Stockwinners Market Radar for July 10, 2018 - Earnings, Upgrades downgrades, option trades, Best Stock Advisory Service

19:00 EDT On The Fly: After Hours Movers - HIGHER: Fastenal (FAST) up 2.0% after raising dividend. DOWN AFTER EARNINGS: WD-40 Company (WDFC) down 2.7%. ALSO LOWER: Idera Pharmaceuticals (IDRA) down 8.0% after terminating merger agreement with Biocryst (BCRX), up 2.9%... Natera (NTRA) down 5.9% after equity offering... Sempra Investment (SAR) down 3.2%... Sempra Energy (SRE) down 2.7% after equity offering... Twitter (TWTR) down 1.2% after being initiated at Reduce at Nomura... AT&T (T) down 0.7% after being initiated at Underperform at Credit Suisse.

18:31 EDT Sanchez Energy announces resignation of COO Christopher Heinson - Sanchez Energy announced that Christopher Heinson, Senior Vice President and COO, has resigned in order to assume the role of CEO with another energy company.

17:59 EDT Washington Prime partners with COhatch on shared event space - Washington Prime Group announced that the company has partnered with COhatch to deliver shared work, event and lifestyle space to Polaris Fashion Place, Central Ohio's premier retail destination. This reflects Washington Prime Group's objectives to diversify tenancy, activate common areas and satisfy its demographic constituencies' demand for differentiated services, while reinventing its retail venues as community-focused, mixed use spaces. COhatch will co-create and co-develop space at Polaris Fashion Place, starting with the takeover and restoration of "The Pub", located at the outdoor, lifestyle area of the center. By day, COhatch "The Pub" will serve as a coworking and event space, and by night, "The Pub" will serve as a craft beer bar and entertainment venue featuring local microbrewers. As part of its agreement with Washington Prime Group, COhatch will subsequently expand and integrate its concept further within Polaris Fashion Place with a variety of shared-space services, including coworking and The Madery Makers and Market. The Madery Makers and Market at Polaris Fashion Place will offer social enterprises - local businesses with a non-profit mission - a bricks-and-mortar presence in an experiential retail setting. Guests will be able to see goods produced and buy artisan gifts such as candles, handbags, jewelry and accessories, while supporting people and communities in need.

17:39 EDT SPDR Gold Trust holdings fall to 799.02MT from 800.77MT - This is the 9th straight day of decline in trust holdings and also the lowest level of holdings since Aug. 17th, 2017.

17:31 EDT Granite Construction subsidiary awared $39M interstate improvement contract - Granite announced that Kenny Construction Company, a wholly-owned subsidiary, has been awarded a $39M interstate improvement contract by the Illinois Department of Transportation for the Westbound I-90 project in Chicago, Illinois. The contract will be included in Granite's Q2 backlog. Construction is scheduled to begin in summer 2018 and conclude in summer 2020.

17:25 EDT Integrated Core Strategies reports 5.2% passive stake in TPG Pace Energy

17:19 EDT B. Riley Financial names Riley and Kelleher as co-CEOs - B. Riley Financia announced that Bryant Riley and Tom Kelleher have been appointed Co-Chief Executive Officers of the company effective July 10, 2018. Additionally, the company announced that Kenny Young has been appointed President of B. Riley Financial. This new leadership structure is reflective of the evolution and growth the company has seen in recent years with the completion of several acquisitions and equity investments. Its unique platform offers a wide range of financial and business advisory services through its broker-dealer and advisory and disposition businesses, as well as several funds and portfolio companies.

17:12 EDT LSI Industries announces resignation of Ron Newbold, president of LSI Lighting - LSI Industries announced that Ron Newbold, President of LSI Lighting, has decided to leave the company for personal reasons. Effective immediately, COO Crawford Lipsey will assume direct responsibility for the Lighting Leadership team.

17:08 EDT Correction: LSI Industries' President of LSI Lighting resigns, not the COO

17:03 EDT Equitable Financial Corp to delist from Nasdaq Capital Market - Equitable Financial Corp announced that it has notified Nasdaq of its intent to voluntarily delist its common stock from the Nasdaq Capital Market and to file a Form 25, notification of removal from listing and/or registration under section 12 of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, with the Securities and Exchange Commission on or about July 20. The company is delisting its shares in order to eliminate the administrative and annual fees associated with being listed on Nasdaq. The company anticipates that its shares will be quoted on the OTC Pink Marketplace following its delisting. The company intends to request to retain the trading symbol (EQFN).

16:57 EDT BioCryst jumps, Idera falls after proposed merger terminated - BioCryst Pharmaceuticals (BCRX) announced that it has terminated the previously announced merger agreement with Idera Pharmaceuticals (IDRA) following the BioCryst stockholders' failure to approve the adoption of the merger agreement at the BioCryst Special Meeting of Stockholders held on Tuesday. BioCryst shares rallied over 9% after hours, following the announcement, while Idera shares dropped 7% after hours. BioCryst said it would reimburse Idera for $6M transaction-related expenses as a result of terminating the merger agreement.

16:55 EDT Equitable Financial Corp trading resumes

16:45 EDT Constellation Brands acquires Four Corners Brewing, terms not disclosed - Constellation Brands announced its purchase of Four Corners Brewing LLC, reinforcing its strategy to lead the high-end in the U.S. beer market. With flagship brands like Local Buzz Honey-Rye Golden Ale and El Chingon IPA, Four Corners will join Constellation's Craft & Specialty Beer Group. Constellation Brands and Four Corners' team of employees will work together, with its co-founders, running the day-to-day operations. Terms of the transaction were not disclosed.

16:36 EDT THK Private Equities reports 7.85% passive stake in Optinose

16:33 EDT National Storage to use proceeds of offering to fund capital contribution to JV - National Storage Affiliates Trust launches public offering of common shares to fund capital contribution to Joint Venture slated to acquire a $1.325B portfolio from Simply Self Storage. The company intends to initially use a portion of the proceeds from the offering to repay all of the borrowings outstanding under its revolving line of credit. The company expects to use the additional proceeds from the offering, together with amounts it expects to redraw from the Revolver, to make approximately $160.8M in capital contributions to, in exchange for a 25% ownership interest in, a joint venture with an affiliate of Heitman Capital Managementthat has been recently formed to acquire from Simply Self Storage, a portfolio company of a private real estate fund managed by Brookfield Asset Management, two REITs that own a portfolio of self storage properties for an aggregate purchase price of approximately $1.325B.The Portfolio consists of 112 self storage properties containing approximately 8.7 million rentable square feet, configured in over 68,000storage units and located across 17 states and Puerto Rico. Following the closing of the Acquisiton, the Company expects to rebrand nearly all of thePortfolio under its iStorage brand, and the Company's iStorage management platform will operate the properties.The Company also expects to use such net proceeds to fund $64.0 million in additional capital contributions to the JV to spin-out the six self storageproperties in the Portfolio located in Puerto Rico and a single self storageproperty in the Portfolio located in Ohio, which will be distributed by the JV to the Company immediately following the closing of the Acquisition.

16:32 EDT Liquidity Services acquires Machinio for $20M in cash and stock deal - Liquidity Services today announced it has acquired Machinio Corp., a global online platform for listing used equipment for sale in the construction, machine tool, transportation, printing and agriculture sectors. Machinio operates a robust online equipment listing marketplace, with over 1.2M assets for sale, valued at over $25B, and 10M annual website visits across 190 countries. Machinio also provides equipment sellers with a suite of online analytics tools and software solutions to optimize their business performance. Machinio customers will benefit from Liquidity Services' global equipment industry experience and network of over three million registered buyers, providing further global exposure for Machinio's equipment listings. Liquidity Services has paid approximately $20M of consideration for 100% of the equity in Machinio, consisting of approximately $18M in cash, subject to working capital adjustments under the terms of the stock purchase agreement, and $2M in restricted stock issued to Machinio's executives in exchange for stock in Machinio. The net cash portion of the purchase price is estimated to be $16.7M, net of the estimated cash assumed in the transaction and a working capital adjustment. Additional cash consideration, totaling no more than $5M, may be paid based upon Machinio's achievement of certain financial targets in calendar year 2019. In connection with the acquisition, Liquidity Services has also agreed to issue restricted stock valued at approximately $5M to Machinio's executives and employees. The restricted stock will be subject to performance-based vesting, based upon the achievement of certain annual revenue and adjusted EBITDA targets through calendar year 2021, in each case subject to each employee's continued employment with Liquidity Services on such vesting dates and other standard terms and conditions set forth in the respective grant agreements. The value of these grants will be recorded as future equity-related compensation expense. The performance-based restricted stock relates to 702,003 shares of Liquidity Services common stock. Liquidity Services expects the transaction to be dilutive to fiscal year 2018 GAAP earnings per share and will become accretive to GAAP earnings per share during fiscal year 2019.

16:30 EDT Idera Pharmaceuticals trading resumes

16:20 EDT Cohen & Steers reports preliminary AUM $602B as of June 30th - Cohen & Steers reported preliminary assets under management of $60.2B as of June 30, 2018, an increase of $938M from May 31, 2018. The increase was due to market appreciation of $1.1B and net inflows of $273M, partially offset by distributions of $465M.

16:19 EDT Hennessy Advisors to purchase assets related to BP Capital - Hennessy Advisors announced that it has signed a definitive agreement with BP Capital Fund Advisors to purchase the assets related to the management of the BP Capital TwinLine Energy Fund and the BP Capital TwinLine MLP Fund. The two BP Funds have current combined assets of approximately $220M. The transaction is expected to be completed in the Q4. Upon completion of the transaction, shareholders of the BP Funds will become shareholders of the Hennessy Funds, and the BP Funds will be renamed the Hennessy BP Energy Fund and Hennessy BP Midstream Fund. Hennessy Advisors will become the investment advisor of the BP Funds, and BP Capital will become the sub-advisor to the Funds, with the same Portfolio Managers who oversee the portfolios today continuing to oversee the portfolios following the transaction. The transaction is subject to customary closing conditions, including the approval of the Hennessy Funds' Board of Trustees, the BP Funds' Board of Trustees, and the BP Funds' shareholders.

