Stockwinners Market Radar for December 18, 2018 - Earnings, Upgrades downgrades, option trades, Best Stock Advisory Service

20:28 EDT Novartis announces licensing of pradigastat to Anji Pharmaceuticals - Anji Pharmaceuticals announced it has licensed pradigastat, an inhibitor of acyl coA: diacylglycerol acyl transferase , from Novartis. Pradigastat is a well-characterized molecule which has progressed to Phase 3 clinical testing. Anji has secured rights to pursue new indications for pradigastat, with an initial focus on regulatory approval in China. In exchange, Anji has agreed to make a one-time upfront payment of $2.0M to Novartis, with additional cash payments and downstream royalties due upon reaching regulatory and sales milestones.

19:02 EDT Fly Intel: After Hours Movers - UP AFTER EARNINGS: Jabil Inc (JBL) up 10.5%... Steelcase (SCS) up 3.6%. ALSO HIGHER: Adamas Pharma (ADMS) up 4.9% after announcing issuance of patent covering GOCOVRI... Angi Homeservices (ANGI) up 0.4% after being initiated with Buy at SunTrust. DOWN AFTER EARNINGS: Micron (MU) down 9.0%, Lam Research (LRCX) down 3.3%, Applied Materials (AMAT) down 2.6% in sympathy... FedEx Corp (FDX) down 6.1%, UPS (UPS) down 3.5% in sympathy. ALSO LOWER: Surface Oncology (SURF) down 16.6% after product portfolio realignment including the significant reduction of the investment in and scope of its SRF231 program... Globalstar (GSAT) down 9.7% after equity offering.

18:20 EDT Winnebago to withdraw its Chicago Stock Exchange listing - Winnebago Industrie announced plans to voluntarily withdraw the listing of its common stock from the Chicago Stock Exchange, effective on or about December 31, 2018. Winnebago Industries' common stock will continue to be listed on the New York Stock Exchange. Winnebago Industries decided to withdraw its common stock listing from the Chicago Stock Exchange in order to reduce administrative costs associated with a dual listing, and in light of trading volume on the Chicago Stock Exchange comprising approximately 0.01% of the total trading volume in Winnebago Industries common stock during the past 12 months.

18:04 EDT Verizon Media Group will replace the Oath brand - Oath COO Guru Gowrappan said: I'm excited today to share that beginning January 8, Verizon Media Group will replace the Oath brand, representing our strong alignment as a core pillar of Verizon's business. This quarter, we've made it easier for people to access our unparalleled diversity and quality of consumer products, while making it easier for advertisers and publishers to solve their business challenges with the recent launch of our unified ad platforms. We've built on this strong foundation and set our advertising solutions apart by introducing over 20 new features this quarter, including engaging ad formats and unique supply such as digital OOH, connected TV and programmatic audio. For publishers, we've introduced new opportunities through these emerging channels and innovative auction mechanics. These enhancements will better serve our partners with smarter personalization and stronger engagement to constantly improve our ecosystem. We've accelerated the launch of new programs and products in just a few short months...Most exciting, and as part of one Verizon, we're growing our work on tomorrow's technologies - XR, AI, machine-learning, mobile-edge computing, 5G and more. These are the building blocks of how we will continue to evolve our member-centric ecosystem with much more to come. I look forward to 2019 and what we will accomplish together as Verizon Media Group." Reference Link

17:55 EDT FedEx says profit improvement goal for TNT Express in 2020 won't be realized

17:51 EDT Valvoline to open 17 acquired Quick-Lube centers in California - Valvoline Inc. - a leading worldwide supplier of premium branded lubricants and automotive services - announced its franchisee, Henley Pacific LA, LLC, has acquired 17 quick lube locations in southern California, that are now operating as Valvoline Instant Oil ChangeSM service centers. Henley Pacific LA, LLC, now operates more than 100 VIOC quick-lube locations in the southern California. The 17 newest California service centers range in location from Bakersfield to San Diego.

17:49 EDT NY DFS fines Barclays $15M following whistle blower probe - New York Department of Financial Services Superintendent Maria T. Vullo announced that the Department of Financial Services has fined Barclays Bank PLC and its New York branch $15 million for violations of New York Banking Law stemming from a DFS investigation into attempts by the bank's CEO to identify the author(s) of two whistleblowing letters in contravention of Barclays' established whistleblowing policies and procedures. The DFS investigation found that shortcomings in governance, controls and corporate culture relating to Barclays' whistleblowing function permitted a sequence of events that potentially could have had a detrimental impact on the efficacy of Barclays' whistleblowing program. Several members of senior management failed to follow or apply whistleblowing policies and procedures in a manner that protected the CEO and the bank itself. Limited gaps in the bank's whistleblowing policies and procedures became apparent during the investigation, and it appears that the cultural transformation that Barclay's Group Compliance had been working hard to instill in the more than one hundred thousand Barclays employees worldwide, was not nearly complete.

17:44 EDT U.S. Concrete director Theodore Rossi buys over $1.3M in company shares - U.S. Concrete director Theodore Rossi disclosed in a filing that he had purchased 40,000 shares of company stock at an average price of $33.40 per share on December 14. The total transaction value of the purchase was $1,335,944.

17:38 EDT HP Enterprise awarded Defense Information contract with $323.92M lifecycle - HP Enterprise was awarded a competitive, single award indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity, firm-fixed-price contract for X86 processor capacity services. The total lifecycle amount of the contract is $323.92M. The minimum guarantee for this effort is $770,000, $675,000 of which is being met by the first delivery order under HC1084-19-F-0001 and is funded by FY19 research, development, test and evaluation funds. Performance will be at current Defense Information Systems Agency, or DISA, data centers or future DISA centers in the continental U.S., DISA outside the continental U.S. data centers and other DISA or DISA-approved locations worldwide in which DISA may acquire an operational responsibility. Proposals were solicited via the Federal Business Opportunities websites, and six proposals were received from the proposals solicited. The period of performance is for a base of five years beginning December 19 and five one-year periods through December 18. The Defense Information Technology Contracting Organization is the contracting activity.

17:31 EDT Raytheon awarded $141.45M Air Force contract for SDB II - Raytheon has been awarded a $141.45M firm-fixed-price contract to exercise an option to previously awarded contract FA8672-10-C-0002 for small diameter bomb, or SDB II. The contractor will provide low-rate initial production for 1,260 SDB II lot five munitions, 389 single-weapon containers, 344 dual-weapon containers, 20 production reliability incentive demonstration effort captive vehicles, 20 production reliability incentive demonstration effort tests, 36 weapon load crew trainers/conventional munitions maintenance trainers and data. Work will be performed in Tucson, Arizona, and is expected to be completed by June 30, 2022. This award is the result of a sole-source acquisition resulting from follow-on to competition. FY19 missile procurement funds in the amount of $141.45M are being obligated at the time of award. Air Force Life Cycle Management Center is the contracting activity.

17:23 EDT Lockheed Martin awarded $585.21M Missile Defense Agency order - Lockheed Martin has been awarded a $585.21M fixed-price incentive delivery order for the Homeland Defense Radar Hawaii, or HDR-H. The contractor will design, develop and deliver the HDR-H radar providing autonomous acquisition and persistent precision tracking and discrimination to optimize the defensive capability of the ballistic missile defense system, or BMDS, and counter evolving threats. This award is the result of a competitively awarded acquisition in which one offer was received. FY18 and FY19 research development test and evaluation funds in the amount of $51.39M are being obligated at time of award. The work will be performed in Moorestown, New Jersey and Oahu, Hawaii. The exact location in Oahu, Hawaii, will be determined at the conclusion of the ongoing site selection and National Environmental Policy Act processes. The period of performance is from December 18 through December 17, 2023. The Missile Defense Agency is the contracting activity.

16:58 EDT C&F Financial names Thomas Cherry CEO - C&F Financial Corporation, the one-bank holding company for C&F Bank, announced the completion of the management transition announced in April as the board elected Thomas Cherry to the position of president and CEO of the corporation and the bank, effective January 1, 2019.

16:48 EDT Micron says it is focused on improving cost structure - Says some cloud customers are going through a digestion period. Says in early innings of cloud growth. Says unseasonably slow quarter for mobile. Says it sees impact from GPU shortage. Says DRAM supply growth is tracking ahead of supply. Says DRAM shipments will decline sequentially in Q2. Says taking action to lower NAND output. Says despite capital expenditures reduction, NAND supply growth will exceed industry demand growth in FY19. Comments taken from Q1 earnings conference call.

