Stockwinners Market Radar for August 07, 2018 - Earnings, Upgrades downgrades, option trades, Best Stock Advisory Service

20:57 EDT Salesforce names Keith Block as co-CEO - Salesforce announced that the company's board has promoted Keith Block to co-CEO. Block now reports to Salesforce's Board of Directors, and remains a member of the board. Block served as Salesforce's Vice Chairman, President and as a Director since joining the company in June 2013, and most recently served as the company's COO since February 2016. In their respective roles as co-CEOs, Benioff, who continues as Chairman of the Board, will lead Salesforce's vision and innovation in areas including technology, marketing, stakeholder engagement and culture. Block will lead the company's growth strategy, execution and operations.

19:09 EDT On The Fly: After Hours Movers - UP AFTER EARNINGS: Applied Optoelectronics (AAOI) up 27.1%... 3D Systems (DDD) up 18.4%... Match Group (MTCH) up 13.8%... Hortonworks (HDP) up 12.9%... FibroGen (FGEN) up 10.4%... Alarm.com (ALRM) up 9.0%... Invitae Corp (NVTA) up 8.7%... Shutterfly (SFLY) up 8.3%... Workiva (WK) up 6.7%... Inogen (INGN) up 6.0%... Boot Barn (BOOT) up 5.9%... PTC Therapeutics (PTCT) up 5.1%... Tutor Perini (TPC) up 4.7%... Infinera (INFN) up 4.7%... CyberArk Software (CYBR) up 4.3%... Two Harbors Investment (TWO) up 3.1%... Albemarle (ALB) up 2.9%... Fossil Group (FOSL) up 2.6%... DXC Technology (DXC) up 2.2%... Halozyme Therapeutics (HALO) up 2.2%... Diodes (DIOD) up 2.2%... Axon Enterprise (AAXN) up 1.9%... Snap (SNAP) up 0.9%. DOWN AFTER EARNINGS: Cutera (CUTR) down 15.0%... Beacon Roofing (BECN) down 12.9%... Hostess Brands (TWNK) down 12.8%... Papa John's (PZZA) down 10.4%... Prothena (PRTA) down 7.7%... Avis Budget (CAR) down 7.1%... Parsley Energy (PE) down 6.2%... Camping World (CWH) down 6.1%... Evolent Health (EVH) down 5.9%... Jazz Pharma (JAZZ) down 5.5%... Cimarex (XEC) down 5.5%... Vivint Solar (VSLR) down 5.4%... Kronos (KRO) down 4.8%... Sientra (SIEN) down 4.1%... MaxLinear (MXL) down 4.0%... DHT Holdings (DHT) down 3.7%... Capstone (CPST) down 3.5%... Clean Energy (CLNE) down 3.3%... LendingClub (LC) down 2.4%... Builders FirstSource (BLDR) down 2.4%... Pioneer Natural Resources (PXD) down 1.4%... Disney (DIS) down 0.8%.

17:45 EDT Snap says ad revenue grew 48% year-over-year - Says augmented reality continues to be a massive long-term opportunity. Says advertising revenue grew 48% year-over-year. Says historically, Q3 DAU growth rates have trended down.

17:33 EDT FDA advisory committee votes in favor of Insmed's ALIS for lung disease patients - Insmed Incorporated announced that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration's Antimicrobial Drugs Advisory Committee voted 12 to 2 in favor of the safety and effectiveness of ALIS, or amikacin liposome inhalation suspension, for adults with nontuberculous mycobacterial lung disease caused by Mycobacterium avium complex who have limited or no treatment options. The committee also voted in favor of the surrogate endpoint of sputum culture conversion used in the Phase 3 CONVERT study being reasonably likely to predict clinical benefit. If approved, ALIS will be the first and only therapy in the U.S. specifically indicated for the treatment of patients with NTM lung disease caused by MAC. The advisory committee's recommendation was based on briefing materials developed from Insmed's new drug application for ALIS, which was submitted under accelerated approval provisions and includes data from the Phase 3 CONVERT study. The study met its primary endpoint of culture conversion by Month 6 with statistical significance for once-daily ALIS when added to guideline-based therapy compared with GBT alone in patients with refractory NTM lung disease due to MAC. In a separate vote, the committee voted against the safety and effectiveness of ALIS in the broadest population of adult patients with NTM lung disease caused by MAC.

17:21 EDT Divisar Capital reports 5.54% passive stake in Sequans

17:12 EDT Eidos Therapeutics plans to complete Phase 2 ATTR-CM trial by 2018-end - "With the proceeds from our IPO and Series B financing, we are well positioned to continue the momentum of developing AG10 as a disease-modifying therapy for ATTR," said Neil Kumar, PhD, CEO of Eidos. "Specifically, we plan to complete our ongoing Phase 2 trial in ATTR-CM patients by the end of 2018 and initiate Phase 3 studies in ATTR-CM and ATTR-PN patients in 2019."

17:03 EDT Wynn Resorts names Matt Maddox, Richard Byrne to board of directors - Wynn Resorts announced that it has expanded its Board of Directors to 11 members with the appointment of CEO Matt Maddox and independent director Richard Byrne. These two additions to the Board, combined with the recent appointment of Phil Satre as Vice Chairman, who will succeed D. Boone Wayson as Chairman of the Board at the end of 2018, reflect a comprehensive overhaul of the Wynn Resorts Board. Over the past six months, the company has appointed six new directors to its Board and announced the departure of five legacy directors. One-third of the Wynn Resorts Board is comprised of women - which is in the top 10% among S&P 500 companies in terms of female board representation.

17:01 EDT Travelers CFO Jay Benet to step down, Daniel Frey named next CFO - The Travelers Companies, Inc. announced that, effective Sept. 1, Jay S. Benet will step down from his role as Chief Financial Officer, a position he has held since 2002. Benet will remain on the senior leadership team as Vice Chairman. Daniel S. Frey will succeed Benet and become Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer, effective Sept. 1. Frey currently serves as Chief Financial Officer of the company's Personal Insurance segment, having served in a number of other key financial management roles across Travelers over the past 15 years.

16:57 EDT Disney says domestic park reservations down 2% this quarter - Says domestic park reservations down 2% this quarter. Says "Avengers: Infinity War" highest-grossing Marvel universe film of all time. Sees "Incredibles 2" ending its run as Pixar's highest-grossing film. Sees some headwinds that affected consumer products business in Q3 to continue in Q4.

16:56 EDT Triumph Aerospace Structures wins C130J follow-up contract - Triumph Group announced that its Aerospace Structures business has been awarded a multi-year airframe component contract for Lockheed Martin's C130J Super Hercules program. Under initial terms of the contract, Triumph Fabrications in San Diego, California will provide 108 different part numbers for the C130J program. The parts include fabricated sheet metal structures made from a combination of aluminum, steel and titanium materials that will be fitted to the nacelle, wing and fuselage sections of the aircraft. The contract, which runs from 2021 through 2024, was awarded to Triumph based on past performance, on schedule delivery of high quality products, as well as Triumph's ability to manufacture a wide variety of structures in a wide range of materials.

16:55 EDT HTG Molecular reports Q2 EPS (14c), consensus (19c) - Reports Q2 revenue $4.9M, consensus $5.29M.The company reaffirms its full year revenue guidance of $21.0 to $25.0 million.

16:53 EDT Streamline Health appoints Wyche "Tee" Green to the Board - Streamline Health Solutions announced the board of directors appointed Wyche T. "Tee" Green, III to the Board effective immediately. Green is the former CEO and Executive Chairman, and a co-founder, of Greenway Medical Health, an electronic health record and practice management based in Carrollton, Georgia. Green served in leadership roles at Greenway since 1998 and was responsible for leading the Company's strategic direction while managing the sales, marketing and business development teams. Currently he is the Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Greenway Unlimited, an investment company that he founded in 2013.

16:50 EDT Leidos awarded $639M in task orders by Social Security Administration - Leidos has been selected by the Social Security Administration to support its Office of Software Engineering and the Disability Case Processing System. These two task orders were awarded under its new IDIQ Information Technology Support Services Contract with SSA. The two task order awards have a combined potential value of $639M, with a base period through the end of September, 2018 and four one-year options following to support SSA through 2022.

16:47 EDT Disney says on track for late 2019 launch of streaming service - Disney (DIS) says Sky (SKYAY) is an asset company wants to acquire. Says wants to invest more in Fox's (FOXA) FX brand. Says Fox Searchlight could make TV programming. Says on track for late 2019 launch of Disney-branded streaming service. Says ESPN+ service subscriptions exceeding expectations. Comments taken from Q3 earnings conference call.

16:45 EDT Disney down 2% after Q3 earnings miss - In afterhours trading, Disney is down $2.56, or 2.2%, to $114.00 per share.

16:40 EDT Intevac sees 'slight' reduction in European revenue through Q4 - The company said, "As we continue to reshape our business, we are undertaking a mild shift in product mix in Europe, and we expect a slight reduction in Europe revenue through 4Q18 in support of this shift. In NA/HME, we are narrowly focusing now on accelerating respiratory growth and stabilizing IPG where we have good products and will amplify our work with our channel partners to drive growth. As demonstrated in the past, we excel in the areas where we focus our resources. We have a great brand presence, and consumers know our products reflect high quality. The company will continue to emphasize a culture of quality excellence and achievement of its long-term earnings potential."

16:38 EDT Denali appoints Dana Andersen Chief Technical and Manufacturing Officer - Denali Therapeutics announced that Dr. Dana Andersen has joined the company as Chief Technical and Manufacturing Officer. Andersen joins Denali from Genentech, where he served in various roles for nearly 23 years, working most recently as Vice President and Global Head of Technical Development Project & Portfolio Management.

