Stockwinners Market Radar for May 03, 2018 - Earnings, Upgrades downgrades, option trades, Best Stock Advisory Service

19:59 EDT LGI Homes reports 606 home closings in April, up 66% from last year - LGI Homes announced 606 homes closed in April 2018, up from 365 home closings in April 2017, representing year-over-year growth of 66.0%. The company ended the first four months of 2018 with 1,850 home closings, a 64.3% increase over 1,126 home closings during the first four months of 2017.

18:58 EDT Sunoco Pipeline says Penn PUC approves resumption of Mariner East 1 - Energy Transfer Partners announced that its subsidiary, Sunoco Pipeline L.P., received a unanimous vote from the Pennsylvania Public Utility Commission to resume operations of its Mariner East 1 pipeline. SPLP has worked diligently with the PUC's I&E Division and their outside experts on the matter for several weeks and is "pleased" that all investigations concur regarding the safety and integrity of the pipeline. The procedures to resume public utility service on the pipeline will begin immediately. Mariner East 1 is a major transporter of propane in Pennsylvania, which is ultimately delivered to local communities, providing affordable fuel to heat homes and run businesses. When Mariner East 1 was shut-in as a precautionary measure, there were no issues with the pipeline, which has been safely operating for decades. Its continued safe operation has now been verified by all parties.

18:31 EDT S&P announces changes to S&P MidCap 400, S&P SmallCap 600 indices - S&P SmallCap 600 constituent McDermott (MDR) will replace Diebold Nixdorf (DBD) in the S&P MidCap 400, and Diebold Nixdorf will replace McDermott in the S&P SmallCap 600 effective prior to the open of trading on Thursday, May 10. McDermott International is merging with Chicago Bridge & Iron Company (CBI) in a deal expected to be completed on or about that date pending final conditions. Post-merger, the combined company will have a market capitalization more representative of the mid-cap market space. Diebold Nixdorf is ranked at the bottom of the S&P MidCap 400 and is no longer appropriate for that index.

18:28 EDT McDermott to replace Diebold in S&P 400 at open on 5/10 - McDermott (MDR) is merging with Chicago Bridge & Iron Company (CBI) in a deal expected to be completed on or about that date pending final conditions. Post-merger, the combined company will have a market capitalization more representative of the mid-cap market space. Diebold Nixdorf is ranked at the bottom of the S&P MidCap 400 and is no longer appropriate for that index.

18:03 EDT SSR Mining names Kevin O'Kane as new COO - SSR Mining announced that Alan Pangbourne will be retiring from his role as Chief Operating Officer effective May 31, 2018. Kevin O'Kane will succeed Mr. Pangbourne as COO effective June 4, 2018.

18:00 EDT Celanese to increase prices on Acetic Acid by $65 per ton - The price increases will be effective immediately or as contracts otherwise allow, and are incremental to any previously announced increases.

17:57 EDT Pembina Pipeline increases monthly dividend 5.6% to 19c per share - Pembina approved a 5.6% increase in its monthly common share dividend rate, from 18c per common share to 19c per common share, and declared a monthly dividend of 19c payable, subject to applicable law, on June 15, 2018 to shareholders of record on May 25, 2018.

17:47 EDT Rubicon Project sees Q2 revenue and ad spend up sequentially - Sees Q2 revenue and ad spend expected to grow sequentially.

17:43 EDT Pandora says subscription business grew nicely - Says has balanced model with subscription and advertising tiers. Says competitive intensity is in premium subscription.

17:38 EDT American River names Dan McGregor Chief Credit Officer - American River Bankshares, the parent company of American River Bank, announced that Dan McGregor has been named executive VP and Chief Credit Officer. McGregor will be responsible for the management of credit evaluation and risk analytics for lending at American River Bank, including underwriting, loan review process and policy and risk management.

17:27 EDT Realty Income names Neil Abraham chief strategy officer - Realty Income Corporation announced that Neil Abraham, the company's current Executive Vice President, Chief Investment Officer, will become Executive Vice President, Chief Strategy Officer, and Mark E. Hagan will join the company as Executive Vice President, Chief Investment Officer, effective May 21, 2018.

17:21 EDT Pandora up 7.7% afterhours following Q1 earnings

17:17 EDT Incyte CEO acquires 15,000 common shares - In a regulatory filing, Incyte chairman, president, and CEO Herve Hoppenot disclosed the purchase of 15,000 common shares of the company at a price of $60.94 per share.

17:14 EDT GIC Private reports 5.44% passive stake in Sunlands Online

17:14 EDT Stone Energy shareholders approve merger agreement with Talos - Talos Energy LLC and Stone Energy announced that a majority of the stockholders of Stone have approved and adopted the previously announced transaction agreement under which Talos and Stone will combine in an all-stock transaction. As a result, no further action by any Stone stockholder is required under applicable law or otherwise to adopt the transaction agreement. Subject to satisfaction or waiver of the remaining customary closing conditions in the transaction agreement, the transaction is expected to close on or about May 10, 2018, at which time the common stock of Stone will cease to be traded on the New York Stock Exchange. The combined company will be named Talos Energy Inc. and is expected to trade on the NYSE under the new ticker symbol "TALO."

17:05 EDT Advanced Emissions trading resumes

17:02 EDT Activision Blizzard says Overwatch League 'outperforming expecations'

17:01 EDT Community Healthcare raises quarterly dividend to 40c per share - Payable on June 1 to shareholders of record on May 18.

16:59 EDT CBS reports Q1 Local Media revenues of $415M, up 1% - Local Media revenues of $415M for the first quarter of 2018 increased 1% from $409M for the same prior-year period, driven by higher retransmission revenues. Local Media operating income of $118M for the first quarter of 2018 decreased 5% from $124M for the same prior-year period, mainly reflecting the revenue mix.

16:57 EDT CBS reports Q1 Publishing revenues of $160M, down 1% - Publishing revenues of $160M for the first quarter of 2018 decreased 1% from $161M for the same prior-year period. Bestselling titles for the first quarter of 2018 included I've Got My Eyes On You by Mary Higgins Clark and The Last Black Unicorn by Tiffany Haddish. Publishing operating income of $16M for the first quarter of 2018 increased 7% from $15M for the same prior-year period, reflecting lower operating expenses resulting from the revenue mix.

16:55 EDT CBS reports Q1 Entertainment revenue up 16% to $2.72B - Entertainment revenues of $2.72B for the first quarter of 2018 increased 16% from $2.35B for the same prior-year period. Affiliate and subscription fees grew 39%, driven by higher station affiliation fees and growth from digital initiatives, including CBS All Access and "skinny bundles." Content licensing and distribution revenues increased 16%, benefiting from growth from the international licensing of new series and the start of renewal periods for licenses of library programming. Advertising revenues increased 11% from the same prior-year period, driven by the acquisition of Network Ten in the fourth quarter of 2017. CBS Network advertising revenues increased 1%. Entertainment operating income of $492M for the first quarter of 2018 increased 22% from $403M, reflecting the higher revenues.

16:52 EDT National Healthcare raises quarterly dividend by 4.2% to 50c per share - The dividend is payable on August 31, 2018 to shareholders of record on June 29, 2018.

16:49 EDT ARC Group interim CEO Drew Kelley resigns effective May 10 - ARC Group Worldwide announced that Drew Kelley, interim CEO, will resign from the company on May 10. Alan Quasha, chairman of the board, will assume the dual roles of chairman and CEO with immediate effect.

16:47 EDT Ironwood, Allergan to settle LINZESS patent litigation with Aurobindo Pharma - Ironwood Pharmaceuticals (IRWD) and Allergan plc (AGN) announced that the companies have reached an agreement with Aurobindo Pharma Ltd., resolving patent litigation brought in response to Aurobindo Pharma's abbreviated new drug application seeking approval to market a generic version of LINZESS prior to the expiration of the companies' applicable patents. The settlement with Aurobindo is the second patent infringement settlement the companies have reached with respect to LINZESS. Pursuant to the terms of the settlement, Ironwood and Allergan will grant Aurobindo Pharma a license to market a generic version of LINZESS in the United States beginning on August 5, 2030, unless certain limited circumstances, customary for settlement agreements of this nature, occur. As a result of the settlement, all ongoing Hatch-Waxman litigation between the companies and Aurobindo Pharma regarding LINZESS patents will be dismissed. Additional details regarding the settlement were not disclosed.

16:46 EDT Activision Blizzard says Overwatch League reaching 'millions' each week - Says Candy Crush "demonstrating strength," World of Warcraft on a "strong trajectory. Says Fornite helping to grow gaming by attracting new players of all ages and genders. Says total franchise engagement up in Overwatch, says digital season and reach has been strong for Call of Duty ahead of the Black Ops 4 release. Sees "huge" opportunity to grow mobile gaming, in-game. Says Overwatch League has average viewing time of over an hour, reaching "millions" each week. Says planning to add "a handful" of teams in key strategic markets by the end of the year. Says to add new player modes to games in Fortnite wake.

16:45 EDT LiNiu Technology trading resumes

16:42 EDT Griffon unit to acquire CornellCookson for $180M - Griffon announced that its subsidiary, Clopay Building Products Company, has entered into a definitive agreement to acquire CornellCookson, Inc., a US manufacturer and marketer of rolling steel door and grille products designed for commercial, industrial, institutional, and retail use, for $180M. After taking into account tax benefits resulting from the transaction, the effective purchase price is approximately $170M. The acquisition is expected to be financed through cash on hand. The acquisition is subject to customary closing conditions, and is expected to close in June 2018. In the first full year of operations, Griffon expects CornellCookson to contribute $200M in net sales and 15c in earnings per share.

16:39 EDT California Resources sees Q2 production 131K-136K BOE per day - Second quarter of 2018 production guidance of 131,000 to 136,000 BOE per day, reflecting a 2,000 BOE per day negative impact due to production sharing contracts (PSC) effects utilizing first quarter of 2018 price levels. Second quarter of 2018 production forecast is flat with first quarter of 2018 production levels, adjusted for the PSC effect and excluding the Elk Hills acquisition production.

16:37 EDT LiNiu Technology receives Nasdaq notification of non-compliance - LiNiu Technology Group announced that on May 2, 2018, it received a written notice from the Listing Qualifications department of The Nasdaq Stock Market indicating that LINU is not in compliance with the requirement to file its Form 20-F with the Securities and Exchange Commission for the period ending December 31, 2017, as set forth in Nasdaq Listing Rule 5250c1. In addition, LINU announced that it has provided formal notice to the Nasdaq Stock Market of its intention to voluntarily delist its Ordinary Shares from the Nasdaq Stock Market. The ticker symbol for the Ordinary Shares is LINU.

16:35 EDT Mercury Systems receives $10.8M order - Mercury Systems announced it received a $10.8M order from a leading defense prime contractor for rugged servers to be used in a military communications application. The order was booked in the company's Q3.

