Stockwinners Market Radar for November 09, 2018 - Earnings, Upgrades downgrades, option trades, Best Stock Advisory Service

17:58 EDT Third Point adds American Express and Merck, exits Facebook and Wynn - Third Point disclosed in an SEC filing its holdings as of September 30, 2018. Third Point's seven new buys during the quarter included, by size of position, American Express (AXP), Merck (MRK), Shire (SHPG), Iqvia (IQV), and Diamondback Energy (FANG). The fund exited thirteen positions during the quarter, including by size of previous position NXP Semiconductors (NXPI), Facebook Class A (FB), Vulcan Materials (VMC), Wynn Resorts (WYNN), and Electronic Arts (EA). Third Point increased its stake in ten holdings, including by size of previous position Campbell Soup (CPB), Microsoft (MSFT), United Technologies (UTX), Constellation Brands Class A (STZ), and Adobe (ADBE). The fund reduced its stake in six holdings, including by size of previous position Netflix (NFLX), Lennar Class A (LEN), S&P Global (SPGI), PayPal (PYPL), and Salesforce.com (CRM). Third Point's top holdings as of September 30, 2018, in order of size, were Baxter (BAX), United Technologies, PayPal, Alibaba (BABA), and Campbell Soup.

17:35 EDT Enstar Group, Maiden Holdings agree to loss portfolio transfer - Enstar Group announced that it has signed an agreement with Maiden Holdings and Maiden Reinsurance Ltd., a subsidiary of Maiden. Pursuant to the agreement, an Enstar subsidiary would enter into a retrocession agreement to effect a loss portfolio transfer in which the Enstar subsidiary would assume loss reserves of approximately $2.675B associated with Maiden Re's quota share reinsurance contracts with AmTrust Financial Services and its subsidiaries. The retrocession will apply to losses arising and/or claims made on or prior to June 30, 2018, and loss reserves assumed will be subject to adjustment for paid losses since such date. The transaction is subject to regulatory approvals and other closing conditions. This represents Enstar's second agreed transaction with Maiden, following the entrance into a definitive agreement in August 2018 to acquire Maiden Reinsurance North America, Inc. That transaction remains subject to regulatory approvals and closing conditions and is expected to be completed in the fourth quarter of 2018.

17:26 EDT SAIC awarded $900.31M Defense Logistics contract - SAIC has been awarded a $900.31M firm-fixed-price, requirements contract for supply and supply chain management of certain tires, supporting the Global Tire Program integrator contract. This was a competitive acquisition with two responses received. This is a five-year base contract with two two-year option periods, plus four two-month option periods. Locations of performance are Texas and other areas located outside the continental U.S., with a March 8, 2024, performance completion date. Using customers are Army, Navy, Air Force, Marine Corps, Coast Guard and foreign military sales. Type of appropriation is FY19 through 2024 defense working capital funds; and foreign military sales funds. The contracting activity is the Defense Logistics Agency Land and Maritime.

17:15 EDT DH Partners reports 5.9% passive stake in Data I/O

17:13 EDT BlackRock reports 14.6% passive stake in Veritex

17:12 EDT BlackRock reports 12.4% passive stake in Chefs' Warehouse

17:09 EDT Axalta to initiate global price increase for transportation coatings - Axalta Coating Systems will initiate a global price increase for its transportation coatings effective on December 1, or as contracts with customers permit. The increase will apply to light vehicle and commercial vehicle coatings.

17:02 EDT Nobilis Health to delay filing Form 10-Q - Nobilis Health announced it has filed a Form 12b-25 Notification of Late Filing with the SEC relating to its 10-Q for the period ended September 30, 2018. In the filing, the Company stated that additional time is required for the Company and the auditor to complete their review of the Company's financial statements in order to finalize the 10-Q. The Company is re-evaluating the Net Realizable Value on its Accounts Receivable and intends to make a significant adjustment to the carrying value of accounts receivable, primarily on out of network claims greater than 365 days old. The final adjustment is subject to the completion of the Company and the auditor's review. "We are deeply disappointed by the slow pace of our collection efforts that have resulted in this impact to our receivables, which will have a significant negative impact on our financial results for 2018. Over the last several months we have completely overhauled the process and leadership of our revenue cycle and continue to improve our billing and collection processes and procedures. We continue to work towards the collection of receivables," said Kenny Klein, CFO. "This 12b-25 filing gives the company an additional 5 days to file its 10-Q and still be deemed to have been a timely filer. The company is working diligently with our auditors to complete the review of our financial statements."

16:42 EDT Viacom extends CFO Davis' employment to November 30, 2019 - According to a regulatory filing, Viacom entered into a letter agreement with executive VP and CFO Wade C. Davis on November 8, 2018, effective as of November 1, 2018, to extend Davis's term of employment to November 30, 2019. The other terms and conditions of Mr. Davis's employment agreement, dated as of November 27, 2014, remain the same, except that Davis is now eligible to receive annual grants of equity compensation with a target value of $2,750,000, increased from $2,250,000.

16:39 EDT Colony Credit Real Estate announces resignation of CFO Sujan Patel - Effective November 9, 2018, Sujan S. Patel resigned from all positions at Colony Credit Real Estate, including Mr. Patel's position as Chief Financial Officer and Treasurer of the Company, to pursue other opportunities. The board announced that it has unanimously approved the appointment of Neale W. Redington as Chief Financial Officer and Treasurer of the Company, and Frank V. Saracino as Chief Accounting Officer of the Company. Mr. Redington was previously the Company's Chief Accounting Officer.

16:30 EDT Chefs' Warehouse CEO sells 200,000 common shares - In a regulatory filing, Chefs' Warehouse president and CEO Christopher Pappas disclosed the sale of 200,000 common shares of the company at a price of $36.95 per share.

16:23 EDT FDA approves Merck's Keytruda in HCC patients - Merck announced that the FDA has approved Keytruda, Merck's anti-PD-1 therapy, for the treatment of patients with hepatocellular carcinoma, or HCC, who have been previously treated with sorafenib. Continued approval for this indication may be contingent upon verification and description of clinical benefit in the confirmatory trials. The approval was based on data from KEYNOTE-224, a single-arm, open-label, multicenter trial evaluating Keytruda in 104 patients with HCC who had disease progression on or after sorafenib or were intolerant to sorafenib. Patients received Keytruda 200 mg every three weeks until unacceptable toxicity or confirmed disease progression. Patients without disease progression were treated for up to 24 months. Assessment of tumor status was performed every nine weeks. The major efficacy outcome measures were objective response rate and duration of response, modified to follow a maximum of 10 target lesions and a maximum of five target lesions per organ, as assessed by blinded independent central review.

16:22 EDT Gabelli raises Diebold stake to 11.16% from 11.03% - In a regulatory filing, Gabelli disclosed an 11.16% stake in Diebold Nixdorf and said that GAMCO is currently evaluating three "highly-qualified" candidates to serve shareholders on Diebold's board of directors. GAMCO intends on moving forward with the nomination of at least two of these candidates in accordance with the procedures outlined in the company's Code of Regulations.

