Stockwinners Market Radar for May 02, 2018 - Earnings, Upgrades downgrades, option trades, Best Stock Advisory Service

20:48 EDT Xerox not providing FY18 guidance due to pending settlement with Carl Icahn - Xerox states: "Xerox is not providing 2018 guidance due to the pending Director Appointment, Nomination and Settlement Agreement with Carl Icahn and Darwin Deason, among others. For additional information on the settlement, please refer to Financial Review - Recent Developments attached to this release. In the normal course of business, absent recent events, the company would have reaffirmed its full-year guidance on revenue, adjusted operating margin, cash flow and adjusted EPS."

19:12 EDT On The Fly: After Hours Movers - UP AFTER EARNINGS: Caesars (CZR) up 7.4%... FreightCar America (RAIL) up 6.0%... DexCom (DXCM) up 4.6%... Kraft Heinz (KHC) up 3.9%... Warrior Met Coal (HCC) up 3.3%... Beazer Homes (BZH) up 3.0%... MetLife (MET) up 2.6%... Tableau Software (DATA) up 2.6%... EZCORP (EZPW) up 1.8%... CoreCivic (CXW) up 1.3%... Grand Canyon Education (LOPE) up 1.2%... Sprint (S) up 1.0%. ALSO HIGHER: Exelixis (EXEL) up 5.8% after entering biologics collaboration with Invera. DOWN AFTER EARNINGS: Mammoth Energy (TUSK) down 9.7%... Spotify (SPOT) down 7.9%... Cirrus Logic (CRUS) down 7.2%... Square (SQ) down 6.3%... Fitbit (FIT) down 6.2%... Hologic (HOLX) down 6.2%... Cerner (CERN) down 6.1%... AIG (AIG) down 5.5%... FireEye (FEYE) down 5.2%... Tesla (TSLA) down 5.0%... Williams Companies (WMB) down 4.4%... Habit Restaurants (HABT) down 3.0%... Express Scripts (ESRX) down 2.6%... 3D Systems (DDD) down 2.4%... WPX Energy (WPX) down 2.1%. ALSO LOWER: Akaogen (AKAO) down 31.9% after mixed FDA advisory committee vote on Plazomicin.

18:57 EDT AGNC amends MTGE pact in connection with Annaly proposal - AGNC Investment (AGNC) announced that its subsidiary MTGE Management, LLC has entered into an amendment to its management agreement with MTGE Investment (MTGE) in connection with the proposed acquisition of MTGE by Annaly Capital Management (NLY). The transaction is subject to customary closing conditions and is expected to close in the third quarter of 2018. Pursuant to the amendment, MTGE Management, LLC will continue to manage MTGE through the closing of the merger and for a short transitional period following the merger. In addition to regular monthly management fees payable for ongoing service, MTGE Management, LLC will be paid a termination fee of $41.7M. Importantly, AGNC will retain all of its investment capabilities; personnel, including the employees responsible for investing on MTGE's behalf; and infrastructure.

18:22 EDT S&P announces changes to S&P MidCap 400, S&P SmallCap 600 indices - Apergy (APY) will replace 3D Systems (DDD) in the S&P MidCap 400, and 3D Systems will replace Impax Laboratories (IPXL) in the S&P SmallCap 600 effective prior to the open of trading on Thursday, May 10, 2018. S&P 500 constituent Dover (DOV) is spinning off Apergy in a transaction expected to be completed prior to the open on Wednesday, May 9, pending final conditions. Dover will remain in the S&P 500 following the spin-off transaction. 3D Systems has a market capitalization that is more representative of the small-cap market space. Impax Laboratories, which is combining with privately held Amneal Pharmaceuticals, is changing its name to Amneal Pharmaceuticals and its ticker symbol (AMRX) effective on or about May 4. The newly combined company will no longer be eligible for inclusion in the S&P SmallCap 600 as its Investable Weight Factor, which measures the percentage of free float available to the public, is expected to fall well below the 50% eligibility threshold needed for continued inclusion in the index.

17:57 EDT Host Hotels raises total comparable hotel RevPAR view to 1.5%-2.5% - Previous FY18 guidance was 0.5%-2.5% for total comparable hotel RevPAR.

17:54 EDT Host Hotels says boost in net income due to asset sale gains - Net income increased $95M to $256M for the first quarter, due to the increase in gain on sale of assets. James F. Risoleo, President and CEO, said, "We are very pleased to meaningfully increase our full-year guidance due to operating results exceeding our expectations in the first quarter. The 50 basis point increase to the mid-point of our RevPAR guidance is expected to drive margin growth and reflects both the strong start to 2018 and our improved outlook on business and leisure travel for the remainder of the year. These top and bottom line improvements continue to be a result of Host's irreplaceable portfolio of iconic assets combined with our tremendous scale and platform that we employ to drive operational efficiencies."

17:43 EDT W&T Offshore lowers 2018 CapEx to $75M from $130M - Due to establishing the joint venture drilling program with private investors through a newly formed entity called Monza Energy, the company has revised its 2018 capital expenditure program to $75M from $130M. These estimates do not include acquisitions. The $75M capital budget is net of approximately $20M in reimbursements for capital expenditures incurred by the Company for the wells included in the JV Drilling Program before the closing date. The company's 2018 CapEx program now includes participation in 11 wells, seven of which are included in the 2018 JV Drilling Program.

17:42 EDT Tesla says will conduct reorganization of company this month

17:40 EDT Achaogen trading resumes

17:39 EDT Takeda, Lundbeck say FDA approves sNDA for TRINTELLIX - Takeda Pharmaceutical (TKPYY) and H. Lundbeck (HLUYY) announced the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved a supplemental new drug application for TRINTELLIX. TRINTELLIX is the first FDA-approved treatment for MDD where the U.S. labelling now includes data from the largest replicated clinical studies on an important aspect of cognitive function in acute major depressive disorder. The FOCUS and CONNECT studies showed TRINTELLIX had a positive effect on processing speed, an important aspect of cognitive function that may be impaired in adult patients with acute MDD.

17:33 EDT Hologic down 8.9% afterhours following FY18 revenue guidance cut

17:31 EDT Pacific Biosciences dives 18% after quarterly results

17:27 EDT 3D Systems says operating, SG&A expenses up year-over-year - For the first quarter of 2018, GAAP operating expenses were $95.4M compared to $89.3M in the prior year period. SG&A expenses increased 5% to $69.5M, which included continued investment in go-to-market and IT transformation. R&D expenses increased 13% over the first quarter of 2017 to $25.9M, including continued investments in support of the previously announced new products the company plans to start shipping throughout 2018.

17:25 EDT Halcon Resources sees FY18 production 15,000Boe/d - 20,000Boe/d

17:24 EDT 3D Systems to replace Impax in S&P 600 at open on 5/10 - Impax Laboratories (IPXL), which is combining with privately held Amneal Pharmaceuticals, is changing its name to Amneal Pharmaceuticals and its ticker symbol (AMRX) effective on or about May 4.

17:19 EDT Apple Tree Partners lowers stake in Novus Therapeutics to 8.3% from 12.7%

17:14 EDT Murphy Oil sees FY18 production 167-170 MBOEPD

17:11 EDT Exelixis, Invera enter into nobel biologics collaboration - Exelixis announced that it has entered into a collaboration with Invenra, Inc., the Madison, Wisconsin-based biotechnology firm focused on developing next-generation biologics, to discover and develop multispecific antibodies for the treatment of cancer. The partnership pairs Exelixis' fundamental biological insights, clinical development prowess and commercialization expertise with Invenra's innovative platform technologies and biologics expertise to identify, optimize, and manufacture multispecific therapeutics, including immunotherapy applications. The collaboration is part of Exelixis' ongoing strategy to build an innovative pipeline beyond its two internally discovered, commercially available compounds, cabozantinib and cobimetinib. The agreement with Invenra creates a biologics discovery capability that complements Exelixis' in-house small molecule drug discovery efforts.

17:08 EDT Lockheed Martin awarded $145.3M U.S. Missile Defense contract modification - Lockheed Martin is being awarded a $145,256,274 modification to previously awarded contract HQ0147-17-C-0032 for the production of additional THAAD Lot 10 interceptors, one-shot devices, and associated product support efforts under fixed-price incentive-firm target contract line item numbers. The value of this contract is increased from $1,285,845,311 to $1,431,101,585.

17:04 EDT Callon Petroleum sees FY18 total production 29.5-32.0 MBOE/d - Sees FY18 CapEx $500M-$540M.

17:04 EDT Principal Financial names Jon Couture chief HR officer - Principal Financial Group announced that Jon Couture will become the next Chief Human Resources Officer effective June 4, 2018. He succeeds senior vice president and chief human resources officer, Beth Raymond who resigned as of March 31, 2018. Jon will report to Tim Dunbar, executive vice president and chief investment officer at Principal.

17:02 EDT Noble Corp. says 'customer demand is noticeably greater' - CEO Robertson confirmed that evidence of industry improvement is mounting, stating, "When compared to the fourth quarter of 2017, customer demand is noticeably greater, especially in the jackup fleet. We are benefitting from growing customer needs for jackups in regions that include the North Sea and the Middle East, with some programs having commencement dates in the latter half of 2018 and beyond. Over the first four months of 2018, the 12-month forward contract coverage for our jackup fleet has improved to just under 60 percent compared to 53 percent on January 1, and we expect further improvement as we secure additional contract awards in the near term."

