Stockwinners Market Radar for September 13, 2018 - Earnings, Upgrades downgrades, option trades, Best Stock Advisory Service

20:16 EDT The Stars Group launches BetStars online sports betting in New Jersey - The Stars Group announced today that it launched its BetStars online sports betting brand in the regulated New Jersey online gaming market through its partnership with Resorts Casino Hotel. BetStars.com, which is initially available through mobile, provides New Jersey customers with an innovative and robust mobile-led sportsbook alongside The Stars Group's existing online poker and casino offerings available through PokerStarsNJ and PokerStarsCasinoNJ.

19:21 EDT Karyopharm says updated Phase 2b STORM data 'encouraging' - Karyopharm Therapeutics announced that updated clinical data from the Phase 2b STORM study evaluating selinexor, the company's lead, oral Selective Inhibitor of Nuclear Export compound, in heavily pretreated patients with penta-refractory multiple myeloma, were presented during an oral session at the Society of Hematologic Oncology 2018 Annual Meeting on September 13, 2018, in Houston. Sundar Jagannath, MD, Director of the Multiple Myeloma Program, Professor of Medicine at Tisch Cancer Institute at Mount Sinai School of Medicine, and principal investigator of the STORM study, presented the data in a session entitled, "Phase 2b Results of the STORM Study: Oral Selinexor plus Low Dose Dexamethasone in Patients with Penta-Refractory Myeloma." "The additional Phase 2b clinical results presented today are very encouraging for the patients suffering from penta-refractory multiple myeloma and their families. Most notably, the overall response rate for patients treated with oral selinexor and dexamethasone was 26.2% with median duration of response of 4.4 months based on the Independent Review Committee assessment, along with a median overall survival across the entire study of 8.6 months," said Dr. Jagannath. "Of particular significance, for the nearly 40% of patients who had a minimal response or better, the median survival was 15.6 months, which provided the opportunity for a meaningful clinical benefit for patients on the STORM study with advanced penta-refractory myeloma that is difficult to treat."

18:48 EDT Take-Two's 'Civilization VI' launches on Nintendo Switch November 16 - 2K (TTWO) and Firaxis Games announced that "Sid Meier's Civilization VI" is coming to Nintendo Switch (NTDOY) on November 16, 2018. Additionally, 2K and Firaxis Games have partnered with Aspyr Media to bring "Civilization VI" to Nintendo Switch and "ensure the experience meets the same high standards of the beloved series."

18:20 EDT Golden Entertainment's Berman sells 141,685 common shares - In a regulatory filing, Golden Entertainment director Lyle Berman disclosed the sale of 141,685 common shares of the company at a price of $24.50 per share.

18:01 EDT L Brands to close all Henri Bendel stores, e-commerce website - L Brands announced the January 2019 closing of all 23 Henri Bendel stores and the Henri Bendel e-commerce website. The stores include the company's Fifth Avenue store as well as smaller-format stores in 11 states. All stores and the website will remain in operation through January 2019 with new merchandise continuing to arrive through the holiday season. "We are committed to improving performance in the business and increasing shareholder value. As part of that effort, we have decided to stop operating Bendel to improve company profitability and focus on our larger brands that have greater growth potential," said Leslie Wexner, chairman and CEO of L Brands. "This decision is right for the future growth of our company, but not easy because of the impact to our L Brands family. I want to thank our Bendel associates for their dedication to this iconic brand and to our loyal Bendel customers." The associates staying with the business through January will be offered retention bonuses. At the point when associates' positions are eliminated, they will be invited to interview for open positions within the company or will be offered separation pay and job search support services. Operating results for Henri Bendel are included in the company's Other segment for financial reporting. The company estimates that Henri Bendel 2018 revenues and operating loss, excluding closing costs, will be approximately $85M and $45M, respectively. The company is in the process of estimating the costs associated with closing the business.

17:48 EDT United Technologies awarded $187.6M U.S. Navy contract modification - United Technologies Corp is awarded $187,553,466 for modification to a previously awarded fixed-price-incentive-firm target contract. This modification provides for fiscal 2018 Initial Spare Modules, Parts and Afloat/Deployment Spares Package in support of the F135 Lot 12 Propulsion Production contract.

17:45 EDT General Dynamics awarded $480.6M U.S. Navy contract modification - General Dynamics Electric Boat Corp is awarded a $480,601,156 cost-plus-fixed-fee modification to previously awarded contract in preparation for fiscal 2019 and 2020 lead ship advance procurement/advance construction, and long lead time material funding in support of the Columbia class fleet ballistic missile submarines. Work will be performed in Quonset, Rhode Island (55 percent); Newport News, Virginia (40 percent); and Groton, Connecticut (5 percent), and will be subsumed into the lead ship construction contract in October 2020. The award is being combined with a previously scheduled United Kingdom funding modification in the amount of $10,000,000.

17:34 EDT SPDR Gold Trust holdings fall to 742.53MT from 745.18MT - This is the lowest level of holdings since February 19th, 2016.

17:20 EDT Maxim Integrated VP David Loftus sells over 6K shares of company stock - Maxim Integrated VP David Loftus disclosed in a filing that he had sold 6,623 shares of Maxim Integrated stock at an average price of $60.01 per share on September 11. The total transaction value of the sale was $397,417.

16:52 EDT AMD closes down over 5% in dramatic reversal - Shares of semiconductor maker AMD (AMD) closed down over 5% after opening up almost 7% at the beginning of trading on Thursday. Shares of the chipmaker are around 13% higher week-to-date, even with Thursday's reversal. WEEK OF UPGRADES: A number of Wall Street firms raised their price targets on AMD shares since Monday including FBN Securities and Rosenblatt, both targeting $40 a share. Rosenblatt's Hans Mosesmann raised his price target for AMD, citing a faster ramp in 7nm GPUs. AMD's move over the past several quarters and going forward reminds the analyst of Nvidia's (NVDA) setup nearly three years ago, when the latter transformed from a PC graphics play to a computing powerhouse. GOODNESS PRICED IN: Early Thursday, Deutsche Bank analyst Ross Seymore raised his price target for AMD to $23 from $14 after hosting AMD CFO Devinder Kumar at his firm's 2018 Tech Conference. However, even with his raised 2020 estimates, the analyst said in a research note that he believes "the goodness at AMD is already fully reflected in its share price." The stock's current valuation is elevated at 34 times consensus 2020 earnings estimates, Seymore told investors in his report. Further, he believes upside in earnings to the most bullish estimates likely ignores the potential for competitive responses from Intel (INTC) and Nvidia. Seymore kept a Hold rating on AMD. PRICE ACTION: AMD opened the session at a multi-year high of $34.14, but quickly retreated to close the session down 5.37% to $30.65.

16:43 EDT Sears says 'we intend to pursue additional measures to achieve cost savings' - "As previously announced on August 22, 2018, we identified 46 unprofitable stores which we expect to close during the fourth quarter of 2018, advancing the Company's ongoing efforts to streamline our operations, strengthen our capital position and focus on our Best Stores. We continue to evaluate our network of stores, which is a critical component to our integrated retail transformation, and will make further adjustments as needed. As part of the Company's ongoing efforts to simplify its organization structure and in recognition of the fact that we are becoming a smaller company, we continue to evaluate all areas of our cost structure and intend to pursue additional measures to achieve cost savings, including greater consolidation of the Sears and Kmart corporate and support functions. We expect these initiatives to result in annualized cost savings of approximately $100 million. This is in addition to the Company's $200 million of annualized cost savings initiative announced earlier this year that we have exceeded. These incremental cost actions, along with the completion of the various financing and asset sale transactions are intended provide us with the path forward to transform the Company successfully, while continuing to focus on our key priorities - Shop Your Way and Integrated Retail, as well as on our Best Members, Best Categories and Best Stores."

