Stockwinners Market Radar for April 09, 2019 - Earnings, Upgrades downgrades, option trades, Best Stock Advisory Service

18:45 EDT Fly Intel: After Hours Movers - UP AFTER EARNINGS: Simulations Plus (SLP) up 6.5%... Levi Strauss (LEVI) up 5.6%. ALSO HIGHER: JetBlue Airways (JBLU) up 2.5% after CNBC report of a meeting with employees about transatlantic service... Amgen (AMGN) up 1.6% after FDA approved its EVENITY for treatment of osteoporosis. DOWN AFTER EARNINGS: WD-40 (WDFC) down 3.7%... PriceSmart (PSMT) down 1.6%. ALSO LOWER: PolarityTE (PTE) down 12.2% after equity offering... PhaseBio Pharma (PHAS) down 5.6% after equity offering... Digital Turbine (APPS) down 4.0% after filing mixed securities offering.

17:58 EDT SPDR Gold Shares holdings fall to 757.85MT from 760.49MT - This is the seventh consecutive decline and the lowest level of holdings since November 9, 2018.

17:54 EDT JetBlue shares jump after CNBC report on transatlantic service - JetBlue shares are spiking in after-hours trading after an earlier CNBC report said the airline is scheduled to hold an "all hands" meeting with employees at John F. Kennedy Airport, along with "viewing parties" at some of its U.S. hubs. According to CNBC, which obtained a company invitation, "A save-the-date email announcing the April 10 event featured a background pattern similar to upholstery on London's subway. Buttons featuring JetBlue's logo and iconic London sights of Big Ben and the London Eye were sent to JetBlue offices, according to one employee." PRICE ACTION: Shares of JetBlue are up approximately 2.4% in after-hours trading to $16.73 per share.

17:27 EDT AAC Holdings receives noncompliance notice from NYSE - AAC Holdings announced that the company received a written notice from the New York Stock Exchange, or NYSE, indicating that the company is not in compliance with the NYSE's continued listing requirements under the timely filing criteria outlined in Section 802.01E as a result of the delay in the filing of its annual report on Form 10-K for FY18. The NYSE has informed the company that it will monitor the status of the company's 2018 Form 10-K and related public disclosures for up to a six month period from its due date. If the company does not file its 2018 Form 10-K within the extension period, the NYSE may allow the company's common stock to trade for up to an additional six months depending upon the company's specific circumstances. The notice also states that the NYSE may commence delisting proceedings at any time during the extension period or the additional extension period, if applicable.

17:15 EDT Granite Real Estate acquires two properties in Ontario - Granite Real Estate Investment Trust announced that it has acquired the leasehold interest in two income producing properties located in Mississauga, Ontario, collectively comprising approximately 943,000 square feet at a purchase price of CAD $154M. The properties are being acquired at a current in-going yield of approximately 4.5%, which is expected to be significantly enhanced by rental growth and future expansion. The properties are located adjacent to Toronto Pearson International Airport and are 100% leased to creditworthy tenants with a weighted average lease term of 8.7 years.

17:01 EDT Amyris receives notification of deficiency from Nasdaq - Amyris reported that it has received a standard notice from Nasdaq stating that, as a result of not having timely filed its annual report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2018, it is not in compliance with Nasdaq Listing Rule 5250(c)(1), which requires timely filing of periodic financing reports with the SEC. The Nasdaq notice has no immediate effect on the listing or trading of Amyris's common stock on the Nasdaq Global Select Market. Under Nasdaq's listing rules, Amyris has 60 calendar days from the date of the letter to submit a plan to regain compliance. If the plan is accepted by Nasdaq, Amyris can be granted an exception of up to 180 calendar days from the original due date of the Form 10-K, or until September 30, 2019, to regain compliance. Amyris expects to regain compliance within the timeline prescribed by Nasdaq.

16:57 EDT Allstate urges shareholders to reject 'mini-tender' offer by Peer & Peri - The Allstate Corporation announced it has received notice of an unsolicited "mini-tender" offer by Peer & Peri LLC to purchase up to 40,000 shares of Allstate's common stock. Peer & Peri's offer price of $76.00 per share is approximately 20% lower than the $94.87 closing price of Allstate shares on April 8, 2019, the date the offer commenced. Allstate is not affiliated in any way with Peer & Peri, the offer or the offer documentation. The Peer & Peri mini-tender offer is not related in any way to Allstate's share repurchase program. However, the rules and regulations of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 require Allstate to publicize its position with respect to the offer. Allstate said it recommends against shareholders tendering shares in response to the offer because the offer price was "significantly below" the market price of Allstate's stock at the commencement of the offer and is also "significantly below" today's closing price of $94.36.

16:49 EDT Legacy Reserves disclosed that nomination notice from Baines Creek is not valid - Legacy Reserves disclosed that Baines Creek Partners notice of director nominations for the Company's 2019 Annual Meeting is invalid for failure to comply with the requirements set forth in Legacy's bylaws. Legacy's bylaws were established for the protection of the Company and all of its stockholders. Following review by Legacy and its legal advisors, Legacy determined that Baines Creek failed to become a "stockholder of record" of the Company prior to giving such notice, as required by the bylaws. Pursuant to Legacy's bylaws, the deadline for stockholders to nominate candidates for election to the Board at the Company's 2019 Annual Meeting was April 1. A copy of the Company's letter to Baines Creek describing the deficiency in further detail was filed on a Form 8-K with the SEC. Sidley Austin is serving as legal counsel to Legacy, and Tudor Pickering & Holt L.P. and Perella Weinberg Partners are serving as financial advisors to Legacy.

