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

20:21 EDT 8point3 Energy closes merger transaction - 8point3 Energy Partners LP announced that it has closed the mergers and other transactions contemplated by the Agreement and Plan of Merger and Purchase Agreement, dated as of February 5, 2018, by and among the Partnership and certain affiliates of the Partnership, Capital Dynamics Clean Energy and Infrastructure V JV, LLC, an equity fund managed by Capital Dynamics, Inc., and certain other co-investors. As previously disclosed, a majority of the outstanding 8point3 public Class A shareholders approved the transactions at a special meeting held on May 23, 2018. As a result of the transactions, 8point3's Class A shares will no longer be publicly traded on the NASDAQ stock exchange.

19:07 EDT Ensign Group subsidiary acquires office building in San Juan Capistrano - The Ensign Group announced that a wholly-owned subsidiary acquired an office building located in San Juan Capistrano, California. The acquisition was effective June 13, 2018.

19:00 EDT USMC awards BAE Systems $198M amphibious combat vehicle contract - The U.S. Marine Corps has awarded BAE Systems a $198M contract to deliver an initial 30 Amphibious Combat Vehicles, with options for a total of 204 vehicles which could be worth up to $1.2B. BAE Systems, along with teammate Iveco Defence Vehicles, prevailed in the Marine Corps' robust competition for the next generation of vehicles to get the Marines from ship to shore to engage in land combat operations. Work on the program will be performed at the company's facilities in Aiken, South Carolina; Sterling Heights, Michigan; Minneapolis; Stafford; San Jose, California; and York, Pennsylvania.

18:44 EDT SandRidge Energy reaches pact with Icahn Capital on board composition - SandRidge Energy (SD) announced that, based on preliminary voting results at the 2018 Annual Meeting, Sylvia K. Barnes and William M. Griffin have been re-elected and Robert Alexander, Jonathan Christodoro, John J. "Jack" Lipinski, and Randolph C. Read, nominees who were put forth by Icahn Capital (IEP), were elected to the SandRidge Board. The results for the seventh seat on the Board were too close to call as of the close of the polls. As part of a settlement agreement, the remaining nominees for election to the Board withdrew their nominations following the closing of the polls. In addition, the six newly-elected Directors have agreed to expand the Board by one seat to eight, and agreed to appoint Jonathan Frates and David Kornder to the remaining seats. As a result, the newly constituted SandRidge Board will consist of three incumbent Directors and five Icahn nominees: Robert Alexander, Sylvia K. Barnes, Jonathan Christodoro, Jonathan Frates, William M. Griffin, David Kornder, John J. "Jack" Lipinski, and Randolph C. Read. SandRidge issued the following statement: "We are pleased to have reached this agreement with Icahn and welcome our new directors to the Board. We look forward to working together in a constructive manner as we execute our plan and continue our strategic review process to maximize value for all SandRidge shareholders. The last several months have presented numerous challenges for our employees and we want to thank our team for their ongoing commitment and dedication. We would also like to thank our departing directors for their service and contributions to the company." SandRidge also noted that the preliminary voting results indicate that shareholders voted against the continuation of the Short-Term Rights Plan and the non-binding proposal related to compensation of the company's named executive officers. Shareholders voted to appoint PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP as the company's independent registered public accounting firm for the fiscal year ending December 31, 2018.

18:13 EDT Zion Oil & Gas to start operations at Megiddo-Jezreel #1 as soon as June 21 - Zion Oil & Gas announces that it expects to commence perforation, stimulation and flow back operations on multiple stages of its Megiddo-Jezreel #1 well as early as June 21, 2018. Zion's President and Chief Operations Officer, Dustin Guinn, explains Zion's current testing operations, "As I have mentioned in previous announcements, the next two zones, the second and third primary testing objectives, are key zones of interest. We had originally planned to test the zones independent of one another, but both the proximity of the zones and downhole condition considerations have led us to change our strategy and combine these zones to test them simultaneously. While it has added a few days to properly plan for the logistics of this change with our service providers, we believe that these changes will provide the best opportunity for success in two of the zones that from a log analysis perspective identify some of the most encouraging criteria for production."

18:07 EDT AXA Equitable reports Q1 AUM $665B up 9% from last year -

18:01 EDT Walgreens Boots Alliance to replace General Electric in DJIA at open on 6/26 - Walgreens Boots Alliance (WBA) will replace General Electric (GE) in the Dow Jones Industrial Average effective prior to the open of trading on Tuesday, June 26. "General Electric was an original member of the DJIA in 1896 and a member continuously since 1907," says David Blitzer, Managing Director and Chairman of the index committee at S&P Dow Jones Indices. "Since then the U.S. economy has changed: consumer, finance, health care and technology companies are more prominent today and the relative importance of industrial companies is less. Walgreens is a national retail drug store chain offering prescription and non-prescription drugs, related health services and general goods. With its addition, the DJIA will be more representative of the consumer and health care sectors of the U.S. economy. Today's change to the DJIA will make the index a better measure of the economy and the stock market."

17:59 EDT Starbucks slips after announcing more store closures, cutting Q3 SSS view - Shares of Starbucks (SBUX) are trading lower in after-hours trading after the coffee giant announced a set of strategic priorities and operational initiatives to accelerate growth and create long-term shareholder value, with CEO Kevin Johnson saying the company's recent performance is "not acceptable." STRATEGIC PRIORITIES: In an effort to optimize its U.S. store portfolio, Starbucks said it will increase the closure of underperforming stores in its most densely penetrated markets to approximately 150 in FY19 from a historical average of up to 50 annually. In addition, the company is expanding its digital relationships with current and new customers and expects newer digital initiatives to contribute one to two points of comp growth in the U.S. in FY19. The company also noted it is making progress toward closure of the Global Coffee Alliance transaction with Nestle (NSRGY) to accelerate and grow the global reach of Starbucks brands in Consumer Packaged Goods and Foodservice. CAPITAL RETURNS: As a result of its new strategic priorities, Starbucks now expects to return roughly $25B in cash to shareholders in the form of share buybacks and dividends through fiscal 2020, an increase of $10B from the cash return target announced in November 2017. As part of the accelerated return, Starbucks' board approved a 20% increase the company's regular quarterly and declared a cash dividend of 36c per share. GUIDANCE SHIFT: As part of the strategic update, Starbucks cut its Q3 global comparable store sales view to 1% from its previous view of 3%. Following the press release, the company said at the Oppenheimer Consumer Growth and E-Commerce Conference that it was reducing its FY18 adjusted EPS guidance to $2.39-$2.43 from its previous view of $2.48-$2.53. Analysts expect the company to report FY18 EPS of $2.49. PRICE ACTION: In after-hours trading, Starbucks shares were lower by 1.6%.

17:36 EDT Oracle reverses, now down 4.5% to $44.20 after Q1 guidance

17:32 EDT Walgreens Boots Alliance to replace General Electric in DJIA - Walgreens Boots Alliance (WBA) will replace General Electric (GE) in the Dow Jones Industrial Average, or DJIA, effective Tuesday, June 26 before the market opens. David Blitzer, Managing Director and Chairman of the index committee at S&P Dow Jones Indices, noted that GE was "an original member of the DJIA in 1896 and a member continuously since 1907," but added that "today's change to the DJIA will make the index a better measure of the economy and the stock market." In after-hours trading following the announcement, GE shares dropped 1.5% while Walgreen Boots Alliance shares rose over 3%.

17:31 EDT Walgreens jumps 4% to $66.98 after being added to Dow 30 Index

17:26 EDT GE drops 21c to $12.74 after being removed from Dow 30 Index

17:23 EDT Starbucks says June comp sales trending about up 3% in U.S.

17:20 EDT Walgreens Boots Alliance to replace General Electric in S&P 500 at open on 6/26

17:18 EDT Oracle sees FY19 CapEx 'similar' to FY18 - Sees FY19 tax rate approximately 20%.

17:15 EDT Vale exposed to about 40% of future cobalt production from Voisey's Bay - On June 11 , Vale concluded separate agreements with Wheaton Precious Metals and with Cobalt 27 to sell an aggregate total of 75% cobalt stream with reference to the cobalt by-product to be delivered from January 1, 2021, which encompasses the ramp-down from the existing Voisey's Bay mine and from the Voisey's Bay underground mine expansion project, VBME, for a total upfront payment of US$690M plus additional payments of 20%, on average, of cobalt prices upon delivery, as detailed below.The streaming deal enables development of VBME, Vale's first significant investment announcement in recent years. The transaction substantially improves the financial returns on invested capital of VBME to more than 35% p.a. at market consensus prices. It is aligned with Vale's rigorous capital allocation process in which projects must be capable to generate returns at current price levels, instead of depending upon future price expectations. Vale remains exposed to approximately 40% of future cobalt production from Voisey's Bay, through Vale's retained interest in 25% of cobalt production and the approximately 20% additional payments on the 75% cobalt stream. The cobalt stream is consistent with Vale's strategy to preserve optionality in nickel, a key input into electric vehicles. VBME will extend the mine life of Voisey's Bay, granting Vale access to nickel, copper and cobalt reserves and, thus, increasing to an estimated annual production of around 45 kt of nickel, on average, about 20 kt of copper and about 2.6 kt of cobalt, in total. In order to secure a smooth transition from the open pit to the underground mine, nickel production from Voisey's Bay mine will be maintained at 38 ktpa from 2018 to 2020, ramping up to 45-50 ktpa of nickel contained in concentrate from 2024 onwards.

17:13 EDT FedEx sees new pension accounting rules reducing operating margins by 90bps - Expects much lower pension contribution in 2019.