16:20 EDT Thomas J. Herzfeld Advisors reports 10.45% passive stake in OFS Credit

16:18 EDT Covenant Transportation CEO Parker reinstates 10b5-1 trading plan - Covenant Transportation announced that David Parker, CTG's Chairman and CEO, and his wife, Jacqueline Parker, have reinstated a written sales plan in accordance with Rule 10b5-1 of the Securities and Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, and CTG's policies regarding stock transactions for the sale of up to 234,347 shares of CTG Class A common stock. Sales under the 10b5-1 Trading Plan are subject to certain market conditions. Sales may commence on November 15, 2018 and would be completed by November 15, 2019.

16:16 EDT DTE Energy raises quarterly dividend 7% to 94.5c per share - The DTE Energy board of directors declared a 94.5c per share dividend on its common stock payable Jan. 15, 2019, to shareholders of record at the close of business Dec. 17, 2018. This is a 6.25c per share - or seven percent - increase from the previous quarterly dividend of 88.25c per share and reflects the Board's confidence in the company's growth plans. The new annualized dividend per share is $3.78, up from $3.53.

16:09 EDT Welbilt to delay filing Form 10-Q - Welbilt has experienced unexpected delays in the filing of its Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the quarterly period ended September 30, 2018 within the prescribed time period due to the circumstances described below. The delays could not be eliminated without unreasonable effort or expense. As disclosed in its Current Report on Form 8-K filed with the SEC on November 5, 2018, the Company's previously issued consolidated financial statements as of and for the year ended December 31, 2016 should no longer be relied upon because of prior period errors. The errors primarily relate to the computation of income taxes associated with intercompany distributions by foreign entities and intercompany obligations in accordance with underlying agreements. The Company intends to file an amended Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2017 to restate its consolidated financial statements as of and for the year ended December 31, 2016, and to revise its consolidated financial statements as of and for the years ended December 31, 2015 and 2017, in each case to reflect the correction of these tax errors. Additionally, the Company has reassessed the effectiveness of the Company's internal control over financial reporting and disclosure controls and procedures in light of the errors described above. The Company has determined that a material weakness relating to income taxes existed as of December 31, 2017 and through September 30, 2018, and therefore the Company's internal control over financial reporting and disclosure controls and procedures for income taxes were ineffective. Accordingly, in the Form 10-K/A, the Company will restate management's report on internal control over financial reporting and its evaluation of disclosure controls and procedures and will receive an adverse opinion on the internal control over financial reporting as of December 31, 2017 from PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP, the Company's independent registered public accounting firm. The Company is working to prepare the Form 10-K/A and complete the restatement and revisions described above as soon as practicable and, therefore, is not able to complete its interim unaudited financial statements and file the Form 10-Q on or prior to the due date without unreasonable effort or expense. The Company currently expects that it will be able to conclude the remaining work in time to file the Form 10-Q within the five day extension period provided by Rule 12b-25.

16:06 EDT Willdan Group completes acquisition of Lime Energy - Willdan Group announced the completion of its previously announced acquisition of Lime Energy Co., a national provider of innovative energy solutions for utilities and their commercial customers. Under the terms of the agreement, Willdan acquired all of the outstanding shares of capital stock of Lime Energy for $120M in cash, exclusive of customary holdbacks and adjustments. Willdan expects the acquisition of Lime Energy to further expand and diversify Willdan's customer base and to better position Willdan to take advantage of anticipated upcoming contract and budget expansions in California and the Northeastern United States.

16:05 EDT Athenahealth reports Q3 bookings $46.6M vs. $65.7M last year - Q3 gross margin prior to the impact of the new revenue recognition standard was 54.0% vs. 54.4% last year.

16:00 EDT International Speedway trading halted, news pending

15:47 EDT TESARO trading resumes

15:42 EDT TESARO trading halted, volatility trading pause

15:37 EDT Capital Research Global Investors reports 10.5% passive stake in Care.com

15:30 EDT Versant Side Fund reports 12.2% passive stake in Ophthotech

15:16 EDT Theravance Biopharma, Mylan confirm FDA approval for Yupelri - Theravance Biopharma (TBPH) and Mylan (MYL) announced that the U.S. FDA has approved the New Drug Application for Yupelri inhalation solution for the maintenance treatment of patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. Yupelri, a long-acting muscarinic antagonist, is the first and only once-daily, nebulized bronchodilator approved for the treatment of COPD in the US. The companies expect YUPELRI to be available to COPD patients in the US before the end of the year.

14:56 EDT Best Buy slides as Amazon reportedly expands Apple product selection - Shares of Best Buy (BBY) are slipping in afternoon trading following a report that Amazon (AMZN) has signed a deal to sell more Apple (AAPL) products. WHAT'S NEW: CNET reported earlier today that Amazon has inked a deal with Apple to expand the selection of the iPhone maker's products on Amazon worldwide. Amazon will soon begin selling more Apple devices directly and have access to the company's latest products, including new iPads, iPhones, Apple Watch Series 4, as well as Beats headphones, the report says. PRICE ACTION: In afternoon trading, Best Buy shares are down 6.6% to $68.45.

14:21 EDT PG&E says 25,000 customers currently without power due to Camp Fire - Pacific Gas and Electric Company reports that it is supporting first responders and local agencies and has mobilized its Emergency Operations Center in San Francisco, as well as multiple local operations centers, to support wildfire emergency response to the Camp Fire in Butte and Plumas counties. "PG&E's first priority is the safety of customers, employees, contractors and the communities it serves," the company stated. As of 9:00 a.m., the fire has burned about 70,000 acres. Approximately 25,000 PG&E customers are currently without power due to the impacts of the Camp Fire. At the request of first responders, PG&E turned off power to some customers as an emergency precaution to support safety and firefighting efforts. Others lost power due to fire-damaged equipment. As a safety precaution, PG&E also turned off gas service to about 12,000 customers in and around the City of Paradise. PG&E has provided an initial electric incident report to the Safety and Enforcement Division of the California Public Utilities Commission. The information provided in this report is preliminary and PG&E will fully cooperate with any investigations. There has been no determination on the causes of the Camp Fire, PG&E stated.

13:36 EDT Brown Advisory reports 5.69% passive stake in Hudson

13:27 EDT Juniper drops nearly 4% to $29.54 as company hosts Investor Day

13:15 EDT Celyad trading resumes

12:50 EDT Celyad presents update on CYAD-01 solid tumor clinical program - Celyad announced updated clinical results for the CYAD-01 program in solid tumors as well as translational research data presented at the Society for Immunotherapy of Cancer, or SITC, 33rd Annual Meeting. In the THINK Phase 1 dose-escalation trial, 14 patients with relapsed/refractory disease were enrolled in the trial, evaluating CYAD-01 without preconditioning chemotherapy at three different dose levels of one cycle of three administrations with two-week intervals. Overall four patients experienced confirmed disease stabilization, three mCRC patients and one patient with ovarian cancer, according to RECIST 1.1 criteria. As a monotherapy treatment, CYAD-01 was well tolerated. The peak level of peripheral CYAD-01 cells detected seem to correlate with the dose level and clinical response. In the SHRINK Phase 1 open-label, dose-escalation trial, patients will receive six cycles of FOLFOX chemotherapy every two weeks and three administrations of CYAD-01 every two weeks 48 hours after the end of chemotherapy at cycles two, three and four. To date, enrollment of dose level one has been completed with three metastatic treatment-naive patients. All patients have undergone resection without delays in surgery. Initial activity results assessed by pathological response criteria showed all three patients achieved an objective clinical response, including one patient with a pCR and two patients with pPR. Concurrent treatment of CYAD-01 with FOLFOX chemotherapy appears to be well tolerated, with no occurrence of serious AEs nor increase of treatment-related AEs rate. In addition, the expansion of peripheral CYAD-01 cells with a concurrent administration of FOLFOX chemotherapy is similar to the one observed with the standalone CYAD-01. Full data from the SHRINK Phase 1 trial are expected in mid-2019. Frederic Lehmann, VP of Clinical Development & Medical Affairs at Celyad, commented, "Solid tumors remain the greatest current challenge for any T cell therapy. One of the major hurdles is the lack of suitable targets, and in our perspective, NKG2D ligands that are targeted by CYAD-01 represent an attractive family of targets on solid tumors that may be exploited by our clinical candidates. I am encouraged that to date CYAD-01 is well tolerated as a monotherapy for the treatment of mCRC, while preliminary observations of clinical activity in the form of disease stabilization imply that there is potential for the approach. Furthermore, the initial findings of clinical activity reported from the initial dose level of CYAD-01 when administered concurrently with standard-of-care chemotherapy in the SHRINK trial are encouraging and provide support for this view."

