Stockwinners Market Radar for January 15, 2019 - Earnings, Upgrades downgrades, option trades, Best Stock Advisory Service

19:08 EDT Realty Income raises monthly dividend to 22.55c per share from 22.1c - Realty Income Corporation announced its board of directors has declared an increase in the company's common stock monthly cash dividend to 22.55c per share from 22.1c per share. The dividend is payable on February 15, 2019 to shareholders of record as of February 1, 2019. This is the 100th dividend increase since Realty Income's listing on the NYSE in 1994. The ex-dividend date for February's dividend is January 31, 2019. The new monthly dividend represents an annualized dividend amount of $2.706 per share as compared to the current annualized dividend amount of $2.652 per share.

18:39 EDT Kraft opens grocery store to support government workers affected by shutdown - Kraft said it is opening a grocery store pop-up tomorrow in Washington, D.C. to support a program called "Kraft Now Pay Later" that helps federal government workers during the government shutdown. An estimated 800,000 government workers are impacted by the government shutdown and many in the Washington, D.C. area as the federal government is the largest employer, the company said. Many of the workers affected are parents who don't need the added stress of feeding their families. Kraft is stepping in and helping them stock up on staples like Kraft Mac & Cheese, Kraft Natural Cheese, Kraft Singles, Kraft Salad Dressings, Kraft Mayo and Kraft BBQ for their dinner tables.

18:06 EDT Nordstrom down over 2.5% after reporting holiday SSS - Nordstrom shares are down ~2.7% at $46 after the company posted its holiday period SSS and updated its FY18 earnings guidance toward the low end of prior range on softer than expected Full-Price sales component.

17:48 EDT Centerra Gold sees FY19 gold output 690K-740K oz - Centerra's 2019 gold production is expected to be between 690,000 to 740,000 ounces. Kumtor's gold production forecast is expected to be in the range of 535,000 ounces to 565,000 ounces with approximately 28% of the production expected to be in the fourth quarter of 2019. At Mount Milligan, mill throughput is expected to be reduced during the remainder of the winter season to properly manage the water balance until the water flow increases in the spring, after which, mill throughput levels are expected to return to full capacity once the spring melt has commenced, typically in April. In the second half of 2019, the Company expects to achieve an average daily throughput of approximately 55,000 tonnes per calendar day. For the full year, the Company expects Mount Milligan's total payable gold production to be in the range of 155,000 to 175,000 ounces.

17:47 EDT Centerra Gold reports FY18 gold output of 726.6K oz, beats 665K-705K target - Centerra Gold Inc exceeded its 2018 annual gold production guidance of 665,000 to 705,000 ounces, achieving consolidated gold production of 729,556 ounces for the full year. The company's 2018 gold production included 534,563 ounces of gold from the Kumtor Mine, located in the Kyrgyz Republic and 194,993 ounces of gold from the Mount Milligan Mine, located in northern British Columbia, Canada. For the full year of 2018, Mount Milligan also produced 47.1 million pounds of copper, achieving the upper end of its guidance of 40 million to 47 million pounds of copper. During the fourth quarter of 2018, Centerra's gold production totalled 288,367 ounces, including 228,096 ounces of gold produced by the Kumtor Mine and 60,271 ounces of gold produced by the Mount Milligan Mine. At Mount Milligan, the mine produced 11.8 million pounds of copper during the fourth quarter of 2018.

17:44 EDT Alexander & Baldwin acquires two Class A warehouse buildings - Alexander & Baldwin recently completed the off-market acquisition of two Class A warehouse buildings located in Kapolei, representing 150,000 square feet of prime industrial space. The $40M purchase closed on December 28, 2018 and was financed with proceeds of A&B's sale of its agricultural lands on Maui.

17:35 EDT Nexa Resources reports FY18 production within guidance - The company reported production in 2018 was within the annual guidance range for all metals and surpassed the top of the range of previous guidance for gold. Zinc equivalent metal production totaled 556,000 tons in 2018, down 3% compared to 571,000 tons in the same period of the previous year mainly driven by the lower copper production as a result of lower grades. As discussed in previous quarters, as part of a program to accelerate mine development at Cerro Lindo which started in 1H18, the company developed new stopes and galleries which allowed us to accelerate production in 4Q During 4Q, zinc equivalent production recovered to 150kton, up 11% and 10% from 135kton in 2Q and 137kton in 3Q18, respectively. During the month of December, Cerro Lindo's processing plant reached record high feeding volumes, resulting in the highest zinc, lead, and gold production levels for the year. Production by metal in 2018 was within annual guidance range for all metals and we surpassed the top of the range of guidance for gold by 16%, which we had recently revised upward.

17:35 EDT Franklin Financial Network announces termination of MOU - Franklin Financial Network announced that its banking regulators have terminated, effective as of January 14, the Memorandum of Understanding previously entered into with the Bank in November 2016.

17:30 EDT Snap falls 7.2% after CFO resignation

17:30 EDT Entegra Financial trading resumes

17:21 EDT Mercer to replace Green Dot in S&P 600 at open on 1/18

17:20 EDT Green Dot to replace Teleflex in S&P 400 at open on 1/18

17:19 EDT Teleflex to replace PG&E in S&P 500 at open on 1/18 - PG&E intends to file for reorganization under Chapter 11 of the U.S. Bankruptcy Code on or about January 29, 2019 and is no longer eligible for continued inclusion in the S&P 500.

17:16 EDT Onconova names Steven Fruchtman as new CEO - Onconova Therapeutics announced the appointment of Dr. Steven Fruchtman as Chief Executive Officer and a member of the board, effective immediately. Dr. Fruchtman has served as President of Onconova since June 2018, and originally joined the company in January 2015 as Chief Medical Officer. Dr. Fruchtman replaces Dr. Ramesh Kumar, who will transition to an advisory role for the company.

17:08 EDT SmartFinancial, Entegra Financial announce strategic merger of equals - SmartFinancial (SMBK) and Entegra Financial (ENFC) jointly announced the signing of a definitive merger agreement pursuant to which Entegra will combine with SmartFinancial in a strategic merger of equals. The merger agreement contemplates the merger of Entegra with and into SmartFinancial and the subsequent merger of Entegra Bank with and into SmartBank. The combination, an all-stock transaction, will create an approximate $4B-asset bank holding company with 47 branches across Tennessee, North Carolina, Alabama, Georgia, South Carolina and Florida, serving a number of key Southeastern growth markets. Under the terms of the merger agreement, each share of Entegra common stock outstanding immediately prior to the merger will be converted into the right to receive 1.215 shares of SmartFinancial common stock. Outstanding options to purchase shares of Entegra common stock will be converted into options to purchase shares of SmartFinancial common stock, with the exercise price of and number of shares underlying each option to be adjusted to reflect the exchange ratio of 1.215. Outstanding Entegra restricted stock units will fully vest upon consummation of the merger and the holders thereof will become entitled to receive the consideration payable to holders of Entegra common stock generally in respect of the Entegra common stock subject to the restricted stock units. The transaction is valued at approximately $22.36 per share of Entegra common stock, or approximately $158.2M in the aggregate, based on the closing price of SmartFinancial's common stock of $18.40 on January 14, 2019. The transaction is projected to generate more than 20% earnings per share accretion in the first full year and tangible book value dilution is expected to be earned back in less than 2.5 years. In addition to the stated merger consideration, Entegra shareholders will receive one non-transferrable contingent value right for each share of Entegra common stock held immediately prior to the merger in the event that a certain ongoing dispute between Entegra and certain unrelated third-parties has not been resolved, and the proceeds, if any, from the resolution of the dispute have not been paid out to Entegra's shareholders, prior to the merger in accordance with the terms of the merger agreement. The CVRs, which will be subject to a separate agreement provided for by the merger agreement, will provide the holders thereof the opportunity, for a limited period of time after the merger, to participate in the after-tax net proceeds, if any, obtained as a result of the resolution of the dispute. SmartBank and Entegra Bank have entered into a separate bank merger agreement providing for the merger of Entegra Bank with and into SmartBank following the merger of SmartFinancial and Entegra. The merger agreement has been approved by the board of directors of each company. The transaction is expected to close mid-year 2019, subject to customary closing conditions, including the approval of both companies' shareholders and the receipt of all required regulatory approvals.

