Stockwinners Market Radar for March 12, 2019 - Earnings, Upgrades downgrades, option trades, Best Stock Advisory Service

20:37 EDT Pyxus opens industrial hemp extraction and purification center in North Carolina - Pyxus International announced the opening of its affiliate, Criticality, LLC's, industrial hemp extraction and purification facility located in Wilson, North Carolina. The 55,000 square foot state-of-the-art facility was unveiled during a ribbon cutting ceremony and grand opening event on March 12. The facility is designed to follow good manufacturing practices and operate in compliance with dietary supplement standards. The hemp processed at the facility will be used to expertly craft and responsibly produce "Korent," Criticality's line of cannabidiol oil products, as well as develop new products in its innovation pipeline.

19:23 EDT Team backs FY19 market growth forecast of 4%-5% - CEO Amerino Gatti stated: "As we enter the first quarter of 2019, we are seeing demand fluctuate in our core end-markets due to higher than average refinery utilization rates, inclement weather and the recent government shutdown, which led to certain project delays and deferrals. However, we remain encouraged by the macroeconomic factors driving our markets, which, when coupled with rescheduled maintenance projects, should lead to higher spending as the year progresses. Notwithstanding these early 2019 demand fluctuations, we are maintaining our projections of a 4-to-5% market growth for the full year 2019 and remain on track to deliver on our 2020 goals."

19:03 EDT Realty Income raises monthly cash dividend to 22.6c per share from 22.55c - Realty Income Corporation announced its board of directors has declared an increase in the company's common stock monthly cash dividend to 22.6c per share from 22.55c per share. The dividend is payable on April 15, 2019 to shareholders of record as of April 1, 2019. This is the 101st dividend increase since Realty Income's listing on the NYSE in 1994. The ex-dividend date for April's dividend is March 29, 2019. The new monthly dividend represents an annualized dividend amount of $2.712 per share as compared to the current annualized dividend amount of $2.706 per share.

18:44 EDT Coupa Software CEO: We are just getting started with this business - In an interview on CNBC's Mad Money, Coupa Software CEO Rob Bernshteyn said: We're not pushing huge marketing campaigns... We're managing our way into the market.. We're landing big deals and driving value... We're streamlining the virtual credit card payment process... We are growing rapidly, but also thoughtfully.

18:33 EDT Sonoma Pharmaceuticals announces job cuts as part of cost reduction program - Sonoma Pharmaceuticals announced cost-cutting measures, including reductions to the company's workforce and management. The measures come on the heels of Sonoma's highest revenue quarter ended December 31, 2018. Total revenues were $5.3M in the quarter ended December 31, 2018, the highest in company history, an increase of 9% compared to the quarter ended December 31, 2017, and 7% quarter over quarter. The primary reductions were in the company's consulting expenses, manufacturing force and manufacturing expenses. Sonoma's cash and cash equivalents were $6.5M at December 31, 2018. While these cuts will include certain one-time restructuring costs, the company expects to lower costs in the 4th quarter of FY 2019 and going forward. The company expects to improve its overall operating results in FY20.

18:26 EDT VMware COO: We treat AWS as our preferred cloud vendor - In an interview on CNBC's Mad Money, VMware COO Sanjay Poonen said: We had a great quarter... Storage virtualization has a huge ROI... We have a very special relationship with AWS... We treat AWS as our preferred cloud vendor... We are partnering with the large telecom companies... The economic interests of VMware and Dell Technologies are perfectly aligned... We see synergy opportunities with Dell.

18:10 EDT Gran Tierra announces new-country entry into Ecuador - Gran Tierra Energy Inc. announced that, based on preliminary results, the company has made a new-country entry into Ecuador through the submission of winning bids for a total of three blocks, which were offered by the Ministerio de Energia y Recursos Naturales No Renovables in today's Ronda Intracampos. The three blocks are located in the Oriente Basin and are approximately 140,000 acres in total area, creating a contiguous acreage position extending from Gran Tierra's existing assets in the Putumayo Basin in Colombia. Final award of these blocks is contingent upon regulatory approvals and the execution of the Participation Contracts. Gary Guidry, President and Chief Executive Officer of Gran Tierra, commented "We are excited about our new-country entry into Ecuador, an achievement which aligns with Gran Tierra's strategy - focusing on proven conventional hydrocarbon basins, with access to established infrastructure, in a strong stable economic environment, combined with a highly competitive fiscal regime. The Blocks would extend our dominant position in Colombia's Putumayo Basin into Ecuador's Oriente Basin, with assets that are highly complementary to our existing land base. Ecuador represents a unique opportunity in terms of scale for Gran Tierra. With our winning bids for the Blocks, we believe we are acquiring significant future potential exploration upside which could enhance our long-term growth strategy and be an excellent fit with Gran Tierra's diverse reserves and resources base in Colombia."

17:44 EDT Arris VP James Brennan sells over $201K in company shares - Arris VP James Brennan disclosed in a filing that he had sold 6,350 shares of company stock at an average price of $31.66 on March 8, for a total transaction value of $201,040.

17:35 EDT Diamondback Energy president Michael Hollis buys over $505K in company shares - Diamondback Energy president Michael Hollis disclosed in a filing that he had purchased 5,313 shares of company stock at an average price of $95.12 per share on March 8, for a total transaction value of $505,352.

17:23 EDT Urban Outfitters COO sells 23.8K shares of common stock - In a regulatory filing, Urban Outfitters disclosed that its chief operating officer Calvin Hollinger sold 23.8K shares of common stock on March 8th. The transaction size was $693.7K.

17:18 EDT Whiting Petroleum to replace Ingevity in S&P 600 at open on 3/18

17:17 EDT Ingevity to replace Esterline in S&P 400 at open on 3/18 - TransDigm Group (TDG) is acquiring Esterline Technologies (ESL) in a transaction expected to be completed soon pending final conditions.

17:09 EDT Northrop Grumman awarded $273.05M Navy contract for common missile compartment - Northrop Grumman has been awarded a $273.05M cost-plus incentive-fee, cost-plus-fixed-fee, firm-fixed-price contract for technical engineering services, design and development engineering, component and full scale test and evaluation engineering and tactical underwater launcher hardware production to support the development and production of the common missile compartment. Work is expected to be completed by March 31, 2024. FY19 shipbuilding and conversion funding in the amount of $39.63M will be obligated on this award. FY19 United Kingdom common funding in the amount of $24.37M will be obligated on this award. No funds will expire at the end of the current fiscal year. This contract was not competitively solicited pursuant to 10 U.S. Code. Strategic Systems Programs is the contracting activity.

17:04 EDT Gartner CFO Craig Safian sells over $511K in company shares - Gartner CFO Craig Safian disclosed in a filing that he had sold 3,635 shares of company stock at an average price of $140.64 per share on March 8, for a total transaction value of $511,226.