16:18 EDT JetBlue orders 60 Airbus A220-300 jets for delivery starting in 2020 - JetBlue (JBLU) announced it has ordered 60 Airbus (EADSY) A220-300 aircraft - previously called the Bombardier (BDRBF) CS300 - for delivery beginning in 2020, with the option for 60 additional aircraft beginning in 2025. The aircraft will be powered by Pratt & Whitney (UTX) Geared Turbofan PW1500G engines. The order follows JetBlue's intensive review aimed at ensuring the best financial performance of the airline's fleet while providing maximum flexibility to execute its network strategy and enhancing its industry-leading customer experience. As part of the agreement, JetBlue has also reshaped its Airbus orderbook, including converting its order for 25 A320neos to the A321neo and adjusting the delivery schedule. JetBlue conducted a comprehensive review of multiple options for its 100-seat aircraft. In addition to its financial analysis, JetBlue invited frontline leaders and crewmembers, including technical operations, to evaluate the aircraft in person at JetBlue's JFK hangar. JetBlue plans to phase in the A220-300 as a replacement for JetBlue's existing fleet of 60 Embraer (ERJ) E190 aircraft. The aircraft's range and seating capacity will add flexibility to JetBlue's network strategy as it targets growth in its focus cities, including options to schedule it for transcontinental flying. The aircraft also opens the door to new markets and routes that would have been unprofitable with JetBlue's existing fleet. JetBlue plans to take delivery of the first five aircraft in 2020, the airline's 20th year of service. Deliveries will continue through 2025. JetBlue expects it will begin to reduce flying with its existing fleet of E190 aircraft beginning in 2020. The phase out will continue gradually through approximately 2025. Options for 60 additional aircraft begin in 2025, and JetBlue retains flexibility to convert certain aircraft to the smaller A220-100 if it chooses. Both members of the A220 Family share commonality in more than 99 percent of their replaceable parts as well as the same family of engines.

16:16 EDT Omnicom to divest Sellbytel Group to Webhelp Group, terms not disclosed - Omnicom Group has recently entered into a definitive agreement to divest Sellbytel Group to Webhelp Group, a global business process outsourcer. The transaction is subject to regulatory approval and is expected to close in the third quarter of 2018. The sale is the result of Omnicom's continuing evaluation of its portfolio of businesses and is consistent with its strategic plan and investment priorities. Sellbytel is a provider of outsourced sales, service and support with operations in Spain, Germany, Portugal, Puerto Rico and Malaysia. It has been part of Omnicom since 1994.

16:13 EDT Gladstone Land declares 13.30c quarterly dividend - Gladstone Land announced that its board of directors declared a quarterly cash divided of 13.30c paid in three monthly distributions of 4.44c with the last one being paid on September 28 to stockholders of record on September 19.

16:11 EDT WD-40 CEO says seeing 'impact of higher commodity prices' - "We had a solid quarter and are pleased that we achieved both sales and earnings results which reflect new record highs for the Company," said Garry Ridge, WD-40 Company's president and CEO. "Our maintenance products delivered solid sales increases in the third quarter including 10 percent growth of WD-40 Multi-Use Product and 16 percent growth of WD-40 Specialist. Though fluctuating foreign currency exchange rates favorably impacted our sales results in the current quarter, we still saw a currency adjusted sales growth rate of 5 percent period-over-period. Unfortunately we are continuing to see the impact of higher commodity prices which have begun to deteriorate our gross margins in all three of our operating segments. To combat this margin pressure we have made some price increases to ensure our gross margin remains in-line with our 55/30/25 business model. Finally, we continue to return capital to our investors through regular dividends and share buybacks. Over the last 2 years alone we have returned over $100 million in capital to our shareholders in this manner. In order to continue returning capital to shareholders through share buybacks, last month our Board of Directors approved a new $75.0 million share buyback plan to replace our expiring plan," concluded Ridge.

16:10 EDT Capital World Investors raises passive stake in Alcoa to 10.2% from 6.3%

16:09 EDT Scynexis announces results from Phase 2b study evaluating oral SCY-078 - Scynexis announced positive results from its Phase 2b, dose-finding study evaluating oral SCY-078 for the treatment of vulvovaginal candidiasis, or VVC. SCY-078, the first representative of a novel oral and intravenous triterpenoid antifungal family, is in clinical development for the treatment of multiple serious fungal infections, including VVC, invasive candidiasis, invasive aspergillosis and refractory invasive fungal infections. The DOVE study evaluated the safety and efficacy of five oral SCY-078 regimens, with total doses of SCY-078 ranging from 600mg to 1800mg and treatment durations of one or three days, compared to fluconazole, the standard of care for VVC.

16:07 EDT Oclaro approves merger agreement with Lumentum - Oclaro (OCLR) announced that, based on the vote tally from Oclaro's Special Meeting of Stockholders held earlier today, Oclaro's stockholders approved the merger agreement under which Lumentum Holdings (LITE) will acquire Oclaro. Stockholders also approved other proposals relating to the transaction. The parties continue to expect the transaction to close in the second half of 2018, subject to receipt of regulatory approval in China and satisfaction of customary closing conditions.

16:06 EDT John B. Sanfilippo & Son declare $2.00 per share special dividend - The Special Dividend and the Annual Dividend will be paid on August 17, 2018 to stockholders of record as of the close of business on August 3, 2018.

16:05 EDT Idera announces termination of merger agreement with BioCryst - Idera Pharmaceuticals (IDRA) announced that the merger agreement entered into by and among Idera and BioCryst (BCRX) on January 22 has been terminated. The agreement was terminated following the July 10 special meeting of BioCryst stockholders at which BioCryst's stockholders voted against the proposed mergers. Separately, a majority of Idera's stockholders voted in favor of the adoption of the agreement at a special meeting of Idera stockholders, also held on July 10. As part of the merger agreement, BioCryst will reimburse Idera $6M in connection with the termination. "The Board and shareholders of Idera overwhelmingly supported the proposed merger with BioCryst based on the strategic rationale, operating synergies and opportunity to create a stronger and more diversified rare-disease, focused organization," stated Vincent Milano, Idera's Chief Executive Officer. "Our tilsotolimod would have been one of the two centerpiece product opportunities of the combined company. As we move forward independently, we will remain focused on the development of tilsotolimod in anti-PD-1 refractory melanoma, a significant unmet need, as well as begin to explore the role of tilsotolimod in improving outcomes in patients suffering from additional solid tumor cancers. While we remain focused on the development of tilsotolimod, if an opportunity arises to further enhance shareholder value and build our company through business development, we will explore it."

16:03 EDT Hawaiian Airlines reports June traffic up 4.6%, capacity up 4.3% - Hawaiian Airlines announced its system-wide traffic statistics for the month of June, second quarter, and 2018 year-to-date. Hawaiian welcomed more than 1.04M guests in June 2018, a record for the month of June and an increase of 2.9% over the same period last year. Total traffic increased 4.6% on an increase of 4.3% in capacity. Load factor increased 0.2 points to 87.8%. For the second quarter ended June 30, 2018, Hawaiian welcomed more than 3.01M guests, a record for the second quarter and an increase of 4.6% over the same period last year. Total traffic increased 5.7% on an increase of 6.0% in capacity. Load factor decreased 0.3 points to 86.3%.

16:00 EDT Pulse Biosciences announces treatment of first patients in NPS study - Pulse Biosciences, Inc. announced treatment of the first patients in its multicenter study to evaluate the safety and efficacy of its Nano-Pulse Stimulation technology for eliminating Sebaceous Hyperplasia, an unsightly benign skin lesion that typically appears on facial skin and is considered a difficult-to-treat condition with current modalities. NPS is a non-thermal technology that utilizes ultra-short, nanosecond pulsed electrical fields to directly affect cell membranes and intracellular structures while sparing non-cellular tissues. A previously published study of NPS in the treatment of seborrheic keratosis skin lesions in 58 patients provided the first human evidence that NPS' mechanism of action is well suited to target a broad range of difficult-to-treat benign and non-benign skin lesions by targeting the cellular structures of lesions, while sparing the surrounding non-cellular tissue of the dermal layer of skin. The sparing of surrounding non-cellular skin tissues enables the treatment of deeper cellular structures in the skin such as the sebaceous glands that cause SH lesions.

16:00 EDT Scynexis trading halted, news pending

15:31 EDT Cummins increases common stock dividend to $1.14 from $1.08 per share - The board of directors of Cummins approved an increase in the company's quarterly cash dividend on common stock from $1.08 per share to $1.14 per share, payable on September 4 to shareholders of record on August 22. "The increase in our dividend reinforces our commitment to increasing returns to shareholders and reflects our confidence in our long term performance," said Chairman and CEO Tom Linebarger.

15:02 EDT Toyota announces launch of car share service in Honolulu - Toyota announced the launch of a what it called a "creative new mobility solution" called Hui, which is a round-trip, station-based car share service operated by Servco Pacific, Toyota's distributor in Hawaii. The Hui service utilizes Toyota's proprietary global Mobility Service Platform and a consumer facing app developed by Toyota Connected North America, the global technology strategy business unit for Toyota, the carmaker stated.

14:08 EDT Petrobras, Total sign MoU to analyze joint business development - Petrobras (PBR) said that it has signed yesterday with the French companies Total (TOT) and Total Eren a Memorandum of Understanding to analyze the joint business development in solar energy and wind onshore energy segments in Brazil. Based on promising initial results arising from the strategic partnership between the two companies signed on February 28, 2017, Petrobras and Total have been assessing other potential areas of cooperation. The conclusion of this agreement is part of Petrobras' strategy to develop high-value businesses in renewable energy in partnership with major global players, to facilitate the transition to a low-carbon matrix. The MoU is non-binding, but indicates the willingness of the companies to work together to develop projects in these segments.

13:33 EDT Huntington Ingalls backs new management contract at Los Alamos - Huntington Ingalls Industries announced that the U.S. Department of Energy's National Nuclear Security Administration has issued a notice to proceed into transition for the management transition process at Los Alamos National Laboratory in Los Alamos, New Mexico, to Triad National Security LLC. After a four-month transition period, the team will assume full management and operational responsibility for the laboratory. Triad National Security is a joint venture comprised of Battelle, Texas A&M University Systems and the University of California. The Triad team includes two integrated subcontractors, HII and Fluor, and three small business subcontractors, Longenecker & Associates, Merrick-SMSI and TechSource."We are very proud to be an integrated team member in support of the critical NNSA mission at LANL," said Michael Lempke, president of the Nuclear & Environmental group in HII's Technical Solutions division. "We look forward to drawing on our extensive experience in managing complex projects that are crucial to national security, the advancement of science and technology, and protecting the environment."

