Stockwinners Market Radar for March 04, 2019 - Earnings, Upgrades downgrades, option trades, Best Stock Advisory Service

22:38 EDT Kayne Anderson Midstream/Energy Fund reports net assets $638M as of February 28 - As of February 28, 2019, the Fund's net assets were $638 million and its net asset value per share was $13.04. As of February 28, 2019, the Fund's asset coverage ratio under the 1940 Act with respect to senior securities representing indebtedness was 448% and the Fund's asset coverage ratio under the 1940 Act with respect to total leverage was 328%.

20:34 EDT Gartner CEO sells 90.9K shares of common stock - In a regulatory filing, Gartner disclosed that its CEO Eugene Hall sold 90.9K shares of common stock at an average price of $143.22 per share on February 28th and March 1st. The total transaction size was $13.0M.

18:49 EDT State Auto Financial reports revised financial information - State Auto Financial Corporation reported that it is revising previously disclosed financial information related to accounting for its pension and postretirement benefits. STFC had been pooling the net liabilities and the unrecognized actuarial gains and losses along with prior service costs recorded in accumulated other comprehensive income for pension and postretirement benefits to affiliated companies pursuant to a quota share reinsurance agreement or pooling agreement. However, STFC and its auditors have determined that such pooling is not appropriate for these items. Amounts recognized as pension expense continue to be appropriately pooled in each period presented. As a result, STFC's balance sheet has been revised to reverse the impact of pooling these items by increasing the reported pension and postretirement benefits liability and reducing reported stockholders' equity by recording additional unrecognized actuarial losses and prior service costs within accumulated other comprehensive income at each reported balance sheet date. For these adjustments, associated deferred tax benefits have been established at each reported balance sheet date. For the year ended December 31, 2017, additional deferred income tax expense of $7.1 million was recorded to reflect an adjustment to deferred taxes for the reduction of the corporate income tax rate in connection with the Tax Cut and Jobs Act of 2017. Related earnings and book value per share amounts have been revised accordingly. These adjustments are not material to STFC's previously issued financial statements. STFC has included with this release a new disclosure for book value per share excluding accumulated other comprehensive income, net of tax, along with the appropriate non-GAAP measurement reconciliation. As a result of the foregoing changes, STFC's fourth quarter 2017 net loss was $13.8M, or 33c per diluted share and net loss from operations per diluted share was 65c. For the year ended 2017, STFC's net loss was $17.8M, or 42c per diluted share and net loss from operations2 per diluted share was $1.43. The fourth quarter and year ended 2017 net loss and net loss from operations included a charge of $43.5M, or $1.03 per diluted share, related to the enactment of the TCJA.

18:33 EDT Interpublic Group CEO sells 199K shares of common stock - In a regulatory filing, Interpublic Group disclosed that its CEO Michael Roth sold 199K shares of common stock at $22.95 per share on March 1st. The total transaction size was $4.57M.

18:23 EDT CoStar Group CFO sells 5.4K shares of common stock - In a regulatory filing, CoStar Group disclosed that its CFO Scott Wheeler sold 5.4K shares of common stock at $476.11 per share on March 1st. The total transaction size was $2.57M.

18:07 EDT Salesforce Ventures launches $50M Australia Trailblazer Fund - Salesforce announced that Salesforce Ventures, the company's global corporate investment group, has launched the Australia Trailblazer Fund, a new $50M fund to empower Australian startups in the Salesforce ecosystem. With this new fund, Salesforce Ventures deepens its commitment to the region by investing in local innovation and inspiring Australian entrepreneurs to create next generation technology that drives customer success across industries. "Digital transformation is impacting businesses around the world and companies need to innovate faster and smarter to meet customer expectations today," said John Somorjai, EVP of Corporate Development and Salesforce Ventures. "Salesforce Ventures recognises the incredible opportunity to invest in Australian entrepreneurs to create world-class startups that will grow the opportunity within the Salesforce ecosystem and deliver customer success."

18:03 EDT SPDR Gold Shares holdings fall to 766.59MT from 772.46MT - This is the third consecutive decline and the lowest level of holdings since December 17, 2018.

17:41 EDT YY completes acquisition of Bigo - YY announced its recent acquisition of the remaining approximately 68.3% of all the issued and outstanding shares of Bigo from the other shareholders of Bigo, including Mr. David Xueling Li, Chairman and acting CEO of YY, for an aggregate purchase price of $1,452,778,383, comprising of US$343,061,583 in cash, 38,326,579 Class B common shares of YY issued to Mr. Li and 313,888,496 Class A common shares of YY issued to Mr. Li and other selling shareholders of Bigo. Prior to the transaction, the Company owned approximately 31.7% of all the issued and outstanding shares of Bigo on a fully diluted and as-converted basis. Mr. Li's total voting power in YY remains largely the same before and after the transaction. The amount and form of the purchase price was discussed and agreed upon between YY and all the selling shareholders of Bigo in the recent months. YY negotiated other terms of the transaction with the shareholders of Bigo unrelated to YY. The transaction was approved by the independent audit committee of YY's board of directors, which considered the arms length negotiation background as well as the fairness analysis conducted by its advisor China Renaissance Securities Limited, and was approved by YY's board of directors. The transaction was completed today after satisfaction of all the closing conditions. Lazard is acting as financial advisor to the Company.Mr. David Xueling Li, Chairman and acting Chief Executive Officer of YY, stated, "We are very excited to announce the completion of the acquisition of Bigo. It is an important milestone for YY group which demonstrated our confidence and commitment to the globalization strategy. "

17:33 EDT Abbott SVP Contreras sells 12.5K shares of common stock - In a regulatory filing, Abbott Senior Vice President Jaime Contreras disclosed a sale of 12.56K shares of common stock on March 1st. The total transaction size was just below $1.0M.

17:15 EDT VP of Kelly Services Teresa Carroll sells over $200K in company stock - VP of Kelly Services Teresa Carroll disclosed in a regulatory filing that she sold 8,280 shares of company stock at $24.27 per share between February 28 and March 1. The total transaction value of the sale was $200,956./

17:13 EDT Diplomat Pharmacy to delay filing 10-K, cites need to record impairment charge - The company stated: "Diplomat Pharmacy is unable to file, without unreasonable effort or expense, its Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2018 within the prescribed time period because the company has recently determined the need to record a significant non-cash impairment charge related to the company's Goodwill and Definite-lived intangible assets, as a result of reduced financial forecasts for the business, which will materially impact results for the fourth quarter and full year ended December 31, 2018. As a result, the company needs additional time to finalize the level of impairment for Goodwill and the Definite-lived intangible assets, the tax implications and the total impact on the company's 2018 fourth quarter and full year financial results. The issues identified require the company to perform additional procedures and analyses, and other third-party review of the foregoing, that affect the timeliness of the company's annual financial statement and preparation of the Annual Report. Management is in the process of completing these additional procedures and the Annual Report. The company expects to file the Annual Report as soon as reasonably practicable after completion of the foregoing."

17:06 EDT Dril-Quip COO James Gariepy retires - Dril-Quip announced that James Gariepy, who served as Dril-Quip's senior VP and COO since 2011, has retired effective March 1 following 15 years of service with Dril-Quip. As a result of Gariepy's retirement, the board has appointed Jeffrey Bird as senior VP of production operations and CFO, effective immediately. Bird has served as Dril-Quip's VP and CFO since he joined the company in March 2017.

16:46 EDT Comerica VP Paul Obermeyer sells over $711K shares of company stock - Comerica VP Paul Obermeyer disclosed in a filing that he had sold 8,200 shares of company stock at an average price of $86.75 per share on March 1 for a total transaction value of $711,367.

16:39 EDT LivaNova delays filing of Form 10-K - In a regulatory filing, LivaNova said that its Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2018 cannot be filed within the prescribed time period without unreasonable effort or expense because the company needs additional time to complete certain reviews and analyses necessary for the assessment of the company's internal control over financial reporting and to complete its financial reporting process, and for its independent registered public accounting firm to complete its audit. The company expects to report two material weaknesses in the Form 10-K due to certain deficiencies in the design of its internal control over financial reporting. Although the company's analysis is still ongoing, these deficiencies relate to information technology and end-user access of the financial reporting system and the review of price and quantity in the revenue process. The company expects to file the Form 10-K within the fifteen-calendar day extension provided under Rule 12b-25 under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended.

16:38 EDT Adamas Pharmaceuticals sees FY19 R&D expenses $35M-$45M - For 2019, Adamas expects full-year R&D expenses to be between $35M-$45M, including stock-based compensation expense of approximately $3M. Additionally, the company expects full-year SG&A expenses to be between $120M-$130M, including stock-based compensation expense of approximately $15M.

16:36 EDT Pope Resources board approves $2M unit repurchase authorization - Pope Resources announced that the board of directors of its managing general partner, Pope MGP, Inc., has approved a Unit Repurchase Authorization of $2M. The board believes that the Authorization will provide an attractive opportunity for allocating capital, affording liquidity to unitholders who prefer to sell units while also offsetting the potentially dilutive impact of the Partnership's equity compensation plan. The Authorization becomes effective on March 7, 2019, and will continue until March 7, 2020, or until the additional authorized funds of $2M have been deployed, whichever is earlier.

16:32 EDT Extraction Oil & Gas director Donald Evans purchases 40K shares - Extraction Oil & Gas director Donald Evans disclosed in a filing that he had purchased 40,000 shares of company stock at an average price of $4.25 per share between February 28 and March1. The total transaction value was $170,140.

16:31 EDT Hebron Technology receives Nasdaq letter over noncompliance - Hebron Technology Co., Ltd. announced that it has received a letter from the Listings Qualifications Department of The Nasdaq Capital Market notifying the company that the minimum bid price per share for its Class A common shares was below $1.00 for a period of 30 consecutive business days and that the company did not meet the minimum bid price requirement set forth in Nasdaq Listing Rule 5550a2. This press release is filed pursuant to Nasdaq Listing Rule 5810b. The Nasdaq notification letter does not result in the immediate delisting of the company's Class A common shares, and the shares will continue to trade uninterrupted under the symbol "HEBT." Pursuant to Nasdaq Listing Rule 5810c3A, the company has a compliance period of 180 calendar days, or until August 28, 2019, to regain compliance with Nasdaq's minimum bid price requirement. If at any time during the Compliance Period, the closing bid price per share of the company's Class A common shares is at least $1.00 for a minimum of 10 consecutive business days, Nasdaq will provide the company a written confirmation of compliance and the matter will be closed.

