Stockwinners Market Radar for February 21, 2019 - Earnings, Upgrades downgrades, option trades, Best Stock Advisory Service

20:10 EDT Digital Realty raises quarterly dividend to $1.08 per share from $1.01 - The dividend will be paid on March 29, 2019.

19:34 EDT Vail Resorts to buy Falls Creek and Hotham ski resorts in Australia for AUD174M - Vail Resorts announced that it has entered into an agreement to purchase the ski fields at Falls Creek Alpine Resort and Hotham Alpine Resort in Victoria, Australia. Falls Creek, Victoria's largest ski resort, features a variety of terrain including fantastic beginner and intermediate trails that are well suited to families and first-timers. Considered the 'Powder Capital' of Australia, Hotham is the only resort in the Southern Hemisphere where the village is located on top of the mountain, ensuring ski-in, ski-out opportunities from anywhere in the village. The acquisition, which is subject to certain regulatory approvals, is expected to close prior to the commencement of the Australian snow season in June 2019. The company will purchase Australian Alpine Enterprises Holdings Pty. Ltd and all related corporate entities that operate Falls Creek and Hotham resorts from Living and Leisure Australia Group, a subsidiary of Merlin Entertainments, for a purchase price of approximately AU$174 million, subject to certain adjustments at closing, including an increase in the price for operating losses incurred for the period from Dec. 29, 2018 through closing. The acquisition includes ski school, retail/rental, reservation and property management operations at both resort areas.

19:06 EDT Fly Intel: After Hours Movers - UP AFTER EARNINGS: Extraction Oil & Gas (XOG) up 18.9%... DMC Global (BOOM) up 11.5%... Trade Desk (TTD) up 11.3%... Cardronics (CATM) up 8.7%... Zillow (Z) up 8.0%... Universal Display (OLED) up 6.4%... Boyd Gaming (BYD) up 4.5%... Comfort Systems (FIX) up 4.0%... Cytokinetics (CYTK) up 3.9%... Roku (ROKU) up 3.8%... TherapeuticsMD (TXMD) up 3.7%... Baidu (BIDU) up 3.0%... Casella Waste (CWST) up 3.0%... Keysight Technologies (KEYS) up 2.8%... Data I/O (DAIO) up 2.4%... HP enterprise (HPE) up 2.3%. DOWN AFTER EARNINGS: Stamps.com (STMP) down 48.4%... Kraft Heinz (KHC) down 19.7%... Aspen Aerogels (ASPN) down 15.3%... Dropbox (DBX) down 12.0%... Allscripts (MDRX) down 11.4%... Applied Optoelectronics (AAOI) down 9.2%... Casa Systems (CASA) down 8.0%... Ultra Clean Holdings (UCTT) down 8.0%... BJ Restaurants (BJRI) down 7.4%... Biomarin (BMRN) down 6.5%... Textainer Group (TGH) down 6.1%... Appian Corp (APPN) down 5.8%... Infinera (INFN) down 5.2%... Nevro Corp (NVRO) down 5.0%... First Solar (FSLR) down 4.9%... Century Aluminum (CENX) down 4.7%... Universal Electronics (UEIC) down 3.8%... Re/max (RMAX) down 3.4%... Staar Surgical (STAA) down 2.6%... Solar Capital (SLRC) down 2.2%... iQIYI (IQ) down 2.2%... eHealth (EHTH) down 2.1%... Parsley Energy (PE) down 1.6%... Exact Sciences (EXAS) down 1.4%. Movers as of 18:30ET.

18:32 EDT Kraft Heinz says has taken 'remedial measures' on procurement issues - Says write down reflected revised margin expectations.

18:11 EDT Stamps.com drops 50% after announcing it will discontinue USPS partnership

18:08 EDT Caesars expect modest Las Vegas revenue growth in Q1 - Sees adverse weather headwinds to continue in the coming weeks.

17:58 EDT Kraft Heinz says expects to face profit headwinds in 2019 - Says: Expects EBITDA down double digits in Q1... Looking to sell certain brands and assets... Plans to pay down debt with proceeds from divestitures.

17:54 EDT Caesars sees FY19 same-store capex $375M-$450M - Sees FY19 development capex $475M-$550M. Guidance from slides accompanying Q4 results. Reference Link

17:52 EDT Caesars says in discussions with Carl Icahn after his disclosed stake - Comments from Q4 earnings call.

17:45 EDT Kraft Heinz to cut quarterly dividend to 40c from 62.5c per share - Says: Higher supply chain costs in U.S. impacting profit... Savings programs not keeping up with costs. Comments from Q4 earnings conference call.

17:40 EDT Tapestry awarded not-to-exceed $259M Air Force contract for WPS - Tapestry Solutions, a Boeing company, has been awarded a not-to-exceed $259M indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contract for weapon planning software, or WPS. This contract provides for the development, enhancement and support of the WPS suite, which is a common component within the Joint Mission Planning System architecture. Work will be performed predominately in St. Louis, Missouri and Niceville, Florida. Work is expected to be complete by February 2029. This award is the result of a competitive acquisition and two offers were received. FY19 operations and maintenance funds in the amount of $355.88M are being obligated on an initial delivery order at the time of award. Air Force Life Cycle is the contracting activity.

17:36 EDT Booz Allen, General Dynamics, Leidos and SAIC awarded DTRA contracts - Booz Allen (BAH), General Dynamics (GD), Leidos (LDOS) and SAIC (SAIC) have each been awarded indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contracts. These contracts provide Defense Threat Reduction Agency, or DTRA-wide information technology support services for IT service design. The not-to-exceed aggregate ceiling for all contracts is $535M with the contractors having an opportunity to compete for individual orders. This is a five-year base contract with one five-year option period. The bids were solicited through the Federal Business Opportunities website, with five offers received. Work will be performed at Fort Belvoir, Virginia, however, DTRA maintains a global mission and contractor personnel may be required to work at locations other than Fort Belvoir. Performance is expected to be completed March 2029. No funds are being obligated at time of ID/IQ award; funds will be obligated on individual orders as they are issued. Task Order 1 is being awarded to Leidos at $18.06M for IT solution engineering and systems test support. Task Order 2 is being awarded at $22.11M or knowledge management solutions and support. Task Orders 1 and 2 will have a one-year base and four one-year options. The contracting activity is the Defense Threat Reduction Agency.

17:30 EDT Epsilon Energy sees 2019 production growth of 27%-33% y/y - The company anticipates production growth of 27%-33% year over year to a range of 9.7-10.2 Bcfe. For 2019, natural gas is expected to comprise approximately 95% of total production. The company has hedged 4.8 Bcf of its expected natural gas volumes for the year at an average NYMEX price of $2.83 and realized price of $2.30 net of basis.

17:29 EDT Epsilon Energy board approves $20M-$25M capital budget for 2019 - Epsilon Energy announced that its board of directors has approved a $20M-$25M capital budget for 2019 which is expected to be fully funded from operational cash flow. The company forecasts this capital program to generate 30% growth in production. The company has liquidity of $35M and does not anticipate utilizing funds from its undrawn credit facility.

17:26 EDT S&P announces changes to S&P 400, 500 indices - Wabtec (WAB) will replace The Goodyear Tire & Rubber Company (GT) in the S&P 500, and The Goodyear Tire & Rubber Company will replace Wabtec in the S&P MidCap 400 effective prior to the open of trading on Wednesday February 27. General Electric (GE) is spinning off its holdings of Transportation Systems Holdings to shareholders. Immediately following the distribution, Transportation Systems Holdings is being acquired by Wabtec in a transaction expected to be completed on February 26, pending final conditions. After the transaction, Wabtec will be more representative of the large-cap market space. Goodyear Tire & Rubber is more representative of the mid-cap market space. General Electric will remain in the S&P 500 and 100.

17:20 EDT Goodyear Tire to replace Wabtec in S&P 400 at open on 2/27

17:16 EDT Prologis raises quarterly dividend 10% to 53c per share - Payable on March 29 to common stockholders of record at the close of business on March 15.

17:13 EDT Park West Asset Management reports 5.4% passive stake in Enphase Energy - In a regulatory filing, Park West Asset Management disclosed a 5.4% stake in Enphase Energy, which represents 5.7M shares. The filing does not allow for activism.

17:10 EDT Kraft Heinz says SEC probing procurement accounting policies - The company said in a filing it received a subpoena in October 2018 from the SEC associated with an investigation into the company's procurement area, more specifically the company's accounting policies, procedures, and internal controls related to its procurement function, including, but not limited to, agreements, side agreements, and changes or modifications to its agreements with its vendors.

