Stockwinners Market Radar for July 27, 2018 - Earnings, Upgrades downgrades, option trades, Best Stock Advisory Service

17:27 EDT Adobe exec sells 15,000 common shares - In a regulatory filing, Adobe Systems EVP and GM, Experience Cloud Bradley Rencher disclosed the sale of 15,000 common shares of the company at a price of $262.3448 per share.

17:21 EDT EJF Capital reports 7.4% passive stake in Coastal Financial

17:02 EDT Papa John's appoints Olivia Kirtley as board chair - Papa John's announced that lead independent director Olivia Kirtley has been appointed chair of the company's board by a unanimous vote of the board. In addition, the company stated that the Corporate Governance and Nominating Committee of the board has been conducting a search for additional independent directors and intends to engage with Papa John's shareholders as part of this process. Kirtley stated, "The independent directors of the Papa John's board are committed to serving the best interests of the company, our shareholders and other stakeholders. The establishment of the board's independent Special Committee and the ongoing cultural audit and investigation are among numerous steps underway to ensure that equity, inclusion, diversity and respect are upheld throughout the organization. Many stakeholders, including team members, franchisees and shareholders, have expressed their support for the actions we are taking. We appreciate this support and value the feedback we have received. The independent members of the board and leadership will continue to engage with shareholders and other stakeholders to hear their perspectives and ideas, including on board composition, so that these views can be considered in our work to move forward."

16:45 EDT Northwest Natural Gas CAO Doolittle to retire - NW Natural's board of directors acknowledged Lea Anne Doolittle's intent to retire as an officer at the end of December, following 18 years of service with the company. Doolittle began her career at NW Natural as vice president of Human Resources, and then was promoted to senior vice president and Chief Administrative Officer where she oversees Human Resources, Information Technology, Safety, Facilities, Emergency Management/Business Continuity, Project Management, Labor Relations, and Security.

16:35 EDT Genesis Asset Managers reports 5.48% passive stake in 58.com

16:16 EDT CNX Midstream Partners increases quarterly distribution 3.6% - CNX Midstream Partners LP announced that the board of its general partner, CNX Midstream GP LLC, has declared a cash distribution of 33.61c per unit with respect to Q2. The distribution will be made on August 14 to unitholders of record as of the close of business on August 7. The distribution, which equates to an annual rate of $1.3444 per unit, represents an increase of 3.6% over the prior quarter, and an increase of 15% over the distribution paid with respect to Q2 of 2017.

16:13 EDT Redmile Group reports 6.1% passive stake in Nightstar Therapeutics

16:10 EDT Weekly CFTC Commitment of Traders highlights - S&P500 net long 3.6K contracts, down 1.9K from prior week and a 4-week low in net longs... 10-YEAR U.S. TREASURY net short 509.5K contracts, up 40.3K from prior week and a multi-year high in net shorts... U.S. DOLLAR INDEX net long 25.3K contracts, up 6.4K from prior week and a 13-month high in net longs... EURO net long 29.6K contracts, up 8.2K from prior week and a 3-week high in net longs... BRITISH POUND net short 46.7K contracts, up 7.9K from prior week and a 10-month high in net shorts... JAPANESE YEN net short 73.8K contracts, up 15.1K from prior week and a 4-month high in net shorts... CANADIAN DOLLAR net short 44.5K contracts, down 3.0K from prior week and a 4-week low in net shorts... CRUDE OIL net long 610.5K contracts, down 20.8K from prior week and a 5-week low in net longs... GOLD net long 48.6K contracts, down 9.2K from prior week and a 18-month low in net longs... COPPER net long 9.4K contracts, up 0.3K from prior week and the first rise in net longs in 6 weeks.

16:03 EDT D.E. Shaw reports 5.0% passive stake in PTC Therapeutics

15:37 EDT Duke Energy proposes rate increase in South Carolina - Duke Energy Carolinas today made its annual filing with the Public Service Commission of South Carolina for the costs associated with the purchase of fuel to generate electricity at its power plants. The PSCSC reviews fuel costs and adjusts the fuel component of customer rates accordingly. By law, the company makes no profit from the fuel component of rates. If approved, the total monthly impact for a typical residential customer in South Carolina using 1,000 kilowatt-hours (kWh) per month would be an increase of $4.75. Commercial customers would see an average increase in the fuel charge of about 6.1%, and industrial customers would receive an average increase of about 8.0%. Natural gas prices rose this winter due to heavy demand for residential, commercial, and industrial usage to meet customer energy needs during prolonged freezing conditions. These increased prices, coupled with high demand, contributed to an under collection for the cost of fuel over the past year. The elevated demand for power resulted in the highest energy usage week on record in the Carolinas.

15:19 EDT Bayer says Netflix's The Bleeding Edge 'lacks scientific support' - Bayer (BAYRY) released a "Fact Check" of The Bleeding Edge, based on Bayer's review of the film's premiere at the Tribeca Film Festival on April 21. The film, which premieres on Netflix (NFLX) on July 27, devotes significant time to Essure, the only FDA-approved non-incisional form of permanent birth control, and is now the subject of media coverage by The New York Times, CBS News, and others, Bayer said. The maker of Essure stated in part: "As a leader in women's healthcare, Bayer believes strongly that women and their physicians should make reproductive health decisions based on sound science. In contrast, the portrayal of Essure in The Bleeding Edge lacks scientific support, despite the fact that Bayer provided the producers with extensive scientific information on Essure before the completion of the film. The film presents an inaccurate and misleading picture of Essure by relying almost entirely on anecdotes, cherry-picking information to fit a predetermined conclusion, ignoring the full body of scientific evidence that supports the Food and Drug Administration's determination that Essure's benefits outweigh its risks and disregarding the appropriate warnings that accompany the device...Notably, the film's only reference to scientific data regarding Essure is the 2018 Bouillon study published in the Journal of the American Medical Association, which its producers cite out of context and portray in its least favorable light. Taken as a whole, the study actually undermines the central premise of the film's representation of Essure."