16:24 EDT Jacobs Asset Management reports 5.1% passive stake in Stewardship Financial - Jacobs Asset Management disclosed a 5.1% stake in Stewardship Financial, which represents just under 447K shares. The filing does not allow for activism.

16:20 EDT Inspire Medical says five new BCBSA healthcare plans issue positive coverage - Inspire Medical Systems announced that five new Blue Cross Blue Shield Association healthcare plans have issued positive coverage policies of Inspire therapy. These plans include: Independence Blue Cross; Blue Cross Blue Shield of Louisiana; Wellmark; HealthNow New York; and BCBS of Kansas City, which, in the aggregate, provide coverage for approximately 8.5M members.

16:17 EDT PBF Logistics director David Roush sells 6,500 shares of company stock - PBF Logistics director David Roush disclosed in a filing that he had sold 6,500 shares of company stock at an average price of $21.67 per share. The total transaction value was $140,832.

16:14 EDT Salesforce reports remaining performance obligation $25.7B at Q4-end - Remaining performance obligation, representing future revenues that are under contract but have not yet been recognized, ended the fourth quarter at approximately $25.7B, an increase of 25% year-over-year. This includes approximately $450M related to the remaining performance obligation from MuleSoft. Current remaining performance obligation, which represents the future revenues under contract expected to be recognized over the next 12 months, ended the fourth quarter at approximately $11.9B, an increase of 24% year-over-year.

16:12 EDT PDL BioPharma announces U.S. launch of authorized generic of Tekturna - PDL BioPharma announces the U.S. commercial launch of an authorized generic of Tekturna, aliskiren hemifumarate 150 mg and 300 mg tablets. The authorized generic has the same drug formulation as Tekturna. The launch is being carried out by Prasco, LLC, d/b/a Prasco Laboratories, under an agreement with PDL's wholly owned subsidiary, Noden Pharma USA. Noden will continue to manufacture and commercialize prescription aliskiren products under the Tekturna and Tekturna HCT brands in the United States, and the Rasilez and Rasilez HCT brands in international markets. The authorized generic launch does not include Tekturna HCT.

16:10 EDT Addus HomeCare says 'well positioned to achieve further profitable growth' - CEO Allison concluded, "Looking ahead to 2019, we believe we are well positioned to achieve further profitable growth both from our current operations and acquisitions. Our objectives for organic growth for the year are consistent with our targeted range of 3% to 5% for same-store revenue growth. In addition, we previously announced a definitive agreement to purchase VIP Health Care Services, with annual revenues of approximately $50 million, and we expect to close this transaction during the second quarter of 2019. We continue to pursue other potential acquisitions in 2019 that fit with our strategic plan, and we have the financial strength to pursue additional growth opportunities that we believe will enhance our market presence and add shareholder value."

16:08 EDT Salesforce says targeting revenue of $26B-$28B by FY23 - "We had another year of outstanding revenue growth, surpassing $13 billion in revenue faster than any other enterprise software company in history," said Marc Benioff, chairman and co-CEO, Salesforce. "As companies of all sizes turn to Salesforce, we're enabling them to put the customer at the center of their digital transformation through our intelligent Customer 360 platform. I've never been more excited about the opportunity ahead." "Our relentless focus on delivering innovation and customer success has fueled our growth and solidified our leadership in the enterprise," said Keith Block, co-CEO, Salesforce. "This is just the beginning, which is why we're now targeting $26 to $28 billion in revenue by FY23 - organically doubling our revenue again in the next four years."

16:07 EDT Wex delays annual report due to ongoing internal review - Wex said it is unable, without unreasonable effort or expense, to file its annual report for the year ended December 31, 2018 within the prescribed time period because management requires additional time to complete its previously disclosed ongoing internal review of a discrepancy related to the balance sheet of the company's Brazilian subsidiary. The company added that it is working diligently to finalize the internal review. It expects to conclude the remaining work in time for the company to file its annual report no later than the prescribed due date allowed pursuant to Rule 12b-25.

16:06 EDT Gladstone acquires Indianapolis industrial property for $3.5M - Gladstone Commercial Corporation announced that it completed the acquisition of a 34,800 square foot industrial freezer/cooler building in Indianapolis, IN. The building, which is located in Park 100, a large industrial park in Indianapolis, is expandable by approximately 13,000 square feet. The initial capitalization rate for the acquisition was 7.2%, with an average capitalization rate of 7.9%.

15:52 EDT Levin Capital reports 5.4% passive stake in Cott Corp. - In a regulatory filing, Levin Capital Strategies disclosed a 5.4% stake in Cott Corp., which represents about 7.3M shares. The filing does not allow for activism.

15:49 EDT Osmium sends open letter to Leaf Group, demands immediate sale - John Lewis and Osmium Partners sent an open letter to Leaf Group (LEAF), stating, "We have been shareholders in Leaf Group since December 2014 and currently beneficially own approximately 7.8% of the outstanding shares of Leaf's common stock. In our opinion, it is in the best interests of all Leaf shareholders for Leaf to undertake an immediate sale of the company. We strongly encourage the Leaf board of directors to explore separate sales of the assets comprising its two business segments, Media and Marketplaces, instead of continuing to operate the two businesses as a combined public company. The last reported sale price of Leaf's common stock was $8.20 per share. Based on our experience as a longtime Leaf shareholder, we believe a well organized sale process of Media and Marketplaces could result in a sale price of $16.00+ per share. We do not believe Leaf is a suitable public company... To conclude, we believe that Leaf's business has 12 factors that are not easily fixable. In our view, current market conditions have created optimal conditions for sellers of underfollowed small public companies, in which companies in challenged positions are seeing record premiums to market in acquisitions. We believe Leaf shareholders are better off selling Leaf's valuable strategic assets to industry buyers."

15:27 EDT Taubman Centers raises dividend 3.1% to 67.5c per share - The board of directors of Taubman Centers declared a regular quarterly dividend of 67.5c per share of common stock, an increase of 3.1%. The common dividend is payable March 29 to shareholders of record on March 15.

15:15 EDT Old Line Bancshares raises quarterly dividend 20% to 12c from 10c per share - The company will pay the dividend on March 29 to stockholders of record as of March 15.

14:57 EDT Orin Hirschman reports 7.2% passive stake in Pain Therapeutics - In a regulatory filing, Orin Hirschman disclosed a 7.2% stake in Pain Therapeutics, which represents nearly 1.24M shares. The filing does not allow for activism.

14:50 EDT Maiden Holdings discloses information shared by CEO and CFO in interview - Maiden Holdings stated in a regulatory filing that on March 4, 2019, CFO and COO Patrick Haveron and CEO Lawrence Metz had a discussion with reporters from the publication "The Insurance Insider" in response to an inquiry by the reporter in connection with a pending article relating to the company. Haveron advised the reporters from The Insurance Insider that while the company's audited financial statements and risk factors in its Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year-ended December 31, 2018 are not yet final, it is important to note the following: The Company presently expects to have at least $525M or more in consolidated shareholders' equity as of December 31, 2018; The Company presently expects its principal operating subsidiary, Maiden Reinsurance Ltd., to have at least $850M or more in GAAP shareholder's equity as of December 31, 2018; The company has executed a series of measures including the sale of its US treaty reinsurance business to Transatlantic and Enstar, termination of its contracts with AmTrust and other measures that have significantly reduced its required capital at both the Operating Company and the Group level; As a result, the company has cured the breach of Maiden Bermuda's ECR and this ratio as well as the Group ratios are expected to continue to improve even further in 2019; The company revised the structure of its loss reserve transaction with Enstar as these remediation measures have led to significant improvements in capital position and solvency ratios that made a smaller deal with ADC protection more appropriate. The company expects to account for this transaction under the relevant reinsurance accounting rules with risk transfer. This simultaneously provides Maiden with more investable assets and reserve protection which will further support its future profitability and improving solvency ratios; These measures have also enabled the company to maintain liquidity at its holding companies and the company can report that Maiden Holdings North America, Ltd. made its scheduled interest payment due March 1, 2019. While the company's Board of Directors has elected not to declare the preferred dividends due in the first quarter 2019, it expects to review that decision each quarter; The company expects to file its Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2018 no later than March 18, 2019.

14:42 EDT FDA sends letter to Walgreens on 'illegal' sales of tobacco products to kids' - The following is statement from FDA Commissioner Scott Gottlieb,"on forceful new actions focused on retailers, manufacturers to combat youth access to e-cigarettes as part of FDA's Youth Tobacco Prevention Plan": "As the number of children using e-cigarettes remains at epidemic levels, our enforcement work has been one cornerstone of our efforts to protect youth from the dangers of tobacco products. In recent months our vigorous enforcement efforts as part of the agency's Youth Tobacco Prevention Plan have included a number of actions to combat the illegal sales of e-cigarettes to youth at brick-and-mortar and internet storefronts, as well as steps to target companies engaged in kid-friendly marketing that can increase the appeal of these products to youth. Today, we're taking several new actions, focused on both retailers and manufacturers, as part of our commitment to combat youth access to e-cigarettes. Because tobacco use is almost always initiated and established during adolescence, early intervention - including making sure tobacco products aren't being marketed to, sold to, or used by kids - is critical. First, we sent a letter today to the corporate management of Walgreen to request a meeting to discuss whether there is a corporate-wide issue related to their stores' track record of violating the law by illegally selling tobacco products to kids." Shares of Walgreens Boots Alliance are down almost 3% or $1.86 per share in afternoon trading to $64.75 per share. Reference Link

14:13 EDT Wells Fargo names Maria Teresa Tejada as Chief Strategic Enterprise Risk Officer - Wells Fargo (WFC) announced that Maria Teresa Tejada has been named the company's chief strategic enterprise risk officer. Tejada will join the company's Risk organization reporting directly to Chief Risk Officer Mandy Norton. She begins her new role today. Since 2013, Tejada served in risk leadership roles at KeyCorp (KEY), most recently as deputy chief risk officer and also as risk management integration executive and chief credit officer.

