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

18:08 EDT Duke Energy restored nearly 1.8M outages in NC, SC during past week - Duke Energy crews today focused on the remaining 26,000 customers without power as of 4:30 p.m., after restoring nearly 1.8M outages in North Carolina and South Carolina during the past week in the aftermath of Hurricane Florence. Duke Energy expects to restore power to 99% of customers whose properties are able to receive power by Sunday at 11:45 p.m.

17:22 EDT Chubb CEO Greenberg sells $8.6M in common stock - Chubb CEO Evan Greenberg disclosed in a filing that he had sold 61.4K shares of company stock on September 19. The total transaction value was about $8.6M.

17:17 EDT Armistice Capital reports 5.3% passive stake in Voyager Therapeutics

17:13 EDT Harris awarded $255.4M Department of Defense contract - Harris Corp has been awarded a maximum $255,421,604 fixed-price, requirements contract for B-52 and C-130 Special Operation Forces aircraft parts. This is a seven-year contract with no option periods. This was a sole-source acquisition using justification 10 U.S. Code 2304(c)(1), as stated in Federal Acquisition Regulation 6.302-1. Location of performance is New Jersey with a May 24, 2026, performance completion date.

17:09 EDT TDM Asset Management reports 9.1% passive stake in DAVIDsTEA

16:45 EDT Integrated Core Strategies reports 6.3% passive stake in Essential Properties Realty Trust

16:36 EDT Emclaire Financial announces shareholder, regulatory approval of merger - Emclaire Financial and Community First Bancorp announced that the shareholders of Community First approved and adopted the agreement and plan of merger providing for the merger of Community with and into Emclaire at a special meeting of shareholders. In addition, all required regulatory approvals for completion of the merger have been obtained. The merger is expected to be completed on or about October 1, subject to satisfaction of customary closing conditions. Under the terms of the merger agreement, Community First will merge with and into Emclaire and immediately thereafter Community First Bank will merge with and into Farmers National. Shareholders of Community First will receive 1.2008 shares of Emclaire common stock and $6.95 in cash for each share of Community First common stock upon completion of the merger. In addition, each share of preferred stock of Community First Bank will be exchanged for similar shares of preferred stock of Emclaire. Following completion of the merger, the two banking companies will create a bank with approximately $900M in total assets providing banking services through 20 locations throughout Western Pennsylvania and in Hancock County, West Virginia. The transaction will strengthen Emclaire's presence in Clarion and Jefferson counties, Pennsylvania.

16:01 EDT National Security Group sees losses from Hurricane Florence of $1M-$1.5M - The National Security Group released estimates of reported catastrophe losses from Hurricane Florence incurred by property and casualty subsidiary National Security Fire & Casualty Company. "Based on management's analysis of historical reporting patterns, preliminary post event model output and assessment of early reports of claims to date, we estimate our ultimate gross losses from Hurricane Florence to be in the range of $1,000,000 to $1,500,000. We expect losses, net of tax, from Hurricane Florence to reduce our third quarter and year-to-date earnings in the range of $790,000 ($0.31 per share) to $1,185,000 ($0.47 per share). We maintain catastrophe reinsurance that provides coverage from a catastrophe event up to $72.5 million subject to a $4 million per event retention. We also prepay reinstatement premium protection which provides additional coverage for a subsequent event that exceeds the $4 million per event retention level. Based on estimates outlined above, we do not expect losses from Hurricane Florence to exceed our per event retention level under our catastrophe reinsurance program."

15:47 EDT Apple says earlier issues with App Store, iTunes Store resolved - Apple, which said earlier on its System Status page that some users were experiencing a problem with the App Store and iTunes Store services, now says those issues are resolved. Reference Link

15:27 EDT Blackstone president says still studying possible shift to C-Corp - In interview earlier on CNBC, Blackstone (BX) president Jon Gray said the message delivered at Blackstone's investor day meeting was that "the firm is in terrific shape, driven by great performance." He added: "We told folks earnings are going to be accelerating going forward. Not only will they be accelerating, the nature of those earnings is changing. The way they're changing is, as we move more and more to longer duration vehicles, what we call perpetual capital, we get more fee related earnings, more predictable earnings. We think the combination of faster earnings growth, more predictable earnings, steadier earnings, will give the opportunity for a re-rating of our stock." Asked about his stock trading at a discount to KKR (KKR), which has opted to become a C-Corp, Gray said: "We've definitely seen what's happened to their stock and others, and we've been impressed. We're looking at it closely. We said, I think, on the board, actively considering this is an important decision. We want to be thoughtful. We'd like to see sustained stock price performance. We'd like to see what happens in index inclusion. We'd like to see in terms of mutual fund ownership. It is something we're open to, but we're still studying." Reference Link

14:39 EDT Law firm says Overstock.com loses Delaware trial over gift cards - Law firm Grant & Eisenhofer announced that it won a jury verdict on behalf of a whistleblower who exposed a scheme by Overstock.com to avoid reporting and remitting to Delaware millions of dollars in dormant gift cards. A 12-person jury found that Overstock failed to report and remit unredeemed gift card balances that by law should have been reported to the State of Delaware as unclaimed property. As a result, Overstock was found to have violated Delaware's False Claims and Reporting Act over a four-year period of 2010-13. The unanimous verdict was handed down on September 20, according to a press release from the firm. The aggregate amount of unreported gift card balances was just under $3M - under terms of Delaware's whistleblower statute, Overstock is liable for treble damages plus statutory fines and attorneys' fees. Total damages will be determined by presiding Superior Court Judge Paul R. Wallace, according to Grant & Eisenhofer.

13:29 EDT Apple says some users reporting issues with App Store, iTunes Store - In posts to its System Status page, Apple indicates that some esers are experiencing a problem with the App Store and iTunes Store services. "We are investigating this issue," the company states on the status page.