17:01 EDT SJW Corp. responds to California Water proxy contest challenging CTWS merger - SJW Group (SJW) commented on California Water Service Group's (CWT) launch of a proxy contest challenging SJW Group's merger of equals with Connecticut Water Service (CTWS). Robert A. Van Valer, the lead independent director of SJW Group's board and trustee of the Roscoe Moss Jr Revocable Trust, which is the largest stockholder of the company, said: "We are deeply disappointed that Cal Water has chosen to undertake this action that will only be expensive and distracting. As previously announced on April 26, 2018, the SJW Group Board of Directors carefully and thoroughly reviewed Cal Water's non-binding indication of interest in consultation with management and legal and financial advisors and determined that it neither constituted nor was reasonably likely to lead to a superior proposal as defined in SJW Group's merger agreement with Connecticut Water. The Board unanimously reaffirmed its intention to recommend that SJW Group stockholders vote FOR the merger of equals with Connecticut Water. "The SJW Group Board continues to believe that the existing merger of equals with Connecticut Water will create significantly greater value at transaction close and over the longer term for SJW Group and Connecticut Water shareholders and significant benefits for the customers and communities both companies serve. We also see additional benefits for employees and do not foresee any job losses as it relates to the merger of equals with Connecticut Water. The merger of equals is a signed, definitive merger agreement with a clear path to close during the fourth quarter of 2018. It has the binding support of approximately 16% of SJW Group's shares that are owned by the Moss family, and has received early termination notice by the Federal Trade Commission under the Hart-Scott-Rodino waiting period. "Our transaction with Connecticut Water will create a leading, pure-play water company with the scale, management, financial strength and geographic diversity to excel operationally and financially. Our Board and executive management team have the experience and expertise to manage and grow a complex water utility company with operations in multiple jurisdictions throughout the country."

16:56 EDT CPI Card Group CFO Lillian Etzkorn to leave - CPI Card Group announced that Lillian Etzkorn has accepted an executive leadership position in Detroit, where she has lived for more than 40 years, in order to be closer to her home and family. Etzkorn will remain with the company through July 24 to transition her responsibilities. The company intends to immediately commence a search for a new CFO.

16:56 EDT National Bank raises quarterly dividend 56% to 14c from 9c per share - The dividend will be payable on June 15 to shareholders of record at the close of business on May 25.

16:53 EDT Habit Restaurants down 3% afterhours following Q1 results and FY18 outlook

16:52 EDT Tableau: Board authorizes repurchase of up to additional $300M of shares - On April 26, 2018, the Board of Directors of the Company authorized the Company to repurchase up to an additional $300 million of its Class A common stock under its previously announced stock repurchase program. The program allows the Company to repurchase its shares opportunistically from time to time when it believes that doing so would enhance long-term stockholder value. The repurchase authorization does not have a fixed expiration and may be modified, suspended or discontinued at any time. Purchases may be effected through one or more open market transactions, privately negotiated transactions, transactions structured through investment banking institutions or a combination of the foregoing. Including the additional $300 million, the Company is authorized to repurchase up to a remaining $370.0 million of the Company's Class A common stock under the existing stock repurchase program. As of March 31, 2018, the Company had repurchased and retired 2,077,105 shares of its Class A common stock, under the existing stock repurchase program, for a total purchase price of $130.0 million.

16:51 EDT RSP Permian not providing guidance in light of pending merger with Concho Resources - As previously announced, on March 27, 2018, RSP (RSPP) and Concho (CXO) entered into a definitive merger agreement, pursuant to which Concho will acquire RSP in an all-stock transaction valued at approximately $9.5 billion, inclusive of RSP's net debt. Stockholders of RSP will receive 0.320 shares of Concho common stock in exchange for each share of RSP's common stock, representing consideration to each stockholder of RSP of $50.24 per share based on the closing price of Concho common stock on March 27, 2018. The transaction is expected to close in the third quarter of 2018, subject to the approval of both RSP and Concho stockholders, the satisfaction of certain regulatory approvals and other customary closing conditions. "In light of the pending merger with Concho, we do not in general plan to provide or update guidance and long-term outlook information regarding our results of operations during the pendency of the merger."

16:46 EDT SunPower CFO Chuck Boynton to depart, Manavendra Sial to succeed - SunPower announced that CFO Chuck Boynton will transition out of SunPower to spend time with his family, in advance of pursuing career opportunities later this year. Boynton agreed to continue as CEO of 8point3 Energy Partners through the sale. The company has named Manavendra Sial, an experienced business, operations and financial leader, as its new CFO, effective following the filing of SunPower's first-quarter 10-Q. He will lead SunPower's global finance, planning and accounting organizations. Boynton will transition responsibilities to Sial over the next couple months. Sial most recently served as CFO for VECTRA.

16:44 EDT Annaly to acquire MTGE Investment in cash and stock deal valued at $19.65/share - Annaly Capital Management (NLY) and MTGE Investment Corp. (MTGE) announced the signing of a definitive merger agreement under which Annaly will acquire MTGE for consideration to be paid in cash and shares of Annaly common stock, which values MTGE at $19.65 per share of MTGE common stock based upon the closing price of Annaly common stock on April 30, 2018. The value of the consideration represents a premium of approximately 12% to the 60-day volume-weighted average price of MTGE common stock ending on April 30, 2018. The transactions contemplated by the merger agreement, including the exchange offer and the merger, have been approved by the Board of Directors of Annaly and approved by the Board of Directors of MTGE upon the recommendation of the Special Committee of the MTGE Board of Directors, which is comprised entirely of independent directors. The transaction is expected to be accretive to Annaly's core earnings per share in 2018 and is aligned with Annaly's current risk profile and capital allocation strategy, the company said. MTGE shareholders will have an ability to elect between cash and stock consideration, or a combination of both cash and stock consideration, subject to proration rules such that the aggregate transaction consideration will consist of approximately 50% of Annaly's common stock and approximately 50% in cash. The transaction is expected to close during the third quarter of 2018.

16:42 EDT SailingStone Capital reports 16.9% stake in Range Resources - The Reporting Persons and their representatives have, from time to time, engaged in, and intend to continue to engage in, discussions with members of management and the board of directors of the Issuer, other shareholders, industry analysts, existing or potential strategic partners or competitors and other third parties regarding a variety of matters relating to the Issuer, which may include, among other things, the Issuer's Board composition and strategic alternatives and direction, business, management, capital structure and allocation, and may take other steps seeking to bring about changes to increase shareholder value as well as pursue other plans or proposals.

16:40 EDT Marathon Oil sees Q2 U.S. production averaging 280K-290K boed - Marathon Oil expects Q2 U.S. production to average 280,000 to 290,000 net barrels of oil equivalent per day. Within this guidance, the company expects Q2 2018 U.S. resource play production to average 270,000 to 280,000 net boed. Q2 International production is expected to average 115,000 to 125,000 net boed. For 2018, the company now expects annual resource play oil and barrel of oil equivalent growth of 25%- 30%, up from 20%- 25% previously, and said it is trending toward the high end of its 2018 guidance ranges for total company oil and boe

16:37 EDT Express Scripts backs 2019 retention rate range for the 2018 selling season - The Company is reaffirming its expected 2019 retention rate range for the 2018 selling season of 96% to 98%. "Across the board, we are demonstrating strength: our retention rate, continued client uptake of new solutions, and strong selling season results. Over the past several weeks, as I have talked to many clients, one clear theme has emerged: we are a trusted partner, our solutions are in demand, and our approach to managing benefits produces exceptional and sustainable results. Express Scripts' commitment to service excellence is at the heart of everything we do and the positive feedback we receive gives us continued confidence in our ability to attract and retain clients," said Wentworth. "Additionally, with our strong retention and year-to-date sales results, we are confident in achieving positive claims growth in the core business in 2019."

16:34 EDT Pioneer Natural sees Q2 production 312-322 MBOEPD - Permian Basin production is forecasted to average between 268-276 MBOEPD. Production costs are expected to average $10.00 per BOE to $12.00 per BOE, reflecting the impact of ASC 606. DD&A expense is expected to average $12.50 per BOE to $14.50 per BOE. Total exploration and abandonment expense is forecasted to be $20M-$30M.

16:33 EDT Rosehill Resources CEO J.A. Townsend to retire - Rosehill Resources announced that J.A. (Alan) Townsend, President and Chief Executive Officer of Rosehill and its sole subsidiary Rosehill Operating Company, LLC, informed the Rosehill Board of Directors of his intention to retire following more than 45 years working in the oil and gas industry and 16 years of service to the Company and its predecessor Tema Oil and Gas Company. Mr. Townsend also indicated his intention to step down from his position as a Director of the Company. Mr. Townsend will serve in his capacity as Director, President and Chief Executive Officer while the Company searches for his replacement. In addition, Mr. Townsend will provide consulting services for an additional two months following his retirement to further assist the transition of his duties.

16:31 EDT CVR Energy names Matt Bley chief accounting officer - CVR Energy announced that Matt Bley has been named chief accounting officer and corporate controller. Bley also will serve as chief accounting officer and corporate controller for the general partner of CVR Energy's petroleum subsidiary, CVR Refining and for the general partner of its nitrogen fertilizer subsidiary, CVR Partners . Bley's appointments will become effective May 4, 2018.

16:28 EDT Allied Motion increases quarterly dividend to 3c per share - Allied Motion Technologies announced that its Board of Directors, at its meeting today, approved a quarterly cash dividend payment of $0.03 per share, up from the previous rate of $0.025 per share. The dividend will be payable on May 30, 2018 to stockholders of record as of the close of business on May 17, 2018. Allied Motion has approximately 9.5 million shares of its common stock outstanding.

