Stockwinners Market Radar for November 14, 2018 - Earnings, Upgrades downgrades, option trades, Best Stock Advisory Service

20:46 EDT Apple supplier AMS AG discontinues FY18 targets - Ams updates its fourth quarter 2018 outlook due to recent demand changes from a major consumer customer. As a consequence of the changes in customer demand, ams now expects Q4 revenue of $480M-$520M, a sequential increase from the third quarter, based on current information. The adjusted operating margin for the fourth quarter is now expected to reach the low to mid-teens percentage range. Ams continues to expect strong cash flow generation and a meaningful free cash flow n the fourth quarter supporting its balance sheet structure. Ams sees increasing volatility in consumer customers' demand patterns and related business planning which is not expected to decline. As a consequence, Ams discontinues the previous reference to specific time periods for its mid-term targets for growth and profitability. Ams continues to target further revenue growth and strong profitability and confirms a full multi-year product and design pipeline. Ams therefore expects annual double-digit revenue growth for the coming years with an expansion of the adjusted operating margin towards Ams' target of 30%.

19:37 EDT Cactus names Stephen Tadlock new CFO - Cactus announced that the company has appointed Stephen Tadlock, who has served as the Company's Vice President and Chief Administrative Officer, to the position of Vice President and Chief Financial Officer, effective March 15, 2019. Brian Small, the current Chief Financial Officer, will remain with the Company and transition full-time to a new role as Senior Finance Director, where he will oversee various corporate and operational finance functions.

18:54 EDT Fly Intel: After Hours Movers - UP AFTER EARNINGS: 58.com (WUBA) up 7.8%... Cisco (CSCO) up 4.9%... Vipshop Holdings (VIPS) up 4.7%... Smart & Final Stores (SFS) up 4.0%... NetEase (NTES) up 3.3%. ALSO HIGHER: SVMK (SVMK) up 4.9% after being added by Tiger Global... Oracle (ORCL) up 3.8% after being added by Berkshire Hathaway... Worldpay (WP) up 1.3% after being initiated at Overweight at Barclays. DOWN AFTER EARNINGS: CDTi Advanced Materials (CDTI) down 65.3% after earnings and Nasdaq delisting... Aptevo Therapeutics (APVO) down 12.9%... NetApp (NTAP) down 5.7%. ALSO LOWER: Helius Medical (HSDT) down 10.2% after equity offering... MoneyGram (MGI) down 4.2% after being initiated at Underweight at Barclays... CASI Pharmaceuticals (CASI) down 2.4% after equity offering.

18:07 EDT Milacron to repurchase up to $125M of common stock - Milacron Holdings announced that its board of directors has authorized a program to repurchase up to $125M of its outstanding common stock over a two-year period. Milacron may purchase shares on a discretionary basis, through open market purchases, block trades, privately negotiated transactions and/or derivative transactions, subject to market conditions and Milacron's ongoing determination that it is the best use of available cash. The repurchase authorization does not obligate Milacron to acquire any common stock.

18:04 EDT Kearny Financial raises quarterly dividend to 5c from 4c per share - The dividend will be paid to stockholders of record as of November 28, 2018, payable on December 12, 2018.

18:01 EDT Lone Pine adds Union Pacific, exits stake in Booking in Q3 - Stephen Mandel's Lone Pine Capital disclosed in an SEC filing its holdings as of September 30, 2018. Lone Pine's three new buys during the third quarter included, by size of previous position, First Data (FDC), Union Pacific (UNP), and NIO Inc. The fund exited six positions during the quarter, including by size of previous position Booking (BKNG), Dollar Tree (DLTR), SBA Communications (SBAC), Square (SQ), and Mohawk Industries (MHK). Lone Pine increased its stake in 13 holdings, including by size of previous position Alibaba (BABA), Adobe (ADBE), Microsoft (MSFT), Alphabet Class C (GOOG), and Canadian Pacific Railway (CP). The fund reduced its stake in eight holdings, including by size of preivous position UnitedHealth (UNH), CSX Corp. (CSX), FleetCor Technologies (FLT), MercadoLibre (MLI), and Amazon.com (AMZN). Lone Pine's top holdings as of September 30, 2018, were Alibaba, Microsoft, Adobe, Activision Blizzard (ATVI), and Iqvia Holdings (IQV).

17:37 EDT AbbVie reports 'positive' data from Phase 3 elagolix studies - AbbVie (ABBV), in cooperation with Neurocrine Biosciences (NBIX), presented for the first time additional results from two replicate pivotal Phase 3 clinical trials evaluating the efficacy and safety of elagolix in women with uterine fibroids. These results were presented at the 47th American Association of Gynecologic Laparoscopists Global Congress on Minimally Invasive Gynecology in Las Vegas, NV. At the final month of the six-month treatment period, results demonstrated that elagolix, in combination with low-dose hormone therapy, reduced heavy menstrual bleeding associated with uterine fibroids compared to placebo. In ELARIS UF-1, 68.5 percent of women with uterine fibroids achieved clinical response compared to placebo. In ELARIS UF-2, 76.2 percent of women with uterine fibroids achieved clinical response compared to placebo. In both studies, clinical response was defined as menstrual blood loss volume of less than 80 mL during final month and a 50 percent or greater reduction in menstrual blood loss volume from baseline to final month. Other efficacy endpoint results included nearly half of women in ELARIS UF-1 and 52.9 percent of women in ELARIS UF-2 achieved amenorrhea at the final month of the six-month treatment period with elagolix, in combination with add-back therapy, as measured by the alkaline hematin method. For both studies, results showed improvements in patient-reported symptom severity and quality of life related to uterine fibroids based on the disease-specific Uterine Fibroids Symptom and Health-Related Qualify of Life questionnaire. The overall safety profile for elagolix at the end of the treatment period was consistent with what was observed in Phase 2 studies in uterine fibroids and no new safety signals were identified. Hypoestrogenic effects consistent with the mechanism of action, such as hot flush and reduction in bone mineral density, from elagolix treatment were observed in the studies. These effects were observed less frequently among women who received elagolix in combination with add-back therapy compared to elagolix alone. The most frequent adverse events reported during the treatment period for elagolix, in combination with add-back therapy, were hot flush, nausea, headache, night sweats and fatigue. Data from the Phase 3 clinical trial program will support regulatory submission for elagolix in uterine fibroids, anticipated in mid-2019. Elagolix in uterine fibroids is investigational and has not been proven safe and effective.

17:34 EDT Soros adds to Microsoft stake, reduces Spotify stake in Q3 - George Soros' Soros Fund Management disclosed in an SEC filing its holdings as of September 30, 2018. Soros' 50 new buys during the third quarter included, by size of position, Tribune Media (TRCO), Archer Daniels Midland (ADM), Disney (DIS), Kraft Heinz (KHC), and Mondelez (MDLZ). Soros exited 60 positions during the quarter, including by size of previous position, NXP Semiconductors (NXPI), Rockwell Collins (COL), ServiceNow (NOW), Electronic Arts (EA), and Sigma Designs (SIGM). Soros increased its stake in 20 holdings, including by size of previous position, Microsoft (MSFT), Intelsat (I), Express Scripts (ESRX), SVB Financial (SIVB), and Coupa Software (COUP). Soros reduced its stake in 68 holdings, including by size of previous position, Spotify (SPOT), Netflix (NFLX), JPMorgan Chase (JPM), Wells Fargo (WFC), and Bank of America (BAC). Soros' top holdings as of September 30, 2018, in order of size, were Liberty Broadband (LBRDK), Vici Properties (VICI), Intelsat, Aetna (AET), and Tribune Media.

17:32 EDT Wabash appoints Kristin Glazner as Chief Human Resources Officer - Wabash appointed Kristin Glazner as Senior VP and Chief Human Resources Officer. Prior to this appointment, Glazner served as Vice President - Corporate Human Resources. She joined Wabash National in February 2010 as Corporate Counsel and served in that role until October 2017, when she was appointed to the position of Vice President - Human Resources and Legal Administration. Prior to Wabash National, Glazner was an attorney with the law firm Baker & Daniels from 2002 to 2010.