12:42 EDT MiMedx trading resumes

12:26 EDT Duke Energy confirms cooling pond water flowing into Cape Fear River river - Duke Energy confirmed that Cape Fear River flooding conditions at the company's L.V. Sutton plant in Wilmington, N.C. have caused breaches in the cooling lake dam surrounding the cooling lake and caused the company to shut down the 625-megawatt natural gas plant there. The rising river continues to overtop the north end of the cooling lake dam, a surface that is protected by a layer of compacted soil and cement. Water is now exiting the cooling lake through breaches - one large and several smaller - on the southern end of the impoundment. The cooling lake water also flowed into the natural gas plant footprint. There are two coal ash basins at the site. The company believes that ash in the 1971 ash basin remains in place behind a steel wall separating the excavation area from the cooling lake. That wall is submerged by flood water, but the earthen portion of the basin dam is about two feet above water and stable. There is no visible ash in the cooling lake, and prior to flooding the ash level was at least five feet below the top of the steel wall. Cenospheres are moving from the 1971 ash basin to the cooling lake and into the Cape Fear River. Cenospheres are lightweight, hollow beads comprised of alumni and silica that are a byproduct of coal combustion. Water is more than 10 feet from the earthen dike of the 1984 basin. It is stable and has not been affected. The lined landfill, where most of the site's ash is disposed, has not been affected by the cooling lake and repairs from the hurricane are underway. Site personnel are supplementing on-site supplies with large stone and other materials, engineering experts are moving to the site and personnel continue to develop and activate repair plans. Given the historic level of flooding on the river, there is little to no chance that cooling lake water will contribute to a measurable change to water levels in the area. Sutton Lake is an 1,100-acre man-made reservoir constructed in 1972 to supply cooling water to the Sutton power plant. The cooling lake does not store coal ash.

12:00 EDT Veritiv falls -12.0% - Veritiv is down -12.0%, or -$5.35 to $39.35.

12:00 EDT Bloom Energy rises 8.1% - Bloom Energy is up 8.1%, or $2.44 to $32.45.

12:00 EDT Steelcase rises 15.2% - Steelcase is up 15.2%, or $2.46 to $18.61.

11:22 EDT Box Office Battle: 'House with a Clock in its Walls' seen to win the weekend - The major release opening this weekend is Universal Pictures' (CMCSA) "The House with a Clock in Its Walls," a children's fantasy film starring Jack Black and Cate Blanchett. The movie, which already grossed $840,000 in Thursday night previews, is expected to win the weekend at the box office with a domestic gross of $18M-$21M. The other major release is Michael Moore's "Fahrenheit 11/9," a political documentary about the 2016 U.S. presidential election. The film is anticipated to end the weekend as the fifth highest grossing movie, bringing in about $6M-$8M. Second place at the box office is forecast to go either Lionsgate's (LGF.A) thriller "A Simple Favor" or Warner Bros.' (T) "The Nun," which are both expected to domestically gross about $9.1M. Meanwhile, Fox's (FOXA) action film "The Predator," which took first place at the box office last weekend, is expected to end this weekend in fourth place with a domestic gross of about $8.4M. Other publicly traded companies in filmmaking include Disney (DIS), Sony (SNE), and Viacom (VIA, VIAB).

11:14 EDT Micron slides as analysts debate if guidance a sign of downturn - Shares of Micron (MU) are falling after the company reported "solid" fourth quarter results, but missed expectations for its Q1 guidance and company executives said U.S. tariffs on China goods would impact its financial results for as much as one year. EARNINGS AND GUIDANCE: On Thursday after the market close, Micron reported Q4 earnings per share of $3.53 on revenue of $8.44B, which compared to analyst estimates of $3.34 and $8.25B, respectively. Micron also guided to Q1 EPS of $2.95, plus or minus 7c, on revenue in the range of $7.9B-$8.3B. This compares to analyst estimates of $3.06 and $8.44B, respectively. The company said on its earnings conference call that its gross margins will be impacted in the near term by the announced 10% tariff on $200B of imports from China, which will go into effect on September 24. CFO David Zinsner commented that "Clearly, tariffs are impacting us, probably to the tune of 50 to 100 basis points...We are working on steps to mitigate that. That obviously takes some time." "We are working to gradually mitigate most of the impact from these tariffs over the next three to four quarters," Micron added. ANALYST REACTIONS: On Thursday, Evercore ISI analyst C.J. Muse lowered his price target on Micron to $80 from $100, saying that while the softening demand from hyperscale customers was a known headwind, the "negative implications" of tariffs and Intel (INTC) CPU shortages were a new development. The analyst also cites "very little commentary" from the company related to the expected duration of the cloud inventory adjustment. Muse expects softness in the DRAM prices to possibly persist through 2Q19 when the slowdown in pricing will decelerate. On Friday, Morgan Stanley analyst Joseph Moore said he was surprised at the magnitude of the upside Micron reported, but it guided revenues to be down in the strongest seasonal quarter validating some of his recent concerns. While demand factors such as Intel shortages and a few limited inventory adjustments seem "narrow and temporary," the industry "almost certainly will" build inventory in the strongest seasonal quarter, which will have the effect of adding to supply for the seasonally weaker period in early 2019, contended Moore. While there remains debate about what cyclical concerns are already priced in, "this is how memory downturns begin," he said. Moore kept an Equal Weight rating on Micron shares and lowered his price target to $48 from $65. Meanwhile, JPMorgan analyst Harlan Sur views the company's guidance as conservative, saying management has consistently delivered financial results above the midpoint of guidance or above the guided range over the past few years. Further, Sur expects broader supply/demand memory fundamentals to remain in relative balance and believes demand for memory will remain "strong and broad-based." The analyst lowered his price target for Micron shares to $75 from $84 and kept an Overweight rating on the name. In addition, Deutsche Bank analyst Sidney Ho said that while the company reported "solid" results, its guidance missed expectations for the first time in two years. The outlook came with a few negative surprises, namely inventory adjustments, CPU shortages and tariffs on imported goods from China, Ho said. The analyst expects Micron shares to "remain choppy given no clear winner between the bulls and bears." However, at the current valuation, Ho views Micron's risk/reward as favorable. PRICE ACTION: Micron dropped 3.5% to $44.48 in late morning trading.