16:37 EDT L3 Technologies awarded Australia Air Force contract for over $1B - L3 Technologies announced that it has been awarded a prime contract with an estimated value of more than $1B to deliver four aircraft with next-generation airborne electronic warfare capability to the Royal Australian Air Force. Work on this program was initiated in 2017. Funded orders received on this contract were approximately $230M for the 2019 first quarter and approximately $700M in total as of March 29, 2019.

16:24 EDT Artisan Partners reports AUM $107.8B as of March 31 - Artisan Partners reported that its assets under management, or AUM, as of March 31 totaled $107.8B. Separate accounts accounted for $55.8B of total firm AUM, while Artisan Funds and Artisan Global Funds accounted for $52B.

16:20 EDT Mercury Systems to deliver Intel security solution with Lockheed Martin - Mercury Systems (MRCY) announced that it will offer an Intel (INTC) Select Solution for Hardened Security with Lockheed Martin (LMT). Designed to "help defense and aerospace customers secure mission-critical data, the solution will provide hardened, full stack security that delivers best-in-class performance which sets new standards of affordability for secure and rugged tactical edge computing." The solution will be manufactured and tested in Mercury's facilities and is expected to be delivered to the market in mid-2019.

16:19 EDT Victory Capital reports AUM of $58.1B as of March 31 - Victory Capital Holdings reported assets under management, AUM, of $58.1B on March 31. This compares with $52.8B on December 31, 2018.

16:16 EDT Procter & Gamble raises quarterly dividend by 4% to 74.6c per share - The dividend is payable on or after May 15, 2019, to shareholders of record at the close of business on April 19, 2019.

16:11 EDT Severn Bancorp not in compliance with NASDAQ listing requirements - Severn Bancorp announced that it received a notice from the NASDAQ Stock Market indicating that the Company is not in compliance with the continued listing requirements under NASDAQ Listing Rule 5250 because the Company did not timely file its Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2018 with the SEC. The NASDAQ notice has no immediate effect on the listing or trading of the Company's common stock on the NASDAQ Capital Market. The Company is experiencing a delay in filing due to changes in procedures resulting from the transition to becoming an accelerated filer pursuant to the rules of the SEC. Despite the delay the Company reported record earnings for 2018 and will report no change in its earnings in the Form 10-K.

16:09 EDT Atlas Financial receives Nasdaq notification letter over timing of 10-K filing - Atlas Financial Holdings announced that on April 5, 2019, as anticipated, it received a delinquency notification letter from Nasdaq stating that the company was not in compliance with Nasdaq Listing Rule 5250c1, because it had not timely filed its Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2018. The company timely filed a Form 12b-25 Notification of Late Filing related to the Form 10-K, which resulted in an extended filing deadline for the Form 10-K of April 2, 2019. The Form 10-K was not filed with the SEC on April 2, 2019, as the company's outside independent auditors advised that they will require additional time to complete their work. Nasdaq has informed the company that the company must submit a plan of compliance by June 4, 2019 addressing how it intends to regain compliance with Nasdaq's listing rules. The company will continue to work with its auditors with the objective of filing its Form 10-K as soon as practicable and will work diligently to submit the Plan promptly and take the necessary steps to regain compliance as soon as practicable.

16:06 EDT Pacira completes MyoScience deal, changes name to Pacira BioSciences - Pacira BioSciences announced that it has completed its previously announced acquisition of MyoScience, a privately held medical technology company. This acquisition advances the company's leadership in non-opioid pain management by adding the FDA-approved iovera system to the Pacira commercial offering...Effective upon the closing of the acquisition, Pacira changed its corporate name to Pacira BioSciences, to better reflect its broadening portfolio of innovative non-opioid pain management and regenerative health solutions. Pacira will continue to trade under the symbol "PCRX." Effective upon the closing of the acquisition, MyoScience became Pacira CryoTech, a wholly owned subsidiary of Pacira BioSciences,

16:04 EDT PriceSmart reports 41 clubs in operation as of February 28 - The company had 41 clubs in operation as of February 28, compared to 40 warehouse clubs in operation as of February 28, 2018.

16:03 EDT PriceSmart reports Q2 comparable net merchandise sales down 0.9% - Comparable net merchandise sales, for warehouse clubs that have been open for greater than 13 1/2 calendar months, decreased 0.9% for the 13-week period ended March 3, compared to the same period in the prior year. Foreign currency exchange rate fluctuations impacted comparable net merchandise sales negatively by $29.9M or 3.7% versus the same period in the prior year.

15:56 EDT Comtech reports award of 'significant order' for Heights Networking Platform - Comtech Telecommunications announced that during its third quarter of fiscal 2019, its Tempe, Arizona-based subsidiary, Comtech EF Data Corp., which is part of Comtech's Commercial Solutions segment, received a "significant follow on order" from SES Networks for equipment to support its global mobility services. No details on the size or value of the contract were included in the company's press release.

15:10 EDT FDA announces approval of Amgen's Evenity - The U.S. Food and Drug Administration announced that it has approved Evenity to treat osteoporosis in postmenopausal women with a history of osteoporotic fracture or multiple risk factors for fracture, or those who have failed or are intolerant to other osteoporosis therapies. One dose of Evenity consists of two injections, one immediately following the other, given once a month by a health care professional. The FDA granted the approval of Evenity to Amgen.