17:19 EDT Lockheed Martin awarded $382M Naval Air Systems Command contract - Lockheed Martin has been awarded a $382M not-to-exceed, firm-fixed-price, cost-plus-fixed-fee, undefinitized contract that provides for the production and delivery of eight MH-60R aircraft as well as associated systems engineering and program management support. Work will be performed in Owego, New York, Stratford, Connecticut and Troy, Alabama and is expected to be completed in September 2020. FY18 aircraft procurement funds in the amount of $147M will be obligated at time of award, none of which will expire at the end of the current fiscal year. This contract was not competitively procured pursuant to Federal Acquisition Regulations. The Naval Air Systems Command is the contracting activity.

17:18 EDT Suncor CEO Steve Williams to retire on May 2, 2019, Mark Little to succeed - Suncor announced that Steve Williams will retire as CEO at the company's Annual General Meeting on May 2, 2019. Mark Little, COO is appointed president effective immediately and will assume the role of CEO upon Williams' retirement next May. Mark Little joined Suncor in 2008 and the following year, played a leadership role in the successful integration of Suncor and Petro-Canada following the merger. He went on to serve in a variety of leadership roles in the company's oil sands and international and offshore operations. He was appointed chief operating officer in December 2017, becoming responsible for all of Suncor's operations and many of its corporate services. Before joining Suncor Mark led the development of oil sands projects for a major international energy company. His past experience also includes leadership roles in oil sands production and refining operations, strategic planning, environment, health and safety, and energy trading.

17:16 EDT Pershing Square exits Mondelez, cuts Chipotle stake in Q3 - Bill Ackman's Pershing Square Capital Management disclosed in an SEC filing its holdings as of September 30, 2018. Pershing Square exited one positions during the trhird quarter, Mondelez (MDLZ). Pershing Square increased its stake in two holdings, which were, by size of previous position, Lowe's (LOW) and United Technologies (UTX). Pershing Square reduced its stake in three holdings, which were, by size of previous position, Chipotle (CMG), Howard Hughes (HHC), and Automatic Data Processing (ADP). Pershing Square's top holdings as of September 30, 2018, in order of size, were Restaurant Brands (QSR), Lowe's, Chipotle, United Technologies, and Automatic Data Processing.

17:08 EDT Trian raises stakes in PPG Industries, GE, cuts stake in Sysco in Q3 - Nelson Peltz's Trian Fund Management disclosed in an SEC filing its holdings as of September 30, 2018. Trian increased its stake in three holdings in the third quarter, which were, by size of previous position, PPG Industries (PPG), Mondelez (MDLZ), and General Electric (GE). Trian reduced its stake in two holdings, including Sysco (SYY). Trian's top holdings as of September 30, 2018, in order of size, were Procter & Gamble (PG), Sysco, Bank of New York Mellon Corp (BK), Mondelez, and General Electric.

17:05 EDT Teradyne to transfer stock listing to Nasdaq from NYSE - Teradyne announced that it will transfer its stock exchange listing from the New York Stock Exchange to The Nasdaq Global Select Market. The company's common stock will commence trading on Nasdaq on November 27, 2018 and will continue to be listed under the "TER" ticker symbol.

17:04 EDT FB Financial acquires branches from Atlantic Capital Bank - FB Financial (FBK) announced that FirstBank, its wholly-owned banking subsidiary, has entered into a Purchase and Assumption Agreement to purchase 11 Tennessee and 3 Georgia branch locations from Atlantic Capital Bank., a wholly-owned subsidiary of Atlantic Capital Bancshares (ACBI). The acquisition builds density in the attractive Knoxville and Chattanooga markets while expanding into the nearby Dalton, GA market and provides additional customer deposits for future growth. At closing, FB Financial expects to operate 70 branches and pro forma will rank 5th in Chattanooga, 7th in Knoxville and 6th in Tennessee in deposit market share, based on FDIC data as of June 30. FirstBank anticipates assuming approximately $602M million in deposits and purchasing approximately $381 million in loans from this acquisition, representing substantially all of ACBI's banking and mortgage operations in Tennessee and North Georgia. FB Financial will pay a deposit premium of 6.25% based on the lower of the actual deposit balance at close or on the average closing deposit balance for the 30 days prior to close. The branches to be acquired by FirstBank will operate as Atlantic Capital branches until closing and will be re-branded as FirstBank branches immediately upon closing of the transaction. Pending regulatory approval, the closing is expected to occur early in the second quarter of 2019.

17:01 EDT Avaya announces $15M warrant repurchase program - Avaya Holdings announced that its board has approved a warrant repurchase program, authorizing Avaya to repurchase outstanding warrants to purchase shares of its common stock. The board authorized an aggregate expenditure of up to $15 million for this program. The warrants currently trade in the OTC market. Pursuant to the approved repurchase plan, repurchases may be made by Avaya from time to time in open-market or privately-negotiated transactions as permitted by securities laws and other legal requirements, and subject to market conditions and other factors.

16:57 EDT Appaloosa takes new Apple stake, exits Wells, Ally, UBS in Q3 - David Tepper's Appaloosa Management disclosed in an SEC filing its holdings as of September 30, 2018. Appaloosa's three new buys during the third quarter were, by size of position, State Street (STT), Williams Companies (WMB), and Apple (AAPL). Appaloosa exited 14 positions during the quarter, including by size of previous position, Wells Fargo (WFC), Ally Financial (ALLY), UBS (UBS), KeyCorp (KEY), and Western Digital (WDC). Appaloosa increased its stake in six holdings, including by size of previous position, PG&E (PCG), NRG Energy (NRG), Vistra Energy (VST), and Boyd Gaming (BYD). Appaloosa reduced its stake in 27 holdings, including by size of previous position, Micron (MU), Facebook (FB), Alibaba (BABA), Alergan (AGN), and Alphabet (GOOG). Appaloosa's top holdings as of September 30, 2018, in order of size, were Micron, Facebook, Allergan, Alibaba, and Alphabet.

16:43 EDT Ackman's Pershing Square cuts stake in ADP in Q3

16:40 EDT Diamondback, Energen say ISS, Glass Lewis recommend merger - Diamondback Energy, Inc. (FANG) and Energen Corporation (EGN) announced that each of Institutional Shareholder Services Inc. and Glass, Lewis & Co., LLC has recommended that Diamondback's stockholders vote "FOR" the issuance of Diamondback shares in connection with the parties' pending merger transaction and that Energen's shareholders vote "FOR" the proposal to approve the merger agreement and "FOR" the non-binding compensation advisory proposal. These proposals and the proposed merger are described in more detail in the definitive joint proxy statement/prospectus that has been distributed to the companies' holders of common stock. Each company is scheduled to hold a special meeting of holders of its common stock to vote on the applicable proposal(s) on November 27, 2018.

16:33 EDT Wabash increases dividend 6.7% to 8c per share - Wabash approved a 6.7% increase in the company's regular quarterly dividend, from 7.5c per share to 8c per share of common stock. The dividend declared is payable January 24, to stockholders of record on January 3.

16:24 EDT Yuma Energy retains Seaport Global to explore alternatives, liquidity options - Yuma Energy announced that it has retained Seaport Global Securities, an investment banking firm, to advise the company on its strategic and tactical alternatives, including possible mergers, acquisitions and divestitures. The company also reported on its liquidity as well as its financial results for the quarter ended September 30. The company plans to take further steps to mitigate its limited liquidity which may include, but are not limited to, further reducing or eliminating capital expenditures; selling additional assets; further reducing general and administrative expenses; seeking merger and acquisition related opportunities; and potentially raising proceeds from capital markets transactions, including the sale of debt or equity securities. There can be no assurance that the exploration of strategic alternatives will result in a transaction or otherwise improve the company's limited liquidity. On October 9, 2018, the Company received a notice and reservation of rights from the administrative agent under its credit facility advising that an event of default has occurred and continues to exist by reason of the company's noncompliance with the liquidity covenant requiring it to maintain cash and cash equivalents and borrowing base availability of at least $4M. As a result of the default, the lenders may accelerate the outstanding balance under the credit facility, increase the applicable interest rate by 2.0% per annum or commence foreclosure on the collateral securing the loans. As of the date of this release, the lenders have not accelerated the outstanding amount due and payable on the loans, increased the applicable interest rate or commenced foreclosure proceedings, but they may exercise one or more of these remedies in the future. The Company intends to commence discussions with the lenders under the credit facility concerning a forbearance agreement or waiver of the event of default; however, there can be no assurance that the company and the lenders will come to any agreement regarding a forbearance or waiver of the event of default. As of September 30, the Company had outstanding borrowings of $35M under its credit facility, and its total borrowing base was $35M, leaving no undrawn borrowing base. Due to drilling activities and other factors, the Company had a working capital deficit of $41.07M and a loss from operations of $6.89M for the nine months ended September 30.

