract infection and headache. One serious AE was considered possibly related to ZYN002; There were no clinically significant abnormal liver AEs greater than3x upper limit of normal reported for patients receiving ZYN002.

07:09 EDT Pluristem announces FDA clearance for IND of PLX-PAD Phase III study - Pluristem Therapeutics announced that the FDA has cleared Pluristem's Investigational Drug Application, or IND, for a Phase III study of its PLX-PAD cell therapy in the treatment of muscle injury following surgical repair of the hip joint due to fracture. Pluristem is in discussions with several EU countries to approve this study in Europe as well and expects to begin patient enrollment in both regions during 2018. Non-dilutive funding totaling $8.7M has been granted to this study from Horizon 2020, the European Union's largest research and innovation program. The Phase III study follows positive results from a Phase I/II trial which demonstrated significant muscle regeneration when using PLX-PAD cells in total hip arthroplasty patients. The study demonstrated a 300% change in muscle volume and a 500% change in muscle force at 6 months post-surgery, compared to the control group.

07:08 EDT Lithia Motors increases dividend 7% to 29c per share - Lithia Motors' board has approved a 7% increase in its dividend to 29c per share related to Q1 financial results. We expect to pay the dividend on May 25 to shareholders of record on May 11.

07:06 EDT The Medicines Co. says Q1 'met or exceeded' all company goals - Medicines Co. CEO Clive Meanwell said: "We fully expect to continue our significant clinical and operational momentum throughout 2018 and into 2019, further demonstrating and enhancing inclisiran's unique and potentially game-changing attributes. Based on the accelerated pace of our development program, we expect clinical data readout for all four ORION Pivotal Trials, as well as NDA and MAA submissions, in the second half of 2019. We are also very satisfied with our progress in focusing the Company on inclisiran and - after one-time restructuring and other costs incurred during the first quarter of 2018, plus additional one-time costs anticipated in the second quarter, as previously announced - recurring savings in our operating expenditures, which will become very clear by the second half of 2018. Our financial results for the first quarter of 2018 met or exceeded all of our goals, and we will continue to reduce expenses in all other areas of the Company to enable us to fund the optimal development of inclisiran and, thereby, create substantial shareholder value."

07:04 EDT Viacom reports Q2 Media Networds revenue up 1% to $2.43B - Filmed Entertainment revenue declined 17% to $741M.

07:02 EDT SiriusXM reports total subscribers surpass 33M for first time - Total net subscriber additions of 330,000 in the quarter.

06:59 EDT Twitter sees Q2 adjusted EBITDA of $245M-$265M - For Q2, Twitter expects adjusted EBITDA to be between $245 million and $265 million and adjusted EBITDA margin to be between 37% and 38%.

06:57 EDT Twitter reports Q1 DAU grew 10% year-over-year - Twitter said revenue growth accelerated in Q1, up 21% year-over-year, reflecting better-than-expected growth across all major products and geographies. "Strong revenue performance also drove better-than-expected profitability, with GAAP net income of $61M and GAAP net margin of 9%." DAU grew 10% year-over-year, marking another quarter of double-digit year-over-year growth. "We continue to make Twitter easier to use with the launch of Bookmarks and video timestamps, and we're making it easier to follow topics, interests, and events with new, curated timelines of Tweets around breaking news events across different parts of Twitter. We made meaningful progress in our ongoing safety and information quality work in Q1, and we are continuing to invest in improving the quality of content and the overall health of the conversation on Twitter," the company stated.

06:50 EDT Sky independent committee withdraws recommendation of Fox offer - The Independent Committee of Sky (SKYAY) welcomes today's announcement by Comcast (CMCSA) of its firm intention to make a GBP12.50 per share pre-conditional cash offer for Sky, which follows its initial possible offer announcement on 27 February. The Independent Committee also welcomes the post-offer undertakings and commitments Comcast intends to give in relation to Sky's existing business including Sky News, and believes that these voluntary commitments should comprehensively address any potential public interest concerns. In addition to Comcast and as required by the Takeover Panel, Sky also intends to give the same post-offer undertakings conditional upon the Comcast Offer becoming wholly unconditional. As a result of the announcement of this higher cash offer, the Independent Committee is withdrawing its recommendation of the offer announced by 21CF on 15 December 2016 and is now terminating the Co-operation Agreement entered into with 21CF on the same date. Accordingly, certain provisions of the Co-operation Agreement will cease to apply including the obligation on 21CF to pay a break fee of GBP200M. The Co-operation Agreement ensures, however, that certain obligations on 21CF continue after such termination, including, unless the Independent Committee agrees otherwise, that: (i) the 21CF Offer cannot close without the approval of at least a majority of independent Sky shareholders and (ii) 21CF will continue to be bound by the standstill provisions agreed to in the Co-operation Agreement. "The Independent Committee is mindful of its fiduciary duties and has consistently sought to maximise value for all shareholders. At this time, the Independent Committee notes that both offers are subject to pre-conditions and neither offer is currently capable of being put to shareholders. The Independent Committee intends to co-operate fully with both parties to secure the relevant approvals in order to satisfy the pre-conditions for both offers. Until the relevant pre-conditions are satisfied, Sky shareholders are advised to take no action. A further announcement will be made in due course," Sky stated.