17:01 EDT Aeterna Zentaris trading resumes

16:59 EDT Coupa Software sees long-term gross margin at 80%-82% - Coupa Software also sees long term operating margin at 25%-30% vs. 5% in FY19 and free cash flow margin at 30%-35% vs. 11% in FY19. Outlook taken from the slides accompanying the company's Analyst Day earlier today. Reference Link

16:59 EDT Rite Aid CEO Standley to step down

16:46 EDT Technical Comm Corp announces Nasdaq acceptance of plan to regain compliance - Technical Comm Corp announced that the Nasdaq listing qualifications department notified the company that it had accepted the company's plan to regain compliance with Nasdaq Listing Rule 5250, which permits the continued listing of the company's common stock on Nasdaq. Nasdaq granted the company an extension until no later than May 10 to file its Form 10-K for FY18 together with its Form 10-Q for the quarter ended December 29, 2018.

16:43 EDT Aeterna Zentaris to resume trade at 17:00ET

16:41 EDT Lincoln Electric director Hellene Runtagh sells over $213K in company shares - Lincoln Electric director Hellene Runtagh disclosed in a filing that she had sold 2,531 shares of company stock at an average price of $84.23 per share on March 8 for a total transaction value of $213,186.

16:40 EDT Ready Capital CFO Rick Herbst to retire on June 1, Andrew Ahlborn to succeed - Ready Capital announced the appointment of Andrew Ahlborn as CFO, effective June 1. He will succeed Rick Herbst, the CFO, who will retire from this role on that date. Prior to Ready Capital, Ahlborn worked in Ernst & Young, LLP's Financial Services Office from 2007.

16:36 EDT Celgene says Tecentriq / Abraxane combo gets accelerated FDA approval for TNBC - Celgene (CELG) announced two updates for ABRAXANE in the treatment of metastatic triple-negative breast cancer and early stage pancreatic cancer. Genentech, a member of the Roche Group (RHHBY), recently announced the accelerated approval of TECENTRIQ in combination with ABRAXANE for the treatment of adult patients with unresectable locally advanced or metastatic triple-negative breast cancer whose tumors express PD-L1 as determined by an FDA-approved test. This combination is the first cancer immunotherapy regimen approved for breast cancer and is based on results from the Phase 3 IMpassion130 study, which demonstrated that the combination of TECENTRIQ plus ABRAXANE compared to ABRAXANE monotherapy, as an initial treatment, significantly reduced the risk of disease worsening or death in patients with metastatic or unresectable locally advanced triple negative breast cancer, or TNBC, in the PD-L1 positive populations who had not received chemotherapy for metastatic disease. This indication is approved under accelerated approval based on progression-free survival. Continued approval for this indication may be contingent upon verification and description of clinical benefit in a confirmatory trial. In addition, the Celgene-sponsored, pivotal, Phase 3 apact study evaluating the investigational use of ABRAXANE in combination with gemcitabine following surgical resection in patients with pancreatic cancer did not achieve the primary endpoint of improvement in disease-free survival, as confirmed by independent radiological review, compared to gemcitabine alone. Overall survival, a secondary endpoint of the study, was improved, reaching nominal statistical significance, with ABRAXANE in combination with gemcitabine compared to gemcitabine alone. The safety profile observed in the apact study was consistent with previously reported studies of ABRAXANE. Data from apact will be submitted to a future medical meeting.

16:21 EDT Element Solutions names Carey Dorman CFO - Element Solutions Inc announced the promotion of Carey J. Dorman to Chief Financial Officer of Element Solutions. Additionally, the company announced it will hold an investor day on May 20, 2019 in New York City. Dorman joined Element Solutions in 2015 and has served in a number of corporate finance and other leadership roles, with responsibility for capital markets, corporate development, financial planning, investor relations and merger integration. He has served as Element Solutions' Corporate Treasurer since February 2018.

16:20 EDT EyePoint announces U.S. commercial launch of Dexycu 9% - EyePoint Pharmaceuticals announced that it has commercially launched Dexycu 9% in the United States. Dexycu is the first and only FDA approved intraocular steroid for the treatment of postoperative inflammation and is administered as a single dose at the end of cataract surgery. Dexycu is intended to replace the use of steroid eyedrops which have a dosing regimen that, depending on the brand, can require self-administration for up to four times a day and titrating down over four weeks. This complicated dosing regimen can often lead to poor patient compliance.

16:18 EDT Switch reports Q4 churn of 0.4% vs. 0.3% a year ago

16:16 EDT China XD Plastics announces departure of independent director Joseph Chow - China XD Plastics announced that Joseph Chow, one of the Company's independent directors and chairman of its Audit Committee, tendered his resignation from the board of directors on March 6 for personal reason, effective immediately and that Xin Li had accepted appointment to fill the director vacancy created by Chow's resignation. Upon Chow's resignation, he also ceased to be a member of each of the Company's Audit Committee and Compensation Committee of the Company. On the same date, the Company's Board of Directors appointed Xin Li to serve as a director of the Company. The Board also appointed Mr. Li as a member and the chairman of the Audit Committee of the Board and a member of the Nominating Committee of the Board.

16:15 EDT Bridgepoint Education acquires Fullstack Academy - Bridgepoint Education announced that it has acquired Fullstack Academy, an award-winning, immersive coding bootcamp offering a premier program centered on a series of leading and emerging technologies. The total consideration for the transaction is anticipated to be $17.5M in cash and up to 4.75M shares of common stock, with 2.5M issued at closing and the remainder to be issued in the future upon the satisfaction of certain performance milestones. The transaction is expected to close by the end of the first quarter, subject to customary closing conditions.

16:11 EDT NovaBay announces strategic shift, names Paul Freiman chairman - NovaBay Pharmaceuticals, Inc. announced a strategic shift in its U.S. commercialization strategy to support growth in Avenova sales and maintain cost effectiveness, along with changes to its Board of Directors and executive management team. NovaBay announced a strategic shift to deploy its sales representatives only in high-performing territories and territories it has identified as having significant prescription volume potential along with favorable health plan coverage to support Avenova per-unit revenue. The company will continue to focus on contracting with additional specialty pharmacies as channel partners, which provide quality patient experiences at a negotiated price per prescription. To align with the strategic shift, NovaBay has reduced its U.S. commercial salesforce from 45 to 15 field sales representatives. In addition, NovaBay made the following personnel changes, all effective immediately: Lead independent Director Paul E. Freiman, who joined the company's Board of Directors in 2002, has been named Chairman. Former Chairman Mark M. Sieczkarek will continue to serve as a Director of the company. Interim President and Chief Executive Officer, Chief Financial Officer and Treasurer Jack McGovern has resigned from the company. Senior Vice President and General Counsel Justin Hall, who has been with the Company since 2013, has assumed the positions of Interim President and Chief Executive Officer. He will continue to serve as the Company's General Counsel and Corporate Compliance Officer. Corporate Controller Jason Raleigh, who joined NovaBay in 2016, has assumed the positions of Interim Chief Financial Officer and Treasurer.

16:09 EDT Aratana Therapeutics expects a decrease of cash of $20M - In 2019, the Company expects a net decrease of cash of approximately $20.0M to be used to support its current activities. The company believes current cash, cash equivalents, restricted cash and short-term investments will be sufficient to fund the current operating plan through at least the Q1 of FY20.