16:40 EDT Sears CEO says 'we continue to close unprofitable stores' - Edward Lampert, Chairman andCEO of Holdings, said, "While we are encouraged by the improved comparable stores sales trend we experienced in the second quarter, and the positive comparable store sales of 3.0% and 2.5% achieved in the months of July and August, respectively, we have yet to achieve our goal of returning the Company to profitability. We continue to close unprofitable stores, and we are hopeful that we can stabilize our store base at a meaningful level in the near future. Our goal is to right-size our store footprint to a solid base from which we can operate and grow profitably, while leveraging our online and Shop Your Way platforms. As we enter the second half of 2018, we remain focused on identifying additional opportunities to streamline operations and reduce operating expenses while staying focused on our Best Members, Best Categories and Best Stores. We have a responsibility to explore opportunities to unlock the full potential of our assets for our shareholders, including third-party partnerships or the sale of our businesses. We will also continue to seek opportunities to improve value and experience for our members through our Integrated Retail Strategy and Shop Your Way membership program, which remain our key priorities. We believe these initiatives will help us to strengthen the Company, improve financial performance, and better position us for the future."

16:35 EDT Globus Medical acquires Nemaris, developer and marketer of Surgimap - Globus Medical announced the acquisition of Nemaris, a privately held company that markets and develops Surgimap, a leading surgical planning software platform. Surgimap allows healthcare professionals to simulate potential surgical outcomes and share medical imaging globally to improve procedural workflow and patient care.

16:32 EDT Sempra Energy subsidiary IEnova signs contract with Chevron for Mexico terminal - Sempra Energy's (SRE) Mexican subsidiary, Infraestructura Energetica Nova, has signed a long-term contract with Chevron (CVX) Combustibles de Mexico for 50% of the 1-million-barrel initial capacity of the Topolobampo refined fuels marine terminal in Sinaloa, Mexico. Under the agreement, subsidiaries of Chevron will have storage capacity of 500K barrels of refined fuels and the option to acquire up to 25% of the equity in the terminal after commercial operations begin. IEnova signed a separate long-term contract for the remaining half of the facility's initial storage capacity with another U.S. large independent refiner. IEnova will be responsible for financing, obtaining permits, engineering, procurement and construction, as well as maintenance and operations. Operations of the Topolobampo facility are expected to commence in 4Q20.

16:24 EDT Spotify CMO Farbman to leave company - In a regulatory filing, Spotify said that chief marketing officer Seth Farbman notified the company this week that he will leave Spotify to pursue other opportunities. Farbman will depart Spotify at the end of the month and will assist in the transition of his responsibilities until his departure.

16:21 EDT CPS Technologies gets purchase orders forecast at over $5M through 2019 - CPS Technologies announced it received purchase orders, sourcing and pricing agreements with key customers in our Hermetic Packaging Product Line for use in Aerospace, Defense and Power Electronics, currently forecast at more than $5M through the end of 2019. "The inflow of orders through successful negotiations of purchase orders and multi-year pricing agreements with our largest hermetic packaging customers in the United States, Europe and Asia clearly validates our market focus and is an affirmation of the superior value proposition our products provide. These agreements ensure our majority market share position with these key customers through 2019," according to Cheryl Oliveira, CPS Technologies VP of Sales.

16:17 EDT Textainer Group CFO Terry to leave company - Textainer Group Holdings announced that effective September 30, 2018, Hilliard C. Terry, III, the company's Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer, will leave the company to pursue other opportunities outside the industry. At that time, Michael K. Chan, currently the company's Senior Vice President of Finance, will be promoted to Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer. Terry joined Textainer in January 2012 as Executive Vice President and CFO. He previously worked at Agilent Technologies, Inc. as Vice President and Treasurer. Mr. Chan re-joined Textainer in April 2017 from Ygrene Energy Fund where he served as CFO and was responsible for raising nearly $1B in capital for the residential and commercial clean energy lender. Chan previously was Senior Director of Treasury and Capital Markets for The Cronos Group, a global intermodal container leasing company, and he held the CFO position for The Chartres Lodging Group. Chan was Textainer's Corporate Controller from 1994 through 2006. Chan is a member of the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants.

16:16 EDT Adobe up less than 0.5% after Q3 results and Q4 guidance

16:15 EDT Adobe sees Q4 Digital Media segment revenue growth of about 22% - Sees Q4 Digital Experience segment year-over-year revenue growth of approximately 20%. Sees Tax rate of approximately 6% on a GAAP basis, and 5% on a non-GAAP basis. Q3 trade DSO was 41 days, which compares to 50 days in the year-ago quarter, and 44 days last quarter.

16:12 EDT Capital Southwest supports Ancor Capital's acquisition of STATinMED with loan - Capital Southwest announced that it supported Ancor Capital Partners' recent acquisition of STATinMED Research with a first lien term loan and an equity co-investment. Capital Southwest led the financing transaction and will act as the sole administrative agent on the credit facility. CION Investment, Harbert Management and Dos Rios Partners also invested in the term loan and equity.

16:09 EDT Mattel names Dr. Judy Olian to Board Of Directors - Mattel announced that Dr. Judy Olian, the ninth President of Quinnipiac University and former Dean of the UCLA Anderson School of Management, has been elected to the company's Board of Directors, effective immediately.

16:08 EDT Adobe reports Subscription revenue $2.02B vs. $1.57B last year - Q3 Digital Media segment revenue was $1.61B, with Creative revenue growing to $1.36Band Document Cloud achieving record revenue of $249M, which represents 21%year-over-year growth. Digital Media Annualized Recurring Revenue ("ARR") grew to $6.40 billion exiting the quarter, a quarter-over-quarter increase of $339 million. Creative ARR grew to $5.66 billion, and Document Cloud ARR grew to $744M. Digital Experience segment revenue was $614M, which represents 21% year-over-year growth. Digital Experience subscription revenue grew 25% year-over-year in the quarter.

16:08 EDT Extreme Networks CFO Drew Davies to leave, Matt Cleaver named interim CFO - Extreme Networks (EXTR) announced that it has retained an executive search firm to recruit a new CFO and Drew Davies, the company's current CFO, will leave the company to pursue a senior executive finance position outside of the networking industry. Matt Cleaver, Extreme's Vice President of Finance, will assume the role of interim CFO. Cleaver joined Extreme in 2012, and brings 19 years of experience in the areas of finance planning, accounting and internal auditing to the company. Prior to Extreme, Cleaver served as Vice President, Finance & Controllership at Cree (CREE).

16:02 EDT Radcom names Amir Hai as CFO, succeeding Ran Vered - Radcom announced that it has appointed Amir Hai to serve as its new CFO, effective October 1. Amir will replace Ran Vered who will be leaving the company on amicable terms to pursue other opportunities. Amir joins RADCOM from Smart Medical Systems where he served as Chief Financial Officer since 2014.

15:17 EDT RH CEO acquires 7,622 common shares - In a regulatory filing, RH chairman and CEO Gary G. Friedman disclosed the purchase of 7,622 common shares of the company at a price of $131.1875 per share.

15:01 EDT United Airlines aims to reduce own greenhouse gas emissions by 50% by 2050 - United Airlines announced that it has publicly committed to reducing its own greenhouse gas emissions by 50% by 2050. United's pledge to reduce its greenhouse gas emissions by 50% relative to 2005 represents the equivalent of removing 4.5M vehicles from the road each year, or the total number of cars in Los Angeles and New York City combined, the company said. The airline will continue to invest in the company's ongoing environmental initiatives to support this commitment, including expanding the use of more sustainable aviation biofuels, welcoming newer, more fuel-efficient aircraft into its fleet and implementing further operational changes to better conserve fuel. "At United, we believe there is no point in setting challenging and ambitious goals without also taking tangible steps towards achieving them, especially when it comes to securing the health of our communities and our planet," said Oscar Munoz, United's chief executive officer. "While we're proud to be first U.S. carrier taking such an ambitious step, it is a distinction we look forward to sharing as the rest of the industry catches up and makes similar commitments to sustainability."

