Stockwinners Market Radar for February 19, 2019 - Earnings, Upgrades downgrades, option trades, Best Stock Advisory Service

19:17 EDT Tesla CEO says company will make about 500,000 cars in 2019 - Tesla CEO Elon Musk tweeted that the company will make roughly 500,000 cars in 2019 after making zero cars in 2011. Reference Link

19:03 EDT Tesla CEO says 4,000 cars loading in San Francisco for Europe - Tesla CEO Elon Musk tweeted an image of 4,000 Tesla vehicles loading in San Francisco, California, to be transported to Europe. Reference Link

18:58 EDT Hudbay Minerals announces increased reserves at Lalor mine - Hudbay Minerals announces increased mineral reserves and resources for its Lalor mine and nearby satellite deposits, and a new mine plan that includes the processing of gold and copper-gold ore at the company's New Britannia mill. Lalor annual gold production set to more than double from current levels once the New Britannia mill is refurbished with average annual production of approximately 140,000 ounces during the first five years at a sustaining cash cost, net of by-product credits, of $450 per ounce, positioning Lalor as one of the lowest-cost gold mines in Canada. Gold recoveries are estimated to increase to 93% at the New Britannia mill compared to 53% at the Stall mill.

18:55 EDT Calyxt, Agtegra Cooperative announce strategic collaboration - Calyxt and Agtegra Cooperative announced that Agtegra will offer distribution, storage and transportation services for Calyxt High Oleic Soybean to its customers. Agtegra is an innovative farmer owned grain and agronomy cooperative serving over 6,300 farmer members across North and South Dakota. They are the eighth largest ag retailer in the United States. As part of this agreement, Calyxt and Agtegra will work together to distribute Calyxt High Oleic Soybean seeds to the cooperative's farmer members in South Dakota and provide field services for proper placement and agronomic advice during the growing season. The collaboration will also include the storage and handling of Calyxt High Oleic Soybean grain at Agtegra under the Calyxt Soybean Identity Preserved Program, and logistics and transportation services for grain shipments. These services will build upon the existing Calyxt grower base for the Company's next product launch by collaborating with some of the Agtegra customers who also grow wheat, as well as elevators, to establish the Calyxt Wheat Identity Preserved supply chain.

18:29 EDT Aphria announces early termination of Liberty Health Sciences divestment - Aphria announced that independent members of its Board of Directors consisting of Shlomo Bibas, John Herhalt, Tom Looney and Irwin Simon, unanimously approved the early termination and liquidation of a promissory note, option and other agreements related to the Company's previously announced divestment of all interests in Liberty Health Sciences, Inc. As detailed on September 6, 2018, the company entered into a share purchase agreement with a group of buyers, wherein it completed the sale of the shares making up 100% of its outstanding interest in Liberty, in exchange for a five-year promissory note due September 6, 2023, bearing interest at 12% per annum and in the amount of $59.1M. Aphria retained an irrevocable option to repurchase its shares in Liberty from the buyers for a period of up to five years, subject to the satisfaction of certain conditions.

18:19 EDT Vical resumes trade down over 10% at 90c per share

17:49 EDT Owens & Minor names Ed Pesicka President and CEO - Owens & Minor (OMI) announced that its Board of Directors has named Edward Pesicka President and CEO, effective March 4. Pesicka, a formerly long-tenured executive at Thermo Fisher Scientific (TMO), joins the company with over 25 years of business and operational experience focused on distribution, manufacturing and service for the healthcare, pharmaceutical, biotechnology and scientific research industries. He will also join the company's Board of Directors. After Pesicka's appointment on March 4, Sledd will continue to serve as Chairman of the Board of Directors.

17:46 EDT Vical to discontinue development of VL-2397, to consider strategic options - Vical Incorporated announced that it has decided to discontinue the Phase 2 clinical trial of VL-2397 that was initiated in the first quarter of 2018. The decision was based on the Company's decision to conserve its cash resources while it pursues its strategic alternative review process, as well as low patient accrual rates. The Phase 2 clinical trial was evaluating VL-2397 as a potential first-line treatment for invasive aspergillosis in immunocompromised adults with acute leukemia or recipients of an allogeneic hematopoietic cell transplant. In the third quarter of 2018, Vical announced plans to explore a range of strategic options to enhance shareholder value. The Company retained MTS Health Partners, L.P. to assist in the strategic review process. Given the decision announced today, the Company will focus on concluding the strategic review process.

17:40 EDT Vical trading halted, news pending

17:28 EDT CB Financial Services VP Ralph Burchianti buys 2,500 shares of company stock - CB Financial Services VP Ralph Burchianti disclosed in a filing that he had purchased 2,500 shares of company stock at an average price of $26.49 per share on February 14. The total transaction value of the purchase was $66,225.

17:26 EDT Activision Blizzard discloses $150M charge as part of restructuring plan - In order to better capitalize on long-term growth opportunities, on February 12, 2019 Activision Blizzard committed the company to a restructuring plan under which the company plans to refocus its resources on its largest opportunities and to remove unnecessary levels of complexity and duplication from certain parts of the business. The company expects to incur aggregate pre-tax restructuring charges of approximately $150M in 2019, related to severance, including, in many cases, above legally required amounts (approximately 65% of the aggregate charge), facilities costs (approximately 20% of the aggregate charge), and asset write-downs and other costs (approximately 15% of the aggregate charge). The company expects the majority of these charges to be incurred in the first quarter of 2019, with most of the balance expected to be incurred in the remainder of 2019. The total pre-tax charge associated with the restructuring will be almost entirely in cash and the outlays are expected to be incurred throughout 2019.

17:17 EDT Alaska Air sees FY19 capacity up ~2% - Sees FY19 cost per ASM up 2.0%-2.5%.

17:10 EDT Perceptron announces new gap and flush solution for transparent lamps - Perceptron announced the release of its revolutionary AutoFit solution for gap and flush measurement on transparent head lamps and tail lamps, chrome trim, and painted surfaces. Perceptron's AutoFit solution pairs its new Helixsolo sensor family with an accurate algorithm suite for best-in-class gap and flush measurement results on all the critical parts that define the fit and finish of the complete car. Helixsolo is a full set of non-contact, laser-line sensors built for the plant floor with an IP67-rated housing. A high-resolution camera and multiple laser color options offer unparalleled return images on challenging materials without applying sprays, stickers or additional part preparation required by many vision technologies. The enhanced algorithm suite provides new measurement options and no longer requires a second validation device, delivering increased efficiencies and cost reductions for customers. The algorithms have been thoroughly tested against the automotive quality leaders' fit and finish measurement standards and are approved for upcoming projects.

17:06 EDT America's Car-Mart reports Q4 average retail sales price up 4.5% from last year - Reports Q4 sales volume productivity with 27.9 retail units sold per store per month, up from 27.2 last year.

16:54 EDT Cadence Design up 7% to $56.35 after Q4 results, FY19 guidance top estimates

16:43 EDT Analog Devices raises annual dividend growth target to 7%-15% from 5%-10% - CEO Vincent Roche says: "Given the confidence in our future prospects and strength of our business model, I am pleased to announce that we have increased our target dividend growth rate to 7% to 15% annually from our previous target of 5% to 10%."

16:43 EDT Pixelworks unveils 5th generation mobile processor - Pixelworks unveiled the fifth generation of its premier processor for mobile devices. To meet the anticipated surge in consumer video consumption with the launch of 5G, Pixelworks' Iris 5 display processor enables stunning new visual experiences for smartphones at a fraction of the power consumption of previous generations.

16:41 EDT Butterfield raises quarterly dividend 16c to 44c per share

16:36 EDT Host Hotels acquires 1 Hotel South Beach - Host Hotels & Resorts announced that on February 14, it acquired the fee simple interest in the 429-room 1 Hotel South Beach in Miami Beach, Florida for approximately $610M. This resort reopened in 2015 following a transformational $300M repositioning renovation and is rated in the top-10 U.S. hotels by Conde Nast Traveler and recently rated the #1 hotel in Miami Beach by TripAdvisor. Based on the 2019 budget, the purchase price equates to an EBITDA multiple of 13x.

16:34 EDT MDU Resources subsidiary to retire three aging electric generation units - MDU Resources Group subsidiary Montana-Dakota Utilities announced that it intends to retire three aging coal-fired electric generation units at two locations within the next two to three years and construct a new simple-cycle natural gas combustion turbine to cost-effectively meet the needs of its customers. The analysis done while preparing the integrated resource plan (IRP), which the company puts together every two years and files with regulatory commissions, points to the retirement of two aging coal-fired plants and the construction of the natural gas combustion turbine. The retirements are expected around the end of 2020 for Lewis & Clark Station in Sidney, Montana, and around the end of 2021 for units 1 and 2 at Heskett Station in Mandan, North Dakota. These dates may be impacted by the company's coal supplier's pending bankruptcy proceeding. The company has begun the development process to construct an 88-megawatt simple-cycle peaking unit at the Heskett Station site, and anticipates submitting an advance determination of prudence request with the North Dakota Public Service Commission this fall. The total cost of building and operating a new simple-cycle combustion turbine, coupled with market purchases, is expected to be about half the total cost of continuing to run the Heskett and Lewis & Clark coal-fired units.

16:33 EDT BeiGene announces fist patient dosed in Phase 2 MAGNOLIA trial - BeiGene announced that the first patient was dosed in a global Phase 2 trial of zanubrutinib, an investigational inhibitor of Bruton's tyrosine kinase, or BTK, in patients with relapsed or refractory, or R/R, marginal zone lymphoma, or MZL, which BeiGene refers to as the MAGNOLIA trial. Zanubrutinib was discovered by BeiGene scientists and is being developed globally as a monotherapy and in combination with other therapies to treat various hematologic malignancies. Zanubrutinib is being studied in several clinical trials as part of a broad development program and was granted breakthrough therapy designation for the treatment of adult patients with mantle cell lymphoma, or MCL, who have received at least one prior therapy, and fast track designation for the treatment of patients with Waldenstrom macroglobulinemia, or WM, by the U.S. FDA. BeiGene plans to submit an initial new drug application to the FDA for zanubrutinib in 2019 or early 2020. In addition, BeiGene has submitted NDAs in China for R/R MCL and R/R chronic lymphocytic leukemia/small lymphocytic lymphoma, which have been accepted for review by the National Medical Products Administration and granted priority review.

16:31 EDT Hormel Foods to sell CytoSport business to PepsiCo - Hormel Foods (HRL) announced it has entered into a definitive agreement to sell its CytoSport business to PepsiCo (PEP). The transaction is subject to customary closing conditions, including regulatory approvals, and is expected to be completed in 30-60 days.

16:31 EDT Amedisys to acquire RoseRock Healthcare - Amedisys has signed a definitive agreement to acquire RoseRock Healthcare, a hospice care provider in Tulsa, Oklahoma. Under the terms of the agreement, expected to close on April 1, Amedisys will acquire substantially all the assets of RoseRock Healthcare.

16:30 EDT OneSpan trading resumes

16:25 EDT PHI issues statement on review process - PHI, Inc. issued the following statement: "We understand our stakeholders may have questions about the status of the review of strategic alternatives that we announced last Fall. Our officers and directors are collaborating with our advisors and others and continue to make steady progress as we evaluate a wide range of various options available to us. It is common for companies in a position like ours to explore several strategies before reaching final conclusions. We cannot provide advice on investments in PHI, nor would it be appropriate for us to speculate about the treatment of stakeholders in the various options we are continuing to consider. We do not intend to provide further comment on this matter until we have an appropriate update to share."

16:23 EDT Aerojet Rocketdyne says as of December 31 backlog totaled $4.1B - As of December 31, the Company's total remaining performance obligations, also referred to as backlog, totaled $4.1 billion. The Company expects to recognize approximately 45%, or $1.8 billion, of the remaining performance obligations as sales over the next twelve months, an additional 29% the following twelve months, and 26% thereafter.

