Stockwinners Market Radar for August 21, 2018 - Earnings, Upgrades downgrades, option trades, Best Stock Advisory Service

19:21 EDT Facebook removed multiple pages, groups, accounts over 'inauthentic' behavior - Facebook (FB) said in a blog post that it has removed multiple Pages, groups and accounts for coordinated inauthentic behavior on Facebook and Instagram. Some of this activity originated in Iran, and some originated in Russia. These were distinct campaigns and the company said it has not identified any link or coordination between them. However, they used similar tactics by creating networks of accounts to mislead others about who they were and what they were doing. "We ban this kind of behavior because we want people to be able to trust the connections they make on Facebook," the company said. "And while we're making progress rooting out this abuse, as we've said before, it's an ongoing challenge because the people responsible are determined and well funded. We constantly have to improve to stay ahead. That means building better technology, hiring more people and working more closely with law enforcement, security experts and other companies. Their collaboration was critical to our investigation since no one company can fight this on their own." The company said it has removed 652 Pages, groups and accounts for coordinated inauthentic behavior that originated in Iran and targeted people across multiple internet services in the Middle East, Latin America, UK and US, with the help of a tip in July from FireEye (FEYE). Reference Link

18:32 EDT Alliance One approves names change to Pyxus Intl and changes board leadership - Alliance One International announced that the company's shareholders approved the change in corporate name to Pyxus International, Inc., at the company's Annual Meeting of Shareholders held on August 16, 2018. The company plans to start using the name Pyxus on September 12, 2018, at which time the shares will begin trading on the NYSE under the symbol "PYX." Until then, the company's shares will continue to trade on the NYSE under the symbol "AOI." The company will use the "Alliance One" brand name for its leaf tobacco business. In addition, the Board of Directors also approved changes to its leadership. Pieter Sikkel, President and Chief Executive Officer, has been appointed Chairman of the Board, replacing Mark Kehaya, and Jeffrey A. Eckmann will assume the role as lead independent director from C. Richard Green, Jr. Both Kehaya and Green will remain members of the Board.

18:01 EDT Air Lease VP Marc Baer sells 10K shares of company stock - Air Lease VP Marc Baer disclosed in a filing that he had sold 10,000 shares of company stock at an average price of $46.22 per share on August 21. The transaction value of the sale was $462,236.

17:33 EDT SPDR Gold Trust SPDR Gold Trust holdings fall to 768.70MT from 772.24MT - This is the lowest level of holdings since February 26th, 2016.

17:30 EDT Zynga reaches multi-year pact with Disney to developy mobile 'Star Wars' game - Zynga (ZNGA) announced a multi-year licensing agreement with Disney (DIS) to develop and publish a new mobile game, with the option for a second game, that "brings to life the universe of 'Star Wars' for players around the world." As a part of the agreement, Zynga will also assume operation of the live service of "Star Wars : Commander," a free-to-play real-time strategy game developed by Disney that was launched in 2014.

17:22 EDT Lockheed Martin awarded $356.3M U.S. Army contract - Lockheed Martin was awarded a $356,300,000 hybrid contract for Close Combat Tactical Trainer Manned Module modernization. Bids were solicited via the internet with three received. Work locations and funding will be determined with each order, with an estimated completion date of Aug. 20, 2028.

17:18 EDT iStar to replace A. Schulman in S&P 600 at open on 8/27 - S&P 500 constituent LyondellBasell Industries (LYB) is acquiring Schulman (SHLM) in a deal expected to be completed on August 21.

17:11 EDT Wabtec's Brooks sells 20,000 common shares - In a regulatory filing, Wabtec director Robert J. Brooks disclosed the sale of 20,000 common shares of the company at a price of $110.5629 per share.

17:02 EDT Hillair Capital reports 15.1% passive stake in SG Blocks

17:01 EDT Allergan receives CRL from FDA for ulipristal acetate NDA - Allergan announced it received a Complete Response Letter from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration in response to the New Drug Application for ulipristal acetate for the treatment of abnormal uterine bleeding in women with uterine fibroids. The letter from the FDA indicates it is not able to approve the ulipristal acetate NDA in its current form and is requesting additional information. The agency cited safety concerns regarding ESMYA post-marketing reports outside the United States. Allergan plans to meet with the FDA to discuss their comments and next steps.

16:35 EDT Ocular Therapeutix CEO Antony Mattessich buys 20K shares of company stock - Ocular Therapeutix CEO Antony Mattessich disclosed in a filing that he had purchased 20,000 shares of company stock at an average price of $5.95 per share on August 20. The total transaction value of the purchase was $119,000.

16:31 EDT Orbcomm names Michael Ford CFO - Orbcomm announced the addition of Michael W. Ford as Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer, effective September 4, 2018. Ford will oversee the company's financial operations, including financial planning and analysis, reporting, accounting, tax and treasury functions, as well as focus on operations management. Dean Milcos, who has served as Orbcomm's interim Chief Financial Officer since May 2018, will continue in his position as Senior Vice President and Chief Accounting Officer, reporting to Ford.

16:30 EDT Ferroglobe announces $20M stock buyback - Ferroglobe PLC announced today that its board has authorized the repurchase of up to $20 million of the Company's ordinary shares in the period ending December 31, 2018.

16:22 EDT Streamline Health appoints Thomas Gibson as CFO - Streamline Health Solutions announced the hiring of Thomas J. Gibson as Senior Vice President and CFO for the Company, effective September 10. Gibson is the former CFO of Citra Health Solutions and Vivex Biomedical. Prior to his service with Citra, Gibson served as the Principal Accounting Officer, Senior Vice President of Finance and Corporate Controller at R1 RCM. Gibson previously served with Greenway Medical Technologies as Chief Accounting Officer and with MedAssets as Senior Vice President, Finance and before that as Vice President of Revenue Cycle Management. Gibson spent the first 15 years of his professional career with Big 4 CPA firms working with both public and private companies.

16:20 EDT Fidelity National receives Canadian antitrust clearance for Stewart acquisition - Fidelity National Financial announced that it received a "no-action letter" from the Canadian Competition Bureau, indicating that the Bureau does not intend to oppose completion of the previously announced acquisition of Stewart Information Services Corporation by FNF. FNF expects to close the transaction by Q1 or Q2 of 2019, subject to the satisfaction of the remaining closing conditions, including Stewart stockholder approval, federal and state regulatory approvals and the satisfaction of other customary closing conditions.