17:06 EDT Salient Capital takes 5.19% passive stake in BP Midstream - Salient Capital disclosed a 5.19% passive stake in BP Midstream. The stake represents over 5.4M shares. The filing with the SEC does not allow for activism.

17:04 EDT Stoneridge announces strategic partnership with Velociti for MirrorEye CMS - Stoneridge announced a strategic partnership with Velociti. Under this agreement, Stoneridge and Velociti will work together with commercial vehicle fleets to install and support the MirrorEye camera monitor system, or CMS, developed and manufactured by Stoneridge. Recently, the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration, or FMCSA, approved an exemption to federal law allowing MirrorEye 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. Stoneridge has invested heavily in the development and field testing over the past several years and is now entering the launch phase with MirrorEye.

17:01 EDT Taro Pharmaceutical completes $250M share repurchase program - Taro Pharmaceutical Industries announced that it has completed its $250M share repurchase program. The company bought back 2.49M of its ordinary shares in open market transactions at an average price of $100.28 per share. The repurchase program was announced by the company on November 23, 2016, and was completed on January 11, 2019.

17:00 EDT SmartFinancial trading halted, news dissemination

16:57 EDT Tyme Technologies spikes almost 50% after announcing presentation at ASCO GI - Shares of Tyme Technologies a clinical-stage biotechnology company that develops novel cancer therapeutics, spiked almost 50% in regular session trading on Tuesday after announcing earlier, that its management team will hold a conference call with analysts and investors at 9 AM EST on Friday, January 18, to discuss the SM-88 preliminary Phase II pancreatic cancer data scheduled to be presented in four posters at the American Society of Clinical Oncology's Gastrointestinal Cancers Symposium or ASCO GI, being held later this week. Shares of Tyme Technologies closed up 46.3% or $1.14 to $3.60 per share for the regular trading session on Tuesday. In after-hours trading, shares of Tyme Technologies are up an additional 9.72% to $3.95 per share.

16:46 EDT One Gas sees annual dividend increase of 7%-9% until 2023 - The company expects an average annual dividend increase of 7%-9% between 2018 and 2023, with a target dividend payout ratio of 55%-65% of net income, all subject to its board of directors' approval.

16:44 EDT Electronics for Imaging falls about 10% after preliminary results - The company indicated that its results were impacted by weakening economic conditions experienced across its direct businesses, with customers delaying spend on capital equipment and software, which materially reduced the company's close rates at quarter end. "Late in the quarter we began seeing a substantial shift in buying behavior versus the prior year in many of the industries we serve," said the company in a statement. Shares of Electronics for Imaging are down 9.93% or $2.70 per share to 24.48 per share in after-hours trading.

16:39 EDT United Continental sees year-end 2019 total mainline aircraft of 803, up 33 y/y - Sees year-end 2019 total regional aircraft of 568, up 9 y/y.

16:38 EDT Bluebird Network to be acquired by Macquarie Infrastructure Partners - Bluebird Network, a Midwest telecommunications company, is being acquired by Macquarie Infrastructure Partners for an undisclosed amount. MIP is a long-term infrastructure investment fund that is managed by the Macquarie Infrastructure and Real Assetsdivision of Macquarie Group ( MQBKY) .MIP has partnered with Uniti Group (UNIT) to finance the transaction. Uniti will acquire Bluebird's fiber network and then lease it back to Bluebird under a long-term lease. As part of the transaction, Bluebird will also acquire Uniti's Midwestern fiber business and receive a long-term lease over Uniti's Midwestern fiber network, which consists of approximately 2,500 miles of network predominantly in Illinois. Upon completion of the transactions the two adjacent networks will be combined and operated as one company under the Bluebird name. The Company will be operated by the existing Bluebird management team and employee-base headquartered in Columbia, MO, led by Chief Executive Officer, Michael Morey. "We are very pleased to partner with Bluebird's experienced management team as MIP expands its portfolio of investments in communications infrastructure," said Karl Kuchel, CEO of MIP. "As bandwidth needs continue to increase, fiber has become the essential backbone for high-performance connectivity networks. We look forward to working with the Bluebird team to growing the platform in the years ahead"

16:36 EDT Fulton announces termination of consent orders for The Columbia Bank - Fulton Financial Corporation announced that the Commissioner of Financial Regulation for the State of Maryland and the FDIC have terminated the consent orders those agencies issued on December 23 and December 24, 2014, respectively, to the Corporation's bank subsidiary, The Columbia Bank. These orders were originally issued for deficiencies in the Bank Secrecy Act and Anti-Money Laundering compliance program at that bank. This announcement follows the company's statements, released October 30, 2017, and August 9, 2018, that various regulatory agencies had terminated similar orders at four of the Corporation's other banking subsidiaries.

16:34 EDT United Continental sees Q1 consolidated capacity growth 5%-6% y/y - Sees Q1: Adjusted pre-tax margin 2.5%-4.5%; consolidated PRASM growth 0%-3% y/y; consolidated adjusted CASM "better" to 0%; average aircraft fuel price per gallon $2.00-$2.05; effective income tax rate 21%-23%. Guidance from investor update presentation.

16:32 EDT Kaiser Aluminum increases quarterly dividend 9% to 60c per share - Kaiser Aluminum announced that its board has declared a quarterly cash dividend of 60c per share representing a 9% increase over the prior quarter's dividend. The dividend will be payable on February 15 to shareholders of record as of the close of business on January 25.

16:28 EDT Barnes & Noble's VP of Stores Carl Hauch leaving - On January 9, Carl Hauch announced his intention to resign as Vice President of Stores and a Member of the Office of the Chief Executive Officer of Barnes & Noble, effective January 18. Hauch is leaving to become CEO of a major retail food group. Allen Lindstrom remains CFO and a Member of the Office of the Chief Executive Officer and Tim Mantel remains Chief Merchandising Officer and a Member of the Office of the Chief Executive Officer.

16:23 EDT Mirati Therapeutics doses first patient in Phase 1/2 MRTX849 clinical trial - Mirati Therapeutics announced that it has dosed the first patient in a Phase 1/2 clinical trial of MRTX849, an investigational KRAS G12C inhibitor for patients with advanced solid tumors that harbor KRAS G12C mutations. Mirati's Phase 1/2 clinical trial will evaluate MRTX849 as a single agent in patients with advanced solid tumors that harbor KRAS G12C mutations. The Phase 1 dose escalation phase of the trial will assess the safety, tolerability, pharmacokinetics and preliminary anti-tumor activity of MRTX849 in patients with molecularly-identified KRAS G12C-positive advanced solid tumors. A dose expansion phase is planned to follow the selection of a recommended Phase 2 dose.

