Stockwinners Market Radar for January 02, 2019 - Earnings, Upgrades downgrades, option trades, Best Stock Advisory Service

20:32 EDT Amgen, Teva resolve patent dispute over generic Cinacalet HCl product - Teva Pharmaceutical Industries (TEVA) announced that it has resolved its ongoing dispute with Amgen (AMGN) over Teva's generic cinacalcet HCl product. Teva and Amgen have been involved in patent infringement litigation, and Teva recently received approval for, and launched its generic product in the US. By virtue of the settlement, the litigation between the parties will be ended and Teva has agreed to stop selling its generic product until its license date in mid-year 2021, or earlier under certain circumstances. Teva will pay Amgen an undisclosed amount as part of the settlement. That amount and other terms of the settlement remain confidential. Cinacalcet is a calcium-sensing receptor agonist indicated for secondary hyperparathyroidism in adult patients with chronic kidney disease on dialysis. It is also used for the treatment of hypercalcemia in adult patients with parathyroid carcinoma and severe hypercalcemia in adult patients with primary HPT who are unable to undergo parathyroidectomy.

20:22 EDT Kayne Anderson MLP reports net assets of $1.8B as of Dec. 31st - As of December 31, 2018, the company's net assets were $1.8 billion, and its net asset value per share was $14.27. As of December 31, 2018, the company's asset coverage ratio under the 1940 Act with respect to senior securities representing indebtedness was 371% and the company's asset coverage ratio under the 1940 Act with respect to total leverage was 264%.

19:02 EDT Raytheon awarded GBP250M contract with U.K. Defense Ministry - Raytheon UK signed a GBP 250 million contract with the Ministry of Defence to provide 11 years of support and sustainment services to the Royal Air Force's Shadow aircraft fleet. The contract supports Shadow aircraft maintenance, airworthiness management, design organisation and supply chain support. When work begins in April 2019, 200 full-time jobs will be secured at Raytheon's intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance hub in North Wales, with an additional 250 sustained within the UK supply chain.

18:44 EDT S&P500 e-mini futures down over 10 points below 2,480 after Apple guidance cut

17:48 EDT iPhone suppliers fall in after-hours trading after Apple sees China weakness - Component makers for Apple's (AAPL) iPhones including Skyworks (SWKS), Lumentum (LITE), Qorvo (QRVO), Broadcom (AVGO), Qualcomm (QCOM), Cirrus Logic (CRUS), Universal Display (OLED) are all lower in after hours trading after Apple lowered its forecast.

17:43 EDT Universal Electronics to collaborate with Microsoft on Smart Home hub - Universal Electronics (UEIC) announced a collaboration with Microsoft (MSFT) to launch a new digital assistant platform for the home built on the Microsoft Azure cloud platform using AI and IoT services. In order to empower brands to deliver these experiences quickly, efficiently, and directly to consumers, Universal Electronics and Microsoft have collaborated to offer a white-label smart home hub platform, Nevo Butler, with an integrated digital assistant, as well as a range of turnkey kits addressing home safety and security, energy management, and entertainment control, in residential or hospitality domains. Nevo Butler is an end-to-end voice-enabled smart home hub with nevo.ai integrated and built on the Microsoft Azure cloud platform leveraging Azure IoT and AI services, including Microsoft's virtual assistant solution with Azure Bot Service and Azure Cognitive Services. Nevo.ai is a white-label digital assistant that promises to unify the entertainment control and home automation experiences, enabling interoperability across fragmented ecosystems. Built-in entertainment control capabilities and smart home hub features powered by QuickSet Cloud make this device one of the most versatile assistants for the home, capable of addressing a wide range of devices and use cases from enabling voice on existing devices, to innovative new services in the smart home.

17:33 EDT Cushman & Wakefield completes acquisition of QSI facilities - Cushman & Wakefield announced the completion of its acquisition of Quality Solutions. This acquisition will expand Cushman & Wakefield's facilities management capabilities and coverage across North American markets by leveraging QSI's strong supply chain of 50,000+ qualified suppliers and 75+ facilities trades. "It's an exciting time to be a part of the growing momentum of Cushman & Wakefield. This acquisition significantly strengthens our ability to deliver 24/7 on-demand, scheduled or emergency facility services and project management across North America," said Cushman & Wakefield's Steven Quick, Chief Executive, Global Occupier Services. "We welcome our new team and look forward to integrating our best-in-class platform and newly expanded supply chain to better serve owner and occupier clients." QSI is one of the nation's top facilities management firms that specializes in on-demand facility maintenance and project management services through a national network of subcontractors. As part of Cushman & Wakefield's Global Occupier Services business, QSI will gain access to a broader and deeper platform and increased scale across the nation. "We are excited to continue providing leading services to clients as part of Cushman & Wakefield," said QSI's CEO Eric Crabb, who will continue to lead operations within Cushman & Wakefield's Facilities Management business. "Our combined growth and aligned focus on putting clients first will result in new opportunities for all involved in the acquisition."

17:18 EDT Tribune TV stations no longer available to Spectrum subscribers - Tribune Broadcasting television stations in 24 markets across the United States are no longer available to Spectrum subscribers via the company's cable systems. The contract between Tribune Broadcasting and Spectrum expired on January 2. Approximately 6M viewers have lost access to the local news, traffic, weather, sports and entertainment programming provided by the company's 33 television stations via Spectrum. In addition to local news, such programming as the National Football League playoffs and NCAA basketball will be lost. At the same time, more than 14M subscribers nationwide have also lost access to WGN America, Tribune's basic cable entertainment network. "We're extremely disappointed that we do not have an agreement on the renewal of our contract with Spectrum," said Gary Weitman, Tribune Media's senior VP for corporate relations. "The NFL playoffs are in jeopardy-beginning this weekend with critical games in some key markets like Indianapolis and Seattle. We don't want Spectrum subscribers to miss these games."

17:02 EDT Beacon Roofing promotes C. Eric Swank to COO, effective immediately - Beacon Roofing Supply (BECN) announced that it has promoted Chief Commercial Officer C. Eric Swank to COO, effective immediately. As COO, Swank will lead Beacon's $6B roofing and exterior products business, in addition to having company-wide responsibility for sales, marketing and supply chain. Prior to joining Beacon, Swank spent thirteen years with Cintas (CTAS) in various operational roles of increasing responsibility.

16:58 EDT Red Robin names Lynn Schweinfurth as new CFO and EVP - Red Robin Gourmet Burgers (RRGB) announced the appointment of Lynn Schweinfurth as executive vice president and chief financial officer, effective January 28, 2019. As the company previously announced, Guy Constant, Red Robin's current executive vice president and chief financial officer, will move to lead Company and Franchise operations, development and facilities as executive vice president and chief operating officer. Ms. Schweinfurth will be responsible for leading all financial disciplines at Red Robin including accounting, strategic and financial planning, operations analysis, treasury and investor relations, as well as overseeing the Company's supply chain function. Ms. Schweinfurth brings to Red Robin more than 25 years of leadership experience in corporate finance, with over two decades of experience in the restaurant industry. Prior to joining the company, Ms. Schweinfurth served as senior vice president, chief financial officer and treasurer of Fiesta Restaurant Group (FRGI) where she has been since 2012.

16:53 EDT Nasdaq ETF QQQ falls in after-hours after Apple cuts revenue view - Shares QQQ Trust are down along with other market ETFs after Apple lowered its Q1 revenue outlook to approximately $84B. Shares of the QQQ are down 1.73% or $2.68 per share to $152.20 in after-hours on Wednesday.

16:50 EDT Ballard Power expands board to nine from seven - Ballard Power announced that the company has appointed Jiang Kui and Sun Shaojun to the company's board of directors. These appointments, and expansion of Ballard's board of directors from seven members to nine members, are consistent with the terms of Ballard's strategic collaboration with Weichai Power. Jiang is currently a non-executive director of Weichai. Sun is currently executive director and executive president of Weichai.