16:20 EDT Smart & Final Stores reports Q3 SSS up 0.6%

16:19 EDT CDTi announces plan to delist from Nasdaq, deregister common stock - CDTi Advanced Materials reported its financial results for the third quarter ended September 30. The company also announced that it will voluntarily delist its common stock from The Nasdaq Stock Market and, based upon ownership of its shares by fewer than 300 holders of record, deregister its common stock under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 and suspend its public reporting obligations. CEO Matthew Beale said, "In order to best position CDTi for long-term profitable growth, we undertook a thorough and thoughtful review of our cost structure in light of our near and mid-term revenue prospects, including costs associated with being a Nasdaq listed and SEC reporting company. Our Board of Directors concluded that the costs of maintaining the Nasdaq listing and remaining a public reporting company, including costs of compliance, the demands on management time and the Company resources required to maintain its listed and registered status, outweigh the benefits to the Company and its stockholders of continued Nasdaq listing and SEC reporting. The Board voted unanimously to voluntarily delist from Nasdaq and deregister under the Exchange Act. This will enable us to better direct our financial and management resources on the commercialization of our high-performance catalysts solutions and technologies for the automotive emissions control markets, and conserve cash while we build long-term value in the company."

16:17 EDT Arcosa to acquire ACG Materials for approximately $315M - Arcosa, announced that it has reached a definitive agreement with an affiliate of H.I.G. Capital to acquire the ACG Materials business for approximately $315M. ACG is a producer of specialty materials and aggregates with estimated revenues of approximately $152 million and adjusted EBITDA of approximately $32M for the trailing twelve month period ended August 31, 2018, resulting in a purchase multiple of approximately 9.8x. Arcosa expects the transaction to be slightly accretive to earnings in the first year following transaction completion. The Company expects to fund the approximate $315M purchase price with a combination of cash on-hand and advances under its $400 million five year, credit facility. The transaction, which has been approved by the Company's Board of Directors, is subject to customary closing conditions and regulatory provisions under the Hart-Scott-Rodino Act. The transaction is expected to close in the fourth quarter of 2018 or first quarter of 2019. After closing and additional clarity on purchase price accounting, the company expects to revisit its revenue and EBITDA guidance for fiscal year 2019.

16:16 EDT Wabtec stockholders approve planned combination with GE Transportation - Wabtec's (WAB) stockholders approved proposals in connection with its planned combination with GE (GE) Transportation. The transaction is expected to be completed by early 2019 or earlier if the closing conditions are satisfied sooner. More than 99% of the shares that were voted, or more than 85% of Wabtec's total outstanding common stock entitled to vote, approved an amendment to Wabtec's charter to increase the number of authorized shares of the company's common stock and the issuance of its common stock in connection with the planned combination.

16:15 EDT Yuma Energy retains Seaport Global to explore strategic alternatives - Yuma Energy announced that it has retained Seaport Global Securities, an investment banking firm, to advise the company on its strategic and tactical alternatives, including possible mergers, acquisitions and divestitures. The company also reported on its liquidity as well as its financial results for the quarter ended September 30.

16:11 EDT Intellicheck chairman Malone steps down due to 'personal health reasons' - Intellicheck announced that chairman of the board Michael D. Malone, Vice Admiral, U.S. Navy, Retired, has stepped down from his position as chairman and as a member of the board of directors for personal health reasons. Newly appointed board of directors chairman Guy Smith said, "It is with deep regret that we accept Vice Admiral Malone's resignation. His focus on excellence and his commitment to the company and its stockholders has been unwavering. On behalf of the entire Board, I extend our thanks and appreciation for his dedication and service."

16:10 EDT Berkshire buys more Apple and Bank of America during Q3

16:10 EDT Berkshire exits stakes in Sanofi, Walmart during Q3

16:10 EDT Teekay LNG Partners to increase 2019 distributions by 36% - Teekay GP, the general partner of Teekay LNG Partners, has announced the following actions affecting its unitholders: Common unit distributions expected to increase by 36% in 2019 as part of a balanced capital allocation strategy; and a recommendation that unitholders vote in favor of amending Teekay LNG's tax status to be treated as a corporation, instead of a partnership, for U.S. federal income tax purposes, which would result in common and preferred unitholders receiving Form 1099s, instead of K-1s, in the future."With roughly half of our newbuilding program delivered and the remaining vessels set to deliver throughout 2019, the Partnership's cash flows and net income are expected to grow significantly while our balance sheet is anticipated to naturally delever over time," commented Mark Kremin, President and Chief Executive Officer of Teekay Gas Group Ltd. "Our Board has carefully assessed our future capital allocation strategy and has concluded that a balanced approach that, in the near-term, focuses on both delevering the balance sheet, which creates significant equity value and builds financial strength, and returning more capital to unitholders from its free cash flow after debt amortization payments, is prudent and will create the most long-term value for our unitholders. As a result, with the recent completion of our 2018 refinancings and nearly all of our newbuild program financings, our Board has decided to increase Teekay LNG's quarterly common unit cash distribution in 2019 by 36 percent to $0.19 per unit, commencing with the first quarter of 2019 distribution to be paid in May 2019." Mr. Kremin added, "With almost $11 billion of forward fixed-rate revenues, we believe that our capital allocation strategy provides a clear path to delever our balance sheet towards our target of 5.5 times on a net debt to cash flow from vessel operations basis over the next few years, while also providing an enhanced ability for the Partnership to fund future growth at a lower cost of capital. As we approach our targeted leverage level, we believe a stronger balance sheet will enable us to consider returning additional capital to unitholders through distribution increases and/or common unit repurchases, which we intend to evaluate at least annually." Mr. Kremin continued, "In addition, Teekay LNG intends to change its tax status to be treated as a corporation for US tax purposes, which we anticipate will broaden our investor base by making Teekay LNG a more attractive investment for new investors."

16:07 EDT Five Prime initiates dosing in phase 1 clinical trial of FPT155 - Five Prime Therapeutics announced it initiated patient dosing in a Phase 1 clinical trial of FPT155, a first-in-class CD80 fusion protein. The trial was initiated in Australia. The Phase 1a/1b open-label, multicenter, dose escalation, dose exploration and dose expansion study will evaluate the safety and tolerability of FPT155 in patients with advanced solid tumors. The Phase 1a dose escalation portion of the trial will characterize the safety and pharmacokinetic / pharmacodynamic profile of FPT155 and will identify a recommended dose for the Phase 1b portion of the trial. During the dose escalation, Five Prime will also open an exploratory cohort to investigate FPT155 monotherapy in select tumor types with high unmet need. The Phase 1b portion of the trial is intended to further characterize the safety, PK/PD profile, and preliminary efficacy of FPT155.

16:06 EDT Red Lion Hotels says tracking for 33%-35% franchise divisional profit margin - RLH Corporation announced the company has executed 34 mid and upscale hotel franchise agreements in 2018. The Company's Red Lion Hotel brand alone has 18 franchise agreements so far in 2018, growing the brand by over 62 percent to 47 full-service hotels nationally, with an average room count of over 200 and a robust pipeline. This momentum is in support of the company's franchise divisional profit guidance for the year of $18M to $19M, $2M above the company's original guidance. The company is tracking on guidance of 33 to 35% franchise divisional profit margin in 2018 and posted 39% for Q3, the highest thus far."2018 marks the continued resurgence of Red Lion Hotels as a core upper-midscale full-service brand for the Company and unrelenting strength in all our mid and upscale hotel brands," said RLH Corporation President of Global Development Paul Sacco. "Our mid and upscale brands now have over 100 open hotels and we continue to see solid growth across all brands." "Halfway through Q4 2018, our pipeline shows tremendous strength and momentum as we continue our resilient focus on the Company's franchise division," continued Sacco. "We have seen a strong interest in our mid and upscale hotel brands across the country in prime locations with access to top local attractions, reinforcing our position as the basecamp for leisure and business travelers in North America."