16:37 EDT Cigna confirms support for proposed Express Scripts merger - Cigna (CI) issued the following letter to stockholders in response to the letter released by Carl C. Icahn about the Company's proposed merger with Express Scripts Holding Company (ESRX): Dear Cigna Shareholders: Cigna strongly disagrees with Mr. Icahn, who has recently chosen to publicly object to our previously announced merger with Express Scripts. The Board recommends that Cigna shareholders vote "FOR" the combination with Express Scripts. In the nearly five months since the merger announcement on March 8, 2018, neither Mr. Icahn nor his representatives have contacted Cigna or otherwise offered their views. Moreover, Mr. Icahn has disclosed that he only owns approximately one half of one percent of Cigna's stock and has a "substantial" short position in Express Scripts. Cigna believes that the proposed combination will create tremendous value for shareholders, accelerate the transformation of healthcare and address the dynamic regulatory environment for health services. Mr. Icahn, on the other hand, has made a speculative financial bet against the transaction in the hopes that he can create a gain at the expense of Cigna and Express Scripts shareholders. Mr. Icahn's opposition is misguided and short-sighted. Moreover, the assertions in Mr. Icahn's letter are value destructive and demonstrate a clear lack of understanding of the dynamics of the healthcare industry. Mr. Icahn appears to believe that a multi-year partnership with an existing PBM provider would be preferable to the announced transaction. There are a number of issues with this view. First and foremost, it demonstrates a complete lack of understanding of Cigna's business model and how we win in the marketplace. The integrated medical, pharmacy and behavioral services model has been the cornerstone of Cigna's long-term strategy. It allows us to improve health on the front end, thereby decreasing the need for acute medical services and lowering costs. We will not be able to inoculate ourselves from changes in the dynamic marketplace by sitting on the sidelines and hoping that others figure it out - nor would we want to. In fact, with respect to pharmacy, costs have rapidly risen from approximately 10% of the total healthcare equation to almost 25% and as such present a critical and sustained opportunity for innovation and value creation for our clients and customers. Furthermore, the notion that we can negotiate a complex multi-year agreement with a third party that will allow us to deliver attractive PBM affordability to our clients and customers while the rest of the industry reformats itself is naive at best. We have first-hand knowledge as a PBM operator that these arrangements are complex and that it would be exceedingly difficult to draft a static contract that benefits Cigna in all scenarios in a changing environment. This is one of the reasons why the next logical step to meaningfully accelerate our strategy and reduce healthcare costs is to expand our pharmaceutical services by fully acquiring Express Scripts. Finally, Cigna operates in a highly regulated healthcare environment, where regulatory and competitive change is constant as demonstrated by the adoption and evolution of the ACA, the rise of the public and private exchanges, hospital systems taking on more insurance risk and employers contracting directly with hospital systems. Each of these changes brought with it a regulatory or competitive threat to the current model - whether the threat of a shrinking employer market or the threat of disintermediation of insurers. The only constant in healthcare is that unsustainable cost increases are creating disruptive changes in the environment. Cigna has sought to embrace these changes and innovate in order to find opportunities for growth in this dynamic landscape. As a result, during a period of unprecedented changes in the healthcare environment, Cigna has delivered double-digit top-line and bottom-line growth over an 8-year period, 384% cumulative total shareholder returns from December 31, 2009 through June 30, 2018 and leading U.S. total medical cost trend results (less than 3% in 2017 - representing the lowest in the industry). Our combination with Express Scripts will give Cigna the scale to more effectively address regulatory change and drive transformation in pharmaceutical pricing that works for our model - while at the same time giving us the vast capabilities of Express Scripts to deliver superior and differentiated pharmacy services to our clients and customers in a sustainable non-disruptive fashion that allow us to compete or partner with others in the market from a position of strength. The combination also allows us to make definitive moves to tackle the underlying issues that are causing the disruptive regulatory changes - the unsustainable costs increases in healthcare. As industry leaders in cost trend management, Cigna and Express Scripts have set the strategic goal to lower medical and pharmacy trend to a level at or below Consumer-Price Index by 2021.

16:36 EDT Syndax sees FY18 research and development expenses $59M-$62M - Sees FY18 total operating expenses $77M-$81M. FY18 total operating expenses 2018 are expected to include approximately $6M of non-cash stock compensation expense.

16:34 EDT Prince Alwaleed Bin Talal reports 2.3% stake in Snap - HRH Prince Alwaleed Bin Talal Bin Abdulaziz AlSaud acquired 2.3% of "Class A" shares in Snapchat, in a deal worth $250M through his Highness' Private Office. "This investment was built up and finalized on 25/05/2018 with an approximate average cost of $11 per share, which positions HRH Prince Alwaleed as a significant individual shareholder in this social media company. His investment in Snapchat is a continuation of HRH's strategy to invest in new technologies and rounds out an already robust portfolio in some of today's leading global technology companies, including Twitter, JD.com and Lyft," the prince announced. HRH Prince Alwaleed met with Mr. Evan Spiegel, CEO of Snapchat, and Mr. Imran Khan, Chief Strategy Officer of Snapchat in 2015, when both visited Riyadh to explore future investment and business opportunities, the prince noted. Reference Link

16:31 EDT Parsley Energy raises FY18 net oil production view to 68.0MBo/d-70.5MBo/d - Previous net oil production guidance 65MBo/d-70MBo/d. Raised total development expenditures to $1.650B-$1.750B from $1.350B-$1.550B.

16:29 EDT SCE&G to appeal Federal Court denial of Preliminary Injunction - South Carolina Electric & Gas Company, a subsidiary of SCANA Corporation, announced that it will appeal the Order of the United States District Court for the District of South Carolina denying SCE&G's Motion for Preliminary Injunction regarding implementation of Act 258. Act 258 is the South Carolina law enacted in late June which has resulted in a temporary reduction of SCE&G's retail electric rates by approximately 15% retroactive to April 1, 2018. In addition, among other things, Act 258 supplies definitions of key terms under the Base Load Review Act that would heighten the evidence required to establish SCE&G's ability to recover its costs associated with the new nuclear project. In connection with its appeal, SCE&G will be seeking expedited consideration from the United States Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit.

16:28 EDT Maxar Technologies says Spruce Point report contains 'inaccurate claims' - Maxar Technologies said that the report on the company released by Spruce Point Capital Management contains "a number of inaccurate claims and misleading statements."Maxar believes it is a direct attempt by a short-seller to profit, at the expense of Maxar shareholders, by manipulating Maxar's stock price. "Maxar continues to execute against its strategy, and recently reaffirmed its full year 2018 guidance for revenue and cash flow from operations, while increasing its full-year adjusted EPS outlook," the company said. "Maxar believes that the Company remains positioned for future growth. Management and the Board of Directors are focused on delivering enhanced value for all Maxar shareholders."

16:27 EDT DCP Midstream raises FY18 adjusted EBITDA view to $1.065B-$1.135B - DCP Midstream updated 2018 guidance ranges to $345M-$390M forecasted net income, $1.065B-$1.135B forecasted adjusted EBITDA and $635M-$670M forecasted distributable cash flow, increasing the low end and midpoint of these ranges.

16:27 EDT THL Credit expands Direct Lending team - THL Credit Advisors announced that it has expanded its Direct Lending team with the promotion of Eric Lee to Managing Director and the hiring of Fawwaz Ahmed and Troy Hebert, each as a Vice President. THL Credit has hired seven new Direct Lending investment professionals this year. Mr. Lee was previously a Director for THL Credit's Direct Lending platform in the Company's New York office, where he was responsible for originating, evaluating, and executing new investment opportunities and for managing portfolio investments. Mr. Lee first came to THL Credit's Direct Lending team in early 2017, and is currently based in the Los Angeles office, where he is responsible for the origination and structuring of investment opportunities with financial sponsors across the Western United States. Previously, he was a Director at Credit Suisse Asset Management's Corporate Credit Solutions Group, where he was responsible for originating, structuring, and monitoring investments for Credit Suisse Park View BDC. Mr. Lee earned his M.B.A. with Honors from The University of Chicago Booth School of Business and his B.A. in Economics from Columbia University. "Eric has earned a well-deserved promotion to Managing Director," said Chris Flynn, CEO of THL Credit. "His larger role within our firm will facilitate the growth of our portfolio and help us continue to deliver strong risk-adjusted returns to our investors."

16:24 EDT Assurant sees FY18 net operating income growth 20%-25%

16:23 EDT Primerica reports Q1 life insurance sales growth of 7% - The life insurance licensed sales force grew 7% to 130,156 representatives at the end of the second quarter, primarily driven by a 5% increase in new life insurance licenses compared with the prior year period. In the second quarter of 2018, nearly 84,000 Term Life insurance policies were issued reflecting productivity of 0.22 policies per life insurance licensed representative per month. Productivity continues to be at the high end of our historical range and the number of policies issued this quarter was consistent with the prior year period, which benefited from our biennial convention. In the second quarter, Investment and Savings Product income before income taxes grew to $43.2 million, up 9% from the prior year period. Sales-based revenues grew 6% generally in line with revenue-generating product sales growth, while total product sales grew 12% year-over-year reflecting strong growth in managed account sales, which do not generate sales-based revenue. Variable annuity sales increased 22%, reflecting a favorable market environment and enhanced product offerings.

16:20 EDT Plains All American sees FY18 adjusted EBITDA $2.4B

16:20 EDT DXC Technology says on track to deliver against FY19 financial targets

16:15 EDT DXC Technology to partner with Amazon on AWS migration - DXC Technology (DXC) and Amazon Web Services (AMZN), announced a multi-year, global agreement to build a new multi-billion dollar DXC - AWS Integrated Practice that will deliver IT migration, application transformation, and business innovation to global Fortune 1000 clients. The DXC - AWS Integrated Practice will offer clients secure, cloud-first solutions that combine the breadth and depth of cloud services offered through AWS with DXC enterprise services to enable them to innovate in their industries, be more agile, and better adapt to dynamic market conditions with speed and at scale -- while also modernizing their operations for a digital era. DXC clients are global enterprises that are looking to accelerate their digital transformations by migrating to AWS with DXC, leveraging the trusted relationships they have relied on for years. The new collaboration will focus on application migration, digital transformation, and industry-specific services that optimize DXC's industry intellectual property running on AWS, the world's leading cloud.

16:12 EDT Snap reports Q2 daily average users 188M, up 8% from last year - Daily Active Users increased 8% to 188 million in Q2 2018, compared to 173 million in Q2 2017, and decreased 2% in Q2 2018, compared to 191 million in Q1 2018. Average revenue per user, or ARPU, increased 34% to $1.40 in Q2 2018, compared to $1.05 in Q2 2017. In Q2 2018, 11 Shows reached a monthly audience of over 10 million users, up from 7 in Q1 2018. "We are excited by the progress we have been making and are optimistic about the opportunities ahead as we continue to invest in innovation," said Snap CEO and Co-Founder Evan Spiegel.

