Stockwinners Market Radar for October 01, 2018 - Earnings, Upgrades downgrades, option trades, Best Stock Advisory Service

20:16 EDT Kayne Anderson Midstream/Energy Fund reports net assets $706M as of 9/30 - Kayne Anderson Midstream/Energy Fund provided a summary unaudited statement of assets and liabilities and announced its net asset value and asset coverage ratios under the Investment Company Act of 1940 as of September 30, 2018. As of September 30, 2018, the Fund's net assets were $706 million and its net asset value per share was $14.45. As of September 30, 2018, the Fund's asset coverage ratio under the 1940 Act with respect to senior securities representing indebtedness was 444% and the Fund's asset coverage ratio under the 1940 Act with respect to total leverage was 334%.

20:06 EDT SPDR Gold Trust holdings fall to 740.17MT from 742.23MT - This is the lowest level of holdings since February 19th, 2016.

19:32 EDT Tortoise Energy reports total assets of $2.4B as of September 30th - Tortoise Energy Infrastructure announced that as of Sept. 30, 2018, the company's unaudited total assets were approximately $2.4 billion and its unaudited net asset value was $1.5 billion, or $27.31 per share.

19:28 EDT National Beverage refutes allegations of sugars in LaCroix water - National Beverage categorically denies all allegations in a lawsuit filed today without basis in fact or law regarding the natural composition of its LaCroix sparkling waters. Natural flavors in LaCroix are derived from the natural essence oils from the named fruit used in each of the flavors. There are no sugars or artificial ingredients contained in, nor added to, those extracted flavors. All essences contained in LaCroix are certified by our suppliers to be 100% natural.

18:57 EDT HomeTown Bankshares, American National Bankshares agree to merge - HomeTown Bankshares Corporation and American National Bankshares Inc. announced the signing of an agreement that calls for HomeTown to merge with American National in a transaction valued at approximately $95.6M. The combination deepens American National's footprint in the Roanoke MSA and creates a presence in the New River Valley with an office in Christiansburg, Va. Upon completion of the merger and with two office consolidations, American National will have 8 offices in the combined Roanoke/New River Valley markets with total deposits of over $700M. Based on financial results as of June 30, 2018, the combined company will have approximately $2.4B in assets, $1.8B in loans, and $2B in deposits across Virginia and North Carolina. Under the terms of the agreement, HomeTown shareholders will receive 0.4150 shares of American National common stock for each share of HomeTown common stock. As of the close of business on October 1, 2018, the per share acquisition price equaled approximately $16.23, or approximately 182% of HomeTown's June 30, 2018 book value per share. The exchange ratio is fixed and the per share acquisition price will fluctuate with the market value of American National common stock. Following the completion of the merger, American National will remain well-capitalized and the company expects the transaction will be accretive to earnings per share. Subject to customary closing conditions, including regulatory and shareholder approvals, the merger is expected to close in the first quarter of 2019. Following completion of the merger, HomeTown's subsidiary bank, HomeTown Bank, will be merged into American National's subsidiary bank, American National Bank and Trust Company.

18:32 EDT FTC requires Penn National, Pinnacle divest assets as condition of merger - The Federal Trade Commission will require casino operators Penn National Gaming, Inc. (PENN) and Pinnacle Entertainment, Inc. (PNK) to divest casino-related assets in three Midwestern cities. The settlement resolves charges that Penn's $2.8B agreement to acquire Pinnacle likely would be anticompetitive. The complaint alleges that the proposed acquisition would harm competition for casino services in metropolitan St. Louis, Missouri; Kansas City, Missouri; and Cincinnati, Ohio. The terms of the settlement require Penn and Pinnacle to divest assets in the St. Louis, Kansas City, and Cincinnati markets to Boyd Gaming (BYD) within 10 days of when the acquisition closes. The parties must maintain the viability, marketability, and competitiveness of the assets until the divestitures are complete. The proposed consent order appoints a monitor to ensure the parties' compliance with the order to maintain assets, the consent order, and the divestiture agreements. The order also requires the parties to provide transitional services, if requested, to assist the divestiture buyer with the transfer and operation of the divested assets for at least 24 months. The Commission vote to issue the complaint and accept the proposed consent order for public comment was 4-0-1, with Commissioner Christine S. Wilson not participating. The FTC will publish the consent package in the Federal Register shortly. The agreement will be subject to public comment for 30 days, beginning today and continuing through Oct. 31, 2018, after which the Commission will decide whether to make the proposed consent order final.

18:20 EDT Twitter shares updates on election integrity efforts - In a blog post, Twitter shared updates across three critical areas of its election integrity efforts: Updates to the Twitter Rules; Detection and Enforcement; and Product Improvements. As platform manipulation tactics continue to evolve, the company said it is updating and expanding is rules to better reflect how it identifies fake accounts, and what types of inauthentic activity violate Twitter's guidelines. "We now may remove fake accounts engaged in a variety of emergent, malicious behaviors," Twitter said. "Some of the factors that we will take into account when determining whether an account is fake include: Use of stock or stolen avatar photos; Use of stolen or copied profile bios; Use of intentionally misleading profile information, including profile location." Twitter added that it is expanding its enforcement approach to include accounts that deliberately mimic or are intended to replace accounts we have previously suspended for violating our rules. In addition, the company said it is expanding the criteria for when it will take action on accounts which claim responsibility for a hack, which includes threats and public incentives to hack specific people and accounts. Commentary about a hack or hacked materials, such as news articles discussing a hack, are generally not considered a violation of this policy. Reference Link

17:54 EDT International Paper to transfer $1.6B in pension liabilities to Prudential - International Paper (IP) will settle approximately $1.6B of its pension obligations by purchasing a group annuity contract from The Prudential Insurance Company of America, a subsidiary of Prudential Financial, Inc. (PRU). As part of this agreement, Prudential will assume the responsibility for paying pension benefits to about 23,000 of International Paper's retirees. This agreement is the second pension risk transfer between the two companies in just over a year. Last October, International Paper agreed to transfer approximately $1.3B of its pension liabilities to Prudential, an agreement covering 45,000 of International Paper's retirees.

17:34 EDT SeaWorld reports Q3 total attendance up 10% and revenue up 9% - SeaWorld Entertainment reported, in connection with a potential debt refinancing transaction, attendance and preliminary revenue results through September 30, 2018 compared to the prior year period. For the three months ended September 30, 2018, the company reported the following when compared to the third quarter of 2017: Total attendance increased by approximately 0.7M guests, or 10%. Total revenue is expected to increase by approximately $41M, or 9%.

17:22 EDT Univar Canada launches new e-commerce platform - Univar announced the launch of a new Canadian e-commerce platform. Known as MyUnivar.com, the platform offers a product catalog of over 10,000 industrial chemical and food ingredient products to new and existing customers for online purchase. Product offerings span massive Canadian industries such as energy, forestry, water treatment, pharmaceuticals and more. In addition to online purchases, customers can access safety documents and documentation of prior purchases.

17:16 EDT Integrated Core Strategies reports 4.2% passive stake in Altra Industrial Motion

17:07 EDT Lockheed Martin awarded $631.8M U.S. Army contract - Lockheed Martin was awarded a $631,757,949 fixed-price-incentive Foreign Military Sales contract to procure a variety of Hellfire II missile variants in containers. One bid was solicited with one bid received. Work will be performed in Orlando, Florida, with an estimated completion date of Sept. 30, 2021.

17:04 EDT GTT Communications acquires Access Point for $40M - GTT Communications announced the acquisition of Access Point, a provider of communication services headquartered in Cary, North Carolina. GTT paid $40 million to acquire Access Point, composed of $35 million in cash and 115,194 shares valued at $5 million. GTT CEO Rick Calder said: "Access Point's strong client relationships in key vertical markets make it a compelling strategic fit for GTT. We expect a rapid integration as we work with our new clients to deliver on our purpose of connecting people across organizations, around the world and to every application in the cloud."

17:01 EDT Huntington Ingalls awarded $97M procurement contract from U.S. Coast Guard - Huntington Ingalls Industries' Ingalls Shipbuilding division received a $97 million fixed-price contract from the U.S. Coast Guard on Friday to purchase long-lead materials for an 11th National Security Cutter. The advance procurement funds will be used to purchase major components for NSC 11, such as steel, the main propulsion systems, generators, electrical switchboards and major castings. Ingalls has delivered seven NSCs, the flagship of the Coast Guard's cutter fleet, designed to replace the 12 Hamilton-class high-endurance cutters that entered service in the 1960s.

16:52 EDT Mattress stocks slide as Amazon sells own brand of mattresses - Shares of mattress companies slipped during the session following a report that Amazon (AMZN) is selling its own mattresses. AMAZON SELLS OWN MATTRESSES: Justin Smith of TJI Research reported last week that Amazon.com had launched its own private label mattress products. The company's new AmazonBasics Memory Foam Mattress went live on the site on Friday, coming in Twin, Full, Queen, King, and California King sizes, as well as 8-inch, 10-inch, and 12-inch depths. Prices range from $129.99 for the 8-inch twin to $349.99 for the 12-inch king. "We want to provide the widest selection possible for customers, and products from our brands help add to that assortment and offer more high quality products for them to shop from at a great value," an Amazon spokesperson told TJI. WHAT'S NOTABLE: While Smith's report was released last Friday, mattress stocks began to slip today after Business Insider reported on the matter. BI noted that the move puts Amazon in direct competition with mattress startups, a number of which have launched in recent years. The report also noted that the move puts Amazon in direct competition with its own third-party partners. The current best-selling mattress on the site is the Zinus Memory Foam Green Tea Mattress, though Amazon's new mattresses are several dollars cheaper than the various configurations of the Zinus mattress, according to Business Insider. PRICE ACTION: Following the news, Sleep Number (SNBR) fell 3.94%, while Tempur Sealy (TPX) slipped 6.81% in regular trading.

16:44 EDT Park West Asset Management reports 6% passive stake in Overstock.com

16:40 EDT Quorum Health completes sale of hospital in Tennessee - Quorum Health announced that the company has completed the sale of the physical assets of the 45-bed McKenzie Regional Hospital in McKenzie, Tennessee to Baptist Memorial Health Care. The transaction was effective on September 30. Prior to the completion of the transaction, the Company had discontinued all operations at the facility. All net proceeds from the transaction will be used to pay down the Term Loan Facility.

16:38 EDT Flir Systems receives $28.7M award from DOD - Flir Systems announced it has received an award from the United States Department of Defense, or DOD, Joint Program Executive Office for Chemical Biological Radiological and Nuclear Defense in support of the multi-phase chemical agent detector, or MPCAD program. The other transaction authority agreement, or OTA, is valued at $28.7M, with execution extending through mid-2022. Work under the contract is expected to be performed at Flir's facility in West Lafayette, Indiana.

16:27 EDT Icahn completes sale of Federal-Mogul and Tropicana Entertainment - Icahn Enterprises (IEP) announced that it coincidentally fully completed two major transactions on the same day, the full details of which were previously announced: the sale of Federal-Mogul to Tenneco (TEN) for $800 million in cash and 29.5M shares of Tenneco common stock; and the sale of Tropicana Entertainment Inc. to Gaming and Leisure Properties GLPI) and Eldorado Resorts (ERI) for aggregate consideration of approximately $1.85B.Carl C. Icahn, Chairman of Icahn Enterprises, stated: "Icahn Enterprises acquired majority control of Federal-Mogul in 2008 when we saw an out-of-favor market opportunity for a great company. During that time, we have built one of the leading global suppliers of automotive products. This transaction is an excellent example of our general modus operandi at Icahn Enterprises, by which we seek to acquire undervalued assets, nurture, guide and improve their condition and operations, and ultimately develop them into more valuable businesses, which greatly enhances value for all shareholders." Mr. Icahn continued: "Icahn Enterprises first acquired an interest in Tropicana in 2008. Tropicana was bankrupt and desperately needed new leadership. At that time, we identified this undervalued asset as being a perfect situation to deploy our modus operandi, by which we seek to acquire undervalued assets, nurture, guide and improve their condition and operations, and to ultimately greatly enhance value for all shareholders."