16:05 EDT Hanesbrands names Ronald Nelson chairman of the board - HanesBrands announced that its Board of Directors has approved the appointment of Ronald L. Nelson as chairman of the board effective April 23, 2019, contingent upon his re-election to the board at the company's annual shareholder meeting to be held that day. Nelson would succeed Richard A. Noll, who is not seeking re-election to the board and is retiring as chairman, concluding a smooth and seamless leadership transition at the company. Noll served as chief executive officer of the company from 2006 to 2016, as chairman of the board from 2009 to 2016, as executive chairman of the board from 2016 to 2017, and as non-executive chairman of the board since 2018.

16:03 EDT Tribune Media shareholders approve Nexstar merger - Tribune Media (TRCO) announced that at a special meeting, the stockholders of the company voted overwhelmingly to approve the company's previously announced acquisition by Nexstar Media Group (NXST).

15:19 EDT Washington AG files opiod suit against McKesson, Cardinal, AmerisourceBergen - Washington Attorney General Bob Ferguson announced that he has filed a lawsuit against the three largest distributors of prescription opioids in Washington state, arguing that they "failed to alert law enforcement of suspicious opioid orders, and illegally shipped those orders into Washington for years, and contributed to the illegal supply of opioids, fueling the state's opioid epidemic." Ferguson's lawsuit, filed today in King County Superior Court, asserts that McKesson (MCK), Cardinal Health (CAH) and AmerisourceBergen (ABC) "made billions of dollars feeding the opioid epidemic, shipping huge amounts of oxycodone, fentanyl, hydrocodone and other prescription opioids into the state even when they knew or should have known those drugs were likely to end up in the hands of drug dealers and addicts." Reference Link

15:14 EDT First Financial Northwest CEO Joseph Kelly sells almost $160K in company stock - First Financial Northwest CEO Joseph Kelly disclosed in a filing that he had sold 10,000 shares of company stock at an average price of $15.93 per share on March 11 for a total transaction value of $159,295.

14:49 EDT Salarius CEO says 'premature' to discuss Seclidemstat pricing - In an exclusive interview with The Fly, Salarius CEO David Arthur, whose company is merging with Flex Pharma (FLKS), discussed the company's plans to price lead candidate Seclidemstat: "It's really premature to even have discussions about price. What's the most important for us right now is to focus on clinical execution. As a company, we've work really diligently over the past years to put ourselves in a position to take the drug into human trials and really evaluate the potential benefits that we can bring to patients. Hopefully we will provide a benefit and this drug will make it to market where we can more broadly help patients. When we get to that point that's when we'll sit down and really start putting some thought into the pricing question. But right now, it's just too early and premature." "Meet the Company" is The Fly's recurring series of exclusive short interviews with Executive Officers to offer a deeper look inside the company. The remainder of this interview to follow.

14:30 EDT Google's YouTube Music debuts in South Africa - Google announced that YouTube Music debuts in South Africa: "From the "Global Citizen Festival: Mandela 100" live stream featuring Beyonce to landmark videos like "Despacito," "New Rules" and "This Is America," people come to YouTube to be part of music culture and discover new music. But YouTube was made for watching, which meant fans have had to jump back and forth between multiple music apps and YouTube. Those days will soon be over. Today, we're excited to bring YouTube Music to South Africa. YouTube Music is a new music streaming service made for music listening, on top of the magic of YouTube: making the world of music easier to explore and more personalized than ever. Whether you want to listen, watch or discover - all the ways music moves you can be found in one place," said the company. Reference Link

13:58 EDT Salarius CEO sees Ewing sarcoma study dose escalation later this year - In an exclusive interview with The Fly, Salarius CEO David Arthur, whose company is merging with Flex Pharma (FLKS), discussed the company's lead program in Ewing sarcoma and its second sponsored study that is expected to initiated in the first half of 2019: "Our lead program is in Ewing sarcoma, which is a devastating pediatric illness with no targeted treatments. The standard of care is multi regiment chemotherapy with radiation, and unfortunately in many cases disfiguring surgeries. It's just a terrible illness and even for the patient's where it works, which is about 55% of the patients, there are many times long-term developmental consequences both mentally and physically. And then for the patient's where it doesn't work, which is about 45% of the patients, you're looking at a 90% five-year mortality rate. So, it's a very high unmet need among a patient population - pediatric and adolescent who have their whole life ahead of them. And that's why we're excited about the Phase 1 study. We are treating patients in our Phase 1 study who have relapsed or failed to respond; so relapsed or refractory to standard of care treatment in Ewing sarcoma. We are progressing as planned in a dose escalation. We have five clinical sites up and running and we're bringing three more on board as we prepare to complete dose escalation and move to dose expansion. I think later this year, we plan to complete dose escalation, establish maximum tolerated dose and begin the dose expansion. We're really excited about bringing hope to these patients and families that are battling Ewing sarcoma. In the first half of 2019, we plan to initiate our second sponsored study. This is a basket study of advanced solid tumors, for which we have preclinical data. This study will capture patients with tumors like castration resistant prostate cancer, late stage prostate cancer, late stage breast, ovarian, rhabdomyosarcoma, and a number of other cancers... All of which represent patient needs where new and different therapy could be a real benefit. This particular study is a basket study and will also be in two parts: dose escalation, followed by dose expansion. The primary objective of both our Phase 1 studies is building our safety database, which will support further exploration of the molecule, and also in the case of the advanced solid tumor study gives us the opportunity to not only gather safety data, but also look at cancers that have established biomarkers, which could give us early cohort readouts into efficacy. We really like where we're going in our clinical program and think in 2020, we should be in a position to report on early cohort data." "Meet the Company" is The Fly's recurring series of exclusive short interviews with Executive Officers to offer a deeper look inside the company. The remainder of this interview to follow.

13:26 EDT Salarius CEO says Flex Pharma merger 'progressing as planned' - In an exclusive interview with The Fly, Salarius CEO David Arthur discussed the company's merger with Flex Pharma (FLKS): "We are progressing as planned with the intent of completing this transaction in the first half of 2019. We are very excited about the prospect of the combined companies. The opportunity to utilize or take advantage of Flex Pharma's public listing, and the cash they're bringing to the table is going to allow us to continue to develop Seclidemstat as a treatment for a variety of cancers - and these are treatments for patients that need them the most. The public listing allows us to take our story and share it with a much broader group of investors and it will benefit Salarius and ultimately the investors. We're really happy and we're excited about Bill McVicar, the CEO of Flex, joining the board of the combined company. And as I said, we're moving along as planned and we're excited about getting this thing done in the first half of 2019." "Meet the Company" is The Fly's recurring series of exclusive short interviews with Executive Officers to offer a deeper look inside the company. The remainder of this interview to follow.