14:52 EDT Amgen BLA for Evenity approved by FDA - A post to the FDA's website indicates that Amgen's Biologic License Application, or BLA, for Evenity was granted approval on April 9. Reference Link

14:13 EDT Qualcomm announces Snapdragon 730, 730G and 665 mobile platforms - Qualcomm announced earlier that it has expanded its mobile roadmap in the 7 and 6 series with the latest Qualcomm Snapdragon 730, 730G and 665 mobile platforms, which the company said "are designed to exceed customer expectations on delivering exciting experiences in artificial intelligence, gaming, camera, and performance."

13:41 EDT Honda recalls 323K Acura MDX cars on faulty tailgate light - Acura will voluntarily recall approximately 323,000 model-year 2014-2019 MDX vehicles in the U.S. to repair, or, if needed, replace the rear tailgate lid lights and, if also needed, associated wiring sub harnesses, free of charge. According to a company's statement, "Due to body variation in tailgate manufacturing, the rear tailgate lid light seals may deform and allow water to leak into the light assemblies and reach certain electrical components. Contact with water can lead to an open circuit, causing rear tailgate lid light failure, and, in some cases, a short circuit that trips the position light fuse, deactivating the exterior position lights and some interior lighting. Without functional rear tailgate lid lights and/or exterior position lighting, a vehicle may not be visible to other traffic at night, increasing the risk of a crash. Acura has received no reports of crashes or injuries related to this issue. Acura dealers will replace the gasket seals in both rear tailgate lid lights with updated parts, or, if a light is found to be inoperable due to moisture intrusion, replace the lid light assembly and, if also needed, an associated wiring sub harness."Reference Link

13:20 EDT Tesla CEO says Gigafactory 3 structure completion 'seems on track' for May - In reply to a tweet about the Tesla Gigafactory 3 in Shanghai, China, Tesla CEO Elon Musk stated: "Building primary structure completion seems on track for May, but then it will take several months to install & activate factory equipment" Reference Link

12:51 EDT New Age Beverages a compelling short, according to a Seeking Alpha article - Reference Link

12:31 EDT Intel, Google Cloud announce partnership agreement - Intel (INTC) and Google Cloud (GOOG, GOOGL) announced a strategic partnership aimed at helping enterprise customers deploy applications across on-premise and cloud environments. The two companies will collaborate on Anthos, "a new reference design based on the 2nd-Generation Intel Xeon Scalable processor and an optimized Kubernetes software stack that will deliver increased workload portability to customers who want to take advantage of hybrid cloud environments. Intel will publish the production design as an Intel Select Solution, as well as a developer platform," the companies said. This collaboration is an extension of a technology alliance between the two companies. The new reference design will be delivered by mid-year 2019 with expected solution delivery from OEMs and solutions integrators in market later this year.

12:06 EDT Elastic, Google Cloud Platform expand Elasticsearch Service partnership - Elastic (ESTC) and Google Cloud (GOOG, GOOGL) announced the expansion of their managed Elasticsearch Service partnership to make it faster and easier for users to deploy Elasticsearch within their Google Cloud Platform, or GCP, accounts. Building upon the partnership to deliver Elastic's Elasticsearch Service on GCP, the companies announced a fully managed, cloud-native integration for discovery, billing, and support for Elasticsearch Service within the GCP Console.

12:00 EDT Key Energy falls -9.4% - Key Energy is down -9.4%, or -43c to $4.15.

12:00 EDT Pentair falls -14.4% - Pentair is down -14.4%, or -$6.51 to $38.75.

12:00 EDT Telaria rises 5.4% - Telaria is up 5.4%, or 36c to $7.07.

11:52 EDT Boingo Wireless jumps after announcing deployment at John Wayne Airport - Earlier on Tuesday, Boingo Wireless announced the successful deployment of Wi-Fi 6 at John Wayne Airport in Orange County, Calif. The launch is part of a commercial trial to test next-generation Wi-Fi capabilities and marks the first known Wi-Fi 6 deployment at a major airport. "Wi-Fi 6 is a strategic pillar of Boingo's technology roadmap to elevate wireless performance and equip airports and other large venues with connectivity solutions for the 5G world," said Dr. Derek Peterson, chief technology officer, Boingo. "It meets key 5G requirements to power a broad range of connected use cases in dense environments with greater capacity, speed and scalability. We're pleased to be among the first to put Wi-Fi 6 in action and work alongside the team at John Wayne Airport to move the technology from lab to real-world launch." Shares of Boingo Wireless are up 3% to $25.64 per share in morning trading.

11:01 EDT Boeing says delivered 149 aircraft during Q1, including 89 737s - The company also delivered 36 787s during Q1, 10 777s and 12 767s.

10:21 EDT CareSource to switch drug plan partner to Express Scripts from CVS Health - CareSource, a nonprofit multi-state health plan serving government sponsored programs, announced its intent to implement a new, integrated approach to administering pharmacy benefits and services. CareSource's contract with its new "Pharmacy Innovation Partner," Express Scripts (ESRX), will begin on January 1, 2020. CareSource's current contract with CVS Caremark (CVS) will expire at the end of 2019. "This is the culmination of a year-long effort to address the major areas of opportunity in the current PBM model. We want to create something that better serves members through the integration of all clinical data-medical, behavioral, social and pharmacy. This will allow us to provide holistic care coordination, while also meeting the needs of our other key stakeholders-the states in which we do business and our pharmacy partners," said Clayton Edwards, Senior Vice President, Pharmacy, CareSource. Reference Link