14:03 EDT Mellanox higher following report of Xilinx roadshow cancellation - Sharers of Mellanox Technologies (MLNX) moved higher after Bloomberg reported that Xilinx (XLNX) cancelled out of Evercore ISI's roadshow tomorrow. On February 13, Israel's daily business newspaper The Marker reported that Xilinx's investment bankers were seeking to close a deal to buy Mellanox but that a dispute over price arose. Shares of Mellanox are up $1.15 to $110.90 in afternoon trading while Xilinx is down $4.55 to $122.09.

13:37 EDT Volvo to limit its cars to 112mph 'to highlight dangers of speeding' - Volvo Cars, "as a worldwide leader in safety, is sending a strong signal about the dangers of speeding and will limit the top speed on all its cars to 112 mph from 2020, beginning with model year 2021," said the company in a statement. The company's Vision 2020, which aims for no one to be killed or seriously injured in a new Volvo by 2020, is one of the most ambitious safety visions in the automotive industry. But realizing that technology alone will not get it all the way to zero, Volvo Cars is now broadening its scope to include a focus on driver behavior. "Volvo is a leader in safety: we always have been and we always will be," said Hundefinedkan Samuelsson, president and chief executive, Volvo Car Group. "Because of our research we know where the problem areas are when it comes to ending serious injuries and fatalities in our cars. And while a speed limitation is not a cure-all, it's worth doing if we can even save one life." Reference Link

12:25 EDT Cinedigm regains compliance with Nasdaq Listing Rule - Cinedigm received formal notification from The Nasdaq Stock Market that the Company has regained compliance with Listing Rule 5450(b)(3)(C), which requires the Company's common stock to maintain a minimum market value of the Company's publicly held shares of $15,000,000. The Nasdaq staff made this determination of compliance after the Company's MVPHS was common stock was at $15,000,000 or greater for the prior 10 consecutive business days. Nasdaq had previously notified the Company of its non-compliance with Listing Rule 5450(b)(3)(C) on December 12, 2018, following 30 consecutive business days for which the Company's MVPHS did not meet the $15,000,000 minimum requirement.

12:19 EDT Rimini Street announces Supreme Court orders Oracle to return $12.8M - Rimini Street (RMNI) issued the following statement in response to the U.S. Supreme Court's decision in Rimini Street v. Oracle (ORCL):"Today, the U.S. Supreme Court issued a unanimous decision of national significance in copyright law, reversing earlier decisions by lower courts and ruling that Oracle must return $12.8M in non-taxable expenses (plus interest) that Rimini Street paid to Oracle in 2016. This refund is in addition to the $21.5M that Oracle previously returned to Rimini Street, following a decision by the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals on Rimini Street's appeal of the judgment in the Oracle v. Rimini Street case. The decision resolves a nationwide split among federal appellate courts about the proper measure of costs in copyright litigation. Today's ruling corrects another significant legal error in the Oracle v. Rimini Street case that was tried in 2015. Oracle ultimately lost 23 out of its 24 claims that were brought in the suit, and Rimini Street was found liable only for "innocent" copyright infringement. Rimini Street CEO, Seth A. Ravin, was exonerated on all claims...Rimini Street continues to aggressively pursue its pending appeal in the U.S. Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals to recover an additional $28.5M from Oracle, among other requested relief."

12:00 EDT Intelsat falls -10.0% - Intelsat is down -10.0%, or -$2.34 to $21.00.

12:00 EDT Bluegreen Vacations rises 18.5% - Bluegreen Vacations is up 18.5%, or $2.49 to $15.95.

12:00 EDT Key Energy rises 24.2% - Key Energy is up 24.2%, or 65c to $3.33.

11:49 EDT Southwest to begin service to Hawaii on March 17 - Southwest Airlines announced the carrier will begin service to Hawaii on March 17, 2019, with an inaugural flight from Oakland International Airport to Daniel K. Inouye International Airport in Honolulu, Oahu, followed by an inaugural flight from Oakland to Kahului Airport, Maui on April 7. In subsequent weeks, the carrier will inaugurate additional service from Norman Y. Mineta San Jose International Airport to Honolulu on May 5 and to Kahului on May 26. In subsequent weeks, the carrier will inaugurate additional service from Norman Y. Mineta San Jose International Airport to Honolulu on May 5 and to Kahului on May 26. Southwest will operate its first interisland service within Hawaii between Honolulu and Kahului, four times daily in each direction, beginning April 28, followed by service between Honolulu and Ellison Onizuka International Airport at Keahole on Hawaii Island, four times daily in each direction, beginning May 12. The additional interisland service will make possible connecting service between Kona and both Oakland and San Jose.

11:02 EDT Comcast acquires BluVector, terms not disclosed - Comcast announced it has acquired BluVector, a company that uses advanced artificial intelligence and machine learning to provide cybersecurity protection to companies and government agencies. With a proprietary machine-learning engine, BluVector detects, analyzes, and contains a wide range of sophisticated cyber-threats including "fileless malware," zero-day malware and ransomware. The two companies will work together to grow BluVector's existing business and also collaborate on the development of new cybersecurity technologies. BluVector also announced that Eric Malawer has been named CEO of BluVector and will lead the company as it continues to grow its business as part of Comcast. Malawer previously served as cybersecurity staff director for the House Committee on Homeland Security, and prior to his role at BluVector, he launched three AI and security companies. BluVector founding CEO Kris Lovejoy, who recently left to assume another role, will continue to serve as an advisor and consultant to BluVector and Comcast. Comcast Chief Information Security Officer Noopur Davis will lead the process of identifying opportunities to leverage the companies' combined technology and expertise to support new products and initiatives. Financial terms of the acquisition were not disclosed.

10:53 EDT PepsiCo appoints Laxman Narasimhan as Global Chief Commercial Officer - Laxman Narasimhan, currently CEO, Latin America, Europe and Sub-Saharan Africa, has been appointed to the newly created position of Global Chief Commercial Officer, PepsiCo, reporting to Laguarta. In this new role, Narasimhan will "shape PepsiCo's integrated long-term growth strategy and lead the development of world-class commercial and marketing capabilities." Narasimhan will oversee PepsiCo's Global Category Groups, Insights, Commercialization, Design, Global R&D, E-Commerce and Strategy. Silviu Popovici, who has led ESSA reporting to Narasimhan will now be Chief Executive Officer, ESSA and report directly to Laguarta. Narasimhan will continue to lead PepsiCo's LATAM sector on an interim basis.

10:20 EDT iRhythm delays annual filing, sees reporting material weaknesses in controls - In a regulatory filing earlier, iRhythm disclosed that it the company has determined that it is unable to file its Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2018 by March 1, 2019, the original due date for such filing, without unreasonable effort or expense. " The company is continuing to evaluate its internal control over financial reporting and disclosure controls and procedures, and expects to report material weaknesses in internal control over financial reporting and to report that its disclosure controls and procedures were not effective as of December 31, 2018. The material weaknesses did not result in a material misstatement of the company's 2018 consolidated financial statements. The company is actively working to complete this assessment, and intends to file its Annual Report on Form 10-K within the grace period prescribed in Rule 12b-25 under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934," the filing stated.

10:09 EDT Aetna issues policy bulletin for colorectal cancer screening - CVS Health's (CVS) Aetna stated in a colorectal cancer screening policy update dated March 1 that Aetna considers colorectal cancer screening tests medically necessary preventive services for average-risk members aged 45 years and older when these tests are recommended by their physician. The list of tests includes Stool DNA tests, including Exact Sciences' (EXAS) Cologuard test. Reference Link

10:00 EDT Sea Limited falls -6.6% - Sea Limited is down -6.6%, or -$1.54 to $21.66.

10:00 EDT Foresight Energy falls -7.6% - Foresight Energy is down -7.6%, or -25c to $3.05.

10:00 EDT Jupai Holdings rises 8.4% - Jupai Holdings is up 8.4%, or 35c to $4.53.

09:52 EDT Eastside Distilling files patent application for hemp-based beverages - Reference Link

09:47 EDT Studio City falls -5.4% - Studio City is down -5.4%, or -97c to $17.10.

09:47 EDT Sea Limited falls -7.6% - Sea Limited is down -7.6%, or -$1.76 to $21.44.

09:47 EDT Washington REIT rises 6.6% - Washington REIT is up 6.6%, or $1.73 to $28.09.

09:45 EDT Borqs Technologies Inc trading halted, volatility trading pause

09:33 EDT Celsion presents OVATION 1 study data at ASCO-SITC symposium - Celsion announced the oral presentation of data highlighting the safety, clinical response and translational data from its recently completed OVATION I Study. This Phase IB study evaluated patients newly diagnosed with Stage III/IV ovarian cancer and were treated with Celsion's DNA-based, IL-12 immunotherapy, GEN-1, in combination with neoadjuvant chemotherapy, or NAC. Also presented were new data from the study demonstrating reduced immunosuppression in the tumor microenvironment, or TME, following treatment with GEN-1. The data were presented at the ASCO-SITC symposium. The Phase IB OVATION 1 Study, which evaluated escalating doses of GEN-1 administered intraperitoneally in combination with three cycles of neoadjuvant chemotherapy prior to interval debulking surgery, followed by three cycles of NAC in the treatment of newly diagnosed patients with Stage III/IV ovarian cancer, demonstrated median PFS of 21 months in patients treated per protocol and 17.1 months for the intent-to-treat population for all dose cohorts, including three patients who dropped out of the study after 13 days or less, and two patients who did not receive full NAC and GEN-1 cycles. Pathological changes were assessed as part of the study, with the density of markers measured in tissue sections assessed via immunohistochemistry staining. Among patients administered the high doses of GEN-1, pre-treatment to post-treatment reductions in key biomarkers were observed. Reductions were also observed in patients administered the lower doses of GEN-1 for all but one of the four key biomarkers. The ratio of CD8+ cells to the four key immunosuppressive cell signals increased following treatment in 60%-80% of patients. Dose-limiting toxicity was not reached in the OVATION I Study. The most common adverse events attributed to GEN-1 in the OVATION I Study were nausea, abdominal pain/cramping, fatigue, vomiting, diarrhea and neutropenia.