17:04 EDT Kraft Heinz slips 8.8% after reporting downbeat Q4 results

17:00 EDT Ottawa Bancorp raises quarterly dividend to 6c per share from 5c - Ottawa Bancorp announced that its board of directors has approved an increase in the company's quarterly cash dividend from 5c per share to 6c per share. The increased quarterly dividend will be paid on or about March 28, 2019, to stockholders of record as of the close of business on March 8, 2019.

16:56 EDT Caesars CEO Frissora to remain in role until April 30 - On November 1, 2018, the company announced that President and CEO Mark Frissora is leaving the company, having led a successful operational and financial transformation and established a platform for future growth. To support a seamless transition, Frissora has agreed to remain in his current role until April 30 (which the company may extend by one month). The Compensation and Management Development Committee of the Company's Board of Directors as well as the Chairman of the Board of Directors have retained a nationally recognized third-party search firm to identify Frissora's successor.

16:52 EDT Caesars reports Q4 Enterprise-wide adjusted EBITDAR increased 12.1% - Enterprise-wide fourth quarter adjusted EBITDAR increased 12.1%, or $61M, from $506M to $567M. Enterprise-wide fourth quarter adjusted EBITDAR margin increased 110 basis points to 26.8%.

16:47 EDT Boingo Wireless names Mike Finley as new CEO - Boingo Wireless (WIFI) announced that its board of directors has unanimously elected Mike Finley as chief executive officer. Finley will continue as a member of the board, where he has served since August 2013. Finley succeeds Boingo's current CEO and chairman of the board Dave Hagan, who has announced his desire to retire after 17 years of service to the company. Prior to his appointment as Boingo's CEO, Finley spent nearly nine years at Qualcomm (QCOM), most recently as president of North America and Australia.

16:44 EDT Goodrich Petroleum announces year-end proved reserves grew 12% - Goodrich Petroleum announced year-end proved reserves, which grew 12% at an organic finding and development cost of 92c per mcfe. The company also reported results from two recently completed Haynesville wells. The company announced that proved oil and natural gas reserves as of December 31, 2018 increased by 12% to 480B cubic feet equivalent, or Bcfe, versus 428 Bcfe at year-end 2017. The present value, using a 10% discount rate of the future net cash flows was $418M. PV10 was comprised of 94% natural gas and 35% of PV10 was developed. Oil and natural gas prices used to determine proved reserves were $65.56 per barrel of oil and $3.10 per MMBtu of natural gas, pursuant to Securities and Exchange Commission guidelines. The Company had reserve additions of 100 Bcfe and PUD conversions of 11 Bcfe, for total additions and conversions of 111 Bcfe. Drilling and completion capital expenditures in 2018 were $102M, for an organic adjusted finding and development cost of 92c per Mcfe. Proved developed reserve additions had a finding and development cost of $1.20 per Mcfe. The company has completed its Cason-Dickson 14&23 No. 3 and Cason-Dickson 14&23 No. 4 wells off of a common pad in Red River Parish, Louisiana. The wells, which have an average producing lateral length of 9,300 feet, have achieved a combined 24-hour peak rate to date of approximately 62,000 Mcf per day. The company has drilled and cased its Loftus 27&22 No. 1 well and has reached total depth on its Loftus 27&22 No. 2 well, both of which are in DeSoto Parish, Louisiana. Both wells are approximately 7,500 foot laterals, with frac operations expected to commence in 30-45 days.

16:40 EDT Select Medical extends $500M share repurchase program - Select Medical did not repurchase shares under its authorized $500M stock repurchase program during Q4. The program has been extended until December 31 and will remain in effect until then, unless further extended or earlier terminated by the board of directors.

16:38 EDT Merchants Bancorp raises quarterly dividend 17% to 7c per share - The dividend is payable April 1 to shareholders of record on March 15.

16:36 EDT Baidu reports Baidu App DAUs reach 161M in December, up 24% y/y - Baidu App daily active users reached 161M in December 2018, increasing 24% year over year. Baijiahao, or BJH accounts, Baidu feed's content network, grew to 1.9M publishers in December 2018, and includes People's Daily, Xinhua News Agency, CCTV and multiple provincial media sources. Baidu Smart Mini Program monthly active users reached 147M in December 2018, up 30% sequentially. Also in December, Baidu Smart Mini Program was open sourced to network partners. Haokan (short video) and Quanmin (flash video) DAUs reached 19M and 4M, respectively, in December 2018. According QuestMobile, Quanmin and Haokan were the two fastest growing apps among the Top 10 short video apps in China, across key metrics of total daily time spent, DAUs and MAUs over the three months ending December 2018.

16:36 EDT Campell Soup to sell Campbell Fresh Plant to JGC affiliate - Campbell Soup announced that it has signed a definitive agreement for the sale of its Everett, Washington, refrigerated soup plant to an affiliate of the Joshua Green Corporation, a Seattle-based private investment company. Terms of the transaction were not disclosed. The 225,000 square-foot Everett facility is part of the Campbell Fresh division, which includes Bolthouse Farms and Garden Fresh Gourmet. As outlined in August 2018 as part of the company's Board-led strategy and portfolio review, Campbell is in the process of divesting its Campbell Fresh and Campbell International businesses to increase the company's focus, significantly reduce debt and strengthen its balance sheet. The transaction is expected to close in the third quarter of fiscal 2019.

16:35 EDT MGM announces resignation of CFO Dan D'Arrigo, appoints Corey Sanders to role - MGM Resorts announced changes to its leadership team and a streamlining of responsibilities. Current Chief Operating Officer Corey Sanders will be appointed Chief Financial Officer and will "lead the strategic financial transformation that is part of MGM 2020 and will integrate that work with the departments he currently leads including information technology, enterprise analytics, sales and consumer marketing," MGM said. Current Chief Financial Officer Dan D'Arrigo has chosen to take advantage of the voluntary resignation program offered as part of MGM 2020 and will be resigning from the company and the board of MGM China, MGM added. D'Arrigo will remain with the company over the next month in an advisory role. Bill Hornbuckle will expand his role and be appointed Chief Operating Officer of MGM Resorts, in addition to his current role as President. Hornbuckle will oversee operations at all enterprise properties and will lead casino marketing, design and development, human resources and entertainment. All changes will take effect March 1.

16:34 EDT Hannon Armstrong confirms 2018-2020 guidance - The Company is confirming its previously issued three-year guidance from 2018 to 2020 with respect to core earnings per share growth, on a compounded annual basis over the three years, in the 2% to 6% range, equivalent to $1.37 at the midpoint in 2019 and $1.43 at the midpoint in 2020. This guidance reflects the Company's estimates of (i) yield on its existing Portfolio; (ii) yield on incremental Portfolio investments, inclusive of the Company's existing pipeline; (iii) the volume and profitability of securitization transactions; (iv) amount, timing, and costs of debt and equity capital to fund new investments; (v) changes in costs and expenses reflective of the Company's forecasted operations, and (vi) the general interest rate and market environment. All guidance is based on current expectations of future economic conditions, the regulatory environment, the dynamics of the markets in which we operate and the judgment of the Company's management team. The Company has not provided GAAP guidance as discussed in the Forward-Looking Statements section of this press release.

16:31 EDT Ford says investigating process for U.S. emissions certification over road load - The following can be attributed to Kim Pittel, group vice president, Sustainability, Environment & Safety Engineering, Ford Motor Company: "In September, a handful of employees raised a concern through our Speak Up employee reporting channel regarding the analytical modeling that is part of our U.S. fuel economy and emissions compliance process. At Ford, we believe that trust in our brand is earned by acting with integrity and transparency. As part of this, we have a process for looking at how we perform and behave in our broad and complex company. As a result of the concern, we have taken a number of actions. Specifically: We have hired an outside firm to conduct an investigation into the vehicle road load specifications used in our testing and applications to certify emissions and fuel economy. Road load is a vehicle-specific resistance level used in vehicle dynamometer testing, including for fuel economy ratings and emissions certifications. Road load is established through engineering models that are validated through vehicle testing, including physical track tests referred to as coastdown testing. Ford has retained independent industry technical experts as part of our investigation team. We are hiring an independent lab to conduct further coastdown testing as part of our investigation. Ford also is evaluating potential changes to our road-load modeling process, including engineering, technical and governance components. This week, we voluntarily shared these potential concerns with Environmental Protection Agency and California Air Resources Board officials. The investigation and potential concerns do not involve the use of defeat devices in our products. At this time, there's been no determination that this affects Ford's fuel economy labels or emissions certifications. We plan to work with regulators and the independent lab to complete a technical review. As part of our review, we have identified potential concerns with how we calculate road load. The first vehicle we are evaluating is the 2019 Ranger; we are assessing additional vehicles as well. As always, we strive to be transparent with our customers, employees, dealers, shareholders and other stakeholders. We understand how important it is to all audiences that we thoroughly yet swiftly complete this investigation."