16:05 EDT Wingstop declares $3.05 special cash dividend - Wingstop announced that its board has approved a special cash dividend of $3.05 per share, payable on December 3 to stockholders of record as of November 26. This special dividend is the second such return of capital to stockholders this year, with a prior special dividend of $3.17 per share paid to Wingstop stockholders in February 2018.

16:00 EDT Clean Diesel Techologies trading halted, news pending

15:16 EDT Amazon signs deal with Viacom for exclusive streaming rights in Latin America - Amazon (AMZN) and Viacom International Studios (VIAB) have closed a content deal for Latin America that will bring two new VIS productions to Prime Video, Homens? and Dani Who?, which will only be available to stream exclusively on Prime Video. "Amazon is committed to delivering great content to our Prime Video members across Latin America and this new relationship with the VIS team will bring two new and compelling stories to our service for audiences to enjoy," said Pablo Iacoviello, Head of Content for Latin America, Amazon Prime Video. "We remain focused on adding locally relevant content, so we're especially thrilled about adding Homens? to our catalog of titles as an exclusive Brazilian series." Both Homens? and Dani Who? join Prime Video's growing slate of exclusive streaming titles in Latin America which include Falco, The Good Doctor and Mr. Robot, in addition to local original series which to date include critically acclaimed series Diablo Guardian and Un Extrano Enemigo, as well as the upcoming LOL: Last One Laughing which stars Eugenio Derbez and premieres globally on December 14. The series will be available to stream exclusively on Amazon Prime Video.

14:59 EDT AT&T CFO continues to expect resolution of DOJ appeal in Q1 2019 - AT&T announced that CFO John Stephens spoke today at the Morgan Stanley European Technology, Media & Telecommunications conference in Barcelona, during which he addressed the U.S. Department of Justice appeal of the U.S. District Court decision that allowed AT&T and Time Warner to complete their merger earlier this year. According to a company press release, Stephens said that AT&T's legal team is working on the appeal, allowing management to focus on running the business. Oral arguments have been scheduled for December 6, and the company continues to expect resolution in the first quarter of 2019.

14:35 EDT First Bancorp trading resumes

14:28 EDT First BanCorp reinstates quarterly cash dividend of 3c per share - First BanCorp., the bank holding company for FirstBank Puerto Rico, announced that its board of directors has declared a quarterly cash dividend of 3c per share on its outstanding common stock. The dividend will be payable on December 14 to shareholders of record at the close of business on November 30. "We are pleased to reinstate a quarterly cash dividend, which is a reflection of our confidence in the Corporation's financial and capital strength. We believe that the considerable achievements we've made over the past several years have allowed us to create value for our shareholders, significantly improving the Corporation's capital and risk profile while returning the Corporation to a sustainable and profitable business model, even in a challenging economic environment," said Aurelio Aleman, President and CEO of the Corporation.

14:02 EDT Aqua Metals announces official vendor certification from Johnson Controls - Aqua Metals (AQMS) announced that Johnson Controls (JCI) has provided an official vendor approval to receive finished lead at its manufacturing facilities. Official vendor approval is a significant milestone and an important step in the relationship between Aqua Metals and Johnson Controls. It shows the confidence Johnson Controls has in the consistency and quality of our lead production and further validates the AquaRefining process. We look forward to continuing to work closely with Johnson Controls to meet their goals for more sustainable product offerings," said Steve Cotton, Aqua Metals' President.

13:38 EDT Acme United raises quarterly dividend 9% to 12c per share - The board of directors of Acme United declared a cash dividend of 12c per share on its outstanding common stock. The dividend is payable on January 29, 2019 to stockholders of record on the close of business on January 8, 2019.

13:16 EDT Heritage Commerce chairman Jack Conner buys over 10K shares of company stock - Heritage Commerce chairman Jack Conner disclosed in a filing that he had purchased 10,418 shares of company stock at an average price of $14.42 per share on November 12. The total transaction value was $150,193.

13:03 EDT Aurora Cannabis names Jonathan Page chief science officer - Aurora Cannabis announced the appointment of Dr. Jonathan Page as the company's chief science officer. In this new role, Dr. Page will oversee all science-related projects at the company. The Aurora science team develops innovative products for the medical, wellness and adult consumer markets and focuses on delivering industry-leading cultivation results in terms of yields, consistency, quality and efficiency. Page is a cannabis scientist, with 37 peer-reviewed publications, who was the co-lead of the Canadian team of scientists who first sequenced the cannabis genome. Prior to his appointment, Page served as CEO of recently acquired Anandia Labs. Anandia will continue to operate independently of Aurora. John Coleman, PhD will be taking over as president at Anandia. Aurora also announced the promotion of Dr. Shane Morris to the role of SVP of product development and regulatory affairs. Dr. Morris had been the VP in this role previously. Dr. Morris and his team are responsible for numerous product innovations at Aurora, including the recent launch of Aurora Cloud, the industry's only vape-ready CBD oil cartridge available on the Canadian medical cannabis market.

12:59 EDT Citron's Left says Wayfair shipping for free 'will never be a business' - Citron Research's Andrew Left is speaking on CNBC.

12:49 EDT Left says lost money on Tilray short, still shorting the stock - Citron Research's Andrew Left, who has previously disclosed a short position in Tilray (TLRY), said that Tilray is "not a company" and he continues to believe that when there is a larger float the stock will go lower. Left contends that Tilray is held by retail investors and not professional investors. He also noted that he is short a basket of Canadian cannabis names, including Cronos Group (CRON) and Canopy Growth (CGC). Left jokingly said that he "probably lost more on Tilray" than the company has ever spent on R&D.

12:42 EDT Left says he believes Elon Musk 'right now' on not needing to raise capital - Citron Research's Andrew Left said on CNBC, when asked if he believes that Tesla does not need to raise capital right now, "Yeah, I believe Musk right now" on the CEO's assertion that a capital raise is not needed at this time.

12:25 EDT Citron's Left discusses Snap long thesis on CNBC - Citron Research's Andrew Left says the issue with Snap "has never been could they find a buyer for the company" but whether the owners would sell. He also notes that the company has 180M users, "young ones," that are using Snapchat. Left continues speaking on CNBC.

12:21 EDT Bill Ackman says Pershing sold stake in Mondelez

12:14 EDT Citron's Left discussing Facebook long thesis on CNBC - Andrew Left of Citron Research is discussing his long thesis on Facebook, which is centered on the strength of Instagram, while appearing on CNBC.

12:10 EDT Paulson & Co. takes new stakes in Nielsen, Dun & Bradstreet during Q3

12:00 EDT Switch falls -19.1% - Switch is down -19.1%, or -$1.77 to $7.49.

12:00 EDT VelocityShares 3x Inv Natural Gas ETN falls -30.4% - VelocityShares 3x Inv Natural Gas ETN is down -30.4%, or -$1.96 to $4.48.

12:00 EDT VelocityShares 3x Long Natural Gas ETN rises 32.8% - VelocityShares 3x Long Natural Gas ETN is up 32.8%, or $52.02 to $210.66.