16:22 EDT Perry Ellis announces Glass Lewis, ISS backing for Feldenkreis merger agreement - Perry Ellis announced that independent proxy advisory firms, Institutional Shareholder Services, or ISS, and Glass Lewis, recommend that Perry Ellis shareholders vote "FOR" the proposed acquisition by the entity controlled by George Feldenkreis at Perry Ellis' special meeting of shareholders scheduled for October 18. Under the terms of the Feldenkreis merger agreement, Perry Ellis unaffiliated shareholders will receive $27.50 per share in cash upon closing. In recommending that Perry Ellis shareholders vote "FOR" the proposed transaction, ISS stated in its report: "Moreover, the executed agreement appears to be reasonably consistent with industry trends and the premiums generally realized by investors across recent all-cash buyouts. In view of the foregoing factors, and in the absence of further developments, we believe there is sufficient procedural and financial cause to support the proposed transaction at this time. Accordingly, we recommend shareholders vote FOR this proposal." The Perry Ellis board unanimously recommends shareholders vote "FOR" the merger agreement.

16:18 EDT SAIC awarded subcontract to support CMS, NEC - Science Applications International was awarded a subcontract to support the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, CMS, National Education Campaign and Outreach, NEC, as part of a seven-year, $900M indefinite-delivery, indefinite-quantity contract. As part of a team led by prime contractor, Ketchum, Inc., SAIC will compete for task orders focused on conducting a full range of activities associated with developing, implementing, and evaluating national integrated communications campaigns. The task orders will focus on executing CMS outreach, education, and communication campaign efforts and initiatives, coordinated with both internal and external stakeholders at a national, regional, state, and local level. "We are excited to support CMS and to offer innovative solutions that will help continue to advance the healthcare industry," said Bob Genter, SAIC senior vice president and general manager of the Federal Civilian Customer Group. CMS administers a variety of programs, including Medicare, Medicaid, the Children's Health Insurance Program, Quality Data and Physician Compare, and the Health Insurance Marketplace. As the largest healthcare payer, CMS serves more than 100 million people and focuses on improving the delivery and quality of care. CMS is responsible for conducting national communications campaigns to promote these programs and other CMS initiatives to consumers, providers and other key audiences

16:16 EDT Lawson Products acquires Screw Products, terms undisclosed - Lawson Products announced the acquisition of Screw Products. The acquisition closed October 1. Terms of the transaction were not disclosed. Based in Dallas, Texas, SPI is a regional distributor of bulk industrial products to large manufacturers and job shops. SPI provides customized fastener and components packaging, sub-assembly, and kitting services in its Dallas and Dayton, Ohio warehouses. The company generates approximately $3M in revenue.

16:10 EDT Kimball Electronics completes $50M acquisition of GES - Kimball Electronics announced that it has, acting through its wholly-owned subsidiaries, completed the purchase of substantially all of the assets and assumed certain liabilities of GES Holdings, Global Equipment Services and Manufacturing and its subsidiaries, collectively GES. As previously announced, the price was approximately $50M plus the assumed liabilities. In FY19, GES is expected to add 4 to 6%, reflecting seasonality, to Kimball Electronics consolidated net sales and to be neutral to slightly accretive to earnings per share.

16:10 EDT QCR Holdings completes acquisition of Bates Companies - QCR Holdings announced the successful completion of the previously announced acquisition of Bates Financial Advisors, Bates Financial Services, Bates Securities, and Bates Financial Group. The Bates Companies have approximately $700M in assets under management and are headquartered in Rockford, Illinois. The Bates Companies will merge into Rockford Bank & Trust, one of QCR Holdings five independent charters.

16:08 EDT Sterling Construction awarded Sky Harbor construction project valued at $12M - Sterling Construction Company, Inc. announced that its subsidiary, J. Banicki Construction, was the selected bidder on the Terminal 4, North Apron Reconstruction Project for the City of Phoenix at Sky Harbor International Airport with a value of approximately $12M. The project, which was awarded using a Construction Manager At Risk method, will entail the removal and replacement of approximately 34,000 square yards of 18-inch thick concrete apron in a highly active air operations area. Construction is anticipated to start in October 2018 and take approximately one year to complete.

16:06 EDT Merit Medical to acquire Cianna Medical - Merit Medical Systems announced that it has signed a definitive merger agreement to acquire Cianna Medical. The transaction has been approved by the boards of both companies, and is subject to the satisfaction or waiver of certain closing conditions, including the approval of Cianna Medical stockholders, clearance under the Hart-Scott-Rodino Antitrust Improvements Act and other customary closing conditions. It is anticipated that the transaction will close during Q4 of 2018. The deal structure includes an upfront payment of $135M with potential earn-out payments of an additional $15M for achievement of supply chain and scalability metrics, and up to an additional $50M for achievement of sales milestones. Based on management's current estimates, in 2019 the proposed transaction, if consummated, would be non-accretive to Merit earnings per share on a GAAP basis in the range of (10c)-(6c) per common share and accretive to Merit earnings per share on a non-GAAP basis in the range of 8c-13c per common share, with anticipated GAAP gross margins of 55%-65% and non-GAAP gross margins of 70%-75% on the Cianna Medical products, accretive to both Merit's GAAP gross margin and non-GAAP gross margin in the range of 55-130 basis points, and add revenues in the range of $50M-$56M.

16:06 EDT Blackstone-led group completes partnership deal with Thomson Reuters for F&R - A consortium led by Blackstone (BX) announced that private equity funds managed by Blackstone - together with Canada Pension Plan Investment Board and GIC - have completed the previously announced partnership transaction with Thomson Reuters (TRI) for Thomson Reuters' Financial & Risk business. The Blackstone-led consortium now owns 55% of the equity in a new corporation created to hold the F&R business, and Thomson Reuters retains a 45% equity stake, at an overall valuation of $20B. The Financial & Risk business is now known as Refinitiv.

16:04 EDT HBM Healthcare Investments reports 9.0% passive stake in Y-mAbs Therapeutics

16:04 EDT Andeavor trading resumes

15:53 EDT Jack Henry acquires Agiletics, terms undisclosed - Jack Henry & Associates announced the acquisition of Agiletics, a Florida-based provider of solutions that help banks better serve commercial customers with escrow, investment, and liquidity management solutions. Agiletics joins Jack Henry & Associates as part of Jack Henry Banking. Agiletics was a privately held company. Terms of the transaction were not disclosed.

15:11 EDT Infinera says analyst 'erroneous' in suggesting need to issue additonal shares - Infinera (INFN) issued the following comments regarding a report addressing the details of its pending acquisition of Coriant and future opportunities with CenturyLink (CTL): "In a report published today, an analyst erroneously suggested that Infinera would need to issue additional shares to close the Coriant transaction. Per terms of the agreement, the number of shares issued upon close is fixed at 20,975,384 shares. In addition, the analyst stated that a pending CenturyLink RFP will likely not be awarded to Infinera. Subsequent to the publication of this analyst report, Infinera confirmed with CenturyLink executive management that a final decision has not been made. Having closed the fiscal third quarter of 2018 on Saturday, September 29, Infinera is currently in its investor quiet period. We anticipate announcing the close of our acquisition of Coriant shortly and, in upcoming weeks, reporting our quarterly results and future opportunities as a combined company on our third quarter 2018 earnings call." Infinera re-issued its press release to correct the share figure.

14:57 EDT Auto parts makers rise on new trade deal to replace NAFTA - Shares of several car parts makers are on the rise after the U.S. and Canada reached a deal to revise the North American Free Trade Agreement, as the news helped to alleviate some of the concerns surrounding trade. Commenting on the announcement, BWS Financial analyst Vahid Khorsand told investors that the U.S.-Mexico-Canada Agreement, or USMCA, puts into place several rules that benefit Superior Industries (SUP) and may open up new opportunities for the company. NORTH AMERICAN NEW TRADE DEAL: U.S. Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer and Canadian Foreign Affairs Minister Chrystia Freeland said in a joint statement that, "Today, Canada and the United States reached an agreement, alongside Mexico, on a new, modernized trade agreement for the 21st Century: the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement. USMCA will give our workers, farmers, ranchers and businesses a high-standard trade agreement that will result in freer markets, fairer trade and robust economic growth in our region. It will strengthen the middle class, and create good, well-paying jobs and new opportunities for the nearly half billion people who call North America home. We look forward to further deepening our close economic ties when this new agreement enters into force." In a series of tweets, President Trump said "Late last night, our deadline, we reached a wonderful new Trade Deal with Canada, to be added into the deal already reached with Mexico. The new name will be The United States Mexico Canada Agreement, or USMCA. It is a great deal for all three countries, solves the many... deficiencies and mistakes in NAFTA, greatly opens markets to our Farmers and Manufacturers, reduces Trade Barriers to the U.S. and will bring all three Great Nations together in competition with the rest of the world. The USMCA is a historic transaction!" President Donald Trump and his Mexican and Canadian counterparts are expected to sign the deal by the end of November. It will then be up to Congress to approve the deal, which is likely to come up for a vote next year and should take effect around January 1, 2020. According to CNN, USCMA will open up some of Canada's dairy market to U.S. farmers and in return, the U.S. will allow more Canadian dairy, peanuts and peanut products, and a limited amount of sugar to cross the border. Regarding car manufacturing, the deal will require that more of a vehicle's parts be made in North America in order for the car to be free from tariffs, the publication said, adding that the provision will help keep the production of car parts in the U.S. and bring back some production that moved abroad. DEAL 'HIGHLY FAVORABLE' TO SUPERIOR INDUSTRIES: In a research note following the announcement, BWS Financial's Khorsand told investors that the USMCA puts into place several rules that benefit Superior Industries and may open up new opportunities for the company and push average revenue per unit higher. The company's North American business is focused on wheels larger than 17 inches and wheels with complex finishes, and these mostly come standard on light trucks and SUVs, which are built in Mexico and the U.S., the analyst pointed out. Khorsand added that he believes terms of the trade agreement help protect Superior Industries from lower priced foreign competitors. Superior Industries has always been under the threat of Asian wheel manufacturers providing a lower priced competing product, he contended. Further, Khorsand argued that the deal "removes many of the reservations investors might have had." The analyst reiterated a Buy rating and $35 price target on Superior Industries shares. PRICE ACTION: In afternoon trading, shares of Superior Industries are flat at $17.05, while American Axle (AXL) has gained over 1% to $17.63. Also higher are Lear (LEA) and Magna International (MGA), which gained almost 3% to $149.08 and $54.20, respectively. Shares of BorgWarner (BWA) and Visteon (VC) are both fractionally up to $42.84 and $93.26, respectively.

14:45 EDT Omeros shares down 21% after resuming trade

14:43 EDT Viacom names Brian Robbins as President of Nickelodeon - Viacom announced the appointment of Brian Robbins as President of Nickelodeon, effective immediately. Robbins will report directly to CEO Bob Bakish. Robbins most recently served as President of Paramount Pictures' Paramount Players division.

14:23 EDT Omeros to resume trading at 2:45 pm ET - Omeros shares will resume trading at 2:45 pm ET, with quotation set to resume at 2:40 pm ET, according to Nasdaq.