16:26 EDT Express Scripts reports Q1 adjusted claims of 340.1M, down 3%

16:20 EDT Rayonier says on track to achieve FY adjusted EBITDA view $280M-$305M - "Based on our strong start to 2018, we are on track to achieve our full-year Adjusted EBITDA guidance," added Nunes. "In our Southern Timber segment, we expect to achieve our full-year volume guidance, although we anticipate lower quarterly harvest volumes for the remainder of the year, as we experienced above average stumpage removals in the first quarter. We continue to expect that average pricing in our Southern Timber segment will remain relatively flat versus 2017 average prices, with quarter-to-quarter fluctuations driven primarily by geographic mix. In our Pacific Northwest Timber segment, we are similarly on track to achieve our full-year volume guidance with lower quarterly harvest volumes for the balance of the year, while we expect continued strong sawtimber pricing due to competing demand in domestic and export markets. In our New Zealand Timber segment, we expect a seasonal uptick in quarterly volumes for the balance of the year and remain on track to achieve our full-year volume guidance, while we expect continued strong performance driven by solid demand in both domestic and export markets. In our Real Estate segment, we expect strong results again in the second quarter based on the anticipated timing of closings with lighter activity during the second half of the year. We remain pleased with the pace at which our Wildlight development project is progressing and expect additional commercial and residential closings throughout the remainder of the year."

16:17 EDT Tesla 2018 capex projection reduced from above $3.4B to under $3B - Tesla said: "We have significantly cut back our capex projections by focusing on the critical near-term needs that benefit us primarily in the next couple of years. At this stage, we are expecting total 2018 capex to be slightly below $3 billion, which is below the total 2017 level of $3.4 billion. Ultimately, our capex guidance will develop in line with Model 3 production and profitability. We will be able to adjust our capital expenditures significantly depending on our operating cash generation."

16:15 EDT Pixelworks sees charges of $2M for restructuring plan - Pixelworks said its board approved a restructuring plan to further streamline the company's operations and increase efficiencies in certain areas of the business. The company expects this restructuring to be substantially completed by the end of Q3, and anticipates related charges totaling approximately $2M to be recorded during the second and third quarters of 2018.

16:15 EDT Tesla says Model 3 production hit 2,270 per week in April - Tesla said: "We made significant progress on the Model 3 ramp in the second half of Q1, and the momentum continued into early Q2. Prior to a planned shutdown in mid-April to further increase production, we produced more than 2,000 Model 3 vehicles for three straight weeks, and we hit 2,270 in the last of those weeks. Even at this stage of the ramp, Model 3 is already on the cusp of becoming the best-selling mid-sized premium sedan in the US, and our deliveries continue to increase. Consumers have clearly shown that electric vehicles are simply more desirable when priced on par with their internal combustion engine competitors while offering better technology, performance and user experience."

16:14 EDT Square reports Q1 GPV $17.8B, up 31% y/y

16:13 EDT Peak Resorts reports FY18/19 season pass sales through April up 14% - Peak Resorts announced strong initial sales for the Company's 2018/19 season pass offerings, including the Peak Pass. Consolidated season pass sales through April 30, 2018 increased 14% on a unit basis and 16% on a dollar basis, compared to the prior year, driven by continued broad interest in the Peak Pass among Northeast skiers and riders, including a 47% increase in unit sales of the unlimited, unrestricted Drifter Pass for 18- to 29-year-olds.

16:10 EDT Sprint sees FY18 adjusted EBITDA of $11.3B-$11.8B - The company expects adjusted EBITDA of $11.3B to $11.8B. Including the impact of the new revenue recognition accounting standard, adjusted EBITDA is expected to increase to a range of $11.6B to $12.1B. The company expects cash capital expenditures excluding leased devices to be $5B to $6B. "In the fourth year of our turnaround, Sprint delivered the best financial results in company history as a result of growing our customer base and continuously improving our cost structure, while significantly improving our LTE network and initiating deployment for the first truly mobile 5G network in the U.S. By executing our turnaround, we have positioned Sprint for strategic opportunities which led to our proposed merger with T-Mobile, which will create an entirely new level of innovation and disruption in the industry," said Sprint CEO Marcelo Claure.

16:08 EDT Miragen Therapeutics presents data supporting use of MicroRNA therapies - miRagen Therapeutics announces new data from two preclinical studies investigating microRNA mimics of the microRNA-183/96/182 cluster and MRG-201, a microRNA-29 mimic, to potentially treat ophthalmic diseases. The data will be presented today, May 2, at the 2018 Association for Research in Vision and Ophthalmology Annual Meeting in Honolulu, HI. A summary of preclinical results for microRNAs of the microRNA-183/96/182 cluster to be reported at the ARVO Annual Meeting includes the following: Genetic analysis in animals and humans helped validate this microRNA cluster as a potential therapeutic target for retinal degeneration. Dosing with mimics of the microRNA-183/96/182 cluster modulated downstream biology controlling several important phototransduction genes. MicroRNA modulators may be functionally delivered to the eye, including the retina and photoreceptors, in animal models. microRNAs of the microRNA-183/96/182 cluster led to functional improvement of photoreceptors and vision in a mouse model of retinal degeneration.

16:05 EDT Caesars announces $500M share repurchase program - Caesars Entertainment announced that its board has authorized the repurchase of up to $500M of the company's outstanding common stock. "The new repurchase authorization allows us flexibility to strategically return cash to shareholders while pursuing accretive growth opportunities," said Mark Frissora, CEO. "The company is well positioned to increase shareholder returns and fund growth opportunities as they arise, while maintaining a strong balance sheet. The Board and management are fully committed to increasing shareholder value."

15:57 EDT MuleSoft trading resumes

15:29 EDT David J. Matlin reports 8.29% passive stake in MYOS

15:00 EDT PayPal dips after report of Amazon push to increase Amazon Pay adoption - PayPal (PYPL) shares are down 3% after Bloomberg's story regarding Amazon's (AMZN) strategies to pass on discounts to retailers to increase adoption of Amazon Pay, the company's competing payments system.

14:31 EDT Cambridge Analytica ceases all operations, to commence insolvency proceedings - CL Elections Ltd., as well as certain of its and Cambridge Analytica LLC's U.K. affiliates, filed applications to commence insolvency proceedings in the U.K. The company is immediately ceasing all operations and the boards have applied to appoint insolvency practitioners Crowe Clark Whitehill LLP to act as the independent administrator for Cambridge Analytica. Additionally, parallel bankruptcy proceedings will soon be commenced on behalf of Cambridge Analytica LLC and the certain of the company's U.S. affiliates in the United States Bankruptcy Court for the Southern District of New York. "Over the past several months, Cambridge Analytica has been the subject of numerous unfounded accusations and, despite the company's efforts to correct the record, has been vilified for activities that are not only legal, but also widely accepted as a standard component of online advertising in both the political and commercial arenas," the company said.

14:10 EDT Graco director Etchart sells 15K shares in company stock - Eric Etchart, a director at Graco, disclosed in a filing that he had sold 15,000 shares of company stock on May 1. The average price per share of the sale came to $43.83 per share with a value of $657,476 for the transaction.

13:54 EDT Starbucks reaches agreement with Donte Robinson, Rashon Nelson - After constructive conversations, Donte Robinson, Rashon Nelson and Kevin Johnson, CEO of Starbucks Coffee Company reached an agreement earlier this week. The agreement between the parties stemming from the events in Philadelphia on April 12 will include a financial settlement as well as continued listening and dialogue between the parties and specific action and opportunity. "I want to thank Donte and Rashon for their willingness to reconcile," said Johnson. "I welcome the opportunity to begin a relationship with them to share learnings and experiences. And Starbucks will continue to take actions that stem from this incident to repair and reaffirm our values and vision for the kind of company we want to be." Further details will be provided in a mutually agreed public statement.

13:20 EDT Harsco jumps after quarterly results, $75M repurchase authorization - Shares of companies in the engineered products space are trading higher today after peer Harsco (HSC) reported first quarter results ahead of estimates and guidance that was well ahead of what analysts were projecting. QUARTERLY RESULTS: Earlier today, Harsco reported Q1 earnings per share of 22c on revenues of $408M, up 10% compared with the prior-year quarter. Analysts were expecting EPS of 19c and revenue of $390.75M. CEO COMMENTARY: "We are pleased to report strong first quarter results, which exceeded our expectations," said President and CEO Nick Grasberger. "Harsco executed well in the quarter and a strengthening global economy has become more apparent in recent months. This momentum supports a boost to our 2018 outlook and a more meaningful increase in our key performance measures relative to last year." The CEO also referenced the initiation of a $75M share repurchase program as "another indication of our progress. We have consistently met or exceeded expectations over the past few years and the underlying stability within our businesses has strengthened considerably. The buyback decision reflects our business confidence as well as our financial flexibility." GUIDANCE RAISE DUE TO METALS & MINERALS: The company's 2018 guidance was increased to reflect revised forecasts for the Metals & Minerals and Industrial segments as compared with the guidance provided along with the company's fourth quarter results. For Metals & Minerals, adjusted operating income is expected to increase more than previously anticipated due to higher mill services demand and commodity prices. Harsco sees second quarter EPS of 30c-35c versus 22c in the prior-year quarter. For the full year 2018, Harsco sees EPS of 1.11-$1.24 compared to 74c in FY17. PRICE ACTION: Shares of Harsco are up 8.5% to $22.02 in afternoon trading. OTHERS TO WATCH: Timken (TKR), Kennametal (KMT) and North American Energy (NOA).