16:34 EDT Eastern Company to repurchase up to 200,000 shares by May 2, 2023 - The Eastern Company announced that its board of directors has approved a new share repurchase program authorizing the company to repurchase up to 200,000 shares of its common stock through May 2, 2023. Under the share repurchase program, the company may repurchase shares in the open market and may also enter into structured repurchase agreements with third parties.

16:33 EDT Activision Blizzard: WSJ released 'completely inaccurate headline' on earnings - Activision Blizzard says that "Not only did [the WSJ] report inaccurately, they did so in violation of our written embargo agreement." Says WSJ has issued an apology. Comments taken from the Q1 earnings conference call.

16:30 EDT Integer to divest of Advanced Surgical and Orthopedics product lines - Integer Holdings Corporation announced that it has entered into an agreement to sell its Advanced Surgical and Orthopedics product lines to MedPlast, a global services provider to the medical device industry, for $600M in cash. The transaction is expected to close in Q3 and is subject to customary closing conditions, including U.S. and foreign antitrust clearances.

16:29 EDT SEC concludes investigation of Ocean Power, recommends no enforcement action - Ocean Power Technologies announced that the staff of the Division of Enforcement of the SEC advised the company on April 30 that it concluded its investigation of the company and does not intend to recommend to the SEC that an enforcement action be brought against the company. The investigation was related to a project that was terminated in July 2014 and a public offering that was conducted in April 2014. The company fully cooperated with the agency throughout the three-year investigation.

16:26 EDT Xperi backs FY18 billings view $415M-$445M

16:25 EDT Global Brass and Copper reaffirms 2018 volume guidance - Global Brass and Copper affirms full-year 2018 guidance and expect shipment volumes to range from 570 million pounds to 610 million pounds; and adjusted EBITDA to range from $127M-$137M.

16:23 EDT Live Nation: 2018 on track to deliver double digit operating income, AOI growth - Live Nation says, "2018 is on track to deliver double-digit operating income and AOI growth along with expected strong gains in revenue, operating cash flow, and free cash flow. Our key leading indicators for our concerts, sponsorship & advertising and ticketing segments are ahead of last year, and we currently expect each of our businesses to deliver record revenue, operating income, and AOI this year."

16:22 EDT Live Nation reports Q1 Ticketmaster revenue up 19% - Live Nation says, "Starting with the concerts business, revenue is up 20%, operating income grew by 16% and AOI improved by 29% as we promoted 22% more shows for 15% more fans globally in the first quarter. Looking towards the full year, through April, we have booked nearly 5,000 arena, stadium and amphitheater shows, up 21% over this point last year. This growth is led by our amphitheaters, with show count up 27% to over 2,000 shows - growth that we will now further monetize through on-site fan spending... With revenue up 17%, operating income up 18% and AOI up 17% for the quarter, our sponsorship business continues to demonstrate the value of directly connecting brands with approximately 90 million fans at our concerts this year. Through April, we are pacing double digits ahead of last year in committed revenue, and have over 80% of our planned revenue for the year committed. We expect our growth to again be driven by our festivals and large strategic sponsors, and we continue adding a number of new partners, including Frito Lay, Proctor & Gamble and Twitter. As a result, we currently expect to deliver double-digit operating income and AOI growth in sponsorship & advertising again this year... Ticketmaster had a very strong start to the year as well, growing revenue by 19%, operating income by 19% and AOI by 17% for the quarter, as it had its largest quarter in history, transacting almost 60 million tickets for 21% growth in global gross transaction value to $5 billion."

16:21 EDT EOG Resources backs FY18 Exploration and Development target $5.4B-$5.8B - Reiterates full-year 2018 oil production growth target of 16-20%; Targets $3B Debt Reduction and Higher Dividend Growth Rate.

16:19 EDT Scotts Miracle-Gro appoints former CFO David Evans to board - The Scotts Miracle-Gro Company announced that the company's former CFO, David Evans, has been named to its board of directors.

16:16 EDT Twitter asks users to consider changing passwords after finding bug - Twitter stated in a post to its corporate blog: "When you set a password for your Twitter account, we use technology that masks it so no one at the company can see it. We recently identified a bug that stored passwords unmasked in an internal log. We have fixed the bug, and our investigation shows no indication of breach or misuse by anyone. Out of an abundance of caution, we ask that you consider changing your password on all services where you've used this password." Reference Link

16:15 EDT Platinum Group trading resumes

16:14 EDT Sarepta in pact with Myonexus for advancement of gene therapy programs - Sarepta Therapeutics announced that it has entered into an exclusive partnership with Myonexus Therapeutics, Inc., a clinical-stage biotechnology company developing transformative gene therapies for various forms of Limb-girdle muscular dystrophies.Myonexus' five LGMD gene therapy candidates target the most severe and common forms of the disease and include three clinical and two pre-clinical stage programs.The most advanced of Myonexus' programs, MYO-101, aims to treat LGMD2E, also known as beta-sarcoglycanopathy, a severe and debilitating form of LGMD characterized by progressive muscle fiber loss, inflammation and muscle fiber replacement with fat and fibrotic tissue. MYO-101 is designed to transfect a gene that codes for and restores beta-sarcoglycan protein with the goal of restoring the dystroglycan complex. MYO-101 has generated strong pre-clinical safety and efficacy data utilizing the AAVrh.74 vector system, the same vector used in the micro-dystrophin gene therapy program Sarepta is developing with Nationwide Children's Hospital. A Phase 1/2a study of MYO-101 is scheduled to begin in mid-2018. The companies plan to report on 60-day biopsy data in late-2018 or early 2019. Additionally, Myonexus is advancing MYO-102 for LGMD2D, MYO-103 for LGMD2C, MYO-201 for LGMD2B, and MYO-301 for LGMD2L. Like MYO-101, all programs rely upon transfecting a restorative gene utilizing the AAVrh.74 vector. Louise Rodino-Klapac, Ph.D., the principal investigator for the Center for Gene Therapy at Nationwide Children's Hospital and associate professor in the Department of Pediatrics at Ohio State University, is the inventor of the Myonexus portfolio of LGMD candidates and the chief scientific officer and co-founder of Myonexus, a spinout of Nationwide Children's Hospital, Center for Gene Therapy. Sarepta and Nationwide Children's are also developing and currently dosing patients in a micro-dystrophin gene therapy for the treatment of Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD). Dr. Rodino-Klapac is the co-inventor and serves as one of the principal investigators of the micro-dystrophin program. nder the terms of the agreement, Sarepta will make an upfront payment of $60 million and additional development-related milestone payments to purchase an exclusive option to acquire Myonexus at a pre-negotiated, fixed price with sales-related contingent payments. If all development-related milestone payments are met, Sarepta will make payments of up to $45 million over an approximately two-year evaluation period. Sarepta has the option to purchase Myonexus at any time, including upon review of proof-of-concept data.

16:14 EDT FleetCor, Shell extend fuel car pact in Europe - FleetCor (FLT) announced that it has extended its European fuel card agreement with Shell (RDS.A). Under the agreement, FLEETCOR will continue to manage, operate and sell the Shell fuel card to small-to-medium enterprises across 11 markets in Europe through 2025.

16:13 EDT Zayo enters next phase of evaluation for REIT conversion - Zayo Group announces that it "has completed the first phase of its investigation on the advisability and feasibility of a conversion to a real estate investment trust for federal income tax purposes, working diligently over the past several months both internally and with external advisors, including J.P. Morgan Securities LLC, Sullivan & Worcester LLP, and KPMG. Zayo has also closely followed market developments in the fiber optic cable space, including speaking with other similarly situated companies and learning from their experiences." As previously disclosed, Zayo has been exploring the possibility of pursuing conversion to a REIT. It added, "Based on its findings, it is likely Zayo will have alternatives that would enable REIT conversion and, as a result, has begun the next phase of evaluation and preparation. To that end, Zayo has begun a direct dialog with the IRS in an effort to obtain clarity and support for its position, which may include seeking a private letter ruling from the IRS. Zayo has also begun to execute the organizational changes that are required to operate as a REIT, including the realignment of its business segments to clearly delineate the leasing of network assets from ancillary services, which includes the separation and potential divestiture or deconsolidation of Zayo's Allstream business segment. Finally, Zayo is assessing what changes may be required to its financial systems and reporting that would be required in connection with any conversion to a REIT."

16:13 EDT LiNiu Technology trading halted, news pending

16:11 EDT Allscripts down 6.7% after reporting Q1 earnings, giving FY18 guidance

16:09 EDT CyberArk CEO says seeing 'robust demand' for solutions - "We were pleased to start 2018 with a very strong quarter, exceeding our guidance across revenue, operating income and EPS," said Udi Mokady, CyberArk Chairman and CEO. "We continue to see robust demand for our solution across geographies and vertical markets. Our strong results were driven by both new and existing customers who are protecting credentials and secrets on premises, in the cloud and in the DevOps pipeline. The year is off to a great start and with our strong results in the first quarter, we are well positioned to execute our strategy and capitalize on our tremendous opportunity."

16:06 EDT CBS CEO says Q1 results 'phenomenal' - "CBS' phenomenal first-quarter results once again affirm that we have the right strategy to successfully monetize our premium content now and in the future," said Leslie Moonves, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, CBS Corporation. "We achieved these record results thanks to the many ways we are delivering our must-have content, including our direct-to-consumer services -- CBS All Access and Showtime OTT -- which continue to grow rapidly and are now contributing meaningful dollars to our bottom line while attracting younger viewers. We are just beginning to reap the benefits from our position as an industry leader in delivering content over-the-top while others are just entering this business. Beyond direct-to-consumer, our Company-wide growth in paying subscribers is an extremely important and unique part of our success. Specifically, when you combine our CBS and Showtime subs across traditional MVPDs, virtual MVPDs (aka "skinny bundles"), and direct-to-consumer services, CBS Corporation's subscribers are not only growing, but the growth is also accelerating. And the average rate per sub is increasing strongly as well. Looking ahead, we are confident that the demand for our programming will only increase when we unveil our new primetime lineup for the CBS Television Network later this month. In addition, we have a very successful slate of new and returning series at Showtime that continues to drive its rates and subscribers, and we have the midterm elections this fall. All of this is leading to another record year for the CBS Corporation in 2018, and with today's terrific results, we are even more confident in the very strong full-year growth outlook that we laid out three months ago."

16:04 EDT DaVita backs FY18 operating cash flow view $1.4B-$1.6B - Sees FY18 effective tax rate approimately 26.5%-27.5%.

16:03 EDT ServiceNow acquires AI language solution provider Parlo, terms not stated - ServiceNow announced it has agreed to acquire Silicon Valley-based Parlo, an artificial intelligence and natural language understanding workforce solution, in an all-cash transaction expected to close this month. Parlo's unique algorithms make interacting with machines more conversational, which makes getting work done faster, easier and more enjoyable. ServiceNow will add the Parlo technology across its entire suite of services on the Now Platform TM. This acquisition signals the company's continuing investment in the power of AI to free employees to do more meaningful and satisfying work and accelerate positive business outcomes.

