Stockwinners Market Radar for February 14, 2019 - Earnings, Upgrades downgrades, option trades, Best Stock Advisory Service

19:38 EDT Bio-Rad releases first FDA-cleared digital PCR system - Bio-Rad Laboratories announced that its QXDx AutoDG ddPCR System, which uses Bio-Rad's Droplet Digital PCR technology, and the QXDx BCR-ABL Kit are the industry's first digital PCR products to receive U.S. Food and Drug Administration clearance. Used together, Bio-Rad's system and kit can precisely and reproducibly monitor molecular response to treatment in patients with chronic myeloid leukemia. The QXDx AutoDG ddPCR System is designed to be flexible, allowing users to run either FDA-cleared in vitro diagnostic tests or lab developed tests on the platform.

19:15 EDT Bio Blast Pharma, Team Sanfilippo partner to evaluate trehalose - Bioblast Pharma Ltd. and Team Sanfilippo, a nonprofit medical research foundation founded by parents of children with Sanfilippo Syndrome, announced a clinical collaboration to evaluate the safety and efficacy of Bioblast's proprietary Trehalose solution for the treatment of patients with Sanfilippo syndrome. Under the terms of the collaboration, TSF plans to conduct an open label study in up to 20 Sanfilippo patients, which will be followed for safety and efficacy. If successful, based on the results of such study, Bioblast may determine to continue the development of Trehalose towards a pivotal study for this extra rare disease while maintaining full commercial rights. TSF received FDA approval for this study was last week.

19:00 EDT Elliott exits NXP, boosts stake in Nielsen in Q4 - Paul Singer's Elliott Management disclosed in an SEC filing its holdings as of December 31, 2018. The fund's 16 new buys during the fourth quarter included, by size of position, Transocean (RIG), Acadia Healthcare (ACHC), Zayo Group (ZAYO), Sunstone Hotel Investors (SHO), and Healthcare Realty Trust (HR). Elliott exited 10 positions during the quarter, including by size of previous position NXP Semiconductors (NXPI), Element Solutions (ESI), Micro Focus International (MFGP), CDK Global (CDK), US Well Services (USWS), and Sabre (SABR). The fund increased its stake in five holdings, including by size of previous position Nielsen (NLSN), Roadrunner Transportation Systems (RRTS), Akamai (AKAM), and Devon Energy (DVN). Elliott reduced its stake in five holdings, including by size of previous position Mednax (MD) and Dish Network (DISH). The fund's top holdings as of December 31, in order of size, were Sempra (SRE), FirstEnergy (FE), Hess (HES), Arconic (ARNC), and Peabody Energy (BTU).

18:48 EDT Paulson adds Red Hat, exits AT&T in Q4 - John Paulson's Paulson & Co. disclosed in an SEC filing its holdings as of December 31, 2018. Paulson's 13 new buys during the fourth quarter included, by size of previous position, Red Hat (RHT), Travelport Worldwide (TVPT), Tribune Media (TRCO), Stewart Information Services (STC), and Integrated Device (IDTI). The fund exited 14 holdings in the quarter, including by size of previous position AT&T (T) and CME Group (CME). Paulson increased its stake in seven holdings, including by size of previous position 21st Century Fox (FOXA), BrightSphere Investment Group (BSIG), Shire (SHPG), Randgold Resources (RAND), and Akorn (AKRX). The fund reduced its stake in 11 positions, including by size of previous position Mylan (MYL), Allergan (AGN), Discovery Class C (DISCK), Nielsen (NLSN), and Viacom (VIAB). The fund's top holdings as of December 31, in order of size, were Shire, SPDR Gold Shares (GLD), Bausch Health (BHC), Mylan, and Discovery.

18:42 EDT Soros exits Microsoft, adds Philip Morris in Q4 - George Soros' Soros Fund Management disclosed in an SEC filing its holdings as of December 31, 2018. The fund's 36 new buys in the fourth quarter included, by size of position, Financial Select Sector SPDR Fund (XLF), IShares Russell 1000 ETF (AMCA), Philip Morris (PM), Verizon (VZ), Red Hat (RHT), Conagra (CAG), Energizer (ENR), Bunge (BG), ServiceNow (NOW), and IAC/InterActiveCorp (IAC). The fund exited 54 positions during the quarter, including by size of previous position Microsoft (MSFT), IShares MSCI Emerging Markets ETF (EEM), Spotify (SPOT), Devon Energy (DVN), Micron (MU), Apple (AAPL), IDT (IDTI), and Alibaba (BABA). Soros Fund increased its stake in 17 holdings, including by size of previous position T-Mobile (TMUS), Mondelez (MDLZ), McCormick (MKC), NRG Energy (NRG), and UnitedHealth (UNH). The fund reduced its stake in 71 holdings, including by size of previous position Caesars (CZR), VICI Properties (VICI), Intelsat (I), Tribune Media (TRCO), and AT&T (T). The fund's top holdings as of December 31, in order of size, were Liberty Broadband (LBRDK), VICI Properties, Caesars, Mondelez, and Financial Select Sector SPDR Fund.

18:27 EDT Yamana Gold sees FY19 gold equivalent output 1.06M oz vs. 1.04M in FY18 - Sees FY20 output of 1.10M oz and FY21 at 1.10M oz. The company's GEO production guidance includes contribution from gold and silver with silver converted to gold-equivalent production at a ratio of 82.5:1 across the guidance period. In addition, for each of 2019, 2020, and 2021 the company is guiding for 120 million pounds of copper production.

18:14 EDT Caesars up 6% to $9.95 after WSJ reports Icahn urging sale of company

18:06 EDT Peltz's Trian Fund boosts P&G stake, cuts Sysco in Q4 - Nelson Peltz's Trian Fund disclosed in an SEC filing its holdings as of December 31, 2018. Trian increased its stake in five holdings, including by size of previous position Procter & Gamble (PG), PPG Industries (PPG), Mondelez (MDLZ), Bank of New York Mellon (BK), and General Electric (GE). The fund reduced its stake in two positions, including Sysco (SYY). Trian Fund's top holdings as of December 31, in order of size, were Procter & Gamble, Sysco, Bank of New York Mellon, Mondelez, and PPG Industries.

17:59 EDT Nvidia CEO says fundamentals of gaming has not changed - Says there has been a recent shift in popularity of competitive e-sports type of games, which is good for hardware. Says excitement around Fortnite and Apex Legends is more social, stickier, and vibrant than ever before.

17:38 EDT Nvidia says significant volatility in gaming demand has been hard to model - Says expected channel inventories to be at normal levels exiting Q1. Comments from Q4 earnings call.

17:22 EDT Greenlight adds to Tempur Sealy stake, takes new stake in Echostar - David Einhorn's Greenlight Capital disclosed in an SEC filing its holdings as of December 31, 2018. Greenlight's six new buys during the fourth quarter included, by size of position, Echostar (SATS), Shutterfly (SFLY), Dillard's (DDS), and Chemours (CC). Greenlight exited six positions during the quarter, including by size of previous position, IAC/InterActiveCorp (IAC), Perrigo (PRGO), Tractor Supply (TSCO), Sherwin-Williams (SHW), and Capri Holdings (CPRI). Greenlight increased its stake in four holdings, including by size of previous position, Tempur Sealy (TPX), Adient (ADNT), and AerCap (AER). Greenlight reduced its stake in four holdings, including by size of previous position, General Motors (GM) and Voya Financial (VOYA). Greenlight's top holdings as of December 31, 2018, in order of size, were General Motors, Green Brick (GRBK), AerCap, Consol Coal (CEIX), and Ensco (ESV).

17:17 EDT Amedisys to replace Aspen Insurance in S&P 400 at open on 2/21 - Apollo Global Management (APO) is acquiring Aspen Insurance Holdings (AHL) in a transaction expected to be completed on February 15 pending final conditions.