11:50 EDT THE FCC commences auction of first block of mmWave 5G spectrum - The Federal Communications Commission will commence its first-ever high-band 5G spectrum auction.This morning, bidding will begin on spectrum in the 28 GHz band, which will be followed by bidding for spectrum in the 24 GHz band. The FCC is making 1.55 gigahertz of spectrum available through these two auctions. These auctions will be followed by a 2019 auction of three more millimeter-wave spectrum bands-37 GHz, 39 GHz, and 47 GHz. FCC Chairman Ajit Pai issued the following statement: "Today's spectrum auction shows that America is continuing to lead the world in 5G, the next generation of wireless connectivity. These airwaves will be critical in deploying 5G services and applications. And we're not stopping there. Between the auctions this year and next, the FCC will push almost 5 gigahertz of spectrum into the commercial marketplace over the course of the next 15 months. To put that in perspective, that is more spectrum than is currently used for terrestrial mobile broadband by all wireless service providers combined."We will continue to pursue an aggressive spectrum strategy, a key component-along with wireless infrastructure deployment and regulatory modernization-of the FCC's plan to Facilitate America's Superiority in 5G Technology. The 5G FAST plan is critical to boosting economic growth, job creation, and America's global competitiveness, and we'll continue to execute on this important national priority." Publicly traded companies in the space include Sprint (S), T-Mobile (TMUS), U.S. Cellular (USM) and Verizon (VZ). Reference Link

10:47 EDT UNITE HERE cautions FDA over Harbin's purchase of stake in GNC - UNITE HERE represents 270,000 members working in the hotel, gaming, food service, manufacturing, textile, distribution, laundry, transportation, and airport industries in the U.S. and Canada, sent a letter to FDA Commissioner Dr. Scott Gottlieb, urging him to investigate the pending acquisition of a significant stake in vitamin store chain GNC by China's Harbin Pharmaceutical Group. The letter details Harbin's history of regulatory violations in China. The proposed transaction between Harbin and GNC was announced in February of this year. According to GNC, Harbin will invest $300M in GNC and create a joint venture for manufacturing, marketing, sale and distribution of GNC-branded products in China. The deal would make Harbin the largest shareholder in GNC. "In China, Harbin has repeatedly been cited or sanctioned by government agencies for problems with its products - no fewer than 6 times since 2015, and three times in 2018 alone," said Jeff Nelson, Deputy Director of Research at UNITE HERE. "Is it appropriate for a company like this to become the largest shareholder in GNC, which claims to set the standard in the nutritional supplement industry?" In January, a Chinese provincial regulator sanctioned Harbin Pharmaceutical due to the presence of ammonium in certain of its drugs in excess of regulatory limits. Reportedly, this was the second time within six months that Harbin Pharmaceutical and its subsidiaries were sanctioned for this problem. Harbin products which have been cited by Chinese regulators have included gingko pills, Siberian ginseng, and Chinese licorice. According to GNC's website, the company sells gingko pills, Siberian root, and licorice root. "With this track record, we do not think it is appropriate for Harbin to own a substantial portion of a significant vitamin and supplement retailer in the United States. We urge the FDA to investigate this acquisition," said Jeff Nelson.

10:07 EDT Horizon Pharma strength continues amid Novartis takeover speculation - Shares of Horizon Pharma (HZNP) have continued to move higher and built upside momentum after traders circulated chatter that Novartis (NVS) may be interested in acquiring the company. The Fly, in fulfilling its mission of explaining stock movement, often comes across the many unconfirmed rumors being passed through trading desks and social media platforms. On the occasion that rumors or speculation appear on The Fly's news feed, it should be viewed not as giving credence to the conjecture, rather as simply highlighting its impact on the stock prices of the companies involved. The Fly has reached out to Horizon Pharma for comment. Shares of Horizon Pharma have risen $1.15, or 5.3%, to $23.00 in early morning trading.

10:04 EDT Tuniu trading resumes

10:00 EDT Switch falls -12.7% - Switch is down -12.7%, or -$1.18 to $8.08.

10:00 EDT VelocityShares 3x Inv Natural Gas ETN falls -24.1% - VelocityShares 3x Inv Natural Gas ETN is down -24.1%, or -$1.55 to $4.89.

10:00 EDT VelocityShares 3x Long Natural Gas ETN rises 25.9% - VelocityShares 3x Long Natural Gas ETN is up 25.9%, or $41.04 to $199.68.

09:59 EDT Tuniu trading halted, volatility trading pause

09:54 EDT Jana sells out of Facebook and Wells Fargo in Q3, enters Exact Sciences - Barry Rosenstein's Jana Partners disclosed in a regulatory filing its holdings as of September 30, 2018. Jana made 17 new buys during the third quarter, including, by size of position, Exact Sciences (EXAS), Keurig Dr Pepper (KDP), Falcon Minerals (FLMN), Hain Celestial (HAIN) and Dollar Tree (DLTR). Jana exited 18 positions during the quarter, including by size of previous position, Facebook (FB), Wells Fargo (WFC), Alphabet (GOOGL), RPM International (RPM) and GrubHub (GRUB). Jana increased its stake in seven holdings, including by size, VanEck Vectors Gold Miners ETF (GDX), Apple (AAPL), Adobe Systems (ADBE) and Electronic Arts (EA). The fund reduced its stake in 20 holdings, including by size Tiffany (TIF), Autodesk (ADSK), Anthem (ANTM), HD Supply Holdings (HDS) and Microsoft (MSFT). Jana's top holdings as of September 30, in order of size, were Zimmer Biomet (ZBH), HD Supply, Tiffany, Jack in the Box (JACK) and Exact Sciences.

09:52 EDT Correction: Jana exited Facebook position in Q3

09:39 EDT Jana took new stakes in Carvana, Dollar Tree in Q3

09:28 EDT Seanergy Maritime announces leasing agreement, time charter with Cargill - Seanergy Maritime announced that it has successfully concluded the refinancing of the 2011-built Capesize M/V Championship through a leasing agreement with Cargill International. The refinancing has released approximately $7.8M of liquidity for the company. Pursuant to the agreement, the company has chartered back the Vessel on a bareboat basis and subsequently entered it into a five-year time charter with Cargill at a rate which is linked to the 5-routes time charter average of the Baltic Exchange Capesize Index, or BCI. The charterer will also cover 100% of the equipment and installation cost for retrofitting the Vessel with an exhaust gas cleaning system. Lastly, as part of the transaction, the company has issued 1,800,000 common shares to Cargill. This transaction is part of the company's scrubber installation and time-charter program announced on October 31.

09:15 EDT Harsco enters contract with Celsa Group's Barcelona, Cardiff operations - Harsco announced that its metals & minerals division has entered into a multiyear contract with Celsa Group, a steel producer in Europe. The long-term agreement will span nine years with Celsa Barcelona and five years with the Cardiff operations. Under the multiyear contract, Harsco will provide Celsa Barcelona with on-site slag handling and scrap management services. The slag handling will include activities for under-furnace digging, ladle wrecking, and hot slag transport. In addition, Harsco's extensive scrap management experience will ensure the efficient transport of scrap between the internal and external scrapyards, and the effective management of both sites. Celsa Cardiff will be provided with on-site metal recovery and meltshop services.

09:12 EDT Blue Apron says it will launch new partnership with Weight Watchers - Blue Apron (APRN) says excited to launch new partnership with WW, formerly known as Weight Watchers (WTW). Says will launch weekly recipes that align with WW freestyle program. Says WW partnership will start contributing at beginning of the year. Says has strong consumer base. Says will reduce total workforce by 4% to reach profitability in 2019. Says largest facility in New Jersey has become most efficient. Comments taken from Q3 earnings conference call.

09:09 EDT Fly Intel: Pre-market Movers - UP AFTER EARNINGS: Macys (M), up 1%... Canada Goose (GOOS), up 15%... Qiwi (QIWI), up 7%. ALSO HIGHER: Tahoe Resources (TAHO), up 45% after announcing Pan American Silver (PAAS) will acquire the company for $3.40 per share. DOWN AFTER EARNINGS: Blue Apron (APRN), down 2%... Wix.com (WIX), down 6%... Tilray (TLRY), down 4%. LOWER: Amalgamated Bank (AMAL), down 12% after 2M share spot secondary priced at $19.25... Tenneco (TEN), down 4% after Morgan Stanley analyst Armintas Sinkevicius downgraded the stock to Underweight from Equal Weight given its elevated leverage and limited free cash flow conversion in what he views as an increasingly uncertain environment for auto suppliers.