10:05 EDT Workday higher as analyst calls out new deal win with Geico - Shares of Workday (WDAY) are on the rise after KeyBanc analyst Brent Bracelin said that his analysis revealed a recent job posting that indicates Geico, a subsidiary of Berkshire Hathaway (BRK.A), plans to implement Workday Financials as its new ERP system. The analyst views this Geico win as "further validation of the increasing cloud financial momentum" for Workday within the untapped $30B ERP market. GEICO WIN: In a research note to investors, KeyBanc's Bracelin said that his analysis revealed a recent job posting that indicates Geico plans to implement a new ERP system, Workday Financials, and a new FP&A planning system, Adaptive Insights. The analyst views this Geico win as "further validation of the increasing cloud financial momentum" for Workday within the untapped $30B ERP market and validation it can elevate Adaptive Insights planning software into larger enterprises. Workday added a record 79 new financial management customers last quarter, marking a new milestone of adoption as the company continues to expand beyond the core Human Capital Managment market into the much larger Enterprise Resource Planning opportunity, Bracelin contended. Overall, the analyst noted that he sees large enterprises like Geico, the second largest auto insurance carrier in the U.S. with 38,000 employees, as important validation of the share gain momentum for Workday within the broader ERP market. Geico joins a growing list of enterprises with plans to move their core financials and ERP into the cloud, including AON (AON), Ameriprise (AMP), Ryder (R), Radisson Hotel Group, and Netflix (NFLX), he added. Further, Bracelin said he is encouraged by data that suggests a number of new healthcare and educational institutions are going "all-in" on Workday across the entire product suite. The analyst reiterated an Overweight on Workday's shares, saying he continues to view the stock as a core cloud franchise. PRICE ACTION: In morning trading, shares of Workday have gained about 1% to $188.27.

10:00 EDT Lindsay falls -9.3% - Lindsay is down -9.3%, or -$8.75 to $85.34.

10:00 EDT Pentair falls -12.0% - Pentair is down -12.0%, or -$5.44 to $39.82.

10:00 EDT LG Display rises 3.7% - LG Display is up 3.7%, or 34c to $9.51.

09:59 EDT Altai files proxy statement to elect two nominees to Amber Road's board - Altai Capital Management, one of the largest shareholders of Amber Road, announced that it filed its Definitive Proxy Statement on Monday, April 8, seeking the election of candidates Marshall Heinberg and Jim Watson to Amber Road's board. Altai Capital also sent a letter outlining its concerns with Amber Road, especially its "irresponsible handling of E2open's 2018 acquisition proposal and its egregious executive compensation." In the letter, Altai Capital establishes the case for electing Marshall Heinberg and Jim Watson at the upcoming 2018 Annual Meeting "to reign in executive compensation, give proper consideration to strategic alternatives and properly oversee management."

09:52 EDT Aerojet Rocketdyne sinks 10% after Spruce Point puts 'Strong Sell' on shares - Shares of Aerojet Rocketdyne are moving lower after short-seller Spruce Point Capital put a "Strong Sell" rating on the shares. Aerojet Rocketdyne, formerly known as Gencorp, is "facing fundamental pressures, masked by complicated and aggressive accounting, which gives investors a potentially misleading impression of stability and growth," Spruce Point says in a research report posted on its website. "While holding no conference calls, and having only four analysts cover the stock, we believe the market is fundamentally ignoring ~$900M of liabilities associated with the business, making the Company 5x more levered than it appears and its valuation 'cheap,'" the firm added. It says analysts "blindly pencil" in 4% revenue growth in the next two years, despite "hundreds of millions of dollars in revenue programs that are disappearing." Spruce Point sees 40% - 60% downside in the stock "once investors piece the puzzle together." Shares of Aerojet Rocketdyne, which makes of aerospace and defense products and systems, are down 10%, or $3.56, to $30.48 in early trading. Reference Link

09:47 EDT Lindsay falls -10.8% - Lindsay is down -10.8%, or -$10.15 to $83.94.

09:47 EDT Avaya rises 4.2% - Avaya is up 4.2%, or 75c to $18.50.

09:47 EDT Charah Solutions rises 6.3% - Charah Solutions is up 6.3%, or 39c to $6.54.

09:43 EDT Aerojet Rocketdyne named a short at Pacific Square

09:31 EDT BioScrip receives FDA warning letter over Infusion Partners facility - The FDA sent BioScrip a warning letter after inspecting the company's Infusion Partners facility which says, "The investigators noted serious deficiencies in your practices for producing sterile drug products, which put patients at risk." The "FDA investigators noted that drug products intended or expected to be sterile were prepared, packed, or held under insanitary conditions, whereby they may have become contaminated with filth or rendered injurious to health, causing your drug products to be adulterated," the agency added. Reference Link

09:23 EDT Capstone Turbine executes multiple LTAs to cut costs by about $3M per year - Capstone Turbine announced it executed multiple long-term supply agreements, or LTAs, to reduce direct material costs an estimated $3M per year once the new pricing is phased in over the next twelve months, demonstrating continued progress against its strategic initiative to improve cash flow. The company previously announced its focus on improving the business in areas that it has direct control of, and in areas that are not impacted by outside market forces, macroeconomic conditions, geopolitical events or trade wars. This new business initiative started last fall when the company announced it had launched a new factory long-term rental program into the Permian Basin with 3.6 megawatts to an oil and gas producer. In February, the company announced it had developed an enhanced version of its FPP service product and an updated version of its innovative DSS program, which is expected to drive product revenue, accelerate distributor training and development, and drive a higher volume of customer lead generation and global brand awareness. Lastly, the company recently implemented the most significant spare parts price increase in its history and announced that it received 19.5 MWs of new FPP contracts as part of its focus on improving FPP attachment rates. As a result of the direct material costs reduction initiative, Capstone has executed multiple new LTAs including a new 10-year LTA with a new supplier. The LTA from the new supplier will initially reduce annual direct material costs an estimated $2M per year once the transition is completed and will potentially reduce direct material costs up to $20M over the life of the agreement. The strategy to reduce direct material costs is based on partnering with the company's supply base to drive collaborative cost improvements within its value chain which will enable the significant material cost reductions.