17:09 EDT Oracle CEO Catz says cloud revenue becoming larger percentage of overall revenue

17:07 EDT Oracle CEO Catz says cloud revenue becoming larger percentage of overall revnue

17:06 EDT FedEx CEO says has never been so optimistic in all his years at company - Comments from the FedEx Q4 earnings call.

17:01 EDT Synaptics trading resumes

17:00 EDT Starbucks says has reduced number of skews in stores

16:52 EDT Starbucks testing new mobile pickup store format in NYC

16:46 EDT Japan regulators provide clearance for Orbotech- KLA-Tencor deal - On June 18, the Japan Fair Trade Commission provided antitrust clearance for the proposed merger involving KLA-Tencor (KLAC) and Orbotech (ORBK).

16:44 EDT Starbucks anticipates entering 100 new cities in China

16:39 EDT Coliseum Capital Management reports 13.4% stake in Red Lion Hotels stake

16:37 EDT TransUnion completes acquisition of Callcredit Information Group - TransUnion announced that it has completed the acquisition of Callcredit Information Group, Ltd., the second largest consumer credit bureau in the U.K., for approximately $1.4B.

16:37 EDT Anika Therapeutics trading resumes

16:35 EDT Starbucks says growth has been 'slowing' - Says company's growth has been "slowing." Says aiming to be more "agile innovators." Says actively exploring strategic options in other markets. Comments taken from Oppenheimer Consumer Growth and E-Commerce Conference.

16:32 EDT Celgene names Jonathan Biller as General Counsel - Celgene announced the appointment of Jonathan Biller as Executive Vice President and General Counsel effective July 3, 2018. Mr. Biller will be responsible for global legal strategy and will serve on the company's Executive Committee. Mr. Biller will succeed Gerald F. Masoudi, Celgene's Executive Vice President and General Counsel since 2015. Mr. Masoudi is leaving Celgene to return to Washington, D.C. with his family and assume the role of Chief Legal Officer with a private company outside of the biopharmaceutical industry.

16:32 EDT FTE Networks awarded new multi-year service contract - FTE Networks announced that the company's Infrastructure Segment has been awarded a contract expanding its Inside Plant line of business footprint in five markets. FTE was awarded the contract by a Fortune 100 global telecommunications company due to FTE's consistent high-quality work performance. The commercial-based projects will deliver critical state-of-the-art customer driven infrastructure services. Under the terms of the Master Service Agreement, FTE will manage five turf markets and perform EF&I services. The markets include the states of Kansas, Missouri, Arkansas, Oklahoma and Texas. The engagement is slated to begin in July and extend through the end of 2019.

16:28 EDT Synaptics trading halted, news pending

16:20 EDT FedEx sees FY19 operating margin of 8.5% vs. 7.8% last year - Sees FY19 capital spending $5.6B vs. $5.7B for FY18.

16:17 EDT BNY Mellon names Paul Camp CEO, Treasury Services - BNY Mellon announced that Paul Camp will join the company as CEO, Treasury Services, effective August 20. Camp will report to Todd Gibbons, CEO, Clearing, Markets and Client Management, and be based in New York.

16:16 EDT Mellanox enters board director pact with Starboard - Mellanox Technologies announced that it has entered into an agreement with Starboard Value LP and its affiliates regarding the membership and composition of Mellanox's Board of Directors among other things. Under the terms of the agreement, Jon Olson and Greg Waters, independent directors recommended by Starboard, and Jack Lazar, an independent director mutually agreed upon by Mellanox and Starboard, have been appointed to the Mellanox Board, effective immediately. In connection with today's agreement, Dov Baharav, Shai Cohen and Tom Riordan have stepped down from the Board. In addition, Thom Weatherford has agreed to serve as Chair of the audit committee until March 2, 2019, at which time he will step down from the Board. The agreement also provides Starboard the right to appoint a direct representative to the Board if certain operating performance thresholds are not met for FY2018 or certain last twelve months periods during FY2019. As part of the agreement, Starboard, which beneficially owns approximately 10.5% of Mellanox's outstanding shares, will withdraw its slate of directors and vote all of its shares in favor of each of Mellanox's Board nominees at the company's upcoming Annual Meeting of Shareholders, to be held on July 25, 2018. Starboard will also be subject to certain customary standstill provisions for a period ending prior to the 2019 Annual General Meeting or, if Starboard does not nominate directors for election at the 2019 Annual General Meeting, for a period ending prior to the 2020 Annual General Meeting.

16:14 EDT Oracle reports Q4 adjusted operating margin 47%

16:10 EDT Starbucks says recent performance 'not acceptable,' outlines growth initiatives - Starbucks announced a set of strategic priorities and corresponding operational initiatives to accelerate growth and create long-term shareholder value. Starbucks details three strategic priorities to regain revenue and earnings momentum: Accelerating growth in the U.S. and China, the company's targeted long-term growth markets; Expanding and leveraging the global reach of the brand through the Global Coffee Alliance; and sharpening the focus on increasing shareholder returns. "While certain demand headwinds are transitory, and some of our cost increases are appropriate investments for the future, our recent performance does not reflect the potential of our exceptional brand and is not acceptable. We must move faster to address the more rapidly changing preferences and needs of our customers," said CEO Kevin Johnson. Starbucks is optimizing its U.S. store portfolio at a more rapid pace in FY19, including shifting new company-operated store growth to underpenetrated markets, slowing licensed store growth, and increasing the closure of underperforming company-operated stores in its most densely penetrated markets to approximately 150 in FY19 from a historical average of up to 50 annually. In FY19, this will result in a slightly lower growth rate in net new company-operated stores. Starbucks is actively expanding the breadth and depth of digital relationships with current and new customers. The company has added 5 million new digitally registered customers since April 2018 and 2 million active Starbucks Rewards members year-over-year to 15 million, up 13% from the previous year. In FY19, the company expects newer digital initiatives to contribute one to two points of comp growth in the U.S., supported by a redesigned Starbucks Rewards program that provides customers more choice around redemptions and payment, as well as expanded personalization capabilities for customers that have a digital relationship with the company.

16:09 EDT Starbucks falls 2.5% afterhours following operational update, Q3 comps outlook

16:08 EDT Starbucks to raise quarterly dividend 20%

16:08 EDT Starbucks expects to return roughly $25B in cash to shareholders through FY20 - With the execution of the company's strategic priorities expected to improve the return profile of the business, Starbucks now expects to return approximately $25 billion in cash to shareholders in the form of share buybacks and dividends through FY20. This represents a $10 billion increase from the cash return target announced on November 2, 2017. Starbucks is intensifying its focus on G&A efficiency, with plans to partner with an external consultant to drive speed and leverage best practices in identifying areas of opportunity. The company expects to provide more detailed plans in conjunction with the company's Q3 FY18 earnings call. The company is actively exploring strategic options to license company-operated stores in other appropriate markets. In support of an accelerated return of cash to shareholders, the Board of Directors approved a 20 percent increase in the company's regular quarterly dividend and declared a cash dividend of $0.36 per share payable on August 24, 2018, to shareholders of record as of August 9, 2018. This represents the 8th annual increase in the company's regular quarterly dividend.

16:07 EDT Starbucks sees Q3 global SSS growth 1%

16:06 EDT Starbucks sees digital initiatves contributd 1-2 points of U.S. comp growth in F - Starbucks announced a set of strategic priorities and corresponding operational initiatives to accelerate growth and create long-term shareholder value. Starbucks details three strategic priorities to regain revenue and earnings momentum: Accelerating growth in the U.S. and China, the company's targeted long-term growth markets; Expanding and leveraging the global reach of the brand through the Global Coffee Alliance; and sharpening the focus on increasing shareholder returns. The company's streamlining initiatives will enable greater agility in adapting more quickly to changes in consumer preferences. This includes accelerating product innovation around core beverages while leveraging the growing tea and refreshment category, as well as consumer behavior trends towards health and wellness. Starbucks is optimizing its U.S. store portfolio at a more rapid pace in FY19, including shifting new company-operated store growth to underpenetrated markets, slowing licensed store growth, and increasing the closure of underperforming company-operated stores in its most densely penetrated markets to approximately 150 in FY19 from a historical average of up to 50 annually. In FY19, this will result in a slightly lower growth rate in net new company-operated stores. Starbucks is actively expanding the breadth and depth of digital relationships with current and new customers. The company has added 5 million new digitally registered customers since April 2018 and 2 million active Starbucks Rewards members year-over-year to 15 million, up 13 percent from the previous year. In FY19, the company expects newer digital initiatives to contribute one to two points of comp growth in the U.S., supported by a redesigned Starbucks Rewards program that provides customers more choice around redemptions and payment, as well as expanded personalization capabilities for customers that have a digital relationship with the company.

16:05 EDT Oracle CEO Catz sees double-digit adjusted EPS growth in FY19 - FY19 EPS consensus $3.37. "Last year, I forecast double-digit non-GAAP earnings per share growth for FY18 and we delivered 14% growth this year, largely driven by strong growth in our cloud businesses," said Oracle CEO, Safra Catz. "Looking ahead to FY19, I expect revenue growth will enable us to deliver double-digit non-GAAP earnings per share growth once again." "We had a great fourth quarter with total revenues more than $200 million above our constant currency forecast," said Oracle CEO, Mark Hurd. "Our strategic Fusion ERP and HCM SaaS cloud applications suite revenues grew over 50% in the fourth quarter, and we expect continued strong growth from our Fusion SaaS suites throughout FY19." "Some of our largest customers have now begun the process of moving their on-premise Oracle databases to the Oracle Cloud," said Oracle Chairman and CTO, Larry Ellison. "For example, AT&T is moving thousands of databases and tens of thousands of terabytes of data into the Oracle Cloud. We think that these large scale migrations of Oracle database to the cloud will drive our PaaS and IaaS businesses throughout FY19."