12:52 EDT Wasatch Advisors reports 11.2% passive stake in PetIQ

12:25 EDT Xerox trading resumes

12:23 EDT Xerox off lows after report of Apollo Global takeover approach - Shares of Xerox (XRX) have been active and moving higher after Reuters said the private equity firm Apollo Global Management (APO) has approached the company to express interest in a possible acquisition. Apollo's interest in Xerox has been reinforced by the appointment of John Visentin as the company's new CEO, as Visentin was involved with two companies in which Apollo invested, Reuters added. Following the report, shares of Xerox have moved off their earlier lows.

12:09 EDT NY begins legal action against Spectrum Media for potential violations - "The New York State Public Service Commission has commenced legal action against Spectrum Media Company for potential violations of its franchise agreement. The State approved Spectrum's acquisition and its ability to operate in New York based on the fulfillment of certain obligations, including providing broadband access to underserved parts of the State and preserving a qualified workforce. "The Governor believes it is essential that corporations doing business with the State uphold their commitments, and we will not tolerate abusive corporate practices or a failure to deliver service to the people. "Large and powerful companies will be held to the same standard as all other businesses in New York. The Spectrum franchise is not a matter of right, but is a license with legal obligations and if those are not fulfilled, that license should be revoked."

11:27 EDT Elaine Wynn suing Wynn Resorts for shareholder records - Elaine Wynn, co-founder and the largest shareholder of Wynn Resorts, announced that she filed a complaint against Wynn Resorts in Nevada state court, seeking that the court compel the company to produce all of the shareholder list materials that Ms. Wynn is "entitled to receive under Nevada law." The materials that the company refuses to provide for inspection, according to Elaine Wynn, include a list that sets forth the name, contact information and number of shares owned by each beneficial owner of common stock who has not objected to having his or her name disclosed, commonly referred to as the "NOBO list," and a list of all owners who hold common stock in the name of Cede & Co. or other similar depositories or nominees. The complaint additionally seeks to temporarily stay the company's 2018 annual meeting of shareholders until Ms. Wynn obtains such materials. The Annual Meeting is currently scheduled for May 16.

11:13 EDT XPO weak after UPS said to mull teaming with Werner on bulk delivery - Shares of XPO Logistics (XPO) have slipped in morning trading after Reuters reported earlier this morning that UPS (UPS) is in talks to launch an in-home delivery service for large, heavy goods. According to the news service, the package shipping giant is said to be in talks to hire trucker Werner Enterprises (WERN) to help in this area, potentially by the end of the year. UPS and rival FedEx (FDX) currently deliver packages of up to 150 pounds in weight to a person's door and neither carries packages into a person's home or handles services such as product assembly or installation, the report added. Following Reuters' report, XPO shares have fallen $1.62, or 1.7%, to $93.91 in morning trading.

11:04 EDT McDermott and CB&I stockholders approve proposed combination - McDermott International (MDR) and CB&I (CBI) announced both companies have received the necessary stockholder approvals to complete the proposed business combination. As previously announced, upon completion of the transaction, McDermott stockholders will own approximately 53% of the combined company on a fully diluted basis and CB&I shareholders will own approximately 47% of the combined company. With the receipt of these approvals, McDermott and CB&I believe that all material conditions to the combination, other than those to be satisfied on the closing date, have been satisfied. The transaction is expected to be completed on May 10, subject to confirmation of satisfaction of the closing conditions.

10:43 EDT Snap slides on warning of decelerating ad revenue as analysts see trouble ahead - Shares of Snap (SNAP) are sliding after the Snapchat parent missed revenue estimates and told investors it is planning for second quarter growth rate to "decelerate substantially." Following the news, several Wall Street analysts cut their ratings on the stock and lowered their price targets on the name. RESULTS: Last night, Snap reported a first quarter adjusted loss per share of (17c), in-line with consensus, and revenue of $230.67M, which was weaker than the expected $243.55M. The company also reported first quarter Daily Average Users, or DAU, of 191M, up 15%. Android performance is still a weakness, Snap said, adding that they are making significant progress. According to Snapchat's parent, given the volume of changes made with the redesign, a number of performance regressions contributed to a disproportionately negative impact among Android users and are currently working on addressing them. Additionally, Snap is planning for second quarter growth rate to "decelerate substantially" from first quarter levels, with growth in auction impressions, partially offset by pricing for both Snap Ads and Creative Tools. NO SIGNS OF IMPROVING: Following quarterly results, Oppenheimer analyst Jason Helfstein downgraded Snap to Perform from Outperform. While the analyst told investors he continues to believe Snap garners high user loyalty and levels of engagement, most recent app redesign seems to have been "last straw" for some advertisers, who are now unlikely to give platform another chance absent significant DAU reacceleration. Ahead of clear evidence of consistent DAU/ revenue growth, the near-term bull case is a buyout offer from Tencent (TCEHY), Snap's largest shareholder, the analyst contended, adding that he does not see management agreeing to sell. Additionally, research firms Evercore ISI and Summit Insights downgraded Snap to sell-equivalent ratings. PRICE TARGET CUTS: Also commenting on the Snapchat parent's results, Piper Jaffray analyst Sam Kemp lowered his price target on the stock to $11.50 from $17. While management provided a litany of reasons for poor execution, such as shifts to the ad auction, app redesigns and re-redesigns, negative news cycles and product reliability, the analyst believes these reflect a simpler challenge, namely that Snap is a "poorly structured company" that is demonstrating a "clear pattern of mismanagement." Further, Kemp argued that the negative news cycle around Snap will continue and advertisers will likely continue to approach Snap skeptically. Snap's sudden rush to profitability could impair its ability to properly invest in improving its struggling product, he contended. The analyst reiterated a Neutral rating on the shares. Meanwhile, his peer at Jefferies also lowered his price target for Snap to $14 from $17 and reiterated a Hold rating on the stock. Analyst Brent Thill pointed out in a research note of his own that Snap posted the lowest top line growth it has seen as a public company and user metrics "show more trouble ahead." The analyst continues to recommend Facebook (FB) in Social and is more positive on Twitter (TWTR) than Snap during the latter's redesign. Deutsche Bank, RBC Capital and Morgan Stanley also lowered their price targets for Snap. PRICE ACTION: In morning trading, shares of Snap have dropped almost 19% to $11.46.

10:23 EDT Citron bullish on Alibaba, the 'most shorted stock in world' - In a new post to its website, Citron Research disclosed a long view on Alibaba, which it calls "the world's most heavily shorted stock." On Friday morning, when Alibaba reports earnings and issues fiscal year 2019 revenue guidance, Citron contends one of two things will happen: "Alibaba will exceed expectations on its quarter and guidance and could easily go over $200 as "the setup" is in place; Alibaba will show lower operating margins than "sell side consensus" due to offensive, value creating investments which may give investors an opportunity to buy what could be the first trillion-dollar company at a cheap price." Citron also contends Alibaba is "on its way to $250." Following the posting of the long report, Alibaba shares are up about 2% to $182.90. Reference Link

10:03 EDT Axalta Coating announces new Australian headquarters in West Sydney - Axalta has commissioned construction of a new 10,200-square-meter Australian headquarters in Marsden Park, in Western Sydney. The facility will house corporate offices, a state-of-the-art training facility, and a warehouse and distribution center for up to 50 employees. Scheduled to open in 1Q19, the facility will serve the company's refinish and commercial vehicle customers, light vehicle OEMs, as well as industrial and military customers in Australia and New Zealand. The new center will support each of Axalta's customers with high quality paints, lean processes, and sustainable applications. The new headquarters will house the national training center that will focus on refinish and industrial products. Refinishers who attend courses at the site will maximize their skillsets and stay up-to-date with the latest technology and techniques.

10:02 EDT Live Nation acquires stake in Rock in Rio festival - Live Nation Entertainment announced it is expanding its presence in South America by acquiring a stake in Rock in Rio. Live Nation said that in 2017 the event was "the second highest grossing festival in all of the world, as well as the largest music festival in South America, attended by more than 700,000 fans from 62 different countries." Live Nation also continues to see a growing demand for concerts throughout Latin America and has been actively focused on building its profile and scope in the region through a local business development and tour booking teams, the company added.

10:01 EDT Estee Lauder says business to be impacted short-term by Bon-Ton liquidation - Estee Lauder (EL), on its Q3 earnings conference call, said its business declined slightly as a result of continued challenges in some brick-and-mortar department stores and freestanding stores. "As the physical retailer landscape continues to change most recently with the unfortunate news of Bon-Ton's (BONT) liquidation, our business will be impacted in the short term," the company said. Longer term, it added, fewer stores should provide a healthier environment as sales continue to migrate to experiential retail and to online. The company said it is working with retailers to strengthen its brands' assets on their websites. Commenting on the situation disclosed in its earnings release, Estee Lauder said it learned "recently" that some testing related to certain products advertising claims had been intentionally altered for some time by a small group of employees. "We became aware of this when an employee brought this to our attention through our internal escalation process. This clearly does not meet our standards, and we immediately launched a comprehensive review of our product advertising claims support, which is ongoing." The company said it expects that many of its claims will not change, "but others will. Some changes maybe minor, and others could be more significant." It said it will make any necessary changes as quickly as possible and bring this area up to its standards, and added that it has resolved this testing issue by now, so the claims for new product launches will not be affected. Estee Lauder is down 4% in morning trading to $139.01.

