Stockwinners Market Radar for August 29, 2018 - Earnings, Upgrades downgrades, option trades, Best Stock Advisory Service

19:00 EDT Fly Intel: After Hours Movers - UP AFTER EARNINGS: Guess (GES) up 9.6%... Semtech (SMTC) up 8.0%... Tilly's (TLYS) up 10.7%. ALSO HIGHER: Verastem (VSTM) up 1.5% after naming new CFO. DOWN AFTER EARNINGS: Net 1 UEPS Technologies (UEPS) down 11.7%... At Home Group (HOME) down 4.2%... Salesforce (CRM) down 3.6%... PVH Corp (PVH) down 1.8%.

17:58 EDT Sotheby's says tariffs on Chinese art won't have 'material effect' on results - In a regulatory filing, Sotheby's said: "In light of recent media coverage concerning the possibility of tariffs affecting our business, the company provided the following information: 1. Sotheby's does not support a U.S. tariff on works of art of Chinese origin. It has long been the policy of the United States to promote and encourage the international flow and exchange of art, and to exclude art from 'trade' and import tariffs. Sotheby's has joined with other major players in the art market to oppose these tariffs because they would harm the American market and impede the ability of our clients to trade in these objects. 2. Sotheby's does not, however, believe that the proposed tariff will have a material effect on its results. Works of art of Chinese origin that Sotheby's imported into the United States and sold in our New York salesroom are a small percentage of the company's annual sales. Since 2016, such sales were approximately 0.1% of the company's total Net Auction Sales. These results do not account for the possibility that Sotheby's might experience fewer consignments from United States based dealers who themselves may have difficulties importing Chinese works of art for consignment at Sotheby's. At the same time, Sotheby's is a global business and can shift prospective consignments to other locations to accommodate our clients' needs. 3. Even if the tariff goes forward, our Asia Week sales in September 2018 will be unaffected by it."

17:48 EDT Intuit director Powell sells 4,554 common shares - In a regulatory filing, Intuit director Dennis D. Powell disclosed the sale of 4,554 common shares of the company at a price of $215.0549 per share.

17:34 EDT LendingClub COO Sameer Gulati resigns - On August 27, Sameer Gulati resigned as COO of LendingClub effective on December 31. Mr. Gulati will focus on the transition of his role until his resignation date and the company will not replace the position.

17:30 EDT Granite Construction awarded $32M California contract - Granite announced that it has been awarded a $32 million bridge replacement contract by the City of Bakersfield for the Belle Terrace Operational Improvements project in Bakersfield, California. The contract will be included in Granite's third quarter 2018 backlog. Scope of work includes general improvements on State Route (SR) 99, the Belle Terrace Overcrossing, the northbound SR-99/eastbound SR-58 Connector, and local roads. The improvements on SR 99 include the construction of over 3,000 lineal feet of retaining wall as well as an additional auxiliary lane. Construction is scheduled to begin in October 2018 and be complete in April 2020.

17:26 EDT Salesforce says will create office for ethical and humane use of technology

17:17 EDT Fossil closes down 7% after watchmaker Movado reports Q2 results - Shares of Fossil (FOSL), which develops and sells consumer fashion accessories, including watches closed down 7% or $1.68 per share to $22.37 per share after watchmaker Movado (MOV) reported Q2 results earlier on Wednesday.

17:07 EDT L3 Technologies awarded $454M U.S. Army contract - L-3 Communications was awarded a $454,000,000 firm-fixed-price contract for the Electro-Optic/Infrared/Laser Designator Payload. Bids were solicited via the internet with two received. Work locations and funding will be determined with each order, with an estimated completion date of Aug. 28, 2023.

17:06 EDT MediciNova announces publication of results of SPRINT-MS trial - MediciNova announced that the New England Journal of Medicine has published results of the SPRINT-MS Phase 2b trial of MN-166 in progressive multiple sclerosis, or MS. The trial included 28 enrolling clinical sites across the U.S. and was designed to evaluate the safety, tolerability and activity of MN-166 administered orally twice daily to subjects with primary progressive or secondary progressive multiple sclerosis. Qualifying subjects were randomly assigned 1:1 to inactive control or MN-166 administered at a dose of up to 100 mg/day. The progressive MS subjects were either untreated with long-term disease modifying therapy or continued on either glatiramer acetate or interferon beta treatment. Hence, randomization was controlled by two factors: therapy status and disease status. The primary objectives of the study were to evaluate the activity of ibudilast versus placebo at 96 weeks as measured by quantitative magnetic resonance imaging analysis for whole brain atrophy using brain parenchymal fraction and evaluate the safety and tolerability of ibudilast versus placebo in subjects with PPMS or SPMS. Additional measures included disability, imaging analyses of brain and retinal tissue integrity, cortical atrophy, cognitive impairment, quality-of-life and neuropathic pain. Exploratory objectives included pharmacokinetic and biomarker analyses.

17:02 EDT Rogers Corp buys dielectric and lamination manufacturing assets in Arizona - Rogers Corporation announced the purchase of certain dielectric and lamination manufacturing assets located in Chandler, Arizona from ISOLA USA Corp. Rogers intends to use the purchased assets, which include real estate, buildings and specified equipment, for capacity expansion for its Advanced Connectivity Solutions business. The purchase did not include products, technology or other assets related to the seller's continuing business operations.

16:58 EDT Pegasystems director Richard Jones sells 10K shares of company stock - Pegasystems director Richard Jones disclosed in a filing that he had sold 10,000 shares of Pegasystems stock at an average price of $62.87 per share on August 28. The total transaction value of the sale was $628,700.

16:32 EDT Eaton units ordered to pay $293M by arbitration panel in Pepsi Bottling claim - Eaton announced that certain subsidiaries it acquired in the 2012 acquisition of Cooper Industries have been ordered to pay $293 million by an arbitration panel. The panel's award, issued on August 23, 2018, is related to claims brought by Pepsi-Cola Metropolitan Bottling Company, Inc. As Eaton previously disclosed, the dispute related to Pepsi's claims that it was harmed by a 2011 settlement agreement that resolved litigation Pneumo Abex, LLC had previously brought against various Cooper entities. The litigation involved, among other things, a guaranty related to Pneumo Abex's friction products business. Pepsi claimed that the value contributed to Pneumo Abex and a newly established trust in exchange for a release of the guaranty was substantially below reasonably equivalent value, and that an inability of Pneumo Abex to satisfy future liabilities may result in plaintiffs suing Pepsi under various theories. There are no other pending claims related to the contributions made for the release of the guaranty. Eaton intends to challenge the arbitration award on several grounds. Eaton estimates the impact of the arbitration award will be an after-tax expense of $205 million in the third quarter 2018, reducing third quarter earnings per share by 47c.