16:08 EDT Disney reports Q3 Media Networks revenue $6.16B vs. $5.87B last year - Disney reports Q3 Parks and Resorts revenue $5.19B vs. $4.89B a year ago; Studio Entertainment revenue $2.88B vs. $2.39B last year; Consumer Products & Interactive Media revenue $1.0B vs. $1.09B last year. Media Networks revenues for the quarter increased 5% to $6.2B and segment operating income was comparable to the prior-year quarter at $1.8B. Cable Networks revenues for the quarter increased 2% to $4.2B and operating income decreased 5% to $1.4B. Lower operating income was due to a loss at BAMTech and a decrease at Freeform, partially offset by an increase at ESPN. Broadcasting revenues for the quarter increased 11% to $2.0B and operating income increased 43% to $361M. The increase in operating income was due to higher program sales, affiliate revenue growth and increased network advertising revenue, partially offset by higher programming costs.

16:07 EDT Disney CEO says 'more enthusiastic about Fox acquisition than ever' - "We're pleased with our results in the quarter, including a double-digit increase in earnings per share, and excited about the opportunities ahead for continued growth. Having earned the overwhelming support of shareholders, we are more enthusiastic about the 21st Century Fox acquisition than ever, and confident in our ability to fully leverage these assets along with our own incredible brands, franchises and businesses to drive significant value across the entire company," said Disney CEO Robert Iger.

16:03 EDT Axon reaffirms FY18 revenue growth view 18%-20% - Sees FY18 adjusted EBITDA margins of 14%-16%, which compares with Adjusted EBITDA margin of 11.6% in 2017. This guidance aligns with our previously communicated outlook to achieve 300 to 400 basis points of operating margin expansion in 2018, excluding integration costs related to the VIEVU acquisition and the non-cash stock-based compensation expense associated with CEO Rick Smith's 10-year compensation plan. Going forward, we will be moving from operating margin to Adjusted EBITDA margin guidance, which provides a simpler and more relevant period-over-period comparison. Sees FY18 normalized tax rate of 20%-25%, which can fluctuate depending on geography of income and the effects of discrete items, including changes in our stock price; and Capital expenditures in the range of $12M-$16M.

16:02 EDT Hawaiian Airlines reports July traffic up 5.1%, capacity up 5.0% - Load factor increased 0.1 pts.

15:50 EDT Vertex announces FDA approval of ORKAMBI to treat cystic fibrosis - Vertex announced the U.S. FDA has approved ORKAMBI to include use in children ages 2 through 5 years with cystic fibrosis who have two copies of the F508del-CFTR mutation, making it the first medicine approved to treat the underlying cause of CF in this population. ORKAMBI oral granules are available in two dosage strengths for weight-based dosing. ORKAMBI oral granules should be available for fulfillment within 2 to 4 weeks. ORKAMBI was already approved in the U.S. for the treatment of CF in patients ages 6 and older who have two copies of the F508del-CFTR mutation. A Marketing Authorization Application line extension for ORKAMBI in children ages 2 through 5 years has been submitted to the European Medicines Agency with a decision anticipated in the first half of 2019.

15:45 EDT Tesla trading resumes

15:32 EDT Tesla discloses email sent to employees about 'taking Tesla private' - An email was sent to Tesla employees today by CEO Elon Musk that stated in part: "Earlier today, I announced that I'm considering taking Tesla private at a price of $420/share. I wanted to let you know my rationale for this, and why I think this is the best path forward. First, a final decision has not yet been made, but the reason for doing this is all about creating the environment for Tesla to operate best. As a public company, we are subject to wild swings in our stock price that can be a major distraction for everyone working at Tesla, all of whom are shareholders. Being public also subjects us to the quarterly earnings cycle that puts enormous pressure on Tesla to make decisions that may be right for a given quarter, but not necessarily right for the long-term. Finally, as the most shorted stock in the history of the stock market, being public means that there are large numbers of people who have the incentive to attack the company. I fundamentally believe that we are at our best when everyone is focused on executing, when we can remain focused on our long-term mission, and when there are not perverse incentives for people to try to harm what we're all trying to achieve...First, I would like to structure this so that all shareholders have a choice. Either they can stay investors in a private Tesla or they can be bought out at $420 per share, which is a 20% premium over the stock price following our Q2 earnings call (which had already increased by 16%). My hope is for all shareholders to remain, but if they prefer to be bought out, then this would enable that to happen at a nice premium. Second, my intention is for all Tesla employees to remain shareholders of the company, just as is the case at SpaceX. If we were to go private, employees would still be able to periodically sell their shares and exercise their options. This would enable you to still share in the growing value of the company that you have all worked so hard to build over time. Third, the intention is not to merge SpaceX and Tesla. They would continue to have separate ownership and governance structures. However, the structure envisioned for Tesla is similar in many ways to the SpaceX structure: external shareholders and employee shareholders have an opportunity to sell or buy approximately every six months. Finally, this has nothing to do with accumulating control for myself. I own about 20% of the company now, and I don't envision that being substantially different after any deal is completed. Basically, I'm trying to accomplish an outcome where Tesla can operate at its best, free from as much distraction and short-term thinking as possible, and where there is as little change for all of our investors, including all of our employees, as possible. This proposal to go private would ultimately be finalized through a vote of our shareholders. If the process ends the way I expect it will, a private Tesla would ultimately be an enormous opportunity for all of us. Either way, the future is very bright and we'll keep fighting to achieve our mission." Reference Link

15:10 EDT Tesla CEO says being private would end 'negative propaganda from shorts' - Tesla CEO Elon Musk just tweeted in reply to a Twitter user: "Def no forced sales. Hope all shareholders remain. Will be way smoother & less disruptive as a private company. Ends negative propaganda from shorts." Shares of Tesla remain halted for trading, pending news. Reference Link

14:17 EDT Tesla CEO says shareholders could sell at $420 or hold if company went private - Elon Musk tweeted, moments after Tesla shares were halted, that "Shareholders could either to sell at 420 or hold shares & go private" Shares of Tesla remain halted for trading, pending news. Reference Link

14:08 EDT Tesla CEO wants shareholders to stay if company goes private - Tesla CEO Elon Musk tweeted, "My hope is *all* current investors remain with Tesla even if we're private. Would create special purpose fund enabling anyone to stay with Tesla. Already do this with Fidelity's SpaceX investment."

13:53 EDT Ross Gerber says Tesla confirmed tweets are 'real,' sent by Musk - Ross Gerber, the President and CEO of Gerber Kawasaki, tweeted: "Tesla has confirmed to me these are real tweets from Elon and more information may be released soon. Stay tuned this is a real story. $TSLA" Reference Link

13:27 EDT PrimeCap Management reports 5.86% passive stake in MaxLinear

13:05 EDT 21st Century Fox publishes and posts offer document for Sky cash offer - 21st Century Fox (FOXA) announced that it has elected to switch to an offer from its previously announced increased pre-conditional cash offer for the fully diluted share capital of Sky (SKYAY) that 21st Century Fox and its affiliates do not already own at a price of GBP14.00 for each Sky share. "It is a requirement of the City Code that an offer document containing, among other things, the terms and conditions of the acquisition is published by no later than August 9," Fox noted.

12:56 EDT Tesla up 5% after Musk 'go-private' tweet, FT report of Saudi stake - Shares of Tesla (TSLA) are higher in afternoon trading after a tweet from Elon Musk's verified account stated: "Am considering taking Tesla private at $420. Funding secured." There has been no verification from the CEO that he sent the tweet and no press release or other notification from the company. The stock had already been higher prior to the tweet after The Financial Times reported that Saudi Arabia's Public Investment Fund has built a stake of 3%-5% in the electric carmaker. Tesla shares are up $16.80, or 4.9%, to $358.79.

12:46 EDT Perry Ellis extends license agreement for Laundry by Shelli Segal - Perry Ellis International announced that it has extended the license for Laundry by Shelli Segal and Laundry by Design outerwear and has entered into a new license agreement for Laundry by Shelli Segal and Laundry by Design dresses with The Levy Group. The new dress collection will launch with the Spring 2019 collection.

12:30 EDT Game On: Activision reports earnings beat as Overwatch League grows - Welcome to "Game On," The Fly's weekly recap of the stories powering up or beating down video game stocks. NEW RELEASES: This week's major release is Electronic Arts' (EA) "Madden NFL 19," a pro football simulator coming this Friday to Xbox One (MSFT), PlayStation 4 (SNE), and PC. Also out this week is the PC port of Capcom's (CCOEY) "Monster Hunter: World," an action role-playing game that originally launched on Xbox One and PS4 consoles in January. ACTIVISION RESULTS: Last Thursday, "Big 3" publisher Activision Blizzard (ATVI) reported second quarter adjusted earnings per share of 62c on net bookings of $1.38B, compared to analysts' estimates for 35c and $1.38B, respectively. The game maker noted that impact of GAAP deferrals in the quarter was (21c). The company said in a statement that it enhanced its leadership position in esports in the quarter with the continued success of its Overwatch League and added that it plans to announce "additional franchises" over the next few months. Looking ahead, the company guided for third quarter adjusted EPS of 37c on net bookings of $1.61B, lower than Wall Street expectations for 66c and $1.87B, respectively. In addition, the game maker guided for fiscal 2018 adjusted EPS of $2.46 on net bookings of $7.48B, compared to analysts' estimates for $2.60 and $7.52B, respectively. OVERWATCH LEAGUE AUDIENCE: Two days ahead of its quarterly report, Activision Blizzard said that its Overwatch League Grand Finals drew an estimated global average minute audience of 861,205 across both days of the Finals. The U.S. average minute audience was 289,175, with an estimated 45% of that total, or 129,792, falling into the 18-34 demographic, according to the game maker. Worldwide, the 18-34 average minute audience was 605,013. The event was streamed worldwide on July 27-28 via the primary digital viewing experience on Twitch (AMZN), as well as on MLG; in China on ZhanQi TV, NetEase CC, and Panda TV; and broadcast to domestic audiences on ESPN, ESPN2, ESPN3, and Disney XD (DIS), along with a highlights show on Sunday, July 29, on ABC. TAKE-TWO EARNINGS: Meanwhile, Take-Two (TTWO), another "Big 3" publisher, reported better-than-expected quarterly results last Thursday, with Q1 EPS of 62c on net bookings of $288.3M. Analysts were expecting the company to report Q1 EPS of 7c on net bookings of $258.4M. The company also provided guidance for Q2 and fiscal 2019, both of which were lower than consensus estimates. Commenting on the quarter, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer Strauss Zelnick said that the Q1 results were driven by better-than-expected recurrent consumer spending on "Grand Theft Auto Online" and "NBA 2K18," as well as "robust" ongoing demand for "Grand Theft Auto V," which is now approaching 100M units sold-in to date. Following the report, analysts from Baird, Barclays, and Wedbush raised their price targets on the shares, and analysts from KeyBanc and Stifel maintained bullish views on the stock. NES CLASSIC: NPD Group said last week that the highest-selling piece of video game hardware in the month of June was Nintendo's (NTDOY) NES Classic, Kotaku reported last week. The console, which is a miniature version of the original NES that originally came out in 1985, first launched in November 2016 to mass shortage as Nintendo underestimated demand for the $60 gaming system. Meanwhile, Sony's PS4 led the market in dollar sales for the period between June 3 and July 7, Kotaku noted.