16:30 EDT Zillow bought 499 homes in Q4, sold 141, and has 509 in inventory - Zillow reports Q4 Homes segment revenue was $41.3M. Homes segment GAAP loss before income taxes for Q4 was approximately $27.2M, or 66% of segment revenue, and Homes segment adjusted EBITDA was a loss of $20M, or 48% of segment revenue. During Q4, Zillow purchased 499 homes and sold 141 homes. As of December 31, 2018, Zillow held 509 homes in inventory, or $162.8M in value. In total, Zillow purchased 686 homes and sold 177 homes since Zillow Offers launched in April 2018. Zillow Offers is currently available in seven markets with plans announced to be in at least 14 by the end of 2019. "After less than a year, Zillow currently receives a request for a Zillow Offer every 5 minutes, which translates to an estimated $100 million in demand value per day," it added.

16:28 EDT Zillow says 2019 will continue to year of 'transformation and investment' - New Zillow CEO Rich Barton said, "2019 will continue to be a year of transformation and investment. We're building on our market leadership, the power of the Zillow Group brand portfolio and our culture of innovation to nurture our new businesses, while also partnering with Premier Agents and the industry to delight consumers, and set the stage for our next wave of growth. We are sharing our three- to five-year targets that reveal what we believe will be a much larger, integrated online real estate company in which our Homes segment alone can add $20 billion in annual revenue. We created Zillow Group in 2005 to make the real estate shopping and purchase process easier and more seamless. Much of our original dream is just now becoming possible. We are at an inflection point in this quest, and the time is right to shuffle leadership seats. I'm excited to be back as CEO. I am incredibly grateful to Spencer for the indefatigable leadership that got us to this point, and I'm happy we will benefit from his continued support and counsel as a board director."

16:26 EDT Mercury Systems receives $3.1M follow-on order - Mercury Systems announced it received a $3.1M follow-on order from a leading defense prime contractor for rugged system-in-package devices embedding a processor and memory devices in a single, SWaP-optimized package. The order was booked in the company's Q2 and is expected to be shipped over the next several quarters.

16:23 EDT Pioneer Natural CEO Tim Dove to retire - Pioneer Natural Resources announced that Timothy L. Dove will retire as CEO and a Board Director effective immediately. Scott D. Sheffield, Chairman of the Board, will return to his former role as Chief Executive Officer. Lead Director, J. Kenneth Thompson, will become Chairman of the Board, also effective immediately.

16:19 EDT Advanced Disposal Services sees FY19 adjusted free cash flow $140M-$152M - Sees FY19 CapEx $191M-$201M.

16:16 EDT Zillow co-founder Rich Barton returns as CEO - Zillow Group announced Rich Barton, who co-founded Zillow in 2005 and served as the company's CEO until 2010, has been named CEO. Barton has been executive chairman since stepping down as CEO. Co-founder of Zillow Group Lloyd Frink will now become executive chairman.

16:11 EDT Calithera Biosciences initiates Phase 1 clinical trial with CB-280 - Calithera Biosciences announced that it has initiated a Phase 1 clinical trial with CB-280, a novel, orally dosed arginase inhibitor being developed for the treatment of cystic fibrosis. "The initiation of this Phase 1 study with CB-280 marks an important milestone in the advancement of our arginase program," said Susan Molineaux, PhD, President and Chief Executive Officer of Calithera. "We believe arginase inhibitors may offer an exciting new therapeutic approach for the treatment of patients with cystic fibrosis, independent of mutational status. We anticipate completing this study in 2019."

16:08 EDT Trade Desk jumps 4% to $156.80 following Q4 results, 2019 outlook

16:05 EDT Trade Desk will continue to make 'aggressive investments' in 2019 - The company said, "We exited 2018 strong and are seeing that momentum continue into 2019. Marketers continue to adopt channels such as Mobile, Connected TV, and Audio as they move advertising spend to our platform. In 2019, we expect gross spend on our platform to be at least $3.2 billion and revenue to be at least $637 million. In the coming year, we will continue to make aggressive investments in high growth areas such as Connected TV, data, and global expansion, including in China. Our focus is on grabbing programmatic market share and deepening our engagement and strategic importance with our customers. We expect our adjusted EBITDA to be $182 million, or about 29% of revenue. We believe investing in our core growth opportunities will maximize profitability over the long-term."

16:00 EDT Opiant Pharmaceuticals Inc trading halted, news pending

15:35 EDT Liberty Property raises quarterly dividend 2.5% to 41c from 40c per share - The dividend will be payable on April 15 to shareholders of record on April 1.

15:06 EDT Corteva Agriscience announces U.S. launch of Enlist E3 soybeans - Corteva Agriscience, the agriculture division of DowDuPont, and MS Technologies announced the U.S. launch of Enlist E3 soybeans for 2019 planting. The companies have completed their respective production plans, commercial offers, employee training and have received regulatory approvals in accordance with company product launch policies and Excellence Through Stewardship, they stated. Enlist E3 soybeans will be available for planting in 2019. Enlist E3 soybeans will be available in commercial quantities across all Corteva Agriscience brands in 2020. Corteva Agriscience and MS Technologies also plan to broadly license Enlist E3 soybean technology. The companies are currently in discussions with more than 100 seed brands. "With this broad licensing approach, robust ramp-up plans and extensive seed production, Enlist E3 soybeans are expected to be planted on more than 10% of U.S. and Canada soybean acres in 2020," the companies said. Enlist E3 soybeans are approved for cultivation in the U.S., Canada and Brazil. Enlist E3 soybeans have received import authorization in importing countries including China and the Philippines. Corteva Agriscience is intended to become an independent, publicly traded company when the previously announced DowDuPont spinoff is complete by June 2019.

14:50 EDT TIM Participacoes trading resumes

14:24 EDT Nintendo of America president, COO Reggie Fils-Aime to retire - Nintendo announced that, after more than 15 years at Nintendo of America, and nearly 13 as its President and COO, Reggie Fils-Aime will retire. His last day with Nintendo will be April 15. Doug Bowser, NOA's current Senior Vice President of Sales and Marketing, will then succeed Reggie as President of Nintendo of America. "I really appreciate everything Reggie has done for Nintendo," said Shuntaro Furukawa, President of Nintendo Co., Ltd. "Inside and outside our company, Reggie is known as an exceptional leader. We are grateful that he is leaving the business in good shape with strong momentum. While we will miss him and we wish him the very best in his retirement, we are also pleased to have such an able successor ready to step into that role. Doug Bowser and the rest of the team will ensure a seamless transition and continued momentum for Nintendo."

14:08 EDT New offering from PTC and ANSYS brings real-time simulation to design engineers - PTC announced the release of the Creo Simulation Live solution, a new offering combining PTC's and ANSYS' world-class capabilities in design and simulation. Creo Simulation Live brings real-time simulation directly into the design environment, allowing design engineers to see the impact of their decisions as they make them. With Creo Simulation Live, product designers now have design guidance as a normal, real-time part of their workflow. "For too long, form and function have been separated in the design process. With this breakthrough technology, every engineer can get instant performance feedback on their design while they create it," said Mark Hindsbo, vice president and general manager, ANSYS. "This capability will fundamentally change product design and allow engineers to innovate more and get to market faster - making product development much more agile."

13:55 EDT AT&T sees discontinuing 3G service in early 2022 - In a regulatory filing from yesterday, AT&T said that it is contemplating the redeployment of spectrum currently used for its 3G services and projects that it will discontinue service on its 3G network in early 2022, and will manage this process consistent with previous network upgrades. As of December 31, 2018, about 11% of the company's postpaid subscribers were using 3G handsets, and AT&T expects them to transition to newer technologies. The company does not expect this transition to have a material impact on its consolidated operating results.