16:46 EDT Micron lowers FY19 DRAM industry demand growth to 16% from 20% - Taking "decisive action" to lower DRAM bit production growth to 15% from 20%, which includes "significant reduction" in capital expenditures from FY19. Comments from Micron Q1 earnings call.

16:37 EDT Twitter initiates IOS update giving timeline feed chronological order feature - Twitter added a new update that will permit subscribers to make their timelines show tweets in reverse chronological order. Earlier today, the company tweeted, "New on iOS! Starting today, you can tap to switch between the latest and top Tweets in your timeline. Coming soon to Android." Reference Link

16:35 EDT Jabil up 11% after Q1 results beat estimates, strong Q2 revenue guidance - In after-hours trading, shares are up 11.21% to $24.70.

16:32 EDT Sanofi to transfer listing to Nasdaq from NYSE - Sanofi announced that it will be transferring the listing of its American depositary shares, or ADS, from the New York Stock Exchange, or NYSE, to The Nasdaq Global Select Market, or Nasdaq, effective December 31, after market close. Sanofi's ADSs are expected to begin trading as a Nasdaq-listed security at market open on January 2, 2019, and will continue to be listed under the ticker symbol (SNY). This transition will not impact the company's primary listing on Euronext.

16:32 EDT Conagra Brands to divest the Wesson oil brand - Conagra Brands announced that it has entered into a definitive agreement with Richardson International to divest the Wesson oil brand. The transaction is subject to customary closing conditions, including the receipt of any applicable regulatory approvals. The company anticipates the transaction to be finalized by the end of Q1 of calendar year 2019. The agreement includes all assets exclusively related to the Wesson brand, including the facility in Memphis, Tenn. Financial terms were not disclosed.

16:31 EDT L3 Technologies awarded $350M U.S. Air Force contract - L3 Technologies has been selected as the prime contractor for the F-16 Simulators Training Program by the U.S. Air Force. Valued at $350M, the F-16 STP contract consolidates the previous F-16 Mission Training Center, F-16 Weapons and Tactics Trainer (WTT) Advanced Sustainment, and F-16 Training System (TS) programs into a single, unified program. Now in a prime contractor role, L3 was the incumbent on two of the three predecessor programs to the F-16 STP, including the F-16 MTC and F-16 TS. The company was awarded the F-16 MTC in 2008 through a competitive procurement.

16:30 EDT Surface Oncology Inc trading resumes

16:23 EDT Eli Lilly, Aduro announce research collaboration for immunotherapy development - Eli Lilly (LLY) and Aduro Biotech (ADRO) announced a research collaboration and exclusive license agreement for Aduro's cGAS-STING pathway inhibitor program for the research and development of novel immunotherapies for autoimmune and other inflammatory diseases. Aduro's cGAS-STING pathway inhibitor program aims to discover and develop inhibitors of the intracellular stimulator of interferon genes, or STING, pathway, which can modulate the immune response associated with various autoimmune diseases. As part of the agreement, Lilly will gain access to novel molecules from Aduro that are designed to inhibit the cGAS-STING pathway. The companies will collaborate to advance these molecules, as well as others from Lilly, into clinical development. Under the terms of the agreement, Aduro will receive an upfront payment of $12M and will be eligible for development and commercial milestones up to approximately $620M per product, as well as royalty payments in the single to low-double digits should Lilly successfully commercialize a therapy from the collaboration. Aduro will receive research funding during the research term and has the option to co-fund the clinical development of each product in exchange for an increase in royalty payments. Lilly will be responsible for all costs of global commercialization. This transaction will be reflected in Lilly's reported results and financial guidance. There will be no change to Lilly's FY18 non-GAAP earnings per share guidance as a result of this transaction.

16:22 EDT Trump claims Facebook, Twitter, Google 'so biased' towards Democrats - U.S. President Donald Trump tweeted earlier today, "Facebook (FB), Twitter (TWTR) and Google (GOOG) are so biased toward the Dems it is ridiculous! Twitter, in fact, has made it much more difficult for people to join @realDonaldTrump. They have removed many names & greatly slowed the level and speed of increase. They have acknowledged-done NOTHING!" Reference Link

16:20 EDT McDermott signs a lease for new headquarters - McDermott International has signed a lease for the new office building to serve as its corporate headquarters and will consolidate approximately 1,700 employees across five locations in the Houston area into one location. McDermott signed a 16-year lease for Energy Center Five, an 18-story, 524,000-square-foot office tower located at 915 North Eldridge Parkway. McDermott will be the sole tenant in the building and will lease the building from the property landlord, TCH Energy Venture Corridor. CBRE Group represented McDermott as the broker for the lease. McDermott plans to begin operations in the new building beginning in the Q3 of FY19 and will gradually transition its workforce into the new building by the end of 2019.

16:18 EDT Eli Lilly, Aduro Biotech announce research collaboration, license agreement - Eli Lilly and Company (LLY) and Aduro Biotech (ADRO) announced a research collaboration and exclusive license agreement for Aduro's cGAS-STING Pathway Inhibitor program for the research and development of novel immunotherapies for autoimmune and other inflammatory diseases. Aduro's cGAS-STING Pathway Inhibitor program aims to discover and develop inhibitors of the intracellular stimulator of interferon genes pathway, which can modulate the immune response associated with various autoimmune diseases. As part of the agreement, Lilly will gain access to novel molecules from Aduro that are designed to inhibit the cGAS-STING pathway. The companies will collaborate to advance these molecules, as well as others from Lilly, into clinical development. Under the terms of the agreement, Aduro will receive an upfront payment of $12M and will be eligible for development and commercial milestones up to approximately $620M per product, as well as royalty payments in the single to low-double digits should Lilly successfully commercialize a therapy from the collaboration. Aduro will receive research funding during the research term and has the option to co-fund the clinical development of each product in exchange for an increase in royalty payments. Lilly will be responsible for all costs of global commercialization.

16:09 EDT FedEx slides after cutting outlook citing European weakness, UPS follows - In after-hours trading, UPS (UPS) shares are down 2% to $95.17 while FedEx (FDX) shares are also down about 2.5% to $180.26.

16:08 EDT HTG Molecular establishes French unit to support expanding growth - HTG Molecular Diagnostics announces the formation of a French subsidiary, HTG Molecular Diagnostics France SARL in November 2018. This entity is expected to further facilitate HTG's ability to generate European product revenue and to improve its responsiveness to the needs of its growing customer base in Europe. In conjunction with the subsidiary formation, HTG has also created an application incubator laboratory in Sausheim, France, which is expected to accelerate additional product applications and to provide direct customer service to European accounts. "We are pleased to take this important step in growing our European organization by establishing a formal entity and laboratory in France," said Jean Claude Gerard, SVP of European Commercial Operations. "HTG France is intended to allow us to more immediately and thoroughly meet the needs of our customers in the region. We also plan to strengthen and grow our biomarker and diagnostic collaborations and, by the second half of 2019, begin to provide biomarker program related services, similar to those currently provided by HTG's VERI/O laboratory in the United States, on a smaller scale," concluded Mr. Gerard. John Lubniewski, HTG's President and Chief Operating Officer added, "We are thrilled to expand our capabilities in Europe with the establishment of HTG France. It is important to us that we be able to service our customers and development partners fully, no matter their location globally. We look forward to continuing to grow and expand in this important region."

16:06 EDT Surface Oncology reduces scope for CD47 program, accelerates SRF388 IND - Surface Oncology announced updates related to its product pipeline, notably the significant reduction of the investment in and scope of its SRF231 program, the planned filing of two nvestigational new drug applications, or INDs, in 2019 and extension of its cash runway. The company is conducting a multi-center, open-label phase 1 trial of SRF231 designed to assess safety and tolerability in multiple ascending doses. To date, 18 patients have been treated with SRF231 on an every-three-week schedule. During the dose escalation portion of the phase 1, two hematologic dose-limiting toxicities, or DLTs, were seen at a lower dose than anticipated and resolved without long-term toxicity. Surface will explore additional dose administration schedules but will not open expansion cohorts in the phase 1 study. This outlined activity may support business development opportunities for SRF231. The company anticipates presenting additional SRF231 data in the second half of 2019. Surface believes the reprioritization of its programs will extend the company's projected cash runway through 2021 based upon its current operating plan, which includes advancing its next two preclinical programs SRF617 and SRF388 into clinical studies and through initial clinical data. Phase 1 clinical work for the company's CD73 program, NZV930, is ongoing. Based on the reallocation of capital, the company now anticipates that the SRF388 program will accelerate and be ready for IND filing before the end of 2019. Cash and cash equivalents at year end is projected to be approximately $160M.

