Stockwinners Market Radar for November 07, 2018 - Earnings, Upgrades downgrades, option trades, Best Stock Advisory Service

20:47 EDT Berry Petroleum reports Q3 production 27.1K boe/d vs. 26.8K boe/d in Q2

19:07 EDT Jazz Pharmaceuticals says NICE recommends Vyxeos for treatment of AML - Jazz Pharmaceuticals announced that the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence has published a Final Appraisal Determination recommending Vyxeos 44 mg/100 mg powder for concentrate for solution for infusion for routine use on the National Health Service in England and Wales for the treatment of adults with newly diagnosed, therapy-related acute myeloid leukaemia or AML with myelodysplasia-related changes - two types of secondary AML.

18:24 EDT CoreLogic announces $500M stock buyback - CoreLogic announced that its board has authorized the company to repurchase up to $500 million of outstanding shares of its common stock. The authorization has no expiration date and supersedes the company's previous share repurchase authorization. Separately, the company has confirmed that it expects to complete the buyback of 3% of its outstanding shares as part of its 2018 share repurchase program. Common shares issued and outstanding as of September 30, 2018, totaled 80.6 million.

18:14 EDT Ericsson raises long-term sales view in Capital Markets Day outlook - The company states: "The ambition for net sales is increased to SEK210B-SEK220B from SEK190B-SEK200B by 2020, mainly driven by Networks. In Networks, increased investments in R&D for technology and cost leadership will continue. Growth is expected to come from a stronger market, selective market shares gains, and expansion of the product portfolio into close adjacent markets. In 2019, investments in 5G trials will continue. The operating margin target for 2020 is unchanged at 15% - 17%. In Digital Services, the top priority is returning to profitability. Continued cost reductions and efficiency improvements will contribute to reaching the target of a low single digit operating margin by 2020. Investments in a 5G-ready and cloud-native product portfolio continue. There is a strong market demand for the new portfolio driven by virtualization and 5G acceleration. At the same time, the legacy product sales decline faster than the new portfolio uptake. The lower net sales ambition for the segment is fully explained by the internal transfer of a business line to Managed Services. In Managed Services, where a turnaround has been completed, focus is shifting to further improving profitability through investments in automation and Artificial Intelligence. Consequently, the operating margin target 2020 is increased to 5% - 8%."

18:03 EDT S&P announces changes to S&P 400, 500, 600 indices - S&P Dow Jones Indices will make the following changes to the S&P 500, S&P MidCap 400 and S&P SmallCap 600: Jack Henry & Associates (JKHY) will replace EQT Corp. (EQT) in the S&P 500, and EQT will replace Jack Henry & Associates in the S&P MidCap 400 effective prior to the market open on Tuesday, November 13. Equitrans Midstream Corp. (ETRN) will be added to the S&P MidCap 400 effective prior to the market open on November 13. Superior Energy Services (SPN) will be removed from the S&P MidCap 400 effective prior to the opening on Wednesday, November 14, and will replace Flotek Industries (FTK) in the S&P SmallCap 600. EQT is spinning off approximately 80% of its stake in Equitrans Midstream effective after the close on Monday, November 12. Post spin-off, EQT and Equitrans Midstream will both have market caps more representative of the mid-cap market space. Superior Energy Services' market capitalization is more representative of the small-cap market space, and Flotek is ranked at the bottom of the S&P SmallCap 600. MasTec (MTZ) will replace United Natural Foods (UNFI) in the S&P MidCap 400, and United Natural Foods will replace MiMedx Group (MDXG) in the S&P SmallCap 600 prior to the market open on Monday, November 12. The NASDAQ Stock Market has determined MiMedx Group is no longer in compliance with listing standards. Therefore, MiMedx will no longer be eligible for the S&P SmallCap 600. United Natural Foods has a market capitalization that is more representative of the small-cap market space.

17:57 EDT SPDR Gold Trust holdings fall to 755.23MT from 756.70MT - This marks the 4th consecutive decline in the trust holdings.

17:42 EDT Monster down 5% after reporting Q3 earnings, revealing dispute with Coca-Cola

17:36 EDT Sun Life Financial raises quarterly dividend by 5% to CAD0.50 - The dividend is payable December 31, 2018 to shareholders of record at the close of business on November 28, 2018.

17:33 EDT Papa Murphy's up 12% after Q3 results, saying exploring strategic alternatives

17:31 EDT Papa Murphy's reports Q3 SSS decrease of 2.1% - Comparable store sales decreased 2.1% compared to Q3 of 2017, including a 1.8% decrease at global franchise-owned stores and a 6.9% decrease at company-owned stores.

17:24 EDT United Natural Foods to replace MiMedx in S&P 600 at open on 11/12 - The NASDAQ Stock Market has determined MiMedx Group (MDXG) is no longer in compliance with listing standards. Therefore, MiMedx will no longer be eligible for the S&P SmallCap 600. United Natural Foods (UNFI) has a market capitalization that is more representative of the small-cap market space.

17:21 EDT Superior Energy to replace Flotek in S&P 600 at open on 11/14 - Superior Energy Services (SPN) will be removed from the S&P MidCap 400 effective prior to the opening on Wednesday, November 14, and will replace Flotek Industries (FTK) in the S&P SmallCap 600.

17:19 EDT EQT Corporation to replace Jack Henry in S&P 400 at open on 11/13

17:16 EDT HBO CEO issues statement on DISH service outage - HBO CEO Richard Plepler stated: "It's important to clarify that it was DISH who dropped the HBO and Cinemax signals at midnight on October 31st, not the other way around. In fact, we offered to extend our current contract while we continued negotiating. An idea that DISH initially agreed to and then oddly changed their mind about at the eleventh hour. The terms of our proposal were advantageous to DISH compared to their current deal. We're actually perplexed by their unwillingness to take this proposal as an opportunity rather than perpetuating a conflict which only hurts consumers. The notion that AT&T had anything to do with our inability to reach a reasonable deal with DISH is simply not true. It seems to be a silly but transparent attempt on DISH's behalf to muddy the waters for reasons only they can explain."

17:09 EDT Entravision says Chief Revenue Officer Mario Carrera to step down - Entravision Communications announced that Mario Carrera has decided to step down as Chief Revenue Officer. Entravision has commenced a search for a successor and Carrera will remain in his position until a replacement is named.

17:02 EDT Atmos Energy raises quarterly dividend by 8.2% to 52.5c per share - The dividend will be paid on December 10, 2018, to shareholders of record on November 26, 2018.

17:01 EDT Atmos Energy names Kevin Akers as Executive VP - The board of Atmos Energy promoted Kevin Akers to the position of Executive Vice President, effective immediately. Kevin will remain a member of the management committee and continue to report to Mike Haefner, President and CEO. In addition to his previous responsibilities, including Pipeline Safety, Customer Service, Supply Chain Management, Facilities and Business Process & Change Management, he will now assume additional responsibilities over the company's pipeline and storage operations, with Dennis Gordon, President of Atmos Pipeline - Texas, reporting to him.

17:00 EDT Alarm.com up over 20% after Q3 earnings beat and raised FY18 guidance

16:59 EDT Schweitzer-Mauduit down 8.1% after reporting Q3 earnings, giving FY18 guidance

16:58 EDT Qualcomm reports Q4 MSM chip shipments 232M, up 5% y/y

16:56 EDT Qualcomm sees Q1 MSM chip shipments 175M-195M - Down 18%-26% y/y.

16:48 EDT Weatherford awarded drillpipe riser contract with Petrobras - Weatherford (WFT) announced it has been awarded a four-year contract with a one-year optional extension to provide drillpipe riser intervention systems and services for Petroleo Brasileiro S.A. (PBR) in Brazil. This contract is expected to yield approximately $80M in revenue during the initial four-year period. It will replace a current five-system contract that began in May 2009.

16:45 EDT Voyager announces longer-term data for VY-AADC in Parkinson's disease - Voyager Therapeutics announced "positive" longer-term results from the open-label, dose-escalating Phase 1b trial of VY-AADC demonstrating sustained improvements in patients' motor function. Patients in the two highest dose cohorts experienced mean improvements in diary on-time without troublesome dyskinesia of 1.7 hours per day at 18 months and 2.7 hours per day at two years, respectively, the company said. It added, "Having selected a dose for the Phase 2 trial between the two highest dose cohorts from the Phase 1b trial, Voyager performed a combined analysis of the outcomes from the ten patients in Cohorts 2 and 3. This combined analysis demonstrated an increase from baseline in good ON time of 2.4 hours per day at 12 months, the timepoint for the primary endpoint in the Phase 2 trial, and 2.6 hours per day at 18 months, the latest timepoint measured for both cohorts. Of the combined ten patients in Cohorts 2 and 3, seven patients would be eligible for the Phase 2 trial based on limits in severity of dyskinesia and minimum OFF time at baseline. For these seven patients, the Phase 2 trial relevant group, the improvements in good ON time were 2.8 hours at 12 months and 2.5 hours at 18 months. These results were achieved with clinically meaningful and sustained reductions in daily oral levodopa and related medications."