09:19 EDT Gevo to work with Praj Industries to commercialize renewable isobutanol - Gevo announced that it has signed a binding, definitive construction license agreement with Praj Industries to commercialize the production of renewable isobutanol using sugary-based feedstocks, such as juice, syrup and molasses made of sugarcane and sugar beets. Pursuant to the construction license agreement, Praj will provide engineering procurement and construction services to certain third party customers using a process design package that incorporates Gevo's proprietary isobutanol biocatalyst and is designed for use with sugary-based feedstocks, or PDP. The PDP is jointly owned by Gevo and Praj. Gevo has granted a license to Praj that would allow Praj to provide such services to certain third party customers. In addition, Gevo also signed a memorandum of understanding, or MOU, with Praj Industries to commercialize Gevo's renewable hydrocarbons products in India, including Gevo's renewable alcohol-to-jet fuel and renewable isooctane, derived from Gevo's renewable isobutanol. The MOU contemplates two phases. In phase one, Praj will implement a pilot plant in India for the purpose of introducing Gevo's technology to potential customers. Following phase one, Praj and Gevo expect to enter into a commercial license agreement for the production of renewable hydrocarbons. Together, Gevo and Praj expect to use a combination of their respective technologies for the conversion of sugars to renewable hydrocarbon products. The construction license agreement is the product of the joint development agreement and development license agreement that Gevo and Praj entered into in November 2015. Pursuant to those agreements, Praj adapted Gevo's technology to use sugar cane and molasses feedstocks. The construction license agreement will allow Praj to leverage its extensive customer base to identify customers interested in licensing Gevo's technology to produce isobutanol utilizing the PDP. Gevo's partnership with Praj provides Gevo with access to markets outside of North America that utilize sugar-based feedstocks not prevalent in North America, particularly in regions such as India, Southeast Asia, Australia, South America and even parts of Europe where sugar beets are processed. In connection with the construction license agreement, Gevo and Praj have also entered into a new joint development agreement and a new development license agreement to continue their joint development efforts to produce isobutanol using sugarcane juice, sugarcane syrup, sugarcane molasses, sugar beet juice, sugar beet syrup, sugar beet molasses, sugar beet pulp, cassava, rice, wheat, sorghum, bagasse, rice straw, wheat straw, corn stover, cotton stalk and empty fruit bunches. In particular, Gevo and Praj are nearing the completion of work to develop a process design package to use agricultural residues, such as empty fruit bunches, wheat straw, rice straw or corn stover, to produce isobutanol. These second generation biomass feedstocks are the lowest cost feedstocks in some markets and have the additional benefit of having a low carbon footprint. The use of agricultural residues as a feedstock to produce isobutanol should provide Gevo feedstock optionality in markets that are targeting decarbonization from second generation forms of biomass.

09:10 EDT Nightstar Therapeutics makes scheme document available for Biogen acquisition - On March 4, the board of Nightstar Therapeutics (NITE) and Biogen Switzerland Holdings, a subsidiary of Biogen (BIIB), announced that they had reached agreement on the terms of a recommended acquisition whereby the entire issued and to be issued share capital of Nightstar will be acquired by Tungsten Bidco, a subsidiary of Biogen Switzerland. The acquisition is to be effected by means of a court-sanctioned scheme of arrangement under Part 26 of the Companies Act 2006 and is subject to the terms and conditions set out in the scheme document relating to the acquisition. Nightstar announced that the scheme document is being sent, or made available, to Nightstar Shareholders immediately. The scheme document contains, amongst other things, a letter from the chairman of Nightstar, the full terms and conditions of the scheme and the acquisition, an explanatory statement pursuant to section 897 of the Companies Act 2006, an expected timetable of principal events and details of the actions to be taken by Nightstar shareholders, together with the forms of proxy for the court meeting and the general meeting. Completion of the acquisition also remains conditional on the satisfaction or waiver of the other conditions set out in the scheme document and the approval of the court. The acquisition is expected to become effective during the middle of the year.

09:06 EDT Fly Intel: Pre-market Movers - HIGHER: Cerner (CERN), up 11% after announcing a cooperation agreement with Starboard that includes a board refreshment plan and the authorization of the repurchase of an additional $1.2B of its common stock... PhaseBio (PHAS), up 25% after receiving breakthrough designation for PB2452 from the FDA... Laredo Petroleum (LPI), up 3% after reporting that it has cut personnel costs by 25% and employee count by 20% ... Geron (GERN), up 4% after Needham analyst Chad Messer upgraded the stock to Buy with a price target of $3, saying the return of development rights for imetelstat in September by Janssen (JNJ) has created a "buying opportunity"... Chimerix (CMRX), up 12% after naming Michael Sherman CEO. DOWN AFTER EARNINGS: Lindsay (LNN), down 14%... Pentair (PNR), down 11%. ALSO LOWER: Novartis (NVS), down 10% after completing its spinoff of Alcon (ALC), its eye care devices business, through a dividend-in-kind distribution to holders of Novartis shares and ADRs... Zogenix (ZGNX), down 28% after receiving refusal to file letter from the FDA on its new drug application for Fintepla... U.S. Steel (X), down 5% after Credit Suisse analyst Curt Woodworth downgraded shares to Underperform from Neutral and lowered his price target on the shares to $13 from $21.