13:23 EDT One Horizon Group says BWS unit launched its all new game engine, 'Limitless' - One Horizon Group announced that its majority-owned subsidiary Banana Whale Studios in June launched its all new game engine, 'Limitless,' enabling support and operation of BWS' games for their licensed operators. BWS built 'Limitless' from the ground up specifically to provide an end-to-end solution including player transaction records and features 'Pulse,' BWS' proprietary data analytics platform. With live access to player data, BWS monitors and manages business Key Performance Indicators with real-time insight. Analysis of player behavior, demographic and device usage data enables BWS to continuously refine and model the development of new content and its delivery moving forward...BWS will release an additional series of new game titles in July in line with the company's plans to expand its portfolio to an impressive fifty game titles by year-end. In addition to launching in new markets, BWS continues to gain market share in Southeast Asia. We are pleased with the rapid integration of BWS into the OHGI family of companies and we are now working with BWS to support the development of a number of branded games through licensing opportunities provided by OHGI," said Mark White, Founder and CEO of OHGI. "We are thrilled with the revenue growth that we are experiencing and we are very proud that we have been able to see BWS generate additional revenue following its launch of 'Limitless' so quickly post-acquisition."

13:01 EDT Mitel shareholders approve acquisition by Searchlight affiliates - Mitel announced that its shareholders approved the acquisition of Mitel by an investor group led by affiliates of Searchlight Capital Partners, L.P at the special meeting of Mitel shareholders held today. Approximately 97.5% of the shares voted at the meeting were cast in favor of the resolution to approve the arrangement. Additional details regarding the voting results from the meeting will be filed on SEDAR and EDGAR. Upon closing of the arrangement, Mitel shareholders will receive $11.15 per common share in cash, less any applicable withholding taxes. The arrangement is expected to close during the second half of 2018, subject to remaining customary closing conditions, including the receipt of certain regulatory approvals and Canadian court approval.

12:48 EDT Bridgeline Digital jumps 135% after partnering with a full-service bank - Earlier today, Bridgeline Digital announced that they will be partnering with a full-service bank to power their digital presence.The engagement is a three-year SaaS subscription to Bridgeline Unbound Digital Experience Platform - which encompasses the Marketing and Content modules for marketing automation and web content management - as well as associated professional services. The implementation will leverage the Bridgeline accelerator framework of core templates and modules which are pre-built, mobile-friendly components built on best practices that can be rapidly tailored to accommodate unique branding and business requirements. The Bridgeline solution will transform the bank's digital footprint, providing a unique online experience that will drive increased customer engagement across the various products and services. The Bridgeline platform also provides for best practices in search engine optimization that will help to drive an increase in local website traffic."Bridgeline's Unbound platform empowers many regional banks and financial institutions to take their online presence to the next level with engaging customer experiences," said Ari Kahn, CEO of Bridgeline Digital. "Our secure environment and experience with SOC2, PCI and ADA compliance helps the organization stay compliant while effectively managing their targeted online marketing initiatives. As a result of this engagement, we expect our customer to see an immediate digital ROI." Shares of Bridgeline Digital are up over 135% to $3.08 per share in afternoon trading.

12:42 EDT Aquinox fallls after disclosing restructuring plan, charge - Aquinox disclosed in a filing last night, that on July 3, the Compensation Committee of the Board of Directors of Aquinox Pharmaceuticals, approved a restructuring plan to reduce operating costs and better align the company's workforce with the needs of its business following the June 27 announcement that its Phase 3 LEADERSHIP 301 clinical trial evaluating once-daily, oral rosiptor for the treatment of interstitial cystitis/bladder pain syndrome failed to meet its primary endpoint. The company has halted all further development activities with rosiptor. Under this plan, the company reduced its workforce by 30 employees and closed its office in San Bruno, California. Affected employees are eligible to receive severance payments and outplacement services. Employee severance benefits are contingent upon an affected employee's execution of a separation agreement, which includes a general release of claims against the company. In connection with the restructuring, the company estimates that it will incur aggregate restructuring charges of approximately $2.5M related to one-time termination severance payments and other employee-related costs and the shut-down of its San Bruno office. The majority of the cash payments related to the personnel-related restructuring charges will be paid during the third quarter of 2018, with the remainder to be paid during the fourth quarter of 2018. The charges that the Company expects to incur in connection with the workforce reduction is subject to a number of assumptions, and actual results may differ materially. The company may also incur additional costs not currently contemplated due to events that may occur as a result of, or that are associated with, the workforce reduction. Shares of Aquinox are down 5.5% in afternoon trading.

12:36 EDT Federated Investors reports 14.7% passive stake in Catabasis Pharmaceuticals

12:26 EDT China Biologic rallies amid reports of additional takeover interest - China's largest insurer Ping An Insurance is considering a rival takeover offer for China Biologic Products (CBPO), Bloomberg reported earlier, citing people familiar with the matter. Sources told Bloomberg that Ping An is in talks with other investors about a potential joint bid for China Biologic. Any offer would be higher than the $110 per share buyout proposal from Chinese buyout firm Citic Capital, Bloomberg added. China Biologic announced in June that its board received an unsolicited, preliminary non-binding proposal letter from Citic to acquire all of the outstanding shares of the company not already owned for $110 per share cash. The board is reviewing Citic Capital's interest. In addition, Dealreporter reported today, according to Bloomberg, that China Biologic has been approached by several private equity firms. The stock is up 5%, or $4.90, to $105.04 in midday trading. Reference Link

12:23 EDT China Biologic rallies amid reports of additional takeover interest - China's largest insurer Ping An Insurance is considering a rival takekover offer for China Biologic Products (CBPO), Bloomberg reported earlier, citing familiar with the matter. Sources told Bloomberg that Ping An is in talks with other investors about a potential joint bid for China Biologic. Any offer would be higher than the $110 per share buyout proposal from Chinese buyout firm Citic Capital, Bloomberg added. China Biologic announced in June that its board received an unsolicited, preliminary non-binding proposal letter from Citic to acquire all of the outstanding shares of the company not already owned for $110 per share cash. The board is reviewing Citic Capital's interest. In addition, Dealreporter reported that today, according to Bloomberg, that China Biologic has been approached by several private equity firms. The stock is up 5%, or $4.90, to $105.04 in midday trading.. Reference Link

12:12 EDT Snap introduces Lens Explorer - In an earlier posting to its blog Snap said: "The company said Starting today, there's an easier way to discover and unlock thousands of Lenses built by Snapchatters around the world! To begin browsing in Lens Explorer, just tap the new icon that appears when the Lens Carousel is active. Tap a Lens tile to unlock a Lens and be taken directly to the Snap Camera, or browse Lenses in featured Stories. Unlock a Lens by swiping up on Snaps in these Stories. Since we launched Lens Studio in late 2017, creators have submitted over 100,000 unique Lenses which have been viewed by Snapchatters over 2.5 billion times. Now, with the introduction of Lens Explorer, Community Lenses will be discoverable alongside the Lens Carousel, making them easier to find and play with.Lens Explorer will be available on iOS at launch." Reference Link

12:02 EDT Postmates launches 100+ cities in U.S. expansion, expands Chipotle partnership - In a massive U.S. market expansion, Postmates, an on-demand delivery companies, launched 100+ cities, increasing coverage to nearly 1 in 2 U.S. households. Now, over 50M more customers can access the on-demand delivery platform with the broadest selection of restaurants and stores, and lowest prices. The company also announced it has expanded its national delivery partnership with Chipotle Mexican Grill, adding 300 locations and reducing delivery fees to $3.99. To celebrate, Postmates is waiving delivery fees on all Chipotle orders through Sunday, July 15.

12:00 EDT American Renal Associates falls -8.5% - American Renal Associates is down -8.5%, or -$1.40 to $15.13.

12:00 EDT W&T Offshore rises 7.0% - W&T Offshore is up 7.0%, or 56c to $8.58.

12:00 EDT Inspire Medical rises 17.9% - Inspire Medical is up 17.9%, or $6.62 to $43.69.

11:41 EDT Tintri trading halted, news pending

11:31 EDT Dolby names Todd Pendleton as Chief Marketing Officer - Dolby Laboratories (DLB) announced the appointment of Todd Pendleton as its Senior Vice President and Chief Marketing Officer. During his 15-years at Nike (NKE) in Marketing, Pendleton held country, regional, and global leadership roles working across North America, Europe, and Asia.

11:13 EDT FTC approves final order imposing conditions on merger of Amneal with Impax - The Federal Trade Commission announced that it has approved a final order settling charges that Amneal's (AMRX) $1.45B acquisition of an equity share in Impax likely would be anticompetitive. Under the settlement, ANI Pharmaceuticals, (ANIP) will acquire seven products. Perrigo (PRGO) will acquire Impax's rights to two products that it had partnered with Impax to develop, manufacture, and sell. G&W Laboratories will acquire Impax's marketing rights to one product that G&W manufactures for Impax. Reference Link

11:04 EDT JLL names Vinay Goel chief digital product officer - JLL (JLL) announced the appointment of former Google (GOOG, GOOGL) executive Vinay Goel as its chief digital product officer. JLL created this new role to oversee delivery of innovative technology solutions to enhance clients' business performance. Goel served in global product leadership roles at Google - including Google Maps, Google Apps, Google Station and other high-profile products during his 11-year tenure.

10:51 EDT Analysts moving to sideline on Square as growth seen priced in - Two Wall Street analysts downgraded Square (SQ) to Neutral-equivalent ratings after assuming coverage of the stock. Jefferies analyst John Hecht argued that while he sees "broadly positive fundamentals" for the company, the shares seem fairly valued at current levels. Voicing a similar opinion, Oppenheimer analyst Glenn Greene told investors that Square's small and midsized business value proposition, strong execution and likely continued robust growth are tempered by valuation considerations. VALUATION CONCERNS: In a research note to investors this morning, Jefferies' Hecht downgraded Square to Hold from Buy and raised his price target on the stock to $63 from $60 after assuming coverage of the name. While the analyst acknowledged that its positioning and secular tailwinds all point to a long runway of profitable growth, he believes the shares are fairly valued and reflect a balance of a strong opportunity set alongside risks such as competition and high growth targets in nascent business segments that requires strong execution. Meanwhile, Oppenheimer's Greene downgraded Square to Perform from Outperform after assuming coverage of the name as his admiration for its SMB value proposition, strong execution and likely continued robust growth is tempered by concerns about the stock's valuation. Greene acknowledged that the company's simple, easy-to-use, and tightly integrated payments and software platform has gained significant traction with U.S. SMBs, driving recent adjusted revenue growth well above its long-term 20%-25% annual target range. Newer products/solutions including Instant Deposit, Caviar, and Capital represent an ever-increasing proportion of revenue and drive quite robust Subscription & Services growth, he contended. However, while Greene is optimistic that Square's robust growth will persist, he estimates that greater than 30%/55% revenue/EBITDA growth compound annual growth rates are priced into shares. As such, he sees "meaningful risk if growth moderates or execution falters." PIPER JAFFRAY UPS TARGET: In a research note of his own, Piper Jaffray analyst Jason Deleeuw raised his price target for Square to $63 from $49 after updating his model to reflect the recent acquisition of Weebly and convertible note issuance. The analyst continues to believe Square's guidance is conservative relative to the revenue growth momentum being driven by its "expanding solution ecosystem for merchants." Nonetheless, Deleeuw reiterated a Neutral rating on the shares, citing an "elevated" relative valuation. PRICE ACTION: In morning trading, shares of Square have dropped almost 1% to $65.88.