16:21 EDT International Flavors acquires The Additive Advantage, terms not disclosed - International Flavors & Fragrances Inc, has expanded and strengthened its innovation capabilities for scent, taste and active ingredients through the acquisition of The Additive Advantage, a company that develops novel technologies with diverse capabilities that span applications and industries. TAA has the expertise to develop the next-generation delivery systems technology platform that will enable the printing of flavors, fragrances, cosmetic and health & nutrition actives onto a variety of consumer products.

16:19 EDT Uniti Group agrees to sale of Latin America tower portfolio - Uniti Group announced that it has agreed to sell its Uniti Towers' business in Latin America to an entity controlled by Phoenix Tower International for cash consideration of approximately $100M, subject to adjustments. PTI will acquire approximately 500 towers located across Mexico, Colombia and Nicaragua. The transaction with PTI is subject to customary closing conditions and is expected to close by March 31.

16:18 EDT Mercury Systems receives follow-on orders of $3.3M - Mercury Systems announced it received follow-on orders of $3.3M from a leading defense prime contractor for high-performance secure processing microelectronics integrated into an advanced weapons application. The orders were booked in Q2 and are expected to be shipped over the next several quarters.

16:16 EDT Edwards Lifesciences: Edwards PASCAL transcatheter receives CE Mark - Edwards Lifesciences announced the Edwards PASCAL transcatheter valve repair system has received CE Mark for the treatment of patients with mitral regurgitation. The PASCAL system is not approved in the United States; the CLASP IID U.S. pivotal trial is currently enrolling patients with symptomatic primary mitral regurgitation.

16:16 EDT Verisk Analytics board approves initiation of cash dividend - On February 13, 2019, Verisk's Board of Directors approved the initiation of a cash dividend to shareholders. Verisk will pay a cash dividend of 25 cents per share of common stock issued and outstanding, payable on March 29, 2019, to the holders of record as of March 15, 2019. The establishment of future record and payment dates is subject to the final determination of Verisk's Board of Directors.

16:15 EDT Devon Energy raises quarterly dividend 13% to 9c per share - The adjusted dividend is payable on June 28, 2019, to stockholders of record at the close of business on June 14, 2019.

16:14 EDT Texas Roadhouse sees 25-30 company restaurant openings in FY19 - Management reiterated the following expectations for 2019: 25-30 company restaurant openings, including as many as four Bubba's 33 restaurants, commodity cost inflation of approximately 1.0%-2.0%, and mid-single digit growth in labor dollars per store week, excluding the impact of higher guest counts.

16:12 EDT Texas Roadhouse sees positive comparable restaurant sales growth in FY19 - Texas Roadhouse said comparable restaurant sales at company restaurants for the first 54 days of Q1 increased approximately 6.0% compared to the prior year period, including a positive impact of approximately 1.3% related to the calendar shift of the New Year's holiday. Management updated the following expectations for 2019: Positive comparable restaurant sales growth including a menu price increase of approximately 1.5% to be implemented at the beginning of Q2, an income tax rate of approximately 15.0%, and total capital expenditures of approximately $210M-$220M.

16:11 EDT Texas Roadhouse sees positive comparable restaurant sales growth in FY19 - Texas Roadhouse said comparable restaurant sales at company restaurants for the first 54 days of Q1 increased approximately 6.0% compared to the prior year period, including a positive impact of approximately 1.3% related to the calendar shift of the New Year's holiday. Management reiterated the following expectations for 2019: Positive comparable restaurant sales growth including a menu price increase of approximately 1.5% to be implemented at the beginning of Q2, an income tax rate of approximately 15.0%, and total capital expenditures of approximately $210M-$220M.

16:08 EDT Texas Roadhouse reports Q4 comparable restaurant sales - Texas Roadhouse reported Q4 comparable restaurant sales increased 5.6% at company restaurants and 4.8% at domestic franchise restaurants. During the quarter, eleven company restaurants, including one Bubba's 33, and one international franchise restaurant were opened.

16:07 EDT Schlumberger, Rockwell Automation announce Sensia joint venture - Rockwell Automation (ROK) and Schlumberger (SLB) announced that they have entered into an agreement to create a new joint venture, Sensia, the first fully integrated digital oilfield automation solutions provider. The transaction is expected to close, and the joint venture is expected to begin serving customers, in the summer of 2019, subject to regulatory approvals and other customary conditions. The Sensia joint venture will be the first fully integrated provider of measurement solutions, domain expertise, and automation to the oil and gas industry. It will offer scalable, cloud and edge-enabled process automation, including information and process safety solutions. From intelligent systems to fully engineered life-cycle management automation solutions, the joint venture will help customers drive efficiency gains through measurement and data driven intelligent automation. Under the terms of the agreement, Sensia will operate as an independent entity, with Rockwell Automation owning 53% and Schlumberger owning 47% of the joint venture. Sensia is expected to generate annual revenue of $400 million, and will employ approximately 1,000 team members serving customers in more than 80 countries, with global headquarters in Houston, Texas. The management team will be led by Allan Rentcome, who will serve as Chief Executive Officer. He is currently Director Global Technology - Systems and Solutions Business at Rockwell Automation. As part of the transaction, Rockwell Automation will make a $250M payment to Schlumberger at closing, which will be funded by cash on hand. Following this investment, Rockwell Automation will maintain its strong financial flexibility and continue to support its capital allocation priorities, including organic growth and acquisitions, dividends, and share repurchases, and Rockwell Automation reaffirms its $1 billion share repurchase target for fiscal 2019.

16:03 EDT Cadence Design, Green Hills announce strategic partnership - Cadence Design Systems and Green Hills Software, a privately held company, announced a strategic partnership that is expected to leverage their respective strengths to drive embedded system safety and security, while accelerating growth for both companies. As part of the partnership, Cadence has invested about $150M that represents an approximate 16 percent ownership interest in Green Hills, and Cadence CEO, Lip-Bu Tan, has joined the Green Hills board of directors. The partnership will leverage the technologies, domain expertise, market reach and resources of both companies to explore opportunities for joint go-to-market and technology collaboration across the companies as well as joint marketing initiatives.

16:01 EDT Teva's Everolimus granted tentative approval by FDA - The FDA granted tentative approval for the Abbreviated New Drug Application submitted by Teva for Everolimus on February 15, according to a post to the agency's website. Reference Link

15:32 EDT Evolent slips after largest client claims state cuts could push it to insolvency - Shares of Evolent Health (EVH) are sliding after Passport Health, the former's largest client, claimed in a lawsuit that Kentucky state rate cuts have affected the company so dramatically that it could be insolvent by March and subject to state takeover. Commenting on the news, Piper Jaffray analyst Sean Wieland said he sees Evolent Health's guidance as potentially at risk, but believes the shares are likely oversold on the lawsuit news. PASSPORT SUES STATE OVER MEDICAID CUTS: Passport Health Plan has claimed in a lawsuit that Kentucky state rate cuts have affected it so dramatically that the Medicaid managed care company could be insolvent by March and subject to state takeover, Louisville Courier Journal's Deborah Yetter reported. The abrupt filing of the lawsuit Friday in Franklin Circuit Court signals the collapse of extensive efforts to resolve a dispute with the state Cabinet for Health and Family Services over the cuts enacted last year to the company's Medicaid business, Yetter wrote. EVOLENT'S GUIDANCE MAY BE AT RISK: After Evolent Health's largest client sued Kentucky agencies over the capitation rate cut for Region 3, where two-thirds of Passport members are based, Piper Jaffray analyst Sean Wieland noted that Passport represents about $80M in revenues for Evolent. If it is assumed that Evolent loses Passport as a client, Wieland believes Evolent's 2019 guidance is at risk. However, he also estimates that losing the contract entirely would amount to a $3 per share impact to valuation, stating that Evolent shares are likely oversold on the lawsuit news. Wieland has an Overweight rating on Evolent Health shares. WHAT'S NOTABLE: An article late last month from Insider Louisville reported on the financial challenges of Passport Health and pinned the blame on Evolent Health, Piper Jaffray's Wieland told investors in a research note on January 31. The article, titled "Passport's finances being dragged down by $220M in 'management fees' to Evolent Health," suggested Evolent was largely to blame for Passport's financial challenges, explained the analyst. However, after catching up with Mark Carter, CEO of Passport Health, Wieland learned that the Evolent Health relationship was going well and meeting objectives. PRICE ACTION: In afternoon trading, shares of Evolent Health have dropped almost 9% to $15.35.

14:10 EDT Pfizer announces modification to ongoing tofacitinib post-marketing study - Pfizer announced the company has taken steps to transition rheumatoid arthritis study patients who were on tofacitinib 10 mg twice daily to tofacitinib 5 mg twice daily in the Food and Drug Administration post-marketing requirement study A3921133. This study was designed to assess the risk of cardiovascular events and therefore in contrast to previous tofacitinib studies, patients were required to be at least 50 years of age and have at least one CV risk factor to be eligible for participation in this study. All patients entered the study on stable doses of background methotrexate. This action is being taken as the result of notification from the tofacitinib Rheumatology Data Safety Monitoring Board of a safety signal regarding the tofacitinib 10 mg twice daily treatment arm. The modification of this dose arm to transition to the 5 mg twice daily arm was requested by the FDA. The 5 mg twice daily dose is the FDA approved dose for adult patients with moderate to severe rheumatoid arthritis. Based on the most recent analysis of the ongoing A3921133 study, the DSMB observed that patients treated with tofacitinib 10 mg twice daily had a statistically and clinically important difference in the occurrence of pulmonary embolism, compared with patients in this study who were treated with a TNFi. The DSMB also noted an increase in overall mortality in the 10 mg twice daily treatment group compared to the tofacitinib 5 mg twice daily and TNFi treatment arms. "The study is fully enrolled and will continue through to completion. The DSMB stated it firmly believes that the risk-benefit profile of tofacitinib 5 mg twice daily in comparison to the TNFi group remains appropriately balanced in this study. We will work with the FDA and other regulatory agencies to review the full results upon completion of this study. Furthermore, the DSMB stated that other, ongoing studies of tofacitinib in RA, juvenile idiopathic arthritis, psoriatic arthritis, and ankylosing spondylitis should continue unchanged...Similar results to study A3921133 have not been identified in Pfizer analyses of other tofacitinib RA clinical trials or routine monitoring of post-marketing safety data, including our statistical analyses of the FDA Adverse Event Reporting System database," Pfizer said.

13:56 EDT Natera: SNP-based test shows high predictive values in determining abnormalities - Natera presented data at the Society for Maternal-Fetal Medicine Annual Pregnancy Meeting showing strong clinical performance of its Panorama SNP-based non-invasive prenatal test to detect common chromosomal aneuploidies in all women, including women under 35 years of age, with high accuracy. The primary objective of the study was to prospectively analyze the clinical performance of the company's NIPT as a part of its rigorous laboratory-based quality assurance program. Fetal outcome data was solicited from women who received a high-risk result from over 900,000 Panorama tests performed between 2013 and 2017. The positive predictive value in this cohort was 95.2% for trisomy 21, 93.5% for trisomy 18, 77.9% for trisomy 13, and 86.7% for monosomy X. The PPV was similar for both high-risk and average risk pregnancies, consistent with a previous study. "The high positive predictive values demonstrated in this study once again validate the utility of NIPT as a primary prenatal screening tool in the management of all pregnancies, including women under 35 years of age," said Dr. Kimberly A. Martin, Natera Vice President, Global Women's Health. "We believe this study continues to reaffirm NIPT as the most accurate screening option for pregnant women of all ages."