13:32 EDT Melinta Therapeutics announces one-for-five reverse stock split - Melinta Therapeuticsannounced that its board has approved a one-for-five reverse stock split of the company's common stock, par value $0.001. The reverse stock split, which was approved by the Company's stockholders at a special meeting held on February 19, 2019, will be effective at 5:00 pm Eastern Time today. The Company's common stock will trade on the Nasdaq Global Market on a split-adjusted basis under a new CUSIP number, 58549G 209, beginning on February 22. The reverse stock split will affect all stockholders uniformly and will not alter any stockholder's percentage ownership interest in the Company, except to the extent that the reverse stock split results in any of the Company's stockholders owning a fractional share as described below.The reverse stock split will reduce the number of shares of common stock issued and outstanding from approximately 56 million to approximately 11 million. No fractional shares will be issued in connection with the reverse stock split. Each stockholder who would otherwise be entitled to receive a fraction of a share of the Company's common stock will instead receive

13:01 EDT Rowan Companies, Ensco shareholders approve pending combination - Rowan Companies (RDC) and Ensco plc (ESV) jointly announced that both companies' shareholders voted to approve the pending all-stock transaction under which Rowan shareholders will receive 2.750 Ensco shares for each Rowan share they own. Completion of the transaction, which is expected to occur in the first half of 2019, remains subject to satisfaction or waiver of certain other conditions.

12:53 EDT Showtime taps Otto Bathurst to direct 'Halo' show, announces nine episode order - CBS's (CBS) Showtime announced that Otto Bathurst, director of 2018 film "Robin Hood" and the first episode of the show "Black Mirror," is set to direct the Showtime series "Halo," based on the Xbox (MSFT) video game franchise with Kyle Killen serving as executive producer, writer and showrunner. Bathurst will helm multiple episodes and executive produce the live-action series, which has an initial nine-episode order. Produced by Showtime in partnership with 343 Industries, along with Steven Spielberg's Amblin Television, "Halo" will begin production later this year, the company said.

12:43 EDT Gartner says global smartphone sales stalled in Q4 - Global sales of smartphones to end users stalled in the fourth quarter of 2018, totaling 408.4M units - growth of just 0.1% over the fourth quarter of 2017, according to Gartner, Inc. Apple (AAPL) recorded its worst quarterly decline, 11.8%, since the first quarter of 2016, the firm said. "Demand for entry-level and midprice smartphones remained strong across markets, but demand for high-end smartphones continued to slow in the fourth quarter of 2018," said Anshul Gupta, senior research director at Gartner. "Slowing incremental innovation at the high end, coupled with price increases, deterred replacement decisions for high-end smartphones. This led to a flat-growth market in the fourth quarter of 2018." In the quarter, Samsung (SSNLF) led in global market share with 17.3%, with Apple in second place at 15.8% market share and Huawei in third with 14.8%. This marks some major changes, as in the fourth quarter of 2017 Samsung held 18.2% market share, Apple had 17.9%, and Huawei had just 10.8%, according to Gartner.

12:42 EDT Kirkland Lake Gold spikes higher after boosting 2019 production guidance - Earlier today, Kirkland Lake Gold announced that the company has revised and increased its consolidated three-year production guidance and improved its unit-cost guidance for 2019. The company also announced today Mineral Reserve and Mineral Resource estimates for December 31, which include growth in Mineral Reserve ounces and average grades at both Fosterville and Macassa, as well as on a consolidated basis. Potential for a million ounces in 2019 with three-year production guidance increased to 920,000 - 1,000,000 ounces for this year, 930,000 - 1,010,000 ounces for 2020 and 995,000 - 1,055,000 for 2021; Fosterville three-year guidance revised to 550,000 - 610,000 ounces for 2019 and 2020, with production guidance for 2021 remaining unchanged at 570,000 - 610,000 ounces, respectively; Production to resume at Holloway, with 20,000 ounces expected in 2019 increasing to 50,000 ounces by 2021. Additionally, the company noted that consolidated unit-cost guidance for 2019 improved, with operating cash costs per ounce guidance revised to $300 - $320 from $360 - $380 previously, with AISC per ounce sold improved to $520 - $560 compared to previous guidance of $630 - $680; Fosterville's 2019 operating costs per ounce sold guidance improved to $170 - $190 from $200 - $220 previously. Shares of Kirkland Lake Gold are up $2.69 per share or 8.05% to $36.11 in early afternoon trading.

12:29 EDT Vodafone, Telecom Italia in talks for potential network sharing partnership - Vodafone (VOD) and Telecom Italia (TI) announced that they have signed a Memorandum of Understanding outlining non-binding terms in relation to a potential partnership for active network sharing and an expansion of their existing passive sharing agreement. The companies are also evaluating the "feasibility and merits" of a potential business combination of their respective passive towers located in Italy into a single entity. To facilitate the discussions, Vodafone and Telecom Italia have entered into an exclusivity agreement. With reference to the Active Sharing Project, Vodafone and Telecom Italia intend to enter into an agreement that would enable them to jointly roll-out 5G infrastructure. The companies also intend to consider active network sharing for their existing 4G networks, in order to support 5G active network sharing. Furthermore, they both intend to upgrade their respective mobile transmission networks, adding higher capacity optical fiber cables. Vodafone and Telecom Italia aim to conclude one or more of the initiatives during 2019.

12:14 EDT AbbVie reaches agreement with pan-Canadian Pharmaceutical Alliance - AbbVie announced an agreement was reached with the pan-Canadian Pharmaceutical Alliance regarding Maviret, a once-daily, ribavirin-free treatment for adults with chronic hepatitis C virus infection across all major genotypes. Maviret is the only 8-week, pan-genotypic treatment for patients without cirrhosis and who are new to treatment, who make up a large portion of HCV patients in Canada, AbbVie says in a statement.

12:05 EDT Jack in the Box: Board hasn't set timetable for strategic alternatives process

12:02 EDT Aerion, Spirit AeroSystems enter collaboration agreement for AS2's fuselage - Aerion Corporation and Spirit AeroSystems announced that they have entered into a collaboration agreement for the preliminary design of the AS2's forward, pressurized fuselage. Spirit expects to immediately begin preliminary development efforts. Aerion's 12-passenger AS2 is up to 70% faster than today's business aircraft. Supersonic cruise speed is Mach 1.4, about 1,000 mph. It saves as much as three hours across the Atlantic and more than five hours across the Pacific.

12:00 EDT Delphi Technologies rises 13.4% - Delphi Technologies is up 13.4%, or $2.44 to $20.69.

12:00 EDT TimkenSteel rises 15.4% - TimkenSteel is up 15.4%, or $1.90 to $14.24.

11:32 EDT Zosano Pharma jumps 100% to $4.41 after reporting migraine safety study

11:31 EDT Zynerba patent listed by World Intellectual Property Organization - The patent listed by the World Intellectual Property Organization details pharmaceutical composition, and methods for using a pharmaceutical composition, for treating osteoarthritis in a subject in need thereof, the pharmaceutical composition including cannabidiol or a pharmaceutically acceptable salt thereof; and especially wherein administration of the cannabidiol is by a transdermal pharmaceutical gel composition. A method is disclosed for treating one or more symptoms of osteoarthritis in a patient. The method includes transdermally administering an effective amount of cannabidiol to the patient wherein one or more symptoms of osteoarthritis are treated in the patient. Reference Link

11:04 EDT United Bancorp raises quarterly cash dividend to 13.25c per share - The Board of Directors of United Bancorp increased the first quarter cash dividend payment to 13.25c per common share from the previous quarterly cash dividend level of 13c per common share. CEO Scott Everson said, "Paying a very solid cash dividend to our loyal shareholders is one of the primary focuses of our Company. At our current regular cash dividend payout level relative to our market value at the most recent quarter end, our Company's stock is generating a forward dividend yield of 4.64%, which is nearly double what is presently seen within our industry. This first quarter dividend payment will be for shareholders of record on March 8, 2019 and payable on March 20, 2019."

11:03 EDT Coca-Cola announces new share repurchase program for up to 150M shares - The Coca-Cola board authorized a new share repurchase program for 150M additional shares of the company's common stock. The program will take effect at the conclusion of the company's current program.

10:47 EDT Ohr Pharmaceutical regains compliance with Nasdaq listing requirements - Ohr Pharmaceutical announced that it received notice from The Nasdaq Stock Market LLC indicating that the company has regained compliance with the minimum bid price requirement under NASDAQ Listing Rule 5550(a)(2) for continued listing on The NASDAQ Capital Market. Accordingly, the company has regained compliance with the Bid Price Rule and NASDAQ considers the matter closed.

10:01 EDT Icon acquires MolecularMD, terms not disclosed - MolecularMD announced that it has been acquired by ICON. MolecularMD's extensive scientific and clinical biomarker experience expands ICON's capabilities in molecular diagnostic testing and also adds expanded testing platforms, including next-generation sequencing and immunohistochemistry, to ICON's laboratory service offering. MolecularMD's specialty central laboratory offering and associated client base extends ICON's reach into the support of precision medicine programs across all phases of drug - diagnostic co-development.