16:21 EDT Uniti Group announces strategic deals involving leasing and fiber business unit - Uniti Group (UNIT) announced strategic transactions involving its leasing and fiber business units. Kenny Gunderman, President and Chief Executive Officer of Uniti, commented, "We are excited about the announcement of these strategic transactions. We believe they will create value for our investors and sharpen our strategic focus." Uniti has entered into an OpCo-PropCo partnership with Macquarie Infrastructure Partners to acquire Bluebird Network. MIP operates within the Macquarie Infrastructure and Real Assets) division of Macquarie Group (MQBKY). Bluebird's network consists of approximately 178,000 fiber strand miles in the Midwest across Missouri, Kansas, Illinois, and Oklahoma. In the transaction, Uniti has agreed to purchase the Bluebird fiber network and MIP has agreed to purchase the Bluebird operations. In addition, Uniti has agreed to sell Uniti Fiber's Midwest operations to MIP, while Uniti will retain its existing Midwest fiber network. Concurrently with the closing of these transactions, Uniti will lease the Bluebird fiber network and its Midwest fiber network, on a combined basis, to MIP under a long-term triple net lease. The initial lease term will be 20 years with multiple renewal options at MIP's discretion. Initial annual cash rent will be approximately $20.3 million representing an initial cash yield of 9.6%.Uniti is acquiring the fiber network of Bluebird for $319 million, of which $175 million will be funded by Uniti in cash and $144 million from pre-paid rent to be received from MIP at closing. As mentioned earlier, MIP has agreed to purchase the Bluebird operations for an undisclosed purchase price. In connection with the sale of the Company's Midwest operations, Uniti will receive total upfront cash of approximately $37 million, including related prepaid rent to be received from MIP at closing. The transactions are subject to regulatory and other customary closing conditions, and are expected to close by the end of the third quarter of 2019.

16:19 EDT Hanover Insurance expects catastrophe activity to impact Q4 results by $50M - The Hanover Insurance Group estimated catastrophe activity would impact Q4 operating results by approximately $50M before taxes, or 4.6% of net premiums earned, compared to its Q4 catastrophe assumption of 3.6%. Catastrophe losses in the quarter stemmed primarily from the Camp and Woolsey wildfires in California, as well as Hurricane Michael. Additionally, the company's Q4 results will be impacted by higher than expected current accident year losses, driven by elevated property activity, partly due to large losses and non-catastrophe weather, as well as increases in auto bodily injury loss severity. Taking these factors into account, the company expects its fourth quarter combined ratio to be in the range of 97.4%-97.8%. This would bring its full year combined ratio to approximately 96.2%, and 91.0%, excluding catastrophes. Updated loss estimates will be reflected in The Hanover's Q4 financial results, expected to be announced after the market closes on Wednesday, January 30.

16:16 EDT HyreCar names Grace Mellis chairman of the board - HyreCar announced that the board of directors has appointed Grace Mellis as chairman of the board of directors, effective January 9, 2019. Mellis, a current member of the HyreCar Board and chair of its audit committee, will succeed Anshu Bansal who stepped down from the board to pursue a new start up opportunity.

16:12 EDT Eagle Asset Management takes 5.35% passive stake in Kura Oncology - Eagle Asset Management disclosed a 5.35% passive stake in Kura Oncology. The stake represents over 2.0M shares. The filing with the SEC does not allow for activism.

16:08 EDT Frontline increases ownership interest in Feen Marine Scrubbers - Frontline Ltd. announced that its ownership interest in Feen Marine Scrubbers has increased to 28.9% following the purchase by FMSI of a 30.8% stake in FMSI from Bjornar Feen.

16:07 EDT Auburn National Bancorporation authorizes $5M stock repurchase program - Auburn National Bancorporation announced that the company's board has approved a stock repurchase program. The program authorizes the repurchase, from time to time, of up to $5M of the company's issued and outstanding common stock through March 2020. The stock repurchases may be open-market or private purchases, negotiated transactions, block purchases, and otherwise.

16:06 EDT NBT Bancorp reports Shauna Hyle promoted to EVP Consumer Lending - NBT Bancorp President and CEO John H. Watt, Jr. announced today that Shauna Hyle has been promoted to Executive Vice President, Consumer Lending. "I am pleased to announce the promotion of Shauna Hyle to Executive Vice President and to share that she is now a member of NBT's Executive Management Team," said Watt. "Shauna is a dynamic leader who has held key leadership positions in our company. I look forward to her ongoing contributions to our success as we continue to digitize and enhance the consumer experience at NBT."Hyle has been with NBT since 2008. She advanced to her current position as Consumer Lending Executive in June 2017. Hyle held the role of Senior Vice President and Chief Risk Officer from 2013 to 2017. Prior to that, she was Corporate Controller and managed NBT's accounting and finance function.

16:00 EDT Electronics for Imaging trading halted, news pending

15:45 EDT Eagle Asset Management reports 7.8% passive stake in Bloom Energy - In a regulatory filing, Eagle Asset Management disclosed a 7.8% stake in Bloom Energy, which represents 1.63M shares. The filing does not allow for activism.

13:36 EDT Newmark mentioned positively at Oxford Club

13:11 EDT Cooper says Q4 U.S. volume growth offset by declines in other regions - Cooper Tire, in presentation slides at Deutsche Bank's conference, said unit volume growth in the U.S. in Q4 is expected to be offset by continued volume declines in its other regions. The raw material index projected to be ~10% higher in Q4 versus the prior year, the company said. Further, its operating margin in Q4 is to be close to what we achieved in Q3, excluding the benefit from lower product liability costs.

12:40 EDT Santander will not proceed with appointment of Andrea Orcel as CEO - Banco Santander announces that its board of directors, at the proposal of the appointments and the remunerations committees, resolved in a meeting held today not to proceed with the planned appointment of Andrea Orcel as Chief Executive Officer. "This decision is due to the change, after the discussions held, of the basis upon which the Board initially decided to appoint Mr. Orcel and the fact that the costs of compensating him for past remuneration cannot exceed those corresponding to the original understanding," the company said in a statement. Jose Antonio Alvarez Alvarez will continue in the role of CEO of Santander Group and shall also serve as Vice Chairman of Banco Santander, and shall not serve as Chairman of Santander Espana, the company added. Further, Rodrigo Echenique Gordillo, who is due to retire from his current role as Chairman of Santander Spain in March, will remain until a successor is named, and shall continue to be Vice Chairman of Banco Santander.

12:16 EDT First Busey raises quarterly dividend 5% to 21c per share - On January 15, the board of directors of First Busey declared a quarterly cash dividend of 21c per share on the company's common stock, which represents a 5% increase from the previous quarterly dividend of 20c per share. The dividend will be paid on February 1, to shareholders of record as of January 25.

12:08 EDT VirnetX says U.S. Court of Appeals affirms judgement against Apple - VirnetX Holding Corporation (VHC) announced that the United States Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit entered a unanimous Rule 36 order in the Federal Circuit case 2018-1197 titled "Appeal from the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Texas in No. 6:10-cv-00417-RWS, Judge Robert Schroeder, III" affirming the judgement issued by the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Texas in this case. The original District court judgement awarded the Company a total of $439.8M including jury verdict, willful infringement, interest, costs and attorney fees, following the previously disclosed jury trial and verdict in the amount of $302.4M

12:04 EDT American Express reports December net write-off rate 2.2% vs. 2.0% last month - Reports December 30-plus day delinquencies 1.4% vs. 1.4% last month.