13:51 EDT Natera: Study shows high predictive values in determining genetic abnormalities - Natera presented data at the Society for Maternal-Fetal Medicine Annual Pregnancy Meeting showing strong clinical performance of its Panorama SNP-based non-invasive prenatal test to detect common chromosomal aneuploidies in all women, including women under 35 years of age, with high accuracy. The primary objective of the study was to prospectively analyze the clinical performance of the company's NIPT as a part of its rigorous laboratory-based quality assurance program. Fetal outcome data was solicited from women who received a high-risk result from over 900,000 Panorama tests performed between 2013 and 2017. The positive predictive value in this cohort was 95.2% for trisomy 21, 93.5% for trisomy 18, 77.9% for trisomy 13, and 86.7% for monosomy X. The PPV was similar for both high-risk and average risk pregnancies, consistent with a previous study. "The high positive predictive values demonstrated in this study once again validate the utility of NIPT as a primary prenatal screening tool in the management of all pregnancies, including women under 35 years of age," said Dr. Kimberly A. Martin, Natera Vice President, Global Women's Health. "We believe this study continues to reaffirm NIPT as the most accurate screening option for pregnant women of all ages."

13:33 EDT Ford to exit commercial heavy truck business in South America - Ford Motor Company announced it will exit the commercial heavy truck business in South America. As a result, the company will cease production at the Sao Bernardo do Campo plant in Brazil during 2019, ending sales of the Cargo lineup, F-4000 and F-350 -- along with the Fiesta small car -- once inventories are sold. The decision to exit the heavy commercial trucks business came after months of pursuing viable alternatives, including possible partnerships and a sale of the operation. The business would have required significant capital investments to meet market needs and increasing regulatory costs with no viable path to profitability. This decision follows other recent initiatives in the on-going redesign of the South American region including: Reducing salaried and administrative costs region-wide by more than 20 percent over the past few months; Strengthening portfolio with SUVs and pickups that are growing in popularity with consumers while ceasing Focus production in Argentina; Leveraging global partnerships, such as the recently announced alliance with VW to develop mid-size pickup trucks. In connection with this announcement, the company expects to record pre-tax special item charges of about $460M. The charges will include approximately $100M of non-cash charges for accelerated depreciation and amortization. The remaining charges of about $360M will be paid in cash and are primarily attributable to separation and termination payments for employees, dealers, and suppliers. Most of these pre-tax special item charges and cash outflows will be recorded in 2019 and are part of the $11B in EBIT charges with cash-related effects of $7Bthe company expects to take in the redesign of its global business.

13:04 EDT Allergan opposes letter asking for 'immediate separation' of CEO/chair roles - Allergan issued the following statement from its board in response to a public shareholder letter: "While we appreciate the input of Appaloosa as we do all of our shareholders, we strongly disagree that an immediate separation of the CEO and chair positions is warranted. Implementing a leadership change in the manner Appaloosa is recommending would be highly disruptive to the company and diminish Mr. Saunders' ability to continue to execute Allergan's strategy to create a world-class global biopharmaceutical business and develop the company's promising pipeline. In contrast, the shareholder proposal that our board supports minimizes disruption and allows for the separation of the chair and CEO positions with the next leadership change, as these resolutions typically provide. Over the past few years, Allergan has been executing a strategic transformation from Watson, a U.S.-based generic drug company, into a global biopharmaceutical leader focused on four key therapeutic areas, where it has strong leadership positions and significant opportunities for growth. In 2018, the company exceeded its financial performance targets, advanced its robust pipeline and executed its disciplined capital allocation plan. Allergan's long-term growth targets remain intact and the company is expecting a number of important pipeline milestones in 2019. Allergan has a high-caliber board of directors with six directors who have been added in the last two years including Bob Hugin, former chairman and CEO of Celgene, who was appointed on February 18. Allergan's board of directors firmly believes that the current combined chairman and CEO role, together with a strong lead independent director role, our slate of highly qualified independent directors and robust governance policies, provide effective oversight and best position Allergan for long-term success as the company executes its strategy."

12:53 EDT Carl Icahn reports 9.78% stake in Caesars, calls shares undervalued

12:32 EDT Novo Nordisk announces FDA approval of ESPEROCT - Novo Nordisk announced that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration has approved the Biologics License Application for ESPEROCT for the treatment of adults and children with haemophilia A. ESPEROCT is the brand name for turoctocog alfa pegol, N8-GP. ESPEROCT is indicated for use in adults and children with haemophilia A for routine prophylaxis to reduce the frequency of bleeding episodes, on-demand treatment and control of bleeding episodes and perioperative management of bleeding. Due to third-party IP agreements, Novo Nordisk will not be able to launch ESPEROCT before 2020 in the USA, the company noted.

11:38 EDT Google announces intent to acquire Alooma to simplify cloud migration - Google announced in a blog post its intent to acquire Alooma, "a leader in data migration. Alooma helps enterprise companies streamline database migration in the cloud with an innovative data pipeline tool that enables them to move their data from multiple sources to a single data warehouse... The addition of Alooma, subject to closing conditions, is a natural fit that allows us to offer customers a streamlined, automated migration experience to Google Cloud, and give them access to our full range of database services, from managed open source database offerings to solutions like Cloud Spanner and Cloud Bigtable. This simplified migration path also opens the door for customers to take advantage of all the technologies we have to offer, including analytics, security, AI and machine learning." Reference Link

11:30 EDT Old Point National Bank names Thomas Hotchkiss chief credit officer - Thomas Hotchkiss has been appointed as EVP and chief credit officer of Old Point National Bank. Most recently, he held the position of chief credit officer for a financial institution in Maryland.

11:19 EDT Intuitive Surgical announces FDA clearance of Ion endoluminal system - Intuitive Surgical announced that the FDA cleared the Ion endoluminal system to enable minimally invasive biopsy in the peripheral lung. "Early lung cancer diagnosis can save lives. Intuitive's advanced, robotic-assisted, minimally invasive Ion system helps address a challenging aspect of lung biopsy by enabling physicians to obtain tissue samples from deep within the lung," said Gary Guthart, Intuitive CEO. The company added, "The Ion system uses an ultra-thin articulating robotic catheter that can move 180 degrees in all directions." Intuitive plans to introduce the Ion system in the U.S. in a "measured fashion," with customer shipments beginning in Q2 of 2019.

11:11 EDT Aurelius responds to Windstream's statement regarding court decision - Aurelius Capital Management issued the following statement in response to the statement issued by Windstream Holdings, Inc. on February 15: "Aurelius is gratified by the decision of the United States District Court for the Southern District of New York. That decision found -- among other things -- that Windstream's legacy 6-3/8% notes due 2023 have been accelerated and that the new 6-3/8% notes due 2023 purportedly issued in November 2017 do not constitute 'Additional Notes' under the indenture governing the legacy notes. Windstream's professed 'surprise' at Judge Furman's well reasoned decision, issued after a multi-day trial and several volumes of exhibits and briefing, has only the modest virtue of consistency to commend it. We take no pleasure in Windstream's resulting financial predicament. Windstream could easily have averted it - first by not playing fast and loose with its noteholders in 2015, hoping nobody would hold the company to account, and second by settling. Instead, Windstream wasted an exorbitant amount -- more than would have been needed to settle with us at the time -- on an ineffective exchange offer and then on litigation. In our view, a management and a board with an extreme and unwarranted assessment of Windstream's legal case chose to bet the company. The company lost. According to its statement last Friday, Windstream now intends to appeal. This is welcome news for our fund, as it will require Windstream to post a surety bond exceeding $300M. That surety bond will pay in full the notes our fund owns when Windstream loses the appeal. We are happy to take the surety company's credit over Windstream's. To noteholders who chose to play the company's game even after it had broken its promise, we wish you luck with your exchange notes. Between their dubious status and their OID risk in bankruptcy, we suspect you will need it."

10:55 EDT Aether, Procter & Gamble begin 3D printing, AI development project - Aether announced the commencement of a two year joint development agreement with Procter & Gamble for the development of cutting edge 3D printing and AI technologies. Aether 1 will be used as a technology creation platform to develop an array of hardware and software capabilities designed to automate and improve product research applications for P&G, as well as to develop a revolutionary next-generation Aether 3D printer. Development will include creating an interconnected network of computer vision and AI algorithms to significantly increase multi-tool and multi-material 3D printing automation, as well as build a dramatically expanded suite of features designed to expand the possibilities for the field of 3D printing.

10:16 EDT Bridgeline Digital announces intention to acquire certain assets of Stantive - Bridgeline Digital announced its intention to acquire certain assets of Stantive Technologies Group, a provider of OrchestraCMS. Bridgeline has entered into an Asset Purchase Agreement with Stantive that provides for the acquisition by the company of certain assets including all intellectual property and customer contracts of Stantive for approximately $5M in cash and assumption of $400,000 of related liabilities. The proposed acquisition of Stantive's assets is the result of a bid process conducted under the Bankruptcy and Insolvency Act in the Ontario Superior Court of Justice in Bankruptcy and Insolvency located in Toronto, Ontario. In connection with the proposed acquisition, Bridgeline made a non-refundable deposit of approximately $500,000. Subject to obtaining necessary financing and approval by the Bankruptcy Court, the company currently expects to complete the transaction on March 1, 2019. Stantive, headquartered in Kingston, Ontario, provides its OrchestraCMS software in a native Salesforce.com content management platform with customers generating monthly recurring revenue from subscription contracts of approximately $300,000, Bridgeline said.

10:01 EDT CyrusOne acquires eight acres of land in Santa Clara - CyrusOne announced the purchase of eight acres of land in Santa Clara. Upon completion, the new facility will be the second for CyrusOne in Santa Clara and will be adjacent to the company's existing land parcel that is currently under construction. Combined, the CyrusOne Santa Clara Data Center campus will be the largest mission-critical concentration in Silicon Valley delivering over 100MW of capacity. The unique campus will be able to generate up to 27MWs of energy by use of the onsite generation, giving customers even more aggressive power pricing over any competitor in the market.

10:00 EDT NCI Building falls -11.6% - NCI Building is down -11.6%, or -89c to $6.78.

10:00 EDT eHi Car Services rises 13.8% - eHi Car Services is up 13.8%, or $1.45 to $12.01.

10:00 EDT Kraton rises 21.5% - Kraton is up 21.5%, or $6.27 to $35.43.

09:47 EDT Service Corp. falls -9.3% - Service Corp. is down -9.3%, or -$4.26 to $41.71.

09:47 EDT MagnaChip rises 8.9% - MagnaChip is up 8.9%, or 61c to $7.43.

09:47 EDT eHi Car Services rises 13.4% - eHi Car Services is up 13.4%, or $1.42 to $11.98.

09:41 EDT Allergan names Robert Hugin to board, to recommend Independent Board Chair - Allergan plc (AGN) announced earlier that Robert Hugin has been appointed to its board, effective immediately. Hugin was formerly the CEO and Chairman of Celgene (CELG). In addition, the Allergan board announced its intention to recommend for a pending shareholder proposal, which will also appear in its 2019 proxy statement, requiring an Independent Board Chair to be phased in during the next leadership transition. "Today's announcements reflect our Board's ongoing commitment to active board refreshment and governance best practices, as well as continuous engagement with our shareholders," said Chris Coughlin, Lead Independent Director of Allergan's Board. "These actions enhance our Board leadership and governance policies, while preserving existing leadership arrangements, achieving a balance that we believe our shareholders will embrace." Shares of are down 64c to $138.40 in early trading.

09:37 EDT Dentsply Sirona extends deadline for stockholders to nominate board directors - In a regulatory filing earlier, Dentsply Sirona disclosed that on February 17, the board of directors of the company determined to extend the deadline for stockholders to nominate directors to the Board pursuant to the company's bylaws at the company's 2019 annual meeting of stockholders from February 22, 2019 to March 15, 2019. "Any director nomination received by the Secretary of the company prior to the close of business on March 15, 2019 and otherwise complying with the bylaws may be submitted to the stockholders at the company's 2019 annual meeting of stockholders. The date of the company's 2019 annual meeting of stockholders has not been set," the filing stated.