14:17 EDT Omeros reports additional 'positive' data for OMS271 in IgA nephropathy - Omeros Corporation announced positive data from the company's ongoing Phase 2 clinical trial of OMS721 for the treatment of renal diseases. The data are from study patients with immunoglobulin A nephropathy, a progressively worsening kidney disease and the most common glomerulonephritis worldwide, responsible for 10 percent of all people on dialysis globally. Patients in this cohort had IgA nephropathy with high risk of progression but none received corticosteroid treatment immediately prior to or during the study - different than the cohort reported last year in which all patients initiated the study while on steroid therapy. Reductions in protein levels in urine collected over a 24-hour duration in this steroid-free OMS721-treated group were of similarly large magnitude to those seen in the earlier cohort. In IgA nephropathy, proteinuria is the most reliable prognostic factor for loss of kidney function - the greater the proteinuria reduction, the better the prognosis. OMS721 is Omeros' lead human monoclonal antibody targeting mannan-binding lectin-associated serine protease-2, the effector enzyme of the complement system's lectin pathway. In addition to an ongoing Phase 3 clinical trial in IgA nephropathy, OMS721 is in Phase 3 clinical programs for hematopoietic stem cell-associated thrombotic microangiopathy and for atypical hemolytic uremic syndrome. OMS721 has been granted breakthrough therapy designations by FDA for both IgA nephropathy and HSCT-TMA. "We now have results of treatment with OMS721 in IgA nephropathy patients both with and without concomitant steroid therapy," stated Jonathan Barratt, Professor of Renal Medicine at the University of Leicester and Honorary Consultant Nephrologist at Leicester General Hospital. "In contrast to the previously reported cohort who were enrolled while on steroid therapy, the patients in this study were steroid-free, and yet the magnitude of proteinuria reduction across both groups is consistent and likely to indicate a significant renoprotective effect of OMS721 in IgAN, with a legacy effect again seen for months beyond cessation of OMS721 treatment. Notably, the current study's patients are at very high risk of progressive renal disease and generally have long-standing, established disease with multiple comorbidities, representing a difficult-to-treat population. Despite that, almost all of the OMS721-treated patients responded to the first 12-week course of treatment. Collectively, these data further confirm the rationale for lectin pathway inhibition as a promising future option for the treatment of patients with IgAN."

14:05 EDT Gaming and Leisure Properties, Eldorado Resorts complete Tropicana deal - Gaming and Leisure Properties (GLPI) announced that it has successfully completed the previously announced acquisition of the real estate assets of five casino properties from Tropicana Entertainment (TPCA) for $964M. The assets to be acquired are Tropicana Atlantic City, Tropicana Evansville, Tropicana Laughlin, Trop Casino Greenville and The Belle of Baton Rouge. Concurrently, Eldorado Resorts (ERI) announced that it completed its previously announced acquisition of Tropicana Entertainment. Under the terms of the transaction, valued at approximately $1.85B, a subsidiary of Eldorado merged into Tropicana and Tropicana became a wholly owned subsidiary of Eldorado. Immediately prior to the merger, Tropicana sold Tropicana Aruba Resort and Casino and Gaming and Leisure Properties acquired substantially all of Tropicana's real estate, other than the real estate underlying MontBleu Casino Resort & Spa and Lumiere Place Casino and Hotel, for approximately $964M and Eldorado acquired the real estate underlying Lumiere Place for $246M. Eldorado will acquire the operating assets of these properties and lease the real estate from Gaming and Leisure through a new master lease with a 15-year initial term and four 5-year renewal periods. Terms of the new lease with Eldorado are similar to the company's existing Master Leases, except that for the first-five lease years the 2% annual escalation of Building Based Rent is subject to an adjusted revenue to rent ratio threshold for the properties in the aggregate of 1.2:1 and thereafter at 1.8:1, Gaming and Leisure stated. Eldorado said the transaction further increases the company's scale and is expected to be immediately accretive to Eldorado's free cash flow and diluted earnings per share, inclusive of identified expected cost synergies of approximately $40M expected to be realized in Eldorado's first year of operation of Tropicana.

13:39 EDT DaVita agrees to pay $270M to settle False Claims Act liability - HealthCare Partners Holdings, doing business as DaVita Medical Holdings, has agreed to pay $270M to resolve its False Claims Act liability for providing inaccurate information that caused Medicare Advantage Plans to receive inflated Medicare payments, the Justice Department announced today. DaVita voluntarily disclosed to the government various practices that were instituted by HealthCare Partners, a California-based independent physician association that DaVita acquired in 2012, that caused Medicare Advantage Organizations to submit incorrect diagnosis codes to CMS and obtain inflated payments in which DaVita and HealthCare Partners shared, the Department of Justice said in a statement. Reference Link

13:26 EDT Google announces video game streaming service Project Stream - In a blog post, Google (GOOG) announced Project Stream, a technical test to solve "some of the biggest challenges of streaming. For this test, we're going to push the limits with one of the most demanding applications for streaming-a blockbuster video game." The company said it partnered with video game maker Ubisoft (UBSFY) to stream soon-to-be released "Assassin's Creed Odyssey" to the Chrome browser on a laptop or desktop. Starting on October 5, a limited number of participants will get to play the game at no charge for the duration of the Project Stream test. "The technology and creativity behind these AAA video games is extraordinary-from incredible detail and life-like movement of the characters' skin, clothing, and hair, to the massive scale of the world in which the game unfolds, down to every last blade of grass," Google said. "Every pixel is powered by an array of real-time rendering technology, artistry, visual effects, animation, simulation, physics and dynamics. We're inspired by the game creators who spend years crafting these amazing worlds, adventures and experiences, and we're building technology that we hope will support and empower that creativity." Reference Link

13:03 EDT Geomni forms strategic alliance with DroneBase for property inspections - Geomni, a Verisk business, and DroneBase, a global drone operations company, announced a strategic alliance that adds DroneBase's pilot network and API to Geomni's fleet of fixed-wing aircraft to expand property inspections globally. Geomni customers are able to order roof or property data packages that include the most up-to-date property conditions via drone imagery. Upon ordering a Geomni UAV inspection, DroneBase's API is alerted, and a local pilot trained to capture the aerial imagery for insurance work is deployed. Once the pilot returns the imagery, Geomni converts the imagery-in as little as 48 hours-into usable property data that gets sent to some of the most widely used insurance applications, such as Xactimate, Xactware's industry-leading estimating platform. Xactware is also a Verisk business.

12:55 EDT Boeing, United Continental announce order for nine 787-9 Dreamliners

12:35 EDT Genesis Alkali raises prices of USP, industrial grades of sodium bicarbonate - 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 USP and Industrial grades of sodium bicarbonate by $25.00 per short ton in the United States and Canada. Genesis Alkali's current energy surcharge program and freight policies remain in effect.

12:29 EDT American Water awarded Fort Leonard Wood water, wastewater treatment contract - American Water announced its Military Services Group has been awarded a contract for ownership, operation and maintenance of the water and wastewater systems at Fort Leonard Wood in Missouri. Located in the south central Missouri Ozarks, Fort Leonard Wood covers more than 62,000 acres and is designated as the U.S. Army's Maneuver Support Center of Excellence. According to the contract, the award revenue is estimated at $591M over a 50-year period. The contract will be subject to an annual economic price adjustment.

12:02 EDT OMA Airports announces retirement of CEO - OMA announced that after twenty years of an invaluable career in the company, Porfirio Gonzalez has decided to step down from his position as CEO. The board has initiated a selection process of the person who will replace Gonzalez and once such process is completed, will inform of the formal retirement of Gonzalez and the appointment of his successor. The company anticipates an orderly transition and will inform once it takes place.

11:51 EDT NJ Treasury reports 5.25% passive stake in PetIQ

11:30 EDT Lockheed Martin contract to marry machine learning with 3D printing - Lockheed Martin and the Office of Naval Research are exploring how to apply artificial intelligence to train robots to independently oversee-and optimize-3-D printing of complex parts. The two-year, $5.8M contract specifically studies and will customize multi-axis robots that use laser beams to deposit material. The team will develop software models and sensor modifications for the robots to build better components. Researchers will apply machine learning techniques to additive manufacturing so variables can be monitored and controlled by the robot during fabrication.

11:15 EDT MKM says sell Infinera after checks predict loss of top customer - Shares of Infinera (INFN) are sliding after MKM Partners analyst Michael Genovese downgraded the stock to Sell, saying his checks suggest the company's loss of its biggest customer amid concerns with its ability to produce leading-edge equipment as the pace needed. SELL INFINERA: This morning, MKM Partners' Genovese downgraded Infinera to Sell from Neutral and lowered his price target on the stock to $5.50 from $10. According to his checks, Infinera has all but lost its largest customer CenturyLink (CTL) to Ciena (CIEN) because of concerns with its ability to produce "new leading-edge DSPs every 18-30 months." Genovese said he believes other customers are probably concerned too. The upcoming fourth quarter and 2019 guidance including Coriant is likely to be disappointing on revenues and margins, he contended. The analyst added that Infinera's 2019 sales outlook is likely to be weak because of revenue dis-synergies and market share loss across both the organic and the Coriant sides of the business, while pointing out that weakness in revenue outlook is likely to overshadow cost synergies. Nonetheless, stand-alone third quarter results should be "solid," Genovese acknowledged, adding that revenues are expected to increase 9% year over year and 1% quarter over quarter to $210M driven by strength with new customers in Asia and the Subsea, DCI and Metro verticals. While the analyst is cautious on the combined companies' 2019 revenue outlook, he thinks it is difficult to predict the fourth quarter revenue guidance due to variations on precisely when the deal will close and how Coriant will recognize its 2H18 revenue linearity. WHAT'S NOTABLE: Last week, Morgan Stanley analyst Meta Marshall reinstated coverage of Infinera with an Overweight rating and $9.50 price target, placing it at the top of her Optical Scorecard as she believes the company's Coriant acquisition could help it generate upwards of $2 of long-term earnings power if it is successful. Access to Coriant's Tier 1 customers can help Infinera's revenues and greater leverage of their fab and vertical integration can help its profits, Marshall told investors. PRICE ACTION: In later morning trading, shares of Infinera have dropped 17.5% to $6.02. Shares of Ciena are also down about 1.5%.

10:55 EDT Con Edison Solutions, Johnson Controls announce battery storage technology JV - Consolidated Edison Solutions (ED) and Johnson Controls (JCI) announced a joint venture to expand the market for the energy storage technology developed over the last several years by Johnson Controls. Con Edison Solutions will be the majority owner and operating partner of the joint venture, while Johnson Controls will participate as a minority owner and will contribute the intellectual property that it has developed for battery management systems and controls. As part of the relationship, Con Edison Solutions has been designated as the exclusive provider of battery energy storage to customers of Johnson Controls. The battery energy storage systems developed by Johnson Controls allow for seamless integration with building systems and employ adaptive algorithms that provide for flexible and customized applications such as peak shaving, frequency regulation, demand management, and integration with renewables. Upon commissioning, the system learns the operating characteristics of the electrical system to which it is connected and then optimizes the application for maximum economic benefit to the end customer. In accordance with the joint venture, Johnson Controls energy storage group employees will become part of Con Edison Clean Energy Businesses effective immediately.