16:31 EDT Amedisys makes minority equity investment in Medalogix - Amedisys announced it has made a minority equity investment in Medalogix, a Nashville based Home Health and Hospice predictive modeling and analytics company.

16:25 EDT Guess reports Q2 Americas SSS up 3% in USD and 3% in constant currency - Reports Americas Retail revenues decreased 2.0% in U.S. dollars and constant currency. Retail comp sales including e-commerce increased 3% in U.S. dollars and constant currency. Americas Wholesale revenues increased 4.9% in U.S. dollars and 6.8% in constant currency. Europe revenues increased 22.2% in U.S. dollars and 19.4% in constant currency. Retail comp sales including e-commerce increased 5% in U.S. dollars and 2% in constant currency. Asia revenues increased 32.0% in U.S. dollars and 29.0% in constant currency. Retail comp sales including e-commerce increased 17% in U.S. dollars and 14% in constant currency.

16:20 EDT Star Bulk Carriers to acquire up to seven vessels from E.R. Capital Holding - Star Bulk Carriers Corp. announced that it has entered into an en bloc definitive agreement with entities affiliated with E.R. Capital Holding GmbH & Cie. KG, pursuant to which the company will acquire three firm operating dry bulk vessels within 2018, and four optional operating dry bulk vessels in 2019. Subject to agreeing a three party novation agreement with charterers and E.R., any charterparties existing at the time of the deliveries of each of the vessels shall be novated to Star Bulk.

16:19 EDT Balchem acquires Bioscreen Technologies - Balchem, through its wholly owned subsidiary, Balchem Italia acquired Bioscreen Technologies, a small privately held manufacturer of encapsulated and fermented feed nutrition ingredients, headquartered in Bertinoro, Italy. The financial terms of the transaction were not disclosed. Bioscreen manufactures encapsulates and fermented products that deliver value-added solutions to an international animal nutrition and health customer base. Launched in 2005, Bioscreen has focused on developing and marketing new and improved technologies to meet customer needs. Bioscreen's existing business will be integrated within Balchem's animal nutrition & health business segment. The segment provides a growing portfolio of encapsulated nutrients, choline products and chelated minerals including ReaShure, NitroShure, AminoShure, NiaShure, PetShure and KeyShure.

16:16 EDT WWE President George Barrios sells 4K shares of company stock - WWE President George Barrios disclosed in a filing that he had sold 4,000 shares of WWE stock at an average price of $83.34 per share on August 28. The total transaction value of the sale was $333,360.

16:10 EDT Salesforce raises FY19 operating cash flow growth view to 15%-16% from 14%-15%

16:07 EDT Verastem names Robert Gagnon as new CFO - Verastem announced the appointment of Robert E. Gagnon as Chief Financial Officer, effective August 28, 2018. Mr. Gagnon was most recently Chief Financial Officer at Harvard Bioscience, Inc., a global developer, manufacturer, and marketer of a broad range of tools to advance life science research and regenerative medicine. Prior to this, he served as Executive Vice President, Chief Financial Officer and Treasurer at Clean Harbors, Inc., as well as Chief Accounting Officer and Controller at Biogen Idec, Inc.

16:02 EDT Nutanix Enterprise Cloud OS certified for SAP HANA deployment - Nutanix announced that its AHV hypervisor and Enterprise Cloud OS platform hyperconverged infrastructure solution, has met SAP's criteria for running production SAP HANA deployments. This will allow businesses that use SAP solutions to benefit from the simplicity and agility of leading HCI technology to deliver a modern IT architecture for SAP's leading in-memory relational database platform. SAP has certified the Nutanix Enterprise Cloud OS platform with AHV virtualization for SAP HANA as part of SAP's new HCI certification program. SAP HANA is revolutionizing the speed of data processing for reporting, analytics and computational tasks. Nutanix has proven the performance and scalability required for successful SAP HANA enterprise deployments, along with simple Day-2 operations of SAP environments. This includes the ability to deliver superior throughput rates with minimal latency, as well as ensure high availability during periods of heavy database usage.

14:27 EDT Petrobras to pursue 'all legal measures' to defend against Dutch Court ruling - Petrobras said that it has learned that a Netherlands court granted Vantage's request, without prior notice to Petrobras' companies, to freeze shares of two of its direct subsidiaries and credits that Petrobras may have against some subsidiaries, affiliates and certain entities in the Netherlands. Petrobras has not been served or notified of any such decision. The arbitration against Vantage arose out of a drilling service contract that was procured by corruption, as evidenced by Operation Car Wash. Petrobras reiterates that it was recognized by the Brazilian authorities, including the Federal Supreme Court, as a victim of the facts discovered by the this operation. Petrobras will pursue all legal measures to vacate this arbitration award and defend its position. Reference Link

14:18 EDT CFTC orders BNP Paribas to pay $90M civil penalty over swap rate reporting - The Commodity Futures Trading Commission issued an Order filing and settling charges against BNP Paribas Securities Corp. for attempted manipulation of the ISDAFIX benchmark and requiring BNP Paribas to pay a $90M civil monetary penalty. BNP Paribas' principal office is located in New York, New York. The CFTC Order finds that over a five-year period, beginning in or about May 2007 and continuing through at least August 2012, BNP Paribas attempted to manipulate the U.S. Dollar International Swaps and Derivatives Association Fix, a leading global benchmark referenced in a range of interest rate products, to benefit BNP Paribas's derivatives positions in instruments such as cash-settled options on interest rate swaps and certain exotic structured products. BNP Paribas's unlawful conduct involved multiple traders and included supervisors, the Order finds. Reference Link

14:04 EDT JPMorgan confirms launch of 'You Invest' digital investment platform - JPMorgan Chase earlier today announced the launch of "You Invest," a new U.S. digital investment platform offering all customers 100 commission-free online stock and ETF trades and the opportunity to earn unlimited commission-free trading. Starting today, You Invest is available within the Chase and J.P. Morgan mobile apps and websites, including Chase.com, the bank confirmed following recent media reports that had revealed details regarding the new service. You Invest will unveil its digital advice offering, You Invest Portfolios, in January 2019. Margin, options and other capabilities for long-term investors will be available in 2019, JPMorgan added. Reference Link