12:19 EDT Rockwell Medical enters settlement agreement with Chioini, Klema, Bagley, Boyd - Rockwell Medical announced that the company and five members of the Rockwell Medical Board of Directors have entered into a settlement agreement with Robert Chioini, Thomas Klema, Patrick Bagley and Ronald Boyd. The specific terms of the Agreement, which are effective immediately, are confidential. The Agreement, in its most general terms includes the following terms: Chioini and Boyd resigned from the Company's Board of Directors.The parties to the Agreement mutually released one another from any and all claims through the date of the Settlement Agreement. The parties caused the pending federal lawsuit to be dismissed with prejudice and without cost to any party thereto. For approximately five years, the Settling Parties will not directly or indirectly attempt to participate in the management or operations of Rockwell or its affiliates or subsidiaries.The Company will pay the Settling Parties an aggregate payment of $1.5M, $750,000 of which was paid upon the execution of the Settlement Agreement and nine monthly installments of $83,333 each, with the last installment being paid in May 2019. The Company will also pay Boyd an additional $30,000 upon his execution of the Settlement Agreement. The Company agreed to accelerate the vesting of the remaining unvested Company stock options held by the Settling Parties that were scheduled to vest through October 2, 2018. They will have until May 24, 2020 to exercise any vested Company stock options they each hold. Chioini and Klema agreed to forfeit a total of 313,600 unvested shares of common stock that had been issued in March 2017 as a performance-based award. The foregoing summary does not purport to be a complete description of the terms of the Settlement Agreement and is qualified in its entirety by reference to the description in the Form 8-K that the Company will file with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

12:01 EDT Owens & Minor falls -16.9% - Owens & Minor is down -16.9%, or -$3.15 to $15.52.

12:01 EDT ADT Inc. acquires Secure Designs; terms not disclosed - ADT Inc. announced it has acquired Secure Designs. The acquisition closed earlier this month. Effective immediately, SDI will begin using the ADT Cybersecurity name. Based in Greensboro, North Carolina, SDI provides managed Internet security services for micro, small and mid-sized businesses. As ADT Cybersecurity, the company will design, implement, monitor, and manage network defense systems, including firewall services and intrusion prevention, helping protect small business networks from a diverse and challenging set of global cyber threats.

12:00 EDT Hertz rises 26.1% - Hertz is up 26.1%, or $4.09 to $19.76.

11:53 EDT Ziopharm jumps over 15% after announcing board changes - Ziopharm Oncology announced changes to the company's board earlier. Scott Tarriff, a member of the Board since 2015, has been elected to serve as Lead Director, succeeding Sir Murray Brennan, M.D. Both Sir Dr. Brennan and former U.S. Sen. William Wyche Fowler will step down when their terms expire on September 18, the date of the annual meeting of shareholders. Doug Pagan and Elan Ezickson have been nominated for election to the board's annual meeting of stockholders. Mr. Pagan and Mr. Ezickson each would bring nearly 25 years of experience in the biopharmaceutical industry to the Board, as both have held leadership positions at global pharmaceutical companies as well as emerging, clinical-stage biotech companies. "This marks the first step toward strengthening our Board, and we anticipate further announcements in the near term. We are pleased to nominate new directors like Doug and Elan as they clearly have the biopharmaceutical expertise and experience needed to guide company management in advancing Controlled IL-12 and Sleeping Beauty, two platform technologies with enormous potential to treat blood cancers and solid tumors," said Mr. Tarriff, who is Chief Executive Officer of Eagle Pharmaceuticals. "On behalf of the board and Company, we thank Sir Murray and Sen. Wyche Fowler for their many years of service and commitment to Ziopharm and its mission." Ziopharm's Board of Directors comprises seven directors, and two seats remain vacant. The company and board have begun a search and recruitment effort to fill those seats in the coming months. Shares of Ziopharm are up 15.27% in late morning trading to $2.61 per share.

11:28 EDT National Fuel 'pleased' with FERC ruling for Northern Access Project - National Fuel stated: "We are pleased with yesterday's ruling which removes a major barrier for an important project that will provide consumers with increased access to abundant energy supplies, while also improving reliability and resiliency of the energy grid. We remain committed to the Project, and due to the significant delay caused by the actions of the state agency, our team is developing a revised timeline including reviewing the status of various other relevant permits. FERC ruled that the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation waived its right to review the Northern Access Project's application for a crucial Clean Water Act permit by failing to act within a year of receiving it. The DEC denied the permit in April 2017."

11:02 EDT Kroger exploring options, including possible sale, for Turkey Hill business - Kroger announced that the company is exploring strategic alternatives for its Turkey Hill business, including a potential sale. Turkey Hill produces a full line of popular iced teas, fruit drinks, milk, frozen dairy treats and a variety of ice cream in its Conestoga, Penn., manufacturing and distribution facility. Erin Sharp, group vice president for Kroger Manufacturing, said, "Turkey Hill's successful and recognizable ice cream and beverage products have the potential for greater growth outside of our company. We want to ensure Turkey Hill has every opportunity to meet its full potential...We believe it is in the best interest of our associates, the Turkey Hill business, and our shareholders to explore this course of action." The company has hired Goldman Sachs & Co. to identify, review and evaluate the options.

10:42 EDT Marriott CEO: 'We don't think we're done on the cost side'

10:22 EDT Lone Star Analysis, Wipro announce partnership - Lone Star Analysis announced its partnership with Wipro. Lone Star provides data analysis software and services which enables users to make quicker and more effective decisions based on accessible data. This partnership allows Lone Star's analytics services to enhance Wipro's larger integrated industrial internet of things platform by predicting future outcomes in real-time and turning that knowledge into action. The insights can be applied across virtually any industry and can be easily enabled anywhere, including the "edge," for efficient and accurate predictive and prescriptive recommendations. Lone Star's solutions enable true cause and effect understanding of the input data and are customized to suit individual needs.

10:17 EDT Luxoft acquires Objective Software, terms not disclosed - Luxoft Holding announces the acquisition of Objective Software, a provider of software development services and IP based solutions for autonomous vehicles, Advance Driver Assisted Systems, high-accuracy positioning, innovative mobility and smart city applications. Objective implements its advanced technology solutions in the automotive sector, with a focus on connected cars and autonomous drive services for leading Original Equipment Manufacturers and suppliers. This acquisition expands Luxoft's ADAS, Autonomous Drive and Connected Mobility practices and illustrates a commitment to meet the growing demand for these services. Upon completion of this transaction, Luxoft gains access to a range of IP-based solutions developed by Objective, including a tele-operated driving platform, cloud-based autonomous car-sharing, automotive cybersecurity solutions and a Lidar-based automated parking scanner. These solutions, combined with Objective's domain expertise, will enhance Luxoft's design, development and implementation of next-generation software that empowers our clients to succeed in the mobility revolution. Given close synergies with the company's service-led model, backed by in-house application development, the company anticipates opportunities to significantly scale Objective's existing projects in autonomous driving and connected mobility. In particular, the acquisition further strengthens the company's presence in Munich where we intend to expand software development services for highly automated driving with OEMs and Tier1s, thereby delivering software effectively across the full value chain.

10:00 EDT Owens & Minor falls -15.0% - Owens & Minor is down -15.0%, or -$2.80 to $15.87.

10:00 EDT Mallinckrodt rises 19.3% - Mallinckrodt is up 19.3%, or $4.70 to $29.05.

10:00 EDT On Deck Capital rises 23.7% - On Deck Capital is up 23.7%, or $1.61 to $8.40.

09:53 EDT Crocs announces resignation of CFO Carrie Teffner, effective April 1, 2019 - Earlier, Carrie Teffner, Executive Vice President and CFO, has announced her intention to resign from Crocs (CROX) effective April 1, 2019 to pursue strategic board and advisory work. Anne Mehlman has been named Teffner's successor and will assume the Executive Vice President and CFO role effective August 24, 2018. Upon Mehlman's arrival, and to ensure a seamless transition, Teffner will transition into the role of Executive Vice President Finance and Strategic Projects. Mehlman will join Crocs from Zappos.com, Inc., an online shoe retailer owned by Amazon (AMZN), where she is CFO.

09:47 EDT Dean Foods falls -9.4% - Dean Foods is down -9.4%, or -89c to $8.58.

09:47 EDT Owens & Minor falls -14.3% - Owens & Minor is down -14.3%, or -$2.67 to $16.00.

09:47 EDT Twilio rises 17.5% - Twilio is up 17.5%, or $11.07 to $74.34.