16:03 EDT Kala Pharmaceuticals to submit NDA for KPI-121 to FDA in H2 - Kala Pharmaceutical provided an update on the development plan for KPI-121 0.25%, which if approved could be the first FDA-approved product for the short-term treatment of dry eye disease. The company announced that it plans to submit a New Drug Application to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration during the second half of 2018. The NDA will include data from three clinical trials studying approximately 2000 patients, including one Phase 2 trial and two Phase 3 efficacy and safety trials. In addition, based upon the recommendation of the FDA, Kala plans to initiate an additional Phase 3 clinical trial evaluating KPI-121 0.25% for the temporary relief of the signs and symptoms of dry eye disease. The company plans to initiate the new trial, STRIDE 3, in the third quarter of 2018. Top-line results for STRIDE 3 are anticipated in the fourth quarter of 2019. The company has conducted a comprehensive analysis of data generated in its previous three clinical trials and believes it has identified key factors that contributed to the differences observed in the results from STRIDE 2 compared to those of STRIDE 1 and Phase 2. The company has integrated these factors into the trial design of STRIDE 3, which the company believes will improve the probability of success for the trial. Kala remains committed to developing KPI-121 0.25% for the millions of patients suffering from dry eye disease for whom there is currently no product approved for the temporary relief of signs and symptoms of the disease.

16:02 EDT Bristol-Myers treatment of gastric cancer granted FDA orphan designation - Bristol-Myers Squibb's fixed dose combination of relatlimab and nivolumab was granted FDA orphan designation as a treatment of gastric cancer and gastro-esophageal junction cancer, according to a post to the agency's website. Reference Link

16:01 EDT Symantec uncovers cyber espionage from Thrip group - Symantec announced that Symantec's artificial intelligence-based Targeted Attack Analytics technology helped researchers expose a new attack campaign from a group called Thrip, which has infiltrated satellite communications, telecoms, geospatial imaging, and defense organizations in the United States and Southeast Asia. TAA's advanced AI technology was instrumental in the discovery of the attack, alerting Symantec's Attack Investigations team to activity that on the surface appeared innocuous but set them on the path to uncovering the latest campaign conducted by the Thrip group. Symantec has been monitoring Thrip since 2013, and has discovered new tools and techniques used by the group in this most recent set of attacks

15:52 EDT 'Modern Family' co-creator says he's 'disgusted' to work for Fox - According to a series of Tweets, "Modern Family" co-creator Steve Levitan said he is "disgusted" to work for 21st Century Fox because of its Fox News channel. "Fox Studio has been a wonderful home for most of my career - so many amazing people there who share the concerns about @FoxNews but aren't in the position to speak out," Levitan tweeted. "I have no problem with fact-based conservatism (such as WSJ), but @FoxNew's 23-hour-a-day support of the NRA, conspiracy theories and Trump's lies gets harder to swallow every day as I drive onto that lot to make a show about inclusion." Levitan added that he looks forward to seeing "Modern Family" through to the end and then, "sale or no sale, setting up shop elsewhere." Levitan's comments echo sentiments tweeted by "Family Guy" creator Seth McFarlane, who criticized Fox News on Twitter several days ago and said the news network makes him "embarrassed" to work for Fox. Reference Link

14:55 EDT CBS signs 'Star Trek: Discovery' co-creator to five year television contract - CBS announced that Alex Kurtzman, a prolific writer-producer of film and television and co-creator of "Star Trek: Discovery," has extended his production agreement with CBS Television Studios through 2023. Under the agreement, CBS Television Studios will have exclusive rights to produce all television content created and developed by Kurtzman and his Secret Hideout production banner for the next five years. Heather Kadin serves as president of Kurtzman's company, and Aaron Baiers is senior vice president of television. As part of the new production deal, Kurtzman will supervise the expansion of CBS' "Star Trek" franchise for television, developing new series, mini-series and other content opportunities, including animation. In addition to growing CBS' "Star Trek" universe, Kurtzman and Secret Hideout will develop new, original series across the full spectrum of broadcast, cable and streaming platforms. As part of this process, Secret Hideout will expand its production operation, adding diverse voices and cultivating new creative talent to align with the company.

14:23 EDT Eversource reiterates Connecticut Water proposal, urges holders vote against SJW - Eversource Energy (ES) commented on the termination of the "go-shop" process for Connecticut Water Service (CTWS), stating in part: "As Eversource expected, Connecticut Water confirmed yesterday that its 'go-shop' process failed to solicit even a single additional indication of interest to acquire Connecticut Water. On June 5, 2018, upon the announcement of Connecticut Water's "go-shop" process, Eversource announced that rather than being designed to solicit potentially superior proposals for the benefit of Connecticut Water shareholders, the 'go-shop' process instead failed to reflect a sincere intention to consider superior alternatives. Without providing access to further diligence or access to company management or modifying the termination fee, while simultaneously providing San Jose Water with additional rights to protect its takeover transaction, Connecticut Water's severely limited 'go-shop' process was set up only to solidify San Jose Water as its acquirer. Despite the flawed and ineffective process, Eversource has publicly and privately reiterated its superior proposal and demonstrated how additional value would accrue to the benefit of shareholders of Connecticut Water through the receipt or avoidance of termination fees in the proposed San Jose Water takeover, particularly in light of the fact that San Jose Water itself faces a binding proposal from California Water Services Group that offers a significant premium to its shareholders...Eversource looks forward to making its case directly to Connecticut Water shareholders and regulators and will continue to urge Connecticut Water shareholders to vote 'against' the inferior San Jose Water merger proposal by completing the blue proxy card once Eversource publicly files its definitive proxy materials."

13:54 EDT Merrill Lynch to pay $42M to settle SEC order routing charges - The Securities and Exchange Commission today charged Merrill Lynch, Pierce, Fenner & Smith with misleading customers about how it handled their orders. Merrill Lynch agreed to settle the charges, admit wrongdoing, and pay a $42M. According to the SEC's order, Merrill Lynch falsely informed customers that it had executed millions of orders internally when it actually had routed them for execution at other broker-dealers, including proprietary trading firms and wholesale market makers. Merrill Lynch called this practice "masking." Masking entailed reprogramming Merrill Lynch's systems to falsely report execution venues, altering records and reports, and providing misleading responses to customer inquiries. By masking the broker-dealers who had executed customers' orders, Merrill Lynch made itself appear to be a more active trading center and reduced access fees it typically paid to exchanges. Merrill Lynch is a subsidiary company that is entirely owned by Bank of America. Reference Link

13:47 EDT Facebook takes steps to make video more interactive - Facebook shares updates on new ways for creators to engage and grow their communities, manage their presence, and build a business on Facebook: " Earlier this year, we announced that we would be testing a range of new tools and experiences for the creator community. Today we're sharing updates on new ways for creators to engage and grow their communities, manage their presence, and build a business on Facebook. We want to help creators connect with their fans through video - from Live With to Facebook Stories to Watch Party - and today we're taking the next step. Making Video More Interactive: We believe that watching video doesn't have to be passive, and that many types of traditional entertainment formats - from game shows to reality TV to scripted content - can be reinvented to be community-centric. Today we're sharing the next step for interactive video on Facebook. We're announcing a set of new tools - polling for Live and on-demand video and gamification for Live - that will give creators the power to create fun, unique, and interactive content for their fans." Reference Link

12:28 EDT Game On: GameStop in deal talks a week after E3 - Welcome to "Game On," The Fly's weekly recap of the stories powering up or beating down video game stocks. NEW RELEASES: This week's major release is Nintendo's (NTDOY) "Mario Tennis Aces," a tennis game featuring characters from the "Mario" franchise that launches this Friday on Nintendo Switch consoles. PIPER STILL BULLISH AFTER E3: Following last week's Electronic Entertainment Expo, or E3, Piper Jaffray analyst Michael Olson maintained Overweight ratings on Activision Blizzard (ATVI), Electronic Arts (EA) and Take-Two (TTWO). Olson noted that the release slate for the second half of the year "just got more crowded" after big publishers announced major releases for later in the year, including Bethesda's "Fallout 76" and Ubisoft's (UBSFY) "Assassin's Creed Odyssey," which are both slated for fall rollouts. The analyst believes that the major releases from the "big three" publishers will "hold up competitively," but these additional titles in the pre-holiday window could limit upside in some cases. GAMESTOP CONFIRMS TALKS: GameStop (GME) confirmed earlier reports that it is engaging in "exploratory discussions with third parties regarding a potential transaction." The company noted in a statement that there is "no assurance" that any agreement will result from these talks. Reuters reported Monday afternoon that the video game retailer was holding talks with private equity firms about a potential deal after receiving buyout interest. WHO CLASSIFIES 'GAMING DISORDER': Meanwhile, the World Health Organization released its new International Classification of Diseases on Monday, in which the organization now classifies "Gaming Disorder" as a disorder due to addictive behaviors. According to the WHO's new ICD, Gaming Disorder is "characterized by a pattern of persistent or recurrent gaming behavior, namely digital gaming or 'video-gaming, which may be online or offline, manifested by: impaired control over gaming; increasing priority given to gaming to the extent that gaming takes precedence over other life interests and daily activities; and continuation or escalation of gaming despite the occurrence of negative consequences."

12:10 EDT Havner Family Trust buys 10K shares of General Finance - The Havner Family Trust disclosed in a filing that it had purchased 10K shares of General Finance on June 18 at an average purchase price of $11.95 per share.