17:07 EDT Agnico Eagle CEO anticipates record gold production in 2019 - "From an operational standpoint, 2018 was another strong year as we exceeded production forecasts at lower than expected unit costs for a seventh consecutive year while growing gold reserves and successfully advancing our Nunavut development projects", said Sean Boyd, Agnico Eagle's Chief Executive Officer. "With the start of new operations at both Meliadine and Amaruq this year, we anticipate record gold production in 2019 with further production growth in 2020 and beyond. This growing production platform should result in increased cash flow allowing us to advance our project pipeline, reduce debt and increase dividends", said Sean Boyd, Agnico Eagle's Chief Executive Officer

17:04 EDT Corporacion America Airport reports total passenger traffic up 4.0% YoY - Corporacion America Airports reported preliminary year-over-year passenger traffic growth of 4.0% in January, primarily reflecting growth of 6.5% in Argentina, 2.9% in Italy and 12.3% in Armenia. Cargo volume increased 3.4% in January mainly as a result a 34.5% increase in Brazil, mainly related to an increase in exports, offset by a decline of 4.1% in Argentina, related to the continued challenging macroeconomic conditions. Aircraft movements remained flat in January, mainly as a result of increases of 2.4% in Argentina and 14.8% in Ecuador, partially offset by a 6.9% decline in Brazil.

17:02 EDT P&F Industries announces stock repurchase agreement - P&F Industries announced that it has entered into an agreement whereby the company will repurchase 389,909 shares of its common shares from certain funds and accounts advised or sub-advised by Fidelity Management & Research Company or one of its affiliates in a privately negotiated transaction at approximately $7.62 per share for a total purchase price of $2,970,834. The repurchase is expected to close within the next one or two business days.

16:52 EDT AQR Capital reports 5.6% passive stake in NxStage Medical - AQR Capital disclosed a 5.6% stake in NxStage Medical, which represents over 3.75M shares. The filing does not allow for activism.

16:51 EDT AQR Capital reports 5.6% passive stake in Macy's - AQR Capital disclosed a 5.6% stake in Macy's, which represents over 17.2M shares. The filing does not allow for activism.

16:46 EDT TrueCar down 16% to $8.61 after Q4 results, FY19 guidance miss estimates

16:34 EDT Hawthorn Bancshares sells Branson, MO branch - Hawthorn Bank, the wholly-owned subsidiary of Hawthorn Bancshares, announced that it has completed the sale of its branch located in Branson, Missouri to Branson Bank, Branson, Missouri. Total deposits transferred were approximately $10.6M while loans assigned to the branch were retained. The sale is expected to result in a pre-tax gain of approximately $2.1M, subject to certain future adjustments required in the definitive agreement.

16:33 EDT Fluor awarded contract for Valvoline's new blending and packaging facility - Fluor Corporation announced that it was awarded the engineering, procurement and construction management contract for Valvoline's new blending and packaging facility in Zhangjiagang, China. The project is Valvoline's first plant in China. Fluor booked the undisclosed contract value in Q4 of 2018.

16:28 EDT Dallas crash victim wins $37.6M in seat belt suit against Honda - A jury has awarded $37.6M to a Dallas woman who was left paralyzed from injuries caused by a poorly designed seat belt system in a Honda minivan that rolled over in a collision in Dallas in 2015. Sarah Milburn was a passenger in a Honda Odyssey that was hit broadside by a pickup truck on Nov. 15, 2015, causing the van to roll over onto its side and top. Milburn, who was a passenger in the third-row middle seat, suffered a broken neck and was left a quadriplegic, with very limited use of her arms and hands. Milburn sued American Honda Motor Co. of Torrance, California, a subsidiary of Honda Motor Co., claiming Honda's design for the seat belt in the third row's middle seat is defective. Specifically, the seat belt is a two-part system requiring the user to grasp a detachable shoulder strap from the van's ceiling, anchor it to the seat and then pull the belt across the user's hips and buckle it. In independent testing, an expert showed the jury that fewer than 10% of people who were unfamiliar with the van's two-part seat belt system were able to use it properly.

16:25 EDT Berkshire exits Oracle with over $2B of sales in Q4, adds Red Hat and Suncor - Warren Buffett's Berkshire Hathaway (BRK.A, BRK.B) disclosed in an SEC filing its holdings as of December 31, 2018. Berkshire made three new buys during the fourth quarter, by size of position, Red Hat (RHT), Suncor (SU) and StoneCo (STNE). The fund exited one holding during Q4; it sold $2.13B worth of Oracle (ORCL) shares. Berkshire increased its stake in seven holdings, including by size, JPMorgan (JPM), General Motors (GM), Travelers (TRV), PNC Financial (PNC), BNY Mellon (BK) and U.S. Bancorp (USB). The fund reduced its stake in six holdings, including by size Apple (AAPL), Wells Fargo (WFC), Southwest (LUV), Phillips 66 (PSX), United Continental (UAL) and Charter (CHTR). Berkshire's top holdings as of December 31, in order of size, were Apple, Bank of America (BAC), Wells Fargo, Coca-Cola (KO) and American Express (AXP).

16:24 EDT Boston Properties announces lease with Google for Kendall Square redevelopment - Boston Properties (BXP) announced that Google (GOOG) has signed a 15-year lease agreement for the ground-up redevelopment of Boston Properties' building in Kendall Center, Cambridge, Massachusetts. Google will occupy 362,000 square feet of the building, which will serve as additional office space for Google's growing Cambridge office. The lease agreement brings Google's total leased space from Boston Properties to more than 800,000 square feet in Cambridge.

16:20 EDT Mattel signs licensing pact with Illumination and Universal Brand Development - Mattel announced that it has entered into a three-year international licensing agreement with Illumination and Universal Brand Development for its Despicable Me franchise. Mattel's license rights in North America and key international markets include a wide variety of products, including action figures and dolls, play-sets, vehicles and radio control toys, games, plush, role-play and accessories. The Mattel line will launch with a multi-category collection inspired by Illumination's upcoming Minions sequel and debut at retailers worldwide in time for the film's global theatrical premiere in summer 2020.

16:17 EDT LogMeln down 11% after reporting Q4 earnings, giving Q1, FY19 guidance

16:15 EDT FedEx names Raj Subramaniam president, COO - FedEx announced that Raj Subramaniam has been appointed president and chief operating officer, effective March 1. This appointment follows David J. Bronczek's personal decision to retire as president and chief operating officer and from the board. Subramaniam will continue to serve as president and CEO of FedEx Express and will also serve as co-president and co-CEO of FedEx Services. Subramaniam has been with FedEx for more than 27 years and has held various executive level positions in several operating companies and international regions. He began his career in Memphis and subsequently moved to Hong Kong, where he oversaw marketing and customer service for the Asia Pacific region. Subramaniam then took over as president of FedEx Express in Canada before moving back to the U.S. as senior vice president of international marketing. He was then promoted to executive vice president of marketing in 2013 at FedEx Services, prior to being named executive vice president and chief marketing and communications officer at FedEx Corporation in 2017.

16:15 EDT Meta Financial names Jeff Aegerter President of Consumer Lending division - MetaBank has named Jeff Aegerter President of its Consumer Lending Division. MetaBank is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Meta Financial Group. Aegerter spent 10 years at Citi, before moving on to First PREMIER Bank where he was the Senior VP and Executive Officer for Card Products.

16:13 EDT CatchMark Timber sees FY19 GAAP net loss ($106M)-($102M) - CatchMark Timber projects a GAAP net loss of between $102M and $106M, including $90M of losses allocated from the Triple T joint venture in accordance with GAAP. The company anticipates its Adjusted EBITDA will be between $52M and $60M, including $3M-$5M of Adjusted EBITDA generated by the unconsolidated Dawsonville Bluffs joint venture. This guidance represents a 4% to 21% increase in Adjusted EBITDA compared to FY18.