09:31 EDT Navios Maritime Containers announces $10M unit repurchase program - Navios Maritime Containers announced that its Board of Directors has authorized a unit repurchase program for up to $10M of the company's common units over a one-year period.

09:28 EDT RadNet enters into second JV with Dignity Health in California - RadNet reported it has entered into a second outpatient radiology joint venture with Dignity Health in California. The Ventura County, California venture expands RadNet's and Dignity Health's existing commitment to providing high-quality imaging services to these communities through establishing a network of four Rolling Oaks Radiology-branded multimodality imaging centers.

09:19 EDT Electronic Arts reports Apex Legends surpasses 50M players worldwide - In a post to its corporate website, Electronic Arts wrote: "Apex Legends has now surpassed 50 million players worldwide! A huge thank you to our amazing player community, and we're excited to show you what we have in store for Season One coming in March." Reference Link

09:18 EDT Kratos Defense team awarded $850M multiple-award DARPA contract - Kratos Defense & Security Solutions announced that its Defense & Rocket Support Services Division is a key member of the ECS Federal Team recently awarded an $850M Multiple-Award Indefinite-Delivery Indefinite-Quantity contract to provide Advisory and Assistance Services to the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency on Arlington, Virginia. Kratos, along with ECS Federal, will provide technical and analytical services to advance DARPA's mission to push technological boundaries and create breakthrough technologies to support national security.

09:13 EDT Enbridge pushes out expected Line 3 Replacement in-service date to 2020 - Enbridge announced on Friday night that the State of Minnesota provided the company the permitting timeline for its agencies' remaining environmental permits for the Line 3 Replacement Project. The permitting timeline indicates that the certifications on all remaining State permits required for the construction of Line 3 will be provided by this November. Enbridge anticipates that the remaining Federal permits will be finalized approximately 30 to 60 days thereafter. This new permitting schedule updates the company's prior expectation for the receipt of final State permits in the second quarter of 2019, which underpinned an expected in-service date before the end of this year. In light of this permitting timeline, the company is developing a revised construction schedule for the Line 3 Replacement Project, but now expects an in-service date during the second half of 2020. More specific timing on the in-service date, as well as any potential impacts on the 2020 financial outlook, will be provided once the revised construction schedule is finalized. The company's 2019 distributable cash flow guidance range of $4.30 to $4.60/share remains unchanged as a result of this permitting schedule. "We now have a firm schedule from the State on the timing of the remaining permits for our Line 3 Replacement project. We support a robust and transparent permitting process that includes opportunity for public input. We'll continue to work closely with State officials during this process," said Al Monaco, President and CEO of Enbridge.

09:10 EDT Fly Intel: Pre-market Movers - HIGHER: Alibaba.com (BABA) and Office Depot (ODP), up 1% and 11% respectively after announcing a strategic collaboration for U.S. small- and medium-sized businesses... Axsome Therapeutics (AXSM), up 3% after initiating the MOMENTUM Phase 3 trial assessing the efficacy and safety of AXS-07 in the acute treatment of migraine... Kraft Heinz (KHC), up 2% after Morgan Stanley analyst Dara Mohsenian upgraded the stock to Equal Weight from Underweight as he believes FY19 estimates now look achievable following their recent correction. UP AFTER EARNINGS: BioCryst (BCRX), up 2%. DOWN AFTER EARNINGS: Children's Place (PLCE), down 12%... Magic Software (MGIC), down 2%. LOWER: Hawaiian Holdings (HA), down 3% after Deutsche Bank analyst Michael Linenberg downgraded shares to Sell from Hold. This past week, Southwest Airlines (LUV) management publicly stated that they will start flying inter-island almost as soon as they commence service to Hawaii, Linenberg tells investors in a research note... Sea Limited (SE), down 7% after offering of 50M American Depositary Shares... Enbridge (ENB), down 4% after being downgraded at Evercore ISI, Scotiabank and National Bank after the State of Minnesota provided Enbridge the permitting timeline for its agencies' remaining environmental permits for the Line 3 Replacement Project.

09:08 EDT Jeld-Wen acquires VPI Quality Windows, terms not disclosed - JELD-WEN has signed a definitive agreement to acquire VPI Quality Windows. VPI is a vinyl window manufacturer specializing in customized solutions for mid-rise multi-family, institutional, hospitality and commercial projects, primarily in the western United States. VPI has earned a reputation as a preferred supplier of windows for the multi-family market through a relentless focus on quality, service and superior product performance. JELD-WEN expects the transaction to close late in the first quarter of 2019, subject to customary closing conditions. Terms of the acquisition were not disclosed. JELD-WEN expects VPI to add approximately $60M in annualized revenue and that the acquisition will be immediately accretive to both adjusted EPS and adjusted EBITDA margins.

09:07 EDT Marsh & McLennan acquires Employee Benefits Group, terms not disclosed - Marsh & McLennan announced that it has acquired Employee Benefits Group, a Bethesda, Maryland-based independent insurance agency specializing in employee benefits and retirement consulting. Terms of the transaction were not disclosed.

09:06 EDT Evoke Pharma receives preliminary DR letter from FDA for Gimoti NDA - Evoke Pharma announced the receipt of a multi-disciplinary review, or DR, letter from the FDA in association with the Gimoti 505 new drug application, or NDA. A DR letter is used by the FDA to convey preliminary thoughts on deficiencies identified during the initial stage of NDA review. The letter described concerns in three sections of the NDA: chemistry, clinical and clinical pharmacology. Although a DR letter reflects preliminary comments that are subject to change and does not reflect a final FDA decision on the NDA, approval of Gimoti by the PDUFA date of April 1 is uncertain given the letter. The company plans to respond to the deficiencies raised in the DR letter to allow time for potential FDA review prior to the PDUFA date. "We were disappointed by this FDA notification and are in the process of evaluating and addressing FDA's comments. We remain focused on seeking approval for Gimoti to provide patients with an effective treatment that bypasses the stomach where oral medications are known to be erratically absorbed," said Dave Gonyer, CEO. "Predictably delivered therapeutic options for patients that suffer from gastroparesis remains of high interest to the Company and an important need for physicians and patients that suffer from gastroparesis."

09:05 EDT Delta Air Lines reports February traffic up 2.9%, capacity up 3.4% - Load factor was down 0.4 points.

09:02 EDT General Mills to advance regenerative agriculture practices on 1M acres by 2030 - General Mills announced its commitment to advance regenerative agriculture practices on one million acres of farmland by 2030. The company will partner with organic and conventional farmers, suppliers and trusted farm advisors in key growing regions to drive the adoption of regenerative agriculture practices. A contributor to climate change, it is estimated that the global food system accounts for roughly one-third of greenhouse gas emissions and 70% of water consumption.

08:55 EDT Nasdaq increases offer price for Olso Bors VPS to NOK158 per share - Nasdaq AB, an indirect subsidiary of Nasdaq, announced that it remains highly committed to its offer to acquire all of the issued shares of Oslo Bors VPS made pursuant to its offer document published on February 4 and to completing its acquisition of Oslo Bors VPS. Nasdaq is increasing its offer price from NOK152 to NOK158 in cash per share in Oslo Bors VPS, plus an interest payment of 6% per annum on the increased offer price, pro-rated per day from January 29 until the conditions to the offer have been fulfilled or waived. The increased offer price values the entire issued share capital of Oslo Bors VPS at approximately $795M, and represents a premium of 44% to the undisturbed closing price of the Oslo Bors VPS shares on the NOTC on December 17, 2018. In order to provide greater assurance to shareholders of Oslo Bors VPS, Nasdaq is reducing the minimum acceptance condition under the offer from more than 90% of the shares of Oslo Bors VPS to at least two-thirds of such shares. Shareholders representing more than one-third of the shares in Oslo Bors VPS that have provided pre-acceptances to Nasdaq, have reaffirmed their support for the offer as the best solution for Oslo Bors VPS and the Norwegian capital market. These shareholders also reaffirmed their intention not to accept the offer made by Euronext or any amended, restated, or supplemented or new offer made by or on behalf of Euronext. Finally, these shareholders have agreed to extend the terms of their irrevocable pre-acceptances of the offer from December 31 to the date which is the later of March 4, 2020 and the date which is 60 days after the Euronext offer lapses, closes or is withdrawn. These pre-acceptances include an obligation not to accept the Euronext offer and are irrevocable and unconditional, including in the event of a higher offer, until the date referred to above. Nasdaq continues to be in constructive dialogue with Oslo Bors VPS current shareholders. Nasdaq reaffirms its vision to unite the Nordic capital market by bringing the Norwegian financial ecosystem together with the Danish, Finish, Icelandic and Swedish ecosystems running on the same world leading technology. This united Nordic capital market will maintain the local characteristics important to the specific uses and best practices developed over decades in Norway and throughout the other Nordic countries.

08:42 EDT Digital Realty: MC Digital Realty JV to acquire five-acre land parcel in Tokyo - Digital Realty announced that MC Digital Realty, a 50/50 joint venture between Mitsubishi Corporation and Digital Realty, has reached an agreement to acquire a five-acre land parcel in Tokyo. The site is located at the center of the Inzai data center cluster, one of highest-density areas in Japan with well-established utility and connectivity infrastructure, and home to leading global cloud providers and financial institutions. Demolition of the existing structure on the site will begin immediately after closing and data center development is expected to commence in 2020, subject to planning approvals. The initial facility is expected to deliver up to 35.6 megawatts of total IT capacity.