16:19 EDT Erie Indemnity CEO Timothy NeCastro buys almost $200K in stock - Erie Indemnity CEO Timothy NeCastro disclosed in a filing that he had purchased 1,550 shares of common stock at an average price of $127.89 per share on august 21. The transaction value of the purchase was $198,230.

16:17 EDT Mercury Systems awarded $17M order from defense prime contractor - Mercury Systems announced it received a $17M order from a leading defense prime contractor for GPS Selective Availability Anti-Spoofing Modules, SAASM, for a precision guided munitions application. The order was booked in the Company's fiscal 2019 Q1 and is expected to be shipped over the next several quarters.

16:17 EDT Lithium Americas names Jonathan Evans as COO, effective September 1 - Jonathan Evans has agreed to join the company as President and COO, effective September 1, 2018. In addition to having served as an officer in the U.S. Army, Jon brings over 20 years of executive operations experience, including management positions with General Electric (GE) in the US and Europe, and executive roles at a number of major industrial companies owned by private equity firms.

16:14 EDT Pure Storage up 6.8% to $23.50 after Q2 results top estimates, FY19 guidance

16:10 EDT Pure Storage reports Q2 adjusted gross margin 68%

16:09 EDT LPL Financial reports brokerage and advisory assets served at July-end $669B - LPL Financial LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of LPL Financial Holdingsreleased its monthly activity report for July 2018.Total brokerage and advisory assets served at the end of July were approximately $669B, a 1.5%increase compared to the end of June 2018. Total net new assets for July were an inflow of $0.4B. This inflow included $0.7B of outflows from a small number of hybrid firms as discussed during the company's Q2 2018 earnings call.

16:08 EDT Gamco Investors lowers stake in Cincinnati Bell to 4.4% from 5.2% -

16:07 EDT Samsung unveils new CJG5 gaming monitors - Samsung Electronics unveiled its new CJG5 curved gaming monitor at Gamescom 2018, held from August 21 to 25. Samsung is exhibiting its advanced gaming monitor line-up equipped with super ultra-wide CHG90 experience zone under the theme, "Wider View. Winning Play." The newly-developed CJG5 32-inch and 27-inch monitors feature key gaming technologies such as WQHD high resolution, curved display, 144Hz refresh rate and a high contrast ratio. The new monitors will be globally available in the third quarter of 2018.

16:06 EDT Clearwater Paper sells Ladysmith facility to Dunn Paper for roughly $72M - Clearwater Paper announced the company has sold its Ladysmith, Wis. facility to Dunn Paper, Inc. for approximately $72M. The company intends to use the net proceeds to help fund the expansion of our Shelby, N.C. facility and opportunistically pay down debt. Effective today, Ladysmith employees are now employees of Dunn Paper.

16:02 EDT Trustco Bank declares 3.8% increase in cash dividend - The Board of Directors of TrustCo declared a quarterly cash dividend of $0.068125 per share, or $0.2725 per share on an annualized basis, an increase of 3.8% over the dividend declared in May of this year. The dividend will be payable October 1 to shareholders of record at the close of business on September 7.

16:01 EDT Amerseco and partners complete 16.2MW community solar projects in MA - Ameresco, BlueWave Solar, and state and local officials today celebrated two recently completed community solar projects in Southeastern Massachusetts with a ribbon cutting ceremony at a 10.2 megawatt (MW) solar farm in Wareham. Massachusetts Lieutenant Governor Karyn Polito, Massachusetts State Senator Marc Pacheco, New Bedford Housing Authority Executive Director Steve Beauregard, and representatives from the Town of Wareham participated in the event. The full project consists of the 10.2 MW solar farm across four sites in Wareham, MA, and a 6.0 MW solar farm in Mattapoisett, MA. Both projects will help provide revenue to support five public housing authorities in Massachusetts.

15:22 EDT Rigel CEO sees sufficient cash to fund operations late into 2019 - In an exclusive interview with The Fly, Rigel Pharmaceuticals' (RIGL) CEO Raul Rodriguez talked about the company's last capital raise and its current cash situation: "In April, we completed an underwritten public offering that resulted in net proceeds of over $67M. Our cash and short-term investment balance totaled approximately $135M at the close of Q2 2018 [June 30, 2018], providing us with sufficient cash to fund operations into Q4 2019." "Meet the Company" is The Fly's recurring series of exclusive short interviews with Executive Officers to offer a deeper look inside the company. The remainder of this interview to follow.

14:32 EDT NeuroMetrix receives $3.8M milestone payment under its pact with GSK - NeuroMetrix (NURO) reported that it had achieved the second development milestone under its strategic collaboration with GSK (GSK) Consumer Healthcare. A milestone payment of $3.8M was made by GSK. The collaboration with GSK was reported in January 2018. GSK acquired exclusive ownership of the Quell technology for markets outside the United States in exchange for a $5M upfront payment and up to $21.5 million, upon the achievement of certain development and commercialization milestones. In addition, NeuroMetrix and GSK will co-fund Quell technology development for an initial two-year period starting in 2019 with extensions by mutual agreement.

13:52 EDT Rigel's Rodriguez says physician response to Tavalisse 'very positive' - In an exclusive interview with The Fly, Rigel Pharmaceuticals' (RIGL) CEO Raul Rodriguez discussed early adoption of recently-launched Tavalisse: "Since the launch of Tavalisse- fostamatinib disodium hexahydrate - on May 29th, we've seen very positive physician response, and several factors are contributing to early adoption. First, physicians are responding to Tavalisse's value proposition, starting with its unique mechanism of action, which targets an underlying cause of the disease. Combined with its rapid, robust, and durable response, manageable safety profile, convenience and pricing, it is an attractive treatment option for patients with chronic immune thrombocytopenia - ITP. In field-based interactions, physicians are telling us that they are encouraged to have a new option that works differently than other approved treatment options. We are also seeing initial benefits of Tavalisse's broad indication, with some demand for the product across all lines of therapy. While we anticipated and are seeing initial Tavalisse uptake prioritize later line 'steroid refractory' patients who have not responded adequately to other therapies, we expect that as physicians have positive experiences with these 'hard to treat' patients they will be encouraged to try it earlier in the treatment process following steroids. Prescriptions are being covered by both commercial and government payers, and reimbursement is occurring as expected, meaning patients who need the product are getting access. These factors have combined for a strong start out of the gate. We will seek to build on this momentum through the second half of 2018 and beyond by continuing to focus on three main areas: educating physicians about the science and clinical profile of Tavalisse; highlighting appropriate candidates for treatment; and supporting patient access to Tavalisse regardless of provider source." "Meet the Company" is The Fly's recurring series of exclusive short interviews with Executive Officers to offer a deeper look inside the company. The remainder of this interview to follow.