15:00 EDT Azure Power announces winning bids for rooftop solar power projects - Azure Power announced it has won 11.2 MW and 600 KW rooftop solar power projects in bids conducted by Madhya Pradesh Urja Vikas Nigam Limited and Indraprastha Power Generation Company Ltd, respectively. Azure Power will provide power for 25 year to various Government establishments in Madhya Pradesh and Delhi which will be spread across approximately 600 project sites. Azure Power qualifies for a capital incentive which results in a weighted average levelized tariff of INR 4.50, or about US 6.6 cents, per kWh for the MPUVNL project and a weighted average levelized tariff of INR 5.91, or about US 8.6 cents, per kWh for the IPGCL project.

14:40 EDT Cognex director Anthony Sun sells 10K shares of company stock - Cognex director Anthony Sun disclosed in a filing that he had sold 10,000 shares of company stock at an average price of $56.04 per share on September 13. The total transaction value of the sale was $560,381.

14:33 EDT JPMorgan CFO still sees 6%-7% core loan growth ex-CIB this year - JPMorgan CFO Marianne Lake said, at the Barclays Global Financial Services Conference,"So we gave an outlook for loan growth between 6% and 7% core loan growth, including CIB, because not to dismiss the importance of CIB loans but they are -- can be episodic and they can be large and lumpy but they're also clearly a feature and a factor of our strategy in relationships. Yes, we're still looking for 6% to 7% core loan growth ex CIB this year, actually, trending towards the higher end of that range. That's because we did contemplate what is happening. We contemplated that C&I and CRE, given where we are in the cycle, given the competition for those and us with our risk appetite that those would decelerate and be growing in kind of GDP kind of range, but that's contemplated in our outlook. So I would say things have played out as we would expect. And our greatest pretty much where we wanted to be given where we are in the cycle."

14:20 EDT Gulfstream delivers special mission G550 to U.S. Navy - Gulfstream Aerospace Corp., a subsidiary of General Dynamics, recently delivered a special mission G550 to the United States Navy. Designed and modified at Gulfstream, this aircraft will host a wide array of sensors to support the Navy's telemetry range support mission. "The G550, with its exceptional reliability and proven performance, is an ideal aircraft for Telemetry Range Support Aircraft and will help the U.S. Navy address its diverse and challenging operations," said Mark Burns, president, Gulfstream.

14:06 EDT Unity Biotechnology Inc trading resumes

13:59 EDT JPMorgan CFO sees mid-single digit trading revenue growth for Q3, down y/y

13:42 EDT JPMorgan: Core loan growth ex-CIB is trending to high end of 6%-7% range

13:33 EDT JPMorgan says 'always looking' at M&A, but currently has no 'notable gaps'

13:22 EDT Sprint, CloudMinds announce technology collaboration in AI - CloudMinds Technology announced a technology and go to market collaboration with Sprint. At Mobile World Congress Americas 2018, the companies are demonstrating two innovative use cases for retail, Cloud Pepper and the Smart Retail Go-Box. Cloud Pepper for retail pairs a novel humanoid Robot, 'Pepper' with multimodal AI technologies, delivering a new way for businesses to engage customers. With the ability to detect user mood, recognize faces and objects, and converse in multiple languages, Cloud Pepper provides a new, unique conversational experience. Common use cases for Cloud Pepper in retail include lobby ambassador, conversational agent and product champion. Go-Box uses Computer Vision technology with deep learning algorithms to recognize customers and the merchandise they are purchasing. The cloud-based platform provides product recommendations, smart inventory management and targeted digital advertising. The solution is easily deployable in many venues like airports and transit hubs, retail convenience stores, quick service restaurants and connected campuses.

12:58 EDT Micron extends rally after David Tepper says he's still 'very long' - Shares of Micron Technology added to their gains after Appaloosa Management's David Tepper said on CNBC that he's still "very long" the stock. Micron is "one of the most historically hated stocks in the world," but management has changed, the billionaire owner of NFL's Carolina Panthers said in a live interview. Tepper added that he views the overall stock market as fairly valued and in the "later innings" of its bull run. Shares of Micron in midday trading are up 6%, or $2.47, to $44.21

12:52 EDT The Vertebrate Genomes Project selects PacBio for sequencing - The Vertebrate Genomes Project, VGP" is one of many large-scale international projects that have chosen PacBio Single Molecule, Real-Time, SMRT, Sequencing to generate some of the most complete genomes to date for thousands of plant, animal, fungal and bacterial species. These comprehensive catalogs of genetic code provide valuable resources to researchers in their quest to understand the biology, physiology, development and evolution of a multitude of living organisms, and will aide in their conservation." "We are honored to work with world-class researchers to generate high-quality genome references and support large-scale efforts such as the VGP," said Jonas Korlach, Chief Scientific Officer of Pacific Biosciences. "We are looking forward to continuing our involvement in projects like these to benefit science, society and the environment." Shares of Pacific Biosciences of California are up 6.6% in afternoon trading.

12:47 EDT Starbucks commits to 10,000 'Greener Stores' globally by 2025 - Starbucks Coffee announced the "Starbucks Greener Stores" framework and a commitment to design, build and operate 10,000 "Greener Stores" globally by 2025. Over the next year, Starbucks will develop an accredited program to audit all existing company-operated stores in the U.S. and Canada against the framework criteria, culminating in 10,000 "Greener Stores" globally by 2025, encompassing existing stores, new builds and renovations. "Starbucks Greener Stores" framework will also be open-sourced to benefit the broader retail industry, the company said.

12:35 EDT Tepper still 'very long' Micron shares - David Tepper said Micron is "one of the most historically hated stocks in the world," but management has changed. Tepper added that his still "very long" Micron shares. David Tepper of Appaloosa Management is speaking on CNBC.

12:31 EDT Genesis Alkali raises soda ash prices in the U.S. and Canada - Genesis Alkali, a business of Genesis Energy, L.P., announced that, effective immediately or as contract terms permit, it will increase off-list and list prices for all grades of bulk soda ash by $10.00 per short ton in the United States and Canada. Prices for packaged soda ash products will increase by $15.00 per short ton to recover increases in packaging costs. Genesis Alkali's current energy surcharge program and freight policies remain in effect.

12:25 EDT Tepper says stock and bond markets sometimes a little 'disjointed' - David Tepper of Appaloosa Management is speaking on CNBC.

12:16 EDT Tepper does not believe all risks are being priced into markets - David Tepper of Appaloosa Management is speaking on CNBC.

12:16 EDT Tepper says 'little surprised' at where market is at right now - David Tepper of Appaloosa Management is speaking on CNBC.

12:14 EDT Tepper says fairly valued market means 'you have to be cautious' - David Tepper of Appaloosa Management is speaking on CNBC.

12:12 EDT Tepper says his exposure to U.S. stocks has been reduced - David Tepper of Appaloosa Management is speaking on CNBC.

12:10 EDT Tepper says market is fairly valued if tariffs not put on China - David Tepper of Appaloosa Management is speaking on CNBC.

12:08 EDT Tepper says tariffs on China would make for tougher market - David Tepper of Appaloosa Management is speaking on CNBC.

12:00 EDT WageWorks falls -15.0% - WageWorks is down -15.0%, or -$7.35 to $41.75.

12:00 EDT Everi Holdings rises 12.0% - Everi Holdings is up 12.0%, or 99c to $9.24.

12:00 EDT GNC Holdings rises 30.8% - GNC Holdings is up 30.8%, or 89c to $3.78.

11:55 EDT Frontier Communications temporarily suspends operations in South Carolina - Frontier Communications has suspended its operations in portions of South Carolina, starting at noon today, September 13, as Hurricane Florence approaches. Repair and installation technicians, contact center employees and others will not be executing any work activities during this time. Areas currently affected by suspended services are: Fairfax, Georgetown, Jackson, Walterboro, Lake City, Myrtle Beach, Sumter, Bowman and Winnsboro. Areas remaining open until further notice are: Abbeville, Laurens and Simpsonville. As soon as conditions are safe and allow access, network and facility assessments will begin and a determination as to when full operations can resume will be made.