13:56 EDT CBS independent directors issue statement regarding The New Yorker report - The statement from the CBS independent directors reads: "All allegations of personal misconduct are to be taken seriously. The Independent Directors of CBS have committed to investigating claims that violate the Company's clear policies in that regard. Upon the conclusion of that investigation, which involves recently reported allegations that go back several decades, the Board will promptly review the findings and take appropriate action. The timing of this report comes in the midst of the Company's very public legal dispute. While that litigation process continues, the CBS management team has the full support of the independent board members. Along with that team, we will continue to focus on creating value for our shareowners."

13:21 EDT MabVax Therapeutics announces filing of Delaware petition - MabVax Therapeutics announced that it filed a Verified Petition for Relief Under 8 Del. C. Section 205 in the Court of Chancery of the State of Delaware. The Delaware Petition seeks an order of the Court validating (i) conversions of the company's preferred stock into common stock that occurred between June 30, 2014 and February 12, 2018, and (ii) corporate acts that may not have been approved by the requisite percentage of stockholder voting power during the same time period. The court has not yet set a hearing date with respect to the Delaware Petition. Once a hearing date is fixed, the company said it intends to inform stockholders of that hearing date by issuing a subsequent press release.

13:03 EDT Baker Hughes reports U.S. rig count up 2 to 1,048 rigs - Baker Hughes reports that the U.S. rig count is up 2 rigs from last week to 1,048, with oil up 3 to 861, gas rigs down 1 to 186, and miscellaneous rigs unchanged at 1. The U.S. Rig Count is up 90 rigs from last year's count of 958, with oil rigs up 95, gas rigs down 6, and miscellaneous rigs up 1. The U.S. Offshore Rig Count is down 1 rig to 16 and down 8 rigs year-over-year. The Canada Rig Count is up 12 rigs from last week to 223, with oil rigs up 12 to 154 and gas rigs unchanged at 69. The Canada Rig Count is up 3 rigs from last year's count of 220, with oil rigs up 25 and gas rigs down 22.

13:02 EDT CYS Investments stockholders approve merger with Two Harbors - CYS Investments (CYS) announced that at a special meeting its stockholders approved the merger transaction in which an indirect, wholly owned subsidiary of Two Harbors Investment (TWO) will merge with and into CYS, pursuant to the previously announced merger agreement among CYS, merger sub and Two Harbors. At the special meeting, approximately 59.50% of the outstanding shares of CYS common stock were voted, with approximately 96.52% of the votes cast in favor of the CYS merger proposal. The merger is expected to close on July 31, subject to customary closing conditions. CYS common stock is expected to be delisted from trading on the New York Stock Exchange after the close of trading on July 31. Two Harbors common stock will continue to trade on the NYSE under the existing ticker symbol "TWO".

12:53 EDT Insys Therapeutics down 7% after announcing CRL for buprenorphine - Insys shares are down 51c, or 7%, to $6.77.

12:50 EDT Insys Therapeutics announces receipt of CRL from FDA for buprenorphine NDA

12:15 EDT CBS to CNBC: 'All allegations of personal misconduct are to be taken seriously' - Commenting on the allegations against CEO Les Moonves, the CBS board tells CNBC that "All allegations of personal misconduct are to be taken seriously. The Independent Directors of CBS have committed to investigating claims that violate the company's clear policies in that regard." The board also says the timing of the report "comes in the midst of the company's very public legal dispute. While that litigation process continues, the CBS management team has the full support of the independent board members." Reference Link

12:01 EDT Two Harbors investors approve merger with CYS Investments - Two Harbors Investment Corp. (TWO) announced that at the special meeting of stockholders held today its stockholders approved the issuance of the company's common stock pursuant to the terms of the previously announced merger agreement with CYS Investments (CYS). The merger is expected to close on July 31, 2018, subject to customary closing conditions. As a result of the merger, among other things, each share of CYS common stock outstanding at the effective time of the merger will be converted into the right to receive from Two Harbors (i) 0.4680 newly issued shares of Two Harbors common stock and (ii) cash consideration of $0.0965 per share. CYS common stock is expected to be delisted from trading on the New York Stock Exchange after the close of trading on July 31, 2018. Two Harbors common stock will continue to trade on the NYSE under the existing ticker symbol "TWO".

12:00 EDT Twitter falls -18.5% - Twitter is down -18.5%, or -$7.95 to $34.99.

12:00 EDT Yamana Gold rises 12.7% - Yamana Gold is up 12.7%, or 35c to $3.11.

12:00 EDT World Fuel Services rises 19.4% - World Fuel Services is up 19.4%, or $4.33 to $26.69.