12:40 EDT Celyad trading halted, news pending

12:07 EDT Arrowhead presents preliminary clinical data from Phase 1/2 study of ARO-HBV - Arrowhead Pharmaceuticals (ARWR) announced preliminary clinical data from a Phase 1/2 study of ARO-HBV, a third-generation subcutaneously administered RNA interference therapeutic candidate being developed as a potential treatment for patients with chronic hepatitis B virus infection. Arrowhead recently entered into a license agreement with Janssen Pharmaceuticals, part of the Janssen Pharmaceutical Companies of Johnson & Johnson (JNJ), to develop and commercialize ARO-HBV. Initial results from normal healthy volunteers who received a single dose of ARO-HBV or placebo and chronic hepatitis B patients who received three monthly doses of ARO-HBV in combination with entecavir or tenofovir with greater than six weeks of available hepatitis B surface antigen data include the following: ARO-HBV administered subcutaneously appears to be well-tolerated at single or multiple monthly doses up to 400 mg, mild injection site reactions were observed with approximately 12% of subcutaneous injections; Strong HBsAg responses were observed in all HBV patients, Mean NADIR -1.9 Log10, Range -1.3 to -3.8 Log10; HBsAg reductions were similar in hepatitis B e-antigen positive and HBeAg negative patients, Mean HBsAg NADIR in HBeAg positive -2.1 Log10, Mean HBsAg NADIR in HBeAg negative -1.8 Log10; HBsAg reductions were similar for NUC naive patients and NUC experienced patients, Mean HBsAg reduction on day 57 for cohort 8 -1.7 Log10,Mean HBsAg reduction on day 57 for cohort 9 -1.9 Log10. This study highlighted an improvement over results with Arrowhead's first-generation compound ARC-520, which targeted only HBV transcripts derived from cccDNA. HBsAg responses observed with ARO-HBV are consistent with the ability of ARO-HBV to silence HBV mRNA from cccDNA and host-integrated viral DNA, a major source of HBsAg in certain patient populations. Responses were also observed in all other virologic parameters.

12:03 EDT Bristol-Myers granted orphan status for lung cancer treatment - The FDA, according to a post on its website, granted Bristol-Myers Squibb orphan status for Ipilimumab, the company's treatment of small cell lung cancer. Reference Link

11:31 EDT Assurant raises quarterly common stock dividend 7% to 60c per share - Assurant announced that its Board of Directors approved a quarterly dividend increase of 4c to 60c per share of common stock. The dividend will be payable on Dec. 17, 2018 to stockholders of record as of the close of business on Nov. 26, 2018.

11:03 EDT FDA authorizes emergency use of Chembio Diagnostics' Ebola fingerstick test - The U.S. Food and Drug Administration announced that an emergency use authorization, or EUA, has been issued for a rapid, single-use test for the detection of Ebola virus. This is the second Ebola rapid antigen fingerstick test available under EUA, but the first that uses a portable battery-operated reader, which can help provide clear diagnostic results outside of laboratories and in areas where patients are likely to be treated. The test, called the DPP Ebola Antigen System, is used with blood specimens, including capillary "fingerstick" whole blood, from individuals with signs and symptoms of Ebola virus disease in addition to other risk factors, such as living in an area with large numbers of EVD cases and/or having contact with other individuals exhibiting signs and symptoms of EVD. With the issuance of the EUA for the DPP Ebola Antigen System to Chembio Diagnostic Systems Inc., the FDA has now issued EUAs for nine nucleic acid tests and two rapid diagnostic tests for Ebola virus detection in human specimens, the FDA noted.

10:31 EDT TransCanada launches binding open season for Marketlink - TransCanada Corporation launched an open season to solicit binding commitments from interested parties for transportation services of crude oil from Cushing, Oklahoma to markets on the U.S. Gulf Coast on incremental capacity on Marketlink.

10:16 EDT NY AG announces settlement with Abbott over infant-feeding surveys - New York Attorney General Barbara Underwood announced a settlement resolving an investigation into Abbott Laboratories, maker of Similac infant formula, over misleading marketing surveys the company sent to new parents about their infant-feeding habits. The settlement requires Abbott to accurately disclose the purpose for which survey information is sought and prohibits Abbott from falsely representing that their surveys are being conducted for scientific study. The settlement also requires Abbott to pay $50,000 in costs.

10:00 EDT Bristow Group falls -16.2% - Bristow Group is down -16.2%, or -$1.63 to $8.41.

10:00 EDT Yelp falls -28.3% - Yelp is down -28.3%, or -$12.30 to $31.20.

10:00 EDT Hertz rises 14.7% - Hertz is up 14.7%, or $2.39 to $18.68.

09:47 EDT Bridgepoint Education falls -10.3% - Bridgepoint Education is down -10.3%, or -$1.03 to $8.93.

09:47 EDT Yelp falls -31.1% - Yelp is down -31.1%, or -$13.55 to $29.95.

09:47 EDT Hertz rises 17.2% - Hertz is up 17.2%, or $2.81 to $19.10.

09:18 EDT Welltower & Hines acquire Manhattan site for seniors housing community - Welltower and the New York office of international real estate firm Hines have closed on the acquisition of a development site at 2330 Broadway at 85th Street on the Upper West Side of Manhattan. Existing commercial structures on the site will be demolished to make way for construction of a state of the art 140,000-sq.ft., 17-story senior living and memory care community. The site on the northeast corner of 85th Street and Broadway is the second Manhattan senior living development site for the joint venture partnership of Hines, Welltower, and a passive institutional investor.