16:48 EDT Loxo Oncology names Jacob Van Naarden as COO, effective immediately - On January 2, the Board of Directors of Loxo Oncology promoted Nisha Nanda to the position of Chief Development Officer and changed Jacob Van Naarden's title to COO, effective immediately. Dr. Nanda has also been appointed as a Section 16 officer of Loxo Oncology. Prior to joining Loxo Oncology, Dr. Nanda was Senior Director of Clinical Science at Onyx Pharmaceuticals. Prior to joining Loxo Oncology, Van Naarden was an analyst at HealthCor Management from June 2013 to May 2014.

16:46 EDT Fiesta Restaurant announces resignation of CFO Lynn Schweinfurth - Fiesta Restaurant Group announced that Lynn Schweinfurth, Chief Financial Officer, Senior Vice President, and Treasurer, has resigned effective January 25, 2019 to pursue another career opportunity. Cheri Kinder, Vice President, Corporate Controller and Chief Accounting Officer, will assume the position of Interim Chief Financial Officer and Treasurer upon the effective date of Ms. Schweinfurth's departure. The company has commenced a formal search for a new permanent CFO.

16:41 EDT Apple says lower-than-expected iPhone revenue accounts for revenue shortfall - "Lower than anticipated iPhone revenue, primarily in Greater China, accounts for all of our revenue shortfall to our guidance and for much more than our entire year-over-year revenue decline," Apple said. "In fact, categories outside of iPhone (Services, Mac, iPad, Wearables/Home/Accessories) combined to grow almost 19 percent year-over-year. While Greater China and other emerging markets accounted for the vast majority of the year-over-year iPhone revenue decline, in some developed markets, iPhone upgrades also were not as strong as we thought they would be. While macroeconomic challenges in some markets were a key contributor to this trend, we believe there are other factors broadly impacting our iPhone performance, including consumers adapting to a world with fewer carrier subsidies, US dollar strength-related price increases, and some customers taking advantage of significantly reduced pricing for iPhone battery replacements."

16:38 EDT Apple says did not foresee magnitude of economic deceleration in China - "While we anticipated some challenges in key emerging markets, we did not foresee the magnitude of the economic deceleration, particularly in Greater China," Apple said. "In fact, most of our revenue shortfall to our guidance, and over 100 percent of our year-over-year worldwide revenue decline, occurred in Greater China across iPhone, Mac and iPad. China's economy began to slow in the second half of 2018. The government-reported GDP growth during the September quarter was the second lowest in the last 25 years. We believe the economic environment in China has been further impacted by rising trade tensions with the United States. As the climate of mounting uncertainty weighed on financial markets, the effects appeared to reach consumers as well, with traffic to our retail stores and our channel partners in China declining as the quarter progressed. And market data has shown that the contraction in Greater China's smartphone market has been particularly sharp. Despite these challenges, we believe that our business in China has a bright future. The iOS developer community in China is among the most innovative, creative and vibrant in the world. Our products enjoy a strong following among customers, with a very high level of engagement and satisfaction. Our results in China include a new record for Services revenue, and our installed base of devices grew over the last year. We are proud to participate in the Chinese marketplace."

16:38 EDT Apple cites China slowdown, fewer iPhone upgrades for Q1 guidance cut - "While it will be a number of weeks before we complete and report our final results, we wanted to get some preliminary information to you now," the company said. "Our final results may differ somewhat from these preliminary estimates. When we discussed our Q1 guidance with you about 60 days ago, we knew the first quarter would be impacted by both macroeconomic and Apple-specific factors. Based on our best estimates of how these would play out, we predicted that we would report slight revenue growth year-over-year for the quarter. As you may recall, we discussed four factors: First, we knew the different timing of our iPhone launches would affect our year-over-year compares. Our top models, iPhone XS and iPhone XS Max, shipped in Q4'18 - placing the channel fill and early sales in that quarter, whereas last year iPhone X shipped in Q1'18, placing the channel fill and early sales in the December quarter. We knew this would create a difficult compare for Q1'19, and this played out broadly in line with our expectations. Second, we knew the strong US dollar would create foreign exchange headwinds and forecasted this would reduce our revenue growth by about 200 basis points as compared to the previous year. This also played out broadly in line with our expectations. Third, we knew we had an unprecedented number of new products to ramp during the quarter and predicted that supply constraints would gate our sales of certain products during Q1. Again, this also played out broadly in line with our expectations. Sales of Apple Watch Series 4 and iPad Pro were constrained much or all of the quarter. AirPods and MacBook Air were also constrained. Fourth, we expected economic weakness in some emerging markets. This turned out to have a significantly greater impact than we had projected. In addition, these and other factors resulted in fewer iPhone upgrades than we had anticipated. These last two points have led us to reduce our revenue guidance."

16:34 EDT Norwegian Cruise Line refinancing of senior secured credit facility - Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings announced the refinancing of its senior secured credit facility.The company amended its existing senior secured credit facility by repricing its $875M revolving credit facility, repricing and increasing its Term A loan facility to approximately $1.6B and extending the maturity dates for both to January 2024. The proceeds from the increase in the Term A Loan were used to prepay the entire outstanding amount under the Company's existing Term B loan facility. The amendment also reduced the applicable margin under the Revolver and Term A Loan by 25 basis points. Both the Revolver and Term A Loan bear interest at LIBOR plus an applicable margin of between 1.00% and 1.75%, depending on the Company's leverage ratio.

16:34 EDT Arch Coal announces Paul Demzik as CCO - Arch Coal (ARCH) announced that its board of directors has elected Paul Demzik as the company's CCO, effective immediately. Prior to joining Arch, Demzik was head of thermal coal trading at Anglo American (NGLOY) for five years. Demzik will report to Paul Lang, Arch's president and COO.

16:32 EDT Aevi Genomics Medicine says AEVI-01 study did not achieve endpoint significance - Aevi Genomic Medicine announced that the ASCEND trial, a genomically-guided Phase 2 double-blind, placebo-controlled clinical trial of orally-administered AEVI-001 in children aged 6 - 17 with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder, or ADHD, with an mGluR copy number variant or without an mGluR copy number variant, did not achieve statistical significance on the primary endpoint of reduction of ADHD-RS in either Part A or Part B after 6 weeks of treatment with AEVI-001. AEVI-001 was safe and well tolerated. Reported adverse events were minimal and similar across both Part A and Part B treatment groups. AEVI-001 is an oral non-stimulant pan selective activator/modulator of mGluRs. Aevi Genomic Medicine remains committed to the development of AEVI-001 as a potential treatment for a sub-population of Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder patients with genetic mutations that disrupt the mGluR network. In the US, the CDC estimates that 6.4 million children 4-17 years of age have ever been diagnosed with ADHD.

16:31 EDT Flexion enrolls first patient in Phase 3 trial of ZILRETTA - Flexion Therapeutics announced that, on December 26, 2018, the first patient was enrolled in a Phase 3 clinical trial to evaluate the safety and efficacy of ZILRETTA in patients with hip osteoarthritis. Similar to knee OA, hip OA is a degenerative disease which has no cure, and it is estimated that roughly 25% of the U.S. population may develop symptomatic hip OA in their lifetime. The initiation of the Phase 3 hip registration trial was supported by findings from a Phase 2, randomized, open-label, pharmacokinetic study in the shoulder and hip joints, known as the SHIP study. The results from the SHIP study demonstrated that ZILRETTA was generally safe and well tolerated, and the PK profile of ZILRETTA observed in both joints was consistent with previous PK studies in the knee. Results also showed that an injection of ZILRETTA into the hip resulted in 6-fold lower peak plasma levels and reduced systemic exposure compared to immediate-release triamcinolone acetonide in crystalline suspension. The data on the hip cohort have been submitted for presentation.