13:21 EDT Meet Rigel Pharmaceuticals: A talk with CEO Raul Rodriguez - Rigel Pharmaceuticals (RIGL) is a biotechnology company dedicated to discovering, developing and providing novel small molecule drugs that improve the lives of patients with immune and hematologic disorders, cancer and rare diseases. In an exclusive interview with The Fly, CEO and President Raul Rodriguez talked about the company's flagship product Tavalisse, drug pricing, Rigel's additional pipeline, and much more. Here are some of the highlights: TAVALISSE LAUNCH AHEAD OF EXPECTATIONS: During the company's last earnings results, Rigel said that Tavalisse's launch is proceeding ahead of expectations. CEO Raul Rodriguez believes the "very positive physician response" is contributing to early adoption of Tavalisse since its launch on May 29th. "We are also seeing initial benefits of Tavalisse's broad indication, with some demand for the product across all lines of therapy," the chief executive pointed out, adding that "prescriptions are being covered by both commercial and government payers, and reimbursement is occurring as expected." DRUG PRICING: President Donald Trump has been very vocal on drug pricing and the healthcare industry. Rigel's CEO believes it is "unclear the impact that any future policy will have." Rodriguez also noted that prior to launch, the company conducted "extensive market research" with payers and physicians that treat immune thrombocytopenia, or ITP, to determine an appropriate price for Tavalisse. "At this price and with our access and support programs, we anticipated strong payer and physician response, and patient access, and that has been the case during this initial launch period," the executive added. WHAT'S NEXT FOR TAVALISSE: The launch of Tavalisse in May heralded Rigel's transition to a commercialized company. Looking at the remainder of 2018 and beyond, Rodriguez said the goal is to "leverage the unique mechanism of action and proven safety of fostamatinib to broaden its use in ITP within its approved label and into new indications that are in clinical development." For ITP, Rigel is on track for a marketing authorization application submission in the EU in the second half of 2018 and is in ongoing discussions with the FDA on the design of a registration trial of fostamatinib in patients with autoimmune hemolytic anemia, the chief executive highlighted. FUNDING: Earlier this year, Rigel completed an underwritten public offering that resulted in net proceeds of over $67M. CEO Raul Rodriguez pointed out that cash and short-term investment balance totaled "approximately $135M at the close of Q2 2018," providing the company with "sufficient cash to fund operation into Q4 2019." ADDITIONAL PIPELINE: While Rodriguez understands why "current attention is rightly focused" on the company's flagship product Tavalisse for the treatment of thrombocytopenia in adult patients with chronic ITP, he noted that "the breadth and depth of our pipeline" is less known. "Our current clinical programs include a Phase 2 trial with fostamatinib in autoimmune hemolytic anemia and a clinical trial with our IRAK 1/4 inhibitor, R835. In addition, we have product candidates in development with partners BerGenBio AS, Daiichi Sankyo and Aclaris Therapeutics," the CEO said. The company's pipeline is expected to be discussed in detail at the upcoming investor and analyst day on October 4th. "Meet the Company" is The Fly's recurring series of exclusive short interviews with Executive Officers to offer a deeper look inside the company. A more detailed version of this interview to follow.

13:01 EDT Rodriguez says Rigel's pipeline to be discussed in detail at investor day

13:01 EDT Impact of any Trump future policy still unclear, says Rigel CEO

12:54 EDT S&P 500 rises 0.6% to top all-time high of 2872.87

12:19 EDT Microsoft launches AccountGuard initiative to protect American election process - In an earlier blog post, Microsoft said: "Broadening cyberthreats to both U.S. political parties make clear that the tech sector will need to do more to help protect the democratic process. Last week, Microsoft's Digital Crimes Unit, DCU, successfully executed a court order to disrupt and transfer control of six internet domains created by a group widely associated with the Russian government and known as Strontium, or alternatively Fancy Bear or APT28. We have now used this approach 12 times in two years to shut down 84 fake websites associated with this group. Attackers want their attacks to look as realistic as possible and they therefore create websites and URLs that look like sites their targeted victims would expect to receive email from or visit. The sites involved in last week's order fit this description. We're concerned that these and other attempts pose security threats to a broadening array of groups connected with both American political parties in the run-up to the 2018 elections. That's why today we are expanding Microsoft's Defending Democracy Program with a new initiative called Microsoft AccountGuard. This initiative will provide state-of-the-art cybersecurity protection at no extra cost to all candidates and campaign offices at the federal, state and local level, as well as think tanks and political organizations we now believe are under attack. The technology is free of charge to candidates, campaigns and related political institutions using Office 365." Reference Link

12:07 EDT Discovery Communications trading resumes

12:00 EDT FPL falls -8.0% - FPL is down -8.0%, or -88c to $10.12.

12:00 EDT Coty falls -10.1% - Coty is down -10.1%, or -$1.25 to $11.14.

12:00 EDT Revlon rises 12.6% - Revlon is up 12.6%, or $2.20 to $19.70.