09:12 EDT Meredith to sell FORTUNE media brand for $150M cash to Fortune Media Group - Meredith announced an agreement to sell the FORTUNE media brand for $150M cash to Fortune Media Group Holdings Limited, wholly owned by Chatchaval Jiaravanon. The transaction is subject to regulatory approval and is expected to close in 2018. Jiaravanon will own FORTUNE as a personal private investment independent of C.P. Group's family businesses. He intends to increase investment in FORTUNE's digital capabilities, geographic expansion, and editorial talent as part of a strategy to become the premium business content provider worldwide.As part of the transaction, Meredith will provide short-term business continuity services and has entered a multi-year agreement with Mr. Jiaravanon to provide services such as corporate sales, consumer marketing, subscription fulfillment, paper purchasing and printing. Meredith acquired FORTUNE as part of its purchase of Time Inc., which closed on January 31, 2018. Shortly thereafter, Meredith announced it was selling Time Inc.'s news and sports brands - TIME, Sports Illustrated, FORTUNE and MONEY - to focus on brands serving its core audience of American women. Meredith closed on its sale of TIME to Marc and Lynne Benioff for $190 million on October 31, 2018. Meredith plans to use transaction proceeds to pay down debt. Meredith expects to reduce debt by $1 billion in fiscal 2019. Meredith is targeting a net debt-to-EBITDA ratio of 2x to 1 or better by the end of fiscal 2020. This includes generating $1 billion of EBITDA and having net debt below $2 billion by the end of fiscal 2020.

09:10 EDT EuroDry to acquire M/V Star of Nippon drybulk carrier - EuroDry announced that it signed a memorandum of agreement to purchase the M/V Star of Nippon, a panamax size drybulk carrier of 75,845 dwt built in 2004 in Japan. The vessel is expected to be delivered to the company by the end of November 2018. The Company expects to finance the acquisition with funds at hand and debt which is in the process of arranging.

09:07 EDT Endurance appoints Tom Aurelio as Chief Human Resources Officer - Endurance appointed Tom Aurelio as Chief Human Resources Officer. Aurelio was most recently executive VP of human resources for Criteo, a publicly traded global marketing automation firm headquartered in Paris.

09:06 EDT Houghton Mifflin's Science Dimensions approved by California Board of Education - Houghton Mifflin announced that the California State Board of Education has approved California HMH Science Dimensions 2020, giving schools the opportunity to purchase and implement the curriculum in K-8 classrooms statewide. California HMH Science Dimensions was built and customized to meet the rigors of the state's Next Generation Science Standards.

09:04 EDT Nordstrom mall of San Juan store reopens after Hurricane Maria - Nordstrom reopened its store to customers at the Mall of San Juan in Puerto Rico today. The store which originally opened in March 2015 had been closed since fall 2017 as a result of severe damage from Hurricane Maria. Nordstrom hired 130 employees in sales and support positions for the reopening, including 40 employees who were rehired or transferred back from the states.

09:02 EDT Boeing, Safran joint venture to begin operations - Boeing and Safran have received regulatory approvals for a joint venture so they can begin designing, building and servicing aircraft Auxiliary Power Units -onboard engines that are primarily used to start the main engines and power aircraft systems while on the ground and, if necessary, in flight. The companies also named Etienne Boisseau as Chief Executive Officer of the joint venture. The agreement establishes a partnership between two of the world's leading aerospace companies to work together on APU products and expanded service capabilities to benefit customers and industry. Both companies have a 50% stake in the joint venture. The initial team will perform design work in San Diego, Calif. The name of the joint venture as well as the location of the future headquarters and production and service facilities will be announced at a later date.

08:57 EDT iCAD announces retirement of CEO, Ken Ferry - iCAD announced that Ken Ferry has retired from his position as Chief Executive Officer and stepped down as a Director of the Company, effective immediately. Michael Klein, Chairman of iCAD's Board, will serve as Executive Chairman and Interim CEO. "I am excited to serve in an executive capacity and lead the Company during this important and transformational period of growth," said Mr. Klein. "I believe that iCAD's unique AI technology has the potential to transform both cancer detection and the assessment of at-risk patients. I look forward to working with the executive management team as we execute a strategy to grow our existing business while accelerating our development as a broader spectrum AI Imaging company. Upon receipt of FDA clearance for our new artificial intelligence product, designed for digital breast tomosynthesis, we are well-positioned to optimize the unique opportunity that exists in both US and international markets. We are fervently focused on unlocking the significant inherent value that exists in iCAD's core technology, market presence and huge repository of CAD interpreted images." "On behalf of the entire Board, I would like to thank Ken for his contributions to iCAD throughout his 12 years as CEO. We wish him well in his future endeavors," continued Mr. Klein.

08:46 EDT Stantec announces automatic share repurchase plan, renewal of NCIB - Stantec announced that it has received approval from the Toronto Stock Exchange respecting the renewal of its Normal Course Issuer Bid, or NCIB. Pursuant to the NCIB documentation filed with the TSX, Stantec may purchase up to 2,273,879 common shares, representing approximately 2% of Stantec's 113,693,990 issued and outstanding common shares as of October 31, 2018. The purchases may commence on November 14, 2018 and will terminate no later than November 13, 2019. Except for block purchases permitted under the rules and policies of the TSX, the number of shares to be purchased per day will not exceed 46,458 or approximately 25% of the average daily trading volume for the six full calendar months ending October 31, 2018, which is 185,834 shares. Stantec will make the purchases on the open market through the facilities of the TSX or any alternative Canadian trading system, and the prices that Stantec will pay for any common shares will be the market price of such shares at the time of acquisition. All shares purchased by Stantec will be cancelled. The renewal of the NCIB follows on the conclusion of Stantec's previous NCIB that expires November 13, 2018. From November 14, 2017 to November 8, 2018, Stantec purchased 592,153 common shares at a weighted average price of $32.39 per share. Stantec also announced today that, in connection with its intention to implement the NCIB, Stantec has entered into an automatic share purchase plan, or ASPP, with a designated broker to allow for the purchase of its common shares under the NCIB, once effective, at times when Stantec normally would not be active in the market due to applicable regulatory restrictions or internal trading black-out periods. Before the commencement of any particular internal trading black-out period, Stantec may, but is not required to, instruct its designated broker to make purchases of Stantec's common shares under the NCIB during the ensuing black-out period in accordance with the terms of the ASPP. Such purchases will be determined by the broker in its sole discretion based on parameters established by Stantec prior to commencement of the applicable black-out period in accordance with the terms of the ASPP and applicable TSX rules. Outside of these black-out periods, common shares will be purchasable by Stantec at its discretion under its NCIB, once effective.

08:44 EDT CDK Global announces entry into ASR to purchase $260M of common stock - CDK Global announced its entry into an accelerated share repurchase, or ASR, agreement with Credit Suisse Capital to purchase $260M of the company's common stock. Under the terms of the ASR agreement, the company will make a $260M payment to Credit Suisse on November 13 and will receive from them on the same day an initial delivery of approximately 4.1M shares of the company's common stock. The final number of shares to be purchased will be based on the average of the daily volume-weighted average price of the company's common stock during the term of the ASR transaction, less a discount and subject to adjustments pursuant to the terms and conditions of the ASR agreement. At settlement, under certain circumstances, the company may be entitled to receive additional shares of the company's common stock from Credit Suisse or, under certain circumstances, the Company may be required to deliver shares of common stock or to make a cash payment, at the company's election, to Credit Suisse. The final settlement of the transaction under the ASR agreement is expected to occur during the company's fiscal quarter ending March 31, 2019.