09:29 EDT Humana CFO says continuing to evaluate M&A, particularly in primary care - Humana CFO Brian Kane said the company continues to evaluate strategic acquisitions to build on its capabilities, particularly the primary care arena, but would also look for any other assets that could enhance its other healthcare services segments. "Additionally, we would also have interest in Medicare Advantage assets that increase our presence in underpenetrated markets," Kane added.

09:28 EDT Wintrust Financial to acquire Chicago Shore Corporation for approx. $34M - Wintrust Financial Corporation announced the signing of a definitive agreement to acquire Chicago Shore Corporation. CSC is the parent company of Delaware Place Bank, an Illinois state-chartered bank, which operates a banking location in the Gold Coast/Streeterville neighborhood of Chicago, Illinois. As of March 31, 2018, Delaware Place Bank had approximately $245M in assets, approximately $165M in loans and approximately $215M in deposits. Subject to possible adjustment, the aggregate purchase price will be approximately $34M. Shares of CSC common stock outstanding at the time of the merger will be converted into the right to receive per share merger consideration paid in cash. Subject to approval by banking regulators and CSC's stockholders and certain closing conditions, in connection with the closing, all other outstanding securities of CSC will be redeemed in accordance with their terms. The transaction is expected to close late in the third quarter 2018, and is not expected to have a material effect on Wintrust's 2018 earnings per share. Piper Jaffray acted as exclusive financial advisor to CSC in the transaction and provided a fairness opinion to its Board of Directors. Sullivan and Cromwell LLP acted as CSC's transaction counsel, and Schiff Hardin LLP served as transaction counsel to Wintrust.

09:25 EDT Humana sees 'material upside' in Florida Medicaid contract compared to old pact - On the company's Florida Medicaid contract award, Humana CFO Brian Kane said: "We are working through the membership and revenue implications, but we do believe that there will be material upside relative to our current contract."

09:24 EDT Humana says limited in discussing MA bid strategy at this point in process - Humana CFO Brian Kane noted the company is in the midst of the 2019 Medicare Advantage bid season and is limited in what it will say about its 2019 bid strategy for competitive reasons. "Suffice to say, as we always strive to do, we will take a balanced approach to membership growth and margin by offering a compelling products to our members in recognition of a significant rate and tax tailwinds. We also intend to drive meaningful EPS growth in excess of our long-term target of 11% to 15%," Kane offered on the topic.

09:21 EDT MasterCard says supports EMV co-standards for 'simple and unified' payments - MasterCard (MA) says believes there should be "one common checkout button in digital world." Says 75% of all of its cards are already enabled to be tokenized, and says seeing demand from merchants like Netflix (NFLX) and Flip Card in India. Says common checkout button "good for everybody int he ecosystem."

09:20 EDT On The Fly: Pre-market Movers - UP AFTER EARNINGS: Apple (AAPL), up 4%... MasterCard (MA), up 4.6%... CVS Health (CVS), up 3%... Juniper Networks (JNPR), up 8%... Shutterfly (SFLY), up 11%... Lumentum (LITE), up 11%. ALSO HIGHER: HC2 Holdings (HCHC), up 52% after announcing that BeneVir Biopharm, a privately-held biotechnology company and a portfolio company within HC2's Pansend Life Sciences subsidiary, has entered into a definitive agreement to be acquired by Janssen Biotech, a Johnson & Johnson (JNJ) company... SIGA Technologies (SIGA), up 8% after the U.S. FDA's Antimicrobial Drugs Advisory Committee voted unanimously, 17 to 0, that the benefits of TPOXX, a small molecule antiviral treatment for smallpox, outweigh its risks. DOWN AFTER EARNINGS: Snap (SNAP), down 19.5%... Wayfair (W), up 11%... Yum! Brands (YUM), down 5%... Yum China (YUMC), down 7%... Stratasys (SSYS), down 8.5%. ALSO LOWER: Diebold (DBD), down 14% after reporting earnings and announcing it will be suspending its shareholder dividend to improve its cash generation and net debt position.

09:17 EDT Concordia enters support agreement with debtholders for recapitalization plan - Concordia announced a proposed transaction to realign its capital structure. The proposed Recapitalization Transaction would raise new equity capital of $586.5M, reduce total outstanding debt by approximately $2.4B, and reduce its annual interest costs by approximately $171M. Concordia has entered into a support agreement with certain holders of the company's secured and unsecured debt which hold in the aggregate approximately $1.6B in principal amount, or approximately 72%, of the company's Secured Debt and approximately $1.0B in principal amount, or approximately 64% of the company's Unsecured Debt. The recapitalization transaction would result in affected secured debtholders receiving cash and new secured debt in an aggregate amount equal to approximately 93.4% of the principal amount of their existing secured claims; affected unsecured debtholders receiving approximately 12% of the common shares of recapitalized Concordia in exchange for their unsecured claims; and existing shareholders retaining 0.35% of the common shares of recapitalized Concordia. The Initial Consenting Debtholders have agreed to vote in favour of the plan of arrangement in Concordia's CBCA Proceedings. The Ontario Superior Court of Justice issued an interim order authorizing the holding of meetings of affected debtholders and shareholders to vote on Concordia's CBCA plan of arrangement. The company had approximately $343.8M of cash on hand as of March 31 and believes it has sufficient liquidity in the near term to operate its business and meet its ordinary course financial commitments, including without limitation, to its employees, suppliers and customers, while it works toward implementing the Recapitalization Transaction.

09:16 EDT Kohl's names Doug Howe as chief merchandising officer - Kohl's (KSS) announced 30-year retail veteran Doug Howe has been named the company's chief merchandising officer. In this role, Howe will be responsible for Kohl's overall merchandise strategy and all merchandising functions, including buying, planning, product design and development, sourcing, and merchandising transformation efforts. He will continue to drive the company's key strategies of cultivating a strong portfolio of national and proprietary brands, accelerating speed to market, and delivering strong inventory management. Howe will report directly to CEO-elect Michelle Gass. Prior to joining Kohl's, Howe was Global Chief Merchandising Officer at the Qurate Retail Group (QRTEA), leading QVC's and HSN's product leadership agenda by identifying emerging trends and white spaces for growth, developing category strategies, and attracting top vendors and providing product services to the Group's businesses.

09:08 EDT MasterCard CEO Banga says 'remains concerned' about potential impacts of Brexit - MasterCard President and CEO Ajay Banga said on the company's Q1 earnings conference call that the company is seeing "good" overall growth, but keeping a close watch as central banks around the world evaluate normalizing their monetary policies. Says Europe "positive" overall, but "remains concerned" about potential impacts of Brexit. Says most economies in Asia are continuing to trend positively. Comments taken from the Q1 earnings conference call.

09:05 EDT Magellan Midstream increases scope and extension of Texas pipeline open season - Magellan Midstream announced an increased scope and extension of the open season to solicit commitments from shippers for the potential expansion of the western leg of its refined products pipeline system in Texas. Binding commitments are now due by May 16. The one-week extension provides interested shippers additional time to finalize their commitments. The proposed expansion would increase Magellan's capability to transport refined petroleum products, such as gasoline and diesel fuel, to demand centers in Abilene, Midland/Odessa and El Paso, Texas, with further optionality to access markets in the states of New Mexico and Arizona, as well as international markets in Mexico via connections to other pipelines owned by Magellan and third parties. The pipeline's current capacity of 100,000 bpd could increase to 145,000 bpd following the expansion, or 5,000 bpd more than initially anticipated. If supported by sufficient commitments, the pipeline capacity could be expanded further. Magellan is also considering the construction of a new refined products terminal in Midland on 100 acres of recently-acquired land if warranted by customer demand. The expanded capacity and Midland terminal could be operational by mid-2020.

09:02 EDT Abbott' XIENCE Sierra heart stent receives national reimbursement in Japan - Abbott announced that Japan's Ministry of Health Labour and Welfare granted national reimbursement for XIENCE Sierra, the newest generation of the company's gold-standard XIENCE everolimus-eluting coronary stent. XIENCE Sierra improves upon previous versions of XIENCE with an enhanced stent design, a new delivery system, and unique sizes to help doctors treat challenging cases.

08:56 EDT Diebold suspending shareholder dividend to improve cash and debt position - Chris Chapman, Diebold Nixdorf senior vice president and CFO, said: "Our first quarter results reflect similar challenges that we faced in 2017, with banking hardware revenue and the associated profitability remaining under pressure. With respectable order activity and continued cost management, we are maintaining our non-GAAP outlook for 2018. In addition, we will be executing on a number of actions, such as suspending our shareholder dividend, to improve our cash generation and net debt position." Gerrard Schmid, Diebold Nixdorf president and CEO, added: "During my early days here, I have been learning the business from the vantage point of our customers, leaders and employees, and have concluded that our immediate focus should be to streamline and simplify our business operations. To help accomplish this and build on the success of recent integration work, we are enacting a business improvement plan that is centered on customers, achieving operational excellence, and forging a cohesive company culture. In aggregate, our actions are designed to improve the financial health of the company and deliver long-term value to our shareholders. I am looking forward to leveraging the full strength of the Diebold Nixdorf organization and our connected commerce solutions to benefit our customers around the world."