10:47 EDT Exelon agrees to purchase retail and wholesale contracts from FirstEnergy - In a regulatory filing, Exelon Generation Company (EXC) reported that it has entered into an asset purchase agreement with FirstEnergy Solutions Corporation (FE). Pursuant to the agreement, FirstEnergy assigns all of its retail electricity and wholesale load serving contracts and certain other related commodity contracts to Generation for an all cash purchase price of $140M. The transaction is expected to close in the fourth quarter of 2018. The closing of the transaction is subject to certain conditions, including Generation being the winning bidder after a court-supervised Section 363 bankruptcy auction, the approval of the purchase agreement by the U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the Northern District of Ohio following the auction, and expiration or termination of the applicable waiting period under the Hart-Scott-Rodino Antitrust Improvements Act. Either party may terminate the purchase agreement if the transaction has not been consummated by December 31, 2018.

10:14 EDT RBC sees Cruise eventually being worth about as much as all of GM is now - This morning, RBC Capital analyst Joseph Spak raised his price target for General Motors (GM) to $53 citing the company's robo-taxi opportunity, as he believes Cruise could be worth nearly as much as GM today, even under modest assumptions. The analyst also argued that Softbank's (SFTBY) $2.25B investment adds validation to the autonomous driving unit. CRUISE OPPORTUNITY: In a research note to investors, RBC Capital analyst Joseph Spak raised his price target for General Motors to $53 from $52, while reiterating an Outperform rating on the shares. If successful, the analyst believes GM Cruise could be worth almost as much as General Motors today, even under modest assumptions. Assuming the company gets the tech right, Spak's scenario shows a fleet of about 800k vehicles driving 58B miles by 2030. At 55c/mile, he sees about $17B of EBITDA, with his estimate valuing Cruise's transportation network company at around $43B. The analyst also noted that he estimates shared autonomous vehicles or "robo-taxis" could be a $3.8T total addressable market by 2050. Furthermore, Spak told investors he sees the recent Softbank investment as adding validation as it provides capital to reach scale, affords GM capital allocation flexibility, validates Cruise's technology, progress and opportunity, and unlocks GM's share price value as Cruise is about $7 per share. Additionally, and while not forecasting a downturn, Spak has greater confidence in downside protection. The analyst believes uncertainty around downturn performance has been a contributing factor weighing on the multiple of GM shares, but thinks investors' overly pessimistic view should begin to fade. PRICE ACTION: In morning trading, shares of General Motors are fractionally higher at $39.88 per share.

10:02 EDT MasterCard, Florida Capital Bank partner for real-time disbursements - Mastercard announced that it is partnering with Florida Capital Bank to facilitate efficient, near real-time disbursements of funds to all branded debit cards in the U.S. by integrating Mastercard Send. Through this partnership, Mastercard Send will provide Florida Capital Bank corporate partners the platform to send payments to cardholders within minutes through FLCB InstantMoney. The solution will enable instant push to card payments across networks and brands to ensure customers get the funds seamlessly and securely. Mastercard Send, a first-of-its-kind platform that facilitates funds to be sent quickly and conveniently via debit networks, will allow Florida Capital Bank to provide corporate partners the additional value of delivering their customers with immediate and seamless disbursements.

10:00 EDT Cincinnati Bell falls -6.8% - Cincinnati Bell is down -6.8%, or -$1.18 to $16.12.

10:00 EDT Frontline rises 5.5% - Frontline is up 5.5%, or 31c to $5.92.

10:00 EDT Inspire Medical rises 22.7% - Inspire Medical is up 22.7%, or $8.43 to $45.50.

09:47 EDT Cincinnati Bell falls -6.4% - Cincinnati Bell is down -6.4%, or -$1.10 to $16.20.

09:47 EDT AU Optronics falls -7.6% - AU Optronics is down -7.6%, or -36c to $4.36.

09:47 EDT Huami rises 5.4% - Huami is up 5.4%, or 51c to $9.88.

09:24 EDT Diana Containerships extends time charter contract for m/v Domingo with CMA CGM - Diana Containerships announced that, through a separate wholly-owned subsidiary, it has agreed to extend the present time charter contract with CMA CGM, Marseille, for one of its Panamax container vessels, the m/v Domingo. The gross charter rate is $12,800 per day, minus a 3.5% commission paid to third parties, for a period of minimum eight months to maximum eleven months. The new charter period will commence on August 3, 2018. The m/v Domingo is currently chartered, as previously announced, at a gross charter rate of $8,500 per day, minus a 3.5% commission paid to third parties. The "Domingo" is a 3,739 TEU container vessel built in 2001. The employment extension of "Domingo" is anticipated to generate approximately $3.07M of gross revenue for the minimum scheduled period of the time charter extension.

09:14 EDT Kulicke & Soffa announces $100M share repurchase authorization increase - Kulicke and Soffa announced its board has increased its share repurchase authorization by an additional $100M. The new authorization is effective immediately, may be suspended or discontinued at any time and is expected to be funded using the company's available cash, cash equivalents and short-term investments. Under the program, Kulicke & Soffa may purchase shares of its common stock through open market and privately negotiated transactions at prices deemed appropriate by management. The timing and amount of repurchase transactions under this program will depend on market conditions, availability of US cash as well as other corporate and regulatory considerations.

09:10 EDT Rite Aid sends letter to shareholders on proposed Albertsons merger - Rite Aid announced that it has issued a letter to shareholders in connection with its proposed merger with Albertsons. The letter details the merits of the proposed merger with Albertsons and highlights the company's recommendation that shareholders vote "FOR" the transaction. The letter says, "Dear Fellow Rite Aid Shareholder: Rite Aid will hold a Special Meeting of Stockholders on August 9, 2018 to vote on the proposed merger with Albertsons Companies ("Albertsons"). We ask for your support by voting your shares FOR the merger to accelerate Rite Aid's strategic and financial transformation and to realize the significant value we anticipate through ownership in a stronger, better-positioned company. As the retail healthcare landscape continues to evolve, we have taken critical steps to improve Rite Aid's competitive position through our innovative Wellness store format, enhanced customer loyalty program and expanded health and wellness offerings. We have also had robust discussions over the past several years, including with an extensive list of third parties, around a range of strategic options and considered Rite Aid's strategic position as an independent enterprise. Our work has led us to conclude that the merger with Albertsons is the best way to achieve our key strategic priorities of growing front-end sales, serving as a trusted advisor to our pharmacy customers, building a winning value proposition for payors and providers, and delivering compelling long-term value to our shareholders. Based on the growth and value creation opportunities presented by the proposed combination with Albertsons, we are confident that the merger represents the right combination, with the right partner, at the right time."

09:08 EDT CME Group, Cheniere Energy partner to develop LNG futures contract - CME Group (CME) and Cheniere Energy (LNG) reached an agreement through which CME Group will develop an LNG futures contract with physical delivery to Cheniere's Sabine Pass terminal on the U.S. Gulf Coast. Cheniere's Sabine Pass LNG terminal first started exports in February 2016, and currently operates four trains capable of producing 18M metric tons of LNG per year. A fifth train is under construction and a sixth is fully permitted and shovel-ready, representing up to 27M metric tons per year of LNG capacity at the site. Cheniere is also constructing a separate LNG export facility outside of Corpus Christi, Texas.

09:08 EDT Harris awarded three IDIQ contracts with $1.5B ceilings from NGA - Harris Corporation has been awarded three multi-award IDIQ contracts with ceilings totaling $1.5B to provide the National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency, or NGA, with geospatial data services for up to 10 years. Harris will create, manage and disseminate geospatial-intelligence, or GEOINT, information for use by the U.S. intelligence community and military worldwide under contracts that cover all three areas of NGA's JANUS program - geography, imagery and elevation. The JANUS program will contribute to and maintain comprehensive, geospatially accurate databases of the world that can be accessed quickly as intelligence, operational and crisis needs arise. Harris will use its predictive analytics technology to continuously evaluate the health of NGA databases and to guide the acquisition, creation and integration of all forms of geospatial data. Harris' cloud-based tools will validate and correct the data.

09:05 EDT Nordstrom to discuss customer strategy, drivers of value creation - Nordstrom will discuss at its Investor Day its ambition to be the best fashion retailer in a digital world. Objectives for this event include outlining Nordstrom's local market strategy; evolution of its economic model, including long-term financial targets and drivers for improving profitability; and its capital allocation strategy to deliver increased shareholder value. The company will address its market differentiation through its ability to connect Nordstrom's physical and digital capabilities seamlessly through its local market strategy. This positions Nordstrom to further engage and serve customers with the right product, in the right place and at the right time. Nordstrom is launching efforts to integrate these strategies in Los Angeles, its largest market, and looks forward to hosting the investment community there as part of its Investor Day activities. The Company will also address its approach to increasing shareholder value through the execution of three key strategic objectives: Continuing market share gains through the Company's investments in new markets, its market-leading digital presence and core growth in its Full-Price and Off-Price businesses. Improving profitability and returns as Nordstrom expects to reach a pivotal year in achieving long-term profitable growth. Management will discuss plans to further scale and leverage its generational investments in new markets and digital capabilities. These drivers are expected to contribute to improving operating margins and Adjusted Return on Invested Capital. Maintaining disciplined capital allocation through increased capital efficiency and continued disciplined approach to capital investments. The Company expects accelerating free cash flow as generational investments mature.