16:08 EDT Sarepta, Lysogene announce first patient dosed in AAVance trial - Lysogene and Sarepta announced that the first patient has been dosed in AAVance, a global Phase 2-3 clinical trial of LYS-SAF302, a gene therapy for the treatment of Mucopolysaccharidosis Type IIIA, or MPS IIIA. AAVance is a single-arm trial aimed at evaluating the effectiveness of a one-time delivery of a recombinant adeno-associated virus vector rh.10 carrying the N-sulfoglucosamine sulfohydrolase, or SGSH gene. MPS IIIA is caused by mutations in the SGSH gene, which is involved in producing an enzyme necessary for the breakdown and disposal of long chain sugar molecules. LAF-SAF302 is intended to deliver a functional copy of the SGSH gene and allow the brain to secrete the missing enzyme. The goal of the trial is to show improved or stabilized neurodevelopmental status of MPS IIIA patients. The trial will enroll 20 patients at eight sites in the U.S. and Europe.

16:07 EDT Sarepta, Lysogene announce dosing of first patient in AAVance - Lysogene and Sarepta Therapeutics announced that the first patient has been dosed in AAVance, a global Phase 2-3 clinical trial of LYS-SAF302, a gene therapy for the treatment of Mucopolysaccharidosis Type IIIA. AAVance is a single-arm trial aimed at evaluating the effectiveness of a one-time delivery of a recombinant adeno-associated virus vector rh.10 carrying the N-sulfoglucosamine sulfohydrolase gene. MPS IIIA is caused by mutations in the SGSH gene, which is involved in producing an enzyme necessary for the breakdown and disposal of long chain sugar molecules. LAF-SAF302 is intended to deliver a functional copy of the SGSH gene and allow the brain to secrete the missing enzyme. The goal of the trial is to show improved or stabilized neurodevelopmental status of MPS IIIA patients. The trial will enroll 20 patients at eight sites in the U.S. and Europe.

16:05 EDT Acorda sees FY19 R&D expenxes $70M-$80M - &D expenses for the full year 2019 are expected to be $70-$80 million and SG&A expenses for the full year 2019 are expected to be $200-$210 million.

16:03 EDT Silvercrest Asset increases dividend 7% to 15c per share - Silvercrest Asset approved an increase of more than 7% to the company's quarterly dividend, from 14c per share of Class A common stock to 15c per share of Class A common stock. The dividend will be paid on or about March 15 to shareholders of record as of the close of business on March 8.

16:01 EDT Bristol-Myers says Opdivo-Yervoy combo shows ORR of 25% - Bristol-Myers announced data evaluating Opdivo in combination with Yervoy in patients with metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer. Results from an interim analysis of the Phase 2 CheckMate -650 trial showed that among 32 asymptomatic or minimally symptomatic patients whose disease had progressed after second-generation hormone therapy and who had not received chemotherapy, with a median follow-up of 11.9 months, the objective response rate was 25%. Additionally, among 30 patients whose disease progressed after taxane-based chemotherapy, with a median follow-up of 13.5 months, the ORR was 10%. Across both cohorts, higher response rates were seen in certain patient sub-groups, including patients with high tumor mutational burden and patients with homologous recombination deficiency. The overall safety profile was consistent with prior studies of Opdivo in combination with Yervoy with this dosing schedule. Grade three to five treatment-related adverse events occurred in 42% of patients in cohort 1 and 53% of patients in cohort 2.

15:21 EDT Bridgeline Digital acquires certain assets of SeeVolution - Bridgeline Digital announced their purchase of certain assets held by SeeVolution, most importantly the products Celebros Search and SeeVolution Analytics software.

14:58 EDT Arcimoto jumps after Bloomberg featured three-wheeled, all-electric vehicle - Shares of Arcimoto are on the rise after its three-wheeled, all electric vehicle was feature in Bloomberg's Hello World. After 11 years of development, the Arcimoto has arrived, a three-wheeled, all-electric vehicle that is small, fast and incredibly fun to drive, Bloomberg notes, adding that the jury, however, is very much out on whether or not consumers will pay $12,000 a pop to back this societal and environmental experiment. In afternoon trading, shares of Arcimoto have gained over 74% to $5.92. Reference Link

14:47 EDT Macquarie Group reports 5.2% passive stake in Pacira - In a regulatory filing, Macquarie Group disclosed a 5.2% stake in Pacira, which represents 2.14M shares. The filing does not allow for activism.

14:15 EDT State Street reports 5.6% passive stake in Flexion - In a regulatory filing, State Street (STT) disclosed a 5.6% stake in Flexion (FLXN), which represents 2.1M shares. The filing does not allow for activism.

13:47 EDT Susquehanna reports 5.3% passive stake in Tesla - Susquehanna Securities disclosed a 5.3% stake in Tesla, which represents over 9M shares. The filing with the SEC does not allow for activism.

13:38 EDT Omega Advisors exits Sinclair and Keane during Q4, buys more Cigna, CVS - Leon Cooperman's Omega Advisors disclosed in a regulatory filing its holdings as of December 31, 2018. Omega exited 38 positions during the quarter, including by size of previous position, Sinclair Broadcast (SBGI), Keane Group (FRAC), PVH Corp. (PVH), Adobe (ADBE) and Dish (DISH). Omega increased its stake in six holdings, including by size, Cigna (CI), CVS Health (CVS), Mr. Cooper (COOP), THL Credit (TCRD) and Marathon Petroleum (MPC). The fund reduced its stake in 24 holdings, including United Continental (UAL), AMC Networks (AMCX), First Data (FDC), Microsoft (MSFT), Alphabet (GOOGL) and Nabors Industries (NBR). Omega's top holdings as of December 31, in order of size, were United Continental, Alphabet, Nielsen (NLSN), Ashland (ASH) and CVS Health (CVS).

13:12 EDT Tiger Global exits Apple and Twitter, lowers stake in Amazon - Chase Coleman's Tiger Global disclosed in an SEC filing its holdings as of December 31, 2018. Tiger's four new buys during the fourth quarter included, by size of position, StoneCo (STNE), Elastic NV (ESTC), and SolarWinds (SWI). Tiger exited six positions during the quarter, including by size of previous position, Apple (AAPL), Twitter (TWTR), Twilio (TWLO), and MongoDB (MDB). Tiger increased its stake in thirteen holdings, including by size of previous position, Eventbrite (EB), Adobe (ADBE), FleetCor (FLT), and TransDigm (TDG). Tiger reduced its stake in 22 holdings, including by size of previous position, Amazon (AMZN), Booking Holdings (BKNG), Alibaba (BABA), and Netflix (NFLX). Tiger's top holdings as of December 31, 2018, in order of size, were Spotify (SPOT), Microsoft (MSFT), JD.com (JD), Amazon, and Apollo Global (APO).

13:02 EDT Tiger Global also exited MongoDB and Twilio during Q3

13:01 EDT Twitter testing new way to preview profiles on iOS without leaving timeline - The social network tweeted earlier: "We're testing an easier way to check out profiles on iOS without leaving your timeline! Simply tap any @ handle in a Tweet, take a peek, follow, and get right back to it. Let us know what you think!"

12:37 EDT Shapiro Capital reports 13.5% passive stake in GreenSky - In a regulatory filing, Shapiro Capital disclosed a 13.5% stake in GreenSky, which represents about 7.75M shares. The filing does not allow for activism.