13:07 EDT Consumer Reports calls on airlines to temporarily halt MAX 8 flgihts - Consumer Reports is calling on airlines to temporarily halt flights of Boeing's (BA) MAX 8 "pending a thorough safety investigation." If the airlines will not ground the planes, the Federal Aviation Administration should, the agency said in a statement. Publicly traded airlines include American Airlines (AAL), Delta Air Lines (DAL), JetBlue (JBLU), Southwest (LUV) and United Continental (UAL). Reference Link

13:00 EDT Salarius CEO sees second sponsored study initiating in first half of 2019

13:00 EDT David Arthur says going public will offer opportunity to tell Salarius story

12:59 EDT PG&E extends deadline for board nominees, still in talks with holders - PG&E disclosed that its board determined to further extend the deadline for receipt of written notice by a shareholder of any business, including the nomination of any person for election to the board, to be brought before the 2019 annual meeting of shareholders, from 5:00 p.m. PDT on March 12, to 5:00 p.m. PDT on March 19. Any director nomination or other proposal received by the Corporate Secretary prior to 5:00 p.m. PDT on March 19, and otherwise complying with the bylaws may be submitted to the shareholders for voting at the 2019 annual meeting, the company said. PG&E added that it "continues to be actively engaged in constructive discussions with its shareholders and other stakeholders regarding the previously announced Board refreshment process."

12:32 EDT NCI's Ned Sharpless to be named next FDA commissioner - Secretary of Health and Human Services Alex Azar announced on Capitol Hill that Ned Sharpless, current director of the National Cancer Institute, will be the next FDA commissioner, according to multiple media reports.

12:20 EDT Lumber Liquidators trading resumes

12:12 EDT Sony broadens PlayStation Now to seven additional European countries - Sony (SNE) said on its PlayStation Blog: "We're pleased to announce that PS Now, PlayStation's streaming and download service that gives users access to over 600 games at the touch of a button, is available in seven extra countries from today. PS4 players in Italy, Spain, Portugal, Finland, Sweden, Denmark and Norway will be able to instantly stream or download hundreds of amazing games on their console. And you've a huge range of titles to get stuck into. Games include blockbuster smashes such as Mortal Kombat X, For Honor and WWE 2K18, critically-acclaimed PlayStation exclusives like Bloodborne, The Last of Us and God of War III Remastered, and family-friendly experiences including LEGO Batman 3: Beyond Gotham, Ratchet & Clank: All 4 One and Sonic Generations." Sony competes with Microsoft (MSFT) and Nintendo (NTDOY) in the gaming hardware space. Reference Link

12:04 EDT UFP Technologies VP Mitchell Rock sells over $563K in company stock - UFP Technologies VP Mitchell Rock disclosed in a filing that he sold 17,099 shares of company stock at an average price of $32.94 per share on March 8. The total transaction value of the sale was $563,241.

12:00 EDT ION Geophysical rises 12.1% - ION Geophysical is up 12.1%, or $1.60 to $14.82.

12:00 EDT Key Energy rises 22.3% - Key Energy is up 22.3%, or 74c to $4.04.

11:48 EDT Merck KGaA files proxy urging Versum shareholders to vote against Entegris deal - Merck KGaA (MKGAY) announced that it filed a preliminary proxy statement with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, urging all Versum (VSM) shareholders to vote "Against" the Entegris (ENTG) acquisition and related proposals at the Versum special meeting of shareholders. Merck KGaA "is convinced that the proposed Entegris transaction is not the best option available to the Versum shareholders, and that its proposal - $48 per share, all cash - is superior to the Entegris acquisition. In addition to the immediate certainty of cash, Merck KGaA, Darmstadt, Germany's proposal represents a premium of 51.7% to the undisturbed trading price per Versum share on the trading day prior to the announcement of the proposed Entegris transaction and a premium of 15.9% to the value per Versum share at the time of the proposal. Furthermore, the market reaction following the announcement of Merck KGaA, Darmstadt, Germany's proposal clearly indicates that the investment community views it as superior," the company stated.

11:37 EDT Boeing reiterates 'full confidence' in safety of 737 MAX - Boeing, in a statement on its 737 MAX operation, said: "Safety is Boeing's number one priority and we have full confidence in the safety of the 737 MAX. We understand that regulatory agencies and customers have made decisions that they believe are most appropriate for their home markets. We'll continue to engage with them to ensure they have the information needed to have confidence in operating their fleets. The United States Federal Aviation Administration is not mandating any further action at this time, and based on the information currently available, we do not have any basis to issue new guidance to operators."

11:26 EDT French Civil Aviation Authority bans Boeing 737 Max aircraft from airpsace - The French Civil Aviation Authority, DGAC, decided to ban Boeing 737 Max aircraft from its airspace following Ethiopian Airlines crash. French airlines do not have any Boeing 737 Max jetliners in their fleets, the agency said, according to Bloomberg.

11:09 EDT Vishay to showcase latest MOSFET, IC, passive component, and diode tech at APEC - Vishay Intertechnology announced its product lineup for the Applied Power Electronics Conference and Exposition, APEC, 2019, taking place March 17-21 in Anaheim, California. Exhibiting in booth 411, Vishay will highlight its latest industry-leading power IC, passive component, diode, and MOSFET technologies for a wide range of applications. Vishay Siliconix power ICs on display at APEC 2019 will include the SiC9xx microBRICK family of high efficiency DC/DC buck regulators. The industry's smallest such devices to feature integrated magnetics, the cost-effective solutions combine a robust design with ease of use for telecommunications, industrial, and server applications. Also on display will be 80 A SiC8xx VRPower smart power stages. Utilizing Vishay's latest 25 V and 30 V trench MOSFETs, the devices offer 95 % peak efficiency and high accuracy of +/- 3 %.

11:07 EDT Dick's Sporting management said he doesn't 'want to guide further' on SG&A - Management said there's no added comp benefit by adding new buildings.

11:06 EDT Dick's Sporting management expects 'AURs to be higher' driven by less promotion - Management said they "don't want to guide further but expect AURs to be higher" in FY19.

11:02 EDT Motorola Solutions appoints Mahesh Saptharishi as CTO - Motorola Solutions has announced Mahesh Saptharishi as the company's new chief technology officer. Saptharishi, who has more than 20 years of technology leadership experience, will lead innovation across the company's platforms in mission-critical communications, video and command center software. Areas of focus will include applications that bring together artificial intelligence and human intelligence to rapidly interpret vast quantities of data, as well as new user interfaces for efficiently delivering information. Previously, Saptharishi spent five years as CTO for Avigilon, a Motorola Solutions company.

10:39 EDT Wells Fargo CEO outlines company transformation at Congressional hearing - In opening remarks Wells Fargo CEO and President Tim Sloan shared with the U.S. House Committee on Financial Services the many ways that Wells Fargo has become a better bank through the ongoing transformation of its operations, leadership and culture. Sloan also updated the committee on the company's efforts to compensate customers for past issues. Sloan told the committee that Wells Fargo is compensating retail bank customers who were impacted by past retail sales practices issues. To date, the company has reviewed 165 million accounts going back 15 years, contacted more than 40 million customers - both individuals and small businesses - via 246 million communications, and provided tens of millions of dollars in compensation to customers. "We are taking responsibility not only for fees customers should not have been charged, but also for related effects such as impact on credit scores," said Sloan. Sloan said Wells Fargo has centralized companywide control functions such as risk, finance, human resources, compliance and technology for better oversight. Within risk, the company has three "lines of defense" - front-line risk, independent risk management, and audit - to ensure multiple layers of review and to improve internal oversight. It has also hired more than 3,000 new risk team members from outside the company since 2016 with plans to hire more, Sloan said. Wells Fargo serves one-third of U.S. households, including customers of every income level, age, race and ethnicity, said Sloan. The company has rolled out new, innovative products over the past two years to help customers meet their financial needs more fully, conveniently and economically.