16:02 EDT LPL Financial trading halted, news pending

15:30 EDT Activision Blizzard resumes, rises off lows to be up 1% after earnings release

15:25 EDT Missouri American Water's new customer rates approved by MoPSC - Investments of over $250M in water and wastewater systems are the key driver in a rate order issued by the Missouri Public Service Commission today. Included in the new rates is approximately $207M of water and wastewater system investments made by Missouri American Water throughout its Missouri service areas that were not previously reflected in rates, and $48M of previously approved Infrastructure System Replacement Surcharge investments. "Periodic rate adjustments allow us to continue making critical investments in water and wastewater plants, pumps and pipelines that help to enhance quality, service reliability, and fire protection for customers," said Cheryl Norton, president of Missouri American Water. "These investments are needed in the over 150 communities we serve so we can ensure our customers continue to receive service that meets all regulatory standards." The rate order will result in approximately $38M in additional annual base rate revenue, including $5M of previously approved ISRS revenue. According to company officials, additional revenues will allow Missouri American Water to continue to invest proactively in its water and wastewater infrastructure throughout the state, the company said. The revenue requirement reflects an $18M reduction in the federal income tax due to the enactment of the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act. New rates are expected to take effect in late May/early June. The last change in base rates for water service and wastewater treatment occurred in 2016.

14:42 EDT Ducommun names Stephen Oswald chairman - Ducommun announced at its Annual Meeting of Shareholders on May 2, 2018, that Stephen G. Oswald, Ducommun's President and CEO, has been appointed Chairman of the Board, effective immediately, in addition to his other current responsibilities. Oswald joined the company in January 2017 as President and CEO after working in both private equity and at several large, multinational corporations. He replaces Tony Reardon, who has retired after six years as Chairman of the Board of Directors and a total of 20 years with Ducommun.

14:39 EDT Southwest to serve Hawaii nonstop from California airports - Southwest Airlines (LUV) shared more details in the carrier's service plans for Hawaii by announcing initial gateway cities in California that would offer nonstop service pending required regulatory approvals. Oakland, San Diego, Mineta San Jose, and Sacramento would gain Hawaii service in the carrier's flight schedules following FAA authorization for Hawaii service. Southwest President Tom Nealon this morning also further shared the carrier's intention to eventually offer some interisland flights as operations ramp up initially across four airports in Hawaii. "The way we plan to serve Hawaii requires us to share these initial details now so that our facilities in the airports will be ready for all that we intend to offer. We're on-track with our plans to sell tickets this year and are respectfully engaged in the process to receive FAA authorization to operate between the mainland and the Islands," said Nealon. Shares of Hawaiian Holdings, the owner of Hawaiian Airlines, are down 6% in late-day trading following Southwest's announcement.

13:42 EDT Connecticut Water says 'does not need' Eversource - Connecticut Water Service (CTWS) issued the following statement regarding commentary on Eversource Energy's (ES) first quarter 2018 earnings call held today: Connecticut Water notes that multiple independent industry analysts today questioned the merits of Eversource's proxy campaign and unsolicited takeover attempt of Connecticut Water and whether Eversource is able to sustain its targeted earnings growth rate on its own. Among the targeted questions posed to Eversource management on the call: "there has been some contemplation that perhaps this Connecticut Water bid is a function of you starting to see a lack of opportunity to deploy incremental capital in your core electricity and gas businesses in ways that allow you to be sustainably inside that 5% to 7% earnings growth rate. Would you care to comment on that impression that some people are drawing from it?" Connecticut Water says, "We believe that Eversource's decision to use their shareholders' resources to pursue a costly and distracting proxy campaign speaks to Eversource's desperation, not their focus on value creation. While Eversource may need Connecticut Water for growth and value creation, Connecticut Water does not need Eversource. Connecticut Water already has a superior record of shareholder returns and have a merger agreement in place that will help ensure we maintain this momentum well into the future. Indeed, we believe the SJW Group merger of equals will create greater value than the unsolicited acquisition that Eversource has proposed both at close and over the long-term - with more compelling benefits for shareholders, customers, employees and communities. We believe Eversource is pursuing this transaction and touting its dividend in an attempt to compensate for its inability to deliver meaningful stock price appreciation on its own, including given the New Hampshire Site Evaluation Committee denying Eversource's 192 mile Northern Pass pipeline project, which in our view is highlighted by questions raised this morning on Eversource's earnings conference call. Absent the benefit of its dividend, Eversource delivered only a 35% stock price return over the past five years as compared to 143% from Connecticut Water, as of April 27, 2018."

13:14 EDT Anheuser-Busch orders 800 semi-trucks from Tesla rival Nikola Motor - Anheuser-Busch (BUD) and Nikola Motor Company announced that America's leading brewer has placed an order for up to 800 hydrogen-electric powered semi-trucks from the pioneer in hydrogen-electric renewable technology. The zero-emission trucks - which will be able to travel between 500 and 1,200 miles and be refilled within 20 minutes, reducing idle time - are expected to be integrated into Anheuser-Busch's dedicated fleet beginning in 2020. Through this agreement Anheuser-Busch aims to convert its entire long-haul dedicated fleet to renewable powered trucks by 2025. Nikola's cutting-edge technology will enable the brewer to achieve this milestone across its long-haul loads, while also helping to improve road safety through the trucks' advanced surround viewing system. The Fly notes that Nikola Motor is suing Tesla (TSLA) for alleged design patent infringements, saying in a lawsuit that Tesla's Semi electric heavy duty truck is "substantially" similar to Nikola's design.

13:11 EDT Toyota building automated vehicle test facility in Michigan - The Toyota Research Institute is constructing a closed-course test facility to develop automated vehicle technology. Construction permits were filed this week to transform an approximately 60-acre site at Michigan Technical Resource Park in Ottawa Lake. When it becomes operational this October, the new site will be used exclusively by TRI to safely replicate demanding "edge case" driving scenarios, too dangerous to perform on public roads. "By constructing a course for ourselves, we can design it around our unique testing needs and rapidly advance capabilities, especially with Toyota Guardian automated vehicle mode," said Ryan Eustice, TRI senior vice president of automated driving. "This new site will give us the flexibility to customize driving scenarios that will push the limits of our technology and move us closer to conceiving a human-driven vehicle that is incapable of causing a crash." The TRI facility will be constructed inside MITRP's 1.75-mile oval test track. It will include congested urban environments, slick surfaces and a four-lane divided highway with high-speed entrance and exit ramps. Leasing the land from MITRP, TRI is responsible for design, construction and ultimate maintenance of the facility. TRI will also have access to the oval track and other onsite facilities and services, which are owned by MITRP and provided to all its customers. This new site expands TRI's closed-course testing capabilities, adding to partnerships with GoMentum Station in California, and Mcity and the American Center for Mobility in Michigan.

12:57 EDT SocGen board gives CEO Oudea further four-year term, shakes up deputy team - Societe Generale said its board of directors decided, following recommendations by the Appointments Committee and as proposed by CEO Frederic Oudea, to renew the group's General Management team. The board resolved to propose that Frederic Oudea be reappointed as Chief Executive Officer for a further four-year term at the Shareholders' Meeting to be held in May 2019. Frederic Oudea will be supported by four Deputy CEOs with banking expertise and complementary career experience: Diony Lebot, currently Group Chief Risk Officer, is appointed Deputy CEO, in charge of the control functions; Philippe Aymerich, currently CEO of Credit du Nord, is appointed Deputy CEO, in charge of French Retail Banking activities and their Innovation, Technology & IT department, as well as Group resources; Severin Cabannes, currently Deputy CEO in charge of control functions and Group resources takes over supervision of the Global Banking and Investor Solutions activities; Philippe Heim, currently Chief Financial Officer, is appointed Deputy CEO, in charge of International Retail Banking activities, Financial Services and Insurance. Bernardo Sanchez Incera, Deputy Chief Executive Officer in charge of Retail Banking, who launched the transformation of French Retail Banking and turned around the International Retail Banking business, has decided to continue his career outside of the Group.

12:34 EDT Sussex Bancorp changes name to SB One Bancorp - Sussex Bancorp announced its corporate name change to SB One Bancorp. SB One Bancorp is the holding company for SB One Bank, a full-service, commercial bank that operates regionally with 14 branch locations in New Jersey and New York. The corporate name change was voted and approved during the shareholder meeting on April 25.

12:31 EDT Carson Block has 'small position' in Tesla via bonds and puts - Carson Block of Muddy Waters is speaking on CNBC.

12:16 EDT Pool Corp. increases quarterly cash dividend 22% - The board has declared a quarterly cash dividend of 45c per share, a 22% increase over the previous quarterly dividend amount of 37c per share. The dividend is payable on June 1 to stockholders of record on May 18. As of May 2, there were 40,470,997 shares of common stock outstanding.

12:11 EDT Coupa Software jumps after Hiroyuki Okuma named as Japan chief - Earlier today, Coupa Software (COUP), announced that experienced business executive Hiroyuki Okuma has joined the company as its Japan country manager where he will be responsible for driving strategy, brand awareness, sales execution, partner alliances, and customer success. Prior to Coupa, Okuma was responsible for sales and marketing in the application business CRM domain at Oracle (ORCL) Japan. Okuma helped launch the SaaS business at Oracle that targeted small and medium-sized businesses and large enterprises. Before Oracle, Okuma was a regional sales vice president at Salesforce in Japan where he contributed to the expansion of strategic solutions for the largest automotive group in Japan. "Coupa is seeing measurable growth and adoption globally for its business spend management platform, and Japan offers another opportunity to build on this success since it is the third largest economy in the world," Okuma said. "My number one goal is to help Japanese customers manage spend within their organizations. I am excited to spearhead the next stage of Coupa's growth in the region." shares of Coupa Software are up 4.8% to $49.36 in midday trading.

11:46 EDT Airlines seen as next up for consolidation as Sprint/T-Mobile deal opens door - Stifel analyst Joseph DeNardi argued in a research note that if Sprint (S) and T-Mobile (TMUS) merger gets a green light from the Trump administration, there would likely be a "bidding war" unseen before in the airline industry as the "Big 4" would have significant interest in acquiring Alaska Air (ALK) or JetBlue (JBLU) if they think they could. 'BIDDING WAR' IN AIRLINES: In a research note to investors, Stifel's DeNardi argued that the Sprint/T-Mobile merger announcement and approval process was the first major test of the Trump administration's view on consolidation. The airline industry is one that wants to consolidate further but views the likelihood of a Department of Justice approval as low so has largely written off the idea in recent years, the analyst contended. However, DeNardi pointed out that if the "Big 4" airlines, namely Delta Air Lines (DAL), Southwest (LUV), American Airlines (AAL) and United Continental (UAL), were to believe that they could receive approval in the acquisition of certain smaller airlines, there would be bidding wars for both Alaska and JetBlue. While he believes the current consensus in the industry is that Alaska will serve as buyer and consolidator within its segment, should the "Big 4" believe that they could be permitted to be buyers, the M&A outlook would likely change. Overall, DeNardi sees Delta and Southwest as the best fit for Alaska, but thinks American and United are in a better position to get approval. Based on the Department of Justice's analysis of Alaska's acquisition of Virgin, it would appear the primary factor considered is the change in the number of airlines per route, he contended, adding that a combined American + Alaska or United + Alaska would have a negligible impact on routes per airline. Nonetheless, the analyst pointed out that he has no knowledge of any active M&A discussions. PRICE ACTION: In late morning trading, shares of Alaska and JetBlue have each dropped about 1% to $62.65 and $19.16, respectively.