11:46 EDT Ideanomics announces acquisition of FinTalk, terms not disclosed - Ideanomics has announced its agreement to acquire the secure communications and information platform FinTalk. FinTalk will provide integrated B2B financial technology communications and AI-enabled financial information services and financial data analytics. One of the first business implementations of FinTalk will be in support of Ideanomics' recent joint venture with Asia Times. Tying well into Ideanomics' strategy, FinTalk's integration into Asia Times will enable the English-language, pan-Asia news platform to deploy a strong suite of financial technology services and enable the building of a financial institutional community. FinTalk will support a number of B2C business use cases providing both secure messaging and consumer financial services to a wide scale retail user base. FinTalk's consumer-facing technology will provide valuable curated financial information, access to digital loyalty products, and consumer financial services, which will include the ability to access digital asset investment products and connect with an investor and financial advisor community. A critical component of the FinTalk solution is that it will work in parallel with a secure enterprise blockchain network. All messaging is end-to-end encrypted and built on an open architecture. FinTalk is able to expand the scale of services and tools available on its platform to further appeal to its audience of investors and financial services professionals.

11:35 EDT Blizzard's 'Diablo III' to launch on Nintendo Switch November 2 - Activision Blizzard (ATVI) said that action RPG "Diablo III Eternal Collection" will launch for Nintendo Switch (NTDOY) on November 2. Players can secure their digital pre-orders starting today through the Nintendo eShop for Nintendo Switch. "Diablo III Eternal Collection" for Nintendo Switch will be available on November 2 at retail stores everywhere and digitally through the Nintendo eShop at a suggested price of $59.99.

11:10 EDT Airbus: Chief Commercial Officer Eric Schultz to leave for personal reasons - Airbus has appointed Christian Scherer Chief Commercial Officer, replacing Eric Schulz, who has decided to leave the company for personal reasons. Christian Scherer will start his new assignment with immediate effect. He will report to Airbus CEO Tom Enders. Tom Enders, Airbus CEO, said: "With Christian Scherer we see one of our most customer-focused leaders at the commercial helm of Airbus. Over his various assignments I greatly valued his international mind-set, his strategic vision, and tremendous commercial expertise." He added: "We regret Eric Schulz's decision. We wish him all the best for his future."

11:02 EDT Fox General Counsel Gerson Zerifach to step down following Disney transaction - 21st Century Fox (FOXA) announced that its Senior Executive Vice President, Group General Counsel and Chief Compliance Officer Gerson Zweifach will step down following the close of the company's transaction with The Walt Disney Company (DIS). Once the transaction is complete, anticipated in the first half of 2019, Zweifach will return to Williams & Connolly where he spent more than three decades prior to joining 21CF.

10:29 EDT Boeing, Air Peace announce order for 10 737 MAX airplanes - Boeing and Air Peace of Nigeria announced a new order for ten 737 MAX 8 airplanes during a signing ceremony in Lagos. Air Peace already operates Boeing 737s between major cities in Central and West Africa. The airline, which recently added Boeing 777s to its fleet, is looking to soon launch its international flight operations.

10:13 EDT Kroger says continues to expect increasing dividend over time - Says will bring Ocado's smart platform to U.S. Says building an expansive network of innovative partnerships. Says partnerships will accelerate core business and provide foundations for new opportunities. Says digital sales grew by over 50% in Q2. Says plans to roll out Kroger Ship in additional markets in coming months. Say expects to grow digital team from 600 today to about 1,000 in 2020. Says aggressively investing in digital transformation opportunities. Says Restock Kroger is "just getting started." Says remains committed to delivering shareholder value over the long-term. Says continues to expect increasing dividend over time. Says "on track" to generate FCF, incremental FIFO operating profit as part of Restock Kroger. Comments taken from Q2 earnings conference call.

10:04 EDT Cytori treatment of small cell lung cancer granted orphan designation - Cytori Therapeutics' docetaxel encapsulated in an albumin-stabilized liposome was granted orphan designation by the FDA as a treatment of small cell lung cancer, according to a post to the agency's website. Reference Link

10:02 EDT Nordstrom announces expansion of customer loyalty program, The Nordy Club - Nordstrom Inc. announced the evolution of its customer loyalty program, The Nordy Club, launching this fall. The program incorporates the traditional point system and favorite benefits of its previous program, while offering customers personalized and enhanced service and experiences including exclusive access to product and events, along with more convenient ways to shop. Starting later this fall, Nordstrom Credit Cardmembers will earn three points per dollar for purchases at Nordstrom, a 50% increase in earn rate, and members paying with cash or a non-Nordstrom card will receive one point for every dollar spent. Customers will also have access to new product launches, be "First to Shop" the company's off- price clearance event, Clear the Rack, and more.

10:00 EDT WageWorks falls -13.8% - WageWorks is down -13.8%, or -$6.78 to $42.33.

10:00 EDT Pivotal Software falls -20.1% - Pivotal Software is down -20.1%, or -$5.79 to $22.99.

10:00 EDT GNC Holdings rises 16.0% - GNC Holdings is up 16.0%, or 46c to $3.35.

09:56 EDT GNC Holdings jumps after CFIUS clears Harbin Pharmaceutical investment - In a regulatory filing earlier, GNC Holdings disclosed that the company and Harbin Pharmaceutical Group received written notice from the Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States, or "CFIUS," that it had concluded its review of the transactions contemplated by the previously announced securities purchase agreement and determined that, upon receipt of customary confirmations, there are no unresolved national security concerns with respect to such transactions. As previously disclosed, on February 13, GNC entered into an agreement to sell Harbin Pharmaceutical 299,950 shares of a newly created series of convertible preferred stock of the company, designated as "Series A Convertible Preferred Stock," for a purchase price of $1,000 per share, or an aggregate of approximately $300M. "Receipt of CFIUS clearance satisfies one of the remaining conditions to the closing of the transactions contemplated by the Securities Purchase Agreement. The closing remains subject to certain additional closing conditions, including receipt of the remaining regulatory approvals in the PRC and the negotiation of definitive documentation of the Chinese joint venture between the company and the investor. The company continues to target completion of the Transaction by the end of 2018," GNC said. In morning trading, GNC Holdings has risen 66c, or 23%, to $3.54 per share.

09:47 EDT WageWorks falls -14.5% - WageWorks is down -14.5%, or -$7.10 to $42.00.

09:47 EDT GNC Holdings rises 13.5% - GNC Holdings is up 13.5%, or 39c to $3.28.

09:47 EDT Care Concepts I, Inc. rises 15.0% - Care Concepts I, Inc. is up 15.0%, or $3.66 to $28.13.

09:35 EDT Acadia mentioned cautiously at Off Wall Street

09:30 EDT Coca-Cola European Partners announces new share buyback, plans to raise dividend - Yesterday, Coca-Cola European Partners began hosting a capital markets day for institutional investors and analysts, in conjunction with which it announced a new share buyback program of EUR$1.5B alongside an intent to increase the Q4 2018 interim dividend payout ratio from 45% to 50%. CCEP also announced mid-term financial objectives and revised its full year 2018 outlook guidance. CCEP now expects revenue growth of approximately 2% to 2.5% and operating profit growth at the top end of the previously stated range of 6% to 7%. Each of these growth figures is on a comparable and FX-neutral basis when compared to 2017 comparable results. This excludes the impact of incremental soft drinks industry taxes, which are expected to add approximately 2% to 2.5% to revenue growth and approximately 3.5% to 4% to cost of goods growth. CCEP now expects diluted EPS growth to be in the range of 7% to 8%, on a comparable and FX-neutral basis. At recent rates, currency translation is expected to have a slightly negative impact on 2018 full-year diluted EPS. For the mid-term, CCEP sees low single digit revenue growth; Mid-single digit operating profit growth implying c.20 basis points operating profit margin improvement; Mid-single digit diluted EPS growth, excluding share buyback; a return on invested capital improvement of c.40 basis points; and free cash flow of at least EUR1 billion after c.4.5% capital expenditure as a % of revenue.

09:18 EDT AeroVironment awarded $5.9M contract by NSPA - AeroVironment announced the receipt of a fixed-price contract award valued at $5.96M from NSPA on August 20, 2018. The contract award encompasses the procurement of Raven unmanned aircraft systems equipped with Mantis i23 sensors and pocket Remote Video Terminals for the Portuguese Army, with delivery scheduled over a three-year period.