11:07 EDT NYPA selects Willdan Group for Energy Savings Performance Contracting - Willdan Group announced that the New York Power Authority has selected Willdan as an implementer for its expansion of New York State's BuildSmart NY Program. This contract expands Willdan's reach to New York public facilities by allowing Willdan to implement Energy Savings Performance Contracting projects under NYPA in all areas of the state. The program includes both energy efficiency measures and the implementation of innovative energy solutions such as solar photovoltaic, hybrid, and cogeneration systems; microgrids; and other emerging technologies. The BuildSmartNY five-year contracts have a shared ceiling of $200M.

10:51 EDT Protalix trading halted, news pending

10:20 EDT Cintas to construct new facility in Delta Charter Township - Cintas Corporation is constructing a new facility in Delta Township. The new Cintas facility will be a 55,000 square-foot laundry operation that will add approximately 60 jobs in sales, skilled, technical and office operations. The company will begin hiring for positions in the Fall of 2019.

10:04 EDT New Age Beverages trading halted, volatility trading pause

10:00 EDT Puxin Limited rises 9.5% - Puxin Limited is up 9.5%, or 79c to $9.10.

09:57 EDT The Intersection: Crypto and Wall Street This Week - As bitcoin, ethereum and other cryptocurrencies get increasing attention from investors, Wall Street and its traditional banks continue to adjust to the shift. Catch up on this week's top stories highlighting the intersection of these old guard and new school areas of finance with this recap compiled by The Fly. 1. CRYPTO EXCHANGE HACKED: Japanese cryptocurrency exchange operator Tech Bureau Corp. said roughly $60M worth of bitcoin and other digital currencies were stolen from its platform last Friday when its Zaif cryptocurrency exchange was accessed illegally by hackers over a two-hour period, The Wall Street Journal reported Thursday. Tech Bureau, which found abnormal activity on it servers three days later on September 17 and notified Japanese authorities after uncovering the hack, said about two-thirds of the Y6.7B, or $59.7M, in stolen assets were from customer accounts and the rest belonged to the company. 2. NY AG SAYS CRYPTO EXCHANGES LACK INTEGRITY: On Tuesday, New York Attorney General Barbara Underwood announced the results of the Virtual Markets Integrity Initiative, a fact-finding inquiry into the policies and practices of platforms used by consumers to trade virtual or "crypto" currencies like bitcoin and ether. In a statement, Underwood said, "New Yorkers deserve basic transparency and accountability when they invest - whether on the New York Stock Exchange or on a cryptocurrency platform. Yet, as our report details, many virtual currency platforms lack the necessary policies and procedures to ensure the fairness, integrity, and security of their exchanges. With this report, we hope to give New Yorkers the tools they need to make educated decisions on whether to entrust their money to a cryptocurrency platform and to help protect themselves against theft, fraud, and abuse."3. BITCOIN ETFS DELAYED: The Securities and Exchange Commission is seeking additional feedback on a proposal to list an exchange-traded fund that invests in bitcoin from Van Eck Securities and SolidX Management, Bloomberg reported Thursday. The agency, which already received over 1,400 comment letters on the proposal, is looking for views on market manipulation as well as surveillance and those wishing to comment have 21 days after the SEC's order is published. 4. COINBASE NAMES CHIEF LEGAL OFFICER: Coinbase said in a Wednesday blog post that it has named Brian Brooks as its new chief legal officer. Brooks' arrival is part of the company's effort to expand its legal, compliance and government affairs capabilities as its heads "into this next chapter for the company and the cryptocurrency industry as a whole." Brooks most recently served as EVP, general counsel and corporate secretary of Fannie Mae (FNMA). 5. IDEANOMICS, AMPEN TRADE TECH ENTER JV: Ideanomics (SSC) announced that it has entered into joint venture with APMEN Trade Tech to establish an enterprise focusing on digital supply chain services using blockchain and super artificial intelligence for the Asia-Pacific Model Electronic Port Network APEC's online port clearance system. Ideanomics will have a majority interest of 60% in the joint venture. CRYPTO STOCK PLAYS: Cryptocurrency revenues have been pointed to as reasons to be bullish on Advanced Micro Devices (AMD) and Nvidia (NVDA) in select research. Overstock (OSTK), DPW Holdings (DPW), Kodak (KODK), Ideanomics, Riot Blockchain (RIOT), Pareteum (TEUM) and Social Reality (SRAX) are other stocks that have been touted, or promoted themselves, as a way to play the crypto theme. PRICE ACTION: As of time of writing, bitcoin rose about 4.6% this week to $6,747 in U.S. dollars, according to CoinDesk. WANT BITCOIN NEWS ALERTS?: To receive alerts on stories relating to bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies, Fly subscribers can enter "Bitcoin" into the "Add symbols" box of their portfolios.

09:47 EDT Barclays ETN+ FI Enhanced Global High Yield ETN Series B falls -10.1% - Barclays ETN+ FI Enhanced Global High Yield ETN Series B is down -10.1%, or -$10.60 to $94.00.

09:47 EDT Acuity Brands rises 5.8% - Acuity Brands is up 5.8%, or $9.36 to $170.49.

09:47 EDT Steelcase rises 18.6% - Steelcase is up 18.6%, or $3.00 to $19.15.

