Stockwinners Market Radar for July 26, 2018 - Earnings, Upgrades downgrades, option trades, Best Stock Advisory Service

20:59 EDT CVB Financial and Community Bank receive regulatory approval for merger - CVB Financial and Community Bank announced that the proposed merger between CVBF's wholly-owned banking subsidiary, Citizens Business Bank, and Community Bank has received the required regulatory approvals from the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation and California Department of Business Oversight. The consummation of the merger, which is anticipated to occur on Friday, August 10, 2018, remains subject to the satisfaction of customary closing conditions.

18:42 EDT Aptar makes binding offer to acquire CSP Technologies for $555M - Aptar has made a binding offer to acquire CSP Technologies for an enterprise value of $555M, which represents a multiple of slightly less than 13 times adjusted EBITDA. Aptar plans to fund the transaction with available cash on hand. The consultation process with CSP Technologies' works council in France will begin as soon as possible. Upon completion of the French works council consultation process, Aptar expects to enter into a definitive stock purchase agreement with CSP Technologies for the proposed transaction. The proposed transaction, which has been approved by Aptar's board of directors, will also be subject to customary closing conditions, including regulatory approvals, and is expected to close in the fourth quarter of this year.

18:38 EDT Zions Bancorp raises quarterly dividend 25% to 30c per share - Zions Bancorp announced that its board of directors declared a regular quarterly dividend of 30c per common share, payable August 23, 2018 to shareholders of record on August 16, 2018. This represents an increase of 150% from the dividend paid in the year ago period, and a 25% increase over the dividend paid in the second quarter of 2018.

18:30 EDT BP to acquire Petrohawk assets from BHP for $10.5B - BP (BP) has agreed to acquire a portfolio of unconventional oil and gas assets from BHP (BHP). The acquisition will bring BP extensive oil and gas production and resources in the liquids-rich regions of the Permian and Eagle Ford basins in Texas and in the Haynesville gas basin in Texas and Louisiana. Under the terms of the agreement, BP America Production Company will acquire from BHP Billiton Petroleum Inc. 100% of the issued share capital of Petrohawk Energy Corporation - the wholly-owned subsidiary of BHP which holds the assets - for a total consideration of $10.5B, subject to customary adjustments. On completion, $5.25B, as adjusted, will be paid in cash from existing resources. $5.25B will be deferred and payable in cash in six equal instalments over six months from the date of completion. BP intends to finance this deferred consideration through equity issued over the duration of the instalments. Subject to regulatory approvals, the transaction is anticipated to complete by the end of October 2018. After integration of the acquisition with BP's existing US onshore business, the transaction will be accretive to BP's earnings and cash flow on a per share basis. BP expects the acquisition to be fully accommodated within its current financial frame, with organic capital expenditure in a range of $15B-$17B a year out to 2021 and gearing maintained within a 20-30% range. Following completion of the acquisition, BP intends to make new divestments of $5-6 billion, predominantly from the Upstream segment. The proceeds are intended to fund a share buyback programme of up to $5B-$6B over time. The divestments will be in addition to BP's ongoing programme of around $2B-$3B divestments a year.

18:10 EDT Evertec reinstates quarterly dividend of 5c per share - Evertec has declared a regular quarterly dividend of 5c per share to be paid on September 7 to stockholders of record as of August 6. Evertec anticipates declaring this dividend in future quarters on a regular basis; however, future declarations are subject to the board's approval.

18:04 EDT Churchill Downs hiring 200 new workers at Derby City Gaming in Louisville - Churchill Downs announced that Derby City Gaming, its new historical racing machine facility, is hiring up to 200 new employees in advance of the planned grand opening in September. Derby City Gaming is a new 85,000-square-foot $65 million facility. CDI announced the new entertainment venue in June of 2017 and construction is nearly complete. Derby City Gaming will feature 900 state-of-the-art historical racing machines.

18:02 EDT Amazon.com says 'very bullish' on international business - Says current emphasis on Alexa is expanding reach and effectiveness.

17:57 EDT Lockheed Martin SVP sells $2.3M in common stock - Lockheed Martin SVP/General Counsel Maryanne Lavan disclosed in a filing that she had sold 8.5K shares of company stock on July 25th. The total transaction value was $2.3M.

17:51 EDT Western Digital raises long term gross margin view to 35%-40% from 33%-38%

17:49 EDT BJ's Restaurants jumps 12% after quarterly results - Shares are up 12% or $7.40 per share in after-hours trading to $69 per share.

17:47 EDT Atlassian spikes 17% higher after announcing strategic partnership with Slack - Atlassian announced earlier, that it has entered into a strategic partnership with Slack. Atlassian currently has two offerings in the real-time communications market: Stride and Hipchat. With this partnership, Atlassian will exit the communications space. Slack has acquired the intellectual property for Stride and Hipchat Cloud, both of which will be discontinued. Atlassian will also discontinue Hipchat Server and Data Center and will be working with Slack to provide a migration path for customers of all four products. Atlassian products and Slack already work well together, and the companies will form an even closer relationship moving forward. The companies anticipate deepening their existing product integrations between Jira Cloud, Bitbucket Cloud, Trello, and Slack, and also expect to build new integrations between Confluence Cloud and Slack. The companies expect to also partner in the areas of marketing, sales, and channel enablement, and will provide more details on these plans in the future. Atlassian has also made an equity investment in Slack to reinforce the long-term nature and significance of the partnership. Shares of Atlassian are up 16.71% or $11.17 per share to $78 in after-hours trading.

17:37 EDT Western Digital sees increasing rate of flash supply growth - Industry bit growth to be at the high end of long term range. Pricing pressure to continue through the rest of CY2018. Reviewing supply rate with JV partner. Comment taken from Q4 earnings conference call.

17:30 EDT Electronic Arts says it has global momentum in esports - Says Q2 net bookings were 29% higher than guidance. Says first time in a decade making "Madden" available on PC. Says has new IP development for all platforms. Says has global momentum in esports. Says "Fortnite" has expanded the gaming player audience. Says promising future for "Fifa Mobile". Says one or two sizable title releases coming. Says investing in streaming in the long term.

17:20 EDT Starbucks says now has 15.1M active Starbucks rewards members - Sees growth in draft, refreshers, tea, and cold brew platforms. Says now has 15.1M active Starbucks rewards members.

17:19 EDT Granite Point Mortgage to replace WWE in S&P 600 at open on 8/1

17:16 EDT Starbucks plans to automate certain in-store tasks - Says plans to return $25B to shareholders by end of 2022. Says plans to automate certain in-store tasks. Says more than 8-% of stores built in the next few years will be drive-through.

17:15 EDT Maxim Integrated raises quarterly dividend 10% to 46c per share - To be paid on September 13 to stockholders of record on August 30.

17:14 EDT People's Utah Bancorp raises dividend 10% or 1c per share to 11c - The Board of Directors declared a quarterly dividend payment of 11c per common share, a 10%, or 1c per common share increase from the prior quarter. The dividend will be payable on August 13, 2018 to shareholders of record on August 6, 2018. The dividend payout ratio for earnings for the quarter ended June 30 was 19.65%.

17:10 EDT Electronic Arts says competitive leagues are growing at accelerated pace - Says launched Fifa mobile on Wii chat platform. Says had 15M unique players on "Fifa 18" World Cup update. Says subscription service for PC to launch in Q2. Says competitive leagues are growing at accelerated pace. Comments taken from Q1 earnings conference call.

17:07 EDT Hilltop Holdings authorizes additional $50M stock buyback - In July 2018, the Hilltop board of directors authorized an increase to the aggregate amount of common stock the Company may repurchase under the aforementioned stock repurchase program to $100.0 million, an increase of $50.0 million. The stock repurchase program expires in January 2019 and is inclusive of repurchases to offset dilution related to grants of stock-based compensation.

17:04 EDT MiMedx announces receipt of Nasdaq letter - MiMedx Group provided an update concerning the status of its compliance with the Listing Rules of the Nasdaq Stock Market. On July 10, MiMedx notified the Nasdaq staff that the company will be unable to bring its SEC filings up to date by the initial August 28 deadline previously communicated by the Nasdaq staff. Consequently, on July 20, 2018, the company received an anticipated letter from the Nasdaq staff, stating that, because MiMedx will not regain compliance with Nasdaq Rule 5250 by such initial deadline, the Nasdaq staff had determined that the Company's stock will be delisted unless the Company requests a hearing before a Nasdaq Listing Qualifications Paneby July 27. The non-compliance with Nasdaq Rule 5250 relates to the company's delinquency in filing its Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2017 and its Quarterly Report for the quarterly period ended March 31.