09:14 EDT Overstock.com to open warehouse that offers two-day shipping to 99% of customers - Overstock.com announced plans to open a warehouse in Kansas City, Kansas, with distribution from the facility expected to begin in October. The new warehouse is strategically positioned to allow Overstock to offer two-day ground shipping to more than 99% of customers in the contiguous United States. Overstock has leased the full 517,000-sq.-ft. warehouse and plans to immediately integrate the new warehouse into its outbound delivery supply chain, including moving top-selling products from its core inventory and strategic partners into the facility. Eventually, the company will expand the facility's functionality to include returns processing and expects that the Kansas City warehouse will create more than 100 jobs for the local community within the next two years.

09:14 EDT UPS: U.S. industry package revenue to grow by 40% from 2017-2022 - Cross-border e-commerce volume is expected to grow by 28% over the next three years, UPS said.

09:13 EDT UPS transformation to result in increase to adj. EPS of $1.00-$1.20 by 2022 - UPS quantified the financial benefits of its transformation initiatives based on the company's outlook for revenue quality improvement and operating cost reductions between 2018 and 2022. The company expects these actions to result in an incremental increase to adjusted earnings per share in the range of $1.00 to $1.20 by 2022. The company is focused on four strategic imperatives where it is well-positioned for profitable growth: Continued expansion of high-growth international markets where the company efficiently connects domestic and export customers to its global network; Profitable expansion from both B2B and B2C e-commerce, as U.S. industry package revenue is expected to grow by 40% from 2017 to 2022, and cross-border e-commerce volume is expected to grow by 28% over the next three years; Further penetration of the Healthcare and Life Sciences logistics market, given the increasing shift toward home healthcare; Enhancing services and value for Small- and Medium-sized Businesses. UPS's business strategy includes continued capital investment in its vast global network at previously announced levels. New and renovated facilities, aircraft and fleet assets are coming online at record levels during the next four years. In 2018, 2019 and 2020, UPS will add 350,000-400,000 pieces per hour of sortation capacity in the U.S. each year, which is about seven times the additional sortation capacity added in 2017, alone. Seven new 'super hub' automated sortation facilities will be opened during the period, with 30-35% higher efficiency than comparable less-automated facilities. More than 70 expansion projects will be implemented during the period. UPS will have completed 17 projects in 2018, in time for the peak holiday shipping season. The U.S. domestic segment will receive approximately two-thirds of the benefits of the transformation program.

09:10 EDT MTS Systems granted Department of Defense contracts for up to $187M - MTS Systems' Sensor Business Unit has been awarded Purchase Orders totaling up to approximately $187M, inclusive of options, for advanced technology sensors to be used in systems for the Department of Defense. These Purchase Orders have been awarded and funded up to $20M and include option clauses which are expected to be awarded incrementally up to an additional $167M throughout the performance period of each contract. Delivery of these sensors will begin in the company's FY19, and be completed over the next five to seven years.

09:07 EDT LRAD Corporation announces $1M order for FEMA project - LRAD Corporation announced a $1M mass notification systems order for the first phase of a Federal Emergency Management Agency, or FEMA, funded critical infrastructure project. The order consists of fixed LRAD DS-60XL and mobile LRAD 360XT voice broadcast systems.

09:06 EDT Etsy COO Findley Kozlowski to step down - Etsy announced that its COO, Linda Findley Kozlowski, has decided to leave the company to pursue other opportunities. Linda has agreed to remain in her position through the end of 2018. Over the next four months, Linda will work with Etsy's leadership team to ensure a seamless transition and help the company continue to execute on its 2018 goals and key initiatives. Etsy does not currently intend to refill the COO role following Linda's departure.

09:03 EDT RCI Hospitality unit to acquire top gentlemen's club in Chicago - RCI Hospitality announced that a subsidiary has signed a definitive agreement to acquire all of the issued and outstanding shares of common stock of the company that owns VIP's Gentlemen's Club in Chicago for $6.5M. RCI also announced a definitive agreement for a subsidiary to acquire the club's real estate for $4M. Under the terms of the agreement, consideration for the club is $2M in cash and $4.5M in seller financing. Consideration for the real estate, which is unencumbered and consists of VIP's building and land at 1531 N. Kingsbury St., Chicago, IL, 60642, is $4M in cash. Closing is subject to transfer of all necessary permits, licenses and other authorizations, and usual closing conditions for transactions of this kind, including due diligence.

08:48 EDT Itron signs new contract in Azerbaijan for gas smart payment project - Itron signed a contract to deploy 70,000 new gas prepayment meters to SOCAR Azerigas Production Union, or PU, a part of the State Oil Company of Azerbaijan Republic, or SOCAR. This contract follows the deployment of Itron's smart payment software and more than 1.3 million prepayment meters in Azerbaijan over the past 10 years to improve revenue collection and streamline utility operations. This contract will include Itron's new Gallus Pay prepayment meters, which are equipped with electronic temperature compensation. near-field communication for smartphones or smart cards and increased data granularity for improved customer service. SOCAR Azerigas PU will modernize its existing meter park stations with Itron's robust STS meters, which will extend the use of prepayment to difficult to access areas.

08:46 EDT TAT Technologies signs $10M 5-year landing gear contract with major airline - TAT Technologies has been awarded a 5-year Landing Gear Maintenance Support contract with a major airline estimated at up to $10M in revenue, out of which $9M will be recognized during the first two years of the contract, starting from September. Maintenance work will be done at TAT's Landing Gear services facility in Greensboro, starting Q3. This 5-year agreement covers a fleet of Embraer 175 aircraft.

08:40 EDT Inpixon announces NuVision contract - Inpixon announces NuVision Technologies has contracted to purchase Inpixon indoor positioning analytics, or IPA, to offer as a service to its customers participating in tradeshows and other events. The acquisition includes a number of Inpixon 4000 sensors combined with the Inpixon Analytics Engine and related implementation services.

08:36 EDT ViewRay's MRIdian Linac therapy adopted by hospital in Turkey - ViewRay announced that Acibadem Maslak Hospital in Istanbul, Turkey has begun treating patients with ViewRay's MRIdian Linac, the world's first system to combine MRI guidance and linear accelerator radiation delivery. These treatments mark the first in Turkey using MRI-guided radiation therapy.

08:34 EDT Abercrombie & Fitch names Gregory Henchel as general counsel - Abercrombie & Fitch Co. (ANF) announced the appointment of Gregory J. Henchel as senior vice president and general counsel. Henchel brings 25 years of broad legal experience to the company, including more than ten years in the retail sector. Henchel will lead A&F Co.'s global legal department, and serve as Corporate Secretary. He will report to Fran Horowitz, Abercrombie & Fitch Co.'s CEO. Henchel was previously with HSN, Inc. (HSNI) where he served as Chief Legal Officer.

08:34 EDT Ampio's Ampion featured in manuscript accepted for journal publication - Ampio Pharmaceuticals announced that a basic science manuscript was accepted for publication in Clinical and Experimental Rheumatology. This paper provides preliminary evidence that Ampion may trigger and support new cartilage growth in joints affected by Osteoarthritis. This is the 11th peer-reviewed publication that explores how multiple, interrelated, molecular mechanisms work synergistically to provide patients severely afflicted by Osteoarthritis of the knee not only with near-term pain relief and improved function but also in vitro evidence of potentially disease-modifying regeneration of cartilage. The company believes that Ampion, a low molecular weight fraction of human serum albumin with anti-inflammatory properties, will be identified as a "reference product" upon FDA approval of their BLA.