10:28 EDT Perrigo confirms patent challenge for generic version of Jublia - Perrigo Company announced that Valeant Pharmaceuticals North America, Valeant Pharmaceuticals Ireland, Dow Pharmaceuticals Sciences and Kaken Pharmaceuticals initiated patent litigation on September 21, 2018 in the United States District Court for the District of New Jersey regarding Perrigo's Paragraph IV Abbreviated New Drug Application for efinaconazole topical solution 10%, asserting patents listed in the Orange Book for Jublia. This action formally initiates the litigation process under the Hatch-Waxman Act. Jublia Topical Solution 10%, is indicated for the topical treatment of onychomycosis of the toenails due to Trichophyton rubrum and Trichophyton mentagrophytes. Annual market sales for the 12 months ending July 2018 were $276M as measured by IQVIA.

10:03 EDT LivePerson acquires Conversable, terms not disclosed - LivePerson announced that it has acquired Conversable, a leading conversational intelligence platform focused on social and marketing use cases, with a speciality in conversational commerce for the quick service restaurant and hospitality industries. The acquisition brings additional AI, social listening and outbound messaging campaign management capabilities to LivePerson and its market-leading conversational commerce platform LiveEngage. Conversable's solutions have been adopted by household name brands across the hospitality, entertainment, tech and other industries. Conversable's AI and automation development teams will join LivePerson's global product and technology organization. Financial terms of the transaction were not disclosed. The acquisition is not expected to have a material impact on LivePerson's results of operations for the full year ending Dec. 31, 2018.

10:02 EDT Boeing awarded $160M contract from Army for rotor blade support - Boeing said it will continue its support for the U.S. Army's inventory of H-47 Chinook rotor blades with a new $160M contract award. The five-year performance-based logistics agreement extends work that began in 2012 and calls for the continued management of stock availability and the overhauling of all Chinook blades for the U.S. Army. Boeing is responsible for rotor blade maintenance, repair and overhaul, as well as developing innovative ways to save blades that would typically be removed from service. There are more than 450 U.S. Army Chinooks worldwide.

10:00 EDT Methode Electronics falls -4.7% - Methode Electronics is down -4.7%, or -$1.69 to $34.51.

10:00 EDT VelocityShares 3x Inv Natural Gas ETN falls -6.6% - VelocityShares 3x Inv Natural Gas ETN is down -6.6%, or -$1.23 to $17.50.

10:00 EDT Cango rises 8.7% - Cango is up 8.7%, or 99c to $12.32.

09:59 EDT Tronox provides update on potential sale of Cristal's Ashtabula, Ohio complex - Tronox Limited (TROX) announced that the 75-day exclusivity period under its Memorandum of Understanding with Venator Materials (VNTR) has expired without the two companies agreeing on definitive terms of a potential divestiture by Tronox to Venator of the Ashtabula, Ohio, titanium dioxide production complex. On July 16, 2018, Venator and Tronox announced they had entered into the MOU, which contemplated the possible sale of the Ashtabula, Ohio facility to Venator if a divestiture of the facility would be required to secure U.S. Federal Trade Commission approval of the Company's proposed acquisition of the TiO2 business of The National Titanium Dioxide Company, a privately held global chemical and mining company headquartered in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. Tronox continues to discuss the possible divestiture of the Ashtabula TiO2 complex as a settlement and potential remedy to allow completion of its acquisition of Cristal to be consummated.

09:55 EDT Akorn trading resumes

09:53 EDT ConocoPhillips to sell interest in Greater Sunrise Fields for $350M - ConocoPhillips announced it has entered into an agreement to sell to the government of Timor-Leste its 30% interest in the Greater Sunrise Fields. The total sales price of the transaction, which is conditioned on the government receiving funding approval from the Timor-Leste Council of Ministers and National Parliament, as well as regulatory approvals and partner pre-emption rights, is for $350M, prior to customary adjustments. Proceeds from this transaction will be used for general corporate purposes. The transaction is subject to certain conditions precedent being satisfied, including funding approval from the government of Timor-Leste, regulatory approvals and partner pre-emption rights. It is expected to close in the first quarter of 2019.

09:47 EDT Magna rises 9.0% - Magna is up 9.0%, or $4.72 to $57.25.

09:46 EDT Perspecta wins cyber hunting contract with DARPA - Perspecta announced that its innovative research arm, Perspecta Labs, was awarded a prime contract from the U.S. Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency to support the Cyber-Hunting at Scale program. The four-year contract which represents new work for the company has a base value of $4.7M, not including options. The goal of the CHASE program is to develop dynamic, real-time tools that can successfully defend large-scale, distributed networks from broad-spectrum cyber threats. The program aims to leverage iterative techniques to converge on the right data, from the right devices, at the right time to detect, characterize and thwart attacks. On the contract, Perspecta Labs will develop, demonstrate and evaluate data-driven cyber-hunting tools that work in real-time, at-scale, and across multiple enterprise networks. Specifically, the company plans to design and develop WILEE, a set of components for threat detection and characterization.

09:42 EDT DaVita Kidney Care CEO says 'deeply relieved' by Senate Bill 1156 veto - DaVita Kidney Care, a division of DaVita Inc., a provider of kidney care services in the United States, issued the following statement attributable to Javier Rodriguez, CEO for DaVita Kidney Care. "We are deeply relieved and want to thank Governor Brown for protecting dialysis patients and vetoing SB 1156, a bill that would have significantly hurt dialysis patients throughout that state. This bill was sponsored and pushed by the SEIU and Blue Shield of California and would have harmed thousands of dialysis patients in California by allowing health plans to discriminate against low-income dialysis patients who rely on charitable assistance to pay their insurance premiums."

09:29 EDT Tyler Technologies acquires MobileEyes - Tyler Technologies announced it has acquired TradeMaster, Inc., commonly known in the industry as MobileEyes, a company that develops software to improve public safety by supporting fire prevention and suppression, emergency response, and structural safety.

09:28 EDT Uranium Energy increases underwritten public offering to $20M - Uranium Energy Corp. is pleased to announce that, due to increased demand, its underwriters have now agreed to purchase 12,613,049 units of the Company, at a price of $1.60 per Unit, with each Unit consisting of one common share of the Company and one-half of one common share purchase warrant for gross proceeds of approximately $20M. Each Warrant will entitle its holder to acquire one common share at an exercise price of $2.05 per Warrant Share exercisable immediately upon issuance and expiring 30 months from the closing of the Offering. The Company anticipates that the net proceeds of the Offering will be used to fund exploration and development expenditures at the Company's projects and for general corporate and working capital purposes. The closing of the Offering is expected to occur on October 3, 2018, subject to customary closing conditions.

09:27 EDT Akorn intends to appeal Delaware court ruling in favor of Fresenius SE

09:26 EDT Marathon Petroleum announces completion of Andeavor combination - Marathon Petroleum (MPC) has closed the transaction in which it acquired all of the outstanding shares of Andeavor (ANDV). As of this morning, Andeavor ceased to be publicly traded and its common stock discontinued trading on the New York Stock Exchange. "This transformative transaction is a significant milestone in our company's more than 130-year history," said MPC Chairman and CEO Gary Heminger. "MPC is now the leading refining, midstream, and marketing company in the U.S., and is well-positioned for long-term growth and shareholder value creation. We are excited to begin unlocking the extraordinary potential across our new platform, including approximately $1B of tangible annual run-rate synergies we expect within the first three years. We look forward to sharing more details around our plans at our upcoming December Investor Day."

09:25 EDT Third Point Reinsurance says Campbell Soup could be worth $52-$58 per share - In a presentation to shareholders of Campbell Soup (CPB) arguing to replace the entire board, Third Point Reinsurance (TPRE) says Campbell Soup is likely to attract multiple buyers and could fetch 14-15x EBITDA, implying $52 to $58 per share. Third Point notes the company is a compelling investment case with over $5B in sales with attractive free cash flow dynamics. Near-term potential to return soup to growth and improve Fresh margins under focused management team; soup category dynamics could be similar to frozen category, which has seen accelerating sales growth on the back of new innovation. Long-term potential to combine with another U.S. food and beverage company.

09:23 EDT Fresenius says court upholds termination of Akorn buyout - Fresenius (FSNUY) announced that in the lawsuit by Akorn (AKRX) against it for the consummation of the April 2017 merger agreement, the Court of Chancery in the U.S. state of Delaware today ruled in favor of Fresenius. The judgment is not yet final. Fresenius terminated the merger agreement due to Akorn's failure to fulfill several closing conditions. An independent investigation initiated by Fresenius had revealed, among other things, material breaches of FDA data integrity requirements relating to Akorn's operations, the company said in a statement. Akorn responded by suing in the Court of Chancery in Delaware for the consummation of the agreement. Shares of Akorn dropped 47%, or $6.08, to $6.90 in premarket trading before being halted for news pending.

09:18 EDT Golar LNG, Hoegh LNG Partners and others invest $182M in Avenir LNG - Golar LNG (GLNG) announced an investment of $24.75M in Avenir LNG. The investment is part of a combined commitment of up to $182M from Stolt-Nielsen, Hoegh LNG (HMLP) and Golar for the pursuit of opportunities in small-scale LNG, including the delivery of LNG to areas of stranded demand, the development of LNG bunkering services and supply to the transportation sector. Avenir LNG intends to utilize the capabilities of its anchor investors to build a global presence as the leading provider of small-scale LNG, and it will be among the first movers in this market with a fleet of small-scale LNG carriers and terminals. The market for small-scale LNG is rapidly expanding, with great potential to be realized in the off-grid power, transportation and bunkering markets because of high-margin oil-to-gas switching, policy changes and environmental benefits of consuming LNG relative to alternative fossil fuels. The forthcoming IMO 2020 regulations are one of many driving factors for increased small-scale LNG consumption, and Avenir LNG plans to introduce safe and efficient ship-to-ship bunkering services at key strategic ports to meet and develop demand for LNG as a marine fuel. Avenir LNG was originally formed by Stolt-Nielsen in 2017 to provide LNG to markets lacking access to LNG pipelines. Stolt-Nielsen will consolidate all its LNG activities into Avenir, including four small-scale LNG carriers currently under construction at Keppel Singmarine in Nantong, China, and an LNG terminal and distribution facility under development in the Italian port of Oristano, Sardinia. Avenir LNG plans to source and ship LNG to the terminal using small LNG carriers, and distribute the LNG in trucks and through regasification into the local gas grid. Golar LNG and Hoegh LNG will each hold an initial share of 25% of Avenir LNG, while Stolt-Nielsen will remain the largest shareholder with ownership of 50%. Subsequent to the initial capital raise, Avenir LNG contemplates a public listing on the Oslo Over-The-Counter market.

09:12 EDT Genius Brands enters into agreement with Bank Leumi for $6M finance facility - Genius Brands announced that it has entered into an agreement with Bank Leumi USA for a new $6M non-recourse production finance facility, which matures on March 31, 2021. The facility provides non-dilutive production financing for the recently greenlit second season of Llama Llama, which will air on Netflix. This round of financing follows an initial facility secured in 2016 for season one of Llama Llama for $5.2M from Bank Leumi.

09:10 EDT Sun-Maid Growers of California licenses Raisin Bread rights to Flowers Foods - Sun-Maid Growers of California announced a brand licensing agreement giving Flowers Foods license to produce and distribute Sun-Maid Raisin bread to approximately 80% of the U.S. population. The agreement launches in retail stores this week, with both companies committed to growing the brand. Sun-Maid is launching a new campaign in January 2019 to remind consumers of the great experiences and memories they have had with Sun-Maid over the years. Flowers will help support the campaign with tie-ins that promote the great taste and quality of Sun-Maid Raisin bread.