11:49 EDT Cummins announces settlement agreement with JM Turbo Technology - Cummins announced a settlement agreement has been reached with JM Turbo Technology Corporation precluding the manufacture or sale of products that infringe Cummins patents. As part of the settlement agreement, JM Turbo Technology acknowledged it illegally marketed and sold turbochargers protected by Cummins' patents and other intellectual property rights registered in multiple countries. In addition, Cummins patents were infringed, valid and enforceable. Conditions of the settlement include JM Turbo Technology's agreement to stop all manufacturing, importation, exportation, advertising and/or sale of all infringing products. The settlement also calls for JM Turbo Technology to destroy all existing inventory of the infringing products, Cummins stated.

11:41 EDT The Intersection: Crypto and Wall Street This Week - As bitcoin, ethereum and other cryptocurrencies get increasing attention from investors, Wall Street and its traditional banks continue to adjust to the shift. Catch up on this week's top stories highlighting the intersection of these old guard and new school areas of finance with this recap compiled by The Fly. 1. BITCOIN ETF REJECTED BY SEC: The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission stood by a decision blocking a bitcoin exchange-traded fund proposed by Cameron and Tyler Winklevoss, twins who founded crypto exchange Gemini Trust, Reuters reported Friday. "Regulated bitcoin-related markets are in the early stages of their development," the SEC said, saying that it "cannot...conclude that bitcoin markets are uniquely resistant to manipulation." The vote to block the ETF was 3-1, with Republican commissioner Hester Peirce dissenting, saying she believed the product met the legal standard. 2. RIOT ANNOUNCES MINING POOL PRIVATE BETA: On Monday, Riot Blockchain (RIOT) announced the beta development of its own private Bitcoin Mining Pool. Mining pools are groups of miners that work as a team and contribute their hashing power to solving computations that secure the blockchain. On Wednesday, H.C. Wainwright analyst Kevin Dede reiterated a Buy rating and a $10 price target on the name citing bitcoin's recent surge. The analyst said Riot continues to "bulldoze" mining capabilities on multiple fronts and the mining pool could assist in democratizing bitcoin mining by offsetting major miners' adverse intentions. In addition, as the pool size increases, the probability of securing block rewards should also increase serving as a boost to Riot's mining returns, Dede said. 3. GOOGLE BANS CRYPTO MINING ON PLAY STORE: Google (GOOG, GOOGL) will no longer allow cryptocurrency miners on its Play Store, Android Police reported Thursday. The move comes as the company updates its Play Store developer policies and after crypto mining extensions were banned from the Chrome Web Store earlier in 2018. 4. SSC, CVCRI FORM PARTNERSHIP: On Monday, Seven Stars Cloud Group (SSC) announced that the company has entered into an exclusive agreement with the China Venture Capital Research Institute and its subsidiaries. As a result, SSC will be able to provide fractionalization and securitization in China to create new fixed income classes that can be traded on government designated exchanges, regulated products and assets traded on regulated exchanges outside of China and tokenization of these asset classes, including already issued Real Estate Investment Trusts and Asset-backed Securities. 5. CRYPTO FIRM TAKES $134M LOSS: Crypto merchant bank Galaxy Digital, which was founded by ex-hedge fund manager Mike Novogratz, took a $134M hit in the first quarter amid bitcoin's drop in value, CNBC reported Thursday. The firm reported a net loss of $103.3M on trading, with $13.5M on digital assets and another $85.5M of unrealized losses on those assets. Novogratz said he still has "complete confidence" in the team's ability to drive growth and that Galaxy is "strategically positioned to help further institutionalize the digital assets and blockchain industry." CRYPTO STOCK PLAYS: Cryptocurrency revenues have been pointed to as reasons to be bullish on Advanced Micro Devices (AMD) and Nvidia (NVDA) in select research. Overstock (OSTK), DPW Holdings (DPW), Kodak (KODK), Seven Stars Cloud, Riot Blockchain, Pareteum (TEUM) and Social Reality (SRAX) are other stocks that have been touted, or promoted themselves, as a way to play the crypto theme. PRICE ACTION: As of time of writing, bitcoin rose about 8.4% this week to $8,135 in U.S. dollars, according to CoinDesk. WANT BITCOIN NEWS ALERTS?: To receive alerts on stories relating to bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies, Fly subscribers can enter "Bitcoin" into the "Add symbols" box of their portfolios.

11:29 EDT Boyd Gaming named new short idea at Hedgeye - Boyd Gaming has been named a new short idea at Hedgeye, according to contacts.

11:26 EDT Chevron says being 'conservative' with share buyback plans

11:21 EDT JetBlue reports pilots approve four-year agreement - JetBlue with its pilots, represented by the Air Line Pilots Association, Int'l, announced the ratification of a four-year contract. Of the 98% of pilots who voted, 74% cast ballots voted in favor of the agreement. The contractual terms, including market competitive pay rates, per diems and 401(k) provisions, will be effective August 1, 2018.

11:11 EDT Chevron sees FY worldwide net oil & gas production in upper half of guidance - Cites 2H growth drivers, including Wheatstone Train 2 ramp-up, shale & tight growth, other MCP ramp-up. Says "on track" to deliver 2018 cash generation in line with guidance, financial priorities "unchanged." Says capital and exploratory expenditures at about $9B mid-year. Says will start repurchases in Q3. Says aims to "modestly" reduce debt levels. Comments taken from the Q2 earnings conference call. Chevron is up about 1% in morning trading to $125.17.