16:04 EDT FedEx reports Q2 operating margin 7.5% vs. 7.6% last year

16:00 EDT Surface Oncology Inc trading halted, news pending

15:44 EDT Cliffside says Seeking Alpha's AxoGen story doesn't meet editorial standards - Cliffside Research said in a tweet that it notified Seeking Alpha that, in its opinion, the cautious story on AxoGen does not meet the website's editorial standards, and they have recommended a review. They also noted that they have since taken a long position in AxoGen. Reference Link

15:26 EDT Grand Slam reports 7% stake in Transact, sends letter to board - The letter said in part : "Grand Slam Asset Management has been an investor in Transact Technologies I since 2013 and currently is TACT's largest shareholder controlling about 7% of the outstanding stock. During the time of Grand Slam's investment, we have remained passively invested as TACT's management team has built a dominant position in the casino and gaming printer markets, and introduced an exciting product offering in the restaurant solutions business. Grand Slam believes that the restaurant solutions offerings provide the largest opportunity in the company's history. However, given recent events and the company's poor stock performance, we believe that TACT will benefit from Grand Slam taking a more active stance with regards to our investment in TACT. Consequently, with the sending of this letter Grand Slam is modifying our SEC ownership filing to indicate our intention to influence management. Below are two thoughts which we wish to respectfully submit for the consideration of the Board. Grand Slam believes that TACT will benefit from an expansion to the board of directors by two industry veterans: one with major restaurant chain operating experience and one with software development and sales experience. As interested shareholders, we believe that the next 24 months are critical to developing a leading position in the restaurant solutions marketplace. While we are mindful that TACT is still a small public company, this increased expertise at the board level should help with the transition into a much larger company with significant recurring revenues. Should the Board request it, Grand Slam would be happy to supply a list of names for your consideration."

14:46 EDT Martin Marietta takes action after 'say on pay' vote, reviewing executive pay - In connection with Martin Marietta Materials annual meeting of shareholders, "we were disappointed with the outcome of the advisory vote on the compensation of our named executive officers, commonly referred to as the "Say on Pay Vote", which received a favorable vote from 78.9% of our shareholders. To better understand this outcome, we reached out to many of our shareholders, representing more than 60% of our outstanding shares, to discuss with them the reasons behind their vote and how the company could work to address any of their concerns. As a result of this outreach, we had what we viewed as very productive conversations. The responses we received indicated strong support for the fundamentals of our executive compensation program and our pay for performance philosophy and results, but raised specific concerns relating to certain features of our Employment Protection Agreements and equity awards. Specifically, shareholders raised concerns regarding the Section 280G tax gross-ups provided in the Employment Protection Agreements and the single-trigger change in control vesting provisions in our equity awards. Following these discussions, we engaged with our outside advisors, including the Committee's independent compensation consultant, to conduct a full review of our executive compensation program, paying particular attention to the items that our shareholders raised in their conversations with us. Although this review is ongoing, at this time the Committee has decided to take the actions described in order to respond to the concerns raised by our shareholders to date. No consideration, other than continued employment with the Company, was provided to our executives in connection with these actions.

14:31 EDT Conformis enters common stock purchase agreement with Lincoln Park Capital Fund - Conformis announced that it has entered into a common stock purchase agreement and registration rights agreement with Lincoln Park Capital Fund, LLC, a Chicago-based institutional investor. Upon entering into the Agreements, the company sold $1M worth of its common stock to LPC at 52c per share, representing a premium of 110% to the previous day's closing price. Thereafter, the company has the right at its sole discretion to sell to LPC up to $20M worth of shares over a 36-month period subject to the terms of the Agreements. Conformis will control the timing of any sales to LPC and LPC will be obligated to make purchases of Conformis common stock upon receipt of requests from Conformis in accordance with the Agreements. Proceeds will be used by Conformis for general corporate purposes.

14:00 EDT Citron touts cannabis name Aphria again, sees shares above $8 by year-end - Shares of Aphria (APHA) are on the rise after Andrew Left's Citron Research mentioned the stock positively again, saying shares could be above $8 before the end of the year. The short-selling focused investor expects a "major partnership or total buyout soon" for Aphria. 'EVERYTHING CHANGED' IN CANNABIS: In a report titled "Everything has changed: The big 5 Canadian cannabis companies have achieved 'Platform Status,'" Citron Research noted that "in a dramatic change, Trump announced on Friday that marijuana reform ally Mick Mulvaney will replace marijuana opponent John Kelly as his acting White House chief of staff." "Even though federal legalization is around the corner, it will still take at least 18-24 months for the law to change, which makes the Canadian Cannabis LPs the only game in town" in the near-term, Citron contends. "In this environment, traditional metrics can no longer be used to value the businesses of the big five Canadian Cannabis companies. First Constellation, then Altria...this list exploring partnerships is growing by the day," the report reads. Further, Andrew Left's Citron pointed out that Tilray (TLRY), Aurora (ACB) and Aphria were the "only remaining U.S. listed Canadian LP's that have yet to announce a major CPG partnership." "It is reasonable to assume that Cronos beat out its competitors to securing Altria because it was 'cheaper.' Shifting gears ever so slightly, with Aphria's recent share price decline, it is the clear winner in the 'don't overspend' game. [...] Despite Aphria's strong growing operations, its association with nefarious characters has put a discount on the stock that is now too great to ignore," the report added. Citron Research believes that the next two weeks are the "most important" in Aphria's short history and argued that it "has a shot at increased value through becoming the next platform company or being taken out entirely." The stock "can easily rise 40% from here by the end of the year," the report said. PRIOR MENTION: This is not the first time Andrew Left's Citron Research mentioned Aphria positively. Earlier this month, the short seller said via Twitter that "[Aphria] is compelling on all metrics. Cdn footprint too large to ignore. Look past the noise- stock should see US$10. More details to come." WHAT'S NOTABLE: On Tuesday, Tilray announced that it entered into a global framework agreement to collaborate with Novartis (NVS) unit Sandoz to increase availability of high-quality medical cannabis products globally. The agreement is "an evolution of an existing alliance between Tilray and Sandoz Canada" and represents the intentions of the two companies to jointly operate in jurisdictions where cannabis is or will be approved for medical purposes, the companies said. Earlier this month, Altria (MO) announced that it will buy a 45% stake in Cronos Group (CRON) for about $1.8B. PRICE ACTION: In afternoon trading, shares of Aphria have jumped over 10% to $5.98.

13:31 EDT Orgenesis announces collaboration with MangoGen Pharma - Orgenesis announced a collaboration with MangoGen Pharma, initially focused on the pre-clinical development of insulin producing cells using MangoGen's advanced gene delivery platform. Under this initial collaboration, the companies will work together to develop a complete solution for the delivery of IPC cells to murine animal models. The company also announced that it has been awarded a grant from the Canada-Israel Industrial R&D Foundation to fund this project.

13:26 EDT Albemarle higher after Hedgeye names new Best Idea Long - Shares of Albemarle are higher after Hedgeye named the company a new Best Idea Long. The firm sees over 35% upside in the shares. The stock in afternoon trading is up 2%, or $1.72, to $82.23.