08:57 EDT Alaska Communications promotes William Bishop to COO - Alaska Communications announced William Bishop, SVP, customer and revenue management, is being promoted to SVP and COO as of April 9, 2019. In the newly created role reporting to president and CEO Anand Vadapalli, Bishop will assume responsibility for business operations including revenue across all market segments, customer service, network and IT. Bishop joined Alaska Communications in 2004 and has served in several leadership roles in consumer and business sales and operations.

08:47 EDT Precision Therapeutics unit Helomics announces collaboration with Viome - Precision Therapeutics announced a collaboration between its wholly owned subsidiary, Helomics, and Viome to study the link between the gut microbiome and ovarian cancer. The collaboration will start with a pilot study to determine what changes occur in the gut microbiome during ovarian cancer therapy and how those changes might impact outcomes. The companies intend to apply the results from this study to develop "innovative and holistic approaches to help oncologists better personalize and optimize ovarian cancer therapy."

08:42 EDT Medtronic announces new value-based agreement with BC/BS of Minnesota - Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Minnesota and Medtronic (MDT) announced yesterday a new outcomes-based agreement that provides members of the Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Minnesota plan who live with diabetes improved access to the Guardian Connect smart Continuous Glucose Monitoring system. The system will also now be made available through a member's pharmacy benefit. Using the amount of time spent in a healthy glucose range as a key metric, value-based payments will be tied to the percentage of Time in Range achieved using the Guardian Connect system, the company said.

08:38 EDT Laredo Petroleum reduces personnel costs by 25%, employee count by 20% - Laredo Petroleum announced the company has taken measures to align the company's cost structure with operational activity, reducing combined cash and non-cash general and administrative expenses and capitalized employee costs by approximately 25% on an annualized basis. "The Company has delivered on its commitment to align general and administrative expenses and capitalized employee costs with our current operational activity," said Randy Foutch, chairman and CEO. "We have reduced our total employee count by approximately 20%, including a greater than 40% reduction at the Vice President and above level, resulting in annualized savings of approximately $30 million. While these actions are always difficult, they are necessary as we focus on increasing corporate-level returns and growing within cash flow from operations."

08:34 EDT Catasys appoints Carol Murdock as Chief Commercial Officer - Catasys announced the appointment of Carol Murdock as Chief Commercial Officer. She will lead Business Development, Account Management, Marketing and Corporate Communications, reporting to Terren Peizer, Chairman and CEO. Most recently, she served as the Chief Marketing Officer of Healogics.

08:34 EDT Gain Capital amends, extends stockholder rights plan - Gain Capital announced that its Board of Directors has approved an amendment and extension of its stockholder rights plan. The rights plan was due to expire on April 9. Under the terms of the amendment to the rights plan, the expiration date has been extended to April 9, 2022. In addition, under the amendment, the purchase price for the exercise of the rights has been changed from $27.50 to $28.00.

08:32 EDT Faro Technologies says Michael Burger to succeed Dr. Simon Raab as CEO - Faro Technologies announced that Michael Burger has been appointed President and CEO of the company, effective June 17. Burger succeeds Dr. Simon Raab, who previously announced his intent to retire as the company's President and CEO and as a member of the company's Board of Directors upon the appointment of his successor. Dr. Raab will retire from his positions with the company on June 16. Burger most recently served as President and CEO and as a member of the board of directors of Electro Scientific Industries.

08:31 EDT HCI Group reports preliminary $4M-$7M loss related to Florida hailstorm - HCI Group reported a recent severe thunderstorm that brought hail to several areas of Brevard County, Florida. The company's preliminary estimates indicate losses related to this hailstorm will be in the range of $4M-$7M.

08:23 EDT PhaseBio licenses global rights for PB1023 to ImmunoForge - PhaseBio announced it has licensed to ImmunoForge, the global rights for PB1023, a long-acting, recombinant GLP-1 analogue for the treatment of certain diseases, including conditions related to sarcopenia. PB1023 was created as a genetic fusion protein utilizing PhaseBio's proprietary elastin-like polypeptide, or ELP, technology platform. Under the terms of the agreement, PhaseBio has granted ImmunoForge an exclusive, worldwide license, with rights to sublicense, to PB1023 for the development and commercialization of treatments for all diseases except diabetes, obesity and non-alcoholic steatohepatitis. PhaseBio will receive an upfront payment upon execution of the agreement and is eligible to receive development milestone payments and royalty payments on net sales of products, including sales from sublicense agreements.

08:20 EDT Bank of America to raise minimum wage to $20 per hour over two-year period - Bank of America announced that it will raise its minimum wage to $20 per hour over a two-year period. The increase will occur in increments. On May 1, 2019, the minimum hourly wage will increase to $17, and will continue to rise until it reaches $20 in 2021.

08:11 EDT J. Alexander's receives nonbinding proposal from holder Ancora - J. Alexander's announced that it has received a letter from Ancora Advisors, holder of approximately 1.26M shares of the company's common stock, or approximately 8.6% of the outstanding shares. The letter contains a purported nonbinding proposal to purchase the outstanding shares of the company's common stock for $11.75 in cash for each share, subject to a number of conditions set forth in the letter. The company's board, in consultation with its advisors, will carefully review, evaluate and respond to Ancora's letter.

08:08 EDT MagnaChip and ELAN partner to expand capabilities of OLED displays - MagnaChip Semiconductor and ELAN Microelectronics announced a partnership to expand the capabilities of OLED displays for a wide variety of consumer, communication, computing and industrial products, as well as for automotive displays. The partnership seeks to develop OLED displays in areas such as smartphones, mobile devices, tablets and automotive applications, ranging from navigation and infotainment screens to brake light and interior lighting systems. OLED technology enables screens to display rich and highly saturated colors while emitting low power consumption. Flexible OLED display driver ICs enable curved screens for smartphones, tablets and other devices.

