Stockwinners Market Radar for December 25, 2018 - Earnings, Upgrades downgrades, option trades, Best Stock Advisory Service

13:09 EDT Civista Bancshares announces retirement of General Counsel James McGookey - Civista Bancshares announced that SVP, General Counsel and Corporate Secretary James E. McGookey will retire on December 31. "Jim's insight and guidance the past 16 years has been instrumental in Civista's continued growth," said Dennis G. Shaffer, President and CEO of Civista Bancshares, Inc. "In preparation for Jim's retirement, Lance A. Morrison joined Civista as Senior Vice President this fall and will assume the position of General Counsel for both Civista and Civista Bank upon Jim's retirement."

12:31 EDT Dell Technologies Class V shares lower following shareholder elections - Noting that Dell Technologies Class V (DVMT) holders elected on Friday the form of consideration they would receive in connection with Dell's offer for the tracker of the shares of VMware (VMW), WallachBeth event-driven strategist Brett Buckley said the stock should be trading just below $80 per share following the election, according to Bloomberg. On December 11, Dell Technologies announced that it has received stockholder approval for the previously announced Class V transaction based on a preliminary vote tally from the special meeting of stockholders held earlier that day. The closing is expected to occur on December 28, 2018, subject to satisfaction of closing conditions, and Dell Technologies Class C (DELL) shares are expected to begin trading on the New York Stock Exchange on the same day. Dell will likely trade to about $43 per share when it starts trading based on each DVMT share receiving 1.806 Dell shares, Buckley estimates, according to Bloomberg. With about a half hour left until the early close of the trading day, Dell Technologies Class V shares are trading at about $77.10.

12:00 EDT VelocityShares 3x Long Natural Gas ETN falls -12.5% - VelocityShares 3x Long Natural Gas ETN is down -12.5%, or -$10.16 to $71.42.

12:00 EDT VelocityShares 3x Inv Natural Gas ETN rises 10.2% - VelocityShares 3x Inv Natural Gas ETN is up 10.2%, or $7.58 to $81.57.

12:00 EDT Aphria rises 13.6% - Aphria is up 13.6%, or 66c to $5.51.

11:31 EDT David Tepper says stock drop presents buying opportunity - In an interview with CNBC, hedge fund manager David Tepper, who runs Appaloosa Management, said the sharp selloff in the market presented a chance "to nibble at some stocks." Reference Link

10:56 EDT Overseas Shipholding closes on five-year $325M credit facility - Overseas Shipholding Group announced that it closed on a five-year $325M term loan credit facility with The Prudential Insurance Company of America and other syndicate lenders.In connection with this refinancing transaction, OSG also amended its $75M secured asset-based revolving loan facility with Wells Fargo Bank by reducing the maximum credit line available and extending the term through August 2, 2019. The amendment also reduced the number of vessels serving as collateral for the OBS ABL Facility.

09:50 EDT FRONTEO Inc (ADS) trading resumes

09:38 EDT Lupin, AbbVie partner to develop, commercialize novel oncology drug - Lupin Limited and AbbVie announced that AbbVie has licensed Lupin's MALT1 inhibitor program. Through this partnership, AbbVie gains exclusive global rights to develop and commercialize Lupin's MALT1 inhibitors. MALT-1 is a protein involved in T-cell and B-cell lymphocyte activation and AbbVie intends to pursue development across a range of hematological cancers, many with limited current treatment options. Under the terms of the agreement, AbbVie will pay Lupin an upfront payment of $30M for an exclusive license to the program. Upon successful completion of regulatory, development and commercial milestones, Lupin is eligible to receive total milestone payments of up to $947M. Additionally, Lupin will be entitled to receive a double-digit royalty on the sales of the product and will retain commercial rights to the program in India.