10:54 EDT JetBlue pilots vote to ratify tentative agreement - JetBlue pilots, represented by the Air Line Pilots Association, Int'l, or ALPA, have ratified the tentative agreement, which now becomes the pilot group's first collective bargaining agreement with the company. With 98 percent of eligible pilots participating, 74 percent voted to ratify the tentative agreement. The agreement provides significant increases in pay, improvements to retirement, and enhanced working conditions. The pilots have been in negotiations with the company for more than three years after bringing ALPA on to the property. In May 2018, an agreement in principle was reached with the company, which was then expanded into full contract language in June.

10:26 EDT CHMP adopts positive opinion on Symkevi - The EMA announced earlier that the Committee for Medicinal Products for Human Use, or CHMP, adopted a positive opinion, recommending the granting of a marketing authorization for the medicinal product Symkevi, intended for the combination treatment of patients with cystic fibrosis aged 12 years and older. The applicant for this medicinal product is Vertex Pharmaceuticals. Reference Link

10:16 EDT Hartford says talc 'specifically excluded' from excess policy with Berkshire

10:05 EDT E.W. Scripps sell Milwaukee radio stations to Good Karma Brands for $16M - The E.W. Scripps Company has reached an agreement to sell its two radio stations in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, to Good Karma Brands for $16M. Good Karma Brands is purchasing WTMJ (620 AM and 103.3 FM) and WKTI (94.5 FM). The transaction is expected to close in the fourth quarter. The sale is the second in what Scripps expects to be a series of radio sale transactions. In June, it announced the sale of five radio stations in Tulsa, Oklahoma, to Tulsa-based Griffin Communications. The company announced in January its intent to sell its portfolio of 34 radio stations in eight markets.

10:00 EDT Boston Beer falls -14.3% - Boston Beer is down -14.3%, or -$44.48 to $267.23.

10:00 EDT American Midstream Partners falls -39.4% - American Midstream Partners is down -39.4%, or -$4.55 to $7.00.

10:00 EDT World Fuel Services rises 14.3% - World Fuel Services is up 14.3%, or $3.19 to $25.55.

09:59 EDT Hartford Financial sees headwinds on the pricing side in workers' comp in 2H - Comment taken from the Q2 earnings conference call.

09:47 EDT World Fuel Services rises 8.2% - World Fuel Services is up 8.2%, or $1.83 to $24.19.

09:41 EDT Coherus Biosciences announces positive CHMP opinion for UDENYCA - Coherus BioSciences announced the Committee for Medicinal Products for Human Use, or CHMP, of the European Medicines Agency has adopted a positive opinion for the marketing authorization of UDENYCA, a Neulasta biosimilar candidate. "UDENYCA has the opportunity to become one of the first pegfilgrastim biosimilars to gain Marketing Authorization in Europe. The positive opinion issued by the CHMP today is a significant milestone for Coherus, as it validates both our UDENYCA biosimilarity package as well as our development platform as a whole. We believe UDENYCA will represent an important option for patients, providers and payers seeking alternatives for the treatment and prevention of febrile neutropenia due to cytotoxic chemotherapy in Europe," the company stated.

09:34 EDT Johnson & Johnson announces CHMP recommendation for Darzalex - Janssen Pharmaceutical of Johnson & Johnson announced that the Committee for Medicinal Products for Human Use, or CHMP, of the European Medicines Agency, or EMA, has recommended broadening the existing marketing authorisation for Darzalex for use as frontline therapy. The recommendation is for the use of daratumumab in combination with bortezomib, melphalan and prednisone, for the treatment of adult patients with newly diagnosed multiple myeloma who are ineligible for autologous stem cell transplant, or ASCT. The CHMP's recommendation is based on results from the randomised, open-label, multicentre Phase 3 ALCYONE study. A final decision regarding the approval of daratumumab for newly diagnosed patients is expected from the European Commission in the coming months.

09:30 EDT EMA grants positive CHMP opinion on two biosimilars of Amgen's Neulasta - The Committee for Medicinal Products for Human Use has adopted a positive opinion, recommending the granting of a marketing authorization for the medicinal product Udenyca, intended to reduce the duration of neutropenia and the incidence of febrile neutropenia due to chemotherapy. The applicant for this medicinal product is ERA Consulting GmbH. The CHMP also adopted a positive opinion recommending the granting of a marketing authorization for the medicinal product Pelgraz, which is also intended to reduce the duration of neutropenia and the incidence of febrile neutropenia due to chemotherapy. Udenyca and Pelgraz are biosimilar medicinal products "highly similar" to the reference product Neulasta, the EMA said. Analysts at Citi have said "Udenyca" is registered under Coherus Biosciences (CHRS) and it seems to them that a third party filed the application on Coherus' behalf. Neulasta is marketed by Amgen (AMGN). Reference Link

09:29 EDT Starbucks CEO says core U.S. business in morning is 'healthy and strong' - Starbucks CEO Kevin Johnson is speaking on CNBC.

09:16 EDT Fly Intel: Pre-market Movers - UP AFTER EARNINGS: Amazon (AMZN), up 4%... Chipotle (CMG), up 6%... Atlassian (TEAM), up 16%... Expedia (EXPE), up 10%. ALSO HIGHER: Chesapeake Energy (CHK), up 14% after announcing an agreement to sell its interests in the Utica Shale operating area located in Ohio for approximately $2B... AMD (AMD), up 4% after Intel (INTC) provided commentary that has analysts voicing concerns around the company's ramp of its 10nm process. DOWN AFTER EARNINGS: Twitter (TWTR), down 13%... Intel, down 6%... Exxon Mobil (XOM), down 4%... Chevron (CVX), down 1.5%... First Solar (FSLR), down 5%... Magellan Health (MGLN), down 11.5%... Imperva (IMPV), down 21.5%... Electronic Arts (EA), down 3%.