11:20 EDT Columbia Banking appoints Greg Sigrist as CFO - Columbia Banking System announced that Greg Sigrist has been appointed Executive Vice President and CFO of the company and its subsidiary Columbia Bank, effective on or before July 1, 2018. Sigrist fills the role previously held by Clint Stein, who was appointed COO in July 2017.

11:06 EDT NeuroMetrix reports preliminary results from Quell chronic low back pain study - NeuroMetrix reported that preliminary results from a study of Quell wearable pain relief in chronic low back pain will be presented at the 9th World Congress of the World Institute of Pain in Dublin, Ireland May 9-12, 2018. The study was conducted by Dr. Robert Jamison and his colleagues at the Brigham and Women's Hospital Pain Management Center in Boston, MA. The poster presentation is titled "Efficacy of high-frequency transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation for chronic low back pain: does hypersensitivity matter?" and includes the following key findings: Subjects in the experimental group demonstrated reduced pain intensity compared to control subjects. Subjects in the experimental group exhibited reduced pain interference with function and pain catastrophizing compared to the control group. Subjects in the experimental group with greater sensitivity on quantitative sensory testing had more disability and higher Quell use, but sensitivity did not predict pain outcomes. Subjects in the experimental group used their device 381 +/- 353 hours during the study. The study was a three-month single site, controlled, randomized clinical trial. A total of 68 adult patients with a primary complaint of chronic low back pain were enrolled and randomized with equal probability to treatment with the Quell device or "treatment-as usual." Study subjects averaged 46.2 +/- 2.7 years of age. All subjects used a smartphone app developed by the Pain Management Center that helps patients document and manage their pain. Outcome measures included the Brief Pain Inventory, the Pain Catastrophizing Scale, the Pain Disability Index and the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale. All subjects were given Quantitative Sensory Testing at baseline.

11:03 EDT Keysight Technologies, IT-Telecom sign contract for V2X technology - Keysight Technologies announced the signing of contract with IT-Telecom to collaborate on a testing solution for Dedicated Short-Range Communication or Vehicle-to-everything communication. IT Telecom is a leading V2X, Intelligent Transport System solutions company in Korea that specializes in DSRC technology. DSRC signaling module and protocol expertise from IT-Telecom enhances system integrity and productivity.

10:49 EDT Tesla slides after Elon Musk's 'unorthodox,' 'truly bizarre' earnings call - Shares of Tesla (TSLA) are sliding after the company reported quarterly results and as its CEO Elon Musk cut off analysts during the earnings call, dismissing question about gross margins from Bernstein analyst Toni Sacconaghi as "boring." Instead, the executive answered multiple questions from Youtuber Gali Russell. While JPMorgan and UBS reiterated their sell-equivalent ratings on Tesla following the "odd" call, Baird analyst Ben Kallo recommended investors ignore all the noise and buy the shares. QUARTERLY RESULTS: Last night, Tesla reported first quarter adjusted losses per share of ($3.35) and revenue of $3.4B, with consensus at ($3.58) and $3.22B, respectively. The company also noted that it sees achieving full GAAP profitability in third and fourth quarters. "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," the carmaker added. Tesla's 2018 capex projection was also reduced from above $3.4B to under $3B. During the earnings call that followed the release of results, Elon Musk dismissed a question about gross margins from Bernstein's Sacconaghi as "boring." Instead, the CEO and other executives answered several questions from a 25-year-old retail investor and Youtuber named Gali Russell. In answering questions from Russell, Musk also said that Model Y production is not expected to begin for another two years. "We will not be starting production of the Model Y at the end of next year. It's probably closer to 24 months from now, 2020... We could not fit the Model Y production at Fremont," the chief executive noted. 'ODD' CONFERENCE CALL: JPMorgan analyst Ryan Brinkman lowered his price target for Tesla to $180 from $185, while reiterating an Underweight rating on the stock following quarterly results and a "truly bizarre" conference call. Meanwhile, his peer at RBC Capital also lowered his price target on the shares to $280 from $305, citing the company's "odd" first quarter conference call. RBC's Joseph Spak argued that the earnings report "did little" to sway either bulls or bears amid remaining "warranted" skepticism with the company's production capabilities. The analyst reiterated a Sector Perform rating on Tesla. Remaining cautious on Tesla's cash burn as well as the volatile and uncertain production timeline, UBS analyst Colin Langan reiterated a Sell rating and $195 price target on the shares. The analyst told investors in a research note of his own that while the electric carmaker's first quarter results beat consensus, the cash burn of $1.1B was higher and worse than expected. BUYING OPPORTUNITY: Piper Jaffray analyst Alexander Potter also lowered his price target for Tesla to $369 from $385 but reiterated an Overweight rating on the stock. The analyst told investors that Tesla "fought through another" quarter, with "no major red flags in the financial results," and noted that management strongly rejected the need for new equity. While acknowledging that Elon Musk's "unorthodox behavior" during the company's earnings call sparked an after-hours selloff in the shares, the analyst argued that he would buy the "dips in coming months." Voicing a similar opinion, Baird analyst Ben Kallo noted that Tesla's first quarter results beat on all metrics and recommended investors ignore all the noise about Musk not answering several questions on the conference call. The analyst believes investors should focus on the company's progress and recommended buying the shares. Kallo reiterated an Outperform rating and $411 price target on the shares. PRICE ACTION: In morning trading, shares of Tesla have dropped over 7%, or $21.61, to $279.54.

10:23 EDT Blue Apron jumps after earnings beat as subscriber growth rebounds - Shares of Blue Apron (APRN) rallied in morning trading after the meal kit company's quarterly earnings beat analysts' estimates and subscriber growth rebounded. Blue Apron has been struggling to overcome operational issues that have hurt its stock over the last year. EARNINGS: For the first quarter, Blue Apron reported a loss per share of (17c), above the (24c) loss analysts were expecting and the (78c) loss the company reported in the year-ago quarter. Net revenue increased 5% sequentially from the fourth quarter of 2017 to $196.7M, missing the consensus of $197.25M. The company cited "methodical" reacceleration in its marketing efforts for the revenue increase and a "strong" focus on expense management and operational efficiencies for the net loss improvement. "We are pleased with the progress we achieved this quarter, including significant improvement in operational efficiencies as reflected by our margin performance, which was the strongest we have seen since the second quarter of 2016," CEO Brad Dickerson said in a statement. While the company said customers increased 5% quarter-over-quarter, the number of customers buying Blue Apron's meal service is down 24% year-over-year. A "deliberate" pullback on marketing contributed to slowing customer acquisition, the company said. Looking ahead, Blue Apron now sees a net loss for fiscal 2018 of ($131M)-($126M) and an adjusted EBITDA loss ($60M) on revenue that is anticipated to be "moderately down" from fiscal 2017. For the second quarter, Blue Apron predicted a net loss of ($38M)-($36M) and adjusted EBITDA loss ($20M)-($15M) on revenue of $185M-$190M, below the consensus of $207.99M. EXECUTIVE COMMENTARY: On its earnings conference call, Blue Apron said it is targeting double digit revenue growth and breakeven adjusted EBITDA in fiscal 2019, but may even reach these goals as early as the fourth quarter of 2018. The company said it is launching a series of experimental brand activations in cities across the country that will include a short-term retail pop-up location in New York City, and that it sees an opportunity in "special occasion" offerings. Blue Apron said its direct-to-consumer platform is its "most valuable asset." WHAT'S NOTABLE: Dickerson has served as CEO of the company since late November, when Matt Salzberg stepped down. In addition to the management shuffle, Blue Apron opened a new food distribution center in Linden, New Jersey, which faced well-publicized operational issues, and debuted more flexible menu options for customers. Co-founder Matt Wadiak left his role as chief operating officer last July. Blue Apron announced plans to cut 6% of its total workforce in October. PRICE ACTION: In morning trading, shares of Blue Apron are up 3.3% to $2.18.

10:06 EDT Genzyme granted orphan status for polycystic kidney disease treatment - The FDA granted Sanofi's Genzyme unit orphans status for its treatment of autosomal dominant polycystic kidney disease. Reference Link

09:56 EDT Kellogg says Africa is 'tangible contributor' to emerging markets growth - Says Asia-Pacific region had a "very good quarter." Says growing Pringles and cereal in Asia and Africa. Says Australia cereal shares gained. Says partnership with Tolaram for Multi Pro, Dufil and Kellog Tolaram gives company "high-quality assets" and a "strong foothold" in Nigeria. Says expanding across North and South Africa. Says launched breakfast noodles in North and South Africa. Says there is plenty of room for expansion in both regions. Says Africa has become a 'tangible contributor' to emerging markets growth. Says will rapidly expand Pringles, cereal, noodles across continent.

09:47 EDT Kellogg sees FY18 cash flow $1.2B-$1.3B - Says pleased to report "such a strong start" to 2018. Says returning to top-line growth is priority and its pleasing to see portfolio improving. Says on track to achieve FY guidance. Says increased brand building at a strong double digit growth in Q1 which will continue in Q2. Says making progress at reshaping portfolio. Says continues to improve operating profit margin. Says will add incremental brand-building investments over next couple of quarters. Says expects net sales to be flat on a currency neutral basis. Expects adjusted operating profit up 4%-6%. Expects cash flow of $1.2B-$1.3B. Says West Africa investment is a "logical progression". Says investment adds to currency-neutral net sales and adjusted operating profit, adds to interest expense modestly, reduces net joint venture earnings/minority interest and its immaterial to currency-neutral adjusted EPS. Says sees "continued potential" from investment. Comments taken from Q1 earnings conference call.