13:33 EDT Square now takes payments from Apple computer, Chromebook - Square (SQ) announced on its website, "We want you to be able to run your business however you want - and never miss a sale. Whether you take payments via Square Stand in a restaurant, with a phone and reader in a retail pop-up, or with a computer in a medical office, we want to make sure our tools work seamlessly in your environment. So we're releasing two new ways to help you run your business with your Apple products and on your Chromebook. For some businesses - particularly those in office settings that run their businesses on a computer - using a phone or a stand-alone reader might not be the best fit. Now you can take payments in person from your Apple computer or Chromebook using Square Reader for magstripe. It's a quick way to integrate payments into your existing workflow by turning your computer into a checkout station with Virtual Terminal. You can take payments on an Apple computer running Google Chrome or Apple Safari browsers, or on a Chromebook running a Google Chrome browser." Shares of Square are up 6%, or $5.18, to $85.94 in afternoon trading. Reference Link

13:19 EDT Micron plans to invest $3B in Manassas, Virginia manufacturing plant by 2030 - Micron Technology announced plans to invest $3B by 2030 to increase memory production at its plant in Manassas, Virginia, creating 1,100 new jobs roughly over the next decade. These investments are contemplated in Micron's long-term model to invest capital expenditure in the low thirties as a percent of revenue. The expansion will position the Manassas site to support Micron's leadership in the rapidly growing market for high quality, high reliability memory products. The initial clean room expansion is expected to be completed in the fall of 2019 with production ramp in the first half of 2020. This expansion will add less than 5% to Micron's global clean room space footprint and will primarily support enablement of DRAM and NAND technology transitions as well as modest capacity increase at the site, in-line with growing customer demand for Micron's long-lifecycle products. As part of this expansion, Micron will also establish a global research development center in Manassas for the development of memory and storage solutions focused mainly on the automotive, industrial and networking markets. The research and development center will include laboratories, test equipment and a staff of approximately 100 engineers. The Virginia Economic Development Partnership worked with the City of Manassas and the General Assembly's Major Employment and Investment Project Approval Commission to secure the project for Virginia. Micron will be eligible to receive an MEI custom performance grant of $70M for site preparation and facility costs, subject to approval by the Virginia General Assembly. Additionally, the City of Manassas and utility partners are providing a broader, comprehensive support package to enable the expansion, including substantial infrastructure upgrades and additional incentives.

13:14 EDT Youth retailers fall after peer American Eagle tumbles - Shares of youth oriented retailers are lower in afternoon trading after peer American Eagle (AEO) reported quarterly earnings and guidance. OUTLOOK DISAPPOINTS: Despite reporting second quarter results that were higher than consensus estimates, shares of American Eagle are lower after the company projected third quarter profit of 45c-47c against analyst estimates of 49c. PRICE ACTION: Shares of American Eagle Outfitters are down almost 8% to $25.11 per share in afternoon trading. OTHERS: Abercrombie & Fitch (ANF), Urban Outfitters (URBN), Zumiez (ZUMZ), Francesca's (FRAN), Express (EXPR), and The Buckle (BKE) are all lower in afternoon trading.

13:06 EDT Santander Bank confirms termination of OCC consent order - Santander Bank confirmed that the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency has terminated a consent order dating back to 2015 related to SBNA's billing practices with regard to a legacy identity theft protection product known as "Sovereign Identity Protector." This consent order termination is the latest in a series of regulatory milestones that Santander US has achieved over the past year, including most recently the termination of Santander Holdings USA, Inc.'s 2015 Written Agreement with the Federal Reserve. SBNA also earned an upgraded Community Reinvestment Act rating in April, and SHUSA passed the Federal Reserve's Horizontal Capital Review for a second consecutive year in June.

12:55 EDT Dick's Sporting falls after reporting Q2 results, Under Armour sales decline - Dick's Sporting (DKS) is dropping after reporting second quarter earnings and noting "continued significant declines in Under Armour (UA, UAA) sales". EARNINGS: On Wednesday, Dick's Sporting reported Q2 earnings per share of $1.20 on revenue of $2.18B, which compared to analyst estimates of $1.06 and $2.24B, respectively. In addition, the company said adjusted for the calendar shift due to the 53rd week in 2017, consolidated same store sales decreased 4% on a 13-week to 13-week comparable basis. Based on an unshifted calendar, consolidated same store sales for Q2 decreased 1.9%. GUIDANCE: Dick's Sporting also raised its fiscal year 2018 EPS view to $3.02-$3.20 from $2.92-$3.12, which compared to analyst estimates of $3.09. The company expects consolidated same store sales to decline 3% to 4% on a 52-week to 52-week comparative basis. CEO COMMENTS: "As we continue to focus on driving profitable sales, we are very pleased with our strong gross margin improvement. An improved product cycle, fewer promotions, and a favorable product mix contributed to the overall strength in our merchandise margin," said CEO Edward Stack, in the earnings release. "We delivered double digit growth in eCommerce, private brands, and athletic apparel excluding Under Armour, however, as expected, sales were impacted by the strategic decisions we made regarding the slow growth, low margin hunt and electronics businesses, which accounted for nearly half of our comp decline. In addition, we experienced continued significant declines in Under Armour sales as a result of their decision to expand distribution. We are very confident our sales trajectory will improve next year as these headwinds are expected to subside." On the company's Q2 conference call Stack added, "We remain pleased with the improved product we're seeing from many of our key partners and private brands, and are optimistic about the pipeline as we look to the second half of the year and into 2019.We also continue to be enthusiastic about the product improvements we're seeing from Under Armour, particularly the innovation they're delivering with the hover shoe as well as foundational core products such as cold gear and compression." Additionally, Stack confirmed in the question and answer session that Under Armour accounted for 300 basis points of comp decline in Q2. He said while the Under Armour business has been "difficult", the company is looking at ways to grow it going forward and the company is "pretty excited" about what it can do with Under Armour as it moves into 2019. Stack said the company is excited about Under Armour's pipeline he thinks the "headwind is going to subside in the first quarter." ANALYST VIEW: Baird analyst Jonathan Komp noted that while Dick's Sporting Goods called out continued sales challenges for Under Armour, he believes current sporting goods disruption for the company is already reflected in its 2018 earnings guidance and "thus largely are a non-event". In addition, the analyst believes that other mid-tier channels have continued to show strong sales performance, pointing out that Kohl's (KSS) saw Under Armour accelerate in Q2. In addition, he said he was encouraged by Dick Sporting's positive commentary about Under Armour's pipeline in 2019. Komp, who views the selloff on Dick's comments a "compelling buying opportunity," keeps an Outperform rating and $27 price target on Under Armour Class A shares. PRICE ACTION: In early afternoon trading, Dick's Sporting fell 3.3% to $35.18, while Under Armour was down roughly 1% to $20.76.