09:12 EDT Mylan and Fujifilm announce EMA adopted positive opinion of Hulio - Mylan and Fujifilm Kyowa Kirin Biologics announced that the European Medicines Agency's Committee for Medicinal Products for Human Use, or CHMP, has adopted a positive opinion for the Marketing Authorization Application of Hulio, the companies' biosimilar to Humira, or adalimumab, for all indications. The decision of the European Commission on the approval is expected in October.

09:10 EDT FactSet appoints Helen Shan as CFO - FactSet announced that Helen Shan will join as CFO in September. She will join FactSet following her position at Marsh and McLennan Companies, where she was CFO for Mercer.

09:05 EDT Summit Midstream executes agreement with Exxon Mobil subsidiary - Summit Midstream Partners (SMLP) announced that it has executed a precedent agreement with XTO Energy, a wholly owned subsidiary of Exxon Mobil (XOM), and one of the largest leaseholders and most active producers in the northern Delaware Basin, to become a Foundation Shipper on SMLP's Double E Pipeline project. XTO has committed to firm transportation capacity on Double E under a 10-year take-or-pay agreement which increases to 500,000 dekatherms per day, or dth/d. SMLP and ExxonMobil have also executed an equity option agreement, which provides ExxonMobil or an affiliate the right to become an equity partner in Double E.

08:48 EDT Twitter says ad engagements up 81% in Q2 - Says sees "lots of ways" to grow revenue in excess of audience near term.

08:41 EDT Synchrony says did not reach terms with Walmart that 'made sense' for company - Synchrony management said they did not reach terms with Walmart (WMT) that made economic sense for the company and shareholders. Comments made during Q2 earnings conference call.

08:38 EDT Cheniere Energy Partners increases quarterly distribution to 56c per unit - Cheniere Energy Partners declared a cash distribution per common and subordinated unit of 56c, or $2.24 annualized, to unitholders of record as of August 6 and the related distribution to its general partner. All of these distributions are payable on August 14.

08:37 EDT NextEra Energy affiliates shorten term of PPA for output from DAEC - NextEra Energy Resources through its affiliates NextEra Energy Resources and Alliant Energy's Iowa energy company have agreed to shorten the term of their existing power purchase agreement, or PPA, for the output from the Duane Arnold Energy Center, or DAEC, by five years in exchange for a buyout payment. The companies' new agreements also include new repowered wind PPAs. These transactions will save Alliant Energy's Iowa customers nearly $300M in energy costs, on a net present value basis, over 21 years. Assuming all requisite approvals are received, the DAEC is expected to cease commercial operations in late 2020.

08:35 EDT Twitter says 'excited about where we are with video'

08:35 EDT Array BioPharma announces positive opinion from EMA for Braftovi combination - Array BioPharma announced that the Committee for Medicinal Products for Human Use, or CHMP, of the European Medicines Agency, or EMA, adopted a positive opinion recommending approval of BRAFTOVI in combination with MEKTOVI for the treatment of adult patients with unresectable or metastatic melanoma with a BRAFV600 mutation. The CHMP recommendation will now be reviewed by the European Commission (EC), which has the authority to approve medicines for the European Union, or EU. The final EC decision, expected by the end of September.

08:34 EDT Chevron reports Q2 worldwide net oil-equivalent production 2.83M barrels per day - Worldwide net oil-equivalent production was 2.83 million barrels per day in second quarter 2018, compared with 2.78 million barrels per day from a year ago. Growth from project start-ups and ramp-ups was partially offset by asset sales and production entitlement effects. U.S. upstream operations earned $838 million in second quarter 2018, compared with a loss of $102 million from a year earlier. The improvement reflected higher realizations, lower impairment charges and higher crude oil production, partially offset by lower gains on asset sales. Net oil-equivalent production of 739,000 barrels per day in second quarter 2018 was up 38,000 barrels per day from a year earlier. Production increases from shale and tight properties in the Permian Basin in Texas and New Mexico were partially offset by the impact of asset sales of 54,000 barrels per day. The net liquids component of oil-equivalent production in second quarter 2018 increased 8 percent to 575,000 barrels per day, while net natural gas production decreased 5 percent to 980 million cubic feet per day. International upstream operations earned $2.46 billion in second quarter 2018, compared with $955 million a year ago. Net oil-equivalent production of 2.09 million barrels per day in second quarter 2018 was up 8,000 barrels per day from a year earlier. U.S. downstream operations earned $657 million in second quarter 2018, compared with earnings of $634 million a year earlier. Refinery crude oil input in second quarter 2018 decreased 8 percent to 856,000 barrels per day from the year-ago period, primarily due to planned turnaround activity. International downstream operations earned $181 million in second quarter 2018, compared with $561 million a year earlier. Refinery crude oil input of 739,000 barrels per day in second quarter 2018 increased 13,000 barrels per day from the year-ago period, mainly due to the absence of the 2017 crude unit maintenance at the Star Petroleum Refining Company in Thailand and GS Caltex in South Korea, partially offset by the sale of the company's Canadian refining asset in third quarter 2017.