09:05 EDT Empire Resorts, bet365 affiliate form strategic alliance to offer sports betting - Empire Resorts and an affiliate of bet365 Group announced a strategic alliance to develop a physical and online sportsbook in New York State at Resorts World Catskills. Empire and an affiliate of bet365 entered into a 20-year agreement to offer retail sports betting, an online sportsbook and online gaming at Resorts World Catskills if and when permitted by applicable law. Under the Sports Wagering Agreement, Empire and bet365 will establish New York's premier sports betting and online gaming option. This agreement provides for the companies to share profits 50/50 after bet365 recoups its start-up and other costs. In connection with the Sports Wagering Agreement, an affiliate of bet365 will acquire up to $50M of Empire common stock at a price of $20 per share in two tranches, making it Empire's second largest stockholder. Additionally, Kien Huat Realty III, Ltd., Empire's largest stockholder, has committed to purchase up to $126M of convertible preferred stock, with a conversion price of $20 per share. The investment by bet365 and the commitment by Kien Huat strengthens Empire's financial position and underscores Kien Huat's view of the potential for value creation in Empire's Resorts World Catskills. The alliance with bet365 is the next phase of Resorts World Catskills' growth, including the addition of a new hotel with two dining and entertainment venues by the end of the year. In 2019, two additional hospitality venues are expected to open at the destination resort in which Resorts World Catskills is located. The Kartrite Hotel and Indoor Waterpark is scheduled to open in the first quarter of 2019, and a Rees Jones redesign of the well-known Monster golf course will debut in the second half of 2019. Following its initial investment, an affiliate of bet365 will own approximately 4.9% of Empire's outstanding common stock. Pursuant to the Sports Wagering Agreement, the parties expect to use the bet365 brand and online consumer facing sports betting and digital platform.

09:02 EDT Air Products, Sonatrach announce industrial gases agreements in Algeria - Air Products and Sonatrach have signed two gas production and delivery agreements. Conducted through both companies' joint venture, HELIOS, the deals have a combined value of $100M. Through the deal, Sonatrach will recover helium from two existing liquefied natural gas facilities, and that helium will be delivered to HELIOS' existing liquid helium plant in Arzew. The HELIOS plant is an important part of Air Products' total global helium source portfolio, and the new feedstock will increase the amount of liquid helium produced by the JV plant. Another important component of Air Products' and Sonatrach's agreement is that Air Products will design and build, and HELIOS will own and operate, two new air separation plants in Algeria. One will be located in the Hassi Messaoud District, with the second in Arzew. Once in operation, these plants will produce nitrogen, oxygen and argon, which will be supplied to the Algerian and Maghreb markets through Sonatrach's subsidiary, COGIZ.

08:43 EDT Teladoc announces collaborative antibiotics study with USC, Northwestern - Teladoc announced that together with the University of Southern California, or USC, Schaeffer Center for Health Policy & Economics and Northwestern University, the company will be leading the first-ever, large-scale study to assess antibiotic prescribing practices in telehealth. The five-year project is funded through a grant from the Department of Health and Human Services' Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality and as part of the White House's National Action Plan for Combating Antibiotic-Resistant Bacteria, or CARB. This study is expected to set a new precedent in medical literature by adding specific standards for telehealth and virtual care. The comprehensive study will include the largest-ever randomized quality improvement trial in telehealth, looking at the key factors that influence antibiotic prescribing in a virtual care setting. By studying existing prescribing behavior, the teams can then adapt and develop further processes and define how novel behavioral science interventions can encourage safe and effective antibiotic use.

08:35 EDT PFSweb business unit teams with LiveArea as design partner - LiveArea, a business unit of PFSweb, completed the redesign and launch of three online flagship stores in the Kendo Brands beauty portfolio: Marc Jacobs Beauty, Ole Henriksen, and Kat Von D Beauty. Kendo is a leading beauty brand incubator that creates or acquires brands and focuses on developing them into global powerhouses.

08:11 EDT E-Trade reports October DARTs up 40% y/y - E*TRADE Financial Corporation released its Monthly Activity Report for October 2018. Daily Average Revenue Trades for October were 301,625, a 7% increase from September and a 40% increase from the year-ago period. Derivatives represented 32% of DARTs during the month. The Company added 46,760 gross new brokerage accounts in October and ended the month with approximately 4M brokerage accounts-an increase of 3,012 from September. Net new brokerage assets were $1.2B in the month. During the month, customer security holdings decreased by $25.5B, and brokerage-related cash decreased by $1.9B to $51.4B. Customer margin balances remained flat, ending the month at $11.2B. Customers were net buyers of approximately $2.7B in securities during the month.

08:08 EDT Macy's on track to deliver 'strong' holiday season, Q4 - Macy's notes higher sales and earnings were driven by strong digital, continued improvement from brick & mortar and execution of the North Star Strategy. "We are pleased with Macy's, Inc. performance in the third quarter, marking our fourth consecutive quarter of comparable sales growth. Macy's, Bloomingdale's and Bluemercury all performed well. Our strategic initiatives are gaining momentum and delivering results. Another double-digit quarter from our digital business and a strong stores performance combined to help us exceed expectations. We continue to see an improved trend in brick and mortar across the fleet with particularly strong results from our Growth50 stores," said Jeff Gennette, Macy's chairman and CEO. "The holiday season is when Macy's truly shines. We have the right merchandise, the right marketing and the right customer experiences in place to deliver a strong fourth quarter."

08:07 EDT SunPower, Cabot announce helix solar-plus-storage agreement - Cabot (CBT) announced that it has reached an agreement to have SunPower (SPWR) install a 1.12-megawatt solar project paired with a 470-kilowatt (940-kilowatt hour) integrated energy storage system at Cabot's Business and Technology Center in Billerica, Massachusetts. This commitment is a first for Cabot and will contribute to its long-term sustainability efforts by helping to advance solar development in the state and meet Massachusetts' renewable energy commitments. Start of construction is targeted for summer 2019. The integrated solar parking canopy project will feature high-efficiency SunPower solar panels installed across multiple solar parking canopies, and is expected to produce enough electricity to offset approximately 20% of the facility's energy needs thereby reducing Cabot's grid energy costs. The energy storage system installed with the project will provide additional savings by decreasing electricity demand charges during peak hours.

08:05 EDT Planet Fitness enters into $300M accelerated share repurchase program - Planet Fitness (PLNT) has entered into a $300M accelerated share repurchase agreement with Citibank (C). The company will acquire shares under the ASR Agreement as part of its $500M share repurchase authorization previously announced on August 9. As of November 12, before giving effect to the ASR Agreement, approximately $458M remained available for share repurchases pursuant to the Share Repurchase Authorization. The company will pay Citibank $300M in cash and will initially receive approximately 4.6 million shares of the company's common stock, which is approximately 80% of the shares of the company's common stock it expects to repurchase under the ASR Agreement. The final settlement of the transaction under the ASR is expected to occur no later than 2Q19.

08:02 EDT Nielsen to measure digital audiences of Comcast's Xfinity TV - Nielsen (NLSN) and Comcast (CMCSA) are expanding their relationship to include digital measurement of Comcast's Xfinity Stream app and web portal. Through this agreement, Xfinity TV audiences watching programming on computers and mobile devices will be included in aggregate in Nielsen Digital in TV Ratings and Digital Content Ratings. Cable television viewership across Xfinity TV set-top boxes including the X1 platform is currently included in Nielsen's National and Local ratings. Digital in TV Ratings measurement of the Xfinity Stream app and web portal will bring computer and mobile viewing of Xfinity into linear currency as well.

08:02 EDT Sabre to acquire Farelogix for approximately $360M - Sabre announced that it has entered into an agreement to acquire Farelogix, a recognized innovator in the travel industry with advanced offer management and NDC order delivery technology used by many of the world's leading airlines. Sabre expects that upon close, the acquisition will allow the company to accelerate delivery of its end-to-end NDC-enabled retailing, distribution and fulfillment solutions. At closing, Sabre will purchase Farelogix for approximately $360M, funded by cash on hand and revolver borrowing. Farelogix expects full year 2018 revenue of approximately $40M. The acquisition is expected to be neutral to Sabre's 2019 Adjusted EPS. The acquisition is subject to customary closing conditions and regulatory approvals and is expected to close in late 2018 or early 2019. Until closing, Sabre and Farelogix will continue to operate as separate businesses with no immediate changes to daily operations.

07:51 EDT Marcus Theatres appoints Greg Creighton as EVP, COO - Marcus Theatres, a division of The Marcus Corporation, announced the hiring of Greg Creighton to the newly-created position of EVP and COO. Previously, Creighton served as president and COO of Smashburger Master, parent company of the fast-casual restaurant chain, Smashburger. As EVP and COO, Creighton will lead all theatre operations and supply chain management, with oversight of 68 existing Marcus Theatres locations, plus 22 additional locations once the recently-announced Movie Tavern acquisition is completed during 1Q19. He will report to Rolando Rodriguez, chairman, president and CEO of Marcus Theatres.