12:03 EDT Argenx granted orphan status for acute myeloid leukemia treatment - The FDA granted Argenx orphan status for cusatuzumab, its treatment of acute myeloid leukemia, according to a post on the agency's website. Reference Link

12:00 EDT First Majestic falls -10.1% - First Majestic is down -10.1%, or -60c to $5.38.

12:00 EDT PG&E falls -17.7% - PG&E is down -17.7%, or -$1.48 to $6.90.

12:00 EDT Jianpu Technology rises 8.2% - Jianpu Technology is up 8.2%, or 41c to $5.42.

11:48 EDT Raytheon awarded $59M contract supporting Reaper MQ-9 UAV - Raytheon was awarded the following two contracts as announced by the Department of Defense on December 21. Raytheon Corp., McKinney, Texas, was awarded a $59,211,905 cost-plus fixed-fee and firm-fixed- price contract for Reaper MQ-9 sensors contractor logistics support. This contract provides for program management, contractor-filed service-representative support, depot repair, depot maintenance, sustaining engineering support, supply and logistics support, configuration management, tech data maintenance, software maintenance, inventory control point, and warehouse support for the MQ-9 sensors. Fiscal 2019 operations and maintenance funds are being obligated in the amount of $37,779,873 at the time of award. Air Force Life Cycle Management Center, Robins Air Force Base, Georgia, is the contracting activity.

11:31 EDT Facebook confirms plans to invest $300M in local news - Campbell Brown, VP, Global News Partnerships at Facebook, confirmed in a blog post: "Last year, we worked to better understand what kind of news people want to see on Facebook. We've also asked our partners in the news industry how we can better work with them to make a real impact. We heard one consistent answer: people want more local news, and local newsrooms are looking for more support. That's why today we're announcing an expanded effort around local news in the years ahead... Over the next three years, we will invest $300M in news programs, partnerships and content. Among the components: a $5 million endowment gift to launch "Bringing Stories Home," a gift that will provide local newsrooms across the country with reporting grants to foster coverage on topics that affect local communities. a $2M investment in the initiative to place 1,000 journalists in local newsrooms across America over the next five years. a $1M investment in this fund will be dedicated to a news innovation and technology hub that is being created to help evaluate and improve how technology is used in U.S. newsrooms for newsgathering, product development and sustainable business models. a $1M investment across the two organizations to help more than 2,000 local member newsrooms better understand, develop and implement revenue streams through branded content both on and off Facebook." Brown says Facebook is also expanding its Accelerator pilot, which launched in the United States in 2018 to help local newsrooms with subscription and membership models. "This year, we'll commit over $20M to continue the local Accelerator in the United States and to expand the model globally, including in Europe." Reference Link

11:24 EDT Goodyear Tire says factors to adversely affect FY18 net income

11:23 EDT Goodyear Tire sees Q4 tire volumes down approximately 3% - On January 15 and 16, 2019, representatives of The Goodyear Tire & Rubber Company will present at conferences hosted in conjunction with the Detroit Auto Show and will provide an update on the company's preliminary 2018 performance. As part of those presentations, the company will announce that fourth quarter of 2018 tire unit volumes declined by approximately 3% due to (1) continued weakening of the OE environment in China and India, (2) declines in the winter tire market in Europe late in the quarter, and (3) supply constraints on volume for high-value-added consumer and commercial truck tires in the United States. Price/mix was positive during the fourth quarter of 2018 but was less than anticipated due to weaker mix, partially as a result of the supply constraints referred to above. In addition, earnings fell in other tire-related businesses, including with respect to the company's U.S. chemical operations. As a result of these factors, for the full year of 2018, Goodyear net income is expected to be adversely affected and the company's total segment operating income is expected to be slightly below the company's previous guidance of approximately $1.3 billion.

11:09 EDT USPTO institutes trials in Apple, Intel challenges of Qualcomm patents - The United States Patent and Trademark Office will institute trials to consider challenges of patents held by Qualcomm (QCOM) that were logged by Apple (AAPL) and Intel (INTC), according to notices posted to the USPTO website. Intel and Apple requested inter partes reviews of Qualcomm patent claims and the USPTO's Patent Trial and Appeal Board, or PTAB, determined "there is a reasonable likelihood that [the petitioners] would prevail in establishing the unpatentability of at least one challenged claim," according to a document announcing the initiation of a trial.

11:02 EDT Raytheon signs mentoring agreement with Phoenix Products - Raytheon Company and Kentucky-based Phoenix Products, Inc. signed a U.S. Department of Defense Mentor-Protege agreement to produce Naval Strike Missile, or NSM, transport containers under a $1.6M U.S. Navy contract.

10:59 EDT Wells Fargo CEO says utility exposure 'absolutely manageable'

10:53 EDT Wells Fargo looking for signs of being in late cycle - Says not seeing evidence of significant increase in delinquencies.

10:39 EDT Groups demand tech giants not sell face surveillance technology to government - A coalition of over 85 racial justice, faith, and civil, human, and immigrants' rights groups sent letters to Microsoft (MSFT), Amazon (AMZN), and Google (GOOG, GOOGL) demanding the companies commit not to sell face surveillance technology to the government, the American Civil Liberties Union announced. "The coalition makes it clear to each company that a decision to provide face surveillance technology to the government threatens the safety of community members and will also undermine public trust in its business," the ACLU says. Reference Link

10:33 EDT Wells Fargo says having 'continued,' 'frequent' dialogue with the Fed

10:24 EDT Wells Fargo hasn't seen significant capacity being removed from mortgage market

10:19 EDT Wells Fargo: Wholesale banking pipeline suggests continued C&I growth in 2019

10:15 EDT Delta Air Lines says Brazil remains challenging - President Glen Hauenstein says Latin region returned to positive revenue growth in December quarter. Says optimistic about domestic demand for March quarter. Says domestic capacity growth is moderating compared to 2018. Says Brazil remains challenging, expects Brazil to become RASM-contributor as year progresses.Says seen leisure and corporate impacts due to French unrest. Says confident in 4%-6% revenue growth in 2019.

10:09 EDT Delta Air Lines seeing pressure from government shutdown - CEO Ed Bastian says fuel prices now sit almost exactly where they were last year and should position company well for the future. Says expects similar level of growth in China as last quarter. Says seeing pressure from government shutdown. Says Airbus A220 start date is likely to be pushed back. Says Delta is well-positioned for success in 2019. Comments taken from Q4 earnings conference call.

10:05 EDT Take-Two's 2K, NBA, NBPA announce long-term partnership expansion - The National Basketball Association, National Basketball Players Association and 2K, a wholly-owned label of Take-Two Interactive Software and publisher of the global basketball video game NBA 2K, announced a significant, multiyear global partnership extension. The agreement expands upon the success of NBA 2K, the NBA video game simulation series that has sold-in more than 86 million units worldwide. Other facets of the partnership include NBA 2K Online and NBA 2K Online 2, which together have 40 million registered users and is the #1 PC online sports game in China. In addition, 2K recently published NBA 2K Playgrounds 2, NBA 2K Mobile, and the launched the groundbreaking NBA 2K League in May 2018.