13:17 EDT Citron mentions Aphria positively again, says 'everything changed' in cannabis - Reference Link

13:13 EDT Vintage Capital believes Rent-A-Center merger agreement remains in effect

12:56 EDT DOJ says Germany's IAV GmbH to pay $35M fine for role in VW emissions fraud - IAV GmbH, IAV, a German company that engineers and designs automotive systems, has agreed to plead guilty to one criminal felony count and pay a $35M criminal fine as a result of the company's role in a long-running scheme for Volkswagen to sell diesel vehicles in the United States by using a defeat device to cheat on U.S. vehicle emissions tests required by federal law. IAV is charged with and has agreed to plead guilty to one count of conspiracy to defraud the United States and VW's U.S. customers and to violate the Clean Air Act by misleading the EPA and U.S. customers about whether certain VW- and Audi-branded diesel vehicles complied with U.S. vehicle emissions standards. IAV and its co-conspirators knew the vehicles did not meet U.S. emissions standards, worked collaboratively to design, test, and implement cheating software to cheat the U.S. testing process, and IAV was aware the VW concealed material facts about its cheating from federal and state regulators and U.S. customers. Under the terms of the plea agreement, which must be accepted by the court, IAV will plead guilty to this crime, will serve probation for two years, will be under an independent corporate compliance monitor who will oversee the company for two years, and will fully cooperate in the Justice Department's ongoing investigation and prosecution of individuals responsible for these crimes. Pursuant to the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines, IAV's $35 million fine was set according to the company's inability to pay a higher fine amount without jeopardizing its continued viability. IAV is scheduled to appear for a change of plea hearing before the Honorable Sean F. Cox of the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Michigan on Jan. 18, 2019 at 9:30 a.m. Reference Link

12:46 EDT Duke Energy provides update on progress to close coal ash basins - Duke Energy provided an update on the strong progress to permanently and safely close all the company's remaining coal ash basins. The scope and scale of the company's work to close 56 basins at 21 plants continues to move forward. Highlights of the progress include: More than 7 million work hours were logged in 2018 by expert teams focused on basin closure, demonstrating the company's commitment to safely managing coal ash. Work to prepare basins for closure is underway across the fleet. By early 2019, the company will stop sending ash and wastewater to nearly all basins, well in advance of state and federal requirements. To accomplish this, the company constructed dry bottom ash handling systems, lined water treatment basins and new lined retention basins at a number of operating coal plants. Ash has been excavated from seven basins at the Asheville plant, Rogers Energy Complex, W.S. Lee facility, Cayuga Generating Station, Gibson Generating Station, and Gallagher Generating Station. In the coming months, excavation will be completed at seven additional basins at the Dan River facility, Riverbend Steam Station, Sutton Energy Complex and East Bend Station. Approximately 22 million tons of ash have been excavated since basin closure began in recent years, with more than 5 million tons moved in 2018 alone. A vital step in closure is to remove the free water from the basins, which will happen at both excavated and capped facilities. That process is underway at many locations and is the most effective step in improving groundwater quality. In addition, the company has begun work to determine additional corrective actions to improve groundwater, and it will monitor groundwater for decades to ensure that the environment remains well protected.

12:32 EDT Maxar's SSL awarded contract to provide GEO satellite for Ovzon - SSL, a Maxar Technologies company, announced a contract award to manufacture a small geostationary satellite for Ovzon, a company located in the U.S. and Sweden dedicated to meeting the demand for increased mobile broadband connectivity in underserved regions. Ovzon selected the mid-size SSL-500 platform for its first satellite, which brings the benefits of SSL's proven technology and performance combined with a lower-cost form factor. The contract is conditional on Ovzon raising financing. The satellite, called Ovzon-3, provides Ovzon's customers with better performance, expanded coverage and faster data rates than competitive solutions. The next-generation satellite provided by SSL will advance communications in remote areas with extremely versatile mobile broadband capabilities. Ovzon previously announced that the satellite will launch aboard SpaceX's Falcon Heavy. To maximize its usable capacity, the satellite will include a flexible payload based on a customer furnished processor integrated into the SSL architecture.

12:12 EDT XO Group shareholders approve merger with WeddingWire - XO Group announced that, based on preliminary results provided by its inspector of elections following the company's special meeting of stockholders today, stockholders have voted to approve all of the proposals considered at the special meeting, including the merger with WeddingWire.

12:00 EDT BP Prudhoe Bay falls -11.2% - BP Prudhoe Bay is down -11.2%, or -$2.86 to $22.62.

12:00 EDT Britannia Bulk rises 11.7% - Britannia Bulk is up 11.7%, or $1.68 to $16.08.

12:00 EDT Navistar rises 12.8% - Navistar is up 12.8%, or $3.06 to $26.90.

11:43 EDT Catalyst Pharmaceuticals, Endo sign definitive agreement for vigabatrin tablets - Catalyst Pharmaceuticals (CPRX) announced that it has signed a Definitive Agreement with Endo International's (ENDP) subsidiary, Endo Ventures, for the further development and commercialization of generic Sabril tablets through Endo's U.S. Generic Pharmaceuticals segment, doing business as Par Pharmaceutical. Pursuant to the agreement, Catalyst will receive an up-front payment, milestone payments based on achievement of regulatory approvals, and a sharing of defined net profits upon commercialization. Vigabatrin comes in two dosage forms - a powder sachet and a tablet. Par Pharmaceutical brought the first generic version of the powder sachet to market but at this time there is no approved generic version of the tablets.

11:34 EDT Mercantil Bank Holding Corporation (Class A Stock) trading halted, volatility trading pause

11:17 EDT Goodyear Tire to expand capacity of Slovenian manufacturing facility - Goodyear announced plans to expand its manufacturing facility in Slovenia to meet the growing demand for premium tires in EMEA. The EUR94M investment will add 5400 square meters to accommodate advanced tire building machines, increasing the plant's overall capacity by approximately 25%. This will allow for production of an additional 1.8M premium, A segment consumer tires annually. Production will focus on 17- to 19-inch replacement tires in EMEA. The company expects to create about 160 new positions in Sava, mainly in the production area. The first phase of construction will begin in January 2019, with additional phases planned for 2020 and 2021 to reach full capacity.

11:05 EDT New York AG says Trump Foundation signed stipulation agreeing to dissolve - New York Attorney General Barbara Underwood announced that the Trump Foundation has signed a stipulation agreeing to dissolve under judicial supervision, with review and approval by the Attorney General of proposed recipient charities of the Foundation's remaining assets. The stipulation follows the court decision last month allowing Attorney General Underwood's lawsuit against the Trump Foundation to move forward. Attorney General Underwood's lawsuit sought the dissolution of the Foundation under judicial supervision and with the oversight of the Attorney General's Charities Bureau. The lawsuit - which also seeks millions in restitution and penalties and a bar on President Trump and his three eldest children from serving on the boards of other New York charities - remains ongoing, Underwood says in a statement. "Our petition detailed a shocking pattern of illegality involving the Trump Foundation - including unlawful coordination with the Trump presidential campaign, repeated and willful self-dealing, and much more. This amounted to the Trump Foundation functioning as little more than a checkbook to serve Mr. Trump's business and political interests,' the Attorney General says. Reference Link

10:24 EDT ConocoPhillips closes sale of 16.5% interest in Clair Field - ConocoPhillips (COP) completed its previously announced sale to BP of a ConocoPhillips subsidiary that holds a 16.5% interest in the BP (BP)-operated Clair Field for an undisclosed price. ConocoPhillips retains a 7.5% interest in the field. ConocoPhillips also completed a simultaneous acquisition of BP's 39.2% interest in the Greater Kuparuk Area in Alaska and 38% interest in the Kuparuk Transportation Company for an undisclosed price. Excluding customary adjustments, the transaction prices were cash neutral to both companies. In the first nine months of 2018, production associated with the acquired 39.2% interest in Kuparuk was 39 thousand barrels of oil equivalent per day, and production from the divested 16.5% interest in Clair Field was 4 MBOED. The expected net contribution to fourth-quarter production is less than 5 MBOED based on the closing date of Dec. 18, 2018, and was not included in prior fourth-quarter guidance. Incremental production and capital were included in the 2019 guidance the company provided on Dec. 10, 2018.

10:05 EDT Avnet, Samtec extend distribution agreement to include Asia - Building on their existing partnership, Avnet and Samtec announced an extension of their distribution agreement. Avnet customers in Asia Pacific and Japan now have access to Samtec's full product portfolio. Combined with the existing franchise in the Americas, Europe, and select Asia Pacific locations, this global agreement underscores the importance of supporting customers wherever they design and build new technology products.

10:01 EDT Consolidated Tomoka completes sale of approx. 30 acres for $3.2M - Consolidated-Tomoka Land announced the closing of the sale of 29.93 acres for approximately $3.2M, or approximately $107,000 per acre.The land parcel, of which approximately half is developable, is on the east side of Interstate 95 and is located on Williamson Boulevard across from Florida Hospital. The buyer intends to develop approximately 300 multi-family residential units. The estimated gain on the Land Sale is approximately $2.8M, or approximately 39c per share, after tax. The contract related to the Land Sale provides the buyer with the option to purchase an additional 19 acres for approximately $2M which could close prior to 2020. The company intends to utilize the proceeds from the Land Sale to fund a portion of a previously acquired income property, through a reverse 1031 like-kind exchange structure. As of a result of the Land Sale, the company, year-to-date, has sold more than 2,600 acres of land for an aggregate of approximately $47.5M, or approximately $18,000 per acre.

10:00 EDT Washington Prime falls -6.8% - Washington Prime is down -6.8%, or -39c to $5.38.