08:06 EDT Cerner authorizes additional $1.2B of common stock to share repurchase program - Cerner announced that its board has approved an amendment to its stock repurchase program, authorizing the repurchase of an additional $1.2B of its common stock. When combined with the $3M of authorization remaining on the program that was approved in May 2018, the total authorized amount available for repurchase is approximately $1.5B. The company intends to fund the repurchase program with cash from operations and by issuing debt. Cerner plans to repurchase shares opportunistically in the open market, by block purchase, in privately negotiated transactions or possibly through other transactions managed by broker-dealers. The company expects to execute the majority of the repurchase authorization in the next 12 months, subject to market conditions and other factors, including price.

08:04 EDT Principal to acquire Wells Fargo Institutional Retirement & Trust business

07:35 EDT Primoris announces heavy civil award valued over $13M - Primoris announced a new heavy civil award valued over $13M. The contract was secured by Primoris Heavy Civil. The project was awarded by the Louisiana Department of Transportation and Development and is located in southeastern Louisiana. The project involves removing an existing bridge and replacing it with two new, side-by-side bridges. The new bridges will feature three travel lanes in each direction. Work is scheduled to commence in Q2 and to be completed in the Q4 of 2020.

07:16 EDT SAIC awarded position on $45M IT modernization contract for NIH - SAIC was awarded a position on the National Institutes of Health Business and Professional Support Services II, or NIHBPSSII, contract to provide a broad range of IT services and support. NIHBPSSII is a multiple-award, indefinite-delivery, indefinite-quantity contract that has a one-year base period, two one-year options, and a $45M ceiling value. SAIC is one of 14 awardees. Under the contract, SAIC will deliver a full range of business operations and professional support services. The NIHBPSSII contract will be used primarily by the NIH, but may also be used by other portions of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services and other federal agencies.

07:09 EDT RA Pharmaceuticals completes End-of-Phase 2 interactions with FDA - Ra Pharmaceuticals announced the successful completion of End-of-Phase 2 interactions with the FDA for its Phase 3 clinical trial of zilucoplan for the treatment of generalized myasthenia gravis, or gMG. Based on feedback provided by the FDA, Ra Pharma plans to initiate a single, pivotal, Phase 3, randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial evaluating the efficacy of a once-daily, subcutaneously, or SC, self-administered dose of 0.3 mg/kg of zilucoplan versus placebo. The trial is expected to enroll approximately 130 patients with gMG who are acetylcholine receptor, or AChR,-antibody-positive, regardless of their prior therapies. The primary endpoint will be the change in the MG Activities of Daily Living, or MG-ADL, score from baseline to week 12. Following completion of the Phase 3 clinical trial, patients will have the option to enroll into an open-label, long-term extension study. Ra Pharma anticipates initiating the Phase 3 clinical trial in the second half of 2019. With alignment reached on a single, 12-week, pivotal Phase 3 trial, Ra Pharma has decided to prioritize gMG as the lead indication for zilucoplan as part of its goal to build a leading complement-focused neurology franchise. Leveraging the unique properties of a small peptide C5 inhibitor, the company plans to expand development into other tissue-based, complement-mediated disorders with high unmet medical need. This effort includes the initiation of a Phase 2 study in an undisclosed neuromuscular indication in the second half of 2019. As a result, the company has decided to postpone further clinical development of zilucoplan in paroxysmal nocturnal hemoglobinuria, or PNH. Dosing will continue in the company's long-term extension of the Phase 2 PNH program. In addition, the company continues to advance development of zilucoplan extended release, or XR, and its first-in-class oral small molecule C5 inhibitor.

07:07 EDT Synlogic names Scott Plevy CSO - Synlogic (SYBX) announced the appointment of Scott Plevy, M.D., as chief scientific officer. Plevy will have responsibility for Synlogic's research organization and will report to Aoife Brennan, M.B., Ch.B., Synlogic's president and CEO. Plevy is a gastroenterologist who most recently served as VP, gastroenterology disease area leader and IL-23 pathway leader at Janssen Research & Development (JNJ).

07:05 EDT Alkermes says ALPINE study met pre-specified primary endpoint - Alkermes announced positive topline results from ALPINE, a first-of-its-kind, six-month study evaluating the efficacy, safety and tolerability of ARISTADA and INVEGA SUSTENNA when used to initiate patients experiencing an acute exacerbation of schizophrenia in the hospital and maintain treatment in an outpatient setting. Patients randomized to the ARISTADA treatment group were initiated using the ARISTADA INITIO regimen followed by ARISTADA every two months. Patients randomized to the INVEGA SUSTENNA treatment group were initiated using a loading dose of INVEGA SUSTENNA followed by INVEGA SUSTENNA every month. The ALPINE study met its pre-specified primary endpoint, demonstrating that both ARISTADA and INVEGA SUSTENNA had statistically significant and clinically meaningful reductions in Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale total scores from baseline at Week 4. Additionally, PANSS total scores continued to improve at Week 9 and Week 25, the study's pre-specified secondary endpoints. Improvements in PANSS total scores from baseline were similar and not statistically different between treatment groups at any assessment time point during the study.