10:00 EDT Britannia Bulk falls -7.7% - Britannia Bulk is down -7.7%, or -88c to $10.55.

10:00 EDT PG&E falls -28.2% - PG&E is down -28.2%, or -$2.36 to $6.02.

10:00 EDT First Republic rises 8.1% - First Republic is up 8.1%, or $6.85 to $91.19.

09:52 EDT Phunware Inc trading resumes

09:47 EDT Sherwin-Williams falls -5.3% - Sherwin-Williams is down -5.3%, or -$20.91 to $376.89.

09:47 EDT PG&E falls -27.0% - PG&E is down -27.0%, or -$2.26 to $6.12.

09:47 EDT Frontline rises 5.8% - Frontline is up 5.8%, or 32c to $5.80.

09:45 EDT PG&E trading resumes

09:40 EDT PG&E trading halted, volatility trading pause

09:34 EDT Uxin reported December total transaction volume up 44% year-over-year - Uxin Limited yesterday morning disclosed that its total transaction volume across all businesses in December is estimated to exceed 100,000 units, representing approximately 44% growth from December 2017, and the 2C cross-regional transaction volume is estimated to exceed 10,000 units, which was more than 75 times higher than that of the same period in 2017. It explained, "The Company believes that the significant volume of the cross-regional transactions demonstrates the effectiveness of Uxin's transparent transaction process and consumer protection policies, which enables more consumers to make their purchasing decisions online. Uxin's unique value propositions to China's used car buyers in turn provide the Company with additional monetization opportunities, including differentiated pricing mechanisms and potential to attach more value-added services."

09:30 EDT Bank of America reports December card write-offs 2.63% vs. 2.68% last month - Reports December 30-plus day delinquencies 1.68% vs. 1.69% last month.

09:18 EDT Genius Brands issues letter to shareholders - The letter said, "We have just received the Nielsen ratings for our latest premiere episode (Sunday, Jan. 6) of Rainbow Rangers on Nick Jr., which generated our highest premiere episode rating to date with 455,000 viewers... Our best-in-class licensees are producing over 300 royalty-generating Rainbow Rangers' products poised to enter the retail marketplace by the end of the year."

09:15 EDT Norwegian Cruise Line orders new ship for Regent Seven Seas Cruises - Norwegian Cruise Line announced an order for a new ship for Regent Seven Seas Cruises. The new vessel will be a sister ship to Seven Seas Explorer and Seven Seas Splendor. The ship will be designed and built by Fincantieri for delivery in late 2023. Accommodating up to 750 guests, the new ship will be the brand's sixth-all-suite vessel. Details regarding her itineraries, accommodations, dining venues, amenities and onboard experiences will be revealed leading up to her 2023 debut. Voyages for the ship's inaugural season will go on sale in 2021.

09:08 EDT Altair subsidary announces agreement with Highlights magazine - WEYV, an Altair company, announced it will offer content from Highlights children's magazines. WEYV now offers three Highlights magazines and more than 200 e-books will also be included in the app. The new e-book additions are digital stories crafted from pieces from Highlights magazines. The read with Highlights collection is full of stories that encourage learning and reading.

09:06 EDT Fly Intel: Pre-market Movers - HIGHER: Dave & Busters (PLAY), up 7% after after raising FY18 guidance... Array Biopharma (ARRY), up 5% after announcing safety and efficacy data from BEACON CRC trial... Box (BOX), up 3% after being upgraded to Buy from Neutral at Rosenblatt. UP AFTER EARNINGS: First Republic (FRC), up 2.5%. DOWN AFTER EARNINGS: JPMorgan (JPM), down 3%... Wells Fargo (WFC), down 1%... Synovus (SNV), down 1%... Delta Air Lines (DAL), down 2%. LOWER: Tilray (TLRY), down 4% ahead of its initial public offering lock-up expiration... Sherwin-Williams (SHW), down 6% after lowering its FY18 adjusted EPS view... Alnylam (ALNY), down 7% after its 5M share spot secondary offering priced at $77.50 per share... Atlassian (TEAM), down 2.5% after Morgan Stanley analyst Keith Weiss downgraded the stock to Underweight from Equal Weight, advising investors "keep in mind" that the company is still being built and invested into, which makes inflections in revenue growth rates or significant margin improvements unlikely in the near-term, in his view.

09:03 EDT Heidrick & Struggles announces exclusive collaboration with BTG - Heidrick & Struggles announced an exclusive collaboration with Business Talent Group, or BTG, the leading high-end marketplace for on-demand independent talent. With this agreement, Heidrick & Struggles will offer its clients seamless access to BTG's pool of top independent business professionals - on demand - for critical, project-based assignments.

09:03 EDT JPMorgan says expects to continue to deliver positive operating leverage in 2019

09:02 EDT Viamedia selects ComScore as exclusive TV currency in its markets - Viamedia announced that Comscore, a trusted currency for planning, transacting and evaluating media across platforms, will be the exclusive TV currency in 72 of its 73 Viamedia's markets. With more than a decade of experience measuring television viewership from return path devices across tens of millions of households in all 210 local markets, Comscore is one of the industry's most trusted sources for television viewing data.

09:00 EDT JPMorgan CFO says not looking for meaningful pullback in credit card rewards

08:53 EDT JPMorgan CFO says markets feel 'calmer, more positive' so far in Q1 - Says so far sees normal seasonal strength in Q1.

08:51 EDT JPMorgan CFO says 'constructive' on outlook for 2019

08:43 EDT Walgreens Boots Alliance, Microsoft establish strategic partnership - Walgreens Boots Alliance (WBA) and Microsoft (MSFT) have joined forces to develop new health care delivery models, technology and retail innovations to advance and improve the future of health care. The companies will combine the power of Microsoft Azure, Microsoft's cloud and AI platform, health care investments, and new retail solutions with WBA's customer reach, convenient locations, outpatient health care services and industry expertise to make health care delivery more personal, affordable and accessible for people around the world. As part of the strategic partnership, the companies have committed to a multiyear research and development investment to build health care solutions, improve health outcomes and lower the cost of care. This investment will include funding, subject-matter experts, technology and tools. The companies will also explore the potential to establish joint innovation centers in key markets. Additionally, in 2019 WBA will pilot up to 12 store-in-store "digital health corners" aimed at the merchandising and sale of select health care-related hardware and devices.

08:38 EDT Menlo Therapeutics receives FDA breakthrough therapy designation for serlopitant - Menlo Therapeutics announced that the FDA has granted breakthrough therapy designation for serlopitant for the treatment of pruritus associated with prurigo nodularis, or PN. Menlo is currently enrolling patients in two Phase 3 clinical trials to evaluate serlopitant as a treatment for pruritus associated with prurigo nodularis. Data from each trial is expected by Q1 of 2020.

08:37 EDT Immersion, Seoyon sign license agreement for haptic technology - Immersion Corporation announced that it has signed a license agreement with Seoyon Electronics, an international supplier of automotive systems and products. The agreement provides Seoyon with access to Immersion's patented haptic technology for use in its in-vehicle touch button panels, touch pads, and rotary switches.

08:35 EDT Westport CEO Nancy Gougarty retires, David Johnson succeeds - Westport announced the appointment of David Johnson as CEO, effective immediately. Nancy Gougarty has decided to retire as Westport's CEO and is stepping down from the board. Gougarty will support Westport Fuel Systems' leadership team through a transition period. Johnson will join Westport Fuel Systems having served for ten years as president and CEO of Achates Power. Johnson combines technical expertise with a decades-long career in international markets, during which time he led and managed several global vehicle and engine development and commercialization programs. In addition to his role as CEO, Johnson will join the Westport Fuel Systems' board.