12:03 EDT T-Mobile, Sprint officially file merger plans with FCC - T-Mobile US (TMUS) and Sprint (S) have informed the FCC that they intend to file applications seeking Commission approval to transfer control to T-Mobile of the licenses and authorizations held by Sprint and its wholly-owned and controlled subsidiaries. If approved, Deutsche Telekom AG (DTEGY) will be the single largest shareholder and will control the new company.

12:00 EDT Smartsheet falls -9.9% - Smartsheet is down -9.9%, or -$3.20 to $29.01.

12:00 EDT PagSeguro Digital falls -15.1% - PagSeguro Digital is down -15.1%, or -$4.85 to $27.25.

12:00 EDT ProShares Trust Ultra VIX Short Term Futures ETF rises 8.0% - ProShares Trust Ultra VIX Short Term Futures ETF is up 8.0%, or 78c to $10.44.

11:53 EDT U.S. Concrete rating downgraded to B2 from B1 by Moody's - Moody's Investors Service downgraded the Corporate Family Rating of U.S. Concrete to B2 from B1, the probability of default rating to B2-PD from B1-PD, and the company's senior unsecured notes to B3 from B2. The Speculative Grade Liquidity Rating was affirmed at SGL-2. The rating outlook remains stable.

11:43 EDT 21st Century Fox says 'looks forward' to final decision clearing transaction - 21st Century Fox (FOXA) said it "welcomes" the announcement by the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport that he intends to accept the final undertakings proposed by 21CF and The Walt Disney Company (DIS) with a view to clearing 21CF's proposed acquisition of the remaining shares in Sky (SKYAY) on media plurality grounds. "The undertakings are now subject to a 15-day public consultation. Under the final proposal submitted by 21CF, Sky News would be divested to Disney following the close of the Sky transaction and 21CF has committed to increase its funding of Sky News to 15 years under Disney's ownership. We now look forward to a final decision clearing our transaction."

11:38 EDT Sabby Management reports 6.49% passive stake in Achieve Life Sciences

11:01 EDT Ford acquires Michigan Central Station as centerpiece of new Detroit campus - Ford has acquired the Michigan Central Station and plans to transform it into "the centerpiece of a vibrant new campus in Detroit's Corktown neighborhood that will serve as an innovation hub for Ford's vision for the future of transportation The Corktown campus is a place where Ford and its partners will work on autonomous and electric vehicle businesses, and design solutions for a new transportation operating system that makes mobility more convenient and accessible through smart, connected vehicles, roads, parking and public transit Corktown will be part of a Ford mobility corridor running from Ann Arbor to Dearborn to Detroit. It's also the latest node in Ford's research network stretching from Palo Alto to Germany to China. Ford's plan to redesign its Dearborn campus will continue in parallel with the Corktown campus development Michigan Central Station, shuttered 30 years ago, will be redeveloped over the next three to four years into a magnet for high-tech talent and a regional destination with modern work spaces, retail, restaurants, residential living and more." Ford plans to have at least 1.2 million square feet of space in Corktown, three-quarters of which will be split between the company and its partners. Approximately 2,500 Ford employees, most from the mobility team, who will call Corktown their work home by 2022 - with space to accommodate 2,500 additional employees of partners and other businesses. The remaining 300,000 square feet will serve as a mix of community and retail space, and residential housing. At the same time, Ford is continuing with its Dearborn Campus Transformation plan that started in 2016. This summer the 150,000-square-foot Wagner Place development in West Dearborn is on track to open, as is a new driving dynamics lab located on Ford's Product Development Campus.

10:37 EDT Sarepta rises 66% to $175.16 following resumption of trading

10:35 EDT Sarepta trading resumes

10:32 EDT Sarepta to resume trading at 10:35 am ET - Sarepta shares, which had been halted for trading while the company began its R&D day, are scheduled to resume trading at 10:35 am ET, according to Nasdaq.

10:28 EDT tZERO, BOX Digital Markets sign deal to create joint venture - Overstock.com's tZERO and BOX Digital Markets announced they have entered into a joint venture, which is expected to become the world's first regulated exchange for trading security tokens. Security tokens are electronic tokens defined as "securities" under U.S. law. The joint venture will seek approval from the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission prior to beginning operations. tZERO will power the technology required to create and operate the joint venture. In addition, tZERO will manage the ongoing technology implementation, administration, maintenance and support. BOX Digital will provide executive leadership and regulatory expertise. Upon obtaining SEC approval, the joint venture will operate as a facility of BOX Options Exchange, an existing registered U.S. securities exchange. Lisa Fall, CEO of BOX Digital, has been appointed as the new CEO of the joint venture. Last month, tZERO and BOX Digital entered into a letter of intent to negotiate an equal joint venture that would operate as a facility of the BOX Options Exchange for the trading of security tokens in the United States. Today's announcement confirms the joint venture officially has been formed with tZERO and BOX Digital sharing economic ownership and board representation equally.

10:24 EDT Sarepta DMD gene therapy shows 38% of micro-dystrophin in Phase 1/2a study - Sarepta Therapeutics announced preliminary Phase 1/2a results for its gene therapy for Duchenne muscular dystrophy at today's R&D day. The data show an average of 38% of micro-dystrophin compared to normal utilizing Sarepta's method of measurement. Analysts' expectations were for a 10% to 15% gain, according to Bloomberg. The three patients in the study showed mean gene expression, as measured by a percentage of micro-dystrophin positive fibers, of 76% with average intensity of fibers around 75% compared to normal. Analysts broadly expected 20%-30% of micro-dystrophin positive fibers, according to Bloomberg. An average of 1.6 vector copies per cell nucleus was measured in patients and patients showed a mean reduction in creatine kinase, a key enzyme used in diagnosing DMD, of over 87% after two months. Sarepta CEO Doug Ingram told Bloomberg, "It's very easy to forget that these are preliminary results, but it's hard to envision that we would've looked at these biopsies and seen something better than this." Share of Sarepta remain halted. Shares of Solid Biosciences (SLDB) are up 10%, or $2.90, to $32.28. JPMorgan analyst Anupam Rama said last week that if the Sarepta micro-dystrophin data are viewed positively, a clear bar will have been set that Solid Biosciences will need to meet or beat.

10:14 EDT GameStop in focus amid 'exploratory discussions' regarding potential transaction - GameStop (GME) shares are in focus after the company confirmed that it is in exploratory talks with third parties regarding a potential deal. 'EXPLORATORY DISCUSSIONS': On Tuesday, GameStop confirmed it is in exploratory discussions with third parties regarding a potential transaction. The company said, "There can be no assurance any agreement will result from these discussions. GameStop does not intend to make any additional comments regarding these discussions unless and until it is appropriate to do so." PRIVATE EQUITY INTEREST: On Monday, Reuters reported that GameStop has been holding discussions with private equity firms about a potential deal after receiving buyout interest. According to the report, the video game retailer has hired a financial adviser to help in these talks and Sycamore Partners is one of the firms that has expressed interest in the company. WHAT'S NOTABLE: Earlier this month, GameStop announced that current board member and former Microsoft (MSFT) Xbox executive, Shane Kim would serve as interim chief executive officer until a permanent one is named. The company also announced that Rob Lloyd had been promoted to chief operating officer and chief financial officer and that Daniel DeMatteo would continue to serve as executive chairman of the board. The appointments came after CEO Michael Mauler, who was named to the position on February 6 following the resignation of J. Paul Raines for health reasons, resigned in May for personal reasons and DeMatteo was appointed as interim CEO. Shortly after Mauler began in the CEO role, GameStop disclosed in a regulatory filing that it had terminated the employment of COO Tony Bartel and executive vice president of strategic business and brand development Michael Hogan. Additionally, in May, CNBC reported that GameStop had received a letter from Julian Robertson's Tiger Management urging the company to conduct a strategic review amid recent management shifts. "We view the recent management departures and crisis of confidence as an unprecedented opportunity for the Board to launch a strategic review and revive shareholder confidence in the sustainability of the GameStop business model," the letter said. At the time, Tiger said it planned to "remain a passive shareholder" and had "no intention of becoming an activist investor" but added that it would sell its shares if the retailer failed to implement a turnaround plan. In response, GameStop confirmed it received Tiger's letter and said that it "welcomes" constructive feedback from the hedge fund and all of its investors. PRICE ACTION: GameStop rose about 1% to $15.35 in morning trading.

10:11 EDT Solid Biosciences drops 8% to $27.15 during Sarepta R&D day

10:01 EDT Aetna plans to add up to 650 new employees in New Albany by YE20 - Aetna announced its growing investment in the New Albany community and economy. The company has expanded its operations into a new 50,000+ square foot facility and is projected to hire up to 650 new employees by year-end 2020. Aetna currently leases more than 162,000 square feet in New Albany at 7400 W. Campus Rd., and recently extended the lease through 2021. The new 50,000+ square foot facility is located across the street at 6005 Nacot Place. The new structure will house clinical care management and customer service positions.

10:00 EDT OneSmart Education falls -6.6% - OneSmart Education is down -6.6%, or -87c to $12.16.

10:00 EDT PagSeguro Digital falls -12.9% - PagSeguro Digital is down -12.9%, or -$4.15 to $27.95.

10:00 EDT ProShares Trust Ultra VIX Short Term Futures ETF rises 7.8% - ProShares Trust Ultra VIX Short Term Futures ETF is up 7.8%, or 76c to $10.41.

09:47 EDT Posco falls -6.0% - Posco is down -6.0%, or -$4.86 to $76.74.

09:47 EDT PagSeguro Digital falls -11.7% - PagSeguro Digital is down -11.7%, or -$3.75 to $28.35.

09:47 EDT ProShares Trust Ultra VIX Short Term Futures ETF rises 8.5% - ProShares Trust Ultra VIX Short Term Futures ETF is up 8.5%, or 82c to $10.48.