08:39 EDT SMTC Corp. acquires MC Assembly Holdings for $65M - SMTC Corp. and MC Assembly Holding announced that SMTC has acquired all outstanding shares of MC Assembly. The purchase price at closing was $65M, subject to certain adjustments. Additionally, the sellers are eligible to earn up to an additional $5M of consideration, contingent upon the performance of MC Assembly for the twelve calendar months ending March 31, 2019. The acquisition results in a combined company with consolidated results for the twelve months ended September 30, of approximately $323M in revenue and approximately $18M of adjusted EBITDA. The consolidated results do not reflect the potential cost savings available from the combination of the two companies. Management teams of both companies have worked collaboratively to identify $6M+ of annual cost reduction opportunities from purchasing and operational advantages and corporate and shared services redundancies that the combined company expects to implement during 2019 at a non-recurring cost of approximately $3M. The combined company will operate under the name SMTC Corporation and currently plans to continue to operate and maintain the existing facilities operated by each company. The proceeds of a new debt financing package, in combination with cash from SMTC's balance sheet, funded the transaction and related fees and expenses.

08:38 EDT Global Ship Lease announces new long-term charter agreements - Global Ship Lease announced that Poseidon Containers, with which Global Ship Lease has entered a definitive merger agreement, has agreed five-year charters with CMA CGM for four of its 6,927 TEU containerships, Mary, Kristina, Katherine and Alexandra. The charters will deliver incremental annualized EBITDA of approximately $11M compared to third quarter 2018 contracted rates. The new charter for Mary commenced recently, and the remaining three new charters will commence upon expiry of their existing charters during the first half of 2019. The new five-year charters are expected to generate total EBITDA of approximately $135M over the five-year contract period.

08:36 EDT Sellas Life Sciences settles counterclaims against JGB Newton - Sellas Life Sciences announced that it has agreed to a settlement with JGB Newton, regarding Sellas' counterclaims against JGB which were asserted in the litigation originally commenced by JGB. As part of the settlement, JGB has paid SELLAS approximately $6.6M in exchange for a full discharge of all claims and counterclaims asserted by SELLAS and JGB in the litigation. SELLAS and JGB have also agreed to terminate the debenture agreement and all related agreements, with JGB releasing all of its interests in the collateral for the debenture. JGB filed the litigation in connection with a senior secured debenture entered into by SELLAS' predecessor company, Galena BioPharma, Inc., prior to Galena's reverse merger with SELLAS on December 29, 2017. Sellas' counterclaims related to breach of contract by JGB, among other issues. As SELLAS previously announced, on October 23, the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York entered an order granting in full SELLAS' motion to dismiss the complaint brought by JGB in connection with the debenture. SELLAS' counterclaims relating to breach of contract by JGB were not dismissed, as the court found SELLAS' interpretation of the contract to be prevailing.

08:35 EDT Clarus acquires assets of SKINourishment - Clarus announced the acquisition of the assets of SKINourishment. The acquisition provides an entry into the skincare category which, along with other sport-enhancing products, is a strategic focus of the company and a newly targeted high-growth potential category. SKINourishment offers organic, 100% food-grade, plant-based skin products that are safe and effective, with distribution across 37 countries. Since SKINourishment's products are made from plants and food-grade ingredients, they are cruelty-free, non-GMO, vegetarian, vegan and some are gluten free. Its products are sold under four brands-climbOn, crossFIXE, POLYN and POLYNTM baby. Clarus' initial focus will be on the launch of seven climbOn products through its global distribution platform. Financial terms of the asset acquisition were not disclosed.

08:34 EDT Phillips 66 Partners announces expansion open season for Gray Open Pipeline - Phillips 66 Partners announces that Gray Oak Pipeline is launching a binding expansion open season to solicit shipper commitments for services from West Texas. The expansion open season will provide an opportunity for interested shippers to secure long-term crude oil transportation with the Gray Oak Pipeline under binding transportation services agreements. The expansion includes new takeaway capacity from Gray Oak Pipeline origination stations in West Texas to destinations in the Corpus Christi and Freeport markets. The final scope and capacity will depend on the outcome of the expansion open season. The pipeline expansion is expected to be placed in service in the fourth quarter of 2020.

08:33 EDT Phillips 66, Bridger Pipeline announce open season for proposed Liberty Pipeline - Phillips 66 and Bridger Pipeline announce a joint open season for the proposed Liberty Pipeline, which will provide shippers the opportunity to secure crude oil transportation service from the Rockies and Bakken production areas to Corpus Christi, Texas. The Liberty Pipeline is expected to have an initial throughput capacity of 350,000 barrels per day with the ability to expand further depending on shipper interest in the open season. The pipeline is anticipated to be placed in service in the fourth quarter of 2020.

08:18 EDT Gilead says data shows sofosbuvir-based regimens achieve high cure rates in HCV - Gilead Sciences announced results from studies investigating Epclusa in chronic hepatitis C virus infected patients with severe renal impairment undergoing dialysis and Harvoni in pediatric HCV patients aged three to five years, adding to the efficacy and safety profile of sofosbuvir-based regimens across diverse patient populations. Results from an open-label Phase 2 study demonstrated that treatment with the once-daily single-tablet regimen of Epclusa for 12 weeks in patients with genotype 1, 2, 3, 4 or 6 HCV and severe renal impairment undergoing dialysis resulted in cure rates of 95 percent with only two patients experiencing virologic failure. The most common adverse events were headache, fatigue, nausea, vomiting and insomnia. No patients discontinued therapy due to an adverse event. In another open-label Phase 2 study, children aged three to five years old with genotype 1 or 4 HCV infection received weight-based oral dosing of ledipasvir/sofosbuvir granules 33.75 mg/150 mg if less than 17 kg or 45 mg/ 200 mg if greater than or equal to 17 kg once-daily for 12 weeks. Overall, 97 percent of the patients were cured, and none experienced virologic failure. The most common AEs were vomiting, cough, pyrexia, rhinorrhea and streptococcal pharyngitis. One patient discontinued treatment due to an adverse event of abnormal drug taste. The use of Epclusa and Harvoni, including granules formulation, in the aforementioned patient populations is investigational; their safety and efficacy have not been established. The granule formulation is not approved. Epclusa and Harvoni are both indicated in the US for the treatment of chronic HCV infection in patients with no cirrhosis or compensated cirrhosis: Epclusa for adults with genotypes 1-6; and Harvoni for patients 12 years and older with genotypes 1, 4, 5 and 6. The US product labels for Epclusa and Harvoni each contain a Boxed Warning for the risk of hepatitis B reactivation in HCV/HBV co-infected patients. See below for US Important Safety Information. Gilead is presenting data on GS-9688, an investigational, oral selective toll-like receptor 8 agonist, one of several compounds under investigation as part of Gilead's HBV cure program. The data support continued development of GS-9688 as a potential therapeutic approach for achieving a functional cure for patients with chronic HBV infection. In the first-in-human, healthy volunteer safety study, GS-9688 was well-tolerated at single ascending doses up to 5mg and resulted in pharmacodynamic activity as demonstrated by the production of the systemic cytokines IL-1RA and IL-12p40 and by the activation of key relevant immune cells including natural killer cells and mucosal-associated invariant T cells. The most commonly reported AEs among people receiving doses up to and including 5 mg were nausea and vomiting. There were no reports of Grade 3 or higher AEs, laboratory AEs or serious adverse events and no discontinuations or deaths. In a Phase 1b safety and tolerability study of GS-9688 in HBV chronically infected patients, dose-dependent activation of the cytokines IL-12p40 and IL-1RA was demonstrated with once weekly dosing for up to 4 weeks in viremic and virally-suppressed patients. There were no reports of SAEs; the most common AEs were headache and nausea. Based on these data, GS-9688 is currently being evaluated in Phase 2 studies in patients with chronic hepatitis B. Presentations on Vemlidy add further evidence to its established safety and efficacy profile in adults with chronic HBV and compensated liver disease, including longer term data on the safety of Vemlidy in virologically suppressed HBV patients. Through three years of treatment, patients originally randomized to receive TAF continued to show an improved bone and renal safety profile compared to treatment with tenofovir disoproxil fumarate 300mg with maintained viral suppression. In a separate study in post-liver transplant patients virally suppressed on TDF-based regimens, switching to TAF maintained viral suppression in all TAF-treated patients with improvements in renal function and bone mineral density, after 48 weeks of treatment.