16:44 EDT Take-Two says 'RDR2' sold more units in first 8 days than first 'RDR' in 8 years - "Take-Two delivered better-than-expected operating results, including growth in Net Bookings, during the fiscal second quarter," said Strauss Zelnick, Chairman and CEO of Take-Two. "This outperformance was driven primarily by Grand Theft Auto V and Grand Theft Auto Online, as well as the successful launch of NBA 2K19. On October 26th, Rockstar Games launched its highly-anticipated Red Dead Redemption 2, the label's first game built from the ground up for the current console generation. Red Dead Redemption 2 has received outstanding reviews, with numerous critics awarding the title a perfect score. The title is now tied with Grand Theft Auto V as the highest rated title on PlayStation 4 and Xbox One, with a 97 Metacritic score. A massive commercial success, Red Dead Redemption 2 has set numerous records, including achieving the biggest opening weekend in the history of entertainment, with over $725 million in retail sell-through during its first three days. Red Dead Redemption 2 sold-in more units in its first 8 days than the original blockbuster Red Dead Redemption sold in its first 8 years and, as of today, the title has sold-in over 17 million units worldwide."

16:42 EDT Portola Pharmaceuticals lowers view for GAAP operating expenses to $355M-$365M - For the fiscal year 2018, Portola is updating its guidance for GAAP operating expenses, which are now expected to be between $355 million and $365 million, a decrease from the prior guidance range of between $390 million and $430 million, both including stock-based compensation. The updated guidance reflects the Company's narrowed focus on a group of key hospitals for the Bevyxxa launch, as well as additional cost savings for the year.

16:42 EDT Regenxbio sees 2018-end cash and marketable securities $460M-$470M

16:40 EDT Federal Court orders Rimini Street to comply with permanent injunction - On Monday, a federal appeals court rejected Rimini Street's motion to stay and effectively delay a permanent injunction issued by the Federal District Court in Nevada. That injunction prohibits Rimini Street from engaging in specific unlawful practices in connection with its core business practices as found in Oracle's 2015 copyright infringement trial against Rimini Street and its founder, Seth Ravin. The trial court had determined earlier that the more than $100 million that Rimini Street paid to Oracle in damages following trial was inadequate to fully compensate Oracle for Rimini Street's copyright infringement, citing "Rimini Street's conscious disregard for Oracle's software copyrights" and the fact that Rimini Street's business model "was built entirely on its infringement of Oracle's copyrighted software." The Court ruled that Rimini Street can only provide support for Oracle's PeopleSoft, J.D. Edwards, Siebel, and Database software subject to certain court-mandated restrictions, as set forth in the injunction. While Rimini Street made public statements suggesting that it can comply with the injunction without changing its business model, it told the federal appeals court a different story in court filings. Rimini Street instead argued that the "injunction goes far beyond the changes that Rimini Street [already] made in response" to the Nevada court's rulings, and would therefore harm its business. Rimini Street must now comply with all the terms of the injunction while its latest appeal is pending.

16:38 EDT Marathon Oil sees Q4 U.S production 295,000-305,000 net boed - Marathon Oil expects fourth quarter 2018 U.S. production to average 295,000 to 305,000 net barrels of oil equivalent per day (boed). The Company expects fourth quarter 2018 U.S. resource play production to average 290,000 to 300,000 net boed, with oil production expected to increase approximately 5 percent sequentially despite a planned modest quarter-on-quarter reduction in wells to sales. Full-year wells to sales continues to trend slightly above the midpoint of guidance. Fourth quarter 2018 International production is expected to average 105,000 to 115,000 net boed, affected by the timing of planned maintenance in E.G. The Company increased its annual 2018 total Company production guidance to 405,000 to 415,000 net boed, up from 400,000 to 415,000 net boed. The Company also raised its guidance for annual resource play oil and barrel of oil equivalent (boe) growth to 30 - 34 percent, up from 28 - 32 percent previously, with oil expected to be at the high end of the range. All guidance is adjusted to reflect the divestment of non-core U.S. assets that closed in July, and which contributed 1,000 boed (75% oil) to third quarter production, as well as an international asset sale that closed in August, and which contributed 1,400 boed to third quarter production (100% oil).

16:35 EDT Papa Murphy's trading resumes

16:32 EDT Flowers Foods to acquire Canyon Bakehouse for approximately $205M - Flowers Foods announced a definitive agreement to acquire Canyon Bakehouse LLC, a privately held, gluten-free baking company based in Johnstown, Colo., for approximately $205 million (including a performance-based contingent payment of $5 million), or $175 million net of future tax benefits of approximately $30 million on a net present value basis. The acquisition, which is subject to regulatory approval and customary closing conditions, is expected to be completed later in the fourth quarter of 2018. Canyon Bakehouse has generated a compound annual net sales growth rate of approximately 45% since 2014. According to IRI and SPINS data, the gluten-free packaged bread category has grown at a compound annual growth rate of 6.6% per year since 2015, outperforming the broader $14.5 billion U.S. retail baked goods market.3 The company has anticipated 2019 sales of approximately $70 million to $80 million. Flowers plans to fund the transaction with cash on-hand and existing credit facilities. The company anticipates the transaction will be accretive to fiscal 2020 earnings.

16:31 EDT Cornerstone OnDemand to acquire Grovo Learning for $24M in all-cash deal - Cornerstone OnDemand announced that the company signed a definitive agreement to acquire Grovo Learning, Inc., the leading provider of micro-learning content, for $24M in an all-cash deal, subject to certain closing adjustments. The acquisition of Grovo is expected to close in the fourth quarter of 2018. In conjunction with this acquisition, Cornerstone also announced an expansion of its Content Anytime subscription offerings. Content Anytime is a content subscription service that enables organizations to provide their employees with fresh, modern content that puts them in control of their own career development. The subscriptions support all types of modern learning formats, from micro-learning (shorter, easily consumable courses) to macro-learning (deeper mastery of a subject or skill) to spaced-learning (courses broken into sections, with timed intervals for questioning in between). Cornerstone continually adds and refreshes course content by combining insights from nearly 20 years of learning and development expertise and the most in-demand, user-driven content recommendations informed by usage data and feedback from Cornerstone's massive community. Starting today, Cornerstone will offer a range of subscriptions beyond its popular Content Anytime Essentials offering, including thematic subscriptions for compliance and digital transformation, as well as regional subscriptions for France, Germany and Spain. Cornerstone expects to incorporate Grovo content across its Content Anytime subscription service.

16:29 EDT ServiceSource names Gary Moore as Executive Chairman - ServiceSource announced that Gary B. Moore, currently a member of the Company's Board of Directors has been appointed Executive Chairman, effective today. The Company also announced that effective today, Debbie Dunnam, Executive Vice President, has been named Chief Operating Officer.

16:28 EDT ExOne names John Hartner COO - The ExOne Company announced that its Board of Directors elected John F. Hartner as ExOne's Chief Operating Officer. S. Kent Rockwell, ExOne's Chairman and CEO, stated, "John brings to ExOne a wealth of knowledge and experience specific to the 3D printing industry as well as global industrial manufacturing. We are confident that this addition to our global leadership team will bolster our efforts to advance our binder jetting technology."

16:26 EDT Costco reports October comparable sales up 8.6% - Costco Wholesale reported net sales of $11.16B for the retail month of October, the four weeks ended November 4, an increase of 10.6% from last year. Comparable sales were up 10.4% for U.S., 2.4% for Canada and up 8.6% for total company. E-commerce comparable sales were up 20.0%. Total company comparable sales excluding the impacts from changes in gasoline prices, foreign exchange and a previously disclosed accounting change were up 6.6%.

16:23 EDT Liberty Global reconfirms all guidance for 2018 - Still sees 2018 Rebased OCF Growth ~5%, P&E Additions $5.1B.

16:21 EDT Prudential reports Q3 adjusted book value per share $95.20 vs. $85.03 last year - Q3 Net income attributable to Prudential Financial amounted to $1.67B vs. $2.24B last year.

16:13 EDT IAC has 'great confidence' in outlook - The company said in its letter to shareholders, "With volatility everywhere - markets, governments, news, tempers - we appreciate the strength and stability of our businesses right now. People may be long on 140-character opinions and short on meaningful dialogue, but a desire for romance remains. And everyone from single people to families are still fixing their boilers, remodeling their bathrooms, and cleaning up their yards. We delivered strong growth across almost all of our businesses and have great confidence in our outlook. By year end we should have over $1.7 billion of cash at IAC (excluding ANGI Homeservices and Match Group cash) and ample debt capacity across our businesses...We're also going to make Vimeo its own segment, so shareholders can see progress more granularly through revenue and investment (operating losses) each quarter. The business has the scale and potential to now stand on its own, and we want to begin to put a spotlight on it."

16:10 EDT Zayo to separate into two public companies - Zayo Group announced it plans to separate into two publicly traded companies: one to focus on providing core communications infrastructure and another to leverage infrastructure to provide solutions for a broad set of enterprise customers. Zayo Infrastructure, "InfraCo," will be a unique, fiber-focused infrastructure provider with deep, dense networks and broad geographic reach throughout North America and Western Europe. "EnterpriseCo" will have a strong product portfolio and customer base centered on higher bandwidth connectivity to enterprise locations, including to public cloud and SaaS providers, that will be sold both directly to enterprise customers and wholesale through a carrier focused channel. The transaction is expected to be consummated via a pro rata taxable spin of EnterpriseCo from Zayo. Zayo's existing NOLs are expected to be available to reduce any cash taxes owed by Zayo in conjunction with the spin-off. This structure preserves the ability for InfraCo to convert to a real estate investment trust. Consummation of the spin is subject to regulatory and Board approval. Immediately following the separation transaction, which is expected to be completed in late 2019, Zayo shareholders will own shares of both companies.