11:59 EDT Fabrinet jumps after quarterly results as Needham cuts rating on valuation - Shares of Fabrinet (FN) are on the rise after the company reported better than expected fourth quarter results and guided earnings per share above consensus expectations. Following the earnings release, Piper Jaffray analyst Troy Jensen raised his price target on the stock to $52 citing improving optical demand and growth rates reacceleration. However, given the post-earnings stock price gains, his peer at Needham downgraded Fabrinet to Buy. QUARTERLY RESULTS: Last night, Fabrinet reported fourth quarter adjusted earnings per share of 81c and revenue of $345.3M, above consensus estimates of 75c and $338.12M, respectively. The company also said it sees first quarter adjusted earnings per share between 80c-83c, above consensus of 79c, and revenue for the quarter between $347M-$355M, with consensus at $348.21M. IMPROVING DEMAND: In a research note to investors, Piper Jaffray's Jensen raised his price target for Fabrinet to $52 from $42 and reiterated an Overweight rating, citing what he called its "impressive" results. The analyst said he believes the company's results confirm his thesis that optical demand is improving and believes growth rates will reaccelerate for the next several quarters. Pointing out that Fabrinet has a track record of rapid growth and profitability, Jensen argued that a turn in optical demand coupled with exposure to industrial lasers, autonomous vehicles and new design wins provide the company the opportunity to grow faster than the optical industry. The analyst remains constructive on the shares and would be a buyer of the stock given his conviction with respect to Fabrinet's ability to exceed near-term targets, the opportunity to win share with new and existing customers and its position in growth markets. NEEDHAM DOWNGRADES TO BUY: Meanwhile, Needham analyst Alex Henderson downgraded Fabrinet to Buy from Strong Buy but also raised his price target to $55 from $45. While acknowledging the company's "solid" earnings, strong guidance and "improving visibility," the analyst told investors that his rating change was due to the post-earnings stock price gains, as the new target implies a stock upside of "only 25%." Henderson pointed out that Fabrinet's non-optical business was especially strong as they harvest business from the FN West proto-typing facilities and ramped it in Thailand. This included LIDAR and other sensing related products, which helped the auto business jump 36% to $26M, he noted, adding that Industrial Lasers also shined with 37% growth to $47M. The analyst also highlighted that the drag from ZTE (ZTCOY) supply issues was about $7M and should ease slightly in the September quarter and diminish fully by Q4. PRICE ACTION: In late morning trading, shares of Fabrinet have jumped over 6% to $6.77.

11:28 EDT Agilent Dako PD-L1 IHC 22C3 pharmDx assay approved by FDA - Agilent Technologies (A) announced that the FDA has approved its Dako PD-L1 IHC 22C3 pharmDx assay for expanded use in urothelial carcinoma. The assay is now approved to identify patients with urothelial carcinoma who may benefit from KEYTRUDA, an anti-PD-1 therapy manufactured by Merck (MRK), as a first-line treatment option. KEYTRUDA is approved for patients with locally advanced or metastatic urothelial carcinoma who are not eligible for cisplatin-containing chemotherapy and whose tumors express PD-L1 as determined by an FDA-approved test, or in patients who are not eligible for any platinum-containing chemotherapy regardless of PD-L1 status. PD-L1 IHC 22C3 pharmDx is the only FDA-approved companion diagnostic to identify patients with urothelial carcinoma for treatment with KEYTRUDA. This follows previous FDA approvals for PD-L1 IHC 22C3 pharmDx in non-small cell lung cancer, gastric or gastroesophageal junction adenocarcinoma, and cervical cancer. Agilent developed PD-L1 IHC 22C3 pharmDx in partnership with Merck.

11:18 EDT Toll Brothers sees FY18 community count 315

11:13 EDT Toll Brothers says current backlog gives good visibility through 1H19 - The company projects FY 2018 Adjusted Gross Margin of approximately 24.0%, which is consistent with the mid-point of its previous guidance for full FY 2018. Comments are from the company's quarterly earnings conference call.

11:09 EDT TJX still sees buying back $2.5B-$3B of TJX stock this year

10:57 EDT Citron remains cautious on Nvidia, repeats $200 per share forecast - In a newly published report, Citron Research's Andrew Left said he sees Nvidia (NVDA) "on its way to $200" as "not even ray tracing can support these lofty levels," short interest at an all-time low and datacenter facing major competition. This is not the first time Citron has discussed shorting the stock. Earlier this year, Left also said Nvidia's shares could fall 15% and that shareholders "should be prepared to see $200." 'GOING TO $200': Andrew Left's Citron Research argued in a report published this morning that while Nvidia shares are "acting as if execution risks do not exist," they do and they are "never more apparent than right now." Citron cites 10 reasons why the stock is "on its way to $200," including a valuation that already includes a great company but "ignores risks going forward," competition from well-funded and respected companies like Baidu (BIDU), Alibaba (BABA), Tencent (TCEHY), Facebook (FB), Google (GOOG; GOOGL), Microsoft (MSFT) and Amazon (AMZN), the ongoing shift from GPU to TPU, and Graphcore. Further, the report also cited the hype around Nvidia's Jensen Huang, his change of narrative regarding cryptocurrency, autonomous driving that is not what was expected, a bull case that is now predicated on an upgrade cycle, real time ray-tracing, and short sellers moving to the sidelines. "[Nvidia] remains a victim of its own success with competition mounting from every side. Execution risks are many, and, at peak multiples, [Nvidia's] margin for error is next to nothing," the report added. Citron Research also noted that it sees "many parallels" with Netflix (NFLX). "When [Netflix] optimism was at its peak, we were seeing changes in the media industry that could not be ignored by any long-term investor. [Netflix] was trading around $390 when Citron said the stock would pull back to $340 or lower. As of today, [Netflix] is down almost 20% at ~$329," the report said. WHAT'S NOTABLE: Yesterday, Nvidia's CEO Jensen Huang unveiled the company's new graphics cards that will be used for more sophisticated video games. During a presentation at the Gamescom conference in Germany, the chief executive said that the new GPUs - GeForce RTX 2070 and GeForce RTX 2080 Ti - have been "10 years in the making," according to CNBC. PRICE ACTION: In morning trading, shares of Nvidia have gained about 2% to $252.89.