09:33 EDT SWK Technologies acquires cloud application hosting service - SWK Technologies announced that it now offers comprehensive application hosting services. BACH is an all-inclusive hosting service for ERP, CRM, network monitoring software, and other business management applications that leverages secure cloud connections to maintain client systems through off-site servers. This service was added to SWK through the acquisition of Information Systems Management June 1, 2018, and is now fully available to the SWK's customers. BACH represents the most secure and cost-effective way for SWK's clients to host their business applications in the cloud. Cloud application hosting enables businesses to mitigate the amount of resources must be devoted to digital maintenance and lower the total cost of ownership of their IT infrastructure. BACH ensures consistent and reliable application performance through a proven, dependable and well-defended network.

09:27 EDT Nortech Systems appoints Jay Miller as CEO - Nortech Systems named Jay Miller as president and CEO, effective February 27. He has been serving as interim president since January 1 and has been an independent director of the company since May 2018.

09:24 EDT Comtech awarded $1.7M equipment order from - Comtech Telecommunications announced that during its second quarter of fiscal 2019, its Tempe, Arizona-based subsidiary, Comtech EF Data Corp., which is part of Comtech's Commercial Solutions segment, was awarded a $1.7M RF equipment order from a leading satellite antenna manufacturer. The satellite antenna manufacturer, which provides full motion antenna solutions for marine and other mobility applications, will continue to team Comtech EF Data products with its innovative, full-motion antenna products to provide its marine customers with unparalleled performance and reliability.

09:23 EDT Cypress, NanoLock collaborate to develop flash-to-cloud management, security - NanoLock Security and Cypress Semiconductor announced the companies are jointly developing flash-based solutions that bring device-level security and management to the automotive and industrial domains. The combination of NanoLock's security and Cypress' Semper NOR Flash devices enables a trusted management platform and secure over-the-air updates for autonomous and connected vehicle electronics units, as well as for smart factories and other Industry 4.0 applications. This is achieved by leveraging the unique compute capabilities of the Semper NOR Flash to create a secured channel, flash to cloud, to protect against overwriting, modification, manipulation, erasure and ransomware attacks on firmware, boot images and system parameters.

09:19 EDT Kroger and Ocado announce two additional customer fulfillment centers - The Kroger and Ocado, one of the world's largest dedicated online grocery retailers, announced Central Florida and Mid-Atlantic as the newly-named regions for America's next two customer fulfillment centers.

09:18 EDT Check Point announces partnership with Infocyte for threat detection - Infocyte and Check Point have partnered to deliver faster threat detection and incident response services on compromised hosts. As part of the partnership, Infocyte's platform, Infocyte HUNT, will be integrated with Check Point's suite of services. Both companies will share threat intelligence to improve their threat detection and incident response capabilities. Check Point's recent cyber attack trends report highlights the growing concern around advanced threats. New forms of malware, cryptominers, ransomware, and other cyber-attacks continue to show alarming rates of success across cloud, traditional, and hybrid networks. As cyber-attacks evolve, they become better at penetrating deep into IT networks and hiding from traditional detection technologies. In an effort to fight back, companies are adopting proactive practices like post-breach threat detection and remediation solutions that complement their existing cyber security defenses.

09:16 EDT Broadcom announces Barclays as a PLA customer - Broadcom (AVGO) announced that Barclays (BCS) has signed a strategic agreement as a portfolio license agreement, or PLA, customer, enabling them to drive savings with technology to transform their digital infrastructure. Broadcom PLA is a new offering designed to reduce complexity, while providing choice and flexibility, to enterprise customers who are looking for a simplified way to purchase, deploy and manage their digital enterprise software solutions. Barclays selected PLA to help support a multi-year, cross-organizational initiative to streamline its IT operations, while reducing complexity and cost, in order to speed time to market for value-added customer applications. Covering a broad set of solutions within Broadcom's enterprise software division, the PLA was developed to directly address customers' most pressing challenges, including cumbersome license management and renewal processes, as well as stringent compliance and security requirements.

09:12 EDT Hancock Jaffe Laboratories announces start of VenoValve study in Colombia - Hancock Jaffe Laboratories announced the start of its VenoValve first-in-human study in Bogota, Colombia. The first VenoValve was implanted in a patient and the procedure went well. The patient was walking the day after the surgery, the VenoValve appears to be functioning as it should and the patient shows no early signs of thrombosis, reflux, or other adverse events. HJLI has enrolled additional patients for the VenoValve study and the company will provide a further update following the next implantations, which are currently scheduled to take place in March. The first-in-human Colombian study will initially include 5 to 10 patients who suffer from severe, deep venous chronic venous insufficiency, or CVI, a condition that occurs when the valves in the veins of the venous system of the leg are injured or destroyed, causing blood to pool in the lower extremities, and resulting in increased venous pressure. Severe CVI often includes swelling, intense pain and skin ulcerations that become ongoing, open wounds. Following implantations of the VenoValve, patients undergo duplex scans, which are used to measure reflux time. The VenoValve was developed to reduce or eliminate deep venous reflux, a major cause of CVI. The reduction or elimination of reflux would lower venous hypertension, and result in greatly improved quality of lives for patients suffering from deep venous CVI. In addition to measuring reflux, endpoints for the first-in-human VenoValve study include rVCSS measurements, VAS scores, and VEINES scores, three well known clinical assessments for venous disease and assessments of improvement in the patient's quality of life and reduction in pain.

09:08 EDT Natural Alternatives International receives NDI status from FDA - Natural Alternatives International announced that it has received New Dietary Ingredient, or NDI, status from the FDA for its patented CarnoSyn beta-alanine ingredient at a total daily intake level of 6.4 grams per day. NAI received the FDA's Acknowledgement Without Objection or AKL letter within its statutory 75-day evaluation period to respond. It has been assigned NDI report number 1103. CarnoSyn is the only beta-alanine that has successfully obtained NDI status with the FDA.

09:07 EDT Information Services announces partnership with WorkFusion - Information Services Group announced a global partnership with WorkFusion, a leading intelligent automation and robotic process automation, or RPA, software company. The partnership with WorkFusion further extends ISG's capabilities into cognitive automation. ISG is now partnering with four of the world's leading automation software companies to bring the benefits of business process automation to ISG clients.

09:05 EDT Art's-Way awarded $8.4M contract - Art's-Way Manufacturing announces its modular buildings segment has entered into a contract worth $8.4M for the completion of a biomedical facility in Frederick, Maryland. The project consists of five modular units that make up a 5,430 square foot facility.

09:03 EDT Workhorse Group names Robert Willison as COO - Workhorse Group (WKHS) has appointed former company Director of Research and Development Robert Willison, PhD, to the position of COO. Willison's appointment follows the recently announced promotion of Duane Hughes to Workhorse CEO. Willison returns to Workhorse after serving as Director of Fleet Technology at Sysco (SYY), where he managed the coordination, design and project management of Sysco's electric vehicle initiative.

09:02 EDT CenturyLink 'disagrees' with Southeastern's criticism of capital allocation - CenturyLink issued the following statement in response to the 13D filing by Southeastern Asset Management: "CenturyLink always welcomes constructive input from its shareholders. While we disagree with Southeastern's criticism of our recently announced capital allocation policy, we are engaged in discussions with Southeastern regarding their suggested director nominees. While any potential director needs to be vetted through the Board's formal review process, it is our expectation that Southeastern will nominate a high caliber candidate whom we will ultimately be able to nominate to the CenturyLink Board of Directors. Of note, CenturyLink's Board of Directors is composed of 13 highly-qualified directors, 10 of whom are independent and five of whom have joined in the last two years. While the Board is always open to evaluating suggestions for improved capital allocation and value creation, it is important to note that the Board unanimously supports our strategic plan to accelerate our delivering of the Company's leverage ratio to a range of 2.75x to 3.25x in approximately three years, while continuing to fund our growth and transformation initiatives and returning more than $1B of dividends annually to shareholders. The Board adopted this policy after extensive deliberation, including receiving advice from two independent financial advisors. The Board believes that the Company's steps to further strengthen its balance sheet, reduce interest rate risk, lower the Company's cost of capital, and increase the Company's financial flexibility to pursue attractive growth initiatives over time will create significant value for our shareholders. The benefits of the Board's policy have already begun to be realized; in response to the Company's announcement, Standard & Poor's removed its negative outlook from CenturyLink's credit rating. CenturyLink continually takes a broad-minded review of its asset portfolio to assess the best ways to enhance value for all shareholders. As the sale of our data center business a few years ago demonstrated, the Company is willing to modify its portfolio when it believes doing so would increase the long-term value of our business. Our CEO Jeff Storey also indicated on our most recent earnings call that the Board is always evaluating other ways to maximize shareholder value, in all of our assets, such as our consumer business."

08:42 EDT Granite's Water and Mineral Services Group awarded $22.5M in sewer projects - Granite announced that its Granite Inliner division in the Water and Mineral Services Group has been awarded a $14M contract by the City of Hamilton, Ontario for the cleaning, inspection and structural rehabilitation of existing sewers and a $8.5M contract by the Region of Niagara, Ontario for the Stamford Interceptor Rehabilitation project. The contract with the Region of Niagara was included in Granite's fourth quarter 2018 backlog and the contract with the City of Hamilton will be included in Granite's first quarter 2019 backlog. Both projects will be completed by LiquiForce, Granite Inliner's Canadian based rehabilitation services company that serves water and wastewater customers in Canada and Michigan. Scope of work for the City of Hamilton includes 100 percent trenchless lateral rehabilitation using cured-in-place pipe methods, manhole rehabilitation, closed circuit television inspection of sewers and laterals, wastewater system lining and minor open cut repairs as required. Since 2011, LiquiForce has installed more than 6,000 lateral liners in Hamilton and inspected over 10,000 laterals without a single clean-out being installed. Scope of work for the Stamford Interceptor Rehabilitation project includes the rehabilitation of 7,600 feet of new and existing 1,050-millimeter and 1,200-millimeter diameter sanitary sewer main, bypassing the entire system including three pumping stations, and rehabilitating 23 manholes.

08:39 EDT Genuine Parts sees FY19 tax rate of approximately 25%

08:37 EDT Genuine Parts reports Q4 sales for Automotive Group up 11.4% - Fourth quarter sales for the Automotive Group were up 11.4%, including an approximate 4% comparable sales increase, an approximate 9% benefit from acquisitions and an unfavorable foreign currency translation of approximately 2%. Sales for the Industrial Group were up 8.7%, including an approximate 7% comparable sales increase and 2% from acquisitions. Sales for the Business Products Group were up 1.6% consisting primarily of comparable sales growth.

08:36 EDT Great Panther Silver announces court approval for acquisition of Beadell - Great Panther Silver announced that on February 15 Beadell Resources received final orders from the Supreme Court of Western Australia approving the acquisition of Beadell by Great Panther, which became effective on February 18. The respective shareholders of Great Panther and Beadell approved the Acquisition at their respective shareholder meetings held last week. Closing of the Acquisition is expected the first week of March following completion of customary closing requirements.

08:35 EDT Assertio Therapeutics announces FDA acceptance for filing of 505 NDA - Assertio Therapeutics announced that it has received notification of acceptance for filing from the FDA for its 505 new drug application for its injectable formulation of long-acting cosyntropin. The company, together with its partner West Therapeutic Development, seeks approval for the use of this product as a diagnostic drug in the screening of patients presumed to have adrenocortical insufficiency. The Prescription Drug User Fee Act goal date for the completion of the FDA's review of long-acting cosyntropin is set for October 19. This date reflects a standard 10-month review period and is consistent with management's expectations for the 505 filing.

08:35 EDT Coupa Software enters into strategic alliance with Launchship Technology - Coupa Software announced that it has entered into a multi-year strategic alliance with Launchship Technology Solutions, an expert in contingent workforce services based in Hyderabad, India. The alliance establishes Launchship as a preferred implementation partner for Coupa Contingent Workforce, a key area of focus for Coupa, which empowers businesses to manage all their spend, including contingent workforce spend, within a comprehensive BSM platform.