16:29 EDT W. R. Berkley names Philip Welt as new EVP / General Counsel - W. R. Berkley Corporation announced the appointment of Philip S. Welt as executive vice president and general counsel. In addition, Joseph L. Sullivan and Michael J. Maloney have each been appointed as executive vice presidents with oversight responsibility for certain of the company's operating units. The appointments are effective immediately. Mr. Welt joined W. R. Berkley Corporation in 2004 as vice president - senior counsel and was named executive vice president with oversight responsibility for certain of the company's operating units in 2011. Prior to joining the company, he was an assistant general counsel - mergers and acquisitions at a major international insurer and a corporate associate with the New York law offices of Davis Polk & Wardwell. Mr. Sullivan most recently served as president of Berkley Re America, an office he held since the company combined its U.S. broker market facultative and treaty reinsurance units in 2015. Mr. Maloney joins the company from a leading global insurer, where he most recently served as executive vice president and chief underwriting officer for North American financial lines, including all major professional liability and management liability coverages.

16:26 EDT FDA expands indication for Bristol-Myers' Sprycel tablets - Bristol-Myers Squibb announced the U.S. Food and Drug Administration has expanded the indication for Sprycel tablets to include the treatment of pediatric patients one year of age and older with newly diagnosed Philadelphia chromosome-positive acute lymphoblastic leukemia in combination with chemotherapy. Sprycel is the only second-generation tyrosine kinase inhibitor approved for this patient population. The approval, which was granted following priority review by the FDA, is based on data from the Phase 2 study, CA180-372. "We recognize the urgency around developing and delivering therapies for children and young adults living with cancer, and today's approval is an important example of our commitment to pediatric oncology," said Jeffrey Jackson, Ph.D., development lead, hematology, Bristol-Myers Squibb. "Building on our previous indication for children with Ph+ chronic myeloid leukemia in chronic phase, we're pleased to bring Sprycel tablets to a second type of pediatric leukemia. This approval will give physicians another treatment option to offer appropriate pediatric patients with Ph+ ALL."

16:25 EDT Aevi Genomics Medicine trading halted, news pending

16:20 EDT Capline Pipeline launches binding open season - Marathon Petroleum (MPC), Plains Pipeline (PAA) and BP (BP) Oil Pipeline, owners of the Capline pipeline system, intend to conduct a binding open season in January for a reversed Capline system, which would transport crude oil from origination points near Patoka, Illinois, and Collierville, Tennessee, to the U.S. Gulf Coast. The owners previously conducted a non-binding open season for a reversed Capline system in 4Q17, which generated shipper interest. Phase I reversal engineering studies have been completed. Subject to the results of the binding open season and regulatory approvals, crude oil service is expected to commence in 3Q20.

16:17 EDT UDR, Inc. names COO Jerry Davis president - UDR, Inc. announced key executive management promotions, effective as of January 1, 2019. Jerry A. Davis has been appointed to President in addition to his current responsibilities as Chief Operating Officer. Davis has served as Senior Vice President and COO since February, 2013. From 2007 to 2013, he served as Senior Vice President of Operations.

16:16 EDT Blackbaud acquires YourCause for approximately $157M - Blackbaud announced the acquisition of YourCause, a market leader in enterprise philanthropy, corporate social responsibility and employee engagement software. Blackbaud purchased YourCause for approximately $157M and the acquisition closed Wednesday, January 2, 2019. YourCause's Plano, Texas-based team of 155 employees will join Blackbaud.

16:16 EDT Masonite names Dan Shirk chief information officer - Masonite International (DOOR) announced the appointment of Dan Shirk as Senior Vice President and Chief Information Officer, effective January 2, 2019. Dan joins Masonite with over 25 years of IT, operations and general management experience. Most recently, he was Vice President, Information Systems and Project Management Office for Ascena Retail Group (ASNA).

16:12 EDT Olympic Steel acquires McCullough Industries, terms not stated - Olympic Steel announced that it has acquired the assets of McCullough Industries, Inc. The all-cash purchase closed on Jan. 2, 2019 and is immediately accretive. Terms were not disclosed. This represents Olympic Steel's second strategic acquisition in the past nine months. McCullough Industries, located in Kenton, Ohio, manufactures and sells branded self-dumping hoppers used in a variety of industrial applications. McCullough's products are primarily sold through industrial distributors and catalogues.

16:11 EDT Lattice Semiconductor names Sherri Luther as new CFO - Lattice Semiconductor (LSCC) announced the appointment of Sherri Luther as the company's Chief Financial Offer, effective immediately. Over the last 16 years, she has been a senior financial executive at Coherent (COHR) most recently serving as Corporate Vice President of Finance.

16:07 EDT Franklin Electric acquires Milan Supply for $5.9M - Franklin Electric announced that it has acquired Milan Supply of Mount Pleasant, Michigan for $5.9M. Milan is a professional groundwater distributor operating six locations in the state of Michigan. Milan has approximately $22M of consolidated annual sales.

16:06 EDT Cubic acquires GRIDSMART Technologies for approximately $87M in cash - Cubic announced the acquisition of GRIDSMART Technologies for approximately $87M in cash, subject to customary adjustments. GRIDSMART specializes in video detection at the intersection utilizing advanced image processing, computer vision modeling and machine learning along with a single camera solution providing best-in-class data for optimizing the flow of people and traffic through intersections. For full calendar year 2019, GRIDSMART is anticipated to contribute approximately $35M in sales and $8M of Adjusted EBITDA. Cubic anticipates the transaction will be accretive to cash earnings per share in the first full year of operations, exclusive of transaction fees. Cubic will finance the transaction from its existing credit facilities.

16:04 EDT Sempra Energy unit to sell U.S. natural gas storage assets to ArcLight for $332M - Sempra Energy announced that its subsidiary has entered into an agreement to sell its non-utility U.S. natural gas storage facilities to an affiliate of ArcLight Capital Partners for $332M in cash, subject to adjustments for working capital. The facilities will become part of the Enstor natural gas storage platform, which ArcLight acquired in 2018. The gas storage assets included in the sale to ArcLight are the Mississippi Hub storage facility in Simpson County, Miss., with a working capacity of 22.3B cubic feet of natural gas, and the Bay Gas storage facility in Southwest Alabama, which comprises five underground caverns with a working capacity of 20.4 Bcf of natural gas. Sempra Energy's subsidiary currently owns approximately 91% of Bay Gas storage facility. Immediately prior to the sale, Sempra Energy's subsidiary will purchase the approximate 9% interest from a minority owner and include it in the sale to ArcLight. The sale of the non-utility natural gas assets to ArcLight is expected to be completed in the first quarter 2019, subject to customary closing conditions. At closing, ArcLight will own 100% of Mississippi Hub and Bay Gas storage facilities.

16:03 EDT Izea discloses multiple December contract wins - IZEA Worldwide reports that it was awarded multiple significant contracts in December 2018. IZEA recently secured a high six-figure influencer and content marketing services contract for a subsidiary of a Fortune 10 company. In addition, IZEA signed a number of six-figure contracts in the month for a variety of clients including a large grocery chain, an international restaurant chain, a Fortune 500 electronics manufacturer, and a Fortune 500 apparel-maker. IZEA expects to report Q4 2018 bookings on January 7, 2019.