08:38 EDT MyoKardia announces data from PIONEER-OLE study of mavacamten - MyoKardia announced positive 12- and 24-week safety, efficacy and biomarker data for its investigational drug, mavacamten, from the company's PIONEER open-label extension, or OLE, study. The PIONEER-OLE study enrolled a total of thirteen patients who previously completed the Phase 2 PIONEER-HCM trial. These data reflect the longest duration of mavacamten treatment reported to date. Mavacamten is being developed for the treatment of symptomatic, obstructive hypertrophic cardiomyopathy, or oHCM, in an ongoing Phase 3 pivotal trial, known as EXPLORER-HCM. Patients with oHCM are at an increased risk of heart failure, atrial fibrillation, stroke and death, including sudden cardiac death. The EXPLORER-HCM trial is enrolling 220 patients with oHCM. Patients will be randomized 1:1 to receive mavacamten or placebo for 30 weeks with a primary endpoint of clinical response. EXPLORER-HCM topline data is expected in the second half of 2020, with the completion of enrollment expected in the second half of this year. Patients in PIONEER-OLE received once-daily oral doses of 5mg mavacamten, with an individualized dose adjustment at Week 6 aimed at eliminating the obstruction of the left ventricular outflow tract, or LVOT. Patients either remained at the 5mg starting dose or were adjusted to 10mg or 15 mg. Twelve of the thirteen PIONEER-OLE participants remained on their prior therapy of beta blockers. Data for ten patients at 24 weeks of treatment were reported. Six patients in PIONEER-OLE have completed 36 weeks of treatment. The longest continuous duration on mavacamten in the study is 42.5 weeks. Mavacamten was well tolerated throughout the treatment period. There were no cardiac-related adverse events, or AEs. Adverse events reported were mostly mild and transient in nature. Mavacamten reduced or eliminated obstruction of the LVOT to levels below the guideline-based threshold for diagnosis and for invasive intervention in all patients, without reducing left ventricular ejection fraction, or LVEF, below normal. No patient experienced a reduction in LVEF under 55% at the time of any assessment during the study. Elimination of LVOT gradient is an established surrogate for improvements in patient symptoms and exercise capacity, as measured by peak VO2. Reductions in provoked gradient were observed from a baseline mean of 89.9 mmHg to 22.5 mmHg at Week 12 and 21.1 mmHg at Week 24. Treatment with mavacamten had little impact on LVEF, a measure of the percentage of blood ejected with each heartbeat, which remained above normal in all patients at all time points measured. At 24 weeks, significant improvements in symptoms and function were observed for eight of ten patients evaluable for NYHA class, a four-category physician assessment scale of heart failure symptoms. Seven of those eight achieved an asymptomatic NYHA classification.

08:36 EDT Alexandria Real Estate declares quarterly dividend of 97c per share - The dividend is payable on April 15 to shareholders of record on March 29. The common stock dividend for the first quarter of 2019 of 97c per common share represents an increase of 7c, or 8%, over the first quarter of 2018.

08:35 EDT Cheniere, Bechtel announce substantial completion of Train 1 at project - Cheniere Energy and Bechtel Oil, Gas and Chemicals announced that Substantial Completion of Train 1 of the Corpus Christi liquefaction project was achieved on February 28, 2019. Commissioning is complete and Bechtel has turned over care, custody, and control of Train 1 to Cheniere. Under sale and purchase agreements with Endesa S.A. and PT Pertamina, the date of first commercial delivery is expected to occur in June 2019, upon which the term of each of these SPAs commences. Additionally, bridging volumes are expected to begin in June 2019 under an SPA with Iberdrola, S.A. With the achievement of Substantial Completion, financial results of LNG sales from Train 1 going forward will be reflected in the statement of operations of Cheniere and its applicable affiliates

08:34 EDT BNY Mellon Investment Management to rebrand Dreyfus - BNY Mellon Investment Management announced that it is rebranding the Dreyfus retail business and long-term mutual funds in the U.S. to align with the BNY Mellon Investment Management brand, effective on or about June 3, as part of a larger global brand initiative. This rebrand will more clearly reinforce for investors BNY Mellon Investment Management's reputation and position as one of the world's largest investment managers. To reflect the strong heritage of Dreyfus in cash management strategies, the Dreyfus brand will be retained on money market funds.

08:32 EDT Honeywell forecasts 4,000 new civil helicopter deliveries over next five years - Honeywell forecasts 4,000 new civilian-use helicopters will be delivered from 2019 to 2023, marginally lower than the 4,200 cited in the five-year forecast from 2018. "Despite positive impacts of U.S. tax reform on new helicopter purchase plans in North America, an inconsistent economic outlook for international markets has resulted in lower purchase plans worldwide from fleet managers when compared with a year ago," said Heath Patrick, president, Americas Aftermarket, Honeywell Aerospace. "Honeywell remains focused on bringing innovation to the market by delivering avionics, monitoring systems and Connected Helicopter technologies that boost a platform's efficiency and availability."

08:30 EDT Vystar receives second European patent for reduced allergenicity rubber latex - Vystar Corp. has been granted European, EP Patent No. 2238183 entitled "Natural Rubber Latex Having Reduced Allergenicity and Method of Making Same." Vystar now holds 13 foreign and 4 U.S. patents related to its latex deproteinization process for the production of Vytex, a natural rubber latex that is virtually free of allergen-causing latex proteins, thereby reducing risk of developing or experiencing allergic reactions to latex from direct contact. "This patent extends important intellectual property protection for Vystar in the production and distribution of Vytex to Europe using the Vytex formula to meet the growing demand for low protein NRL for products including balloons, examination and surgical gloves, condoms, breather bags, latex tubing, probe covers, catheters, threads, foams, cold seal and pressure sensitive adhesives," stated Steve Rotman, CEO of Vystar.

08:27 EDT Avid, FotoKem renew multi-year enterprise partnership - Avid announced that FotoKem has renewed its multi-year enterprise agreement with Avid. Covering Avid video and audio products as well as customer support, the agreement ensures FotoKem will continue to optimize efficiencies from its Avid-based video and audio post production workflows.

08:25 EDT Juniper to acquire Mist Systems for $405M - Juniper Networks announced that the company has entered into a definitive agreement to acquire Mist Systems. The deal will enhance Juniper's enterprise networking portfolio by combining Mist's wireless LAN, or WLAN, platform with Juniper's wired LAN, SD-WAN and security solutions to deliver end-to-end user and IT experiences. Under the terms of the agreement, Juniper Networks will acquire Mist for aggregate consideration of $405M, subject to adjustment, payable in cash and the assumption of outstanding equity awards. The proposed acquisition is expected to close in Juniper Networks' Q2, subject to regulatory approvals and customary closing conditions. It is expected to be slightly dilutive to FY19 non-GAAP EPS and slightly accretive to non-GAAP EPS in FY20.

08:23 EDT Ellington Financial completes corporate conversion - Ellington Financial announced that it has completed its conversion to a corporation under Delaware law and changed its name to Ellington Financial Inc. from Ellington Financial LLC. Since the Company had already elected to be taxed as a corporation for U.S. federal and state income tax purposes effective January 1, 2019, no material tax or financial changes are expected from the state law conversion. Each existing common share of Ellington Financial LLC was converted into a fully paid share of common stock, $0.001 par value per share, of Ellington Financial Inc. without any action required by shareholders.

08:20 EDT Newmont believes Barrick proposal would reduce Newmont stockholder value - The company wrote in a letter to Barrick, "Our board of directors and senior management, with the assistance of our advisors, have undertaken an intensive and detailed review and analysis of your February 25, 2019 letter proposing to acquire all of the outstanding shares of common stock of Newmont Mining Corporation. Consistent with its focus on the best interests of our company and its stakeholders and on maximizing stockholder value for the long-term, our board has determined that the proposal set forth in your letter does not constitute, and would not reasonably be expected to constitute, a Newmont Superior Proposal. Accordingly, Newmont is not permitted to engage in discussions and negotiations with Barrick Gold Corporation with respect to its proposal, nor are such actions required by the fiduciary duties of our board of directors. Therefore, in accordance with our contractual obligations under the Goldcorp arrangement agreement and consistent with our judgment as to the best interests of Newmont's stockholders, we will proceed with our transaction with Goldcorp. We believe that transaction provides greater value to the Newmont stockholders and is superior from the perspective of Newmont's other stakeholders. We believe that the transaction you are proposing would reduce, rather than enhance, Newmont stockholder value. Your "at market" proposal is at a material discount to current market values, and any potential value creation depends entirely on Barrick's execution. Since previous merger discussions terminated in 2014, Newmont has significantly outperformed Barrick on almost every metric. Our management team has a consistent, long-standing track record of delivering superior execution through a proven, scalable operating model and deep bench strength supporting thoughtful and structured succession planning. In contrast, Barrick's underperformance highlights its ineffective operating model, poor record on delivering stockholder returns, and significant jurisdictional risk. The basis for our board's determinations have been and will continue to be detailed in our public disclosures. The value creation of Barrick's proposal relies entirely upon the delivery of synergies from a management team that was put in place just two months ago. This new team has never managed a global portfolio the size of Barrick, let alone the size of a potential Newmont and Barrick combination. From a stockholder perspective, how a company conducts its business is an important component of value. In addition to compelling economic performance, Newmont has maintained industry leadership in environmental, social and governance performance and, unlike Barrick and Randgold Resources Ltd., has generally avoided material operational, governmental and investment pitfalls. Moreover, Newmont is committed to strong governance practices and has been recognized for having a culture that values responsible corporate citizenship, inclusion and diversity. Barrick's expressed disdain for process and oversight, and its absence of diversity of leadership, including in its board room, runs contrary to the expressed values of Newmont, our employees, our stockholders and our other valued stakeholders. For all of these reasons, we strongly believe that our stockholders are far better off as owners of Newmont Goldcorp Corporation than as holders of a minority stake in Barrick, a far less attractive entity. We recognize that there are value-creation opportunities available in Nevada if we work together. We have always been, and we remain, prepared to explore these opportunities, despite your public comments to the contrary. Achieving these opportunities does not require Newmont to be acquired by Barrick, and for our stockholders to be exposed to the many risks inherent in Barrick. To facilitate the realization of the potential synergies, we are providing you with a term sheet for a joint venture that would combine our Nevada operations and create value for both sets of stockholders. We are prepared to move forward with you on this basis expeditiously. Our board of directors, our management team and our thousands of employees around the world are dedicated to creating value for all of our stockholders and that is exactly what we will continue to do by executing on our strategic plan and completing our pending transaction with Goldcorp."