16:05 EDT DaVita provides 2018 guidance - DaVita narrowed 2018 Kidney Care adjusted consolidated operating income to $1.5B-$1.525B from $1.5B-$1.6B. Still expects operating cash flow from continuing operations of $1.4B-$1.6B. Raises 2018 effective income tax rate to 30.5%-31.5% from 28.5%-29.5%.

16:04 EDT Immunomedics expands collaboration with AstraZeneca, MedImmune to include NSCLC - Immunomedics (IMMU) announced its current clinical collaboration with AstraZeneca (AZN) and MedImmune for the development of Imfinzi and sacituzumab govitecan combination therapy has been broadened to include second-line metastatic non-small cell lung cancer, or NSCLC. Immune checkpoint inhibitors, or CPI, have drastically changed the treatment landscape in NSCLC and significantly improved patient outcomes. However, there is still a substantial proportion of patients who don't benefit from CPIs. As CPIs increasingly move into front-line therapy, either alone or in combination with chemotherapy, treatment options for second-line and beyond are limited to single agent chemotherapies, which have only very modest activity. Thus, there is a high unmet need in NSCLC for patients who don't respond or have progressed after treatment with CPIs. Sacituzumab govitecan as monotherapy has produced an overall response rate, or ORR of 19% in 47 patients with pretreated metastatic NSCLC with a duration of response of 6 months. In a subgroup of patients who had previously been treated with CPIs as their last line of therapy, ORR was 14%. This open-label, multi-center Phase 1/2 study will enroll two cohorts of patients, one in CPI primary refractory, and one in acquired resistance to CPI.

16:02 EDT Zumiez reports October SSS increased 1.6% - Zumiez announced, that total net sales for the four-week period ended November 3, 2018 increased 0.6% to $61.9M million, compared to $61.5 million for the four-week period ended October 28, 2017. The Company's comparable sales increased 1.6% for the four-week period ended November 3, 2018 compared to a comparable sales increase of 6.6% for the four-week period ended October 28 2017.

16:01 EDT TakeTwo Interactive Software trading halted, news pending

15:57 EDT Choice Hotels announces launch with Book On Google - Choice Hotels (CHH) announced that it is enabling Book on Google, making it possible for travelers to "seamlessly search, select, and reserve hotel rooms at Choice properties." Robert McDowell, chief commercial officer of Choice Hotels, said, "At Choice Hotels, we are committed to being at the forefront of technology and innovation for our consumers and hotel owners. Along with ChoiceHotels.com and the Choice Hotels app, Book on Google provides our guests with another frictionless path to reserve a hotel room with many of the benefits of booking direct."

15:06 EDT Cannabis stocks rise after Jeff Sessions resigns as Attorney General - Several marijuana stocks are on the rise after Attorney General Jeff Sessions submitted his resignation at the request of President Donald Trump. Sessions has been vehemently against legalizing marijuana and was seen by many as the only thing deterring legalization on a federal level. JEFF SESSIONS RESIGNS: In a couple of tweets, President Donald Trump said that "We are pleased to announce that Matthew Whitaker, Chief of Staff to Attorney General Jeff Sessions at the Department of Justice, will become our new Acting Attorney General of the United States. He will serve our Country well. We thank Attorney General Jeff Sessions for his service, and wish him well! A permanent replacement will be nominated at a later date." The departure of Sessions, once one of Trump's most vocal and earliest supporters during the 2016 campaign, has been rumored for weeks. PRICE ACTION: In afternoon trading, shares of Aurora Cannabis (ACB) and Canopy Growth (CGC) each rose over 4%, CannTrust Holdings (CNTTF) gained 2%, Cronos Group (CRON) advanced 6%, General Cannabis (CANN) rose 8.5%, India Globalization Capital (IGC) jumped 32.5% and Tilray (TLRY) is up 26%.

14:48 EDT Aridis CEO says reimbursement, mAb effectiveness concerns not warranted - In an exclusive interview with The Fly, Aridis Pharmaceuticals (ARDS) CEO Vu Truong clarified potential misconceptions regarding the company: "There are many potential misconceptions! [Namely that] we are an antibiotic company, mAbs will not be as effective as antibiotics, many mAbs will be needed in a cocktail to effectively neutralize the pathogen, reimbursement will be a problem as with any other antibiotic and thus market opportunity will be limited, mAbs are expensive to develop and manufacture, and mAbs are more vulnerable to drug resistance. All of the above are simply not true." "Meet the Company" is The Fly's recurring series of exclusive short interviews with Executive Officers to offer a deeper look inside the company.

14:21 EDT Aridis CEO expects global AR-301 Phase 3 study to start before year-end - In an exclusive interview with The Fly, Aridis Pharmaceuticals (ARDS) CEO Vu Truong talked about the company's upcoming events: "For the remainder of 2018, Aridis expects to receive FDA and EMA concurrence on our innovative primary endpoint and study design for our Phase 3 study of AR-301, the company's lead mAb candidate. We also expect to initiate the global Phase 3 study for AR-301 and a Phase 1/2a study on our AR-501. In 2019, the company is expected to deliver clinical data on its ongoing global Phase 2 study of AR-105, the Phase 1 study results of AR-501, and interim data readout on the Phase 3 study of AR-301." Meet the Company" is The Fly's recurring series of exclusive short interviews with Executive Officers to offer a deeper look inside the company. The remainder of this interview to follow.

14:03 EDT Aridis CEO sees less concern about pricing with anti-infectives - In an exclusive interview with The Fly, Aridis Pharmaceuticals (ARDS) CEO Vu Truong discussed drug pricing concerns as President Trump continues to be very vocal on the healthcare industry: "The concerns for more reasonable drug pricing have mainly been associated with orphan drugs, cancer drugs, certain cardiovascular and anti-inflammation drugs. For anti-infectives, mainly antibiotics, there is significantly less concern about pricing and more governmental concern about the dwindling industry pipeline and how to create pricing incentive for new antibiotics. Nevertheless, most infectious diseases provide for attractive opportunities for demonstration of premium pricing that are value- and outcome-based, and so will be consistent with the increasing desire for rational drug pricing. The key is to identify the appropriate unmet medical need and to clinically develop the candidate that will result in a clear, unambiguous demonstration of patient and payor benefits. Aridis' initial focus on nosocomial pneumonia provides opportunities for the demonstration of both premium pricing and value-based pricing because it is a critical infection in a very high hospitalization cost environment." "Meet the Company" is The Fly's recurring series of exclusive short interviews with Executive Officers to offer a deeper look inside the company. The remainder of this interview to follow.

13:42 EDT CDC investigating five illnesses for possible link to Conagra Brands cake mixes - The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention announced that the CDC, state partners, and FDA are investigating five illnesses in three states to determine if they are linked to recently recalled Duncan Hines cake mixes. On November 5, 2018, ConAgra Brands recalled four varieties of Duncan Hines cake mix after officials in Oregon identified Salmonella Agbeni in a box of Duncan Hines Classic White Cake Mix. CDC reviewed the PulseNet database and identified five recent infections with the same strain of Salmonella Agbeni as the Salmonella strain identified in the cake mix. Illnesses were reported from three states: Maryland, Ohio, and Wisconsin. None of the ill people were hospitalized, and none died. The investigation is ongoing to determine if these illnesses are linked to Duncan Hines cake mix and the CDC said it will provide updates as more information becomes available.

13:22 EDT Aridis CEO says MabIgX technology enables manufacturing mAbs faster - In an exclusive interview with The Fly, CEO Vu Truong discussed Aridis Pharmaceuticals' (ARDS) fully human monoclonal antibodies, or mAbs, discovery platform: "Antimicrobial drugs are generally small molecule drugs that are either synthetically made or derived from byproducts of microbes or other species. Antibiotics have been used successfully for the past 8 decades, but have variable safety challenges, perturb the human microbiome because of their broad spectrum of activity, and increasingly are rendered ineffective by the rise in drug resistance. What makes Aridis' approach innovative is the use of targeted immunotherapy to treat an infection that is directed by diagnostic confirmation of the disease-causing microorganisms. Furthermore, our innovative strategy for fighting infections uses large molecules in the form of monoclonal antibodies that are derived from patients who are either highly vaccinated or recovering from an illness. These mAbs are functionally optimized by the patient's own immune system and are directed against epitopes that are foreign to humans (foreign also to the human microbiome) and so have an attractive safety profile, and have long durability of action (plasma half-life of weeks vs. hours for antibiotics). Hence, Aridis is looking inward to the body's natural immune response against the pathogens to innovate. Our MabIgX technology platform allows for the rapid and comprehensive screening of the entire B-cell repertoire to search for rare, highly potent antibacterial, antiviral, or anti-fungal mAbs that are generated by the convalescent patients, and enables manufacturing of mAbs faster than current manufacturing timelines." "Meet the Company" is The Fly's recurring series of exclusive short interviews with Executive Officers to offer a deeper look inside the company. The remainder of this interview to follow.

13:19 EDT Wasatch Advisors reports 10.8% passive stake in Iridex

13:07 EDT Dow sees raising EBITDA to cash flow from operations conversion to best-in-class - Howard Ungerleider, president and CFO of Dow, said: "We have established a capital structure and balance sheet for the new Dow that will serve as a strong foundation to continue our profitable growth and increase shareholder returns. We have the strategy, portfolio, management team and mindset in place to capitalize on the significant earnings and cash flow upside opportunities in front us." At its investor day meeting, the CFO plans to outline how the company will deliver against the following near-term financial targets: A return on invested capital that exceeds Dow's target of 3 percent above the weighted average cost of capital; Achieve and maintain a strong BBB or higher credit rating; Increase EBITDA to cash flow from operations conversion toward best-in-class levels; Share repurchases of at least 20% of net income; and a dividend payout ratio of approximately 45% of net income across the economic cycle.