08:14 EDT Mallinckrodt presents data on investigational agent terlipressin in HRS-1 - Mallinckrodt announced results of a pooled analysis of terlipressin clinical trial data in patients with hepatorenal syndrome type 1 at The Liver Meeting 2018. The analysis of data from two previously completed Phase 3 studies conducted in North America showed that treatment with terlipressin was associated with improved overall and transplant-free survival in HRS-1 patients with lower baseline mean arterial pressure. This effect was seen independent of HRS reversal, and may relate to a marked improvement in MAP and renal function in this patient group following administration of terlipressin. Terlipressin is being investigated for the treatment of HRS-1, a rare, acute, rapidly progressing and life-threatening complication of liver cirrhosis that leads to renal failure. The safety and effectiveness of terlipressin have not yet been established by the FDA. There are no currently approved drug therapies for HRS-1 in the U.S. or Canada. The pooled analysis of REVERSE and OT0401 clinical data showed: overall survival at 90 days in the MAP less than 65 mm Hg group was significantly higher among patients receiving terlipressin versus placebo: survival estimate was 0.680 versus 0.209, respectively. No difference in overall survival at 90 days was observed between terlipressin and placebo in the MAP greater than or equal to 65 mm Hg group.

08:12 EDT Gilead announces GS-9674 Phase 2 trial resutls, confirms Orphan Drug Designation - Gilead Sciences announced that treatment with GS-9674, an investigational, selective, nonsteroidal farnesoid X receptor, or FXR, agonist, led to significant improvements in liver biochemistry and markers of cholestasis in patients with primary sclerosing cholangitis, or PSC. Data were presented at The Liver Meeting 2018 in San Francisco. PSC is a rare, chronic condition that causes the network of ducts that drain bile from the liver to become inflamed and scarred over time. Progressive damage to the bile ducts in patients with PSC can lead to cirrhosis, liver failure, and cholangiocarcinoma. Fatigue, pruritus and abdominal discomfort are common symptoms of PSC that can greatly impact patients' quality of life. There are no approved treatments for PSC. GS-9674 was well tolerated and the incidence of Grade 2 or 3 pruritus was numerically lower with GS-9674 100 mg and 30 mg compared with placebo. There were no elevations in serum lipids. Treatment was discontinued due to adverse events in three patients treated with GS-9674 100 mg, including one discontinuation due to pruritus, and one patient with placebo. GS-9674 is an investigational compound and is not approved by the FDA or any other regulatory authority. Its safety and efficacy have not been determined. Thew company also confirms that GS-9674 was granted Orphan Drug Designation by the FDA.

08:08 EDT LGI Homes announces $50M stock repurchase program - LGI Home announced that its board authorized a stock repurchase program, pursuant to which the company may purchase up to $50M of shares of its common stock through open market transactions, privately negotiated transactions or otherwise in accordance with applicable laws. The timing, amount and other terms and conditions of any repurchases will be determined by the company's management at its discretion based on a variety of factors, including the market price of the company's common stock, corporate considerations, general market and economic conditions and legal requirements. The stock repurchase program may be modified, discontinued or suspended at any time. The company intends to fund the stock repurchase program through cash on hand, future cash flow from operations and its revolving credit facility.

08:07 EDT Cue Biopharma presents foundational data on Immuno-STAT platform and CUE-101 - Cue Biopharma announced preclinical results demonstrating the potential of its Immuno-STAT platform and lead candidate CUE-101. In the study, CUE-101 demonstrated selective binding and preferential activation and expansion of antigen-specific T cells, dose-dependent effector cytokine production and inhibition of tumor growth both as a monotherapy and in combination with a PD-1 inhibitor. The poster, entitled "CUE-101, a novel Fc fusion protein comprised of HLA-A*0201-bound HPV16 E7 peptide and IL-2, for selective targeting and expansion of anti-tumor T cells for treatment of HPV-driven malignancies," (P185) is being presented today during the poster session at the Society for Immunotherapy of Cancer's 33rd Annual Meeting being held in Washington, D.C. "This study highlights the unique qualities and potential of our Immuno-STAT platform to selectively activate antigen-specific T cells to generate robust targeted immune responses in one of our areas of focus, oncology," said Anish Suri, Ph.D., Senior Vice President and Chief Scientific Officer of Cue Biopharma. "CUE-101 demonstrated several key features in this study including selective targeting of antigen-specific T cells and preferential proliferation and expansion of those T cells both in vivo and in human peripheral blood mononuclear cells. We also showed in preclinical models that a murine surrogate, designated mCUE-101, inhibits tumor growth both as a monotherapy, and demonstrating significant synergy when combined with a PD-1 inhibitor."

08:06 EDT ReWalk Robotics announces placement of 500th exoskeleton system - ReWalk Robotics announced that the company has placed its 500th robotic exoskeleton medical device. The majority of these devices are personal systems used by individuals with spinal cord injury in their homes and communities, while others are located in rehabilitation centers to evaluate and train potential new device owners. The first ReWalk device was placed in 2011 to the Vatican Hospital in Rome, and it became the first exoskeleton to be cleared by the FDA for sale in the United States in June 2014. To continue its growth, the Company is focused on expanding insurance coverage of exoskeletons for all persons with spinal cord injury and has helped develop national coverage policies with payers in several countries, including Germany, Italy and the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs in the U.S. The Company continues to work with payers on individual system procurements as well as the development of broad private coverage policies and additional national coverage policies for eligible beneficiaries. To date, 38 different payers in the United States and 39 in Germany have provided positive coverage decisions for ReWalk Personal systems to their clients.

08:05 EDT Molecular Templates presents study on PD-L1 ETB with AST at SITC - Molecular Templates announced the presentation of a poster on its PD-L1 ETB with Antigen Seeding Technology at the ongoing Society for Immunotherapy of Cancer's 33rd Annual Meeting, currently taking place in Washington D.C. Antigen Seeding Technology represents a novel immune-oncology approach leveraging the novel mechanism of action of Molecular Templates' ETB technology. ETBs engineered with Antigen Seeding Technology are capable of delivering viral antigens as a payload inside the target tumor, resulting in the antigens being presented on the cell surface of the tumor cells in complex with MHC-1. ETB therapeutics incorporating antigen seeding are designed to work through dual mechanisms of action by redirecting a high avidity, pre-existing antigen-specific cytotoxic T cell response to the tumor while at the same inducing cell death via the enzymatic and permanent destruction of ribosomes. Coupling two distinct mechanisms of tumor cell killing into one ETB molecule provides the potential to increase target penetrance, expand a prolonged immune response, and overcome tumor resistance. The poster, titled "Identification and Functional Profiling of PD-L1 Targeted Engineered Toxin Bodies for Antigen Seeding Technology and Redirection of T cell Response to Tumors" summarizes a series of preclinical experiments conducted by Molecular Templates to create PD-L1 targeted ETBs that have antigen seeding properties and to analyze the mechanisms by which they can kill cancer cells.