09:46 EDT Maxar Technologies slides as Spruce Point sees '100% downside risk' - Shares of Maxar Technologies are lower in early trading after Spruce Point Capital Management issued a report with a "Strong Sell" opinion, contending that Maxar is "out of cash, on a credit-adjusted basis will be in excess of its debt covenant by year end" and "must cut its dividend or face digging a hole deeper into debt." Spruce Point, which accuses the company of "perpetuating a brazen intangible asset inflation scheme to overstate EBITDA and EPS," see up to 100% downside over the longer-term with an intermediate risk to $20-$25 per share. In early trading, Maxar shares have fallen $2.49, or 5.6%, to $41.92. Reference Link

09:33 EDT Perspecta to support $49M NBIS program with U.S. Department of Defense - Perspecta announced that its subsidiary, Enterprise Services, has been awarded an agreement to support the Defense Information Systems Agency's National Background Investigation Services Investigation Management program. The award, which represents new work for the company has a value of $49M. Work on the program began in June and will conclude after 18 months. The award was made possible via a prototype project sub-agreement through an Other Transaction Agreement with Consortium Management Group on behalf of Consortium for Command, Control and Communications in Cyberspace. On the agreement, Perspecta will deliver a government-wide information technology system that will support suitability, security and credentialing investigations for all federal employees. The standardized investigative platform will be scalable, highly configurable and will integrate multiple systems and agencies. Designed to improve the investigative process with a streamlined case management system, the platform will provide enhanced visibility into investigative data and give field investigators a robust suite of collaboration and investigative tools to support their mission.

09:18 EDT Can-Fite BioPharma receives $2M payment from CMS Medical Venture Investment - Can-Fite BioPharma announced it has received its first payment of $2M from CMS Medical Venture Investment. Can-Fite recently announced entering into a development, registration and marketing agreement with CMS for the exclusive right of Can-Fite's lead drug candidates, Piclidenoson, or CF101, for the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis and psoriasis and Namodenoson, or CF102, for the treatment of advanced liver cancer and NAFLD/NASH in China. The recently signed CMS agreement adds to the agreements that the company already has in place with Cipher Pharmaceuticals, Kwang Dong Pharmaceutical, Chong Kun Dang and Gebro Pharma. Under the terms of the agreement, in addition to the upfront payment of $2M, CMS is required to pay to Can-Fite milestone payments of up to $14M upon the achievement of certain regulatory milestones and payments of up to $58.5M upon the achievement of certain sales milestones. In addition, the agreement provides for double-digit royalty payments on net sales.

09:12 EDT Discovery says focused on getting on more skinny bundles - Says can be "dominant" on skinny bundles.

09:07 EDT ContraVir Pharmaceuticals completes data analysis of second cohort - ContraVir Pharmaceuticals announced that the second cohort in Part 1 of the Phase 1/2a trial of CRV431 has been completed. The observed results in the second cohort are consistent with those seen in the first cohort, indicating no signals in the safety and tolerability, and demonstrating a consistent pharmacokinetic profile of the single dose of CRV431 administered in healthy adult volunteers.

09:04 EDT Boston Private Financial names Joy McCune as CHRO - Boston Private announced the appointment of Joy McCune as its new Chief Human Resources Officer. McCune will be succeeding Martha Higgins to lead Human Resources as a member of the Boston Private management team. McCune will report directly to Clayton Deutsch, CEO of Boston Private. She will be based in Boston, Massachusetts.

09:04 EDT Ceva sees Q3 gross margin 91% - Sees Q3 operational expenses $14.8M-$15.8M. Sees tax rate 10%. Comments taken from Q2 earnings conference call.

09:03 EDT Textainer hasn't experienced impact to container demand from trade disputes - "We believe the increased lease-out demand we have seen in June and July will continue through the third quarter. Lessors have purchased more than 60% of this year's production. Shipping lines continue to rely on lessors to provide the majority of their container needs for several reasons, including the impact of increased bunker prices on their profitability and an uncertain outlook due to actual and proposed tariffs," commented Mr. Brewer. "We have not experienced a measurable impact to container demand as result of the current trade disputes. We do not expect the impact on our results to be significant absent a meaningful slowdown in global trade. To the extent that these disputes result in changes to established trade lanes and patterns, supply chains are likely to be rearranged and lengthened which is generally positive for container demand. However, we cannot at this time predict the extent of the impact resulting from future developments. "Factory inventory has declined 25% since the end of the first quarter, currently at about 750 thousand TEU, demonstrating a measured approach to container orders by lessors and shipping lines in alignment with the strong container demand. Manufacturers produced an estimated 2.5 million TEU as of the end of June, close to a record level of production. Consistent with past practice, lessors quickly regulate their investment based on demand as evidenced by the industry-wide utilization in the high 90% range. "New container prices have remained close to their current level of $2,200/CEU for more than a year. Resale prices remain at or near their historical highs. Worldwide depot inventory should remain low with near full utilization. Our overall fleet average rental rate is below current rates due in part to the low-cost containers purchased two to three years ago. Lease rates for new production and depot inventory provide very attractive yields and are well above our current fleet average. Adding these new containers will improve the overall yield of our fleet and increase lease rental income during the second half of the year," concluded Mr. Brewer.

09:02 EDT Fly Intel: Pre-market Movers - UP AFTER EARNINGS: Etsy (ETSY), up 13%... Mallinckrodt (MNK), up 16%... Twilio (TWLO), up 17%... NeoPhotonics (NPTN), up 10%. DOWN AFTER EARNINGS: Zilllow (ZG), down 16%... Dean Foods (DF), down 11%... Owens & Minor (OMI), down 13%. LOWER: Spark Therapeutics (ONCE), down 32% after the company announced preliminary Phase 1/2 data for its investigational gene therapy candidate SPK-8011 for hemophilia A... Protagonist Therapeutics (PTGX), down 3% after the company filed to sell 2.75M shares and warrants... TriplePoint Venture (TPVG), down 4% after a 6M share spot secondary offering priced at $13.66.

08:55 EDT Bellerophon says DMC recommends stopping Phase 3 INOvation-1 study of INOpulse - Bellerophon Therapeutics announced that the Data Monitoring Committee has completed its pre-specified interim analysis from the first 75 enrolled subjects completing 16-weeks of treatment in the Phase 3 INOvation-1 study evaluating INOpulse for the treatment of pulmonary arterial hypertension.The DMC has recommended that the trial be stopped for futility. INOpulse was well-tolerated and there were no safety concerns that led the DMC to recommend concluding the trial. The data showed improvement in pulmonary vascular resistance, however, the DMC deemed the overall change in 6 minute walk distance, the primary endpoint of the trial, insufficient to support the continuation of the study. As previously agreed upon with the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, the pre-specified interim analysis was conducted by the DMC after half of the planned subjects completed 16-weeks of blinded treatment. The DMC considered four potential recommendations relative to its review of the data: stopping the trial early for efficacy, continuing to enroll the study as planned, increasing the targeted enrollment size if the original design was slightly underpowered, and stopping the study for futility or safety concerns. "While we are disappointed in the overall efficacy results of this study, we are encouraged by the positive data in hemodynamics and pleased with the safety and tolerability profile of INOpulse. Over the next few weeks, we intend to further analyze the full data set available to us from this interim analysis in order to determine the next steps in our PAH program. On behalf of everyone at Bellerophon, I would like to thank all of the patients and physicians who participated in the INOvation-1 study," said CEO Fabian Tenenbaum. "Based on the results of our Phase 2 studies in pulmonary hypertension associated with interstitial lung disease and pulmonary hypertension associated with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, we remain positive regarding the potential of our other INOpulse programs. Unlike PAH, patients with PH-ILD and PH-COPD have underlying lung disease for which systemic vasodilators have been ineffective and there are currently no approved therapies. Our ongoing Phase 2b trial in PH-ILD is progressing well, with top-line results expected around the end of 2018. PH-ILD is a significant unmet medical need which we believe represents a substantial potential market opportunity." Bellerophon has sufficient resources to support its currently planned activities into the first half of 2019.

08:55 EDT Senseonics begins U.S. commercialization of Eversense CGM system - Senseonics Holdings announced that the Eversense CGM System is now available at trained clinics across the U.S. and physicians have begun sensor placements with patients. Concurrently, the company reported that its first commercial payer, Horizon Blue Cross Blue Shield of New Jersey and Horizon Healthcare of New Jersey, has added coverage of the Eversense System to its Medical Policy. Since receiving FDA approval for the Eversense System, we have experienced tremendous support and interest from physicians and their patients," said Tim Goodnow, President and CEO of Senseonics. "We are thrilled that clinics and users can now benefit from Eversense, and we're also pleased to receive our first medical policy coverage, clearing the way so more people with diabetes can access this important tool for helping ease the burden of managing diabetes."

08:42 EDT Gentherm appoints Barbara Runyon as Chief Human Resources Officer - Gentherm (THRM) announced that Barbara Runyon will join the company as Senior Vice President and Chief Human Resources Officer on August 13. In this position, Runyon will oversee company initiatives including organizational performance and culture, compensation and benefits, talent acquisition and management, learning and development, and the overall employee experience. She will report to Phil Eyler, President and CEO of Gentherm. Runyon joins Gentherm from La-Z-Boy (LZB) Incorporated where she served as Vice President and Chief Human Resources Officer from 2015 through 2018.

08:41 EDT SenesTech launched sales in Hawai'i - SenesTech announced that it has formally launched sales in Hawai'i. The Company has begun training and supply to local pest management professionals and distribution partners, with the market's first sale and shipment of ContraPest. In addition, SenesTech has been asked and has begun to train and develop deployment plans for ContraPest to Hawaiiana Property Management Company, LTD, an organization with over 700 homeowners associations and commercial properties under management in the Hawaiian Islands.

08:40 EDT Lowe's appoints Donald Frieson as vice president - Lowe's Companies announced that Donald E. Frieson has been named executive vice president, supply chain, effective Aug. 8. In this role, Frieson will be responsible for the company's distribution centers, logistics, global sourcing, transportation and delivery services. Frieson will report to Marvin R. Ellison, president and CEO. Frieson is a seasoned executive with more than 30 years of operations and supply chain experience, including 19 years at Walmart. He most recently served as chief operating officer at Sam's Club, a division of Walmart, where he was responsible for all club operations, including supply chain for more than 650 locations in the U.S. and Puerto Rico. Frieson joined Sam's Club in November 2012 as senior vice president, replenishment and inventory planning.