17:03 EDT Expedia reports Q2 adjusted EBITDA $463M, up 18% y/y

16:58 EDT Amgen sees FY18 CapEx about $750M

16:56 EDT Armistice Capital reports 5.9% passive stake in Del Frisco's

16:55 EDT Target names Gemma Kubat SVP, Supply Chain Engineering & Activation - Target (TGT) named Gemma Kubat as senior vice president, supply chain engineering and activation. Kubat will lead the design, activation and ongoing management of assets that support Target's global supply chain and logistics network. She will report to Target's executive vice president and chief supply chain officer, Arthur Valdez Jr. Most recently, she served as vice president, global business services for Walmart (WMT). Prior to that, she worked for the British supermarket chain, Asda.

16:46 EDT Expedia raises adjusted FY18 EBITDA growth view to 7%-12% from 6%-11% - On its Q2 earnings conference call, Expedia said the industry remains "highly dynamic." The company said it has "great momentum" heading into 2H. Expedia said HomeAway is on track for "very healthy" top and bottom line growth this year. The company sees 2019 total cloud spend over $250M.

16:46 EDT Nevada Gold says strategic review is ongoing - The company's strategic review is ongoing and has resulted to date in significant steps to restructure the company's operations. On June 30, the company completed the sale of its South Dakota slot route operations and on June 27 executed a definitive agreement to sell the Club Fortune Casino in Henderson, Nevada for $14.6M. The Company has previously announced that effective upon closure of the sale of Club Fortune casino, its corporate headquarters will relocate from Las Vegas to the Seattle, Washington area reducing corporate overhead by $1.2M. At that time Victor Mena will succeed Michael Shaunnessy as President and Chief Executive Officer. Mr. Mena has led the operations in Washington since 2009.

16:41 EDT Genco Shipping takes delivery of Genco Weatherly Ultramax vessel - Genco Shipping announced that it has taken delivery of the Genco Weatherly, a 2014-built 61,000 dwt Ultramax vessel. The Genco Weatherly is the first of four vessels to be delivered to Genco as part of its recent agreement to acquire two 2015-built 180,000 dwt Capesize vessels, one 2016-built 60,000 dwt Ultramax vessel and one 2014-built 61,000 dwt Ultramax vessel. In addition, Genco recently entered into another agreement to acquire two 2016-built 180,000 dwt Capesize vessels. All of the vessels are expected to be delivered to Genco in Q3.

16:36 EDT Leggett & Platt lowers FY18 outlook

16:35 EDT KKR to acquire The Bay Club Company, terms not disclosed - KKR and The Bay Club Company announced the signing of a definitive agreement under which KKR will acquire Bay Club from York Capital Management and minority investors, including JMA Ventures and Roxborough Group. Financial details of the transaction were not disclosed.

16:34 EDT Chesapeake raises FY oil guidance by 500,000 barrels - "We are pleased with our updated 2018 Outlook reflecting our strong performance year to date, as well as adjustments assuming a 2018 fourth quarter close of the Utica sale. While we are reducing our full-year natural gas and NGL volumes accordingly, we are raising our oil guidance by 500,000 barrels. We have also reflected the realized pricing and cost structure adjustments, resulting in a forecasted EBITDA level that is unchanged from our previous guidance that included the Utica for the full year. We are raising our capital expenditures slightly to reflect an accelerated capital program in the Utica on behalf of the buyer pre-closing, the cost of which will be settled in the post-closing adjustments, and increased drilling and completions activity in the PRB. Finally, we expect to seek a renewal and extension of our revolving credit facility in the 2018 third quarter. Pro forma collateral available for the new borrowing base, excluding the Utica assets, is expected to exceed $7 billion."

16:32 EDT Chesapeake to sell Utica Shale position to Encino Acquisition Partners for $2B - Chesapeake Energy announced that it has entered into an agreement to sell its interests in the Utica Shale operating area located in Ohio for approximately $2B to Encino Acquisition Partners, a private oil and gas company headquartered in Houston, Texas. The transaction, which is subject to certain customary closing conditions, including the receipt of third-party consents, is expected to close in the fourth quarter of 2018. The purchase price includes a $100M contingent payment based on future natural gas prices and is subject to adjustment for certain customary items at or following closing. Chesapeake intends to use the anticipated net proceeds to reduce debt. Transaction highlights: $1.9 billion initial closing proceeds to be applied toward reduction of debt; up to $150 million reduction in annual cash interest expense; $450 million reduction of projected 2019 gathering, processing and transportation expense, for an expected improvement of approximately $0.50 per barrel of oil equivalent (boe); eliminates all future Utica Shale midstream and downstream commitments of approximately $2.4 billion; Improves EBITDA by approximately $0.70 per boe in 2019, due to lower cash operating costs and improved oil differentials, assuming flat 2018 commodity prices Expect organic replacement of divested EBITDA within one year, primarily driven by oil volume growth from the Powder River Basin; 2019 oil production expected to grow approximately 10% from 2018, adjusted for asset sales, with additional oil growth anticipated for 2020; 2018 Outlook updated to reflect business performance year to date and impact of pending transaction.

16:32 EDT Bluebird Bio says LentiGlobin therapy granted accelerated assessment by EMA - bluebird bio announced that its investigational LentiGlobin gene therapy for the treatment of adolescent and adult patients with transfusion-dependent beta-thalassemia and a non-beta0/beta0 genotype, was granted an accelerated assessment by the Committee for Medicinal Products for Human Use of the European Medicines Agency, for its upcoming marketing authorization application. LentiGlobin is a potential one-time gene therapy that may address the underlying genetic cause of TDT. bluebird bio intends to file an MAA for LentiGlobin in TDT with the EMA in 2018. Accelerated assessments can reduce the active review time of an MAA from 210 days to 150 days once it has been validated by the EMA. An accelerated assessment is granted to products deemed by the CHMP to be of major interest for public health and represent therapeutic innovation. The accelerated assessment for LentiGlobin is supported by data from clinical studies, including the completed Phase 1/2 Northstar study, the ongoing Phase 1/2 HGB-205 study as well as available data from the Phase 3 Northstar-2 study and the long-term follow-up study LTF-303. The EMA previously granted Priority Medicines eligibility and Orphan Medicinal Product designation to LentiGlobin for the treatment of TDT. LentiGlobin is also part of the EMA's Adaptive Pathways pilot program, which is part of the EMA's effort to improve timely access for patients to new medicines. The U.S. FDA also granted LentiGlobin Orphan Drug status and Breakthrough Therapy designation for the treatment of TDT.

16:25 EDT Imperva added 139 new customers in Q2 - During the second quarter of 2018, Imperva booked 201 deals with a value over $100,000, an increase of 18% compared to 171 in the second quarter of 2017. During the second quarter of 2018, Imperva added 139 new customers, compared to 157 during the second quarter of 2017. Imperva now has over 6,200 customers in more than 100 countries around the world, the company said.

16:22 EDT Retrophin CEO Stephen Aselage to retire - Retrophin announced that Stephen Aselage plans to retire as the company's CEO. The board has initiated a global search for his successor that will include both internal and external candidates and Aselage will remain in his role as CEO until his replacement is appointed.

16:16 EDT Houlihan Lokey announces $100M stock buyback

16:13 EDT NCR Corp. announces new organizational structure, new executives - NCR Corporation announced a new organizational structure along with the appointment of several new executives. New additions to NCR's Leadership Team include Owen Sullivan, who joins NCR as Chief Operating Officer, Frank D'Angelo, who joins to lead NCR's newly formed Banking business unit, Tim Vanderham, who joins as Chief Technology Officer, and Debra Bronder, who joins as Chief Human Resources Officer.

16:10 EDT First National Community Bancorp increases dividend 33% - The board of FNCB Bancorp declared a dividend of 4c per share for Q3, representing a 33.3% increase over the 3c per share dividend declared for the same quarter of 2017. The dividend is payable September 17 to shareholders of record September 4.

16:09 EDT Achaogen announces departure of CFO, CSO, and President, R&D - Kenneth Hillan, President, R&D, will leave the company on October 15, however he will continue to serve on the board. CFO Tobin Schilke will leave the company on September 30. Zeryn Sarpangal, Chief of Staff, will assume the role of CFO on October 1. Chief Scientific Officer Lee Swem will leave the company on September 24. Chief Business Officer Liz Bhatt will assume the role of COO on July 26, and will assume oversight of the company's technical operations in addition to her current corporate development responsibilities.

16:08 EDT Comfort Systems increases dividend to 8.5c from 8c per share - Comfort Systems USA announced that its board of directors declared a quarterly dividend of 8.5c per share, which is a $0.005 increase from the company's most recent dividend, on Comfort Systems USA, Inc. common stock. The dividend is payable on August 24 to stockholders of record at the close of business on August 13.