06:48 EDT Avery Dennison CEO says 'We are off to a good start to the year' - "We are off to a good start to the year, with adjusted EPS up 30 percent driven by a combination of solid operating results, currency translation tailwinds, and a lower tax rate," said Mitch Butier, President and CEO. "Label and Graphic Materials delivered solid organic growth and sustained its strong operating margin; Retail Branding and Information Solutions expanded its margin significantly, with solid organic growth driven by strength in RFID; and Industrial and Healthcare Materials results were in line with expectations, with revenue up nearly 50 percent, largely due to acquisitions, while operating margin declined. We have initiated a large, multi-year restructuring plan associated with the consolidation of LGM's European footprint, designed to further enhance our competitive position in the region," said Butier. "Excluding the incremental charges from this action, our current year outlook has improved, reflecting a continuation of strong operating performance and an increased benefit from currency translation."

06:44 EDT Nasdaq's market surveillance technology selected by Gemini Trust - Nasdaq and Gemini Trust Company announced that Gemini will be leveraging Nasdaq's SMARTS Market Surveillance technology to monitor its marketplace. The technology, which is considered the most widely deployed surveillance system in the world, will enable Gemini to monitor across all of its trading pairs. Further, SMARTS will also surveil activity across the Gemini auction process that is used to determine the settlement price for the Bitcoin XBT futures contracts that trade on Cboe's CFE Exchange. Nasdaq's SMARTS surveillance technology automates the detection, investigation and analysis of potentially abusive or disorderly trading, to help improve the overall efficiency of the surveillance organization and reduce cost.

06:40 EDT DPW Holdings receives $250K capital investment from Philou Ventures - DPW Holdings received an additional capital investment of $250K from Philou Ventures, its largest shareholder, on April 24. The investment of additional capital is in accordance with Philou Ventures' rights to invest up to $5.0M total under the terms and conditions of the Preferred Stock Purchase Agreement executed on March 16, 2017. The amount received today by the company brings the total dollar amount invested by Philou Ventures to $1.25M.

06:33 EDT Kobe Steel facing investigation by Japanese authorities - The company said, "As certain media have reported, Kobe Steel is currently under investigation by the investigation authorities in Japan. Kobe Steel once again deeply apologizes for causing substantial trouble to all relevant parties. With regard to the details of the investigation, Kobe Steel refrains from commenting as the investigation by the investigation authorities is in progress. Kobe Steel is sincerely responding to and cooperating with the investigation." Reference Link

06:31 EDT Ingersoll-Rand says expects to exceed high end of FY18 guidance

06:24 EDT Airbus, Rolls-Royce sign UltraFan engine integration collaboration agreement - Airbus (EADSY) and Rolls-Royce (RYCEY) have signed a collaboration agreement for the integration of Rolls-Royce's UltraFan demonstrator for flight testing. The integration solutions demonstration will be co-funded by Clean Sky 2, the European Union research program focused on developing technology to reduce emissions.

06:21 EDT Comcast expects to repurchase at least $5B of Class A common stock in 2018

06:20 EDT Comcast reports Q1 adjusted EBITDA up 3.3%

06:15 EDT Anthem reports approximately 39.6M members at March 31 - Membership: Medical enrollment totaled approximately 39.6 million members at March 31, 2018, a decrease of 1.0 million members, or 2.5% percent, from 40.6 million at March 31, 2017. The enrollment decrease was driven predominantly by a reduced footprint in the Individual ACA-compliant marketplace. Enrollment gains in fee-based services were partially offset by declines in Local Group insured membership. Medicaid enrollment declined by 120,000 individuals while Medicare grew by 237,000 lives. Medical enrollment declined by 616 thousand lives sequentially during the first quarter of 2018. The decrease reflected enrollment declines in the Individual and Local Group fully-insured businesses, partially offset by growth in the National, Medicare, and BlueCard businesses.