09:03 EDT Comtech wins $4.8M follow-on contract from U.S. military integrator - Comtech Telecommunications announced that during its fourth quarter of fiscal 2018, its Santa Clara, California-based subsidiary, Comtech Xicom Technology, Inc., which is part of Comtech's Commercial Solutions segment, has received a contract for more than $4.8M from a U.S. military integrator for high-power satellite communication traveling wave tube amplifiers.

09:02 EDT LRAD Corporation announces $3.4M LRAD 100X order from Southeast Asia - LRAD Corporation announced a $3.4M follow-on LRAD 100X systems and accessories order from Southeast Asia. The portable LRAD 100X features exceptional vocal intelligibility and an extended broadcast range out to 600 meters. Live or prerecorded LRAD 100X broadcasts are heard and understood above crowd and background noise to ensure every message is clearly delivered. Optimized driver and waveguide technology coupled with power efficiency ensure several hours of clear, continuous communication. The LRAD warning tone safely alerts attention to the voice messages that follow and is a safer alternative to non-lethal and kinetic measures.

08:55 EDT Beazer Homes sees achieving 2B-10 goals, including revenue, EBITDA targets - The company stated that based on the continued strength of its year-to-date results and the favorable supply and demand environment for new homes in its markets, Beazer Homes is providing the following guidance for the remainder of fiscal 2018: Achievement of the company's long-stated "2B-10" goals, including both its revenue and Adjusted EBITDA targets Retirement of the company's 2019 senior notes, which have a remaining principal balance of $96.4M.

08:53 EDT Beazer Homes reports preliminary Q3 homebuilding revenue $507M - In connection with the Venture acquisition, Beazer also pre-released the following preliminary results for its fiscal 2018 third quarter: Homebuilding revenue of $507.0 million, provided by 1,391 home closings and an average selling price of $364.5 thousand; New home orders of 1,450, based on an average community count of 157 and sales per community per month of 3.1; Dollar value of backlog of $920.7 million, resulting from 2,371 homes in backlog and with an average price of $388.3 thousand.

08:50 EDT Colony Capital sells stake in DATA4 to AXA Investment - Investment vehicles managed by Colony Capital announced the sale of their entire stake in DATA4 to AXA Investment Managers. DATA4 is a European specialist in dedicated and colocation data centers, that offers services to cloud providers, digital service companies and large and medium-sized firms. DATA4 finances, designs, builds and operates its own data centers, in order to offer its customers hosting solutions. The company currently operates 15 data centers in Paris, Milan and Luxembourg.

08:46 EDT Christopher & Banks names ASndrew Kellick as SVP, Chief Merchandising Officer - Christopher & Banks Corporation (CBK) announced that Andrea Kellick will be joining the company July 16 as Senior Vice President, Chief Merchandising Officer. As Chief Merchant, Kellick will be responsible for merchandising, product development and sourcing. In her most recent role, Andrea served as Vice President, Women's Apparel at Target (TGT). Tricia Perket, Senior Vice President, Merchandising, is leaving the company to pursue other opportunities.

08:41 EDT PepsiCo says currently no timeline for decision on bottling operation - Says sees increased CapEx in NAB, Frito-Lay.

08:40 EDT Amazon to create more than 600 full-time jobs in Ottawa - Amazon announced plans for a new fulfillment center in Ottawa, Ontario's eastern suburb of Orleans. The 1-million square foot customer fulfillment facility is Amazon's fifth in Ontario, creating more than 600 full-time jobs with benefits starting on day one. Amazon currently employs more than 2,000 full-time associates at its existing Ontario facilities in Brampton, Mississauga, and Milton. The new facility will join Amazon's network of current fulfillment centers located in Ontario, British Columbia, and Alberta. Associates at this facility will pick, pack, and ship large items like household decor, sporting equipment and gardening tools. In total, Amazon employs more than 6,000 employees throughout Canada working at corporate offices, development centers, and other facilities.

08:36 EDT Viveve partners with Aesthetic Management Partners to expand U.S. footprint - Viveve Medical announced that it has entered into a capital sales partnership with Aesthetic Management Partners to expand its commercial footprint in the U.S. Under its partnership with AMP, Viveve will retain its direct sales organization consisting of four regional sales directors, 23 capital representatives, and 10 practice development managers while expanding coverage with the addition of approximately 20 AMP capital representatives. The partnership with AMP also provides a cross-organizational bundled sales opportunity with Viveve technology positioned as the core product offering. Viveve's newly launched practice development management team will continue to support all current and future utilization and growth for the U.S. installed customer base.

08:35 EDT Great Panther Silver announces Q2 results from two mining operations in Mexico - Great Panther Silver announces production results for the Q2 from its two wholly-owned Mexican silver mining operations: the Guanajuato Mine Complex, or GMC, which includes the San Ignacio Mine, and the Topia Mine in Durango. Q2 production highlights, compared to Q2 of FY17, include: consolidated metal production decreased 9% to 1,002,169 silver equivalent ounces, or Ag eq oz; silver production decreased 16% to 479,809 silver ounces, or Ag oz; gold production decreased 1% to 5,492 gold ounces, or Au oz; and ore processed decreased 3% to 95,169 tonnes. "While production during the Q2 was somewhat lower than planned due to heavier than usual rainfall at our Guanajuato Mine Complex, we continue to expect to meet our production guidance for 2018", stated the companya. "In addition, we are very pleased with the positive results of our recently announced Preliminary Economic Assessment for the Coricancha Mine in Peru. We have now begun preparations for the Bulk Sample Program and look forward to providing further updates as we continue to advance the project."

08:34 EDT Avinger appoints Jaafer Golzar, MD, FACC, FSCAI, as Chief Medical Officer - Avinger announced the appointment, effective immediately, of Jaafer Golzar, MD, as the company's Chief Medical Officer. Dr. Golzar provides Avinger with an extensive and impressive history of clinical leadership within the endovascular field. Dr. Golzar is a practicing interventional cardiologist with Advocate Medical Group in Chicago.

08:32 EDT Level Brands' I'M1 signs 5-year agreement with Gravocore - Level Brands (LEVB) announced its Ireland Men One, or I'M1, subsidiary, a lifestyle brand for men who take pride in their appearance, thrive on quality, and value what matters, signed a licensing agreement with Gravocore, the an intelligent, portable, joint-friendly mounted fitness training machine, launched in 2017 in an exclusive partnership with Amazon (AMZN). Under the terms of the five-year agreement, Gravocore will pay I'M1 annual brand participation fees, as well as an 8% royalty on net sales of all licensed products sold under the I'M1 brand.

08:24 EDT PepsiCo says increasing marketing spend to boost soda sales - Says seeing improvement in brand health metrics. Says "feeling good" about NAB trends.

08:17 EDT Azul reports June traffic up 21.0%, capacity up 24.7% - Azul announces its preliminary traffic results for June 2018. Consolidated passenger traffic, or RPKs, increased 21.0% compared to June 2017 on a capacity increase, or ASKs, of 24.7%. Load factor was 78.8%, 2.4% points lower than June 2017. In the 2Q18, load factor was 80.1%, slightly lower than the year before, even with the truckers' strike and the World Cup. Domestic load factor was 77.8% and international was 86.7%.

08:12 EDT Stryker appoints Timothy Scannell COO - Stryker is shifting responsibility for all of our operating businesses and regions under Timothy Scannell who will be appointed President and COO effective August 1. In his new role, Tim will drive growth and operating leverage across all of Stryker's businesses while promoting globalization and collaboration across our commercial units. Scannell began his career with Stryker's Endoscopy business in 1990 where he served in sales and marketing leadership roles.

08:10 EDT BioXcel Therapeutics forms neuroscience CAB for BXCL501 - BioXcel Therapeutics announced the formation of a Clinical Advisory Board, or CAB, to provide strategic counsel to the company as it advances the development of BXCL501, a first-in-class sublingual thin film formulation of Dexmedetomedine, for the treatment of agitation. Additionally, the CAB will support the advancement of further candidates in BTI's emerging neuroscience pipeline identified through its artificial intelligence innovation lab partnership with BioXcel Corporation. The initial members of the CAB include: Prof. Sheldon H. Preskorn, M.D.; Prof. Stephen Marder, M.D.; Dr. George Grossberg, M.D. and Prof. Alan Breier, M.D. The Company expects to add other neuroscience leaders going forward.

08:09 EDT Celsion announces publication of ThermoDox Phase I clinical study results - Celsion Corporation announced that results from a Phase I trial of ThermoDox were published in the peer-reviewed journal, The Lancet Oncology. Conducted by a multi-disciplinary team of biomedical engineers, oncologists, radiologists and anesthetists at the University of Oxford, United Kingdom, the trial evaluated the safety and efficacy of ThermoDox, Celsion's proprietary heat-activated liposomal encapsulation of doxorubicin, along with focused ultrasound for the treatment of liver cancer. Referred to as the TARDOX Study, the trial demonstrated that the ThermoDox plus focused ultrasound technique increased doxorubicin delivery to tumors between two- and ten-fold in the majority of patients in this 10-patient trial. A lysolipid thermally sensitive liposome encapsulating the chemotherapy agent, doxorubicin, ThermoDox is designed to release targeted levels of doxorubicin into and around liver tumors with heat activation. In this Phase I study, and consistent with the ThermoDox(R) heat-activated design, the amount of drug passively reaching the tumor was low and estimated to be below therapeutic levels before ultrasound exposure. Following focused ultrasound application with ThermoDox, chemotherapy concentrations within the liver tumor were between two and ten times higher in seven out of 10 patients, with an average increase of 3.7 times across all patients. The Phase I trial evaluated patients with inoperable primary or secondary liver tumors and who had previously received chemotherapy. The procedure was carried out under general anaesthesia, and patients received a single intravenous dose of 50 mg/m2 of ThermoDox. The target tumor was selectively heated to over 39.5o C using an approved ultrasound-guided focused ultrasound device at the Churchill Hospital in Oxford. In six patients, the temperature at the target tumor was monitored using a temporarily implanted probe, while in the remaining four patients, ultrasonic heating was carried out non-invasively. Side effects were monitored for 30 days after the procedure, and apart from the existing side effects caused by general anesthetic and chemotherapy, no additional side effects were observed. Five patients experienced grade 4 neutropenia, but their symptoms were resolved without treatment, and one patient experienced mild confusion after the procedure, which was resolved.