10:27 EDT American Airlines announces expanded European footprint, modified Asia service - American Airlines announced that it is expanding its European network next summer with nine new routes designed to meet customer demand. Also, citing "the current fuel and competitive environment," American said it will suspend service between O'Hare International Airport in Chicago and Shanghai Pudong International Airport in October and seek a dormancy waiver from the U.S. Department of Transportation for the route authority. American will also reduce service between ORD and Narita International Airport in Japan from daily to three days per week, effective in December. "We remain strongly committed to Asia and will continue to serve the region through our hubs in Dallas/Fort Worth and Los Angeles. Our Chicago-Shanghai service is unprofitable and simply not sustainable in this high fuel cost environment and when we have opportunities to be successful in other markets. These adjustments to our Asia service are necessary in this high fuel cost environment, but we remain committed to the network we've worked hard to build. As with Shanghai, American will continue to serve Tokyo through our hubs in Dallas/Fort Worth and Los Angeles," said Vasu Raja, Vice President of Network and Schedule Planning.

10:01 EDT Kohl's announces partnership with Nine West owner Authentic Brands - Kohl's announced a strategic partnership with Authentic Brands Group, owner of Nine West, to include the lifestyle brand into its brand portfolio. Kohl's says that "In addition to Nine West footwear, handbags and outerwear, Kohl's will debut a new women's apparel collection. The introduction of Nine West, in partnership with brand owner, ABG, elevates Kohl's offerings for women and millennial customers and strengthens Kohl's position as a destination for the most sought-after brands at an incredible value." Beginning July 2019, Kohl's will offer Nine West shoes, handbags, outerwear, and exclusive Nine West apparel in all stores nationwide, as well as an expanded assortment online.

10:00 EDT FPL falls -7.2% - FPL is down -7.2%, or -79c to $10.21.

10:00 EDT Canopy Growth rises 7.1% - Canopy Growth is up 7.1%, or $2.67 to $40.21.

10:00 EDT Regis rises 16.6% - Regis is up 16.6%, or $2.99 to $20.99.

09:48 EDT Barnes & Noble Education announces expanded partnership with OpenStax - Barnes & Noble Education announced an expanded partnership with OpenStax, the Rice University-based publisher of open educational resources, through its MBS Textbook Exchange subsidiary. Beginning in fall 2018, MBS will distribute OpenStax's 29 print titles to its more than 3,500 college store partners.

09:47 EDT FPL falls -7.6% - FPL is down -7.6%, or -84c to $10.16.

09:47 EDT Fabrinet rises 9.0% - Fabrinet is up 9.0%, or $3.98 to $47.98.

09:47 EDT Regis rises 17.0% - Regis is up 17.0%, or $3.06 to $21.06.

09:22 EDT Kohl's continues to expect CapEx of approx. $700M for FY18 - CEO Michelle Gass says confident strategies company has in place along with organization will position company for long-term, sustainable growth. CFO Bruce Besanko says achieved comp sales increases in both stores and digital channel. Says men's, women's, footwear were strongest performers. Says children's, jewelry also saw increases. Says home was slightly negative in Q2. Says expanded standard-to-small program to another 200 stores in 2018. Says inventory initiatives have contributed to "already strong" cash position. Says making deliberate investments in the cloud and other technology initiatives. Says first time bought debt in open market. Says plans to monitor market for future opportunities to purchase more of company's debt. Says ended quarter with 1,158 Kohl's stores, unchanged from last quarter. Says inventory per store decreased 8% in Q2. Says continues to expect CapEx of approx. $700M for the year. Expects gross margin to increase 25-30bps for the year. CEO Gass says Nike (NKE) outperformed company, Under Armour (UA, UAA) has delivered another quarter of strong growth and Adidas (ADDYY) continued to deliver favorable results. Says especially excited in Women's business, which outperformed the company for the quarter. Says in women's, will enhance in-store presentations, add new experience for plus customer, launch new proprietary brand POPSUGAR at Kohl's. Will launch Nine West at Kohl's in 2019. Will continue to invest in personalization efforts. Comments taken from Q2 earnings conference call.

09:17 EDT PlayAGS to provide its Social White-Label Casino to PokerStars Play - PlayAGS announced that it entered an agreement to provide AGS's Social White-Label Casino to PokerStars Play, the play-money and social gaming brand of The Stars Group, as part of its slot-focused social casino portfolio. The Stars Group is a leading provider of technology-based products and services in the global gaming and interactive entertainment industries.

09:13 EDT AXIS names Linda Ventresca chief strategy officer - AXIS Capital Holdings Limited announced that Linda Ventresca has been appointed to the newly created position of chief strategy officer. Reporting directly to president and CEO Albert Benchimol, Ventresca will be responsible for guiding the development of the company's strategic priorities and for driving the delivery of those priorities across the organization. She will continue to serve on the company's Executive Committee. Ventresca, who previously served as chief transformation officer, will continue to lead the Company's enterprise-wide transformation program, positioning AXIS to capitalize on the changes reshaping the insurance marketplace. Additionally, AXIS' Corporate Development and Corporate Communications teams will continue to report in to her.

09:11 EDT Marathon Patent Group regains NASDAQ compliance - Marathon Patent Group announced it has received formal notification from the Listing Qualifications Department of the NASDAQ Stock Market notifying Marathon that it has regained compliance with listing rule 5605 and 5605 for continued listing on the NASDAQ Stock Market, with the appointment of Michael Berg and S. Michael Rudolph, and that the matter is now closed. The company's common stock will continue to trade on NASDAQ.

09:08 EDT Asure Software achieves "In Process" status with FedRAMP - Asure Software announced that it has achieved "In Process" status with the Federal Risk and Authorization Management Program, or FedRAMP, a government-wide program that provides a standardized approach to security assessment, authorization and continuous monitoring for cloud products and services. Asure Software is working with their sponsor agency, the Department of Treasury, to coordinate this process and ultimately receive the authority to operate, or ATO, within the year. As one of a select number of solutions to receive this status, Asure Software has committed to ensuring a secure environment for U.S. government clients looking to deliver innovative technology that optimizes workspace in mobile, digital and multigenerational organizations.