15:06 EDT Raven completes acqisition of AgSync, enhancing Slingshot platform - Raven Industries announced that it has completed the acquisition of substantially all of the assets of AgSync, headquartered in Wakarusa, Ind. This acquisition will immediately align under the company's Applied Technology division, a leading technology provider in the precision agriculture industry, and greatly enhance its Slingshot platform by delivering a seamless logistics solution for ag retailers, custom applicators and enterprise farms."We are pleased to officially welcome the AgSync team to the Raven family," stated Brian Meyer, Vice President and General Manager of Raven Applied Technology. "They bring a wealth of knowledge in precision ag logistics management that already compliments the Raven Slingshot solution. By further integrating our systems and expertise, Raven will be able to offer the most complete logistics solution on the market - improving the bottom-line of our core customers."

14:33 EDT Shares of Chipotle jump after announcing launch of diet driven Lifestyle Bowls - Earlier on Monday, Chipotle Mexican Grill announced the launch of a new collection of Lifestyle Bowls. "The new line includes a Paleo Salad Bowl, Keto Salad Bowl, Whole30 Salad Bowl and Double Protein Bowl, all exclusively available through the mobile app and on the Chipotle website for in-restaurant pickup or delivery. These first-to-category, diet-driven menu offerings are helping those who have committed to living a healthier lifestyle by making it easy to order delicious bowls that only contain the real ingredients permitted by certain diet regimens," said the company in a statement. Shares of Chipotle are up 3.5% to $447 per share in afternoon trading.

14:07 EDT Universal Electronics introduces Nevo Butler and cloud service - Universal Electronics announced that it will be introducing a new platform for the Connected Home at the International Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas, NV, "which kicks off on January 8. Nevo Butler is an end-to-end voice-enabled smart home hub with a built-in white label digital assistant that promises to unify the entertainment control and home automation experiences, enabling interoperability across fragmented ecosystems. Built-in entertainment control capabilities and smart home hub features powered by QuickSet Cloud make this device a versatile assistant for the home, capable of addressing a wide range of the current installed base of devices in consumers' homes, addressing a range of use cases and innovative new services in the smart home," said the company.

13:02 EDT Wix.com gets court approval to increase maximum amount available for repurchases - On January 2, Wix.com announced that, on January 1, it received court approval for its motion to increase the maximum amount available to purchase the company's outstanding ordinary shares under its share repurchase plan, from $80M to $100M, and to extend the right to repurchase shares which expired on December 31, 2018, until June 30, 2019. The company intends to continue filing extension requests on an ongoing basis as required. Subject to approval by the Israeli courts, under the board authorized plan, shares may be repurchased from time to time in open market transactions at prevailing market prices, in privately negotiated transactions or by other means in accordance with federal securities laws and regulations, and the repurchase plan may be suspended or discontinued at any time. Wix may repurchase all or a portion of the authorized repurchase amount pursuant to a plan that is compliant with Rule 10b5-1 of the United States Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, that is designed to facilitate these purchases. The actual timing, number and value of shares repurchased depend on a number of factors, including the market price of Wix's common stock, general market and economic conditions and other corporate considerations.

12:55 EDT Spruce Point responds to Deutsche, says still short XPO Logistics

12:22 EDT Interactive Brokers reports December DARTs up 36% y/y - Interactive Brokers Group reported its Electronic Brokerage monthly performance metrics for December. Brokerage highlights for the month included: 953,000 Daily Average Revenue Trades, 36% higher than prior year and 5% higher than prior month. Ending client equity of $128.4B, 3% higher than prior year and 6% lower than prior month. Ending client margin loan balances of $26.9B, 9% lower than prior year and 5% lower than prior month. Ending client credit balances of $49.3B, including $1.7B in insured bank deposit sweeps1, 4% higher than prior year and 2% lower than prior month. 598,000 client accounts, 24% higher than prior year and 1% higher than prior month. 360 annualized average cleared DARTs per client account.

12:01 EDT Netflix appoints Spencer Neumann CFO - Netflix announced that Spencer Neumann is joining the company as CFO. Neumann was most recently CFO of Activision Blizzard (ATVI) and previously held several senior positions at The Walt Disney Company (DIS). He succeeds David Wells, who served as CFO since 2010.

12:00 EDT James Hardie falls -8.9% - James Hardie is down -8.9%, or -$1.04 to $10.70.

12:00 EDT Bright Scholar rises 21.7% - Bright Scholar is up 21.7%, or $2.00 to $11.21.

12:00 EDT MedEquities Realty Trust rises 44.6% - MedEquities Realty Trust is up 44.6%, or $3.05 to $9.89.

11:34 EDT Scynexis CEO Marco Taglietti buys 25K shares of company stock - Scynexis CEO Marco Taglietti disclosed in a filing that he had purchased 25,000 shares of company stock at 46c per share on December 31. The total transaction value was $11,500.

11:11 EDT Replimune Group Inc trading halted, volatility trading pause

10:00 EDT James Hardie falls -8.9% - James Hardie is down -8.9%, or -$1.04 to $10.70.

10:00 EDT UBS AG FI Enhanced Global High Yield ETN falls -41.5% - UBS AG FI Enhanced Global High Yield ETN is down -41.5%, or -$58.73 to $82.78.

10:00 EDT Centrais Electricas rises 9.0% - Centrais Electricas is up 9.0%, or 57c to $6.92.

09:55 EDT Zealand Pharma AS (ADS) trading resumes

09:47 EDT Bitauto falls -6.3% - Bitauto is down -6.3%, or -$1.57 to $23.20.

09:47 EDT Laredo Petroleum falls -7.7% - Laredo Petroleum is down -7.7%, or -28c to $3.34.

09:47 EDT Centrais Electricas rises 7.6% - Centrais Electricas is up 7.6%, or 48c to $6.83.

09:34 EDT Coherus names Darlene Horton chief medical and regulatory affairs officer - Coherus BioSciences announced the addition of Darlene Horton, M.D. as chief medical and regulatory affairs officer. She assumed her role on January 1, 2019. Horton recently was CEO of TulangCo and CMO at SMC Biotechnology.

09:27 EDT Roku expands The Roku Channel to include 'Premium Subscriptions' - Roku announced it is expanding The Roku Channel to include "Premium Subscriptions." Users will be able to watch both free ad-supported and paid premium entertainment in one easy-to-navigate interface, with personalized recommendations, where they can browse, trial and subscribe to popular services. In addition to 10,000+ free ad-supported movies and TV episodes already available, The Roku Channel will soon offer users the option to add 25+ Premium Subscriptions from providers such as SHOWTIME, Starz and EPIX.

09:20 EDT Dominion promotes P. Rodney Blevins to CEO of Southeast Energy Group - Dominion Energy (D) announced the formation of a new operating segment that will contain SCANA Corporation's (SCG) existing operating and services companies, and announced the members of its leadership team. The leader of the operating segment, Southeast Energy Group, is P. Rodney Blevins, senior vice president and chief information officer at Dominion Energy, who became president and CEO-Southeast Energy Group when the combination between Dominion Energy and SCANA Corporation was completed on Jan. 1, 2019. He reports directly to Thomas Farrell, II, the company's chairman, president and CEO. Blevins' primary office will be in Cayce, S.C.

09:17 EDT Dominion promotes James Chapman to CFO - Dominion Energy (D) announced the promotions of James Chapman, senior vice president, CFO and treasurer; P. Rodney Blevins, senior vice president and chief information officer; and Carlos Brown, vice president and general counsel. On Jan. 1, 2019, Chapman became executive vice president, CFO and treasurer; and Brown assumed the role of senior vice president and general counsel. These promotions recognize their accomplishments as leaders and the increasing complexities of their roles, including the addition of a new operating segment resulting from Dominion Energy's combination with SCANA Corporation (SCG). Effective upon completion of the merger on Jan. 1, 2019, Blevins was promoted to president and CEO of the Southeast Energy Group, an operating segment containing SCANA's operating and services companies. The three officers report directly to Thomas Farrell, II, chairman president and CEO.