12:30 EDT Sanofi, Regeneron win IPR challenge to Amgen IL-4 patent - Sanofi-Aventis U.S. (SNY), Genzyme Corp., and Regeneron Pharmaceuticals (REGN) filed a petition requesting an inter partes review of claims 1-17 of U.S. Patent No. 8,679,487, according to a decision posted by the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office's Patent Trial and Appeal Board. On February 15, 2018, the PTAB instituted an inter partes review of claims 1-17 on two obviousness grounds. "For the reasons that follow, we determine Petitioner has shown by a preponderance of the evidence that claims 1-17 of the '487 patent are unpatentable as obvious," the decision stated. The '487 patent relates to compositions and methods for treating certain conditions induced by interleukin-4 by administering an IL-4 antagonist to a patient with such a condition. The patent is owned by Amgen's (AMGN) Immunex.

12:15 EDT Hyatt says site work on Grand Hyatt NY won't start before 2021

12:12 EDT Publicis enters into negotiations with Ycor for sale of Proximedia - Publicis Groupe announces that, following a competitive sale process, conducted with the help of a major bank, its subsidiaries that own Proximedia have entered into exclusive negotiations with Ycor for the sale of all of Proximedia. With operations in France, Belgium, the Netherlands and Spain, Proximedia provides digital services to SMEs, small enterprises, small shops and craftsmen for their online presence and promotion. The company says: "This proposed disposal is consistent with Publicis Groupe's "Sprint to the Future" plan and will enable the Groupe to focus on its core assets at the heart of its strategy. Proximedia has yet to break even since the beginning and requires substantial investment for it to expand and become profitable. As at December 31, 2018, Proximedia has 575 employees, including 231 in France, 311 in the Benelux and 33 in Spain. The process reached more than 60 potential candidates. Nearly 10 investors expressed interest in a total or partial acquisition of Proximedia. Ycor's bid was the best from all criteria: it includes Proximedia's operations in Benelux, Spain and France, it is the highest financially and the most convincing in terms of development prospects. This proposed disposal is subject to prior information and consultation with the relevant employees representative bodies and should be completed during the first half of 2019." In addition, to the extent Maurice Levy, the Chairman of the Supervisory Board of Publicis Groupe has interests in Ycor, the Publicis Groupe's Supervisory Board, in the absence of its Chairman, has given a positive opinion of the proposed sale, without prejudice to the final decisions of the relevant corporate bodies.

12:01 EDT Zendesk names Elisabeth Zornes chief customer officer, Colleen Berube CIO - Zendesk (ZEN) announced the appointment of three new executives to its growing leadership team. Joining the company are Elisabeth Zornes, former general manager of global support for Microsoft Office (MSFT), as Zendesk's first chief customer officer; former Adobe (ADBE) executive Colleen Berube as chief information officer; and former Salesforce (CRM) executive Shawna Wolverton as senior vice president, product management.

12:00 EDT Six Flags falls -11.6% - Six Flags is down -11.6%, or -$7.29 to $55.76.

12:00 EDT Ingevity rises 14.4% - Ingevity is up 14.4%, or $14.01 to $111.00.

12:00 EDT Invacare rises 64.3% - Invacare is up 64.3%, or $3.42 to $8.74.

11:58 EDT SurveyMonkey CEO says lock-up expiration could contribute some selling pressure - SurveyMonkey CEO Zander Lurie is being interviewed on CNBC.

11:27 EDT Avolon says Moody's revises outlook to positive - Avolon Holdings Limited, the international aircraft leasing company, announces that Moody's Investors Service has revised its outlook on Avolon's corporate Ba1 rating from stable to positive.

11:18 EDT Oil States sees some softness in onshore business in 1H19 - Experienced slower start in Q1. Expects FY19 results in line with consensus estimates. Expects Q1 results to decline sequentially. Management says decline is perceived to be temporary. WTI crude prices have already began to improve. Sees Q1 Well Site Services revenue $104M-$109M with EBITDA margins to average 12%. Sees Land Drilling business contributing little to no EBITDA in Q1. Sees Q1 Downhole Technologies revenue $48M-$52M with EBITDA margins of 14%-16%. Sees FY19 CapEx down year-over-year or about $65M-$70M. Guidance provided during Q4 earnings conference call.

11:06 EDT Smartsheet appoints Praerit Garg as CTO - Smartsheet (SMAR) announced that Praerit Garg has joined the company as chief technology officer. Garg will lead the engineering organization and drive technical strategy for a platform that customers around the globe rely on to improve how they work. He was most recently General Manager of Identity, Directory and Access Services at AWS (AMZN), where he built and launched foundational services that enabled customers to more easily manage their IT infrastructure at scale.

10:32 EDT Trovagene updates on Phase 2 study of Onvansertib-Zytiga combination - Trovagene announced that it presented an overview of its ongoing Phase 2 study evaluating Onvansertib in combination with Zytiga/prednisone in patients with metastatic Castration-Resistant Prostate Cancer, or mCRPC, at the Genitourinary Cancers Symposium, or ASCO-GU. The data demonstrates the safety and tolerability of Onvansertib in combination with Zytiga, confirmed in the safety lead-in that was completed prior to opening the trial to full enrollment, the company said. In addition, a second arm is planned with the goal of maximizing clinical activity by reducing the dosing schedule from the current 21-days to 14-days, Trovagene reported.

10:26 EDT Alibaba takes 10.8% passive stake in Bilibili - In a regulatory filing released before the market open, Alibaba (BABA) disclosed a 10.8% passive stake in Bilibili (BILI). The stake represents over 23.6M shares. The filing with the SEC does not allow for activism.

10:14 EDT BGL announces sale of Bioquell to Ecolab for approx. $178M - Brown Gibbons Lang & Company announced its representation of Bioquell in its sale to Ecolab. BGL's Healthcare & Life Sciences team served as the exclusive financial advisor to Bioquell in the transaction. Ecolab acquired 100% of the outstanding shares of Bioquell with total consideration payable to shareholders following anticipated option exercises of approximately GBP139M, $178M, subject to determination of the final share count. Bioquell offers a unique opportunity to broaden Ecolab's portfolio of products, services, and solutions. Bioquell's expertise in bio-decontamination and deep-cleaning utilizing vaporized hydrogen peroxide technologies complements Ecolab's daily cleaning and disinfection offerings for cleanrooms and other high-grade environments.

10:08 EDT Hanover Insurance announces partnership with RSA Global Network - The Hanover Insurance Group (THG) announced an agreement with the RSA Group (RSNAY) to join its Global Network as a U.S. strategic network partner. This relationship further expands The Hanover's international specialty capabilities made available through its agent partners for domestic businesses with overseas risks. Through the company's partnership with RSA Group, The Hanover gains access to a global network of highly skilled and respected local insurers in more than 180 countries. This offers The Hanover's agent partners admitted solutions that are compliant with local laws and legislation for foreign operations in countries where coverage must be written by local, licensed insurers. In addition, the company offers a controlled master program with difference in conditions and difference in limits coverage, which can help reduce gaps in coverage and meet the unique needs of international exposures that local policies often will not cover. The Hanover's partnership with RSA Group also includes access to local claims experts in foreign locations who address claims, providing professional claims management and servicing for clients. This partnership expands the international capabilities of The Hanover's GlobalReach program. It will be available through its agent partners for policies beginning March 1, 2019.

10:03 EDT Texas Health System selects CPSI SaaS offering - CPSI announced that Texas-based Mid Coast Health System opted to shift from a traditional license model of an electronic health record for CPSI's nTrust program, which couples TruBridge services, the Thrive EHR, add-on products, interfaces and ongoing maintenance costs - much like a SaaS model. Through outsourcing revenue cycle management operations to TruBridge, there is shared risk with the hospital and shared benefits from the compounding gains of a long-term recurring revenue stream.

10:00 EDT Six Flags falls -15.9% - Six Flags is down -15.9%, or -$10.04 to $53.01.

10:00 EDT Ingevity rises 12.9% - Ingevity is up 12.9%, or $12.50 to $109.50.