09:39 EDT Platinum Group, Capricorn Municipality collaborate on water supply management - Platinum Group is pleased to announce that Waterberg JV Resources, the operating company of the Waterberg Joint Venture, has entered into an agreement with the Capricorn District Municipality to jointly develop a water supply management plan to increase the water supply and infra structure capacity for both local community and Waterberg Mine usage. This public-private partnership will benefit both the mine and the communities around the mining area. Capricorn District Municipality has identified ground water resources proximal to the newly discovered Waterberg bulk mineable palladium-platinum-gold and rhodium project. At the pre-feasibility stage independent specialists identified potential water resources for both the mine and local communities. The joint responsible management of the water resources is the objective of the agreement. An earlier, well executed work and drilling program conducted by the Capricorn District Municipality identified both potable and high mineral unpotable water resources in the district. Work by Waterberg JV Co. has also identified some potable water resources. The unpotable water is now targeted for industrial use and potable water could then be prioritized for communities. Working together the parties can ensure the best value and use of the district water resources, including for communities, businesses and the Waterberg Mine. Waterberg JV Co. has the requisite skills, expertise and resources to provide water supply solutions in the Capricorn District Municipality and to implement an agreed water management plan.

09:31 EDT Cinemark to open eight-screen theatre in Washington - Cinemark announced its plans to build a eight-screen theatre at The Village at Totem Lake in Kirkland, Washington. The multiplex will include an XD auditorium with an immersive wall-to-wall screen and enhanced sound system. All eight auditoriums will have reserved seating and feature Cinemark's Luxury Loungers, which are electric recliner seats. The theatre will boast a cafe serving specialty coffee and ice cream options. Cinemark has signed a lease with the development group and has started initial phases of construction, expected to be complete in 2019.

09:27 EDT AGS acquires Gameiom Technologies for $5M - AGS announced it has acquired Gameiom Technologies, a UK and Gibraltar licensed iGaming aggregator and content provider for real-money gaming, or RMG, and sports-betting partners. This transaction bolsters AGS' diverse product portfolio with the ability to offer iGaming operators some of the highest-performing game content in the marketplace through Gameiom's remote game server, or RGS. Under the terms of the transaction, AGS has acquired Gameiom for $5M in cash and will integrate Gameiom to serve as the launchpad for the Company's iGaming division, which will become part of its AGS Interactive business segment.

09:20 EDT Sarepta trading halted, news pending

09:12 EDT Crispr, Intellia and Caribou announce patent granted by USPTO - Crispr Therapeutics (CRSP), Intellia Therapeutics (NTLA), and Caribou Biosciences, announced that The Regents of the University of California, the University of Vienna and Emmanuelle Charpentier, co-owners of foundational intellectual property relating to CRISPR/Cas9 genome editing technology, were granted U.S. Patent No. 10,000,772 by the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office, or USPTO. The patent covers methods of using optimized guide RNA formats in certain environments, including eukaryotic cells. The optimized formats modify the part of a guide RNA that interacts with the CRISPR/Cas9 nuclease.

09:07 EDT Conflicts Committee urges unitholders to accept OCI N.V.'s tender offer - OCI Partners announced that the Conflicts Committee of the Board of Directors of OCIP's general partner unanimously determined that the revised price being offered as of 19 June 2018 in the tender offer by our affiliate and owner of our general partner, OCI N.V., to acquire all of the outstanding common units representing limited partner interests in OCIP not currently held by OCI or its affiliates for $11.50 per common unit in cash, is fair to OCIP's common unitholders. The Conflicts Committee recommends, on behalf of OCIP, that unitholders accept the tender offer and tender their common units pursuant to the tender offer, noting however, that unitholders should make the decision to tender based on their own investment objectives.

09:07 EDT Gevo regains compliance with NASDAQ listing requirements - Gevo announced that it has received a letter from The NASDAQ Stock Market notifying the Company that it has regained compliance with the NASDAQ Capital Market's minimum bid price continued listing requirement. The letter noted that as of June 18, 2018, the Company evidenced a closing bid price of its common stock in excess of the $1.00 minimum requirement for at least ten consecutive trading days.

09:05 EDT Comtech receives $3.6M follow-on contract award for RF amplifiers - Comtech announced that during Q4, its New York-based subsidiary, Comtech PST Corp., which is part of Comtech's Government Solutions segment, received a follow-on contract award for approximately $3.6M for solid-state, high-power RF amplifiers from a major domestic medical instrumentation provider. These amplifiers are used by one of the world's largest suppliers of image-guided radiotherapy, or IGRT, and image-guided intensity modulated radiation therapy, or IMRT, medical equipment providing solutions for the treatment of cancer. These forms of treatment deliver complex doses of radiation at greater speed and accuracy thereby minimizing damage to surrounding healthy tissue.

09:03 EDT Occidental, White Energy to study feasibility of carbon capture project - Occidental Petroleum and White Energy announced that they have agreed to evaluate the economic feasibility of a carbon capture, utilization and storage project. The project would capture carbon dioxide at White Energy's ethanol facilities in Hereford and Plainview, Texas, and transport it to the Permian Basin, where Occidental would use it in its enhanced oil recovery (EOR) operations. Occidental injects CO2 into oil reservoirs, causing trapped oil to flow more easily and efficiently. The engineering study, expected to last six months, will examine the costs of building a carbon capture facility. If Occidental and White Energy determine the project is economically feasible, operations could begin as soon as 2021. The carbon capture project would be designed to be eligible for 45Q tax credits and California's Low Carbon Fuel Standard Carbon Capture and Storage protocol, both currently in development, demonstrating that these important incentives result in near-term investment, reduced CO2 emissions and jobs.

09:02 EDT Amazon to open fourth Michigan fulfillment center, creating over 1,000 FT jobs - Amazon.com announced plans to open its fourth Michigan fulfillment center in Gaines Township, creating more than 1,000 full-time jobs with benefits and opportunities to engage with Amazon Robotics in a highly technological workplace. Amazon employees will work alongside innovative technologies at the more than 850,000 square foot fulfillment center to pick, pack and ship small items to customers such as books, electronics and toys. The facility will feature technology such as Amazon Robotics that will assist employees in fulfilling customer orders. Full-time employees at Amazon receive competitive hourly wages and a comprehensive benefits package including health insurance, disability insurance, 401(k) and company stock awards starting on day one. The company also offers up to 20 weeks of maternal and parental paid leave and innovative benefits such as Leave Share and Ramp Back, which give new parents flexibility with their growing families. Amazon also offers full-time employees innovative programs like Career Choice, where the company will pre-pay up to 95% of tuition for courses related to in-demand fields, regardless of whether the skills are relevant to a career at Amazon.

08:55 EDT On The Fly: Pre-market Movers - HIGHER: Foundation Medicine (FMI), up 28% after announcing an agreement for Roche (RHHBY) to acquire the outstanding shares of Foundation Medicine at a price of $137 per share... Cotiviti Holdings (COTV), up 10% after a portfolio company of Veritas Capital agreed to acquire the company for $4.9B in cash, or $44.75 per share and the assumption of all of Cotiviti's outstanding debt... Celyad (CYAD), up 3% after announcing the first Acute Myeloid Leukemia, or AML, patient was dosed with the first injections at the third and final dose level of CYAD-01. LOWER: Tellurian (TELL), down 11% after its 12M share spot secondary offering priced at $9.90 per share... Acacia Communications (ACIA) is down 4%, NXP semiconductors (NXPI) is down 3% and Qualcomm (QCOM) is down 1.5% amid the escalating trade tensions between the U.S. and China.

08:36 EDT Solarwindow announces commercial alliance with nTact - SolarWindow announced its latest commercial alliance with nTact. With over 90 patents and trademark filings, the company's electricity-generating window and flexible glass products, currently under development, target the estimated 5M commercial buildings and tall towers in the United States and millions more worldwide. To enable commercial production, SolarWindow first partnered with Triview Glass Industries, a glass fabrication plant, where its coatings can be applied to windows. SolarWindow subsequently entered into a collaboration with Raynergy Tek, a chemicals developer, to ensure a steady supply of raw materials used in its coatings. The alliance with nTact provides specialty-coatings machinery needed for use in a high-volume SolarWindow production line at the plant. SolarWindow scientists and engineers will work with nTact to design, prototype, test, and manufacture machinery and equipment necessary for coating glass and flexible materials with the company's transparent electricity-generating coatings, which will be used to create a manufacturing line, with the goal of implementing large-scale production of SolarWindow electricity-generating glass and flexible products.

08:36 EDT Crescent Point announces agreements to dispose of non-core assets for $280M - Crescent Point announces it has entered into definitive purchase and sale agreements to dispose of certain non-core assets in the Williston Basin for proceeds of approximately $280M. These transactions include both the disposition previously announced on May 3, 2018, where the company announced it signed a non-binding letter of intent for approximately $225M, along with a second transaction agreed to in late Q2, valued at approximately $55M. These transactions are each expected to close at the end of Q2. Current operated and non-operated production from these non-core assets is approximately 4,800 boe/d. As a result of these announced dispositions, Crescent Point is adjusting its 2018 average production guidance to 181,000 boe/d and exit production guidance to 190,000 boe/d. The company expects to allocate proceeds from these dispositions toward debt reduction and continued strengthening of its balance sheet. Crescent Point's capital expenditures guidance for 2018 remains unchanged at $1.775B as minimal capital expenditures were planned for the disposed assets for the remainder of the year.The company's revised business strategy is reprioritizing key value drivers, including continuing improvement of the balance sheet, disciplined capital allocation and cost reductions. These value drivers are expected to result in improved rates of return on capital employed, debt adjusted per share metrics, free cash flow generation and, ultimately, the company's long-term sustainability. More specific details on Crescent Point's revised strategy will be communicated subsequent to a formal portfolio review, which is currently underway.