09:14 EDT Sarepta enters strategic relationship with Aldevron for plasmid DNA - Sarepta and Aldevron announced that they have entered into a long-term strategic relationship for the supply of plasmid DNA to fulfill Sarepta's needs for its gene therapy clinical trials and commercial supply. Under the terms of the agreement, Aldevron will provide GMP-grade plasmid for Sarepta's micro-dystrophin Duchenne muscular dystrophy, or DMD, gene therapy program and Limb-girdle muscular dystrophy programs, as well as plasmid source material for future gene therapy programs, such as Charcot-Marie-Tooth, MPS IIIA, Pompe and other CNS diseases.

09:08 EDT Health Insurance Innovations extends contract of CEO Gavin Southwell - Health Insurance Innovation announced an amended employment agreement with president and CEO Gavin Southwell to extend the term of his employment agreement an additional five years, through 2024.

09:05 EDT Coca-Cola Bottling changes name to Coca-Cola Consolidated - Coca-Cola Bottling has changed the company's legal name to Coca-Cola Consolidated. The name change became effective January 1. The company will continue to trade on the Nasdaq under the same ticker symbol.

09:03 EDT Star Bulk Carriers repurchases 63,388 shares for $562,145 - Star Bulk Carriers Corp. announced that, pursuant to the company's previously announced share repurchase program, the company purchased on December 31st 63,388 of its common shares in open market transactions at an average price of $8.87 for aggregate consideration of $562,145. The company shall cancel all the common shares it has repurchased. On November 29, 2018, the company announced a share repurchase program to purchase up to an aggregate of $50M of the company's common shares. The timing and amount of any repurchases will be in the sole discretion of the company's management team, and will depend on legal requirements, market conditions, stock price, alternative uses of capital and other factors.

09:02 EDT Townsquare Media co-CEO Dhruv Prasad departs, Bill Wilson to serve as sole CEO - Townsquare Media announced the departure of its Co-Founder and Co-CEO, Dhruv Prasad, who has resigned from his positions as Co-CEO and Director of the company, effective January 31, 2019. Prasad co-founded Townsquare in 2010 and served as Senior Vice President, Strategy and Operations and Executive Vice President, Live Events before being appointed Co-CEO in 2017. Bill Wilson will transition from Co-CEO to serve as the sole CEO of the company. Wilson joined Townsquare in September 2010 and was appointed Co-CEO in October 2017. Prior to his appointment, he served as Executive Vice President and Chief Content & Digital Officer of the company. Previously, Wilson was President of AOL Media from 2006 to May 2010 where he had overall responsibility for the company's global content strategy.

08:56 EDT Johnson & Johnson declares Q1 dividend of 90c per share - The dividend is payable on March 12, 2019 to shareholders of record at the close of business on February 26, 2019. The ex-dividend date is February 25, 2019.

08:47 EDT Obalon Therapeutics promotes COO Kelly Huang to CEO - Obalon Therapeutics completed the succession plan previously announced with the promotion of Kelly Huang, Ph.D., to CEO. Dr. Huang has served as Obalon's COO since September 2017, and was promoted to President in August 2018. Andy Rasdal, who has served as CEO since Obalon's founding in 2008 will serve as Executive Chairman.

08:44 EDT Chicken Soup for the Soul acquires APlus.com for $15M in cash, stock - Chicken Soup for the Soul announced the acquisition of APlus.com, the digital media company co-founded and chaired by Ashton Kutcher for $15M in cash and stock. Kutcher received shares for his portion of the company, increasing his stake in CSS Entertainment. As part of the agreement, CSS Entertainment acquired all the outstanding shares of common stock of A Plus from the holders thereof, including Kutcher and CSS in consideration for approximately 350,000 shares of CSS Entertainment stock and cash. The cash portion of the transaction was offset by the elimination of approximately $3.3M in advances owed by A Plus to CSS Entertainment, and all open amounts under the intercompany cash management system. Any excess amount that may be due to CSS will be deferred and will be carried in the intercompany cash management system until amortized in accordance with prior practice.

08:42 EDT Nuvectra sells subsidiary NeuroNexus Technologies for $5M - Nuvectra announced that it has entered into an agreement to sell its wholly owned subsidiary NeuroNexus Technologies to NEL Group, an entity affiliated with certain former employees of NeuroNexus, for $5M in cash. NeuroNexus will operate as a separate entity following the sale. NeuroNexus designs, manufactures and markets neural-interface technologies for the neuroscience clinical animal research market.

08:38 EDT Circor appoints Chadi Chahine as CFO - Circor announced the appointment of Chadi Chahine as Senior Vice President and CFO, effective today. He joins Circor from global medical technology company Smith & Nephew, where he was CFO of its U.S. business.

08:38 EDT Teligent receives FDA approval for Gentamicin Sulfate Ointment ANDA - Teligent announced it has received approval of the company's abbreviated new drug application, or ANDA, from the FDA of Gentamicin Sulfate Ointment. This is Teligent's thirteenth approval for 2018, and its thirty-second approval from its internally-developed pipeline of topical generic pharmaceutical medicines.

08:36 EDT ProPetro completes purchase of Pioneer's pressure pumping assets - ProPetro Holding (PUMP) announced that, effective January 1, 2019, it completed its previously announced acquisition of the pressure pumping assets of Pioneer Natural Resources Company (PXD) and became a strategic long-term service provider to Pioneer providing pressure pumping and related services for a term of up to 10 years. Under terms of the agreement previously announced on November 13, 2018, ProPetro acquired Pioneer's pressure pumping assets in exchange for total consideration of $400M comprised of $110M of cash and 16.6M shares of ProPetro common stock, representing approximately 17% Pioneer ownership in ProPetro. PPS assets include eight frac fleets with 510,000 hydraulic horsepower as well as three coiled tubing units and associated equipment. ProPetro now has 28 frac fleets with 1,415,000 HHP in the Permian Basin. In addition, PPS assets include a best-in-class maintenance facility situated on 111 contiguous acres located near ProPetro's current maintenance operations in Midland. As a result, the combination increases ProPetro's scale in the Permian Basin and expands its leading operational track record while allowing Pioneer to improve capital efficiency and long-term cost competitiveness in its core operations.

08:36 EDT Acer Therapeutics enters into license agreement with Sanofi for osanetant - Acer Therapeutics (ACER) announced that it has entered into an exclusive license agreement with Sanofi (SNY) to acquire worldwide rights to osanetant, a clinical-stage, selective, non-peptide tachykinin NK3 receptor antagonist. Acer plans to initially pursue development of osanetant as a potential treatment for certain neuroendocrine-related disorders. Financial terms of the license agreement were not disclosed.

08:35 EDT Tesla sees 'significant' opportunities to grow Model 3 sales

08:35 EDT Tesla: Q4 deliveries grew to 90,700 vehicles, including 63,150 Model 3s

08:34 EDT Motorcar Parts acquires E&M Power in asset purchase transaction - Motorcar Parts announced it has acquired Binghamton, New York-based E&M Power in an asset purchase transaction. Terms were not disclosed. Industry sources estimate the global automotive powertrain testing market is approximately $11.7B per annum and the global active load emulator and DC emulator market is estimated to be $250M.

08:33 EDT FMCSA approves exemption for Stoneridge's MirrorEye Camera Monitor System - Stoneridge announced that its exemption application to federal law was approved in late-December by the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration, allowing its MirrorEye Camera Monitor System to be installed as an alternative to conventional rear-vision mirrors currently required on commercial motor vehicles in the United States. The exemption applies solely to Stoneridge's MirrorEye system making it the only CMS that allows for complete removal of traditional mirrors in the United States.