08:34 EDT Celanese to acquire synthesis gas production unit from Linde - Celanese (CE) announced the signing of a definitive agreement to acquire a 365 kilo tons per annum synthesis gas production unit from Linde PLC (LIN). The production unit is located at the Celanese Clear Lake acetyl intermediates manufacturing facility located in Pasadena, Texas. Syngas can be produced from many sources, including natural gas, coal, biomass, or virtually any hydrocarbon feedstock, by reaction with steam or oxygen. Syngas is a crucial intermediate resource for the production of acetic acid, hydrogen, ammonia, methanol, and synthetic hydrocarbon fuels. Celanese Corporation and Linde PLC expect to complete the transaction pending customary closing conditions and regulatory approvals. Financial details of the deal are not being disclosed at this time.

08:33 EDT Fusion awarded $1.2M cloud solutions contract - Fusion announced that it has secured a $1.2M, three year cloud solutions contract with a rapidly growing healthy lifestyle food brand. The brand, which plans to triple in size from its current 90 locations within the next few years, cited Fusion's unique ability to customize the highly specialized communications and network solutions needed to meet the brand's demanding requirements for service and quality, as well as to support its ambitious growth plans.

08:32 EDT Houghton Mifflin acquires adaptive learning solution Waggle - Houghton Mifflin Harcourt announced that it has acquired award-winning adaptive learning solution Waggle. Integrating Waggle's platform with HMH's leading core curriculum programs and services will create effective, classroom-based personalized learning experiences for all students across the spectrum of learning needs-those above, on and below grade level. The acquisition continues HMH's investment in the extension of its core solutions. Waggle's web-based adaptive learning platform provides differentiated Math and ELA instruction for students in grades 2-8. Waggle's employees, including CEO Aoife Dempsey, will join the HMH team effective immediately.

08:28 EDT Krystal Biotech announces construction of Pittsburgh GMP facility is complete - Krystal Biotech announced that construction of Ancoris, a new good manufacturing practice, or GMP, facility, is complete. The new facility is located near the company's headquarters in Pittsburgh and will support clinical and commercial manufacturing of Krystal's lead product candidate, KB103, for the treatment of dystrophic epidermolysis bullosa, or DEB. The facility will be officially open in Q1 following completion of the first engineering run. The 4,500 square foot facility has been designed to satisfy the necessary manufacturing requirements for commercial development of KB103 and the highest current GMP standards governing commercial production for biopharmaceutical use. The Ancoris facility will be the primary production site to meet projected commercial demand for KB103. In addition, a second phase of the manufacturing strategy has been initiated with plans to build a second, larger GMP manufacturing facility in Pittsburgh that will support the anticipated commercial demand for future developmental pipeline programs. The second facility is anticipated to be complete in 2020.

08:24 EDT AxoGen announces RECON study reaches enrollment milestone - AxoGen announced that the RECON study supporting its Biologic License Application, or BLA, submission for Avance Nerve Graft has reached its current enrollment milestone of 170 subjects. RECON is AxoGen's phase three pivotal study comparing Avance Nerve Graft to manufactured conduits. The study requires a one year follow up period for all subjects and is designed to assess return of sensation in digital nerve injuries, quality of life outcomes, and subject satisfaction. The FDA-approved statistical analysis plan was designed with an interim blinded analysis to provide a safeguard for the assumptions used in the design of the protocol. It is possible to increase the study sample size to maintain the original power of the study in the event the pooled variance of the standard deviation, a key statistical assumption in the power analysis, is not consistent with the original assumptions. This interim analysis is designed to protect the validity and integrity of the study. AxoGen has submitted the interim analysis to the FDA for review with the intention of obtaining agreement on next steps, which could include continuing study enrollment. The company will provide further updates upon completion of the review, the timing of which is uncertain based upon near-term funding issues faced by the FDA.

08:16 EDT MagneGas announces $1M in sales for December - MagneGas announced that the company generated sales of $1M for the month of December, as compared to $320,000 in December 2017, representing a 212% increase. The sales growth was primarily a result of MagneGas' expansion into California, Texas and Louisiana through six acquisitions it made in 2018. Overall, December is historically the slowest sales month for MagneGas, impacted primarily due to the holiday season. Given both Christmas and New Years' holidays occurred mid-week in 2018, MagneGas lost 3 out of 23 business days to observe those holidays for its employees during the month. Despite the expected seasonal slowdown, sales from MagneGas' California operations were most resilient in December at a combined $450,000 across the state's branches, which only represented a decrease of 8.5% from November. In Texas and Louisiana, sales were $320,000 for the month, which was at the second highest sales level recorded for this market under MagneGas management. Sales were in part impacted during the consolidation of the two Shreveport locations, which will be fully-consolidated into one location in early 2019. Sales in Florida were $240,000. The Lutz location continues to show steady growth, as this branch is effectively penetrating the Tampa market from the north, as well as gaining access to large utility power client opportunities in the county.

08:14 EDT JPMorgan sees Q1 NII approximately flat q/q - In slides being presented ahead of its Q4 earnings conference call, JPMorgan forecast Q1 NII approximately flat q/q, market dependent. The firm sees Q1 expense up mid-single digits y/y.

08:12 EDT BLR and Josh Schechter to vote against Medley Capital combination with Sierra - BLR Partners and Josh Schechter own in excess of 2% of Medley Capital and intend to vote against the proposed combination transaction with Sierra Income and Medley Management. Our objections to the transaction are substantially similar to those voiced by three other shareholders already have publicly stated the same intention while providing a long list of justifications for their decision. Inexplicably, the four "independent directors" Arthur Ainsberg, Karin Hirtler-Garvey, Mark Lerdal and John E. Mack have approved a transaction that we believe facially is not in the best interests of shareholders, that transfers significant value to hopelessly conflicted insiders and that represents a complete abdication of their fiduciary duty to protect the interests of shareholders generally.

08:09 EDT Travelers enters partnership with ASQ Underwriting - Travelers announced it has partnered with ASQ Underwriting, a managing general underwriter, to offer transactional risk insurance in the United States, as strategic and private equity investors increasingly turn to insurance to mitigate deal risk and compete for acquisition opportunities. Under the agreement, ASQ Underwriting will underwrite transactional risk policies for Travelers, with an initial gross capacity of $50 million per transaction. Travelers will manage the claims process in close coordination with ASQ Underwriting.

08:08 EDT Fat Brands announces co-branded location in Dubai - FAT Brands announced its newest international opening in Dubai. This co-branded Fatburger and Buffalo's Express location, found within the food court of the Dubai Mall, officially opened its doors late December marking the second location for the brands in United Arab Emirates.

08:07 EDT Landmark Infrastructure announces exclusive agreement with Lancaster, California - Landmark Infrastructure announced an exclusive agreement with the city of Lancaster, California to develop and deploy Landmark's FlexGrid Ecosystem solution on city-owned properties. Lancaster will be the first city in the nation to deploy this technology. The Landmark FlexGrid Ecosystem solution for the City of Lancaster is a multi-faceted environment of energy and communications technologies which will be smart-enabled infrastructure. The Landmark deployment will include macro and small cell neutral-host colocation options, LED smart street lighting, fiber-ready backhaul and wi-fi access, as well as providing added cellular coverage for residents. Additionally, Lancaster will serve as a testing ground for new technologies including IoT sensor data and video monitoring.