08:33 EDT Genuine Parts CEO says 'we ended the fourth quarter with positive momentum' - Paul Donahue, President and CEO, commented, "We are pleased to report another solid quarter of improved results at Genuine Parts Company. For the second consecutive quarter, each of our business segments grew their revenues with positive core sales comparisons and, combined with the added benefit of our accretive acquisitions which are performing well, we further improved our operating results and posted an overall increase in operating margin. We ended the fourth quarter with positive momentum and it is encouraging to see our teams execute on our plans and initiatives to drive continued sales and earnings growth."

08:33 EDT AbbVie announces FDA accepted for priority review NDA for upadacitinib - AbbVie has announced that the FDA has accepted for priority review its New Drug Application, or NDA, for upadacitinib for the treatment of adult patients with moderate to severe rheumatoid arthritis. Upadacitinib is an investigational once-daily oral JAK1-selective inhibitor being studied for multiple immune-mediated diseases.1-13 AbbVie anticipates a regulatory decision in Q3.The NDA is supported by data from the global upadacitinib SELECT Phase 3 rheumatoid arthritis program evaluating more than 4,000 patients with moderate to severe rheumatoid arthritis across five of six Phase 3 studies.3-7 In all SELECT Phase 3 studies, upadacitinib met all primary and ranked secondary endpoints.

08:31 EDT Gliknik to receive $15M milestone payment from Pfizer - Gliknik announced that it will receive a $15M milestone payment from Pfizer following the start of a Phase I clinical trial of Pfizer drug candidate PF-06755347, previously known as GL-2045, for the potential treatment of chronic inflammatory demyelinating polyneuropathy, or CIDP, a rare neurological disorder. Gliknik and Pfizer entered into an exclusive worldwide licensing agreement in 2013.

08:29 EDT Cerecor receives fast track designation for CERC-801 for PGM1 deficiency - Cerecor announced that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration has designated Fast Track Designation for CERC-801, an ultra-pure, oral formulation of D-galactose currently in development for the treatment of Phosphoglucomutase 1 deficiency, also known as PGM1-CDG. CERC-801 is an ultra-pure formulation of D-galactose, a naturally occurring monosaccharide found in dairy products and fruit. D-Galactose is consumed by the body to provide substrates for protein glycosylation, the process by which carbohydrates are utilized to modify certain proteins as it relates to protein structure and function. CERC-801 has been granted Orphan Drug Designation and awarded Rare Pediatric Disease Designation by the FDA, granting eligibility for receipt of a Priority Review Voucher upon approval of an New Drug Application.

08:26 EDT Walmart sees FY20 EPS up by low to mid single digit percentage ex-Flipkart

08:21 EDT Walmart says Flipkart's results 'in line with expectations'

08:19 EDT LabCorp announces new assay in DoseASSURE portfolio - LabCorp announced a new assay in its therapeutic drug monitoring DoseASSURE portfolio. The new Certolizumab Concentration and Anti-Certolizumab Antibody DoseASSURE CTZ assay, helps physicians monitor individual drug response for patients who are on Certolizumab, a biologic drug used to treat certain inflammatory diseases, such as rheumatoid arthritis and Crohn's disease. Biologic drugs are complex, protein-based therapies that can be used to treat certain inflammatory diseases and are among the fastest growing class of drugs available today. However, the expense of these medications and the variability in patient response can present numerous challenges. LabCorp's DoseASSURE portfolio helps address these challenges by providing quantitative, patient-specific measurement which can guide patient therapy. With the launch of the DoseASSURE CTZ, LabCorp now has the most comprehensive biologics TDM menu in the industry, targeting the largest number of biologic drugs. Studies demonstrate the use of TDM can improve efficacy and prolong successful response to biologic treatment. Accordingly, appropriate use of TDM can diminish the need for disease-related surgery and hospitalization by reducing the risk of treatment failure.

08:17 EDT Walmart sees pace of change in retail accelerating in next five years

08:15 EDT ElectroCore announces partnership with HealthyWomen - ElectroCore announced a patient education initiative in partnership with HealthyWomen to increase awareness around non-drug treatment options for migraine pain in female patients. A survey found 76% of patients noted migraines interfere with their daily activities. Also over 90% of sufferers typically try multiple treatments for their migraines, and nearly half have tried four or more. Approximately 86% of patients initiated the conversation regarding migraine treatment with their HCP.

08:12 EDT EL AL Israel Airlines launches the Viasat in-flight Wi-Fi service - Viasat announced EL AL Israel Airlines has launched the Viasat in-flight Wi-Fi service on transatlantic flights. The in-flight Wi-Fi service will leverage the advanced ViaSat-2 satellite to bring high-speed, high-quality internet to key EL AL routes flying to and from major North American destinations including: New York, Toronto, Los Angeles, Miami as well as San Francisco and Las Vegas, when flights to these destinations begin in May and June 2019 respectively.

08:09 EDT Choice Hotels announces agreement with ServiceStar Hospitality - Choice Hotels International awarded an agreement to ServiceStar Hospitality to develop 14 new WoodSpring Suites hotels throughout Colorado, Arizona, and Nevada. ServiceStar Hospitality is part of ServiceStar Capital Management, a Colorado real estate investment firm.

08:09 EDT BrainStorm 'committed' to advancing Phase 3 ALS trial towards BLA submission - BrainStorm Cell Therapeutics, in response to numerous requests, issued the following statement: "The BCT-002 double-blind placebo-controlled phase 3 trial evaluating the efficacy and safety of repeated doses of the investigational therapy NurOwn(R) is actively recruiting eligible participants at all 6 U.S. sites. Since the trial is double-blinded, Brainstorm, the participants and the study researchers do not know who is receiving NurOwn treatment or placebo. Therefore, in order to protect the integrity of the trial and the clinical development program for the investigational therapy NurOwn, we cannot comment on any of the social media postings by patients or the email requests we are receiving. Please note that based on the broad experience in ALS clinical trials, one can expect that some study participants may not respond to therapy and at the same time transient improvements can be observed in some participants after receiving placebo. Therefore, individual reports of improvement or lack of improvement should be cautiously interpreted. Brainstorm stays fully committed to advance our pivotal phase 3 ALS trial towards a BLA submission. We strongly believe that currently this is the best and most credible pathway to demonstrate that NurOwn may be a safe and an effective treatment option for ALS patients. If the outcome of the trial is successful, we hope to be able to bring a much-needed solution to ALS patients as quickly as possible. As stated publicly in June 2018, we have faithfully followed through on our commitment to Matt Bellina to provide treatment through the Right to Try pathway free of charge. We confirm that the treatment has been initiated, and since NurOwn is still an "investigational therapy' we refrain from any further comment."

08:07 EDT Splunk names Carrie Palin CMO - Splunk (SPLK) announced it has appointed Carrie Palin as senior vice president, chief marketing officer. Palin joins from SendGrid where she served as CMO through the company's acquisition by Twilio (TWLO). At Splunk, she will oversee global marketing strategy reporting directly to Susan St. Ledger, president, worldwide field operations.

08:06 EDT Magal Security awarded $4.2M in contracts by Israeli Ministry of Defense - Magal Security Systems announced that it has won $4.2M in contracts for the supply of electro-optic systems for the Israeli Ministry of Defense. The systems will be mounted and integrated on to various military vehicles, providing full day and night observation capability. Deliveries will be throughout this year and next.

08:06 EDT Catabasis Pharmaceuticals presents data from MoveDMD trial of edasalonexent - Catabasis Pharmaceuticals shared additional clinical results from the MoveDMD trial of edasalonexent. In the Phase 2 MoveDMD trial and open-label extension, boys with Duchenne muscular dystrophy treated with edasalonexent on average grew in line with the growth of unaffected boys in the same age range. In the MoveDMD trial, boys treated with edasalonexent grew an average of 2.1 inches taller per year and gained 2.9 pounds per year, and their overall body mass index decreased from 70th percentile of unaffected boys to the 55th percentile over 72 weeks of treatment, approaching the average body mass index for unaffected boys. Boys treated with corticosteroids, the standard of care in DMD, typically experience excess weight gain and curtailed growth. Edasalonexent is being studied in the Phase 3 PolarisDMD trial, which is actively enrolling patients. The PolarisDMD trial is evaluating the efficacy and safety of edasalonexent in patients with DMD and is intended to support an application for commercial registration of edasalonexent. A total of 17 PolarisDMD clinical trial sites are now open for enrollment across the United States, Canada and Australia. Additional PolarisDMD clinical trial sites are expected to open in the United States, Canada, Europe, Australia and Israel in the next couple of months. In total, the PolarisDMD trial will include approximately 40 clinical trial sites globally with enrollment expected to be completed in 2019. The global Phase 3 PolarisDMD trial is a one-year, randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial. Catabasis plans to enroll approximately 125 patients ages 4 to 7 regardless of mutation type who have not been on steroids for at least 6 months. Boys on a stable dose of eteplirsen may be eligible to enroll. The primary efficacy endpoint is change in the North Star Ambulatory Assessment score after 12 months of treatment with edasalonexent compared to placebo. Key secondary endpoints include the age-appropriate timed function tests: time to stand, 4-stair climb and 10-meter walk/run. Assessments of growth, cardiac and bone health are also included as important potential areas of differentiation. Two boys will receive 100 mg/kg/day of edasalonexent for each boy that receives placebo, and, after 12 months, all boys are expected to receive edasalonexent in an open-label extension study. The PolarisDMD trial design was informed by discussions with regulators as well as input from treating physicians, patient organizations and families of boys affected by Duchenne. The Phase 3 PolarisDMD trial is designed to further validate the positive efficacy seen in the MoveDMD Phase 2 trial and open-label extension evaluating edasalonexent. In the MoveDMD trial, we observed that edasalonexent preserved muscle function and substantially slowed DMD disease progression across all four assessments of muscle function through 72 weeks of treatment compared to an off-treatment control period. Preclinical data and clinical biomarker data from the MoveDMD Phase 2 trial suggest that edasalonexent could have potential benefits in skeletal muscle, diaphragm and heart. Edasalonexent has been well tolerated through more than 55 patient-years of treatment with no safety signals observed.

08:05 EDT ReWalk Robotics submits 510k application to FDA for ReStore - ReWalk Robotics announced the submission of its 510k application to the FDA for the ReStore exo-suit for gait training during stroke rehabilitation. The 510k application submission marks the next step, and a significant milestone in the process of commercialization. Strokes are a major cause of serious long-term disability, with over 795,000 people suffering a stroke each year in the U.S. alone. Five million people are permanently disabled each year by strokes globally, according to the World Health Organization (WHO) figures.*

08:03 EDT Flir Systems announces departure of General Counsel Todd DuChene - FLIR Systems announced that Todd DuChene, Senior Vice President, General Counsel, Secretary, and Chief Ethics and Compliance Officer, has elected to resign effective the end of March to pursue an opportunity with another company. An external search is underway for Todd's replacement.

07:57 EDT iQIYI obtains exclusive rights in China for the airing of "Catch-22" - iQIYI announced that it has obtained exclusive rights in China for the airing of "Catch-22", a limited series executive produced and directed by George Clooney, who will also co-star. Under a licensing deal with leading studio Paramount Pictures, iQIYI expects to air the series immediately following its U.S. premiere on Hulu in 2019.

07:49 EDT Walmart raises annual dividend to $2.12 per share from $2.08 per share - The board of Walmart approved an annual cash dividend for FY20 of $2.12 per share, an increase of approximately two percent from the $2.08 per share paid for the last fiscal year. The FY20 annual dividend of $2.12 per share will be paid in four quarterly installments of 53c per share.

07:43 EDT Noble Midstream sees FY19 capital budget $335M-$375M - Noble Midstream's 2019 capital budget is anticipated between $335M and $375M, or $180 to $210M attributable to the Partnership. In addition, Noble Midstream estimates combined equity investments in the Delaware Crossing, EPIC Crude, and EPIC Y-Grade pipelines of between $570 and $615M, prior to any financing specific to Noble Midstream's EPIC Crude investment.