10:00 EDT VelocityShares 3x Inv Natural Gas ETN falls -13.1% - VelocityShares 3x Inv Natural Gas ETN is down -13.1%, or -$12.25 to $81.18.

10:00 EDT VelocityShares 3x Long Natural Gas ETN rises 13.0% - VelocityShares 3x Long Natural Gas ETN is up 13.0%, or $9.47 to $82.11.

09:48 EDT Altimmune awarded USPTO patent for Influenza antigetn delivery vectors - Reference Link

09:47 EDT Worthington falls -9.3% - Worthington is down -9.3%, or -$3.41 to $33.25.

09:47 EDT Oracle rises 5.2% - Oracle is up 5.2%, or $2.37 to $48.10.

09:47 EDT Navistar rises 15.5% - Navistar is up 15.5%, or $3.71 to $27.55.

09:28 EDT Cinedigm partners with Samsung for access to CONtv, Dove Channel - Cinedigm (CIDM) has partnered with Samsung (SSNLF) to give viewers access to a pair of digital-first networks, CONtv and the family friendly faith-based Dove Channel, available now on Samsung's TV Plus video service. TV Plus is Samsung's owned and operated video service, which provides access to a variety of free streaming channels.

09:12 EDT AT&T to be first to make mobile 5G service live in U.S. on December 21 - On Dec. 21, AT&T will be the first and only company in the U.S. to offer a mobile 5G device over a commercial, standards-based mobile 5G network. "We've worked closely with our technology suppliers to reach this mobile 5G milestone. While the initial launch starts small and will be limited, as the 5G ecosystem evolves customers will see enhancements in coverage, speeds and devices." "This is the first taste of the mobile 5G era," said Andre Fuetsch, president, AT&T Labs and chief technology officer. "Being first, you can expect us to evolve very quickly. It's early on the 5G journey and we're ready to learn fast and continually iterate in the months ahead." "Our standards-based mobile 5G network is live today in parts of 12 cities: Atlanta, Charlotte, N.C., Dallas, Houston, Indianapolis, Jacksonville, Fla., Louisville, Ky., Oklahoma City, New Orleans, Raleigh, N.C., San Antonio and Waco, Texas. In the first half of 2019 we plan to deploy mobile 5G in parts of these 7 additional cities: Las Vegas, Los Angeles, Nashville, Orlando, San Diego, San Francisco and San Jose, Calif."

09:09 EDT Granite Construction selected for two projects valued over $520M - Granite Construction announced that it has been selected by the California Department of Transportation as the Construction Manager/General Contractor for the estimated $410 million Highway 101 Carpinteria to Santa Barbara Project, and for the estimated $113 million Cosumnes Bridge Replacement CM/GC Project in Sacramento County.

09:07 EDT Comtech secures $2.5M order from Middle East telecom service provider - Comtech Telecommunications announced that during the second quarter of fiscal 2019, its Enterprise Technologies group, which is part of Comtech's Commercial Solutions segment, has received a $2.5 million order for various location platforms and location-based services (LBS) applications with a top-tier telecommunications service provider based in Saudi Arabia.

09:05 EDT Fly Intel: Pre-market Movers - HIGHER: CBS (CBS), up 1.7% after board determines there are grounds to terminate Moonves for cause... Boeing (BA), up 2% after raising its quarterly dividend 20% and announcing a $20B share repurchase authorization... Lexicon (LXRX), up 5% after announcing the LX9211 Phase 1a study met its primary objectives... Marin Software (MRIN), up 36% after announcing a partnership with Google (GOOGL)... Achillon (ACHN), up 9% after announcing interim data for ACH-4471 phase 2 trials. UP AFTER EARNINGS: Oracle (ORCL), up 5%... Navistar (NAV), up 11%... Darden (DRI), up 3%. LOWER: Rent-A-Center (RCII), down 17% after terminating its merger agreement with Vintage Capital... OptimizeRx (OPRX), down 15% after offering of 2.1M shares of common stock for holders... Washington Prime (WPG), down 3% after Goldman Sachs analyst Caitlin Burrows downgraded the stock to Sell and lowered her price target for the shares to $4.30 from $6.60. The analyst expects the company's earnings to decline despite its "differentiated efforts."

09:02 EDT Canadian Solar subsidiary completes sale of Mustang Two solar project to SFA - Canadian Solar announced its wholly owned subsidiary Recurrent Energy has completed the sale of its 150 MWac/210 MWp Mustang Two solar project to Solar Frontier Americas, or SFA. Located on 1,400 acres in Kings County, California, the Mustang Two project is expected to create approximately 400 jobs during peak construction. In this partnership, Recurrent Energy will continue to manage the development of the project, readying it for construction; Solar Frontier Americas will finance and manage the construction of the project, which is slated to achieve commercial operation in 2020. The project will then be operated by Solar Frontier Americas' growing independent power producer business.

08:50 EDT Quench acquires Pure Health Solutions for approx. $57.6M - Quench, an operating segment of AquaVenture Holdings, announced that it has completed the acquisition of all of the issued and outstanding shares of Pure Health Solutions, for an aggregate cash purchase price of approximately $57.6M, subject to adjustment as provided in the purchase agreement. PHSI, which is headquartered in Lincolnshire, Illinois, is a provider of filtered water coolers and related services through two sales channels. In its direct channel, PHSI rents and services approximately 13,000 owned units to commercial end users throughout the United States. In its indirect channel, PHSI distributes and resells water coolers and related filters and parts to a network of dealers with over 90 locations across the United States. In addition, PHSI develops and manufactures its own brand of point-of-use systems in its factory located in South Korea. Goodwin Procter served as legal advisor to the company. Raymond James & Associates served as exclusive financial advisor, and Armstrong Teasdale served as legal advisor, to the seller, private equity firm ClearLight Partners.

08:48 EDT Stantec selected for $325M critical infrastructure design at Portsmouth Shipyard - Stantec has been awarded more than $35 million in assignments for planning and preliminary design of a multi-mission dry dock and other upgrades at Portsmouth Naval Shipyard in Kittery, Maine. The projects represent tasks under Stantec's $60 million indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contract for multi-discipline waterfront architect-engineering services for the Naval Facilities Engineering Command, Mid-Atlantic region. Stantec's work includes comprehensive preliminary design services to enhance the shipyard's capabilities to support the naval war fighter. One area of focus is shipyard dry docks-unique structures that allow vessels to be hauled into a dock while it is flooded. Once the vessels are positioned over keel blocks, the dock is dewatered and the overhaul, maintenance, or repairs can commence. The critical upgrades will strengthen the nation's readiness and support the PSNY workforce as they repair and modernize the Navy's critical vessels.

08:42 EDT Points International expands partnership with Alaska Airlines - Points International (PCOM) expanded its partnership with Alaska Airlines (ALK) to enable mileage plan members to redeem their miles for elite status. By leveraging Points' loyalty commerce platform, Alaska Airlines is enhancing its existing elite qualifying miles promotion. Now, members who are close to their annual qualifying requirements can use their miles to maintain or purchase higher elite status. The expanded partnership is ultimately providing mileage plan members more ways to use their miles.

08:39 EDT Cheniere, PETRONAS enter into LNG sale, purchase agreement - Cheniere Energy Partners announced that its subsidiary Sabine Pass Liquefaction has entered into a liquefied natural gas, or LNG, sale and purchase agreement, or SPA, with PETRONAS LNG, a subsidiary of the Malaysian state-owned oil and gas company, PETRONAS. PLL has agreed to purchase approximately 1.1 million tonnes per annum of LNG from Sabine Pass Liquefaction on a free on board basis for a term of 20 years following the date of first commercial delivery for the sixth natural gas liquefaction train at the Sabine Pass liquefaction project. The purchase price for LNG is indexed to the monthly Henry Hub price, plus a fee. The SPA is subject to certain conditions precedent, including but not limited to Sabine Pass Liquefaction making a final investment decision to construct Train 6 of the SPL Project.