09:42 EDT KKR beats earnings expectations, announces plans to convert to corporation - Shares of KKR (KKR) jumped in morning trading after the private equity firm reported better-than-expected quarterly results, increased its stock repurchase authorization by $500M and announced plans to convert to a corporation from a partnership, effective July 1. SWITCH TO CORPORATION: KKR this morning said it will convert to a corporation from a partnership, with the new structure taking effect on July 1. The firm said it expects to pay a dividend of 50c per share in the third quarter and also increased its share buyback program to $500M. "KKR's conversion from a partnership to a corporation is designed to broaden our investor base, simplify our structure and make it easier to invest in our shares," co-founders and firm leaders Henry Kravis and George Roberts, said in a statement announce first quarter results. Tax reform enacted by the Trump administration slashed the corporate tax rate to 21% from 3%, fueling private equity firms to evaluate shifting to a corporation from a partnership. Commenting on incentives to switch to a corporation, KKR cited "more attractive currency" and access to capital, as well as a simplified tax structure and simplified reporting structure. Relative to traditional "C-corp" financials as a publicly traded partnership, or PTP, KKR said its institutional ownership is lower, its mutual fund ownership is meaningfully lower and more concentrated, adding that "We are largely irrelevant to index funds and ETFs in an environment where investor flows have been moving towards passive strategies." WHAT'S NOTABLE: Ares Management (ARES) said last quarter that it would convert to a corporation as of March 1, making it the first major U.S. asset manager to switch over from a partnership. Other peers include Apollo Global (APO), Carlyle (CG) and Blackstone (BX). FIRST QUARTER RESULTS: For its first quarter, KKR's economic net income per share came in at 42c, ahead of analysts' expectations for 11c. Revenues were $472.6M for the quarter, compared to $767.8M in the year-ago quarter and analysts' $375.69M consensus. KKR's assets under management totaled $176B at the end of March, up 28% vs. last year. In private equity, performance fees declined to $61.3M from $329.7M last year, and the company noted that KKR's private equity portfolio appreciated 0.4% and 18.4% for the quarter and the last twelve months ended March 31, 2018, respectively. Blackstone and Carlyle have also recently reported ENI and revenue that beat analysts' estimates. PRICE ACTION: KKR is up 7%, or $1.50, to $23.00 per share in early trading.

09:18 EDT Tahoe Resources to resume operations at La Arena after strike resolution - Tahoe Resources announced a resolution to the labor strike at its La Arena mine in Peru. The concerns raised by the community of La Arena have also been addressed. The discussions were completed independently with both groups. It is expected that operations will reach normal levels within the next 48 hours.

09:14 EDT Donaldson doubles the size of its Belgium facility - Donaldson announced the grand opening of its expanded 45,000 square meter distribution facility in Brugge, Belgium. The facility serves 164 countries and has an annual outbound goods volume of 17M units. The newly expanded facility was first put into service in 1996 as a 10,000 square meter factory to support the company's gas turbine filtration applications. In 2006 the company converted the facility to a distribution center, and at the same time more than doubled its size to 22,000 square meters.

09:11 EDT Apple Hospitality REIT acquires 210-room Hampton Inn by Hilton in Phoenix - Apple Hospitality REIT (APLE) announced that it acquired the newly constructed 210-room Hampton Inn & Suites by Hilton Phoenix Downtown for a purchase price of approximately $44M, or $210,000 per key. The new Hampton Inn & Suites by Hilton (HLT) is in downtown Phoenix, with exposure to a wide variety of corporate, academic, medical, government and leisure demand generators. According to data provided by STR for the trailing 12 months ended March 31, RevPAR for the Phoenix market improved by approximately 4%, as compared to the prior 12-month period.

09:06 EDT FARO Technologies makes minority investment in VR company present4D - FARO has made a strategic minority investment in present4D GmbH, a software solutions provider for professional virtual reality presentations and training environments. present4D's VR-Suite solution leverages 360 degrees videos and 360 degrees pictures to incorporate point of interest icons, links, audio and objects to provide an immersive VR experience for a variety of business applications.

09:04 EDT Energy Recovery appoints Chris Gannon as CEO - Energy Recovery has appointed Chris M. Gannon, current interim President and CEO, as the company's new President and CEO and as a member of its board of directors, effective immediately. Gannon was named interim President and CEO on February 25 and has been the company's CFO since June 2015.

09:02 EDT Abbott: FDA approves Advisor HD Grid Mapping Catheter, Sensor Enabled - Abbott announced U.S. FDA clearance of the Advisor HD Grid Mapping Catheter, Sensor Enabled. Advisor HD Grid employs a new design that allows physicians to see things differently, capturing and analyzing data in a novel manner to create highly detailed maps of the heart that better differentiate healthy from unhealthy tissue. The new mapping catheter builds upon Abbott's innovative products designed to improve how physicians perform cardiac ablation procedures, including the EnSite Precision Cardiac Mapping System and a broad range of mapping and treatment catheters.

09:01 EDT Cardinal Health sees 'modest growth' in FY19 non-GAAP EPS - Consensus is $6.08. Says guidance based on updated FY18 guidance of $4.85-$4.95. Guidance taken from the Q1 earnings conference call.

08:54 EDT Blue Apron may reach DD revenue growth, breakeven adj. EBITDA as early as Q4 - Blue Apron says it may reach double digit revenue growth, breakeven adjusted EBITDA as early as Q4 of this year.

08:51 EDT MySize provides udpate on global marketing programs - My Size provided an update to shareholders regarding the company's global marketing programs. My Size CEO Ronen Luzon stated, "We have entered into several letters of intent with apparel brands and retailers in the U.S., Europe and other major global markets that are interested in deploying our MySizeID measurement platform. Our joint software engineering and sales teams are now in the beta testing phase of MySizeID with potential customers in the apparel market. We are also engaging in conversations with international couriers for our BoxSizeID product. We are seeing strong interest from potential customers as a result of our product demonstrations at CES in Las Vegas and the National Retail Federation show in New York earlier this year, as well as through our ongoing sales and marketing efforts. We are on track with our marketing plans as outlined in our shareholder letter issued in February 2018."

08:50 EDT Blue Apron sees ongoing progress in financial performance in FY18

08:48 EDT Blue Apron says to launch short-term retail pop-up location in NYC - Says launching a series of experimental brand activations in cities across the country that will include a short-term retail pop-up location in New York City. Sees opportunity in "special occasion" offering, will be available on marketplace in the coming weeks.

08:46 EDT Teva says expects moderate price, volume pressure on Copaxone - Says already factored into FY18 guidance.

08:42 EDT ClearSign Combustion provides update on Chinese operations - ClearSign Combustion is providing an update on the pilot test project with one of China's largest providers of residential and commercial heating services. "We're making encouraging progress as we work to achieve ultra-low emissions levels in one of the world's largest markets for our technology," said Steve Pirnat, Chairman and CEO of ClearSign. "This has created significant opportunities for us to work throughout the broader district heating market in China as well as the vast refinery, chemical, and petrochemical industries. While the time constraints of the heating season prevented us from finalizing our testing, our partner remains interested in our patented Duplex technology and we are very optimistic our technology will prevail, as it has in all other commercial installations." As previously announced, ClearSign is working with a large state-owned enterprise to install and demonstrate ClearSign's innovative Duplex technology in one of its boilers. The project is a joint collaboration with ClearSign handling the design and oversight of the fabrication by the local partner. During this initial phase of testing, the Company's experts determined substantial burner modifications are necessary to simplify the delivery of gas and air to provide an ideal operating environment for ClearSign's Duplex technology to achieve ultra-low NOx emissions. The level of modification is consistent with previous initial installations for customers in other verticals. Making the modifications to their existing equipment remains a key motivation for the customer because of the potential cost-savings of retrofitting versus replacing the existing burners. The Company believes that once the first installation is successful, the time required for subsequent installations will be dramatically reduced, consistent with its experience in other verticals. This is relevant to note, as the the Memorandum of Understanding with this customer specifies after successful completion of the pilot test, the parties will move to negotiate a subsequent definitive agreement to retro-fit multiple boilers within the district's operational footprint of more than 1,000 units. China's heating season traditionally restarts in the fourth quarter. ClearSign intends to use the time before the restart to work with the customer on multiple options to demonstrate the Duplex technology and satisfy the testing requirements as soon as practical. "While this initial project has taken longer than originally planned, the Chinese market remains a vast and important opportunity for ClearSign," said Steve Pirnat. "Unlike our domestic market, there is clear and urgent government mandate driving adoption of Low NOx technologies like Duplex."

08:39 EDT Ocular Therapeutix reports treatment of first patient in Phase 1 OTX-TIC trial - Ocular Therapeutix announced the treatment of the first patient in a Phase 1, open-label, proof-of-concept clinical trial being conducted in the United States for OTX-TIC, a bioresorbable travoprost implant delivered via an intracameral injection for the reduction of intraocular pressure in patients with glaucoma and ocular hypertension. In preclinical studies, OTX-TIC has demonstrated an acceptable safety profile and a marked reduction in intraocular pressure. OTX-TIC features a sustained release profile and is designed to support dosing with a duration of four to six months in a single administration. This U.S.-based, Phase 1, multi-center, open-label, prospective, proof-of-concept clinical trial will evaluate the safety, efficacy, durability, and tolerability of OTX-TIC in patients with primary open-angle glaucoma or ocular hypertension.

08:38 EDT WWE sees Q2 average paid subscribers up 8% to 1.77M - WWE said: "The company anticipates a meaningful increase in revenue based on the distribution of new content in certain international markets, as well as higher rights fees in existing content agreements and the continued growth of WWE Network. The company projects Adjusted OIBDA of $30M to $34M. This range of results would compare to Adjusted OIBDA of $24.3M in the second quarter 2017. WWE is unable to provide a reconciliation of second quarter guidance to GAAP measures as, at this time, WWE cannot accurately determine all of the adjustments that would be required. For the second quarter 2018, the company projects average paid subscribers of approximately 1.77 million, which represents an 8% increase from the second quarter 2017."

08:36 EDT Destination Maternity investor group urges votes for four board nominees - Nathan Miller and Peter O'Malley, collective holders of approximately 9% of the outstanding common stock of Destination Maternity, released a letter to their fellow Destination Maternity shareholders, calling on them to vote the gold proxy card in favor of the Investors' four director nominees, Holly Alden, Christopher Morgan, Marla Ryan and Anne-Charlotte Windal to the Board of Directors of the company at the company's 2018 annual meeting of stockholders, scheduled to be held on May 23. The letter stated in part: "Our nominees will seek to implement our strategic plan. We believe our turnaround plan, which seeks to improve margins by rationalizing inventory and cutting wasteful spending, can increase: EBIT/EBITDA margins by 10%; EBIT/EBITDA by $40MM; Cash flow by approximately $40MM; GAAP net income by approximately $30MM; and Incremental EPS by up to $2.00."

08:35 EDT CytRx names Eric Curtis as COO, effective May 3 - CytRx announced that its Board of Directors has approved the appointment of Eric Curtis to the company's executive management team, as President and COO, effective May 3. Before joining CytRx, Curtis served as President, U.S. Commercial at Aegerion Pharmaceuticals, now Novelion Therapeutics.