13:04 EDT DowDuPont says Dow on track for intended separation on April 1, 2019 - Dow announced that it will lay out its operating and financial priorities, as well as the key pillars of its near-term growth and shareholder return targets upon separation from DowDuPont, at its investor day event at 1 p.m. ET. "Since closing our merger with DuPont, Dow has worked quickly and methodically to focus our business portfolio, streamline our cost structure, and refine our approach to capital and resource allocation. These and other step-changes in our operating and financial priorities and management mindset well position the new Dow to deliver more differentiated products and solutions for our customers and higher returns and lower-risk growth for our shareholders," said Jim Fitterling, CEO of Dow. In September, Dow filed its initial Form 10 registration statement with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, marking a significant step towards the separation of the new Dow. The Form 10 process is iterative, and in October, the Company filed the first amendment to the document. Dow remains on track for its intended separation from DowDuPont on April 1, 2019.

13:01 EDT Aridis expects to initiate global Phase 3 study for AR-301 this year

13:01 EDT Aridis: Non-inferior trial designs 'key Achilles heel' for antibiotics industry

12:58 EDT Analysts see AMD competitive positive improving after Next Horizon event - Following AMD's (AMD) Next Horizon event, KeyBanc analyst Weston Twigg told investors that he believes growth will likely accelerate in 2020 on the company's "compelling" datacenter strategy. Meanwhile, his peer at Jefferies argued that he sees AMD's competitive position improving given upcoming "watershed" events. NEXT HORIZON EVENT: Yesterday, AMD and Amazon Web Services (AMZN) announced at Next Horizon the immediate availability of the first AMD EPYC processor-based instances on Amazon Elastic Compute Cloud. The new instances are available as variants of Amazon EC2's memory optimized and general purpose instance families. AMD-based M5 and R5 instances are available in six sizes with up to 96 vCPUs, up to 768 GB of memory. AMD-based T3 instances will be available in 7 sizes with up to 8 vCPUs and 32 GB of memory. The new instances can be purchased as On-Demand, Reserved, or Spot instances. AMD also announced the AMD Radeon Instinct MI60 and MI50 accelerators, the world's first 7nm datacenter GPUs, that it said are "designed to deliver the compute performance required for next-generation deep learning, HPC, cloud computing and rendering applications." The company added that "researchers, scientists and developers will use AMD Radeon Instinct accelerators to solve tough and interesting challenges, including large-scale simulations, climate change, computational biology, disease prevention and more." COMPETITIVE POSITION IMPROVING: Following the company's datacenter day, Jefferies analyst Mark Lipacis told investors that he believes three "watershed" events over the next 6 months will materially improve AMD's competitive position in datacenter and position it to increase its share to 30% from 3% in the $29B datacenter market over the next 3-to-5 years. Specifically, he pointed toward the world's first 7nm GPU available in the fourth quarter, the world's first 7nm Server MPU available in the second quarter, and AWS deploying AMD Server MPU instances at a 10% discount to Intel (INTC) now. The analyst reiterated a Buy rating and $30 price target on AMD shares. Meanwhile, Craig-Hallum analyst Christian Schwab raised his price target for AMD to $27 from $21 and reiterated a Buy rating on the shares. Exiting AMD's Next Horizon event, the analyst has increased confidence in the company's product portfolio strength, which he expects to drive sustainable revenue growth and continued market share gains. GROWTH LIKELY TO ACCELERATE IN 2020: In a research of his own, KeyBanc's Twigg noted that AMD outlined its datacenter product roadmap at Next Horizon event and said he believes its share-gain and TAM expansion opportunities are "real and compelling." New product traction will likely take time, potentially setting up a very strong 2020, he contended. However, Twigg sees moderate near-term risk as hyperscale demand is slowing and as AMD has relatively high valuation compared to peers, keeping expectations high. The analyst reiterated a Sector Weight rating on the shares. PRICE ACTION: In afternoon trading, shares of AMD have gained over 5% to $21.75.

12:37 EDT SEC fines Citibank more than $38M for mishandling ADRs - The Securities and Exchange Commission announced that Citibank N.A. has agreed to pay $38.7M to settle charges of improper handling of "pre-released" American Depositary Receipts. The SEC found that Citibank improperly provided ADRs to brokers in thousands of pre-release transactions when neither the broker nor its customers had the foreign shares needed to support those new ADRs. Such practices resulted in inflating the total number of a foreign issuer's tradeable securities, which resulted in abusive practices like inappropriate short selling and dividend arbitrage that should not have been occurring. This is the second action against a depositary bank and sixth action against a bank or broker resulting from the SEC's ongoing investigation into abusive ADR pre-release practices.

12:01 EDT Dean Foods falls -26.2% - Dean Foods is down -26.2%, or -$2.02 to $5.68.

12:00 EDT Diplomat Pharmacy falls -32.8% - Diplomat Pharmacy is down -32.8%, or -$6.67 to $13.67.

12:00 EDT Twilio rises 33.5% - Twilio is up 33.5%, or $23.79 to $94.81.

12:00 EDT Electrameccanica Vehicles Corporation trading resumes

11:57 EDT Devon Energy CEO: the company is taking bids for Central Basin, Rockies asstets - Comments provided during Q3 earnings conference call.

11:17 EDT Devon Energy raises FY18 Delaware Basin production growth estimates - Raises FY18 FY18 Delaware Basin exit rate growth to approximately 90 MBOED. The company is ramping up capital investment in 2019.

11:07 EDT Devon Energy says U.S. oil production up 17% in FY18, exceeding 2018 plan - Sees FY18 total BOE production on track with 2018 plan at growth of 9% in the U.S. Guidance provided in slides presented during Q3 earnings conference call.

10:42 EDT Point72 Asset Management reports 5% passive stake in Encana - Point72 previously reported a 1.7% stake in Encana as of June 30, according to Bloomberg data.

10:37 EDT Amazon says Alexa, Amazon Echo now available in Mexico - Amazon announced Alexa and Echo are now available in Mexico. "Alexa has learned to speak and understand Spanish tailored for Mexico, and developers around the world are creating skills and devices with Alexa built-in for Mexican customers," the company said. Echo, Echo Dot, Echo Plus, Echo Spot, and the Amazon Smart Plug are available for pre-order in Mexico today and will begin shipping next week.

10:28 EDT Groupon says experimenting with card-linked products

10:15 EDT Groupon says could increase marketing spending in Q4, beyond

10:05 EDT Comtech announces $7.1M order for City of Baltimore - Comtech Telecommunications Corp. announced that during its first quarter of fiscal 2019, its Command & Control Technologies group, which is part of Comtech's Government Solutions segment, received an order totaling $7.1M to deliver advanced communication solutions for the City of Baltimore. Comtech noted it has been supporting the City of Baltimore under this Contract since 2015.

10:03 EDT Third Point details Campbell Soup's 'unacceptable' compensation policies - Third Point LLC, a holder of approximately 7% of the outstanding common shares of Campbell Soup Company, has mailed a detailed letter to shareholders regarding Campbell's record of "wantonly spending shareholder money for poor CEO performance that is not linked to positive performance." The letter says, in part: "The Incumbent Board boasts that it has created an executive compensation program that is aligned to performance. One of a board's most important responsibilities is to have a program that sets compensation fairly and thoughtfully, while carefully stewarding shareholder capital. We were skeptical when we saw the results of this Board's "processes" with ex-CEO Morrison. Considering how wastefully the Incumbent Board uses shareholder money in areas like protecting their own secrets rather than being transparent with shareholders,1 we decided we should investigate how they pay their CEOs. The compensation program has failed. We believe it failed because the Incumbent Board was either asleep at the wheel or made affirmatively horrendous decisions to continue awarding million-dollar payments to executives who were not driving long-term value. Once again, this Board is giving away your money without any connection to performance. Mr. McLoughlin is being paid a base salary of more than $1 million and received a shockingly high $3 million restricted stock grant, which vests in full when a successor CEO is appointed (or, if earlier, 12 months from the date of the grant). What has Mr. McLoughlin done to show shareholders he deserves this compensation package? It cannot be that the Incumbent Board believed Mr. McLoughlin would instill a sense of confidence in the market; the stock lost $1.5 billion in value on the day he was appointed. The Incumbent Board's failure to plan for Ms. Morrison's successor has resulted in a windfall for one of their own. Shareholders deserve better. Third Point is confident we can identify a world-class CEO who will modernize products, improve employee morale, and help shareholders. We have done this before, serving on the compensation committees of other public companies and looking out for shareholder interests first. Third Point is determined to bring a culture of accountability, with greater board engagement and fair pay for performance. No one minds paying fairly for a CEO who benefits everyone but paying tens of millions of dollars to a CEO who benefitted almost no one is just insulting. The Independent Slate is running to replace the Incumbent Board because we believe that with a flat stock price over 20 years, Campbell has been focused on serving someone other than its public shareholders and employees."

10:00 EDT Medifast falls -20.0% - Medifast is down -20.0%, or -$42.88 to $172.00.

10:00 EDT Diplomat Pharmacy falls -29.8% - Diplomat Pharmacy is down -29.8%, or -$6.07 to $14.27.

10:00 EDT SendGrid rises 21.0% - SendGrid is up 21.0%, or $7.20 to $41.47.