08:30 EDT Tonix Pharmaceuticals trading resumes

08:28 EDT Twitter says FY18 margin improvement weighted towards first half

08:12 EDT Twitter says 'pleased' with international results - Says international now accounts for more than 50% of revenue. Expects international to grow faster than U.S. Comments from Q2 earnings conference call.

08:08 EDT BIO-key granted U.S. patent for biometric searching - BIO-key announced it has been issued U.S. Patent 10,025,831, "Adaptive Short Lists and Acceleration of Biometrics Database Search." The patent protects BIO-key's method of quickly and iteratively searching a database of biometric records. The method utilizes one or more scans of the database with potentially varying index parameters, narrowing the field of biometric record candidates on each pass. This 'short list' indexing approach powers BIO-key's unique advantage in delivering cost-effective one-to-many fingerprint identification solutions that avoid the costly and computer-intensive brute force scans typically required to search biometric databases.

08:08 EDT Provident Financial raises quarterly cash dividend 5% to 21c per share - The Company's Board of Directors declared a quarterly cash dividend of 21c per common share payable on August 31, 2018, to stockholders of record as of the close of business on August 15, 2018. The dividend is an increase of 5% from the prior quarter's cash dividend of 20c per common share.

08:03 EDT Exxon Mobil reports Q2 oil-equivalent production of 3.6M barrels per day - Oil-equivalent production was 3.6 million barrels per day, down 7 percent from the second quarter of 2017. Excluding entitlement effects and divestments, liquids production increased as growth in the Permian and Bakken in the U.S. and Hebron in Canada more than offset decline and higher downtime driven by scheduled maintenance. Natural gas volumes decreased 10 percent, excluding entitlement effects and divestments, largely due to a continuing shift in U.S. unconventional development from dry gas to liquids and to downtime in Qatar, Australia, and Papua New Guinea. "Key projects in Guyana, the U.S. Permian Basin, Brazil, Mozambique and Papua New Guinea are positioning us well to meet the objectives we outlined in our long-term earnings growth plans. The high quality of these resources, combined with our strengths in project execution and innovation, will generate strong value over time," said Darren W. Woods, chairman and CEO. "Second quarter results were primarily impacted by significant scheduled maintenance undertaken to support operational integrity. In addition, while we were pleased with the return of full production following the PNG earthquake, extended recoveries from first quarter operational incidents in the Downstream were disappointing. However, good progress was made during the second quarter in fully recovering from these incidents."

08:01 EDT Hertz appoints Opal Perry as Chief Information Officer - Hertz Global Holdings announced that Opal Perry will join the company as executive vice president and Chief Information Officer. Perry will lead Hertz's information technology strategy, development and operations, as well as the prioritization and delivery of its cloud-based systems' transformation. Perry brings more than 25 years of experience as a global technology leader. Since 2011, she has held various IT leadership positions at Allstate Insurance Company, most recently as Divisional Chief Information Officer Claims, Vice President Technology & Strategic Ventures. In that role, she has been driving industry-leading customer satisfaction for auto claims through end-to-end digital innovations and cloud-native applications and microservices.

07:47 EDT Goodyear Tire CEO says 'macro headwinds are intensifying' - "We delivered strong operating performance in the quarter highlighted by impressive volume growth in our mature markets where we regained share, particularly in the more profitable 17 inch and greater rim sizes in the U.S. and Europe," said Richard Kramer, chairman, CEO and president. "Additionally, we achieved our price/mix and net cost savings goals for the quarter." "While our execution in the period was robust, macro headwinds are intensifying - including rising raw material costs, a stronger U.S. dollar and softening market conditions in China. We are adjusting our plans accordingly to mitigate the impact of these challenges over the intermediate-term. I remain confident that our strengthening position in the marketplace, along with value created through our strategic initiatives, will allow us to deliver on our 2020 plan," he added. "Our new TireHub distribution joint venture in the U.S. is performing exceptionally well out of the gate, and our shipments to the wholesale channel are running ahead of our transition plans. Goodyear's customer base has demonstrated its loyalty to our brand and I am confident that TireHub's best-in-class service model, together with added supply from our new Americas plant, will enhance value for our retail and fleet customers," said Kramer.

07:44 EDT AbbVie sees FY18 effective tax rate approaching 9% - AbbVie's adjusted EPS guidance range reflects an effective tax rate approaching 9% in 2018. In 2018, AbbVie will experience a one-time net tax benefit related to the timing of the phase in of provisions of the new legislation on certain subsidiaries. This benefit has been excluded from the adjusted EPS guidance, and included in the GAAP guidance range. AbbVie continues to anticipate the company's adjusted effective tax rate to increase to 13% over the next five years as a result of increased domestic income and investment.

07:42 EDT AbbVie reports Q2 global IMBRUVICA sales up 35.6% to $850M - Q2 Global HCV net revenues were $973M.

07:35 EDT Endo operating company begins shipping generic version of Merck's Invanz - Endo International (ENDP) announced that one of its operating companies, Par Pharmaceutical has begun shipping an authorized generic version of Merck (MRK)'s INVANZ, or ertapenem for injection. Endo's subsidiary, Endo Ventures recently entered into an exclusive U.S. supply and distribution agreement with a subsidiary of Merck & Co., of Kenilworth, N.J. allowing Par to launch and distribute an authorized generic of the product. According to IQVIA data, U.S. sales of INVANZ were approximately $390M for the 12 months ending May 31.