08:34 EDT Attis Industries announces transition of name change, symbol ATIS now trading - Attis Industries announced the successful transition of its corporate name change to Attis Industries and its corresponding new stock symbol of Nasdaq: ATIS, previously, MRDN.

08:32 EDT TOP Ships announces extension of time charter contract of M/T Eco Fleet - TOP Ships (TOPS) announced that it has extended the firm period of the time charter of M/T Eco Fleet with BP Shipping Limited for six months.

08:27 EDT Arotech wins tender from Canadian DND valued about $3M - Epsilor-Electric Fuel, a part of Arotech Corporation's Power Systems Division, has won a tender from the Canadian Department of National Defense, or DND, worth approximately US $3 million in its initial phase. The Company will develop and provide an innovative charger designed to meet the operational and technical needs of the Canadian Armed Forces Integrated Soldier System Suite, or ISS-S, Program. The contract includes 400 charger units, spares and other services, as well as options to order up to an additional 350 chargers within the next four years. The Canadian Government Procurement Notification can be viewed at www.buyandsell.gc.ca/procurement-data/award-notice/PW-QD-027-26613-001. The Canadian Armed Forces are among the most active NATO-member militaries, with a full service record in all recent major NATO conflict areas, including the former Yugoslavia, Iraq, and Afghanistan, as well as in worldwide UN peace keeping missions. The Canadian ISS Program aims to equip thousands of dismounted soldiers with state-of-the-art C4I systems that include battle management system, intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance, and target acquisition equipment. As ISS energy components support all wearable electronic equipment in long dismounted operations, the Canadian Armed Forces identified battery recharging as a critical capability of the ISS and decided to obtain a dedicated multi-channel charger that will support its soldiers in the field, in vehicles, in forward operating bases and for high volume recharging of thousands of batteries simultaneously. The new charger offered by Epsilor supports the LI-145/LI-80 family and BB-2525/U conformal wearable batteries used by the Canadian forces, as well as by various NATO armed forces. Epsilor's solution is based on a 12-channel charger, packed in a rugged tactical case that will enable soldiers to charge large numbers of batteries in depot as well as in the field and in moving vehicles ("charge on the move"). The charger, which is designed to receive power from different sources such as an electric grid and different vehicle sources with flexible input voltage, is intended to improve tactical flexibility and the energy independence of its users.

08:16 EDT OneMain Holdings sees higher interest expense for remainder of the year - Says expects marketing metrics to improve. Expects GAAP income to improve as current trends continue. Expects expenses to increase in Q2, reflecting seasonally higher marketing expense. Sees higher interest expense for remainder of the year. Comments taken from the Q1 earnings conference call.

08:14 EDT Bombardier announces sale of Downsview property, long-term lease with GTAA - Bombardier also announced that it has entered into a definitive agreement to sell its Downsview property for gross proceeds of approximately $635 million to the Public Sector Pension Investment Board, subject to customary closing conditions. The transaction is expected to close in the second quarter of 2018, increasing cash by more than $550 million net of transaction and other associated costs. Additionally, pursuant to a lease agreement with PSP Investments, Bombardier will continue to operate from Downsview for a period of up to three years following closing, with two optional one-year extension periods. In parallel, Bombardier also entered into a letter of agreement with the Greater Toronto Airports Authority, or GTAA, for a long-term lease of approximately 38 acres of property at Toronto Pearson International Airport on which Bombardier is planning to open a new centre of excellence and final assembly plant for its Global business jets. Details on this new leased facility will be provided at a future date. "As part of Bombardier's five-year turnaround plan, we have been reviewing our facilities worldwide to ensure we have the most efficient and cost effective operations necessary to support our growth objectives," said CEO Alain Bellemare. "Today, we only use about 10 percent of a 370-acre site at Downsview and bear the entire cost of operating a 7,000-foot runway. So, we are very pleased to have reached agreements with PSP Investments and the GTAA. Together, they allow us to monetize an underutilized asset, further streamline and optimize our business aircraft operations, and will support further economic development and job growth in the Greater Toronto area."

08:13 EDT Icahn Enterprises reports indicative net asset value increased to $8.1B - For the three months ended March 31, 2018 Icahn Enterprises' indicative net asset value increased to $8.1B, compared to $7.9B as of December 31, 2017.

08:08 EDT Union Bank & Trust president changes position to focus on health - Union Bank & Trust announced John Stallings has changed positions to become senior EVP as he focuses on a health concern. Effective immediately, John Asbury, CEO of Union Bank & Trust, has been reappointed president of Union Bank & Trust and the bank will conduct a national search for a president. In his new role, Stallings will continue to report to Asbury and remain a part of the bank's executive leadership team.

08:08 EDT Charles River announces extended partnership with Michael J. Fox Foundation - Charles River Laboratories announced an extension of its long-standing collaboration with The Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinson's Research, an organization working to support the diagnosis and treatment of Parkinson's disease. Since 2011, Charles River and MJFF have worked together to accelerate the discovery of therapies for PD. This latest extension includes grants from MJFF to support two projects: The in vivo phenotyping of an a-synuclein knockout model and an a-synuclein A53T knockin model; and Establishment and validation of a pre-clinical model to test LRRK2 kinase inhibitors.

08:07 EDT Enterprise, Enbridge, Western Gas, DCP conduct open season for Texas Express - Enterprise Products Partners L.P. (EPD), Midcoast Operating L.P., a unit of Enbridge (ENB), Western Gas Partners, LP (WES) and DCP Midstream, LP (DCP) announced a binding open season for additional capacity on the Texas Express Pipeline, which transports mixed natural gas liquids from Skellytown, Texas in Carson County to the NGL fractionation and storage complex in Mont Belvieu, Texas. Subject to customer commitments during the open season, the partners expect to expand Texas Express by approximately 90,000 barrels per day. Enterprise will be responsible for constructing the expansion, which will consist of adding pumping capacity along the 583-mile route. Service on the expanded Texas Express pipeline is expected to begin in the second quarter of 2019. The expansion of Texas Express is designed to facilitate growing production of NGLs from domestic shale basins, including the Denver-Julesburg Basin in Colorado. Complementing the Texas Express expansion is a proposed increase in capacity on the 435-mile Front Range pipeline that originates in Weld County Colorado and connects to the Texas Express pipeline. Combined, these two assets offer an integrated solution that provides much-needed takeaway capacity for NGL production in the DJ Basin and access to the Gulf Coast market. An open season is currently under way seeking customer commitments to increase capacity on the Front Range pipeline by 100,000 BPD to a total capacity of approximately 250,000 BPD.

08:05 EDT Kellogg announces increased investment in West African businesses - Kellogg Company expanded its interest in business partnerships with Tolaram in West Africa. The Company is investing a total of about $420M to add to its joint-venture equity interests, resulting in a stake in a leading Nigerian food manufacturer and the consolidation of results of the largest Nigerian food distributor. Kellogg has exercised its option to acquire a stake in Tolaram Africa Foods, a holding company of a leading manufacturer and marketer of packaged foods in Nigeria and Ghana. Most of its products, including that market's leading brand of noodles, are distributed by Multipro, the largest distributor of food products in those growing markets. Kellogg has held a 50% investment interest in Multipro since September, 2015, along with Tolaram. With annual sales of approximately $650M at current exchange rates, the business has experienced rapid growth during that time. Kellogg's recently increased investments not only further cement the Company's position in this overall business, enabling the pursuit of further growth opportunities, but, together with other factors, also result in the consolidation of the distributor's sales and profit results into those of Kellogg. Kellogg and Tolaram also own a joint venture, Kellogg Tolaram Nigeria Limited, which was created in January, 2016, to market and distribute breakfast and snacks brands in West Africa, and noodles across Africa.

08:04 EDT Unit Corp. elects to terminate at-the-market common stock program - Because of the liquidity created by the Superior transaction, Unit has elected to terminate the At-The-Market Common Stock Program initiated in February 2017. Under that program, the company could offer and sell, occasionally, shares of its common stock up to an aggregate offering price of $100.0 million. To date under the program, Unit sold 787,547 shares of its common stock resulting in proceeds of approximately $18.6 million. For the quarter, per day equivalent production was 46.5 thousand barrels of oil equivalent, a decrease of less than 1% from the fourth quarter of 2017. Oil and natural gas liquids production represented 46% of total equivalent production.

08:00 EDT Unisys selected by Nexa Resources for IT innovation - Unisys (UIS) announced a contract with Nexa Resources (NEXA), a new client for Unisys, to modernize the global mining company's information technology architecture. Unisys is helping Nexa Resources define new business processes and IT infrastructure meant to further the company's growing momentum in the Brazilian market.

07:48 EDT HP Enterprise, Red Hat partner to optimize, accelerate containers in production - Hewlett Packard Enterprise (HPE) announced a collaboration with Red Hat (RHT) to enable enterprises to adopt and deploy containers in production rapidly and at scale. While developers find it easy to deploy containerized applications in their development and test environments, enterprises often require container scalability, added security features, persistent storage, and manageability to deploy containers in production. To help accelerate container application delivery, HPE and Red Hat are collaborating to optimize Red Hat OpenShift Container Platform on HPE platforms, including HPE Synergy, the industry's first composable infrastructure. In addition, the two companies are also collaborating to offer services to help customers adopt Red Hat OpenShift Container Platform with HPE platforms from proof of concept to production. With the efforts of HPE and Red Hat, IT experts can deploy a single container architecture from development to operations. Red Hat OpenShift Container Platform has become a leader in the container space by offering an integrated, enterprise-grade container platform based on industry standards, including Linux containers and Kubernetes. HPE will pair key components of its hybrid IT portfolio of products and services with capabilities for Red Hat OpenShift Container Platform. The HPE technology stack will be available in September 2018. A Reference Architecture for HPE Synergy with Red Hat OpenShift Container Platform featuring the Gluster File System is already available. HPE Pointnext also offers a comprehensive portfolio of advisory and professional services supporting application containerization and Kubernetes integration. In late 2018, HPE Pointnext plans to expand the offering with additional services to help customers adopt Red Hat OpenShift Container Platform with HPE solutions and migrate to containers.

07:45 EDT Teva says Copaxone maintaining market share U.S. - Says: Copaxone 40mg TRx market share 85% vs. Gx 15%. National formulary access remains stable for Copaxone 40mg ~90%. Copaxone continues to be a market leader with Q1 TRx exit share of 24.6% of the MS Market. Copaxone sales expected to be impacted by increased generic competition resulting in higher price reductions and lower volumes.

07:43 EDT Teva says on track to achieve $3B in spend base reduction - More than half in 2018; full amount by end of 2019. FTEs reduced by ~6,200 to ~46K since the start of the restructuring plan. On track to achieve HC reduction target of 14,000 over next 2 years. Since December 2017, 10 plant closures or divestments have been announced. Significantly reducing the number of R&D sites, headquarters, and office locations.