08:51 EDT Estee Lauder: Testing related to product ad claims must be further validated - Estee Lauder said in its earnings report that it recently learned that some of its testing related to certain product advertising claims did not meet the company's standards and needs to be further validated. This is not a product safety issue. The Company's products are completely safe. This does not relate to the quality of the ingredients or the manufacturing of the Company's products. The quality of our products remains the highest priority for the Company. The Company is diligently addressing this matter and will make any necessary changes to product advertising claims as soon as possible. At this time, the Company does not know whether the results of this ongoing review will be material to the Company. The Company is also mindful of risks related to social and political issues, geopolitical tensions, regulatory matters, including the imposition of tariffs, terrorism, currency volatility and economic challenges affecting consumer spending in certain countries and travel corridors. The Company is also cautious of the decline in retail traffic, primarily related to some brick-and-mortar stores in the United States. Global prestige beauty is performing exceptionally well and is estimated to grow 6% to 7% during the fiscal year. The Company expects to grow about double the industry for fiscal 2018, benefiting from loyalty to its high-quality products, strong innovation, outreach to new target consumers and growth from recent acquisitions. The continued emphasis on a digital-first approach and on fast-growing markets and channels are also expected to contribute to growth.

08:49 EDT UQM Technologies, Meritor team up for 14Xe axle program - UQM Technologies (UQM) announced that Meritor (MTOR) has chosen UQM to be its supplier of choice for development and production plans for the 14Xe axle program. This opportunity is a culmination of more than one year of engineering development efforts that will support Meritor's current customer base, along with identifying new customers and applications around the globe for the 14Xe electric axle product line. UQM and Meritor are supporting prototype deliveries for testing, as well as initial pilot electric axles. The development program between the two companies was initially announced in February 2017. Meritor unveiled its electric axle at the 2017 NACV Show in Atlanta, and has begun trials with key customers. The benefits of the 14Xe axle application will allow customers in the medium and heavy-duty EV commercial markets to improve on component packaging requirements, realize cost savings from integration and increase vehicle performance.

08:45 EDT Quad/Graphics wins U.S. Bank credit card acquistion program - Quad/Graphics (QUAD) announced that it has signed a multi-year, multi-million-dollar contract with U.S. Bank (USB) to manage credit card acquisition programs for hundreds of its small and mid-size regional banks. The volume for the U.S. Bank programs is significant: more than 70 million data-driven mailpieces annually.

08:43 EDT Esperion falls after Phase 3 study of bempedoic acid met primary endpoint - Esperion announced top-line results from the second pivotal, Phase 3 study, the long-term safety study of bempedoic acid 180 mg, in this case evaluating the safety, tolerability and efficacy of bempedoic acid versus placebo in high-risk patients with atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease who are inadequately controlled with current lipid-modifying therapies, including maximally tolerated statin therapy. The study included 2,230 patients and met the primary endpoint of safety and tolerability and the key efficacy endpoint with on-treatment LDL-C lowering of an additional 20% at twelve weeks, the company said. Patients treated with bempedoic acid also achieved a significant reduction of 22% in high-sensitivity C-reactive protein, an important marker of the underlying inflammation associated with cardiovascular disease, Esperion added. There were no clinically relevant differences between the bempedoic acid and placebo groups in the occurrence of adverse events with 78.5% and 78.7% respectively; or serious adverse events with 14.5% and 14.0% respectively, it added. Discontinuations due to AEs were 10.9% and 7.1%, respectively for the bempedoic acid and placebo groups; discontinuations due to muscle-related AEs were 2.2% and 1.9%, respectively, in the bempedoic acid and placebo groups. "In this study, the largest in our Phase 3 program, bempedoic acid was observed to be safe and well tolerated over a 52-week period, while providing clinically and statistically significant LDL-cholesterol lowering and reductions in hsCRP when added on to maximally tolerated statin therapy," said Tim Mayleben, CEO of Esperion. "In the coming months, results from our three remaining pivotal Phase 3 studies are expected to further validate the safety, efficacy and tolerability profile of bempedoic acid and the bempedoic acid / ezetimibe combination pill, definitively establishing these once-daily oral therapies as convenient and complementary to existing treatments for the 13 million people in the U.S. with ASCVD who live with elevated levels of LDL-cholesterol despite taking maximally-tolerated lipid-modifying therapy and remain at high risk for further cardiovascular disease or events, including heart attack and stroke." Esperion shares in premarket trading are down 27% to $52.40.

08:41 EDT California Water Service files proxy materials to oppose SJW, CWTS merger - California Water Service (CWT) announced it has filed preliminary proxy materials with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission to urge stockholders of SJW Group (SJW) to vote against the proposed merger of SJW and Connecticut Water (CTWS). "We strongly believe our $68.25 per share all-cash proposal delivers superior value to SJW stockholders and is in the best interest of both companies' stockholders," said Martin A. Kropelnicki, President and CEO of California Water. "In our view, SJW's stock merger with Connecticut Water forces SJW stockholders to forego substantial and immediate value for the promise of long-term accretion that may never materialize, due to the significant risk of operating a larger company with two separate systems that are 3,000 miles apart in different regulatory environments." Mr. Kropelnicki continued, "We believe the SJW Board would better serve its stockholders by immediately meeting with us to discuss our proposal, instead of continuing its emerging pattern of communication and governance practices that hurt their stockholders, employees, customers, and local communities. We stand ready to address directly with the SJW Board any legitimate issue it may have with our all-cash proposal." Absent engagement by the SJW Board, California Water will ensure that SJW stockholders have all of the facts and resources necessary to determine the best path forward for SJW. California Water is communicating closely with employees, customers, and local communities to outline the significant benefits the Company believes this common sense combination with California Water would provide.

08:39 EDT MuleSoft trading halted, news dissemination

08:37 EDT HC2 Holdings reports portfolio company BeneVir to be bought by Janssen - HC2 Holdings (HCHC) announced earlier that BeneVir Biopharm, a privately-held biotechnology company developing oncolytic immunotherapies for the treatment of cancer, has entered into a definitive agreement to be acquired by Janssen Biotech, a Johnson & Johnson (JNJ) company. BeneVir is a portfolio company within HC2's Pansend Life Sciences subsidiary. HC2 made its initial investment in BeneVir in 2014, and currently owns approximately 76% of the company's equity. Under the terms of the agreement, Janssen will make an upfront cash payment of $140M at closing of the transaction, plus additional contingent payments of up to $900M based on achievement of certain predetermined milestones. The total amount of all payments could exceed $1B if all milestones are met. The closing of the transaction is subject to customary closing conditions, including clearance under the Hart-Scott-Rodino Antitrust Improvements Act. The transaction is expected to close in the second quarter of 2018. In pre-market trading following the announcement, HC2 shares are up 55% to $8 per share.

08:37 EDT IDC: Samsung had top smartphone market share in Q1 at 23.3% - According to preliminary data from the International Data Corporation Worldwide Quarterly Mobile Phone Tracker, smartphone vendors shipped a total of 336.1 million units during the first quarter of 2018, resulting in a 2.4% decline when compared to the 344.4 million units shipped in the first quarter of 2017. The China market was the biggest driver of this decline with shipment volumes dipping below 100 million in the quarter, which hasn't happened since the third quarter of 2013. Samsung (SSNLF) remained the leader in the worldwide smartphone market grabbing 23.3% share despite experiencing a 2.4% decline from Q1 2017. The new S9 and S9+ led the way as the new flagships launched a quarter early for the Korean giant compared to last year's S8/S8+. Although the new flagships shipped late in the quarter, brisk initial sales of the new devices kept the overall yearly decline at a minimum as the bulk of the positive impact is expected to arrive in Q2 2018. Despite the late launch, the high-priced devices should significantly boost average selling prices in the quarter for Samsung. Outside of the new flagships, the A series and J series continued to drive most of the key volume in both developed and emerging markets. Apple's (AAPL) first quarter saw the iPhone maker move 52.2 million iPhones representing a modest 2.8% year-over-year increase from the 50.8 million units shipped last year. Despite rumors of an underperforming iPhone X in the quarter, Apple stated that the iPhone X was the most popular model each week in the March quarter. The success of the more expensive iPhone X combined with healthy sales of the iPhone 8 and 8 Plus helped grow ASPs 11.1% to $728, up from $655 last year. Rumors of three new bezel-less iPhones arriving this September are expected to bring new features such as a larger AMOLED display model, a more affordable mid-tier model, and increased performance and imaging capabilities across the board.

08:33 EDT Cinemark granted THX certification in over 200 XD screens in U.S. and LatAm - Cinemark announced that over 200 Cinemark private-label premium large format XD auditoriums in the U.S. and Latin America are now THX Certified. THX works closely with exhibitor partners to meet THX Certified Cinema specifications, focusing on auditorium architecture, acoustics, audio and projection equipment calibration and speaker configuration.

08:30 EDT AptarGroup acquires Reboul from Vacheron Industries - AptarGroup announced that as of May 1, 2018, it has acquired Reboul from Vacheron Industries SAS. Reboul is a French company engaged in the design and industrial production of high-quality metal components, metal-plastic sub-assemblies, next generation lipstick mechanisms, and complete color cosmetic packaging solutions. Under the terms of the purchase agreement, Aptar will acquire Reboul for an enterprise value of EURO$14 million (approximately $17 million) in cash, less the amount of net debt assumed at the closing date. The agreement also provides an earn-out provision based on the 2018 financial results, which could increase the enterprise value to a maximum of EURO$23 million (approximately $28 million). The purchase will be funded with available cash on hand.