08:37 EDT Infinity Pharmaceuticals appoints Samuel Agresta as Chief Medical Officer - Infinity Pharmaceuticals (INFYI) announced that it has appointed Samuel Agresta, as Chief Medical Officer where he will oversee global clinical development and regulatory affairs for the company. Agresta brings more than 20 years of experience in the practice of academic medicine and oncology drug development, including the recent approvals of two targeted therapies for the treatment of acute myeloid leukemia. Agresta joins Infinity from Agios Pharmaceuticals (AGIO), where he played a pivotal role in the development of the company's oncology programs, including IDHIFA and TIBSOVO, as Vice President and Head of Clinical Development.

08:36 EDT Discovery says share of TV viewing growing since acquisition of Scripps - Says starting to see "real impressive results." Comments from Q2 earnings conference call.

08:34 EDT Bluerock Residential reports property NOI up 49% to $22.5M -

08:29 EDT Aramark announces strategic partnership with Oath Pizza - Aramark announced a strategic partnership with Oath Pizza to bring the pizzeria's Certified Humane brand to new, exclusive locations, from university campuses and sporting arenas to offices, hospital cafes and more. To support the partnership, Aramark is investing in Oath Pizza. Oath Pizza currently operates locations in the Boston and Washington, DC areas, and recently opened a restaurant in New York City.

08:22 EDT Ford rolls out exoskeleton wearable technology globally - Ford is rolling out a new wearable technology globally called EksoVest that helps reduce injury risk in some plant workers after a successful trial in two U.S. plants. Ford employees in 15 plants and seven countries around the world are able to use an EksoVest to help lessen the physical toll that their job takes on their body. Ford partnered with Ekso Bionics to enhance this wearable technology that elevates and supports a worker's arms while performing overhead tasks such as reaching up with a power tool to screw bolts to secure the car's brace - all while standing underneath the vehicle. Ford piloted the EksoVest at Michigan Assembly Plant in Wayne, Mich. and Flat Rock Assembly Plant in Flat Rock, Mich., during the past year. The feedback from plant operators helped refine the technology before the company rolled it out globally. All of Ford's North American assembly plants have EksoVests and they are being used in plants in Asia Pacific, Europe and South America as well.

08:18 EDT Spark sinks after mean hemophilia study dose response comes in at 30% - Shares of Spark Therapeutics (ONCE) are sinking after the company announced preliminary Phase 1/2 data for its investigational gene therapy candidate SPK-8011 for hemophilia A. A dose response as demonstrated by FVIII expression ranged from 16% to 49%, with a mean of 30% post 12 weeks in five of the participants in the 2x1012 vg/kg cohort, Spark announced in its Q2 earnings release. RBC analyst Kennen MacKay last month pegged Street expectations at mean levels of 30% to 55%, according to Bloomberg. Following the data, shares of Spark Therapeutics are down 27%, or $20.61, to $57.00 in premarket trading. BioMarin Pharmaceutical (BMRN), which has a competing gene therapy hemophilia A treatment in development, is seeing its stock rise 6%, or $6.05, to $104.00.

08:11 EDT SunPower supplies E-Series solar panels to system in Jordan - SunPower announced that the company supplied four megawatts of high efficiency SunPower E-Series solar panels for a ground-mounted solar power system in Amman, Jordan. The system is generating power for Arab Jordan Investment Bank's, or AJIB, headquarters, and branches in the Amman area. Designed and constructed by Wathba Energy, it was commissioned in July and is expected to generate seven gigawatt hours of electricity in the first year of operation.

08:10 EDT Chevron donates $500,000 to American Red Cross for California wildfire relief - Chevron announced a contribution of $500,000 from the Chevron Global Community Fund to the American Red Cross in support of relief efforts for California wildfires. Chevron, which was founded in California in 1879 and has operations around the state, places a high priority on supporting the communities where it operates. In 2017, the Chevron Global Community Fund donated a total of $1M for California wildfire relief efforts.

08:08 EDT Array BioPharma receives FDA Breakthrough Therapy Designation for BRAFTOVI - Array BioPharma announced it has received Breakthrough Therapy Designation from the U.S. FDA for encorafenib (BRAFTOVI), in combination with binimetinib (MEKTOVI) and cetuximab for the treatment of patients with BRAFV600E-mutant metastatic colorectal cancer as detected by an FDA-approved test, after failure of one to two prior lines of therapy for metastatic disease. BRAFV600E-mutant mCRC patients have a mortality risk more than double that of mCRC patients without the mutation, and currently there are no therapies specifically approved for this high unmet need population.

08:03 EDT Celltrion applies for trials of AbbVie's Humira biosimilar CT-P17 to MHRA - Celltrion applied for the clinical trials for its adalimumab biosimilar, or CT-P17, as a rheumatoid arthritis therapeutic agent, to the Medicines and Healthcare Products Regulatory Agency, or MHRA, in the UK. Celltrion is set to launch phase 1 clinical trials for the safety and pharmacokinetic assessment of the adalimumab biosimilar in the UK. And Celltrion also conducts global phase 3 clinical trials in about 75 sites in eight nations in European region from August. It aims to complete phase 3 clinical trials by 2020. Abbvie's Humira, the original medicine of CT-P17, is a therapeutic biopharmaceutical for the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis, inflammatory bowel disease, psoriatic arthritis, ankylosing spondylitis, etc., and it recorded sales of about $18.4B in 2017. Celltrion has developed CT-P17 as a high-concentration formulation and thus differentiated it from the competitive biosimilars which are conducting clinical trials or have already been approved. Meanwhile, after completing clinical trials for CT-P17, Celltrion is set to maximize its market share in TNF-a inhibitor biosimilar markets under the strategy of diversifying its TNF-a inhibitors along with Remsima, already sharing 52%2 of the Europe's original medicine market, and CT-P13 SC which is undergoing clinical trials with the goal of obtaining approvals in 2019.

07:58 EDT BioMarin jumps 5% to $102.42 following Spark hemophilia data

07:51 EDT Accelerate Diagnostics received Innovative Technology contract from Vizient - Accelerate Diagnostics announced that it received an Innovative Technology contract from Vizient, the largest member-driven health care performance improvement company in the United States. The contract was based on a recommendation of the Accelerate Pheno system by hospital experts in this category who serve on one of Vizient's member-led councils. Innovative Technology contracts are reserved for technologies that demonstrate an ability to enhance clinical care or patient safety, and those that improve an organization's care delivery and business model.

07:49 EDT Avadel Pharmaceuticals backs FY18 spend guidance for R&D - Avadel Pharmaceuticals maintained its full year 2018 spend guidance for R&D of between $40 to $50 million, and SG&A of between $80 to $90 million. Cash interest expense as a result of the Company's convertible notes offering in February 2018 is expected to be approximately $6 million, and a non-GAAP tax benefit of 0% to 10% of loss before tax is anticipated for the full year 2018. During the second quarter competing products were approved for Vazculep, Bloxiverz and NOCTIVA; as such, the Company is lowering its full year revenue guidance to a range of $90 to $105 million from $105 to $125 million. Included in this range is an estimated $5 to $10 million in revenue from NOCTIVA, down from previous guidance of $10 to $20 million, in part due to a lower than expected net-realized selling price from a less favorable mix of commercially insured to Medicare Part D prescriptions in the initial launch period. The Company expects an increase in net-selling price as it continues to improve script volume and market access throughout the course of the next 12 to 18 months.

07:44 EDT Primoris announces pipeline, underground awards valued over $145M - Primoris Services Corporation announce new pipeline and underground awards with a combined valued over $145M. The contracts were secured by Primoris Pipeline and Primoris Field Services, both part of the Pipeline & Underground segment. Primoris Pipeline was awarded two spreads of a natural gas liquids pipeline for a large midstream customer in Texas. The awards are for the construction of over 180 miles of 24" pipeline to transport NGLs from the Permian Basin to the customer's fractionation and storage complex outside Houston, TX. Primoris Field Service has been awarded three new contracts. The first award is for 23,000 feet of 30" and 15,000 feet of 36" import and export gas pipelines for a large midstream company in Jefferson County, Texas. The second award is for piping and mechanical expansion project for a large bulk terminal company in Jefferson County, Texas. The third award is for the procurement and construction of a 4.2 mile multiple lay pipeline project for a petrochemical company that runs from customer's existing facility to the company's future site in Point Comfort, Texas. Work for all of the projects is scheduled to commence in the third quarter of 2018 and to be completed in the first quarter of 2019.

07:40 EDT TG Therapeutics completes target enrollment in ULTIMATE Phase 3 Trials in MS - TG Therapeutics announced that target enrollment in the ULTIMATE I and II Phase 3 trials has been achieved. ULTIMATE I and II are two independent Phase 3 clinical trials evaluating the safety and efficacy of ublituximab, the company's glycoengineered anti-CD20 monoclonal antibody, as compared to teriflunomide, in patients with relapsing forms of Multiple Sclerosis, or RMS. These studies are being led by Dr. Lawrence Steinman, of Stanford University and are being conducted under a Special Protocol Assessment agreement with the FDA. While target enrollment has been reached, in order to provide an opportunity for patients already identified to participate, enrollment is expected to continue until mid-September.