09:35 EDT Takeda Pharmaceutical receives positive CHMP opinion recommending Alunbrig - Takeda Pharmaceutical announced that the European Medicines Agency's Committee for Medicinal Products for Human Use has adopted a positive opinion, recommending the full approval of ALUNBRIG as a monotherapy for the treatment of adult patients with anaplastic lymphoma kinase-positive advanced non-small cell lung cancer previously treated with crizotinib. ALUNBRIG is a tyrosine kinase inhibitor designed to target and inhibit the ALK mutation in NSCLC. Approximately three to five percent of NSCLC patients globally have the ALK mutation. If the CHMP opinion is affirmed, and the European Commission approves ALUNBRIG, it will become the only ALK inhibitor available in the European Union as a one tablet per day dose that can be taken with or without food. The randomized, global Phase 2 ALTA trial was designed to investigate the efficacy and safety of ALUNBRIG in patients with locally advanced or metastatic ALK+ NSCLC who had progressed on crizotinib. Patients were randomized to receive one of two regimens of ALUNBRIG: 90 mg of ALUNBRIG once daily or 180 mg once daily with seven-day lead-in at 90 mg once daily. As part of this submission, the CHMP also reviewed data from the first interim analysis of the Phase 3 ALTA-1L trial, which met its primary endpoint, as supportive evidence. In ALTA-1L, treatment with ALUNBRIG resulted in a statistically and clinically significant improvement in PFS versus crizotinib as assessed by a blinded independent review committee. The safety profile associated with ALUNBRIG was generally consistent with prior studies and approved U.S. and Canadian labeling. The CHMP positive opinion for ALUNBRIG will now be reviewed by the European Commission, which has the authority to approve medicines for use in the 28 member states of the European Union, as well as Norway, Liechtenstein and Iceland.

09:31 EDT Churchill Downs to construct rooftop lounge at Kentucky Derby - Churchill Downs will create an experience for guests of the 2019 Kentucky Derby and beyond. The Louisville, Kentucky racetrack has announced plans for a $5M capital investment that will expand the Starting Gate Suites through the construction of a new 20,000-square-foot rooftop garden which will deliver a unique hospitality experience with exclusive sightlines and access for more than 500 ticketed guests. The rooftop space, located atop the Starting Gate Suites on the north end of the 190-acre facility, will provide covered reserved seating for more than 250 guests and approximately 250 additional standing room only access tickets. More information on the individual tickets to the new space for the 2019 Kentucky Derby will be made available during the online ticket sale later this year. Guests on the rooftop will be able to gaze at a panoramic view of Louisville while enjoying access to several bars and various food offerings. There also will be a tiered balcony for viewing of Churchill Downs' races, including a prime observation that overlooks the start of the Kentucky Derby at the top of the famed homestretch.

09:27 EDT Motorola Solutions, UK Home Office reach agreement to implement ESN approach - Motorola Solutions and the UK Home Office have reached an agreement on terms for the new direction of the UK Emergency Services Network as well as an agreement on terms to extend the Airwave nationwide digital radio network. The ESN agreement supports the phased deployment of the ESN program, ensuring that public safety organizations will benefit from the new network's capabilities as soon as possible. Public safety organizations across the United Kingdom will be able to roll out the capabilities of ESN at their desired pace while maintaining the Airwave network service to ensure uninterrupted service. As part of its delivery of ESN User Services, Motorola Solutions will implement a 3GPP standards-based push-to-talk software solution. This global platform uses technology from Kodiak Networks, which was acquired by Motorola Solutions in 2017. To allow for the new phased deployment strategy, the Motorola Solutions ESN agreement will be extended by 30 months through the end of 2024. The Airwave agreement, which is expected to be completed later in the year, will extend the network on substantially similar terms for three additional years to Dec. 31, 2022, with the option to be further extended. The company will also upgrade this critical public safety network to ensure the requirements of public safety users continue to be met.

09:05 EDT Walmart authorizes sale of Redneck Riviera Whiskey in Indiana stores - Eastside Distilling (EAST) announced an authorization from Walmart (WMT) to add Redneck Riviera Whiskey to Walmart's line-up of fine spirits in the state of Indiana. The Redneck Riviera Whiskey brand is a joint collaboration between Eastside and John Rich, the multi-platinum country-music artist and one-half of the award-winning duo Big & Rich.

09:03 EDT Fly Intel: Pre-market Movers - HIGHER: Mazor Robotics (MZOR), up 10% after announcing Medtronic (MDT) will acquire all outstanding ordinary shares of Mazor for $58.50 per American Depository Share... Texas Instruments (TXN), up 2% after raising its dividend 24% and announcing a $12B share repurchase plan... AT&T (T), up 1.5% after revising its operating segments after the acquisition of Time Warner and seeing its upgraded to Buy from Neutral at UBS. UP AFTER EARNINGS: Steelcase (SCS), up 15%. DOWN AFTER EARNINGS: Micron (MU), down 3%... United Natural Foods (UNFI), down 11%. LOWER: GTx (GTXI), down 90% after the company announced that the Phase 2 ASTRID Trial of orally-administered enobosarm in post-menopausal women with stress urinary incontinence did not achieve statistical significance on the primary endpoint... Western Asset Mortgage (WMC), down 5% after its 6.5M share spot secondary offering priced at $10.85 per share.

08:59 EDT Mylan announces U.S. launch of generic Ampyra tablets - Mylan (MYL) announced the U.S. launch of Dalfampridine Extended-Release Tablets, 10 mg, the authorized generic version of Acorda's (ACOR) Ampyra, which is indicated to improve walking in adult patients with multiple sclerosis. The launch comes after the United States Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit upheld the United States District Court for the District of Delaware's decision to invalidate four Ampyra patents: U.S. Patent Nos. 8,663,685, 8,007,826, 8,440,703, and 8,354,437. Acorda's U.S. Patent No. 5,540,938, previously upheld by the District Court, expired on July 30, 2018.