08:32 EDT Walmart to acquire Cornershop in Mexico, Chile - Walmart announced the acquisition of Cornershop, a online marketplace for on-demand delivery from supermarkets, pharmacies and specialty food retailers in Mexico and Chile. This transaction is an important step forward in accelerating the company's omnichannel capabilities and growth in Latin America. It follows Walmart's recent investment in Dada-JD Daojia in China and the strategic alliance with Rakuten in Japan. Walmart has entered into a definitive agreement to acquire Cornershop, Inc. for $225 million. Cornershop is a leading online marketplace for crowdsourced, on-demand delivery in Mexico and Chile and is rapidly building scale, with the number of unique users doubling in the past 12 months. Cornershop's three founders, Oskar Hjertonsson, CEO; Daniel Undurraga, chief operating officer; and Juan Pablo Cuevas, chief technology officer, and their teams, will continue to lead the business. Cornershop will remain an open platform that will continue to deliver from a variety of retailers, extending the convenience and availability of food, health & wellness and packaged goods for customers in Mexico and Chile. Closing of the transaction is subject to regulatory approval and is expected by the end of the year.

08:30 EDT AutoWeb discloses termination of employment of five officers, including CIO - In a regulatory filing last night, AutoWeb disclosed that on September 12, in connection with a management reorganization and realignment of its internal business units, the company terminated the employment of five officers of the company without cause effective immediately, including John Skocilic, the company's Executive VP, Chief Information Officer. The other terminated officers were the company's Executive VP, Mobile, Lead Operations and Product Development; Senior VP, Technology; VP, Products; and VP, Dealer and Consumer Services.

08:27 EDT MagneGas announces $900,000 in sales in August - MagneGas announced that the company generated sales of $900,000 for the month of August, as compared to $460,000 in August 2017, representing a 95% increase. The sales growth resulted from MagneGas' expansion into California, Texas and Louisiana through its three acquisitions made earlier in 2018. The sales growth in August was primarily driven by improved sales in California, particularly in the cannabis sector and among the greater agricultural client base at the company's northern California operations managed under the Trico Welding Supplies brand. The company also experienced growth in the San Diego market, where operations are managed under the Complete Welding brand. In that market, the overall access to large maritime and port-related clients around Coronado Island continues to show strength. The Texas and Florida markets remain largely unchanged.

08:20 EDT WageWorks seen sliding after chairman resigns, committee formed for probe - WageWorks (WAGE) is in focus in pre-market trading following news that the company has set up a committee to examine an earlier investigation into financial irregularities at the employee benefits administrator. Separately, WageWorks said Chairman Joseph Jackson and board member Mariann Byerwalter have resigned. COMMITTEE, INVESTIGATION UPDATE: WageWorks said yesterday that it set up a committee to examine an earlier investigation into financial irregularities at the employee benefits administrator. The company is still in the process of reviewing its financial statements for 2017. The committee will have a minimum of three members, it said. As far as the company's review of its financial statements, WageWorks said it is expected to result in an estimated aggregate decrease in 2016 revenue of $6.5M-$9.5M and an estimated aggregate decrease in net income of $3.5M-$5.5M. It noted that it has not identified any adjustments to its financial statements that would be expected to cause revenue for fiscal 2017 to differ materially from previous guidance. CHAIRMAN RESIGNATION: Also on Wednesday, WageWorks announced the resignation of executive chairman Joseph Jackson. He will be succeeded by Stuart Harvey. In April, Jackson stepped down as CEO, being succeeded by then president and COO Edgar Montes, with CFO Colm Callan and Kimberly Wilford, the company's SVP, general counsel and corporate secretary, also resigning. The resignations were the result of an investigation into its financial controls that has delayed its 2017 annual report and damaged its valuation. The investigation had determined a revenue recognition problem associated with a big government contract in 2016, and its audit committee, along with independent professions, said it would look at whether "there was an open flow of information and appropriate tone at the top for an effective control environment." Additionally on Wednesday, WageWorks said Mariann Byerwalter resigned as a Class II director and the company said its board is actively searching for an independent board member who will "have the right skill set to complement the current board." GUIDANCE INITIATION: WageWorks said it currently expects year-over-year revenue growth for 2018 of 1%-4% and adjusted EBITDA margin of 28%-32%, excluding the impact of costs associated with the restatement efforts and any accounting adjustments. Revenue growth is expected to be driven by strong growth in the HSA product offering, partially offset by lower revenue from FSA and COBRA products, the company said. ANALYSTS DISAPPOINTED WITH GUIDANCE: WageWorks shares were downgraded at JMP Securities to Market Perform by analyst David Scharf, who said that, after talking with management, he is uncertain whether a contributing factor to the year-over-year revenue decline in the FSA and Cobra products will be recurring to some extent. His neutral bias takes into account the expected selloff in the shares today, the analyst noted. SunTrust analyst Tobey Sommer lowered his price target on WageWorks to $56 from $62 after the company offered FY18 guidance yesterday that he note was below the 7% growth assumed by consensus. The analyst also said that WageWorks' continued delays in filing its financials is "disappointing," but kept a Buy rating, stating that the company's client attrition should slow given that the company has not "completed an acquisition since 2017." Stifel analyst David Grossman lowered his price target to $55 from $64, telling investors that the 2018 guidance reveals "incremental deceleration" and that while Jackson's resignation is not surprising, "we thought he would remain through the balance of the year."

08:19 EDT XBiotech completes first cohort of AD study - XBiotech announced that it has completed the first cohort of its open label pilot study in Atopic Dermatitis, or AD. In the first phase of the study, nine patients received a low dose over a short course of treatment. Multiple secondary endpoints used to assess efficacy showed significant improvements. The 200mg subcutaneous injections were well tolerated in the cohort. The study will now begin enrollment of 20 patients to receive 400mg weekly doses over an 8 week treatment period.

08:09 EDT Harsco, ArcelorMittal enter into $150M 10-year contract - Harsco (HSC) announced that its metals and minerals division has successfully entered into a multi-year contract with ArcelorMittal Tubarao, the flagship plant of ArcelorMittal (MT) in Brazil. The 10-year contract, totaling $150M, will include meltshop cleaning, slag handling and crushing, metal recovery, and drop ball services.

08:08 EDT Harmonic announces partnership with Verimatrix - Harmonic announced a new partnership with Verimatrix, a specialist in securing and enhancing revenue for network-connected devices and services. Integration between Verimatrix's new Viewthority content distribution platform and Harmonic's VOS360 Video SaaS simplifies the delivery of live and VOD content, resulting in increased cost savings for video content and service providers.

08:06 EDT Walgreens Boots Alliance, Sprint to open additional Sprint Express locations - Walgreens (WBA) and Sprint (S) announced an expansion of the collaboration they had announced earlier this year, that will include 80 new locations. All of the new Sprint Express at Walgreens stores will be throughout Chicagoland and the Dallas-Ft. Worth metropolitan area, and are planned to open by the end of the year. Additional details on specific store locations and product and service offerings will be announced later this fall. In addition, the companies continue to explore other potential collaboration opportunities.

08:05 EDT NAPCO Security announces continuation of stock repurchase plan - NAPCO Security announced plans to repurchase shares of the company. The repurchase will be made from time to time in the open market or in privately negotiated transactions subject to market conditions and the market price of the common stock. Under the previously authorized program of 1M shares the company has the ability to repurchase approximately 230,000 shares.

08:03 EDT Target to hire 120,000 seasonal team members for holidays - Target announced plans to hire approximately 120,000 seasonal team members across the country for the upcoming holiday season, a 20% increase over last year's hiring commitment. In addition, the company will continue to offer extra hours to current team members to accommodate their interest and availability. The announcement is a continuation of the company's investment in team members that includes increased hourly wages, benefits and discounts, and meaningful opportunities to build experience and skills. Seasonal team members are an integral part of Target's efforts to ensure its 1,839 stores provide guests with a fun and easy holiday shopping experience. In addition, as the company continues to expand its Order Pickup and Drive Up services and grow ship-from-store capabilities, there is an increased demand for team members to support these areas. As a result, Target plans to nearly double the number of hires to help fulfill digital orders compared to last year. Store team members also will benefit from a redesigned onboarding process, helping them to get up to speed and serving guests faster than ever. Target also will fill more than 7,500 positions in fulfillment and distribution centers this holiday season. Team members at these facilities will process freight to stores and fulfill Target.com orders, including receiving, picking and loading items, to ensure guests get their purchases quickly and easily.