07:41 EDT Pinnacle Foods reports Q1 Boulder segment sales up 0.5% to $97.8M - Net sales for the Boulder segment increased 0.5% to $97.8 million in the first quarter of 2018, compared to $97.3 million in 2017. This performance reflects favorable volume/mix of 3.1% partially offset by unfavorable net price realization of 2.6%. The net sales performance for the Boulder segment reflected the continued strength of the Gardein business along with growth of Earth Balance. Partially offsetting this growth were lower net sales of Evol and Udi's. In-market performance of the Boulder segment continued to be very strong, with retail consumption up 8.8%, driven by solid growth of Gardein and Earth Balance, which grew consumption in the quarter 56.9% and 22.0%, respectively, and was partially offset by Evol and, to a lesser extent, Udi's, which improved sequentially over the course of the first quarter. Market share for the segment was essentially flat in the quarter. EBIT for the Boulder segment increased to $11.9 million in the first quarter of 2018, compared to $6.7 million in the prior year period, primarily reflecting the favorable impact of items affecting comparability versus the year-ago period as well as productivity, partially offset by input cost inflation. Adjusted EBIT decreased 4.2% to $12.6 million, compared to $13.2 million in 2017.

07:40 EDT Embraer, American Airlines sign contract for 15 E175s - Embraer (ERJ) and American Airlines (AAL) signed a firm order for 15 E175 jets with a 76-seat configuration. The contract has a value of $705M, based on current list prices, and will be included in Embraer's 2018 second-quarter backlog. Deliveries will take place in 2019 between March and November. Combined with the airline's three previous orders for the E175, this new contract results in a total of 89 E175s for American Airlines. The most recent order took place in October 2017 for ten aircraft. Including this new contract, Embraer has sold more than 400 E175s to airlines in North America since January 2013, earning more than 80% of all orders in this 76-seat jet segment.

07:35 EDT TC PipeLines lowers dividend by 35% to 65c per share - The dividend payable on May 15, 2018 to unitholders of record as of the close of business on May 9, 2018. The company states the "reduced distribution level allows the Partnership to retain a portion of the operating cash generated by its pipeline systems, to repay a portion of our debt to maintain prudent financial metrics and to fund near-term capital requirements in lieu of additional equity issuances."

07:34 EDT Enviva raises distribution 12.6% y/y to 62.50 per unit - Enviva says, "The board of directors of our general partner declared a distribution of $0.6250 per common and subordinated unit for the first quarter of 2018. This distribution is 12.6 percent higher than the distribution for the first quarter of 2017 and represents the eleventh consecutive distribution increase since the Partnership's initial public offering of units representing limited partner interests. The Partnership's distributable cash flow, net of amounts attributable to incentive distribution rights, of $7.5 million for the first quarter of 2018 covers the distribution for the quarter at 0.46 times. The quarterly distribution will be paid on Tuesday, May 29, 2018, to unitholders of record as of the close of business on Tuesday, May 15, 2018."

07:32 EDT IntercontinentalExchange sees Q2 GAAP operating expenses $570M-$580M - ICE's second quarter 2018 GAAP operating expenses are expected to be in a range of $570 million to $580 million and adjusted operating expenses are expected to be in a range of $500 million to $510 million. ICE's interest expense is expected to be $55 million in the second quarter. ICE's full year 2018 GAAP operating expenses are expected to be in a range of $2.28 billion to $2.32 billion and adjusted operating expenses are expected to be in a range of $2.00 billion to $2.04 billion.

07:29 EDT KKR says conversion to corporation designed to broaden investor base - "KKR's conversion from a partnership to a corporation is designed to broaden our investor base, simplify our structure and make it easier to invest in our shares. We believe this change, together with continued strong performance, will increase our ability to generate significant long-term equity value for all of our shareholders," said Henry R. Kravis and George R. Roberts, Co-Chairmen and Co-Chief Executive Officers of KKR. "In terms of our results, we saw solid performance across our businesses this quarter amid declining global markets. Our operating fundamentals remain strong as evidenced by the 28% growth in our Assets Under Management and the 14% growth in our Book Value per Unit over the last 12 months."

07:28 EDT Neuralstem announces publication of long-term follow-up data on ALS - Neuralstem announced the results from a study published in the Annals of Clinical and Translational Neurology that support the potential of transplanted human spinal cord-derived neural stem cells to stabilize functioning of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis patients. The manuscript entitled "Long-term Phase 1/2 Intraspinal Stem Cell Transplantation Outcomes in Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis" had as senior author Study Principal Investigator Eva Feldman, MD, PhD, Russell N. DeJong Professor of Neurology at the University of Michigan. It evaluated the impact of HSSC transplantation on functional outcomes, as measured using the ALSFRS-R scale, and on a composite statistic that combined functional and survival outcomes. Results were evaluated against matched controls derived from two historical datasets and showed significantly better ALSFRS-R scores at 24 months, as well as the composite functional/survival score in subjects receiving HSSC. The ALS Functional Rating Scale-Revised is a validated questionnaire that measures physical function in performing activities of daily living. The Phase 1 and 2 open label dose escalation studies were carried out at the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor, Emory University in Atlanta, and Harvard Medical School in Boston. They enrolled a total of 30 subjects and had as their primary objective to evaluate the safety of intraspinal transplantation of HSSC, while also measuring survival and functional endpoints. Previous publications from the investigators have concluded that the treatment is safe.

07:23 EDT Target, Shipt expand same-day delivery in the Midwest, South - Shipt and Target Corporation announced they will begin same-day delivery of more than 55,000 groceries, essentials, home, electronics, toys and other products in Missouri, Kansas and Arkansas, and expand service in Mississippi. This marks the first time Shipt's marketplace will be available in Arkansas, Kansas and Missouri. Shipt and Target's expansion to the Jackson, Mississippi area follows their recent entrance into the Biloxi/Gulfport, Mississippi, market in April 2018. Cumulatively, the partnership gives almost 1.2M households across the four states access to Target products delivered by Shipt in as little as one hour. To celebrate the announcement, new members who sign up prior to launch will receive an annual membership for $49. Leading up to the launches, Shipt plans to add more than 1,300 new Shipt Shoppers across the four states to be part of the team responsible for ensuring complete, accurate fulfillments of each order.

07:20 EDT Platform Specialty Products says separation plan on track for 2018 - CEO Rakesh Sachdev said, "Our outlook for the remainder of the year is optimistic given healthy end-markets in our Performance Solutions segment and improving end-markets in Agricultural Solutions. We are reaffirming our full year adjusted EBITDA guidance in the range of $870 million to $900 million in that context. Progress against our separation continues with momentum. We remain committed to this path to create two standalone businesses with terrific market positions, growth trajectories and management teams. Strategically, we believe each of these companies will be better positioned to deliver value to their customers, and we remain confident that our shareholders should benefit from value creation from the separation."

07:18 EDT Superior Uniform acquires CID Resources - Superior Uniform Group announced that it has entered into a definitive agreement to acquire all of the outstanding stock of CID Resources, or CID, a privately owned company based in Coppell, TX, for approximately $88.4M. The purchase price of approximately $88.4 million for the transaction consists of approximately $84.4 million in cash, net of cash acquired, subject to adjustments, and the issuance of approximately 150,000 shares of Superior common stock. The transaction closed on May 2, 2018 and was structured as a stock purchase. CID's net sales for the year ended December 31, 2017 were $65.3 million. The transaction is expected to be accretive to Superior's earnings per share and other operating results in 2018.

07:16 EDT Spectrum announces licensing agreement on methods of use of poziotinib - Spectrum Pharmaceuticals announced an exclusive licensing agreement with The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center for intellectual property related to certain methods of use of poziotinib. "We have been aggressively pursuing the potential of exon 20 mutations and treatment with poziotinib since the inception of our relationship with MD Anderson, but we've both only begun to scratch the surface of the science and poziotinib's potential as a targeted treatment for various solid tumors," said Joe Turgeon, president and CEO of Spectrum Pharmaceuticals. "Late-stage poziotinib clinical data targeting the exon 20 mutations are promising, and we are thrilled to enter this new agreement that strengthens and potentially extends our patent protection until 2037 as we continue this journey of discovery together." Under the terms of the agreement, Spectrum has been granted a license that includes rights to filed patents related to exon 20 as well as any unidentified discoveries related to the use of poziotinib that may come from Dr. Heymach's lab at MD Anderson in the future. The filed patents, if granted, are expected to extend the intellectual property protection to 2037. This agreement with MD Anderson further solidifies and extends Spectrum's intellectual property protection for poziotinib.

07:13 EDT Houghton Mifflin reaffirms FY18 outlook

07:11 EDT United Airlines names Josh Earnest as Chief Communications Officer - United Airlines announced Josh Earnest has been named senior vice president and chief communications officer. Earnest brings to the company more than two decades of strategic communications expertise from the highest levels of politics and government, including as White House Press Secretary. At United, he will be responsible for developing the company's global communications strategy, leading a world-class team to execute it, working closely with the company's leadership to shape the airline's public image and serving as the company's chief spokesman.

07:11 EDT Teva rises 6.5% after Q1 report and FY18 guidance increases

07:05 EDT AerCap board approves new $200M share repurchase program

07:05 EDT Cogent increases quarterly dividend 4% to 52c per share - Cogent approved a regular quarterly dividend of 52c per common share payable on June 1 to shareholders of record on May 17. This Q2 regular dividend represents a 4.0% increase of 2c per share from the Q1 regular dividend of 50c per share.

06:59 EDT Sally Beauty reports Q2 SSS down 1.6%

06:58 EDT Merck's KEYNOTE-407 trial meets secondary endpoint, submits sBLA to FDA - Merck announced that the pivotal Phase 3 KEYNOTE-407 trial investigating Keytruda, Merck's anti-PD-1 therapy, in combination with carboplatin-paclitaxel or nab-paclitaxel as first line treatment for metastatic squamous non-small cell lung cancer, or NSCLC, met a pre-specified secondary endpoint of overall response rate, or ORR, in an early cohort of participants at an interim analysis. Based on these data, Merck has recently submitted a supplemental Biologics License Application, or sBLA, to FDA. This study has been accepted for oral presentation at the American Society of Clinical Oncology, or ASCO 2018 annual meeting. The company now expects that an additional interim analysis will be conducted prior to ASCO and additional data may be available for the ASCO 2018 annual meeting.

06:57 EDT Avon Products reports Q1 active representatives down 4% - Reports Q1 average order in constant dollars up 6%. Reports Q1 gross margin 58.4%, down 280bps.

06:54 EDT KKR board approves plan to convert to corporation from partnership - KKR's Board of Directors unanimously approves plan to convert from a partnership to a corporation, effective July 1, 2018. KKR expects to pay an annualized dividend of 50c per common share as a corporation and announces an increase in its available share repurchase authorization to $500M, effective immediately.