08:07 EDT Advaxis withdraws MMA for axalimogene filolisbac, submits IND for ADXS-HOT - Advaxis announced a clinical update. Advaxis' regulatory action in Europe is based on European Medicines Agency, or EMA, feedback following its initial review indicating the application will likely need additional data to support a conditional approval. The February submission included data from the Phase 2 GOG-0265 study in 50 patients, which showed a 12-month overall survival rate, primary efficacy endpoint, of 38% in women with persistent, recurrent or metastatic carcinoma of the cervix, representing a 55% improvement over a model-predicted 12-month overall survival rate of 24.5%. As more than half of the women treated in this study had received multiple prior lines of therapy including with bevacizumab treatment, the 38% 12-month overall survival rate was unprecedented when compared against historical data. The company continues to believe that the results from the GOG-0265 study are clinically meaningful and provide proof-of-concept that axalimogene filolisbac demonstrated clinical activity in metastatic cervical cancer. The withdrawal of this application does not impact the ongoing clinical trials of axalimogene filolisbac. As previously communicated, Advaxis is actively seeking a partner to support the late-stage cervical cancer program. The company also announced that it has submitted an IND with the FDA to study its first product candidate from the ADXS-HOT program, ADXS-503, for the treatment of NSCLC. Upon allowance of the IND for ADXS-503, the company plans to initiate an open-label, Phase 1/2 clinical trial. Further details of the study design will be provided after the IND is allowed. Advaxis expects the first patient will be dosed by the end of 2018. Additionally, Advaxis anticipates submitting a second IND from the ADXS-HOT program within the next six months, for its drug candidate referred to as ADXS-504, for the treatment of prostate cancer.

08:06 EDT Allergan launches Lubricant Eye Drops - Allergan announced the launch of a new over-the-counter, or OTC, artificial tear formulation, REFRESH REPAIR Lubricant Eye Drops. The first and only artificial tear in the U.S. formulated with carboxymethylcellulose, or CMC, hyaluronic acid, and osmoprotectants, REFRESH REPAIR is the latest addition to the REFRESH portfolio.

08:04 EDT QEP Resources announces agreement to sell Uinta Basin assets for $155M - QEP Resources announced that its wholly owned subsidiary, QEP Energy Company, has entered into a definitive agreement to sell natural gas and oil producing properties, undeveloped acreage and related assets located in the Uinta Basin for proceeds of $155M, subject to customary purchase price adjustments. The agreement provides for the sale of QEP's assets located in Duchesne and Uintah counties in eastern Utah to Middle Fork Energy Partners. The Divestiture includes an estimated 605 Bcfe of proved reserves as of December 31, 2017, and net production in Q1 was 54 MMcfed, of which approximately 23% was liquids.

08:03 EDT PepsiCo says cost inflation to pressure margins - Says continues to see 'pretty challenging conditions."

08:03 EDT M Science launches machine learning-based transaction data platform SWIPE - M Science, a portfolio company of Leucadia Investments, a division of Jefferies, has launched SWIPE, a new data analysis product within its M Data offering. M Science's SWIPE uses machine learning to analyze transaction data that is collected from credit and debit card purchases, to provide institutional investors with near real-time analysis of public and private company performance linked to consumer spending.

08:02 EDT AT&T to acquire AlienVault, terms not disclosed - AT&T announced its plans to acquire AlienVault, a privately held company based in San Mateo, Calif. The agreement has been approved by both companies. The acquisition of AlienVault will enable AT&T to expand its enterprise-grade security solutions portfolio and offerings to millions of small and medium-sized businesses. AlienVault's innovative technology and security talent will help accelerate AT&T's vision of enabling organizations of all sizes with effective cybersecurity solutions. Terms of the deal were not disclosed, but it is not expected to have a material effect on AT&T's results. And it does not change the company's plans to reduce its net-debt-to-adjusted-EBITDA ratio to the 2.5x range by the end of the first year after the close of Time Warner and to its historical range by the end of the fourth year after close. The transaction is expected to close in the third quarter of 2018. The completion of this transaction is subject to customary closing conditions. Until the transaction closes, each company will continue to operate independently.

08:01 EDT Advaxis initiates IND with FDA to study first ADXS-HOT drug candidate for NSCLC

07:57 EDT Unisys appoints Vishal Gupta as CTO - Unisys announced that Vishal Gupta will join the company on August 1 as its next senior vice president, Technology and CTO. He will report directly to Peter Altabef, chairman and CEO of Unisys. Gupta's appointment is effective August 31. He will succeed Tarek El-Sadany, who has served in the role for three years and is leaving Unisys effective at the end of August to pursue a CEO position in the technology space. Gupta joins Unisys from Symantec (SYMC), where he served as senior vice president, Engineering and oversaw global teams for end-to-end engineering, architecture and product management for a number of product lines within the company's portfolio of software offerings. Prior to joining Symantec, Gupta served as chief product and IoT officer for Silent Circle, a cybersecurity and privacy company in the mobile communications space. He also served in increasingly senior roles over an eight-year period with Cisco Systems (CSCO), where he was a vice president, as well as with Metasolv Software, Nortel Networks and Mercer Management Consulting.

07:53 EDT PepsiCo says loss of market share in cola hurting beverage unit - Says 'laser focused' on higher growth strategies in NAB. Expects to see improvement in top line performance in NAB in Q3. Comments from company's Q2 earnings conference call.

07:37 EDT VIVUS announces 'positive' results from Phase 1 clinical trial of VI-0106 - VIVUS announced positive preliminary results from a Phase 1 clinical study evaluating the pharmacokinetic profile of its VI-0106 in healthy volunteers. VIVUS is developing VI-0106, a proprietary soft capsule formulation of tacrolimus for the treatment of pulmonary arterial hypertension, a degenerative disease that makes it difficult for the heart to pump blood through the lungs to be oxygenated and may ultimately lead to heart failure. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration approved tacrolimus in 1994 for use in lowering the risk of organ rejection in patients undergoing kidney transplant, and the drug is currently indicated for use in additional organ transplant settings and to treat atopic dermatitis. Tacrolimus has been shown to increase signaling through the bone morphogenetic protein receptor 2 pathway, which is down-regulated in PAH patients. The single-center, UK-based Phase 1 PK study was conducted in two parts. Sixteen healthy volunteers were enrolled in Part 1 and each patient sequentially received single doses of three different tacrolimus prototype regimens administered at least 10 days apart. An interim analysis was conducted following the third dosing period to select a formulation prototype with the most desirable PK profile. Three subsequent periods assessed the selected formulation at different doses, or under different fed/fasted conditions. The second part of the study evaluated steady-state PK parameters in 12 healthy volunteers receiving daily doses of the selected prototype formulation. VIVUS is developing VI-0106 under the FDA's 505(B)(2) regulatory pathway, which will allow the Company to leverage the FDA's finding of safety and effectiveness for tacrolimus as well as a significant body of previously published tacrolimus safety and efficacy data. This is expected to reduce the time and cost to develop VI-0106 as a potential breakthrough therapy for the treatment of PAH. In September 2017, results of a university-run Phase 2a clinical study of tacrolimus in patients with PAH were published in the European Respiratory Journal. Study results demonstrate the safety of tacrolimus in patients with PAH. The currently approved formulation of VI-0106 tacrolimus was also provided for compassionate use in three class 3 or 4 PAH patients. The compassionate use demonstrated dramatically reduced rates of hospitalizations and functional class improvements were observed. VIVUS believes that VI-0106 could become an important new treatment option for PAH patients and intends to request both Fast Track and Breakthrough Therapy Designation from the FDA for VI-0106 in this indication.

07:34 EDT Collegium Pharmaceutical promotes Scott Dreyer to Chief Commercial Officer - Collegium Pharmaceutical announced the promotion of Scott Dreyer to the position of Executive Vice President and Chief Commercial Officer, effective July 10, 2018. Dreyer brings over 25 years of commercial leadership and expertise, in both biotechnology and pharmaceutical companies. Dreyer joined Collegium as Senior Vice President, Sales, Marketing and Training in January 2018.

07:12 EDT Sanofi Genzyme 'disappointed' with CADTH recommendation on Dupixent - Sanofi Genzyme is disappointed with the recent recommendation by the Canadian Agency for Drugs and Technologies in Health to not reimburse Dupixent, one of the most important recent pharmacological innovations for the treatment of adult patients with moderate-to-severe atopic dermatitis. This recommendation disregards patient input and ignores the product's clinical value and the potential improvement to patient and caregiver quality-of-life.

07:09 EDT Xylem announces global multi-year partnership with Manchester City - Manchester City, an English soccer team, announced a global multi-year partnership with Xylem to become the club's official water technology partner. The partnership was announced at an event in Singapore, which was attended by club legend, Joleon Lescott, during the Singapore International Water Week. Xylem will also partner with City's sister club New York City FC and the Manchester City women's team. Through the partnership, Xylem aims to raise awareness about pressing global water challenges and solutions. Xylem will also work with Manchester City on Xylem Watermark projects, such as building water towers in communities around the world without access to clean water. Xylem Watermark is the company's social investment platform. Xylem branding will feature at the Club's Etihad Stadium on matchdays and also at the City Football Academy.

07:08 EDT ITG reports June U.S. trading volume 3.3B shares - ITG announced that June 2018 U.S. trading volume was 3.3B shares and average daily volume was 157M shares, compared to 2.7B shares and ADV of 124M shares in May 2018 and 3.6B shares and ADV of 166M shares in June 2017. There were 21 trading days in June 2018 and 22 trading days in both May 2018 and June 2017. The average daily trading commissions in June 2018 in ITG's Canadian, European and Asia Pacific businesses were down approximately 4% in U.S. dollar terms on a combined basis as compared to the first quarter of 2018 and were up approximately 20% as compared to June 2017. On a blended international basis, there were approximately 21 trading days in June 2018 and 22 trading days in June 2017.

07:08 EDT Nokia, China Mobile sign EUR 1B frame agreement - Nokia (NOK) and China Mobile (CHL) have signed a one-year frame agreement - valued at up to EUR 1B - to support the Chinese mobile operator's transition to a future-oriented network infrastructure, while providing seamless connectivity to more efficiently meet growing data traffic demand.Under the agreement, Nokia will provide China Mobile with best-in-class, end-to-end technology solutions to enable a next-generation network for the age of the cloud and machine communications. Nokia will provide additional elements of its mobile radio access and core portfolio in addition to fixed access, IP routing and optical transport, customer experience management, as well as its services expertise delivering the quality, speed and reliability needed. Going forward, Nokia and China Mobile will work closely to define the products and services that will enable the operator to explore new opportunities in vertical markets. Nokia and China Mobile have signed a memorandum of understanding for research and testing of the artificial intelligence and machine-learning capabilities of next-generation networks for the delivery of intelligent network optimization and radio resource management.