07:32 EDT Virtus Investment reports long-term assets under management up 3% to $89.8B - Compares to 87.4B at March 31 as a result of market appreciation and positive net flows.

07:17 EDT Phillips 66 Partners boosts quarterly distribution 5.3% to 75.2c - On July 18, the general partner's board of directors declared a second-quarter 2018 cash distribution of 75.2c per common unit, a 5.3% increase over the previous quarter distribution of 71.4c per common unit. The Partnership has significantly increased its distribution per common unit every quarter since its initial public offering in July 2013 and is on pace to achieve a 30 percent five-year distribution compound annual growth rate at year-end 2018.

07:09 EDT Twitter sees Q3 MAUs down mid-single-digit millions on sequential basis in Q3 - Twitter said: "When we suspend accounts, many of the removed accounts have already been excluded from MAU or DAU, either because the accounts were already inactive for more than one month at the time of suspension, or because they were caught at signup and were never included in MAU or DAU. We will continue to work hard to improve the health of the platform, providing updates on our progress at least quarterly, and prioritizing health efforts regardless of the near-term impact on metrics, as we believe the best driver of long-term growth of Twitter as a daily utility is a healthy conversation. As we began 2018, we made deliberate decisions to allocate product and engineering resources that had previously been focused on product improvements designed to deliver growth in audience and engagement to projects related to preparing for GDPR and broader platform health. This prioritization impacts growth in the near term, but we are confident that this is in the best long-term interest of the platform and will enable long-term growth as we improve the health of the public conversation on Twitter and over time reallocate teams from GDPR to other priorities and hire additional product and engineering resources. We may also choose to not move to paid SMS carrier relationships in certain markets where we believe we can deliver a better Twitter experience with Twitter or Twitter Lite. While the magnitude of any potential future impact is difficult to predict, DAU will not be affected because DAU only includes accounts on our owned and operated services such as the Twitter app and twitter.com. As a result of our health work, decisions not to renew or move to paid SMS carrier relationships in certain markets, and our decision to allocate resources towards GDPR and health, MAU could decline on a sequential basis in Q3. Based on our current level of visibility, we expect the decline to be mid-single-digit millions of MAU. As a reminder, DAU growth continues to be the best measure of our success in driving the use of Twitter as a daily utility."

07:06 EDT Twitter CFO says pleased with Q2 DAU performance - "We are pleased with our performance in the second quarter in DAU growth and delivering for advertisers. We're maintaining profitability while we make investments in the business, achieving strong revenue growth and introducing product updates that make Twitter both healthier and easier to use. Looking ahead, we remain optimistic about our ability to execute on our priorities and deliver value for advertisers and shareholders," said Ned Segal, Twitter's CFO.

07:04 EDT Cohu, Xcerra announce early termination of HSR waiting period - Cohu (COHU), and Xcerra Corporation (XCRA) announced that on July 26, 2018, the Federal Trade Commission granted early termination of the waiting period under the Hart-Scott-Rodino Antitrust Improvements Act of 1976, as amended, or HSR, with respect to Cohu's previously announced acquisition of Xcerra. The termination of the HSR waiting period satisfies one of the conditions to the closing of the acquisition as specified in the Agreement and Plan of Merger, dated as of May 7, 2018, by and among Cohu, Inc., Xavier Acquisition Corporation and Xcerra Corporation. Previously, on July 16, 2018, the Germany Federal Cartel Office granted clearance for the acquisition. In addition, Xcerra announced that its special stockholder meeting to approve the transactions contemplated by the Merger Agreement will be held on Thursday, August 30, 2018, at 9:30 a.m. Eastern time at Xcerra's corporate offices located at 825 University Avenue, Norwood, Massachusetts 02062. Cohu also announced that its special stockholder meeting to approve the issuance of shares as outlined in the Merger Agreement will be held on Thursday, August 30, 2018, at 8:30 a.m. Pacific time at Cohu's corporate offices located at 12367 Crosthwaite Circle, Poway, California 92064. The transaction is expected to close in Q4, subject to the satisfaction or waiver of customary closing conditions. Upon the completion of the proposed transaction, Xcerra's common stock will no longer be publicly traded and will be delisted from the NASDAQ Global Select Market.

07:02 EDT Twitter reports 335M average MAUs for Q2 - Average monthly active users, or MAU, were 335M for Q2, compared to 326M in the same period of the previous year and compared to 336M in the previous quarter, reflecting impact from decisions we have made to not move to paid SMS carrier relationships, prioritizing the health of the platform, and, to a lesser extent, GDPR. Average U.S. MAUs were 68M for Q2, compared to 68M in the same period of the previous year and compared to 69M in the previous quarter. Average international MAUs were 267M for Q2, compared to 258M in the same period of the previous year and compared to 267M in the previous quarter.

06:56 EDT Colgate-Palmolive reports Q2 gross profit margin 59.2% vs. 60.1% last year - Excluding charges resulting from the Global Growth and Efficiency Program in both periods, Gross profit margin was 59.3% in second quarter 2018, a decrease of 140 basis points versus the year ago quarter as higher raw and packaging material costs were partially offset by cost savings from the company's funding-the-growth initiatives.