09:50 EDT Humana says indicators suggest company is taking market share

09:47 EDT Coty falls -15.4% - Coty is down -15.4%, or -$1.72 to $9.46.

09:47 EDT Twilio rises 15.5% - Twilio is up 15.5%, or $10.98 to $82.00.

09:47 EDT Noble Midstream rises 22.7% - Noble Midstream is up 22.7%, or $8.09 to $43.69.

09:21 EDT Marsh & McLennan receives JLT holder approval - Marsh & McLennan announced that the shareholders of Jardine Lloyd Thompson Group plc, or JLT, overwhelmingly approved Marsh & McLennan's agreement to acquire JLT. Of those shares voted, 99.9% voted in favor of the transaction.

09:18 EDT Akers Biosciences to evaluate strategic alternatives - Akers Biosciences announced that the board has initiated a process to evaluate strategic alternatives to maximize shareholder value. This process will consider a range of potential strategic alternatives including, but not limited to, business combinations, while simultaneously supporting the company's management and employees in the execution of the company's current business activities. The company does not plan to disclose or comment on developments regarding the strategic review process until it is complete or further disclosure is deemed appropriate. There can be no assurance that the exploration of strategic alternatives will result in any transaction or other alternative.

09:13 EDT Tecogen sell replacement chillers to University of Connecticut - Tecogen has sold four, 400-ton Tecochill chillers to the University of Connecticut for installation in the central utility plant located on its main campus in Storrs, Connecticut. The chillers will provide air conditioning for much of the campus and replace chillers supplied by Tecogen over 20 years ago, replacing them with a new Tecochill system that operates at a higher efficiency and with improved environmental benefits, including the company's patented emissions aftertreatment system, Ultera, and uses a modern, ozone-friendly refrigerant. The University will receive state incentives available to engine chillers that curb peak electrical demand in this highly congested region. The incentive program is specific for natural gas engine driven chillers because of their unique characteristic of being both highly efficient while requiring minimal electricity. The systems are expected to be installed in time for the summer cooling season at the central utility plant and will be serviced by Tecogen's Connecticut Service Center which has served a large population of Tecogen air-conditioning and combined heat and power products for approximately 30 years, including systems sold by Clover Corporation.

09:09 EDT Panhandle Oil & Gas reports FY18 estimated total proved reserve volumes up 3% - Panhandle Oil & Gas announced estimated total proved reserve volumes for its fiscal year ended Sept. 30 up 3% to 173.6 Bcfe from 168.6 Bcfe reported for Sept. 30, 2017. Panhandle's total estimated proved reserves at Sept. 30, 2018, are approximately 69% natural gas, 21% oil and 10% NGL. At Sept. 30, 2018, approximately 63% of total proved reserves, or 109.7 Bcfe, are categorized as proved developed as compared to 66%, or 111.7 Bcfe, at Sept. 30, 2017. Proved undeveloped reserves, or PUD, comprised 37% of total proved reserves, or 63.9 Bcfe, at Sept. 30, 2018, as compared to 34%, or 56.9 Bcfe, at Sept. 30, 2017.

09:07 EDT Michael Kors sees Versace deal closing in fiscal Q4 - Sees accessories SSS down in low single digits for the rest of the year. Sees FY19 Michael Kors operating margin in line with FY18. Sees FY CapEx approximately $225M. Says "encouraged" by Q2 results, sees "strong" 2H. Comments taken from the Q2 earnings conference call. Shares of Michael Kors are down nearly 14% ahead of the market open.

09:06 EDT Gogo's Avance L3 selected by Airshare for its fleet of Embraer Phenom 100s - Gogo's (GOGO) Avance L3 connectivity solution for light jets has been selected by Airshare for installation across its entire fleet of Embraer (ERJ) Phenom 100 aircraft. Airshare operates 11 Phenom 100 aircraft in its fleet.

09:04 EDT Charles River says 'on track' to exceed original 2018 financial guidance - Says intends to continue to enhance scientific capabilities through M&A and internal development, expand capacity and staff, and invest in technology to provide critical data for both internal and client use. Anticipates 3Q18 VC investment gains will be offset by 4Q18 VC investment losses of approx. 10c. Says now expects VC investment gains of 24c for 2018. Says will eliminate the performance of VC investments from guidance, beginning in 2019. Says 2018 non-GAAP unallocated corporate costs now expected to be slightly above 6.5% of total revenue. Expects 2018 GAAP unallocated corporate costs expected to be approx. 7.5% of total revenue. Says 2018 net interest expense outlook narrowed to a range of $59-$60M and $64-65M. Says 2018 non-GAAP tax rate now expected to be in a range of 22%-23%. Says GAAP tax rate now expected to be 20%-21%. Says 2018 FCF guidance increased by approx. $30M reflecting strong 3Q18 cash flow generation. Says 2018 capex guidance remains unchanged at approx. $120M. Says strategic acquisitions remain top priority for capital allocation, followed by debt repayment. Says absent any acquisitions, will continue to repay debt. Says Foreign exchange is expected to be slightly less favorable as a result of the strengthening U.S. dollar. Says now expects an approx. 1.5% FX benefit in 2018 vs. prior outlook of approx. 2% benefit. Says translates into slight incremental headwind to full-year EPS, compared to prior outlook in August. Says expects Outlook for 2018 segment revenue growth will remain the same on an organic basis. Expects RMS and DSA will be at the higher end of the organic growth ranges. Expects Manufacturing to continue to grow at low-double-digit organic rate.

08:58 EDT Diana Shipping announces sale of Panamax dry bulk vessel for $7.35M - Diana Shipping announced that it has signed, through a separate wholly-owned subsidiary, a Memorandum of Agreement to sell to an unaffiliated third party, the 2001-built vessel "Triton", with delivery to the buyer latest by January 7, 2019, for a sale price of $7.35M before commissions. Upon completion of the aforementioned sale, Diana Shipping Inc.'s fleet will consist of 49 dry bulk vessels. As of today, the combined carrying capacity of the Company's fleet, including the m/v Triton, is approximately 5.8 million dwt with a weighted average age of 9.21 years. A

08:47 EDT Schlage partners with Amazon.com to enhance smart home living - Schlage, a brand of Allegion (ALLE), has joined forces with Amazon (AMZN) to deliver integrated smart home solutions to homeowners with convenience and ease. In parallel with this announcement, Schlage has introduced the Schlage Connect Smart Deadbolt, Zigbee certified with Amazon Key compatibility. This new lock is available now as part of the Amazon Key Smart Lock Kit.

08:39 EDT Onconova appoints Richard Woodman CMO - Onconova (ONTX) announced the appointment of Richard Woodman as CMO and senior VP of research & development. Woodman will report to Steve Fruchtman, president and former CMO of the company. Woodman, served most recently as senior VP and head of U.S. oncology clinical development and medical affairs for Novartis (NVS). In his role, Ric provided strategic medical and scientific leadership for both marketed and development-stage compounds.

08:36 EDT Myovant Sciences expands Executive Committee and Board of Directors - Myovant Sciences (MYV) announced that Kim Sablich, formerly VP of Primary Care Marketing in the United States for GlaxoSmithKline (GSK), will join Myovant Sciences as Chief Commercial Officer, and Jeff Nornhold, formerly Senior VP of Technical Operations for Amneal Pharmaceuticals (AMRX), has joined Myovant as Senior VP of Pharmaceutical Operations & Development. In addition, Myovant has appointed Myrtle Potter, Mark Guinan, and Frank Torti, M.D., to Myovant's Board of Directors, and Potter has been appointed Chairman of the Board.

08:34 EDT Global Water Resources appoints Ron Fleming as chairman, succeeding Trevor Hill - Global Water Resources has appointed Ron L. Fleming, the company's president and CEO, as the new chairman of its board of directors. Fleming succeeds Trevor Hill who is retiring from the board, effective December 31, 2018. Hill has served as a director since he co-founded Global Water in 2003, and as chairman since 2013. David Tedesco, a member of the board since 2012 and current chair of the compensation committee, was also appointed lead independent director.

08:31 EDT B. Riley Financial receives regulatory approval for magicJack acquisition - B. Riley Financial (RILY) and magicJack (CALL) announced that they have received regulatory approval from the U.S. Federal Communications Commission related to B. Riley's pending acquisition of magicJack. The parties have agreed to a scheduled closing date of November 14. Upon closing of the transaction, magicJack will be managed by B. Riley's Principal Investments subsidiary which currently owns and operates United Online, a provider of value-priced Internet access services through the NetZero and Juno brands.

08:28 EDT Gentherm names Mark Potesta as SVP, Chief Technology Officer - Gentherm (THRM) announced that Mark A. Potesta will join the company's leadership team as Senior Vice President and Chief Technology Officer on November 12, 2018. In this role, Potesta will lead Gentherm's technology strategy to deliver unique and innovative thermal solutions across a broad range of applications in both automotive and medical markets. He will also provide functional leadership for the Company's electronics, Battery Thermal Management, and advanced engineering teams. Potesta will report to Gentherm's President and CEO, Phil Eyler. Potesta comes to Gentherm from Panasonic Automotive Systems (PCRFY) where he was the Executive Vice President of Engineering and CTO.