08:49 EDT Triumph Bancorp sees Q3 EPS to be hurt by charge related to 'fraudulent conduct' - In a regulatory filing last night, Triumph Bancorp disclosed that the company expects its third quarter 2018 net income and EPS to be adversely affected by a charge arising from a single asset-based lending relationship at its banking subsidiary, TBK Bank, SSB. The charge resulted from fraudulent conduct believed to be perpetrated by one or more employees of the borrower. The primary cause of the charge is the borrower's submission of false borrowing base certificates and supporting documentation that resulted in advances in excess of available collateral. A notice of default has been issued to the borrower and the facility is in the process of liquidation. The company currently estimates that it will charge off approximately $4.0M as a result of this loan relationship in its financial statements for the quarter ended September 30, 2018. Approximately $0.7M of the charge off had specific reserves previously recorded. In addition, the company expects that the charge-off will result in an increase in the estimate of its allowance for loan loss reserves recorded against the remaining asset-based lending portfolio in an amount up to approximately $2.7M as a result of higher loss factors being incorporated into the company's allowance for loan loss reserve methodology for the three months ended September 30, 2018. The company estimates that its third quarter after-tax earnings per share will be reduced by an amount up to approximately 17c per diluted share as a result of the aggregate impact of these items. The company is working to preserve and recover assets in connection with the liquidation of the borrower. The remaining balance of the loan after the charge off is $3.2M. "Based on the company's review of the circumstances of the fraudulent activities involving this borrower and a review conducted of the remainder of its asset-based lending portfolio, the company believes this incident is an isolated occurrence and not indicative of deterioration of credit in its overall loan portfolio or an increase in exposure to fraud related losses in its asset-based lending business," Triumph Bancorp stated.

08:35 EDT Yield10 Bioscience grants research license to Forage Genetics for sorghum - Yield10 Bioscience announced that it has granted a non-exclusive research license to Forage Genetics International, a subsidiary of Land O'Lakes, to evaluate five novel yield traits in forage sorghum. Under the license, Forage Genetics plans to conduct research with the novel traits within its sorghum development program as a strategy to improve biomass yields. The novel yield traits included in the research license agreement include C3003, a trait derived from algae, as well as four traits from Yield10's GRAIN platform, C4001, C4002, C4003 and C4029. The C4000 series traits included in the research license have been shown to significantly increase photosynthesis and biomass in research conducted by Yield10. One of the traits, C4029, may increase yield as well as confer drought tolerance to crops. The key objective of the licensing agreement is to provide Forage Genetics with novel traits to test alone and/or in any combination in sorghum that may identify new yield traits for potential future licensing from Yield10 for development and commercial deployment. Yield10 has established an open innovation model for the evaluation of its novel yield traits by agricultural companies. The intended benefit of the model is to allow agricultural companies to deploy traits in their proprietary, elite germplasm and test the performance of these traits in greenhouse and field studies they design and control. The research licenses granted under this model are non-exclusive but allow the licensees to initiate negotiations for exclusive licenses for traits they may seek to license from Yield10. Yield10's innovation platform and pipeline of yield traits are applicable to commercial row crops in North America, and therefore may represent significant opportunity for commercialization of Yield10 discovered traits through licensing agreements.

08:32 EDT Esquire Financial announces pre-tax, one-time charge of approximately $1.2M - Esquire Financial announced that the company expects to incur a pre-tax one-time charge of approximately $1.2M, related to the passing of the company's former Executive Chairman, Dennis Shields, on August 10, 2018. The charge is comprised of $673,000 in accelerated vesting of Shields' stock and option grants due to his passing and a $500,000 payment related to Shields' employment as Executive Chairman. The $1.2M charge (pre-tax), or approximately 11c per diluted common share, will be incurred by the company in the third quarter of 2018.

08:30 EDT GTx trading resumes

08:12 EDT BioSig Technologies begins trading on Nasdaq - BioSig Technologies announced that shares of its common stock have begun officially trading on the Nasdaq Capital Market, under the ticker (BSGM). BioSig's listing on the Nasdaq is the company's most recent operational achievement. In August, the company received 510 clearance from the FDA for their patented advanced signal acquisition and processing technology, PURE EP System. The non-invasive technology is a computerized system intended to enhance electrocardiographic and intracardiac signals for patients undergoing electrophysiology, or EP, procedures in an EP laboratory for the treatments of arrhythmia, or irregular heartbeat. The company completed 13 pre-clinical studies at Mayo Clinic and Mount Sinai to date and received first units from its contract manufacturer, Minnetronix, in September 2018. BioSig recently made an announcement about their ongoing progress with effective physician engagement and continues to add experienced industry hires to its clinical and commercial teams.

08:06 EDT E-Trade appoints CFO Michael Pizzi to COO - E-Trade Financial announced that CFO Michael Pizzi will expand his role to become COO, assuming oversight of operations while continuing his current responsibilities as CFO.

08:05 EDT GTx annnounces placebo-controlled ASTRID trial did not meet primary endpoint - GTx announced that the ASTRID Trial, a Phase 2 double-blind, placebo-controlled clinical trial of orally-administered enobosarm in post-menopausal women with stress urinary incontinence, did not achieve statistical significance on the primary endpoint of the proportion of patients with a greater than 50% reduction in incontinence episodes per day compared to placebo. The percentage of patients with a greater than 50% reduction after 12 weeks of enobosarm treatment was 58.9% for 3mg, 57.7% for 1mg and 52.7% for placebo. Enobosarm was generally safe and well tolerated. Reported adverse events were minimal and similar across all treatment groups. "We are very disappointed that the ASTRID Trial did not achieve its primary endpoint," said Robert Wills, executive chairman of GTx. "We plan to conduct a full review of all the data. We want to thank the patients, physicians, study coordinators and the entire GTx team for their support of this novel study. We have an ongoing preclinical program assessing the potential of SARDs, our novel selective androgen receptor degrader technology, to treat castration-resistant prostate cancer. We are currently on target to have development candidates by year end, which we potentially plan to take into IND-enabling studies."