10:25 EDT Honda recalls approx. 1.1M Acura, Honda vehicles in the U.S. to replace airbags - American Honda (HMC) will voluntarily recall approximately 1.1 million Acura and Honda vehicles in the United States to replace, for free, Takata (TKTDY) desiccated replacement driver front airbag inflators that may rupture if an airbag deploys in a crash. The vehicles involved in this recall were previously repaired using specific Takata desiccated replacement inflators or entire replacement airbag modules containing these inflators, neither subject to recall at that time. Those replacement inflators are now deemed defective. onda initially became aware of a potential issue after a single-vehicle crash involving a 2004 Honda Odyssey. The vehicle's driver front airbag deployed and the Takata PSDI-5D replacement inflator ruptured, causing an injury to the driver's arm. A subsequent investigation revealed that PSDI-5D inflators manufactured at Takata's Monclova, Mexico facility experienced manufacturing process errors that introduced excessive moisture into the inflator during assembly. Moisture within the sealed inflator may lead to accelerated propellant degradation over time, leading to higher than normal inflator pressure upon airbag deployment. If a recalled driver front airbag deploys in a crash, its inflator may rupture, potentially shooting sharp metal fragments at the driver and passengers. Since this recall involves replacement inflators installed in vehicles previously subject to recall, the total number of Honda and Acura vehicles affected by Takata recalls does not change with this action. The total number of recalled inflators does rise to approximately 21 million in approximately 12.9 million Honda and Acura automobiles that have been or now are subject to recall for replacement of a Takata driver and/or passenger front airbag inflator in the United States. In addition, approximately 4,540 Honda Gold Wing motorcycles are subject to recall for the replacement of the Takata airbag inflator module.

10:15 EDT Trump calls planes 'far too complex to fly' after second Boeing crash - President Trump said via Twitter, "Airplanes are becoming far too complex to fly. Pilots are no longer needed, but rather computer scientists from MIT. I see it all the time in many products. Always seeking to go one unnecessary step further, when often old and simpler is far better. Split second decisions are.... ....needed, and the complexity creates danger. All of this for great cost yet very little gain. I don't know about you, but I don't want Albert Einstein to be my pilot. I want great flying professionals that are allowed to easily and quickly take control of a plane!"

10:11 EDT Sentor Mitt Romney calls on FAA to ground 737 MAX 8 planes - Sentor Mitt Romney said via Twitter, "Out of an abundance of caution for the flying public, the @FAANews should ground the 737 MAX 8 until we investigate the causes of recent crashes and ensure the plane's airworthiness."

10:09 EDT President Trump says airplanes 'becoming far too complex to fly' - President Trump just tweeted, "Airplanes are becoming far too complex to fly. Pilots are no longer needed, but rather computer scientists from MIT. I see it all the time in many products. Always seeking to go one unnecessary step further, when often old and simpler is far better. Split second decisions are...." Shares of Boeing are down 5%, or $20.00, to $380.01 in morning trading.

10:03 EDT AstraZeneca granted orphan status for pulmonary fibrosis treatment - The FDA granted AstraZeneca orphan status for saracatinib, the company's treatment of idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis. Reference Link

10:01 EDT MasterCard acquires Ethoca, terms not disclosed - Mastercard announced it has entered into an agreement to acquire Ethoca, a global provider of technology solutions that help merchants and card issuers collaborate in real-time to quickly identify and resolve fraud in digital commerce. The Ethoca suite of products adds to Mastercard's commitment to drive greater protection in the digital space, integrating with its robust suite of fraud management and security products. Terms of the agreement were not disclosed and the transaction is anticipated to close in the second quarter.

10:00 EDT Valhi Inc falls -13.0% - Valhi Inc is down -13.0%, or -57c to $3.79.

10:00 EDT Townsquare Media rises 7.1% - Townsquare Media is up 7.1%, or 39c to $5.88.

10:00 EDT Intrepid Potash rises 9.9% - Intrepid Potash is up 9.9%, or 38c to $4.21.

09:50 EDT Osiris Therapeutics trading resumes

09:36 EDT Vietnam plastics manufacturer selects Honeywell technology to produce propylene - Honeywell announced that Phu My Plastics Production JSC will use Honeywell UOP's C3 Oleflex technology to produce polymer-grade propylene at its facility in Vietnam. The plant will help meet growing domestic demand for plastics in Vietnam and other countries in Southeast Asia. This is the first award for Honeywell's propane dehydrogenation technology in Vietnam. Honeywell UOP will provide technology licensing for the Oleflex process, the process design package, proprietary and non-proprietary equipment, on-site operator training, technical services for startup and continuing operation, and proprietary catalysts and adsorbents.

09:31 EDT Amgen, Jay Leno partner to sound the alarm on high cholesterol - Amgen launched Cholesterol 911, a national initiative urging high-risk cardiovascular disease patients to reduce their risk of another heart attack or stroke by addressing their continued high LDL-C, or "bad" cholesterol. Comedian and television host Jay Leno has partnered with Amgen to motivate patients and caregivers to get in the driver's seat as it relates to their cholesterol management. Leno's familiar humor and love of cars are at the forefront of this message. A series of videos set in Leno's famous garage sound the alarm on the connection between high cholesterol and its link to heart attack and stroke.

09:22 EDT Nemaura Medical signs exclusive licensee agreement for SugarBEAT with Tpmena - Nemaura Medical announced that it has signed an exclusive license and supply agreement for SugarBEAT with Tpmena in the Gulf Cooperation Council, or GCC, region, which includes Bahrain, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, Oman and United Arab Emirates. Tpmen is a distributor of medical devices in the GCC Region, backed by Cigalah group. Tpmena is headquartered in Saudi Arabia, which markets and sells many brands of medicines and medical devices. The GCC Region has more than 35M diabetics.

09:16 EDT Knight-Swift announces litigation settlement - Knight-Swift Transportation announced that the parties have reached a settlement, subject to approval by the court, in the litigation entitled, Van Dusen, et al. v. Swift Transportation Co. of Arizona, LLC, et al that was instituted prior to the 2017 merger between Knight Transportation, Inc. and Swift Transportation Company. The estimated settlement amount was fully reserved on the company's balance sheet as of December 31, 2018. The company does not expect that the settlement will have a material impact on its future results of operations.

09:11 EDT Smith & Nephew to acquire Osiris for $19.00 per share - Osiris (OSIR) announced that it has entered into an agreement and plan of merger with Smith & Nephew (SNN) pursuant to which Smith & Nephew will acquire Osiris for $19.00 per share in cash, a total of approximately $660.5M in cash. This offer represents a 37% premium to the company's 90-day volume-weighted average stock price. The transaction was unanimously approved by the boards of both companies. Completion of the transaction is expected in Q2, pending the successful completion of the tender offer and all other closing conditions. Osiris' employees are expected to join Smith & Nephew on completion. Until that time, Osiris will continue to operate as a separate and independent company.