09:06 EDT Amedica announces successful completion of first spine fusion surgery with Valeo - Amedica announced the successful completion of the first spine fusion surgery using the Valeo C+CsC with Lumen Interbody Fusion Device. The first surgery was performed by Dr. Tarek Elalayli of Nashville, Tennessee. The Valeo C+CsC with Lumen is Amedica's newest spinal implant that received FDA clearance earlier this year. The device is a composite silicon nitride implant that combines different densities of Amedica's proprietary medical grade silicon nitride ceramic. A solid, outer shell of nanostructured silicon nitride is manufactured around an inner porous layer, called cancellous structured ceramic, or CsC. CsC is approved for clinical use in Europe, and published clinical data from the CASCADE clinical trial have shown that it achieves spinal fusion without added bone grafts or fillers, at rates similar to those achieved by bone autograft.

09:00 EDT Medtronic says it expects double-digit emerging market growth to continue - Says pipeline has never been stronger. Says expects double-digit growth in emerging markets to continue. Says confident in delivering on free cash flow guidance for the year. Says robotic tailwind has driven interest in navigation and its whole integrated suite. Comments taken from Q1 earnings conference call.

08:38 EDT Onconova announces plan for expanding rigosertib clinical trials - Onconova announced that its commercial partner, Pint Pharma GmbH, will assist in expanding access to clinical trials studying rigosertib, a novel and targeted anti-cancer compound currently in a Phase 3 study for the treatment of MDS, to several selected sites across South America. Pint Pharma is a European-based pharmaceutical company focused on the development, registration and commercialization of specialty-based treatments for the Latin American market and has successfully participated in clinical trials for hematological cancers.

08:32 EDT Iteris awarded $3.3M to provide 511 traveler information system for VDOT - Iteris announced that it has been awarded four new task orders with a total value of $3.3M as part of the Virginia Department of Transportation's transportation video and data distribution project, continuing its support of the state's 511 traveler information system. The two-year contract renewal, which is the second extension of an initial five-year contract agreed in 2011, will continue Iteris' work to provide the core services of Virginia's 511 Interactive Voice Response system, as well as the aggregation of transportation video and the management of web-based traveler information and other data. Iteris is also responsible for distributing related information to VDOT, the traveling public and other public partners. Virginia's 511 service is built on Iteris' advanced traveler information system platform, which powers 11 traveler information systems nationwide. Work under the new task orders will commence immediately in order to continue seamless operations and maintenance of Virginia's 511 system. Under the task orders, Iteris will continue to provide the 511 Virginia IVR phone service, 511 Virginia website, two 511 Virginia mobile apps, push notification services for traffic alerts, access to over 1,300 VDOT and Virginia municipal cameras, travel time data, and consulting services.

08:30 EDT SeaChange trading resumes

08:17 EDT Vocera awarded SATOC to GMP from Department of Defense - Vocera announced that the Department of Defense, or DoD, has awarded a Single Award Task Order Contract, or SATOC, to Government Marketing and Procurement, or GMP, the reseller for Vocera in federal markets. The SATOC is a contracting vehicle that outlines the terms and conditions for delivery, installation, configuration, engineering, furnishing, and hardware testing of wireless hands-free communication technology to the Defense Health Agency, or DHA, which is responsible for providing medical services to the DoD. All three military branches can leverage this contract to easily purchase Vocera solutions.

08:12 EDT Magnolia Oil & Gas to acquire South Texas Assets of Harvest Oil & Gas for $135M - Magnolia Oil & Gas announced that it has agreed to acquire substantially all of the South Texas Assets of Harvest Oil & Gas Corp. for approximately $135 million in cash, without giving effect to effective date adjustments, and 4.2 million newly issued shares of the company's Class A common stock valued at approximately $56 million as of the close of trading on August 20, 2018. The cash consideration will be funded using cash on the balance sheet and borrowings under the company's revolving credit facility. The Acquisition is expected to close on August 31, 2018 and will have an effective date of July 1, 2018.

08:10 EDT American States Water announces settlement agreement with CPUC ORA - American States Water announced that on August 15, 2018, its regulated utility subsidiary, Golden State Water Company, or GSWC, and the California Public Utilities Commission's, or CPUC's, Office of Ratepayer Advocates, or ORA, filed a joint motion to adopt a settlement agreement between GSWC and the ORA in connection with the water utility general rate case. GSWC had filed a general rate case application in July 2017 for all of its water regions and the general office to determine new rates for the years 2019 - 2021. The CPUC is scheduled to issue a proposed decision in the water general rate case during the fourth quarter of 2018. When approved, the new rates will become effective January 1, 2019. The proposed settlement agreement, if approved by the CPUC, resolves all the issues in the general rate case application and among other things, authorizes GSWC to invest approximately $335.4 million in capital infrastructure over the three-year rate cycle in order to continue to provide safe and reliable water utility service to its customers. The $335.4 million of infrastructure investment, as settled, includes $20.4 million of capital projects to be filed for revenue recovery through advice letters when those projects are completed. Excluding the advice letter project revenues, the water gross margin for 2019 in the settlement filing will increase by approximately $6.0 million as compared to the 2018 adopted water gross margin. The 2019 water revenue requirement and gross margin have been reduced for a decrease of approximately $7.0 million in depreciation expense (as settled for 2019) compared to the adopted 2018 depreciation expense due to a reduction in the overall composite depreciation rates based on a revised study filed in the general rate case. Had depreciation expense remained the same as in 2018, the water gross margin for 2019 would have increased by approximately $13.0 million. The decrease in depreciation expense lowers the water gross margin, and is offset by a corresponding decrease in depreciation expense, resulting in no impact to net earnings. The settlement as filed also allows for potential additional water revenue increases in 2020 and 2021 of approximately $10 million and $12 million, respectively, subject to the results of an earnings test and changes to the forecasted inflationary index values.

08:05 EDT Aevi Genomics Medicine announces sale of common stock for $4.9M total - Aevi Genomic Medicine announced the sale of 5.1M shares of its common stock for aggregate proceeds of $4.9M, before expenses. The sales were through the Company's existing ATM program, for which JMP Securities LLC acts as the Company's sales agent.