12:32 EDT Sinclair Broadcast calls Tribune lawsuit 'meritless', files counterclaim - Sinclair Broadcast Group (SBGI) announced that it has filed its Answer, Affirmative Defenses, and Verified Counterclaim to the Verified Complaint filed by Tribune Media Company (TRCO) in the Delaware Court of Chancery. "We were extremely disappointed that the Tribune transaction was terminated," said CEO Chris Ripley. "We are likewise disappointed that Tribune, through its meritless lawsuit, is seeking to capitalize on an unfavorable and unexpected reaction from the Federal Communications Commission to capture a windfall for Tribune. Today, we filed our response to Tribune's complaint, along with a counterclaim against Tribune for breaching the merger agreement. As described in our filing, we fully complied with our obligations under the merger agreement and worked tirelessly to close the transaction. The company looks forward to vigorously defending against Tribune's claims and pursuing our own claim."

12:23 EDT Nordstrom names Brad Smith as chairman of board of directors - Nordstrom (JWN) announced board director Brad Smith will take on the additional role of chairman of the company's board of directors, effective November 1. Smith joined the company's board in 2013 and recently announced his transition at the end of 2018 from CEO and chairman to executive chairman of Intuit (INTU). Phil Satre, current chairman of the board, will continue to serve on the company's board where he was first appointed in 2006 and has been chairman since 2016.

12:05 EDT Sonos Unveils Sonos Amp to power smart home entertainment - Sonos unveiled the all-new Sonos Amp, a powerful and versatile home audio hub that powers traditional wired speakers with sound from nearly any source, and fully integrates these speakers into Sonos' easy-to-use wireless home sound system. The all-new Amp is twice as powerful as its predecessor, supports Apple's AirPlay 2 and more than 100 streaming services, and includes an HDMI Arc port for TVs. Launching globally in February 2019, the $599 Amp will be available to professional installers in the United States and Canada starting Dec. 1. Amp is designed to fit perfectly into standard AV racks used by custom install professionals, and can power up to four speakers with 125 watts per channel-more than enough for even the most demanding set-ups. Onboard HDMI and line-in ports means TVs, turntables, CD changers, and other audio components can easily connect with Amp and become part of the Sonos system.

12:00 EDT American Eagle falls -9.1% - American Eagle is down -9.1%, or -$2.47 to $24.81.

12:00 EDT Unisys rises 9.6% - Unisys is up 9.6%, or $1.60 to $18.35.

12:00 EDT Glaukos rises 32.6% - Glaukos is up 32.6%, or $14.61 to $59.41.

11:32 EDT Analyst ups Amazon, Alphabet targets as tech giants fend off political criticism - In two separate research notes, Morgan Stanley analyst Brian Nowak raised his price targets for both Amazon (AMZN) and Alphabet (GOOGL) to $2,500 and $1,515, respectively. Both companies have been in the spotlight after Senator Bernie Sanders accused the e-commerce giant of not paying its lower-level employees a fair wage and as President Trump slammed Google Search as "rigged." MORGAN STANLEY UPS TARGETS: In a research note to investors this morning, Morgan Stanley's Nowak raised his price target for Alphabet to $1,515 from $1,325 on continued "strong core fundamentals" and growing Waymo visibility. The analyst remains bullish on the core Alphabet business as he believes it is still in the early innings of monetizing its seven 1B-plus user platforms and as the company invests to build new monetization opportunities such as YouTube subscriptions, Maps and hardware. Further, Nowak argued that the launch of Waymo's ride-hailing service by year-end is a potential catalyst for value realization. He highlighted that he currently values Waymo at $45B, or about $60 per Alphabet share, but pointed out that this is only 25% of the $175B potential value he ascribes to the business. He reiterated an Overweight rating on Alphabet shares. In a separate research note, Morgan Stanley's Nowak also raised his price target for Amazon to $2,500 from $1,850 as he sees its rapidly growing, high margin revenue streams allowing the e-commerce giant to continue to invest while also generating higher profits. In his new sum-of-the-parts model, Nowak values core retail at about $625B, the AWS cloud business at roughly $375B, Prime subscriber revenue at $100B and the advertising business at $125B. The analyst reiterated an Overweight rating on Amazon shares. TRUMP SAYS GOOGLE SEARCH IS 'RIGGED': Yesterday, President Donald Trump tweeted that Google search results for "Trump News" are "RIGGED, for me & others, so that almost all stories & news is BAD," calling it a "very serious situation" that "will be addressed!" Late in the day, the President doubled down on his comments and broadened his criticism, stating that not only Google but also Facebook (FB) and Twitter (TWTR) "have to be careful." In response, Google said that its search "is not used to set a political agenda." "We continually work to improve Google Search and we never rank search results to manipulate political sentiment," a company statement said. SENATOR SANDERS CRITICIZES AMAZON'S WAGES: Meanwhile, Senator Bernie Sanders has been dinging Amazon on Twitter and in public statements for months, claiming the e-commerce giant does not pay its lower-level employees a fair wage. Sanders even issued a call for employees to share their experiences in a form that asks, "Have you used public assistance, such as food stamps, Medicaid or subsidized housing, in order to make ends meet?" In a post to the company's "Day One" blog, Amazon staff stated in part: "Senator [Bernie] Sanders continues to make inaccurate and misleading accusations against Amazon. We have been in regular contact with his office and have offered several opportunities for Senator Sanders and his team to tour one of our fulfillment centers. To date he has still not seen an FC for himself. Instead, Senator Sanders continues to spread misleading statements about pay and benefits. Amazon is proud to have created over 130,000 new jobs last year alone. In the U.S., the average hourly wage for a full-time associate in our fulfillment centers, including cash, stock, and incentive bonuses, is over $15/hour before overtime. We encourage anyone to compare our pay and benefits to other retailers." PRICE ACTION: In late morning trading, shares of Amazon have gained 2% to $1,971.45, while Class A shares of Alphabet have gained over 1% to $1,262.26.