07:55 EDT GTx trading halted, news pending

07:40 EDT Melinta Therapeutics announces CHMP approval recommendation for Vabomere - Melinta Therapeutics announced that the Committee for Medicinal Products for Human Use, or CHMP, of the European Medicines Agency, or EMA, has adopted a positive opinion recommending Vabomere for approval as a treatment for adult patients with complicated intra-abdominal and urinary tract infections, hospital-acquired pneumonia including ventilator associated pneumonia, bacteraemia that occurs in association with any of these infections, and infections due to aerobic Gram-negative organisms where treatment options are limited. The CHMP's opinion will be reviewed by the European Commission, or EC, which is expected to make a final decision regarding marketing authorization within 67 days of receiving the CHMP opinion. If approved by the EC, marketing authorization for Vabomere will be granted in all 28 countries of the European Union, Norway, Iceland and Liechtenstein. Milestone payment obligations related to Vabomere's European approval would not take effect until marketing authorization is granted by the EC.

07:34 EDT Novartis announces CHMP approval recommendation for pegfilgrastim - Sandoz, a Novartis division, announced that the Committee for Medicinal Products for Human Use, or CHMP, of the European Medicines Agency, or EMA, has adopted a positive opinion for marketing authorization of its proposed biosimilar pegfilgrastim, a long-acting version of supportive oncology care medicine filgrastim. Sandoz is committed to increasing patient access to high-quality biosimilars, with five marketed and seven approved biosimilars in Europe. Pegfilgrastim is a long-acting form of filgrastim, a biosimilar medicine that stimulates the production of white blood cells and stem cells. Sandoz is seeking approval for use of biosimilar pegfilgrastim in the same indication as the reference medicine, for the prevention of chemotherapy-induced infection, known as febrile neutropenia, which includes fever brought on by low neutrophils. The comprehensive data package, submitted as part of the marketing authorization application, includes analytical, preclinical, and clinical data, which demonstrate that Sandoz biosimilar pegfilgrastim matches the reference medicine in terms of safety, efficacy and quality. The European Commission, or EC, takes binding decisions on the authorization of medicines valid throughout the EU. It bases its decisions on scientific assessments by the CHMP, ensuring that medicines comply with high quality, safety and efficacy standards. If approved by the EC, the centralized marketing authorization will be valid in the 28 countries that are members of the EU. Norway, Iceland and Liechtenstein, as members of the European Economic Area, will take corresponding decisions based on the EC's recommendation.

07:31 EDT Noble Corp. buys new Gusto MSC CJ46 design jackup rig from PaxOcean - Noble announced the purchase of a new Gusto MSC CJ46 design jackup rig from the PaxOcean Group in connection with a concurrently awarded drilling contract. Noble paid $33.75M of the $93.75M purchase price in cash, with the remainder of the purchase price, or $60M seller-financed at a 4.25% interest rate paid in cash and 1.25% paid in kind over the term of the financing. The Company used existing cash balances for the initial payment and the secured seller-financed amount is to be repaid in four years. The Company also has an option for the purchase of a second newbuild CJ46 jackup from PaxOcean. The newbuild jackup, to be named the Noble Johnny Whitstine, was built at the PaxOcean Graha shipyard in Batam, Indonesia. The robust rig design for moderate environments allows for operations in water depths of up to 375 feet and well depths of 30,000 feet. A modern drilling control system and versatile 70 ft. x 40 ft. envelope cantilever skidding system equipped with two blow out preventers contribute to the rig's enhanced drilling capabilities. In connection with the purchase, Noble has entered into a new drilling contract in the Middle East region with a three-year primary term, plus a one-year option, with an expected commencement of early-2019.

07:30 EDT Sandoz receives positive CHMP opinion for proposed biosimilar pegfilgrastim - Sandoz, a Novartis, announced that the Committee for Medicinal Products for Human Use of the European Medicines Agency has adopted a positive opinion for marketing authorization of its proposed biosimilar pegfilgrastim, a long-acting version of supportive oncology care medicine filgrastim. Sandoz is committed to increasing patient access to high-quality biosimilars, with five marketed and seven approved biosimilars in Europe. Pegfilgrastim is a long-acting form of filgrastim, a biosimilar medicine that stimulates the production of white blood cells and stem cells. Sandoz is seeking approval for use of biosimilar pegfilgrastim in the same indication as the reference medicine, for the prevention of chemotherapy-induced infection, known as febrile neutropenia, which includes fever brought on by low neutrophils. The comprehensive data package, submitted as part of the Marketing Authorization Application, includes analytical, preclinical, and clinical data, which demonstrate that Sandoz biosimilar pegfilgrastim matches the reference medicine in terms of safety, efficacy and quality. Febrile neutropenia is a serious and possibly life-threatening condition that can develop in people with cancer who receive chemotherapy. Despite treatment advances, febrile neutropenia may pose risks to a person's chemotherapy treatment plan, with consequences such as dose reductions, discontinuation of treatment or changing to a less effective regimen. The European Commission takes binding decisions on the authorization of medicines valid throughout the EU. It bases its decisions on scientific assessments by the CHMP, ensuring that medicines comply with high quality, safety and efficacy standards. If approved by the EC, the centralized marketing authorization will be valid in the 28 countries that are members of the EU. Norway, Iceland and Liechtenstein, as members of the European Economic Area, will take corresponding decisions based on the EC's recommendation.