07:38 EDT Spark says Phase 1/2 data for SPK-8011 shows a 97% reduction in ABR - As of the July 13, 2018, data cutoff, 12 participants in the Phase 1/2 trial have received a single administration of investigational SPK-8011, including two at a dose of 5x1011 vector genomes /kg body weight, three at a dose of 1x1012 vg/kg and seven at a dose of 2x1012 vg/kg. Across all participants, at all three doses, beginning four weeks after vector infusion, there has been a 97-percent reduction in annualized bleeding rate and a 97-percent reduction in annualized infusion rate. The first two trial participants, who have been followed for greater than one year, have shown stable FVIII activity levels since reaching plateau for up to 66 weeks, with follow up ongoing. Additionally, there is evidence of a dose-dependent increase in mean FVIII activity levels across the three dose cohorts. Five of the participants in the 2x1012 vg/kg cohort have FVIII activity levels between 16 and 49 percent, with follow-up ranging from 12 to 30 weeks. The mean FVIII activity for these five participants is 30 percent, based on average FVIII levels post-12 weeks after vector infusion. These five participants have reduced their overall ABR by 100 percent and reduced their overall AIR by 100 percent. The other two participants in the 2x1012 vg/kg cohort had an immune response that caused their FVIII levels to decline to less than 5 percent. Clinically, both participants have moved from prophylactic to on-demand treatment and have seen meaningful reductions in their bleeding and infusion rates. One of these participants did not rapidly respond to oral steroids and he elected to be admitted to the hospital to receive two intravenous methylprednisolone infusions rather than have the infusions on an outpatient basis. The event was subsequently resolved. The admission to hospital for these infusions met the criteria for a serious adverse event. Of note, across the study, seven of the 12 participants received a tapering course of oral steroids in response to an alanine aminotransferase elevation above patient baseline, declining FVIII levels and/or positive IFN-g enzyme-linked immunospots. For these seven participants, steroids led to normalization of ALT and ELISPOTs. For all but the two above mentioned 2x1012 vg/kg cohort participants, oral steroids led to stabilization of target FVIII levels. Based on the totality of the results to date, Spark Therapeutics intends to initiate a Phase 3 run-in study in the fourth quarter of 2018. Following completion of the run-in study, Phase 3 participants are expected to receive 2x1012 vg/kg of SPK-8011. Additional details on the Phase 3 trial design will be determined following continued discussions with FDA and EMA, which are expected in the fourth quarter. Finally, the company has successfully scaled-up its mammalian-based manufacturing process in suspension to a capacity level of 200 liters and amended its agreement with Brammer Bio to secure a dedicated manufacturing suite, both of which will enable Spark Therapeutics to meet supply needs for Phase 3 clinical development as well as expected commercial requirements.

07:35 EDT NanoViricides announces anti-Shingles drug candidates positive effect - NanoViricides reports that its anti-Shingles drug candidates were effective in ameliorating pain sensations in an animal model of abnormal pain. A characteristic excruciating pain is a debilitating pathology of shingles presentation. Thus a direct pain-reducing effect of the Company's anti-shingles drug candidates would be very important in ameliorating the pathology of shingles, in addition to the already demonstrated significant antiviral effect. More importantly, the characteristic pins-and-needles pain in shingles can persist in some patients even after the shingles dermal presentation has resolved, for six months or longer.

07:33 EDT Group 1 Automotive acquires two Honda dealerships in U.S. - Group 1 Automotive announced the acquisition of Honda (HMC) of Slidell in Slidell, Louisiana, and Fernandez Honda in San Antonio, Texas. These stores, which will continue to operate under the same names, are expected to generate $125M in annual revenues. The company now owns and operates 13 Honda dealerships across the United States in Florida, Louisiana, Mississippi, New Jersey, Oklahoma and Texas, as well as in the state of Sao Paulo, Brazil.

07:31 EDT EnSync sells project to California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection - EnSync announced the sale of a project under a 20-year power purchase agreement, or PPA, with the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection, or CAL FIRE, to Standard Solar, a leading solar energy company specializing in the development and financing of solar electric systems nationwide. The project marks EnSync Energy's entry into the California marketplace. EnSync Energy is building a 600-kilowatt solar installation at the CAL FIRE training facility in Ione, California, under the agreement. Construction of the installation is expected to be completed in 2018.

07:28 EDT TransDigm sees FY18 EBITDA $1.86B-$1.88B - Compared with $1.711B in fiscal 2017.

07:22 EDT McDermott announces contract from Shell Exploration and Production - McDermott International announced a contract from Shell Exploration and Production Company, a subsidiary of Royal Dutch Shell (RDS-a), for subsea umbilical and flowline installation at the Perdido development, located 230 miles south of Galveston, Texas, in the Gulf of Mexico. The scope of work includes project management of engineering and installation of a flexible flowline from the well to a pipeline end termination; installation of an umbilical; installation of four electrical flying leads and pre-commissioning. The contract award is reflected in McDermott's Q2 backlog.

07:19 EDT Ionis Pharmaceuticals expects to end FY18 with $1.8B in cash - The company said, "Our strong financial results were driven by a more than three-fold increase in commercial revenue from SPINRAZA compared to last year. Looking ahead to the second half of this year, we expect to continue to strengthen our financial performance as we add product sales from TEGSEDI and potentially WAYLIVRA to our growing SPINRAZA royalties. We also have the potential to earn numerous milestone payments from our partnered programs. In addition, we will have two full quarters of amortization from our expanded Biogen collaboration, providing further revenue growth," said Elizabeth L. Hougen, chief financial officer of Ionis. "We are on track to achieve our third consecutive year of pro forma operating income even as we prepare to launch two new drugs this year. In addition, we expect to end 2018 with more than $1.8B in cash."

07:18 EDT Cara doses first patient in second pivotal Phase 3 efficacy trial of KORSUVA - Cara Therapeutics announced the dosing of the first patient in its second pivotal Phase 3 efficacy trial of KORSUVA injection in hemodialysis patients suffering from moderate-to-severe chronic kidney disease-associated pruritus. The global trial is expected to enroll hemodialysis patients in the U.S., Europe and some countries in the Pacific Rim region. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has granted Breakthrough Therapy designation to KORSUVA injection for this indication, for which there are currently no approved therapies in the U.S. or European Union.

07:11 EDT BioLineRx says 'extremely encouraged' by lead-in period of Phase 3 GENESIS trial - BioLineRx announced results from the lead-in period of the GENESIS trial, a double-blind, placebo-controlled Phase 3 trial comparing BL-8040 in combination with granulocyte colony-stimulating factor, to G-CSF alone, for the mobilization of hematopoietic stem cells used for autologous transplantation in multiple myeloma patients. The open-label, single-arm, lead-in period of the study was designed to include up to 30 patients, with Data Monitoring Committee review after completion of approximately 10, 20 and 30 patients, in order to assess safety and efficacy following treatment with BL-8040 plus G-CSF. Results of the first 11 patients show that BL-8040 in combination with standard G-CSF treatment is safe and tolerable. In addition, the data show that 9/11 patients reached the primary endpoint threshold of greater than or equal to 6x106 CD34 cells/kg with only one dose of BL-8040 and in up to 2 apheresis sessions. Furthermore, 7/11 patients reached the threshold of greater than or equal to 6x106 CD34 cells/kg in a single apheresis session only. These data demonstrate the potential of BL-8040 treatment to reduce the number of administrations and apheresis sessions, as well as hospitalization costs, related to the preparation of multiple myeloma patients for autologous HSC transplantation. "We are extremely encouraged by these results. Based on the robust data received from the first 11 patients, the DMC issued a positive recommendation to stop the lead-in part of the study and move immediately to the randomized placebo-controlled part of the study. This is the first Phase 3 trial for our lead BL-8040 program, and as such, it is an important milestone in BL-8040's comprehensive development plan. We look forward to the top-line results from the randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled part of the study, which are expected in 2020," stated Philip Serlin, Chief Executive Officer of BioLineRx.

07:08 EDT Armstrong Flooring backs FY18 adjusted EBITDA view $70M-$80M - The adjusted EBITDA outlook assumes sales growth in the low single-digits, weighted towards the second half of full year 2018. The company continues to expect capital expenditures to be in the range of $40M-$45M for FY18 while delivering another year of free cash flow in line with recent years.

07:05 EDT Target, Shipt launch same-day delivery in Connecticut - Shipt and Target announced it will begin same-day delivery of more than 55,000 groceries, essentials, home, electronics, toys and other products in Connecticut.

07:04 EDT Louisiana-Pacific optimistic that markets will remain favorable - The company said, "We are well positioned going into the second half of the year to drive profitable growth and value creation. We are optimistic that our end markets will remain favorable, as builders report that traffic remains very strong even in a rising mortgage rate environment. Looking ahead, we will continue to leverage our strong balance sheet to deploy capital to the highest return opportunities, while continuing to grow our specialty products business."

06:59 EDT AnaptysBio to deprioritize development of etokimab in peanut allergy - AnaptysBio said in today's earnings release, "As a result of market assessment regarding the adoption of the peanut oral food challenge in future commercial usage of etokimab in peanut allergy patients, AnaptysBio has decided to deprioritize further company-sponsored clinical development of etokimab in moderate-to-severe baseline adult peanut allergy patients. At this time, AnaptysBio does not intend to utilize its clinical development resources to pursue a Phase 2b clinical trial of etokimab in peanut allergy, however the Company may pursue potential investigator-sponsored trials related to this indication."

06:58 EDT AnaptysBio expects to report Phase 2a asthma data in Q3 - AnaptysBio expects to report top-line efficacy and safety data, including improvement in Forced Expiratory Volume in One Second, from its ongoing double-blinded, placebo-controlled severe eosinophilic asthma trial Phase 2a trial, where approximately 24 adult severe eosinophilic asthma patients are treated with a 300mg intravenous single dose of etokimab versus placebo, each in combination with inhaled corticosteroids and long-acting beta agonists as background therapy, in Q3. Further, the company is enrolling a Phase 2b randomized, double-blinded, placebo-controlled, multi-dose study in 300 adult patients with moderate-to-severe atopic dermatitis, also referred to as the ATLAS clinical trial, to assess different dose levels and dosing frequencies of subcutaneously-administered etokimab for a 16-week treatment period followed by an eight-week follow-up period, with data expected in the second half of 2019.

06:55 EDT Emerson raises FY18 outlook

06:52 EDT Vical anticipates ending 2018 with a minimum of $40M

06:48 EDT Marriott sees FY18 comparable systemwide RevPAR up 3%-4% - Sees Q3 and Q4 worldwide comparable systemwide RevPAR up 2.5%-3%. Sees FY18 worldwide comparable systemwide RevPAR up 3%-4%. Sees Q3 North America RevPAR up 1.5%-2%, Asia Pacific up HSD, Caribbean & Latin America, Europe and Middle East & Africa up MSD and International up 5%-6%. Sees Q4 North America RevPAR up 1.5%-2%, Asia Pacific up HSD, Caribbean & Latin America up LSD, Europe up MSD, Middle East & Africa flat to modestly lower, International up 5%-6%. For FY18, sees North America RevPAR up 2%-3%, Asia Pacific up HSD, Caribbean & Latin America up MSD, Europe up MSD, Middle East & Africa "flattish" and International up 5%-6%. Sees Q3 gross fee revenues $915M-$935M, adjusted EBITDA $845M-$870M. Sees Q4 gross fee revenues $929M-$944M, adjusted EBITDA $896M-$916M. Sees FY18 gross fee revenues $3.64B-$3.675B. For FY18, sees $800M-$900M in investment spending, including $225M for maintenance capital and $255M for Sheraton Grand Phoenix. Sees more than $3.1B return to shareholders in 2018. Outlook assumes no further asset sales. Comments from slides that will be presented on the Q2 earnings conference call.