11:03 EDT Netflix appoints Verna Myers VP Inclusion Strategy - Netflix announced that Verna Myers is joining the company as VP, Inclusion Strategy. In this newly-created role, Vern will help devise and implement strategies that integrate cultural diversity, inclusion and equity into all aspects of Netflix's operations worldwide. For the past two decades, through The Verna Myers Company, she has consulted with a wide range of major corporations and organizations on how to help eradicate barriers based on race, ethnicity, gender, sexual orientation and other differences and to make more just, compassionate, and productive work environments.

10:45 EDT Facebook Watch is available globally - In an earlier blog post, Facebook said, "Today we're making Facebook Watch available everywhere - giving people around the world a new way to discover great videos and interact with friends, creators and other fans. We launched Watch in the US a year ago to give people a place on Facebook to find shows and video creators they love and to start conversations with friends, other fans, and even creators themselves. Over the past year, we've made the experience more social - like making it easier to see which videos your friends have liked or shared, creating shows that have audience participation at their core, and opening Watch to videos from Pages." Reference Link

10:03 EDT Ally exits RV, transportation equipment finance to focus on core operations - The company said, "To leverage its strengths, better optimize capital allocation, and provide even more focused dealer support, Ally Financial is taking strategic actions that will enable it to concentrate more on its core business operations. The renewed focus on its core strengths is at the heart of its recent decision to exit both the Transportation Equipment Finance and the RV Commercial and Consumer lines of business...Ally RV dealers were notified of the decision earlier in August, with commercial dealers being notified personally...Ally is continuing to service consumer retail contracts, but will notify them if there are any changes. Ally's Commercial Services Group, which finances and leases commercial vehicles from small cars to heavy duty trucks, is not affected by these changes and remains a vital component of Ally's value to a growing number of dealers in the space. Transportation Equipment Finance covers marine vessels, airplanes, rail cars and other non-vehicle assets that are originated directly with the customer. This decision to exit the RV and Transportation Equipment Finance lines of business had nothing to do with projections for either industry."

10:00 EDT Unisys rises 8.5% - Unisys is up 8.5%, or $1.43 to $18.18.

09:51 EDT iPass signs deal with major U.S. bank for global mobile connectivity - iPass announced that it has been chosen by a major multinational, US-headquartered financial services company to provide global wireless connection management and Wi-Fi connectivity for its employees. Following a successful pilot program, the deal will keep bank employees automatically connected to the best data network available, ensuring productivity and security while managing costs. Using iPass SmartConnect on corporate-issued devices, the bank's employees will be able to seamlessly and securely connect to millions of iPass Wi-Fi hotspots, automatically transitioning back to cellular when Wi-Fi is not available. The bank in turn will be able to manage how its devices connect, optimizing performance and costs.

09:47 EDT Box falls -8.5% - Box is down -8.5%, or -$2.25 to $24.36.

09:47 EDT Dick's Sporting falls -9.5% - Dick's Sporting is down -9.5%, or -$3.46 to $32.94.

09:47 EDT Unisys rises 7.5% - Unisys is up 7.5%, or $1.25 to $18.00.

09:46 EDT Alaska Air announces new nonstop service between Seattle and Columbus, Ohio - Alaska Airlines announced it will begin daily nonstop service between Seattle-Tacoma International Airport and John Glenn Columbus International Airport in Ohio. The new service, which is scheduled to begin March 7, 2019, will be the only nonstop flight offered between the Pacific Northwest and Central Ohio.

09:37 EDT Amazon says Senator Sanders' accusations 'inaccurate and misleading' - In a post to the company's "Day One" blog, Amazon staff stated in part: "Senator [Bernie] Sanders continues to make inaccurate and misleading accusations against Amazon. We have been in regular contact with his office and have offered several opportunities for Senator Sanders and his team to tour one of our fulfillment centers. To date he has still not seen an FC for himself. Instead, Senator Sanders continues to spread misleading statements about pay and benefits. Amazon is proud to have created over 130,000 new jobs last year alone. In the U.S., the average hourly wage for a full-time associate in our fulfillment centers, including cash, stock, and incentive bonuses, is over $15/hour before overtime. We encourage anyone to compare our pay and benefits to other retailers...No one knows what it's like to work in one of our fulfillment centers better than the skilled and dedicated people who do it every day. That's why we are encouraging all employees to take Senator Sanders up on his request and respond with their actual experience." Reference Link

09:12 EDT TSR announces resignation of director Regina Dowd - On August 27, 2018, Regina Dowd resigned her position as a member of the Company's Board of Directors, effective immediately.

09:09 EDT TSR adopts stockholder rights agreement - TSR announced that its Board of Directors has approved the adoption of a stockholder rights agreement and declared a dividend distribution of one right for each outstanding share of the Company's common stock as of August 29, 2018. The Board of Directors had previously established a Special Committee of the Board comprised of independent directors to consider various strategic alternatives to maximize stockholder value, including a potential sale of the Company. The Board of Directors approved the Rights Agreement upon the recommendation of the Special Committee. The Rights Agreement is intended to: protect the Company and its stockholders from the actions of third parties that the Special Committee and the Board of Directors determine are not in the best interests of the Company and its stockholders; enable all of the Company's stockholders to realize the full potential value of their investment in the Company; and reduce the likelihood that any person or group gains control of the Company through open market accumulation or other tactics. The Board of Directors believes that the Rights Agreement will ensure that the Board of Directors remains in the best position to discharge its fiduciary duties to the Company and its stockholders. In addition, the Rights Agreement provides the Special Committee and the Board of Directors with time to make informed decisions that are in the best long-term interests of the Company and its stockholders. The Rights Agreement is not intended to interfere with any sale, merger, tender or exchange offer or other business combination approved by the Company's Board of Directors, nor does the Rights Agreement deter the Special Committee and the Board of Directors from considering any offer that is fair and otherwise in the best interest of the Company and its stockholders. Under the Rights Agreement, the Rights generally would become exercisable only if a person or group acquires beneficial ownership of 5% or more of the Company's common stock in a transaction not approved by the Board of Directors. In that situation, each holder of a Right will have the right to purchase, upon payment of the exercise price and in accordance with the terms of the Rights Plan, a number of shares of the Company's common stock having a market value of twice such price. In addition, if the Company is acquired in a merger or other business combination after an acquiring person acquires 5% or more of the Company's common stock, each holder of the Rights would thereafter have the right to purchase, upon payment of the exercise price and in accordance with the terms of the Rights Agreement, a number of shares of common stock of the acquiring person having a market value of twice such price. The acquiring person or group would not be entitled to exercise these rights.