16:05 EDT Achaogen announces strategic update, restructuring - Achaogen announced a strategic update and corporate restructuring to focus resources on the successful commercialization of Zemdritm in the United States, the Marketing Authorization Application filing for Zemdri in the European Union, and continued development of the C-Scape program. Consistent with the company's mission, Achaogen's research and development efforts will focus on C-Scape, an orally-administered beta-lactam/beta-lactamase inhibitor combination, and new aminoglycoside antibiotics, both of which have non-dilutive funding commitments. The company remains focused on the launch of Zemdri in the U.S. and, as such, the commercial and medical affairs groups will not be affected by the restructuring. Achaogen will reduce spending on early-stage research and development, technical operations and general and administrative expenses. The company estimates that the restructuring will result in the elimination of approximately 80 positions, or approximately 28%, of the company's workforce and estimates a one-time employee severance and benefits charge of approximately $6.0M in Q3. The elimination of these positions in conjunction with reductions in operating expenses is expected to result in near-term quarterly operating expenses consistent with what was reported for the previous two quarters, excluding one-time items of milestone payments and restructuring charges.

16:04 EDT Amazon.com up 4% to $1,886 after earnings top estimates

16:04 EDT Amazon CEO says 'tens of thousands' of developers building new Alexa devices - "We want customers to be able to use Alexa wherever they are. There are now tens of thousands of developers across more than 150 countries building new devices using the Alexa Voice Service, and the number of Alexa-enabled devices has more than tripled in the past year. Our partners are creating a wide variety of new Alexa-enabled devices and experiences, including soundbars from Polk and Sonos; headphones from Jabra; smart home devices from ecobee and First Alert; Windows 10 PCs from Acer, HP, and Lenovo; and cars from automakers including BMW, Ford, and Toyota," said Jeff Bezos, Amazon founder and CEO.

16:00 EDT Universal Logistics trading halted, news pending

15:23 EDT Synchrony confirms Walmart program agreement will not be renewed - In a regulatory filing, Synchrony Financial (SYF) confirmed that the Walmart (WMT) program agreement will not be renewed and is set to expire on July 31, 2019. "The company expects that its strategic options would fully replace the diluted earnings per share impact of program non-renewal...The company will provide further detail regarding these strategic options on its regularly scheduled earnings call at 8:30 am Eastern Time, tomorrow Friday, July 27," Synchrony stated. In a slide discussing the options, Synchrony said it could consider a portfolio sale or an option to retain the portfolio and convert qualifying accounts to GPCCs, or General Purpose Credit Cards.

14:04 EDT CPS Technologies in armor initiatives with Rafael Advanced Defenense Systems - CPS Technologies is pleased to be supporting Rafael Advanced Defense Systems in developing state of the art solutions that provide military vehicles with protection against projectiles, artillery and IED fragments.These armor solutions are being designed through a collaborative effort using CPS' existing, patented HybridTech Armor metal matrix composite technology. These armor solutions are comprised of multiple materials integrated together with HybridTech Armor panels, which consist of ceramic tiles that are completely enveloped and mechanically and chemically bonded to lightweight and stiff aluminum metal matrix composites. According to CPS Technologies CEO Grant Bennett, "CPS Technologies HybridTech Armor components offer an improved, lightweight, multi-hit capable and cost competitive alternative to conventional steel and ceramic-based solutions. After several years of development of the HybridTech Armor strike faces, we are pleased to be working with Rafael Advanced Defense Systems Ltd, and other integrators to integrate our components in complete armor solutions for use in real applications."

13:51 EDT Integrated Device, IoT40 partner on IoT solutions for industrial applications - Integrated Device Technology announced its collaboration with IoT40 Systems to expand its 6LoWPAN wireless radio frequency technology and sensor devices in Europe by leveraging IoT40 Systems' Caberra software platform to deliver a complete and highly secured IoT solution for smart factory, building, and city lighting customers. The IDT ZWIR4512 6LoWPAN module and sensor devices now seamlessly integrates with IoT40 Systems' Caberra software platform as part of their Device Connector, enabling systems to connect, detect, and act. IDT has reduced the effort and cost for the customer by configuring the ZWIR4512 and its sensor devices to automatically connect to the Caberra platform, without additional set up fees, as previously required.

13:23 EDT Synchrony drops 6.5% after reported to lose Walmart business to Capital One

13:14 EDT Salem Church acquires ChildrensMinistryDeals.com; terms not disclosed - Salem Church Products, an online division of Salem Media Group, has announced the acquisition of ChildrensMinistryDeals.com. Children's Ministry Deals offers a platform of Bible-based curriculum that meets the needs of children's ministries in the local church.

12:54 EDT Southwest says continues to have balanced approach to managing capital

12:29 EDT GGP stockholders approve proposed acquisition by Brookfield Property Partners - GGP (GGP) announced that its common stockholders approved the proposed acquisition of GGP by Brookfield Property Partners (BPY) pursuant to the Merger Agreement at a special meeting of GGP stockholders. All the other proposals voted upon at the meeting and identified in GGP's definitive proxy statement, filed June 27, 2018, were also approved. GGP's stockholder approval was a condition to the closing of the transactions contemplated by the Merger Agreement, including the payment of the previously announced special dividend to certain common stockholders of GGP. Detailed information about the election process in respect of such dividend, including the deadline for making elections, will be included in a separate press release that GGP and BPY expect to issue shortly, and will also be included in the election forms which will be mailed to holders of GGP common stock who are entitled to receive such dividend. The completion of the transactions contemplated by the Merger Agreement remains subject to certain other customary closing conditions. GGP and BPY expect that the transactions contemplated by the Merger Agreement will be completed by the end of August of this year.

12:08 EDT Bel Fuse trading halted, volatility trading pause

12:08 EDT Ziopharm: Executing on clinical, business development

12:01 EDT Union Pacific appoints Lynden Tennison as Chief Strategy Officer - Union Pacific appointed Lynden Tennison executive vice president and chief strategy officer, effective August 1. A 26-year Union Pacific veteran, Tennison has been senior vice president and chief information officer since February 2005. In his new role, he will be responsible for developing, implementing and overseeing Union Pacific's strategic agenda. The company said it will commence a comprehensive search to identify Tennison's successor, including internal and external candidates. Until Tennison's successor is named, he will continue to serve as interim chief information officer.

12:00 EDT Knight-Swift falls -15.2% - Knight-Swift is down -15.2%, or -$5.43 to $30.38.

12:00 EDT Nielsen falls -26.6% - Nielsen is down -26.6%, or -$7.87 to $21.70.

12:00 EDT Bridgepoint Education rises 42.8% - Bridgepoint Education is up 42.8%, or $3.46 to $11.55.

11:24 EDT McDonald's expects G&A to decrease about 1% in FY18 - Expects FY18 G&A to decrease about 1% in constant currency. Expects effective tax rate to be in the 25%-27% range. Expects FX to be a headwind with impact of 2c-4c in Q4.

11:14 EDT Bombardier Transportation awards 5-year frame contract to ENGIE valued at $290M - ENGIE has been awarded a five-year global frame contract to deliver integrated facilities management, production maintenance and project services to the global leader in rail technology Bombardier Transportation. The contract, valued at approximately $290M, foresees that all facilities management, building maintenance and production maintenance as well as cleaning, security, catering, reception, helpdesk and grounds maintenance services for various Bombardier Transportation industrial facilities will be managed by ENGIE. ENGIE will also deliver capital expenditure projects and energy performance solutions.

10:53 EDT ADMA Biologics reports close-out for April FDA compliance inspection - ADMA Biologics said it has received formal notice from the U.S. FDA of the successful close-out for the April 2018 compliance inspection of the Boca Raton, FL production facility. This is the first EIR issued to the site since 2012. The EIR received by the company contains detailed information about the April 2018 FDA inspection, discussions had with the investigators, requests for clarification and information, as well as a summary of potential next steps for the review of the Prior Approval Supplement for BIVIGAM. The EIR discusses many improvements and resolutions made by the Company to the majority of observations previously existing from the 2014 and 2016 FDA inspections of the Boca Raton, FL facility while owned and operated by Biotest Pharmaceuticals. The Agency has requested specific clarification to certain historical inspectional deficiencies, some of which, the company believes, will be addressed during the ongoing review of the PAS for BIVIGAM. The EIR states that the FDA investigators were unable to review real time production of BIVIGAM during the inspection and the report notes that the PAS had not yet been on file at the time of the April 2018 inspection. The Company believes that in order for FDA to make a final determination regarding the 2014 Warning Letter Close-Out, a review of the PAS submission for BIVIGAM as well as a potential Pre-Approval Inspection of the manufacturing process may be required. Based on separate informal correspondence received between the company and FDA staff within the Center for Biologics Evaluation and Research, the company has been informed that its compliance status is currently Voluntary Action Indicated, which remains to be confirmed with CBER's Office of Compliance and Biologics Quality. In addition, the FDA has stated to the company that the 483 responses have been reviewed and corrective actions will be assessed at the next FDA inspection of the establishment, which is anticipated by the company to occur on or before the end of April 2020. The company's assessment of the information received by FDA results in the following determinations: The compliance inspection of the Boca Raton, FL manufacturing facility has been successfully closed out. ADMA intends to implement the corrective actions represented to FDA in its accepted 483 response. In order for FDA to make an official determination regarding the close-out of the 2014 Warning Letter, the company believes a complete review of the PAS and a potential PAI for BIVIGAM should occur. The company has been informed that the target action date for the PAS is October 25, 2018.