07:06 EDT Pebblebrook files proxy to urge LaSalle shareholders to vote against BRE merger - Pebblebrook Hotel (PEB) announced it has filed a preliminary proxy statement with the United States Securities and Exchange Commission, or SEC, to urge shareholders of LaSalle Hotel (LHO) to vote with Pebblebrook against LaSalle's merger agreement with BRE Landmark, an affiliate of Blackstone (BX) at a price of $33.50 per share. "The Board of Pebblebrook continues to believe that its offer is substantially superior to LaSalle's merger agreement with Blackstone and represents the greatest value-maximizing opportunity for the shareholders of both LaSalle and Pebblebrook," said Jon Bortz, chairman, president and CEO of Pebblebrook Hotel Trust. "The shareholders of LaSalle wholeheartedly agree with us as LaSalle's shares continue to trade at prices well above Blackstone's take-under price of $33.50. As presented in the LaSalle proxy, the LaSalle Board's only rationale for not accepting our offer as superior, despite our much higher offer price, was a concern over certainty. Pebblebrook strongly disagreed with the LaSalle Board's decision at the time, and given the trading prices and volume of LaSalle shares since the announcement of the Blackstone deal, it is even more clear today that Pebblebrook's offer is superior. The facts and circumstances have changed materially since the LaSalle Board decided to reject our higher offer: since the announcement of the Blackstone agreement, over 100 million LaSalle shares have traded, and all above $33.50. Over that same period, over 30 million LaSalle shares have traded over $35.00. The trading activity in LaSalle shares after the Blackstone announcement means that any shareholder who wanted certainty at $33.50 has had the opportunity to realize that value or more, an opportunity that continues today. Certainly protecting that price can no longer be justified as a rationale for rejecting our superior offer and moving forward with a transaction at a price well below the current market price of LaSalle shares. The Blackstone offer does not protect LaSalle shareholders - it harms them, a point underscored by the egregious transfer of incremental value from LaSalle shareholders to Blackstone seen in Blackstone's current marketing of LaSalle hotel assets to be sold contemporaneously with the close of their proposed transaction. We have made repeated efforts to engage with LaSalle, yet the LaSalle Board has continued to ignore overwhelming shareholder support for our proposal and is pursuing a course of action that shareholders oppose. We have therefore filed a preliminary proxy statement to solicit shareholders to vote against the Blackstone merger agreement. We believe LaSalle's Board should reconsider the agreement with Blackstone in accordance with its ongoing fiduciary duties and recognize their shareholders' clear preference for the immediate higher incremental value and future upside potential of Pebblebrook's current outstanding offer, and deem Pebblebrook's current offer 'Superior' today. If the LaSalle Board fails to meet its ongoing fiduciary duties and continues to recommend the lower Blackstone take-under agreement, and LaSalle proceeds to a proxy vote, then a vote with us 'AGAINST' the Blackstone agreement would send a clear message to the LaSalle Board that LaSalle shareholders prefer the Pebblebrook offer. The LaSalle proxy makes it clear that the LaSalle Board already determined the Pebblebrook offer to be superior to LaSalle remaining independent, and the value of Pebblebrook's offer has only increased and become more fixed since that determination. Accordingly, if the LaSalle shareholders do not approve the Blackstone agreement, it stands to reason that the LaSalle Board should agree to the Pebblebrook offer. The Pebblebrook offer allows LaSalle shareholders to realize far greater value today, and with Pebblebrook's track record of success as a public company and our extensive knowledge of LaSalle's assets and markets, we are positioned to provide shareholders of the combined company with significant long-term upside. We urge the LaSalle Board to engage with us immediately and enter into an agreement that is truly in the best interests of its shareholders. We believe a transaction can be completed within the next 90 to 120 days, with approval from both sets of shareholders." In its preliminary proxy statement filed, Pebblebrook urges LaSalle shareholders to vote with Pebblebrook "AGAINST" all three of the proposals relating to the Proposed BRE merger.

07:05 EDT Attunity wins $0.9M deal with global energy company - Attunity announced that a global energy company and one of Europe's major electricity operators, has signed an enterprise license agreement for $0.9M to use Attunity Gold Client. The Customer selected Gold Client to facilitate GPDR compliance for its large SAP landscape, as well as provide relevant and reliable SAP data to support improvements in development, training and quality control.

07:03 EDT Kamada receives positive scientific advice from EMA on study for Inhaled AAT - Kamada announced that it has received positive scientific advice from the Committee for Medicinal Products for Human Use of the European Medicines Agency related to the development plan for its proposed pivotal Phase 3 study for its proprietary Inhaled Alpha-1 Antitrypsin therapy for the treatment of alpha-1 antitrypsin deficiency. The Company requested scientific advice from the CHMP following the results of the previous Phase 2/3 and Phase 2 studies conducted by the Company with respect to a proposed subsequent Phase 3 study design. The CHMP notified the Company that it concurs with the overall design of the proposed study, including its objectives, patient population, proposed endpoints and their clinical importance, and the safety monitoring plan. The CHMP had some minor comments, which Kamada intends to address in the final study protocol. The EMA process is conducted in parallel with the Company's continued discussions with the U.S. Food and Drug Administration on the Phase 3 study of Inhaled AAT for AATD. As previously communicated, following feedback received from the FDA in April 2018, Kamada intends to provide the FDA additional requested information and data, as well as an amended study protocol, during the third quarter of 2018. The proposed modifications and additional information are intended to mitigate the continued safety-related concerns communicated by the FDA

07:02 EDT Vulcan Materials announces succession plan for the CFO position - Vulcan Materials announced a succession plan for the CFO position. The Company has named Suzanne H. Wood as Senior Vice President and CFO effective September 1. Wood will succeed John R. McPherson, currently Executive Vice President, CFO Financial and Strategy Officer. In order to ensure a smooth transition, McPherson will continue to serve in his current capacity until the end of August, and will remain with Vulcan as Chief Strategy Officer until the end of 2018, after which he plans to spend more time with his family in Dallas, Texas. From 2012 to 2018, Ms. Wood was Group Finance Director and CFO of Ashtead Group. Prior to becoming CFO of Ashtead, Ms. Wood was Executive Vice President and CFO of Sunbelt Rentals, Inc., the North American subsidiary of Ashtead comprising nearly 90 percent of its revenues. A certified public accountant, Wood also previously held CFO positions at Tultex Corporation and Oakwood Homes Corporation.

07:01 EDT Forrester acquires FeedbackNow and GlimpzIt, terms not disclosed - Forrester announced that it has acquired FeedbackNow, a maker of physical buttons and monitoring software that companies deploy to measure, analyze, and improve customer experience. Forrester also acquired GlimpzIt, an artificial intelligence and machine-learning provider based in San Francisco.

06:52 EDT Endeavour Silver reports Q2 results from three mines in Mexico - Endeavour Silver reports its production results for the Q2 from the Company's three silver-gold mines in Mexico: the Guanacevi mine in Durango state and the Bolanitos and El Cubo mines in Guanajuato state. Silver production in the Q2 increased 19% to 1,355,895 ounces, or oz, compared to 1,143,788 oz silver in Q2, 2017 and gold production rose 5% to 13,674 oz compared to 13,058 oz gold in Q2 of FY17, resulting in silver equivalent production of 2.4M oz using a 75:1 silver-gold ratio. Silver production was higher in Q2 compared to Q2 of FY17 primarily due to higher mine output and ore grades at El Cubo. The Guanacevi mine continued in recovery mode as production was flat but mine development increased in Q2. Gold production in Q2 compared to Q2, 2017 was higher at El Cubo and Guanacevi and lower at Bolanitos due to variations in gold grades at each mine.

06:46 EDT Tapestry appoints Darrel Cavens to Board of Directors - Tapestry announced that Darrell Cavens has been appointed to Tapestry's Board of Directors. The appointment of Cavens to the Board brings the membership to eleven. Darrell Cavens became President, New Ventures for the Qurate Retail Group in December 2017. In this role, Mr. Cavens leads a team responsible for driving innovative retail concepts and looking beyond the Qurate Retail Group's current business for additional growth opportunities, through internal innovation, strategic partnerships, joint ventures and acquisitions.

06:38 EDT Air Lease purchased eighteen aircraft during Q2 - Air Lease (AL), or ALC, announced an update on activity taking place in the Q2: As of June 30 ALC's fleet was comprised of 271 owned aircraft and 49 managed aircraft, with commitments to acquire a total of 358 new aircraft for delivery through 2023. ALC purchased 18 aircraft during the Q2: 14 new aircraft delivered from ALC's orderbook including 6 Boeing (BA) 737 MAX 8s, 3 Boeing 787-9s, 3 Airbus (EADSY) A321neos and 2 Airbus A350-900s; 4 incremental, young Airbus A321-200s which were leased to an existing ALC customer. Timing of orderbook deliveries and incremental aircraft purchases: approximately half of the quarter's orderbook deliveries and incremental purchases occurred in the last two weeks of June. No aircraft sales took place in the Q2. Issued $500M of 3.875% unsecured senior notes due 2023. Amended and extended 4-year unsecured revolving credit facility increasing total revolving commitments to $4.5 billion across 50 financial institutions

06:37 EDT Southwest reports June traffic up 2.6% - Southwest Airlines reported its June preliminary traffic statistics. The company flew 12.2B revenue passenger miles, or RPMs, in June, an increase of 2.6% from the 11.9B RPMs flown in June 2017. Available seat miles, or ASMs, increased 3.2% to 14.1B in June, compared with June 2017 ASMs of 13.6B. The June load factor was 86.9%, compared with 87.4% in June 2017.

06:34 EDT LSC Communications division awarded multi-year logistics contract by Penny Press - LSC Communications announced that The Clark Group, a division of LSC Logistics, has been awarded a multi-year logistics agreement with Penny Press, publisher of more than 30 puzzle magazines available on newsstands throughout the United States and Canada. Under the new agreement, LSC Logistics will provide exclusive distribution services for Penny Press' magazines sold through the retail channel. Penny is currently one of the top five publishers in the country in terms of retail sales.