08:22 EDT MiMedx delisted fom Nasdaq, continues to trade on OTC - MiMedx has received notification from Nasdaq indicating that, as a result of the interim progress report submitted by the company on October 31, Nasdaq will suspend trading in the company's stock effective at the open of business on November 8. The company does not intend to appeal the delisting determination. The Audit Committee is working diligently with its advisors to complete the investigation expeditiously, and the company is also working to prepare its financial statements for audit and regain compliance with its SEC reporting obligations and Nasdaq listing rules as soon as practicable. Following the Nasdaq delisting, shares of the company's common stock will continue to trade publicly on the "over the counter" market operated by the OTC Markets Group. The company's trading symbol will remain MDXG. MiMedx does not expect the transition to the OTC Market to affect MiMedx's business operations. The company remains focused on executing its strategy to drive long-term business success and value creation.

08:13 EDT Pattern Energy to sell K2 wind facility for $166M - Pattern Energy has entered into an agreement for the sale of the company's 90 MW minority owned interest in the K2 Wind power facility in Ontario for a purchase price of C$216.0M or $166.0M, to a consortium of investors led by Axium Infrastructure. Sale of the interest allows the company to acquire or invest in more accretive assets. The company expects to record a pretax gain of $65.0M-$69.0M gain on the sale. Pattern Energy is also entitled to receive the cash flows from the facility through the end of calendar 2018.

08:11 EDT Interpace Diagnostics announces new coverage by BCBS for thyroid testing - Interpace Diagnostics Group announced that the Blue Cross Blue Shield Federal Employee Health Benefit Program has extended coverage of ThyGeNEXT and ThyraMIR to its 5.3 million covered lives including federal employees, retirees and their families. The FEHBP relies on consumer choices among competing private plans to determine costs, premiums, benefits, and service and currently has a 66% federal employee and retiree plan participation rate.

08:10 EDT ViaSat receives initial Mini Crypto order from U.S. Air Force - Viasat has received a Low Rate Initial Production order of 1,000 National Security Agency-certified Mini Crypto devices from the U.S. Air Force. Viasat's Mini Crypto devices are designed for embedment on U.S. Department of Defense small form factor systems, allowing them to transmit SECRET and Below data securely across the battlespace. Systems include unmanned systems, emerging robotics applications, communications devices, and existing and emerging sensors.

08:09 EDT Alnylam expects to end 2018 with approx. $1B of cash, cash equivalents - Alnylam reiterates its expectations to end 2018 with approximately $1B of cash, cash equivalents and marketable debt securities, restricted cash and restricted investments, excluding equity securities. The Company reiterates its expectations for 2018 annual non-GAAP R&D expenses to be in the range of $420M to $460M and non-GAAP SG&A expenses to be in the range of $280M to $320M Both non-GAAP R&D and non-GAAP SG&A expenses exclude stock-based compensation expenses.

08:08 EDT OncoSec doses first patient in KEYNOTE-890 Phase 2 clinical trial - OncoSec Medical (ONCS) announced that the first patient has been treated in KEYNOTE-890, a Phase 2 clinical trial for the treatment of late-stage triple negative breast cancer with TAVO in combination with Merck's (MRK) KEYTRUDA. KEYNOTE-890 is designed as a multicenter Phase 2 open-label trial focusing on patients with a histologically confirmed diagnosis of inoperable locally advanced or metastatic TNBC and at least 1 prior line of approved systemic chemotherapy or immunotherapy. 25 patients are expected to be enrolled. Each patient will undergo 3-week treatment cycles with pembrolizumab administered as a 30-minute IV infusion day 1 of every cycle (flat dose of 200 mg) and treated with TAVO on days 1, 5 and 8 every six weeks.

08:05 EDT Wynn Resorts names Phil Satre as Chairman of board, succeeding D. Boone Wayson - Wynn Resorts announced that its Board of Directors, at a regular meeting yesterday, unanimously voted Philip G. Satre Chairman of the Board. Satre, an independent director who joined the Board in August 2018 as Vice Chairman, succeeds D. Boone Wayson who is retiring from the Board. The Wynn Resorts Board is now comprised of 10 directors, six of whom joined the Board in 2018, and four of whom are women.

08:05 EDT CSW Industrials announces $75M share buyback authorization - CSW Industrials announced the Board of Directors has authorized a $75M share repurchase program over a two-year period. To date, the Company has repurchased approximately 656 thousand shares and completed the current $35 million Board-authorized share repurchase program implemented on November 11, 2016. As part of CSW Industrials' ongoing strategic planning with its Board of Directors, the Company also announced a formalized capital allocation strategy. Joseph Armes, Chief Executive Officer of CSW Industrials, said, "We are very pleased to formalize our capital allocation strategy, which will guide us as we remain focused on maximizing shareholder returns on a risk adjusted basis. The general framework of our broadly discussed capital allocation principles remains unchanged, but we believe that articulating our principles more formally adds incremental transparency and accountability to our shareholders." Capital allocation will be evaluated and prioritized on a risk-adjusted returns basis as detailed below. Investment to support organic growth opportunities. Investment in inorganic growth opportunities: The Company will prioritize accretive, synergistic acquisitions within its existing business units. The Company will also consider broader strategic opportunities as appropriate. Return of excess free cash to stockholders as appropriate through opportunistic share repurchases and dividends.

07:57 EDT Unisys selected by Virginia for $242.4M digital services contract - Unisys announced that the Virginia Information Technologies Agency - a new client for Unisys - has selected the company to provide consumption-based server, storage and data center services to Virginia government executive branch agencies as part of an initiative to modernize services to citizens. Valued at $242.4M and signed in Q3, the contract will improve the reliability of the digital services the commonwealth provides to citizens by modernizing hardware, security and services, while shifting to a consumption-based pricing model. VITA is the commonwealth's consolidated technology services and solutions provider responsible for the operation of the state's technology infrastructure, governance, security, oversight of major IT projects and procurement of technology-related goods and services on behalf of state and local governments. The contract allows for the introduction of new services over six years.

07:53 EDT Charles River sees Q4 revenue growth driven by 'strong demand trends' - Expects 2018 non-GAAP operating margin will be lower than original estimate. Expects to generate sequential non-GAAP margin improvement in 4Q18. Expects 4Q18 reported and organic revenue growth driven by continued strong demand trends across all of businesses. Sees modest improvement in RMS growth rate due to a full quarter of revenue generated under the NIAID contract. Says 4Q18 Non-GAAP EPS assumptions include: continued strong operational performance, sequential operating margin improvement, partially offset by anticipated 4Q18 VC investment losses of approx. 10c and 4Q18 non-GAAP tax rate in the mid-20% range. Guidance from slides presentation for Q3 earnings conference call.

07:49 EDT Humana revises FY18 medical membership metrics - Sees FY18: Individual Medicare Advantage: Up 200,000 to 210,000 (was Up 180,000 to 200,000); Group Medicare Advantage: Up ~60,000 (was Up 65,000 to 70,000); Medicare stand-alone PDP: Down 290,000 to 310,000 (was Down 280,000 to 320,000); Group commercial fully-insured: Down 80,000 to 90,000 (was Down 60,000 to 70,000).

07:41 EDT SunOpta continues to 'make progress" on Value Creation Plan - The company said, "As part of the Company's commitment to deliver long-term value to its shareholders, in early 2017 it launched its Value Creation Plan. The Company is targeting implementation of $30M of productivity-driven annualized enhancements to EBITDA in the first phase of the plan, to be implemented over 2017 and 2018. For 2017, these EBITDA benefits were offset by expenses associated with the Value Creation Plan, including structural investments made in the areas of quality, sales, marketing, operations and engineering resources, as well as non-structural third-party consulting support, severance and recruiting costs. For 2018, these EBITDA benefits are expected to be offset by a decline in profitability in the frozen fruit platform as a result of sales price reductions and higher costs. The plan also calls for increased investment in capital upgrades at several manufacturing facilities to continue to enhance food safety and manufacturing efficiencies. Over time, these investments are expected to yield additional improvement in EBITDA beyond the $30M of initial productivity-driven savings. During the third quarter of 2018, the Company continued to make progress against each of the four pillars of its Value Creation Plan and believes it is on track to achieve targeted productivity enhancements, while continuing to make the necessary structural investments it believes will drive growth and deliver long-term value. Since the initiation of the Value Creation Plan, the Company has implemented actions that are expected to yield approximately $28M of annualized EBITDA benefits. "

07:39 EDT Groupon reports global units sold declined 11% in Q3 - Groupon reports global units sold declined 11% to 39.5 million in the third quarter 2018 as a result of lower traffic and a continued focus on maximizing long-term gross profit, which resulted in fewer units. Units in North America were down 17%, with a significant portion of that decline due to a focus on long-term gross profit optimization in Goods, as well as continued scaling of Groupon+ and the sale of OrderUp that occurred in the second half of 2017.

07:36 EDT Copart opens new location in South of Berlin, Germany - Copart is opening a new location in the south of Berlin, Germany. The facility is located at Nobelstr. 10 Massen-Niederlausitz, Brandenburg. This is Copart's first location in the proximity of Berlin, the capital of Germany. It is the company's fifth location in the country.

07:36 EDT Gain Capital raises share repurchase authorization to $50M - Gain Capital announced that its Board of Directors has increased the total amount of cash available for purchases of GAIN's common stock under its previously announced share repurchase plan to $50M in order to increase its flexibility to opportunistically purchase shares of common stock in the open market.

07:33 EDT AutoNation announces new partnership with AAA - AutoNation announced a new partnership with AAA, one of the nation's largest membership organizations. AutoNation is AAA's first national Approved Auto Repair program partner, with over 220 facilities now approved under the program. Being AAR certified signals to consumers that AutoNation facilities meet the highest of professional standards. Facilities in the AAR program have undergone rigorous qualifications in customer satisfaction, technician training and community reputation.