08:02 EDT Audentes Therapeutics granted RMAT designation to AT132 - Audentes Therapeutics announced that the FDA granted Regenerative Medicine Advanced Therapy, or RMAT, designation to AT132 for the treatment of X-linked Myotubular Myopathy, or XLMTM. "We are pleased that the FDA has granted RMAT designation to AT132, an important regulatory milestone that highlights the transformative potential of AT132 as a therapy to treat XLMTM, a rare, congenital disease characterized by extreme muscle weakness, respiratory failure and early death," stated the company. Established under the 21st Century Cures Act, RMAT designation is a program designed to expedite the development and approval of regenerative medicine products, including gene therapy products. An investigational therapy is eligible for the RMAT designation if it is intended to treat, modify, reverse or cure a serious or life-threatening disease or condition, and preliminary clinical evidence indicates a potential to address unmet medical needs for that disease or condition.

07:57 EDT SeaChange trading halted, news pending

07:37 EDT Ivanhoe Mines comments on share price, joint venture - Ivanhoe Mines announced that the company is not aware of any company-specific reason that might be contributing to the recent decline in the company's share price. In addition, Ivanhoe's joint-venture partner at the Kamoa-Kakula Project, Zijin Mining Group has exercised its existing anti-dilution rights, which will result in additional proceeds of approximately $60M that Ivanhoe will receive concurrently with the completion of CITIC Metal's investment. Ivanhoe Mines has approximately $165M of current working capital.

07:31 EDT Aircastle appoints Jim Connelly as Chief Accounting Officer - Aircastle announced the promotion and appointment of Jim Connelly as Chief Accounting Officer. Connelly has been Aircastle's Controller since January 2013. He joined Aircastle in May 2007 as Assistant Controller, Operational Accounting. Prior to joining Aircastle, Connelly was with Lehman Brothers as Controller beginning in January 2001. He received a B.S. in Accounting from Syracuse University.

07:20 EDT Medtronic up 4.4% to $94.00 after Q1 results beat estimates

07:16 EDT Cronos Group announces initial supply agreement for retail distribution - Cronos Group announced its initial supply agreements for retail distribution, both government-operated and private, across Canada for the upcoming launch of the recreational market in October 2018. Cronos Group has secured listings and signed binding master supply agreements with both the Ontario Cannabis Retail Corporation and the BC Liquor Distribution Branch.

07:08 EDT Tonix Pharmaceuticals provides retrospective analysis of two studies at MHSRS - Tonix Pharmaceuticals presented a poster at the 2018 Military Health System Research Symposium, or MHSRS. The poster presentation reports that a retrospective analysis of Phase 3 P301 study and the Phase 2 P201 study revealed a treatment effect in participants who experienced trauma less than or equal to nine years prior to screening. For this subgroup, the p-value of the primary endpoint at week 12, using mixed model repeated measures with multiple imputation, was 0.039. In contrast, there was no benefit in the participants who experienced trauma more than nine years prior to screening. The impact of time since trauma on Tonmya treatment response was not evident in the Phase 2 P201 trial, which might relate to the fact that P201 had relatively fewer participants who experienced trauma greater than nine years before screening. There were no serious and unexpected adverse events in P301 or P201. The AEs observed in both studies were comparable and also consistent with the experience in prior studies in fibromyalgia. Observed systemic AEs were consistent with those described in approved oral cyclobenzaprine product labels. Similar severity and incidence of oral hypoesthesia has been observed across studies for Tonmya 5.6 mg.

07:06 EDT Kohl's down 3.6% after reporting Q2 results, raising guidance

07:06 EDT J.M. Smucker cuts FY19 free cash flow view to $770M-$820 from $800M-$850M - Backs FY19 CapEx view $350M-$370M. On July 9, 2018, the Company announced the signing of a definitive agreement to divest its U.S. baking business. Full-year projections for this business were included in the Company's previous fiscal 2019 guidance. The Company has now updated its full-year outlook to reflect the anticipated impact of the divestiture, based on an expected transaction close date of August 31, 2018. In addition, the net sales guidance also reflects lower than anticipated net sales in the first quarter. The adjusted earnings per share guidance range now reflects the estimated impact from the divestiture, including the following factors: foregone profit related to the U.S. baking business for the last 8 months of fiscal 2019; an anticipated gain related to the transaction; and a benefit from the use of net proceeds from the divestiture. The reduction in the free cash flow guidance range primarily reflects the forgone profit related to the divestiture. In addition to free cash flow of $770 million to $820 million, the Company anticipates net proceeds from the divestiture of $315 million, after transaction costs and taxes.

07:03 EDT Alnylam completes enrollment in ENVISION Phase 3 study of givosiran - Alnylam Pharmaceuticals announced that it has achieved full patient accrual in its ENVISION Phase 3 study of givosiran, an investigational RNAi therapeutic targeting aminolevulinic acid synthase 1 for the treatment of acute hepatic porphyrias. Enrollment was completed with 94 AHP patients randomized across 36 sites in 18 countries, surpassing the initial target of approximately 75 patients due to high patient demand. The company reiterated its previous guidance that it expects to report topline results of the interim analysis by the end of September in support of a potential accelerated approval, and topline results on the primary endpoint of annualized attack rate after six months of treatment in early 2019. The interim analysis is based on lowering of urinary aminolevulinic acid levels from approximately 30 patients at three months of treatment as a surrogate biomarker that is reasonably likely to predict clinical benefit. Pending Company and FDA review of the program at the time of interim analysis and assuming positive results and acceptable safety, the Company continues to expect to submit an NDA at or around year-end 2018, seeking an accelerated approval. The ENVISION Phase 3 trial is a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled, global, multicenter study to evaluate the efficacy and safety of givosiran in patients with a documented diagnosis of AHPs. Patients were randomized on a 1:1 basis to receive 2.5 mg/kg of givosiran or placebo subcutaneously administered monthly, over a 6-month treatment period. The primary endpoint is the annualized rate of porphyria attacks requiring hospitalization, urgent healthcare visit or hemin administration at home over the 6-month treatment period. The planned interim analysis will evaluate reduction of a urinary biomarker - ALA - in approximately 30 patients after three months of dosing, as a surrogate endpoint reasonably likely to predict clinical benefit. Key secondary and exploratory endpoints will evaluate reductions in the hallmark symptoms of AHPs, such as pain, nausea, and fatigue, as well as impact on quality of life. All patients completing the 6-month treatment period are eligible to continue on an open-label extension study in which they will receive treatment with givosiran for up to 30 months.