08:16 EDT Newmont expects Goldcorp deal to be accretive to NAV per share by 27% - Newmont (NEM) has also filed an updated investor presentation regarding the compelling value creation opportunity of the Newmont Goldcorp transaction. Newmont's proposed combination with Goldcorp (GG) is expected to close in the second quarter of 2019. The company said, "On day one after the transaction closes, Newmont Goldcorp will: Be accretive to Newmont's NAV per share by 27 percent and 34 percent accretive to 2020 cash flow per share; Begin delivering a combined $365 million in expected annual pre-tax synergies, supply chain efficiencies and Full Potential improvements representing the opportunity to create $4.4 billion in Net Present Value; Target 6-7 million ounces of steady-state gold production over a decades-long time horizon; Have the largest gold Reserves and Resources in the gold sector, including on a per share basis; Be located in favorable mining jurisdictions and prolific gold districts on four continents; Deliver the highest dividend among senior gold producers; Offer financial flexibility and an investment-grade balance sheet to advance the most promising projects generating a targeted Internal Rate of Return of at least 15 percent; Feature a deep bench of accomplished business leaders and high-performing technical teams and other talent with extensive mining industry experience; and Maintain industry leadership in environmental, social and governance performance."

08:13 EDT Newmont submits joint venture proposal to Barrick - To realize the savings from Newmont's (NEM) and Barrick's (GOLD) Nevada-related operations, Newmont submitted a joint venture proposal to Barrick. The terms of the proposal are modeled on similar terms to other successful joint ventures, including ones that Barrick has with Newmont and Goldcorp (GG). CEO Gary Goldberg said, "Newmont has consistently expressed to Barrick that we are open to a joint venture for our operations in Nevada. In that regard, today we have submitted a term sheet to Barrick proposing a Nevada joint venture. This proposal would enable both companies' shareholders to realize the available synergies while avoiding the significant risks and complexities associated with Barrick's unsolicited proposal." Key terms of the joint venture proposal to combine the Nevada-related operations of Newmont Goldcorp and Barrick include: Economic Interests: Barrick to hold an economic interest equal to 55 percent and Newmont Goldcorp to hold a 45 percent economic interest. The proposed economic interests are based upon analyst consensus Net Present Values for each company's Nevada-related assets and an equal split of Barrick's estimated Nevada synergies. Governance: Newmont Goldcorp and Barrick will have an equal number of representatives on the Management and Technical Committees. Decisions by the Management Committee shall be determined by majority vote, with the voting power of the parties' representatives based on their respective economic interests, subject to a list of customary material matters requiring joint approval. The proposed joint venture's Operational Management will be jointly appointed by both parties and will be responsible for day-to-day operations.

08:11 EDT Newmont board says Goldcorp combination represents superior value - The company said, "The Newmont (NEM) Board of Directors' unanimous determination that the combination with Goldcorp represents a superior value creation opportunity over Barrick's (GOLD) unsolicited proposal is based on the following: The Goldcorp (GG) transaction generates twice the accretion to Newmont's Net Asset Value per share compared to Barrick's proposal, even when factoring in Barrick's unsubstantiated synergy assumptions. Barrick's proposal is four percent dilutive to Newmont's NAV per share, before any synergies.The value creation claimed in Barrick's proposal relies entirely on the delivery of synergies from a management team that lacks global operating experience and is only two months into its integration effort with Randgold Resources Ltd. Barrick's portfolio includes numerous unfavorable and high-risk jurisdictions with several ongoing and significant operational and sustainability problems. By contrast, Newmont Goldcorp's assets will be located in favorable mining jurisdictions and prolific gold districts on four continents. Completing the Newmont transaction with Goldcorp does not preclude Newmont or Barrick from achieving the available synergies in Nevada through a joint venture and may permit them to be realized sooner. Because Newmont's Board determined that the Barrick proposal is not a "Newmont Superior Proposal" under the Goldcorp arrangement agreement, Newmont is prohibited under the provisions of that agreement from engaging with Barrick in relation to its proposal."

08:09 EDT Misonix appoints Sharon Klugewicz COO - Misonix (MSON) announced that Sharon Klugewicz has been appointed COO. In this newly created position, Klugewicz will oversee all aspects of manufacturing, regulatory affairs, quality assurance and research and development. Klugewicz will report to Stavros Vizirgianakis, president and CEO of Misonix. Most recently, Klugewicz served as chief quality & regulatory affairs officer at Chembio Diagnostics (CEMI), as well as president of the Americas, and COO. During her tenure, Klugewicz played a role in the company's operational and commercial success, including manufacturing expansion and bringing new products to market.

08:08 EDT Newmont board determines Barrick offer not in 'shareholders' best interests' - Newmont Mining Corporation (NEM) announced that its Board of Directors has unanimously determined that Barrick Gold Corporation's (GOLD) unsolicited, all-stock negative premium proposal to acquire Newmont is not in the best interests of Newmont's shareholders. The company said, "After a comprehensive review conducted in consultation with its financial and legal advisors, Newmont's Board unanimously concluded that Barrick's proposal does not constitute, and would not reasonably be expected to constitute, a Newmont Superior Proposal (as such term is defined in the arrangement agreement between Newmont and Goldcorp Inc. (GG). The Company's previously announced combination with Goldcorp represents a superior value creation opportunity to generate long-term value through an unmatched portfolio of world class operations, projects, exploration opportunities, reserves and talent." "Our thorough review of Barrick's unsolicited proposal and its associated risks has reaffirmed our conclusion that the combination of Newmont and Goldcorp represents the best opportunity to create value for Newmont's shareholders and deliver industry-leading returns for decades to come," said Newmont CEO Gary Goldberg. "Unlike Barrick, Newmont Goldcorp will be centered in the world's most favorable mining jurisdictions and gold districts. The combination with Goldcorp is significantly more accretive to Newmont's shareholders on all relevant metrics compared to Barrick's proposal, even when factoring in Barrick's own synergy estimates. Realizing value through Barrick's proposal for Newmont's shareholders hinges entirely on a new management team that lacks global operating experience and is only two months into its own transformational integration."

08:05 EDT Inovio initiates REVEAL 2 global Phase 3 clinical study - Inovio Pharmaceuticals announced the initiation and opening of sites to enroll the second portion of the company's Phase 3 program for VGX-3100, Inovio's DNA-based immunotherapy to treat cervical dysplasia caused by human papillomavirus. The study, named REVEAL 2, is the company's confirmatory stage Phase 3 clinical study and is designed to evaluate the efficacy and safety of VGX-3100. If approved after completion of the Phase 3 clinical trials, VGX-3100 will stand as the first immunotherapy for women with cervical dysplasia. The company made the announcement in concert with the celebration marking the 2019 International HPV Awareness Day.

08:05 EDT Novo Nordisk says SUSTAIN 9 Phase 3b trial of Ozempic met primary endpoint - Novo Nordisk announced publication of results from the SUSTAIN 9 Phase 3b trial in The Lancet Diabetes & Endocrinology. The objective of this 30 week trial was to assess the efficacy and safety of Ozempic 1.0 mg when added to SGLT-2 inhibitor therapy. In SUSTAIN 9, adults with type 2 diabetes were randomized to receive once-weekly semaglutide or placebo in addition to an SGLT-2i, either as monotherapy or in combination with metformin or sulfonylurea. The trial met its primary endpoint, with Ozempic injection 1.0 mg demonstrating a statistically significant and superior reduction in HbA1c of 1.5% vs 0.1% with placebo, both in combination with SGLT2-i treatment, from an overall mean baseline of 8.0%. Additional findings of a secondary endpoint showed that Ozempic 1.0 mg demonstrated a statistically significant and superior reduction in body weight of 4.7 kg vs 0.9 kg with placebo, from an overall mean baseline of 91.7 kg.

08:04 EDT Hologic receives CE mark for three-in-one Omni hysteroscope in Europe - Hologic announced that it has received a CE mark in Europe for its Omni hysteroscope, an innovative three-in-one modular scope with advanced visualization capabilities designed for both diagnostic and therapeutic hysteroscopic procedures. Obstetricians and gynecologists can use the new Omni hysteroscope in out- and in-patient settings. The Omni scope is designed to help ObGyns simplify the process of diagnosing and treating patients. Often, a surgeon requires a diagnostic scope to look in the uterine cavity for fibroids or polyps, then switches to an operative scope to biopsy or treat the pathology. With the new Omni scope, ObGyns can use the same scope with different sheath options to conveniently see and treat pathology.

08:03 EDT Rexahn reports target enrollment reached in Phase 2a RX-3117, Abraxane trial - Rexahn Pharmaceuticals announced that is has completed enrollment in the Phase 2a clinical trial of RX-3117 in combination with ABRAXANE in first-line metastatic pancreatic cancer patients. This multicenter, single-arm, open-label study is designed to evaluate the safety and efficacy of RX-3117 in combination with ABRAXANE in first-line metastatic pancreatic cancer patients. As of February 27, 2019, the target enrollment of 40 patients has been achieved. Patients were enrolled into the study from 10 centers in the US. The primary endpoint is progression free survival and study is expected to be completed in the second half of 2019. "We are on track to complete this study as planned in the second half of this year," said Ely Benaim, M.D., chief medical officer of Rexahn. "Since many patients are still being treated in the trial, it is too early to estimate progression free survival, however we expect to report additional safety and efficacy data later this year."

07:59 EDT Vornado sells all shares of Lexington Realty, Urban Edge - Vornado (VNO) announced that it has sold all of the 18.47M common shares of Lexington Realty (LXP) that it owns realizing net proceeds of approximately $167.7M. This sale will result in a financial statement gain of approximately $16.1M, which will be recognized in Q1. Vornado also sold all of the 5,72M common shares of Urban Edge (UE) that it owns realizing net proceeds of approximately $108.5M. This sale will result in a financial statement gain of approximately $62.4M which will also be recognized in Q1.