09:15 EDT Luby's sends letters to holders, says company 'aggressively executing' on plan - Luby's announced that it has mailed a letter to shareholders in connection with the company's upcoming Annual Meeting of Shareholders to be held on January 25, 2019. Highlights of the letter include: Change is already underway at Luby's and the Board is fully focused on improving the company's performance and stock price. Luby's Board and management team are in the midst of executing an aggressive plan to improve our financial results and operating performance - against the backdrop of strong industry headwinds and a highly competitive restaurant environment that has challenged many mature restaurant brands, including ours. This turnaround strategy includes evaluating multiple ways to lower costs and improve operations, steps to significantly reduce debt, and the addition of new voices and perspectives at both the senior management and Board level. We are continuously taking a hard look at our portfolio of restaurant locations and have taken decisive action to improve profitability. We announced an asset sales program of $25 million in April 2018 and expanded this program up to $45 million in July 2018, with the goal of strengthening our balance sheet and decreasing our debt. 10 company-owned property locations were sold in fiscal 2018, generating $14.8 million in net cash proceeds. 21 underperforming company-owned restaurants were closed in fiscal 2018 and nine were closed in fiscal 2017. In recognition of the fact that Luby's business needs to improve, CEO Chris Pappas reduced his annual salary to only $1, and committed to keeping it at that amount until the company's turnaround efforts bear fruit for Luby's shareholders. The Luby's and Fuddruckers brands are highly regarded in the marketplace, and we believe these brands can thrive and grow over time. In order to meet the customers where they are, we continued re-directing funds from a traditional media strategy which allows us to connect and engage directly with our guests in a more personal and relevant manner. We also made further improvements to our mobile ordering capabilities at Fuddruckers and geared up for launching similar capabilities for our Luby's cafeteria guests... CEO and Director Chris Pappas and Director Harris Pappas have the strongest possible incentive to create shareholder value. They beneficially own together approximately 36.8% of the company's stock - meaning they have more skin in the game than anyone, and more than three and a half times as much at stake as Bandera and its nominees - none of whom have meaningfully acquired any company shares other than what Jeff Gramm holds through his fund. The best path to unlocking the value of Luby's assets is to execute against the Board's turnaround plan, improve results and enhance the stock price. In spite of what Bandera might believe, the value of Luby's is more than just its owned real estate - the company's restaurant operations and brands have significant value as well... Luby's Board and management team have shown in the past the ability to execute against a strategic plan, manage through industry headwinds and deliver improved results. We are always open to all strategic options to maximize shareholder value, but believe that taking a short-term view would not be in the best long-term interest of shareholders. Bandera's pattern of confusing and concerning behavior throughout its engagement with Luby's calls into question whether Bandera principal Jeff Gramm - or anyone nominated by him - is suited to sit on any public company board."

09:03 EDT Link Motion announces NYSE has suspended trading in ADSs - Link Motion announced that it has been notified by the New York Stock Exchange that the staff of NYSE Regulation has determined to commence proceedings to delist the American Depositary Shares of Link Motion from the NYSE. Each ADSs represents five Class A common shares of the Company. Trading in the Company's ADSs on the NYSE was suspended on December 20, 2018. NYSE Regulation has determined that the Company is no longer suitable for listing based on "abnormally low" price levels, pursuant to Section 802.01D of the Listed Company Manual. The NYSE also notified the Company that the NYSE will apply to the SEC to delist the ADSs upon completion of all applicable procedures, including any appeal by the Company of the NYSE Regulation staff's decision. The Company has a right to request a review of this determination by a Committee of the Board of Directors of NYSE Regulation. Link Motion is considering this and other alternatives open to the Company to act in the interests of the holders of ADSs and will announce promptly any measures that its board of directors determines are appropriate.

08:35 EDT InterDigital extends Sony joint venture, enters patent license agreement - InterDigital (IDCC) announced the expansion and extension of the business partnerships that exist between the company and Sony Corporation of America, a subsidiary of Sony (SNE). The company also announced that this agreement includes a patent license from InterDigital. The companies agreed to extend the term of the Convida Wireless joint venture, launched in 2013, and sharpen its focus on 5G, including IoT and infrastructure research. The move aligns with market excitement around the finalization of the first release of the 5G standard in 2018 and various announced product and service launches since. The new agreement also sees Sony invest in Chordant, InterDigital's IoT platform business. Convida Wireless was launched in 2013 as a joint venture to combine Sony's consumer electronics expertise with InterDigital's IoT expertise to drive new research in IoT communications and other connectivity areas. The companies expanded Convida's scope to include 5G in 2015.

08:17 EDT Varian says U.S. tariff exclusion request granted for Halcyon system - Varian announced it received notification from the United States Trade Representative that its exclusion request for Halcyon radiotherapy systems for cancer treatments, which are manufactured in China and subject to Section 301 tariffs, was granted. Until further notice, the China tariffs on U.S. imports announced on August 23, 2018, remain in place. Additionally, Varian's exclusion applications from U.S. Tariffs, for components sourced from China for linear accelerators manufactured in the U.S., are still pending with the USTR. The U.S. tariff exception granted for Halcyon will have a less than $1M impact on financial results for the 2019 fiscal year.

08:12 EDT Star Group announces passing of CEO Steven Goldman, Dan Donovan named interim - Star Group announced that Steven Goldman, Star's president and CEO, died suddenly on December 22. The board of directors announced that Dan Donovan, Star's prior president and CEO until September 30, 2013 and a current member of Star's board, will lead the company on an interim basis through the end of the current heating season, while the board considers organizational and personnel decisions that will best position Star Group for the years ahead. Goldman had been president and CEO of Star Group and a member of its board since October 2013.