07:26 EDT Rocket Pharmaceuticals announces FDA clearance of IND application for RP-L102 - Rocket Pharmaceuticals announces the clearance of the Company's Investigational New Drug application for RP-L102, the Company's lentiviral vector-based gene therapy for the treatment of Fanconi Anemia, by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. The clinical trial will evaluate "Process B" which incorporates higher cell doses, transduction enhancers, and commercial-grade vector manufacturing and cell processing. This process improves upon the first-generation process developed in partnership with the Centro de Investigaciones Energeticas, Medioambientales y Tecnologicas/Ciber of Rare Diseases/Fundacion Jimenez Diaz in Madrid, Spain. The planned clinical trial of "Process B" RP-L102 is expected to enroll approximately 12 FA patients at the Center for Definitive and Curative Medicine at Stanford University School of Medicine, Hospital Nino Jesus/CIEMAT, and other leading centers in the U.S. and in the EU.

07:17 EDT Tonix Pharmaceuticals announces new patent coverage protecting Tonmya - Tonix Pharmaceuticals Holding announced that the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office issued U.S. Patent No. 10,117,936 to the Company on November 6, 2018. This patent, "Eutectic Formulations of Cyclobenzaprine Hydrochloride and Amitriptyline Hydrochloride," includes 34 claims directed to pharmaceutical compositions of eutectics of cyclobenzaprine hydrochloride and mannitol and methods of making those compositions. This patent is expected to provide Tonix with U.S. market exclusivity until 2034. The patent is part of an expanding portfolio of patents and patent applications and other intellectual property addressing the formulation, manufacturing, and uses of Tonmya, or TNX-102 SL, for a variety of indications including posttraumatic stress disorder, agitation in Alzheimer's disease, and fibromyalgia.

07:11 EDT BeiGene initiates head-to-head Phase 3 Zanubrutinib trial - BeiGene announced the first patient was dosed in a global Phase 3 clinical trial of its investigational BTK inhibitor zanubrutinib compared with ibrutinib in patients with relapsed/refractory chronic lymphocytic leukemia or small lymphocytic lymphoma. The global Phase 3 open-label trial is expected to enroll approximately 400 patients with relapsed/refractory CLL or SLL across approximately 150 study centers in the U.S., China, Europe, Australia and New Zealand. Patients will be randomized in a one-to-one manner to either zanubrutinib or ibrutinib. The primary endpoint is overall response rate, as determined by independent central review. Key secondary endpoints include progression-free survival, duration of response, overall survival, patient-reported outcomes, and safety. Zanubrutinib was recently granted Fast Track Designation by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration for the treatment of patients with Waldenstrom macroglobulinemia. New drug applications in China for zanubrutinib as a treatment for patients with mantle cell lymphoma and for patients with relapsed/refractory CLL or SLL, have been accepted for review by the National Medical Products Administration of China. Zanubrutinib is being studied in a broad registration program. In addition to this newly initiated Phase 3 trial, it is also being evaluated in a fully enrolled, global Phase 3 clinical trial in patients with WM comparing zanubrutinib to ibrutinib, a global Phase 3 clinical trial in patients with previously untreated CLL, and a pivotal Phase 2 trial in combination with GAZYVA in patients with relapsed/refractory follicular lymphoma. In China, in addition to the MCL and CLL filings, BeiGene has completed enrollment in another pivotal Phase 2 clinical trial of zanubrutinib in patients with WM.

07:09 EDT Colony Capital CEO Richard Saltzman resigns - Colony Capital (CLNY) announced that its board of directors and its CEO Richard Saltzman, have reached a mutual agreement in which Saltzman, who has served as CEO since going public four years ago, has resigned as CEO, president and as a director of the company. Saltzman will remain in a non-executive capacity as chairman of both Colony Credit Real Estate (CLNC) and NorthStar Realty Europe (NRE), which are externally managed by subsidiaries of the company. Thomas J. Barrack, Jr., the company's executive chairman, has taken on the additional role of CEO of the company. In doing so, Barrack reassumes the position he held when he founded Colony as a private company in 1991, until 2014, when Colony merged into Colony Financial, Inc. The company will be implementing a set of additional organizational changes to further align with its increasing focus on its investment management business. Darren Tangen, the company's current CFO, has been named president, effective immediately, and will resign as CFO, effective January 1, 2019. Effective January 1, 2019, Mark Hedstrom, the company's current COO, will reassume the additional responsibilities of CFO, a position he held prior to Colony's 2014 merger into Colony Financial, Inc. Additionally, in connection with the exit of certain non-core business lines and as part of a reorganization and restructuring plan, Colony Capital will be commencing a series of steps to reduce overhead and match resources to its renewed set of missions, with an expected $50M to $55M in total annual general and administrative cost reductions over the next 12 to 18 months. These cost reductions are designed to leave the Company more nimble and de-centralized, with a focus on pay-for-performance.

07:07 EDT Darling Ingredients acquires stock of PPH Conto Ltd. - Darling Ingredients announced that it has acquired the stock of PPH Conto Ltd., a food grade animal fat processing facility in Lubien Kujawski, Poland. "Poland is one of the fastest growing meat production areas in Europe," said Randall Stuewe, Darling Ingredients Chairman and CEO. " The acquisition of Conto provides us the opportunity to strengthen our current position in this important growth area and enlarge our production portfolio with high end food grade fats. This will enable us to expand our service portfolio not only in Poland but across Europe for both our customers as well as to our suppliers," concluded Stuewe.

07:05 EDT Nokia, China Unicom deploy private LTE network at BMW plant in China - Nokia (NOK) and China Unicom (CHU) have created a private LTE network for a BMW Brilliance Automotive Ltd (BMYY) plant being built in Shenyang city in the Liaoning province of China. The Nokia virtualized Multi-access Edge Computing solution will leverage China Unicom's 4G LTE network to provide low-latency support for smart manufacturing activities at the plant.

06:57 EDT Northern Dynasty reports voters elect pro-development governor Mike Dunleavy - Northern Dynasty reports that with 98% of precincts reporting, Alaska voters in a November 6 state-wide election have elected a new Governor, Republican Mike Dunleavy. The company said, "Governor-elect Dunleavy is a proponent of encouraging investment and responsible development of the state's natural resources to address the significant fiscal and economic challenges facing Alaska. In electing Dunleavy, Alaska voters rejected the candidacy of a Democratic challenger who opposed development of the Pebble Project. Dunleavy has stated that permitting decisions about resource development proposals in Alaska, including the Pebble Project, should be based on objective science and comprehensive reviews led by expert state and federal regulatory agencies. In the key U.S. Congressional House Representative election, incumbent Republican Don Young was the winner. Alaska voters on November 6 also rejected Ballot Measure 1, known as the Stand For Salmon initiative, which would have fundamentally re-written the state's regulatory framework and habitat protections for anadramous fish, and was positioned by its supporters as a vote against the Pebble Project. The anti-resource development initiative was opposed by a broad coalition of Alaskans who coalesced behind the Stand for Alaska campaign to defeat Ballot Measure 1, including resource companies and other business interests, community and political leaders, individuals, and a majority of Alaska Native regional corporations. With 98% of precincts reporting, more than 60% of Alaska voters had cast ballots in opposition to Ballot Measure 1."

06:54 EDT Sempra Energy units signs three HOAs with Total affiliates - Sempra Energy (SRE) announced that its subsidiaries Infraestructura Energetica Nova S.A.B. de C.V. and Sempra LNG & Midstream have signed three Heads of Agreements, or HOAs, with affiliates of Total S.A. (TOT), Mitsui & Co., Ltd. and Tokyo Gas Co., Ltd. for the full export capacity of Phase 1 of the Energia Costa Azul liquefied natural gas project located in Baja California, Mexico. ECA LNG Phase 1 is a single-train liquefaction facility to be located adjacent to the existing LNG receipt terminal and expected to produce approximately 2.4 million tonnes per annum of LNG for export to global markets.

06:47 EDT Merck to present early Phase 1 data from MK-4280, MK-7684 studies - Merck announced the first presentations of preliminary safety and efficacy data from Phase 1/2 dose finding studies for the company's investigational anti-LAG-3 therapy (MK-4280) and anti-TIGIT therapy (MK-7684) in patients with advanced solid tumors. LAG-3 and TIGIT are negative immune regulators and play different roles in downregulating the immune response. The preliminary findings from the studies demonstrated acceptable safety profiles with no dose limiting toxicities and early signals of anti-tumor activity for Merck's anti-LAG-3 therapy (MK-4280) (Abstract #O26) and anti-TIGIT therapy (MK-7684) (Abstract #O25) as monotherapies and in combination with KEYTRUDA(R) (pembrolizumab), Merck's anti-PD-1 therapy.

06:44 EDT Southwest reports October traffic - Southwest reported its October preliminary traffic statistics. The company flew 11.3B revenue passenger miles, or RPMs, in October, an increase of 6% from the 10.7B RPMs flown in October 2017. Available seat miles, or ASMs, increased 7.7% to 13.4B in October, compared with October 2017 ASMs of 12.4B. The October load factor was 84.5%, compared with 85.8% in October 2017.