07:44 EDT Elbit Imaging announces update regarding the sale of a plot in India - Elbit Imaging announced, further to its press release dated February 11, regarding the termination of the joint development agreement and the term sheet between Elbit Plaza India, or EPI, a subsidiary held by the company 50% and Plaza Centers 50% and a potential buyer for the sale of a plot in Chennai, India for a total consideration of approximately Euro13.2M, that the SPV, a subsidiary of EPI, holding the plot in Chennai has initiated an arbitration proceeding against the purchaser in accordance with the arbitration rules of the Singapore International Arbitration Center. The reliefs sought in the framework of the arbitration are a declaration that the JDA stands validly is terminated and to instruct the purchaser to compensate for damages caused due to the breach of the joint development agreement by the purchaser.

07:42 EDT KKR announces investment in NextEra Energy Partners - KKR (KKR) announced the signing of a definitive agreement with NextEra Energy Partners, LP (NEP) to acquire an equity interest in a newly-formed partnership with NEP that owns a geographically diverse portfolio of ten utility scale wind and solar projects across the United States, collectively consisting of approximately 1,192 megawatts. KKR's investment will be in the form of an equity interest in a newly-formed structured partnership with NEP in which NEP has certain rights to acquire KKR's interest over time at pre-determined return levels between 3.5 and 7.0 years after the formation of the partnership. KKR's share of partnership cash flows increases to 99% in the event that such call options are not exercised within certain milestones. KKR's $900M investment will be funded via a mix of new term loan financing and equity from its third Global Infrastructure Investors fund, which closed in September 2018 with $7.4B in commitments.

07:38 EDT Qualcomm signs agreement with EURECOM, IMT and France Brevets - France Brevets, IMT and EURECOM announced a joint agreement with Qualcomm to foster research into new technologies for future 5G standards. Under the terms of the agreement, Qualcomm will contribute funding and standards expertise to support wireless communications research by EURECOM and its partner organization Institut Mines-Telecom, while France Brevets will provide support in the area of intellectual property strategy.

07:37 EDT Intrexon announces strategic licensing agreement with Surterra Wellness - Intrexon announced a strategic licensing agreement with Surterra Wellness to utilize Intrexon's Botticelli next generation plant propagation platform for the production of Surterra's specific cannabis cultivars for the Florida market. The collaboration agreement includes two-stages: 1) an optimization phase in which Intrexon will calibrate its Botticelli technology to Surterra's cannabis cultivars; and 2) a production phase in which Surterra will utilize the technology to generate cannabis plantlets for its products, predicted to increase Surterra's production capabilities. Under the terms of the agreement, Intrexon will be entitled to royalties on Surterra's Botticelli-derived plantlet usage. Surterra will deploy the Botticelli platform within its Florida cultivation facility to serve its operations in that state and will be responsible for maintaining appropriate licensure at the facility.

07:34 EDT SAIC wins $37M Seaport-e task order - Science Applications International Corp. won a $37M Seaport-e task order to provide mission support services to the Naval Surface Warfare Center, Panama City Division. The JEXC2 family of systems provide the military with a wide range of technology and communications capabilities. On this contract, SAIC will deliver technical support to fielded military command and control systems. The company will also provide 24/7 help desk support and field service representatives deployed with each system. These representatives will help the JEXC2 end-users with system employment, operations and maintenance. The task order has a five-year period of performance

07:33 EDT NextEra Energy Partners enters agreement with NextEra Energy unit - NextEra Energy Partners (NEP) announced that it has entered into an agreement with a subsidiary of NextEra Energy Resources (NEE) to acquire a geographically diverse portfolio of six wind and solar projects, collectively consisting of approximately 611 megawatts. In conjunction with the acquisition, NextEra Energy Partners also has entered into a $900M convertible equity portfolio financing with Kohlberg Kravis Roberts (KKR). NextEra Energy Partners expects to acquire the unlevered portfolio for total consideration of approximately $1.02B, subject to working capital and other adjustments. The acquisition is expected to contribute adjusted EBITDA of approximately $100M-$115M and CAFD of approximately $97M-$107M, each on a five-year average annual run-rate basis, beginning Dec. 31, 2019. NextEra Energy Partners expects to complete the acquisition in the second quarter of 2019, subject to customary closing conditions and the receipt of certain regulatory approvals.

07:31 EDT Childrens Place trading resumes

07:25 EDT BioCryst sees FY19 operating expenses $120M-$145M - BioCryst expects net operating cash use to be $105M-$130M, and its FY19 operating expenses to be $120M-$145M. The company's operating expense range excludes equity-based compensation expense due to the difficulty in reliably projecting this expense, as it is impacted by the volatility and price of the company's stock, as well as by the vesting of the company's outstanding performance-based stock options.

07:17 EDT Axsome Therapeutics initiates MOMENTUM Phase 3 trial - Axsome Therapeutics enrolled the first patient in its MOMENTUM study, a Phase 3, randomized, controlled trial assessing the efficacy and safety of AXS-07 in the acute treatment of migraine. MOMENTUM will enroll only patients with a history of inadequate response to prior migraine treatments. Topline results from this trial are expected in Q1 of 2020.

07:16 EDT Aptose Biosciences awarded patent for CG-806 from APO - Aptose Biosciences announced that the Australian Patent Office, or APO, has issued Australian Patent No. 2013371146 for CG-806 a highly potent oral small molecule being developed for acute myeloid leukemia, or AML, B cell and other hematologic malignancies. The granted patent claims various compounds, including the CG-806 compound, pharmaceutical compositions comprising the CG-806 compound, and uses for the treatment of various diseases, such as lymphoma or leukemia. The patent is expected to provide protection until December of 2033.

07:10 EDT Verastem says COPIKTRA demonstrates progression free-survival of 16.4 months - Verastem announced a poster highlighting clinical data from the Phase 3 DUO study evaluating COPIKTRA in patients with relapsed or refractory chronic lymphocytic leukemia/small lymphocytic lymphoma after at least two prior therapies was presented at the 23rd Annual International Congress on Hematologic Malignancies, which took place February 28 - March 3, 2019, in Miami, FL. COPIKTRA, an oral inhibitor of phosphoinositide 3-kinase, and the first approved dual inhibitor of PI3K-delta and PI3K-gamma, received approval from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration for this same indication in September 2018. COPIKTRA also received accelerated approval for the treatment of adult patients with relapsed or refractory follicular lymphoma after at least two prior systemic therapies. The accelerated approval was based on overall response rate and continued approval for this indication may be contingent upon confirmatory trials. The randomized, multicenter, open-label, Phase 3 DUO study, compared COPIKTRA versus ofatumumab in 319 adult patients with CLL or SLL after at least one prior therapy. The study randomized patients with a 1:1 ratio to receive either COPIKTRA 25mg twice daily until disease progression or unacceptable toxicity, or ofatumumab, an approved standard of care treatment for use in CLL/SLL, for 7 cycles. The approval of COPIKTRA was based on efficacy and safety analysis of patients with at least 2 prior lines of therapy, where the benefit:risk appeared greater in this more heavily pretreated population compared to the overall trial population. In this subset, the median patient age was 69 years, 59% were male, and 88% had an ECOG performance status of 0 or 1. Forty-six percent received 2 prior lines of therapy, and 54% received 3 or more prior lines. At baseline, 52% of patients had at least one tumor greater than or equal to 5 cm, and 22% of patients had a documented 17p deletion. During randomized treatment, the median duration of exposure to COPIKTRA was 13 months, with 80% of patients receiving at least 6 months and 52% receiving at least 12 months of COPIKTRA. The median duration of exposure to ofatumumab was 5 months. Efficacy was based on progression-free survival as assessed by an Independent Review Committee. Other efficacy measures included overall response rate.

07:09 EDT Constellation Pharmaceuticals names Jessica Christo as CPDO - Constellation Pharmaceuticals (CNST) announced that Jessica Christo has been appointed Chief Product Development Officer. Most recently, she was Senior Vice President of Development Operations at Verastem Oncology (VSTM), where she was responsible for clinical operations, data management, biostatistics, medical writing, safety, regulatory affairs, program planning and management, and translational medicine.

07:07 EDT Cronos sells stake in Whistler Medical Marijuana to Aurora Cannabis for C$175M - Cronos Group (CRON) confirmed that it has sold all of its common shares in the capital of Whistler Medical Marijuana Corporation, representing approximately 19 percent of Whistler's issued and outstanding common shares, to Aurora Cannabis (ACB) for a total purchase price of approximately C$175M payable by the issuance of common shares in the capital of Aurora, and subject to certain working capital adjustments and holdbacks. As a result of the closing of the Transaction, Cronos Group has received approximately 2.5 million Aurora Common Shares with an aggregate value of approximately C$24.6M based on an issue price of $9.77 per Aurora Common Share, which represents the five-day volume weighted average price of Aurora Common Shares immediately prior to closing of the Transaction. In addition, the company will receive further Aurora Common Shares valued at an aggregate of approximately C$7.6M upon the satisfaction of certain specified milestones.

07:06 EDT AvalonBay announces total rental revenue for Established Communities up 3% - AVALONBAY COMMUNITIES announced that total rental revenue for Established Communities for the two months ending February 28, 2019 increased 3.0% over the prior year period. The Company also provided the following operating metrics: Established Communities Like-Term Effective Rent Change January & February: 2.3% in 2019 vs.1.3% in 2018.

07:05 EDT Luna Innovations acquires General Photonics for $20M - Luna Innovations announced that it has acquired General Photonics Corporation, a Chino, California-based leading provider of innovative components, modules and test equipment focused on the generation, measurement and control of polarized light critical in fiber optic-based applications. The purchase price was $20 million, which includes a potential $1 million earnout payment. General Photonics provides customers with advanced technological solutions across a variety of industries, including those within Luna's strategic markets.

07:03 EDT PRA Group announces acquisition of Resurgent Holdings' Canadian business - PRA Group announced the acquisition of the holding company of Resurgent Holdings' Canadian business, which will become a wholly owned subsidiary of PRA Group Canada. Resurgent's Canadian business, founded by Chris Walker as CCL, was acquired by Resurgent Holdings LLC from SquareTwo Financial in 2017. As the company joins with PRA Group Canada to create a market-leading nonperforming loan business in Canada, Walker will transition with the business and report to Dennis Hunter, vice president of operations for PRA Group Canada.