08:02 EDT Ironwood announces FDA fast-track designation for praliciguat - Ironwood Pharmaceuticals announced that the FDA has granted Fast Track Designation for praliciguat for the treatment of patients with heart failure with preserved ejection fraction. Praliciguat is an investigational, orally administered soluble guanylate cyclase stimulator currently in Phase II clinical trials. Ironwood is currently enrolling patients in a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled Phase II trial evaluating praliciguat for the potential treatment of HFpEF. Ironwood expects to enroll approximately 175 patients into the Phase II trial, which is designed to evaluate the safety and efficacy of praliciguat in patients with HFpEF. Topline data from this study are expected in the second half of 2019. Further details about the trial can be found at clinicaltrials.gov using the identifier number NCT03254485.

07:45 EDT Izea selected to execute influencer marketing program for restaurant chain - IZEA Worldwide announced that they have been selected to promote an upcoming holiday influencer marketing program for a Top 50 Restaurant Chain in the United States, as ranked by revenue according to Nation's Restaurant News. IZEA has been contracted directly by the brand to execute the program.

07:41 EDT Moleculin Biotech initiates trial of new cancer drug candidate WP1066 - Moleculin Biotech initiated a Phase 1 clinical trial of a new cancer drug candidate, a small molecule compound discovered by Waldemar Priebe at The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center and known as WP1066. The compound has been shown in animal models to both inhibit an important cell signaling protein STAT3 that is involved in cell growth and proliferation and considered critical to tumor development, while also stimulating an immune response. The first glioblastoma patient has received the initial doses of WP1066, which were apparently well tolerated, in the physician-sponsored investigational new drug, or IND, study at MD Anderson Cancer Center. Built from the chemical backbone of the active ingredient in propolis, a natural product of honey bees, WP1066 is the first anticancer agent with drug-like properties that consistently inhibits the activated form of STAT3 within cancer cells, a target that has been long-sought because of its broad range of tumor promoting effects. Importantly, activated STAT3 supports the survival and proliferation of tumor cells, evasion of the immune response and metastasis to distant organs, as well as angiogenesis essential for tumor growth. Activated STAT3 is not only connected with directly supporting tumor activity, but also suppressing the immune system, making this target even more important to cancer therapy. With the support of extensive preclinical studies demonstrating high antitumor activity and the critically important ability to cross the blood-brain barrier, WP1066 in this Phase 1 clinical trial will focus on treating aggressive brain tumors which all share a grim prognosis. The intent is to eventually treat up to 15 relapsed brain cancer patients over the next six to eight months. Phase 1 clinical trials typically focus on exploring safe and well tolerated doses, as well as evaluating initial signals of effectiveness. Each treatment is completed over three weeks.

07:35 EDT Incyte announces Phase 2b trial of ruxolitinib cream met primary endpoint - Incyte Corporation announced positive results from its randomized, dose-ranging, vehicle- and active-controlled Phase 2b study evaluating ruxolitinib cream in patients with atopic dermatitis who are candidates for topical therapy. The study, part of the True-AD clinical trial program, met its primary endpoint, demonstrating that ruxolitinib cream 1.5% administered twice daily significantly improved Eczema Area and Severity Index scores - a measurement of the extent and severity of AD - from baseline versus vehicle control at Week 4. Additionally, treatment with ruxolitinib cream 1.5% BID resulted in a rapid and sustained reduction in itch versus vehicle, a key secondary endpoint. These results were shared in an oral presentation today at the 27th European Academy of Dermatology and Venerology Congress in Paris, France. Key study results included: Significantly improved EASI score in the ruxolitinib cream 1.5% BID arm versus vehicle at Week 4, the primary endpoint, and improvement in EASI score versus the active control, triamcinolone 0.1% cream, at Week 4, a secondary endpoint. Significantly improved EASI scores in the ruxolitinib cream 1.5% BID arm versus vehicle at Weeks 2 and 8. Significantly greater changes in EASI score in the once daily ruxolitinib cream 1.5% and 0.5% arms versus vehicle at Week 4. Significantly more Investigator's Global Assessment responders - a measure of disease severity - in the ruxolitinib cream 1.5% BID arm versus vehicle at Week 4, and greater IGA response rates across other ruxolitinib arms versus vehicle. Rapid and sustained reductions in itch numerical rating scale score observed as early as within two days from the initiation of therapy, and a more pronounced reduction in itch with ruxolitinib cream 1.5% BID and QD than with triamcinolone cream 0.1% BID. Ruxolitinib cream was well-tolerated at all dosage strengths and was not associated with clinically-significant application site reactions. All treatment-related adverse events were Grade 1 or Grade 2 in severity. Ruxolitinib cream is the first JAK1/JAK2 inhibitor to exhibit positive results as a topical monotherapy in the AD patient population. Over-activity of the JAK signaling pathway has been shown to drive inflammation involved in the pathogenesis of AD. These data support the planned initiation of a global, pivotal Phase 3 program, for which preparations are already underway.

07:35 EDT Kroger reports Q2 gross margin 21.3% of sales - Gross margin was 21.3% of sales for the second quarter. Excluding fuel and the LIFO charge, gross margin decreased 36 basis points from the same period last year. Kroger's shrink rate continued to improve during the second quarter. The gross margin rate reflects the company's price investments, rising transportation costs, and growth of the specialty pharmacy business.

07:34 EDT Hanover Insurance agrees to sell Chaucer for proceeds of $950M - Hanover Insurance has entered into a definitive agreement to sell the entities comprising Chaucer, its Lloyd's-focused international specialty business, to China Reinsurance, for total proceeds of $950M, including cash consideration from China Re of $865M and a pre-signing dividend from Chaucer of $85M, received in Q2. The transaction is anticipated to close late this year or in 1Q19, subject to regulatory approvals and other customary closing conditions. The total consideration, adjusted for the pre-signing dividend, represents a multiple of 1.66 times Chaucer's tangible equity as of June 30, 2018. The transaction is structured so that, subject to certain exceptions, the risks and rewards of Chaucer's business from April 1, 2018 until closing, are transferred to China Re. Cash consideration of $865M , excluding the pre-signing dividend of $85M, consists of initial consideration of $820M payable at closing and contingent consideration of $45M to be held in escrow, which may be adjusted downwards if catastrophe losses incurred in 2018 are above a certain threshold. Beginning in Q3, the earnings results for Chaucer operations will be reported as part of The Hanover's discontinued operations.

07:31 EDT Fluor announces use of IBM Watson for predictive analytics for megaprojects - Fluor Corporation (NYSE: FLR) and IBM (NYSE: IBM) announced today the use of artificial intelligence-based systems to predict, monitor and measure the status of engineering, procurement, fabrication and construction (EPC) megaprojects from inception to completion. Fluor's extensive engineering, fabrication, construction and deep supply chain expertise, coupled with artificial intelligence and analytic technologies from IBM Watson, forms the foundation for big data analytics and diagnostic systems that help predict critical project outcomes and provide early insights into the health of projects. Large capital projects, especially in the energy and chemicals, and mining and metals markets, are incredibly complex with enormous amounts of data, people and moving parts that are constantly changing and need to be understood to keep a project on schedule and budget. To gain insights from project data in nearly real-time and to understand the implications of changing factors, Fluor is introducing the EPC Project Health Diagnostics and the Market Dynamics/Spend Analytics systems. Developed with IBM Research and IBM Services, working collaboratively with Fluor, these innovative tools help to identify dependencies and provide actionable insights by fusing thousands of data points across the entire life cycle of capital projects. Fluor selected IBM Research and IBM Services to assist in the development of these advanced systems as part of its global data-centric transformation strategy. Fluor can now leverage a wealth of experience from across its entire historical data store and global workforce to quickly understand markets and monitor project factors impacting cost and schedule to drive improved certainty and cost efficiency across the entire project scope.

07:20 EDT Points International, Etihad Guest expand partnership - Etihad Guest, the loyalty program of Etihad Airways, and Points further expanded their partnership to enable Etihad Guest members to earn miles through travel rewards when booking hotels and renting cars. Launched in January, travel rewards has proven popular amongst Etihad Guest members, as a platform to spend miles on thousands of competitively-priced hotels and rental car services globally. In addition, members can earn a minimum of 1,000 miles per night on hotel bookings and at least 250 miles per day for car rentals.