08:06 EDT Bsquare Corp, Amazon Web Services announce collaboration - Bsquare Corporation (BSQR) announced it is collaborating with Amazon Web Services (AMZN) to meet the increasing demand for IIoT solutions. Bsquare has selected AWS as its preferred cloud services provider and is leveraging AWS to expand new offerings around DataV, a suite of edge-to-cloud IoT services and software designed to improve uptime, manageability, and performance of enterprise assets.

08:05 EDT ABM awarded contract with Georgia school district - ABM was recently awarded a contract to provide custodial services for Cherokee County School District's 42 schools and ancillary facilities. Located in the northern suburbs of metro Atlanta, the ABM Education team is providing day and night custodial services for the school district's 5.1M square feet of space that 4,800 teachers and staff and 42,000+ students use throughout the year.

08:03 EDT Ford, Volkswagen committed to exploring potential collaboration on EVs, AVs

08:03 EDT CVS Health: Walmart opts to leave CVS Caremark PBM retail pharmacy networks - CVS Health (CVS) announced that Walmart (WMT) has opted to leave the CVS Caremark pharmacy benefit management commercial and Managed Medicaid retail pharmacy networks. Such a transition must place patient care as the highest priority and, as such, CVS Caremark has requested that Walmart continue to fill prescriptions as an in network participating pharmacy through April 30, 2019. This transition does not impact Walmart's participation in the CVS Caremark Medicare Part D pharmacy network. In addition, Walmart's Sam's Club division remains in the CVS Caremark pharmacy networks. Walmart's termination from the CVS Caremark commercial and Managed Medicaid retail pharmacy networks is not expected to have a material impact on the financial results of the company in 2019. "At a time when everyone is working hard to find ways to reduce health care costs, Walmart's requested rates would ultimately result in higher costs for our clients and consumers," said Derica Rice, President, CVS Caremark, the pharmacy benefit management business of CVS Health. "While we have enjoyed a long relationship with Walmart as a low cost provider in our broad national networks, based on our commitment to helping our clients and consumers manage rising pharmacy costs, we simply could not agree to their recent demands for an increase in reimbursement."

08:02 EDT F, Volkswagen alliance does not involve cross-ownership between companies

08:01 EDT Ford, Volkswagen launch global alliance

07:46 EDT Sinclair Broadcast signs lease agreement with LiveU - Sinclair Broadcast Group recently signed a multi-year lease agreement with LiveU that upgrades its fleet of hundreds of portable transmission units to LU600 HEVC for its newsgathering operations, ensuring the media company always has the latest bonded IP technology. The agreement immediately upgrades Sinclair stations spanning 80 production locations in the US to LiveU's flagship model of HEVC field units featuring higher efficiencies, greater stability, increased reliability and the best video quality in low bandwidth situations.

07:37 EDT Blue Apron to reaffirm confidence in achieving profitability in Q1, FY19 - Blue Apron Holdings announced that it will release its fourth quarter and fiscal year 2018 financial results prior to the opening of the U.S. financial markets on Thursday, January 31, 2019. Based on its current view of the business, Blue Apron plans to reaffirm confidence in achieving profitability on an adjusted EBITDA basis both in Q1 and for FY19 as it actively pursues the appropriate strategies to create value for its stakeholders.

07:32 EDT Zoox names Intel's Chief Strategy Officer Aicha Evans as CEO - Autonomous mobility developer Zoox announced that Aicha Evans, former Senior Vice President and Chief Strategy Officer at Intel Corporation, will join Zoox as its CEO and a member of its Board of Directors starting February 26. Evans comes to Zoox after spending 12 years at Intel, where she most recently served as the Chief Strategy Officer and oversaw Intel's transformation from a PC-centric to a data-centric company.

07:28 EDT Voyager Therapeutics appoints Omar Khwaja as CMO - Voyager Therapeutics (VYGR) announced the appointment of Omar Khwaja as CMO. Khwaja's background includes research, translational and clinical therapeutic development experience in neuroscience, neurogenetics and rare disease in both industry and academic roles. Khwaja is joining Voyager from F. Hoffmann-La Roche where he most recently served as global head of neuroscience translational medicine and global head of rare diseases. During his seven years at Roche (RHHBY), Khwaja established an integrated discovery and development rare disease unit with clinical development in neuroscience. Within these groups, Khwaja led the initiation of Roche's first clinical programs in gene therapy and delivered into pivotal trials multiple programs across various therapeutic modalities and indications including spinal muscular atrophy and Huntington's disease.

07:22 EDT Mechel extends coke export contract with Turkey's Kardemir - Mechel reported prolonging its agreement on coke supplies to Turkey's steelmaking holding Kardemir. According to the agreement, from January to December Mechel will supply the Turkish company with 200,000 tonnes of metallurgical coke produced at Moscow Coke and Gas Plant. Compared to the previous deal, the amount of supplies to Kardemir will go up by nearly 70%. Coke will be shipped via Port Mechel Temryuk in Russia's Krasnodar Region. The price will be determined on quarterly basis following negotiations.

07:12 EDT Delta Air Lines reports Q4 adjusted TRASM up 3.2% - Delta's adjusted operating revenue of $10.7B for the December quarter improved 7.5%, or $747M versus the prior year. Total unit revenues excluding refinery sales (TRASM, adjusted) increased 3.2% during the period driven by healthy leisure and corporate demand offsetting an approximately 0.5 point headwind from unfavorable foreign exchange rates.

07:11 EDT Dana says backlog "remains strong" - Dana's three-year sales backlog remains strong with $700M of incremental sales expected from 2019 through 2021. This includes $350M in incremental new business in 2019, an increase of $50M compared with the prior three-year backlog.

07:09 EDT Delta Air Lines sees Q1 pre-tax margin 6.5%-8.5% - Sees Q1 fuel price, including taxes, settled hedges and refinery impact $1.95-$2.05.

07:04 EDT BMC Stock Holdings acquires Barefoot & Company - BMC Stock Holdings announced that it has acquired Barefoot & Company, a provider of windows, exterior doors, hardware, specialty products and installation services to homebuilders in the Charlotte, North Carolina metropolitan area. Founded by Bob Barefoot in 1971, Barefoot generated $52M in net sales for FY18. With a base of homebuilder customers, Barefoot is a supplier and installer of specialty products in the Charlotte area, including windows, exterior doors, door hardware, locks, shower doors, mirrors, specialty glass, closet systems, bath accessories, blinds, shades and shutters.

07:04 EDT Seres Therapeutics appoints Eric Shaff as CEO succeeding Roger Pomerantz - Seres Therapeutics announced the appointment of Eric Shaff as president and CEO. Shaff, who is currently chief operating and financial officer, succeeds Roger Pomerantz, M.D. Shaff has also joined Seres' Board of Directors and will continue to serve as Seres' principal financial officer on an interim basis. Pomerantz will continue as chairman of Seres' Board of Directors. Shaff has served as Seres' CFO, EVP and treasurer since November 2014, and in January 2018, he was appointed to the additional role of COO.

07:03 EDT Delta Air Lines sees Q1 adjusted TRASM flat to up 2% y/y - Sees Q1 CASM ex-fuel and profit sharing up 1%-2% y/y. Sees Q1 system capacity up ~4% y/y.