10:39 EDT Mid Penn Bancorp, First Priority Financial shareholders approve merger - Mid Penn Bancorp and First Priority Financial Corp. announced that shareholders from both Mid Penn and First Priority, at special meetings of their respective shareholders, overwhelmingly approved Mid Penn's proposed acquisition of First Priority. Shareholders of First Priority approved the acquisition on July 24, 2018, and shareholders of Mid Penn approved the acquisition on July 25, 2018.

10:37 EDT Street Fight: Analysts diverge on Gilead after CEO announces exit - Shares of Gilead Sciences (GILD) are under pressure after the company announced that John Milligan will step down as President and CEO after a 28-year career with the company. Following the news, Baird analyst Brian Skorney downgraded the stock to Neutral as he believes Milligan leaves the company without clear direction. Still bullish on the stock, his peer at Piper Jaffray told investors the CEO resignation is not a concern as he thinks the company's board would not let go of someone as qualified as Milligan "without a potential stellar candidate in mind." MOVING TO THE SIDELINES: In a research note to investors this morning, Baird's Skorney downgraded Gilead to Neutral from Outperform following the announcement that John Milligan is stepping down as CEO, which he said leaves the company without clear direction. The HIV franchise had an "impressive quarter" and the HCV franchise had "a quarter of stability," but Skorney has concerns over further HCV price erosion after Merck (MRK) just announced a 60% price cut to Zepatier. Yescarta sales, while ahead of his and consensus estimates, were still far from validating the Kite acquisition, the analyst added. CEO RESIGNATION NOT A CONCERN: In a research note of his own, Piper Jaffray analyst Tyler Van Buren noted that while Gilead Sciences' second quarter results were good across the businesses, one-time items resulted in a majority of the beat. Regardless, the HIV franchise "appears stronger than ever," HCV finally stabilized quarter over quarter and the early indicators are there for cellular therapy franchise success, he added. Van Buren pointed out that the announcement of the CEO resignation has understandably caused a knee-jerk reaction to the shares, but he finds it hard to believe that the board "would let go of someone as qualified without a potential stellar candidate in mind to usher the company forward to the next phase of growth." The analyst reiterated an Overweight rating and $85 price target on the shares saying Gilead has now laid a very solid foundation of antivirals growth over the next decade with ample resources to inflect the P&L via non-antiviral products. Voicing a similar opinion, Jefferies analyst Michael Yee told investors that Gilead's second quarter results were "solid and consistent" with the positive turnaround story that is unfolding and he is confident the stock "would be trading up nicely" if not for the concurrent announcement that "well-liked" John Milligan will be stepping down. While a CEO search may present a small period of uncertainty, Yee would be a buyer of the stock, which he still sees moving to $90 by year-end amid rising anticipation of Phase 3 NASH data in the first half of next year. The analyst reiterated a Buy rating and $95 price target on Gilead shares. Meanwhile, Wells Fargo analyst Jim Birchenough raised his price target for Gilead to $95 from $89, while reiterating an Outperform rating on the stock, following better than expected second quarter operating results. With increasing confidence in 2018 as a trough earnings year, strong HIV growth outpacing HCV decline and emerging data over the next 12 months in large categories of cell therapy, immunology and NASH, the analyst expects continued multiple expansion. PRICE ACTION: In morning trading, shares of Gilead have dropped almost 2% to $77.55.

10:27 EDT Discovery Communications trading halted, volatility trading pause

10:13 EDT Magellan Midstream raises quarterly cash distribution to 95.75c per unit - The board of directors of Magellan Midstream Partners has increased the partnership's quarterly cash distribution to 95.75c per unit for the period April 1 through June 30, 2018. The second-quarter 2018 distribution is approximately 8% higher than the second-quarter 2017 distribution of 89c per unit and represents a 2% increase over the first-quarter 2018 distribution of 93.75c. The new distribution, which equates to $3.83 per unit on an annualized basis, will be paid Aug. 14 to unitholders of record at the close of business on Aug. 7.

10:03 EDT Raytheon to reduce pension obligations by $923M in deal with Prudential - Raytheon (RTN) announced it will reduce its pension obligations by $923M by purchasing a group annuity contract from The Prudential Insurance Company of America, a subsidiary of Prudential Financial (PRU). The agreement transfers the responsibility for paying certain pension benefits to approximately 13,000 U.S. retirees, as well as their beneficiaries, from Raytheon's previously discontinued operations. As a result of the transfer, Prudential will be responsible for making continuing payments to the affected retirees and their beneficiaries, in accordance with the group annuity contract.

10:00 EDT Mohawk falls -14.4% - Mohawk is down -14.4%, or -$31.40 to $185.97.

10:00 EDT Nielsen falls -24.7% - Nielsen is down -24.7%, or -$7.30 to $22.27.

10:00 EDT Bridgepoint Education rises 42.9% - Bridgepoint Education is up 42.9%, or $3.47 to $11.56.

09:54 EDT Yum China trading resumes

09:49 EDT Yum China trading halted, volatility trading pause

09:29 EDT WOW! introduces Cheddar to nearly 400,000 video subscribers - Cheddar and WOW! Internet, Cable & Phone announced the availability of Cheddar as part of WOW!'s video programming channel lineup. Cheddar is now available to approximately 400,000 WOW! video subscribers across most of WOW!'s 19 markets.

09:23 EDT MasterCard stills ees FY non-GAAP revenue growth in high teens - Says drivers in July similar to Q2. Through July 21, reports switched volume growth of 15% globally, with U.S. switched volume up 11% and outside the U.S. up 19%. For the period, reports switched transaction growth up 17% globally and cross-border volumes up 18% globally. Says business fundamentals remain "strong." Still sees FY non-GAAP revenue growth in the high teens, says "not much has changed." Now expects forex to be benefit to revenue of 0.5%-1% for FY18. Expects FX to be a headwind in each of the next two quarters. Sees Q3 marketing expenses up sequentially, operating expenses up in line with annual expectations.

09:22 EDT Fly Intel: Pre-market Movers - HIGHER: Supervalu (SVU), up 64% after United Natural Foods (UNFI) announced an agreement to acquire the company for $32.50 per share in cash, or approximately $2.9B... Qualcomm (QCOM), up 7% after reporting earnings, terminating its planned acquisition of NXP Semiconductors (NXPI) and saying it will execute on a $30B share repurchase plan in its place. UP AFTER EARNINGS: AMD (AMD), up 7%... Under Armour (UAA), up 2%. DOWN AFTER EARNINGS: Facebook (FB), down 22%.... Ford (F), down 4%... MasterCard (MA), down 2.5%... Visa (V), down 1.4%... Nielsen (NLSN), down 24%... Knight-Swift (KNX), down 13%. ALSO LOWER: NXP Semiconductors, down 6.6% after Qualcomm gave up on its deal to buy the company... Mattel (MAT), down xx% after reporting earnings and reporting plans to cut over 2,200 positions, or 22% of its non-manufacturing workforce.

09:08 EDT MasterCard CEO: 'Concerned' about potential impacts of Brexit - MasterCard President CEO Ajay Banga said on the company's Q2 earnings conference call that while he is seeing "solid" overall growth in the macro environment, MasterCard is "keeping an eye" as central banks evaluate reduced fiscal stimulus, as well as increased trade barriers. Banga said Europe is "positive overall," but he is "concerned" about the potential impacts of Brexit. Comments taken from the Q2 earnings conference call. MasterCard is down 2.5% in pre-market trading.

09:04 EDT Abbott begins trial for Tendyne Mitral Valve Replacement system - Abbott announced it has initiated a pivotal clinical study in the U.S. of its Tendyne Transcatheter Mitral Valve Replacement system for the treatment of mitral regurgitation. The trial will evaluate the safety and efficacy of the treatment in patients suffering from mitral regurgitation, known as a leaky heart valve. The investigational Tendyne device is the first and only mitral valve replacement that can be repositioned and fully retrieved, allowing the surgeon to precisely place the device during implantation, which could improve patient outcomes. Since the approval of the MitraClip device in 2008, Abbott has led the development of minimally invasive solutions for difficult-to-treat mitral regurgitation, and the Tendyne device is designed to offer a new treatment option for MR patients requiring a minimally invasive replacement valve. In addition to the U.S. pivotal trial, Abbott will initiate a separate feasibility study of the Tendyne system in patients with severe mitral annular calcification, a condition in which calcium accumulates along and beneath the mitral valve annulus, a ring-like structure that separates the top and bottom chambers of the left side of the heart.