07:40 EDT Noble Midstream sees FY19 adjusted EBITDA $340M-$390M - "Entering 2019, we are extremely focused on driving significant capital efficiencies in our base gathering business, while our recently announced equity investments will meaningfully expand Noble Midstream's presence in the Permian Basin. Our team has done a fantastic job transforming the company from a single customer gatherer to a more diverse multi-basin MLP, providing services to a growing customer base. The added stability of Partnership cash flows increases our confidence in delivering on our promises to unitholders," stated CEO Terry R. Gerhart. "In a $50 per barrel oil price environment, we continue to believe the Partnership's strong business fundamentals and significant Permian additions have enhanced an already strong growth outlook and offer further support for our 20% distribution per unit growth target. This is coupled with very strong distribution coverage. We have secured transformational Permian investments in the EPIC and Delaware Crossing pipelines while committing to a prudent long-term leverage target of approximately three times, organically, as these projects begin contributing meaningfully to the Partnership." GAAP Net Income expected in the range of $229 to $268M; Adjusted EBITDA between $340M and $390M, a 24% to 42% increase as reported to 2018; Adjusted EBITDA attributable to the Partnership anticipated between $245 and $270M, an 11% to 22% increase to the Partnership as reported to 2018; Capital budget attributable to the Partnership in the range of $180 to $210M, a 24% to 35% decrease to the Partnership versus 2018. In addition, Noble Midstream estimates combined equity investments in the Delaware Crossing, EPIC Crude, and EPIC Y-Grade pipelines of between $570 and $615M prior to any financing specific to Noble Midstream's EPIC Crude investment. The core gathering segment is expected to represent over 80% of Adjusted EBITDA attributable to the Partnership; Targeted 2019 distribution per unit growth of 20%, or $2.63 per unit; Distributable Cash Flow coverage of 1.5x - 1.7x; Combined gross oil, gas and produced water gathering growth of nearly 40% in the DJ Basin and approximately 80% in the Delaware Basin at the midpoint of guidance.

07:36 EDT Middleby announces retirement of CEO Selim Bassoul - The Middleby Corporation announced Selim Bassoul is retiring from his role as chairman, president and CEO Timothy FitzGerald has been named CEO and a member of the Board of Directors. FitzGerald has been instrumental in the development and execution of the company strategy since joining in 1998 and having served as CFO since 2003. These changes are effective as of February 16, 2019. In announcing his retirement, Bassoul plans to focus on his family and his humanitarian efforts through his Bassoul Dignity Foundation. Bassoul will serve as a consultant to the Board. The company also announced that industry veteran David Brewer has been promoted to EVP and COO of Middleby. During his 12 years at Middleby Brewer led growth initiatives of the Commercial Foodservice Group and was responsible for successfully launching the Middleby National Accounts team, which has been a critical differentiator in servicing the Middleby large key customers. In addition it was announced Bryan Mittelman, Middleby CAP, has been promoted to CFO. In his role as CFO, Mittelman will work closely with Martin Lindsay, Corporate Treasurer, also an officer of the company. Additionally, Gordon O'Brien, who has served as Lead Independent Director of the Middleby Board since 2010, has been named Chairman of the Board.

07:33 EDT Primoris announces solar award valued over $170M - Primoris announced a new solar award valued over $170M with a major independent power producer. The contract was secured by Primoris Renewable Energy. The award is for the construction of a new 497MW solar electric generating facility located in West Texas. Once complete, the new facility will be the largest solar photovoltaic facility in Texas. Work is scheduled to commence in Q1 and completion is expected in Q3 of 2020.

07:31 EDT Sonic Automotive raises quarterly dividend 67% to 10c per share - Payable in cash for stockholders of record on March 15. The dividend will be payable on April 15.

07:27 EDT Nabriva Therapeutics announces FDA acceptance of lefamulin NDAs - Nabriva Therapeutics announced that the FDA has accepted the new drug applications, or NDAs, and granted a priority review for both the intravenous, or IV, and oral formulations of lefamulin, a potentially first-in-class, semi-synthetic pleuromutilin antibiotic, for the treatment of community-acquired bacterial pneumonia, or CABP. The acceptance of lefamulin's two NDAs indicates that the FDA has deemed both applications sufficiently complete to allow a substantive review. Both applications have been granted priority review and the Prescription Drug User Fee Act, or PDUFA, goal date for the completion of the FDA's review is August 19. In addition to priority review, lefamulin has been granted qualified infectious disease product, or QIDP, and fast track designations by the FDA. The NDAs are supported by two pivotal, Phase 3 clinical trials that evaluated the safety and efficacy of IV and oral lefamulin compared to moxifloxacin in the treatment of adults with CABP. LEAP 1 was designed with the option to switch from IV to oral administration and LEAP 2 was designed as a short course, 5-day, oral only treatment with lefamulin. In both LEAP 1 and LEAP 2, lefamulin was demonstrated to be non-inferior to moxifloxacin, and met both the FDA and European Medicines Agency, or EMA, primary and secondary efficacy endpoints for the treatment of CABP. Lefamulin was also shown to be generally well-tolerated when administered either orally or intravenously. In the acceptance letter for the NDAs, the FDA stated that no filing or potential review issues were identified. In addition, the Agency stated that it is not currently planning to hold an advisory committee meeting to discuss these applications.

07:25 EDT Arconic announces $700M accelerated share repurchase agreement - Arconic (ARNC) announced that it has entered into an accelerated share repurchase agreement with JPMorgan Chase Bank (JPM), National Association, London Branch, to repurchase $700M of Arconic's common stock, pursuant to the share repurchase program previously authorized by the Board of Directors. Under the ASR agreement, Arconic will receive initial delivery of approximately 31.9M shares on February 21, 2019. The final number of shares to be repurchased will be based on the volume-weighted average price of Arconic's common stock during the term of the transaction, less a discount. The ASR agreement is expected to be completed during the first half of 2019. After giving effect to the share repurchase under the ASR agreement, approximately $300M remains available under the prior authorization by the Board of Directors for share repurchases through the end of 2020.

07:22 EDT Intercept jumps 36% after OCA achieves primary endpoint in Phase 3 trial

07:19 EDT Cooper Tire sees modest unit volume growth compared to 2018 - Sees improving operating profit margin throughout the year, with the full year exceeding 2018; Effective tax rate in a range between 22 and 25 percent; Capital expenditures to range between $190M and $210M. This does not include capital contributions related to Cooper's pro rata share of the previously announced joint venture with Sailun Vietnam or other potential manufacturing footprint investments.

07:17 EDT Optinose announces four additional Xhance patents from USPTO - Optinose announced the United States Patent and Trademark Office, or USPTO, recently issued four patents covering Xhance nasal spray. These patents have been listed in the FDA's Orange Book for Xhance and have terms that expire in years 2034, 2029, 2027, and 2033, respectively.

07:14 EDT Ceva announces collaboration to add C-V2X Rel. 14/15 support to the CEVA-XC DSP - CEVA announced that the companies collaborated to add C-V2X Rel. 14/15 support to the CEVA-XC DSP based Autotalks chipset, making it the world's first and only available solution capable of supporting both DSRC and C-V2X direct communications. The solution was demonstrated at CES 2019 by leading automotive tiers HARMAN, Valeo and others.

07:13 EDT Aravive receives additional $2.6M disbursement from CPRIT for AVB-S6-500 - Aravive announced that the company has received an additional $2.6M disbursement from the Cancer Prevention and Research Institute of Texas, or CPRIT. The grant continues to support Aravive's operations and on-going clinical development of AVB-S6-500. In July 2016, CPRIT awarded Aravive $20M for the development of AVB-S6-500. This $2.6M brings the total disbursement to $18M of the $20M. Since the original grant, Aravive has advanced AVB-S6-500 from preclinical development, through a successful Phase 1a clinical trial in healthy volunteers and is now conducting the phase 1b portion of a phase 1b/2 clinical trial in patients with platinum-resistant recurrent ovarian cancer. The company also recently announced that it plans to initiate clinical trials of AVB-S6-500 in additional oncology indications as well as fibrotic indications.

07:12 EDT PHI Inc shareholder Stabosz calls on company to address Debtwire story - One of PHI, Inc.'s largest shareholders, Timothy Stabosz, who owns roughly 11% of the company's non-voting shares, released an "open letter to management," calling on the company to address, and refute, a story published by Debtwire on February 11th. Separately, Stabosz announces the publishing of an article analyzing PHI on the Seeking Alpha website on February 1st.

07:12 EDT Jacobs Engineering announces $250M accelerated share repurchase programs - The company announced $250M of accelerated share repurchase programs to be effected via agreements in the amount of $125M each with Goldman Sachs & Co. (GS) and Bank of America (BAC) and anticipates that all repurchases under the ASR programs will be completed by the end of the Q3.

07:06 EDT Intec Pharma reports 'positive' results from PK study of Accordion Pill - Intec Pharma announces the preliminary results from a pharmacokinetic study comparing the company's Accordion Pill Carbidopa/Levodopa 50/500mg dosed three times daily to 1.5 tablets of CD/LD immediate release 25/100 dosed five times per day in Parkinson's disease patients. The company plans to submit the full data set for potential presentation and publication at a major medical meeting and in a peer review journal, respectively.

07:06 EDT Colony Industrial acquires 21 acres in northeast Dallas - Colony Industrial announced that it has acquired just over 21 acres of land in northeast Dallas, TX, in partnership with developer Huntington Industrial Partners. The transaction closed on January 23, 2019. Colony Industrial plans to develop two light industrial buildings totaling 355,071 square feet on adjacent parcels located at 3150 and 2850 Marquis Drive. Colony Industrial is the industrial platform of Colony Capital. Construction is slated to begin in April and to be completed in late 2019. The development will provide modern light industrial product in the heart of the Garland, TX industrial submarket. The property will offer dock high industrial space with 32-foot clear heights, cross dock configurations and ample on-site trailer storage. The site is conveniently located with immediate proximity to I-635 via Miller Road and is close to downtown Dallas. A deep labor pool in the City of Garland is another advantage for tenants.

07:04 EDT Walmart reiterates FY20 guidance, including sales growth 3% or greater - Walmart previouslky forecast total FY20 sales growth to be 3% or greater. Walmart U.S. comp sales growth is expected to be 2.5%-3% and eCommerce net sales growth is expected to be around 35% for FY20.

07:04 EDT Bausch Health acquires U.S. rights to Eton Pharmaceuticals' EM-100 - Bausch Health Companies (BHC) and Bausch + Lomb, and Eton Pharmaceuticals (ETON) announced a subsidiary of Bausch Health has acquired the U.S. rights to Eton Pharmaceuticals' EM-100, an investigational eye drop that, if approved, will be the first over-the-counter preservative-free formulation eye drop for the treatment of ocular itching associated with allergic conjunctivitis. EM-100 has been submitted to the U.S. FDA for review. Eton Pharmaceuticals previously reported positive top-line results from a Phase 3 trial in which EM-100 demonstrated statistically significant superiority to placebo and no adverse events, and demonstrated non-inferiority to a comparator product in the treatment of ocular itching.

07:02 EDT Alkermes and Clovis announce research collaboration to evaluate ALKS 4230 - Alkermes (ALKS) and Clovis Oncology (CLVS) announced that the companies have entered into a research collaboration to evaluate ALKS 4230, Alkermes' investigational engineered interleukin-2 (IL-2) variant immunotherapy, in combination with rucaparib, Clovis' marketed PARP inhibitor, and lucitanib, Clovis' investigational tyrosine kinase inhibitor. The collaboration will explore the potential anti-cancer effects of both treatment combinations in preclinical models across multiple tumor types. Results of this research may form the basis for potential future clinical studies of the novel combinations of ALKS 4230 with rucaparib and/or lucitanib.