09:03 EDT Fly Intel: Pre-market Movers - HIGHER: Akebia (AKBA), up 24% after announcing two phase 3 active-controlled pivotal studies of vadadustat met their primary endpoints. UP AFTER EARNINGS: Momo (MOMO), up 9%... International Seaways (INSW), up 7%... Stitch Fix (SFIX), up 26%... Northern Oil and Gas (NOG), up 9%. DOWN AFTER EARNINGS: Dick's Sporting (DKS), down 6%... PetIQ (PETQ), down 4%. ALSO LOWER: Boeing (BA), down 3% amid news that Singapore, Australia, China, Indonesia and Malaysia have all grounded 737 MAX 8 planes as concerns mount following this weekend's crash of an Ethiopian Airlines Boeing Model 737-8 airplane... HP Enterprise (HPE), down 4% after UBS analyst John Roy downgraded the stock to Sell from Neutral and cut his price target for the shares to $13 from $17. The company's on-premises hardware sales are being pressured by the growth in public cloud, while the "stock is expecting better," Roy tells investors in a research note... Deutsche Bank (DB), down 2% after Reuters reports Germany's Verdi labor union has voiced strong opposition to a potential deal between Deutsche and Commerzbank (CRZBY), arguing that a combined entity would be a more attractive target for a hostile foreign takeover... F5 Networks (FFIV), down 3% after announcing a definitive agreement under which F5 will acquire all issued and outstanding shares of privately held NGINX for a total enterprise value of approximately $670M.

09:02 EDT Raytheon signs teaming agreement with Frequentis - Raytheon has signed a teaming agreement with Frequentis, an air traffic communications and data solutions provider, to modernize civil airport operations in the United States using remote virtual tower technology. Supporting civil airports of all sizes and complexity, RVTs provide an affordable alternative to costly brick and mortar towers by utilizing video-based air traffic services.

08:49 EDT PayPal rolling out Instant Transfer to bank to U.S. consumers - In a blog post, PayPal's Bill Ready stated: "At PayPal, we've been focused on helping people and businesses get faster access to their money...We've launched multiple initiatives over the last few years to give people and businesses more ways to instantly move money using their PayPal account. Today we're adding to that with Instant Transfer to bank. We're beginning to roll out Instant Transfer to bank to consumers in the U.S. now and we expect to roll this out for businesses in the U.S. in the coming weeks, with international expansion expected in the near future. We're able to offer this functionality to our customers following our expanded partnership with JPMorgan Chase. Through this partnership, PayPal is able to access the Real Time Payments network from The Clearing House, and enable Instant Transfer to bank." Reference Link

08:48 EDT Nissan's Infiniti to exit western Europe early next year - INFINITI Motor Company has announced a restructuring plan that will focus the brand on its largest growth markets, specifically North America and China, while withdrawing from Western Europe. This restructuring plan will have no impact on INFINITI's ongoing operations in Eastern Europe, Middle East and, Asia, which continue to grow.As part of the plan, INFINITI will electrify its portfolio from 2021 onward, discontinue diesel offerings and focus its resources on its biggest opportunities. The company will place more focus on its SUV lineup in North America, bring five new vehicles to China over the next five years, work to improve quality of sales and residual value, and realize more synergies with Nissan Motor Company. In anticipation of its planned withdrawal from Western Europe in early 2020, the company is working to find alternative opportunities for any employees who would be affected, consulting with employee representatives where necessary and identifying opportunities for transition and training support where appropriate. Once this is complete, INFINITI will work with its retailers to conclude end of franchise agreements, providing the support and services necessary to ensure a smooth transition. INFINITI retail operations are to remain operational until a tailored transition plan is put in place for continued aftersales services, including vehicle servicing, maintenance and warranty repairs.

08:40 EDT CBS says not not planning to change ad-load in broadcast shows

08:34 EDT Trovagene regains compliance with Nasdaq listing requirements - Trovagene announced that it has regained compliance with Nasdaq listing requirements. In a letter dated March 11 Nasdaq informed the Company that it has regained compliance with the minimum bid price requirement.

08:32 EDT Goldcorp announces illegal work stoppage at Cerro Negro mine - Goldcorp advised of an illegal work stoppage by the AOMA mining union at the Cerro Negro mine. All mining ceased when the work stoppage began late on March 8, and processing activities have now been discontinued with the exhaustion of surface stockpiles. Mining and processing could be safely restarted immediately following the return of the workforce. Our focus is on personnel safety, environmental protection and full permit compliance while we consult with the union and engage in prescribed dispute resolution protocols. The company is actively working along with the Union and the relevant Governmental Authorities to work toward resolution and restart the operation.

08:31 EDT T. Rowe Price reports preliminary AUM $1.07T at February 28 - Client transfers from mutual funds to other portfolios, including trusts and separate accounts, were $0.4B in February and $3.1B for the quarter-to-date period ended February 28.

08:24 EDT Cemtrex announces $7M in new orders for EMS segment - Cemtrex announced that the company received $7M in new orders in its electronics manufacturing services, or EMS, segment in January and its backlog remains over $50M. The company's recent orders were driven primarily by customers in wearable smart devices, medical devices, automotive technology, automation and measurement devices. The orders came from both new customers and existing customers.

08:22 EDT CBS says adding more originals to get rid of 'pauses' on All Access - Says CBS All Access doesn't have churn but rather has "pauses" and it is adding more originals to get rid of "pauses." Says that more than one-third of subscribers to CBS All Access opt for the more expensive ad-free version. Says adding four original shows to have 11 on All Access plan. Comments made by CBS President Joe Ianniello at the Deutsche Bank 2019 Media, Internet & Telecom Conference.

08:13 EDT Sinclair Broadcast reports ruling from lawsuit against BCPSS - Sinclair Broadcast Group reports that its lawsuit against the Baltimore City Public School System, or BCPSS, ended with a triumphant victory for the people of Baltimore. A Baltimore City Judge ruled in Sinclair's favor in the case regarding grade-fixing allegations exposed by the Project Baltimore team in 2017, an investigative unit of Sinclair's Fox 45 News. Sinclair spent over two years investigating this issue to bring justice to students, parents, and teachers. The decision not only signals a major win for Baltimore schools, but also for Fox 45 News, Project Baltimore, and educators everywhere.

08:09 EDT E-Trade reports February DARTS 298,395, up 6% from January - E*TRADE Financial Corporation released its Monthly Activity Report for February 2019. Daily Average Revenue Trades for February were 298,395, a 6% increase from January and a 10% decrease from the year-ago period. Derivatives represented 30 percent of DARTs during the month. The Company added 54,706 gross new brokerage accounts in February and ended the month with approximately 4.9M brokerage accounts-an increase of 29,992 from January. Net new brokerage assets were $1.3B in the month. During the month, customer security holdings increased by $15.1B, and brokerage-related cash increased by $0.7B to $54.3B. Customer margin balances increased $0.1B, ending the month at $9.9B. Customers were net buyers of approximately $0.6B in securities during the month.