08:05 EDT Independence Contract Drilling board consents to acquisition of shares - Independence Contract Drilling reported that its Board of Directors has consented to the acquisition by MSD Credit Opportunity Master Fund, MSD Credit Opportunity Fund X and MSD Energy Investments of up to an additional 2.5M shares of the Company's common stock from third parties in the open market or through privately-negotiated transactions. Any such acquisitions are subject to compliance with all applicable securities laws and customary Company black-out periods and are required to be completed by June 30, 2019. Such consent may also be terminated or suspended earlier at any time by the Company. The Board's consent was provided pursuant to the terms and conditions of the Amended and Restated Stockholders' Agreement, dated October 1, 2018, among the Company, the MSD Parties and certain other stockholders party thereto, which limits, among other activities, acquisitions by the MSD Parties of additional shares of the Company's common stock without the consent of the Board of Directors. Such additional 2.5 million shares represent approximately 3.3 percent of the Company's currently issued and outstanding common stock. Accordingly, based on the MSD Parties' current combined current ownership of approximately 31 percent of the Company's outstanding shares of common stock, such combined ownership could increase up to approximately 34 percent. The Company cannot predict when, or if, the MSD Parties would acquire such shares in permitted transactions.

08:02 EDT SiriusXM files definitive proxy statement in connection with Pandora merger - Sirius XM Holdings (SIRI) announced that a definitive proxy statement/prospectus has been filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission in connection with SiriusXM's pending merger with Pandora Media (P). Pandora's special meeting of stockholders to vote on the transaction is scheduled to be held on January 29, 2019. Stockholders of record as of the close of business on November 30, 2018 will be entitled to vote at the special meeting in person or by proxy. No vote of Sirius XM stockholders is required in connection with the merger. The transaction has been unanimously approved by both the board of directors of SiriusXM and the independent directors of Pandora. The Pandora board of directors recommends that the Pandora stockholders vote "FOR" the merger agreement and "FOR" each of the other proposals described in the proxy statement/prospectus. As previously announced, on September 23, 2018, SiriusXM and Pandora entered into an agreement and plan of merger and reorganization, pursuant to which SiriusXM will acquire Pandora and, at the closing of the acquisition, each holder of Pandora common stock will be entitled to receive 1.44 shares of SiriusXM common stock for each share of Pandora common stock issued and outstanding immediately prior to the closing. Upon closing of the transaction, SiriusXM will acquire all of the outstanding shares of Pandora common stock. SiriusXM and Pandora continue to expect that the transaction will close in early 2019, subject to approval by Pandora stockholders and the satisfaction of other customary closing conditions.

08:01 EDT Mindbody agrees to be acquired by Vista Equity for $36.50 per share

07:55 EDT MindBody trading halted, news pending

07:32 EDT Micronet receives $1.4M in orders for TREQ-317 hardware platform - MICT announced that its Mobile Resource Management subsidiary, Micronet has received 3 purchase orders for the supply and delivery of its 4th generation TREQ-317 hardware platform, from a current customer, a leading U.S. telematics service provider, in the total amount of $1,400,000. The TREQ-317 hardware platform is a rugged Android based fix-mount on board computer, offering advanced functionality at a competitive price. Installed in the driver's cabin the TREQ-317 hardware platform enables, inter alia, monitoring and management of vehicle fleets including Android based advanced computing assignments such as follow-up of tasks, two-way communication with the fleet manager, remote vehicle and engineering equipment diagnostics, monitoring behavior and drivers hours of services.

07:02 EDT Rowan Companies announces contracts for the Ralph Coffman, Joe Douglas - Rowan Companies (RDC) announced that the Ralph Coffman, a 240-C Class harsh environment jack-up rig, has been awarded a 180-day contract in Trinidad. The contract is expected to commence in April of 2019. The previously announced contract with CGX Resources in Guyana will follow in direct continuation of this program. 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 in mid-January 2019. Additionally, BP (BP) in Trinidad has exercised a two-well option with the Joe Douglas, a 240-C Class harsh environment jack-up rig, immediately following the current well. These exercised option wells are expected to last until approximately May 2019. The Joe Douglas has also received one more two-well option.

06:53 EDT Navios Maritime holders approve 1:10 reverse stock split - Navios Maritime announced that the previously disclosed one-for-ten reverse split of its common stock was approved by company's stockholders at its annual regular meeting held December 21. The reverse stock split will be effected immediately before any trading commences prior to market open on January 3, 2019. The common stock will begin trading on January 3, 2019 on a split-adjusted basis on the New York Stock Exchange, under the same ticker symbol, NM. Based on approximately 124.7 million shares of common stock issued and outstanding as of the record date, following the reverse split the company will have approximately 12.5 million shares of common stock issued and outstanding.