07:29 EDT Novartis receives positive CHMP opinion for Gilenya - Novartis announced the Committee for Medicinal Products for Human Use, or CHMP, of the European Medicines Agency, or EMA, has recommended approval of Gilenya for the treatment of children and adolescents 10 to 17 years of age with relapsing remitting forms of multiple sclerosis, or RRMS. If approved, Gilenya is expected to be the first oral disease-modifying therapy indicated for these patients based on a randomized controlled clinical study. The younger patient population experiences two-to-three times as many relapses as adults, often leading to a more severe prognosis and earlier disability compared to adult-onset MS. If approved, Gilenya would address the urgent need faced by these young people. This market authorization would expand the age range of Gilenya, one of the most prescribed MS treatments worldwide. Gilenya was previously approved for adults with RRMS aged 18 years and older in Europe.

07:24 EDT Spark Therapeutics announces CHMP approval recommendation for Luxturna - Spark Therapeutics (ONCE) announced that the Committee for Medicinal Products for Human Use, or CHMP, of the European Medicines Agency, or EMA, adopted a positive opinion recommending approval of Luxturna, a one-time gene therapy for the treatment of adult and pediatric patients with vision loss due to inherited retinal dystrophy caused by confirmed biallelic RPE65 mutations and who have sufficient viable retinal cells. The positive CHMP opinion is based on data from a Phase 1 clinical trial, its follow-up trial and a Phase 3 trial that together enrolled 43 participants with inherited retinal disease caused by mutations on both copies of the RPE65 gene. The Phase 3 trial was the first randomized, controlled Phase 3 gene therapy trial for a genetic disease. Spark Therapeutics has received orphan product designation for Luxturna from EMA for the treatment of inherited retinal dystrophies. A marketing authorization decision from the European Commission is anticipated approximately within two months. If approved, the authorization will be valid in all 28-member states of the European Union, as well as Iceland, Liechtenstein and Norway. In January, Spark Therapeutics entered into a licensing and supply agreement with Novartis (NVS) to commercialize Luxturna when and if approved in Europe and all markets outside the U.S.

07:11 EDT AT&T revises operating segments after acquisition of Time Warner - In a regulatory filing, AT&T disclosed that due to organizational changes and its June 14, 2018 acquisition of Time Warner Inc., effective for the quarter ended September 30, 2018, the company is revising its operating segments to align with the new management structure and organizational responsibilities. The new reportable segments are: The Communications segment, which provides wireless and wireline telecom, video and broadband services to consumers located in the U.S. or in U.S. territories and businesses globally; The WarnerMedia segment, which develops, produces and distributes feature films, television, gaming and other content in various physical and digital formats globally. Historical results from AT&T's Regional Sports Network and equity investments, predominately Game Show Network and Otter Media Holdings, previously included in Entertainment Group, have been recast into the WarnerMedia segment and are combined with the Time Warner operations for the period subsequent to the acquisition; The Latin America segment, which provides entertainment and wireless services outside of the U.S.; and The Advertising & Analytics segment, which provides advertising services. AT&T is making available the recasting of the historical reported segment and supplemental results, which will be included in its third-quarter 2018 earnings materials, for the quarters and year ended 2017 and for the quarters ended March 31, and June 30, 2018.

07:08 EDT Agenus closes $15M partial royalty monetization with Xoma - Agenus (AGEN) announced the closing of its non-dilutive royalty transaction with Xoma (XOMA), where Xoma purchased a minority interest in the royalties and milestones that Agenus is eligible to receive from Incyte (INCY) and Merck (MRK). Agenus received $15M at closing and retains the majority (67%) of all future royalties and 90% of all milestones from Incyte and Merck. Agenus also remains eligible to receive up to an additional $450M and $85.5M in potential development, regulatory and commercial milestones from Incyte and Merck, respectively.

06:57 EDT SandRidge Energy says interim CEO Griffin not candidate for permanent role - On September 17, William M. Griffin, Jr., Interim President and CEO of SandRidge Energy informed the board of directors that he would not be a candidate to serve as the company's permanent President and CEO. The parties intend for Mr. Griffin to continue serving as Interim President and Chief Executive Officer until a successor is appointed and to continue as a non-employee member of the Board thereafter. The Board has formed a four-member search committee to evaluate and recommend to the Board candidates to serve as permanent President and CEO and lead the execution of the company's full development and growth plan announced at the recent conclusion of the strategic review process. The CEO Search Committee consists of the Chairman of each of the Board's standing committees, Robert G. Alexander, John J. "Jack" Lipinski and Randolph C. Read, together with Jonathan Frates, the Board's Chairman

06:51 EDT Energy XXI Gulf Coast provides update on merger with affiliates of Cox Oil - Energy XXI Gulf Coast provided a statement regarding the closing of the merger with affiliates of Cox Oil. As EGC previously announced on September 10, 2018, on September 9, 2018, EGC and Cox entered into an Amendment No. 1 to the Agreement and Plan of Merger to provide for the closing date of the merger to occur on October 10, 2018. The amendment also provided that Cox cannot refuse to consummate the merger because of any material adverse events occurring on or after the date of the amendment until the closing date. In addition, as previously announced, at EGC's September 6, 2018 special meeting of stockholders, EGC received the two-thirds stockholder approval required for EGC's stockholders to approve the merger. None of the voting results from the EGC special meeting will adversely affect the closing of the merger. In anticipation of the September 10, 2018 scheduled closing date, the FTSE Russell 2000 Index began the process to remove EGC's common stock from the index. On September 19, 2018, FTSE Russell informed EGC that, under FTSE Russell's procedures, FTSE Russell was unable to reverse this action, even though the merger closing date had been extended. EGC and Cox continue to work toward closing the merger on October 10, 2018.