10:00 EDT Invacare rises 55.8% - Invacare is up 55.8%, or $2.97 to $8.29.

09:51 EDT Phunware Inc trading halted, volatility trading pause

09:47 EDT Micro Focus rises 13.0% - Micro Focus is up 13.0%, or $2.51 to $21.87.

09:47 EDT Invacare rises 41.8% - Invacare is up 41.8%, or $2.23 to $7.55.

09:43 EDT Jana buys Centene and Synopsys in Q4, sells out of Electronic Arts - Barry Rosenstein's Jana Partners disclosed in a regulatory filing its holdings as of December 31, 2018. Jana made eight new buys during the fourth quarter, including, by size of position, Centene (CNC), Synopsys (SNPS), Salesforce (CRM), Worldpay (WP) and MasterCard (MA). Jana exited 23 positions during the quarter, including by size of previous position, Electronic Arts (EA), Keurig Dr Pepper (KDP), Alibaba (BABA), Agilent (A) and Hain Celestial (HAIN). Jana increased its stake in nine holdings, including by size, Conagra Brands (CAG), New Oriental Education (EDU), Microsoft (MSFT), Carvana (CVNA), Tiffany (TIF) and Adobe (ADBE). The fund reduced its stake in 12 holdings, including by size Zimmer Biomet (ZBH), HD Supply (HDS), Apple (AAPL), Exact Sciences (EXAS), Falcon Minerals (FLMN) and First Data (FDC). Jana's top holdings as of December 31, in order of size, were Conagra, Zimmer Biomet, HD Supply, Tiffany and Jack in the BOX (JACK).

09:22 EDT eBay deal with Elliott Associates granted early termination by FTC - The FTC granted early termination of its review period for the transaction agreement between eBay and Elliott Associates, according to a notice posted to the commission's website. Reference Link

09:14 EDT Vertex says Phase 3 study for tezacaftor/ivacaftor combo meets primary endpoint - Vertex Pharmaceuticals announced the results of a Phase 3 study conducted in Europe and Australia of tezacaftor in combination with ivacaftor in children aged 6 through 11 years with cystic fibrosis who have either two copies of the F508del mutation or one copy of the F508del mutation and one residual function mutation. The study met its primary endpoint of absolute change in lung clearance index through 8 weeks of treatment, demonstrating a statistically significant improvement in LCI2.5 among patients treated with tezacaftor/ivacaftor. The regimen was generally well tolerated and safety data were consistent with those observed in previous studies with tezacaftor/ivacaftor. This efficacy study was designed to support a submission to the European Medicines Agency to extend the indication of tezacaftor/ivacaftor in this patient population. Vertex plans to submit the application in the second half of 2019. In late 2018, Vertex submitted an sNDA to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration for tezacaftor/ivacaftor based on a previously completed Phase 3 safety study in children ages 6 through 11 years of age conducted in the U.S. and Canada. The data announced today are from a Phase 3, randomized, double-blind, parallel-group study to evaluate the efficacy and safety of tezacaftor in combination with ivacaftor in children ages 6 through 11 who have either two copies of the F508del mutation or one copy of the F508del mutation and one residual function mutation. Subjects were randomized 4:1 based on their genotype to tezacaftor/ivacaftor versus a blinding arm. The study randomized and treated 54 subjects with TEZ/IVA, 10 with placebo, and 3 with ivacaftor. The primary endpoint of the study was the within-group absolute change in lung clearance index from baseline through Week 8 in patients treated with tezacaftor/ivacaftor. LCI2.5 measures the efficiency of ventilation in the lungs by quantifying how many standard lung volumes it takes to reduce exhaled nitrogen to 2.5 percent of its starting value when breathing pure oxygen. LCI is considered a more sensitive measure to detect early lung disease than forced expiratory volume in one second. Higher LCI scores indicate poorer lung function. To participate in the study, children at an initial screening visit had to have an LCI2.5 greater than or equal to7.5, which is considered the cutoff for abnormal gas exchange. In the study, 54 children that were treated with tezacaftor/ivacaftor experienced a mean within-group absolute improvement in LCI2.5 of -0.51 through 8 weeks. Overall, safety data were similar to those observed in previous studies of tezacaftor/ivacaftor. The most common adverse events among those patients receiving tezacaftor/ivacaftor were cough, headache, and productive cough. No serious adverse events or adverse events leading to treatment discontinuation or interruption were observed.

09:10 EDT Comtech named awardee on $10B U.S. Navy SeaPort-NxG contract - Comtech Telecommunications announced, that during its Q2, its Command & Control Technologies group, which is part of Comtech's Government Solutions segment, was named an awardee under the U.S. Navy's SeaPort Next Generation indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity, multiple-award contract vehicle. The total potential maximum value of the IDIQ is $10B, of which $5B relates to the five-year base period and $5B relates to the five-year option period, if exercised. All work under SeaPort-NxG will fall under two categories, which are further divided into twenty-three functional areas such as systems engineering, research and development and logistics support.

09:07 EDT Coca-Cola CEO sees freight costs remaining above historical levels - Says doesn't expect to see same level of y/y increases in 2019 as seen in 2018.

09:05 EDT HubSpot integrates LinkedIn ads into Marketing Hub - HubSpot (HUBS) announced that Microsoft's (MSFT) LinkedIn ads are now available in the Professional and Enterprise tiers of Marketing Hub as part of the HubSpot Ads tool. Connecting LinkedIn ads account to HubSpot is aimed at enabling customers to target ads at their ideal customer across the entire buyer's journey.

09:03 EDT Fly Intel: Pre-market Movers - HIGHER: DBV Technologies (DBVT), up 10% after announcing that its planned resubmission of the biologics license application to the FDA for Viaskin Peanut in the treatment of peanut-allergic children is anticipated in Q3. UP AFTER EARNINGS: Cisco (CSCO), up 4%... Cyber Ark (CYBR), up 15%... Bloomin' Brands (BLMN), up 5%... Yeti (YETI), up 8%. DOWN AFTER EARNINGS: Coca-Cola (KO), down 4%... Six Flags (SIX), down 12%... Fossil (FOSL), down 16%. LOWER: HubSpot (HUBS), down 4% after 1.9M share block trade priced at $165.00 per share.

08:53 EDT Coca-Cola says environment in Brazil 'more certain' after election

08:47 EDT Schwab reports January core net new assets $15.1B - The Charles Schwab Corporation released its Monthly Activity Report. Company highlights for the month of January 2019 include: Core net new assets brought to the company by new and existing clients in January 2019 totaled $15.1B. Net new assets excluding mutual fund clearing totaled $13.5B. Total client assets were $3.45T as of month-end January, down 1% from January 2018 and up 6% compared to December 2018. Client assets receiving ongoing advisory services were $1.8T as of month-end January, up 2% from January 2018 and up 5% compared to December 2018.

08:44 EDT Sarepta announces FDA acceptance of golodirsen NDA - Sarepta announced the FDA, Division of Neurology, has accepted its new drug application, or NDA, seeking accelerated approval for golodirsen and provided a regulatory action date of August 19. Golodirsen is a phosphordiamidate morpholino oligomer engineered to treat those individuals with Duchenne muscular dystrophy who have genetic mutations subject to skipping exon 53 of the dystrophin gene.