10:00 EDT CAI International falls -12.9% - CAI International is down -12.9%, or -$3.44 to $23.13.

10:00 EDT Comstock Resources rises 10.7% - Comstock Resources is up 10.7%, or 71c to $7.38.

10:00 EDT Community Health rises 16.2% - Community Health is up 16.2%, or 66c to $4.73.

09:47 EDT Daqo New Energy rises 10.7% - Daqo New Energy is up 10.7%, or $3.60 to $37.27.

09:44 EDT CareDx says AlloSure now available for lung transplant patients - CareDx announced earlier today that AlloSure is now available under a compassionate use program for lung transplant patients. It explained, "AlloSure Lung is the next addition to the CareDx portfolio of transplant surveillance services, alongside AlloSure Kidney and AlloSure Heart. Lung transplant patients have the lowest survival rate of any solid organ transplant, and there are few options for rejection monitoring. AlloSure Lung directly addresses this unmet need with a noninvasive blood test. CareDx will be making AlloSure Lung available for this high need patient population through a compassionate use program while the test is undergoing further studies."

09:27 EDT Bioanalytical Systems appoints Joe Flynn CCO - Bioanalytical Systems announced that Joe Flynn has been appointed as CCO of the company, effective immediately. Flynn will be responsible for leading sales and marketing efforts across BASi's three sites located in West Lafayette and Evansville, Indiana, and St. Louis, Missouri. Flynn has a career as a senior executive in contract research, with over 25 years of strategic and operational experience focusing on pharmaceutical research and development. Most recently, he served as CCO and executive VP of Seventh Wave Laboratories.

09:19 EDT One Horizon Group enters exchange agreement to acquire 51% interest in MAHAM - One Horizon Group announced that it has entered into an exchange agreement with the members of MAHAM, a technology-driven yoga studio concept, to acquire a majority interest of 51% in MAHAM. The transaction is subject to approval by the majority of the shareholders of One Horizon. MAHAM yoga offers 60-minute, high-intensity yoga 'flow' classes set to upbeat hip-hop and pop music.

09:13 EDT Ultragenyx announces longer-term DXT401 study data - Ultragenyx announced longer-term top-line safety and efficacy data from the first, lowest dose cohort of the ongoing Phase 1/2 study of DTX401, an adeno-associated virus, or AAV, based gene therapy for the treatment of glycogen storage disease type Ia, or GSDIa. After 24 weeks of treatment, the three patients enrolled in Cohort 1 have either maintained or further increased their time to hypoglycemia during the controlled fasting challenge compared to baseline. All three patients continue to show a clinical response with additional improvements in glucose control reflected by prolonged time to hypoglycemia during a controlled fasting challenge and by reductions in the use of cornstarch to maintain normal glucose levels throughout the day and overnight. The first patient in Cohort 1 demonstrated sustained improvement in time to hypoglycemia of 6.8 hours at Week 24, from 3.8 hours at baseline and 7.7 hours at Week 12. This patient received a tapering course of steroids, which began during Week 8 and ended at Week 16, to manage a mild asymptomatic elevation in alanine aminotransferase, or ALT, levels due to a response to the vector administration. Patient 2 showed a further improvement in time to hypoglycemia to 13.1 hours at Week 24, from 4.1 hours at baseline and 9.0 hours at Week 12. At Week 24, the fasting challenge was terminated at the patient's request due to hunger and at the time the test was terminated, the patient's glucose level remained in the normal range. This patient received a tapering course of steroids, which began at Week 12 and ended at Week 18, to manage a mild asymptomatic elevation in ALT levels due to a response to the vector administration. Patient 3 continued to show a clinical response, and maintained the improvement in time to hypoglycemia of 6.5 hours at Week 24, from 5.4 hours at baseline and 6.5 hours at Week 12. As of February 20, there have been no infusion-related adverse events and no treatment-related serious adverse events reported. All adverse events have been Grade 1 or 2. Patients 1 and 2 had mild elevations in ALT, similar to what has been observed in other programs using AAV-based gene therapy, and were successfully treated with a tapering course of steroids.

09:10 EDT Synopsys, Globalfoundries announce collaboration - Synopsys and Globalfoundries announced a collaboration to develop a portfolio of automotive Grade 1 temperature (-40 degrees C to +150 degrees C junction) DesignWare Foundation, Analog, and Interface IP for the GF 22-nanometer Fully-Depleted Silicon-On-Insulator process. By providing IP that is designed for high-temperature operation on 22FDX, Synopsys enables designers to reduce their design effort and accelerate AEC-Q100 qualification of system-on-chips for automotive applications such as eMobility, 5G connectivity, advanced driver assistance systems, and infotainment. The Synopsys DesignWare IP implements additional automotive design rules for the GF 22FDX process to meet stringent reliability and operation requirements. This latest collaboration complements Synopsys' broad portfolio of automotive-grade IP that provides ISO 26262 ASIL B Ready or ASIL D Ready certification, AEC-Q100 testing, and quality management.

09:07 EDT 2U expands partnership with Syracuse University - 2U announced that it is expanding its partnership with Syracuse University through an agreement to launch no fewer than 10 new online short courses across various professional disciplines. The short courses will be presented in collaboration with GetSmarter, a brand of 2U, and the first course will launch in Fall 2019.

09:05 EDT BlackLine names Pete Hirsch as Chief Technology Officer - BlackLine continues its investment in new executive talent with the hiring of Pete Hirsch as chief technology officer. Hirsch is a seasoned software engineer, architect and strategist with more than 30 years of experience scaling technology organizations for dynamic, fast-growing companies, as well as larger enterprises. He was most recently executive vice president of Technology & Operations at Ellie Mae.

09:03 EDT Fly Intel: Pre-market Movers - HIGHER: Immune Design (IMDZ), up 311% to $5.84 after Merck (MRK) agreed to acquire the company for $5.85 per share in cash for an approximate value of $300M. UP AFTER EARNINGS: Newmont Mining (NEM), up 2%... Norwegian Cruise Line (NCLH), up 7%... Consolidated Communications (CNSL), up 7%... Scientific Games (SGMS), up 3%. DOWN AFTER EARNINGS: Hormel Foods (HRL), down 1%... Domino's Pizza (DPZ), down 6%... Bunge (BG), down 5%... Gildan Activewear (GIL), down 6%. ALSO LOWER: Nike (NKE), down 1% after Duke University star Zion Williamson's Nike shoe split mid-game, causing him to miss the rest of the contest due to injury.

09:03 EDT Disney announces extension of exchange offers for 21st Century Fox America notes - The Walt Disney Company (DIS) announces the extension of the expiration date of the offers to exchange any and all outstanding notes issued by 21st Century Fox America (FOX, FOXA) for up to $18,128,740,000 aggregate principal amount of new notes to be issued by TWDC Holdco 613 Corp. and cash and the related consent solicitations being made by New Disney on behalf of 21CFA to adopt certain proposed amendments to the indentures governing the 21CFA Notes. New Disney hereby extends such expiration date from 5:00 p.m., New York City time, on February 26, 2019, to 5:00 p.m., New York City time, on March 5, 2019.

08:53 EDT Qlik to Acquire Attunity for approximately $560M

08:47 EDT C&J Energy Services says outlook for Q1 'mixed' - Management said, "Focusing on the first quarter of 2019, our current outlook is mixed. We expect some utilization improvement in our fracturing business primarily due to the refreshed capital expenditure budgets of our customers and having more fleets dedicated to large, efficient customers. We have experienced a slow start to the year in our wireline and pumping businesses and the recent reduction in the drilling rig count combined with a more competitive services environment has resulted in some softness in customer demand for our cementing services. In response to these challenges, we remain focused on further reducing our cost structure, efficiently deploying our asset base to meet evolving customer demand and reducing capital spending to be more in line with our maintenance capital needs. We expect additional improvement in our Well Support Services segment due to increased market share, the full quarter's impact of new contract activity gained in the prior quarter, and customer appetite to deploy capital to increase production through well repair and maintenance activities. With regards to the full year 2019, we expect market conditions to progressively improve, which should result in gradual improvement in our Completion Services segment throughout the year. The steady ramp in completion activity should result in utilization improvement in our fracturing business and improved demand for our wireline and pumping services. We expect our Well Support Services segment to steadily improve as customers value our record of providing superior service quality and safety, and as customers continue to allocate more capital to workover and maintenance activities. In our Well Construction and Intervention Services segment, we expect the fluctuations in the drilling rig count to affect our cementing business, but our coiled tubing business should remain steady as demand for large diameter coil remains strong."