06:57 EDT Mallinckrodt announces retrospective analysis on Acthar Gel published - Mallinckrodt announced data from a retrospective chart review that analyzed physician assessments of 91 U.S. patients diagnosed with uveitis who had been treated with Acthar Gel in the previous 12 months. All patients had completed or were still receiving treatment at the time of the review. In response to a survey question, physicians reported that 84% of patients who completed or were still in treatment with Acthar Gel had improvement in disease status overall, and 86% had improvements in vision. Uveitis is a cause of preventable blindness in adults. Results of the study were recently published online ahead of print in the Journal of Ocular Pharmacology and Therapeutics. Acthar Gel is FDA-approved for the treatment of severe acute and chronic allergic and inflammatory processes involving the eye and its adnexa such as: keratitis, iritis, iridocyclitis, diffuse posterior uveitis and choroiditis, optic neuritis, chorioretinitis and anterior segment inflammation. The study was a retrospective medical record review of physicians' assessments of 91 patients diagnosed with uveitis, most of whom had moderate to severe visual impairment, who were treated with Acthar Gel. Average time since diagnosis was four years. All patients had received treatment with Acthar Gel in the past 12 months and had either completed a course of Acthar Gel or were receiving Acthar Gel treatment at the time of data collection. There were 17 different initial dosing regimens documented in the study, however, most patients were prescribed an initial regimen of 40-80 units, administered subcutaneously once or twice weekly. According to the Acthar Gel prescribing information, usual dosing of Acthar Gel is 40-80 units via subcutaneous or intramuscular injection every 1-3 days. Based on notes in medical records, physicians reported that overall disease status had improved in 84% of patients after therapy with Acthar Gel. Overall 86% had improvements in vision, 27% had improvements in eye pain, 26% had improvements in vitreous haze, 24% had reduction of background medication use, 23% had improvements in vitreous flare and 18% had improvements in macular edema. The study was a retrospective collection of data from medical records, which may be incomplete.

06:33 EDT Air Lease signs lease agreements with Air Premia for three Boeing 787-9 aircraft - Air Lease (AL) announced long-term lease agreements with Air Premia for three new Boeing (BA) 787-9 aircraft, all scheduled for delivery in 2020. The three Dreamliner aircraft are scheduled to deliver starting in Summer 2020 through Fall 2020 from ALC's order book with Boeing.

06:06 EDT Canada Goose to open 6 new stores in U.S., Europe, Canada - Canada Goose announced plans to open six new stores with two in Europe, one in the United States and three in Canada in fall/winter 2019.

06:02 EDT Walmart expanding use of robots to scan shelves, sort items - Elizabeth Walker, Walmart Corporate Affairs, said in a statement that "Smart assistants have huge potential to make busy stores run more smoothly, so Walmart has been pioneering new technologies to minimize the time an associate spends on the more mundane and repetitive tasks like cleaning floors or checking inventory on a shelf. This gives associates more of an opportunity to do what they're uniquely qualified for: serve customers face-to-face on the sales floor. The 2018 tests of these technologies have been well-received, but it's not enough to have these cutting-edge systems in just a few locations. That's why additional technologies are coming soon to stores across America. And we're going big: 1,500 new autonomous floor cleaners, aka "Auto-C": After an associate preps the area, this machine can be programmed to travel throughout the open parts of the store, leaving behind a clean, polished floor. 300 additional shelf scanners, aka "Auto-S": This technology scans items on store shelves to help ensure availability, correct shelf location, and price accuracy. 1,200 more FAST Unloaders: Working with the shelf scanner, the FAST Unloader automatically scans and sorts items unloaded from trucks based on priority and department. 900 new Pickup Towers: A customer places an order online and selects for an in-store pickup. The associate loads the ordered item into the Pickup Tower. When a customer receives a notification via email that the item is available, they can use the Pickup Tower like a giant vending machine to retrieve their purchase." Reference Link

05:57 EDT KBR awarded pre-FEED contract for Phases 2, 3 of Greater Tortue Ahmeyim project - KBR (KBR) announced that BP (BP) has awarded KBR's UK operating subsidiary the Pre-FEED Services contract for Phases 2 and 3 of BP's Greater Tortue Ahmeyim project, for the further development of Tortue field beyond Phase 1, located at the maritime border of Senegal and Mauritania.

05:37 EDT Novartis completes Alcon spin-off - Novartis (NVS) completed the spin-off of the Alcon (ALC) eye care devices business through a dividend-in-kind distribution to holders of Novartis shares and ADRs, with each holder receiving 1 Alcon share for every 5 Novartis shares or ADRs held on April 8, at the close of business. Novartis reiterated its disciplined shareholder focused approach to capital allocation, including its intention to continue paying a strong and growing annual dividend up from the CHF 2.85 per share paid in 2019, without adjustments for the Alcon spin-off. Share buybacks will continue to be part of the mix to create shareholder value, with $0.8B of an up to $5B commitment completed in 2018, and the remainder expected to be completed by the end of 2019.

05:31 EDT TechnipFMC awarded 'significant' Subsea contract in Brazil - TechnipFMC has been awarded a significant contract for Lapa field by Total E&P do Brasil, on behalf of the Lapa Field Consortium. The Lapa field is located in the pre-salt Santos Basin, under the BM-S-9A concession, at 2,150 meters of water depth offshore Brazil. The contract covers the supply of flexible pipes for oil production, gas lift and gas injection as well as associated accessories. The field will be connected to the FPSO Cidade de Caraguatatuba, already in operation. For TechnipFMC, a "significant" contract is between $75M and $250M.

05:19 EDT JetBlue enters long-term agreement with GA Telesis - GA Telesis reported the execution of a long-term agreement with JetBlue. The agreement, which began in December 2018, covers the repair and overhaul of a variety of components for JetBlue's fleet of Embraer 190.