08:41 EDT Ultragenyx announces results for Crysvita study for children with XLH - Ultragenyx, Kyowa Hakko Kirin and Kyowa Kirin announced results of a 64-week efficacy and safety analysis of the randomized active-controlled Phase 3 study of Crysvita in children with X-linked hypophosphatemia, or XLH, compared with oral phosphate and active vitamin D. The new results showed that Crysvita was superior to conventional therapy for all key efficacy endpoints, showing a meaningful improvement in rickets severity, lower limb deformity, growth, and physical functioning as demonstrated by increases in distance walked. The 64-week safety profile was similar to that observed at 40 weeks and in other Crysvita pediatric XLH studies. Rickets scores were superior with Crysvita compared to conventional therapy, as assessed by three independent blinded pediatric radiologists using the Rickets Global Impression of Change, or RGI-C, Global Score. RGI-C scores showing substantial healing of rickets was observed in 86.2% of patients receiving Crysvita compared to 18.8% of patients receiving conventional therapy. Rickets Severity Scores, or RSS, improved more with Crysvita compared to conventional therapy. Mean serum alkaline phosphatase levels as a biochemical measure of rickets were decreased by Crysvita into the normal range and were superior to conventional therapy at 64 weeks. Lower limb deformity was reduced more with Crysvita compared with conventional therapy. Growth during Crysvita treatment demonstrated a statistically significant improvement as shown by a greater increase in standing height/recumbent length z-score compared with conventional therapy. Walking ability as measured by the six-minute walk test improved with Crysvita treatment compared to conventional therapy. Mean serum phosphorus levels reached the lower limit of normal range with Crysvita, unlike the small increase associated with conventional therapy. At baseline, patients in both the Crysvita and conventional therapy arms had mean serum phosphorus levels and mean renal phosphate reabsorption levels below the lower limits of normal. In the Crysvita arm, mean serum phosphorus and renal phosphate reabsorption levels post-baseline through Week 64 were in the normal range. In comparison, in the conventional therapy arm, mean serum phosphorus and renal phosphate reabsorption levels remained below the lower limits of normal through Week 64. The treatment differences between Crysvita and conventional therapy were significant. Patients in both the Crysvita and conventional therapy arms demonstrated increases in serum 1,25-dihidroxy vitamin D and maintained levels within the normal range through 64 weeks. The Crysvita safety profile observed at week 64 was generally consistent with data from Week 40 and is similar to other Crysvita pediatric XLH trials. At 64 weeks, there were no treatment discontinuations and no deaths reported in the study. There were three serious adverse events in the Crysvita arm and three serious adverse events in the conventional therapy arm, none of which were considered treatment-related. In the Crysvita arm, 51.7% of patients had injection site reactions; all but one were mild and none were considered serious. No clinically meaningful changes were observed in mean serum calcium and serum intact parathyroid hormone in either treatment arm, and there were no hyperphosphatemia events. No clinically significant changes were observed in renal ultrasounds pre-and post-treatment in either treatment arm.

08:36 EDT Celsius Holdings partners with Lavit for water cooler energy drinks - Celsius Holdings announced an agreement with Lavit, an eco-friendly, beverage technology company, to offer its energy drinks for Lavit's water coolers in select office locations. Celsius will initially offer its orange flavor in Lavit's EcoCaps, a recyclable variation on Keurig's single-use disposable K-Cup model that are designed to work specifically with Lavit's water coolers.

08:34 EDT Standard Motor CEO: 'Sales, gross margin slightly ahead of prior year' - Eric Sills, Standard Motor Products' CEO and President, stated, "We were generally pleased with the fourth quarter, as sales and gross margin for the company as a whole were slightly ahead of the prior year. Operating profit was down, excluding the gain on the sale of the Grapevine, Texas facility, primarily as a result of the costs associated with the installation of a new automated distribution system for our Temperature Control Division in Lewisville, Texas. We anticipate significant savings in this area in 2019."

08:27 EDT Medtronic, MUSC announce five-year healthcare partnership - Medtronic and the Medical University of South Carolina. or MUSC, announced a five-year value-based health care partnership intended to transform and improve care for patients in South Carolina. The collaboration will focus on developing solutions that improve the health outcomes and care experiences for patients while also reducing costs. More than 3M South Carolinians have at least one chronic disease such as cardiovascular disease, and the projected total cost of chronic disease between 2016-2030 in South Carolina is $687B. The initial focus of the partnership will be on addressing chronic diseases and acute conditions prevalent in South Carolina. In one initial program, the two organizations plan to standardize a comprehensive vascular disease care pathway across the entire continuum of patient care, ultimately implementing a model for the identification, diagnosis, treatment and follow-up care of patients with vascular disease who can benefit most from medical intervention. This evidence-based model is designed to help clinicians identify and treat patients earlier in their disease progression. Medtronic and Medical University of South Carolina also plan to implement a standardized care pathway program for joint replacement patients that addresses the bundled payment methodology implemented by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services. The episodic care pathway intends to establish best practices and streamline processes to improve the quality of care for patients while reducing costs. Similarly, Medtronic and MUSC also plan to standardize care pathways designed to reduce adverse events and optimize care for patients who can benefit from enhanced respiratory monitoring, or who need a tracheostomy procedure for breathing assistance. The partnership also creates a unique opportunity for MUSC to build upon existing curriculum to educate future health care professionals about value-based health care.

08:18 EDT Noble Corp. purchases second newbuild jackup rig for $83.8M - Noble Corporation has exercised an option for the purchase of a second newbuild Gusto MSC CJ46 design jackup rig from the PaxOcean Group for $83.75M. Noble will pay $30.1M of the $83.75M purchase price in cash, with the remainder of the purchase price, or $53.6M, to be seller-financed at a 4.25% interest rate paid in cash and 1.25% paid in kind over the term of the financing. Following closing of the transaction expected to take place in February, the Noble Joe Knight will be relocated to a shipyard in Singapore for commissioning and final outfitting ahead of the expected commencement of operations during Q3 under a three-year primary term contract, plus a one-year option, with Saudi Aramco.

08:12 EDT VirTra acquires intellectual property assets, designs for firearm technology - VirTra has acquired various intellectual property assets and proprietary designs related to simulated firearm technology from Tiberius Technology. VirTra intends to use these newly acquired patents to enhance its current product lineup of recoil kits as well as create new training equipment for both military and law enforcement simulation training. Additionally, Innotech will provide ongoing consulting support to VirTra as the company integrates the technology into its existing product portfolio.

08:07 EDT Raytheon awarded $406M contract from U.S. Army - Raytheon won a $406M Indefinite Delivery/Indefinite Quantity contract award from the U.S. Army for ARC-231A radio systems. The contract, which will be performed over the next five years, includes upgrades, production and support for up to 5,000 radios. The radios will be installed on a variety of Army platforms, including the UH-60 Black Hawk, UH-72 Lakota utility helicopter and the AH-64 Apache attack helicopter.

08:06 EDT Steel Dynamics raises quarterly dividend 28% to 24c per share - The dividend is payable to shareholders of record at the close of business on March 31 and is payable on or about April 12.

08:04 EDT Accenture, Qualcomm and Kellogg collaborate for VR merchandising solution - Accenture (ACN), Qualcomm Technologies, a subsidiary of Qualcomm (QCOM) and Kellogg Company (K) have collaborated to develop and pilot a solution that embeds eye tracking technology in a mobile virtual reality headset to reinvent how brands and retailers gather critical consumer data and perform market research. The Accenture Extended Reality practice developed the VR merchandising solution utilizing a Qualcomm VR reference design headset, powered by Qualcomm Snapdragon 845 Mobile VR Platform. The VR merchandising solution features embedded eye-tracking along with mixed reality software from InContext Solutions and eye-tracking data analytics capabilities from Cognitive3D. The resulting experience immerses consumers in a full-scale, simulated store, enabling them to move through the space, shop, pick up products and place them in carts - all while monitoring what consumers are looking at, for how long and why. The mobile solution is designed to allow companies to extend their reach to more geographically dispersed participants and perform market research faster, more affordably and on a larger scale. The solution was tested in collaboration with Kellogg Company around the launch of its new Pop Tarts Bites product. The mobile VR eye-tracking solution provided far deeper behavioral data than standard testing, which typically relies on online surveys and in-home user tests. In fact, this new data led to an entirely different merchandising conclusion than what was determined by traditional methods. Rather than placing Pop Tarts Bites on higher shelves, which conventional testing indicated was where consumers expected to find new products, the VR solution demonstrated that optimal placement for the new product was on lower shelves. This led to an increase in brand sales of 18 percent during testing.