08:06 EDT Pluristem completes enrollment in second cohort of PLX-R18 trial - Pluristem announced that the company has fully enrolled the second cohort of six patients in its ongoing Phase I clinical study evaluating PLX-R18 for the treatment of incomplete hematopoietic recovery following hematopoietic cell transplantation, or HCT, and has received data and safety monitoring board approval to continue to the final cohort of the study. Results from the first two cohorts demonstrate PLX-R18 is safe and well tolerated, with early signals of efficacy in improving blood counts. The third and final cohort will be comprised of 15 patients that will receive two administrations of four million PLX-R18 cells/kg, one week apart, considered as the target dose for these patients.

08:05 EDT Legg Mason reports preliminary AUM approximately $762.8B as of February 28 - This month's AUM included long-term net inflows of $1.2B, driven by fixed income inflows of $0.7B, alternative inflows of $0.3B and equity inflows of $0.2B. AUM also included liquidity net inflows of $9.6B and negative foreign exchange impact of $1.5B.

08:04 EDT Inovio names Jacqueline Shea, PhD as COO - Inovio Pharmaceuticals announced the appointment of Jacqueline Shea, PhD, as COO and Executive Vice President. She most recently served as CEO and COO of Aeras, the leading not-for-profit organization dedicated to developing new tuberculosis vaccines. Dr. Shea replaces Dr. Niranjan Sardesai who now serves as CEO of Geneos Therapeutics, a spin-out of Inovio developing personalized cancer treatments.

07:50 EDT Compugen granted patents by USPTO for COM701 antibody candidate - Compugen announced that the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office, or USPTO, has granted two composition of matter patents for COM701, the Company's lead immuno-oncology therapeutic antibody candidate. One patent covers the composition of COM701 and backup antibodies, while the second patent covers the composition of any antibody having the fragments of COM701 and backup antibodies that bind specifically to PVRIG, known as complementarity-determining regions, or CDRs. The composition of matter patents expand Compugen's intellectual property protection for COM701 beyond the therapeutic use patent received as part of the Moonshot program in 2017 and cover exclusivity on COM701 in the United States for any purpose.

07:39 EDT Dick's Sporting CEO says 'we are pleased with our fourth quarter results' - "We are pleased with our fourth quarter results. Our core business performed quite well, as our athletes have responded positively to many of our initiatives, resulting in comp sales gains across key categories and double digit percentage increases in eCommerce and private brand sales," said Edward Stack, Chairman and CEO. "For 2018, we delivered earnings near the high end of our expectations, which represents an 8% increase over last year. This achievement is the direct result of the hard work and commitment from our over 40,000 talented teammates." Stack continued, "As we look forward to 2019, we are enthusiastic about our business and expect to return to positive comp sales beginning in the second quarter. We will continue to make significant investments in our business to meet our athletes' ever-changing needs and grow our leadership position in the industry."

07:37 EDT Dick's Sporting reports total inventory up 6.6% at end of Q4 - Total inventory increased 6.6% at the end of the fourth quarter of 2018 as compared to the end of the fourth quarter of 2017. This planned increase was due primarily to strategic investments to support key growth categories.

07:33 EDT Primoris announces $25M MSA for electrical distribution services - Primoris announced a new master service agreement, or MSA, valued at approximately $25M. The contract was secured by Primoris T&D. The award is a two year agreement for electrical distribution services in North Carolina. While the agreement does not obligate the customer to award Primoris a specific dollar amount, discussions with the customer and history with similar customers form the basis for the anticipated value. Work performed under the MSA includes construction and maintenance services for the client's electrical overhead distribution infrastructure. Under the MSA, Primoris T&D will also provide outage and emergency restoration services as needed.

07:32 EDT Dick's Sporting reports Q4 SSS down 2.2% - Adjusted for the calendar shift due to the 53rd week in fiscal 2017, which the company believes is the best view of its business, consolidated same store sales decreased 2.2% on a 13-week to 13-week comparable basis.

07:14 EDT Del Frisco's targets $800M in revenue generation annually after FY23 - The company said, "By the end of fiscal year 2023, we are targeting generation on an annual basis of at least $800 million in consolidated revenues and $130 million in adjusted EBITDA". To achieve these targets, the company would need annual revenue growth of 10% and annual comparable restaurant sales growth of 0%-2%.

07:05 EDT MediWound CEO Gal Cohen to step down, Sharon Malka to succeed - MediWound announced that CEO, Gal Cohen, has decided to step down after serving as the company's CEO for more than 12 years. Cohen will end his term by the end of May and during this period, continue to support the company's transition and ongoing strategic process. Sharon Malka, the company's CFO and COO, will be appointed CEO, and Stephen Wills, the company's chairman of the board, will serve as active chairman. During his tenure, Cohen led MediWound in the development and certain marketing approvals of NexoBrid. Malka will assume the role of CEO after serving as the company's CFO and COO for the past 12 years. Prior to joining MediWound, Malka held various senior finance roles, including, as a co-founder and partner at Variance Economic Consulting.

07:03 EDT NanoViricides says NV-HHV-101 'well tolerated' in study - NanoViricides announces that its first drug candidate has successfully completed another important step in its Safety/Toxicology studies moving towards human clinical trials. The broad-spectrum anti-herpes clinical candidate in the HerpeCide program, namely NV-HHV-101, was tested in this study, formulated as a subcutaneous injection, to determine potential systemic safety and toxicological effects. While NV-HHV-101 is designed and developed as a dermal topical cream, it is important to determine if any systemically absorbed portion of the drug can have deleterious effects. NV-HHV-101 administered subcutaneously was well tolerated and there were no NV-HHV-101-related findings in this escalating dose study at all dosages up to the maximum feasible dose in dogs. The success of this non-GLP study allows advancing the drug candidate into the GLP portion of the Safety/Toxicology studies that are required for filing an IND. This study was conducted at BASi, Evansville, IN, a Contract Research Organization that is specialized in IND-enabling safety/toxicology studies. The study was completed in February. The company is negotiating the earliest possible date for starting the IND-enabling GLP Safety and Pharmacology studies at BASi. Assuming that these studies are successful, the company anticipates advancing NV-HHV-101 into human clinical trials for topical dermal treatment of the shingles rash as the initial indication as soon as possible.

06:51 EDT International Game subsidiary signs 3-year extension with Loto-Quebec - International Game announced that its subsidiary, IGT Canada Solutions ULC, has signed a three-year extension to continue providing its INTELLIGEN video lottery central system to Loto-Quebec. The contract extension runs through September 2, 2021. Under the terms of the agreement, IGT will provide hotline services for the INTELLIGEN central system, advanced business intelligence, distributed game management, and proactive diagnostic modules. In addition, IGT also provides Loto-Quebec with lottery instant ticket vending machines, VLTs, casino slots, interactive games, and Canadian Bingo and Poker Network.

06:50 EDT Lazard reports preliminary AUM $234.4B as of February 28 - The month's AUM included market appreciation of $5.5B; net inflows of $0.2B; and foreign exchange depreciation of $1.2B.

06:47 EDT First Data acquires Software Express, terms not disclosed - First Data announced that it will acquire Software Express, a Brazilian-based leader in EFT solutions. Founded in 1986, Software Express provides technology solutions to merchants of different sizes, including multi-acquirer EFT, multi-acquirer EFT POS, reconciliation, a payments gateway, and automated recurring payments, among other products.