06:56 EDT Conduent reaches agreement with Texas to settle claims regarding Medicaid - Conduent announced it has entered into a settlement agreement with the state of Texas regarding claims related to two previous contracts supporting the state's Medicaid program. All of these allegations relate to the 2004-2014 time period, when the company was owned by predecessor companies. In the settlement agreement, Conduent denied any improper actions occurred during the performance of the two contracts. "We are pleased to put this legacy issue behind us. This settlement provides clarity on the financial impact and we have sufficient liquidity to address it," said Ashok Vemuri, CEO, Conduent. "Texas remains an important client for us and we are focused on continuing to bring value to our client and its citizens." Pursuant to the terms of the agreement, the company will pay the state $235.94M over a period of three years in full settlement of the claims asserted against the defendants.

06:53 EDT Fortress and Infrastructure Investors announce final investment in Long Ridge - Fortress Transportation and Infrastructure Investors has made a final investment decision to move forward with its 485 megawatt power plant project at the Long Ridge Energy Terminal. On Friday, February 15 an affiliate of FTAI executed long-term, fixed price power sale agreements with investment grade counterparties. In addition, the project closed $588 million of non-recourse financing and executed an EPC agreement with Kiewit Power Constructors and a power generation equipment purchase agreement with the General Electric Company.

06:52 EDT eHi Car Services holders to receive $12.25 per ADS under amended merger deal - eHi Car Services announced that it has entered into an amended and restated agreement and plan of merger with Teamsport Parent Limited and Teamsport Bidco Limited. Under the amended agreement, eHi shareholders will receive cash consideration equal to $6.125 per common share of the company or $12.25 per American depositary share of the company, each of which represents two Class A common shares. The cash consideration to be paid to shareholders under the amended agreement is approximately 9.25% less than the cash consideration payable under the original merger agreement, and represents a premium of 26.9% over the closing price of $9.65 per ADS as quoted by the New York Stock Exchange on January 22. The revised proposal indicated, among other things, that Mr. Zhang, together with other members of the consortium under the original merger agreement, concluded that the transactions provided for in the original merger agreement could not be completed on the contemplated terms and that the original buyer group was prepared to terminate the original agreement unless the Special Committee agreed to amend the terms. The closing of the merger is currently expected to occur during the first or second quarter of 2019.

06:51 EDT eHi Car Services holders tor receive $12.25 per ADS under amended merger deal - eHi Car Services announced that it has entered into an amended and restated agreement and plan of merger with Teamsport Parent Limited and Teamsport Bidco Limited. Under the amended agreement, eHi shareholders will receive cash consideration equal to $6.125 per common share of the company or $12.25 per American depositary share of the company, each of which represents two Class A common shares. The cash consideration to be paid to shareholders under the amended agreement is approximately 9.25% less than the cash consideration payable under the original merger agreement, and represents a premium of 26.9% over the closing price of $9.65 per ADS as quoted by the New York Stock Exchange on January 22. The revised proposal indicated, among other things, that Mr. Zhang, together with other members of the consortium under the original merger agreement, concluded that the transactions provided for in the original merger agreement could not be completed on the contemplated terms and that the original buyer group was prepared to terminate the original agreement unless the Special Committee agreed to amend the terms. The closing of the merger is currently expected to occur during the first or second quarter of 2019.

06:50 EDT nVent Electric approves additional $380 share repurchase program - nVent Electric announced that its board of directors had approved an additional share repurchase authorization of up to $380M of nVent shares. This new authorization is in addition to nVent's existing authorization approved in July 2018 to repurchase up to $500M of its shares. With approximately $80M of share repurchases to date, nVent currently has the authority to repurchase up to $800M of its shares with both authorizations expiring in July 2021.

06:49 EDT Medtronic raises FY19 free cash flow view to $5B-$5.2B from $4.7B-$5.1B

06:46 EDT Snap-On approves $500M share repurchase program - Snap-on announced that its board of directors has authorized a share repurchase program of up to $500M of common stock that replaces the previously approved share repurchase program under which approximately $206M of authorization remained. An additional previously approved share repurchase program, which allows the repurchase of up to the number of shares issued under the company's various equity plans, remains in place. Including the new authorization, total share repurchase availability currently stands at approximately $513M.

06:45 EDT Autolus says updated CARPALL trial results confirm AUTO1 data from ASH 2017 - Autolus Therapeutics announced that Professor Persis Amrolia, Consultant in Bone Marrow Transplant at Great Ormond Street Hospital, or GOSH, and NIHR Research Professor of Transplantation Immunology at University College London, or UCL, Great Ormond Street Institute of Child Health, presented updated data from the ongoing Phase 1 CARPALL trial of AUTO1 in a poster presentation at the European Hematology Association 1st European CAR T Cell Meeting held in Paris, France, February 14-16, 2019. Enrolled patients had a median age of 9 years with a median of 4 lines of prior treatment. Seventeen patients were enrolled, and 14 patients received an infusion of CAR T cells. Ten of 14 patients had relapsed post allogeneic stem cell transplant. Eight patients were treated in second relapse, 5 in greater thansecond relapse and 3 had relapsed after prior blinatumomab or inotuzumab therapy. Two patients had ongoing CNS disease at enrollment. This data set confirms that AUTO 1 induces no severe cytokine release syndrome, or CRS. Nine patients experienced Grade 1 CRS, and 4 patients experienced Grade 2 CRS. No patients required tociluzumab or steroids. As previously reported, one patient experienced Grade 4 neurotoxicity; there were no other reports of severe neurotoxicity. The mean cumulative exposure to AUTO1 CAR T cells in the first 28 days as assessed by AUC was 1,721,355 copies/microg DNA. Eleven patients experienced cytopenia that was not resolved by day 28 or recurring after day 28: 3 patients Grades 1-3 and 8 patients Grade 4. Two patients developed significant infections, and 1 patient died from sepsis while in molecular complete response, or CR. With a single dose of CAR T cells at 1 million cells/kg dose, 12/14 achieved molecular CR. Five patients relapsed with CD19 negative disease. Event free survival, or EFS, based on morphological relapse was 67% and 46% and overall survival, or OS, was 84% and 63% at 6 and 12 months, respectively. CAR T cell expansion was observed in all responding patients, with CAR T cells comprising up to 84% of circulating T cells at the point of maximal expansion. The median persistence of CAR T was 215 days. The median duration of remission in responding patients was 7.3 months with a median follow-up of 14 months. Five of 14 patients remain in CR with ongoing persistence of CAR T cells and associated B cell aplasia.

06:42 EDT eHi Car Services enters amended merger agreement for going private transaction - eHi Car Services announced that it has entered into an amended and restated agreement and plan of merger with Teamsport Parent and Teamsport Bidco, a wholly owned subsidiary of Parent, on February 18. The amended merger agreement amends and restates in its entirety the agreement and plan of merger, dated as of April 6, 2018, among parent, merger sub and the company. Under the amended merger agreement, eHi shareholders will receive cash consideration equal to $6.125 per common share of the company or $12.25 per American depositary share of the company, each of which represents two Class A common shares of the company, other than rollover shares and ADSs representing rollover shares, as applicable. The cash consideration to be paid to shareholders under the amended merger agreement is approximately 9.25% less than the cash consideration payable under the original merger agreement and represents a premium of 26.9% over the closing price of $9.65 per ADS as quoted by the New York Stock Exchange on January 22, and a premium of 22.9% and 19.2%, respectively, over the 30- and 60-trading day volume-weighted average price per ADS as quoted by the New York Stock Exchange prior to January 22, the day before a proposal to revise the original merger agreement was made to the special committee of eHi's board in a letter from Ray Ruiping Zhang, eHi's chairman and CEO, dated January 23. The revised proposal indicated, among other things, that Zhang, together with other members of the consortium under the original merger agreement, which included, among others, certain affiliates of MBK Partners Fund, Crawford Group and Dongfeng Asset Management, concluded that the transactions provided for in the original merger agreement could not be completed on the contemplated terms and that the original buyer group was prepared to terminate the original merger agreement unless the special committee agreed to amend the terms of the original merger agreement. Under the terms of the original merger agreement, either the company or parent could terminate the original merger agreement if the merger contemplated by the original merger agreement had not been completed by October 6, 2018. In the revised proposal, Zhang indicated to the special committee that members of the original buyer group were in discussions with representatives of the competing buyer consortium comprising Ocean Imagination, Ctrip Investment and certain of their affiliates, regarding the terms on which the members of the Ocean Link Consortium might agree to withdraw their competing proposal to acquire all of the shares of eHi not owned by them, and to join with certain members of the original buyer group to form an updated consortium. Zhang, certain affiliates of MBK Partners Fund,Crawford Group and Dongfeng Asset Management would be prepared to join and form an updated consortium with certain members of the Ocean Link Consortium. Members of the Ocean Link Consortium would contribute their Shares and ADSs to an affiliate of Parent as rollover equity. Certain affiliates of MBK Partners Fund together with Crawford Group would significantly increase their existing equity commitments, and Ocean Link would provide an additional equity commitment, to fund the cash consideration to be paid in the merger contemplated under the revised proposal, as a result of which the transactions contemplated under the revised proposal would be financed entirely through equity capital, in the form of cash contributions and rollover equity, and therefore no debt financing would be required and the changes to the composition of the original buyer group and the terms of the revised proposal would provide increased closing certainty to all parties and a substantial benefit to the unaffiliated security holders of eHi. The special committee evaluated the revised proposal with the assistance of its financial and legal advisors, and negotiated the amended merger agreement. The board of the company duly considered and determined that the entry into the amended merger agreement was in the best interests of the company and its shareholders. The determination of the board was made after receiving the unanimous recommendation of the special committee, which is composed solely of independent and unaffiliated directors and worked closely with its independent financial and legal advisors to determine whether such transaction was in the best interests of the company and its unaffiliated shareholders. In making these determinations, the board and the special committee also considered the alternative of remaining a standalone public company. Concurrently with the execution of the amended merger agreement, the members of the updated buyer group, comprising certain affiliates of MBK Partners Fund, Ctrip, Ocean Link, Zhang, Crawford Group and Dongfeng Asset Management, entered into an amended and restated interim investors agreement, an amended and restated contribution and support agreement and various other ancillary agreements, pursuant to which, among other things: the members of the updated buyer group agreed to work together exclusively to implement and consummate the transactions contemplated by the amended merger agreement, including the merger and use their reasonable best efforts to cause the transactions contemplated by the amended merger agreement to be consummated as promptly as practicable following the date of the amended merger agreement. Members of the Ocean Link consortium agreed to withdraw, and cease all discussions, negotiations and agreements with respect to, their competing offer; and certain existing shareholders of the company agreed to vote all of their respective shares in favor of the authorization and approval of the amended merger agreement and the merger and to contribute their respective shares in exchange for newly issued shares of Holdco. Upon the terms and subject to the conditions of the amended merger agreement, at the effective time of the merger, merger sub will merge with and into the company, with the company surviving the merger as the surviving company under Cayman Islands law and each share issued and outstanding immediately prior to the effective time will be cancelled and cease to exist in exchange for the right to receive cash consideration equal to $6.125 per share, and each ADS issued and outstanding immediately prior to the effective time will be cancelled and cease to exist in exchange for the right to receive cash consideration of $12.25 per ADS, in each case, without interest and net of any applicable withholding taxes, except for certain shares held by the rollover shareholders, shares held immediately prior to the effective time by parent, the company or any of their subsidiaries or by the company's ADS depositary and reserved for future issuance under the company's share incentive plan, which shares will be cancelled without payment of any consideration, and shares held by holders who have validly exercised and not effectively withdrawn or lost their rights to dissent from the merger in accordance with Section 238 of the companies law of the Cayman Islands, which shares will be cancelled at the effective time of the merger for the right to receive the fair value of such shares determined in accordance with the provisions of Section 238 of the companies Law of the Cayman Islands. The rollover shares will not be cancelled at the effective time and will continue as ordinary shares of the surviving company. If and when completed, the merger will result in the company becoming a privately-held company that is 100% owned by parent, which will be beneficially owned by the updated buyer group. In addition, the merger will result in the Company's ADSs no longer being listed on the New York Stock Exchange and the ADSs and the company's class A common shares represented by the ADSs no longer being registered under Section 12 of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934. The closing of the merger is currently expected to occur during Q1 or Q2 and is subject to the satisfaction or waiver of the closing conditions set forth in the amended merger agreement, including receipt of requisite approval of the shareholders of the company. The agreement and the merger must be authorized and approved by a shareholders' special resolution approved by the affirmative vote of holders of shares representing at least two-thirds of the voting power of the shares present and voting in person or by proxy as a single class at an extraordinary general meeting of the company's shareholders, a shareholders' resolution approved by the affirmative vote of holders of shares representing a majority of the aggregate voting power of the shares and a shareholders' resolution approved by the affirmative vote of holders of a majority of the total outstanding Class A common shares of the company. Under the terms of the amended contribution and support agreement, the rollover shareholders have agreed to vote all of their respective shares in favor of the authorization and approval of the amended merger agreement and the merger. As of the date of the amended merger agreement, the rollover ahareholders beneficially own in the aggregate shares and ADSs which represent in aggregate approximately 47.70% of the issued and outstanding common shares of the company and 77.96% of the outstanding voting power of the company. Concurrently with the execution of the amended merger agreement, the company, certain members of the original buyer group, and members of the Ocean Link consortium entered into a global settlement agreement pursuant to which each of the parties thereto has agreed to withdraw and release its existing claims against each other party thereto in connection with its existing disputes in the courts of the Cayman Islands and in arbitration in Hong Kong, other than certain reserved costs claims, and subject to the consummation of the merger, to withdraw and release such reserved costs claims. Members of the Ocean Link consortium issued a notice to the board withdrawing their proposal to acquire all outstanding shares of the company not owned by them. In light of the agreement, the company together with various members of the updated buyer group are required to prepare updated filings with the United States Securities and Exchange Commission, including an amended transaction statement on schedule 13E-3 to be filed with the SEC by the company and certain filing persons in connection with the merger, and the exhibits to the transaction statement.