06:14 EDT Comcast announces GBP12.50 per share cash offer for Sky - Comcast (CMCSA) published a Rule 2.7 announcement under the City Code on Takeovers and Mergers announcing its pre-conditional "superior" cash offer for the entire issued and to be issued share capital of Sky (SKYAY). In the UK Announcement, Comcast announced that it intends to make the following commitments regarding Sky and investment in the UK: Maintain annual expenditure in Sky News for ten years, at a level not less than incurred in Sky's 2017 financial year; Establish an editorial Sky News board with the responsibility to ensure the editorial independence of Sky News for ten years; Maintain Sky's UK headquarters in Osterley for five years; and Not acquire any majority interest in UK newspapers for five years. Additionally, Comcast reaffirmed the following statements of intention given in its Rule 2.4 announcement on February 27, 2018: Continue to support the creative industries in the UK and increase investment in UK film and TV production; Support innovation in the UK by continuing to support Sky's technology hub in Leeds; Continue to support young people in the UK by maintaining Sky's Software Engineering Academy scheme; and Continue to support Sky's local community sports programs in the UK. Comcast believes that, combined, Comcast and Sky will create a business equipped to compete more effectively in a rapidly changing and highly competitive industry. Together, the companies would be well positioned to drive growth to provide attractive returns to Comcast shareholders and to benefit the employees and customers of both organizations. Under the terms of the Acquisition, Sky shareholders will be entitled to receive GBP 12.50 in cash for each Sky share. In addition, Sky shareholders shall be entitled to receive any final dividend in respect of Sky's financial year ended June 30, 2018, up to an amount of 21.8 pence per Sky share, which is declared and paid prior to the Effective Date. Comcast's cash offer represents a 16 percent premium to the existing Twenty-First Century Fox, (FOXA) offer, and implies a value of $31 billion for the fully diluted share capital of Sky. To provide financing in connection with the Acquisition, Comcast entered into an unsecured bridge credit agreement in an aggregate principal amount of up to GBP 16 billion and an unsecured term loan credit agreement in an aggregate principal amount of up to GBP 7 billion. The Acquisition is subject to a number of pre-conditions and conditions as set forth in the UK Announcement, including receipt of antitrust and regulatory approvals and securing valid acceptances carrying in aggregate more than 50 percent of the voting rights then normally exercisable at a general meeting of Sky.

06:08 EDT TRI Pointe expects to grow average selling communities by 5% in 2018 - For the full year 2018, the Company is reiterating its original guidance of growing average selling communities by 5% compared to 2017 and delivering between 5,100 and 5,400 homes at an average sales price of approximately $610,000. The Company is updating its homebuilding gross margin percentage for the full year 2018 to be in the range of 21.0% to 21.5%, raising the low end of its previously stated range of 20.5% to 21.5%. The Company is reiterating its original guidance of SG&A expense as a percentage of home sales revenue to be in the range of 9.9% to 10.3% and its effective tax rate to be in the range of 25% to 26%.

06:07 EDT Evercore Partners raises quarterly dividend to 50c per share

06:05 EDT Anthem sees FY18 operating cash flow greater than $4B - Benefit expense ratio is now expected to be in the range of 84.4% plus or minus 30 basis points. SG&A ratio is now expected to be in the range of 15.4% plus or minus 30 basis points.

05:36 EDT Discovery enters partnership with Digital Element - Digital Element announced that global media company, Discovery Inc., has adopted its NetAcuity hyperlocal IP geolocation technology, to ensure the right people see the right content and remain compliant with geographic rights across Europe.

05:23 EDT Novartis announces launch of FocalView app - Novartis announced the launch of its FocalView app, an ophthalmic digital research platform created with ResearchKit. FocalView aims to allow researchers to track disease progression by collecting real-time, self-reported data directly from consenting patients. By adapting the design of clinical trials to suit the daily routine of patients, the app may reduce barriers to participation, leading to a more nuanced understanding of ophthalmic diseases and potentially accelerating the development of novel treatments. Data capture in traditional ophthalmic clinical trials can be inflexible and infrequent, making it difficult for researchers to monitor patients' disease activity and capture real-world patient experiences. FocalView aims to help patients complete various assessments, gaining feedback on their visual function, including any changes over time. At the same time, the app could provide researchers with a greater volume of real-world, patient-reported data, creating more flexible and accessible clinical trial designs. FocalView will be tested in a prospective, non-interventional study to evaluate the app's efficacy and usability in assessing visual function. These measurements include visual acuity and contrast sensitivity. Researchers will in turn assess ease of use, level of enrollment and the ability to obtain important documentation for future clinical trial research, such as informed consent. In the next phase, the app will be validated against traditional visual testing that takes place within conventional clinical settings. FocalView is now available for download from the App Store in the U.S. Consent to contribute to research data will be required before a user can interact with the tool. Novartis is planning to launch in additional markets in the future.