08:37 EDT Ideanomics names Alfred Poor as CEO, Dr. Bruno Wu to return as Chairman - Ideanomics is pleased to announce several strategic management changes, including the return of Dr. Bruno Wu, as Chairman, after a period of serving as Vice Chairman and Secretary General of the National Committee for China U.S. relations. Alfred Poor, currently COO, will become the company's CEO. Brett McGonegal, Evan Kalimtgis, and Uwe von Parpart will be leaving the company to pursue other interests. The Board also re-appointed James Cassano as the Chair of the Audit Committee for the ensuing year. Additionally, the Board set the composition of all of the committees of the Board. All committee members are independent directors.

08:34 EDT Amgen, Cytokinetics, Servier announce start of METEORIC-HF - Amgen (AMGN), Cytokinetics (CYTK) and Servier announced that METEORIC-HF, the second Phase 3 clinical trial of omecamtiv mecarbil, a novel cardiac myosin activator, is open to enrollment. Omecamtiv mecarbil is being developed for the potential treatment of heart failure with reduced ejection fraction. METEORIC-HF is designed to evaluate the effect of treatment with omecamtiv mecarbil compared to placebo on exercise capacity as determined by cardiopulmonary exercise testing in patients with HFrEF. Cytokinetics is conducting METEORIC-HF in collaboration with Amgen, with funding and strategic support from Servier.

08:31 EDT Vale announces signing of preliminary agreement for indemnifications - Vale S.A. informs that it has signed yesterday, February, 20, in a conciliation hearing held at the 6th Lower Public Treasury Court of Belo Horizonte, the Preliminary Agreement with the Attorney General's Office of the State of Minas Gerais, the Public Prosecution Office of the State of Minas Gerais, the Public Defender's Office of the State of Minas Gerais, the Federal Government Attorney's Office, the Federal Public Prosecution Office and the Public Defender's Office, as well as with representatives of the communities impacted by the breach of the Dam I of the Corrego de Feijao mine in Brumadinho. The agreement addresses, in accelerated fashion, the initiation of certain indemnification payments in response to the dam breach, which will include, among other measures, the payment of certain amounts for emergency aid to people registered in the city of Brumadinho up to the date of the breach of the Dam I of the Corrego de Feijao mine. Persons living in the area up to 1 Kilometer from the Paraopeba riverbed, starting from Brumadinho to the city of Pompeu, at the river dam of Retiro Baixo, also will be entitled to receive the benefits. These payments will be made through monthly installments equivalent to 1 minimum wage per adult, 1/2 minimum wage per teenager and 1/4 minimum wage per child, starting from January 25th, 2019, for a period of one year. In addition, Vale agreed to pay the state administrative fines, which amount to approximately R$ 99M, resulting from the lawsuit filed by the State Agency for Environment and Sustainable Development, or SEMAD. "Vale understands that the signing of the agreement enhances the support initiatives and minimizes the uncertainty of those impacted by the dam breach. This is an unprecedented agreement that reinforces the active cooperation between Vale and Brazilian authorities for the prompt repair of the damages resulting from the dam breach," the company stated.

08:21 EDT Endeavour Mining appoints Mark Morcombe as COO, effective May 6 - Endeavour Mining announces the appointment of Mark Morcombe as COO, with effect from May 6, 2019. He will take over from Jeremy Langford who will be leaving Endeavour on February 28, 2019. Prior to joining Endeavour, Mark was Chief Operating Officer of Centamin Plc and has previously held senior roles at several Africa-focused mining groups, including Acacia Mining, AngloGold Ashanti and Gold Fields.

08:19 EDT Achaogen announce Phase 3 EPIC trial results published - Achaogen announced that the New England Journal of Medicine has published the results from the Phase 3 EPIC study of Zemdri The publication describes the efficacy and safety of Zemdri in adult patients with complicated urinary tract infections, or cUTI, including acute pyelonephritis. The Phase 3 EPIC clinical trial was the first multicenter, multinational, randomized, double-blind and controlled study of once-daily aminoglycoside therapy for the treatment of cUTI, including acute pyelonephritis. Zemdri was noninferior to meropenem for the co-primary efficacy endpoints of composite cure in the microbiological modified intent-to-treat population. Numerically higher composite cure rate for Zemdri was maintained at the late follow-up visit. Clinical relapse of cUTI symptoms was 1.6% for Zemdri vs. 7.1% for meropenem at late follow-up. Microbiological recurrence of the baseline uropathogens was 3.7% for Zemdri vs. 8.1% for meropenem at late follow-up. Numerically higher composite cure rate at TOC in patients with concomitant bacteremia at baseline was seen in the Zemdri group. The incidence of adverse events was similar between treatment groups.

08:07 EDT Actinium Pharmaceuticals reports results from Iomab-ACT program - Actinium Pharmaceuticals announced that it reported data from its Iomab-ACT program in a poster presentation at the 2019 Transplantation & Cellular Therapy Meetings of ASBMT and CIBMTR. A series of preclinical studies demonstrated that targeting CD45 with an ARC or Antibody Radiation-Conjugate can achieve potent yet transient lymphodepletion in a safe and effective manner. These results support advancement of the Iomab-ACT program into human clinical trials to study it as a single-dose, outpatient lymphodepletion regimen, which is also referred to as conditioning, prior to administration of CAR-T and other adoptive cell therapies. This program has the potential of providing a superior means of conditioning that could displace or replace chemotherapy based conditioning regimens such as Flu/Cy or Fludarabine and Cyclophosphamide that are used as the standard of practice today. The ARC underpinning the Iomab-ACT program is a lower dose version of Actinium's Iomab-B, which is in a pivotal Phase 3 trial for conditioning prior to a bone marrow transplant. Actinium's preclinical studies showed that a single infusion of an anti-CD45 antibody labelled with Iodine-131 can effectively deplete greater than 90% of lymphocytes, including CD4 and CD8 T cells, CD19 B cells and NK cells, which is necessary for adoptive cell therapies like CAR-T to expand and persist. Tregs or regulatory T cells, including CD4+, CD25+ and FoxP3+ Tregs, which can exert negative pressure on cell therapy expansion and persistence, were suppressed for at least 21 days post lymphodepletion with Iomab-ACT. The multi-modal mechanism of action directed at CD45 expressing cells also depleted macrophages, which are implicated in the development of CRS or Cytokine Release Syndrome, and splenocytes while red blood cells, platelets, neutrophils and bone marrow stem cells were preserved. Additionally, MicroSPECT/CT imaging showed that Iomab-ACT homed to immune privileged sites including lymph nodes, spleen, liver and bone marrow. Finally, an in vivo animal model showed that adoptively transferred cytotoxic T cells persisted in mice following administration of CD45 targeted lymphodepletion and were able to control tumor cells compared to untreated mice.

08:04 EDT Alamo Group acquires Dutch Power Company in the Netherlands - Alamo Group announced that it has entered into an agreement to acquire 100% of the outstanding capital shares of Dutch Power Company B.V., a privately held equipment manufacturer based in the Netherlands. Dutch Power designs, manufactures and sells a variety of landscape and vegetation management machines and attachments under several different brand names including Herder, Conver, Roberine, Votex and Precision Makers. The company's annual sales in 2018 were approximately $45M and the purchase is expected to close in the first quarter of 2019. Dutch Power is majority owned by a private equity group based in the Netherlands, and by Peter Mouthaan, the company's managing director. Mouthaan will continue managing the company upon completion of the transaction. Alamo Group was initially introduced to Dutch Power through Rabobank, who is a member of Alamo's banking facility and acted as an advisor to the company.