09:02 EDT Eastside Distilling now distributed in Colorado - Eastside Distilling announced that its Redneck Riviera Whiskey is now distributed in the state of Colorado by Republic National Distributing. Redneck Riviera Whiskey was launched in February of 2018 and is now distributed in 26 states.

09:01 EDT Fair Isaac approves $250M stock repurchase program - Fair Isaac has approved a stock repurchase program to acquire up to $250M of the company's outstanding common stock. This new program was approved following completion of its previous stock repurchase program, which was in effect from October 2017 through July 2018.

08:59 EDT PG&E not providing FY18 EPS guidance due to uncertainty related to wildfires - PG&E Corporation is not providing at this time guidance for 2018 GAAP earnings and non-GAAP earnings from operations due to the uncertainty related to the Northern California wildfires. The company is providing 2018 IIC guidance of $1.6 billion to $1.8 billion after-tax for costs related to 14 of the Northern California wildfires, net of insurance, costs related to the Butte fire, net of contractor insurance, costs to clear pipeline rights-of-way, and probable cost recoveries of insurance premiums incurred in 2017 above amounts included in authorized revenue requirements.

08:55 EDT D.R. Horton sees Q4 home closings of 90%-93% - Sees Q4 home sales gross margin consistent with Q3.

08:53 EDT Amarin announces approval for Vascepa in United Arab Emirates - Amarin Corporation along with its commercial partner, Biologix FZCo announced that United Arab Emirates Ministry of Health and Prevention has approved Vascepa capsules as a prescription medication for use as an adjunct to diet to reduce triglyceride levels in adult patients with severe hypertriglyceridemia in the UAE. This approval is a result of the collaborative effort by the parties since the start of their 2016 agreement to register and commercialize Vascepa in multiple countries in the MENA region. Efforts are underway to gain approval to market and sell Vascepa in other countries in the MENA region. However, it is difficult to predict the timing of such approvals given the varied regulatory processes in each country. Amarin continues to anticipate that the revenue potential for Vascepa outside the United States will be relatively modest in 2018. Under the previously announced collaboration agreement between Amarin and Biologix, Biologix is responsible for registering Vascepa in the MENA region, as well as providing all marketing, sales, and distribution services for the product. Amarin is responsible for providing regulatory assistance, supply and maintaining intellectual property in the region.

08:52 EDT Flagstar Bancorp hires Jennifer Charters as Chief Information Officer - Flagstar Bank has hired Jennifer Charters as executive vice president and chief information officer with responsibility for the strategic direction of the bank's IT organization. Previously, she was CIO of Corporate Technology at Ally Financial in Detroit and has 12 years consulting at Accenture.

08:48 EDT FuelCell announces service agreement with Korea Southern Power - FuelCell Energy announced a 20 year service agreement for the recently completed 20 megawatt fuel cell project with Korea Southern Power Co. The eight SureSource 3000 power plants cleanly produce electricity and thermal energy to support a district heating system adjacent to the existing 1.8 gigawatt Sinincheon combined cycle power plant that is owned by KOSPO and located in Incheon, South Korea.

08:46 EDT Shell Midstream raises quarterly distribution by 4.9% to 36.5c per unit - Shell Midstream Partners announces that the board of its general partner declared a cash distribution of 36.5c per limited partner unit for Q2. This represents an increase of 4.9% over the previous quarterly distribution of 34.8c per unit. The distribution will be paid August 14, to unitholders of record as of August 6.

08:44 EDT Genprex enters research agreement with MD Anderson Cancer Center in Texas - Genprex has entered a sponsored research agreement with The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center under which Genprex will sponsor a pre-clinical study. TUSC2 is the active agent in Genprex's investigational drug candidate Oncoprex. The study, which is built upon strong data from pre-clinical research conducted at MD Anderson, is intended to develop a novel therapeutic approach for the treatment of cancer using a combination of the multifactorial tumor suppressor gene TUSC2 and immunotherapy, including the immune checkpoint inhibitors anti-PD1 and/or anti CTLA-4. The study will include the identification of biomarkers to predict the response to TUSC2-immunotherapy combinations. Under the agreement, MD Anderson will provide all necessary personnel, equipment, supplies, facilities and resources to perform the study; and Genprex will pay MD Anderson an amount equal to its expenditures and reasonable overhead in conducting the study in an amount of $2M.

08:41 EDT Iconix Brand signs cooperation agreement with Sports Direct International - Iconix Brand has entered into a cooperation agreement with Sports Direct International pursuant to which Sports Direct has the right to appoint two members of the company's board of directors. Justin Barnes, of IBSL Consultancy, has been appointed to the Board with immediate effect. Additionally, James Marcum, a current member of the board, will continue to serve on the board as a Sports Direct designee. Barnes and Marcum will each serve a term expiring at the 2018 annual meeting of stockholders, and will be nominated by the company on its slate of nominees for election as directors at the 2018 Annual Meeting. As part of the cooperation agreement, Sports Direct has withdrawn its previously announced nomination notice of individuals for election as directors at the 2018 Annual Meeting. Additionally, the size of the board will be no greater than seven members following the completion of the 2018 Annual Meeting.

08:38 EDT CRH Medical acquires majority interest in Lake Washington Anesthesia - CRH Medical has completed an accretive transaction whereby the company has acquired a 51% interest in a gastroenterology anesthesia practice in Washington State. Lake Washington is CRH's first Monitored Anesthesia Care program to be completed. Lake Washington provides anesthesia services to four GI ambulatory surgical centers and is CRH's first acquisition in the state of Washington. The transaction was financed through a combination of CRH's credit facility and cash on hand. Its estimated annual revenue is $5.2M, and the acquisition is expected to be EBITDA and cash flow accretive.

08:38 EDT Under Armour says 'tracking well' against multi-year transformation - Says "proactively" addressing under-performing areas. Comments from Q2 earnings conference call.

08:35 EDT Izea seeks immediate cessation of trading, delisting from BBSE - IZEA, Inc. announced that it has contacted the Berlin-Bremen Stock Exchange and has demanded an immediate halt to trading in IZEA's common stock, as well as an immediate delisting of the stock. IZEA's common stock was listed on the BBSE without the Company's prior knowledge, consent or authorization. IZEA did not authorize or direct any BBSE broker to act as a market maker for the company's common stock. IZEA is working with its attorneys to cause the immediate cessation of trading and delisting of its common stock from the BBSE and will explore all appropriate legal remedies available to the Company. "We did not apply for this listing on the BBSE. We were not consulted or contacted by anyone at the BBSE and we certainly did not request or consent to the listing," said Ted Murphy, Founder and CEO of IZEA. "We have no interest in trading on the BBSE and from our perspective, there is no justifiable explanation for this. The Company is now considering its options to pursue appropriate remedies against any parties responsible for this unauthorized listing."

08:31 EDT Naked Brand Group provides update on results of FOH Online - Naked Brand Group Limited provided a corporate update on the financial and operational results of its proposed acquisition target, FOH Online Corp, the exclusive licensee of the Frederick's of Hollywood global online license. FOH net sales for the trailing twelve months ended June 30, 2018 were approximately $20.2 million of direct to consumer e-commerce sales, a 26% increase as compared to $16.0 million for the trailing twelve months ended June 30, 2017. "We are in the final stages of negotiating the terms of our proposed acquisition of FOH Online Corp. Assuming we are able to finalize terms and enter into a definitive agreement with FOH Online Corp., we will seek to close the transaction in the third quarter of 2018 and believe the integration into our operations would provide a strong platform to drive the next phase of growth of our e-commerce business and provide opportunities for operating synergies with our extensive wholesale and retail distribution channels," said Naked Brands CEO Justin Davis-Rice.

08:27 EDT Avon Products announces global brand marketing.senior leadership changes - Avon Products announced a series of senior appointments in global brand marketing. Anna Chokina has been appointed VP, Global Brand Marketing, Skincare and Personal Care, a $1.6B category, effective September 24th. Chokina joins Avon from L'Oreal Paris as General Manager, Russia. Elena Degtyareva, currently VP, Global Marketing Operations will assume the position of VP, Global Fashion and Home a $1.4B category. In this role, Elena will be responsible for growing Avon's fashion and home business, which currently delivers a quarter of Avon's global revenue. Degtyareva has worked in both global roles and in Eastern Europe in a variety of strategic and operational positions.