08:27 EDT Payment Data Systems says total dollars processed for Q1 exceeded $782.9M - Payment Data Systems announced record transaction processing results for 1Q18. Total dollars processed during Q1 increased 305% over the same period in 2017. Credit card transactions processed during Q1 were up 307% over the same period in 2017. Credit card dollars processed during Q1 were up 5% over 4Q17. Credit card transactions processed during Q1 were up 6% over 4Q17. Total dollars processed for Q1 exceeded $782.9M. Electronic check transaction volumes during Q1 were up 5% over 4Q17, representing the third consecutive quarter of growth. Returned check transactions processed during Q1 were up 6% as compared to 4Q17. Electronic check transaction volumes during Q1 were down 2% versus the same time period in 2017. Returned check transactions processed during Q1 were down 2% versus the same time period in 2017.

08:23 EDT China Information receives $1M cloud-based ad terminal order - China Information Technology announced that it has entered into a contract for the sale of 3,000 CNIT cloud-based elevator ad terminals to be installed in office buildings and residential communities throughout Guilin, a prefecture-level city in the northeast of China, and Yichang, the second largest city in the province after the capital, Wuhan. Signed with Guilin IoT Technology Limited and Yichang Taoping IoT Limited, the contracts are expected to generate sales and service revenue to CNIT of about $1M. The news is the twenty-eighth in a series of announcements since May of 2017 on CNIT's sales of its cloud-based ad terminals. Each sale is expected to generate recurring service and commission revenue from customers' use of the Company's Yunfa advertising distribution system and Taoping Net/ App ad screen sharing platform. Guilin Taoping and Yichang Taoping have recently joined the Taoping Alliance, a nationwide advertising resource sharing platform jointly founded by CNIT and Shenzhen Taoping New-Media Limited, as the thirty-sixth and thirty-seventh members. Since its establishment in May 2017, the members of Taoping Alliance have increased to the coverage of over twenty provinces and provincial cities throughout China.

08:18 EDT InVivo Therapeutics announces endpoint results from INSPIRE study - InVivo Therapeutics announced the presentation of the complete six-month primary endpoint results from the company's single-arm INSPIRE study at a medical meeting. The presentation was given by Stuart Lee at the 2018 AANS Meeting. This is the first presentation at a medical meeting of the complete six-month data from the INSPIRE study. As reported by Dr. Lee and previously announced by InVivo, 7 of 16 patients who reached the six-month primary endpoint visit in the INSPIRE study had an ASIA Impairment Scale conversion at 6 months, which is the primary endpoint of the trial. Altogether, 19 patients have been implanted with the Neuro-Spinal Scaffold. Three patients died within two weeks of implantation. The Objective Performance Criterion, or OPC, for the study was a 25% AIS conversion rate based on the published conversion rates for thoracic spinal cord injury, or SCI, reported in the literature. The AANS presentation further reported these data in light of the company's recently announced CONTEMPO study results. The CONTEMPO study was designed to provide comprehensive natural history benchmarks for Neuro-Spinal Scaffold clinical study results. The CONTEMPO study included neurological recovery data from 170 patients across three registries of SCI patients with similar baseline characteristics to those in the INSPIRE study and validated the company's previously established OPC with AIS conversion rates at approximately six months post-injury of 16.7% - 23.4% across the three registries.

08:16 EDT MasterCard rises 3.75% in pre-market trading after Q1 earnings beat

08:13 EDT Teva announces abstracts for Austedo presentations at APA - Teva announced new scientific abstracts for Austedo tablets will be presented at the American Psychiatric Association, or APA, 2018 annual meeting. The studies shared at the meeting continue to grow the comprehensive body of data supporting the safety and efficacy of Austedo.

08:09 EDT MasterCard says 2.4B Mastercard and Maestro-branded cards issued as of March 31 - As of March 31, 2018, the company's customers had issued 2.4B Mastercard and Maestro-branded cards, adjusted for the impact of the Venezuela deconsolidation.

08:08 EDT MasterCard reports Q1 gross dollar volume up 14%, purchase volume up 15% - "We're off to a very strong start to the year, with record revenue and earnings this quarter, as we continue to execute against our strategy. We are investing in areas such as safety and security and our digital solutions to drive long-term growth, with a focus on delivering simple and secure transactions across all channels," said Ajay Banga, Mastercard president and CEO. Underlying revenue growth was 20%, driven by the impact of the following factors: An increase in switched transactions of 17%, adjusted for the impact of the Venezuela deconsolidation, to 16.7B; An increase in cross-border volumes of 21% on a local currency basis; A 14% increase in gross dollar volume, on a local currency basis, to $1.4T. These increases were partially offset by an increase in rebates and incentives, primarily due to increased volumes and new and renewed agreements.

08:07 EDT Alliance MMA signs sponsorship, marketing deal with MHP - Alliance MMA said that it has entered into a multi-year sponsorship and marketing contract with Maximum Human Performance which will include brand promotion through live events and professional athletes. The MHP partnership will feature event sponsorship of Alliance MMA's televised and live streamed events including Victory Fighting Championship which currently streams live on UFC Fight Pass, the Ultimate Fighting Championship's digital streaming platform.

08:04 EDT Sears, Kmart launch online Lease It program - Sears and Kmart announced that they are expanding their LEASE IT program online, thereby becoming the only national full service retailer to offer a full assortment of products to lease both online and in-store. The LEASE IT payment option, originally launched in-store at Sears and Kmart in 2012, can make a difference to members who don't qualify for or don't want to use traditional financing. The LEASE IT program by WhyNotLeaseIt allows members to select from a variety of products online and complete the transaction using leasing as an option. Eligible products and services are simply added to the cart and the leasing option can be selected when the transaction totals $199 or more. Online shopping sites include: sears.com, kmart.com, Puerto Rico sites - sears.com/pr & kmart.com/pr, and related mobile apps.

08:02 EDT TiVo renews intellectual property license agreement with VIZIO - TiVo announced that it has renewed its patent license agreement with TV manufacturer VIZIO. Under the terms of the agreement, the multi-year license renewal extends VIZIO's use of TiVo's patent portfolios for the company's products.

08:01 EDT Macy's announces acquisition of STORY concept store in NYC - Macy's announced that it has acquired STORY, a concept store in New York City. Additionally, Rachel Shechtman, STORY's founder and CEO, will join Macy's, Inc. as brand experience officer, founder of STORY, reporting directly to Hal Lawton, president of Macy's. In her role, Shechtman will focus on ways to enhance the in-store customer experience with the Macy's brand and STORY will have the opportunity to come to life in a new format. STORY will operate as usual, continuing to rotate new themes at its Chelsea location in New York City, while Rachel assumes her role at Macy's, Inc. In addition, STORY's COO, Jenny Shechtman, will assume the role of vice president, operations at STORY under Macy's, Inc.'s ownership.

07:43 EDT Wayfair sees long-term gross margin 25%-27%, adjusted EBITDA 8%-10% - In slides being presented on its Q1 earnings conference call, Wayfair provided long-term guidance, including gross margin of 25%-27% and adjusted EBITDA of 8%-10%. Strategic priorities include scaling logistics capabilities in warehousing, supply services, transportation and delivery; expanding the business in Canada, the U.K. and Germany; and further penetrating the TAM.

07:40 EDT CME Group April ADV up 4% y-o-y to 17M contracts - Open interest at the end of April was 126 million contracts, an increase of 4 percent from the end of April 2017, and up 17 percent from year-end 2017. Equity Index volume averaged 3.4 million contracts per day in April 2018, up 32 percent from April 2017. Metals volume averaged 682,000 contracts per day in April 2018, up 24 percent from April 2017. Agricultural volume averaged 1.8 million contracts per day in April 2018, up 14 percent from April 2017. Foreign Exchange volume averaged 832,000 contracts per day in April 2018, up 6 percent from April 2017 Energy volume averaged 2.6 million contracts per day in April 2018, up 3 percent from April 2017. Interest Rate volume averaged 7.7 million contracts per day in April 2018, down 7 percent from April 2017. Options volume averaged 3.4 million contracts per day in April 2018, down 14 percent from a strong April 2017.

07:38 EDT SodaStream CEO says 'several positive takeaways' from Q1 - "There were several positive takeaways from our start to the year," commented Daniel Birnbaum, CEO Officer of SodaStream. "We delivered our ninth consecutive quarter of double-digit revenue growth, expanded gross margins by 250 basis points, and posted a significant increase in profitability. These strong year-over-year results were fueled by an acceleration in our Americas' business led by the U.S. and Canada, our 25th consecutive quarter of double-digit growth in Germany, continued meaningful progress in Asia-Pacific and changes in foreign currency exchange rates. The first quarter was also highlighted by the launch of our new distribution model in France, which we are confident will accelerate our household penetration in this large market going forward. The change in France created a difficult first quarter comparison for sparkling water maker sales as we transitioned the business from distributor to direct selling. Excluding France, global sparkling water units were up 9% year-over-year. Importantly, our global active user base continues to increase with gas refill units up 9% to 8.3 million -- also a first quarter record -- and flavor units returning to growth, increasing 4%. We are very excited by our current momentum and believe we are well positioned to capitalize on the many global growth opportunities that still lie ahead and continue creating value for our shareholders."