08:33 EDT Iteris awarded IDIQ contract with ceiling of $19.5M from FHWA - Iteris announced that it has been awarded an indefinite delivery/indefinite quantity contract with a ceiling of $19.5M from the Federal Highway Administration to provide continued development, evolution and deployment support for the intelligent transportation systems reference architecture program. Under the five-year IDIQ contract, Iteris will support the evolution of the Architecture Reference for Cooperative and Intelligent Transportation content to reflect changes in ITS, and connected automated vehicle developments. The program supports statewide and regional ITS planning and deployment to encourage interoperability and CAV preparedness through workshops, training and technical assistance.

08:33 EDT Crescent Point Energy COO Neil Smith steps down from role - Crescent Point Energy announces changes to its executive management team. Craig Bryksa, interim president and CEO, is pleased to announce that Ryan Gritzfeldt, formerly the VP, marketing and innovation, has assumed the role of COO. Gritzfeldt is a professional engineer who has been an integral contributor to the company's operational success during his 14 years at Crescent Point. The company's financial operations will continue to be led by Ken Lamont in his current role as CFO. Neil Smith, COO, and Tamara MacDonald, SVP, corporate and business development, have stepped down as officers of the company.

08:32 EDT Cotiviti to be acquired by Veritas Capital-backed Verscend for $4.9B in cash - Cotiviti Holdings and Verscend Technologies, a portfolio company of Veritas Capital announced that they have entered into a definitive agreement whereby Verscend has agreed to acquire Cotiviti for $4.9B in cash. Under the terms of the agreement, Cotiviti shareholders will receive $44.75 in cash per share of Cotiviti common stock, and Verscend will assume all of Cotiviti's outstanding debt, resulting in an enterprise value of approximately $4.9B. The offer price represents a 32% premium to Cotiviti's unaffected share price as of June 4, 2018 and a 136% premium to the initial public offering price of Cotiviti's common stock. The transaction, which was unanimously approved by Cotiviti's Board of Directors, is expected to close during the fourth quarter of 2018. Closing of the transaction is subject to the approval of Cotiviti shareholders and the satisfaction of customary closing conditions, including applicable regulatory approvals. Advent International has entered into a voting agreement whereby it has agreed to vote shares representing approximately 44% of the company's voting power in favor of the transaction.

08:27 EDT Grifols receives FDA approval for two blood screening assays - Grifols announced that it has received approval from the FDA for two blood screening assays: Procleix Ultrio Elite and Procleix WNV. Procleix Ultrio Elite is an assay that allows for increased blood safety by screening and delivering simultaneous results for human immunodeficiency virus type 1, or HIV-1, hepatitis C virus, or HCV, and hepatitis B virus (HBV) as well as detecting HIV type 2 (HIV-2). The Procleix Ultrio Elite assay can be used to test pools of plasma composed of up to 96 individual donations from donors of source plasma. Procleix WNV assay is a highly sensitive, qualitative in vitro nucleic acid assay for the detection of West Nile virus RNA in plasma and serum of human blood donors.

08:15 EDT Blue Apron appoints Alan Blake Chief Supply Chain Officer - Blue Apron (APRN) announced the appointment of Alan Blake as CSCO, with an expected start date of June 25. Blake joins Blue Apron with more than 30 years of experience at leading consumer packaged goods, beverage and food companies. At Blue Apron, he will oversee end-to-end processes across the company's supply chain, including sourcing, procurement, planning, manufacturing, logistics and distribution, as the company continues its multi-product, multi-channel expansion. Blake will report directly to CEO Brad Dickerson and serve on the company's executive leadership team. Blake most recently served as CSCO at Revlon (REV), where he was responsible for all aspects of the end-to-end supply chain, leading an organization of thousands of employees globally across six internal manufacturing plants in addition to overseeing the company's distribution centers and co-manufacturers.

08:07 EDT BIO-key awarded U.S. patent for Utilization of Biometric Data - BIO-key International announced that the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office has awarded the company Patent 10,002,244 for the Utilization of Biometric Data. Originally filed in 2015, this patent should enable BIO-key to capitalize on the transition of mobile devices to in-screen, "under glass" biometric sensors that eliminate the need for a dedicated fingerprint sensor or a facial recognition camera. BIO-key believes the patent claims are broad enough to be applied to biometric sensors located anywhere on a device. BIO-key's patent leverages the continuous stream of partial fingerprint, facial or other biometric captures that occur as a user interacts with a device that incorporates an in-screen fingerprint scanner or facial recognition camera. By retaining these incidental captures on the device and intelligently analyzing then for consistency with previously enrolled biometric data, this technique enables a continuous, passive authentication process for greater persistent security with little or no impact to the user's workflow. An application can also request an active authentication using the same scanner, thereby providing a flexible spectrum of authentication choices.

08:07 EDT Cronos Group granted medicinal cannabis Manufacture License in Australia - Cronos Group announced that Cronos Australia has been granted a medicinal cannabis Manufacture License by the Australian Office of Drug Control. This license permits manufacturing of cannabinoid based products in Australia and is required for all forms of extraction, refining, concentration and transformation of the cannabis plant.

08:06 EDT Citius Pharmaceuticals announces Mino-Lok is now a registered trademark - Citius Pharmaceuticals announced that Mino-Lok is now a registered trademark with the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office. Citius' Mino-Lok product is an antibiotic lock solution used to treat patients with catheter-related bloodstream infections, or CRBSIs. CRBSIs are very serious, especially in cancer patients receiving therapy through central venous catheters, or CVCs and in hemodialysis patients where venous access presents a challenge. Citius' Mino-Lok product is intended to salvage the CVC obviating the need to remove and replace the catheter. This is a recognized unmet medical need.

08:05 EDT ReShape Lifesciences receives issue notification for ReShape Vest patent - ReShape Lifesciences announces that the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office, or USPTO, has issued an Issue Notification for U.S. Patent Number 10010441 entitled "Gastric Restriction Device for Treating Obesity," which covers a patent application regarding the Company's Gastric Vest System. Barring any unforeseen circumstances, this patent will be valid until December 5, 2028. The ReShape Vest, a new investigational medical device for weight loss in obese patients, wraps around the stomach and is designed to emulate conventional bariatric surgery without permanent anatomical changes.

08:05 EDT Strata announces 510(k) submission for Multi-Micro Dose tip accessory - STRATA Skin Sciences announced submission of its 510(k) application to the Food and Drug Administration for its Multi-Micro Dose tip accessory for the proprietary XTRAC 308nm excimer laser. The patent pending MMD Tip applies multiple high-energy doses at varying levels of energy to the patient's psoriatic plaque. Data have shown that higher doses of the XTRAC treatment achieved PASI-75 clearance in as little as two to four weekly treatments, as compared to an average of 6.2 treatments in previously published studies.

08:03 EDT First Connecticut trading resumes

08:02 EDT Caladrius receives FDA RMAT designation for CD34+ cell therapy - Caladrius Biosciences announces that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration has granted regenerative medicine advanced therapy designation to the company's late-stage CD34+ cell therapy program for the treatment of refractory angina. The FDA grants the RMAT designation to regenerative medicine therapies intended to treat a serious condition for which preliminary clinical evidence indicates a potential to address unmet medical needs for that condition. The RMAT designation affords regenerative therapies the advantages of expedited development and review of marketing applications as are available to drugs that receive breakthrough therapy designation, including increased meeting opportunities, early interactions to discuss potential surrogate or intermediate endpoints, shortened biologics license application review times and the potential of accelerated approval. Caladrius acquired an exclusive worldwide license to the late-stage CD34+ program from Shire plc in March of this year. The acquisition included the data set and regulatory filings for the CD34+ cell therapy program for the treatment of refractory angina. This includes manufacturing procedures, preclinical and Phase 1, Phase 2 and Phase 3 clinical study data of CD34 cell therapy as a treatment for no-option refractory angina, along with the corresponding regulatory filings.

08:02 EDT Trex Company announces effectiveness of 2-for-1 stock split - Trex Company announced that its common stock will begin trading on a split-adjusted basis today. On May 7, the company announced Board approval for a 2-for-1 stock split. The additional shares were distributed yesterday in a form of a 100% stock dividend to shareholders of record at the close of business on May 23. The split will not alter a shareholder's percentage ownership in the company nor the total value of all shares of the company.

07:49 EDT Glatfelter to acquire Georgia-Pacific's European nonwovens business for $185M - Glatfelter announced it has signed a definitive agreement to purchase Georgia-Pacific's European nonwovens business for $185M, subject to customary purchase price adjustments. The proposed transaction includes Georgia-Pacific's operations located in Steinfurt, Germany, along with sales offices located in France and Italy. The Steinfurt facility produces high-quality airlaid products for the table-top, wipes, hygiene, food pad, and other nonwoven materials markets, competing in the marketplace with nonwoven technologies and substrates, as well as other materials focused primarily on consumer based end-use applications. The Steinfurt facility is a state-of-the-art, 32,000-metric-ton-capacity manufacturing facility that employs approximately 220 people. Glatfelter CEO Dante Parrini said, "Steinfurt's products and technologies complement our current airlaid business very well and the acquisition provides synergistic capacity increase opportunities and an improved cost structure to support our ability to serve customers in growing consumer and industrial markets. From a financial perspective, the investment provides an attractive return on capital, is immediately accretive and will deliver attractive EBITDA margins in a growing market." In 2017, the Business generated net sales of $99M and EBITDA of $18M. The company expects to realize synergies in excess of approximately $6M per year within three years, and expects to incur one-time costs of approximately $7M for transaction fees and integration. Glatfelter plans to finance the acquisition through a combination of cash on hand and borrowing under its existing revolving credit facility. The proposed transaction is subject to customary closing conditions, including receipt of required regulatory approvals. The closing is expected to occur during Q4.