07:34 EDT MacroGenics presents data on PD-L1 x CD137 DART program at symposium - MacroGenics announced that it had presented a poster at the EORTC-NCI-AACR Symposium. PD-1/PD-L1 blockade is a clinically proven cancer therapeutic strategy that releases an inhibitory brake on T-cell activation. Co-stimulation by CD137, also known as 4-1BB, has been shown to synergistically increase the activity of PD-1/PD-L1 axis blockade. Clinical application of such a combination approach, however, may be limited by toxicity associated with the systemic administration of CD137 agonists. Bispecific antibody targeting strategies afford the feasibility of localizing CD137 co-stimulation to the tumor microenvironment through simultaneous engagement of a tumor-expressed antigen and CD137 expressed on tumor infiltrating lymphocytes. In this poster, MacroGenics demonstrated that bispecific DART or TRIDENT proteins constructed using a proprietary PD-L1 blocking monoclonal antibody, or mAb, and a CD137-engaging mAb can further extend immune cell activation observed by concomitant PD-1/PD-L1 axis blockade and CD137 co-stimulation beyond that achieved by the combination of individual mAbs. The preclinical data presented show that PD-L1 x CD137 bispecific DART and TRIDENT molecules can switch on CD137 co-stimulation strictly in a PD-L1-dependent fashion, limiting the probability of systemic activation where PD-L1 is not expressed. Although tumor adaptive resistance via PD-L1 induction promotes immune escape, PD-L1 x CD137 bispecific molecules can exploit the upregulation of the checkpoint ligand to provide a co-stimulatory signal and further amplify concomitant checkpoint blockade. Additional investigations as a potential therapeutic approach to overcome limitations of existing PD-1/PD-L1-targeting strategies are ongoing.

07:31 EDT Briggs & Stratton sees $30M-$35M in savings from Business Optimization Program - Briggs & Stratton introduced a Business Optimization Program just over a year ago to increase production capacity for higher-margin commercial turf products, bring engine production closer to its customers, and better utilize its facilities to drive efficiencies. These actions, coupled with an ERP upgrade, are anticipated to yield pre-tax savings of $30M-$35M and set the foundation for continued profitable commercial growth. "Over the last five years, we've successfully grown commercial sales by more than 70 percent, requiring us to evaluate all facets of our business to best support this growth," says Todd Teske, Briggs & Stratton chairman, president and CEO. "In a short amount of time, Briggs & Stratton has displayed quick execution and substantial movement toward meeting the goals of the Program, and is on pace to meet the expected pre-tax cost savings."

07:07 EDT Ideanomics CEO Bruno Wu to depart, Brett McGonegal to succeed - Ideanomics announced that Alex Yao is named as chairman of the board and Brett McGonegal has been named the company's CEO. The Ideanomics management team and board met with Bruno Wu to discuss the opportunity of his leading the China-US relations committee. Although Wu will be participating in a non-governmental organization, the level of interaction with government officials means that Wu cannot remain as the chairman and CEO of a U.S. public company. As such, he will be stepping down from his positions at Ideanomics and will concentrate on this highly visible role as an ambassador for the benefit of improved relations between China and the U.S. Wu will remain as special advisor to the board of Ideanomics and will continue his current role as chairman and CEO at Sun Seven Stars', his private, family-held, media and investment company which will remain as the largest shareholder of Ideanomics. Alex Yao is the CEO of Sun Seven Stars' majority controlled fintech and digital finance arm, as well as managing partner of Long March Capital, an investment management and advisory firm focused on mining and infrastructure. Brett McGonegal joined the company in September as co-CEO. He brings operational and financial markets expertise, formerly serving as CEO of Hong-Kong listed investment bank The Reorient Group. Richard Frankel has been appointed executive vice chairman to the board of Ideanomics.

07:06 EDT Regenxbio's RGX-181 granted Orphan Drug designation by FDA for Batten Disease - Regenxbio's RGX-181, a one-time treatment candidate for late-infantile neuronal ceroid lipofuscinosis type 2 disease, has been granted Orphan Drug Designation by the FDA. RGX-181 is designed to use Regenxbio's NAV AAV9 vector to deliver the TPP1 gene directly to the central nervous system, which may induce sustained levels of TPP1, the enzyme deficient in children with CLN2 disease. Regenxbio plans to submit an Investigational New Drug application for RGX-181 to the FDA in 2019 to enable initiation of a first-in-human clinical trial.

07:03 EDT Akoustis names Rohan Houlden as Chief Product Officer - Akoustis Technologies announced that it has appointed Rohan Houlden as its Chief Product Officer. Houlden joined Akoustis in September 2016 as Vice President of Engineering. In his new role as Chief Product Officer, he will oversee the development and release of all wireless products for the Company's target market segments including WiFi, 4G/5G infrastructure and mobile devices, military, defense and other markets.

06:52 EDT Owens-Illinois initiates dividend of 5c, raises share repurchase to $600M - The company announced that it intends to pay a regular quarterly cash dividend to stockholders. The Board declared a dividend of 5c per share which will be paid on February 12, 2019 to shareholders of record on the close of business on January 22, 2019. Also, O-I announced that the Board has authorized an increase of the existing share repurchase program for O-I's common stock to $600M. With this $313M increase, and taking into account repurchases already made under the existing program, the company had approximately $600M in remaining repurchase authority as of November 1, 2018.

06:48 EDT Merck: Phase 3 KEYNOTE-181 trial met a primary endpoint of overall survival - Merck announced that the Phase 3 KEYNOTE-181 trial investigating KEYTRUDA, Merck's anti-PD-1 therapy, as monotherapy in the second-line treatment of advanced or metastatic esophageal or esophagogastric junction carcinoma has met a primary endpoint of overall survival in patients whose tumors expressed PD-L1. In this pivotal study, treatment with KEYTRUDA resulted in a statistically significant improvement in OS compared to chemotherapy (paclitaxel, docetaxel or irinotecan) in patients with CPS greater than or equal to10, regardless of histology. The primary endpoint of OS was also evaluated in patients with squamous cell histology and in the entire intention-to-treat study population. While directionally favorable, statistical significance for OS was not met in these two patient groups. Per the statistical analysis plan, the key secondary endpoints of progression-free survival and objective response rate were not formally tested, as OS was not reached in the full ITT study population. The safety profile of KEYTRUDA in this trial was consistent with that observed in previously reported studies. Results will be presented at an upcoming medical meeting and will be submitted to regulatory authorities worldwide.

06:38 EDT Novan Phase 2 molluscum contagiosum trial achieves statistical significance - Novan announced 'positive' preliminary top line results for three full cohorts of four from the company's Phase 2 clinical trial to evaluate topical nitric oxide product candidate SB206 for the treatment of molluscum contagiosum. SB206 gel demonstrated a clear treatment effect on the complete clearance of all molluscum lesions at Week 12, with signs of efficacy evident as early as Week 4 for the two highest doses, 8% and 12% twice-daily. The safety and tolerability profiles were favorable overall with no serious adverse events reported. The totality of the primary and secondary endpoint analyses received to date indicates a clear dose response, in both the mITT and ITT populations. Full trial results are targeted to be announced in December. The purpose of this cohort is to evaluate the potential for a once-daily treatment option that would be attractive from a commercial perspective. Molluscum contagiosum is a common, contagious skin infection affecting 6 million people in the U.S. annually, with the greatest incidence in children aged one to 14 years. Based on the data generated in this Phase 2 trial, Novan's Science and Technology Committee has recommended that the company proceed expeditiously, and by the end of Q4, with a request to the FDA for an end-of-Phase 2 meeting. This meeting would enable Novan and the FDA to agree on a Phase 3 development plan for molluscum. Following a successful end-of-Phase 2 meeting with the FDA, the company plans to initiate a Phase 3 program of SB206 for molluscum in 1H19 with top line results possible by the end of 2019 or early in 2020.