08:21 EDT Coeur Mining updates Silvertip Mine exploration results - Coeur Mining provided an update on the 44,500-meter drilling program at its 100%-owned Silvertip operation located in northern British Columbia. This program has been primarily focused on infill drilling to support ongoing mine planning efforts and has discovered several new mineralized zones. The company has approved and commenced a $4M second phase focused on expanding resources and testing prospective targets located on the mine's 93,000-acre land package. The first phase of 2018 drill program completed ahead of schedule and under budget. Since commencing in December 2017, six rigs have drilled over 44,500 meters at a total capitalized cost of $9.2M. Results from Silvertip's drilling program received through early July are expected to support an updated resource model with a maiden reserve estimate, both of which are expected to be included in an updated technical report later this year. Three zones were tested and each has exceeded grade and thickness expectations. Drilling confirms continuity and suggests greater mineralized thicknesses at Central Zone. Significant intercepts in the zone include 6.3 meters at 845.3 g/t silver, 10.9% zinc and 15.3% lead, or 1,788.6 g/t in silver equivalent terms. Mineralization at Central Zone is near existing underground infrastructure and remains open to the north, south and at depth. Surface drilling at Discovery Zone intercepted substantial new mineralization as well as multiple, stacked, manto horizons, for example 11.4 meters at 193.3 g/t silver, 18.3% zinc and 3.2% lead.

08:16 EDT Future FinTech forms subsidiary in Beijing - Future FinTech announced the formation of a wholly-owned subsidiary, Chain Future Digital FinTech, which will serve as the main vehicle for FTFT's blockchain incubator/ accelerator "Chain World Cyberspace", providing business incubation and acceleration services for blockchain companies. Chain Future Digital FinTech Ltd. was formed on July 10, 2018.

08:15 EDT Comcast added 182K customers in Cable Communications in Q2 vs. 114K last year - The company states: "Consolidated Capital Expenditures decreased 3.3% to $2.3B in the second quarter of 2018. Cable Communications' capital expenditures decreased 9.7% to $1.8B in the second quarter of 2018, reflecting lower spending on customer premise equipment and support capital, partially offset by increased investments in scalable infrastructure and line extensions. Cable capital expenditures represented 12.9% of Cable revenue in the second quarter of 2018 compared to 14.8% in last year's second quarter. NBCUniversal's capital expenditures of $461 million increased 36.3%, reflecting continued investment at Theme Parks."

08:12 EDT aTyr Pharma presents 'positive' lung and skin findings with ATYR1923 - aTyr Pharma announced a poster presentation at the Scleroderma Foundation National Patient Education Conference to be held in Philadelphia, PA from July 27 - 29, 2018. The presentation reviews the positive lung and skin results of a recently completed murine experiment evaluating low doses of ATYR1923 in a chronic graft versus host disease model of systemic sclerosis. Conclusions: Data demonstrate ATYR1923 is efficacious in a murine model of sclerodermatous chronic graft versus host disease when administered weekly at only 0.4 mg/kg. ATYR1923 has robust activity when treatment was initiated at Day 7. ATYR1923 activity did not reach significance when treatment was initiated at Day 21. Data are compatible with aTyr's hypothesis that ATYR1923 modulates immune responses and inflammation following tissue injury.

08:10 EDT Halozyme: Genentech doses first patient in Phase 3 study of Perjeta, Herceptin - Halozyme Therapeutics (HALO) announced that Genentech, a member of the Roche Group (RHHBY), has dosed the first patient in a Phase 3 study of a fixed-dose combination of pertuzumab and trastuzumab for subcutaneous administration using Halozyme's proprietary ENHANZE drug-delivery technology in combination with chemotherapy. The global Phase 3 study is investigating the combination as a single fixed-dose in patients with human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 -positive early breast cancer in the neoadjuvant and adjuvant settings. The estimated administration time for the initial loading dose of the combination is 7 to 8 minutes and subsequent maintenance doses are approximately 5 minutes.

08:09 EDT MasterCard reports Q2 gross dollar volume up 14%, purchase volume up 16% - "Our broad-based momentum continued this quarter as we delivered strong revenue and earnings per share growth," said Ajay Banga, Mastercard president and CEO. "We continue to invest for the long term and are pleased with the progress we are making in expanding our customer relationships and advancing our secure digital solutions. We believe our strategy of providing choice to our customers positions us well to expand our core business and address new opportunities. underlying revenue growth was 14%, driven by the impact of the following factors: An increase in switched transactions of 17%, adjusted for the impact of the Venezuela deconsolidation, to 18.2 billion. An increase in cross-border volumes of 19% on a local currency basis. A 14% increase in gross dollar volume, on a local currency basis, to $1.5 trillion. These increases were partially offset by an increase in rebates and incentives, primarily due to new and renewed agreements and increased volumes.

08:03 EDT Walgreens introduces new digital marketplace featuring 17 health care providers - Walgreens introduced Find Care Now, a digital platform and marketplace that helps connect the company's millions of mobile and online visitors to health care services at Walgreens stores and to a growing selection of recognized providers in the community. The company is working closely with a current list of 17 participating providers as part of the effort, further enhancing Walgreens omnichannel role as a convenient and trusted neighborhood health care destination. Find Care Now makes it easier for customers to navigate and search for local and digital health care services, with offerings in certain markets as varied as neighborhood health care clinics, urgent care, telehealth, lab testing, physician second opinions, and even physician house calls and optical and hearing services in select markets.

08:02 EDT McDonald's reports Q2 systemwide sales increased 5% in constant currencies

07:59 EDT McDonald's reports Q2 U.S. SSS increased 2.6% - In the U.S., second quarter comparable sales increased 2.6% driven by growth in average check resulting from both product mix shifts and menu price increases. Operating income for the quarter decreased 7% primarily due to the strategic restructuring charge. Excluding this charge, operating income increased 1% as higher franchised margin dollars were partly offset by lower Company-operated margin dollars. Comparable sales for the International Lead segment increased 4.9% for the quarter, reflecting positive results across all markets, primarily driven by the U.K. and France. The segment's operating income increased 15% (9% in constant currencies), fueled by sales-driven improvements in franchised margin dollars. In the High Growth segment, second quarter comparable sales increased 2.4%, led by strong performance in Italy and positive results across most of the segment, partly offset by continued challenges in South Korea. In the Foundational markets, second quarter comparable sales rose 6.8%, reflecting positive sales performance across all geographic regions.

07:51 EDT DPW Holdings' Enertec Systems awarded $4.3M contract - DPW Holdings announced Enertec Corporation, the Israel-based defense solutions group of DPW subsidiary Coolisys Technologies, was awarded a $4.3M second-stage contract award from an Israeli defense and aerospace contractor to supply computer-based command and control missile defense systems.

07:49 EDT Archrock raises quarterly dividend to 13.2c from 12c per share - The dividend will be paid on August 14 to all stockholders of record on August 7.

07:46 EDT Abiomed announces approval in India for Impella heart pumps - Abiomed announced the Impella 2.5, Impella CP and Impella 5.0 heart pumps received Central Drugs Standard Control Organization approval in India for use during high-risk percutaneous coronary intervention, cardiogenic shock, and other reduced left ventricular function conditions. The first patient was treated with the Impella 2.5 heart pump at Fortis Escorts Heart Institute in New Delhi. Ashok Seth, MD treated the first patient, an 86 year old man who was too high risk for heart surgery and presented with severe, recurrent chest pain and multiple comorbidities. A diagnostic catheterization demonstrated blockages of more than 90% in three left coronary arteries as well as distal disease. Dr. Seth performed a Protected PCI procedure including atherectomy with Impella 2.5 support. The patient was weaned off support and after three days was discharged home with an improved quality of life. Impella heart pumps stabilize the patient's hemodynamics, unload the left ventricle, perfuse the end organs and promote recovery of the native heart. Heart disease is the number one cause of death in India and of those diagnosed with heart failure, 23% die within one year.

07:44 EDT Bellatrix Exploration announces debt refinancing - Bellatrix Exploration announces that it has entered into an agreement with funds advised by FS/EIG Advisor,and FS/KKR Advisor,to exchange $80M of the Company's outstanding 8.5% senior unsecured notes due 2020 for 72M of 8.5% second lien notes due 2023. In addition, the Exchanging Noteholders have agreed to subscribe for between $30M and $40M of additional Second Lien Notes, with the proceeds to be used for drilling and further acquisitions and exchanges of 2020 Notes. The Exchanging Noteholders have also agreed to allow for up to $50M in additional Second Lien Note issuances to be used exclusively for future 2020 Note exchanges on or before December 31, 2018. The agreement also provides for the ability to issue additional subordinate secured and unsecured debt in subsequent refinancing and capital raising transactions. Finally, Bellatrix has agreed to issue warrants representing approximately 5% of the Company's issued and outstanding shares to the Exchanging Noteholders, with the actual number of warrants and the exercise price thereof to be determined at the time of their issuance, and subject to applicable Toronto Stock Exchange rules. The warrants will only vest if and when the Company accesses any of the incremental $50M of Second Lien Note capacity, and the issuance of Bellatrix common shares pursuant to the exercise of the warrants will be subject to the approval of the Toronto Stock Exchange. In addition, if any of the incremental $50M of Second Lien Note capacity is utilized, then the New Money Notes will be limited to $30M. In combination, the transactions announced today will extend the maturity of over one-third of the Company's existing 2020 Notes by three years, reduce outstanding debt by $8M, and set the stage for additional 2020 Note exchanges and/or acquisitions in the future that, the Company expects, will significantly increase its ability to refinance all of the remaining 2020 Notes in advance of their stated maturity, all while minimizing equity dilution to the Company's shareholders.