08:04 EDT SkyWest reports combined October traffic - SkyWest reported 146,200 block hours in October 2018, compared to 154,500 block hours in October 2017, a decrease of 8,300 or 5.4%. The net decrease was consistent with SkyWest's fleet transition plan to improve the mix of aircraft in its fleet. The year-over-year net change was primarily driven by approximately 8,700 additional block hours from its E175 aircraft (includes the E175 aircraft and the E175 SC aircraft) and a decrease of approximately 17,000 block hours from its other aircraft types. In October 2018, SkyWest's E175 aircraft represented approximately 28% of SkyWest's total block hour production for the month compared to approximately 21% for the month of October 2017. SkyWest reported 1,470,000 block hours for year-to-date October 2018, compared to 1,544,000 block hours year-to-date October 2017, a decrease of 74,000, or 4.8%. This net change was primarily driven by approximately 69,000 additional block hours from its E175 aircraft and a decrease of approximately 143,000 block hours from its other aircraft types. SkyWest had 85,200 departures in October 2018 compared to 91,900 in October 2017, a decrease of 6,700, or 7.3%.

07:46 EDT Aduro Biotech presents preliminary data from ADU-S100 trial at SITC - Aduro Biotech (ADRO) announced presentation of preliminary data from its ongoing Phase 1 dose-finding study of ADU-S100, a novel STING pathway activator, at SITC's 33rd annual meeting. Aduro and collaborator Novartis (NVS) embarked on this first-in-human trial as a first step in characterizing the safety profile and mechanism of ADU-S100 and its ability to activate the STING pathway. The Phase 1 dose escalation and dose expansion clinical trial is designed to evaluate the safety, tolerability and clinical activity of ADU-S100 in patients with advanced, metastatic treatment-refractory solid tumors or lymphomas. In this multicenter, open-label trial, ADU-S100 is administered intratumorally on days 1, 8 and 15 of a 28-day cycle. The trial has enrolled 41 patients, with 40 patients evaluated for response. The median number of prior anti-cancer treatments was four. More than half of patients received prior therapy with a checkpoint inhibitor. More than 20 types of cancer have been treated in this trial, including Merkel cell, parotid gland, colorectal, endometrial, ER+ and triple-negative breast cancer, esophageal, collecting duct carcinoma, ovarian, Hodgkin's disease, hemangioepithelioma and other cancers. Doses of 50-3200 mcg have been explored in this presentation; enrollment is ongoing for additional patient cohorts. No dose-limiting toxicities have been reported at these dose levels. The most common treatment-related adverse events, or TRAEs, were pyrexia, injection site pain and headache. Grade 3/4 TRAEs included increased lipase and elevated amylase, tumor pain, dyspnea, respiratory failure and injection site reaction. Importantly, increases in key systemic cytokines, including IL-6, MCP-1 and IFN-b, were observed after administration, indicating target engagement of ADU-S100 and activation of the STING pathway. Two of the 40 patients treated had a partial response, or PR, - one patient with Merkel cell carcinoma and one patient with parotid gland cancer who had received prior anti-PD-1 therapy. 11 patients achieved stable disease, or SD, including five patients who had received prior checkpoint inhibitor therapy. Three patients with SD remain on study and continue to receive treatment, including one patient with collecting duct carcinoma who has been on study for greater than one year. On-treatment tumor biopsies showed increases in CD8+ T cells in injected tumors in a subset of patients, including those with Merkel cell, collecting duct and esophageal carcinomas. Aduro and Novartis are continuing to evaluate additional pathology and other biomarkers to assess the pharmacological activity of ADU-S100 in these patients.

07:20 EDT Tribune Media reports Q3 adjusted EBITDA up 14% to $136.8M

07:18 EDT Antares Pharma announces data presentation at SMSNA - Antares Pharma announced that data from the 26-week Phase 3 study of the safety and tolerability of XYOSTED will be presented as a moderated poster presentation on Friday November 9 at the 24th Annual Fall Scientific Meeting of the Sexual Medicine Society of North America. The poster entitled "Effect of Testosterone Enanthate on 24-hour Ambulatory Blood Pressure is Less in Patients with Hypertension at Baseline" will be presented by Mohit Khera, MD, Laboratory for Andrology Research, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston Tx. The submission was among a select group of key abstracts awarded the distinction of a moderated poster presentation. The Phase 3, 26-week, dose-blind, multicenter trial of XYOSTED, a proprietary, pre-filled subcutaneous testosterone enanthate auto-injector administered weekly, examined 133 hypogonadal adult men with baseline testosterone evels of less than300 ng/dL. Patients received 75 mg of testosterone enanthate administered via auto injector once-weekly for 6 weeks. At week 7, dose adjustments were conducted according to a simple titration scheme if necessary and were based on week-6, pre-dose blood levels in the patients. The XYOSTED clinical program included a rigorous ambulatory blood pressure monitoring study to fully characterize the potential side effects of testosterone replacement on blood pressure.

07:13 EDT Adient CEO says 'confident' challenges being addressed - CEO Doug DelGrosso said, "I'm confident the challenges that impacted Adient's FY2018 results are being addressed. The team is focused on executing our transformation plan to drive improved profitability, cash flow, and returns to our shareholders."

07:10 EDT Houston American Energy provides update on San Andres prospect - Houston American Energy announced an update on the drilling plans for the San Andres prospect. As previously reported, the company entered into an agreement to acquire a 12.5% working interest in a prospect covering approximately 650 gross acres (81.25 new mineral acres) in Yoakum County, TX. The company has been notified by the prospect operator that unanticipated issues that had delayed drilling operations have been resolved and the drilling of the first well is expected to commence by year end 2018. The initial prospect is located on the Northwest Shelf of the Midland Basin. The prospect is comprised of the "Exploration" component of the San Andres Formation with well operations planned to use horizontal laterals and fracture stimulation. The initial proposed well is a 4,620-foot horizontal exploration well targeting the San Andres Formation. The operator estimates that the prospect could ultimately be developed with six additional horizontal wells as leased. "If the initial wells perform in line with our expectations, we plan to continue the pursuit of additional opportunities in Yoakum County. Given the experience of existing operators, we believe we can achieve substantial production while bringing down costs as compared to typical Permian Basin wells," stated Jim Schoonover, interim CEO of Houston American Energy.

07:05 EDT Adient says 2018 challenges 'to have significant impact in fiscal 2019'

07:04 EDT Praxair signs new long-term hydrogen supply agreement with Phillips 66 - Praxair, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Linde (LIN), has reached an agreement with Phillips 66 (PSX) to supply high-purity hydrogen to the company's Sweeny Refinery located in Old Ocean, Texas, starting in early 2021. Praxair will extend its 310-mile U.S. Gulf Coast hydrogen pipeline system, which currently runs from Freeport, Texas to Lake Charles, Louisiana, to connect with the Sweeny Refinery. The company will also build, own and operate a new world-scale steam methane reformer that will connect to the pipeline system at a location still to be determined. The new SMR will supply Phillip's Sweeny Refinery, as well as meet the hydrogen demands of new customers. Upon expected completion in early 2021, this will be the largest hydrogen production unit in the U.S. The unit, which will have a state-of-the-art process design, will increase Praxair's Gulf Coast hydrogen capacity to more than 1.5 billion cubic feet per day.