06:23 EDT Canalys sees smart speaker installed base hitting 100M by end of 2018 - Canalys expects the smart speaker installed base will approach the 100-million barrier by the end of this year, making it almost 2.5 times bigger than at the end of 2017. The installed base will keep growing, more than doubling in size to reach 225 million units by 2020. Amazon (AMZN) Echo devices will account for over 50% of the installed base in 2018, while Google's (GOOG, GOOGL) Home series will account for 30%. Apple's (AAPL) HomePod models will trail, accounting for a meager 4% of the 2018 base.

06:15 EDT Amazon.com, Whole Foods announce savings from Prime Day - Amazon and Whole Foods Market announced exclusive ways Prime members can save in store in celebration of this year's Prime Day (and a half), which kicks off on Amazon July 16 at 12 pm PT/3 pm ET. From July 11 through July 17, Prime members can get $10 on Amazon for Prime Day when they shop in Whole Foods Market. Prime members can enjoy the following offers and savings leading up to Prime Day: Spend $10, get $10: Prime members who spend $10 at Whole Foods Market July 11 - 17 will receive a $10 Amazon account credit to use on Prime Day (and a half), by scanning the Prime Code in their Whole Foods Market or Amazon app when they check out. Get 10% Back: Amazon Prime Rewards Visa cardmembers with an eligible Prime membership will enjoy double the rewards - 10% Back - on up to a total of $400 in purchases when shopping at Whole Foods Market from July 14 - 17. Shop Prime Now and save up to $20: Prime members who have not yet tried grocery delivery from Whole Foods Market stores via Prime Now will receive $10 off their order when they shop before July 17, and will get $10 to use towards a future order. Check out Amazon devices: Starting on Prime Day (and a half), Prime members in many stores across the country will have access to the biggest deals yet on Alexa-enabled products like Echo and Fire TV.

06:12 EDT PepsiCo reports Q2 FLNA operating profit up 5%, NAB operating profit down 16% - Frito-Lay North America, or FLNA, operating profit grew 5%, primarily reflecting the net revenue growth and planned cost reductions across a number of expense categories, partially offset by certain operating cost increases. Quaker Foods North America, or QFNA, operating profit was flat, reflecting the net revenue performance, as well as less favorable settlements of promotional spending accruals compared to the prior year, which negatively impacted operating profit performance by 4 percentage points. In addition, higher commodity costs negatively impacted operating profit performance by 3 percentage points. These impacts were partially offset by planned cost reductions across a number of expense categories and lower advertising and marketing expenses. Additionally, insurance settlement recoveries related to the 2017 earthquake in Mexico and other insurance adjustments positively contributed 2 percentage points and 2.5 percentage points, respectively, to operating profit performance. North America Beverages, or NAB, operating profit decreased 16%, reflecting certain operating cost increases, including increased transportation costs, and the net revenue performance, as well as higher commodity costs, which negatively impacted operating profit performance by 5 percentage points. These impacts were partially offset by planned cost reductions across a number of expense categories, as well as certain insurance adjustments which positively contributed 2 percentage points to operating profit performance. Less favorable settlements of promotional spending accruals compared to the prior year and a favorable legal settlement in the prior year negatively impacted operating profit performance by 2 percentage points and 1 percentage point, respectively. Latin America operating profit increased 18%, reflecting planned cost reductions across a number of expense categories and effective net pricing. Additionally, insurance settlement recoveries related to the 2017 earthquake in Mexico and the impact of a promotional spending accrual adjustment contributed 5 percentage points and 4 percentage points, respectively, to operating profit growth. These impacts were partially offset by certain operating cost increases and the volume declines, as well as higher commodity costs, which reduced operating profit growth by 8 percentage points. Lower restructuring and impairment charges contributed 11 percentage points to operating profit growth. Europe Sub-Saharan Africa, or ESSA, operating profit decreased 11%, reflecting a prior-year gain associated with the sale of our minority stake in Britvic, which negatively impacted operating profit performance by 19 percentage points, certain operating cost increases and higher advertising and marketing expenses. Additionally, higher commodity costs negatively impacted operating profit performance by 3 percentage points. These impacts were partially offset by the net revenue growth and planned cost reductions across a number of expense categories. Favorable foreign exchange positively contributed 4 percentage points to operating profit performance. Asia, Middle East and North Africa operating profit increased 61%, primarily reflecting the net impact of refranchising our beverage businesses in Thailand in 2018 and Jordan in 2017, which increased operating profit growth by 42 percentage points. Additionally, the effective net pricing, planned cost reductions across a number of expense categories and the volume growth contributed to operating profit growth. These impacts were partially offset by certain operating cost increases, as well as higher commodity costs, which reduced operating profit growth by 3 percentage points.

06:07 EDT PepsiCo remains 'on track to achieve financial targets' - "We are pleased with our results for the second quarter and we remain on track to achieve the financial targets we set out at the beginning of the year," said Chairman and CEO Indra Nooyi. "The majority of our businesses performed very well, particularly our international divisions propelled by continued growth in developing and emerging markets, and our North America Beverages sector posted sequential net revenue and operating profit performance improvement."

06:06 EDT YouTube overhauls how it handles breaking news - YouTube said in a blog post that it is overhauling how it handles breaking news, adding previews of articles from credible sources, showing info from third parties and testing local news in TV app. "As part of the launch of GNI in March, we announced funding to support the future of news. Today we are committing $25M to a YouTube-specific investment: We're establishing a working group with news organizations and experts from around the world to help us develop new product features, improve the news experience on YouTube, and tackle emerging challenges. News organizations including Vox Media, Jovem Pan, and India Today are early members of the working group. We will provide funding across approximately 20 global markets to support news organizations in building sustainable video operations. Provided on an application basis to news organizations of all types, these grants will enable our partners to build key capabilities, train staff on video best practices, enhance production facilities and develop formats optimized for online video. We're significantly expanding our team focused on supporting news publishers. These specialists will be based around the world and support partners with training and best practices in formats, audience development, day-to-day platform operations, and sophisticated technical integrations. To make it easier to find quality news, our Top News shelf prominently highlights videos from news sources in search results. And when a breaking news event happens, we want users to know about it. That's why our Breaking News shelf highlights videos from news organizations about that event directly on the YouTube homepage. Many people want, value, and trust local news. And when a major event happens, local reporters are often the first on site to capture events as they unfold. We've begun testing features that surface local news in the YouTube app for TV screens across 25 media markets around the United States, making it easy to access local news in the living room--our fastest growing screen. So far, local news has seen strong engagement, and we will be expanding it to dozens more markets like Cincinnati, Las Vegas and Kansas City. Reference Link

06:02 EDT Differential Brands unit signs licensing agreement with Peerless Clothing - Differential Brands announced that its Robert Graham subsidiary has signed a licensing agreement with Peerless Clothing International to manufacture and distribute Robert Graham men's and boys' tailored clothing, suit separates and top coats. Peerless will begin distributing product Spring 2019 throughout the United States and Mexico. The new collection will be carried in better department stores and luxury specialty stores, alongside Robert Graham consumer direct channels. The product will be made in Peerless' Canadian factory with a half canvas make and sartorial hand finished details utilizing the finest Italian piece goods.

06:01 EDT Kirkland Lake Gold produces 164,685 ounces of gold in Q2 - Kirkland Lake Gold announced production for the second quarter of 2018 of 164,685 ounces and for the first six months of 2018 of 312,329 ounces. Production in Q2 2018 exceeded target levels for the quarter driven by record quarterly production from Macassa of 60,571 ounces and record monthly production in June at Fosterville of 31,710 ounces (77,462 ounces for Q2 2018). At June 30, 2018, the company remained well positioned to achieve its full-year 2018 consolidated production guidance of over 620,000 ounces.

05:41 EDT CUI Global subsidiary enters amended partnership agreement with VPS - CUI Global announced that its wholly-owned Power & Electromechanical Division, CUI Inc., has entered into an amended partnership agreement with Virtual Power Systems, or VPS, on the design, development, marketing and sales of VPS's proprietary Intelligent Control of Energy, or ICE, Software Defined Power, or SDP, infrastructure. In a separate agreement, CUI Global has made an investment for a minority stake in VPS in support of the companies' continued collaboration and development of industry transforming SDP technologies. Under the terms of the amended partnership agreement, CUI has extended its exclusive relationship with VPS to 2024 from the original expiry date of 2019. The agreement also calls for an automatic renewal provision and enhanced protections around CUI's intellectual property as it relates to ICE Block and ICE Switch, the industry's first SDP ICE Compatible devices based on VPS's ICE software platform.

05:16 EDT Parker Aerospace enters 10-year agreement with Daher Aerospace - Parker Aerospace's Aircraft Wheel & Brake Division, part of Parker Hannifin, announced that it has entered into a 10-year, long-term agreement, or LTA, with Daher Aerospace, as the supplier for the main wheels, main brakes, nose wheel, master cylinders, and park brake valve on the TBM 900 series production aircraft. Parker's Aircraft Wheel & Brake Division has been the wheel and brake supplier of the TBM aircraft since its first production aircraft in 1990. As part of the LTA, Parker will be providing re-designed main wheels and brakes that will reduce the overall weight of the landing gear.

05:11 EDT Baidu, Hyundai Motor sign MOU for Internet of Vehicles - Hyundai Motor Group and Baidu announced the signing of a memorandum of understanding, or MOU, for Internet of Vehicles, or IoV, signaling their commitment to strengthening cooperation on next-generation connected car technologies. The newly-signed MOU will see the existing partnership - between the world's fifth-largest auto-making group and the leading Chinese language Internet search provider - reinforced to accelerate development of disruptive innovations in vehicle connectivity. As a first step on the partnership's roadmap, Hyundai and Baidu will co-develop a connected car service that provides a wide range of in-car content - real-time traffic status and live information about the user's end-destinations for example - based on big data, maps, artificial intelligence, or AI, and portal services. Through such a service, Hyundai and Baidu expect to meet the growing demand for connectivity services among consumers in China and beyond. Hyundai and Baidu will also collaborate on creating Hyundai Motor Group vehicle models embedded with Xiaodu In-Car OS for volume production. This plan aims to advance the application of AI in IoV through next-generation technologies and product innovation. Released at the Baidu Create 2018 AI developer conference earlier this month, Xiaodu In-Car OS is an AI-based IoV solution that is open platform, end-to-end and multi-mode. Currently, it consists of four components: dashboard, smart rearview mirror, infotainment and an in-vehicle robot.