07:35 EDT Cheniere Energy, Cheniere Energy Partners LP agree to definitive merger - Cheniere Energy (LNG) and Cheniere Energy Partners LP (CQH) announced that they have reached a definitive agreement under which Cheniere will acquire all of the publicly-held shares of Cheniere Partners Holdings not already owned by Cheniere in a stock for share transaction pursuant to which Cheniere Partners Holdings' shareholders will receive a fixed exchange ratio of 0.4750 Cheniere shares for each outstanding publicly-held share of Cheniere Partners Holdings. The transaction is valued at $30.93 per common share of Cheniere Partners Holdings based on the closing price of Cheniere's shares as of June 18. The transaction is expected to qualify as a tax-free reorganization for Cheniere Partners Holdings' shareholders. The conflicts committee of the board of Cheniere Partners Holdings negotiated the transaction on behalf of Cheniere Partners Holdings and its public shareholders. The transaction was unanimously approved by the boards of directors of both Cheniere Partners Holdings and Cheniere. The transaction is expected to close by the end of Q3, subject to customary closing conditions. Upon consummation of the transaction, Cheniere Partners Holdings will merge with a wholly owned subsidiary of Cheniere.

07:34 EDT ChinaNet Online forms blockchain-powered Business Opportunity Social Ecosystem - ChinaNet-Online Holdings announced the formation of its closed loop Business Opportunity Social Ecosystem, a blockchain-powered marketing and advertising transaction system. BOSE is developed on the company's Business Opportunity Chain as a network that integrates the company's existing marketing and advertising infrastructures with its blockchain-powered business opportunity transaction platforms such as BOH. The network is designed to address the problems that occur in modern advertising and marketing activities such as the fair distribution and monetization of business opportunities. The network will also improve the credibility of enterprises through the verification of sales leads and transactions. In addition, BOSE aims to create value for and improve the trust between commercial institutions, third party service providers, enterprises and the average consumers with the circulation of Martingale Bonus Points. MBP are rewarded to credible participants for their content contribution or network-wide interactions.

07:32 EDT People's United to acquire First Connecticut in $544M transaction

07:32 EDT Humana, Walgreens to offer senior-focused services in Kansas City area - Humana (HUM) and Walgreens (WBA) are teaming up to provide easier access to primary care and other services for seniors, as part of the companies' ongoing and shared commitment to the health and well-being of the Kansas City community. The collaboration will establish a senior-focused neighborhood approach to health that brings together primary care, pharmacy, in-person health plan support and other services for Medicare beneficiaries. The companies indicated they could possibly look to expand their collaboration into other markets over time. Through the joint effort, Partners in Primary Care, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Humana, will operate senior-focused primary care clinics inside two Walgreens stores in the Kansas City, Missouri area. The clinics, scheduled to open this fall, will be approximately 2,500 square feet, and will complement Walgreens pharmacy services, as well as the four Partners in Primary Care centers that opened in Kansas City in 2017. All of the clinics serve seniors participating in a number of Medicare plans. Partners in Primary Care offers care services that go beyond addressing acute and immediate health issues, and focuses on developing long-term relationships with patients living with chronic conditions. Humana currently offers health-related programming and resources to its more than 65,000 Medicare Advantage and Medicare stand-alone Part D Prescription Drug plan members in the area. Walgreens supports more than 75,000 Medicare beneficiaries in the Kansas City community through more than 50 neighborhood pharmacies and other points of care.

07:31 EDT xG Technology's IMT Vislink business awarded $2.3M contract - xG Technology announced that its IMT Vislink business has been awarded a $2.3M contract to supply live video transmission equipment to a major professional US sports association. The order includes the supply of HD transmitters and multi-channel receive systems installed in arenas and configured to capture and distribute live images of in-game action.

07:23 EDT Pizza Hut says all chicken to be raised without antibiotics by 2022 - Pizza Hut announced its commitment to serve chicken raised free of antibiotics important to human medicine (per World Health Organization) by 2022. This commitment comprises all chicken, including the company's WingStreet wings, and comes roughly a year after the brand completed the removal of antibiotics important to human medicine from its chicken for pizza. Pizza Hut is the first national pizza company to commit to an antibiotic policy for chicken wings. "We are dedicated to listening to our customers and to serving better food. Today's announcement to no longer serve chicken raised with antibiotics by 2022 demonstrates our commitment to serve food that not only tastes great, but that customers can feel good about eating," said Marianne Radley, chief brand officer, Pizza Hut. "Our customers are our business, and we will continue to push ourselves to ensure that we are delivering the quality food and quality experience our customers expect and deserve." In addition to the removal of antibiotics important to human medicine from its chicken, Pizza Hut announced the commitment to eliminate BHA/BHT from all meats in summer of 2016 and the use of artificial preservatives from cheese in 2017. In 2015, Pizza Hut became the first national pizza restaurant to remove artificial flavors and colors from its core pizzas. On top of that, Pizza Hut has already eliminated partially hydrogenated oils (also known as artificial trans fats) and MSG. Over the past six years, Pizza Hut has removed three million pounds of salt from its ingredients.

07:07 EDT Astrotech unit says TRACER 1000 accepted into European evaluation process - Astrotech subsidiary 1st Detect announced that its new explosives trace detector, the TRACER 1000, will enter the European Civil Aviation Conference's Common Evaluation Process for airport checkpoint screening of passengers and cargo in the coming months. ECAC is the European regulator on aviation security, equivalent to the United States' Transportation Security Administration.

07:06 EDT Penn National to aquire Margaritaville Resort Casino operations for $115M - Penn National (PENN) announced that it has entered into a definitive agreement to acquire the operations of Margaritaville Resort Casino in Bossier City, Louisiana for approximately $115M cash in a transaction that is expected to be immediately accretive to operating results upon closing. Simultaneous with the closing of the transaction, Penn National will enter into a triple net lease agreement with VICI Properties (VICI) for the Margaritaville facility. The lease will have an initial annual rent of approximately $23M and an initial term of 15 years, with four 5-year renewal options. The rent coverage ratio in the first year after closing is expected to be 1.9x and the tenant's obligations under the lease will be guaranteed by Penn National. The proposed transaction will further expand Penn National's regional gaming platform with a property that is complementary to its pro-forma operating base following the completion of the company's pending acquisition of Pinnacle Entertainment (PNK). Upon closing the Margaritaville transaction and the pending Pinnacle transaction, Penn National's portfolio of regional gaming facilities will increase to 40 properties in 18 jurisdictions. Penn National does not anticipate that this transaction will alter the company's expectation that it will end the year with net rent-adjusted leverage in the mid-5x range, pro forma for the completion of the Pinnacle acquisition. The transaction, expected to close in the second half of 2018, is subject to the approval of the Louisiana Gaming Control Board and other customary closing conditions.

07:04 EDT Can-Fite: Safety data indicates favorable drug safety profile for Namodenoson - Can-Fite BioPharma provided an update on its Phase II clinical trial with drug candidate Namodenoson in the treatment of advanced hepatocellular carcinoma in patients whose disease has progressed on sorafenib therapy. Can-Fite anticipates analyzing the results of this important trial before the end of the current year. The global Phase II study is being conducted in the U.S., Europe and Israel. Patients with advanced HCC, Child Pugh B, who failed Nexavar as a first line treatment are treated twice daily with 25 mg of oral Namodenoson or placebo using a 2:1 randomization. The primary endpoint of the Phase II study is Overall Survival. Secondary endpoints include Progression Free Survival, safety, and the relationship between outcomes and A3AR expression. The trial first opened to enrollment in December 2014 and enrollment of 78 patients was completed in August 2017. While the trial continues treating subjects in a blinded fashion, Can-Fite notes that of the 78 subjects originally enrolled, 19 completed at least 12 cycles of treatment of which three completed at least 24 cycles. The longest-treated subject has been receiving study medication for approximately 3 years. Accumulated safety data to date continues to indicate a favorable safety profile, with no clinically significant novel or emerging events attributed to chronic treatment with Namodenoson. Michael Silverman, MD, FACP, Can-Fite's Medical Director says, "While the final analysis of this trial, based on survival, has been delayed past our original projections, we are very happy that the reason for this is the unexpected longevity of patients enrolled into this trial. Historically, HCC patients who have failed treatment with sorafenib and are Child Pugh B, have very limited life expectancy. Although the trial data are still blinded, we are encouraged by the unexpectedly long survival for some patients and hope that this will translate into a survival advantage for the Namodenoson group over the placebo group, and a critical advance for treating patients with HCC." Can-Fite received Orphan Drug Designation for Namodenoson in Europe and the U.S., as well as Fast Track Status in the U.S. as a second line treatment for HCC.

07:03 EDT GasLog Partners announces new charter agreement with Cheniere Energy - GasLog Partners LP (GLOP) announced that it has entered into a new multi-year time charter for the GasLog Sydney with a wholly owned subsidiary of Cheniere Energy (LNG) scheduled to commence in 2018. The charterer has options to extend the charter for up to two consecutive periods at escalating rates. GasLog Sydney is a 155,000 cbm tri-fuel diesel electric liquefied natural gas carrier built in 2013 and currently on a multi-year time charter with a wholly owned subsidiary of Royal Dutch Shell plc (RDS.A, RDS.B) through September 2018. The vessel is currently undergoing a scheduled dry-docking during which the Partnership is enhancing its future marketability through the installation of a reliquefaction module.