09:09 EDT Polar Power receives $7.5M in new orders from U.S. Tier 1 wireless customers - Polar Power announced the receipt of $7.5M in new orders from its existing U.S. Tier 1 wireless customers, which will add to its existing backlog. On top of its existing orders, these additional orders are scheduled for deliveries over the next 120 days. Polar Power 's DC generators are used to power telecom equipment at tower facilities for both on-grid or off-grid locations. These new orders are for Polar Power's standard 15kW DC backup generator with the following fuel options: diesel, natural gas and LPG fuel. With the proliferation of wireless broadband services across the United States, the need for increased reliability is growing in parallel with the need for site hardening due to the increasing frequency and severity of storms. Key technology trends, such as the internet of things, autonomous vehicles and video streaming demand high reliability and quality standards from broadband services. For the past 25 years, Polar Power has designed power systems that meet stringent industry requirements and it is now benefiting from capital expenditure plans at Tier-1 telecoms as network reliability and backup power during emergencies have become key industry initiatives.

09:06 EDT Great Lakes Dredge receives $48M contract award on Big Bend Channel of Tampa Bay - Great Lakes Dredge announced the receipt of a $48M base contract award on the Big Bend Channel of the Port of Tampa Bay. Great Lakes expects the United States Army Corps of Engineers, or USACE, to award additional option work items on the contract by early-2019 with a value of $25M, resulting in a total contract award of $74M. Dredging is expected to commence in Q4 with completion of both base contract and expected options in the third quarter of 2019. Port Tampa Bay is Florida's largest and most diverse seaport, supporting liquid and dry bulk raw materials, container cargo and one million plus cruise passengers each year. Expanding the Big Bend Channel, which connects to the main channel in Tampa's harbor, will allow for larger vessels to dock along the channel and ease the movement of goods through the port to the Interstate 4 corridor. This project is sponsored by the USACE Jacksonville District, the Tampa Bay Port Authority, the Florida Department of Transportation and two of the port's largest tenants. This unique public/private partnership has allowed this significant expansion of the port and is expected to have major economic benefits and employment opportunities for both Tampa Bay and the State of Florida.

09:04 EDT Federal Agricultural Mortgage names Bradford Nordholm CEO - The Federal Agricultural Mortgage Corporation announced that its Board of Directors has selected Bradford Nordholm as President and CEO of the company, effective October 15, 2018. Lowell Junkins, who has served as Farmer Mac's Acting President and CEO since December 2017, will continue as Chairman of the Board, a role that he has held since 2010. Nordholm joins Farmer Mac from Starwood Energy Group Global, a leading private investment firm specializing in energy infrastructure, where he served as the company's first CEO from 2006 to 2016 and most recently as Vice Chairman.

09:01 EDT Nutrien announces retirement of CFO Wayne Brownlee - Nutrien announced that the CFO, Wayne Brownlee, after an exceptional career in the sector, has decided to retire October 31, 2018. The company has been working through a succession plan and expects to announce the new CFO by the end of October.

08:56 EDT Sententia announces ISS recommendation for Schmitt shareholders - Sententia Capital Management, the beneficial owners of approximately 8.1% of the outstanding shares of common stock of Schmitt Industries, announced that, in a report issued on September 28, 2018, Institutional Shareholder Services, one of the world's leading independent proxy advisor firm, recommended that Schmitt shareholders "WITHOLD" votes from legacy director nominee Maynard E. Brown and vote "AGAINST" approval of Schmitt's say-on-pay proposal at the Company's annual meeting scheduled to be held on Friday, October 12, 2018, in Portland, Oregon.

08:54 EDT IAVI acquires Aeras TB vaccine clinical programs, assets - The International AIDS Vaccine Initiative and Aeras, a nonprofit organization dedicated to developing tuberculosis vaccines, today announced the transfer to IAVI of Aeras' TB vaccine clinical research programs and assets, consisting of certain clinical staff, clinical programs, biorepository, funding commitments, and other assets. The transaction, effective today, will enable the continuity of Aeras' core TB vaccine clinical programs and will expand IAVI's clinical development capabilities and network, incorporating an experienced clinical team and South African clinical partner network with a strong track record in later-stage clinical trials and work with adolescent and adult populations. This agreement comes as the New England Journal of Medicine published the results of a clinical study conducted by Aeras in collaboration with GSK (GSK), evaluating GSK's investigational TB vaccine candidate, M72/AS01E The Phase IIb efficacy study showed that the vaccine protected against active pulmonary TB disease, with an overall vaccine efficacy of 54 percent. This finding, if confirmed in follow-up studies, would represent a breakthrough in the decades-long quest to develop an effective TB vaccine. The study involved 3,573 HIV-negative adults in three countries in Africa. These results follow another Aeras Phase II study recently published in the NEJM showing the potential to prevent sustained TB infection among high-risk adolescents. The study involved the currently available bacille Calmette-Guerin vaccine and an experimental subunit vaccine candidate, H4:IC31, which uses the IC31 adjuvant available under license from Valneva. The study was conducted through a partnership between Aeras and Sanofi (SNY). The GSK proprietary AS01 adjuvant system contains the QS-21 Stimulon(R) adjuvant licensed from Antigenics LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Agenus Inc. (AGEN).

08:50 EDT Akorn sinks 47% after Judge rules Fresenius can pull out of takeover - Shares of Akorn (AKRX) are sinking after Delaware Chancery Court Judge Travis Laster ruled that Fresenius (FSNUY) has proper grounds for canceling its $34 per share buyout of the generic drugmaker. The judge, in a 246-page opinion, said that Fresenius "properly exercised its rights" to withdraw from the deal, according to Bloomberg. Before being halted for news, shares of Akorn dropped 47%, or $6.08, to $6.90.

08:48 EDT Infinity Pharmaceuticals expects FY18 net loss $10M-$20M - Infinity's updated 2018 financial guidance is: Net Loss: Infinity expects net loss for 2018 to range from $10 million to $20 million. Cash and Investments: Infinity expects to end 2018 with a year-end cash, cash equivalents and available-for-sale securities balance ranging from $50 million to $60 million. Cash Runway: Based on its current operational plans, Infinity expects that its existing cash, cash equivalents and available-for-sale securities will be adequate to satisfy the company's capital needs into 2020. Infinity's financial guidance excludes additional funding or business development activities and does not include a potential $2 million payment from PellePharm, a private company, upon initiation of a Phase 3 study for the hedgehog inhibitor program, which Infinity licensed to PellePharm in 2013.

08:45 EDT RiceBran completes management transition plan - RiceBran Technologies announced that the vompany has completed its previously announced management transition plan. As part of the completion of that plan, Brent Rystrom has assumed the role of president, CEO and member of the Board of Directors of RiceBran Technologies effective today, replacing Robert Smith who stepped down from that position effective September 30, 2018. Dennis Dykes, succeeded Rystrom as CFO and has assumed the additional role of Corporate Secretary. The Company also appointed David Chemerow as a member of its Board of Directors effective October 1, 2018.

08:43 EDT Simon Property names Adam Reuille SVP, chief accounting officer - Simon announced that Adam Reuille has been promoted to serve as the Company's SVP and Chief Accounting Officer, effective October 1, 2018. Steven Broadwater takes on new responsibilities as the Company's Senior Vice President - Financial Reporting & Operations. Reuille has been with Simon for more than 8 years, most recently as the Company's Vice President and Corporate Controller and has over 20 years of public accounting and financial reporting experience

08:42 EDT Diversicare, Omega Healthcare enter new master lease agreement - Diversicare (DVCR) announced that pursuant to the binding agreement between Omega and Diversicare effective September 25, 2017, have now entered into a new master lease agreement with Omega Healthcare Investors (OHI) to lease 34 centers currently owned by Omega and operated by Diversicare. Diversicare's prior master lease with Omega provided for its operation of 23 nursing centers in Texas, Kentucky, Alabama, Tennessee, Florida, and Ohio. Additionally, Diversicare operates 11 centers owned by Omega under separate leases in Missouri, Kentucky, Indiana, and Ohio. The new master lease agreement, effective October 1, consolidates the leases for all 34 centers under one New Master Lease. Additionally, Diversicare ceased operations at its Ontario, Ohio stand-alone 50 bed assisted living facility on October 1, thus terminating its lease for this center owned by Omega.

08:40 EDT FIS, Banco Bradesco agree to new long-term contract - FIS announced that it has signed an agreement to unwind its joint venture and enter into a significant long term commercial agreement to provide current and new solutions and services to Banco Bradesco, one of the largest financial institutions in Brazil. New services to be provided to Banco Bradesco under the agreement include software application licensing and management, card portfolio migration, business process outsourcing, fraud management, and professional services. This transaction to unwind the JV will benefit both parties and support the long-term growth of their respective businesses. Without the JV structure and overhead, Banco Bradesco will achieve attractive cost savings, and FIS will benefit from its ability to compete independently in the market. FIS will continue to provide ongoing services to all non-Bradesco customers currently in the JV on a direct basis. At closing, the parties will spin off all of the JV assets which service the non-Bradesco customers of the JV, and those assets needed to provide the new and continuing services that FIS will then provide directly to Bradesco to a new entity owned by FIS. This will include, at closing, transferring approximately 40% of the current JV workforce to the new FIS entity. The transactions are subject to approval of the Brazilian Central Bank and Trade Commission and customary contractual provisions, and are expected to close by the second quarter of 2019.

08:39 EDT Axos Financial agrees to acquire COR Clearing - Axos Financial announced that its subsidiary, Axos Clearing, has signed a definitive agreement to acquire by merger the parent company of COR Clearing. The company expects the transaction to be accretive to EPS by approximately 6% in Year 1 and 7% in Year 2. The all-cash transaction will be funded with existing capital at the holding company. Axos expects the acquisition to close in the first half of calendar 2019, subject to regulatory approval and other customary closing conditions..

08:38 EDT WellCare, VillageMD expand value-based care partnership - WellCare Health Plans announced it has expanded its value-based care partnership with VillageMD, a leading national primary care provider, to include its network of provider practices in Georgia and Illinois. WellCare members already have access to VillageMD's provider partners in Kentucky and Texas. Under the partnership, WellCare will collaborate with VillageMD to drive quality-based improvements and better health outcomes for its members.

08:37 EDT LiqTech signs framework agreement with marine scrubber manufacturer - LiqTech International announced the Company has signed a framework agreement with one of the world's largest marine scrubber manufacturers to develop a new product for the treatment of Marine Scrubber Wastewater. The new product will offer marine vessels guaranteed compliance with 2020 International Maritime Organization regulations to implement a new lower global cap on Sulphur emissions from international shipping, while providing attractive returns on capital and operating expenses. The execution of the framework agreement follows a previously announced Letter of Intent between the two companies in April 2018, which was then extended in July 2018. The new filtration product covered under the framework agreement will be available for sale starting on January 1, 2019.

08:36 EDT Stryker acquires HyperBranch Medical Technology for $220M - Stryker announced the acquisition of privately-held HyperBranch Medical Technology for a total equity value of approximately $220M in an all cash transaction. HyperBranch is dedicated to developing medical devices based on its proprietary polymers and cross-linked hydrogels. Its adherus autospray dural sealant product is one of only two FDA-approved dural sealants on the market. As a PMA approved and CE cleared hydrogel that is indicated for use as an adjunct to standard methods of dural repair to aid in creating a watertight closure of the dura, the Adherus product is highly complementary to Stryker's Craniomaxillofacial division. The patent protected sealant formulation, combined with a differentiated delivery system, is proven through clinical trials to provide clinically safe and effective dural closure. The transaction is expected to have an immaterial impact to net earnings in 2018.

08:34 EDT Macau reports September casino revenue up 2.8% to 21.95B patacas - Macau's gaming bureau reported September gross revenue from games of fortune in the region rose 2.8% year-over-year to 21.95B patacas. Publicly traded companies in the Macau gaming space include Las Vegas Sands (LVS), MGM Resorts (MGM), Wynn Resorts (WYNN) and Melco Resorts (MLCO).