06:40 EDT Sage Therapeutics expects operating expenses to increase in FY19 - The company stated "Based upon its current operating plan, Sage now anticipates that its existing cash, cash equivalents and marketable securities, and estimated product sales of ZULRESSO, if the product is approved, will enable Sage to fund its operating expenses and capital expenditure requirements into 2H 2020. Sage expects that its operating expenses will increase year over year in 2019 to support continued pipeline advancement and anticipated commercialization of ZULRESSO in PPD."

06:39 EDT NEC Australia signs partnership with NICE inContact - NICE inContact, a NICE business, announced that it has partnered with NEC Australia to deliver NICE inContact CXone, the company's cloud customer experience platform, throughout Australia. The partnership is set to bring an enhanced level of customer service to the Australian market.

06:38 EDT Kraton sees FY18 adjusted EBITDA in line with revised guidance of approx. $380M

06:38 EDT Kraton board initiates process to review alternatives for Cariflex business

06:38 EDT Kraton initiates review of strategic alternatives for Cariflex business

06:36 EDT Holly Energy Partners expects to increase dividend by 0.25c in FY19 - The company stated, "Looking to 2019, we expect to grow HEP's quarterly distribution by 0.25c per limited partner unit while maintaining an annual distribution coverage ratio of 1.0x."

06:30 EDT Advance Auto Parts reports Q4 SSS up 3.4%

06:17 EDT WidePoint partners with Leidos on NASA NEST contract award - WidePoint (WYY) has partnered with Leidos (LDOS) to support its recently awarded contract with NASA to provide information technology end-user services to support the agency's mission. NASA's End-user Services & Technologies contract is a single award, firm-fixed-price, indefinite delivery/indefinite quantity contract. The contract has a two-year, three-month base period followed by a two-year option, a one-year option, and five one-year award term options. Work will be performed at 10 NASA centers nationwide. The NEST contract establishes a long-term outsourcing arrangement with the commercial sector to provide and manage the majority of NASA's personal computing hardware, supporting infrastructure, agency standard software, mobile IT services, help-desk support, and other associated end-user services. Widepoint will manage the entirety of NASA's mobile services and provide the associated telecom expense management services, including 24/7 help desk, for more than 20,000 devices over 10 separate accounts.

06:15 EDT Bristow Group provides update on Form 10-Q filing - Bristow Group announced that it continues to work towards filing its quarterly report on Form 10-Q for the period ended December 31, 2018 as soon as possible. The company does not intend to comment further until the Form 10-Q has been filed. The company is not yet able to file the Form 10-Q because additional time is required for the company to complete a review of its existing processes and controls to ensure compliance with non-financial covenants within certain secured financing and helicopter lease agreements. At this time, the company is not aware of any non-compliance with the non-financial covenants in its secured financing and helicopter lease agreements that has not been waived or previously cured, other than non-compliance resulting from the failure to timely file the Form 10-Q. The company has not detected any indications of accounting irregularities or impropriety in this process. The determination of the existence of a control deficiency related to these matters, which has been classified as a material weakness in the company's internal controls over financial reporting, and the need to assess possible non-compliance with all non-financial covenants commenced when the company's senior management became aware that certain pledged and leased helicopter engines were not matched to specific pledged or leased helicopter airframes or returned to such airframes within specified periods, as is required under certain of the secured financing and helicopter lease agreements. The removal and replacement of engines and components from helicopters is part of the company's normal ongoing maintenance activities; however, since certain of those helicopter engines and airframes are pledged to lenders or leased from lessors, the removal of a pledged or leased engine from a pledged or leased airframe can create issues of non-compliance with certain of the secured financing and helicopter lease agreements. All issues related to this matter were cured prior to December 31, 2018 for all but nine helicopter engines where the pledged or leased engines were not returned to the pledged or leased airframes within specified periods due to delays with certain of the company's maintenance service providers. The company has obtained waivers of such non-compliance under the applicable agreements related to such helicopter engines. The issues detected, which have all been cured or waived, involve a small subset of the approximately 385 helicopter engines that are subject to the company's secured financings or helicopter leases. The material weakness and the matters the company is continuing to assess for their impact on the company's balance sheet classification of debt balances and related disclosures are limited to possible non-compliance with non-financial covenants. The completion of the foregoing assessment is required in order for the company to develop a remediation plan related to the control deficiency in this area, and for the company and its auditors to determine the company's compliance with non-financial covenants under these agreements as of December 31, 2018 and in prior periods. As a result of these issues, unless certain actions are taken, accounting rules may require the company to reclassify certain debt balances from long-term to short-term. These actions may include obtaining waivers from the company's secured equipment financing lenders and helicopter lessors for potential non-compliance with non-financial covenants that may have existed prior to December 31, 2018 or obtaining waivers for any specific instances of non-compliance with non-financial covenants that existed as of December 31, 2018. The company's failure to file the Form 10-Q timely would, if the Form 10-Q is not filed prior to the expiration of applicable grace periods, result in an event of default under certain of the company's financing and lease agreements, unless waived or extended. The classification of certain debt balances as short-term as of December 31, 2018, or for prior periods, likely would result in the company's determination that there is a requirement to include disclosure about the company's ability to continue as a going concern in the Form 10-Q and applicable prior filings. In order to avoid a breach of covenants in the company's secured equipment financings that require delivery of annual audited financial statements without any going concern explanation or limitation, the company would need to seek waivers from its secured equipment financing lenders if such going concern disclosure determination is made with respect to the Form 10-K previously filed for the fiscal year ended March 31, 2018. Further discussion of the material weakness and any financial statement implications, including any related revisions to the company's previously issued financial statements, if required, will be included in the Form 10-Q and in amendments to prior filings, where required.

06:12 EDT Targa Resources sells 45% interest in Bakken assets for $1.6B in cash - Targa Resources (TRGP) announced that it has entered into definitive agreements to sell a 45% interest in Targa Badlands, the entity that holds all of Targa's assets in North Dakota, to funds managed by GSO Capital Partners and Blackstone Tactical Opportunities for $1.6B in cash. Under the terms of the executed agreements, Targa will continue to be the operator and will hold majority governance rights in Badlands. Future growth capital is expected to be funded on a pro rata basis. Badlands will pay a minimum quarterly distribution to Blackstone and to Targa based on their initial investments, and Blackstone's (BX) capital contributions will have a liquidation preference upon a sale of Badlands. The Badlands assets and operations are located in the Bakken and Three Forks Shale plays of the Williston Basin in North Dakota and include approximately 480 miles of crude oil gathering pipelines, 125,000 barrels of operational crude oil storage, approximately 260 miles of natural gas gathering pipelines and the Little Missouri natural gas processing plant with a current gross processing capacity of approximately 90M cubic feet per day. Additionally, Badlands owns a 50% interest in the 200 MMcf/d Little Missouri 4 Plant that is anticipated to be completed in the second quarter of 2019.

06:10 EDT Axonics reports 'positive' top-line data from ARTISAN-SNM pivotal study - Axonics Modulation Technologies disclosed positive top-line results from the ARTISAN-SNM pivotal study, designed to gain marketing approval from the U.S. FDA for the Axonics r-SNM System. The clinical study demonstrated that patients implanted with the Axonics r-SNM System received clinically meaningful and statistically significant improvements in Urinary Urgency Incontinence symptoms and quality of life. Additionally, the study met all secondary endpoints. No serious device-related adverse events have been reported.

06:07 EDT National Health Investors raises Q1 dividend 5% to $1.05 per share - Payable on May 10 to shareholders of record as of March 29.

06:04 EDT U.S. Silica sees FY19 capital expenditures $100M-$125M

05:39 EDT Palo Alto Networks announces intent to acquire Demisto for $560M in cash, stock - Palo Alto Networks announced that it has entered into a definitive agreement to acquire Demisto, a security company in the security orchestration, automation and response, or SOAR, space. Under the terms of the agreement, Palo Alto Networks will acquire Demisto for a total purchase price of $560M, subject to adjustment, to be paid in cash and stock. The proposed acquisition is expected to close during Palo Alto Networks fiscal third quarter, subject to the satisfaction of regulatory approvals and other customary closing conditions. The addition of Demisto's orchestration and automation technologies will accelerate Palo Alto Networks Application Framework strategy and serve as a critical step forward in the company's aim to deliver immediate threat prevention and response for security teams. Demisto's automated playbooks have helped reduce alerts that require human review by as much as 95 percent, allowing security teams to focus on the most complex threats. This well-developed approach will bring Palo Alto Networks closer to using AI and machine learning to help further automate significant parts of the company's customers' security operations.

05:35 EDT Ericsson, OPPO sign global patent license agreement - Ericsson and OPPO have signed a global patent license agreement. This initial agreement includes a cross license covering the 2G, 3G and 4G patent portfolios from both companies. OPPO, the fifth largest smartphone vendor in the world with business operations in more than 40 markets globally, will make on-going royalty payments to Ericsson based on a substantial part of their annual sales. In addition to a cross license, the agreement between OPPO and Ericsson includes business cooperation on a number of projects related to 5G, like device testing, customer engagements and demo at MWC19.

05:16 EDT Genentech NDAs for entrectinib accepted by FDA, granted Priority Review - Genentech, a member of the Roche Group, announced that the FDA has accepted the company's New Drug Applications, or NDAs, and granted Priority Review for entrectinib for the treatment of adult and pediatric patients with neurotrophic tropomyosin receptor kinase, or NTRK, fusion-positive, locally advanced or metastatic solid tumors who have either progressed following prior therapies or as initial therapy when there are no acceptable standard therapies, and for the treatment of people with metastatic, ROS1-positive non-small cell lung cancer, or NSCLC. These NDAs are based on results from the integrated analysis of the pivotal Phase II STARTRK-2, Phase I STARTRK-1 and Phase I ALKA-372-001 trials, and data from the Phase I/Ib STARTRK-NG study. The FDA is expected to make a decision on approval by August 18, 2019. Genentech is leveraging its expertise in developing personalized medicines and advanced diagnostics, in conjunction with Foundation Medicine, to develop a companion diagnostic that will help identify people with ROS1 and NTRK gene fusions.