07:57 EDT TransCanada increases quarterly dividend 8.7% to 75c per share - TransCanada's board declared a quarterly dividend of 75c per share for the quarter ending March 31 on TransCanada's outstanding common shares. This represents an increase in the dividend of 8.7% from the previous dividend.

07:35 EDT PPL Corp. to invest about $15B across U.S.,U.K. businesses from 2019-2023 - PPL provided an update on its planned infrastructure investment, announcing it plans to invest about $15B across its U.S. and U.K. businesses from 2019-2023 to make the grid smarter and more resilient and support the continued safe, reliable and affordable delivery of electricity and natural gas to more than 10M customers.

07:33 EDT Taubman to sell 50% of interests in three Asia shopping centers to Blackstone - Taubman Centers (TCO) has announced agreements to sell 50% of Taubman Asia's interests in three Asia-based shopping centers to funds managed by The Blackstone Group (BX)). Blackstone will be making this investment through its Asia Core+ real estate investment unit. The investment unit targets substantially stabilized office, logistics, residential and retail assets in high quality Asian geographies and gateway cities. The interests are valued at $480M/ The transactions are subject to customary closing conditions and are expected to close throughout 2019. Taubman will remain the partner responsible for the joint management of the three shopping centers and retain the following ownership interests: 17.15 percent in Starfield Hanam; 25 percent in CityOn.Xi'an; 24.5 percent in CityOn.Zhengzhou. The recently opened assets are the dominant shopping centers in their high growth markets and benefit from favorable supply dynamics. The Starfield Hanam shopping center is already one of the most productive retail assets in the world, and the two assets in China comprise some of the highest quality and most productive retail offerings in their respective markets. In addition, sales growth continues to outperform the market with sales up by double digits in 2018 across all three shopping centers. Net cash proceeds to Taubman are expected to be about $315M, after transaction costs and the allocation to Blackstone of its share of third-party debt.

07:25 EDT Chesapeake engages RS Energy Group for growth initiatives - Chesapeake Energy launched a partnership to accelerate the company's digital transformation and data-driven growth initiatives. The company has engaged RS Energy Group, an advanced analytics and technology firm. With a 20-year history, RSEG offers Chesapeake differentiated, technical and capital markets perspectives that integrate with predictive analytics.

07:24 EDT Aravive appoints Gail McIntyre CSO - Aravive announced that the company has promoted Gail McIntyre to CSO. McIntyre has over 25 years of experience in the biopharmaceutical industry, having focused much of her time moving compounds through lead optimization and preclinical development and onto the market. McIntyre has worked closely with Aravive since August 2016, most recently serving as company's senior VP of research and development. Previously, McIntyre served as a principal at IntelliDev Consulting and as VP of development for Meryx.

07:22 EDT Codexis announces Nestle Health Science obtains exclusive license for CDX-6114 - Codexis (CDXS) announced that Nestle (NSRGY) Health Science has exercised its option to obtain an exclusive license for the global development and commercialization of Codexis' novel, orally delivered enzyme CDX-6114 for the management of phenylketonuria, an orphan metabolic disorder. Nestle Health Science was granted this option under the development, option and licensing agreement with Codexis announced in October 2017. CDX-6114 is Codexis' first internally developed biotherapeutic product candidate. The exercise of the option triggers a $3M milestone payment. Upon exercising its option, Nestle Health Science has now assumed all responsibility for future clinical development and commercialization of CDX-6114.

07:19 EDT Canadian Solar: First solar power project of 68 MWp in Mexico starts operations - Canadian Solar announced its first solar power project of 68 MWp in Mexico started commercial operations in January 2019. The solar plant, located in Aguascalientes, Mexico, is powered by over 200,000 Canadian Solar high-efficiency poly modules CS6U-P. The plant will generate 145 gigawatt hours of electricity annually, enough to power 20,690 households and offset 72,700 tons of carbon dioxide emission each year. In addition to that, a total of 535 jobs were created during the PV plant construction and more than 15 new jobs are expected to be created for operations and maintenance during the upcoming 20 years the plant is in operation.

07:14 EDT Lipocine: FDA clears IND to commence Phase 2 Study of LPCN 1144 - Lipocine announced that the U.S. FDA indicated that the Phase 2 clinical study of LPCN 1144 in non-alcoholic steatohepatitis with biopsy confirmed NASH subjects may proceed in response to the company's Investigational New Drug application. Lipocine's planned Phase 2 clinical study is a prospective, multi-center, randomized, placebo-controlled multiple-arm study in male hypogonadal biopsy-confirmed NASH subjects with grade F2/F3 fibrosis with an expected 36-week treatment period.

07:10 EDT Aaron's sees FY19 adjusted EBITDA $415M-$442M

07:08 EDT AerCap announces $200M share repurchase program - On February 13, 2019, the board of AerCap approved a new share repurchase program authorizing total repurchases of up to $200 million of AerCap ordinary shares through September 30, 2019. The program will be funded using the company's cash on hand and cash generated from operations.

07:06 EDT Tempur Sealy sees FY19 adjusted EBITDA $425M-$475M

07:02 EDT Coca-Cola sees FY19 CapEx approximately $2B - Sees FY19 cash from operations at least $8B. Underlying effective tax rate (non-GAAP) estimated to be 19.5%.

06:55 EDT Corindus submits premarket clearance request to FDA for CorPath GRX System - Corindus is seeking premarket clearance from the FDA to use the CorPath GRX System in neurovascular intervention. CorPath GRX, the second generation robotic platform, received FDA clearance for percutaneous coronary intervention in 2016 and peripheral vascular intervention in 2018.

06:50 EDT Credit Suisse says 'well positioned' to take advantage of potential upside - Credit Suisse said: "In markets, the year began with a pronounced recovery in equity and debt markets from a very challenging December. Corporate earnings for the fourth quarter have been largely positive and commentary from the US Federal Reserve has been more cautious regarding future rate increases, underpinning a significant improvement in the credit markets. However, concerns over a US government shutdown, the US-China trade dispute and Brexit remain. This has resulted in a very slow start to the year in terms of Street fees across debt and equity products. There is a significant degree of uncertainty on the evolution during the rest of the first quarter and of the year. The uncertain political climate in a number of major world economies and the resultant potential disruptions to world trade are clear concerns. With our lower cost base, the reduction of our risk profile, our flexible and diversified model and the benefits flowing from the closure of our Strategic Resolution Unit, we expect to remain resilient in the face of downside risks, and believe we are well positioned to take advantage of any potential upside."