06:59 EDT Pennsylvania REIT comments on J.C. Penney store closing plan - Pennsylvania REIT (PEI) commented on J.C. Penney's (JCP) announced store closures. "PREIT is proud to highlight our strengthened anchor profile and confirm our prior commentary that we don't anticipate any JC Penney closures as a result of their recent announcement of 2019 store closings," said Joseph Coradino, CEO of PREIT. "With no unleased department stores in our core portfolio and among the lowest exposure to Sears in the sector, we are uniquely positioned to execute on our strategy and capitalize on the opportunity to further diversify our earnings through the addition of multifamily and hotel units across our portfolio."

06:52 EDT Golden Minerals begins drilling at El Quevar silver project - Golden Minerals has begun a drilling program at its 100%-controlled El Quevar silver project located in Salta Province, Argentina. The company began drilling in late February. The program is expected to include approximately 3,000 meters of drilling in roughly 15 holes. Drilling is anticipated to conclude in late May or June, and initial assay results are expected beginning in one to two months' time. The goal of the drilling program is to begin expanding the size of El Quevar's defined resource. Golden Minerals has previously identified numerous prospective targets that lie outside the current Mineral Resource area but are within El Quevar's expansive 57,000-hectare boundaries. The currently-defined resource includes over 45 million ounces of Indicated silver resources at an average grade of 482 grams per tonne silver, and covers only the Yaxtche deposit area.

06:51 EDT Merck announces CHMP recommends approval for new dosing schedule for Keytruda - Merck announced that the Committee for Medicinal Products for Human Use, or CHMP, of the European Medicines Agency, or EMA, has recommended the approval of a new extended dosing schedule for Keytruda, Merck's anti-PD-1 therapy, for all approved monotherapy indications in the European Union, or EU. In the EU, Keytruda as monotherapy is currently approved for eight indications across five tumor types. The CHMP positive opinion supports a new recommended dose of 400 mg every six weeks delivered as an intravenous infusion over 30 minutes for Keytruda monotherapy. If approved by the European Commission, the new dose would be available in addition to the currently approved dose of Keytruda 200 mg every three weeks infused over 30 minutes. The CHMP's recommendation will now be reviewed by the European Commission for marketing authorization in the EU, and a final decision is expected in Q2.

06:47 EDT Tier REIT acquires 3354 Peachtree development site - Tier REIT announced that it has re-entered the Atlanta market with its acquisition of 3354 Peachtree Road, a prime, three-acre land site in the prestigious Buckhead submarket. The acquisition was made through a joint venture with an entity owned by Regent Partners and Batson-Cook Development Company. The site is currently planned for the development of approximately 560,000 square feet of office space, and is located in a strategic TIER1 submarket, given its urban location along the pedestrian bridge to MARTA's Buckhead station and its walkability and access to various amenities including dining, retail, high-rise residential and hotels.

06:38 EDT Aphria receives Health Canada license amendment - Aphria announced that Health Canada has granted the Company its license amendment, permitting Aphria to commence production in an additional 800,000 square feet of facilities at its Aphria One location, as part of the company's completed Part IV and Part V expansions.

06:35 EDT Office Depot, Alibaba.com announce strategic collaboration - Office Depot (ODP) and Alibaba.com (BABA) announced a strategic collaboration. The goal of this collaboration is to empower U.S. small- and medium-sized businesses to grow by tapping into the global B2B e-commerce marketplace, which was most recently valued at $23.9T by the U.S. International Trade Commission. This collaboration will leverage the companies' respective strengths to serve U.S. SMBs, including Office Depot's deep relationships with more than 10 million U.S. business customers, a dedicated sales force of approximately 1,800 sales professionals, a marketing demand engine that drives more than 450M combined store, mobile and website visits annually, one of the largest e-commerce platforms in the U.S., a robust supply chain network that can reach nearly 99% of U.S. businesses with next day delivery, and approximately 1,350 Office Depot and OfficeMax retail locations. Alibaba.com will bring its global network of over 150,000 suppliers, a vast catalog of product listings and manufacturing capabilities, and an end-to-end technology platform that provides SMBs with a range of tools and services to grow their businesses. The collaboration will focus on several key areas expected to provide U.S. entrepreneurs and business owners access to a single online destination to access one of the world's largest catalogues of goods and services across all product categories.

06:33 EDT Ascendis Pharma: Phase 3 heiGHt trial met primary objective - Ascendis Pharma announced positive top-line results from the phase 3 heiGHt Trial, a randomized, open-label, active-controlled trial that compared once-weekly TransCon Growth Hormone to a daily growth hormone in children with pediatric growth hormone deficiency. The trial met its primary objective, demonstrating that TransCon hGH was observed to be non-inferior and, additionally, superior to the daily hGH on the primary endpoint of annualized height velocity at 52 weeks. In the primary analysis of the intent-to-treat population using ANCOVA, TransCon hGH demonstrated an AHV of 11.2 cm/year compared to 10.3 cm/year for the daily hGH. The treatment difference was 0.86 cm/year with a 95% confidence interval of 0.22 to 1.50 cm/year. The AHV for TransCon hGH was significantly greater than the daily hGH. The AHV was greater for TransCon hGH than for the daily hGH at each visit, with the treatment difference reaching statistical significance from and including week 26 onward. The incidence of poor responders was 4% and 11% in the TransCon hGH and daily hGH arms, respectively. All sensitivity analyses completed from the trial support the primary outcome, indicating the robustness of these results. Results from the trial indicate that TransCon hGH was generally safe and well-tolerated, with adverse events consistent with the type and frequency observed with daily hGH therapy and comparable between arms of the trial.

06:17 EDT Magic Software announces 15c per share dividend for 2H18 - In accordance with its dividend distribution policy, the company's board of directors declared a semi-annual cash dividend in the amount of 15c per share and in the aggregate amount of approximately $7.3M, which together with the dividend distributed for the first half of 2018, reflects 75% of the company's distributable profits for the year. The dividend is payable on March 27 to all of the company's shareholders of record at the close of the NASDAQ Global Select Market on March 14.

06:11 EDT M.D.C. Holdings reports preliminary net new order activity - In anticipation of meetings with investors this week, M.D.C. Holdings announced preliminary information regarding the company's net new home order activity in 2019. For the first two months of 2019, net new home orders increased 1% year-over-year to 1,122, compared with 1,110 for the same period in 2018. The slight increase was driven by a 15% improvement in the average number of active subdivisions to 173, offset by a 12% decline in the monthly sales absorption rate to 3.25.

06:08 EDT JinkoSolar promotes Zhiqun Xu to COO - JinkoSolar announced that Zhiqun Xu has been promoted to COO. Xu, who currently serves as the company's VP and GM of the wafer division, will assume his new role and responsibilities immediately. Prior to joining the company in December 2008, Xu held a variety of roles ranging from technology to production throughout the silicon industry over the previous decades. Among others, he worked for Saint Gobain Quartz and Shanghai General Silicon Material.

06:06 EDT Univar sees FY19 adjusted EBITDA $740M-$760M - For FY19, on a combined basis, Univar expects to earn $740M-$760M in adjusted EBITDA. This guidance reflects 10 months of earnings from the Nexeo Chemicals business and approximately $10M in realized synergies. The company expects to generate $300M-$350M in free cash flow in FY19 before one-time integration costs of approximately $70M.

06:03 EDT Hyatt introduces Hyatt Regency brand in Spain - Hyatt has announced that a Hyatt affiliate has entered into franchise agreements with an affiliate of Hesperia Hotels & Resorts to open Hyatt Regency Hesperia Madrid and Hyatt Regency Barcelona Fira. The hotels mark the entry of the Hyatt Regency brand into Spain and signify Hyatt's continued growth in the country. Both hotels will undergo significant renovations and will be available on Hyatt's booking system as Hyatt affiliated hotels beginning June 2019. The properties, Hesperia Madrid Hotel and Hesperia Barcelona Tower, are scheduled to be fully rebranded by Q4 2019. This will bring the total number of Hyatt branded hotels in Spain to five, joining Park Hyatt Mallorca, Hyatt Centric Gran Via Madrid and the recently announced Hotel Sofia Barcelona.

05:40 EDT RADA Electronic announces $8M in new orders - RADA Electronic announced the receipt of $8 million in new orders in the past two months. Out of these, $5 million were orders for RADA's software-defined radars for counter rocket artillery and mortar, or C-RAM, counter UAV and short-range air defense. The majority of these were follow-on orders from customers that had placed initial orders previously. There were also initial orders from new defense customers with potential for significantly greater follow-on orders in the future. The remaining $3 million out of the $8 million, were follow-on orders for RADA's legacy avionics, including avionics for UAVs, helicopters, digital video recorders, and ongoing maintenance orders for RADA's wide installment base of core avionics for military platforms. All these orders are expected to be delivered during 2019.

05:23 EDT Masimo announces CE marking of Next Generation SedLine brain function monitoring - Masimo announced the CE marking of Next Generation SedLine brain function monitoring for pediatric patients (1-18 years of age). With this clearance, the benefits of Next Generation SedLine are available for all patients one year old and above in CE mark countries. SedLine helps clinicians monitor the state of the brain under anesthesia with bilateral data acquisition and processing of four leads of electroencephalogram signals.

05:20 EDT Biogen to acquire Nightstar Therapeutics for $25.50 per share in cash - Biogen (BIIB) announced that it has entered into an agreement to acquire Nightstar Therapeutics (NITE). Under the terms of the proposed acquisition, Biogen will pay $25.50 in cash for each NST share. This offer represents a total transaction value of approximately $800 million on a fully diluted basis, after taking into account expected transaction expenses and anticipated cash at closing. The acquisition of NST is planned to be funded through available cash and accounted for as an acquisition of a business. Biogen expects to complete the acquisition by mid-year 2019. The closing of the proposed acquisition is subject to customary closing conditions, including the approval by NST shareholders, the issuance of an order by the U.K. Court and receipt of regulatory approvals. The proposed acquisition does not require the approval of Biogen's stockholders.