07:12 EDT ArQule announces FDA Fast Track Designation for miransertib - ArQule announced that the FDA has granted Fast Track Designation to miransertib for the treatment of PIK3CA-Related Overgrowth Spectrum, or PROS, a group of related, ultra-rare genetic disorders characterized by excessive tissue growth in various parts of the body. The FDA's Fast Track program aims to expedite the development and review of drugs which treat serious or life-threatening conditions and have demonstrated the potential to address unmet clinical needs. Miransertib has already been granted Rare Pediatric Disease Designation by the FDA and Orphan Designation by the FDA and European Medicines Agency in the rare overgrowth disease, Proteus syndrome. During the past three years, miransertib has been tested in a Phase 1 NIH/NHGRI-sponsored trial in Proteus Syndrome. More recently, we have been conducting a Phase 1/2 company-sponsored trial in PROS and a single patient use program with select physicians.

07:08 EDT Navient approves $500M share repurchase program - Navient announced that its board approved a new share repurchase program for up to $500M of the company's outstanding common stock. The share repurchase authorization, which is effective immediately, is in addition to the approximately $80M unused authorization approved by the board in December 2016.

07:07 EDT AngioDynamics to acquire RadiaDyne - AngioDynamics announced an agreement to acquire RadiaDyne, a privately held medical diagnostic and device company that designs and develops patient dose monitoring technology to improve cancer treatment outcomes. This transaction expands AngioDynamics' growing Oncology business by adding RadiaDyne's early-stage, proprietary OARtrac real-time radiation dose monitoring platform and other market-leading oncology solutions, including the IsoLoc/ImmobiLoc and Alatus balloon stabilizing technologies.

07:02 EDT JetBlue reports August traffic up 6.7% - JetBlue Airways reported its preliminary traffic results for August 2018. Traffic in August increased 6.7 percent from August 2017, on a capacity increase of 4.8 percent. Load factor for August 2018 was 88.7 percent, an increase of 1.6 points from August 2017. JetBlue's preliminary completion factor was 97.4 percent and its on-time performance was 66.7 percent. JetBlue continues to expect third quarter revenue per available seat mile to range between 1.0 to 3.0 percent. As reported on September 5th, updated RASM guidance largely reflects strong close-in demand.

07:02 EDT Regeneron: FDA accepts for review sBLA of EYLEA Injection - Regeneron announced that the U.S. FDA has accepted for review the supplemental Biologics License Application of EYLEA Injection for the treatment of diabetic retinopathy, the leading cause of vision loss for patients with diabetes. The target action date for the FDA decision is May 13, 2019.

06:56 EDT Bayer's pharma unit head Dieter Weinand quits to join Sanofi - The Supervisory Board of Bayer AG (BAYRY) has appointed Stefan Oelrich to the company's Board of Management. He will succeed Dieter Weinand as head of the Pharmaceuticals Division as of November 1, 2018. Weinand is leaving the company for family reasons. He will be joining the Executive Committee of Sanofi (SNY) and will be based in the United States. Oelrich is currently a member of the Executive Committee of Sanofi with responsibility for the global diabetes and cardiovascular business.

06:37 EDT Ardelyx submits NDA for U.S. marketing authorization of tenapanor for IBS-C - Ardelyx announced the submission of its New Drug Application, or NDA, to the FDA requesting U.S. marketing authorization of tenapanor for the treatment of patients with irritable bowel syndrome with constipation, or IBS-C. Tenapanor, Ardelyx's lead product candidate, is a minimally-systemic small molecule that acts locally in the gastrointestinal tract to inhibit the sodium transporter NHE3 and reduce sodium uptake from the gut.

06:32 EDT DPW Holdings terminates At Market Issuance Sales Agreement - DPW Holdings has sent a notice to H.C. Wainwright & Co. terminating the At Market Issuance Sales Agreement, dated February 27, by and between itself and HCW. The effective date of the termination is September 23. The company sold an aggregate of 21,241,911 shares of its common stock and raised gross proceeds of $19,022,416 through the Agreement.

06:27 EDT AbbVie announces patient reported outcome data for Phase 3 study of Risankizumab - AbbVie announced new patient-reported outcomes data from three pivotal Phase 3 trials evaluating risankizumab, an investigational interleukin-23 inhibitor, in adult patients with moderate to severe plaque psoriasis. Across all three trials, patients reported significant improvements in health-related quality of life, mental health and work productivity measures when treated with risankizumab. Data from these studies will be presented at the 27th European Academy of Dermatology and Venerology, or EADV. Risankizumab is not approved by regulatory authorities and its safety and efficacy have not been established. At week 16, significantly more risankizumab-treated patients reported a psoriasis symptom scale, or PSS, score of 0, indicating they were symptom-free based on a score assessing pain, redness and itchiness, compared with Stelara and placebo in ultIMMa-1 and ultIMMa-2. Significantly more patients treated with risankizumab continued to report a PSS score of 0 at one year compared to ustekinumab. In IMMvent, significantly more patients treated with risankizumab achieved a Dermatology Life Quality Index score of 0 or 1, indicating psoriasis no longer had impact on their life quality, compared to Humira at week 16. Risankizumab-treated patients maintained reported outcomes at week 44 in IMMvent.2 Improvements in hospital anxiety and depression scales and work limitation questionnaire, a measure of work productivity, were also reported.

06:17 EDT Capstead Mortgage cuts quarterly dividend to 11c from 14c per share - Capstead Mortgage announced that it will pay a third quarter common dividend of 11c per common share on October 19 to stockholders of record as of September 28. Prior dividend was 14c per share.

06:02 EDT Columbia Property to form joint venture with Normandy Real Estate Partners - Columbia Property Trust has entered into an agreement to form a joint venture with Normandy Real Estate Partners to jointly develop 799 Broadway in Manhattan's Midtown South. Columbia will own a 50% interest in this $300M ground-up project, which is scheduled to be completed in the second half of 2020.

05:58 EDT Qualcomm initiates $16B accelerated share repurchase program - Qualcomm announced that it has entered into accelerated share repurchase agreements with each of Bank of America, N.A., Citibank, N.A. and Morgan Stanley & Co. LLC to repurchase an aggregate of $16B of Qualcomm's common stock, with an initial delivery to Qualcomm of approximately 178M shares in the aggregate. The final number of shares to be repurchased will be based on the volume-weighted average price of Qualcomm's common stock during the term of the transaction, less a discount and subject to adjustments pursuant to the terms and conditions of the ASR Agreements. Qualcomm is funding the accelerated share repurchase with existing cash resources.

05:20 EDT Nokia to divest IP Video business to Volaris, terms not disclosed - Nokia announced plans to divest its IP Video business to Volaris Group, a Toronto-based software company. Nokia's video product portfolio - including its caching and streaming products, origin and storage technology, and stream personalization software - is expected to move to Volaris and launch a new pure play streaming technology company, Velocix, operating as an independent business within Volaris Group's Communications & Media portfolio. Nokia will remain a minority shareholder in the new entity and continue to play a critical role in supporting the company's growth. The planned deal is expected to close during Q4, subject to customary closing conditions. Financial details are not being disclosed. The majority of Nokia's IP Video business employees are expected to transition to Velocix. Nokia will become a Global Channel Partner for Velocix, enabling it to continue to sell and support Velocix video solutions. Nokia will maintain certain elements of its video unit, including integration business and associated employees, to provide continued support for existing customers.

05:14 EDT Nvidia Jetson selected by Yamaha Motor to power lineup of autonomous machines - Yamaha Motor Co. has selected NVIDIA Jetson AGX Xavier as the development system to power its upcoming lineup of autonomous machines, NVIDIA founder and CEO Jensen Huang announced today in his keynote address at the GPU Technology Conference. The Japanese manufacturer plans to make Jetson AGX Xavier the brain for a broad portfolio of intelligent machines, including unmanned agriculture vehicles, last-mile vehicles and marine products.