07:34 EDT KalVista presents data in support of DME development activities at ARVO - KalVista Pharmaceuticals announced data in support of the company's development activities in diabetic macular edema from an oral presentation at The Association for Research in Vision and Ophthalmology 2018 Annual Meeting in Honolulu, Hawaii. The study investigated the effects of an orally administered plasma kallikrein inhibitor KV123833 on VEGF-induced retinal edema in mice. KV123833 is a novel, potent, and highly selective plasma kallikrein inhibitor with a 3nM Ki for plasma kallikrein and selectivity of 1000-fold over related serine proteases. In the study, KV123833 was administered both subcutaneously and orally, to evaluate the comparative efficacy of both routes of administration. Efficacious plasma exposure of drug for both subcutaneous administration and oral dosing experiments was confirmed using an ex vivo plasma kallikrein activity. Retinal exposure following systemic administration of KV123833 was about 0.6 ng/mg retinal tissue and intravitreal injection of VEGF increased drug concentrations in the retina by 2-fold. VEGF-induced retinal vascular permeability in mice was decreased by 85% and 86% in mice receiving subcutaneous administration and orally administered KV123833, respectively. These data demonstrate that orally administered KV123833 is highly effective in reducing VEGF-induced retinal edema in mice, and displays similar efficacy to subcutaneous administration.

07:27 EDT Kirkland Lake raises quarterly dividend to C$0.03 per share from C$0.02 - Kirkland Lake Gold announced today an increase to its quarterly dividend to C$0.03 per share from C$0.02 per share, with the increase to commence with Q2 dividend, payable in July 2018.

07:18 EDT Achaogen announces stock trading halt by NASDAQ - Achaogen announced that NASDAQ has halted trading of the company's common stock. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration's Antimicrobial Drugs Advisory Committee is meeting today to review plazomicin, which was developed for the treatment of adults with complicated urinary tract infections and bloodstream infections. The Prescription Drug User Fee Act date for completion of the FDA's review of the company's New Drug Application for plazomicin is June 25, 2018.

07:15 EDT Foundation Medicine launches GEP program to identify biomarkers in cancer - Foundation Medicine announced a comprehensive gene expression profiling program to support precision oncology clinical research and development. This initiative, which provides a natural complement to Foundation Medicine's comprehensive genomic profiling suite of molecular information tests, further enhances support for the company's biopharma partners in the efficient identification of known and novel genomic and expression-based biomarkers of response for investigational and approved personalized cancer therapies, including new and existing cancer immunotherapies.

07:13 EDT Centene unit awarded contract in Florida - Centene announced that its Florida subsidiary, Sunshine Health, has been notified by the Florida Agency for Health Care Administration of its intent to award a contract to provide physical and behavioral health care services through Florida's Statewide Medicaid Managed Care Program. Pending regulatory approval and successful completion of readiness review, the contract is expected to run through September 2023. AHCA's SMMC Program serves over 3.2M healthcare beneficiaries. With this award, Sunshine Health would remain as Florida's sole Child Welfare Specialty Plan in all 11 regions while increasing the geographic area in which Sunshine Health may provide comprehensive managed care to all 11 regions of the state.

07:12 EDT GNC Holdings urges shareholders to vote in connection with Hayao investment - GNC Holdings reminded stockholders to vote in advance of the Special Meeting of Stockholders scheduled to reconvene on Wednesday, May 9. GNC encourages all stockholders who have not yet voted on the company's proposal to issue convertible preferred shares to Harbin Pharmaceutical Group Holdings Co., Ltd. in connection with Hayao's $300M strategic investment in the company to vote their shares as soon as possible, but no later than 11:59 p.m., Eastern Time, on Tuesday, May 8.

07:10 EDT Regenxbio receives FDA Fast Track designation for RGX-121 gene therapy - Regenxbio announced that the U.S. FDA has granted Fast Track designation for RGX-121. RGX-121 is a novel, one-time investigational treatment for Mucopolysaccharidosis Type II, also known as Hunter syndrome, that is designed to deliver the human iduronate 2-sulfatase gene directly to the central nervous system using the NAV AAV9 vector.

07:07 EDT Blueprint Medicines sees cash, cash equivalents sufficient into mid-2020

07:06 EDT Elaine Wynn announces filing of investor presentation - Elaine P. Wynn, co-founder and the largest shareholder of Wynn Resorts, announced the filing of an investor presentation in connection with her withhold the vote campaign against Wynn legacy director candidate John Hagenbuch, who is up for re-election at Wynn's annual meeting of shareholders scheduled for Wednesday, May 16. Ms. Wynn re-emphasized the purpose of her efforts: "My focus is on enhancing the company's long-term value, eliminating the risk of longtime legacy directors making short-sighted decisions, restoring the company's reputation and transforming it from a corporate governance laggard into a corporate governance leader."

07:05 EDT Molson Coors sees FY18 underlying free cash flow $1.5B plus or minus 10% - Sees FY18 capital spending approx. $670M, plus or minus 10%. Sees approx. $210M in cost savings in 2018 and $600M for 2017-2019. "In addition, our 2018 results are also being impacted by the adoption of the new revenue recognition standard, as well as guidance changing the presentation of pension and other postretirement benefit costs. The new revenue recognition accounting standard became effective for us at the beginning of 2018, and we have elected the modified retrospective adoption method. Therefore, prior period results have not been restated, but results under the old standard will continue to be disclosed throughout 2018 for comparability, as required by the standard. Along with some timing changes between quarters, this adoption changes the presentation of our results, including an expected reduction of net sales revenue and marketing, general and administrative expenses of approximately $70 million to $90 million during full year 2018, primarily within our Canada segment, with no significant impact to net income."

07:03 EDT Yum! Brands reports Q1 worldwide SSS up 4% - Yum! Brands reports Q1 KFC SSS up 6%, Pizza Hut SSS up 2%, Taco Bell SSS up 4%. In Q1, opened 239 net new units for 3% net unit growth.

06:59 EDT Achaogen trading halted, news pending

06:49 EDT Estee Lauder CEO says expects FY18 to be 'an outstanding fiscal year' - Fabrizio Freda, President and CEO, said, "Our Company delivered another excellent quarter in what we expect to be an outstanding fiscal year. Many areas of our business that contributed to our strong first-half results continued to thrive in our third quarter, as we generated 13% sales growth and 17% adjusted earnings per share growth, each in constant currency. Among our multiple engines of growth, travel retail, online and Asia again were standouts, and we experienced strong momentum in other high growth channels and markets. Our performance this quarter reflected robust global demand across our portfolio, with virtually all our brands posting sales growth. Each of our three biggest brands grew globally, with exceptional growth in Estee Lauder. These results reflect our strong array of hero products, as well as product and service innovations that resonated well with today's diverse global consumers."

06:43 EDT Strayer sees Q2 total enrollments up 8% y-o-y - Total enrollments at Strayer University for Q2 are anticipated to grow 8% to approximately 46,800 students from 43,411 students for the same period in 2017. New student enrollments are expected to increase approximately 7% and continuing student enrollments are expected to increase approximately 8%. Revenue per student for Q2 is expected to decrease by approximately 5% due primarily to the continuation of students participating in scholarship programs launched in 2017. Additionally, the company expects Q2 tax rate to be 27%-28%, excluding the impact of any non-deductible merger costs, and other discrete tax adjustments.

06:36 EDT Humana says experienced 'strong' Medicare Advantage enrollment growth in Q1 - "We experienced strong Medicare Advantage enrollment growth and solid performance across all segments in the first quarter, with early positive indicators of medical utilization allowing us to raise guidance for the year," said Brian A. Kane, CFO. "Together, these results reflect the effective execution of our strategy."

06:23 EDT HollyFrontier CEO says 'optimistic about refining and lubricant margins' - HollyFrontier's President & CEO, George Damiris, commented, "HollyFrontier's strong financial results reflect our ability to capitalize on the refining margins and crude spreads available during the first quarter. To date, crude spreads have been consistent, and we are optimistic about refining and lubricant margins going into the summer."

06:15 EDT 500.com subsidiary enters framework agreement with Loto Interactive subsidiary - 500.com announced that a wholly-owned subsidiary of the company entered into a framework agreement with Loto Interactive Information Technology , a wholly-owned subsidiary of Loto Interactive Limited, a company listed on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange and 40.65% owned by the company and Shenzhen General Lottery Technology, a subsidiary of Telling Telecommunication Holding, a company listed on the Shenzhen Stock Exchange. Pursuant to the framework agreement, Shenzhen GenLot will supply sports lottery terminals approved by the China Sports Lottery Administration Centre, or CSLA, to the purchasers for onward sales and distribution in the PRC; and Shenzhen GenLot shall provide maintenance services for the Lottery Terminals supplied during warranty period. The term of the agreement is five years. Under the agreement, the purchasers intend to purchase up to 10,000 units of lottery terminals in total from Shenzhen GenLot pursuant to separately executed purchase agreements. The purchasers have already placed an order to purchase 1,000 units.

06:06 EDT Radware announces new $40M share repurchase plan - The company announced that its board of directors has authorized a new one-year plan to repurchase up to $40M of its issued and outstanding ordinary shares.

05:54 EDT Xerox to appoint six new members to board

05:46 EDT Nokia enters into exclusive talks for sale of Digital Health business - Nokia today announced plans to sell its Digital Health business to Eric Carreel, co-founder and former chairman of Withings. Nokia announced a review of strategic options for the Digital Health business in February 2018. The planned sale is part of Nokia's honed focus on becoming a business-to-business and licensing company. The transaction is subject to terms agreed in the negotiations and completion of the information consultation with the Works Council of Nokia Technologies SA., with the deal expected to close in late Q2. Digital Health's business portfolio includes consumer and enterprise products, and it manufactures and sells an ecosystem of hybrid smart watches, scales and digital health devices to consumers and enterprise partners. The licensing businesses of Nokia Technologies are not affected by this announcement.