06:32 EDT Sarepta receives negative CHMP re-examination opinion for Eteplirsen - Sarepta Therapeutics announced that the Committee for Medicinal Products for Human Use of the European Medicines Agency, has confirmed its 31 May 2018 negative opinion for a Conditional Marketing Application for eteplirsen. Eteplirsen is designed to treat approximately 13% of the Duchenne muscular dystrophy community who have genetic mutations amenable to exon 51 skipping. The company expects the European Commission to adopt the CHMP opinion by year-end 2018.

06:02 EDT BofI Federal Bank awarded regulatory approval for Nationwide deposit acquisition - BofI Federal Bank, the banking subsidiary of Axos Financial, announced that it has received regulatory approval from the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency to proceed with the definitive purchase and assumption transaction previously announced on August 3, 2018. Under the agreement, BofI Federal Bank will purchase from Nationwide Bank certain assets and assume certain liabilities, including approximately $3B of deposit liabilities of Nationwide Bank, in a transaction expected to close no later than November 16, 2018.

05:38 EDT Sony's PlayStation Now adds downloading of PS4, PS2 games - Brian Dunn, senior marketing manager, PlayStation Now, says in a blog post: "We are excited to announce that starting today, you will be able to stream as well as download PlayStation Now games to your PS4 system so that you can play both locally and offline, all with a single subscription. Almost all PS4 games in the service, including Bloodborne, God of War 3 Remastered, NBA 2K16, and Until Dawn, will be available for download, in addition to the PS Now lineup of classic PS2 games remastered for PS4. This feature will be gradually rolled out to PS Now subscribers over the next couple of days, so if you don't see the feature on your PS Now today, make sure to check back again soon. Downloaded PS Now games will support all user-purchased DLCs, microtransactions, and add-ons, as well as PS4 Pro enhancements for subscribers using a PS4 Pro system. And remember, you do not need a PlayStation Plus membership for online multiplayer on PS Now - which stays the same for both streaming and downloaded games." Reference Link

05:25 EDT Wabco announces vehicle control systems JV in China with FAW Jiefang - WABCO Holdings announced that it has signed an agreement to establish a new joint venture for vehicle control systems with FAW Jiefang Automotive Company to advance the safety and efficiency of commercial vehicles in China. This includes accelerating WABCO's single-piston air disc brake, or ADB, technology leadership in China. An innovative and market-leading commercial vehicle manufacturer, FAW Jiefang has built its world-class manufacturing capabilities, industry expertise and trusted-partner reputation over 60 years. Combined with WABCO's technology leadership and advanced manufacturing capabilities, the joint venture will commence with the manufacture of WABCO's advanced MAXXTM single-piston ADB from 2019. With over six million single-piston ADB systems sold, WABCO is the long-established global market leader for this advanced technology. A major focus of the joint venture will be heavy-duty trucks given WABCO's mastery of single-piston ADB technology for 30,000 Nm applications which have a compact, lightweight design with fewer components and are proven to deliver the highest standards of safety, performance and reliability. Superbly engineered, WABCO's industry-leading, high-performance single-piston ADB technology is best suited for all types of commercial vehicles - light, medium and heavy-duty platforms. This is the first step in a much broader collaboration. WABCO and FAW Jiefang are also planning to cooperate on advanced braking systems development in the areas of autonomous driving, active safety systems and fleet management systems (FMS) to help support commercial vehicle manufacturers and fleets in China to further transform safety and efficiency.

05:13 EDT BeiGene presents results on anti-PD-1 antibody tislelizumab at CSCO - BeiGene presented clinical data on tislelizumab, an investigational anti-PD-1 antibody, in Chinese patients with lung cancers, in two oral presentations at the 21st Annual Meeting of the Chinese Society of Clinical Oncology, or CSCO, in Xiamen, China. "Advanced lung cancer is one of our focus areas for development of tislelizumab, where we hope to have an impact on the way patients are treated both in China and worldwide. This complex and difficult-to-treat disease has proven to be susceptible to treatment with immunotherapies," commented Amy Peterson, M.D., Chief Medical Officer, Immuno-Oncology, at BeiGene. "The preliminary data presented today demonstrate that tislelizumab is generally well tolerated and has antitumor activity both as monotherapy and in combination with several chemotherapy regimens used in small cell and non-small cell lung cancer patients. We are hopeful that further study of tislelizumab may lead to a new treatment option for a broad array of patients with lung cancers." The multi-center, open-label Phase 2 trial in China of tislelizumab in combination with chemotherapy enrolled 54 patients with previously untreated locally advanced or metastatic lung cancer. All patients received tislelizumab at 200 mg every three weeks, plus platinum doublet until disease progression. Patients with non-squamous non-small cell lung cancer, or NSCLC, received pemetrexed plus platinum; patients with squamous NSCLC received either paclitaxel plus platinum or gemcitabine plus platinum; and patients with small cell lung cancer, or SCLC, received etoposide plus platinum. As of the June 5, 2018 data cutoff, 35 patients remain on treatment. Treatment discontinuation due to adverse events, or AEs, occurred in three patients. Fifty-one patients had at least one post-baseline tumor assessment and were evaluable for efficacy. Objective responses were observed in 56 percent of 16 evaluable patients with non-squamous NSCLC; 80 percent in 15 evaluable patients with squamous NSCLC, cohort A; 67 percent in six patients with squamous NSCLC, cohort B; and 82 percent in 17 evaluable patients with SCLC. Data continue to mature with follow-up. AEs were considered manageable and reversible, with chemotherapy dose modifications or tislelizumab dose holds, except for one fatal event of myocarditis/myositis. Five patients experienced at least one grade greater than or equal to3 AE that were considered to be possibly related to tislelizumab. Immune-related AEs occurred in 13 patients and included hypothyroidism, decreased tri-iodothyronine, hyperthyroidism, pneumonitis, pyrexia, and rash.