07:04 EDT Calumet Specialty Products lowers FY18 CapEx view to $70M-$80M

07:01 EDT Adient suspends quarterly cash dividend

06:49 EDT KCAP Financial announces sale of wholly-owned asset management subsidiaries - KCAP Financial announced that it has entered into an agreement with LibreMax Intermediate Holdings under which KCAP's wholly-owned asset management subsidiaries, Katonah Debt Advisors, L.L.C., Trimaran Advisors, L.L.C., and Trimaran Advisors Management, L.L.C., will be acquired by LibreMax through mergers with wholly-owned subsidiaries of LibreMax. Total consideration for the transaction, including accrued income and expenses, shall be $37.9M in cash. KCAP's Board of Directors has unanimously approved the agreement. The transaction is expected to close in 2018. The transaction is subject to customary closing conditions and approvals.

06:41 EDT Bristow Group to combine with Columbia Helicopters in $560M transaction - Bristow Group announced that it has signed a definitive agreement to combine with privately-held Columbia Helicopters for $560M. Columbia will be designated as an unrestricted subsidiary under the Columbia name and air operating certificate, or AOC. Bristow expects the complementary transaction to strengthen the company's operational and consolidated financial profile by delivering adjusted EBITDA and cash flow accretion; reducing consolidated net leverage; diversifying the combined company's fleet and customer base; expanding its addressable market, especially in the U.S. government sector; and producing significant incremental revenue opportunities. Columbia is a player in the heavy-lift helicopter operations and trusted in maintenance, repair and overhaul services, with global operations servicing end-markets that include defense, firefighting, onshore oil and gas, infrastructure and forestry. For the twelve months ended September 30, Columbia recorded revenues of approximately $281M and adjusted EBITDA of approximately $117M. Columbia's fleet of operating helicopters is comprised of 21 high return tandem rotor Vertol 107 and Chinook CH-234 / CH-47D; with additional non-operational airframes available for deployment with minimal capital expenditure. Columbia also has full MRO and certification capabilities. Together, the companies will have 304 operating aircraft and an enhanced platform to provide comprehensive aviation mission services to its expanded client base. Bristow's customer base will be significantly more diverse geographically and by end-market, with contributions from the oil and gas industry reduced to 58% of pro forma revenue for the trailing twelve-month period. Columbia generates significant contracted revenue streams from the U.S. government and the transaction is expected to more than double the combined annual adjusted EBITDA on a consolidated basis. Prior to synergies, Columbia is expected to generate $125M-$130Mof adjusted EBITDA for the twelve-month period ending March 30, 2019 and $100M-$105M of adjusted EBITDA less capital expenditures, which are primarily related to heavy aircraft maintenance capital expenditures. Bristow believes it will be able to utilize its existing net operating losses to optimize the combined company tax position. The combined company expects to achieve annual cost savings, including utilizing Columbia's MRO capabilities to reduce Bristow's maintenance expenses. The company expects significant opportunity to leverage its global network of AOCs to bring Columbia's capabilities to more global markets and expand Columbia's addressable market to include additional infrastructure and firefighting customers. In addition, the company expects to capitalize on Columbia's strong past performance with the U.S. government and Cargo Airlift Review Board certification to utilize Bristow's available aircraft in U.S. government work. Columbia's relationships and reputation in government end-markets and Bristow's fleet and capabilities position the combined company to be competitive on contract opportunities currently not available to either standalone entity. Under the terms of the agreement, Bristow will acquire 100% of the equity interests of Columbia for $560M from the Lematta family and current management. For the twelve months ended September 30, Columbia recorded revenue of approximately $281M and adjusted EBITDA of approximately $117M, resulting in a transaction multiple of 4.8x adjusted EBITDA, excluding the impact of estimated operational and cost synergies. Columbia will be designated as an unrestricted subsidiary and will be fully consolidated on the Bristow financial statements upon transaction close. Jonathan Baliff will serve on the Columbia board as a representative of Bristow upon close of the transaction. The transaction will be funded through a combination of debt, convertible debt, newly issued common shares to the Lematta family and existing Columbia management and cash from Bristow's balance sheet. Bristow has secured fully-committed debt and convertible debt financing for the transaction. The Lematta family and existing Columbia management, which is committed to leading the Columbia operating subsidiary, will roll over $77M of their current ownership into Bristow common stock, up to a maximum of approximately 7.1M shares. Bristow remains focused on deleveraging and maintaining a strong liquidity position. The transaction is expected to close prior to December 31 and is subject to customary closing conditions including the expiration or termination of the applicable waiting period under the Hart-Scott-Rodino Act, the satisfaction of certain additional conditions relating to regulatory matters, the receipt of certain designated consents, and other customary closing conditions. Bristow will remain headquartered in Houston, Texas. Columbia will remain headquartered in Aurora, Oregon.

06:17 EDT Berkshire Hathaway takes 11.3% passive stake in StoneCo - Warren Buffett's Berkshire Hathaway (BRK.A, BRK.B) disclosed an 11.3% passive stake in StoneCo (STNE). The stake represents over 14.1M shares. The filing with the SEC does not allow for activism. StoneCo is a provider of financial technology solutions in Brazil.

06:01 EDT Facebook says has removed over 14M pieces of terrorist content this year - Monika Bickert, Global Head of Policy Management, and Brian Fishman, Head of Counterterrorism Policy at Facebook, say the company has removed over 14M pieces of terrorist content this year and median time to take action is less than two minutes in Q3. "In Q2 2018, we took action on 9.4 million pieces of content related to ISIS, al-Qaeda, and their affiliates, the majority of which was old material surfaced using specialized techniques. In Q3 2018, overall takedowns of terrorist content declined to 3 million, of which 800,000 pieces of content were old, because our efforts to surface and remove old content on the platform in the second quarter had proven effective. In both Q2 and Q3 we found more than 99% of the ISIS and al-Qaeda content ultimately removed ourselves, before it was reported by anyone in our community. These figures represent significant increases from Q1 2018, when we took action on 1.9 million pieces of content, 640,000 of which was identified using specialized tools to find older content... Our overall enforcement effort was significantly better in Q2 2018 than it was previously, even though our median time to take action was 14 hours. By Q3 2018, the median time on platform decreased to less than two minutes, illustrating that the new detection systems had matured." Reference Link

05:44 EDT Bombardier, Akiem sign contracts to supply a total of 33 TRAXX locomotives - Akiem Bombardier Transportation have signed two contracts under frame contracts to deliver a total of 33 BOMBARDIER TRAXX locomotives. Based on their list price, the two firm orders are valued at a combined total of $128M. Scheduled for delivery between 2019 and 2021 at the latest, the 33 TRAXX locomotives will consist of a mix of TRAXX MS 2, TRAXX AC 3 and TRAXX DC3 locomotives.

05:25 EDT II-VI to acquire Finisar for $26 per share in cash/stock deal valued at $3.2B

05:19 EDT ASE Technology reports Oct. revenue down 0.5% to $1.27B vs. $1.28B in Sept. - Reports October IC-ATM revenue up 2.6% to $728M vs. $709M in September.