08:32 EDT Patrick Industries completes acquisition of Engineered Metals and Composites - Patrick Industries announced that it has completed the acquisition of the business and certain assets of West Columbia, South Carolina-based Engineered Metals and Composites, a designer and manufacturer of custom marine towers, frames, and other fabricated component products for OEMs in the marine industry. EMC's trailing 12-months revenue through August 2018 was approximately $16M and the Company expects the acquisition to be immediately accretive to net income per share. The acquisition of EMC includes the acquisition of accounts receivable, inventory, and machinery and equipment, and was funded under the Company's existing credit facility. Patrick will continue to operate EMC on a stand-alone basis under its brand name in its existing facility.

08:28 EDT United Airlines enhances transcontinental schedule - United Airlines (UAL) announced it is enhancing its transcontinental service offering customers more flights and more seats between New York/Newark and Los Angeles and San Francisco, more than any other airline. Beginning Jan. 7, 2019, United will be the first North American airline to operate the Boeing (BA) 787-10, the newest aircraft in the Dreamliner family, on select transcontinental flights between New York/Newark and Los Angeles and New York/Newark and San Francisco. United's transcontinental schedule and the aircraft give customers traveling cross-country the choice of more than 7,200 seats, with more than 1,000 premium seats per day, more than any other airline. Tickets are now available for purchase. United has enhanced its transcontinental schedule by increasing the number of flights between New York and Los Angeles and San Francisco to 27 daily flights and by adding more than 700 daily seats and 125 daily premium seats and giving customers more optimal flight times. United Airlines is the first North American carrier to operate the Boeing 787-10 aircraft. While United typically operates its widebody aircraft for international routes, it will operate its first -10 aircraft between New York/Newark and Los Angeles and San Francisco. The aircraft features 44 of United's exclusive United Polaris seats; 21 United Premium Plus seats which will initially be sold as Economy Plus; 54 Economy Plus seats; and 199 United Economy seats. The 787-10 is 18 feet longer than the 787-9 and can carry more passengers and more cargo. The 787-10 can fly up to 6,430 nautical miles, while using 20 percent less fuel than older generation airplanes. United currently operates 25 787-9 and 12 787-8 Dreamliner aircraft. As the airline continues to execute on its comprehensive fleet plan which includes its widebody replacement strategy, United today announced an order to purchase an additional nine 787-9 aircraft. The company expects to begin taking delivery of the additional aircraft in 2020. The aircraft will be used to replace older widebody aircraft currently in service. By the end of this year United will have 40 Dreamliner aircraft in its fleet and 24 on order. United will continue to evaluate opportunities to purchase used aircraft.

08:24 EDT United Airlines to launch direct flight between Monterey and Denver - Beginning October 4, Monterey County Convention & Visitors Bureau will welcome the launch of direct United Airlines flight service between Monterey, California and Denver, Colorado. Known for its scenic beauty and picturesque coastline, Monterey County, California draws millions of visitors each year and is now planning on welcoming a greater number of visitors from the Rocky Mountain region and beyond. The new route will offer visitors nearly 100 connection opportunities to key domestic and international destinations throughout the country. With two daily flights, passengers will be able to travel seamlessly between California's golden coast and the "Mile High City."

08:23 EDT Foamix announces additional results from Phase 3 trial of FMX101 - Foamix announced additional topline results from its third Phase 3 clinical trial of FMX101 for the treatment of moderate-to-severe acne. As the company previously communicated, the study met both co-primary endpoints of absolute change from baseline in inflammatory lesion count at Week 12, and investigator global assessment, or IGA, treatment success at Week 12, defined as an IGA score of 0 or 1, and at least a 2-grade improvement from baseline. Results from both co-primary endpoints demonstrated highly statistically significant results for FMX101 vs vehicle, with p-values less than 0.0001. The safety profile of FMX101 was consistent with that determined from the two prior Phase 3 studies. The mean reduction in non-inflammatory lesion count at Week 12 relative to Baseline was -18.83 for the FMX101 treatment group and -15.67 for the vehicle treatment group.

08:20 EDT Tencent announces reorganization into six business groups - Tencent Holdings announced a strategic organizational upgrade which, building on our "Connection" foundation, positions Tencent to drive the convergence of social, content, and technology trends; and to better serve enterprises, enhancing the connectivity between the "Consumer Internet" and the "Industrial Internet". 2018 marks the 20th anniversary of Tencent, and the third company-wide reorganization. Several existing business groups including Corporate & Development Group, Interactive Entertainment Group, Technology Engineering Group and Weixin Group will continue. Three business groups - Social Network Group, Mobile Internet Group and Online Media Group - will be reorganized into two newly-formed business groups and one business line. Details are as below: To stay at the forefront of converging trend of social and content services, we will establish a new business group - Platform & Content Group - to develop and operate our high traffic social and utility platforms including QQ, Qzone, YingYongBao, and Tencent Browser, and also to manage and foster the ecosystem around our content activities including Tencent News, Tencent Video, WeiShi, KuaiBao, Penguin eSports, Tencent Anime, Tencent Pictures and Penguin Pictures. To better serve industries transitioning to online, we will set up a new business group - Cloud & Smart Industries Group - integrating our cloud business and enterprise-facing services. CSIG will develop our cloud, smart industries and related activities. Leveraging core services such as Tencent Cloud, Smart Retail, Security, Tencent Map and Youtu, CSIG will promote cloud computing solutions, AI and other technologies to various industries, including retail, industrial, education, healthcare, transportation and municipal services, enabling them to pursue digital transformation. We will consolidate our advertising operations into a new business line - Advertising and Marketing Services. The advertising sales department under OMG and the social and performance advertising department under CDG will be merged to form AMS, within CDG, and our integrated resources in social, video, news and information and other rich media will bring greater value to advertisers. We will establish the Tencent Technology Committee to enhance open-source collaboration, innovation, and more efficient use of technologies across the company. We will continue to invest in cutting-edge technologies, stepping up our investments in AI, robotics and quantum research laboratories. Following the strategy upgrade, Tencent will manage its businesses via six business groups, including Corporate Development Group, Interactive Entertainment Group, Weixin Group, Platform and Content Group , Cloud and Smart Industries Group, and Technology Engineering Group, together with the administrative S lines.

08:18 EDT Melinta Therapeutics, Menarini enter commercial agreement for Vabomere, Orbactiv - Melinta Therapeutics and Menarini Group, an Italian biopharmaceutical group, announced that they have entered into an agreement under which Menarini will acquire the exclusive rights to co-develop and commercialize Vabomere, Orbactiv and Minocin for Injection in 68 countries in Europe, Asia-Pacific including China, South Korea, and Australia, and the Commonwealth of Independent States including Russia for a total consideration of up to $265M. Under the terms of the agreement, Melinta will receive an upfront licensing fee, additional approval and sales-based milestone payments, and potential royalty payments based on a percentage of net sales of the three products. Proceeds from the agreement will more than satisfy Melinta's milestone payment obligation related to Vabomere's European marketing approval. The agreement builds on Melinta and Menarini's existing commercial and co-development agreement for Baxdela -- announced in 2017 -- in the same 68 markets. Melinta will maintain its rights for Vabomere, Orbactiv and Minocin for Injection in the U.S., where all three products are currently marketed.

08:17 EDT Fiat Chrysler announces changes to leadership team - Fiat Chrysler Automobiles shared an email to FCA employees issued by CEO Mike Manley, which states in part: "In the last 60 days, I have travelled between our APAC, EMEA and NAFTA regions and I'm looking forward to my trip to LATAM in the next few weeks. I've been able to meet with many of you and to discuss our roadmap to delivering the commitments in the Five-Year Business Plan we laid out on June 1st. Having been deeply involved in the development of the plan, I can tell you that it was created with the sure knowledge that we have the depth and breadth of talent and skills we need to meet our objective of becoming one of the world's most profitable automakers. I'm not saying we'll not have challenges to overcome...Nevertheless, with a laser focus on execution and a continued flexibility that allows us to adjust as circumstances change - something that has become one of our most unique characteristics and strengths - we have a clear line of sight to achieving our five-year ambitions. We have an outstanding team here at FCA with extensive experience and an exceptional record of success and I'm pleased today to announce the following evolution in our leadership roles as we begin to implement our new plan: Pietro Gorlier is named Chief Operating Officer of our EMEA region; Ermanno Ferrari is named CEO of Magneti Marelli; Harald Wester is named Chief Operating Officer of Maserati. Harald will maintain his role as Chief Technology Officer; Tim Kuniskis is named Head of Jeep Brand North America [and] will maintain his responsibilities as Global Head of Alfa Romeo; Reid Bigland is named Head of Ram Brand; Scott Garberding is named Global Chief Manufacturing Officer. Scott succeeds Stefan Ketter who at the beginning of this year notified us of his plans to step down from his role at FCA. Richard Schwarzwald is named Global Head of Quality, succeeding Garberding in the role...Today's announcements further align our leadership structure to the achievement of the targets set out in our five-year plan. These appointments ensure that we will maintain our focus on the highest degree of execution and excellence in each of our regions and across our functional groups. They also provide the appropriate support to our broad-based brand portfolio and reinforce our disciplined approach to capital allocation."

08:15 EDT Diebold Nixdorf names Jeffrey Rutherford as interim CFO - Diebold Nixdorf (DBD) announced the appointment of Jeffrey Rutherford, as interim CFO, effective immediately. He replaces Chris Chapman, who is leaving the company to pursue other opportunities. The company has engaged a national firm to conduct a search for a permanent chief financial officer, and Chapman will provide support in an advisory capacity to assist with the transition. Rutherford has a 35-year career in corporate finance and accounting, with over 20 years in senior leadership roles. He joins the firm from Edgewater Technology (EDGW), a leading technology consulting firm, where he will continue to serve as Chairman through Edgewater's previously announced merger.

08:13 EDT Strata Skin Sciences announces completion of MMD accessory trial - Strata Skin Sciences announced the completion of a multi-center clinical study investigating the efficiency and efficacy of its FDA cleared Multi-Micro Dose, or MMD, diagnostic tip accessory for the proprietary Xtrac 308nm excimer laser. Three separate clinics utilized the patent-pending MMD tip, in conjunction with the Xtrac laser, to filter the narrow band UVB light at delivery in order to calculate and customize the maximum non-blistering dose for each of the participating patients in the study. The MMD tip simultaneously applies multiple level doses of energy to a specific area of a patient's psoriatic plaque, thereby identifying the maximum sub-blistering energy dose for a particular treatment zone. Utilizing the results from these test patches, the physician can design the optimal therapeutic dose treatment for each patient. This proprietary process was trademarked by Strata as the optimal therapeutic dose, or OTD, and is intended to provide faster patient outcomes and greater patient satisfaction. The clinical study was designed to measure increased efficacy and determine the minimum number of treatment sessions necessary to achieve desired clinical endpoints. Following the OTD process, the physician determines the maximum non-blistering dose for the patient's psoriatic plaque. Data have shown that higher doses of the XTRAC treatment achieved PASI-75 clearance in as little as two to four weekly treatments, as compared to an average of 6.2 treatments, shown in previously published studies at lower doses. Overall, 92% of the included participants responded to treatment by achieving a reduction in mPASI score of 75% or more.

08:11 EDT Abbott secures CE Mark for FreeStyle Libre 2 - Abbott announced that it has secured CE Mark for its FreeStyle Libre 2 system-the next generation of FreeStyle Libre, which safely and successfully replaces self-monitoring of blood glucose without the use of finger sticks2 and now offers optional glucose alarms for patients who need them.