06:44 EDT Volkswagen sees FY19 sales revenue up by up to 5% y/y - Volkswagen expects that deliveries to customers of the Volkswagen Group in 2019 will slightly exceed the prior-year figure amid continuously challenging market conditions. Challenges will arise particularly from the economic situation, the increasing intensity of competition, exchange rate volatility and stricter WLTP requirements. Volkswagen expects the sales revenues of the Volkswagen Group to grow by as much as 5% year-on-year. In terms of the operating profit for the Group, Volkswagen forecasts an operating return on sales in the range of 6.5-7.5 percent in 2019.

06:41 EDT Volkswagen plans 22M electric vehicles in 10 years - The Volkswagen Group (VLKAY) is planning to launch almost 70 new electric models in the next ten years - instead of the 50 previously planned. As a result, the projected number of vehicles to be built on the Group's electric platforms in the next decade will increase from 15 million to 22 million. Volkswagen has signed off a comprehensive decarbonization program aimed at achieving a fully CO2-neutral balance in all areas from fleet to production to administration by 2050. Volkswagen is thus fully committed to the Paris climate targets. The 2025 target is to reduce the CO2 footprint of the vehicle fleet by 30 percent across the lifecycle compared to 2015. Volkswagen is therefore electrifying the vehicle portfolio, with investment in this area alone amounting to more than EURO$30 billion by 2023. The share of electric vehicles in the Group fleet is to rise to at least 40 percent by 2030. The first of the new-generation electric vehicles go into production this year: the AUDI e-tron1 will be followed by the Porsche Taycan. Reservations for each of these models already total 20,000 units. And electric vehicles will be brought into the mainstream with the ramp up of the Volkswagen ID. Other models in this first wave will be the ID. CROZZ, the SEAT el-born, the KODA Vision E, the ID. BUZZ2, and the ID. VIZZION. In order to support the electric offensive, LG Chem, SKI, CATL and Samsung (SSNLF) were selected as strategic battery cell suppliers. In view of the constantly increasing demand, Volkswagen is also taking a close look at possible participation in battery cell manufacturing facilities in Europe.

06:34 EDT UnitedHealth expands point-of-sale discount program to more clients - OptumRx and UnitedHealthcare are expanding their consumer point-of-sale prescription drug discount programs to apply to all new employer-sponsored plans, making medications more affordable and improving health outcomes. Specifically, for new business proposals beginning January 2020, OptumRx and UnitedHealthcare will only support new employer clients that incorporate point-of-sale discounts to consumers as part of their plan design. UnitedHealth says, "This expansion builds on the existing point-of-sale discount programs, announced a year ago and effective January 1, 2019, which will serve more than 9 million consumers this year. Commitments made to support existing clients prior to this date will be grandfathered, including those currently in the sales cycle for January 1, 2020 effective dates. While such plan designs have been previously available to all employer customers, this expansion is expected to accelerate adoption of point-of-sale discounts across all types of commercial business, including self-funded."

06:05 EDT Cognizant to develop new digital strategy for Jack in the Box - Cognizant (CTSH) announced it is developing a new digital strategy for Jack in the Box (JACK) restaurants. The initiative includes a mobile app that enhances the brand's "on-the-go" experience by enabling customers to view menus, exclusive promotions, everyday deals, find the nearest location, place orders in advance and pay using their mobile phones. The app is now available for use with all 2,200+ Jack in the Box locations in the U.S. Jack in the Box partnered with Cognizant digital experts to understand customer requirements, workflows and to create a scalable digital platform. As part of its engagement, Cognizant surveyed customers about their restaurant experiences and preferences. Cognizant worked with industry experts to identify operational efficiencies and best practices. The resulting app, the chain's first, provides one-tap functionality for ordering and payment.

05:50 EDT Vertex receives approval for SYMDEKO in Australia - Vertex Pharmaceuticals Incorporated announced that the Therapeutic Goods Administration, or TGA, of Australia has granted registration to SYMDEKO for the treatment of people with cystic fibrosis, or CF, aged 12 years and older who are homozygous for the F508del mutation or who have at least one mutation in the cystic fibrosis transmembrane conductance regulator, or CFTR, gene that is responsive to tezacaftor/ivacaftor based on in vitro data and/or clinical evidence. Mutations in the CFTR gene that produce CFTR protein responsive to SYMDEKO include F508del and mutations in which the CFTR protein shows residual function. SYMDEKO will be considered for Australian reimbursement for eligible CF patients aged 12 years and older at the March meeting of the Pharmaceutical Benefits Advisory Committee.

05:41 EDT Akebia: 2 phase 3 active-controlled pivotal studies of vadadustat met endpoints - Akebia Therapeutics announced top-line results from two phase 3 active-controlled pivotal studies evaluating vadadustat, an investigational oral hypoxia-inducible factor prolyl hydroxylase inhibitor, or HIF-PHI, in Japanese subjects with anemia due to chronic kidney disease, or CKD. These studies were conducted by Akebia's development and commercialization collaboration partner in Japan, Mitsubishi Tanabe Pharma Corporation, or MTPC. Each study, one in non-dialysis dependent subjects and one in hemodialysis-dependent subjects, met its primary endpoint. In addition, results from two phase 3 single-arm studies conducted by MTPC in peritoneal dialysis subjects and hemodialysis subjects further support vadadustat's potential in these indications. MTPC expects to submit a Japanese New Drug Application in 2019. "Collectively, these data provide further confirmation of vadadustat's potential to meaningfully transform the treatment paradigm for patients with anemia due to CKD," said John P. Butler, President and Chief Executive Officer of Akebia. "These results add to our dataset demonstrating the potential for vadadustat to effectively manage hemoglobin levels in both dialysis-dependent and non-dialysis dependent patients, including those who convert from erythropoiesis stimulating agents."

05:27 EDT Biogen to sell manufacturing operations in Hillerod, Denmark to Fujifilm - Biogen (BIIB) announced that it has entered into a share purchase agreement with FUJIFILM Corporation (FUJIY) under which Fujifilm will acquire the shares of Biogen's subsidiary, which holds Biogen's biologics manufacturing operations in Hillerod, Denmark, for up to $890M in cash, subject to minimum purchase commitment guarantees and other contractual terms. The approximately 800 employees at the Hillerod subsidiary are expected to continue employment under Fujifilm ownership. As part of the proposed transaction, Biogen also announced today that it will enter into manufacturing services agreements with Fujifilm. Following the completion of the transaction, Fujifilm will use the Hillerod site to produce commercial products for Biogen, such as TYSABRI, as well as other third-party products. Following the closing of the transaction, Biogen will operate manufacturing facilities in Research Triangle Park, or RTP, North Carolina and Solothurn, Switzerland, which Biogen expects to be operational by the end of 2020. Biogen expects to record a total after-tax loss in the first quarter of 2019 of approximately $130M to $150M, or 66c to 76c per diluted share, related to the proposed transaction. This loss includes an estimate of $120M associated with guarantees of future minimum purchase commitments. These estimates are based on current exchange rates and business conditions.