08:32 EDT DarioHealth signs national distribution deal with Better Living Now - DarioHealth announced it has signed an agreement with Better Living Now for distribution of the Dario Blood Glucose Monitoring System and the DarioEngage digital health platform. BLN will purchase DarioHealth's products including the Dario smart glucose meter and test strips for distribution to its customers, as well as offer a full diabetes management program including coaching through DarioEngage on a monthly subscription basis. Diabetes coaches on BLN's staff plan to utilize DarioEngage to coach the members of customer health plans with an aim to achieve better outcomes and reduce the cost of care of the diabetes population. BLN's customers include managed care plans across the United States, Puerto Rico, and U.S. Virgin Islands.

08:29 EDT Restoration Robotics secures ISO certification, CE Mark compliance for ARTAS iX - Restoration Robotics announced that it has successfully completed its ISO 13485:2016 audit and is compliant with CE Mark requirements for the sale of the ARTAS iX System with implantation in Europe. The Company shipped the first ARTAS iX Systems to customers in Europe in December.

08:24 EDT Merus announces strategic collaboration with Betta Pharmaceuticals for MCLA-129 - Merus announced that it has agreed to grant Betta Pharmaceuticals an exclusive license to develop and commercialize Merus Biclonics MCLA-129 in China. Merus will retain all rights outside of China. Under the terms of the agreement, Betta Pharmaceuticals has agreed to be responsible for clinical development and commercialization of MCLA-129 in China. As a key strategic component of the collaboration, Betta will retain a contract manufacturing organization with experience in filing initial new drug, or IND, applications with U.S. and European regulatory authorities in order to produce clinical trial materials for the Chinese market and rest of world. Betta will facilitate regulatory filings and early stage clinical trial materials supply for potential use by Merus for development of MCLA-129 outside of China. In preclinical studies, MCLA-129 showed a significant reduction in tumor volume for EGFR inhibitor resistant lung cancer models lacking immune cells. Additionally, in cell lines that co-express both EGFR and c-MET, MCLA-129 effectively induced tumor cell lysis at low antibody concentrations. In addition to receiving an upfront payment, Merus will be eligible to receive payments contingent upon Betta Pharmaceuticals achieving certain specified development and commercial goals in China. Merus will also be eligible to receive tiered royalty payments on sales in China from Betta Pharmaceuticals. Betta Pharmaceuticals will be eligible to receive payments contingent upon Merus achieving certain specified development and commercial goals, and will be eligible to receive tiered royalty payments on sales outside of China from Merus.

08:20 EDT MyoKardia regains Mavacamten and MYK-491 rights from Sanofi

08:09 EDT Genocea doses first patient in GEN-009 trial - Genocea announced the dosing of the first patients in its Phase 1/2a clinical trial testing the safety, immunogenicity and clinical efficacy of its neoantigen cancer vaccine candidate GEN-009. Genocea also announced that enrollment of patients in the first part of the clinical trial has been completed.

08:07 EDT Allena Pharmaceuticals aligns with FDA on design of URIROX-2 - Allena Pharmaceuticals announced that it has reached alignment with the FDA on both the design of URIROX-2, its second pivotal Phase 3 trial of reloxaliase in patients with enteric hyperoxaluria and its strategy to pursue a biologics license application, or BLA, submission for reloxaliase using the accelerated approval regulatory pathway. Allena's URIROX program consists of two pivotal Phase 3 clinical trials, URIROX-1 and URIROX-2, which are designed to evaluate the safety and efficacy of reloxaliase in patients with enteric hyperoxaluria. URIROX-1 is currently enrolling patients, and Allena initiated URIROX-2 in Q4. The primary efficacy endpoint for URIROX-2 is the percent change from baseline in 24-hour urinary oxalate, or UOx, excretion measured during weeks 1-4, the same primary efficacy endpoint as URIROX-1. The FDA agreed that, if positive, biomarker data on 24-hour UOx excretion in URIROX-1 and URIROX-2 would be used for a BLA filing for accelerated approval of reloxaliase in enteric hyperoxaluria and that patients would continue in URIROX-2 to confirm clinical benefit during the long-term follow-up phase of the trial.

08:06 EDT Instructure says Dan Goldsmith assumed role of CEO on January 1 - Instructure announced that Dan Goldsmith assumed the role of CEO on January 1, 2019. Goldsmith succeeds Josh Coates, who has assumed the role of Executive Chairman of the Board, effective January 1, 2019.

08:04 EDT Workhorse Group secures $35M in financing from Marathon Asset Management - Workhorse Group has closed a financing in the amount of $35M with Marathon Asset Management. The proceeds will be used for current working capital, parts acquisitions to fulfill existing and future customer purchase orders and contracts as well as to satisfy full repayment of the senior secured notes incurred in July 2018. The facility has a three-year term secured by a first priority lien on all assets. Funds will be provided in two separate tranches, the first of which is a $10M lump sum amount that will be used principally to satisfy repayment of the July 2018 senior secured notes. The remaining $25M will function as a revolving credit facility from which Workhorse may draw down as necessary to meet existing and future purchase orders.

08:03 EDT Westwater Resources announces acceptance of request for arbitration - Westwater Resources announced that the International Centre for Settlement of Investment Disputes has registered its Request for Arbitration. The registration is the next step in Westwater seeking compensation from the Republic of Turkey. At issue is Turkey's illegal taking of Westwater's Temrezli and Sefaatli uranium projects in June 2018. These projects were owned by Westwater's Turkish subsidiary Adur Madencilik Limited Sirketi. To date, Adur and its predecessors have invested substantially in these two projects, using its technical expertise and carrying out extensive drilling, testing and studies to move the projects towards production. Having successfully completed the exploration stage in 2013-2014, Adur was granted a number of operating licenses by the Turkish government to develop the Temrezli mine. As a direct result of Adur's efforts, Temrezli is the most advanced uranium project in Turkey. Experts have estimated that the mine will generate revenues of up to $644M over its life, netting Westwater a return on its investment of $267M as described in the Prefeasibility Study completed for the Temrezli project in 2014. In June 2018, the Turkish government cancelled all of Adur's exploration and operating licenses with retroactive effect, rendering Westwater's investment in Adur effectively worthless. Incredibly, the Turkish government sought to justify its actions on the basis that the licenses - which had been variously issued, renewed and overseen by the Turkish government for more than a decade - had been issued by mistake. Turkey now asserts that it has a governmental monopoly over all uranium mining activities in Turkey, in violation of Westwater's rights under Turkish and international law, including the Treaty between the United States of America and the Republic of Turkey concerning the Reciprocal Encouragement and Protection of Investments. Westwater is bringing this claim under the Treaty to enforce its right to full reparation for the damage caused by Turkey's illegal acts.

08:02 EDT NetEase's Cloud Music enters into strategic partnership with CUBE Entertainment - NetEase's music streaming platform NetEase Cloud Music has entered into a strategic partnership with CUBE Entertainment, a large entertainment company in South Korea. Under the partnership agreement, NetEase Cloud Music has been granted access to CUBE Entertainment's complete music catalog. The alliance with CUBE Entertainment further expands NetEase Cloud Music's Korean music library, in an effort to promote Korean music in China.

08:00 EDT Independent Bank completes Guaranty Bancorp acquisition, raises dividend to 25c - Independent Bank announced the completion of its acquisition of Guaranty Bancorp. As of September 30, 2018, Guaranty Bancorp, on a consolidated basis, reported total assets of $3.81B and total deposits of $3.06B. As previously disclosed, Guaranty stockholders will receive 0.45 shares of Independent Bank Group stock in exchange for each share of Guaranty Bancorp stock held immediately prior to the merger, resulting in the issuance of approximately 13.18M shares of Independent Bank Group common stock in the aggregate. In connection with the completion of the transaction, Independent also announced that it intends to increase its quarterly dividend to 25c per share in Q1.