07:02 EDT NeuroMetrix receives $3.8M milestone payment from GSK collaboration - NeuroMetrix (NURO) reported that it had achieved the first development milestone under its strategic collaboration with GSK Consumer Healthcare (GSK). A milestone payment of $3.8M was made by GSK. The collaboration with GSK was reported in January 2018. GSK acquired exclusive ownership of the Quell technology for markets outside the United States in exchange for a $5M upfront payment and up to $21.5M, upon the achievement of certain development and commercialization milestones. In addition, NeuroMetrix and GSK will co-fund Quell technology development for an initial two-year period starting in 2019 with extensions by mutual agreement.

06:49 EDT Brown & Brown to acquire Loving and Etheredge facilities - J. Scott Penny, Chief Acquisitions Officer of Brown & Brown; Don H. Etheredge and Randle H. Loving, the principals of Loving and Etheredge, d/b/a Texas Commercial Insurance Facilities, or TCIF; and Jason C. Sutterfield, who, together with Messrs. Etheredge and Loving, is principal of TCIF's affiliate, Arkansas Insurance Facilities, announced that Texas Security General Insurance Agency, a subsidiary of Brown & Brown, has acquired substantially all of the assets of TCIF and AIF.

06:46 EDT Corindus promotes Douglas Teany to COO - Corindus Vascular Robotics announced that it has appointed Douglas Teany, currently the company's Senior Vice President of R&D and Operations, to COO, effective immediately. Teany brought eighteen years of experience to Corindus, driving operational excellence in the medical device and pharmaceutical industries. He previously served as Vice President in Boston Scientific's development organization, responsible for strategy and operations of its global clinical and preclinical research functions. Teany has served in his current role at Corindus since March 2016. Since joining, he accelerated the launch of Corindus' second generation CorPath GRX System, established a robust product and technology roadmap, and effectively scaled production and operational capabilities.

06:34 EDT GEE Group CFO Andrew Norstrud resigns, Kim Thorpe to succeed - GEE Group announced that it has appointed Kim Thorpe as Senior Vice President and CFO of GEE, effective June 15. Thorpe joined the company as Vice President of Finance on May 1. Prior to joining GEE, Thorpe served as a senior executive and CFO of both publicly traded and privately-owned organizations. Thorpe replaces Andrew Norstrud, who is resigning his position as the company's CFO to pursue other interests.

06:09 EDT Mesoblast appoints Joseph Swedish to its Board of Directors - Mesoblast (MESO) announced that Joseph R. Swedish has joined its Board of Directors. Swedish has more than two decades of healthcare leadership experience as the CEO for major U.S. healthcare organizations. Most recently, he has served as Executive Chairman, President and CEO of Anthem (ANTM), a Fortune 33 company and the leading health benefits provider in the U.S. Prior to joining Anthem, Swedish was CEO for several major integrated healthcare delivery systems, including Trinity Health and Colorado's Centura Health. He currently serves on the Board of Directors for IBM (IBM), CDW (CDW), and Proteus Digital Health.

06:05 EDT Amazon.com announces Alexa for Hospitality - Amazon (AMZN) announced Alexa for Hospitality, a new experience offered by invitation to hoteliers that brings the simplicity and convenience of Alexa to hotels, vacation rentals, and other hospitality locations. Using the Amazon Echo in their room, guests can now ask Alexa for hotel information, contact the hotel to request guest services, play music in their room and more. For hotels, Alexa for Hospitality helps deepen guest engagement through seamless voice-first experiences that offer new ways for guests to access services and amenities during their stay. Alexa for Hospitality is available to hospitality providers by invitation starting today, with Marriott International introducing the new Alexa experience at select properties in Marriott Hotels (MAR), Westin Hotels & Resorts, St. Regis Hotels & Resorts, Aloft Hotels, and Autograph Collection Hotels starting this summer.

05:57 EDT KBR announces FEED Plus EPC contract from Arkema - KBR announced it has been working on the Front End Engineering and Design, or FEED, to double the sulfur derivatives production capacities at Arkema's Beaumont,Texas site. KBR has been leading the FEED from its Houston Operations Center and the on-going effort is expected to be completed in Q3 with Final Investment Decision expected in Q4. KBR will then have the opportunity to provide detailed engineering, procurement and construction, or EPC, services for the facility.

05:37 EDT CUI Global subsidiary enters collaboration with Keele University - CUI Global announced that its wholly-owned energy subsidiary, Orbital Gas Systems, has entered into a collaboration with Keele University in the United Kingdom to develop new technology suitable for future gas networks. Orbital will open a satellite Research & Development facility at the Keele University Science and Innovation Park to work closely with the University's Smart Energy Network Demonstrator, or SEND, project to develop new sensor technologies to support "green gas" monitoring and control. Keele University is turning its West Midlands campus into Europe's first Smart Energy Network Demonstrator for smart energy research and development focused on the testing and evaluation of new and evolving energy technologies. As an 'at-scale living laboratory', SEND will work in partnership with business and industry to assess the efficiency of new technologies in terms of energy reduction, cost and CO2 emissions.

05:33 EDT Volvo AB announces changes to senior management team, names Jan Ytterberg as CFO - Volvo's senior management team is to be strengthened to further intensify the rate of change at the Volvo Group and the development of new business models. The role of Deputy CEO will be refined and a new CFO will be appointed. A further change will take place later this year when a new Executive Vice President Group Human Resources will be appointed. The current Deputy CEO and CFO Jan Gurander will continue his work as Deputy CEO with the task of leading Volvo's strategic and operational activities together with President and CEO Martin Lundstedt. In a world that is changing at an increasingly rapid rate, Jan Gurander will assume responsibility for a number of the Group's key challenges and strategic issues. Jan Ytterberg has been appointed CFO and will become a new member of the Volvo Group Executive Board. Jan Ytterberg currently serves as the CFO of Swedish company Husqvarna Group and has almost thirty years' of previous experience from the automotive industry from his various positions at truck manufacturer Scania. The date on which Jan Ytterberg will take up his new position is yet to be decided.

05:24 EDT Sanofi appoints Jean-Baptiste Chasseloup de Chatillon as CFO - Sanofi has appointed Jean-Baptiste Chasseloup de Chatillon as Executive Vice President, CFO and Member of the Executive Committee, effective October 1. He will join Sanofi September 1 to ensure a smooth transition with Jerome Contamine who will retire on September 30, after more than 9 years of distinguished service at Sanofi. Chasseloup de Chatillon most recently served as Chief Financial Officer and Executive Vice-President for PSA Group.

05:22 EDT Roche acquires Foundation Medicine for $137 per share or $2.4B - Roche (RHHBY) and Foundation Medicine (FMI) announced they have entered into a definitive merger agreement for Roche to acquire the outstanding shares of Foundation Medicine not already owned by Roche and its affiliates at a price of $137.00 per share in cash. This corresponds to a total transaction value of $2.4B on a fully diluted basis, and a total company value of $5.3B on a fully diluted basis. This price represents a premium of 29% to FMI's closing price on June 18. The merger agreement has been unanimously approved by the board of Roche and a Special Committee of the independent directors of FMI and by its full board of directors with the Roche designated directors abstaining from the deliberations and vote. All current members of the FMI board have indicated that they intend to tender their FMI shares in the tender offer. Under the terms of the merger agreement, Roche will promptly commence a tender offer to acquire all of the outstanding shares of FMI's common stock not already owned. The closing of the tender offer will be subject to a majority of FMI's outstanding shares not already held by Roche being tendered in the tender offer, it noted. In addition, the transaction is subject to other customary closing conditions. Following completion of the tender offer, Roche will acquire all remaining shares at the same price of $137 per share through a second step merger. The closing of the transaction is expected to take place in the second half of 2018. Daniel O'Day, CEO Roche Pharmaceuticals, said, "This is important to our personalised healthcare strategy as we believe molecular insights and the broad availability of high quality comprehensive genomic profiling are key enablers for the development of, and access to, new cancer treatments. We will preserve FMI's autonomy while supporting them in accelerating their progress."

05:20 EDT Nielsen, FreeWheel to expand measurement across over-the-top, set-top box VOD - Nielsen (NLSN) and FreeWheel, a Comcast aompany (CMCSA), announced plans to expand measurement to over-the-top and set-top box video on demand inventory. This effort will enhance the value of the television ecosystem through additional data-enabled, targetable premium digital video platforms for programmers, MVPDs, agencies and advertisers to effectively reach consumers. This announcement comes six months after Nielsen announced that it was integrating Comcast's non-personally identifiable TV viewing data with its comprehensive panel data. Nielsen will work with FreeWheel to expand measurement to over-the-top inventory and addressable set-top box video on demand. These efforts are aimed at unlocking greater understanding of the total television marketplace, allowing advertisers to take advantage of additional impressions and expanding overall TV ecosystem market liquidity via FreeWheel Advertisers, Markets and Publishers divisions.

05:15 EDT Tesla built 'giant tent' to help reach Model 3 production goal, Musk says - Tesla CEO Elon Musk tweeted late last night, "Needed another general assembly line to reach 5k/week Model 3 production. A new building was impossible, so we built a giant tent in 2 weeks. Tesla team kfa!! Gah, love them so much...They also poured the concrete & built the whole assembly line using scrap we had in warehouses. And it's way better than the other GA line that cost hundreds of millions!" Musk was responding to question on Twitter that read:" "What can you tell us about the Tesla Factory 2.0 tent facility currently under construction in Fremont? When will it be online? What will it produce? Why build a factory in a tent rather than conventional facility? Thanks."