06:49 EDT First Data announces integration with Ellie Mae - First Data (FDC) announced an integration with the Ellie Mae (ELLI) Encompass Consumer Connect lending platform. Together, the two companies will integrate secure payments technology to process mortgage and appraisal fees, allowing Ellie Mae customers to accept payment for all costs related to the lending process-including loan origination, processing, underwriting, and credit reports. Through this relationship, Ellie Mae will leverage the BluePay Gateway, which is now part of the CardConnect ISV platform. First Data's CardConnect and BluePay, have recently consolidated into a single integrated payments platform under the CardConnect brand. This overall ISV offering allows software companies to more easily add secure payment processing within SaaS, mobile and point-of-sale applications.

06:47 EDT J.Jill reports comparable sales up 2.2%

06:37 EDT Aptinyx announces presentation with results from studies of NYX-783 - Aptinyx announced a poster presentation at the Military Health System Research Symposium featuring results from preclinical studies of one of its three clinical-stage product candidates, NYX-783, a novel NMDA receptor modulator. The FDA has granted Fast Track designation to the development of NYX-783 as a therapy for post-traumatic stress disorder, or PTSD.

06:35 EDT Coty announces new $250M cost savings program - "With the contraction of the business in FY17 and flattish results in FY18, we need to right-size our Fixed Cost base to align with our current top line reality and are thus announcing a new $250 million cost savings program. This program is being run independently from our P&G integration efforts and the previously communicated one-off cost program. This restructuring program, together with our other synergy commitments, is meant to drive simplicity and generate flexibility in our P&L to be able to fuel strategic investments such as those in the digital and e-commerce areas. We expect to deliver up to $150 million of total gross savings in the next 3 years as a result of this program which will help to drive operating margin improvement, while also positioning Coty to succeed in a new business reality. We plan to reinvest a significant portion of these savings in our digital transformation agenda, which includes significant multi-year investments in talent acquisition, in-house content creation capabilities and product management systems that will fuel our e-commerce efforts. As a result of these investments, we would expect incremental net savings connected to the new cost restructuring program to be approximately $60 million in total over the next 3 years. Connected to this new program, we have already accrued $79 million of costs in FY18 and expect the majority of the remaining approximately $170 million to be recorded in FY19. In 4Q18 we had cash outflows of approximately $16 million in connection with this program and would expect the remaining cash flows to impact FY19 and FY20."

06:23 EDT Bombardier signs purchase agreement with Czech Railways subsidiary - Bombardier Transportation and CD Cargo, the freight subsidiary of Czech Railways, have signed a purchase agreement for up to 50 of the newest generation of BOMBARDIER TRAXX Multi-System1, or MS, locomotives. This first call-off is for 10 TRAXX MS3 locomotives. The TRAXX MS3 locomotive is the only multi-system locomotive on the market with the Last Mile function that enables it to easily bridge non-electrified track sections found in ports or freight terminals.

06:03 EDT Achillion appoints Steven Zelenkofske as Chief Medical Officer - Achillion Pharmaceuticals (ACHN) announced the appointment of Steven Zelenkofske to the position of Executive Vice President and Chief Medical Officer, effective immediately. Zelenkofske will assume responsibility for the clinical development of Achillion's oral factor D small molecule portfolio of compounds to treat complement-mediated diseases. In addition, Achillion also announced today the expansion of its clinical development group with the recent appointments of Laura Barrow, Pharm.D. to the position of Vice President, Clinical Operations and Head of Project Management, and Marc Uknis, M.D. to the position of Vice President of Clinical Development, Head of Nephrology Therapeutics. Zelenkofske brings more than 20 years of industry development experience, most recently as Chief Medical Officer of UniQure, a clinical stage gene therapy company, and previously as Chief Medical Officer of Regado Biosciences. He has also held leadership positions at Astra-Zeneca (AZN), Sanofi-Aventis (SNY), Boston Scientific (BSX) and Novartis (NVS).

05:34 EDT Toll Brothers up 6.7% after reporting Q3 results

05:23 EDT Nokia licensing rate expectations for 5G/NR mobile phones EUR 3 per device - Nokia outlined its licensing rate expectations for 5G mobile phones. "This research and development investment has resulted in a significant portfolio of standard essential patents, or SEPs, which Nokia has committed to license on fair, reasonable and non-discriminatory, or FRAND, terms, in line with the applicable intellectual property rights policies of relevant standard setting organizations, or SSOs. Our innovation continues in 5G, where significant parts of the emerging 5G standards will be based on Nokia innovations, and Nokia expects to have a significant position in SEPs once the standards are finalized later in 2018. Nokia expects that for mobile phones which implement the 5G New Radio standard, the licensing rate for the Nokia 5G SEP portfolio will be capped at EUR 3 per device. Nokia licensing practices for licensing 5G SEPs for mobile phones will be consistent with our licensing undertakings made to relevant SSOs. Our licensing approach reflects the value that Nokia inventions bring to end user devices, and we follow recognized industry licensing practices for wireless communication SEPs. Beyond mobile phones, Nokia believes that there will be an unprecedented variety of end user devices that will use Nokia innovation. For other categories of devices, Nokia will determine its licensing rates separately and seeks to engage in constructive dialogue with relevant industry participants to define the licensing models best suited for those industries."

05:18 EDT MetLife develops first health insurance product using blockchain technology - MetLife Asia's Singapore-based innovation center, LumenLab, has begun testing the world's first, automated insurance solution using blockchain technology to offer pregnant women financial protection in case of gestational diabetes, without ever needing to make a claim. The experimental product, known as "Vitana," is Singapore's first dedicated insurance product for gestational diabetes - a condition affecting up to one in five expectant mothers in Singapore. Vitana securely connects to customers' electronic medical records via their mobile device to issue a policy within minutes. It triggers an automatic payout upon diagnosis, without the need to make a claim. Vitana was built with partners: SwissRe, which helped drive product design and reinsure the risk; Cognizant, which provided the underlying technology and blockchain expertise; and Vault Dragon, an electronic medical records provider which supported on-the-ground implementation with forward-thinking doctors and clinics. Vitana was developed within the Monetary Authority of Singapore's regulatory sandbox, and was highlighted in MAS' annual report as one of the key innovations to come out of the sandbox initiative.