08:10 EDT BJ's Wholesale to close on Thanksgiving Day - BJ's Wholesale Club announced that its clubs will be closed on Thanksgiving Day and will open at 7 a.m. on Black Friday. BJs.com will release Black Friday Steals at 12:01 a.m. on Thanksgiving, giving members access to outstanding holiday deals on exclusive toys, technology, decor and more.

08:08 EDT Allison Transmission announces collaboration with Saucon Technologies - Allison Transmission has collaborated with Saucon Technologies, a provider of technology solutions for the passenger transportation industry, to deliver transmission health information to motorcoach, public transit, and school bus fleets. Transmission health information can include prognostics to monitor various operating parameters, oil and filter life and diagnostic transmission information. This partnership is part of an ongoing journey to provide fleets with actionable information to support their fourth- and fifth-generation Allison transmissions that are already in service.

08:07 EDT Novan says Phase 2 molluscum contagiosum trial fully enrolled - Novan announced that enrollment in the company's Phase 2 clinical trial to evaluate topical nitric oxide product candidate SB206 for the treatment of molluscum contagiosum has fully enrolled all cohorts. Cohorts 3 and 4, SB206 12% twice-daily and 12% once-daily, respectively, were recruited meaningfully ahead of schedule with enrollment completed in August. The trial was initiated in January of 2018; the Company previously communicated that top line results were targeted to be available in the fourth quarter of 2018. Based on the expedient enrollment, top line results for Cohorts 1 to 3 with SB206 4%, 8% and 12% twice-daily are now targeted to be communicated no later than mid-November, with Cohort 4, SB206 12% once-daily targeted to be reported in December. The Phase 2 multi-center, randomized, double-blind, vehicle-controlled, ascending dose clinical trial is designed to evaluate the efficacy, safety and tolerability of SB206 in up to 256 patients with molluscum contagiosum. The trial is being conducted in primarily pediatric patients and adults, 2 years of age and older. The first cohort of patients were randomized on a 3:1 basis to an initial dose of SB206 4% twice-daily, or placebo, for 12 weeks of treatment. If the dose in each cohort was determined to be safe and well tolerated by the Data Safety Monitoring Board, the dose was escalated up to 8% twice-daily in the second cohort, and then 12% twice-daily and once-daily for the ensuing cohorts of patients. The primary endpoint is the proportion of patients achieving complete clearance of all molluscum lesions at Week 12. Pending results of the Phase 2 trial, Novan will request an end-of-Phase 2 meeting with the FDA as early as possible during the first quarter of 2019. This meeting would enable Novan to discuss and agree on a Phase 3 development plan for molluscum. Currently, there is no FDA-approved therapy for the molluscum indication.

08:06 EDT America First Multifamily Investors announces sale of Jade Park MF property - America First Multifamily Investors announced that on September 25, 2018, it sold Jade Park, a 144-unit property, held in its MF Property portfolio, located in Daytona, Florida for $13.45M. ATAX will realize a gross gain, before direct and indirect expenses, of approximately $4M to be recognized in the third quarter of 2018. In addition, Lake Forest, a 240-unit property contiguous to Jade Park, was sold by its owner. The mortgage revenue bond associated with Lake Forest and held by ATAX was redeemed. As a result of this sale, ATAX will realize interest, contingent interest and other income, before direct and indirect expenses, of approximately $10.4M in the third quarter of 2018.

08:05 EDT Unilever CEO: Reports of Unilever leaving the U.K. 'simply not true' - Unilever CEO Paul Polman issued a letter to employees defending the proposal to simplify the consumer products company's operation and eliminate its dual-headquarters structure. In a letter was published in an SEC filing, Polman said "A simpler structure will give Unilever greater flexibility for strategic portfolio change, including larger acquisitions and demergers of parts of our business. In addition, it will significantly improve our governance, by treating all shareholders equally and moving Unilever to a 'one share, one vote' principle for the first time in our history." Polman also said, "There have been reports that the proposal means that some shareholders won't be able to invest in Unilever any longer. It is true that a small number of institutional investors may have to reorganise their portfolios if they want to continue to hold Unilever shares. Some, indeed, may have to sell the Unilever shares that they hold. Having said this, it's important to know that the substantial majority of our 8,000 institutional investors and our 36,000 individual shareholders are not subject to such restrictions and will still be able to buy shares on the London Stock Exchange, as they do today, and will still receive their dividends in British pounds, as they do today. PLC shareholders will automatically receive payments which are not subject to any new taxes under the simpler structure. Importantly, reports of Unilever leaving the UK are simply not true. As we have said before, Beauty & Personal Care and Home Care will continue to be located in London, and our UKI business will not be affected by these changes."

08:04 EDT Five Prime, Zai Lab dose first patient in bemarituzumab Phase 3 trial - Five Prime Therapeutics (FPRX) and Zai Lab (ZLAB) announced dosing of the first patient in the Phase 3 FIGHT pivotal trial of bemarituzumab, an isoform-selective FGF receptor 2b antibody, in combination with chemotherapy in patients with previously untreated, advanced gastric cancer or gastroesophageal junction cancer. The first patient was dosed at a participating investigative site in China on Sept. 28.

08:02 EDT Vertex announces access contract in Denmark - Vertex Pharmaceuticals announced it has entered into an innovative access contract with the Danish pharmaceutical and procurement organization, Amgros. Effective from today, this first-of-its-kind contract includes current and future CFTR modulator medicines, and means eligible Danish cystic fibrosis patients will have access to all current medicines as well as future medicines after regulatory approval. Austrians and Danes with CF join patients in other countries around the world who have access to CFTR modulator treatments, including Australia, Germany, Ireland, Italy, the Netherlands, Sweden and the U.S.

08:01 EDT Evoqua Water awarded design/build wastewater treatment project with Ken's Foods - Evoqua Water Technologies' Systems announced the award of a design/build wastewater treatment project with Ken's Foods, a producer of high-quality dressings, sauces and marinades, for its new food processing facility located in Lebanon, Indiana. Ken's Foods once again chose the ADI Anaerobic Membrane Bioreactor treatment system based on the technology's proven success at the Marlborough, Massachusetts, and McDonough, Georgia, processing facilities.

07:43 EDT Verizon launches first commercial 5G network - Verizon's 5G Home network, providing 5G broadband internet service, is officially live for consumers in parts of Houston, Indianapolis, Los Angeles and Sacramento. Installations of 5G Home began this morning for customers in those cities, with a resident of Houston, becoming the first 5G customer in the world. Built on the Verizon-led open 5G TF network standard, Verizon 5G Home is the next generation of home broadband internet service.

07:38 EDT Veru announces first patient enrolled in zuclomiphene citrate study - Veru announced the enrollment of the first patient in its Phase 2 study of zuclomiphene citrate for the treatment of hot flashes caused by androgen deprivation therapy, or ADT, for men with advanced prostate cancer. The double-blind, placebo-controlled, dose-finding study is designed to evaluate the safety and efficacy of daily oral zuclomiphene citrate in patients with moderate to severe hot flashes caused by ADT for advanced prostate cancer. The study, conducted at multiple U.S. sites, is designed to enroll approximately 120 patients randomized to one of four treatment arms. The primary endpoint of the study is the mean change in frequency and severity of hot flashes relative to baseline at week 4.

07:34 EDT ADMA Biologics resubmits biologics license application for BI-002 - ADMA Biologics said it has responded to the July 2016 Complete Response Letter and resubmitted its Biologics License Application for RI-002 its product candidate to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration on September 28, 2018. The company was able to resubmit RI-002's BLA as a direct result of the recent improvement in compliance status for the company's Boca Raton, FL manufacturing facility to Voluntary Action Indicated, as previously announced in September 2018. "We are pleased that our remediation efforts have been successful and we are now operating our biologics production facility in accordance with the FDA's quality and compliance expectations. Because of the hard work of our dedicated and talented staff, ADMA is now in a position to submit applications to FDA for substantive review and approval including our BLA for RI-002, our lead pipeline-product candidate. We have been informed by FDA that the Company should no longer receive CRL's solely for compliance reasons," stated Adam Grossman, President and CEO. "This is an exciting time for the Company and for immune compromised patients with PIDD. RI-002 was developed to provide a polyclonal immune globulin alternative for clinicians when making a determination on how to care for these chronically ill patients and tailor treatment regimens that specific patients deserve and require. RI-002's pivotal Phase III clinical trial successfully met its primary and secondary endpoints. We believe RI-002, if approved, will have the ability to provide meaningful outcomes for patients."

07:31 EDT Moody's, Reis announce expiration of HSR waiting period - Moody's (MCO) and Reis, Inc. (REIS) announced that the waiting period under the Hart-Scott-Rodino Antitrust Improvements Act of 1976 with respect to Moody's pending acquisition of Reis expired at 11:59 p.m., Eastern Time, on September 28, 2018.

07:29 EDT Corcept Therapeutics receives orphan drug status for relacorilant combination - Corcept Therapeutics announced that the FDA has granted orphan drug status to Corcept's selective cortisol modulator relacorilant to treat patients with pancreatic cancer. Corcept is conducting clinical trials of relacorilant in combination with nab-paclitaxel as a treatment for pancreatic cancer and other solid tumors.

07:27 EDT ADMA Biologics responds to 2016 CRL, resubmits BLA for RI-002 - ADMA Biologics announced that the company has responded to the July 2016 complete response letter, or CRL, and resubmitted its biologics license application, or BLA, for RI-002 its product candidate to the FDA on September 28. The company was able to resubmit RI-002's BLA as a direct result of the recent improvement in compliance status for the company's Boca Raton, FL manufacturing facility to voluntary action indicated, as previously announced in September.

07:20 EDT Antares Pharma announces FDA approval of Xyosted injection - Antares Pharma announced the approval of Xyosted injection by the FDA. Xyosted is the first FDA approved subcutaneous testosterone enanthate product for once-weekly, at-home self-administration with an easy-to-use, single dose, disposable QuickShot auto injector. Xyosted has been approved in three dosage strengths, 50 mg, 75 mg and 100 mg and is indicated for testosterone replacement therapy in adult males for conditions associated with a deficiency or absence of endogenous testosterone.

07:17 EDT Air France awards long-term contract to Global Eagle, Orange collaboration - Global Eagle (ENT) announced that Air France (AFLYY) has awarded a long-term contract for in-flight connectivity systems and services to a collaboration between Global Eagle (ENT) and Orange (ORAN) Business Services. The contract initially includes 113 Airbus (EADSY) A320 family aircraft operated by Air France. Installations are already underway. Air France's Airbus A320 family includes A318, A319, A320 and A321 aircraft that operate short and medium-haul flights throughout Europe, Russia, North Africa and the Middle East. The collaboration between Global Eagle and Orange Business Services will deliver high-speed Internet, passenger portal interfaces and services, integrated billing and passenger data analytics supporting Air France's digital transformation initiatives and its progressive customer experience vision. Network services will be based on Global Eagle's latest generation of aircraft hardware, with a Jupiter HT modem infrastructure capable of 500 Mbps throughput per aircraft and Global Eagle's new three-axis Ku-band antenna. Orange Business Services will provide connectivity through its network, its experience in project management and cyber security and support for a complete solution offering.