06:46 EDT Arch Coal commences development of longwall mine in West Virginia - Arch Coal announced that it has commenced development of a longwall mine in Barbour County, West Virginia, that will produce an estimated 3M tons of premium, High-Vol A coking coal annually for sale into an undersupplied global marketplace. The new mine, Leer South, will be similar in virtually every respect to Arch's existing Leer longwall mine, and will operate in the same 200M-ton reserve base as the Leer operation. The Leer mine is widely regarded as one of the lowest-cost, highest-quality and highest-margin coking coal mines in the U.S. coking coal industry. The company plans to sell the output from the Leer South complex principally into the 300-million-metric-ton-per-year seaborne coking coal market. Steel market consultants expect solid demand growth for seaborne coking coal over the next 10 years, driven by substantial steel sector growth in India and other rapidly emerging Asian economies. At the same time, we believe that global coking coal markets remain under-supplied following years of under-investment, with few large-scale projects - particularly in high-quality coking coal reserves - contemplated in coming years. Premium High-Vol A coals, such as those produced at the Leer complex, face a particularly tight supply outlook. With average seaborne coking coal demand growth projected at 1.5% per year, and assuming a modest annual depletion rate of 2% at existing mines, seaborne coking coal markets will require the installation of 10M tons of new mine capacity annually, or a total of more than 75M tons between now and 2025. Arch estimates that the global supply of High-Vol A or equivalent coals totals less than 25M tons per annum. Arch expects to invest approximately $360M-$390M over the next three years to develop the mine, with the longwall scheduled to start up in late 2021. Arch expects to produce between 6.6M-7M tons of coking coal in 2019 and to maintain a similar level of production through 2021. In 2022, Arch's total coking coal production is expected to approach 9M tons annually, with 75% of that total expected to be High-Vol A coal. With the start-up of the Leer South longwall, Arch expects the average, per-ton operating cost for its coking coal portfolio to decline meaningfully, which will drive higher margins in all market environments.

06:42 EDT BorgWarner announces three-year net new business backlog of $2B-$2.4B - BorgWarner announced its three-year net new business backlog of $2B-$2.4B. The company expects its net new business backlog to drive organic growth over the company's estimated light vehicle market exposure of 5.0% - 6.0% for 2019 through 2021: Net new business within a range of $430 million to $580 million in 2019, $750 million to $875 million in 2020 and $800 million to $950 million in 2021. Asia, the Americas and Europe are expected to account for approximately 60%, 25% and 15%, respectively, of the total net new business backlog over the three-year period. Approximately 50% is expected in China. The net new business backlog represents growth across all propulsion categories with combustion, hybrid and electric vehicles expected to account for approximately 20%, 70% and 10%, respectively, of the total net new business backlog over the three-year period.

06:41 EDT Arch Coal sees FY19 total sales volume 86.6-92 tons - "We are excited about Arch's exceptional, long-term prospects for value creation and growth," CEO John Eaves said. "In 2019, we expect to put our strong, internally generated free cash flow and ample liquidity to work in driving robust, ongoing progress on our capital return program, while simultaneously funding the highly promising Leer South growth project. We fully expect Leer South to deliver exceptional returns and a rapid payback, and to replicate the great success of our world-class Leer mine. With Leer South, Arch will enhance its already enviable position on the U.S. cost curve, strengthen its coking coal profit margins in any market environment, and cement its position as the leading supplier of High-Vol A coking coal globally."

06:39 EDT Clearway Energy reduces quarterly dividend to 20c per share from 33.1c per share - Clearway Energy declared a quarterly dividend on Class A and Class C common stock of 20c per share payable on March 15 to stockholders of record as of March 1. This dividend is reduced from the last quarterly dividend paid in December 2018 of 33.1c per share due to impacts resulting from PG&E's bankruptcy. The PG&E bankruptcy filing has triggered defaults under the power purchase agreements with PG&E and related project level financing agreements. Because the company will exercise the Carlsbad backstop with GIP, the Company is revising its 2019 CAFD guidance to $270M from $295M. This financial guidance reflects no additional corporate level financing and assumes that all CAFD related to the projects impacted by the PG&E bankruptcy is realized in 2019. The company is currently not pursuing acquisition of remaining interest in Agua Caliente from NRG Energy.

06:34 EDT Nestle board to propose increasing dividend to CHF2.45 per share - At the Annual General Meeting on April 11, 2019, the Board of Directors will propose a dividend of CHF 2.45 per share, an increase of 10 centimes. The last trading day with entitlement to receive the dividend will be April 12, 2019. The net dividend will be payable as from April 17, 2019.

06:30 EDT Emerald Expositions Events to raise Q2 dividend to 7.5c per share - On February 5,, the Board of Directors approved the payment of a cash dividend of 7.25c per share for the quarter ending March 31, to holders of the company's common stock. The dividend is expected to be paid on or about March 5 to stockholders of record on February 19. In the second quarter of 2019, management intends to propose, and expects the Board of Directors will approve, a 3.4% increase in the quarterly cash dividend rate, to 7.5c per share effective for the second quarter 2019 dividend.

06:27 EDT Ares Management increases quarterly dividend 14% to 32c per share - Ares Management declared a quarterly dividend of 32c per share of its Class A common stock, payable on March 29 to its Class A common stockholders of record at the close of business on March 15.

06:27 EDT Airbus: A320 program on track to reach monthly targeted production rate mid-year - Overall, the A320 program is on track to reach the monthly targeted production rate of 60 aircraft by mid-2019 with rate 63 targeted in 2021. On the A330neo program, the first A330-900s were delivered and the smaller A330-800 conducted its maiden flight in the final quarter of 2018. In 2019, A330neo deliveries are due to ramp-up. Airbus is working closely with its A330neo engine partner to deliver on customer commitments. Following a review of its operations, Emirates is reducing its A380 orderbook by 39 aircraft with 14 A380s remaining in the backlog yet to be delivered to Emirates. As a consequence of this decision and given the lack of order backlog with other airlines, deliveries of the A380 will cease in 2021. The recognition of the onerous contract provision as well as other specific provisions and the remeasurement of the liabilities have led to a negative impact on EBIT of EURO$ -463 million and a positive impact on the other financial result of EURO$ 177 million. A350 deliveries increased compared to 2017 and included 14 of the larger A350-1000s. The programme reached rate 10 in the fourth quarter of 2018. The backlog supports this rate going forward, including the latest commercial discussions with Etihad to reduce its A350 order by 42 A350-900, leaving 20 A350-1000 for Etihad in the backlog. Airbus will continue to improve the A350 programme's performance to reach breakeven in 2019 and improve margins beyond this.

06:10 EDT Precision Drilling sees FY19 CapEx $169M - "Capital spending in 2019 is expected to be $169 million and includes $53 million for sustaining and infrastructure and $116 million for upgrade and expansion, approximately $68 million of which relates to the completion of our sixth new build rig in Kuwait. We expect that the $169 million will be split $161 million in the Contract Drilling Services segment, $6 million in the Completion and Production Services segment and $2 million to the Corporate segment."

06:07 EDT Etihad Airways to deploy 787 Dreamliners on all flights to China - Etihad Airways will introduce the Boeing (BA) 787-9 Dreamliner on its daily service from Abu Dhabi to Chengdu, effective July 1, replacing the Airbus (EADSY) A330-200 currently operating the route. Also from July 1, the airlines' daily service from Abu Dhabi to Shanghai will be upgraded from the 787-9 to the larger 787-10 Dreamliner. Once the changes take effect, the airline will fly all 28 weekly services to China's four main gateways - Beijing, Chengdu, Shanghai and Hong Kong - with the next generation Dreamliner aircraft.

05:52 EDT Airbus: Emirates to reduce A380 orderbook by 39 aircraft

05:38 EDT Nice Systems up 1.5% after reporting Q4 results, giving Q1, FY19 guidance

05:20 EDT Motif Bio receives CRL from FDA regarding NDA for iclaprim - Motif Bio announced that the company has received a Complete Response Letter, or CRL, from the FDA regarding the New Drug Application, or NDA, for iclaprim for the treatment of acute bacterial skin and skin structure infections, or ABSSSI. The CRL states that the FDA cannot approve the NDA in its present form and indicates that additional data are needed to further evaluate the risk for liver toxicity before the NDA may be approved. Motif Bio plans to request a meeting with the FDA as soon as possible to discuss potential options to address the deficiencies. Graham Lumsden, CEO of Motif Bio, said: "We are disappointed for patients and providers seeking an alternative antibiotic to treat ABSSSI. We intend to request a meeting with the FDA, which typically should occur within approximately 30-45 days, to discuss the CRL. We look forward to working with the Agency to discuss options to advance iclaprim towards approval."