09:08 EDT Westell Technologies enters product agreement with ip.access Limited - Westell Technologies announced that its in-building wireless, or IBW, business unit has entered into a product agreement with ip.access Limited that includes the development of a small cell solution based on the Citizens Broadband Radio Service, or CBRS, now known as OnGo, spectrum. Under the terms of the agreement, Westell and ip.access are partnering to develop and market an OnGo small cell solution for the private LTE market. Working with ip.access, a leading small cell solutions provider, Westell plans to offer a carrier-grade solution that features increased range, throughput and quality of service for voice and data via a single, device.

09:08 EDT Fly Intel: Pre-market Movers - HIGHER: Opiant Pharma (OPNT) up 78% after Emergent BioSolutions' (EBS) acquisition of Adapt Pharma. Cantor Fitzgerald analyst Brandon Folkes believes Emergent's acquisition of Adapt Pharma underscores the potential for companies addressing the opioid overdose market, such as Opiant... Glaukos (GKOS), up 37% after Novartis' (NVS) Alcon unit withdrew the CyPass micro-stent from the market due to safety concerns. UP AFTER EARNINGS: Tilray (TLRY), up 14%... Shoe Carnival (SCVL), up 14%... Express (EXPR), up 4%. DOWN AFTER EARNINGS: Box (BOX), down 6.6%... Scansource (SCSC), down 1.5%... Dick's Sporting (DKS), down 9%. ALSO LOWER: Roku (ROKU), down 5.5% after The Information reported that Amazon.com (AMZN) is planning to launch a free video service for the estimated 48M people who use its Fire TV streaming video devices.

08:59 EDT Seven Stars Cloud Group's stake in DBOT approved by FINRA - Seven Stars Cloud Group's ownership stake in DBOT has been approved by FINRA. The deal involved a cashless share swap involving SSC's shares with those of the current owners of DBOT and will see SSC take a seat on DBOT's Board of Directors as part of the agreement. SSC has become the largest shareholder in DBOT.

08:51 EDT Avnet raises dividend by 5.3% to 20c per share - Avnet's board approved a 5.3% increase in the quarterly cash dividend to 20c per share. The dividend will be paid on September 20, to shareholders of record as of the close of business on September 10.

08:41 EDT InterDigital partner EpiSci awarded Army LTE contract - InterDigital announced that its partner EpiSys Science, or EpiSci, has been awarded a contract to develop an emulated long term evolution, or LTE, analysis environment from the U.S. Army Small Business Innovation Research, or SBIR, program. Under this award, EpiSci will design a high-fidelity LTE/5G protocol modelling module for the extended mobile ad hoc Network Emulator, or EMANE, platform capable of deploying a full LTE architecture on self-contained commodity personal computer hardware, with assistance from InterDigital's LTE expert team.

08:35 EDT Ultragenyx announces FDA acceptance of NDA for UX007 - Ultragenyx announced that the FDA has accepted Ultragenyx's most recent proposal to submit a new drug application. or NDA, for UX007 for the treatment of long-chain fatty acid oxidation disorders, or LC-FAOD, based on existing data. Further details regarding timing will be forthcoming following a pre-NDA meeting, which is being scheduled for the second half of 2018.

08:29 EDT Calix partners with HDC in Maldives for smart city - Calix announced it has partnered with Housing Development Corporation Limited, or HDC, in a multi-year deal in the Maldives to rapidly bring its vision of an all-fiber, state-of-the-art smart city on the island of Hulhumale to fruition. Hulhumale is a land reclamation and urban development project with an open access network at the heart of its transformation. The vision is to deliver a broadband experience and smart city applications. Powered by the AXOS E7-2 Intelligent Modular System, GigaFamily products, and Calix Services, this end-to-end solution will ultimately support a target population of 240,000. These residents require a complex set of deployment scenarios, including residential, business, and mixed-use multi-dwelling unit buildings, hospitality properties, and single-family homes. As the master developer of Hulhumale, HDC will rely on the extensive experience of both the Calix Professional Services team to deploy island-wide GPON infrastructure and the Calix Managed Services team to provide real-time remote monitoring and management services for the all-important connectivity component of this initiative.

08:21 EDT Canadian Solar holder Lion Point offers up to $250M to finance privatization bid - In a regulatory filing, Lion Point disclosed it holds a 6.0% stake in Canadian Solar and "continues to believe that the shares are significantly undervalued and trade at a steep discount to their intrinsic value" given the company's "high quality assets as well as the outstanding $18.47 per share acquisition proposal" made by Shawn Qu, the company's Chairman and CEO. "Following the public announcement of the Privatization Proposal, Lion Point had conversations with several large financial and strategic institutions that expressed an interest in potentially providing financing for the Privatization Proposal, and Lion Point subsequently submitted a preliminary term sheet, subject to due diligence and certain other conditions being met, including the participation of certain third party financing sources, to the Chairman offering to provide a 5-year financing package of up to $250M to i) backstop the sources of funds arranged by the Chairman for the Privatization Proposal and ii) to make additional funds available to increase the per Share price of the Privatization Proposal, if necessary. Lion Point has also indicated to the Chairman that, based on its discussions with certain financial institutions and strategic investors, it may be able to significantly increase the size of the offered financing subject to governance, diligence and other conditions. Lion Point has engaged and intends to continue to engage in discussions with the Issuer's management and Board, including the Special Committee of the Board formed to consider the Privatization Proposal, and its advisors regarding Lion Point's views on the Issuer and opportunities to enhance shareholder value, the composition of the Board and management, operational expense reductions, share repurchases, improved communication with public investors and strategic transactions, including a spin-off or separate listing of the Issuer's energy business or a sale of the Issuer as a whole or in parts," the filing stated.