07:11 EDT Microbot Medical commences follow up study for SCS - Following the successful outcome of the initial study, Microbot Medical announced the commencement of a follow up pivotal study to evaluate the safety and efficacy of the company's Self-Cleaning Shunt, or SCS. The company's SCS is designed to be a transformative device which prevents obstruction in the cerebrospinal fluid, or CSF, catheters implanted in the ventricle of the brain of patients who suffer from hydrocephalus or Normal Pressure Hydrocephalus, or NPH. The follow up study will be conducted by leading hydrocephalus experts at Washington University in St. Louis and Wayne State University in Detroit. The study will include a larger sample size compared to the initial study and the primary and secondary endpoints will seek to validate the safety and efficacy of the SCS that will be activated in both in-vitro and in-vivo models. The company believes the follow up study will continue to support the safety and efficacy of its SCS product and plans to use the findings for its regulatory submissions in the U.S., Europe and other jurisdictions.

07:09 EDT Miragen Therapeutics: Remlarsen decreated corneal scarring in trial - miRagen Therapeutics announced data from its preclinical study of remlarsen, a microRNA-29 replacement, exploring the anti-fibrotic activity of remlarsen when administered topically to the eye after corneal ulceration. These data will be presented today in the oral session at the 2018 Oligonucleotide Therapeutics Society annual OLIGO meeting, which is being held in Seattle, WA from September 30 - October 3, 2018. The preclinical study investigated the anti-fibrotic effects of remlarsen in the cornea of rats. Remlarsen or a fluorescently labeled version of the product candidate were administered topically to the rat cornea in the context of a corneal ulcer. Highlights from the study observations include:Topically applied remlarsen penetrated into the cornea, without obvious local toxicity following corneal injury; Remlarsen treatment resulted in a decrease in corneal scarring and hazing as assessed by clinical evaluation and histopathology; Remlarsen treatment increased the corneal epithelial thickness, decreased the stromal thickness, and reduced the number of alpha-smooth muscle actin positive myofibroblasts in the corneal stroma; and Remlarsen treatment resulted in a reduction of pro-fibrotic gene expression from day 7-14 post-injury, indicating that target engagement was achieved in keratocytes and myofibroblasts in the corneal stroma.

07:07 EDT GE shares jump nearly 2% after announcing Culp to become new chairman & CEO

07:06 EDT The Medicines Co. announces recommendation by IDMC to continue inclisiran trials - The Medicines Company announced that the Independent Data Monitoring Committee for the ongoing inclisiran Phase III trials has recommended that the trials continue as designed and conducted, without modification. The IDMC's recommendation was based on its planned review of unblinded safety and efficacy data from the trials.

07:05 EDT MarineMax promotes COO W. Brett McGill to CEO - MarineMax announced that the company's board has promoted W. Brett McGill to CEO and he will continue to serve as President. William McGill, Jr., the company's prior CEO and Chairman, has been named Executive Chairman of the board. Brett McGill served as MarineMax's President and Chief Operating Officer beginning in October 2017 after serving as COO from October 2016 and as Executive Vice President Operations from October 2015.

07:04 EDT CTI BioPharma announces continuation of PAC203 study after interim data review - CTI BioPharma announced that following a planned second interim data review of the PAC203 study by the Independent Data Monitoring Committee, the study will continue to the full enrollment of 150 patients. The IDMC did not identify significant drug- or dose-related safety concerns and specifically did not identify any concerns around hemorrhagic or cardiac toxicity. Following consultation with the U.S. Food and Drug Administration and the IDMC, the Company restricted this interim analysis to a safety review thereby allowing the study to continue to full enrollment. Continuing to full enrollment allows collection of a complete dataset that will be used to determine the optimal dose for further development. Prior to the second interim analysis and with the agreement of the IDMC, the Company had submitted a protocol amendment to the FDA, establishing safety reviews as the basis for the second interim analysis and for subsequent interim analyses. The PAC203 study is evaluating the safety and efficacy of three dosing schedules over 24 weeks in patients with myelofibrosis previously treated with ruxolitinib.

07:04 EDT Aclaris Therapeutics announces partnership with Harris-Stowe State University - Aclaris Therapeutics announced a partnership with Harris-Stowe State University. Both organizations are committed to providing education and employment opportunities for underrepresented minority groups in science-related jobs in St. Louis. This partnership between Aclaris and Harris-Stowe State University will address gaps in workforce development. Aclaris will provide hands-on relevant experience, internships, and potential employment opportunities. Harris-Stowe State University will offer an enhanced curriculum for students majoring in biology or chemistry. Aclaris plans to provide paid summer internships at its St. Louis site for up to two high potential students per year. Harris-Stowe State University students, who complete two summer internships with Aclaris and complete their education at Harris-Stowe State University with a degree in biology or chemistry under the enhanced curriculum guidelines, will be considered for full-time employment as associate scientists.

07:03 EDT McDermott awarded olefins technology contract in Thailand - McDermott International announced that it has been awarded a sizeable technology contract for Map Ta Phut Olefins petrochemical plant in Rayong Province, Thailand. MOC is a joint venture company of SCG Chemicals Company Limited, which is a wholly owned subsidiary of SCG, and the Dow Chemical Company. McDermott will provide the basic engineering and license of Lummus' olefins technology and will design and supply the proprietary SRT III heater for the MOC Debottleneck Project, a parallel gas cracker added to increase plant capacity which will utilize Lummus' side cracker technology, including a low pressure chilling train and enhanced binary refrigeration. Portions of this award were booked in prior quarters. The heater supply will be reflected in McDermott's Q3 backlog.

06:55 EDT Antares Pharma trading halted, news pending

06:46 EDT Pfizer confirms CEO succession plan - Pfizer announced its board has unanimously elected Dr. Albert Bourla Pfizer COO, to succeed Ian Read as CEO effective January 1, 2019. Ian Read will transition from his current role as Chairman and CEO to Executive Chairman of Pfizer's board.

06:39 EDT DPW Holdings names Kenneth Cragun Chief Accounting Officer - DPW Holdings announced it hired Kenneth Cragun to fill the new position of Chief Accounting Officer. Cragun will report to the company's CFO, William Horne.

06:19 EDT ConvergeOne acquires Advantel Networks - ConvergeOne announced that it has acquired Advantel Networks. Advantel delivers collaboration solutions and services, such as security, data centers, storage and virtualization, unified communications, contact centers, cloud and integrated and managed services, to businesses worldwide. As a result of the acquisition, Advantel is now Advantel, a ConvergeOne company. ConvergeOne serves as a trusted advisor to more than 10,000 customers, including 62% of the Fortune 100 and 48% of the Fortune 500 customers across the healthcare, finance, manufacturing, education, and energy industries.

06:17 EDT SSL selected by NASA to develop two 'Tipping Point' spacecraft technologies - SSL, a Maxar Technologies company, announced it was selected by NASA for two separate public-private partnerships to develop two vital "Tipping Point" spacecraft technologies. NASA's Tipping Point awards are designed to foster the development of commercial space capabilities and benefit future NASA missions. A technology is considered by NASA to be at a tipping point if an investment in a demonstration is likely to result in a high likelihood of infusion into a commercial space application, and significant improvement in the ability to successfully bring the technology to market. The company will collaborate with NASA on developments to accelerate innovation for the new space economy and for future exploration missions. The two technologies aim to expand the capabilities and resiliency of spacecraft through in-orbit refueling for electric propulsion and enabling space transportation with highly efficient, high-power solar electric propulsion. These innovations demonstrate SSL's ongoing commitment to, and expanding role in, the development of next-generation space infrastructure.

06:14 EDT Insys Therapeutics signs definitive license agreement with Lunatus for Subsys - Insys Therapeutics announced that it has signed a definitive license agreement with Lunatus for commercialization of Subsys in eight countries in the Middle East. In May, the two companies announced their intent to form an exclusive partnership. This announcement confirms that the definitive agreement has been executed, making Dubai-based Lunatus the exclusive licensee and authorized agent for Subsys in the territory, which comprises Bahrain, Jordan, Kuwait, Lebanon, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates.

06:09 EDT IBM Security reaches OEM agreement with STEALTHbits Technologies - STEALTHbits Technologies announced that it has entered into an original equipment manufacturing, or OEM, agreement with IBM Security. As part of this agreement, STEALTHbits technology will expand IBM Security guardium data protection solution support to NAS and SharePoint platforms. NAS and SharePoint platforms can house terabytes of unstructured data that are the primary target of many attackers and rogue employees. The need to monitor access of these files, and not just data within critical applications, is quickly rising in priority and concern for data security professionals.

06:05 EDT Eco-Stim Energy CEO resigns, CFO Alexander Nickolatos named interim CEO - Eco-Stim Energy announced today that J. Chris Boswell has resigned from his positions as President and CEO of the company and from the company's board in order to pursue other opportunities. The company's CFO, Alexander Nickolatos, has been promoted to serve as Interim President and CEO of the company and has also been appointed to the company's board.

06:03 EDT Thyssenkrupp board agrees on plan to separate company, new CEO - The Supervisory Board of thyssenkrupp AG has unanimously agreed the Executives Board's proposal to divide the group into two separate companies. Going forward, the industrial goods and the materials businesses shall be managed as independent, listed companies with direct access to the capital markets. The Executive Board has been asked to prepare the details of the transaction in the coming months. In this context, the Supervisory Board unanimously appointed Guido Kerkhoff as CEO. Kerkhoff obtains a new five-year contract and will thus permanently take over the management of the group. The contract of CHRO Oliver Burkhard has also been renewed and now also runs until September 30, 2023. The contract of Dr. Donatus Kaufmann had already been extended last year until January 31, 2022. It is planned to add a CFO to the Executive Board in the future. The Supervisory Board of thyssenkrupp AG also unanimously elected Prof. Dr. Bernhard Pellens as Chairman of the Supervisory Board. Pellens will succeed Prof. Dr. Ulrich Lehner, who resigned from the Supervisory Board at his own request on July 31.

05:30 EDT LineaRx secures new RNA therapeutics customers for contract research services - Applied DNA Sciences announced that LineaRx, its wholly-owned subsidiary focused on next-generation biotherapeutics, has secured multiple new developers of RNA therapeutics as customers for its Contract Research Organization, or CRO, services, utilizing large scale production of linear DNA by Polymerase Chain Reaction, or PCR. LineaRx provides these clients a faster, safer and less expensive manufacturing approach for these important biotherapeutics as compared to traditional production methods. As part of its recent formation, LineaRx subsumed the activities of Applied DNA as a CRO and Contract Manufacturing Organization, or CMO, to the biotherapeutics market. LineaRx offers prospective customers and development partners with access to a unique portfolio of patented and proprietary linear DNA technologies designed to effectively optimize delivery, improve targeting, and extend expression of cellular and gene therapy products.

05:27 EDT Honeywell acquires Transnorm for EUR 425M - Honeywell announced that it has signed an agreement to acquire privately held, warehouse automation business Transnorm for approximately EUR 425M from IK Investment Partners. Transnorm has an installed base of 160,000 units and a large and growing aftermarket parts and services business. About 60 percent of Transnorm's annual sales are generated in Europe. The company's annual sales are approximately EUR 100M and are on track to grow by more than 30% in 2018. The transaction is expected to close in November, subject to customary closing conditions, including regulatory review. Upon approval, Transnorm will be part of Honeywell's Safety and Productivity Solutions segment.

05:24 EDT Neonode announces 1-for-10 reverse stock split - Neonode announced that a 1-for-10 reverse stock split of its issued and outstanding common stock will be effective as of the commencement of trading today on Monday, October 1, 2018. As a result of the reverse stock split, every ten shares of issued and outstanding common stock will automatically be converted into one share of common stock. No fractional shares will be issued as a result of the reverse stock split. Stockholders who otherwise would be entitled to receive a fractional share in connection with the reverse stock split will be entitled to a cash payment in lieu thereof.