06:33 EDT Astronics sells semiconductor test business to Advantest for $185M in cash - Astronics announced it has entered into an agreement for the sale of the intellectual property and certain assets associated with its semiconductor test business to Advantest for $185M in cash. The sale additionally includes a $30M earn-out opportunity based on achieving certain levels of revenue in 2019. Astronics will enter into an agreement with Advantest to continue to manufacture the semiconductor test solutions for Advantest upon closing of the transaction. Approximately 45 personnel from Astronics, primarily in engineering, sales, and program management, will be offered positions with Advantest. The remainder of the Astronics workforce will be unaffected by the transaction. This transaction is subject to clearance under the Hart-Scott-Rodino Antitrust Improvements Act and other customary closing conditions. It is expected to close by the end of the year. Astronics' will continue to operate its aerospace and defense test business and report in two segments.

06:16 EDT Ford, Walmart collaborate to design automated-vehicle delivery - Brian Wolf, Director, Business Development, Ford (F) Autonomous Vehicles LLC, says in a Medium post: "At Ford, we believe the advent of self-driving vehicles opens up the potential to ease some of life's pain points and markedly expand affordable access to transportation and goods delivery... Now, it's time to explore how grocery delivery can help expand access to fresh food and other retail items for people all over the country, including in Miami-Dade County, where we're currently putting our comprehensive self-driving business operations to the test. This is why we're teaming up with Walmart (WMT). Through this collaboration, we are exploring how self-driving vehicles can deliver many everyday goods such as groceries, diapers, pet food and personal care items. Enabled by Postmates delivery as a service, we were able to quickly set up a pilot program that explores how our self-driving vehicles can complement Walmart's existing delivery offerings. Over the next couple of months, we'll be working closely with Walmart to understand its operations, identify what goods we can feasibly transport, and pinpoint any issues that may need to be addressed to successfully deliver orders via self-driving vehicles." Reference Link

06:08 EDT Facebook: 600K Americans followed fake Russia-linked Instagram accounts - Over 600,000 Americans followed Instagram accounts that are now believed to be run by Russian trolls. Facebook said it has now taken down 99 Instagram accounts, 36 Facebook accounts, and 6 Facebook Pages. Over 600,000 Americans followed Instagram accounts that are now believed to be run by Russian trolls. "These accounts were mostly created after mid-2017, apart from a few outliers. We found a total of about 1.25 million people who followed of at least one of these Instagram accounts, with just over 600,000 located in the US. By comparison, the recent set of accounts that we removed which originated from Iran had around 1 million followers. We didn't find any Facebook events." Reference Link

06:07 EDT Penn National to acquire Greektown Casino-Hotel in Detroit for about $300M cash - Penn National Gaming (PENN) announced that it has entered into a definitive agreement to acquire the operations of Greektown Casino-Hotel in Detroit, Michigan for approximately $300M in cash. Simultaneous with the closing of the transaction, Penn National will enter into a triple net lease agreement with VICI Properties (VICI) for the Greektown facility. The lease will have an initial annual rent of approximately $55.6 million and an initial term of 15 years, with four 5-year renewal options. The rent coverage ratio in the first year after closing is expected to be 1.8x. The transaction will be financed with a combination of cash on hand and debt. On a pro forma basis, and reflecting the October 15, 2018 completion of the acquisition of Pinnacle Entertainment and expected late fourth quarter close of Margaritaville Resort Casino, the Company continues to forecast to be at its target debt levels within 12 -18 months. Upon closing the Greektown transaction, Penn National's portfolio of regional gaming facilities will increase to 41 properties in 19 jurisdictions. The transaction, which is expected to close in mid-2019, is subject to the approval of the Michigan Gaming Control Board and other customary closing conditions.

06:05 EDT Covia sees Q4 industrial volumes similar to 4Q17 at 3.4M-3.5M tons - Sees Q4 energy volumes relatively flat sequentially and be in the range of 4.3 million to 4.5 million tons. Selling, general and administrative expenses are expected to be approximately $45M, which includes $3M in non-cash stock compensation. Capital expenditures are expected to be in the range of $50M-$55M.

05:51 EDT Daimler to open new R&D center in China to accelerate localization - Daimler announced plans to build a Research and Development Tech Center China with a total investment of over 1.1 billion RMB. This marks the further expansion of the company's footprint in its single largest market and will be its second major R&D site in Beijing, following the Mercedes-Benz R&D Center established in 2014. Located on the premises of the local production hub Beijing Benz Automotive Co. Ltd., the R&D Tech Center will allow Daimler to accelerate the localization of new Mercedes-Benz products in China. Scheduled to start operations in 2020, the R&D Tech Center's proximity to the production hub will enable the integrated campus concept of local production with R&D, through the existing pilot plant, test track and test benches at BBAC, together and new test labs and workshops at the R&D Tech Center for testing in new energy vehicle technology, powertrain and chassis, emissions and in-vehicle air quality.

05:28 EDT Pan American Silver to acquire Tahoe Resources for $3.40 per share - Pan American Silver (PAAS) and Tahoe Resources (TAHO) announced that they have entered into a definitive agreement for Pan American to acquire all of the outstanding shares of Tahoe. Pursuant to the Arrangement, Tahoe shareholders may elect to receive $3.40 in cash or 0.2403 Pan American shares for each Tahoe share, subject in each case to pro-ration based on a maximum cash consideration of $275 million and a maximum number of Pan American shares issued of 56.0 million, totaling $1.067B. The Base Purchase Price represents a premium of 34.9% to Tahoe's volume weighted average price, or VWAP, for the 20-day period ending on November 13, 2018. In addition, Tahoe shareholders will receive contingent consideration in the form of contingent value rights, or CVRs, that will be exchanged for 0.0497 Pan American shares for each Tahoe share, currently valued at $221M, and payable upon first commercial shipment of concentrate following restart of operations at the Escobal mine. The CVRs will be transferable and have a term of 10 years. The total consideration, including the Base Purchase Price and the Contingent Purchase Price, is $4.10 per share representing a premium of 62.8% to Tahoe's VWAP for the 20-day period ending on November 13, 2018. At closing, existing Pan American and Tahoe shareholders will own approximately 73% and 27% of Pan American, respectively. Upon satisfaction of the payment conditions under the terms of the CVR, Pan American and Tahoe shareholders will own approximately 68% and 32%, respectively, of the combined company. Each of Tahoe's directors and senior officers, who together hold or exercise control or direction over approximately 5.3 million common shares of Tahoe, representing approximately 1.7% of Tahoe's issued and outstanding common shares, have entered into support agreements with Pan American, agreeing to vote their Tahoe shares in favour of the Transaction. The board of Pan American has unanimously approved the Transaction. The board of Tahoe, on the unanimous recommendation of a Committee of Independent Directors of Tahoe, has unanimously approved the Transaction. The board of each of Pan American and Tahoe unanimously recommend that Pan American and Tahoe shareholders vote in favor of the Transaction. The Arrangement Agreement provides for customary deal-protection provisions, including mutual non-solicitation covenants and rights to match superior proposals. The Arrangement Agreement includes a reciprocal termination fee of $38 million, payable by Tahoe to Pan American, or Pan American to Tahoe, as the case may be, under certain circumstances. It is anticipated that the special shareholder meetings of Tahoe and Pan American shareholders to consider the Transaction will be held in January 2019. The Transaction is expected to close in the first quarter of 2019.

05:18 EDT Elbit Systems awarded $167M contract from Asia-Pacific country - Elbit Systems announced that it was awarded a $167M contract from an Asia-Pacific country to supply a comprehensive aerial Intelligence, Surveillance, Target Acquisition and Reconnaissance solution. The contract will be performed over a 20-month period.

05:13 EDT Renren sells SNS business to Beijing Infinities Interactive Media - Beijing Infinities Interactive Media announced that an agreement has been reached with Renren to acquire all tangible and intangible assets of www.renren.com and its related SNS, online-streaming and value-added businesses. Renren.com will become a significant component of Infinities' AI media matrix, serving 350M young end-users in China totally. According to the agreement, Infinities will strategically acquire Renren's SNS business, which includes Renren.com, a leading social networking platform in China, Renren online-streaming, and other related businesses. By March 31, 2018, the MAU of Renren's social networking platforms was approximately 31M.