07:38 EDT Watsco increases annual dividend rate 10% to $6.40 per share - Watsco's board of directors approved a 10% increase in the annual dividend rate to $6.40 per share and has declared a regular quarterly cash dividend of $1.60 on each outstanding share of its common and Class B common stock. The cash dividend is payable on January 31 to shareholders of record at the close of business on January 16.

07:33 EDT Deciphera announces 'positive' preliminary data from Phase 1 study with DCC-3014 - Deciphera Pharmaceuticals announced positive, preliminary, top-line data from the ongoing dose escalation part of the Phase 1 clinical study with DCC-3014, the Company's investigational small molecule switch control inhibitor of CSF1R, in patients with advanced malignancies. In addition, the Company announced a plan to expand the Phase 1 study to evaluate DCC-3014 in patients diagnosed with Tenosynovial Giant Cell Tumors. A review of further data from this Phase 1 study will be presented at a medical meeting in 2019. The Phase 1 study was designed to evaluate the safety, pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics of multiple doses of DCC-3014 in up to 55 patients. As of the data cut-off date of November 9, 2018, increasing doses of DCC-3014 were assessed in five dose cohorts across 24 patients with advanced solid tumor malignancies. This included one dose cohort that received 10 mg once daily and four dose cohorts that followed a schedule of once or twice-weekly maintenance dosing preceded by a five-day loading dose regimen at doses of up to 30 mg per dose. In addition, four patients are currently enrolled in a dose cohort that will receive 40 mg twice weekly preceded by a five-day loading regimen. Preliminary pharmacokinetic analysis showed dose-proportional exposure for DCC-3014 that we believe supports twice-weekly maintenance dosing preceded by a five-day loading dose regimen. Biomarker data demonstrated strong target engagement of CSF1R, including material reductions in CSF1R positive macrophages in the blood that we believe constitutes mechanistic proof-of-concept for DCC-3014. DCC-3014 was generally well tolerated in patients enrolled in the dose cohorts that received twice-weekly maintenance doses of DCC-3014 preceded by a five-day loading regimen at doses of up to 30 mg, which is summarized below: Treatment emergent adverse events were mostly Grade 1 or 2; No Grade 3 or 4 DCC-3014 related TEAEs in greater than or equal to10% of patients; No dose-limiting toxicities; and A maximum tolerated dose has yet to be established. In the dose-cohort that received 10 mg QD, clinically asymptomatic laboratory values were recorded as dose-limiting toxicities in two of seven patients.

07:33 EDT Dominion, Scana complete proposed merger - Dominion Energy (D), and SCANA Corporation (SCG) announced that they have completed their proposed merger, benefiting customers and communities in Georgia, North Carolina and South Carolina.

07:17 EDT ProQR Therapeutics receives fast track designation for QR-421a from FDA - ProQR Therapeutics announced that it received fast track designation from the FDA for QR-421a. QR-421a is an investigational RNA-based oligonucleotide designed to address the underlying cause of the vision loss associated with Usher syndrome type 2 and non-syndromic retinitis pigmentosa due to mutations in exon 13 of the USH2A gene.

07:13 EDT Arcturus Therapeutics to develop ARCT-810 for OTCD - Arcturus Therapeutics announced the nomination of its first development candidate, ARCT-810, to treat ornithine transcarbamylase deficiency, or OTCD. OTCD is the most common urea cycle disorder. Urea cycle disorders are a group of inherited metabolic disorders that make it difficult for afflicted patients to remove toxic waste products, as proteins are digested. ARCT-810 is based on Arcturus's propriety lipid library which utilizes the company's Lunar delivery platform to safely and effectively deliver OTC messenger RNA to liver cells.

07:10 EDT Rowan Companies announces contract extension for Gorilla VI in Trinidad - Rowan Companies (RDC) announced that the Rowan Gorilla VI has been extended by Shell (RDS.A, RDS.B) in Trinidad. The rig will continue its current drilling program until approximately March of 2019. Thereafter, the Rowan Gorilla VI will be used for platform support and accommodations work until approximately September of 2019, with an option to extend this work further until November 2019.

07:09 EDT Anavex appoints Walter Kaufmann CMO - Anavex announced the appointment of Walter Kaufmann to CMO. Kaufmann's clinical focus is on developing novel therapies for genetic disorders associated with intellectual disability. Until recently, he was the director of the Center for Translational Research at the Greenwood Genetic Center, where he also held the Ravenel Boykin Curry Chair in Genetic Therapeutics. .

07:07 EDT LSB Industries CEO Dan Greenwell steps down, CFO Mark Behrman named CEO - LSB Industries announced that Dan Greenwell elected not to enter into a new employment agreement and has stepped down from his role as chairman and CEO. The board has appointed Mark Behrman, LSB's current Executive Vice President and CFO, to serve as the company's new President and CEO and join its board, effective immediately. Richard Roedel was appointed chairman of the board . Additionally, Cheryl Maguire, LSB's current Vice President of Finance, was promoted to Senior Vice President and CFO.

07:05 EDT Cardiovascular Systems gets approval for Diamondback 360 Coronary OAS in Japan - Cardiovascular Systems announced that Japan's Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare has approved the Diamondback 360 Coronary Orbital Atherectomy System with Classic Crown and ViperWire Advance Coronary Guidewire FlexTip. Classic Crown is a coronary atherectomy device in the U.S. Classic Crown utilizes a 1.25mm eccentrically mounted diamond-coated crown and a patented combination of centrifugal force and differential sanding to safely modify arterial calcium. This device now features GlideAssist, which allows for tracking, easier removal and smoother repositioning of the device - particularly in challenging anatomies. FlexTip is a unique new atherectomy guidewire with a nitinol core and shapeable stainless-steel tip for increased flexibility and kink-resistance, improved navigation, and reduced guidewire bias in complex coronary vessels. Classic Crown can also be used with ViperWire Advance Coronary Guidewire FlexTip.

07:04 EDT Marine Products announces purchase of 168,366 shares in Q4 - Marine Products announced that during the fourth quarter of 2018 it purchased 168,366 shares under its share repurchase program.

07:04 EDT Metso to acquire service business of Chile's HighService Corp - Metso has agreed to acquire HighService Service, the service business of the Chilean mining technology and maintenance provider HighService Corp. The acquisition is pending regulatory approval from the Chilean authorities and is expected to close during the first half of 2019. The parties have agreed not to disclose the value of the transaction.

07:03 EDT Nova Lifestyle says Seeking Alpha research report 'baseless' - Nova LifeStyle responded to a document published by Seeking Alpha on December 21, 2018. The document is a self-styled research report regarding the company. The Purported Research Report was apparently generated by an Eastern European firm apparently formed in 2017 and called Andri Capital. The Purported Research Report contains a "Sell" recommendation, and purports to present evidence that a substantial portion of the company's sales to four of the Company's largest customers during the relevant past is not legitimate, and it posits that as a consequence the Company's operating results have been substantially overstated. Exactly one month earlier Andri Capital issued a report on Seeking Alpha concluding that the Company's Common Stock was significantly undervalued with a "Buy" recommendation. Within the month preceding the Purported Research Report and before Andri Capital published the reversal in its advice that the stock was substantially undervalued, Andri Capital accumulated a large short position which Andri Capital disclosed in its December 21, 2018 Purported Research Report. Following the publication of the Purported Research Report, the market price of the Company's Common Stock suffered a rapid decline, and a number of putative class action complaints that largely parrot the assertions set forth in the Purported Research Report have followed. To date the Company is aware that the following complaints have been filed: George Barney, Individually and on behalf of all others similarly situated v Nova Lifestyle, Inc., Thanh H. Lam, Ya Ming Wong, Jeffery Chuang, and Yuen Ching Ho, Defendants. Case No. Case 2:18-cv-10725. Management believes that the conclusions set forth in the Purported Research Report are baseless; and further that the report is malicious and manipulative, intended to serve the interests of the author who disclosed that he accumulated a short position in advance of the publication of the report. The complaints that have been filed are based largely upon the insidious claims set forth in the Purported Research Report, and are baseless. The Company will defend those lawsuits. The Company is also considering the assertion of direct claims against anyone that has caused damage to the Company. The Audit Committee has acted promptly to address the concerns raised in the Purported Research Report, and to reinstate the market confidence that the Purported Research Report so severely undermined.