07:58 EDT Scientific Games sees FY19 CapEx $345M-$375M

07:54 EDT Elbit Imaging announces new Gamida Cell data presented at ASBMT, CIBMTR - Elbit Imaging (EMITF) announced that Gamida Cell (GMDA), an indirect shareholding of the company, has presented new data from its NAM-NK study, which are natural killer cells that have been expanded using Gamida's propriety nicotinamide-based, and from its NiCord study. The data was presented at the Transplantation & Cellular Therapy, or TCT, Meeting of American Society for Blood and Marrow Transplantation, or ASBMT, and Center for International Blood and Marrow Transplant Research, or CIBMTR. Results indicating clinical response with multiple complete responses in patients that were heavily pre-treated and had advanced disease treated with NAM-expanded Natural Killer cells. The safety and activity of NAM-NK is currently being evaluated in a Phase 1 dose-escalation study. Patients received rituximab or elotuzumab prior to and after NAM-NK infusion, included six patients with NHL and eight patients with MM. All 14 patients were evaluable for safety, and 12 of 14 patients were evaluable for activity. Among the six NHL patients, three patients achieved a complete response, one patient achieved a partial response and two patients experienced progressive disease. Among the six MM patients evaluable for activity, one patient achieved a complete response, two patients experienced stable disease, and three patients experienced progressive disease. Activity was observed at all three dose levels evaluated. NAM-NK was generally well tolerated. Gamida Cell is planning to initiate a multi-center, Phase 1/2 clinical study of NAM-NK in 2020. The safety and activity of NiCord in patients with severe aplastic anemia is being evaluated in an ongoing Phase 1/2 study, included data from three severe aplastic anemia patients with severe neutropenia who failed immunosuppressive therapy. All three patients enrolled in the first cohort were successfully treated with reduced intensity conditioning regimens and underwent a bone marrow transplant consisting of NiCord plus a haploidentical stem cell graft. Engraftment occurred rapidly, with a median neutrophil recovery of 6 days, which was sustained at day 100, and was superior to that observed in a retrospective cohort of 16 patients who received a single unexpanded umbilical cord blood transplant and haploidentical cells using the same conditioning regimen. At median follow-up of 11 months, all three patients who received NiCord were alive and GvHD-free. Gamida Cell mentioned that this data support potential of NiCord to treat non-malignant bone marrow failure disorders. Elbit holds approximately 63% of the share capital of Elbit Medical Technologies which, in turn, holds approximately 2.7M shares in Gamida, representing approximately 11% of Gamida's outstanding share capital.

07:47 EDT DuPont projects dividends will be 30%-40% of net income - DuPont will hold a meeting with sell-side analysts in New York City on February 21. DuPont projects its dividends will be 30%-40% of net income, or an estimate of approximately $900M annually. "Immediately following our transition to the new DuPont, we anticipate the new board will implement a share repurchase authorization consistent with a commitment to return excess capital to shareholders. Dividends and share repurchases are subject to DuPont Board of Director approval."

07:44 EDT Aehr Test Systems receives orders exceeding $2.1M - Aehr Test Systems announced it has received orders exceeding $2.1M from its installed base of FOX test and burn-in system customers for its proprietary FOX WaferPak Contactors and DiePak Carriers and related services. Aehr's FOX wafer-level test and burn-in systems utilize its proprietary WaferPak Contactors, which provide cost-effective solutions for making electrical and thermal contact with a full wafer or substrate in a multi-wafer or multi-panel environment.

07:38 EDT Domino's Pizza down 8.4% to $255.10 after Q4 results miss estimates

07:34 EDT Domino's Pizza reports Q4 global net store growth of 560

07:26 EDT DSP Group announces technology partnership with Snips - DSP Group and Snips announced their technology partnership which combines Snips' voice software with DSP Group's Ultra Low Energy, or ULE, system-on-chip, or SoC, and modules. This combination of software and hardware running over the ULE network extend the reach of natural voice-controlled edge devices. Together DSP Group and Snips allow OEMs to place satellite node devices that have the ability to recognize spoken language and stream it to any room in the home or office with a central hub leveraging. DSP Group's ULE/DECT technology providing long distance and secure network connections while Snips' software performs natural language processing, extending the reach of local voice control in an offline and private environment.

07:15 EDT Anixa Biosciences extends collaboration with The Wistar Institute - Anixa Biosciences announced it has extended its collaboration with The Wistar Institute and Dmitry I. Gabrilovich, M.D., Ph.D. Gabrilovich is a pioneer in the field of myeloid-derived suppressor cell biology and its roles in cancer progression and therapy response. The project is focused on understanding the role of MDSCs and how they can be used in diagnostic and therapeutic applications

07:10 EDT Wendy's approves new $225M share repurchase program - At the end of 2018, the company had $147.4M remaining on its existing share repurchase authorization. The company has repurchased 1.3M shares for $21.5M in 2019 to date, leaving $126.0M on its existing share repurchase authorization. The board has approved a new $225M share repurchase authorization, expiring on March 1, 2020 that will replace the existing share repurchase authorization.

07:06 EDT Cogent raises quarterly dividend to 58c from 56c per share - Payable on March 29 to shareholders of record on March 8.

07:03 EDT Ford collaborates with DTE Energy to procure Michigan wind energy - Ford Motor Company's (F) Dearborn Truck Plant, home of the Ford F-150 and Ford Raptor, Michigan Assembly Plant, home of the new 2019 Ford Ranger, and several new buildings on the Ford Research and Engineering Campus and Corktown campus, including Michigan Central Station, will soon be powered by 100 percent locally sourced renewable energy. This is in addition to the 500-kilowatt solar photovoltaic panel system already in place at Michigan Assembly. This collaboration is part of a commitment by Ford to a substantial renewable energy procurement through DTE Energy's (DTE) MIGreenPower program, supporting the company's Southeast Michigan portfolio and providing 500,000 megawatt hours of locally sourced Michigan wind energy. Ford plans to announce a new Global Carbon Reduction Strategy, which will focus on renewable energy in conjunction with the launch of the company's 20th annual Sustainability Report in June. With MIGreenPower, DTE electric customers can join the company's efforts to develop more Michigan-made renewable energy by matching their energy use to local wind and solar projects. In January, DTE received approval from the Michigan Public Service Commission to expand its voluntary renewable offerings to include a tariff designed specifically for large corporate and industrial customers. Ford is the first company to announce involvement with this new tariff.

07:01 EDT DowDuPont's Corteva sees FY19 total reported sales flat with last year - Corteva Agriscience, Agriculture Division of DowDuPont, will host a meeting with sell-side analysts this afternoon in New York City. At the meeting, James C. Collins, Jr., chief executive officer-elect, and Greg Friedman, chief financial officer-elect, are expected to review strategy and priorities for shareholder value creation for Corteva Agriscience, as it moves toward the intended separation from DowDuPont on June 1, 2019. Corteva will also provide financial guidance for the full year, as well as confirm its mid-term financial targets and intended uses for cash which were both presented at its investor day in November 2018. For the full year 2019, the Agriculture Division of DowDuPont expects: Total reported sales to be approximately flat with the prior year, up 1 to 2 percent organically. Above-market growth in 2019 is expected to be offset by approximately $350 million in currency pressure, primarily from the Euro and the Brazilian Real; Operating EBITDA is expected to be approximately $2.8 billion, which reflects growth of approximately 4 percent or up approximately 7 percent excluding currency. This estimate assumes $100 million in growth and $300 million in cost synergies, offset by $200 million of higher input costs, investments for growth, and other headwinds; Capital expenditures of approximately $650 million; and An estimated full-year operational tax rate in the range of 19 to 21 percent for Corteva as a standalone company. The Company's sales guidance for the full year 2019 assumes flat to 1 percent growth in seed sales for the industry globally and a 2 to 3 percent rise in crop protection sales for the industry, excluding the impact of currency. It also assumes stabilization of commodity prices, as crop inventories begin to come down, setting the stage for growth in the overall market beginning in 2020. The Company also assumes a shift in U.S. planted area from soybeans to spring wheat, corn and cotton. This overall shift in crops is expected to be margin neutral for Corteva. Corteva, as a standalone company, also projects its dividends will be 25 to 35 percent of net income, or an estimate of approximately $400 million annually. Immediately following the spin, we anticipate the new board will implement a share repurchase authorization consistent with a commitment to return excess capital to shareholders. Dividends and share repurchases are subject to Corteva Board of Director approval.

06:51 EDT Leidos announces $200M accelerated share repurchase agreement - Leidos announced that it has entered into an accelerated share repurchase agreement with a financial institution to repurchase $200M of Leidos' common stock. The company expects the accelerated share repurchases to be completed on or before the end of April 2019. This agreement is part of Leidos' existing share repurchase authorization. In addition, the company may also purchase additional shares in the open market during the quarter.

06:46 EDT Merck to acquire Immune Design for $5.85 per share in cash, or about $300M - Merck (MRK) and Immune Design (IMDZ) announced that the companies have entered into a definitive agreement under which Merck, through a subsidiary, will acquire Immune Design for $5.85 per share in cash for an approximate value of $300M. Under the terms of the acquisition agreement announced today, Merck, through a subsidiary, will initiate a tender offer to acquire all outstanding shares of Immune Design. The closing of the tender offer will be subject to certain conditions, including the tender of shares representing at least a majority of the total number of Immune Design's outstanding shares, the expiration of the waiting period under the Hart-Scott-Rodino Antitrust Improvements Act and other customary conditions. Upon the successful completion of the tender offer, Merck will acquire all shares not acquired in the tender through a second-step merger. The transaction is expected to close early in the second quarter of 2019.