07:40 EDT Valero Energy Partners still sees FY18 CapEx $35M-$45M

07:38 EDT American Airlines expects Q3 capacity to be up approx. 3.3% - As American continues to optimize its network, the company is lowering its third-quarter capacity growth rate by approximately 0.6 percentage points and its fourth-quarter capacity growth by approximately 1.0 percentage point from its previous guidance. The company now expects its third-quarter capacity to be up approximately 3.3%, fourth-quarter capacity to be up approximately 1.6%, and full-year capacity to be up approximately 2.2% year-over-year. Due to the success of the One Airline efficiency project that was outlined at its media and investor day, American is lowering its third- and fourth-quarter non-fuel cost outlook. The company now anticipates that its cost per available seat mile excluding fuel and special items will be up approximately 1% in the third quarter, and approximately flat in the fourth quarter. As a result, full year 2018 CASM-ex is expected to increase by approximately 1.5% year-over-year, which is 0.5 points lower than its previous guidance. American expects its third-quarter 2018 TRASM to increase approximately 1% to 3% year-over-year. The company also expects its third-quarter 2018 pre-tax margin excluding special items to be between 5% and 7%.

07:37 EDT United Natural Foods sees Supervalu acquisiton accretive in year one - The transaction will greatly expand UNFI's customer base and exposure across channels, including those where demand for "better for you" products is increasing and UNFI is under-represented. It will also unlock new opportunities through a comprehensive product portfolio. UNFI will benefit from its ability to deliver comprehensive and expanded offerings, including the addition of high-growth perimeter categories such as meat and produce to UNFI's natural and organic products. The wider geographic reach and greater scale of the combined entity is expected to increase efficiencies and effectiveness. The combined entity plans to leverage scalable systems to streamline its processes, more efficiently meet the needs of its customers and reduce future capital expenditures. Through this combination, UNFI will be positioned to realize run rate cost synergies of more than $175M by year three. After year one, the transaction is projected to be accretive to Adjusted EPS in year one with double-digit Adjusted EPS growth after year one, excluding one-time costs.

07:36 EDT Alkermes preparing for ALKS 5461 advisory committee meeting in Q4 - Alkermes said in this morning's earnings release, "With a growing proprietary commercial portfolio and partnered royalty and manufacturing business approaching $1 billion in revenue in 2018, Alkermes is in a strong position to create significant long-term value. As we head into the second half of 2018, we are on the threshold of important value inflections across our development portfolio. For ALKS 5461 for major depressive disorder, the regulatory review is underway and we are preparing for an Advisory Committee meeting in the fourth quarter. For ALKS 3831 for schizophrenia, enrollment of the ENLIGHTEN-2 pivotal study is complete and we expect topline data in the fourth quarter of 2018. In addition, we are on track to submit the NDA for BIIB098 toward year-end, and we look forward to presenting initial data from the ALKS 4230 phase 1 study and expanding into combination therapy later this year."

07:33 EDT United Natural Foods to acquire Supervalu for $32.50 per share in cash, or $2.9B

07:27 EDT Fluor's Stork awarded five-year contract renewal with Ecopetrol - Fluor Corporation (FLR) that Stork, part of Fluor's Diversified Services segment, was awarded a five-year contract renewal by Ecopetrol S.A. (EC) to operate and maintain its surface facilities on the Cusiana and Cupiagua gas fields in Colombia. These facilities process 30 percent of the Colombian industrial and domestic gas consumption. Fluor booked the undisclosed contract value in the second quarter of 2018.

07:21 EDT Tempur Sealy sees FY18 adjusted EBITDA $440M-$460M

07:17 EDT Teck Resources says NovaGold to sell JV interest to Newmont Mining - Teck Resources (TECK) announced that its partner in the Galore Creek joint venture project, NovaGold Resources (NG), has entered into an agreement to sell its 50% project interest to Newmont Mining (NEM) for $275M in staged and contingent payments. Teck and Newmont have agreed to a work plan at Galore Creek with the objective of completing an updated prefeasibility study over the next three-to-four years to improve overall project understanding and economics. Teck will invest approximately $10M-$15M annually to complete this work. Teck and Newmont have also agreed to certain modifications to the existing shareholders agreement. Teck has held a 50% interest in the Galore Creek project since May 2007.

07:12 EDT Marsh & McLennan sees FY18 underlying revenue growth in 3%-5% range

07:09 EDT Spotify sees Q4 MAU growth of 24%-30% - For the fourth quarter Spotify is expecting: Total Monthly Active Users of 199-207 million, up 24-30% Y/Y; Total Premium Subscribers of 93-97 million, up 30-37% Y/Y; Revenue of EUR1.35B-EUR1.55B, up 18-35% Y/Y; Gross Margin of 24.5-26.5%; Operating Loss of EUR20M-EUR100M.

07:07 EDT Hershey approves new $500M stock repurchase authorization - "Hershey's Board of Directors has approved a new $500 million stock repurchase authorization and a dividend increase of 10%," CEO Michele Buck said. "Hershey's solid balance sheet and strong cash flow generation gives the company continued flexibility against its cash priorities, including returning cash to shareholders in the form of dividends and buy backs, while also being able to participate in strategic merger and acquisition activity."

07:07 EDT Spotify reports Premium Subscribers up 40% to 83M users - Premium Subscribers grew to 83M, up 40% Y/Y. "Our mid-year campaign performed well and was a significant portion of our subscriber intake in the quarter. Family Plan continues to be a primary driver of gross adds and lower churn due to strong retention. We also extended our offer of a Spotify + Hulu bundle to Standard $9.99 Premium subscribers in the US, following the early success of the Spotify Student + Hulu bundle launched last fall," the company said.

07:04 EDT Bristol-Myers reports Q2 Opdivo revenue $1.63B vs. $1.2B last year - Reports Q2 Eliquis revenue $1.65B vs. $1.18B last year. Reports Q2 Eliquis revenue $711M from $650M last year.

07:01 EDT Raytheon up 1.9% after reporting Q2 results, raising FY18 guidance

06:58 EDT Merck announces KEYTRUDA approved by CNDA for advanced melanoma - Merck announced that KEYTRUDA, Merck's anti-PD-1 therapy, has been approved by the China National Drug Administration for the treatment of adult patients with unresectable or metastatic melanoma following failure of one prior line of therapy. This is the first and only approval of an anti-PD-1 therapy for advanced melanoma in China.

06:58 EDT Raytheon reports Q2 backlog $39.88B vs. $36.17B last year

06:57 EDT Royal Dutch Shell launches $25B share buyback program - Royal Dutch Shell CEO Ben van Beurden commented, "Today we are taking another important step towards the delivery of our world-class investment case, with the launch of a $25B share buyback programme. This move complements the progress we have made since the completion of the BG acquisition in 2016, to reshape our portfolio through a $30B divestment programme and new projects, to reduce net debt, and to turn off the scrip dividend. Our financial framework remains unchanged. Our free cash flow outlook and the progress we have made to strengthen our balance sheet give us the confidence to start our share buyback programme."

06:51 EDT Southwest sees Q3 RASM (1%)-1% - The Company expects third quarter 2018 year-over-year operating revenue per available seat mile, or RASM to be a significant improvement over second quarter 2018 and in the range of down one percent to up one percent, compared with third quarter 2017 RASM of 13.58 cents, as recast in accordance with Accounting Standards Update No. 2014-09, Revenue from Contracts with Customers . The Company's outlook for third quarter 2018 includes an estimated one-half point impact to RASM due to temporarily lower passenger yields from an aggressive May 2018 fare sale for June through October 2018 travel, which was offered in conjunction with the Company's broad marketing efforts following the accident.