08:38 EDT Vertex announces Phase 2 study of VX-150 meets primary endpoint - Vertex Pharmaceuticals Incorporated announced positive results of a Phase 2 study of the investigational NaV1.8 inhibitor VX-150 in patients with pain caused by small fiber neuropathy. The study met its primary endpoint and showed that treatment with VX-150 demonstrated statistically significant and clinically meaningful pain reduction, as measured by the within-group change from baseline in the weekly average of daily pain intensity on the 11-point numeric rating scale at Week 6. VX-150 was generally well tolerated in this study. This Phase 2 study in patients with small fiber neuropathy is the third positive proof-of-concept study for VX-150 and provides further validation of the potential role of NaV1.8 inhibition in the treatment of multiple pain conditions. A Phase 2b dose-ranging study of VX-150 following bunionectomy surgery is currently ongoing to support potential pivotal development. Additionally, the company is advancing multiple pain molecules through late-stage preclinical development and anticipates initiating clinical development with the first of these molecules in 2019. The data announced were from a Phase 2, randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled, 6-week study that evaluated treatment with VX-150 or placebo in patients with chronic pain caused by small fiber neuropathy. In this study, 1250mg of VX-150 was dosed orally every 24 hours. The study met its primary endpoint, showing a statistically significant mean within-group change from baseline of -2.02 points for those treated with VX-150 in the weekly average of daily pain intensity on the 11-point NRS, as reported in the daily diary, at Week 6. The mean within-group change from baseline for those treated with placebo was -0.93. A second pre-specified analysis compared those patients randomized to VX-150 or placebo. This analysis demonstrated a treatment difference in the mean change from baseline of -1.09 in the weekly average of daily pain intensity on the 11-point NRS, as reported in the daily diary, at Week 6. This treatment difference was observed as early as Week 1, and was sustained through the six-week treatment period. In this study, VX-150 was generally well tolerated. 91 percent of patients in the VX-150 group and 81 percent of patients in the placebo group completed treatment. Six patients discontinued treatment due to adverse events and three patients experienced serious adverse events. The majority of adverse events were mild or moderate. Adverse events occurred in 63 percent of patients who received VX-150 and 56 percent of patients who received placebo. The most common adverse event was headache, which occurred in 24 percent of patients in the VX-150 group and 12 percent of patients in the placebo group.

08:35 EDT Sanmina granted Domestic Tariff Area status at its Chennai facility - Sanmina announced that it has been granted Domestic Tariff Area, or DTA, status at its manufacturing facility in the Hi-Tech SEZ in Oragadam, Chennai, India. This enables Sanmina to support the Make in India initiative, an effort driven by the Government of India to encourage the manufacturing of more products in India. By having both SEZ and DTA status, Sanmina can manufacture & deliver products for both domestic and export markets, with zero customs duty. Sanmina's manufacturing facility in Chennai holds key certifications for automotive, medical, aerospace, telecommunications and industrial manufacturing.

08:33 EDT Kroger and Inmar announce strategic collaboration - Inmar and The Kroger announced a new strategic relationship to drive innovation in digital offer management. The relationship includes the sale to Inmar of You Technology, a digital coupon and digital rebate publishing unit owned by Kroger, in conjunction with a long-term services agreement with Inmar for the continued delivery of digital offer management services to Kroger. The transaction is subject to customary closing conditions. The companies expect to close the transaction during Kroger's Q1 of FY19.

08:30 EDT Amazon to create 600 tech jobs in Toronto, expands Toronto Tech Hub - Amazon announced an expansion of its Toronto Tech Hub and plans to create 600 new tech jobs in fields including software development, machine learning, cloud computing, digital advertising, and artificial intelligence. To accommodate the company's continued growth in Ontario, Amazon has opened a new 113,000 square foot office in Scotia Plaza in downtown Toronto, owned by KingSett Capital and AIMCo. Amazon currently has more than 800 corporate employees in Toronto, primarily focused on research and software development for customer fulfillment technology, Amazon Web Services, and Alexa, as well as business development for Amazon Advertising and AWS. Amazon's Toronto Tech Hub is one of the company's 18 Tech Hubs outside Seattle in North America, which together employ more than 20,000 people building new products and services for Amazon customers. With this expansion in Toronto, Amazon has this year alone announced plans to create more than 6,000 new jobs in Canada, across new corporate offices in Vancouver and Toronto and four new customer fulfillment centers in Ottawa, Caledon, Tsawwassen First Nation, and Edmonton.

08:25 EDT MagneGas announces $1.16M in sales in November - MagneGas announced that the company generated sales of $1.16M for the month of November, as compared to $300,000 in November 2017, representing a 287% increase. The sales growth was a result of MagneGas' expansion into California, Texas and Louisiana through six acquisitions made. The fastest growing market for the company in November was the Texas and Louisiana combined market, which grew 45% compared to October sales. This was in part the result of three acquisitions made in the second half of October, which doubled the company's retail store count and added a market presence in Paris, Texas and Longview, Texas. In addition, Green Arc had its highest monthly sales figures for 2018, as well as the highest sales figures under MagneGas ownership and operation. In the California market, sales grew flat compared to October results. This market continues to show strength and has been very receptive to both the sales of the MagneGas metal cutting fuel product, as well as strong new client adoption and cross sales activities. Sales in the southern California market were some of the strongest sales results under MagneGas ownership. In Florida, sales declined 10% as compared with October results. The decline was in part due to the seasonality in sales, which are traditionally negatively affected by the Thanksgiving holiday week. As a positive development, the company's new location in Pasco County has already grown to the point of profitability and is gaining steady market acceptance in its addressable market.

08:16 EDT Cisco to acquire Luxtera for $660M in cash, equity awards - Cisco announced the intent to acquire privately-held Luxtera, a semiconductor company based in Carlsbad, California that uses silicon photonics to build integrated optics capabilities for webscale and enterprise data centers, service provider market segments and other customers. Cisco plans to incorporate Luxtera's technology across its intent-based networking portfolio, spanning enterprise, data center and service provider markets. Cisco will pay $660M in cash and assumed equity awards for the acquisition of Luxtera. The acquisition is expected to close in Q3 of 2019, subject to customary closing conditions and required regulatory approvals. The emerging class of distributed cloud, mobility, and IoT applications is creating a strain on existing communications infrastructure. The combination of Cisco's and Luxtera's capabilities in 100 gigabit ethernet, 400GbE optics, silicon and process technology will enable customers to build networks optimized for performance, reliability and cost. Integration of Luxtera and Cisco's optical transceiver portfolio will broaden Cisco's offering of 100GbE and 400GbE optics.

08:10 EDT Charah Solutions announces APTIM litigation and arbitration settlement - Charah Solutions announced that it has reached an agreement to settle all outstanding litigation and arbitration claims brought by APTIM Corp. Financial terms of the settlement were not disclosed. The settlement amount is within the company's previously recorded reserve for outstanding legal claims accrued in its third quarter ended September 30, 2018. Charah Solutions issued the following statement: "We are pleased to have reached a resolution to this matter, and look forward to continuing to serve our clients across the power generation industry as a leading provider of environmental and maintenance services."

08:08 EDT Sunworks announces new projects in Massachusetts, New Jersey - Sunworks announced it has been awarded an engineering, procurement and construction contract to develop a 600kW roof mount and parking canopy project for a food manufacturer in New Jersey and an 700kW project for a self-storage facility in Massachusetts. In aggregate, the new project wins in New Jersey and Massachusetts are expected to generate more than $2M in revenue for Sunworks with instillations anticipated to be completed in 2019.

08:06 EDT Biocept enters into agreement with Prognos - Biocept has entered into a Software License and Laboratory Data Supply Agreement with Prognos, an innovator in predicting disease by applying artificial intelligence to clinical laboratory diagnostics. Under the agreement, Biocept will supply de-identified data from its liquid biopsy testing to Prognos, which will leverage its AI capabilities to help its pharmaceutical clients ensure that the right patients receive the right therapies. Biocept will utilize Prognos' proprietary Opal de-identification software in accordance with the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996 to collect and transmit the data to Prognos.

08:05 EDT Eiger BioPharmaceuticals' lonafarnib granted PRIME designation by EMA - Eiger BioPharmaceuticals announced the European Medicines Agency, or EMA, has granted PRIME designation for lonafarnib for the treatment of hepatitis delta virus, or HDV infection. Eiger's application was supported by data from Phase 2 clinical studies of lonafarnib treatment in HDV-infected patients, achieving endpoints which reflect an improvement in liver condition and virologic response rarely observed in untreated HDV patients. Lonafarnib is a first-in-class prenylation inhibitor for the treatment of Hepatitis Delta Virus, or HDV, infection. The PRIME designation is awarded by the EMA to promising medicines that target an unmet medical need.

08:04 EDT I.D. Systems to provide logistics visibility solutions to three customers - I.D. Systems announces it has recently reached agreements to provide extended Logistics Visibility Solutions to three fleets - two of which are existing customers recommitting to I.D. Systems. These customer commitments follow the recent announcement of I.D. Systems Connected Car solutions group receiving the largest single contract in the company's history from Avis Budget Group for a broad deployment of its Wireless Fleet Management System.