06:57 EDT TransEnterix receives FDA 510 clearance for its SenhanceUltrasonic System - TransEnterix announced the Company received FDA 510 clearance for its SenhanceUltrasonic System. Advanced energy devices, including ultrasonic devices, represent some of the most versatile and critical tools for surgeons in minimally invasive surgery. The Company's Senhance Ultrasonic System is now available in the U.S., as well as all countries that accept a CE Mark.

06:55 EDT JPMorgan reports Q4 average core loans ex-CIB, up 6% YoY and 1% QoQ

06:52 EDT JPMorgan CEO says '2018 was another strong year' - Jamie Dimon, Chairman and CEO, commented on the financial results: "2018 was another strong year for JPMorgan Chase, with the Firm generating record revenue and net income, even without the impact of tax reform. Each line of business grew revenue and net income for the year, while continuing to make significant investments in products, people and technology, demonstrating the power of the platform. We grew core loans 7%, in-line with our expectations, while maintaining credit discipline and a fortress balance sheet with significant capital and liquidity." Dimon added: "Our customer-centric business model has benefited from a healthy and engaged U.S. consumer that is spending, saving and investing. We continue to outpace the industry in consumer deposit growth, albeit slower, and client investment assets increased for the year on record net new money flows. Credit and debit sales volume, as well as merchant processing volume, were all up double digits. Despite a challenging quarter, we grew Markets revenue in the Investment Bank for the year with record performance in Equities and solid performance in Fixed Income. Investment Banking fees were a record for the year, driven by strength in both CIB and Commercial Banking. Asset & Wealth Management delivered strong banking results and continued its string of annual net long-term inflows, even as volatility and lower market levels impacted fourth quarter results." Dimon concluded: "In 2018 we accelerated investments in products, services and technology to help our employees, customers and communities. In the fourth quarter we opened Chase branches in new states for the first time in nearly a decade. While it is early days, we're seeing terrific results so far - and this is only the start as we continue to open branches in several new markets in the months and years to come. Our AdvancingCities initiative is supporting job and wage growth in communities that need capital the most. We extended credit and raised capital of $2.5 trillion for U.S. consumers, businesses and institutional clients. As we head into 2019, we urge our country's leaders to strike a collaborative, constructive tone, which would reinforce already-strong consumer and business sentiment. Businesses, government and communities need to work together to solve problems and help strengthen the economy for the benefit of everyone."

06:49 EDT JPMorgan reports Q4 FICC sales & trading revenue $1.86B

06:46 EDT Express confirms that Q4 business performance is within provided guidance - Express confirmed that Q4 to date business performance is tracking within the guidance the Company issued on November 29, 2018. The Company expects to report results for the Q4 and full year periods ending February 2, 2019 during the week of March 11, 2019.

06:38 EDT Plymouth Industrial REIT aquires industrial building in the Chicago area for $5M - Plymouth Industrial REIT announced that it acquired a multi-tenant Class B industrial building in the Chicago area for $5.0M in cash. The acquisition was funded with borrowings on the Company's credit facility and is projected to provide an initial yield of 8.9%. The 73,785-square-foot 44 Tower Road in Burr Ridge, Illinois is leased to World PAC, a leading distributor of automotive parts and a subsidiary of Advance Auto Parts, and Hydra Stop, one of the largest insertion valve and line-stop manufacturers in the world. The property is located in the Southwest Suburbs sub-market and has access to a large labor force in nearby South Cook County.

06:33 EDT Synovus to return $500M to shareholders through 20% increase in dividend - Synovus announced plans to return approximately $500M to common shareholders this year through a 20% dividend increase and additional share repurchases

06:30 EDT Synchrony reports December charge-off rate 4.86% vs. 4.64% last month - Reports December 30-plus day delinquencies 2.87% vs. 2.91% last month.

06:22 EDT Google launching RCS, potential successor to SMS, on Google Fi - Google said in a blog post that it is launching RCS, a potential successor to SMS, on its virtual mobile network Google Fi. "With RCS in Messages, you can do and share more when you message friends, family members, groups, and even businesses who are on RCS. You'll be able to see typing indicators and read receipts, share high-resolution videos, and message over Wi-Fi or data with others that have RCS enabled. RCS will be available on phones designed for Fi and compatible Android phones. If you're using a phone designed for Fi, RCS will be automatically enabled." Reference Link

06:12 EDT IHS Markit CEO says 'confident' in achieving 2019 guidance - "We had a very successful 2018 and delivered strong diversified financial results that were in line with our expectations. Operationally, our teams are performing at a high level, and we are well positioned within each of our end markets, which gives us confidence to achieve our 2019 guidance," said Lance Uggla, chairman and CEO at IHS Markit.

06:04 EDT IHS Markit sees FY19 CapEx approximately 6%-6.5% of revenue - Sees FY19: adjusted effective tax rate of approximately 18%-20%; Free cash flow conversion as a percentage of Adjusted EBITDA in the mid-60's.

06:02 EDT Tilray and ABG sign revenue sharing agreement - Tilray and Authentic Brands Group, or ABG, an owner of a portfolio of global lifestyle and entertainment brands, announced that they have signed a long-term revenue sharing agreement to market and distribute a portfolio of consumer cannabis products within ABG's brand portfolio in jurisdictions where regulations permit. The parties will leverage ABG's portfolio of brands to develop, market and distribute consumer cannabis products across the world, as and where legal, with an immediate focus on opportunities, including CBD, in Canada and the U.S. subject to applicable and brand appropriate regulations. Tilray will be the preferred supplier of active cannabinoid ingredients for such products. Tilray will initially pay to ABG $100M and up to $250M in cash and stock, subject to the achievement of certain commercial and/or regulatory milestones. Tilray will have the right to receive up to 49% of the net revenue from cannabis products bearing ABG brands, with a guaranteed minimum payment of up to $10M annually for 10 years, subject to certain commercial and/or regulatory milestones.

05:55 EDT KBR says Supreme Court ruling reserves KBR legacy legal issue - KBR issued the following statement in response to the Supreme Court decision to deny writ of certiorari in Metzgar v. KBR, preserving key protections for contractors who provide support to the U.S. military in warzones and other unpredictable and dangerous situations: "KBR believes the Supreme Court made the correct decision and we are pleased that this legacy case has reached final resolution.The Fourth Circuit unanimously affirmed the dismissal of this case based on extensive evidence and long established legal principals, confirming that the U.S. military made all the key decisions regarding waste management in the war zone. As KBR has consistently stated, the limited number of burn pits operated by KBR were operated at the direction and under the control of the U.S. military. KBR is proud of our longstanding partnership with the military, delivering mission critical services across the globe."

05:13 EDT Dana announces acquisition of SME Group - Dana announced that it has completed the acquisition of the SME Group, headquartered in Arzignano, Italy. The global SME Group designs, engineers, and manufactures low-voltage AC induction and synchronous reluctance motors, inverters, and controls for a wide range of off-highway electric vehicle applications, including material handling, agriculture, construction, and automated-guided vehicles. The privately held SME Group employs more than 100 people and operates in China, Germany, Canada, and Italy. Dana's electrification capabilities will be further strengthened by the anticipated acquisition of the Drive Systems segment of the Oerlikon group, enabling Dana to provide products for a broad range of hybrid and electric-vehicle configurations. The transaction is expected to close in the first quarter of 2019.