06:53 EDT Twitter says it not does shadow ban following critical tweet from Trump - Twitter said yesterday in a blog post, "People are asking us if we shadow ban. We do not. But let's start with, 'what is shadow banning?' The best definition we found is this: deliberately making someone's content undiscoverable to everyone except the person who posted it, unbeknownst to the original poster. We do not shadow ban. You are always able to see the tweets from accounts you follow (although you may have to do more work to find them, like go directly to their profile). And we certainly don't shadow ban based on political viewpoints or ideology. We do rank tweets and search results. We do this because Twitter is most useful when it's immediately relevant. These ranking models take many signals into consideration to best organize tweets for timely relevance. We must also address bad-faith actors who intend to manipulate or detract from healthy conversation." President Donald Trump tweeted yesterday morning: "Twitter 'SHADOW BANNING' prominent Republicans. Not good. We will look into this discriminatory and illegal practice at once! Many complaints." Reference Link

06:53 EDT Correct: Twitter says it not does shadow ban following critical tweet from Trump - Twitter said yesterday in a blog post, "People are asking us if we shadow ban. We do not. But let's start with, 'what is shadow banning?' The best definition we found is this: deliberately making someone's content undiscoverable to everyone except the person who posted it, unbeknownst to the original poster. We do not shadow ban. You are always able to see the tweets from accounts you follow (although you may have to do more work to find them, like go directly to their profile). And we certainly don't shadow ban based on political viewpoints or ideology. We do rank tweets and search results. We do this because Twitter is most useful when it's immediately relevant. These ranking models take many signals into consideration to best organize tweets for timely relevance. We must also address bad-faith actors who intend to manipulate or detract from healthy conversation." President Donald Trump tweeted yesterday morning: "Twitter 'SHADOW BANNING' prominent Republicans. Not good. We will look into this discriminatory and illegal practice at once! Many complaints." Reference Link

06:49 EDT Merck says FY18 guidance includes approximately 1% negative impact from FX

06:46 EDT JMP Group closed $407.8M collateralized loan obligation - JMP Group announced the closing of a $407.8M collateralized loan obligation, or CLO, transaction issued by two newly formed special purpose vehicles and backed by a diversified portfolio of broadly syndicated leveraged loans. The notes offered in the transaction are issued by JMP Credit Advisors CLO V Ltd. and co-issued in part by JMP Credit Advisors CLO V LLC and are subject to a two-year non-call period.

06:33 EDT Magellan Health lowers FY18 outlook

06:25 EDT Danone backs view of double digit recurring EPS growth in FY18 - Danone assumes that market volatility will continue. In 2018, Danone expects further cost-inflation with a mid-single digit rise in the costs of raw and packaging materials, including: milk price inflation of low to mid-single digit overall, a double-digit increase of PET pricing driven by the crude oil price rebound and, inflationary conditions in other raw materials, including sugar and fruits. Danone also expects an ongoing impact from currency volatility, particularly the UK pound. Danone's focus will remain on accelerating growth and maximizing efficiencies, including the first year of delivery of its Protein program's savings. In 2018, the company will progress towards its 2020 ambition through further sales growth and an improved recurring operating margin.

06:07 EDT TRI Pointe reaffirms FY18 average selling communities view o up 5% vs last year - Reaffirms guidance view of delivering between 5,100 and 5,400 homes. The Company is increasing its expected average sales price for the full year to $625,000 from $610,000. The Company continues to expect its homebuilding gross margin percentage for the FY18 to be in the range of 21.0% to 21.5%, SG&A expense as a percentage of home sales revenue to be in the range of 9.9%-10.3% and its effective tax rate to be in the range of 25%-26%.

06:02 EDT Genesee & Wyoming CEO says outlook for 2H18 'remains promising' - Jack Hellmann, Chairman, President and CEO of G&W, commented, "Our reported financial results for the second quarter of 2018 of $0.73 per diluted share were generally consistent with the second quarter of 2017, primarily because of our previously announced U.K. restructuring charges. Our adjusted diluted EPS of $0.94 for the second quarter of 2018 were at the high end of our outlook as business conditions continued to improve in each of our three geographies, led by North America. Our same railroad carloads increased 8% in North America with particular strength in coal, steel and minerals and stone traffic. While our operating leverage in North America during the quarter was adversely impacted by several variables including the mix of business, the lag in fuel surcharge recovery, and legal fees associated with an arbitration proceeding, we expect to see our customarily strong operating leverage for the remainder of 2018 based on our current volume outlook. In Australia, our second quarter results were as expected with particular growth in our spot coal traffic due to the early delivery of a new train set. In the UK/Europe, we successfully initiated our restructuring activities and achieved financial results that were ahead of our expectations. Our business outlook for the remainder of 2018 remains promising thanks to growing customer demand for rail shipments across most commodity groups, particularly in North America. In addition, we have refinanced our senior credit facility with improved terms through 2023, we have more than $600 million of capacity under our revolving credit facility, and we continue to evaluate investment opportunities in multiple markets including the opportunistic purchase of our own shares."

05:35 EDT Timken acquires Rollon, expects deal to be accretive to earnings in first year - Timken has reached an agreement with pan-European firm Chequers Capital and IGI Private Equity to acquire Rollon Group. Rollon specializes in the design and manufacture of linear guides, telescopic rails and linear actuators used in a wide range of industries such as passenger rail, aerospace, packaging and logistics, medical and automation. Rollon sales are expected to be about $140M for the full year 2018. Timken expects the acquisition to be accretive to earnings in the first year of ownership. The transaction, which is subject to customary regulatory approvals, is expected to close in late September 2018 and will be funded with debt.