07:00 EDT Preferred Apartment acquires Hollymead Town Center in Virginia - Preferred Apartment announced its acquisition of Hollymead Town Center, in Charlottesville, Virginia. Hollymead Town Center is located along Seminole Trail/Route 29, which sees a traffic count of over 47,000 CPD. The company financed the acquisition utilizing a non-recourse first mortgage loan from Aegon. The first mortgage loan is approximately $27.3M, bears interest at fixed rate of 4.55% per annum and has a term of 10 years.

06:53 EDT Significant synergies seen in Omega Healthcare, MedEquities Realty Trust deal - Highlights include: Anticipated annual FFO, AFFO and FAD accretion of approximately 5c per Omega share. Operator diversification will increase with 9 new operators. Property type diversification will increase non-skilled nursing assets modestly by $296M, including $75M invested in a hospital facility leased to a subsidiary of Baylor, Scott & White Health. Significant synergies expected. Omega will acquire the fee simple interest in 34 facilities operated by 11 operators in 7 states. Omega will acquire approximately $34M in mortgage loans.

06:48 EDT Omega Healthcare to acquire MedEquities Realty Trust in $600M deal - Omega Healthcare Investors (OHI) and MedEquities Realty Trust (MRT) announced the execution of a definitive merger agreement under which Omega will acquire all of the outstanding shares of MedEquities. The transaction represents an enterprise value of approximately $600M for MedEquities and further diversifies Omega's assets and operators. The boards of directors of both companies have unanimously approved the transaction. Under the terms of the agreement, MedEquities stockholders will receive a fixed exchange ratio of 0.235 Omega common shares plus $2.00 in cash for each share of MedEquities common stock held by them, which represents a value of $10.26 per MedEquities share based on the $35.15 closing price for Omega common stock on December 31, 2018. Separately, MedEquities will declare a special cash dividend of 21c per share payable to the holders of record of MedEquities common stock as of the end of trading on the New York Stock Exchange on the trading day immediately prior to the closing date of the transaction. There are no changes planned to Omega's board of directors or executive officers related to the merger transaction. Completion of the transaction is subject to satisfaction of customary closing conditions, including the approval by the stockholders of MedEquities. The transaction is expected to close in the first half of 2019. Completion of the transaction is not subject to approval by Omega's stockholders and is not subject to any financing contingency.

06:35 EDT Albemarle begins earthworks at Kemerton project in Australia - Albemarle announced that it has begun earthworks at the Kemerton Strategic Industrial Area, in Western Australia, for the construction of the company's Kemerton lithium hydroxide, or LiOH, conversion site. Albemarle recently received the required environmental approval from the Australian federal and state government for the Kemerton plant. As previously disclosed, the Kemerton plant would have an initial capacity of 60,000 metric tons of LiOH with an ability to expand to 100,000 metric tons over time. The commissioning of the Kemerton site is expected to start in stages during the course of 2021.

06:21 EDT Novan announces leadership promotions and business updates - Novan announced several leadership promotions and business updates. Paula Brown Stafford has been promoted to President and the newly created role of COO while remaining a member of the board. Stafford joined Novan in March 2017 as Chief Development Officer. Prior to Novan, she was President of the Quintiles Global Clinical Development organization. Carri Geer has been promoted to Senior VP and CTO of Novan. Geer has more than 10 years of industry experience both from her time at Novan and previously at Merck. Elizabeth Messersmith, Senior VP, has been promoted to the role of Chief Development Officer. Messersmith, joined Novan as Head of Clinical Operations in May 2018 from Quark Pharmaceuticals. Nathan Stasko has stepped down as President and from the board of directors, as contemplated by his amended and restated employment agreement to occur following the appointment of G. Kelly Martin as CEO. The company has added gastrointestinal diseases as a therapeutic focus area as part of its overall science and business strategy, based on the inherent connection between the multi-factorial pathologies of GI diseases and the anti-microbial, anti-viral and anti-inflammatory properties of Novan's nitric oxide technology. The company believes that expansion into GI will require minimal investment. The company continues to explore a range of business development opportunities around its dermatology assets and underlying nitric oxide technology platform.

06:05 EDT Maxar Technologies completes U.S. domestication - Maxar Technologies announced the completion of its statutory plan of arrangement, pursuant to which the ultimate parent company of Maxar Canada became an entity incorporated under the laws of the State of Delaware in the United States of America. The U.S. domestication was approved by Maxar Canada security holders at a special meeting held on November 16 and was subsequently approved by the Supreme Court of British Columbia. The common shares of the new parent company will be listed on both the New York Stock Exchange and Toronto Stock Exchange under the same trading symbol, (MAXR). As a result of the the U.S. domestication, each issued and outstanding common shares of Maxar Canada has been exchanged for one share of common stock of Maxar.

06:02 EDT NW Natural files first general Washington rate case in 10 years - NW Natural, a subsidiary of Northwest Natural Holding Company, on Dec. 31, 2018 filed for a 12.6% base rate increase with the Washington Utilities and Transportation Commission to recover increased operating costs and investments in its distribution system since 2008. In addition, NW Natural proposes the benefits of federal tax reform related to the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act be returned to Washington customers. This would result in a 2.4% reduction to customer rates for the first two years after the rate case. If approved, the new rates would result in approximately $5.19 more a month for the average Washington residential customer using 56 therms. The typical commercial customer using 234 therms per month would see an average monthly bill increase of approximately $16.53. NW Natural's filing will be reviewed by the WUTC and other stakeholders. The process could take up to 11 months with new rates likely effective Dec. 1, 2019.

05:58 EDT Amazon CEO Bezos says former Alexa VP Mike George to lead Day 1 Academies Fund - Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos announced via Twitter: "I have outstanding news to ring in 2019. Former Alexa VP & long-time Amazonian Mike George has agreed to lead the Day 1 Academies Fund. Mike is a true builder who knows how to start from scratch, and he'll bring tremendous energy, grit, and passion to the job." Earlier this year, Bezos announce the launch of the $2B "Day One Fund" to help homeless families and create preschools. Reference Link

05:47 EDT Seeco Holding signs strategic partnership with Oracle in China - Secoo (SECO) announced a strategic partnership with Oracle (ORCL) in China to launch a new office automation system, improving Secoo's strategy development and upgrading their technology. Through this partnership, Oracle, the largest enterprise-level software company in the world will implement Oracle's cloud solutions for Secoo's ERP and HCM management systems alongside Accenture, one of the leading management consulting and information technology providers in the world. Based on China's data protection privacy regulations and combined with Accenture's management consulting service, the new system will improve Secoo's technical capability, operating efficiency and cross-border business management and ultimately speed up their globalization strategy.

05:22 EDT Iron Mountain acquires Lane Archive Technologies - Iron Mountain announced the acquisition of Lane Archive Technologies Limited in the Philippines, expanding the company's presence in the country. The acquisition will add eight facilities in Manila, Davao and Cebu to Iron Mountain's existing Philippine operations, delivering records management, data management, document management and secure destruction to nearly 1,000 customers.

05:17 EDT Middleby acquires EVO America, terms not disclosed - Middleby announced the acquisition of EVO America, a design and manufacturer of ventless cooking equipment for the commercial foodservice industry. The company is based near Portland, Oregon and has approximately $8M in annual revenues.