06:42 EDT Astronics sees FY19 CapEx $22M-$28M - The effective tax rate for 2019, excluding the impact of the gain on the sale of the semiconductor business, is expected to be approximately 18%-22%.

06:38 EDT Ares Commercial raises quarterly dividend to 33c from 31c per share - The first quarter 2019 dividend is payable on April 16 to common stockholders of record on March 29.

06:28 EDT Ensign Group names Christopher Christensen as executive chairman - The Ensign Group announced that Christopher Christensen, president and CEO and member of the Ensign board of directors, has been appointed executive chairman and will continue to work full-time on strategic growth initiatives and new business ventures. Christopher Christensen will also serve as chairman of the board. Roy Christensen, current director and chairman of the board, will continue his service on the board as a director and chairman emeritus.

06:25 EDT Tutor Perini awarded $253M contract by MTA New York City Transit - Tutor Perini announced that the company was been awarded a contract valued at approximately $253M by MTA New York City Transit for the Culver Line Communications-Based Train Control Project. The project scope of work consists of the complete CBTC signal system overlay on NYCT's Culver Line between West 8th Street and Church Avenue in the borough of Brooklyn, New York, including signal system modernization for the Avenue X and Ditmas Avenue interlockings, trackwork and construction of three relay room buildings. The company's electrical subsidiary, Five Star Electric, will perform a significant portion of the work on this project under a subcontract. Work is expected to commence in the first quarter of 2019 with substantial completion anticipated in mid-2022. The contract value will be included in the company's first quarter 2019 backlog.

06:23 EDT Gamida Cell presents new data from NAM-NK and NiCord programs - Gamida Cell announced that new data from its NAM-NK and NiCord programs was presented at the 2019 Transplantation & Cellular Therapy Meetings of American Society for Blood and Marrow Transplantation and Center for International Blood and Marrow Transplant Research taking place in Houston, Texas. Data reported from the first 14 patients in the ongoing Phase 1 study of NAM-NK, an investigational, cell-based cancer immunotherapy, in patients with non-Hodgkin lymphoma and multiple myeloma demonstrated that NAM-NK was highly active, with three complete responses observed in patients with NHL and one complete response in a patient with MM. These data, along with additional safety data showing that NAM-NK was generally well tolerated, support continued clinical development. Gamida Cell is planning to initiate a multi-center, Phase 1/2 clinical study of NAM-NK in 2020. NAM-NK cells are natural killer cells that have been expanded using Gamida Cell's proprietary nicotinamide-based, or NAM, technology. Additionally, data were reported from the ongoing Phase 1/2 study of NiCord, an investigational advanced cell therapy designed to enhance and expand the life-saving benefits of hematopoietic stem cell (bone marrow) transplant, in patients with severe aplastic anemia. In the initial cohort of three patients, all three successfully underwent a stem cell transplant consisting of NiCord plus a haploidentical stem cell graft. The rapid engraftment, sustained hematopoiesis and accelerated immune recovery observed in these patients enable the initiation of a second cohort of patients to be treated with NiCord as a stand-alone graft.

06:15 EDT Hercules Capital names Seth Meyer as CFO - Hercules Capital announced the appointment of Seth Meyer as CFO, effective March 4. Meyer will report directly to Manuel Henriquez, Hercules' chairman and CEO. He replaces David Lund, who served as interim CFO for the prior 16 months and will continue to serve as a special consulting advisor to the company through April 2019.

06:07 EDT KBRwyle awarded $19M to perform flight ops for USGS satellite - KBR announced that its global government services business, KBRwyle, has been awarded a $19M contract by the U.S. Geological Survey, or USGS, to support flight operations for its Landsat 7 satellite. The Landsat 7 satellite is part of the Landsat program, a joint initiative of the USGS and NASA. Landsat satellites provide space-based images of the Earth's land surface, collecting valuable data that helps reduce hunger on Earth, enhances how quickly emergency response teams stabilize fires, and aids scientists in understanding humanity's impact on the planet. Under this contract KBRwyle will perform flight operations, system maintenance, testing, and sustainment engineering activities to support the on-orbit Landsat 7 spacecraft and payload. KBRwyle will also operate and maintain the Mission Operations Center ground systems and backup Mission Operations Center. Additionally, the company will continue to participate in a NASA/USGS initiative to robotically refuel the Landsat 7 spacecraft. KBRwyle will primarily perform this work at NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Maryland, as well as at its office in Columbia, Maryland. The firm-fixed-price, time and materials contract's period of performance is one base year with four option years. The maximum value of this contract is $19M if all options are exercised.

06:04 EDT Integra LifeSciences sees 'faster organic growth' in 2H19 - "We expect faster organic growth in the second half of 2019, averaging about 5% for the full year," said Glenn Coleman, CFO. "By mid-year we will move past the anticipated disruption associated with the transition of the Codman business outside the U.S. Moreover, in the second half of the year, we should benefit from new product introductions and improved sales force effectiveness."

05:39 EDT ViewRay receives FDA 510(k) clearance for MRIdian system - ViewRay announced that the company received 510(k) clearance from the FDA to market new soft tissue visualization capabilities for its MRIdian system. The new upgradable capabilities enhance the features of MRIdian's SmartVISION MRI, including: Expanded high-definition visualization and enhanced contrast between different tissues, to assist clinicians with tissue visualization and beam contouring; The potential to aid in the assessment and prediction of tumor response to radiation therapy is enabled by "DWI", our diffusion weighted imaging feature which tracks treatment progress by distinguishing between tumor and normal tissues; Faster, brighter, more detailed anatomical planar imaging to strike tumors with greater precision and accuracy through our proprietary technology, which allows for a 2X increase in MR imaging speed, a 2X increase in image resolution, and a 2X improvement in MR signal-to-noise ratio, or SNR; Potential reduction in treatment delivery time through enhanced MLC speed.

05:30 EDT J&J received subpoenas over alleged asbestos contamination in Baby Powder - Johnson & Johnson disclosed last night in its annual report that it received preliminary inquiries and subpoenas to produce documents from Senator Murray, a member of the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor and Pensions, the Department of Justice and the Securities and Exchange Commission. The subpoenas relate to lawsuits claiming the company failed to adequately disclose the alleged asbestos contamination in body powders containing talc, primarily Johnson's Baby Powder. Johnson & Johnson said it is "cooperating with these government inquiries and will be producing documents in response." In February 2018, a securities class action lawsuit was filed against Johnson & Johnson and certain named officers in the United States District Court for the District of New Jersey, alleging that Johnson & Johnson violated the federal securities laws by failing to adequately disclose the alleged asbestos contamination in body powders containing talc, primarily Johnson's Baby Powder, and that purchasers of Johnson & Johnson's shares suffered losses as a result. Plaintiffs are seeking damages. In October 2018, a shareholder derivative lawsuit was filed against Johnson & Johnson as the nominal defendant and its current directors as defendants in the United States District Court for the District of New Jersey, alleging a breach of fiduciary duties related to the alleged asbestos contamination in body powders containing talc, primarily Baby Powder, and that Johnson & Johnson has suffered damages as a result of those alleged breaches. In January 2019, two ERISA class action lawsuits were filed by participants in the Johnson & Johnson Savings Plan against Johnson & Johnson, its Pension and Benefits Committee, and certain named officers in the United States District Court for the District of New Jersey, alleging that the defendants breached their fiduciary duties by offering Johnson & Johnson stock as a Johnson & Johnson Savings Plan investment option when it was imprudent to do so because of failures to disclose alleged asbestos contamination in body powders containing talc.

05:13 EDT Canopy Growth files amended, restated Q3 MD&A - Canopy Growth filed its Amended and Restated Management Discussion and Analysis for the three and nine months ended December 31, 2018 to correct the Adjusted EBITDA in the original MD&A for the nine months ended December 31, 2018 filed on February 14, 2019, as follows. The correction of the Adjusted EBITDA loss for the nine months ended December 31, 2018 from $69,006,000 to $155,154,000. The correction was made due to a formula error in the spreadsheet supporting the year to date Adjusted EBITDA loss calculation. The Adjusted EBITDA loss for the three months ended as December 31, 2018 was correct as reported, as were all prior quarters as released. There are no changes required to Canopy's unaudited condensed interim consolidated financial statements for the three and nine months ended December 31, 2018. Other than as expressly set forth in the Amended MD&A, the Amended MD&A does not purport to update or restate the information in the Original MD&A or reflect any events that occurred after the date of the filing of the Original MD&A other than changes to the sections entitled Results of Operations, Third Quarter Review, and Adjusted EBITDA.