08:16 EDT Veru announces additional information regarding female condom tender award - Veru announced additional information regarding its recent award of 75% of a 120M-unit South Africa female condom tender. "The anticipated total revenue of the South Africa tender awarded to Veru is $31 million with the first-year revenue expected to be $10.4 million with up to another $10.4 million of revenue for each of years two and three," said Mitchell Steiner, chairman, president and CEO. "The revenue and positive operating margin from this tender award will help fund development of Veru's drug pipeline to make us a leading oncology and urology biopharmaceutical company. We are proud of our team for receiving this significant tender award."

08:10 EDT iCAD receives AERB approval for Xoft System in India - iCAD announced that its Xoft Axxent Electronic Brachytherapy, or eBx, System has received an Atomic Energy Regulatory Board, or AERB, Type Approval for use in India. The approval affirms that the system conforms to established safety standards and makes the full suite of the company's electronic brachytherapy products available to clinicians and patients across the country. The Omega Hospitals is the first site to adopt the Xoft System in India. Omega Hospitals is an integrated healthcare delivery system providing more than 89,500 patient care visits annually. Hyderabad will be utilizing the Xoft System for the treatment of early-stage breast cancer and gynecological cancers. The Xoft System is FDA cleared, CE marked and licensed in a growing number of countries for the treatment of cancer anywhere in the body. The system utilizes a proprietary, miniaturized x-ray source to deliver precise radiation treatment directly to a cancerous area while sparing surrounding healthy tissue. The system requires only minimal shielding and therefore does not require construction investment.

08:08 EDT NCR Corp. appoints Andre Fernandez as CFO - NCR Corporation (NCR) announced that following an extensive global search, Andre Fernandez has joined the company's Executive Leadership team as CFO, effective immediately. He succeeds Bob Fishman, who previously announced his forthcoming retirement. Most recently, Andre was the President & CEO of CBS Radio (CBS), where, in addition to holding full operational and P&L responsibility, he led the effort to prepare the company for a potential IPO, including cross-functional preparation of S-1 documentation, investor roadshows and debt financing.

08:06 EDT Sophiris Bio provides update on patient death in prostate cancer trial - Sophiris Bio announced the conclusion of the ongoing investigation into the previously reported death of a patient in the Company's Phase 2b trial for the treatment of localized prostate cancer is unlikely to be related to either topsalysin or the procedure. The regulatory authorities in the U.S. and the U.K. where the study is being conducted have been notified. Following a comprehensive review of the recently received autopsy report, together with hospital records and the negative serology results for acute hypersensitivity, the Investigator and company believe that the cause of death is consistent with the autopsy finding of Sudden Cardiac Death probably due to an arrhythmia. The autopsy found that the patient had multiple risk factors for SCD. The investigator and the company concur that the event is unlikely related to topsalysin or the procedure.

08:04 EDT Cronos Group enters joint venture agreement with affiliate of Agroidea SAS - Cronos Group is pleased to announce that it has entered into a joint venture agreement with an affiliate of Agroidea SAS, Colombia's leading agricultural services provider with over 30 years of research, development and production operations. This partnership establishes a newly formed entity, NatuEra S.a r.l., in Colombia that will develop, cultivate, manufacture and export cannabis-based medicinal and consumer products for the Latin American and global markets. Under the terms of the joint venture, each partner will contribute capital as required by NatuEra to fund facility construction and operating expenditures. NatuEra will combine the operational expertise of Cronos in the production and global commercialization of medicinal cannabis products with the expertise in industrial scale cultivation, meristem laboratory operations, and local market experience of AGI's management team. Construction of the facility remains subject to obtaining the relevant permits and other customary approvals. Commencement of operations at the facility will be subject to obtaining the appropriate licenses under applicable law.

08:02 EDT Kmart Pharmacy receives accreditation - Kmart Pharmacy announced it achieved the Award of Accreditation from the Healthcare Quality Association on Accreditation. This accreditation is awarded to durable medical equipment companies that demonstrate a high level of quality practices in their business operations and patient care techniques. Kmart Pharmacy earned the three-year accreditation after completing a comprehensive application process that focuses on patient care, financial stability and a commitment to quality operational practices and procedures. Accreditation by the Healthcare Quality Association on Accreditation assures Medicare and other payers that the highest levels of quality are practiced within all areas of the company. Kmart is a wholly owned subsidiary of Sears Holdings.

07:39 EDT Dick's Sporting down 10% to $32.62 after Q2 results, FY18 guidance

07:37 EDT Gilat Satellite and Gazprom Space Systems sign $18M connectivity contract - Gilat Satellite and international satellite operator Gazprom Space Systems signed a contract with an estimated value of $18M to provide broadband connectivity across Russia. Gilat will deliver its multiservice platform and user terminals to operate over the new Yamal 601 Ka satellite. The companies also signed a Cooperation Agreement for joint development of communication projects such as IFC, and railway transport. The Yamal 601 Ka satellite is expected to be launched in 2019 and will provide broadband coverage for both the European and Asian regions of Russia. Additionally, GSS and Gilat agreed to engage in further business cooperation including joint development to expand both regional and global coverage for fixed and mobile platforms. The plans also include provision of communication services to passengers of railway transport with Gilat's on-the-move terminals and GSS satellite capacity.

07:36 EDT Kiniksa to present data for KPL-716 at EADV - Kiniksa announced that it will present clinical data for KPL-716, an investigational fully-human monoclonal antibody that targets oncostatin M receptor beta, or OSMRss, at the 27th European Academy of Dermatology and Venereology, or EADV. Zamaneh Mikhak of Kiniksa will deliver an oral presentation of the company's placebo-controlled, double-blind, single-ascending-dose, Phase 1a/1b clinical trial of KPL-716. This clinical trial evaluated the safety, tolerability, pharmacokinetics and immunogenicity of intravenous or subcutaneous KPL-716 in healthy volunteers and subjects with moderate-to-severe atopic dermatitis experiencing moderate-to-severe pruritus. Atopic dermatitis served as a proxy for IL-31-driven pruritic diseases as a means to assess target engagement and a potential early signal of efficacy in reducing pruritus.

07:33 EDT Dick's Sporting reports Q2 adjusted SSS down 4% - "Net sales for the second quarter of 2018 increased 1.0% to approximately $2.18B. Adjusted for the calendar shift due to the 53rd week in 2017, which we believe is the best view of the business, consolidated same store sales decreased 4.0% on a 13-week to 13-week comparable basis. Based on an unshifted calendar, consolidated same store sales for the second quarter decreased 1.9%. Second quarter 2017 consolidated same store sales increased 0.1%."