08:02 EDT Tech Data expands partnership with Aruba in Brazilian market - Tech Data (TECD) announced an expanded channel partnership with Aruba, a Hewlett Packard Enterprise (HPE) company, to deliver next-generation enterprise networking solutions to the Brazilian market. Already available through Tech Data in the U.S. and select countries in Europe and Asia Pacific, Tech Data will now offer Aruba's wide array of network access options in Brazil. Under this agreement, Tech Data will sell and support Aruba's entire portfolio of network access solutions including controller-based WLAN, cloud-managed Wi-Fi, security and location services in Brazil. Tech Data will also offer its Aruba channel partner affiliates a broad set of sales and technical support opportunities for business generation, financial services and training resources.

07:34 EDT Evogene, TMG announce collaboration to develop nematode resistant soybean - Evogene and Tropical Melhoramento & Genetica, or TMG, announced a collaboration for the development of non-GMO nematode resistant soybean utilizing genome editing technologies on TMG's commercial soybean lines. Pursuant to the collaboration, Evogene will utilize its CPB platform to identify the required genome edits to attribute nematode resistance in soybean and will perform such edits on TMG's proprietary commercial soybean germplasm. TMG will validate the efficacy of the edited soybeans in greenhouse assays and in field trials in Brazil and will incorporate the edited genes in TMG breeding pipeline. TMG is one of the largest soybean breeding companies in Brazil, with its proprietary germplasm planted across 4M hectares throughout South America. The agreement provides commercialization rights for the resulting products by both parties, subject to royalty payments made by each to the other party on its product sales. In addition, Evogene will receive an undisclosed down-payment and will be entitled to a development milestone payment.

07:32 EDT Intrexon and AquaBounty Technologies develop gene edited line of tilapia - Intrexon (XON) and AquaBounty Technologies (AQB) announced that their jointly developed gene edited line of tilapia, FLT 01, is exempt from GM regulation according to Argentina's National Advisory Commission on Agricultural Biotechnology, or CONABIA. This line of tilapia enables more sustainable production through improvements in fillet yield, growth and feed conversion efficiency, enabling the tilapia to grow to market weight in less time, while also consuming less feed than conventional varieties.

07:30 EDT Rent A Center trading resumes

07:26 EDT Colony Bankcorp to acquire LBC Bancshares for stock, cash valued at $34.1M - Colony Bankcorp announced the signing of an agreement and plan of merger with LBC Bancshares, under which Colony has agreed to acquire 100% of the common stock of LBC in a combined stock-and-cash transaction valued at approximately $34.1M. LBC, headquartered in LaGrange, Georgia, is the parent company for Calumet Bank, which has two branches, as well as a loan production office in Atlanta. As of September 30, LBC had approximately $228M in assets, $130M in loans, $204M in deposits and $19M in tangible common equity. Upon completion of the transaction, Colony is expected to have approximately $1.4B in assets, $930M in loans and $1.2B in deposits. The transaction is expected to be immediately accretive to Colony's fully diluted earnings per share, excluding transaction costs. Under the terms of the agreement and plan of merger, each LBC shareholder will have the option to receive either $23.50 in cash or 1.3239 shares of Colony's common stock in exchange for each share of LBC common stock, subject to customary proration and allocation procedures, such that 55% of LBC shares will receive the stock consideration and 45% will receive the cash consideration and at least 50% of the merger consideration will be paid in company stock. The aggregate consideration is valued at approximately $34.1M, based on 1,447,554 LBC common shares outstanding, 101,842 LBC in-the money options, 32,806 LBC in-the-money warrants and Colony's stock price of $16.10 per share as of December 17. The agreement and plan of merger has been approved by the boards of Colony and LBC. The closing of the transaction, which is expected to occur in the first half of 2019, is subject to customary conditions, including regulatory approval and approval by the shareholders of LBC.

07:13 EDT Mechel to acquire approximately 150 railcars for RUB467M - Mechel reports it is acquiring approximately 150 railcars in November-December for a total of RUB467M as part of the transport fleet upgrade program. Most gondola railcars were produced by Altaivagon OJSC and RM Rail Ruzhimmash and both bought to own and leased. Currently Mechel's transport operator Mecheltrans OOO manages approximately 11,000 train vehicle units. In 2019 the company plans to acquire some 1,000 new gondola cars.

07:06 EDT Resonant signs license agreement with Chinese optoelectronics company - Resonant has signed a license agreement for a high performance quadplexer design with a new customer entering the RF front-end market.

07:05 EDT Rowan Companies awarded contract by CGX Resources - Rowan Companies announced that the Ralph Coffman, a 240-C Class harsh environment jack-up rig, has been awarded a one-well contract from CGX Resources in Guyana for an estimated duration of 60 days. The contract is expected to commence in the Q2 of FY19. The Ralph Coffman is currently under contract with GulfSlope Energy in the U.S. Gulf of Mexico through its current well, which is estimated to conclude mid-January 2019.

07:03 EDT Darden reports Q2 Olive Garden same-restaurant sales up 3.5%

07:01 EDT McDermott awarded two sizeable technology contracts by IOCL - McDermott International announced that it has been awarded two sizeable technology contracts by Indian Oil Corporation, or IOCL, for the license and basic engineering design of a 200 KTA polypropylene plant in Barauni, India, as well as a 420 KTA polypropylene plant in Gujarat, India. Indian Oil Corporation is the leading refiner and a major petrochemical player in India. Both plants will use Lummus' proprietary NOVOLEN process reactors and proprietary NHP catalyst to produce a wide range of leading polypropylene products for the Indian and regional markets.These awards were reflected in McDermott's Q3 backlog.

06:55 EDT Rent A Center trading halted, news pending

06:51 EDT Eli Lilly announces subgroup data from MONARCH 2, MONARCH 3 trials published - Eli Lilly announced "npj Breast Cancer" published results from exploratory subgroup analyses of the MONARCH 2 and MONARCH 3 trials reinforcing the clinical benefit of Verzenio plus endocrine therapy in the treatment of women with hormone receptor-positive, or HR+, human epidermal growth factor receptor 2-negative, or HER2-, advanced or metastatic breast cancer. The analyses demonstrate that while the benefit of the addition of Verzenio was seen across all patient subgroups, consistent with the individual study intent-to-treat, or ITT, populations, the largest effects were observed in patients with certain disease characteristics identified as signaling a less favorable prognosis. These exploratory post-hoc analyses pooled data from over 1,000 patients and employed a two-step approach: first, the identification of independent prognostic variables derived from the entire population regardless of treatment assignment, and second, the description of the treatment effect of endocrine monotherapy compared to endocrine therapy plus Verzenio in each of the identified prognostic subgroups within the respective studies. Across both studies, certain prognostic factors included cancer that had spread to the liver, cancer that was not confined to the bone, cancer cells that were dividing more quickly and cancer cells that did not express progesterone receptors, or PRs, and therefore were less likely to respond to hormonal therapy. The exploratory analyses concluded that while the benefit of the addition of Verzenio was seen across all patient subgroups, consistent with the individual study ITT populations, patients with poor prognostic factors received the largest benefit from the addition of Verzenio to endocrine therapy. In particular, patients with cancer that spread to the liver, PR-negative tumors, or cancer cells that divided more quickly consistently received a substantial benefit with Verzenio, with a greater than 30% difference in response rates. Additionally, in MONARCH 3, the exploratory subpopulation treatment effect pattern plot, or STEPP, analysis of treatment-free interval, or how quickly the cancer returned after the completion of adjuvant endocrine therapy, showed those whose cancer returned quickly after the conclusion of adjuvant endocrine therapy derived larger benefit from the addition of Verzenio compared to endocrine therapy alone.

06:32 EDT Chesapeake Utilities subsidiary acquires propane operating assets in PA - Chesapeake Utilities announced that its propane subsidiary, Sharp Energy, has purchased the propane operating assets of R.F. Ohl Fuel Oil Inc. based in Lehighton, Pennsylvania. R.F. Ohl, a family-owned and operated company founded in 1984, has been providing propane service to more than 2,500 residential and commercial customers in Carbon, Monroe, Northampton, Lehigh, and Schuylkill counties in Pennsylvania since 2003. Sharp Energy started providing propane service to the Pennsylvania community that same year and now serves more than 6,000 customers throughout the state. R.F. Ohl will retain ownership of its fuel products and HVAC services businesses.