06:52 EDT FMC Corporation sees Q2 AGS revenue $1.1B-$1.6B, Lithium revenue $110M-$120M

06:50 EDT NRG Energy still sees 2018 adjusted EBITDA $2.8B-$3.0B

06:48 EDT PBF Logistics raises quarterly distribution to 49c per unit - The distribution is payable on May 30 to unitholders of record at the close of business on May 15.

06:45 EDT Bayer sees 2018 sales up at low to mid single digit percentage - Bayer says, "Based on the business development described in this report and taking into account the potential risks and opportunities, we confirm the currency-adjusted forecasts published in February for operating performance. We continue to expect 2018 sales to increase by a low- to mid single-digit percentage on a currency- and portfolio-adjusted basis. As before, we aim to increase EBITDA before special items and core earnings per share by a mid-single-digit percentage on a currency-adjusted basis. Taking into account the exchange rates as at March 31, 2018, reported sales would decline in 2018 overall by a low-single-digit percentage. In absolute terms, sales would now come in at below EURO$35 billion. EBITDA before special items would decline by a low-single-digit percentage. Core earnings per share would come in at the prior-year level, as previously forecast."

06:40 EDT Regeneron narrows FY CapEx view to $420M-$480M from $420M-$500M - Narrows FY effective tax rate to 15%-18% from 15%-19%. Sees Sanofi (SNY) reimbursement of Regeneron (REGN) commercialization-related expenses $450M-$485M vs. previous view of $450M-$500M.

06:33 EDT Wabco extends long-term, $100M agreement with European manufacturer - Wabco announced that it has extended its long-term agreement to supply air compressor technology for a major global manufacturer of trucks and buses, which is headquartered in Europe. Under the agreement, valued at almost $100M, Wabco will continue to supply the commercial vehicle manufacturer its proven c-compTM clutch compressors, as well as water-cooled w-compTM and m-compTM non-water-cooled crankcase air compressors, across Europe, the Americas and Asia. Offering significantly enhanced fuel economy, WABCO's 318cc and 636cc single and twin cylinder compressors feature either an integrated clutch or an optimized power reduction system which reduces power consumption during the off-load phase. The water-cooled crankcase compressors significantly reduce oil carry-over and carbon build up resulting in lower maintenance costs. In addition to greater fuel efficiency as a result of the compressor's reduced energy demands the compressor's lower noise levels also enhance driver comfort.

06:29 EDT China Automotive announces joint venture with KYB Investment for EPS systems - China Automotive announced it has established a new joint venture, Hubei Henglong KYB Automobile Electric Steering, with KYB Investment , a wholly owned company of Japan KYB, for the development and production of electric power steering systems, or EPS, and other auto-related products. Based in Jingzhou City, Hubei Province, China, Hubei KYB will engage in the research, development, manufacture, sales and service of automotive electric steering systems and other automotive products. Specific product categories include column-type electric power steering system, gear-type electric power steering system, rack-type electric power steering system and other automotive EPS products. The rights to EPS technologies from both parties will be transferred to Hubei KYB with full technical support for the R&D department. Hubei KYB plans to invest approximately RMB960M and have registered capital of RMB320M. It expects to have an annual production capacity target of 5M units to significantly penetrate the Chinese and the global EPS markets. CAAS's participation will be RMB213.12M for a 66.6% ownership, funded by in-kind and cash, which include the transfer of intellectual property, equipment for EPS production and cash. The board will consist of five directors, three of whom will be appointed by CAAS including the chairman.The joint venture will lease its operating headquarter offices and factory buildings from the existing CAAS facilities in Jingzhou City. Hubei KYB will establish an independent R&D department in Wuhan City, Hubei Province, to research and develop new products and technologies. In addition, CAAS and KYB plan to transfer all their current EPS business in the Chinese market, including the business of KYB's Japanese customers in China, to Hubei KYB.

06:25 EDT Enerplus sees 2018 CapEx 4535M-$585M - Sees Q2 crude oil and natural gas liquids production 48,000 to 50,000 bbls/day and average annual production 86,000-91,000 BOE/day.

06:19 EDT Zynga founder Pincus stepping down from exec. chairman role, converting shares - Zynga founder Mark Pincus announced in a Medium post Wednesday that he is stepping down from his executive chairman role at the gaming company and converting his super voting shares into ordinary shares. Pincus announced that he will convert his super voting shares in the company into Class A common stock. Pincus says, "As of today, I'm transitioning to non-executive chairman and converting my super voting shares into Class A common, which will eliminate our multi-class share structure and move us to one share, one vote. "With Zynga in a strong position and a team focused on our players, it's a good time to evolve my role again," Pincus wrote, adding that "I will continue to be passionately engaged in Zynga and will continue to partner with Frank on strategy, especially on new platform efforts like Facebook Messenger Instant Games." Reference Link

06:12 EDT Ball reaffirms 2019 goals of $2B of comparable EBITDA, FCF in excess of $1B

06:12 EDT Ball Corp. continues to see FY18 free cash flow $900M - "The solid start to 2018 allowed us to accelerate our share repurchase program during the first quarter, and our board recently increased our share repurchase authorization to 25 million shares in anticipation of the company returning significant value to shareholders in 2018 and beyond. The company's recent $750 million senior notes offering positions us well for the long term. We continue to expect our 2018 free cash flow to be in the range of $900 million after capital spending of at least $600 million, and we expect to return at least $500 million to shareholders in the form of share buybacks and dividends this year," said Scott C. Morrison, senior vice president and CFO.

06:06 EDT Ritter Pharmaceuticals selects Medpace as CRO - Ritter Pharmaceuticals announces that it has signed an agreement with the clinical research organization, or CRO, Medpace to conduct the first of two pivotal Phase 3 clinical trials for RP-G28 in patients with lactose intolerance. With support from Medpace, Ritter Pharmaceuticals will conduct a multicenter, randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled, parallel-group trial in the United States, in approximately 525 patients to evaluate the efficacy, safety, durability, and tolerability of RP-G28 in patients with lactose intolerance.

06:05 EDT Nordic American Tankers to adjust fleet, prioritize dividend - Nordic American Tankers CEO Herbjorn Hansson sent a letter to shareholders and investors that read: "For some time we have considered to adjust the size of the NAT fleet. Yesterday, we went into the tanker sale and purchase market with the view to selling two vessels, adjusting the fleet from 33 to 31 units. We expect that the sales will take place over the next couple of weeks. From a Far Eastern shipyard, we have 3 newbuildings joining our fleet in early July, end of August and end of October 2018 - 3 vessels in total. The adjustment of our fleet should be seen in this light.The message described above will assist in retaining the flexibility of NAT going forward. Our solid vetting performance, i.e. inspections of the ships by the oil companies continue. We regard our customers together with our shareholders as the main constituencies of NAT. We can assure you that we will prioritize dividend payments as in the past. At the time of this message, there are optimistic views on the tanker market going forward."

05:53 EDT KBR awarded ammonia plant revamp contract in India - KBR announced it has been awarded a contract by Krishak Bharati Cooperative, or KRIBHCO, for a revamp of its ammonia plant at Hazira, India. Under the terms of this contract, KBR will provide technology licensing and basic engineering design, or LBED, for a revamp of the KRIBHCO ammonia plant at Hazira, India. Estimated revenue associated with this project was booked into backlog of unfilled orders for KBR's Technology & Consulting Business Segment in FY17.

05:30 EDT Insulet achieves key milestones to support transition to direct operation in EU - Insulet announced that it has achieved key milestones as it transitions to direct operations in Europe on July 1st. The company has established a highly-talented European commercial team with deep knowledge of the diabetes landscape and extensive experience within the local markets. In addition, Insulet has partnered with two well respected and experienced companies - Teleperformance and HealthLink Europe - which will provide the full breadth of Insulet's customer care, product support, distribution and logistics services.

05:24 EDT Macquarie Infrastructure issues statement in response to Moab Capital Partners - Macquarie Infrastructure issued the following statement in response to a second press release issued by Moab Capital Partners: "Moab continues to disseminate false and misleading statements rather than constructively engage in a dialogue based on fact. Moab has launched a campaign based on unfounded assertions in an effort to distract MIC stockholders from the plan that the MIC Board and management team have underway. MIC is intently focused on and committed to building long-term stockholder value. As demonstrated by our first quarter 2018 financial results, reported separately today, the fundamentals of its business remain strong and management are focused on core priorities to deliver growth in shareholder value. MIC maintains the highest standards of disclosure and has done so since listing in 2004. MIC categorically rejects any implication by Moab that the company or its management team have not consistently applied these standards. MIC provides the following corrections to Moab's inaccurate statements: MIC reported the contract non-renewals at IMTT, which occurred in late December and predominantly affected post December 31, 2017 utilization, at the appropriate time on its fourth quarter 2017 conference call and related disclosures. MIC intends to communicate additional detail about IMTT on its first quarter results conference call to be held tomorrow, May 3, 2018. Equally disingenuous and misleading is Moab's approach to cherry-picking of phrases from the text of MIC's publicly filed documents to purport a misalignment of interests between MIC stockholders and the Manager. Moab inaccurately asserts that the management fees paid to the manager are "predominantly determined by MIC's debt burden" and implies the fees are bolstered by $3.6 billion of debt. The reality is very different and the fee calculation is clearly outlined in MIC's publicly available primer on the company's website, where Net Investment Value is defined as: The market value of MIC's common stock; Plus MIC's corporate borrowings which currently stands at approximately $542 million as of March 31, 2018 - significantly less than the $3.6 billion implied by Moab; Plus the value of future investments - currently zero as of March 31, 2018; Less the aggregate amount of cash held by MIC corporate - approximately $8 million as of March 31, 2018. Furthermore, management fees are typically settled in MIC shares, rather than cash, which provides strong long-term alignment of interest between the Manager and MIC stockholders. The Management Services Agreement arrangements have been in place since MIC's IPO, during which time MIC has returned 9.0% annualized on a total stockholder return basis, outperforming the S&P 500 at 8.4%, Russell 1000 at 8.5% and MSCI US Utilities at 8.4%2. Regarding executive compensation, Moab states that 'MIC's very own proxy statement lists benefitting Macquarie Group stockholders as the first of its two objectives.' This statement is grossly inaccurate and misleading. Like many others, the text cited by Moab is taken out of context and ignores the detailed description of Macquarie's considerations when determining MIC CEO and CFO compensation. These considerations are factors that any investor would typically wish to see at any public company, regardless of its management structure: operational performance of MIC's underlying businesses; management and leadership of MIC; MIC's acquisitions and the subsequent management of those; effective risk management and compliance; effective capital management; and factors relating to people leadership and professional conduct. We urge stockholders not to be distracted by Moab's misleading campaign. We recommend stockholders vote FOR all six of MIC's directors standing for reelection at the 2018 Annual Meeting of Stockholders on May 16, 2018. We note that leading proxy advisory firm Glass Lewis has also recommended in its April 24, 2018 report that stockholders vote for all six of MIC's director nominees."