06:49 EDT L3 Technologies raises FY18 free cash flow view to $915M from $900M

06:47 EDT EQT Corporation sees Q3 total production sales 370-380 Bcfe

06:45 EDT Daimler AG sees Group revenue up 'slightly' in FY18 - Daimler says, "We anticipate significant revenue growth in the Mercedes-Benz Vans, Daimler Trucks and Daimler Financial Services divisions. At Mercedes-Benz Cars, the expected exchange rate developments and lifecycle effects will dampen the development of revenue, so we expect the division to post full-year revenue at the high level of 2017. We now anticipate revenue in the magnitude of the previous year also for the Daimler Buses division."

06:43 EDT Daimler AG sees FY18 Group EBIT 'slightly' below prior year level

06:38 EDT Xerox announces $1B share repurchase program - Demonstrating its commitment to enhancing shareholder returns, the Xerox board of directors authorized a $1 billion share repurchase program and the company will opportunistically repurchase up to $500 million in 2018. "This positive step forward is a strong endorsement of the company and represents an immediate action to deliver value to our investors," said CEO Visentin. The company confirmed that it is not conducting an auction process. Visentin stated, "While there has been much speculation about Xerox, I want to be clear. My mission is to do what is right for Xerox. Our focus is on leveraging the assets and capabilities we have today to create a sustainable company that provides a compelling value proposition for customers and partners."

06:32 EDT PulteGroup CEO says 'well positioned' for 'outstanding' FY results - "Working against our defined strategic plan, our operating teams continue to do an outstanding job as revenues increased 25%, adjusted gross margin increased 60 basis points, and adjusted EPS surged 89%," said Ryan Marshall, President and CEO of PulteGroup. "Given the operating and financial gains we have realized through the first half of 2018, and with almost 12,000 homes in backlog, we are well positioned to deliver outstanding full-year results." "We continue to see U.S. housing demand being supported by a number of positive market dynamics including an expanding economy, ongoing growth in jobs and wages, historically low unemployment, and sustained high levels of consumer confidence," added Marshall. "With our strong land pipeline and ability to serve all primary buyer groups, we believe PulteGroup is well positioned to grow its business within this market environment, while continuing to generate high financial returns."

06:30 EDT Roche announces top-line results from LADDER study - Roche announced top-line results from the LADDER study, the first successful phase II study of a long-acting delivery device for the treatment of neovascular age-related macular degeneration, a leading cause of blindness globally in people aged 60 and over. LADDER evaluated the efficacy and safety of the investigational Port Delivery System with ranibizumab in people with nAMD who had previously responded to treatment with anti-vascular endothelial growth factor therapy. The majority of PDS patients enrolled in the LADDER trial went six months or longer between implant of the device and the first required refill. Vision outcomes in the high dose PDS group were similar to monthly ranibizumab eye injections and were maintained throughout the study period. These late-breaking data were presented at the 36th Annual Meeting of the American Society of Retina Specialists in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. LADDER study patients implanted with the PDS received one of three concentrations of ranibizumab: 10 mg/mL, 40 mg/mL or 100 mg/mL.4 For PDS patients receiving the 100 mg/mL dose, approximately 80% were able to go six months or longer until their first refill. Of the PDS patients receiving 40 mg/mL or 10 mg/mL, 71.3% and 63.5% respectively were able to go six months or longer before their first refill. Secondary endpoints of the study included assessments of vision and anatomic outcomes when compared to monthly intravitreal ranibizumab 0.5 mg injections.4 Patients in the PDS 100 mg/mL arm achieved similar gains in Best Corrected Visual Acuity and similar reductions in central retina thickness compared to patients receiving ranibizumab 0.5 mg injections. Three pivotal studies in Roche's clinical development programme in ophthalmology are expected to begin later in 2018, including: a phase III study of the PDS in nAMD, based on these LADDER data; and two phase III studies of RG7716, a VEGF/Ang-2 bispecific antibody, based on the phase II BOULEVARD study. BOULEVARD data, which were also presented at ASRS, further confirmed that treatment with RG7716 resulted in clinically meaningful and statistically significant improvements in visual acuity gains compared with ranibizumab alone in people with vision loss from diabetic macular edema.

06:26 EDT Nielsen announces CEO Mitch Barns to retire at year's end - Nielsen's (NLSN) Board of Directors announced that Mitch Barns, CEO and Member of the Board will retire from the company at the end of 2018. James Attwood, current Chairman of the Board, has been named Executive Chairman. Barns will remain through the end of the year to oversee the company, including the key initiatives-Total Audience, the Connected System and the efforts to automate and streamline operations. With strong support from the Board, these efforts continue to be key priorities for Nielsen. Attwood, a Managing Director at The Carlyle Group (CG) will assume a more active role and will direct the search for new leadership. The Nielsen Board of Directors will immediately commence a comprehensive search process to identify a new CEO.

06:19 EDT Cemex says plans to reduce debt by $3.5B by end of 2020 - With the objective of accelerating our path to investment grade and enhancing total shareholder return, today we are announcing 'A Stronger CEMEX,' a plan designed to reposition our portfolio toward higher growth. During the next 2.5 years, we will work to optimize our portfolio by focusing on markets with the greatest long-term growth potential and selling between $1.5 and 2 billion of assets. We will also implement actions to achieve $150 million in cost savings as an opportunity to continue improving our profitability. Furthermore, we will reduce our total debt by $3.5 billion by the end of 2020, and we will return capital to our shareholders through an annual cash dividend starting with $150 million in 2019."

06:13 EDT Precision Drilling updates FY18 capital plan to approximately $135M - "Our updated 2018 capital plan is approximately $135 million. The $19 million increase from our previous update includes spending for our newbuild award in Kuwait, completion of a newbuild in the U.S., foreign exchange impact from a weaker Canadian dollar, and a minor increase in upgrade capital spending. With $95 million of cash on the balance sheet coupled with cash flow in the second half of the year I fully expect to fund growth and upgrade opportunities while reserving capacity to retire more of our debt."

06:05 EDT Bombardier signs contract with Singapore's LTA for 396 metro cars worth $607M - Bombardier Transportation announced that it has signed a contract with Singapore's Land Transport Authority, or LTA. The contract's scope covers the supply of 396 Bombardier MOVIA metro cars for passenger services on the high-capacity North-South, or NSL, and East-West Mass Rapid Transit lines. The contract is valued at approximately $607M. The contract includes an option for long-term service support, and if exercised by SMRT Corporation the total contract could be worth up to $881M. The modern MOVIA metro vehicles integrate the Bombardier MITRAC propulsion and control system that manages the flow of both onboard and subsystem information as well as data between the vehicle and the rail infrastructure. In its six-car configuration, the new order of 396 metro cars bring the number of MOVIA vehicles in Singapore to 672, making it one of Bombardier's largest metro fleet in the world. Combined, the two lines, running both above and underground, total 102 km in length and serve 61 stations, with an average daily combined ridership of more than 1.8M.

05:58 EDT Qualcomm announces $30B share repurchase program - Qualcomm announced that its board authorized a stock repurchase program of $30B, which replaces the company's existing $10B stock repurchase authorization. Qualcomm expects to execute the majority of the stock repurchase program prior to the close of fiscal year 2019.

05:57 EDT Qualcomm announces termination of NXP Semiconductors acquisition - Qualcomm (QCOM) announced the termination of the acquisition of NXP Semiconductors N.V. (NXPI) by Qualcomm River Holdings B.V., an indirect wholly owned subsidiary of Qualcomm, effective immediately. In accordance with the terms of the purchase agreement, Qualcomm River Holdings will pay a termination fee of $2B to NXP on July 26, 2018. In connection with this termination, Qualcomm River Holdings has terminated its previously announced cash tender offer to acquire all of the outstanding shares of NXP.

05:54 EDT NXP Semiconductors announces $5B share repurchase authorization

05:40 EDT DBV Technologies names Kevin Trapp as Chief Commercial Officer - DBV Technologies announced the appointment of Kevin Trapp as Chief Commercial Officer. "As part of the Company's ongoing transformation into a commercial organization, Kevin joins DBV after 27 years of driving portfolio growth through building leading brands at Bristol-Myers Squibb," DBV said in a statement. Trapp will be responsible for all worldwide commercial functions at DBV, including the potential launch of its lead product candidate, Viaskin Peanut, in 2019. Over the last 18 months, Trapp has served as an advisor to DBV. Prior to joining the company, he held positions in the areas of finance, sales, marketing and general management at Bristol-Myers, most recently having served as Senior Vice President, Portfolio & Access Strategy.

05:11 EDT First Hawaiian appoints Ravi Mallela as CFO - First Hawaiian, the parent company of First Hawaiian Bank, announced that it has appointed Ravi Mallela CFO and Treasurer of First Hawaiian, Inc. and First Hawaiian Bank. Mallela plans to join First Hawaiian, Inc. and First Hawaiian Bank in September. Mallela joins First Hawaiian, Inc. and First Hawaiian Bank from First Republic Bank, where he served as Senior Vice President, Head of Finance and Treasury.