06:41 EDT Zebra Technologies sees FY18 net sales up 10%-12% - Current FY18 net sales growth view is favorable to our prior outlook and includes an anticipated 2% positive impact from foreign currency translation. Sees FY18 adjusted EBITDA margin 20%, an improvement compared to the FY17. Sees FY18 free cash flow of at least $525M. The outlook amounts provided above do not include any projected results from the proposed acquisition of Xplore Technologies Corporation, which is expected to close in the Q3.

06:33 EDT Sage sees cash and equivalents enough to fund requirements into 2020 - Based on its current operating plan, Sage anticipates that its existing cash, cash equivalents and marketable securities will enable Sage to fund its operating expenses and capital expenditure requirements into 2020. Sage expects that its operating expenses will increase year-over-year in 2018 to support continued pipeline advancement, including ongoing Phase 3 development of SAGE-217, and preparations for potential commercialization of ZULRESSO in PPD, if approved.

06:32 EDT Stanley Black & Decker to acquire IES Attachments business for $690M in cash - Stanley Black & Decker announced that it has entered into a definitive agreement to acquire International Equipment Solutions Attachments Group, or IES Attachments, for $690 million in cash. IES Attachments is a manufacturer of high quality, performance-driven heavy equipment attachment tools for off-highway applications, with leading brands such as Paladin, Genesis and Pengo. Approximately 60% of the $400 million in LTM revenue is related to aftermarket applications. With the addition of IES Attachments, Stanley Black & Decker will operate a broad portfolio of attachment solutions and a meaningful platform for continued organic and acquisitive growth. The agreement excludes the IES cabs business sold under the Crenlo and other brand names. The acquisition, which will be integrated with the Hydraulic Tools business within the Industrial segment, will be modestly accretive to Stanley Black & Decker's EPS in 2019, and accretive to EPS by approximately 25c-30c by year three, excluding charges. The transaction, which is subject to customary closing conditions, including receipt of required regulatory approvals, will be funded with available cash and proceeds from borrowings.

06:27 EDT Icahn: Cigna 'dramatically' overpaying for 'highly challenged' Express Scripts - Carl Icahn released an open letter to stockholders of Cigna (CI), which states in part: "Cigna is dramatically overpaying for a highly challenged Express Scripts (ESRX) that is facing existential risks on several fronts. Regulatory risk due to opposition to the highly flawed rebate system will likely lower Express Scripts' profitability dramatically. As a long-time trustee at Mount Sinai Medical Center and a major supporter of the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, I have seen first-hand the significant problem of prescription drug pricing in America today. This is a critical issue that must be addressed and eliminating conflicting reward systems and over-earning middlemen is the logical first step. Competitive risk from Amazon (AMZN), arguably the strongest competitor in the world, will be an existential threat to PBMs like Express Scripts, possibly challenging their very existence.Express Scripts could lose more customers like Anthem (ANTM) as it ceases to be independent and certain large MCOs and affiliated plans do not wish to deal with a company which is owned by one of their competitors. With Cigna's likely standalone value today of $215 and Express Scripts' likely standalone value less than $60, it's a travesty to complete this deal. Paying an over 50% premium to a company whose very existence may be challenged is a potentially massive destruction of Cigna shareholder value. The only shareholders we believe would vote for this very risky acquisition are those who also own Express Scripts and are desperate to save it even at the expense of losing a great deal of value in their Cigna investment. We hope and believe that many of these 'crossover' shareholders have used this great opportunity to sell their Express Scripts shares and vote 'against' this transaction.As an alternative, we believe Cigna should pursue a multi-year partnership with an existing PBM provider, potentially Express Scripts, while the industry resolves the structural challenges mentioned here. During this time, management can further develop or acquire their own PBM capabilities optimized for the rapidly changing regulatory and competitive environment. However, it should be noted that Cigna has done very well on its own and there may well not be a need for PBM capabilities once the landscape changes and/or Amazon and other competitors materialize. Additionally, we would like to see Cigna use the cash portion of the Express Scripts consideration and free cash flow to aggressively repurchase its own shares. We believe this could result in a Cigna target price of over $250 in a reasonable time frame."

06:22 EDT BioCryst expects net operating cash use at the end of FY18 to be $85M-$105M - Based upon development plans, merger-related incurred costs from the recently terminated merger agreement with Idera and awarded government contracts, BioCryst sees FY18 net operating cash use to be in the range of $85M-$105M, and FY18 operating expenses of $90M-$110M. The Company's operating expense range excludes equity-based compensation expense due to the difficulty in reliably projecting this expense, as it is impacted by the volatility and price of the Company's stock, as well as by the vesting of the Company's outstanding performance-based stock options.

06:20 EDT Synergy Pharmaceuticals announces license agreement with Luoxin Pharmaceutical - Synergy Pharmaceuticals announced that the company has entered into a license agreement with Luoxin Pharmaceutical Group Co., Ltd., Shandong providing Luoxin exclusive rights to develop and commercialize Synergy's lead product TRULANCE for the treatment of adults with chronic idiopathic constipation and irritable bowel syndrome with constipation in mainland China, Hong Kong and Macau. Under the terms of the agreement, Synergy will receive an upfront payment of $12M. Synergy is also eligible, in the event that certain regulatory and commercial milestones are met, to receive additional payments of up to $56M in aggregate. In addition, Synergy is eligible to receive tiered royalty payments on aggregate net sales. Luoxin will lead clinical development in China and be responsible for all activities and expenses relating to clinical development, regulatory approval, and commercialization in China. Yafo Capital acted as a financial advisor on this transaction.

06:12 EDT AudioEye announces execution of reverse stock split - AudioEye announced that its previously disclosed a 1-for-25 reverse stock split of its issued and outstanding common stock is expected to become effective prior to the open of the market on August 8, and the company's common stock should begin trading on a split-adjusted basis when the market opens on August 8. The company's common stock will continue to trade on the OTCQB under the symbol "AEYE" and the new CUSIP number will be 050734 201. As a result of the Reverse Split, each twenty-five pre-split shares of common stock outstanding will automatically combine into one new share of common stock without any action on the part of the holders. No fractional shares will be issued as a result of the Reverse Split. Any fractional share resulting from such aggregation of common stock upon the Reverse Split shall be rounded up and converted to the nearest whole share of common stock.

06:09 EDT General Motors signs direct contract with Henry Ford Health System - Henry Ford Health System announced its first ever "Direct to Employer" healthcare contract. The agreement with General Motors will deliver both healthcare management and wellness services to salaried GM employees and their families throughout Southeast Michigan. General Motors' new "ConnectedCare" plan option will provide access to more than 3,000 providers from an expansive network of primary care and specialty care doctors spanning the communities where GM employees live. GM ConnectedCare will be added as a new option for the company's salaried employees' open enrollment this fall, with service beginning at the start of 2019. Patients who choose this option will receive a comprehensive range of health care services including primary care, more than 40 specialties, behavioral health services, hospitalization and emergency care as needed, as well as pharmacy and other services. "GM's upcoming ConnectedCare option comes from our ongoing quest to improve employee health, while also seeking to offset rising health care costs for both the employee and the company," said Sheila Savageau, U.S. Healthcare Leader, General Motors. "Partnering with a regional health care leader like Henry Ford Health System enables us to provide an innovative new plan option for high quality, affordable care."

06:07 EDT Jeld-Wen sees Q3 adjusted EBITDA $143M-$153M - Compares to $128.2M last year. Q3 quarter outlook assumes growth from the contribution of recent acquisitions and accelerating margin improvement in the core business.

06:04 EDT Energen raises FY18 production view 5% to 97.0mboepd-104.0mboepd - Energen substantially raised its guidance ranges for FY18 to reflect the impact of Q2 actual results and the expectation that Gen 3 well outperformance will continue. FY18 production is now estimated to range from 97.0-104.0 mboepd, for a 5% increase over the midpoint of prior guidance. Oil production guidance at midpoint in 2018 increased 4% over prior guidance. Given higher expected production in 2018, year-over-year production growth from FY17 is now estimated to be 32%.

06:02 EDT Google acquires GraphicsFuzz, terms not disclosed - GraphicsFuzz, a company specializing in mobile graphics benchmarking tools, announced on Twitter that it has been acquired by Google. "We will be joining the Android Graphics team for lots more graphics fuzzing fun! Thank you to everyone who has supported us on our journey with GraphicsFuzz." Reference Link

05:24 EDT Elbit Systems awarded $85M contract to supply EW suites to Israeli Navy - Elbit Systems announced that it was awarded an approximately $85M contract from the Israeli Ministry of Defense, or IMOD, to supply Electronic Warfare, or EW, suites for the Israeli Navy Sa'ar 6-class corvettes that will be tasked with the protection of Israel's Economic Exclusion Zone. The contract will be performed over a 10-year period. The EW systems to be supplied are combat proven and include digital receivers, signal processing technologies and analysis tools that are all of an open system architecture, thus enabling effective operational capabilities while maintaining flexibility to cope with both current and future threats. The latest configurations of those technologies were developed in close cooperation with the IMOD's Administration for the Development of Weapons and Technological Infrastructure and with the Israeli Navy, and have been recently declared operational after successfully completing intensive sea trials. This award follows previous Elbit Systems contract awards to equip all the Israeli Navy surface vessels with the company's advanced EW technologies.

05:21 EDT Celyad appoints Filippo Petti as CFO - Celyad announced that Filippo Petti has been appointed as CFO succeeding Patrick Jeanmart. Petti's appointment will be effective September 3, with Jeanmart remaining as an advisor through December 31, to ensure a smooth and effective transition. Petti currently serves as vice president of healthcare investment banking at Wells Fargo Securities.

05:18 EDT Playa Hotels & Resorts backs FY18 adj. EBITDA guidance of $179M-$185M - Playa Hotels & Resorts' previously announced annual guidance for 2018 remains unchanged.