06:32 EDT Epizyme earns $8M milestone payment from GlaxoSmithKline - Epizyme (EPZM) announced it has earned an $8M milestone payment from GlaxoSmithKline (GSK). The milestone payment follows GSK's initiation of patient dosing in a Phase 1 clinical trial of GSK3368715, a first-in-class protein arginine methyltransferase inhibitor discovered by Epizyme and licensed to GSK. PRMT1 has been implicated in a number of human cancers. Under the terms of its collaboration and license agreement with GSK, Epizyme granted GSK exclusive worldwide license rights to methyltransferase inhibitors directed to three targets. Using its proprietary drug discovery platform, Epizyme discovered and optimized compounds targeting three methyltransferases. During the research term of the collaboration, which has been completed, Epizyme was primarily responsible for preclinical research on such compounds. GSK is responsible for subsequent research, development and commercialization of each program. Epizyme has earned an aggregate of $89M in up-front, research and milestone payments to date, and may receive up to an additional $375M from GSK if all remaining milestones are met. Epizyme is eligible to receive up to double-digit royalties on worldwide net sales of collaboration products.

06:08 EDT Radware announces deal with financial information technology provider - Radware announced a multi-million dollar deal with a global financial information technology provider based in North America. The deal is a complete ADC and Attack mitigation as a subscription deal and includes both software and hardware components. This transaction will practically double Radware's Annual Recurring Revenue from this customer. It includes Radware's new Global Elastic License subscription in combination with Radware Attack Mitigation, and Application Delivery Appliances.

06:03 EDT Luxfer to acquire Neo Performance Materials for $612M in cash and stock - Luxfer Holdings and Neo Performance Materials announced the signing of a definitive agreement under which Luxfer would acquire Neo Performance Materials for $612M in cash and stock. The transaction accelerates Luxfer's strategy to become a leading global manufacturer of highly-engineered advanced materials for high end applications. Completion of the transaction, which was unanimously approved by each company's Board of Directors, is subject to shareholder approval for each company and customary regulatory clearances and closing conditions. The transaction will be effected via a Plan of Arrangement pursuant to section 182 of Business Corporation Act. Upon completion of the transaction, shareholders of Neo Performance Materials will receive$5.98 in cash and 0.395 Luxfer shares for each common share of Neo Performance Materials. Post transaction, current Luxfer shareholders will own approximately 63% of the combined company on a pro forma basis. Luxfer has arranged $375M in committed financing in a syndicated term loan B to fund the cash portion of the purchase price, fees and expenses, and refinance existing debt. The transaction is expected to realize at least $15M of cost synergies, largely from the elimination of duplicative public company costs and sourcing benefits from vertical integration of rare earths. In addition, integration of Luxfer's zirconium chemicals business with Neo's Chemicals and Oxides unit is expected to lead to growth synergies. The two largest shareholders of Neo, which are affiliates of Oaktree Capital Management, L.P., have entered into a voting and support agreement for the transaction, which includes an agreement to sign a lock-up for the newly issued Luxfer shares upon closing. Members of the Boards of Directors of Luxfer and Neo have also entered into voting support agreements for the transaction. At close of the transaction, Oaktree will own approximately 24% of Luxfer ordinary shares outstanding. Upon closing, it is anticipated that some members of the current Neo Board of Directors will join Luxfer's Board. The transaction is expected to be completed during the second quarter of 2019, following regulatory clearances, shareholder approvals and satisfaction of closing conditions.

06:02 EDT Tutor Perini subsidiary awarded $104M contract by Royal Saudi Air Force - Tutor Perini announced that its subsidiary, Perini Management Services, has been awarded a design-build contract valued at approximately $104M by the U.S. Air Force to design and construct facilities in support of the Royal Saudi Air Force, or RSAF, through a Foreign Military Sales program. The project was competitively bid through an Air Force Civil Engineer Center multiple award task order contract and is funded by the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. The contract value will be included in the Company's reported Q4 backlog. Construction is expected to begin in the spring of 2019 with completion by mid-2021. Architect-Engineering services for both projects are provided by Tetra Tech, of Pasadena, California.

05:53 EDT Italy's UniCredit settles dispute with Caius - On August 6, UniCredit SpA announced that it had "filed a complaint against Caius Capital and the Caius funds in the Court of Milan seeking compensation of damages in the amount of approximately 90 million Euro stemming from Caius Capital's and the funds' actions against the Bank over the course of the last months with respect to the CASHES. UniCredit and Caius Capital LLP hereby jointly announce that they have fully and finally settled their dispute in relation to the CASHES, and accordingly that UniCredit's complaint against Caius and the funds it manages has been withdrawn. While the terms of such settlement are confidential, it has been agreed as part of the settlement that, without any admission of liability or wrongdoing, Caius will make the following statement to market participants in order to bring the concerns Caius raised with respect to the CASHES to a close. Caius acknowledges UniCredit's position that it has at all times acted properly in relation to the classification of its capital securities based on the approvals and guidance provided to UniCredit by its competent authorities. Caius intends to take no further public, legal or regulatory action in respect of UniCredit or its securities. Caius further undertakes to refrain generally from further discussion or public statements in relation to UniCredit or its securities.

05:45 EDT Achieve Life Sciences: FDA confirms agreement with Initial Pediatric Study Plan - Achieve Life Sciences provided a clinical development update. The FDA has confirmed that they are in agreement with Achieve's Initial Pediatric Study Plan, specifically, providing a full waiver for evaluating cytisinicline in a pediatric population. The reasons for the full waiver were based on the low numbers of children smoking under the age of 12 and the logistical difficulties of recruiting treatment-seeking smokers in the adolescent age group. The agreed Pediatric Study Plan will be included as part of Achieve's future application for marketing approval of cytisinicline. The company recently announced initiation of the first clinical study in the ORCA Program. ORCA-1 is a Phase 2b optimization trial that is currently enrolling 250 smokers at eight trial locations throughout the United States. The trial is evaluating various dosing schedules of cytisinicline and will determine efficacy based on the overall reduction in the number of cigarettes smoked during the various study treatment doses and schedules. It will also compare smoking cessation rates, compliance, and safety profiles, compared to the respective placebo groups. ORCA-1 data results are expected in mid-2019.

05:38 EDT Magna acquires VIZA Geca, terms not disclosed - Magna signed an agreement to acquire VIZA Geca SL of Spain, which operates four production facilities and had sales of EUR 125M in 2017. The acquisition is expected to close by the end of 1Q19, pending regulatory approval. Once the deal is approved, Magna will add VIZA's two facilities in Europe, as well as one in each of Morocco and Mexico, and will welcome over 1,100 employees.

05:30 EDT Nasdaq raises offer for proposed acquisition of Cinnober to SEK 87 per share - On September 14, Nasdaq Technology AB, a wholly-owned indirect subsidiary of Nasdaq, announced a recommended public cash offer to the shareholders and warrant holders in Cinnober Financial Technology Aktiebolag to acquire all shares and warrants in Cinnober for SEK 75 for each share and SEK 85 for each warrant. The initial acceptance period for the Offer expired on December 14. Nasdaq Technology now increases the consideration in the Offer to SEK 87 in cash for each share and SEK 121 in cash for each warrant in Cinnober, waives the condition regarding regulatory, governmental or similar clearances and extends the acceptance period until 9 January 2019. Shareholders representing 82.6% in aggregate of the shares and votes in Cinnober1, have either accepted the Offer or unconditionally undertaken to accept the Revised Offer. Shareholders who have already tendered their shares at SEK 75 in cash for each share and warrants at SEK 85 in cash for each warrant in Cinnober will automatically benefit from the increased consideration of SEK 87 in cash for each share and SEK 121 in cash for each warrant in Cinnober in the Revised Offer without any further action. Nasdaq Technology extends the acceptance period to 17.00 CET on January 9 in order to give the shareholders in Cinnober that have not yet tendered their shares time to consider and accept the Revised Offer.

05:18 EDT T-Mobile, Sprint receives approval from CFIUS, Team Telecom - T-Mobile (TMUS) and Sprint (S) announced that the companies have successfully received approval from the Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States, or CFIUS, for their proposed merger transaction. Additionally, the U.S. Department of Justice, Department of Homeland Security, and Department of Defense, collectively referred to as Team Telecom, submitted a filing with the FCC that it has reviewed the transaction pertaining to potential national security, law enforcement, and public safety issues. Team Telecom confirmed it has no objections to the merger and has withdrawn its request to defer action on the transaction. The completion of the combination remains subject to regulatory approvals and certain other customary closing conditions, and is expected to occur during the first half of 2019.