06:41 EDT Leggett & Platt appoints Mitch Dolloff as COO - Leggett & Platt announced that Mitch Dolloff will assume the role of COO effective January 1, 2019, a role last held by Karl Glassman prior to his becoming CEO in January 2016. Mitch will also maintain his current position as President of the Specialized Products and Furniture Products segments until such time successor segment presidents are appointed. Perry Davis will remain the President of Residential Products and Industrial Products segments and will report to Mitch.

06:40 EDT Coty to modify distribution center consolidation plan - Commenting on the financial results, Camillo Pane, Coty CEO said: "We are very disappointed with the supply chain disruptions that we have experienced over the last quarter and the resulting poor Q1 financial performance. While we had anticipated some level of disruption in the first quarter from warehousing and planning consolidation, the increased scope of the disruptions resulted in much weaker results than previously expected. We have been working to remedy the supply chain issues and expect to temper the headwinds in 2Q19, and have them be substantially resolved in 3Q19, although we do not expect to fully recover the 1Q19 financial impact in the balance of FY19. As a result of these disruptions, we have decided to modify our distribution center consolidation plan for the remainder of the year to minimize business impact. With a healthy synergy delivery already in 1Q19, these modifications should have no impact to our commitment of $225 million of synergies in FY19 and $750 million total by the end of FY20. By division, underlying consumer demand in Luxury and Professional Beauty remains strong, and if we exclude the supply chain disruptions, both divisions would have reported solid net revenue growth in 1Q19 consistent with their FY18 trend, driven by strong innovation and excellence in execution. However, Consumer Beauty's underlying high single digit revenue decline clearly reflects category weakness in developed markets, continued competitive pressure and performance challenges with some of our brands, as well as the repercussions of our severe supply chain disruptions on our Consumer Beauty gross-to-net, including customer penalties and increased promotional support. From here, the pathway to stabilization of Consumer Beauty will focus on: 1) strengthening operational discipline, including restoring service levels; 2) actively improving gross-to-net as supply chain headwinds abate; 3) refocusing investment from lower priority to higher-potential brand-country combinations; 4) an increased focus on cost structure to reflect the top-line trajectory; and 5) a more pronounced shift in investments towards new growth channels. "To conclude, 1Q19 was a disappointing setback in achieving our financial targets and strategic goals, and we are working hard to solve the issues. With the P&G Beauty integration near completion, and after we have overcome the internal challenges, we will be better equipped to focus more externally, so that we can fully capitalize on the exciting and dynamic changes in the beauty industry. We remain absolutely convinced that the fast-paced and ambitious transformational agenda we are pursuing, including comprehensive upgrades to our systems, processes, culture, and people, is ultimately building a much stronger Coty for the long term."

06:31 EDT Leggett & Platt to acquire Elite Comfort Solutions for $1.25B

06:28 EDT Trump says 'now we can all get back to work and get things done' - President Donald Trump just tweeted, "Received so many Congratulations from so many on our Big Victory last night, including from foreign nations (friends) that were waiting me out, and hoping, on Trade Deals. Now we can all get back to work and get things done!"

06:15 EDT Foamix reports 'positive' topline results from Phase 3 trial of FMX-103 - Foamix Pharmaceuticals announced the topline results from its Phase 3 program evaluating FMX103 1.5% minocycline foam, in the treatment of moderate-to-severe papulopustular rosacea. Studies FX2016-11 and FX2016-12 met both co-primary endpoints of absolute change from baseline in inflammatory lesion count at Week 12, and Investigator Global Assessment treatment success at Week 12, defined as an IGA score of 0 or 1, and at least a 2-grade improvement from baseline. The safety profile of FMX103 was found to be favorable. Data from study FX2016-13 evaluating the long-term safety of FMX103 are expected to be reported in the first half of 2019.

06:09 EDT Vantage Energy Acquisition to acquire QEP Resources' Williston Basin assets - Vantage Energy Acquisition Corp. (VEAC) announced it has entered into definitive agreements with QEP Energy Company, a wholly owned subsidiary of QEP Resources (QEP), to acquire the entirety of QEP's Williston Basin assets in North Dakota and Montana, which includes the South Antelope and Fort Berthold leasehold and various mineral interests, for $1.65B cash consideration, prior to post-effective date adjustments, and up to 5.8M shares of Vantage common stock if certain stock price targets are achieved. Upon closing the transaction, Vantage Energy Acquisition Corp. will change its name to Vantage Energy, which will be led by Biemans as Vantage's full-time Chairman, President and CEO. In addition to Biemans' leadership and the rest of the current Vantage team, Vantage expects to retain a significant portion of QEP's High Plains business unit team, including operations, engineering, geoscience, land, administrative and finance groups. The transaction is subject to approval by VEAC shareholders and other customary closing conditions, and the new company will trade on the NASDAQ under the ticker "VEI" upon closing, which is expected to occur late in the first quarter or early in the second quarter of 2019. On November 6, 2018, VEAC entered into definitive agreements to acquire QEP's Williston Basin position for approximately $1.65 billion in cash and up to 5.8 million shares of Vantage stock if certain stock price targets are achieved, subject to customary purchase price adjustments and with an effective date of July 1, 2018. The acquisition will be financed using a combination of $560 million in cash from the VEAC IPO being held in trust (assuming no redemptions), $185 million in proceeds from an equity issuance from NGP Vantage under the forward purchase agreement entered into at IPO and approximately $642 million debt (less than1.5x 2018 estimated EBITDA) at closing. Debt will be comprised of a $400 million bridge to a proposed bond offering and $242 million drawn on a $900 million credit facility. Upon the closing of the business combination, the company will be renamed Vantage Energy Inc. With an anticipated initial enterprise value of $1.52 billion and an estimated $427 million of EBITDA for 2019, the transaction is valued at approximately 3.6x 2019 estimated EBITDA. 4 Vantage intends to propose an initial annual dividend of $0.25 per share. Assuming no redemptions of VEAC public shares, the VEAC public investors will own 63% of the issued and outstanding shares of common stock of Vantage immediately following the closing, while NGP Vantage will own 37%. The transaction was unanimously approved by the board of VEAC and remains subject to the approval of VEAC shareholders and the satisfaction or waiver of other customary conditions. VEAC has secured financing commitments for the anticipated funded debt and reserve based lending facility. Following the consummation of the transaction, Vantage's common shares will remain listed on the NASDAQ. Upon closing, Vantage will maintain a seven-person board, which will include Roger Biemans as Chairman, two appointees named by NGP Vantage and four additional independent directors. In connection with the transaction, QEP will continue to provide transition services for up to 120 days post-closing. QEP's High Plains business unit includes more than 150 dedicated operating, technical and field level employees immediately available for hire.

06:07 EDT Xiamen Airlines signs digital solutions agreement with GE Aviation - Xiamen Airlines signed an agreement with GE Aviation on the Event Measurement System based Flight Analytics Services to further extend their strategic cooperation in digitalization. This service enables customers to effectively enhance flight safety, optimize fuel efficiency and reduce operational costs for the airline's fleet.

06:05 EDT QEP Resources to sell Williston Basin assets to Vantage for up to $1.725B - QEP Resources (QEP) announced that its wholly owned subsidiary, QEP Energy Company, entered into a definitive agreement to sell its assets in the Williston Basin to Vantage Acquisition Operating Company, LLC, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Vantage Energy Acquisition Corp. (VEAC) for a purchase price of up to $1.725B, subject to purchase price adjustments. The purchase price is comprised of $1.65B in cash and contractual rights to receive up to $50M and $25M in Vantage common stock if the daily volume weighted average trading price of Vantage's common stock for 10 out of 20 consecutive trading days is at or above $12 per share and $15 per share, respectively. QEP shall be entitled to the equity consideration if the share price thresholds are met at any time during the five year period following closing of the transaction. The agreement provides for the sale of all of QEP's assets in North Dakota and Montana, which includes the Company's South Antelope and Fort Berthold leasehold in the Williston Basin. The transaction has an effective date of July 1, 2018, is subject to certain conditions, including, but not limited to, Vantage shareholder and regulatory approvals, and is expected to close late in the first quarter or early in the second quarter 2019.

06:01 EDT ITG to be acquired by Virtu Financial for $30.30 per share

05:32 EDT Orion Group announces $9M contract award - Orion Group Holdings announced a contract award of approximately $9 million. The company's concrete segment, TAS Commercial Concrete Construction, was recently awarded a contract for the construction of a Fine Arts, Athletics Complex and Site Package in Arlington, Texas. The company's scope on the project calls for site concrete, foundations, walls, and other structural concrete components. The project is expected to begin immediately with a duration of eighteen months.

05:23 EDT Amazon expands grocery pickup from Whole Foods to more cities - Amazon and Whole Foods Market expanded grocery pickup from Whole Foods Market through Prime Now to eight cities, including Birmingham, Colorado Springs, Long Island, Milwaukee, Salt Lake City, San Antonio, Tacoma and Tulsa. Prime members in those cities now have the option to shop Whole Foods Market's selection of fresh and organic produce, bakery, dairy, meat and seafood, floral and everyday staples and pick up their order in as little as 30 minutes, all without leaving their car. Grocery pickup from Whole Foods Market is now available in 22 cities; the service launched in August with plans for continued expansion. To enjoy grocery pickup, Prime members place their order via the Prime Now app and choose the pickup option at checkout. Customers can choose free pickup in as little as an hour on orders of $35, or in 30 minutes for $4.99. After arriving at the Whole Foods Market store, customers can park in a designated pickup spot and a Prime Now shopper will place groceries into their car within minutes. For customers who tell us they are on their way to the store in the Prime Now app, groceries will be ready as they arrive.