07:30 EDT Dick's Sporting reports Q2 SSS down 1.9%

07:04 EDT Canadian Solar partners with ET Energy for solar projects in South Africa - Canadian Solar established a joint venture with ET Energy, a global clean energy developer and operator. Together they will provide Engineering, Procurement and Construction services for two solar power projects totaling 132 MWp in South Africa for BioTherm Energy, an independent African power producer. The two solar power plants are expected to be grid-connected by the end of 2019 and early 2020, respectively. Construction of the projects is expected to start in September.

07:02 EDT Garmin acquires FltPlan.com, terms not disclosed - Garmin announced that it has acquired Flight Plan, a privately held provider of electronic flight planning, scheduling, and trip support services, including the popular website FltPlan.com and mobile application FltPlan Go. FltPlan is one of the largest flight planning companies in the world, creating more than 6.3 million flight plans annually. With 19 years of experience and more than 165,000 registered users, FltPlan offers comprehensive, self-service flight management solutions as well as premium offerings ideal for Business and General Aviation operators. Popular tools include a free flight planning and filing website, FltPlan.com, available for U.S., Canada, Mexico, the Caribbean, Central America, Panama, and parts of Venezuela and Columbia, as well as other premium web-based offerings. The company also offers a complementing free FltPlan Go app for iOS, Android, and Windows. FltPlan is headquartered in Southbury, Connecticut and the facility will continue to support the complete portfolio of FltPlan.com and FltPlan Go, and will work to integrate those services into the Garmin aviation ecosystem. Financial terms of the acquisition will not be released.

06:56 EDT Express up 10% to $11.00 after Q2 results top estimates

06:54 EDT Endeavour Silver launches company-wide cost reduction initiatives - Endeavour Silver reports a company-wide initiative to reduce capital, operating and other costs in Canada and Mexico as a result of the drop in precious metals prices this quarter. Management is seeking cost savings at head office and temporarily adjusting its exploration, development and mining activities to reduce operating, capital and other costs until such time as gold and silver prices rebound. The reduced expenditures and revised exploration, development and mining plans are expected to boost production and reduce operating and capital costs in Q4 through several measures. Head office has initiated reductions across all departments to reduce general and administrative costs including investor relations marketing. The exploration group has already achieved most of its goals for the year and will cease all drilling activities at month end. Exploration personnel are now focused on lower cost mapping and sampling programs in Mexico and Chile, preparing new resource estimates and planning for 2019 when drill programs are expected to resume. The mine operations group conducted a review of possible short-term improvements to increase revenue and decrease costs at each mine to year-end.

06:49 EDT Express reports Q2 inventory $270.4M vs. $256M a year ago

06:13 EDT Gridsum receives extension by Nasdaq to regain compliance - Gridsum reported that it has received a letter from the listing qualifications department of The Nasdaq Stock Market, dated August 21. The letter notified the company that the Nasdaq staff has determined to grant the company additional time to regain compliance with Nasdaq's listing requirements, provided the company files its annual report on Form 20-F for the year ended December 31, 2017 by October 29 and provides the Nasdaq staff with an update on the audit committee's internal investigation on or before September 28. In the event the company does not satisfy such terms, the Nasdaq staff will provide written notification that the company's securities will be delisted, and the company may appeal that determination to a Nasdaq Hearings Panel. The company expects to satisfy the Nasdaq requirements, including by filing its 2017 annual report on Form 20-F by October 29.

06:10 EDT Dycom announces authorization of new $150M stock repurchase program - Dycom Industries announced that its board has authorized a new $150M program to repurchase shares of Dycom's outstanding common stock. Repurchases under the new program are authorized to be made over the next eighteen months in open market or private transactions. The new repurchase authorization replaces the company's previous repurchase authorization which expired on August 26, 2018. At expiration, approximately $95.2M of the previous repurchase authorization remained outstanding.

06:04 EDT Ballard Power signs collaboration with Weichai Power - Ballard Power Systems announced at a public event in Jinan, Shandong Province, China that it has entered into a strategic collaboration with Weichai Power, which includes a substantial equity investment by Weichai in Ballard of approximately $163 million, representing a 19.9% interest in the company and reflecting a price based on a 15% premium to the 30-day VWAP, establishment of a joint venture to support China's burgeoning Fuel Cell Electric Vehicle, or FCEV, market, a $90 million technology transfer program to the JV related to Ballard's next-generation LCS fuel cell stack and power modules for bus, commercial truck and forklift applications in China, and a commitment by Weichai to build and supply at least 2,000 fuel cell modules for commercial vehicles in China, as announced by Weichai. In addition, Zhongshan Broad-Ocean Motor - a current Ballard strategic investor and Chinese partner - has agreed to invest a further approximately $20 million at the same 15% premium to maintain its 9.9% ownership position in Ballard. As a result, the Weichai and Broad-Ocean equity investments in Ballard will total approximately $183 million. All the foregoing transactions are expected to close in Q4 2018, subject to completion of definitive agreements, regulatory approvals and other customary closing conditions.

05:28 EDT EC approves Novartis combination therapy Tafinlar + Mekinist - Novartis announced that the European Commission has approved Tafinlar in combination with Mekinist for the adjuvant treatment of stage III patients with BRAF V600 mutation-positive melanoma after complete surgical resection. This approval is the third for Tafinlar in combination with Mekinist in Europe across a variety of tumor types identified with a high level of BRAF mutation. It also demonstrates Novartis leadership in BRAF+ targeted therapy, and to date, more than 60,000 patients worldwide have been treated with the combination therapy across four indications.

05:22 EDT Amazon expands grocery from Whole Foods to Columbus, Dayton, Portland, others - Amazon and Whole Foods Market today launched delivery of natural and organic products from Whole Foods Market through Prime Now in Columbus, Dayton, Portland, Greater Washington D.C. and additional areas of New York City, including Greenwich Village, Chelsea, Union Square and Murray Hill. Starting today, Prime members in those cities can shop through Prime Now for thousands of bestselling items including fresh produce, high quality meat and seafood, everyday staples and other locally sourced items from Whole Foods Market. Now available in 28 cities, the service launched earlier this year with plans for continued expansion across the U.S. throughout 2018.